Rin's Fluttering Heart, A Young Girl's Spring (Awakening of Love)
"I'll walk Rin home, Hui..."
The evening was growing late after Sarutobi Ryo saw his parents off. He had used his amazing memory to absorb every detail of his father's special fighting style. He was now ready to take it all in, piece by piece.
Now, it was time to escort Nohara Rin back to her house.
The work of examining the body would take time. Sarutobi Ryo and Nohara Rin had agreed she could come back whenever she had the chance to continue her research.
Luckily, it was the weekend, a break from the Ninja Academy. Nohara Rin promised to come back those two days to keep working.
Sarutobi Ryo also planned to use his connections and resources to help her get the money and information she needed to train in Medical Ninjutsu.
Nohara Rin was very thankful, feeling like she had found someone to support her ninja journey.
Under the soft glow of the moon, the two walked together.
The night air had a slight chill.
"..."
Nohara Rin stole glances at the face beside her.
It was a face of strength, determination, and a thoughtful look that seemed to see far into the future.
He was just as handsome as Kakashi, if not more so.
The tough experiences Sarutobi Ryo had gone through had also given him a maturity and steadiness that Kakashi didn't have.
Nohara Rin looked at him, feeling a strange flutter in her heart.
Girls often mature faster than boys.
The world of Naruto was also a place where people grew up quickly.
The innocent feelings of youth were also driven by hormones. These natural urges were strongest during the teenage years, instincts that were hard to control.
Quickly, Nohara Rin looked away, telling herself not to get carried away and to think more about Kakashi.
A cold wind blew.
Nohara Rin shivered without meaning to.
Right away, a warm coat was placed over her shoulders.
"!"
Nohara Rin looked up surprised to see Sarutobi Ryo's face as calm as usual, but with a hint of gentle concern in his eyes.
"Rin, it's getting a little cold. I don't want you to catch a cold."
"Mm... mm..."
Nohara Rin quickly looked down, her head lowered.
The coat felt warm, and the scent of a man surrounded her, making her face turn red and her head spin.
This new feeling made the young girl nervous.
Sarutobi Ryo knew exactly what she was thinking and how she was feeling.
In the original story, Nohara Rin's death by Kakashi's Chidori might have happened because she felt hopeless. Maybe never getting Kakashi's love made her feel empty inside, leading her to end her own life, also stopping the threat of the Three-Tails.
If Nohara Rin hadn't been so fond of Kakashi, the three of them might have avoided so much pain.
Whether he wanted to win Nohara Rin over or help her survive, making this arrangement was important.
An excellent Medical Ninja can help me a lot in the future...
Sarutobi Ryo thought to himself.
When they got to Nohara Rin's house, she gave the coat back and quickly closed the door.
She looked like she would probably spend the whole night thinking about what had just happened.
After putting his coat back on, Sarutobi Ryo quickly returned to his family's compound.
Walking into the courtyard, Sarutobi Ryo looked up at the stars, unable to fall asleep for a while.
Yamanaka Hui came to the courtyard, wanting to tell him how Nohara Rin's analysis was going. But seeing him lost in thought, she gently asked, "Young Master, are you worried about something?"
Before Sarutobi Ryo could answer, she softly said, "No matter what you do, I will always support you."
"Mm."
Sarutobi Ryo reached out and held the slender hand of his childhood friend, making a decision in his mind.
Considering his actions and reasons, Konoha couldn't keep going down this path.
He had to change the fate of Hatake Sakumo's unavoidable death, and Konoha, the entire Ninja World, needed to change.
----
In the days that followed.
Nohara Rin often came to study the body. As she researched, her Medical Ninjutsu skills grew, and she learned more about medicine.
Her special behavior made her friend Obito very curious.
"Rin~."
Early one morning, Obito came to Nohara Rin's house, ready to play with her.
But Nohara Rin looked like she was in a hurry, grabbing bags of all sizes and heading out. They were at the final, most important part of the research, and she couldn't be late.
She looked at Obito and said gently, "Obito~, I have important things to do. You should also train hard so you can catch up with Kakashi soon."
After giving him these instructions, Nohara Rin quickly left.
Watching his crush leave, Obito felt a bit sad: Rin seems very busy these days...
Not thinking about it too much, Obito just thought Rin would have more free time soon.
He scratched his head and cheered himself up: Obito, you have to work hard. You're a talent, Young Master Ryo said so! Hehe...
----
The morning sun slowly rose.
As the street filled with people, Nohara Rin's research from the past week finally came to an end.
In the secret room, Nohara Rin sighed with relief and smiled at Sarutobi Ryo: "Young Master Ryo, I didn't let you down~."
She explained in detail how the "Ice Release Chakra" worked and what it was made of, completing the last piece of the puzzle.
Getting new techniques by studying dead bodies was something every ninja village did.
Nohara Rin had proven her talent.
"Rin, thank you for your hard work." Sarutobi Ryo thanked her seriously.
Looking up at his strong face, Nohara Rin blushed and quickly looked down: "It's~, it's nothing... Young Master Ryo, it's my duty..."
As a student at the Ninja Academy, a future ninja, Nohara Rin had to help the village. That was one reason.
Also, as they had worked together, Nohara Rin had learned what ninja relationships were really like.
It was very different from the friendships she had at school, and it felt new and exciting.
Even though she was still a child, she was already working on adult tasks.
This made Nohara Rin realize she might have been a little childish before.
She should graduate as soon as possible and stop being a student.
The ninja world was huge. Only by graduating could she help more people and do more for the village. This was what she had learned in the past week.
"This is the 150,000 ryo we agreed on. I'll also give you an extra 50,000 ryo..."
Sarutobi Ryo took out a stack of money.
Before Nohara Rin could say no, Sarutobi Ryo went on.
"The extra 50,000 ryo is to help you... Everyone wants to support talent, Rin... you will definitely become a powerful Medical Ninja, as good as Princess Tsunade in the future..."
Sarutobi Ryo's kind words, high praise, and serious advice made Nohara Rin feel his sincerity and hope.
She bit her lip and finally accepted the extra help: "Young Master Ryo, please don't worry, I will keep working hard."
Feeling the weight of her responsibility, Nohara Rin nodded goodbye.
She had used up a lot of energy and would rest well when she got home.
When she reached the door, Nohara Rin bumped into the barrier.
Thinking about other things, she had forgotten she needed a Ninjutsu to open the door.
Bang!
"Ah~."
Nohara Rin made a small noise like an animal.
Just before she fell, a strong arm caught her.
"Rin... are you okay?"
"Ooh~."
Nohara Rin slowly looked up.
She saw Sarutobi Ryo's handsome and determined face, and Sarutobi Ryo... saw the young girl's shaking eyes.
Her red face showed how she felt.
Her watery eyes, almost melting, hinted at... a young girl's spring (awakening of love).
Nohara Rin quickly stood up, thanked him in a nervous and hurried bow, and then turned and ran away.
Watching her leave, Yamanaka Hui smiled: "Young Master is truly amazing..."
...He already has this little girl wrapped around his finger.
"..."
When Nohara Rin was out of sight, Sarutobi Ryo's eyes slowly turned cold.
Walking back to the secret room, without even looking at the body on the table, he stared at the analysis scroll Nohara Rin had written.
The information on the "Ice Release Kekkei Genkai" was completely absorbed, analyzed by his brain, and finally... Sarutobi Ryo nodded: "So... that's how it is..."