They stopped in front of the large house, her father studying it for a moment before making his way to the stairs. She hurried after him, falling in step as they ascended to a short hallway, which ended in front of a door.
Her father knocked twice before fixing her with a stern look.
"They may be a newly instated Clan, but the Uzumaki have old ties to our village, and we must treat them accordingly. I expect a befitting act from you. Understood?"
A tight knot lodged in her throat at her father's cold voice, and she barely managed to push through a quiet, "Yes, father."
Just as her father looked away, the door creaked open, revealing a woman close to her father's age, with short, red hair and a kind face.
"Lady Uzumaki," her father spoke with a curt nod, and the woman nodded back, smiling politely.
"Lord Hyūga."
Then, she looked at her, and her smile became much softer.
It looked nothing like the stiff smiles she was used to seeing among most of her clan, much too warm and kind, almost like her mother…
She would have looked at her smile for a moment longer, if not for her father's subtle glare from the corner of his eye. Her stomach twisted on itself as she quickly bowed her head.
"Pleased to meet you, Lady Uzumaki. I am Hyūga H-Hinata," she spoke, feeling a sudden flash of heat creeping up her neck as she stuttered at the end, but the woman didn't seem to mind, the look on her face becoming even softer.
"You can call me Yuzu, if you want."
Hinata gave another quick bow, catching a brief look from her father as she lifted her head, the message clear. She'd better not do such a thing.
"You have a beautiful girl," Lady Uzumaki said, gaze shifting back to her father, who only gave a brief nod in response.
The woman's smile dimmed a little as she stepped aside, gesturing inside the house. "Please come in. I just finished some tea."
She walked inside after her father, taking a moment to close the door, before looking around at the narrow hallway. It stretched further ahead, with a few doors on the left side.
"Hinata." She nearly jumped in her skin at her farther's abrupt call, catching his glare as he looked over his shoulder with a frown. "Come."
She quickly fell in step at his side while Lady Uzumaki showed them to the first door, the woman briefly looking inside, her voice warm and soft as she spoke, "Karin, we have esteemed guests."
Hinata stared at a random spot on the wall, doing her best to ignore how her stomach kept churning restlessly, the deepening frown on her father's face as they waited only making it worse.
A girl near her own age, with vibrant red hair suddenly came out of the room, sharing a brief look with Lady Uzumaki as she stopped in front of them.
"Welcome to our house, Lord Hyūga. I'm Uzumaki Karin," she said with a rather stiff bow, to which her father merely nodded before looking away.
Karin's gaze shifted to her, and Hinata did her best not to fidget under the girl's intense stare.
"You have pretty eyes."
Hinata felt a flash of heat creep up her face. "O-Oh, you think so?" She averted her gaze, studying the girl's rather plain clothes, before shyly meeting her deep-red eyes. They looked pretty, too…
"Mm-hmm," the girl nodded with a smile. "They look like the moon."
The heat spread all the way to her ears, nearly setting them aflame, and Hinata made an effort not to look away. Her mother was the only one who ever said anything so nice about her eyes.
"Your eyes are also pretty," she said, and Karin's smile became a little warmer.
Hinata found herself returning the smile, though it quickly vanished when she caught her father's icy glare.
A cold pang abruptly coursed through her chest. She'd forgotten to introduce herself!
She quickly bowed her head, hoping her father would not berate her again, but as she looked up, ready to apologize, Lady Uzumaki met her gaze, a kind smile on her face, before looking at her father.
"Perhaps we should let the children get to know each other while we enjoy a cup of tea?"
Her father regarded the woman for a moment, a frown twitching at the corner of his mouth, before he spared Hinata a brief glance.
"Very well." He nodded stiffly, and Hinata felt a wave of relief lighten her chest. She caught a look from Karin, the girl smiling as her eyes briefly went to the other side of the hallway.
"Come," Karin said as she turned around and walked away, Hinata quickly following as the cold feeling of her father's glare lingered on her back until the two of them entered what looked like a bedroom.
