Upon returning to the house and sitting down, Rin noticed that Haku was nestled obediently in her mother's arms. Seeing that Rin had returned, she peeked out her small head, her innocent face showing a timid gaze as she looked at Rin.
"Rin... what... what is going on?" Eiji asked anxiously, glancing towards the door with a worried expression. Keiko, sitting beside him, also shared the same concern.
In response, Rin smiled gently and said softly, "Don't worry, Uncle, Aunt. The matter has been handed over to Master, and those people won't bother us anymore."
Hearing Rin's words, Eiji, although he suspected that the handling of the matter might not have been so simple, chose to remain silent and nodded lightly. After all, this was his nephew, and he wouldn't harm his family.
Sensing the oppressive atmosphere in the room due to his presence, Rin stood up and said softly, "Things outside should be resolved by now. I'll go check, and I probably won't come back tonight."
Eiji and Keiko were taken aback by this and quickly asked, "Rin, where are you planning to go if not here?"
Rin smiled brightly and said, "Don't worry, I'll be staying with Master tonight and will be back early tomorrow."
With that, he stepped outside, leaving Eiji and Keiko exchanging puzzled glances, unsure of what to say. Keiko gently patted Haku's little head, while Haku curiously looked at her worried parents, wondering why her brother had suddenly left.
As Rin arrived at the snowy field nearby, Kajesuke was already dead, covered in blood, his face frozen in an expression of fear. Kuroro stood quietly to the side, surrounded by the villagers including the village chief, Kouichiro. Their hands and clothes were stained with Kajesuke's blood, and they were trembling, their faces pale.
"Is it all settled?" Rin asked calmly, not looking at Kajesuke's body but addressing the villagers. "You handled it well. If something like this happens again, you know the consequences, right?"
Hearing Rin's words, the villagers shuddered, looking fearfully at this child who seemed like a devil. Unconcerned by their reaction, Rin turned his gaze to Kouichiro, who suddenly knelt before him.
"Master, we dare not act recklessly again. Please, forgive us!" Kouichiro said, his head deeply bowed, his voice trembling.
"Are you the village chief?" Rin asked, glancing at him.
"Yes... yes, I am the village chief..." Kouichiro stammered, his head bowed even lower.
Rin, feeling slightly uncomfortable seeing this grown man kneeling, asked calmly, "Can we now move into the house we bought?"
Kouichiro, hearing this, was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered, bowing his head again and saying loudly, "No... no problem. If Master doesn't mind, you are welcome to stay at my home, which is more spacious and suitable for you..."
Before he could finish, Rin interrupted, "No need, we will stay where we are. You may go and rest now."
Although Rin found Kouichiro's eagerness somewhat agreeable, he didn't want to exploit them. After saying a few words, he and Kuroro headed towards Kajesuke's house.
As they walked, Rin yawned. Despite his young body showing signs of recovery, he still needed plenty of rest. Kouichiro and the villagers remained kneeling in the snow until the two of them had left.
"Is Kajesuke really dead..." one villager murmured, his voice filled with a sorrowful tone. The others, pale and grim, exchanged glances, their hands still stained with Kajesuke's blood.
"Shut up!" Kouichiro suddenly barked, startling the villagers.
"Village chief?" one of them asked, confused.
Kouichiro spat on Kajesuke's body, expressing his anger. "He was a fool who nearly got us all killed! It's good that he's dead!"
He then looked in the direction Rin and Kuroro had left and turned to the villagers, saying coldly, "Tomorrow, bring your valuables and pay respects to Master Rin. Do you understand?"
The villagers were stunned, thinking their chief had lost his mind. Sensing their confusion, Kouichiro glared at them and said angrily, "Fools! This is an opportunity! Have you ever seen a normal six-year-old command such a powerful ninja? If we gain Master Rin's favor, we won't have to stay in this broken village anymore. Understand?"
The villagers, still confused, looked at each other. One of them hesitantly said, "But... didn't Eiji say that child... that Master is his nephew?"
Kouichiro frowned and cursed, "Bullshit! As if Eiji could be so fortunate to be related to Master Rin! But... we can't rule out that Eiji might have some favor with Master Rin..."
After thinking for a while, he pointed to two villagers and said, "You two, bring some gifts to Eiji's house early tomorrow. If we want to follow someone like Master Rin, we need to be smart. Got it?"
The villagers nodded, understanding that Kouichiro was a shrewd man who had become the village chief despite its condition.
...
Elsewhere, walking down a dark street, Rin felt secure knowing Kuroro was silently following him.
"That guy must have died horribly..." Rin said softly, his expression dim.
Kuroro, following quietly behind, glanced at Rin's cloaked back and said calmly, "With those injuries, he should have died immediately. Yet he continued screaming for another minute and thirty-seven seconds. Perhaps people in this world have different physiques, or maybe it was just his strong will to live. It surprised me."
Listening to Kuroro's calm explanation, Rin sighed and gave him an annoyed glance. This guy... he's doing it on purpose... making me feel even guiltier...