"Okay!" Nohara Rin stopped using Medical Ninjutsu. She carefully examined my palm again and, after confirming it was fine, reminded me, "Be careful not to grip anything too tightly. It'll be better tomorrow."
"Thank you, Rin."
Just as I'd admired doctors in my previous life, I'd always had a deep respect for medical ninja. I etched her smile into my memory and kept thinking about what would happen later.
If I remembered correctly, the Battle of Kannabi Bridge was the last battle before the Third Shinobi World War came to a ceasefire. Kakashi was promoted to jonin that day. As for the exact timing... it might have been four or five years from now.
There was still time to prepare!
But with my current abilities, how could I change things and save Rin and Obito?
My gaze shifted to Obito Uchiha, and in a flash, an idea came to me.
Why not... start with them? I'd begin by improving their combat strength!
In the world of ninja, being weak was a mistake. The more strength you had, the better your odds! If Obito could awaken his Sharingan before the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, Team Minato might be able to defeat Sunagakure. Rin wouldn't be kidnapped, and Obito wouldn't be buried!
What a great idea!
"Ah... um!" Obito suddenly seemed to remember something. He thrust his face toward me and asked excitedly, "Those wires you used just now—"
Damn, why'd you have to get so close? I have a personal-space bubble!
I stiffened and leaned back slightly. In a panic, I rummaged through my ninja pouch, pulled out an intact length of steel wire, and showed it to him. Shisui let out a soft laugh.
"You mean this, right? If you channel chakra into it, you can control ninja tools."
Obito thought everything I had was fascinating. He snatched it from me and caught on quickly. Before long, he was having the time of his life playing with the steel wire, flicking it this way and that. Then he accidentally tangled it around his own arms and legs and could only hop around, wailing, "Ow, ow, ow!"
"Obito, we still have to report back and turn in the mission. We're not here to play with you." Kakashi finally spoke up. He pulled out a Kunai and moved to cut the wire, but Shisui and I both stopped him.
"Don't move! Steel wire is sharp, and its tension varies depending on how much chakra you put into it. Be careful not to hurt him."
Kakashi looked down at the hand gripping his arm—small and delicate, paler and more slender than a girl's.
Following the hand upward, he saw a sharp little face. The pale skin was smudged with dirt from the fight, making it seem all the more fragile against the black hair. His eyes were large and round, with clear, dark pupils. His small nose was wrinkled with tension, and his pink lips moved as he spoke in a childish voice with just a hint of babyishness.
Only four years old? He was so young...
Could hands like these really wield those terrifying steel wires?
Kakashi's brows furrowed. A heavy feeling rose in his heart, along with a trace of disgust he hadn't even noticed himself.
—His first impression of Uchiha Akatsuki wasn't a good one.
I took a look, cut one of the wires across Obito's chest, and freed him.
"It looks really cool, but it's way too hard to use..." Discouraged, Obito lowered his head again and muttered with a pout.
"This is the Windmill Manipulation Technique." I checked Obito all over to make sure there were no wires left on him, then casually threw out two Shuriken. With two sharp twangs as the wire pulled taut, they thunked into a tree.
"Look, you can walk." I carefully controlled the chakra beneath my feet, then cautiously stepped onto the suspended wire.
Kakashi watched the child in midair, his expression turning serious.
Such precise chakra control...
"You can fly, too." I threw out another Shuriken, pulled on the wire, and flew up to the treetops, swinging around the grove.
"And you can also—" I was about to show off some more when Shisui cut me off.
"Doesn't your hand hurt? Come down."
Uchiha Shisui, social menace, destroyer of the mood.
Feeling a dull ache in my right hand, I let go and jumped down in front of them. Then I pointed proudly at my eyes—
"It works even better with the Sharingan, but I haven't awakened mine yet."
The full name of this technique should be the Sharingan Windmill Manipulation Technique. It was a ninja-tool manipulation method developed by the Uchiha Clan with the help of the Sharingan. It was also a fighting style that could make use of the Sharingan's ability to see through things to locate enemies, launch sneak attacks, and catch opponents off guard. The goal was to ensnare the enemy and kill them.
