Akira nodded and reattached the severed limb at the joint. A faint sizzle filled the room as chakra sealed flesh to bone, leaving no trace of injury. The wound was gone-completely healed without so much as a scar.
Mito hesitated before tapping the little finger of the White Zetsu clone. Her brow furrowed. It felt whole-not patched together at the surface, but restored completely. Her eyes widened.
She couldn't believe it. Even the best medical ninja she'd known couldn't do this instantly. What she'd just seen made it clear-this thing was beyond any human standard. If she hadn't witnessed it herself, she would've thought Akira had trapped her in some kind of genjutsu.
"Why is this thing following you?"
Akira met her eyes and sighed. He hesitated for only a moment before deciding what to reveal.
"It's connected to Madara."
"Tch. Why is it always her?"
Mito scowled slightly and folded her arms. The Senju clan always seemed to entangle itself with the Uchiha-especially Madara. She could name two Senju that acted less like rivals and far too close to that woman.
Akira flicked his fingers and gave her skull a light slap.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Ow! That hurt!"
She pouted and rubbed at her scalp-but smiled anyway. She tilted her head, watching him expectantly.
"I'm just saying..."
Mito swung her fists softly against his chest with no strength behind them. Her protest was lighthearted and laced with mock frustration. Akira knew her well enough to read through it. She was sulking for attention.
"Why are you always acting like a kid?" he said, waving her over with one hand.
Mito practically skipped to his side and wrapped her arms around him, face nuzzled into his chest until she stilled with contentment.
Akira guided her down onto the recliner next to him. As they laid back together, he started explaining-the story of Ashura and Indra, laying out centuries of conflict in simple words she could follow.
He left out every detail about Black Zetsu and White Zetsu's true nature. That part wasn't in any text-not even in myths. There was no explaining that he only knew it because he'd read it before he ever came here.
When he finished, Mito turned toward him-brows drawn low in shock.
"This really happened...?"
Akira nodded once and spoke with certainty laced in false bravado.
"I'm chasing Madara for the sake of world peace."
"I don't believe you."
She giggled as she lightly punched his chest again, but she didn't look angry. Her smile was genuine now-softened by relief and understanding.
"Okay then… what about that freak in the corner?"
She pointed toward the White Zetsu clone that stood silently against the wall.
"That one's trickier," Akira said while scratching the back of his head. "You know my title-'Thousand Stars.' You think there wouldn't be any conspiracies behind that kind of legacy? These guys... Ashura and Indra… they're sons of the Sage of Six Paths. No way they're weak."
"So I figured… Undetectable? Invisible? Omnipresent? That's what I imagined the enemy would be like."
Mito gawked at him with disbelief as he spun out lie after lie with polished confidence.
"You stayed locked up for weeks over a guess?"
"What else would I be doing?"
He exhaled exaggeratedly and leaned back again. "I made that guess, nearly died because of Tobirama, and figured… if I'm right-it's better to prepare ahead."
Mito looked at him differently now-not with suspicion-but with pride. Somehow, against every expectation, Akira's strange choices always gave them hope when it mattered most.
She glanced over again at White Zetsu, sighed heavily, then turned her eyes back to Akira's chest.
"Dealing with people like you… I honestly pity your enemies."
Akira grinned shamelessly. "I'll take that as praise."
Mito rolled her eyes but didn't argue the point.
"So… what happens now?"
"I study this thing and find my way to resurrection," Akira said plainly. "It won't be safe when I do it-I might get caught mid-way through. That means I'll leave Konoha for now and leave behind a shadow clone instead."
"Shadow clone?"
Mito sat up slightly and narrowed her eyes at him, unsure what he was planning.
"Yes," Akira confirmed. "One reason-to monitor things in Konoha from here. Second reason-you'll know I'm alive while it exists. If anything happens to it... use [Immortal Reincarnation] on me."
"I see… but what will your identity be while you're here?"
"No idea."
He shrugged without concern.
"In that case…"
Mito smiled slyly and nestled back against him again.
"…how about making ramen?"
"Ramen?"
Akira looked puzzled now-for once caught off guard by where she was taking things.
Mito's lips brushed his shirt as she whispered against his chest-
"Don't you think the Naruto roll looks just like our Uzumaki emblem? I bet you'll think of me each time you eat it."
"…Fine."
Her small request wasn't much-and Akira had no reason to turn her down.
"Wait-"
His eyes suddenly lit up with realization-
"There's that famous ramen shop in Konoha…"
He looked down at her slowly-face caught between curiosity and mild suspicion.
"…Hey Mito, if we had a daughter someday named Acorus-what would you think?"
"Acorus?"
She tapped the name silently on her tongue, then smiled softly as she whispered-
"Growing strong… just like calamus grass? That's actually kind of beautiful."
Akira inhaled sharply, playing at overreaction-
"Hah… am I secretly Otsutsuki Ichiraku?"
"Anyway…"
Before he could speak again, Mito gently pressed both palms on his chest and looked up at him with wide, hopeful eyes-
"Brother Akira… if we're already talking about having daughters…"
Her lips parted slowly, shy but serious this time-
"…why don't we start now?"
Akira:...
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