In the front yard of the Shimura clan's main residence, Sasori crouched alone on the lawn, holding two finely made toys in his hands as he played out an imaginary battle.
On one side was Sasori's favorite ninja, the Golden Flash of Konoha—Kizaru. On the other was his parents' newly developed toy line, the Kandam robot.
"Flash Kick! Ha! Take this! Damn it! Super missile! Ta-ta-ta-ta! Boom!"
Moving both toys himself and providing all the sound effects on his own, Sasori was completely absorbed in the game.
"You're playing with the Kandam robot! And Kizaru-nii too! So cool!"
A boy's voice suddenly rang out behind Sasori.
Startled by the unexpected voice, Sasori froze, then slowly turned around.
Behind him, Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato were staring at the toys in his hands with sparkling eyes, with Yahiko standing at the front of the trio.
In just two months, the toy figures made by Sasori's parents had become popular among the children of Konoha.
Any child who owned an expensive, well-crafted figure would instantly become the center of attention among the village kids.
The young Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato were no exception. They had absolutely no resistance to such toys, and their desire was written all over their faces.
However, as orphans taken in by Kizaru, Yahiko and Konan were very sensible. They had never asked Keiko or Kizaru to buy them gifts or toys.
The two little ones had already made their own plan: they would save the pocket money they received every week, and once they had enough, they would go to the store and buy the toys themselves.
Among the three of them, only Nagato had received the cheapest thirty-centimeter Kizaru figure shortly after the toy store opened, since his parents were there to care for him.
And now, the two toys in Sasori's hands were both personally crafted by his parents. Each one stood fifty centimeters tall and belonged to the most luxurious version, complete with built-in mechanisms.
Sasori had already been in Konoha for more than two months, but because he was still afraid of strangers, he rarely went out and had not made a single friend.
Facing the excited and envious gazes of Yahiko and the others, Sasori became a little nervous.
"Then… do you want to play with these?" Sasori asked, lifting the toys in his hands.
"Yeah!" Yahiko nodded vigorously.
"Okay! Let's play together! My mom and dad made these for me themselves!" Sasori said proudly, a faint trace of showing off slipping into his voice as he extended the invitation.
Yahiko's eyes widened. He immediately noticed what Sasori's words meant.
These toys had been made by his parents.
"Does the Bandai Toy Store belong to your family?" Yahiko asked excitedly.
"Yeah! All the toys inside were made by my mom and dad!" Sasori said, his tone filled with pride.
"Wow!" Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato exclaimed in unison.
"Then you can play with toys every day? You can play with anything you want?" Yahiko asked, his voice full of envy.
"Yeah! I've played with all of them!" Sasori admitted.
Hearing Sasori's answer, Yahiko and the others were almost overwhelmed with envy. To them, Sasori was living in paradise.
This was the kind of dream life every child longed for.
What child had never dreamed of having a toy store or a snack shop at home?
Seeing their reactions, Sasori felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction. Since he desperately wanted to make friends, he took the initiative to invite them.
"Let's play together! I'll take you to my house."
After the toy store's business became successful, Sasori's family moved out of the Shimura clan's main residence and began living in the shop.
The family store provided by Kizaru was located on the commercial street in the center of the village. It had two floors.
The front half of the first floor was the shop open to customers, while the back half, along with a small courtyard, served as the workshop where the toys were made.
The second floor was where Sasori's family lived.
Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato were thrilled by the invitation. Konan and Nagato both looked toward Yahiko, naturally waiting for him to decide.
"Let's tell the adults first!" Yahiko suggested sensibly, even though he was clearly tempted.
"Yeah! Come with me. I'll tell my parents!" Sasori, feeling like he was finally about to make friends, stood up and said excitedly.
With that, Sasori walked ahead, bringing the trio toward the yard where the adults were chatting.
When Sasori asked to bring his new friends to the store to play with toys, his parents were very supportive. They were happy to see Sasori finally making friends in Konoha.
They only reminded him not to lose track of time while playing and told him to return before six o'clock for dinner.
Faced with his parents' instructions, the excited Sasori naturally nodded seriously.
