She wanted to shoulder more of Fugaku's burdens.
Mikoto wore a standard ninja outfit: a green flak jacket over a fitted black pair of trousers that outlined her shapely thighs as she stood. In the dim light, the shadows deepened the contours of her features, giving her face a striking definition.
Fugaku saw that it was Mikoto and immediately softened his voice.
"Alright, then I'll leave it to you."
There was mutual affection between the two of them—only a thin sheet of paper remained between their feelings and confession.In Fugaku's eyes, it was only a matter of time.
…
Uchiha Kiyoshi had barely taken a few steps when he heard someone calling his name.
When he turned around, he saw a gentle-looking woman.
"Lady Mikoto,"Kiyoshi greeted.
Though Mikoto always appeared like a soft and kind housewife, the official guidebook The Book of Formations clearly stated she was a retired Jōnin.
And a Jōnin already stood among the upper ranks of the shinobi world.
"One of the Legendary Sannin, Tsunade, will be coming shortly. Let me take you back to your room first,"Mikoto suggested.
"Alright."
Kiyoshi nodded and quietly followed behind her, keeping half a step's distance.
He had already been with the Uchiha clan for a month and knew perfectly well where his room was.
Yet Mikoto still insisted on leading him.
The two walked for a while, turning a corner.
Suddenly, Mikoto spoke.
"The Sharingan is a rare kekkei genkai. In the Land of Lightning, people must have found it strange. You must have received many odd gazes from outsiders, Kiyoshi."
She tilted her head slightly and lowered it, her eyes resting on Kiyoshi, who was shorter than she was.
Before Kiyoshi could respond, Mikoto offered a warm smile.
"And you don't have to call me 'Lady.' It feels distant. You can call me older sister. If anything troubles you, you can come to me and talk."
Her words overflowed with genuine care.
"Mikoto-la… Mikoto-neechan, you're so kind. No one has cared about me in such a long time,"Kiyoshi said, sounding moved.
He paused, as if recalling something, and added:
"But actually, no one there ever saw my crimson eyes, so no one did anything to me."
[Art of Speaking (White)] was still in effect.
Even though his words carried sincerity, Kiyoshi's heart was utterly calm.
Even now, Mikoto didn't forget to test him.
Though she acted like a housewife after retirement, Mikoto was still a bona fide Jōnin.
And shinobi were never a "righteous" profession.
Beneath the surface-level adventures lay countless shadows.
Poisoning, espionage, assassination…These were the true recurring themes.
"I see, that really is wonderful,"Mikoto said with a gentle laugh.
Children only a few years old were most prone to revealing information unconsciously.
From the looks of it, Kiyoshi really might be innocent.
Mikoto relaxed a little, but she still maintained a level of vigilance.Only long-term observation would reveal the truth.
The two continued walking and soon arrived at Kiyoshi's room.
"Wait a bit longer—they should be arriving soon."
"Alright."
Kiyoshi waited inside while Mikoto stepped out.
"Next… I need to find a way to improve my strength."
His peaceful days wouldn't last much longer.
The Third Shinobi World War was about to break out.
Konoha would be invaded all the way to Kikyō Mountain, right at the gate—and beyond that was the village itself.
Kumogakure might become a good leverage point.
After losing the chance to secure Uchiha blood, they had sent spies to "accidentally" encounter him.
Kiyoshi had chosen not to report them.
In Konoha, where social classes were already rigid and unmoving, Kumogakure's attempts to win him over could benefit him greatly.
After pondering for a moment, Kiyoshi closed his eyes and began refining chakra.
A translucent panel appeared before him.
[Entry: Muscle Memory (White)][Requirement Achieved: Repeat a tedious training exercise to build a subconscious habit.][Progress: 99%][Effect: After repeating a large number of movements, your muscles begin to change, becoming accustomed to those actions and able to perform them reflexively without conscious thought.Your muscle memory is increased by 10% compared to the average person.Currently, incorrect muscle memory cannot be erased.][Note: Further advancement is possible.]
This was the entry Uchiha Kiyoshi was about to obtain.
He looked at the words on the semi-transparent panel and continued training.If things went as expected, he would acquire the entry within three days.
Ever since arriving in Konoha, he had been refining chakra every single day.
This ability carried immense potential.
With this entry, no matter what he learned, Kiyoshi would master it faster than ordinary people.
Currently, Muscle Memory (White) couldn't erase incorrect movements—he would need to correct them himself.
But the fact that it specifically said "currently cannot erase incorrect muscle memory" implied that in future upgrades, the entry might automatically fix them.
And since his muscle memory was already increased by 10%, that value could grow even higher later.
Perhaps he would reach a point where memorizing an action once would permanently imprint it into his body.
Half an hour later…
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Kiyoshi."
Mikoto, who had stepped out earlier, returned once more.
Two kunoichi followed behind her.
Leading them was a voluptuous woman with long blonde hair tied into a ponytail and a diamond-shaped mark on her forehead.
Kiyoshi recognized her at a glance.
One hundred and six centimeters.That kind of magnificent figure belonged only to Tsunade.
One of the Legendary Sannin.
Behind her walked another kunoichi with short black hair, looking like a quiet, well-behaved girl.
Shizune.
Tsunade's loyal little follower.
Kiyoshi calmly analyzed the situation.
This was after the Second Shinobi World War.Tsunade had lost her lover, Kato Dan, and developed hemophobia.
Because of this, she now took special care of Dan's niece, Shizune.
"This is Tsunade, and this is Shizune,"Mikoto introduced them one by one.
"Hello,"Kiyoshi greeted humbly—even toward Shizune, who was about his age.
"Show me your Sharingan,"Tsunade said bluntly, her tone full of impatience.
Her pretty face did not match her curt words.Clearly, she wasn't thrilled to visit the Uchiha compound.
Upon hearing her request, Kiyoshi closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his left eye turned crimson, a single tomoe emerging and slowly rotating.
His right eye remained pitch-black—completely ordinary.
"That's unusual."
Tsunade's red-painted fingernail pressed against Kiyoshi's eyelid, pulling it wider open.
Up close, Kiyoshi could faintly catch the fragrance of Tsunade's perfume.
After about five minutes, Tsunade finally withdrew her hand.
"Any changes?"
"I feel like my physical attributes are getting stronger."
"And?"
Tsunade stared at him.
Her great-grandfather had been a master researcher of the Uchiha and had compiled extensive information. Tsunade knew a fair bit about them.
Uchiha, once their Sharingan awakened, usually underwent drastic personality changes.
Was Kiyoshi only halfway changed?
"That's all,"Kiyoshi said sincerely.
Tsunade continued inspecting him.Since he didn't know medical ninjutsu, Kiyoshi simply allowed her to prod and examine him as she pleased.
Standing behind her, Shizune—who had been completely silent—sneaked a sideways glance at Kiyoshi from the corner of her eye.