Chương 175: Another Ridiculous Title Added to the Collection

Under the star-strewn skies of the Land of Fire, the forest lay silent save for the crackling of a campfire. After traveling through most of the night without pause, everyone needed rest. Beside the flames, the red-haired woman held her daughter tightly in her arms. Exhaustion weighed heavily on her body, yet anxiety about the future kept sleep at bay. Though she had escaped the hell that was Kusagakure, years of influence from her parents left her unable to fully trust Konoha shinobi.

The entire journey, she had refused to let Dongye zhen's group carry little Karin even once. Only by holding the child herself could she find the slightest sense of security. She knew how to refine chakra—but only that much. Enough to travel. Nothing more. As for combat, she understood absolutely nothing. Kusagakure had done that deliberately. They wanted to maximize her value while ensuring she never developed thoughts of resistance.

Much like Karin in the original timeline, who couldn't even handle a large black bear during the Chunin Exams and barely qualified as half a ninja. Her greatest utility was serving as a living battery pack for her teammates. Little Karin, on the other hand, slept soundly. At her age, nothing mattered so long as her mother remained nearby. The rest of the world was still beyond her understanding. Dongye zhen looked toward the exhausted woman forcing herself to stay awake.

"Sorry. We've been traveling nonstop, and I still haven't asked your name."

"Please just call me Kari, shinobi-sama."

"No surname?" Dongye zhen asked.

"You know you're part of the Uzumaki clan, don't you? Same as my teacher, Uzumaki Kushina." Kari nodded faintly.

"My parents told me when I was little. But after our family fled the Land of Whirlpools… we abandoned the name." Her eyes lowered.

"My father said the surname of a fallen nation only invited disaster. I imagine most survivors chose the same path."

"Pretty much." Dongye zhen tossed another branch into the fire.

"Up to now, only my teacher and her child still openly use the Uzumaki name. Outside Konoha, I haven't encountered anyone else."

"Kushina…" Kari hesitated.

"She's become a mother too?"

"She has. A son. Though he's younger than your daughter." Dongye zhen glanced at the sleeping child in her arms.

"What's her name? How old is she?"

"She's called Karin. She'll turn one in another two weeks."

"Karin, huh?" A smile tugged at his lips.

"That's a beautiful name. A few months older than my teacher's kid too. That's nice." He leaned back casually.

"Naruto gets an older sister. Karin gets a younger brother." Throughout the conversation, Dongye zhen repeatedly emphasized that Kushina was his teacher, mentioning her child and life in Konoha piece by piece. Little by little, the tension inside Kari finally began to ease. For the first time since meeting him, she smiled.

"An older sister and younger brother…" Her gaze drifted toward the firelight.

"Kushina's been living in Konoha all this time, hasn't she? I wonder how she's been…"

"She's doing well," Dongye zhen replied.

"You'll see for yourself once we arrive tomorrow. Don't worry about your safety either. You're my teacher's clanswoman. I'll protect you both." Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Kari studied him quietly before nodding.

"I think… I'm willing to trust you." A faint trace of amusement entered her voice.

"Even someone like me occasionally heard the Grass shinobi talking about the 'Shield of Konoha.'" To reassure her, Dongye zhen had introduced himself earlier and never put his mask back on afterward. When people were frightened, a handsome face inspired far more comfort than a cold ANBU mask.

"That title probably came from the Kumogakure bunch," he sighed.

"Ignore it. Just call me Zhen, same as my teacher does." Kari seemed to recall something and smiled again.

"I don't know where the Grass ninja heard it from… but after the New Year, they started calling you something else." Dongye zhen immediately narrowed his eyes.

"If it's embarrassing, I strongly request you keep it to yourself."

"It's not embarrassing," she said honestly.

"Just terrifying."

"The people in Kusagakure call you the 'Hell Wind Demon' now."

"They seem very afraid of running into you." Well, of course they were. Everyone who encountered him ended up permanently crippled, condemned to spend the rest of their lives in wheelchairs. Clearly, that nickname had spread from Kumogakure too. Dongye zhen's methods against them had left an exceptionally traumatic aftermath. The Cloud shinobi hated him to the bone, but lacking any means of revenge, they settled for saddling him with a nightmarish title instead.

The three still awake nearby immediately looked envious. Genma let out a dramatic sigh.

"Captain, I want a title too. That's the mark of someone acknowledged by the shinobi world." Dongye zhen deadpanned, "Then just give yourself one."

