Ginza Tower, Ninth Floor — Bedroom.
The first light of dawn failed to fully pierce the heavy curtains.
Only a few thin strands slipped through the gaps at the edges, a faint glow between pale blue and soft gold, barely dispelling the darkness within the room.
In that hazy moment between sleep and waking, Anlan naturally opened his eyes. Tilting his head slightly, his gaze fell to his side.
Mikoto was facing him, her body gently curled in a natural posture. Her ink-black hair, like flowing clouds, spread across the pillow and over his arm.
The stingy morning light faintly outlined the softness of her features, as well as the delicate tremble of her eyelashes with each steady breath.
Her breathing was light, brushing softly against his arm. On her beautiful face remained only the purest gentleness and tranquility.
Anlan's gaze lingered on her sleeping face for a long while.
After a moment, perhaps sensing the warmth of his eyes, the woman unconsciously nuzzled the pillow slightly, letting out a soft, kitten-like murmur as she slowly woke.
Her eyes curved into crescents, filled with layers of gentle, radiant warmth.
"Hubby~"
Still nestled against him, she lifted her graceful neck and pressed her warm, soft lips lightly against his cheek.
Like morning dew falling upon a flower petal.
At that moment, the morning light seemed to brighten, more golden strands flowing through the curtains, outlining Mikoto's uplifted face.
Bright eyes, white teeth, a smile like blooming flowers.
Anlan was momentarily captivated. After a while, he finally raised his hand with a smile.
"Wifey, let me show you something good."
In his palm lay a Blessing Peach, exuding a sweet and refreshing fragrance.
"Ah~"
Mikoto's eyes lit up with surprise. She reached out her slender hand to take it—but Anlan lifted his hand slightly, stopping her.
She looked up at him, her gentle eyes reflecting his mischievous smile in the morning light.
In an instant, Mikoto—who had lived with him day and night—understood exactly what he was thinking.
"What a… bad little brother~"
She pouted slightly, her charming lips soft and full.
Her gaze flowed with alluring grace as she cast him a sideways glance.
Tilting her head back, Mikoto parted her lips slightly, revealing pearly teeth, and bit into the peach.
Just like when Hazuki and Minako had consumed it before, the awakening of the ability was quiet and without disturbance.
Then suddenly—
Centered on Mikoto, a faint, elegant fragrance began to spread through the air.
It was not the scent of peaches.
Rather, it resembled cherry blossoms blooming in early spring, blended with warm sunlight—or the fresh, purified scent of greenery after rain.
Anlan blinked, then leaned closer, burying his face near her shoulder and neck, breathing in that fragrance unique to her.
Time seemed to stretch.
Perhaps it was only a moment—or perhaps the lingering scent made it feel longer.
Slowly, Mikoto opened her eyes.
At that instant, Anlan seemed to see, within her pupils, a pair of phantom birds—one azure, one crimson.
They leaned against each other, wings overlapping, soaring in perfect harmony beyond the mortal world… before fading away, leaving behind a sense of endless connection and devotion.
"Anlan…"
Her voice was soft, carrying both wonder at her newfound ability and a deep, overflowing tenderness.
She reached out, gently taking his hand, lifting her eyes to meet his, and revealed a smile full of trust and dependence.
At the moment their hands clasped, skin touching—
A breathtaking image appeared.
A pair of exquisite, twin-headed birds—one azure, one crimson—spread their magnificent wings, emerging along their joined arms.
The azure bird extended up Anlan's arm, while the crimson bird spread along Mikoto's, finally converging near their shoulders.
Like an ancient, sacred contract.
It glowed faintly.
Then—
An even more astonishing change occurred.
Their chakra, like streams returning to their source, connected and merged seamlessly.
Anlan could clearly feel it—
His total chakra steadily increasing.
The quality of his ocular power becoming more refined and powerful.
Even his physical strength and perception were undeniably improving.
It was as though a portion of Mikoto's power had merged into him without reservation.
At the same time, Mikoto's aura surged—
Stronger. Sharper. Elevated to an entirely new level in an instant.
"This is…?" Anlan looked at the paired birds, then at Mikoto in surprise.
Mikoto felt the seamless fusion of their power—the complete unity between herself and her husband.
A captivating blush spread across her face, while her eyes shone like stars.
"'Paired Birds'…"
She spoke softly.
"This is an ability that can only be formed once in a lifetime."
"It creates a soul-bound connection between two people in love. Their powers resonate, stack, and coexist. Their hearts become one…"
"From then on… we share fortune and misfortune—life and death together."
She tightened her grip slightly, and the bird mark shimmered gently, as if responding to that vow.
"Even… as long as we don't suffer fatal accidents at the same time, the power of 'Paired Birds' can eventually—"
"Idiot."
Anlan tightened his grip on her hand, cutting her off.
Rolling over, he lowered his head and pressed a kiss onto her smooth forehead.
"Don't say things like that."
Under his burning gaze, Mikoto's blush deepened.
Through their connected hearts, she could almost "see" herself reflected in his eyes—laid bare and vulnerable.
"Anlan… there are important matters today. Kirigakure… and reinforcements from the main family—"
Before she could finish, he forcefully took control.
Her clear eyes quickly turned hazy.
Outside, in the dining hall.
Daiju sat on a high cushioned stool, its fluffy tail tapping lightly against the ground.
Its round eyes stared fixedly at the end of the hallway—the tightly shut bedroom door.
Time passed.
The door remained closed.
"Daiju, it seems Anlan and Mikoto aren't home. Can we start eating?"
Beside it, Koromon's stomach growled loudly as it stared at the dishes, swallowing drool.
