The door creaked shut.
Fugaku had left.
Mikoto removed her apron, her refined and gentle features tinged with a trace of worry.
Shimizu had said last time that he forgave her, but not Fugaku.
Would he cooperate this time and pass on the intelligence?
Mikoto dared not imagine the expression on Fugaku's face, for she had told him that Shimizu agreed to join the Anbu.
The implication was clear: he was willing to continue the work.
In the pristine room, a lone woman sighed softly, her head bowed.
A few days later.
"How's it going? Are you getting used to the eye?"
"The pain's gone, but my chakra reserves are much lower than before."
At Konohagakure's hospital, Kakashi had come to see Shimizu for a follow-up.
"You're fine, and that's what matters. Your chakra may be reduced, but the Sharingan will grant you unparalleled insight and the ability to perceive the flow of an enemy's chakra," Shimizu said.
The Sharingan was a burden on Kakashi, but it also laid a solid foundation for him.
Kakashi, Konohagakure's foremost technician, had copied over a thousand ninjutsu with the Sharingan.
It was precisely this deep understanding of ninjutsu that allowed Kakashi, after losing the Sharingan, to swiftly develop an upgraded version of Raikiri: Shiden.
"Obito's Sharingan… is it really okay for me to have it?" Kakashi's face looked even more haggard than it had a few days ago, clearly worn down by the whispers and rumors he'd heard.
The Uchiha Clan hadn't come knocking to reclaim the Sharingan, which left Kakashi inexplicably surprised.
"The Uchiha aren't a narrow-minded clan. Don't underestimate our magnanimity," Shimizu said, patting Kakashi's shoulder.
Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen intended to transfer Kakashi to the Anbu, effectively binding him to the Hokage's faction.
With the Sharingan, Kakashi would draw covetous eyes wherever he went, and some ninja clans would likely shun him.
In this era, every clan guarded their secret techniques jealously.
What clan's secret techniques were freely spread?
Only those sharing the same surname, the same bloodline, could learn and wield them.
Secret techniques were one thing, but the even rarer and more personal kekkei genkai were another matter entirely.
To some clans, Kakashi's possession of the Sharingan made him a thief who stole their kekkei genkai.
They despised rule-breakers, for such actions sowed instability. Who could say whether their own kekkei genkai might one day appear in another's body due to some "legacy"?
"Thanks," Kakashi said, a flicker of joy passing through his weary eyes.
The gift Obito left him, a testament to their bond, was priceless.
"No need to thank me," Shimizu replied, handing Kakashi a prescription for calming the mind.
Nohara Rin had already paid the fee, and with the Third Hokage's approval, Kakashi keeping the Sharingan was a done deal.
After seeing Kakashi off, there was a knock at the door.
"Shimizu, are you free right now? Lady Tsunade wants to meet you in person about those questions you asked," Shizune said, hurrying over while cradling a pink piglet.
"Of course," Shimizu replied, offering a warm, springlike smile.
Finally, he had a legitimate reason to approach Tsunade.
One meeting would lead to another, and he was confident he'd soon build rapport with her.
Once he fully won her over, he planned to have Nohara Rin and Tsunade collaborate to advance medical ninjutsu and explore the human body's potential.
As for Orochimaru, Shimizu didn't trust him and had no intention of involving him.
He could replace Orochimaru himself. Once medical ninjutsu reached a new stage, his Yang Release techniques would advance by leaps and bounds. Medical ninjutsu, after all, was pure Yang Release.
To carve his own path in the shinobi world, mastery of Yin-Yang Release was essential.
The stone tablet left by the Sage of the Six Paths didn't speak of the Uchiha and Senju's power—it spoke of the Yin-Yang Release behind them!
Bloodlines were merely an outward manifestation.
Yin-Yang Release left its mark on all ninjutsu, the origin of all things.
Mastering Yin-Yang Release meant wielding the power to shape all creation and uncover the rules governing it.
The chakra fruit was a staggering fusion of energy and genetic code, capable of evolving those who consumed it.
At its core, it too was an application of Yin-Yang Release: Yang Release breathed life, Yin Release shaped form, and from this, all things in the world were born.
The moon hanging high in the night sky was itself a manifestation of Yin-Yang Release.
A single thought could create a planet!
With enough chakra, even splitting the heavens or reshaping the cosmos was theoretically possible.
"Shimizu, are you nervous?" Shizune asked, noticing him lost in thought.
"Yeah, Lady Tsunade's one of the legendary Sannin—a flower among them. How could I not be nervous?" Shimizu said with a shake of his head.
His thoughts had wandered.
But advancing medical ninjutsu was a path to the heavens.
In a rustic courtyard, the faded red lacquer had turned white with age.
Shimizu followed Shizune into one of the few remaining relics of the Senju Clan.
After the Senju Clan disbanded and fully integrated into Konohagakure, they not only severed their surnames and clan ties but also redistributed much of their architecture.
Their former clan grounds had become a mixed residential area for civilians and common shinobi.
"Doesn't it look similar to the buildings in the Uchiha compound?" Shizune asked.
"Pretty much. They both carry the style of the Warring States period," Shimizu nodded, answering her question.
The Uchiha and Senju had clashed for a millennium, and in that time, some, like Madara and Hashirama, forged bonds of friendship.
The two clans' cultures inevitably influenced each other, even their architectural styles blending together.
After all… the Uchiha and Senju were always one family, an undeniable truth etched in their blood.
The two continued walking.
To be honest, Tsunade was the Senju's princess. If she hadn't squandered much of her fortune on gambling, she could have been wealthy beyond measure.
A single necklace of hers was worth an entire mountain—such was her affluence.
"Lady Tsunade, Shimizu's here!" Shizune called, sliding open the wooden door.
Tonton, the piglet, let out a couple of grunts.
"…Shizune, why are you here so early? What time is it?" Tsunade mumbled, her eyes bleary with sleep. Her golden hair cascaded like silk, spilling over her fair shoulders. A few strands draped across her slightly flushed cheeks, and she was clutching a sake bottle, having fallen asleep.
Her body lounged in a relaxed, natural pose on the chair, exuding laziness.
Leaning slightly forward, her arms hung loosely at her sides—one hand lightly grasping the sake bottle, the other resting limply on the edge of the table.
"It's already three in the afternoon, Lady Tsunade. You can't keep drinking like this," Shizune urged.
"I know, I know," Tsunade waved dismissively.
Then, her golden eyes lifted, locking onto Shimizu.
Even in her languid state, Shimizu could sense the immense power dormant within her.
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