CHAPTER 213 - REN GETS CARRIED INTO DINNER LIKE A DEITY TOO LAZY TO WALK

After everything that happened, Ren finally made his way back home.

He stood in front of the house for a while, looking at it in silence. He tried to feel something, nostalgia maybe, or sentiment but it was still just the same old house. Nothing had changed. He shrugged and went inside.

First thing, he took a long bath, then cooked himself some simple food. Ate in silence. After that, he cleaned the dishes, dried his hands, walked to his bedroom, and dropped face-first onto the bed.

Sleep took him before he even realized he was tired.

When he woke up the next day, the sun was already high in the sky. He opened his eyes, blinked once, and just stared at the ceiling. His body didn't want to move and for once, he didn't force it to.

It had been a while since he felt like this. Being lazy, comfortable and completely unbothered.

So he stayed like that. He laid there, rolled around, napped on and off, then just laid there again. Time passed slowly, but he didn't care.

Evening eventually rolled around, and with a deep sigh he finally sat up. Dragging himself into the bathroom, he dropped into the tub and somehow fell asleep there too. When he woke up, it was already night.

Yawning, he stood, grabbed a towel, and dried off. He tossed on a fresh set of clothes, put on his sunglasses, then thought for a second and pulled out a hoodie. Slipped it on, pulled the hood up, and stepped outside.

The streets were quiet and familiar.

He looked around a little, but there was no rush of feelings, no deep connection. Just streets. Just the same old place.

He shrugged again and kept walking, hands in his pockets.

It didn't take long to reach his destination.

Yakiniku Q.

He stood outside, wondering how to open the door without using his hands or chakra, because why not. But before he could try anything, the door opened from the inside.

A little boy stood there, maybe five years old.

He had spiky brown hair, chubby cheeks with swirl marks, and a green jacket with light and dark tones. In his hand was a half-eaten packet of chips. He was munching on them slowly, mechanically, without any excitement.

He looked sad.

Ren looked at him for a second and instantly recognized him.

Choji Akimichi.

One of those rare talents who could've reached the top, but ended up being used as a side character to boost his friends.

Choji looked up at Ren, probably thinking he was just another customer. He stepped aside politely, but before he could say anything, Ren asked, "Why're you sad, kid?"

His voice was calm, maybe even lazy, but Choji paused. He seemed surprised by the question. Still, he didn't brush it off. He just gave a quiet, tired response.

"...It's nothing."

Ren didn't say anything at first. He just gave the boy one more glance, then walked past him and sat down right on the road, right in front of the restaurant.

He sat cross-legged, back slouched, arms resting on his knees.

He looked up at Choji and asked again, "Kids should have happy expressions on their faces. So what's up? Someone call you names?"

Choji looked a bit startled.

But he slowly nodded.

His eyes didn't meet Ren's. He just looked at the ground and kept quietly eating his chips.

Ren hummed softly and leaned a bit closer to Choji. "You know," he said, "I met someone kind of like you not too long ago. People used to call him names too."

Choji perked up slightly, his curiosity piqued. "Really? Who?"

He looked hopeful, like maybe if someone else went through the same thing, he wouldn't be so alone. Maybe they could even be friends.

Ren just gave a small smile. "Well... he's a yellow little furball. I'm sure you'll meet him eventually, so let's not rush things."

Choji looked a little disappointed at not getting a proper answer, but he didn't push it. He was still listening carefully.

Ren tilted his head. "But do you know why people call you names?"

Choji blinked and shook his head.

"Why?"

Ren leaned back slightly as his head tilted and he spoke casually, like he was talking about the weather. "There's a couple reasons. Sometimes, it's because they feel like you're better than them at something, so they insult you to make themselves feel bigger. Other times, it's because they see something different in you, and since they don't understand it, they just do the one thing they do know, bully or make fun."

Choji frowned. "But... that's a bad thing, isn't it?"

"Exactly," Ren nodded. "It's a bad thing. But that doesn't stop people from doing it. So when that happens, there's a few things you've got to keep in mind."

Choji leaned in a little.

"First," Ren held up a finger, "you remember it's their fault. Not yours. Doesn't matter what they say, there's nothing wrong with you."

Choji nodded slowly.

"Second," Ren continued, "don't let their words stick to you. That's what they want. If you believe what they say, they win. And third... you gotta push back a little. Doesn't mean you have to hit them or anything. Just don't let them think they can say whatever they want and get away with it. If you stay quiet, they'll think you're easy to pick on."

Choji looked a little hesitant.

"But... it's scary," he said quietly. "I don't want to fight with anyone. I just want to be friends."

Ren hummed again. "Then maybe you need to find real friends. The kind that don't care what others say. The ones who stick by you no matter what."

Choji looked up. "How do I find real friends?"

"You don't," Ren said simply, shrugging. "You just live your life. And one day, someone shows up, sticks to you like glue, and boom, you've got a real one."

Choji looked confused by the answer, but before he could ask more, a voice called out from the street.

"Choji!"

They both turned to see a sleepy-looking kid with a pineapple haircut walking toward them, hands in his pockets, yawning.

Choji's face brightened immediately. "Shikamaru!"

He was about to run off, but paused. He turned to Ren, remembering what he said.

"I-I'll try what you told me," he said with a small, determined nod. "And if it works... I'll come back and show you all my friends!"

He grinned and ran off to Shikamaru, starting to talk with him right away.

Shikamaru glanced at Ren, then looked back at Choji. "Who's that guy?" he asked, jerking a thumb over his shoulder.

Choji looked back at Ren, then said honestly, "I don't know."

Shikamaru sighed and scratched his head. "Man... don't go talking to weird people. You don't know what kind of trouble they'll bring."

Still, he reached out and pulled Choji along as they walked off.

