Naruto: Reborn With An AI Chip

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Author's Note:

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After learning the truth behind the oppressive atmosphere in camp, Renjiro could only sigh at the complexity of Konoha's internal structure.

"What a show… unfortunately, there's no popcorn or soda."

If he could sit back with snacks and watch the Uchiha and Hyuga nobles tear into each other with words, he'd be thoroughly entertained.

Unfortunately, this wasn't a drama—it was a battlefield.

And everyone knew one thing for certain: no matter how loudly those two clans roared, they would never actually fight.

Because if the Uchiha and Hyuga started brawling on the front lines during a war, Konoha wouldn't hesitate to suppress them both—with lethal force if necessary.

As expected, the feud was resolved before it turned bloody. No matter how heated their words became, the two clans never crossed the line.

In the end, a single letter from the Third Hokage was all it took to silence the conflict.

No one knew what the letter contained. But soon after it arrived, the tension began to melt away, and the battlefield returned to its usual uneasy quiet, as if nothing had happened.

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In the blink of an eye, a week passed.

That morning, Team Zeri received an early summons.

Their leader had called them to the same forest clearing where the team had first been assembled.

By the time Renjiro, Maemon, and Meri arrived, Zeri was already seated on a large stone, arms crossed, with an unreadable expression on his face.

Maemon adjusted his glasses and asked with a helpless smile: "Zeri-sensei, why'd you call us out here? There's no new mission... right?"

Since their victory over the Mist and the destruction of the bridge, the enemy had gone quiet—licking their wounds and fortifying defenses.

The Water Country front had entered a rare period of calm. But what Maemon feared most was that every time the team was summoned like this, it meant another life-threatening mission. The pattern had left him slightly traumatized.

"Of course not." Zeri waved them over: "Come sit down first."

They each found a spot. Renjiro and Maemon plopped down casually on nearby stones.

Meri, on the other hand, carefully laid out a handkerchief before sitting.

She was acting ladylike again—a performance that made Renjiro roll his eyes. It just didn't fit her usual blunt, tomboyish personality.

Zeri watched them silently for a moment before finally speaking, his tone carrying a hint of guilt: "It's been over a month since Team Zeri was formed… and during that whole time, I haven't really acted like your teacher."

He sighed and continued: "I haven't trained you, guided you, or offered much of anything."

The three of them blinked at one another in confusion.

Their expressions were easy to read: "Was that it?" —as if they were silently asking Zeri the same question.

They'd been dragged out of bed at the crack of dawn just so Zeri could confess his guilt for unintentionally neglecting them? If so… that didn't sound like him at all, and honestly, it didn't suit him either.

Seeing their blank stares, Zeri awkwardly scratched his cheek, then coughed and gave a sheepish smile: "Ahem! Anyway, since we're finally free for a bit, I figured I'd actually fulfill my duty and train you properly. How about it—are you happy?"

The trio looked at one another again, but this time their eyes were filled with excitement.

With guidance from an elite chūnin like Zeri, their strength would definitely improve.

So of course—they were happy.

"Happy!"

They answered in unison, voices loud and enthusiastic.

---

Of course, Renjiro's excitement died the moment Zeri led them to a giant tree.

He stared at it and thought bitterly to himself: "…You've got to be kidding me."

Zeri then launched into a very familiar explanation—chakra control training.

He demonstrated tree climbing using chakra, just like Kakashi had once done with Team 7 in the anime.

"Now that you've seen it, it's time to learn it." Zeri said with a grin after casually descending from the treetop.

Their results were, unsurprisingly, a near replica of Team Kakashi's first attempt.

Where Sakura had succeeded immediately in the anime, Team Zeri's performance went like this:

Renjiro casually strolled up the tree like it was a walk in the park—thanks to his previous effort, training, and the heightened chakra control developed through his Observation Haki practice.

Maemon made it halfway up before losing balance and tumbling down with a frustrated groan.

Meri didn't even make it two steps before she shattered the bark beneath her feet and crashed to the ground.

Zeri's eyebrows shot up in surprise as he turned to Renjiro, and asked curiously: "Renjiro, you've done this exercise before?"

