"Go back?"
Kazuki blinked.
Go back?
To the Uzumaki compound?
He had moved out when he was ten.
Back then, Kushina's temper had been… explosive.
Between the constant sparring and the awkwardness of growing up together, he'd simply packed up and moved to a small riverside cabin outside the village.
Freedom was easier.
Distance was safer.
He never expected he'd be invited back.
Mito Uzumaki looked at him kindly.
"Yes. You won't be living alone anymore."
Kazuki scratched his cheek.
"Old Lady Mito, I appreciate it… but I'm used to living by myself."
Kushina's smile faltered.
Did she push him away back then?
Did she hit him too much?
Biwako Sarutobi spoke gently.
"Kazuki, this is for your own safety."
"And," she added with a knowing smile, "Kushina would have company."
Kushina's face flushed instantly.
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded.
"You've awakened Wood Release. Living outside the village isn't wise."
Mito stepped closer.
"Kazuki… indulge this old woman's worry."
He sighed.
"…Alright. I'll move back. Just give me one night to pack."
Kushina brightened.
"Do you need help?"
"No." He smiled lightly. "See you tomorrow, Kushina."
Hiruzen cleared his throat.
"Both of you. My office. Ten o'clock tomorrow morning."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Kazuki turned and walked into the night.
Kushina watched him go, reluctant.
Mito smiled softly.
She wasn't blind.
Meanwhile, Hiruzen's expression grew serious.
Kumogakure had crossed a dangerous line.
Even sending high-level operatives near the border.
And worse—
Kushina's kidnapping likely required inside assistance.
The threat wasn't just external.
The village itself was restless.
That Night — Kazuki's Cabin
Kazuki lay back on his wooden floor.
Today's harvest was ridiculous.
Hashirama's character card
Flying Thunder God Technique
Impure World Reincarnation
And Kushina's growing affection
"The timeline's already changing…"
With his help, maybe Kushina really could become the first female Hokage.
And—
There was still one unopened Supreme Pack.
[Open Supreme Gift Pack?]
"Yes."
[Congratulations. You have obtained S-Rank Summoning Inheritance — Ryūchi Cave.]
Ryūchi Cave.
One of the Three Great Sage Regions.
Home of the White Snake Sage.
Kazuki stared at the inheritance scroll that appeared in his hand.
Orochimaru's giant snakes.
Manda.
Aoda.
All originated from there.
"…Interesting."
He glanced toward the window.
And froze.
Small white snakes.
Dozens.
Then hundreds.
Slithering silently around his cabin.
Cold malice filled the air.
Kazuki's eyes narrowed.
"Orochimaru…"
Wooden roots burst from the ground instantly, pinning the snakes to the floor.
"Good… very good…"
A chilling voice echoed outside.
Kazuki stepped to the window.
Orochimaru stood by the river.
Pale face.
Golden snake-like eyes.
That unsettling smile.
This was their first meeting.
And Orochimaru was smiling like he'd discovered treasure.
"How fascinating…" Orochimaru murmured. "Wood Release… and at your age."
Kazuki sighed.
"You broke my window. You're paying for that."
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed.
This boy wasn't afraid.
That made him even more valuable.
"Darkness Technique."
Suddenly—
The world went black.
Absolute blackness.
A visual genjutsu that swallowed all light.
Only the caster could see.
Orochimaru's pupils constricted slightly.
"That technique… from the Senju?"
His interest intensified.
A living Wood Release user.
With rare ninjutsu.
Far more valuable than Hashirama's corpse.
"I must take you back," Orochimaru whispered.
"Body Bind Technique."
A powerful paralysis jutsu.
Even elite shinobi could be restrained.
Kazuki's body froze—
But—
A thunderous impact exploded.
Even immobilized—
The sheer force of his movement shattered the restraint.
Wood-enhanced strength.
Momentum alone carried him forward.
His kick detonated Orochimaru's body.
Blood splattered.
White snake fragments scattered across the floor.
"Substitution…"
Kazuki's eyes sharpened.
Ten meters away—
Orochimaru reappeared.
A thin line of blood ran down his cheek.
He had barely avoided losing his head.
For the first time—
Orochimaru stopped smiling.
If he had been even a fraction slower—
He would be dead.
"…How terrifying."
The killing intent in the air thickened.
Kazuki exhaled slowly.
Five percent fusion.
And he had already forced Orochimaru to retreat.
The river wind howled softly.
Two predators faced each other in the moonlight.
Neither blinking.
Neither yielding.