Mikoto POV
As the wife of the Uchiha clan head, Mikoto was no stranger to politics and schemes. Even though she found herself liking Renji's earnest demeanor, she was cautious. Appearances could be deceiving after all.
With the smallest shift of her hand, she signaled to her hidden guards. One of them peeled away soundlessly, tasked with following Renji from a distance. She would know soon enough whether today's encounter was as innocent as it seemed.
Beside her, Itachi tugged lightly at her sleeve. "Mom… was that big brother a ninja? He's good with words, but he didn't look strong."
Mikoto shook her head. "No… he shouldn't be a shinobi. I didn't sense any hint of chakra flow from him. More like a trader, or perhaps a civilian. What do you think of him, Itachi?"
The boy frowned in thought. "He seems like a nice guy. But… he wouldn't survive in a fight."
Mikoto's heart tightened. She looked at her son, his face far too composed for his age.
'He's been affected by the battlefield more than we realized… I shouldn't have agreed when Fugaku insisted on taking him there.'
She adjusted Sasuke in her arms, her resolve firming.
'I'll have to keep a close eye on him… and do whatever I can to help him heal.'
Renji POV
Renji wandered through the village streets, his steps aimless but his mind far from still. The encounter with Mikoto and her sons replayed in his thoughts.
'That was… unexpected. Now that I think about it, I was a bit too bold. The Uchiha are probably already under surveillance. Talking to her so casually might put me under the microscope for a while.'
He exhaled slowly, shoulders tensing, before forcing himself to relax.
'Still, I have sufficient alibis. Even my memory loss is backed up by evidence—the medic who checked my head and confirmed the trauma. Unless someone decides to dig deep—or worse, tries to read my mind—I should pass any investigation.'
His lips curved in a faint smile.
'Besides… I'm just a civilian. And my meeting with Mikoto was purely accidental, brief at best. That shouldn't be enough to trigger anything serious. Not even Root.'
By then he noticed it: a black, wavy ponytail trailing him, keeping a steady distance from him. Turning back casually, he tried to spot the owner, but he couldn't, even after knowing exactly when she would be, considering he could sense her hair. He then focused on the ponytail in his mind space, holding it gently with his perception. Emotions flowed through the hair—suspicion, caution, pride, hunger.
'Pride—definitely an Uchiha kunoichi.'
His lips twitched.
'Seriously, are they cats? So proud. Maybe that's why they end up forming contracts with ninja cats.'
He then realized she was probably sent to investigate him after his talk with Mikoto.
'Let's ignore it and go about my day,' he thought. 'She should leave once she's satisfied.'
Then a mischievous idea popped up.
'Or... I could take her on a tour of the village, wear her out, make her hungrier. It's risky, but could be fun—to mess with a serious Uchiha.'
'I've been on edge ever since I came to this world. Maybe it's only fair to pass some of my stress onto others. Share the load a bit.' He could feel his lips twitching in to a smile at the thought.
He decided to act on it immediately. With the allowance Teuchi had pressed into his hands that morning, he went from stall to stall in the market district. Charred skewers of yakitori, steaming dumplings, fried sweet buns—he bought a little of everything, eating each one painfully slow, savoring every bite as though it were a feast.
Focusing on the black ponytail in his mind space, he felt the emotions ripple through. Her hunger increased with every bite, until he swore he could almost hear a stomach growl.
'Haha, this is too easy.'
He pushed it further. From the market, he wandered into the hospital grounds still crowded with wounded shinobi, then strolled boldly past the Hokage's office, where ANBU flickered in and out of the shadows. He even looped near the Hyūga compound, where stern eyes watched everyone close. And through it all, he continued to munch on his snacks as if nothing in the world mattered more.
Every time he approached a place like that, the ponytail would whip away at full speed, retreating to avoid the detection seals and patrols guarding those areas. When he left, she had to scramble back, always finding him again.
Not once did she manage to eat. Whenever Renji felt her drifting too close to a food stall, he would casually do something to snag her attention—a sudden turn, a lingering step near a guard post. It was just enough to keep her hungry, watching, and frustrated.
By evening, the emotions pulsing through the black ponytail shifted—resentment flared alongside the hunger. Renji smirked to himself.
'Haha, there it is.'
'I should stop now. Any more, and she might start throwing kunai at me.'
With that thought, he turned back toward the familiar glow of the ramen shop. After greeting Teuchi, he freshened up quickly and joined him behind the counter to help with the evening rush.
It wasn't long before the door slid open and a new customer stepped inside. A kunoichi in her late teens—striking, with shiny jet-black hair tied into a high ponytail, bangs sweeping neatly to the left. On her back, the crimson Uchiha fan stood bold against the dark fabric of her jacket.
He recognized her immediately by the ponytail.
'That's her alright.' He didn't show anything on his face, and continued to deal with other customers.
Her gaze flicked toward him, and for a fleeting instant, resentment showed in her black eyes. Then, just as quickly, it was gone—smoothed over into a calm, unreadable expression. She sighed to herself, 'It wasn't his fault'. She turned away from him and addressed Teuchi.
"Two bowls of ramen, please."
Renji kept his amusement hidden as she alternated between eating and slipping subtle questions about him into casual conversation with Teuchi. By the time she had finished her ramen, both her hunger and suspicion were almost.
He knew, of course—because in his mind space, he was still gently holding onto her soft ponytail, sensing every flicker of emotion that she was feeling.
After lingering a little longer, she seemed to decide she had gathered enough to report back. Rising from her seat, she gave Renji one last look before she turned and left.
Renji pretended not to notice. Only once the door closed behind her did he allow a small smile to curve across his lips.
'I've got a feeling I'll be seeing her again.'
Meanwhile, the kunoichi made her way straight to the hospital—to verify for herself the claims of Renji's memory loss. She verified it with a medic, the same one that checked on Renji before that he suffered injuries to his head, causing some trauma to the brain. This could lead to memory loss. Satisfied, she left to report to Mikoto.