Uchiha Yuzuru rubbed Uzumaki Kushina's head with amusement. "Alright, are you a kitten?"
Hearing this, Uzumaki Kushina immediately placed both hands under her chin and looked at Uchiha Yuzuru with her big eyes. "Meow~"
After meowing, she even stuck out her pink little tongue.
That cute appearance made Uchiha Yuzuru involuntarily swallow his saliva.
Crap, it's the feeling of a racing heart.
"Hmph!"
Seeing Uchiha Yuzuru's reaction, Uzumaki Kushina raised her chin proudly and then flashed to the side.
"Hehehe..."
"You big pervert!"
Seeing the mischievous Uzumaki Kushina, Uchiha Yuzuru gave a helpless, wry smile, but he secretly grumbled in his heart.
Deliberately playing with fire, are we?
Just you wait, you'll get what's coming to you later!
Uchiha Mikoto walked up at this moment. She was not as bold as Uzumaki Kushina, but she also hugged Uchiha Yuzuru's arm and gently rested her head on his shoulder.
Feeling the sensation from his arm, Uchiha Yuzuru took a deep breath.
Good heavens, you guys are just using this to test my discipline, aren't you!
Uchiha Yuzuru remained composed and said to Uzumaki Kushina, "The Third Raikage told me that the Kekkai Genkai ninja sent by Sunagakure is with you, right?"
"I'll go take a look."
Seeing that Uchiha Yuzuru had business to attend to, Uzumaki Kushina and Uchiha Mikoto obediently let go.
"Yuzuru, go ahead then. Mikoto and I will cook for you."
The two left the yard with the freshly washed vegetables, and Uchiha Yuzuru walked toward the room Uzumaki Kushina had just pointed to.
He knocked on the door, but no one responded.
Uchiha Yuzuru simply pushed the door open and walked in.
Sitting in the room was a young girl with shoulder-length sand-yellow hair.
She looked gentle and sweet, and was very beautiful.
Only...
This isn't Pakura, is it?
Uchiha Yuzuru was a bit confused.
"Who... who are you?"
The girl was startled by Uchiha Yuzuru and quickly stood up, retreating to the corner of the wall.
After hearing Uchiha Yuzuru's words, the girl became even more nervous.
She had already heard that it was Uchiha Yuzuru who had killed all of their Sunagakure ninja on the battlefield.
"Hmm?"
Seeing Uchiha Yuzuru frown, the girl immediately said, "My... my name is Karura. Please... please take care of me."
Hearing the girl's answer, Uchiha Yuzuru froze on the spot.
Huh?
Karura?
Isn't this Gaara's mother?
Why did those guys from Sunagakure send her here?
Seeing Uchiha Yuzuru remain silent, Karura spoke nervously, "I really possess a Kekkai Genkai. I can control sand."
"Look..."
After Karura finished speaking, she slowly raised her arm.
The next second, a pile of sand floated out from the huge gourd in the corner of the room.
Before coming here, she had been specifically exhorted by the Third Kazekage and Granny Chiyo that she must stabilize Kumogakure and absolutely not give them an excuse to attack Sunagakure.
So facing Uchiha Yuzuru, Karura dared not show the slightest negligence.
Looking at the familiar gourd and sand, Uchiha Yuzuru also confirmed Karura's identity.
In the original work, Rasa did seem to say that Gaara's ability to manipulate sand did not come from Shukaku, but from Karura.
Coming back to his senses, he smiled and said to Karura, "I know about your ability. Sit down first."
Although it was somewhat unexpected, Karura's Kekkai Genkai seemed quite good as well.
As for Pakura, there would always be opportunities in the future.
Seeing the gentle smile on Uchiha Yuzuru's face, Karura slowly sat down opposite him. "Lord Yuzuru, you suddenly came to find me. Do you have some arrangement?"
Uchiha Yuzuru thought for a moment and replied, "Karura, you know you have been abandoned by your village, right?"
Hearing this, Karura bit her lip and lowered her head.
As a bargaining chip, she had been traded by the village to Kumogakure.
Although she did not hate the village, the fact that she had been abandoned could not be refuted.
Seeing Karura's appearance, Uchiha Yuzuru continued, "Since you have come to Kumogakure, you will work for Kumogakure from now on, understand?"
Karura nodded.
Seeing this, Uchiha Yuzuru spoke again. "It just so happens that Kushina and Mikoto are short one teammate. In the future, you will execute missions together with them."
Karura raised her head in some surprise and asked in confusion, "Do you really trust me?"
She had been here for a few days, and both Uzumaki Kushina and Uchiha Mikoto had come to talk to her.
