The three-year wait was over-the Dragon King was back for a fight!!!

Sword drawn, he looked around in bewilderment... In truth, that feeling only lasted a few seconds before vanishing from Uzumaki Gamu's mind!

Finding a punching bag was just an excuse to show off how strong I am. There'll be plenty of chances later, so who cares if there aren't any now? Just as Uzumaki Gamu thought, it would be nice if an opportunity came along, but it didn't matter if one didn't. After all, he only wanted to enjoy his life. Becoming the strongest or whatever... yeah, not happening~

There were still Hashirama and Madara, after all. Compared to those two cheating bastards, he might as well be some stray by the roadside... Of course, Uzumaki Gamu was confident he could outlive them both. Even if he couldn't beat them, he could wait them out!!

So Uzumaki Gamu said to Ashina and Daigu, "Isn't that a good thing? This way, the clan's children won't have to go to war, right?"

"Yes." Ashina nodded happily. "Life's a little harder than it used to be, but the children no longer have to fight. All the adults in the clan are happy about that."-The Uzumaki Clan didn't have any fanatical lunatics. Everyone was thinking about the clan's future.

"But... that doesn't mean you won't have to fight at all, Gamu!" Ashina suddenly changed tack. "We still need to send ninja into battle to earn money. As the clan head's son, you'll still have to fight on the front lines!"

"No problem!" Uzumaki Gamu readily agreed-this was the place that had given him life and raised him. Now that he was strong enough, it was time to work hard and repay his clan!

"My son's ambition is commendable... but before I send you on missions, we need to see how strong you are. So..." Ashina turned to Daigu. "Have a ninja duel with your younger brother!"

Oho~~ Had his punching bag arrived?

"Yes." Daigu gladly agreed-he was curious about how strong his younger brother had become, too!

Over the past three years, Uzumaki Gamu had treated his trips home as nothing but vacations. Nobody had ever seen him fight, so no one knew just how strong he was now.

As for this request, Uzumaki Gamu smiled. "Haha, I'd love to!!"

And so, the two prepared to spar.

When the Uzumaki clanspeople heard that the clan head's second son had returned and would be sparring with his eldest son, their appetite for gossip surged. They immediately gathered... They had far too much free time!

A peaceful life was wonderful, but admittedly... a little boring. With something entertaining finally happening, everyone naturally came together to watch the fight.

Standing beside her father, Mito asked worriedly, "Is it really a good idea to let my brothers fight? Daigu's really strong... and Uzumaki Gamu can't even use Mind's Eye of the Kagura, let alone Adamantine Sealing Chains..."

Adamantine Sealing Chains were an ability unique to the Uzumaki Clan. When activated, multiple chakra chains extended from the user's back. They could serve as powerful weapons, create barriers, and seal tailed beasts-in fact, they could suppress any creature with chakra. (In the Minato story released a few years ago, Kushina used this move to restrain the ANBU watching her.)

This was also one of the Uzumaki Clan's sealing jutsu that could be directly used in combat, a move generally wielded by the stronger members.

"It's only a spar, so don't worry. Besides, Daigu knows when to hold back. He won't hurt your other brother!" Ashina said with a smile.

Although Mito wasn't confident in her second brother, she trusted her eldest brother completely and sighed in relief. Then she voiced another question. "By the way, why has Uzumaki Gamu been sitting on the ground this whole time?"-Before the fight officially began, Uzumaki Gamu had been sitting on the ground meditating.

"Perhaps he's molding chakra?" Ashina guessed.

"...Cramming at the last minute? Is he really up to this?" Mito asked speechlessly. But just after she said it, her expression changed to one of utter surprise. "His chakra feels..."-Why has it changed? That was the half of the sentence Mito left unspoken.

And Mito wasn't the only one who sensed it. Everyone who could use Mind's Eye of the Kagura felt the change in Uzumaki Gamu's chakra... It brimmed with vitality and the feeling of nature!

At the same time, red markings appeared around Uzumaki Gamu's eyes-Perfect Sage Mode, activated!!

Sage Mode was a state that allowed the use of natural energy.

In this state, natural energy could enhance attack and defense, while also increasing the range of taijutsu attacks and sensory abilities. Combining natural energy with one's own chakra produced "senjutsu chakra," which dramatically increased the power of ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu. Sage Mode caused certain changes to the body, and the appearance of eye markings, officially called facial markings, indicated that it had been successfully activated.

After three years of training, Uzumaki Gamu could already use Perfect Sage Mode. (Only his eyes changed; the rest of his body remained human.)

"Could this be... that legendary Sage Mode?" Ashina murmured thoughtfully.-The clan head really was well-informed!

Standing a short distance away, Daigu also sensed the change in his younger brother. This chakra feels... so powerful! I feel like I'll lose if I let my guard down for even a second!

