The rainy season had not yet ended.
The rain fell in fine, cold threads.
The forests of Naka River reveled in the rain.
The leaves of cherry, plum, pine, and maple trees glistened faintly under the rain's touch.
Deep within the mountains, inside a cave.
The ground, shaped by earth-style techniques, was smooth and cold.
While the exterior appeared unremarkable, the interior had been transformed into a cozy dwelling.
All the sturdy furniture was made of stone, as if seamlessly integrated into the cave itself.
At this moment.
In a spacious inner chamber resembling a living room, a low table was placed in the center.
Beside the table sat a coldly beautiful woman dressed in elegant attire, while behind her, Wakama Senju held a wooden comb, gently brushing her long hair.
This beauty was none other than Uchiha Yuki, who had agreed to sit quietly with Wakama Senju every seven days.
At this moment, Uchiha Yuki had completely transformed into a different person.
Even members of the Uchiha clan would not recognize her at first glance.
Today was their first meeting, and Uchiha Yuki was already beginning to regret it.
The two had met at the agreed-upon location.
Wakama Senju had swiftly whisked her away like the wind, bringing her here.
At first, Uchiha Yuki had been too stunned to react, as delicate as a flower drenched in rain, cradled in Wakama Senju's arms.
After traversing countless unfamiliar woods, Wakama Senju brought Uchiha Yuki to this cave, which had been renovated into a living space.
Seeing the simple yet warm interior, the fully furnished space, and the tea set prepared in advance, Uchiha Yuki's initially anxious heart eased slightly.
However, when Wakama Senju set her down and her feet touched the ground,
Uchiha Yuki realized that she was now wearing this elegant attire, with no memory of when it had been changed.
And Wakama Senju had somehow produced the clothes she had been wearing earlier.
His gentle voice, like a demon's whisper, said, "I'm sorry, but my brother might spy on me at any moment. If he saw me being affectionate with a man, the situation would become quite... humorous."
"So, when you're with me, please be the girl who belongs only to me..."
Hearing these words, Uchiha Yuki said nothing.
At that moment, she was filled with shame and fear.
Shame, because she had unknowingly been stripped and redressed by this young man before her.
Fear, because Wakama Senju's methods were too bizarre, his ability to steal anything silently was terrifying.
Uchiha Yuki's mind flashed to the shinobi of the Hagoromo clan, who had died gruesomely after having their organs stolen by Wakama Senju.
And now, Uchiha Yuki had come to understand Wakama Senju's terror up close.
Wakama Senju could silently steal an opponent's organs.
Wakama Senju could silently steal the clothes off her body.
Wakama Senju could silently dress her in new clothes.
All in such a short span of time.
Though her weapons, hidden tools, and all her defensive ninja gear had been taken by Wakama Senju, Uchiha Yuki dared not ask for them back.
Those defensive items might have offered some sense of security.
But if Wakama Senju truly wished to harm her, those tools would be useless.
Uchiha Yuki considered her life cheap and saw no need to provoke Wakama Senju over something trivial, risking putting herself in an even worse position.
And then...
This happened.
Wakama Senju had said that Uchiha Yuki didn't need to speak, only to sit there quietly.
To sit there quietly.
But to sit there quietly in women's clothing.
Uchiha Yuki sat in a daze, holding a mercury mirror in her hands.
She watched as her face was clearly reflected in the mirror, along with Wakama Senju's skillful hands, swiftly crafting a simple yet beautiful hairstyle for her.
Wakama Senju tied her hair into two strands hanging down her back, then braided them, and finally adorned them with flowers he had gathered from Naka River, placing them behind her right ear.
But he wasn't done yet.
After finishing her hair, Wakama Senju moved to her front, opened a makeup box, and began shaping her eyebrows and applying light makeup.
Uchiha Yuki was already beautiful, but after Wakama Senju's touch, she became even more stunning, with almost no trace of her male appearance left.
Women of any age love beauty.
Uchiha Yuki's cross-dressing had been out of necessity, not because she didn't want to be a beautiful girl.
And Wakama Senju had almost fulfilled her distant dream.
Wakama Senju's movements were fluid, practiced, and elegant, and Uchiha Yuki found herself entranced.
Was this what Wakama Senju had meant when he said he would pour his love for another girl into her?
At this moment, Uchiha Yuki thought to herself, how could any girl who had once been close to such a gentle, considerate, and skilled man like Wakama Senju possibly abandon him?
Either Wakama Senju was lying.
Or something had happened to that girl, preventing her from seeing him.
Whichever it was...
Uchiha Yuki's eyes dimmed. No matter what, she had to remember that she was merely a "substitute."
However, what Uchiha Yuki didn't know was that Wakama Senju was practicing his makeup skills.
When Tsukuyo had demanded that Wakama Senju learn makeup, he had been resistant, thinking it was something only girls did.
But Tsukuyo had sternly taught him how to complete a transformation in three minutes.
Makeup skills were essential.
He needed to learn how to quickly alter his appearance, allowing him to disappear without a trace while conserving chakra.
At the same time, he had to master "imitation makeup."
The technical term, Wakama Senju had only noted in his book. His understanding of "imitation makeup" was the ability to transform himself into someone else through advanced makeup techniques.
Wakama Senju had seen Tsukuyo turn his goofy older brother into the spitting image of their father, Senju Butsuma.
It was an impressive skill, one that required practice.
And today, when Wakama Senju met Uchiha Yuki, he had many things in mind.
Wakama Senju had prepared a new resting place. This cave was newly renovated, not the one he usually met Hyuga Miyu in.
This was to prevent accidentally running into one girl while on a date with the other.
Wakama Senju had taken Uchiha Yuki away from the meeting spot to avoid any potential followers.
Along the way, using his deft hands, he had stolen Uchiha Yuki's clothes and dressed her in the women's attire he had prepared in advance.
While he claimed it was "so you can be a girl when you're with me," his true intention was to confiscate all of Uchiha Yuki's ninja tools and weapons.
Even if Uchiha Yuki claimed she wanted to repay him, Wakama Senju remained vigilant.
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