"Rin!"
Unbeknownst to her, Konan's face was covered in tears.
She stood at the doorway, shouting at the figure that was getting further and further away.
Unfortunately, the person in front never looked back.
Tears streamed from Konan's eyes.
How could this be?
Everything was fine just a moment ago!
"Rin…"
[Ding!]
[The System detected Konan's pain value + 5000]
[Your Cursed Spirit Kenjaku's Rank has increased to 15%]
Konan's legs felt weak, and a terrifying thought made her dizzy. She clutched the doorframe tightly, her vision blurred: "Will you still come back…?"
Would Rin still come back?
Would they ever see Rin again?
"What happened?"
Jiraiya, holding a bucket full of seafood, looked at the three children in confusion.
He had only left for a moment, how did it become like this?
Why did Rin suddenly leave?
Didn't he say he would stay for dinner?
And why was Konan so sad?
She was so upset she looked like she might faint.
Nagato stood rooted to the spot, his Soul seemingly having left his body.
Jiraiya looked at Yahiko.
Yahiko choked back a sob, and a line of tears suddenly flowed from his eyes. He immediately wiped them away with his sleeve, stubbornly unwilling to admit his sadness.
[Ding!]
[The System detected Nagato's pain value + 10000]
[Your Cursed Spirit Kenjaku's Rank has increased to 25%]
Nagato moved, slowly sitting on the floor, his hands wrapped around his knees, not saying a word.
Jiraiya looked at the three children, then at Shiratori Rin, who had already disappeared.
He walked over to Yahiko, patted Yahiko's shoulder, and asked: "Yahiko, did you and Rin have a fight?"
These four children were closer than family, how could such a fierce argument break out?
"It wasn't a fight," Yahiko sniffled. He looked at Jiraiya, and his emotions, which he had just managed to compose, burst forth in tears again when he met Jiraiya's concerned eyes, "He changed!"
"Jiraiya Sensei!"
"Rin changed!"
Yahiko hugged Jiraiya and cried loudly.
Jiraiya gently patted his back: "How did Rin change?"
"He… he's been following… following Hanzo… for Hanzo… he said I… he knew I… I hate Hanzo…"
Yahiko spoke incoherently.
Although Yahiko's words were jumbled, Jiraiya still understood his meaning.
It turned out that Rin had been following Hanzo and working for him all this time. Jiraiya felt this was both unexpected and, at the same time, somewhat expected.
Rin was originally an orphan from the Land of Rain. It was understandable for him to join the Amegakure and work for Hanzo.
To be honest, Jiraiya didn't dislike Hanzo.
One could even say he admired Hanzo.
But Yahiko seemed to deeply resent Hanzo.
Children's minds are simple; he couldn't grasp the deeper meaning, so he attributed the current situation of the Amegakure to Hanzo.
Yahiko, who viewed Hanzo as an enemy, couldn't accept Rin becoming Hanzo's subordinate, which led to a dispute with Rin.
"He just left… I won't… won't forgive him…"
Yahiko sobbed.
Jiraiya sighed.
…
Shiratori Rin ran wildly on his way back to the village.
Along the way, he hummed a song in good spirits.
"Today is a good day…"
"Everything you wish for will come true…"
[…]
Before dark, Shiratori Rin arrived at the main gate.
"Rin!"
The moment Mizuna saw Shiratori Rin, he could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"You're finally back. Did you see your friends?"
Mizuna opened the Iron Tower for Shiratori Rin to enter.
Shiratori Rin nodded.
Mizuna's eyes widened in surprise.
Rin actually found them!
"Why are you still so unhappy after seeing your friends?"
Mizuna looked at Shiratori Rin's dispirited appearance and asked worriedly.
"I wanted them to come to the Amegakure with me, but they refused…"
Shiratori Rin told Mizuna disappointedly.
So that was it. Mizuna smiled wryly and shook his head, explaining to Shiratori Rin: "Rin, not everyone is as brave as you. They also don't have the outstanding talent you do. If they came here, they would encounter danger."
"I will protect them!"
Shiratori Rin looked at Mizuna and said firmly.
Mizuna smiled helplessly: "But you can't protect them their whole lives. There will be times when you're not around. What will they do then?"
Shiratori Rin slowly lowered his head: "Big Brother Mizuna, you're right. I was too selfish…"
Mizuna looked at his forlorn expression and comforted him with a pained heart: "How could Rin be selfish? Rin is the bravest and most amazing child I've ever seen!"
"Really?"
Shiratori Rin looked up, cautiously looking at Mizuna.
"Of course, it's true!"
Mizuna said firmly.
"Then I will continue to work hard in the future. I will become the bravest and most amazing Ninja Big Brother Mizuna has ever seen!"
Shiratori Rin promised earnestly, word by word.
Mizuna: "…"
He smiled and nodded: "Good!"
[Ding!]
[The System detected Mizuna's affection value + 1000]
[Your Companion Cursed Spirit Rika Orimoto's Rank has increased to 63%]
After saying goodbye to Mizuna, Shiratori Rin returned to his single apartment.
Through the eyes of the crows, Shiratori Rin saw that Senba Suzume and the other two had already begun to pack their bags.
According to a Ninja's speed, if they set off tonight, they should reach the border where the Land of Rain and the Land of Fire meet by noon tomorrow.
Shiratori Rin quickly packed his Ninja tool bag, slung his long sword over his back, put on his raincoat, left a note, closed the door to his single apartment, and set off with Senba Suzume, Sakikawa, and Kuroai!
Rain still enveloped the Amegakure.
The rain gently tapped on Shiratori Rin's raincoat.
He was like a shadow merged with the night, clinging to the shadows of a giant water pipeline.
Shiratori Rin remained motionless, his breathing suppressed to an extreme low, almost merging with the sound of the rain.
Not far away, three Rain Ninja on duty were on their routine patrol.
Rain flowed down their hat brims and headbands. Their steps were steady, and their gazes sharply scanned their surroundings, not missing a single corner.
The different perspectives provided by dozens of crows allowed Shiratori Rin to easily find a route to avoid these patrolling Ninja.
Shiratori Rin's footsteps were light and silent, not splashing a single drop of water when he landed.
The complex terrain formed by the Amegakure's discarded machinery, giant condensing Iron Towers, and layers of pipes became his natural cover.
Shiratori Rin weaved through the gaps, moving further and further away from the center of the Amegakure.
Guided by the crows, he submerged himself in the water and, after a period of underwater stealth, skillfully bypassed the line of sight of the watchtowers and fixed sentries.
Leaving the most heavily guarded area, Shiratori Rin breathed a sigh of relief.
He quickly ran forward, his figure speeding through the rainy night.
Leaving the confines of the Amegakure, Shiratori Rin took a deep breath, and cold air mixed with water vapor rushed into his lungs.
Several crows flapped their wings above Shiratori Rin's head as he chased after Senba Suzume and the other two.