"Mommy ——!"

Maybe it's the mother-daughter connection, or the girl's innate keen intuition, so that Xiang Ren vaguely witnessed her mother's increasingly weak physical condition due to her own eyes, so she had a hunch that if she let her mother leave like this, it would probably be the last time she would see her mother. I couldn't help screaming in disappointment, but I didn't stay at home obediently as before, waiting for my mother to "voluntarily" help others return after treatment. Instead, he rushed forward regardless of it, instinctively hoping to use his actions to forcibly leave his mother behind to recuperate.

"Hmm——!"

It's a pity that Xianglian's move not only failed to win the sympathy of the man who came to take Xianglian's mother away. On the contrary, it was because of this stalking, annoying behavior in his eyes, which completely angered the man who was not very patient. So much so that almost at the moment when Xiang Lian pounced, before Xiang Lian touched the corner of his mother's clothes, he was kicked out by a merciless whip leg! Crashing into the hard, cold ground, it was able to stop the retreating momentum. It was like a dead man, unable to move for a long time, let alone getting up from the ground and trying to stop the man in front of him from taking his mother away.

"Don't ——! Incense! ”

Seeing that her daughter was kicked mercilessly, she collapsed to the ground and her life and death were unknown, so that Xianglian's mother, who had been suffering so hard, could no longer bear this blow. With tears welling up in his eyes, he rolled up his sleeves to reveal his arms, which were covered with deep visible tooth marks, and turned around, trying to pounce on his child in order to use his chakra to help Xiang Ryu recover.

"Ah——!h

However, before Xianglian's mother could take a few steps, the touch of her hair being grabbed and the severe pain that swept through her body in an instant made Xianglian's mother, who was already weak, cry out in pain and was forced to stop her movements. I could only look back and forth with my eyes in silent tears, and secretly prayed in my heart, hoping that my daughter who collapsed on the ground would be safe.

"Tsk...... Didn't I tell you...... Let you hurry! Whether it's a daughter or a mother...... They are all so ignorant of lifting, I really forgot that our village agreed to take in the kindness of your mother and daughter! ”

While holding the slightly dry red soft hair of Xianglian's mother with his fingers together, the man's face was not at all desolate for the mother and son, revealing half of his patience or sympathy. Just after confirming that Xianglian's mother obediently gave up the struggle, she continued to drag and forcibly let Xianglian's mother leave with her, while continuing to speak in an expressionless tone.

"Don't worry, your daughter didn't die so easily, I just left my hand, at most she was in a coma for a while...... After all, she's your daughter, and she's the village's stock. ”

"Prepare ...... Spare parts? What does that mean! ”

Xianglian's mother, who was originally in a low mood, only dissipated her worries after hearing that people around her said that Xianglian's life would not be in danger. But before Xianglian's mother could come to her senses, the man's words followed made Xianglian's mother's eyes become more and more desperate.

"Didn't you say that as long as I cooperate obediently, you will let my daughter go!"

"That was true in the beginning...... But now, the results of your treatment are getting worse and worse every time, and we have to wonder if you are seriously treating......"

In the face of the hysterical questioning that broke out subconsciously of Xianglian's mother, the man's hand holding Xianglian's mother's hair was still like a reinforced concrete pouring, and he was indifferent. even showed a natural expression, and said bluntly and unceremoniously.

"If you're really tired and don't want to contribute to the village anymore? That's okay too...... But on the other hand, as a price for staying in the village, your daughter will have to take over your job! ”

"But ......! My daughter is just a child! She didn't have ...... at all."

"So, if you don't want your daughter to end up like you? Well, you're going to have to work harder......"

didn't give Xianglian's mother a chance to finish her words, and when the words on her lips were interrupted and stopped, the figure of the man and Xianglian's mother was also drifting apart. After a short time, it completely disappeared, leaving only a cold-blooded and ruthless word, which echoed in this space, and quickly and completely dissipated into nothingness.

"Cheer me up, don't cry and lose your face! After being delayed and wasted for so long by your mother and daughter, you should be content! Now come with me! There are still a lot of injured people in the hospital waiting to take their medicine......"

……

With the passage of time, Xiang Li, who had been hit hard, finally regained consciousness and slowly woke up due to the severe pain that continued to come from his body. Then he gritted his teeth and cried, while enduring the bursts of pain from his waist, he continued to struggle, and stood up from the ground little by little.

"Here it is...... Mom? Where are you...... Mom? Mom! ”

Just woke up, and his consciousness was still a little trance-like and unconscious, so Xiang Lian covered the wound on his waist with his hand and looked around in confusion. After a slight pause, he instinctively opened his mouth and called out to his mother because of his insecurity. But not long after the exit, he woke up to what had happened before, and suddenly seemed to go crazy, and crawled around to find his mother's figure.

