On the wide tree trunk, Sakumo returned, panting heavily and covered in blood.
Without acknowledging Rinjin nearby, Sakumo strode forward and grabbed Minato Namikaze by the collar without hesitation, like an enraged lion.
"Konoha! Konoha! Is this how Konoha treats my son?!
I joined ANBU at ten, killed countless enemies, did countless dirty jobs in the shadows. Became ANBU Commander at twenty-four!
At twenty-seven, I blocked Hiruzen Sarutobi's son's path and gave up my commander position.
After Kakashi was born, I worked missions diligently.
When the Second War started, I led four or five men to intercept Sunagakure's elite forces.
For the safety of those other bastards, Rinjin and I held off forty to fifty enemies—my blade was so damn battered it couldn't even cut anymore!
This is how Konoha repays me! They drove me to death, and now they send my son on such dangerous missions!
The Hatake clan has only one heir!
Damn it..."
Seeing Sakumo so uncharacteristically furious, his eyes nearly bulging from their sockets, Rinjin understood completely and didn't try to stop him.
Sakumo knew him as well as he knew Sakumo.
This man usually did nothing but read or space out, but inside, he was bitter to the extreme.
Rinjin even suspected that if he didn't tease Sakumo regularly, this guy would eventually wither away like rotting wood.
He was too bottled up! Always keeping everything inside!
After panting for a while, Sakumo finally released Minato's collar, gritted his teeth as he looked at his son lying nearby, and made his decision.
He would take Kakashi back to Amegakure.
Let him go bad if he must—better than letting those Konoha bastards send him to die on the front lines.
If not for that heart palpitation...
Thinking this, Sakumo let out a vicious breath and stepped forward to scoop up the unconscious Kakashi.
"Rinjin, let's go home!"
"You got it~" Rinjin nodded eagerly, like a henpecked husband.
He'd wanted to bring this arrogant, brooding boy back to Amegakure ages ago, but had held back out of respect for Sakumo's wishes.
However, just as they were about to leave—
Minato suddenly blocked Sakumo's path, his expression deadly serious.
"Sakumo-sama, you can't take Kakashi away!"
"Why not? He's my son! My son!" Sakumo clutched Kakashi protectively like a mother hen guarding her chick.
"He's also my student. Even if you hadn't come, I could have saved him!
Most importantly, he's a Konoha jōnin. If you take him away rashly, you'll only make this child a missing-nin.
He's only twelve—becoming a missing-nin would have too great an impact on his future!"
Hearing this, Sakumo's face instantly twisted, clearly falling into a conflicted state.
Nearby, Rinjin adjusted his underwear speechlessly, thinking to himself:
Worthy of being Minato Namikaze, Naruto's dad.
With just a few words, he went straight to the core of the problem and left Dog-bro speechless.
But he had to admit, the kid made a good point.
Sakumo was old enough that being a missing-nin didn't matter, but Kakashi was still young. Becoming a missing-nin meant having a bounty on his head.
And having a bounty meant being targeted by mercenary ninja like flies.
One or two might not be fatal, but large numbers would be no joke!
Most importantly, Kakashi couldn't stay cooped up in Amegakure forever—that would drive the kid crazy~
Seeing Sakumo wavering more and more, Minato continued:
"Sakumo-sama, though I... don't have the right to say this, please trust me—I'll protect my students even if it costs me my life!
And... I believe Kakashi doesn't want to leave... his comrades either."
Looking at Minato's incredibly determined expression, Sakumo finally let out a harsh breath and handed Kakashi over with a stern face.
"The tragic fate of ninja..."
He laughed mockingly, then looked up to meet Minato's eyes deeply.
"I'll remember what you said, Minato Namikaze!
I can't and don't want to control others, but remember this: if Kakashi has even the slightest problem, I will definitely cause trouble for Konoha.
Rinjin, let's go!"
Nearby, Rinjin nodded approvingly and followed Sakumo's steps.
Dog-bro's words were well-spoken—giving face while showing his fist.
Leaving Minato's team, Rinjin brought Sakumo back to Amegakure.
At Sakumo's house, Rinjin smugly patted Dog-bro's shoulder and said proudly:
"Dog-bro, I cooperated well this time, didn't I? Gave you plenty of face!
Even bare-assed, I handled everything perfectly!"
Hearing this, Sakumo nodded subconsciously.
A daimyo—whether in status or strength, he was definitely top-tier.
After hearing about his anxiety, such a person didn't even have time to put on clothes before taking him to find Kakashi.
It was impossible not to be moved.
Moreover, Rinjin and Minato weren't exactly close, yet he stood entirely on Sakumo's side throughout, letting him vent his anger freely.
Such a friend was hard to find even with a lantern.
Aside from being particularly stubborn and tough on life-and-death matters, this guy was indeed an exceptionally good brother in all other aspects.
Just as Sakumo was feeling moved, Rinjin's annoying voice rang out:
"Dog-bro, as long as you know I'm good to you.
It's fine that we failed this time—next time, work harder and try to trick little Kakashi into guarding the gate for me too!
Later, going home to bathe~"
Saying this, he waved at Sakumo with a grin, formed a one-handed seal, and vanished.
Watching Rinjin disappear, Sakumo rolled his eyes, both annoyed and touched.
"This damn guy..."
...
Time flowed, and in the blink of an eye, a week had passed.
After dragging Sakumo and Kagami out for several drinks and settling down the middle-aged man, Rinjin once again set foot on Konoha's soil.
Outside Konoha Hospital's main entrance, Rinjin stood in a black bodysuit, arms crossed, leaning against a tree by the door.
Before long, the urgent sound of high heels hitting the ground echoed from inside the hospital.
Through the bright entrance, a light blonde ponytail bounced up and down as an exceptionally beautiful woman in a white lab coat rushed out and crashed straight into Rinjin's arms.
"You bastard!
Three years! Three whole years and you never came to see me once! I'm your legitimate wife! Aren't you afraid I'll run off with someone else?"
Glancing at the shocked, terrified, surprised, and curious expressions of passersby, Rinjin looked innocent as he pushed away Tsunade, who was trying to strangle him, and scratched his head with an embarrassed smile.
"You can't blame me—I had important business to handle!"
"What important business? Running around Grass Country naked with your dear Dog-bro on a couples' trip?
Damn it~ There's not a single normal person in Amegakure! Normal people become abnormal once they go to Amegakure!"
Hearing this, and seeing the increasingly horrified looks from people around them, Rinjin instantly covered his face in shame.
Can you not say such things everywhere?
Why does rescuing Kakashi—such a normal thing—sound so weird coming from your mouth?
Seeing Rinjin completely socially destroyed, Tsunade snorted smugly, then poked Rinjin's chest twice with her finger, neither gently nor harshly.
"I don't care—hurry up and take me away from this village!
Can you imagine?
Me, a daimyo's wife, working as free labor in Konoha for three years—the kind where I do surgery while teaching seventy or eighty students at the same time!
I don't care anyway—I don't want to stay in Konoha Hospital for even one more second!"
Hearing this, Rinjin lowered his hands from his face, looked at Tsunade's bitter expression, and shook his head mercilessly.
"We can't leave yet—there's still one surgery to perform."
Saying this, Rinjin pulled a small black glass jar from his ninja pouch and placed it in front of Tsunade.
"I promised that girl Rin I'd think of a way for her to become stronger.
Now, the solution is in your hands."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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