Sunlight filled the Uchiha compound, warm and unhurried.
Golden rays streamed through the wide wooden lattice windows, casting soft patches of light across the floor. Dust motes drifted lazily within the beams, the room quiet and still.
Maru lay curled up on the sofa, his plump body rising and falling with steady breaths. He slept soundly, whiskers twitching faintly, as if lost in some pleasant dream.
Then—
A faint meow.
Soft. Subtle. Yet enough to pierce through his sleep like a feather brushing against his ears.
It was kasumi.
Almost instinctively, Maru's orange ears twitched first, snapping to attention.
His sleepy eyes opened next, pupils shrinking into excited slits as they adjusted to the light.
His gaze followed the sound—
And froze.
Across the room, on a cushioned armchair, Uchiha Ren sat in relaxed ease.
And there—
The silver-striped cat he longed for, kasumi, rested gracefully on his lap, like a fragment of moonlight fallen into mortal hands.
Ren's slender fingers moved rhythmically, stroking along her neck and down her back.
kasumi was clearly enjoying it.
Her emerald eyes half-lidded, a soft, contented purr vibrating from her throat.
The tip of her long tail tapped gently against the cushion, her entire body loose, relaxed—completely unguarded.
Sunlight traced the outline of her silver-gray fur, giving her a faint, glowing halo.
Maru stared.
Mesmerized.
His paw lifted slightly, as if imagining placing it upon her head… her neck…
What would that feel like?
His throat bobbed as he swallowed, desire and envy mixing into a quiet ache.
That feeling crept up from deep within, like vines wrapping around his heart—tight, sour, and inescapable.
'If… if only kasumi would let me…'
'No… even just getting close… just smelling her scent… that would be enough…'
He wailed silently inside.
Yet his body remained frozen on the cushion, not daring to disturb the sacred scene before him.
All he could do was watch.
Those round eyes brimmed with longing and grievance, almost tangible.
He was the one who treated kasumi best.
Wasn't he?
The sunlight remained warm. The room stayed quiet.
Only Maru's devoted heart, hidden in a corner, had already turned into something bitter and sour—like an overripe lemon.
"Oh? You're awake, Maru."
Sensing his gaze, Ren felt a quiet satisfaction.
Starting the day by calling kasumi over for some indulgent petting had been the right choice.
'I do enjoy this kind of pure devotion.'
His fingers slid down her sleek back, gently catching her long, mist-like tail, pinching it lightly near the tip.
"Mm…"
kasumi let out a softer, more drawn-out sound.
Her entire body seemed to melt, collapsing into a languid puddle on his lap. Her emerald eyes narrowed into slits, her enjoyment unmistakable.
That sight—
Made Maru's already wide eyes stretch even further, nearly reaching their limits.
His gaze locked onto Ren's fingers, which now "defiled" that sacred tail.
His paws scratched unconsciously at the cushion.
Jealousy.
Longing.
Envy.
And even—
A strange flicker of excitement.
Because only here—only with Ren—
Would kasumi reveal such vulnerability… such sounds…
'This feeling… it's strangely addictive…'
Ren's thoughts drifted briefly.
There was a certain pleasure in holding something others treasured in the palm of his hand.
In watching that pure, unattainable desire unfold.
But that wasn't the point.
The real focus—
Was the faint tremor he felt.
The divine light baton—sealed inside Maru using a special sealing technique, infused with his Sharingan's ocular power—was reacting.
Last night, driven by curiosity, he had spent hours studying it.
Now, he finally understood.
The baton's original function was to transform those with light-based genetic factors into light itself.
But his mutated Sharingan had altered that condition.
When Maru, with his simple and love-filled heart, touched it—
A connection formed.
Not absolute.
After all, even in that distant world, someone else could take the baton and still transform.
And Ren, who controlled the Sharingan with precision—
Could do the same.
The only limitation—
It was energy.
Perhaps due to differences in worlds… or dimensions…
Even someone like Da Gu couldn't transform endlessly.
In this world, it was even harder.
To activate the baton required—
Pure love.
Or unwavering courage.
And considering that such transformations lasted only minutes before exhaustion turned the user to stone—
Ren had no intention of experimenting on Mikoto.
Nor would he entrust it to anyone else.
So he sealed it inside Maru instead.
Let it passively absorb "love" at all times.
At first, he wasn't even sure the sealing would work.
But it had.
Now, all that remained—
It was to see what happened when Maru transformed.
If the results were satisfactory—
Then Maru would truly become his "sustenance of love."
To further stir that emotion, Ren deliberately slowed his movements, gently playing with kasumi's tail.
Then he looked toward Maru, who seemed on the verge of fainting, and spoke casually.
"Stop staring."
"Maru, go prepare breakfast. The kitchen's yours."
"kasumi and I are hungry."
The sudden command snapped Maru out of his daze.
His body reacted before his mind.
"Y-Yes, Young Master!"
He scrambled up, his round body tumbling off the cushion. His landing was slightly clumsy, betraying his haste.
He didn't dare look again.
Shaking his head, he tried to erase the image of kasumi's tail being touched.
Then—
With stiff, awkward steps, he hurried toward the kitchen.
That chubby back carried both the sorrow of unrequited devotion—
And a quiet, hidden joy.
'kasumi still needs me… that's enough…'
"Young Master… isn't this a bit cruel?"
In his arms, the silver-striped cat tilted her head up, emerald eyes blinking softly as she let out a hesitant meow.
Ren lowered his gaze, meeting her eyes. His fingers brushed lightly beneath her chin.
"What? Feeling sorry for him?"
"I—I'm not!"
"Who would feel sorry for that silly cat!"
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