As night approached, Yuki's house on the eastern side of the village was bustling.
At Rin's insistence, a large pork leg stolen by Kuroro was being stewed in an iron pot tonight.
"Glug glug..."
The boiling broth bubbled continuously, filling the blackened iron pot with a rich meat aroma that soon permeated the entire house.
Although Eiji would occasionally catch a few slender river fish from the frozen stream, the bland preparation methods and scarce food supplies only allowed them to barely get by.
They hadn't tasted such a substantial piece of meat in a long time.
"Ah..."
Haku stared with wide, round eyes, her small body leaning forward slightly as she eagerly watched the meat in the pot, almost drooling.
"Haku, be careful not to burn yourself."
Rin, sitting cross-legged on the floor, gently pulled Haku closer, patted her small head, and held her by his side.
"Mm..."
Haku let out a soft sound as Rin patted her head, her little face turning red as she shyly remained still.
Rin carefully fished out a few pieces of meat from the pot, blew on them to cool them down, and then tore them into small pieces, handing them to Haku.
Haku, sticking closely to Rin, opened her mouth as she saw the pieces of meat being handed to her, her little face blushing as she ate.
Eiji and Keiko watched this scene with satisfaction. They were delighted to see how Rin cared for Haku. Although they didn't have a son, Rin's presence filled that small gap in their hearts.
"Rin, don't spoil Haku too much," Eiji said with a smile. Although his words seemed like a reprimand, his tone was full of gratification.
Rin smiled back, speaking softly, "It's okay. Haku is just too cute. As her big brother, I should take good care of her."
Listening to the conversation between her father and brother, Haku looked at them with big, curious eyes while eating, making Rin chuckle and pat her head again.
At that moment, Kuroro, who had been quietly eating in the corner, raised his calm eyes slightly, glancing towards the door.
Rin noticed this, his young face showing a trace of confusion. "Master, is something wrong?" he asked softly.
Kuroro fixed his gaze on the door and spoke calmly, "It seems a group of people is coming here."
Hearing this, Eiji and Keiko were both taken aback, not knowing what to do.
Suddenly.
"Bang!"
The front door burst open, and the cold wind rushed into the house. A group of villagers, holding torches, rudely barged in, their eyes fierce and staring at the people inside without any scruples.
"Mm..."
The young Haku was clearly frightened by the scene, clutching Rin's clothes tightly and shrinking back into his embrace.
Seeing the leader among the intruders, Eiji quickly stood up, flustered. "Lord Kōichi, what... what are you doing here?"
The burly middle-aged man, his chest exposed and covered in black hair, stepped forward, his face grim as he spoke.
"How dare you ask me what I'm doing!?"
"Eiji, who are these people? Are you harboring thieves?"
Eiji and Keiko seemed to realize something, their faces changing. Eiji quickly said, "No... it's not like that, Lord Kōichi. This child is my nephew, Rin. He's not a thief."
At this point, the sneaky-looking Kajesuke jumped out from behind Kōichi, shouting loudly.
"Who else could it be if not them!?"
"These two barged into my house today, robbing me of my deed and possessions. If I hadn't run fast, I might be dead by now!"
His eyes glared at Eiji, his voice deep and accusing.
"Hey, Eiji, you're shielding these thieves. Are you in on this too?"
Hearing Kajesuke's false accusations, Eiji's face turned red with anger. "What nonsense are you talking about!?"
"You're clearly framing us, Lord Kōichi. It's not like that... he's really my nephew. It can't be...."
"Enough, Uncle, there's no need to explain to this lot."
At that moment, Rin gently handed Haku over to Keiko, patted his clothes, and stood up.
Seeing Rin's actions, Eiji was stunned, but Rin had already turned to face Kajesuke.
Standing there, Rin's young face showed no emotion. He looked up at Kajesuke calmly and asked softly.
"Why are you doing this?"
"The money I gave you should have been enough. Why are you doing this?"
Kajesuke's face changed slightly, but then he shouted defiantly.
"Kid, what nonsense are you spouting!?"
"Do you think I'll let it go after you stole from me?"
"Today, you and that man over there better hand over everything you took from me, or I'll make you pay!"
By now, Rin had already turned away, not bothering to listen to more of his nonsense.
He glanced at the surrounding villagers who had come along, asking softly.
"Do you all think the same?"
