Chapter 16: Jiu Xin Nai's Worry

Shortly after Qimu Chao left, Qimu Shuomao packed everything up, and at that moment a teenage boy with somewhat golden hair burst out of the deep jungle; the newcomer was Bofeng Shuimen.

"Jiu Xin Nai! Senpai Qimu Shuomao!"

The suddenly appearing Bofeng Shuimen first looked at Jiu Xin Nai with a hint of anxiety; after seeing that she was safe, he exhaled, then greeted Qimu Shuomao.

"I didn't expect the first one to find this place would be you, Shuimen."

Qimu Shuomao was a bit surprised to see Bofeng Shuimen appear here first; he had thought the village's ANBU would arrive before anyone else.

"I found a mark Jiu Xin Nai left on the road, followed it here, and didn't expect that senior Qimu Shuomao had already dealt with those people completely."

Bofeng Shuimen touched the back of his head and laughed apologetically.

"A mark? What mark?"

Qimu Shuomao had sent a spirit ninja dog to track Qimu Chao's scent here, so he wasn't aware of those details.

"Senior Qimu Shuomao, did you find Jiu Xin Nai by some other method?"

As he spoke, Shuimen pointed at Jiu Xin Nai's hair, looking a bit embarrassed in front of Qimu Shuomao: "Jiu Xin Nai left some hair on the road; I thought it was quite noticeable."

Hearing Bofeng Shuimen's words, Qimu Shuomao laughed; now that the topic was out, how could he not know Bofeng Shuimen's thoughts?

Jiu Xin Nai, after hearing Bofeng Shuimen, showed no reaction; instead she looked up at the moon. Since Qimu Chao left, her mind has been filled with the boy's face illuminated by the moonlight.

Come to think of it, she doesn't even know that guy's name.

Seeing that Jiu Xin Nai didn't follow up his words, Bofeng Shuimen seemed a bit disappointed.

Meanwhile, sprinting at full speed, Qimu Chao could already see the gate of Konoha Village.

For Qimu Chao, being known by the village for his strength didn't really matter.

If the first person to arrive had been someone other than his father, he wouldn't have intended to hide it.

But as he said before, fewer complications are better; with his father cleaning up the mess, he doesn't need to directly face the village's petty squabbles.

Although he hasn't seen the Hokage, he knows from the comment section the reputations of Bai Ya and Tuan Cang and the scheming Third Hokage.

Although he's not sure whether those two are truly as netizens claim, he's very clear that high-level politicians aren't that simple.

He has no desire for power, only wishes to protect his family, while pursuing the supreme realm of Magnetic Field Rotation, like the Sea Tiger Universe's strongest, Shi Tianwu, reaching an unspeakable ultimate trans‑state.

When he opened the front door, a rapid footstep sounded; his mother and Kakashi both ran from the living room to the hallway. Seeing his mother and younger brother, Qimu Chao made a gesture, laughed, and greeted, "Yo."

Chunna stepped up to him, grasped his arm and examined him up and down; after finding he wasn't injured, she exhaled. Just as she was about to sternly reprimand him, the words stuck in her throat, and she could only sigh, "It's good you're back."

Kakashi, seeing his brother safe, said nothing; he glanced at Qimu Chao, then went upstairs to his room. He had been waiting for Qimu Chao to return, and his training task for today was still unfinished.

After a long while, Qimu Shuomao finally returned home; he said nothing to Qimu Chao, but it was clear he had taken care of everything. After all, in the eyes of Konoha's higher-ups, with Bai Ya intervening, the three Cloud Ninjas being killed outright was perfectly normal.

After spending a few days at home like this, an unexpected visitor arrived at Qimu Chao's door.

Xuanwo Jiuxinnai.

She had come specifically to find Qimu Chao.

"Eh? Is there something you came to see me for?"

Having just finished training with Kakashi, Qimu Chao draped a towel over his neck, still a bit curious about Jiu Xin Nai.

This girl, sharing the Uzumaki surname with future protagonist Uzumaki Naruto, was said by Cloud Ninja to be a candidate jinchuriki; that would make her this generation's Nine-Tails jinchuriki, wouldn't it?

That's impressive.

"Ha? Can't I come to see you when there's nothing?"

Jiu Xin Nai placed her hands on her hips and asked, "Come to think of it, I still don't know your name."

"Ah, because of that, I'm Qimu Chao."

Hearing the girl's question, Qimu Chao replied offhand.

At this moment, Kakashi, returning from the yard to the interior, looked at the two with some surprise and said, "No wonder the girls in class who confessed to you were rejected; so you like older girls, huh?"

"Ha?"

"Eh?!"

Hearing Kakashi's words, Qimu Chao wore a "are you kidding me" expression, while Jiu Xin Nai was momentarily stunned, then, hands on hips, stared at Kakashi: "What, you think liking older people is wrong?"

Seeing Jiu Xin Nai about to flare up, Kakashi shrugged, "I'm not opposed; it depends on your parents' opinion."

"Go away, go away, and don't listen to him."

Waving his hand as if shooing flies, Qimu Chao continued explaining to Jiu Xin Nai, then asked, "Do you have any other business for coming today?"

"Of course it's to formally thank you; after all, you truly helped me a few days ago."

Jiu Xin Nai smiled, "You might think this is nothing, but for me, being able to stay in Konoha, not being taken to Cloud Hidden Village to be brainwashed into a Two-tailed jinchuriki, is already lucky enough."

The term jinchuriki isn't unfamiliar to ninjas; even students at the Ninja Academy study jinchuriki knowledge.

The existence of jinchuriki is a necessary strategic deterrent for ninja villages; the Cloud Hidden Village's ninjas risk taking Jiu Xin Nai because their Two-tailed jinchuriki is about to die and needs a replacement.

The atmosphere suddenly grew heavy; Konoha's only advantage over Cloud Hidden Village in treating Jiu Xin Nai is that she won't be brainwashed and can retain her own will, otherwise there's no difference.

"Come with me for a walk in the yard."

After saying that, Jiu Xin Nai took Qimu Chao's hand, and the two walked through the back yard of Qimu Residence.

Here, Jiu Xin Nai chattered on at length; these thoughts she usually kept to herself, with no one to confide in, she now poured them out all at once.

While speaking, she looked at Qimu Chao again: "I have no idea how you train to become so strong; if I had your talent, at my age I might already be like the First Hokage..."

"My grandmother said the First Hokage's power could suppress the Nine-Tails; if I also had that kind of power, perhaps I wouldn't need to become a jinchuriki..."