"You look tired."
I tore my gaze away from my mug and found Kushina sitting across from me, idly stirring her tea. She was watching me, her head tilted just a little to the side - and I have to admit, that habit of hers, the way she tilts her head when she's thinking, is honestly pretty adorable.
"It's all these morning workouts. The intensity's gone up, and now even a quick nap isn't enough to get me back on my feet." My voice sounded as drained as I felt. Just thinking about those training sessions made me want to crawl under a blanket and forget the world for a while. "And then there's the foundation to manage, setting up the new house, and in four weeks I have to head back to Tanzaku again… Honestly, I could complain about my life all day, just say the word."
"Haha!" She laughed, bright and clear, then propped her chin on her palm, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. "I get the Tanzaku part - if I remember right, you were planning to open a restaurant there too. But what's this about a foundation and a new house?" Right, I really haven't seen much of Kushina lately, and that's a shame. For some reason, she seems even more attractive than before.
"Alright, let me start from the beginning." My memory for the events of this world never fails me - all I have to do is focus, and every detail comes back, crystal clear. And with my love for spinning a good story, what could have been told in ten sentences stretched out over three cups of tea.
"Wow, that's incredible. But who's this fan you mentioned?" For a moment, I was at a loss. Here I am, painting a grand picture of how the foundation could help thousands, basically sharing 21st-century knowledge, talking about how life in the village will change with police reforms - and all she wants to know about is my first fan, who I only mentioned in passing? Well, alright, I'll tell her.
"…so, I have no idea why, how, or who washed my clothes, but she just called herself my number one fan." I looked at Kushina, waiting for her reaction. She was sitting there, looking thoughtful.
"How about I set up a barrier for you? With it, nobody will be able to get into your house alone unless they use an S-class technique." She offered it so suddenly, it caught me off guard.
"Hard to say no to that, Kushina, but I already owe you for those chakra-paper scrolls." Hm, instead of asking Naruko to buy storage scrolls, I could've just emptied one of the ones I already had - though they're a lot smaller. Yeah, my memory isn't perfect after all. If I don't focus on something specific, I can miss details.
_(Author's note: Yeah, and it's not because I forgot he had those scrolls from Kushina.)_
"Oh, that's nothing, just half an hour's work. But if you let me sneak a peek at the next part of your book, I'll be more than happy." She winked at me, playful as ever.
"Haha, deal." I relaxed, realizing I could at least pay her back with something.
We headed straight to my place, where Kushina started explaining the Four Corners Barrier. The name said it all: the barrier was made up of four fuin, placed at the farthest points of the protected area.
Each fuin was a complex structure, gathering chakra, transforming it, stretching it to the other seals, anchoring it at set coordinates, and reacting to foreign chakra. There was even a local database that stored "password-chakra" - samples of chakra allowed to cross the barrier, and you could only enter at a specific point, in my case, through the door. If I wanted to let a guest in, I had to be within a meter of them as they crossed. The most fascinating part was the chakra source powering all four linked fuin. Turns out, you didn't actually need a person to supply chakra - the seals could draw it from the environment to keep the barrier up.
All four fuin were carved into the house's walls with chakra. It was wild to watch the plaster crumble under the touch of a single chakra-charged finger. Kushina said she'd carved her own fuin into the wall first, then just covered them up with wallpaper. I wasn't planning to get fancy - maybe I'd just hide the fuin in the living room behind a painting.
"That's it. I didn't bother encrypting them, so if you can figure them out, you'll be able to copy or even modify them yourself. Now, just add a bit of your chakra - put your palm right here." She pointed to a spot on the fuin in my bedroom. This was the control seal. Through it, I could turn the barrier on or off, add chakra to the whitelist, or remove it.
"You add yours too," I said, taking my hand away.
"Oh? Aren't you worried I might sneak into your house?" she teased, a sly smile on her lips.
"Go ahead, I trust you completely." I waved it off, not a care in the world.
In the shinobi world, trust is the rarest and most precious thing there is. Telling someone you trust them completely is basically saying they're family.
