Kotetsu and Izumo were currently guarding the gate of Konoha. The afternoon air was calm, and Kotetsu let out a long yawn, stretching his neck slightly as boredom crept in during the quiet watch.
Suddenly, a distant sound reached his ears—the low mechanical hum of a machine.
Izumo heard it too.
Both of them were ninjas, and their hearing was naturally sharp. The moment the sound reached them, their attention snapped toward the road leading to Konoha's gate, the place from where the noise was coming. It was not as if they had never heard this sound before. Being stationed as gate guards for Konoha, they had heard this particular sound many times.
It was the sound of a car.
Generally, when a wealthy merchant or a high-ranking official came to Konoha, they would arrive riding in a car rather than on horseback or in carriage. Because of that, both Izumo and Kotetsu instinctively assumed that perhaps some big businessman or important official was approaching the village.
Soon enough, just as both of them expected, a car appeared in their line of sight on the road leading toward the village gate.
The vehicle was still quite far away—roughly fifty to sixty meters—but for trained shinobi like them, that distance was nothing. Their eyes narrowed slightly as they focused on the approaching car, observing the figures seated inside.
However, it didn't seem like any merchant or official they recognized.
Inside the car, they could clearly see six people.
Three of them had striking red hair, the color vivid even from a distance under the sunlight. The remaining three had black hair. The group looked calm as the vehicle continued rolling steadily toward the gates of Konoha, the soft rumble of the engine growing louder with every passing second.
Kotetsu's yawn completely disappeared as he straightened up slightly, while Izumo's gaze sharpened with curiosity.
Red hair…?
Neither of them said anything yet, but both silently continued watching the approaching car. The peaceful gate duty had suddenly become a little more interesting.
As the car got closer, being guards of the Konoha gate and ninjas of the village, one face among the people in the car was immediately recognizable to both of them. It was Renji—one of the Uzumaki siblings, the Crimson Serpent, Renji Uzumaki.
Renji had earned this title because of the way he used his Shikai in battle. The terrifying and overwhelming presence of that power had spread his reputation far and wide, and because of it the entire world had begun calling him by that moniker—the Crimson Serpent.
Kotetsu and Izumo exchanged a brief glance.
So it's him…
Soon the car rolled closer and finally came to a smooth stop right in front of the Konoha gate where Izumo and Kotetsu were standing guard. The engine gave a soft rumble before settling into silence.
The door opened.
Renji calmly stepped out, his red hair faintly swaying in the light breeze. His expression remained composed as his eyes briefly swept over the familiar gates of Konoha before he looked toward Izumo and Kotetsu.
Without wasting time, Renji reached into his coat and took out a letter.
Izumo stepped forward to receive it.
Renji handed the letter to him and said in a calm voice, "We are here from Uzushiogakure to participate in the Joint Chunin Exam. Here is the invitation."
Izumo took the letter carefully and began examining it. His eyes quickly scanned the contents before focusing on the official seal. The stamp of the Hokage was clearly visible.
He checked it thoroughly, making sure the invitation was genuine.
After confirming that everything was correct and that the Hokage's seal was authentic, Izumo nodded and handed the letter back.
"Please, you're welcome," Izumo said respectfully. "Welcome to Konoha."
Renji gave a small nod in acknowledgment after hearing this. He took the invitation back from Izumo without any unnecessary words and returned to the car.
Moments later, the vehicle started again, the engine humming softly as the car moved past the gates and entered Konoha.
Kotetsu and Izumo watched as the car slowly disappeared further into the village streets.
As soon as Renji had moved away and the car was a fair distance ahead, Izumo turned his head slightly and looked toward Kotetsu.
"Immediately inform the higher-ups that the people from Uzushiogakure have arrived to participate in the Chunin Exam," Izumo said in a firm voice.
Kotetsu immediately nodded.
Without wasting a second, he activated the wireless communication device they used for official reports and quickly relayed the message that the shinobi from Uzushiogakure had arrived at Konoha's gates.
The information travelled swiftly through the communication network.
Soon enough, the message reached the higher authorities, and not long after that, the news was passed directly to Minato's ears by an ANBU ninja.
Since the ANBU had already been informed of the arrival of the Uzushiogakure delegation, they were naturally keeping a close eye on Renji's movements as well. Their duty was to observe quietly and report any important developments.
So, as soon as Minato received the news that Uzushiogakure's team had arrived—Renji arriving together with Shamrock, Uta, and the other participants who had come to take part in the Chunin Exam—he immediately looked toward the ANBU ninja standing before him.
