"Captain!!!"
Nonō's pupils widened as she cried out, her voice trembling with emotion.
She stared at the scroll held in her hands, carefully examining the Byakugan sealed within. Even after a lifetime of serving the Root organization with tireless devotion, she never would have received such a reward.
It was the first time someone other than the orphaned children had ever shown her care or value. Her nose suddenly tingled, and she stood frozen on the spot, overwhelmed.
"…"
Ao withdrew his envious gaze.
Previously, he had always felt proud of possessing the Byakugan—but now, seeing Nonō receive such an opportunity, he suddenly felt like his own eye wasn't that impressive after all.
Uchiha Yu turned away and looked out over the grasslands.
Just like Mei Terumi had earlier, Nonō lifted the hem of her habit-like dress, which accentuated her soft curves. She adjusted her posture, knelt formally, bowed with the scroll cradled in both hands, and expressed her heartfelt gratitude:
"Thank you, Captain!"
Uchiha Yu nodded lightly.
Mei Terumi: "…"
Her delicate brows lifted slightly as her beautiful eyes swept over Nonō's figure, barely constrained by her black nun's robes. She couldn't help but grumble internally, 'Even the kneeling posture is exactly the same?'
"Captain…"
In Nonō's eyes, Uchiha Yu—bathed in the light of the rising sun—seemed to be surrounded by a golden radiance. Sacred. Untainted. Perfect. She was captivated.
And then—
A look of shock spread across Nonō's face. She had only ever extracted or transplanted eyes for other people before…
But Uchiha Yu had already anticipated this.
Casting a glance at Shizune, who stood beside Tsunade, he said:
"Shizune, go help her."
He brought them back with a purpose. There was no way Uchiha Yu would keep Tsunade and Shizune around for free.
Nonō exhaled deeply.
She figured that, being Tsunade's companion, Shizune must be a skilled medical ninja as well.
"Y-Yes!"
Shizune blushed slightly at being called upon, and instinctively glanced at the fuming Tsunade beside her.
"Shizune, why did you agree so quickly?" Tsunade demanded.
"Well…"
Shizune furrowed her brows, her eyes flickering with unease. She handed the little pig Tonton to Tsunade and whispered softly:
"My lady, if we just go along with him, maybe we'll suffer less in the future."
Tsunade: "…"
She could only watch as Shizune walked over to Nonō. Deep down, she understood: even if Shizune hadn't agreed, Uchiha Yu would have used genjutsu to make her comply.
Shizune approached Nonō and gently warned:
"Please bear with it."
The eye transplant surgery began.
Izumi, Tamayo, and Minami, along with many other Uchiha, all gathered around curiously—they were quite interested in how the Byakugan would be transplanted.
Orochimaru, however, wasn't interested at all. Compared to manmade transplants, he was far more intrigued by what kind of child might be born from a union between Tsunade and Uchiha Yu. That, after all, was a true miracle of nature!
Mei Terumi and Ao also watched closely.
"Ah—!"
As Nonō let out a stifled cry of pain, Shizune's expression grew solemn. Her hands moved swiftly and steadily, though they were stained with blood as she unleashed precise medical ninjutsu.
The gathered Uchiha quickly realized: this plainly dressed but beautiful woman was actually a highly skilled medical ninja.
Everyone agreed—reviving the Uchiha Clan would require a lot of talent across many fields.
Behind the crowd, Tsunade, as a top medical ninja, sensed the chakra flow of healing techniques and instinctively turned to look.
She completely forgot that she suffered from hemophobia.
Previously, when Shizune had taken her to watch battles, Tsunade only dared to observe from distant cliffs, far enough not to see any blood. And with the rain constantly falling, even spilled blood would be immediately diluted and washed away.
But after Uchiha Yu captured them, he had activated Itachi's Susanoo, slaughtering Konoha shinobi with the Totsuka Blade.
The intense flames from the sword evaporated their blood on contact.
So, along this whole journey, this was actually the first time Tsunade had seen blood up close.
"Ugh—"
Now, face-to-face with that vivid red color, Tsunade's entire body trembled violently.
She hugged Tonton tightly, her limbs going weak, and she collapsed to her knees on the cold, scaly surface of the giant snake.
