That evening, Rin used "training" as an excuse to slip out of his house.
He deliberately circled the village several times first, confirming that no ANBU were tailing him, before heading straight toward the back mountain.
Finding Naruto was effortless.
That overwhelming mass of chakra was like a blazing torch in the dark—impossible to miss.
Rin concealed himself in the canopy of a tree and looked down.
Sure enough, Naruto had already stolen the Scroll of Seals, while Mizuki lurked at a distance with a sinister smile on his face. Everything was unfolding exactly as it had in the original story.
Until Naruto opened the scroll and began learning the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.
Rin held his breath, activated his one-tomoe Sharingan, and observed carefully.
[Mission Complete: Witness the Scroll of Seals]
[Reward: Advanced understanding of the Shadow Clone Technique, Yin Release perception]
"Perfect. Free gains."
With the system's advanced comprehension and what his Sharingan had already memorized, mastering the Shadow Clone Technique would only be a matter of time.
What truly caught Rin off guard was the sudden addition of Yin Release perception.
In the ninja world, there were seven fundamental chakra transformations: Yin Release, Yang Release, and the five elemental natures. Yang Release governed physical energy, while Yin Release represented spiritual energy.
As an Uchiha, Fire Release was naturally his strength. On top of that, the system had now granted him Yin Release.
In the original story, Yin Release was rarely displayed outright. Rin's clearest memories were of Six Paths Madara's Limbo and Sage Art: Yin Release Lightning Fang—techniques terrifying beyond words.
The ability to sense Yin Release chakra would significantly enhance his resistance to techniques driven by spiritual energy, especially genjutsu.
More importantly, it would drastically expand his perception of the world—even with his eyes closed.
But this was something that would require time and practice to fully explore.
Just then, Mizuki appeared as expected, ready to kill Naruto and seize the scroll. Naruto was already struggling. Although he had learned the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, his lack of real combat experience left him at a clear disadvantage.
Originally, Rin had no intention of interfering.
But then Mizuki said something that changed his mind.
"You monster! It was you who went on a rampage in the village back then, killing so many people! Even the Fourth Hokage died just to seal you away!"
Naruto froze.
In that instant, Rin recalled this scene from the original story—the first time Naruto learned the truth of being a jinchūriki, the first time he understood why the villagers hated him.
And then, another memory surfaced.
A line spoken by Uchiha Madara.
A line that fit this moment perfectly.
"Hey."
Rin dropped down from the tree, landing squarely between Naruto and Mizuki.
Both of them froze.
"R-Rin?!" Naruto's eyes went wide. "What are you doing here?!"
Mizuki's expression darkened. "An Uchiha brat? Get lost. This has nothing to do with you."
"Who says it has nothing to do with me?" Rin brushed a leaf off his sleeve. Then he pointed at Naruto.
"This guy—"
He paused, the corner of his mouth lifting into an arrogant curve.
"—is my important toy."
Naruto: "Huh?!"
Mizuki: "What did you just say?"
"Such an interesting toy," Rin continued calmly, stepping forward and shielding Naruto,
"How could I let some nobody like you ruin it? Leave now, and I'll pretend you were never here."
Mizuki laughed in fury. "Brat, do you have any idea who you're talking to?"
"Me?" Rin raised his right hand, palm upward.
"I am Uchiha Rin. And one day—"
Chakra gathered in his palm, forming a small but intensely blazing flame.
"—this name will echo throughout the entire ninja world."
The flame flared.
Though small, the heat it gave off was unnaturally intense.
Mizuki instinctively took half a step back.
[Role-Playing Action: Arrogant declaration during combat]
[Synchronicity increased to 4.2%]
[Unlocked: Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique (Rudimentary)]
Rin himself was momentarily stunned.
A new ninjutsu—unlocked just like that?
It seemed real combat truly was the fastest way to raise synchronicity.
