Chapter 57- Feelings

Rin Nohara POV

She watched with a faint smile on her face as the tiny Matatabi, and Chomei played tag in the distance, running and climbing over an irritated looking Kurama that just lazed around in the clearing.

It said something about either Kurama's patience or his deep love for his siblings that he didn't chastise them no matter how much they bothered him.

She looked at Isobu who was resting on her lap, looking utterly content as she rubbed its back.

Her shinobi life was flourishing. Her Chakra reserves has grown by leaps and bounds over the past two and half years. And Ren's consistent training of Ninjutsu and how to use those charkra reserves efficiently took her from a slightly above average chunin medic to someone who can now fight against an Elite Jounin with a high probability of winning.

The same couldn't be said for her private life.

Recollections flooded her mind of the numerous love letters and confessions she had recently received. They predominantly came from clan shinobi aiming to advance their status by wooing her and securing a marriage alliance with one of the 'Jinchuriki'.

Perhaps she might have entertained their advances if she had felt any genuine interest in them or if their intentions hadn't been so transparently insincere.

Furthermore, the one individual she harbored an interest in showed no reciprocal feelings, prompting her to ponder whether a certain silver-haired boy might prefer the company of a different team altogether, given his frequent companionship with Might Gai or Ren-kun.

Thinking of Ren-kun brought back the memories of his recently flirtatious behaviour when it became clear that Kakashi had no interest in her. But like so many others, she knew that he wasn't pursuing her for her power, or the influence her presence will bring.

Ren had little need for such tactics. He was widely acknowledged as the mightiest shinobi in Konoha, if not the entire world. And he had already wedded two S-class kunoichi and was poised to marry two more in the upcoming months.

Not only that, but he also had two Tailed Beasts of his own, and would have had one more, if he hadn't handed over the Suna siblings to Kushina-san.

No, the only reason why he showed any interest in her, as far as she could tell, was because he wanted to add her to his harem and, as he crudely put it 'clap that thick ass' of hers.

Just thinking about his crude flirting stirred a blush on her cheeks. When Ren was but a boy, she could easily brush off his advances without a second thought. However, now that he had blossomed into a tall, striking young man, she found it increasingly challenging to rein in her emotions.

How does one restrain the blush on their cheeks, quell the flutter in their stomach, or suppress the warmth spreading through their core? She refused to delude herself. She understood the sensations enveloping her, yet remained uncertain about what to do about them.

Feeling Isobu's gentle tap on her arm, she glanced down at her partner, finding him gazing up at her with concern.

"Is everything okay, Rin? You seem a little off today," he inquired.

She forced a smile on her face. "Yeah, just… thinking about a few things."

"Thinking about that Inuzuka guy who tried to mate with you this morning?"

"Ahh. Don't call it that. Seduce, he was trying to seduce me, not mate with me." She said, her cheeks turning red at the insinuation.

"Ah. My apologies." Isobu said, looking genuinely apologetic and how could she not forgive him at that point.

Out of all the tailed beasts she had seen thus far, Isobu was perhaps the calmest and the most empathetic one. Matatabi was mischievous, Chomei was boisterous, Kurama was arrogant, and Shukaku, the one time that she met him, seemed… not quite right.

As she pondered questioning Isobu about Shukaku, Ren emerged into the clearing, dragging Yugito along, their disheveled appearance telling her all she needed to know about what they'd been doing behind the trees.

That was also probably why this break went from ten minutes to lasting over half an hour.

"Everyone! Gather up." Ren shouted and she carried Isobu over to Ren, while Kushina cradled a drowsy Fu in her arms. The other tiny tailed beasts also gathered at their sides.

"Will we resume our training, Ren?" she inquired, uncertain if they would, given the lateness of the hour.

"No, but Yugito wishes to advance to the next and final stage," Ren declared, earning surprised looks from both her and Kushina-san.

"Are you certain about this, Yugito?" Kushina-san inquired, concern evident in her voice. "Isn't this moving too quickly?"

Yugito simply shook her head in response. "It may appear so, but in reality, I've been honing my skills to become a Perfect Jinchuriki under Killer Bee-san since childhood. Ren's training has simply accelerated that process."

