By the age of eight, Ren had been carrying a consistent weight of 200 pounds during his training. Over the next six months, Ren began to attempt opening the Eight Gates Formation. After several tries, he found that his physical strength could finally adapt to the powerful impact of opening the Eight Gates without causing any damage to his body.
In the past six months, Might Guy hadn't been idle either. In addition to instructing Ren on the Eight Gates Formation, he also had quite a lot of tasks assigned to him by the village. After the Uchiha clan was exterminated, manpower in the village was severely short. Konoha was at its weakest in terms of defense, so even an elite Jōnin like Might Guy had many tasks to complete.
Another half a year passed. Konoha finally stabilized, and everything was running smoothly. By this time, Ren was a year older, reaching the age of nine. The weight he carried during his training had also increased from the original 200 pounds to 300 pounds. According to his previous plan, he began to learn the Konoha Whirlwind technique from Might Guy.
At Konoha's training ground, Ren channeled green chakra to his legs, wrapping his entire calves and feet in it, then fiercely kicked the thick tree trunk in front of him.
Boom! A loud bang echoed. Sawdust flew into the air, and a tree as thick as a man's embrace was kicked clean through by Ren in two places, toppling over.
Might Guy's eyes were wide with shock, his mouth agape. "Ren, you're learning too fast, aren't you? You mastered this technique so quickly!" Might Guy exclaimed.
"Maybe it has something to do with my persistent physical training before," Ren explained. "Plus, I've practiced the basic movements for the Konoha Whirlwind extensively, so at this point, I've already laid a solid foundation, both in chakra cohesion and taijutsu explosiveness. Learning it now just feels natural. Not much effort was wasted."
Might Guy nodded, completely agreeing with what Ren had just said. In learning taijutsu, mastering specific techniques wasn't the most important part; the daily physical fitness training and the foundation of taijutsu were paramount. However, Might Guy added, "Ren, you don't have to be too modest. I've never seen anyone your age achieve such physical accomplishments! There's no doubt you're a genius!"
Genius? A small smile played on the corner of Ren's mouth, but he didn't deny it.
At this moment, Might Guy received a notice from Anbu to go to the Hokage's office for a ninja meeting. Ren was the only one left at the training ground, continuing his practice. Even without Might Guy by his side, he didn't relax in the slightest.
Just then, a small figure in a cheongsam walked towards the training ground where Ren was.
"Brother!" All the way, TenTen cupped her hands like a megaphone and shouted to him.
Ren looked closer and saw it was his sister, TenTen. "TenTen, why are you here?"
TenTen pouted, an aggrieved expression on her face. "Brother, have you forgotten what day it is today?"
What day is today? This was probably a pretty fatal question for all 'straight men' like Ren, wasn't it? Ren scratched his head, his mind blank for a moment. He couldn't think of anything. "Your birthday? My birthday? Mom and Dad's birthdays?!" He guessed one after another.
TenTen's small head shook like a rattle. She said angrily, "Our two birthdays ended last month, and Mom and Dad's birthdays aren't until winter! Your answers are too ridiculous!"
Ren could only smile awkwardly. "Then what day is it today? Sister, just tell me directly."
TenTen put her hands on her hips, her two cute little pigtails shaking. She said in a childlike voice, "Today is the Spring Festival! We agreed to go out for a walk together!"
"Oh, oh." Ren's face showed a look of sudden realization. He hadn't paid any attention to festivals like the Spring Festival before.
In Konoha Village, the Spring Festival was a very lively holiday. Various events and parades would be held, and many performances would take place on the streets. Villagers would wear beautiful kimonos and yukatas, go shopping, or enjoy the flowers in the garden. In the past, TenTen and Ren had participated several times.
But continually repeating the same activities wasn't interesting anymore. At this time, the scenery in the wild was just right. With the cherry blossoms in full bloom, an idea instantly sparked in his mind. He said to TenTen, "Why don't we call some people and have a barbecue picnic together?"
"Barbecue picnic?!" TenTen's eyes instantly brightened. She jumped up excitedly and shouted, "That's great! I've long wanted to go out for a barbecue!"
"Then we'll split the tasks," Ren arranged. "You go buy the ingredients, I'll buy the cooking utensils and charcoal. Then we'll call the friends we meet, and finally gather by the river, how about it?"
TenTen nodded immediately. "No problem! I'll go buy the ingredients right now!" After saying this, TenTen darted away like the wind, clearly looking forward to the picnic.
Ren also felt that his daily training was too boring, like an ascetic. Occasionally, he really should take a break and have a good time with his friends. So, Ren put away his training clothes, changed into casual clothes, and walked towards the market stall selling charcoal.
Unexpectedly, just after he bought the charcoal, he met an acquaintance. He saw young Hinata wearing a white kimono yukata, adorned with white magnolia flowers. It looked very plain and elegant, showing her ladylike demeanor in every aspect.
"Ren-kun, what a coincidence?" Hinata actively greeted Ren.
"It's Hinata, what a coincidence." Ren smiled. "You look very beautiful today~"
"Thank you, thank you..." Hinata's face immediately flushed. She lowered her head shyly, not daring to meet Ren's gaze.
"What are you doing? Buying hairpins?" Ren looked at Hinata's hands curiously and found that she was holding several hairpins of different colors.
"Yeah." Hinata nodded. Then she gathered up courage, raised her head, and asked Ren, "Ren-kun, which one do you think looks good? Can you help me choose one?"
"Okay." Ren glanced at the hairpins in her hand, then picked out a pink cherry blossom hairpin and said, "I think this looks very nice."
"Ah!" Hinata was surprised. Unexpectedly, Ren-kun chose the hairpin that she liked the most before. Does she have a connection with Ren's heart? Thinking of this, Hinata's face turned a little more crimson with shyness.
"Boss, I want this hairpin."
"I'll pay." Ren stepped in front of Hinata, paid the money, bought the hairpin, and said with a smile, "Today is the Spring Festival, so consider it a gift from me. Come, let me put it on for you."
During the Spring Festival, there was a tradition of boys giving gifts to girls. It was a common custom, so Ren naturally didn't ask Hinata to buy the hairpin herself at this moment. Besides, for such a cute little girl like Hinata, who wouldn't want to buy a pretty and charming little hair clip to adorn her hair?
Ren picked up the pink cherry blossom hairpin, then very gently, clipped it to Hinata's ear. This hairpin was truly suitable for Hinata. Originally, Hinata's character was very shy and cute, as soft and innocent as cherry blossoms. After she pinned this hairpin on her temples, she really became more agile and adorable, radiating a lovable charm.
"Thank you, thank you Ren-kun." Hinata's voice was as faint as the chirping of mosquitoes. At this time, her face had already turned as red as cherry blossoms, overcome with shyness.