"Absolutely."
Chiri nodded firmly. "Even if you hadn't brought it up, I was planning the same thing."
"A resource like Sea King meat that strengthens the body—how could we afford to waste it?"
"In the future, we can even distribute it to trustworthy and loyal members of the clan, using it to raise their combat strength."
"After all, the Uchiha clan will one day be yours to lead. If they grow stronger, they'll be your greatest support."
"It's a shame not everyone qualifies for the contract. Otherwise, we could station a few people here and establish a permanent base for hunting Sea Kings and dangerous beasts."
"That way, I wouldn't have to step in personally all the time."
She paused for a beat, then turned to Genkei.
"That's why, once your body has stabilized and your strength begins to grow, I'll help you gradually establish your authority within the clan."
"I'll assign a few of the younger generation to follow you—observe you, learn from you. That'll make it easier for you to build rapport and increase their Favorability over time. Once the conditions are met, you can form contracts with them."
"What do you think?"
It was obvious Chiri had been thinking long and hard about all this ever since learning the nature of his trait.
Everything had been pre-arranged. Genkei barely needed to lift a finger.
Originally, she'd planned to support Uchiha Fugaku—the son of the Third Elder—as the next clan head, especially given her declining health and Genkei's fragile condition.
But now, that had changed.
No, she thought. It has to be my son.
Fugaku lacked decisiveness and resilience. He wasn't suitable to lead.
"Got it. I'll go with your plan, Mom."
Genkei saw no reason to object.
Having such a competent mother made life way easier.
He was sincerely glad he had bonded her as his first contract.
"Oh, right!"
Chiri spoke up again.
"Genkei, what do you think—if I leave a shadow clone in one world and move between them using the Gate, will it remain stable?"
"If that works, everything will be much more efficient."
Otherwise, the time spent traveling back and forth would interfere with her obligations in the shinobi world.
She hadn't planned to stay long this time—just scout things out.
But unexpectedly landing on a pirate ship in the middle of the ocean, then rescuing the Kuja Pirates… her plans had already shifted.
"Hmm… worth a try. I think it should work?"
Genki wasn't totally sure, either.
"Let's test it, then."
They both got to work immediately.
And the result?
Success.
Whether they left a shadow clone in the Naruto world or the One Piece world, it remained stable even when the real body crossed dimensions.
Even more surprising—Genkei discovered he could set waypoints at any location he'd visited before, allowing him to teleport directly to that point.
Even people and objects—like ships—could serve as coordinates.
Now, that was incredible.
It meant he could freely teleport between familiar locations in both worlds.
If only he were stronger, he'd already be mapping out the globe.
"So theoretically," Genkei said, "we could go back home for a few days, then return to the ship when it reaches Sabaody. What do you think?"
Chiri gave it some thought.
"Better to keep one real body here—just in case."
"We still don't know if Observation Haki can see through shadow clones."
"And besides…"
She chuckled and reached out to pinch Genkei's cheek.
"You seem to have forgotten—you've only just extracted your first bit of chakra. You haven't even learned the Shadow Clone Technique."
"Not to mention, your body can't handle that kind of chakra output yet."
"Ugh…"
Genkei's expression froze. "Right. Forgot about that…"
Really needed to fix his body soon. This was getting inconvenient.
"Don't rush. It'll come with time."
Chiri ruffled his hair and smiled. "Just focus on healing. We'll get there."
"Anyway, I'm gonna keep training Life-Nurturing Arts. I haven't hit today's limit yet."
With that, Genkei stood up and resumed his exercises.
He also wanted to test his daily cap for the technique.
"I'll join you," Chiri said, smiling as she rose. "The sooner we recover, the better."
—
—You practiced Life-Nurturing Arts. Proficiency +1. Lifespan +1 day.
—You practiced Life-Nurturing Arts. Proficiency +1. Lifespan +1 day.
—
After two rounds...
"Huff… I'm done!"
Genkei collapsed onto the floor, breathing heavily. Sweat streamed down his face as he wiped it away.
His whole body ached. He was also starving.
Clearly, his energy reserves had hit their limit.
Even the most refined cultivation methods needed fuel.
Meanwhile, Chiri wasn't even winded.
She continued her practice calmly while reassuring him:
"If you've reached your limit, rest. I'll keep going a little longer. I want to restore my strength as soon as possible."
Her power had declined significantly due to illness over the years.
And in a world this dangerous, she needed to be at her best again—soon.
"Alright. I'll focus on drafting our treatment plans."
Genkei nodded.
"I'll also copy some of my medical notes. We can use them as part of our payment to Dr. Kureha."
"She's not the type to offer help without compensation."
There's a reason she's called the Witch of Drum Island.
"Sounds good. You're thinking ahead. I like that."
Chiri smiled with pride.
My child's really grown up overnight...
That inheritance must've been powerful—so much knowledge, so much foresight.
And it includes details from both worlds… maybe even the future?
When I get a moment, I need to sit down with him and ask everything.
She could tell from his eyes, his voice, his every movement—Genkei wasn't just worried about their health.
There was urgency. A pressure he hadn't put into words.
A driving force behind his thirst for strength.
A looming crisis...
Something far beyond just the two of them.
And if he sensed it, then she would prepare for it, too.
Genkei, unaware that his mother had already read so much into his mood, quietly activated the Gate.
He returned briefly to the Naruto world and fetched some blank paper.
Then he sat down to copy medical texts and draft customized prescriptions—one for himself and one for Chiri—based on the results of their earlier diagnoses.
Time passed quickly.
After more than an hour, Chiri finally finished dozens of rounds of Life-Nurturing Arts and stopped to rest.