A week had passed.
From the sky above Konoha, one could see the flow of people across the village streets converging toward a single location—the newly established Foreign Trade Department on West Street.
Every now and then, one could spot high-ranking officials of Konoha, as well as clan leaders and elders from prominent families.
At that moment, Shikaku Nara was guiding a horse-drawn cart loaded with crates of medicinal herbs.
The medicinal herbs for clearing heat and detoxifying included: honeysuckle, forsythia, isatis root, and berberine.
Those that promoted blood circulation and dispelled stasis: peach kernel, safflower, salvia, and chuanxiong.
Herbs that relieved pain and expelled wind: ligusticum, notopterygium, saposhnikovia, and gentiana.
And tonics that strengthened the body and aided digestion: codonopsis, astragalus, atractylodes, and tangerine peel.
These were all common medicinal herbs in Konoha, typically used to help regulate civilians' bodies. As for the rare and expensive ones with higher potency, such as cordyceps, ginseng, and reishi mushrooms, those wouldn't be casually exported.
Even so, this shipment alone was substantial.
After all, the environment in Kirigakure was damp and rainy year-round. Not only was it difficult to cultivate crops, but civilians there frequently suffered from chronic ailments due to the humidity.
In Konoha, these herbs were commonplace. But in Kirigakure, they had once been luxuries only available to the wealthy.
As Shikaku checked the scroll in his hand—one that listed the market prices of these medicinal goods in Kirigakure—he was constantly recalculating and adjusting the numbers based on the shipment's contents.
He then led several clan members toward the Foreign Trade Department to find Yuhi Kurenai.
After all, without the proper seal and authorization from the Foreign Trade Department, this batch of goods couldn't legally leave the village or be delivered to Kirigakure.
As for tariffs: Konoha's export duty was 5%, and the import duty was 10%.
Kirigakure had adopted the same rates.
That meant for every 100 ryō worth of goods traded between the two villages, a total of 15 ryō in taxes would be collected.
When Ao had first negotiated tariffs with Uchiha Hikaru, he had been shocked by Konoha's generosity.
Because in truth, once trade began, Konoha would certainly export more goods to Kirigakure than it would import, meaning Kirigakure would collect more tax revenue than Konoha.
Kirigakure's exports—mostly seafood—were comparatively limited. Frankly, Konoha didn't mind collecting a bit more tax on those imports.
Inside the Foreign Trade Department office, Kurenai was reviewing documents nonstop.
She was responsible for overseeing large-scale commodity transactions, while smaller vendor applications were processed by a team of clerks on the lower floor.
Many of those clerks were from the Uchiha clan, former police force members who had worked under Fugaku and Uchiha Hikaru for over half a year.
Now, under the guidance of Kurenai and Hikaru, they'd picked up the basics of trade operations within days.
Whenever they encountered something difficult, they could send the case up to Kurenai, or ask Shikaku Nara for help.
Yes, Shikaku also held a position within the Foreign Trade Department—an honorary title as "Director."
It was largely symbolic. The position didn't exist before, and he had gone to Uchiha Hikaru to request it personally.
Though he held no real authority, it gave him access to sensitive data within the department.
And that data? In the right hands, it could reveal far more than surface-level trade.
Not to mention, it was a way for his clan to earn extra profit.
Uchiha Hikaru hadn't objected to Shikaku's intentions.
After all, if someone had the brains to work harder and earn more, why not?
But Hikaru added two conditions.
First, if anyone in the Foreign Trade Department asked Shikaku a question, he had to answer—no excuses, even if he was busy.
Second, he was to assist Kurenai whenever possible, to share some of her burden.
Yamato, the deputy minister, had been recruited solely for construction purposes and security. No one expected him to contribute much beyond that.
…
Meanwhile, Uchiha Hikaru stood on the rooftop of the Hokage Building, gazing at the bustling activity of the Foreign Trade Department with a contented smile.
"Half a month of peace talks with the Kirigakure delegation, and another week of nonstop meetings…"
"At last, it's over. Finally, not my problem anymore~"
At his side, Tsunade rested her right hand on his left arm, watching the lively village with him.
The village was thriving. Her lover stood beside her.
For Tsunade, this was a rare moment of peace—like everything in life had finally come together.
"Not your problem, huh?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "If things are slow at the police department, you can help me with the paperwork."
"As Hokage's assistant, it's perfectly reasonable for you to support the Hokage."
She rolled her eyes at him.
Uchiha Hikaru gently nudged her forehead away from his shoulder, a hint of melancholy appearing on his face.
"I'm afraid I won't have time, Lady Hokage."
"I'll be leaving the village soon."
Tsunade froze. Her arm slipped from his, and she stepped in front of him, frowning.
"Leaving the village? Why now? Everything's finally settled."
Uchiha Hikaru raised a hand and tapped near his eye socket.
"The Mangekyō Sharingan eventually causes blindness. I never told you before, but…"
"My vision has already begun to fail. The constant strain has damaged my eyes."
He reached out and gently touched Tsunade's cheek.
"I don't want you to wake up one day… and find I've disappeared."
"Impossible…" Tsunade muttered.
She refused to believe it. She shoved him to the ground, knelt beside him, and pressed glowing green chakra against his eyes.
But as her chakra probed deeper, her expression crumbled.
Her pupils trembled. Tears spilled down her cheeks.
"The optic nerves…" she whispered. "They've been nearly burned out by chakra…"
She couldn't speak any further.
Uchiha Hikaru sat up and pulled her into his embrace, gently patting her back.
