Chapter 112

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While Namikaze Minato and the Third Hokage were discussing Rin, at Minato's house in the heart of Konoha, Uzumaki Kushina was warmly hosting Rin.

"Rin! Try this curry; I made it especially for you!" Kushina said it with a smile.

"Thank you, Kushina-nee!" Rin responded, playing the role of a good Kouhai and friend, despite Kushina's overwhelming enthusiasm.

"Kushina-nee's cooking is fantastic! The seasoning is perfect, especially the soy sauce," Rin complimented, feeling comforted in Kushina's embrace. The warmth of Kushina's body helped Rin relax after a sleepless night.

"Haha! You're too kind!" Kushina said, scratching her head bashfully but unable to hide the broad smile on her face.

"However..." Rin added, knowing that a little constructive criticism could be more appreciated than blind praise. "I think a bit of lemon juice would enhance the flavor."

"Is that so? No wonder I always felt something was missing!" Kushina exclaimed. "I didn't know you had such a talent for cooking, Rin. I like you more and more."

Kushina held Rin tightly, thinking of what the girl had been through. She felt a surge of compassion and kissed Rin on the cheek, momentarily remembering her own similar past.

As Kushina and Rin bonded, a long-lost conversation began through their chakras.

"Long time, no see, Kurama!" greeted a grey turtle beside a dark cage, addressing the enormous red figure inside.

"Isobu, why are you in Konoha?" Kurama, the Nine-Tails, asked, surprised to see his younger brother.

"I have no idea..!" Isobu admitted. "I just took a nap and ended up here. When I sensed your chakra, I came to check."

"You idiot!" Kyuubi snapped. "If you keep sleeping like that, you'll end up dead without knowing why!"

"Well..." Isobu muttered, feeling pity for Kyuubi, who was locked in the cage. For Isobu, being sealed was just another place to sleep, but Kyuubi's bad temper made his imprisonment much harder.

"There's a familiar smell on you. It seems like you've encountered someone dangerous," Kyuubi said, using the small chakra he could access to sense Isobu's situation. The aura on Isobu was familiar but too weak and old to identify clearly.

"Hey! So Kyuubi has a name? Kurama… that doesn't fit well!" Kushina noted, feeling the unusual chakra passing through Rin's body into her own. Recognizing that Isobu had no ill intentions, she decided to play along but stayed alert to learn about the guest within Rin.

"Hmph~" Kyuubi grumbled, annoyed that Isobu had revealed his name so easily. He didn't want to interact with Kushina, who was a descendant of his father. He remembered his interactions with the descendants of his father, the Sage of Six Paths.

Madara treated him like a mere beast, and another descendant, Hashirama, nearly strangled him with a single wooden hand. Kyuubi wanted to complain, but who would listen to a tailed beast?

The Uzumaki clan, including Mito and Kushina, had always suppressed the Nine Tails, leaving it completely subdued and in pain. Who had the Nine Tails offended to deserve this?

"Are you the new guest in Rin's body?" Kushina asked. "Hello! I'm Uzumaki Kushina, and your name is Isobu, right? Can I call you that?"

Isobu was taken aback by Kushina's friendly demeanor and was momentarily speechless.

"I hope you and Rin get along well. I won't interrupt your chat!" Kushina continued cheerfully, not offended by Isobu's silence. She was used to worse attitudes, especially from the Nine Tails.

"Seems like you've got an easy jinchūriki to get along with," Isobu commented to Kyuubi after Kushina left.

"Easy-going?" Kyuubi was amused. If Isobu had seen Kushina when she was angry, he wouldn't think so. Kyuubi recalled the golden chains and the misery they inflicted on him, but decided not to share this humiliating truth.

"Isobu, take care of yourself! The aura around you feels wrong," Kyuubi warned, sensing a paradoxical coldness that seemed like Uchiha's Sharingan chakra but couldn't pinpoint it.

"Me? It doesn't matter. At worst, I'll just sleep for a while!" Isobu dismissed the warning. As a being that loved to sleep, even death wasn't a big deal—it just meant temporary unconsciousness, followed by reformation and rebirth.

"Suit yourself," Kyuubi muttered.

