Under the dark night sky, with moonlight flowing like water, Uchiha Rei left Konoha alone and made his way to a secluded estate outside the village.
It was a residence of the Kurama Clan. Though it stood outside the heart of Konoha, every inch of its grounds spoke of the depth of a great clan's heritage.
Uchiha Rei stood at the estate's entrance, his gaze darkening slightly as he mused to himself: even a declining prestigious clan was still far better off than most Chunin and Genin in Konoha.
"A ninja's standing has never depended on strength alone."
"It depends even more on bloodline and influence."
At that moment, in the main house of the Kurama Estate, two young women paced back and forth nervously. They were the last surviving members of the Kurama Clan's Direct Lineage: Kurama Yakumo and her close guard, her older cousin, Kurama Yui.
Candlelight flickered inside the room, and a faint incense scent lingered in the air. The two of them paid it no mind, worry written across their faces.
"Master... told us to find Uchiha Itachi within two days... but we've already sent out everyone in the Kurama Group, and we still haven't found a thing," Kurama Yui said quietly, her voice tinged with unease.
"Master's punishment..." Kurama Yakumo bit her lip, remembering what he had said before he left.
"Whether you're rewarded or punished depends entirely on how well you do."
"I'll accept any punishment..." Yui murmured, her cheeks flushing, her voice barely audible. "As long as Master is willing to keep helping Lady Yakumo... even if it means..."
Her voice trailed off, and her cheeks grew even redder.
Yakumo said nothing, only lowering her head as her fingertips toyed with the hem of her clothes. She remembered that night, when Master's breath had brushed close to her neck. Had he not intervened, she might have died from the Illusionary Realm Backlash.
"He is the Kurama Clan's benefactor... no, he's our new Master now," Yakumo thought.
Just then, the door creaked open, and a familiar figure slipped quietly inside.
Uchiha Rei wore a mask. The moment he entered, he saw the two young women kneeling on the floor, their faces flushed and their eyes darting nervously.
Great clans really are open-minded, he thought with a smile, but kept the words to himself.
Both women lowered their heads at once. Their expressions held shame, along with a subtle hint of expectation. They knew they had failed to complete Master's task.
Punishment was inevitable.
Uchiha Rei frowned slightly, thinking, This really is an inconvenient time to arrive.
But he had come because he needed the Kurama Clan's help with something, and he had no intention of wasting the opportunity.
Kurama Yakumo was the first to bow down, her forehead touching the floor. Her voice was clear, though it trembled slightly. "The Kurama Clan failed to carry out your order, sir. We are willing to accept punishment."
At her words, Rei merely smiled faintly to himself.
Rei had never expected them to actually find Uchiha Itachi. In fact, he had already planted a Genjutsu Mark on Itachi earlier that day. As long as Itachi remained in Konoha, Rei could sense his whereabouts whenever he wanted.
"I never cared about the result," he said calmly. "I only care about your attitude."
The two young women's expressions shifted. No punishment? Was that forgiveness, or... had they fallen out of favor?
A trace of bitterness welled up inside Yakumo, while Yui showed a disappointment she couldn't quite explain. But whatever else they felt, they both understood one thing.
The man before them was the Kurama Clan's last hope—and their Master, a man they could never turn away from.
"Get up," Uchiha Rei said, waving a hand casually.
They immediately sat up on their knees, not daring to raise their heads.
"Yakumo, come here."
When Yui heard him call only for Yakumo, a complicated look flashed across her eyes. Why not me? Why only her?
Yakumo, however, didn't dare hesitate. She slowly stepped forward.
"Your hand."
Uchiha Rei's voice was calm, but carried an irresistible authority.
Yakumo held out her hand with a slight tremble. Her arm was slender and pale, her fingertips cool and quivering faintly. Uchiha Rei gently placed his hand on her wrist, and in an instant, Green Chakra flowed from his fingertips into her meridians.
A strange warmth flowed from her palm. Yakumo's body shivered slightly, and her cheeks turned fiery red. The chakra was delicate and gentle, yet seemed almost conscious as it slowly coursed through her body, as if reading her meridians, emotions, and even her heartbeat.
Yakumo closed her eyes, her face growing redder by the moment, but she didn't pull away. She let the chakra flow through her like a stream.
Ripples of Green Chakra quietly traveled along her slender body, as though weaving a thin veil of spiritual light over her skin.
She closed her eyes slightly, seeming to feel the gentle power repairing something within her and awakening something long dormant.
