The Rogue Hunter's Guide to Cardio, Chaos, and Cashflow

{Couldn't update yesterday due to some functions at home. Though rare such situations might arise and whenever that happens I'll make a post on pat-reon, so whenever there are no chapters or delayed chapters just check the pat.}

~~~

The two days passed by in a flash, as Ren continued his routine of intense training. With no missions assigned during this period, he focused entirely on his physical conditioning. And now, two days later, he stood at one of the ANBU-exclusive exits from the village, facing his ever-stoic commander, Yoru.

Yoru studied him for a moment, then slowly asked, "Why do you have a bag on you?"

Indeed, Ren had a small backpack slung over his shoulders. He tutted softly and replied, "Commander, you don't understand, it's in the spirit of traveling. If you travel, you have to carry a bag. Otherwise, it's not a proper journey."

Yoru didn't miss a beat. "This is not travel. You are going on a mission."

Ren shook his head and answered confidently, "It's called multitasking, boss. You should learn it, it's a very useful skill."

Yoru sighed in resignation, then turned serious. "I'll give you two months to adjust. Use this time to understand the rogue ninja system. There are several bounty houses operating under neutral jurisdiction. We've tolerated their presence for now, but make no mistake, they also fuel the rogue ninja network. Familiarize yourself with their workings, and don't let yourself get caught off-guard if you ever have to confront one."

Ren nodded attentively as Yoru continued, outlining a series of cautions, expectations, and strategic suggestions.

"Once your name spreads as a rogue hunter," Yoru added, "I'll start sending ANBU squads to you for coordinated operations. It'll be up to you to handle the chain of command diplomatically, don't insult the captains when you take charge."

Again, Ren nodded, absorbing every word.

Finally, Yoru warned, "During this period, there will likely be assassination attempts. Be alert."

Ren gave a casual nod and responded lightly, "As you know, not many below S-rank are a threat to me. And if I do run into an actual S-rank ninja, I'll take my cue and get out. That S-rank lightning jutsu you gave me is pretty amazing for escaping."

Yoru gave a rare approving nod, then said, "Alright. Move out. Be on alert if I send you any urgent directives."

Without another word, Ren vanished from the spot, leaving Yoru alone at the gate. The commander turned around and walked away, speaking to seemingly no one, "You won't be able to keep up with his speed, so just monitor his general location. But whatever happens, do not interfere with his missions."

~~~

Far beyond the walls of the Hidden Leaf, Ren dashed through the thick forests, his form nothing more than a blue blur. He moved through the trees with monkey-like agility, leaping, spinning, and flipping. When a shimmering lake appeared below, he used a high branch to launch himself into the air and dove headfirst, spinning mid-air before splashing into the water with a large crash.

He surfaced a moment later, floating on his back as he peeled off his ANBU mask and looked up at the overcast sky. A satisfied smile curled on his lips.

"I'm finally alone," he whispered.

This was the first time he'd experienced such genuine freedom outside the village. And he was enjoying every second of it.

More than that, he had come prepared.

Before departing on this extended mission, Ren had made an important decision. He invested 3 of his advanced mastery points and 1 master-level point into Shadow Clone Jutsu, pushing its mastery to 90%, officially elevating it to Master Level, his first such achievement.

With this, he unlocked the system's special skill tied to Master-level clone mastery, [RESTORATION] it was a unique ability that allowed shadow clones to regenerate chakra naturally, just like the original body.

This was groundbreaking. Previously, clones dispelled upon chakra depletion, requiring Ren to remake them repeatedly. Now, with Restoration, they could maintain operations indefinitely, as long as their chakra didn't run dry.

However, there was a catch.

With the clones' chakra constantly regenerating, their dispelling no longer transferred their accumulated mastery back to him. But Ren found a workaround. When a clone reached its chakra limit, it could create another clone with slightly less chakra and dispel itself, ensuring its training experience was passed on. The process would continue like a relay, keeping the grind loop functional.

Yet even with this breakthrough, another limitation revealed itself, one he hadn't anticipated until his mastery hit 90%.

