Back at the training ground, the others kept chatting about various things, including the fact that Sakura, Ino and Choji were going to participate in the upcoming chunin exams.
After Sasuke leaving the village, followed by Naruto, Sakura didn't have a team to participate in the exams with.
On the other hand, Ino and Choji had participated before but didn't get promoted. That's why this time as Sakura was also willing to participate, they wanted to do it together.
One by one, they all gradually began to leave, the tension that had once filled the air dissipated, leaving behind a calmer, more relaxed atmosphere.
Maki stretched her arms behind her head and turned to Akane with a playful grin. "Well, that was eventful."
Akane chuckled, her usual stoic demeanor softening. "It's certainly better than the boring days we used to spend."
Maki nodded before Akane suddenly turned to her. "Hey, why don't you come over to our house for lunch? We can also pick up Keita from the academy on the way."
Maki's eyes lit up at the mention of her younger brother. "That sounds great! I'm sure Keita would love to meet your mom."
With that, they began their walk to the academy. The conversation flowed effortlessly between them as they made their way through the bustling village streets.
Upon reaching the academy, the sounds of children's laughter and the faint chatter of students greeted them.
Keita, with his striking green hair that mirrored Maki's, spotted them quickly and ran over, his face lighting up. "Onee-chan! Akane-nee-chan!"
Maki ruffled her brother's hair affectionately. "Yo, Keita! I've got a surprise for you." She gestured toward Kenshin. "This is Kenshin, Akane's little brother."
Keita stared up at Kenshin, his wide eyes filled with curiosity. "Wow, you're tall! And your hair's so red!" he exclaimed, his gaze flicking between Akane and Kenshin.
"But why is it red? Akane-nee-chan has black hair." Keita asked with a confused expression.
Kenshin smiled warmly, glancing at Akane. "Our parents had different hair. She got our father's hair, and I got my mother's. You'll meet her soon, Keita-kun."
Keita nodded in understanding before his expression turned curious again."Are you strong like Akane-nee-chan?"
Kenshin chuckled and knelt slightly to be on Keita's level. "I get by, but I believe Akane is stronger."
Keita looked impressed, his eyes widening even more. "That's still so cool! Akane-nee-chan is really strong, just like my sister!"
After some more light-hearted conversation, the group made their way to the Uchiha compound. By the time they arrived, the sun was high in the sky, signaling that it was already lunchtime.
When they entered the house, they found Kana fast asleep on the dining table, her arms resting on its surface. In front of her, lunch had already been prepared, though it seemed she had drifted off before anyone had arrived.
Akane smiled softly at the sight of her mother. "It looks like she worked herself too hard."
Kana stirred at the sound of their voices and slowly opened her eyes, blinking in confusion for a moment before recognizing them.
Her face immediately brightened, and she sat up with a wide grin. "Oh, you're back! Welcome home, everyone!"
Kana stretched her arms with a warm smile, her tiredness vanishing as she greeted them. "I must have dozed off waiting. Did everything go well?"
Keita, full of energy, took the opportunity to speak up first. "Hi! I'm Keita!" His green hair bounced as he ran over to Kana, looking up at her with wide eyes. "Maki's little brother. You're Kenshin-nii-chan's mom right? Your hair is just like his!"
Kana laughed softly, bending down to be at Keita's level. "It's nice to meet you, Keita-kun." She glanced up at Maki with a gentle smile before returning her attention to the young boy. "You're in the academy right? How was your day?"
"It was fun! We practiced shuriken throwing, and I did pretty good," Keita replied with enthusiasm, his eyes lighting up as he talked about his day. "I hit the bullseye three times!"
Kana chuckled and ruffled his hair. "That's impressive. I'm sure you'll get even better with more practice."
Kana then turned her gaze to Kenshin, who was standing quietly next to Akane. "So, how did meeting Akane-chan's friends go?" she asked, her tone curious but relaxed.
Kenshin glanced at Akane before giving Kana a brief rundown of the events from earlier. "It was... interesting. Everyone was friendly, and I sparred with a couple of them.
Maki helped smooth things over, and we talked about the upcoming chunin exams. Three of them are actually planning on participating in it, and the others are already chunin. One of them even became Jonin recently."
Kana smiled softly. "I'm glad you're getting along with everyone."
Akane, sensing the shift in conversation, leaned forward with a grin. "Mom, you should've seen the look on everyone's faces when Kenshin used his ability. It was priceless."
Kana laughed. "I'm sure it was. That power isn't something you see everyday."
Kenshin smiled modestly. "I just did what was needed. I got injured a bit and had to use that power."
Kana beamed proudly at him before gesturing to the table. "Well, lunch is ready, so why don't we all sit down and eat together?"
As they sat down for dinner, the soft clinking of utensils against plates filled the air. The atmosphere was relaxed, the earlier intensity of the day melting away as they shared a meal together.
Kana glanced at Kenshin between bites and then asked, "So, Ken-chan, about the transplant... is it happening tomorrow?"
Kenshin nodded, swallowing a bite of food before replying, "Yeah, it's supposed to be done in the morning."
Maki, who had been sipping on her tea, paused mid-drink, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Transplant? What transplant?"
Keita, sitting next to her, looked equally puzzled, his green hair catching the light as he tilted his head.
Akane grinned, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she leaned forward. "We're exchanging eyes."
Both Maki and Keita stared at her in stunned silence, their confusion only deepening. Maki blinked a few times, trying to process what she'd just heard. "Wait, what?"
"You heard her," Kenshin chimed in, sharing a knowing look with Akane. "We're swapping eyes."
The sheer bewilderment on Maki and Keita's faces was too much. Both Kenshin and Akane burst into laughter, the sound light and carefree, cutting through the tension.
Maki set her tea down, crossing her arms with a skeptical look. "You guys are messing with us, right? Or is this like a normal thing among Uchiha?"
Keita scratched his head, still trying to wrap his mind around the idea. "Do you get a new power with that or something?"
Before either Kenshin or Akane could answer, the scene shifted to the previous day.
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First of all, thanks for sticking with me, it means a lot to me. I've been really tired and a bit unmotivated these days but I'm a bit better now. I'll try to upload regularly now.
So comment and give me your power stones to motivate me further. Again, thanks for reading this fic and I hope you'll stick with me till I finish the story.