Oh my god.
Rin Nohara shook her head. She didn't dare think about it too deeply. Just the mere thought made her cheeks burn. It was too shameless...
But... why did Kiyoshi keep helping her? Rin's heart gradually sank. Come to think of it, she should have been suspicious from the start. Is there such a thing as pure friendship between a man and a woman? If Kiyoshi truly harbored such thoughts, how should she conduct herself?
"Speaking of which, the first kind person I met when I came here was you, Rin. But you are as beautiful as you were in the past—no, you are getting more and more beautiful."
Kiyoshi spoke of the past as if reminiscing. When he first transferred to the Ninja Academy, Rin had taken the initiative to talk to him. That was how they met. In Kiyoshi's tone, there was a trace of melancholy.
The delicate Rin captured this flicker of emotion. Today, she suddenly realized that she might have never truly understood Kiyoshi. Kiyoshi kept this trace of thought buried deep in his heart, which only made the guilt in Rin's heart grow stronger. After all, Kiyoshi had never troubled her with anything. Conversely, she had been constantly troubling him.
Rin clenched her hands, feeling her body grow increasingly hot. Her cheeks flushed, and fine beads of sweat dampened her forehead. A few stray strands of hair stuck to her skin, creating a sense of disheveled beauty.
"Sorry, Rin, there's no fan in the house."
Kiyoshi picked up his teacup and took a sip. Since his body had grown stronger, he was sufficiently resistant to heat and cold. He never installed inconvenient things like fans. If it was truly hot, a Water Style or Wind Style jutsu could easily cool things down.
"It's fine, it's fine."
Rin shook her head hurriedly. She touched her forehead with her fair fingers, wondering why she was sweating so much. She lowered her eyes, not daring to meet Kiyoshi's gaze. But her sensitive skin could sense a gaze wandering over her.
"If you're hot, I can use a Wind Style jutsu to help you cool down."
Kiyoshi reached out and suddenly grabbed Rin's wrist. Wind-natured chakra condensed in his hand, beginning to blow over Rin's body from her wrist.
"!"
Rin's heart jumped. Subconsciously, she wanted to pull away, but her wrist didn't budge. Kiyoshi's strength was too great. Rin realized this immediately. At such close range, Rin smelled a strange fragrance. As her nose wrinkled and she sniffed the air, she found that this strange fragrance came from Kiyoshi.
What kind of body wash was this? Rin had never smelled such a fragrant scent before.
A crimson glint faintly flashed in Kiyoshi's eyes, noticing Rin's small sniffing action. It was the ripple of pupillary power. Rin's body had actually long since adapted to his presence.
From a biological perspective, when two people's genes are compatible, they can smell each other's body scent. This point would subtly change Rin's consciousness, making her feel that being with Kiyoshi wasn't particularly strange. She might even take the initiative.
"I... I think I'll try asking others first."
Rin suddenly spoke. She felt her head was a bit dizzy and didn't want to stay any longer. It would be best if she could solve this matter without owing Kiyoshi a favor. Continuing to trouble him gave her a sense of meanness, as if she were using him.
Moreover, Rin had an ominous premonition, as if a true side of Kiyoshi was about to be revealed to her. Instinctively, Rin chose to escape. She wanted to find others to see if there was a way to solve this.
"No problem," Kiyoshi smiled, slowly withdrawing his hand.
He didn't mind Rin's sudden change of heart. Aside from the ninjas within the Uchiha who knew they wouldn't pursue this Sharingan to the bitter end, outsiders were all waiting to see the Uchiha's reaction. No matter who Rin asked, it would be useless.
Rin nodded and hurriedly stood up.
"I'll see you out," Kiyoshi said.
He just happened to be going out to buy some groceries and daily necessities. Rin nodded gently. The two left the Uchiha settlement together and arrived at the streets of leaf. Just as they were about to part ways, they encountered Kakashi. Kakashi was blocked on the road.
