An Uzumaki family showdown

A few days later.

Takahashi Yū was breaking new ground on the unfinished farm. He wore a straw hat, a white tank top, and gray shorts, with bare feet and a spotless white towel draped around his neck. He probably had no use for the towel, but without one, something just felt missing.

One swing of his hoe looked ready to overturn the entire plot. The noise that single iron hoe made rang throughout the farm.

It drew repeated glances from the children at the orphanage.

"Matron lied to me! How am I ever supposed to become a farmer? I can't grow food anymore! Boo-hoo!" Quite a few children had their convictions shattered.

Many of the orphanage's children dreamed of farming. For them, the happiness of having enough to eat was something they had only enjoyed for a short time.

Yakushi Nonō looked at the younger boys and girls wailing around her, speechless herself, and hurriedly explained that Takahashi Yū was not a proper farmer.

Takahashi Yū made a show of using his spotless towel to wipe nonexistent sweat from his forehead.

Resting both hands on the hoe planted in the ground, he looked back over the land he had cleared. Mm, satisfying!

It would be even easier if I knew Earth Release. I really don't understand why ninja with such high productivity don't produce anything, instead of fighting and killing all day.

Takahashi Yū could already picture the harvest. He would plant potatoes first. Potatoes tasted good however you cooked them.

"Lord Takahashi Yū!"

While Takahashi Yū was lost in thought, a shout suddenly came from the distance.

He looked closely. A redhead!

Takahashi Yū suddenly realized something. He quickly tossed aside his hoe and went to meet Mizuki.

"The old lady went to confront Mito?" Takahashi Yū's eyes shone, impatience written all over his face.

"Yes. I was worried Lady Shui Ling would come off worse. It looks like Tsunade and Kushina are both there, so I hurried over to find you," Mizuki Uzumaki said worriedly, looking troubled.

Hearing that, Takahashi Yū grew even more excited and hurriedly urged Mizuki to lead the way. Getting to watch this spectacle made taking in the Uzumaki group worthwhile.

Mizuki was also very worried about Uzumaki Shui Ling and hurried toward the Senju Clan Compound.

At a ninja's pace, they reached the outskirts of the Senju Clan Compound in three to five minutes. Takahashi Yū's sharp eyes had already spotted several ANBU darting out of the surrounding trees, heading toward the Hokage Building.

Under Mizuki's guidance, Takahashi Yū reached a large, old-fashioned residence. Voices were already coming from inside.

"You old woman, can't you have a better attitude? Konoha had no choice back then either!" Tsunade's exasperated voice reached Takahashi Yū's ears.

Takahashi Yū nearly burst out laughing, but held it in. He was here to back someone up! He had to be professional.

"Yes, you worked very hard to bring one little girl back from the Land of Whirlpools!" Takahashi Yū stepped through the Senju residence's gates and spoke loudly.

Hearing his voice, Mito Uzumaki rubbed her temples. Takahashi Yū gave even her, Konoha's retired sovereign, a headache.

The Nine-Tails inside her also struggled to stir.

"Human, you people really are a colorful bunch. That person who just came in has more negative emotions than anyone I've ever seen. Even that Uchiha madman can't compare. In this regard, I, the Nine-Tails, am willing to call him the strongest human!" the Nine-Tails said in shock, bound tightly inside Mito.

A golden chain swiftly wrapped around the Nine-Tails' mouth, and the dense crisscrossing chains covering its body abruptly tightened.

Things are troublesome enough already. Stop adding fuel to the fire. Right now, I need to think of a way to keep Kushina from developing resistance to this. Looking at Kushina Uzumaki, whose hand Shui Ling held, Mito Uzumaki felt a terrible headache. Why didn't Shui Ling and the others die in the Land of Whirlpools? The outrageous thought rose in Mito's mind.

The thought startled her, and she hurriedly tightened the Adamantine Sealing Chains binding the Nine-Tails again. It had to be the Nine-Tails' influence on her! Trussed up like a dumpling, the Nine-Tails could only wriggle. The power of this anti-Tailed Beast weapon left it unable to resist, especially when these were the Adamantine Sealing Chains of that old woman Mito.

