The night is beautiful in its silence - no noise, no burdens - but I can't enjoy this peace, not when I'm out here digging myself into trouble. And I mean that literally.
Shovel in hand, I start to dig. I really hope all this isn't for nothing. No, I get the original's motives - after all, we're one and the same. Setting a fire as a distraction, grabbing a shovel, scouting the area - all that I can handle. But damn it, I drew the short straw and got stuck with "dig up a grave." Thank God I'm not here because the original suddenly wanted to try the cold, silent touch of the afterlife, but it's still gross. Seriously, Danzo, how deep did they bury you? And let me tell you, digging, holding a henge, and trying to stay quiet is no easy feat.
This isn't the cemetery where Konoha's shinobi and villagers are buried. It's a separate one, for "accidentally" deceased spies, unwelcome guests, and all sorts of scum. Supposedly, everyone's equal in death, but the locals don't see it that way. They'd be ashamed to bury their own with the likes of these.
Even here, Danzo stood out - his hastily made headstone had a few bouquets on it, which is more than most graves here can claim. Whew, looks like I'm done. At least they don't use coffins here. Sure, I might've roughed up the body a bit, but it's not like he's got a wedding to go to.
Unwrapping the sheet around Danzo's body, I took off his upper clothes. As expected, his right arm was missing - whatever. Not much time had passed since his death, but the smell was something else.
The spot where his arm had been cut off was already almost completely black, with patches of dark, gray, and even white flesh - and those white bits were exactly what I was after.
I pulled out some vials from my pouch and carefully cut out a few samples of flesh, mostly the white parts. I took five samples, and for comparison, grabbed two more from areas where Danzo shouldn't have any of the First Hokage's cells - at least, not in the same concentration as his right arm. And with that, I was almost done. I didn't feel like burying the body again - there wasn't much point, since someone would definitely notice the disturbed soil. So I just took out a pen and wrote on Danzo's forehead: "Bastard, you killed my son." Gave his corpse a few kicks, then climbed out of the hole.
I took a deep breath of the fresh night air… oh, right, I can't breathe. Still weird that I can smell things. Whatever.
I headed deeper into the woods, about six hundred meters in, to one of the old training grounds. There, I took out the glass jars and a storage scroll, vacuum-sealed in a bag. I sealed the vials away, then hid the scroll at the base of a tree that stood out with two hollows right next to each other. The shovel and sack I left by the grave, and since I'm basically made of chakra, the smells don't stick to me. With a clear conscience, I dispelled myself.
****
So, the clone pulled it off, and there were no witnesses. Perfect. In a month or two, I can safely retrieve the genetic material.
What to do with the First's cells, I'm not sure yet. I'd love to graft them onto myself, but I have no idea how. Once I become a proper iryōnin and get access to the right books, I'll look into it. If Orochimaru got into gene research and modifications, then at least microscopes exist in this world, so I've got some hope. I mean, come on - First Hokage cells don't just fall into your lap, and I need them more than anyone.
As for whether I should graft the First's cells onto myself, I thought about it for a long time and couldn't find a single reason not to. Screw Mokuton - I don't even care about that. But boosting my own regeneration and life force (Yang) is definitely worth it. With more life energy, my chakra reserves will go up too - I don't know by how much, but it'll be noticeable.
****
"Yeah, everyone's talking about the fire last night," I remarked as I strolled through the village. I set fire to a half-collapsed house that was due for demolition, but somehow there were still victims. No big deal - my foundation will help them out.
Today, I decided to visit the Uchiha district, clear my head after last night's adventure, and check in on my student, whom I hadn't seen in over a week.
Can't show up empty-handed, so I picked up some sweets.
It was getting close to evening, so Sasuke should've been home from the Academy by now. I remembered the way to their house perfectly, and no one was about to block my path into the district. I was practically Mikoto's advisor, even if it wasn't official. I went to meetings, gave advice to the clan and its head, and they actually listened. What else do you call an advisor? Or do I need a special robe?
Sliding the front door open a bit, I called out quietly, "Anyone home?" Judging by the smell of sauce frying, someone was.
There was the sound of clattering dishes, and a few seconds later, I heard quick, light footsteps.
"Akira-sensei? What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked, surprised, standing in front of me in home clothes with an apron that was way too big for her. It wasn't hard to guess what she'd been up to.
