After leaving Kenjiro with those words, Shinra closed the door and thought no more of it.
If Kenjiro wanted to run back to Yahiko and report, let him.
Unlike Danzo, who always pretended to act for the good of the village while chasing nothing but his own ambition, Shinra never hid behind masks. His opposition to Yahiko was open, his intentions plain. Everyone in Akatsuki knew where he stood.
Besides, the situation had changed. His strength was growing day by day, his ties with Konan and Nagato deepening with every mission. He no longer needed to worry about being exposed as someone with a rebellious mind.
If Kenjiro could one day figure things out on his own and choose the right side, that would be best. If not… Shinra wouldn't lose any sleep over it.
But the night had other plans.
Just as he set his book aside and prepared to rest, another knock came at the door.
Shinra frowned slightly, rose, and slid it open.
To his surprise, the one waiting outside wasn't Kenjiro again, but the timid figure of Uzumaki Kaoru.
She looked to be around twenty several years older than Shinra, Yahiko, Konan, or Nagato. By age alone, she could have been considered an elder sister to them all. Yet her demeanor was nothing of the sort. Years of wandering had worn her down, making her soft and hesitant. Now, standing at Shinra's door in the dead of night, she dared not meet his eyes. Her fingers twisted nervously at the hem of her thin clothes, like a small rabbit that had stumbled into the den of a wolf.
Shinra glanced at the cold night sky beyond her shoulder, then at her frail figure. His lips twitched.
Sister… if you show up dressed like this at my door, people will misunderstand.
"What is it, Sister Kaoru?" he asked.
Her fists clenched, knuckles white. It was clear she had summoned all her courage just to be here. When she finally spoke, her voice was soft, trembling.
"I asked the others… They said it was you who first declared that I was related to Brother Nagato. I… I came to ask you myself. What is my connection to him?"
So that was it.
Shinra almost laughed aloud. For a moment, he had thought she was here to play the fox spirit repaying a favor.
He stepped aside and gestured her in. Once she entered, he draped a blanket over her shoulders to ward off the chill. His hands moved gently, but his mind was already racing, working through countermeasures.
In the original course of history, Kaoru and her daughter Karin had no ties to Nagato. None at all. But reality had already shifted, and the illusion was in place. The bond had to exist now. He would make sure of it.
Slowly, deliberately, Shinra brewed tea. The fragrance filled the room as the steam rose, calming but heavy. He poured her a cup, not speaking until she fidgeted in impatience.
Finally, his lips curved.
"Sister Kaoru, do you remember when you and your sister were separated?"
The trick was hidden in plain sight.
He didn't ask if she had a sister. He asked when they were separated.
Like the street vendor who doesn't ask whether you want an egg with your pancake, but how many eggs forcing you to accept the premise without thinking.
Even if Kaoru had denied having a sister, he could have smoothly pressed on: Then who was the person you were separated from back then?
Either way, he would draw out a name.
The conversation had been scripted from the very beginning, routine and cold beneath its surface warmth.
And this time, Shinra didn't even need to press further. His first strike landed true.
Kaoru froze, eyes widening. Memories stirred, and an answer trembled at the edge of her lips.
Uzumaki Kaoru thought deeply for a long time, and then her eyes lit up with sudden realization. Surprise, relief, and overwhelming emotion flickered across her face, as if she might burst into joyful tears at any moment.
"So he's my elder sister's child! That's wonderful so wonderful! I thought that child had died long ago… Thank you, Shinra-kun! Thank you so much! I… I'm just so happy…"
Her voice trembled, and before she could say more, hot tears spilled freely down her cheeks.
Shinra studied her carefully for several seconds, searching her expression. No amount of acting could fake feelings this raw. And timid little Kaoru didn't have the temperament of a schemer who might twist a story for her own benefit.
It seemed this time, fortune had truly favored him.
He hadn't expected Kaoru to genuinely have an elder sister and for that sister to have a child around Nagato's age.
Well then… Nagato suddenly has an aunt, Shinra mused.
