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Resets Weekly! [Monday]
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Walking along the deserted streets of Konoha, Rinjin curiously glanced around.
On a distant rooftop, aside from a certain yellow-loving, slightly flamboyant "Dog Bro," there was no one else in sight.
"Strange~," Rinjin muttered, looking up at Sakumo Hatake and shouting loudly:
"Dog Bro, has anyone been looking for me?!"
Not far away, Sakumo, who was standing on the tiles, slipped and tumbled off the roof in a flash.
After a while, the "Mud Dog" climbed back onto the rooftop, covering his masked face in embarrassment. He snapped irritably:
"No one!"
"And you, yelling like a lunatic in the middle of the night—don't you have any manners?!"
"Then what should I do?" Rinjin shouted again.
Instantly, a chorus of curses erupted from the nearby residential area.
Seeing this, Sakumo instinctively shrank his head and used the Body Flicker Technique to appear beside Rinjin, whispering:
"Sleep. Go back to sleep!"
"Sleep?" Rinjin sneered and deliberately shouted louder.
"At your age, can you even sleep? Where's your ambition?!"
Once again, a cacophony of affectionate "I love you"s echoed from the surrounding houses.
Seeing this, Sakumo's face under the mask visibly darkened.
"Bastard!" he muttered, forming a single seal before disappearing with the Body Flicker Technique.
Watching Dog Bro flee, Rinjin didn't linger either. Before the residents of Konoha could come out and beat him up, he shouted one last time:
"Sleep, my ass! Wake up and party!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Rinjin mimicked Dog Bro, forming a single seal and vanishing with the Body Flicker Technique.
When he reappeared, Rinjin was perched atop the high walls of the Senju clan's estate.
After spending so much time in the Land of Lightning, he had developed a habit of standing in high places.
Leaping down, Rinjin's dark skin blended perfectly with the night;
As long as he didn't smile, he could trigger a +20% stealth effect.
Following a familiar scent, Rinjin found Rie's room.
It was a spacious bedroom, with tatami mats covering the entire floor.
Scrolls of various kinds were scattered throughout the room—some rolled up, others unfurled.
The space was somewhat cluttered but completely free of dust.
It was clear that Rie's living conditions were quite good.
The little girl lay on the tatami, her red, swollen hands clutching a pillow as she slept soundly, her soft snores both faint and adorable.
She looked truly exhausted.
Rinjin's gaze casually swept across the floor.
[Fire Release: Flame Bullet]
[Fire Release: Big Flame Bullet]
[Fire Release: Dragon Flame Bullet]
...
Looking at the scrolls scattered on the ground, Rinjin nodded in satisfaction. But when his eyes landed on an unfurled scroll beside Rie, his smile vanished.
Uh... Why is there a scroll for [Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning]?
Is she planning to turn my adorable little Rie into a chain smoker?
With a rigid, old-fashioned mindset, Rinjin's face darkened as he carefully picked up the ash-spewing scroll.
Damn it, this must be a gift from that shameless old man, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Glancing at his sleeping sister, Rinjin felt content and quietly left the room.
On the outer veranda overlooking the courtyard, a dignified and elegant woman in an intricate kimono sat on the wooden platform, gazing earnestly at the moon.
"Is that you, Rinjin-kun?"
Mito Uzumaki didn't turn around, her eyes still fixed on the moon.
Seeing this, Rinjin stepped forward, bowing slightly as he approached Mito Uzumaki.
"Lady Mito, thank you for taking care of my sister all this time."
Hearing this, Mito turned to glance at Rinjin, a kind smile gracing her face as she patted the spot beside her.
"Come, Rinjin-kun. I hope you don't mind listening to an old lady ramble for a bit?"
Rinjin quickly shook his head, maintaining a respectful distance as he sat beside Mito.
"Not at all. It's my honor to chat with someone as eternally elegant and beautiful as you."
"You smooth-talking boy," Mito chuckled warmly, showing no sign of reproach.
Under the moonlight, Mito finally got a clear look at Rinjin's face, a sly glint flashing in her eyes.
"My, my, child. How did you get so tanned?"
Scratching his head awkwardly, Rinjin grinned, his bright teeth standing out starkly against his dark skin.
"No choice, Lady Mito. In the Land of Lightning, this is the standard complexion. My original appearance was too conspicuous."
Hearing this, Mito nodded thoughtfully.
"A bit of color is good. It makes you look healthy.
But Rinjin-kun, your physical energy has grown significantly since I last saw you. Are you planning to focus on taijutsu?"
In truth, Mito wasn't as calm as she appeared. Internally, she was quite surprised.
She could confirm that Rinjin wasn't from either the Senju or Uzumaki clans.
But in less than a year, this child's physical energy had more than doubled.
