The Trio Enters Konoha Village, A Meal at the "Senju" Household

"Is this... our new home?"

Stepping out of the Hokage Building and bathing in the sunlight, Konan looked up at the towering stone faces carved into the cliff behind the building, her eyes shimmering with an incredible light.

Qi Luna crouched down and pulled the three of them into a hug:

"Yes, from today on, this is your home. You are my family now, you are Konoha's family!"

Nagato looked at the shadow he cast in the sunlight, and for the first time, he felt that the shadow... no longer seemed so dark.

The sunset of Konoha painted the vermilion gates of the Senju Clan Compound with a layer of golden light.

Qi Luna held Nagato's hand, followed by Yahiko, who was looking around curiously, and Konan, who was clutching Qi Luna's sleeve tightly, as they stepped onto the pebble-paved path of the compound.

"So~ big!"

Yahiko looked up at the spacious clan buildings, his mouth hanging open wide enough to fit an egg.

"The houses here are so much bigger than the ones in Amegakure!"

Konan's fingers twisted the corner of her clothes unconsciously, her brown eyes reflecting the camellias blooming in the courtyard. She had never seen such brilliant colors, because in the Land of Rain, everything was shrouded in gray rain and smoke.

Nagato also silently watched the neat stone path beneath his feet. With every step he took now, he was reminded of the muddy battlefields of the Land of Rain and the puddles stained red with blood.

The skin beneath his bangs felt slightly hot, as if reminding him of how out of place he was in this peaceful village.

"Don't worry."

Qi Luna sensed the boy's stiff body and half-knelt to look Nagato in the eye:

"This is my home, and from now on, it will be yours too."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a fiery red figure came sprinting from the end of the corridor.

"Qi Luna! You're finally back!"

Uzumaki Kushina threw herself into Qi Luna's arms like a leaping flame, her red ponytail tracing a graceful arc in the air. When she saw the three strange children, she suddenly skidded to a halt, tilting her head curiously:

"Who are these...?"

"Our family."

Qi Luna offered a gentle smile and turned to the three children:

"This is Uzumaki Kushina, my cousin."

"Kushina, this is Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan."

Kushina blinked her large eyes, her gaze lingering for a moment on Nagato's dark red hair, which was a result of malnutrition. She seemed to feel a strange resonance—he was just like she and Qi Luna had been, an orphan who had lost his family in the war!

"Is he also from the Uzumaki Clan?" Kushina asked directly.

Nagato subconsciously touched his red hair and shook his head: "We... are just orphans from the Land of Rain."

"Not anymore."

A dignified yet warm voice came from the "Japanese-style Room." Uzumaki Mito stood under the eaves, the sunset gilding her red hair. Despite her advanced age, the old woman's posture remained as straight as a pine tree.

Qi Luna immediately greeted her: "Grandmother Mito!"

Uzumaki Mito's gaze slowly swept over the three children, lingering for a moment on Nagato. Those eyes, which had seen all the vicissitudes of life, narrowed slightly as if they had seen through something, but she only waved gently:

"Come in, children, I just made some snacks."

Inside the room, Tsunade was idly tossing a ninjutsu scroll. Seeing everyone enter, her eyes lit up:

"Oh? It seems the old man is quite reasonable after all, agreeing to your request so quickly."

She neatly put away the scroll and strode over to the children, crouching down:

"Perfect, while we have time, let me check their physical condition!"

She professionally pressed her fingers lightly against the wrists and necks of the three. As the chakra feedback came in, Tsunade's expression grew serious.

"Long-term malnutrition has led to stunted muscle development, and there are some minor skin infections... but it's nothing too difficult to handle."

"Eat these first to supplement basic nutrition. Starting tomorrow, report to the Medical Department every day. Since you know medical techniques, Qi Luna, you can handle their comprehensive treatment yourself."

As she spoke, she produced three pills from somewhere.

