Chapter 1

In the Leaf Village, Hokage's Office.

"Third Hokage-sama, he is still just a child! Conducting a memory search on him will cause significant damage to his brain!"

Uzumaki Kushina, hands on the Hokage's desk, spoke agitatedly, her spittle flying onto Sarutobi Hiruzen's face. The latter, with a helpless look, quickly signaled to Minato Namikaze, who was standing to the side.

Minato, embarrassed, stepped forward and pulled Kushina back, gently comforting her: "Kushina, calm down. It's just a memory check. I've already asked Inoichi to be careful; there won't be any problems!"

If the child were not a descendant of the Uzumaki clan, such a memory search might not have been necessary. But because he is a Uzumaki and related to Kushina by blood, the procedure was taken very seriously. Minato knew that this was both a village protocol and a way to protect Kushina, the jinchūriki.

Kushina calmed down a bit, and at that moment, a knock came at the door. Sarutobi wiped his face without showing any emotion and said, "Come in!"

"Third Hokage-sama!"

Yamanaka Inoichi bowed respectfully, then saw Kushina's murderous gaze and broke out in a cold sweat. Her temper was comparable to Tsunade's in her youth, though it had improved a lot in recent years, especially after being with Minato. But that depended on who she was dealing with.

Thinking of this, Inoichi quickly said, "Third Hokage-sama, the child is indeed a descendant of the Uzumaki clan. His memory is fine, and there are no signs of any jutsu or seals!"

He then hurriedly added to Kushina, "Kushina, don't worry, the child will have no aftereffects!"

"Thank you, Inoichi!"

Minato quickly thanked him, and Kushina immediately put on a gentle smile, inviting Inoichi to dinner at their home.

"N-no, thank you, but I already have plans to have barbecue with Chouza and Shikaku!"

Inoichi quickly declined. Joking aside, the Minato couple would definitely be with the child that evening, and it would be awkward for him to join. Besides, Kushina's cooking was notorious; who besides Minato would dare to eat it?

…

At the Leaf Village Hospital.

It hurts!

His head felt like it was being pierced by countless needles!

The bizarre dream filled with monsters quickly shattered, and Uzumaki Gengetsu suddenly opened his eyes. His vision was blurry at first, and he raised his hand to shield his eyes to adjust to the light, while the smell of disinfectant filled his nostrils.

"Hospital?"

"Did I return to Earth?"

This was Gengetsu's first thought. He had dreamed of returning to Earth. The world of the shinobi was filled with frequent wars, and even when sleeping, one had to worry about whether a ninja might suddenly burst in and slit their throat.

However, he soon felt disappointed. Propping himself up, he saw Japanese writing, which made him realize he was still in the world of the shinobi.

"I wish this were all just a dream…"

Sighing, Gengetsu rubbed his temples and calmed down. He remembered the arduous journey he had taken to enter the Land of Fire, then encountering a Leaf Village patrol team. Due to his weakened state and prolonged mental stress, he had fallen into a deep sleep.

"So, this is likely the hospital in the Leaf Village…"

"Has the Leaf Village already screened me, like a memory search?"

Thinking about this, Gengetsu got out of bed and went to the window. Sure enough, he saw shinobi with the Leaf Village headbands outside.

"Halfway there!"

His left hand clenched into a fist. He knew there were two major challenges to entering the Leaf Village. The first was the long journey for his young body, which he managed to endure thanks to his experience with survival training on Earth and his Uzumaki constitution.

The second was the almost certain spy screening he would face upon arriving in the Leaf Village, which was beyond his control. He had to take a gamble.

If they didn't find his Earth memories, everything would be fine. But if they did, he would have to use his words to secure his survival space.

The reason he had come all this way to the Leaf Village, despite knowing the risks, was because he had gathered information that suggested the Third Great Shinobi War had not yet begun. In the Leaf Village, there was someone he could rely on.

As he pondered how to handle the potential challenges ahead, the door opened.

Gengetsu turned around and immediately saw a young man and woman enter. His gaze immediately fell on the red hair that matched his own.

A sense of familiarity and a strange sense of belonging surged from within, and Gengetsu was momentarily stunned. Kushina approached, her eyes smiling, and said gently, "I am Uzumaki Kushina, and like you, I am from the Uzumaki clan!"

Kushina pointed to Gengetsu's red short hair.

Gengetsu came to his senses, remembering that he had encountered Uzumaki Kushina before he fainted. Suppressing his excitement, he quickly bowed and said, "Pleased to meet you, Kushina-senpai. I am Gengetsu, Uzumaki Gengetsu!"

In reality, before he came to this world, Gengetsu did not have the Uzumaki surname but took his father's name. However, since he decided to come to the Leaf Village, he changed his surname to Uzumaki.

"Uzumaki Gengetsu, that's a very nice name!"

Kushina praised him and then said, "You can call me Kushina-nee. From today on, you and I are family, hahaha!"

Kushina couldn't help but laugh heartily. She was a war orphan and initially had a relative, Uzumaki Utakata, but after Utakata's death, she felt isolated in the Leaf Village until she met Minato.

Now, with someone who shared her hair color and bloodline, how could she not be happy? Almost instinctively, Kushina treated Gengetsu as a close family member.

The bond of hair color and bloodline indeed worked…

Gengetsu readily accepted this and bowed again, calling Kushina "sister." He then looked at the always gentle and handsome Minato Namikaze.

Kushina, realizing this, quickly introduced Minato, and Gengetsu called him "big brother."

After getting to know each other, and confirming that Gengetsu was in good health, Kushina and Minato took him out of the hospital and back home.

Meanwhile, in the Hokage's Office.

"Hiruzen, hand that child over to me. Let him join the Root and train to be a backup container for the Nine-Tails!"

Danzo growled.

A Uzumaki bloodline, and according to the hospital examination, the child had an extraordinary constitution, clearly inheriting the abilities of the Uzumaki clan. Such talent could not be overlooked. If the Root operatives had arrived earlier, they could have taken the child directly to Root.

"No!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen, well aware of Danzo's intentions, refused without hesitation. Friends were friends, but fundamental issues could not be compromised.

Danzo, furious, demanded, "Why?"

Sarutobi shook his head, "Kushina values this child, and she doesn't like you or the Root!"

Danzo was speechless, his anger boiling but with no outlet: Damn, I was also a handsome guy in my youth!

…

On the wide street, Gengetsu talked with Kushina while constantly observing the scenery around him. This place gave him a long-missed sense of peace, and his long-tense spirit relaxed involuntarily.

"Gengetsu, why did you choose to come to the Leaf Village?"

Minato suddenly asked.

Gengetsu came to his senses, his heart tightening. He looked at Minato's gentle smile and said, "Because of the war!"

"War brings too much suffering. My father and mother both died in the chaos of war. This made me realize that in such a turbulent world, to survive and protect what I cherish, I must have strength. That's why I decided to come to the Leaf Village. My mother once mentioned that the Leaf Village and the Whirlpool Country were allies."

Turning his head, he looked at the adults and children on the street and said, "I like it here!"

Minato and Kushina exchanged glances, both understanding that Gengetsu's "here" referred not just to the Leaf Village but to the peace it offered.

Kushina felt a pang of sympathy and reached out to ruffle Gengetsu's red hair, smiling, "Your choice is right, but becoming a shinobi is not easy!"

Gengetsu grinned, "Is it harder than the journey I took to get to the Leaf Village?"

At the Root base, Danzo, with a dark expression, ordered two Root members, "From now on, closely monitor Uzumaki Gengetsu, but do not conflict with Kushina or Minato!"