She wanted to take a little of Fugaku's burden onto her own shoulders.
Mikoto wore a shinobi's outfit with a green flak jacket. As she stood, the black trousers traced the round line of her thighs. In the dim light, shadow carved her features into sharper relief.
Seeing her, Fugaku's voice softened."Thank you. I will leave it to you."
There was feeling between them, only a thin paper window left to pierce. In Fugaku's eyes, it was only a matter of time.
…
Yoru Tomoharu had barely taken a few steps when someone called his name. He turned to find a woman with gentle, refined features.
"Lady Mikoto," Tomoharu said.
She might look like a full-time homemaker, but the official databook makes it clear she is a retired jonin. And a jonin stands near the top of the shinobi ladder.
"One of the Legendary Sannin, Tsunade, will be here shortly. Let me take you back to your room first," Mikoto offered.
"Alright."
Tomoharu nodded and followed half a step behind. He had been with the Uchiha for a month and already knew which room was his, yet Mikoto insisted on leading the way.
They walked side by side and rounded a corner. Mikoto spoke suddenly."The Sharingan is a rare kekkei genkai. In the Land of Lightning, I imagine people found it curious. You must have endured a lot of stares, Tomoharu."
She tilted her head, looking down slightly at the boy who was shorter than she was. Before he could answer, she smiled with a quiet kindness.
"And you don't need to call me 'Lady.' It sounds distant. Call me sister. If you are ever treated unfairly, you can come to me and talk."
Her words were full of care.
"Mikoto la… Mikoto-sis, you are very kind. It has been a long time since anyone cared about me," Tomoharu said, sounding moved. He paused, as if choosing his words, then added, "But honestly, most people there had never seen scarlet eyes like mine. No one ever did anything to me."
[Art of Words (White)] was still active.
His voice was sincere. Inside, he was calm as still water.
Even now, a little probe. Mikoto might be a homemaker after retirement, but she was a jonin through and through. And shinobi is not a righteous profession. Beneath the surface of adventure runs a darker current. Poison. Espionage. Assassination. Those are the unchanging chorus lines.
"I see. That is good to hear," Mikoto said with a small, relieved smile.
Tomoharu was no child. He was several years older than his age-mates, which made him late to both study and the shinobi path. It also made people at that age more likely to let things slip unconsciously if they lacked formal schooling. From this exchange, Tomoharu very likely was clean. Mikoto relaxed a little, though she kept a thread of caution. Time would tell.
They walked on and soon reached Tomoharu's room.
"Wait a bit longer. They should be here soon."
"Alright."
Tomoharu remained inside while Mikoto stepped out.
Next, he needed a way to grow stronger.
Peace would not last much longer. The Third Shinobi World War was about to break out. Konoha would be attacked all the way to Kikyō Pass at the village gate. A little farther and the enemy would be inside the walls.
The Cloud side might be a promising angle. After failing to secure Uchiha blood, they had sent a spy to "happen upon" him. Tomoharu chose not to report it. His Tag Panel had sealed a portion of his memories. If the Yamanaka clan used their secret mind techniques to investigate, they would find only the truth of a boy raised on the kindness of many households. With the Yamanaka as a safeguard, Konoha trusted him.
Konoha's class lines were rigid. If Cloud tried to win him over, Tomoharu might be able to leverage that for his own benefit.
He fell silent, closed his eyes, and began refining chakra.
A faintly glowing panel rose before him.
[Tag: Muscle Memory (White)]
[Requirement: Repeat a tedious drill until it becomes an unconscious habit.]
[Progress: 99%.]
[Effect: After a large number of repetitions, your muscles adapt to the motions. These can be triggered as reflex without conscious thought. Your muscle memory is increased by 10% over the average person. Currently cannot purge incorrect muscle memory.]
[Note: Can be advanced further.]
This was the tag he was about to obtain.
Tomoharu scanned the translucent text and kept training. If nothing unexpected happened, he would have it within three days. Since entering Konoha he had refined chakra daily without fail. This tag would be a tremendous boon. With it, he would learn anything faster than ordinary people.
For now, Muscle Memory could not wash away bad habits. He would have to correct those himself. Since the note explicitly said "currently cannot purge," a future advancement might correct errors passively. Ten percent today might also rise later, perhaps to the point where one pass through a technique would brand it into the body forever.
Half an hour later, the door slid open.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Tomoharu."
Mikoto returned, and two kunoichi stepped in behind her.
The first was a voluptuous woman with long blonde hair tied back and a blue diamond mark on her forehead. One glance was enough for Tomoharu to know who she was.
One hundred and six centimeters.
That legendary figure could only belong to Tsunade of the Sannin.
The second kunoichi stood a step behind her, short black hair framing the calm air of a studious girl.
Shizune.
Tsunade's frequent shadow.
Tomoharu sorted the facts quickly. The Second Great War was over. Tsunade had lost her lover, Kato Dan, and suffered from hemophobia. She therefore took special care of Dan's niece, Shizune.
"This is Tsunade, and this is Shizune," Mikoto said, making the introductions one by one.
"Hello," Tomoharu replied, humble in tone. He addressed Shizune with equal respect even though she looked slightly younger than he was.
"Show me your Sharingan. Now," Tsunade said.
Her face was lovely, but her words were edged with impatience. She clearly did not relish coming to the Uchiha compound.
At her command, Tomoharu closed his eyes. When he opened them, his left eye was scarlet, a single tomoe slowly turning. His right eye was plain black, like any ordinary person's.
"That is certainly unusual," Tsunade murmured.
Fingertips lacquered red drew his eyelid wider. Up close, Tomoharu caught the faint fragrance clinging to her.
After roughly five minutes, Tsunade withdrew her hand.
"Any other changes?"
"I feel my body growing stronger."
"And what else?"
Tsunade's gaze did not leave him. Her granduncle had been a master of Uchiha studies and left many notes. She knew enough to be wary. When most Uchiha awakened, their temperaments shifted sharply. Tomoharu looked like a half-shift at best.
"Nothing else," Tomoharu answered with honest calm.
Tsunade continued her examination. Tomoharu knew nothing of medical ninjutsu, so he let her press here and check there. Behind her, Shizune stayed quiet, sneaking a sidelong glance at him from time to time.