Konohagakure.
The morning mist hadn't yet dispersed when two weathered figures arrived at the village gates.
Rinjin listlessly followed behind Jiraiya, swaying as he walked into the village.
"Rinjin, I'm heading straight to the Hokage's office to report our intelligence. You coming?"
Hearing this, Rinjin immediately shook his head and replied:
"Nah, with that time, I'd rather go to Teuchi's for a hot, delicious bowl of ramen."
"Alright~" Jiraiya nodded.
"Then get me a bowl too... uh... never mind... I still need to take Naruto to Mount Myōboku for sage training!"
"Go ahead!" Rinjin waved weakly and walked coolly toward Ichiraku Ramen.
To get back to Konoha quickly, Rinjin and Jiraiya had forced themselves to complete a three-day journey in just one day.
Right now, his upper and lower eyelids were having an epic battle~
Swaying as he walked down the street, a tall man suddenly hooked his arm around Rinjin's neck.
"Rinjin, you little bastard really made me search everywhere for you!"
Hearing the familiar voice, Rinjin drowsily opened his eyes.
The person before him was actually Sakumo.
"Yo, Dog-bro, good morning."
"Forget good morning! Rinjin, I need to talk to you about something!" Sakumo's tone was clearly anxious.
Seeing this, Rinjin perked up and asked:
"What's wrong?"
"My eyelid started twitching non-stop again!" Sakumo leaned close to Rinjin's ear, lowering his voice:
"Remember last time? When Kakashi was on that mission at Kannabi Bridge—my eyelid twitched then too, but not as badly as this."
Hearing this, Rinjin immediately pressed his lips together and scratched his head speechlessly.
Holy shit!
Dog-bro, you really do have a dog's nose!
If I remember correctly, your son actually does get killed by the Deva Path invading the village this time!
Thinking this, Rinjin weakly glanced at Sakumo and quietly said:
"Dog-bro, you wouldn't happen to have a nickname like Charlotte Katakuri, would you?"
"What the hell kind of nonsense is that! Just give me some advice—I'm really panicking!" Sakumo snapped irritably.
Seeing that Dog-bro had no clue about Observation Haki, Rinjin immediately clicked his tongue and casually said:
"That's easy—just apply to Tsunade to follow Kakashi around 24/7 for the next while!"
Hearing this, Sakumo's eyes lit up, his right fist striking his left palm with a light smack.
"Right! Why didn't I think of that?!"
Hearing this, Rinjin rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath:
"Because you're a son-obsessed freak. Anything involving Kakashi makes you immediately devolve into upright-walking ape mode!"
Beside him, having gotten his solution, Sakumo couldn't be bothered with Rinjin anymore and started heading toward the Hokage building.
Seeing this, Rinjin waved his hand and grabbed Sakumo's collar.
"Dog-bro, what's the rush! By the way, did you come to Konoha alone this time?"
"No, that Sakumo kid came with me!" Sakumo said rapidly.
"What's he here for?"
"Agh, let go of me, I'm busy!"
"What's he here for?" Rinjin stubbornly held onto Sakumo's sleeve, making conversation.
Seeing he couldn't shake off Rinjin, Sakumo quickly answered:
"Those two boys from his family left Konoha to train several years ago. He's really worried about them, so he came to Konoha to ask about their whereabouts."
Hearing this, Rinjin let out a long "Ohhh" and finally released Sakumo's sleeve.
After saying goodbye to Dog-bro, Rinjin went to Teuchi's and devoured three bowls of ramen, then went home for a wonderful sleep.
He slept until nightfall.
Rinjin groggily climbed up from his tatami mat and walked into the small courtyard.
In the yard, a lonely figure sat cross-legged by the small pond, holding a barely visible fishing rod.
"Dog-bro, what are you doing hanging around my house?! Didn't you go watch Kakashi?"
Hearing this, Sakumo slowly turned his head, his face full of despair.
"Rinjin... Kakashi found me annoying..."
"Huh?!" Rinjin was instantly stunned.
"What do you mean 'annoying'?"
Hearing this, Sakumo looked as pitiful as a sixty-year-old child, stammering:
"I caught him on a date with a girl!"
Hearing this, Rinjin's brain immediately went "BUZZ" and shut down.
"Wait a minute! Let me process this!"
Kakashi—Kakashi Hatake—on a date with a girl???
Wasn't this kid supposed to only love reading dirty books since childhood? Had his theoretical knowledge become rich enough that he was ready for practical application?
Wait, that's not right! What about Gai?!
This is naked betrayal!
I remember in the original plot, this kid was in his forties or fifties and still hadn't dated anyone!
Did I corrupt him when he was little??
For a moment, Rinjin's CPU was overclocked.
After calming down for a while, Rinjin finally let out a long breath and asked seriously:
"Which girl?"
Hearing this, Sakumo's eyebrows drooped even more.
"The kid wouldn't tell me, and he hurriedly sent the girl away!"
"And then you became annoying?" Rinjin pressed.
Hearing this, Sakumo helplessly nodded.
Seeing this, Rinjin quickly consoled him:
"Dog... uh... Sakumo, I think you should be happy! Look, even though Kakashi sent the girl away, at least he's started dating! As long as he's started dating, that's good news! At least the Hatake family line won't die out~ Besides, when they're ready to get married, can he really avoid you?!"
As his words fell, Sakumo's eyes immediately brightened.
After working as a gatekeeper for so long, he'd devolved to the point where he had a brain but rarely used it.
Actually, you couldn't blame him—he was several years older than Rinjin and was already over sixty.
Although the Earth Grudge Fear technique maintained his lifespan and strength, it could only transplant hearts, not brains.
Dog-bro had reached the age where he was getting more childish~
After being fooled... ahem... consoled by Rinjin, Sakumo perked up again, cheerfully tossing his fishing rod aside:
"You're absolutely right! For the sake of grandchildren, I don't care if Kakashi finds me annoying!"
With that, Sakumo quickly stood up to leave.
Just as he was climbing over the wall, he seemed to remember something and quickly returned to Rinjin.
"Oh right, Konan sent us a notice. She's requiring us to reach Konoha and infiltrate the village within five days."
Hearing this, Rinjin's eyes lit up, and the corners of his mouth immediately curved upward.
Pain's assault on Konoha—was it finally coming?
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