NOVEL NEXT Chapter 22: Chapter 22 : Aftermath (Bonus Chapter)
Tsunade, we, the Uzumaki clan, will not follow you back to Konoha."
"We are going to Taki no Kuni and will live in seclusion there."
"If you ever come, we will meet again."
Uzumaki Roshimi handed Tsunade an iron token infused with his chakra.
"Take this with you. If you ever bring it to Taki no Kuni, the Uzumaki will sense it and come to see you."
After that, the two were ready to part ways, but before leaving, Roshimi turned and placed a hand on Kushina's shoulder, guiding her forward.
"I know you came under Mito-sama's orders to find the next Nine-Tails Jinchūriki."
"My granddaughter, Kushina, is strong. Let her go with you."
Despite his reluctance, he made his decision.
Letting his granddaughter leave with Tsunade was undoubtedly the best choice for her.
The ones leaving for Taki no Kuni were old, sick, or too injured to defend themselves. The journey would be grueling, filled with dangers they could not anticipate.
If they were hunted down again, protecting Kushina would be nearly impossible. She was already the only child to survive the attack on Uzushio. They couldn't afford to risk her life.
"Grandpa!"
Kushina cried, hot tears trailing down her cheeks. She understood why he was doing this, knew it was for her own good, but it didn't stop the pain from crushing her chest.
She wanted to go with them, but she would only slow them down. That was a truth she couldn't deny.
Gritting her teeth, she swallowed her sorrow and gave them one final bow.
Tsunade remained silent, but her fists clenched, nails digging into her palms until they nearly drew blood. Her hatred for Sarutobi Hiruzen deepened.
Had she arrived earlier, this wouldn't have happened.
She had learned the truth from Roshimi: Uzushio had the means to escape unscathed. Their barriers were impenetrable, their fūinjutsu second to none.
If they had received aid, they would have survived. But none came. Their so-called allies abandoned them, forcing them into a slaughterhouse.
Now, they no longer trusted Konoha, and Tsunade had nothing to say in its defense.
She kept asking herself—
How did the village her grandfather, Hashirama Senju, built become like this?
But there was no time to dwell on it. The enemy could still be near. They had to leave.
Yet at that moment, on the ruined outskirts of Uzushio, Uchiha Shin remained.
The shadow clone he sent ahead had gathered intel.
A few kilometers away, a group of Uzumaki survivors was being slaughtered.
If he hadn't seen it, he wouldn't have cared. But he had seen it.
And he owed the Uzumaki clan a favor.
He had gained knowledge of their secret techniques, and that knowledge was invaluable. Repaying the debt with a few corpses wasn't too difficult.
At high speed, Shin arrived at his destination.
A petite figure ran frantically through the forest. Her short red hair was tangled, her face streaked with dirt and blood.
Behind her, several Iwa-nin chased, their kunai gleaming under the fading sunlight.
Compared to the Iwagakure chūnin, the girl looked utterly powerless. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, but it wasn't enough.
In a matter of seconds, they caught up.
Exhausted, she collapsed onto the ground, curling up in fear. Her small hands trembled as she clutched her head.
"No! Please! Don't kill me!" she sobbed.
One of the Iwa-nin scoffed.
"Hurry up, ! That damn shadow clone slowed us down. We need to get back and report."
"Yeah, yeah. I'm handling it."
They barely paid attention to the girl.
One of them raised his kunai, preparing to plunge it into her skull like he was butchering an animal.
But just as he brought it down—
The blade stopped midair.
"What the hell?"
The chūnin tried to push down, but the kunai wouldn't move, as if an invisible force had locked it in place.
Confused, he released it—only to watch in horror as the kunai floated up, twisted, and drove straight into his forehead.
His lifeless body hit the ground.
The other Iwa-nin barely had time to react before their feet were snared.
A thick layer of black iron sand wrapped around them, constricting their bodies like serpents.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Binding Coffin!"
A cold voice rang out as Shin clenched his fist, pulling them into the air.
At the same time, hidden explosive tags within the iron sand began to glow.
Boom!
The explosion reduced the two Iwa-nin to charred husks.
Black flames licked at their corpses before vanishing. Their chakra, their vitality—siphoned away and absorbed by Shin.
He exhaled, then turned to the girl still huddled on the ground.
"You're safe now."
His voice was softer, his hand glowing with faint green chakra as he activated the Mystical Palm Technique to ease her injuries.
At the warmth of his touch, the girl slowly raised her head. Her tear-streaked face, round and delicate, peered up at him with cautious hope. Her short red hair framed her face, dusty and tangled.
She looked like a frightened animal.
"You... you saved me?"
"Yeah. I saved you."
To ease her nerves, Shin deactivated his transformation jutsu, revealing his true face.
The girl stared at him for a moment before suddenly throwing herself into his chest, clinging to him tightly.
He blinked.
"Uh... okay. Guess we're doing this."
Her arms tightened around him, trembling, as she buried her face into his cloak. He sighed and returned the hug, rubbing her back in slow, calming circles.
She was small—eight, maybe nine years old. And she'd just barely escaped death.
After a few moments, he carried her to a safe spot, set her down, and pulled out some dry rations.
"Eat."
She hesitated, then sniffed the food, hunger overriding caution. She stuffed a piece into her mouth, chewing as fast as she could.
Only after a few bites did she realize Shin was watching her, smirking.
She froze, cheeks burning.
Trying to save face, she quickly chewed, swallowing with a gulp. But Shin merely chuckled, handing her a water bottle.
"Relax. Eat slowly, drink some water. No need to act cute—you're already cute."
Her face turned scarlet.
She lowered her head, focusing on her food, but Shin could see the tips of her ears glowing red.
He smirked, leaning back.
"At least she's got some fight in her."
He didn't know what he was going to do with her yet, but one thing was certain—
She was his problem now.
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Bonus Chapter - 100 Power Stones ✅
Next Bonus Chapter - 250 Power Stones