At the same time, Nagato also found his parents and explained the situation.
Like Sasori's parents, Nagato's parents agreed to their child's request, but they reminded him to behave properly and not damage other people's toys.
Yahiko and Konan, who had no parents, went to tell Keiko. In their eyes, Keiko, who had always taken care of them, was already like a mother.
"You must be back before six o'clock. Understood?" Keiko warned them seriously.
"Yes! I'll bring everyone back before six o'clock, Keiko-nee!" Yahiko promised, patting his chest.
Keiko bent down, gently patted Yahiko on the head, and smiled softly.
"Go on."
With the adults' permission, the four children cheered excitedly and ran out of the house together.
Perhaps because they were too excited, the four little ones had barely run out when they collided with Kizaru and Tsunade, who had just returned home, at the corner of the street.
Sasori and Yahiko, who were running at the front, bumped straight into Kizaru's sturdy body.
"Ah!"
"Sasori, are you okay?"
While helping Sasori up, Yahiko looked toward Kizaru.
"Kizaru-nii! Tsunade-nee! You're back!"
"Ooh, how scary…" Kizaru said lazily, looking down at the four children in front of him.
Tsunade lightly patted Kizaru, then showed a gentle smile. She bent down and asked, "Are you all right? Did you get hurt?"
"I'm okay." Yahiko shook his head, then looked at Sasori with concern. "What about you, Sasori?"
"It doesn't hurt!" With Yahiko's help, Sasori stood up and patted the dust from his clothes.
"It's almost four o'clock. Where are you all going?" Kizaru asked with a faint smile.
"Kizaru-nii! The Bandai Toy Store belongs to Sasori's family. He's taking us there to play with toys!" Yahiko excitedly shared the news he had just learned with Kizaru.
Kizaru smiled and nodded, not saying much more.
"Go on, then. Just remember to come back before six."
"Okay! We're going now! Bye, Kizaru-nii! Bye, Tsunade-nee!"
They said goodbye, but their hearts had already flown straight to the toy store. The four children quickly ran off again.
Watching the four children disappear into the distance, Tsunade said with some emotion, "The toys in that store really are impressive. They've completely captured the children in the village."
"You like them too?" Kizaru asked, looking at Tsunade.
Tsunade shook her head slightly.
"Nawaki likes them. In order to collect a full set, he spent all the money he saved from missions and even borrowed a lot of future pocket money from me."
"Tell Nawaki that if he wants toys next time, he can come to me."
"Don't make Nawaki spend money on them."
Tsunade was still worried that her younger brother would lose his head over toys.
"I own half of that toy store," Kizaru said with a smile.
"What?" Tsunade looked at Kizaru in surprise.
"I was the one who gave Sasori's parents the idea for the toys, and I also provided the shop they're using." Kizaru showed off a little in front of his girlfriend.
When Tsunade heard that even the toy idea had come from Kizaru, she became even more surprised.
The man she had fallen for was a little too capable.
He could fight, lead, reform policies, and even make money. Aside from being lazy, he was practically an all-around genius.
"How many secrets are you hiding?" Tsunade asked, looking at Kizaru with a strange expression.
"None at all," Kizaru denied immediately.
"Really?" Tsunade looked at him suspiciously.
"All right, all right. Let's head back. Everyone's waiting for us." As a smart man, Kizaru had no intention of staying on this topic and changed the subject directly.
After saying that, Kizaru wrapped an arm around Tsunade, who struggled slightly, and continued walking home.
In the back garden of the Shimura clan's main residence, Kushina had come at Minato's invitation.
"It's so beautiful here!" Kushina praised as she looked at the surrounding scenery, the exquisite stone carvings, and the artificial hills.
"Kizaru-nii asked Keiko-nee to renovate this place," Minato explained.
"Although that guy's mouth is annoying, his taste is pretty good." Kushina gave Kizaru a rare compliment.
"Kizaru-san is a good person. It's just the way he talks…" Minato hesitated for a moment, then continued, "It's a little strange."
"Yeah!" Kushina nodded in agreement.
While Minato and Kushina were chatting, a tanuki was hiding in the bushes at the edge of the garden.
