💎 WEEKLY POWER GOALS 💎
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⏰ Resets Monday!
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Minato Namikaze hadn't been Hokage for more than ten days when news of his marriage to Kushina spread.
"Damn, so many good things have been happening lately!" After leaving Root, Tree looked up at the sky and sighed.
The best news by far was Shisui's transfer to the border opposite the Land of Water.
No one to bother him and Heshu anymore.
Tree glanced at Heshu. "Heshu, let's go see Sasuke at the hospital!"
Just two days ago, the adorable second pillar had been born.
Heshu and Tree hadn't had a chance to visit yet.
The evening sun cast a golden glow. It was still early.
"Let's go." Heshu headed towards the hospital. He was quite looking forward to seeing the second Uchiha son.
"Hello."
The hospital room door opened. Seeing the family of four inside, Heshu and Tree bowed politely.
"Oh, it's Heshu and Tree!" Mikoto, holding the small infant on the hospital bed, spotted them first, her smile widening.
"Come in, come in!" Fugaku's face displayed a rare hint of softness.
Itachi stood by the bed, his gaze fixed on little Sasuke. Then he looked at Heshu and introduced him. "Heshu, this is my brother, Sasuke Uchiha."
He gently touched Sasuke's tiny hand. "Sasuke, this is Heshu Tsukimi. Sister Heshu!"
The smile on Heshu's face froze solid the moment Itachi uttered that last title.
Yeah, maybe skip the 'sister' part.
Wait. Heshu's eyes narrowed on Itachi. This guy always called him by his first name, didn't he? He was a few years older than Itachi!
Itachi, undeterred by whether Sasuke could understand, diligently continued the introductions.
"System, check Itachi's favorability towards Sasuke."
[Ding! System assessment: Uchiha Itachi's favorability towards Uchiha Sasuke is 100.]
[Note: 100 is the upper limit of the system's emotional measurement scale, not the character's emotional upper limit.]
Heshu's face remained expressionless.
Two days. One hundred favorability. What kind of insane growth rate was that? It made the measly 70 favorability from Itachi on his own panel look pathetic.
"Little Sasuke is so cute! He'll definitely be an amazing ninja in the future!" Heshu offered a sincere compliment.
The next second.
[Ding! Target Uchiha Itachi favorability: 75!]
"…"
Heshu seemed to have found a shortcut.
"Sasuke seems to really like Itachi! His eyes are glued to him!" Heshu added with a smile.
[Ding! Target Uchiha Itachi favorability: 80!]
"…"
The System, watching the rising numbers, was momentarily speechless. It had gotten used to normal favorability growth. Suddenly encountering a weirdo like Itachi Uchiha was hard to adjust to.
"Ha, Sasuke looks so strong and lively! I've never seen a baby with so much energy before!"
[Ding! Target Uchiha Itachi favorability: 85!]
…
"Captain, Lord Orochimaru is asking for you."
The messenger was Yamato.
Heshu nodded. "Got it."
Orochimaru wanted to see him? Ever since the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, took office, Orochimaru had rarely been seen. He was practically a ghost, probably lost in his private lab. Why seek him out now?
Heshu adjusted his mask and headed for Orochimaru's underground laboratory.
As everyone knew, a lab needed to be built somewhere sufficiently hidden with ample resources. Orochimaru's was nestled in the mountains behind the Leaf Village, with a river flowing nearby.
"Enter." Orochimaru's voice slithered from the darkness.
The old wooden door creaked open.
Various experimental apparatuses came into view. Compared to the bright, clean labs of his past life, Orochimaru's place was decidedly less formal. Heshu could even see flesh on a metal tray and bloodstains on the floor.
"Lord Orochimaru, you needed something?"
Orochimaru was currently focused on mixing a vial of blue liquid, his concentration absolute. "Where is it? I've given you enough time."
His gaze was colder than Heshu had ever seen. It fixed on him like he was just another piece of lab equipment.
Heshu glanced at the organs floating in jars. Fair enough. Once you started human experimentation, you probably stopped caring about a lot of things.
Heshu efficiently pulled a vial of blue liquid from his tool pouch—actually his storage space.
The coldness in Orochimaru's eyes finally warmed a fraction. Not for Heshu, but for the potion in his hand.
The origin of this Gender Swap Potion was a moment of inspiration. Back in Kirigakure, when Mei Terumi's favorability hit sixty, Heshu had immediately exchanged for it. He knew Mei's favorability would drop when she discovered his true identity, and the System now had permission to save skills. Heshu couldn't miss that chance. He knew the potion wouldn't go to waste. See? Came in handy.