"It's you, you thief! You stole our clan's eye!"
"That's right, give it back to us!"
Blocking Kakashi were two Uchiha children. Behind them was the uchiha fan pattern.
"I..."
Kakashi's mouth moved behind his black mask, but he didn't know what to say. It was normal for Obito's clansmen to come and demand the Sharingan. For a ninja clan, the loss of a bloodline limit was a very serious matter.
Like the Hyuga clan, to preserve the Byakugan and prevent it from being lost, they developed the [Caged Bird Cursed Seal] and established the Main and Branch houses. This policy had lasted for thousands of years. While the Uchiha weren't as strict, they certainly cared about such things.
"Kakashi..." Seeing this, Rin couldn't help but feel oppressed and worried.
"You two brats, Kakashi is a village hero, and the Sharingan is the legacy Obito entrusted to him. Did your parents not tell you not to speak nonsense?"
Kiyoshi walked slowly behind the two children. His tall figure immediately put psychological pressure on them. His long black hair draped over his back, swaying unruly in the wind.
"It's... Kiyoshi."
The two children recognized him. A genius like Kiyoshi had naturally become a model for Uchiha parents to educate their children—the quintessential "child next door." Frightened, they scattered and ran away.
"Kakashi, don't take what they said to heart," Kiyoshi said.
The atmosphere in village was strangely peculiar. Children always had a mysterious kind of courage. Just like Hinata Hyuga, the princess of the Hyuga clan, who was insulted as a "white-eyed monster" by commoner children. Or Kushina Uzumaki, who was bullied just because of her red hair. Uchiha children causing trouble for Kakashi wasn't particularly surprising.
"It's nothing."
Seeing it was Kiyoshi, Kakashi managed a stiff smile. He rarely smiled, and the pressure of late had almost made him forget how.
"Are you going on a mission?"
Kiyoshi faintly smelled the scent of blood. ANBU Kakashi was known as the most cold-blooded existence among the ANBU. Even when others felt slaughter was unnecessary, Kakashi would still kill. He had even earned the nickname "Cold-blooded." The current Kakashi was showing signs of developing in that direction.
If Kiyoshi could smell the blood, Rin naturally could too. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly as she asked, "What kind of mission is it?"
"It's nothing. It's a secret."
Kakashi chose to hide it as always. He kept moving, walking past them. A trace of bitterness flowed through his heart. Rin shouldn't talk much to a piece of trash like him who abandoned his comrades; she should keep her distance.
The so-called "protection" meant nourishing things silently, watching from a quiet corner. Under the sunlight, it was better for her to stay with someone like Kiyoshi, who made people feel like they were in a spring breeze.
Watching Kakashi's departing back, Rin bit her lip hard.
"Rin, if there's truly no way, you're always welcome to come to me. Don't mind the idle gossip of other clansmen."
Kiyoshi spoke, his gaze burning.
"I understand, Kiyoshi." Rin hesitated for a moment and nodded.
...
Afternoon: Minato Namikaze's Home
"Sensei Minato."
Rin knocked on Minato Namikaze's door. It was Kushina who opened it.
"It's Rin."
Kushina pushed the door open to let Rin in. Minato was in the kitchen stir-frying, having invited Kushina over for dinner today. It was to repair their relationship; he had used much persuasion to get Kushina to his home. Before Minato could finish the first dish, he heard Kushina say Rin was here.
"Rin, is it about Kakashi?" Minato wiped his hands, came out, and sighed at Rin.
"Yes." Rin nodded.
"The attitude of the village higher-ups is very ambiguous; they haven't spoken clearly." Minato shook his head.
Recently, the village had been swept up in public opinion over this matter. Even if the higher-ups wanted to protect Kakashi, they had to wait for the public opinion to subside for a while.
It was wartime; if the village's public opinion was negative, it would shake morale and affect Leaf's military power. If other countries took advantage of the situation, everything would be over.