__________________________________________
Hiruzen looked up from his papers just as the door to his office swung open, the soft clack of a cane on wood filling the room. Danzō made his way to his desk, his scarred visage a severe frown as usual.
There was a curious gleam in his friend's lone eye, though, which Hiruzen met with a tight-lipped smile.
"I'm glad you could join me, old friend."
Danzō regarded him for a quiet moment, not a single muscle twitching on his face. "You seem troubled, Hiruzen."
A flash of anger sparked in Hiruzen's chest, though he only lifted an eyebrow. "Do I?" He took a long puff from his pipe, the pleasant smoke doing wonders to easy some of the stiffness in his shoulders.
Danzō weathered the pointed glare for the better part of a minute before letting out a quiet scoff. "Let's cut the games. Ask me what you wish."
Gaze narrowing, Hiruzen set his pipe aside, folding his hands atop the desk as he leaned forward in his seat. "When were you planning to tell me about your role in the Wood Style research and your continued dealings with Orochimaru?"
He was ready for the usual deflection, or even denial, yet his friend just kept looking him in the eye unflinchingly, the corner of his mouth twitching with the brief ghost of a smirk.
"How did you find out?"
Hiruzen's brow furrowed ever so slightly. Not only did Danzō seem completely unbothered by the reveal, but he nearly sounded pleased about it.
"Jiraiya found some clues while investigating one of Orochimaru's hideouts."
Danzō's lone eye narrowed a fraction, before he gave a slight shake of the head. "That Orochimaru, always trying to play games."
What?
Hiruzen leveled a pointed glare at the man, a deep frown lining his face. "You haven't answered my question, Danzō."
Another spark of anger heated up his chest, when, just like before, his old friend seemed more amused than perturbed.
"I assumed it wasn't something you should concern yourself about."
"That's for me to decide, not you." His mouth tightened, a hint of steel creeping in his tone. "You've kept contact with a traitor behind my back."
"He may be a traitor, but he can still be of use to the village. His brilliant mind returned us the Wood Style, even if diminished."
Hiruzen felt a muscle jump in his jaw. "Nearly a hundred children have died for it," he spoke through clenched teeth.
"And many more would die if another war begins and we are weak."
Hiruzen remained silent, eyes narrowed as he listened. He couldn't refute him on that.
"Lord First created the village to protect the young, but sometimes, we must sacrifice a few to protect the many."
"That's not the Will of Fire, Danzō." Hiruzen spoke, voice low, but Danzō weathered the piercing glare unwaveringly and stone-faced.
"Of course not." He took a step forward, tapping the cane loudly against the floor. "I am the roots that grow in the dark. I do what I must, so the mighty tree can thrive."
The words rang inside the room as Danzō stood there like a statue, back straight and face inscrutable. Hiruzen opened his mouth, only to close it after a moment.
He couldn't deny any of that.
The Foundation existed for the sake of the Leaf. To ease the burden on his shoulders and do what the Hokage could not… and sometimes, would not.
Hiruzen leaned back in his chair with a weary sigh. "What else have you done behind my back, Danzō?"
"Whatever was necessary for the village, so you wouldn't have to dirty your hands too much."
Hiruzen's jaw tightened. "That's not an answer."
"No, it's not the answer you want." Danzō's lone eye narrowed. "Everything I do is for the sake of the village. You agreed to this, Hiruzen. You asked me to bear the darkness to your light."
An old memory stirred at those words before a dull pang tightened in his chest. Two young friends working together to pick up the heavy mantle of their mentor. A dream for a brighter future. A stronger Leaf that would never have to bow down to any other village.
Even after all these years, that dream had yet to come within reach…
His old bones suddenly felt even heavier as he folded his hands atop his lap, sparing his long-time friend a tired glance. "Some things are too much."
"Yet the results speak for themselves." Was all that Danzō said, and Hiruzen could only shake his head.
"Do they?"