"…"
Tsunade's pupils trembled as her face turned deathly pale. Her lips lost all color as the memories that haunted her came crashing back like a tidal wave.
In that moment of agony and dread, even Jiraiya's death seemed small in comparison.
Uchiha Yu glanced at Tsunade.
He slowly walked toward her, grabbed her wrist, and yanked her up.
"N-No… Don't…"
Tsunade's pupils were bloodshot as she stared blankly at Uchiha Yu, her face twisted with fear. Her breath came in heavy gasps, warm like orchids on the wind.
Her entire body radiated helplessness and fragility. All traces of her earlier arrogance and fierceness had completely vanished.
Smack—
The little pig in her arms tumbled to the ground as she was pulled to her feet. It stood still, wide-eyed, gazing up at Uchiha Yu and its trembling master.
Uchiha Yu looked down at Tsunade, who had instinctively crouched down again. From the way her body trembled, it was clear just how severe her hemophobia truly was.
Tsunade was dazed, her spirit broken, completely pliable in his hands. There wasn't a trace left of her once-proud title as one of the Legendary Sannin.
Uchiha Yu dragged her to the front of the giant serpent's head, away from the surgical site.
He let go of her now-reddened, slender wrist.
"Ugh—"
Tsunade winced in pain, recoiling quickly and shrinking back in fear. She hugged her knees as she crouched again.
The little pig trotted over on its stubby legs and snuggled up against her thigh.
From above, Uchiha Yu glanced down at Tsunade once more, then lost interest.
Orochimaru and Kimimaro stood nearby, having watched the entire scene unfold. A smile played on Orochimaru's lips as he silently mused:
"Uchiha Yu is truly a good man."
The eye transplant was complete.
Shizune used a handkerchief to gently wipe the blood from the corners of Nonō's eyes.
"Lady Tsunade!"
After cleaning her own hands, Shizune noticed something was wrong. Her face filled with worry as she rushed over to Tsunade's side.
She had specifically arranged for the Uchiha to block Tsunade's view during the operation...
Frowning, Shizune wrapped her arms around Tsunade, relieved that Uchiha Yu had pulled her away in time. Otherwise, the consequences could have been disastrous.
On the other side—
As the pain faded, Nonō slowly opened her eyes. The Byakugan—once belonging to Hiashi Hyuga—lay quietly in her eye sockets, pale as paper, with pale lavender irises.
The sunlight streaming down from above was harsh, but after blinking a few times, her vision gradually cleared.
What she saw now was several times clearer than what she'd experienced with her old round glasses.
Even the motes of dust floating in the air were visible.
The curious faces of the surrounding Uchiha grew sharper in her new eyes.
Tamao's baby face beamed with innocence as he grinned and said, "You're awake! The surgery was a success!"
"Everyone…"
Overwhelmed, Nonō slowly sat up on the cold serpent scales, responding to the crowd's warm smiles.
"With new eyes, I feel so much more energetic!"
"We Uchiha now have Byakugan too."
The clan members buzzed with excitement.
To everyone watching, the curvaceous Nonō in her black nun's habit now had an entirely different air about her. The Byakugan had transformed her temperament dramatically.
She appeared gentler, more beautiful—her pale, elegant face and soft blonde hair combined with the clarity of the Byakugan gave her an aura of grace and intelligence.
If the Uchiha didn't already know her, any outsider would surely mistake her for a member of the Hyuga Clan with an unusual hair color.
"C-Captain…"
Nonō approached Uchiha Yu, cautiously lifting her gaze to steal a look at his side profile.
That chiseled face—clean and sharp—came into view.
Her breathing quickened. For the first time, she could appreciate one of the Creator's finest works without the help of glasses.
Before, she had joined the Uchiha Clan because of political pressure and Uchiha Yu's threats.
Now… she was willing to do anything for him.
Uchiha Yu examined the newly transformed Nonō and gave a slight nod. Then, turning to Ao beside Mei Terumi, he said calmly:
"Go learn how to use these eyes from him."
Upon hearing this, Nonō followed his gaze.
She saw Ao's face twist in conflict.
Under normal circumstances, Ao would have flatly refused.
But given that Kirigakure was currently in need of Uchiha Yu—and under immense pressure from him—he had no choice but to nod and agree.
°°°
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