After activating Sage Mode, Uzumaki Gamu opened his eyes, revealing golden, frog-like eyes, and said to Daigu, "I'm ready, big brother. Can we start?"

"Yes. Come at me!!" Daigu prepared to fight seriously-he knew that if he held back, he would lose miserably!

The moment Uzumaki Gamu heard that, he formed hand seals. "Shadow Clone Technique!!"-With three successive pops, three shadow clones appeared and charged toward Daigu.

"A feint with shadow clones? In that case..." Three Adamantine Sealing Chains emerged from Daigu's back and shot toward the clones.

The three chains were incredibly fast, too fast for an ordinary person to react, so the three clones were immediately... huh? Why were the Adamantine Sealing Chains the ones getting smashed?!

Sorry, but in Sage Mode, I can sense danger keenly enough to react even to the Third Raikage's speed! Uzumaki Gamu thought.-Sage Mode's boost to perception was terrifying. Even Adamantine Sealing Chains, which moved too fast for ordinary people to react, looked like slow motion to Uzumaki Gamu.

Then two of the three clones used taijutsu attacks to shatter the incoming chains, while the remaining clone threw a punch at Daigu.

Oh no, I'm going to get hit! Daigu immediately dodged right, narrowly avoiding Uzumaki Gamu's clone's fist... But had he really avoided it?

Uzumaki Gamu's clone shouted, "Frog Kata!!"-Although the punch clearly hadn't connected, Daigu was still sent flying as though it had.

Frog Kata: its destructive power rivaled the Senju Clan's monstrous strength. It used the natural energy around the user to extend the range of attacks. Put simply, it added a layer of invisible natural energy around the body, which could be used to strike an enemy. Anyone without chakra-sensing abilities would feel as though they had been hit by thin air.

The punch was tremendously powerful. Daigu spun through the air, hit the ground, and passed out.

Huh? He had lost just like that?

Well, the main reason he went down so easily was carelessness-as the big brother, Daigu had wanted to look cool by barely dodging the clone's attack.

But without any information on Sage Mode, he hadn't considered that its attacks would have greater reach. Caught off guard, he took a punch straight to the face and was knocked out on the spot.

Uh... he couldn't take all the blame. After all, information was the most important part of a ninja battle. That remained crucial even during the giant-mecha battles later on. Besides, even the Six Paths of Pain got caught out by Frog Kata later-losing to Sage Mode was nothing to be ashamed of!

Mito said, "Daigu... isn't all that impressive!"

Ashina said, "..."-He had just finished boasting, and Daigu had gone down like that? My dear eldest boy, how could you lose to your little brother?

...Actually, it wasn't that hard to understand. Uzumaki Gamu's talent was simply outstanding, and he trained very hard. Daigu losing to him... made perfect sense!

Uzumaki Gamu was thinking the same thing. One Frog Kata and you're down... Big brother, you're not up to much! Oh well, as long as I got to show off~-Having shown his stuff before the clan, Uzumaki Gamu was already satisfied. He said nothing more and prepared to end the spar.

But just then, a woman rushed onto the battlefield and anxiously checked on Daigu.

Huh? I get the feeling there's something going on between them. Catching the scent of gossip, Uzumaki Gamu walked over to Mito and asked, "Who's that?"

"Our sister-in-law!" Mito answered calmly.

"Huh? We're already calling her that? Don't tell me..." Uzumaki Gamu realized he had missed something.

"Yes, Daigu's already married." Although he had guessed as much, hearing it confirmed still left Uzumaki Gamu utterly shocked.

"Yes. Not long after you left last time, he married our sister-in-law from the Senju Clan." Mito gave Uzumaki Gamu an exasperated look. "You weren't even there for his wedding~"

There was a faint note of reproach in her words.

"I'm terribly sorry I missed the wedding feast~" Uzumaki Gamu teased.

"Is the feast really the point?" Mito was even more speechless.

Uzumaki Gamu smiled. "I know. You're worried I might miss your wedding too, right? Don't worry. I'll definitely be there when you get married~"

"That's not what I'm worried about!" Mito said, blushing.-Really? Then why are you blushing?

Anyway, after that little interlude, Uzumaki Gamu officially returned to the Uzumaki Clan. The clanspeople also gained a new understanding of the clan head's second son-he was strong, practically the strongest of the younger generation!

With the clan head's second son leading them, the Uzumaki Clan's future looked bright!!

Huh? Had Daigu been forgotten?

Well, this was the ninja Warring States era, after all. Strength mattered most. That was why clan heads in this period were always their clan's strongest member-anyone unable to lead the clan forward would be replaced!

However, Uzumaki Gamu had no interest in that sort of thing. According to his plan, once the shinobi world was peaceful and all the messy problems were dealt with, he would travel the world and enjoy his life. Whoever wanted the troublesome job of leading the clan could have it~

And so, the unambitious Uzumaki Gamu returned to his usual lifestyle-training while enjoying his life.

