Outside the cave, a gentle rain draped the world in a misty veil.
Rinjin, accompanied by his three disciples, was ready to leave.
He planned to take advantage of the chaos in the Land of Grass to train Shikaku Nara, Choza Akimichi, and Inoichi Yamanaka into capable shinobi.
After all, Rinjin had no intention of doing thankless work like assisting Konoha for free in their battles.
As Rinjin and his disciples stepped out of the cave, a small figure with reddened ears suddenly darted out into the rain, chasing after them.
"Y-you... s-stupid old man! Take... take me with you!"
The stammering voice of a child echoed as Yahiko bowed deeply to Rinjin.
He wasn't foolish.
In fact, surviving in the chaotic Land of Grass required a sharp mind. Yahiko had often hidden in the shadows, pretending to be a corpse while observing battles between shinobi.
Compared to the kunai-throwing, flame-spewing battles he had witnessed, this strange old man seemed far more formidable.
At the very least, none of those other shinobi could suddenly appear behind him and yank his ear.
Most importantly, Yahiko could sense an air of ease and confidence from Rinjin and the three kids behind him—a kind of composure he had never seen in anyone else.
In a world ravaged by war, where everyone lived in constant fear and vigilance, this man seemed utterly unbothered.
Looking at the deeply bowing Yahiko before him, Rinjin couldn't help but give the boy a mental thumbs-up.
Sharp eyes, guts, and a thick skin—this kid had potential.
After a moment of thought, Rinjin glanced at the cave entrance, where Nagato and Konan stood hesitantly, before asking slowly:
"You're alone?"
Hearing the question, Yahiko straightened up and shook his head without hesitation.
"There are three of us!"
At those words, Rinjin shook his head and coldly rejected Yahiko's request.
"If it were just you, maybe. But three? Forget it."
Without further explanation, Rinjin turned and began walking away with Shikaku and the others.
Those three kids were pitiful—orphans with no parents and futures seemingly preordained. If circumstances allowed, Rinjin wouldn't have minded lending them a hand.
But his training was destined to be grueling and brutal.
Shikaku, Choza, and Inoichi had no choice but to endure it. Yahiko and his friends, however, had already suffered enough. There was no need to add to their burdens.
If it were just Yahiko, Rinjin might have explained the severity of his training and given him the choice. But with three of them, and with Nagato and Konan clearly following Yahiko's lead, it was clear that Yahiko's decision would also bind his friends.
And that wasn't right.
Imposing one's will on friends under the guise of "doing it for their own good"—that wasn't right.
(Of course, forcing Riri to learn math didn't count!)
After all, Rinjin had been entrusted by Riri's mother. If she needed to be scolded, scolded she must be. If not for the nine beatings over three days, that girl would've surely gone astray.
Waving dismissively, Rinjin led his trio of disciples into the distance without a hint of hesitation.
The rain continued to fall, seeping into their clothes and chilling them to the bone.
But Rinjin was long used to it.
Watching Rinjin's retreating figure, Yahiko's gaze slowly fell, his heart burning with an inexplicable fire.
Why could those three brats become his disciples, but not me?
Was it because I'm an orphan?
Was it because those three belong to his village?
Do orphans not have the right to pursue their dreams?
Despair...
As the cold and unfeeling figure of the strange old man grew smaller in the distance, Yahiko found a surge of courage from somewhere deep inside and shouted at Rinjin's back:
"Do orphans not deserve to be taken in?!"
The hoarse cry echoed across the land, laden with despair.
At the cave entrance, Konan and Nagato watched as Yahiko slowly collapsed to his knees. They rushed out, throwing their arms around him in a protective embrace.
Far ahead, Rinjin's tall, indifferent figure showed no signs of stopping as he continued his stride into the distance.
Back at the cave entrance, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru stood silently, watching the crying child in the rain, each lost in thought.
Finally, Tsunade couldn't hold back anymore. Her voice, filled with anger, rang out sharply:
"Shut up, you little brat! You have no idea how painful it is to be Rinjin's disciple! How dare you make decisions for your friends!"
Having trained Riri, Teuchi, and Fugaku alongside Rinjin, Tsunade knew all too well how ruthless Rinjin was with his students.
To others, his methods might seem incomprehensible.
But having witnessed it all firsthand, Tsunade understood.
More than that, she felt a deep ache for Rinjin.
This was a man who valued bonds more than his own life, yet he could steel himself to such an extent—throwing his disciples into a battlefield teeming with ruthless adult shinobi.
This world was too cruel.
For ordinary people, only by engraving cunning, deceit, strength, and ruthlessness into their very bones could they qualify to pursue their dreams.
Rinjin suppressed his own gentle nature, using the harshest methods to train his students.
It was all to ensure that they wouldn't live with regret in the future.
It was so that, when the time came to protect their dreams, they could stand tall.
So that they wouldn't be left punching the ground, weeping in hatred and frustration at their own weakness.
Regret was the most useless and tormenting emotion of all. This teacher was killing that emotion for his students.
Even if it meant using the most extreme methods.
Even if the one who suffered the most was the teacher himself.
Tsunade would never allow anyone to slander or misunderstand Rinjin, not even a child.
Her delicate brows furrowed as she clenched her fist and struck a nearby stone pillar with force.
Boom! The pillar shattered and collapsed.
Tsunade's furious voice rang out:
"Rinjin's students don't have the luxury of running away!
You envy Shikaku and the others, but you have no idea what they're about to face!
Pain! Physical and mental torment! Extreme pain!
Pain so intense that you'll even consider killing your teacher—and act on it!
Have you ever seen someone use genjutsu to simulate killing their teacher, only to be consumed by guilt and regret so profound that they cried tears of blood?
You don't know anything, kid!"
Watching Tsunade's clenched fists and bulging veins, Jiraiya and Orochimaru remained silent.
After a long pause, Orochimaru's cold, raspy voice broke the silence.
"Kill them. Orphans in times of war are better off dead than alive."
Hearing this, Jiraiya gritted his teeth and stepped forward, blocking Orochimaru.
"No! I... I'll stay and take care of them!"
With that, Jiraiya resolutely walked into the rain, stopping in front of Yahiko and his friends.
Looking at the three huddled children, Jiraiya turned his head toward Tsunade and Orochimaru, speaking softly:
"Perhaps... it's fate. Fate brought me to these three children.
And maybe... it's a small way to atone."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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