Naruto: Mikoto and Tsunade, don't let either of them go.

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Early the next morning, Uchiha Kakuzan went to report to the Third Hokage. After all, it was his suggestion to go to the Land of Grass to bring Karin over, and it wouldn't be good to go too late. Besides, being too casual with the Third Hokage would easily arouse dissatisfaction and suspicion from others.

When Uchiha Kakuzan arrived at the Anbu headquarters to report for duty, the Third Hokage had just arrived at the Hokage Building to start work. The first thing he did was call Kakashi, Uchiha Kakuzan, and Uzuki Yugao over to assign them tasks.

Kakashi and Uzuki Yugao had just returned from a mission outside the village and didn't know what had happened. Kakashi gestured to Uchiha Kakuzan with his eyes, asking him if he knew anything about it.

Although Uchiha Kakuzan knew, he shook his head, indicating that he was also unaware.

So Kakashi called Yugao Uzuki from another room so they could go report to the Third Hokage together.

This was the first time that Uchiha Kakuzan had seen Uzuki Yugao. Although she was a few years younger than Uchiha Kakuzan, she had already grown into a beautiful young woman. In addition, she had been practicing swordsmanship, so she had a great figure and a light, youthful feel to her.

This was also the first time Uzuki Yugao had met Uchiha Kakuyama. Although she had seen him from afar before and heard of his reputation, this was the first time she had been this close. Upon seeing the famous Uchiha Kakuyama, she discovered that he was only a few years older than her, and incredibly handsome (the Uchiha clan is known for its good looks, and Uchiha Kakuyama was one of the best). Crucially, Uzuki Yugao felt that Uchiha Kakuyama was different from the other Uchiha she had met before; he had a gentle demeanor.

Seeing Uchiha Kakuyama so handsome and pleasant all at once, Uzuki Yugao didn't panic, but she did blush a little. Her face remained red throughout Kakashi's introduction, and although her face was tense, her tightly clenched hands betrayed her nervousness.

After a brief introduction, Kakashi and his two companions hurried off to meet the Third Hokage, since the Third Hokage was waiting for them and there would be plenty of opportunities to chat later.

After the three arrived at the room, the Third Hokage didn't waste any words and immediately gave them an urgent mission.

As usual, the Third Hokage first took a puff of his cigarette, and then began to introduce the information to the three of them.

"Kakashi, Uchiha Kakuzan, Uzuki Yugao, I've received intelligence that in Kusagakure of the Land of Grass, there's another mother and daughter, members of the Uzumaki clan from the Land of Whirlpools, and their situation isn't good."

Although the Land of Whirlpools has been destroyed, our Hidden Leaf Village has always maintained a friendly alliance with the Uzumaki clan. Therefore, for their safety, I, in the name of the Third Hokage, entrust you with the task of bringing them safely back to Hidden Leaf Village.”

The Third Hokage paused for a moment, then said to Kakashi, "Kakashi, as you know, the Uzumaki clan has a special constitution. Bringing them back will not only strengthen Konoha, but it will also be a good home for the mother and daughter."

Kakashi was somewhat distracted during the introduction of the Third Hokage. He hadn't expected that this mission would be related to the Uzumaki clan, since the Uzumaki clan was his master's clan. He was afraid to touch upon his past memories, yet he was also unwilling to forget them and couldn't forget them.

After the Third Hokage finished explaining the situation, Kakashi had already controlled his memories and didn't ask any further questions. After all, the mission scroll contained detailed information, so he simply replied, "Don't worry, Third Hokage, I guarantee I'll complete the mission."

Kakashi is currently focused on the mission, which puts the Third Hokage at ease. After Kakashi's assurance, the Third Hokage nodded in satisfaction and added, "According to the information I've received, the mother of this Uzumaki clan is not in good condition. You should set off as soon as possible and try your best to save her life."

When Kakashi and his two companions heard the Third Hokage say this, they immediately bid him farewell, went home to pack their things, and then gathered at the entrance.

Actually, Uchiha Kakuzan didn't need to pack anything, since he had a personal space. However, he still needed to go back and tell Mikoto so as not to worry her.

After agreeing on a time, the three hurriedly went back to pack their things, as the agreed time was short and time was tight.

Uchiha Kakuyama went directly to Mikoto's house. At this time, Mikoto had already gotten up and was having breakfast with Sasuke, while Uchiha Izumi and Uchiha Yō were serving her.

Uchiha Kakuzan didn't have time to freeload any more food. Instead, he briefly explained the situation to Mikoto, patted Sasuke's head, and went home to pack his things. To be fair, although Sasuke's temper was bad in the later stages, the current young Sasuke still had very soft hair that wasn't prickly at all.