Danzō's gaze went to the tall windows at the back, the two of them lapsing into quiet.
"Do you know how many wars I've prevented in the last five years, Hiruzen?" Danzō's measured voice filled the room, and, for a moment, Hiruzen wondered if he'd imagined the almost tired note it seemed to carry.
He picked up his pipe and look a long pull, blowing out a plume of sweet-scented smoke. "Why don't you enlighten me?"
"Three," Danzō said, grip tightening around his cane. "Three wars. Doing the things I do. You can rebuke me all you want, but my actions bring results."
Hiruzen shook his head, mouth pressed tightly. "I wish you could do things a little differently."
"You're not the only one, old friend."
The words hung in the air as Hiruzen took another pull from his pipe, holding the smoke in, eyes closing briefly.
With a weary exhale, he opened them again, looking Danzō in the eye. "You are dismissed."
Danzō held his gaze for a few, tense moments, before nodding curtly. "Have a good day, Hiruzen." And with that, he turned around and quietly left the office.
A weary sigh escaped Hiruzen as he watched the door close shut, the large hat atop his head weighing down much heavier than before.
Things could never be simple in life, could they?
__________________________________________
Naruto wanted to pull at his hair. This stupid flute only made shrill noises that scratched at his ears. It was nothing like the awesome song that Kurama shared with him.
But the fox insisted he should keep trying until he got it right.
When was that gonna happen? It's been an hour already, and he still couldn't get the notes right.
Naruto stared at the flute, fighting the brief urge to just throw it away.
Giving up already? An amused voice echoed in his head.
Shaddap, Kurama! This is a lot harder than it sounds!
The sound of laughter filled his mind. Keep trying, you'll get it right eventually.
Eventually? How long's that gonna be? This is taking from my cool ninja training!
You have the clones doing that chakra exercise. The only other productive thing you could do right now is physical exercise.
Naruto's face scrunched up at the mention. No way. I already did plenty of exercise for today.
Then keep playing that flute, brat. Kurama's voice returned, even more amused than before.
I'm not a brat. I'm Naruto.
Could've fooled me. The fox chuckled, and Naruto readied to fire back a retort, when the door suddenly creaked open.
Karin stepped inside, followed shortly by her mom, grocery bags in hand. He sprang off the couch, a smile pulling at his cheeks.
"Ah! You're back!"
Eyes briefly going to his hand, Yuzu gave him a warm smile that made him feel nice and fuzzy on the inside. "I see you're still working hard on your flute."
"Mm-hmm!" He nodded happily while Karin walked up to him, a knowing smile on her face.
"Hey, guess what?"
"You got dessert?" he asked hopefully, but she quickly shook her head.
Just as he felt his mouth curl with disappointment, Karin spoke again, smiling even wider. "I convinced mom to make ramen tonight."
Naruto couldn't help but stare, eyes wide. "For real?!"
"Yup."
A wide smile stretched on his face. "Karin, you're awesome!"
Hands going to her hips, she raised her chin a little, smile turning into a grin. "I know right?"
He pulled her in a hug without thinking, but, just as he was about to pull back, Karin hugged him back, her small arms wrapping a little awkwardly around his back. He squeezed her a little tighter, just enjoying the fuzzy feeling in his stomach.
She was super nice, and her mom, too. And he could visit them whenever he wanted. Having family was so awesome!
Kurama was the best!
A nice feeling, like a warm hand ruffling his hair, suddenly washed over him, leaving a smile on his face.
Hey, Kurama, can I bring Karin to meet you?
There was a short pause as he pulled away from the hug, Karin watching him with a nice smile and rosy cheeks. Her mom was nowhere to be seen, though she probably went to the kitchen.
We haven't finished the practice yet. The fox finally answered.
But I'm booored! I wanna do something else.
There was another pause before a heavy sigh reached his ears. Fine. But then you're going to practice for another half an hour.
Naruto smiled, excitement welling in his chest. Sure, sure. C'mon, let's do the thing.
