NOVEL NEXT Chapter 16: Encounter at Konoha Hospital
"Shimizu, someone is looking for you," Uchiha Inabi called out as he approached.
Shimizu turned toward him with a slight frown. "Who's looking for me?"
Inabi, who was supposed to arrive the following day, was an unexpected sight. It seemed something had caused a butterfly effect, prompting his early appearance.
"It's a girl, dressed like a servant but with Byakugan eyes," Inabi replied, clapping his hands for emphasis.
The Byakugan—an ancient kekkei genkai known for its considerable power—immediately came to Shimizu's mind. Yet, the Hyuga clan's main and branch family system struck him as absurdly feudal.
Inabi himself considered the Hyuga clan's structure a waste of their potential, especially when compared to the Uchiha, who treated their people more equally. Despite their coveted Sharingan, the Uchiha ensured the rights of their clansmen were well-protected.
"A servant's attire…" Shimizu murmured, already forming an idea of who the visitor might be. After informing Uchiha Tekka and Inabi, he made his way toward the Uchiha settlement's entrance.
"Ah, Shimizu is at that age now," Tekka commented sagely, shaking his head.
Inabi smirked. "What are you pretending for? Don't you have a crush on someone too?"
"Hey, hey, don't say that!" Tekka's face turned crimson as he hurriedly covered Inabi's mouth, glancing around nervously to ensure no one overheard.
Changing the subject, Tekka suggested, "By the way, want to spar?" His hand absently patted his empty wallet as though recalling something unpleasant.
"Uh, sure," Inabi agreed. With little else to do after returning from the village, he had coincidentally encountered the girl looking for Shimizu.
"But let's add a wager," Tekka added, eyeing Inabi like a lamb ripe for shearing.
Outside the Uchiha Settlement
From a distance, Shimizu spotted Hyuga Natsu waiting patiently.
"These are gifts to apologize. I hope Shimizu-kun can forgive me and Hyuga Tokuma for our rudeness," she said, bowing politely as she handed over a gift box.
The luxurious packaging alone indicated the gifts' value. Clearly, the Hyuga clan had pressured her into coming. Without hesitation, Shimizu accepted the box. After subsisting on ration pills for some time, he reasoned that improving his diet wouldn't hurt.
Satisfied that he had taken the gift, Natsu exchanged more polite words before limping away. Shimizu's gaze followed her retreating figure, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Chakra was, after all, the manifestation of one's spirit. The brighter the person, the warmer their chakra felt. His own dark, cold chakra sensed a similar coldness in hers.
Personality didn't wholly define someone, but it shaped their response to adversity.
"The Hyuga clan and their main-branch system…" Shimizu chuckled inwardly.
Natsu, he realized, wasn't as simple as she seemed. Beneath her outward demeanor lay a deep, hidden darkness. With proper guidance, she might become a valuable tool within the Hyuga clan—and for him.
Before the night of the clan's destruction arrived, every additional advantage mattered. Testing the waters and forming connections could also help Shimizu replicate her traits.
His curiosity extended to the Byakugan itself. Possessing both the Sharingan and the Byakugan simultaneously was an unprecedented combination—something only Otsutsuki Kaguya had achieved.
Even her sons, Hagoromo and Hamura, inherited only one each. Hagoromo passed down the Rinnegan, the precursor to the Sharingan. Hamura's lineage, evident in the Hyuga, had yet to produce a single Tenseigan user.
The contents of the gift box were impressive, leaving Shimizu satisfied. He carried it out of the settlement and headed toward Konoha Hospital.
At Konoha Hospital
By the time Shimizu arrived, dusk had settled, and the hospital was brightly lit. Patients moved through the corridors, some escorted by medics.
Carrying the gift box, Shimizu navigated the hallways with practiced ease.
"Eh, is that Shimizu-kun?" Nohara Rin's voice carried down the corridor as she spotted a familiar figure in the distance.
Before she could confirm, the figure disappeared around a corner.
"Uchiha Shimizu?"
Beside her, Uchiha Obito adjusted his yellow goggles and scanned the area. Despite searching thoroughly, he found no trace of Shimizu.
"I didn't see him. Rin, you must be mistaken," Obito said.
"Maybe. I'll go get your medicine," Rin replied with a nod, dismissing the thought. After all, the upper floors were reserved for medical ninja offices—what reason would Shimizu have to go there?
Unless, she mused briefly, he was secretly a medical ninja. But she quickly dismissed the idea, recalling the stringent requirements for the position.
"Hehe, thanks, Rin," Obito said, smiling as he rubbed his nose with his unbandaged hand, touched by her care.
"It's nothing," Rin replied warmly, weaving through the crowd to retrieve the prescribed medicine.
As she turned back, a familiar voice caught her attention.
"Shimizu-kun, you're so thoughtful! I like you more and more," Yakushi Nono teased, pinching Shimizu's cheeks playfully.
Shimizu allowed the gesture, responding with a faint smile. "Good things are meant to be shared with Sister Nono."
Rin froze mid-step, her gaze locking onto the scene.
"Why does Shimizu know Lady Nono?" she wondered.
Nono was the captain of the medical corps and a high-ranking figure at Konoha Hospital, managing multiple teams. Rin had never heard of any familial connection between the Yakushi and Uchiha clans.
Perhaps Shimizu's parents had ties to Nono, Rin speculated. That might explain their apparent closeness.
Meanwhile, Obito, noticing Rin standing still, misinterpreted her hesitation.
"Rin, thanks a lot!" he exclaimed, rushing to her side.
Rin snapped out of her thoughts and gave a soft smile. "It's nothing, Obito..."
Obito scratched his head before grinning. "Let's head back together. I can protect you—it's getting late." He patted his chest confidently, only to wince in pain from his injured hand.
Rin laughed at his antics. "No need. You go ahead, Obito. I'll take a stroll here."
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