Although Uchiha Kakuzan didn't need to pack anything, it would be suspicious if he didn't bring anything while everyone else was carrying a large bag. So Uchiha Kakuzan hastily packed a large bag and went to the gate of Konoha Village to assemble.

Chapter 71 Infiltrating Kusagakure Village

Chapter 71 Infiltrating Kusagakure Village

Since the Uchiha clan of Okayama and his two companions were on a normal mission and it did not involve any secrets, they followed the normal procedures.

All three were punctual, and Kakashi wasn't as late as he was in the original story. After all, he was still in the Anbu, not a freer, overt ninja.

The three were heading to the Land of Grass, a small country sandwiched between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth. Because it was a small country, it didn't have its own signature ninjutsu and was constantly bullied.

The goal of Uchiha Kakuyama and his two companions this time was to bring Karin and her daughter from the Uzumaki clan, who had been living in Kusagakure in the Land of Grass, to Konoha.

Because time was of the essence and Karin's mother's life was in danger at any moment, the three members of the Uchiha clan, including Okayama, immediately set off after leaving the village.

Kakashi is a veteran ninja, and Uzuki Yugao also specializes in taijutsu and swordsmanship, so they both have good stamina.

In the past, Uchiha Kakuzan's taijutsu would have been his weakness, definitely holding him back in this operation. However, since Uchiha Kakuzan trained in the Lightning Release Armor, even though it's only the first stage, his taijutsu has been raised to the level of a Jonin.

Therefore, Uchiha Kakuzan had a relatively easy time traveling this way. When he encountered a place that caught his eye, he could use his Takamagahara eye technique to mark a spatial imprint. Since all three of them were wearing ANBU masks, as long as Uchiha Kakuzan was careful, Kakashi and Uzuki Yugao wouldn't discover that he had activated his Mangekyou Sharingan and was secretly marking things.

Due to the urgency of the mission, the three of them were traveling at breakneck speed, so it only took them three days to reach Kusagakure in the Land of Grass.

After arriving at Kusagakure, the three did not go directly to negotiate with the village chief, but instead secretly infiltrated the village to gather information.

Because Kusagakure is a small ninja village, unlike Konoha, it does not have its own medical ninjas. Therefore, Karin and her daughter, who can quickly recover chakra and injuries, are especially important. They believe that the leader of Kusagakure will not easily hand Karin and her daughter over to them.

While negotiation is possible, it should only be undertaken if it is certain that their mission objective can be brought back.

Otherwise, if we rush into negotiations, we'll only alert them and cause them to hide their target.

Kakashi and his two companions did not want to use their power to intimidate others or resolve the issue by force, because doing so would not only be detrimental to Karin and her daughter, but would also push the Land of Grass towards the Land of Earth's Iwagakure.

Therefore, the best way now is to secretly take Karin and her daughter away without alerting anyone. That way, even if Karin and her daughter are found in Konoha Village later, it won't cause a big fuss.

Kakashi and the others waited outside the Hidden Grass Village until dark. Kakashi told them to wait while he used a combination of transformation and camouflage techniques, alternating between them, to slowly sneak into the Hidden Grass Village.

Camouflage Invisibility Technique is an invisibility technique that the ninjas of Iwagakure (Hidden Stone Village) are skilled in. Whether it's Kakashi, Obito Uchiha, or Naruto and Sasuke in the early stages, they have all suffered from it. It is also one of the most frequently used invisibility techniques.

Kakashi earned the title of Copy Ninja using his Sharingan, so it's not surprising that he knows this kind of invisibility technique.

In fact, Uchiha Kakuzan also knew this camouflage invisibility technique, but the risk of being exposed was smaller if he went alone, so Uchiha Kakuzan did not compete with Kakashi for it.

This is also because Kakashi took advantage of the fact that Kusagakure was a small ninja village with no medical ninjas, let alone sealing and barrier techniques, and probably not even many sensory ninjas.

If it were a large village, Kakashi would never have so brazenly sneaked in.

Uchiha Okayama and Uzuki Yugao watched Kakashi sneak inside, then patiently waited.

Neither of them spoke; after all, they were near someone else's village, and it was better to be careful.

Uchiha Kakuzan was idly spacing out, thinking to himself about whose bloodline limit he should copy next.

The Uzumaki clan's physique and bloodline can be obtained by bringing Karin and her daughter to Konoha Village, and then having the Third Hokage arrange for Naruto and Karin to spend time alone with him.

