Familiar Surnames and Familiar People

What did that mean?

Under Wu Yu's persistent questioning, Mysterious Kaguya had no choice but to explain, "Every so often, Black Zetsu sends his memories back to me..."

Wu Yu felt that continuing to ask might be a little rude, but he really was curious!

Bracing himself, he asked, "To you? How does he give them to you?"

Mysterious Kaguya said flatly, "By touching the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, he can transmit his memories to me."

Fearing that her original self still did not understand, she continued, "I am the God Tree, and the God Tree is the Ten-Tails. The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path is the empty shell of the Ten-Tails without Chakra."

Got it. Absorbing the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path was equivalent to merging with Kaguya Otsutsuki's corpse—no, her dormant body. Of course, it could also be said that one became Kaguya Otsutsuki's vessel. Once Kaguya gathered enough power, she could break free from her shell, and the parasite would turn the tables on its host.

That was Black Zetsu's ultimate goal in saving his mother.

"Wu Yu, who was that just now?" A boisterous voice came from nearby. Wu Yu turned and saw Naruto Uzumaki. Though he was still wearing the same clothes, he looked fresh and clean from head to toe. Clearly, he had just finished soaking in a bath.

Despite Naruto's home looking like a dog's nest, he himself was quite clean and loved taking baths. Wu Yu did not know whether Kushina's final instructions had truly been remembered by baby Naruto before she died.

"Or maybe the Nine-Tails remembered them, and because the Nine-Tails' Chakra got mixed up with Naruto's Chakra, it influenced him?"

Wu Yu said, "That was a Genin a year above us—above you guys."

"Oh, I see..."

Naruto Uzumaki held the back of his head as he walked alongside Wu Yu.

"I was just asking whether I could mooch a meal at his place tomorrow, but he turned me down," Wu Yu said casually.

"Oh, I see..."

Naruto narrowed his eyes and nodded. Then he suddenly realized what Wu Yu had said and asked in surprise, "Wu Yu, you seem really short on money?"

Wu Yu smiled. "It's not that bad. I just can't afford to eat tomorrow, that's all."

"Isn't that completely broke?!"

Naruto was shocked. Then he scratched his cheek and stammered, "Um, I mean, if you want, you can come eat at my place tomorrow?"

Ever had expired milk?

Wu Yu hooked an arm around Naruto Uzumaki's shoulders. "Good brother!"

"Haha!"

Naruto also threw an arm around Wu Yu's shoulders. "Don't let appearances fool you—I'm really good at saving money! Treating you to a few meals is no problem at all!"

You mean you liked being cheap, right? Buying a whole bunch of milk, cramming it all into the fridge, and refusing to stop until you had finished it—only for it to expire?

"Come to think of it, Sasuke and I only became orphans after we were a few years old, so we both had inheritances left by our parents. What about you, Naruto? You don't know who your parents are, so where does your money come from?"

"Wu Yu, you're really direct. I don't even know whether I should be mad at you..."

"Haha, am I? They're all facts. What does it matter whether it's direct or not?"

"Old Man Hokage gives me money every week. I think all orphans in my situation get it, right? I'm not sure... I remember them saying that once I became an adult or a ninja, this... what was it called? Allowance? Subsidy? Stipend? Old-sidy?"

As the Uzumaki illiterate wrestled with the word, the two of them suddenly heard a deep, thunderous boom in the distance.

"What's that?" Sakura's voice suddenly came from nearby.

She had changed into a different outfit as well. Her pink hair drifted in the breeze, making her look very quiet and refined. She was standing by the roadside, pointing at the massive thing that had abruptly emerged from the forest above the Hokage Rock Faces. Noticing Wu Yu and Naruto, she waved at them too.

Quite a few Konoha residents on the streets had noticed it as well. They were all pointing in that direction and discussing it animatedly.

"It's probably the Hokage's summoning beast."

Wu Yu and Naruto joined up with Sakura and headed together toward the restaurant near Kakashi's House that they had agreed on earlier. The large Uzumaki symbol on the sign outside made it easy to remember.

Sasuke Uchiha was already waiting outside the restaurant. The little cool guy had his arms folded as he leaned against the wall.

"Sorry, Sasuke, you must have waited a long time..."

Sakura immediately started fawning over him. Naruto fumed beside her, while Sasuke could not be bothered to respond.

At the entrance, Wu Yu looked up at the Uzumaki pattern on the sign, then followed the other three inside.

For a period of time, he had especially enjoyed wandering around Konoha as though hunting for Easter eggs. He quickly discovered something—there were actually quite a few descendants of the former Land of Whirlpools living in Konoha. Some still retained the Uzumaki surname, but more had changed their names, or simply did not use surnames at all.

Most of them were ordinary members of the Uzumaki Clan without red hair. After their homeland and country had vanished, they had faded into the crowds of Konoha. In a few decades or centuries, the blood of the Uzumaki would likely blend into every resident of Konoha.

Was that how the Senju Clan had disappeared too?

It was only then that Wu Yu understood why Naruto was called Naruto Uzumaki rather than Naruto Namikaze.

He had found quite a few Uzumakis in Konoha, haha, but to this day, he had never found a second person with the surname Namikaze.

Wu Yu seriously suspected that Namikaze was a surname the Fourth Hokage had randomly made up himself. That guy liked naming things, but he also had a somewhat bizarre talent for it. He was probably the only person in the entire village with that surname...

Giving Naruto the Namikaze surname might as well have pasted the label "Fourth Hokage's son" right on his forehead.

Wu Yu shook his head, sat down with Sasuke and the others, and asked when he took the menu, "You brought the money Kakashi gave us, right?"

"Hehe..." Naruto immediately covered his mouth and snickered.

Sakura did not understand why, but nodded. "I brought it." Filled with fighting spirit, she declared, "Since Kakashi-sensei is paying, let's eat our fill!"

Sasuke seemed to be in a good mood too, and chimed in, "Hmph. I heard Jonin missions pay very well!"

"Let's get started!" At Wu Yu's command, the four of them excitedly pointed at the menu.

Half an hour later, the table was piled high with empty plates and bowls. Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno slumped in their seats, clutching their bellies without a shred of decorum. Sasuke Uchiha was barely holding on as well, his head resting against the wall as he struggled to maintain his cool image.

"Wu Yu still hasn't come out of the restroom?" Sakura Haruno glanced over.

"He stayed in there for a long time at Kakashi-sensei's place too..." Naruto Uzumaki snickered. "Could he be in poor health or something?"

"..." Sasuke Uchiha had been speechless enough already, but then a thought struck him. Could that guy be talking to someone named Kaguya in the restroom? Or was he using that Right Mysterious Clone of his?

In the restroom, Wu Yu stared speechlessly at the freshly created Right Mysterious Clone before him.

"I mean... isn't this a little too much of a coincidence?"

Hearing that the first thing her original self said upon seeing her was that, Right Mysterious Rin Nohara—still in the form of a young girl—furrowed her brows and huffed, "Are you unhappy to see that it's me?"

Wu Yu thought to himself, Following this pattern, next time I should pull Kamui Bro, right?