Did I really trust her that much? Partly, yes. What is trust, anyway? It's knowing someone won't hurt you, that they're truly on your side. Kushina had no reason to fake anything with me - anything I have, she could get on her own. Our interests don't clash. And honestly, I'm sure we like each other - otherwise, why would she help me?
"Well, if something happens to you, it'll be easier for me to come help." She looked away, then pressed her palm to the seal.
"Kushina, how does the barrier tell chakra apart? I mean, is everyone's chakra really that different?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"Good question. Yes, everyone's chakra is unique. I first learned that from Lady Mito. Everyone's chakra is different in volume and density - there's not a single person with the exact same amount and density."
"Chakra density?" I wanted to clarify.
"Yeah, chakra density - how tightly packed someone's chakra is. The least dense chakra is the ambient chakra in the air, then comes plant chakra, then animals, and finally people. Among people, density varies too. If you look at regular folks with no strong shinobi in their family, the differences are tiny. Clan members have denser chakra, but even between clans, one might have much denser chakra than another.
For example… the Hyuga and Uchiha clans. In terms of fighting ability, the Hyuga are stronger, but when it comes to chakra density, the Uchiha have the edge. The more compressed someone's chakra is, the more powerful their jutsu. Like the Uchiha's favorite Fireball Jutsu - no one else can pull it off with the same power. What else… Oh, sometimes you can even see chakra density with the naked eye."
"Sometimes?" I was surprised.
How's that possible? You can't see chakra without a dōjutsu.
"Yeah, when a shinobi releases as much chakra as they can, it becomes visible, usually as a pale blue glow. I was told it happens because the chakra can't dissolve into the environment fast enough. The color tells you the density - the denser the chakra, the darker the shade. For Uchiha, it's blue or dark blue, depending on their genes."
Makes sense. I guess when Sasuke awakened her Mangekyō, her chakra density went up, turning it purple, and dark red chakra must be the absolute limit, only tailed beasts have that.
"So the barrier identifies people by chakra density?" I asked.
"Yeah, because chakra volume changes all the time. Even a fish seller has one amount today and a bit more tomorrow."
"How much more, if you put it in numbers?" I asked, and Kushina grabbed her chin, thinking.
"I think… if you take a genin's chakra volume as 10 units, a regular person with no training would gain about 0.0002 units a day."
Did she just pull those numbers out of thin air? I did some quick math in my head and asked, "So, a regular villager, doing nothing, could reach about a third of a genin's chakra in forty years?"
"Yeah, that's right." Kushina nodded. "That number depends on genetics, lifestyle, physical and mental activity. For your information, the Uzumaki clan I come from is unmatched in that regard - by the time we graduated the academy, most of us had chakra on par with a chunin. Though our chakra density was just average for clans. As for you, Akira, the fact you can make clones without being a shinobi means you've got good genes, and your kids could probably become jonin. I bet your chakra color is a rich blue."
"Hm, I don't know, I've never tried releasing the maximum amount of chakra - I was afraid of damaging my chakra channels."
"Oh, don't worry. As long as you're releasing chakra, not concentrating it in your tenketsu, nothing bad will happen," Kushina assured me.
So, I guess you're supposed to release as much chakra as your channels can handle, but you can't dump your whole reserve at once - unless you open all your tenketsu at the same time.
Stretching my hand out, palm up, I started spinning chakra through my system. As soon as I felt warmth all over, meaning my channels were full, I began directing it into the tenketsu in my palm.
"Oh, something's showing up," I observed.
"Don't be scared, push the flow even more," Kushina said, watching the faint, translucent haze on my hand.
Even more? Alright, I'll try.
"Mmm, Akira, are you sure you're not from the Uchiha clan? Silly question, your irises are gray."
Well… it's not exactly a plot device, but I guess my "perfect body" package came with a bonus called high chakra density.
"Dark blue," I said.
"Dark blue," she confirmed calmly.
"So I shouldn't go around telling people about this?" I looked at Kushina, stopping the chakra flow.
