Please Don't Blame Obito... (Please Keep Reading)

"Apologize?" Nohara Rin tilted her little head in confusion and pointed at herself. "To me?"

[Detected Nohara Rin's astonishment!]

[Received 10 points, while Defense increased by 2%!]

Looking at Nohara Rin's doubtful expression, as if she suspected she had misheard him, Uchiha Chi nodded with certainty.

"That's right. I want to apologize to you."

"Why would Chi-kun apologize to me?"

The instant Uchiha Chi nodded, Nohara Rin immediately blurted out the question.

She simply could not figure out what Uchiha Chi had to apologize for. He had done nothing wrong.

It couldn't be because he had confessed to her, could it? That would be far too absurd.

The next second,

as if he had heard her thoughts, Uchiha Chi actually said softly,

"I shouldn't have confessed to Rin."

Nohara Rin's breath caught. It was as though her brain had crashed completely as she stared blankly at Uchiha Chi.

"I didn't realize what I'd done wrong at the time, but looking back on it now, I was far too selfish then."

Uchiha Chi did not look at her. He spread both hands across the table and slowly said,

"We weren't even friends, yet I rashly came over and confessed, causing Rin so much trouble..."

"I really am someone who only ever thinks about himself."

As the youth's innocent face gradually took on a bitter expression, Nohara Rin parted her lips slightly and felt her entire body go numb.

Nohara Rin, Nohara Rin, what on earth have you done!?

"You didn't do anything wrong!"

The guilt in her heart swelled at an unprecedented speed, unconsciously raising Nohara Rin's voice.

Like an ant on a hot pan, she rose from her dining chair and met Uchiha Chi's gaze.

"There's nothing wrong with expressing your feelings to someone you like..."

However, before she could finish, Uchiha Chi gently shook his head. "No matter what, all of this started because of me."

He raised his head, forcing a faint smile onto his handsome face as he softly told Nohara Rin, "Come to think of it, I should thank Obito..."

"Huh, Obito?"

Nohara Rin let out a small cry. She had never expected to hear Obito's name here.

Though the two were from the same clan, they did not seem to have spoken much in class, did they?

"Yes." Uchiha Chi nodded. "Obito came to find me yesterday and told me that you've been very unhappy lately, and that it was all because of me."

Nohara Rin stared at Uchiha Chi in confusion, her mind in complete chaos. "But... I never told Obito about this..."

But as she spoke, she suddenly fell silent, her fair face trembling.

A few days ago, she really had briefly mentioned this matter to Obito in the park.

But Obito had clearly promised her that he would not tell anyone...

Yet he had gone straight to confront Uchiha Chi about it!?

At that thought, several blood vessels quickly surfaced in Nohara Rin's already reddened eyes. "Obito..."

Seeing Nohara Rin looking as though she were about to angrily activate her Sharingan, Uchiha Chi laughed to himself, though he continued to nod sincerely on the surface.

"I really should thank Obito. If it weren't for him, I probably still wouldn't know that I had made you so upset."

At those words, Nohara Rin felt that she finally understood. Like a puzzle that had been stuck for a long time finally receiving its last piece, her muddled thoughts instantly became crystal clear!

If it had not been for Obito, Uchiha Chi would never have known that she had been upset about this lately.

In other words, if Obito had not meddled, none of this would have become so troublesome!

At that thought, Nohara Rin silently sat back down and covered her heaving chest, feeling as if she might faint from anger at any moment. "How could Obito do something like this!?"

[Detected emotional fluctuations from Nohara Rin!]

[Received 15 points, while Defense increased by 3%!]

"Rin, please don't blame Obito. He did it for your sake too."

Listening to the system prompt, Uchiha Chi desperately suppressed the corners of his mouth and looked at Nohara Rin with a worried expression.

"He really cares about you too. He even challenged me to a Ninja duel to make me apologize."

"For my sake, for my sake..." Nohara Rin repeated the words over and over, unable to say anything. She only felt her body growing hotter and hotter.

Even someone as gentle as her now wanted to give Obito a huge punch!

Uchiha Chi's personality was so mild. He never said anything hurtful.

Just like when he confessed to her—despite her rejection, he had still offered her his blessing.

So,

that one phrase, Ninja duel, probably left out a great deal of heartache.

Nohara Rin clenched her fists. She could already imagine how Obito had made things difficult for Uchiha Chi yesterday!

"I'll make Obito explain himself!" she declared firmly.

But Uchiha Chi stopped her.

"Please don't do that, Nohara Rin." Uchiha Chi said seriously, "I don't want to affect your friendship because of me. If that happened, I would never be able to forgive myself."

Nohara Rin fell silent at once.

After several seconds, she looked at Uchiha Chi with a complicated expression. "Chi-kun, you're far too gentle..."

Even after Obito had made things so difficult for him, he still upheld his principle of not hurting anyone. This youth was simply too pure-hearted.

Faced with Nohara Rin's sigh, Uchiha Chi shook his head. Gently rubbing the teacup on the table, he said in a low voice,

"I'm not as kind as you think. I just want you to be happy."

Nohara Rin hurriedly lowered her head and nervously stared at the hands resting on her lap.

The weather seemed a little hot today. Even the tips of her ears felt as though they were burning.

But she was in a very good mood now.

No matter what, they had finally apologized face-to-face today. After opening their hearts to each other, not only did she feel much better, but there was also a faint, small sense of excitement in her heart.

It was a feeling she had never experienced before, one that made her want to say more to the youth sitting across from her.

"Come to think of it, the Ninja Squads will be assigned the day after tomorrow. Is there anyone Chi-kun wants to be placed in the same squad with?"

She brought up a topic that everyone had been discussing lately.

Uchiha Chi paused at her words, then shook his head. "It's all about the same. I don't really have any friends at the Ninja Academy, so it makes no difference who I'm assigned with."

"Is that so..." Nohara Rin murmured.

Only then did she remember that this handsome youth before her seemed not to have even a single friend.

Thinking back on every time they had crossed paths at the Ninja Academy, Uchiha Chi had always been alone. Nohara Rin could not help clenching her hand, feeling a sharp pain in her heart.

And yet he was so gentle...

Nohara Rin took a soft breath, lowered her head, and tucked the hair by her ear back as if casually asking,

"Can I be friends with Chi-kun?"