Chapter 142: Our Clan Has Come to Save Us
Late at night.
The red-haired woman woke up and immediately searched for her daughter's figure. Only when she caught a glimpse of her nearby in her peripheral vision did she finally feel at ease.
"Mom!"
The little girl, who had been watching her mother the whole time, noticed her awakening instantly. Seeing her mother pushing herself up with her hands, she hurried over to support her from behind, helping her sit up.
The red-haired woman gently stroked her daughter's dry, tangled red hair and smiled. "Where are the rice balls?"
"Here," the girl said, pulling two rice balls wrapped in cotton cloth from her bag. She gently unwrapped them and handed one to her mother. "Mom, here, you eat."
"Mm." The woman took it with a smile, but after taking only a small bite, she handed it back. "Alright, Mommy's full. Yuzu , you finish the rest, okay?"
"But, Mom…"
"I'm not hungry." The red-haired woman softly hugged her daughter. "Mom took a soldier pill. I won't be hungry all day."
The girl, whose name was Yuzu , looked up at her mother. She couldn't see her face clearly, only the rows of deep bite marks on her neck. Her heart sank, and the words she was about to say caught in her throat.
Lowering her head, she silently nibbled at the rice ball. Her mother's large hand gently stroked her dry hair. Yuzu could feel the warmth of her touch — but also the icy despair hidden beneath it.
Yuzu was twelve years old.
In the cruel, precocious world of shinobi, a twelve-year-old already understood everything.
She knew all too well how hopeless their situation was.
She had once tried to resist, but all it had done was cause her mother to suffer even worse.
She knew she was the reason her mother had to endure so much pain.
And she also knew… if she died, her mother would lose the will to live.
But as long as she was still alive, her mother would keep suffering endlessly — used as sustenance, chewed on by others like livestock.
Dying wasn't an option.
But neither was living.
An unending abyss of pain and despair surrounded this pair of red-haired mother and daughter.
The next day.
Before sunrise, the wooden door to their shack was knocked on with a heavy thud. The red-haired woman reminded her daughter not to step outside, then blankly opened the door and walked out.
Seeing her mother's expressionless, zombie-like face as she closed the door, Yuzu felt as though a thin string wrapped around her heart had tightened — its other end tied to her mother, pulling as she left and sending waves of pain through her chest.
Before she knew it, a dried tear rolled from the corner of her eye.
She clenched and unclenched her fists repeatedly, and then finally let them fall to her sides. Crawling back to the darkest corner of the cabin, she sat in silence, staring at the door, waiting for her mother's return.
…
Land of Waterfall.
In the central mountains, on a winding path…
Three Waterfall shinobi, each wearing a forehead protector, were tightly bound by three black iron chains extending from Li Yao's back.
"Do you know where I can find members of the Uzumaki Clan?"
One of the shinobi, pulled toward him by the chain, was released from the illusion Li Yao had placed in his mind. As soon as he awoke, Li Yao asked him.
"Who are you?"
The Waterfall shinobi didn't answer his question. After all, anyone would ask that if they suddenly blacked out while walking, only to wake up bound by chains in front of a stranger.
"Let me go, you bastard!"
Apparently unaware of his own situation, the shinobi began struggling and cursing at Li Yao.
"Do you know anyone from the Uzumaki Clan?" Li Yao asked again.
Clink… As he spoke, the black iron chains tightened.
"Ghh…" The shinobi's face turned bright red, his body straining as if it were about to burst.
Now he understood.
Terror filled his eyes — there was no more hiding it.
"Who… who are you? Do we have a grudge? Why are you doing this?"
He guessed that Li Yao wasn't from the Grass Village — he wore no forehead protector — so he assumed it must be personal.
But he couldn't recall ever crossing someone like this.
"I'll ask one more time: do you know anyone from the Uzumaki Clan?"
Li Yao's brows knit together. His patience had worn thin. If the answer wasn't useful this time, there would be no fourth question.
Sensing the killing intent in Li Yao's eyes, the shinobi panicked. He searched his mind for anything related to the Uzumaki Clan — and suddenly remembered a piece of intel from the front lines.
"There's… there's a red-haired medical ninja at the Grass Village front camp," he stammered. "I heard her body's special — if someone bites her, their injuries heal instantly!"
"That red-haired woman must be from the Uzumaki Clan. Only they have red hair and such powerful medical jutsu."
Red hair.
A healing ability that activates when bitten.
Hearing this, Li Yao's eyes lit up. That had to be a member of the Uzumaki Clan — and probably a talented one at that.
The Grass Village's medical ninja might be like Karin — maybe even her mother… or father?
Either way, that person likely knew a lot about Uzumaki sealing techniques. Learning from them was sure to be valuable.
"Let's go. Take me to her."
Li Yao grabbed the Waterfall shinobi and leapt onto the back of his black iron eagle. The other two had outlived their usefulness — after draining their chakra and storing it in his giant sealing scroll, he gave them a swift end.
The survivor trembled, but eventually calmed down.
Late at night.
On the Grass-Waterfall border.
In the rear base of Grass Village, the red-haired woman returned from another day of "healing." Holding her daughter in her arms, she sat in silence, staring blankly out the window.
She didn't know how much longer she could hold on.
She didn't even know if surviving was worth it — if it would help her daughter in the end.
She knew nothing. Ever since fleeing the destruction of the Uzumaki homeland, despair had followed them like a shadow.
All the nations were hunting them.
Their fellow survivors had died, one after another.
Her husband had sacrificed himself to help her and their daughter escape.
In the end, they had been captured by Grass.
She was only alive because she was still useful. Once her body gave out, her daughter would suffer the same fate — treated as livestock, eaten alive until her final breath.
"Who will save us?"
"Is anyone coming to save us?"
Her eyes, once dull, held no hope. She had seen Konoha's ANBU chasing down members of her clan with her own eyes during their escape.
Even the village their clan had always supported was hunting them. Who in the world could they possibly trust now?
"Wait… what's that…?"
Suddenly, her eyes lit up.
She stood up quickly.
"Mom…?" Yuzu , who had been resting in her mother's arms, got up too and followed her, puzzled.
The red-haired woman rushed to the door, opened it, and stepped outside. Yuzu clung to her mother's waist, cautiously peeking out as well.
Gold!
Golden chains, like woven vines, crisscrossed the entire encampment, wrapping everything in a brilliant golden glow.
Yuzu stared at them, wide-eyed with wonder.
She didn't know why… but the chains felt so familiar, so comforting.
"Th-they're… they're from our clan!"
"OUR CLAN HAS COME TO SAVE US!"
(END CHAPTER)
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