Chapter 12: Can You Give Me a Strand of Your Hair?

Chapter 12: Can You Give Me a Strand of Your Hair?

On the last day of the 53rd year of Konoha, snow fell from the sky, blanketing trees and houses in a silvery coat.

The four Hokage on the Shadow Rock wore festive "wool" hats, seemingly anticipating the next year in the ninja world, maintaining this surface-level peace.

Uchiha Mikoto and Giyu put on knit hats as they stepped out of their home, preparing to go shopping.

"Isn't it cold to dressed like this, Giyu?"

Unlike Uchiha Mikoto, who wore a woolen coat, Giyu was only wearing a Uchiha-style high-necked long-sleeved shirt and child-sized shorts.

Thick, steaming white mist occasionally escaped his lips, a cute layer of red appeared on his cheeks, but upon closer inspection, it wasn't due to the cold.

"I'm fine."

Half of Giyu's face was hidden in the high collar as he took the lead towards the clan's gate.

"Wait for me, Giyu."

Uchiha Mikoto called out to Giyu, extending a hand in front of him.

"Can you hold Mommy's hand? Otherwise, I might slip. Giyu wouldn't want to see Mommy falling in such a pathetic state, right?"

Giyu showed a puzzled expression.

"But Itachi can walk on water directly."

[How could a Jōnin slip in the snow?]

Uchiha Mikoto hesitated slightly, then smirked cunningly, "But Mommy isn't as skilled as Itachi, so Giyu needs to protect me, right?"

She then put on a look of grievance, wiped her eyes with a finger, as if about to cry in the next moment.

"Does Giyu only care about Sasuke and Itachi? Doesn't Giyu care about Daddy and Mommy at all? I'm really sad."

[Hook, line, and sinker, Giyu!]

Indeed, seeing her mother's genuinely "sad" expression, Giyu's small hand immediately grabbed onto her three fingers.

Uchiha Mikoto immediately turned her "tears to smiles."

"More than this..."

However, in the next moment, Giyu stared at her seriously and asked, "Is the Jōnin assessment in Konoha not strict enough? Is Itachi really safe when he's on missions? If he can't even walk on water without being noticed, won't he be punished?"

After all, that technique was really simple, and he had only watched it once to learn it.

The smile on Mikoto's face gradually froze.

But after squeezing Giyu's small hand, she suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "Hey, Giyu, why is your body so hot... are you having a fever?"

"No." Giyu shook his head firmly.

His body temperature had skyrocketed due to his practice of the Flame Breathing technique.

Earlier that morning, after inducing Sasuke to use the "Small Fireball" jutsu a few times, Giyu finally fully deciphered the Flame Breathing technique.

[Current Breath Analysis Progress - Flame Breathing: 100%; Wind Breathing: 9.8%; Lightning Breathing: 4.1%; Rock Breathing: 2.4%; Moon Breathing: 15.44%; Sun Breathing: 0%.]

Currently, Giyu had imprinted the practice method, nine sword forms, and the breathing rhythm of the Flame Breathing technique in his mind.

Next, he just needed to refine the Flame Breathing to the required level and use spiritual communication to bring Rengoku Kyōjurō back.

However, it seemed that using this spiritual communication required some additional materials.

[Please prepare a human genetic carrier (such as hair, blood, saliva, skin) as spiritual communication material. The resurrected individual's constitution will be influenced by the genetic carrier.]

The term "genetic" was unfamiliar to Giyu, but after asking a book-loving child in the clan, he understood - for example, when using his own hair for spiritual communication, Rengoku Kyōjurō's revived body might possess some of his traits, perhaps black hair; maybe blue eyes; perhaps the Sharingan bloodline...

But Giyu really couldn't accept a Rengoku Kyōjurō with black hair, and as far as he knew, Rengoku himself was quite proud of that hair color, claiming it was the result of generations of his ancestors eating fried shrimp.

So today, Giyu planned to go out and see if he could find someone with hair color and physical traits similar to Rengoku Kyōjurō.

However, considering that unique red-yellow hair color, he didn't have too much hope, just hoping to find someone with red or blond hair and a slightly stronger physique would be enough.

As for how to interact with the other person and ask for a strand of hair, that would be a later concern.

Returning to the topic at hand.

Uchiha Mikoto was a bit worried and carefully examined Giyu's body.

Giyu's constitution had always been the best among the three brothers, never having caught even a cold.

But there was a saying in the common folk: those who rarely get sick are hit hardest when they do.

