"Some inherit bloodlines. Others… awaken legacies buried deep in soul and bone."
The Village – Morning After
Konoha was unusually quiet.
A blanket of fog clung to rooftops like breath held too long. Renji sat on the windowsill of the Academy infirmary, one leg dangling out, shoulder bandaged, shirt wrinkled from sleep he hadn't truly gotten.
He hadn't told anyone about the seal that had formed in his palm, not even Iruka.
But he'd felt it — no, remembered it — as if it had always been there, waiting.
From a life before this one.
Naruto's Return
Naruto burst through the curtain.
"I'M OUT!" he shouted. "The nurse said I'm good!"
Renji turned just as Naruto grinned and rubbed his head. "Also… I might've broken her clipboard. But she forgave me after I gave her my breakfast fishcake."
Hinata peeked in after him. "Y-you're not supposed to be up yet…"
Her face turned pink when she saw Renji, shirtless and stretching his arms. She instantly turned to face the curtain.
"I'm fine," Renji said casually. "Still better looking than him."
"HEY!" Naruto barked. "I've got battle scars!"
"You fell into a pit trap and knocked yourself out."
"…Still counts!"
Classroom – Later That Day
The classroom was buzzing.
Every genin student was whispering about the incident.
Did you hear Renji fought off a real rogue shinobi?
I heard he summoned a dragon from the trees.
He used forbidden seals. My cousin said it was like watching an elite jonin!
Iruka entered late, clearing his throat.
"Settle down! And yes—yes—what happened yesterday was real. But it's also under village security classification."
He paused, eyes lingering briefly on Renji.
"And some things are not meant for gossip."
Hinata's Journal – Private Entry
Renji was amazing.
Even Naruto admitted it. I've never seen chakra flow like that… it was like he knew what the enemy was going to do before he did it.
I saw his chakra too. It was… deep red. Alive. Spiraling like a whirlpool. I want to ask him about it, but… I feel like he already has too much weight on him.
I'll just stay close. Quietly. That's enough, right?
Evening – Training Ground 3
Renji trained alone.
His palm wrapped in seal paper, ink brush beside him. Symbols coiled like snakes across the scroll.
Fūinjutsu.
He didn't know how he could read it — but it made sense.
He whispered to himself, almost in trance. "This mark… it's not a curse seal. It's a key."
"Clever observation."
The voice behind him made his blood run cold.
Renji turned—and found himself face to face with Jiraiya of the Sannin.
White hair, red lines down his face, and a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"I'm not here to fight," Jiraiya said casually. "But I do want to know how an Academy kid is using Uzumaki clan sealing techniques that haven't been taught in decades."
Revelations Under Moonlight
Renji didn't speak right away.
Instead, he rolled the scroll up, tucked it into his belt, and stood.
"I don't know."
"You sure about that?"
"I know what I know. I don't know how I know it."
Jiraiya studied him.
"Your chakra is massive," he finally said. "Too big. And that trick you pulled? That's not beginner stuff. That's deep bloodline knowledge."
"Are you saying I'm…?"
"Maybe You're Uzumaki."Jiraiya replied slowly
Renji blinked.
Something in his chest clicked. Like a door opening.
"Does Naruto know?"
"Not yet. And maybe don't tell him right away."
Renji nodded, jaw tight.
Jiraiya stepped back. "We'll talk again."
Then he vanished in a burst of smoke.
Meanwhile – Hyuga Estate
Hinata sat beside a pond, her hands folded in her lap.
Hiashi had been unusually quiet during dinner. He hadn't said a word about her mission.
That meant he was thinking. Judging.
She hated the silence.
He approached her, arms folded.
"You froze," he said simply.
Hinata looked down.
"I saw the seal in that boy's hand. I saw the enemy. And you were standing still."
"…He was better than all of us."
"That doesn't change what you are expected to be."
Hinata clenched her hands.
"I want to be strong. I do. But—"
"But nothing," Hiashii said coldly. "You don't get to hesitate in war."
He left her with that.
Late Night – Naruto's Apartment
Naruto poked at his ramen.
"Renji's weird," he muttered. "Cool. But weird."
He stared at the ceiling, then closed his eyes.
"He reminds me of myself sometimes. Like… he doesn't belong, but he acts like he's okay with it."
A pause.
"...Maybe I'll challenge him again. But this time, I'm gonna win."
Outside, the full moon glowed.
Hidden Beneath – The Dark Stirring
In the underground chambers of Root, Danzo Shimura stared at a photograph of Team A.
"The red-haired boy… Renji. Not in any clan records."
He turned to an agent.
"Bring me everything. Blood samples, chakra reports. If he's Uzumaki, he belongs under my control."
End of Chapter 7