"Tell me your demands. Why are you doing this? And what's that information? In exchange for it... what do you want?"
Near the edge of the shattered pavement, the small boy sat on a smooth piece of ruined rock, resting his tiny, exhausted hands on his knees.
His breathing was still a little heavy from pushing so much of his energy into the healing jutsu. Right beside him, the unique Katsuyu was still hard at work over Kakashi, her tiny pearl and pink seashell necklace shifting gently as she poured a steady stream of glowing green chakra into
Kakashi's chest.
As the boy wiped a bit of sweat from his forehead, his watery eyes drifted toward the center of the street. He froze. Walking right into the clearing was a man with bright, spiky blonde hair and a calm, commanding presence that felt instantly familiar.
The boy's eyes widened, a sudden spark of pure excitement lighting up his face as his heart began to race. 'Is he... is he really him?'
He couldn't sit still for another second. Turning his head quickly toward his shoulder, he whispered eagerly, "Suyu-chan, you finish the work! I will come right back!"
The gentle, accessorized slug looked at him with her soft features, her tiny golden star charm glinting in the light. "Understood," Katsuyu replied in her soothing, polite voice. "But please be careful."
"I will!"
Without waiting another moment, the young boy scrambled off the rock and went running as fast as his small legs could carry him, his tiny boots pattering against the dusty ground.
He dashed right past the medical teams and stepped straight into the tense circle of elite ninja, stopping directly in front of Minato.
The sudden appearance of a child running onto an active, dangerous battlefield made everyone stop in complete bewilderment. The heavy, life-or-death atmosphere instantly felt completely strange.
Shikaku stared at the small figure, his sharp mind completely thrown off by the interruption. 'A kid? Seriously, right in front of the Yondaime?'
He raised a hand, pressing his palm against his forehead as a heavy sigh escaped his lips. This situation was becoming more complicated by the second.
The little boy didn't seem to notice the terrifying ninja around him at all. Instead, his bright eyes locked directly onto the blood-stained face of Sasuke sitting in the dirt.
A massive, innocent smile broke across his face, and he clapped his hands together happily.
"Ke-chan!" the boy called out in a sweet, chirping voice. "When did you come?!"
Fugaku's stern face twitched, his three-tomoe Sharingan blinking in total disbelief as he stared at the child. 'Ke-chan...?' he thought, his brow furrowing deeply. 'Seriously? Calling a dangerous, black-flame-wielding rogue by a cute nickname like that?'
Shikaku's hand dropped from his forehead as his analytical mind immediately started breaking down the word.
'Let's see... 'Ke' should be an ending syllable or a starting syllable of a real name... but what could it possibly be?'
Down in the dirt, Sasuke let out a quiet, inward sigh of true relief. 'Good, he came...' he thought, a faint glimmer of satisfaction passing through his mind.
'Such a smart boy.'
To keep his bleeding eyes safe and hide his true emotions, Sasuke softly closed his eyelids, keeping his face completely expressionless.
Minato stood just a few inches behind the small boy, watching his excited movements with a mixture of caution and curiosity.
Sasuke kept his eyes firmly closed, but his voice cut through the silence with absolute clarity. "Demand number one—" he stated coldly, pointing a finger toward the child. "Let go of the child in front of you. He is with me."
Hearing this, Ibiki stepped forward, his massive frame towering over the scene as he shouted out in a booming, irritated voice.
"Hey! Don't do this 'demand one and two' nonsense with us! You only get one single chance, do you hear me? We are not fools who will stand around and listen to hundreds of demands from a rogue!"
Ignoring the giant torture expert, Sasuke simply extended his hand slightly and made a quiet, welcoming gesture with his fingers, silently telling the boy to come over to his side.
Seeing the gesture, Minato quickly bent down, bringing himself to the little boy's eye level. A warm, incredibly gentle smile appeared on the Hokage's face, his blue eyes shining with a comforting, protective light so he wouldn't scare the little soul.