"But... personally, I think it's better to return it," Minato said.
He had no prejudice against anyone—Uchiha or otherwise, he treated everyone equally. He had never mistreated Obito in the team. Sometimes, even Kushina would bring food when the Minato squad trained together.
"Why?" Rin didn't understand.
Minato-sensei was the teacher of Obito and Kakashi! Why would he think it's better to return it?
"Rin, ninja clans are very wary of such behavior, and with the Uchiha's proud nature, they might cause trouble."
To be honest, the fact that the Uchiha hadn't come to demand the eye directly and were only applying pressure already made Minato feel it was incredible. The leakage of the Sharingan was no small matter.
This kind of thing happened either never or countless times. Moreover, Minato didn't want to lose another disciple. Returning the eye could ease the tension with the Uchiha and also protect Kakashi, preventing him from becoming a target of their hostility.
Of course, this depended on what the Uchiha and the village truly thought. It would be best if it could be resolved peacefully. But human hearts are separated by a belly, let alone a village and a major clan.
How things would develop, Minato didn't know; he could only infer based on past experience. After all, the Uchiha had a history of rebellion—Setsuna Uchiha had led a revolt because of his dissatisfaction with the Second's policies.
"Then what about the promise between Kakashi and Obito? Is the 'bond' between them not important?"
Rin's tone was agitated. She had listened to a lot of what Minato said, but it was all about how the eye should be returned.
"Rin, the Sharingan is a symbol of the bond between Obito and Kakashi, but not everyone will think that way."
Minato spoke earnestly. He also felt guilt in his heart regarding this matter. He was the one who executed the plan using the two squads as bait. Even if it ultimately minimized losses and was an order from the higher-ups, he had still carried out the mission. This was a failure as a teacher.
"In this matter, the only one who might have a way is probably Kiyoshi," Minato said, seeing Rin lower her head in disappointment.
Using Kiyoshi's position to ease the Uchiha's emotions was perfect. Outsiders expressing their opinions would only have a bad effect. The relationship between the Uchiha and the village should ideally remain balanced.
As for completely resolving the grudges, that could wait until after he successfully became Hokage. The Third held him in high regard; Minato could feel that. All the patience before then was for a better tomorrow.
"I see." Rin lowered her head.
Could the Minato-sensei, who was like a small sun in her heart, not shine his light on Kakashi? Or on her?
"Pardon me, Sensei Minato, Sister Kushina." Rin politely took her leave.
Her eyes were filled with unmistakable exhaustion. She had gone to great lengths to give Kakashi the will to live, but reality was always so cruel. Kushina had listened to their conversation without saying a word. She could understand the difficulties of both Minato and Rin.
"Is it really okay to find Kiyoshi?" Kushina asked.
"If it's Kiyoshi, he should have a way."
Minato knew a bit about the higher-ups' plans for Kiyoshi—it seemed they were using him as a bridge to communicate with the Uchiha. However, if Kiyoshi persuaded the other Uchiha not to reclaim the eye just because Kakashi was a friend, he might end up pleasing no one.
"Won't it be hard for that child?" Kushina's red lips opened. She had always had a good impression of Kiyoshi and didn't want to see him being ostracized again. Kushina knew better than anyone how painful it was to be ostracized.
"We can only see if Kiyoshi has any better method." Minato shook his head. Who told this matter to be the first of its kind since the founding of the Village? There were no past cases to follow or results to refer to.
...
After leaving, Rin went to the Hospital. She found a female Jonin who had taught her the [Mystical Palm Jutsu]. Unfortunately, this medical ninja also had no solution.
"Is there really no other way?"
"Rin, these are things for the big shots above to consider. And even if Kakashi returns the Sharingan, he can just get a normal person's eye, can't he?" The medical ninja consoled her.
Eyeball transplant surgery was difficult, but not impossible. With the high mortality rate of ninjas, there was no shortage of those willing to donate organs, so the Hospital had quite a stock of various organs.