This idea occasionally charged into Mikoto's mind like a wild bull, so she was particularly thorough in her examination.

But after a thorough examination, she found that Giyu's condition was not as simple as a fever.

He resembled a burning furnace, constantly radiating heat outward.

The snowflakes that fell from the sky couldn't even be touched within a ten-centimeter radius around Giyu's body; they would be instantly evaporated by an invisible heatwave. This effect had gone far beyond what an illness could achieve.

Rather than being sick, it was more like the Boil Release ninjutsu that Mikoto had seen by the Hidden Mist Village's Jinchūriki during the Great Ninja War.

"Giyu, you're really amazing."

Uchiha Mikoto stared into her son's eyes, as if trying to discern something.

With a lively tone, she said, "In summer, you're cooler than a fridge, and in winter, you're warmer than a fireplace..."

Then, she suddenly hugged Giyu, pressing her face against his, rubbing against him like a lion.

"Mom is really envious of you, you know!"

Giyu's face immediately turned pale, and he tried to step back in fear. But without using chakra, he couldn't break free, and using chakra might easily hurt his mother, who couldn't even walk on water.

The last time he felt like this was during the Pillars Summit, when Mitsuri tried to tickle him (as per the official novel/manga content).

"Alright, alright, I can see how scared you are."

Seeing Giyu's expression for the first time, Mikoto was both amused and exasperated. After adjusting his knit hat, she stood up.

[I wonder what kind of girl Giyu will marry in the future...]

[Shy kids like Izumi probably won't even be able to make Giyu's expression change.]

[But if the girl is too assertive, I wonder if Giyu might get bullied.]

As Mikoto speculated about what might happen years from now, she continued to walk while holding Giyu's hand.

Meanwhile, Giyu wore a worried expression, lost in thought, even forgetting to maintain his Flame Breathing.

"Giyu!"

As they reached the main entrance of the clan area, Giyu heard someone calling his name. He looked up and saw Uchiha Gan.

The person was carrying a bag of fireworks, excitedly waving at Giyu, then respectfully bowing to Mikoto after noticing her restrained expression.

Giyu simply nodded in return, but Gan didn't seem to mind. He handed Giyu a lollipop and left, clearly accustomed to his aloof demeanor.

Next, Giyu encountered a group of Uchiha youth building snowmen.

Seeing Giyu and Mikoto, they stopped and invited Giyu to join them, but he declined.

Only after the mother and son left the clan area did Mikoto lean her head in and say, "Giyu, I didn't expect you to have such good relationships with the kids from the clan. Do they all know you?"

This took her by surprise.

The Uchiha were famously hard to please, and given Giyu's personality, it should have been even harder for him to connect.

Since being relieved of household chores, she had been leading teams as a Jōnin and had no idea that during the day, when Sasuke wasn't around, Giyu was training with the clan kids.

Initially, it was just Gan, Torai, and Fumi, the three Genin, who trained with Giyu and Sasuke.

But the younger children saw that even the Genin were "playing" with Giyu and Sasuke, so they followed suit.

Influenced by trio, they gradually realized that Giyu's advice allowed them to achieve more in their training, so they became grateful to him. Not to mention, Giyu would often bring them treats to share. Over time, they all became friends.

Thanks to the Uchiha kids' tendency to show off, they raced to breathe fireballs at the lake every day, which boosted Giyu's Flame Breathing analysis to new heights...

To be honest, they were grateful to Giyu, and Giyu was thankful to them.

Relying solely on Itachi and Sasuke to accumulate analysis progress would likely take over a year.

So, facing Mikoto's confusion, Giyu earnestly replied, "They're all friends of mine and Sasuke."

"Oh, Giyu, that's quite unexpected."

She patted Giyu's head with satisfaction, "In that case, you have more friends than your big brother."

Among Uchiha, only Uchiha Shisui had been referred to as a friend by Giyu and Sasuke.

But more than friends, they were like non-blood-related siblings.

Mother and son crossed the Konoha River twice and stopped in front of a shop on the main street.

The sign was pink, with the words "Yamanaka Flowers" written on it, exuding a very girlish vibe.

"Giyu, I'm planning to buy some ink orchids and sen-cha to take back home. Do you want to come with me?"

Uchiha Mikoto emphasized, "It might take a while."

Hearing that it would take a while, Giyu was about to head directly to the grocery market to save time. However, he noticed a small figure with blonde hair flash past the flower shop's glass door.

[The color might be a bit pale, but it's definitely blonde...]

