Hearing Kaguya's comforting words, Black Zetsu's mood instantly improved, and a bright smile appeared on her face.
To her, the lives of these people were irrelevant. Even if everyone in this world died, she wouldn't bat an eye. What she cared about was Kaguya's opinion.
"Aren't you hungry?"
Just then, some rice balls were offered in front of her. Kaguya looked up to see Minato Namikaze.
"Thank you."
Kaguya smiled slightly, accepting the rice balls. After absorbing the dragon veins, her strength had increased significantly, so her need for food wasn't as great. However, since he had brought food, she didn't want to refuse his gesture.
After finishing their meal, the three resumed their journey. Perhaps due to reaching the borders of the Land of Fire, the attacks from foreign ninjas gradually decreased. As they neared Konoha, the presence of other country's ninjas was almost nonexistent.
In this era, Konoha Village was one of the most powerful among all ninja villages, even ranked among the top in the five great nations, so generally, there weren't many reckless troublemakers.
"We're approaching Konoha," Minato turned around, smiling at Kaguya. "Does it look different from what you remember?"
"More or less," Kaguya replied absentmindedly, her gaze fixed in the distance.
Konoha now was far less developed compared to the Konoha of the future. It appeared smaller, with mostly low-rise buildings and no high-rises yet. However, traces of the future Konoha could still be seen.
"Halt!"
At this moment, four shadows jumped out from the bushes on both sides, blocking their path. They wore green vests, with red spiral emblems on their backs and shoulders, and leaf symbols on their headbands—standard attire for Konoha ninjas.
"I'm Minato Namikaze, returning from a mission," Minato stepped forward and said seriously. Although he usually appeared approachable and friendly, his serious demeanor carried authority.
"Ah, Lord Minato, my apologies," the four Konoha ninjas didn't lower their guard, holding their kunai while watching Kaguya and Black Zetsu closely. "But who are these two?"
When they saw the pair of beautiful girls, they froze. They had never seen such stunning girls before, and the sight of them left them momentarily dazed.
"They're outsiders," Minato explained, "but not ninjas from other villages."
"This..." The Konoha ninja looked troubled. "If they're outsiders, they must apply to enter the village."
"Understood," Minato nodded with a smile. "I'll handle this."
"But before entering the village, please register," the Konoha ninja sighed in relief at Minato's response and continued, "and also undergo a search to ensure they carry no items that could harm the village."
"A search?" Kaguya frowned, showing displeasure.
Black Zetsu stepped forward, her large, watery eyes fixed on the Konoha ninjas in front of her with a predatory gaze.
The Konoha ninjas standing in front of her, upon seeing this beautiful young girl approach, felt as if they had been doused in cold water. Their bodies felt frozen, unable to move, as an inexplicable fear washed over them, as though they were being stared down by a ferocious beast.
Just then, Minato Namikaze stepped forward, positioning himself in front of Black Zetsu. He smiled slightly and said, "There's no need for a body search. I vouch for them with my reputation; they won't have anything illegal on them."
As Minato intercepted the intense gaze of the pretty girl, the four Konoha ninjas felt a sense of relief wash over them, and they were able to move again, drenched in a cold sweat.
Who exactly is this pretty girl? How does she have such an overwhelming presence or killing intent without any dojutsu like the Sharingan?
"Well, okay," the Konoha ninjas said, still shaken by the lingering fear. "Since Lord Minato is vouching for them, there shouldn't be any issue."
"Then let's go," Kaguya said, taking Black Zetsu's small hand and ignoring the four Konoha ninjas as they walked toward the village of Konoha.
Holding Black Zetsu's soft little hand, Kaguya secretly found it amusing that the seemingly gentle Black Zetsu could exhibit such a contrasting expression and aura—a surprising but charming contrast.
"Mother, did I do something wrong?" Black Zetsu asked weakly. "They intended to offend you, and I just couldn't help wanting to teach them a lesson."
"No, you didn't do anything wrong," Kaguya said affectionately, patting the little girl's head. "You did very well."
Black Zetsu beamed with a happy smile at the praise.
As for Minato, who had been ignored, he finally couldn't help but walk over and said with a cough, "Ahead is the village of Konoha. While I trust you won't cause any trouble, I still hope you can be cautious."
"Understood," Kaguya replied.
After walking a little further, they could see the iconic gate of Konoha from a distance. The gate was about thirty meters high, twenty meters wide, and half a meter thick. It wasn't much different from what Kaguya remembered, except that it was newer, without battle scars.
Just as they entered the gate, they encountered an unexpected person.
His spiky hair blew in the wind, and he wore the Konoha headband. His sharp eyebrows and eyes, along with a prominent nose, were only marred by two intersecting scars on his chin, disrupting the harmony of his face.
"Danzo."
Though Kaguya hadn't seen Danzo in his youth, she could faintly see traces of him from twenty years later, which allowed her to recognize him immediately. At this time, Danzo didn't yet have the aged appearance of two decades later; his face was relatively smooth, and he was quite handsome.
No wonder Tsunade and Shizune had those expressions when looking at photos of a young Danzo. Indeed, in his younger days, he was rather good-looking. Time had not been kind, turning his appearance into what it became in later years.
Seeing someone familiar, Kaguya couldn't help but glance a few more times. Unexpectedly, Danzo's vigilance was quite high, and he quickly noticed Kaguya staring. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he approached.