Pretty cool, huh!
"If you're interested, we can practice together sometime."
Actually, I'd been interested in steel wire techniques even in my previous life. Later, I'd trained with Fugaku for a long time. At first, I'd fallen flat on my face over and over, and it was extremely dangerous. If you lost your footing, the pain could make you wish you'd never been born. Fortunately, after I started using protective gear, I got the hang of it. The more I practiced, the more fun and useful I found it.
Of course, when I first learned this technique, I hadn't thought that far ahead. I'd just enjoyed the freedom of swinging back and forth through the mountain ravines, along with the sense of security that came from the wire's precise positioning.
With enough length and chakra, the steel wire let me fly freely through the mountains.
"R-really?" Obito lit up again. The pitch of his voice rose and fell, making every emotion easy to hear. "I really can?"
"I'm usually at the training grounds in the afternoon." Since my hapless Shadow Clone would be going to class for me, I didn't even give him time to hesitate before adding, "You're welcome to come by anytime."
Sure enough, as soon as I said that, both Shisui and Kakashi looked over at me, wearing expressions that suggested they understood exactly what I meant.
I knew what they were thinking.
They were both geniuses of wartime, so naturally, neither of them had much interest in attending class properly. They understood my words all too well.
I shot Shisui a sideways glare, but before I could say anything, he ruthlessly ruffled my hair. My soft hair puffed up into a bird's nest.
My teeth ground together in fury, but my hair was in my eyes, so I couldn't strike back.
Uchiha Shisui, you little rat!
"I'll definitely come!" Obito was completely oblivious, beaming like a little sun.
His answer was a relief. No matter what, as long as I got on good terms with Obito, things would be easier from then on.
"It should be almost time for school to let out," Shisui said, looking down at me. After we'd said goodbye to Team Minato, only he and I remained by the lake. "Aren't you going back to pack your things?"
"My Shadow Clone will take care of it." After they left, the exhaustion from the fight came crashing down on me. My whole body ached, especially the places Shisui had hit on my back and lower back. They throbbed with pain.
He'd told me not to do anything reckless, and yet he'd beaten me half to death himself. Damn Uchiha Shisui!
I looked at his innocent face, and a plan came to me.
"Hey, Uchiha Shisui." I spread my arms and put on an innocent expression. "I'm tired. Carry me."
He froze. The sunset shone on his face as he stood there motionless, clearly hesitating.
"Carry me! You beat me up this badly, so you should carry me!" Using a child's body to force my way into a cuddle was shameless, but the giddy feeling of having my scheme work couldn't be denied.
You had to take advantage of whatever you could. Who cared if it was embarrassing?
Sure enough, Uchiha Shisui's expression softened. His face grew gentle, his eyes smiling, and at last he agreed.
"Come on, climb aboard, young master Akatsuki." Shisui turned around and knelt in front of me, offering his not particularly broad back.
He'd just exposed all kinds of weaknesses. I grinned, darted onto his back, wrapped my legs around his waist, gripped a Kunai in my left hand, and locked my right arm around his neck!
"Give up, Uchiha Shisui!" I laughed out loud, venting all my pent-up frustration. "All's fair in war!"
"Fine. I give up."
He only said those three words, and my punch—which I'd thrown with all my strength—felt as if it had hit a cloud. I was left frustrated and helpless, so angry I wanted to bite him twice.
He turned his face to the side. His eyes were clear, reflecting the rosy glow of the sunset.
"Sit still. Stop fooling around."
The hand I'd been about to use to mess up his hair stopped in midair. To my surprise, I quietly did as he said.
My chest was pressed against Shisui's back. Through the thin fabric of his clothes, I could easily feel the body beneath and the warmth he was giving off.
He was the second person I'd ever been this close to. The first had been my mother.
I had a strong sense of personal space, but I didn't feel the least bit uncomfortable around Uchiha Shisui.
