Naruto : Konoha Light

Weekend at Kushina's Home

In the living room, more than ten people gathered in a lively circle.

"Asuma, take this! Take this!"

"Asuma, can you play?"

"Stop arguing! Didn't Shimizu say that if you're watching others play cards, you should stay quiet? That's basic etiquette! Hmm... I'll play the 50,000 tile."

"Pon! Pon! Pon!"

"!!!"

"Shimizu, is this what you meant by 'Triple Cannon Fire'?"

"Asuma, you're really something!"

Meanwhile, in the Hallway

"Aiya, I won't lose! I'm playing steadily. If he wins with these 17 tiles, I—Obito—will eat my cards right here!"

Near the Pond

"The turtle-catching contest starts now! No rules apply... Wait! Draining the water isn't fair!"

In the Garden

Kushina busily prepared the grill, organizing the skewers with practiced ease.

"Sister Kushina, I really appreciate your help." Shimizu washed the vegetables beside her.

"How can you call this trouble?" Kushina shot him a glare. If it weren't for the effort it took to maintain her composure, she might have given Shimizu a good smack on the head right then.

"Honestly, I wasn't careful. I lost control of the crowd size..."

"Having more people is good. The more, the merrier... It makes you feel like you haven't been forgotten by the world."

Listening to the cheerful chatter and laughter around them, her expression softened. "At least for now, I don't feel like I'm... rootless anymore."

Shimizu fell silent for a moment, then changed the subject. "Sister Kushina, how's the seal inside you holding up?"

"Same as always. That old man's sealing technique is terrible." Kushina scoffed, waving dismissively as if it didn't matter. "But don't worry. I'm not the same person I was before. That old fox won't be controlling me anymore!"

Shimizu sighed in relief but hesitated before asking, "Sister Kushina, have you ever considered... coexisting with the beast inside you in a different way?"

"A different way?" Kushina blinked, puzzled. "You mean punching it? But I doubt I could win."

"I mean persuading it—earning its trust."

Shimizu pulled out a deck of playing cards and set them down beside her.

"Aren't they already playing over there?" Kushina pointed at the noisy card game where Obito was dramatically clutching his head in frustration.

Shimizu smiled. "Just look at how happy they are. Games are one of the best ways to build friendships."

"Like that monster would enjoy something like this?" Kushina sounded skeptical. She couldn't imagine her terrifying tenant engaging in something as trivial as a card game.

"You never know unless you try." Shimizu leaned forward with a sigh. "Actually, based on my observations, I suspect those tailed beasts are... sick."

Kushina's eyes widened. "Sick?"

"Yes, and it's serious—a psychological illness." Shimizu nodded. "Aren't they supposed to be intelligent? But from the moment they're born, their overwhelming power and fearsome appearance make humans afraid of them. At the same time, their so-called kin—the other tailed beasts—attack each other whenever they meet."

"They've been isolated for centuries. That kind of loneliness must have eaten away at their hearts, twisting their desires..."

Kushina was taken aback. She knew the pain of loneliness all too well. But to be isolated for a thousand years? What kind of torment must that be?

A tinge of sympathy flickered in her gaze as she glanced at the beast sealed inside her.

Seeing her deep in thought, Shimizu smiled. "The important thing is, there's no harm in trying, right?"

Kushina took a deep breath, then grabbed the deck of cards with determination. "Alright, I get it. Watch me persuade that stubborn fox!"

Meanwhile, deep within the seal, the great beast's ears twitched as an indignant growl echoed through the chamber.

"I am NOT sick, you insolent little brat!"

"And no matter how bored I get, I will NEVER accept your pathetic offerings!"

A familiar figure appeared at the gathering, causing a stir.

When someone returns after a long absence, people tend to forget the bad and replace it with curiosity and anticipation.

"Mizuki, I heard you spent the last year training in taijutsu?"

"My chakra pathways are damaged. I can't circulate chakra, but I can still train in basic physical techniques."

"You're really pushing yourself... You should've just rested in the hospital!"

"Yeah, we weren't working nearly as hard as you while you were gone!"

Mizuki remained silent, his gaze sharp as he looked toward the lively garden scene.

He would never forget.

He would never forget who had once given him hope as he lay in despair.

Who had worked tirelessly to cover his hospital bills when his relief funds had run out.

"Shimizu clearly promised not to graduate early, yet you all refuse to work hard, wasting his kindness and efforts!"

Mizuki clenched his fists and stepped aside, silently continuing his training.

"I am not like you useless weaklings. I will work ten times—no, a hundred times harder to become Shimizu's most valuable tool!"

Watching from the Lawn

Nearby, Obito, who had escaped from the chaotic card game, nudged Zhihui. "Cousin, who's that guy?"

Following Zhihui's gaze, he saw a young man in white training attire practicing alone.

"Huh, he looks really dedicated. Do you know him?"

"How could I not?" Zhihui gave a bitter smile. "I'm partly responsible for what happened to him."

Obito stiffened. "Cousin, didn't you say you cut ties with those... unprincipled people last year?"

"His injuries were from last year."

"How could he still not be healed after all this time?"

"Because... those wounds crushed his dreams of ever becoming a ninja."

Obito's breath caught in his throat. "That's... awful."

Zhihui sighed. "That's why I told you before—some things, once done, can never be undone."

A horrible thought struck Obito. "Could I end up like that too?" But then he quickly reassured himself, chuckling nervously. "No way, my talent is way too disappointing for that! I couldn't even be a villain properly, haha!"

Rin, who had been listening, couldn't help but ask, "That poor guy... Even Lady Tsunade couldn't heal him?"

"I heard that for some special reason, Lady Tsunade was unable—or unwilling—to treat him."

"? Then what will happen to him?"

Zhihui suddenly smiled. "Do you think I respect Shimizu just because he helped me turn my life around?"

Rin's eyes widened. "Did he convince Lady Tsunade to change her mind?"

Zhihui shook his head. "No. Shimizu took responsibility for my mistakes. He personally asked Lady Tsunade to teach him and perform the surgery himself."

Rin was stunned. "That's... incredible."

Obito, still confused, asked, "Rin, what's the big deal? Didn't Shimizu oversee lots of surgeries before?"

Rin shook her head. "Those were minor procedures with high success rates. But giving someone a second chance at being a ninja? That kind of surgery has an extremely low success rate and carries massive risks."

"Most medical ninjas refuse to perform it. If they fail, they could be branded as a murderer."

"By taking this on, Shimizu is betting his entire reputation."

Nearby, Kakashi, who had been silent, suddenly recalled something.

For the past year, rumors had been spreading about his father—how he had broken ninja rules to save his comrades. Even though the missions had ultimately succeeded due to his father's strength, the whispers never fully faded.

He had once asked his father if it was worth it, but his father had simply said, "You'll understand when you grow up."

Now, watching Shimizu, Kakashi suddenly asked, "Is this really worth it? He didn't have to step forward. No one would've blamed him if he didn't."

Shimizu's voice carried over, calm and unshaken.

"I don't know."

Kakashi looked up in surprise. "You don't?"

"I mean, I don't know how to judge it from your perspective," Shimizu said with a small smile. "This isn't like Zhihui's past—where right and wrong were clear."

"This... has nothing to do with right or wrong."

"So, even if I gave you my answer, you might not agree."

"The only answer that matters is your own."