It was another Wednesday, and Rin was already waiting at the Third Training Ground early in the morning.
But when Kakashi arrived, he brought a piece of news that left her stunned.
"You want me to go on a mission? But… I'm not even a real ninja yet!"
Rin had a sinking feeling. What in the world was the Third Hokage thinking? Was he out of his mind?
Who had ever heard of a six-year-old academy student, barely enrolled, being dragged into a mission—
And not just any mission, but a C-rank mission?
Kakashi, for his part, didn't understand the decision either. But orders were orders. As a shinobi, all one needed to do was follow them. Missions took precedence over everything.
"This is a direct order from the Hokage. Just follow along with us," he said coolly.
"…Right," Rin muttered under her breath. Thank him for me, will you? Truly grateful.
—
At Konoha's front gate, Obito was brimming with excitement as he adjusted the strap on his ninja tool pouch.
"I knew it! My genius was bound to be recognized one day! A C-rank mission, can you believe it? We're finally doing real missions—this is awesome!"
Rin smiled gently at him but kept glancing toward the gate, waiting for Kakashi.
Even Obito—who was usually the one running late—had arrived on time, just because today's mission would take them out of the village.
But both Kakashi and Minato-sensei were still nowhere in sight.
Kakashi, of course, had gone to fetch Rin.
As for Minato…
—He was currently in the Hokage's office, receiving a very specific directive.
The Third Hokage's voice still echoed in his ears:
"This mission… I want to see what choices that child makes when pushed to the brink of life and death."
Minato sighed, unable to understand why the Hokage would go to such lengths to test a six-year-old academy student.
He knew of Kenichi Hanabuchi—Rin's father. A jōnin who specialized in sensory skills and trap formations, Kenichi had always played a support role in combat. Minato had worked with him before and remembered him as a bright, upbeat man.
He wondered: if Kenichi returned from his own mission and found out that his six-year-old daughter had been sent on a C-rank mission outside the village, what would he think?
As these thoughts passed through his mind, Minato finally arrived at the gate.
"Whoa—Sensei! You're super late!" Obito called out dramatically, waving his arms.
"Minato-sensei," Rin greeted politely.
Minato scratched the back of his head with an apologetic smile.
"Sorry, sorry. Got a last-minute notice from the Hokage. We're adding a new teammate to our mission today, so it took a bit longer than expected. Kakashi's already gone to pick them up. When they get here, let's all be nice, okay?"
"No problem! I'll look after them!"
Obito, still cheerful and uncorrupted by tragedy, thumped his chest proudly.
Only Rin was puzzled. "Why the sudden addition?" she asked curiously.
Minato rubbed his temple. "Beats me—it was a direct assignment from the Hokage himself. It's a girl, and…"
He added with a chuckle, "Her name is Rin, too. So I guess I'll leave it to you to take good care of her, okay?"
"Really? Then I'll make sure she's in good hands!"
Just then, Kakashi arrived with Hanabuchi Rin in tow.
She followed quietly behind him, her gaze fixed on Minato, Obito, and Rin Nohara as they came into view.
But her thoughts drifted—
Drifted to Kannabi Bridge, to that inevitable moment when Obito would "die," Kakashi would receive the Sharingan, and Rin Nohara would become the tragic seed of war.
It was a turning point for all three of them.
A warm voice pulled her from those grim memories.
"You must be Hanabuchi Rin?"
A golden-haired young man crouched slightly to meet her gaze, sunlight reflected in his ocean-blue eyes.
"I'm Namikaze Minato. I'll be the jonin leader for this mission."
Behind him, Obito was waving at her wildly, making exaggerated gestures;Nohara Rin offered a gentle smile, holding out a warm rice ball in her hands; and Kakashi turned to face her as well, deadpan as always, his fish-eyed stare unreadable.
Rin accepted the rice ball with a polite nod.
"Thank you, Onee-chan. Hello everyone, I'm Hanabuchi Rin. I'm six years old. I'm just tagging along with Kakashi-oniichan to learn more about missions."
