Inside a private training room within the Akimichi Clan compound.
Tatsuya slowly withdrew his hands from Mitarashi Anko's body. Across from him, Anko's face was slightly flushed, her head bowed, avoiding his gaze. A faint warmth seemed to linger where his hands had rested near her chest, and her heart was pounding. The placement of Tatsuya's hands just now had been slightly awkward, almost getting caught against her softer parts.
Tatsuya, however, didn't seem to notice Anko's discomfort. His expression was serious as he fell deep into thought.
Since that day, Tatsuya had officially begun working to improve Kyoko's and Anko's abilities. Kyoko's training was straightforward; after teaching her the methods for the Yin Seal and Butterfly Mode, Tatsuya assigned a shadow clone to guide her practice. Anko's situation was more complicated due to the Cursed Seal of Heaven left by Orochimaru in her body – an immature version at that.
To put it bluntly, Orochimaru had used Anko as an experiment. As the result was flawed, Orochimaru had simply discarded her.
After a brief period of contemplation, Tatsuya asked, "Has your appetite been steadily increasing?"
Hearing his question, Anko nodded, murmuring a soft "Mm."
Tatsuya rubbed his chin, a look of understanding dawning on his face. After two days of careful examination, he had formed some ideas about the Heaven Seal within Anko. In the original storyline, shortly after Orochimaru defected from Konoha, the Third Hokage sealed the Cursed Seal in Anko's body. But in this world, likely due to Tatsuya's indirect influence or timeline changes, the Heaven Seal within Anko remained active.
Tatsuya could clearly sense the Cursed Seal slowly but constantly consuming Anko's life force. Although the consumption rate wasn't fast, it triggered a stress response in Anko's body, compelling her to constantly consume high-energy foods to compensate. This was a long-term, continuous process that explained her growing appetite and increasing preference for sweets.
No wonder she became overweight in the Boruto series! It was because of the Cursed Seal of Heaven messing with her system. During the Fourth Shinobi World War, with Orochimaru's revival, the Heaven Seal within Anko completely vanished. Without this massive energy drain, Anko, with her large appetite and fondness for sweets, naturally gained weight.
Furthermore, the continuous drain of life energy by the Heaven Seal would severely hinder the development of her abilities. Both her physical constitution and chakra capacity would stagnate over the long term. Anko had been talented enough to become Orochimaru's apprentice at a young age and achieve the rank of Tokubetsu Jonin by fifteen or sixteen. While not on par with top-tier prodigies like Kakashi or Shisui, she was undoubtedly a rare talent. Yet, after Orochimaru's defection, her strength barely seemed to increase. Ultimately, she was relegated to a minor role, easily subdued by Kabuto Yakushi.
If he could successfully remove the Heaven Seal from Anko's body, her future potential might be considerable. And it would very likely prevent her from becoming overweight later on.
"The Heaven Seal in your body is quite troublesome," Tatsuya said after thinking for a moment, looking up at Anko and speaking gently. "I need to think carefully about how to remove it." She's actually quite likable when she's quiet, he mused. Besides, she's well-endowed!
"Mm," Anko responded softly, still keeping her head down.
Only then did Tatsuya notice Anko's strange behavior. "What's wrong with you?" he asked, looking at her with confusion. "Why are you acting so weird?"
Hearing his question, Anko snapped out of her daze. Her face instantly flushed crimson, the blush spreading all the way to her earlobes. "Ah! None of your business!" she retorted fiercely, looking up at him before scrambling to her feet and fleeing the training room.
Watching Anko's flustered escape, Tatsuya wore a slightly odd expression. This scenario seems somewhat familiar...
For the rest of the day, Tatsuya didn't see Anko again. He figured she was deliberately avoiding him.
In the afternoon, after spending some time helping Tsubaki at the pet shop, Tatsuya headed back towards his laboratory. While at the shop, he had used sealing scrolls to store samples of over ten types of newly arrived goods, intending to study them in the lab.
As he passed the training ground he always crossed, Tatsuya paused. Standing on the path ahead, arms crossed, was Uchiha Misuke, looking coolly composed. Judging by her expression, she probably wasn't looking for trouble this time.
Tatsuya's gaze swept over Misuke from head to toe. Her chest is quite full... probably hiding weapons. With that thought, he prepared to walk around her and continue on his way.
"I want to talk to you," Misuke's cool voice sounded just as he drew level with her.
"Huh?" Tatsuya stopped abruptly, turning to look at Misuke with puzzlement.
"This isn't the place to talk," Misuke stated without further explanation, then leaped away quickly.
Tatsuya stood still, contemplating for several seconds before leaping after her.
