Chapter 151: The Weight of Choices

Samui's face was filled with fear.

The other Kumo ninjas were initially stunned, then their scalps crawled.

"Damn it! It's Natsuo!"

"How did he get here? Wasn't he supposed to be fighting Kirigakure?"

Natsuo noticed that the moment he approached the group, Goro and Naomi regained consciousness, but to his relief they continued to pretend to be unconscious. He then looked at the remaining children and seeing that they were not injured he sighed softly.

How did he get here? Of course he chased them!

Although talks had already begun to reach an agreement between Kirigakure and Konohagakure, Tsunade had still ordered Natsuo to stabilize the situation on the Kirigakure front and protect against any sneak attacks from the Kiri ninjas.

But Natsuo knew that the Kiri ninjas did not have the courage to launch a surprise attack.

Even if the Kiri ninjas took advantage of Natsuo's distraction and successfully attacked the Konoha camp, it would be pointless because Natsuo could go to the Kirigakure camp and make their losses even greater.

The Kiri ninjas might not be aware of this, but Terumi Mei definitely knew. So she would do everything possible to prevent this situation from happening.

So in addition to going to the Kirigakure camp to check on Terumi Mei's pregnancy status, Natsuo directly used the Flying Thunder God to return to Konoha and fight for the revival of the Uchiha with his wives. In addition to helping his children adapt to their new skills. 

Because the mental ties with his children are increasingly stable, some of his children began to manifest various abilities, as is the case with Goro and Naomi, or their bodies and senses were strengthened significantly, as was the case with Raion.

Today was no different. However, just as Natsuo arrived at the Uchiha clan residence. Yukino approached in a panic to inform him that Samui had kidnapped several of the children and was now fleeing along with Kumogakure's spies.

Naturally, he immediately chased after them.

Samui was surprised. "This shouldn't be like this, you shouldn't be in Konoha... No! Even if you are in Konoha, you shouldn't be able to catch up with us so quickly!"

Before they left, Samui had disguised herself well.

Normally, it would take some time for Konoha to realize that the Uchiha children were missing. After all, there were quite a few Uchiha children, and in the chaos, it wouldn't be unusual for children to be taken by their mothers and kept away from conflicts. It would be normal for them not to return home immediately.

He shouldn't have caught up with them so quickly!

Of course, Natsuo wouldn't explain to her that Raion had been suspicious of her, and when he couldn't find his brothers and sisters, he immediately informed Yukino.

That's why when he arrived at the Uchiha clan residence, he was immediately informed. And although Samui and the others did not have the mark of the Flying Thunder God, but thanks to the Bakudō #58 Kakushitsuijaku, Natsuo was able to find the approximate location of them; and thanks to the fact that he had left several special kunai with the marks of the Flying Thunder God in the surroundings of Konoha, he was able to reach them quickly.

Natsuo calmly looked at Samui and sighed softly. "So, in the end, you side with the Kumo ninjas..."

Samui bit her lip and said, "I'm sorry, but I'm a Kumogakure spy. My name is..."

"I know, Samui of Kumogakure." Natsuo sighed softly. "I just didn't expect you to finally side with Kumogakure... Wasn't I good to you?"

"You really do know." Samui had a bitter smile.

She was aware of the many spies in the Uchiha clan. And as far as she knew, Natsuo was aware of the spies' identities, but he never interfered with them. Even if you were a spy, Natsuo would treat you fairly.

"It's not that you weren't good to me. In fact, during my time in the Uchiha clan, it was the happiest and easiest time for me." Samui sighed softly. "But there are tasks that need to be done."

Clearly, in her eyes, Kumogakure took priority over everything else.

Natsuo is aware that at this point, with so many wives, it is impossible to think that they all love him. In the end everything is based on mutual benefits and respect. And even though Kumogakure couldn't offer her as much as he could, she still chose them!

"I understand." Natsuo didn't think much about it anymore and simply nodded calmly. At times, he found it difficult to understand the sense of commitment and exaggerated love that shinobi have towards their villages.

In the world of Naruto, loyalty to the village is embedded in its political, social, and military system. But from an external perspective, Samui's betrayal was a foolish action.

Natsuo did not expect that every woman who saw him would betray her village and completely change her focus to become loyal to him or the Uchiha clan.

That's unrealistic!

Not wanting to harm your village is understandable. For example, Ameyuri still has an attachment to Kirigakure, and that's why she kept asking Natsuo to have mercy on the battlefield, but she only made one request. She didn't try to betray him or harm the Uchiha clan, but Samui...

"If you want to leave, tell me. Although I doubt I'll let you take our son, but..." Natsuo sighed lightly and slowly closed his eyes.

He suddenly opened his eyes. The pattern of the Mangekyo Sharingan appeared in his eyes. "Why did you kidnap my children?!"

The chilling power of the Mangekyo Sharingan burst from his eyes, enveloping the surroundings in a cold atmosphere.

His voice carried a hint of coldness.

