My Kekkei Genkai Is Kinda Weird?!

Once Rin's footsteps had completely faded at the end of the hallway, shadows stirred in the Hokage's office. From the darkness emerged a gloomy figure clad in a black-and-white kimono.

"Hiruzen, you're spoiling that girl far too much," came Danzo's grating voice, as unpleasant as a dull blade scraping against stone. "She was clearly lying."

The Third Hokage relit his pipe, the ember flickering in the dim light of dusk.

"She just has her own secrets. Every shinobi does. We should respect each ninja's will. Konoha has no rule that forces its shinobi to hand over their jutsu."

"Respect?" Danzo sneered, slamming his cane heavily against the floor.

"Do you even believe your own words? That wasn't a simple Body Flicker she used! That technique—it's spatial-time ninjutsu, just like the Flying Thunder God, maybe even better! How could an eight-year-old create something like that on her own?"

The temperature in the room seemed to drop.

The Third slowly exhaled a ring of smoke.

"So? What are you getting at?"

"Hand her over to Root," Danzo's single eye gleamed.

"Three days—no, one day. I'll uncover all her secrets. If she really has awakened a new kekkei genkai…"

"No." The Third Hokage cut him off without hesitation, tapping his pipe against the desk with a crisp clink.

"She's still a child—and my student."

Danzo's voice rose.

"Precisely because she's your student that she's even more dangerous! What if she has ulterior motives?"

"Enough!" The Third suddenly stood, his Hokage robe billowing though no wind stirred.

"I've already allowed you to monitor Rin, and even Uchiha Shisui. Don't go too far!"

Danzo's face twisted in the shadows.

"Your weakness will destroy this village, Hiruzen! That girl—she has no trace of the Will of Fire in her eyes. One day, you'll regret this decision!"

"I said that's enough!" The Third slammed his palm onto the desk, shaking the papers with a loud rustle.

"Danzo! I am the Hokage!"

Silence fell like a blade between them. The two old comrades stared across the desk, tension thick enough to cut. Finally, Danzo took a step back. The corner of his mouth, hidden beneath bandages, twisted into a rigid sneer.

"You'll regret this, Hiruzen." He turned toward the door, the tap of his cane echoing like a countdown.

"When that girl brings calamity to Konoha, don't say I didn't warn you."

The office door slammed shut, making the window frames buzz with the force.

The Third slowly sank back into his chair and suddenly began coughing violently. He stared down at Rin's file on the desk, his finger brushing lightly over the line "Suspected to have awakened a new kekkei genkai." His eyes were unreadable.

"…Ah, Tobirama-sensei…"

Outside, the last rays of sunlight were swallowed by dark clouds, and the Konoha Village was slowly plunged into night.

---

When Rin left the Hokage's tower, the sunset had already painted the village streets crimson. Though the scenery was familiar, a faint chill lingered in the air. The streets were quieter than usual, and the few villagers passing by all looked anxious and weary.

The scent of war had quietly seeped into every corner of the village. Though Konoha's shinobi had managed to keep enemy ninjas from crossing into the Land of Fire, many of Konoha's own had gone to the front lines. And those soldiers had families. The people left behind couldn't help but worry.

Rin took a deep breath, steadied herself, and walked on.

"Rin… is that you?" a hoarse voice called.

Rin turned to see the old dango seller, Granny Haruno, sitting at her stall. Her cloudy eyes had grown even dimmer since the last time Rin saw her. Her son had gone to war, too.

"Granny!" Rin hurried over, trying to keep her voice light.

"I'm back!"

Granny Haruno squinted at her for a long moment before finally smiling.

"Good child… As long as you're back safe… How was the front? Were you hurt?"

Rin shook her head and smiled.

"No worries, our squad had it pretty easy."

"That's good… That's good…" the old woman murmured, her hands trembling as she took a warm skewer of three-colored dango from the steamer.

"Here, eat this while it's hot."

Rin took it and bit down. The sweet, glutinous flavor melted on her tongue, yet it somehow tasted bittersweet. She noticed that there were far fewer dango on the stall than before.

"Business not doing well lately?" she asked softly.

Granny Haruno sighed.

"In wartime, everyone's income drops. Food rations are tighter, glutinous rice is hard to come by… But we'll get through it."

Rin was quiet for a moment, then discreetly slipped some coins into the cash box.

"Ah, you child—"

"Call it a down payment!" Rin grinned, cutting her off.

"Next time I come back, Granny, you'd better save me the best red bean filling!"

Granny Haruno's eyes reddened. In the end, she just patted Rin's hand gently.

"…Alright."

After saying goodbye, Rin walked on. Not far away, the ninja tool shop owner was speaking in hushed tones with several villagers.

"I heard Kumogakure's adding more troops again…"

"Isn't Jiraiya-sama on the front lines? It should be fine, right?"

"But Sunagakure's unstable too. If this continues…"

Rin's steps faltered slightly but quickly returned to normal. She passed by as though she hadn't heard.

Kenichi is also on the battlefield near Suna…

---

Back home, Rin enjoyed a few rare days of peace. The miso soup her grandmother made was delicious, and the bed at home was soft. The warmth of everyday life slowly eased her frayed nerves.

Each morning, she helped her grandmother clean the yard. In the afternoon, she sat on the veranda reading ninjutsu scrolls. Occasionally, she'd glance up at the cherry tree in the courtyard, its leaves beginning to fall.

Yet the tranquility made her uneasy. It felt like the calm before a storm. She couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was coming. Especially late at night—bloody visions of the battlefield haunted her dreams. Sometimes, she saw her father, Kenichi, covered in blood.

---

That morning, Rin was practicing shuriken techniques in the yard when she suddenly heard rapid knocking at the door.

"Is this the Hanabuchi residence?" A short, serious-looking shinobi stood outside. He was a Genin assigned to assist at Konoha Hospital—young, but already carrying the air of someone who had delivered far too many pieces of bad news. Faint frown lines had already etched themselves between his brows.

Rin's heart sank like a stone.

"Yes, I'm Hanabuchi Rin." Her voice trembled.

Please… not Kenichi…

The medical ninja handed her a document.

"Your father, Hanabuchi Kenichi, was injured on the battlefield near Sunagakure. He received emergency treatment and was transferred to Konoha Hospital. His right arm…"

He didn't finish. Rin had already taken off, using Gutsuei Shunpo repeatedly, her figure flickering through the village streets unseen by ordinary eyes.

---

The white walls of Konoha Hospital shone harshly under the sun. Rin burst through the front doors, nearly knocking over a nurse with a tray of medicine.

"Hanabuchi Kenichi! Where's my father?" she grabbed a passing nurse, breathless with panic.

"Third floor, Room 307." The nurse was unfazed—she'd seen too many family members like this recently.

Rin bolted up the stairs, skidding to a stop in front of Room 307. She took a deep breath and gently pushed open the door—

There, on the bed, Kenichi sat propped against the headboard. Everything below his right shoulder was gone, the stump wrapped in white bandages. His face was pale, lips cracked, but when he saw Rin, his eyes lit up.

"Rin… You came?"

His voice was weak—but full of joy.

---