"Go back?"
Takayama Haru paused for a moment, confused. Shouldn't he be heading back to the Uzumaki Clan's residence together with Mito Uzumaki and Kushina?
He had moved out when he was ten years old, choosing to live alone by the riverbank outside the village.
Partly because Kushina had been too violent growing up, often beating him up badly, and partly due to the natural distance kept between boys and girls at their age, Haru had simply decided to run away from home.
He never thought there would come a day when he would be asked to return.
Mito Uzumaki looked at him with deep affection and said warmly,
"Yes. From now on, you shouldn't live alone outside anymore."
Haru waved his hand dismissively.
"Eh, Granny, it's fine. I've gotten used to the peace and quiet."
Kushina, who had been excited at first, suddenly felt a twinge of sadness after hearing Haru's refusal.
Was it because... she had beaten him up too much before?
Biwa Sarutobi spoke up, "Haru, asking you to move back in is really for your own good."
"And besides," he continued, "after you move back, you'll have Kushina as your companion."
At that, Kushina's face immediately turned bright red, and she sneaked a shy glance at Haru.
Hiruzen Sarutobi added,
"Exactly. Now that both of you have awakened the Senju clan's bloodline limit, it's not safe for you to live outside anymore."
Mito Uzumaki nodded earnestly,
"Haru, I really can't feel at ease knowing you're living out there alone. Could you please be considerate of this old lady's worries?"
Haru sighed under his breath,
"Alright, Granny. You're serious about it... I'll move back. But give me tonight to pack up my things."
"Do you need help, Haru?" Kushina asked softly.
"No need. See you tomorrow, Kushina," Haru said with a smile.
Biwa Sarutobi cleared his throat and said,
"Haru, Kushina — come to my office tomorrow morning at ten."
"Got it, Lord Hokage!" Haru answered, turning to leave.
Kushina watched him go, reluctant to part.
Mito Uzumaki smiled kindly — she could clearly see the little girl's feelings.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed.
The village wasn't exactly peaceful these days.
The Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki had brazenly staged a rescue mission, infiltrating the village — way too bold.
Sakumo Hatake and Minato Namikaze had both been injured in the conflict. Fortunately, only the Cloud shinobi infiltrators were lost; no lives from their own village were taken.
Because of this, everyone had become more cautious, and they couldn't let Haru live alone anymore.
There were not only external threats from other villages but internal ones too.
If it hadn't been for traitors inside the village helping the Cloud infiltrators, Kushina would never have been so easily kidnapped.
Haru returned to his small riverside cabin and collapsed onto his bed.
Today's harvest had been incredible:
The character card of Hashirama Senju, the Flying Thunder God Technique, the Impure World Reincarnation technique—
And Kushina.
"From today on, the story is changing. With my help, maybe this girl really could become the first female Hokage."
And he hadn't even opened the Supreme Gift Pack yet!
[Ding! Would you like to open the Supreme Gift Pack?]
[Yes!]
[Ding! Congratulations! Host has obtained an S-Class Summoning Inheritance — Ryūchi Cave!]
Ryūchi Cave — one of the Three Great Sage Grounds, alongside Mount Myōboku and Shikkotsu Forest —
It was a legendary place where countless snakes lived.
Among them were giant serpents skilled in senjutsu, and deep within the cave, the White Snake Sage sat upon the throne.
The rest would have to be explored personally.
Haru looked at the scroll that had suddenly appeared in his hand and fell into thought.
It was the inheritance scroll of Ryūchi Cave.
By opening it, he could enter the cave and obtain the summoning contracts of various snakes — from small ones to giant serpents.
Orochimaru's summonings — the giant snake, the three-headed snake, and Manda — all came from here.
Even Sasuke's small blue snake was part of this lineage.
"Interesting... I wonder who's stronger — the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju, or the White Snake Sage..."
Haru glanced outside his window.
There, small white snakes flicked their tongues and glared at him with cold, gleaming eyes.
At the same time, Haru could sense hundreds of white snakes creeping into his house, flooding it from all sides.
A bone-chilling, malevolent aura blanketed the entire room.
This was Orochimaru.
With a slight movement of Haru's hand, countless tree roots erupted from the ground, instantly grabbing and suspending all the little snakes.
"Very good... very good!"
A cold, sinister voice echoed outside.
Haru looked toward the river.
Orochimaru was standing there, watching him with a mixture of curiosity and danger in his reptilian smile.
This was Haru's first time seeing Orochimaru in person.
"Hey."
As Haru's voice reached his ears, Orochimaru suddenly felt a slight chill — a sense of danger.
"Hmm?"
Black Magic!
This genjutsu cloaked the surroundings in complete darkness, blinding the opponent.
Within the pitch-black world, only the caster could see.
It was an illusion that robbed the target of all light, forcing them to reveal themselves — even the strongest shinobi could be helpless against it.
This boy... he was too amusing!
And he had a dark arts technique from the Senju clan?!
An original, unaltered version at that!
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed dangerously.
This kid was full of secrets — he had to capture him for experimentation!
A living specimen was far more valuable than a dead one.
Just then, Haru's voice floated to Orochimaru's ears:
"My house is getting wrecked because of you — you'd better pay for it!"
Before the words had even faded, Orochimaru heard a sharp noise behind him.
Dangerous instincts flared up in his mind.
Body Repair!
Although Body Repair was a basic D-rank technique, even strong opponents like Konoha's White Fang could be restrained by it if used well.
But with a loud crash, Haru kicked Orochimaru flying, tearing him apart midair.
Although Haru was momentarily immobilized by the technique, his power, speed, and momentum were simply overwhelming.
Blood splattered everywhere.
A white snake, shattered into pieces, fell to the ground.
A substitution jutsu!
Haru's pupils shrank, and a killing aura radiated from his body.
"Such a real Orochimaru, huh?"
Orochimaru reappeared ten meters away, a bloody scratch across his face.
He hadn't completely dodged the attack and was injured.
If he had been just 0.1 seconds slower, he might have been killed on the spot.