Chapter 317: Kakashi and Rin Nohara's Contract
Amid countless envious and hopeful gazes,
the light from the Resurrection Coin gradually took shape, forming a well-proportioned figure.
She slowly descended from the sky.
"Kakashi…"
The newly revived Rin Nohara looked around, dazed.
She looked just as she had in the past—short brown hair, soft brown eyes, gentle like a deer's.
Tsunade, quick on the uptake, pulled off her coat and tossed it to Kakashi.
Kakashi had already realized what was wrong.
He hurriedly caught the oversized coat and wrapped it around Rin as she landed, shielding her completely.
"Oh!"
Naruto's face flushed red.
He hadn't seen anything, but he knew exactly what had happened.
When he had revived his father, it was in his own shabby shed.
His dad had come back completely naked—Naruto had almost thought he was some sort of pervert.
For those who had only just died, if the body was intact, the coin would revive them directly.
But for someone like Rin, who had died long ago, the Resurrection Coin didn't restore clothes—
she came back as she had died: completely unclothed.
"Kakashi… didn't I die?"
Rin lifted her head in confusion, then blinked in surprise.
"You… look like a grown man now."
When she died,
Kakashi was still a young boy, fresh-faced and handsome—even behind a mask, he had plenty of admirers.
But now, after years of melancholy and too much time reading Icha Icha,
his dull fish-eyes gave off nothing of his youthful fire.
Even so, Rin recognized him instantly.
When she realized she was in his arms, her cheeks flushed—
but she didn't struggle.
"So this is your beloved, Kakashi-sensei?"
Naruto leaned in with a cheeky grin, eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Then he turned to Rin and introduced himself. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I love ramen, and I'm Kakashi-sensei's student."
"Idiot."
Sasuke turned his head, clearly embarrassed on Naruto's behalf.
Rin finally noticed her surroundings.
They were in the middle of a plaza, surrounded by spectators—some of whom looked familiar.
"Lady Tsunade? Lord Jiraiya? You…"
Rin turned bright red.
She tried to break free from Kakashi's arms,
only to realize she was wearing nothing but what looked like a bed sheet.
Humiliated, she reflexively slapped Kakashi across the face.
"Stupid Kakashi, what did you do to me?!"
She mumbled angrily, burying her face against his chest like a frightened little deer.
Kakashi, red handprint on his cheek, sighed.
"I didn't know resurrection didn't come with clothes… If I'd known, I'd have done it at home."
"You were going to bring me back at your place?!"
Rin's face turned so red she nearly fainted.
It wasn't until Kakashi awkwardly explained everything that she finally understood.
The crowd eventually dispersed.
Jiraiya, who wanted to stay and watch more, was dragged away by Tsunade.
Kakashi took Rin back to his home,
digging out an old outfit from his childhood and handing it to her.
Rin clutched the coat tightly. Even so, her long, graceful legs peeked out beneath it.
Blushing, she said softly, "Don't you dare peek."
In her memory,
Kakashi had always been aloof and dignified—not the kind of man who would sneak a look.
But this older version of him… something just felt off.
A moment later,
still flushed, Rin tiptoed barefoot across the tatami and sat down facing Kakashi.
"Konoha was destroyed by Orochimaru. This used to be the Land of Hot Springs…"
Kakashi tried to explain,
selectively recounting what had happened since Rin died.
"Lord Orochimaru… betrayed the village and performed human experiments?"
"Sensei… Minato-sensei… died?"
"That Naruto kid, who looks just like Obito, is actually their son?!"
Rin listened quietly,
her expression shifting only occasionally. Until he got to the part about the Reincarnation Game and her revival.
She was stunned.
"It all sounds like a dream. That Game Merchant… he's like a being beyond even the Sage of Six Paths."
Normally, this sort of thing would be impossible to comprehend.
But since resurrection was real, it was easier to accept the rest.
After a pause, Kakashi said,
"I was going to revive Obito first. I thought… once I was strong enough to protect you, then I'd bring you back."
But things hadn't gone as planned.
"Kakashi!"
Rin frowned, looking like a gentle puppy trying to be fierce.
She pinched his rough cheek and said seriously:
"You and Obito… you both always think I'm someone who needs protecting."
"But I'm a ninja too. I can fight. My medical ninjutsu can save countless comrades."
She spoke her mind,
and then—her long-maintained mask of strength crumbled.
Tears poured as she hugged Kakashi tightly.
For Kakashi,
killing Rin with his own hand had happened years ago.
But for the girl in his arms, it had only just happened.
She was afraid.
Terrified.
Especially after losing Obito—
the person she feared losing most now was Kakashi.
She wasn't a helpless flower.
Back at the academy, she had been a top student. She didn't want to be the burden everyone had to protect.
That's why, in the end,
she had chosen to die by his hand without hesitation.
"Rin…"
Kakashi stroked her head gently,
his years of reading Icha Icha having done nothing to prepare him for this moment.
His words and actions were clumsy beyond belief.
"How strange… my childhood teammate turned into a grown man."
Rin smiled, her eyes filled with affection and mischief.
"Then it's decided. We fight together from now on—
and drag Obito back out of hiding."
The Resurrection Coin's failure proved it—Obito was still alive.
So why hadn't he returned to the village?
Why hadn't he come to see her?
Was it because he thought he had failed to protect her?
Kakashi looked at the young girl before him, then raised his hands.
In the next second—
Arcs of lightning, like tiny dragons, began to crackle in his palms.
They swirled together into a thumb-sized, deep blue seed,
lightning flickering across its surface like threads of silver—beautiful, like a crafted jewel.
"I'm a Thunder Hunter. I can form contracts with lightning-aligned beings—make them my partners."
Eight ninja dogs appeared, their bodies arcing with electricity.
At their lead, Pakkun looked stunned.
When he snapped out of it, he raised a paw in greeting.
"Miss Rin… I can't believe this idiot Kakashi actually brought you back. It's been a long time."
Pakkun was Kakashi's first contracted summon,
so he'd met Rin before—and knew she had died.
Hence his shock.
"Pakkun, we only just met again, but… yeah, it really has been a long time."
Rin gently grasped his paw and shook it.
Kakashi cupped the glowing seed in his hands.
"Swallow this Thunder Seed and you'll be linked to me by contract."
"You'll gain lightning powers.
And unless I die—no matter what injuries you suffer, you'll recover instantly."
It was a summoner-style ability. In this game system, you fought alongside bonded companions.
Originally—
Kakashi had planned to revive Obito and make him his ninth ninja dog—wait, no—his ninth companion.
After witnessing so many comrades die,
he could no longer bear losing another.
The Hunter Contract ensured that as long as the partner stayed within range,
any fatal wound they suffered would be healed—at the cost of the summoner's energy.
Only when the summoner died would the partner truly die.
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