Mikoto wanted to share more of Fugaku's responsibilities.
She was dressed in a ninja uniform—standard jonin attire—with a green flak jacket over her upper body and snug black trousers that outlined her round thighs as she stood.
The dim light cast shadows that made Mikoto's features appear sharper and more defined.
When Fugaku saw that it was her, his voice softened immediately:
"Alright. I'll leave it to you, then."
There was affection between them.All that remained was to break the final layer of hesitation between them—something Fugaku believed was only a matter of time.
Qingsi had just taken a few steps outside when a voice called to him.
He turned to see a gentle-looking woman approaching.
"Mikoto-sama,"he greeted respectfully.
Though Mikoto always gave off the image of a calm housewife, the official databook The Book of Formations confirmed she was a retired jonin.
A jonin—one of the elite ranks of the shinobi world.
"Tsunade, one of the Sannin, will be arriving shortly. I'll take you back to your room in the meantime,"she said.
"Alright."Qingsi nodded and followed silently, keeping half a body length behind her.
He had been in the Uchiha compound for about a month now and already knew where his room was. Still, Mikoto insisted on guiding him.
They walked in silence, turned a corner, and then Mikoto suddenly spoke:
"Sharingan is a rare kekkei genkai. I imagine people in the Land of Lightning found it strange. You must have received a lot of odd looks, Seiji."
She glanced back slightly, her head lowered, her gaze falling gently on Qingsi—who was shorter than her.
Before he could reply, she smiled and added:
"And you don't need to call me sama. It sounds too formal. Just call me sister. If anything ever troubles you, come to me. I'll listen—like your sister."
Her tone was warm and caring. She truly seemed concerned.
"Mikoto-sama… Mikoto-sama, you're very kind. No one's cared about me in a long time,"Qingsi said, his voice trembling slightly.
He paused for a second, then added thoughtfully:
"But no one else has seen my scarlet eyes. No one's done anything to me."
[The Art of Speaking (White)] was still active.
Qingsi's words were delivered with perfect sincerity.
Internally, however, he remained completely calm.
Even now, he knew he was still being tested.
Mikoto had retired from the battlefield, but at her core, she was still a jonin.
And being a jonin was never just a job.
Assassinations. Espionage. Poison. Torture.These were the dark realities that shinobi rarely spoke of, but lived with daily.
"I see. That's good,"Mikoto replied with a soft smile.
Children of Qingsi's age were most prone to revealing information through subtle slips.So far, he seemed clean.
She felt a little reassured—but remained cautious. She would continue to observe.
Soon after, the two reached Qingsi's room.
"Wait a little while. They should arrive soon.""Understood."Qingsi entered the room while Mikoto stepped out.
"Next, I need to find a way to grow stronger,"Qingsi muttered to himself.
There wouldn't be much peace left.
The Third Great Ninja War was looming.
Soon, even Konoha would be invaded—right up to Kikyō Mountain, near the village gates.
Yunyin (Hidden Cloud) might be the key.
Having lost their chance at the Uchiha bloodline, they could very well send a spy to "accidentally" encounter him again.
Qingsi had no intention of reporting it.
In a hierarchical place like Konoha, where power dictated opportunity, winning favor with the Hidden Cloud Village could bring personal gain.
After a short pause, Qingsi closed his eyes and began refining his chakra.
A translucent panel appeared before him:
[Entry: Muscle Memory (White)]Requirement: Repeat a tedious training enough times to create subconscious habitProgress: 99%Effect: After repeated movements, your muscles adapt and can perform the action reflexively.→ Muscle memory is 10% stronger than average.→ Incorrect muscle memory cannot currently be undone.Note: Can be further upgraded.
This was the next entry Qingsi was about to unlock.
He glanced at the panel, then resumed his training. If things went as expected, he'd complete it within three days.
Ever since entering Konoha, he had refined chakra daily.This ability had enormous potential.
Once unlocked, Qingsi would learn faster than the average shinobi, regardless of the subject.
However, since incorrect movements couldn't be unlearned just yet, he needed to train carefully.But the implication that such memory could be corrected in a future upgrade was promising.
A 10% advantage now might grow into the ability to remember physical techniques permanently—with just one attempt.
Half an hour later…
"Sorry for the wait, Qingsi."
Mikoto returned with two female kunoichi.
Leading the way was a voluptuous woman with long blonde hair tied back, and a prominent diamond-shaped mark on her forehead.
One glance was enough for Qingsi to recognize her.
106 centimeters.This was the only woman in the shinobi world who could boast that figure.
Tsunade.
One of the legendary Sannin.
The second kunoichi walked behind her. She had short black hair and a quiet demeanor.
Shizune.Tsunade's faithful assistant.
Qingsi analyzed calmly.
This was post-Second Ninja War.Tsunade had already lost Kato Dan, her lover, and developed hemophobia. She now looked after Kato Dan's niece—Shizune—with great care.
"This is Tsunade and Shizune,"Mikoto introduced.
"Hello,"Qingsi said politely, his tone humble—even toward Shizune, who was younger.
"Show me your Sharingan."Tsunade's voice cut straight to the point—cold and impatient, in stark contrast to her elegant appearance.
Clearly, she wasn't thrilled about coming to the Uchiha compound.
Without a word, Qingsi closed his eyes. When he opened them, his left eye turned scarlet. A single magatama appeared, slowly rotating.His right eye remained dark—like a normal eye.
"Strange…"
Tsunade leaned closer. Her polished red nails gently pulled his eyelids wider.
At this distance, Qingsi could faintly smell her floral perfume.
After about five minutes, she withdrew her hand.
"Any changes?""I feel physically stronger.""Anything else?"
Tsunade stared hard, searching for signs of the emotional shifts that usually accompanied the awakening of a Sharingan.
Her grandfather had studied the Uchiha extensively.She knew the stories—how some Uchiha experienced drastic personality changes upon awakening.
Was Qingsi in the middle of such a transformation?
"Nothing else,"he said honestly.
Tsunade continued her examination. Qingsi didn't understand medical ninjutsu, so he simply let her inspect him—here, there, and everywhere.
Meanwhile, behind her, Shizune snuck a curious glance at Qingsi from the corner of her eye.