When Arata returned home, he first teased Shizune for a bit. Then he saw Kushina—and remembering everything that had happened that day, he found himself at a loss for words.
The Uzumaki clan joining Konoha was certainly a good thing. But Arata hadn't forgotten that the Land of Whirlpools had already fallen—even Uzushiogakure itself had sunk beneath the sea.
And most painfully of all, Kushina's grandmother had already met a violent death.
Arata had managed to protect the Uzumaki clan, but the one person he still felt he had failed… was Kushina.
Of course, he had also disappointed his wife, Tsunade. He hadn't been able to protect Mito's life. Arata didn't even dare imagine what Tsunade's reaction would be when she learned the truth.
At that moment, the perceptive Shizune seemed to sense the heaviness in the air and spoke up first.
"Arata-nii, Kushina-nee —will Kushina-nee live with us from now on? I want her to stay! That way Shizune will have someone to train with!"
Hearing this, Arata smiled, patted her head, then set her down and said,
"Of course. From now on, Kushina will be your big sister. You have to listen to her, okay?"
Shizune nodded vigorously.
"That's great! I have a sister now! Shizune has a sister!"
As an only child whose entire family had already perished, Shizune naturally longed for an older sister more than anyone else. Arata took good care of her, but as a ninja, he was always busy.
A companion close to her age was exactly what Shizune needed.
Because she was still young, Arata rarely let her go out before, so she'd had few friends. Now that Kushina was here, the once-quiet courtyard would surely become livelier.
Seeing how happy Shizune was, Kushina couldn't help smiling as well. At the very least, she genuinely liked this little sister.
So far, she was fairly satisfied with this new home. Of course, if she had a choice, she would rather not leave her homeland behind. No matter what, her feelings for her true home ran far deeper.
After hesitating for a moment, Kushina walked forward timidly and asked Arata,
"Arata-sama… um… about the Uzumaki clan—did the rescue succeed?"
She had already heard that around two thousand Uzumaki clan members had arrived in Konoha, preparing to join the village.
But deep down, because of what had happened earlier with Sarutobi Shinnosuke, she didn't really like Konoha at all. If possible, she didn't want to believe that the Uzumaki clan had truly chosen to join it.
She also knew the Uzumaki clan's total population very well. If only around two thousand remained, then the Land of Whirlpools was practically gone—perhaps already erased.
Otherwise, why would the Uzumaki choose to join a village as detestable as Konoha?
For someone who loved the Land of Whirlpools and Uzushiogakure so deeply, this was something she simply couldn't accept. So she instinctively pretended she didn't know.
Arata glanced at Shizune and said,
"It's getting late. Shizune, go eat first. I need to talk with your Kushina-nee about something."
Shizune was extremely obedient. She nodded and followed the attendant out of the courtyard.
She didn't fully understand what Arata was about to say, but seeing the heavy expression on Kushina's face, she could guess it wasn't good news.
When the Hokage had once announced the death of her uncle, Dan Katō, he'd worn a similar expression.
That was why Shizune left so quietly. Normally, if Arata wasn't around, she would train late into the night and refuse to eat—but not today.
After Shizune went inside and Arata made sure she couldn't overhear, his expression changed completely. He sat down casually on the corridor of the courtyard, his face heavy.
Kushina followed him and sat beside him in silence, her own expression growing solemn.
Seeing how sensible she was, Arata felt a bit comforted. Children in the shinobi world really did mature early—Kushina was only about five years old, yet faced with the possible destruction of her country, she could still appear this composed.
Of course, Arata could tell it was all an act. This strong little girl simply didn't want others to see her cry.
After a long pause, Arata finally spoke.
"The rescue of the Uzumaki clan was successful. More than five thousand Uzumaki survived."
Hearing this, Kushina's expression visibly improved. Even if not everyone had been saved, five thousand was still a large number—more than the population of any major clan in Konoha.
At the very least, even if the Land of Whirlpools truly fell, the Uzumaki clan wouldn't vanish from history.
Still, Kushina was confused.
"But I heard that only two thousand people joined Konoha."
Arata wouldn't lie to her—so this didn't make sense.
Arata explained patiently,
"The rest are in the disaster zone helping with relief efforts. You saw it too, right? That tsunami that blotted out the sky—without rescue efforts, tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, would have died."
Kushina was hot-tempered, but kind-hearted. When she heard that so many lives were at stake, she immediately grew anxious.
"Then what should we do? Are the Uzumaki alone enough? Shouldn't the Hokage send more people?"
Despite her concern for the victims, Arata noticed something keenly—Kushina didn't call him Hokage-sama, only the Hokage.
Clearly, this girl truly despised Hiruzen.
Arata continued calmly,
"That won't be necessary. I already saved all those hundreds of thousands of civilians. What's left now is just cleanup work. Don't forget—I'm the fastest man in the shinobi world."
As he spoke, Arata winked at her.
Seeing his calm, self-assured expression, Kushina couldn't help but feel a little flustered.
Arata hadn't expected her to be so perceptive at such a young age-already reacting so strongly to the confidence of someone she trusted.
But Kushina quickly composed herself. After all, the thing she cared about most hadn't been answered yet. And she already knew plenty about Arata's speed.
The Uzumaki clan itself had once issued a notice: if anyone encountered Arata as an enemy, they were permitted to abandon the mission immediately without punishment. That alone spoke volumes about how terrifying his speed truly was.
Then she finally asked, the question she'd been holding back all along:
"Then… my grandma? And Mito-hime? Why haven't I seen either of them?"