Chapter 22 – Bonds Forged in Peace
The gentle morning sun filtered through the curtains of the Uchiha compound, bathing the room in golden light. Ren sat on the veranda outside his new home, sipping tea as the wind rustled the trees. The war was over. The world, for now, was at peace.
A knock came at the gate.
Mikoto stepped out with a soft smile, carrying a tray of breakfast. She was now officially his wife. Their bond wasn’t just forged through years of growing closeness, but now recognized by clan and law. At sixteen, they were both considered adults in the shinobi world. Life had changed.
Shortly after his return, Uchiha Fugaku, the young heir and one who had previously challenged Ren, had personally visited him. The atmosphere had been tense—until Fugaku bowed.
“I misjudged you, Ren. You’ve fought with valor for Konoha and our clan. I… acted foolishly. I only wish to strengthen the Uchiha. I hope you’ll continue to protect it.”
Ren had accepted his apology, and the tension dissolved. Fugaku stepping down from conflict signaled unity. And the wedding that followed was a quiet but significant event. Attended by the Uchiha elders and presided over by Mikoto’s grandfather—one of the Great Elders—it brought prestige.
Shortly after uchiha Fugaku also married 3rd elders daughter who was of same age as fugaku.
Mikoto's grandfather, a sharp-eyed, commanding figure with immense chakra reserves, personally recommended Ren for Jōnin promotion. Even the Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, couldn't oppose such a request from a clan elder. And so, Ren became Jōnin—not just for his strength, but with political backing.
The following days were calm. Peace settled in the village. Ren and Mikoto, now married, began their life together.
Mikoto brought with her scrolls of B, C, and D-rank Uchiha ninjutsu—her personal collection. Fireballs, clone techniques, flame-based genjutsu, shadow-based tracking arts—they formed a wide base of Uchiha clan techniques.
But the true treasure came from her grandfather.
“Take these,” the elder said, handing over a sealed scroll. “A dozen A-rank Uchiha clan techniques—fire style, genjutsu, and advanced tracking—and three of our clan’s most sacred S-rank techniques. Guard them well.”
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Ren accepted them with a respectful bow.
He now had a formidable library of ninjutsu—some of which he had already encountered in battle. Combined with the techniques he himself had recorded during the war with his Sharingan, the foundation was set.
However, Ren rarely relied on traditional ninjutsu. His path was different.
During these six months, he spent hours meditating on the principles of gene energy, chakra dynamics, and battle insights. Combining what he learned from scrolls and experience, he refined and created new techniques—each built with his unique hybrid approach.
The first was a sword art: Void Blade Burial (空刃葬). A technique so sharp and precise it could slice space, it acted as both offensive and defensive trump card—allowing him to bypass enemy barriers entirely.
The second, a fire-style area-destruction jutsu: Crimson Hellfire Annihilation (紅蓮滅劫炎). It conjured a sweeping tide of crimson-black fire, incinerating everything in a wide radius. When used under Sharingan, it became even more ferocious.
Third was Storm Judgment Kirin (雷獣審判)—a thunder beast inspired by the legendary Kirin technique of Kakashi Hatake. It called down a colossal thunder avatar, striking enemies from the sky with precision.
Then came the Twin Dragon-Tiger Fist (双龍虎撃)—a martial art-based technique that projected a dragon and tiger-shaped chakra construct with each fist strike. Fast, brutal, and elegant, it became his favored close-range option.
And lastly, Phantom Step: Shadow Mirage Traversal (幻影遊歩)—a movement art unlike any other. Using micro-gene energy pulses, he could create deceptive afterimages, confuse vision—even that of Sharingan—and move with ghost-like unpredictability.
These were not mere ninjutsu.
They were the fusion of gene science, chakra mastery, battlefield strategy, and sheer creative insight. In these six months, Ren evolved.
Sometimes Mikoto would find him training at night, blade flashing beneath the moonlight. Other times, she’d watch as he stood still for hours, eyes closed, meditating on chakra flows and cellular reactions.
They shared quiet meals. Laughed on walks. Fought in friendly spars. Their home was one of warmth and discipline. Mikoto, though a gentle presence, carried the fire of an elite kunoichi. And Ren respected her deeply.
By the end of the six months, Ren had grown stronger.
His 3-tomoe Sharingan sharpened further—responding to emotional depth, clarity of purpose, and his hybrid path. He could now predict movements in battle with astounding accuracy, sense chakra threads with clarity, and anticipate genjutsu illusions with instinct.
And somewhere deep within him, he felt it—that faint, ominous stir of power: the whisper of Mangekyō Sharingan.
But not yet.
That power would only awaken under certain circumstances.
For now, Ren stood tall—not just as a Jōnin, not just as a husband, but as one of Konoha’s hidden trump cards that only known to himself.
An Uchiha with a path unlike any other.
A cultivator of genes and dreams.
The storm would rise again someday.
And Ren would be ready.
