Sakumo had a bit of finesse to his way of doing missions. Even a Jonin cannot be as skilled as an Elite that has their personal quirks allowing them to face multiple average jonins and Sakumo's was that he was invested. In case any eventful situation arises, Sakumo loved completing the missions. Not the part where he was to kill. But it was definitely the part of the job description. No, he loved the sense of giving back to the village, his home.

Hatake came from a long line of farmers. But they used the very same tillers to kill people in the Warring Era to protect themselves. Sakumo knew well that the business of killing, no matter how powerful, just wouldn't match up to professions that create, like farming and crafting but... this was his way of coping and it also just made him a little more relaxed in missions, flexible. His chakra reserves may not be the highest amongst the Jonin Elites including the more younger ones like Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru but all he needed was a sword.

So, he did not feel the least bit annoyed that he had to share the tiny shag he'd built in the alley to better fit into their surroundings with three other children that Kai brought in as his smile widened, "Ah, Kai, are these three your friends? Hi, friends, I'm Kai's dad."

Sakumo was used to the deadpan Kai gave as a result of his jokes but... actually...

"Pfft... Ah- I- I didn't mean any disrespect. My name is Nagato..." Sakumo felt his heart overwhelmed when the redheaded boy bowed politely despite the obvious caution in the eyes of the orangehead.

Kai and Yahiko looked at Nagato with wonder, thinking what part of this was exactly funny...

Meanwhile, Konan blinked and bowed, too, "We're sorry to disturb you."

"The two of you are so well-mannered," Sakumo smiled pleasantly but the implications of this observation made him sigh. The two must have lived with their parents long enough to know basic etiquette which means that they weren't orphans from the very start.

"So? Kai said you're the best thief ever! Will you teach us?" While Sakumo did not know what Kai was doing, he had confirmed that this Kai was indeed the genuine Konoha genius when he revealed the password in the form of a pattern of blinks and lip twitches.

"Hmm... stealing huh, I have left that path," Sakumo cooked something with ease as he leaned against the plastic shag and sighed, "Instead of stealing, I can teach you something better."

"What is it?" Yahiko inquired but Sakumo smirked, "Shouldn't the two of you introduce yourself?"

"I'm Konan," The girl smiled while Yahiko looked cautious while speaking, "Yahiko..."

"Hmm, first, never identify yourself to strangers," Sakumo smiled.

"Then why did you ask us?!" Yahiko snapped at the man who shrugged, "I'm not a stranger, I'm dad."

This pulled an amused smile from the pale redhead while even Konan seemed to enjoy his words except for Yahiko who stomped his foot into a puddle with a resounding splash, "We didn't ask for it! For crying out loud, come on, this is a waste of time... We're leaving!"

"Now, now, easy young man." Sakumo chuckled, "I can see that even when younger than the two of your friends, you're a responsible man already, huh. I can teach you a few things but how you use them is upto you."

"But you're a beggar yourself," Yahiko countered.

"And? I have a wealth of knowledge."

"Prove it... count till 100!" Yahiko scoffed.

"Uh, 100 is easy for adults... count above 9," Nagato interjected.

"No," Konan pouted, "Count till and... 3- 30!"

Kai looked at the trio and was honestly amazed how Nagato felt 9 was the highest number.

"Alright, I will teach the three of you counting first," Sakumo smirked as he set time, which, the three kids did not know and had to use other indicators before they left. There was a chance that they may not return but Sakumo felt he had made enough impression on the duo.

"So? Why the need to bring the three of them here?" Sakumo inquired as the duo settled under the tiny plastic roof that protected them from the rain as Kai hummed, "I thought it would be better for me to blend with other children and then move a bit further around. The town is packed by Shinobi so it's clear Hanzo leaked the destination of the negotiations with others... although, I am a little more worried about the various poisonous blends Sunagakure may employ when we ambush them."

"The populace here is targeted to migrate but... it is expected of us to root out as many possible spies as we can..." Sakumo muttered with a hint of exasperation.

"Possible?" Kai noted the term as Sakumo shrugged and let out a defeated sigh.

---

For the next three days, Sakumo indeed has started getting visited by Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan and while the Orangehead was nothing more than a nuisance, Kai was better than most and found use of him by sticking around them as they stole stuff with ease. Of all, only Konan would share some of the loot with Sakumo as even Kai ate all of his stuff as he stole. He had none to spare to an experienced Elite Jonin that can destroy most of the shinobi hidden like the two of them.

Still... Kai had kept what he felt about Nagato from Sakumo. During these three days, Kai continued to keep a close eye on Nagato and found the boy utterly average. He didn't have the usual Uzumaki temper, nor their better-than-average physical prowess... it was as if not only chakra but everything about the boy was being drained constantly... used.

"Hey, Nagato," Kai blinked, "You've got weird eyes or something, dude? Why keep your face covered?" they sat in some alleyway, cutting open a watermelon as Nagato nodded meekly but Yahiko scoffed, "They aren't weird! Stop messing with Nagato or you'll have it from me!"

Konan, however, always had an informative reply, "Well, ever since we knew Nagato, he's had these eyes but we were afraid others might want to hurt or bully him because of it so he usually keeps them covered."

"But still," Kai bit into his share of watermelon while a piece was cut aside which Cinnamon dug her body into alongside Nagato's ped dog Chibi eating his share, too, "Doesn't it feel weird to always keep your eyes covered?"

