Naruto: Zoro of Uchiha Chapter 10 10: Feelings? Feelings Are the Cruelest Thing in

Outside Nohara Rin's house.

"It's fine, Auntie. I don't mind."

Uchiha Zoro spoke calmly, his tone steady and unbothered.

"You really are too kind. Be careful, or Rin might start bullying you soday."

Zoro naturally understood what this "larger version" of Rin was implying. His gaze shifted ever so slightly toward a concealed direction.

His act all this ti had never been ant for just one person.

It was for her—and more importantly, for that old man, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Didn't he want Zoro to form bonds?

Then Zoro would simply form them—deeper, stronger, and more convincing than expected—until that old man's vigilance dropped to nothing.

"Mom, are you talking bad about again?"

Nohara Rin ca running down the wooden stairs, dressed in a simple white T-shirt. Seeing her mother teasing Zoro once more, she puffed up her cheeks and hurried over, clearly flustered.

"No, no. How could I possibly say anything bad about you?"

Rin's mother put on an innocent expression, then secretly winked at Zoro from the side.

Seeing this playful, almost mischievous behavior from soone who should have been the adult in the room, Zoro smiled faintly. Behind his back, however, the muscles in his arms continued to tighten and release in a steady rhythm, quietly training even in stillness.

He hadn't expected Rin's mother to have such a personality.

He wondered—if she were to learn of her daughter's fate in the future, would she still be able to laugh like this?

Of course, now that he was here, that future would not be allowed to happen.

If the Anbu of Kirigakure ever dared to set their sights on Rin, then he wouldn't mind adding a few more nas beneath his blade.

"All right, all right. You've already made Zoro wait this long. Aren't you going to invite him to dinner?"

Rin's mother pulled out a few bills and slipped them into Rin's hand, clearly signaling for them to eat out.

"Eat outside? Mom, are you just trying to avoid cooking again?"

Rin frowned slightly, her lips puffing up in mild disapproval at her mother's obvious laziness.

"You don't want to eat out? Don't tell you plan to stay in with Zoro tonight instead. Sigh… my daughter's grown up. I can't control her anymore."

Rin's mother first widened her eyes in mock surprise, then covered her face with one hand, acting as though she had been deeply wounded.

"Mom!!"

Rin stomped her foot, her face flushing with embarrassnt. The blunt teasing made her ears quietly turn red.

"Zoro, take good care of her, all right?"

Rin's mother completely ignored her daughter's reaction.

Sensing the brief contact as she pressed the money into his hand, Zoro understood it for what it was—a joke—and calmly withdrew his hand.

This was also why he hadn't accepted her earlier invitation for tea.

Won would only affect the ti he spent training.

"Mom! Hmph… Zoro-kun, let's go."

Afraid her mother might say sothing even more outrageous, Rin quickly grabbed Zoro's hand and pulled him away.

From her mother's perspective, her daughter was the one actively holding Zoro's hand.

The friendship between children really did seem simple and pure.

The two ran together until they reached Konoha's comrcial street.

Restaurants lined both sides, along with shops selling all kinds of goods. The street stretched far into the distance, bustling with activity and voices—it was easily the liveliest place in the village.

"Um… Zoro-kun, sorry about earlier. My mom's just like that. She caused you trouble."

Rin slowed to a stop, breathing lightly. Her slender hand rose to her chest as it rose and fell, and a soft smile ford a small dimple on her cheek.

Her dark-brown eyes were gentle, like a calm pool of spring water, as she looked at him apologetically.

"It's fine. I don't mind. Actually… I kind of like that feeling."

Zoro answered casually.

But the words landed far heavier than he intended.

Rin froze for a mont.

Only then did she realize—Zoro had never ntioned his parents. From what she knew, he seed to have grown up without them.

"I'm sorry. I made you rember sothing unpleasant."

Her voice turned serious as she apologized again.

Zoro didn't respond directly. Instead, he gave a faint smile while glancing down at their hands.

"Ah!"

Rin suddenly realized sothing and imdiately let go, as if she had been burned.

She had been holding his hand the entire ti they were running.

At so point, it had begun to feel… natural.

"It's fine. If you want to hold hands, I don't mind."

Zoro extended his hand again, watching as the tips of her ears turned red.

"Zoro-kun… you're bullying again."

Rin turned her head away, her face flushed. She pushed his hand aside with more force than necessary, as if trying to hide her embarrassnt.

"Your outfit looks good. It suits you."

The sudden complint made her heart, which had just begun to settle, start racing again.

This guy always said things like that—without warning, without hesitation.

"Co on. I'll take you to pick up so supplies for tomorrow's mission."

Seeing that Rin still hadn't fully recovered, Zoro smiled faintly.

Truthfully, he couldn't say he felt nothing toward her.

But compared to his sword… she was still far behind.

Her reactions didn't stir him much.

If Obito were the one seeing this, though, he probably wouldn't sleep for a whole night.

"Eh? O-okay…"

Rin blinked as Zoro took her hand again. This ti, she didn't resist.

If anything, there was a faint trace of happiness she couldn't quite hide.

Holding her hand, Zoro led her toward the far end of the comrcial street.

There was a reason for choosing such a distant corner.

The Uchiha clan had once held a pri position along the main street. But after the Second Hokage took office, they had been gradually pushed further and further outward, until they ended up in this remote edge.

As a result, business here had never been good. Zoro's grandfather had even considered withdrawing from the comrcial district entirely in the coming years.

Zoro lifted the two canvas flaps hanging at the entrance, each marked with the Uchiha clan's fan emblem.

Inside, the middle-aged owner of the ninja tool shop imdiately broke into a wide smile.

"Young Master Zoro, you're here. What can I get for you today?"

Although she had expected sothing like this, hearing the words "Young Master" still made Rin feel slightly uncomfortable.

After all, she ca from an ordinary family.

And in the shinobi world, status and background were never things people ignored.

Noticing the subtle shift in her mood, Zoro tightened his grip on her hand just slightly.

The sudden pressure snapped Rin out of her thoughts. She looked up at him, eting his calm, reassuring smile, and her cheeks ward again.

Only now did she realize—he had been holding her hand this whole ti.

"Bring out your stock—shuriken, kunai, soldier pills, explosive tags, ninja tool pouches. Let take a look."

"Right away, Young Master."

The shop owner nodded eagerly. Before heading inside, he glanced at Rin—specifically, at the hand Zoro was holding—and smiled knowingly before disappearing to fetch the items.

As the two waited, a familiar voice called out from outside.

"Uncle, I'm here to support your business again. My stuff should still be here, right?"

The mont Zoro heard that voice, his expression shifted slightly.

…Why was this guy here?