The cold moonlight spilled over the earth as the girl buried her face against the boy's back, seeking a sliver of solace.
Shinji thought to himself that this posture really ought to be the other way around, but facing the fragile Rin at this moment, he simply accepted it quietly.
Feeling the slight trembling from behind, he raised his hand and gently patted the hands clasped around his waist.
"Obito would definitely want us to look forward, Rin."
People don't fade easily from memory.
Especially the sacrifice Obito made for Kakashi and for Rin—this bond was enough for them to remember for a lifetime.
Rin's sobs gradually quieted. The bitterness pent up in her heart had finally been released, leaving her feeling much lighter, and her tone grew firmer bit by bit.
"I'll keep moving forward, living on with Obito's feelings in my heart."
Her arms around Shinji unconsciously tightened a little more.
Only after a long while did Rin belatedly realize just how intimate their current posture was. With a soft gasp, she hurriedly let go, immediately turning away so he wouldn't see her tear-reddened eyes.
Yet, a faint sense of regret inexplicably flickered through Shinji's heart—he actually wouldn't have minded being held by her a little longer.
After all, he was an active and unrefusing kind of man.
With Minato Namikaze present, the Battle of Kannabi Bridge would soon come to an end, and the Third Shinobi World War was also nearing its conclusion.
Not only had he survived, but his strength had improved as well, making him feel quite cheerful.
Shinji looked at Rin, who had her back to him, and offered a clean white handkerchief, a gentle smile lifting the corners of his mouth.
"Rin, wipe your face."
"I didn't expect to see such a vulnerable side of you in front of me. It seems you trust me quite a bit?"
He deliberately teased her, hoping to lighten the mood.
Nohara Rin's cheeks flushed bright red instantly. She glared at him fiercely but still took the handkerchief, her voice as faint as a mosquito's hum:
"Th-thank you! I'll wash it clean before returning it."
By the campfire not far away, Asuma added a few dry branches to the flames, his gaze drifting toward the two of them as he remarked casually:
"Rin and Shinji seem really close, don't they?"
As he spoke, he stole a glance at Kurenai beside him, watching for her reaction.
An inexplicable sense of crisis had sprouted in Asuma's heart because he always felt that Kurenai's attitude toward Shinji had changed.
Kurenai Yuhi stared straight ahead at the two—more precisely, her gaze lingered mainly on Shinji.
But when she saw Rin embracing Shinji, a strange feeling stirred within her, one that was deeply uncomfortable, even stirring an impulse to rush over and separate them.
"Shinji was just comforting Rin, that's all."
Kurenai said this to Asuma, her expression calm, but she unconsciously brushed her fingertips lightly against her lips, as if remembering something, ripples of emotion continuously welling up inside her.
"That awful Shinji… that was my first kiss!"
Shinji soon returned to the campfire and sat down beside Asuma and Kurenai.
Kakashi had already regained consciousness, and Minato was speaking softly to him, as if providing psychological counseling. Rin, worried that Kakashi might get stuck in a negative spiral, also walked over on her own initiative, staying by his side to offer gentle comfort.
"Kurenai, how is your injury?" Shinji asked, his tone carrying genuine concern. "Do you need me to take another look? I still have some healing medicine here. If you need it, I can give it to you."
A faint smile quietly curved at the corner of Kurenai Yuhi's lips.
So Shinji still cared about me!
The inexplicable discomfort she had felt earlier suddenly faded considerably.
She lifted her head, a trace of barely noticeable dependence in her eyes. "Then I'll trouble you to take a look for me."
Asuma immediately objected, interrupting, "Hey, Shinji, are you sure you can handle this? Maybe we should let Rin do it instead; she's the real Medical Ninja!"
He had clearly seen the smile Kurenai gave Shinji just now—a look he had never seen before.
In that instant, a complex, indescribable feeling surged in his heart.
It felt like there was still time, yet also as if there was nothing he could do anymore.
"Don't forget, I've studied Medical Ninjutsu on my own," Shinji said. "Rin also said I have a lot of talent in this area."
The "Healing Affinity" talent still lay quietly on his System Panel. Even though he had only mastered the basic Healing Technique and Poison Removal Technique, it was enough to handle ordinary external injuries.
Kurenai Yuhi frowned slightly, looking at Asuma with a hint of dissatisfaction. "Rin is helping counsel Kakashi right now. Our team has Shinji here, Asuma. We should trust our comrades."
Deep down, she actually didn't want Rin to come over and help.
Asuma was left speechless for a moment, and the look he gave Shinji now quietly sounded an alarm in his mind.
Even though they were comrades in the same team, he absolutely did not want Kurenai to be taken away by Shinji like this.
Shinji had Kurenai sit opposite him.
Kurenai's hands were habitually wrapped in bandages, a common practice among many ninjas to protect their wrists and palms.
But now, her legs, forehead, and arms were covered with many new bandages, all thanks to Shou's Explosion Release. Burns and abrasions crisscrossed her skin, and even with the slow recovery effect of the "Heavenly Fragrant Cardamom," the external wounds were still healing very slowly.
He carefully unwrapped the gauze on Kurenai's thigh, revealing a crimson wound underneath, along with the slightly blackened necrotic skin at the edges.
Kurenai Yuhi instinctively pulled her leg back slightly, as if unwilling to let him see her in such a disheveled and unsightly state.
"Don't move!"
Shinji's tone grew serious. "It seems my worries were justified. If we delay any longer, the wound could easily become infected."
He looked up at Kurenai, his tone softening instantly. "Leave it to me, Kurenai."
As he spoke, pale green Healing Chakra slowly gathered in his palm and gently pressed against her wound.
Time passed little by little.
A warm and unusual sensation spread from her leg. Kurenai Yuhi's cheeks flushed uncontrollably, her gaze fixed intently on Shinji's face. In her heart, she couldn't help but murmur softly:
"Shinji is actually so good-looking."
They say a focused man is the most handsome, but that statement itself is misleading.
Shinji's appearance was already very handsome, and it was his focused demeanor that made him even more so.
Shinji sat cross-legged, his hands never ceasing their Healing motions, yet his gaze subtly shifted as he scanned the faintly glowing blue System Panel before him.
In the Quest Log, two new prompts lay quietly.
[Side Quest: Comfort]
[Having witnessed the death of a comrade firsthand, Nohara Rin has suffered a tremendous shock. Though she has somewhat calmed under your reassurance, deep within her heart, fear and despondency still linger.]
[Quest Objective: Within thirty days, guide Nohara Rin to completely let go of this matter, allowing her to genuinely show a smile.]
[Quest Reward: 80,000 Points, B-Rank Gift Box ×1]
[Side Quest: Jealousy]
[Kurenai Yuhi has developed a vague fondness for you, yet upon seeing you care for others, she unconsciously feels a twinge of jealousy in her heart.]
[Quest Objective: Within thirty days, embrace Kurenai Yuhi for no less than ten minutes.]
[Quest Reward: 80,000 Points, B-Rank Gift Box ×1]
Looking at these two suddenly refreshed quests, Shinji inwardly clicked his tongue.
"Rin really is my lucky charm for earning points, triggering another quest. This time, even Kurenai has triggered one!"
"Jealousy?"
He chuckled softly to himself.
He was a proactive man who never refused such opportunities—this quest was right up his alley.
"These two quests shouldn't be too difficult to complete."
Without changing his expression, he glanced at Minato and Kakashi nearby, as well as Asuma, who was glaring at him with displeasure, silently praying in his heart:
"Please, don't let any of you trigger similar quests for me."