Lord Shadow's Kindness Can Never Be Repaid

Chen said, "It's regrettable, but I didn't save Jiraiya."

Obito asked in surprise, "Oh? You didn't go witness the battle between Pain and Jiraiya?"

"I did, but after thinking it over, I gave up."

Obito asked curiously, "Why?"

"Obito, do you remember Koshin Koji, the Inner member of Kara Organization that I showed you in the genjutsu?"

"Of course I remember. He was the one who put Isshiki in his place. His true identity is Jiraiya's Clone."

"That's right. Amado, Kara Organization's chief scientist, used Jiraiya's cells to create Koshin Koji. He was also the trump card Amado prepared for turning against Isshiki someday."

Chen was certain that Amado had found Jiraiya's corpse, then completed Koshin Koji's cloning and modifications.

It was Koshin Koji's future actions that would officially bring Isshiki's "vessel," Kawaki, into the Ninja World's sight and gradually expose the entire Kara Organization.

"Koshin Koji's existence is necessary. Otherwise, who knows when Isshiki, hidden deep in the shadows of the Ninja World, and the Kara Organization would emerge? By then, the situation might become uncontrollable. So, after weighing it carefully, I gave up on rescuing Jiraiya."

Obito said with emotion, "So you had already considered matters this far ahead back then..."

At that moment, Chen did not reveal that although he had not saved Jiraiya, he had collected the blood from the arm Pain's Asura Path had severed.

He had not taken the severed arm directly. Given Akatsuki's habit at the time of using White Zetsu to dispose of corpses, if they later discovered that the hand had vanished into thin air, it would expose the fact that a third party had been present, which would be unfavorable for future plans.

Even now, Chen had not used that blood to perform Impure World Reincarnation on Jiraiya.

Jiraiya's connection to Mount Myōboku was far too close. His Sage Mode, which synchronized through fusion with the two Great Sages, might directly expose some of Chen's secrets to the sage realm.

That was something Chen did not wish to see.

After all, the Great Toad Sage was someone who could truly foresee the future through dreams. It was best to retain a measure of reverence...

"Mom, meat buns! I want some~!" Tsuki pointed at the Miura Meat Bun Shop along the street, drool practically dripping from the corner of her mouth!

A young woman with her hair in a bun was tending the shop. She looked the group over and greeted them, "You all look unfamiliar. Did you just move here? Come try our meat buns. This shop has been around for ages—I guarantee you'll never forget them after one bite!"

Hikari took Tsuki's hand and walked over, setting down the money. "Two baskets."

"Coming right up~!"

"Oh, right. Where's Grandma Miura?"

"Oh~! You know my grandmother? Then you must be regular customers!"

The woman opened the steamer and swiftly packaged the buns. "My grandmother passed away last month. After Angel sent word, I came from Hidden Rain Village to be with her for the last stretch of her life. I felt that Grandma's craft couldn't be allowed to disappear, so I decided to stay and inherit the shop. Let me introduce myself—I'm Masako Miura!"

When Taoyuan opened, not all the people of Hidden Rain Village had been willing to come along, for various reasons.

"Ah, Grandma Miura..." Hikari's eyes filled with regret and sorrow.

Masako remained quite calm. "Grandma was healthy and free of illness. She lived for over a hundred years and passed away peacefully of old age. It was a happy funeral."

Taking the meat buns Masako handed her, Hikari asked, "Have you gotten used to living here?"

Masako revealed a heartfelt, blissful smile. "Yes. Only after coming here did I realize what a wonderful place this is. Under Lord Shadow and Angel's rule, the people live and work in peace. And the policies are far more humane than those of Hidden Rain Village under Lord Pain in the past."

"Before Grandma passed away, she held my hand and kept saying, 'Lord Shadow's kindness can never be repaid.'"

"After living here for a while, the thing I feel most strongly is that I don't have to stay wary and on guard whenever I see unfamiliar faces... Sigh, before I left home, I heard that criminal ninja factions had begun infiltrating the place again."

Masako sighed. "Sigh... Though it no longer concerns me, when will Hidden Rain Village finally know peace?"

When Naruto had bid Konan farewell back then, he had pounded his chest and promised that he would become Hokage and bring peace to Hidden Rain Village. Konan had believed him, even paying with her life once.

But... years had passed, and Hidden Rain Village was still that desolate, ruined gray zone where all manner of vile scheming thrived.

Only the wearer knew whether the shoes pinched. Konan did not resent her junior for this, but disappointment was inevitable.

The Angel of Hidden Rain Village was not a woman who would betray her own position and beliefs merely because someone had saved her life.

After seeing reality with her own eyes, she had voluntarily chosen to stand by Chen's side and share his burdens.

"We'll wait here. Chen will definitely come back."

Naruto's idea was to wait for Chen to return at Chen's house.

Sasuke frowned. "What if he doesn't come back?"

Naruto said firmly, "He definitely will! Sasuke, you rarely stay home, so you wouldn't understand. This house feels truly lived in! And it's kept so clean and tidy. That woman in the photo must be as capable a homemaker as Hinata!"

Sasuke asked, "Is it possible that he cleaned it himself?"

"Impossible." Naruto spoke with authority. "Even a married man who cares deeply about his home can't possibly tend to every little detail all the time."

