"Don't be angry." Uzumaki Jun patted Kushina's head and smiled. "I..."
He didn't know what to say anymore.
If he said any more, he would sound like a scoundrel. After all, this was an uplifting story, and he...
Was the savior who brought hope to the shinobi world!
So...
A smile would suffice.
Uzumaki Jun did understand Kushina and the others' feelings, but...
For now, he could only apologize.
"I hate you!" Kushina had been looking at Jun with expectation, but when he remained silent, she angrily shouted and turned to leave.
After all...
The two of them had grown up together.
Uzumaki Jun watched as Kushina left and sighed helplessly, rubbing his temples. He didn't chase after her.
He knew...
Kyoko and Nono were waiting outside for Kushina.
What good would chasing after her do now?
He would have to wait a few days.
"Truly..." Uzumaki Jun shook his head and sighed softly. "I am just too outstanding."
Konoha.
"Dad." Hatake Kakashi saw his father coming to pick him up as usual and patted his thick-browed, bowl-cut-wearing classmate in green spandex before running toward Hatake Sakumo.
"Is this your friend?" Sakumo held Kakashi's hand and smiled. "Did you pay attention in class today?"
As he looked at Kakashi, a trace of reluctance flashed in his eyes.
Then...
"Kakashi, you'll be graduating soon, right?" Sakumo gazed at the sunset and said with emotion. "What do you want to be in the future?"
"A shinobi." Kakashi said expressionlessly, glancing at the Fire Sleeve on Sakumo's right shoulder. "Just like Dad, I want to become a great shinobi."
"To protect Konoha."
"Great?" Sakumo's eyes dimmed as he touched his Fire Sleeve and murmured. "Is that really the case?"
This was something he had earned as a hero of Konoha, having shed blood and sweat for the village.
Yet now...
Sakumo smiled bitterly and shook his head.
In the end...
Even his own comrades had turned against him, including the one he had saved.
It seemed someone higher up was putting pressure on them.
Even though everything he had done was for the village...
Though it chilled his heart, Sakumo didn't regret it. If given another chance, he would still save his comrade.
Because...
That was who he was.
Hatake Sakumo!!
His heart always held firm to his ninja way, his samurai code.
Sakumo looked at Konoha under the twilight, at the villagers bathed in the setting sun.
"The Will of Fire..."
"Dad." Kakashi looked up at Sakumo and frowned. "What's wrong?"
His father seemed a bit off today.
"It's nothing." Sakumo snapped out of it and smiled. "Just walk with me today."
"It's been a long time since we've strolled together."
"Yeah." Kakashi nodded without saying much. Of course, he had heard some of the rumors about his father in the village, but he always believed...
His father was an extraordinary shinobi.
Especially when he heard his father suddenly wanted to walk around the village today, Kakashi was a little surprised but also secretly relieved.
It seemed...
His father had moved on.
Land of Whirlpools.
"I've called you all here today because we've been given an important task from above." Uzumaki Riki looked at the construction team leaders gathered around the table and pointed at the map. "The Land of Whirlpools' territory is slowly becoming insufficient."
"To avoid causing too much damage to the ecosystem, we must expand our territory."
Hearing Riki's words, one of the Uzu-nin clenched his fists excitedly. "Are we going to attack another country?"
After all these years of moving bricks, was he finally going to see battle?
"What nonsense!" Uzumaki Riki frowned and scolded. "The Land of Whirlpools is a peace-loving nation."
"We will never recklessly start wars."
"Besides..." Riki glanced at the team leaders. "War is the military's responsibility."
He glared at the Uzu-nin...
Wait, no, this Uzu-nin was actually from the military, just sent here to help.
But...
As a soldier, how could he speak so carelessly?
This could cause chaos, especially since many foreign shinobi were now in the Land of Whirlpools.
There might even be spies from other villages among them...
If they talked about war now, enemy forces might attack tomorrow.
"Our main task starts here..." Riki pointed to a stretch of sea east of the Land of Whirlpools. "Land reclamation."
"Land reclamation?" Roshi frowned at the map. "Using Earth Release?"
Wouldn't that consume too much chakra?
He remembered the Land of Whirlpools didn't have that many Earth Release users. If they relied solely on these shinobi, how long would it take to reclaim land?
Still, he sighed in relief. When he heard about expanding territory, he had thought it meant war and wondered what to do.
Should he inform Iwagakure?
Fortunately, it was just reclamation.
At least his conscience wouldn't be burdened, and...
He had bought a house in the Land of Whirlpools!
"Yes." Riki looked at the team leaders. "Tomorrow, the higher-ups will distribute tools for reclamation."
"I don't know the specifics yet since I haven't received them."
"Probably everything will be clear tomorrow." Riki said helplessly. "I called you today to gather all the shinobi in one place."
"It'll make management easier."
He had only received this news recently. Though the timing was tight, since it was Jun's request, as his father, he could only do his best not to hold him back.
"Understood!" Everyone's expressions turned serious as they nodded.
"Then everyone is dismissed for today." Riki smiled. "Things might get busy later."
After all, the higher-ups demanded quickly reclaiming enough land for people to live and work on.
However...
The gathered leaders exchanged knowing smiles. "Is it because Jun-sama is getting married?"
"Minister, you'll have to treat us to a drink then!"
"Hahaha." Riki laughed. "Of course, no one will be left out."
He wasn't surprised they knew about Jun's marriage. After all, it was the wedding of a nation's leader, and the clan head and elders were pushing for it...
The Land of Whirlpools...
Could no longer rely solely on the Uzumaki Clan as before.
So, for the country's future stability, Jun marrying girls from other clans was necessary. He even needed to take on disciples from other clans, but since Jun was busy, the higher-ups hadn't pressed the issue.
Still...
"What a shame." Riki sighed and shook his head.
He...
Had always liked Kushina.
But that brat went and proposed to someone else without a word.
Konoha.
"What was that sound?" Kakashi rubbed his eyes and stood up, muttering. "Why such a loud noise all of a sudden?"
His father had seemed in good spirits today, so they had stayed out late.
They even ate barbecue together.
It had been a long time since they had spent time like this.
"That sound just now." Kakashi, now more alert, frowned as he looked toward a nearby room. "It came from Dad's room."
He stood and walked over...
"Dad!" Kakashi knocked on the door. "What happened?"
But...
There was no sound from inside.
Kakashi's frown deepened. A bad feeling rose in his chest, especially when...
"The smell of blood?"
Panicking, he pushed the door open and looked inside...
"Dad!!"