"I see you've made yourselves comfortable." An amused voice suddenly interrupted Ren, Ino, and Hinata's peaceful time as they sat cuddled together with their eyes closed.
Ren opened his eyes and turned toward Hiruzen, who stood in the open doorway leading to his new office, looking at them with fond but mild exasperation that gave off a vibe of a caring and disappointed elder.
How the old man managed to give such an impression with a simple look was a mystery to Ren, but he was very aware that it was supposed to coax a feeling of slight shame. But as much as Ren wanted to roll his eyes straight in Hiruzen's face, the man was still a former Hokage, so Ren opted for simply giving him a bland look in response.
He had made them wait for fifteen minutes already, so Ren did not feel very charitable at the moment.
Just as that thought passed through Ren's mind, Hiruzen stepped slightly to the side, letting Danzo pass around him as he exited Hiruzen's office and gave Ren, Ino, and Hinata a silent, impassive glance before he walked off.
Ren's eyebrows slightly furrowed, but he did feel better that the wait was not just some silly power play by Hiruzen, and he likely indeed had some sort of important meeting.
"I am sorry for the wait. Please, come in." Hiruzen sheepishly said with a small, apologetic smile before he politely invited them in.
And Ren's alarm bells instantly blared in his head as Ino slowly rose from his lap with a small, quiet, unwilling whine.
Despite Ino's outward act, Ren could clearly feel the sudden rise of wariness in her through the telepathy seal. Out of the three of them, Ino was the most socially capable. She had been training in social interactions, how to read and manipulate them, practically since she was still in her nappies.
Even Hinata slightly narrowed her eyes with a small stiffness in her back as she rose from her seat. As a Hyuga heiress, she also got a considerable amount of social schooling.
The thing was... Hiruzen did not need to stand up from his seat and come to invite them himself. He could have ordered one of his ANBU, whom Ren could clearly feel in the room, to do it, just like they were doing when he was the Hokage.
After all, that was literally a part of their job.
Ren recognized the action for what it was. An attempt to make a good impression on them for the upcoming meeting. A subtle way to make them more... open to whatever Hiruzen wanted out of them.
The fact that Hiruzen bothered with it made Ren a bit more guarded than he would have liked to admit, and now he was truly wondering if he even wanted to hear what the old man had to say.
A wry smile appeared on his lips as he stood up and started walking toward the door, following Ino and Hinata. Alas, it was not like he had much of a choice.
The three of them entered the room, and Ren's eyes quickly scanned it, discovering three ANBU. One was hiding on the ceiling, another was just next to the door, blending in with the wardrobe. And the last one was behind Hiruzen's chair, slightly to the side, and using the curtains of the window to disappear in plain sight.
Of course, all three of them were using their ANBU hiding mumbo-jumbo so that even experienced ninjas would have a hard time locating them. Unfortunately for them, Ren and his girls were all sensors.
And fortunately, that information was still mostly kept secret from Konoha's higher-ups. Ren could already see how they would be redeployed to the borders for months on end if the higher-ups knew just how powerful their sensing abilities were. And how would he be able to enjoy going out, spending time leisurely in the living room, or doing hanky-panky bedroom activities with his girls then? No. Ren decided it was for the greater good that Hiruzen and his boys never get a real estimation of how well either of them could sense things.
Hiruzen quickly offered the three of them seats on the couch located to the side of the room and sat down on one side while clearly expecting them to take the opposite one.
Ren, Ino, and Hinata did so, even though they noticed this was yet another way to subtly make them feel respected and to cultivate a friendly atmosphere. Most ninjas would feel honored to be treated so amicably by Hiruzen.
The current Hokage, he might not be anymore, but he is and always will be the Third Hokage. The guy who made Konoha great again! Repeatedly. Many Konoha ninjas grew up on stories of his greatness and sacrifice to the village.
Subconsciously, this kind of treatment would make them feel happy, which could make them involuntarily lose their guard without them even noticing.
"Let me start by congratulating you." Hiruzen chuckled as he put a book on the table between them before sliding it toward them. "The new Bingo Book was released, and you three all have new entries."
"Really!? Can I?" Ino exclaimed, deciding to play along for now. Caution was nice, but unless they get to know what Hiruzen wanted out of them, overt caution would make them just look like assholes with things to hide.
After all, they were all friends here! They were on the same side. Right?
Right... Ren inwardly chuckled as he reached and took the book before Ino could get it, when Hiruzen mirthfully nodded his assent. That earned him a small pout from his blonde companion, but it didn't last long before she grinned and leaned on Ren, intending to read the book with him over his shoulder.
Hinata simply gently put her hand on Ren's thigh, and Ren reckoned she had her Byakugan activated despite no indication being visible on her face.
"Feel free to check." Hiruzen said as Ren was already leafing through the Bingo book, trying to find their entries.
It was Hinata whose entry he had found first, and he had to owlishly blink.
"Hinata Hyuga. The Lightning Storm Princess. 75 000 000 Ryo dead. 150 000 000 Ryo alive." Ren read aloud with a disbelieving voice and a disgruntled frown on his face as the girl in question prettily blushed next to him with a small smile before she slightly ducked her head out of embarrassment.
"Ah. That bounty for bringing her in alive is from Kumo." Hiruzen pointed out. "I'd guess the tales of her lightning techniques impressed their Kage, and they must think her lightning affinity must be off the charts. With her also being a Hyuga..." He helplessly shook his head and shrugged in a 'What can you do' kind of gesture as he turned toward Hinata.
"I am sorry to inform you," He gave her a comforting gaze, "You would be considered a prime breeding stock in Kumo even more than previously if they ever get you alive. The Raikage would no doubt want your supposed strong lightning affinity to enhance his blood because it might improve his family technique."
Hinata's blush receded, and she simply nodded in acknowledgement while Ren found himself a bit impressed with this old man's attempt.
He was trying to intimidate her with the knowledge of what her fate would be in Kumo's hands because he thought she would subconsciously compare that sort of treatment to the freedom she had in Konoha and would be grateful, if not to him personally, then at least to Konoha.
It wasn't outright manipulation. Just... nudging her to come to certain conclusions beneficial to him and the village. Yeah, Ren could see why so many ninjas were so loyal to this man. He knew how to subtly pull the strings and say the right thing at the right time.
But more importantly!
"Your title is quite cool, bitch." Ino instantly interrupted the solemn atmosphere forming in the room by whinily exclaiming before letting out a loud 'humph!'. "Mine will be cooler!"
"If you say so." Hinata chuckled and gave Ino a knowing smile that made Ino's grin slightly falter as she worriedly glanced at the Bingo Book in Ren's hands. After all, she knew that Hinata's Byakugan was still on.
Ren didn't see the subtle exchange between the girls. He inwardly nodded. Ino was right! Hinata's title was cool! What the heck? Why? He surmised they were going to call her Lightning Storm, or Lightning Princess, or Storm Princess, or some other shortened form, but it all sounded freaking cool with only a small amount of cringe!
What gives?
They misrepresented her spiny, lightning-needle throwing technique that wiped out the Otogakure army, and named her after it. Ren had to admit it did look like Lightning Storm a bit, what with all the lightning-enhanced needles raining on the battlefield and exploding on impact.
But... this wasn't fair.
Ren the Stoner was so freaking jealous!
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