Shin's healing abilities came not only from his unique physique, but also from the medical knowledge he gained from honeybees.

Previously, the system had rewarded him with four abilities, each coming from nature's most remarkable creatures. The prying mantis had passed on its deadly swordsmanship, while the mantis shrimp had given him insights into genjutsu.

The honeybee had shared its healing wisdom, and the mighty elephant had blessed him with its robust physique, though only at a beginner's level. The Honeybee's medical insights might prove the most valuable of all. Knowledge that even Ame's most experienced healers couldn't fathom.

Thanks to Tsunade's influence, Konoha's medical ninja training was far ahead in the ninja world. Even the other four Great Ninja Villages couldn't keep up, let alone Ame.

After only a few nights of dream-based learning, Shin had already reaped substantial benefits.

When he rushed headfirst into the Wind Release attack, he had already protected his vital areas with chakra to ensure that, although he would be injured, he wouldn't die. The wind chakra had cut deep, but his precise chakra barrier had kept it from reaching anything vital.

The rest, he left to luck. And as it turned out, his luck wasn't too bad.

The cuts on his body looked terrifying, but for a ninja's physique, these were only minor wounds—not even close to fatal.

On the other hand, the Kusa ninja was less fortunate. Once Shin got close, a single slash opened up his neck. Panicked, the Kusa ninja leaped back, clutching his throat in a futile attempt to seal the torn windpipe with his chakra-imbued hand. But it was in vain. His increasingly cloudy mind told him his life was slipping away irreversibly.

Amateur. You can't heal what you can't reach.

"You!"

On the brink of death, the furious Kusa ninja cursed Shin.

"All of you Uzumaki are a curse! I'll wait for you in hell!"

His spite was unrelenting, and even with a leaking throat, he spat blood-flecked words at Shin. His eyes burned with hatred, even as the light in them began to fade.

However, Shin merely smiled nonchalantly, unfazed. He pointed off into the distance, put a hand to his ear, and gestured for the Kusa ninja to listen.

"Shh, just listen."

In the next moment, a gust of wind carried the sound from the mountain valley:

"Shinra Tensei!"

And then came the earth-shaking rumble!

The surrounding mountains cracked, and a torrent of water from the waterfall's upper stream rushed down, carrying huge boulders with it, causing a series of explosive crashes.

Shin's carefully chosen advantageous terrain, combined with Nagato's full-power Shinra Tensei, delivered an unexpected and devastating blow to the pursuing Kusa ninja.

The Kusa ninja jonin clutched his throat as he knelt, stunned by the destruction before him. Massive boulders tumbled down like children's toys, crushing everything in their path.

At the moment when Shin had turned the tables, the only comfort left in the Kusa ninja's heart was that he had at least delayed and severely wounded this Ame ninja.

The others from his village would capture Shin's companions, right? But how could he have imagined that so soon, Shin would show him a scene of utter despair?

Facing such catastrophic destruction, his comrades likely wouldn't even have a chance to escape, let alone capture anyone.

The Kusa ninja realized: it wasn't Shin and his companions who had fallen tonight—only Kusa.

"What... is that... power? You..."

His face grew increasingly purple from lack of oxygen, and his voice faded away. But Shin had no further explanations to offer.

He had to hurry, so he made a final 'shush' gesture to the Kusa ninja, finger pressing against his own lips in an almost playful manner.

"Shh, you ask too many questions. Don't pry into things you shouldn't know."

He drove his blade into the enemy's forehead, piercing the Kusa ninja's skull with a wet crunch. Then, he quickly formed the seals for his jutsu.

"Lightning Release: Thunder!"

This time, he was more cautious than usual. He didn't just ignore the dying man's questions; he also delivered a second blow to utterly destroy the Kusa ninja's brain.

After all, he had to help Nagato keep the secret of the Rinnegan. The smell of burnt flesh and ozone filled the air as the lightning dissipated.

Once he finished, he rested for a moment where he stood. He bit his wrist to heal his injuries slightly, then, he leaped from the tree branches, rushing to Nagato's side.

