Warning: This article contains spoilers for Naruto Shippuden episode 345 onwards.
Character deaths are a notable aspect in any series, and the Naruto franchise is renowned for capitalizing on a character’s passing to not only move the plot forward but to allow other characters to grow and develop. However, some deaths have left a long-lasting impression on the series, with one character’s death completely changing the course of the Naruto universe.
The death of Rin Nohara took place several years before Naruto was even born, yet its long-lasting impact could be seen in the form of the Fourth Great Shinobi War, as the two events are almost directly linked. The iconic frame of Kakashi’s chidori impaled through Rin’s heart has been shown several times throughout the series, yet the actual events that lead to her death are depicted quite vaguely. Understanding the events that transpired not only shed light on the truth behind Rin’s death but also the conspiracy that took place behind the scenes.
The Hidden Mist’s Plot
Being an enemy of the Leaf during the Third Great Shinobi War, the Hidden Mist Village had plotted to annihilate the Hidden Leaf Village completely. Their plan involved capturing a Leaf shinobi and implanting Three-Tails into them, which would result in devastation at the hands of the tailed beast’s rampage once the shinobi got back to the Leaf. To follow through with their plan, the Hidden Mist kidnapped Rin Nohara, a Leaf shinobi that was sent out on a mission outside the village. With the plan being set in motion, the Three-Tails was implanted within Rin while she was unconscious.
Kakashi tried to foil their plan by saving Rin from their clutches, yet he remained unaware of the Hidden Mist’s true intentions. As they escaped, Rin realized that she had another entity inside of her, and suddenly, she connected the dots and reached the conclusion that a tailed beast had been sealed inside of her. Being a quick-witted shinobi, Rin instantly figured out the plot, and realized that the Mist shinobi intended on chasing the two back to the Hidden Leaf Village, where they would undo the seal and let Three-Tails wreak havoc over the village.
Rin’s Sacrifice
Upon surmising the true intention of her being made a Jinchuriki, Rin ascertained that the chase was simply a ploy by Hidden Mist shinobi to lead the two back to the Leaf Village. In order to save her village, she decided to sacrifice herself and asked Kakashi to kill her, a request to which he did not comply, as he had promised Obito to keep Rin safe at any cost.
As the Mist shinobi caught up to the two, Kakashi tried to fight them, yet the sheer number of Mist Anbu put him at a disadvantage. In an effort to fend them off, Kakashi used his lightning chidori, and as he tried to strike the enemy, Rin jumped in between, letting Kakashi impale her with a chidori right through her chest. The iconic frame created with Rin’s sacrifice had an ever-lasting effect on the series, as unbeknownst to Kakashi and Rin, Obito had arrived at the scene right before the climactic sacrifice made by Rin. Although Obito and Kakashi, at the moment, believed that the Hidden Mist was behind Rin’s death, there was another bigger force at play behind the scenes.
The Truth Behind Rin’s Death
What seemed like a plot by an enemy village in the beginning was soon revealed to be a ploy by Madara Uchiha, who had manipulated the Hidden Mist into acting on his plan and abducting Rin Nohara to become the Three-Tails Jinchuriki. He had hoped that the young kunoichi would stay true to the shinobi code and sacrifice herself, which she did, just as he had planned. Little is revealed about how Madara was able to convince the Mist to act on his plan, however, it can be speculated that he could have either used a genjutsu or employed one of the Zetsus to do his bidding for him.
A crucial part of his plan was for Obito to witness the exact moment Rin is killed, as it would prompt his Mangekyo Sharingan to awaken, along with him realizing that the world is full of pain and suffering, and that achieving peace is an idealistic and unattainable concept. From that point forward, Obito vowed to fulfill Madara’s vision of an infinite dream, so that Rin could live on in his own reality, one where true peace could be made possible.