Returning to the clan district once again, Mikoto felt as if she had crossed lifetimes. She gazed at the empty streets and deserted houses. The lingering scent of blood still hung in the air, refusing to fade away.
"I'm back," Mikoto murmured softly. She walked down the long street until she reached her destination—the place where she once believed she'd spend the rest of her life. Now, she stood alone.
Standing before the gate where she had once died, Mikoto's hands trembled. She hesitated for a long time before daring to push open the door. That moment—a nightmare etched in the hearts of two children—was no less haunting to her own soul.
Suddenly, a warm hand clasped hers. Anya had appeared without notice. With a casual wave of her hand, the house before them collapsed into rubble and vanished entirely, as if it had never existed.
Smiling gently, Anya said, "Miss Mikoto, if it's such a bad memory, then forget it. Start anew, what do you think?"
Mikoto stared at the vacant space, feeling as though a passage deep in her heart had also opened up. Composing herself, she smiled and replied, "You're right. I should start fresh. Where's the money? And where are they?"
"It's in the front yard. I've already arranged the personnel you'll need. They're waiting outside."
Anya couldn't help but wonder curiously about Mikoto's intentions.
Mikoto didn't offer any explanation. She simply gave a gentle smile and said, "Go on, take care of your business. I'm going to use this chance to renovate the place. Come back in a week. From now on, this will be your home."
Home… the word brought up a swirl of emotions inside Anya. Nodding slightly at Mikoto, she turned and walked away.
The next time she reappeared, Anya stood outside the Ninja Academy. Back when she first arrived here, the Ninja Academy had given her the greatest sense of security. That was precisely why she instinctively chose to enroll her daughter Hakuto here, allowing her to leave the village with peace of mind while carrying out missions.
Outside, numerous students were practicing shuriken throwing and taijutsu. Of course, Hakuto stood out among them. A large crowd of admirers followed behind her, some even catcalling nearby in attempts to catch her attention.
After completing one round of practice, the shuriken she hurled nearly simultaneously struck their targets. Combined with Hakuto's graceful movements and delicate features, cheers erupted across the field. One boy even shouted excitedly, "Hakuto, when I grow up, I will marry you!"
Overhearing this from the sidelines, Anya's gaze turned icy in an instant. An inexplicable chill swept over the boy who'd shouted, making him fall silent immediately. Puzzled, he looked around nervously, wondering why the atmosphere had suddenly become so grim.
"You got mad over a joke? I see, she's definitely your daughter."
Hearing this voice, Anya turned in surprise and asked, "Yugao, how come you're here?"
"The new Hokage personally approached me, hoping I'll serve as this girl's long-term protector, saying I'm the most suitable candidate. At the time I was a bit confused, but now I understand." Yugao knew of Anya's connection with Tsunade, yet she never expected the two to have such an impressive daughter together.
Grateful, Anya said, "Thank you for your trouble."
"No, honestly, I think it's great."
"Yugao's voice carried a relaxed tone: 'Watching over her and protecting her like this makes me feel comfortable, as if I'm truly needed. Plus, she's amazing.'"
"Of course she's amazing," Anya said with confidence, then added after checking the time, "It's almost dismissal. I was thinking about taking her out for a meal. Why don't you join us?"
"Me? Can I?" Yugao expressed delighted surprise with a touch of shyness.
Anya smiled, "Of course. Since you're the one protecting her, how about getting better acquainted? Believe me, Hakuto will like you."
"Alright," Yugao nodded in agreement.
When the class bell rang, Anya gave Yugao the address of a restaurant while casually issuing an order, "Find a black bag, cover that Younger Boy's head, and beat him up."
"Eh..." Yugao looked at Anya in shock, unable to believe what he had just said.
Ignoring Yugao's surprised look, Anya continued nonchalantly, "Deal with situations like this the same way from now on. They're still in school; how could they afford distractions? Consider this a lesson from me to them."
Yugao responded wordlessly with obvious disbelief, "Fine..."
Ah well, it seems Hakuto's charm might bring some trouble for this young boy in the future.
Upon leaving school, Hakuto quickly spotted Anya wearing a grin and eagerly ran over, asking, "Have you come to pick me up from school?"
"Yeah, let's go grab something to eat."
"Okay."
Obediently following Anya, Hakuto soon reached a restaurant filled with dishes laid out across the table.
Seeing Anya hesitating before eating, Hakuto felt puzzled.
Anya explained, "We're waiting for someone else."
As the words left his mouth, Yugao walked in dressed casually, carrying a piece of black plastic in her pocket, apparently having completed the assigned task hurriedly.
After spotting the two, Yugao sat beside Hakuto, smiling while extending her hand, "Hello, my name is Yugao Uzuki."
Hakuto immediately understood—this must be the person her father was expecting. She quickly shook hands politely, replying, "Sister Yugao, you're so beautiful."
"You're just as pretty as me too."
After a bit of casual chatting, both girls shared warm smiles. Undeniably, beautiful people are always a joy to look at, no matter where you find them.
After the three started eating, Anya explained Yugao's identity and instructed Hakuto that whenever she encountered danger, she must follow Yugao's orders without question.
Hakuto looked at Yugao, who seemed only slightly older than her, and turned toward Anya curiously, "Is Sister Yugao really that strong?"
"Yes. Out of all the ninjas in Konoha, only a few can match her strength."
Confident in his protégé whom he personally trained, Anya spoke with certainty.
Hakuto admired Yugao enviously, expressing her wish, "I hope I can become that strong someday."
Yugao smiled gently, "Hakuto, you possess exceptional ninja talent. With diligent training, you'll surpass me soon enough."
"I'll definitely work hard! Although..."
"What's wrong?" Anya noticed Hakuto's hesitation.
"I'm just not sure where to start," Hakuto pondered briefly before her eyes lit up excitedly, "Oh right! What are you best at? After graduation, I'll find you to teach me. No objections, right?"
"Sword Art." Yugao chimed in, "I've yet to see anyone stronger than him in sword techniques."
Upon hearing this, Anya frowned. "No way. Girls shouldn't mess with swords. It's violent and not good."
Yugao: ...
Hakuto asked, "Then what about physical combat techniques?"
"That's even worse," Anya immediately rejected, "Don't be influenced by your mom. Physical combat has too many limitations and is easily countered. If it really came down to a fight, I could take her down a hundred different ways."
Meanwhile, Tsunade sneezed unexpectedly while still in the Hokage's office.
Hakuto became somewhat unhappy and pouted, "What about Ninjutsu then? Surely that's fine."
"That's also bad. Ninjutsu techniques counter each other. Facing..."
Hakuto interrupted directly, "[Combat System]. Just say clearly, what would you recommend me learning?"
"Hmm..." Anya hesitated for a moment, still hadn't quite figured it out. In his mind, the ideal scenario was eliminating an opponent before they ever saw Hakuto. His own [Sword Manipulation Art] indeed fit that perfectly well; however, the requirements for its practitioners were extremely high, even Yugao hadn't mastered it.
Maybe, I should develop an entirely new Combat System, suddenly came an idea to Anya...
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