After dinner, Uchiha Hikaru lay back on the sofa, turned on the TV, and started watching a movie starring Fujikaze Yukie.

Seeing this, Mei Terumi hesitated for a moment, then quietly sat down on the other end of the sofa.

Whatever. My fate's already sealed anyway. Might as well enjoy these last peaceful moments...

About ten minutes later, Hoshigaki Kisame finished cleaning the kitchen and entered the living room.

"Sit down. Watch some TV, then head to sleep."

Before long, Mei Terumi and Kisame were absorbed in the movie playing on screen.

But no matter how hard Hikaru tried, he couldn't get into it. It was dull, melodramatic, and overacted.

The quality of these films wasn't even on par with something like Return of the Dragon King from his previous life.

Still, perhaps one day, Orochimaru could advance the television industry...

The current TV in Hikaru's house was basically a brick—massive, bulky, with a screen barely bigger than a scroll.

When there's enough funding in the future, it would be a good idea to start investing in Konoha's tech development. That would help with long-term cultural expansion.

Just imagine—he could adapt old works from Blue Star and give them a shinobi twist.

Return of the Dragon King could become Return of the Ninja God. One command, and a hundred thousand shinobi march. Instant hit!

Series like Love Under the Moonlight, The Temptation of the Moon Princess, and Beneath the Crimson Rain—all ripe for adaptation.

And further down the line, when mobile phones become a thing, he'd launch a Naruto mobile game.

Two game modes—one for civilians using touch controls, and another for shinobi using chakra to interface with the device via chakra sensors.

Just think of the revenue! (¬‿¬ )

But of course, all this hinged on Mei Terumi's cooperation.

Only if she agreed to the diplomatic terms between Kirigakure and Konoha could the plan move forward—and the real profit begin.

With that thought, Hikaru's intense gaze shifted to Mei Terumi.

She shivered.

"Mei Terumi," Hikaru began, his tone firm. "You've eaten enough, and you've rested enough."

"It's time we talked about something serious, don't you think?"

Mei Terumi stared at him, her expression resolute.

She knew it. Her peaceful time was over.

Bring it on. I'm not afraid!

"Fine," she said coldly. "But make sure to use anesthesia before you start drawing blood and dissecting me."

"I don't want my body ruined by anyone else."

"Please... at least grant me that dignity!"

Kisame, who had been engrossed in the movie's dramatic storyline, turned his head when he heard that.

Huh?

Wait... is something better happening over here?

He looked back and forth between Mei Terumi and Hikaru, eyes gleaming.

Uchiha Hikaru slowly turned to Mei Terumi and stared at her determined, death-row-expression.

He raised an eyebrow.

"...What blood draw?"

"Who the hell said anything about ruining your body?"

"Don't slander me. I'm a married man."

"Watch your mouth before you tarnish my reputation!"

Kisame's eyes lit up.

Wooooooow~ so much better than this movie!

All I need now is some watermelon juice and popcorn~ (≧▽≦)

Mei Terumi sprang to her feet and pointed her slender finger at Hikaru.

"Stop playing innocent!"

"Even if you don't do it, someone else will!"

"You brought me back to Konoha as a prisoner—obviously you want my Kekkei Genkai! You want the Boil Release and Lava Release!"

Hikaru just gave a chuckle. A low, dangerous one.

His chakra surged, flaring outward and slamming pressure down on Mei Terumi like a tidal wave.

"Heh…"

"Boil Release and Lava Release?"

"What do those even matter in front of my Uchiha Sharingan?"

"Can your precious bloodlines counter Wood Release?"

Mei Terumi faltered, caught off guard.

Tch. Stupid Sharingan… so what if you have one!?

Her frontal lobe immediately responded: It is, in fact, a very big deal. Especially if it's Mangekyō Sharingan. Extremely OP, sorry ¯_(ツ)_/¯

Seeing Mei Terumi tremble under the weight of his chakra, Hikaru sighed and retracted his killing intent.

Then, calmly, he explained his real motive.

"Yes, I brought you back for a reason."

"But it's not your bloodline."

"It's because we're waiting for the Kirigakure delegation to arrive."

"You're here to finalize the post-war reparations treaty."

Mei Terumi blinked.

...Eh?

She froze, completely taken off guard.

That answer—it was... logical.

But it somehow felt more insulting than anything else.

Her pride—her dignity—had taken a direct hit.

So… even my dual bloodline isn't worth more than a treaty clause?

No…

Then she thought about the overwhelming strength of Konoha—how far they'd come.

And suddenly, the truth became painfully clear.

...My bloodline really doesn't mean much to them… huh.

Silently, Mei Terumi curled into the corner of the sofa.

Knees drawn up, arms wrapped around them, her fingers lightly fidgeting together as she looked away with a flushed face and watery eyes.

Kisame practically howled with excitement inside his head.

Amazing! Brilliant!

I'm just a humble local fish, but this drama is top tier!

Meanwhile, Uchiha Hikaru looked at the dejected Mei Terumi and sighed.

Did I go too hard on her? Did I just break her will to resist...?

Then suddenly—DING!—a system notification rang in his mind:

"Mei Terumi's defenses have been shattered. Successfully copied Boil Release and Lava Release."

In the next instant, Hikaru felt a subtle wave of heat pulse through his body.

His chakra stirred and shifted—more fluid, more vibrant.

That sensation lasted just a few seconds, but the aftereffects were clear.

His chakra control over Water Style and Earth Style had notably improved.

As expected, since Boil Release is a combination of Water and Fire, and Lava Release is Water and Earth...

That explained the boosts to those elements.

As for Fire Style?

Uchiha ninjas are practically born with it.

If you're an Uchiha and don't master Fire Style… are you even part of the clan?

And for Uchiha Hikaru, Fire Style was his bread and butter.

It was just that, in recent times, elemental ninjutsu had fallen out of favor.

Modern battles were mostly massive chakra clashes—Susanoo duels and spiritual blades like Sengetsu.

As for Mei Terumi, her pride as a bloodline elite had been shattered by Hikaru's blunt words.

It wasn't just the fact that her dual Kekkei Genkai couldn't stand up to the Sharingan.

No, what stung the most...

Was his earlier line.

"I'm a married man."

—Damn it!

I finally fell for someone… and he turns out to be a shinobi from another village…

And worse, someone else already got to him first?! (╥﹏╥)

Why couldn't a man like that be born in Kirigakure? Why couldn't we have met sooner?!

In her village, Mei Terumi had plenty of admirers.

But any man who had witnessed her Boil Release or Lava Release up close?

They all backed away in fear.

None of them ever dared to get close again.

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