Kaze gently released Yukino from his arms, turned to face his subordinates who had just been revived, and smiled warmly.
"My young master!"
Yuto was so moved upon returning to the mortal world that tears streamed down his aged face. He hurried forward, wanting to embrace Kaze.
But before he could get close, Ayako and Seiven, moving faster than even this Elite Jōnin, zoomed past him and leapt into Kaze's arms.
"Uh..."
Seeing Kaze flanked by a girl on either side, Yuto lowered his arms and wisely abandoned the idea of a hug.
At that moment, a commotion erupted to the right.
Somewhat bored, Yuto turned to look and saw many of his old colleagues gathered together, bowing deeply to someone as though prostrating before a god.
Out of curiosity, Yuto walked over too. When he finally saw the two people in the center of the crowd, his expression shifted to shock in an instant.
"Impossible! Lord Hashirama! Lord Tobirama!"
He dropped to his knees—no hesitation, dropping into full prostration without hesitation.
"My young master... truly incredible!" (voice cracking)
After this joyful yet solemn gathering, Kaze addressed everyone about their current state.
1. They had died, but now they were alive again.
2. Although they were back, they could not return to the ninja world, lest new chaos erupt in the already stabilized shinobi realm.
3. Kaze hoped they would remain here, live here, and build a peaceful utopia far away from conflict.
Everyone looked around at this space called Shikkotsu Forest.
To be fair, though it appeared eerie and mysterious, it was indeed rich in resources and tranquil—a great place to live.
Most among them were members of Root, men without families or ties, long tired of bloodshed and war.
Now, getting a second chance at life alongside comrades in peace, they were more than willing to embrace this new path.
Even those few who still harbored feelings for Konoha…
…after witnessing the power Kaze had "accidentally" revealed, wholeheartedly agreed with Kaze's proposal and felt deeply grateful to him.
"Sigh... Lord Tobirama, I'll leave things here to you."
Outside the crowd, Kaze let out a sigh of relief and said to Tobirama.
Tobirama curled his lips slightly, "Hmph, it seems my fate is to labor endlessly. Even after death, I'm brought back just to do your bidding."
Kaze grinned cheerfully, "Hey, that's not how I see it. I believe Lord Tobirama will come to enjoy his time here."
Tobirama thought about it, and realized Kaze wasn't wrong.
Whether it was opposing Madara Uchiha, guiding the next generation of Konoha, or rebuilding a village from scratch—all of it gave him genuine joy.
"You brat... You've read me perfectly!" Tobirama said with a smile and mock scolding.
"Heh," Kaze chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Lord Tobirama, I'll take Lord Hashirama and head back first."
"If we delay our return, who knows what chaos Madara might unleash next."
"Hmph, let him try!" Tobirama snorted softly but made no move to stop him, simply waving his hand to send Kaze off.
...
After handling everything properly, Kaze inserted his [Rinnegan] into the socket embedded in his right arm.
Back then, he'd envied Tanzō's Red Water Ghost Watch.
Now, he finally had his own Purple Water Ghost Watch too. [doge]
Except for the tailed beasts of Shikkotsu Forest, all other tailed beasts had been taken by Madara and now fell into Kaze's hands.
In other words, if Kaze wanted to, he could summon the Ten-Tails anytime and become its Jinchūriki.
However...
"Not yet," Kaze decided inwardly.
After transforming into an alien, his body structure might be completely different from that of humans...
What kind of fun would he have left if he couldn't even reward himself the old-fashioned way?
Therefore, becoming the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki could definitely wait.
...
Once all hidden threats had been neutralized, Konoha officially announced that "Madara Uchiha had been eliminated."
The entire ninja world was shaken.
Everyone knew Madara was the strongest figure of the previous era. Not long ago, he had even single-handedly crushed all major ninja villages effortlessly.
Now, he had been defeated so easily by Konoha!
Once again, Konoha's terrifying hidden power and overwhelming strength sent shockwaves through all the other villages.
It was foreseeable that for the next several decades, no village would dare challenge Konoha again.
Inside the Namikaze household.
Minato served dishes to Kaze while apologizing with a smile.
"Sorry, Kaze. I couldn't help much during this battle."
"Don't say that, Minato," Kaze patted Minato's shoulder, comforting him.
"Without your help keeping Konoha stable, we wouldn't have dared to go all-out in those battles."
Beside them, Kushina grew impatient.
"Databane! You two keep whispering to each other—did you forget about my presence here?!" Kushina pouted.
Minato chuckled nervously and stood up, gently massaging Kushina's shoulders.
"Kyu-chan, today is such a great day. Don't be upset~"
Kaze also showed his attentiveness by rubbing Kushina's legs and apologizing simultaneously.
"Yeah yeah, Minato's right. It's rare for us to reunite like this. Don't be angry anymore."
Kushina let out a tiny grumble but soon smiled under their service.
With Madara Uchiha dealt with,
Her wedding with Minato could finally be planned again—and she was practically bouncing with joy.
Still, she resented how these two always ended up ignoring her, hmmph!
"So Kaze, be our Best Man," Minato said with a smile.
The three of them grew up together since childhood, sharing deep bonds. Naturally, the position of Best Man belonged to Kaze.
Surely Kaze would accept happily?
"No way in hell." Unexpectedly, Kaze refused without hesitation.
Minato's smile froze on his face: "Wh...why?"
Sighing, Kaze explained, "Minato, if I'm your groomsman, then who do you think should be the bridesmaid?"
And that's without even considering Yukiko and Kaori—there were still three more back at Shikkotsu Forest!
Whichever he picked, he'd end up dead—painfully, messily, and probably screaming.
"Nope, you're attending our wedding as the Best Man, or we'll break off our friendship!" Kushina insisted stubbornly.
"You're our Best Man, and there's no way around it!"
Kaze's face scrunched up in distress.
"You two really wanna get me killed, huh?!"
Kaze's words were so heart-wrenching that Minato and Kushina fell into deep thought.
What Kaze said indeed made some sense.
After all, it was supposed to be a joyous occasion; things might get too messy if someone ended up dead.
"How about this," Minato mused for a moment, then an idea struck him.
"Why don't we just choose someone else as the bridesmaid? That way, both Kaori and Yukiko should have nothing to complain about."
ε=(´ο｀*)))
Kushina covered her forehead with her delicate hand, choosing not to get involved in this troublesome discussion.
Kaze considered for a moment before his eyes suddenly lit up. "That's actually not a bad idea."
It would not only resolve his concerns but also give him a chance to meet a new pretty girl... Uh... cough cough!
After whispering a few words with Kushina, Minato turned back to Kaze.
"So then, how about Vivi be your bridesmaid?"
"Huh? Vivi Uchiha?" Kaze Arashi was stunned.
"Yeah," Minato nodded. "He and I have basically settled on the list of bridesmaids and groomsmen."
"The only one we haven't assigned a partner to yet is Vivi. You two could be a good match."
Upon hearing this, Kaze burst into laughter.
"Hahaha, No wonder! That woman is such a fierce one; it's rare to find someone who dares to partner with her. Whoever does must be a number one workhorse asking for trouble!"
Minato patted Kaze's shoulder gravely.
"Well then, that unfortunate number one workhorse is you now, Kaze."
(ÒωÓױ) What?!
The smile on Kaze's face dropped instantly.
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