Chapter 43 The War Between Women
In the lounge, a quiet stillness pervaded the space.
Shiroshi sat on the chair in the lounge, racking his brain on what to do next.
He looked toward the entrance of the women's bath, realizing that it had been at least ten minutes since Rui had entered.
But until now... nothing had happened.
From any angle he considered, Shiroshi felt that this situation was rather unusual.
An explosion, or a terrifying scene of the entire hot spring being engulfed in flames—such scenes would at least provide Shiroshi with a sense of relief.
What could be happening in there?
Could it be that Ayane had already left?
After all, he deliberately spoke loudly earlier to remind Ayane, who was still inside the bath, to be prepared to escape.
If that was the case, it wasn't hard to imagine the reason for the unusual silence inside...
Yet Shiroshi had a feeling that things were not so simple.
Sitting restlessly on the chair, Shiroshi held an unopened bottle of milk in his hand, not having taken a sip, just clutching it.
It was precisely due to this abnormal silence that he felt uneasy.
Another twenty minutes passed, and footsteps could be heard coming from the entrance of the women's bath. Shiroshi looked up and saw both Rui and Ayane, dressed only in pristine yukatas, stepping out from inside.
Huh?
What's going on?
Why didn't they start fighting?
This was not normal.
"The hot spring here is so comfortable. Lately, my shoulders have been sore, but I feel much better now."
Ayane came into the lounge, lazily stretching herself while her ample assets were emphasized by the yukata.
No wonder she complained about her shoulders being sore. With such ample assets, feeling shoulder discomfort was actually quite normal.
Even during battles, having overly large breasts might affect combat effectiveness.
"Who told you to eat so much? That extra part of yours is completely superfluous."
Rui glanced at Ayane's chest, making this pointedly blunt assessment.
"I find it strange too. It's not like they grew this quickly before. Maybe it really has something to do with my appetite."
Ayane also pondered seriously whether her unusually large breasts were related to her hearty appetite.
Shiroshi had no room to interject. Rui and Ayane continued their conversation as if they were close friends, and Shiroshi almost thought that what he was witnessing was a hallucination.
Could it be that he had unknowingly fallen into Rui's genjutsu?
After all, he knew about Rui's genjutsu, which didn't necessarily have to be released through the Sharingan.
Or perhaps, from the very beginning, Rui's genjutsu wasn't released through the Sharingan.
However... even after Rui returned, there was no contact, and genjutsu couldn't control him for such a long time without him realizing.
"Um, you two... Are you okay in there?"
At this point, Shiroshi couldn't help but ask.
"What could happen in there? Shiroshi-kun, you're acting strange."
No, it's you two who are acting strange. That's what Shiroshi could only answer internally.
Although it was a bit unbelievable, the dream-like scene of Rui and Ayane interacting like intimate sisters surely had something off about it.
"Furthermore, we even helped each other scrub our backs in there. It's the smooth and snowy white back muscles we're talking about."
Ayane pointed to her chin with a meaningful smile toward Shiroshi.
"Is that so?"
Shiroshi opened the cap of the bottled milk in his hand, taking a sip to calm himself down and cool the heat within him.
Ayane must have deliberately described the scene so enticingly, stirring up desires and impulses in people's minds.
And indeed, Shiroshi's thoughts had gone in that direction.
The restless and agitated body of adolescence was truly troublesome.
"Alright, I've finished soaking in the hot spring. I should be leaving soon."
After consuming a chilled bottle of milk in the lounge, Ayane felt her body was much more at ease. She prepared to go back inside to change into her ninja attire.
"Don't you want to stay for lunch?"
Rui naturally extended an invitation to Ayane.
"I can't. There's still a lot to do in the clan."
Ayane went inside. A few minutes later, she emerged again, having changed into her predominantly kimono-style ninja outfit.
"Well then, I'll take my leave. Let's hang out together again sometime."
"I'll walk you out."
