"Keiji, there's nothing wrong with you."
Yakushi Nonō gave her final assessment as the soft green chakra glowing around her hand gradually faded.
Upon hearing this, Keiji asked:
"But... I heard most people awaken both Sharingan eyes at once."
"There are always exceptions to the rule."
"I see..."
Keiji lowered his head.
It was an answer he had anticipated.
He remembered a similar case in the original story—Sasuke had also experienced this. During his fight with Haku, one of Sasuke's Sharingan evolved into the two-tomoe form, while the other remained single-tomoe, resulting in a mismatch.
Cases like that were just... exceedingly rare.
Yakushi Nonō carefully sealed away her medical instruments into a scroll. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Keiji's slender silhouette and those jet-black eyes watching her.
The boy was clearly unfamiliar with this version of her. What he knew was her other appearance:
A white hood, black nun-like robes...
The curve of her silhouette hinted at a mature, almost saintly aura.
That was the image of her he had become accustomed to.
At the same time, Keiji was mentally sorting through what he knew about Yakushi Nonō:
Leader of the Medical Corps. A top-tier spy within the Foundation.
Even after her retirement, her skills were so valuable that Danzo Shimura personally sought her out, trying to coerce her back into service.
Which was exactly why Keiji had no intention of bluffing in front of her.
She asked, he answered. Plain and simple.
As for whether Keiji was a spy?
That was just a one-sided effort by Kumogakure to recruit Yagetsu Keiji. He—Uchiha Keiji, hadn't given any answer yet.
He had never committed any acts of espionage.
Whether he might someday... was a matter for the future.
"By the way, Lady Nonō, that green chakra just now—was it the same as what Lady Tsunade uses?"
Keiji suddenly looked up, his voice filled with curiosity.
"Correct. That's medical chakra. Medical-ninja in Konoha manifest a light green hue when using it."
Yakushi Nonō nodded as a strand of golden hair slipped across her cheek.
When medical-ninja employ their techniques, their chakra typically turns light green—especially in high-level applications like the Mystic Palm Technique.
Nonō noticed Keiji staring at the scroll where she had just stored her tools and asked:
"Are you interested in these things?"
She had heard from Tsunade about the earlier Sharingan inspection.
She assumed Tsunade had used medical ninjutsu during her examination, which must have left an impression on Keiji.
Keiji glanced at the now-sealed scroll, then asked thoughtfully:
"These medical techniques... could I learn them?"
Yakushi Nonō blinked, surprised by the sudden question. She paused for a moment.
She studied Keiji carefully. Though physically small and frail, his bone structure was broad—he could become a capable taijutsu user if properly trained.
"Keiji, I think you might be better suited for taijutsu."
"A taijutsu ninja?"
Mikoto, who stood nearby, glanced at Keiji. She'd heard he had traits from the Yagetsu Clan.
What traits exactly, she didn't know.
Perhaps an unusual aptitude or a unique ability.
"But... there might be other clan members like me someday. If that happens, I want to be able to help them—like you or Lady Tsunade."
Keiji didn't hide the disappointment in his voice. He scratched his head and muttered softly, as if trying to cover up his own letdown:
"So... it's still a no, huh..."
His lips curled downward ever so slightly.
Of course he was disappointed. If even Nonō turned him down, he'd have to come up with an entirely new plan.
[Art of Conversation (White)]
...gave his voice a layer of sincerity.
Yakushi Nonō's heart wavered.
She had always liked children—especially those who had lost their place in the world.
"Don't be hasty."
She spoke gently, trying to comfort the lonely child standing before her.
"Once you graduate from the Ninja Academy, if you pass the aptitude test for medical-ninja trainees, come find me."
She had spoken more than she usually did.
Had it been an adult making the same request, she would've told them to follow standard protocol—take the test and prove themselves. Nothing more. She wouldn't have made herself part of the process.
But according to intel from the Foundation, she knew Keiji had been orphaned at the age of two.
For years now, she had quietly harbored a dream: to open an orphanage once she retired from the Foundation.
Keiji's appearance only deepened that desire.
"Really?"
Keiji's eyes lit up, a bright smile blooming across his face.
The melancholic air around him seemed to dissipate.
Yakushi Nonō nodded, a warm smile curving her lips:
"Why would I lie to you?"
Off to the side, Mikoto found herself glancing at Keiji again.
This child was definitely different from the other Uchiha.
Last time, when Tsunade examined him, she showed little interest in taking a disciple. But now, Nonō seemed to be seriously considering it.
And if what she said was true, Keiji might even have taijutsu potential.
The Uchiha Clan had neither skilled medical-ninja nor specialized taijutsu practitioners at present.
After graduating from the Ninja Academy, most Uchiha joined the Konoha Police Force—handling village security and external missions.
Mikoto herself had followed that path.
"Alright then, little Keiji. I've got work to do. Let's end here for today."
Yakushi Nonō stood up and casually tidied her sealing scroll.
Before leaving, her gaze drifted toward a few books placed neatly on a nearby chair.
A studious child, she thought.
"Mm. Thank you, Lady Nonō."
Keiji stood and bowed politely, intent on walking her out.
He and Mikoto accompanied her to the boundary between the Uchiha District and the main streets of Konoha.
There stood an old-style gateframe, marking the entrance to Uchiha territory.
"Train well," Mikoto said before briskly taking her leave.
Keiji turned and walked home alone.
The night sky was clear, the moon and stars gleaming faintly above.
He let out a soft breath.
Things had gone far more smoothly than he expected.
Then again, Yakushi Nonō had even been known to teach medical ninjutsu to orphans not affiliated with Konoha. Why wouldn't she help him?
Especially now that she was contemplating retirement—there were fewer restraints on her than before.
She had no weaknesses at the moment.
Only after she opened her orphanage in the future would Danzo use those orphans against her—forcing her back into espionage, planting her deep in enemy territory.
"Next step: Improve my chakra control to the required standard."
...
The next day, at the Ninja Academy's training field
"Today's class will be a short test. You're all running fifty laps!"
Instructor Iruka Umino blew his whistle, signaling the students to start.
"Ugh, running again?"
"How many? Fifty?!"