48, White Zetsu

Quite a few people in the village had become interested in Shin, who had appeared out of nowhere.

Many ninjas busy with official duties found that whenever they entered the Hokage's Office, they did not see the Fourth Hokage, Orochimaru, but instead this young man named Hyuga Shin.

Orochimaru had only been in office for two days and was already planning to dump his responsibilities on someone else, while Shin handled the village's internal affairs in perfect order. Whether military matters, finances, or civil disputes, he cleared all the official work Orochimaru had piled up in just two days.

Even the Third Hokage could not resist coming to see Shin in person.

Sarutobi recalled the Hyuga clansman who had lost his Byakugan on the battlefield. Hyuga Hiashi had only recently met with misfortune, yet Shin's status had risen so rapidly that he could not help suspecting something was amiss.

The two Hokage advisors also went to Orochimaru of their own accord, reminding him that if he found official duties too burdensome, he could find a secretary or assistant as appropriate. But that person should not be Shin, the head of the Hyuga clan.

Giving him authority so recklessly would cause problems.

Orochimaru, however, felt that the two old fools were worrying over nothing. In his view, everything Shin had was given by him. If not for him, Shin would have long been branded with the Caged Bird Seal and still enslaved by Hyuga Hiashi.

Shin could not leave him, and with his strength, it was impossible for him to harbor any rebellious intentions. He was merely helping him with his work.

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu's advice irritated Orochimaru, and he began considering when to remove the two of them from their positions.

Shin selected ten young men from his own clan and assigned them to the Anbu. Once they became familiar with Anbu work, they could serve as Orochimaru's personal Anbu guards.

Of course, all of this was personally ordered by Orochimaru.

Shin's conspicuous behavior also drew the displeasure of some people.

Danzo had originally thought that after Orochimaru took office, he would have no interest in politics and no one useful at his side, so he would surely come seeking his help again. Danzo could then take the opportunity to place his subordinates in every position throughout the village.

But Hyuga Shin had disrupted his original plans.

Shin knew that someone would certainly take notice of him, but he was not afraid in the slightest.

Orochimaru was the Hokage now. It did not matter what he did.

Good news suddenly arrived from the front lines. During a mission, Minato had finally encountered the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. After an incomparably fierce battle, all seven ninja swords of Kirigakure were sent back to Konoha as spoils of war by people Shikaku dispatched.

This battle dealt Kirigakure a devastating blow, and the Mist Ninjas no longer dared show themselves easily along Konoha's eastern border, falling quiet.

It also greatly boosted Minato's reputation. Throughout the Land of Water, his name struck fear into everyone who heard it.

Everything was moving in a better direction.

That evening, Shin emerged from the Hokage's Office and encountered a group of wounded returning from the front lines on the street, riding in carts.

Shin's gaze swept over them. Every one of them was severely injured; otherwise, they would not have been sent back to the village.

He suddenly stepped forward and asked, "Are you going to the hospital?"

The leading ninja had also returned from the front lines and did not recognize Shin. Hearing the question, he simply nodded.

Inside Konoha Hospital.

Rin finished her work and dragged her exhausted body into the changing room.

After a busy day, she could finally take a moment to rest.

During wartime, the hospital's workload was extremely demanding. New critically wounded patients arrived every day, and the hospital no longer had enough beds. The village had built temporary wards beside the hospital and hired many doctors from outside the village.

When work ended, some colleagues left first and bid her farewell, leaving her alone in the changing room.

She looked out the window, her thoughts drifting far away. She wondered how Kakashi was doing at the front lines.

Rin rolled her aching shoulders, picked up her water bottle for a sip, and began taking off her uniform.

"Hey, who are you? This is the women's changing room. You can't come in!"

A commotion suddenly arose outside the door, followed by a figure barging in.

"Ah!" Rin cried out in alarm and hurriedly held the uniform she had just removed in front of herself. She was not completely naked; she still wore close-fitting undergarments.

"Y-you... Shin... Shin-kun?"

Shin did not stop after entering the changing room. He walked straight up to her and suddenly reached out.

Rin heard a scream beside her ear. Turning her head, she saw a pale humanoid monster that had somehow appeared behind her.

But Shin had already gripped the monster tightly by the neck, and it instantly ceased moving.

The person outside who had tried to stop Shin from entering cried out in shock at the sight, immediately drawing many people who wanted to rush into the changing room.

Shin merely raised a hand lightly, and the changing room door instantly shut tight.

He threw the monster in his hand to the floor, then said to Rin, "Put your clothes on first."

Rin was still shaken. Only then did she remember her situation, and her face instantly flushed crimson.

"Y-you... you..."

Shin turned around.

Rin hurriedly put on her clothes, and at that moment, the people outside broke through the door and rushed in.

"What is that thing?!"

"Is it a person?"

"It must be a monster!"

Shin stared wordlessly at the White Zetsu corpse on the ground for a long time.

What was bound to come had come after all. This thing had attached itself to a wounded soldier returning to the village, transforming its Chakra into an identical copy of the soldier's, allowing it to bypass Konoha's sensory barrier.

Shin's sensory abilities were more refined. He sensed Chakra on that wounded soldier with a different vibrational frequency, which aroused his suspicion, so he followed him here.

Before White Zetsu detached itself from the wounded soldier, he could not be certain what it was either.

"Shin-kun?" Rin called softly from beside him.

"Mm."

"Did you come here specifically to save me just now?"

"Something like that."

Rin let out a breath. "Thank you, Shin-kun."

She then asked, "How did you discover that thing? I didn't notice it at all."

"I know a little sensory ninjutsu."

Shin dispersed the onlookers and reassured the hospital's person in charge. He then summoned Anbu to deliver White Zetsu's corpse to Orochimaru.

"What was that thing?" Rin could not help asking Shin again.

"I don't know either."

Shin had something on his mind, so he gave Rin's question a perfunctory answer.

Keeping Rin in the village was not absolutely safe either. Even if he protected her personally around the clock, Uchiha Madara would surely think of other methods.

He needed to find a way to eliminate this threat at its root.

"Thank you, Shin-kun." Rin solemnly thanked Shin again.

"Didn't you already thank me?"

"But you saved my life just now."

"You saved me too. We're even."

"How can something like that be considered even?" Rin could not help laughing.

After thinking for a moment, she said, "Let me treat you to a meal."

Shin only said, "Another day."

After leaving the hospital, he did not return to his clan. Instead, he went directly to Orochimaru. There were some ideas he needed to verify.