Kushina Uzumaki

Inside the Akimichi Clan's barbecue restaurant in Konoha.

"Why are you two here?"

In a private booth, Tsunade held a cup of sake, looking at Jiraiya and Orochimaru before her with some curiosity.

Just as she and Uchiha Gen had walked into the restaurant, they had spotted Jiraiya and Orochimaru, who had arrived at the same time.

"That's the question I should be asking you! How are you up this early? And instead of heading to the casino, you're actually spending money on barbecue?? Wait, do you even have money? Don't tell me you shook down Nawaki again? Tsk tsk tsk, I truly feel sorry for the kid~"

The moment Jiraiya opened his mouth, he perfectly illustrated the meaning of "if you don't seek death, you won't die."

The next second, Jiraiya was passively kissing the wall of the booth.

"Idiot."

Beside them, Orochimaru merely took a calm sip of his drink, curiously observing Uchiha Gen, who was busy grilling the meat. He was incredibly intrigued by this Uchiha who frequented the Senju Compound so often.

Accustomed to being beaten, Jiraiya returned to the table from the wall with practiced calm, picked up his cup, and downed the rest of his drink in one gulp.

"What have you two been up to lately? I haven't seen you around, especially you—I haven't seen you in a year."

Glancing at the meat Uchiha Gen was grilling and seeing it wasn't ready yet, Tsunade turned her gaze toward Orochimaru.

It wasn't just idle curiosity; Nawaki was Orochimaru's student. With Orochimaru gone, Nawaki had lost his teacher's guidance and was currently learning from a familiar jonin she had arranged to help him.

An ordinary jonin certainly lacked the caliber of Orochimaru's instruction. She held Orochimaru's strength in high regard, even if she had never fought him herself.

"Friction between the villages has been intensifying lately, so I've been tied up with missions. As for Nawaki... my apologies, I will make it up to him."

Orochimaru understood the implication behind Tsunade's question and could only respond with an apologetic tone. War was looming, and the Old Man seemed intent on tempering him, assigning him a relentless stream of missions.

However, the results were positive; his prestige within the village was currently quite substantial.

"Heh, I'm different. I've been busy guiding Minato through all sorts of training. Little Gen, you might not even be a match for Minato these days."

Jiraiya spoke with a look of confidence.

The more he taught Minato, the more convinced Jiraiya became: Minato Namikaze was, in all likelihood, the savior he had been searching for.

During the time he had spent mentoring Minato, Jiraiya had witnessed what a true genius looked like—someone who grasped every concept instantly and could even draw inferences and add their own understanding to the lessons.

As a first-time teacher, especially to a genius, Jiraiya suddenly understood why the Old Man Sarutobi valued Orochimaru so highly.

"As if someone like you could teach a decent seedling."

Tsunade rolled her eyes.

"Hey, hey, hey, you've got that wrong. Who am I? I am—"

As Jiraiya and Tsunade bickered, Orochimaru and Uchiha Gen watched from the sidelines.

The three-man squad, having not gathered in a long time, drank heavily. Uchiha Gen, unable to drink, simply closed his eyes and practiced his Qi in silence once he was full.

It was quite late by the time the gathering finally ended.

Supporting the drunken Tsunade all the way back to the Senju Compound, the moment they stepped through the door, two red-haired figures—one tall and one small—came into view.

Seeing the extra, smaller red-haired figure, Uchiha Gen paused in his support of Tsunade and looked toward Mito Uzumaki.

The appearance of Kushina Uzumaki signaled that the old woman's life had begun its final countdown.

"You're back. This is Kushina, a clanswoman of mine. And this is my granddaughter, Tsunade; you can go to her if you ever need anything. This is Gen, he's the same age as you—you two should be able to become friends."

Seeing them enter, Mito Uzumaki smiled and introduced the two to Kushina Uzumaki, while simultaneously introducing Kushina to them.

"H-hello... I am... Kushina, Kushina Uzumaki, ya know."

Hearing this, Kushina immediately walked forward and bowed to the two. Perhaps due to being overly nervous, she stuttered and slipped into her verbal tic.

Kushina Uzumaki noticed she had let her tic slip and her face turned bright red in an instant. Combined with her already vibrant red hair, she looked just like a little tomato.

"Mm. She's drunk. Mito... Grandmother, I'll take her to her room first."

Looking at Kushina Uzumaki, Uchiha Gen gave a calm nod before turning to Mito Uzumaki and speaking softly. Without waiting for a response, he proceeded to support Tsunade into the inner courtyard.

"That's the first time the child has willingly called me 'Grandmother,' isn't it? Haha, don't mind it, Kushina. That's just how Gen is. You'll find it much better once you get to know him."

Watching Uchiha Gen leave, Mito Uzumaki smiled, then looked down at the dejected Kushina Uzumaki and spoke gently.

"Mm."

Kushina Uzumaki only lowered her head and gave a soft response. Having arrived in this unfamiliar place, she felt deeply anxious and insecure—a feeling that only intensified after her attempt to be friendly with Uchiha Gen had been met with such a cold response.

"Sigh, I should have told you about that child's personality beforehand."

Seeing this, Mito Uzumaki sighed helplessly and reached out to gently stroke Kushina Uzumaki's hair, as if trying to make her feel a little better.

"Stop pretending. You can't fool your grandmother."

In Tsunade's room, after laying her on the bed, Uchiha Gen rolled his eyes and spoke softly.

However, the next second, a pungent scent of alcohol and a faint, delicate fragrance washed over him.

It was Tsunade, who had wrapped her arms around him in an instant.

"Don't move. Let me hold you for a while."

Tsunade held Uchiha Gen tightly, pressing her head against his shoulder as she spoke in a muffled voice.

A damp sensation spread across his shoulder, yet Uchiha Gen's figure remained as still as a mountain.

As for why Kushina Uzumaki had appeared in Konoha, Tsunade actually knew everything.

"Those two children..."

In the courtyard, Mito Uzumaki, who had been stroking Kushina Uzumaki's hair, suddenly looked up toward the direction of Uchiha Gen and Tsunade. A look of reluctance mixed with relief flickered in the depths of her eyes as she shook her head gently.

"Hashirama, I have already done everything I could. Soon, I will be able to see you again; I just wonder if you, that blockhead, will still remember me."

Mito Uzumaki withdrew her gaze and looked up at the full moon in the sky, her clear eyes reflecting a profound sense of longing.