Chapter 31

*Yawn*

"Taking a small nap like this is always enjoyable." I said as I was getting up from a bench where the sun didn't shine on because of the tree behind me

Since Kushina arrived in Konoha she had to take part in the Academy education, Grandma's order so I didn't help her with that one.

But at least, she was happy because I was the one accompanying her each morning and fetching her during the evening.

And right now it was time for the students to leave the Academy for today, and the reason for my nap not far from here was because I was a bit early.

I saw different kinds of kids leaving the entrance door joining their respective parents and Kushina was within them, she looked around until she saw me.

Her face bloomed with a smile as she started to run toward me, I prepared myself by crouching, my arms wide open as she jumped to hug me.

"How was your day?" I asked while ruffling her hair

"Mostly boring. And, hum, I didn't want to tell you but everyone is calling me Tomato now..." she replied looking a bit discouraged

My eyebrow twitched at her sentence because they surely started calling her like that when she proudly announced that she would become the first female Hokage.

I would help her achieve her goal if she truly wants to become one, who knows she might become the Yondaime.

'I will find everyone who calls her a Tomato and take care of them too' I thought with a dangerous glint in my eyes

'Shit... I feel like an over-doting father now'

"You should do like Tsunade then, punch them to de-, I mean till they collapse if they taunt you. There's nothing better than violence for that kind of idiots." I said as we started walking back home

"B-but I would bring more trouble to you won't I?" she mumbled to my side because she already punched some of them before

She's someone extremely shy and prone to anger that uses violence when she doesn't know what to do, but when she's with me, she never shows this side of her personality and acts like a cute and harmless little girl.

'Judging by how the other kids are surprised to see her acting like that gives it away'

"There isn't anyone that could trouble this young master! I would punch them too if that happens." I replied flexing my arm while chuckling

'Hiruzen will be mad at me again but that's nothing new'

"I also had Shurikenjutsu today." she briefly said

"Oh? How did you do then?" I asked because I knew she didn't focus on that at all even if it's required to graduate

"It was starting from this lesson that my classmates started calling me Tomato because I missed everything..." she paused before adding "And that annoying blond kid taunted me by saying I couldn't become a Hokage if I couldn't even use Shuriken!" as she started to clench her fist in frustration

'I guess she's talking about Minato uh'

"I will train you in what you are lacking, and then you will prove him wrong." I said eager to see Kushina crush Minato's thought of her

"He lost to me when we spared in one of the training sessions we had, maybe that's why he was acting like that..." she declared pondering

"Are you trying to defend him? Did my little Kushina develop some hidden feelings?" I said as a fake tear was running down from my right eye

"Ah? I'm not interested in someone like that!" she said with a completely serious expression

"Then what type of guy would you be interested in?" I asked, truly wondering about it because they would have to pass through me if they want to go near her

She then surprisingly replied "It should be someone handsome, have great abilities as a Shinobi, powerful yet kind... And he should know how to cook!"

"That's... Quite the requirement you have, I don't know if you will find someone like that." I replied surprised by her conditions

'And Minato doesn't apply for most of them'

Since I learned what I needed to awaken the Rinnegan, I hoped that Naruto would be born so I could have Asura's reincarnation chakra.

But since I finally understood that this world was not fiction anymore for me... And that I got close to Kushina, I don't want to force anything on her.

So if she does fall in love again with Minato I will let it happen, but if she doesn't and find someone else she truly loves so be it.

I found an alternative just in case and that is to get Hashirama's chakra by using the Impure World Reincarnation.

After all, the one being reincarnated uses their own chakra, the same they had while being alive.

Now, I will only do it if I have to because even though my experiments can be sometimes far from morally correct, by respect for my close deceased ones I won't reincarnate them without their accords, which they can no longer give.

Bringing me back from my thought, Kushina said "I had a long talk with Tsuna-nee and she convinced me on my ideal type." with a smile

Sighing a little I said "Tsunade isn't the best influence you could have you know."

"Arent you two lovers? You are a bad influence for me too then?" she said while tilting her head and smirked slightly

'Touché'

"I am n-" I tried to say before being interrupted by a loud shout "It's been a while Yuichi! How's youth doing?"

Looking where I heard the voice I saw Dai and replied "I'm doing great, glad you are back to the vill- what's that?" I paused when I saw him carry something between multiple layers of clothes, carefully between his arms

Kushina was looking weirdly toward the green-suited hairy grown man.