He looked at Karin, who'd been eyeing him curiously the entire time.
"Hey, Karin. Wanna meet a grumpy fox?"
I'm not grumpy.
The fox grumbled like a grumpy old man as Karin made a funny face.
"A fox?" She said, forehead scrunching up before her eyes grew wider and her mouth went open. "Oh! It's the thing that came up when we met!"
"Yeah. He's inside my tummy."
Karin blinked, looking confused again, before her eyes suddenly widened. "You ate a fox?!"
Naruto couldn't stop himself from laughing at the look on her face.
"Hey, don't laugh at me!" Karin said, pointing a finger at him, cherry red creeping up her face. She almost looked like a tomato.
"Sorry, sorry." He shook his head with a grin, holding up a hand next to her chest and making a fist. "Bump my fist, and you'll see."
"Bump your fist?" She tilted her head, face scrunched up cutely.
"Yep. You can feel your chakra, right?"
"Of course I can." Karin raised her chin smugly. "I can feel your chakra, too."
Naruto blinked. She could feel chakra like Kurama? His mouth fell open a little. That was super cool.
"Wait, really? That's awesome?" Karin smiled at the praise. "What's it feel like?"
"It's really warm."
Huh. So, his chakra felt kinda like Kurama's. That made sense.
"C'mon, let's do it." Naruto held his fist up again, a smile on his face. "Strike your chakra into mine."
Karin bumped his fist after a moment, and he felt the familiar pull at his mind as he did the ninshū trick.
__________________________________________
The two brats stood before my humble abode, one of them grinning, the other staring at me, eyes wide behind her glasses.
"Woah, he's huge…"
That's what she said.
I held back a chuckle at my shitty humor but couldn't stop the smile twitching on my face. I couldn't wait for the internet to pop up in this world, so I could finally unleash all the memes.
"Yep, Kurama is reaaally big. Probably as big as the Hokage rock."
Thanks, brat, but maybe at my full.
"Kurama?" Karin cocked her head slightly in confusion.
I smirked around my arms, lifting my head and moving a little closer to the gate as the girl watched my every movement.
"That would be my name."
Karin's eyes widened. "He talks?!"
Naruto gave her a funny look, face scrunched up in confusion. "Why wouldn't he?"
Karin blinked, looking thoughtful for a moment. "Well… he's a fox, and, uhm… foxes don't talk?"
A beat of silence passed, and I held back a snort. She was so cute. My brat could learn a thing or two from her.
"That's silly." Naruto shook his head, smiling all the while. "There's animal summon thingies, and they're super smart and can talk."
I blinked, brow climbing a fraction as I stared at the brat.
Wow, he remembered that? Maybe he wasn't a completely lost cause…
"Animal summons?" Karin's face scrunched up cutely in confusion. "What's that?"
Naruto glanced at me, to which I just smirked. "Why don't you tell her?"
The brat hesitated for a moment, nibbling on his lip as he looked at his cousin. "Well, uhh," he said, spreading his tiny arms as wide as he could. "It's these huuuge animals that ninjas can bring anywhere with a jutsu, and they help with stuff like missions and fighting."
I couldn't hold back the smile as I listened to him. He might not give Sakura a run for her money on book smarts anytime soon, but he wasn't going to be the same dumbass like in canon.
"Ah, I see…" Karin said, nodding to herself, gaze trailing back to me, brow furrowing as she studied me intently. Her eyes then suddenly began to glaze over, and I gripped my chakra even tighter, hoping to suppress it for a moment.
"Karin!" My voice boomed throughout the chamber, and she snapped out of her trance as if slapped.
Naruto stepped closer, a worried look on his face. "Are you okay?"
Karin nodded mutely, her eyes still glued to me. I should've warned her beforehand…
"Don't look too deep. My chakra can be rather overwhelming, especially to sensors."
"Sorry," she mumbled quiet, but I just shook my head with a reassuring smile.
