"Rin..." Kakashi's voice trembled as he looked at the familiar figure. The kunai in his hand nearly slipped from his grasp.
It really was Rin Nohara. From the outside, she looked exactly as they remembered her: that gentle smile, the familiar medical-nin outfit, even the little hair clip in her hair was unchanged.
But her eyes were empty.
There was none of the warmth she'd once held, none of her concern for her teammates, none of the focus she'd shown when treating the injured. There was only a dead, vacant nothingness, like two hollowed-out holes.
"What do you think? A perfect replica, isn't she?" Jin watched their reactions with satisfaction. "I extracted everything about this girl from Obito's memories. Her appearance, voice, habits—even the inflection in her speech is exactly the same."
"You bastard!" Naruto gritted his teeth. "That's not Rin! She's just a puppet!"
"A puppet?" Jin raised an eyebrow. "Then what counts as the 'real' Rin? Her memories? Her soul? Or those so-called 'feelings' of yours?"
He gently stroked Rin's cheek. She obediently let him do as he pleased, her face still wearing that gentle yet empty smile.
"From the perspective of data, she possesses all of Rin Nohara's information. Functionally, she can play Rin Nohara's role perfectly. So where's the difference between her and the 'real' Rin?"
"The difference is..." Sasuke tightened his grip on the Kusanagi Sword. "She has no will of her own!"
"Will? There's that word again." Jin laughed. "Then tell me, what is will? Electrical signals in the brain? Fluctuations in Chakra? Or those vague, ethereal 'Bonds' you talk about?"
He snapped his fingers.
Rin began to move. She walked toward Kakashi, every step exactly like the Rin they remembered: gentle, graceful, with the characteristic composure of a medical ninja.
"Kakashi." Her voice