The moment Yukie stepped into the room, Sazahara Kiri immediately noticed a faint, misty-white star point floating above her head.
But it wasn't until he stared at it for a while that the system interface finally updated with relevant details.
This was how to earn "Emotional Node Points"!
As he focused, more information unfolded:
[Sazahara's Companion Ledger]
Yukie Sazahara's Emotional Node (Shallow)
Details: "Lately… Kiri seems to be hiding something from me…?"
The moment he read that, all of Kiri's smug satisfaction at discovering his cheat's hidden mechanic vanished. His whole body tensed instantly.
The calm smile on his face melted away in slow, subtle degrees—every facial muscle softening. Years of undercover instincts took hold, and his mind immediately leapt to the worst possibility:
"I've been compromised?"
A surge of survival instinct and spy reflexes sent his brain into overdrive. He rapidly dissected every recent move he'd made. What mistake had he made so glaring that even Yukie—a sheltered genin—picked up on it?
But no matter how far he traced back, he couldn't find the crack in the armor.
And that only made it worse.
Was I really that sloppy lately…?
Could others have noticed too?
Has ANBU started watching me?!
His heartbeat slowed. Contingency plans flew through his mind like a mental slideshow—escape routes, backup identities, sabotage triggers…
Until Yukie softly called out:
"Onii-san?"
Snapping back to reality, Kiri composed himself.
Before he could even reply, Yukie tiptoed over and pressed a hand against his forehead, frowning.
"Did you overdo your chakra training again? Your face is white as snow… and you feel ice cold."
"Mmm… you're not catching a cold, are you?"
Her worried tone pierced through his paranoia.
Kiri quickly stabilized his expression, letting her fidget around his face. He replied as nonchalantly as he could:
"Don't worry. I'm fine. Just need to sleep it off."
"Perfect timing then," Yukie said, smiling. "You're not in any shape to keep training tonight anyway. Come downstairs and eat, or we're wasting all that sukiyaki!"
"More importantly…"
Kiri paused slightly, eyes narrowing with focus. His blue eyes locked onto Yukie's with unnerving clarity:
"Yuki-chan. Isn't there… something you wanted to tell me?"
"Eh?"
She blinked, clearly confused.
Kiri softened his tone, choosing every word with care to steer the conversation:
"Actually… I've noticed for a while now."
"It must've been painful, knowing something like that… not knowing how to bring it up."
"Maybe you felt… lost?"
Yukie looked visibly startled. She turned her face away, unable to meet his gaze.
Kiri noted it all. The hesitation. The micro-reactions. He sighed inwardly.
Even a dog you raise for years becomes family. How much more of a person?
He had planned countless scenarios for when he was eventually exposed. Still, now that the moment had come… it hit differently.
First, he'd try to win her over.
If not? Immobilize her and keep her locked up—delay the report.
And if that failed…
A flash image: 36 types of whips, 72 tortures, 108 interrogation techniques.
Kiri swallowed.
He was preparing for the worst when Yukie suddenly murmured:
"I'm sure you had your reasons, Kiri…"
"Are you doing this for money? Or were you… forced?"
"I only found out by accident…"
"When I saw you… meeting that woman."
Kiri froze.
His mind instantly jumped to the rooftop meeting with Yagura earlier that day.
No… I was careful. I checked everything!
Despite himself, his pulse quickened. His posture tensed like a loaded spring.
"That woman…?" he asked.
"Yeah!"
Yukie's face contorted in disbelief.
"That rich-looking Uchiha woman!"
Kiri staggered, caught completely off guard.
"Huh??"
"Don't act like you don't know!" Yukie barked, fuming. "I saw it! Two nights ago, you met with a beautiful Uchiha woman after work, right?"
"Unbelievable! You're cheating on me!"
"You promised when we were kids—when we grew up, we'd get married!"
"Sure, I get that you're at the age for girlfriends, but still…"
Kiri blinked, staring at her.
