"This guy…"
Link watched as Yurika worked away as if no one else were around, and for a moment he wasn't sure what he should do. Even though she had been invited through Yamanaka Inoichi to join in deciphering codes, now it seemed that as soon as any clue appeared she had begun working without a word.
"Stop waiting," said a bespectacled, lab-coat-clad girl sitting at a nearby table. "Once Yurika enters work mode, she won't pay attention to anyone else."
"If I were you, I'd leave right now."
Link glanced over. The bespectacled girl pushed her glasses up and said, "I'm Shiho—Lord Yamanaka Inoichi's Subordinate."
"Nice to meet you. Please take care of me," he said politely; after all, as Yamanaka Inoichi's subordinate, they were theoretically all on the same side.
Yet it seemed that wherever he went he'd end up encountering people who knew Ino-Shika-Cho; that network was truly impressive.
Shiho nodded, then continued working with a very cold, businesslike air—as if completely lacking in social grace.
Link stayed in the Cryptology Division for a while, unsure what to do since everyone in the room was hard at work while he just stood there, foolishly watching Yurika work diligently. Finally, he decided to leave the Cryptology Division and wander over to the nearby Medical Corps building.
It had been a long time since he'd been there; everything was just as he remembered—no one on duty, the first-floor offices utterly empty of people, either because they were busy in the laboratories or had gone out to help or carry out missions.
He then ran to the library and borrowed several books about how to concoct medicinal herbs and prepare potent medicines. He buried himself in study.
Earlier that morning, his applications for the Flying Thunder God Technique and the Eight Gates Technique had already been submitted. The Third Hokage didn't seem surprised at all—in fact, the two advisors by his side were accustomed to his thirst for learning new ninjutsu.
For a village renowned for its genius with ninjutsu, it wasn't unexpected that Link would set his sights on the Flying Thunder God Technique; however, his interest in the Eight Gates Technique was slightly more surprising. After all, the Eight Gates is a serious high-level taijutsu skill—so advanced that no other physical technique can compare.
Based on Link's past performance in taijutsu, it seemed he wasn't really suited for learning a forbidden technique of that caliber. Still, part of that technique was originally teachable to students—it only truly entered the forbidden realm once one unlocked the Third Gate ("Gate of Life").
For the village, if the ninjas could learn it and then open their "gates" at crucial moments to access extra power, that was acceptable.
In short, alongside the application for those two techniques, his submission also included an application for forbidden technique training. Link figured that he was certainly not going to be granted any techniques like the "Dead Demon Consuming Seal/Reaper Death Seal" or "Edo Tensei/Impure World Reincarnation" jutsu.
But one had to try something. When he first became a Chūnin, he applied for over seventy techniques. Now, as a Special Jonin with a notable record from the Chūnin Exams—even if his achievements were sealed away to protect his identity—the higher-ups had to give him some face.
Ninjas have a very broad definition of "forbidden jutsu"—any technique that endangers the user's life qualifies. Yet there's a saying: People's constitutions differ; one can't generalize.
Don't even get me started on techniques like the Eight Gates—even if you open up all six gates or use the Morning Peacock, it wouldn't matter; when Naruto first devised the Rasenshuriken, its use was forbidden. But later, as his power soared, he was able to haphazardly toss it around.
What if, by some chance, his own constitution was particularly suited to certain techniques?
[It'll be dark soon—time to go home. Tomorrow, I'll go to Teacher's place and mooch some medicinal herbs…]
Link rubbed his eyes. Sometimes, the rigors of diligent study were exhausting. He rose, stretched, returned the books to their shelves, and left the Medical Corps building without delay.
On the way, he bought some ingredients and then dashed to the training ground, where he used a large amount of chakra to summon a Rashomon. He pushed his chakra usage to the limit—enough to let the souls of the dead roam the real world freely for several hours, so that cooking and eating wouldn't be a problem.
After discussing the general situation briefly with the Uchiha couple, the three of them returned to their apartment. Using a spare key given by Sasuke, they entered; Uchiha Mikoto carried the ingredients into the kitchen to get busy, while Uchiha Fugaku wandered around the room with a complicated expression before sitting on the sofa and sighing silently.
There was practically nothing in the room for entertainment or leisure—the television hadn't been turned on for ages, and the clothes were all neatly stacked in the closet.
Just looking at the room, one would think it belonged to a very well-behaved child. Yet as a father, Fugaku couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for his son.
…
"Ka—"
Uchiha Sasuke opened the door, and the aroma of a home-cooked meal flooded in.
"Sasuke's back—meal's not ready yet, though!" Uchiha Mikoto, wearing an apron, stood at the kitchen doorway with a bright smile, waving.
Link was sitting on the sofa watching television. The old TV, which hadn't been turned on for a long time, was now playing some funny program.
Father Uchiha Fugaku sat nearby, thumbing through a magazine whose origin he couldn't recall.
This familiar scene made Link feel a bit dazed.
"Sasuke-kun…" softly said Haruno Sakura, who stood at the door blocking it. "Oh."
Sasuke entered, followed by Sakura.
"And who might this be?"
Father Fugaku smiled kindly—a rare sight given his typically stern, intimidating appearance.
"Hello, Uncle. I'm Sakura, Sasuke's companion," Sakura said, handing over a gift she'd prepared.
"Oh my," Uchiha Mikoto peeked out from the kitchen with a beaming smile, her expression carrying an indescribable warmth.
Sakura bowed her head. "Hello, Auntie," she said softly before moving into the kitchen. With a face full of joy, she grabbed another apron from the table and added, "Auntie, I'll help out."
A shadow clone came along and closed the door.
Sasuke sat next to Link and his father. After a brief silence, he said, "Sorry, I'm late. Today Kakashi had a low-level mission that delayed me."
"Mm." Father Fugaku replied.
"That girl—" he began, but Sasuke interrupted, "She's just a companion," he emphasized.
Father Fugaku set aside his magazine and started chatting casually with his son.
Soon, Iris and Ami also arrived. The meal was ready and everyone sat down. Kakashi arrived fashionably late. As soon as he entered and caught sight of the Uchiha couple, his expression stiffened with helpless resignation.
("That brat is still misusing that technique…") he thought, then sat down.
"Thank you for taking care of our Sasuke…" Uchiha Mikoto said warmly and courteously.
Sakura, blushing and nestled close to Uchiha Mikoto, kept stealing almost heart-shaped glances at Sasuke, who was quietly eating.
Iris and Ami exchanged stories about their recent experiences. Their tasks when they were with Link had been of high level; tasks normally assigned to Genin were handled effortlessly, with little risk. Their conversation was filled with amusing anecdotes from their missions.
The meal was a joyful affair for both host and guests.
~~~
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