Chapter 21: Shy Mikoto and the Day Hikari Intimidated the Uchiha Clan

"This training method is incredible!"Mikoto exhaled, sweat beading on her forehead as she completed the final posture."I can feel it — my body is processing food faster, more efficiently. My chakra feels denser… stronger. I feel alive."

The soft gleam in her eyes was unmistakable — admiration. Hope.She looked at Gin with quiet gratitude, her voice soft:

"Thank you, Gin-kun."

Gin smiled.

"It was only possible because you reached the required favorability threshold. Without that, I wouldn't have been able to form the contract."

At the mention of "favorability," Mikoto's cheeks flushed. She glanced away, trying to hide her expression.

"W-We're still cousins, don't get the wrong idea…"

"Oh?" Gin tilted his head with a teasing grin. "What exactly am I misunderstanding? That you like it?"

"Gin!"Her face turned bright red. She gave him a playful shove with her foot, then quickly turned and fled out of the training hall into the snowy courtyard outside.

There, silence reigned. Fresh powder blanketed the trees, and soft flakes drifted down from the gray sky. The sight was breathtaking.

A moment later, Gin followed. He saw Mikoto rubbing her arms, shivering slightly. Without a word, he opened his space-time seal and pulled out a thick winter cloak, gently draping it over her shoulders.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he said, gazing into the distance."Konoha never really gets snow like this, does it?"

Mikoto calmed, hugging the cloak closer.

"No… in Konoha, winters are mild. If snow does fall, it melts by noon. But here… it's peaceful. Pure."

"That's because we're on Drum Island," Gin explained. "It's classified as a Winter Island — one of the many climate zones in the pirate world. Each island can have its own permanent season. This one is frozen year-round."

"Wait… all year round?" Mikoto blinked. "Is that even possible?"

"Very much so. The pirate world works on different natural laws. There are also Spring Islands, Summer, Autumn, and even Lightning Islands like Birka. And then there's the Calm Belt, the Red Line, Skypiea, the Florian Triangle…"

Mikoto's eyes widened, her breath visible in the cold air.

"It's… so much bigger than our world. So many climates, so many mysteries. It makes our ninja world feel tiny."

"That's because it is," Gin replied. "The largest country in our world would be equal to a single kingdom like Alabasta. But there are hundreds of such nations across the seas — and even more unclaimed territories."

She stood in awe for a while before turning to him.

"How did this world come to be? Was it always this way?"

"No," Gin said softly. "The ninja world also used to be larger — vibrant, filled with life. But everything changed after the rise of the Divine Tree."

"The… Divine Tree?" Mikoto repeated, confused.

"Forget it for now," Gin waved it off. "You'll learn about it in time."

Mikoto didn't press further but tucked the thought away. She'd remember.

"Let's head inside before you catch a cold," Gin added. "We've got more training to do."

They returned to the training hall. After every meal, Gin had begun implementing a strict wellness routine to extract the maximum benefit from Sea King meat and chakra-enhancing practices.

Over the following days, Mikoto began using a Shadow Clone to attend the Academy, freeing her true self to train in the pirate world. The results were dramatic — her physical strength and chakra control skyrocketed.

Every day she trained, her favorability toward Gin grew — quietly, steadily — passing 90, then edging toward the max value of 100.

Meanwhile, in Konoha…

Back in the ninja world, within the ancestral Uchiha compound, Hikari stood tall before the clan elders.

The room was filled with whispers — skeptical eyes, judgmental murmurs. Hikari's eyes swept over them coldly.

"You've all seen the reform proposal," she began."Speak now if you object. But know this — if any of you dare to sabotage this from the shadows later… don't expect mercy."

Her voice was sharp as a kunai.

And then — she released it.

The temperature in the room dropped as a wave of terrifying chakra burst forth. Her left eye snapped open, spinning with deadly precision.

Mangekyō Sharingan.

"VWOOOM!"

The entire chamber was paralyzed. Men gasped, their own Sharingan eyes deactivating involuntarily. Some collapsed to one knee.

"H-Hiss…"

One elder gripped the table in shock.

"Lady Hikari… your Mangekyō… has returned to full strength?!"

Another stammered, his face pale.

"But… but that's impossible… The Mangekyō's power only weakens over time. It shouldn't be restorable…"

In the Uchiha clan, it was common knowledge — the Mangekyō Sharingan, while powerful, came at a steep cost.

Each time it was used, the eyes suffered trauma — microtears in the retina, strain on the optic nerves and chakra meridians. Slowly, inevitably, vision declined. The power waned.

Eventually, the user went blind. This decay was considered irreversible.

But now, standing before them, was Hikari — radiant, defiant, and wielding Mangekyō with effortless strength.

"You all believe it's impossible because you accepted it as truth," she said coldly."But I walk a different path. And I suggest you start following — or be left behind."

No one dared speak. The room was deathly silent. Even the proudest elders averted their gaze.

She deactivated her eye and stepped back.

"This is the new way forward. Accept the reforms — or resign from your positions.You may choose pride, or survival."