He then moved some of the clothing and what I saw surprised me "Oh! That's my son." he declared

"Oh, it's just your so- wait you have a son now?!" I let out surprised by how sudden the information was

Dai left the village for some years to train, and came back with a son...

"Congratulations!" I first said happy for him before adding "What's his name?" as I knew it was a boy by looking at him

"Gai, Maito Gai." he replied tickling the sleeping baby cheek who let out a cute small sound

'I never thought he could be gentle like that'

I was curious about something so I asked "Who is the mother then?" making him flinch for a second

"Hum... She left me after delivering Gai." he replied slightly depressed

'Sensitive matter uh, I shouldn't ask more'

"Come with us for tonight then Dai, so we can talk about what you did outside the village." I suggested making him cry manly tears as he replied "Are you sure? Won't I bother you and Tsunade?"

"Come on you're my friend, why would you be a bother." I replied before looking at Kushina and added "You didn't meet before I forgot, Kushina this guy here is Dai, a childhood friend, and teammate. Dai, this is Kushina, an Uzumaki Clan member that will live in Konoha from now on with Tsunade and me."

"Nice to meet you!" Kushina said with a smile as she bowed a little

"Nice to meet you too." he said before shifting his gaze on me "I didn't know you had a daughter this old already Yuichi."

"Idiot! She would've been born when I was almost fourteen if that was the case!" I said exasperated as Kushina giggled at Dai's nonsense

====================

*Munch Munch*

"... Can you at least take your time while eating? None of you is even chewing their food!" I said drained by the omnipresent eating sound surrounding me

"Buth it tawste sho gowd!" Tsunade, Kushina, and Dai replied at the same time with their mouth full

'Only Chizu eats properly in this house and she isn't here right now'

Kushina was so hasty that she knocked over her glass of water spreading it on the floor and said "Ah sorry! I will take care of it." before getting up moving toward the kitchen to go find a mop

'I could've just made the water disappear...' I thought as she was on her way back and saw something drop from her pocket

"You lost something on the way." I said before taking a bite of my own food silently

She looked behind and said "Oh that's your protecting tag!" before taking it back into her pouch

'My protective tag?' I thought before looking at it

'Don't tell me' "How did you get this tag Kushina?" I asked with an urgent tone

"Grandpa gave it to me and said that with it you would be able to protect me no matter where." she explained happily confirming my gut feeling

"This idiot." I said out loud because I knew which tag it was

It was the tag that I gave to Oyama before leaving Uzushiogakure, and once teared up it would alarm me so I could teleport to the formula I left in his garden.

'I really have a bad feeling about this' I thought before getting up and said "I need to go somewhere, I don't know for how long." then turned my head to Tsunade and added "You don't need to wait for me tonight, it may take a while."

She looked at me worried and asked "Are you going to be okay?"

I smiled at her and said "You trust me right? I will be fine don't worry, maybe nothing is happening at all too." she nodded at my sentence but couldn't hide some unease she felt

Kushina and Dai didn't understand anything so I said "I won't bring you to the Academy for some time, sorry Kushina. And Dai, if you need help Tsunade will be there." before vanishing from their sight

I was inside the compound forest and closed my eyes to sense the formula network that I owned, and the one at Uzushiogakure was still there but seemed...weak.

'F*ck it, even if nothing is wrong I should still tap in my sealed chakra'

The teleportation from Konoha to Uzushiogakure is costly so I had to.

I touched my bracer to awaken Shiromari and explained "I might need you, partner." making the crystal shine slightly before making us disappear from Konoha.

====================

I appeared like intended inside Oyama's garden, or what was left of it because the trees were destroyed in the surround, and thankfully my formula was on the trunk base and didn't get destroyed.

I looked toward the mansion only to see it in ruins, some fire was still running around indicating that the destruction didn't take place long ago.

I closed my eyes to sense the whole island and most buildings were destroyed, the fire was spreading around the whole village too and many bodies were scattered with a heavy scent of blood but I could sense chakra signatures in one of the seasides that seemed to be idle.

I then sensed below the library a barrier that was slightly obstructing my vision, but after some effort, I could see some Uzumaki civilians hidden inside.

'Not everyone is dead thank god'

I moved toward the library and I knew what type of barrier I was facing, it was taught only to the library guardians and the village leaders and was unbreakable from the outside, and could allow people to enter if the user wishes to.

But the technique would cost the user life once deactivated because they become a part of the barrier itself, losing their physical body.