Ah, she sometimes forgot that Yugito has been a Jinchuriki for the longest time among all of them. Even longer than Kushina-san who generally had the hardest time bonding with Kurama due to their shared past and both of their difficult attitudes.

"I wish you all the best Yugito-san." She said with a smile, receiving a nod of acknowledgment from Yugito before Ren eventually guided her into the cave where they typically trained their Jinchuriki abilities.

According to Ren, this cave harbored a unique natural Chakra that pacified the Chakra Beasts and facilitated the bond between them and their Jinchuriki.

Once inside, Yugito assumed a lotus position on the ground while Ren positioned himself in front of her, his hand resting gently over her abdomen where her Jinchuriki seal lay.

The mini Matatabi went and sat on Yugito's lap while the other Tailed Beasts sat around them in a show of support. It was… nice to see them being so supportive of their sibling. Even Kurama didn't grumble for once and sat quietly. 

"How long will this take, Ren? I need to return home and cook for all the kids," Kushina-san inquired, her expression carrying a hint of apology toward Yugito. But she understood completely.

Raising six children couldn't have been simple for Kushina-san, especially with her husband consumed by the responsibilities of being Hokage, leaving little time for her and the family.

"At most, it'll take an hour. It would be beneficial if all of you are present to observe this. You might glean something valuable from the experience," Ren replied. And with nods of agreement from everyone, the process commenced.

Yugito closed her eyes, and Rin sensed a subtle sensation prickling at the nape of her neck. Though not a Sensor, she understood the gravity of the moment, recognizing that both Ren and Yugito were engaged in something significant.

"You might as well take a seat, Rin. This will be a lengthy process," Isobu advised her. She nodded in agreement and settled beside him, joined shortly after by Kushina-san, who brought a yawning Fu with her.

She requested to hold Fu as well, cradling the younger girl gently in her arms. Together, they watched as Ren and Yugito sat in meditation for the next hour, patiently awaiting the moment they Yugito-san succeeds.

Then, in an instant, a flicker of cyan-colored chakra emerged from Yugito's being, enveloping her entire form.

The chakra cloak that enveloped Yugito wasn't the typical red hue seen when they tapped into their power. Seeing this, she realised that Yugito had finally achieved her long-awaited goal.

She had become the second individual in the elemental nations to attain what Ren termed the "Tailed Beast Mode."

—————

She observed from afar as Yugito and Kushina-san engaged in combat, Ren having transported them all to a deserted island for Yugito to showcase her newfound power in a sparring session.

Usually when the two of them sparred in their Chakra Cloak form, Kushina-san always had a huge advantage over Yugito.

But now, now Kushina-san was being completely surpassed by Yugito who was trouncing her throughout the entire island.

"She's fast." She said, having trouble keeping track of the Cat Jinchuriki with her eyes. She could understand why Kushina-san being defeated so badly, even after having brought out her Golden Chains in an attempt to fight back.

"And strong as well." Ren said as he joined her, his arm draping over her shoulder and coming to rest over her breast, giving it a gentle squeeze. "That Tailed Beast Mode is no joke."

"Ren-kun," she stammered, her cheeks flushing crimson as she glared at him. Though she imagined that her glare looked more like a pout than anything else.

"Hmm?" Ren inquired innocently, his actions betraying his words as he began to caress her breasts, tracing his fingers over her nipple in a manner that elicited a shuddering breath from her and ignited a fire within her core.

"S-stop."

"Hmm... did you say something?" Ren inquired, his attention fixed on the one-sided spar in the distance.

"Ren, please stop. Fu might catch us," she urged, grasping Ren's arm with the intention of pulling it away, but finding herself strangely unable to do so.

'Was she... attracted to Ren?' The thought lingered, unsettling yet undeniable.

"Fu is asleep." Ren whispered in her ears before he did… something with his fingers.

A surge of electricity danced around her nipple, sending her arousal skyrocketing in a moment of intense, overwhelming pleasure. She couldn't help but release a lustful moan before the sensation subsided, leaving her breathless and trembling in its aftermath.

She clutched onto's Ren's arm to steady herself, her legs suddenly feeling rather weak, and her panties feeling… oh Kami, did she just came from that?

