Little Mirai took a deep breath, mimicking Raizen's posture with surprising precision. She raised Tōkijin, focusing the spirit dwelling within her small body. As her chakra erupted, the blade began to glow with a chilling light, and a faint, azure dragon silhouette coalesced behind her back.
Raizen's heart skipped a beat. He had mastered the Dragon Strike (Sōryūha) instantly because the system had directly imprinted the muscle memory and technique into his mind. But Mirai had no such shortcut. She had seen it performed once and was already manifesting the true essence of the technique. Her talent was terrifying.
"Go for it, sweetheart! You can do it!" Raizen cheered from the sidelines. Simply summoning the aura wasn't enough; she had to call forth the lightning and direct the strike to succeed.
"Ha!"
Mirai's hair fluttered wildly as an updraft of spiritual energy swirled around her.
Crackle! Spark!
Thin bolts of blue electricity began to dance along the blade.
"Dragon Strike!" her high-pitched, childish voice rang out.
ZAP!
A concentrated bolt of blue lightning shot from the sword. It didn't level a mountain, but it slammed into the lake's surface with a resounding THUD, sending a geyser of water into the air.
Glug... glug... A split second later, a very unlucky, oversized fish flipped onto its belly and floated to the surface, completely stunned.
"Hahaha! Well done, Mirai! That fish is yours for dinner tonight!"
Huff... puff... Mirai panted, clutching the heavy sword. She walked back to Raizen, looking slightly disappointed. "Papa, yours was way better. I only got a fish... you blew up a whole mountain."
"How old are you, treasure? Being able to use the ultimate secret of Tōkijin at your age is incredible! With practice, your Dragon Strike will be unstoppable." Raizen knelt and rubbed her head affectionately.
"But I want to be as strong as Papa right now!" Mirai pouted.
Raizen laughed heartily. "If you want to be as strong as me, you'll have to work very hard. I won't be standing still waiting for you—I'm going to keep getting stronger too!"
Mirai nodded solemnly. "I'll work hard!"
"That's my girl!" Raizen pinched her nose. "Now, let's not let that fish go to waste. Let's haul it in and have a barbecue!"
Mirai didn't hesitate. She dropped the sword on the deck and dashed toward the water. To Raizen and Kurenai's absolute shock, she didn't sink. She sprinted across the surface of the lake, her small feet creating tiny ripples, grabbed the giant fish—which was larger than she was—and hauled it back.
"Even Sasuke hasn't mastered water-walking yet," Kurenai whispered, stunned.
"This kid... she really is the 'Future' (Mirai)," Raizen smiled. He had named her Mirai as a bit of a joke/reference, but he hadn't expected her to be a literal prodigy. Her talent arguably surpassed that of a young Itachi Uchiha. If Raizen ever had to leave the village, Mirai would be the one to carry the Uchiha clan on her back.
Preparing for the Storm
The afternoon turned into a feast. Kurenai fetched charcoal and spices, and soon the rest of the household—wives and children alike—joined them by the lake. Seeing that one fish wouldn't be enough for the crowd, Raizen stood on the water and unleashed another Dragon Strike into the depths, bringing up a bounty of fish and shrimp.
But as the days passed, the atmosphere in Konoha changed. The Chunin Exams were beginning, and foreign ninjas were flooding the streets. Raizen knew the storm was coming: Orochimaru was on his way.
Orochimaru, I hope you aren't stupid enough to come after me, Raizen thought. I'm waiting for you to deal with the Third Hokage. If you mess with my family first, I might have to kill you prematurely, and that would be a hassle.
Raizen wanted the Third Hokage out of the way, but he didn't want to be the one to do it and become an enemy of the state. Letting Orochimaru do the dirty work was the perfect plan. However, with the impending invasion of Sound and Sand ninjas, he needed to consolidate his forces.
He decided to bring all his primary "combat" wives to the Uchiha district for better protection:
Kurenai Yūhi (Special Jōnin/Genjutsu)
Anko Mitarashi (Special Jōnin)
Guren (Crystal Style user, extremely high combat power)
Sakura (Former Grass Ninja, Jōnin)
With four Jōnin-level protectors, the household was much safer. He even tried to hire high-level mercenaries from the black market, but found that most "Akatsuki" level threats were already busy with their own plans.
Itachi... my 'nephew.' Don't let me catch you snooping around here, Raizen thought, gripping the hilt of Sōnga. With my Susanoo and this blade, I don't care about your 'divine' weapons. Keeping Susanoo active is a chakra drain, but one swing of this sword is a Tailed Beast Bomb.
Finally, Raizen headed to the Women's Hot Spring Inn to pick up the rest of his family.
In a Dark Valley
"Hehehe... Kimimaro, I owe this success to you!" Orochimaru hissed, a cruel smile on his face.
Beside a fresh corpse (the Fourth Kazekage), Kimimaro knelt on the ground, coughing up blood.
"It is time to go to Konoha," Orochimaru muttered, looking toward the horizon. "My dear teacher, I'm coming for you... and Kimimaro, we'll see if your replacement—Raizen Uchiha—is as delicious as he sounds!"