Shiroshi took the initiative to step forward.
"No need for that trouble. I'm not a child. I know the way back. Besides, Shiroshi-kun, your work is more important."
Rejecting Shiroshi's proposal, Ayane left the room, closing the door behind her before leaving.
The last excuse to escape from this place was gone.
She was a despicable woman who would toss a man aside once she was satisfied, without any intention of taking on any responsibility.
It seemed that next time, he needed to make her aware of who truly held the upper hand.
This was a woman who satisfied herself and then discarded the man, completely avoiding any responsibility—a despicable woman.
Looks like next time, I need to show her who's really in control.
Becoming increasingly disobedient to discipline.
"How much longer are you going to stay here? Your research on ninjutsu isn't finished yet, right?"
Rui's sudden words resonated behind him.
"Y-yes, there's still a portion left unfinished. Most of it is done. Um, it's just that, Rui, didn't you have something for me to wait for you here?"
Shiroshi scratched his head.
Well, I guess I should apologize sincerely.
After all, this situation was ultimately his fault.
As long as he took full responsibility for his mistakes, Rui would surely forgive him.
This was something Shiroshi had become well-versed in dealing with, an instinctive response that required no thought.
"Upon further consideration, it's not that important. I need you to make some tools that inhibit the flow of chakra. The taijutsu of the three inexperienced genin in my squad is too weak. I need to provide them with some special training."
"Is that the only thing?"
"What else would it be?"
Seeing Shiroshi's awkward movements and the scattered gaze in his eyes, Rui's tone was light as she asked.
"I thought it might be about Ayane..."
"What does Ayane have to do with this?"
"Well, not really. Anyway, it doesn't matter. I'll get to work now. I can have the items you need ready today. I'll give them to you tomorrow morning."
In Rui's team, there were three genin, which meant he only needed to create three items that significantly suppressed chakra flow.
Seeing that Rui didn't bring up Ayane again, Shiroshi found it strange, but he thought it would be better not to disturb her at this moment.
Until he had put a considerable distance between himself and the hot spring area, he hadn't heard any commotion from behind.
No, something was off.
This wasn't like Rui at all.
Whether it was a Fire Release or using brute force to destroy something, why was there no sign of anything happening?
It didn't fit Rui's typical style of action.
In such a situation, even a slight sound would have put Shiroshi at ease.
However, there was complete silence now, which was the biggest anomaly.
There must be some special reason for this, something he wasn't aware of.
In the end, what had Rui and Ayane done in the hot spring pool?
Did they just help each other scrub their backs like intimate sisters?
Could it be that their relationship... wasn't as terrible as he had imagined?
With a worried heart, Shiroshi returned to the laboratory. He was absentminded during his experiments in the afternoon, his thoughts fully concentrated on Rui.
What was she thinking?
…
On the other side.
Walking on the way back to the Hyuga clan, Ayane wore an equally troubled expression.
What's going on? Why didn't that Sharingan woman attack me?
Recalling the scene where they helped each other scrub their backs in the hot spring, Ayane's brow furrowed even deeper.
This wasn't normal.
Whether it was in their relationship at the ninja school or after entering Team Sakumo, there had never been such an intimate encounter between her and the Sharingan woman.
What was going through her mind?
Why didn't she attack me back then?
Although she had been prepared for battle at that time, for some reason...
Ayane felt that the Sharingan woman was even more difficult to deal with than before.
Not just in terms of strength, but in terms of her schemes as well.
"Where were you going, Ayane?"
At the entrance to the Hyuga clan's territory, a male ninja dressed in traditional Hyuga attire stood there, waiting for Ayane to return.
"Winter-senpai, what are you doing here?"
Interrupted from her thoughts, Ayane felt a bit annoyed, but her face displayed a gentle smile.
The male Jounin of the Hyuga clan opposite responded with impeccable courtesy, striking the perfect balance between being neither too close nor too distant, an attitude of proximity and distance.
