NOVEL NEXT Chapter 20: Contract with Mikoto
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"Really? Congratulations! It seems you've finally achieved your wish!"
Uchiha Mikoto's face lit up with joy, genuinely happy for Kaito.
She knew how much Kaito had wanted to train in the past but had been unable to due to his frail body. Now, it seemed his wish was coming true.
"Kaito, you're back? Come and help with the dishes—we're about to eat!"
From the kitchen came the voice of Uchiha Jiri.
"Coming!"
Kaito quickly responded and headed to the kitchen with Mikoto. Before long, they finished serving the rest of the dishes and sat down at the table.
"Wow! Aunt Jiri, your cooking keeps getting better! This is delicious!" Mikoto exclaimed as soon as she tasted the food, her eyes lighting up with delight.
"Haha, I'm glad you like it! Eat as much as you want!" Jiri said with a warm smile, but her tone suddenly grew more serious. "Other than being tasty, do you notice anything else?"
"Huh?"
Mikoto paused, confused, and glanced at Jiri. Noticing the curious look in Jiri's eyes, Mikoto focused on the sensations in her body.
"That's strange... The food feels highly nutritious. There's this warmth spreading through my stomach and into the rest of my body. I feel lighter, and even the fatigue from recent training seems to have eased significantly. My cells feel like they're craving this warmth... It's incredible!"
"Aunt Jiri, what kind of meat is this?" Mikoto asked, her expression full of shock.
Jiri smiled mysteriously and gestured toward Kaito. "You'll have to ask Kaito—he brought it!"
"Oh?" Mikoto turned to Kaito with a questioning look.
Without wasting words, Kaito raised his hand, and an intricate rune formed at his brow before floating toward Mikoto. "Touch this mark and accept it. Then you'll understand everything."
Mikoto stared at the mysterious symbol, bewildered. From the moment Kaito returned, he had been shrouded in secrecy. Now he was displaying abilities she had never seen before.
After a quick glance at Jiri, who nodded encouragingly, Mikoto made up her mind and reached out to touch the mark.
The moment she did, a voice echoed in her mind, asking if she was willing to form a contract with Kaito. The contract promised great benefits but also required her to submit to Kaito's authority to some extent.
Clenching her teeth, Mikoto chose to accept, trusting that neither Kaito nor Aunt Jiri would harm her.
The mark dissolved into her hand and quickly traveled to her brow, settling into her spiritual sea as a rune-shaped door. Suddenly, an influx of information flooded her mind—about the Space-Time Gate and the world of One Piece.
Mikoto fell silent as she absorbed this newfound knowledge. Compared to what Jiri had received earlier, the amount of information was overwhelming. Kaito had deliberately included additional details about navigating maps and the One Piece world, sparing himself from explaining everything repeatedly.
After a while, Mikoto opened her eyes, staring at Kaito and Jiri in disbelief. "This... Is all of this real? Another world? So this meat is from... a Sea King?"
"Exactly." Kaito nodded affirmatively. "Eating more will benefit you. It'll enhance your physical strength, vitality, and chakra reserves.
"Starting tomorrow, set aside some time each day to train with me in the One Piece world. Strengthening your body is crucial."
While he considered having Mikoto help map out the One Piece world, her strength at nine years old was barely at a regular Genin's level. For now, it was better to focus on her training.
There would be plenty of opportunities to rely on her in the future.
"Huh?" Mikoto was taken aback. She glanced at Jiri, who nodded in approval, and then looked at Kaito. "Alright, but you know I still have school. I might only be available after class and in the evenings."
"Do you know the Shadow Clone Jutsu?" Kaito asked.
"Of course!" Mikoto replied. As the granddaughter of the clan's second elder and a naturally talented kunoichi, she had mastered it long ago.
"Then use a clone to attend school. Your real body will come to the One Piece world to train with me," Kaito decided firmly.
"Is that even allowed?" Mikoto mused aloud before nodding thoughtfully. "Alright, I'll use this method except during practical combat lessons."
The chance to train in another world and grow stronger was too good to pass up. Since Aunt Jiri approved, Mikoto had no doubts about its benefits.
After dinner, Kaito brought Mikoto to Drum Island in the One Piece world and introduced her to Kureha.
"Kureha-san, this is my cousin, Uchiha Mikoto. She'll be training here regularly. I'm just showing her around for now."
"Nice to meet you, Kureha-san. Mikoto, this is Kureha-san, a top-tier doctor—she's amazing!"
"Oh?" Kureha looked at Mikoto with mild curiosity. "Another Uchiha, huh? I'm Kureha. Feel free to treat this place as your own."
"Hello, Kureha-san," Mikoto greeted politely with a bow.
"Haha, a polite one! That's rare. Your cousin practically lives here," Kureha said with a chuckle, clearly amused.
After acquainting Mikoto with the environment, Kaito took her to a training room he had set up. "Today, I'll teach you a technique called Longevity Cultivation Technique. It's a method to improve your body, relieve fatigue, heal internal injuries, and even slow aging. It'll also help you absorb the nutrients from Sea King meat more effectively."
He spent half an hour teaching Mikoto the technique, guiding her step by step until she managed to get the basics down. Though her progress was fast, especially with her Sharingan aiding her learning, it was clear that Jiri had surpassed her initial attempts.
At nine years old, Mikoto had already awakened her two-tomoe Sharingan, earning her the title of a prodigy within the clan.
Meanwhile, Kaito mused silently, "No wonder she gave birth to geniuses like Itachi and Sasuke in the original timeline. With her talent, it's clear she was the real deal, not Fugaku."
Mikoto's future accomplishments had likely been limited by her early marriage and lack of further training. Otherwise, her potential would have far surpassed mere three-tomoe Sharingan. Kaito smirked, already envisioning a brighter path for her.
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