"You have nothing to apologize for. Just be more careful in the future."
"Okay." She quickly nodded before giving Naruto a weak smile. "I'm okay. His chakra feels warmer than yours."
I grimaced inwardly at her words. Good thing I had the presence of mind to keep my chakra in check before these two showed up in here on a whim. It took a good chunk of my attention to have it feeling like sunshine and unicorns, but I'd rather not terrify such a cute child.
"Yeah, Kurama's chakra feels really nice."
I should also tell her not to talk about chakra like that around other people. It would really suck to have the secret get out so dumbly after making that promise to Yuzu.
Karin's attention went back to the seal, face scrunching up cutely once again. "Why is he inside a cage? He seems really nice…"
The brat opened his mouth to say something, only to immediately close it as he gave me a look, to which I simply nodded.
"It's a long story." I told her with a smile. "I can tell you another time."
"Okay." Karin seemed satisfied with that, but Naruto sent me another look, a familiar gleam in his eyes.
"Hey, Kurama, can you tell us a story about our clan?"
Heh. From unstoppable force of nature to glorified babysitter. If the others could see me now…
I felt my mouth twitch with a smile. I didn't mind it, though.
"I suppose I can."
I had to keep up a modicum of appearances, though.
"A story?" Karin asked curiously. "My mom told me a few stories, too."
"Yeah, Kurama is super old and knows a lotta stuff. He tells me a new story almost every night."
My smile turned a little wooden. I appreciated the sentiment, but the way he said it made me sound like a grandpa…
"So, what story is it gonna be this time?" The brat looked ready to jump up and down in excitement.
"One about the children of the Sage and how your Clan took shape."
"Ooh, it's about those brothers again? Ashura was super cool!" Naruto smiled happily while Karin gave me a rather confused look.
"Children of the sage?"
"It's quite the long story." I lowered my head back on my haunches, using some of my tails for pillows. "Would you like to hear it now?"
Karin nibbled at her lip, looking thoughtful for a moment. "Mom said she was going to prepare dinner, and I wanted to help her…"
She shared a brief look with Naruto, to which he nodded.
Understandable.
"Time passes here much slower than outside, but we can leave this story for another time if you wish to leave."
She nodded, an unwavering look in her eyes. "Yeah, I really want to help my mom."
A tiny smile made it way to my lips. Way too adorable.
This Karin was going to turn out ten times better than in canon. She already had that bratty side in her, but this time, with none of the trauma from Grass and Roachy.
"Very well."
Karin looked a little relieved to hear that—silly girl—while the brat eyed her curiously for a moment. "You can cook, too?"
I fixed him with a deadpan, though he was too preoccupied to notice.
"Of course I can." Karin smirked, preening like a cute, little peacock. "I help my mom all the time."
I listened to them with a smile as they went on another silly tangent, pretending to be asleep as they finally left.
Yeah, I could get used to this.
__________________________________________
Anko sat on a tree stump, legs crossed and dango plate in hand, idly watching the fiery colors dancing atop the horizon.
She popped another dumpling in her mouth, enjoying the light sweetness and chewy texture as a gust of wind swept briefly across the empty clearing, ruffling her hair.
She couldn't wait to take a shower, but all that exercise worked up her appetite, and she couldn't resist a quick snack. Especially with the dango shop only a minute away.
The old man just came up with a better recipe for the sauce, and she already couldn't get enough of it.
As she flicked away the empty skewer and grabbed another from her plate, a flash of movement drew her eyes to the tree line on her left. Her other hand went to her right thigh on reflex, digging inside the holster as her body tensed.
A moment later, a blond kid dressed in a white shirt and blue pants popped out from behind the trees, making his way across the grounds.
Her arm dropped at her side, most of the tension leaving her frame.
The hell was this twerp doing here?
Her eyes went to his face, taking a better look as he strutted towards her spot without a care in the world.