Stopping in front of it I asked "I'm Yuichi Senju, I came here because I felt something was wrong, can you let me enter please?" as I send a little bit of my chakra to prove my identity

{Acknowledged} a female voice said inside my head as I got absorbed inside.

I materialized in front of many red-haired civilians along with a few guards and shinobi. Many had some light injuries with some more serious than the others, then one guard in particular recognized me and said "You're Yuichi right? Does this mean that Konoha received our messenger? Thank God!"

'No one came to Konoha' "Why would you say that, what happens?" I inquired as he was letting a sigh of relief

His face became grave as he started explaining "Both Kumo and Kiri started attacking us weeks ago... Kiri was able to get through the trapped sea somehow and Kumo stayed outside preventing anyone to leave the sea."

"Where is Oyama? And Okura?" I asked before someone else came to talk to me

"Okura-sama died fighting the Second Mizukage... As for Oyama-sama he bought us time so we could hide there waiting for reinforcement, he died from his wounds inside the barrier." the man I recognize as Okura assistant back then explained

'I don't really care about Kushina's father but Oyama is going to be hard for Kushina' I thought before asking "Do you... Have Oyama's body somewhere?" in a sorrowful tone

As he thought it was to grieve his death he replied "Indeed, you can follow me." staying calm all the time

After a while, I arrived in front of his body that was simply laid in a bed with a tag on it to prevent decomposition.

I turned myself to the assistant and asked "Can you..?"

Understanding that I wished to be alone he nodded and left me, I then looked back at Oyama's body using my eyes and saw that he died from an injury done by a Kunai aimed at the heart from behind.

'That should kill him almost on the spot not let him die from previous injuries' I thought with suspicion

"I'm sure you wouldn't mind if I do this to you old man." I said as my right eyes changed, before using Suijin on him

They kept the body from deteriorating so I could at least absorb the recent memories.

And when I saw what happened I couldn't stop a small amount of killing intent to be emitted from my body.

I saw who allowed outsiders to reach Uzushiogakure by giving them every information about the trapped sea and the route of escape the Uzumaki could have.

It was the same person who stabbed Oyama in the back, killing him with a smirk.

And it was the same person who led me in front of Oyama's body.

'A traitor' I thought angered as I made a fake body of Oyama before going back to the main hall

I moved toward the assistant who saw me and spoke up "You finished alre-" but didn't finish what he was saying as I grabbed his neck with my hand

The civilian and guards around me were shocked and some guards advanced to stop me but they stopped when I announced "This man is a traitor from your Clan, he's the one who taught the enemies how to get to the village and killed Oyama as he didn't die from his injuries like this man said but by having his heart pierced from behind." with anger visible in both of my eyes

"H-how can we know if you say the truth? A member of our Clan wouldn't sell us!" someone shouted as we could hear the assistant struggle in my palm

"Then I will let you hear it from him." I said before having my eyes shine to induce a Genjutsu

I released him and without acting weird he revealed "I- I was the one who contacted Kiri and told them about the trapped sea... I was fed up with Okura's rule and how everyone in our Clan simply stays hidden inside a small island when we have the power to rival greater villages!"

Everyone looked at him in disbelief as he continued "So I had an accord, they would have the right to take what they want once they killed Okura but... I- I didn't expect them to kill everyone and destroy everything!" he said panicked

"Why did you kill Oyama then?" I asked frowning

Being forced to say the truth he explained "He... He had a suspicion about a traitor within the Clan so... I-I had to kill him before learning that it was me or else I would've been done for!" trying to justify his deeds

The gaze he received from everyone was that of disgust and hatred as I could hear "Die you traitor!" "Give me back my son!" "You took everything from us!"

"I then turned myself to the crowd, coughed, and said "I promise you that this man will pay for his sins! I can't give you back who you lost but I guarantee you that you won't lose anything else from now on! I will go outside and take care of the invaders myself, I swear on my family name." making them look at me like a new leader they should follow

I then turned myself to the traitor, raised my left hand, and said "Shiromari, keep him in the 'jail'." as a giant mouth formed and darted from the bracer gobbling him up

'I required long-term human experiment with Orochimaru, he won't die soon or it would be freedom'

I turned back toward the crowd and ordered "I will leave the barrier, for now, none of you should leave until I come back." then looked toward the guard I knew and said "You will be the one giving orders until I come back." because Oyama trusted him according to his memory

'It's time to get serious and finish off the Second Mizukage reign along with the Third Raikage' I thought as I left the barrier cracking my shoulders, ready for what may become one of my greatest battles