In the Land of Water, within the Hidden Mist Village, the only izakaya in town was bustling with life. The research team members were raising their glasses in a lively celebration.
It wasn't hard to understand why they were letting loose—they had been working overtime for over a month without rest. Though it was an assignment from the Third Mizukage, they were still human, not machines, and needed a break.
Even machines needed maintenance and a little oiling from time to time!
Sitting in the farthest corner of the room, Rinjin had a cup of sake and some small dishes in front of him. He smiled as he watched his subordinates drink and laugh heartily.
What excellent researchers!
What lovely people!
They had been working 24/7 for a whole month, yet there wasn't a single word of complaint.
Adorable. Absolutely adorable.
He wanted to reward them, perhaps with an international group trip—family included—to the Land of Rain for some river rafting.
Yes, that sounded like a plan!
As Rinjin's grin grew wider, a man carrying a cup of sake sat down across from him.
"Inagimaru, long time no see!"
"Ah? Isn't this Meika?" Rinjin snapped out of his thoughts and greeted the man with a smile.
The man before him was none other than the former tracking ninja teammate of the identity Rinjin was currently impersonating. He was also the rebellious-looking guy Rinjin had met briefly in the Land of Rainbow.
Meika sat down casually in front of Rinjin and raised his sake cup in a familiar gesture.
Seeing this, Rinjin smiled and raised his own cup, clinking it against Meika's.
Meika downed his drink in one gulp and began to speak with a laugh.
"Inagimaru, I heard you've been promoted recently?"
"Promoted, yes. But no wealth gained, and my wife hasn't died either," Rinjin replied with a chuckle.
Hearing this, Meika grinned widely. It was just like old times.
The two of them exchanged a few more casual remarks. Though they laughed and joked, Rinjin couldn't help but notice a hint of worry etched between Meika's brows.
Given his current persona and his relationship with Meika, Rinjin didn't hesitate to ask.
"Meika, is something bothering you?"
The question caught Meika off guard for a moment, but he quickly covered it up with a forced laugh.
"Me? What could possibly be bothering me? Nothing, nothing at all."
Yet, as soon as he finished speaking, his expression faltered. His face twitched, and his lips turned downwards as he took another sip from his cup.
Seeing this, Rinjin, staying true to his current character, pressed his lips into a thin line and stared intently at Meika.
Under Rinjin's unwavering gaze, Meika let out a bitter laugh and glanced around the room discreetly.
If it were anyone else, he might have kept his mouth shut. But the man in front of him was a comrade who had gone through life and death with him, saving his life countless times.
And frankly, sitting down with his drink in front of Rinjin wasn't just a coincidence—it was a subconscious desire to share what was on his mind.
With a heavy sigh, Meika leaned forward, lowering his voice as he spoke.
"Inagimaru, I'll tell you, but you have to promise not to spread this around."
Rinjin didn't move a muscle, his lips still pressed into a thin line as he stared at Meika.
Seeing his old friend still as steadfast as ever, Meika shook his head with a bitter smile before lowering his voice even further.
"Do you remember that girl from Iwagakure two years ago?"
Rinjin's mind raced, but he couldn't recall any girl from Iwagakure. He shook his head honestly.
As a straightforward person, he believed in admitting when he didn't know something.
Besides, it was normal to forget events from two years ago.
Pretending to know would only lead to trouble—a lie required ten more lies to cover it up, and the more lies one told, the easier it was to slip up.
This was something Rinjin, having undergone rigorous undercover training, understood deeply.
Seeing Rinjin shake his head, Meika clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Tch, don't you remember? The girl who pretended to be from the Hidden Mist Village? You've forgotten all about her?"
Unfazed, Rinjin rolled his eyes impatiently and snapped, "Cut the crap and just get to the point."
"Uh... Well, back then, didn't we hide her from the higher-ups and save her? And then... and then..."
"And then what?!"
"Sigh!" With a heavy sigh, Meika finally made up his mind and spoke in a low voice.
"And then I brought her back to the village... to my house."
Hearing this, Rinjin immediately straightened up, his eyes lighting up.
Wait a minute. You said "girl," didn't you?
Goodness, you've got some nerve!
Was she even of age? You didn't... did you? Five years in prison, minimum!
"Was she of age?" Rinjin asked pointedly.
Meika couldn't hold it in and slammed his head against the table.
Seriously, brother? That's what you're focusing on?
Shouldn't you be more concerned about how I managed to hide an outsider in the Hidden Mist Village?
After a moment of silent frustration, Meika glanced around cautiously before leaning closer to Rinjin and whispering, "She's of age."
(ˉ▽￣～) Tch~~
Rinjin waved dismissively, shelving his righteous indignation for now.
"Go on."
"Uh... Where was I? Oh, right. I brought her to my house. And then... well..."
"Well, what?"
"Well... I fell in love with her! And now, I need to ask you for a favor. Can you help her get an identity? Not as a ninja, just as a regular civilian. Please, brother... this is my one and only request. Please, Inagimaru!"
As he spoke, Meika straightened his back and bowed deeply.
Seeing this, Rinjin furrowed his brows, deep in thought.
If he were the real Inagimaru, he would undoubtedly help.
The bond between teammates, especially tracking ninjas, was incredibly strong.
From both an emotional and logical standpoint, helping Meika was the right thing to do.
Though the woman's identity was undoubtedly suspicious—likely a spy from another village—it wasn't Rinjin's problem.
But!
Only Zabuza Momochi, the intelligence division's Half-Mizukage, could pull off such a task.
And while most believed Zabuza to be the true Mizukage, in Uchiha Madara's eyes, that was far from the truth.
If Zabuza got involved, Madara would surely take notice.
This wasn't something Rinjin wanted.
At that moment, as he looked at Meika's earnest expression, an idea struck Rinjin.
He had to help.
Not only that, but he had to handle it flawlessly, leaving no trace behind.
With his plan forming, Rinjin's furrowed brows relaxed. He lowered his voice and said:
"I'll help you. But I have a favor to ask in return."
Hearing Inagimaru agree, Meika's face lit up with joy.
"Whatever it is, as long as it's not betraying the village, I'll do it."
"Of course not. What kind of joke is that?" Rinjin waved him off.
After a moment's thought, Rinjin leaned in close to Meika's ear and whispered:
"When I'm about to die, I want you to destroy my body."
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