Later the same day, Kimimaro was speaking with Reika alone.
Her burgundy hair, slightly wavy, with longer sides framing her face, larger messy distinct bangs over her brow, and the rest tied into a medium ponytail, caught the low light of the room.
It made her look striking, more eye-catching than Emi in a way, especially paired with her golden eyes.
Those rare colors always reminded Kimimaro of where he truly was, a world of chakra and supernatural bloodlines, an anime made real.
And she had changed these past months.
Reika hadn't slacked either.
A small violet diamond now glimmered clearly on her forehead, making her attractive face look even more distinct.
The Strength of a Hundred Seal, also called the Yin Seal.
Kimimaro has understood it for a while now.
What most believed was Tsunade's personal invention was in fact a secret Uzumaki technique, older than Konoha itself.
Mito Uzumaki had worn it long before Tsunade, and she was the one who had passed it down to her in the first place.
The logic was simple: the Uzumaki had chakra in excess, far more than they ever used in daily life.
Rather than let it go to waste, they sealed the surplus over time, with special fuinjutsu creating a vast reserve for serious battles or healing.
Months ago, Ashina had explained the seal to Kimimaro in detail.
Kimimaro had immediately seen its value for Reika, just like Ashina himself.
Ice Release consumed chakra like a furnace, and Reika's stamina had always been her main bottleneck.
With Ashina's and his guidance, she had prepared steadily, learning to build and stabilize the technique.
And finally, a short while ago, she had succeeded.
Now the mark sat clearly on her forehead, proof of progress.
Kimimaro's eyes lingered on it.
"Good. You'll stop collapsing after a few techniques."
Reika's lips curved faintly. "That's your idea of a compliment?"
"It's my idea of honesty," he said, calm as stone. "You'll last in battle now. That makes you more valuable."
Her golden eyes narrowed slightly, though not without humor. "Always so warm with your words. You know, sometimes I wonder if you even notice the difference between people and tools."
"I notice," Kimimaro replied evenly. "That's why I measure you differently than the rest. You've been steady. Reliable. That has weight."
For a moment, she was silent, her expression unreadable.
Then she let out a quiet breath.
"Coming from you, I'll accept that. Even if it still sounds like you're tuning a weapon."
"You are a weapon," he said without hesitation. "But you're one I can trust the most to strike where I point. That sets you apart."
Reika shook her head slowly, strands of burgundy hair shifting over her shoulders. "You're impossible. But I'll take what I can get."
Kimimaro said nothing more, but the faintest flicker touched his expression, approval, hidden in calm. Another piece had fallen into place.
That was what Kimimaro liked most about Reika.
She was pragmatic, like him.
She didn't fight for dominance, didn't disrupt his pace, didn't try to test his authority initially the way Saya or Emi had.
She simply walked forward, getting stronger on her own, and let things flow naturally, listening and adopting what he said.
It made sense, unlike Saya and Emi, whom he had subjugated outright, Reika had chosen to follow him of her own volition.
That alone set her apart.
Yet, she never overstepped later once she realised his true means back in the Land of Hot Water or tried to bring up some "equality".
She was like a dream partner to have.
But in the end, she was also a woman.
It was only natural she would yield in time, once he proved himself beyond doubt.
Her quiet, cold patience was matched with intelligence; without it, she never could have advanced so quickly in fuinjutsu.
And recently, he had noticed her showing more subtle behaviors, not as a fighter, but as a woman working alongside him.
Small things in how she spoke, how she carried herself, almost domestic, almost softer toward him, traces seeping through the hard edges.
Kimimaro welcomed that.
If she had remained too vengeful and machine-like forever, it would have been worrying.
The Yin Seal still impressed him.
She had learned it far faster than he expected, though with Ashina's personal guidance, it wasn't truly impossible.
In the end, the seal was permanent, inscribed once, lasting a lifetime, requiring only slight adaptations as it grew.
Emi had also played her part a few weeks ago, her Byakugan and Yang Release assisting in stabilizing the process, also bringing the two closer in the process.
But Kimimaro wasn't naïve.
Having the seal didn't mean Reika could use it freely in battle yet.
Sakura, civilian-born, had taken three years to store enough chakra for it to matter, and while Reika's bloodlines gave her a way stronger starting point, it would still take time before the reservoir was truly full.
Months and years before it changed the battlefield even a little bit.
Still, progress was progress.
Reika was walking the path steadily, without complaint, without faltering.
That alone was worth way more than raw talent.
Kimimaro's eyes softened more than he usually allowed.
Without warning, he stepped closer and set his hands lightly on Reika's shoulders.
Her golden eyes widened, a faint flush coloring her cheeks.