"Do you believe we're thieves and want to help him get his stuff back?"
The villagers, holding farm tools, looked at each other but didn't back down.
Seeing this, Rin sighed softly, speaking in a low voice.
"Foolishness is a crime. You should pay for making the wrong choice."
"Kuroro, take action."
As Rin stepped back, Kajesuke and the others were initially stunned. Then, angered, they grabbed their tools and charged at Rin.
"You little brat, let's see if you dare...."
"Bang!"
In a flash, Kuroro's figure disappeared from where he stood.
With a sudden gust of wind, a dark figure darted through the villagers.
"Ah!!" "Ah!!" "My hand!"...
Cries of pain filled the room as the villagers fell one by one.
The fight ended quickly, with the intruders all collapsing on the ground, crying out in pain.
Kuroro hadn't killed them, merely incapacitating them.
Rin frowned at the chaotic scene, turning to see Haku trembling in Keiko's arms, clearly scared.
He smacked his forehead, realizing he'd forgotten about Haku.
He quickly ran to Haku, gently patting her head and comforting her softly.
"It's okay, Haku. Don't be afraid. It's all over."
Keiko looked at Rin with concern. Rin smiled and spoke softly.
"Aunt Keiko, please cover Haku's ears so she doesn't hear. We don't want her having nightmares. I'll take care of this."
With that, he turned and walked outside.
Kuroro, expressionless, began tossing the fallen villagers out of the house.
Seeing them leave, Eiji and Keiko remained stunned, not expecting such a swift turnaround.
Outside, the night had fallen, and the winter air was frigid.
Rin wrapped himself tightly in his cloak, glancing at the groaning villagers, his eyes narrowing slightly as he spoke softly.
"If you don't get up, I'll have Kuroro kill you."
Hearing this, the villagers, despite their injuries, scrambled to get up, kneeling before Rin.
"Please... please spare us, sir!"
"Have mercy on us..."
Even Kōichi, the village leader, followed suit, not daring to maintain any dignity.
In times of war, ordinary people had no choice but to submit to ninjas or powerful warriors, or face death.
Rin glanced at Kajesuke, who was trying to hide among the villagers, his mouth curling in a cold smile.
"I'll spare you if you deal with him."
The villagers turned to look at Kajesuke, their faces filled with anger.
If it weren't for him, they wouldn't be in this situation!
Kōichi spoke up, his voice filled with resentment.
"Sir, break his legs and throw him out of the village. We were all misled by him!"
The other villagers nodded in agreement, their expressions indignant.
Seeing this, Rin's mouth curled into a faint smile.
If they were ordinary people, who knows what might have happened to them.
In a chaotic world like Naruto, the lowest levels of society often revealed the ugliest aspects of human nature.
Although he wanted to have Kuroro kill them, he changed his mind, thinking about his future life with Haku in this village.
"If you want to live, kill him together."
His cold tone conveyed cruel words.
As Rin's words fell, the cold wind outside seemed to lose its chill, and the villagers shuddered, staring at him in shock.
"Sir..."
Kōichi's voice trembled, but he quickly stopped when he met Rin's gaze.
Rin didn't care, glancing at them and speaking softly.
"I said, wrong choices come with consequences."
"Anyone who doesn't want to kill him can raise their hand now."
No one dared to make a move.
Rin shrugged, speaking softly.
"What a pity. I thought he wouldn't have to go alone."
His words sent a chill through the villagers.
Kōichi and the others knelt, their bodies trembling.
This child was like a devil!
A monster!
"Kuroro, take them away and make sure they do it."
Kuroro nodded, showing no hesitation.
He dragged the terrified Kajesuke through the snow like a dead dog, heading into the distance.
"No... no... please... please spare me!"
"Don't! Please, sir, I know I was wrong!!"
Kajesuke's fearful pleas came out of his mouth, but Rin paid no attention, tightening his cloak around him as he turned and walked back to the house.
The villagers, in too much pain to say anything more, followed Kuroro as he led them away into the distance.
Standing in front of the house, Rin let out a long breath.
He gently wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his eyes slightly downcast, and murmured softly.
"This is someone who deserves to die. What I'm doing is just making his death more valuable. There's nothing wrong with that...."
"Mm!"
He patted his young face lightly, a smile appearing as he slowly walked back into the house.