Chapter 44: Uzumaki Akane

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Naruto walked over to the girl, showing a friendly smile. He asked, "Excuse me, can I stay in the house next to yours?"

The girl, upon seeing Naruto approach, lowered her head, and soon tears appeared in the corners of her eyes. 

She spoke in a sobbing voice, "I only arrived on this island a few days ago. My mother brought me here, but just before we reached the island, we had an accident." 

"My mother... she died in a shipwreck, and I was washed ashore by the waves. This isn't my home." 

"I've just been staying next to someone else's house for shelter. These past few days, I've been surviving on the leftover food they throw out."

Hearing her story, Naruto could almost confirm that her mother was likely also from the Uzumaki Clan. 

They were probably looking for their ancestral home when the accident happened just before they arrived. 

Naruto took out some dry rations he had brought with him, handed them to the girl, and smiled kindly. "You look like you're starving. Here, take this and eat."

The girl hesitated for a moment, looking at Naruto with a puzzled expression, but then she accepted the food and devoured it quickly. 

After finishing the large piece of food Naruto had given her, he handed her a bottle of water. She took it and drank a few large gulps. 

Only after she had finished did she seem to realize what was happening and said, "Thank you for the food, sir. I don't even know your name yet."

Naruto replied, "You can just call me 'Kenji' What's your name?"

The girl responded, "My name is Akane. As for my last name, my mother told me not to say it."

Naruto chuckled, "That's a lovely name. You're Uzumaki Akane, aren't you?"

Akane was surprised, "How did you know my last name? We've never met before."

Naruto smiled and said, "It seems we share a special connection, but I'll explain later. Tell me, during the time you've been here, has no one helped you at all?"

Akane shook her head. "Everyone here seems cold and distant. No one talks to me." 

"After my mother disappeared, I had no choice but to stay here, sleeping under people's eaves."

Hearing this, Naruto found it odd. While it's understandable that not everyone would be eager to help, the people's cold indifference did seem a little unusual. 

However, since Naruto had just arrived, it wouldn't be appropriate to investigate immediately. 

Seeing that it was getting late, Naruto said to Akane, "Let's go into the woods over there and find something to eat." 

"Afterward, we can build a small house, so you don't have to sleep outside anymore."

Akane's face lit up with joy. "Really? But it's getting dark. Can we build a house that fast?"

Naruto started walking toward the woods, and though Akane was confused, she quickly followed. 

As they went deeper into the woods, Naruto casually caught a wild rabbit with his bare hands, a skill that amazed Akane. 

She thought to herself that if she stayed with him, maybe she really would have a place to stay. 

Once they reached a more secluded area, Naruto checked their surroundings and then said to Akane, 

"Turn around and close your eyes. Count to five, and when you turn back, I'll have a house ready."

Akane pouted in disbelief. "You're joking, Uncle Kenji. How could that be possible?"

Naruto grinned, "If I can't do it, I'll promise to do anything you ask. But if I can, then you'll have to do something for me, agreed?"

Akane, her big eyes glistening with curiosity, thought it over. She figured she had nothing to lose, so she nodded eagerly. 

"Okay! But Uncle Kenji, no backing out later!"

She turned around, and while she counted, Naruto quickly used his Wood Release jutsu to create a small house. 

Though not huge, it had two rooms, and the interior was furnished with wooden furniture. 

When Akane turned back around, she was stunned to see the beautifully crafted house before her. 

After a moment of surprise, her face lit up with excitement, and she hurried inside, exploring the cozy space.

Naruto followed her inside, smiling as Akane exclaimed, "Wow, Uncle Kenji! You know magic!" 

"This house is even better than the one I had before. I can finally sleep well tonight!"

Naruto interrupted her excitement, "But don't forget, we made a deal, right?"

He looked at her with a mischievous grin, and Akane's face fell as she realized what he meant. 

She was afraid Naruto would ask her to do something embarrassing. Naruto teased, "Now, what should I ask you to do? Maybe... bark like a dog?"

Akane's heart sank, thinking that would be too humiliating. But then Naruto shook his head, "No, no, you probably wouldn't do it well."

Relieved, Akane was about to relax when Naruto continued, "How about acting like a pig rooting around on the ground? That should be easy!"

Her heart sank again, but before she could respond, Naruto burst into laughter. "Just kidding! I haven't thought of anything yet. I'll ask for something later."

Akane playfully punched Naruto in the arm. "You're so mean, Uncle Kenji! You scared me."

Naruto laughed heartily, and Akane grabbed the rabbit he had caught earlier. "Let's cook this first. I'm still a little hungry," she said with a slight blush.

Naruto, noticing her embarrassment, smiled and gathered some branches to start a fire. He was surprised by how good Akane was at roasting the rabbit. 

Even with just salt for seasoning, she made it smell delicious, and Naruto's mouth started watering. 

When it was finally ready, Naruto took a bite and was impressed. "Wow, Akane, your cooking is great! This is even better than anything I could make."

Suddenly, Akane grew sad, and said quietly, "My mom taught me how to cook." 

"She always said that as a girl, even if I couldn't do heavy work, I should at least be good at things like cooking."

"But now, my mother is gone. I don't know where she is."

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she spoke. Naruto gently placed a hand on her shoulder and comforted her, "Don't be too sad." 

"Who knows, maybe your mother is out there somewhere waiting for you. Look at you, your face is so dirty, and your hair is a mess." 

"Crying is making you look like a little mud monster. Finish the rabbit and then go wash up in that little river over there."

Akane, feeling a bit better after Naruto's comforting words, realized she was indeed filthy. 

She had been too focused on survival to notice before, but now that Naruto had pointed it out, she felt embarrassed. 

