Naruto：Immortality and the Eight Inner Gates[Double agent]

The new chapter is now available!

Additionally, the latest Patreon early-access chapters have been updated to Chapter 90.

Thank you all for enjoying this work!

patreon.com/DarkGolds

————————————————————————————————————————

By the time Rinjin returned to the village, the faint glow of dawn was already creeping over the horizon.

The sky was about to brighten.

Watching the rising sun, Rinjin felt the frustration in his heart gradually dissipate.

Although he had been conned out of nearly 200,000 ryō by that old rascal Hiruzen Sarutobi, he had still made over 400,000 ryō in profit!

After all, I don't need sleep, my stamina is free, and I barely used any chakra. The only loss was my torn clothes.

Wait a second, if I calculate it this way, doesn't that mean I basically freeloaded 400,000 ryō?

Thinking about it, Rinjin's mood instantly brightened.

Making 400,000 ryō in one night, plus the 400,000 he extorted from the Uchiha clan earlier, means I now have 800,000 ryō?!

Doesn't that mean I'm one step closer to my dream of owning a three-bedroom apartment?!

"What a great guy! Lord Hanzō is such a great guy! He knows how hard life is for me and even gifted me 400,000 ryō as a down payment for my house. He's better than my own father!

When I have a son, I'll name him Rinjin Spicy Salamander! No, no, no! Rinjin Pickled Pepper Fish sounds better!"

On a nearby rooftop, Tsuchinu, who had been sent to monitor Rinjin, wore a strange expression.

This guy… he was sulking the entire way back, and now, in the blink of an eye, he's grinning like an idiot.

Thinking about the observation report he'd have to write about Rinjin, Tsuchinu immediately donned a mask of pain.

Please, I'm a normal person! Asking me to document the behavior of this lunatic is just cruel!

Rinjin, casually picking his nose, glanced toward a certain corner.

Tsuchinu, does this guy even get weekends off? The ANBU really are the corporate drones of the ninja world!

Since he wasn't the one paying Tsuchinu's salary, Rinjin decided to ignore him entirely and strolled leisurely toward home.

At six in the morning, Rinjin pushed open the door to his bedroom.

Rie, dressed in her bear-patterned pajamas, was sitting on the tatami mat, yawning endlessly.

"You didn't sleep?"

"Mm!" Rie nodded vigorously.

"I couldn't sleep because you weren't home."

Hearing this, Rinjin felt a warmth spread through his heart, and a small smile tugged at his lips.

"Then take a nap now. This afternoon, I'll take you to the yakiniku restaurant and let you eat to your heart's content."

At the mention of yakiniku, the fatigue on Rie's little face vanished in an instant, and her big eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Anything I want?"

"Anything you want." Rinjin affectionately ruffled the little girl's hair.

"Yay!" Rie cheered, leaping up in delight.

"Then tell me a bedtime story first!"

Hearing this, Rinjin nodded, sitting cross-legged by her futon. After a moment of thought, he began to speak.

"Once upon a time, there was a boy in the Hidden Leaf Village who loved to lie. His name was Pinocchio.

Pinocchio had a magical ability: whenever he told a lie, his nose would grow longer.

One day, Pinocchio met a beautiful girl in the village. Her name was Snow White.

At that moment, Snow White was surrounded by three bad guys.

The bad guys wanted to capture Snow White to use her against the Hidden Leaf. As a genin of the Hidden Leaf, Pinocchio couldn't let that happen.

So, Pinocchio jumped out to confront the three bad guys.

A fierce battle ensued, and Pinocchio, being weaker, was knocked to the ground. Seeing that Snow White was about to be taken away, Pinocchio made a quick decision and shouted, 'Chinese soccer is the best in the world!'

Hearing this, the three bad guys were so furious that they screamed, 'Refund our money!'

But at that moment, Pinocchio's nose suddenly grew long and pierced through the three bad guys, killing them instantly.

Snow White, watching from the side, was captivated by the boy who loved to lie.

And so, the two lived happily ever after."

Finishing the story, Rinjin looked at the now soundly sleeping Rie and smiled contentedly.

Time flew by, and soon the morning passed.

By the afternoon, Rinjin swiftly pulled Rie out of bed, dressed the chubby little girl in three quick moves, slung her onto his back, and stepped out of the house.

"Let's go! Time for yakiniku!"

Still half-asleep, Rie rubbed one eye with her hand while holding onto Rinjin's neck with the other, murmuring:

"Brother, let's… let's buy chakra paper first."

Hearing this, Rinjin's eyes lit up as he turned to look at the drowsy Rie.

"My little Rie has already started extracting chakra?"

Rie weakly nodded.

Walking down the wooden corridor, Rinjin carried Rie on his back and greeted Aunt Anko, who was watering the flowers.

