"No, that's not right…"
"You need to control the chakra threads more precisely like this…"
"And then coordinate them with your hand movements to control the puppet!"
On a grassy clearing—
Tall trees stood rooted around them, their leafy branches swaying gently in the wind as fallen leaves drifted through the air.
Two puppet dolls were being manipulated by faint chakra threads.
They moved slowly and awkwardly.
"Ren / Big Brother… I remember now…"
Under Ren's hands-on guidance, Ino and Tenten both had slightly flushed faces.
From time to time, they glanced at that impossibly handsome face of his.
It was the kind of face that made them reluctant to look away.
As a result—
They couldn't concentrate at all.
The chakra threads they had painstakingly formed nearly snapped several times.
The puppet dolls in front of them fell over again and again.
"Ino, didn't you just say you remembered?"
Ren's face darkened slightly.
He couldn't help knocking lightly on the smooth foreheads of the two girls.
"And you too, Tenten. What are you thinking about? Focus!"
"Ouch…"
"That hurts!"
Ino and Tenten both teared up instantly.
They glared resentfully at Ren, looking utterly wronged.
Especially Ino.
Rubbing her reddened forehead—
The wild-spirited little princess of the Yamanaka clan clenched her fists.
Suddenly—
She jumped forward and pounced directly onto Ren.
Before the somewhat exasperated Ren could pull her away—
She grabbed his head and planted a fierce kiss on his face.
"All your fault, Big Brother Ren! You're so handsome that I can't focus at all!"
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Apparently not satisfied with just one kiss—
She pecked him several more times in quick succession.
Then she proudly released him.
The little girl raised her chin like a victorious hen returning from battle.
But under Ren's speechless gaze—
And Tenten's wide-eyed stare—
Her adorable face slowly turned bright red all the way to her ears.
It was the first time she had done something so bold.
Even someone as lively and cheerful as her couldn't help feeling shy.
She turned her head away, too embarrassed to meet their eyes.
"Who told Big Brother Ren to be so handsome…"
"We're training. Be serious."
Wiping the drool off his face, Ren sighed helplessly.
As someone who aspired to become a "tentacle monster"—no, the "King of the Forest"—
And someone determined to be a scumbag—
He naturally didn't dislike such intimate gestures from Ino.
After all, the two of them had grown up together.
But looking at the little girl before him—
Who was still pretty much flat as a board—
He honestly wasn't interested right now.
After all—
He wasn't actually a pervert.
"Alright. For now, you two continue practicing on your own."
Seeing that neither of them could focus, Ren could only sigh.
"Make sure you remember the key points I just explained."
With that—
He spread his hands and stepped aside.
Sometimes—
Being too handsome was also a crime.
He didn't know whether it was due to the Mori Mori Fruit, the mutation caused by its fusion with chakra, or some other unknown reason.
But as he grew older—
His features had become increasingly handsome.
His skin had also grown whiter and smoother—
Smooth enough to make many women jealous.
Moreover—
There was a certain natural aura about him.
A temperament that flowed effortlessly from within.
For women, it seemed to possess a surprising level of attraction.
Even mature women like Yūhi Kurenai could feel its pull, though they maintained their composure.
But for girls like Ino and Tenten, who had only just begun to awaken to such feelings—
They stood no chance at resisting it.
This was also why he was so popular at the Ninja Academy.
"I'll work hard, Big Brother Ren!"
Ino suppressed her embarrassment and nodded seriously.
Seeing that the person she had admired and adored since childhood wasn't angry—
And didn't reject her—
Her heart filled with indescribable joy.
"Me too!"
Although Tenten wasn't as bold as Ino—
She refused to fall behind and raised her hand determinedly.
"Alright. If you have any questions, come ask me."
After saying that—
Ren left the two girls to continue practicing.
He walked toward a large tree nearby.
Using his strong sensory ability to confirm that no one was watching—
He casually picked up a fallen leaf.
With a slight thought—
Shhk—
The leaf split cleanly into two halves.
The cut was perfectly straight.
Picking up another leaf and placing it in his palm—
Crackle…
Tiny strands of electricity flashed.
The leaf instantly turned pitch black.
Crackle… crackle…
In the next moment—
Smoke rose from it.
The leaf ignited spontaneously.
Hiss…
Then the flames extinguished.
The charred leaf became soaked again.
Immediately afterward—
Without any external force—
It shattered into countless tiny fragments.
If anyone witnessed this scene—
They would likely be too shocked to speak.
"That guy Lee… he really works hard."
In the distance—
A small figure could be seen moving along the outer edge of Konoha.
Sweat poured down his body as he continued advancing forward with frog jumps.
Seeing this, Ren couldn't help feeling a hint of admiration.
His expression turned serious.
"In that case… I can't fall behind either."
"One… two…"
He stopped practicing chakra nature transformation.
Because at this level—
Such training no longer meant much to him.
Nor was he in a hurry to push the training further.
Instead—
He began warming up, preparing to train his taijutsu.
He knew very well just how powerful the enemies of the future would be.
He had always been extremely disciplined.
When it came to taijutsu training, he had never relaxed even slightly.
He had invested an enormous amount of effort into it.
Like Rock Lee—
He trained day and night, rain or shine.
After all—
No matter how powerful a ninja's chakra was, or how astonishing their techniques were—
Without a strong body to support it—
And a resilient will to control it—
Everything would ultimately be nothing more than a castle in the air.
Of course—
The difference between a genius and an ordinary person was enormous.
Although he deeply admired Lee's indomitable perseverance—
Ren had to admit that talent mattered a great deal.
He was born with chakra reserves far exceeding ordinary people.
He also possessed exceptional sensory abilities.
Even without anything else—
He already had the potential to rival the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.
And after obtaining the Logia-type Mori Mori Fruit—
The hidden bloodline power within him, originating from the Ōtsutsuki clan, had been perfectly awakened.
His potential was virtually limitless.
Even though the intensity of his training wasn't half of Lee's—
Thanks to his overwhelming natural talent—
The strength of his body and the speed of his progress were simply incomparable.
Lee, with his mediocre aptitude, could only rely on sheer persistence to chase after him.
If Ren didn't deliberately hold back—
Even relying solely on taijutsu, he could easily defeat Hyūga Neji, who ranked first in taijutsu within the elite class.
Not to mention Rock Lee, who ranked second.
With a single punch—
He could cripple Lee.
Or even kill him.
Because—
He had already mastered the same monstrous strength once possessed by the First Hokage.