It was precisely this unpredictable feeling that made Hyuga Doken feel that among the Hyuga clan, there was no one more terrifying than this girl who hadn't yet turned twenty.
"You disappeared since this morning, a total of two and a half hours. Where did you go?"
Doken knew that in order to maintain a dominant position in the conversation with Ayane, he couldn't just respond to her questions.
"Though I'd like to answer Senpai's question, this is a confidential mission entrusted to me by Elder Hizashi, so..."
Ayane put on a troubled expression, showing sincere remorse to Doken.
"...You should be aware of your responsibilities."
"This is permitted by Elder Hizashi."
Seeing Ayane once again using Hizashi as her shield, Doken knew that this matter would most likely come to nothing in the end.
Because what she was doing now hadn't crossed the bottom line of the Hyuga clan. Even if the Elders scolded her a bit, it wouldn't lead to any substantial action.
With the caged bird restriction in place, the Elders would be even less concerned about minor details.
"If there's nothing else, Winter-senpai, I'll be on my way to work."
Preparing to leap past Doken.
"You better not give me any leverage."
"Leverage? What leverage? Winter-senpai, you're very strange."
"You might have deceived others, but you can't deceive my eyes. Every move you make is under my surveillance."
"Winter-senpai... you really are a very strange person."
Seriously, this was so troublesome.
Although she didn't mind working with someone like this, Ayane felt that if a fly was buzzing around her ears all day, she would eventually get annoyed.
She really wanted to swat that buzzing fly in her ear already.
…
The eastern horizon lit up with a white sky outside .
Even at this hour, Shiroshi was already soaking his body in the hot spring pool, his eyes closed in enjoyment. White mist rose from the water's surface.
The temperature of the hot spring water was around forty to forty-five degrees Celsius—warm enough not to scald but not too chilly either; it was just the right warmth.
Just then, Shiroshi heard the gentle sound of water movement nearby.
He opened his eyes and saw a young woman with straight, black hair stepping into view. She had a dazzling beauty and wasn't wrapped in a towel, although due to the thick mist, her figure wasn't very clear.
Coupled with the rising dawn, there was a sacred light around her that could obscure the view.
The original sin's light that hindered humans from seeing each other openly.
She walked step by step and arrived behind Shiroshi, gently wiping his back, her fingers tender and her skin delicate. Her touch easily breached Shiroshi's defenses.
"How is it?"
"Very comfortable."
"Then... would you like to do something even more comfortable?"
Something more comfortable?
What's that?
Is it... that?
Shiroshi struggled to suppress the turmoil in his heart; it felt like his heart was about to jump out of his throat.
"Continue what we didn't finish last night. Let's see each other candidly here."
The girl's arms reached around him from behind, embracing his body.
A faint fragrance wafted into his nose.
But suddenly, breathing became difficult.
He felt the girl's hands moving upward, towards his neck.
"Wait, you're holding me too tightly, loosen up a bit..."
"Isn't this the result you wanted? So, become mine alone..."
Her hands tightened even more, and Shiroshi's breath became increasingly labored.
His face turned beet red, as if he were choking to death.
…
Awakening from the bed covered in cold sweat, Shiroshi looked at the white sky outside—it was already dawn.
"Seriously, to dream something like that. I knew it, how could Rui turn into something so frightening? It was just a dream, so it's alright..."
But his throat had been gripped, that sensation of nearly suffocating was so real.
Shiroshi didn't know if this could be classified as a dream of spring or a nightmare.
After breakfast, Shiroshi took out the items Rui had asked him to make yesterday and handed them over to her.
"Here, these are the chakra inhibiting tools you requested yesterday. Once you wear these, the chakra flow in your body will slow down significantly, like a turtle's pace. But remember, they're genin, don't train them too rigorously."
Rui looked at the three metal bracelets in her hand and nodded in understanding.