[Ding! Target Orochimaru favorability: 60!]
Orochimaru stood still, his arm stretching unnaturally to snatch the vial from Heshu's hand.
"…"
He knew it. Once the potion was in Orochimaru's hands, the lost favorability was destined to return.
"Lord Orochimaru, for your safety, perhaps you should study it first before drinking it?" Heshu suggested worriedly.
Orochimaru shot him a sidelong glance. "You can join me in the lab."
[Ding! Target Orochimaru favorability: 65!]
Huh?
Heshu looked up slightly. Seeing Orochimaru's keen interest fixed on the potion, he understood. In Orochimaru's eyes, Heshu was someone who had consumed the potion. Having him assist would skyrocket research efficiency.
"Lord Orochimaru, I will come after completing my Root duties." Heshu nodded, his eyes filled with what looked like pure scientific curiosity.
Orochimaru gave a satisfied nod, his gaze shifting from Heshu to the door. The dismissal was clear.
"…"
As Heshu stepped outside, the prompt finally came.
[Ding! Target Orochimaru favorability: 70!]
That night, lying in bed, a thought struck Heshu. "What if Orochimaru actually figures something out from that potion?" The guy was, after all, the renowned scientist, the technological pioneer of the ninja world.
"Host need not worry. The Gender Swap Potion's technology far exceeds the limits of this world's science."
In other words, nothing to worry about.
…
"Finally a day off! Let's have a picnic!" Tree suggested.
"Itachi and Sasuke are coming too!" Tree's next words sealed Heshu's refusal shut. If his target was going, what reason did he have to refuse?
"Fine!"
It was a bright, sunny day.
Heshu and Tree had the picnic gear ready. They watched as Itachi held Sasuke, his face radiating a sort of… maternal glow.
Heshu's expression turned strange. He had to be seeing things. Itachi was a boy.
The next second, he saw the same shocked look on Tree's face.
"Ah! Uh! Well… Itachi really is a good… sis—brother!" Tree struggled valiantly to swallow the words that almost slipped out.
"Itachi, Sasuke is especially cute today!"
[Ding! Target Uchiha Itachi favorability: 90!]
In these few short days, Heshu had truly felt the terror of a brother complex.
By the way, Sasuke wasn't even a month old, and he was being carried around by Itachi, who wasn't even ten yet. Weren't Mikoto and Fugaku worried?
"Itachi, let me hold Sasuke. You go eat something." The inconvenience of holding a baby meant Itachi had no hands free. Heshu made the thoughtful suggestion.
[Ding! Target Uchiha Sasuke favorability: -10!]
Heshu froze, the wind whipping past him. He stared disbelievingly at the tiny infant in swaddling clothes. Was he hearing things?
"What the hell! He's not even a month old!" Heshu demanded of the System. Was this for real?
"Host should look for reasons within himself more often, not always blame the target." Freed from the pressure of its superiors, the System was becoming more like a retired old man. Sometimes it would even chat with Heshu, learning a new word or two.
"…"
Heshu gazed at Uchiha Sasuke with great displeasure.
[Ding! Target Uchiha Sasuke favorability: -20!]
Well, well! Looks like the second son was some kind of prodigy!
"Itachi, don't worry! I'll take good care of Sasuke!" Heshu smiled with utmost kindness.
Itachi blinked, looking from Heshu to the baby in his arms. Honestly, entrusting Sasuke to Heshu… he really wasn't at ease.
"It's okay. I can hold Sasuke with one hand." For his brother's safety, Itachi unlocked a new skill. He cradled Sasuke steadily in one arm and picked up a skewer Tree had grilled with the other. Even so, his movements remained composed, without a hint of panic.
Watching him, Heshu finally understood why Shisui and Itachi could become sworn friends. Some people were just destined to be.
Heshu glanced at Tree, who was wolfing down skewers like a starved ghost. Then he looked at the mountain of skewers piled before himself.
"The truth reveals itself," the System, enjoying the drama from its space, added helpfully.
"…"
"Huh? Heshu, Tree, and… is that the Uchiha clan head's child?" A familiar voice came from behind them.
Heshu turned. Of course. Minato and Kushina. Just seeing Kushina made Heshu's scalp prickle.
"Heshu! You're here too!" Kushina immediately rushed to Heshu's side, linking arms with him warmly. She saw the grill next to Tree. "You're having a picnic too! So are we! Let's do it together!"
Heshu's eyes immediately shot to Minato.
