"R-Really?"
Rin had only meant to confirm Obito's situation.
She hadn't expected to hear that the danger was already over.
The happiness came too suddenly. She simply stood there, stunned.
"It's true," Jin said calmly. "That powerful figure finally died of old age. Before he passed, he entrusted everything to Obito."
"I gave Obito a proper beating and dragged him back from the edge."
"He's carrying out a mission for me right now, so it'll take some time before he returns."
"But the crisis is essentially resolved. You don't have to hide anymore."
"When Minato and Kakashi see you again… I imagine they'll be speechless."
The dark cloud that had lingered in Rin's eyes for so long finally dissolved.
She smiled—bright and genuine.
"Thank you, Teacher Jin!"
She bowed deeply, a full ninety degrees.
Nono hesitated, then spoke gently.
"Rin… if possible, you should go see Kakashi soon. He hasn't been in a good state."
Rin stiffened. "What happened? Is he hurt?"
"Not physically," Nono replied. "But he's not well."
"He's lost two teammates in succession. That kind of blow… it changes a person."
"But I think if you stand before him—alive—everything will begin to mend."
Nono had kept close watch on village intelligence. And because of Rin, she had paid special attention to Kakashi.
At this point in time, Kakashi carried death around him like a cloak.
Obito. Rin.
If the trauma of his father's suicide hadn't already carved something deep into him, he might have followed the same path.
Now?
He wasn't suicidal.
He was worse.
An empty shell.
"In that case, I'll go now!" Rin said immediately.
She understood the urgency. Even if Kakashi wasn't in immediate danger, she couldn't wait any longer.
"Hold on."
Jin stopped her.
"There's no need to rush. He's been wallowing for days. A few more hours won't make a difference."
He leaned back slightly, eyes gleaming.
"And don't you think… someone who's been dead for this long deserves a proper entrance?"
Rin blinked. "An… entrance?"
"Of course."
"You only get to return from the dead once. That's not an everyday experience."
He stood and gently steered her toward the orphanage building.
"Wash your face. Fix your hair. Make it memorable."
"I have something to discuss with Kakashi anyway. We'll go together."
"Decision made."
Rin was too dazed to protest. She let herself be guided away.
Nono watched her go, then glanced at Jin with faint amusement.
"You always find a way to turn things into a spectacle."
"It's not a spectacle," Jin replied, sighing. "It's a lesson."
"He's wasting his talent. That disappoints me."
Kakashi's potential was almost immeasurable.
At twelve, Naruto and Sasuke had just become genin.
Kakashi had already been promoted to jōnin.
And not a hollow title earned through reckless self-destruction.
A genuine one.
But after Obito and Rin's "deaths," he stagnated.
The golden years of growth—twelve to eighteen—were lost to grief.
By the time the original story unfolded, he was still only a jōnin. He had even lost once to Momochi Zabuza through carelessness.
In Jin's eyes, that was a tragedy.
He had tried guiding him. Encouraging him. Hinting at the truth without fully revealing it.
But Kakashi remained stubborn.
And Kakashi had a history of leaking secrets.
So Jin chose silence.
Obito's matter would conclude within a year regardless.
Kakashi would not waste decades as he had in the original timeline.
Still—
After investing so much effort?
Jin intended to "thank" him properly.
Nono shifted topics.
"About the village's strange behavior today… I have a theory."
"They're trying to elevate—and isolate—the Uchiha."
Jin looked at her with approval.
"I thought the same."
Nono truly lived up to her title as the "Walking Shrine Maiden." Her political instinct far surpassed even Fugaku's.
"It's an open scheme," she continued. "They don't mind if it's obvious."
"And I suspect there's a second move coming—one meant to completely isolate the Uchiha."
"You should be cautious."
Jin nodded casually.
"I warned Fugaku. We'll respond as they move."
"Besides… they're grasshoppers after autumn. They won't be jumping much longer."
Nono's expression hardened.
"This is exactly when you shouldn't grow complacent."
The words struck him.
He paused.
Perhaps things had gone too smoothly lately—the Land of Rain, Obito's unexpected turn.
Somewhere inside, a trace of laziness had crept in.
If not for Nono's reminder—
That could have become dangerous.
"You're right," he said seriously. "Thank you."
"I'd rather be overly cautious than regretful."
She shook her head lightly.
"Just don't resent me for it."
Vigilance was her habit.
A survival instinct forged in Root.
It protected her.
It also stole her sleep.
The only time she relaxed was when watching the children play.
Or when Jin was near.
Their eyes met.
No further words were needed.
Some understandings require none.
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