Naruto clenched his hands together, his eyes suppressing anger. "Uchiha Chen's wife is probably every bit as virtuous as mine. Ah, that makes me even angrier! She probably has no idea what Uchiha Chen has been doing outside! Honestly, I feel sorry for her!"

After hearing Naruto praise her "virtue" several times, Sasuke walked to the TV cabinet, picked up the photo frame, and carefully examined the woman beside Chen, whose face overflowed with a happy smile.

"Naruto, don't you think this woman resembles someone?"

"Who?"

"I can't say, but there's something about her brows and eyes that feels familiar..."

"Probably just your imagination. At least I'm sure I've never seen her before!"

"Yeah, maybe..."

Sasuke set down the photo frame and pulled over the chair opposite Naruto before sitting down.

"Then we'll do as you say. Let's wait here and see."

As they waited, he brought up another matter. "By the way, Naruto, during my inspection trip this time, I also passed through Hidden Rain Village and noticed some troubling signs there."

"What happened?"

"The population has plummeted off a cliff. I asked around, and it seems that criminal groups have been taking root there over the past few years. The people couldn't bear the harassment, so they've gradually moved away."

Naruto's expression was unexpectedly calm as he asked, "Sasuke, didn't you step in?"

Sasuke said, "No. I've seen too much of this out there over the years. The evil that grows in dark corners is like weeds—cut down one batch, and another grows back. The source of the problem is the greed and desire in people's hearts."

Helplessness and gloom flashed through Naruto's eyes.

"Yeah. Only after becoming Hokage did I learn that the Hokage has plenty of troubles and helplessness too. There are too many things that can't be changed just by becoming Hokage."

"After all, the Hokage is only the leader of one village. His authority is limited to managing that one village."

"Like the issue with Hidden Rain Village you just mentioned. Years ago, I asked the Feudal Lord for support to help Hidden Rain Village recover after the war."

"The Feudal Lord was fairly understanding and provided aid to Hidden Rain Village for three consecutive years. But after three years, the aid stopped. His reason was that even a great country like the Land of Fire still had people starving in the wilderness, so it truly lacked the resources to help other countries year after year. The support over those three years had only been granted because of my outstanding contributions in the Ninja World War."

"Furthermore, he specifically warned me that under no circumstances could I overstep him and interfere in another country's internal affairs."

"From then on... Hidden Rain Village began to decline."

Sasuke said with feeling, "You've grown up too, Naruto. If it had been you as a child, you probably would have gone to argue with the Feudal Lord no matter what."

Naruto gave a bitter smile and shook his head. He thought of a promise he had once made to someone who had passed away, and the guilt in his heart crawled out again like weeds.

Once this matter with Uchiha Chen is resolved, I'll send people to wipe out the emerging "Mikami faction" in Hidden Rain Village again. Consider it a small apology to Senior Sister Konan...

"Please come again~!"

Tsuki bit into a meat bun, then used her little hand to pull buns one by one from the bag and hand them to the elders before her.

"Mom, here!" "Dad, here!" "Grandpa Madara, here!" "Uncle Obito, here!"

Madara and Obito accepted them delightedly. Though they could not taste much, they still ate with great relish.

Juice burst into Tsuki's mouth with one bite. Holding her puffed-up cheeks, she chewed in complete satisfaction. "Meat buns are sooo good~!"

"Hikari, A-Chen..." An unexpectedly delighted call sounded from ahead.

Chen and Hikari stopped walking.

Before a fresh food shop stood a blonde woman with a slender figure, fair skin, and beautiful features. She held newly purchased vegetables and had frozen mid-motion while rubbing her shoulder, staring in astonishment!

"Ah!!" Hikari froze for a moment, then joy climbed onto her brows. She swallowed the meat filling and rich broth in her mouth in one gulp, then rushed over and embraced the woman!

Obito was also surprised and confused. "Hey, I remember her. Wasn't she the Cloud ninja woman who was sealed into the Red Pot by the Gold and Silver Brothers on the battlefield back then? Why is she here?"

Chen said solemnly, "Let me formally introduce her to you. Her name is Samui, and she is my younger brother Uchiha Jin's... widow."

"Widow..." Obito seemed unable to believe it and asked again, "Your brother married the woman standing before us while he was alive!?"

Chen nodded. "Yes. From the very first time Jin saw Samui, he was deeply drawn to certain qualities she possessed. After the war ended, he began pursuing Samui and moved her with three years of persistence."

"My brother and Samui settled down in the same year Hikari and I did. However, she was already pregnant when they married, so they entered the roles of father and mother before we did."

"Feng and Flower, my nephew and niece, Tsuki and Yuki's cousin and cousin sister, also attend the ninja academy in this village."

After Samui and Hikari finished chatting about domestic matters, she looked at Madara and Obito behind Chen.

"May I ask, these two are...?"

During the Ninja World War, she and her younger brother Atsui had stayed in the Red Pot the entire time and coasted all the way to victory. They had never laid eyes on Madara and Obito, the instigators of the war.

So... Samui did not recognize this astonishing pair before her at all!

Hikari grinned. "Hehe, you'd better not know~."

"Mhm~. They're involved in something A-Chen is doing, right? Men's business—I won't ask~." She brushed aside her golden side-swept bangs, wrapped an arm around Hikari's shoulder, and said, "Hikari~ We sisters-in-law haven't seen each other in ages. How about we take a bath together tonight, just like old times~?"