Uchiha Mikoto's Shyness

It seemed to be getting worse lately. She had planned to visit Konoha Hospital in a few days, but now that she heard Shimizu had studied under Nonou Yakushi, she decided to let him take a look first.

"It's a constant feeling of coldness throughout your body, right?"

"Yes."

Mikoto seemed to think of something, looking a bit embarrassed.

Because of this, she had been avoiding intimacy with Fugaku.

Once her body was properly adjusted, she would need to conceive a child as soon as possible.

"I understand."

Shimizu nodded.

It was just a temporary case of uterine cold caused by chakra.

During chakra refinement, a meridian in her abdomen had become blocked, causing a portion of her chakra to be consumed there year-round.

Over time, this constant drain of chakra had begun to affect her physical health.

Shimizu finally understood why Itachi hadn't been born yet.

This condition hindered intimacy, as the woman would suffer from an aversion to cold and a chilled constitution.

Coupled with the fact that Fugaku Uchiha wasn't the type to be overly sentimental—being young and ambitious—Shimizu guessed that Fugaku had likely never even brought the subject up.

"Sister Mikoto, find a place to lie down."

"Alright."

Watching Shimizu act like a little adult, Mikoto nodded instinctively and lay down on the living room sofa.

"Expose your abdomen."

Shimizu said.

"Is that really necessary?"

Mikoto Uchiha looked somewhat hesitant, a faint blush appearing beneath her fair, smooth skin.

She was a traditional wife, and exposing her stomach in front of a male made her feel more than a little shy.

"I can do it through your clothes, but it will consume a bit more chakra."

Shimizu shook his head as a pale green glow appeared in his hands, chakra condensing in his palms.

"Mm..."

A wave of warmth spread across her lower abdomen, causing Mikoto to let out an involuntary, soft moan.

Shimizu continued to channel his chakra, directing it toward the defect in her meridian system.

The methods for applying chakra at Konoha Hospital were highly advanced, quite different from his previous life where various medicines were required to treat illnesses.

Here, chakra could achieve the same results, making even the treatment of cancer much easier.

"If you sense my chakra, don't resist. Just relax your entire body."

Mikoto nodded, forcing her tense body to relax.

Shimizu's internal chakra was depleting rapidly; in less than a minute, nearly thirty percent was gone.

Under normal circumstances, this jutsu wouldn't consume nearly this much.

The reason for the high cost was that Shimizu was allowing his chakra to slowly permeate Mikoto's meridian system to ensure she felt comfortable.

Shimizu's current chakra reserves far exceeded those of his peers, nearing the levels of Kakashi Hatake.

If one were to use the Kakashi Hatake from the first part of the story as a unit of measurement for chakra, Shimizu currently possessed about 0.9 "Kakashis."

This was the result of just two years of rapid growth; he had reached the chakra levels Kakashi had at the start of his career, achieving in two years what took Kakashi over a decade to develop.

Although Kakashi was often teased for having low reserves, even while suppressing his Sharingan, he still possessed at least the chakra levels of an average jonin.

However, the amount of chakra did not determine a person's strength; the final outcome depended on the individual's combat prowess.

Kaguya Otsutsuki possessed the greatest amount of chakra, yet she suffered the most beatings—a classic example of a chakra nouveau riche who didn't know how to manage her power effectively.

"Whew... all done."

After two minutes had passed, Shimizu pulled his hand back.

"Eh, that's it?"

Mikoto Uchiha opened her eyes. The warmth she had just felt was as comforting as a nap under the sun.

When Shimizu suddenly withdrew his hand, the loss of warmth left her feeling a slight sense of reluctance.

"It will likely take some time to recover. I'll come by once every two weeks."

Shimizu smiled gently.

The condition was simple; in reality, it could be cured in just two sessions.

But if he cured it completely, he would have no reason to come and see Mikoto Uchiha anymore.

Now was the perfect time to use the excuse of medical treatment to establish a connection.

Taking advantage of the current lull, Qingshui scrutinized the beautiful woman before him more clearly, a strange glint flickering in his eyes.

She appeared to be in her twenties, possessing refined features, a delicate nose, and a small mouth. The corners of her eyes and lips carried an extra touch of charm unique to a woman in her prime, making her even more graceful than in her youth.

As Mikoto rose from the sofa, her voluptuous body swayed slightly, highlighting the fullness of a mature woman. That ample bosom was filled with astonishing softness, yet retained a youthful vitality.

It was like the interweaving of spring and autumn—possessing both the allure of a mature woman and the body of a youth.

Perhaps because she was once a jonin, Mikoto's skin was fair and smooth, like lotus root starch, clearly well-maintained.

Qingshui took one look and then withdrew his gaze.

It had to be said, Mikoto was a fine woman.

It was a pity she had followed the wrong man and met a tragic end.

Mikoto's personality was that of a quintessential Yamato Nadeshiko, always following her husband's lead.

The original story stated that Mikoto only supported Fugaku as a wife.

Yet, Fugaku had dragged Mikoto along to be wiped out with him.

If Fugaku had insisted on killing Itachi, it was not certain that Mikoto wouldn't have resisted.

To perish at such a ripe, peach-like age.

Fugaku might have been willing to let her go, but he, Qingshui, was not.

Furthermore, since Uchiha Fugaku did not value the lives of his fellow clansmen, there was no need for him to watch Mikoto jump into a pit of fire.

When the critical moment arrived, Mikoto might become the best tool to deal with Fugaku.

Since Fugaku doesn't cherish her, I will cherish her well.

Qingshui thought to himself.

If he were to block the fountainhead of Uchiha Itachi's birth, would he even be able to be born at all?

Qingshui was very curious about the answer to that question.

Afternoon.

Hokage Building.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the application in his hand, silent.

After a long while, he set the document down.

It was an application for early graduation for Uchiha Shimizu, submitted by Qingshui's chunin instructor ten minutes ago.

"Asuma, I'll leave this matter to you."

"I got it. Stop dumping these troublesome errands on me all the time."

Asuma Sarutobi looked impatient as he walked out the door.

"Am I such a failure as a father?"

Smoke billowed from Hiruzen Sarutobi's mouth, drifting out the window.

He wanted his son to become an excellent ninja, and he was currently paving the way for him.

It was just that Asuma Sarutobi's rebelliousness gave Hiruzen Sarutobi a massive headache.

Asuma Sarutobi, already far away, could not hear Hiruzen Sarutobi's mutterings, only grumbling about the old man in his heart.

The old man, who had never asked him to go to the Hokage Office before, had suddenly summoned him there.

He had thought the old man was going to present him with some certificate of honor, but it turned out to be an assigned mission.

Asking him to go find Uchiha Shimizu tonight to probe him and see if he possessed the Will of Fire—how was he supposed to know if Uchiha Shimizu had the Will of Fire?

They weren't even familiar with each other, yet he was given this mission; it was just creating trouble for him.

"I was planning to invite Kurenai to dinner later, and now I have no time at all."

Emerging from the Hokage Building, Asuma Sarutobi crunched down on his lollipop and tossed the stick onto the ground.

He was worried; Kurenai had been growing more distant lately. If he didn't find a way to make her happy, they might drift further apart.

But he couldn't refuse the mission the old man had assigned him. No matter how strained their father-son relationship was, the old man was the Hokage, and he had no reason to disobey orders.

"Got it!"

Asuma Sarutobi, who had been hanging his head, suddenly looked up. He had thought of a way to kill two birds with one stone.

His figure darted rapidly through the bustling streets of Konoha, heading on his way to find Kurenai Yuhi.