After being rejected by Mirai, Ayako gave up on the thoughts she had been harboring.
At first, she believed that Uchiha Mirai coveted her special abilities. But after witnessing his overwhelming power, she realized how ridiculous that assumption had been.
Then, she thought that maybe he was attracted to her looks. However, even when she took the initiative, he turned her down without hesitation.
Now, Ayako truly couldn't understand why someone of Uchiha Mirai's status and position would take such good care of them.
By all logic, saving her and her daughter had already been an immense act of kindness. There was no reason for him to keep them in his estate and provide for them.
But since Mirai didn't explain, she could only accept things as they were and focus on doing her part.
Even though she felt uneasy, unsure of how long this situation would last, she knew that for herself and Karin, cherishing the present moment was the most important thing.
...
The next morning.
Golden sunlight streamed into the room, its warmth making Ayako stretch lazily in comfort.
She opened her eyes, still feeling as though everything around her was unreal.
The nightmare of waking up in a dark, damp shack, waiting for those Kusagakure shinobi to drain her life force, had finally ended.
Ayako got up, changed into new clothes, and woke up Karin as well.
Just then, a gentle voice called from outside the door.
"Lady Ayako, Lord Mirai requests your presence."
"Understood."
Ayako responded and, after a brief moment to compose herself, led Karin outside.
...
In the reception hall, Mirai was already waiting with a few others.
When Ayako and Karin entered, Mirai smiled.
"Did you sleep well last night?"
Ayako lowered her gaze slightly, still feeling a bit timid around him.
"Lord Mirai, we slept very well."
As soon as she finished speaking, a woman with long red hair stepped forward.
"You two..."
"Are from the Uzumaki clan?"
Ayako hesitated at the unexpected question but nodded.
"Yes, though I haven't used the Uzumaki name in a long time."
The woman sighed, her expression softening with sympathy.
"My name is Uzumaki Kushina. I'm also from the Uzumaki clan."
She turned toward Ayako with a warm yet firm gaze.
"Mirai already told me about your situation. From now on, you don't have to hide your identity anymore."
"Konohagakure will be the new home of the Uzumaki clan."
Ever since Uzushiogakure was destroyed and the Uzumaki clan was scattered, Kushina had always carried this pain in her heart.
She never spoke of it, but deep down, she never stopped grieving for her lost kin.
No one would want their clan to be wiped out.
That was why, when Naruto was born, she and Minato made sure he bore the Uzumaki name.
And now, after finally finding two more members of her clan, she learned that they had suffered such inhumane treatment...
If Kusagakure hadn't already been destroyed by Mirai, she would have personally gone to the Land of Grass and crushed those bastards into the dirt!
Ayako had never expected to meet another Uzumaki. A strange yet familiar sense of belonging swelled in her heart.
She bowed slightly. "Lady Kushina, my name is Uzumaki Ayako. This is my daughter..."
"Uzumaki Karin."
Kushina nodded, reaching out to ruffle Karin's hair. "Once you're a little older, I'll personally train you."
"You will carry on the legacy of the Uzumaki clan."
Just then, a blond-haired boy burst into the room.
As soon as he entered, his gaze landed on Karin, who was about his age.
"Hey! Stick with me from now on. As long as I'm around, no one will dare bully you!"
Ayako blinked in surprise.
Kushina chuckled. "This is my son, Uzumaki Naruto."
Naruto puffed out his chest confidently. "So, what do you think? Wanna be my little follower?"
Karin scoffed, unimpressed. "I have no interest in being your follower, and I don't need your protection."
"The hero I admire is Lord Mirai."
She stole a quick glance at Mirai, her face flushing slightly.
Naruto huffed. "Hmph! One day, I'll beat him. Just you wait!"
Before Karin could respond, a disdainful scoff came from the doorway.
"Naruto, the pride of the Uchiha clan isn't something a loser like you can ever hope to surpass."
"Even for me, a genius of the Uchiha clan, the odds of defeating Lord Mirai are barely fifty percent."
A boy with jet-black hair and a smug expression strode into the room, hands tucked into his pockets.
The Uchiha crest was displayed proudly on the back of his clothes.
Despite his young age, his expression was filled with arrogant confidence.
The moment Naruto saw him, his face twisted in irritation.
"Sasuke! Who are you calling a loser?!"
Uchiha Sasuke smirked. "There's no need to get so worked up. Compared to me, everyone else might as well be a loser."
"The fact that I even acknowledge you should be an honor."
"After all..."
Sasuke lifted his chin proudly. "Even against my nii-san, I can already fight him on equal footing."
Naruto wasn't convinced. "Your brother isn't stronger than my dad!"
Sasuke scoffed as if the answer was obvious.
"Of course he is. No Uchiha shinobi would ever lose to an outsider."
"Tch!" Naruto crossed his arms. "My dad's Rasengan can blast through a whole tree!"
Sasuke refused to back down. "My brother's Fire Release can burn down an entire forest!"
"My dad does everything super fast!"
"My brother does everything with absolute precision!"
"..."
"..."
Their conversation started out normal but quickly spiraled into nonsense.
"My dad can eat an entire cow in one meal!"
"My brother can eat two bears in one meal!"
"My dad is so brave, he'd even eat poop!"
"My brother would do it too!"
"My dad is the Hokage!"
Sasuke smirked. "So what? My mom is the Emperor's wife. That makes my dad an Emperor, which is way stronger than your Hokage dad!"
Naruto blinked in confusion before turning to look at Kushina. Then, he yelled,
"If your mom can marry an Emperor, then my mom can too—!"
"Mmph!"
Before he could finish, Kushina swiftly covered his mouth, ending the ridiculous argument.
If those two kept talking, who knew where this would end up?
Meanwhile, Karin kept sneaking glances at Uchiha Mirai, her admiration as plain as day.
Mirai watched the scene unfold with a smile.
It was nice.
The children from the original story were finally starting to step onto the stage of the ninja world.
Life was about to get much more interesting.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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