Naruto -The Under Cover Way Of Life

Rinto glanced at the lifeless body of the little wild boar, stood up silently, and stepped out of the magic circle beneath his feet. He removed his straw raincoat, revealing the cloak underneath.

Without a word, Rinto approached the naked woman, took his cloak, and wrapped it around her trembling body.

"I'm sorry. There are such scum in the village."

The woman weakly turned her head, her eyes meeting Rinto's young face. With difficulty, she shook her head.

"It's not... your fault, kid."

Rinto averted his gaze, unable to bear the weight of her stare. He reached out, picked up the gasping woman, and carried her over to the bound man. Carefully, he placed her down and untied the rope.

The man's body was cold, his joints stiff. Even in death, he remained upright in the chair.

Rinto sighed and used brute force to straighten the man's body, laying him beside the woman. His task complete, he no longer looked at the pair and turned away, walking over to the little wild boar's corpse before stepping out of the house.

He wanted to give the woman time to say her final goodbye.

Because her time was running out.

Inside, the woman turned her head and looked at her husband's still-open eyes. Silent tears streamed from the corners of her eyes, soaking into her temples.

With swollen, trembling hands, she reached out and clasped her husband's stiff fingers. She held on tightly—never to let go again.

Outside, Rinto worked with an expressionless face, ensuring everyone knew that this tragedy was the work of Rain Shinobi Village.

He dragged the bodies of the villagers—those who had been abused, slaughtered, or burned—out of their homes and laid them neatly in the village square.

The corpse of the little wild boar was forced into a kneeling position before the villagers, a fitting punishment for his sins. The same was done with the other four culprits, their lifeless forms arranged in a row.

Rinto then stripped their upper garments and pulled out a large Senbon.

Using it as a pen and the little wild boar's back as parchment, he wrote with precise strokes:

"Little Wild Boar, Jōnin of Rain Shinobi Village, subordinate of Salamander Kōda. Secretly carried out a covert mission for Hanzō of the Salamander, aiding Aaron in infiltrating Kirigakure. Led three subordinates in the massacre of 103 innocent villagers of the Land of Hot Water. Their actions were brutal and inhumane."

The moment he carved those words, his tongue burned fiercely—the curse had been activated!

In an instant, countless black threads erupted from his tongue, piercing through his skull like needles. The pain was unimaginable.

Black filaments shot from Rinto's head in all directions before vanishing into the night.

Time passed, but Rinto gritted his teeth, refusing to make a sound. Slowly, his head lifted, revealing a grotesquely scarred face. He wiped away the brain matter trickling from his nose and glared at the corpse before him.

"Damn, that hurts! So that's what it feels like to have your brain scrambled... Hanzō of the Salamander, Sansho Kōda—I'll remember this!"

Still trembling, Rinto picked up his fallen Senbon and staggered toward Aaron's corpse.

"Aaron, Rain Shinobi Village undercover operative, twelve years old. Tasked with infiltrating Kirigakure as a war orphan. Participated in the massacre, defilement, and burning of villagers and their homes."

Rinto continued, recording the names and crimes of every perpetrator. His suffering was unbearable, but he endured it.

The world needed to see the true face of Hanzō of the Salamander and Sansho Kōda.

Even if exposing their crimes increased the risk of his own discovery.

Even if each word activated the curse, causing him indescribable agony.

He could not turn a blind eye to such inhumanity.

After finishing, Rinto carefully erased all traces of his presence, as Mizuki had taught him. Finally, he returned to the house that had tormented him.

Inside, faint sobbing filled the air—hesitant, filled with grief.

Rinto paused before pushing the door open.

A loud creak echoed, and the sobbing stopped abruptly. A small child covered in soot turned sharply, wide, tear-filled eyes filled with fear and suspicion.

"You... don't come any closer!" The child clumsily held a kunai, baring their teeth like a wounded animal trying to appear fierce.

"Rie, no... don't be rude to your benefactor!" The woman weakly raised her trembling hand and held the child's arm.

Rinto ignored the child's wariness and strode toward the woman, crouching down.

By the dim firelight, his pupils shrank to pinpoints.

This woman should have died long ago. But she had survived.

If Rinto's immortality was due to his unique physique, then her survival was purely through sheer willpower.

For a long moment, Rinto was silent.

"Benefactor... what is your name?" Her hoarse voice broke the silence, pulling Rinto from his thoughts.

"Rinto," he responded.

A faint, gentle smile appeared on her stiff face.

"Rinto-kun... do you have a surname?"

An image flashed through Rinto's mind—Shun, the first person he met.

A solemn expression, a mature face, and a firm nod beneath the Rain Shinobi forehead protector.

"Nice to meet you. I am Sakuta Mizukuma, Special Jōnin of the Rain Shinobi Village. You may call me 'teacher' or 'Mizukuma.'"

Instinctively, Rinto blurted out, "Shuofang. My surname is Shuofang. Shuofang Rinto."

The woman nodded faintly, her gaze shifting to the child beside her. Her eyes overflowed with love and reluctance.

"Rie, my child, from now on, you will be called Shuofang Rie."

With trembling fingers, she took Rie's small hand and placed it in Rinto's.

"Rinto-kun... please take care of my daughter."

Her eyes dimmed before Rinto could respond.

...

On a small hill outside the village, the warm afternoon sun cast gentle rays, and the wind rustled through the green grass.

In front of a freshly dug grave, two figures—one tall, one small—stood in silence.

"Go say goodbye to your father and mother." Rinto gently nudged Rie's shoulder.

The child nodded, kneeling before the grave. She placed a bundle of red and white wildflowers before the tombstone, tears welling in her reddened eyes.

Rinto stood behind her, watching silently.

After a long while, he stepped forward and gently stroked Rie's head. "Let's go."

She nodded, wiped her tears, and reached out her small hand.

Hand in hand, the two figures walked into the distance, Rie glancing back every few steps, unwilling to let go of the past just yet.

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