"She's Uzumaki Akiko."
Kushina said in surprise as she looked at the little girl who had fainted.
"Mm. Do you know her?"
Shin didn't recognize the girl, but Kushina seemed to.
"I've seen her a few times, but we're not close."
Among the Uzumaki Clan, Kushina was only close to Shin. She didn't know the others well—at most, she recognized them.
Before long, Uzumaki Akiko woke up. At first, she was in a panic, but once she saw Shin and Kushina's red hair, she calmed down.
Red hair was basically a trademark of the Uzumaki Clan. Of course, people from other clans could have red hair too.
For example, Akimichi Choji's father, Akimichi Choza, had red hair.
Still, when most people saw red hair, the first thing they thought of was the Uzumaki Clan.
"Who are you?"
Uzumaki Akiko didn't recognize Shin and Kushina. Although she guessed they were survivors of the Uzumaki Clan, it was better to ask and be sure.
It was perfectly normal for Uzumaki Akiko not to know Shin and Kushina, since they lived far from the clan grounds.
Even
when they had lived at the clan grounds, they hadn't seen each other often. Shin had never even met Uzumaki Akiko.
"Same as you," Shin told Uzumaki Akiko.
Uzumaki Akiko fell silent. She looked at the ruins beside her, sadness flickering in her eyes. Thinking of her parents, she couldn't stop the tears from falling.
"Should we comfort her?" Kushina asked Shin, looking at the crying Uzumaki Akiko.
"How? Let her cry. She'll have to rely on herself from now on. It's better if she learns to be strong."
Shin shook his head, then sat down on a nearby rock. He was considering what to do next.
There were two paths before Shin. The first was to leave with Kushina and live as wanderers.
The second was to wait for Konoha's reinforcements to arrive, then go with them to Konoha.
Shin glanced at Kushina and finally made up his mind: they would go to Konoha.
It was the safer choice. If he and Kushina went wandering with their conspicuous red hair, they were bound to run into trouble.
Besides, where could two little kids go, even if they wandered? It would be far too inconvenient.
Going to Konoha would ensure their safety. As long as they didn't draw too much attention, they'd be safe there.
Especially since Uzumaki Mito was still alive. Once they reached Konoha, even the devious Danzo wouldn't dare try anything.
In Konoha, Shin could also learn the basics of being a ninja, and those fundamentals were important.
So going to Konoha was definitely a good choice. But since he'd decided to go, he would have to change Kushina's fate of becoming the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
Shin didn't want Kushina to become the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. The Nine-Tails' power was formidable, and if used well, it would be a great asset,
but it was also a ticking time bomb.
Becoming the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki meant she'd never have a peaceful life again. At the very least, the Anbu would keep her under constant surveillance.
As for Shin, he had even less interest in becoming the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. It was simple: he didn't think much of the Nine-Tails.
Shin had the Perfect Sage Body. Once he grew stronger, he could beat the Nine-Tails one-handed.
He also had the Sharingan. In the future, he'd probably be able to make the Nine-Tails heel with just a glance.
With a system backing him, how could Shin possibly care about the mere Nine-Tails?
Of course, the main reason was that Shin didn't want something else living inside him. The thought made him deeply uncomfortable.
Shin shifted his gaze to Uzumaki Akiko. He and Kushina weren't the only members of the Uzumaki Clan here. There was also Uzumaki Akiko.
"Kushina, come here for a moment. I need to talk to you," Shin called, beckoning her over.
Kushina was puzzled, but she still walked over to him.
"Kushina, Konoha's reinforcements may arrive soon. They might take us to Konoha. If we go, remember not to draw too much attention to yourself."
Shin reminded Kushina.
They would definitely choose a Jinchuriki with good talent. And if she drew too much attention, she might attract the notice of the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi or the sinister Danzo.
The Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi would be all right, but Danzo would be dangerous.
Kushina didn't understand why Shin was telling her all this, but she nodded and committed it to memory.
In the blink of an eye, the day was nearly over. The sun was setting, and the dim light fell over the Uzumaki Clan Grounds, making the dark, blood-soaked surroundings seem eerie and terrifying.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
"Footsteps?"
Shin immediately grew alert. He reached his left hand into his Ninja Tool Pouch, clutching an Explosive Tag, while his right hand gripped a katana.
Shin was too short for a katana to look right in his hands. He'd found it here. It had a few nicks, but it was still usable.
Kushina immediately moved closer to Shin, and Uzumaki Akiko edged toward them in fear.
"Three children."
A woman with golden hair, a beautiful face, and a somewhat cold gaze walked toward them.
She was very beautiful, but her figure was nothing special, and her cold eyes were a little frightening.
Several ninjas followed behind her.
"You're from the Uzumaki Clan, right? Don't be afraid. I'm a Konoha ninja. My name is Tsunade."
Tsunade's cold gaze softened. Seeing the Uzumaki Clan's plight had filled her with anger, which was why she'd looked so frightening just now.
When he learned that she was Tsunade, Shin relaxed. But after sneaking a look at her, he could hardly believe she was really Tsunade.
Was this really Tsunade? She was so flat she could park a plane on her chest. He couldn't believe how she'd ended up with the figure she'd have later.
"Are you the only ones left from the Uzumaki Clan?" Tsunade asked Shin.
"I don't know. There may be other survivors."
Shin was sure that there were other Uzumaki Clan survivors, but they might have already fled the Land of Whirlpools or gone into hiding.
"Search the area. See if we can find any survivors. Damn it, if I find out who did this, I'll..."
Killing intent emanated from Tsunade. The Uzumaki Clan were her grandmother Uzumaki Mito's people, and they'd been on good terms with the Senju Clan for generations.
During the Warring States period, the Uzumaki Clan had helped the Senju Clan fight the Uchiha Clan many times.
Tsunade was furious, but there was nothing her anger could do. She'd arrived too late. As soon as she received the news, she'd been ordered to rush to the Land of Whirlpools, but she was still too late.
The enemy had wiped out the great Uzumaki Clan in a single night. That showed how thoroughly they'd prepared.
Shin looked at Tsunade and curled his lip. Making threats was probably the lamest thing you could do.
But Tsunade saw him curl his lip, and her temper flared. It seemed the little brat in front of her was
looking down on her.
"Brat, what was that just now?"
"What do you mean?" Shin stared at Tsunade, confused.
"Don't play dumb. I saw you. Were you looking down on me just now?"
Shin wanted to nod, but Tsunade was a violent woman. She might beat him up.
"No. Not at all. You're seeing things." Shin denied it three times over, refusing to admit anything.
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