"Miss Samui, as a ninja, you chose to carry out a mission, so you must also be able to imagine the consequences of carrying out that mission, right?"

The Chilling Chakra pressed down on them like a mountain.

There are two full teams of elite Kumogakure spies here, all of them skilled, with minimal Jonin-level strength. But they instantly felt a chilling sensation. As if everyone was going to die in the next second.

Samui took a deep breath. "Yes, I understand..."

Natsuo said coldly as he looked at all the Kumo ninjas. "We must all bear the consequences of our actions."

Hearing this Goro and Naomi trembled slightly.

The next second...

Natsuo's figure disappeared in front of everyone's eyes.

Kumogakure's elite spies trembled. They were all experts, but none of them noticed Natsuo's figure?

"Ah!!!" A cry of anguish rang out.

The Kumo ninjas sharply turned their heads, only to see that one of the two Elite Jonin level captains had died at the hands of Natsuo.

Natsuo without hesitation puts all the ninjas in a powerful genjutsu.

"Genjutsu: Mangekyo Sharingan!"

Noticing that all the ninjas stand still, Goro telepathically tells Naomi: 'It's our time, Naomi. We must act!'

Naomi quickly responds through the telepathic link: 'Don't cause problems Goro, our father is already upset. Let's just escape.'

Because the conversation takes place in their minds, everything happens in an instant. Then with precision and agility, Goro and Naomi free themselves from their captors. As they walk away from their captors, Naomi, with her telekinetic control, disarms the nearby ninjas.

Naomi mentally tells Goro: 'We need to get to our brothers and escape. So as not to be a burden to our father.'

Goro responds mentally: 'I'm with you sister.'

After using the genjutsu, Natsuo removed the sword that pierced the Kumo ninja, and before the ninja fell to the ground, he snatched his unconscious child from him. Then in the blink of an eye he disappeared and put his child away from the Kumo ninjas.

He then instantly appeared near the Kumo ninjas who had been holding Goro and Naomi.

"Hinokami Kagura..."

The air seems to distort from the heat as Natsuo deploys this technique.

"...Raging Sun!"

With agile movements, Natsuo lunged forward, leaving trails of flame behind him that danced in the air like ribbons of fire. Two slashes of flame materialized, glowing with a dazzling radiance before engulfing the two Kumo ninjas in deep red flames.

Natsuo seeing that Goro and Naomi escaped taking two of his brothers with them, placed the sword in front of him before it returned to cover itself in dark red flames. He then moved the blade to his right side before raising it above his head.

"Hinokami Kagura..."

In the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of one of the two Kumo ninjas, from whom Goro and Naomi had taken the captured children. With a swift movement, the flaming sword cut off the Kumo ninja's head. In an instant, Natsuo's figure disappeared again, and he reappeared in front of the second Kumo ninja, leaving a trail of fire in his wake. The sword danced, unleashing a lethal thrust that culminated in the fall of another enemy.

Once again, he disappeared and emerged, leaving behind him a burning trail that culminated in one last deft movement that decapitated the third Kumo, who was holding a child in his arms. As the last enemy fell, the flames came to life, forming a majestic fire dragon in the shape of a Japanese dragon.

"...Sun Halo Dragon Head Dance!"

With the glow of the flames dispersing, Natsuo emerged, holding in his arms the child he rescued from the last Kumo ninja.

In an instant, Natsuo arrived next to Naomi and Goro, handing them their sibling while asking them to stay hidden and take care of their passed out siblings. He urged them to protect their unconscious siblings, ensuring their safety while he dealt with what came next.

Natsuo immediately returned to where the rest of the Kumogakure spy team were. Because Natsuo had to use genjutsu on several ninjas at the same time, the effect did not last long. When he returned the Kumo ninjas had freed themselves from the genjutsu.

Waking up from the genjutsu and seeing that Natsuo had already killed several Kumo ninjas in a short time, the eyes of one of the Kumo ninjas turned cold.

"Don't move!" A Kumo ninja shouted, holding a kunai to the neck of the Uchiha child he was holding hostage. "If you dare to move, I'll kill him!"

The expressions of the other Kumo ninjas changed slightly, but they also performed the same action. They all took out their kunai and held them against the Uchiha children's necks.

However, Samui, who had just freed herself from the genjutsu, changed her expression. "Wait, Raiden, Raikage-sama's mission is to safely bring these children back to the village!"

"Is this the time to worry about that?" The Kumo ninja named Raiden said angrily. "Without this method, can we still bring the children back?"

After speaking, he turned to Natsuo and said sternly: "Natsuo, I know you're strong, and no one here is your match!"

"But if you disappear from our sight again, we'll kill your child first!"

"Don't think we're threatening you!"

As he spoke, he was about to press the kunai down, intending to leave a blood mark on the child's neck and make a deep impression on Natsuo...

A flash of coldness crossed Natsuo's eyes before his Mangekyo Sharingan began to spin.

"Tsukuyomi..."

The next second, Raiden felt the world change, and suddenly he found himself in a strange, empty space, tied to a cross, unable to move a finger.

