The Ripples Caused by a Little Butterfly

There was none of the overbearing aura or world-conquering presence he had imagined. She was merely an ordinary old woman sitting by the bedside.

Her aged face was covered in wrinkles, and the Uzumaki Clan's blood-red hair had lost its vitality, dull and lusterless. Only the old woman's smile remained so warm, like sunlight shining into one's heart, making people relax without realizing it.

"Grandma, I brought them."

Though Tsunade had lowered her voice, it was still far louder than an ordinary person's.

"Great-great-aunt."

Kushina tugged Katsuki along as she greeted the old woman in a clear, crisp voice.

Thinking about it, they truly were close relatives of this old woman. Their great-grandfather had been her elder brother. By that calculation, the siblings were her fourth-generation descendants, one generation below Tsunade.

The old woman was momentarily dazed upon hearing that greeting. Looking at the delicately pretty girl before her and the somewhat timid boy beside her, the corners of her lips curled up slightly.

"They're both good children... What are your names?" The old woman bent down and reached out to pat Kushina's head.

It was the same question as before in the Hokage Building. Kushina still took the lead, while Katsuki widened his eyes and acted cute at the side.

"Tsunade, go set the table. Kushina and little Katsuki still haven't had dinner, and children need to eat on time while they're growing... Nawaki should be back soon too, shouldn't he?" After asking a couple of simple questions, the old woman said no more and instead sent the siblings off to eat, instantly earning Katsuki's favor.

They had been tossed about all day. At noon, they had only eaten dry rations with Sakumo and the others. They did not taste terrible, but they certainly were not good either. By now, his stomach had long been growling, but unfortunately, this was an unfamiliar place.

"That brat has probably gone wild playing with someone again. The Ninja Academy got out ages ago." At the mention of her younger brother, Tsunade could not help smiling. Though she grumbled under her breath, anyone could see the affection in her expression.

Even after they finished eating, Nawaki had yet to appear.

That night, the siblings stayed directly at the Senju Clan residence.

This night was destined to be anything but peaceful. Sakumo made no effort to conceal the Uzumaki Clan's entry into Konoha, because they would have to be brought into the open sooner or later. Hiruzen was personally handling the matter of the Jinchuriki transfer, but that did not stop clever people from speculating. Considering Mito-sama's advanced age, it was not difficult to reach a conclusion.

"Hmph, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki... Let them do as they please. We won't interfere. That mad dog Danzo has been watching us all along." The middle-aged man with a fan crest embroidered on his clothes tossed aside the report in his hand.

"That damned mad dog."

"Why didn't he die on the battlefield..."

At the mention of that mad dog's name, the Uchiha Clan's elders spat curses like common street rabble, freely extending their greetings to every one of Danzo's immediate relatives. As for the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki—heavens, what did they need that thing for?

The Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan had founded Konoha together, and the two great clans had been Konoha's uncrowned kings. But good times did not last. Madara Uchiha's incident dealt the Uchiha Clan a devastating blow. The Uchiha Clan, which should have enjoyed limitless glory, faced suppression from all sides and had no choice but to endure in silence. They had only just survived that difficult period—who would go looking for more trouble?

Even now, that mad dog Danzo kept a close watch on the Uchiha, regarding them as a thorn in his eye that he would not rest until he removed. The two sides had openly and covertly fought countless times. If Hiruzen had not kept them in check, they would have beaten each other's brains out long ago.

The Uchiha elders routinely sent their regards to Danzo's immediate family during clan meetings, while Danzo likewise cursed the Uchiha as a pack of born lunatics before his trusted subordinates, all while considering whether he could use the Uzumaki Clan to screw the Uchiha over.

At this point, Danzo's Root was merely a hastily assembled outfit, nowhere near as formidable as it would become later. After all, Hiruzen was currently at the peak of his power, running the entire village as tightly as an iron barrel and giving Danzo no opportunity to expand.

The leaders of Konoha's many large and small factions all stayed awake through the night, studying whether the Uzumaki Clan's arrival in Konoha would affect their own interests and preparing their responses in advance.

The siblings knew nothing of this. Exhausted and sleepy, they washed up, collapsed onto their beds, and slept until dawn.

"Katsuki, we... can't go back anymore, can we?"

"...Yeah. We can't."

The gentle yet slightly dazzling morning sunlight filtered through the window, scattering pale golden patches across the dining table. A hint of loneliness colored the girl's profile.

Katsuki silently chewed on a slice of bread. Though the Senju Clan residence was entirely Japanese in style, breakfast was Western. Then again, considering the bizarrely skewed technology tree of the ninja world—they had developed radio technology, yet still relied on their legs to travel—there were countless absurdities, so he simply accepted it.

He had no answer for his sister's sadness. The Land of Whirlpools had been destroyed. They would likely be rooted in Konoha for the rest of their lives.

Rather than dwell on that, he should think carefully about what to do in the future. Kushina did not know it, but he did: one of the two of them was destined to become a Jinchuriki. He desperately did not want Kushina to continue becoming one. Kushina's future tragedy had stemmed from her identity as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

Though there was now one little butterfly—himself—who should not have existed, if there was a chance to nip the seeds of danger in the bud, there was no reason not to try.

Moreover, being brutally abused one-sidedly by the Mist Ninja had shaken him deeply. Ever since realizing where he was, he had trained diligently, but only when cold shuriken tore through the skin of his chest, when he tasted that despair sinking into his bones, did he truly understand how miserable it was to be powerless.

For the first time, he truly craved strength. Never before had he desired power as desperately as he did now.

And frankly speaking, he possessed the foundation to grow stronger: the powerful bloodline of the Uzumaki Clan, combined with the subtle bug that was the Human-Human Fruit. So long as he could tap into that potential, becoming strong was far from impossible.

"Sis, hurry up and eat. Afterward, let's go see Great-great-aunt. As long as we're still here, the Uzumaki Clan still exists. Besides, isn't a home made of people?" Katsuki took a savage bite of bread, his cheeks puffing out as he spoke.

Kushina lifted her head in surprise, her eyes widening as she looked at Katsuki. Seeing her energetic younger brother, the corners of her mouth unconsciously curved upward.

"Katsuki, your mouth is getting sweeter and sweeter. You really have a way with words! Your sister isn't at the point where she needs you to lecture her yet."