Chapter 121: Mirror Veil Technique (Part 2)

[ Hi there, Ito-kun here! Sorry, i didn't notice that i set the wrong time to the previous chapter! here the second part ^.^ Enjoy!]

Ren exhaled heavily, resting his arms on his knees and struggling to catch his breath. His vision wavered for a moment, and a dull pain spread through his body.

I've reached my limit...

His chakra reserves were completely depleted—every last ounce of energy had been poured into perfecting the Mirror Veil Technique. He had been so focused on pushing the jutsu further, extending the duration of the illusion second by second, that he hadn't realized just how drained he had become.

His clone had already dispersed the moment his chakra ran out, leaving him alone with the cool afternoon breeze and the open scroll beside him.

Ren wiped a drop of sweat from his forehead, staring at his reflection in the water. It was his face again, unchanged, unaltered.

How am I supposed to go to Tatsumi in this condition?

His exhaustion wasn't the real problem. But for Fuinjutsu, Ren was using the Finger Carving Seal to quickly inscribe the sigils, and without chakra, it was almost impossible.

A sigh escaped his lips as he stretched his stiff fingers.

"I guess I'll have to go back to the good old brush."

He stood up.

Tatsumi will be pissed if I'm late again this time.

After gathering his belongings, Ren left the courtyard and made his way through the familiar streets of Kirigakure.

As he stepped outside, he heard a noise.

"Ren."

He turned, blinking when he saw Kurara heading toward her mother's shop.

Ren raised an eyebrow.

"Want to train later?" Kurara asked indifferently.

Ren chuckled, shaking his head. As much as Kurara was a whirlwind of energy, there was something oddly reliable about her presence.

Then, a thought struck him.

Kurara has been hanging around a lot lately...

It wasn't just today; he had noticed it over the past week. She always seemed to be there.

Why?

Ren didn't have an answer.

But another realization hit him: Takeshi.

A wave of guilt washed over him.

I forgot to check on him.

It had been a while since he last saw Takeshi, and with everything going on—the training, Yagura's lesson, the scroll—he had completely lost track of time.

"I'll go tomorrow," he murmured to himself.

With that mental note, Ren waved off Kurara's offer—to her great disappointment—and continued on his way.

When he arrived at Tatsumi's workshop, the familiar scent of ink, parchment, and faint traces of burnt wood filled the air. The soft scratch of a brush against paper echoed in the quiet space, blending with the occasional creak of the old wooden floor.

Ren stepped in, moving carefully toward his usual workstation. He expected Tatsumi to acknowledge him, to ask how his meeting with Harusame had gone.

But he didn't.

In fact, Tatsumi barely looked up.

The seal master was seated at his desk, his hand moving fluidly across a long parchment. His gaze, usually sharp, was focused, but lately, there was something different about him. His presence, usually so firm and unwavering, seemed... restrained.

Too quiet.

That's strange.

Ren watched him for a moment, waiting for the usual question—after all, it was Tatsumi who had given him Harusame's address. It was only natural that he'd want to know how it went.

However, the question never came.

The silence stretched between them, filled only by the rhythm of ink on paper.

Something's on his mind.

Ren set down his things, debating whether to say something or wait.

For now, he chose to observe.

As he picked up the brush and began to work, one thought kept circling in his head:

What's troubling Tatsumi?

When he left the shop that evening, darkness had already fallen over Kirigakure. The streets were silent, the sound of his footsteps muffled by the mist, which seemed thicker than usual.

As he made his way home, his heart pounded harder when he saw a familiar figure waiting at his doorstep.

"Ao."

The ninja turned, locking eyes with Ren with an intensity that made the air between them tremble.

"We need to talk."

[Thanks everyone specially Jayroy_63 ,Sami_Alfoheday, BagusPardana, Darkosiris_Lopez, Alexx_Sejas, Yasmin_Silva_3876, RyuB201, DaoistVVm1Vi, DaoistDW5XU4,DstarS, MonsterX, Acnol,DaoistSEsItM, Victor_Bivol, RyuB201, VanHellsing6969, Daoist710883, LevinCloth, Daoist0thxiB, bndr, AKIB19,LevinCloth, Nonymous_H,silverkage, DaoistAZmi17,Alexx_Sejas, Morgoph, void_space_1915, Strandarn, AKIB19, Abdul_Salam_FASAMI, shadowborn, DarkGambit, and Miguel_024!

Update: I published again, strangely it says network issues, i hope this one will be published!

 Sincerely Thanks and remember about the Power Stones, these are the motivation for my work :) ]