"There's one thing you should note: wearing these, the training time each day shouldn't exceed three hours, for genin, two hours are already sufficient. Extending the time might land them in the hospital."
"Is it that serious?"
"If the chakra flow is slowed down, it's fine for daily life, but when forced training of taijutsu and ninjutsu is added on top of this state, it can easily damage the body if the training goes on for too long."
"What if I use these for training? Will it work?"
Rui asked with interest.
"If it's you, these level of restriction bracelets would shatter instantly. Your chakra is too strong, you'd need higher-level restriction bracelets."
"Help me make them."
"That's not a problem."
Shiroshi nodded.
This was similar to weight training. By exercising with extra weight, when the weights are removed during a real battle, at the very least, the speed would surge suddenly, if not more.
Using restriction bracelets for training was akin to adding weight to one's chakra. This would lead to the control, burst, and flow of chakra, even the speed and power of releasing ninjutsu, getting stuck in a quagmire, making movement difficult.
Finally, by training chakra flow speed under the effect of restriction bracelets to the peak level without them, after removing the bracelets, control over chakra, burst power, flow speed, and even the speed and power of ninjutsu release would experience a significant boost.
However, these restriction bracelets suitable for genin would not work on Rui.
The chakra burst strength of a Jounin was not something a genin could match.
"That's it then."
After speaking, Rui stood still in place, calmly gazing at Shiroshi.
Shiroshi was slightly taken aback before he realized what she wanted. He stepped forward and embraced Rui in his arms, and they began to kiss each other in the hallway.
Until gradually becoming breathless, Rui felt satisfied, her face slightly flushed, and she left.
Afterward, Shiroshi remained in the laboratory.
He conducted experiments to mix chakra and natural energy while simultaneously starting to make the chakra restriction bracelets Rui needed.
The chakra restriction tools suited for genin wouldn't work on Rui. Her chakra burst was strong enough to shatter them.
If the restriction bracelets were categorized into levels, with ten stages being the standard, the bracelets he had previously made were only of the second level. The restriction bracelets suited for Rui were at least sixth level or higher.
And from the sixth level upwards, only Jounin could handle them.
…
Inside the Hokage Tower, in the office.
Rui was here to receive a mission.
Taking the mission scroll from Hokage Hiruzen, Rui opened it directly and looked at its contents.
It was a C-rank protection mission, and the target was a merchant from the Land of Mountains. He was transporting a batch of medicinal herbs bought from the Land of Fire back to the capital of the Land of Mountains for sale.
So, they had issued a C-rank protection mission to Konoha. The reward for the mission was four hundred thousand ryō.
In C-rank missions, this was considered a relatively high reward.
The highest reward for a C-rank mission was only fifty thousand ryō.
"What do you think?"
Hiruzen looked at the Uchiha girl in front of him, feeling a bit emotional.
"No problem. If there are any issues with the mission, I'll interrupt it promptly."
Rui put away the scroll and said.
Hiruzen nodded in approval.
The last person who entrusted Rui with a mission had lied about the mission's level and was involved in a ninja conflict.
Once she realized this, Rui decisively abandoned the client, ignoring their cries and pleas, and returned to Konoha with her three genin team members, leaving the client to their fate.
Those who issue missions must do so based on trust; otherwise, it could easily lead to losses for Konoha's ninja, even resulting in loss of life.
If even basic trust cannot be assured, then it's the right choice to promptly interrupt the mission and abandon the client.
"Wait."
As Rui was about to leave, she heard Hiruzen's voice from behind.
"Is there something else you need to discuss, Lord Hokage?"
Rui turned around calmly, her eyes without fear or respect, just the manner of attending to official business.
Their relationship was merely one of superior and subordinate; apart from that, there was no connection between them.
Or rather, she had no interest in engaging in meaningless conversations with the corrupt higher-ups of the village.
