Naruto: reborn as an Uzumaki

As the door closed behind Kakashi and Yuki, Kenshin let out a relieved sigh, his posture loosening as the tension melted away from his body. "That was intense," he muttered, running a hand through his hair, his expression softening completely.

Tsunade, leaning against her desk, chuckled softly at the sudden shift in his demeanor. "Hard to believe you're the same guy who commanded the room moments ago."

Kenshin smirked, glancing at her with a mix of humor and sincerity. "I couldn't exactly relax with a room full of Jonin and ANBU breathing down my neck. But, really, I'm grateful, Hokage-sama. Thank you for trusting me with this chance."

Tsunade's gaze softened, but her voice remained firm. "Don't mess this up, Kenshin. I don't want to see you end up dead because of a mistake."

Kenshin gave her a small nod, his smirk fading into a serious expression. "I won't. I'll make sure this works, for the village and for you."

Satisfied, Tsunade straightened and waved him off. "Good. Now, go home and get some proper rest. Don't show me your face before noon tomorrow."

Kenshin turned to Kaede and Kira, both of whom remained seated with quiet attentiveness. "Kaede, transform," he said simply.

In a swirl of chakra, Kaede's human form shifted back into the small, sleek black cat. Kenshin bent down, gently picking her up with one hand and Kira with the other. He placed them carefully on each of his shoulders, where they both settled comfortably.

"Goodnight, Hokage-sama," Kenshin said with a nod, heading toward the door.

Tsunade watched him go, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "Goodnight, Kenshin,"

[Earlier that evening]

Akane was seated in the cozy living room of their home, while faint sounds of chopping came from the kitchen, where Kana and Yukari worked together, their soft voices occasionally blending with the sounds of cooking.

Glancing up at the clock, Akane realized it wasn't as late as she'd thought. A thought struck her—she could head to Tenten's family's weapon shop now instead of waiting until tomorrow morning.

This would give Tenten more time to work on Kenshin's katana, and with Kenshin not being home, it would ensure the surprise stayed intact.

Her decision made, Akane snapped the book shut and stood. "Mom, I'm going out for a bit," she called out toward the kitchen.

Kana's voice responded without missing a beat. "Okay! Be back before dinner, Akane-chan."

"I will!" Akane replied as she darted upstairs.

In her room, Kenshin's chipped katana rested on her bed, still sheathed. She picked it up carefully, running a hand over the black sheath before securing it under her arm.

She quickly grabbed a sweater, slipping it on as she left the room. Minutes later, she was outside, the cool winter breeze brushing her cheeks as she made her way to Tenten's family's weapon shop.

When Akane was just a few paces from the shop, she noticed a familiar figure approaching from the opposite direction.

It was Tenten, her brown eyes bright and her expression cheerful as she waved. "Akane! What brings you here so late? It's been forever since you came to our little shop."

Akane smiled and quickened her pace until they stood face to face. "Tenten! Are you free right now? I wanted to commission a katana," she said, her voice carrying a mix of excitement and determination.

Tenten raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by the request. "A katana? That's new. You've never commissioned anything from us before. Usually, it's just kunai and shuriken."

"Yeah, well," Akane said, scratching the back of her neck with her free hand, "this is special."

Tenten's curiosity was piqued, but she didn't press further. Instead, she gestured toward the shop with a welcoming smile. "Come on in. Let's talk about it."

Sliding the door open, Tenten stepped aside to let Akane enter. The shop was quiet, the warm glow of lanterns illuminating rows of meticulously arranged weapons. Tenten led Akane to a counter near the back, where they could discuss the details in private.

Tenten leaned against the counter, arms crossed, as she glanced at the katana Akane carried. "So, tell me about this katana you want. Got a specific design in mind, or are you leaving it up to me?"

Akane carefully unsheathed the blade and handed it over to Tenten. "This katana was part of a two-katana set my... father made for me. But I never really used them. After I was adopted by Kenshin's mom, I gave this one to Kenshin. It's been with him ever since, but he got it badly chipped during a mission."

Tenten took the katana, her eyes immediately narrowing as she examined it. Her fingers brushed over the deep chips along the blade, some of which carved a third of the way through its width.