Damn tomato brat. Today, Lord Shukaku is going to make you embarrass yourself in front of your little boyfriend!
Shukaku, who still held a grudge, had never forgotten the brutal beating he had received before.
This was a rare opportunity. Taking advantage of the relaxed atmosphere before the New Year, Shukaku had prepared to launch his revenge.
"Kukuku…" Thinking about how angry the tomato brat would be in a moment, Shukaku could not help letting out a quiet laugh.
"Shukaku, what are you trying to do?" On the wall beside the bushes, Matatabi had noticed Shukaku's suspicious behavior and followed him all the way here.
Shukaku raised a paw to his mouth, signaling for silence, then took out his secret Shukaku Bomb—a tomato that was already close to rotting.
Matatabi jumped down from the wall, walked up to Shukaku, and tried to persuade him.
"Everyone is celebrating the festival. Don't cause trouble."
"This is the gift I prepared for that brat!" Shukaku said confidently.
"You can't start a fight here. You'll cause serious trouble," Matatabi warned.
"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing!" Shukaku said with complete confidence, waving his paw.
After saying that, Shukaku ignored Matatabi and took a few steps forward to the edge of the bushes, ready to launch his attack.
Seeing this, Matatabi knew he could not stop Shukaku, so he left decisively and went to find Kizaru.
Hearing movement behind him and seeing that the troublesome cat had left, Shukaku's grin became even more smug.
Kukuku! Get ready to receive Lord Shukaku's gift, stinking tomato brat!
Shukaku could no longer wait. However, he did not throw the rotten tomato directly. Instead, he fired tiny air bullets from his mouth.
Miniature projectiles resembling Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere shot from Shukaku's mouth one after another, striking the area around Kushina.
"Be careful!"
Sensing the movement, Minato quickly stepped forward, pulled Kushina into his arms, and leapt to the side.
The moment Minato held her, Kushina's mind immediately shut down. Her face began to heat up and turn red.
"It's that rotten tanuki!" Inside Kushina's body, Kurama sensed Shukaku's chakra and warned her.
"Ah…" Kushina, whose mind could not process anything unnecessary at the moment, responded instinctively.
"Stop getting all flustered, Kushina!" Kurama yelled in dissatisfaction.
"Ah!" Stimulated by Kurama's words, Kushina screamed in embarrassment.
Standing on a stone engraved with words, Minato misunderstood Kushina's scream and thought she was scared.
"Don't be afraid. I'll protect you, Kushina," Minato comforted her softly while holding her tighter.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
While Minato was comforting Kushina, Shukaku fired several more miniature air bullets.
Using the Body Flicker Technique, Minato disappeared from the stone in an instant with Kushina in his arms.
Boom!
The miniature air bullets failed to hit Minato and Kushina, but they shattered the stone Kizaru had specially asked someone to carve.
"Kuhahaha!" Laughing proudly, Shukaku took advantage of the moment Minato jumped into the air and controlled sand to surge up from the ground.
Noticing the sand and seeing Shukaku launch the attack, Minato looked confused in midair.
Why is the One-Tail that Kizaru-nii subdued attacking us?
"Let me go," Kushina whispered, raising her flushed face from Minato's arms.
"It's not safe yet!"
As he spoke, Minato lightly stepped against the sand rising toward him. Before it could wrap around his right foot, he quickly moved away again.
"Damn brat!" Shukaku shouted angrily when he saw the sand's first attack fail.
After landing on the ground and loosening his hold on Kushina slightly, Minato asked in confusion, "Why are you attacking us?"
"Kukuku!" Shukaku laughed wickedly and did not answer. Instead, he threw the tomato in his paw.
Holding Kushina in his arms, Minato turned aside and avoided the tomato Shukaku threw.
Looking at the tomato that exploded behind him, then looking back at Shukaku, Minato's expression became serious.
"Stinking tomato brat! Try Lord Shukaku's secret bomb!"
As he spoke, Shukaku pressed both paws to the ground and released a large amount of sand.
The sand surged forward, split into several streams, and rose up around Minato and Kushina.
