The newcomer wasn't someone he personally knew, but when he drew upon the deep memories from his past life, this person was undeniably familiar.
A head of dazzling, long fiery-red hair came into view. Under the slanted afternoon sunlight streaming through the doorway, it looked like a blazing flame dancing in the wind, carrying a striking visual impact.
The current Nine-Tails Jinchūriki—the princess of the Uzumaki Clan, Uzumaki Kushina.
Asuka's gaze lingered on her for a brief moment before he calmly withdrew it, his fingertips still resting on the edge of his warm teacup.
Kushina clearly didn't notice the stranger in the corner. She strode in boldly and sat down at the table beside him.
The moment she sat, her expression soured, and she began muttering under her breath. Though her voice was low, Asuka heard every word clearly.
"Honestly, it's fine that Minato went to the battlefield, but even Big Sis Tsunade and Jiraiya-sensei had to go too. In this huge Konoha Village, there isn't even anyone to talk to. It's so boring!"
Asuka lifted his teacup and took a small sip, his expression unchanged, his eyes calm and unreadable.
He naturally understood the situation.
The Battle of Mount Kikyo had already begun. Sunagakure's surprise attack had caught Konoha off guard, forcing nearly all of its core combat power onto the battlefield.
Most of Kushina's friends and peers had also been deployed, heading toward life-and-death battles.
The reason the Konoha higher-ups didn't allow Kushina to join wasn't due to distrust—quite the opposite.
As the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, she was Konoha's ultimate trump card.
No matter how dire the situation became, strict orders were issued to keep her within the Village, forbidding her from participating in combat.
What appeared to be protection felt more like confinement to someone as competitive as her.
Asuka could tell her complaints weren't true resentment, but frustration and unwillingness. Deep down, she understood the gravity of the war and the intentions behind those orders.
As the princess of the Uzumaki Clan, she had undergone rigorous training since childhood. She possessed immense Chakra far beyond ordinary Ninja and had mastered advanced Sealing Jutsu.
In terms of strength alone, she had already surpassed an Elite Jōnin.
Yet because of her status, every move she made was closely monitored by Konoha's ANBU.
Having such power but no way to use it, while watching her companions risk their lives, left her feeling suffocated.
Recently, she had wandered nearly every corner of the Village. With nowhere else to vent her frustration, she had come to Ichiraku Ramen alone, hoping the warmth of food might ease her mood.
"Your ramen's ready!"
The cheerful voice of the shop owner cut through her complaints.
Kushina didn't hesitate. She grabbed her chopsticks and immediately dug in, stuffing noodles into her mouth despite the heat, followed by a slice of chashu. Her eyes narrowed in satisfaction as her earlier frustration visibly melted away.
Seeing her completely absorbed in her meal, Asuka had no intention of disturbing her.
He quickly finished his own bowl, set down his chopsticks, placed the money on the table, and stood to leave.
Before stepping out, he paused—and gave Kushina a deep glance.
That single glance was enough to awaken the long-dormant Nine-Tails within her.
Inside her mindscape, the Nine-Tails' massive Chakra surged violently. Its crimson vertical pupils snapped open, filled with alarm and wariness.
It could clearly feel the pressure hidden within that gaze.
Even when facing Senju Hashirama or Uchiha Madara in the past, it had never experienced something so terrifying.
Kushina froze as the sudden surge of Chakra startled her, nearly dropping her chopsticks.
Frowning, she instinctively pressed her abdomen and looked around, confused—but saw nothing unusual.
The unsettling feeling vanished as quickly as it came, like an illusion.
Shaking her head, she dismissed it as stress and returned to her ramen.
Meanwhile, Asuka had already left Ichiraku.
He wandered through Konoha's streets without urgency.
The Village felt unusually quiet. Most people moved quickly, their expressions tense with worry. With the war ongoing, no one knew when bad news might arrive.
Asuka, however, remained completely indifferent.
He slowly expanded his sensory perception. Like an invisible web, it spread across the Village, mapping out the locations of major Ninja clans and their personnel distribution.
After an entire day of wandering, he finally stopped and checked into an inconspicuous inn.
Night fell.
Under the moonlight, Asuka stood by the window, his gaze fixed on the distant Hokage Building.
The next second—he vanished.
When he reappeared, he was already near the Hokage Building.
He observed carefully. Security had clearly been tightened—guards were more numerous, patrols more frequent.
Asuka remained calm as he activated the Byakugan.
Through its vision, nearly the entire building layout came into view, except for a few areas protected by special barriers.
Guards patrolled the corridors. Staff worked tirelessly, processing battlefield intelligence.
From what he saw, Konoha's high-end combat power was indeed stretched thin. Even the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had left for the Iwagakure battlefield.
After locating the general area where secret scrolls were stored, Asuka disappeared once more.
He reappeared before a heavily guarded barrier.
Four ANBU stood watch outside a sealed chamber.
Asuka stood in the shadows nearby—completely unnoticed.
His body blended seamlessly with the environment, as if he didn't exist at all.
Even the airflow from his breathing was perfectly concealed.
This was one of his minor abilities—chameleon-like mimicry—allowing him to match his surroundings perfectly.
Combined with his advanced concealment techniques, even sensory-type Ninja would struggle to detect him.
Step by step, he approached the chamber.
He passed through the barrier… then through the door… as if moving through air.
This was his Phase Shifting ability—allowing his body to exist in a state where physical matter offered no resistance.
Blades, walls, barriers—none could stop him.
Unlike Uchiha Obito's Kamui, which transported objects to another dimension, this ability simply let attacks and obstacles pass through him.
Each had its own advantages.
The moment he stepped inside the secret room—
Asuka's eyes lit up.
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