"I understand. Thank you, teacher." Rin thanked her politely and walked out of the hospital in disappointment, walking alone through the bustling streets.
Rin didn't understand why everyone was saying there was no way. If truly... Kakashi was struck again because of losing the Sharingan given by Obito, Rin didn't dare think about how desperate he would become.
"I can only... go to Kiyoshi again."
Before she knew it, Rin arrived at the entrance of the Uchiha settlement. She could vaguely see that Kiyoshi wanted something from her. That something was naturally...
Rin wasn't sure. But what else could she offer? Her only advantage was probably her decent medical talent. However, she held no position, her family had no power, and as a commoner, her words held no weight.
Rin bit her lip. If Kiyoshi truly had thoughts about her, as long as it was for Kakashi, anything would be fine.
"Is this what it means to be a ninja?" Rin murmured.
Only at this moment did she deeply understand the reality of the shinobi world. Everyone was prioritizing the big picture; individuals were just a grain of dust in the game between the village and the ninja clans.
No one cared about Obito's legacy or Kakashi's motivation to live. They only cared about a stable situation—turning big problems into small ones.
But what was wrong with that? Rin felt sorrowful. Prioritizing the big picture was also for the countless villagers of Hidden Leaf. Someone always has to bear the burden, and the one to make the sacrifice happened to be Kakashi.
Unknowingly, Rin arrived at Kakashi's home. She wanted to see him before going to find Kiyoshi.
"Rin, is something the matter?"
Kakashi came out with his messy white hair, his exposed right eye filled with blood vessels. The blood scent around him was even stronger. Rin frowned slightly—what had Kakashi been doing lately?
"Kakashi, can you tell me what kind of mission you're actually on?" Rin's tone carried exhaustion and concern.
"Rin, sorry, it's a secret." Kakashi said apologetically. It was better not to let Rin come into contact with the darkness of the village.
"A secret?" Rin's emotions were in an uproar, filled with grievance.
She had been running around for him, begging everyone, yet he still kept things from her. How did their once-open relationship become like this?
Rin felt that after Obito's death, everything had changed, flying in a direction she didn't understand—whether it was Kiyoshi or Kakashi. She felt a sense of strangeness. Or had she never truly understood them?
"Kakashi, I just want to know—will you keep holding on to Obito's legacy?"
"Rin, it was Obito who risked his life to protect us." Kakashi fell silent for a moment before speaking. The Sharingan and protecting Rin were Obito's final wishes; how could he give them up?
Without Obito, he would have died long ago under the cold rocks. If he truly had to hand over the Sharingan, he would. At the very least, he had to fulfill the last promise: "Protect Rin."
"Then... Kakashi, my feelings, you know..." Rin wanted to finish the words that had no result at the Kanabi Bridge.
"I am a piece of trash who once left you to die." Kakashi said slowly. A trace of pain flashed in his eyes. Did he have feelings for Rin? Of course he did. He had always been able to sense that Rin liked him. Or rather, a girl's initiative would be sensed by anyone who wasn't an emotional idiot.
But in the past, what weighed down on Kakashi was the shadow of his father's death. He had always wanted to be a true ninja, following the rules, with his mind only on missions. After Obito's death, he understood that there were things more important than missions.
But Kakashi also knew that Obito liked Rin—more purely than he did. Faced with someone he had feelings for, he had shrunk back, while Obito faced the challenge head-on.
He simply wasn't qualified to be with Rin. Rin would be better off with anyone else than with him. The so-called love is letting go. Kakashi could now grasp this deeper meaning.
"But what does that have to do with Obito?"
"I promised Obito." Kakashi said.
Rin understood Kakashi's thoughts and felt sorrowful. It turned out she and Kakashi never had a chance. Or rather, the moment Obito died, a curse shrouded them both.
"I understand." Rin said. She turned and left without looking back.