"Don't go towards him..." Minato whispered softly to the boy, his voice as gentle as a summer breeze. "He is a really dangerous man, and he might hurt you..."
The little boy turned his head, his large, concentrated eyes locking onto Minato's face. He looked at the blonde hair, the kind eyes, and the gentle smile up close, his small chest swelling with immense joy.
Minato kept his eyes wide and open, his mind spinning as he analyzed the boy's reaction. 'Judging by his looks, it seems he really knows me...' the Hokage thought, a clever spark entering his mind.
'I can use this chance to get information... but I swear, I won't do anything to harm such a sweet soul.'
The boy got completely excited, his tiny hands twisting together as he looked back and forth between the two powerful men. He looked at Sasuke and pouted cutely.
"Ke-chan, you are not dangerous! But for some time, I wanna play games with Min—"
"Stop!" Sasuke snapped loudly, cutting the boy off before the name could fully leave his mouth.
The little boy jumped slightly at the sharp tone, his bottom lip sticking out in a sad, adorable pout. He looked at Sasuke with big, puppy-dog eyes, his voice turning small and whiny.
"Ke-chan...? You angry at me?"
Sasuke's jaw clenched tightly under his closed eyes. A wave of internal panic hit the fierce Uchiha as he tried desperately to keep his serious face straight.
'Shut up...!' Sasuke thought, a cold sweat breaking out on the back of his neck. 'This kid acting cute right now is going to make my guard drop completely!'
While the boy was busy pouting, Ibiki leaned his massive head down, whispering quietly over his shoulder to Fugaku and Shikaku so that Sasuke wouldn't hear. "Listen... I guess they both definitely know each other."
Fugaku kept his eyes locked on the child, nodding his head slightly. "It's obvious."
Shikaku narrowed his eyes, his voice barely a breath in the wind. "But he knows Yondaime-sama also. That's why he was about to call him... what was it?"
"Min... something like that..." Fugaku murmured back, his stern face darkening with a strange suspicion.
Ibiki's scarred face twisted into a knowing, confident smirk as he glanced at the bleeding Uchiha and then back at the bright little boy.
"I bet he is his son!"
Fugaku's stern face tightened even more at Ibiki's words, his jaw clenching as he scoffed quietly.
"No, impossible—!!" he murmured back, his three-tomoe Sharingan narrowing as he stared at the boy's bright locks. "The blood of an Uchiha cannot go to a disgrace with blonde hair."
Right after the words left his mouth, Fugaku's gaze accidentally drifted over to the side, landing directly on Minato. He froze, a sudden, awkward realization hitting him hard.
'Oh no...' the Uchiha leader thought, a cold sweat forming on his brow. 'I forgot he also has blonde hair...'
Shikaku noticed Fugaku's sudden stiff posture and let out a small, tired sigh. He leaned in slightly, whispering to calm his fellow mate down. "Leave it to that, Fugaku. He is just a kid... blame the parents."
Ibiki didn't stop there, a sharp smirk remaining on his scarred face as he continued the quiet speculation. "I bet his mother has blonde hair."
Shikaku's eyes drifted thoughtfully toward the village streets, his sharp mind instantly running through the local clans. "Bet it's the Yamanaka."
Standing just a step away, Minato's ears twitched as he overheard the entire ridiculous conversation happening right behind his back.
The Minato's eyebrows furrowed in complete, utter disbelief. 'What the heck are they all doing...?' he thought, his brain short-circuiting for a second.
Here they were, standing over a high-level, dangerous rogue who had just burned his official clothes, and his top elite ninja were busy gossiping about a child's family tree like old village matchmakers!
Trying to ignore the three behind him, Minato leaned closer to the child, but as he did, his blue eyes suddenly caught a very strange detail.
Perched quietly on the little boy's right shoulder was a miniature slug. Minato stared at it, blinking once, then twice. The slug was wearing a beautiful, perfectly fitted little necklace made of tiny pearls, pink seashells, and a bright, shiny golden star resting dead center.
