"What's the matter?"
"...Nothing."
The words caught in Samui's throat.
But the image of her younger brother, Atsui—his smile, his hopeful eyes—flickered in her mind like a ghost she couldn't shake.
Instead of continuing, she offered only a quiet nod and turned to leave the hidden chamber, her heels tapping softly against the wooden floor.
She knew all too well: no matter what excuse she made, her earlier words to Samudo wouldn't be forgiven so easily—not if Yeyue Qingsi chose to use them against her.
If he reported it.
If he twisted it.
If he simply remembered it.
Samudo and the superiors wouldn't be concerned about the literal meaning of her remark.
They would see it for what it was: a weakness Qingsi exploited to open negotiations.
He didn't really care about her offhand comment. He was simply leveraging it—for more benefits, more concessions.
And Kumogakure, eager to reclaim the Uchiha bloodline, would oblige step by step.
Even if Seiji did return to the village, the records would show that she had been the weak link. The disloyal voice. The risk to unity.
Worse, it would stain her family—Atsui, her younger brother, just starting his career as a shinobi.
He had a bright future.
And she… she might have endangered it with a single careless sentence.
Samui clenched her fists.
"Why me?" she whispered."Why does it have to be me who handles Yeyue Qingsi?"
She turned her gaze toward the darkening streets beyond the sushi shop.
It felt like Qingsi had deliberately chosen her—not just as a Kumogakure contact, but as a personal pressure point.
Uchiha Compound — Qingsi's Home
Moonlight spilled across the courtyard, cool and silent.
Qingsi slid open the paper door of his room, two scrolls tucked under his arm.
He sat down on the tatami mat and unfurled them under the lantern's glow.
Thanks to his [Reading Absorption (White)] and [Basic Memory (White)] entries, he quickly internalized the jutsu techniques inscribed inside.
"Thunder Release: Lightning Finger," the D-rank offensive technique Samudo had first handed him.
He hadn't practiced it yet. Until now, he'd been laying the foundation.
His first six days were dedicated to the basics—learning chakra control, starting from the E-rank techniques. With tree climbing and water walking, and help from [Muscle Memory (White)], he had grasped the minimum chakra output needed for beginner jutsu.
Tonight, he was ready to move on.
He sat cross-legged, focusing on his breath, slowly refining the chakra within.
The soft current of chakra flowed from his cells, winding through his meridians like silk spun through glass.
All ninjutsu, regardless of type or rank, required chakra.
Even Taijutsu, like the "Eight Gates" technique, demanded chakra for activation.
According to the first official databook The Book of Rin, chakra was the union of physical and mental energy derived from the body's 130 trillion cells.
That's why overuse of chakra could lead to death—from exhaustion alone.
In truth, people didn't die from running out of chakra.They died from pushing their bodies past the limit of their life force.
Everyone had chakra. Not just humans—plants, animals, even the earth itself.
In Boruto, this truth was made clearer: chakra was planetary. The jutsu Uzumaki Hurricane Rasengan rotated with the planet's spin, making it unending.
But for Qingsi… that kind of mastery was far away.
For now, he focused on his index and middle fingers, converting neutral chakra into lightning-nature chakra.
Among his affinities were Lightning, Fire, Yin, and Yang—a rare combination.
Sparks danced faintly beneath his skin, crawling through muscle fibers like living electricity.
The sensation was sharp, tingling—his fingers went numb.
Still, he endured.
Then—ding.
[You have acquired the Trait: Trainee Thunder Ninja (White)]Requirement: Successfully use a Thunder Release jutsu once.Progress: CompleteEffect: Increases Lightning-nature talent by 10%.Note: Can be advanced.Advancement Path I: Combine with "Muscle Memory (White)" and "Strong Body (White)" to advance to [Thunder Ninja (Green)].
Qingsi absorbed the knowledge calmly.
So this was how the advancement system worked—meet certain hidden conditions, and the path forward would be revealed.
A "trainee" was just the beginning.
Even among ninja students, such a label marked someone preparing to truly walk the shinobi path.
"Strong Body… that must mean I need to strengthen myself physically."
Qingsi looked down at his form.
Already, his muscles were leaner, tighter, and he could feel subtle gains in agility.
"If a white-rank entry gives me a 10% boost, then a green-rank upgrade should offer much more…"
Satisfied, he opened the second scroll.
This one was Thunder Release: Iron Block—a body-tempering technique.
Before diving into offensive jutsu, he would master this first.
The deeper his understanding of a jutsu, the more potent it became.
Just like Sasuke's early Fireball Jutsu—the more he practiced, the larger and more destructive it became.
"Alright then," Qingsi whispered."Let's begin."
Hokage Office – Konoha
The air was thick with smoke from Sarutobi Hiruzen's pipe.
Across from him stood Shimura Danzo, arms crossed, voice sharp.
"Hiruzen, Uchiha Qingsi must be monitored round the clock."
Over a month ago, Uchiha shinobi discovered Qingsi's existence and brought him into the village.
Since then, he'd been under quiet surveillance.
"Danzo," Hiruzen exhaled slowly, "didn't you already assign your best Root agents to him?"
Danzo's scowl deepened.
Even the best information from Root and operatives like Nonō Yakushi confirmed Qingsi showed no signs of espionage.
But that didn't mean he could be trusted.
"Just because he's not a spy doesn't mean he's loyal," Danzo snapped."A child born of Uchiha and Kumogakure blood—what kind of monster will he become? Twisted. Volatile."
Danzo leaned forward, voice low.
"He must be brought into Root. Only there can he be controlled—with the Curse Seal of the Tongue."
But Hiruzen shook his head.
"No. The Uchiha clan's relationship with the village is already strained. Forcing their new member into Root will only worsen things."
Danzo's voice rose, sharp with anger.
"Hiruzen!"
"Enough, Danzo," Hiruzen said coldly, setting his pipe down."I am the Hokage."
Silence fell between them like a drawn blade.
Outside the window, the leaves of Konoha stirred.
The air smelled of rain.
And storm.