"…Kakashi oniichan?" Obito blinked.
"Oi. Don't call me that," Kakashi rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed by the bizarre transformation of the girl before him.
Rin tilted her head, eyes wide. "Huh? But… Kakashi-oniichan is Kakashi-oniichan."
Her long lashes fluttered like butterfly wings. Beneath them were warm amber eyes that shimmered like golden honey in the sun.
And when she smiled and called him "oniichan," her whole face lit up—the corners of her eyes curled into two delicate crescents, soft dimples rising on her cheeks, her expression so adorably sweet it sparkled like scattered diamonds.
"She's so cute I can't stand it!"
Both Obito and Rin Nohara were instantly won over. They rushed to her side, begging for her to call them "Onii-chan" and "Onee-chan" too.
When they heard her say, "Obito-oniichan" and "Rin-oneechan," they practically clutched their hearts with joy.
Kakashi's eye twitched violently.
He stared at the girl who just the other day had been chasing him with a knife—now transformed into this sugary-sweet little angel.
Women… They're all born actors.
After everyone exchanged introductions, Minato led the group out of the village.
On the road, Obito excitedly tried to demonstrate the hand signs for Great Fireball Jutsu—only to trip over a stone mid-pose.
"Hey, hey, Little Rin! Watch me—this is how you start the Phoenix Fire Technique—"
"Idiot," Kakashi muttered. But his voice was drowned out by Rin Nohara's giggle.
The older girl crouched beside Little Rin to help her button her coat, her mint-green eyes curving like a crescent moon.
"Are you nervous? First time leaving the village? I brought some dango if you're hungry."
"I'm not nervous. It's your first time too, right, Onee-chan? But don't worry. Minato-ojisan will protect everyone."
Young as she was, Rin didn't even need to fake a sweet voice. Her natural tone was already enough to make Nohara Rin want to adopt her on the spot.
Obito, too, was invigorated. "I'll protect Rin too! You can count on me, the great Obito!"
Kakashi looked like he wanted to plug his ears.
Enough already.
Was this really the same girl who had tried to slice him to ribbons?
At six years old, she already has a split personality…
—
Matsuyama Mountain wasn't far from the village. The team left at dawn and arrived just before noon.
In the sunlight, the mountain's jagged silhouette cast sharp shadows, giving it a menacing look.
Minato spread a moss-covered map over a rock.
"According to intel, six children from a nearby village have been kidnapped by bandits and are being held somewhere in this area."
"Why don't we just charge in and take them down?" Obito asked, twirling a kunai. "I've got this awesome Fireball—"
"Shut it, dead last," Kakashi cut him off coldly. "The hostages could be in a dungeon. A frontal assault might get them all killed."
Rin, knowing she was only brought to observe, said nothing.
She was well aware that this mission would succeed—otherwise, none of them would make it to their fates.
"You'll be on lookout duty," Minato said to her, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "Obito, you cause a distraction. Kakashi, infiltrate and rescue the hostages. Rin, you assist Obito."
"Yes, sir!"
"Leave it to the great Obito!"
"Understood, Minato-sensei."
As for Minato himself—he had no intention of interfering. This mission was a training opportunity, meant to challenge the team.
And as for little Rin—even though the Third had said he wanted to observe how she acted at the brink of life and death—there was no way Minato would actually let a six-year-old academy student face mountain bandits directly.
So her job was simple: keep watch.
And yet…
Just as everyone moved to carry out their roles, thinking things would proceed according to plan—
Let me stop you right there.
With the protagonist on the scene, do you really think everything's going to go as expected?
—
After the team dispersed, Minato vanished into the terrain, and the rest took their positions.
Rin, with a sigh, wandered a fair distance away and settled into a spot where she could pretend to be alert—her stance perfect, her eyes scanning the surroundings, just like a proper lookout should.
Up the mountain, Obito had already launched his Great Fireball Jutsu, drawing attention and causing a commotion.
But just then—Rin noticed something.
At the base of the mountain…
There was movement.
Faint. Steady. Deliberate.
And definitely not part of their plan.
---