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The street was silent, save for the rhythmic tapping of footsteps echoing from the shadows.
Sasuke Uchiha stepped into the pale moonlight, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. He didn't look like a boy; he looked like a statue carved from grief and cold intent. His voice, usually guarded, was now a sharp, demanding blade.
"I want to become stronger."
Tendo arched an eyebrow, his expression unimpressed. "Finished with the 'little tricks' I taught you today? Most of your classmates will take a week just to stop tripping over their own feet."
Sasuke took a step forward, the air around him thickening. Deep within his dark pupils, a crimson light flickered—the Sharingan. "Stop with the boring games. I want real guidance. I want the power you're hiding."
Tendo watched him. With his newly merged ocular insight, the world was a map of heat and intent. He could feel them—the shadows in the periphery. Anbu? No, these felt colder, more sterile. Root. Danzo Shimura was never far when an Uchiha was involved, especially one who had just displayed a sudden, unexplained leap in competence.
Agreeing to train the village's most volatile asset was an invitation for a "friendly" visit from the Foundation.
But so what? Tendo thought, a slow, predatory smirk tugging at his lips. Let Danzo come. I've been a ghost for eighteen years; I think it's time I started haunting back.
"I can guide you," Tendo said, his voice dropping to a playful, dangerous silkiness. "But that isn't the tone of someone asking for a favor. You're not a customer, Sasuke. You're a student."
Sasuke bristled, his fierce Uchiha pride screaming at him to turn his back and walk away. But then, the memory of the Academy field returned—the casual tap on his forehead, the effortless way Tendo had read his every move. And behind that, the darker memory: Itachi's back, the smell of blood, and the crushing weight of his own insignificance.
Sasuke's knuckles turned white. His jaw set so tight it looked like marble. His shoulders trembled with the effort of swallowing his ego, and for a moment, the second tomoe in his eyes flickered into existence before receding.
Thud.
His knee hit the stone road with a heavy, dull sound. Dust swirled around his shins. Sasuke kept his head low, his dark hair veiling his face, but the wet patches forming on the pavement beneath him betrayed the storm raging inside.
"Teacher Tendo... please. Guide me."
The words sounded like they were being dragged over broken glass, copper-tasting and raw.
[Mission Complete: Fire Nature Chakra Enhancement distributed.]
[New Mission: Train Uchiha Sasuke and earn his initial recognition. Reward: Two-Tomoe Sharingan.]
The night was a heavy shroud of ink draped over the eaves of Konoha. Inside Inuzuka Akita's courtyard, the atmosphere was a stark contrast—warm, quiet, and smelling of cedar and steeped tea. Paper lanterns swayed under the corridor, casting amber halos against the sliding doors.
When Tendo stepped inside, the chill of the night followed him for a heartbeat before the hearth fire reclaimed the room. Akita was kneeling by a low table, her profile illuminated by a single lamp as she sketched refinements for the Wind Release Harvester. Unlike Tendo, who viewed the department as a convenient front, Akita poured her soul into the work.
Tendo lingered at the door, his gaze drifting from her focused expression to the soft line of her neck. A wave of uncharacteristic doting washed over him. He closed the door softly and crossed the room.
Hanamaru, Akita's ninja dog, cracked one lazy eye, recognized the "regular guest," and promptly went back to sleep.
Tendo sat cross-legged beside her, sinking into a meditative state to claim his spoils.
Claim: Fire Nature Enhancement.
A surge of volcanic heat erupted in his gut, flowing through his meridians like liquid sun. Tendo could feel his chakra becoming denser, more volatile. While he still lacked the specific scrolls for high-level jutsu, the "engine" for Fire Release was now purring with terrifying efficiency.
Then, he turned his mind to the summoning contract. He'd spent the day weighing the options.
Katsuyu of Shikkotsu Forest.
The Toads were iconic, and the Snakes were lethal, but the Slugs offered something the others didn't: a path to legitimacy. Katsuyu wasn't a legion; she was a single, vast entity. If he summoned a piece of her, he wasn't just getting a tank or a healer—he was getting a bridge to the Slug Sage herself. As for Tsunade, the current contractor? Tendo already had a plan to handle the legendary Sannin when the time came.
Select: Slug.
[Contract Confirmed: Shikkotsu Forest.]
Tendo opened his eyes. He felt a tether—a faint, hum in his soul connecting him to a distant, humid forest. The seal formulas were etched into his mind, ready to be spilled in blood and ink.
Akita finally put down her pen, rubbing her temples. She looked at him with a tired, knowing smile. "Dazing off again? Or are you picturing another woman?"
"I just didn't want to disturb perfection," Tendo replied smoothly. He reached out, tucking a stray hair behind her ear, his thumb grazing the warm skin of her lobe.
Akita's ears went pink, but she huffed, feigning annoyance. "Save it. Are you thinking about Yūgao?"
Tendo wasn't a man of many illusions. He was fickle, yes, but he was honest. Akita and Yūgao were both aware of the other; Akita was too broad-minded to be shackled by petty jealousy, and Yūgao, having raised Tendo in a way, viewed his greed with the weary tolerance of an older sister.
"Jealous?" Tendo teased, leaning closer until their breaths mingled.
"I have better things to do with my time," she whispered, even as she leaned into his touch.
The room fell into a comfortable silence, broken only by the crackle of the fire. Tendo pulled her into his arms, and after a token struggle, Akita settled against his chest, listening to the steady, powerful rhythm of his heart.
Hanamaru rolled over, turning her back to them with a flick of her tail. Here they go again.
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