Tsunade gently raised her hand and knocked on the ancient, heavy gate of the Senju clan compound with her knuckles.
After a moment, a voice came from inside the courtyard, "Who is it?"
The voice sounded somewhat low, as if carrying a trace of tiredness, but also faintly conveying a sense of warmth.
Tsunade couldn't help but pause slightly, thinking to herself: Could there be guests at home? This voice sounds like a middle-aged woman.
Just then, another familiar voice suddenly spoke up, "Is that little Tsuna and little Ryun?"
Hearing this voice, Tsunade's face instantly lit up with joy. She quickly responded, "Grandma, it's us!"
Before she finished speaking, the gate slowly opened, revealing the kind face of Uzumaki Mito.
Uzumaki Mito immediately saw Tsunade and Uchiha Ryun standing safely outside the gate. Her previously worried heart relaxed at once, and she couldn't help but smile happily.
"This morning I heard magpies chirping nonstop on the branches. I was wondering what good thing would happen. Who would have thought it was because my little Tsuna and little Ryun have returned safely from the war!"
As she spoke, Uzumaki Mito looked at Tsunade and Uchiha Ryun with a face full of smiles, her gaze filled with the affection and care of a grandmother looking at her beloved grandchildren.
Uchiha Ryun quickly greeted Uzumaki Mito respectfully, "Lady Mito." But as soon as he spoke, Uzumaki Mito slightly frowned, pretending to be upset, "Didn't I tell you to call me Grandma?"
Hearing this, Uchiha Ryun stiffened slightly, then coughed lightly, "Grandma." Though his voice was soft, it carried a hint of reverence and warmth.
Standing nearby, Uzumaki Mito couldn't help but chuckle. She reached out with her left hand to hold Uchiha Ryun and her right hand to hold Tsunade, slowly leading them into the clan compound.
After entering the compound, Uchiha Ryun and Tsunade curiously looked around. They saw a bustling crowd of hundreds of Uzumaki clansmen busy with their own tasks.
Every single one of them had bright red hair, as eye-catching as flames.
Uchiha Ryun couldn't help but inhale sharply, thinking to himself in amazement: "These Uzumaki clansmen actually possess such enormous chakra reserves!" His gaze swept over the crowd, noticing that even a young girl among them had a chakra level only slightly inferior to his own. He had to admit, the Uzumaki clan truly lived up to its reputation!
As the two observed their surroundings, a small figure suddenly dashed over like an arrow, lunging at Uchiha Ryun and tightly hugging his leg.
Uchiha Ryun froze again, looking down to see little Nagato. He smiled slightly and said softly, "It's little Nagato!" As he spoke, he gently patted Nagato's head.
Uzumaki Nagato looked up at Uchiha Ryun with a wide grin, his eyes brimming with excitement and happiness. Since coming to Konoha Village, he had realized for the first time that the sky wasn't always overcast with rain, and that there were so many delicious foods in the world... Thinking of this, Nagato couldn't help but swallow.
Uzumaki Mito, who had been silently watching this scene, smiled even more brightly at the heartwarming sight. Her fondness and approval for Uchiha Ryun grew even stronger.
Just as everyone was immersed in this joyful and harmonious atmosphere, rapid knocking suddenly came from the gate, accompanied by a loud shout, "Grandma, grandma! I'm back, your beloved grandson is back!"
Uzumaki Mito's lips curled into a gentle smile. Originally, she had been about to get up and open the door for Nawaki herself, but at that moment, Uchiha Ryun, holding little Nagato in his arms, walked briskly toward the gate.
With a creak, the door slowly opened. Standing outside, Senju Nawaki immediately broke into a simple, bright smile. Without even seeing who was there, he spread his arms and lunged forward, tightly hugging the person before him, muttering, "Grandma~ hehe, your grandson missed you so much!"
However, the next moment, when he heard a familiar cough, he looked up. This glance made him freeze—the person before him wasn't his beloved grandmother but an amused Uchiha Ryun.
Realizing his mistake, Senju Nawaki quickly let go, straightened up, and bowed respectfully, saying, "Commander!"
Uchiha Ryun smiled and waved his hand, saying softly, "The war is over. Just call me Ryun from now on. This is your home, no need to be so formal."
With that, he smiled wryly to himself, thinking how it almost seemed as if Nawaki was the guest here.
Just as Uchiha Ryun was about to close the gate, he suddenly spotted two more figures approaching in the distance. A closer look revealed a white-haired man carrying gifts and a slightly thin black-haired man.
These two were none other than Jiraiya and Orochimaru. They had come to the Senju compound specifically to visit Lady Mito but hadn't expected to run into Uchiha Ryun here.
After exchanging a glance, Jiraiya and Orochimaru hesitated briefly but eventually pushed open the wooden gate and entered the courtyard.
When Jiraiya's eyes landed on the peacefully sleeping child in Uchiha Ryun's arms, his heart suddenly trembled. Unbidden, the Great Toad Sage's mysterious prophecy flashed through his mind: he would have a disciple with the potential to shake the entire ninja world.
Now, as he stared at this child, especially those deep, bright eyes, an indescribable sense of familiarity washed over him.
For some reason, Jiraiya felt an inexplicable connection with this child, as if they were fated to meet. Unable to resist, he reached out with his right hand and gently patted Nagato's little head.
Nagato looked up in surprise at the white-haired, kind-faced stranger.
Yet, in just an instant, Nagato sensed the warmth and kindness emanating from the man's hand. An inexplicable trust made him stop resisting, allowing Jiraiya to gently rub his head.
Strangely, having his head patted like this gave Nagato an unprecedented sense of comfort and security.
Standing nearby, Uchiha Ryun couldn't help but smile faintly. As expected, even in this completely different timeline, the bond between master and disciple from the original story remained deep and unbreakable.
With this thought, Uchiha Ryun carefully handed Nagato over to Jiraiya, smiling as he introduced, "Lord Jiraiya, please hold him. This child's name is Uzumaki Nagato."
With that, he turned and walked deeper into the house, leaving Jiraiya holding Nagato in silence. A strange yet heartwarming atmosphere lingered between the two.
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