My Kekkei Genkai Is Kinda Weird?!

Rin blinked, then quickly composed herself and offered a sweet, obedient smile.

"It's much better now. Thank you for your concern, Kakashi-senpai."

Kakashi's languid gaze narrowed just slightly, as if trying to peel away her mask with a single glance. Under his scrutiny, Rin felt a flicker of discomfort and instinctively reached for the bandages on her arm.

"How's your medical ninjutsu coming along?" he asked casually.

"Kobayashi-sensei says my chakra control is pretty good." Rin blinked innocently, her tone curious. "Why do you ask, Senpai?"

Kakashi shrugged, hands tucked in his pockets, voice as lazy as ever.

"No particular reason. Just thought… your recovery seems a little slow."

Rin's heart gave a tight twist. So he noticed too.

She forced a puzzled tilt of her head.

"Maybe I'm just a slow learner. I haven't mastered healing jutsu yet…"

"Is that so?" Kakashi didn't press further. He simply turned and began walking ahead.

"I'll walk you home."

Rin quickly fell into step beside him. The street was bathed in soft orange light from the setting sun, their shadows stretching behind them. With Kakashi's tall frame beside her, Rin had to tilt her head just to glimpse his face.

"Do you not have a mission today, Senpai?" she asked, trying to fill the silence.

"Just got back," he replied, still sounding half-asleep. "Happened to see you being tailed by someone from Root."

Rin's pace faltered for a moment.

"That masked man… is he dangerous?"

Kakashi glanced down at her. His voice, this time, was calm but sharp:

"If you see someone in that uniform again, don't hesitate. Run."

Rin gave a quick nod, eyes lowered in apparent fear, though her mind was racing. Why is Danzo acting now? Did the Third not hold him back?

Then again, considering Danzo's nature, it wasn't surprising. That man never acted with restraint.

They soon arrived at her doorstep.

"We're here." Kakashi came to a halt.

Rin looked up, startled to realize they'd already reached her home. She turned toward him, beaming with practiced innocence.

"Thank you for walking me home, Senpai."

Kakashi raised a hand and gently ruffled her hair. The gesture was unexpected, and Rin's smile faltered for a moment. She looked up in surprise, only to find his expression… softer.

"You don't have to try so hard," he said quietly, turning away.

"Eh?" Rin blinked, pretending not to understand—but inside, her heart clenched.

Kakashi lifted one hand in a half-wave.

"Forget it."

Rin stood at the door, watching his silhouette disappear into the distance. Slowly, the corners of her lips curved up.

So… Kakashi isn't as aloof as he looks.

But those words—"You don't have to try so hard"—what exactly did they mean?

Had he seen through her performance?

In truth, Rin was overthinking it. Kakashi had seen the fire and precision in her during missions. Now, seeing her timid, guilt-stricken demeanor after killing a few bandits… he'd assumed she was suppressing trauma. That she was struggling to keep her heart intact. That she feared rejection if she let her true self show.

To him, her softness wasn't fake.

It was a mask born of self-doubt.

A beautiful misunderstanding.

---

Under the guidance of the Third Hokage's shadow clone, Rin's strength had grown at an astonishing rate.

At Konoha Hospital, she was progressing just as fast. Kobayashi Riko, her medical ninjutsu instructor, was amazed by her learning speed. For the first time in years, she allowed a child to assist in minor treatments.

Time slipped by in quiet rhythm.

In the blink of an eye, Rin had been training under the Third for over half a year.

---

Spring, Year 45 of the Hidden Leaf.

Cherry blossoms danced in the wind.

At the Third Training Ground, Rin moved fluidly through a sequence of hand signs. Chakra surged smoothly through her body—controlled, precise.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!"

A towering, serpentine dragon of water burst from her mouth, spiraling high into the air before crashing down onto a distant target. Wood splintered. Stone shattered. The dummy was reduced to debris.

"Well done."

The Third Hokage, arms folded behind his back, nodded in approval.

"Your chakra control is already at the level of a chūnin."

Rin caught her breath and wiped the sweat from her brow. She smiled sheepishly.

"Only because you're such a good teacher, sensei."

The old Hokage chuckled, but his eyes—calm, deep, and unreadable—were sharp with analysis. In these past months, Rin had surprised him more than once. Her aptitude, her learning curve, her instincts in combat—all exceptional.

She was, without a doubt, a genius.

Her chakra nature had been tested early on: Water and Earth.

From that moment, the Hokage began teaching her elemental jutsu—Water Style and Earth Style techniques suited to her talents.

Rin gravitated toward large-scale area jutsu, for good reason: they synergized perfectly with her bloodline ability—Sange no Mai.

By flooding the battlefield, marking enemies through even the briefest contact with water, she could turn the terrain itself into a trap.

Among her favorite techniques:

Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet – powerful and destructive.

Water Style: Great Waterfall Jutsu – capable of instantly transforming terrain into a battlefield of drowning torrents.

Earth Style: Earth Wall – not just for defense, but to manipulate terrain, create ambush points, or set up mud-trap zones when paired with water jutsu.

And then—there was the Third's signature technique:

Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu – a rain of blades that, when controlled by Rin's precise chakra flow, could turn into a hurricane of lethal petals.

She had begged, pestered, and eventually earned the right to learn it.

Combined with Sange no Mai?

Let's just say: she sometimes giggled to herself at night, picturing enemies buried in a storm of glowing marks and steel.

The Hokage observed all this progress with a strange mixture of pride and unease. Stroking his beard, he studied the girl before him—not yet eight years old, but already powerful, composed, and sharp-minded beyond her years.

Then, almost idly, he asked:

"Rin, what do you think of the Konoha?"

Rin blinked, caught off guard by the question.

"…It's my home. I love it here."

"Is that so…"

The Hokage turned to gaze out across the trees. His voice was low and steady:

"Konoha is the place where leaves dance… and from their dance, the flame is born. Each leaf carries with it the duty to protect the village. As you grow, you too must become that flame."

Rin's eyes lit with earnestness.

"I will, sensei. I want to protect the village, just like you."

A gentle smile touched the Hokage's lips.

But even as he smiled, his thoughts grew more complicated.

"And do you understand," he asked softly, "what it truly means to protect the village?"

Rin paused for a moment before answering.

"To protect everyone who lives here… and to be willing to give everything for peace."

The Hokage nodded slowly.

"Well said. One day, the weight of this village might rest on your shoulders. There will be trials—hard choices, sacrifices. But as long as your heart belongs to Konoha… you'll endure."

Rin lowered her head slightly, her voice firm.

"Yes. I won't fail you."

The Hokage took a slow puff from his pipe. Then, from within his robe, he produced a scroll and handed it to her.

"This contains part of the Senju clan's jutsu legacy," he said. "From today forward, you may begin learning them."

Rin accepted the scroll with both hands, her gaze solemn.

"Thank you… Sensei."

And inwardly, her heart beat faster—not with sentiment, but calculation.

The true power of the Senju clan… now hers to uncover.

The real training had only just begun.

---