It was strange.
On the way, Shisui and I walked alongside the setting sun.
"Akatsuki, you still haven't answered one question."
"What?"
"What's your dream?"
"My dream?" Only then did I remember that Kusama Shigeo had interrupted me before I'd had a chance to think about my dream!
"You have to say what your dream is on your first day of school. That way, it might come true someday."
My dream... My mother's face flashed through my mind. I glanced at Shisui's profile, then fixed my gaze on the setting sun in the distance and said, "I hope... the days ahead can all be like today!"
He smiled.
"That's a wonderful dream."
"Of course!" I said smugly, then told him to hurry up.
After parting ways with Shisui at the entrance to the Clan Head Mansion, I went inside and finally let myself relax.
With a blank expression, I slouched forward for a couple of steps, then flopped onto the tatami with all the energy of a rag doll. I hit it with a thud and lay still.
The fatigue from two battles and the feeling of my chakra running dry surged over me, dragging me into a deep, dark dream.
I stayed asleep until the birds were chirping at dusk. Half awake, I heard the door open outside and jolted upright. Then I dashed to the entrance to welcome whoever had come home.
Sigh, when you lived under someone else's roof, you had to show the right attitude, didn't you?
Uchiha Mikoto was changing her shoes at the entrance. When she saw me, she casually handed me the vegetables she was carrying and smiled. "Go wash your hands first. After dinner, come with me to Konoha Hospital."
"Okay."
Halfway through changing her shoes, she suddenly noticed something. She leaned close and touched my face, looking surprised. "Are you hurt?"
I tensed up at once. I'd treated the minor injuries after the fight, but there were bound to be a few marks left. I hadn't expected Mikoto to notice.
"N-no, Mother, I'm fine. I just got scratched by a branch. It's nothing serious."
She kept smiling at me and didn't press the matter.
That evening, Mikoto had her prenatal checkup at Konoha Hospital.
I obediently carried her things and followed her everywhere she went. Several medical ninja thought I was so well-behaved that they reached out to pinch my cheek and tease me.
What could I say? Good-looking people really did get treated differently.
"Your eldest son is already so adorable. Are you hoping for a little girl this time?" The doctor, wearing a white mask, looked at the electronic screen in front of them and still found time to chat with Mikoto.
"Either a boy or a girl would be wonderful." Mikoto was always so gentle. She drew me closer and asked, "Akatsuki, would you like a little brother or a little sister?"
Honestly, I wanted a little sister. Little sisters were cute, pretty, sweet, and sensible. They'd call you big brother in a sweet voice! They made you want to protect them! They melted your heart!
But your firstborn is already destined to be that man.
I looked at her and answered with complete sincerity, "I'll love either one."
She smiled and naturally pressed a kiss to my forehead, her eyes full of joy at the thought of welcoming a new life.
"Akatsuki, you're the big brother. You have to protect the baby, okay?" Her voice was gentle, but her words landed heavily on my heart.
That nearly made my hair stand on end!
I couldn't just accept that death flag!
Never mind how horribly Itachi died protecting Sasuke. Look at the entire Shinobi World—how many people who swore to protect someone lived to see the ending, aside from the protagonists? And even if they did, they'd be injured or disabled, left alone and miserable!
I looked away, pretending I hadn't heard.
I wasn't taking that bait!
"Akatsuki?" Mikoto's hand was still resting on my cheek, bringing a patch of warmth.
Looks like I couldn't ignore her.
"I'll protect the baby." Under the circumstances, forced to go along and say what she wanted to hear, I answered with a pained expression.
Mikoto was still smiling, but there was something more in it now. Her smile was so warm it dazzled me.
On the electronic screen, a baby's form was taking shape, moving little by little as time passed.
I stared at him without blinking.
Uchiha... Itachi?
I didn't know if promises had weight, but the instant I said those words, I felt something grow heavy in my chest.
Hopefully the gods hadn't heard that.
—Even if you did, forget it! (Angry!)
Before you continue