The night was as dark as ink. The alleyway, bustling with people during the day, was now enveloped in silence.
In the distance, the main street was brightly lit, casting a few faint and distant glimmers of light through the overlapping rooftops, which only made the alley seem even more secluded and tranquil.
Two figures slowly walked in—Shinji and Rin.
Feeling the soft warmth transmitted from his palm, Shinji couldn't help but gently squeeze her hand.
Nohara Rin hadn't expected this and, like a startled fawn, tightened her grip on his hand instead.
"Shinji, this… this seems to be taking us farther and farther from my house!"
She whispered, a hint of panic in her voice.
Shinji's face flushed slightly—he was doing it on purpose, of course. The True Love System's task required him to hold Rin's hand for a full thirty minutes. Since her house wasn't far, he had no choice but to take a longer route.
He hadn't expected her to notice.
Shinji stopped walking and turned Rin to face him. The moonlight gently bathed her face, making her appear pure and beautiful.
Truly the white moonlight.
"I wanted to spend a little more time with you," Shinji said softly. "During the day, there were too many people, and I was afraid you'd feel embarrassed."
Nohara Rin gazed into Shinji's gentle eyes and at his handsome profile, her cheeks flushing bright red.
The two looked at each other quietly until Rin was the first to look away, her eyelashes fluttering slightly as she dared not meet his gaze again.
Shinji must like me, right?
But do I like him?
She no longer dared to look directly into Shinji's eyes and lowered her head, gently biting her lower lip. "Actually… actually, taking a longer route isn't a problem."
Nohara Rin quietly made a compromise with herself.
For a moment, countless thoughts swirled in her mind, pondering the nature of their relationship until her heart was in turmoil.
Shinji smiled and replied with a soft "Okay," their hands never parting the entire time.
He thought of Obito and mused to himself:
"My happiness, Obito, is something you can't even imagine."
Half an hour later, the two finally arrived at Rin's doorstep.
The lights were on inside the house. It was just past eight in the evening, so her parents likely hadn't retired for the night yet.
Nohara Rin carefully withdrew her hand, looked up at Shinji, and said in a very soft voice:
"Shinji, our… our relationship is moving too fast."
"Let's talk about some things after the war is over."
Her words seemed like a delay, but Rin's next action filled Shinji with joy.
She took a step forward, gently embraced him, and then, like a startled bird, turned and ran into her house without looking back.
Shinji hadn't expected Rin to be so proactive. The lingering softness and warmth in his arms assured him that the embrace had been real.
"After the war, huh?"
He murmured softly. The Battle of Kannabi Bridge was about to begin, and after that, the war would be over.
…
After parting with Rin, Shinji went straight home.
He soaked comfortably in a hot bath, washing away the fatigue of the journey, then nestled into the fabric sofa in the living room, leaning against a soft cushion. With focused intent, he summoned the System interface.
At the top of the information panel, a new notification glimmered faintly.
"Side Quest: Encouragement Completed"
"Quest Reward: 100,000 Points, A-rank Gift Box ×1 automatically received"
"Note: Host completed the task in such a short time, truly a remarkable achievement"
"One hundred thousand points, an A-rank Gift Box."
Shinji raised an eyebrow, his gaze falling on the square box with gilded patterns in the inventory. He lightly tapped it.
The screen flashed abruptly as the gift box hovered in the center of the interface, its golden light suddenly intensifying. New prompts popped up one after another.
"A-rank Gift Box opening, please wait..."
The moment the lid opened, a large dial covered in intricate patterns appeared. The dial was clearly divided into sections for Ninjutsu, Talents, Chakra, Ninja Tools, and more. Two silver pointers spun rapidly before gradually coming to a stop.
"This Gift Box reward types: Talent, Charm Value"
"Charm Value +3"
"New Talent Acquired: Medical Affinity (Non-upgradable)"
"Talent Description: When learning knowledge and techniques related to medical ninjutsu, learning speed increases by 30%. The host possesses the potential to become a genius Medical Ninja."
Shinji immediately felt a warm current surge through his limbs and body, his internal Chakra gently stirring.
"Medical Affinity! It seems the System has modified my body, incidentally awakening a talent suited for Yang attributes."
A thought stirred in his mind, and the corner of his mouth unconsciously lifted into a faint curve. "Since I have this talent, I really should ask Rin for more guidance."
Shinji murmured to himself, Rin's figure suddenly surfacing in his mind. He involuntarily pictured a scene:
She wore a white lab coat, revealing slender, fair wrists as she leaned over, patiently explaining acupuncture points and pharmacology to him.
"Ahem!"
Shinji quickly suppressed the slightly improper thoughts in his mind and continued scrolling down the message log. He soon found the two character profiles he had scouted earlier that day at the training ground.
He had scouted them first thing in the morning.
[Character: Kurenai Yuhi]
[Skills: Three Body Techniques Lv3, Hell Viewing Technique Lv2, Body Flicker Technique Lv2, Fox Heart Entrapment Technique Lv2...]
[Estimated Points Reward for Successful Conquest: Ambiguous Relationship / 3,000 Points, True Love Relationship / 150,000 Points...]
[Note: Difficulty Rating Low. You are in the same squad, proximity offers advantage. Those transparent eyes like fine rubies, paired with long, straight, fair legs—aren't they enough to make your heart flutter?]
[Character: Kakashi]
[Skills: Three Body Techniques Lv3, Chidori Lv1, Sword Technique Lv3, Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall Lv2...]
[Estimated Points Reward for Successful Conquest: Ambiguous Relationship / 5,000 Points, True Love Relationship / 200,000 Points...]
[Note: Difficulty Rating High. Brotherly love is love, bromance is also deep affection! The genius Copy Ninja, bonds maxed out! Lost in life's confusion, he needs you to reach out and save him! Friendly tip: Kakashi has a fondness for certain novels, perhaps a good entry point~]
"Brotherly love is love, bromance is also deep affection."
Catching sight of this line from the "True Love System" prompt, Shinji's face instantly darkened, but he could only accept it.
Since the System was already bound, he had to face whatever came his way.
Shinji had long held a bottom line: when developing System relationships with males, it would stop at the second stage at most. He had no intention of being forcibly bent by the System.
Given the current limitations of the "Character Detector," he could only prioritize pursuing high-quality prospects and easy targets for now.
Moreover, Kakashi and Kurenai Yuhi were about to head to the front lines together soon, providing him with ample time to work on them.
He then deftly operated the interface, adding Kakashi and Kurenai Yuhi's names to the binding column. Next, he opened the inventory, found the scroll Shisui had given him during the day, spent 50,000 points to unlock the "Phantom Body Flicker Technique," and casually upgraded two other skills. Finally, he cleared out the remaining usable items in the Shop, instantly depleting most of his points.
Looking at the clear binding list, learned ninjutsu, and newly added items on the System Panel, Shinji nodded in satisfaction and chuckled softly, "A perfect start!"
[Name: Uchiha Shinji]
[Charm: 33]
[Chakra: Approximately 0.6 K]
[Talents: Sharingan (Two Tomoe), Medical Affinity]
[Skills: Three Body Techniques Lv3, Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique Lv2, Lightning Release: Earth Rampart Lv2, Uchiha Style Sword Technique Lv1, Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique Lv1, Phantom Body Flicker Technique Lv1]
[Bound Targets: Nohara Rin (First Stage), Kakashi (None), Kurenai Yuhi (None)]
[Points: 15,000]
[Inventory: Ninjutsu/Taijutsu/Genjutsu Training Acceleration Card (7 Days), Invisibility Cloak (Consumable), Small Yellow Book]