In the training ground thick with acidic mist, Rinjin found Mei Terumi completely absorbed in her practice.
"Yo~ Little Mei, what's all this about?"
Not far away, the increasingly beautiful girl rolled her eyes. What else would you do in a training ground besides train?! Practice cooking?
"Training." Her crisp voice rang out.
Seeing this, Rinjin smiled and walked into the acidic mist, ruffling the girl's hair just like in the old days.
"What's the point of training?! Come on, let your old man take you out for a stroll and broaden your horizons."
"Not going." Mei Terumi refused in a muffled voice.
Right now, all this girl wanted was to train. This obsession was closely tied to her unique upbringing.
When she was two or three, her parents died, and Rinjin brought her to live in Konoha. Anyone else might have been influenced by Konoha and become a Leaf ninja. But Rinjin was a double agent—living in Konoha while constantly scheming to fleece it.
This meant that during her formative childhood years, she was heavily influenced by Rinjin. That influence created her complete indifference toward Konoha. Plus, spending part of each year back in Amegakure made her care even less about Konoha.
However, this girl had remarkably early memories—she still retained impressions of her parents. Children, especially those who've lost their parents, always idealize the parts of their memory connected to them. After all, parents represent the warmest, safest harbor in memory, so wherever Mom and Dad were must have been wonderful.
This led to: Toward Konoha, aside from a few close friends, she felt basically nothing. Toward Amegakure, she was quite comfortable with village life. Toward Kirigakure, she yearned to return to that village.
However, Kirigakure's current state had shattered her dreams. She felt lost and could only numb herself through constant training, blocking out this confusion.
Looking at Mei Terumi's empty eyes, Rinjin sighed helplessly and forced a smile:
"Come on, let's take a trip to Kirigakure. Not to brag, but I used to be a real big shot there—the Second Mizukage would shake when he saw me. This time, I'll show you your old man's glory!"
With that, ignoring the little girl's struggles, he grabbed her collar and dragged her out of the training ground.
...
In fog-shrouded Kirigakure: Rinjin, dressed in black combat gear, limped down the street holding Mei Terumi's hand.
"Old man, why are you limping?" Little Mei Terumi looked sideways at Rinjin, a hint of amusement flashing in her eyes.
Hearing this, Rinjin smiled wryly and scratched his head. "Old problem. Spent too much time in this dump before—arthritis is acting up again. Let me tell you something! Kirigakure is way worse than our Amegakure. Both are humid, but we have heating at home! Kirigakure's different—this broke-ass place is dirt poor. At night, even the bedding's damp, and the more you cover up, the colder you get! After a while, if you don't get cupping therapy regularly, your body really can't take it."
Hearing this, Mei Terumi pouted and smiled. Did she understand what Rinjin meant? Of course!
This old man who'd raised her from childhood might seem carefree, but he was actually quite reluctant to let her go. But she still had to clear her birth parents' names and wash away the accusations of being traitors and spies.
Thinking of this, the little girl squeezed her adoptive father's hand and softly comforted him: "Don't worry, old man. Once I clear my parents' names, I'll secretly funnel Kirigakure's talent and money to our village. Then I'll fake it for a few years and step down gracefully. When you're old, I'll take care of you till the end—gold-plated tombstone and all!"
The first part made Rinjin quite happy—this girl might have things weighing on her mind, but her filial piety was genuinely touching. It was just that "gold-plated tombstone" part... that really darkened his expression.
I'm the mighty Daimyo of the Land of Rain, and you're giving me gold plating? It has to be gold inlaid with jade!
Actually, though this father-daughter pair didn't say much, they understood each other's thoughts quite well. To put it crudely, Mei Terumi was someone Rinjin had personally fed and raised through every mess. When this girl wiggled her butt, Rinjin knew exactly what she was thinking.
Her father was a Kirigakure ninja who'd been loyal to the Mizukage his whole life, giving her a natural affinity for the Mizukage. Her mother was a covert operative killed by the Mizukage, which planted seeds of hatred toward Kirigakure in her heart. This complex tangle of emotions meant that even if she had to deceive herself, she wanted to give her birth parents a beautiful posthumous reputation.
However, Rinjin didn't care about any of this. As long as this girl's filial piety remained unchanged, he was satisfied.
Passing through the misty streets, Rinjin brought Mei Terumi to an old two-story building. The person he was meeting today was Master Gen, one of Kirigakure's few relatively clear-headed higher-ups.
In the dimly-styled tea room, the aged Master Gen received Rinjin and his "daughter." Sitting cross-legged on a cushion, looking at this old man with barely any hair left on his head, Rinjin knew this elder could live at least another twenty years.
Staring at an old man for too long wasn't polite. Glancing at Mei Terumi beside him, Rinjin slowly explained his purpose.
He originally hadn't planned to let Mei Terumi return to Kirigakure. But Mei Terumi wasn't his possession. When entrusted by someone, you must be faithful to that trust. Back then, Meika'sLava Release had saved his head—it was an indispensable part of his plans, so repaying him was only natural. He believed Meika wouldn't want his daughter to become someone else's possession either. Since the little girl wanted to return to Kirigakure to clear her parents' names, Rinjin naturally wouldn't stop her.
As always—except for matters of life and death, he almost never used the name of bonds to constrain his friends and children.
Faced with Rinjin's request to let Mei Terumi return to Kirigakure, Master Gen agreed without hesitation. No other reason—this girl's adoptive father packed too big a punch. Anyone from Kirigakure could never forget those two bastards who once treated the village like their personal training ground: One piloting a blue Gundam, the other tearing the Gundam apart with bare hands... Both were people you couldn't afford to mess with.
This time, Master Gen chose to follow his heart. He still had some influence in the village anyway—arranging for one girl wasn't a big problem.
Seeing Master Gen was easy to talk to, Rinjin released his crackling fist, smiled, and walked out of the room, leaving the two to discuss the specific steps for entering the village.
Strolling leisurely through Kirigakure's streets, Rinjin habitually took a deep breath, feeling content. However, the very next second, he suddenly burst out laughing. He'd sensed a white, humanoid creature in a nearby alley desperately burrowing underground.
"Yo~ Little blackie's showing his true colors! Where do you think you're going?!"
With a low shout, Rinjin's figure instantly vanished, thunderous lightning illuminating the entire street. The next second, in the deserted alley, Rinjin grinned as he pulled a giant mole out of the ground like a farmer at harvest time.
"White Zetsu, we meet again~"
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