The tall grass shook violently, rustling with a sharp sound. Whoever was hiding inside froze, startled. Their breathing stopped, and even their faint chakra signature vanished completely.
Nawaki and Mikoto tensed at once, weapons silently drawn.
"Someone's there?"
They waited for a long moment. Then, the grass rustled again, softer this time. A small, thin figure slowly emerged, like a frightened rabbit creeping into the moonlight.
She stopped at the border where the moonlight met the campfire's glow, head bowed, trembling uncontrollably. She looked no older than seven or eight, her tattered clothes filthy with mud and crushed leaves. But what caught their eyes most was her hair. Even through the grime, the deep crimson hue could not be hidden.
"An Uzumaki?"
Ryo's heart sank. Memories of how Kusagakure treated stranded Uzumaki flooded his mind, the horrors of living medical packs, of Karin's mother torn to death. And this little girl…
Nawaki suddenly blurted out, shocked, "Another redhead?!"
"Not every redhead is your relative," Mikoto shot back, rolling her eyes. But her expression soon softened, pity and doubt flickering across her face. How had an Uzumaki child ended up here?
Ryo swallowed the cold fury burning in his chest. He picked up a freshly roasted skewer of venison, its fat sizzling, and spoke gently.
"You must be hungry. Come here, this is for you."
A lock of his own red hair fell forward, glinting in the firelight.
The little girl, Uzumaki Kaori, looked up, fearfully watching him. Her eyes caught that flicker of red, the same as her own. For a fleeting moment, she felt a spark of connection, but fear drowned it instantly.
Her gaze locked on the meat. Its smell made her throat tighten. Hunger overwhelmed her, but terror held her still.
She had seen what happened when her clan reached for food, the screams, the biting, the treatments. She trembled harder and took a step back.
Ryo didn't move closer. He just waited, holding out the food with quiet patience, eyes soft and calm.
The fire crackled. Nawaki and Mikoto watched in silence.
Time crawled. Finally, perhaps it was Ryo's gentle posture or the irresistible scent of meat, but Kaori gathered her courage. Step by trembling step, she moved closer to the fire. Cautiously, as if handling something fragile, she accepted the skewer with both hands.
"Th... thank you..." she whispered, voice barely audible.
A second later, hunger consumed her reason. She tore into the meat desperately, too fast to chew. A chunk caught in her throat, she choked, face turning red, coughing violently.
Ryo immediately handed her a water flask. Kaori gulped greedily until the blockage went down. She gasped for breath, then looked up timidly, wanting to thank him.
In that instant, Ryo, Nawaki, and Mikoto saw her face clearly, small, pale, streaked with tears, dirt, and oil. Her skin clung to bone, her eyes far too large for her face, filled with terror carved into her soul. When her sleeve slipped down, several scars showed, bite marks, some new, some old.
Nawaki inhaled sharply. Mikoto covered her mouth, horrified.
"Those bastards!" Nawaki roared, standing abruptly. "Who did this?! The Grass scum?!"
Kaori flinched, nearly dropping her food. Terror seized her; she shrank backward, trembling.
"Shut up, Nawaki!" Ryo barked sharply. He swallowed his rage and forced a calm smile. "Don't be afraid. You're safe now. Eat slowly, there's more."
He cut another piece of venison with his kunai and put it over the fire.
Kaori hesitated, but hunger won. She ate again, slower this time, sneaking glances at the three around her.
When she finished, the energy from food and exhaustion from starvation collided. Her body swayed, and she sat down heavily, too tired to move.
"Don't move too much," Ryo said softly. "Your body needs to adjust. You've been hungry for too long."
Kaori nodded obediently, still keeping her head down.
Ryo studied her crimson hair, then asked quietly, "Child, you're from the Uzumaki clan, aren't you?"
Kaori froze. Her eyes widened in panic.
He knew? Because of her hair? Was this going to bring her pain again?
She trembled violently, worse than before. Her eyes dulled with despair, and her lips quivered. Finally, she lifted her thin arm, sleeve falling back to reveal scarred skin.
"Y-you... sir... do you want my power too?" Her voice broke. "Please... please be gentle... I-I'm scared of pain..."
Her eyes squeezed shut. Tears spilled freely, waiting for the familiar agony to come.
Nawaki and Mikoto went rigid, as if struck by lightning. Looking at that thin arm covered in teeth marks, they felt their blood turn to ice.
Now they understood. Those scars were not random wounds, they were the marks of a life devoured again and again.
Nawaki's face turned white in the firelight. He snapped completely.
"Why?! Ryo! Tell me why?! The Uzumaki were our allies! Why didn't they escape to Konoha?! Why didn't Konoha save them?!"
Ryo seized him by the collar, eyes sharp as blades.
