Nohara Rin was truly a bright and somewhat innocent young girl. In truth, she was an excellent Medical Ninja; during the emergency where she had to transplant Obito's eye into Kakashi, she had managed her emotions decisively to complete the task.
However, in other areas, she was clearly not as seasoned. For instance, despite being a ninja from a Great Nation, she had failed to recognize Kakuzu, a high-profile criminal who had made quite a name for himself in the Shinobi World over the past year.
But Uchiha Madara? Every ninja in Konoha knew that name. His statue stood tall at the Valley of the End, and he was a central figure in the village's history, a staple of the Academy textbooks. Perhaps only a hot-blooded idiot who turned in blank test papers like Naruto would be ignorant of him.
While she had heard Madara's name mentioned earlier, Rin hadn't quite grasped the reality of it. It wasn't until Diarmuid suggested that Madara might kill them both in a fit of rage if she tried to find Obito that it finally clicked.
That's right! That man was Uchiha Madara!
The legendary Uchiha Madara, the man who stood as an equal to the First Hokage. Rin had never considered herself particularly powerful, and Obito's track record before this had been that of a definitive "dead last." Put the two of them together against Madara? The words "death wish" might as well have been tattooed on their foreheads.
Rin had already died once, and so had Obito. She didn't want to die again, and she certainly didn't want Obito to die with her.
After calming herself, she wiped away her tears and looked at Diarmuid. "Can't even someone like you deal with Uchiha Madara, Diarmuid-sama?"
This time, she didn't use "Diarmuid-san," but addressed him with the respect due to a superior.
Diarmuid rubbed his chin and exhaled a plume of smoke, not answering immediately.
Uchiha Madara? Right now, the man had given away his Rinnegan and felt faint just walking a few paces. The moment the "network cable" behind him was pulled, he'd be finished. Why would Diarmuid fear him?
Perhaps Diarmuid couldn't quite match a peak-condition Madara yet, but he felt there was no immediate threat. By the time Madara returned to his prime, Diarmuid expected his own Sage Transformation to be perfected and his Wood Release mastered. With a bit of luck, he might even have the issues with the Sharingan or Rinnegan sorted out. By then, let alone Madara, Diarmuid was prepared to go a few rounds with Otsutsuki Kaguya if she decided to pop up.
In fact, Diarmuid often felt that in terms of pure combat prowess, Madara was significantly stronger than Kaguya. Kaguya's strength lay in her status as the Progenitor of Chakra, but her combat experience was a joke, she was a total amateur. She was like a novice holding the world's most peerless martial arts manual but having no idea how to use it, relying entirely on luck to win.
Conversely, Madara was a man forged in a sea of blood and corpses. His combat experience was unparalleled. If it weren't for Black Zetsu "pouring his heart out" to him at the end, he might have actually achieved his dream of "Universal Harmony."
While he didn't fear Madara, Diarmuid had no intention of moving against him so soon. After all, he was no longer a righteous Marine Admiral; in fact, many of his plans and philosophies actually aligned with Madara's...
Seeing Diarmuid's silence, Rin seemed to "understand." She misunderstood, thinking Diarmuid found the task difficult. It made sense to her. Madara had lived for so many years, so his strength must be immense. Even though Diarmuid had the reputation of an "Outlaw" and seemed powerful, he was likely still the underdog compared to a legend like Madara.
"No," Diarmuid said.
He used the word "no" (meaning he wouldn't), rather than "cannot." But Rin didn't catch the nuance.
Diarmuid continued, "It's not the time to deal with Madara yet, so I won't."
Rin interpreted this as: I'm not a match for Madara yet, so I can't.
"Will you be able to later?" Rin asked.
"Of course. Madara is one of the strongest people I know. Regardless of whether our interests clash or not, I intend to find out who's superior eventually. But not now. The time isn't right. There will be a chance in the future," Diarmuid said.
He wasn't lying. Whether in the world of One Piece or Naruto, he always desired to clash with the absolute peak of the world. Madara was undoubtedly one of the strongest; Diarmuid actually valued him more than Kaguya. To have a grand battle with such a person would be one of life's greatest pleasures. Deep down, despite his mild-mannered exterior, Diarmuid possessed a warlike spirit.
Rin was not a reckless child. She didn't dwell on conspiracies or let her emotions drive her to ignore advice and go looking for Obito. She wasn't that type of person; Sakura might have been. If it were Sasuke pinned under a rock, giving his eye to Naruto, and Sakura had to perform the surgery... it likely wouldn't have happened. Sakura might have led all three of them to their deaths.
At this stage, Rin understood why Diarmuid couldn't let her return to Konoha; it would benefit no one. She didn't think Diarmuid meant her harm because she instinctively felt the goodwill he radiated. Moreover, she was supposed to be dead. To be brought back to life and then immediately suspect her savior would be pathological. Most importantly, she didn't see anything "special" about herself that would make her worth exploiting.
