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Mikoto wanted to shoulder some of Fugaku's burdens.
Dressed in her shinobi outfit—green vest over a dark top, with black pants that hugged the curves of her thighs—she stood up. The dim light deepened the shadows around her, making her features look even more striking.
Fugaku's voice softened when he saw her. "Alright, I'll leave it to you."
There were feelings between the two of them—just one thin paper wall left to break through. In Fugaku's mind, it was only a matter of time.
…
Seiji hadn't gone far when a gentle voice called out to him.
He turned and saw a woman with soft, refined features.
"Lady Mikoto," Seiji greeted politely.
People often mistook Mikoto for just a quiet housewife, but the official databook made it clear—she was a retired jonin.
And being a jonin already put her near the top of the shinobi ladder.
"Tsunade of the Legendary Sannin will be arriving soon. Let me take you back to your room first," Mikoto suggested.
"Alright," Seiji replied simply, falling half a step behind her as they walked.
He'd already been with the Uchiha for a month and knew his way around, but Mikoto insisted on leading him herself.
After a while, as they turned a corner, she suddenly spoke."The Sharingan is a rare kekkei genkai. In the Land of Lightning, I imagine people stared at you strangely, didn't they, Seiji?"
She glanced back, lowering her head slightly to look at him.
Before he could answer, Mikoto smiled warmly. "And don't call me 'Lady.' It sounds so distant. Just call me sister. If you're ever troubled or feel wronged, you can come talk to me."
Her tone carried genuine care.
"Mikoto la—… Mikoto-nee," Seiji corrected himself, letting a bit of gratitude seep into his voice. "You're so kind. It's been a long time since anyone cared about me."
He paused, as if thinking carefully, then added, "But… no, no one ever bullied me. Most people never even noticed my eyes."
The Art of Speaking (White) was still active, making his words sound heartfelt.
But inside, his thoughts were steady as ever. Still testing me, huh?
Mikoto might be retired, but she was a jonin through and through. And ninja? Ninja were never a "just" profession. Behind the noble facade lay poisonings, espionage, assassinations—darkness was the real heartbeat of the trade.
"I see. That's good to hear," Mikoto said with a relieved smile.
Children often let slip truths without realizing it. If Seiji was lying, she couldn't tell. For now, she eased her guard—but only a little. Trust would take time.
They walked the rest of the way in silence until they reached his room.
"Wait here. They should be here soon," Mikoto said.
"Okay."
She left, and Seiji sat quietly inside.
Time to focus on getting stronger.
Peace wouldn't last much longer.
The Third Great Ninja War was looming. Soon, Konoha itself would be under siege at Kikyo Mountain—barely a step away from the village gates.
Maybe the Cloud was the angle. After failing to secure Uchiha blood, they'd already sent spies to "bump into" him.
And Seiji hadn't reported them.
In a rigidly stratified Konoha, outside offers might give him more leverage.
After some thought, he shut his eyes and resumed his chakra refinement training.
A translucent panel shimmered into view before him:
[Trait: Muscle Memory (White)]
[Requirement: Repeat a tedious exercise enough times to build subconscious habit.]
[Progress: 99%]
[Effect: After extensive repetition, your muscles adapt. Actions become reflexive, requiring no conscious thought.
•Muscle memory increased by 10% compared to the average person.
•Currently cannot erase faulty muscle memory.]
✦Note: Can be upgraded further.
This was the Trait he was about to unlock.
Seiji studied the faint characters. If nothing went wrong, he'd have it within three days.
Since coming to Konoha, he'd trained chakra refinement daily. This Trait had massive potential. With it, he could learn faster than anyone else.
Right now, Muscle Memory (White) couldn't overwrite mistakes—he still had to correct them himself. But since it specifically said currently, upgrades might fix that in the future.
For now, 10% wasn't much, but it could rise. Maybe one day he'd only need to perform something once and his body would remember it forever.
Half an hour passed.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Seiji."
Mikoto returned, this time with two women behind her.
The first had a voluptuous figure, long blonde hair tied back, and a diamond-shaped mark on her forehead.
Seiji recognized her instantly.
106 centimeters.
Only Tsunade possessed that kind of legendary… stature.
One of the Sannin herself.
The second was a quiet-looking girl with short black hair standing just behind her.
Shizune. Tsunade's constant shadow.
Seiji's mind raced, piecing together the timeline.
This was after the Second Ninja War. Tsunade had already lost her lover, Dan Kato, and carried her blood phobia. That explained why she doted on Dan's niece, Shizune.
"This is Tsunade, and this is Shizune," Mikoto introduced.
"Hello," Seiji said respectfully, bowing slightly—even to Shizune, who was only a little older than him.
"Show me your Sharingan, now," Tsunade said bluntly.
Her words clashed with her beauty, full of irritation. Clearly, she wasn't thrilled to be here.
Seiji closed his eyes. When they opened again, his left iris had turned crimson, a single tomoe spinning slowly within.
His right eye, however, stayed black—ordinary.
"Strange…" Tsunade muttered.
Her red-polished fingernails pressed against his eyelid, pulling it open wider.
From this close, Seiji caught the faint fragrance on her skin.
After about five minutes, she finally let go.
"Any changes?" she asked.
"I feel like my body's getting stronger," Seiji answered.
"And?"
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. Her grandfather Tobirama had researched the Uchiha extensively; she knew more than a little. The Sharingan often changed its wielder's very nature.
But this boy seemed only half-affected.
"That's all," Seiji said with quiet sincerity.
Tsunade checked him over again, poking and prodding while he endured silently, clueless about medical ninjutsu.
Behind her, Shizune finally let her curiosity get the better of her. She tilted her head slightly, stealing a sidelong glance at the boy with the lone spinning tomoe.
"....."