In the evening, the afterglow of the setting sun still illuminated the sky.
After undergoing the examination, Uzumaki Mariko slowly walked out of Konoha's police station, her expression vacant. The illusions of Uchiha Fugaku and the Yamanaka Clan's secret techniques had drained a significant amount of her mental energy. Although Konoha's people did not use physical violence, the psychological interrogation had taken a toll on her.
The Konoha Police Station was located in a relatively remote area, with the entrance nearly empty and the surroundings quiet. Dim lights flickered in the nearby houses, creating a peaceful evening atmosphere.
"Konoha..." Mariko closed her eyes, taking in the village's ambiance, allowing herself to feel it carefully.
"Mariko, I'm here to pick you up."
At that moment, Senju Nawaki's gentle voice rang in her ears. Mariko opened her eyes and saw him standing in front of her. Senju Nawaki, upright and kind-hearted, radiated a warm and comforting chakra. As someone born into the Uzumaki Clan, Mariko could keenly sense the aura emanating from him.
Through her recent interactions with Konoha's ninjas, she realized they were indeed very different from those of the Grass Village. Faced with Nawaki's sincerity, she couldn't help but lower her guard slightly.
"Thank you," Mariko said softly.
"I'll take you to dinner. I've also arranged a place for you to stay in Konoha. Let's go." Nawaki took Mariko's hand, and this time, she did not resist. Hand in hand, they walked towards the Senju compound.
Upon arriving at the old house, they found Uzumaki Raiden, Uzumaki Kushina, Namikaze Minato, and Tsunade already seated in the living room, awaiting their arrival.
Though it was a family gathering, the atmosphere remained formal. Tsunade sat at the head of the table, wearing a serious expression as she observed Nawaki and Mariko. To her right, Uzumaki Raiden sat quietly. When Nawaki and Mariko entered, he glanced at them before shifting his attention elsewhere.
Beside Raiden, Minato and Kushina sat together, whispering to each other. Upon seeing Nawaki and Mariko, Kushina excitedly tugged on Minato's sleeve, her face practically radiating curiosity and excitement.
Two empty seats were positioned on Tsunade's left, clearly reserved for Nawaki and Mariko.
"Come, take a seat," Tsunade said in a deep voice, gesturing to the empty chairs. She then fixed Mariko with a scrutinizing gaze, creating a tense atmosphere in the room.
"Nawaki, Raiden has already briefed me on the situation."
"I hope you'll think carefully about this."
"I won't say much now. Let's eat first. Mariko will stay here with me for the time being, and I'll take care of things."
"Oh, I almost forgot to introduce myself. My name is Tsunade, and I'm Nawaki's older sister."
Tsunade spoke with a serious tone but soon softened, introducing herself to Mariko with a small smile. She then continued, "Everyone here is family, so let me introduce them briefly."
"This is Uzumaki Raiden, my younger brother and the current Hokage of Konoha."
"Next to him is my younger sister, Uzumaki Kushina, and beside her is her boyfriend, Namikaze Minato."
With each introduction, Raiden, Kushina, and Minato nodded toward Mariko. The entire scene felt eerily similar to a formal meeting between families, making Mariko uneasy.
"Hello."
"My name is Mariko. Nice to meet you all," she greeted nervously with a slight bow.
"Alright, let's eat," Tsunade said, and soon, servants began bringing in dishes. Normally, their meals were casual, with Tsunade and the others often cooking themselves. However, tonight, Tsunade had arranged a grand dinner with an air of formality.
Mariko ate cautiously throughout the meal. Raiden subtly probed into her background, while Tsunade seemed more focused on her personality and interests. Meanwhile, Nawaki, smiling brightly, ate without concern, while Kushina and Minato quietly enjoyed watching the scene unfold.
After dinner, Raiden and Minato said their goodbyes, leaving to attend to official duties. Nawaki, hoping to stay and chat with Mariko, was pulled away by Raiden, much to his dismay.
With the men gone, Tsunade personally arranged a room for Mariko and then took Kushina along to buy some daily necessities.
By the time they returned, night had fully set in. Mentally exhausted, Mariko retired to her room early, while Tsunade and Kushina stayed up talking for a while before heading to bed.
Unbeknownst to most, the night in Konoha grew darker, with most of the village already asleep. Only a few streetlights remained flickering, casting faint glows over the empty streets.
In the Hokage's office, Uzumaki Raiden gazed out of the window into the darkness, a mix of guilt and unease clouding his thoughts.
"Raiden, what's on your mind?" Namikaze Minato asked, looking up from his desk and stretching. Concern filled his voice as he noticed Raiden's furrowed brows.
As Hokage's assistant, working overtime with Nara Shikaku was a common occurrence for Minato.
"It's about Mariko... despite all the screenings today, I still feel uneasy. I can't pinpoint it, but something feels off."
Shikaku, overhearing this, reassured him, "Hokage, don't overthink it. If neither Inoichi, Ibiki, nor even Fugaku found anything, there's probably nothing wrong."
"You were there too. If even you couldn't sense anything, then it should be fine."
Minato, however, shook his head slightly. With their level of experience, intuition often played a key role. Sometimes, an unexplained feeling of impending danger proved to be accurate.
"Raiden, you've already arranged for her to stay under Lady Tsunade's watch. With her there, everything should be fine," Minato reassured him.
But just then, Raiden's expression changed abruptly.
"Something's wrong!" Without another word, he shattered the window and vanished into the night.
"What happened?" Shikaku asked in surprise, but before he could turn around, Minato had already disappeared as well.
In the Senju compound, a shadowy figure emerged silently from the ground—Black Zetsu. Black tendrils extended and latched onto Mariko's wrist, drawing vast amounts of chakra from her body. The flow of chakra disappeared into an unknown void, and despite her tightly furrowed brows, Mariko remained asleep.
"So fast?!"
"That brat's perception is frighteningly sharp!"
Black Zetsu's eyes widened in surprise. In the next instant, a figure appeared in the room, a long blade crackling with lightning aimed directly at Black Zetsu. Violent chakra filled the entire room in an instant.
Clang!
Uzumaki Raiden's eyes burned with cold fury. He never expected Black Zetsu to act so boldly under his nose. Despite the presence of Konoha's sensory units, the enemy had still managed to evade their defenses undetected.
The lightning-charged blade was suddenly blocked by an ominous fan, and before Raiden could react, a withered hand burst from the ground, gripping his throat tightly.
"What the...?! Is this... the King of Dance?!"
(End of this chapter)