"Huh?"
Uzumaki Mika looked in surprise at the girl beside Kyūsei who was crying uncontrollably.
She looked like a member of the Uzumaki clan too, and seemed a few years older than herself.
But why was she calling her "Mom"?
Was it because she resembled the girl's mother?
Mika stood there awkwardly, looking helplessly at Karin before turning to Kyūsei for help.
Kushina stared blankly at the girl who looked about sixteen or seventeen.
In the blurry memories from her childhood in the Land of Whirlpools, before she came to Konoha, there had once been a little girl who clung to her all day, constantly calling her "Sister Kushina."
But after she left for Konoha, that child disappeared from her life.
Until ten years ago, when Minato brought back a little girl from outside.
That girl was Uzumaki Karin.
After asking about her background, Kushina realized that Karin was the daughter of that little girl from long ago.
"Are you… Mika?"
Kushina asked uncertainly.
"Uh… I'm Uzumaki Mika. And you are?"
Mika hesitated as she looked at Kushina and Kyūsei, noticing their similar appearances.
Before she could react further, a figure suddenly threw herself into her arms.
Karin clung to Mika tightly, crying as she choked out:
"Mom… Mom…"
Instinctively, Mika wrapped her arms around the girl in front of her.
She looked toward Kyūsei helplessly.
Kyūsei smiled warmly.
"Well… this is complicated to explain."
"But basically, she really is your child."
"Your child from the future."
"…Yeah."
To make himself sound more convincing, he even nodded firmly.
Mika looked confused.
She didn't really understand what Kyūsei meant.
But the sincerity in Karin's embrace—and the warmth she couldn't reject—made Mika gently respond.
Like comforting a child, she awkwardly patted Karin's back.
"Alright… don't cry… don't cry…"
But Mika's clumsy kindness only made Karin cry harder.
Karin burst into sobs.
Mika panicked even more and continued trying to comfort her.
Kushina watched the two of them quietly, her expression complicated.
"Alright, let's go."
"There are too many people here. Let's find somewhere quieter so you two can talk."
Kyūsei gently separated them.
Or rather—
He interrupted Karin's overwhelming emotions.
Karin reluctantly let go of Mika.
Her beautiful red eyes stared at the girl who looked so similar to herself.
Then her gaze fell to Mika's neck.
The faint scars there made tears fall again.
"Let's go."
Kyūsei patted her shoulder.
"…Okay."
Karin nodded silently.
—
On the hospital rooftop, Kyūsei leaned against the railing, looking out at Konoha.
Beside him stood Uzumaki Mika—the girl he had rescued from the Hidden Grass Village.
He had asked Karin to accompany Kushina for her examination while he stayed behind to explain everything to Mika.
"So that's how it is."
"That girl… is my daughter from another world?"
Mika spoke quietly.
If Kyūsei hadn't rescued her from that hell in the Hidden Grass Village…
She would have been tortured to death by those monsters.
And her daughter…
The thought alone made Mika shiver.
The world had shown her too much cruelty.
Thankfully—
She had met Lord Kyūsei.
"Yes."
"In Karin's world, you had already been gone for many years."
"That's why she reacted so strongly."
Kyūsei looked at the quiet girl beside him.
She was his last remaining clan member.
He had once used Konoha's channels to spread a message to the world:
Any Uzumaki clan members could come to Konoha.
He personally guaranteed their safety as the Nine-Tails jinchūriki and head of the Uzumaki clan.
But…
No one came.
Not a single Uzumaki.
Aside from Nagato in the Land of Rain, Mika—who had followed him around as a child—was the last one.
Since arriving in Konoha, Mika had begun working at the hospital thanks to Kyūsei.
She quickly mastered the extremely difficult Mystical Palm Technique.
Now she worked and studied medicine every day.
She was either working…
Or studying.
In just four or five months, she had already become a promising medical ninja at the hospital.
"Let's go."
"Kushina and Karin should be done by now."
Kyūsei said.
"…Okay."
Mika answered softly.
She watched the tall figure walking ahead of her.
Memories from childhood surfaced in her mind.
The boy who climbed trees with her.
Caught fish with her.
Played in the mud with her.
Whenever the clan leader scolded her, he always stood in front of her.
