Uchiha orphan, so what if I'm ruthless?

The distant light lingered in the sky for over ten seconds before slowly dissipating. A dark red mushroom cloud gradually formed, accompanied by a low, continuous rumbling. Anyone could tell a massive explosion had occurred far away.

Rasa stood at the courtyard gate, staring in that direction with a twitching eyelid.

As the Kazekage, he was no stranger to highly destructive Ninjutsu, but witnessing power of that magnitude still made his heart pound with trepidation.

At the same time, Kusagakure was in an uproar.

Villagers poured out of their homes, standing in the streets and craning their necks to look at the dark red sky in the distance. Everyone looked exceptionally uneasy.

The leader of Kusagakure, Nakatani Kensuke, stood on the watchtower at the village entrance. He gripped the railing so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

His face was even uglier than the sky after the sphere of light had faded. He stared intently in that direction, his lips trembling.

It wasn't just his lips; his entire body was shaking.

He didn't even dare to imagine how powerful the person responsible for such a blinding light and catastrophic explosion must be.

Nakatani Kensuke's mind raced, and his immediate thought was that this incident was inextricably linked to Uchiha Taiga.

The mere thought filled him with dread.

It was only now, looking at the glowing red sky in the distance and feeling the faint tremors still vibrating beneath his feet, that he truly understood what kind of existence he was dealing with.

Such power was beyond his comprehension.

Likewise, such an existence was not someone he could ever hope to defy.

At this moment, Nakatani Kensuke's back was drenched in cold sweat. As the wind blew past, a chilling sensation washed over him, leaving him consumed by lingering fear.

What if that boy returned and decided to go on a massacre?

What if that boy wanted to exact revenge on him?

After agonizing over it, Nakatani Kensuke tragically realized that he was completely helpless.

Back at the courtyard gate, Rasa watched as the distant sphere of light completely vanished and the dark red clouds on the horizon slowly dispersed.

His brow furrowed deeply; he wanted to go and see exactly what had happened.

A commotion of this scale couldn't possibly be an ordinary event.

With that thought in mind, he took a step forward.

However, Yugito Nii reached out and blocked his path.

"There's no need to go over there."

Yugito's voice was quiet, her tone flat. "He said he would be back soon. I imagine it won't be long before he returns."

Rasa looked at her, then back toward the distance, remaining silent for a few seconds.

After a moment of thought, he decided Yugito made a fair point.

*'Yeah, it's definitely not because I'm scared,'* he reasoned to himself.

He was the Kazekage, after all; he was merely concerned for the safety of his traveling companion.

Besides, with the battle causing such a massive disturbance, there likely wouldn't be anything left to see even if he went now.

Either Uchiha Taiga had won and his opponent had fled, or his opponent had won and Taiga wouldn't be coming back.

But seeing Yugito waiting here so calmly meant she wasn't worried in the slightest, which in turn meant Taiga would be perfectly fine.

All he had to do was trust in that.

Rasa pulled his foot back and nodded.

"Alright."

He offered that single word of agreement, then walked over to a stone bench in the courtyard and sat down without another word.

He planned to wait right here.

Yugito glanced at him but said nothing, turning to head into the kitchen to prepare some food.

She knew Uchiha Taiga well; after a battle, he would definitely want something to eat and perhaps a little sake to drink.

Taiga called it setting the mood.

Sure enough, about fifteen minutes later, footsteps echoed from the courtyard entrance.

Rasa stood up from the stone bench and looked over, watching as Uchiha Taiga strolled in from outside.

His clothes were slightly disheveled, the hems wrinkled and the cuffs torn with a few small holes. His pant legs were dusted with dirt and grime, but overall, he didn't look too worse for wear.

It was obvious this was the aftermath of a recent scuffle.

Considering the colossal sphere of light and the explosion in the distance, the sheer intensity of that battle went without saying.

Rasa swallowed hard as he watched him enter, unable to stop a sigh of relief from escaping his lips.

Fortunately, the man had returned without any serious injuries.

Taiga paused for a brief moment upon seeing Rasa in the courtyard, but quickly returned to his usual lazy expression.

He didn't mention where he had been or what he had done; he simply gave Rasa a nod.

Rasa opened his mouth to ask something, but seeing Taiga's dismissive demeanor, he swallowed his words.

He knew he wouldn't get an answer even if he asked.

"It's good that you're back," he said.

Taiga nodded. "Yeah. Thanks for your hard work."