He barely looked the Academy age—
Her hand froze, gaze lingering on the thin whisker marks on his cheeks, dango only a few inches away from her mouth.
The jinchūriki brat?
She threw a quick, subtle glance around, eyes darting from one tree to another before narrowing. She couldn't sense anyone else.
The hell was going on here? Shouldn't this kid have an ANBU keeping an eye on him or something? Was there a Hyūga watching from afar?
Shrugging inwardly, she took a bite out of her dango, chewing absentmindedly as the brat got closer, all smiles and rainbows and shit.
Kinda weird, now that she thought about it.
You'd think a kid like him would be a little mopey, what with catching so much shit from the village for something he hadn't done, but he seemed to be holding up pretty well. Maybe he was tougher than he looked.
That was good. He was going to need it.
She'd caught so much shit from the idiots in the village, she could build a house with it by now. But the joke's on them, 'cause she was having the last laugh.
Who gave a shit what those assholes thought? She was going to become a jōnin, live her life however she pleased, and rub it in their noses.
She was nothing like that traitorous piece of shi—
A sudden pang tightened in her chest, her neck pulsing with a dull pain. She gritted her teeth, hand clenching into a fist as she took a slow, fortifying breath.
Even after four years, she couldn't fully get that bastard out of her head.
It was that fucking seal on her neck, but Lord Jiraiya had already done his best, and, unless the Leaf found a better expert hiding under some rock, she'd just have to get used to it.
The kid stopped an arm's length in front of her, head cocked to the side and a curious look on his face as he studied her closely.
She wasn't sure what he found so damn fascinating about her. He wasn't even at that age yet.
"What'cha doing here at this hour? Shouldn't you be home, hitting some books? The shinobi life ain't no joke, kid."
She watched the brat for a reaction, but he just met her gaze with a proud curl of his mouth. "I already did that."
Anko blinked. She didn't really keep up to date with the village gossip, but wasn't this kid supposed to be a bit of a troublemaker? Did some academy instructor put the fear of god in him, or what?
Unless he was lying… though she doubted a five-year-old could ever pull that on her.
"So, whaddya want?" She cocked an eyebrow. "The dango's all mine, and if you were hoping to catch an awesome ninja while training, you're a bit too late on that."
The brat shook his head, scratching his cheek with a sheepish smile. "Ah, no, it's not that. I was just looking for someone to teach me the Henge."
She blinked owlishly. The Henge? Seriously? Didn't he have instructors for that?
"And you came here?"
The kid shrugged. "It's the closest place to my house."
Eyes narrowing, she studied him closely for a moment before scoffing. "I don't have time to teach snot nosed brats."
What did she look like? An Academy nanny?
A frown pulled at her lips as she uncrossed her legs, throwing the empty skewer aside with a flick of her wrist.
She expected him to whine or mope a little, but the kid just stood there, watching her quietly. Kinda creepy, especially how he seemed to be staring right through her.
"You can leave now, I'm kinda busy." She made a shooing motion with a hand before grabbing another dango stick. She snagged off all three of the sweet dumplings in one bite while the brat gave her a funny look.
She cocked an eyebrow, chewing loudly as she spoke, "What?"
"Ninja lady, you should be careful with how much of that sweet stuff you eat. It might be good now, but it'll cause you a big problem in a couple decades."
Anko swallowed, a beat of silence passing as she just sat there, staring blankly at the innocently smiling twerp. Then, she felt her eye twitch. This little shit…
Lips drawing a thin smile, she leaned forward, gaze narrowed. "The hell did you just say to me, brat?"
She expected him to turn tail and run, but he just mimed a huge belly with his arms. "Too much dango, and you're gonna end up looking like an Akimichi by forty."
Pin-drop silence followed as the brat flashed her a cheeky grin. Her smile froze, a spark of anger flaring in her chest. With a sudden twitch of muscle, her hand lashed out on its own, the dango stick sailing forth like a senbon.
It flew past his cheek in a blur, but instead of opening up a thin gash in the skin, the brat just popped in a small plume of smoke.