Clones had a maximum operational lifespan of three months.

It didn't matter if they retained chakra or avoided combat, they would still dispel automatically after that period. It was an inherent fail-safe in the Shadow Clone technique. Ren surmised it was a backdoor restriction implemented by the jutsu's original creator, Tobirama Senju, to prevent clones from gaining independence or deviating from the original mind.

"Three months." Ren whispered as he floated in the lake, staring up at the cloudy sky. "Makes sense. If a clone can stay alive indefinitely and regenerate chakra, there's a risk it could evolve beyond its original programming."

The restriction, while frustrating, was a logical security measure.

"But it works out," he muttered. "I'll just go back to the village every three months to remake them."

And the system hadn't left him unrewarded either. As soon as the mastery reached Master Level, it awarded him 3 Master-Level Points, keeping his point balance steady.

The benefits of this decision were immense. His training output was now on a completely different level. With perpetual clones capable of generating chakra and passing on their mastery through a renewal loop, his growth would soon reach a new high.

Still floating in the lake, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

He'd left the village behind for the longest and most important mission of his life yet. 

He was alone. 

Free.

~~~

Ren remained afloat in the calm waters of the lake for more than two hours. The ripples had long since settled, and now the surface was a still mirror reflecting the thick canopy above. Clouds moved slowly in the sky, forming patterns that dissolved just as soon as they took shape. A gentle breeze blew across the forest, but Ren remained unmoved, arms spread, body relaxed, eyes closed.

This was the first time in years he felt such peace. The endless waves of missions, the looming presence of Yoru, and the ever-shifting chaos of hidden agendas, all of it, for the moment, faded into the background.

Eventually, his eyes opened. He blinked up at the overcast sky, then chuckled softly to himself. "Enough peace. Time to get to work."

With a graceful motion, he flipped over and swam to the edge of the lake. Water rolled off his ANBU uniform in heavy sheets. Once on land, he moved slowly, his pace unhurried and lifted one hand, making a subtle hand seal.

A quiet sizzle filled the air as steam began to rise from his clothes. Ren's fire chakra circulated through the weave of his fabric, rapidly drying his entire body.

He exhaled as the warmth enveloped him.

His pace remained casual as he strolled along the forest floor, hands tucked behind his head, gaze drifting upward through the trees. 'This world,' he thought, 'has changed a lot from the original canon I remember.'

A slow grin crept across his face. 'But somehow, it's even more interesting.'

He leapt up to the branches of the nearest tree and began to move forward through the forest, the rustling of leaves accompanying his rhythm. 'Unknown elements like Yoru's role in the Uchiha Massacre, his rivalry with Danzo, and even his coordination with other high-level operatives, this definitely isn't just some altered timeline. This feels like a new reality altogether.'

He paused on a particularly thick branch, squatting down. His fingers tapped lightly on his knees as he thought, 'I wonder if this is just an alternate path or if the universe will still try to course-correct itself eventually.'

But then his expression turned determined. 'No matter what happens, I'll make sure that those I want to protect are safe. That's non-negotiable.'

He leaned forward slightly, the wind picking up as he prepared to move again. 'But that doesn't mean I won't enjoy myself in the process. I'll change canon. I'll twist the story into my own version of events.'

He grinned. 'And I'll take the rewards while I'm at it.'

One image flashed through his mind, Danzo Shimura.

A scowl crossed Ren's face. That man hadn't wronged him directly. Not yet, anyway. But it was a universal law: if you were a transmigrator in the Naruto world, you had to deal with Danzo at some point. Some did it early. Others waited until the plot thickened. But it was a rite of passage.

'Besides,' Ren thought, 'just imagining the kind of reward the system will give for eliminating that cockroach makes me salivate.'

He dramatically wiped away nonexistent drool and jumped down from the branch. His feet landed with a soft thud on the forest floor. He reached into his backpack and took out a tightly sealed scroll. Despite having plunged into a lake earlier, the scroll was perfectly dry, Ren had used a custom seal specifically designed for waterproofing high-value items.

