"They have all passed away."
Honoka's quiet words instantly made Kurenai's expression change, and she hurriedly bowed her head in apology.
"I'm sorry, Sister Honoka. I didn't know."
Honoka shook her head gently and smiled. "It's alright. I've long since gotten used to it."
At that moment, Rin quickly spoke up. "From now on, we're your family, Sister Honoka. If you need help with anything, you can come to us."
"That's right," Shizune added softly. "No matter what the problem is, we'll do everything we can to help you, Sister Honoka."
"Thank you all very much." The sincerity in the three girls' words deeply moved Honoka.
Just this brief time spent with Aoshi and the three of them had already begun to change her long-held impression of Konoha.
Perhaps I should have gone to Konoha sooner. If I had, I might have met Aoshi earlier…
Such thoughts quietly surfaced in Honoka's mind.
Naturally, Aoshi was completely unaware of this.
After sealing the gathered medicinal herbs with a sealing jutsu, Aoshi took everyone back onto the boat and departed from the area.
Konoha Gate
It took two full days for Aoshi and the group of five to finally return.
Standing before the towering Konoha Gate, Honoka felt her heart fill with anticipation. This would be the place where she would live from now on.
As they passed through the gate, an energetic voice suddenly rang out.
"Don't run!" Following the sound, they saw a middle-aged man dressed in a full green jumpsuit chasing after a plump orange cat.
The moment he appeared, nearby villagers instinctively stepped aside, their expressions full of discomfort, as though he were something contagious they wanted no part of.
Aoshi recognized him at once. It was Might Duy—the man he had treated before.
With just a glance, Aoshi understood the situation.
Might Duy was on a mission.
Because he was famously the "eternal Genin" and possessed an eccentric personality, no one was willing to team up with him.
As a result, he was constantly assigned low-paying D-rank missions—mostly cat retrieval jobs.
This was also why he had previously pushed his body to the brink, training excessively and ending up hospitalized.
The meager rewards from D-rank missions were barely enough to cover medicine for his internal injuries, leaving him no choice but to endure.
And yet, even under such circumstances, Might Duy remained optimistic, passionate, and full of burning youth.
More importantly, he was raising Might Guy into an outstanding ninja.
Such a person deserved respect.
Aoshi reached out, caught the plump orange cat that was trying to slip past him, and handed it over.
"Thank you very much for your help, Lord Aoshi!" Holding the cat, Might Duy bowed repeatedly, his tone filled with reverence.
After all, the difference in their status was immense.
"It was nothing," Aoshi replied with a gentle smile, showing no trace of condescension toward him for being a Genin.
That single smile left Might Duy flustered and overwhelmed. On the spot, he loudly declared that the flames of youth were burning brighter than ever.
The scene made Honoka instinctively step back, subtly hiding behind Aoshi.
As for Kurenai and the others—classmates of Might Guy—they were already completely used to this sight.
"Alright," Aoshi said calmly. "The mission is perfectly completed. You can all go home and rest."
After Kurenai, Rin, and Shizune departed, Aoshi brought Honoka straight to the Hokage's office.
"Lord Hokage, this is Honoka, a member of the Uzumaki clan. She wishes to join Konoha."
"Lord Hokage!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen naturally had no intention of refusing. On the contrary, he welcomed her warmly.
"Honoka, is it? Welcome to Konoha. From now on, we are comrades of the same village."
His hearty laughter eased the tension in the room.
Honoka finally let out a long breath of relief.
Before long, all procedures for Honoka's entry into Konoha were completed.
From this moment on, she officially became a Konoha Genin.
"Oh, and Lord Hokage," Aoshi added, "I believe Might Duy can be promoted directly as well."
"Although he only uses taijutsu, his strength is unquestionably at the Jōnin level."
Aoshi genuinely admired Might Duy's character and didn't mind helping him within his means.
However, Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't immediately approve the promotion. It wasn't that he doubted Aoshi's judgment—rather, this year's Chunin Exams were about to begin.
This time, they would be held jointly with Sunagakure.
"In that case," Hiruzen said after some thought, "let Might Duy represent Konoha in this year's joint Chunin Exams."
"He can team up with Tomoki Mukai and Ayame Sasaki."
Tomoki and Ayame had been particularly unlucky, failing to earn promotion despite repeated attempts.
Additionally, since Minato had recently been promoted to Jōnin, Mikoto's team was temporarily short a member.
Might Duy was a perfect fit.
Aoshi had no objections to Hiruzen's arrangement.
Given Might Duy's strength, the only real concern in the Chunin Exams would be the first-stage written test.
When the time came, Tomoki and Ayame Sasaki—both veterans of multiple Chunin Exams—could simply help him through it.
"Furthermore, in this joint Chunin Exam, only the first stage will be held in Konoha. Sunagakure will be responsible for the subsequent stages."
"I'll have to trouble you, Aoshi, to go to Sunagakure as the overall supervisor."
Aoshi accepted without hesitation.
After that, he led Honoka out of the Hokage Tower and headed straight for the Senju clan compound.
