Chapter 27
Third Person POV
Uzushiogakure.
Beneath the evening sun, a small group waited outside the gates for their newest arrivals.
Kushina stood beside her father. Around them were Saki, Shōto, Medori, and lastly, little Haruto, who was currently resting securely in Saki's arms.
By now, Saki held the baby like a seasoned professional. Beside her, Medori had been wearing a radiant, genuine smile since that afternoon. Kenji smiled as he watched them. He understood exactly what Medori was feeling; he still clearly remembered the day Kushina had first called him "Dada." For that entire week, Kenji had walked around with a massive smile permanently plastered to his face.
From the side, however, Shōto spoke up in a serious, low voice.
"Medori, are you sure about bringing Haruto outside the compound like this?"
"Yes, do not worry. I have scanned the island multiple times. There are no unfamiliar chakra signatures present."
Shōto nodded his head, accepting her sensory sweep.
"Besides, I think it will be good for Haru to familiarize himself with the outside world," Medori continued warmly.
A few minutes later, an ordinary-looking caravan came into view, followed by other carriages. It rolled to a stop in front of them.
Shōto was the first to move, stepping up to the driver and asking quietly, "Were you followed?"
"Yes," the driver replied crisply. "But we shook them off after a few shuffles. Those who were still persistent were dealt with."
As the men continued their debrief, Saki handed Haru back to the safety of Medori's arms.
Six children climbed down from the carriage. Kenji and the others raised their eyebrows in slight surprise. From a second carriage behind them, the same woman who was at Amegakure, stepped down.
"Sorry about that. Initially, I wanted to bring ten orphans, but we picked up a tail. I could only move these six safely," the woman answered before they could even ask. She then turned toward the children, her expression softening apologetically. "I am sorry for ignoring you and for the continuous shuffling. Because we were being tracked, I had to treat you like slaves until we reached the Uzushio borders."
Konan nodded in quiet understanding. That explained the cold, distant treatment; the tight knot of anxiety in her chest loosened slightly.
"There is no need to apologize, Mei. I should have arranged for better security," Kenji said with an understanding nod.
"No, Kenji-sama, the arrangements were sufficient. The rest of the supplies are secure in the caravan. It carries the grain, rice, and other provisions you might need."
"Thank you, Mei," Kenji said with a small smile.
Mei was one of the premier merchants sponsored by Uzushio, and their most trusted external contact. That was the only reason she was allowed to step foot on the island.
"Come inside, dinner should be ready soon. You all must be starving from the long journey," Medori offered kindly. "And you too, Mei. Come eat with us."
The group began moving toward the main compound. Kenji and the elders led the way, while Saki walked behind the children to keep an eye on them. Shōto stayed behind at the gates to gather the remaining intelligence from the drivers.
The walk was surprisingly peaceful. The village was mostly rebuilt, and the passing citizens greeted the leaders with warm, genuine smiles.
Konan was shocked by the welcome she received. It was nothing like Amegakure—it was incredibly peaceful here. She was especially intrigued by the baby currently looking at them with wide, curious eyes from the red-haired woman's shoulder. He possessed a strange, peaceful aura, and Konan wasn't the only one who felt it. The others sensed it too, from the dazed white-haired girl to the quiet twins.
Konan's eyes drifted to the hyper-vigilant girl next to her. The girl was still on edge, fidgeting nervously. Konan dismissed it; it was understandable given their circumstances.
As the group reached the base of the mountain and ventured further into the shaded forest, Shōto caught up and joined Saki, the two exchanging hushed whispers and left.
Suddenly, Saki vanished.
The grey-eyed girl's instincts flared violently. Her leg muscles compressed like coiled springs, and at the last microsecond, she dodged, cracking the solid earth beneath her feet with the sheer force of her movement.
The other children jumped, instantly alarmed.
Saki reappeared right where the girl had been standing, aiming a swift, testing punch toward the clearly surprised orphan. But again, at the last possible second, the girl's grey eyes hardened into cold steel.
Executing a strange, incredibly fluid maneuver, she grabbed Saki's outstretched arm, hoisted her own body up into the air, and wrapped her legs tightly around Saki's neck with a terrifying strength no child her age should possess. She tried to lock the older kunoichi into a lethal chokehold, but her instincts instantly realized the physical gap between them was too vast—it wouldn't work.
Adapting in a split second, the girl used Saki's forward momentum against her, violently flinging the kunoichi through the air.
In mid-air, Saki's descent abruptly slowed. She flared her gravity seals, righting her body to land softly on the ground without kicking up a single speck of dust.
Saki looked back at the girl. The child was clearly startled and deeply tense, yet she had already dropped into a fighting stance—and a very strange one at that. Both of her arms were raised tight and high, guarding her upper body and leaving only her cold, calculating grey eyes visible. Her legs were spread wide and grounded, primed for an instant, explosive reaction.
