Rin's Ambiguity

Minato Namikaze would arrange the sealing technique lessons for himself, and Hiruko was greatly looking forward to it.

That night, inside Hiruko's residence.

Hiruko was fast asleep.

Rin Nohara sat before Hiruko, carefully studying her savior.

Having her first encounter with the ambiguity between men and women, Rin Nohara was very curious about how things would develop between Hiruko and Nonō.

She was at the age when her curiosity toward the opposite sex was especially intense.

Hiruko frowned, seeming to sense something strange.

He was suddenly startled awake, but rather than blame the little girl, he got up and prepared to head to the laboratory for research.

"Lord Hiruko... c-can I go with you?" Rin Nohara asked timidly.

Hiruko looked at her hesitantly and said slowly, "Down there is hell."

Rin Nohara nodded firmly. "Yes, Lord Hiruko. I've made up my mind!"

After pondering for a moment, Hiruko took her into one of the secret laboratories he did not value particularly highly.

The two followed the hidden passage, stepping onto somewhat dilapidated stairs as they slowly descended deeper underground.

Bright lights illuminated the corpses laid out on various tables.

"I got all of these from Danzo. They're corpses with bloodline limits," Hiruko explained.

"They've undergone many experiments and are basically of little value now, so they look especially disgusting and abnormal on the surface."

Rin Nohara nodded. Although she had prepared herself mentally, the instant the white cloth was lifted, the hideous face beneath still made her cry out in fright.

This was entirely different from an ordinary autopsy, because corpses that had died in accidents often bore exceptionally terrifying expressions.

The corpse before her had even been directly consumed by Fire Release, its face burned beyond recognition.

"Ah!"

Rin Nohara cried out and instinctively backed away, crashing straight into Hiruko's arms.

Hiruko immediately steadied her and asked seriously, "Rin, are you all right?"

Rin Nohara had been caught off guard and stumbled into a warm chest.

That sensation was far too familiar, leaving her dazed for an instant—Hiruko's embrace had always been like this, carrying a reassuring presence while faintly radiating a dangerous warmth.

Her cheeks suddenly burned. She hurriedly lowered her head, her hair falling down to conceal the blush she could not hide.

Her heartbeat thundered in her ears like a caged bird, beating its wings desperately in an attempt to break free.

His warmth seeped through their clothes into her skin, making her fingertips tingle slightly.

She could even feel the rise and fall of his chest, steady and slow, as though silently measuring her frantic breathing.

Rin, what exactly are you thinking? she questioned herself inwardly, but her body was more honest than her thoughts.

Her lashes trembled faintly, and the pulse at her neck raced so quickly that even she could hear its hurried rhythm.

As a medical ninja, she understood hormones better than anyone, yet when that heat spread from her lower abdomen to her limbs, reason seemed so powerless.

Hiruko did not immediately let her go, instead allowing her to remain in his embrace for a few more seconds.

His fingertips brushed her shoulder as if by accident, as though confirming her reaction—or perhaps enjoying her brief discomposure.

Only when she shook her head in panic did he chuckle softly and slowly release her.

Rin Nohara did not dare lift her head, but she still caught sight of his gaze from the corner of her eye.

Those eyes held the patience of a hunter, and the cold chakra radiating from him gave off an unsettling feeling.

He merely watched her quietly, as though admiring every subtle change in her.

She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down, turning her attention back to the task before her.

Yet when she reached out to examine that unusual corpse, her fingertips still retained the sensation of brushing against his clothes, impossible to shake off.

"Rin, how have things been with you lately?" Hiruko's voice came from beside her, deep and gentle, yet carrying an intimacy that was difficult to ignore.

Rin Nohara unconsciously bit her lower lip, then loosened it as though suddenly realizing something.

She tried to make her voice sound steady. "Thanks to your guidance, I've improved quite a bit recently..."

As she spoke, she unconsciously moved a little closer to him, as though drawn by some invisible force.

Hiruko lowered his head slightly, his gaze falling upon the top of her hair, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

As they talked and laughed, the air seemed to grow thick and warm.

Rin Nohara did not even notice that her fingers were unconsciously rubbing the edge of her ninja tool pouch—as though concealing some unspoken anticipation.

She suddenly became jealous of that woman.

Three days later, Orochimaru, who had been busy for several days, headed to the Uchiha Clan compound together with Shisui.

"It's Lord Orochimaru. What is he doing here?" someone murmured.

"I heard he came to visit the clan head. Could it be that he's taken a liking to Shisui's talent and wants to formally accept him as a disciple?"

"Although Orochimaru isn't from the Uchiha Clan, it would be quite good if he took Shisui as his disciple."

The Uchiha Clan members were all greatly surprised by Orochimaru's arrival.

However, Orochimaru was powerful enough that the Uchiha Clan held him in high regard.

Moreover, few people were willing to come to the Uchiha Clan compound, especially Konoha's higher-ups. At most, only ANBU ninja delivering missions and intelligence came here, so the Uchiha Clan was curious about Orochimaru's purpose.

Fugaku Uchiha respectfully bowed slightly before Orochimaru at the entrance and invited him inside to discuss matters in detail.

After entering the house, Orochimaru's gaze landed on a small child being led by a young woman.

He stepped forward, patted the child's head, and smiled. "You're a very talented Uchiha."

Fugaku and Mikoto's expressions immediately brightened. For parents, there was always nothing better than hearing their child praised.

Especially when their child's talent and strength were recognized by a top-tier ninja like Orochimaru, it was an incomparable honor.

In this ninja world, strength reigned supreme, and the law of the strong had long been deeply ingrained.

That was why Hiruko was constantly trying to reshape the ninja world.

Even Hiruko himself acknowledged the principle that strength came first. Without strength, he would not be able to realize his dreams.

In this ninja world, most people were weak, and it was common for the strong to make a name for the weak for certain reasons.

For example, the title of the Legendary Three Ninja came from Hanzo of the Salamander, a true powerhouse of the ninja world.

When a powerhouse like Hanzo bestowed a title, regardless of his reasons,

the Three Ninja would not consider it humiliating, because recognition from the strong was the fastest way for the weak to make a name for themselves in the ninja world.

The group sat down in the courtyard, and Orochimaru's golden snake eyes swept over the family of three across from him.

As Orochimaru examined Uchiha Mikoto, he suddenly thought of Hiruko.

"Hehe, doesn't that guy like female ninja who are famous throughout the ninja world? I wonder about this one..."