Renjiro nodded and replied with a smile: "Yeah. Not just Tree Climbing—Water Walking too, actually. I've already completed both."

"Huh…" Zeri scratched his chin, a thoughtful expression appeared on his face, then he continued: "Well, that's impressive. I suppose your parents must've passed those exercises down before they… you know."

Though a bit surprised, Zeri didn't press.

He figured Renjiro's parents had been shinobi themselves—it wasn't uncommon for shinobi families to leave behind training scrolls or manuals for their children.

And after all, chakra control exercises like Tree Climbing and Water Walking were basics. Every experienced ninja was expected to master them eventually.

Still, since Renjiro had already finished that level of training, there wasn't much point in keeping him there to repeat it.

After giving Meri and Maemon a few personal tips on chakra control and letting them continue practicing alone, Zeri gestured for Renjiro to follow him to a nearby flat, open area.

They walked a short distance to a quieter clearing. Once there, Zeri folded his arms and turned to Renjiro, his expression shifted to something more serious: "To be honest, I didn't expect you to be this talented. Maybe… being your team leader is holding you back."

Renjiro chuckled quietly: "I think I'm pretty normal. But anyway, thanks for the compliment."

In truth, Renjiro didn't think of himself as some rare prodigy like Shisui. The impression he gave off—the reason he seemed "talented"—was thanks to two things: His past life's knowledge, and Arkain, the system fused into his mind.

Arkain gave him analytical support, personalized training feedback, and limited combat assistance. Without it, he was probably just above average.

If he had been placed in a team of true elites, his abilities might have already been exposed.

His best strategy was to grow gradually, within a small team—where his progress would seem impressive, but not suspicious.

He looked at Zeri and said sincerely: "I appreciate your concern, Zeri-sensei. But I think I'm in the right place."

Zeri nodded, a pleased smile spread across his face. Then his expression turned thoughtful as he asked: "Alright, so tell me, Renjiro—what do you want to learn?"

Renjiro's eyes lit up instantly. He'd been waiting for that question from the very beginning.

"My father left me a Lightning Release Jutsu. A C-rank technique called Thunder Ball." Renjiro explained sincerely: "But no matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to learn it. I was hoping... maybe you could guide me through it?"

Zeri tilted his head slightly, pausing for a moment before replying: "Lightning Release, huh... I'm Fire-natured. I can't use Thunder jutsu myself. But all elemental jutsu follow similar principles."

He gave a thoughtful nod: "I can share my experience with Fire Release. It might help you understand how to mold your chakra better—which could solve your problem."

"That would be a huge help. Thank you, Zeri-sensei!" Renjiro almost shouted with joy.

It wasn't the perfect solution—Zeri couldn't walk him through Lightning Release step-by-step—but it was a far better alternative than struggling alone.

Zeri hesitated for a second, then added with a slightly shy smile: "Actually, there's something else. I don't usually brag, but... my Taijutsu is very solid. If you're interested, I can teach you some close-combat techniques as well."

Renjiro's jaw almost dropped, his eyes started sparkling like a Christmas tree: "Seriously?!"

In the anime, Taijutsu often took a backseat to flashy Ninjutsu and Genjutsu. But here, in the real shinobi world, Taijutsu was one of the core pillars of survival.

Ninjutsu and Genjutsu were powerful—but few shinobi had the chakra reserves or kekkei genkai to use them freely. Most would only master a handful of C-rank or B-rank techniques in their entire lives.

But Taijutsu? Taijutsu was universal.

Anyone could learn it. Anyone could improve it, and most importantly—it didn't depend on bloodline, talent, or special chakra.

It was the great equalizer. The only art that allowed a "normal" person to punch above their station—literally.

In Renjiro's case, it was his core strength.

Even with abilities like Observation Haki, those powers meant little without a solid foundation in hand-to-hand combat.

So when Zeri made that offer, Renjiro grinned ear to ear and replied without hesitation—rushing his words like he feared Zeri might take it back: "Please, Zeri-sensei—teach me everything."