From the posture alone, Saki could immediately tell it was a highly refined, reaction-based martial art. It was designed for lethal survival, not sport.
"What is your name, girl?" Saki asked, her tone shifting from testing to genuinely intrigued.
The girl hesitated, her guard never dropping for even a fraction of a second, before she finally answered.
"Mikasa."
Then, Saki vanished once more.
From the sidelines, the other children watched in sheer amazement—all except the white-haired girl. To the orphans, it looked like a serious, lethal fight, but since none of the adults stepped in to intervene, they stayed put and kept watching nervously.
But to the experienced shinobi observing the clash, it was a terrifying spectacle. The sequence of moves would have been completely normal if Saki were fighting an active chūnin. But her opponent was just a child Kushina's age—a child who didn't even have her chakra activated.
Kushina watched, utterly stunned by the maneuvers the girl was pulling off and the unnatural fluidity with which she executed them. Her form wasn't perfect, but the raw combat level Mikasa was displaying right now had taken Kushina weeks of brutal, agonizing training and countless holes in her body to achieve.
Medori held Haru, who was watching the clash with the wide-eyed amazement of a curious child.
Watching the fight unfold, Medori noted something strange.
"Her movements are abnormal. She is reacting with pure instinct and combat experience, but her physical body isn't conditioned to keep up," Medori murmured. "It's bizarre. She fights like a seasoned warrior who hasn't trained a single day in her life."
The others turned toward her.
"Yes, you noticed it too," Kenji agreed with a nod. He had only seen this exact phenomenon once before, and that was in Saki herself—those same abnormal, battle-honed instincts paired with unnatural strength.
After a full minute of keeping Mikasa balanced on a knife's edge, Saki decided to end the test. In the blink of an eye, she completely bypassed Mikasa's defenses and appeared directly inside her guard.
Saki clearly saw the girl's pupils dilate in shock at the sudden, impossible speed. Without missing a beat, Saki raised a hand and flicked Mikasa hard on the forehead.
"Ouch…. Ouch…" Mikasa groaned, her guard dropping as she clutched her throbbing forehead.
"From now on, you will train under my guidance," Saki stated flatly. Without waiting for an answer, she turned and continued walking up the mountain path.
Kushina shrugged her shoulders and extended a hand to Mikasa, who hesitantly grabbed it. As they began walking, the others quietly followed.
Once they reached the main compound, Mei decided to break the ice.
"So, I know it's late, but I think we should introduce everyone," Mei said with an awkward chuckle.
With a grand gesture, she pointed at the white-haired girl.
"This beautiful young lady is Hiyuki. We found her near the Land of Iron." 'More like she was waiting for us,' Mei thought inwardly.
Hiyuki was around twelve years old, with ruby-red eyes, silver-white hair styled in a high ponytail, and a small beauty mark just below her left eye. She was the oddest one of the group, carrying a calm gaze and a distinctly aloof aura.
Next, Mei pointed at Konan.
"This malnourished girl is Konan, from Amegakure."
Konan had short, straight blue hair and striking amber eyes. She was small for a twelve-year-old and concerningly skinny.
Konan's face flushed with embarrassment at the introduction, but Mei's next words completely shocked her.
"...And she is the only one among them who has already awakened her chakra."
Seeing Konan's utterly bewildered expression, Mei blinked.
"What? Don't tell me you didn't know."
Everyone looked at Konan, whose mouth was hanging wide open.
"Girl, do you really think you survived this long just on the moldy crumbs you collected? Konan, any ordinary child in your place would have died long ago," Mei stated seriously.
Moving on, she gestured to the next child. "This is Tenka Izumo. We rescued her from the Land of Grass."
Tenka was a short, slightly chubby girl, around seven-years-old with blue eyes and blonde hair that faded to white at the crown of her head.
Tenka bowed slightly in greeting.
"These brothers are Akira and Sora. They are also from the Land of Grass."
Akira and Sora were identical twins with dark hair and dark eyes. They nodded timidly, clasping each other's hands tightly.
"And Mikasa has already introduced herself."
Mikasa was ten years old, possessing a lean, athletic build. Her dark hair reached below her shoulders, and her dull grey eyes were currently eyeing Saki with wariness.
Mei then turned to the orphans with a small, reassuring smile.
"And these—" she gestured toward the Uzushio group "—are the people who will be taking care of you."
"That is Kenji-sama, our Clan Head. Beside him is his daughter, Kushina. Over there is Medori and her newborn son, Haruto. And lastly, that extremely serious-looking woman is Saki." Mei let out a long, dramatic breath.
"Phew… finally, the introductions are done." She then smirked playfully. "Now I feel like a proper slave merchant."
Konan, who had been staring at Saki with starry eyes, instantly choked on her own saliva.
"Oh, hush. Don't joke like that," Medori scolded gently, lightly swatting Mei's arm. She looked over the children, her gaze softening, particularly when it landed on Konan. The blue-haired girl was by far the most malnourished of the group.
