The Fox Immortal Repays a Debt

With that, Shiba Seika sent Kenjiro off.

He didn't care whether Kenjiro would pass those words on to Yahiko.

He had never bothered to learn from Danzo—pretending to act for the village and its people while really serving his own selfish desires. His opposition to Yahiko had always been out in the open.

Shiba Seika's intentions were known to all in the Akatsuki Organization.

Besides, his strength was growing by the day, and his bonds with Konan and Nagato were deepening. He no longer needed to worry about others knowing he had a rebellious streak.

If Kenjiro could see reason and choose his side, good. If not, Shiba Seika didn't care much either.

But this night seemed destined for unrest.

No sooner had he seen Kenjiro off than Shiba Seika set down his book, ready to sleep, when another knock came at the door.

He got up and opened it, only to find Uzamaki Kayo standing timidly outside.

Uzamaki Kayo looked to be around twenty, quite a bit older than Shiba Seika and the three young members of the Akatsuki. By age alone, she could be considered their elder sister.

But her temperament was far too soft. Years of wandering and hardship had taught her to simply endure. Standing at Shiba Seika's door now, she couldn't even meet his eyes, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her clothes.

She didn't look like an older sister visiting a younger brother at all. More like an innocent little rabbit offering herself up to a big bad wolf.

Shiba Seika glanced at the pitch-black night outside the window, then at Kayo's thin clothing, and couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.

Sis, this is way too easy to misunderstand!

"Is something the matter, Kayo-nee?"

Uzamaki Kayo clenched her fists nervously, as if gathering her courage, before finally speaking.

"I asked them, and they all said you were the first to determine that I'm a blood relative of that younger Nagato... I just... wanted to come and ask, what exactly is my relationship with Nagato-kun?"

So that's what this is about.

For a second I thought you were here to repay a favor like a fox spirit...

Shiba Seika invited her in and first draped a thin blanket over her shoulders, so she wouldn't catch a chill in the night cold.

He also used the time to think of a response.

From the original story, Karin and her mother had absolutely no connection to Nagato.

But since things had come this far, Shiba Seika had to make them related—and he had to make it stick!

Then, unhurriedly, he brewed a pot of tea and poured a cup for Uzamaki Kayo. Only when she was starting to grow impatient did he finally speak.

"Kayo-nee, do you remember when you and your older sister got separated?"

This question hid a subtle trick.

Shiba Seika didn't ask: Do you have an older sister?

Instead, he asked directly: When did you and your sister get separated?

Just like a crepe vendor never asks if you want an egg—they ask how many eggs you want.

Same principle.

Even if, by bad luck, Uzamaki Kayo said she had no sister, Shiba Seika could still pivot ambiguously: Then who was that person you got separated from years ago?

And get a specific name out of her.

You could say this conversation had no heart from the start—it was all technique.

Luckily for him, he didn't even need to use his follow-up moves. The first strike hit paydirt.

Uzamaki Kayo sat in deep thought for a long moment, then her face lit up with sudden realization, a mix of surprise, relief, and emotion—like she was about to cry tears of joy at any second.

"So he's my eldest sister's child! How wonderful! That's just wonderful! I thought that child had died young! Thank you, Seika-kun! Thank you! I'm just... too happy..."

As she spoke, she couldn't hold back anymore. Tears streamed down her face in big drops.

Shiba Seika watched her closely for several seconds, confirming that such genuine emotion couldn't possibly be an act.

Besides, this timid little woman didn't seem the type to be scheming or to play along with his tricks.

So it was pure luck on his part.

Who would have thought Kayo really had an older sister, and that sister had a child around Nagato's age?

Now Nagato had a new aunt out of nowhere.

If that kid ever goes crazy and tries to carry the burden again, I'll have Aunt Kayo slap some sense into him! Shiba Seika thought cheerfully to himself.

But jokes aside, the necessary precautions and safeguards still had to be put in place.

"Kayo-nee, don't get too worked up. Can you tell me more about your older sister's situation? I need to cross-check the information—it's for Nagato's sake."

Shiba Seika was always meticulous in his dealings.

He would make sure every detail lined up perfectly, leaving no cracks!

Uzamaki Kayo, suspecting nothing, opened up and poured out her entire story—everything that had happened to her since fleeing the Land of Whirlpools.

Shiba Seika kept weaving in "details," and even subtly hinted to Uzamaki Kayo that her sister, after escaping to the Land of Rain, might have changed her name to survive, so there wouldn't be any inconsistencies when she and Nagato compared notes later.

After hearing the whole story, Shiba Seika breathed a sigh of relief—and couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the woman before him.

The Uzumaki Clan's suffering was truly too bitter!

Their home destroyed, displaced and wandering, surrounded by wolves and jackals, with no kin in sight.

Who could have imagined that the once-glorious clan, powerful enough to carve its own emblem onto the forehead protectors of the shinobi world's greatest village, had now fallen to such a state?

After chatting for a long while, Shiba Seika offered comfort that was half sincere, half calculated: "Don't be sad, Sister Kayo. Those hardships are over now. At least you and Nagato are doing well, and he's been longing for family for so long. Just stay and spend more time with him. I believe the days ahead will only get better."

Uzumaki Kayo, moved to tears, nodded vigorously as she wept. "Okay, I will! I will! By the way, Seika-kun, I heard you were injured? Why don't you bite me? You'll recover quickly."

With that, Uzumaki Kayo voluntarily extended one of her wrists.

One could see that it was already covered in dark red bite marks—half-healed scabs from being bitten, layer upon layer, a shocking sight.

This kind, foolish woman.

At that moment, setting aside all schemes and calculations, Shiba Seika genuinely felt a pang of pity for this silly girl. Even after being rescued, she was still offering herself up for this kind of self-sacrificing torment.

Of course, Shiba Seika wouldn't bite. He wasn't lacking in recovery aid.

Instead, he grasped Kayo's hand firmly.

"Don't worry about me. You should be more concerned about yourself right now, Sister Kayo. Your body has been depleted for far too long. Come to me whenever you have free time from now on; I'll treat you."

It would also be a good chance to practice the Medical Ninjutsu insights the system had taught him—killing two birds with one stone.

But Uzumaki Kayo, caught off guard by the sudden grip on her hand, seemed to misunderstand something. She flinched like a startled rabbit.

Did small villages really have medical ninja? Could it be... just an excuse?

She glanced at the night outside the window, then at the empty room and the bed not far away, as if suddenly connecting it to some unpleasant memories from not long ago. Her face involuntarily paled.

But then she steadied herself, lifted her head, and carefully traced Shiba Seika's handsome features with her gaze. Recalling his immense kindness and the gentleness he'd shown since entering the room, her anxious heart gradually calmed.

She used her other hand to tighten the thin blanket around herself, let out a faint "mm" barely louder than a mosquito's hum, and a hint of tipsiness seemed to flicker in her lowered eyes.

Shiba Seika, focused on manipulating Chakra to perform basic Medical Ninjutsu, gave her a strange look, struggling to keep up with this elder sister's train of thought.

It was just odd—what was with this atmosphere?

Why did it feel like he was catching a whiff of that fox-spirit-repaying-a-favor kind of vibe again?