The silence that morning was different.

  Ren realized it even before opening his eyes.

  It wasn’t the calm silence that followed a good night’s sleep, nor the comfortable emptiness of a day that promised normalcy. It was heavier than that—almost as if the air itself had forgotten how to move. When he finally sat up in bed, running a hand through his still-messy hair, a light shiver ran down his spine. Too quick to be called fear, yet persistent enough to be impossible to ignore.

  The room looked the same as always. Too tidy for someone his age. Pale light filtered through the curtains, carrying no warmth. Nothing was out of pce.

  And yet… something felt off.

  Ren took a deep breath, pushing the thought aside. Ever since he’d started paying closer attention to the world around him, he’d learned that not every sensation required an immediate answer. Some simply existed.

  He got dressed in silence and left the room, finding the house unusually quiet. Mikoto had already left, and Fugaku was gone as well. Even Itachi wasn’t around, which was rare.

  That only deepened the uneasy feeling.

  Without saying anything, Ren grabbed his backpack and headed out.

  The academy was busier than usual when he arrived.

  Children’s voices blended with the scraping of chairs and the carefree ughter that always seemed to fill that pce, no matter what was happening beyond its walls. That alone brought back a sense of normalcy.

  “Ren!”

  Naruto’s energetic voice came from afar. He waved exaggeratedly, as if afraid he wouldn’t be noticed, while Ino stood beside him, rolling her eyes.

  “You don’t have to shout,” she compined, crossing her arms. “He’s not blind.”

  “But what if he didn’t hear me?” Naruto shot back, then grinned widely when Ren got closer. “Late today, huh?”

  “Not really,” Ren replied, setting his backpack down. “You just got here way too early.”

  Ino tilted her head, studying him for a second longer than usual.

  “You’re acting weird.”

  Naruto blinked.

  “Weird how?”

  “Normally he compins about you,” she answered without hesitation. “Today he just replied.”

  Ren let out a small smile.

  “Maybe I’m learning to ignore it.”

  “Hey!” Naruto protested, then ughed. “That was a compliment, right? I think.”

  Shikamaru arrived shortly after, yawning openly.

  “So, what trouble did you get into this time?” he asked, sitting beside them without ceremony.

  “None,” Ren said. “For now.”

  “How troublesome,” Shikamaru muttered. “Even when there’s no problem, there’s a problem.”

  The morning went on like so many others.

  Theoretical csses, repeated expnations, basic exercises. Iruka seemed stricter than usual that day, insisting on reviews that, honestly, most of the css already knew by heart. Still, no one compined—maybe out of exhaustion, maybe out of habit.

  During the break, Ino grabbed Ren by the arm without warning.

  “You’re training after css, right?”

  “Depends,” he replied. “Why?”

  “Because Naruto said he’s going to try learning that chakra control exercise on his own,” she expined, gncing over her shoulder. “And I want to see how long it takes before he fails.”

  “Hey!” Naruto protested again. “This time it’ll be different!”

  Shikamaru sighed.

  “Sure it will.”

  Ren watched the three of them for a moment, feeling something warm slightly in his chest.

  That simple routine, those small interactions… they carried more weight than they seemed to.

  “I’ll stay,” he decided. “But only for a bit.”

  Naruto’s smile appeared instantly.

  The problem was that css didn’t end at the usual time.

  When Iruka announced they’d be continuing ter that day, a chorus of compints erupted immediately.

  “But why?” someone asked.

  Iruka simply adjusted his gsses, serious.

  “Orders from the administration. Make good use of the time.”

  Ren exchanged a quick gnce with Shikamaru. Neither said anything, but the same silent conclusion formed between them: this wasn’t normal.

  Still, they obeyed.

  The hours dragged on longer than usual. By the time they were finally dismissed, the sun was already beginning to dip, painting the vilge in deeper shades of orange than normal.

  Naruto stretched dramatically.

  “I’m going to die of hunger.”

  “At least you’re consistent,” Ino commented. “Always hungry.”

  Ren, Ino, Naruto, and Sasuke walked together toward the academy exit, chatting about trivial things. Imaginary missions, compints about csses, vague promises of future training.

  That was when Sakura approached.

  She looked hesitant, fidgeting with her fingers as she stared directly at Sasuke.

  “Sasuke…” she began, her voice a little softer than usual. “Do you want to walk home with me today?”

  The whole group seemed to slow down for a moment.

  Sasuke looked up, surprised, then quickly averted his gaze.

  “No,” he replied simply.

  Sakura’s smile faltered.

  “Oh… that’s okay.” She forced a short ugh. “Maybe another time.”

  Before she could walk away completely, Sasuke spoke again.

  “I’m going with Ren.”

  Ren cast a brief gnce at his brother and nodded, saying nothing.

  Sasuke was already moving away, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

  Ren said his goodbyes and followed him.

  They walked side by side through the vilge streets, unhurried.

  At first, the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. It was simply… there. Sasuke kept his eyes forward, hands in his pockets, while Ren observed their surroundings with heightened attention.

  Very few people were out.

  Too few.

  “Things feel strange today,” Ren said, breaking the silence.

  Sasuke took a moment before responding.

  “They do.”

  It wasn’t just the number of people. Shops were closing far too early. Conversations died down as they passed. There were gnces—quick, nervous—that immediately looked away.

  The air felt heavy again.

  Ren felt that same sensation from the morning return, stronger now.

  They passed through a narrower street where sunlight barely reached. The sound of their footsteps echoed too loudly, as if the world itself was holding its breath.

  “Sasuke…” Ren started, then stopped.

  The other boy had slowed his pace.

  “Do you feel it too?” Sasuke asked, without looking at him.

  Ren nodded.

  “Yes.”

  Neither of them spoke after that.

  When they finally reached a more open area, Ren instinctively lifted his gaze to the sky. The sun had almost completely set, and the moon was beginning to rise—far too rge for that hour.

  There was something strange about it.

  Ren frowned slightly, feeling a discomfort he couldn’t expin. A bad feeling tightened in his chest.

  Something was about to change.

  And the moon…

  looked strangely red tonight.

  (Early access chapters: see the bio.)