"Rin... Obito..." Kakashi felt a faint pain in his left eye, as if it were mourning with him. "Atonement, Kakashi." He closed the door. With a painful expression, he took off his mask and splashed his face with cold water.
As he washed, he felt the clear water turn into blood. The blood reflected his haggard face. If Obito hadn't died, the three of them could have continued their innocent days. Unfortunately, everything was destroyed—destroyed by himself.
...
Coming out of Kakashi's home, Rin wiped the corners of her eyes and walked straight toward Kiyoshi's home. Even if Kakashi wouldn't be with her, she wanted him to live well.
"Rin, you're here."
Kiyoshi was holding a ninjutsu scroll. Guren wasn't home; he had the White Snake accompany her to buy groceries. Guren was a bit young for cooking, but buying some vegetables according to a list was no problem.
"Pardon the interruption." Rin took off her shoes and stepped onto the tatami in front of Kiyoshi.
"Sit down." Kiyoshi put down the scroll.
He had almost finished refining the [Shadow Clone Jutsu] over the past few days. All that was left was the final experiment. Once completed, he could deploy a batch of shadow clones at the experimental base to study Moryo's power.
In the village, the public opinion regarding Kakashi's Sharingan was growing stronger. Some guessed it was the calm before the storm, but it was actually the Uchiha's final stance. The village had been allowing the Uchiha to vent their dissatisfaction to give both sides a way out later.
Once the venting was enough, the village would hold a meeting, and the Uchiha would make demands; as long as they weren't too excessive, the village would accept them. The final result would be that Kakashi's Sharingan would be saved, the village would gain the peace of mind of other clans, and the Uchiha would have a chance to gain Hokage candidate status. Essentially, it was an exchange of interests.
"Kiyoshi, I know this request is difficult for you, but I... I really have no other way." Rin spoke with a sense of guilt.
After asking everyone, Rin realized how difficult her request was. But love always makes people blind. Kiyoshi looked at Rin and felt as if he were looking at a "simp."
Unfortunately, simps rarely have a good end. In the original manga, Rin put in a lot of effort for Kakashi and eventually was willing to die by his hand. It was just that from the moment Obito fell for Rin and Madara designed Obito as a pawn, it was destined to be a tragedy.
"Rin, I told you, I would help you."
Kiyoshi's unhesitating agreement gave Rin a mysterious feeling. Because of Obito's promise, Kakashi kept his distance from her. Minato and the medical teacher were the same; everyone always had various reasons. Conversely, Kiyoshi said nothing extra and consistently supported her—it was somewhat ironic.
"Kiyoshi, is there anything I can do for you?"
Rin wanted to repay Kiyoshi. Constantly accepting his kindness made her conscience uneasy. She wanted to feel better in her heart, especially since everyone else had rejected her and Kiyoshi said yes. The pressure he was under must be beyond what she could imagine!
"That won't be necessary." Kiyoshi declined.
Rin continued to insist that Kiyoshi ask for something. She just wanted to do something within her power to reduce the condemnation of her conscience. After feigning refusal three times, Kiyoshi finally turned his gaze toward Rin.
Rin was still wearing that black tight-fitting top, and the light pink skirt emphasized her waist. The skirt, which only had front and back sides, covered her red leggings. As she stood, the wind blew through, and one could clearly see her graceful thigh curves, giving off an energetic vibe.
In this timeline, which was later than the original, Rin's face already had the unique flavor of a young woman. From a budding lotus, she had grown to the point of a lotus leaf supporting the sky. It had to be said that Rin, who had reached legal age, was truly good.
"I... I saw what you did with the waitress, Kiyoshi. Are you..." Rin spoke about the matter with Samui. She didn't know why she brought it up. Kiyoshi's uninhibited gaze had already allowed her to guess a bit. After witnessing that world-view-shattering scene for the first time, Rin had labeled Kiyoshi as such.