Just like some of the higher-ups in the Uchiha clan today, they were still dreaming that the Uchiha could become Hokage.
Their innocence and arrogance were so extreme that it was almost laughable.
No matter how you looked at it, they were just a bunch of boring individuals vying for power and wealth.
The current Konoha was like stagnant water, lifeless and devoid of vitality.
"I'd like to ask, did something happen to you today? I have a feeling that you've changed somehow."
Hiruzen was genuinely curious about this.
Usually, from the Uchiha prodigy, he could only sense a cold and heavy aura, but today was different.
In any case, it was a very strange feeling.
A sensation so unique that even Hiruzen couldn't pinpoint its exact nature.
"You're overthinking it, Lord Hokage. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave. I still have missions to complete."
With her back to Hiruzen, Rui left after dropping that statement and opening the door.
"..."
Heaving a sigh, Hiruzen looked a bit melancholic as he gazed outside the window.
Rui's attitude didn't make him sentimental. In fact, the reason behind her indifference was closely related to the decisions of their higher-ups.
But all of this was for the stability of Konoha.
Sometimes, it was necessary to protect the interests of some while sacrificing the interests of others in order to maintain the overall stability and peace of the village, preventing enemies from exploiting its vulnerabilities.
Just as Sakumo was.
Just as Danzō was.
However, he hadn't expected Sakumo to respond in such a resolute manner.
To this day, Hiruzen still couldn't fathom why Sakumo chose to end his own life.
He shouldn't have had any reason or motive to commit suicide.
Hiruzen had merely wanted to use Danzō's influence to exclude him from becoming Hokage, and he would still have remained an irreplaceable elite jōnin of Konoha, his position among the elite jōnin being unshakable...
Countless "whys" continued to perplex Hiruzen.
Unfortunately, with Sakumo's passing, there was no longer anyone who could answer the deeply embedded questions in his heart.
So, Rui's indifferent attitude toward the village's upper echelons was somewhat understandable.
But... in the future, Rui would become a significant figure in the Uchiha clan. She would play a decisive role in the Uchiha's integration with the village's overall plan.
Hiruzen looked outside the window, toward the direction of the Ninja Academy.
It had been a long time since he visited there.
…
n the way to the Medical Ninja Training Division, Shiroshi saw a familiar figure standing ahead in the corridor, as if observing something, a natural surprise on their face.
"Hokage-sama?"
"Uh..."
Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi heard the voice from the side and turned in surprise to see Shiroshi walking toward him.
"I remember you..."
"Hokage-sama, I am Chiba Shiroshi."
"Sorry, getting older has affected my memory a bit."
Hiruzen smiled helplessly, appearing affable and kind.
"You're joking, you're not even fifty yet."
In response to Shiroshi's words, Hiruzen smiled and said, "I'm getting up there. I've been in this position for twenty years, and when the next Hokage takes over, I can finally be free."
Shiroshi smiled in response without saying anything.
"By the way, what brings Hokage-sama here?"
"Nothing major, just wanted to walk around. How have you been? Working around Tsunade, are you adjusting well?"
"Not much to adjust to. After all, I only have a limited role."
"No need to belittle yourself. Medical ninjas are an essential part of present and future Konoha. If I had agreed to Tsunade's medical reform a bit earlier, the Second Great Ninja War might not have..."
At this point, Hiruzen's face showed a touch of sadness.
Medical reform had only officially started during the Second Great Ninja War, rather than with an earlier emphasis on training medical ninjas before the war. If decisions had been made sooner, Konoha's casualty rate wouldn't have been as high, and the prolonged confrontation with Suna during the war's end might have been avoided.
"It's not your fault, Hokage-sama. The war caught all of us off guard. Saving more lives in times of conflict is the duty and responsibility of us medical ninjas. That's why I chose the path of a medical ninja. But also, I appreciate that Hokage-sama values our role in the village, giving us the status we have today."
Shiroshi affirmed firmly.