Daiju glanced at the glutton reincarnate and felt no fear anymore.
Whoever controlled Koromon's stomach was its god.
Besides, this little thing stuck to it all day like glue, constantly muttering things like "smells nice" and "so fragrant."
No idea what it meant.
Still… having a little companion wasn't so bad.
It pointed a paw at the steaming breakfast.
"I'll keep theirs warm. You go ahead and start eating, meow~"
Koromon only caught the word start.
It immediately bounced toward the food bowl and buried its face in it.
Near noon, after thoroughly experiencing—and deeply testing—the ability of Paired Birds with Mikoto, Anlan sat in his office on the eighth floor.
This ability, born from Mikoto's heart, might not rival space or time in mechanics—
But in terms of amplification, it far surpassed them.
Both he and Mikoto already possessed foundations far beyond ordinary shinobi.
Their mental strength, physical bodies, and chakra reserves were all exceptional.
With the passive link of Paired Birds, these attributes were enhanced by at least twenty percent.
But compared to the purification of bloodline—and the crucial enhancement of ocular power—
That was nothing.
Anlan could feel it clearly—
His bloodline seemed immersed in a gentle, continuous current, undergoing silent purification.
A strange sense of ease spread through him, as if subtle impurities hindering the perfect flow of power were being filtered away.
This purification raised his potential.
The most obvious result—
Both his and Mikoto's base attributes were steadily increasing.
Then, through the stacking effect of Paired Birds, it was like stepping on one's own shoulders—their foundations rising even higher.
At the same time, the "quantity" of his Sharingan's power had already surged by nearly ten percent when the link first formed.
After that, its "quality" began a slow but steady evolution.
The Sharingan's perception, copying ability, and genjutsu all became smoother and more effective.
Anlan lay comfortably on the sofa, gazing lazily at the blue sky outside.
The Sharingan manifested in his eyes—
Its refined power had already surpassed Uchiha Setsuna, reaching the current ceiling.
It felt as though just a little more—
And he would break into the next stage.
'If the potential of Paired Birds can continue to be developed…'
A thrilling possibility surfaced in his mind.
'Perhaps… without extreme emotional trauma, I can use this as a pathway to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.'
'Or even… follow Indra's path—awakening Susanoo with just three tomoe.'
'Mikoto's ability… truly is an incredible gift.'
'In those apocalypse novels… awakening an SSS-tier talent really does let you rise in one step.'
'The poor really do rely on mutation…'
As his thoughts flowed, Anlan rolled up his sleeve, revealing the azure bird mark on his arm.
Its lines were vivid, every feather lifelike, glowing faintly as if alive.
He gently traced it, feeling the warmth and the connection to the distant other end.
The more he looked, the more satisfied he became.
Now, not only did he possess Sharingan—
He had also entered the "tattoo era" ahead of time.
Wasn't this basically invincible?
With a thought—
His consciousness naturally extended along that invisible bond.
Distance posed no obstacle.
Within a hundred meters, their communication was seamless.
Beyond that, the connection gradually weakened.
At a thousand meters, it reached its limit.
The resonance effect of Paired Birds would nearly vanish.
Anlan wasn't surprised.
After all—paired birds must stay together to fly.
He "sensed" Mikoto in the intelligence office, fully focused on documents and analysis.
A smile flickered in his eyes.
Through the connection, he sent a few intimate, teasing words only they could understand.
The next moment—
A ripple of emotion returned.
"In broad daylight, please focus on your work, my general."
A shy, flustered feeling came through—
Mikoto quickly "closed" the real-time emotional link.
Perhaps it was too embarrassing while working.
However—
Though the mental channel was blocked, the passive amplification of Paired Birds not only remained—
It subtly grew stronger.
Unlike the Sharingan—
Joy, warmth, and love were the true nourishment of Paired Birds.
Anlan lowered his sleeve, covering the faintly warm mark, and closed his eyes.
His mind sank into the Sharingan space.
Endless void.
Only the pale stone gate stood silently.
He poured even more ocular power into it than before.
The ancient patterns on its surface gradually lit up, like parched earth receiving rain.
Light flowed along the lines—
As if breathing.
As if awakening.
Anlan watched the progress, a trace of satisfaction in his heart.
Soon, after expending as much power as he could without affecting tomorrow's recovery, his consciousness returned.
A concerned thought flowed through the bond.
"Anlan… your ocular power… why has nearly half of it been consumed?"
Along with the question, a gentle stream of power flowed from Mikoto to him—like water filling a dried riverbed.
They were like a perfectly balanced scale.
When one side dropped, the other naturally compensated.
"Testing a new technique. Once it succeeds, I'll give you a big surprise."
Anlan replied, not using the returned power.
Mikoto's Sharingan hadn't mutated like his.
Though her ocular power didn't degrade like the Mangekyō—
Its recovery was slow.
And converting it into his refined form required heavy purification.
In contrast, when his power flowed back to her, the enhancement was far greater.
Feeling the fullness of her energy, Anlan couldn't help but think—
At this rate…
Mikoto might awaken her Mangekyō before him.
And when she did—
Its feedback would further boost his own power.
Meanwhile—
Under the blazing noon sun, along the long coastline of the Land of Fire—
On the distant shimmering sea—
More than a dozen Kirigakure warships appeared.
Like the spines of sea beasts rising from the depths, they advanced in strict formation toward the shore.
Their metal rams gleamed coldly under the sun.
Flags snapped violently in the wind.
A suffocating aura—
Mixed with the salty sea air and killing intent—
Spread ahead of the fleet.
War had arrived.