Minato just stood there, completely stunned, staring at the fully accessorized summon sitting casually on a child's shoulder in the middle of a battle zone.
Minato's brain completely stopped working for a few seconds. He just stared at the little creature, his blue eyes blinking in total disbelief.
'Wait... is that... Katsuyu-sama...?' the Hokage thought frantically, his mind trying to process the sight. 'The legendary, giant slug summon of Tsunade-sama... is currently sitting on a child's shoulder... wearing a pearl necklace?! With pink seashells?! And a golden star?! What in the world is happening today?!'
The image of the terrifyingly powerful slug goddess being turned into a fully accessorized fashion model was almost too much for the Hokage of the village to handle.
He was completely losing his mind internally.
Before Minato could even find his voice to ask about the stylish summon, the little boy broke the silence. He tilted his head, looking up at his shoulder with a curious expression.
"Suyu-chan—" the boy asked in his sweet, innocent voice, "When did you come back? Have you finished your work already?"
The miniature slug shifted gently on his shoulder, her tiny pearl necklace clicking together softly as she turned her head toward him.
She gave a wonderfully polite and sweet reply, her voice sounding like a gentle melody. "Yes, Shin-chan. My other self is still stabilizing Kakashi-kun, but my primary duty here is to ensure your absolute safety."
Minato's eyes practically popped out of his head as he stared at the tiny creature. 'Suyu-chan... and Shin-chan...?' Minato thought, his brain experiencing another massive attack.
'A cute nickname like Suyu-chan for the legendary, giant slug goddess of the Shikkotsu Forest, and she calls this little kid Shin-chan?! Plus, she just casually called Kakashi... Kakashi-kun?! She talks like she knows him personally! What kind of relationship do they even have....I wonder if Katsuyu-sama met Kakashi once?!'
Sensing that something completely bizarre was happening, Shikaku quietly stepped away from the gossip circle, walking right up beside Minato. He leaned his head closer, lowering his voice to a sharp whisper.
"Yondaime-sama... who in the world is 'Suyu-chan'?"
Minato didn't even turn his head. He kept his eyes locked on the accessorized creature, his voice completely flat. "Katsuyu-sama...."
Shikaku instantly froze, his eyes widening in pure shock. Without another word, he slowly backward-walked right back to where Ibiki and Fugaku were standing, his face completely serious.
"Did you guys see that?" Shikaku whispered urgently as he joined them.
Fugaku crossed his arms, his three-tomoe Sharingan scanning the boy's shoulder.
"Yeah."
Ibiki gave a heavy, solemn nod.
"We saw it."
Shikaku pressed two fingers against his chin, his analytical mind completely shifting gears as he dropped his voice even lower.
"We completely misunderstood his bloodline. He isn't an Uchiha or a Yamanaka at all. He is related to the Senju clan! Look at him... he has Tsunade-sama's bright hair color, and he can summon Katsuyu-sama at such a young age!"
Standing just a few feet away, Minato could hear every single word of their wild new theory. A massive wave of silent, internal laughter washed over the Hokage as he fought to keep his straight face.
'The Senju clan?! Tsunade-sama's hidden child?!' Minato thought, absolutely cracking up inside.
'Oh my god, they are completely losing their minds today! First an Uchiha, then a Yamanaka, and now they think Tsunade-sama has a secret blonde son running around!'
Deciding it was time to end the ridiculous misunderstandings and get the boy away from the dangerous rogue, Minato reached his hand forward.
He moved to gently touch the other shoulder of the boy—the left one, which was completely empty—intending to safely pull him back away from Sasuke.
But the very second Minato's fingers came close to the boy's clothing, the tiny clone of Katsuyu reacted on pure, defensive instinct.
SPIT—!!!
A sudden, deadly jet of highly concentrated acid shot right out of the slug's mouth, flying directly toward Minato's incoming hand!
The funny, relaxed mood instantly evaporated into thin air.
