Uzumaki Gengetsu

Konoha, Hokage Office.

"Third Hokage, he's still just a child. Searching his memories recklessly could cause severe damage to his brain!"

Uzumaki Kushina braced both hands on the Hokage's desk as she spoke excitedly, even spraying saliva onto Hiruzen Sarutobi's face. The latter looked helpless and hurriedly gestured to Namikaze Minato beside him.

Minato stepped forward awkwardly and pulled Kushina back, comforting her gently. "Kushina, calm down. They're only checking his memories. I've already asked Inoichi to be careful. There won't be any problems!"

If that child had not been a survivor of the Uzumaki Clan, there might have been no need to use a method like memory inspection. But precisely because he was an Uzumaki survivor and shared blood ties with Kushina, they had to treat the matter so seriously. Minato understood clearly that this was not only village procedure, but also a form of protection for Kushina as a Jinchuriki.

Kushina calmed down a little. Just then, there was a knock at the door. Hiruzen Sarutobi discreetly wiped his face before saying, "Come in!"

"Third Hokage!"

Yamanaka Inoichi bowed respectfully, then saw the murderous look in Kushina's eyes and immediately broke out in a cold sweat. Her temper was comparable to Tsunade's in her younger days. Although she had mellowed considerably after getting together with Minato in recent years, that depended on who she was dealing with.

Thinking of this, Inoichi hurriedly said, "Third Hokage, that child is indeed a survivor from Whirlpool Country. There is nothing wrong with his memories, nor are there any techniques or seals present!"

After saying that, he quickly added to Kushina, "Kushina, don't worry. That child definitely won't suffer any aftereffects!"

"Thanks for the trouble, Inoichi!"

Minato hurriedly thanked him. Kushina immediately switched to a gentle smile and invited Inoichi over for dinner.

"N-No need. I already arranged to have barbecue with Choza and Shikaku!"

Inoichi quickly declined. What a joke. Minato and Kushina would definitely be spending the evening with that child, so it would be far too awkward for him to join them. Besides, Kushina's cooking was infamous. Other than Minato, who would dare eat it?

Konoha Hospital.

It hurt so much!

His head felt as though countless needles were stabbing into it!

The bizarre dream filled with all kinds of monsters rapidly shattered. Uzumaki Gengetsu abruptly opened his eyes. His vision was blurry at first, and he raised a hand to shield them before adapting to the light. At the same time, he caught the scent of disinfectant.

"A hospital?"

"Did I return to Earth?"

That was Uzumaki Gengetsu's first reaction. He had dreamed of returning to Earth. The Naruto world was plagued by constant war. When living deep within a war-torn country, even sleeping with one's eyes closed meant worrying that a ninja might suddenly break in and slit one's throat.

However, he was quickly disappointed. The Japanese writing he saw after sitting up told him that this was still the Naruto world.

"I really hope all of this is a dream..."

With a sigh in his heart, Gengetsu rubbed his brow and regained his composure. He remembered struggling through countless hardships to enter the Land of Fire, only to encounter a Konoha patrol squad. After that, his body had been too weak and his mind had been tense for too long, so he had drifted into unconsciousness.

"So this is most likely Konoha Hospital..."

"Then has Konoha already investigated me? Searched my memories, for example?"

As he pondered that, Gengetsu got out of bed and walked to the window. Looking outside, he indeed saw ninjas wearing Konoha's distinctive forehead protectors.

"That counts as half a success!"

His left hand slowly clenched into a fist. He knew very well that joining Konoha presented two major difficulties. The first was the long journey, especially for his young body. Fortunately, he had enjoyed wilderness survival experiences on Earth, and with his Uzumaki Physique, he had stumbled through the journey and ultimately endured it.

The second was the espionage screening that would almost certainly come after arriving in Konoha. That was beyond his control, so he could only gamble.

If they had not discovered his memories of Earth, everything would be fine. But if they had found them, things would become troublesome. He would have to rely on his words to fight for room to survive.

