To put it simply:
Madara Uchiha awakened the Rinnegan and gave it to Nagato during the Second Shinobi World War;
Rin died during the Third Shinobi World War.
Although the Third Shinobi World War was essentially an extension of the Second, the time span between them exceeded ten years.
This suggests that Madara Uchiha might not have awakened the Rinnegan at the brink of death, as he claimed.
If this were true, it would explain why Rinjin had disguised himself and ventured into Kirigakure to investigate.
Moreover, there was another crucial issue that made him suspect Madara was still scheming something.
After Rin's death, the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, was controlled by Obito, initiating over a decade of the "Bloody Mist" era.
But before this, the Third Mizukage had already isolated Kirigakure from the outside world, albeit in a less brutal manner.
The Land of Water's geographical position—situated in the southeastern seas of the shinobi world—made it naturally less connected to the outside world, and thus, easier for powerful shinobi to control covertly.
While Rinjin was pondering these matters, a scroll gently brushed against his ankle beneath the hot spring water.
Instantly, Rinjin's tightly shut eyes narrowed slightly. Without a hint of movement, he reached out and grasped the scroll.
He rose, dressed, and left the hot spring inn, heading to a dark, empty alley.
There, he formed a hand seal, and his figure vanished into the shadows.
On a deserted island, Rinjin lit a small torch and carefully read the soggy scroll.
It contained intelligence from one of his subordinates, the so-called "cargo owner" aboard the ship.
The report revealed that Kirigakure was closely monitoring him and the hired shinobi.
Not only that, but their cargo had been detained. The ship captain claimed the vessel had issues and needed repairs, conveniently staying docked.
Reading this, Rinjin began to form a general impression of Kirigakure.
"Top-down influence!"
Every prevailing atmosphere or behavior has a source, and tracing it upward is usually the right approach.
The scroll also provided additional intelligence, including information about several promising young shinobi from Kirigakure.
"Uh... Jūzō Biwa...
Ameyuri Ringo...
Raiga Kurosuki...
What's going on here? These are all members of the original Seven Ninja Swordsmen!"
After pondering for a while, Rinjin finally settled on a target: Ameyuri Ringo.
Why her?
Because among the swords, he could only wield the simplest one—the Samehada, which was good for slashing.
As for the Kubikiribōchō (Executioner's Blade), its wielder, Jūzō Biwa, was far too brutal for Rinjin to impersonate convincingly.
Having made his decision, he tucked the scroll away and activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, returning to the dark alley.
Now, all he had to do was wait for the right moment—a chance to infiltrate Kirigakure.
Time flew by, and another week passed in the blink of an eye.
Rinjin first followed the ship back to the Land of Waves, naturally bidding farewell to the captain before embarking on his covert mission.
Kirigakure, built on the largest island among the many in the Land of Water, was perpetually shrouded in mist.
For three hundred days a year, the village was enveloped in a hazy, foggy atmosphere.
Because of this, Kirigakure shinobi excelled in Hidden Mist Jutsu and Silent Killing Techniques.
The village itself featured predominantly stone architecture, with lush vegetation throughout. However, unlike the vibrant energy of Konohagakure, Kirigakure exuded a gray-green sense of decay.
Rinjin was not skilled in mist combat. Despite his sharp senses, he lacked proficiency in precise, small-scale sensory techniques.
Thus, he spent his time both training to adapt to misty combat and observing Ameyuri Ringo's daily habits.
Meanwhile, back in the tranquil Konohagakure, the village was gradually becoming less peaceful.
At the Root organization's base, Danzo Shimura sat on his high stone chair, deep in thought.
Rinjin had made it clear that he had zero interest in eternal companionship with his sister.
Surprisingly, Danzo found himself trusting Rinjin's integrity—just a little.
Although he had been thoroughly outmaneuvered by Rinjin, upon reflection, Rinjin had always kept his word.
He promised one hundred million ryo, and delivered without hesitation;
He said he was leaving to do business, and had been gone for over a month.
This rekindled Danzo's ambition for the Hokage position.
He decided to revive his previously shelved plans.
"Manipulate the Uchiha!"
His earlier strategies had seemed effective but were easily neutralized by Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Not only that, but they had inadvertently allowed Kagami Uchiha to gain access to high-level authority, which was quite embarrassing.
After much deliberation, Danzo recalled how Rinjin had effortlessly manipulated the Uchiha clan leader during the clan meeting.
A simple bowing gesture had elevated the Uchiha leader's status, only to let him crash spectacularly, all while maintaining an air of ease.
Inspired, Danzo's eyes lit up as a bold plan took shape in his mind.
"Summon someone!"
At his command, a Root ninja wearing a fox mask appeared before him, kneeling.
Looking at his obedient subordinate, Danzo pondered briefly before issuing his orders:
"Spread the word discreetly—praise the Uchiha clan's excellence and highlight their contributions to the village.
Include the achievements and hardships of the Konoha Police Force in your narrative.
From now on, if any conflict arises between Uchiha clan members and other families or civilians, do not intervene. Let the Konoha Police Force handle it themselves.
Also, withdraw all surveillance on the Uchiha clan."
Though puzzled by the orders, the Root ninja nodded firmly.
Watching his subordinate leave, Danzo smirked sinisterly.
Having been repeatedly outmaneuvered by Rinjin, the old schemer had finally grasped the essence of power:
"The heavier the burden on someone's shoulders, the smaller their courage becomes."
Danzo was merely the headmaster of an underground training institution, while Hiruzen Sarutobi was the mayor of the entire village.
Who would be more concerned about the Uchiha clan growing too powerful?
In the past, it was Danzo, who fancied himself the inheritor of Tobirama Senju's legacy.
But now? It was Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage!
Another week passed, and the situation in Konoha took a chaotic turn.
The villagers were thoroughly disgusted.
Every clan had its black sheep, and the Uchiha were no exception. Many arrogant Uchiha clan members continued their reckless behavior.
They were surprised to find that the previously ever-present ANBU operatives had vanished.
Now, conflicts and disputes were handled by their own Konoha Police Force.
While some Uchiha officers dealt with matters fairly, the organization was not without its rotten apples.
One bad apple was enough to tarnish the reputation of the entire clan.
Meanwhile, those who acted impartially faced disdain within their own clan, as if they had wandered into the Hyuga territory next door.
Around the village, voices praising the Uchiha clan's greatness grew louder.
Even their drunken brawls at taverns were labeled as signs of valor and martial spirit.
This strategy directly reduced Konoha's food consumption by more than ten percent—everyone was too nauseated to eat.
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