nma's voice sounded from behind Jiraiya:
"By the way, Jiraiya."
Jiraiya's steps halted, and he slightly turned his head.
nma continued: "The next ti you go to Mount Myoboku, please deliver a ssage to that old toad for ."
Jiraiya couldn't help but turn around, complaining sowhat discontentedly: "Hey, hey, hey, kid, the Great Toad Sage is a Sage who has lived for over a thousand years. You should at least show so respect!"
nma ignored his complaint. Looking directly at him, he said word by word:
"Please tell it that I have already found the Otsutsuki clansman who ca to this planet together with that woman Kaguya. The invasion of the Otsutsuki Clan against the ninja world, I will personally resolve it."
His tone suddenly turned cold, carrying a chilling warning:
"However, Mount Myoboku had better behave itself and not attempt to interfere in the internal process of the Ninja World again. Otherwise, the next war of the Land of Stars will inevitably erupt at Mount Myoboku."
This barefaced threat made Jiraiya's face instantly darken, his heart greatly shaken.
At the sa ti, the information revealed in nma's words made him even more startled and doubtful.
'Kaguya?'
'Otsutsuki Clan's invasion?'
'These unfamiliar terms seed to involve more ancient secrets.'
The wind at the ferry crossing seed to beco piercingly cold at this mont.
The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the river surface a golden-red. The ferry boat slowly left the shore, sailing downstream.
Jiraiya stood alone at the stern of the ferry, his long white hair fluttering in the evening breeze. He gazed for a long ti at the two figures gradually shrinking on the shore.
His face lacked its usual playfulness, his brows knit tightly. His eyes were filled with unprecedentedly complex emotions: shock, confusion, vigilance, and a hint of indescribable... wavering.
Shura's final warning against Mount Myoboku and those words about the [Otsutsuki Clan] echoed in his mind like thunderclaps.
He had to imdiately send this intelligence, along with everything he had seen and heard in the Land of Stars, back to Konoha and Mount Myoboku as soon as possible, and deliver them to Hiruzen and the Great Toad Sage.
The threat level of the Land of Stars far exceeded his imagination!
However, at the sa ti, another scene was also unable to be dispelled from his mind.
The boundless golden sea of rice, the sincere, satisfied smiles on the farrs' faces, the prosperous and orderly cities, and those ordinary people filled with hope for life.
All of this ford an overly stark contrast with the usual state of the Ninja World in his mory… constant war, vast wealth disparity, and noble oppression of commoners.
Shura's ideology was not empty slogans but was presented through tangible prosperity and stability.
This impact was far more powerful than any verbal debate.
On the other side, nma at the ferry crossing let Jiraiya leave, knowing that the next ti they t, it might be on the battlefield.
He was well aware of this Konoha's Sannin's identity and anticipated that the other would report what he had seen and heard in the Land of Stars back to Konoha, and his own intelligence back to Mount Myoboku.
However, he believed even more in the power of seeing with one's own eyes.
Hollow ideological disputes were often pale and weak. But those golden rice fields, the content smiles on farrs' faces, children's carefree running, and the vibrant vitality and order presented by the entire society… these tangible scenes were more impactful than any flowery rhetoric and empty promises.
He needed Jiraiya to beco a 'witness', to carry this impact back to Konoha, back to that Ninja World still bound by the old order.
After sending off the complex-minded Jiraiya, nma took Ajisai and set off on the return journey to the Star City.
With their speed as Ninja, they arrived by evening.
The afterglow of the setting sun cast a warm golden hue over the Star City's buildings.
Ajisai followed closely behind nma, her heart pounding like a little rabbit was in her chest.
When she saw the Uzumaki Clan's crest hanging on the entrance of the residence before her, she felt an additional wave of inexplicable nervousness and awkwardness.
'Is this nma's ho?'
'Is my coming here so suddenly too much of an intrusion?'
nma, however, was very natural. He pushed open the main door and called inside: "I'm back."
A response imdiately ca from inside.
A red-haired woman wearing an apron and still holding a spatula popped her head out from the kitchen, her face beaming with a warm smile: "Welco ho, nma!"
Then, Kushina's gaze fell on the sowhat at a loss purple-haired girl behind nma, a flicker of curiosity in her eyes.
nma stepped aside and introduced to Ajisai: "This is my mother, Kushina."
Then to Kushina, he said: "Mom, this is Ajisai."
Ajisai, who was originally sowhat slow to understand, upon hearing the word 'mother', instantly reacted. She quickly stood up straight and bowed deeply to Kushina, her voice tight with nervousness: "H-hello! Kushina-sama! I am Ajisai! I apologize for the rude intrusion!"
Kushina, looking at this polite yet sowhat timid girl, smiled even more gently. She waved the spatula in her hand and said breezily: "Oh my, no need to be so formal! Just call Auntie! Co in, co in, we're just about to have dinner!"
At that mont, hearing the commotion, Minato, Hikari, Mikoto who was helping in the kitchen, and Gaara playing by himself also ca out from the living room, curiously looking towards the entrance.
