The red-haired woman could only follow Qianyu's lead in the face of such overwhelming pressure.
She had no strength to resist anyway. Days without food had left her completely drained.
She knew all too well how coveted her body was, as a member of the Uzumaki clan.
She had already begun to resign herself. Years of hiding, and she'd still been found.
Qianyu led her through the crowded streets of Kusagakure for a long time. It took him a while to finally find a momentarily deserted alley corner, away from prying eyes.
He looked at the woman before him. "Your name?"
"Miyuki Uzumaki."
Hearing that word—Uzumaki—Qianyu couldn't help but let a smile tug at the corner of his mouth.
After all the struggle, he'd finally found her.
He dispelled his Transformation Technique, revealing his true face to Miyuki. "I'm Qianyu," he introduced himself. "This is Kakashi Hatake. We're shinobi of Konoha."
Miyuki stared at him, surprise flickering in her weary eyes. Konoha… So that's who they were.
But then, it made sense. Only Konoha would still remember a clan whose nation had been wiped from the map.
"I know you don't trust me," Qianyu explained. "But what I said earlier was the truth. I can get you out of this. Give you a life a hundred times better than the one you're living now."
He paused, letting the words sink in. "And you've probably guessed the method already. Come with me to Konoha. As former allies of the Leaf, they'll give you stability. A place to belong."
Miyuki's brow furrowed. She felt no particular fondness for Konoha.
Her story was the same as Kushina Uzumaki's. She had watched her homeland burn. And Konoha, their supposed ally, had offered no aid. They had stood by and watched.
Qianyu saw the resistance in her troubled expression but didn't understand her reluctance. He pressed on.
"Miyuki Uzumaki," he said, his voice softening slightly. "You've had enough of this life, haven't you? Drifting, hiding. I don't know why you're hesitant, but in Konoha, you'll at least have stability. Safety."
He leaned in, his tone grave. "As an Uzumaki, you know what happens if the wrong people discover your physique. You'll lose every right you have as a person. You'll become a tool. And you'll live—if you can call it that—in misery."
Miyuki was silent for a long time. Finally, she spoke, her voice hollow. "Do I have a choice?"
Qianyu was brutally honest. "No. I'm sorry, but you don't. Whether you agree or not, I'm taking you to Konoha. I'm just keeping my earlier promise by explaining things to you now."
He met her eyes. "And I'm not lying. There is another of your clan in Konoha. Her name is Kushina Uzumaki. She is… she will be my wife."
At the mention of another living Uzumaki, a faint spark of light returned to Miyuki's dull eyes.
"One last question," she whispered. "Is Konoha actively searching for survivors of the Uzumaki clan?"
Qianyu shook his head. "No. Just me."
"You? For your fiancée, Kushina?"
"For her, yes. But not in the way you're thinking," Qianyu clarified. "I'm not scouring the nations for any Uzumaki. I needed your help, specifically. That's why I came to the Land of Grass looking for you. As for the reason… you'll find out in time. Don't ask now."
He straightened up, his expression turning matter-of-fact. "So. Will you come to Konoha willingly? Or do I have to make you?"
Miyuki gave a slow, resigned nod. "You said I had no choice. So you decide."
"Good. Then let's go. Kakashi," he called over his shoulder. "We're heading back to camp."
Using genjutsu once more, Qianyu led Kakashi and their new charge, Miyuki Uzumaki, out of Kusagakure without incident.
Two days of travel later, they arrived at the Konoha forward camp.
The sight of Qianyu returning with an unfamiliar woman raised immediate eyebrows. Nara Shinsuke and Jiraiya stared in surprise.
"Qianyu, who is this?"
"A survivor of the Uzumaki clan," Qianyu announced. "Miyuki Uzumaki."
Shinsuke and Jiraiya's eyes widened in shock. An Uzumaki…
Qianyu addressed Jiraiya directly. "Lord Jiraiya, Miyuki Uzumaki wishes to seek asylum in Konoha. Please inform the Hokage. We should have a sensory-nin perform a memory scan to confirm she is not an enemy spy."
He didn't miss a beat. "Also, the situation in the Land of Grass is stable. Kakashi and I are no longer needed here. We request immediate reassignment to the Land of Hot Springs to support Lord Orochimaru. Please relay this to the Hokage as well."
Jiraiya nodded slowly, absorbing the information. "Understood. I'll see to it immediately. You and Kakashi should get some rest."
Finding an Uzumaki survivor was a significant matter. He wouldn't delay.
Qianyu and Kakashi left. Jiraiya then ordered two nearby shinobi to find Miyuki a place to rest.
He was about to leave to draft his messages when Nara Shinsuke stopped him.
"Lord Jiraiya. A word, if I may."
"Shinsuke? What is it?"
Shinsuke's face was uncharacteristically stern. "It's about Qianyu. And that Uzumaki woman."
Jiraiya frowned. "What about them?"
"Lord Jiraiya," Shinsuke began, his voice low. "You know as well as I do that Lady Mito's time is short. And that Kushina Uzumaki is the designated vessel for the next Jinchūriki."
Jiraiya's expression grew serious. "Yes. I'm aware."
This knowledge was a secret held by only a handful in Konoha. But the Nara, a founding clan and staunch supporters of the Hokage, were among them. As clan head, Shinsuke was privy to such secrets.
Shinsuke laid out his observations. "Everyone knows how deep Qianyu's feelings for Kushina run."
He continued, "He suddenly had Lord Orochimaru request his transfer to the Land of Grass. Once here, he immediately asked Lord Sakumo for a long-term mission. I've heard reports… he had a map of this country. Covered in marks, as if searching for someone specific."
Shinsuke's gaze was sharp. "Now he returns, asks you for another long-term mission, brings back an Uzumaki survivor, and immediately requests a transfer back to Hot Springs…"
Jiraiya's face hardened as the pieces clicked into place. "You're saying… Qianyu knows. He knows about Kushina becoming the Jinchūriki."
Shinsuke nodded grimly. "I believe so. And more than that…" He let the implication hang in the air for a moment. "I suspect Qianyu searched for Miyuki Uzumaki for one purpose. To make her a substitute. To take Kushina's place."
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