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  ~ It won’t be long before Shin's retionship with the girls is finally firmed!

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  "From this moment on," Tsunade decred coldly, "the Senju has nothing to do with Konohagakure."

  Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked out of the Hokage's office, Shin following beside her. Kushina, Mikoto, and Konan trailed behind, leaving Hiruzen alone in stunned silence.

  Tsunade had chosen not to strike him down, but she'd severed all remaining ties. If Konoha ever faced another crisis, she'd do nothing to help.

  The Senju and Uchiha may have founded Konoha, but that vilge no longer existed—not the way it once did.

  ....

  "So," Shin said ohey exited the Hokage building, "shall we look for Uzumaki Akiko ?"

  Now that they had secured the chakra of eight Tailed Beasts, only one remaihe ails. Once he had its chakra, he could fuse them all together and unlock [Six Paths Senjutsu].

  Mikoto crossed her arms. "Are you sure she's even in the vilge? What if she's away on a mission?"

  Shin shook his head. "She won't be. She's the ails Jinchūriki, and she's still young. No way Konoha would risk sending her out."

  Jinchūriki were too valuable. No vilge would let their ultimate on run around recklessly, especially not one as crucial as the ails.

  He frowned slightly. "That being said, I don't actually know where she's staying these days. Do any of you?"

  Kushina and Mikoto both shook their heads; they'd never paid much attention to Akiko's personal life. Shiainly hadn't.

  "What if Hiruzen tries to hide her?" Tsunade asked.

  "Doubt it," Shin replied. "He knows I only want the ails' chakra, not the beast itself. He probably won't try anything."

  But if Hiruzen 'did' try, Shin wouldn't hesitate to use force.

  ....

  After asking around, they finally tracked down Akiko's residence. However, upon arriving, they found she wasn't home.

  Someone else was. Standing at her doorstep, holding a bouquet of flowers, was—Uzumaki Kai.

  "....."

  The moment Tsunade caught sight of him, she drew back a fist and smmed it forward.

  CRACK!

  A siing ch echoed through the air. Kai was sent flying, smming through two trees before nding in a crumpled heap. Blood spttered the ground.

  "I didn't expect him to survive that," Shin remarked, noting from his sensing that Kai was still alive—barely.

  "Good. I'm leaving him for Nawaki," Tsunade said coolly. "He nearly got Nawaki killed onawaki wao settle that score personally. If not for that, I'd have crushed him entirely."

  Kushina gnced around. "So Akiko's not here, huh?" She sounded disappointed. "Did we e all this way for nothing?"

  "We'll wait," Shin decided. "She has to e back eventually."

  ....

  They didn't have to wait long.

  Around ten mier, Akiko appeared—returning home with Minato Namikaze walking beside her.

  Akiko stopped iracks the moment she saw them. "Shin? Kushina? Mikoto? What are you all doing here?"

  "We're here for you," Shin answered, stepping toward her. Minato, at her side, tensed, one hand moving toward a cealed kunai. He knew Shin had left Konoha and otentially an enemy.

  Shin caught Minato's osture but ig.

  "What do you want with me?" Akiko asked, blinking warily.

  They were distantly reted as fellow Uzumaki, but not close. At best, they were casual acquaintances.

  Shin smiled. "Your ails."

  Akiko's body stiffened. She instinctively took a step back, arm fshing in her eyes.

  "Rex," Shin reassured her. "I just o borrow some of its chakra."

  Before she could react, he reached out and pced a hand oomach—right over the seal that held the ails within her.

  Immediately, his Rienseigan activated, and he begarag chakra.

  Akiko's eyes widened in shock. She couldn't move.

  Minato, seeing this, sprang into a—but before he could interfere, a kunai whizzed past his face, f him to halt.

  "Don't interrupt Shin," Mikoto ordered quietly.

  Her [Three-Tomoe Sharingan] gleamed dangerously. Even though she had yet to awaken the Mangekyō, her deadly precision with thrown ons made even someone like Minato hesitate.

  His instincts told him—if he took aep, she wouldn't miss.

  Shin tinued his work, siphoning a rge portion of the ails' chakra.

  The beast inside Akiko howled in fury, but it owerless to stop him. It had been asleep when Shin stole its energy, leaving it momentarily disoriented.

  A moment ter, Shin pulled his hand away.

  Akiko shot Shin a tense gre.

  "Why so suspicious?" Shin said with mild amusement. "We're both Uzumaki, after all. I didn't harm you or your seal. You have nothing to fear."

  Turning away, he waved to Tsunade and the others.

  "We've got what we came for. Time to go."

  He didn't even g Akiko again. She was irrelevant to him.

  ....

  Minato finally rexed when Shin and his group disappeared from sight. Letting out a slow breath, he turned—only to notiething else lying nearby.

  Someone was badly injured.

  He and Akiko hurried over to find Uzumaki Kai lying there, battered and unscious. Tsunade had not killed him, but she'd definitely inflicted serious damage.

  Despite their dislike for Kai, the pair still lugged him off to Konoha Hospital.

  ????

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