"Why?! Because Konoha's leaders never needed those stray Uzumaki! They only wanted the Uzumaki's sealing techniques and one suitable vessel for the Nine-Tails! That's all!"
He shoved Nawaki's chest with his finger. "See now, Nawaki? This is your precious village! Your noble leaders' handiwork!"
"Allies? In the face of profit, what is an ally's life worth? They let Uzushiogakure fall. They delayed rescue on purpose. Why? Because they wanted the other villages to suffer from unstable Jinchūriki. Konoha only needed the Nine-Tails, and nothing else!"
His voice turned icy, thick with hate. "That's why, after the Uzumaki massacre, they only took Kushina. That's why the survivors didn't flee to the Fire Country, they knew. Because the ally's knife cuts deeper than the enemy's."
"And while Konoha looked away, Kusagakure swooped in, turning these survivors into living medical packs, drained until they died."
"This is your shinobi world, Nawaki. Beneath the sunlight lies rot and blood. Wake up."
Each word struck like a hammer. Nawaki's ideals, Konoha, its leaders, the Will of Fire, all shattered.
He fell to his knees, pale and trembling. His fists slammed into the dirt again and again until his strength was gone.
"You're already breaking?" Ryo scoffed. He glanced at him, then turned toward the girl by the fire, his tone soft again.
"Don't mind him, little one. I'm Kamiyama Ryo from Konoha. Don't worry, I don't bite. I won't use you as a medical pack."
He nodded toward her arm and smiled gently. "What's your name?"
"...Uzumaki... Kaori," she murmured. Her voice was fragile, but steadied under his gaze. The warmth of the fire, the smell of meat, and that familiar red hair made her believe.
"Your family?" Ryo asked softly, though he already knew.
Kaori's pupils shrank. Her voice cracked. "They're... all dead. Everyone... they bit them..."
"Enough." Ryo placed his hand on her head firmly. "It's over. Come with me to Konoha. No one will bite you again. You'll live like a person."
Take her. The thought was clear. Tsunade could handle her papers. Kushina, her last living clanswoman, would be happy. The council's outrage? A problem for another day.
"R-really...? I can?" she whispered.
"Yes," Ryo said firmly. "You can."
"I swear it!" Nawaki said suddenly, raising a trembling hand. His eyes were bloodshot, but filled with conviction.
"Me too," Mikoto added, voice small but steady. Something bright inside her shattered quietly.
"Th-thank you..." Kaori sobbed. Tears streamed down her face. For the first time in years, she trusted someone.
Night deepened. After washing away the grime and changing into Mikoto's spare clothes, Kaori fell asleep on the grass nearby.
By the fire, Ryo, Nawaki, and Mikoto sat in heavy silence. The flames crackled softly, but could not burn away the weight of truth.
Nawaki's eyes stayed fixed on the fire. Finally, he rasped, "Ryo... tell me. Why? The Uzumaki were our allies. Why did Konoha do nothing? Why did they abandon them?"
Ryo smiled faintly, without warmth. "You want the official answer, or the real one?"
Nawaki clenched his fists. "There's a difference?"
"Say it," Mikoto whispered. "The truth."
Ryo chuckled coldly. "The official excuse? We couldn't risk another Great Ninja War. We had to consider Konoha's lives first. The balance of power must be preserved."
He sneered. "Sounds noble, doesn't it? Just like the lies your sister heard from the elders. All for the greater good of Konoha."
"The greater good?! To hell with that!" Nawaki roared. He punched the nearest tree, bark exploding. "They feared saving the Uzumaki would start a war, but they had no problem turning Ame into a bloodbath?!"
The air went still. Mikoto clutched her cloak tightly, face pale.
"Well said," Ryo said, clapping once, his smile sharp as frost. "Because beneath that noble mask lies reality."
"The Uzumaki were Senju allies, not the council's. The Senju have long been discarded. Konoha now belongs to Sarutobi, Shimura, Mitokado, Utatane. Your iron alliance? Worthless."
"Why risk lives to save them when you can let them die and seize their sealing scrolls and jutsu treasures instead?" He laughed bitterly. "Much easier."
"As for Kushina, she was just a new container for the Nine-Tails. If containers ever became common, do you really think the elders would stay merciful?"
Every word struck deep. Nawaki slumped, drained of strength. Hiruzen's face twisted in the firelight, melting into shadow.
"The war in Ame..." Mikoto's voice trembled. "That's real too, isn't it?"
"Of course." Ryo lay back, staring at the stars. "Ame got too strong, too independent. So they crushed it, made an example of it. That's the greater good."
"War? Suna, Iwa, Kumo, they all want blood. It's just another feast of slaughter." He sighed long and deep. "The blood from the First Great Ninja War has dried too long. A new storm is already gathering overhead."
The fire crackled. Nawaki's face twisted in the dim light, faith warring with fury. Mikoto bit her lip, trembling.
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)