"Don't worry. I won't lose my vision so easily."
"I'm leaving the village to find a way to restore it."
"This… is the Uchiha clan's deepest secret."
He leaned in close and whispered into her ear, revealing the truth about the Mangekyō Sharingan and how the Eternal Mangekyō could be awakened.
Even after hearing everything, Tsunade still couldn't understand how he intended to restore his eyesight without stealing another Uchiha's eyes.
Her thoughts darkened. Was Hikaru planning to disappear somewhere and die quietly?
She feared that once the other nations learned of his condition, they would seize the opportunity.
The Akatsuki's Rinnegan-wielding leader would surely act.
To her, it seemed like Hikaru was stalling—buying time for Konoha to prepare.
Her shoulders began to tremble with fresh sobs.
"I haven't finished explaining yet—don't cry."
"You're the Fifth Hokage. You can't cry this easily."
Tsunade punched his chest hard.
"Don't think I don't know what you're doing!"
"I won't let you die alone!"
"…Die alone?"
Uchiha Hikaru sighed.
"I'm not going to die."
"I'm going to the Dragon Vein."
"…What?"
"The Dragon Vein, Tsunade."
"…Oh."
Now it was her turn to be embarrassed. She wiped her tears with his sleeve and cleared her throat.
"Ahem…"
"Well then, as Hokage's assistant, you'd better explain this solution to me properly."
Uchiha Hikaru looked at her, arms crossed, her face serious—but her eyes still swollen, tear tracks glistening.
He struggled not to laugh.
"Didn't the Fourth Hokage go there once?"
"The Dragon Vein holds vast chakra—more powerful than even the Tailed Beasts."
"I plan to fuse that time-space chakra into my eyes to reverse time flow… and restore my vision."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
"You think I'm stupid?"
Uchiha Hikaru broke into a cold sweat.
Crap. I overdid the illusion to make my eyes deteriorate… is she seeing through it?!
(￣□￣;)
"No matter how powerful that chakra is, it can't restore burnt-out nerves!"
"If it could, everything I've learned in medical ninjutsu would be a joke!"
"What are you really doing?"
"Don't tell me… you've got some little mistress out there?!"
"…???"
Uchiha Hikaru flicked her on the forehead.
"What the hell are you thinking?"
"The Dragon Vein contains time-space chakra. Didn't Minato record it?"
"I'm not healing with chakra. I'm using time itself to reverse the damage."
"See? That's totally different."
"…So that's your plan."
"But what if it doesn't work?"
Hikaru grabbed her by the shoulders and began shaking her gently.
"The chakra has already merged with my eyes!"
"There's no way I'll go blind again!"
"Snap out of it!"
"It's over—my beautiful, smart, generous Tsunade-sama has become brain-dead! (;≧Д≦)ノ"
Tsunade's world spun as he jostled her, until she broke free with a huff.
"Fine, fine! I get it."
"But… how long will you be gone?"
They stood together on the Hokage Building rooftop, arms resting on the rail.
"It could be as short as a year… or as long as three or four."
"This method is written in the Uchiha ancestral records—but no one has ever tried it before."
"So I need to be cautious."
Of course, Hikaru wasn't being entirely honest.
His real reason for visiting the Dragon Vein wasn't just vision restoration.
Lately, he'd been having vivid dreams—fragments of memories that didn't belong to this life. Visions of himself in strange robes, like ancient shinobi sages. Like something out of the old legends.
He suspected it had to do with his soul—his past life—and he believed the Dragon Vein might help unlock the truth.
But he could never tell anyone that.
If the truth came out… that he came from another world… it would be too dangerous.
If the shinobi world turned on him like they did the Ōtsutsuki, he'd be hunted by everyone.
At that moment, Tsunade stared at him, silently realizing the danger of his plan.
She finally understood the real risk: that the Dragon Vein's chakra might not just touch the optic nerves—it could burn straight into his brain.
She clenched his hand.
Then, without a word, she pulled him and ran straight toward the Senju compound.
"Why are we suddenly running home—"
But when he saw her flushed face… he understood.
Tsunade's back was to him, her voice trembling slightly.
"…You're leaving soon. And you'll be gone for a long time…"
"Spend more time with me…"
Yeah… he'd noticed.
These past nights, she'd been unusually… energetic.
With her youthful appearance and restored vitality, she was in her prime again.
As soon as they entered the house, Tsunade shoved Hikaru onto the couch.
Then the living room… the kitchen… the bedroom… even the bathtub…
Nothing was spared.
By the time Tsunade collapsed onto the bed, Hikaru could barely move.
"Okay… you can leave tomorrow…"
He groaned and stared at the ceiling. From morning until 9 p.m.…
Tsunade today… was absolutely insane… (｡•́︿•̀｡)
He hadn't realized she'd secretly prepared so many outfits.
All kinds.
After Hikaru left, Tsunade curled under the blanket, her fingers resting gently on her lower abdomen.
"…With this many rounds… I should be able to get pregnant…"
A warm smile touched her lips, her eyes sparkling with maternal light.
She didn't say it aloud, but Hikaru already understood.
They both knew.
But deep down, Hikaru also knew… the chances were slim.
The physical difference between them now was immense.
Conceiving might not be possible… not unless Tsunade awakened Wood Release someday.
…
The next morning, Uchiha Hikaru stood before Hokage Rock one last time, gazing down at the village he loved.
"…Everything's arranged."
"…Time to go."
…
A/N : His mangekyo is not truly eternal mangekyo and the rewards from system just provided temporary eternal mangekyo
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