Seeing Asuma standing there like his entire world had just fallen apart, his friends became even more furious.
Ren’s mouth was vicious enough to leave permanent scars.
First he had driven Kakashi into shutting everyone out, and now he had reduced Asuma to an empty shell with a single sentence.
Asuma’s lips drooped miserably.
Ren, meanwhile, was thinking about something entirely different.
‘Can the same person suffer emotional damage more than once?
Could I keep farming rewards from them?’ He would have to test it in a few days.
Asuma deserved another thorough, soul-crushing session anyway!
People worried about different things at different stages of their lives.
Right now, the words ‘your father doesn’t love you’ were enough to shatter Asuma, but later in life, something else would take their place.
Everyone eventually escaped one problem only to tumble headfirst into the next.
Life was basically an endless obstacle course made entirely of emotional potholes.
While Obito and the others continued berating him, Instructor Yamano called Ren aside.
“Ren, Obito and the others have been giving you a hard time lately, but don’t let it bother you.
What happened to Kakashi wasn’t your fault.
He has gone to the front lines to atone for his father’s actions.
The responsibility his father abandoned must now fall on him.” Ren knew Yamano deeply resented both Sakumo and Kakashi because his older sister had died in the failed mission.
“Instructor, who is leading Kakashi’s team?” A shadow crossed Yamano’s expression.
“Kakashi was lucky.
His captain is Special Jōnin Namikaze Minato.
Minato is a student of Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin.
I have no idea what the village leadership was thinking, assigning the son of a disgraced criminal to a promising young elite like him.” Ren immediately stopped worrying about Kakashi.
So Kakashi had first served under Minato alone, and only several years later would he be placed on the same team as Obito and the others.
“That’s enough about Kakashi,” Yamano said.
“Ren, there’s something I need you to do.” “What is it?
Who are we ruining this time?
Just give me a name, Instructor!
I’ll make sure they question every decision they’ve ever made!” Yamano’s eyelid twitched.
‘How did I somehow become close to this student?’ “No one!
This isn’t about tormenting anyone.
It’s serious!” ‘So you do know that using me to torment Kakashi wasn’t exactly respectable.’ “My sister recently died at the front,” Yamano continued.
“She left behind a daughter.
Since you’re an Uchiha, find a relative you know in the Police Force and ask them to process my niece’s registration.” The Konoha Military Police Force was one of the village’s most important institutions.
Besides maintaining order, it handled civil records much like a regular police administration office.
The most important distinction in those records was whether someone was registered as a shinobi candidate or a civilian.
When children reached two or three years old, members of the Police Force assessed whether they had the talent to become shinobi.
Those who showed potential were registered as future shinobi and enrolled in the Academy once they were old enough.
Children without sufficient aptitude were registered as civilians and lived ordinary lives within the village.
“Leave it to me, Instructor.
I’ll get it done.” …
After school, Ren went to the home of his older cousin, Uchiha Kiyoshi.
Kiyoshi was the second son of Ren’s uncle and served in the Military Police Force.
He was also a capable shinobi with a fully matured three-tomoe Sharingan.
A family photograph rested in the living room.
Ren’s uncle, aunt, and their two sons smiled happily from inside the frame, their expressions frozen in a moment that would never return.
Like Ren’s own parents, his uncle and aunt had died during the Second Shinobi World War.
Kiyoshi’s older brother, Uchiha Isamu, had died on a mission the previous year.
When Kiyoshi noticed Ren staring at the photograph, grief flickered through his eyes.
He lingered on his brother’s face for a few seconds before quickly composing himself.
“Ren, have you already spent this month’s allowance?
I can give you some more.” “No, no, I still have over six thousand ryō left.
I came because I need you to help me with something.
Instructor Yamano thinks highly of me, and he wants the Police Force to process the shinobi registration for his three-year-old niece as soon as possible.
She’s an orphan too.
Her mother was killed in the border battle that followed the White Fang’s failed mission.” Kiyoshi nodded.
“Since it concerns your instructor, we might as well handle it now.
Come on.” He changed into his Police Force uniform and left with Ren.
…
The little girl, Yuka, took several frightened steps backward when she saw Kiyoshi’s uniform.
The Uchiha clan did not exactly have a reputation for being warm and approachable.
The poor child stared at the two of them as though she had already done something wrong and was about to be arrested for it.
Ren softened his voice.
“Don’t worry.
Your uncle asked us to come.
We’re only here to check whether you have shinobi talent and finish your registration.” “O-Okay!
Please come in!” Yuka hurried toward the dining table.
She climbed onto a small stool first, then onto a larger chair so she could pour water for her guests.
Kiyoshi looked around the room.
Small stools had been placed in several corners so Yuka could reach things by herself.
Even the broom leaning against the wall had a shortened handle suited for a child.
The sight was heartbreaking.
At only three years old, she had already prepared herself to live alone.
Kiyoshi glanced at Ren.
“You should try cleaning that filthy cave you call a house.
I hate visiting you!
I’m the one paying your expenses, yet the place makes it look like I’ve completely abandoned you.
Even a three-year-old keeps her home cleaner than yours.” “Come on, Kiyoshi!
I cleaned it last week!
It was spotless last week!” “And what about this week?” “This week’s problem can wait until next week.” Kiyoshi shook his head, then took out a sheet of chakra paper and motioned for Yuka to come closer.
She carried over two cups of water before obediently standing beside him.
“Don’t be nervous.
Just relax and don’t resist.
I’m going to check whether you have the aptitude to become a shinobi.” Unless they were exceptional prodigies, children that young did not understand how to mold chakra.
Konoha’s solution was to have an Uchiha from the Police Force guide them through the process with genjutsu.
Kiyoshi’s black eyes turned crimson as three tomoe appeared around each pupil.
Yuka fell under his genjutsu and lost control of her body.
Using the illusion, Kiyoshi guided her physical and spiritual energies together, attempting to form chakra.
After more than ten seconds, he frowned.
Ren immediately sensed that something was wrong.
“Kiyoshi, let’s talk outside before making a decision.” Kiyoshi released the genjutsu, and the two of them stepped outside the house.
“Your instructor’s niece is right on the borderline,” Kiyoshi explained.
“She’ll probably be able to mold chakra when she gets older, but her talent is mediocre.
With enough effort, she might reach chūnin around the age of forty, but that would likely be her limit.
“We could register her either way.
It’s close enough that the decision is flexible.
You could approve her as a shinobi candidate and earn your instructor a favor.” Ren considered it for a moment before shaking his head.
“No.
Turning a girl like her into a shinobi would only ruin her life.
Register her as a civilian.” Kiyoshi did not argue.
He completed the civilian registration documents and handed a copy to Ren.
“I’m heading back.
Give the duplicate to your instructor.” Ren returned to Yuka’s house and waited with her for Yamano.
He was six and she was three, and without the intimidating adult Uchiha around, the little girl quickly became much more cheerful.
An hour later, Instructor Yamano returned home.
Ren handed him the copy of the registration document.
The moment Yamano read it, he froze.
Yuka had never seen her uncle’s eyes widen like that before.
She stared up at him, confused and frightened, unable to understand what had happened.
[A nearby shinobi has suffered severe emotional damage.
The Emotional Damage System is now activating…] Ren blinked.
‘Wait…
I get a bonus reward for this too?’