"Tsk, tsk!"
The sourness in Kakashi's eyes was gone, replaced by a look of schadenfreude.
This was getting interesting!
This situation was amusing him greatly, and he was thoroughly enjoying it.
He had long noticed that Uchiha Izumi had some unusual feelings.
The two of them were a perfect match, though there was a bit of an age difference.
But in the ninja world, that didn't really matter.
In the ninja world, the average life expectancy was around thirty years old.
So, marrying early and having children young was the norm.
"Bloodline? That's the least valuable thing! The strength of the Uchiha clan is what truly matters."
"Izumi, we are outsiders. It's important that we establish the Uchiha clan with a legitimate presence in this world."
"If a little sacrifice is what it takes for us to secure a foothold here, then so be it!"
"Besides, the clan members trust me and followed me to this world, so I must give everything I have for the Uchiha clan."
Raijin spoke with a fierce expression.
He had been working tirelessly for the Uchiha for so long, so why should marrying a princess be an issue now?
His dedication to the Uchiha's cause had been unwavering, and this had nothing to do with personal gain.
To strengthen the bloodline, it was essential to marry more wives and have more children.
Now, suddenly, they were getting picky about bloodlines?
What, are we supposed to have a branch family with some sort of cursed seal like the Hyuga elders, just to keep the bloodline "pure"?
That kind of dangerous, self-imposed restriction had to be stopped immediately.
Raijin's towering image was solidifying in Uchiha Izumi's mind.
Her inner turmoil grew stronger!
She had wanted to voice more of her thoughts, but now, she found herself at a loss for words.
"Yes!"
Uchiha Izumi lowered her head in silence.
There were so many things she wanted to say.
But the courage she once had was now gone.
She couldn't get a word out.
"By the way, about that girl, Rebecca—you really found her?"
Kakashi, noticing the awkwardness between them, quickly changed the subject.
This girl seemed interesting, but he hadn't seen her around.
Where did Raijin even hear about her?
"Of course, I saw her, just in a garbage heap not far from here."
"You can go pick her up! It'll be good for the grandfather and granddaughter to reunite."
Raijin wouldn't have mentioned Rebecca if he didn't know where she was.
There was no need to bring her back before.
But now, bringing her back and letting King Riku see Rebecca in such a dirty state would only solidify his resolve.
This would greatly benefit Raijin's plan.
"You really think of everything."
Kakashi muttered as he left.
Ten minutes later, Kakashi returned, carrying a young girl in his arms.
In his hand, he held a one-legged toy soldier.
If he remembered correctly, every living toy here had originally been a human.
So, what was the identity of this toy soldier?
Why did he fight so desperately to protect the girl when Kakashi tried to take Rebecca away?
This soldier's identity was intriguing.
Raijin probably knew but didn't want to say.
"Rebecca!"
At that moment!
The King of Riku, who had just finished cleaning himself upstairs, walked down.
He was greeted by the sight of Kakashi bringing Rebecca inside.
In an instant, he rushed over and embraced Rebecca tightly in his arms.
Rebecca looked at the old man in front of her, with a hint of confusion in her eyes.
But after a moment, she began to feel a sense of familiarity.
"Grandpa!"
Rebecca opened her mouth and started crying bitterly in the arms of King Riku.
All the grievances and pain she had bottled up over the past year burst out in that moment.
"Your Majesty, King Riku!"
The toy soldier with one leg, who had stopped struggling in Kakashi's hands, stared in disbelief at the King who had suddenly appeared.
He hadn't expected to find King Riku here.
That's good!
Now they have a safe place to stay.
At least Rebecca wouldn't have to wander around with him anymore.
As the strongest warrior of this nation, he must defeat that villain, Doflamingo.
"The reunion between grandparent and grandchild can stop for now! Can't you see that Rebecca is dirty and even hungry?"
"Let her clean up and have a good meal first."
Reijin interrupted the tearful scene.
To be honest,
The three of them present had long since become numb.
While others might be moved to tears by such a scene, they simply couldn't muster the emotion.
Kakashi had never known what love was since childhood, and had killed countless people in the Ninja World.
This kind of touching scene didn't stir any feelings in him at all.
He even felt like pulling out his *Icha Icha* Paradise to read.
Reijin, under the strict education of Konoha, now only saw the world in terms of strength and weakness.
He distinguished between those who could be used and those who couldn't.
Having experienced the Third Great Ninja War, his heart had become numb.
He couldn't resonate with this kind of situation at all.
And Uchiha Izumi? She had it even worse!
She had barely fallen in love once, only to end up utterly defeated.
She had even awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan because of it.
That was enough to show the state of her heart.
If she were a little more obsessive, she might feel like stabbing any couple she saw in love.
Telling moving stories in the Ninja World probably wouldn't work anymore.
Only those with pure hearts, who hadn't been beaten down by society, could be moved.
Like Naruto Uzumaki, or Kushina Uzumaki.
"Yes, yes, let's have her clean up first and then eat something," King Riku agreed, snapping out of his daze and speaking hastily.
He saw in Rebecca the image of his daughter from years ago.
She looked exactly the same as his daughter.
This realization caused King Riku immense heartache.
Uchiha Izumi stepped forward and took Rebecca's hand, leading her upstairs.
Seeing Rebecca in this state only strengthened King Riku's resolve to overthrow Doflamingo.
If Doflamingo wasn't taken down, Rebecca would still be in danger in the future.
Doflamingo had big plans for Dressrosa, but he was also their only hope.
Reijin then presented part of their plan.
He explained their next moves to King Riku, though the king seemed somewhat distracted.
They might as well wait until Rebecca finished cleaning up before continuing.
The role of the Riku family was neither insignificant nor crucial.
They were key figures in overthrowing Doflamingo.
As the former king of this nation, his words carried weight.
But all he could really offer was verbal support.
Perhaps if they encountered some of King Riku's old subordinates, he could persuade them to surrender.
But on the battlefield, they'd likely need to assign someone to protect him.
King Riku's power was limited to just words.
"What should we do with this?" Kakashi asked, holding up the toy soldier.
This toy soldier was a bit unusual.
"Leave him here," Reijin said after glancing at Kyros, who was once the strongest person in this country.
But only within this country. Later, they could throw him to the ninjas to use as a sparring partner.
Kyros stayed in the villa, standing loyally behind King Riku like a guard.
After a moment, a girl with a clean face came down the stairs.
But she seemed a bit timid, not quite comfortable in the unfamiliar environment.
These years of hiding and running had made her instinctively avoid strangers.
"Let's eat first," Reijin said, waving his hand.
From the kitchen, Teuchi and some members of the Akimichi clan, who loved good food, nodded and brought out plates of delicious dishes.
Since Teuchi had just arrived here, he wasn't very familiar with the local ingredients.
For now, the only thing he could make was the Ichiraku Ramen from Konoha.
The Akimichi clan, being food connoisseurs, had slightly better cooking skills and prepared a variety of dishes.
King Riku and Rebecca's eyes lit up as they quickly sat down at the table to taste the food.
Life on the run wasn't easy; they were always either starving or just barely fed.
Please continue reading! Please continue reading! Please continue reading! Please continue reading! Please continue reading! Please continue reading!
(End of Chapter)