Anko stared dumbly at the empty spot, eyes wide and jaw slack.
What the fuck? A shadow clone? How the fuck did he even learn tha—
Brow furrowing, her mouth suddenly drew a thin line.
Was this a prank? That shitty ANBU better not be hazing her again, or she was gonna shove a snake so deep up his ass, he'd start hearing the hissing.
A beat of silence passed as she glanced around, though without spotting anything out the ordinary.
Her gaze went back to the last dango on her plate, hesitating for a moment before she popped another delicious dumpling in her mouth, chewing on it absentmindedly. She was young and fit and worked up a sweat every single day. No way she'd get fat.
But that shadow clone…
She wasn't sure, though part of her kinda hoped it was that stupid ANBU. Or anyone else, really.
Because otherwise…
She'd just been had by a little brat.
__________________________________________
I opened my eyes to the darkness of my prison, a pleased smile pulling at my lips. I couldn't do much around here for entertainment, but these shadow clones opened up a surprising variety of options, especially when they came out extra bratty.
Certainly, more than enough to keep the boredom from encroaching too much.
My smile grew a little wider. And who knew? We might have even averted the Fat Anko timeline with this one.
Lowering my head, I curled my tails around my body, draping them atop my arms to use as pillows.
Well, I wasn't crossing my fingers on this one, but a guy could hope. Future Anko was a travesty of the highest order. Ninjas shouldn't get fat, not unless their name was Akimichi. Only those guys could pull it off.
The water suddenly rippled around me, bubbles spreading out as I flooded a sliver of my chakra inside the seal, brushing it against the edge. I carefully pushed a little further, hitting the brat with a ninshū poke, only to receive the mental equivalent of a grumble.
Naruto seemed to be having fun running his daily laps. Maybe I could arrange for some random encounter with Gai once he got a little older? If I had to trust anyone in this village with his fitness, I'd pick that youthful maniac every single time.
Speaking of training though, that toad molester had better not run away on a sudden milk run, or we'd be having words. I had ten years to prevent that giant clusterfuck of a Shippuden, and I wasn't going to let any crotchety old men stop me.
I've already made this timeline like, ten times better, and I haven't even gotten out of prison yet.
Karin already made her first friend—aside from the brat—and her total milf of a mom was getting better with each day. Yuzu's chakra already felt thrice as strong as when she'd first arrived.
My lips curled smugly.
She was jaded enough to not easily drink that Leaf kool aid with a smile while asking for seconds. Having the brat in my corner was great, but pulling the last few Uzumaki too, would be deliciously ironic.
I couldn't wait to see how she'd look once we got rid of those pesky age lines and gave her a little airbrushing. My chakra had to be as much of a cheat as Hashirama's cells, and I just needed to let it work its magic. Though, from what I've seen in the past, the four great bloodlines seemed the most attuned to it.
Well, I never tested it with those mentally ill eye-freaks and the Hyūga stuck-ups, but the same logic should hold.
Alien genes for the win.
Though I'd bet the Senju and the redheads still had the advantage due to that Body of the Sage thing they all inherited to some extent.
That stuck-up asshole, Indra, had tried so hard to build a legacy, but all he passed down was mental illness and brain damage. Meanwhile, all of Ashura's kids ended up based as fuck.
If only I'd woken up here during the Warring States period instead…
I could've been the god emperor of redheads.
A quiet sigh escaped me as I allowed myself a little daydreaming, though, sadly, my fantasy abruptly ended when a random thought surfaced to mind.
That shriveled mushroom hadn't visited in a while.
A frown pulled at my lips.
He'd better be getting that shitty plot device of a jutsu ready, or I'd make sure he ended up hugging a bottle for pillow by the end of the year. It was much too early for that bitch to enjoy her retirement. Plenty of things waited for her around here, and I really wouldn't mind having some words. I needed a bit more salt in my diet to keep up a healthy lifestyle.