Prelude – Thunder Before Dawn
The air over Training Field 7 buzzed with summer cicadas and quiet tension. Tall trees swayed with the breeze, brushing against a calm sky that hid nothing of the storm brewing beneath.
Team 7—Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno—stood in a line before their newly assigned jōnin instructor.
Kakashi Hatake, ever casual, was reading Icha Icha Paradise and showing no urgency at all.
Meanwhile, just beyond the ridge, another group of genin stood in hiding, crouched low behind dense shrubs.
Renji.
Hinata.
Kiba.
Shino.
They were spying on the infamous Team 7 Bell Test—because it was the talk of the Academy. And because, well… Renji had plans.
Flashback – Sarutobi's Office (The Day Before)
"Team 8's test will begin in three days," Sarutobi said, lighting his pipe. "But I want you to observe Kakashi's exam tomorrow. Quietly. Learn from it."
Kurenai, calm and poised, nodded. "Understood."
But to Renji, this was more than observation—it was a strategic reconnaissance mission.
Training Ground 7 – Bell Test Begins
Kakashi finally lowered his book and held up two silver bells.
"There are only two bells. That means… one of you is going back to the Academy," he said with a lazy smile.
Naruto exploded. "That's not fair! There's three of us!"
Sasuke glared, already assessing. Sakura trembled beside him, unsure if this was a joke.
Kakashi's eye crinkled. "Come at me with the intent to kill."
Renji, watching from the tree line, leaned in. "Here we go…"
Hinata peeked through her fingers. "Th-they can't win if they don't work together…"
"They won't," Shino said softly. "Not yet."
Kakashi vs. Team 7 – Chaos Unleashed
Naruto rushed in like a cannonball, only to be swiftly buried in the ground up to his neck—his bright hair sticking out like a daffodil.
"Classic," Renji whispered with a chuckle.
Sasuke took a smarter route, attacking from blind spots with shuriken, but Kakashi dodged with absurd ease. Sakura fainted from stress when Kakashi appeared behind her mid-genjutsu.
The Hidden Four—Renji's group—watched silently.
Hinata's eyes sparkled with admiration. "Naruto-kun... he's not giving up."
But Renji frowned. "He's not using his teammates."
Parallel – Team 8's First Strategy Session
Later that afternoon, under the shade of a large tree, Team 8 had their first real planning session with Kurenai.
"I won't fight you," she said softly. "But you must retrieve this scroll from the tree behind me."
Kiba smirked. "This'll be easy!"
It was not easy.
Every approach was countered with genjutsu. Shino got caught in a looping hallucination where he kept chasing the scroll for hours. Kiba ran in circles, thinking he'd won—only to end up back at the starting tree. Hinata saw her own fears amplified: her father's disapproval, Neji's cold glare, her own voice vanishing.
But Renji—he paused.
He closed his eyes, tapped into his chakra, and with intense focus—released a counter seal.
Fuinjutsu: Kai
The genjutsu broke.
Kurenai looked at him thoughtfully. "You're an unusual one."
Evening – Rooftop Reflections
Later that night, Renji and Hinata sat on the school rooftop. The moon was a pale sliver, like a blade in the sky.
"You broke Kurenai-sensei's genjutsu," Hinata whispered. "That's amazing."
Renji shrugged, blushing slightly. "You saw through Kakashi's strategy before any of them did. You're amazing too."
She gave a shy smile, and their fingers brushed briefly.
The silence between them wasn't awkward anymore. It was warm.
"I want to fight alongside you someday," Hinata said softly.
"You will," Renji replied. "And when we do... I'll protect you."
She looked up at him, eyes wide. "Renji-kun…"
He looked away quickly. "N-not that you need protecting! I mean, you're strong and stuff—like a terrifyingly gentle hurricane—"
Hinata giggled, and Renji's heart nearly exploded.
Final Scene – Elsewhere in the Forest
Deep in Konoha's outskirts, masked figures met under the moonlight.
"He's showing signs," one said.
"The chakra… it's strange. Not from this world."
A third figure held a picture—Renji, standing beside Hinata, laughing under the lanterns of the Moonlight Festival.
"Keep watching him."