Chương 177: Kushina — “To Restore the Glory of the Uzumaki, I’ll... Rely on My Disciple”

Rely on My Disciple" The sun dipped beneath the horizon as dusk swallowed the sky. The city lights gradually kindled to life, intertwining with the final traces of sunlight scattered across the heavens. One stepped onto the stage while the other bowed out in silence. Yet no matter how brilliant mankind's lights became, they could only illuminate a corner of the world. Nothing could rival the sun's all-encompassing radiance.

Konoha, finally emerging from the nightmare cast by the Nine-Tails' attack, had regained its former tranquility.

The villagers savored this rare stretch of peace, their attention returning to the ordinary rhythms of life. Solitary murmurs. Laughter and scolding. The clatter of pots and bowls. Cats and dogs chasing each other through the alleys. As Dongye zhen walked through the streets alone, every sound around him flowed distinctly into his ears. With his growing body and increasingly powerful physique, his senses had become sharper by the day.

He could not only hear fainter sounds from farther away—his range of perception itself had expanded. In the past, when bats swept across the night sky, he could hear the flutter of their wings cutting through the air. Now, he could even perceive the strange waves hidden beneath ordinary sound. He did not find it noisy. On the contrary, it filled him with quiet joy. It made the world feel vividly real. Just as he possessed absolute control over chakra, he wielded the same mastery over his body.

If he didn't want to hear something, he could simply shut it out. His vision and sense of smell worked the same way. Back at the ANBU Shadow Guard headquarters, Dongye zhen washed up and changed back into his regular clothes. Just as he finished, Hayate's squad returned from duty as well.

"Zhen, I thought you'd already gone home," Yamato said. Dongye zhen placed a hand dramatically over his chest.

"My foolish little brother, your dear elder brother was waiting for you." Yamato remained expressionless. After spending over half a year together, he had long grown accustomed to Dongye zhen's personality. Back then, after finally finding a new family, he'd genuinely hoped he might one day sincerely call someone "big brother." Now? Not a chance.

"I'm afraid I must disappoint you," Yamato replied flatly.

"Lord Fourth asked me to notify you that you're invited to dinner at his house."

"Fine, fine. Tell Mom when you get back." Dongye zhen sighed theatrically.

"Honestly, you've become sneakier lately too. Just like Yugao." Uzuki Yugao immediately stepped forward and hooked herself onto Dongye zhen's arm.

"Well~ if you want," she teased, "I can still call you Big Brother Zhen like before." Dongye zhen's eyes lit up.

"That sounds wonderful. Say it a few more times."

"Hmph, dream on!" Yugao snorted.

"Who told you not to bring me on this mission? If you take our squad along next time and help Senior Kushina find another one or two clansmen, I might consider it." Dongye zhen shrugged helplessly.

"Can't be helped. I pick whichever squad—yours or Genma's—happens to be free. As the leader of the Shadow Guard, favoritism is unacceptable." Moonlight Hayate coughed lightly and added, "Yugao, the Uzumaki Clan was wiped out long ago. Surviving members are incredibly rare. It's not something you just stumble across."

"Maybe not for others," Yugao replied without hesitation, "but Zhen definitely can. I absolutely believe in him." Hayate rolled his eyes.

"That's not belief. That's blind worship."

"Yeah. So what?" Hayate: "..." At that point, what was he even supposed to say? Yamato suddenly remembered the earlier clash with Root. Having grown up there, he understood their methods all too well.

"I just hope Lord Danzo doesn't do anything unnecessary." He was a grateful person. Though he disliked Root, Danzo had indeed pulled him out of despair and personally trained him afterward. As for who had caused that despair in the first place... Yamato had no memory of it, nor any desire to dig deeper. Dongye zhen grinned faintly.

"I'm the opposite. I hope he does something unnecessary." This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Yamato: "..." ——— At Minato's home, Dongye zhen arrived just in time to witness someone transforming into a furious red-haired octopus. Naruto and Karin, the two tiny toddlers nearby, were trembling in terror.

"Sensei," Dongye zhen asked curiously, "who managed to make you this angry?" Kushina immediately swung toward him like a raging storm.

"Zhen, perfect timing! Tell me—why did you let those bastards from Kusagakure off the hook?!" After speaking with Kari, she had learned exactly what the Grass ninja had done to her over the years. At this very moment, Kushina desperately wanted to storm into Kusagakure and flatten the entire village with a gigantic Tailed Beast Bomb. What? The Nine-Tails wasn't sealed inside her anymore? No problem. She could just sling Naruto over her shoulder and fire one anyway.

"Oh, that?" Dongye zhen replied casually.

"No problem. If you want, Sensei, I can head over right now and drop a few ultra-large-scale ninjutsu. Wipe that pathetic village and everyone inside it clean off the map." Kushina froze.

"Zhen... is that really necessary? I meant killing the ninja who bit Kari. That should be enough."

"And then?" Dongye zhen countered calmly.

"The survivors would naturally hate Konoha and throw themselves entirely into Iwagakure's arms. Better to erase the roots of the problem altogether." Kushina: "..." Her disciple's worldview seemed... alarmingly extreme. How exactly was she supposed to correct this? Had the kindhearted Red-Hot Habanero somehow raised a future demon king? Kari quickly stepped in to soothe her.

"It's fine, Sister Kushina. This was my choice. Escaping that village and ensuring Karin never walks the same path I did... that's enough for me." At that moment, Minato emerged from the kitchen carrying the final dish.

