In the dim glow of the Hokage Tower, the only office still brightly lit belonged to Sarutobi Hiruzen. The aged Hokage stood, walking to the window to air out the room and dispel the heavy layer of pipe smoke. He turned, his features softening into his characteristic benevolent smile as he addressed Rin Nohara.
"Why, you didn't even recognize an old man like me?"
Rin quickly bowed, her face still flushed with residual shock. "Sandaime Hokage-sama," she replied respectfully.
She knew the Fourth Hokage had perished, but she was completely unaware of the subsequent trauma Konoha had endured. The Third Hokage before her seemed significantly aged, the burden of fourteen years clearly visible.
"Congratulations on reclaiming your life." Sarutobi Hiruzen walked back toward his desk, then, in a gesture that shocked Rin, he bowed deeply toward the young girl.
"Hokage-sama!" Rin's sharp, surprised cry filled the room. She stood frozen, unsure how to react to the leader of the village bowing to a girl her age.
"You deserve this respect," Hiruzen said, slowly straightening up, a look of sincere gratitude etched on his face.
"Kakashi has informed me of everything. You willingly sacrificed your young life without hesitation to protect Konoha from the threat of the Tailed Beast. As Hokage, I must express the village's profound gratitude for your devotion and courage."
"Hokage-sama..." Rin stammered, her face turning crimson with embarrassment. "I only did what any ninja would do. It was nothing special..." In her heart, her sacrifice was ordinary. Too many ninja had died in the war; she was just one insignificant person among them, and one who had nearly caused a catastrophe, to boot.
"Haha," Sarutobi Hiruzen chuckled softly. "With young people like you in Konoha, I can rest easy in my old age."
Rin's eyes grew slightly red, touched by the genuine warmth and appreciation.
"Hokage-sama," Kakashi interjected gently, bringing the focus back to the pressing matter. His voice carried an uncharacteristic urgency. "I came to discuss Rin's identity. Should the news of her resurrection be allowed to spread throughout the village?"
Shen Mo's chilling pronouncements—that Rin carried with her darkness, war, and conspiracy—had served as a powerful, terrifying warning. Kakashi's immediate, logical concern was security.
If the news of a resurrected person spread, especially one so ordinary in terms of power, she would instantly become a target for every rival village and secret organization desperate to uncover the secret of the jar.
"You are correct," Sarutobi Hiruzen conceded, nodding slowly. "The secret of resurrection is an intoxicating lure."
Kakashi remained silent, having made his point. For the past decade, he had been content to follow the Hokage's regulations.
However, Hiruzen looked up at Kakashi, his eyes sharper than before. He noticed the renewed clarity, the purpose in the Jonin's gaze. A ninja's true power reveals itself when he has something precious to protect, he thought.
The Hokage took a long drag on his pipe. "I've initiated some inquiries into this mysterious merchant, and it appears he has not yet established himself in the other great villages. He seems relatively new to our world. Therefore, before the news of the jars spreads, Rin's identity must remain a profound secret."
Kakashi nodded in agreement. His plan was to wait until the merchant was widely known and the world's attention was fixed on the jars themselves, not on a single, minor Genin.
"And your two students," Sarutobi Hiruzen added with a sigh, "Naruto is manageable, but Sasuke... with the power and temperament he now possesses, he is dangerously poised to follow the wrong path without proper guidance."
Kakashi's concerns about Sasuke mirrored the Hokage's. The boy's intense hatred and obsessive quest for power made him frighteningly susceptible to corruption.
"I've prepared a mission for Team 7," Hiruzen continued, handing Kakashi a scroll from his desk. "The mission is straightforward: take them to the Land of Waves. Once there, we will officially process a cover identity for Rin. Tell them she is your adopted daughter—people will simply assume it's a relative who bears a strong resemblance to the late Rin Nohara."
"Adopted daughter?!" Kakashi and Rin exclaimed in simultaneous shock.
Sarutobi Hiruzen blinked, looking at their reactions, then chuckled as he grasped the situation. "My apologies, I am truly growing old. Let's make her your half-sister, then. It is merely a temporary public identity, but the premise is the same."
"A half-sister is... much better," Kakashi muttered, awkwardly running a hand through his hair. "After all, Rin and I are from the same generation."
Rin stood beside him, her face faintly flushed at the sudden, enforced familial relationship.
"Report back tomorrow morning to receive the full briefing," Hiruzen concluded, his benevolent smile fully restored. "Be discreet on your journey. We cannot risk her being seen by ordinary villagers for now."
"Yes, Hokage-sama!" Kakashi affirmed.
As they left, Sarutobi Hiruzen rose again, looking out the window. He caught a fleeting glimpse of a figure moving swiftly through the darkness before vanishing. A deep shadow of concern crossed his face. The Hokage's office remained lit late into the night.
Meanwhile, back in the forest clearing, after seeing Kakashi and Rin safely depart, Shen Mo turned to Tsunade, Sasuke, and Sakura.
"Since the business is concluded for now, I will take my leave." He felt utterly exhausted. Though his psychic abilities were potent, his human body required rest.
He felt as if he had compressed a week's worth of emotional and physical exertion into one intense day and night. All he desired was a quiet, uninterrupted sleep.
"Ah? Do you have a place to stay tonight?" Tsunade asked, pursing her lips slightly. She crossed her arms over her chest, trying to appear casual. "Otherwise, why not come to my place? I would also like to learn more about the Paladin profession."
This was clearly more than just a casual offer; it was a genuine invitation for an overnight stay.
Tsunade, having witnessed a miracle, felt an enduring spiritual thrill. The day had been transformative, especially the Holy Light Trial, which had served as a profound spiritual catharsis. The despair that had clung to her for fourteen years was gone, replaced by an easy sense of hope and spiritual clarity.
While she genuinely wanted to understand the full potential of her new Paladin class, her interest was rapidly evolving beyond just the skill set.
Shen Mo, the enigmatic merchant who had brought this unbelievable change, and the mysterious jar system itself, had become a source of intense curiosity and an addiction she was only beginning to recognize.