"Then... what should I do from now on?" Rin asked, feeling lost. Yet, for some reason, she felt a small spark of happiness. Even if she couldn't see Obito, at least she knew he was alive.
"Just stay with us and help out. Do some odd jobs. This place is full of grown men; even I'm getting tired of them. Having a young girl around makes the cave feel a lot brighter," Diarmuid said with a chuckle.
The entire Yorozuya organization, the entire base, was men. And not a single one was "normal." While in terms of living standards, Orochimaru, Kakuzu, Sasori, and even Jūzō were quite meticulous, they were hardly "vibrant." They weren't slovenly, but they were certainly stiff.
With Rin there, even if she lacked great power, she could effectively make the atmosphere more comfortable. Diarmuid didn't formally invite her to join Yorozuya; she wasn't qualified yet. But helping with the daily chores, like washing the dishes after Sasori cooked, was perfect!
Besides, Rin was likely a very talented and capable person. Diarmuid hadn't confirmed it yet, but anyone who ran with the protagonists of this era couldn't be worse than Sakura. Even Sakura could learn the Yin Seal!
Yorozuya did not lack resources. Training her would be no problem at all. Most importantly, Rin possessed excellent character and was "hardcore." Anyone who would willingly throw themselves into Kakashi's Chidori was nothing if not hardcore. Growing up surrounded by elites like Diarmuid, Sasori, Kakuzu, Orochimaru, and Jūzō, she couldn't possibly turn out to be a failure.
In the future, she might even happily join Yorozuya based on her own strength.
Rin nodded, then hesitated. "Is it... Yorozuya?"
"That's right. What's wrong? Do you have a problem with Yorozuya?" Diarmuid asked.
Rin waved her hands frantically, like a startled rabbit. "No, no!"
"Hahaha... don't be afraid, I'm just asking. If you have something on your mind, say it."
Rin hesitated. Diarmuid seemed very easy to talk to across their few interactions, so she finally summoned her courage. "It's just... I've heard... that Yorozuya is a terrorist organization... and that everyone is a bad person..."
"Well, we aren't exactly 'good' people... but to say we're 'bad'..." Diarmuid rubbed his chin. He wanted to explain, but then he realized that calling them all "bastards" wasn't technically inaccurate.
Forget it, there's no scrubbing that clean.
So, Diarmuid changed his approach. "That's a very flawed way of looking at it. How do you define 'good' and 'bad'? To you, the Iwagakure and Kirigakure are bad guys, right?"
Rin nodded. Obviously.
"But to the people of the Land of Earth and the Land of Water, they are the good guys and you are the bad guys. It's the same for us. Good and evil aren't that simple to distinguish. In my opinion, your view is a bit blind," Diarmuid said.
Rin understood the logic, she wasn't stupid, but she was still curious. "Then, Diarmuid-sama, what do you think makes someone a good person or a bad person?"
She was curious about this S-Rank criminal's perspective on morality.
Diarmuid thought for a moment. "I don't value those labels. I only value people I admire and those around me. To me, being 'good' or 'bad' isn't important."
He smiled, not wanting to dive further into a philosophical debate with no answer. "Anyway, you can't go anywhere else right now; it's not safe. Just consider yourself dead. Live well here, and use your own eyes to see whether we're 'bad people' or not. Hahaha."
Rin knew she couldn't out-argue someone like Diarmuid. Besides, it was as he said, where could she go? Leaving would only cause trouble for everyone and might even get people killed.
Fine. She would live among these "bad people" of Yorozuya and see for herself. Maybe... it wouldn't be the "demon's den" she imagined?
Once she made up her mind, she felt a small thrill of excitement. She had always been the righteous, sunny "good girl" in Konoha, rarely showing a rebellious streak. But a young girl's heart is a poem; who hasn't dreamed of a completely different life?
I didn't have a choice before, but now I want to be a bad girl!Ooh? Exciting!
Thinking this way made her look forward to the future. Especially since Diarmuid, the leader of Yorozuya, seemed quite kind to her. She probably wouldn't be bullied here.
"Alright, I understand, Diarmuid-sama," Rin said.
"Good. Here." Diarmuid tossed a small scroll to her. Inside were several common ninjutsu. Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique, Water Release: Water Severing Wave, and the like.
While common, they were by no means low in value. Rin usually wouldn't have had the chance to learn them. Her sensei, Minato, excelled in Sealing Jutsu and rarely used other ninjutsu; most of the time, he relied on the Flying Raijin Technique and Rasengan.
"This is..." Rin looked at the scroll in shock, feeling overwhelmed.
"Do your chores well; consider this your wages. I'm off." Diarmuid waved a hand and made a stylish exit.