"Miss Rin."

  As the maidservant brought over the tea, Rin Nohara stood up, flustered, and bowed in return. But the other girl never met her eyes—just gave a respectful nod and silently left.

  The spacious reception room felt far too empty, making Rin uncomfortably aware of her surroundings. Faint murmurs drifted from the inner chamber—her teacher, conversing with the head of the Hyūga cn.

  She picked up her tea and sipped quietly, her eyes drifting aimlessly around the room.

  All this had started when she’d saved a fellow Konoha shinobi on the battlefield—a Hyūga—only to somehow get caught in the aftermath. Her sensei had stepped in to smooth things over.

  Thankfully, the Hyūga had always treated her with courtesy during these visits. Aside from questioning her about what had happened that day, they hadn't made things difficult for her.

  Lost in thought, she suddenly noticed someone standing by the doorway.

  The garden outside buzzed with midday life. Sunlight snted into the reception room, cutting sharp lines across the tatami. The figure stood exactly where light met shadow, his face cast in a dim halo of backlight that outlined his sharp features.

  The Hyūga were all absurdly good-looking...

  The thought passed unbidden through her mind. After so many visits and so many pale-eyed faces, she was starting to mix them up in her memory.

  But this one—this one she remembered clearly.

  "It's you."

  Rin set down her teacup and quickly stood.

  During a mission with Kakashi to locate a missing recon team, they’d found only one survivor: a Hyūga named Jin. He’d been blinded, critically injured, and near death. The rest of his squad had perished.

  They’d been close to Iwa's front lines, and there was a constant risk of being discovered. Jin had told them bluntly: if they didn’t want to carry a blind burden home, they should help him swap eyes.

  That was the st real impression Rin had of him. Though she’d visited the Hyūga compound several times since, she’d never seen him again—even though every visit had been, in some way, because of him.

  "How’s your body doing?" she asked, her gaze lingering just a moment too long on his eyes.

  Dark irises, calm and bottomless. In any other cn, they might’ve passed unnoticed—but on a Hyūga face, they were downright jarring.

  "Almost fully healed," he replied.

  "And... the eyes? Are you adjusting?"

  "I can see everything."

  "That's good, then."

  She’d only performed this type of eye transpnt twice in her life, both times under battlefield pressure, without proper tools or preparation. She’d been worried the operation might leave sting damage.

  "Thank you," Jin said suddenly.

  "You came all this way just to thank me again?" Rin ughed softly. He really was straightforward to a fault. "Didn’t you already say it back then? Besides, we’re from the same vilge—helping you was the right thing to do."

  "It still means a lot to me," he said, his voice calm and steady.

  Rin felt a little awkward. "You… don’t have to dwell on it."

  Jin let the matter drop, then changed the topic. "I heard Lord Minato is here."

  Rin nodded. "He's speaking with Lord Hiashi."

  "Then I’m lucky to get a glimpse of him today."

  Rin smiled. She was used to people fangirling—or fanboying—over her teacher. It happened all the time.

  They chatted a bit longer before voices rose from the inner room. Hyūga Hiashi and Namikaze Minato stepped out together.

  Hiashi wore a warm, courteous smile, so unlike the stern face Jin remembered from their earlier encounters. And then there was the man beside him—tall, blond, striking. The future Fourth Hokage himself.

  "Sensei," Rin greeted instantly, bowing to both men. "Lord Hiashi."

  Jin stood off to the side, gave a slight bow, but said nothing.

  "The frontlines are in deadlock. We’ll be relying on your leadership, Minato," Hiashi said warmly.

  "With the Hokage guiding us, we’ll come out on top," someone else added.

  Hiashi’s eyes swept across the room and nded on Jin, noting the new forehead protector he wore. Then his gaze shifted to Rin, and he smiled.

  "Miss Rin was invited to help us better understand the events of that mission," he said, "so we could pn future treatment accordingly. I didn’t expect you to come in person, Minato. We must have given her too cold a welcome for you to worry."

  Minato chuckled. "Not at all. I just didn’t want Rin accidentally offending anyone important."

  Hiashi turned to Rin with a compliment. "You’re a very talented medical-nin. Many in our cn speak highly of you."

  Rin flushed slightly at the praise, not quite knowing what to say.

  "Please, don’t trouble yourselves. We’ll take our leave now," Minato said, bowing slightly.

  "Jin, see them out," Hiashi said, still smiling.

  The three walked down the long veranda, toward the compound’s main gate.

  The Hyūga grounds were vast—manicured gardens, flowing streams, green ponds. Sunlight spilled over rock and leaf, casting shadows in perfect geometry.

  "So, you’re Hyūga Jin?" Minato said as they walked, striking up the conversation himself.

  "Yes, Lord Minato."

  "No need to be so formal," Minato said with an easy smile. "That intel you provided was invaluable. It helped us secure a crucial victory."

  "It wasn’t mine alone. The whole recon team gathered that intel."

  Minato paused, visibly moved. Then he nodded. "You're right."

  He added, "It must’ve been a desperate situation."

  Jin answered calmly, "We did what we had to for the vilge. One of your students sacrificed themselves for the same cause, didn’t they?"

  That brought a sudden hush.

  Rin lowered her head, eyes dim.

  After a long pause, Minato spoke again. "No one dies for nothing."

  His voice was calm but firm, carrying a quiet vow.

  Jin replied without missing a beat. "You’re right, Lord Minato. Every fallen comrade is a hero to this vilge. Their will drives us forward."

  Minato gave him a surprised gnce, taken aback by how composed and articute he was.

  "You’ve got impressive resolve."

  Jin offered a faint smile. "The deaths of my teammates left their mark on me. I want to become someone like you, Lord Minato—someone who fights on the front lines for the vilge. Unfortunately, the cn insists I stay behind and finish recovering. But if I could, I’d want to stand beside you."

  Minato ughed softly. "Then focus on healing, Jin. Staying alive is already a valuable contribution. The Hyūga’s power is unique and vital to the vilge."

  Jin's eyes flickered, then he nodded. "Understood, Lord Minato."

  At the gate, they exchanged farewells. Jin stood silently, watching the two figures walk away, his expression unreadable.

  Rejected... Just as expected. As if someone like him would ever take that request seriously. It’s not like he’s some hot-blooded fool like Naruto.

  Once they were well outside the Hyūga compound, Rin finally spoke up.

  "Jin’s a good person, isn’t he?"

  Maybe it was because they’d both lost teammates. She felt a quiet bond with him now.

  Minato only smiled.

  "Keep your distance from him."

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