After a night of rain and wind, the remnants of last night's indulgence lingered as Fuma opened his eyes to a scene of sweet chaos. Tsunade lay peacefully on his chest, her arms wrapped around him, softly snoring.
Feeling the weight on his chest, Fuma smiled contentedly. He turned his head to gaze at her face. Her skin was smooth like porcelain, her eyes closed like water apricots, and her light blonde hair cascaded like silk.
Despite being asleep, she had a faint smile on her lips, making her look incredibly adorable. Not only was she beautiful and from a prestigious family, but she also had a noble character and unmatched strength.
To have such a girlfriend, Fuma, an Uchiha, considered himself the luckiest.
Feeling a surge of belonging, Fuma found himself more grounded in this world. Tsunade stirred, rubbed her head against his chest like a kitten, and smiled contentedly before planting a kiss on his cheek.
"You're already awake?" she asked.
"Yeah," Fuma replied.
"Why are you staring at me?" she teased.
"Because you're beautiful," he said.
"You didn't say I was beautiful yesterday," Tsunade pouted playfully.
"What did I say then?" Fuma asked.
"You only said you loved me," she retorted with a coquettish glance.
Fuma reached out and pulled the curtains closed. The morning sunlight was too bright.
-----------------------
In the Hokage's office, Fuma was discussing techniques with the Third Hokage.
"Since the Eight Gates technique isn't available to me right now, that's fine," Fuma said, waving his hand. He had expected this outcome. After all, being an Uchiha meant his power had to be controlled by the Hokage's faction.
"The village has been considering it for a long time. The 'Eight Gates' has its risks, especially with a major battle approaching. We're worried about the potential hazards," the Third Hokage said earnestly.
Looking at the Hokage's sincere face, Fuma shook his head inwardly, thinking about the old man's calculative nature.
"In that case, exchanging for the 'Flying Thunder God' and the 'Mutual Multiplying Explosive Tags' should be no problem, right?" Fuma asked.
The Third Hokage was momentarily stunned. These were signature techniques of the Second Hokage. An Uchiha wanting to learn the Second Hokage's techniques? Truly, Fuma was a unique Uchiha in every way.
"There shouldn't be a problem with that. However, no one has been able to comprehend the Flying Thunder God Technique since the Second Hokage," he reminded.
"Fifty-five jōnin have attempted it, but none have succeeded," he added, trying to be helpful.
"No problem," Fuma said confidently.
"By the way, Hokage-sama, I'm now officially part of your faction," Fuma said, smiling as he left.
"What?" the Third Hokage murmured, confused by what Fuma meant by being a "legitimate" member of his faction.
------------
At the Uchiha compound, in the elder's training ground, Fuma observed three youngsters before him: one with red hair, one with yellow hair, and one with a spiky head.
These three were heavyweights in their own right—a pure-blood Uzumaki, a direct descendant of the Senju, and a civilian prodigy.
Fuma crossed his arms and looked at the three of them. "Alright, even though we already know each other, let's introduce ourselves formally."
"I'm Fuma Uchiha, 24 years old. I specialize in taijutsu and enjoy cooking. By the way, Tsunade is my fiancée."
The three youngsters' mouths fell open in shock. Fiancée?!
Minato was the most surprised, recalling the fierce battle from the legion commander selection. Just a few days ago, these two were at each other's throats, and now they were engaged?
"Fuma-sensei, I, Minato, am truly impressed and honored to be your student!" Minato thought to himself.
Meanwhile, Nawaki excitedly approached, scrutinizing Fuma up close. With a standard bow, he loudly proclaimed, "Thank you so much for taking care of my sister!"
Fuma almost couldn't keep a straight face. What kind of sibling relationship was this? But this brother-in-law seemed interesting.
"Alright, Nawaki, you go first with your introduction," Fuma said, patting Nawaki's head.
"I'm Nawaki, 13 years old. I like making friends and have a lot of chakra. I specialize in water and earth release. I love sukiyaki, and my dream is to become Hokage!" Nawaki declared.
