Naruto: Mixed Heritage(Rewrite)

Renjiro turned sharply at the tap on his shoulder. A fruity feminine voice greeted him. "Hello, Renjiro." 

Standing before him was a familiar face, one he hadn't seen in years. Uchiha Sora smiled softly, her gaze steady, almost as if gauging his reaction. 

"Sora," Renjiro said, his voice tinged with surprise. "It's been a while." 

Sora nodded, brushing a strand of her long black hair behind her ear. "It has." 

Renjiro took a moment to study her. Her appearance had changed over the years. Her hair, once shoulder length, now cascaded down her back, framing a face that had matured significantly since their academy days. Renjiro even wondered how she fought with hair that long, and then he remembered that he was no one to talk as his hair was steadily growing long.

Sora had grown taller too, just a few inches shorter than him now. The green Chunin vest she wore over her clan-marked attire spoke volumes of her progress. They were all teenagers now, awkwardly navigating the transition from childhood to adulthood. 

Behind Sora stood two others. One was a young boy with sandy blond hair and clothes emblazoned with the Senju crest, standing stiffly with his arms crossed. The other was a petite girl with short brown hair, her simple outfit lacking any clan markings, suggesting she was a civilian shinobi. 

Sora followed Renjiro's gaze and gestured toward her companions. "These are my teammates. Takeshi Senju," she said, nodding toward the boy, "and Aiko, our kunoichi genius." 

'Huh? Aiko?' The name reminded Renjiro of his own former genin teammate who now decided to focus on medical fuinjutsu.

Renjiro offered a polite nod to each, noting the slight redness in Sora's cheeks as she introduced Takeshi. He stifled a chuckle, inwardly amused.

'An Uchiha and a Senju? If Tobirama could see this, he'd probably have a heart attack.' 

Just then, Renjiro felt an elbow nudge his side. He turned to see Hiro grinning mischievously. Clearly, Hiro was waiting for his introduction. 

With a resigned sigh, Renjiro gestured toward his companions. "And this is Hiro. He's—" 

"Renjiro's right-hand man!" Hiro interrupted, puffing out his chest. "And his closest confidant. Nice to meet you, Sora. Renjiro's told us so much about you since we were Genin." 

"I have?" Renjiro blurted, incredulous. 

"He has?" Sora asked simultaneously, her tone laced with surprise and curiosity. 

Sama, meanwhile, shot Hiro a glare that could cut through steel. "Ignore him," she said sharply.

"He loves stirring up trouble." 

Hiro's grin widened. "Don't be like that, Sama. I'm just helping break the ice." 

Renjiro groaned inwardly but decided to salvage the moment. "Anyway, Hiro and Sama are my friends. No, wait, Sama is a friend of mine while the other is just an acquaintance." 

Before Hiro could protest, Sora smiled, seeming to relax a little. "Nice to meet you both." 

Sensing that the situation was under control, Sama quickly excused herself and Hiro. "We'll catch up later, Renjiro." Her tone was firm, leaving little room for argument as she dragged Hiro away by his arm. 

As they disappeared into the crowd, Sora turned back to Renjiro. "So," she began, "are you busy?" 

Renjiro hesitated, considering his options. He had planned to leave with Hiro and Sama, but the thought of spending some time with Sora intrigued him. "Not really," he said finally. 

"Good," Sora replied with a smile. "How about ramen at Teuchi's?" 

Renjiro nodded, and Sora turned to her teammates. "I'll meet you two later, okay?" 

Takeshi frowned, clearly displeased. "Fine," he muttered before storming off, his footsteps heavy with frustration. 

Renjiro chuckled softly, shaking his head. "I think you might have upset him." 

Sora shrugged, though her cheeks flushed slightly. "He'll get over it." 

They began walking toward the familiar ramen stand, the streets of Konoha bustling quietly with the subdued energy of a village still processing the day's sombre events. Losing a shinobi was never an easy ordeal despite all the danger surrounding the shinobi world.

"So, how have you been?" Sora asked, breaking the silence. 

"Busy," Renjiro replied. "Missions, training, and other work…" He trailed off, realizing he had said too much. 

"Other work?" Sora echoed, her eyes narrowing slightly. 

"Slip of the tongue," Renjiro said quickly, offering a sheepish grin. "Forget I said that." 

Sora chuckled softly but didn't press further. "You've come a long way since the academy. It's hard to believe we were all just kids back then." 

"Yeah, but we are technically still kids" Renjiro agreed the last part he voiced internally, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Remember that time Kaito tried to show off during taijutsu practice and ended up knocking himself out?" 

Sora laughed, the sound light and genuine. "How could I forget? He blamed the floor for being too hard." 

She then said, shaking her head. "What about you? Any embarrassing moments you'd like to share?" 

Renjiro smirked. "Not unless you go first." 

They continued exchanging memories, their laughter cutting through the chill of the evening. By the time they reached Teuchi's, the weight of the day had lifted somewhat. 

The warm glow of Teuchi's stand spilled onto the street, its inviting aroma wrapping around them like a comforting embrace. A young man in his late teens, wearing an apron, greeted them with a bright smile. 

"Welcome! What can I get for you?" he asked. 

Renjiro ordered miso ramen, while Sora opted for pork. As Teuchi disappeared to prepare their food, they settled into their seats. 

For a moment, neither spoke, the ambient noise of the stand filling the silence. Renjiro glanced at Sora, studying her profile as she absentmindedly traced patterns on the counter with her finger. 

'Does this count as a date?' he wondered, the thought unbidden. He quickly dismissed it. 'No. That's ridiculous.'

To Renjiro, an adult trapped in a young boy's body, having anything similar to romance with another child was not something he would ever consider. Renjiro silently mused over the fact that he could easily end someone's life but dating some of similar age was where he drew the line. 

"So," Renjiro began, breaking the silence, "what happened to Kaito? I thought you two were inseparable." 

Sora smirked. "After becoming a Chunin, Kaito decided to join the Intelligence Corps." 

Renjiro raised an eyebrow. "Kaito? Intelligence?" 

Sora laughed. "I know, right? It doesn't exactly scream 'natural fit.' But he's doing well, apparently. Who knows? Maybe he'll surprise us all." 

Sora added, her gaze softening. "You two have always had that kind of dynamic, haven't you? Pushing each other in unexpected ways." 

Renjiro nodded. "I suppose we have." 

Their food arrived, and they began eating in comfortable silence. The rich flavours of the ramen were a welcome distraction, though Renjiro's mind kept drifting. 

Sora looked up from her bowl, her expression thoughtful. "How did you know Yano-sama?" 

Renjiro paused, his chopsticks hovering mid-air. "We worked together a few times when I was a Chunin," he said finally. "He was… a mentor of sorts." 

Sora nodded, her eyes downcast. "He was my sensei's older brother. I didn't know him well, but I know he meant a lot to her." 

Renjiro nodded the weight of their shared loss settling between them. "It's hard losing someone like that," he said quietly. 

For a while, they ate in silence, each lost in their thoughts. Then, Sora spoke again, her voice soft but steady. 

"For the longest time," she began, "I've had a crush on you." 

Renjiro froze, his chopsticks clattering against the counter. He turned to her, his expression a mix of surprise and confusion. "What?" 

Sora looked away, her cheeks flushed. "I just thought you should know." 

Renjiro blinked, his mind racing. Of all the things he had expected to hear that evening, this wasn't one of them. 

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