Ambush on the Road

"Shin, you must stay away from that woman from now on."

After entering the ship's cabin, Kushina spoke to Shin with a solemn expression.

"Mm, I would have done that even without you telling me."

Shin had no desire to endure the humiliation of having his cheeks pinched without any way to fight back.

I'll take my revenge once I'm stronger. For now, I'd better steer clear of that woman Tsunade. She doesn't know her own strength—my face is all swollen from her pinching.

Shin thought viciously to himself.

A few hours later, the ship finally docked, and a dizzy, nauseated Kushina leaned against Shin.

"Xiao Yu, I can't take it anymore. I'm so dizzy."

Shin supported Kushina, never expecting her to suffer from seasickness; it was likely because this was her first time on a boat.

"We've already docked, Kushina. Just hold on a little longer."

"Tsk tsk, the little girl actually gets seasick. How embarrassing," Tsunade remarked, arms crossed, taking a jab at her.

Tsunade had been quite annoyed by Kushina's hostility earlier. Although she didn't want to lower herself to the level of a little girl, seeing her in such a pathetic state made Tsunade unable to resist a snide comment.

"Nonsense, I am not dizzy at all."

Kushina struggled to shake her spinning head, then glared at Tsunade, refusing to show weakness.

"Tsk!"

Tsunade said nothing more. Getting into a squabble with a little girl was beneath her dignity and would only invite ridicule.

"Let's rest for a while before we continue."

Seeing that not only Kushina but also Uzumaki Akiko and Uzumaki Kai were struggling, Tsunade gave the order.

Shin was fine, as he didn't suffer from seasickness, and Uzumaki Hikari was a Chunin, so he naturally had no issues.

After resting and replenishing their food, they continued their journey.

"How long will it take to reach Konoha from here?" Shin couldn't help but ask Tsunade.

"Come here and I'll tell you," Tsunade smiled, beckoning to him with her finger.

"Forget it, I don't want to know anymore."

Shin and Kushina walked at the back, admiring the scenery of the Land of Fire.

Once they stepped off the ship and onto land, they were in the Land of Fire. While not the largest of the Five Great Nations, it possessed the best geography.

The soil here was fertile, the trees grew even more lush than those in the Land of Whirlpools, and the people of the Land of Fire were significantly wealthier than those in other nations.

"Xiao Yu, how are we going to live once we get to Konoha?" Kushina asked Shin with concern.

"Just like before. Kushina, don't put so much pressure on yourself. Also, stop calling me Xiao Yu."

Shin raised his hand and ruffled Kushina's hair, bringing a sense of warmth to her.

Although she felt uneasy about the unfamiliar Konoha, having Shin by her side dispelled the gloom in her heart.

It didn't matter where they were; as long as she was with Shin, it was all the same.

Slowly, Kushina let go of her burdens, her mood improved, and the shadow of the Uzumaki Clan's destruction began to fade slightly from her mind.

"What are you two talking about?"

Tsunade suddenly dropped back to walk with them and asked.

"Uh, you actually have time to come over and talk to us?" Shin couldn't help but retort.

"Although I am escorting you, we are already within the borders of the Land of Fire. At most, we might encounter some mountain bandits; it's very safe," Tsunade replied. Before they had entered the Land of Fire, she had been somewhat vigilant, but now she had completely let her guard down.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

A sky full of Kunai and Shuriken suddenly rained down upon their group, some of the Kunai even rigged with Explosive Tag.

Shin's expression shifted. He no longer cared about revealing his strength; he grabbed Kushina and dodged rapidly.

The ninjas of the Senju Clan, though they had been as relaxed as Tsunade, were still formidable warriors.

Facing the sudden ambush, they reacted quickly, shielding the survivors of the Uzumaki Clan and carrying them out of the line of fire.

Tsunade's eyes flickered with surprise.

Just a moment ago, she had intended to move in and carry Shin and Kushina out of the attack range, but Shin had already whisked Kushina away in an instant.

The explosive speed he displayed made even Tsunade glance at him sideways; she estimated that his speed was no less than her own.

"It seems this little brat Shin is not as simple as he appears."

Tsunade quickly dodged as well; now was not the time to dwell on such things, but rather to deal with these attackers.

Tsunade's gaze turned icy; she had not expected to be ambushed while within the borders of the Land of Fire.

Most importantly, Tsunade had just finished telling Shin that the Land of Fire was safe and that nothing would happen, only for these people to jump out and slap her in the face.

Tsunade felt her face burning with humiliation; these guys were unforgivable.

Shin took Kushina and hid behind a large tree, gripping her hand tightly while scanning his surroundings with vigilance.

If only I could awaken the Mind's Eye of the Kagura of the Uzumaki Clan.

The Mind's Eye of the Kagura is a unique ability of the Uzumaki Clan and one of the strongest sensory techniques in the Naruto World.

Once the Mind's Eye is opened, one can perceive any abnormal activity within a radius of several dozen kilometers using chakra.

If a specific chakra signature is already known, one can even pinpoint the exact location and movements of the target, including the number of enemies, their characteristics, and even their movement speed with great detail.

Its reconnaissance capability is in no way inferior to the Byakugan, yet very few within the Uzumaki Clan are able to awaken the Mind's Eye of the Kagura.

In the original story, the only known person to have awakened this ability was Uzumaki Karin, and Shin did not know if he would be able to awaken it himself.

If he could awaken the Mind's Eye of the Kagura, he would be able to accurately track the enemies' positions and movements, making it much easier to defend against them.

Unlike now, where he was forced into a passive position, having to concentrate his focus and remain constantly alert to his surroundings to prevent the enemy from launching a sneak attack when he least expected it.

Shinobi is a profession built on assassination, and sneak attacks are a specialty for them.

"Kushina, don't be afraid. I will protect you."

"I'm not afraid." Kushina clenched her fists, feeling deeply frustrated; at this moment, she was nothing but a burden.

I must train harder in the future.

Kushina secretly made up her mind; at the very least, she would not hold Shin back again.

While Shin hid with Kushina, the battle on the other side had already begun. More than twenty ninjas suddenly appeared, all wearing identical uniforms without any forehead protectors.

It was impossible to tell which nation these ninjas belonged to as they charged toward the ninjas of the Senju Clan to launch their assault.

That's right, the people Tsunade brought to rescue the Land of Whirlpools were all ninjas from the Senju Clan.

Tsunade unleashed her Strength of a Hundred Technique, concentrating chakra throughout her entire body until she was enveloped in it, causing a powerful current of air to erupt from her.

"Die!"

Tsunade punched a ninja, and in an instant, the ninja went flying like a piece of tattered cloth.

Before he even hit the ground, the ninja had already breathed his last; such was the terrifying power of Tsunade's Strength of a Hundred Technique.