"Good energy," Fuma thought, feeling Nawaki had the spirit of a shōnen protagonist.
"Your turn, Minato," Fuma said.
"I'm Minato Namikaze, 13 years old. I specialize in the Body Flicker Technique, enjoy reading, and love everything Fuma-sensei cooks. My current goal is to master the Ultra Big Ball Rasengan!" Minato said earnestly.
"Minato, I think you meant the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, right?" Fuma asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Ah, no, it's the Ultra—"
Kushina quickly covered Minato's mouth and coughed, starting her introduction.
"I'm Kushina Uzumaki, also 13. I have a lot of chakra and specialize in sealing techniques. I hate tomatoes and love spending time with Minato!" she said, smiling.
Minato nodded with a smile, while Nawaki frowned, deep in thought.
Fuma handed each of them some materials.
"Hey, sensei, don't we have to pass some kind of team test?" Nawaki asked curiously.
Fuma patted their heads and began to explain their powerful backgrounds.
"Nawaki is the grandson of the First Hokage and Tsunade's brother.
"Kushina is a relative of Mito-sama and Tsunade's sister.
"Minato is my first disciple, for whom I traded my war merits to get his favorite forbidden technique."
"Do you think I would refuse to take you on if you failed some test?" Fuma asked, giving Nawaki a sideways glance.
He then gestured for them to check their materials. Even Danzo would be speechless seeing these three and their powerful connections.
Nawaki's materials included two books: [The Past and Present of Explosive Tags] and [How to Use Explosive Tags Effectively], authored by "Wandering Hanzo."
These were written by Hanzo in his youth, when he was still finding his path as a warrior and ninja. He had mastered the use of explosive tags to the extent of even using them to sever Nagato's legs in his sixties. They would be perfect for Nawaki to study.
Kushina received two notebooks: [Essentials of Chakra Application] and [The Essence of Taijutsu], authored by Fuma Uchiha.
These were Fuma's insights from years of taijutsu practice, filled with precise techniques for power and combat. Considering her lineage, Kushina's talents were similar to Tsunade's, with an added aptitude for sealing techniques.
Minato was a special case. Fuma and he shared a knowing smile as Fuma handed him the "Flying Thunder God" scroll.
Spatial aptitude was a mysterious thing, and even Orochimaru struggled with it using scientific means. Given Minato's talent, starting early might lead to the creation of the Flying Thunder God Eighteenth Form.
Clearing his throat, Fuma said, "These are my gifts to you. I'll test you on them in three days."
Nawaki, still unsatisfied, raised his hand. "Sensei, who is this Hanzo? He doesn't seem famous at all."
Understanding Nawaki's struggles with studies, Fuma sighed inwardly.
He pulled out a scroll with an S-rank seal and waved it in front of Nawaki.
"I've prepared this S-rank jutsu for you. Read those two books first, and then I'll teach you."
Nawaki's eyes sparkled with excitement at the mention of an S-rank jutsu, though he seemed worried about the reading.
Looking at Kushina, Fuma squatted down and said with a pout, "I wanted to get you something powerful too, but the Third Hokage is holding back on my pay."
"Really? That old man Hokage!" Kushina fumed.
"Don't worry, I have plenty of taijutsu techniques to teach you!" Fuma reassured, handing her another book, [On the Offense and Defense of Sealing Techniques], by Uzumaki Masahiko.
Seeing the familiar name, Kushina felt a pang of sadness.
Fuma sighed, remembering when the Land of Whirlpools was destroyed when he was only sixteen. Collecting such precious materials was an emotional task.
"Thank you, sensei," Kushina said, touched by the gesture.
Checking his watch, Fuma instructed, "We'll meet here in three days at 9 a.m. for a reading report and practical training."
"Dismissed!"
_______________________
Upto 20 chapters ahead on patreon :-
patreon.com/ShadySmuggler