Just like that... half a month passed.

With nothing to do, Mito went looking for her second brother to hang out. In an unpopular corner of the clan grounds, she found Uzumaki Gamu holding a glowing ball while kneading dough... Wait? Holding what?

Staring at the ball of chakra in Uzumaki Gamu's hand, Mito exclaimed, "What are you doing here, Uzumaki Gamu?"

Uzumaki Gamu looked up, saw Mito, and said, "Oh, Mito... I'm kneading dough~"

"No, I mean that ball of chakra in your hand... That's not a ninjutsu for kneading dough, is it?" Mito's brow twitched. Through her senses, she could tell that the chakra in the ball flowed constantly in different directions and was compressed into a densely rotating "chakra sphere." She could feel its immense destructive power!

And... Uzumaki Gamu was using that sphere to knead dough? Was he kidding?

"This?" Uzumaki Gamu raised the ball in his hand. "It's called the Rasengan. It's a technique developed from the tailed beasts' long-range attack-the Tailed Beast Bomb. Its name is Rasengan! Don't let its size fool you. It's really powerful~" Sorry, Minato. I'm registering the Rasengan trademark first. But you're going to marry my grandniece anyway... probably my grandniece. Either way, you'll be marrying into our family, so letting me have the trademark is no big deal. I'll give you a bigger dowry later~

"You're using a move that powerful to knead dough?" Mito asked, rolling her eyes.-That was still the part the girl couldn't understand.

Using a move fit for killing and robbing people to cook... If the enemies defeated by this move found out, would they cry themselves to death in their graves? (A certain mysterious Masked Man, who had been hit by the Rasengan more times than anyone else: ???)

"I'm not the first person to do it. Since someone already set the precedent, I might as well use it however I want~" Uzumaki Gamu said casually.-Naruto Uzumaki had used the Rasengan to knead dough back in the original series. (An anime-original plot.)

"...Someone actually did that? How carefree can a person be?" Mito complained speechlessly.

By then, the dough processed with the Rasengan was ready. A clone Uzumaki Gamu had created a short distance away automatically dispersed-and Uzumaki Gamu himself entered Sage Mode.

This was the method Naruto had developed for entering Sage Mode: create a shadow clone to accumulate senjutsu chakra, then dispel it when needed, returning the accumulated senjutsu chakra to the original.

Huh? Why did he enter Sage Mode? Wait, don't tell me... A possibility suddenly occurred to Mito, and her expression immediately soured.

Uzumaki Gamu's actions confirmed her suspicion-after entering Sage Mode, he began pulling noodles.

Knowing Mito must be wondering why he was doing this, Uzumaki Gamu volunteered an explanation. "With Sage Mode's perception, I can sense the entire dough much more clearly, which lets me pull the best noodles!! And mixing senjutsu chakra into them creates a texture beyond imagination! It makes them incredibly delicious!"

Covering her face, Mito said, "You're using this legendary power to pull noodles? This..."-People in the Warring States era were still struggling to survive. It was difficult for them to understand Uzumaki Gamu's bizarre antics.

"I don't see anything wrong with it," Uzumaki Gamu countered. "Ninjutsu should be used to benefit humanity in the first place. Using it for war is the wrong path!"

"Huh?" Mito froze-she really had never considered that.

Uzumaki Gamu continued, "Something like ninjutsu, which is practically a superpower, is best used to improve people's lives... Farming, building houses, transportation, making everyday life easier-that's what ninjutsu and chakra should be used for. Constantly thinking about using these miraculous things to fight is proof of humanity's stupidity."

"...You see things very clearly, Uzumaki Gamu," Mito said with feeling. "But people today... really are stupid!"

"Well, true. But I believe that in the distant future, humanity will definitely put chakra to proper use!" Uzumaki Gamu imagined it-a hundred years in the future, during Boruto's time, ninjutsu had already begun shifting toward civilian applications... Unfortunately, enemies came from the skies, and chakra still had to be used for battle!

"...Is that really possible?" Mito asked doubtfully.

"Well, it will happen... By your grandson's grandson's time, it should be possible!" Uzumaki Gamu did a rough calculation. Naruto was approximately Mito's grandson's grandson in terms of generation. (Naruto called Tsunade Granny, after all.) Peace should arrive by then.

"It's hard to imagine..." Mito shook her head, then blushed as she told Uzumaki Gamu, "And another thing... I'm not even married yet. Don't talk about embarrassing things like having children!"

"Uh... my mistake~" Uzumaki Gamu apologized, while thinking, Marriage, huh... Honestly, Mito's already eleven. I suppose it's nearly time...-In an era when the average life expectancy was only thirty, people married correspondingly young. Basically, once they could have children, they had to marry and do so-otherwise, births wouldn't keep up with deaths.

