Space Mark

When Qiu Shan Uchiha saw Uchiha Mikoto about to set the tray on the table, his eyes suddenly lit up, as though something had occurred to him.

He quickly stopped her. "Mikoto, don't put it down yet. Let me take you somewhere nice."

When Qiu Shan Uchiha saw Mikoto turn to look at him in confusion, he offered no explanation. He simply activated his Mangekyō Sharingan, placed a space mark in midair, then walked over to Mikoto, took one of her hands, and activated Takamagahara.

Everything went smoothly, as familiar as could be. When Qiu Shan Uchiha brought Mikoto to the island in Takamagahara, she was utterly stunned.

"Qiushan, what's going on?" Mikoto looked at Qiu Shan Uchiha, her eyes shining with disbelief.

In that single instant, their surroundings and the scenery had changed completely. Uchiha Mikoto did not think any of this was a genjutsu, because it all felt far too real.

Uchiha Mikoto was, after all, a Jōnin with a Three-Tomoe Sharingan. Although it had been a long time since she had gone on a mission or stepped onto a battlefield, she still had the eye for detail expected of her. The breeze brushing past her, the soil beneath her feet, and the fresh scent in the air all seemed so real.

Uchiha Mikoto had seen plenty of the world, and she had once been friends with the Fourth Hokage and Kushina Uzumaki. Before Qiu Shan Uchiha could answer her question, she ventured another guess. "Space-Time Ninjutsu like the Fourth Hokage's?"

Seeing that Mikoto had turned into a bundle of curiosity, Qiu Shan Uchiha decided to tease her, charmed by her endearingly innocent expression. "Try guessing again."

Hearing Qiu Shan Uchiha's reply, Mikoto knew her guess was wrong. She looked around at their surroundings and the sky, then rejected it herself. "No, that can't be right. It's already night outside, but the sky here is still bright. It clearly hasn't gotten dark yet."

Qiushan could not help nodding inwardly at how quickly Mikoto had reacted. She's sharp. She spotted the problem already. Indeed, although the space within Takamagahara had its own cycle of day and night, nightfall came roughly six hours later than it did outside. So, even though it was already late at night in the outside world, dusk was only just beginning in Takamagahara. Moreover, even when night fell within Takamagahara, the sky retained a faint glow rather than becoming completely dark.

Seeing Uchiha Mikoto still looking around, unable to guess the answer and seeming rather bewildered, Qiu Shan Uchiha stepped forward. With one hand, he took the tray she was still holding and set it on a nearby rock, while his other arm slipped naturally around her slender waist.

Feeling Qiushan's movements, Uchiha Mikoto blushed a little. But she did not resist. Instead, she followed his lead and leaned into his embrace.

Qiu Shan Uchiha did nothing else. He merely held Uchiha Mikoto as they quietly admired the island's scenery. They stood at the center of the island, on higher ground from which they could see most of it.

As Qiu Shan Uchiha held Mikoto and admired the view, he explained, "Mikoto, you know I awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, right?"

Uchiha Mikoto let Qiu Shan Uchiha hold her. After all, Qiushan was now the most important person in her life, someone she would give her life for. Being held by him made her happy, too.

At Qiu Shan Uchiha's words, Uchiha Mikoto gave him a playful roll of her eyes. "If you hadn't awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, how could you be holding me right now?"

Feeling a little embarrassed by Uchiha Mikoto's reply, Qiu Shan Uchiha chuckled. "I awakened a Dōjutsu called Takamagahara. It's a spatial Dōjutsu, connected to this space, which is also called Takamagahara. Whenever I activate it, I can come here and bring anyone I want with me. I can also place space marks, and I can travel anywhere I've marked. That means I can take you to see all sorts of places outside, Mikoto."

At Qiu Shan Uchiha's words, tenderness nearly overflowed from Uchiha Mikoto's eyes. She marveled, "You're incredible. This Dōjutsu is even more powerful than the Fourth Hokage's Flying Thunder God."

Qiu Shan Uchiha replied modestly, "It still falls a little short of the Fourth's Flying Thunder God. My Dōjutsu is good for staying alive and traveling, but it's not very practical in combat."

After finishing his explanation to Uchiha Mikoto, Qiu Shan Uchiha suddenly activated his Mangekyō Sharingan and looked into her eyes.

"Mikoto, I have a gift for you. Don't resist. I hope you'll like it."

Looking at Qiu Shan Uchiha's exquisitely patterned Mangekyō Sharingan, Uchiha Mikoto felt no fear and nodded gently.

Placing a space mark on a person was much more complicated than placing one elsewhere. Not only did the mark have to be properly formed, but it also had to be linked to the marked person's chakra so they could activate it when needed.

Qiu Shan Uchiha looked Uchiha Mikoto over before finally settling his gaze on her smooth forehead. He decided to place the space mark there.

This was Qiu Shan Uchiha's first time marking a person, and that person was someone he liked, so he could not help being especially careful.

Qiu Shan Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan slowly rotated as time ticked by. Watching the concentration on Qiushan's face, Uchiha Mikoto grew a little entranced.

Members of the Uchiha Clan were generally good-looking, and even among the clan's handsome men and beautiful women, Qiu Shan Uchiha's looks stood out. On top of that, his intricate Mangekyo had an uncanny beauty that could capture the soul. Those two things together were already unfair enough, and with his look of concentration added to the mix, Uchiha Mikoto could not help losing herself in him.

Just then, Qiu Shan Uchiha finally finished placing the space mark between Uchiha Mikoto's eyebrows. It appeared as a small, sky-blue dot, making her look even prettier. When it was not being activated with chakra, it would gradually fade from view, making it even less likely to draw attention.

After placing the space mark, Qiu Shan Uchiha let out a long breath. It's finally done. Seeing Uchiha Mikoto still gazing at him, he explained:

"Mikoto, I just placed a space mark for this space between your eyebrows. If you ever find yourself in danger, you can activate it with chakra, and you'll come here." He then explained a few precautions as well.

Seeing Qiu Shan Uchiha's serious expression and how much he cared about her, Uchiha Mikoto could not help feeling deeply moved. She knew this space was Qiushan's refuge for staying alive. Every bit of exposure to the outside world meant another risk for him.

Once Qiushan finished speaking, Uchiha Mikoto finally could not hold back any longer and leaned in to kiss him.