So when they said "life's great matters"… turns out they were asking if he wanted to find a wife! And here he thought they were talking about his future ambitions. Well, it made sense—fifteen or sixteen was already an age when people in the shinobi world could consider marriage. Even if most shinobi married later, early marriages weren't uncommon.
Only…
Marriage.
He really had never thought about it.
Physiological impulses? Of course, those were there. But marriage? That had never once crossed his mind. Before becoming a jōnin, all he did was train relentlessly, determined to rise quickly so he wouldn't end up thrown away as cannon fodder on the battlefield. After becoming a jōnin, the Great Ninja War broke out, and the former clan head's grave mistakes nearly pushed their entire clan to the brink of annihilation.
With all that chaos, coming and going, when would he have had the time or mood to think about marriage?
Besides—
Now he even possessed the Eye of God.
Kyoichi reached down and gripped the divine eye hanging at his waist. This was the Eye of God… with it, perhaps he too could climb toward the realm of gods, to see with his own eyes what the world looked like from their gaze.
"I've never thought about such things."
Kyoichi shook his head, answering truthfully.
"That's fine. Until now, you really haven't had the time to consider it. But from here on, you should give it some thought. Even if you're not in a hurry, one day you'll have to settle down. And if you meet a girl you like, don't let her slip away!!"
Dazen's tone was grave, especially as he emphasized that last line.
"...Clan Head, don't tell me you're suggesting I make a move on that thirteen-year-old girl?"
Kyoichi's expression twisted.
That would be a crime!
"Huh?!"
Seinosuke yelped in surprise.
"Thirteen is a bit young, true. But give it two or three years—fifteen or sixteen is just right." Dazen chuckled warmly. (PS: Oh hell nah!)
"It's not as simple as you make it sound!"
Kyoichi shook his head helplessly.
"Oh? So you don't dislike that child?"
Dazen's eyes lit up, his smile growing even more benevolent.
Even Seinosuke's eyes flickered with understanding, and soon a pleased grin spread across his face. He had already figured out Dazen's intent, and agreed wholeheartedly—it was a clever idea. As he had said earlier, over dinner he had gone out of his way to chat with the Kirigakure shinobi, and came to understand exactly how high Terumī Mei's standing was.
If Kyoichi truly won her over,
it would be a blessing for both him personally and for the Koeda Clan as a whole!
"Kyoichi, if you do like her, don't hesitate. That girl is a genuine beauty in the making—suitors will be countless. If you miss your chance because of shyness or hesitation, don't expect any medicine for regret later."
Seinosuke's words were earnest.
"Indeed. Seinosuke is right. When an opportunity appears, seize it firmly—never let something so small cause you to waste it."
Dazen nodded in agreement.
"...Heh."
Kyoichi gave an awkward laugh.
Miss an opportunity?
In the future, that very girl would become the Fifth Mizukage, so haunted by a missed marriage that the very topic became taboo in her presence. Instead of worrying about lost chances, perhaps it was better to ponder why she had missed that chance at all…
Wait.
What was he thinking? Had he gone mad? He was aiming for divinity itself—how could he let himself be swayed by thoughts of women?
"Enough, Clan Head, Seinosuke. Let's drop this for now. This gathering wasn't meant to turn into a marriage discussion, was it?"
Kyoichi forcibly changed the subject. Dazen and Seinosuke exchanged glances, then wisely let it go.
After all,
there was no rush.
That girl, Mei, was still only thirteen. Waiting a little longer wouldn't hurt.
"Ahem. Let's talk about today…"
---
Land of Fire, Eastern Coast
The dense forest was blanketed in heavy mist.
"It's the Hiding in Mist Technique!"
A Konoha shinobi with a leaf forehead protector shouted, warning his two companions. The fan crest of the Uchiha clan was visible on his collar. The three stood back to back, forming a defensive formation. At once, the Uchiha opened his scarlet Sharingan, trying to pierce through the suffocating fog and locate the caster.
But—
The mist was far too thick.
And with only a single-tomoe Sharingan, his sight could penetrate only a short distance—nowhere near enough to uncover the hidden enemy.
"Jiuyu, see anything?"
One of his comrades asked from behind.
"No. This mist is too dense. The caster… has to be a jōnin." Uchiha Jiuyu whispered, a bead of cold sweat running down his temple. Though only thirteen, he was already a seasoned fighter—four Kiri-nin had already fallen to his hand.
He had seen this Hiding in Mist Technique before, many times.
But the genin and chūnin who used it couldn't fool his Sharingan at all. This time, though, he could barely see two or three meters ahead. That difference alone proved just how dangerous this Kiri-nin truly was.
"So it's an Uchiha… What luck! I've hooked a big one."
A mocking laugh slithered through the fog.
Then, in the next instant—
"Water Release: Water Gun!!"
Without wasting words, the Kiri shinobi attacked. Bullets of compressed water blasted forward, one tearing through the throat of Jiuyu's teammate, killing him instantly.
"The Water Gun Technique—that's the Hōzuki clan! He's Hōzuki Mangetsu!!"
Uchiha Jiuyu shouted in alarm.
By now, Konoha and Kirigakure had clashed long enough that intelligence flowed freely in both directions. One prodigy after another had risen—Uchiha Shisui's name struck terror into Kiri-nin, while on their side a monster named Hōzuki Mangetsu had begun butchering Konoha shinobi.
But recognizing him was useless.
His comrades couldn't withstand the razor-sharp bullets of water. A second teammate fell, and Jiuyu himself was grazed—his right calf pierced, mobility crippled.
"Damn it!"
Jiuyu's face darkened.
An injured leg meant only one thing. Unless reinforcements arrived immediately, there was only one path left to him—death.
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