"Just wanted to see if you've made any progress in your training - and I brought you this." I handed her a paper bag, which she peeked into for a second. Smiling, she told me, "Yeah, I managed it on the fifth day, but I didn't know where to find you. Will you come in?" she asked, stepping aside.
"Well, only if you make me some tea," I replied with a smile, taking off my shoes. "So, did you really get it that fast, or are you just after your reward?"
"Of course I did," she huffed, hands on her hips.
"Alright, I've got no reason not to trust my student. Have you thought about what you want as a reward?" The conversation moved to the kitchen.
"No, honestly, nothing comes to mind. Although... Akira-sensei, could you try what I made and tell me if it's any good?" she said shyly, pointing to a deep pan that was steaming.
Aw, how modest. Well, I'll give her cooking a shot. If nothing else, I'm a tougher critic than anyone around here. I'm a self-proclaimed gourmet, after all.
"This... is soup?" I asked, pointing with a spoon at the thick, red something.
"Yeah, tomato soup," she nodded, eyeing her creation with some doubt.
Well... it shouldn't kill me.
"It's sweet..." I said, smacking my lips.
"Yeah, I added a lot of sugar so Mom and my sister would definitely like it." "A lot" was an understatement - this "soup" could've sweetened my tea. One spoonful of this red paste was like three spoons of sugar, which honestly sounds unreal. Besides tomatoes, she hadn't added anything - wait, there were some carrot chunks, so that's something. But even salt and water wouldn't save it. So I told her this soup could give someone diabetes. Then I had to explain what diabetes was.
Sighing, Sasuke went to dump the contents in the trash - or rather, scrape it out.
"If you still want to make dinner, I can help," I offered, finishing my tea.
"Will we have time? Mom should be back in an hour," she said, pausing from washing dishes.
"Don't worry, we've got plenty of time. And since you love tomatoes so much, let's make something special. The recipe's simple - the only tricky part is prepping the ingredients." I started recalling my few attempts at making ratatouille.
****
We made enough ratatouille for everyone, [ image ]

and as soon as I turned off the stove, I got the idea to invite Kushina and Naruko over.
Mikoto was running late, so I left Sasuke to guard dinner and headed straight to Kushina's place, only making one detour to pick up a few bottles of sake.
I laid it all out for Kushina right away, saying we needed to help Mikoto and Itachi relax a bit. She was all for it. As for Naruko, no one even asked - we told her to come, she said "okay." I decided to bring Aika along too.
On the way to the district, Kushina also decided to stop by the store for some fruit.
****
"Huh? Kushina-san? Naruko?" Sasuke was caught off guard by the unexpected guests. Akira had only said he was going to the store and would be back soon.
"Where's Mikoto-chan?" Kushina asked, stepping over the threshold with a huff.
"She should be at the station, going through old case files to better understand how our police used to work," Sasuke replied right away.
"So she really did decide to reform the police with the other clans," Akira nodded to himself.
"And your sister?" the instigator of this little get-together asked.
"Probably still at the clan's training grounds," the dark-haired girl sighed.
"Alright, I'll go get Mikoto, and you two bring Itachi-chan," Kushina decided, turning and heading out.
"Akira-san... is that Aika?" Sasuke asked uncertainly, pointing at the fox in Naruko's arms.
"Yep, just as white and fluffy as yours." Without waiting any longer, the three of us - plus one little fox - headed for the clan's training grounds, which were near the forest park.
We found Itachi right at the edge of the woods. She was sitting in the grass, catching her breath, hair a mess, and her knuckles scraped almost to the bone. Sweat was running down her temples, soaking into her top and making the fabric cling to her body.
"Onee-san," Sasuke called, running over with a water bottle.
The younger sister quickly filled her in, and Itachi said she'd been planning to head home anyway - she was just so physically drained, and her chakra reserves were almost empty, that she'd wanted to sit and recover for another hour.
Sasuke wasn't having it, insisting that the dinner she'd made with her teacher would be stone cold in an hour.
"Alright," Itachi sighed, trying to stand, but her head spun and she nearly toppled over.
Sasuke found a solution faster than Akira, saying the teacher would carry her.
Itachi, seeing Akira's slight smile and the sweat on her own clothes, immediately refused.
"Sensei, this student has a small request," she said, shooting a look at Itachi.
