At a single glance, Ashina recognized his grandson. They had not seen each other for nearly twenty years, and Ran's build, voice, and appearance had all changed drastically over the years.
Even so, Ashina recognized him immediately.
None of the reunion scenes Ran had imagined came to pass. That single "good grandson" utterly defeated him.
Tears streamed down his face.
"It's me, Grandpa!"
Ashina strode up to Ran in two large steps and pulled him into a hug.
"It's been so many years. You've grown taller! Stronger!"
Ashina patted Ran on the shoulder. The Ran in his memories had still been a chubby little boy, soft and pudgy.
Time had passed, and his grandson had grown so much.
After so many years apart, Ashina missed all his children and grandchildren dearly.
But he had no reason to return.
They had turned the Land of Whirlpools into such a state that he was furious and even less willing to go back and see them.
Yet he had not expected Ran to come looking for him today.
As an extension of his bloodline, Ashina loved all the children deeply.
But the reason he favored Kushina in particular was that the other grandchildren all had parents who loved them dearly.
Kushina, however, had been rejected. His seventh son did not like the girl.
So, when she was little, Kushina often came to him for comfort. Over time, he came to dote on her even more.
"Ran, I never expected you to find your way here. Did something major happen in the Land of Whirlpools? Did your father cause some huge mess again?!"
Hearing that, Ran's tears nearly stopped. He felt rather awkward for a moment.
"No, no, Grandpa. The Land of Whirlpools is doing all right. It hasn't improved much, but it hasn't