Falling into the Trap (No need for further words, bonus chapter)

"If you can't afford the fee, I'm afraid you won't be able to enter."

The manager gave a subtle signal, and several thugs walked over, surrounding Obito with unfriendly expressions.

To make it as a manager, the most important skill is reading the room.

Uchiha Shimizu was clearly on excellent terms with her boss, and the boss had no intention of charging him, so why would she be foolish enough to speak up?

As for this kid with the goggles on his forehead who arrived later, the boss's attitude was clearly much colder, which meant she should follow the rules and handle things exactly as prescribed.

"Can you make an exception? I'm also from the Uchiha Clan."

"Oh, me too."

One of the thugs, holding a long staff in his only remaining hand, saw his eyes turn scarlet as a single tomoe spun within his pupils.

Obito looked at the thug's burly frame; although he was missing an arm and couldn't perform many ninjutsu, he could imagine that this thug's taijutsu was certainly not weak.

"So, mister, can you also let..."

"If you don't have money, get lost. Trying to get a free meal at a clan member's restaurant—you're a disgrace to the Uchiha."

The Uchiha thug waved his hand, signaling for Obito to leave quickly.

Obito opened his shriveled wallet and took a look; there wasn't nearly enough to cover the cost.

He had no choice but to find a spot outside to squat and wait for Nohara Rin and Uchiha Shimizu to come out.

Inside the private room, a reserved Nohara Rin was completely unaware of Obito's arrival.

"Nohara Rin, you were born into an ordinary family, weren't you?"

Qingshui spoke first, breaking the silence between them.

Without waiting for Nohara Rin to answer, Qingshui continued:

"Not only that, Nohara Rin, you also want to be assigned to the same squad as Kakashi."

"Eh??"

Nohara Rin looked up in confusion.

She did have a bit of a crush on Kakashi and certainly wanted to be assigned to the same squad.

She had been working toward that goal specifically so she could be placed with the high-achieving Kakashi.

"However, Kakashi has applied for early graduation. Nohara Rin, I'm afraid you won't be assigned together."

Upon hearing this, Nohara Rin's eyes gradually dimmed. She had heard Kakashi mention wanting to graduate early, which had made her feel down for a while.

Generally speaking, once you graduate, you are assigned to a team.

Moreover, teams are mostly lifelong commitments; they only change if a teammate is killed in action or if there is a severe incompatibility.

"So, Nohara Rin, do you want to catch up to Kakashi quickly? I can help you with sparring."

"Really?"

Nohara Rin said hurriedly.

She hadn't expected Qingshui to be such a good person.

Her favorability toward Qingshui rose instantly in her heart.

"Of course it's true. I will also teach you the basics of being a medical ninja."

Qingshui stared at Nohara Rin, his gaze wandering up and down her figure.

Nohara Rin was too young right now; Qingshui wouldn't make a move yet.

But collecting some interest and laying the groundwork for the future was perfectly fine.

"Then why would Qingshui help me like this?"

Nohara Rin knew that there was no such thing as a free lunch. After the initial joy, she asked the question that had been bothering her.

"We're classmates. Isn't it natural for classmates to help each other?"

After saying this, Qingshui laid out a series of agreed-upon terms for Nohara Rin.

Starting tomorrow, they would have one training session a week at Qingshui's house.

"Okay, sorry to trouble you, Qingshui."

Nohara Rin nodded, not thinking much of it, feeling only gratitude toward Qingshui.

The Uchiha Settlement happened to be not far from her home, so going to Qingshui's place was quite convenient.

Her own small, flat-roofed house might not even have enough space for Qingshui to help her train.

Her father suffered from old injuries sustained during his time as a ninja, leaving him breathless after even the slightest physical labor, and the family relied entirely on her mother making paper flowers to supplement their income.

It wouldn't be appropriate to bring a boy back there; it was too cramped.

"Then it's settled."

A mysterious smile curled at the corner of Qingshui's mouth. Since Nohara Rin had agreed, the first step—getting her hooked—was complete.

Qingshui didn't have the time to win Nohara Rin over the normal way. With time being so tight, he had to use some unconventional methods.

An hour later.

Nohara Rin parted ways with Shimizu at the entrance of the shop and walked happily on her way home.

"Rin!"

Seeing that the two had separated far enough, Obito scurried over sneakily.

"Shimizu didn't do anything to you, did he?"

"What could Shimizu possibly do to me?"

Nohara Rin frowned slightly, her short hair lifted by the breeze just enough to obscure her expression.

"You know, just, that sort of thing."

Obito couldn't see clearly and didn't notice Nohara Rin's expression, so he gestured wildly, making some strange motions.

After a long while, Nohara Rin finally understood what Obito meant.

"You pervert!"

Nohara Rin couldn't help but compare Shimizu to Obito. Setting aside Kakashi, who was perfect in her heart, Shimizu was clearly the polar opposite of Obito, despite both being Uchiha.

Calm, mature, self-disciplined, and gentle—anyone who came into contact with Shimizu would describe him this way.

Nohara Rin was no exception; if not for Kakashi, she might have even admired Shimizu.

"Obito, don't say things like that again. Gossiping behind people's backs is wrong."

Nohara Rin's tone carried a hint of resentment.

She had always viewed Obito as an immature junior, which was why she often looked after him.

Yet, Obito was constantly targeting Shimizu, a classmate who had been kind to her and was even willing to provide her with guidance on medical knowledge.

For the first time, this stirred negative feelings toward Obito in Nohara Rin's heart. No one likes it when others inexplicably disparage someone who has been kind to them, and she instinctively wanted to defend him.

"Ah, no, Rin, listen to me, let me explain."

As dense as Obito was, he realized something was wrong with Nohara Rin's tone and hurriedly tried to grab her to explain.

To his surprise, Nohara Rin dodged him lightly and said:

"I don't want to hear your explanation right now. I'm going home."

After saying this, Nohara Rin walked into the crowd without looking back.

Obito watched the bustling crowd, which swallowed Nohara Rin's figure in just a few seconds, and he was left speechless with frustration.

"Why does Rin always defend Shimizu?"

Obito was baffled and decided to wait until Nohara Rin's anger subsided before trying to explain to her again.

"Forget it, I'll just head back for now."

After leaving the Konoha Steakhouse, Shimizu waited until evening to visit Uchiha Hazuki with a bag of fruit.

Since he had enjoyed a free meal today, he felt he should show some appreciation.

Uchiha Hazuki was pleasantly surprised by Shimizu's arrival and pulled him aside to catch up. It wasn't until nearly ten o'clock that Shimizu returned to his own home.

Under the eaves.

"Time to try the Body Flicker Technique."

A few days ago, he had applied for a ninjutsu scroll.

D-rank Ninjutsu—Body Flicker Technique.

In an era where everyone was a glass cannon, unless one's physical body could kick a Complete Body Susanoo to pieces like Otsutsuki Isshiki, one had better max out their evasion stats. After all, even a Kage-level powerhouse would die if a kunai were stabbed into a vital spot.

Shimizu began to refine his chakra, letting it flow through his meridian system, following the execution path of the Body Flicker Technique as he formed a single hand seal.

"Body Flicker Technique!"

His figure dashed from under the eaves to the courtyard at an incredible speed; the entire process took less than a second.

From the perspective of an ordinary person, it was just a flash of a black shadow, and Shimizu had "teleported" to another location.