Happy Birthday, Rin

After Rin paid the bill, Yayoi invited her to the Forest Hinterland to test his Alchemical Weapons.

Yayoi didn't think he'd done anything wrong by making Rin pay.

He was helping her improve her abilities while also keeping busy researching the Caged Bird. It was only reasonable to collect a little payment in advance.

At any rate, Yayoi thought he was being fair. It was perfectly reasonable.

As he thought about it, Yayoi couldn't help but lament that there were fewer and fewer people in the Ninja World who were as willing to help others as he was.

"We'll continue testing the Heaven-Returning Sword Dance today. This time, I'll have you try controlling two swords."

Yayoi took two swords out of his backpack.

They were both Alchemical Weapons he'd forged recently.

Unlike the prototype, he'd made a few improvements to them.

As for the first prototype, Yayoi had given it away as a gift.

"Take these and perform the Heaven-Returning Sword Dance."

"Yes."

Rin nodded and took the two Azure Swords from Yayoi.

Then she closed her eyes and infused them with chakra.

The air suddenly grew scorching. Dust swirled, and the grass and trees were sliced into tiny pieces.

Chakra poured out of Rin's body, and the two swords in her hands grew lighter and sharper.

As Rin began to spin, a hemispherical sphere suddenly formed around her, with invisible blades gathering along its surface.

It was like a Blade Storm, retaining the original defensive properties of the Heaven-Returning technique while also gaining offensive power.

"That's enough."

Yayoi felt the Heaven-Returning Sword Dance was working properly. Next, she could try a normal sword dance.

After being inverted by the blades, the Soft Fist had gone from the ultimate softness of fists to the ultimate hardness of swords.

Rin's offensive power had also increased significantly. She was just like a Sword Saintess.

She could cut down wild beasts as easily as chopping vegetables.

Then Yayoi had Rin pick up two Alchemical Chakra Swords and perform two sets of Soft Fist.

"How do the two swords feel compared to one?"

"The two swords are better, especially when I spin to use the Heaven-Returning technique. With only one sword, I have to spend extra chakra changing its shape."

Rin fell silent for three seconds, then slowly shared her thoughts on using the two different sword styles.

There was something else she wanted to say, but for some reason, she ultimately kept it to herself.

The weight on her chest was actually affecting how it felt to swing her swords.

But perhaps out of a young girl's embarrassment, Rin thought it over and decided to remain silent.

Rin handed the two Alchemical Daggers back to Yayoi.

"Rin, it's your birthday today, isn't it?"

The mood had suddenly grown a little quiet. Yayoi seemed to have been distracted, and Rin hadn't reminded him. Fortunately, the next moment, his gentle voice rang out again.

"Mm."

Rin nodded.

"These two swords are my birthday present to you. Happy birthday, Rin."

"Thank you."

Rin accepted the swords Yayoi handed her, and a strange feeling stirred in her heart.

So today was my birthday.

"Thank you for the gift. I'm really happy."

A smile appeared on Rin's usually cold face, like snow melting on a mountain, like a warm spring hidden among the peaks. It held a tenderness within it.

"You look beautiful when you smile. You should smile more often."

Seeing Rin's smile, Yayoi couldn't help smiling too. He offered his gentle advice.

Perhaps it went against his original intention of making Rin work for him, but it certainly reflected the kindness in his heart.

But this time, Rin, who usually did as she was told, didn't nod in agreement. Instead, she was silent for a long time before replying.

"I can't."

"All right. You don't have to force yourself to smile, but when you feel like it, don't hold back."

Yayoi played the role of a life mentor and offered Rin some advice.

"All right, it's getting late. That's enough testing for today. See you tomorrow."

Yayoi glanced at the darkening sky and said goodbye to Rin. But halfway there, he suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, and don't lend these swords to anyone else. Otherwise, I'll be in a lot of trouble."

"I won't. I absolutely won't."

Rin's gaze was earnest and resolute. Yayoi felt like he'd seen that look somewhere before.

Still, he smiled and said,

"I trust you."

The sky gradually darkened, but it seemed as if a light shone in Rin's eyes.

She turned and walked, step by step, toward the Hyuga Clan Territory.

"Danzo's dog."

In the silent darkness, a shadow suddenly flashed by, and a pair of dark eyes quietly gleamed in the night.

The shadow swept through the woods and dropped onto a branch, only to appear on another branch in the blink of an eye. Leaves rustled as they fell, and branches trembled.

The night wasn't quiet. It was summer, and the insects chirped without pause, like the language of the forest.

Yayoi was circling around the forest.

Ever since he'd left the Uchiha Clan Territory that day, he'd sensed someone following him.

For some reason, the tail had gone quiet while he was at school.

They hadn't seemed to follow him when he'd eaten with Kushina, either. But just now, after he'd finished testing the Alchemical Weapons with Rin,

that faint sense of being watched had suddenly returned, so he'd made a point of sensing his surroundings carefully.

He'd discovered that someone really was following him.

And he couldn't shake them. They had to be a Special Jonin, probably someone skilled at tracking.

"Genbu?"

Yayoi's gaze darkened, and a trace of viciousness flashed in his eyes. His rule for dealing with people who followed him with ill intentions was to make use of them.

It would be perfect for the Dragon Blood Invasion experiment. He needed test subjects.

But if he did that, he'd have to take on a certain amount of risk.

He was still a child who wasn't even ten yet. He absolutely couldn't let anyone find out about something like this.

At that, Yayoi fell silent for a few seconds, then decided to head for the Uchiha Clan Territory.

If he couldn't kill them, he could only hide.

Yayoi was angry, but as long as he lived in Konoha, there would always be limits.

It was a line he couldn't cross. Otherwise, he'd be breaking the rules.

Yayoi didn't yet have the power or the right to break the rules, so for now, his only option was to use someone else's influence.

He'd rely on the Uchiha Clan's influence. Even if it made Danzo, the man behind this, dislike him even more, he had no choice.

Besides, sooner or later, Yayoi would kill that venomous snake lurking in the shadows.

Whether for public or private reasons.

Otherwise, whenever he wanted to conduct an experiment in the future, he'd have to worry about Danzo.

But he hadn't grown strong enough yet, so he had to be patient.

With that, Yayoi headed straight for the Uchiha Clan Territory.

The Uchiha Security Force was still on duty at night.

One or two Uchiha were on patrol.

The emblem of a red-and-white ping pong paddle was carved on their backs. In Konoha, it was the Uchiha clan's symbol for the Security Force.

"Who's there?!"

Suddenly, one of the Uchiha activated his Sharingan and stared into the shadowy forest.

"I'm Uesugi Yayoi."

"Oh, it's you. What are you doing out here in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"

When the patrolling Uchiha saw it was Yayoi, he relaxed a little and lowered his guard.

Uesugi Yayoi was someone Elder Hyuga approved of. Everyone more or less knew the reasons behind it.

And since Yayoi often visited the Uchiha Clan Territory, the Uchiha in the area were practically starting to think of him as one of their own.

After all, since he had Elder Hyuga's approval, there was no harm in giving him a little approval themselves, either.