"I wanted to try some of my techniques on you, but you had to make me even more angry... Well, forget it, enjoy your stay here."

[Schlick!]

Natsuo's figure appeared in front of Raiden, and his ninja sword slowly sank into his body. The blade penetrates to the bone. The pain penetrates the heart.

Raiden let out a painful howl, the sound was incredibly loud, as if he wanted to drown out all other sounds. 

Samui noticed that the moment Raiden threatened Natsuo, all the Kumo ninjas began to stand still one after another almost simultaneously.

The next second...

Natsuo's figure moved among the paralyzed Kumo ninjas, while his ninja sword cut their throats.

Although his speed was not very fast, but all the Kumo ninjas were easily killed by Natsuo.

The moment their throats were cut, the Kumo ninjas showed a terrified expression on their faces, their eyes widened, their facial muscles tightened, and their eyes were bloodshot.

"It's genjutsu!" Samui was stunned and quickly understood that in the moment before dying the Kumo ninjas were freed from the illusion. But she didn't know what kind of genjutsu Natsuo had used to make several experienced ninjas present show such a terrified expression.

"Now, only you are left." Natsuo's voice was calm, without a trace of emotion.

Although the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan and the Sage Body allowed Natsuo to use the Tsukuyomi several times in a row without side effects, using it on the remaining six Jonin still consumed quite a bit...

Samui smiled bitterly, but still didn't make any moves. Or rather, when she saw Natsuo, she understood that there was no way to escape from him. She had already given up resistance from the beginning.

Natsuo didn't find it strange either. He picked up the unconscious children before taking them to Goro and Naomi.

He then used the Flying Thunder God Technique to bring all the children back to the Uchiha clan residence. This was repeated several times until it was Samui's turn.

[Whoosh!]

Samui only saw a flash before noticing that she was back in the Uchiha clan residence.

"This is... the Flying Thunder God Technique?" Samui, being an experienced Elite Jōnin, immediately recognized the nature of Natsuo's ninjutsu. Then she let out a bitter smile.

Now he understood why despite being so careful and having several Kumo ninjas serve as a distraction, Natsuo was still able to catch up with them in such a short time.

After leaving Samui in a room, Natsuo took the unconscious children to their respective mothers, leaving Goro and Naomi alone with Natsuo. They were waiting for Kurenai and Anko to return since they also went to look for their children in the chaos caused by the Kumo ninjas.

Amidst the general relief, the pent-up stress and tension burst out in Naomi. She, with tears in her eyes and her heart racing from past fear, throws herself at Natsuo, hugging him tightly.

Naomi between sobs tells Natsuo. "Dad, she was so scared! I didn't know what else to do at that moment... It was horrible..."

Natsuo, surprised by her daughter's display of vulnerability, since she always seemed very calm in any situation despite her young age. He hugs her tenderly but also with concern, before comforting her. "You're safe now, Naomi. Everything's okay."

Naomi continues sobbing. "We shouldn't have followed Samui, when we realized... they knocked us out..."

Goro, noticing that Naomi was going to tell their dad how they ended up being kidnapped, quickly communicates with her telepathically, trying to stop her. 'Naomi, stop! Do not say more!'

But it's already too late. Natsuo, with a stern look, understands the implication of his daughter's words.

Natsuo in a stern tone asks his daughter: "Have you gone after Samui? Did you follow her even though you noticed that there was something wrong?"

Naomi, with fear and remorse, nods, unable to hide what happened at that moment.

Natsuo then reprimands his children for his recklessness.

"Acting without informing anyone puts everyone at risk. They shouldn't have acted like that, it's dangerous and irresponsible. I don't want them to put themselves in danger again."

Goro and Naomi, embarrassed at having disappointed their father, nod silently, acknowledging their mistake and promising to be more careful in the future.

Noticing Yukino approaching with Anko and Kurenai, Natsuo stops scolding them. Naomi runs to hug her mother between sobs, while Anko hugs Goro who only laments the punishment that awaits him.

After Natsuo explained the situation to Kurenai and Anko and told them to discuss Goro and Naomi's punishment later. Natsuo left it in Yukino's hands to call the doctors from Konoha Hospital to check the children, before going to see Samui.

"What are you going to do to me?" Samui forced a smile, raising her head and looking at Natsuo's face.

Unlike his previous kind smile, Natsuo's expression is now filled with indifference.

"You're still carrying my child. Until the child is born, I won't punish your body." Natsuo looked at Samui, locked her in a secret room within the Uchiha clan residence, and spoke calmly. "At least for a short time, you can rest assured."

But instead of feeling calm, Samui suddenly felt a tightness in her chest. "What are you going to do then?" She asked anxiously.

"A person must take responsibility for their actions." Natsuo didn't answer, he just looked into the distance quietly. "This responsibility cannot fall on you now, so it can only fall on Kumogakure."

With that, Natsuo walked away from Samui.

But Samui's face only showed an expression of endless worry. "Natsuo, are you going to attack Kumogakure?"

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