"Mom...... Mom...... Mom! ”

Dilapidated thatched huts, overgrown clearings, and dilapidated stone staircases leading to the village of Kusanobi...... The instinct of missing and worrying about her mother made Xiang Rin explode at an astonishing speed. In a short period of time, I turned the perimeter of the house I lived in, and I almost didn't dig into the ground with a shovel!

But it was clear that after Xiang Ryu had been in a coma for so long, her mother had already been forcibly dragged away by the man and went to the hospital in Kusa Ninja Village, where she routinely recovered herself by devouring her mother, who was a descendant of the Uzumaki clan, and used it as a living medicine for the treatment of the wounded. Until the hospital closes and gets off work, it is impossible for Xiang Li's mother to be released back by the Grass Ninja Village, how can she appear around here because of Xiang Li's efforts to find it?

The two lines of clear tears are like springs, covering the immature and small face of Xianglin. After a long time of searching, Xianglian's original clean and tidy image became unkempt and embarrassed...... If you don't look closely, most of you will think of the incense burn at this moment as a little beggar begging for food on the side of the road.

But at this time, the young Xianglian obviously didn't have any mind to take care of his appearance.

"Mom...... Mommy ......"

After many searches, because he couldn't find his mother, he completely extinguished the hope in his heart. Because of the heavy blow he suffered before, every time Xiang Li's body took a step, it could pull the wound, causing severe pain enough to tear the heart and lungs. Xianglian, who was already immature and lacked physical strength due to age and lack of nutrition, finally curled up his legs in a distraction between the whispers full of despair and crying, and collapsed weakly on the uneven and cold ground again. After a long silence, his little hands clasped tightly into the dirt beneath him, scratching deep claw marks, and at the same time, he closed his eyes, wept and pleaded bitterly, and let the tears slide down to the ground.

"Can anyone help me...... Please, it's okay for everyone...... If there really were gods in this world...... Please have mercy and save my mother......"

Of course, after experiencing the same scene countless times, although she is still young, Xiang Lian still knows it very well in her heart...... In the grass ninja village where everyone uses their mother and daughter as pure healing tools, let alone anyone who will save her mother. Even the possibility of letting her mother rest for a while and have a momentary respite with her conscience is absolutely non-existent......

In other words, from the moment when he began to pray to the ethereal god in a helpless and helpless wail...... It's not so much that she still has hope, but rather that it's just a fragile belief that Xiang Lian instinctively tries to give herself some comfort and can hold on to her life.

But perhaps the fate of the mother and daughter was so tragic that the gods were moved by it. Or is it that Xianglian's hard days have finally come to an end......

This time, Xiang Lian's subconscious screams not only attracted the attention of others, but also really gave her and her mother a glimmer of possibility and hope to be rescued.

"The cry for help just now seems to be in this direction...... Yes! Got it! ”

“…… Alas?! ”

The prayer without any hope was answered by others...... This unexpected result made the tearful Xianglian slightly surprised and exclaimed, and couldn't help but raise his head immediately. His eyes widened in disbelief as he hurriedly followed the voice that was getting closer. After a while, he saw a blonde man who had obviously never met before, but when he looked at it with a smile, Xiang Lian felt inexplicably relieved and relaxed.

"No...... Don't come here! I know it's wrong! I just didn't say anything! It's true! No...... Don't hit me! Don't hit me! ”

But even so, the various injustices suffered in the Kusa Ninja Village made Kaori instinctively wary of any stranger. Seeing the blonde man approaching, instead of taking the initiative to ask him to help his mother. On the contrary, it was because he was worried that this person would be a member of the grass ninja village, and because he found out that he was "disloyal" to the village, he came to punish himself. I couldn't help but get closer and closer to the blond man's figure, like a frightened rabbit, while wailing in horror one after another, and at the same time retreating back in panic with his hands and feet.

“…… Huh? I look ...... Is it that scary? ”

The little guy's unexpected response in front of him made Naruto's face suddenly stiffen, and then he secretly wondered what was wrong with this tried-and-tested gentle smiling face when he used to appease the little fan. He shook his head with a smile and a smile, and deliberately slowed down a little in order to make Xiang Ryu feel at ease. Fearing that he would further frighten the poor little guy in front of him, Naruto began to tiptoe slowly and slowly approached.

"Take it easy, take it easy...... Shrewd...... I won't hurt you, I promise ......"

"Don't ...... Stay back! ”

"Okay, okay, I'm not coming, I'm not coming......"

"Really...... It's true......? Woo......"

"No, you see, I'm standing here still...... So, take it easy, good boy, and don't be afraid......"

While raising his hands high, indicating that he would not hurt Kaori, Naruto suppressed the depression and incomprehension in his heart, while maintaining as much as possible in a gentle and peaceful tone, not emphasizing in vain what kind of person he was, but patiently comforting the frightened Kaori. At the moment when Xiang Lian screamed again, he not only immediately stopped, but also quietly moved a step back. After pausing for a while, it wasn't until he saw Xiang Lian's doubts and his emotions gradually calmed down and relaxed, then he bent his eyes and smiled, and continued softly word by word.

