Back to Konoha

After Uchiha Akira appeared, he wasted no time. Seeing the red-haired woman's terrified expression, he drew his Ninja Blade and slashed at the chains several times.

With a series of clanging sounds, the chains snapped.

Finally free, the red-haired woman lunged forward and snatched a kunai from a Kusagakure ninja's tool pouch.

She aimed it at the Kusagakure ninja lying on the ground and plunged it down.

With several wet, squelching sounds, she stabbed holes in the ninja's neck, and blood pooled across the ground.

"Die, die, die..." the red-haired woman roared again and again. She stabbed the unconscious Kusagakure ninja lying on the ground, one after another, her face lighting up with savage satisfaction.

Uchiha Akira looked at her and said in a low voice, "Feel better now? We should get going."

Kusagakure was still a hidden ninja village, with all the resources that entailed. If a large number of ninjas surrounded them, escaping with someone in tow would be a hassle.

"I'm so sorry. I let my hatred get the better of me." Uzumaki Rika let out a long breath, tossed the bloodstained kunai aside, and looked at Uchiha Akira. "My name is Uzumaki Rika. Did Konoha send you?"

"Let's get out of Kusagakure first. We can talk after that." Uchiha Akira scooped her up around the waist and immediately used Lightning Body Flicker to leave.

By then, Kusagakure had realized an enemy had infiltrated the village, and its ninjas were converging on Uchiha Akira's location in large numbers.

Blue lightning streaked across the village as Uchiha Akira charged through the Kusagakure ninjas closing in around them, with Uzumaki Rika in his arms.

He relied on the enhanced perception granted by his Sharingan, the incredible speed that came from stimulating his body with Lightning Style, and his Strength of a Hundred secret technique.

Wherever Uchiha Akira went, the Kusagakure ninjas were sent sprawling. After rampaging through their encirclement, he burst out of the village before they could react.

After carrying Uzumaki Rika more than ten kilometers, Uchiha Akira set her down.

"Thank you." Once she was sure she was safe, Uzumaki Rika thanked him at once.

"You're welcome." Uchiha Akira waved a hand. "Can you walk now? Can you still use your chakra?"

Uzumaki Rika nodded resolutely. "Yes. I can keep going."

As they traveled, Uzumaki Rika looked at Uchiha Akira and asked again what she had asked him in Kusagakure. "Did Konoha send you?"

"No." Uchiha Akira shook his head. "This was my own decision."

Uzumaki Rika fell silent for a while, looking somewhat disappointed.

After a long pause, she asked, "Are we going back to Konoha?"

"That's right." Uchiha Akira nodded. "The Uzumaki Clan had a deep bond with Konoha. Once you're back, you can start a new life. No one will treat you like medicine for healing wounds anymore."

"Will Konoha really accept me? Maybe once we reach the Land of Fire, you could leave me in some town. I'll find a way to manage on my own." Uzumaki Rika looked worried and spoke softly.

"Besides, what you did goes against Konoha's rules, doesn't it? Won't the Hokage punish you? This could even cause a conflict between Kusagakure and Konoha."

"If you don't tell anyone, who'll know I brought you back from Kusagakure?" Uchiha Akira said unconcernedly.

Seeing that she still seemed worried, Uchiha Akira reassured her. "Don't worry. Our Uchiha Clan can handle this."

"I hope so. It would be terrible if you got in trouble because of me." Uzumaki Rika still didn't seem entirely reassured.

She was deeply grateful to Uchiha Akira. If he hadn't rescued her from Kusagakure, its ninjas would eventually have drained her life force.

Despite years of wandering, Uzumaki Rika still had a kind heart.

"Don't worry," Uchiha Akira said, continuing to reassure her. "The Hokage's Wife is named Uzumaki Kushina. She's from the Uzumaki Clan, just like you. I heard she's descended from a very important family in the Land of Eddies."

"Really?" Uzumaki Rika's eyes lit up at his words, and she hurriedly asked, "When did the Third marry a new Hokage's Wife?"

Uchiha Akira's cheek twitched. "Konoha has the Fourth Hokage now. The Third has already stepped down."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insult your Hokage." Uzumaki Rika lowered her head, feeling guilty.

Things hadn't been good for her in Kusagakure. The man who had taken an interest in her had only wanted her because she was attractive, and he'd kept her under tight restrictions. As a result, she knew little about what was happening beyond the village.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it. Our Hokage doesn't care about things like that." Uchiha Akira shrugged. "Besides, he'll be delighted when he sees that you're from the Uzumaki Clan."

"Is that really true?" A hopeful look appeared on Uzumaki Rika's face.

She began to look forward to her future.

Because Uzumaki Rika was relatively slow, it took Uchiha Akira two days to bring her back to Konoha.

After returning to Konoha, Uchiha Akira didn't immediately inform Minato Namikaze.

Instead, he took her to the Shentian Bio Research Institute and had her examined first.

Once he confirmed that nothing was wrong, Uchiha Akira quietly had someone take a sample of her body tissue.

Only then did Uchiha Akira arrange for someone to discreetly notify Minato Namikaze.

Uchiha Akira thought it was better to keep Uzumaki Rika's situation quiet.

Minato Namikaze was working in his office when he received Uchiha Akira's message. He went straight to the Shentian Bio Research Institute.

Nothing unexpected happened. Uchiha Akira and Uzumaki Rika had already agreed on what to say.

According to Uchiha Akira's account, he had found Uzumaki Rika by chance in a border town in the Land of Fire. He hadn't taken her from Kusagakure.

Minato Namikaze made no comment on Uchiha Akira's story and voiced no objection.

Uzumaki Rika was highly valuable to Konoha and could be a potential Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

Whatever her origins, Minato Namikaze couldn't let her leave, for either practical or personal reasons.

The higher-ups considered Uchiha Akira's decision to bring her back entirely correct. They saw it as a very good thing.

That same day, Uzumaki Rika received a permanent residence permit for Konoha and became a member of Konohagakure.

Uchiha Akira didn't get too involved in Uzumaki Rika's affairs.

He knew Minato Namikaze would make all the proper arrangements.

He had only brought her back for his Chimera Technique.

When he took her to Shentian Bio for an examination, Uchiha Akira had already ordered the researchers to collect some of Uzumaki Rika's body tissue for cloning later.

In a way, he had already achieved half of his goal.

It wasn't long before Uchiha Akira achieved the other half as well.

On the third day after he brought Uzumaki Rika back to Konoha, Uchiha Mikoto came to see him with a scroll.

"Big Sister Mikoto." Uchiha Akira greeted Uchiha Mikoto, whose belly was just beginning to show.

Uchiha Mikoto nodded slightly and said to Uchiha Akira:

"Kushina heard you've been studying Sealing Jutsu. These are some of her notes and insights on the subject.

"She asked me to bring them over for you. Kushina is very grateful that you brought her clanswoman back to Konoha. This is her way of thanking you."

Uchiha Akira took the scroll. "Please thank the Hokage's Wife for me when you see her, Big Sister Mikoto. I really have been studying Sealing Jutsu, and these notes will be a great help."

"Don't worry," Uchiha Mikoto replied.

Tap, tap, tap—

Footsteps sounded as a member of the Police Force approached them.