"It doesn't," Nagato gave a weak smile as he brushed his red locks up and revealed a set of strange eyes that made Kai raise his brows in surprise as his lips parted in an 'o' shape. He had seen Dojutsu, two of them. Sharingan with its tomoes and a byakugan but this...light purple eyes with concentric dark purple rings with a tiny pupil in the center was definitely the weirdest. And now that he was looking into them directly, he, even with his suppressed Chakra, noticed the unbelievable amount of chakra being held in the eyes but strangely... it did not leak. If he wasn't directly staring into these, Kai wouldn't have noticed this at all.

"That... is definitely weird," Kai ascertained, his words making Yahiko clench his fist and Konan pout but here's the thing... Kai looked like a behemoth when in front of them. The trio was young and frail while Kai tested himself on the hardest of paths of the grind. Enduring the grueling training and thus, reaping the juiciest results. And his body deterred Yahiko greatly.

"Hey, don't feel bad. Weird doesn't mean bad," Kai smirked and leaned forward to observe the boy's eyes in detail, "Hmm... but like Kon-chan said, you should keep your eyes covered. People can be really jealous of unique things."

Nagato nodded while Konan inflated her cheeks further with the piece of watermelon in her mouth, "Itsh Konahnn!"

Kai deadpanned, it was still running but he felt the impact on his face and wiped it with his arms while grumbling, "Hey, say it, don't spray it!"

"So... you don't mind it his eyes for real?" Yahiko approached with disbelief clear in his eyes as Kai shrugged, "If I did, I would have shown it in my face."

Kai still didn't know what kind of Dojutsu could be so contained but so draining, too. And as a Kekkei Genkai, Dojutsu is rarer than elemental kekkei genkais to the point that only two well-known dojutsu users were a part of Konoha.

'Heh, it'd be kind of funny if this is THAT Rinnegan, the fabled one amongst the three Great Dojutsu claimed by Hyuga and the Uchiha. Ironic given both the clan are at each other's throats but only come to an agreement when it comes to Rinnegan.

"Thanks..." Nagato whispered mutedly, almost too softly to be heard under the drizzle as Kai snickered and patted the boy's back, "Come on, it's nothing much. So? You've always had these eyes, huh... does it feel strange? Hey, maybe you can be like those shinobi and breathe fire!" Kai had a wide-eyed expression, his acting skills coming to a great job.

If this really happened to be THAT dojutsu... yeah, he'd be willing to give it a shot. Byakugan users, at least, branch members have those seals which make their eyes useless after death and while alive, it's damn hard to capture them because most of the civilians of the clan are counted for and rarely leave their compound while trained members were troublesome and dedicated enough to die rather than let their eyes fall into the enemy's hands.

Uchiha Clan... was even more complicated. They have certain requirements to awaken their Dojutsu and those who do are basically on the rise to a chunin where the clan doesn't place a seal on their eyes... but their bodies— reproductive organs, to be exact. The crux of the matter was... these kinds of specific seals are expensive to not only form constantly but invent, too.

Kai knew it for a fact that Mito was approached by both the clan's heads to form even better seals to safeguard their lineage, her words while he used to massage her legs. But she rejected them despite the lucrative offers...

And the only reason why their initial seals were so varied, was the Hyuga craved control over their Dojutsu while the Uchiha wished for their members to not be targeted as a breeding machine and this seal DID wonders.

Capturing the Uchiha to breed the kunoichi or having the shinobi breed others was the last thing other villages thought when they faced an Uchiha.

So...

'Does an Uzumaki have a Rinnegan? Wait, if that was true, it would have been public knowledge. Mito and Kushina are hailed as the ones with the purest bloodline amongst the living members but... none of them have a Rinnegan. Besides... Mikoto and Hizashi have their Dojutsu and it only drains them when it's activated... and the ability to activate or deactivate is instinctive amongst the Dojutsu user... interesting...'

Kai continued to try and pry information from Nagato but the boy knew nothing about it, which was even more suspicious. He had it on good authority by Hizashi that every child in the Hyuga, even without prior studies, activate the Byakugan on their own at about the age of three similar to how they learn to crawl and walk.

Nagato was a blank slate.

But then again, Kai had to make sure that these eyes were Rinnegan in the first place. It might as well be some other Dojutsu but it was becoming increasingly aware to Kai that whatever these eyes are... they weren't natural to Nagato. The eyes were a parasite that drained him a bit too much and most likely is implanted.

'But if this is Rinnegan... should Sakumo even see them?'

Kai had nothing against the boy but he knew the benefits of a Kekkei Genkai, especially weird ones like a Dojutsu. Sure, implanting one into himself would be too draining but if it's worth the benefits, why not? Still... many things needed to be ascertained and he still had a week before the appointed time... all he had to do now was subtly suggest the kids to not reveal Nagato's eyes to Sakumo whenever they are present in the shack.

Even Kai couldn't sense the eyes beyond the curtain of Nagato's hair so he doubted Sakumo could, too. But this was a task daunting in itself. After all, if Kai can question these things curiously then so can Sakumo who adored the trio, too.

***

A/N: Don't feel hyped about Rinnegan just yet. I feel that almost any dojutsu skill can be replicated so currently I'm not that eager to just replace eyes with Nagato. Besides... if possible, I'd rather not have Zetsu target Kai because of him stealing the rinne and the demands of the eyes are too much to the point that even the adult obito could only implant one of them.

***

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