---

Lying on his hospital bed, Toshiro was surprised to see Obito by his side. "Why are you here?" he asked, puzzled.

"Why wouldn't I be here? I came to visit you. Can't you be thankful?" Obito replied, confused by Toshiro's question.

"Never mind," Toshiro said, looking at Obito and Kakashi. He decided not to press the matter, having greatly benefited from Obito's actions.

The previous night, Toshiro had planned to extract a palm-sized tissue sample from the white zetsu attached to Obito. Now, it was hidden under his pillow, soaking in nutrient solution. He had initially thought about obtaining white Zetsu cells from Obito when he rescued Rin. Fortunately, Obito's right hand had been broken, giving Toshiro this opportunity.

"How's Rin?" Toshiro asked.

"I don't know! We separated after returning to the village yesterday. Kakashi and I went home, while Rin was taken by Minato-sensei. When we looked for her this morning, her family said she hadn't returned home at all!" Obito began to ramble. If Kakashi hadn't stopped him, he would have gone to ask his sensei.

"Obito, keep it down! This is a hospital, and Toshiro needs rest," Kakashi admonished gently. "We should trust Minato-sensei to handle Rin's situation."

Kakashi appeared much calmer than Obito. This mission had lifted the gloom that had shadowed him since childhood, making him seem more normal and talkative.

"But...but..." Obito stammered.

Toshiro accepted the fruit Kakashi handed him, paying no heed to Obito's commotion. Instead, he turned to Kakashi with another question.

"Any news from the Water Country camp?"

"I heard they intensified their attack this morning; it was quite frenzied."

Kakashi's face tensed as he spoke, aware of the underlying reasons for their aggression. Among them, only Obito remained oblivious to Rin's safe return with the Three Tails. What message was Konoha sending? The upheaval in Kirigakure was just the beginning. Next, there would likely be changes in the wind, lightning, and earth countries.

Kakashi, who had just emerged from his own darkness, was now worried about his comrades' safety. The good news was that they had Minato-sensei, and for now, Rin was safe.

"Is that so..."

Madara's ruthlessness was evident. Even though Rin hadn't died as planned, her return to Konoha complicated matters. News of her survival hadn't spread yet. Once it did, neighboring nations wouldn't stand idly by while Konoha held the Three Tails. Rin would become a volatile issue for Konoha. The tailed-beast within her body made her a double-edged sword—a resource difficult to utilize but costly to discard.

However, these concerns were peripheral to Toshiro.

"How's grandma?"

"Hmm~"

Tears glistened in Obito's remaining eye. His return brought immense joy to his grandmother, who had fainted several times from grief after hearing of his supposed death.

"Obito, grandma is getting old. Don't let her face any more shocks."

The old woman couldn't handle any more terrible news. Obito needed to take care of her from now on more consciously, rather than pursuing Madara's vision of a new world.

"Yes, I'll take good care of grandma~"

---

Three days later, thanks to his excellent recovery ability, Toshiro healed quickly and was prepared to return to the front lines of the Water Country. The situation there was dire, and they needed manpower. Toshiro, a resilient soldier, was fit for duty once more.

"Toshiro, how much longer?"

A girl's voice sounded from behind him.

"Didn't you say we'd reach the camp soon?"

The long flight seemed to agitate Mitarashi Anko, who was eager to see her sensei.

"Anko, you should call me Senpai. And what's so exciting about the frontline camp? No dango for you there!"

"Why bring up things that make me unhappy!" Anko huffed. "But... I still want to see Orochimaru-sensei more than anything!"

Anko frowned at the mention of Dango but brightened at the thought of meeting Orochimaru-sensei.

At this time, Anko was a cute girl with bright eyes full of admiration for her sensei, a cheerful personality, and a developing figure. Her energetic smile and carefree nature painted the picture of a vibrant young woman.

But thinking about her future self in the Boruto series...

"What are you staring at? You don't have any weird fetishes, do you? Like young girls?" Anko snapped when she noticed Toshiro's gaze.

"I'll tell you now, there's no chance between us! I already like someone else!"

"Me liking you?" Toshiro retorted, glancing at her developing figure. "Don't worry, even though you have potential, you still don't meet my standards!"

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