Thinking that his adorable little sister would soon be getting married, Uzumaki Gamu felt... All right, he didn't actually feel much.

Men and women marrying when they came of age was only natural... Of course, staying unmarried was fine too. It all came down to personal choice. And Mito's partner, Hashirama Senju, was a good man, an ideal person to spend her life with... The only problem was that Hashirama was so obsessed with another man that Mito often got forgotten whenever people discussed pairings... That was a little awkward.

In short, Uzumaki Gamu was completely at ease about his little sister's future!

Back to the matter at hand: while they chatted, he finished pulling the noodles. After putting them into the pot, Uzumaki Gamu asked, "Want a bowl?"

"...Yes!" Although she was utterly speechless about her second brother's behavior, her body was honest... His cooking really was delicious.

"Then leave it to me!" Uzumaki Gamu began preparing broth for two!

Once the noodles were cooked and rinsed in cold water, the broth and toppings were ready too-his inauthentic Lanzhou ramen was complete! (Uzumaki Gamu: "I'm Chinese. Obviously, I'm not making Japanese ramen~")

"Delicious! I've never tasted anything like it!!!" Mito said happily. "These noodles are so springy, they feel like they're bouncing in my mouth!" (The effect of mixing in senjutsu chakra.) "The broth is delicious too. It goes perfectly with the noodles!!!"

"Mm, that familiar taste... Too bad there's no beef~" Uzumaki Gamu quietly complained. "Once Konoha is established, I'm opening a Lanzhou Beef Noodle Shop. I'll call it Otsutsuki Ramen!!"-Trademark registration had to be done early. Before the Otsutsuki came to this world, he would claim their name and turn them into knockoffs~

When they arrived and heard that Otsutsuki made ramen, they would probably be furious enough to die.

With that thought, Uzumaki Gamu kept eating-he had to admit, these noodles were genuinely delicious!

But Uzumaki Gamu had barely taken two bites when his eldest brother arrived with the Body Flicker Technique.

Uzumaki Gamu couldn't help complaining, "Big brother, why do you always show up at mealtimes?"

"Huh? It's not even mealtime right now... Oh, you're making yourself a special meal again?" Daigu felt embarrassed-his younger brother's greatest hobby was cooking. Whenever he came looking for him, Uzumaki Gamu was either eating or getting ready to cook.

Seeing her eldest brother arrive, Mito hesitated, then moved her bowl... a little farther back.

Although she really wanted to let her big brother try some, she simply couldn't bear to part with this delicious food.

Daigu smiled wryly at the sight. "Um... I'm not very hungry, so you don't need to give me any."

Then Uzumaki Gamu asked, "So, what brings you here, big brother?"

"Father wants to see you, so I came to let you know!" Daigu explained his reason for coming.

"I see!" Uzumaki Gamu nodded in understanding, then handed his bowl to Daigu. "Big brother, finish the rest for me!"

"Huh? You can... eat it when you get back, can't you?" Daigu declined.

"By the time I get back, the noodles will be past their prime. You should eat them!" With that, Uzumaki Gamu shoved the bowl into Daigu's hands and left.

"But... I have to go back too!" Daigu was helpless-his younger brother was far too decisive. Still... he was curious about how the noodles tasted, so he began eating.

His conclusion was, "Delicious!!"-Well, an entirely predictable answer!

Uzumaki Gamu quickly reached his father's house, opened the door, and asked, "Dad, what'd you want me for?"

Ashina gave Uzumaki Gamu an exasperated look. "Gamu, how many times have I told you to knock before coming in?"

"Yes, Dad! No problem, Dad!!" Uzumaki Gamu answered firmly-with the firm resolve to humbly accept criticism and never change his ways!

"...Forget it. Let's not talk about that!" Worried about his blood pressure, Ashina decisively changed the subject. "I called you here to give you a mission... Your brother and sister-in-law are going to visit her family, and they need guards to accompany them... You'll go along as one of the guards and take a look at the Senju clan grounds... Think of it as broadening your horizons."

"I see... Speaking of which, since my brother married someone from the Senju Clan, does that mean we've formed an alliance with them?" Uzumaki Gamu asked the question that had been on his mind.

"That's right. It's also why our Uzumaki Clan changed strategies so decisively!" Ashina answered.-After allying with the Senju Clan, they only needed to send people skilled in advanced sealing jutsu on many missions, instead of dispatching large forces to participate in wars between ninja clans.

If there was a path that let them avoid casualties, why wouldn't they take it? The Uzumaki weren't some clan of fanatical lunatics!

After learning the reason behind it all, Uzumaki Gamu said no more and readily accepted the mission. After all... he missed Hashirama too!

After three years, he wondered how Hashirama's mighty foot-stomping technique was coming along.