What was even more astonishing was that this energy wasn't the robust vitality of the Senju or the enduring life force of the Uzumaki.
It was an entirely different kind of power;
Within this child resided a pure and explosive energy akin to raging thunder.
Curious, Mito couldn't help but ask, "Rinjin-kun, where are your parents from?"
Looking at the gently flowing stream in the courtyard, Rinjin shook his head calmly.
"Lady Mito, I don't know. From the moment I woke up, I had already lost all memories of my past."
As Rinjin spoke, Mito's eyes subtly flicked toward the house behind her.
She had sensed it.
Her granddaughter, Tsunade, was peeking through the wooden sliding door.
However, Mito didn't call her out or alert Rinjin.
"Such a tragic past, Rinjin-kun. Have you ever considered joining Konoha?" Mito asked meaningfully.
Rinjin remained silent for a moment before suddenly flashing a sunny, boyish smile. Half-joking, half-serious, he replied:
"Lady Mito, can you keep a secret? If you promise not to tell anyone, I'll share my thoughts with you."
Mito fell silent at Rinjin's words.
Keeping secrets was a basic skill for a ninja, but how many could truly keep their mouths shut?
After some thought, Mito nodded. "As long as it doesn't harm the village Hashirama loved, I can keep it a secret."
Behind the wooden door, Tsunade blinked her large, beautiful eyes and nodded vigorously, mouthing silently, "I can too!"
Seeing Mito nod, Rinjin smiled inwardly.
He had never expected anyone to keep a secret. What he was about to say was merely meant to be relayed to Konoha through her.
With that in mind, Rinjin didn't hesitate any longer and began to speak.
"From the moment my identity was exposed, joining Konoha became impossible.
To survive, I used Lord Hiruzen's words to fully display my value and abilities to Lord Tobirama.
It was the only way to stay alive, but it also made the Konoha leadership stop seeing me as a child.
Think about it—what village would allow... forgive my arrogance... a person who toys with their intelligence to remain peacefully in their midst?
From that moment on, even if I wholeheartedly wanted to integrate into Konoha, they wouldn't dare let me join.
Of course, back then, Uncle Hiruzen was still a bit naive, but not anymore.
So, I've never been out of the ANBU's sight for a single moment.
If I'm not mistaken, the Third Hokage probably visits Rie frequently, doesn't he?
Rie is the weakness I've shown, and she's also my true weakness.
Weapons must have the awareness of being weapons—this is something I understand.
Otherwise, how could the Second and Third Hokage allow someone like me to roam freely?
Do you think I still have any hope of joining Konoha?"
As Rinjin's calm words fell, Mito was silent.
And in the shadows, Tsunade knelt on the ground, her large eyes staring blankly ahead.
She knew Rinjin's past—it was tragic.
But she had never imagined that even after coming to Konoha, this boy had lived so cautiously, walking on eggshells.
What was even more incredible was that Rinjin had managed to rise step by step from such a predicament.
After an unknown amount of time, the smile on Mito's face faded.
She turned to look at Rinjin, her eyes filled with a complex emotion, and asked softly:
"Rinjin-kun, do you have a dream?"
Hearing this, Rinjin was silent for a while before laughing at himself.
"I suppose I do.
To kill Hanzō of the Salamander and protect the village that's been ravaged by war."
"Is that your dream?" Mito asked pointedly.
"Uh... it's my teacher's dream."
"And what's your dream?" Mito pressed.
"Just to live a simple, peaceful life. What else could someone like me hope for?" Rinjin replied with a cheerful smile.
Unexpectedly, Mito didn't stop her questioning. Instead, she looked at Rinjin seriously and asked solemnly:
"Rinjin, do you want peace?"
Rinjin understood her implication. Or rather, Mito's words represented Konoha's stance.
Thinking of this, Rinjin shook his head.
"No, not peace. My peace."
With that, Rinjin placed the scroll for [Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning] down, bowed, and left the Senju estate with the Body Flicker Technique.
Behind the wooden door, Tsunade knelt on the ground in a daze, her eyes staring blankly into the darkness.
His words were clear enough. So... would he ever come back?
A few leaps later, Rinjin left the Senju estate and returned to the streets of Konoha.
The night was already deep.
The bright moon hid behind the clouds, stingy with its light.
Walking along the street, Rinjin eagerly awaited his final meeting of the night.
Soon, a figure wearing a cat-faced ANBU mask appeared before him.
A white mask, a black hooded cloak.
"Rinjin of the Northern Plains, Lord Danzō requests your presence."
...
Before long, Rinjin was brought to a dark underground chamber.
Though his head was covered, Rinjin could feel that the entrance to this place was somewhere above the Hokage Rock.
When the hood was removed, Rinjin squinted as he surveyed his surroundings.