"Since you're alright, Taiga, I'll be heading back now," Rasa said, stepping away.

Taiga nodded in acknowledgment.

"Alright."

Rasa turned and walked out of the courtyard, leaving the space to fall quiet once more.

Yugito stepped out at that moment, standing before him and looking him up and down before speaking.

"When are we leaving?"

She knew Taiga's temperament well.

After what had happened in the alley, he undoubtedly loathed Kusagakure and naturally wouldn't want to stay here any longer.

Taiga opened his eyes and glanced at her.

"We leave tomorrow."

He paused before adding another sentence.

"We'll rest here for one more night."

Yugito nodded without asking why. She cast a glance at the red-haired woman holding a baby beneath the veranda pillars and immediately understood.

The woman and her child needed to rest.

"I'll go prepare some food," Yugito said, turning back toward the kitchen.

The light in the courtyard dimmed slightly as a breeze blew in from outside, carrying a hint of a chill.

The red-haired woman sat beneath the pillars, huddled into a tight ball with the baby girl cradled in her arms.

Her eyes remained fixed on Taiga, but whenever his gaze swept over her, she immediately lowered her head, too afraid to meet his eyes.

She was terrified. She didn't know why this young man had saved her, where he was taking her, or what awaited her in the future.

But she also knew that if it weren't for him, she would have already been dragged away by that Kusagakure ninja. Her daughter would have grown up in this village, doomed to become the next victim of their cruelty.

Her mind was a chaotic mess.

Taiga sat down nearby, waiting quietly for a moment before speaking.

"What is your name?"

His voice wasn't loud, and his tone was casual, as if he were chatting with an unfamiliar neighbor.

The red-haired woman looked up at him briefly before dropping her head again. Her lips trembled slightly, and her voice was barely a whisper.

"Uzumaki... Uzumaki Yumiko."

She hesitated when stating her name, as if unsure whether revealing that surname to this young man would bring her trouble.

Taiga nodded and asked another question.

"And your daughter? What is her name?"

Yumiko's grip tightened, pulling the child in her arms a little closer.

"Karin."

Taiga glanced at the baby girl.

The child was already asleep, her small face flushed and her breathing incredibly soft. She had a head of red hair, just like her mother.

"Why didn't you give your daughter the Uzumaki surname?" Taiga asked.

Yumiko's body trembled slightly.

She lowered her head, looking at the child in her arms, and remained silent for a moment.

"The Uzumaki surname will only bring her misfortune."

Her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, but the bitterness in her tone could be felt without needing to be loud.

She had already experienced it firsthand. Her husband was dead, and she was left alone in Kusagakure to be bullied, dragged around, and slapped.

If her daughter also bore the name Uzumaki, she would inevitably suffer the same fate in the future.

She didn't want that for her.

Taiga looked at her in silence for a moment before shaking his head, thinking this woman was far too naive.

Some things couldn't be avoided simply by omitting a surname; he knew this all too well.

The malice of human nature would be fully demonstrated upon her and her daughter in the future regardless.

"Enough."

He spoke the word without any mockery or pity in his tone, simply making a casual decision.

"From now on, you'll follow me."

Yumiko's head snapped up.

Her eyes were wide, her pupils trembling slightly. Her lips parted as if she wanted to speak, but she didn't know what to say.

She stared at Taiga, taking in the young man's calm face.

She didn't know if she should trust him, nor did she know how to trust him.

But she knew that given her and her daughter's current situation, they had no other choice.

Tears slipped from the corners of her eyes, streaming down her cheeks and dripping onto the baby's swaddle.

She didn't speak. She merely lowered her head, burying her face in her child's hair as her shoulders shook slightly.

Seeing this, Taiga scratched his chin. "Strictly speaking, I am an Uchiha, and you are an Uzumaki. Your ancestors share a lineage with the Senju clan, and our Uchiha ancestors share a lineage with both of you. We all descend from Hagoromo Otsutsuki."

Such a profound secret naturally caught Yumiko's attention.

"Well, that kind of history is too distant. To be precise, the Uzumaki and Senju inherited Hagoromo Otsutsuki's Sage Body, while we Uchiha inherited his Sage Eyes, which is the Sharingan."

Taiga smiled faintly as he finished. "So, there's no need to worry about me harming you or your daughter. To put it bluntly, you don't possess anything that I covet. Do you understand?"

Hearing this, Yumiko finally let go of some of her worry and unease, hurriedly bowing her head. "Yes, my lord. I understand."

"Good. Let's leave it at that, then."