Chapter 49: New Blood, New Promise
Once Uchiha Akira appeared, he wasted no time. Seeing the red-haired woman's terrified expression, he immediately drew his ninja sword and slashed at the heavy chains binding her.
Clang! Clang-clang!
A few sharp strikes, and the links shattered.
Freed, the woman didn't hesitate. She lunged for a fallen Grass ninja's weapon pouch, snatching a kunai. With a feral cry, she drove the blade into the neck of the nearest unconscious ninja.
Schlick. Schlick-schlick.
She stabbed repeatedly, puncturing the man's throat. Blood gushed, pooling on the floor. "Die! Die! Die!" she screamed, a hysterical, almost joyful smile twisting her face as she turned the kunai on the other prone figures.
Uchiha Akira watched impassively for a moment before his voice cut through her frenzy. "Have you vented enough? It's time we left."
Kusagakure, however minor, was still a fully functional ninja village. Being surrounded by its entire force while protecting someone would be a significant, if not insurmountable, challenge.
"I... I'm sorry. The hatred... it blinded me." Uzumaki Rika let out a shuddering breath, tossing the bloodied kunai aside. She looked at Akira, her eyes clearing slightly. "I am Uzumaki Rika. Did... did Konoha send you?"
"We'll talk outside the village." Without ceremony, Akira swept her up by the waist. Lightning chakra surged around his legs. "Lightning Body Flicker!" They vanished in a streak of blue light.
By now, Kusagakure's alarm had been raised. Grass ninja were mobilizing in force, converging on the location of the disturbance.
A bolt of blue lightning tore through their forming ranks. Akira, with Rika in tow, charged directly into the heart of the gathering opposition. Leveraging the hyper-acute dynamic vision of his Sharingan, the blinding speed granted by Lightning Release chakra enhancement, and the devastating, concentrated power of the newly mastered Mystical Palm technique, he carved a path of chaos.
Where he passed, Grass ninja fell—disarmed, disabled, or knocked unconscious. After a brief, violent circuit through the heart of the encirclement, he found a gap and blasted through it, leaving the confused and battered defenders behind.
He ran for over ten kilometers before finally setting Uzumaki Rika down in a secluded forest clearing.
"Thank you," she gasped, the reality of her escape finally sinking in as she confirmed their safety.
"No thanks are needed," Akira replied, his tone pragmatic. "Can you walk? Are you able to channel chakra?"
Uzumaki Rika nodded, pushing herself upright with visible effort. "Yes. I can manage."
As they resumed their journey at a sustainable pace, Rika looked at her rescuer, repeating her earlier question. "Was it Konoha who sent you?"
"No," Akira answered truthfully. "This was my own initiative."
Hearing this, Uzumaki Rika fell into a long, heavy silence, her expression clouding with disappointment. After a while, she asked quietly, "Are we... going to Konoha?"
"That is the plan," Akira confirmed with a nod. "The Uzumaki clan once shared a profound alliance with Konoha. There, you can start a new life. No one will treat you as a living medicine dispenser."
"Will Konoha truly accept me?" Her voice was laced with worry. "If not... you could leave me in any town within the Land of Fire. I'll find my own way." She bit her lip. "And your actions... they violate Konoha's protocols, don't they? Will the Hokage not punish you? This could even cause a diplomatic incident with Kusagakure."
"If you don't speak of it, who will know I retrieved you from Kusagakure?" Akira said with a casual shrug. Seeing her persistent anxiety, he offered reassurance. "Don't worry. The Uchiha clan can manage this situation."
"I hope so. It would be terrible if you were punished on my account." Uzumaki Rika's concern seemed genuine. After years of hardship, her inherent kindness remained intact. She was profoundly grateful. Without his intervention, the Grass ninja would have drained her life force until nothing remained.
"Set your mind at ease," Akira continued. "The Hokage's wife is Uzumaki Kushina. She is of your clan, said to be a descendant of a very prominent figure from Uzushiogakure."
"Truly?" Rika's eyes suddenly sparkled with a fragile hope. "When did the Third Hokage take a new wife?"
Akira suppressed a wry smile. "Konoha is now under the rule of the Fourth Hokage. The Third has retired."
"I... I apologize for my ignorance regarding your Hokage," Rika mumbled, bowing her head in embarrassment. Her existence in Kusagakure had been one of severe restriction and isolation; her 'husband' had kept her deliberately ignorant of the outside world.
"It's of no consequence. Our Hokage does not concern himself with such formalities," Akira assured her. "On the contrary, I believe he will be very pleased to meet a surviving member of the Uzumaki clan."
"Really?" A look of longing blossomed on Uzumaki Rika's face. For the first time in years, she allowed herself to feel a flicker of hope for the future.
Due to Rika's weakened state, the journey back to Konoha took two days.
Upon their return, Akira did not immediately report to Namikaze Minato. Instead, he took Uzumaki Rika directly to the Shentian Biologics facility for a comprehensive medical examination. Once her health was confirmed and stabilized, he discreetly ordered the researchers to obtain small samples of her tissue for future cloning purposes—a crucial step for his long-term plans involving the Demonic Mirror Technique.
Finally, he sent a confidential message to the Hokage.
Akira believed it prudent to handle Uzumaki Rika's arrival with discretion. He and Rika had agreed on a cover story: she had been discovered by chance in a border town within the Land of Fire, not forcibly extracted from another village.
When Namikaze Minato arrived at the research institute, he listened to Akira's report without comment or visible skepticism. The strategic value of a second Uzumaki clansmember—a potential backup Jinchuriki vessel—was immense for Konoha. Regardless of the precise circumstances of her retrieval, her presence was a significant asset. In the eyes of the village leadership, Akira's actions were not just justified but commendable.
That very day, Uzumaki Rika was granted permanent residency in Konoha, officially becoming a member of the Hidden Leaf.
Akira did not involve himself further in her affairs. He trusted Minato would handle her integration and security. His primary objective—securing Uzumaki genetic material—had been accomplished.
Three days later, Uchiha Akira received another visitor at his home.
"Sister Mikoto," he greeted Uchiha Mikoto, his eyes briefly noting her slightly rounded abdomen.
Mikoto offered a gentle smile. "Kushina heard you've been studying fuinjutsu recently. She asked me to bring you these." She held out a sealed scroll. "They are her personal notes and insights on sealing techniques. It's her way of thanking you for bringing one of her people home."
Akira accepted the scroll with genuine appreciation. "Please convey my deepest thanks to the Hokage's wife when you see her. I am indeed pursuing sealing arts, and these notes will be invaluable."
"Of course," Mikoto replied.
Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. Members of the Konoha Police Force were coming up the path.
(End of Chapter)
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