"Tch—just bluffing!" Mizuki snarled, pulling out more shuriken.
"If you want to die, then I'll kill you both!"
Before he could finish—
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several kunai flew out of the shadows, embedding themselves into the ground right in front of Mizuki's feet.
"That's enough."
Bathed in moonlight, Iruka stood on a tree branch, relief and pride written across his face. He looked at Naruto—then at Rin.
"You both did well."
What followed went exactly as it should.
Mizuki was subdued. The Scroll of Seals was recovered. And Naruto passed the makeup exam after demonstrating courage and determination while "protecting his comrade."
---
The next day—graduation ceremony.
"Team 7: Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke. Jōnin Instructor: Kakashi Hatake," Iruka announced.
"Team 8: Hyuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino. Jōnin Instructor: Kurenai Yūhi."
"Team 10: Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chōji. Jōnin Instructor: Asuma Sarutobi."
The list ended.
But Rin's name hadn't been called.
The classroom murmured in confusion. Naruto jumped to his feet.
"Wait! Iruka-sensei! What about Rin?!"
Iruka smiled meaningfully.
"Lastly… a specially arranged team."
He turned toward Rin.
"Team 7—additional member: Uchiha Rin. Jōnin Instructor—"
The classroom door slid open.
A silver-haired jōnin wearing a mask leaned lazily against the doorframe, holding a familiar orange book.
Icha Icha Paradise.
"Kakashi Hatake. Looking forward to working with you."
The classroom exploded.
"What?! Four people in Team 7?!"
"That's not fair!"
"Why are all the Uchiha in the same team?!"
Kakashi scratched his head. "Ara ara, this was the Third Hokage's decision. After all—"
his visible eye curved into a crescent,
"it's easier to keep an eye on things when the two Uchiha are together."
Sasuke frowned.
Naruto cheered. "Awesome! Rin's on our team too!"
Sakura glanced at Sasuke, then at Rin, her expression complicated.
Rin remained seated, calm.
This outcome had been inevitable.
From the moment he had "accidentally survived," Konoha's upper ranks would never allow him to roam freely. Placing him under Kakashi—right beside Sasuke—was both supervision and a test.
"Alright," Kakashi waved a hand,
"Tomorrow morning, 8 a.m., Training Ground Three. Don't eat breakfast—you'll throw up."
And with that, he vanished.
The classroom erupted into chatter again.
As Rin packed his bag, Sasuke walked over.
"Did you ask for this?" Sasuke asked quietly.
"No." Rin slung his backpack over his shoulder. "But this works too."
"Why?"
Rin looked out the window.
The Hokage Monument gleamed under the sunlight.
"Because seeing the last of the Uchiha gathered together…"
"…is enough to keep certain people awake at night."
He smiled.
It was a smile Sasuke had never seen before—faintly unhinged.
"And I enjoy making people lose sleep."
As Rin left the classroom, Naruto caught up to him.
"Rin! See you tomorrow! We've gotta pass Kakashi-sensei's test together!"
"Yeah," Rin replied. "See you tomorrow."
The sun sank toward the horizon as Rin walked home alone.
[Current Synchronicity: 4.5%]
[Unlocked Abilities]
• Uchiha Basic Taijutsu (Proficient)
• Fire Release Chakra Affinity (Intermediate)
• Shurikenjutsu (Uchiha Style)
• Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique (Beginner)
• Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique (Rudimentary)
• Yin Release Perception (Range: 1 meter)
• Shadow Clone Technique (Not yet mastered)
[Overall Evaluation: Approaching Chūnin level
(Taijutsu and projectile skills at standard Chūnin level)]
"Progress is faster than I expected…"
But it still wasn't enough.
Not even close.
Rin lifted his gaze to the sky when a strange thought suddenly surfaced in his mind.
Role-playing… could become addictive.
If synchronicity reached ten percent—
Who would he be then?
Uchiha Rin?
Or another Uchiha Madara?