Anko set down her watering can and smiled warmly at the close-knit siblings.

"Good afternoon, Rinjin-kun, Rie-chan."

"Good afternoon, Aunt Anko. Thank you so much for taking care of Rie these past few days!" Rinjin said gratefully.

"Oh no, not at all! I love spending time with Rie-chan!" Anko waved her hands modestly before curiously asking, "Are you heading out?"

Rinjin nodded in response.

"We're going to buy chakra paper and then take Rie out for yakiniku."

"You two have such a good relationship," Anko said, covering her mouth with a smile. Then, with genuine admiration, she added, "Rie-chan is very talented and works so hard in her training. She's sure to become an amazing kunoichi one day!"

Hearing Anko praise Rie, Rinjin gave an awkward laugh.

He hadn't taught Rie chakra extraction so she could become a ninja—a high-risk profession. It was simply to give her a bit more ability to protect herself in this chaotic world.

Seeing Rinjin scratching his head, Anko assumed he didn't believe her and, with a slightly pouty expression, insisted:

"Really! Rie's talent is no worse than Wama's!"

"Wama? Who? Is that you and Uncle Ippongi's child?" Rinjin asked.

"No, he's Uncle Buddha's child," Anko explained reflexively before slapping her forehead and laughing.

"I mean Senju Wama."

Oh?

Rinjin's eyes lit up. That's some juicy information!

Aunt Anko's uncle is Senju Buddha? Does that mean she's also part of the Senju clan?

Considering Anko's background and her subtle connections with Konoha's upper echelon, Rinjin decided there was no need to beat around the bush and asked directly:

"Aunt Anko, are you a member of the Senju clan?"

"I used to be, but not anymore." Anko's smile turned somewhat forced.

Rinjin immediately understood. Aunt Anko had married Uncle Ippongi and likely taken his last name, Katō.

But Anko, as if reading Rinjin's thoughts, shook her head slightly and said:

"There's no such thing as the Senju clan anymore."

Rinjin's eyes flickered with realization, and his mind raced.

First, what happened to the Senju clan? Why did they suddenly disappear? And second, why was Anko, with her ties to Konoha's leadership, bringing this up now?

Was she trying to pass on some message through me?

Or was this information not particularly secret, and it didn't matter if I knew?

As thoughts flashed through his mind like lightning, Rinjin's smile faded, and he asked seriously, "Why?"

Hearing his question, Anko let out a soft sigh.

"Hashirama and Tobirama abolished the family name."

"Why?" Rinjin asked again.

"For many reasons, but the most important was for the sake of the village's peace.

When Konoha was first established, although various clans joined, there were still deep-seated prejudices between them, and interaction was minimal.

Hashirama, to prevent the village from becoming an empty shell, made the bold decision to disband the Senju clan. From then on, no newborns were allowed to bear the Senju name."

At this point, Anko's expression became incredibly complex.

"I still remember what he said to Madara Uchiha: 'Since we've built this village, let the village take on the role of the clan and continue to protect our bloodline.'

But Madara Uchiha didn't accept Hashirama's proposal."

"And what about you? Were there dissenting voices within the Senju clan?" Rinjin asked.

"There were," Anko replied firmly. "Everyone had their doubts, but most understood.

After all, Hashirama sacrificed so much for the hard-earned peace. When Wama died in battle, he nearly broke down.

The Senju clan's emotions were no less profound than the Uchiha's."

Listening in silence, Rinjin subconsciously took a deep breath.

"Incredible.

The First Hokage was truly incredible.

The Senju clan was truly incredible.

I can't imagine what kind of broad mind and courage it takes to make such a decision."

Hearing Rinjin's heartfelt praise, Anko smiled brightly, wiping the corners of her eyes.

"It's wonderful that you understand."

Aunt Anko must have her reasons for telling me this, but Rinjin didn't mind.

Words can be polished and flowery, but actions cannot lie.

Hashirama Senju was truly remarkable!

Beneath his cheerful exterior was an unshakable determination to carry the village forward.

Compared to him, Madara Uchiha… well, he was remarkable too (the author trembles in fear).

Bidding farewell to the slightly emotional Anko, Rinjin carried Rie and headed into town.

It was Saturday, and Konoha's streets were bustling with people, a lively scene.

Rinjin, carrying Rie, casually entered a ninja tool shop and bought two chakra papers.

"Alright, Rie, give it a try." Squatting by the roadside, Rinjin placed the paper in Rie's hand.

Rie nodded excitedly, then closed her eyes and began humming softly.

After a short while, her little face turned bright red, and she suddenly cried out, throwing the paper away in a hurry.

"Ahhh! It's on fire!"

Her adorable loli voice immediately drew the attention of passersby.

Rinjin rubbed his chin and murmured, "Looks like it's 'fire'!

What a coincidence!"