Shortly after they both left, an ANBU operative wearing a mask flickered into view. He looked up in the direction Tatsuya and Misuke had departed, about to give chase, but stopped after taking only half a step. On a large tree on the other side of the training ground, a shadow clone left behind by Tatsuya was watching the ANBU operative coldly.
Uchiha Misuke and Tatsuya, one following the other, quickly arrived at a secluded corner on the west side of Konoha village. Dense trees blocked the sunlight, casting deep shadows where the two stood facing each other, several meters apart.
"Alright, spit it out. Why did you want to see me?" Tatsuya asked, keeping his eyes fixed on Misuke's calm face. This woman was beautiful, undeniably, but her actions always gave Tatsuya a strange feeling. For example, their clash a few days ago when he returned felt less like a revenge attempt and more like some kind of test. A test to confirm something.
After returning to the village, Tatsuya had asked his clan to gather information on Uchiha Misuke. According to what they found, Misuke had once been a famous prodigy within the Uchiha clan herself. However, after Shisui's rise to prominence, Misuke seemed to have gradually faded into the background. Most importantly, she was Uchiha Teru's cousin. Reportedly, the two had been very close since childhood. After news of Teru's death reached the village, Misuke had apparently stood vigil outside his room for an entire night.
Tatsuya couldn't fathom why Misuke would actively seek out him, her cousin's killer, for a private conversation.
"I want you to help me kill someone," Uchiha Misuke stated in her cool, clear voice.
"What?" Tatsuya's jaw dropped, scarcely believing what he had just heard.
"I want you to help me kill someone," Uchiha Misuke repeated.
"Uh... Are you sure you've got the right person?" Tatsuya scratched his head, completely baffled by the woman's line of thinking. The Uchiha clan really does have few sane members.
"I'm looking for you," Misuke nodded.
"I killed Uchiha Teru. Don't you hate me?" Tatsuya asked slowly, staring intently at Misuke for a moment.
"I hate you," Misuke confirmed, icy killing intent flashing in her eyes.
Tatsuya pressed, "Then why ask me to help you kill someone? I can't imagine anyone would agree to such an outrageous request."
"Because you're the only one in Konoha who possesses the necessary strength, and the only one I can trust," Misuke replied, looking directly back at Tatsuya.
"That's not a very funny joke," Tatsuya said coldly, shaking his head. He prepared to turn and leave.
As he turned, Misuke's voice stopped him again. "I spoke with Shisui two days ago. He told me about your suggestion."
Tatsuya halted. Turning back to face Misuke, he shrugged nonchalantly. "So what? That was just a suggestion I offered back then. It doesn't mean I'm willing to wade into this mess myself." By now, Tatsuya understood: the person Misuke wanted dead was undoubtedly a member of the Uchiha clan.
Hearing this, Misuke remained noncommittal. Her expression turned serious as she said, "If you can help me fulfill my wish, I promise to pledge my loyalty to you. If you don't trust me, you can even place a control seal on me."
Tatsuya scoffed dismissively. "Your loyalty means nothing to me."
"What about the loyalty of the entire Uchiha clan?"
"That still means nothing to me! Besides, you can't represent the entire Uchiha clan," Tatsuya replied after a few seconds of silence.
Across from him, Misuke observed Tatsuya's reactions carefully. For the first time, a faint smile touched her lips. "No," she said softly, "it is very meaningful to you. If you didn't have some ambition regarding the Uchiha clan, why would you have approached Shisui and made such a suggestion in the first place?"
Seeing the stunning smile blooming on Misuke's face, Tatsuya's brow furrowed slightly. His suggestion to Shisui had indeed stemmed from selfish motives – he coveted the Uchiha clan's legendary power: the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan! But how had Misuke figured it out?
Sensing the faint surge of killing intent emanating from Tatsuya, Misuke quickly added, "Don't worry! I won't reveal your secret to Shisui. And as long as you help me achieve my desire, I promise my loyalty to you. Whatever your ultimate goal may be, I will fully assist you in making it happen."
After a long silence, Tatsuya finally asked, "Kill who?"
A bone-deep killing intent flashed in Misuke's eyes. "Uchiha Yashiro."
"Him!" Tatsuya's surprise flickered across his face before vanishing. Whether within the Uchiha clan or the Military Police Force, Uchiha Yashiro's prestige was second only to Fugaku's. The man usually appeared amiable, always smiling, seeming like the most 'normal' person in the Uchiha clan. Why would Misuke want him dead?
Seeing Tatsuya's surprise and confusion, Misuke spat out venomously, "He is the true culprit behind the many tragedies that have befallen our clan!"