Dozens of small claws stretched out from the sand, each one holding a tomato.
"Shukaku Secret Technique: Infinite Bombardment!"
"Let me go! I'll handle it!" Seeing those tomatoes, Kushina was instantly furious.
"Leave it to me, Kushina!" Minato said seriously, looking at the angry Kushina.
While the two were talking, dozens of tomatoes flew toward them from every direction.
"Kuhahaha!" Shukaku happily patted his belly and laughed wildly, completely unaware that many ninja had already surrounded the garden from outside.
If Kushina had dealt with the attack alone, she would have used the Nine-Tails' chakra to block the tomatoes around her body.
But now, Minato, who had been protecting Kushina the entire time and was beginning to get a little angry himself, chose a different method.
Relying on his extraordinary reflexes and swift, precise movements, Minato moved around with Kushina in his arms while knocking some of the tomatoes back toward Shukaku.
"Kuku—!"
Shukaku, who had been laughing, was suddenly hit in the face by a tomato thrown back by Minato.
Kushina, who was holding tightly onto Minato with both hands, saw the scene. Her anger instantly turned into delight, and she burst into laughter.
"Stupid tanuki! Smelly tanuki! Eat tomatoes!"
"Ah! Damn it!" After being hit by one tomato after another and mocked by Kushina, Shukaku became both furious and anxious.
"Lord Shukaku is going to—"
"Bang!"
Before the enraged Shukaku could even finish his threat, a large foot descended from the sky and stomped him into the ground.
"Ow! That hurts!" Shukaku cried out in pain after being suddenly attacked.
"Disobedient children get punished, you know." Kizaru stood with both hands in his pockets, one foot stepping on Shukaku, lowering his head with a smile.
"Kizaru! I was wrong! Let me go!" Shukaku, who had been acting so proudly just moments earlier, immediately panicked the moment he saw Kizaru.
Kizaru withdrew his right hand from his pocket, bent down, and lifted Shukaku up. Looking at the tanuki, his smile carried a pressure that made Shukaku's fur stand on end.
"I was just joking with them!"
At that moment, Shukaku looked exactly like a child caught by an adult after doing something bad.
Listening to Shukaku's excuse and looking around at the messy garden it had made, the smile on Kizaru's face became even more frightening.
"My garden got all dirty… how troublesome."
As he spoke, Kizaru looked at Shukaku again.
"Seal it, Kizaru." Danzō walked out from the crowd at just the right time, his expression cold.
"Give it to me. I'll arrange a suitable vessel for it."
"No, no!" After finally gaining his freedom, Shukaku was terrified by Danzō's words.
Staring at that old bastard Danzō, Shukaku hurriedly said to Kizaru, "I'll clean this place up!"
"Kizaru, let me supervise Shukaku." Seeing that Shukaku had been frightened badly enough, Matatabi stepped forward again.
"Smelly tanuki!" Kushina was both angry and embarrassed, especially after so many adults had seen her being held by Minato.
"Kizaru, don't seal it. Leave it to me. I'll take care of it!" Kushina walked up to Kizaru.
"Then I'll leave its punishment to you and Matatabi."
As he spoke, Kizaru tossed Shukaku to Kushina.
Holding Shukaku with obvious disgust, Kushina complained to Kurama in her mind, "Kurama, I saved it."
"I didn't want to save it. I just thought sealing it like that wouldn't be enough to vent your anger!" the prideful Kurama made an excuse.
"Kurama, you're pretty cute when you act like that," Kushina teased.
"Hmph!"
With an irritated snort, Kurama temporarily cut off his connection with Kushina's consciousness.
Discovering Kurama's prideful and unexpectedly cute side for the first time, Kushina found it extremely amusing, and a smile appeared on her face.
"Kushina, are you okay?" Minato walked over and asked with concern.
Hearing Minato's voice, Kushina's face turned red again.
"I'm fine!"
Standing beside Kizaru, Danzō looked at Minato and Kushina and fell into thought.
Minato was his adopted son. If Minato ended up with the Nine-Tails jinchūriki, then Kizaru's influence would grow even stronger.
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