By the time he arrived, the battle was already over. The valley below looked like a natural disaster had struck—which, in a way, it had. Bodies lay scattered among the debris, some crushed beyond recognition.

The Rinnegan was indeed overpowering. Even at a young age, Nagato had easily wiped out the Kusa ninjas by using the terrain to his advantage. All that was left now was to clean up the battlefield.

Kazuya came over and asked, "Captain Shin, do we need to take care of all these bodies?" He gestured at the scattered remains, some still twitching.

"Yes. To save time, just destroy their brains. If there's no time to burn the bodies, leave them. If you don't understand, ask Tanaka," Shin said as he cleaned his blade.

Upon hearing this, Kazuya stood at attention, filled with admiration. "Tanaka is really skilled at this?"

Shin was about to explain the reason behind Tanaka's expertise when he noticed that Tanaka, who was severely injured, was standing nearby, staring at him with fear in his eyes.

Blood seeped through Tanaka's makeshift bandages, but the physical pain seemed secondary to his mental anguish. He had been the most seriously injured in this mission, aside from Shin, who could heal himself.

Originally, this had nothing to do with Shin—it was purely coincidental. The chaos of battle showed no favoritism.

However, seeing the fear and the faint hint of guilt in Tanaka's gaze, Shin suddenly had a thought and decided to let his suspicions stand unchallenged.

He intentionally told Kazuya, maintaining eye contact with Tanaka as he spoke, "Yes, he is very skilled at this. He often helps me with these kinds of cleanup tasks. If you don't understand something, just ask him—he's quite experienced."

Kazuya immediately blurted out, "Really? I never thought Tanaka was like this! I always thought he followed Konan's lead and avoided killing when possible. But who knew he was so good at handling corpses?"

At that moment, Tanaka couldn't help but shudder and cough, quickly pulling Kazuya away.

Shin didn't stop them. Instead, he gave Tanaka a meaningful smile.

Even though he had predicted Tanaka's actions from the start and used them to gain Nagato's trust, in the eyes of others, and even in Tanaka's own eyes, it seemed undeniable that he had betrayed Shin.

He had explicitly ordered during the scouting mission that Nagato shouldn't be informed. His words had been clear. But Tanaka had disobeyed his captain's command. And now he got to live with that choice.

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So even though Shin had anticipated the events, he wasn't about to miss the opportunity to subtly remind Tanaka of his mistake. And luck had been on his side.

Among those left behind to delay the Kusa ninjas, only Kazuya had come away unscathed, while Tanaka had been gravely injured during the pursuit.

Out of guilt and fear of Shin, he saw this injury as a direct warning from his captain. And Shin allowed him to think so.

---

Soon, after quickly disposing of the Kusa ninja corpses, they made their way back. The journey was quiet, broken only by Tanaka's occasional pained breathing and the distant sounds of nocturnal wildlife returning after the battle's chaos.

Later that night, when they safely returned to their hideout in Kusa, Tanaka quietly slipped into Shin's room before bed. The bandages on his chest had begun to seep red again.

"I'm sorry, Captain. It was me who told Nagato about the scouting mission."

Shin sat on the bed, holding a book, one arm resting on his raised knee. He looked at Tanaka in silence for a long time. He knew why Tanaka was here. The man's guilt had finally driven him to this point of confession, just as he had anticipated.

But by now, he no longer needed the man's apology. The damage was done, the pieces had moved exactly where he wanted them.

Sweat beaded on Tanaka's forehead as the silence stretched on, his wounds forgotten in the face of this quiet psychological torture.

"Tanaka, we've been teammates for months now. As your captain, I'll give you one piece of advice."

Tanaka bowed even lower. Fresh blood spotted the floor beneath him as his wounds reopened. "Please, go ahead."

Shin closed his book with deliberate slowness, letting the sound echo in the quiet room. His eyes met Tanaka's, and in them was neither anger nor forgiveness—only cold calculation.

"Sometimes, if loyalty isn't absolute, it's not loyalty at all."

After saying this, he sent off Tanaka. Shin didn't care if Tanaka passed his words to Yahiko.

