The young Uzumaki girl trembled slightly but obediently sat still, keeping her head down, not saying a word.
"You're from the Uzumaki clan, aren't you?" Takuya's question hung in the air.
The girl looked up in shock, her dirty face filled with disbelief. She hadn't expected her identity to be guessed simply because of her hair.
"So, are you going to bite me too?" she asked, her voice trembling. "If you have to, please be gentle. I'm scared of pain."
Memories of her parents being bitten to death flashed through her mind, and her small, thin frame shook with fear. Still, she slowly raised her arm, pulling back her sleeve to reveal a pale, fragile wrist.
At that moment, Takuya felt as though his heart had been struck with a hammer. Nawaki and Minato weren't faring any better—Minato clenched his fists, his head bowed.
Nawaki, unable to bear the tension, shouted, "Why didn't you escape to the Land of Fire? To Konoha?"
"I... I don't know," the girl answered timidly, clearly frightened by Nawaki's outburst.
"That's because Konoha didn't want them," Takuya said, grabbing Nawaki by the collar and glaring at him. "All Konoha wanted was the Uzumaki clan's assets and Kushina, the perfect Jinchuriki!"
Nawaki was stunned into silence as Takuya continued, his voice full of anger.
"Open your eyes, Nawaki! The village you're so eager to protect is run by people who turned their backs on their allies. They let the Uzumaki clan be wiped out, and then had the audacity to claim the clan's legacy as Konoha's own."
Minato looked up, shocked.
Jinchuriki... Kushina? He felt like he had just uncovered a secret that wasn't meant to be known.
"Konoha didn't just stand by—they actively contributed to the Uzumaki clan's destruction. Some people didn't want other villages to get their hands on a Jinchuriki. They wanted the other villages to keep suffering from the chaos of the Tailed Beasts, while Konoha had its own powerful Jinchuriki."
The more Takuya spoke, the more the Uzumaki girl trembled.
"That's why the Uzumaki didn't flee to the Land of Fire or Konoha. Their so-called ally betrayed them, stabbed them in the back."
"And it was those very leaders you respect so much who did it," Takuya added, his voice heavy with bitterness. "Now do you understand? Things aren't always as bright as they seem—there's darkness and filth hiding beneath the surface."
Nawaki's face turned pale. His lips moved, but he couldn't find the words. All he could do was slam his fist into the ground, his frustration evident as he fell silent.
Minato, still processing the revelation that Kushina was a Jinchuriki, was in a daze. The knowledge had left him reeling, unable to fully comprehend what it all meant.
Having said his piece, Takuya turned back to the girl, his tone now gentle. "What's your name? Can you tell me?"
"I'm Takuya Yagami, from Konoha. But I'm not a bad person. Do you think you can trust me?"
"My name is Uzumaki Nami," she replied, hesitantly. "You gave me food, and you didn't hurt me or call me names. I think... I think I can trust you."
Takuya's kind words and smile seemed to break through her fear. Slowly, she let down her guard and revealed her name, deciding to trust Takuya.
"What about your family?" Takuya asked.
"They're all gone. So many people bit them," Nami said, her eyes filled with terror as she relived the horrific memories.
"It's okay. It's all over now," Takuya said softly, patting her head to pull her out of the nightmare of her past.
"Would you like to come with me? I can take you to Konoha. You can live there safely—no one will hurt you, and no one will bite you."
In that moment, Takuya made up his mind. He was going to take Uzumaki Nami back to Konoha.
As for the issue of her identity? That would be easy enough—he'd get Tsunade to handle it. Having another Uzumaki around might even make Kushina happy. Though, once Kushina learned about Nami's past, she might hold a deep grudge against Konoha's leadership.
But that wasn't something Takuya could predict.
There was a reason Tsunade hated Danzo and why she didn't bother with Koharu and Homura. It wasn't just because of all the underhanded things they'd done—it also had to do with the Uzumaki clan's fate.
If Hiruzen wasn't her teacher, Tsunade probably wouldn't want anything to do with him either.
"But... can I really?" Nami asked, still hesitant. She was afraid to go to Konoha, but at the same time, she wanted to trust Takuya, to believe he wouldn't lie to her or hurt her.
"Don't worry. It'll be fine," Takuya assured her. "I promise."
"I'll make sure of it too!" Nawaki chimed in, clenching his fist.
"And me," Minato added, raising his hand.
It didn't surprise Takuya that Nawaki agreed, but Minato... This was a kid who still believed in the Third Hokage and the village's leadership. But now, it seemed that his innocent outlook had been tainted by the truth.
Learning about the darkness behind Konoha's façade was a turning point—something that could change someone's life forever. And it wasn't a joke; it was reality.
Minato's worldview had just been shattered. Knowing what he did now, he was starting to see the Third Hokage, Danzo, and the others in a different light.
Finally, he understood why Takuya avoided dealing with the village's higher-ups. There were ugly truths hidden where he hadn't been looking.
"Thank you, thank you so much," Nami said, tears of relief streaming down her face as she sobbed quietly.
Later that night, after bathing and changing into clean clothes, Nami fell asleep on the grass nearby. Takuya, Nawaki, and Minato sat by the fire, none of them feeling tired.
Nami's appearance had shaken them to their core. Takuya seemed unfazed, but Nawaki and Minato needed time to process everything they'd learned.
"Why would the village do something like that, Takuya?" Nawaki finally asked, still trying to understand why Konoha had abandoned the Uzumaki clan. Weren't they supposed to be allies?
Why didn't Konoha help them?
"It's even worse than abandoning them—it's like kicking them while they're down. No wonder the surviving Uzumaki are running for their lives, refusing to go to the Land of Fire or Konoha."
"Do you want the kid-friendly version or the real version?" Takuya asked, turning to look at him.
Nawaki felt a chill run down his spine. There was a kid-friendly version of this? What kind of twisted tale was that?
Minato, half-expecting Takuya to be messing with Nawaki, quickly said, "Takuya, be serious. I want to know the truth too."
"I am serious. I wasn't joking," Takuya replied with a sigh, realizing they were anxious to hear his explanation.
"Alright, the kid-friendly version is this: Konoha was afraid that if they sent troops to help the Uzumaki clan, it would start a war. A lot of villages were targeting the Uzumaki, including Cloud and Mist. Who knows if other villages were involved too?"
Patting Minato and Nawaki on the shoulder, Takuya continued, "That's the story you'd get if you asked the Third Hokage, Danzo, or the Council. They'd tell you how difficult it was for Konoha, how sending aid could've sparked a war that would cost countless lives."
"And then they go and start a war in the Land of Rain!" Nawaki shouted, his fists trembling with anger. He remembered how sad his grandmother, Uzumaki Mito, had been.
Even Tsunade had complained about how the village refused to send help out of fear of starting a war. Yet, they had no problem starting one in the Land of Rain. It was like they were mocking him.
"..."
Even Minato, usually so composed and positive, felt a surge of frustration. He wanted to curse them all out.
"And that brings us to the real version. Do you still want to hear it?" Takuya asked, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.
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