Naruto: I'm Really Not an Evil Uchiha!

"Ah, so that's how it is."

Shimizu's gaze carried a faint intensity, making Rin Nohara feel uneasy.

Where had she seen such a look before?

It resembled the way some men in the village looked at beautiful women—not admiration, but something darker and more unsettling.

Rin quickened her pace in healing the piece of pork, eager to finish today's lesson and return home.

She had already learned most of the preliminary requirements by now.

However, there were still some critical pieces of knowledge and the operational routes of the chakra pathways that Shimizu had yet to teach her.

Whenever Rin asked, Shimizu would use the excuse that her foundation wasn't solid enough to refuse her request.

Only by mastering these could she truly be called a medical ninja.

Medical ninjas dealt with lives; even the smallest mistake could cost someone their life. The knowledge involved had to be approached with utmost caution.

As a result, Rin had stayed with Shimizu, hoping he would one day find her foundation adequate and finally teach her.

"Rin Nohara."

Shimizu suddenly spoke.

"Yes?"

Rin turned her head, confusion evident in her eyes.

"Do you know Kakashi's reputation has been poor lately?"

At the mention of Kakashi, Rin's attention sharpened instantly.

Her motivation to join the ninja academy was to be in the same squad as Kakashi. However, he had graduated far too early, leaving her in a half-defeated state, focusing on studying medical ninjutsu instead.

"Kakashi… what happened to him?"

Rin had yet to graduate from the academy and knew little about matters involving real ninjas.

"Kakashi often neglects his teammates to complete missions. Because of this, the other members of his squad have complaints about him."

Rin's heart tightened. Was Kakashi suffering so much?

Being ostracized by teammates must weigh heavily on him.

Her thoughts wandered, wishing she had learned of this sooner so she could comfort Kakashi.

"Rin Nohara, do you know what this means?"

Shimizu tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table, the sound echoing softly.

"What… does it mean?"

Rin raised her gaze, meeting Shimizu's deep eyes, and suddenly felt uneasy.

It was as though she was on the brink of losing something…

"It means you have a chance to join Kakashi's squad. If your medical ninjutsu makes a breakthrough and you apply for early graduation, your expertise will make it easy for you to be assigned to his team."

"Kakashi's current teammates don't want to stay with him, but you do. Isn't that a perfect match?"

Shimizu's voice carried a hint of temptation, as though he were presenting a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

He moved closer to Rin, the space between them less than the width of a fist.

Rin instinctively wanted to step back, but Shimizu grabbed her wrist.

"Shimizu… what are you doing?"

A warm, delicate sensation enveloped her hand, and Rin's face filled with anger. Shimizu was brazenly holding her hand, taking advantage of her.

The trust she had built over two years crumbled in an instant.

Shimizu's approach to her had been driven by ulterior motives!

Rin suddenly connected the dots.

No wonder Shimizu had spared no expense in providing her with the best medical tools and spent time tutoring her in medical ninjutsu. All of it had a hidden agenda.

But no matter how much she tried to pull away, she couldn't free her hand from his grip.

Her heart sank. With Shimizu's strength, if he wanted to do something, she wouldn't be able to resist.

"Shimizu, isn't there some kind of misunderstanding?"

Rin took a deep breath, forcing herself to remain calm.

But Shimizu's gaze, different from usual, carried a heat that made her feel as though needles were pricking her back.

"There's no misunderstanding. This is my true self. What's the matter? Disappointed?"

Shimizu savored the softness of her hand as though it were boneless and tender.

"Shimizu, I believe this is just a momentary lapse of judgment. Konoha's prisons are full of criminals, and the Konoha Police Force… I doubt you'd want to deal with them."

Rin tried to reason with him, her tone cold and firm.

She had the courage to let Kakashi kill her for the mission, and now she showed her resolve to face danger head-on.

Unfortunately, her words had no effect on Shimizu. His expression remained calm, his smile unwavering.

"The Konoha Police Force? My clan, the Uchiha, runs it. Are you expecting them to arrest me?"

"You…!"

Rin froze. Shimizu's arrogance left her unsure whether he was bluffing or if the police force was truly corrupt to this extent.

She had mentioned it to dissuade Shimizu, yet his indifference unsettled her.

"Let's not beat around the bush, Rin. Without me, you won't find anyone willing to teach you what you're missing. My teacher was Nono Yakushi, and I have connections at the Konoha Hospital. Many people respect me because of her."

Shimizu released her hand and leisurely sat down, showing no concern that Rin might try to escape and report his actions.

Rin hesitated. Her foot, poised to flee, froze mid-step.

As someone of civilian origin, she deeply understood the importance of connections!

A civilian ninja had limited access to advanced techniques.

To improve their skills, they needed to learn higher-level jutsu, which required completing high-difficulty missions or proving their potential to Konoha's leadership.

But how could one accomplish high-difficulty missions without advanced jutsu? How could one showcase potential?

It was a vicious cycle, trapping civilian-born ninjas.

For those with poor aptitude, it was easier to accept their fate since they couldn't master such jutsu anyway.

However, for those with talent but lacking resources, the despair was overwhelming.

Many would take extreme measures, betraying Konoha and becoming rogue ninjas.

"Shimizu, why does it have to be me?"

Rin's voice was bitter.

Shimizu, with his handsome features, was popular among the girls at the academy.

But Rin's heart belonged to Kakashi, so she had no feelings for Shimizu.

She wasn't even extraordinarily beautiful—why would Shimizu focus on her when he could easily have someone else?

"Because…"

In truth, he saw her as the perfect tool to deal with Obito.

But instead, he said, "I was captivated by you at first sight. Love is irrational like that."

Rin stared intently at Shimizu, unwilling to believe a word of his lies.

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