In the past, medical ninjas in Konoha hadn't received much attention and generally held lower status compared to combat personnel.
It wasn't until the medical reform that their status was elevated in the village, later followed by other villages adopting similar changes.
Tsunade had indeed put substantial effort into the village's development, and no one in Konoha could be compared to her in this aspect.
A large portion of the new generation of medical ninjas in Konoha had received guidance, more or less, from Tsunade. And those medical ninjas, trained by her, had gone on to save countless ninja and villagers. This undoubtedly elevated Tsunade's status in the village.
"It's all thanks to Tsunade's efforts. It's not much to do with me as Hokage."
Hiruzen shook his head and smiled, genuinely pleased to see his disciple holding such high respect within the village.
This was the only way for the village to remain stable.
His three disciples had contributed immeasurably.
Standing there with Hiruzen, watching the students playing ninja games on the training ground not far away, Shiroshi said, "Children nowadays are lucky. Unlike a few years ago, when they could be assigned to battlefields right after graduating."
"Yes, protecting these children is the great legacy that Hashirama-sama left for the village—the Will of Fire."
"Hashirama-sama was a great man, and he's my role model. The Will of Fire he passed down is a remarkable legacy that everyone should be inspired by."
Shiroshi spoke confidently.
Hiruzen smiled and said nothing, after a moment he continued, "By the way, how do you find the Uchiha members?"
"Though some of them are overly arrogant, I think, fundamentally, they're not bad people. It's just that the Civilian Police Force often receives complaints from villagers."
He had a somewhat helpless expression on his face as he said this.
"True, the Uchiha are also descendants of Hashirama-sama, inheriting his Will of Fire. I hope that one day the villagers will also accept the Uchiha clan as part of their own family."
"Hokage-sama, did you come to me to ask about Rui?"
Shiroshi pondered for a moment and then questioned Hiruzen.
Hiruzen fell silent.
"I'm quite worried about her current state."
"I knew it, the Hokage-sama with countless responsibilities. How could you be concerned about someone like me, an insignificant figure?"
Shiroshi gave a wry smile, carrying a carefree attitude that showed he didn't consider such matters too heavily.
"I've said not to belittle yourself. Being recognized by the Uchiha clan's genius jonin shows your excellent and sincere qualities. In my eyes, you are already an exceptional Konoha shinobi who has inherited Hashirama-sama's Will of Fire."
"Just making a joke, Hokage-sama, please don't take it seriously." Shiroshi smiled and after a moment's thought, replied to Hiruzen, "Ever since Sensei Sakumo passed away, Rui's emotions haven't been very stable. To be honest, at that time, I was also angry about Sensei Sakumo's death, but the deceased are gone, and Sensei Sakumo wouldn't want us to end up like this."
"Sakumo was an outstanding Konoha shinobi..."
"Yes, because of that, I can truly understand Sensei Sakumo. Even at the end, he held a deep love for Konoha and made that decision. As his former student, all I need to do is understand and carry on his will. After all, passing on our teacher's will is our duty and goal as students."
Shiroshi extended his hand, clenched it in the air as if trying to grasp something.
Observing the clear and optimistic expression on Shiroshi's face, it was a smile and gaze that only a person with a pure and untarnished heart could have.
Hiruzen was momentarily lost in thought.
It was quite remarkable for a young Shiroshi to have a mind so broad and open to all perspectives.
And this type of thinking was exactly the precious quality that Hokage needed.
Hiruzen had a feeling that with someone like Shiroshi, the Uchiha clan might truly integrate into the village and become one family.
"It seems I worried for nothing."
Hiruzen smiled helplessly, feeling much relieved inside.
Indeed, he had worried too much. With an exceptional man who possessed the thinking of a Hokage accompanying him, the Uchiha prodigy surely wouldn't stray onto a wrong path.
Hiruzen was confident in this.