Minato's lightning-fast reflexes saved his hand from being completely melted, pulling his arm back in a split second.
But the acid was incredibly fast—the edge of his blue long-sleeve clothing completely disappeared where the liquid touched it, and a sharp, red burn mark instantly formed across his wrist.
"YONDAIME-SAMA!!!" Shikaku screamed, instantly breaking formation and rushing to the Hokage's side.
Minato quickly held up his other hand, his face turning serious but calm as he looked at the slight burn. "It's ok. It's just a graze."
Ibiki and Fugaku immediately leaped forward as well, stepping in front of the Hokage with their weapons ready, their bodies completely shielding the leader.
Ibiki stared at the tiny, accessorized slug on the child's shoulder, his eyes wide with genuine surprise. "I never knew a miniature clone could attack with that much speed and lethal force..."
Fugaku didn't say a single word. He just stood there, his three-tomoe Sharingan staring intensely at the tiny slug with the pink seashells and the golden star charm, completely stunned by how a cute little fashion-model summon could turn into a deadly weapon in a fraction of a second!
Startled by the sudden hiss of acid and the tense movement of the elite ninja leaping forward, the little boy instinctively scrambled backward, stepping a little farther away from Minato to give himself some space.
Fugaku immediately began stepping in front of the Hokage, his hand dropping toward his weapon pouch as his Sharingan flared dangerously, ready to neutralize any further threat to the Hokage.
"Stop!" Sasuke's voice rang out through the clearing, sharp and filled with an icy authority that made everyone freeze. Still sitting in the dirt, he tilted his head toward the Uchiha clan leader, his dark eyes fixed on them.
"Leave the kid. He's with me. Do not interfere with him."
Sasuke's jaw tightened as he glared directly at Fugaku and Ibiki, his tone leaving absolutely no room for argument. "He is a kid. Deal with a grown-up like me."
Sasuke didn't let the silence last for even a second. Keeping his gaze firm, he leaned slightly forward. "Demand number two—" he stated smoothly, his voice cutting through the heavy air.
"Leave the girl..."
Hearing this, Ibiki's veins practically popped on his forehead. He was getting incredibly annoyed, his fists clenching tightly by his sides.
'This bastard...!' the torture expert thought, his teeth grinding together in pure irritation. 'Is he picking a fight with me on purpose?! I literally just told him to stop with the multiple demands!'
While Ibiki was busy fumes of anger, Fugaku was completely trapped in his own head. He didn't even care about the second demand. He just stared intensely at Sasuke's face, his Sharingan spinning slowly.
'I really have seen him somewhere...' Fugaku thought desperately, his mind digging through every memory and every face he had ever encountered in his entire life. 'Where? Where have I seen this face?'
Shikaku was the only one whose brain wasn't stuck or spinning in anger. His sharp gaze immediately left Sasuke and swept across the entire perimeter, looking for the subject of the rogue's demand.
Turning his head towards his right side, his eyes locked onto a woman and a young girl standing just at the side of the street, trying to stay out of the crossfire.
Shikaku looked back at Sasuke, his eyes narrowing as a completely new theory popped into his mind. "Is this girl, by any chance... your daughter?" he asked calmly.
Sasuke instantly snapped, his cool expression breaking for a split second into complete, genuine irritation. "This useless brat can never be my daughter!" he retorted sharply.
Hearing those harsh, blunt words, little Tenten's face completely dropped. Her big eyes filled with fat tears, her heart hurting from being called useless by a total stranger. She couldn't hold it in. She started crying loudly, her tiny shoulders shaking as she shouted back at the top of her lungs.
""I DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU!!!"
Ibiki didn't even notice the crying girl or the woman standing on the right side. He was entirely locked into his own world of rules and authority, his face turning red with anger.
And Fugaku was still completely frozen like a statue, his mind repeating the same frustrated question over and over: 'Where have I? Where have I seen him...?'
