Renji woke early that morning. Today he would be discharged, with Teuchi scheduled to pick him up at nine.
There were still two hours to go.
He pushed himself up with some effort, determined not to waste the time. Better to stretch his legs, get used to walking again, and maybe learn more about his surroundings. The anime had shown him pieces of Konoha, but never the little details. Those, he would need to discover on his own.
So he wandered the halls. Every person he passed—medics, nurses, patients, or their visiting relatives—he greeted with a polite nod or a quiet word. Despite their tired faces, each returned his greeting with warmth.
'Everyone's so polite! If you forget that most of them are killer ninjas, Konoha people are actually… really nice.'
The thought made him smile faintly as he continued down the corridor.
Then something caught his eye. At the far end of the hall sat a rolling bed—the kind used for moving bodies. A white sheet covered what was clearly a form beneath.
Glancing around, he noticed a nurse hurrying away, calling out for someone else. The bed, and what lay upon it, remained unattended.
Renji stepped closer. From beneath the white sheet, long strands of dark hair spilled over the edge of the bed.
'Another casualty from the Kyūbi attack, maybe…'
His thoughts drifted back to the previous day. Absorbing the Demonic Energy from Ayame's hair had accelerated the creation of his new skill—but it had stalled at the very end, just shy of completion. Now, looking at the fallen kunoichi, that same faint sensation stirred in him—the same presence he had felt from Ayame and the nurse.
'Maybe… maybe this will do it. If I absorb the energy from her hair, the skill might finally solidify.'
He swallowed, glancing down the corridor. No one had returned yet. Carefully, he lifted the cloth just enough to see the face beneath.
A kunoichi, the Konoha forehead protector resting against her brow. Her features were still young. Judging by her simple attire, she couldn't have been more than a genin. A chūnin or jōnin would a uniform and would have been handled with far more formality.
Renji shook his head. 'Now's not the time to get lost in thought. I need to be quick—before the nurse comes back.'
He leaned closer, angling himself as if to study her face. At the same time, he slid the back of his hand so that it brushed against her hair, ready to draw out its hidden energy.
The moment his hand touched her hair, it was like a dam bursting. His senses exploded, and in his mind-space, a perfect replica of the kunoichi's hair appeared. Unlike Ayame's, this one pulsed with far more Demonic Energy—dense, vibrant, alive.
Renji ran his awareness along the locks, marveling at the sheer density of energy in them. Then he focused, willing the energy to flow.
A torrent answered his call. Demonic Energy poured through his hand, rushing into his chest with a richness Ayame's couldn't compare to.
Warmth spread through him in waves. His body prickled, then itched as torn tissues knit back together. The constant throb of pain he had endured for days dulled with each passing heartbeat. In just a few seconds, he was completely healed! Luckily, he was covered in bandages, and will be discharging today. So nobody would know...probably.
He stopped just shy of draining it fully, careful not to let the hair crumble to ash.
Then, in his vision, the blinking icon finally solidified. Lines interwove before his eyes, forming the shape of a spider web woven from countless shiny dark braids.
The skill was complete.
Renji focused on the new icon, and text unfurled before his eyes.
[Skill Acquired: Demonic Energy Sense — Level 1]
[Effect: Sense Demonic Energy within a maximum radius of 1,000 meters. Radius adjustable. Toggle On/Off.]
His breath stilled.
'Such a simple description… but the result is astounding! A full kilometer radius—that's on par with the Byakugan!'
He chuckled inwardly, though his excitement was tempered by realism.
'Admittedly, it only works for Demonic Energy… which basically means women's hair for now. Still, it's incredible!'
'And it synergizes perfectly with my first skill—Hair Manipulation.'
Renji shifted his focus back to the first icon.
[Hair Manipulation — Level 1]
[Description: You are able to manipulate hair containing Demonic Energy. You can grow, shorten, cut, or harden any hair you sense. The effect is amplified through direct touch. However, the manipulated hair weakens with repeated use, eventually turning to ash once the Demonic Energy within it is fully consumed.]
He exhaled slowly.
'Before, I could only "sense" hair if I touched it directly. But now? With Demonic Energy Sense active… I can manipulate the hair of every woman within a one-kilometer radius. That's an incredible leap!'
Thinking this, he toggled the skill on.
In an instant, his mind-space bloomed with countless images—hairstyles of women across his detection radius. Long braids, short cuts, neat buns, loose waves… every one of them mapped to a precise location in the real world. The awareness was instinctive; he knew where each belonged. If he wished, he could manipulate them all at once.
The sheer scope of it made his chest swell.
'I finally have something to rely on! Even if it only works on women's hair, this could help me survive.'
As he marveled, a presence moved closer in his perception—a brown, tightly wound bun, the kind nurses often wore, approaching rapidly.
He blinked and snapped back to reality. 'The nurse from before—she's coming back!'
Quickly, he lowered the sheet back over the kunoichi's face and stepped away from the bed. Just in time—the nurse entered with a male medic at her side. Both froze, surprised to see Renji standing there.
The nurse's eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here?"
Renji raised his hands slightly, his tone apologetic. "Sorry… I thought this might be someone I knew. Could I check, just to be sure?"
The male medic spoke firmly. "No. That would be disrespectful. If you want to know, go to the lobby and check the board. Names of the casualties are listed there."
Renji let his shoulders slump, adopting a look of realization. "You're right. I'm sorry. I'll check the board instead. Thank you."
He bowed politely and walked away toward the lobby.
As he moved down the hall, he sighed inwardly.
'Phew… that was close. What I did must look horribly disrespectful… well, it is. Still, I memorized her face. If I get the chance, maybe I can do something nice for her family in the future.'