"That doesn't work," Genma groaned.

"Titles are earned through strength. If you invent one yourself, people just laugh at you."

"Oh?" Dongye zhen smirked.

"So I'm actually pretty impressive now?" Raidō chimed in immediately.

"Of course you are. Counting 'Hero of Konoha,' you've already got three titles." Dongye zhen's expression stiffened. At this rate, he'd soon rival Daenerys Targaryen—someone who needed half an hour just to finish reciting their titles after a battle. That was way too ridiculous. He instantly ordered,"All of you. Forget those names ever existed. Nobody mentions them again." He pointed around the camp.

"Now quit talking. Whoever's on watch stays awake. Everyone else sleeps." Kari quietly observed the interaction between the Konoha shinobi. This atmosphere felt completely different from Kusagakure. Maybe… Just maybe… Konoha truly was a place where she and her daughter could finally live in peace. After Dongye zhen's careful attempts to put her at ease, the unease in her heart gradually faded away. Before long, exhaustion finally claimed her. Her body had long since reached its limit.

On the return journey the next day, Dongye zhen thoroughly questioned Kari about her years in Kusagakure. He needed the information for the mission report. Since Kari couldn't travel very quickly, the group didn't arrive at Konoha until evening. Outside the village gates, Dongye zhen reminded her seriously,"I'll report your situation to the higher-ups. As for your special constitution—don't tell anyone unrelated to the matter. Understood?"

"Understood." He then turned toward Genma's team.

"You all know ANBU confidentiality rules. This matter stays sealed. Don't even mention it to close friends." Genma and Raidō nodded immediately.

"Understood, Captain." Iwashi asked, "Captain, should we take them directly to ANBU headquarters?"

"No need." Dongye zhen shook his head.

"Once inside Konoha, escort them to the Daifuku Inn first. I'll notify Kushina-sensei and the Fourth Hokage. They'll handle the rest. I'll explain everything to the Third Hokage afterward."

"Yes, sir!" x3 After settling the arrangements, the group entered Konoha through a concealed passage reserved for ANBU before splitting up. At the Namikaze residence, the warm and sunny Fourth Hokage was busy preparing dinner. Minato had already completed his training in Mount Myōboku's Sage Mode. His strength had advanced even further, surpassing Jiraiya's half-mastered version and becoming a true practitioner of Myōboku senjutsu. But afterward, he found himself at a dead end.

Minato increasingly felt he had reached the limit attainable by a shinobi without bloodline gifts. Lately, that question had occupied much of his thoughts. Meanwhile in the living room, Kushina was playing a chasing game with her son. Eight-month-old little blondie had already learned how to walk. Suddenly, both husband and wife looked toward the door at the same moment. Dongye zhen pushed it open and stepped inside.

Naruto immediately spotted a new target for entertainment and toddled toward him enthusiastically—only to turn too quickly and plop onto his backside. Kushina hurried over and scooped him into her arms.

"Zhen! When did you get back?" Minato emerged from the kitchen after setting down his cooking utensils.

"You just returned, didn't you?" he observed.

"You came straight here without even changing out of your ANBU uniform. Something important?"

"There is." Dongye zhen looked at Kushina.

"Sensei… do you remember someone named Kari? Uzumaki Kari."

"Kari?" Kushina froze in shock.

"Zhen, why do you know that name? Did you hear about her during a mission? Or—""I brought her back to Konoha."

"What?!" Kushina's eyes widened instantly.

"She's here? In Konoha? Where is she? Hurry up and tell me!"

"At the Daifuku Inn. I left Genma's squad there to protect her." The moment she heard that, Kushina stopped listening entirely. Without another word, she snatched up Naruto and stormed out of the house like a hurricane. Even Hayate's squad and the Root shinobi guarding outside were startled into panic before scrambling after her. Minato understood his wife's urgency perfectly.

For someone whose homeland and clan had been destroyed, nothing mattered more than reuniting with surviving kin—especially childhood companions. He turned back toward Dongye zhen.

"This is connected to your mission?"

"Yes. After discovering Kari in the Land of Grass, I sensed chakra similar to Kushina-sensei's. Then she mentioned knowing Sensei, so I brought her back." Minato smiled warmly.

"You've done us a great kindness, Zhen. Thank you."

"You should head over too, Minato-senpai." Dongye zhen adjusted his ANBU mask.

"I still need to submit my mission report to the Third Hokage."

"Alright." Minato nodded.

"Go handle your work. Leave the rest to me."