Naruto: The Flame That Reshapes Fate

The door was opened by a woman. She was Kurama Sōun's wife. Rēn remembered that her maiden name was Aoyama, but now she was called Kurama Rin. They had crossed paths on the battlefield five or six years ago. If memory served, she was still known as Aoyama Rin at the time and had served as a medical ninja handling emergency treatment.

"Sōun..."

When she saw Rēn in a patient gown, she hesitated for a couple of seconds before reacting. A faint glimmer of hope appeared on her sorrowful face. It was clear that the matter of inviting Rēn over had been discussed between the couple—or perhaps within the clan.

"Rin, what did the results show?" Kurama Sōun asked anxiously.

"Still no improvement. It's about the same as last time,"

Kurama Rin replied gently.

"Sigh."

Hearing that, Kurama Sōun let out a disappointed sigh. As expected, conventional methods couldn't solve his daughter's problem. Now, they could only pin their hopes on something unorthodox. As this thought crossed his mind, his gaze landed on Rēn.

"Let's take a look first."

Rēn gestured toward the partially open door. "Can I go in now?"

"Yes! Please come in!"

Kurama Rin immediately opened the door wider and gestured for him to enter. Rēn walked inside. The room's setup was typical of a doctor's office. An elderly female doctor, likely in her fifties or sixties with graying hair, was crouched in front of a wheelchair, speaking to the little girl seated in it.

"Hmm?."

Rēn's eyes widened. His pupils turned crimson. Through the skin and flesh, he saw a vast ocean-like surge of spiritual energy.

"No wonder... This isn't so much an illness as it is the burden of being overly blessed by the world. Heaven gave too much favor, and the body can't handle it. It's practically a joke."

The female doctor stepped aside after being asked by Kurama Rin, but truthfully, the moment she saw Rēn's Sharingan, she respectfully made way. After all, even Danzō Shimura, one of the Hokage's advisors, was still in the hospital undergoing specialist consultations. The Uchiha clan now wielded even greater authority than before.

"Rēn, is there a way to treat Yakumo?" Kurama Sōun was deeply anxious. The more hope he had, the more he feared disappointment, even though he had tried to mentally prepare for bad news.

In truth, he still couldn't calm himself.

"You're asking someone untrained in medicine to heal? Isn't that a joke?"

"So there's no hope?"

The light in Kurama Sōun's eyes faded.

Not only him, but Kurama Rin, Kurama Unkai, and the elderly doctor beside them also looked visibly disheartened.

"Like I said, healing is for doctors, killing is for shinobi, and if you want meat, go to a butcher. You're asking an outsider like me to treat an illness... well, I guess you're lucky. If this really were a terminal illness, I probably wouldn't be able to help. But..."

"What? Rēn, do you actually have a solution or not?"

Kurama Sōun, unable to contain himself, interrupted.

"Let me finish. I said I'm no expert in medical treatment, but the problem with this child isn't some complex illness. To be precise, it's not even a sickness. Sōun, you already knew that deep down, didn't you? Otherwise, you wouldn't have come to me."

As he spoke, Rēn cast a sideways glance at Kurama Sōun.

"You really can help?" Kurama Sōun clutched Rēn's sleeve in excitement.

"Sigh. How many times do I need to say it?" Rēn sighed, shaking off Sōun's sweaty hand. "Like I said, this isn't a disease. It falls within my area of expertise. If there are no unexpected complications, it should be solvable."

"That's good. As long as there's a way, that's enough."

His emotions having risen and fallen like a wave, Kurama Sōun finally let out a breath of relief. He didn't believe Rēn would make baseless promises. If Rēn failed to resolve Yakumo's issue, it wouldn't just mean losing Kurama clan support—it could even result in a feud.

Calming down, with his mind working again, Sōun realized Rēn had just played a word game on him.

Still, he couldn't get angry. As long as Rēn truly had a solution, even if he was being toyed with, he didn't care. Then again... best not give this guy too much leeway. Rēn had always been mischievous. Who knew what trouble he could stir up?

"Big brother, can I really walk and run like other people one day?"

The little girl in the wheelchair was named Kurama Yakumo. She was the daughter of the Kurama clan leader, Kurama Sōun. This five-year-old child had inherited the clan's rare genjutsu ability, Five Senses Control, which appeared once every few generations. But this inherited power had caused her nothing but suffering since birth.

Her spiritual power was so overwhelmingly strong that her body and mind were out of sync. Her undeveloped frame couldn't withstand her own natural talent. She was so frail that walking was exhausting. After just a few steps, she'd be dizzy and drained, relying on her wheelchair to move about like a puppet controlled by others.

"It shouldn't be a big problem."

Rēn crouched down and looked at the frail little girl whose pale, sickly face made it seem like she might faint any second. He answered softly.

"Then... can I become a ninja too?"

Yakumo's eyes were wide. Perhaps due to her thinness, her pitch-black eyes sparkled like gems.

"A ninja?"

Rēn raised an eyebrow and asked curiously, "Why do you want to become a ninja?"

"Because everyone likes to play ninja games, and I can't join in."

"I see. Becoming a ninja shouldn't be a problem. With your talent, I'm sure you'll become one in the future. But... there's one condition."

Rēn smiled kindly, like coaxing his younger sister with candy.

"What is it?"

Yakumo was weak in body, but quick-witted. Since she couldn't go outside and play with other kids, she spent most of her time at home listening to her parents read stories or look at picture books together. So she understood what a condition meant.

"You have to become my student."

Rēn said with a grin.

"Rēn?"

Kurama Sōun exclaimed in shock.

But Rēn ignored him. Among the entire Kurama clan, none was more valuable than Yakumo. Leaving such a rare talent to develop without guidance would be a huge waste. The Kurama bloodline ability, Five Senses Control, touched the essence of Yin Release techniques. It possessed the power to make illusions real—an ideal subject for Yin Release research.

"So, little one. Want to become my student? Don't be fooled by my age. Even your father isn't my match."

"Okay! As long as you really can help me become a ninja!"

The little girl agreed in an instant, without even consulting her parents.

"Don't worry. I always keep my promises!" Rēn replied with a cheerful smile and rubbed her head. "And remember, from now on, you call me Sensei."