The village of Konoha buzzed with its usual rhythm — early chatter, clinking tools, the scent of grilled dango drifting through the streets. The sunlight cast a warm glow on the stone paths as Ren Uzumaki stepped out of the tailor's shop, a modest paper bag in hand.
His blond hair had grown a little longer, but he still tied it back in the same quiet style. His face had matured — still calm, still focused, but now undeniably older.
"Two and a half years..."
He murmured quietly to himself.
So much had changed.
He glanced down at the clothes in the bag — one set bright orange, the exact outfit Naruto had been eyeing for months.
"Loud. Obvious. So him."
Next to it, a new set for himself — same orange base, but designed differently: darker tones layered in, a short hooded jacket over a combat-fit shirt, sleeves tighter, cleaner. Functional but familiar.
"We'll match, but not too much."
He stepped out of the shop and started walking toward home.
Along the way, memories stirred.
"Naruto… that idiot really did steal the Scroll of Seals."
He sighed at the memory. The night Naruto had fallen for Mizuki's lies. The chaos that followed. The forbidden jutsu he'd learned — Kage Bunshin no Jutsu — and the way Iruka had nearly been killed protecting him.
What stung most was what Ren hadn't known before: Iruka, for a time, had his own complicated feelings about the twins.
Not hate. Just distance. Pain. The way the village treated them had rubbed off on even the kindest people.
"But that's all behind us. We're good now."
Iruka had apologized. Genuinely. And since then, his care for Naruto — and even for Ren — had only deepened.
Just yesterday, the Hokage had summoned Ren to the tower.
"You've grown well, Ren," Hiruzen had said, hands clasped behind his back. "It's time you step into the next phase."
Ren had stood quietly, waiting.
"You'll be placed into a proper genin squad — a team of three. An assigned instructor will take over your training."
Ren had nodded.
"I assume you already know the one forming around Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura?"
He did. Team 7. With Kakashi Hatake as their jōnin instructor.
"Good," Ren had said softly. "Don't change it. Let them grow together."
The Hokage had raised an eyebrow, but nodded.
Ren had said nothing else, but the thought remained.
"Let him shine. I'll find my own way."
He reached the edge of the main street and turned down a narrow path toward their apartment.
"Naruto… Still the same idiot. Still my brother."
He glanced at the bag again.
"Hope he likes the jacket."
He smirked softly to himself, the wind brushing his bangs as the village bustled around him.
Everything was changing.
And it was only the beginning.