He had always disdained pretending to serve the village for selfish reasons, like Danzō. His opposition to Yahiko was always open and direct. Unlike those who hid in the shadows, he preferred to let his intentions be known.

Everyone in the Akatsuki organization knew his intentions. Let them talk, let them worry. Moreover, his strength was growing, and his bond with Konan and Nagato was deepening. He no longer needed to hide the fact that he had rebellious thoughts.

If Tanaka understood and made his own choice, great. If not, he didn't really care. The man's loyalty wasn't essential to his plans anymore.

But tonight seemed destined to be anything but peaceful. Just after sending Tanaka away, as he was about to put down his book and go to sleep, there was a knock at his door.

Soft, hesitant—almost like the person on the other side was hoping no one would hear.

He got up, opened the door, and found Kaori standing there timidly. The outside light made her appear even more vulnerable than usual.

Kaori looked to be around 20 years old, much older than Shin. Based on age alone, she could be considered the hot babysitter of the group. You know the type—confident, flirty, making younger guys dream of being 'taken care of' by an attractive older sister figure.

However, her personality was too timid.

Years of hardship had made her accustomed to silently enduring suffering. Standing in front of him, she couldn't even meet his eyes, nervously twisting the hem of her clothes.

Instead of him feeling like the flustered young charge under the care of a sexy older caretaker, their roles were completely reversed. She resembled a helpless little rabbit offering herself to a big bad wolf.

The metaphor wasn't lost on Shin, who had to suppress a smile at the irony.

He glanced at the dark night outside, then at Kaori's thin clothing, and his mouth twitched in amusement. The chill air made her shiver slightly, drawing her arms closer.

"Is something wrong, Kaori?" He kept his voice gentle, like speaking to a frightened animal.

Kaori nervously clenched her fists, seeming to gather her courage before speaking.

"I asked around, and they all said you were the first to judge that I'm related by blood to Nagato. I... I just wanted to ask, what is my relationship with him?"

So it was about this.

For a moment, he almost thought she had come to grant him a favor in return for his help—like in those old tales where beautiful women turn out to be supernatural beings rewarding kindness.

Shin invited her inside and gave her a light blanket to keep her warm, as the night air was chilly. The fabric was soft, worn from use but clean.

While doing so, he used the time to think about his strategy. Each movement was deliberate as he arranged the room to appear more welcoming, more intimate—perfect for sharing secrets.

According to the original story, Kaori and Nagato had no relationship whatsoever. But now that things had reached this point, he had no choice but to create a connection between them—and he had to make it work.

Then, he calmly brewed some tea and poured her a cup. Only when Kaori grew a little anxious from waiting did Shin finally speak.

"Do you remember when you and your older sister got separated?"

This question contained a hidden trap.

Shin hadn't asked 'Do you have a sister?' Instead, he'd phrased it as if their separation was already an established fact.

It was like how a car salesman never asked if you wanted air conditioning, but rather asked whether you preferred automatic or manual climate control.

The same principle.

Even if Kaori had answered that she didn't have a sister, he could have asked instead, "Who did you get separated from years ago?"

This way, he would still get a name. In other words, this conversation was all manipulation from the start, devoid of any real emotions.

Luckily for him, he didn't even need to use follow-up tactics this time. The first attempt hit its mark, like an arrow finding its target in the dark.

Kaori lowered her head and thought for a while, her fingers tightening around the warm teacup. Then, she suddenly realized something, her face mixed with joy, relief, and gratitude. It seemed as if she was on the verge of happy tears.

The transformation was remarkable—like watching a wilted flower suddenly bloom.

"So, he's my sister's child! That's wonderful! I thought he had died long ago..."

"Thank you, Shin! Thank you! I... I'm just so happy..."

As she spoke, she couldn't hold back her tears any longer, and they began to fall. They dropped silently into her tea, making it salty, but she didn't seem to care as she took a sip.

Shin stared at her for several seconds, confirming that such genuine emotion couldn't possibly be an act. The trembling of her hands, the catch in her voice, the pure joy in her eyes—no one could fake such raw emotion.

Moreover, Kaori's timid nature didn't seem like that of someone calculating enough to play along with his ruse.

