During the period when the Four Great Nations were wary, Ren traveled across the ninja world with all the little ones.
Wherever he went, they were warmly received. And when they left, no one tried to hold them back.
Yuki also had a goal now: to surpass her father and become an even greater ninja.
She trained harder than ever, maintaining her independent identity during the day, and sneaking to Ren at night for extra lessons, enjoying every moment.
When they returned to the Land of Whirlpools, people from various clans were already at the city gates. They were the children's parents, and seeing all of them return safely made them a little relieved.
The little ones who had been away for days rushed into their parents' arms. Ren ruffled the heads of Yuki and Yuto.
"Your mother missed you very much."
Yuto didn't hesitate and collided fully into Akie's embrace. Yuki came to her mother's side, looking awkward.
She hadn't forgotten her need to maintain an independent image, but now that she was home, she planned to let herself relax.
Akie didn't expose her awkward eldest daughter. She came close and gently rubbed Yuki's head. "How's it been outside? Was it alright?"
"It was… okay…" Yuki nearly wanted to leap into her mother's arms. Only by experiencing the outside world could she understand how difficult life in the Land of Whirlpools really was.
She had witnessed war and seen civilians displaced by it. They were weak, barely surviving, and laughter seemed impossible.
So returning home felt especially comforting. The way she looked at Ren was filled with admiration. She, Uzumaki Yuki, would definitely become someone like her father.
…
"What's wrong with Yuki?" Akie watched her eldest daughter training hard in the courtyard, concerned, even though they had been home for a few days.
"She's probably a little impatient." Ren sighed as he looked at the girl.
"Impatient?"
"The Nara kid told her some things. She wants to become stronger while I'm still here, strong enough to take over my role and protect the Land of Whirlpools." Ren sat beside Akie and spoke softly.
"Don't say things like that." Akie sighed. She and Ren were no longer young, and of course she understood what it meant.
If Ren died, the Land of Whirlpools might become a target for the other nations. It was an easy thing to predict.
"Father, I've already learned this jutsu. Teach me a new one." Yuki came to Ren, her eyes bright with expectation but keeping a careful distance. She had grown used to this balance between public and private behavior.
"Forget the new jutsu for now. Next, we'll focus on training your combat skills. Yuki, now that you've awakened the Adamantine Sealing Chains, our unique Uzumaki ability, I'll teach you how to use your jutsu in battle."
"Alright… thank you, Dad… Father." Yuki's voice first carried excitement, then quickly turned serious.
Seeing his daughter's conflicted expression, Ren laughed. He then split off a clone and began sparring with her.
The training was simple: Ren's clone would attack, and Yuki had to respond. She possessed a full set of ninjutsu, but had no idea how to use them effectively in a real fight.
Clearly, Yuki realized this herself. Just as she was thinking of how to counter, Ren's hand tapped her forehead.
The gesture sparked her fighting spirit. She fought harder with each loss, growing braver as she faced defeat again and again.
Only now did Yuki truly understand the gap between her and her father. Every jutsu she released was met with a counter technique from Ren, followed by a swift strike to her head.
By the end, her forehead was red. Still, she refused to give up. She was his daughter, and that alone was enough to keep her going.
Seeing Yuki undeterred, Akie got up, leaving Ren's embrace, and walked into the house to start preparing dinner.
Night fell.
Ren came to Yuki's room.
"Dad, I want to go out." Yuki had decided to explore the world herself.
"Fine. You can go out once you defeat my clone," Ren replied after thinking for a moment.
"I'll definitely win," Yuki said firmly. She didn't want to run away. Then, looking a bit pained, she added, "Dad… my forehead hurts."
"I won't go easy on you just because you're whining," Ren said softly.
"Hmph." Yuki turned her head, pretending not to hear him.
Ren sighed. Rebellious children really were a worry. Now he understood how his parents must have felt when he went out alone.
In the days that followed, Yuki grew more skilled in combat, but she still couldn't defeat Ren's clone. This continued until she turned fourteen and graduated from the ninja academy.
Seeing Ren's clone disappear from her training field, Yuki didn't feel particularly happy. Instead, she frowned at Ren. "Father, why did you make me do this?"
"Because you've graduated." Ren came to her and firmly pulled her into his embrace.
"Father, I've grown up now." Yuki said this, but her expression showed she was genuinely happy.
"Do you understand one thing? In a parent's eyes, children are always children," Ren said softly.
"Mm," Yuki nodded.
"Have you thought about where you want to go after leaving? Any goals?" Ren asked, looking at her.
"Father, when you took us to see the ninja world before, I wanted to know why the Land of Whirlpools is different from other countries. Why can you do what they cannot?" Yuki whispered, resting in Ren's arms.
"Hmm, you'll see with your own eyes. Let's go home first and have a meal. The house won't fall apart if we're gone for a day," Ren said, letting go of his daughter and leading the way back to the room.
"Mm…" Yuki followed.
The next morning, Yuki packed her bag and set off alone.
"By the way, Father, at school… Hyuga Hayashima liked sister," Yuto said after thinking for a moment. He didn't understand why anyone could like such an awkward sister.
"Heh…" Ren frowned. The thought of that blonde troublemaker hanging around his home made him want to hit someone.
"Alright, go to school now." Ren gently patted Yuto's little head. Red hair, Byakugan; black hair, Adamantine Sealing Chains. How his children inherited traits in reverse puzzled him.
"Mm." Yuto slung his bag over his shoulder and went out. He, too, had someone he liked—a girl from the Yamanaka clan.
"Now, it's time to get serious," Ren murmured to himself. He knew those two old schemers would surely find his weak point. He had to use this advantage; if he didn't capture Black Zetsu, the consequences would be endless.
"Husband, are you going out?"
"With our daughter out, I'm still a little worried. I'll leave a clone behind," Ren said with a smile.
"Mm." Akie finally relaxed. She, too, worried about their daughter going out alone.
Ren was not concerned about the Land of Whirlpools. Several integrations and the seeds obtained from Detective Ren had greatly increased production. While other countries still struggled with food, they had already started stockpiling.
With the country's growing strength, they were never short of commissions. However, this squeezed the living space of other ninja villages and hastened the Second Ninja World War.
Black Zetsu had very special perception abilities, so Ren couldn't openly follow his daughter. He first changed his appearance, pretending to be a wandering ninja.
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