Unfurling the scroll carefully, he revealed a meticulously detailed map of the Land of Fire.

Dozens upon dozens of red markings dotted the map. Each one represented a known or suspected rogue shinobi camp. Most were clustered near the borders, especially those areas farthest from the capital and from Konohagakure. A few were marked closer to the village, but those were the rare exceptions.

Ren's eyes scanned the locations, memorizing clusters and possible travel routes. Among the markings were a few purple ones which represented the bounty centers.

These centers were neutral grounds, typically run by low- or mid-level shinobi with allegiance to no particular village. They existed to facilitate bounty claims from all shinobi, especially rogues who couldn't safely return to major villages to turn in their kills.

Yoru had explained it well.

The bounty system was one of the greatest hypocrisies in the shinobi world: the five Great Nations allowed these places to operate, even though they indirectly supported rogue activity. But they served a critical function. If rogue ninjas had nowhere to turn in bounties or conduct underground dealings, they'd band together into dangerous militias or warbands. The bounty centers acted like controlled outlets, allowing shinobi to release their aggression in semi-predictable ways.

The money exchanged was split quietly, villages took their cut, the centers kept a portion, and the hunter received the rest.

Ren, as an official shinobi, would benefit on all fronts. He'd receive system stats and mission credit from the Leaf, money from completed missions, and additional ryo from the bounty center. Triple profit.

'This one year will be one hell of a grind,' Ren thought with a grin. 'Stats, money, reputation, I'll grow in every possible direction.'

He looked back down at the scroll.

'Time to decide my route.'

He looked around the ground until he spotted a stick. He picked it up and held it above the scroll like a compass needle.

"All right," he said, channeling a small pulse of chakra to balance the stick vertically in his palm. "Let fate decide."

He let it drop.

The stick landed, pointing southeast, toward the Land of Tea.

Ren's eyes lit up.

"Ah, perfect. That region is farthest from the village, and it's littered with rogue activity. Perfect for laying low, but also perfect for targets."

Though referred to as "camps," these rogue settlements weren't permanent buildings. Most were mobile clusters, safe houses, rendezvous points, or hideouts. But the village had enough intelligence to mark the hot zones, and Ren could use that data to hunt efficiently.

'The further I stay from the village,' he mused, 'the more relaxed the Leaf's oversight will be. I can take out the worst of the bunch and stack my numbers without too much interference.'

He glanced up at the cloudy sky. The weather was still humid from the previous day's downpour, but now the air was dry.

He rolled the scroll back up and resealed it carefully, then tucked it back into the waterproof compartment in his backpack.

Just as he was about to dash off, he paused.

"Wait," he muttered, hopping back down to the ground. He rolled his neck, cracked his knuckles, and began to stretch. "This journey's going to be long. Might as well make it double as training."

With a familiar click of chakra, he activated the Training Seal embedded into his body. The seal instantly flared with weight, multiplying the resistance across his muscles and joints.

Boom.

A muffled shockwave echoed as he kicked off the forest floor. His form blurred as he began sprinting across the landscape, now moving faster than most Chunin could track, with weights magnifying his output.

Each leap, spin, and dash doubled as combat form practice. 

Each flip across a tree branch trained his balance. 

Each chakra step on the tree trunk refined his control. 

He wasn't just travelling. 

He was training himself.

But most importantly, he was having fun.

As he ran, his mind remained active.

The clones back in the village were still grinding away, on elemental mastery, Fuinjutsu, Genjutsu, yin release. His own task now was to increase his combat performance and reaction timing in actual mission conditions.

He passed by a few abandoned camps and old hideouts that had been cleared months ago. But he didn't stop. The Land of Tea's rogue cluster was his first goal.

And once he reached it, the hunt would begin.

~~~~~

{Hope the shadow clones skill at 90% made sense, and the failsafe too, it just seemed reasonable for someone like Tobirama to do. Though, the main reason I added this failsafe was because some of the 'big brained' people would definitely point this out, so I made extra preparations.}

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