Hazuki's hand rested lightly on Seiji's shoulder—gentle, almost maternal. She had delayed this errand, convinced that a boy from the Land of Lightning would be uncouth, unruly. But meeting Seiji face to face, she saw only a polite, honest youth.
At such close range, Seiji even caught a trace of her fragrance.
A few words of comfort, and Hazuki turned to leave.
Seiji's gaze lingered on her back, his thoughts stirring. Hazuki and her daughter Izumi shared the same mole beneath their eyelids. Hazuki was like a mature reflection of the girl Izumi would someday become.
Unrolling the scroll she had delivered, Seiji frowned. Lightning Release: Fiery Flash.
An illusionary ninjutsu. For someone with the Sharingan, it was hardly useful.
Genjutsu, in essence, forced chakra into another's body to disrupt their senses—sight, sound, touch. Whether through a gaze, a melody, or a single brush of skin, illusions could ensnare.
"Maybe this isn't so bad," Seiji thought. Kumogakure's Nozomi had once created the Thunder Illusion: Lightning Pillar by fusing lightning into genjutsu.
And Shisui, in the future, would weave his Sharingan illusions into his instantaneous body flicker, birthing the "Illusionary Instant Formation."
If the Sharingan is too obvious, then misdirection is the key. A lightning-born illusion might be my surprise weapon.
Seiji slipped the scroll into his bag. "But I still need something more… something offensive. Swordsmanship, maybe."
His current arsenal—Transformation, Lightning Finger, and Iron Block—was too shallow. Iron Block strengthened his body, yes, but Lightning Finger was little more than a parlor trick. At best, it paralyzed with weak currents.
He needed more.
At the Sushi Bar
"…Samui, why is Atsuyi here too? He's still a kid!"
In the backroom of the sushi shop, Samui frowned at her younger brother, who looked barely older than Seiji himself. Being a spy was already perilous—why involve him?
The dreadlocked Samudo, their superior, rumbled in reply:"The Third Raikage takes Yotsuki Seiji's case very seriously. The village has gone to great lengths to fabricate Atsuyi's identity. He'll enroll at the Ninja Academy. Go undercover."
The effort alone spoke volumes. Seiji's value had risen again.
Samudo scanned the room: waiters, guards, Kumogakure operatives hidden under mundane guises. This sushi bar was a hub of spies, and he was their handler.
Atsuyi straightened, voice steady despite his youth. "I volunteered. If Seiji really is the nephew of the Second Raikage, bringing him home would be a great service. That way, Sister won't have to risk her life any longer."
Samui's eyes softened, though her heart ached. Her brother was too young, already being sacrificed for the village.
"Remember," she said at last, her tone firm, "Seiji is both Uchiha and Raikage's kin. His value is unmatched. He came to you before—he'll likely come again. Win his trust. Bring him back."
Everyone nodded. The meeting ended, and Samui returned to the shop floor, rag in hand, unease gnawing at her.
Seiji Arrives
"Do you still have squid sushi?"
Samui looked up—and froze. Seiji stood before her, calm as ever. The unease tightened in her chest.
Suppressing it, she lowered her voice. "What else do you want?"
"A few more scrolls," Seiji said evenly. "Preferably swordsmanship."
Samui's eyes narrowed. This brat again? He's already drained us once.
Most scrolls on the open market were worthless, cheap forgeries. True ninjutsu were heirlooms of clans, gifts from masters. Yet here was Seiji, asking as though Kumogakure's treasures were his by right.
"Do you think these things are easy to come by?" she said coldly.
"Of course I know." Seiji prepared to deliver his usual bargaining speech—when his eyes flicked past her.
There, in waiter's garb, stood a boy with Samui's same hair, same eyes… and a tattoo on his shoulder, the character for hot.
Seiji's lips curved. His words shifted.
"This is your brother, isn't it, Samui?"
Samui's emerald eyes widened. Slowly, she turned. Atsuyi had rolled up his sleeves too far, the red tattoo exposed.
Her heart sank. This is bad…
Seiji now had leverage.