"Ren…" She said amidst heavy breaths. "What was that?"

"That was me, employing a sex-based jutsu to offer you a taste of the pleasures awaiting you in the future," Ren explained, his tone remarkably casual.

"Ren… you cannot… do that." She said, her breath slowly getting back under her control even as Ren went back to caressing and fondling her breast.

"You keep saying that, yet you haven't tried to stop me even once, Thick-Senpai." Ren said, his voice husky and seductive in a way that she'd never heard before. Knowing Ren, he'll probably say that he levelled up his seductive voice or some other stupid crap like that.

"Ren, I-" Her words were cut off as Ren gently tilted her chin upward and leaned in, capturing her lips in a kiss.

For a brief moment, she entertained the idea of pulling away, realising it wasn't too late to stop this. But the notion evaporated within seconds as her mind went blank, swept away by the intoxicating sensation of her first kiss.

It surpassed all her expectations, leaving her breathless and utterly captivated. And in that fleeting moment, she couldn't help but entertain the possibility that surrendering herself to Ren might not be such a terrible idea after all.

—————

Itachi Uchiha POV

She unleashed a barrage of a dozen kunai across the clearing. Most found their mark, though two ricocheted off each other, veering towards a target obscured from her direct line of sight.

The satisfying sound of kunai piercing their target reached her ears, sparking a glimmer of hope. Yet, when she went to inspect, she discovered that the projectiles had missed the bullseye by a wide margin.

Nevertheless, it marked progress. Just a few months prior, she hadn't known she could redirect kunai in such unexpected trajectories. And merely a month ago, hitting even a single target with the redirection seemed an insurmountable challenge, let alone two.

However, she refused to settle for mediocrity. Her determination drove her to persist in training until she could consistently hit the bullseye every time. Next, she planned to replicate the feat while in motion, running across the field. Then, she would challenge herself further by attempting it while jumping. Ultimately, her goal was to push herself to the limit by closing her eyes and relying solely on her memory to hit the targets accurately.

She retrieved her kunai and returned to her starting position, preparing to throw once more, when it happened.

"Hey!" Someone said from behind her. Someone that hadn't been there a second ago. Someone who had snuck this close to her without her even realising.

"Hey!" a voice called out from behind her. Someone who hadn't been there a moment ago. Someone who had managed to approach her without her notice.

She turned and found herself face to... well, belly, with the now-tall figure of Ren. Looking up, she met his typical smug and amused smile.

"Ren, why do you always sneak up on me like that?" she questioned, crossing her arms and attempting to suppress a glare. "Can't you approach me like a regular person?"

"Sorry sweetheart. But I love your reaction too much to just stop doing it." He said, leaning down to boop her on the nose, earning an annoyed look from her which only widened his smile.

"One day, I'll get a heart attack and die, and you'll love my reaction even more." She grumbled, doing her best not to react to his usual shenanigans.

"Nei nei, Itachi-chan. I'm the best medic-nin in the Elemental Nations, after Tsunade-Sensei. There's no way you're dying in my watch. And even if you do, I'll just bring you back from the afterlife." He reassured with a playful grin.

She wanted to roll her eyes at his boast, but seeing as that was be a reaction that would amuse him as well, she simply glared at him. "People can't be brought back from the dead, Ren. Everyone knows that. Even the greatest medic-nin, Tsunde-sama, doesn't make such boasts."

"Boasts!?" Ren gasped in horror, and acted as if she had pierced his heart with her words. "How can you throw such a vile accusation at me, Itachi-chan? And here I thought that we were the best of friends."

This time, she didn't bother to conceal the glare in her eyes. "In case you forgot, 'Ren-sama', you haven't come to see me in an entire month."

Ren winced at her words. "Yeah, sorry. That's on me." Then, seemingly out of nowhere, he produced a dozen kunai between his hands. "How about I make it up to you by showing you the bullseye trick?"

"Not enough," she told him firmly. His neglect had genuinely hurt her feelings. After all, she considered him to be her closest friend, just as he considered her to be his.

And right now, he didn't even have the excuse of their village being at war. So she was in a far less forgiving mood.

