Toshi his father was holding a wooden sword while Ren was in another corner of their repaired garden. Jumping at each other while little Sakura was gulping down a cup of tea as she was reading or watching some image books.
Ren kept hitting and hitting on different trajectories, to the head. Twisting his body and feeling the muscles contracting and expanding under each swing of his sword.
His father trying to get a hold and catch him down as his weapon kept increasing in speed, while Ren's eyes was barely able to track it.
The weight behind each attack was heavier. The swings faster that passed around his body. It was getting at a level Ren was unable to keep track. He was basing his evasions purely on instinct.
And seeing how his father's yellowish green chakra churned around him, it was tumultuous. Each swing a nod, a tie in the chakra. Emotions? But what kind.
Narrowing his eyes as he dodged a slash by lying low, then countering with a jab towards the stomach. Jumping to evade a low sweep and sitting on his father's leg and smiling at those green eyes.
The adrenaline pumping through his body. The blood getting warmer and the breaths heavier with each training day. With each swing and punch and kick.
It was intoxicating almost. The same feeling of winning an argument, of showing someone that he was better than them. Ren just couldn't let the smile disappear as did a left hook on his father.
Then pushing the sword again in his father stomach. His father grunted, got up from the ground and dusted the earth and grass gathered on his work clothes.
"Good. You are making this old man proud. You improve by leaps and bounds every time we train. In a month or two I will start teaching you some ninjutsu and be ready for an early graduation if you so wish," scratching his side burns and readying the sword in a fighting stance.
From being against the academy, to being proud of improvement made and thoughts of accelerated graduation. Ren doubted his mother would be of the same mind. More likely the opposite.
Adjusting his sword on a low trajectory then made the first step. His father was in front of his face, the chakra raging and convulsing. Anger? No, joy? No. This darkening of the chakra.
Ren couldn't spot what it was exactly.
To raise the sword and defend from the slash to the shoulder? No, it will only hurt more. Just a few miliseconds. Just edging his shoulder away for the sword to slide against the skin.
Falling again in the same trap? No. A bait. A downward strike to the leg, then a uppercut and his father was again taking distance.
He was waiting for Ren to make the next move. Gripping his makeshift sword and taking a deep breath. His father said nothing against using ninjutsu.
A smile grew on his face as chakra was burning inside his lungs. The smokey feel of taking drags from a cigarette waffling around his nose and the crackle of fire in his ears.
A sharp exhale as a fireball flew towards his father followed by him flashing with his steps towards his father.
A moment before his sword meet his father. The fireball blocked by a wall of earth and a scream of joy from Sakura signaled their class of wood.
Letting his wrist weak and the sword going down under the attack. Evading the incoming push of his father. Side-stepping an incoming kick then Ren dropped the sword.
Captured his father wielding hand, twisted it around and did an somersault.
"Good. Good, you are improving fast. Let's take a break and continue tomorrow with the training," as his father got up from the ground and smiled fondly.
—
Ren blocked a punch. Kicking the leg under his opponent. Izumi, and jumping on her to stop her from any movements during the sparring session.
She winched and made the signal that she concedes the defeat. Izuna helped her back and said, "Ren. Keep your aggression in check, not only it's dangerous to have a clouded mind, but also it can be taken advantage by others."
"Izumi, you are too passive, too reactive. You don't possess the sharingan or you are keeping it a secret. If you do the latter, stop. Fighting with a hand tied is a waste of time and would lead to learning bad habits." As he guided the next students to fight on.
Ren was sitting on the floor looking at two Uchiha going on. Their eyes roaming against any openings, trying to catch the other guard off. Almost a dance of snakes, hissing and gloating till they could strike.
Izumi was next to him nursing her strained leg, "Ren. You big meanie, you could have hold back with that jump, now I am a mess!" as she was combing her hair and huffing like a train.
Ren scratched his head, "I doubt Izuna sensei would share your opinion that by some moral standards I am a meanie, I did everything in my position as a civilian student to be shinobi to defeat a more powerful, or prestigious opponent."
She slapped him lightly over the head, "Yeah? That's why you do your best to refuse my mother invitations for a tea? Or that you don't want to meet with my other friends? Itachi isn't a bad kid, nor Shisui…" as her eyes took that dreamy shade.
Itachi and Shisui, of course he would love to meet them. Not. Who would want that? Ren has no foothold in the shinobi world, his skills are meager. He needs more. More power, more fights, more experience.
And a lot of knowledge before he was secure enough to try and change something of events that were not caused by a singular cause. Because Uchiha massacre was complex, and Itachi and Shisui were just tragedies that he had no meaning to intervene.
"While I would love to meet your friends Izumi, that doesn't mean I can abstain from my responsibilities as the older brother, and that I manage during my free time the shop of my family," rolling his eyes, "your mother knows how busy I can get during weekend."
"That's a sweet lie to hide the main reason that you don't like my mother, and are hedgehog with no personality that doesn't want more friends," she waited for a second, "Are we even friends?"
Ren sighed, not again this question and accusation of bad personality, "It doesn't matter if I like your mother or not. As for the lie, you can't prove that I lie with the things I do, since you saw them yourself." He waited for a minute while looking at his classmates fighting.
Izumi was fidgeting, waiting for his answer.
"I suppose we are friends. Not because I wanted. It's because you are such a stubborn Uchiha who doesn't know what no, means no," massaging his temple.
He did like talking with Izumi, she was the sole human contact and socializing beyond his family and the shop.
The only person of his age, he thought. He didn't really have time in any case, training to be eligible this year for graduation was hard and his parents next year would start hiring another shopkeeper.
"I am glad. Though, that means I am allowed to gather all my friends for my birthday party, you can't refuse," she showed her tongue and ran towards her coop of girls.
Ren sat alone and miffed because she got one over him. He walked voluntarily on that explosion tag.