She gasped softly. "This... this is chakra metal." Her tone was reverent, as if she were holding a rare artifact.

"Yeah," Akane replied softly, watching Tenten's expression shift from surprise to calculation.

Tenten looked up at Akane, her brow furrowing. "Do you have any idea how much something like this costs? A weapon like this would've been around 50 million ryo. And you're saying your father got two made?"

Akane nodded, unsurprised by the estimate. "My father was... rich. Probably did a lot of S-rank missions, didn't exactly spend much of it."

Shaking her head, Tenten continued. "But here's the problem: chakra metal isn't something my family shop keeps on hand. We're not exactly wealthy enough to afford it, and let's be honest, neither are you."

"I don't need you to get new metal," Akane said firmly. "I want you to reforge this one. Use the blade itself, and just add what's absolutely necessary."

Tenten raised an eyebrow at the suggestion but nodded thoughtfully. "If we're reforging it, we'd only need to add a little extra metal to fill in the gaps. But even that will cost more than 100,000 ryo. Plus, chakra metal needs specific forging techniques, specialized tools, and other materials. Everything together... you're looking at around 300,000 ryo. I'd usually charge more but I'll give you a discount as a friend."

Akane didn't flinch at the cost. "I'll pay it."

Tenten blinked, impressed by Akane's resolve. "You're serious about this, huh?"

Akane nodded, her expression determined.

A small smile spread across Tenten's lips as she turned the blade over, studying it closely. "All right, then. If we're doing this, let's make it special. I'll add a Damascus pattern to the blade—it'll look beautiful and add to its durability. 100 layers should be doable. And I'm guessing you want this done before the Rinne Festival, right?"

Akane smiled slightly, glad Tenten caught on. "Exactly. If it wasn't urgent, I wouldn't have come so late."

Tenten chuckled, sliding the blade back into its sheath and setting it on the counter. "Fair enough. I'll get started tomorrow morning. Come back in a couple of days to check on the progress."

"Thank you, Tenten," Akane said sincerely, her smile softening.

"Don't mention it," Tenten replied, her tone lighter now. "This is going to be one of the coolest projects I've worked on my whole life. Kenshin's lucky to have a sister like you."

Akane's cheeks tinged slightly pink at the comment, but she only nodded before heading out, feeling lighter now that she had taken the first step toward completing Kenshin's gift.

As Akane left the shop, she noticed Yuki and Kakashi walking together in the distance. Yuki's body language seemed tense, her shoulders slightly hunched, while Kakashi walked beside her with a calm yet attentive demeanor.

Akane paused for a moment, debating whether to approach them, but decided against it. With Kakashi there, Yuki was in good hands.

Besides, Akane had long suspected that Yuki had a crush on Kakashi, even though Yuki kept it to herself.

Both Akane and Maki had picked up on it early, sharing knowing glances whenever Yuki seemed overly flustered around him. Judging by their current closeness, Akane assumed they were simply going out. Or at least Yuki was trying to make some sort of advance.

Shrugging off her curiosity, Akane turned and headed home. As soon as she stepped inside, Kana called out from the kitchen, her voice warm and cheerful. "Akane-chan, could you prepare the bathwater? Dinner's almost ready."

"Got it!" Akane replied, slipping off her shoes and heading toward the bathroom to do as asked.

The scene shifted to shortly after this, as Kenshin returned home following his intense meeting with Tsunade. As he stepped into the house, the aroma of a home-cooked meal wafted through the air. Kana and Yukari were both busy in the kitchen, working side by side.

On Kenshin's shoulders, Kira and Kaede immediately jumped down, landing gracefully before transforming back into their human forms. Both stretched their arms, shaking off the stiffness from the ride.

Kira crossed her arms with a slight pout. "I didn't need to come along, Master. It was pointless."

Kaede glanced at her with a raised brow. "It wouldn't have been appropriate for only one of us to accompany Master," she said calmly, brushing her hair back.

From the kitchen, Kana chimed in, her voice light. "The bathwater is ready! We could all dip in together."

At her suggestion, Yukari froze, her face immediately turning a deep shade of red. While she was comfortable sharing a bath with the others, the idea of sharing one with Kenshin was too much for her to handle. She avoided eye contact, fidgeting slightly.