The corners of Kiyoshi's mouth rose slightly. This was the result of long-term irrigation—from the seed planted at the beginning to the current continuous growth. Constantly letting Rin adapt to him was also letting her body's subconscious desire him.
Rin herself probably didn't realize this, just following her instinctive palpitation. This was a relatively gentle method. While Kakashi and Obito were still laughing and playing, Rin's essence was quietly changing toward Kiyoshi's shape.
After a long while, Kiyoshi pretended to look at Rin with a shocked expression and said slowly, "Actually, there's a reason for that."
"A reason?" Rin was stunned. Wasn't it just that Kiyoshi was lecherous?
(T/N:- yep he lied as he breathed.)
"Rin, you know I have half Yotsuki blood. That bloodline makes me always have internal fire."
As if to strengthen his persuasion, Kiyoshi even summoned the Giant Beast to show Rin why he had internal fire.
Even though Rin had a psychological expectation, she was still startled. She stared blankly, pointing at Kiyoshi, unable to speak. Rin's heart began to feel regret. Just as she was about to say something, a shadow fell on her face...
...
Mountains' Graveyard
"Am I crying?"
Obito touched his only remaining right eye, where the two tomoe kept spinning around the red pupil. He mysteriously felt a feeling of sadness in his heart, as if the other lost Sharingan was resonating with him.
"What's wrong? Why do I suddenly have feelings of sadness?" Obito was inexplicably uneasy.
"It hurts."
Obito suddenly touched his eye. In the tearing of a black screen, he vaguely saw Rin. He saw her leaving Kakashi's place in low spirits and walking toward the Uchiha settlement. This sight made Obito uneasy to the extreme. He had an ominous premonition, as if something was about to happen—something related to Kiyoshi. But he couldn't say exactly why.
"Is it because I miss Rin too much?" Obito was puzzled. He wondered how he could have hallucinations from missing Rin—and it was even a scene of Kakashi bullying her!
"I have to go back!" Obito thought impatiently, his desire to return to the village reaching its peak.
"Waaaaah..."
Wrapped in bandages and feeling powerless, Obito fell from the bed and slithered forward like a maggot.
"Give up. There's no exit here. With your body, you can't get out." The pale Zetsu, Guruguru, spoke. There was a hollow at the right eye of his face, with a spiral pattern starting from the hollow and covering his entire face and body.
"Also, be careful not to wake Madara. You humans aren't as advanced as us artificial humans; we don't need sleep, and we don't need to poop~" Guruguru looked at Madara as he spoke.
"Hmph, let this chatterbox watch me while he sleeps." Obito complained. He didn't know what the old man Madara's purpose was; he only knew that he had saved him.
"Your temperament is too poor." Madara opened his eyes slightly.
"What do you know? I'm definitely better than Kakashi and Kiyoshi, who only know how to act!" Obito grumbled. How could an old man like Madara, with one foot in the grave, understand a young man like him! Rin must be worried in the village, waiting for him to return.
When the time comes, he will transform and become a hero. His image will surely be better than Kakashi's and Kiyoshi's. Especially Kiyoshi—Obito really wanted to see Kiyoshi's face after he suffered a setback in front of Rin.
"Hehe..." Madara chuckled. He had a guess regarding Obito's sudden reaction—it was nothing more than the other eye resonating. He had occasionally seen a few cases in ancient records.
A mysterious reaction like this could occur between Sharingan, completely ignoring the limitation of distance. The Sharingan could even use an illusion that altered reality like [Izanagi]! From this perspective, a resonance reaction was not surprising.
"Start rehabilitation training in a while." Madara gave instructions to Guruguru in a trembling voice and then went back to sleep.
"Alright, now let's start the training for pooping." Guruguru said excitedly. He had always been curious about what it felt like for humans to poop.
"Hey, hey, don't touch me..." Obito screamed. But there was an extra hint of determination in his voice.
'Wait for me, Rin. Once I survive these hardships, I'll come find you immediately!'