Then there's the Hyuga clan's bloodline limit, the Byakugan. The branch family's Byakugan isn't good enough because it has a flaw (blind spot). They still need to copy the main family's Byakugan. Let's see if they can secretly copy Hyuga Hiashi's. As the head of the Hyuga main family, his bloodline purity should be pretty good.

. . . . . .

While Uchiha Kakuzan was lost in thought, Uzuki Yugao was secretly admiring his handsome profile.

Through her interactions with Uchiha Okayama over the past two days, Uzuki Yugao discovered that Uchiha Okayama was different from the Uchiha clan members, or rather, the ninja clans she had encountered before.

Other ninjas from powerful clans possessed an arrogant and domineering air, as if they were superior to others, and they always looked down on ninjas from humble backgrounds and commoners like themselves. Even those who hid it well, the perceptive Uzuki Yugao could vaguely sense it.

However, she didn't sense any arrogance from Uchiha Kakuyama, whom she met. Furthermore, he wasn't particular about his travels or food.

Therefore, Uzuki Yugao couldn't bring herself to dislike Uchiha Kakuyama. Moreover, with her keen senses, she could feel a warm feeling emanating from Uchiha Kakuyama, making her unconsciously want to get closer to him.

Therefore, when Uzuki Yugao rested, she would secretly look at him. After all, good-looking people are popular everywhere, and Uzuki Yugao had no reason to dislike Uchiha Kakuyama.

Looking at Uchiha Kakuzan, Uzuki Yugao silently pondered: "Uchiha Kakuzan is only a few years older than me. I didn't expect him to be so strong at such a young age (most of the Anbu members know that Uchiha Kakuzan's Susanoo can defeat Danzo in one strike). At his age, he should be getting married soon, right? I wonder if the Uchiha clan allows people from other clans to marry."

Thinking of this, Uzuki Yugao felt a little embarrassed and blushed. However, admiring the strong is human nature, which is not surprising, especially someone like Uchiha Kakuzan who has both good looks and strength, and also a good personality. It is only natural that Uzuki Yugao would have wild thoughts about him.

Time slipped away quietly as Uchiha Kagami plotted for his future bloodline limit and Uzuki Yugao indulged in her wild daydreams.

By midnight, when the entire Hidden Grass Village was quiet and still, Kakashi had completed his infiltration mission and secretly reunited with Uchiha Kakuyama and the others.

Chapter 72 The Innate Skills of the Uzumaki Clan

Chapter 72 The Innate Skills of the Uzumaki Clan

Uchiha Kakuzan always had his Sharingan active, so Kakashi's camouflage technique was no different from a 100-watt light bulb in his eyes.

So when Kakashi returned, Uchiha Kakuyama had already spotted him. In addition, Kakashi didn't control his footsteps, and Uzuki Yugao, who always maintained a certain level of vigilance, stopped her infatuation and waited for Kakashi to approach with a serious expression.

After Kakashi made a few Anbu hand gestures to confirm it was him, Kakashi approached and met up with Uchiha Kakuyama and the other person.

In terms of strength alone, not to mention the evenly matched Kakashi and Uzuki Yugao, Uchiha Kagami alone could almost fight against and destroy the entire Kusagakure village.

However, this situation cannot be solved by strength alone. You need to ensure that the target of this mission—Karin and her daughter—is not killed by the enraged Kusagakure ninjas, and also the Iwagakure village in the neighboring Land of Earth. The current relations between the countries are quite delicate, and we cannot give them an excuse to start a war against the Land of Fire.

Therefore, the safest approach is to secretly pick them up.

After Kakashi met up with the two, he explained the situation in Kusagakure and marked the location of their target. Finally, with a not-so-pleasant expression, he spoke about the situation of Karin and her daughter:

"I secretly used my Sharingan to carefully observe the two of them. The little girl was in a better position, but her mother's chakra had been almost completely drained by these Kusagakure ninjas. We must take immediate action, otherwise, our mission target will surely die."

Before Uchiha Kagakuzan could say anything after hearing Kakashi's words, Uzuki Yugao, who was listening nearby, blurted out, "Absorb chakra? Can chakra be absorbed? Is it a secret technique of Kusagakure?"

Looking at the bewildered Uzuki Yugao, Uchiha Kakuyama smiled and answered for Kakashi, "Our target this time is the Uzumaki clan. The Uzumaki clan has always been an ally of our Konoha Village, but a few years ago, the Uzumaki clan's territory in the Land of Whirlpools was destroyed, and the survivors of the Uzumaki clan were displaced and scattered to who knows where."

"People from the Uzumaki clan in Kusagakure should possess a rare talent skill even within the Uzumaki clan called Physical Healing. This talent is very powerful; by having someone bite her skin, she can restore the chakra and injuries of the person who bit her. Of course, it will also consume a certain amount of her own chakra."