"Ahem, I'm fine with anything!" Minato avoided Heshu's gaze, coughing guiltily. His reputation as a henpecked husband was known throughout the Leaf. Pretending not to see Heshu's plea for help was fine, right? Heshu would understand.
"Great!" Tree had no issue.
Itachi, holding Sasuke, looked momentarily stunned, then quickly calmed down, soothing Sasuke who was anxious at the new voices.
Soon, Tree regretted his choice.
"Heshu, a special guest is coming later!" Kushina smiled ambiguously, winking at him.
"…"
I have a bad feeling about this. A sense of dread washed over Heshu.
"Sensei…" Kakashi's despairing voice reached Heshu's ears.
He had just arrived to witness this spectacle: people grilling, people chatting, someone holding a baby… a child? Kakashi struggled to describe the strange group.
But… why was Heshu here too? And looking just as hopeless?
Tree, focused intently on grilling, looked up to find Kakashi and Heshu sitting together.
"?"
A wave of frustration washed over Tree.
"Hahaha, Heshu and Kakashi, long time no see! You must have a lot to catch up on!" Kushina sat opposite them, her smile strange.
"…"
"…"
A shared mental exhaustion washed over Heshu and Kakashi.
"Tree, let me help!" Minato escaped the scene, going to assist Tree.
"Huh? Tree! This meat skewer… is it really… edible?" Minato stared, dumbfounded, at the charcoal-blackened meat.
"Of course it is! It'll be delicious!" Tree revealed an eerie smile, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on Kakashi as he mechanically turned the skewers. Under Minato's horrified gaze, he picked up the chili powder container and dumped it on generously.
"Here, Lord Hokage, give this to Kakashi! It'll be so tasty!" Tree placed the skewer on a plate and handed it to Minato.
"…Are you sure?" Minato swallowed hard, looking troubled. Wasn't this basically the Fire Style: Thousand Years of Death technique?
"Of course! Kakashi will love it!" Tree's lips curved up mechanically.
Minato nodded with difficulty. He felt Tree wasn't acting normal.
"Kakashi, here's a skewer. You just got off your Anbu shift, you must be hungry." Minato approached Kakashi, offering the plate.
Heshu, Kakashi, and Kushina all stared at its contents.
Was he seeing things? Heshu's eyes widened. This thing… was edible?
"Uh…" Kakashi's dead-fish eyes widened in genuine surprise. "Sensei… if I eat this, am I going to die?"
"…" Minato smiled. "Well… that, Sensei doesn't know." Why don't you try it and find out? his eyes perfectly conveyed.
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
A loud chopping sound drew everyone's attention back to Tree. He was wielding a large cleaver, hacking relentlessly at meat on a wooden board.
Seeing their stares, Tree offered a benevolent smile. "Eat! Why aren't you eating? My cooking is great!"
"Ah…" Kakashi swallowed. "He's looking at me, right? The person he's looking at… is me?" Honestly, being watched like that by someone chopping meat was kind of terrifying.
Heshu sensed something was wrong. Time to change the subject.
"Wow, little Sasuke wasn't even startled by Tree's chopping! So brave!" Heshu fiddled with Sasuke's tiny fist, raising his voice.
"Sasuke has always been brave!" Itachi said proudly.
[Ding! Target Uchiha Itachi favorability: 95!]
[Ding! Target Uchiha Sasuke favorability: -30!]
"…"
Sometimes, he really couldn't figure out what the second son was thinking. Heshu forced a smile.
"Wow! You take such good care of your brother! What a reliable kid!" Kushina was instantly captivated by little Sasuke. She looked at Itachi's practiced movements in surprise.
Itachi smiled faintly.
Kushina moved closer, looking the infant over. "She's so pretty! Looks a lot like Mikoto!"
She?
Itachi paused for two seconds. "Sasuke is my brother."
"Ah?" Kushina's eyes widened. "It's rare for a boy to be this good-looking!"
She suddenly touched her own slightly swollen belly, joking, "I was just thinking we could arrange a childhood betrothal between little Sasuke and our child!"
"Haha…"
The news implied in her words left several people present stunned.
"Kushina…" Minato dropped his plate, his eyes shining.
Kushina just smiled.
"A… childhood betrothal?"
If the second son ever found out about this, his face would turn black as the bottom of a pot. The thought of the arrogant, cocky Sasuke almost being betrothed to Naruto made Heshu want to laugh.
[Ding! Target Uchiha Sasuke favorability: -40!]
Heshu stopped laughing.
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