The training ground fell silent except for the sound of Kurenai's breathing.

  Her face had gone pale, and she couldn't help but exhale slowly. This was the first time she'd witnessed such brutal violence, and her stomach churned at the sight. Rin looked equally shaken, though both girls were beginning to understand the true weight of Tsunade's power. Against an ordinary jonin, she was simply unstoppable.

  But did they really need to follow through with the original plan?

  "Run!"

  The three Kusagakure ninjas finally snapped out of their shock. Without a second thought about avenging Shin, they bolted in different directions, pure survival instinct overriding everything else.

  The red-haired woman remained frozen.

  "Chase them!" Hanekawa was already moving, his body blurring into motion as he pursued the fastest runner—the middle-aged man on the left.

  The air cracked with the sound of his approach.

  The middle-aged chunin didn't panic. Even while fleeing, he maintained his awareness. He spun, kunai drawn, and met Hanekawa's Thunder-Fire Sword mid-swing. Sparks erupted on impact, and the force of the collision sent him skidding backward despite his resistance.

  This is no genin, he realized, eyes widening.

  He released the kunai without hesitation and kicked off, launching himself skyward. His hands were already forming seals when the world suddenly twisted.

  His body froze mid-air. The realization hit him a split second too late—he'd fallen into an illusion. But when? How?

  The darkness came before he could answer.

  Hanekawa stepped forward and ended it with a single stroke. Genjutsu really is broken against normal ninjas, he thought, not bothering to watch the body fall.

  ---

  Kurenai had engaged her own target—a younger chunin who'd made the mistake of standing his ground.

  She closed the distance with practiced efficiency, then stopped just outside arm's reach. Her hands flew through the seals. "Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

  A massive dragon of water erupted from her palms.

  The chunin reacted on instinct, pressing both hands to the ground. An earthen wall shot up, absorbing the impact. Water exploded outward in a spray of mud and droplets, but the wall held.

  Kurenai had anticipated this. Before the water even settled, she was moving—using the Body Flicker Technique to launch herself onto the wall's surface.

  The chunin spotted her and didn't hesitate. Four kunai flew from his pouch in rapid succession.

  Kurenai descended, her own kunai wrapped in a thin layer of water. "Water Style: Water Blade Slash!"

  The four projectiles fell, cleanly severed mid-air.

  The chunin's eyes widened as he saw the water-coated blade coming toward him. He tried to move, but it was too late. The kunai found his throat.

  He fell backward, blood spraying across the ground.

  Kurenai instinctively turned away from the spray, her breathing heavy. She'd killed ninjas before, but always with jutsu—always at a distance. This was different. This was personal in a way that made her stomach twist.

  "How do you feel?" Hanekawa appeared beside her, his tone casual.

  "I'm fine," she said, shaking her head. But her voice wavered slightly.

  Without another word, Hanekawa reached out and took her hand. Her pale face flushed crimson.

  ---

  "Wait! Stop!" Rin caught up to the red-haired woman, who'd been trying to flee. Despite her Uzumaki heritage, the woman's chakra reserves were clearly depleted. "We're from the Leaf Village! We're here to rescue you!"

  The woman froze, disbelief written across her face. "Really?"

  "Really!" Rin stepped forward, noting the bite marks covering the woman's skin. Her expression softened with sympathy. "Healing Technique."

  Green chakra flowed from her hands, and the woman's fear began to ease. If they wanted to kill me, they wouldn't be healing me.

  Was she finally escaping that nightmare?

  When the Uzumaki clan fell, she'd been one of the lucky few to survive. But luck was a fickle thing. The Kusagakure ninjas had found her, and since then, she'd been nothing more than a mobile blood bank. She'd tried to escape countless times, but she was never strong enough. They always caught her.

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  "What's your name?" Tsunade's voice cut through her thoughts.

  The woman shuddered, still haunted by the image of Tsunade's fist obliterating Shin. "Uzumaki Miho."

  "Uzumaki clan," Tsunade confirmed, reaching out to gently touch her head. "Do you know Uzumaki Kushina?"

  "I've heard of her," Miho said, her eyes brightening slightly. "She was chosen by the clan and sent to the Leaf Village."

  "Then you'll come with us to meet her," Tsunade said with a smile. "From now on, you're a ninja of the Leaf Village."

  Miho's eyes went red. She couldn't hold back anymore. She threw her arms around Tsunade and sobbed, all the fear and pain of the past weeks pouring out at once.

  Hanekawa sighed. In my past life, I always felt bad for Karin and her mother. Now that I've actually saved her... well, that's something.

  He paused, a thought occurring to him. Wait—if Miho is here now, what about Karin?

  Karin would be born years from now, around the same time as Sasuke. Her father was presumably a Kusagakure ninja, but now that Miho was in the Leaf Village, the timeline had shifted. Even if Miho had a daughter in the future, she wouldn't be the Karin from the original story.

  It's a shame, but... I couldn't just watch her get tortured to death.

  "Hanekawa," Tsunade called, still gently rubbing Miho's back. "Dispose of the bodies."