"Well… if anyone finds out, my only advice is to marry into the Uchiha clan. But you'd have to change your last name, and all your kids would belong to their clan - and so would you."
"Well, I don't know about marrying in, but I should at least go check out the house they gave me. Are you free right now?" I really hoped she'd come with me - I didn't care about any possible drama, nobody's going to start a fight in broad daylight, but Mikoto could easily be waiting for me with a kunai.
"I am, actually. We can go together, and I'll stop by Mikoto's place too - she hasn't visited me much lately." She drifted off into thought.
***
Something was definitely up in the Uchiha clan - I could tell as soon as we entered the district.
The gate guards gave us a good Sharingan glare, but let us through without a word, just a curt nod.
"That's odd," Kushina said, noticing how a few passersby squinted at us suspiciously.
"There are more patrols in the district," I nodded, and then we walked in silence toward the northwest part of the compound. The letter had the exact address and directions from the center.
As we got closer, I noticed the greenery thickening, a sign we were nearing the park. Unlike the houses near the clan head's place, here a lot of homes had no fence, or just a symbolic border of bushes or decorative stones with flowers.
My second house was no exception. No fence, and the forest park started right behind the house. But it was a real, private, single-story house in classic Japanese style. It looked a bit old, but hey, don't look a gift horse in the mouth. [ image ]

"Not bad," my companion gave her initial verdict.
"I just hope the wildlife doesn't wander inside," I said, eyeing the thick brush growing almost up to the house.
"Hah, there's your motivation to master the Four Corners Barrier." They hadn't given me any keys, and there wasn't even a lock on the front door - it was a sliding shoji door, like all the others in the house. Basically, the house was one big room, divided by shoji partitions made of paper, not wood and glass like the front door.
The wooden floor was covered with light gray tatami. The place was a bit bigger than my apartment, maybe 90 or 100 square meters.
"Looks like it's been empty for a while," Kushina said, wiping a finger along the wooden beams.
"Yeah, it'll need a good cleaning, and the furniture should be replaced. I'd say this house is over thirty years old." To check, I slid one of the shoji - it moved slowly and creaked, not smooth at all.
"No electricity, and judging by the kitchen, no gas either." As we walked through each part of the house, we shared our thoughts on what was missing and what needed replacing. The bathroom, to my surprise, could stay as is - just needed a good scrub. Unlike mine, it was traditional, with a spot for washing and a stone soaking tub.
Unfortunately, the plumbing would have to go - I didn't like the look of that rust. The backyard needed a ton of work: roots, weeds, wild bushes, all of it had to go. The only thing that made me happy was the hand pump sticking out of the ground. Just for fun, I tried it - it worked, and when I tasted the water, I couldn't help but take a few big gulps.
"Wow, cold spring water - I haven't had anything this good in ages." I stepped away from the pump and let Kushina try. Holding her hair back with one hand, she leaned in to drink. For some reason, watching the water run down her cheek and into her mouth, with just a hint of tongue showing, started to turn me on.
"Yeah, only mountain water tastes better," Kushina agreed, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
We started talking again about what the place needed.
"A bench here would be great - you could sit and read in the evenings," I said.
"Oh, yes, and a little table here, so you could eat outside and enjoy the fresh air. I've always dreamed of that."
"Great idea! We could even set up a fire pit for grilling meat at night."
"And hang a swing from that tree - I always loved those at the academy."
We got really into discussing how to improve… our future house. At least, that's the impression I got by the end.
"And we could plant flowers here - Naruko loves watering our pots… Mmm, oops." It took Kushina a second longer to realize how our conversation sounded. "Sorry, Akira, I got a little carried away. I used to dream about what kind of house I'd live in, and when we started talking about all this, dattebane… Don't get the wrong idea." She waved her hands, her cheeks slowly turning red.
"Don't worry." I smiled gently, trying to put her at ease. "But… I just don't get why you lived in that apartment. I'm sure you don't have any money problems."
"Mmm, I dreamed about it when my husband was still alive." She lowered her head. "But after he died… a house like this just didn't mean anything to me anymore."
