Yakushi Mai

At the entrance to the orphanage's small building, Rinto sat on the steps, with a white-haired old woman standing beside him.

"Excuse me, are you Rinto-kun?" the old woman asked in a kind, aged voice.

"Rinto-kun is too formal. I'm Sakuta Rinto. Just call me Rinto."

"Good, good child. I often hear Meiko and the others mention your name. They say that without you, there would be no them."

Hearing that, Rinto smiled and shook his head. "That's not true. Even without me, they would have survived. It just would have been harder."

"Even so, I must thank you. Thank you for saving them." Leaning on her cane, the old woman trembled as she slowly sat down beside Rinto.

Hearing that, Rinto shook his head again.

"I only did it on a whim."

"Good, good. Doing it on a whim is good."

After chatting for a while, Rinto learned that this white-haired old woman was the director of the orphanage. All the children here called her Granny Mai.

Her husband had originally been a Jonin from a clan affiliated with the Senju Clan, but he had later lost his life in the war.

Her two children had been separated from her during the war-torn Warring States Period.

Grief-stricken, Granny Mai had prayed—prayed that kind-hearted people would find her children and raise them.

Later, when the Konoha Orphanage opened, Granny Mai, born and raised in Konoha, applied to become its director.

As they chatted, Granny Mai slowly turned to look at Rinto.

"Rinto, I heard from Meiko that you and Rie-chan are both orphans too?"

"Strictly speaking, not really. We still have each other." Rinto looked gently at Rie in the distance, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

Hearing Rinto's words, Granny Mai looked at him in mild surprise, and her old face immediately bloomed into a smile.

What an extraordinary child!

Those words had completely exceeded her expectations. Granny Mai had never imagined that a child who had lost his family could speak such positive, hopeful words.

"Then may this old woman ask how you support yourself and Rie-chan?"

"Blacksmithing." Rinto smiled slightly, and a Kunai flew out from the Ninja Pouch at the back of his waist.

"Look, Magnet Release."

The Kunai danced up and down over Rinto's hand like a nimble swallow.

"I can't say whether this counts as a Kekkei Genkai, but it's quite useful for blacksmithing."

After saying that, Rinto caught the fleeting disappointment on Granny Mai's face and sighed inwardly.

In fact, the moment Granny Mai asked that question, Rinto had already seen her intentions in the faint longing in her eyes.

Perhaps this old woman wanted Rinto to teach the orphanage children the skill he used to make a living, so that they could have better prospects and a better future.

If Rinto had merely been an ordinary Konoha resident, he would not have refused.

But he was an undercover agent—an open undercover agent—like a pawn that had crossed the river on a chessboard.

He could not retreat. He could only advance step by step, unable to move quickly while being closely guarded by the other side.

So, he could only carefully reveal his harmlessness and abilities bit by bit.

Bestowing favors, especially upon orphans, and winning people over was a path to death.

As he watched Rie happily playing with the other children in the distance, a bold idea gradually formed in Rinto's mind.

Rie was four years old this year.

No one would be wary of a four-year-old child! No matter how cautious an adult was, they could not bring themselves to guard against a chubby little human toddler.

At that thought, an almost imperceptible smile slowly appeared at the corner of Rinto's mouth.

"Granny Mai, it's getting late. I should be going home."

With that, he stood and bowed respectfully to Granny Mai. Under her somewhat complicated gaze, he walked over to Rie, took her hand, and said goodbye to her little friends.

Walking home beneath the setting sun, Rie was clearly in low spirits.

"What's wrong?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Rinto felt the little girl's body stiffen and the chubby hand clutching his tighten slightly.

"Can't you tell your brother either?"

At that, Rie immediately raised her face and shook her little head rapidly.

"No, it's not that. Rie just... just..."

Seeing Rinto's encouraging gaze, the little girl lowered her head and muttered softly.

"It's just that Rie feels so useless. I only know how to use Brother's things to help my friends, but Rie herself doesn't have..."

Her once-crisp voice fell quiet, and the sunset cast a heavy shadow over Rie's little face.

Rinto was delighted and sighed inwardly.

This child finally hasn't grown up crooked! All those little beatings every three days and big beatings every five days weren't for nothing. Rie's mother, rest easy!

"Ahem." Rinto cleared his throat, desperately suppressing the smile creeping up his lips as he put on the classic face of a parent.

"You silly child, what are you saying? Why are you being so polite with your brother?

You're still little. When you grow up, your brother will be counting on you to support him in his old age!"

Hearing that, Rie nodded firmly and looked at Rinto with solemn sincerity.

"Brother, don't worry. When Rie grows up, I'll give all the money I earn to you, and I'll take you out for grilled meat every day!"