"Where are they?" Minato asked calmly.
The ANBU ninja bowed his head slightly before answering.
"Lord Hokage, they have gone to your house."
As soon as Minato heard this, he simply nodded. His expression remained calm, and there was no surprise in his eyes.
After all, Kushina was the aunt of Uta and Shamrock. So it was only natural that the first place they would go after arriving in Konoha would be Minato's home in order to meet Kushina before doing anything else in the village.
Just as expected.
Minato folded his hands on the desk in front of him for a moment and then spoke again.
"Go inform Asuma about this and make sure that all the arrangements are prepared with proper etiquette," Minato instructed. "Tell him to handle everything accordingly."
The ANBU ninja nodded immediately.
"As you command, Lord Hokage."
The next moment, his figure disappeared in a burst of white smoke—clearly using the Body Flicker Technique to leave quickly and deliver the orders.
Meanwhile, at Minato's house—
The moment Kushina saw Uta and Shamrock standing there, her eyes lit up with warmth. Without even waiting another second, she stepped forward and immediately pulled both of them into a tight hug.
"It has been three years since I last saw you both," Kushina said warmly, holding them close. "You both have grown quite a lot now."
A bright smile appeared on both Shamrock's and Uta's faces as soon as they heard her words.
…
Kushina was no longer a Jinchuriki now, which meant she was no longer bound by the strict restrictions that once surrounded her life in Konoha. Because of that, she was free to travel to Uzushiogakure whenever she wished.
From time to time, she would visit Uzushiogakure—sometimes to attend the marriage ceremonies of her clan members, and other times simply to see the newborn children of her clan brothers and sisters.
The last time she had visited Uzushiogakure was three years ago.
Back then, Shamrock and Uta had both been twelve years old.
That was why Kushina had said it had been three years since she last saw them. And now, seeing them standing in front of her again—taller, more mature, and clearly stronger than before—made her heart feel warm with pride and affection.
…
Kushina smiled warmly and said, "You know, when I heard that you both are going to participate in the Chunin Exams this time, I was genuinely very happy. That Onii-san is finally allowing you all to participate and move outside of Uzushiogakure, and he is now finally willing to extend his hand toward Konoha. Slowly, that resentment will go away—I'm sure of it."
Shamrock and Uta both nodded after hearing this.
They were not surprised hearing such words from Kushina. After all, Kushina was the wife of the Hokage. Naturally, she would think not only as a member of the Uzumaki clan but also for the well-being of Konoha.
And in truth, it was in Konoha's best interest to have a good relationship with Uzushiogakure.
First of all, there was the unknown threat of that masked man who had attacked Konoha twelve years ago. Even now, his identity and true intentions were still unclear. On top of that, the rising threat of the Akatsuki organization had begun to cast a shadow over the shinobi world.
None of those threats were ordinary.
And Minato was not arrogant enough to believe that he alone could solve every problem without difficulty.
Because of that, he wanted a stable and trustworthy relationship with Uzushiogakure. And Kushina, as Minato's wife, also wished for the same thing.
Renji, who was standing just behind Uta and Shamrock, listened quietly to Kushina's words. A faint smile appeared on his face.
He did not mind what Kushina had said about Onii-san—about their elder brother Shanks, the clan head of the Uzumaki and the Uzukage—extending his hand toward Konoha in friendship. In fact, Renji understood it very well.
Because that was genuinely one of the reasons why Shanks had decided to send them here to Konoha to participate in the Chunin Exams.
Over the years, things had changed.
Now that everyone had grown up, gotten married, and started their own families, all the Uzumaki siblings had gradually let go of the hatred they once held toward Konoha and the other great villages.
Life had a way of softening old grudges.
And the complicated situation between Yoko and Samui had also become a clear reminder of that truth.
If resentment continued to be carried in one's heart, then sooner or later it could make life far more difficult than it needed to be.
That was exactly what was happening right now with Yoko and Samui.
Both of them loved each other deeply. Yet Samui, because of the resentment she still held toward Uzushiogakure, was unable to marry into the Uzumaki clan.
That reality had forced everyone to reflect.
These kinds of situations reminded all the Uzumaki siblings that they needed to truly let go of the hatred they once carried toward the other villages. The past could not be changed, but the future could be handled differently.
Other villages should be treated as equals.
If they extended a hand of friendship, then accept it and be friends.
If they showed hostility, then respond with hostility.
That was all.
No unnecessary hatred.
And most importantly, that hatred should never be passed down to their children. The next generation should not inherit the grudges of the past.
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