Sorrow

First, you needed Lightning Release.

A person's chakra nature was up to fate. If you had it, it came easily. If you didn't, you had to work ten or even a hundred times harder to obtain what others were born with.

People like Himiko and Orochimaru, for example.

Second, chakra had to surge from every tenketsu in the body.

Even a jonin could only control chakra surges from some of their tenketsu. Most released chakra through their hands, feet, or mouths. And if they kept it up for too long, they'd suffer immense pain.

"I was born with Lightning Release Chakra. As for the second condition..."

A gleam flashed in Shimizu's eyes. The second condition—releasing chakra from every tenketsu in his body—was easy for him, too.

With the Byakugan, he could see through his own chakra network and release chakra from every tenketsu in his body.

The Main Family secret Taijutsu of the Hyuga Clan, Eight Trigrams Palms: Heavenly Spin, released chakra from every tenketsu.

That created a hemispherical chakra dome that covered both the user and the ground around them, protecting the user and repelling physical attacks.

"Once I've developed Fire Body Flicker, I'll put my research into Lightning Style body training on the agenda."

At Nohara Rin's home.

Rin was the only one there.

The curtains were drawn shut, blocking out all the light from outside. The living room was dim.

Rin lay on the sofa, her eyes vacant.

She wrapped her arms around herself and rubbed them over and over, as if trying to scrub away everything that had ever touched her skin.

Her skin was already red and swollen, but she kept rubbing.

On the floor lay a set of clothes.

She had torn them to shreds. The skirt and black top were nothing but scraps of cloth.

She wore a fresh set of clothes, but kept scrubbing her body.

The new clothes had already become rumpled.

"Ugh... I can't get it off... I can't get it off..."

Her muttered words echoed softly through the living room, her voice hoarse. Her exhaustion was unmistakable.

Knock, knock!

Someone rapped on the door.

Rin wiped away her tears, forced a smile, and went to answer it.

"Welcome home, Mom and Dad."

"Uh... it's me, Rin."

The person at the door wasn't Rin's parents. It was Uchiha Obito.

Obito scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed at Rin's smile.

"Is something wrong, Obito?"

A complicated look flickered in Rin's eyes as she remembered what Shimizu had once told her.

"If you have to blame someone, blame Obito."

The words echoed in her mind.

Rin shook her head hard. How could she blame someone at random? Shimizu was the one who'd acted like a demon!

"Did you catch a cold?"

Obito could hear the hoarseness in Rin's voice. With school out for the past few days and Rin rarely leaving home, he wondered if she was sick.

"A little."

Rin didn't want to talk to Obito any more than necessary. She held back the urge to rub her skin and asked again:

"What did you come here for?"

"My grandma bought a whole bunch of apples, but I can't eat them all, so I brought some over."

Obito brought both hands out from behind his back, revealing a fruit basket.

"I don't... All right, thank you."

Rin instinctively wanted to refuse, but then she thought better of it. If she didn't accept, Obito would definitely keep bothering her every few days.

She had no energy to play at being senpai and kohai with Obito. All she wanted was to finish studying the medical knowledge Shimizu had given her, then get the rest of it from him.

That way, she wouldn't have to go back to Shimizu's place.

The thought of a bright future where she might end up on the same team as Kakashi gave a spark of hope to her otherwise deadened heart.

She'd be reborn after graduation.

Yes, she'd already submitted her early graduation application to her Chunin instructor.

Once all this was over, the nightmare would be behind her.

"Hehe, Rin, I'm glad you accepted!"

Obito's smile widened.

If someone didn't reject your gift, it meant they didn't dislike you.

That was the theory he'd come up with after finding some books for adults at the bookstore!

The Uchiha Settlement.

Shimizu finally got another chance to run a simulation.

[Current number of attempts: 1. Start Perfect Life Simulation?]

"Start," Shimizu said.

He really wanted to see if he could get Fire Body Flicker this time.

[Beep! Perfect Life Simulation in progress...]

[Day 1: Nohara Rin visits you. You continue to use the medical materials as leverage against her.]

[Day 2: A patient with a rare illness arrives at Konoha Hospital. Many doctors are at a loss and are about to call in the more experienced senior doctors when you identify the solution. Yakushi Nonō once happened to tell you about this case.

Biwako Sarutobi observes you and discovers that you're highly skilled in Medical Ninjutsu and have great potential.]

[Day 3: You continue sneaking over to Kakashi's place to learn the Hatake Style Kenjutsu.]

[Day 4: You go on a mission and complete it successfully.]

[Day 5: You hear that Kurenai Yuhi graduated early. You're glad she hasn't been beaten down, so your dog-training plan can continue.]

[Day 6: Obito challenges you to a fight and is easily defeated.]

[Day 7: You refine chakra at home.]

[Day 8: You buy a Ninja Scratch-off and win second prize.]

[Day 32: Fugaku sees you devoting too much energy to training in various other jutsu and puts pressure on you again.]

[Day 33: You almost get bitten by a dog. Tsume Inuzuka apologetically leads it away.]

[Day 62: You go for a soak to relax.]

[Day 63: You call Nohara Rin over and tell her you're worked up and need to cool off.]

[Day 64: You feel refreshed.]

[Day 85: You give Kushina Uzumaki a massage, and she gives you a small tip.]

[Day 86: The Nine-Tails inside Kushina Uzumaki goes on a rampage. You're startled, but luckily Anbu members arrive in time to stop it.]

[Day 87: Kushina passes by Konoha Hospital, and the Nine-Tails rampages again. You're right beside her, and with no other choice, you use your eye power. The Nine-Tails temporarily settles down, irritated and uneasy at your eye power, which reminds him of that man.]

[Day 88: Hyuga Tetsu challenges you to a fight and is easily defeated. You also learn some Byakugan techniques.]

[Day 89: You run into Tsunade while she's gambling. You seize the opportunity to lend her a large sum of money, hoping you can get something good out of her.]

[Day 90: Tsunade's home is empty. When you ask around, you learn that she and Shizune left the village at dawn. You immediately realize Tsunade is planning to skip out on her debt.]

[Day 229: You go on a mission and happen upon the passage between the Ōtsutsuki Clan's Moon and Earth.]

[Day 230: You arrive on the Moon and are hunted by the Ōtsutsuki Clan.]

[Day 231: You reveal your Byakugan and say you're all family, and that there's no need to flood the Dragon King's temple. They keep hunting you anyway.]

[Day 232: You flee for your life, run out of chakra on the Moon, and die of asphyxiation.]

[Simulation ended. Calculating rewards...]

[Choose one reward: Byakugan, meridian system (self), Moon Soil.]

"He died that easily?"

Shimizu was speechless.