His body's chakra pathways were blocked.
He couldn't gather chakra.
He was physically frail to an extreme degree—just a little exercise left him breathless and gasping. Every seasonal change brought illness.
He was practically a living tragedy.
At this moment in his life, he had nothing except his good looks—and the company of two lovely girls.
In the face of Danzo's threats, he was completely helpless.
"What should I do…? Should I run away with them?"
Staring up at the snowflakes drifting silently through the night sky, Hayashi Ren murmured to himself.
To be honest, he didn't really want to run.
Because the moment he did, he would be branded a rogue ninja—an enemy of the Hidden Leaf.
And the two girls who lived with him, the ones who meant everything to him—their backgrounds were far too sensitive for that.
He couldn't ignore it.
There were definitely ninja stationed all around this small courtyard, watching him in the shadows.
And if he dared try to leave the village with the girls, there was no doubt in his mind they would be killed on the spot by those hidden guards.
How could he possibly accept that?
And more importantly…
He wasn't ready to give up.
He had crossed over into this world—how could he not aim to live boldly and brilliantly?
He was never the type to settle quietly.
He was the kind of person who wanted to stir the waters, shake the heavens.
And the Hidden Leaf… it was the center of everything in the world of Naruto.
Powerful bloodline abilities.
Jaw-dropping jutsu.
Taijutsu that could end entire battles in one strike…
How could all of that not thrill him?
Even if his chakra pathways were blocked, he still held hope for the future!
Besides—just because they were blocked didn't mean there was no way to fix them.
He had always wondered…
If he could get some of the Nine-Tails' chakra into his body, wouldn't that powerful energy force open the blockages in his meridians?
And could that same chakra even strengthen his weak constitution—to the point that he could one day train in the legendary Eight Gates technique?
It was for this dream…
That he stayed in the Hidden Leaf all this time.
But now Danzo had found him—and issued an unmistakable ultimatum.
And that made the future feel dark, heavy, uncertain.
His spirit was numb.
"Just a few more months until graduation… What the hell am I supposed to do?"
Hayashi Ren groaned, dragging a hand through his hair in frustration.
"Hey. What's with you?"
A cool voice called out behind him.
A beautiful girl with a high ponytail and pale skin, dressed in a deep blue outfit, walked over coldly.
She looked down at him with a calm, aloof gaze—though, if one looked closely, there was a faint glimmer of concern in her eyes.
"I'm fine," Hayashi Ren said with a faint smile. "You should go back inside. It's cold out here."
"Hmph. So you do know it's cold."
The girl in blue huffed, a bit of annoyance in her voice—but also something that almost sounded like a scolding.
Hayashi Ren smiled gently, just about to speak again, when a cheerful voice cut in—
"Ren-kun! You're not feeling well—you should come inside!"
The voice came from a blonde girl with adorable fox-like whisker marks on her cheeks and twin pigtails bouncing on either side of her head. She skipped over to him with bright energy and grabbed his right wrist.
She clearly intended to drag him straight back into the house.
The girl in blue's eyes flickered with subtle light—and she reached out to grab Hayashi Ren's left wrist.
Before he could even react, the two girls had already pulled him inside together.
Inside the house.
There weren't many coals burning in the small furnace.
But for three twelve-year-olds huddled together, it was enough to feel warm.
Hayashi Ren looked at the two girls in front of him.
He didn't know whether to laugh… or cry.
They were both the key to him becoming strong…
But also the reason Danzo had targeted him in the first place.