"Ah... that's nice..."
Fuuyu let out a comfortable sigh in the bathtub. It had been a long, long time since he felt this relaxed. Since arriving in Konoha Village, his body and mind had been constantly under high tension due due to his rigorous training.
One minute, two minutes...
Thirty minutes passed, yet Fuuyu felt no sign of weakness or fatigue!
Leaning back against the bathtub, Fuuyu closed his eyes contentedly. He could now confirm one thing: ordinary water had no effect on him. He just didn't know if the seawater in this world would affect him.
According to his vague past-life memories, Devil Fruit users were cursed by the sea, making them "hammer-head swimmers" (unable to swim). Not only seawater, but also freshwater would make a Devil Fruit user weak and powerless. Although freshwater had less of a limiting effect, prolonged soaking would still cause a reaction.
Could it be that the curse was specific to the world of One Piece, and therefore ineffective in the world of ninjas?
"Or perhaps the Glint-Glint Fruit I summoned isn't native to the One Piece world, so it carries no curse?"
"Forget it, don't think too much, let's just enjoy the bath."
Fuuyu smiled happily, wiped his face with water, and felt a sense of relief. This was great; at least he wouldn't have to fear Water Release ninjas.
To celebrate this good news, he decided to reward himself with an extra three minutes, no, an extra ten minutes of bathing.
With that thought, Fuuyu rested his head on the tub, relaxed his whole body, and imagined himself as a free-spirited fish.
Just at that moment.
Creak!
With a light sound, the bathroom door was pushed open without warning.
In came a young woman with long, straight black hair. She had soft, black hair, a beautiful face, and the unique youthful energy of a girl her age.
She was Fuuyu's sister from another mother—Uchiha Mikoto.
"Uh..."
The moment he saw Mikoto, Fuuyu froze. He never expected to see Uchiha Mikoto in this state. Instinctively, he covered his body.
"Yo, you're shy now."
Uchiha Mikoto's expression was calm, completely unfazed. She looked at Fuuyu and said playfully, "Stop covering up. It's not like I haven't seen you. I used to bathe you when you were little."
"Mikoto, you... why are you here? Please go out, I'm taking a bath," Fuuyu said, his face flushing red.
"How many times do I have to tell you, call me Sister," Uchiha Mikoto said, putting her hands on her hips and pouting unhappily. "I was just about to come in for a bath, but I didn't expect you to be here."
Only then did Fuuyu notice that Uchiha Mikoto was holding a change of clothes.
"Usually you're not home by this time," Uchiha Mikoto mumbled with dissatisfaction. "Whatever, finish your bath quickly. I have something to talk to you about."
With that, Uchiha Mikoto naturally and openly stepped out of the bathroom.
After Uchiha Mikoto left, Fuuyu unconsciously let out a sigh of relief. His sister from another mother always treated him like an innocent child, often making small affectionate gestures, which made him quite awkward. Though Fuuyu looked like a child on the outside, he was a mature adult on the inside.
Shaking his head, Fuuyu was no longer in the mood for a bath. He was very curious about what Uchiha Mikoto wanted to tell him.
After quickly wiping his body and putting on clean clothes, Fuuyu walked out of the bathroom and saw Uchiha Mikoto sitting solemnly on her knees in the living room.
"What's wrong, Mikoto?" Fuuyu asked. He had never seen that expression on her face before.
He sat cross-legged opposite Uchiha Mikoto. After being in this world for so long, he still wasn't used to kneeling.
Uchiha Mikoto frowned at Fuuyu for calling her by her name again, then said, "Fuuyu, do you know that in a few days, there will be a clan martial arts tournament? All Uchiha ninjas aged eight and over must participate."
At the mention of this, Fuuyu's expression also became serious. He nodded and said, "I know." The original story did not mention this duel, but then again, when the Uchiha clan appeared in the original story, only Sasuke Uchiha was left, so there was no way for a duel to happen.
Uchiha Mikoto lightly tapped the table with her finger. After much deliberation, she decided to speak: "Fuuyu, I know you've been practicing hard, but the path of ninjutsu depends on talent."
"Father, Mother, and I don't want you to get hurt in the arena."
"We all hope you can be a normal person and live a happy life."
Uchiha Mikoto's words were clear. She hoped Fuuyu would give up the identity of a ninja and safely become an ordinary person. If he gave up being a ninja, he naturally wouldn't have to participate in ninja duels.
However, Fuuyu had a reason not to give up. He looked up, meeting Uchiha Mikoto's eyes intently, and said, "Sister."
Uchiha Mikoto was stunned. Fuuyu had never called her "Sister" before...
"My dream is to become a powerful ninja and protect my family," Fuuyu said with utmost seriousness. All his motivation to become stronger stemmed from this.
"Fuuyu, you..." For some reason, Uchiha Mikoto felt a tug at her heart.
For a moment, Uchiha Mikoto didn't know what to say. She knew that although Fuuyu was weak, he was very opinionated and never changed his mind once he decided on something.
After thinking it over, Mikoto finally pulled back her hair and said helplessly, "Since you've put it that way, what more can I say?"
She straightened her back, leaned forward, and tapped Fuuyu's forehead with her index finger—a "forehead tap kill":
"No matter what, I don't want to see you hurt in the arena."
"You need to know when to surrender, understand?"
"I... I understand," Fuuyu said, his gaze flickering away.
"Good that you understand." Uchiha Mikoto stood up, walked over to Fuuyu, and affectionately ruffled his golden hair. She said, "I'm going to take a bath. You should rest early too. You have school tomorrow."
With that, Uchiha Mikoto took her clothes and walked towards the bathroom.
At that moment, Fuuyu called out to her, "Mikoto, wait a moment. I have something I want to ask you."
"I told you to call me Sister," Uchiha Mikoto said, hands on her hips and sounding annoyed. "Tell me quickly what it is. I haven't showered yet, and I smell terrible."
"It's just, well, Mikoto, what do you think of Uchiha Fugaku?" Fuuyu asked the question he cared about most.
"Uchiha Fugaku? Why are you asking about him?" Uchiha Mikoto tapped her chin with her index finger and raised her head slightly. She said, "I don't have any opinion of him. He's a dull and boring guy, not attractive at all."
"Why did you suddenly ask about him?"