Early the next morning.
Moonlight Ruyun opened his eyes.
He was greeted by a room filled with all kinds of red decorations, its style completely different from Konoha's.
He froze for a moment, then recalled the events of last night and instantly felt wide awake.
He had already changed Minato's and Kushina's destinies, but his influence had been limited to Konoha until now.
But now...
Thanks to his warning, Uzushio Village had not been destroyed.
It had even dealt a crushing blow to the attackers from Kumogakure, Kirigakure, and Iwagakure.
On Kumogakure's side, aside from the Third Raikage, who had escaped with two others, over a dozen elite ninja had all been sealed by Mito.
On Kirigakure's side, the Mizukage had been gravely wounded, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist ought to rename themselves the Two Ninja Swordsmen, and nearly all their ANBU members had been left behind in Uzushio Village.
On Iwagakure's side, Ōnoki had not come for some reason, but every Iwagakure ninja he had sent had been wiped out.
After all, almost everyone assigned to this mission had been an elite of their respective hidden village.
These losses were more than any of the villages' leaders could stomach. They were comparable to fighting an entire Shinobi World War.
The plot has been changed beyond recognition.
Uzushio Village survived, and Kirigakure suffered devastating losses. They're pretty much out of the Second Shinobi World War already.
Kumogakure... without the Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Jutsu, can Perfect Jinchuriki still emerge?
With over a dozen elite hostages in our hands, the Third Raikage will probably have to hold back rather than recklessly start a war.
A village only had so many high-level fighters.
Even in a wealthy village like Konoha, losing over a dozen high-level fighters to an enemy village at once would leave Hiruzen Sarutobi too furious to sleep.
Could this actually keep the Second Shinobi World War from happening at all???
At that thought, his expression turned a little odd.
"Liu Yun, are you awake?"
A voice came from outside the door, interrupting his thoughts.
"What is it?"
Liu Yun climbed out of bed and opened the door to find a breathless Minato, his face smeared with dust.
"Lady Tsunade sent me to get you."
Liu Yun nodded. "Let's go. What happened to your face?"
"A lot of houses in the village collapsed, so I went to help out." Minato wiped his face. "Teacher Jiraiya said rebuilding will take a long time."
The two walked through Uzushio Village together.
The sea breeze carried a briny tang, and Liu Yun looked around as he walked.
Uzushio Village had been reduced to almost nothing but rubble.
Collapsed houses were everywhere, and the roads were riddled with craters. Many people were silently clearing the streets.
Only faint traces remained of the prosperous, peaceful village this place had once been.
Many red-haired members of the Uzumaki Clan noticed the pair. They set aside their work, straightened up, and bowed slightly, expressing their respect.
"Thank you, our friends from Konoha."
"Yes, if you hadn't come, last night..."
"Uzushio Village and Konoha will always be one family."
"Heroes! Heroes!"
Words of thanks came from every direction.
Minato was terribly embarrassed and hurriedly waved his hands, insisting that he had done nothing.
It was Liu Yun's first time experiencing something like this, and he felt a little moved.
To be honest, his original intention had been to help Kushina and earn a little favor with Mito along the way.
He had felt nothing for the villagers of Uzushio Village, whom he had never met.
But now, looking at these unfamiliar yet friendly members of the Uzumaki Clan, he could not help feeling something subtle stir within him.
These people had survived because of him.
And compared with Konoha's obnoxious villagers, the people of Uzushio Village seemed a little more decent.
At least they knew how to be grateful.
Liu Yun quickened his pace, and Minato hurried after him.
Once they had left the crowd behind, Minato said, unable to contain his excitement, "It feels wonderful to help other people."
"..."
Liu Yun obligingly nodded. Fine. This little ray of sunshine really is a promising seedling for the Will of Fire.
"Lady Mito is incredible. She defeated Kumogakure all by herself."
"Lord Sakumo is amazing too. He defeated the Mizukage."
"Teacher Jiraiya and Lord Orochimaru killed members of the legendary Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. They're incredible."
Liu Yun felt helpless. The normally gentle, levelheaded Minato was unusually excited, chattering nonstop. He was practically about to recount the entire battle from last night.
"And whoever managed to pass along such classified intelligence must be incredible too."
Minato's voice was full of admiration.
It was obvious that the three hidden villages' surprise attack on Uzushio Village must have been top secret, yet Konoha had somehow learned about it in advance.
They had turned the enemy's plan against them and dealt a crushing blow to all three hidden villages.
Minato said wistfully, "I wonder if I'll ever get a chance to meet that person?"
Liu Yun said, "..."
You already have.
"Liu Yun, did Lady Mito tell you anything?"
"No." Liu Yun shook his head, holding back a laugh.
Where's the fun in telling him myself? Just wait until Minato finally learns it from someone else after all that effort...
"I get it. That person's identity must be a village secret." Minato looked thoughtful. "I hope I'll get a chance to thank them in person someday."
Liu Yun murmured an acknowledgment, though he had no idea why Minato wanted to thank him.
Still, he had received his gratitude.
Just then, a red-haired girl nearby caught Liu Yun's eye.
Red hair was rare in Konoha.
But this was Uzushio Village, where almost everyone had red hair.
What caught his attention was...
The girl was timidly holding her hand to an old woman's mouth.
Minato looked at the girl's profile and scratched his head. "I feel like I've seen her somewhere before?"
Liu Yun glanced at Minato.
What's with this Baoyu act?
"I've met this little sister before"?
A moment later.
"Thank you, Ayaka. I feel much better."
Ayaka Uzumaki did not move her hand away.
The old woman shook her head firmly. "That's enough."
Liu Yun's pupils contracted at the sight.
Physical Energy Healing!
One of the Uzumaki Clan's signature abilities.
In the original story, Karin Uzumaki had displayed this ability.
By letting others bite her skin, she could restore their chakra and heal their injuries.
Its effects were nothing short of miraculous.
Ayaka Uzumaki... could she be Karin Uzumaki's mother?
Liu Yun stopped walking.
In the original story, Karin Uzumaki's mother had drifted to Kusagakure after Uzushio Village's destruction. Once her Physical Energy Healing ability had been discovered...
She had been confined and turned into a "blood bag" for the Kusagakure ninja.
Her fate had been truly tragic.
Minato stood frozen in place, his eyes full of disbelief.
What just happened? Just one bite, and her complexion turned healthy and rosy?
Ayaka Uzumaki looked up, saw Liu Yun and Minato, and hurriedly stood, covering her wrist with her sleeve.
She was a little awkward, but her voice brimmed with gratitude. "Hello, my name is Ayaka Uzumaki. Thank you for saving Uzushio Village."
"Moonlight Ruyun. You're welcome, but Lady Mito was the one who truly saved Uzushio Village."
Minato forgot all about pondering that miraculous ability and scratched his head. "Hello, my name is Minato Namikaze. Have we met somewhere before?"
Before you continue