"Come inside, all of you. I will check on the food preparation."
With hesitant steps, the children followed the adults inside.
Once indoors, Kenji excused himself, heading toward his office to resume his duties.
"Kushina, can you guide them to the baths? I will arrange for fresh clothes in the meantime," Medori asked.
Kushina nodded and turned to the children. "Follow me," she said gently.
She led the way down the hall, and the orphans followed closely behind her like a row of wary ducklings.
"U–um… what kind of work will we be assigned?" Akira, one of the twins, asked tentatively.
Suddenly, Kushina stopped dead in her tracks. She slowly turned toward them and unconsciously her violet eyes glowed slightly, and the temperature in the hallway seemed to plummet. The other children instantly tensed.
She sighed, the sound breaking the heavy tension apart.
"Sorry about that," she apologized, her shoulders dropping. "I just don't like you referring to yourselves like slaves. Yes, you were brought here in hopes that you will help Uzushio in the future—but also so you might eventually see it as a home."
Hearing this, the children relaxed slightly.
"Um… it—it's just that the place we came from assigned us work in the mines," Akira explained with a nervous stutter.
"At least you were given meals," Konan whispered from the side.
Now they were just standing awkwardly in the hallway.
"I give you my word, as the future clan head, that you will not be treated unfairly," Kushina said seriously. But in the next instant, her violet eyes narrowed dangerously. "In return, I only want one thing. Don't. Betray. Us." She enunciated her last words with emphasis.
She directed this specifically toward Hiyuki and Mikasa. Those two were the most dangerous ones here; her instincts screamed that much.
Then she turned and continued walking. After a few seconds of stunned silence, the others quickly followed.
In the shadows of the hallway, Medori stood holding a stack of fresh clothes. She let out a soft sigh.
"That girl…"
A minute later, Medori entered the dining room. She saw Saki playing with Haru on the sofa—Saki was incredibly attached to the child, she had observed—while Mei placed the last of the plates on the table.
Medori approached the table and asked the question that had been lingering in her mind. "What's the deal with Mikasa?"
Mei paused slightly before sighing.
"After I separated from Konan near the border of the Land of Fire, we moved toward the Land of Grass to search for any scattered Uzumaki, but we didn't find anyone. Instead, we came across an isolated house in the forest." Mei clenched her fists tightly. From the sofa, Saki was also listening quietly. "Inside the house, we found her sitting among a pile of dead shinobi, crying over a murdered couple. Her parents. She was covered in blood with some minor injuries."
Medori sighed heavily. She had seen many similar tragedies in her travels.
"That explains the aura I felt from her," Medori said sympathetically.
A few minutes later, the children began trickling into the dining room. Saki excused herself for some work, leaving only Mei and Medori to supervise dinner. Medori smiled inwardly, noting Saki's reluctance to leave Haru. But the kunoichi still left so the children could eat in peace. She was considerate like that.
The children hesitantly started their meals, clearly much more relaxed with fewer adults present. After a few tentative bites, hunger took over, and they began eating with a gusto.
"Ask for seconds, we have plenty left," Medori said with a warm smile as she ate and simultaneously fed Haruto, who was happily waving his spoon around.
The orphans nodded and continued eating quietly.
Then, right in the middle of the meal, Medori looked across the table at Kushina. "I heard your little speech in the hallway, Kushina."
Kushina choked on her food. Her face instantly turned beet red.
"Don't think badly of her," Medori continued, addressing the children this time. "It's her first time interacting with kids from outside our clan. She was just nervous."
Thud.
Everyone turned toward the sound, even little Haru. Kushina had dropped her forehead straight onto the table, her ears glowing visibly red against her fiery hair.
"Auntie, you did not have to tell them that," Kushina murmured miserably into the wood.
"What? You looked cool back there," Medori said with sparkling eyes.
"Uhh…." Kushina only groaned more at the teasing.
Around the table, quiet, genuine laughter broke out among the children. Even Mikasa and Hiyuki managed small smiles. Mei shot a quick thumbs-up to Medori before digging back into her meal.
The heavy mood around the table had completely lifted. Medori engaged everyone in light small talk, asking them about their journey and other mundane things, carefully ensuring she didn't trigger any bad memories. Slowly but surely, the children began to open up.
The rest of the dinner was beautifully harmonious—from Kushina's quiet complaints to Haru's infectious giggles that rejuvenated the room. The children ate until their stomachs were completely stuffed.
Afterward, Medori asked Kushina to take them to a temporary room to sleep. This time, Kushina and Konan actually talked on the way—awkwardly at first, until Tenka finally chimed in to join them.
*****
A.N.
Hello there.
We have come a long way, I never thought I would one day write something like this.
But hey, life has its way.
Now we reached at the end of the 1st volume.
And I wanted to thank you for your support and being with this book. No matter how much of a silent readers you all are. 🥀🥀