Naruto: My Bedroom Connects to Rin Nohara 14 Years Ago

Evening

"Huff… Huff…"

Two heavy breaths echoed outside the apartment door, followed by the sound of it opening. Taro and Jiro entered, each carrying one side of a large single sofa, drenched in sweat and panting like exhausted oxen.

"It seems you two need more physical training. Barely five kilometers and you're already sweating like crazy. How do you expect to take on out-of-village missions in the future?"

Ishikawa put away the keys, stepped aside, and motioned for them to carry the sofa in.

"Brother, you're saying that now? We were already exhausted from training, and then you suddenly had us haul this giant sofa!"

"Yeah, and why'd you buy a sofa by yourself? It's totally unnecessary and ridiculously expensive."

The two younger brothers grumbled while dragging the sofa into the apartment, then collapsed onto the floor, sweating buckets.

"Less complaining, more resting. I'll go bring us something to eat. Let's have dinner before you head back." Ishikawa closed the door and smiled at them, instantly making their eyes light up.

"Thank you for your care, brother..." In unison, they lowered their heads respectfully, eyes burning with gratitude.

'If you two hadn't lent me money to buy the sofa, I wouldn't be cooking for you. Since when does a big brother cook for his little brothers? This is ridiculous...'

Thinking this to himself, Ishikawa headed straight to the kitchen. Thanks to the culinary skills from his previous life, his home-style cooking wasn't half bad.

Nothing fancy—no intricate braising or complicated prep. Just some simple noodles, which Ishikawa efficiently prepared and brought to the table within half an hour.

"I didn't expect Brother Ishikawa to be good at cooking, too. These noodles are almost as chewy and flavorful as Ichiraku Ramen!" Taro praised loudly, though inwardly he knew he was exaggerating just a little. The taste was nice, but still a notch below Ichiraku's rich flavor.

"Mmm, so good!" Jiro agreed, slurping enthusiastically and devouring mouthfuls.

"Hmph. I'm not a kid who'll be fooled that easily. Eat up and get lost. I still need to wash up and sleep!" Ishikawa rolled his eyes at them and waved his hand impatiently. Of course, he knew exactly how good his cooking was.

Comparable to Ichiraku Ramen? Get real.

Seeing their bluff exposed, the two younger brothers grinned awkwardly and finished their food as quickly as possible.

"Then we'll head out first."

"Brother, rest well. See you tomorrow!"

"Mm, see you tomorrow." Ishikawa nodded while chewing his last bite.

The moment the door closed behind them, Ishikawa's eyes fell on the large sofa. 'Tonight… finally, I won't have to bash my head anymore!' 

After quickly finishing his meal, washing up, and cleaning the dishes, he dragged the sofa next to the inner wall and flopped down to rest, conserving his strength.

Exhausted from a full day of intense training, Ishikawa quickly drifted into a deep sleep.

Minute by minute, time passed.

---

10:59 PM.

"Ding-ling-ling…"

Half-asleep, Ishikawa was jolted awake by the sharp sound of the alarm he'd set in advance.

He rushed to the bathroom, splashed his face with cold water, and hadn't even sat back down for a few seconds before his entire bedroom changed and looked as if it had fused with another one.

Under Ishikawa's expectant gaze, Nohara Rin's figure didn't arrive.

'She must still be away on her mission and hadn't returned yet. Since she's not here, I'll start training right away!' Sighing lightly, Ishikawa sat on the sofa, eyes locked on the door handle just within reach, his expression resolute.

"ZAAP…"

The familiar sensation surged through Ishikawa's limbs and bones. His body stiffened, and he collapsed directly onto the sofa.

A few minutes later—

"Lightning Style: Thunderclap Arrow..."

Ishikawa's muffled shout echoed as lightning flashed through the room—then silence, exhaustion, and collapse again... This cycle repeated over and over.

While Ishikawa trained and waited for the study materials, five days passed in the blink of an eye.

During this time, they were still not assigned any missions. Every morning after reporting in, the team threw themselves into hard training, striving to grow stronger.

Over these five days, Ishikawa memorized the chakra control techniques Lin had left for him. With repeated practice, he successfully completed the Water Surface Walking training.

With the help of the time-space doorknob ability, he even managed to master the C-rank Lightning Release: Thunderclap Arrow!

What surprised Ishikawa the most was the significant increase in his physical strength—at least a 50% improvement compared to when he had just graduated.

Naturally, the improvement in his physique also allowed him to refine more chakra. At present, he could probably unleash three Thunderclap Arrows in total.

By Ishikawa's estimation, his chakra capacity was now roughly one-tenth that of Kakashi.

Although that might seem like a small amount, Kakashi was still an elite jonin, no matter how low-key or slouchy he appeared. Just one-tenth of his chakra was enough to make Ishikawa stand out among the Genin.

That night—

"Ding-ling-ling..."

The familiar alarm went off. Ishikawa got up, washed his face, and walked over to the sofa to begin training Thunderclap Arrow again.

But just as he was about to reach for the door handle, a familiar silhouette gradually materialized beside the sofa.

"Ms. Rin, you're finally back!" Seeing the girl he'd been waiting for, Ishikawa called out with visible relief.

It wasn't that he had any romantic feelings for Rin, but he truly needed her help right now.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Nohara Rin smiled apologetically. Even though there were no obligations between them, she was kind-hearted and still felt a bit guilty for leaving without saying anything.

"You're welcome," Ishikawa responded politely. Then, his gaze turned serious, his expression solemn.

"Ms. Rin, I need your help."

"Help?"

"Yes. Kakashi-sensei gave me a test—he wants me to learn the B-rank Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall on my own within a week. As you know, this is extremely difficult for me." After a few polite words, Ishikawa got straight to the point, his eyes full of sincerity.

"So I'd like to ask you for help in getting the training notes or insights on Earth-Style Wall—the more detailed, the better."

"If I can learn it within a week, Kakashi-sensei will definitely be impressed. That way, I'll be able to form a closer bond with him, gain his trust, and gradually uncover details about your eventual sacrifice."

"But if I fail this test… I'll remain just an ordinary Genin. I won't be able to gather any meaningful intel to help you avoid your fate."

"Is that so?" Rin's pupils contracted slightly as she heard this. Her expression grew serious—more serious than ever before.

She understood Kakashi very well. If he didn't trust someone, he wouldn't reveal a single word—not even by accident.

And asking someone else for information? Unrealistic. Not only was Ishikawa a Genin with no clearance, but aside from Kakashi himself, no one else knew the full story behind the tragedy that befell Minato's team.

"Wait here. I'll go find Kakashi right away." Without hesitation, Rin turned and opened the door, quickly stepping out.

She had only one hour before the space-time connection ended. She had to retrieve the training knowledge and give it to Ishikawa as soon as possible.

Though she could technically deliver it tomorrow, any delay increased the risk of failure. Nohara Rin wasn't willing to take that chance. Not even slightly!