Chapter 2: Muscle Memory Entry
She wanted to share more of Fugaku's burdens.
Mikoto wore her shinobi attire—green flak jacket over a sleek ninja suit, black trousers hugging her legs as she stood, outlining her toned thighs.
In the dim light, the shadows cast across her face highlighted her features, giving them a more sculpted appearance.
When Fugaku saw that it was Mikoto, his voice softened immediately.
"Alright, I'll leave it to you."
There was unspoken affection between the two—just one step away from breaking the thin veil that separated them.
To Fugaku, it was only a matter of time.
---
Seiji hadn't walked far before someone called his name.
Turning back, he saw a gentle-faced woman approaching.
"Lady Mikoto," he greeted.
She might look like the quintessential housewife, but the Itachi Shinden: Book of Bright Light clearly recorded that she had retired as a jonin.
And a jonin—was no low-ranking ninja. It meant she once stood among the elite.
"One of the Legendary Sannin, Tsunade, will be arriving soon. Let me take you to your room first," Mikoto offered.
"Alright," Seiji nodded, following silently just half a step behind her.
He had already been living among the Uchiha for a month—he knew exactly where his room was.
But Mikoto still insisted on escorting him.
As the two rounded a corner, Mikoto suddenly spoke.
"The Sharingan is a rare kekkei genkai. I imagine in the Land of Lightning, it must have drawn a lot of attention.
You must have received your share of strange looks, right, Seiji?"
She turned her head slightly, eyes settling on the boy who stood shorter than her.
Before Seiji could respond, Mikoto offered him a warm smile.
"And don't call me Lady, it feels so distant. You can call me sister instead. If anything ever troubles you, come talk to your sister, alright?"
Her words were filled with genuine concern.
"Sister Mikoto… you're really kind. It's been so long since someone cared about me," Seiji replied, visibly moved.
He paused for a moment, then added with what seemed like afterthought:
"But truthfully, most people haven't seen my red eye yet. No one's done anything to me."
The skill Art of Speech (White) was still active.
His words rang sincere—but inwardly, he remained utterly calm.
Even now, she's still probing me, he thought.
Mikoto might act like a housewife, but she was still a jonin—and ninja were never paragons of justice.
Behind the facade of adventure lay a darker world—of poison, espionage, and assassination.
That was the true rhythm of a shinobi's life.
"I see. That's good to hear," Mikoto smiled softly.
Children often let things slip unconsciously.
From her observation, Seiji might actually be telling the truth.
She relaxed slightly, but remained vigilant—true clarity could only come with time.
They continued walking until they reached Seiji's room.
"Wait here a bit longer. They should arrive soon."
"Understood," Seiji replied, staying in the room while Mikoto left.
---
Now... it was time to focus on getting stronger.
His peaceful days wouldn't last much longer.
The Third Great Ninja War was looming.
Konoha would soon be pushed back to the gates at Kikyo Pass.
Just a bit further, and the enemy would reach the village itself.
The Cloud Village might present an opportunity.
After failing to acquire Uchiha blood, they sent a spy to "coincidentally" encounter him.
Seiji hadn't reported it.
His status panel had sealed away key memories. Even if the Yamanaka clan used their mind-reading techniques, they'd only find memories of Seiji being passed around foster homes.
With the Yamanaka techniques as a safeguard, Konoha had come to trust him.
In Konoha's rigid social structure, the Cloud's overtures could offer valuable leverage.
After a moment's thought, Seiji closed his eyes and resumed his chakra refinement training.
Before him, a transparent panel appeared:
---
[Trait: Muscle Memory (White)]
Condition: Repeating an intensive training regimen to build instinctual habits.
Progress: 99%
Effect: After extensive repetition, your muscles have adapted to these actions. You can now perform them reflexively without conscious thought.
Your muscle memory is 10% more efficient than normal.
Currently unable to correct flawed muscle memory.
Note: Can be upgraded.
---
This was the trait Seiji was about to unlock.
He stared at the words floating in front of him. If all went well, within three days, the trait would be his.
Since entering Konoha, he'd been refining chakra daily.
This trait would vastly accelerate his growth—whatever he chose to learn next, he'd do so faster than others.
While it couldn't yet correct incorrect habits, the note hinted that future upgrades might make that possible.
The 10% increase in muscle efficiency could potentially go even higher—perhaps to the point where a single repetition was enough for permanent muscle imprinting.
---
Half an hour later…
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Seiji."
Mikoto returned, accompanied by two kunoichi.
Leading the way was a tall, voluptuous woman with long blonde hair tied back, a violet diamond mark on her forehead.
With just one glance, Seiji knew who she was.
106 centimeters.
There was only one person that measurement belonged to—Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin.
Behind her stood a quiet-looking girl with short black hair.
It was Shizune, Tsunade's loyal assistant.
Seiji calmly absorbed this information.
It was after the Second Great Ninja War.
Tsunade had lost her lover, Dan Kato, and developed hemophobia.
Out of guilt and care, she now looked after Dan's niece—Shizune.
"This is Tsunade. And this is Shizune," Mikoto introduced.
"Nice to meet you both," Seiji said politely.
Even toward the younger Shizune, his tone remained respectful.
"Alright, show me your Sharingan already."
Tsunade's voice was curt, in contrast to her beautiful features—clearly, she didn't want to be here.
Without a word, Seiji closed his eyes, then reopened them.
His left eye glowed crimson, a single tomoe slowly rotating within.
His right eye remained ordinary and dark—like any regular person's.
"Huh. It is a bit odd," Tsunade muttered.
Her red-painted fingernail lifted his eyelid further open. From this distance, Seiji could smell the faint fragrance on her skin.
She stared for nearly five minutes before finally letting go.
"Any changes in your body?"
"I feel like I'm getting stronger."
"What else?"
Tsunade's gaze sharpened.
Her great-uncle had been a renowned Uchiha researcher. She knew better than most—the moment a Sharingan awakened, many Uchiha experienced drastic personality shifts.
Seiji… seemed only halfway there.
"Nothing else," he said sincerely.
Tsunade resumed her examination, checking him thoroughly.
Seiji, unfamiliar with medical ninjutsu, simply stood still and let her inspect him.
Meanwhile, Shizune—silent until now—cast a subtle sidelong glance at Seiji, curiosity flickering in her eyes.
---