Kenshin walked into the kitchen, a small smile on his face. "Mom, we've got six people in the house now. If we all went in together, it'd be cramped."

He glanced at the others before continuing. "Why don't we take turns? Three at a time. Aunt Yukari could go with Kira, and either you or Kaede could join them."

Kana turned to him, her expression playful. "But I want to go in with you, Ken-chan. You know how I sometimes fall asleep in the bath."

Kenshin let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head. "You just enjoy being carried too much, don't you?"

Kana gave him a childlike smile, clasping her hands behind her back. "Not every mommy is lucky enough to have her son tuck her into bed like a daddy."

Kenshin's cheeks turned a faint pink at her choice of words. "Shut up, mom..." he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck, trying to dismiss the mixed feelings her statement stirred in him.

While he adored his mother, her occasional casual use of the word "daddy" always left him flustered—it felt oddl, and coming from her, it was both endearing and awkward.

Kana giggled at his reaction, her eyes sparkling with amusement, before turning back to Yukari, who was still blushing furiously. "Yukari, why don't you relax a little? It's just a bath! Unless you feel weird sharing a bath with a boy."

"I-I'm fine," Yukari stammered, refusing to look at Kenshin directly. "Although I'd prefer not to share with Kenshin-sama."

Kaede smirked, her sharp eyes flicking between the two. "Kana-sama seems to be more like the child in this family. It's nice, kind of refreshing."

Kenshin shook his head with a smile. "All right then, I'll go with mom, and aunt Yukari can take the cats."

As the conversation about the bath arrangements settled, Akane came downstairs, her presence immediately drawing attention. Spotting Kenshin, she broke into a warm smile and rushed toward him, wrapping her arms around him in a hug.

Her gaze flicked toward Kana and the others. "I heard what you guys were talking about," she began, crossing her arms. "And I'm joining Kenshin and mom in the bath. No objections."

Kaede's ears twitched as she shot Akane a sharp look, crossing her arms. "Master should bathe with me," she said with a hint of a pout. "I can help him relax. Besides, Kira is already going with Yukari-sama."

Akane frowned, reaching out and grabbing Kaede's tail without warning, giving it a firm yank. Kaede yelped softly, her eyes widening in shock before narrowing into a glare filled with murderous intent.

"You're way too touchy and clingy for a servant," Akane said flatly. "You should go with Aunt Yukari. I'm not about to share Kenshin with someone else. Not yet, anyway."

Kaede let out a low growl, her tail flicking angrily as her golden-green eyes burned with rage. For a moment, it seemed she was about to lunge at Akane.

Before she could act, Kenshin placed a firm hand on her shoulder, meeting her fiery gaze with a calm but stern expression. He didn't say a word, but his look reminded her of the condition she had agreed to upon forming the summoning contract: no unnecessary violence.

Kaede clenched her fists and took a deep breath, forcing herself to relax. "Fine," she muttered through gritted teeth, standing straight.

Kenshin, meanwhile, was screaming internally. 'I'm so lucky Kotoamatsukami's influence runs deep. Otherwise, we'd be in the middle of a bloodbath right now.'

"Kaede, calm down," he said gently but firmly, letting his hand drop. "Stay with Aunt Yukari for now."

As she reluctantly turned to leave, Kenshin leaned in slightly, speaking telepathically so only Kaede could hear. "I'm just humoring her right now. You can spend all the time you want with me during the mission."

Kaede's expression softened slightly at his words, and she gave a small nod before walking off.

Akane, watching her retreat, smirked triumphantly before turning back to Kenshin. "Thanks, Kenshin. Now let's go, or Mom will fall asleep waiting."

Kenshin sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't know how I got caught in the middle of all this."

Kana called from the bathroom, her voice cheerful as ever. "Ken-chan, Akane-chan, are you coming or what? The water's perfect! It's not everyday mommy's actually willing to bathe."

With a resigned chuckle, Kenshin followed Akane to the bath, silently praying that the rest of the evening would pass without any more drama.

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Once again, thank you everyone for your continued support and power stones. And as always, please give me your power stones and comment your opinions. They make a big difference and motivate me to write more.