Ryoto reached out and placed his hand on Rin's head.
The girl flinched in surprise but immediately curled into herself, looking up at Ryoto with a hopeful expression.
What?! It can't be! Kurenai's eyes widened. Are they actually going to get together?!
"Rin, what are your thoughts on the situation with the Great Shinobi War?" Ryoto asked.
"Huh?" Rin stared at him in astonishment. Then, bringing the bottle to her lips, she unconsciously took a large swig and immediately started coughing.
"The other four great villages have long held a grudge against Konoha, so our position is quite precarious. The Second Shinobi World War hasn't truly ended, and the third could erupt at any moment as its continuation. The village suffered enormous losses in the last war, and it takes far too long to train a single ninja. It's entirely possible that we could be sent to the battlefield at any time."
Rin listened to him as if in a fog, having never been particularly interested in such matters.
"Even if we are sent to the battlefield..." she looked at Ryoto. "What does that have to do with what's happening right now?!"
Ryoto lightly chopped her on the head with the side of his hand. Rin clutched the top of her head and glared at him.
"I'm saying that I could die. And so could you. Do you understand what death is?" Ryoto said. "There's no point in starting a relationship right now. It's better to train hard so we can survive."
"So what!" Rin looked at Ryoto with earnest eyes. "If I have wonderful memories, if I live a life without regrets, then I won't even be afraid of death!"
Children in shinobi villages mature so early and have such a calm view of life and death, Ryoto thought.
Perhaps it was because they attended funerals too often, seeing every family weep. Many adult ninja thought the same way, but their thoughts were tinged with far more despair.
"There's some sense in that," Ryoto agreed. "But death is never just about you. For instance, I love my mother, so I would never make her cry. If I died, she would probably cry her eyes out. I won't let that happen."
Rin looked down at the village, lost in thought. She truly loved this place. Her mother and father, her dog Bobby, Kurenai, Miyoko, Teacher Takeru, and so many others... She loved them too. Therefore...
Rin glanced at Ryoto and said firmly, "Then we just have to survive, that's all."
"Exactly."
Except your chances of survival are far more fleeting than anyone else's.
"So why do you think you have time for relationships instead of diligent study?" Ryoto asked.
Blushing, Rin stomped her foot angrily.
"I do study diligently! In chakra control, in the Transformation Technique, and in theoretical classes—I'm one of the best in my class! I'm very smart! And besides, Ryoto-kun, you're the one who's the slacker! I've never once seen you study hard! I'm always watching you, you know!"
"Do you really think I'm a slacker?" Ryoto looked at Rin with a sly smirk. "Even Kakashi, the top student, looks at me with caution. Not a single boy in the class dares to mess with me. Even a slow thinker like Obito understands that I'm not to be trifled with. Genius is merely the threshold at which they can see me. Kakashi saw me, realized the difference, and is now training desperately to catch up, yet he still doesn't dare to challenge me."
Ryoto stood up on the railing, his golden eyes sweeping over the village.
"In my eyes, you are doomed because your strength is insufficient. You are far from the mighty ninja capable of facing an enemy alone and emerging unscathed from a Great War."
He paused, turned, and saw that Rin's eyes were filled with tears.
Damn, I think I went too far.
Deftly turning while maintaining his balance, he crouched on the railing and, looking Rin directly in the eyes, said, "And you are very cute."
The tears began to stream down her face. Rin wiped them away, her face flushing a deep red. She looked at Ryoto in confusion, not knowing where to direct her gaze, and pressed her lips together, trying to suppress a happy smile.
"You asked for my answer! So, I will give you my official answer!"
Ryoto leaped off the railing and stood directly in front of Rin. The girl, slightly flustered, took a step back under his intense gaze.
"If you live to be twenty, can chug sake in great gulps, and become a beautiful woman, all while holding onto your current feelings and continuing to love me just as you do now... Then..." Ryoto declared. "We will get married!"
M-m-m-m-married?!
Rin's eyes widened, and her face turned crimson, as if blood might burst forth at any moment.
Kurenai, hiding behind a tree, trembled all over, her cheeks burning.
He's such a player!