"I'll come too."

"Wow, that's great."

Uchiha Mikoto's smile widened, "How about you pick a nice flower to give to Mommy as well?"

Before Giyu could answer, she pushed the door open and immediately a warm, humid air rushed out, enveloping the two.

"Welcome to Yamanaka Flowers."

An elegant and gentle woman emerged from behind the flower shelves, smiling on her face as she said, "It's Mrs. Uchiha, isn't it? It's been a long time. With you visiting, our shop is truly flourishing."

While this was a standard flattery, spoken from her lips, it didn't make one feel uncomfortable. Instead, it made one feel pleasantly surprised.

It felt somewhat like how Kanae had made him feel when she was still around.

With a quick glance, Giyu assessed the thickness and color of the woman's neck veins and deduced she wasn't a ninja.

"You're too kind. I'm still young, so you can call me Mikoto."

"Since you're asking that way, I won't stand on ceremony."

Then, the Yamanaka woman turned her gaze to Giyu, "But speaking of which, how does Sasuke feel different from before—"

"Mom? Did Sasuke come?"

A carefree voice came from inside the shop. After a series of clinking sounds, the door opened. A girl with short, light blonde hair peeked out from behind the counter. Her bright blue eyes locked onto Giyu.

Soon, a hint of confusion appeared on her face.

"Ino, don't be so restless. Come over here by my side."

Uchiha Mikoto gestured, and Yamanaka Ino immediately came to her side, looking at Giyu with a scrutinizing gaze.

"No, Mom." She said firmly, "He's not Sasuke."

"Oh dear, I was planning to tease Ino a bit."

Uchiha Mikoto covered her mouth and chuckled before explaining to the Yamanaka woman, "This is Sasuke's twin brother, Giyu. It's his first time coming out shopping with me. It's interesting how many clan members can't tell the two of them apart, but Ino could do it at a glance. She's really impressive."

"Well, of course!"

Ino straightened up and raised her head, proud as she swept aside her bangs.

"Ever since I saw Sasuke for the first time, I was planning to bring him into the Yamanaka family. How could I mistake him?"

The two parents exchanged glances and burst into laughter almost simultaneously, tears coming to their eyes from the amusement.

"Why are you all laughing!"

Ino didn't quite understand the scene before her and said indignantly, "Do you think I can't do it?"

The mothers laughed even harder.

Seeing that they were all laughing and ignoring him, Ino shifted his attention to Giyu, who was the same height as him, "Hey, do you also think I can't do it?"

Uchiha Mikoto knew there was a good show about to happen and gave the Yamanaka woman a "hold on" expression, then folded her arms and waited for Giyu's response.

"Uh..."

Giyu stared blankly at Ino, thinking about what she had just said about wanting to marry Sasuke, and suddenly realized.

"Sorry, I just realized, you're actually a boy."

[If it was a girl, she would have said 'marry to his home' instead.]

"You!"

Ino's eyes suddenly widened in disbelief. She hadn't expected to hear her most disliked words from Sasuke's younger brother!

[Ino, stop acting like a boy all the time!"]

[Manly Ino!]

Damn it, damn it, damn it!

[Even though he looks so much like Sasuke, why does he have to be so annoying when he talks!]

"Alright, alright, you guys go play inside for a while. I'll help Mrs. Mikoto pick some flowers."

Suppressing her smile, the Yamanaka woman pointed towards the direction inside the shop, "Ino, why don't you go pour some drinks for Giyu?"

"Mom!" Ino stomped her foot reluctantly.

"Don't show a sour face to the guests."

The Yamanaka woman bent down, smiling, and said, "Sasuke and Giyu are the same age as you. Starting next March, you'll all be attending the ninja academy together. You have to get along well, understand?"

"..."

Seeing her mother's increasingly pronounced and unreal smile, Ino nervously nodded, but when he looked back at Giyu, he immediately turned fierce again, "You, come with me!"

"Giyu, your mom will call you out in ten minutes at most."

Uchiha Mikoto gave Giyu a nudge, "Go on, you can meet some new friends. You must be happy about that, Giyu."

"Yeah."

Giyu stared at Ino's pale golden hair and nodded solemnly.

[I think this girl's personality is more suitable for Giyu than Sasuke.]

Mikoto watched the two children disappear behind the door inside, feeling somewhat content.

Little did she know, after Giyu entered the room and sat down, the first thing he said to Ino was—

"Can you give me a strand of your hair?"

The drink in Ino's hand clattered to the ground.