His mind, moments ago a battlefield of paranoia, was now a vast, empty field.
He had gone from high alert to complete confusion in seconds.
The Uchiha woman? He couldn't even remember her face. Not that it mattered anymore.
"Thank god…"
Yukie's just a hopeless romantic.
And of course, as if on cue, the system's voice chimed in:
"KUUYASHII~! (How Frustrating!)"
"You promised to live with me forever, Onii-chan, and now you have some other woman?! UNACCEPTABLE!"
"As your childhood friend, live-in sister, and future wife, I will not lose!"
"No woman will take my Onii-chan! He's MINE, and mine alone!"
The system was unhinged, screaming nonsense like a deranged fanfiction villainess.
Kiri just sighed and gave Yukie a weary look:
"It's not what you think."
But Yukie was still sulking, arms crossed:
"I don't believe you! You've been coming home late every night! 'Training'—pfft, you were obviously on a date!"
Kiri paused.
She… wasn't entirely wrong.
He'd spent extra time eliminating his last overzealous handler, so he had been late a lot.
Still… he had a way out now.
Now that his cheat had activated, he didn't need to be as careful.
"Alright then." Kiri folded his arms, puffing out his chest. "If you don't believe me, let me show you the results of my 'training!'"
"Hah?" Yukie raised an eyebrow. "What, you learned something beyond your usual water-style tricks?"
"Exactly!"
Kiri raised a hand toward her.
"Behold!"
At first, Yukie assumed he was bluffing. But the moment she looked…
His eyes shimmered like starlight.
Then—
WHRRRR—
A spiraling mass of chakra spun into existence in his palm, swirling faster and faster until it solidified into a perfectly compact, glowing sphere.
Air whooshed through the room. The curtains billowed. Her hair and skirt fluttered from the chakra vortex.
And Yukie?
She couldn't take her eyes off it.
Even as a newly graduated genin, she could tell this technique was extremely advanced, both in complexity and sheer destructive force.
"K-Kiri!" she gasped. "What… what is that jutsu?!"
Kiri gave a casual smile, like every other young shinobi showing off.
"This is called the Rasengan."
"A powerful technique invented by an absolute genius."
Yukie's jaw dropped.
If he had time to master a jutsu like that, then all her previous suspicions made no sense at all.
Jutsu development took years. If he had time to do that, he wasn't sneaking around on dates.
Her worry finally dissolved into admiration.
She looked up at him with glittering eyes and squealed:
"I want it! Teach me!"
"You want to learn?" Kiri grinned. "Then I'll teach you."
And the moment those words left his lips—
[Yukie Sazahara's Shallow Emotional Node: Resolved]
+1 Emotional Node Point
[Sazahara's Companion Ledger] – Yukie added
Bond Level ↑
Yukie's Bond: Level 3 → Level 4
Seeing that, Kiri finally relaxed.
As long as he had this system… he had a future.
After 15 long years of living in fear, he finally had a foothold.
What he didn't notice—couldn't notice—was that, deep behind the now-closed system panel, new paths were quietly activating:
[Ultimate Bond Path 1: The Threshold Battle]
"You said you'd always love me, right? Because you're my only treasure… that's why I'll give you everything I have."
[Ultimate Bond Path 2: Rooftop]
"Hey, Onii-chan, did you see her too? That random girl saying she's pregnant? Look—her stomach's flat, isn't it?!"
[Ultimate Bond Path 3: Flesh and Serpent]
"If you were to become a venomous snake… seducing and devouring souls, whispering lies to the foolish—yet still cry out, 'Love me' with that bloody mouth… would I answer?"
"When did it start? Why you? Why… Kiri?"
"Forget it. Brother's already dead. I don't care about right or wrong anymore. Just… wait for me down there, okay? Don't go too far ahead… Kiri."
[Ultimate Bond Path 4: —]
"Worldline Undetermined."
"Bond Simulation Ongoing…"