It seemed he had just been lucky.

Who would've thought she actually had an older sister, and her sister even had a child around Nagato's age?

Now, Nagato had gained an aunt out of thin air.

If the kid ever acted up again, Shin would just have Kaori give him a good smack. He chuckled inwardly at the thought. The image of timid Kaori trying to discipline anyone was amusing enough on its own.

But jokes aside, precautions still had to be taken. A story needs details to be believable. Time to fill in the gaps.

"Don't get too excited yet," Shin said as he refilled her teacup. "Can you tell me more about your older sister's situation? I need to verify the details to make sure everything matches up."

"This is for Nagato's sake."

He was always thorough. Each detail needed to fit perfectly, like pieces of a puzzle. He would ensure the information was seamless, leaving no loopholes.

Kaori didn't suspect a thing and immediately began sharing her experiences after fleeing from the Land of Whirlpools, recounting everything in detail.

Shin subtly inserted 'details' throughout her story, reminding Kaori that her sister might have changed her name to stay hidden when she escaped to the Land of Rain, ensuring no discrepancies later on.

After hearing her story, he couldn't help but sympathize with the woman who had spent nights hungry, days fleeing, and years looking over her shoulder.

The Uzumaki clan had suffered too much. Their homeland destroyed, forced to wander, surrounded by enemies with no one to turn to.

Who would have thought that such a once-powerful clan, strong enough to carve their emblem into the forehead protectors of the world's largest shinobi village, would fall so low?

After talking for a while, he half-sincerely, half-strategically comforted her, saying, "Don't be sad. Those hardships are behind you. At least now you and Nagato are safe, and he's been longing for family."

"Stay with him for a while. I'm sure things will only get better from here."

Kaori, still teary-eyed, nodded vigorously, clutching the blanket tighter around her shoulders. "Yes, I will! I will!"

Then her expression shifted to concern. "Oh, by the way, I heard you were injured? Would you like to bite me? You'll recover quickly."

As she spoke, Kaori offered him her wrist with the practiced motion of someone too used to making this gesture. Her wrist was already covered in dark red bite marks, many of which were half-healed, a circle upon a circle of scabs—painfully visible.

How many times has she offered herself like this? How many have taken advantage of her kindness?

This kind but foolish woman.

At that moment, his heart genuinely ached for her. All schemes aside he felt bad for this silly girl. Even after being rescued, she was still offering herself up like this. The blanket slipped from her shoulders as she extended her arm, revealing more scars that showed how harsh her life was.

Shin, of course, didn't bite her. He didn't need her help to heal.

Instead, he grabbed Kaori's hand gently, his touch careful as cold met warm.

"Don't worry about me. You should be more concerned about yourself. Your body has been depleted for too long."

"When you have time, come see me more often. I'll help you heal."

It would also give him a chance to practice the medical ninjutsu he'd learned from the system—a win-win situation.

But Kaori seemed to misunderstand something when Shin unexpectedly held her hand. She recoiled slightly like a frightened rabbit, her breathing quickening.

Does a small ninja village really have medical ninjas? Or was that just an excuse? The question seemed to flash across her face as she glanced around nervously.

She looked at the dark night outside, the empty room, and the bed not far away. It seemed like she was recalling some unpleasant memories from not too long ago, and her face turned pale.

But after a moment, she steadied herself. A subtle change came over her features, like someone coming to terms with an inevitable fate. She lifted her head and carefully studied Shin's handsome face.

Remembering the immense kindness he'd shown her and how gentle he had been since she entered the room, her heart finally calmed.

She tightened the blanket around her and softly whispered, "Mm," her lowered eyes revealing a hint of what seemed like intoxication.

Focused on channeling his chakra to perform medical ninjutsu, Shin glanced at her, puzzled, not quite following the direction of her thoughts.

What's going on with this atmosphere?

Why did it feel like he had wandered into one of those folktales again where a mysterious beautiful woman appeared at night to repay a debt—usually with unforeseen consequences?

The whole situation was starting to feel eerily romantic in a way that made him nervous.

This is definitely not part of the plan.