The Visitor Comes Calling

"Yoichi-san, it's done. Take a look—does this meet your requirements?"

The owner of the Ninja Tool Shop wiped away nonexistent cold sweat as he spoke. This Uchiha had waited in his shop for nearly a day, putting him under considerable pressure, so he had hurried the craftsman along and had the item Uchiha Yoichi wanted finished and delivered.

It was a Metal Mask that restrained the opening and closing of the wearer's jaw. It looked a little like the mask Kakashi wore over his face, except Uchiha Yoichi had requested one made of metal.

"I'll test it first."

After saying that involuntarily, Uchiha Yoichi put on the mask, then took out paper and a pen and wrote to the shop owner: "Ask me any question."

"Any question? Then, Yoichi-san, are you satisfied with this mask?"

After hearing the shop owner's question, Uchiha Yoichi immediately tried to say that he wasn't satisfied, but his mouth would not move, so the words remained stuck at the tip of his tongue.

It worked!

Uchiha Yoichi thought with satisfaction. He should have dealt with this flaw sooner. Then he wouldn't have needed to control himself deliberately. His daily training had already left him utterly exhausted, and he still had to keep his mouth in check. It was better to simply clamp it shut in one brutal move.

Now, no one could hide a secret from him, while he no longer had to say what he was thinking.

If he had solved this sooner, he wouldn't have caused so much trouble.

After paying, Uchiha Yoichi headed home.

The fact that Tsunade had chased him today would definitely become known to the Konoha High Command and the Security Force. He would probably have to endure another round of questioning.

Still, Uchiha Yoichi found the whole matter baffling. Tsunade had clearly come looking for trouble, and even before he said she was "big and white," she had already looked hostile.

By the time he returned to the compound, it was already afternoon.

"Yoichi-kun?"

On his way back, Uchiha Yoichi ran into Uchiha Mikoto, who had just returned from buying groceries. This Konoha Jonin had become a housewife after getting married.

Uchiha Yoichi nodded, took out the greeting note he had prepared in advance, and gestured to Uchiha Mikoto with it.

"Is your throat bothering you? Yoichi-kun, please take care of yourself. Fugaku often mentions you at home, after all. You're both members of the same clan."

Uchiha Mikoto's face remained perfectly calm, but every thought in her mind was heard by Uchiha Yoichi.

[Can't he speak? But what happened a while ago? I could clearly see Yoichi-kun naked, including that thing. Why can't I see it now?]

Madam, what exactly are you trying to see?

Madam, if there's nothing else, I'll head back first. Goodbye.

Uchiha Mikoto nodded. "Mm. Yoichi-kun, get some good rest. If you need anything, you can go to Fugaku."

[Could it be that I can only see it in our house? Or was I really seeing things that day?]

Stop fantasizing, Madam. That ability has nothing to do with you!

After bidding farewell to Uchiha Mikoto, Uchiha Yoichi headed straight home. He would suspend his Kenjutsu training for a day and replace it with weighted physical training.

The Lightning Release Chakra Mode also required a powerful body. The Third Raikage had fought the Eight-Tails in close combat, while the Fourth Raikage had severed one of the Eight-Tails' horns with his bare hand. If Uchiha Yoichi cultivated the Lightning Release Chakra Mode to a similar level, he would definitely surpass them.

As long as he could evolve his Sharingan to the Three-Tomoe stage, he would hold an enormous advantage in close-quarters combat.

Just as he was nearing his home, Uchiha Yoichi suddenly saw someone standing in front of his house. It was Tsunade, who had chased him earlier that day.

Uchiha Yoichi had not expected Tsunade to dare come to the Uchiha compound. This Senju really was bold.

But just as Uchiha Yoichi turned around to run, Tsunade suddenly called out, "Kid, stop running. I'm not going to attack you!"

Those words made Uchiha Yoichi stop. He turned around and eyed her suspiciously, then thought for a moment before taking out paper and pen.

"Lady Tsunade, I was wrong about what I said earlier. I hope you can forgive me. But what did you come looking for me about?"

After seeing what was written on the paper, Tsunade put on a magnanimous act. "Forget it. I'm not going to hold a grudge against a kid. But why are you wearing a mask and not speaking?"

[Hmph, just wait, you evil, lecherous Uchiha brat. One day, you'll fall into my hands! But before that, I need to find out whether you have anything to do with that incident.]

Fine, fine. Your mouth forgives me, and then you write it down in your little grudge book, right?

Uchiha Yoichi nearly rolled his eyes. No matter how powerful a woman was, she was still a woman. Still, as long as Tsunade did not attack him, he could tolerate her. His ability was being restrained now, anyway.

It was inconvenient to talk outside, so Uchiha Yoichi invited Tsunade inside before writing his reply.

"Something unexpected happened. I can only communicate this way for now. If you have something to ask, Lady Tsunade, please go ahead."

"You know the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, don't you?"

Tsunade said in a certain tone, "The lightning wrapped around your body just now could only have been produced by the Lightning Release Chakra Mode. It's a secret Nintaijutsu created by the Second Raikage. How did you learn it?"

"It was an accident. I happened to obtain it during a mission."

"Forget it. This has nothing to do with me anyway. Old Man already knows about it, and it's unlikely that a Kekkei Genkai clan would have a spy. I came to ask you about something else."

[Does my transformation into a wild boar have anything to do with this kid? I definitely heard him mention an ability at the time, but what did that ability mean...?]

After hearing Tsunade's thoughts, Uchiha Yoichi was startled.

Now he understood. That wild boar that day had actually been Tsunade. At the time, his ability had happened to be [Sneeze Transformation].

Tsunade's expression suddenly changed. She stared at Uchiha Yoichi with great seriousness and asked, "Do you know of an ability that can turn people into animals?"

"I don't. It's somewhat similar to the Transformation Technique, but if there were a Ninjutsu that could turn someone else into an animal, wouldn't that make its user invincible? It would be better to ask the Third Hokage. He's the Professor of Ninjutsu in Konoha."

Uchiha Yoichi wrote this without changing expression, then handed it to Tsunade. Whether it was acting or pretending to be confused, he had some confidence in his skills.

After reading Uchiha Yoichi's answer, Tsunade became somewhat suspicious, but she had not seen anything unusual in his expression just now.

If she wanted to know whether the Uchiha brat before her was lying, the best method would be to find the Interrogation Squad. But with only her suspicions and the experience of turning into a wild boar, she had no chance of getting Uchiha Yoichi sent to the Interrogation Squad.

"Then do you have any special abilities?"

"The Sharingan, a Kekkei Genkai possessed only by the Uchiha Clan!"

"Tsk!"

Seeing that she could not get any useful information from Uchiha Yoichi, Tsunade suspected that the kid was too slippery. But she had just been summoned by the Third Hokage and lectured, and this was also the Uchiha compound.

She could not attack him, and Tsunade felt that continuing to question him was pointless.

"Forget it. I'm going back!"

[This kid doesn't know anything either. How should I investigate this next? So much time has passed without the slightest clue. Who did it? Or was it really just an illusion?]

[Forget it. I'll leave this to Old Man and have him investigate it for me. I'll go gamble a couple of rounds first.]

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