Chapter 148: The Return Journey

"You, you guys..."

The Kusa Ninja was trembling, his speech stuttering with fear. He probably didn't know what else to say.

"You what?"

"Get out of here right now, and I can pretend that nothing happened."

Nawaki drew his sword sharply. In an instant, the blade's tip was pressed firmly against the Kusa Ninja's throat. Feeling the chilling murderous intent radiating from the young man, cold sweat trickled down the Kusa Ninja's forehead.

No one dared to speak up for him. Without so much as a harsh word, they grabbed him and fled without pause.

"Ha, a useless person," Fugaku sneered, his gaze shifting toward Misaki behind Nawaki. She really was a pretty girl, easily on par with Mikoto.

"Um, can I call you Misaki?" Nawaki turned to look at her, scratching his head awkwardly. Despite his embarrassment, he remembered his brother-in-law's advice—this was all trivial.

"Yes, then I'll call you Nawaki too," Misaki replied, exhaling in relief as she watched the Kusa Ninja disappear around the corner.

"Are you willing to come with us?" Nawaki asked after a moment of hesitation. He preferred to be straightforward rather than beat around the bush.

"Where are we going?" Misaki blinked, her expression thoughtful as she considered her options.

"Misaki, you go with them."

An elderly woman with a walking stick emerged from a nearby shop. She was clearly familiar with Misaki.

"I can't protect you. If you don't go, those ninjas won't leave you alone."

"Grandma Kyoko, what will you do if I go?" Misaki moved closer to the old woman, her tone filled with concern rather than blame.

The old woman had taken Misaki in after she drifted from the Land of Whirlpools, so Misaki was deeply grateful.

"Don't worry about me. I'm just an old woman. They won't bother me," Grandma Kyoko reassured her, kindly fixing Misaki's long, tangled hair.

"But I can't bear to part with you."

It was evident that Grandma Kyoko had treated Misaki with great care. Misaki hugged the old woman tightly, tears streaming down her face.

Having no family, she had come to regard Grandma Kyoko as a real relative. The lack of a blood connection felt insignificant.

"My lord, Misaki is still young, so I will leave her in your care."

The old woman, sharp and perceptive, addressed Nawaki with these words. She had witnessed how he had stood up for Misaki earlier.

"Don't worry, my grandmother and Misaki are of the same clan. She will definitely not be treated badly."

Nawaki readily agreed. Minato stood to the side, a slight upward curl at the corner of his mouth. Watching his young friend in such an awkward situation amused him.

"Mm-hmm, that's good."

The old woman gently pulled Misaki close, wiping her tears. "Misaki, you follow this gentleman. Just come visit me again sometime in the future," she said, her voice trembling as tears welled up in her eyes.

If she had been able to protect Misaki, she would never have let her go with a stranger. She wasn't sure if she would still be alive when Misaki returned. But she couldn't leave—no matter how difficult life was here, this place was her home.

"Grandma Kyoko, I'll do as you say."

Misaki looked deeply into the old woman's eyes, her expression heavy with emotion. Without another word, she walked slowly behind Nawaki.

"Grandma Kyoko, we'll be going then," Nawaki said, unable to find the right words. He simply bid her goodbye and left.

"Go, go," the old woman replied.

She stood watching the red-haired girl follow the group, their figures growing smaller and smaller until they disappeared from view. Slowly, she leaned on her walking stick and returned to the house. Her stooped back evoked a deep sadness—she truly was alone now.

...

Once they were out of town, Nawaki realized that bringing Misaki along would slow down the group. He opened his mouth to say something but couldn't figure out how to begin.

However, Minato seemed to share the same thought. When a brother is in trouble, the Yellow Flash will always lend a hand.

"Misaki Uzumaki, we won't be able to go fast if we carry you. How about this? Someone carries you on their back? That way you won't get tired, and our speed won't be affected much," Minato suggested, his tone soft and negotiative.

"Huh?" Misaki scanned the group, noticing there wasn't a single woman among them. This was clearly a bachelor party.

Nawaki caught the look Minato gave him and swallowed his words. He had almost blurted out, "This isn't appropriate."

"We still have a mission to complete; we can't afford to delay any longer," Minato added, noticing Misaki's hesitation. He decided to push her further.

"Then, then, Nawaki, can you carry me?" Misaki finally asked, choosing Nawaki, just as Minato had anticipated.

Fugaku, watching the scene unfold, crossed his arms with a hint of amusement, as if enjoying a show.

"Yes, yes," Nawaki stammered, quickly agreeing. Minato sighed inwardly.

Brother, you're too anxious!

As Nawaki squatted down, Misaki blushed, fidgeting nervously before finally climbing onto his back. Once Nawaki stood, Minato immediately gave the order to move out, leaving no room for Misaki to reconsider.

This was as far as a brother could go.

"Are we going to Konoha?"

Misaki lay on Nawaki's back, her heart racing as she experienced such speed for the first time.

"Er, we can't go to Konoha right now. We'll head to the Land of Rain first, and I'll arrange for someone to send you to Konoha," Nawaki replied.

He had already decided to plead with his sister to let Misaki go to her grandmother's side, even if it meant begging. His hands remained disciplined, lightly supporting Misaki's thighs. Thanks to the Light-Weight Rock Technique, he didn't feel tired at all.

"There's a war going on in the Land of Rain," Misaki said, recalling what she had overheard from the townspeople.

"There is, but don't worry. My sister and brother-in-law are very powerful," Nawaki reassured her. He didn't have the nerve to boast about himself, so he brought up Tsunade and Kawakaze. No one in the ninja world would dispute their strength.

"If you say they're amazing, they must be amazing," Misaki said. In her eyes, Nawaki was already a master.

"That's true..." Nawaki had initially planned to brag a little, but after considering it, he realized Misaki likely wouldn't know who people like Hanzō of the Salamander or the Third Kazekage were. He swallowed his words.

"Is that little brother with the blonde hair your younger brother?" Misaki asked curiously, recalling how Minato had called Nawaki.

She was two years older than Nawaki, so calling Minato "brother" didn't seem strange to her.

"To be precise, he's my brother-in-law's disciple, but we each have our own way of learning," Nawaki answered after thinking for a moment.

"In that case, doesn't that make him a generation younger than you?" Misaki said, letting out a soft laugh near Nawaki's ear.

"We don't count that," Nawaki replied, a little sheepishly.

Probably catching onto their conversation, Minato glanced back at them.

Nawaki's learned a lot from his Sensei!

Watching the two chatter back and forth, Minato couldn't help but smile. The memory of his Sensei tricking him into confessing to Kushina was still fresh in his mind.

This Misaki Uzumaki and Kushina have completely different personalities... I still think Kushina is better, Minato thought.