Konoha: Uchiha's Two-Way Travel in One Piece

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"By the way! Kaito, our Uchiha pharmacy is opening tomorrow," Uchiha Jiri suddenly mentioned. "Over the next few days, Kaito, you'll need to prepare more medicines. It'll be a bit of hard work for you!"

"Got it! I've already been keeping that in mind," Kaito nodded, then added, "Oh, right! I forgot to tell you—the ninja hawk we captured has finally warmed up to me, and I've managed to form a contract with it."

"I've been keeping it in the Space Gate dimension. I've granted you both access, so if you ever need it, you can summon it directly. But I think it'd be better if we add a summoning contract—it'll make everything smoother and keep things under control."

As he spoke, Kaito activated the permissions, granting Uchiha Jiri and Mikoto access to the hawk in the Space Gate dimension.

The ninja hawk had arrived a few days earlier, and Kaito had spent that time feeding it and building trust. Finally, he succeeded.

This hawk was massive, with a wingspan of fifteen meters—practically a small airplane. Its chakra levels were on par with a Jonin, and it could wield Wind Release, making it blindingly fast. It could reach supersonic speeds, over 400 meters per second—a terrifying force.

Of course, if anyone wanted to ride it at full speed, they'd need to limit the load and endure the impact and wind resistance.

"Alright, we've got blank summoning scrolls at home," Uchiha Jiri agreed. "We'll bind it to the scroll, and each of us can sign the contract. With this hawk, exploring new areas will be so much easier."

"From now on, I'll take some time every day to scout new locations. You just focus on your work, Kaito. Once everything's ready, I'll let you know so we can explore together."

She was unwilling to let Kaito venture out to sea alone.

"Understood," Kaito replied, moved by her concern. Naturally, he didn't object.

After dinner, Uchiha Jiri retrieved a blank summoning scroll and joined Kaito and Mikoto in the Space Gate dimension to complete the contract with the ninja hawk before returning home.

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In the Senju House:

Kushina had just returned and was chatting with Mito Uzumaki. "Grandma, I'm planning to use Shadow Clones for school. Also, I was wondering if Kaito could join me in learning sealing techniques from you."

"Oh?" Mito raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "It seems you're getting along very well with Kaito. Wanting to study together, huh? Could it be you like him?"

As soon as Mito said this, both Nawaki and Tsunade, who had just returned, stared at Kushina with teasing expressions.

"Grandma!" Kushina's cheeks turned bright red as she protested, puffing up her face. "It's nothing like that!"

Yet, deep down, she couldn't help questioning herself: Do I?

She hadn't thought about it before. Initially, her interactions with Kaito were because of Mikoto and Mito's instructions. But somehow, spending time with Kaito had become increasingly comfortable and enjoyable. He always seemed to know exactly what she needed, making her feel understood and at ease.

Mito's teasing had sparked a realization: her feelings for Kaito might have already started to change. Emotional attachments often defy control or logic.

"Really?" Mito pressed, her sharp eyes catching every flicker of Kushina's expression.

"Really! I swear!" Kushina insisted, shaking her head vehemently. No matter what, she wasn't going to admit it now. She wasn't about to let them gossip about her!

"Alright, alright, I'll stop," Mito relented, seeing Kushina practically bristling. She chuckled and said, "If you want him to join, that's fine. It's a good opportunity to build goodwill. With his talent in medical ninjutsu, he's worth the investment."

Over the past few days, Mito had heard endless praise for Kaito's abilities from Tsunade.

"Yay! I'll tell him tomorrow!" Kushina cheered, her happiness evident.

Tsunade, grinning, chimed in, "So you're planning to use Shadow Clones for school? Perfect! That means I'll have more time to exchange medical knowledge with Kaito."

"Maybe I'll even have him use a Shadow Clone to study with me!" she added, smirking. "I should've thought of this sooner—I've wasted days of potential learning!"

Mito had no objections. She was eager for Tsunade to learn as much as possible from Kaito, enhancing her already impressive medical skills.

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The next morning

"Kaito, I talked to my grandma, and she agreed!" Kushina announced excitedly when she saw him at school. "When should we start learning?"

"How about today?" Kaito replied without hesitation. He had no intention of staying in school any longer than necessary.

"Minato just learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu, too. Let's find a spot together and set up a training area," he suggested. "For sealing techniques, Shadow Clones can handle most of the work. The real body should focus on physical training to strengthen itself—something clones can't replace."

"But today, let's meet Mito-sama in person and explain the plan to avoid any misunderstandings," he added.

Spending excessive time personally learning sealing techniques wasn't worth it; he had too much to accomplish each day to afford inefficiency.

Additionally, he'd noticed the previous evening that Kushina's affection for him had increased significantly, reaching 81 points—the threshold for forming a contract.

Kaito planned to bind both her and Minato soon, ensuring his secrets would remain safe. Once bound, he could invest more in them, sharing life essence-enhancing technique, Haki training methods, and Sea King meat to accelerate their growth.

"Huh? Physical training? Won't that be too hard?" Kushina asked hesitantly.

"It's not that bad," Kaito reassured her with a smile. "With the meat I prepared and the right techniques, it'll be manageable. Trust me."

"Alright, I trust you," Kushina said, looking into his eyes before quickly glancing away, her cheeks turning pink. Her heart raced as she thought to herself, 'He's so cool!'

Yesterday, Mito's words had made her see him differently, and now she couldn't stop noticing his charm. Strangely, she didn't mind the change.

From a distance, Minato watched this interaction, feeling as though his heart had shattered.

'Kushina likes Kaito, doesn't she?' he thought with certainty, a complex mix of emotions swirling within him.

His first love seemed over before it even began. However, he bore no ill will toward Kaito, recognizing that Kushina had initiated everything. For now, he could only sigh and move forward.

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