"How about I make some dangos as well?" He asked earnestly, and… she hadn't eaten his super delicious dango for an entire month.

The mere thought of her favorite dessert caused her mouth to water. Before she knew it, she found herself already forgiving Ren for his prolonged absence.

Kami, she hated how easily Ren was able to manipulate her sometimes.

"Very well," she agreed, feeling warmth blossom in her chest as Ren bestowed upon her a genuine smile, distinct from his usual smug facade. He then proceeded to patiently teach her how to improve her kunai throwing technique.

An hour later, she finally managed to hit all the bullseyes, and a sense of satisfaction swelled within her. She turned to face Ren once more, a smile of accomplishment gracing her features.

"Let's go."

He nodded and started moving toward his home.

It wasn't until they'd crossed a third of the Uchiha Compound when she noticed something. "Ren, why are you taking the long way around?"

"Ugh. Because the short one would have me go through the Uchiha Residence. And then those guys would start bothering me once again. Do you know how hard it is for me to go in public anymore?"

She did remember. The last time he had taken her out to a restaurant, they were stopped countless times. Some sought autographs, others made requests, a few approached for charity, and there were even some who confessed their love to him, despite being strangers. On top of that, there were women who made inappropriate advances, with one even going so far as to flash him the 'goods', which Ren politely rejected, thankfully.

It was clear that Ren had become too popular these days. And she couldn't help but find a twisted sense of satisfaction in it, especially considering all the times he had bullied her.

"I didn't know that our Uchiha clansmen bothered you that much. What do they even say to you?" She asked.

"Marriage proposals are the most common. Last time I went out, one of the elders caught sight of me and started extolling all the virtues and beauty of his great granddaughter. Can you believe that?" Ren exclaimed in frustration.

"What's wrong with a man extolling the virtues and beauty of his great granddaughter?" She asked, taking great amusement at Ren's situation.

"The girl is two years old! The only virtue she has is not shitting her diapers" Ren practically shouted. "And I won't even mention all the times I got offers to help relieve my stress… by married women."

"Relieve your stress?" She asked, not aware that Ren was in much stress or that the Uchiha had a Jutsu that allowed people to relieve it.

She made a mental note to ask her father about that jutsu once she returned home.

"It's..." Ren hesitated, seeming unsure of how to continue before opting to change the topic altogether. "And that's not even mentioning all the parents who want me to train their children. Although, I must admit, I'm considering accepting their offers."

"You are?" She asked in surprise as Ren didn't usually spent too much time with 'outsiders'.

"Yeah. Only for Academy kids though. Kids before that age are too young for my harsh training. And kids after that have their own Jounin Sensei to teach them." He said, explained, eliciting a glare from her.

"I'm the same age as an Academy kid," she retorted, prompting Ren to blink in surprise before bursting into laughter, much to her annoyance.

"Heh, that you are, shorty."

"I'm not short. I'm tall for my age."

"No you aren't. But that's alright. I like short girls more."

She clenched her fists and took a deep breath, attempting to halt the blush creeping onto her cheeks. "Stop spouting nonsense, idiot!"

Ren simply hummed in response. "That being said, I wouldn't mind training you. It'll give us more time to spend together, at the very least."

"Who said I want to spend more time with you?" she retorted. Instantly, Ren wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug, rubbing his cheek against hers.

"Aww… don't be like that Itachi-chwaaan!"

She took out her kunai and stabbed it at his dick.

Instantly, he released her as if she were a live snake, taking a few hurried steps back with a horrified expression.

"You're as cruel as ever, Itachi-chan."

"And you're as dumb as ever, Ren." she retorted coolly.

"Only for you," he replied with a salacious wink, causing her to tighten her grip on her kunai as she fought to suppress the flush creeping onto her cheeks.

"You're so dead, Ren Uchiha," she declared, prompting Ren to instantly bolt away from her, with her hot on his heels in pursuit.

—————

They were presently in Ren's Dining Room, where he proudly displayed his latest home decoration: a colossal wooden relief depicting the map of the entire Elemental Nations and its surrounding islands.

"It's incredibly detailed," she remarked, marvelling at intricacies she had never before noticed in any map, not even those found in the Uchiha archives, which must have taken generations to complete.