Pfft!

This kid is way too earnest!

Pinching his nose, Rinto fought desperately to suppress the smile on his face and nodded heavily.

"Then it's settled."

Inside, he was overjoyed. Rie's mother, look, your daughter said it herself. I didn't force her! When I use Rie's money to visit the Kabuki District, don't blame me!

Thinking that, Rinto asked again.

"Then Rie, what did you want to tell Brother just now?"

With the burden lifted from her heart, Rie's bright smile returned. Tugging on Rinto's hand, she began chattering away.

"Brother, I want to help Meiko and the others."

"Oh? What happened to them? Are they not eating enough, or not sleeping well?"

"Neither. Meiko and the others aren't going hungry. It's just... the children in the orphanage form cliques too much. Meiko and the others came later, so they're always getting bullied."

Hearing that, Rinto immediately felt a headache coming on.

This sort of thing was common not only in Konoha, not only in the ninja world, but even in his previous life.

Human nature carried this instinct to oppress one's own kind. It was an unchangeable fact.

Even adults could not avoid it, so how could young children with underdeveloped minds restrain themselves?

Besides, Granny Mai could not be blamed for it. At her age, being able to keep these orphans fed already showed considerable capability.

At that thought, Rinto turned to Rie. The little girl was looking at him expectantly.

"Rie, do you want to make sure this kind of bullying never happens at the orphanage again?"

Hearing her brother's question, Rie shook her little head prettily.

"No. I just want Meiko and Big Guy and the others to stop getting bullied.

After all, my ability to help my friends comes from Brother. I can't cause Brother too much trouble."

Hearing that, warmth filled Rinto's heart.

Rie is so considerate!

If only she were this considerate and obedient when she studied arithmetic!

At that thought, Rinto's mind stirred, and he recalled his earlier bold idea.

"Rie is such a good girl, but Rie is already a big girl now~ You need to think of ways to help your friends yourself.

How about this? For every good idea you come up with that Brother approves of, I'll give you one thousand Ryo—one thousand Ryo for Rie to spend freely~"

Hearing that her brother would give her money, Rie's little miser instincts immediately awakened. Her large blinking eyes lit up at once.

"Brother! It's a promise!" As she spoke, the little girl held out her chubby pinky.

Seeing that, Rinto smiled slightly and hooked his pinky around Rie's. "It's a promise!"

As they walked home, the little girl entered muttering mode, endlessly mumbling to herself.

As the sky darkened, the last rays of sunset vanished behind the treetops.

Along the streets, colorful lanterns were being hung.

Hm?

What was going on today?

There seemed to be so many more lanterns all of a sudden!

Rinto casually stopped a middle-aged woman whose face was full of joy and asked innocently, "Auntie, what's going on today? Why are there so, so many pretty lanterns?"

The woman Rinto had stopped showed no impatience at all. She could barely conceal her delight.

"The war has stopped! We drove back Kumogakure! We won!"

Beside them, a jubilant middle-aged man chimed in.

"That's right, we won! Just now, Second Hokage Tobirama-sama announced that the war is over. Wonderful—my child is coming home."

Nearby, a beautiful young woman wiped joyful tears from the corners of her eyes. "My husband is finally coming home too!"

Letting go of the woman's hand, Rinto looked at the jubilant crowd before him with complicated feelings.

Those whose family members had survived took to the streets, while those whose loved ones had perished could only hide alone in dark houses and weep. Still, the war was finally over!

After returning home, Rinto sat in the corridor and looked up at the bright moonlight, his expression shifting between light and shadow.

The First Shinobi World War was over!

Would Tobirama Senju's death come next?

In truth, Rinto had never understood it. Tobirama Senju had mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, a space-time ninjutsu. He could fight, charge, flee, and kite his enemies—how could Kinkaku and Ginkaku have killed him so easily?

Even if Kinkaku and Ginkaku had absorbed the Nine-Tails' Chakra, even if they possessed Sage bodies, they should not have been able to kill Tobirama Senju at the height of his power!

After all, he was the man whose every technique besides Water Release was forbidden!

To be honest, Rinto's feelings toward Tobirama Senju were very complicated.

On one hand, he waited—waited for this man, at the peak of both power and intellect, to die so that he could carry out his comprehensive plan.

On the other hand, he felt it was truly a pity for someone like a stabilizing pillar to die.

Although they had met fewer than three times in total, Rinto greatly admired the Second Hokage.

Winning a nation was easy; keeping one was hard.

And his older brother was Hashirama Senju, a man of overwhelming strength and tremendous renown.

Under such circumstances,

he, whose strength and reputation were both slightly inferior, had succeeded him as the Second Hokage. One could only imagine the difficulty of governing.