Stepping forward with a heavy thud, Ibiki pointed a massive finger at Sasuke and shouted, "YOU DAMN MAN!! I TOLD YOU ALREADY, DON'T DO FIRST AND SECOND DEMA—"
Before the giant ninja could even finish his sentence, a loud, booming voice cut his words completely in half.
"OI! OI! OI! OI...!!!"
The booming shout completely shattered the tense atmosphere, forcing every single ninja to freeze in their tracks.
"EXPLAIN ME THE SITUATION OVER HERE... WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" Shikaku continued to shout, his usual lazy mood completely changed as his face tightened with sheer urgency.
He didn't even wait for a response before pointing a frantic finger toward the right. "Fugaku, take a look at her!"
Fugaku, who currently had his eyes closed to deeply concentrate on his memories, didn't bother opening them just yet. Hearing Shikaku's frantic tone, he naturally assumed he was talking about the young girl Sasuke had just mentioned.
"Just tell me the hair color..." Fugaku replied stiffly, his voice flat as he kept trying to search his mind. "We will find her family roots somehow."
"Leave the girl! She has brown hair, we don't care much about that.But..." Shikaku quickly snapped back, his voice dropping into a tense, disbelieving whisper. "But the woman... the woman has black hair!"
Fugaku's brow furrowed in confusion as he finally snapped his eyes open, spinning around on his heel. "What woman...?"
In the meantime, Ibiki completely ignored the side conversation. He stepped closer to Minato, his massive frame tense and ready for action as he asked for formal permission from the Hokage.
"Yondaime-sama, give me the permission and I will take all the information out of him right now, before he can even think about doing demand one and two!"
Minato, keeping his eyes steady on the Uchiha in front of them, held up a calm hand. "Let's wait and hear what he has to say."
Ibiki, who was still waiting for the command, casually turned his head around toward the right side to see what Shikaku was making such a massive fuss about.
The moment his gaze landed on the figures standing by the edge of the street, his eyes widened, completely filled with absolute shock.
"FUGAKU!" Ibiki shouted, his booming voice cracking under the sheer absurdity of what he was seeing. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"
Fugaku finally looked over, and the words died instantly in his throat.
The woman standing there, protectively holding the crying Tenten close to her side, was none other than Uchiha Mikoto.
But something was profoundly wrong. Her physical traits were completely different from the Mikoto they all knew in this current era.
She was remarkably slim and slender, moving with a sharp, youthful grace. Most shockingly of all—in this exact timeline, Fugaku's wife was supposed to be heavily pregnant with their second child, yet looking at her current sleek and perfectly flat figure, there were absolutely no signs of a pregnancy.
The heavy silence gripped the street, every single elite ninja standing completely frozen as they stared at the slender, un-pregnant Mikoto in absolute, breathless shock.
But before anyone could even utter a single word to break the tension, a completely new man's voice cut through the stillness, echoing
sharply from just around the corner.
"Oh, Sara, Miya... here you are."
---
⚡ NEXT CHAPTER ⚡
The Commercial District descends into complete chaos as a mysterious traveler boldly claims what should never be claimed, igniting the fury of the Uchiha Clan Head himself!
While truth and deception collide in the middle of Konoha's streets, another hidden battle unfolds in the shadows... and one careless mistake threatens to shatter an entire rescue plan.
Meanwhile, an unexpected crash sends shockwaves through the Fūma Clan, where a terrifying visitor arrives carrying crimson power... and a single conversation may expose a secret capable of changing the fate of the entire village.
As confusion spreads and tensions
explodes—
Who is telling the truth...? Who is the real enemy...? And who will survive the storm about to erupt?
Chapter 46: The False Claim.
Don't miss it! ⚡🔥
SNEAK PEEK LINES 💬
"....This was the man! This is the same man!!!"
".....He knew the names of the kids. He has a clear motive to take them away. But his approach... it makes absolutely no sense—'
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—With love, one forehead poke away from collapse,
Sakura Shinomiya 💫
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