"No problem at all," Akira laughed, already guessing what the request was.
Itachi, no fool herself, realized what was coming and tried to run, but Sasuke's hands held her fast.
****
"Sensei, maybe you could put me down now?" came Sasuke's embarrassed voice as she was carried like a princess.
"I like it, actually," Naruko laughed, also being carried by a clone.
"Yip!" agreed Aika, who'd gotten her own clone to carry her.
It all started when Aika didn't like that her master was holding another animal. For Aika, people were just special animals anyway. Sensing competition for her favorite spot, she immediately left Naruko's arms and reached for Akira.
Naruko, seeing how happy Aika was in the clone's arms and glancing enviously at the blushing Itachi in the original's arms, blurted out, "I wish someone would carry me like that." A few seconds later, a flustered Naruko was scooped up by another clone.
"Don't worry, student - your teacher won't leave you out," he told Sasuke, who was barely holding back her laughter. When she heard that, the laughter stopped.
"Sensei..." Sasuke grumbled, embarrassed and unable to protest.
The girls got a new experience, and Akira, along with Kushina and Mikoto waiting at home, was in a great mood.
"Finally, time for dinner," Sasuke said, climbing down from the clone's arms. "Hey, Onee-san, where are you going?"
"I'm going to wash up," Itachi replied.
"No need - we'll eat a little, then head to the onsen," Kushina said, and everyone except Mikoto looked at her in surprise.
"Uh, is that really okay?" Akira asked, a bit taken aback. He knew from experience that relaxing with strangers in a hot spring wasn't unusual here. If you were shy about your body, you either didn't go or wrapped yourself in a towel. But he really didn't want other men ogling his potential women.
"What's the problem?" Kushina asked, glancing at Mikoto. "We're not strangers, and we'll have the clan's onsen to ourselves."
"Maybe Akira-san's just shy," Mikoto smiled.
"Wait, your clan has its own onsen?" he asked, ignoring Mikoto's comment.
*How am I only finding out about this now?* Akira wondered.
"Of course they do. You think they'd let clan women into a public bath? And in the clan onsen, there are no mixed days, so we get it all to ourselves. Or would you rather we talk through a wall?" Kushina explained, smirking as she saw Akira's eyebrows relax.
*So, public hot springs on mixed days are for outsiders or single women,* Akira thought, pleased with the arrangement.
Dinner lasted no more than twenty minutes. Most of the talk was about the dish Sasuke and Akira had made, and the recent fire. More interesting topics were saved for when they'd be soaking in hot water. And during dinner, everyone laughed at Aika's first attempts to meet Snezhok - a cute white cat who looked tiny next to the fox. Aika sniffed at the cat, trying to figure out what kind of animal it was, while Snezhok batted at Aika's nose, which annoyed her. In the end, they found common ground - sleeping near each other, ignoring everyone else.
After dinner, the six of them headed to the clan's onsen, located on the east side of the district, right up against the Hokage Rock.
The place was run by an old lady who'd married into the clan. She sat in a rocking chair, fanning herself against the heat. When she saw Akira, she perked up.
"Oh, dear, could you spare a minute? I need this sign nailed up higher by the entrance - I just can't reach," she said, happy to see someone tall.
The girls and women went ahead to the changing room, leaving Akira with a hammer, nails, and the sign.
The old lady, like a foreman, commented on every move Akira made.
"That's right, hit it with that strength, don't leave the nail head sticking out." He kept his thoughts to himself about her "help" and quickly finished the job.
"Ma'am, where's the changing room?" Akira asked, putting the tools back in the wooden box behind the reception desk.
"Oh, down the hall to the left. You can't miss it," she waved, settling back into her chair.
Akira nodded and headed down the hall.
"Oh, and thank you, dear, for your help," she called after him, relaxing again.
*And still... I feel like I'm forgetting something,* she thought, watching Akira's back.
Akira turned down the hall and froze for a second.
*She said I couldn't miss it, but there are four doors. How am I supposed to not mess this up?* he thought.
All the doors looked the same. Akira picked the nearest one at random - it was a bathroom. He tried the next one and went in.
Behind the door was another doorway, this one covered by flat curtain strips.
Like diving into water, Akira pressed his palms together, slipped them between the strips, and stepped through.
It really was the changing room - there were shelves for clothes, towels, and short wooden benches without backs.