Yahiko took the pill and swallowed it without hesitation, his face immediately scrunching up:

"So bitter! It tastes even worse than expired, moldy bread!"

Konan licked the pill cautiously and frowned, but she swallowed it obediently nonetheless.

Nagato stared at the pill in his hand for a long time before slowly placing it in his mouth.

"That's more like it~"

"But I have to go on a long-term mission in a few days. While I'm away, Qi Luna, you take good care of them. Looking at their state, they'll need at least three months of nutritional supplements and rehabilitation training!"

Uzumaki Mito nodded slightly, though her gaze never left Nagato. She suddenly spoke:

"Child, are your eyes uncomfortable?"

Nagato's body stiffened, and he subconsciously lowered his head, letting his red hair completely cover his eyes.

"N-no..."

The atmosphere in the room shifted subtly.

Qi Luna didn't seem to mind, lifting her teacup to take a sip, while Tsunade and Kushina looked back and forth between the two in confusion.

Uzumaki Mito walked slowly over to Nagato, her warm palm gently stroking his red hair. Her voice was like a murmuring stream:

"Do not be afraid, child. In the Senju Clan Compound, no one will harm you."

Nagato slowly raised his head, his rippling purple eyes flickering in the dim Japanese-style room. Kushina gasped, making a significant contribution to global warming!

Tsunade stood up abruptly!

"This is... the Rinnegan?! The legendary eyes possessed by the Sage of Six Paths!"

Tsunade looked at Uzumaki Mito and Qi Luna in disbelief.

"Grandmother, how is this possible? Isn't that just a story from a picture book?"

Uzumaki Mito's expression remained exceptionally calm: "In this world, anything is possible."

She withdrew her hand and turned to Qi Luna: "Does Monkey know yet?"

Qi Luna nodded: "I have already informed the Hokage using a secret technique. He agreed to let Nagato and the others stay, though he requires me to join the Anbu to monitor them."

"A sensible decision."

Uzumaki Mito frowned slightly but soon relaxed, returning to her seat and clapping her hands:

"Alright, the children must be hungry. Kushina, take them to wash up, and then we shall all have dinner together."

Kushina hesitated for a moment before reaching out a hand toward Nagato.

"Let's go, I'll show you to the washroom and the bath."

Nagato hesitated briefly, then reached out and gently took the hand of the girl who also had red hair. A strange warmth radiated from her palm, reminding him of his mother's face, which had grown blurry in his memory.

Dinner that evening was unexpectedly lavish. Yahiko stared at the table full of dishes, his eyes wide as saucers.

"Are these... really for us to eat?"

"Of course!" Tsunade generously moved the fried egg from her own plate into Yahiko's bowl. "Eat up, you're as thin as a bean sprout."

Konan ate her rice in small, reserved bites until Uzumaki Mito ladled a bowl of miso soup for her. "Drink some hot soup; it's good for your stomach," the old woman said kindly.

Nagato chewed his food quietly, his gaze occasionally drifting toward Kushina and Qi Luna sitting across from him. Whenever the three red-haired children made eye contact, both Kushina and Nagato would quickly look away, while Qi Luna would only offer a warm smile whenever she met Nagato's eyes.

After the meal, Qi Luna led the three children to the rooms prepared for them.

There were clean quilts, a wooden desk, and even a small succulent plant sitting on the windowsill.

"Is this... our room?"

Konan touched the soft bedding in disbelief.

"One for each of you." Qi Luna smiled and pushed open two adjacent doors.

"Yahiko is here, and Nagato is next door. If you need anything, just call me; I'm in the room at the end of the hall."

Yahiko had already jumped onto his bed in excitement and run to the window to look out: "Wow! You can see the training ground from here! Can I go check it out tomorrow?"

"Of course, but only after you've had a full check-up at Konoha Hospital."

Qi Luna patted his head and turned to the silent Nagato:

"What about you? Is there anything you'd like to do?"