Naruto: I'm Really Not an Evil Uchiha!

"Hmph, Fugaku, in my opinion, you should let him gain some experience at the Konoha Hospital for a few more years before transferring him back to the Konoha Police Force."

Uchiha Setsuna's cloudy eyes narrowed into slits, making it difficult to tell if they were open or closed.

"Elder Setsuna, I know what I'm doing," Uchiha Fugaku replied, glancing briefly at the elder beside him before continuing to watch the battle below.

Shimizu's figure darted through the arena, making it hard for Uchiha Tarō to predict his next move and attack without exposing a weakness.

"Found it," Tarō muttered.

Sensing a gust of wind coming from the side, Tarō threw three kunai and leaped forcefully, aiming to perform a jutsu mid-air.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball..."

Tarō's hands formed seals swiftly, chakra surging to his throat, ready to unleash a blazing attack. But a faster voice interrupted him.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

Boom!

The voice belonged to Shimizu, who had already launched a fireball. His seal speed was leagues ahead of Tarō's.

Caught off guard, Tarō saw the fireball hurtling toward him. He hadn't expected Shimizu, who had just graduated, to already master this jutsu.

Panicking, Tarō released his half-completed Fire Style, resulting in two massive fireballs colliding mid-air. The resulting shockwave disrupted Tarō's balance, causing him to crash heavily to the ground.

At the same time, a kunai narrowly missed his hair, embedding itself into the ground.

"You lost," Shimizu said calmly.

Had Shimizu aimed just a little differently, Tarō's life would have been in grave danger.

Tarō understood that Shimizu had held back. His expression turned grim as he forced a faint smile.

"It seems I've been neglecting my training," Tarō admitted, patting the dust off as he stood up.

As a Chūnin losing to a Genin like Shimizu, it was indeed embarrassing. However, his nindō was to persist no matter the setback.

"This time, I lost. Next time, we'll duel again," he resolved silently.

What Tarō didn't know was that Shimizu had intentionally gone easy on him. If Shimizu had fought seriously, the battle would have ended in a single exchange.

"Uchiha Shimizu wins!" announced the middle-aged Uchiha acting as referee, his bald head gleaming under the sun.

"Shimizu's combat ability is incredible!"

"Isn't he only nine or ten years old? And he can already perform the Great Fireball Jutsu!"

The spectators erupted into discussion, astonished at the dramatic outcome of a Chūnin losing to a Genin.

"Shimizu, when did you learn the Great Fireball Jutsu?" came a wail from Uchiha Tekka, watching from afar. He had been planning to challenge Shimizu to earn some pocket money, but now realized he would only embarrass himself.

"Actually, I've learned it too," Uchiha inabi said, patting Tekka on the shoulder.

Being a few years older than Shimizu and Tekka, inabi had more time to learn jutsu.

"So, I'm the only one still at the bottom?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"..."

After the match, Shimizu and Tarō each returned to the spectator area. The referee called out the names of the next competitors.

Uchiha Fugaku approached Shimizu from behind.

"Shimizu, you have great talent in combat, but I hope you'll consider the bigger picture," Fugaku said earnestly.

As the leader of the Konoha Police Force, Fugaku had gathered intelligence suggesting that Shimizu had learned several advanced jutsu under Nono Yakushi's guidance, showcasing exceptional talent.

If Shimizu continued to learn at this rate, it would deepen the Uchiha clan's understanding of their Sharingan and elevate the clan's overall strength.

Fugaku didn't know much about medical ninjutsu, but he'd heard of a cloning technique, though it was highly unethical and known to only a few.

"If Shimizu could help clone the clan's Sharingan, the Uchiha might achieve a level of universal bloodline awakening akin to the Hyūga clan," Fugaku thought.

"Yes, Lord Fugaku," Shimizu replied with a serious expression and a faint smile.

After a few more words of advice, Fugaku left. As Shimizu's smile faded, he mused silently.

"Give up combat ninjutsu for medical ninjutsu? Impossible. I chose medicine to grow stronger, avoid the frontlines, and create more time to improve my abilities."

"If I reach Chūnin rank, Fugaku will undoubtedly push me to study the Sharingan. Is he in such a rush to ensure he doesn't go blind himself?"

Shimizu tapped the railing in thought, watching the ongoing matches.

Though he had gained time by focusing on medical ninjutsu, Fugaku now saw him as a resource, using the Uchiha's ideals to pressure him.

For now, Shimizu couldn't challenge Fugaku directly. The gap between their strength remained significant.

"I'll open the Mangekyō Sharingan eventually," he thought. "No need to rush."

In the afternoon, at the Yamanaka flower shop:

Uchiha Mikoto held Uzumaki Kushina's hand as they browsed for beautiful potted plants.

"Mikoto, your complexion looks so much better lately," Kushina noted, puzzled by the improvement compared to Mikoto's previously pale appearance.

"It's all thanks to Shimizu—Uchiha Shimizu. He helped regulate my health."

"Shimizu..." Kushina recalled seeing a young boy treating patients at Konoha Hospital. "Ah, I think that's him!"

Mikoto glanced to the side and saw Shimizu walking alone on the street. She waved enthusiastically.

"Shimizu! Do you want anything? Big sis will buy it for you!"

Shimizu turned at the call, spotting Mikoto. Beside her stood a red-haired woman with a forehead clip and a unique outfit featuring the Uzumaki clan's symbol.

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