"I'm back."
Ren opened the door, and what greeted him was a familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar room. Because no one had lived in or cleaned it for several months, a thin layer of dust was visibly spread across the room.
Ren helplessly took out a mop, rags, and other cleaning supplies from the bathroom and began a solo deep cleaning.
As time passed, the sky outside darkened.
Ren turned on all the lights in the house, and the bright illumination instantly lit up every corner of the room.
Ren wiped the sweat from his forehead, looked at the refreshed room, and nodded with satisfaction.
"Finally done cleaning."
Ren mumbled as he walked into the bathroom. He had gotten quite a bit of dust on him from cleaning, and it felt uncomfortable sticking to his body, so Ren prepared to take a good hot bath. After all, he had been travelling for a long time, and the battlefield only allowed for simple rinses with water; it was nothing like the comfort of home.
"Phew, home is so comfortable."
The bathroom door opened, and Ren, wearing the clean pyjamas he always kept at home, wiped his wet hair as he walked to the sofa and lay down. The soft cushions instantly enveloped Ren, making it difficult to get up.
On the front lines, he hadn't had a single peaceful night's sleep, constantly needing to be vigilant of his surroundings. Every day was either spent fighting or on the way to a fight. Now, back home, Ren finally relaxed the taut string, and before he knew it, sleepiness washed over him. Ren lay on the sofa and fell into a deep sleep...
"Hmm..."
Early in the morning, Ren, woken by the light, rubbed his eyes and stood up. Looking at the lights that had been on all night and the sunlight streaming in from the outdoor courtyard, Ren could only give a helpless, bitter smile.
Well, he hadn't expected to spend another electricity bill on his first day back in the Village.
Rest was rest, but Ren hadn't forgotten that he had returned for serious business. Yesterday, it was already dark when he returned to the Village, and it wouldn't have been appropriate to disturb the old man's rest, so Ren decided to report to Hiruzen Sarutobi the next day.
After washing up, Ren changed into his Ninja battle suit, which he had washed and hung out to dry overnight yesterday, and then left to report to Hiruzen Sarutobi at the Hokage Office.
It was already 8 AM, and most shops had basically opened, starting a new day of business. Compared to those selling clothes and shoes, the breakfast shops on both sides clearly attracted Ren's attention more.
"Boss, two more cages of steamed buns, two fried dough sticks, and a bowl of soy milk to go!"
Inside the breakfast shop, at a table in a corner, Ren was rubbing his slightly bulging belly, sitting there contentedly, while four or five cages of steamed buns and two empty bowls were laid out on the table in front of him.
Ren didn't mind the strange looks from others. Just as he was about to pay, he suddenly thought for a moment, then turned his head and shouted again to the boss busy in the back kitchen.
"Coming, customer."
Not long after, the boss rushed out of the back kitchen, carrying the packed steamed buns, fried dough sticks, and soy milk. He placed them in front of Ren, wiping his sweat and saying with a joyful smile,
"Customer, your total is seven hundred fifty taels."
"Keep the change."
...
"Knock, knock, knock."
The knocking at the door made Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was processing documents, pause his pen. His gaze shifted from the documents to the door.
"Please come in."
"Yahoo, long time no see, Hokage-sama."
Ren pushed the door open, closing it behind him as he greeted Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Hahaha, you're back, kid."
Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up his pipe from the side, looking at the young man in front of him with gentle eyes and a smile.
"Hokage-sama commands, how dare I disobey?"
Ren said, shaking the breakfast he held in his hand.
"Here, breakfast. Want some?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze shifted slightly. He put down the pipe he had just picked up but hadn't had time to smoke, cleared the documents in front of him to one side, and took Ren's breakfast.
"Good, I haven't had breakfast yet. You've worked hard."
"Hehehe, why are you being so polite with me? Speaking of which, what good news do you have that made you call me back in such a hurry?"
Ren walked behind Hiruzen Sarutobi, kneading his shoulders while saying with a grin.
He didn't believe Hiruzen Sarutobi would call him back just for a message. Intelligence-summoning animals weren't useless; if there was something that couldn't be said telepathically, why call someone back? So Ren guessed that there was probably something he needed to do, or maybe something else. It couldn't be that he was called back for a reward because of his outstanding military achievements and excellent performance, could it? The possibility wasn't zero, but it was very low.
"Indeed, there is something I called you back for, but it's good news for you."
Hiruzen Sarutobi ate a fried dough stick, glanced at Ren beside him, and then stopped talking halfway, directly piquing Ren's curiosity. Ren began to probe, until finally, Hiruzen Sarutobi, annoyed, warned Ren to be quiet and wait for him to finish breakfast, or the reward would be gone if he kept making noise.
Ren could only sit on the sofa, watching the old man in front of him eat slowly with an expression of agony. The more Ren watched, the more he wanted to slap himself twice.
Why was he worrying about things the Hokage's assistant should worry about? Now the other person wasn't in a hurry, but he was.
Finally, Hiruzen Sarutobi finished his breakfast with a satisfied expression, and after Ren cleared away the takeout boxes and other items, he looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi with anticipation.
"Alright, alright, don't rush, here it is."
The dignified Hokage felt a chill down his spine from Ren's gaze. He pulled out a small iron box from under his desk and handed it to Ren.
"This is?"
Ren took it and immediately opened it impatiently, seeing only a small object inside that looked like a sword hilt. Two crescent-shaped extensions protruded from the top sides, making it look quite peculiar.
Ren found it somewhat familiar but couldn't recall where he had seen it for a moment.
"Pick it up and infuse it with Chakra."
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Ren with a smile in his eyes, raising his hand to signal him to pick up the sword hilt.
"Huh?"
Although Ren was a bit puzzled, he still picked up the sword hilt and controlled the Chakra within his body to flow into it.
"This, this is?!"
Ren suddenly widened his eyes, staring blankly at the object in his hand.
An empty sword body suddenly appeared, connecting with the hilt. The sword's's body shimmered with faint electrical arcs and bright golden light, and the entire weapon exuded a powerful aura.
"How is it? Are you satisfied with this reward?"
Hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's amused voice, Ren, who had been standing in a daze, finally reacted and abruptly turned to look at Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"This is..."
Besides shock, there was a slight tremor in Ren's voice.
Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly sat up straight, his gaze serious as he met Ren's eyes.
"Yes, it's exactly what you're thinking."
Hiruzen Sarutobi paused, then said,
"Thunder God Sword!"