"Clan Head… are you really okay?"
Mikoto asked softly after everything had settled.
Her voice was gentle—
But her heart was anything but calm.
Seeing Ryujin step in for her… seeing him act without hesitation… even striking down Fugaku—
It made her chest feel warm.
She was an orphan.
For as long as she could remember—
No one had ever truly cared for her like this.
And now—
The person who protected her—
Was the one she admired the most.
The one she looked up to.
"…I'm fine."
Ryujin smiled faintly, then added casually,
"By the way… your fish soup was delicious."
And just like that—
He turned and left.
Mikoto froze.
For a full second—
Her mind went completely blank.
Then—
Boom.
Her face flushed bright red.
He knew.
He actually knew.
He noticed everything?!
A wave of embarrassment rushed straight to her head.
If Ryujin had stayed even one second longer—
She might have fainted on the spot.
"He… he didn't say anything…"
Mikoto covered her face.
So that meant—
He had known all along.
And yet—
He didn't stop her.
Didn't get angry.
Which meant…
He didn't mind.
That thought only made her blush even harder.
"…Clan Head… you're so bad…"
It was the first time she had ever complained about him—
Even if only in her heart.
But strangely—
Instead of being upset—
She felt happy.
Excited.
Because now—
She understood something.
She wasn't… rejected.
Before—
Mikoto had never dared to think too much.
In her eyes—
Ryujin was someone far beyond her reach.
Within the Uchiha clan—
Countless outstanding women wanted to stand by his side.
And her?
She believed she was just an ordinary girl.
No background.
No special talent.
But now—
Something had changed.
A small seed—
Had been planted in her heart.
Waiting—
To grow.
—
Time passed.
Half a month later—
With Ryujin's awakening—
The Second Shinobi War finally came to an end.
The war was over.
Because Ryujin had returned.
And that meant—
Konoha now possessed another Kage-level powerhouse.
No—
Not just Kage-level.
A shinobi who had defeated Hanzo.
From that moment—
The name Uchiha Ryujin resounded across the entire shinobi world.
Jiraiya and Orochimaru had gained fame simply by surviving Hanzo.
But Ryujin—
Had defeated him.
Forced him to retreat.
That was an entirely different level.
From then on—
No one dared underestimate him.
Even the great nations—
Chose to compromise.
Because they feared—
His Sharingan.
However—
Beneath that compromise—
Lay deeper resentment.
Because defeat always bred hatred.
And that hatred—
Would one day ignite again.
The seeds of the Third Shinobi War—
Had already been planted.
Even Konoha—
Despite winning—
Suffered heavy losses.
—
One more thing—
Changed as well.
Jiraiya chose to leave.
After witnessing the horrors of war—
He refused to return to Konoha.
Instead—
He disappeared.
According to Ryujin's intelligence—
Jiraiya had encountered three children.
Two boys.
One girl.
"…Three children…"
Ryujin murmured.
"Yes, Clan Head."
A masked shinobi knelt before him.
Ryujin's eyes narrowed slightly.
That must be them…
Nagato.
Yahiko.
Konan.
The future founders of the Akatsuki.
Especially Nagato—
With the Rinnegan implanted by Madara—
He possessed power rivaling the Sage of Six Paths.
Of course—
Someone like Jiraiya would be drawn to that.
"…That guy really has a knack for picking disciples…"
Ryujin chuckled faintly.
Not long ago—
Jiraiya had mentioned another student.
A blond boy.
Extremely talented.
Possibly—
The "Child of Prophecy."
That boy—
Was none other than—
Minato Namikaze.
The future Fourth Hokage.
At this moment—
Still unknown.
Still growing.
But already—
His talent had caught attention.
Even Hiruzen himself—
Was personally guiding him.
Treating him—
As a future successor.
"…So the gears of fate are already turning…"
Ryujin muttered.
Then—
His gaze sharpened.
"…Which means…"
"…it's time to begin."
—
That night—
Under the cover of darkness—
Ryujin moved.
Silently.
Toward—
The Senju clan.
Not to assassinate.
But to take something.
Something they had always refused to give him.
A forbidden technique.
A legendary jutsu.
Flying Thunder God Technique.
To Ryujin—
It wasn't essential.
With his Mangekyō—
Most enemies could be eliminated instantly.
But after some thought—
It had value.
Because the shinobi world—
Was vast.
Travel was slow.
And inefficient.
With no true transportation systems—
Movement took time.
Too much time.
But with the Flying Thunder God—
Distance would become meaningless.
And besides—
"…It's pretty cool."
A faint smile appeared on Ryujin's lips.
Tonight—
He would take it.
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