"Danzō, you'll regret this!"
"Hiruzen, I am the Hokage!"
Bang!
The office door slammed shut.
Once again, the discussion between the Hokage and his advisor ended in discord.
Silence returned to the room, broken only by the faint curls of smoke rising from the pipe.
Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly sat back down, his gaze falling once more on the scattered scrolls before him.
Danzō's final warning still echoed in his ears—
But he paid it no mind.
He had heard such threats far too many times.
His fingers brushed lightly over Uchiha Rin's file.
The mysteries surrounding that eight-year-old girl were far more complex than he had imagined.
Danzō's reaction had confirmed that there were deeper secrets involved—
But not in the way Hiruzen had initially suspected.
"If it wasn't Danzō… then who was it?"
His eyes shifted toward the window, just in time to see Danzō storming across the plaza outside the Hokage Tower.
For all his extremism, the man's earlier shock and confusion had not seemed feigned.
"Hokage-sama, you called for me?"
A silver-haired ANBU knelt on one knee.
Even beneath the standard mask and uniform, his presence was unmistakable.
The slanted forehead protector covering his left eye—
Hatake Kakashi.
Hiruzen pushed the graduation request toward him, hesitation flickering briefly in his mind.
Should he tell this young man the truth?
That the friend he believed long dead—
Was alive…
And responsible for the Nine-Tails Incident?
But the words never left his mouth.
Kakashi…
If he learned the truth, he would undoubtedly abandon everything to pursue it—
Just as Jiraiya had once chased Orochimaru.
That was the weight of bonds in Konoha.
…Not yet.
"Regarding Uchiha Rin," Hiruzen began slowly, "after tomorrow's graduation exam, you will act as her supervising jōnin."
"…I request permission to refuse. My ANBU duties—"
Kakashi knew of the girl.
He had seen her mentioned in surveillance reports.
A prodigy.
A familiar name.
A similar face.
But that was all.
There were countless people in the world with similar appearances.
There was no reason to let it affect him.
As an ANBU—
He had long since learned to separate emotion from duty.
Hiruzen studied him quietly.
This young man had wrapped himself in too many layers.
Too much distance.
Too much silence.
A quiet sigh escaped the old Hokage.
"Consider it a personal request," he said gently. "At least meet the child first."
"And… Kakashi."
"You've been pushing yourself too hard these past years."
"Perhaps taking on students will allow you to step away from the darkness of ANBU for a while… and rest."
That rare warmth made Kakashi pause.
For a moment—
He didn't know how to respond.
After a long silence, he finally bowed.
"…Understood."
"But if she fails my test, I will send her back to the academy."
After he left, the office fell silent once more.
Hiruzen gazed out at the dimming sky, his fingers tapping lightly on the desk.
Perhaps—
This decision carried a trace of selfishness.
But he believed—
If Kakashi met this "Rin"…
It might become the key to resolving the burdens he had carried for years.
As for Obito—
That truth would remain buried…
For now.
...
The setting sun bathed Konoha in warm gold.
Uchiha Mo arrived at the academy gate right on time, leaning casually against the wall as he waited.
Nearby parents instinctively kept their distance.
The Uchiha crest on his back—
And the uniform of the Police Force—
Were enough to make anyone wary.
The noise from the training grounds gradually faded as students poured out of the school in small groups.
Rin walked out last.
A small, quiet figure among the crowd.
But the moment she spotted Mo—
A genuine smile bloomed on her face.
"Mo-nii."
She hurried over, tilting her head up toward him—
Finally looking like a normal child her age.
"Let's go," Mo said, turning to walk beside her. "How was today?"
"I got first place again in combat training. They're way too weak!"
Mo nodded slightly, completely unsurprised.
As a being created from the genes of Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin—
She had inherited the best of both.
Obito had been labeled a "dead last" in school—
But that was only because he was always late.
In reality, his combat instincts and chakra reserves were exceptional.
And Nohara Rin—
Had possessed extraordinary chakra control as a medical ninja.
These traits had fused perfectly within her.
Enhanced further by—
The Sharingan.
The night she learned the truth of her origins—
Her emotions surged violently—
And she awakened a single tomoe at just five years old.
Three years had passed since then.
Now—
Her strength already surpassed many newly graduated genin.
Enough to rival a chūnin.
(Excluding anomalies like Maruboshi Kosuke, Might Duy, or Yakushi Kabuto—those were exceptions to any rule.)
Before long—
They found themselves on a lively food street.
The air was filled with the scent of freshly cooked food.
Rin stopped in front of a dango stand, staring at the freshly made tri-color dumplings.
"Mo-nii, I want this."
"…Don't you have money? Buy it yourself."
"I want you to buy it for me."
"…Fine."
Mo sighed and pulled out his wallet, buying two skewers.
Rin accepted them happily, taking small bites, her eyes narrowing in satisfaction at the sweetness.
"My graduation request was approved," she said between bites. "The exam is tomorrow."
"Mm."
Mo's response was calm—
Almost as if he had already known.
Rin tilted her head. "You're not surprised at all?"
"It was expected."
As long as she didn't deliberately fail—
Graduation was guaranteed.
"Alright then!"
She took another bite, then suddenly held out the second skewer toward him.
"Mo-nii, you should eat too."
Mo paused.
He wasn't used to such gestures.
But seeing the expectation in her eyes—
He took it.
…It was sweet.
"Tomorrow," he added, "show everything you've got."
"Really?" Rin's eyes lit up. "I don't have to hold back?"
"Of course."
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"It's time for Konoha to know…"
"That the Uchiha have produced another true genius."
"Great!"
Rin grinned, biting into the dango with clear excitement.
Golden sunlight washed over the bustling street—
Framing the quiet warmth of the moment.
"Let's go home," Mo said softly. "Get some rest tonight."
"Mm!"
She nodded firmly, her eyes shining.
For others—
Tomorrow's exam would determine their future.
But for Rin—
It would be her stage.
A stage—
To announce her existence—
To all of Konoha.
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