Konoha Light

Under Zhihui's relentless offensive, Shimizu remained calm, effortlessly deflecting attacks with casual grace. He moved as if taking a leisurely stroll, yet his every action was precise. No matter where Show Read struck from, his blades seemed to be swatted away with ease. 

Step by step,Shimizu advanced. 

"Before these eyes," Zhihui declared with growing arrogance, "all your efforts are meaningless! This is the true glory of the Uchiha Clan! It's a disparity that commoners like you will never surpass! As a medical ninja, how do you expect to counter my close-combat attacks?" 

From Zhihui's perspective, his own taijutsu wasn't particularly strong, but against a medical ninja? It shouldn't be much of a problem. After all, he had seen Shimizu fight two months ago—his taijutsu back then was lacking, a clear weak point. The only thing worth worrying about was that slightly troublesome medical ninjutsu. 

However, Shimizu simply sighed. "Zhihui, has anyone ever told you… that you talk too much?" 

Before Zhihui could react, Shimizu suddenly closed the distance and drove his knee straight into his abdomen. The impact sent Zhihui flying backward. 

Suppressing the urge to vomit, Zhihui struggled to get up, his face twisted in both pain and disbelief. "Why… why does a medical ninja know taijutsu?!" 

Shimizu hesitated for a moment, then replied matter-of-factly, "As a medical ninja, isn't it only reasonable to study some taijutsu for self-defense?" 

Of course, he wasn't about to neglect taijutsu training. After all, he had been eyeing the Strong Fist style for a long time. The only reason his technique had been lacking before was that he hadn't had a proper teacher to guide him. Without careful instruction, he hadn't dared to practice recklessly. 

But after befriending Asuma, he naturally took the opportunity to learn from him. Asuma's guidance, though not as refined as a professional instructor, had helped him patch up the weaker aspects of his taijutsu. 

Zhihui, still gasping for breath, shouted, "But… but two months ago, your taijutsu was obviously worse than mine!" 

Shimizu nodded and replied casually, "Yes, but that was two months ago." 

If Naruto Uzumaki could go from being beaten up six times a day to a formidable fighter within a year, then why couldn't Shimizu improve his taijutsu within two months? 

Zhihui was stunned. *Wait… if he improves this fast, wouldn't that mean if I fight him again in two days, I'll just get instantly defeated?!* 

For the first time, a seed of fear took root in his heart. *Is this… my only chance to defeat him?* 

"No matter," Zhihui reassured himself. "It's just taijutsu! At the very least, his genjutsu should be useless against someone like me, who possesses the Sharingan… right?" 

Despite his bravado, doubt crept in. He didn't want to admit it, but he was beginning to feel hesitant—even afraid. 

Gathering his focus, Zhihui formed hand seals—**Clone Technique!** 

Five identical clones appeared and rushed toward Shimizu, encircling him from all directions. 

Yet, without hesitation, Shimizu charged straight at one of them, completely ignoring the others. 

"Damn it! His perception is way too sharp!" Zhihui cursed internally. Seeing that trickery wouldn't work, he abandoned deception. He lunged forward with his right hand, aiming a direct attack at Shimizu while secretly unraveling a steel wire in his left hand. 

Shimizu easily dodged to the side, countering with a swift elbow strike to Zhihui's chest.

"Now!" 

Zhihui didn't dodge. Instead, he took the hit head-on, gritting his teeth through the pain. In that instant, the steel wire wrapped around Shimizu. 

"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!" 

Flames surged through the wire, engulfing Shimizu completely. 

But Zhihui remained wary—he knew from their previous battle that Shimizu was adept at deception. His opponent.

He waited, searching for any flaws. 

As the fire dissipated, a charred corpse collapsed heavily onto the ground. 

"???" 

Shimizu blinked in disbelief. His intelligence felt insulted. 

*There's no way he died from that!* 

"Wait… don't tell me… it's another genjutsu?!" 

Before he could react, the familiar sound of murmuring voices filled his ears. 

"That was disappointing."

 "Is this the so-called 'elite' of the Uchiha Clan? What a joke!" 

"Some people really think the Sharingan is unbeatable, huh?" 

Rage surged through Shimizu's veins. "Damn it! I fell into a genjutsu again!"

Just as he realized it, the "charred corpse" on the ground suddenly lunged at him. 

Before he could respond, he felt the cold touch of metal against the back of his neck. 

"Wait… am I still in the genjutsu?" he muttered in shock. 

Behind him, Shimizu chuckled as he retracted his kunai. "My 'corpse' wasn't an illusion—but those voices you heard were." 

*A sound-based genjutsu…* 

Shimizu opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words. His body slumped to the ground, drained of all energy. 

"I lost… even with my Sharingan, I still lost to a mere commoner." He clenched his fists, his voice filled with self-loathing. "The glory of the Uchiha Clan… I've disgraced it completely!" 

He didn't dare to lift his head. He could already feel the mocking gazes around him, each one piercing through his pride. 

As Shimizu turned to leave, he paused and said, "Glory doesn't disappear just because of a single defeat. If your so-called 'glory' vanishes the moment you experience failure, then maybe it wasn't real in the first place." 

Shimizu's head shot up. He glared at Shimizu with a mixture of frustration and desperation. "You don't understand! Thanks to my efforts, no one at this school dares to speak ill of the Uchiha Clan anymore!" 

Shimizu's calm gaze met his. "Do you really believe that?" 

For a brief moment, Shimizu hesitated. He found himself unable to meet Shimizu's eyes. "W-What do you mean?" 

A small smile played on Shimizu's lips. "If you truly believed that, you wouldn't have been affected by my genjutsu at all. Deep down, you already know—the people around you don't actually respect you. Even your so-called 'companions' mock your clan behind your back. That's why you were so afraid of the truth being revealed." 

"No… that's not true! They fear me! They fear the name of the Uchiha Clan!" 

Shimizu shook his head. "That's a lie you've told yourself—a dream to deceive your own mind. Does the Uchiha Clan really need to rely on lies for validation?" 

For the first time, doubt crept into Zhihui's heart. Had he really been deceiving himself all along? 

Seeing his opponent's shattered confidence, Shimizu knew he had done enough. 

"At the very least," Shimizu said, turning to leave, "I don't believe arrogance and prejudice can be erased through violence alone." 

Zhihui, still lost in thought, instinctively asked, "Then what should I do?" 

Shimizu glanced back. "Do you love your family?" 

Zhihui hesitated, then nodded. "…Yes." 

"Does your family love you?" 

"Yes." 

Shimizu smiled. "Kindness is mutual. If you don't love the world, why would you expect the world to love you? And if that love isn't enough—then give it time. Time will prove everything." 

Zhihui felt a strange sense of peace wash over him. 

As Shimizu walked away, Zhihui shouted after him, "I understand now! I'll do my best to change all of this!" 

Without stopping, Shimizu simply waved. "Before that, start by keeping your promise. Go apologize."