Naruto: Binding Uchiha Sasuke, Hundredfold Return

Returning to the employer's home, Kazuki's students—Kawano, Rika, and Soryu—conducted a thorough search under the guidance of the large, Big Yellow.

They moved from room to room, checked every closet, and searched every spot with even a hint of Mimi's scent, fearing the little cat might be hiding in some overlooked corner.

"No sign in the master bedroom!"

"No sign in the guest bedroom!"

"Nothing in the study!"

"Empty in the living room!"

"Kitchen clear!"

"Guest room—nothing!"

"Servants' quarters—still nothing!"

After turning the place upside down, the three still couldn't find Mimi. They began to doubt if their assumptions were wrong. Could Mimi really not be here?

Just as they were at a loss, the dog twitched its nose and sniffed near a wall, then let out a loud bark.

The three looked over to see nothing but a plain wall and dismissed it as unimportant.

"Stop barking, big guy. Maybe Mimi just marked that spot!" Kawano sighed, clearly exhausted.

"Woof! Woof!"

The dog ignored Kawano and kept barking, which finally drew Kawano's attention. He stepped forward, inspecting the surroundings but found nothing unusual. Then he knocked on the wall.

"Hmm?"

"It sounds hollow."

A hollow wall—definitely hiding something!

"Which room is on the other side?"

"That should be the study."

"The study... I'll go check it out. Wait here."

Kawano flipped over to the other side and entered the study. The room wasn't very big, barely one hundred square meters, walls included. But upon entering, Kawano noticed it seemed smaller than expected.

"That wall should be to the east. If that's the case…"

Scanning the area, he realized the hollow spot was behind a bookshelf filled with books, the shelf flush against the wall as if it were firmly fixed in place.

He tried pushing it, but it wouldn't budge.

"Could there be a hidden mechanism?"

Kawano found a small gap and knocked again, confirming it was indeed hollow. It seemed like there was a hidden room behind it.

Not knowing how to open it and reluctant to break anything, Kawano decided to find the young lady of the household for help. Unfortunately, she didn't know how to open the hidden room either, and her father was away, leaving no one to consult.

"Your cat may be inside that hidden room. If you don't know how to open it, we can either break it open, or you could wait for your father to return… But by then…"

Her father, a wealthy merchant, often traveled between countries and wouldn't return for over half a month. Waiting that long could mean Mimi would starve in there.

Eager to save her beloved cat, the young lady decided immediately, "Break it open!"

Just then, to everyone's surprise, the bookshelf began to move on its own. Kawano, who was tinkering with it, stepped back in shock.

"Ah! Why is it moving?!"

The bookshelf swung open, revealing a hidden space behind it. In the next moment, a small cat darted out.

"Meow~"

"Mimi!"

The young lady, thrilled to be reunited with her pet, hugged the cat close, unbothered by its dirty fur.

"How did you get in there? I was so worried!"

"Meow! Meow!"

While she couldn't understand the cat's replies, she could guess it had slipped inside at some point.

At that moment, Rika approached Kawano, glancing curiously at the book in his hand.

"Kawano, how did you know that moving this book would open it?"

Kawano scratched his head. "Actually, I didn't know. I just recognized this book and decided to take a look."

"Recognized it?"

Rika looked at the title and, indeed, it looked familiar. It was the same book their sensei, Kazuki, often read: The Tale of Strong Willpower!

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The fanfic is finished on p@treon/tambeerg