"Shinji!"
Nohara Rin spotted him from afar, her eyes curving into crescents as she smiled and waved, quickly walking over.
Shinji stepped forward to meet her, a gentle smile on his face. "Rin, what brings you here?"
"Are you looking for Obito?"
As he spoke, he focused his mind and added Nohara Rin's name to the binding list.
[Ding!]
[Binding Nohara Rin: Completed]
[Beginner Mission: Completed]
[Mission Reward: 50,000 Points]
[Note: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. True love starts now. Reward: 50,000 points to the host.]
Shinji mentally pumped his fist in victory, his smile growing even brighter.
Fifty thousand points!
His first thought was the Sharingan in the system shop. It was a bit embarrassing—as a member of the Uchiha clan, he didn't even have the most basic Sharingan, making him feel like a fraud.
"Yes, Minato-sensei asked us to gather, so I came to find Obito!" Nohara Rin nodded, then couldn't help but giggle behind her hand at how happy he looked. "Did something good happen? You're smiling so much."
Shinji looked at her flushed cheeks and deliberately teased her. "Of course, it's because I saw you. That's the best thing that could happen."
Rin's face instantly turned even redder, and she lightly tapped his shoulder. "Shinji, you're actually teasing me."
She and Shinji were classmates from the same year and had always gotten along well.
At the Ninja Academy, Shinji wasn't a dead-last like Obito. Through hard work, his grades hovered around the upper-middle range. While not top-tier academically, he had at least one standout quality—his looks were genuinely impressive, earning him the title of school heartthrob.
People always had more patience with attractive individuals, and over time, that naturally led to a bit more goodwill. The system rated his charm at 30 points, but in terms of looks alone, he was at least a 90. It was just his strength, status, and influence that dragged him down.
"I'll go with you to find Obito," Shinji said, naturally taking Rin's small hand and leading her toward Obito's house.
"W-Wait!" Rin was completely flustered now. She hadn't expected Shinji to become so assertive after not seeing him for a while.
Shinji acted as if he hadn't noticed her hesitation and continued, "Let's walk together."
Nohara Rin's heart pounded like a startled deer. The warmth of his palm against hers felt almost scalding.
She thought to herself, "Was he serious when he said he was happy to see me?"
As soon as that thought crossed her mind, her face flushed even deeper. She instinctively tried to pull her hand back but found Shinji's grip tighten slightly, holding her hand more firmly.
Feeling a bit guilty, Rin glanced around. Fortunately, they were in the Uchiha clan's territory, and the streets were mostly empty at the moment, with no familiar faces in sight.
"Hopefully, no one will suddenly appear..."
She quietly reassured herself, lowering her head and following closely behind Shinji. All she could hear were his steady footsteps and her own increasingly loud heartbeat.
"Rin, did you know? I might be heading to the front lines soon."
Shinji's voice suddenly grew low, shedding its earlier playful tone.
"The war is at its most intense stage right now, and the village needs manpower." Shinji gazed at the distant high walls of the Uchiha clan's territory. "Who knows, once I go, I might..."
He didn't finish, but Rin already understood what he meant.
In times of war, a ninja's life was as fragile as a candle in the wind. She knew better than anyone what going to the front lines entailed. Her hand unconsciously tightened, gently holding Shinji's in return.
Feeling her response, Shinji turned to look at her and said, "I don't know if I'll be able to come back. But Rin, if I return safely, I can..."
"I can tell you openly that wanting to see you has never been a joke."
He paused, his face involuntarily leaning closer, catching the scent of herbs and mint on Rin—a clean, reassuring smell unique to medical ninjas.
Nohara Rin's breath hitched, her voice dropping low. "Wait, wait!"
Her mind went completely blank, thoughts racing wildly: No, this is all wrong!
What is this about the school heartthrob suddenly confessing to me when I was just supposed to meet up with my teammates?!
Meanwhile, Shinji silently called out in his heart, and the system panel unfolded in response. He focused his will, opened the shop, and without hesitation exchanged points for the [Sharingan (Two Tomoe)].
A flash of golden light vanished, and a cold notification echoed in his mind as a text box appeared simultaneously:
[Congratulations on obtaining: Sharingan (Two Tomoe)]
[Type: Talent, Upgradable]
[Description: A Dōjutsu awakened when members of the Uchiha clan experience intense emotional stimulation, producing special Chakra that stimulates the optic nerves.]
[Effects: Possesses exceptional dynamic vision, capable of clearly capturing an opponent's hand seal sequence and Chakra flow trajectory; can predict Kunai trajectories and preliminarily replicate ordinary Ninjutsu and Taijutsu that are not Kekkei Genkai.]
[Upgrade Requirement: 100,000 points]
So it can be upgraded directly with points? No need to refresh?
Shinji felt a surge of joy.
At that moment, he felt a throbbing in his temples. A chill first spread around his eyes, followed by a surge of scorching Chakra.
All the Chakra in his body grew restless, rising as if ignited. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the world had changed.
Two ink-black tomoe slowly rotated on either side of his pupils. His vision expanded infinitely, becoming clearer—even the trembling of Rin's eyelashes, the swaying of her hair, and the Chakra flowing within her body were now visible in minute detail.
"The Sharingan... Shinji, you've awakened the Sharingan!"
Nohara Rin exclaimed in surprise, instinctively covering her mouth. Her earlier embarrassment was instantly replaced by delight. Seeing her friend awaken the power of the Uchiha clan, she genuinely smiled, her eyes curving warmly.
Shinji quietly released her hand, raising his own palm as he couldn't help but murmur in awe:
"So this is the world through the Sharingan... Indeed, everything is different."
He looked up at Rin, his gaze earnest and intense, speaking each word deliberately:
"Rin, do you know?"
"Huh? Know what?"
"For members of the Uchiha clan to awaken the Sharingan, they need emotions intense to the extreme."
"Intense emotions?"
"Yes." He nodded gently, his voice low but clear. "The reason I was able to awaken it is because, at that moment, all I could think about was you, Rin."
He paused, his gaze softening almost to the point of melting.
"I was thinking, if I survive this war and make it back... Rin, I'd like to see more of you."
Nohara Rin suddenly reached out, covering Shinji's mouth with her hand. She shut her eyes tightly, not daring to look at him again.
"Shinji, don't say that!" Her voice was urgent and soft, carrying a hint of panic. "I don't want to talk about this now. We... we can discuss it later!"
Seeing her reaction, Shinji knew it was time to back off. Pushing further would only embarrass her.
Just then, the system's mechanical voice echoed in his mind:
[Nohara Rin: Initial conquest complete. Ambiguous relationship established.]
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Shinji's lips. He took Rin's hand again and led her toward Obito's house. Rin's cheeks burned, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she lowered her head, her face flushed with shyness as she followed behind him.