Arata had not forgotten about the looming destruction of the Uzumaki clan.
But this time, their downfall wouldn't come from just one village — several nations were secretly forming a joint force, and gathering troops would take time.
When that moment came, the Uzumaki would surely send a plea for help to Konoha.
Arata was certain he would receive the information in time.
So there was no need to rush over prematurely.
If he went now, before the crisis reached its peak, the Uzumaki would likely still be in their usual proud, stubborn state — they might not even look at him properly, much less consider joining Konoha.
After all, back then it was Hashirama Senju, the God of Shinobi, who personally invited them — and even married an Uzumaki princess — yet the clan still refused to join Konoha.
Their pride was no less than that of the Uchiha.
So Arata knew: only hardship could soften the Uzumaki's arrogance.
Let them taste desperation first — and when their pride finally breaks, he would step in to save them. That was the best approach.
...
When Arata returned home, he found Shizune-chan looking completely defeated, even her training lacking its usual spirit.
A nearby maid tried to comfort her.
"Shizune-hime, please don't worry. Arata-sama is Konoha's great hero. Nothing will go wrong in this war~"
But Shizune muttered gloomily:
"Uncle Kato said the same thing… that nothing would happen. But then…"
The maids exchanged helpless looks.
They hadn't expected such a young girl to still remember Kato Dan's death so clearly.
Arata, hearing this as he stepped inside, looked closely at Shizune.
She wasn't wearing her usual plain black kimono. Today she had on the white bunny-hood hoodie Arata had custom-made for her, paired with athletic pants.
With her delicate little face, she looked impossibly adorable — which immediately softened Arata's heart.
He suddenly realized he had been neglecting her.
This little girl cared about him so much, yet he hadn't noticed.
So he walked straight over and scooped her up.
Shizune let out a tiny gasp as Arata lifted her onto his shoulder.
He lightly pinched her chubby cheeks.
"Shizune-chan, how about onii-san trains with you today~?"
Arata never used parental titles with her — he was far too young to be called "Father."
Nineteen and already a dad? Absolutely not.
So he let her call him "onii-san."
And Shizune clearly felt naturally attached to him.
Seeing him return made her instantly brighten, and she didn't object at all to his cheek-pinching.
In fact, she beamed.
"Yay! I love training with onii-san! Today I want triple the training!"
Arata had been absorbed in his own cultivation these past days, leaving Shizune mostly with the maids.
She was probably lonely — she had no family left, and Arata, who brought her out of the Intelligence Division, had become her closest person.
Although Arata was kind in daily life, he was strict when it came to training.
But Shizune took every instruction seriously, pushing through even when she could barely breathe.
He felt sorry for her.
Her physique was weak — if she didn't start strengthening early, she would struggle later.
But Shizune treated training as the only time she could be with him, so she wanted it to last as long as possible.
Arata had sensed that faint attachment, so today he set aside his own training to accompany her fully.
The maids watched with admiration.
They rarely saw him even once a week — and today he had given up training time just to stay by Shizune's side.
It showed how caring their young master truly was.
They had all grown fond of the little girl too, so seeing this warmed their hearts.
Training continued until sunset.
Even when Shizune was exhausted and wobbling, she stubbornly refused to rest — so Arata gently lifted her into his arms.
"Silly girl… There'll be plenty of time to train. Whenever you want, you can come find your onii-san."
Shizune's eyes sparkled at that — deadly cute.
"Really? Then… I want to train with onii-san every day!"
Arata burst out laughing.
"Once I finish handling the war, I'll spend time with you every day!"
If he finished the Second Shinobi War, he would be just one step away from becoming Hokage.
He'd be stuck in Konoha handling administration, but surely he could make time for her daily.
Shizune vigorously shook her head.
"No! Onii-san is a great hero — you're very busy! Hmm… once a week is enough!"
Arata glanced at the maids, amused.
They had clearly been telling her stories about him — he was probably famous throughout the village now.
He kissed Shizune on the cheek.
"Alright. Then today we feast. What does my Shizune-chan want to eat?"
She thought hard, then her eyes lit up.
"Ah! Ichiraku Ramen! Ayaha-nee said it's the best ramen in all of Konoha!"
Arata raised an eyebrow with interest.
So the iconic ramen shop from the original story had already quietly opened during wartime.
"Then it's decided. Ichiraku Ramen it is."
...
That night, Arata held Shizune's small hand as they walked through the Uchiha district.
He had eaten at Ichiraku before — it was indeed excellent, worthy of its fame across generations.
And its owner, Teuchi, was still just a young man; he hadn't even reached the peak of his craft yet. The noodles would only get better.
As for the fandom rumor that Teuchi was secretly an Ōtsutsuki?
Arata dismissed it completely — the kid didn't even have chakra, let alone a celestial bloodline.
Without warning, Arata asked:
"Shizune, do you have a dream?"
This wasn't a random question.
After spending a whole day with her, he already considered the girl family — and he intended to help her achieve whatever future she wanted.
Shizune thought for a moment, then answered firmly:
"I want to become a hero just like you, onii-san!"