"What an unusual constitution..." Uchiha Rei murmured. He used the Byakugan once more, his gaze piercing past her skin and flesh to see her meridians.
The network of meridians inside her was unusually sparse. Unlike an ordinary person's three hundred and sixty primary and secondary meridians, much of Yakumo's system seemed to be missing—like an incomplete network forced to function at the most basic level.
He had once thought it was simply a result of congenital frailty, but after observing her several times, he began to suspect it was a hereditary defect.
Perhaps even a rare kind of "Blood Disease."
That was why she struggled so much to control chakra. If she forced herself to train as a ninja, it would only cause a backlash and might even lead to her body breaking down.
"Your body isn't suited to the ordinary path of a ninja," Uchiha Rei said gravely.
As he spoke, the Byakugan's vision revealed the graceful contours of Kurama Yakumo's body, like a clearly outlined painting. He didn't linger on the sight, despite its powerful allure. His gaze remained calm.
Uchiha Rei wasn't someone who fell easily for another, no matter how beautiful she was.
What mattered to him was the cause of the Kurama Clan's illness, and its possible connection to the Kekkei Genkai of Genjutsu that might lie hidden behind it.
In Konoha, the person most knowledgeable about bloodline diseases was naturally Orochimaru.
But Orochimaru had already defected.
Whenever Uchiha Rei thought of that man, however, he could barely contain his anger.
Orochimaru still owed him a debt, and he had yet to collect. And then, just like that, Orochimaru had vanished without a word.
He withdrew his gaze and looked at the young woman before him, whose features were delicate and clear, yet always carried a touch of sickly beauty. He spoke seriously:
"From what I can tell, there are three ways we could try to address your physical condition."
"First, replace your body. Transfer your soul into a healthy one. But the cost would be too high, and it would involve forbidden techniques."
"Second, strengthen your body. Use surgery or a secret technique to modify it, so your current body can just barely withstand the flow of chakra."
"Third, infuse you with a large amount of high-purity chakra and let your body naturally evolve through chakra's restorative properties."
Kurama Yakumo fell silent for a long while.
She lowered her head, her expression complicated. "Sir, aside from the first method... I'm willing to try the second and third."
Her voice was soft, even trembling slightly, but her determination made Uchiha Rei nod.
"I understand."
He reached out and lifted her into his arms. Kurama Yakumo cried out in surprise, her body stiffening, but she didn't resist.
"Next, I'll come up with a treatment plan just for you. First, I need to run a few thorough examinations."
He carried her into a secret room at the far end of the house. Before closing the door, he said only one thing:
"Don't be nervous. Just relax and cooperate with me."
The room fell quiet. Outside, Kurama Yui could hear only faint splashing and the hum of chakra flowing. Time seemed to stand still. At last, after a long while, the door opened again.
Kurama Yakumo emerged slowly, her face flushed and the corners of her eyes slightly red. Without a word, she lowered her head and sat down to one side. Her clothes were still neat, but her unmistakable shyness betrayed the emotions churning inside her.
Yui paused, wanting to go over and ask if she was all right, but Yakumo gently shook her head, her cheeks growing even redder.
Uchiha Rei didn't have much chakra at the moment, so he hadn't infused any into her.
He had only completed a basic examination.
"Ten days from now, I'll bring you a treatment plan. Be ready then," he said.
Kurama Yakumo nodded firmly.
She understood. He had made it sound simple, but to her, what he was doing was a kindness that could change her entire life.
"Then, sir..." Kurama Yakumo hesitated for a moment, then suddenly worked up the courage to ask, "You've done so much for our Kurama Clan. What can we do to repay you?"
Uchiha Rei paused slightly.
He looked at them, his gaze deep. "The situation in Konoha is growing more and more chaotic. If you hear of any strangers appearing in the village, notify me immediately."
"But... how are we supposed to contact you?"
Uchiha Rei thought for a moment, then formed Hand Seals.
A wisp of flame appeared out of thin air. It spun around his fingers, slowly condensing into two dark-red rings. He handed one to each of them.
"Just activate the ring, and I'll be able to sense your coordinates."
As soon as he finished speaking, his figure gradually faded into the air and disappeared without a sound.
Long afterward, Yakumo looked down at the ring in her hand, the flush still lingering on her face.
"He... really has been so good to us..." she murmured, her voice carrying a hint of shyness and sweetness.
Yui also stared at the ring in her hand, looking dazed. Her lips parted, but in the end, she only murmured:
"With a man like him, all we can do is... give ourselves to him, right?"
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