It was already late at night when he emerged from the Kamui Dimension.
Uchiha Ketsue returned to the courtyard and found that the lights in Uzumaki Kushina's room were still on.
Uchiha Ketsue walked over, saw the door was ajar, and went straight in.
Inside the room, Uzumaki Kushina was fast asleep, sprawled on the table.
Seeing this, Uchiha Ketsue walked up to her, gently picked her up, and placed her on the bed.
However, as he was covering Uzumaki Kushina with the blanket, their bodies accidentally brushed, startling her awake.
Upon seeing Uchiha Ketsue, Uzumaki Kushina froze for a moment, then crossed her arms over her chest and said, "Ket-Ketsue, what are you doing here? What were you doing just now?"
Looking at Uzumaki Kushina's defensive posture, Uchiha Ketsue said indifferently, "When someone covers you with a blanket while you're sleeping, you should just say thank you, not ask 'What are you doing here?' or 'What were you doing just now?' Those are ungrateful words."
"Huh?"
"'Huh' what? Say thank you."
Feeling Uchiha Ketsue's gaze, Uzumaki Kushina mumbled, "Tha-thank you..."
Seeing that Uzumaki Kushina had forgotten to press the issue, Uchiha Ketsue changed the subject, "Kushina, why were you sleeping on the table with the door open?"
Uzumaki Kushina explained, "I heard you were back, so I was waiting for you at home."
"You don't have to wait for me anymore. When I come back, I'll definitely come find you first," Uchiha Ketsue said, stroking Uzumaki Kushina's hair. "Even if you're asleep, I'll sneak in to see you."
Hearing this, Uzumaki Kushina's face flushed, and she pouted, "Pervert!"
Yes, that's the feeling.
Uchiha Ketsue smiled contentedly and said, "It's too late tonight. You should go to sleep. We'll have a meal together tomorrow."
"Got it. I'll call Mikoto too."
"Good girl."
"Hmph!"
After chatting with Uzumaki Kushina for a while, Uchiha Ketsue returned to his own room.
If he remembered correctly, there was another family with a special bloodline in the Land of Lightning.
Speaking of which, that clan had some ties to the Uchiha clan.
——
——
The next day.
Uchiha Ketsue finally stretched and walked out of his room, having slept until noon.
As soon as he stepped out, he saw Uzumaki Kushina and Uchiha Mikoto whispering to each other in the courtyard.
Seeing this, Uchiha Ketsue walked over with a smile, putting an arm around each of them, "Kushina, Mikoto, good morning."
Uchiha Mikoto shyly lowered her head, and Uzumaki Kushina playfully struggled for a moment before saying, "It's already noon, you big sleepyhead."
Uchiha Ketsue said with a hint of displeasure, "Kushina, watch your words, or I'll spank you."
Uzumaki Kushina snorted, "I'm not afraid of you. Senior Lihuo has already adopted me as her goddaughter."
"From now on, if you bully me and Mikoto, I'll go complain to Senior Lihuo."
Hearing this, Uchiha Ketsue looked curiously at Uchiha Mikoto, "Mikoto, is what Kushina said true?"
"Mm," Uchiha Mikoto nodded with a smile, "So you're the one who should be careful now."
Sister flowers... one with black hair, one with red hair, one gentle, one lively... it just made him more excited!
Uchiha Ketsue didn't reply, but a phrase unconsciously popped into his mind.
What do you mean by giving me double the betrothal gifts?
——
——
After having lunch with Uchiha Mikoto and Uzumaki Kushina, Uchiha Ketsue went to the Raikage Building.
In the secret room for archives, Uchiha Ketsue found records about the Chinoike clan.
There wasn't much information, so Uchiha Ketsue quickly grasped everything about the Chinoike clan.
According to the records, the Chinoike clan had lived in the Land of Lightning for generations, possessing a Kekkei Genkai called the Ketsuryūgan, which allowed them to turn others' bodies into human bombs using blood as a medium.
During the Warring States period, a member of the Chinoike clan married the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning, and the Daimyo's affection for her aroused the jealousy of his main wife.
Coincidentally, not long after the woman married the Daimyo, the Daimyo suddenly died.
The Daimyo's main wife blamed everything on the woman from the Chinoike clan.
The woman was forced to commit suicide, and the Chinoike clan was also implicated; all their members were imprisoned in Hell Valley in the Land of Lightning.
The Uchiha clan was responsible for guarding them.
Later, when the Uchiha clan and the Senju clan joined forces to establish Konoha, the task of guarding the Chinoike clan was transferred to Kumogakure.
Even now, members of the Chinoike clan are still not allowed to leave Hell Valley.
"How truly tragic."
Simply because of the Daimyo's main wife's jealousy, the Chinoike clan had been imprisoned for hundreds of years.
If nothing unexpected happened, the Chinoike clan would continue to be imprisoned for all eternity, until their extinction... Despite possessing great power, in the eyes of those Daimyo and nobles, they were merely tools that could be discarded at will.
Such a ninja world, how distorted!
Uchiha Ketsue's gaze grew cold.
In such a supernatural world, those who possess power should rightfully enjoy everything.
No matter what others thought, he certainly had no regard for Daimyo or anything of the sort.
If they dared to displease him, he would simply kill them!
——
——
Raikage's office.
The Third Raikage, Mabui, and Dodai were discussing how to use the reparations from Konoha.
Seeing Uchiha Ketsue enter, Mabui and Dodai immediately stood up, "Lord Ketsue."
They respected this powerful young man from the bottom of their hearts, as he had caused Kumogakure's strength to soar to become the strongest in the ninja world.
Without Uchiha Ketsue, where would Kumogakure's ninja have their current happy lives?
Uchiha Ketsue waved his hand, "No need for formalities. I came to discuss something with the Third Raikage."
Hearing this, the Third Raikage asked curiously, "Ketsue, is there anything you need my help with?"
"The Chinoike clan members are still imprisoned in Hell Valley in the Land of Lightning, right?"
"They possess the Ketsuryūgan Kekkei Genkai; it's a pity not to utilize such power."
"I want to bring them back to the village."
After Uchiha Ketsue finished speaking, the Third Raikage, Dodai, and Mabui were all stunned.
They had never expected Uchiha Ketsue to suddenly make such a request.
Dodai carefully began, "Lord Ketsue, the Chinoike clan is a criminal clan ordered to be imprisoned by successive Daimyo. If we release them, the Daimyo will not agree."
Kumogakure had few Kekkei Genkai, so they had always yearned for ninja with Kekkei Genkai.
The Second Raikage had once requested the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning to release a few talented Chinoike clan members, but he was met with a stern refusal.
Therefore, Kumogakure would rather plunder children with Kekkei Genkai from all over the ninja world than consider releasing the Chinoike clan from Hell Valley.
Now, Uchiha Ketsue was making such a request; it was very difficult to handle...