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

~ Push the story forward with your Power Stones **

~ Every 400 PS = Bonus Chapter!

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 After treating Rie to a hearty yakiniku feast, Rinjin walked out of the restaurant, holding the hand of the now round-bellied little girl. The other diners stared at them in shock as they left.

Casually tossing away a toothpick, Rinjin rolled his eyes at the gawking patrons and muttered, "What's the big deal about eating a hundred plates? It's not like I didn't pay."

Beside him, Rie raised her fist in the air with a grin.

"What's the big deal! What's the big deal!" she echoed.

Hearing this, Rinjin nodded in agreement, scanning the bustling street before asking, "So, where does Rie want to go now?"

"Hmm…" Rie pouted, scratching her head, before her eyes suddenly lit up. "The Konoha Orphanage! I want to visit Yako!"

Ah, so the little girl hasn't forgotten her underlings!

"Alright, let's go then."

"Carry me, big brother!"

"Fine, fine…"

With a lazy tone, Rinjin's voice trailed off as the siblings' figures disappeared at the end of the road.

---

The Konoha Orphanage was originally established by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, to shelter the homeless children of the village. Over time, it expanded to take in war orphans from the areas surrounding the Hidden Leaf Village.

Unlike the Konoha Ninja Academy, the orphanage was located far from the village center, near the outskirts of the village.

Konoha's layout could be roughly divided into four sections. Above the Hokage Rock were various research institutions. Below the Rock was the inner residential area centered around the Hokage Building. Surrounding the Hokage Building were the homes of successive Hokage, followed by the residences of Konoha's major clans. Beyond that lay the outer residential district, where the Konoha Ninja Academy was located.

The outermost layer of the village was more chaotic, filled with a mix of various buildings. To the south of the village flowed a long river called the Naka River, which once bordered the Uchiha clan's compound.

Rinjin and Rie's destination, the Konoha Orphanage, was located in this outermost area.

Following his memory, Rinjin led Rie to the somewhat rundown orphanage.

There were no walls surrounding it, just an old wooden building with a grassy field around it.

On the field, a group of children about Rie's age was busily pulling weeds. In the center of the field, older children were pounding mochi with wooden mallets, their rhythmic strikes echoing with dull thuds as they hit the stone mortar.

By the entrance of the small building, an elderly woman with snow-white hair hunched over a waist-high pot, stirring it continuously with a long ladle.

Watching the children sweat and toil, Rinjin scratched his temple with a blank expression.

Judging by their appearance, the kids were surviving, but just barely.

On the grassy field, one child, about the same age as Rie, happened to look up and spot Rinjin and Rie.

"B-Big Sis!!!"

The clear, childish voice startled many of the other children nearby.

Amid the murmuring crowd, several children whom Rinjin vaguely recognized dropped their weeds and ran toward him and Rie.

"Big Sis!"

"Big Sis Rie!"

"Boss of the Rinjin Gang!"

The chattering children ran quickly, crossing the grassy field and stopping in front of Rinjin and Rie, ignoring the confused looks from the other kids.

"Big Sis, you've finally come to see us!" one boy said, his eyes brimming with tears.

However, all of them kept a three-meter distance from Rie.

The reason was simple: they were all terrified of Rinjin.

Seeing her little "underlings" chattering and throwing out all sorts of strange titles, Rie nervously glanced at her brother, whose face was growing darker by the second. She quickly waved her hands at the kids and whispered urgently:

"Don't! Don't call me Big Sis, and definitely don't call me the boss! I'm not the head of the Rinjin Corporation's Rie Division!"

Well, that was a self-incriminating confession.

Rinjin's face turned even darker.

What in the world? A four- or five-year-old chubby little girl leading a group of orphans, using his last name to form a gang?! And she even crowned herself as the boss!!!

Unbelievable! Can this world get any crazier?

The commotion soon caught the attention of the older kids. Their reactions were just as enthusiastic as they dropped whatever they were doing and rushed toward Rie.

"Big Sis! You're here! Hey, Big Guy, bring out the rice balls I've been hiding to serve Big Sis!"

"Wait, Big Guy! Those rice balls are covered in mold. Use mine instead! I just picked some fresh tea leaves from the park last week to make tea for Big Sis!"

"Oh, and grab the meal voucher under my pillow! I want to honor the boss!"

The noisy chatter made Rinjin's head throb.

Rie shrank her head, sneaking a glance at Rinjin, and felt her backside grow numb.

Oh no, the underlings are too enthusiastic! What should I do if I can't stop them?!

"Ahem!" A light cough interrupted the chaos.

The Big Guy, who had been about to honor Big Sis with his moldy rice balls, froze in place.

That cough—it sounded so familiar.

Clearing his throat, Rinjin waved a hand at the surrounding children.

The kids immediately wilted like frostbitten eggplants, shrinking their heads and gathering around Rinjin, bracing themselves for a scolding.

After all, during their journey to Konoha, every time they ran around causing trouble with Rie, Rinjin would give them a stern lecture.

"Ahem…" Looking at the children cowering before him, Rinjin hesitated, the words he'd planned to say getting stuck in his throat.

"Uh… where's the bathroom?"

The children's faces lit up with smiles as they all pointed toward the entrance of the old building.

"President! Over there!"

"Don't call me President," Rinjin muttered, leaving the scene in a hurry.

Behind him, the chattering laughter started up again, mixed with Rie's mature-sounding exclamations.

This little rascal—she's going to get it when we get home!

Passing by the elderly woman, Rinjin entered the dilapidated building.

While looking for the bathroom, Rinjin quickly took note of the building's layout. When he walked out the door again, his expression was heavy.