Thanks to the efficiency of ninja labor, the Senju compound—previously damaged during the Nine-Tails' rampage—had already been fully restored to its original appearance.
"This will be your home from now on," Aoshi said. "I'll take you to meet Kushina first."
Almost as soon as his words fell, Kushina appeared in front of them. "Aoshi, you're back!"
Not long after, Mai also returned from Minato's place.
The three Uzumaki girls quickly found common ground and became close friends in no time.
When Tsunade returned from the research base and saw this scene, she was equally welcoming toward Honoka.
Thinking about it, Tsunade herself also carried Uzumaki blood.
In a sense, she could be considered half Uzumaki.
However, Tsunade soon shot Aoshi a dissatisfied look. He had only gone out on a D-rank mission, yet somehow managed to bring back another girl.
This guy really knew how to draw attention.
With Tsunade's keen perception, she naturally noticed the faint admiration hidden in Honoka's gaze whenever she looked at Aoshi.
Aoshi, meanwhile, looked completely innocent. There's nothing I can do, he thought. I'm just outstanding.
It's only natural to be popular.
Although neither of them said anything, Aoshi's expression alone was enough for Tsunade to read his thoughts.
She immediately curled her lip. What a conceited man.
…But then again, I like him too.
That thought only strengthened Tsunade's resolve to master the Yin Seal and the Creation Rebirth Technique as soon as possible.
She had no intention of being overshadowed by the younger girls around Aoshi.
That evening, everyone held a small welcome gathering for Honoka. The warm atmosphere deeply moved her, filling her with happiness and gratitude.
She felt immensely glad that she had chosen to follow Aoshi to Konoha.
---
Inside the Secret Base
After studying the Ultimate Summoning Beast, Animal Path–Hiruko concluded that it could withstand the Seven-Tails' wings.
Thus, he began the fusion process once more.
As the Chimera Technique activated, the Seven-Tails' wings rapidly began merging into the Ultimate Summoning Beast's body.
Roar!
The fusion was anything but easy—it involved excruciating pain.
The Ultimate Summoning Beast let out a tortured roar.
Watching this, Animal Path–Hiruko's expression remained grave and focused.
Previous fusion attempts had all failed at this exact stage.
None of the earlier fusion beasts had been able to endure the overwhelming power of the Seven-Tails' wings.
I hope it doesn't fail this time.
Before long, the fusion process concluded.
Animal Path–Hiruko finally exhaled, a stiff but genuine smile appearing on his face.
Success. The Ultimate Summoning Beast had successfully fused with the Seven-Tails' wings.
Several changes followed immediately. The beast, which already possessed a pair of wings, now had a second pair growing from its back.
Its chakra surged dramatically, becoming several times stronger than before.
Even without testing it, the increase in strength was obvious.
"It truly didn't disappoint me." At the sound of Animal Path–Hiruko's voice, a fierce glint flashed in the Ultimate Summoning Beast's eyes.
In the next instant, it launched a direct attack. Opening its mouth, it condensed a black sphere of chakra, radiating terrifying power.
"Can it already use a Tailed Beast Ball?"
"No… this isn't a true Tailed Beast Ball."
"It's more like a variation—something closer to a Chakra Cannon."
Watching calmly, Animal Path–Hiruko analyzed the attack without a hint of fear.
As soon as he finished speaking, he moved.
With a Body Flicker, he appeared behind the Ultimate Summoning Beast, chakra condensing in his hand into a black receiver rod, which he drove forward without hesitation.
The black rods possessed the ability to disrupt chakra flow.
Originally, the Ultimate Summoning Beast had black receivers implanted by Aoshi. However, during the fusion process, those rods had been forcibly expelled from its body.
That was precisely why it had lost control and gone berserk again.
Moving at extreme speed, Animal Path–Hiruko inserted dozens of black rods into the beast's body.
This time, it could no longer move. The partially formed Chakra Cannon collapsed and dispersed.
Roar! The Ultimate Summoning Beast struggled violently, but it was futile. In the end, it had no choice but to submit once more.
However, a cold killing intent surfaced in Animal Path–Hiruko's eyes.
This was a summoning beast with a rebellious nature. Otherwise, it would not have attempted to devour its master the moment it gained power.
As if sensing the imminent danger, the Ultimate Summoning Beast began begging for mercy.
Though it couldn't speak, its human-like eyes conveyed its plea clearly.
"Hah? Begging for mercy?" Animal Path–Hiruko sneered.
Without the slightest hesitation, he drove a black receiver straight into the beast's brain.
Roar! With a final, agonized cry, the Ultimate Summoning Beast died instantly.
"I don't need a summoning beast that tries to devour its master."
After speaking, Animal Path–Hiruko extracted a portion of flesh and blood from the corpse.
He planned to cultivate a new Ultimate Summoning Beast—one that would be absolutely loyal.
At the same time, he could further refine the Chimera Technique and correct the creature's somewhat grotesque appearance.
As for the corpse itself, it would be repurposed into a dedicated summon for the Animal Path.
After all, regardless of its betrayal, there was no denying that it had been an extraordinarily powerful summoning beast.