The chamber was a square, about a hundred square meters, lit by countless candles along the walls. Behind him, a heavy door slowly closed.
In front of him, sitting on a stone chair, was Danzō Shimura, flanked by two masked ANBU operatives.
"Yo~ Long time no see, Lord Danzō," Rinjin greeted enthusiastically, waving his hand.
At that moment, Danzō, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, slowly raised his head, revealing his signature "X"-shaped chin.
"Long time no see, Rinjin of the Northern Plains," Danzō said slowly, his tone devoid of hostility.
"Tell me, Rinjin-kun, why were you at Kagami Uchiha's house so late at night?"
Hearing this, Rinjin's heart leapt with joy.
As expected, Hiruzen Sarutobi had handed over the dirty work of monitoring the Uchiha to Danzō.
After a brief pause, Rinjin smiled and replied:
"Isn't it obvious? Just catching up with an old friend. Given my identity, daytime visits aren't exactly convenient."
Danzō's lips curled into a faint smile as he narrowed his eyes at Rinjin, speaking in a low voice:
"Rinjin-kun, it's not that simple, is it?
Oh, by the way, the Third Hokage has tasked me with overseeing the village's relations with the Uchiha clan."
"Is that so?" Rinjin feigned surprise, then put on an apologetic expression.
"My apologies. I didn't realize you held such a position. I shouldn't have kept it from you.
I went to Kagami's house for the usual reasons—to discuss how to foster closer ties between the village and the Uchiha clan."
Hearing this, Danzō inwardly scoffed but casually replied, "As long as we uphold Tobirama-sensei's will, that's enough."
Rinjin nodded repeatedly.
"Exactly. I told him the same thing—to stop worrying about clan matters and focus on climbing the ranks in Konoha.
Even if he doesn't become Hokage, he could at least aim for a high-level advisor position like Homura Mitokado or Koharu Utatane."
Danzō's eyes widened in shock, his pupils visibly contracting.
If Kagami were to join the upper ranks, Hiruzen would undoubtedly support him wholeheartedly.
This would mean that the already limited power would be further divided.
Thoughts raced through Danzō's mind as he slowly adopted a benevolent expression and nodded.
"Indeed, Kagami's abilities make him well-suited for a high-ranking position. What did he say?"
Rinjin clapped his hands excitedly and exclaimed:
"This time, he seemed quite receptive. He said he'd discuss it with his family, but I could tell he's tempted."
Hearing this, Danzō's heart sank.
As expected, he shouldn't have allowed this brat to interact with Kagami.
Kagami had always been somewhat lethargic, but now this brat had managed to sway him.
The thought of losing power left Danzō feeling deeply uneasy, yet he didn't dwell on it for long.
Having sparred with Rinjin in both intellect and strategy for so long, Danzō had no doubt about Rinjin's ability to persuade Kagami.
And as someone who prioritized interests above all else, Danzō didn't mind assuming the worst about others. Even if Kagami had no such intentions, it didn't matter.
He still needed to secure that power!
With this in mind, Danzō suddenly extended an olive branch to Rinjin.
"Rinjin-kun, I heard that your teacher, Mizuguma of the Northern Plains, was killed by Hanzō of the Salamander. Don't you want revenge?"
"Of course I do!" Rinjin replied matter-of-factly.
Hearing this, Danzō's eyes gleamed as he fixed his gaze on Rinjin.
"Then why waste time with the Uchiha clan? Are you planning to use Kagami's strength for your revenge?"
Seeing the flicker of surprise in Rinjin's eyes, Danzō knew he had hit the mark. Using a persuasive tone, he continued:
"Kagami—I know him well. His loyalty lies solely with the Uchiha. No matter how good your relationship is, he won't help you.
And Hiruzen won't let you act rashly either. After all, Hanzō of the Salamander is the western shield of Konoha.
You're aware of this, aren't you?"
Rinjin nodded.
Seeing this, Danzō pressed on.
"Instead of wasting time with them, why not cooperate with me?
Although we've had our differences in the past, believe me when I say that everything I do is for the village.
If you work with me, you'll have access to money, forbidden techniques, manpower—everything.
You can grow stronger and take revenge on your own terms.
Isn't that a better choice?"
Looking at Danzō's seemingly kind expression, Rinjin was laughing hysterically inside.
Oh, Danzō, I have to admit—your eloquence is impressive. I almost believed you.
But with your current abilities, can you even get me a glimpse of the Scroll of Seals? I doubt it.
Still, your plan to use me as a weapon is quite clever.
Unfortunately, I only see you as my pawn.
My foolish little brother, hate me! Despise me! And live on in your wretchedness!
With that thought, Rinjin's lips curled into a wide grin as he stared at Danzō with feigned excitement.
"My dear Lord Danzō! You're absolutely right. But! You'll have to defeat me first."