"Judging from Kakashi's words, this Uzumaki clan member was probably used as a human medicine by the people of Kusagakure, and they didn't care whether she lived or died. Otherwise, it wouldn't have come to this."

When Uchiha Kakuyama finished speaking, Uzuki Yugao's eyes were already sparkling. No wonder, mainly because Uchiha Kakuyama's serious expression just now was just like Uzuki Yugao's dream lover.

Kakashi, seeing Uzuki Yugao's appearance, helplessly rubbed his forehead. There was nothing he could do; young girls these days were all obsessed with looks and liked handsome men.

However, Kakashi was amazed by Uchiha Kakuzan's explanation. He only knew a little bit about it and didn't have Uchiha Kakuzan's detailed explanation at all.

Kakashi was silent for a moment, and seeing that no one spoke, he asked in a consultative tone, "What do we do now? This Uzumaki clan member is already very weak. If the people from Kusagakure absorb his energy a few more times, he will definitely die, and then our mission will fail."

There was no way around it. Although Kakashi was nominally the team leader, he still had to ask Uchiha Kakuzan for a favor. Not to mention that Uchiha Kakuzan was now the vice-head of the Uchiha clan, his Mangekyou Sharingan alone was something that no one could ignore.

Seeing Kakashi's attitude, Uchiha Kakuzan did not step forward to seize power. He was willing to do anything as long as Karin and her daughter could be brought back. So he said, "Captain Kakashi, you are the leader and have a lot of experience. We will do whatever you say."

As for Uzuki Yugao standing next to her, she just blinked her big eyes and acted as a decoration. She did whatever her two seniors told her to do, and they didn't have to worry about her.

Kakashi was relieved to see that Uchiha Kakuzan didn't seem to want to take the lead.

After all, being strong is one thing, but being able to complete the mission perfectly is another. Kakashi didn't expect that Uchiha Kakuzan, despite his strength, could still maintain his proper position during the mission, which made him feel more favorably towards Uchiha Kakuzan.

Kakashi coughed and continued, "The main task now is to rescue these two members of the Uzumaki clan and bring them back to Konoha. So, this is my plan."

"Uchiha Kakuzan, you and I will infiltrate Kusagakure together in a while. The timing is perfect. Let's talk to these two Uzumaki clan members first and see if they are willing to come to Konoha with us. If they are, we will leave together. If they are not, Uchiha Kakuzan, you can use genjutsu to control them and bring them out. Then you can persuade them slowly on the way."

Uchiha Kakuzan looked at Kakashi with some surprise upon hearing his arrangement. It seemed that Kakashi also knew some of the inside story of the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools back then; otherwise, he wouldn't have been worried that the Uzumaki clan wouldn't go with them.

After Kakashi finished explaining Uchiha Kagayama's mission, he continued to say to Uzuki Yugao, "Uzuki Yugao, your mission is to set up some traps on our way back and around the village to prevent the people of Kusagakure from following and chasing us, and then meet us on the outskirts."

Kakashi paused, then asked, "Did you understand? Do you have any other questions?"

Seeing that neither of them had any questions, Kakashi said firmly, "Alright, now, let's begin the mission."

Next, Kakashi used the camouflage invisibility technique, glanced at Uchiha Kakuzan, and noticed that Uchiha Kakuzan was also using the camouflage invisibility technique. He was a little surprised, but he didn't say anything. He made a hand gesture to Uchiha Kakuzan and then led the way to sneak into Kusagakure.

Seeing Kakashi leading the way, Uchiha Kakuzan quietly followed, leaving Uzuki Yugao behind to prepare for their departure.

Kakashi and Uchiha Kakuzan's infiltration went smoothly. After all, Kakashi had been here once before, and the fact that these two members of the Uzumaki clan lived on the outskirts of the village made their infiltration very easy.

Now, the main task is to persuade these two members of the Uzumaki clan to obediently follow Kakashi and his group. If that happens, the mission will be more than half accomplished.

Chapter 73 Persuasion

Chapter Seventy-Three: Persuasion

After arriving at Karin and her mother's residence, Uchiha Kakashi and Kakashi disregarded etiquette and entered the house without knocking.

Since there was only a frail person and a little girl in the house, they did not notice anything amiss when Uchiha Kakashi and Uchiha Kakashi arrived.

After Uchiha Kakuyama arrived at the house, he looked around at the furnishings. The room was sparsely furnished and very simple, barely habitable. It was clear that the mother and daughter were living in great hardship.

