Naruto: Mixed Heritage(Rewrite)

The streets of Konoha were quiet as a tall lean male shinobi walked through the village, his pace steady despite the fatigue that pulled at his limbs. The mission had been long, the way back longer, and all he craved now was the silence of his own space.

It was late, and the shadows stretched long under the soft glow of the street lamps. His dark eyes, sharp and alert, missed nothing as he made his way toward the Senju Clan residence.

Though smaller than the other clan districts, the Senju area carried a deep sense of history. The houses were modest but elegant, blending seamlessly with the natural surroundings. Here, towering trees stood sentinel, their leaves rustling softly in the evening breeze.

The shinobi approached his house, its wooden exterior bathed in moonlight. It was a simple structure—nothing flashy—but it had always felt like a sanctuary to him. Tonight, however, something felt… off.

He stopped in his tracks, his fatigue forgotten in an instant. He was a few steps from the gate when his senses tingled. The faint scent of smoke lingered in the air, mingled with something sweet.

'Cake, maybe?' His gaze shifted to the door, which was slightly ajar.

His hand instinctively moved to the tanto strapped to his side. He took a deep breath, extending his chakra senses, scanning for any unusual activity. Three chakra signatures pulsed faintly within the house. The chakra signatures were familiar, but their presence didn't ease his wariness.

'Who?'

He approached the door cautiously, his fingers tightening around the hilt of his blade. Pushing it open, he stepped inside, his movements silent and precise. The faint creak of the hinges echoed through the quiet house. The house was dark, save for a faint glow emanating from the living room.

Suddenly—

"SURPRISE!"

The lights flicked on, momentarily blinding him. The man blinked, taking in the sight before him. Renjiro, Hiro, and Aiko stood in the center of the room, wide grins plastered across their faces. The table behind them was cluttered with decorations and a lopsided cake that looked like it had survived some sort of battle.

Riku raised an eyebrow, his hand still resting on his tanto. "Really?" His voice was flat. "This is the surprise?"

"Breaking into your house wasn't easy, you know," Hiro chimed in, clearly proud of their efforts.

Aiko rolled her eyes. "You should've seen Renjiro trying to plan this. It was a disaster."

'Why are they overexaggerating the situation?' Renjiro thought.

Riku's gaze shifted to Aiko, who shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny. "I'm starting to think I should've stayed on my mission," Riku muttered, stepping fully into the room and closing the door behind him.

"You are shinobis if sneaking up is a problem then I failed in teaching you," he added.

The group settled into the living room, the initial awkwardness of the failed surprise slowly giving way to laughter and conversation.

Renjiro gestured toward the decorations, clearly trying to salvage some pride. "We wanted to do something special, you know for your birthday. But, uh, things didn't exactly go according to plan."

It had been a while since Renjiro met Riku and Aiko, mostly due to their different responsibilities, so he thought that this would be a good reason to bring Team 15 together.

Hiro snorted. "Understatement of the year." He leaned back in his chair, grinning. "Renjiro thought it'd be a good idea to use exploding tags to hang the streamers. That's why half of them are singed."

"They weren't supposed to explode!" Renjiro protested.

"And don't even get me started on the cake," Aiko added, shaking her head. "He wanted to frost it with kunai."

"It's called aesthetic," Renjiro muttered, crossing his arms.

Riku listened to their banter in silence, his expression unreadable. Though he didn't say much, there was a faint glint of amusement in his eyes.

As the night wore on, the group began to relax. The lopsided cake was cut, and drinks were poured as they caught up on each other's lives.

"So," Riku said, his voice breaking through the chatter. "What's everyone been up to?"

Hiro was the first to speak, leaning forward eagerly. "I've been working with the clan. Trying to build some new strategies and strengthen our next generation. It's been intense, but rewarding."

"Intense?" Renjiro raised an eyebrow. "All I've seen you do is lecture kids about chakra control while eating dango."

"That's called multitasking," Hiro shot back, smirking.

Aiko rolled her eyes. "Well, unlike Hiro, I've actually been working. Tsunade-sama promoted me to head a division in the hospital."

Hiro whistled, clearly impressed. "Look at you, Aiko-sama!"

Aiko shrugged, though there was a hint of pride in her smile. "It's a lot of responsibility, but I'm managing."

All eyes turned to Renjiro, who cleared his throat. "Uh, well… I've been working on some new jutsus."

The room fell silent.

"That's it?" Aiko asked, unimpressed.

"No new world-saving accomplishments?" Hiro teased, earning a laugh from Aiko.

Renjiro shrugged, looking slightly sheepish. "Not every day has to be about saving the world, you know."

Before anyone could comment further, Riku interrupted, his tone calm but firm. "Actually, I have some news."

The group turned to him, curiosity etched on their faces.

"I'm getting married," he said simply.

For a moment, there was stunned silence. Then—

"Wait, what?!" Renjiro exclaimed, nearly choking on his drink.

"Who would do that to themselves?" Hiro added, unable to suppress his laughter.

"Congratulations, Riku-sensei," Aiko said, her tone genuine. "Though I have to admit, I'm curious who the lucky person is."

"You'll find out soon enough," Riku replied with a faint smirk. "Invitations will be sent."

'Damn, why would he even think of getting married?' Renjiro wondered.

Renjiro could not understand why Riku would take such a huge step considering that most shinobi knew that the tensions between the major shinobi villages were at an all time high.

'But, come to think about it, he is older than Fugaku, so maybe he felt that it was time to settle down.' Renjiro concluded.

As the conversation wound down, Riku leaned back in his chair, his sharp gaze sweeping over the group. "Enough small talk," he said. "Let's make this night more interesting."

Renjiro raised an eyebrow. "What do you have in mind?"

"A spar," Riku said simply. "All of you against me."

Hiro's eyes lit up. "I've been waiting for this!"

"Surely you are aware that we are no longer genin, right?" Renjiro questioned.

"Then show me!" Riku said slapping the table enthusiastically.

Aiko, however, hesitated. "Wait a minute. I'm not a Jonin like you three. I am an Elite chunin and I can't—"

Riku cut her off, his tone firm. "I didn't ask for excuses, Aiko. You're in this fight whether you like it or not."

"But—"

"If you try to back out again," Riku said, stepping closer, "I'll make you regret it."

Aiko sighed, rolling her eyes. "You're impossible."

"I know," Riku smirked. "Now get ready."

The group moved to an open training ground near the edge of the Senju residency. The night air was cool, and the faint rustle of leaves added to the tension in the air.

"You're really going to make us fight you after a mission?" Renjiro asked, his tone half-joking.

"I've fought worse with less sleep," Riku replied calmly, adjusting his gloves. "Let's see if you can keep up."

Hiro cracked his knuckles, grinning. "Maybe getting old is clouding your judgement,"

"What do you mean old, I am in my prime!" Riku retorted.

Aiko stood a few paces behind, muttering to herself. "He's really not going to take it easy on us, huh?"

Riku stepped into the center of the field, his stance relaxed but poised. His gaze swept over the group, a spark of anticipation in his dark eyes. "Come at me with everything you've got. No holding back."

Renjiro exchanged a glance with Hiro, then with Aiko. Despite their differing levels of enthusiasm, a shared determination settled over them.

"Let's do this," Hiro said, his voice steady.

As they spread out, taking their positions, Riku smirked, his confidence unwavering. "Let's see what you've got. All of you."

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