Chapter 11: Miss Samui, You Wouldn't Want to…
Konoha had only been founded a few decades ago. Before that, the world was in the Warring States period, with various shinobi clans locked in constant battles.
As a result, many different cultures coexisted within the village.
For example, in Jiraiya's Team 6—the one Minato Namikaze was part of—there was a dark-skinned teammate with thick lips resembling sausages. This was briefly shown in *Naruto Gaiden: A Whirlwind in a Vortex*, which focused on how Minato developed the Rasengan… and on Kushina's suffocating life within the village.
"Seiji, you will always be one of us, from Kumogakure," Samodo said with a pause, then continued: "When you graduate and go on your first mission, we'll take you back. Once you're in the village, you'll receive the best training we can offer."
The current political climate was tense—the signs of a Third Shinobi World War were beginning to show. Now wasn't the ideal time to bring Seiji back. They had to wait until chaos made it easier.
"You will become the first clan head of the Uchiha in the Hidden Cloud!" Samodo was visibly excited.
But Seiji didn't share his enthusiasm. He'd seen plenty of people who promised the moon.
"The Uchiha have treated me well. They've even taught me their jutsu…"
His tone carried an unspoken meaning.
Samodo instantly picked up on it—he was bargaining.
"Lord Raikage values you greatly. He even allowed us to bring some of our own jutsu scrolls," Samodo said as he produced a scroll.
Seiji took it and unrolled it. It was a D-rank scroll titled: Lightning Style: Spark Finger.
In the shinobi world, a jutsu's rank didn't reflect its power; it indicated how difficult it was to learn. E-rank techniques were those any academy student could pick up. D-rank was suitable for Genin. C-rank was for Chūnin, and B-rank was for Jōnin. Beyond that, the majority of ninja would never learn the higher ranks.
Even a capable Jōnin might only master a few B-rank techniques in their lifetime. A-rank jutsu were considered "forbidden" for a reason. They were highly advanced and often dangerous—some consumed vast amounts of chakra or severely harmed the user. Anyone with low chakra reserves had no hope of using A-rank techniques safely.
Mastering even a single A-rank jutsu would instantly make a ninja stand out among their peers. And S-rank? Those were considered secret arts or ultimate techniques, far beyond reach for most.
Seiji skimmed the Spark Finger scroll. It only enhanced the cells in the index and middle fingers slightly. Despite the name, "Spark Finger" merely produced a few nearly invisible Sparks of static electricity.
Not exactly groundbreaking.
Samodo noticed the change in Seiji's expression and gave a sly smile, his eyes narrowing. "We have eyes and ears in Konoha. We know—Uchiha never taught you any of their jutsu. Why go through all that trouble? They don't recognize you. We do. If you want more advanced techniques… come home to the Hidden Cloud."
Samodo's voice was full of tempting promise, as if missing this opportunity would mean Seiji was throwing away the one chance to change his entire life.
"I'll have to think about it," Seiji replied calmly, taking the scroll and walking away. Kumogakure wasn't stupid—they wouldn't just hand over valuable resources freely. They were simply trying to bait him, to lure him in.
---
"Lord Samodo." After Seiji left, Samodo exited the hidden chamber and made his way to the third floor of the sushi shop, where he could overlook the streets from above. By now, most of the customers had gone. This shop only operated during the day and closed early in the evening.
The other staff were cleaning up, and the last few guests were making their way out.
"Yotsuki Seiji likely has no intention of returning to the Hidden Cloud," Samui said coldly. She was always the analytical type.
Samodo had claimed the Uchiha hadn't passed on any techniques to Seiji, that they didn't recognize him. But that, she knew, was only temporary. Once the Uchiha clan saw Seiji's worth, they would certainly pass their techniques on to him. She couldn't imagine Seiji giving that up. Most likely, she and Samodo were wasting their time.
"No," Samodo smiled faintly. "He will. Sooner or later."
Let Samui be skeptical—that was fine. His brother belonged to the militant faction of Kumogakure. Samodo knew far more than most. The entire shinobi world was teetering on the edge. Discontent was growing in the villages. The warmongers were simply waiting for the right moment. When it came, they would plunge the world back into war.
---
Far away, Seiji stood on a street corner, hidden among the crowd. His expression was unreadable, shadowed by the falling night. Without anyone noticing, his left eye slowly opened.
A single tomoe Sharingan swirled to life. Chakra, refined into ocular power, began to flow. What was once just a blurry dot in the distance—the sushi shop—became crystal clear. Even with just one tomoe, Seiji's vision sharpened to an incredible level, like viewing things up close. He could see the staff closing down the shop, every movement, every breath.
Samodo and Samui's conversation… even their subtle facial expressions—he caught it all. In Boruto, Sarada, with her three-tomoe Sharingan, could see airborne viruses when she concentrated. Now, with just a single tomoe, Seiji could clearly observe things 100 to 200 meters away.
Watching their lips move, he carefully interpreted their conversation. Then, he lowered his head and shook it slightly. "The Uchiha don't acknowledge me… but when has the Hidden Cloud ever truly recognized me?"
He slowly raised his gaze again, letting it drift back to the sushi shop, locking onto the silhouette of Samui on the third floor. To him, neither the Uchiha nor Kumogakure felt like home. The Uchiha were cautious, not because they rejected him, but because they feared that mishandling his situation could tarnish their name.
If things went wrong, other outsiders with Uchiha blood might turn away from Konoha altogether. They weren't willing to gamble. And Kumogakure? They weren't interested in him as a person—they just wanted to control the Uchiha's kekkei genkai. To them, he was nothing more than breeding stock, a tool to extract power from. They would only exploit him until there was nothing left.
In the canon, Kumogakure had often been described as being run like a mafia clan—tight-knit, secretive, and expansionist by nature.
Seiji gently ran his fingers along the edge of the scroll, feeling the coarse texture of the paper. His gaze lingered on Samui, and in his eyes, a deeper, darker intent began to surface. Since things were this way, wasn't it only natural for him to scheme a little for his own benefit?
---
In the days that followed, Seiji's life returned to its usual rhythm—ninja academy, training after school, then back home. Until the sixth day.
Once again, Seiji returned to the sushi shop.
"Yot—guest, would you like to order the squid sushi again?" Samui asked.
But this time, Seiji didn't give the same answer.
"Miss Samui," he said with a faint smile, "you wouldn't want to be the reason I turn against the Hidden Cloud… would you?"