"It's not difficult to create new maps when I can simply send my shadow clones to fly over those areas and sketch the entire terrain, or infiltrate the high-security vaults of smaller villages and pilfer their maps," Ren boasted casually, effortlessly discussing feats that would be near impossible for others.

"A map like this could fetch millions in the market. No, tens of millions. Perhaps even more," she commented, observing the impressive piece. This remark seemed to elicit a pout from Ren, for reasons unknown.

"Man, Minato sure is cheating me out then with just a High S-rank mission reward."

She turned to glance at him. "The Hokage-sama commissioned this work?"

"Yeah," Ren confirmed. "He has this grand plan to conquer the entire Elemental Nations in the coming years and wanted to replace the meeting room table with a map of the Elemental Nations." Ren said and then paused before looking at her. "Don't tell other about it though. It's supposed to be an S-rank secret or something."

She grimaced. "Ren, could you please refrain from leaking S-rank secrets like that?"

Ren shrugged nonchalantly. "It's not as if the Daimyos aren't already anticipating a potential attack from Konoha. And even if they did find out about this, what could they really do? Besides, I trust you, Itachi-chwaaan."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, silently counting to ten. "One day, I'm going to end you."

"No you won't. You like me too much, Itachi-chwaaan. Besides, if you kill me, then you wouldn't get the gift I prepared for you."

"A gift. What the occasion?" She asked.

"Consider it a birthday gift. Because I'm certainly too lazy to buy you one during you actual birthday." Ren said cheerfully and she sighed.

"That's not something to be proud of, Ren."

"Of course. Now, close your eyes."

She glared at him. "You're not going to paint my face, right?"

Ren scoffed at her. "Paint your face? That's amateur-level prank, though not a bad one. But no. I'm genuinely trying to give you a gift here. Close your eyes, Itachi. Trust me."

She released a sigh, feeling a mix of skepticism and curiosity, and reluctantly closed her eyes, hoping that he wouldn't pull yet another one of his pranks on her.

A moment later, she felt his hands over her forehead, and sensed the familiar warmth that usually accompanied the use of an Iryojutsu technique.

"What are you doing, Ren?" she asked, not opening her eyes even as she felt tendrils of his chakra entering her brain... and eyes.

If anyone else had done such an invasive thing to her, she would have been terrified, or angry. Probably both. But she trusted Ren with her life and was certain that he would never harm her.

"Shh. Let me focus, Itachi," he said. They remained in that position for the next few minutes, until she felt a 'click' in her brain, as if a blocked blood vessel had finally opened up.

Then Ren stepped back and spoke up. "Now, open your eyes."

She complied, and to her surprise, everything appeared clearer. The world seemed brighter, with more vibrant colours.

She had suspected something like this when Ren began manipulating her brain and eyes, but to witness it actually happening...

She retrieved a kunai and examined her reflection, finding three tomoe eyes staring back at her instead of the usual two.

Turning to Ren, she asked, "How?"

Ren smiled at her. "I've been experimenting on my own eyes for a while now, and I found a way to evolve an Uchiha's eye without the need for a traumatic experience. Though, I still haven't figured out how to unlock someone's Mangekyo Sharingan, which sucks. But tell me, did you like my gift?"

"...I loved it," she replied, genuinely touched by his gesture. "Thank you, Ren."

Ren moved forward and embraced her. "Don't mention it. You're my best friend, after all. This is the least I can do for you." He then released her from the brief hug and stepped back. "How about that dango treat now?"

'I would rather have that hug.' She thought but didn't voice, feeling that strange warmth in her chest once again.

That evening, when she asked her mother about the strange feelings she experienced whenever she's near Ren, her mother let out a laugh and pulled her into a hug while her father awkwardly excused himself out of the room.

It was… strange.

—————

AN: Some Itachi-chwaaan time for people who have been missing her.

Also, Ren's seduction skills have reached so high by this point that he has become the Casanova of the Elemental Nations. Seducing an inexperienced girl like Rin Nohara is child's play for him.

And lastly, Yugito finally achieves her Perfect Tailed Beast mode. Though Rin and Kushina are still far behind.

That's it for this chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed reading it.

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Have a nice day.