At No. 66, Mingcha Avenue, in Rinjin's home—
Three girls, just back from school, huddled together, whispering in secret.
"Did you hear? Kakashi's father committed suicide!"
"Huh? Really? Why would he do that?" Rin Nohara looked at Shizune with wide, curious eyes.
Shizune lowered her voice, glancing around with a mysterious air.
"I heard he failed a really important mission because he saved a teammate. Afterwards, the client got furious and even rallied a bunch of other clients to stop giving missions to Konoha."
"And then?" Rin asked anxiously.
Her dream was to become a ninja—specifically, a medical ninja who saved lives. Hearing something like this, she couldn't help but care.
"And then?"
"Well, with fewer missions, other ninjas started getting upset. Even the ninja he saved stood up to blame Kakashi's father. In the end, he was forced into a corner and committed suicide."
Rin fell silent at that.
She'd never imagined a ninja could die like this. It was eye-opening for her.
She was still young, and didn't think much deeper—she had no idea about the darker machinations of Konoha's higher-ups behind the scenes.
Still, this incident taught the little girl a harsh lesson.
As the silence stretched, Mei Terumi suddenly spoke up.
"There's a problem with that logic."
Both Rin and Shizune turned to her in unison.
"Mei, what's wrong with it?"
Mei thought for a moment before answering.
"I know Uncle Sakumo pretty well. He might seem withdrawn, but he's not the type to just give up and kill himself. If you ask me, he'd probably just ignore all those people trying to force him. Even if he was pushed to the edge, he'd be more likely to defect than to take his own life."
Rin and Shizune fell silent again.
Actually, Mei hadn't said everything on her mind.
With Uncle Rinjin's personality, even if Uncle Sakumo wanted to die, it'd be pretty difficult.
So, maybe Uncle Sakumo didn't really kill himself—maybe he faked his death and slipped away.
It had to be said, growing up around Rinjin, these kids had learned to look at things with clear, logical eyes.
After a moment, Rin finally spoke.
"Mei, do you think Kakashi's father defected?"
After all, he was the famous White Fang, on par with the Sannin! Would the village really just let him run away?
"I don't know." Mei shook her head, keeping her true suspicions to herself.
"So… is there some secret behind all this?" Rin pressed.
Mei gave a dismissive little laugh.
"Haven't you noticed how weird the village feels lately?"
That made Shizune and Rin pause, but then they both nodded.
The village really did have a strange atmosphere these days. It hadn't affected the three of them directly, but they were sensitive enough to pick up on it.
It was like there was an invisible, unbreakable film between villagers. Sincere smiles had become rare, replaced by forced, superficial grins. There were more troublemakers around, and even tiny disagreements could spark fights between total strangers.
The mood even seeped into the Ninja Academy—classrooms that used to buzz with noise during breaks were now strangely quiet.
Except for that one kid who helped old ladies cross the street every morning and always hung around Rin with a goofy smile.
That guy was just an oddball!
Aside from him, most of the villagers seemed selfish, impatient, and cold to Shizune and Rin…
At that moment, Mei spoke up again, as if giving a hint.
"Actually, right after Uncle Sakumo's suicide, the whole village acted like it was a festival—they were thrilled. Honestly, that's the normal reaction. But now, things feel off. Didn't you notice?"
Shizune and Rin couldn't explain why, but they instinctively lowered their heads in embarrassment.
"N-no… We were, um, spending all our time at the hospital with Lady Tsunade back then…"
Seeing their clueless faces, Mei sighed in exasperation.
These two airheads—how are they going to survive in the future?
If they ever meet a bad guy, they'll probably get tricked out of everything, even their underwear!
Thinking this, Mei let out a long sigh. A sense of responsibility welled up inside her—a need to protect her silly friends, and maybe open their eyes to a bit of the world's darkness.
"Listen to me, there's definitely more than one group fighting behind the scenes here. Uncle Sakumo was a powerful asset for the village. There's no way Konoha would just stand by and watch him die, or let all that slander go unpunished. So, your beloved Konoha definitely played a shady role in all this!
Just look at how the villagers celebrated after Sakumo's death, and how the village didn't stop it.
Then, a second party probably made their move!
I don't know what they did exactly, but the creepy mood in the village could very well be the second party's way of striking back.
I suspect…"
Before she could finish, a crisp round of applause sounded from the living room.
Rinjin walked in, clapping, a faint look of satisfaction on his face.
"Hello, Uncle Rinjin!"
"Good afternoon, Uncle!"
Shizune and Rin jumped up, greeting him politely.
Rinjin nodded with a smile, then turned to Mei.
"Go on, I think you're doing great."
Mei pursed her lips, then continued:
"I suspect the Hokage Rock being blown up was the second party's counterattack."
She shot Rinjin a subtle glance.
Deep down, she strongly suspected that her "Papa Rinjin" was that second party.
And for good reason—he and Uncle Sakumo had always been close.
When Mei finished, Rinjin no longer hid his approval, nodding in satisfaction.
"I'm honestly surprised you figured out this much just by paying attention! Let me give you another hint: the selection for the Fourth Hokage."
As soon as Rinjin finished speaking, Mei's beautiful eyes narrowed, a sharp gleam flashing inside.
If that's the case, then Konoha's role…
No!
Uncle Sakumo's suicide was probably orchestrated by the village leadership!
But then, why not let Uncle Sakumo become the Fourth Hokage? What's really going on here?
She was dying to know!
It was like watching TV and getting asked to pay right before the finale, or reading a novel and having the author cut off at a cliffhanger…
For a moment, the little girl was itching with curiosity, desperate to know the truth behind it all.
Rinjin, grinning mischievously, had no intention of telling her everything.
It wasn't often he found something that truly piqued Mei's interest—how could he not tease her a little?
Besides, Rinjin had other motives.
Mei, Shizune, and Rin—these three girls were always together.
Just like any little clique, one person's questions would quickly become all three's.
Sooner or later, Rin would start digging for the truth, and she'd see more and more of Konoha's darkness for herself.
Imagine—discovering that the village you love most is actually full of shadows. How would she change?
Kakashi, Obito Uchiha, and Rin—these three kids were absolutely crucial.
Konoha had Kakashi, Madara's side had Obito, but as for him… he didn't have anyone yet~
Heh~
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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