Naruto : Konoha Light

The noisy classroom suddenly quieted as Shimizu stepped forward. After observing for a moment, he formed a hand seal, and a soft, glistening light radiated from his hands as he gently placed them on the forehead of Mai.

Seeing this, everyone held their breath, focusing entirely on the scene before them, not daring to make the slightest sound.

Moments later, the tightly furrowed brows of the unconscious Mai slowly relaxed, and under the expectant gazes of everyone, she stirred and slowly regained consciousness.

"She's awake! Mai is alive!"

"I knew the class leader could do it!"

"Was that a healing technique? Shimizu only spent a few days learning medical ninjutsu, and he already mastered it?" Nearby, Asuma's large eyes were filled with confusion. "I thought medical ninjutsu and genjutsu were supposed to be the hardest to learn?"

However, Shimizu did not bask in the cheers of his classmates. Instead, he turned toward Hina and Enka, placing his hands on them and performing another round of the healing technique, making the two forgotten girls feel deeply moved.

"Asuma, Ebihara , come help me. Let's take them to the hospital together." Although Shimizu wasn't certain if Asuma would eventually take the same path as before, he wanted to ensure that Asuma wouldn't interfere with his plans. Thus, he intentionally called on him.

"Alright, I'm coming." Asuma, unaware of Shimizu's hidden intentions, snapped out of his daze and rushed forward in a few steps. With a hint of frustration, he said, "You bastard, you actually learned medical ninjutsu behind my back! Damn it, I won't let you surpass me in jutsu count!"

Before Shimizu could respond, Ebihara Happy chuckled coldly from the side. "Don't bother struggling. You'll be surpassed sooner or later."

"Damn it! Even you are looking down on me?" Asuma was about to argue when something unexpected happened.

Mai took a step back, looking at him warily. "No need, I can walk by myself."

Seeing her reaction, Asuma was utterly bewildered.

"You... this girl..." Ebihara snickered from the side, clearly amused. Meanwhile, Enka whispered under her breath while being supported, "If only I had fainted... I envy Mai."

Ebihara body stiffened, and he exchanged an inexplicable glance with Asuma.

By the time they finished handling the hospital matters, it was already afternoon.

When Shimizu returned to the classroom, the students immediately surrounded him with eager questions.

"Relax, everything is fine," Shimizu reassured them with a smile.

"If you say so, then I feel relieved."

"Haha, today really felt like a real ninja experience!"

Everyone was chatting excitedly, but amidst the lively commotion, a solitary figure sat quietly at her desk.

Shimizu walked over to her. "Kurenai, are you okay?"

Kurenai didn't respond, only burying her head in her arms and shaking slightly.

"I know, you're blaming yourself, aren't you?"

Still, Kurenai remained silent, hiding within her own thoughts.

Shimizu wasn't surprised. With a calm and gentle voice, he said, "Actually, you didn't do anything wrong. If it were me, I would have made the same choice as you."

Hearing his words, Kurenai timidly lifted her head. "But… I almost killed Mai! I... I don't want to use genjutsu ever again."

"Using genjutsu to protect yourself isn't wrong. What's wrong is using it on your own companions."

"Really? But I…"

Before she could continue, Shimizu spoke again. "No, the real mistake is mine! As the class leader, I failed to recognize and resolve your conflicts in time. That's why what should have been a friendship turned into opposition. So, you and Mai did nothing wrong. The only person at fault is me!"

"That's not true!" Kurenai shook her head suddenly. "How could you be wrong? Clearly, it's…"

Before she could finish, Shimizu turned and walked toward the front of the class. "Everyone, may I say a few words?"

At the sound of his voice, the classroom immediately fell silent.

"Today, our class had an unfortunate incident. But please, don't blame Mai or Kurenai. This happened because I didn't fulfill my responsibilities as class leader. If I had cared more for everyone, this could have been avoided. I'm sorry for troubling all of you."

"What? That's not true at all!"

"Hmph! Class leader, you underestimate us!"

"Yeah, we didn't do anything. You were the one taking care of everything!"

Asuma and Ebihara: "???"

"This was my fault," Shimizu insisted, flashing a bright smile. His sincere gaze swept across the room. "We are ninjas. When we go on missions in the future, we will have to rely on our companions. That's why I hope that every one of us can be there for each other, that we can all become each other's bonds! I want to be friends with all of you forever!"

"Of course! We're friends!"

"Definitely!"

At that moment, the classroom door suddenly swung open, and Yagami Sensei stepped in. Seeing the fiery atmosphere in the room, he hesitated before asking awkwardly, "...Am I interrupting something?"

After school, Shimizu was packing his bag when he suddenly felt a small tug on his sleeve.

He turned to see Kurenai standing there, her expression softer than before.

"Shimizu, thank you," she said earnestly, her small hands clenched into fists.

"We're friends," he replied with a sigh. "Besides, this whole misunderstanding was actually because of me…"

Hearing that, Kurenai frowned and lightly punched him. "Are you saying that again? I'm not that fragile!"

"I wasn't—" He stopped mid-sentence, shook his head with a smile, and said, "Fine, fine. Let's walk home together."

Kurenai looked slightly hesitant, glancing toward the school's wooden walkway. "You go ahead first. I want to stay in the classroom a little longer."

"Hmm?" Shimizu sized her up with curiosity. Resting his chin on his hand, he said, "Now that I think about it, you haven't been standing properly all afternoon."

"Wait, did you hurt your foot?" His tone became more serious.

"No!" Kurenai waved her hands in denial. But seeing his determined expression, she hesitated before mumbling, "I… I just twisted it when they pushed me earlier."

"Why didn't you say anything sooner?" Shimizu frowned. "Come on, I'll take you to the hospital."

"No way! Absolutely not!" Kurenai's resistance was unusually strong.

"Because of Mai and the others?" he asked knowingly.

Kurenai's cheeks flushed, but she said nothing.

"Alright, alright, I get it." Shimizu sighed helplessly and crouched down. "Here, let me treat it."

"Sorry to trouble you." Kurenai didn't resist. As Shimizu placed his hand over her ankle, she felt a soothing warmth spreading through the area. More than that, she found herself thinking... He really is kind.

Moments later, he finished the treatment. "Okay, try walking now."

Kurenai carefully took a few steps. "Wow, it really feels much better!"

"That's good. Come on, I'll walk you home." He picked up her bag.

"I can carry it myself."

"Wounded people must listen to the doctor."

"Fine. Oh, by the way, my father is home today. He's a really strong genjutsu ninja!"

"You mean Shinku Yuhi-senpai? I've heard people in the village say that his genjutsu is the strongest in the Leaf!" Shimizu said in an "excited" tone.

"Hee hee, that's right!" Kurenai beamed.