"When you and Rui get married, I'll be sure to attend and bring a congratulatory gift."
"Cough, cough... Hokage-sama, you're joking. Rui and I are far from that point."
Shiroshi blushed slightly.
"Seventeen is not young anymore. By my age, I had almost gotten engaged to Biwa-kun."
Seeing Shiroshi's slightly embarrassed reaction, Hiruzen smiled internally. This young man was indeed adorable and pure-hearted.
Regarding that Uchiha prodigy girl, it seems there's nothing to worry about anymore.
Looking forward to it, a harmonious and blissful future for this village as one big family.
…
"You're quite late today."
"Sorry, Tsunade-sensei. I bumped into Hokage-sama in the corridor earlier and chatted for a bit."
Entering the office and facing Tsunade's question, Shiroshi answered honestly.
"Sarutobi-sensei?"
Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
"Yes."
"What did you talk about?"
"Nothing much, just some ordinary small talk."
Shiroshi answered with a natural expression.
"I see."
Tsunade nodded and didn't press further.
At five-thirty, after the Experimental Division's class was over, Tsunade hurriedly left the classroom, leaving Shiroshi behind to answer questions from students who hadn't fully understood the class content.
With Shiroshi's theoretical and practical knowledge, he was more than capable of guiding these students.
Watching Tsunade's departing figure, Shiroshi felt a bit guilty.
Sorry, Tsunade-sensei, for taking advantage of your kindness so many times. He sighed.
But to avoid more trouble, he could only do this.
After all, he didn't want to be summoned for conversations with the Hokage every few days.
Today, he could brush it off, but if it became a regular occurrence, his good luck might not hold out.
Shiroshi couldn't be sure whether that Hokage would keep coming to him for discussions.
He understood the principle that speaking too much can lead to mistakes.
"Senpai Shiroshi, I'm a bit confused here, can you help me?"
"Senpai Shiroshi, I don't quite understand this part."
"Senpai Shiroshi..."
"..."
Surrounded by a group of girls who had gathered around him, Shiroshi suddenly found himself in a rosy atmosphere.
For a moment, Shiroshi's head spun; the Experimental Division might not have much, but it certainly wasn't lacking in cute girls.
While feeling dizzy, he also felt a bit self-pity.
After all these years, his positive qualities had finally been noticed by the girls.
Being popular among girls was definitely a new experience in life.
"Alright, take it easy. Line up one by one, I'm not going anywhere. I'll answer all your questions."
On the other side.
"Senpai Shiroshi really is a gentle person."
Rin, who hadn't squeezed her way up, commented.
"Is that so? Just a freeloader, nothing impressive."
Instead of returning home directly after school, Obito waited outside the Experimental Division until the classes ended and then came in to find Rin.
"Obito, that's really impolite of you to say."
Rin gave Obito a stern look.
Well, that's the truth. Obito muttered to himself.
This guy was just a freeloader in their clan.
And yet they were so arrogant, surrounded by so many cute girls.
"Kakashi used to be like this too."
Obito remembered something and his mood soured.
"Kakashi? Speaking of which, it's been a while since we saw him."
"Rin, why would you want to see that guy? He's already a chūnin and probably too busy with missions to care. He might've forgotten about us."
"Obito, you're still saying that? You actually care about Kakashi, don't you?"
Rin giggled sneakily.
"That's not true. He's the person I dislike the most. He always calls me a copycat or something like that. I don't want anything to do with him."
Obito snorted, wearing a cold expression that said 'Kakashi and I are enemies.'
"But..."
Rin was about to say something, but Obito cut her off, "Oh come on, that's all in the past. Let's not bring it up again."
"Fine." Rin nodded.
Obito finally let out a sigh of relief. Then he remembered something and cautiously asked, "So, Rin, are you going to ask him for help?"
"No problem. I'll just visit Senpai Shiroshi's house tonight to ask for help."
Hearing this, Obito's face immediately turned pale, and his heart seemed to sink.