Takahashi Yū entered the courtyard of the Senju residence and saw the silent scene before him. Shui Ling held Kushina's hand tightly, while Kushina kept her head lowered, hiding her face.

Mito Uzumaki lay on a wooden reclining chair, looking troubled. Beside her stood Tsunade, her fists clenched.

She was glaring angrily at Takahashi Yū.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" Takahashi Yū refused to indulge Tsunade. You glare at me, I'll glare right back.

"Takahashi Yū, were you the one who sent them here to make trouble for my grandmother?" Tsunade raised a hand and pointed at Takahashi Yū, as though she had found an outlet.

"Me? Think with your ass, you woman with something wrong with her head. Still, if that's what you think, fine. What do you want to do about it?" Takahashi Yū folded his arms. He felt having Tsunade stuck in the middle of this confrontation spoiled the fun.

Didn't I tell old lady Shui Ling to do this only in front of Kushina? What's Tsunade doing here?

"Enough, Tsunade!" Mito said, lying in her chair with her eyes closed.

"But, Grandma..." Tsunade still wanted to say something.

"That's enough, Tsunade. This is what I owe them." Mito's voice suddenly weakened.

"Mito, it's not you who owes us. It's all of Konoha!" Uzumaki Shui Ling retorted with a sidelong glance.

She stroked Kushina Uzumaki's head and closed her eyes as well, as though pondering something. When she opened them again, only resolve remained.

"I once thought the very worst of you, Mito! But I still underestimated how despicable you were." Uzumaki Shui Ling's tone grew increasingly fierce.

Tsunade's fists were clenched tight. She knew the Senju did indeed owe the Uzumaki, but having someone insult her grandmother to her face still filled her with fury.

"Allies? That's Konoha's biggest joke! You know better than anyone how many of our clansmen died helping Konoha fight its wars back then! Mito! When the Uzumaki were surrounded and slaughtered, when we were trapped in our city, we were all waiting for Konoha's reinforcements!"

"But we didn't know that Konoha's reinforcements had already come. They just stood by and watched the Uzumaki die! Watched their ally's country and people be wiped out! They were only looking for a chance, thinking about how to take away-take away one little girl!"

"A little girl! Your hearts are even more vicious than those of the enemies who destroyed the Land of Whirlpools!" Uzumaki Shui Ling stroked Kushina's hair with her wrinkled hand.

"Kushina, you're not that young anymore. You're almost thirteen. You understood all that, didn't you? Now tell me, child: do you want to sacrifice your life, and the lives of generation after generation of your descendants, for Konoha? To serve as a vessel for a Tailed Beast and give everything to this heartless, ungrateful village?!"

Uzumaki Shui Ling's words not only made Kushina lower her head even further, but also became a blade that pierced Mito's heart.

They also left the surrounding ANBU drenched in sweat. Is this really something we're allowed to hear? Did our Konoha really do something this dark?

Tsunade's heart was in turmoil as well. She had never imagined her grandmother had this side to her. Her clenched fists involuntarily loosened, and she stared at Mito on the reclining chair in disbelief, hoping her grandmother would offer a rebuttal.

Unfortunately, Mito merely lay calmly in her chair, her eyes closed, her thoughts unknown.

Silence settled over the scene again, a silence that made Takahashi Yū rather uncomfortable. Mito lay like a corpse without saying a word, which Takahashi Yū found very dull.

Everyone's eyes turned toward Kushina, her head lowered. Feeling their gazes, her small body trembled uncontrollably.

Shui Ling placed her other hand over the one already holding Kushina's, tightly enclosing Kushina's little hand.

"Don't worry, child. If you don't want this, I'll stake this old life of mine on keeping them from getting their way."

Not only the people in the courtyard, but also the surrounding ANBU, as well as the Third Hokage and Orochimaru, who had just arrived and were outside the wall, were all waiting for Kushina's answer.