22 Shiro

"Yes, lord. I am the one you gave food to. My name is Uzumaki Han and this is my granddaughter Uzumaki Kiyome. May I know, why are you here?" Han asked.

Yukan looked at the broken shed which was unlivable. He scanned the whole area and then looked at Sakumo and raised his eyebrows twice, asking,' What to do now?'.

Replying to Yukan, Sakumo nodded a little.

"We were here to find any remnants of the Uzumaki clan. Would you like to come to Konoha with us?" Sakumo straightforwardly asked.

Han seemed like thinking about something for a while.

After a while, he finally spoke," … But why should I? What is the guarantee that we all will be safe now?"

Sakumo heard Han and was able to confirm something, more survivors were remaining.

"I am not sure what provisions will be made, but Hokage-Sama would not leave you guys alone. Even if he doesn't listen to my request, he will hear Mito-Sama's words." Sakumo assured Han that he will be fine in Konoha.

Yukan had already gone out by now to make sure no more Kiri shinobi came.

Sakumo, Han and Kiyome sat in the shed while talking.

"I will then come to Konoha with you first. If it is okay for us, then we will live there." Han said after a lot of thinking.

Sakumo nodded and called Yukan in.

He told Yukan everything and ordered him to go back to Konoha with them.

"Go back to Konoha with the both of them. No need to come back to the camp, your duty at the front lines is over, I'll manage this mission's report and all." Sakumo looked at Yukan with his arms crossed.

After that, he bit his thumb and made the signs for summoning jutsu and a dog looking like Pakkun appeared.

"Here, he will go with you. If you go with him, Hokage-Sama will understand that it is from me." Sakumo answered as he turned around and tried to help the grandfather and granddaughter duo.

Yukan bent down and spoke in a very low voice,"...Pakkun?"

The dog heard him and said," Pakkun? Who is Pakkun? I am Shiro."

Yukan said nothing and got up.

'So, is Pakkun his yet-to-be-born son or something?' Yukan thought as he left the shed behind the other three.

Right before the four were about to leave, Sakumo rubbed Yukan's hair and said," Take care of everyone in Konoha, I will be back in some time."

Yukan nodded and left with the other.

Shiro had gone ahead since it would take Yukan and the other two a long time to reach Konoha.

This was a simple disadvantage of travelling with a civilian.

Shiro's task was to tell Hiruzen and Mito everything about the Uzumaki clan survivors. According to Sakumo, it was very important to report this to Mito because even if Hiruzen disagrees with something, Mito may be able to help.

It had been 8 days since they were travelling and a walk of around 14 more days was left.

'What should have taken only 2 days at the maximum is almost taking us a month. Disadvantages of having an old civilian with you.' Yukan thought as he brought back the fish he just caught.

While he grilled the fish, he talked to Han.

"Hey gramps, you are from the Uzumaki clan, so do you also know sealing arts?" Yukan asked curiously.

Even if the Uzumaki clan was known for its sealing arts, not everyone knew about it in the clan.

"I do know about it but I am not able to use it because I don't have any chakra. My granddaughter was able to do it in the past but now, due to the lack of food, she is not able to use chakra properly." Han answered Yukan's question. (A/N: Since chakra is made from physical and mental, she had a very weak physique due to lack of food, so no chakra.)

Yukan gave Han no reaction and continued to grill.

"What about you? You must be pretty strong to be talking with the White Fang so casually." Han asked.

Yukan always informally talked with Sakumo.

"He is my Sensei. I am Yukan Norio by the way." Yukan answered.

"Norio..Norio.. Are you by any chance related to the Sword Demon Hyatt Norio?" Han asked after thinking about something for a while.

Yukan was a little stunned to hear his father's name here but he still replied," Yes, he was my father."

Han then looked at the sky for a moment.

"You know, the mission which made him famous as the Sword Demon, he saved my daughter-in-law and son back then. Now, you saved me and my granddaughter. I guess I owe your family a lot."

Yukan offered Han the fish he just grilled and then looked at Kiyome.

She had already been completely exhausted from travelling and was asleep.

"..Wake her up, if she sleeps with an empty stomach, it may cause an ache tomorrow," Han said as he bit the fish Yukan just grilled.

"Also, let me grill the prey or whatever you get from tomorrow."

Yukan heard him and then took a bite of the fish.

After taking a bite, he understood why his men did not allow him to make any food on missions.

Yukan then woke Kiyome up and told her to eat the food before sleeping

14 days later, the three finally reached Konoha.

Yukan took the two to the Hokage's office straight away.

In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen was tired from the paperwork and was now looking at some 'SECRET STUDY MATERIAL' to gain some knowledge.

Yukan knocked at the door.

As soon as the knock came, Hiruzen panicked.

He suddenly closed the MATERIAL and put it in his drawer, straightened his clothes and answered," Come in."

Yukan came inside with Han and Kiyome beside him.

He first bowed a little and said," Hokage-Sama, these are Uzumaki Han and Uzumaki Kiyome, survivors from the Uzumaki clan."

Yukan always bowed a little to Hiruzen and never kneeled like the others. That was not something a shinobi could do on his wish, it was not allowed until the Hokage himself had no objections to it.

"First, welcome back Yukan. I know everything, Shiro already told me and Mito-Sama about it. Now, as for what we will do about it..."

Hiruzen said as he puffed up smoke.