Long ago, the First Raikage, Ai, chose to settle in the harsh lands of Yunlei Gorge. It was there that Hidden Cloud Village—Kumogakure—was founded.
To survive such an environment for generations, and to pass down the Yeyue name, one needed more than just determination—they needed extraordinary physical talent.
The body is the external manifestation of Yang Release.
Qingsi suspected that his Yang chakra affinity likely came from his Yeyue bloodline.
The stronger the body, the more vitality it contains. And the more vitality, the faster the healing.
Of course, their regeneration still couldn't match the Senju or Uzumaki clans.
When the timing was right and no one was watching, Qingsi stretched lazily and slipped off to the bathroom.
Once inside, he locked the door and pulled out the folded note from his pocket.
It was small—only about the size of two fingernails. On one side, in plain handwriting, was a message:
"Yeyue Qingji, no matter what, you are one of us.The gates of Kumogakure will always be open to you."
Qingsi raised an eyebrow.
It was written in ordinary language, not the encrypted codes typically used by shinobi.
They must've considered that he hadn't graduated from the academy yet and wouldn't understand coded messages. Clever.
He flipped the note over.On the back was the name and location of an ordinary store.
"A Hidden Cloud spy contact point…"
Qingsi ripped the paper into shreds and scattered it into the toilet.
As the pieces soaked in water, the ink dissolved and faded until nothing remained.
He pressed the flush handle. The shredded paper swirled down the drain.
"So… Kumogakure realized they missed out on a powerful Uchiha and now they regret it,"Qingsi thought coldly.
But he was already in Konoha, and all Kumogakure could do now was resort to covert invitations.
This wasn't the future Konoha that Kumogakure would later exploit by kidnapping a Hyuga princess. That was a weakened Konoha—its Fourth Hokage dead, the White Fang long gone, the Legendary Sannin scattered, and the village still reeling from the Nine-Tails' attack.
By then, Konoha had no choice but to cover up the scandal by sacrificing the head of the Hyuga clan. Had it not been for Hiashi's twin brother, it would've been Hiashi himself who died.
Compared to that, the present Konoha was strong, unified—and dangerous to provoke.
Even so, the address written on the note… was a real olive branch.
Qingsi had options.
He could report the location to Konoha and earn a reward.Or he could play the double agent, using the route to gain benefits from Kumogakure.Or in the worst-case scenario—defect to Yunyin.
But that last option... was not a path he wished to take.
If he went to Kumogakure, he would be alone. No freedom. Constant surveillance.
"I don't believe they wouldn't experiment on me."He thought grimly.
Not necessarily dissection—but likely cell and blood extraction, repeated over time. They'd "fatten him up" and harvest him again and again. And worse—
They'd use him for breeding.
A mere bloodline stallion.
"I like women," Qingsi admitted."But I'm not livestock."
There was no way Yunyin would allow him to grow strong, or risk him escaping. They'd just use him, then raise the next generation to replace him, brainwashed and bred for loyalty to Kumogakure.
By contrast, in Konoha, even with the looming threat of the Uchiha Massacre, he still had the freedom to train, grow stronger, and control his own fate.
Everything has a price.To gain something, you must give something.Life is a series of choices.**
Both villages had pros and cons.
But for now, Konoha was the safer bet—and the better place to grow.
"Qingsi, are you home?"
A familiar voice called from outside.
Mikoto.
Qingsi knew immediately—this was Root's follow-up investigation.
He quickly put down the textbook he'd been reading, walked to the kitchen, splashed cold water on his face, and checked his appearance in the mirror.
A quick breath test—fresh.Hair—combed.Face—calm.
He slipped on his wooden clogs and went to answer the door.
The Uchiha clan had their own secluded district in Konoha. It was quiet, guarded, and strictly inhabited by clan members.
Qingsi had been assigned a small, worn-down house. But it was spacious and private.
"Mikoto-sama,"he greeted with a respectful nod, posture straight yet shy.
She was a jonin. He was still a student.
Even if he had lived two lives, he had to behave as someone his age should. Sometimes, showing weakness was the best camouflage.
"No need to be so formal,"Mikoto smiled,"Didn't I tell you? Just call me sister."
"Okay, Mikoto-san,"he said softly.
She nodded in approval, then stepped aside to reveal another guest.
A medical ninja stood behind her—sturdy, round-faced, and rather mismatched in appearance and mood.
"This is Yakushi Nono, captain of the medical squad,"Mikoto introduced.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Nono Yakushi,"she said gently.
"Thank you for coming, Nono-sama,"Qingsi bowed,"Please come in."
They sat at the low table on the tatami mat.
Qingsi climbed onto a stool in the kitchen, fetched a bag of cheap tea, and began to boil water.
Nono watched his small, quiet figure move about with a sense of quiet pity.
Root had taught her too well to mask emotions. But deep inside, she had developed a weakness—an affection for children.
Innocent children.Unblemished, like uncut gems.
"Tea's ready."
Qingsi placed two cups on the table and sat across from them.
"Thank you,"Mikoto said politely, sipping from the cup despite its bitter taste.
Nono, however, studied Qingsi carefully.
She picked up her teacup, but her eyes didn't leave him.The green lenses of her glasses shimmered under the lamplight as she began asking seemingly casual questions.
They had little to do with medicine.But they had everything to do with suspicion.
She used her subtle interrogation techniques and even low-grade mental pressure techniques—probing Qingsi's responses, watching for cracks.
He remained calm. His answers were natural, composed—believable.
Mikoto stayed quiet the entire time, watching the ceiling reflected in her tea.
Old, splintered boards. A few moths fluttered around the bulb.
Suddenly, a black spider crept into view.It attacked a moth, biting down with sharp fangs.
"So blind,"Mikoto murmured, watching the moth caught in an unseen web.
Back at the table, Nono had finished her round of questions and was preparing to begin a physical inspection of Qingsi's eyes.
She reached into her pack for the instrument kit.
Mikoto, now fully attentive again, glanced toward Qingsi—who remained quietly composed, like a leaf floating on calm water.
What they didn't know was that Qingsi's internal thoughts were already far beyond their expectations.
And soon, the name "Uchiha Seiji" would begin to matter.