"The expansion here wouldn't have been this fast without you," he said calmly. "You've been the most responsible. Overseeing information, anchoring operations, and keeping the pace. I've relied far more on you than the others."
Reika blinked at him, startled, then looked away quickly, her flush deepening. "I… I only did what had to be done. And not just for you. For myself, too. This island, this network… It's my launchpad. The first step toward revenge against Kirigakure."
Kimimaro's gaze sharpened, and he asked, "And how do you feel now that you've already eliminated a few of their shinobi here? Quiet work, but effective."
Her teeth clenched, eyes hardening. "Those were small fry. Nothing. The one I hate is still alive. The real enemy is the leadership, especially that deranged Fourth Mizukage. Until he's dead, none of this will be enough."
Kimimaro gave a single nod, voice flat. "Then aim higher. We'll get there."
Inside, though, he couldn't help the flicker of dark amusement.
'If only she knew her true enemy isn't the Mizukage at all. It's Obito, the emo who thought a mask and a bad mood made him Madara. Future Ten-Tails Jinchūriki, would-be god of the world, and she's vowing vengeance against his puppet. Hilarious. Imagine telling her all that.'
He smothered the grin before it reached his lips.
Kimimaro, meanwhile, didn't linger on the thought of the Mizukage or the hidden hand behind him.
He switched topics abruptly, his tone steady.
"Activate your seal again. I want to observe the progress."
Reika pursed her plump lips, her golden eyes narrowing at him in suspicion. "Didn't you already see it last week?"
"Yes," he admitted without hesitation. "But I'm working on something new with Ashina. A similar concept — a physical seal of my own design. I need to be certain."
Reika studied him, then gave a slow nod, though her brow furrowed slightly. "So… you've been using me as a guinea pig this whole time. Why didn't you just tell me?"
Kimimaro's lips curved in a faint grin. "I forgot. But now that you mention it… You really will have to help me when I attempt it myself. A few days from now. Emi will provide Byakugan support, and Ashina will guide the theory. You'll handle the fuinjutsu implementation and corrections. I'll give you the full instructions later."
Reika gave a small exhale, resigned but steady. "Fine. Just don't collapse halfway through."
She began unfastening her Jashinist cloak, slipping it off her shoulders in one practiced motion. Beneath, she wore a sleeveless teal-blue tunic that hugged her frame, the fabric cut high at the neck, but leaving her arms bare.
A dark sash cinched her waist, layered with a crimson cloth tied at the front, its ends falling loosely over her skirt.
White bandages wound neatly around her forearms and hands, giving her a practical, battle-ready look despite the otherwise distinct color palette.
The mix of utilitarian wrappings and the sharp lines of her outfit made her seem at once disciplined and striking.
And with the cloak gone, the small violet diamond on her forehead seemed even more pronounced, glowing faintly under the light.
At Kimimaro's request, Reika exhaled and focused.
The violet diamond on her forehead pulsed once, then began to glow steadily.
Black markings bled out from it in elegant, fluid streams, spreading across her face and down her neck, then curling along her exposed arms like ink given life.
They branched in symmetrical lines, sharp yet organic, until her skin was patterned in a way that looked almost too perfect to be human.
Kimimaro's eyes followed every line, his breath catching despite himself.
For a moment, his composure slipped, his voice escaping in a low murmur. "So beautiful."
Reika's cheeks burned scarlet instantly.
She snapped her head toward him, golden eyes fierce, though the flush betrayed her. "Don't tell me that was just an excuse for you to see it again! I remember you had that same look the last time!"
She spat the words fiercely, but inside her chest tightened with pride.
He had never looked at Saya that way. Never Emi either. Only her.
The thought sent a strange rush through her, a bright pulse of satisfaction she couldn't suppress.
Kimimaro blinked, as if realizing what he'd just said. For someone like him, it was almost embarrassing.
Internally, he admitted the truth; there was no way to deny it.
Her exposed arms, already emerging chest underneath the single layer of fabric, the faint scent that clung to her, and above all, those ethereal black markings streaming from her skin to the seal… it made her look like a work of art.
Enticing, even from a purely aesthetic perspective alone.
He forced his tone back to its usual calm, saying instead, "You've acclimated to it completely. Your chakra storage speed is not bad. Prepare yourself for a few days from now. Read the materials carefully."
He ignored Ashina's mocking chuckle in his mind and abruptly turned away, leaving her standing there.
Reika let the seal fade and watched his back retreat, lips pursed into a strange smile she couldn't quite explain.
Even she didn't fully realize how much weight they already held in each other's thoughts.
For now, it was enough for her to know one thing clearly: to him, she was the most special so far.
Maybe because they had met earlier, maybe because of something else.
Either way, she didn't resent the presence of Emi or Saya.
To her, their existence only made them safer as a whole, and that security was something she had long craved.