It didn't look much different from other hot springs' changing rooms. But there was one little detail that threw Akira off. Actually, five.
Kushina, caught mid-bra removal. [ image ]

Mikoto, hastily covering herself with her hand.
Sasuke and Itachi, both in their underwear, frozen facing each other. From their positions, it was clear Sasuke was trying to compare her chest to her older sister's.
And Naruko, who hadn't noticed the unexpected guest and was happily chatting away while undressing.
****
"KYAaaaa!" shrieked the girls, their screams echoing through the onsen.
The old lady in her rocking chair froze.
*That's right! I meant to ask him to put up the other signs too.*
****
"So, what do you think?" Kushina asked, relaxing in the hot water. [ image ]

"Kushina, I can't read your mind, and I'm not a fortune teller. Just say what you mean," Mikoto grumbled.
"I mean, Akira got all flustered when I said we'd all come here together."
"Pretty normal reaction. Not every guy gets invited to bathe with a bunch of women... and girls," Mikoto added, smirking to herself as she saw the "girls" pretending not to listen.
"Oh, really? Or maybe there's another reason," Kushina said with a sly gesture.
Itachi, a pretty experienced ANBU, was surprised - she didn't get what the pinky finger gesture meant in this context.
"Pfft, as long as it works," Mikoto said, rolling her eyes.
"That's what you think, but Lady Tseizami would disagree."
"Who's Lady Tseizami?" Mikoto asked, voicing everyone's question.
"Forgot? Remember our mission in Suna? We had to provide medical aid to some noblewoman. I see you remember. She's quite the 'experienced' woman."
"Experienced? I'd say she was nuts. Poor horse didn't deserve that fate."
*What's a horse got to do with Lady Tseizami?* the girls wondered.
"She was right," Kushina insisted. "But the horse, yeah, that was too much. Tsunade-sama should've treated her head, not just her... other issues."
"How do you know? Did you try it with someone?" Mikoto asked, not believing her ears.
"Not with someone -" seeing Mikoto's jaw drop, Kushina hurried to add, "You don't need a living being to check. By the way, your garden's looking good."
"What's my garden got to do with anything?" Mikoto wondered.
"By the way, that ratatouille was really good. I wonder what would happen if you used cucumbers instead of eggplant - I love cucumbers."
"Yeah, you're always buying them," Naruko chimed in, the least clued-in of the bunch.
Mikoto, a bit embarrassed, looked at her best friend in a new light.
"Don't look at me like that - we're in the same boat now. Same weeds, too. Though, I guess you've always had trouble in that department." Mikoto used to get mad if Kushina brought up her marital issues, but now there was no point.
"What is dead may never die," she admitted in a single sentence.
"NO WAY! I KNEW IT!" Kushina almost jumped up, then, a bit embarrassed, sat back down and asked quietly, "How long's it been?"
"Three years now," Mikoto answered calmly.
"And... nothing at all? No iryōnin, no pills?" Seeing Mikoto shake her head, Kushina felt sorry for her friend.
"So men really can just... stop being able to do their husbandly duty?" Kushina wondered, glancing at the doorway.
"Mikoto, I just thought of a quick way to check what's what," she said, making the pinky gesture again.
"Yeah? Let's hear it."
"I just need your hand." Mikoto, sitting to Kushina's right and leaning against the wall, hesitantly offered her left hand.
With a sudden move, Kushina pulled Mikoto toward her, making her fall forward onto her knees.
"What are you doing?" Mikoto snapped, sitting back up - and then she noticed they weren't alone in the onsen anymore.
Akira, with a towel wrapped around his waist, was staring at Mikoto and Kushina in shock, just a few steps from the door.
None of the five shinobi missed the way Akira's towel tightened for a second over his left hip.
Mikoto blushed, realizing exactly why Akira's towel had "twitched" - and who was to blame. Having just fallen to her knees, she'd been showing off her backside to the entrance, and her towel wasn't exactly wide.
*That's not a cucumber, that's a huge eggplant* Kushina thought, more flustered than anyone.
🔥~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~🔥
Dear readers, if you're enjoying the novel, don't forget to support it with Power Stones! The more stones — the more chapters! For every 50 Power Stones, I'll release an extra chapter!
There will be one new chapter every day at 12 PM (noon), New York