The reason he had still traveled all the way to Konoha despite knowing the risks was that, based on information he had gathered earlier, he had deduced that the Third Shinobi World War had not yet begun. And in Konoha, there was someone he could rely on.

He repeatedly considered how to deal with the difficulties that might arise next when the door suddenly opened.

Gengetsu turned around and immediately saw a young man and woman enter. His gaze instantly fell on the red hair identical to his own.

A sense of familiarity and inexplicable belonging surged up from the depths of his heart. Gengetsu froze for a moment. Kushina walked up to him, her eyes curving as she smiled gently. "I'm Uzumaki Kushina. Like you, I come from the Uzumaki Clan!"

Kushina pointed at Gengetsu's short red hair.

Gengetsu came back to his senses. He remembered now—before fainting, he seemed to have encountered Uzumaki Kushina. He really was lucky. Suppressing the excitement in his heart, he quickly bowed. "Greetings, Senior Kushina. I'm Gengetsu, Uzumaki Gengetsu!"

"Uzumaki Gengetsu. That's a lovely name!"

Kushina praised him, then said, "You can call me Sister Kushina. From today onward, we're family, hahaha!"

Kushina could not help laughing happily. She was a war orphan. At first, she still had Uzumaki Mito, a relative from her clan, but after Mito passed away, she became lonely in Konoha until Minato came into her life.

And now, someone with the same hair color and the same bloodline as her had appeared. How could she not be happy? Thus, almost instinctively, Kushina regarded Gengetsu as someone close to her.

The bond of hair color and bloodline really did work...

Gengetsu went along with it and decisively bowed again, calling Kushina his sister. Then his gaze turned to the handsome Namikaze Minato beside her, who wore a gentle smile the entire time.

Kushina came to her senses and quickly pulled Minato over to introduce him. Gengetsu addressed Minato as his older brother.

After they became acquainted and confirmed that there was nothing wrong with Gengetsu's body, Kushina and Minato took him out of the hospital and brought him home.

At the same time, in the Hokage Office.

"Hiruzen, hand that child over to me. Let him join Root and train him into a backup vessel for the Nine-Tails!"

Danzo said in a low voice.

He possessed Uzumaki Bloodline, and according to the hospital examination, the child had an exceptional physique. He had clearly inherited the Uzumaki Clan's abilities. How could such talent be allowed to slip away? Unfortunately, Root's people had arrived too late. Otherwise, they could have brought him into Root first.

"No!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi understood Danzo's intentions perfectly, so he refused without hesitation. Friends were friends, but there could be absolutely no compromise on fundamental matters.

Danzo flew into a rage. "Why?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head. "Kushina values that child greatly, and she dislikes you. She also has a strong aversion to Root!"

Danzo was rendered speechless, with nowhere to vent his anger. Damn it, I was a handsome guy when I was young too!

On the broad street, Gengetsu chatted with Kushina while constantly looking over the scenery on both sides. This place gave him a long-lost sense of peace, and even his mind, tense for so long, could not help relaxing.

"Gengetsu, why did you choose to come to Konoha?"

Minato suddenly asked.

Gengetsu snapped back to his senses, his heart tightening. Turning his head to look at Minato's gentle smile, he said, "Because of war!"

"War brings too much suffering. My father and mother both died because of the chaos of war. It made me understand that in such troubled times, if I wanted to survive and have the ability to protect what I cherished, I needed strength. That's why I decided to come to Konoha. My mother once told me that Konoha and Whirlpool Country were allies."

Turning to look at the adults and children passing along the street, Gengetsu spoke from the heart. "I like it here!"

Minato and Kushina exchanged a glance. They both understood that "here" did not refer solely to Konoha, but to the peace here.

Kushina felt pity for him. She reached out and ruffled Gengetsu's red hair, smiling. "You made the right choice. But becoming a ninja isn't easy, you know!"

Gengetsu grinned. "Could it be harder than the road I traveled to get to Konoha?"

In Root, Danzo ordered two Root members with a gloomy expression, "From this moment on, keep Uzumaki Gengetsu under close surveillance, but do not clash with Kushina or Minato!"