So Karura already knew that these two were destined to be Uchiha Yuzuru's future wives.
But now, Uchiha Yuzuru wanted her, an outsider, to become teammates with his wives...
Was he not afraid that she might have other intentions?
Hearing Karura's question, Uchiha Yuzuru laughed heartily a few times. "I believe you won't do anything stupid. After all..."
"If anything happens to Kushina and Mikoto, I will make the entire Sunagakure be buried with them."
"Whether you believe it or not, I have the power to do such a thing."
Looking at the Mangekyo Sharingan pattern that had unknowingly appeared in Uchiha Yuzuru's eyes, Karura couldn't help but swallow.
"Please... please rest assured. I... I will definitely protect their safety well!"
Seeing Karura's nervous appearance, Uchiha Yuzuru withdrew his aura and returned to his gentle demeanor.
Karura was startled inwardly.
Did Uchiha Yuzuru already know about that?
She dared not conceal it and could only say truthfully, "Yashamaru is still in Sunagakure."
Uchiha Yuzuru nodded and suddenly asked, "If we face Sunagakure ninja in the future, will you take action?"
Karura glanced at Uchiha Yuzuru and remained silent.
After a long while, she said in a somewhat hoarse voice, "Please rest assured. I am a ninja of Kumogakure now. I will absolutely not do anything to betray Kumogakure."
"Even if they use your brother's life to threaten you?"
"..."
After a moment of silence, Karura stood up and plucked up the courage to look directly at Uchiha Yuzuru for the first time. "Lord Yuzuru, do you still plan to attack Sunagakure?"
"Correct."
Uchiha Yuzuru had no intention of hiding it and said straightforwardly, "I want to unify the entire shinobi world. This kind of thing is unavoidable."
"Eh?!"
Karura opened her mouth wide in shock. "Unify the shinobi world? Are you joking?"
"That will cause the deaths of many people."
"If the shinobi world can be unified, war will no longer appear."
"Killing is for the sake of fewer killings."
After saying this, seeing that Karura still looked like she found it hard to accept, Uchiha Yuzuru did not continue discussing it.
"If the shinobi world is unified, I can mobilize and centralize the resources of the shinobi world."
"Even in barren lands like the Land of Wind and Sunagakure, people will be able to live affluent lives."
Watching Uchiha Yuzuru's receding figure, Karura fell into deep thought.
Before coming here, she had examined the information regarding Uchiha Yuzuru in detail.
After leading the entire Uchiha clan away from Konoha, he had decisively settled in Kumogakure.
Victory in two wars, a display of unparalleled power. The open assassination of the daimyo—not only unpunished, but imitated by other nations...
All of this was proof enough that Uchiha Yuzuru was a man who dared to dream and dared to act, with the ability to turn his visions into reality.
If he now spoke of unifying the shinobi world, it would certainly not be empty talk.
If Uchiha Yuzuru truly put his intentions into action, shouldn't she—for Sunagakure's future—start making contingency plans?
Karura's thoughts whirled, and in the end, she could only force herself to suppress the chaotic ideas filling her mind.
No matter what, Sunagakure had abandoned her. From now on, she would live as a ninja of Kumogakure.
She would help Sunagakure where she could.
If she truly couldn't... then the best she could manage would be to secure Yashamaru's safety.
I'll need to work hard to prove myself from now on.
Uchiha Yuzuru paid little mind to Karura's inner turmoil.
He was confident that once she spent some time living in Kumogakure, Karura would understand what the right choice truly was.
In the end, she was just a pawn who had been cast aside—what loyalty could she possibly still hold toward Sunagakure?
After leaving, Uchiha Yuzuru shared a meal with Uchiha Mikoto and Uzumaki Kushina.
Both were excellent cooks, and the dishes they prepared were delicious.
During the meal, Uchiha Yuzuru mentioned Karura's situation. Neither Uzumaki Kushina nor Uchiha Mikoto raised any objections.
After a few days together, they had both sensed the kindness in Karura's heart.
Having someone like that as a teammate was reassuring.
After dinner, Uchiha Mikoto went to clear the dishes, and Uchiha Yuzuru thought to seize the chance to have some fun with Uzumaki Kushina.
Unfortunately, before he could make his move, Uchiha Obito's voice rang out from beyond the door.
"Yuzuru-aniki, I know you're in there—open up!"
Uchiha Yuzuru opened the door, irritation plain on his face, and roughly tousled Obito's hair. "Shouldn't you be at the ninja academy? What are you doing here?"
Uchiha Obito straightened his goggles and replied with a grin, "Yuzuru-aniki, the academy's closed today."
"I came to ask you something."
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