"Forcing people to do things they don't want to do isn't right," Uchiha Gen said evenly, his gaze calm but firm.
"Please rest assured, Lord," Fuguki replied with a smile. "There's no coercion involved. This is a task, one she accepted willingly. A shinobi's duty is to fulfill her mission."
Gen arched an eyebrow while Fuguki added, "Plus, as far as I know, she doesn't have a boyfriend. This would be her first time doing something like this."
Fuguki's grin widened. "Lord, with your position, strength, and reputation, it's her honor to serve. If anything, it's you who's getting the short end of the deal. Allow me to do my duty as a good host."
Gen chuckled, shaking his head. "That silver tongue of yours…"
He stood. "Fine. Let's see how things turn out before making judgments."
"Yes, Lord! I'll make sure she's dressed beautifully, she won't disappoint you."
"No need," Gen said. "Let her wear her standard Anbu uniform."
Fuguki blinked, then laughed. "Ah, Lord Gen, I see — you really do know how to appreciate the details. The uniform does add a certain charm."
Gen's lips twitched. "You're incorrigible."
Fuguki's tone grew more formal. "In that case, please, Lord, rest for now. The Toji-Gokuraku Hot Springs are the best in the Land of Water. Here—" He produced a sleek black card and offered it with both hands. "Your stay will be covered. All expenses go on my account."
Gen accepted it without ceremony. "You've been doing well for yourself, Fuguki."
With a faint smile, he added before vanishing into thin air, "Promising. I'm optimistic about you."
Fuguki exhaled, grin returning. Lord's praise… that's rare. With renewed vigor, he hurried off to complete his tasks.
After leaving the Anbu base, Gen altered his appearance with a subtle transformation and made his way to the Toji-Gokuraku Hot Springs. Once he showed Fuguki's card, the attendants immediately led him to a secluded private suite surrounded by warm mist and fragrant cedar.
Inside, Gen slipped off his yukata and stepped into the steaming spring. The heat loosened his muscles, melting away the tension from travel.
Before long, four attendants entered, young women in light silk veils. One poured him wine, another offered fruit, while the remaining two knelt at the edge of the pool to massage his shoulders and back.
They were quiet and graceful, moving with practiced elegance.
The establishment's rule was clear — "art, not body." Nothing improper, just service with poise.
Gen accepted the gesture politely, though his mind was elsewhere. He wasn't here for pleasure — just playing along with Fuguki's arrangements. After about half an hour, he waved them away.
Once they were gone, he glanced toward a dark corner of the room.
"Come out."
From the shadows stepped a woman clad in a dark cyan bodysuit and the standard Hidden Mist Anbu armor. Her mask hid her features, but her posture was straight, her figure lithe and athletic — her presence calm, disciplined.
"Remove the mask," Gen said.
The woman obeyed. Beneath it was a delicate, soft-featured face — beautiful, but expressionless, like a doll.
"Oh?" Gen's brows lifted slightly. "You seem familiar…"
He studied her for a moment, then it clicked.
She was the woman who, in another set of memories, Kisame's, had once been secretly in love with him. In that life, she'd died by Kisame's own hand, silenced to preserve his mission.
But here, because of Gen's interference in the flow of events, she was still alive.
"Do you know Kisame Hoshigaki?" he asked suddenly.
The woman's eyes widened. "You… you know where Mr. Kisame is?!"
"I recall you weren't Anbu before," Gen said. "How did you end up here?"
"I used to serve in the Intelligence Division," she said softly. "I joined Anbu because I wanted to follow in Mr. Kisame's footsteps — to find him."
"You care about him, then?"
Her cheeks turned faintly pink. She lowered her gaze without answering.
Gen smiled. "Kisame really is lucky — to have a woman like you think of him."
"You seem very familiar with him," she said carefully.
"Of course," Gen replied. "He's my subordinate. He works for me."
Her eyes lit up. "Then you must know where he is!"
