Uzumaki Kushina

Just then, a shout echoed from outside the house.

"Hyuga Shinichi! Nawaki! Are you two in there?"

Hearing this, Hyuga Shinichi looked toward the sound and immediately recognized the voice of Inuzuka Gai. He walked straight out of the clinic.

Upon seeing Hyuga Shinichi, Inuzuka Gai asked, "Why have you been gone so long? Hasn't Nawaki recovered yet?"

Hyuga Shinichi smiled and replied, "I was indeed held up by a few matters, but Nawaki has already woken up. He seems to be in good condition and should make a full recovery soon. Did you come looking for me for something specific?"

Inuzuka Gai nodded and said, "Yes, Jiraiya-taicho wants you to head back. He says it's time to go meet the target of our mission."

Hearing this, Hyuga Shinichi's heart skipped a beat.

Oh?! Are we going to meet little Uzumaki Kushina now? Minato, you just wait—your big brother is about to bring you back a wife!

"Alright, wait a moment. I need to go inside and let the others know."

With that, he turned and headed back into the house. Once inside, Hyuga Shinichi explained the situation to everyone and asked them to help look after Nawaki, who had not yet fully recovered.

Uzumaki Michiko agreed without hesitation, promising to do her best to take care of Nawaki. With her confirmation, Hyuga Shinichi stepped out of the room with peace of mind and followed Inuzuka Gai away.

It wasn't long before we met up with Jiraiya and Aburame Tomohiro, who were waiting at the village chief's house. As soon as we met, Jiraiya asked Hyuga Shinichi, "How is Nawaki doing?"

Aburame Tomohiro, standing nearby, didn't say a word, but he stared at Hyuga Shinichi as well; it seemed he was also concerned about Nawaki's condition.

"He has basically recovered."

Afterward, I walked with them and told them about Nawaki's status, guided by a guard assigned by the village chief.

Gradually, the group drew closer to their destination when, suddenly, a burst of noisy children's voices reached our ears.

"Wow! Look! When Uzumaki Kushina gets angry, her hair actually floats up!"

Following the sound, we saw a group of children surrounding a little girl. She stood there looking furious, and what set her apart was her floating red hair, which appeared even more vibrant and eye-catching compared to the other children of the Uzumaki Clan around her.

Seeing that the person they were looking for was being surrounded by a group of mischievous kids, the guard leading the way hurried forward to disperse the children and brought the little girl before the group to introduce her.

"Everyone, this is the little girl you were looking for."

Hearing that this group of strangers was looking for her, the little girl took a step back, looking somewhat wary.

At this moment, Hyuga Shinichi reached out to the little girl with a gentle expression and said with a smile, "Hello, is your name Uzumaki Kushina? Don't worry, we aren't bad people."

Looking at the older brother standing before her, Uzumaki Kushina felt the goodwill he radiated and relaxed slightly, though she still replied with some reserve.

"Hello, I... my name is Uzumaki Kushina. What... what do you want with me?"

"Well, do you know Mito?"

Although Mito had married far away into Konoha, her reputation was still known to everyone in the Uzumaki Clan.

"I know her. She is the Princess of the Land of Whirlpools."

"Yes, we have come here specifically under the instruction of Mito to take you to Konoha."

Hyuga Shinichi explained in a sincere tone.

Upon hearing the words "Konoha," Uzumaki Kushina's eyes lit up instantly. She had heard of this place from her late parents; it was a village filled with peace and strength.

Moreover, Mito, the princess, had also married into Konoha. Seeing Uzumaki Kushina gradually lower her guard, communication between her and Hyuga Shinichi became increasingly smooth.

When she learned she would be able to see Mito and the Konoha her parents had described, Uzumaki Kushina agreed without hesitation to go with everyone.

With this, the mission was half-successful. The next step was to ensure Uzumaki Kushina was brought back to Konoha safely, and then the mission would be considered complete.

Because of the good impression Hyuga Shinichi had made on her, Jiraiya arranged for him to accompany Uzumaki Kushina back home to pack her belongings.

Meanwhile, the others headed to the clinic to check on Nawaki's condition; if he had recovered enough, they could set off for the return journey immediately.

Uzumaki Kushina had many things she wanted to bring, so Hyuga Shinichi showed off his sealing jutsu in front of her, packing all of her belongings into a single scroll, which left Uzumaki Kushina in awe.

Hyuga Shinichi thought to himself that perhaps this was the only time he could show off the few sealing jutsus he had already mastered!

In time, Uzumaki Kushina would be able to receive the true teachings of Mito just like him, and her mastery of sealing jutsu would be quite profound.

Once everything was packed, Hyuga Shinichi led Uzumaki Kushina to find Jiraiya and the others.

Along the way, Hyuga Shinichi consistently spoke with Uzumaki Kushina in a gentle and peaceful tone, and whenever she had a question, he would patiently provide a detailed answer.

These actions made Uzumaki Kushina feel that Hyuga Shinichi was a kind and amiable big brother.

Before they even reached the clinic, they saw a group of people standing there from a distance. Jiraiya was chatting with the village chief, while Nawaki was saying his goodbyes to Uzumaki Michiko under the gossiping gazes of his two friends.

The village chief gripped Jiraiya's hands tightly and urged him earnestly, "Everyone, why not wait until tomorrow morning to set off? Night is about to fall, and traveling now might be dangerous."

Throughout the afternoon of conversation with the village chief, Jiraiya had already become clear about the current situation in the Land of Whirlpools, and he knew exactly what the "danger" referred to.

In recent years, unidentified hostile forces have frequently appeared in the Land of Whirlpools, launching surprise attacks against the Uzumaki Clan.

"Don't worry, Village Chief, rest assured! Our reconnaissance capabilities are strong; we can detect the enemy's movements in advance and pinpoint their locations before they even take action."

Just then, Hyuga Shinichi, who had been approaching, overheard their conversation and spoke to the Village Chief as well.

"Grandpa Village Chief, I would like to ask, is the current population of Uzushio Village only around two hundred people?"

The Village Chief nodded silently in agreement, his eyes dimming slightly.

Over the years, the decline in the population of Uzushio Village was not solely due to casualties in battle; a significant portion of the Uzumaki Clan had chosen to leave the Land of Whirlpools to seek new lives in other nations.

Seeing this, Hyuga Shinichi could not help but ask with concern.

"Then, has the Village Chief considered how much longer you can actually withstand the enemy's attacks and hold out if things continue as they are?"

Faced with this sharp question, the Village Chief fell into silence.

A moment later, Hyuga Shinichi proposed.

"How about this: once I return to Konoha, I will report the situation here truthfully to Mito. With her influence, she will surely convince the Hokage to allow you to relocate to Konoha."

However, the Village Chief seemed to still have reservations and spoke hesitantly.

"But..."