Rin's Private Tutelage

The Forest of Death, officially known as Training Ground 44.

It was usually under strict lockdown by Konoha. Not only was the perimeter wrapped in layers of barbed wire, but several genjutsu barriers had also been set up. Ordinary people simply could not get close.

After leaving Konoha Hospital, Shinji silently arrived at the edge of the forest.

With the Sharingan's insight, none of those obstacles could escape his eyes.

"This is the perfect place to hide things."

Shinji murmured softly.

He had to find an absolutely safe place for the spoils in his possession as soon as possible.

He took half a step back, suddenly exerted force through his feet, and flashed over the barbed wire with ease.

After several leaps, he disappeared completely into the shadows of the dense forest, racing toward its depths.

A cold, gloomy mist hung among the trees all year round, leaving visibility extremely low.

The ground was covered in highly toxic weeds and venomous insects, while savage Ninja Beasts lurked in the darkness. Yet none of it posed any threat to Shinji now.

"So this is the forest the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, transformed with Wood Release?"

Shinji weaved between towering trees. Looking at this testing ground that had been forcibly carved out and shaped by one man alone, he could not help but feel shaken.

Just imagining the First Hokage's strength and his terrifyingly vast reserves of Chakra was enough to make one's heart tremble.

Hashirama Senju's Chakra reserves were probably at least a hundred times greater than Kakashi's.

After traveling farther, he stopped before a massive tree that appeared utterly unremarkable.

He activated his Sharingan and slowly scanned the area, confirming there were no pursuers, no sensory ninja, and no ambushes.

Shinji gathered Chakra beneath his feet and leapt to the middle of the trunk in just a few steps.

He drew the Kunai from his waist with his backhand, its sharp edge easily cutting into the wood.

Wood chips fluttered down as he quickly hollowed out a concealed tree cavity of suitable depth.

He took three Sealing Scrolls from his clothes and carefully placed them inside. Then he meticulously smoothed and sealed the opening with dirt and bark, leaving behind no trace at all.

After finishing, Shinji gave a slight nod and swept his gaze across the silent forest once more.

A thought suddenly surfaced in his mind without warning.

"Perhaps I could build a secret base here?"

Few people ever entered the Forest of Death. Its barriers were tightly guarded, and patrols rarely ventured deep inside.

Whether it was hiding contraband or practicing techniques Konoha could not be allowed to discover, this was an ideal location.

"First, I need to learn the Shadow Clone Technique. I can figure out a way to do that when I return to the clan."

"That way, coming here in the future will be much more convenient."

His thoughts gradually became clearer, and ideas slowly began taking shape in Shinji's mind.

Seven in the evening, Shinji's home.

Shinji wore a clean blue apron, holding a ladle in his right hand as he gently stirred the pot.

Smelling the aroma of miso soup gradually spreading through the air, he nodded in satisfaction.

A large wooden basin sat beside the sink, where three small crucian carp swam quietly through the water.

They were not ingredients. They were the "practice tools" Nohara Rin would use to teach him medical ninjutsu tonight.

Knock, knock, knock—

A gentle knock sounded at the door.

Shinji set down the ladle and walked to the entryway with a smile, opening the front door.

Outside, Nohara Rin carried a small medical kit on her back and held a cage in her right hand, containing three white mice.

The little creatures anxiously bumped against the cage walls, as though they had already sensed their fate tonight.

"Teacher Rin, come in."

Shinji naturally took the cage from her, stepped aside to let her enter, then bent down and took out a brand-new pair of pink slippers.

Knowing she would be coming tonight, he had specially prepared them beforehand.

For a moment, he remembered how he had not prepared slippers the last time Kurenai came over, and a thought quietly formed in his mind.

"Looks like I should keep a few more pairs of women's slippers around in the future."

"Don't tease me!" Nohara Rin chided coquettishly.

She entered the house and bent down to remove her shoes, revealing her fair, slender ankles before changing into the slippers Shinji had prepared.

Shinji smiled and led the way. "Come in. Dinner's already ready. Eat first, then teach me medical ninjutsu."

With that, he turned and returned to the kitchen to finish up.

Nohara Rin stood in the living room, her heartbeat gradually quickening.

This was her first time visiting Shinji's home. Her gaze instinctively wandered over the surroundings, taking in traces of Shinji's life everywhere. Her cheeks quietly flushed.

"So this is Shinji's home."

Before long, Shinji's voice came from the kitchen:

"Rin, go wash your hands. Dinner's ready."

Shinji emerged from the kitchen carrying a soup pot and gently set it on the dining table.

Rin quickly responded and headed to the bathroom with a smile.

The two sat across from each other at the table.

"Sorry, Rin. I only know how to make simple dishes like these. I'm not much of a cook."

"Not at all. What you made is really delicious. I never expected you to be such a good cook too."

They ate and chatted, the atmosphere warm and harmonious.

After dinner, with Rin's help, the dishes and chopsticks were quickly cleaned up.

Once everything had been put away, Shinji clasped his hands beneath his chin and looked at Rin seriously.

"Teacher Rin, I'm counting on you tonight."

Nohara Rin gave a soft cough. Whenever Shinji called her "Teacher Rin," she always felt there was some inexplicable excitement in his tone, but she had no proof.

She had corrected him many times, but Shinji would always smile as he called her "Teacher Rin." In the end, she could only glare at him helplessly and tacitly accept the title.

She sat down beside Shinji, picked up the notes that had long been prepared, and immediately slipped into a serious teaching mode.

"With organ transplantation, the most important things are precisely cutting the corresponding areas, as well as reconnecting and restoring the nerves after the transplant..."

"This requires a very solid foundation. In the notes you showed me before, there was already quite a bit of related material..."

Rin's voice was gentle and clear.

Shinji occasionally turned to glance at her, and his thoughts soon settled. He listened with exceptional focus.

More than an hour passed before Nohara Rin's theoretical explanation gradually came to a halt.

Shinji had also completely sorted out the key points. To perform an organ transplant, he had to use the chakra Scalpel and the Mystical Palm Technique together.

The former was responsible for precisely severing meridians and tissue, while the latter handled post-operative healing and stabilization.

At this point, Rin frowned slightly, looking troubled.

"Although I know both techniques, Konoha has rules. We're not allowed to teach them to others privately."

Shinji understood that perfectly well.

Whether it was Konoha's upper ranks or the major ninja clans, they all had strict regulations governing the teaching of ninjutsu. Medical ninjutsu was especially tightly controlled.

But to him, this was not much of a problem.

He reassured her softly.

"It's okay. The clan said before that they would focus on training me. It shouldn't be difficult for me to apply for those two techniques."

He still clearly remembered his previous conversation with Fugaku.

Even if the elders had quite a few objections to his studying medical ninjutsu, they would not refuse to provide him with the scrolls for two B-rank techniques.

Perhaps the Uchiha clan itself already had the relevant scrolls hidden away.

Hearing this, Rin let out a sigh of relief and lightly patted her chest.

"Then I'm relieved. I was worried I'd hold you back."

"Although I can't teach you those two techniques directly, I can first teach you more refined chakra control. I can also demonstrate the process of an organ transplant for you."

She raised a hand and pointed to the crucian carp in the wooden basin on the table, as well as the white mouse in the cage beside it.

Shinji nodded gently, the Sharingan in his eyes slowly turning.

He would not waste the sacrifice of these small lives.

Shinji looked at Rin, his gaze serious and resolute. "Come on, Rin. I'll do my best to keep up with your pace."