After hurriedly finishing her meal, she ran off toward the river Naruto had mentioned. Watching her rush off, Naruto couldn't help but smile.

Naruto waited by the campfire for a long time before Akane returned from the river, still dripping with water. Naruto pointed to the other side of the fire and said, "You're still wet. Sit by the fire to dry off, or you might catch a cold." 

Akane walked over, sat down, and hung her freshly washed outer clothes near the fire, hoping to dry them. 

As the flames flickered, Naruto began to take a closer look at her.

Her long red hair draped over her shoulders, and her eyebrows were perfectly balanced, not too thick or thin, not too long or short. 

Her skin was pale, almost snow-like, and her large, watery eyes added to her overall gentle appearance. 

Occasionally, she'd smile, and the curve of her lips was just right, perfectly complementing her not-too-high nose. 

Even though she was sitting down, Naruto could tell her figure wasn't overly voluptuous but rather well-proportioned.

Although Naruto didn't have any inappropriate thoughts, he couldn't help but ask, "Akane, how old are you?"

Akane seemed a little puzzled by Naruto's sudden question, but she answered honestly, "I'm seventeen already." 

From her eyes, Naruto could tell that she was feeling more comfortable with him, no longer holding back or acting distant. 

They began chatting more openly, and soon, the conversation deepened, leading Akane to reveal her background.

As it turned out, both of her parents were from the Uzumaki clan. When Uzushiogakure was destroyed, they were on a mission far away. 

Upon hearing the news of the village's fall, they decided not to return and instead lived a secluded life. 

Things were peaceful for a while, and eventually, Akane was born. They lived quietly, disconnected from the shinobi world.

But such peace was not destined to last. One day, her father possessed an object that suddenly began glowing. 

Akane noticed it was a jade piece engraved with the Uzumaki clan symbol. 

Fascinated, she wanted to play with it, but for the first time, her father, usually very doting, sternly refused. 

That very night, her father disappeared. She and her mother waited at home for three months, but he never returned. 

Finally, her mother took her and left their hiding place. 

Along the way, her mother slowly told her bits of the story, but she never explained why her father went to the location they were heading to.

Just as they were about to reach the island, a storm struck, causing a shipwreck. 

After hearing Akane's story, Naruto had a strong feeling that this was somehow connected to his current mission. 

He asked Akane several more questions, but in the end, he couldn't get much more useful information. 

Seeing that she was exhausted, he decided not to press further.

They rested in the newly built wooden house. Akane, clearly worn out, fell asleep almost immediately. 

After closing the door, Naruto created a few Wood Clones to patrol the surrounding forest and keep watch for any unexpected dangers. 

Once everything was set, Naruto planned to use the cover of night to gather more intelligence, hoping to find something valuable.

He had a hunch that the nearby settlement wasn't as innocent as it seemed. Using Earth and Wood Release techniques, Naruto silently approached. 

The area was small, and with his Wood Clones scattered around, he could almost monitor the entire place. 

Naruto noticed that the people living there seemed to be ordinary folks, but what puzzled him was why they were so cold and distant toward outsiders.

Naruto resorted to eavesdropping on their conversations, but even then, he learned very little. 

Finally, one of his clones overheard a conversation between a couple, who were known for being quite talkative. 

From their exchange, Naruto pieced together the reason for the strange behavior.

A group of people had recently arrived on the island. At first, the villagers welcomed them warmly, and these newcomers asked many questions. 

When the villagers mentioned that a small earthquake had recently occurred on the eastern side of the island, the newcomers became very interested. 

The villagers told them that strange things often happened in the eastern forest, so no one dared to go there. 

After hearing this, the newcomers interrogated the villagers about the area in detail and then threatened them, saying that if they ever spoke of it again, they would be killed. 

To make their point clear, they killed someone on the spot when one person tried to resist. 

Since then, everyone in the village had been too scared to talk, even among themselves.

With this information, Naruto was certain that other shinobi had arrived, and given the location of the eastern side of the island, it likely had something to do with the ruins of Uzushiogakure. 

After dispelling his clones, Naruto quickly made his way to the eastern side of the island. 

Even though the island wasn't very large, Uzushiogakure had once been a nation, and the distance from where he was to the eastern side was still significant.

Naruto pushed himself to move as quickly as possible, but it still took him some time to reach his destination. 

For most shinobi, this journey would take even longer, and if they rested, they wouldn't make it until morning.

Once he arrived, Naruto carefully approached. Though it was night, the pale moonlight allowed him to make out the ruins of Uzushiogakure. 

Despite the forest that had grown over the remains, the general layout was still visible. 

Using his Wood Release techniques, Naruto stealthily scouted the area. However, the ruins were vast, and he had to be cautious of the other shinobi. 

By dawn, he still hadn't discovered anything noteworthy. Naruto knew that in situations like this, it was crucial not to rush. 

Without solid information, he needed to remain hidden and avoid exposing himself. 

He left a mark at the site and made his way back to the cabin, catching some game along the way.

When Naruto returned, Akane was still asleep. Hearing the door, she woke up. 

The sun was already rising, and when Akane saw the game Naruto had brought, she looked a bit embarrassed and said, "Uncle Kenji, you've already brought food? Sorry, I slept too deeply. I'll handle it from here." 

She took the game from him, gathered some branches, and began preparing the meat for roasting.

Naruto, tired from the night's efforts, lay down on the bed to rest, glancing outside at Akane as she worked. 

He suddenly realized that, at times, having companions was more effective than working alone. 

But these companions couldn't be a burden—they had to at least be capable of defending themselves.

<End Chapter>

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