"I see…" I sighed. "So you… lived in that apartment?"
"No, we bought a house together in the southeast district. It was old and on stilts. After Naruko was born, we wanted to find a quieter place with a garden, but… after I was left alone with Naruko, I decided to move closer to people, into that apartment, and sold the house." Yeah, not the best topic change. Her shoulder started to tremble.
"Alright, let's not dwell on sad things. Regret is poison that kills you from the inside. Think about the good stuff - you have a wonderful, healthy daughter, friends who always support you, and - "
"That's right." Suddenly, another voice cut me off. We both turned at the same time and saw Mikoto, brushing dust off her fingers.
"Mikoto?! What are you doing here? And how long have you been here?" Kushina asked, grinning wide and going in for a hug.
"My husband told me you'd come to the district, so I came to find you. I've been waiting with sweets, but you weren't in a hurry, so I had to come looking myself." She hugged Kushina back. Hm, she didn't answer the second question, but whatever.
"Oh, come on, I just took a little detour. Why are you blaming me? When was the last time you visited me?" Kushina puffed out her cheeks, stepping back.
"True, but I had my reasons… Hello, Akira-san." Oh yeah, she's still mad about last time. That smile is pure fake.
"Mikoto-san." I nodded. "Good to see you again. I hope you liked the portrait."
"Wait, you actually drew her portrait? When did you give it to her?" Kushina asked, surprised.
Oh, right, I never mentioned that part when I told her how I got the house. Time to fill her in.
"…so after that, like I said, we had tea with Fugaku-san, then dinner. Oh, and something funny happened during dinner." Kushina leaned in, curious, while Mikoto… was looking at me with three tomoe in her eyes.
Those eyes are a little scary, but honestly, with the Sharingan, she looks insanely hot.
"So… in the middle of dinner, something touched my leg under the table. Just picture it - you're sitting at the head of the most dangerous clan in Konoha, and while you're eating rice, something suddenly brushes your leg. You have no idea how shocked I was!"
Kushina raised an eyebrow, Mikoto too.
"And then?" Kushina couldn't take the suspense.
"Well, I tried to figure out what touched me, and I realized it was probably someone's leg. But whose? Sasuke was sitting next to me, so it couldn't be her. Itachi was too far away, and Mikoto and Fugaku were definitely sitting on their knees. I spent the whole dinner racking my brain, and only at the end did I figure it out. Want to guess who it was?"
"Oh, well… If Fugaku was on his knees… he couldn't have touched your leg with his hand?" Kushina asked, glancing at Mikoto with a weird look.
"Ahem, no, it couldn't have been him, because…" Damn! If you forget about the cat, that was actually possible - his left hand wasn't on the table, he could've done anything with it.
"And he gave you the house, too," Kushina added, looking away at an "interesting" wild bush.
"Kushina! What are you implying?" Mikoto said, cheeks red.
"What? I'm not implying anything, I'm just looking at the bush." She smiled slyly.
"Alright, fine, after dinner a cat crawled out from under the table - turns out it had been sitting there the whole time." I decided not to drag out the pointless suspense.
"Are you sure it was a cat?" Kushina asked with an innocent smile, tapping her finger on her lip.
"It was a cat. End of story. Now let's go." Mikoto immediately grabbed her arm and pulled her along.
"Yeah, yeah, a cat." Kushina let herself be dragged away, nodding and smiling.
The three of us walked through the district, and Mikoto told me Fugaku was at the clan dojo and offered to take me there with Kushina.
We walked, chatting about nothing, and when the dojo with the huge clan crest came into view, the women started saying their goodbyes.
"It was nice seeing you both." Mikoto gave a polite little bow.
"Good luck, Akira, and - " I didn't like her sudden smirk, "if someone touches your leg again, then - " She didn't finish, because Mikoto grabbed her arm and dragged her off. "Be careful!" she called back, her voice ending in a burst of laughter.
Damn, now I know where Naruko gets her mischievous streak. She hid that side of herself from me so well. [ image ]

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