"Meow, meow, meow!!!"
Kohana was incredibly cooperative, letting the two children stroke her fur. The two little ones giggled incessantly, their faces lit up with pure joy.
"Kohana, it looks like these two really like you!" Raizen laughed.
"Meow~" Kohana narrowed her eyes in a look of pure bliss as the children's small hands ruffled her ears.
"Why don't you come along to the Daimyō's estate with us, Kohana?"
"Meow! Yes, yes!"
The Ninja Cat stronghold wasn't far from the Daimyō's residence. Raizen and his group arrived shortly and had the guards announce them. Before long, a beautiful woman dressed in fine silks, followed by a retinue of maids, appeared before them.
"Tsuki-hime! How did you get here so fast?" The woman stared at her daughter in shock. The message of their visit had only just arrived, and yet here they were at the front gates. Even with the fastest messenger hawks, a carriage journey from Konoha to the Capital usually took several days.
"Mother! Husband used a ninjutsu to teleport us here instantly," Tsukishime said excitedly.
"Excellent! Truly excellent!" The woman looked at Raizen with newfound admiration. "The Uchiha clan never ceases to amaze. We certainly didn't choose wrong when we picked you!"
"Sen-er, Hao-er, come say hello to Grandma!"
Raizen gently pulled the two shy children out from behind Tsukishime's robes.
"Hello, Grandma," Uchiha Sen-er said, performing a polite little bow.
"Hello, Grandma," Uchiha Hao-er echoed, copying his sister's gesture.
"Oh, my sweet little grandchildren! Come here and let Grandma hug you!" The woman's face overflowed with affection and doting love as she scooped them both into her arms. "Come, Grandma will take you to see all the fun things in the palace!"
After spending two days with the children at the Daimyō's estate, Raizen used the Flying Thunder God to return to the Uchiha district ahead of them. The moment he arrived, he was nearly tackled by Mirai Uchiha, who clung to him and acted spoiled.
"Raizen-kun, why didn't Tsukishime-sister and the others come back with you?" Kurenai asked, approaching him and leaning in affectionately.
Raizen smiled. "They want to stay for a few more days. I'll go back to fetch them soon."
"Why didn't you stay with them, husband?" Kurenai teased.
"Because I missed you all too much!" Raizen laughed, pinching little Mirai's nose.
"Papa! Mama and Mama Anko both say I'm a little genius!" Mirai chirped proudly.
"Oh? And what did my little Mirai do to earn such high praise?" Raizen asked.
"I learned the Summoning Jutsu that Mama Anko taught me!" Mirai declared, her chin held high.
"Summoning?" Raizen glanced at Kurenai, who nodded with a proud smile.
"My little treasure is so smart! Truly her father's daughter," Raizen roared with laughter.
"Of course I am!" Mirai gave him a cheeky, arrogant grin.
[Ding! Since your daughter is so outstanding, how can there be no reward?]
[System Store Flash Sale: Unique Item — Tōkijin (Tokijin). Price: 100 million Ryō! Countdown: 59 seconds!]
Raizen froze for a fraction of a second. Tōkijin? Isn't that Sesshōmaru's second sword? 100 million Ryō?
System, you're a total ripoff!
Despite the exorbitant price, Raizen watched the timer tick down and gritted his teeth. He immediately authorized the payment. Money could be earned again, but a unique item like this might never appear in the store again. Since it appeared specifically because of Mirai's achievement, he didn't hesitate to give it to her.
"Papa, what's this?" Mirai asked, her eyes going wide as Raizen pulled a beautiful sword out of thin air. Kurenai looked on with equal curiosity.
"This is a reward for my little treasure," Raizen said. Giving such a valuable weapon to Mirai didn't hurt his heart at all. He felt he owed Kurenai a lot because of his "clan restoration" duties; this was a small way to compensate their daughter.
"For me?" Mirai asked, breathless.
"Yes, for you." Raizen placed the sword into her small hands.
Mirai stroked the hilt, her face glowing. "What's its name, Papa?"
"It's called Tōkijin. It's a very powerful blade."
"Thank you, Papa! I'll use this sword to protect you, Mama, and all my brothers and sisters!"
"I know you will." Raizen patted her head. "Come, Papa will take you to practice!"
The family of three soon arrived at the bamboo pavilion in the center of the lake.
"Papa, show me how to use it first!" Mirai handed the sword back to Raizen.
"Alright." Raizen gripped the hilt and drew the blade. Instantly, a wave of malevolent energy erupted from the steel. An restless blue dragon seemed to writhe and roar along the edge of the blade.
"What terrifying pressure..." Kurenai's face paled slightly.
"Quiet!" Raizen barked, his eyes flashing with authority. The "Blue Dragon" immediately settled down, and the evil aura retracted, becoming perfectly contained within the blade.
Tōkijin was forged from the fangs of the demon Goshinki and was saturated with demonic energy. A normal person would easily have their mind consumed by the sword, becoming a mindless puppet. But Raizen was its master; its spirit didn't dare defy his will.
Raizen stood at the edge of the pavilion, Tōkijin in hand. He closed his eyes, gathering his momentum. A ghostly, azure dragon manifested behind him, coiling in the air and let out a silent roar.
"Dragon Strike (Sōryūha)!"
Lightning crashed down from the sky, striking the lake with thunderous booms. As Raizen swung the sword, several bolts of terrifying blue lightning shot from the blade, screaming toward a small mountain peak in the distance.
BOOM!
Under the onslaught of the lightning dragons, the peak was completely obliterated, leaving nothing but dust.
"So powerful..." Even as a Special Jōnin, Kurenai was shaken by the sheer scale of the destruction.
"Wow! Papa is amazing! I didn't know you were this strong!" Mirai's eyes were practically glowing with hero worship.
"Did you catch that, Mirai?" Raizen smiled, his aura vanishing as he returned to her side.
"Papa, you're the best!"
"Here, you try." Raizen handed the sword back to her.
Mirai took it, looking a bit nervous as she glanced at him. "Go on, sweetheart. Papa believes in you."
"Mhm! I won't let you down!" Mirai's expression turned solemn. She walked to the spot where Raizen had stood and slowly raised Tōkijin toward the sky.