"But until then..." Ryoto gently placed his hand on Rin's head again. "Don't clutter your mind with unnecessary things. Just become a strong kunoichi."
Huh?! So is that a yes or a no?
Rin's little head worked furiously, but her thoughts seemed to be melting, leaving her feeling slightly dazed.
Ryoto watched her.
I always knew you were watching me. Thank you for loving me. Chakra Seed, activate! Shatter your destiny. Am I supposed to watch a little girl, just over twelve years old, in the prime of her youth, die before my very eyes, and then stand alone before a cold memorial stone... remembering her laughter and her smile again and again? That was Kakashi. But not me, Inuzuka Ryoto.
Ryoto removed his hand, took a step forward, and with a wave and a smile, said, "See you!"
Rin remained frozen, her face and even the tips of her ears ablaze. Her lips moved, but she couldn't utter a single word.
But suddenly, Ryoto's vision went dark...
Huh?
Stars swam before his eyes, and the whole world began to spin. It lasted for either a moment or an eternity. Finally, he stood firm and touched his nose. Blood...
Did I really get a nosebleed over a little girl?
A sudden weakness washed over his body. It felt as if something inside his head had snapped. And then, Ryoto collapsed face-first. The bottle of "Demon Slayer" rolled from his hand.
My sake! No!
The world before his eyes plunged into darkness. From somewhere in the distance, like an echo, came panicked screams.
"Ryoto-kun! Ryoto-kun! Ryoto-kun!"
Rin slid to her knees on the ground, hugged him, and frantically called his name, but then she came to her senses.
I mustn't panic!
But tears still streamed uncontrollably from her eyes. Kneeling, she tried to hoist Ryoto onto her back.
He needs to go to the hospital! Immediately!
Kurenai, her face contorted with horror, ran over, stumbling and nearly falling. The two friends exchanged a look of understanding and sprang into action, ignoring the question of how Kurenai had even gotten there. Rin wrapped her arms around Ryoto's torso, Kurenai took his legs, and lifting him, they broke into a run. But in their haste on the steep mountainside, they lost their footing, and all three tumbled head over heels down the slope.
Kurenai let out a loud sob!
Partly from the pain, and partly because the scene felt painfully familiar. Covered in scrapes, she scrambled to her feet and looked at Rin and Ryoto. Without even wiping the tears from her bloodied face, she started running again. Rin's eyes were full of tears, her nose was bleeding, and her body was covered in scratches from the rocks. She stared in a daze at the approaching Kurenai.
This hurts so much...
She looked down at Ryoto, whom she was holding tightly.
Thank goodness, he doesn't seem to be hurt.
Gritting her teeth, Rin struggled to her feet with Ryoto in her arms and said to Kurenai, "Kurenai, don't panic, calm down. I'll count to two, and we'll run together, just like last time!"
Kurenai, sobbing, nodded.
Counting "one-two, one-two," the girls carried Ryoto at a full sprint, their childish voices echoing through the mountains. The path was long, the mountain high and steep, but they managed.
…
In the Hokage's office, the Third, smoking by the window, raised an eyebrow in surprise as he saw the three little ones running down the street below.
It seems they are in dire need of help.
Passing ninja watched the scene with amusement.
"Ah, such is youth."
"Lucky guy, one can only be envious."
Has a girl ever risked her life for you like that? they thought, and so they did not rush to help.
…
The Konoha Hospital was not far.
Princess Tsunade, reeking of sake, was yawning in her office. Drowsiness washed over her after lunch, and she kept nodding off while Shizune quietly and diligently did her homework. The next second, the door burst open with a crash!
"Help! Sister Tsunade!" Rin and Kurenai cried, sobbing their hearts out.
Tsunade immediately recognized their voices.
Those two! They have no manners at all!
A vein throbbed on her forehead. She lifted her head and looked at the girls. They were covered in blood!
"Aaaah!"
Tsunade swayed and collapsed onto the floor with a dull thud, unconscious. Konoha's strongest medic was ridiculously afraid of blood.
"Aaaah! Lady Tsunade!" Shizune shrieked.
Rin and Kurenai stopped crying and exchanged a glance.
This drunkard is hopeless!
Lifting Ryoto, they turned and once again broke into a run.
"Doctor!"