"All right, Kushina. Don't stay angry. Let's eat first." As Konoha's Fourth Hokage, Minato actually believed Dongye zhen's handling of the matter had been correct. On the surface, Kusagakure was still Konoha's ally. Bringing Kari back to Konoha was enough. Even if Grass learned about it, they wouldn't dare protest openly. And if killing became necessary? Minato honestly leaned more toward Dongye zhen's approach. No survivors. No witnesses. No traces connecting Konoha to the destruction of a village.

That was precisely what had happened to the Sky Ninja Village after they attempted to invade Konoha years ago. Kushina snorted but said nothing more. Instead, she immediately began piling food onto Kari and Karin's plates. Kari still maintained basic table manners. Little Karin, however, had no such restraints. She had never seen such a lavish meal in her life. Her cheeks puffed out as she devoured everything in sight with astonishing enthusiasm. Beside her, Naruto stared blankly in shock.

Children in the ninja world matured much faster than ordinary kids from Dongye zhen's previous life. Eight-month-old Naruto could already eat the same food as adults. As for nearly one-year-old Karin, she had no issues whatsoever. Considering the life she'd lived in Kusagakure, having food at all had already been a luxury. ——— After dinner, the Namikaze family began discussing arrangements for Kari and Karin's future, while Dongye zhen stayed to offer suggestions. For now, Karin was still too young.

Her priority was simply growing up healthy. Kari, meanwhile, had suffered severe depletion of her vitality over the years and needed time to recover. During that period, Kushina planned to teach her Uzumaki sealing techniques so she could eventually join Konoha's Sealing Team. As for living expenses before she started working, part would come from village subsidies, while the rest would be covered by Minato and Kushina themselves. Money wasn't a concern for them. The real issue was housing.

Staying at Kushina's home for a few days posed no problem, but long-term? That would become awkward quickly. Even if Minato and Kushina didn't mind, Kari certainly would. A young widow living with a married couple all the time? And Minato wasn't just anyone—he was Konoha's Hokage and the legendary Yellow Flash. Did the man's reputation mean nothing anymore? Kushina thought for a moment.

"Let's buy a house next to ours. I remember there's an empty lot nearby." Minato nodded immediately.

"That works." Kari hesitated. Konoha was the greatest hidden village in the world. Property here couldn't possibly be cheap.

"Sister Kushina," she said carefully, "there's no need to buy one. Renting somewhere would be enough."

"That won't do," Kushina declared firmly.

"A rented place can't truly be called home." Dongye zhen suddenly suggested, "Why not let them stay at Lady Tsunade's place? It's huge, and it's close to your house too." The Uchiha Clan lived together. The Hyuga Clan did too. Back in the day, the Senju Clan had been no different. The disappearance of the Senju within Konoha was hardly some secret conspiracy. Two factors caused it. First: Hashirama and Tobirama's policy of fully integrating the Senju into the village.

Second: the devastating casualties of the First and Second Shinobi Wars. That was all. Later on, a small number of people dreamed of restoring Wood Release and reviving the glory of the Senju. Unfortunately, they all ended up swallowed by Hashirama cell experiments. After that, no one dared entertain the idea again. Gradually, the Senju simply faded into Konoha itself. Even Tsunade abandoned the clan surname. Now, Konoha was the Senju, and the Senju were Konoha.

Only a handful of people still used the name "Senju of the Forest." The old clan district had long since been abandoned. Only a single ancestral residence remained—the house once occupied by the First and Second Hokage. That was Tsunade's current home in Konoha. Kushina's eyes immediately lit up.

"That's a great idea! They're Mito Grandma's clansmen too—Big Sister Tsunade definitely won't object. Though we should still tell her first."

"Mito-sama..." Kari murmured softly. She had never personally met Uzumaki Mito, but she knew the name well enough. After all, she was the wife of the God of Shinobi and held immense prestige within the Uzumaki Clan. Thinking about how two ancient clans—both connected by blood ties—had declined to such a miserable state... A trace of sorrow suddenly surfaced in Kushina's eyes.

"Hey, Minato," she asked quietly, "when you traveled on missions before... did you ever meet any of my clansmen?" Minato carefully searched his memories.

"Well... I met red-haired people before, but none of them were Uzumaki." Kushina immediately turned toward Dongye zhen.

"Now that Minato's Hokage, he can't wander around the world anymore." She pointed at him decisively.

"From now on, I'm counting on you." Dongye zhen blinked.

"Sensei... are you planning to gather your clansmen and restore the glory of the Uzumaki?"

"Forget the glory part," Kushina said with a helpless laugh.

"I just want them to have a stable place to live."

"Understood, Sensei." In the ninja world, not every redhead belonged to the Uzumaki Clan. As long as they avoided displaying unusual abilities, many survivors could quietly disappear into ordinary life. After several generations of intermarriage, unless their bloodline strongly resurfaced, almost nobody would notice them. Karin and Kari were exceptions. That absurd healing physique of theirs practically existed to attract disaster. As for other surviving Uzumaki... Dongye zhen actually knew of two.

Nagato, with his ripple-patterned Rinnegan, was out of the question. Konoha ninja had killed his parents—there was no universe where he'd willingly join Konoha. The other one, however... Potentially possible. Though whether she was currently on the Summoning Island in the Land of Sea remained uncertain.