Seeing so many people all at once, especially sensing the powerful Ninja presence inadvertently emanating from Minato and Hikari, Ajisai beca even more nervous, her small hands unconsciously clutching her clothes.
Seeing this, nma introduced them one by one, his tone calm, trying to ease her anxiety: "This is my father, Namikaze Minato. This is Aunt, Uchiha Mikoto. This little guy is Gaara. This is Uchiha Hikari."
Then, turning to his family, he introduced simply: "This is Ajisai. Hmm... a little sister I t in Agakure."
Kushina's eyes lit up. She stepped forward and warmly took Ajisai's hand: "So she's a little sister nma acknowledged! Then she's family! Don't stand at the door, co in and sit. The food will be ready soon!"
Minato also revealed a gentle smile and nodded: "Welco to our ho, Ajisai. Please treat this place as your own."
Mikoto also smiled gestured, her eyes gentle.
Gaara hid behind Mikoto, peeking out with his little head, his erald-green eyes curiously examining this suddenly appearing, pretty purple-haired big sister.
Feeling the warmth of the household, Ajisai's nervousness eased considerably, a warm current quietly welling up in her heart.
This feeling of being accepted and welcod was so unfamiliar yet precious for soone who grew up in the cold, tense environnt of Agakure.
However, amidst this warm atmosphere, Ajisai suddenly felt a faint yet discernible, gaze carrying a scrutinizing intent falling on her, faintly carrying a hint of killing intent.
She instinctively looked up and t a pair of scarlet eyes.
They were Hikari's eyes, in which three black tomoes were slowly rotating, staring directly at her.
Hikari's gaze lingered on Ajisai for a mont, then slowly turned to nma. She puffed up her cheeks, her eyes becoming 'ferocious', with undisguised questioning intent, as if saying:
'Really... just a little sister?'
nma received Hikari's 'murderous' filled gaze and sowhat helplessly rubbed his nose but didn't offer further explanation.
Ajisai, being stared at by Hikari's highly oppressive Sharingan, felt her just relaxed mood involuntarily tense up again, and instinctively moved closer to nma's side.
This small action naturally did not escape Hikari's eyes. The 'ferocious light' in her eyes seed to intensify a bit.
The dinner atmosphere was overall warm and lively.
Kushina and Mikoto's culinary skills were excellent, having prepared a table full of sumptuous dishes.
Minato was gentle and refined, constantly serving food to Ajisai, telling her not to be restrained.
Gaara was very quiet but also silently observed this new sister.
During the al, nma briefly ntioned Ajisai's specialty, the [Enclosing Technique], which could seal ninja tools or items into a type of card and release them during battle, indicating her Space-Ti Ninjutsu talent.
Hearing this, Minato showed strong interest. As the most proficient user of the Flying Thunder God Technique since inheriting it from the Second Hokage, he had deep research and understanding of Space-Ti Ninjutsu.
"Enclosing Technique? Sealing items in a specific dium? A very interesting concept," Minato said gently to Ajisai. "If you are interested, we can discuss it later. Perhaps I can offer so help with your technique."
Ajisai was overwheld by the favor, quickly nodding: "R-really? Thank you, Minato-san!"
Hikari spent most of the al eating quietly, only occasionally using her Sharingan to glance at nma and Ajisai. Especially when Ajisai showed a happy smile because of Minato's words or instinctively looked at nma, Hikari's eyes would narrow slightly, and the atmosphere around her seed to drop a few notches.
Kushina seed to notice sothing and under the table gently kicked nma's foot, giving him a 'you handle this yourself' look.
nma could only pretend not to see and bury himself in eating.
After dinner, Kushina and Mikoto cleared the tableware.
Minato took Gaara to watch TV in the living room.
Hikari stood up, walked in front of nma, folded her arms, lifted her chin to look at him, her tone betraying no emotion: "nma, co outside with for a mont. I have sothing to ask you."
After saying this, without waiting for nma's response, she took the lead walking towards the garden.
nma sighed, knowing this 'interrogation' was unavoidable. He said to the sowhat uneasy Ajisai, "Sit for a while."
Then he followed Hikari out.
In the garden, moonlight was like water.
Hikari stood with her back to nma, her long black hair slightly fluttering in the night breeze.
"Speak," Hikari's voice carried a trace of chill. "What's really going on with that Ajisai? Really just a 'little sister'?"
nma walked to her side, looking at her exquisite profile slightly puffed under the moonlight, and explained with a smile: "Really just a little sister."
"I t her by chance in Agakure. She helped a bit. And her background is also tragic… a victim of war. I see she has good talent, is simple-hearted, and I wanted to give her a place to belong and better opportunities for developnt."
Hikari turned around, her scarlet Sharingan staring directly at nma, as if trying to see through his heart: "Just that simple? Nothing else?"
"Nothing," nma said, consoling. "My mind right now is all on how to deal with the upcoming challenges. You know that."
nma slightly raised his head, looking at the starry sky.
Hikari also looked up, gazing at the myriad stars. She naturally knew that nma was referring to the threat from the Otsutsuki Clan from beyond the sky.
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