  He nodded, released Kurenai's hand, and got to work. He gathered the three corpses, collected dry branches and leaves, and set them ablaze. By the time the flames died down, Miho had regained her composure—or rather, her excitement about her new life had overtaken her trauma.

  The five of them made the journey back to the Leaf Village in silence.

  ---

  Hokage Building

  Hiruzen Sarutobi studied Uzumaki Miho with genuine surprise. A C-rank mission that resulted in rescuing a member of the Uzumaki clan? He'd believed Kushina was the last survivor.

  "Tsunade, what do you propose we do with her?" he asked thoughtfully.

  "She stays with Kushina," Tsunade said without hesitation.

  "Very well." Hiruzen nodded. Kushina had been isolated in her barrier for some time now, and while Minato and Tsunade visited regularly, she needed companionship. Of course, Hiruzen's mind was already working on deeper implications. The Uzumaki were ideal jinchūriki candidates. Having a backup was always prudent.

  "Did you leave any traces?" he asked, reaching for his pipe before Tsunade's glare stopped him cold.

  "Of course not," she said flatly. "I don't need lessons on basic tradecraft."

  "Right. About the mission rewards—one B-rank and one A-rank. Does that suit you?"

  "Fine. Give me the money."

  Hiruzen called out, and moments later, Aoi entered with a passbook. Tsunade took it, glanced at the amount, and stood. "Let's go, old man."

  After they left, Hiruzen instructed Aoi, "Have the ANBU monitor Kusagakure's movements."

  ---

  Outside the Hokage Building, Tsunade casually handed the passbook to Hanekawa. Despite her perpetual money troubles, she wouldn't embezzle her students' earnings. Well, not Hanekawa's—they were practically family. But Rin and Kurenai deserved their full share.

  "You've all earned two days off," Tsunade announced. "You've been traveling and fighting all week."

  "Thank you, Lady Tsunade!" Rin and Kurenai bowed gratefully.

  "You two head home," Tsunade said. "Hanekawa, stay with me."

  The girls exchanged a quick glance but didn't ask questions. They'd learned better.

  "Let's go meet Kushina," Tsunade said to Miho, who looked nervous. "Don't worry. She'll be thrilled to see you."

  "Okay!" Miho nodded, though uncertainty lingered in her eyes.

  Tsunade didn't let go of her hand as they walked forward. Hanekawa followed close behind.

  ---

  They arrived at Kushina's residence to find her already waiting at the door.

  "Lady Tsunade! Hanekawa!" Her voice rang out before they even came into full view. A gust of wind announced her arrival as she appeared in front of them. The Uzumaki perception was remarkable—as long as she wasn't communing with the Nine-Tails in her sealed space, she could sense their approach.

  Then she stopped short.

  Her eyes locked onto Miho's red hair, and her chakra flared with recognition. "You're... from the clan?"

  "This is Uzumaki Miho," Tsunade introduced simply.

  "Wow!" Kushina's face lit up with pure joy. She practically pulled Miho inside, examining her from head to toe. But when she noticed the bite marks covering her skin, her expression darkened instantly.

  "What happened to you?!" Her chakra surged outward, violent and protective. Her clothes and hair whipped around her as her power filled the space.

  Hanekawa took an instinctive step back, feeling the weight of her presence. That chakra... I'm jealous, he thought.

  "Kushina!" Tsunade quickly intervened.

  "I... I'm okay," Miho said softly, fighting back tears. In Kusagakure, no one had cared if she lived or died. But here, in just minutes, she'd experienced more warmth than she'd known in years.

  "Who did this?" Kushina demanded, her voice cold and dangerous.

  Miho opened her mouth but couldn't find the words.

  "Kusagakure Village," Tsunade explained briefly, covering the essentials without dwelling on details.

  "Bastards!" Kushina's fists clenched. "Let's destroy them!"

  "Calm down," Tsunade said wearily. Kushina's temper was every bit as fierce as her own.

  "Actually," Hanekawa interjected, "we could wait until the next war breaks out. Then we eliminate them quietly, without drawing attention."

  All three women turned to stare at him.

  "What?" he asked innocently.

  "That's brilliant!" Kushina's anger transformed into grim satisfaction. "Fine. They can live a little longer."

  Tsunade gave him an appraising look. He's got a pragmatic streak. Not unlike Tobirama. She made a mental note. This boy might make a fine Hokage someday.

  ---

  Inside, Tsunade examined Miho thoroughly, her hands glowing with diagnostic chakra.

  "She's fine," Tsunade announced. "Just severely depleted. Rest and proper nutrition will restore her."

  "Thank goodness!" Kushina pulled Miho close. "Anyone who bullies you answers to me!"

  Hanekawa found himself thinking of Naruto. If Kushina had lived, he never would have suffered the way he did.

  Tsunade wrote out a prescription for medicinal herbs—expensive ones. "Give this to the old man and tell him to buy everything on it. Miho will be living with you from now on."

  "I'll take perfect care of her!" Kushina declared fiercely.

  As Hanekawa watched the two Uzumaki women bond, he felt something settle in his chest. One small timeline corrected. One person saved from suffering.

  Not bad for a day's work.