So she stopped at the gate.
Watching Kurotsuchi from outside, Uchiha Yin felt a pang of sympathy.
His other students were well-behaved too, but none were so obedient that it hurt to watch.
Even so, Uchiha Yin knew there were lines he could not cross, no matter how much he cared about her.
After all, Kurotsuchi was a hostage sent by Iwagakure. Even if he trusted her, he could not let her do whatever she pleased.
The people of the village might not trust her.
Keeping a certain distance from her was the best way to protect her.
With that in mind, Uchiha Yin watched Kurotsuchi stop at the gate, as though an invisible tether held her there.
It hurt to see her like that, but Uchiha Yin did not regret bringing her to Konoha as a hostage.
It was not arrogance. He believed he was the person best able to protect her, in a way even her grandfather Ōnoki and her father Kitsuchi could not.
That thought eased Uchiha Yin's mind a little.
He kept a faint smile on his face. It looked warm, yet carried a hint of distance.
The more Kurotsuchi studied his expression, the more she felt she could not understand him.
But that did not matter. As long as he treated her well, it was enough.
The moment Uchiha Yin stepped through Konoha's gate, Kurotsuchi sprang at him, wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, and hung from him.
She had put her whole weight on him, but she was still just a young girl.
To Uchiha Yin, that weight was nothing.
Seeing that Kurotsuchi was about to slip, Uchiha Yin reached out and caught her legs.
He held her steady. "What are you doing here?"
Uchiha Yin dipped his head slightly as he asked.