"We'll get to that later." Gen's tone grew sharper. "Tell me — why did you end up working under Fuguki's command?"
"I'm not his confidant," she said quickly, shaking her head. "leader Fuguki promised that if I completed a certain mission, he'd tell me where Mr. Hoshigaki was."
Gen's expression darkened. "Did he force you into this?"
"No," she replied quickly. "He only said… if I did this task well, I could finally learn where Mr. Hoshigaki is."
Gen exhaled slowly. His eyes cooled. "Does Fuguki know that you have feelings for him?"
"I don't think so. I never said it directly. I only told him that I wanted to find Mr. Hoshigaki to repay his kindness."
"Repay his kindness…" Gen murmured. So that was the thread connecting them in this version of events — not romance, but gratitude turned affection.
He nodded slightly. "I see."
The woman hesitated. "Then… can you tell me where Mr. Hoshigaki is?"
"No."
Her shoulders trembled. "Why not? If you refuse, then… then I'll let you—"
Gen raised a hand sharply, cutting her off. "Stop. Although I can be shameless, I'm not that kind of man."
He sighed. "Kisame is loyal to me. Since you care for him, I'll help you, in my own way."
The woman blinked, confused.
Gen smiled faintly. Kisame lived a miserable life in another timeline, loyal to the wrong master, and it killed him. This time, I'll make sure he lives differently.
She looked at him, uncertain, but hope flickered in her eyes.
"But not now," Gen said. "He's on a long-term S-rank mission. He can't afford distractions."
"If you want to see him again, you'll have to wait until it's over. Do you have that kind of patience?"
Her expression firmed. "Yes. No matter how long it takes, I'll wait for him."
Gen nodded approvingly. "Good. Tell me something else, Kisame is a missing-nin. Do you resent the Mizukage's policies?"
Her lips tightened. "Yes. Not just me — many in the village are dissatisfied. They're simply too afraid to speak out."
She spoke candidly, mistaking Gen for an influential noble or high-ranking outsider. There was no way she could recognize the true face beneath his disguise.
Gen considered for a moment, then said, "Do you have paper and ink?"
"I do." She immediately pulled a small scroll and writing kit from her pouch, kneeling gracefully beside him to offer them with both hands.
Gen took the tools, rose from the water, and with swift, practiced strokes, wrote on the scroll. His calligraphy was bold and smooth — every line deliberate.
When the woman leaned forward to read, her eyes widened in surprise, then softened with emotion.
The scroll was a personal order, written and sealed by Uchiha Gen.
It instructed Kisame to receive the woman, to hear her story, and to keep her stationed as an internal officer within Anbu, safe, away from frontline missions. It also conveyed her wish to see him again someday.
"Take this to Fuguki," Gen said with a small smile. "It will reach him through proper channels."
The woman's eyes filled with tears. "Lord… I don't even know how to thank you…"
Gen waved dismissively. "No need for thanks. I only hope that one day, I can attend your wedding banquet."
Overwhelmed, she bowed deeply, pressing her forehead to the wet stone beside the spring. "Lord, though I am weak, I swear I'll serve you with my life!"
Gen smiled, faint amusement glinting in his eyes. "Truly a woman who remembers kindness. I'm glad I didn't spoil your future for selfish pleasure."
He gestured toward the door. "You have your task. Go with Fuguki from now on, and do your best."
"Yes, Lord!" she said firmly. Mask back on, she disappeared into the mist.
Gen leaned back in the spring, closing his eyes, a small smile playing at his lips. "She'll do well."
Later that evening, Fuguki received the scroll.
When he saw Uchiha Gen's personal seal, he didn't hesitate. "Understood," he said quietly, carrying out the orders exactly as written.
By nightfall, everything had been arranged. True to his word, Fuguki made sure the accommodations Gen enjoyed were flawless — luxury that lived up to the saying: you get what you pay for.
The next morning, he left the hot spring and headed straight for the Mizukage Building.