"Shark-faced kid, you stay here for now. Tomorrow, during the selection for the other three Seven Ninja Blade wielders, someone will come take you."
After settling Kisame in, Akio looked at the two children and felt a headache coming on.
Ever since leaving Zabuza's side, Haku's expression had been off.
As for Kimimaro, he was clutching Akio's sleeve tightly, looking determined not to let go…
Honestly, the best method would be to have them look after each other, arrange for them to live together so they can gradually break out of their unhealthy dependence.
But that kind of… correct tendency needs to be guided from childhood.
Maybe he should arrange a girl to join their team tomorrow.
As for tonight…
"If I don't go to hell, who will?"
And so, in Akio's room tonight, the number of little boys went from one… to two.
…
Meanwhile, in the central region of the Land of Rain
Konoha, Iwagakure, and local Rain ninja had all silently agreed not to fight each other for now, spreading out to investigate.
Their only finds were half of a salamander and scattered traces of battle.
In a space they could not see, however, two men and two women were lying around like corpses.
"Yahiko… now I finally understand why you brought these two little brats along," Ringo Ameyuri said weakly.
Yahiko sat up. "We were fighting a ninja known as a demigod, he wasn't someone you take down easily. If he hadn't aged… and if Obito hadn't used that move, we probably wouldn't have escaped intact."
"Hehe." Obito laughed foolishly twice.
Rin also sat up, giving Obito's leg a light punch with her small, pink fist, making him swallow the rest of his stupid grin.
"Yahiko-nii, why are we hiding inside this dimension? Aren't we supposed to take control of the Land of Rain?" Obito asked.
"We need at least a day in here to recover. Right now, the Land of Rain is still a battlefield. And as for taking over the government, he alone is more than enough."
Yahiko looked at the other side of the space, where Hanzō's corpse lay.
Ringo Ameyuri struggled to sit up, glancing at Hanzō and then at his flattened foot.
"You little brat, where'd you learn such a nasty trick?"
"Hehe." Obito giggled again. "Rin, I miss our teacher."
"Mm… we don't know where he's been these last two years. Once the war is over, I hope Sensei returns to Konoha," Rin replied softly, then turned to Yahiko.
"Yahiko-nii, what will you all do next?"
They still had no idea that Hagoromo was actually Akio…
Yahiko looked at her. "Once we've recovered, we'll take control of Rain's government and lead this country out of war."
"Obito, what about us?"
Obito scratched his head, embarrassed.
"Yahiko-nii, we can only help for a while longer. After that, we have to return to Konoha."
Hanzō's death had repaid most of their debt.
And Konoha still held Obito's friends and his dreams, he couldn't just impulsively join Akatsuki.
Besides, the most important thing:
He still hadn't flaunted his newly awakened Mangekyō Sharingan in front of Kakashi.
Yahiko closed his eyes slightly.
"Konoha, huh… then go."
It had brought great pain to the Land of Rain, but it was also the village of Jiraiya-sensei, and of Obito and Rin…
…
The next morning.
Akio slowly opened his eyes. When he rolled over, he nearly fell off the bed.
Sitting up and taking in the room around him, he could only smile helplessly.
Two children with no sense of security had slept on Akio's large bed, with a very thick divider Akio had placed between them.
As for Akio himself?
He'd slept on three chairs lined up together…
He had considered using Earth Release to make a heated brick platform, but cleaning that sort of thing was too troublesome.
He just needed to endure one night, once the two children got over the fear of arriving in the Uzumaki Country, he didn't plan to accompany them like this every night.
They needed to adapt on their own.
After waking the two little boys, Akio took them for a simple breakfast, then brought them to Kushina's house.
"Ancestor!"
Naruto had been well-trained by Kushina, he actually greeted people first.
Then his eyes wandered and landed on Haku's face.
Seeing the look of curiosity on Naruto's face, Akio sighed internally. Sometimes reality was cruel…
After letting the kids get to know each other, Akio pulled Kushina aside.
"Is there a talented young girl in the Uzumaki Country recently? I want to put her on the same team as those two kids."
Kushina blinked. "Those two are the children you brought back from the Mist? No need to add anyone, just the two of them is fine."
Akio chuckled softly and whispered, "They're both boys."
"So what?"
Kushina studied his expression, then gave him a "Great-Grandpa, you're overthinking things" look.
"…Really?"
"Ahem, better safe than sorry."
Kushina sighed helplessly. "Well, I do know one girl who might fit. She's in her first year at the academy, nearly seven."
"Oh?" Akio's eyes lit up. He had only come to ask tentatively, if not, he'd look elsewhere. He didn't expect success so quickly.
"After becoming the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, I gained some sensory ability," Kushina continued.
"In my senses, that girl feels a bit like you. I've been meaning to mention her to you."
"Like me?"
Akio's mouth twitched.
Don't tell me Kaguya disguised herself and snuck into the Uzumaki Country…
"What's her name?"
"Uzumaki Karin."
Akio froze for a moment, murmuring in his heart, So it's her. No wonder.
He looked at Kushina. "Seems you've been watching her for a while?"
Kushina smiled. "She suits my tastes. When she graduates, I want to take her as my disciple. Even though she's a bit older than Naruto, her talent is good, so I was thinking"
"Stop, stop."
Akio's face darkened instantly.
"Naruto is still a baby. Don't just start matchmaking randomly."
"I wasn't"
"Whatever you say. It's still early, class probably hasn't started yet. Take me to her."
Kushina nodded, told Naruto to behave at home, and led Akio and the two kids toward the academy.
Naruto even waved politely.
"Bye, Ancestor! Bye, big brother! Bye, big sister!"
Akio scratched his head.
He didn't care about Naruto calling Haku "big sister", he was focused on Kushina.
"Keep an eye on him. I really feel like something's off… he suddenly became way too well-behaved."
"I feel the same…" Kushina agreed seriously.
Under her lead, Akio soon saw little Karin.
"Aunt Kushina!" Karin greeted, then skipped right over Akio and stared directly at the two children behind him.
When her eyes landed on Kimimaro:
Handsome!
When her eyes landed on Haku:
Rival!
Akio's headache immediately worsened.
---
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