Capítulo 230: 229-Photo
Renjiro walked through the crowd of newly promoted Jounins, scanning the faces with a mild sense of satisfaction. The late afternoon sun bathed the courtyard in a warm glow, and the atmosphere buzzed with quiet excitement.
He had expected the day to be solemn, marked by the usual ceremony and formalities, but now that it was over, he found himself in a more relaxed mood.
He approached the young man, his lips curling into a smirk. "Just when I thought the village had finally come to its senses by promoting me to Jounin, I find you too were promoted," Renjiro said, a teasing edge to his voice.
The man turned to him, his brow furrowing for a brief moment before breaking into a grin. "What's that supposed to mean?" Hiro responded, his voice mock-indignant.
For a split second, they stared at each other, trying to keep their expressions serious, but it didn't last long. In unison, they burst into laughter, the tension of the ceremony melting away in the easy camaraderie.
They clasped hands, pulling each other into a firm hug. Renjiro was glad to see his friend—his former genin teammate—in such good spirits.
It had been a hard few months for Hiro since Sakumo Hatake's death. Renjiro knew how much Sakumo had meant to Hiro, not just as a clan head but as the man Hiro aspired to become.
Sakumo's death had sent shockwaves through the village, but for Hiro, it was personal. Renjiro had watched as his friend shouldered that burden, using it as a drive to improve himself.
Though Hiro hadn't succeeded Sakumo as the next clan head yet, Renjiro believed it was only a matter of time. His friend was determined, and that determination had earned him his promotion to Jounin.
'But that's if Kakashi does not want it first.' Renjiro silently thought.
"You look good, Hiro. I was worried you'd be wallowing in training forever," Renjiro said, his eyes scanning Hiro's face for any sign of the grief that had weighed on him.
Hiro grinned, his dark eyes twinkling. "I had no choice, did I? Besides, there's something else I've been meaning to tell you." He leaned in slightly, a conspiratorial tone creeping into his voice.
"Remember that boy I told you about? The one I took under my wing?"
Renjiro raised an eyebrow, feigning ignorance even though he already knew where this conversation was heading.
"The Academy brat?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest.
"Yeah, that one!" Hiro said, his voice filled with pride. "He's a Jounin now too!"
Renjiro blinked, letting out a low whistle. "Wait, hadn't he just graduated from the Academy? And now he's a Jounin? That's pretty fast, even for someone under your wing."
Hiro puffed out his chest, clearly enjoying the praise. "Of course! With me as his master, how could he be anything less? The kid's a genius. Come on, let me introduce you properly."
As they walked, Renjiro couldn't help but reflect on how quickly things were moving. The boy Hiro was talking about was obviously Kakashi. It wasn't exactly hard to guess since he had been the talk of the town as the youngest jounin ever in the village. Though Renjiro was sure, the record would be broken by a certain Uchiha who had just been conceived.
They made their way to a small group of shinobi standing in a loose circle. Renjiro immediately recognized Minato Namikaze, chatting amiably with the others. Next to him stood Sama, who had also been promoted—and, standing slightly apart, was a boy with silver hair and a mask covering half his face. Kakashi.
But what really caught Renjiro off guard was the presence of Kushina Uzumaki. Renjiro hadn't seen her in months, and it wasn't often that she was out in the open like this. The village took great precautions with her security due to her role as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
Renjiro greeted them all with a nod, exchanging pleasantries before turning to Kushina.
"Kushina, it's been a while," Renjiro said, his tone warm but tinged with surprise.
"I didn't expect to see you here. How did you manage to slip away from your usual guards?"
Kushina laughed, her voice as fiery as her hair. "The Hokage gave me permission to attend, seeing as most of the village's elite are here today. Security's tight, so no need to worry about me."
Renjiro smiled. "Good to see you out and about. It's been too long."
They continued to talk for a while, Renjiro noting how withdrawn Kakashi seemed. He wasn't surprised, the boy had just lost his father a few months ago and though he wore a mask, it was clear that the weight of the loss still pressed heavily on him.
Renjiro had seen that kind of grief before—it changed people, sometimes for the better, but more often for the worse. Kakashi was a prodigy, no doubt, but Renjiro couldn't help but wonder if that trauma was really worth it.
He turned his attention to Sama, who stood proudly beside Minato. "I hear you made Jounin too," Renjiro said, his voice warm with approval.
Sama smiled, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "Yeah, it's been a long road, but I made it."
Renjiro nodded. "Well deserved."
As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the village, the group slowly dispersed. Renjiro made his way back home, though his mind was still buzzing from the day's events. Little did he know, the evening held one more surprise for him.
When he arrived at Miwa's home, he was greeted with the familiar scent of simmering stew and the sound of laughter spilling out from inside. Miwa had thrown a small party for him, inviting some of his closest friends to celebrate his promotion.
"Renjiro! There you are!" Miwa called out as soon as he stepped inside, her arms spread wide for a hug.
"You didn't think I'd let you become a Jounin without a proper celebration, did you?"
Renjiro grinned, embracing her. "Of course not, Miwa."
The party was small but lively. His former genin teammate Aiko was already there, chatting animatedly with a few others. While she was still a jounin, she chose to fully focus on medical ninjutsu, which took Renjiro by surprise.
When Riku asked them about their dreams while they were still genins, Renjiro remembered that the kunoichi wanted to be strong enough to protect everyone she cared about, so this was not exactly what he was expecting.
But the real highlight of the occasion came when Riku, walked through the door.
He made his way through the crowd, his presence commanding attention without even trying. When he reached Renjiro, he placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Renjiro," Riku said, his voice filled with pride. "Congratulations. You've come a long way."
Renjiro felt a swell of gratitude rise in his chest. "Thank you, Sensei. I couldn't have done it without your guidance."
Riku smiled, a rare expression from the usually stoic man. "You've earned it. Now, as a Jounin, you'll face challenges greater than anything we've encountered before. But I have no doubt you'll rise to meet them."
Before Renjiro could respond, Miwa appeared with a camera in her hands, grinning mischievously. "Alright, you four! Let's get a photo. Sensei and his former students—come on, don't be shy!"
Renjiro, Aiko, Hiro and Riku stood together, with Miwa fussing over their positioning until she was satisfied. A flash of light captured the moment, the four of them standing shoulder to shoulder, smiling.
But Miwa wasn't done yet. "Everyone! Group photo!" she called out, her voice full of excitement. The room erupted in laughter and groans as everyone present was pulled together for the shot.
Renjiro found himself in the middle of the group, surrounded by friends, old and new, as the camera clicked again, freezing the moment in time.
Later that night, as the party wound down and the guests began to leave, Renjiro sat by the window, staring out at the quiet village below. The photo Miwa had taken sat on the table beside him, the faces of his comrades smiling back at him.
He knew the peace wouldn't last. The Third Shinobi War was looming on the horizon, and the village was already preparing for the worst. Renjiro had heard the whispers, and seen the signs.
This promotion wasn't just a recognition of his skills—it was a call to arms. The thought weighed heavily on him as he stared at the photo, knowing that the people in it—his friends, his sensei—might not all survive the coming conflict.
Renjiro sighed softly, his hand resting on the edge of the photo. He would treasure this moment, this fleeting sense of peace, while he could.
But deep down, he knew the truth. Not even a quarter of the people in that photo would live to see the end of the next war.
And when it was over, nothing would be the same again.
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