As Arata looked over Uzumaki Kushina, the little girl refused to be outdone—she stared right back at him, scrutinizing him just as carefully, trying to figure out what kind of person this man who would soon become her guardian really was.
For a moment, the unusually precocious girl felt her cheeks grow warm.
Arata's presence was calm yet striking-very different from anyone Kushina had ever seen in a small place like Uzushiogakure. Even at a glance, he carried himself with a natural confidence, the kind that made people instinctively feel at ease.
The Uchiha lineage he carried lent his features a sharp, refined edge, but it was the quiet strength in his demeanor that stood out most. Rather than being overwhelming, it inspired a sense of trust-something rare, and strangely reassuring.
Without quite understanding why, Kushina felt an unexpected sense of closeness toward him.
Arata crouched down, gently patting Kushina's head as he spoke with a smile.
"Mm, what a cute little girl. You must be Kushina. Mito-hime has mentioned you to me before."
Kushina was known for her fiery temper—normally, anyone who dared touch her head like this would have been punched on the spot. Yet now, faced with Arata's calm demeanor and the faint, inexplicable sense of familiarity she felt from him, she didn't resist at all.
Instead, it was the elite jōnin from the Uzumaki clan who hurriedly spoke up.
"Arata-sama, Kushina-san has been entrusted to you by the clan leader. Her aptitude is more than sufficient to become the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki. In the future, she will surely be of great help to you in ascending to the position of Hokage!"
He said this without the slightest attempt at subtlety. After all, the Third Hokage was still in his prime and showed no intention of stepping down anytime soon.
Arata himself had no reason to deny it. His ambitions were hardly a secret, and there were no civilians around, so he remained silent.
Kushina, on the other hand, lowered her head shyly and spoke softly.
"So… you're Arata-sama? Please take good care of me from now on…"
This left the Uzumaki clan's elite jōnin completely stunned.
He knew Kushina's temperament better than anyone—within the clan, she was practically a little tyrant. Children her age, and even those older than her, were all thoroughly cowed by her. Even adults rarely intimidated her.
Only in front of her grandmother would she ever show such a gentle, girlish side.
And yet now—this was their very first meeting—and Kushina had already accepted Arata as her guardian?
The elite jōnin couldn't help but feel relieved. No matter what, Kushina was an Uzumaki. More than anything, he hoped she could live happily in Konoha. Having a guardian she genuinely acknowledged was the best possible start.
Arata, seeing her reaction, smiled faintly. His expression quickly turned serious as he addressed the Uzumaki jōnin.
"Speak. You didn't bring a future jinchūriki to me without conditions. What do you want?"
Arata had already guessed their purpose.
As the successor personally chosen by Uzumaki Mito, Kushina should normally have been placed under the Hokage's authority—or raised directly by Mito herself. The fact that she had been brought to him instead made their intentions obvious.
They were offering Kushina to him—and using that as leverage to ask for his help in saving the Uzumaki clan.
Just as he expected, the jōnin's next words confirmed it.
In truth, Arata had already planned to set out days ago, when the Uzumaki clan first began seeking help. The only reason he had delayed was to wait for the right moment.
Only when the Uzumaki were pushed to the brink of annihilation—yet not fully destroyed—would intervention truly matter.
Now, that moment had finally arrived.
After explaining everything, the jōnin looked at Arata anxiously, hoping for a positive answer.
He knew all too well what they were facing—twenty thousand allied ninja and five Kage-level fighters. That was no trivial threat. Even a true super-Kage could potentially be worn down and killed under such circumstances.
Arata's reply, however, made him freeze in disbelief.
"The Uzumaki clan's situation… even if you hadn't said anything, I would still intervene. You may return now. As for Kushina—leave her with me."
The jōnin let out a long breath of relief. Regardless of the outcome, Arata's willingness to agree already placed him far above Sarutobi Hiruzen in terms of character and resolve.
"Arata-sama! On behalf of the Uzumaki clan, I offer you our highest respect!"
As he spoke, the jōnin dropped to one knee.
Arata extended a hand, stopping him before he could bow further.
"That won't be necessary. Tsunade carries Uzumaki blood as well—helping is only natural."
When Kushina heard that the Uzumaki clan was being besieged by twenty thousand allied ninja and five Kage-level enemies, despair flashed across her face. She had known things were bad—but not this bad.
Yet seeing Arata still choose to help, even knowing all this, filled her with gratitude and strengthened her acceptance of him as her guardian.
Suddenly, something stirred in Arata's perception. His brow furrowed slightly.
"Someone, take Kushina back to my residence."
The ten jōnin who had just earned Arata's trust stepped forward at once, carefully taking Kushina from the Uzumaki jōnin's care.
This time, Kushina didn't resist. Instead, she looked at Arata's back and spoke softly.
"Arata-sama… please be careful."
She understood exactly what kind of enemies he was about to face.
Arata turned back, smiling faintly.
"Leave the Uzumaki clan to me."
The moment the words fell, his figure vanished completely, leaving everyone present staring in shock.
Only then did they truly understand what Arata's speed meant—what the title "Konoha's Blue Lightning" truly represented.
This was very likely the fastest man in the entire shinobi world.
...
Elsewhere — On the Road to the Land of Whirlpools
A woman shrouded in golden light raced forward at a speed the naked eye could barely follow.
She wore a long robe entirely formed of golden chakra, adorned with black magatama patterns. Her features, framed by this sacred radiance and the small blue mark on her forehead, made her resemble a divine being untouched by the mortal world.
As she moved, she murmured continuously:
"Please hold on… Suikyō… everyone…"
This woman was Uzumaki Mito.
The moment she learned of the Uzumaki clan's encirclement, she had set out to aid them—ignoring even the guards of the tower who tried to stop her.
Only now did she realize how thoroughly Sarutobi Hiruzen had deceived her.
She had believed she understood him completely—yet the fact that she received no warning at all about the Uzumaki clan's crisis proved just how deeply he had concealed the truth.
Was this massacre his doing?
Mito wasn't naïve.
Judging from Hiruzen's persistent refusal to send aid, there was little doubt—he had likely played a role in orchestrating the clan's destruction.
Her feelings toward the Uzumaki clan were complicated.
On one hand, she resented being used as a political bargaining chip and sent to Konoha.
On the other, she deeply missed her homeland… her family… and her siblings.