The Chunin Exams End

"You are an absolute devil!"

Kurenai Yuhi rushed forward regardless of the consequences, her panic so overwhelming that she even forgot to utilize her chakra.

Her delicate fists struck Shimizu, appearing swift but actually landing with the lightness of a playful lover's quarrel.

This was because ninjas being "glass cannons" was only true in a relative sense.

Once a ninja was on guard and condensed chakra to reinforce a specific area, their defense could be significantly improved.

Otherwise, given how ninjas were constantly scaling walls and sprinting along tree trunks, they would have suffered broken bones from falls long ago.

Slap!

Shimizu caught Kurenai's wrists, raised them high, and pulled her close.

With his other hand, he lifted her chin with his index finger and said softly:

"If you keep acting like this, I won't stop at just this much."

As Shimizu leaned in once more, Kurenai's face flushed crimson, and she found herself unable to break free from his restraint.

At the same time, tears streamed down her face again; she could not understand why Shimizu kept bullying her.

He was so handsome, after all.

If only he could be a little kinder to her.

But Kurenai knew that was impossible, for Shimizu was a monster wearing human skin.

Her heart sank to the bottom of a pit, and darkness once again shrouded her entire soul.

Thinking of what Shimizu was about to do, the light gradually faded from her eyes. A moment later, she slowly closed them, not daring to look at her father's reaction in the spectator stands.

One second... five seconds... ten seconds... a minute passed.

Kurenai's thick eyelashes trembled slightly as she opened her eyes.

She felt bewildered; why did she feel nothing at all?

She glanced around the arena in confusion, only to be stunned to find that Shimizu had been standing in the exact same spot the entire time.

"Kurenai-san, how could I bear to let you make a fool of yourself in front of such a crowd?"

Shimizu's voice was as refreshing as a spring breeze. If someone who didn't know him were to meet him, their first impression would surely be that of a sunny, wholesome boy.

"You... was everything just now a genjutsu?"

Kurenai asked in disbelief.

A complex mix of emotions flashed through her heart: embarrassment, anger, and relief.

Yet, there was also an indescribable, indefinable sense of disappointment.

"Why did you only use genjutsu?"

"Are you saying I shouldn't have done it in an illusion, but in reality instead?"

"N-nonsense! That's not what I meant at all!"

Kurenai waved her hands in a panic; how could she be such a shameless woman?

"I just didn't want to ruin your reputation."

Shimizu said casually.

In the Hidden Leaf Village, there were laws against public indecency. Doing such a thing in front of the Third Hokage would guarantee a prison sentence—at best, he might get a slightly shorter one.

Kurenai's pupils contracted upon hearing this.

Was Shimizu actually looking out for her?

Kurenai, still at an age where her worldview was being shaped, had been waking up from nightmares every night ever since Shimizu first took advantage of her.

Her mental state had gradually begun to shift, and she could no longer be judged by the standards of a normal person.

If a psychiatrist were present, they might have diagnosed her with a well-known condition.

Yet now, she was stunned to discover that Shimizu—a person who had done nothing but bully her and crush her self-esteem from the very beginning—had actually refrained from committing those sins for the sake of her reputation!

At this moment, she was like a drowning person who had spotted a rope thrown from the shore. No matter what kind of rope it was, Kurenai wanted to climb it to escape this ceaseless, day-and-night torment.

Even in her illusions, she had fantasized about Shimizu eating prison food, sporting a convict's haircut, and looking disheveled while operating a sewing machine.

Yet, Shimizu was actually being this considerate of her.

Could it be that Shimizu had liked her all along, and his methods were just a bit too aggressive?

If she continued to spar with him, would she be able to receive even more of his care?

A feeling of inexplicable happiness bubbled up in Kurenai's heart.

After all, she was still just a young girl in the bloom of youth.

Her lips parted slightly as she prepared to voice her confusion, her slightly fractured gaze filled with a faint, lingering expectation for his answer.

"Are you..."

"Proctor, does this count as my win?"

Uchiha Shimizu turned his head and spoke.

His words stifled Kurenai Yuhi just as she was about to open her mouth.

"Uh... if Kurenai Yuhi admits defeat, then that settles it."

The examiner looked at Kurenai Yuhi. He gazed at Qingshui's scarlet One-Tomoe Sharingan and marveled at how he had awakened the Sharingan at such a young age; such talent was truly enviable.

From the moment the two had stepped onto the stage, they hadn't moved an inch.

Qingshui had simply activated his One-Tomoe Sharingan, and after the two stared at each other for a few seconds, the curtain seemed to have fallen.

It was likely that the battle had begun long ago, but it was a clash of genjutsu that others could not see.

Kurenai Yuhi was silent for a moment before saying:

"I admit defeat."

"If you want to challenge me again next time, you know the drill."

Qingshui's scarlet tomoe rotated slowly; if Kurenai Yuhi refused, he would have to plant a suggestion.

Kurenai Yuhi's mental state was already nearing collapse. He only needed to strike a few more times to reshape her worldview, and he could easily control her.

In this way, she would be unable to disobey his orders, and the moment she tried to resist, she would recall this terrifying experience.

Furthermore, the Transcription Seal Qingshui had planted would ensure that Kurenai Yuhi could never seek help from others or leak any information.

"Hmph, this time was just an accident. You just wait for next time."

Kurenai Yuhi turned her head away, revealing her fair collarbone.

Qingshui looked at her, bewildered. He had been prepared to use his Sharingan, yet she was still accepting his invitation—was Kurenai Yuhi addicted to being abused?

Could it be that the suggestion he had planted in her heart back then, making her think of that scene he had forced upon her every day and night, was too extreme?

However, Qingshui did not refuse. He would break Kurenai Yuhi's bottom line step by step; next time, he would make her fish for information about Konoha.

Kurenai Yuhi was, after all, from a ninja clan, and her father was a loyalist with deep roots; she was far more trusted by Konoha than the Uchiha and could obtain much more intelligence that Qingshui was unaware of.

The examiner nodded and announced the result to the audience in a loud voice:

"Uchiha Shimizu wins!"

The examiner's words left the spectators in the stands looking confused.

"Ah, it's over already? Didn't they just stare at each other for a few seconds?"

"Kurenai Yuhi's genjutsu was completely defeated. If I saw that correctly, that was the Uchiha's bloodline limit, the Sharingan!"

"That was too fast. A genjutsu duel has no entertainment value at all."

Many people complained. Having had their expectations raised by the match between Qingshui and Pakura, this one felt like a damp squib to them.

"This is what a ninja's battle should be."

Fugaku was also in the stands, watching Qingshui's performance in silence.

A ninja values speed, precision, and ruthlessness.

If one were in an enemy country, a flashy, drawn-out battle would have already brought enemy reinforcements down upon them.

Only by remaining inconspicuous and quickly eliminating the enemy did one truly embody the identity of a ninja.

"The Third Hokage... was he talking about Qingshui?"

Fugaku crossed his arms over his chest, his expression shifting between light and shadow.

He didn't know when Qingshui had opened his eyes and awakened the Sharingan.

Qingshui had never used the Sharingan within the clan, and none of the other clansmen had ever seen it.

When exactly did he awaken it?

And for what reason?

Fugaku pondered, and soon he thought of the teammates Qingshui had lost some time ago.