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~ I’ve been a bit off track these days, and I apologize for that. I try my best to keep releasing 2 quality chapters daily!
~ It won’t be long before Shin’s relationship with the girls is finally confirmed!
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“From this moment on,” Tsunade declared coldly, “the Senju Clan has nothing to do with Konohagakure.”
Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked out of the Hokage’s office, Shin following beside her. Kushina, Mikoto, and Konan trailed behind, leaving Hiruzen alone in stunned silence.
Tsunade had chosen not to strike him down, but she’d severed all remaining ties. If Konoha ever faced another crisis, she’d do nothing to help.
The Senju and Uchiha may have founded Konoha, but that village no longer existed—not the way it once did.
….
“So,” Shin said once they exited the Hokage building, “shall we look for Uzumaki Akiko next?”
Now that they had secured the chakra of eight Tailed Beasts, only one remained—the Nine-Tails. Once he had its chakra, he could fuse them all together and unlock [Six Paths Senjutsu].
Mikoto crossed her arms. “Are you sure she’s even in the village? What if she’s away on a mission?”
Shin shook his head. “She won’t be. She’s the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, and she’s still young. No way Konoha would risk sending her out.”
Jinchūriki were too valuable. No village would let their ultimate weapon run around recklessly, especially not one as crucial as the Nine-Tails.
He frowned slightly. “That being said, I don’t actually know where she’s staying these days. Do any of you?”
Kushina and Mikoto both shook their heads; they’d never paid much attention to Akiko’s personal life. Shin certainly hadn’t.
“What if Hiruzen tries to hide her?” Tsunade asked.
“Doubt it,” Shin replied. “He knows I only want the Nine-Tails’ chakra, not the beast itself. He probably won’t try anything.”
But if Hiruzen ‘did’ try, Shin wouldn’t hesitate to use force.
….
After asking around, they finally tracked down Akiko’s residence. However, upon arriving, they found she wasn’t home.
Someone else was. Standing at her doorstep, holding a bouquet of flowers, was—Uzumaki Kai.
“…..”
The moment Tsunade caught sight of him, she drew back a fist and slammed it forward.
CRACK!
A sickening crunch echoed through the air. Kai was sent flying, slamming through two trees before landing in a crumpled heap. Blood splattered the ground.
“I didn’t expect him to survive that,” Shin remarked, noting from his sensing that Kai was still alive—barely.
“Good. I’m leaving him for Nawaki,” Tsunade said coolly. “He nearly got Nawaki killed once—Nawaki wanted to settle that score personally. If not for that, I’d have crushed him entirely.”
Kushina glanced around. “So Akiko’s not here, huh?” She sounded disappointed. “Did we come all this way for nothing?”
“We’ll wait,” Shin decided. “She has to come back eventually.”
….
They didn’t have to wait long.
Around ten minutes later, Akiko appeared—returning home with Minato Namikaze walking beside her.
Akiko stopped in her tracks the moment she saw them. “Shin? Kushina? Mikoto? What are you all doing here?”
“We’re here for you,” Shin answered, stepping toward her. Minato, at her side, tensed, one hand moving toward a concealed kunai. He knew Shin had left Konoha and was potentially an enemy.
Shin caught Minato’s wary posture but ignored it.
“What do you want with me?” Akiko asked, blinking warily.
They were distantly related as fellow Uzumaki, but not close. At best, they were casual acquaintances.
Shin smiled. “Your Nine-Tails.”
Akiko’s body stiffened. She instinctively took a step back, alarm flashing in her eyes.
“Relax,” Shin reassured her. “I just need to borrow some of its chakra.”
Before she could react, he reached out and placed a hand on her stomach—right over the seal that held the Nine-Tails within her.
Immediately, his Rinne-Tenseigan activated, and he began extracting chakra.
Akiko’s eyes widened in shock. She couldn’t move.
Minato, seeing this, sprang into action—but before he could interfere, a kunai whizzed past his face, forcing him to halt.
“Don’t interrupt Shin,” Mikoto ordered quietly.
Her [Three-Tomoe Sharingan] gleamed dangerously. Even though she had yet to awaken the Mangekyō, her deadly precision with thrown weapons made even someone like Minato hesitate.
His instincts told him—if he took another step, she wouldn’t miss.
Shin continued his work, siphoning a large portion of the Nine-Tails’ chakra.
The beast inside Akiko howled in fury, but it was powerless to stop him. It had been asleep when Shin stole its energy, leaving it momentarily disoriented.
A moment later, Shin pulled his hand away.
Akiko shot Shin a tense glare.
“Why so suspicious?” Shin said with mild amusement. “We’re both Uzumaki, after all. I didn’t harm you or your seal. You have nothing to fear.”
Turning away, he waved to Tsunade and the others.
“We’ve got what we came for. Time to go.”
He didn’t even glance at Akiko again. She was irrelevant to him.
….
Minato finally relaxed when Shin and his group disappeared from sight. Letting out a slow breath, he turned—only to notice something else lying nearby.
Someone was badly injured.
He and Akiko hurried over to find Uzumaki Kai lying there, battered and unconscious. Tsunade had not killed him, but she’d definitely inflicted serious damage.
Despite their dislike for Kai, the pair still lugged him off to Konoha Hospital.
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