"Whew...... I don't know if it's lucky or unlucky...... Now you're really in this village, Xianglin......"

“…… Alas? You...... Know ...... me? ”

From beginning to end, the person in front of him took into account his reaction, and did not have the slightest "abnormal" practice of forcing himself to shut up, so that Xiang Yan gradually realized that the other party might indeed not be from the Grass Ninja Village. I just wanted to ask the other party's identity, but after the other party said his name, he pointed at himself with his hand in disbelief, and he was more and more stunned and froze in place.

"Are you...... Who? ”

"Of course...... In fact, nearly half of my trip was made to help you...... Oh yes, I almost forgot ......"

Quietly, the powerful perception that pervades his body makes it easy for Naruto to sense that Kaori's hostility towards him is rapidly fading. While secretly breathing a sigh of relief, he turned his body a little, showing people the bright whirlpool clan emblem behind his clothes. While squinting and laughing, he continued to Xiang Lian with self-deprecation.

"Ahem, may I introduce myself...... Hello, Karo, my name is Naruto Uzumaki...... When you meet for the first time, please advise. ”

"Vortex...... Naruto...... Whirlpool...... Whirlpool! ”

Due to his young age, coupled with the fact that he has been confined to the Grass Ninja Village for many years, Xiang Ryu didn't notice anything unusual in Naruto's real name at first glance. It wasn't until Naruto turned his back and showed himself the familiar and long-lost clan emblem with an unabashed grin that he completely let down his vigilance, covered his mouth and whimpered in exclaim.

"Are you from the Vortex Clan too?"

"Of course...... Uh, well, though technically, I'm not a descendant of the Vortex Clan. But my mother is also one of the members of your Uzumaki Clan~ In this way, I should be able to be regarded as a descendant of half of the Uzumaki Clan, right? ”

From Xiang Li, after not feeling half of the resistance and hostility towards himself, Naruto was completely relieved. Immediately, he tried to put Xianglin at ease, and deliberately put on a funny poss, ready to continue to introduce himself.

"Hmm...... As a former nine-tailed pillar force, my mother's name should also be recorded in the Vortex clan, right? Hehe, don't be scared when you say it! My mom is a whirlpool...... Huh? ”

"Wow——!"

However, before Naruto could finish his proudly boastful words, the girl in front of him threw herself into Naruto's arms. Puzzled, he tried to ask out loud, but he cried bitterly because of the loss of voice of the person in his arms, and the warm liquid touch in front of him, which was quickly wet and gradually felt clearly, made Naruto swallow the words that came to his mouth again.

"It seems that you little guy has suffered a lot these days...... Let's cry...... If you cry out, your heart will feel much better......"

Or because of the blood of the same clan flowing in the body. Or maybe it was because the little girl in her arms was, in a sense, similar to her own background, which made Naruto's eyes soften more and more. Immediately, he did not tear off the incense burn unkindly, but put one hand on his shoulder, and slowly and carefully hugged the person in his arms, giving more safety to the person in his arms. While covering the soft red hair of the person in his arms covered with dirt and dust with his free other hand, he gently stroked and soothed the dirt between the hair while cleaning the dirt between the hair a little.

"Rest assured, it's all over......"

"With me here, it's fine......"

"Uh......h Suck ...... Well...... Yes! That's right! ”

Under Naruto's patient and gentle comfort, Kaori felt the warmth and relaxation that once only existed in her mother. It wasn't until the grievances and dissatisfaction that had accumulated in my heart were vented with tears that I suddenly remembered that my mother might be in the miserable situation of being forced to let people eat and absorb Chakra, that I reluctantly raised my head. Immediately, his eyes were fixed on Naruto, and he tugged at the corners of Naruto's clothes again and again, and continued to speak anxiously.

"That's right! Father! Go and save your mother! If you don't save your mother, your mother will ...... She's going to die! ”

"Huh? No wonder, I still wonder how the little guy is intact, is her mother still there...... Wait, isn't it?! ”

After hearing the words of the man in his arms, the doubts in Naruto's heart were immediately solved. Nodding slightly, while muttering secretly, he suddenly noticed the abnormality in the previous words of the person in his arms. I couldn't help but look down a little in amazement, and at the same time I stretched out a free hand and pointed to my face with a finger.

"Did I hear it wrong? You...... You've just ...... You're calling me...... Father?! ”

Xianglian: Willing to help me and my mother, and a member of the Uzumaki clan...... That must be my dad! [Star-eyed eyes look at Naruto adoringly]

Naruto: I'm not, I don't, don't talk nonsense...... Isn't it, Hinata, you listen to me?! 【Life Without Love.jpg】

(End of chapter)