Later—
He left the Land of Whirlpools.
He went to the Land of Fire.
To Konoha.
She used to sit on the hill outside the village every day, staring across the ocean.
Then Uzushiogakure was destroyed.
She wandered to the Hidden Grass Village.
She had thought they would never meet again.
Yet fate was strange.
Someone like her…
Mika subconsciously covered her forearm.
…Forget it.
This is enough.
What more could someone like her possibly hope for?
"What's wrong, Mika?"
Kyūsei suddenly turned around on the stairs.
"Huh?"
"N-nothing!"
Mika waved her hands nervously.
Kyūsei didn't think much of it.
He assumed she was still shocked about suddenly having a twenty-year-old daughter.
After all—
Didn't he have a rebellious twenty-year-old "son" at home too?
Mika quietly sighed as she followed him.
—
When they reached the first floor, they ran into Kushina and Karin.
But surprisingly—
Kaoru was there as well.
"Huh?"
"Kaoru , what are you doing here?"
Kyūsei smiled instantly.
"I just brought an injured ninja from a mission to the hospital."
"And I happened to run into Sister Kushina."
Kaoru laughed as she walked up and naturally took Kyūsei's hand.
Feeling her warmth, Kyūsei gently ruffled her golden hair.
Kushina watched them with a soft expression.
They reminded her of herself and Minato.
"Mom…"
Karin looked timidly at the teenage Mika.
"Karin, I'm happy to meet you."
"I never thought we'd meet like this."
Mika replied gently.
"Well then, you two catch up."
"We'll head back first."
Kyūsei glanced at the mother and daughter and left with Kaoru and Kushina.
Mika glanced back at the blonde girl clinging to Kyūsei's arm and laughing happily.
A complicated emotion flashed in her eyes.
Namikaze Kaoru .
The Golden Flash of Konoha.
A girl admired across the entire shinobi world.
She was beautiful.
Powerful.
Far more outstanding than someone like Mika.
…Forget it.
Life always leaves regrets.
Escaping that hell was already a miracle.
Kaoru glanced subtly toward the red-haired girl standing at the corner.
She immediately understood Mika's feelings.
Another one who had feelings for Kyūsei.
Kaoru sympathized with her.
But—
If it involved Kyūsei…
Absolutely not.
One Nao was already enough trouble.
Another one?
Please, heavens, have mercy on this poor, helpless, little girl.
"What are you looking at?"
Kyūsei asked.
"Nothinggg~ You must be imagining things."
Kaoru hugged his arm tightly and smiled sweetly.
Kyūsei felt his heart melt.
Kushina glanced at the two lovebirds beside her.
She smiled inwardly and silently wished them happiness.
But then she thought of Minato.
Would he ever leave that prison?
With that thought lingering in her heart, Kushina followed them back to Kyūsei's house.
But when they arrived—
They saw something unexpected.
Uzumaki Menma and Uchiha Sasuke were calmly sitting at the table…
Playing shogi.
Kyūsei stared in disbelief.
Since arriving, Menma had shown no kindness to anyone.
Yet now he was peacefully playing chess with Sasuke.
It felt like the sun rising in the west.
Seeing Kyūsei's confusion, Kushina explained with a complicated expression.
"Sasuke has always been Menma's best friend."
"Only around Sasuke can Menma calm down."
Kyūsei twitched.
Of course.
The destined bond.
In the original story, one chased the other endlessly.
In Naruko's world they even redeemed each other.
And probably ended up together.
Now here—
One was a rebellious troublemaker.
The other a shameless playboy.
And somehow they still got along.
Classic Kishimoto.
Menma didn't even glance at Kyūsei as he placed a piece.
"Idiot. You lost again."
Sasuke shrugged casually and moved the piece back.
"Oh, I misread the board earlier."
"I actually meant to move here."
He placed another piece.
"Heh. Idiot."
Menma sneered but continued playing.
Kyūsei and Kaoru stared in shock.
Menma tolerating Sasuke's cheating was beyond anything they expected.
Kushina quietly sat nearby, watching her son.
Menma acted as though he didn't notice.
He continued playing, pretending to dislike Sasuke—yet clearly enjoying himself.
Even he didn't understand why this womanizing bulldozer of a man felt strangely… agreeable to him.
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