The Shimura clan occupied a shadowy corner of Konoha village.
Their territory wasn't elevated, backed against rocky cliffs with towering trees surrounding them, receiving little sunlight throughout most of the year.
The Shimura clan wasn't small in numbers—while not matching the Sarutobi clan, they still had several dozen to a hundred members.
However, having learned discretion from their clan head, they never stood out in Konoha.
Understated luxury and never drawing attention were the Shimura clan's consistent style and defining traits.
Walking through Shimura streets, Otae smiled brightly while greeting clansmen on both sides.
Cute, cheerful, caring, and sensible—these were the consistent impressions all Shimura members had of their clan head's niece, so they warmly responded, some even teasing the girl playfully.
...Of course, this was merely surface appearance.
Inside, Otae chuckled darkly—that crippled old fossil of an uncle had finally been worn down by her act and was gradually handing over both the Shimura clan and Root to her!
Having inexplicably arrived in this war-torn world, how could she survive without power?
Especially with that deadweight (Shinpachi) at home!
She must seize control firmly!
The Shimura clan, Root, even this entire village—all would eventually be hers!
She'd heard Gin-san was quite active now, earning the Hokage faction's trust.
Once he advanced further while she fully controlled Root, it would be time to secretly meet, reveal identities and work together to take over the village!
Well done, Gin-san!
Working so hard for Kabukicho's... no, Konoha's empress to reclaim her throne—how touching!
Hehehe...
Watching Otae cover her mouth with her signature sweet smile while radiating inexplicable dark energy, the egg stall owner suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
"Otae, Otae?"
"Ah... I'll take them all, uncle."
Snapping out of her thoughts, Otae reined in her dark aura and pointed at the remaining eggs in the basket with a smile.
"All of them?"
"Yes! Tomorrow is Uncle Danzo's sixty-first birthday, and I want to make him an extra-large, super luxurious cake!"
"Oh! What a thoughtful and filial child! Take them all, I'll give you half price!"
...
"Sis! Welcome back. How are things outside? Any news about Gin-san?"
As soon as she entered, Otae was bombarded with questions by a small bespectacled boy, his face full of anxiety.
"Shinpachi, not yet." Otae shook her head with a complicated expression.
"Gin-san is working hard to create a safe environment for us. This world is extremely dangerous—one wrong move and you could lose your life! We'll have to wait a little longer before we can contact Gin-san!"
"Dangerous..." Shinpachi's eyes widened. "Does that mean Gin-san is in danger too?! No! I have to go help him!"
"Calm down, Shinpachi!" Otae scolded sharply.
"Gin-san has already infiltrated the enemy's ranks and gained their trust. If you recklessly try to contact him now, you'll only make it easier for him to be exposed and put him in even greater danger!"
"So that's how it is..."
Shinpachi looked utterly stunned, staring blankly at his sister, who hadn't let him leave the house since they arrived in this world.
Shinpachi knew absolutely nothing about this world. (Bros spend his days with baby oil and to love ru manga)
That uncle he'd only seen a few times felt vaguely familiar, but he couldn't remember where he'd seen him before.
All he knew was what his sister had told him—this world was constantly at war, with people dying every day, and even within the village, deceit and undercurrents ran deep, with lives lost almost daily.
"Listen carefully, Shinpachi. Gin-san is fighting for us right now! When the time is right, you'll be able to go outside and reunite with him!"
By now, Shinpachi was so moved that he couldn't hold back his tears, sniffling uncontrollably.
"Yes, sis!"
"Good. Now go train hard."
"Yes! I'll do my best! For Gin-san and for you, sis!"
As Shinpachi turned away, still wiping his tears, Otae sighed in disappointment and shook her head to herself.
As a woman, she didn't want to rely on underhanded methods to get ahead, but she couldn't just abandon her useless, bespectacled younger brother either.
She had really gone through so much trouble for this deadweight...
So...
Otae's expression shifted, her lips curling into an extremely dangerous grin.
The throne of the Pirate Queen must remain firmly in her grasp!
Gin-san, you better keep giving it your all for me!
...
Meanwhile, on the other side...
"Achoo!"
Having lost yet another round and now left wearing nothing but his strawberry shorts, Gintoki, who didn't feel the slightest bit embarrassed, sneezed on his way home.
...
A few days later, early one morning.
"Minato! I heard Orochimaru is having a baby?!"
In the Hokage's office, Jiraiya, who had just returned to the village and hadn't even had time to take a sip of water, burst through the door, his face alight with excitement.
The moment the words left his mouth, Jiraiya suddenly felt a chilling, murderous aura bearing down on him!
Glancing up, he saw Orochimaru glaring at him!
Seeing Jiraiya suddenly appear and sensing the murderous intent emanating from Orochimaru, Minato also felt that things were taking a turn for the worse.
He let out a heavy sigh in his heart.
'Sensei, didn't I send a toad to tell you not to come back no matter what news you heard?'
'Look at you—if a fight breaks out, how are we supposed to handle it? The village doesn't have the budget to rebuild the Hokage's office again!'
Convinced that his office would be reduced to ruins if this continued, Minato steeled his resolve.
Just as Orochimaru's killing intent peaked and he was about to form hand seals, Minato prepared to intervene with a shout.
However…
The moment Minato stood up to speak, before he could even utter a single syllable, the murderous aura around Orochimaru abruptly vanished!
"Jiraiya, I will kill you someday!"
After leaving behind those hoarse words, Orochimaru vanished from the Hokage's office in an instant.
Jiraiya, utterly baffled, scratched his messy white hair and turned to Minato.
"Minato, what's up with Orochimaru?"
Glancing at the clock on the wall, Minato seemed to understand something and let out another long sigh before launching into an explanation.
Ten minutes later…
"Ah, I see. So Orochimaru's being a total jerk, repaying my matchmaking efforts with hostility, huh? Seriously, that guy's gone too far!"
Minato: "…"
"Lucky for him he left, or I'd have taught him a lesson! Speaking of which, why did he suddenly take off?"
At this, Minato snapped back to reality.
He glanced at the clock—nearly 6:30—and hurriedly mumbled a response before teleporting to the market with the Flying Thunder God technique.
All the while, he prayed fervently in his heart.
'Orochimaru-san, please show some mercy (and leave at least one fish)!'
---
Gonna be hell on earth the moment the crew reunites 🤣