He found a random spot to sit down, silently observing everything in front of him.

Not far away, the elderly woman was calling out to the children, instructing them to put the freshly pounded mochi into the pot in front of her. At the same time, she told the kids to take a break.

Then, holding the long ladle, she began stirring again.

Before long, the sweet aroma of red beans mixed with the scent of glutinous rice wafted through the air.

The children eagerly pulled out their bowls and lined up in an orderly fashion.

Somehow, Rie had found a small bowl and joined the line, craning her neck to peek into the pot.

Soon, it was her turn. The elderly woman smiled kindly at Rie and served her a bowl of red bean mochi soup.

Carefully holding the bowl, Rie tiptoed over to Rinjin.

"Here, big brother! It smells so good!"

Looking at Rie's big, blinking eyes, Rinjin couldn't help but smile. He took a sip of the red bean mochi soup before handing it back to the eager little girl.

"Alright, spill it. What's on your mind?"

After spending so much time with her, Rinjin could easily read Rie's thoughts. If he couldn't figure her out by now, all those years of life experience would've been wasted.

Hearing her brother's question, Rie pouted and giggled.

"Nothing, big brother. I just wanted to show my appreciation."

Yeah, right.

Rinjin rolled his eyes, not buying it for a second.

"Alright, since you said that, don't come asking me for any favors later."

"Nooo, big brother!" Rie immediately protested, so flustered that she almost spilled her red bean mochi soup.

"Well… um… can I teach Yako and the others how to extract chakra?"

Hearing this, Rinjin raised an eyebrow, his mind racing.

Since coming to Konoha, he had deliberately avoided contact with the orphans he had brought along to avoid suspicion. After all, as an outsider, forming a group of fellow outsiders would undoubtedly make Konoha's leadership uneasy.

Especially after demonstrating his strategic prowess, any unease could easily turn into distrust.

Everything Rinjin had done since arriving in Konoha was aimed at easing those suspicions.

Thinking this through, Rinjin looked up, ready to refuse.

But the next second, his gaze fell on the children in the distance, their bowls in hand, their eyes filled with longing.

Of course. After experiencing war and the pain of losing loved ones, what child wouldn't yearn for strength?

With a deep frown, Rinjin made his decision.

"No… you can't!" His voice was loud, and the children in the distance heard him clearly. The light in their eyes dimmed instantly.

If even Rie and Rinjin couldn't help them, what hope did they have?

The Konoha Ninja Academy? That was for the children of Konoha citizens, not for outsiders like them.

Perhaps in ten or twenty years, after they had established roots in Konoha, their children might have a chance to join the academy.

After speaking, Rinjin's eyes flickered, and he casually added, "But I'm going to be busy for a while. Why don't you let Aunt Anko accompany you instead?

Just remember not to trouble her. And don't go to expensive places like the Asakusa Shrine for no reason.

I think this place is pretty nice—peaceful and quiet."

Hearing this, Rie, who had been feeling dejected, suddenly perked up, her dark eyes sparkling.

If she didn't understand her brother's meaning now, she wouldn't deserve to be his sister!

Rinjin's message was simple: keep him out of it.

And this clever little girl caught on instantly.

"Hehe~ Big brother, you're so sneaky!"

"Hmm? What did you say?" Rinjin glared at her.

But Rie was already used to her brother's tsundere nature. Sticking out her tongue, she took her red bean soup and ran back to her little companions.

Before long, the sounds of laughter filled the air once again.

---

On the grassy field, the children sat in neat rows. Those who had finished their red bean soup relaxed and chatted with each other.

"Hey, Big Guy, why are you all so afraid of that guy?" one of the children, who had grown up in the orphanage, asked curiously, pointing at Rinjin.

To him, Rinjin was just a kid. Surely, he was no match for the towering Big Guy.

The Big Guy scratched his head with a sheepish grin.

"I may be big, but I'm no match for Rinjin-kun."

"Really?" The other child was stunned.

The Big Guy might eat a lot, but his strength was terrifying. When it came to pounding mochi, he could do the work of ten people. Even though he was only ten years old, his strength surpassed that of many grown men.

And yet, he couldn't beat Rinjin?

Beside him, a scar-faced boy leaned in and whispered, "Bufei, don't make it hard for Big Guy. He's already been beaten once."

Then, with a chuckle, he patted the Big Guy's leg and asked, "Can I tell him?"

The Big Guy scratched his head awkwardly but nodded.

"Bufei, you know Big Guy and I are both war orphans from the Land of Hot Water.

We had no home, no parents. Without food, we were either going to starve to death or die in the chaos of war.

But Rinjin-kun saved us. He told us to follow him, to join the caravan he was traveling with, and said he'd take us to Konoha.

At the time, we were all so weak from hunger that we could barely move. Rinjin-kun had Rie share her soldier pills with us.

If it weren't for him and Rie, we would've died on the road—or been killed."

"So what about Big Guy? What does that have to do with why you're all afraid of him?" Bufei pressed, still curious.

The Big Guy scratched his head again before explaining, "Well… I joined the group later. At first, I tried to steal food from Big Sis Rie, and Rinjin-kun beat me up.

But Rinjin-kun didn't kick me out. Instead, he let me stay with the group."

"So why are you all afraid of him?" Bufei emphasized his question.

"It's not fear. It's… it's respect. Yes! Respect! Admiration! Rinjin-kun is so generous. How could we possibly be afraid of him?!"

"Alright, Big Guy!" the scar-faced boy interrupted. "Let me explain.

We all respect Big Sis Rie, but Big Sis Rie often gets scolded by Rinjin-kun for slacking off in her studies. Over time, we all started to feel afraid of Rinjin-kun too."