Kindness Without a Reason

"I'm not too sure either. Maybe? This house was already here when I was born, so I don't know the details."

Tsunade led Eiji into the grounds. Kushina dashed ahead, humming as she pushed open the doors of the Ancestral Home and rushed inside. She wanted to tell Grandma Mito that Eiji was all right.

Tsunade then brought Eiji to the house, but he politely stopped at the entrance instead of going straight in.

It was someone else's home, after all, and it belonged to Mito Uzumaki. Walking in uninvited would be rude.

Seeing that Eiji wasn't going in, Nawaki grinned and came over.

"Hey, you got pretty lucky! Kushina told me what happened. That Root Ninja attacked you, right? Danzo really is awful. I've disliked him for ages! Who's he always scowling at? And sending someone to attack a villager? He's rotten!"

Nawaki clapped Eiji on the shoulder and told him they were all friends now, so there was no need to be so formal. Then he pulled him over to Mito Uzumaki.

"It's an honor to meet you, Lady Mito."

Eiji bowed. Just because Nawaki had told him not to stand on ceremony didn't mean he could forget his manners. Mito was someone even the Daimyo treated with respect.

Though Mito Uzumaki was elderly, her eyes were clear. She studied Eiji, using the Nine-Tails' abilities to sense what lay in his heart.

He was still a child, but he might be living with them often from now on. She had to check beforehand. Yet when she sensed Eiji's almost unguarded affection, she was taken aback.

He couldn't fake feelings like those. As the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, she could easily sense how someone felt about the people around them. Though this was Eiji's first time meeting them, he felt an almost boundless goodwill toward every one of them.

She could understand why he might like Kushina. But why did he feel such goodwill toward her, too?

Surprised, Mito let a flicker of bewilderment show before quickly composing herself. She spoke gently.

"No need to be so nervous, child. Think of this place as your home from now on. As for the Ninja who attacked you, Tsunade and I will make sure the matter is dealt with."

Did she just use the Nine-Tails' power to check whether I'm hostile?

Eiji thought that was perfectly reasonable. He would have done the same in her place. And judging by her surprised expression, he had an idea of what she'd found.

He knew the original story, after all. Everyone in this family was about as good-hearted as a person could be, so he had no reason to guard against them. Even people who loved pushing conspiracy theories about the Hokage could find nothing to hold against Mito Uzumaki or Tsunade.

They were willing to take him in and stand up for him. If he still harbored suspicions, the problem would lie with him.

"Eiji, can't you turn your eyes off?"

It would have been awkward to ask the moment they met. Now that they were a little more familiar, and Eiji had shown such goodwill, Mito felt she could bring it up.

"I don't think I can. They're like the Byakugan in that way. I can't turn them off myself."

Eiji answered honestly. If the eyes the system had given him had constantly flooded him with useless information, he would have found a strip of black cloth to tie over them, just like Satoru Gojo.

Mito lowered her head in thought, then looked at Tsunade. Tsunade nodded and spoke.

"Kid, you may already know this, but your eyes could be a Dojutsu Kekkei Genkai like those of the Uchiha and Hyuga Clan. Having them might be a stroke of luck, but it could also bring trouble you never expected. Since you can't turn them off, anyone who covets their power may make you a target. And we can't rule out Bloodline Disease."

Tsunade was blunt. Eiji's eyes did look like a Kekkei Genkai, but when it came down to it, a Kekkei Genkai was a kind of inherited mutation.

And mutations could easily develop in a harmful direction. The chances of one becoming something like the Sharingan or Byakugan were vanishingly small. For all they knew, those eyes might even shorten his life.

"Lady Tsunade, you're the best Medical Ninja in the village. Could you examine my eyes?"

After Tsunade had put it that way, Eiji had no reason to refuse.

Still, he didn't believe he had Bloodline Disease. The system had given him those eyes. If they turned out to be defective, who could he even complain to?

Tsunade wasted no more words. She had Eiji lie down on a bed and began examining him at once.

Seeing Tsunade's serious expression, Kushina bit her lip. She worried that something might be wrong with her future "good friend."

What if something happens to Eiji because of his eyes? Will these feelings end just as they've begun? No, please!

She remembered the tragic romances she'd read, where the stronger and more beautiful someone was, the more likely they were to die young. Her heart tightened with worry.

But Tsunade was the most surprised of all. She took Eiji's pulse and found that the channels in his body were extraordinarily robust, almost on par with her own. Could a child really have that much Chakra?

Could it be a special power granted by those eyes?

Yet she detected nothing unusual around Eiji's eyes. She had examined members of the Uchiha and Hyuga Clan before; their Chakra gathered in large amounts around their eyes, a distinctive trait of Dojutsu Kekkei Genkai users.

By that measure, Ryuuzaki Eiji's eyes possessed no special power. But then how could she explain their deep-sea blue color?

Unable to make sense of it, Tsunade moved on to a routine examination. Hmm... he seemed to be in excellent condition all around. Thinking of Kushina's future happiness, she also checked Eiji's private parts. Her eyebrows twitched, and even her fingers trembled.

Well, would you look at that. Kushina won't have anything to worry about in the future.

"Ahem..." Tsunade felt no embarrassment over what she had just done. He was only a child; what was there to be embarrassed about? She smiled and said lightly, "Good. You're healthy in every respect! There doesn't seem to be any sign of Bloodline Disease."

"Really? That's wonderful!"

Kushina jumped for joy. She didn't want the good friend she had only just met to turn out to have a terminal illness.

"Your eyes still need further examination. But for a Ninja, personal information is classified. Whether we continue is up to you. I promise I won't tell anyone what I learn about you, not even the Hokage."

Tsunade looked at Eiji seriously, hoping he wouldn't misunderstand her.