"Rin... You're not falling for this freeloader, are you?"
"Obito, what are you talking about? I just respect Senpai Shiroshi. Even though he's excellent, he's not my type."
Rin gave Obito an exasperated look.
What's going on in this guy's head?
He's often out of touch with reality.
"I see."
Obito patted his chest, relieved.
Then he remembered something and asked carefully, "So, Rin, what kind of guy do you like?"
Rin thought for a moment and smiled at Obito, saying, "I'm not telling you."
"Huh? Why not? Aren't we, um, friends?"
Rin blushed slightly and said, "This isn't something you can share with friends, but I'll keep paying attention to that person."
Paying attention to that person?
Had Rin's heart already found its owner?
Who is that person...?
Obito's mind was like trying to scratch an itch he couldn't reach, no matter how he thought about it, he couldn't figure out who the person Rin had been paying attention to might be.
…
Hokage Building.
"Sarutobi-sensei, please don't involve unrelated people."
"..."
Originally, Hiruzen was pleased that Tsunade had come to find him.
However, after Tsunade said those words, the smile on Hiruzen's face froze.
"Let's not talk about the events during the Second Great Ninja War, including the incident with Sakumo's team. Stop using these political maneuvers, especially with someone like Danzo. What he did during the last war, you should know better than me."
When Tsunade mentioned Danzo's name, her expression noticeably darkened.
"Danzo has already acknowledged his mistakes. He has contributed a lot to the village in these years..."
Hiruzen knew that Tsunade was referring to Danzo's manipulation of Sakumo's team during the Second Shinobi World War.
"You're too lenient with him, Sarutobi-sensei."
Knowing that she couldn't dissuade her teacher Hiruzen, Tsunade interrupted him.
"The village can't do without Danzo. Besides, I've already decided to have Orochimaru replace me and monitor Danzo's every move."
Hiruzen thought it was okay to reveal this information to Tsunade in advance. After all, she was one of his most trusted disciples.
"Orochimaru? You're letting him join Root?"
Tsunade furrowed her eyebrows.
"Not exactly join; strictly speaking, it's about restraining some of Danzo's extreme actions."
Hiruzen explained.
Tsunade stood still, pondering for a moment. This solution seemed feasible.
Considering that Hiruzen didn't want to completely dismantle Root, this was indeed a method.
"You still like these compromising balance methods."
That used to be the case, but in recent years, Tsunade had noticed that Hiruzen had become increasingly adept at balancing the internal situation of Konoha.
To some extent, Tsunade wasn't sure if this was good or bad for the future of Konoha, but it had certainly limited internal turmoil and brought stability to all parties.
"All of this is for the sake of the village's future. I don't want Konoha..."
"Alright, I can't convince you. However, no matter how you plan to deal with the Uchiha situation, please don't involve unrelated people. That child isn't suitable for politics. Just like Sakumo, who was driven to suicide by you all. Spare him."
Tsunade's face held a pleading expression.
Upon hearing Tsunade's words, Hiruzen fell silent.
"Fine, I promise you. I won't approach him anymore."
Remembering what Shiroshi had told him earlier, Hiruzen felt that this shouldn't be an issue.
That young man would guide Uchiha Rui to become part of Konoha.
This would indirectly ease the relationship between the Uchiha and the village, even leading to harmony between them.
"Thank you."
Tsunade gave a slight bow.
"Oh, by the way, is your illness still not better?"
As Tsunade was preparing to leave, Hiruzen asked with concern.
Tsunade knew what Hiruzen was referring to. She let out a soft sigh and shook her head.
"Is that so? Regardless, Konoha is your home. Don't bear these pains alone."
"I know. I'll train more medical ninja for the village, so that people won't have to experience the pain of losing loved ones and to save more lives..."
After saying this, under Hiruzen's gaze, Tsunade turned and left the room.
(Chapter End)