Their goal this time was to have them snuggle together on a simple bed and fall into a deep sleep. Uchiha Kakuzan activated his Sharingan and took a look. The little girl, Karin, was in relatively good condition, similar to that of a normal child. However, her mother, who was holding her, was in much worse condition. Just as Kakashi had described, her chakra was thin and her body was extremely weak. Even if she were no longer subjected to chakra draining by the ninjas of Kusagakure, it was unknown how long it would take for her to recover. If they continued to drain her chakra, she would truly be close to death.

Uchiha Kakashi and Kakashi briefly toured the simple room and gained a general understanding of Karin and her daughter's living conditions. After meeting up, they exchanged a knowing glance and then looked at the mother and daughter lying on the bed.

Uchiha Kakuyama came to the bedside, reached out and gently patted Karin's mother's shoulder, waking her from her dream.

Karin's mother was already weak, and as a result, the weaker she became, the lighter her sleep became. She was startled awake when Uchiha Kakuzan gently patted her shoulder. She looked at the uninvited guest who had barged into her home with a panic in her eyes, but she held her daughter even tighter, as if no matter what happened, she could not separate the mother and daughter.

Uchiha Kakuzan was initially unsure about Karin's mother's persuasion, but seeing her demeanor, he felt relieved and knew that he could accomplish his goal.

Seeing Karin's mother looking at him in panic, Uchiha Kakuyama raised his already handsome expression even further, revealing a gentle smile that made him appear even more harmless. He spoke to Karin's mother in a mild tone:

"Hello, we are ninjas from Konoha Village. We are here because we received intelligence that a mother and daughter from the Uzumaki clan are being treated unfairly in Kusagakure Village. Therefore, the Hokage sent us to secretly bring you back to Konoha Village."

Karin's mother was initially flustered, but upon hearing that the person before her was from Konoha Village, she calmed down. After Uchiha Kakuyama finished speaking, Karin's mother's face turned completely cold. Still tightly holding the sleeping Karin in her arms, she coldly said:

"No need to trouble the ninjas of Konoha. We are quite content staying in Kusagakure and do not need to move to Konoha. We Uzumaki clan members do not need to trouble the Third Hokage. Please, ninja from Konoha, do not trespass into other people's houses without permission in the future. It makes things difficult for them."

After she finished speaking, she stopped looking at Uchiha Kakuyama and instead turned her gaze to the wall next to her, as if the wall was much more attractive to her than Uchiha Kakuyama.

Seeing Karin's mother's reaction, Uchiha Kakuzan felt a sense of unease, as if he hadn't expected it. Konoha's performance during the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools was indeed unsatisfactory; their repeated delays in responding to the Uzumaki clan's pleas for help ultimately led to the country's demise. It would be impossible to say that the Uzumaki clan survivors harbored no hostility towards Konoha.

From the perspective of the Uzumaki clan, Konoha Village's actions were nothing short of a shameless betrayal. How could they possibly have a good attitude towards traitors? This is why Karin's mother, Uzumaki Karin, is currently in a very weak state; otherwise, even if they weren't kicked out, she would have given them a thorough dressing-down.

This is why there is no trace of the survivors of the Uzumaki clan in the Land of Fire. Even if they live a life of hunger and insecurity in other countries, they are unwilling to go to the Land of Fire and rely on Konoha Village for survival.

Uchiha Kakuzan frowned in distress. He had felt a pang of pity for the person before him, not wanting her to die so tragically, as if she had been eaten alive. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been difficult to simply use a genjutsu to take her daughter away.

However, Uchiha Kakuzan wasn't the type to be good at persuasion. He was straightforward and blunt. If he couldn't persuade her, it would be a bit more troublesome. He would simply use his Sharingan to hypnotize the mother and daughter and take them away.

Uchiha Kakuyama pointed to the child she was holding and said to Xiangling, "Before we came, we had already gathered information and knew about your and your child's situation."

She looked at the teeth marks on Uzumaki Kaoru's body with a hint of pity in her eyes: "You should know your current situation. If this continues, you will die a violent death soon. Even if you don't cherish your own life, as a mother, you should think about your daughter."

As Uchiha Kakuyama spoke, he looked at the sleeping Karin in his arms, reached out and tugged at the hem of Karin's clothes, revealing several clear teeth marks. These teeth marks were so shocking on Karin, who was still a little girl.

"Do you really want your daughter to die as miserably as you did? You know, while you're alive, you can still protect her from the wind and rain. But if you die, she will not only suffer the pain of losing her mother, but also the treatment you leave behind. Given how things will develop, she won't be able to grow up and will follow in your footsteps, dying in a fate worse than death."