Chapter 317: The Uzumaki Family
Approaching noon, Naruto stayed with Gaara until Sand Village's delegation and prisoner convoy completely disappeared at the horizon's end, officially embarking on their homeward journey. Only then did he turn around and head back toward his small apartment.
Walking along familiar streets, Naruto couldn't help recalling fragmentary news he'd just heard from other Konoha ninja's casual conversations—apparently before Mom came to find him, she'd specially "visited" the Hokage Building, and... given the Third Hokage a beating?
Thinking of how Satsuki had previously defended him in the streets, losing her temper at those villagers... warmth surged through Naruto's heart. Looks like in their hearts, he truly held great importance. When he himself hadn't yet figured out how to handle those past troubles, they'd already stood up for him...
However, Mom should have restraint, right... She should hold back, not actually beat the old man to death... probably?
But... how did Mom learn those specific past details? Could the Third Hokage have voluntarily confessed? This possibility left Naruto somewhat puzzled.
Lost in such thoughts, Naruto unknowingly arrived beneath that slightly aged small apartment building where he lived.
Just as he prepared to step onto the stairs leading upward, he heard a familiar yet thoroughly annoyed female voice from above, voice suppressing obvious fury.
"I'm saying this for the last time! Get out! Can you people not understand human speech?!"
Immediately following were several male voices carrying ingratiating and aggrieved tones making excuses.
"No... this... Who exactly are you? Why would you be in Naruto-sama's home?"
"I have no need to explain my identity to you!" That female voice grew even more impatient. "I'm starting to count down from three now—you'll 'voluntarily' get out yourselves, right?"
"But you won't even say who you are, yet you're driving us away like this. Isn't that managing things a bit too broadly..."
"Three!" The cold countdown rang out mercilessly.
"Wait wait wait! We understand, we're leaving! But wait a moment, we just want to..."
"Two!"
"Don't throw that! That's very expensive!"
"One!"
Hearing this, Naruto quickly dodged to the side of the staircase!
Almost the instant he moved aside, amid a chorus of "Ouch ow ow" chaotic yelling, four or five well-dressed Konoha villagers, like garbage bags being disposed of, were roughly thrown down from above the staircase, rolling into a heap in embarrassment, tumbling onto the platform at the staircase corner.
"Also!" From above the staircase, Kushina Uzumaki appeared at the staircase entrance with fury written across her face, glaring at that group below.
"Remember to take away all this trash you brought too!"
As her words fell, several exquisitely packaged, obviously valuable gift boxes were unceremoniously treated as "garbage" and casually thrown down, accurately hitting those several villagers who'd just climbed up, still in shock.
Standing at the staircase's top, emanating a "keep away" aura, was Kushina Uzumaki—whose fury had risen another level after learning bad news at the Uchiha compound.
Those several villagers thrown down the stairs grimaced feeling the pain on their bodies, wobbling as they stood up. They immediately spotted the exquisite gift boxes discarded on them like garbage, hurriedly retrieving them distressedly, carefully cradling them in their arms.
"Th-this wasn't even for you!" A slightly bolder villager mustered courage, looking up and shouting at Kushina on the staircase. "This is gifts we're giving to Naruto-sama! Do you know how precious these things are..."
Before his words finished, peripheral vision caught sight of the blonde youth standing quietly beside the staircase. His eyes instantly brightened.
"Naruto... Naruto-sama! You've returned! You've worked so hard!" He immediately switched to an extremely ingratiating smile, along with the others quickly approaching. "Past matters... were all our fault! This is a small token of our sincerity—you absolutely, absolutely must accept it!"
As though fearing Naruto might refuse, they hurriedly opened the gift box lids in their hands right there, eagerly displaying the "sincerity" inside.
"Look at this!" The first villager held up a crystal-clear crystal sculpture. "This is a master's masterpiece carefully carved from crystal by skilled craftsmen from the Land of Rainbows! Incomparably precious! Look, under light it can even refract rainbow-colored brilliance!"
"And this is free meal vouchers for the Land of Fire's highest-class restaurant! That's a place only nobles and daimyo-level important figures have qualification to enjoy!"
"Naruto-sama, this is detailed contact information for all unmarried girls around your age in Konoha Village! I personally inquired one by one—they all greatly admire and look up to you! If you're interested, anytime you can..."
The villagers introduced things at rapid speed, almost forcing these expensive yet superficial luxury items into Naruto's arms without allowing refusal.
"Hey! Don't touch him with your dirty hands!"
Seeing this group actually surrounding Naruto, even trying to pull and tug at him, Kushina's fury instantly soared to its peak! She rushed down the staircase in one stride, yanked Naruto behind her to firmly protect him, then reached out to grab the collar of that villager holding the girls' roster with the most obsequious smile, effortlessly lifting his entire person up and throwing him forcefully outward!
"Waah—!"
That villager's head hit the nearby wall perfectly, then his eyes rolled back as he peacefully fell asleep.