And if the boy ever lost himself and went wild again, Aunt Kaoru could give him a proper smack to bring him back! The thought almost made Shinra chuckle aloud.
But beneath the humor, he knew precautions still had to be taken.
"Sister Kaoru, please calm yourself first. Could you tell me more about your elder sister's situation? I can cross-check the details for you. It's my responsibility to Nagato."
Shinra's tone was calm, steady, and serious. No loopholes could be left unchecked.
Kaoru, without the slightest suspicion, opened up immediately. She told him everything about her life since fleeing the destruction of Uzushiogakure.
Patiently, Shinra guided the conversation, gently weaving in "details" of his own. He even hinted that her sister, after escaping to the Land of Rain, might have changed her name to survive in hiding ensuring that later, when reconciling her account with Nagato, no cracks would appear.
By the end, Shinra felt satisfied. Yet even so, a pang of sympathy struck him as he looked at the woman before him.
The Uzumaki clan had endured too much.
Their proud homeland destroyed, their survivors scattered like leaves in the wind, hunted like prey, with nowhere safe to call home.
Who could have imagined that the once-glorious clan so respected that their spiral emblem was etched onto the forehead protectors of Konoha itself would fall to such misery?
After a long conversation, Shinra finally offered her a gentle, half-sincere, half-practiced smile.
"Don't grieve, Sister Kaoru. Those hardships are behind you now. What matters is that you and Nagato are together again. He has long yearned for family by his side. Stay with him more often. I truly believe your days will only get better from here."
Moved beyond words, Kaoru wiped at her tears and nodded fiercely. "Yes… I will! I will! By the way, Shinra-kun, I heard you were injured. Why don't you… bite me? You'll recover faster that way."
As she spoke, she lifted her wrist toward him.
It was covered in dark red teeth marks layer upon layer of scars, half-healed but raw, each one a painful record of her sacrifices. The sight was startling.
This kindhearted, foolish woman.
For once, Shinra felt no calculation stirring within him, only genuine pity. Though she had been rescued, she still willingly offered herself to torment for the sake of others.
Of course, he didn't take her offer. He didn't need to.
Instead, he gently held her hand.
"Don't worry about me. You should be more concerned for yourself. Sister Kaoru, your body has been weak for too long. When you have the time, come to me. I'll help treat your condition."
It was the perfect chance to practice the medical ninjutsu he'd received from the system an opportunity to heal and to hone his craft at once.
But Kaoru, caught off guard by the sudden warmth of his hand, stiffened in alarm. Like a startled rabbit, she pulled back quickly, her eyes wide with unease.
Could a Rain-nin truly know medical ninjutsu? Or was it just an excuse?
Her gaze flickered uneasily toward the bed in the empty room, then out at the shadowed night beyond the window. Memories of what she had suffered not long ago resurfaced, and her face turned pale with fear.
But then Kaoru steadied herself. She raised her head slowly, her gaze carefully tracing Shinra's sharp brows and calm eyes. The memory of his kindness tonight the warmth in his voice, the patience in his gestures rose up in her heart. The fear that had tightened her chest suddenly softened into something gentler.
She pulled the thin blanket tighter around her shoulders, nodded faintly with a sound no louder than a mosquito's hum, and lowered her eyes again. For a fleeting moment, a shy, almost dazed expression crossed her face, like someone who had been warmed by sake on a cold night.
Shinra, meanwhile, was focused on guiding his chakra carefully through her body, using the most basic medical ninjutsu to soothe the long-term damage she carried. But when he noticed the odd flush on her cheeks, he blinked in confusion.
Huh?
This… felt strange.
What was with this atmosphere?
Why did it suddenly feel like he was caught in one of those old folktales like the "fox spirit returning gratitude" stories, where the rescued maiden offers herself to the hero?
Shinra's expression twitched slightly as he continued his chakra flow. Oi, oi… I just said I'd help with treatment. Don't tell me it's turning into that kind of misunderstanding…