As they turned a corner, Shikamaru looked back once more.

There were two more people now standing near the hoodie-wearing stranger.

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes, memorized their faces, and decided to mention them to Choji's dad later, just in case.

~~~

Ren was still sitting in front of Yakiniku Q, staring up at the sky when he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Why are you sitting on the road and blocking the way?" Yugao asked, sounding mildly annoyed.

Ren tilted his head back to look at her, but his balance gave out and he ended up flopping flat on his back with a soft thud. His eyes met hers as she stood over him. She wasn't alone as Hitoshi was with her.

Ren and Hitoshi exchanged a nod. Then Ren's gaze drifted to Yugao. He stared at her for a second, expression unreadable, then just turned his head and stared at the sky again, ignoring her completely.

Yugao's grip on Hitoshi's hand tightened slightly. Her brows furrowed as she looked down at him, annoyed. But instead of snapping, she took a deep breath and let it go.

She asked again, voice calmer this time, "Why are you behaving so weirdly? If people saw you like this, imagine what they'd say about the Senju heir."

Ren responded lazily, "I'm dead tired. I don't care what people say. The only reason I even came out here was because I promised food."

Yugao crouched down over his head and looked at him from above. For a second she just stared.

Then she smiled.

"You do care. That's why you wore the hoodie. Otherwise, you'd never cover your hair, everyone knows you're too proud of it."

Ren opened his mouth like he was about to argue... but no words came out. He just closed it again, pressing his lips into a thin line.

Yugao chuckled softly and stood up, stretching. "Well, you're right about one thing. The mission was rough even for us, so I can't imagine how it must've been for you. I guess you get a pass this time."

All three of them stood there outside the restaurant for a while, still blocking the entrance.

Then Ren spoke up, tone quieter. "You guys need to be careful for a while."

Yugao nodded slightly. "Because of what you did to Danzo Shimura?"

Ren gave a small nod. "Yeah. Even if he's lost most of his influence, that man's petty. He'll try something. Hitoshi's got the clan, you've got Kakashi and Itachi but still, just be cautious."

Both of them nodded silently.

Yugao stretched again. "Alright, serious stuff can wait. Let's go in and eat. I'm starving."

She stepped forward and pushed the door open.

At the same time, Hitoshi casually waved a hand. Thousands of insects buzzed out from under his sleeve, swarming under Ren's body. A moment later, Ren was floating just above the ground, being gently carried inside by the swarm.

Ren let it happen without resistance. "I'm not tipping you for this," he muttered.

Hitoshi didn't speak anything as he followed them inside.

~

Inside the restaurant, a few heads turned at the strange sight of Ren being carried in by a massive swarm of insects. For a second, the buzzing drew a few startled glances, but after that brief moment of surprise, most diners just returned to their meals.

This was Konoha, after all. If a floating kid on a bed of bugs was the strangest thing they saw today, it probably meant they were having a good week.

A young waiter walked over, clearly trying not to look too confused as he addressed the trio.

"Please be mindful not to use any ninjutsu in the restaurant," he said, though his tone was more tired than stern. "Do you have a reservation?"

Yugao gave a casual nod. "We know, don't worry. This guy was just being lazy and had to be carried in. Otherwise, he would've just blocked your entrance all night."

The waiter glanced at Ren, who was still floating like a corpse on vacation. He blinked, then cleared his throat and continued, "Do you have a reservation name?"

"Kakashi Hatake," Yugao replied.

The waiter's expression shifted. His eyes lit up slightly with recognition, and his posture straightened just a bit. "Ah, of course. You're expected. Some members of your party have already arrived. I'll take you to the private room now."

With that, he turned and led the three of them through the restaurant, past booths and steaming tables stacked with grilled meats and sauces. The sizzling sound of food filled the air, mixing with low chatter and clinking cutlery. Ren was still being carried by the insects, lazily floating along behind the others like some overgrown puppet.

Eventually, they reached a sliding door at the back labeled "Private Hall, Reservation Only."

The waiter knocked gently before sliding it open.

Inside, the rest of the group was already seated around the wide, low table, Kakashi, Itachi, Utakata, Tenzo, and Noi. They all glanced over as the door opened.

The waiter stepped aside, gesturing for them to enter. "Please call me once you're ready to place your order."

Yugao and Hitoshi stepped inside first, and Ren floated in after them, still sprawled flat like he'd forgotten how limbs worked. The waiter closed the door quietly behind them.

Ren muttered under his breath as he was carried in, "Barbecue..."

Utakata raised an eyebrow at the sight. "Why do you look like you've been dragged through five missions back-to-back? How long did you sleep?"

Ren's reply was muffled, "About a day?"

Utakata exhaled through his nose, arms crossed as he leaned against the table. "Ah. That explains it."

He didn't need to elaborate. Everyone in the room understood. A shinobi's body was always running at a high operational pace, heightened reflexes, chakra circulation, elevated metabolism. When someone like Ren, who was constantly fighting or pushing himself, suddenly slept for a full day, it wasn't always restful. It actually put the body into a brief lag state, like a blade that had cooled too fast.

He'd be fine soon, but for now, Ren was stuck in 'sloth mode.'

Hitoshi waved his hand again, and the swarm of insects beneath Ren gently adjusted his body, raising him into a seated position with mechanical precision before withdrawing into the sleeves of Hitoshi's robe.

Ren let himself slump on the table, his hood still over his head, glasses slightly fogged from the restaurant's warm air.

~

Sayaka

~~~~~

{Ren's state is my current state so understand if the Chapter felt a little slow.}

{If you want, you can support me on pat-reon}

{ h t t p s : / / w w w . p a t r e o n . c o m / Z e e n o n }

{You know what else}

{280 Stones = Extra Chapter}

{STONES!!!!}