Kushina cracked her knuckles, joints producing chilling "crack" sounds, emanating tangible killing intent throughout her body as she said word by word in icy tones:
"I'm. Asking. For. The. Last. Time—Will you roll away yourselves now, or wait for me to 'help' you roll? Next time won't be this 'gentle.'"
"B-but..." The remaining villagers looked at their unconscious companion, faces pale with fright, yet someone still mumbled unwillingly in a small voice, "You... what right do you have to manage so broadly..."
"Mom, what exactly is...?" Naruto spoke up timely from behind Kushina.
Kushina immediately turned around, the killing intent on her face instantly melting like ice and snow, switching to an incomparably gentle expression as she softly soothed: "It's nothing, Naruto. Don't look at these. Mom's just cleaning up some trash blocking our doorway. It'll be done soon."
However, that address "Mom" was like thunder on level ground, clearly transmitted into the remaining villagers' ears. They instantly froze, all chattering and dissatisfied complaints stopping abruptly. Everyone stared wide-eyed with mouths agape, faces written full of extreme shock and disbelief, desperately digesting this explosive information.
Kushina glanced at their dumbstruck appearance, once again turning around with killing intent, that gaze clearly conveying one message—if you don't leave, the same fate as that guy on the wall awaits!
The remaining villagers were thoroughly intimidated by this terrifying killing intent, finally realizing this woman before them was absolutely serious and terrifyingly powerful! They immediately scattered like frightened birds and beasts, fleeing this dangerous place in panic, not forgetting to drag away that unlucky companion Kushina had put to sleep.
---
Returning to the somewhat cramped yet warm home, little Zacian still lay peacefully on the floor, blue tail tip occasionally swaying lightly. Though inwardly it somewhat desired to go out for walks or attempt developing its innate battle talents.
But as a divine beast with good upbringing, without anyone leading, it chose patient waiting. For Zacian whose core mission was "protection," what it least lacked was patience.
Naruto felt somewhat uncertain—was it an illusion? He always felt little Zacian's body size seemed... somewhat larger than when it hatched yesterday?
"Those annoying people finally all left!" Kushina released a long breath, face blooming with warm smiles again, completely different from just now's violent image emanating "Blood Red Habanero" aura. "Naruto, Mom's preparing lunch now. What do you want to eat? Just say it!"
"Um... Mom," Naruto looked around somewhat puzzled. "Where's Satsuki? Wasn't she with you?"
" Satsuki?" Kushina tied on an apron while answering. "She still has some matters to handle at the Uchiha compound. But don't worry, she should come find you very quickly this afternoon."
Kushina recalled the conversation with her good friend, mouth corners involuntarily rising slightly. When she mentioned that childhood betrothal agreement from back then, unexpectedly Mikoto told Kushina the two children had privately agreed long ago—once they reached adulthood, they'd officially establish their relationship!
Moreover, Satsuki that child, upon learning there'd been a childhood betrothal arranged, showed such a happy yet slightly shy appearance—truly adorable, completely different from most Uchiha in Kushina's impression who always had stern faces.
At this moment, in the Uchiha compound's residence, Uchiha Mikoto and Uchiha Fugaku were indeed conducting a serious conversation with daughter Satsuki, content concerning Naruto's lineage plus the complex reasons why everything had been concealed from her in the past.
"By the way, Mom," Naruto hesitated, still asking another question weighing on his heart. "Today you... did you go find the Third Hokage again? How is the Third's... situation?"
He recalled Kushina already knew about the Uchiha clan's near-annihilation in Konoha, though several hundred Uchiha clan members still lived in the Land of Hot Water.
Kushina knew Minato's efforts while alive to improve the Uchiha's circumstances had ultimately come to nothing. With that protective yet explosive temper, she wouldn't truly have, in great fury, made the Third Hokage...
"...I severely taught those two old advisors a lesson!" Kushina waved her fist, tone still carrying residual fury. "Who told them to keep yelling things like 'The Uchiha are a threat,' 'The current result is already the best handling method,' such bastard talk!"
"...What about the Third Hokage?" Naruto carefully pressed.
"...I didn't lay hands on him." Kushina paused, answering in somewhat complex tones.
"Eh? Why?" Naruto felt very surprised by this answer. He understood his mother—she absolutely wouldn't lie to him about such matters. Yet she'd actually let pass the Third Hokage who superficially bore management failure responsibility for the Uchiha tragedy? This didn't fit her personality.
"Well... oh my, let's not talk about these unpleasant things first!" Kushina laughed awkwardly, somewhat stiffly skipping this topic, turning toward the kitchen. "Mom's going to cook now! Naruto, have you decided what you want to eat?"
The true reason... Kushina didn't want Naruto to know. Kushina's back to her son, eyes dimming. She feared... this would affect the relationship between Naruto and Satsuki.
The reason she forcibly suppressed fury without laying hands on the Third Hokage was because in the Third's heavy narration, it included a detail that made her heart leap with fright.
In the radical faction's plan plotted by the Uchiha clan's hawk faction, the first step was to kidnap the Nine-Tails jinchuriki Uzumaki Naruto, use the Sharingan's power to control the Nine-Tails, thereby launching a coup to overthrow Konoha's government.