What If Naruto Build Harem With Mikoto Tsunade Mei Anko And Kushina Part/1@UzumakiUniversi2.0

Hello guys, this is your friend Usuzam Kai Universe 2.0 and we are back with a new fanfic which is what if Naruto build harum with Makotosunade Mayenko and Kasha part one. And if you enjoy this fanfic then please press the like button and subscribe to my channel for more fanfic like this. And now let's start the fanfic. October 3rd year 36 AFK. I slowly stood up from my crouched position in the middle of a huge crater. My clothes were smoking from the heat. The means of my travel exposed them, too. And the water I had soaked them in was barely enough to prevent them from burning up. I would have no doubt shared their fate without the assortment of jutsu at my disposal. Well, I am confident it wouldn't have been enough to kill me. Not much is capable of that nowadays, especially since I got a handle on my bloodline. Still, recovering from thirdderee burns across your whole body is anything but fun. The pain from suffering those injuries and then from healing from them was something I could do without. I gave my surroundings a short glance and was able to ascertain that yes, I arrived where I planned to. Seeing healthy trees alone was a strong indication I had succeeded. It had been years since I came across healthy plant life, and the damage done to this forest was by my hands. I couldn't suppress my elation at that, and a smirk sneaked on my features. This was a rarity nowadays, considering that where or rather when I was coming from, there weren't many appropriate occasions for displaying such an emotion. But now that I have arrived, I can prevent it all from happening. Hey partner, we succeeded. We have another chance, and this time we won't waste it. We will protect your siblings together, I thought. But instead of a grumpy response of how he could see that for himself, I was met with silence. No, no, no. This couldn't be, I worried. Without wasting any time, I retreated to the sanctum of my mind. And what I found there was the confirmation of my worst fears. The clearing of the huge forest we designed together was empty. All trace of Kurama was gone. I couldn't even sense any hint of residual chakra. He was just gone. I dropped to my knees. I couldn't shake the feeling he knew exactly what would await him when we attempted this journey. I recalled how he tried to disperse my fears of what toll using his chakra in the ceiling array would have on him. How he distracted me from the problem, always insisting that as the strongest of the Beiju, there was nothing that could hurt him, least of all a seal designed by me, his dumb human partner. Damn it, Kurama. Damn it. Didn't we promise each other we would save the world together or die trying? How could you just abandon me and leave me hanging like this? Deep down, I knew this was unfair as his sacrifice was what allowed me to come here. Still, he could have told me, "I know we could have found another way." My eyes started to moisten. Another friend was lost forever. I was surprised that I was still capable of crying, given how many times I shed tears standing at the grave of another dear friend. One would think the human body could ever hope to produce so many of them. I wiped away my tears with the crook of my arm, and silently I vowed that these will be the last tears I shed for a dead friend ever again. I wanted to make sure of that, but I didn't have the best track record of keeping promises at this point. The only promise I seemed to always be able to fulfill, no matter how much I rushed headirst into a fight was to come back. I always came back, and every time I did, it was with the corpse of another of my friends carried within a storage seal to be burned to prevent our enemies from desecrating them. I balled my hands into fists. Not this time, I promised myself. This time all of my enemies would have to weep for their friends and their families if they dared to stand in my way. I expanded my senses more than dozens of kilometers in every direction and was hit with the presence of countless people living within my range. My focus immediately turned to the small village housing several 10,000 people. There was no doubt this was home. Given those numbers, I was at a time when it was still strong, perhaps stronger than I remembered it ever being. good. And as if to validate my thoughts, I sensed five full squads of Shinobi, who had been dispatched and were nearing my current location at a fast pace. This meant that it was time to make myself scarce. I was far enough away that I didn't need to fear already being in the focus of Kona's all-seeing eyes. But that wouldn't be the case for long. With no time to dally, I set a foot forward only to lose my balance. I was able to write myself just in time to prevent myself from planting my face into the dirt. Damn. I took stock of my body and realized that my chakra coils had barely avoided being shredded by the ordeal that got me here. And it was a condition the rest of my body shared. It felt sore all over. I was exhausted. My reserves nearly spent. And by losing Kurama, my chakra control was ruined. I was probably back at the level one had around the time I learned the reengon. Wo, I really hope this was just a temporary setback. I wouldn't want to spend months with an army of clones doing nothing other than increasingly more difficult chakra exercises to get it back to a level where I could use Irojutsu and Jenjutsu again. I would hate for all the time invested it took me to get it to a level that had allowed Sakura to beat her knowledge and jutsu into my head to have been wasted. Well, that was a problem for another time. At least the seals adorning my body were still there and functioning. Even with a Bakugan wielder part of those squads, it wouldn't be an easy task to find me. Since one of my seals blurs the energy running through my body in such a way that they have to look hard to be able to see me, I wouldn't look like a beacon of light in the darkest of nights for them like a shinobi with such vast reserves like myself normally would. Instead, they would see me faded, barely standing out against the background. Despite my best efforts to attain the absolute pinnacle of concealing seals, the Bakugan still had it beat. That just shows how fearsome it is in its reputation as the all-seeing eyes was more than just deserved. The best I could hope for, if I had the misfortune to cross paths with one of them, was for the Bakugan user to be inexperienced, to not be a stickler for detail. Those were the only ones who could be fooled with my little work of art. Of course, I didn't intend to let it come to that. An experienced average wielder of the dojutsu has a range of around 20 km. Consequently, I just had to stay out of this range and circle around them to avoid detection. Well, I also had to hope for there to be none of those Hyuga prodigies like Nei with them because in that instance, 20 km wouldn't cut it. By carefully moving my body, I was able to prevent a repeat stumbling over my own feet. After taking a few steps in which no further problem befell me, I slowly started to increase my speed, moving away from the point of my arrival. It took me a good portion of the day to circle and evade them, as there was not only the standard Konaha searching pattern employed by those sent to check the phenomenon that accompanied my arrival, but also the numerous ranging patrols close to the village. Aside from the Bakugan, there wasn't much I had to fear in the detection department. You couldn't be taught by one of Konaha's foremost tracking specialists without picking up the trade, especially how to avoid detection yourself. My scent was easier to mask than chakra circulating in one's body. With the extensive use of seals, neither the Inuzuka nor the Aarame could track me. When I finally neared the 20 km perimeter around Konaha, I partly deactivated my suppression seals to give myself the presence of an average Jonan. My attire helped being a long black hooded coat that extended to my ankles. And as the Roku, I was carrying an enormous amount of ambu animal mask with me. There was no shortage of death in the latter days of our resistance, especially in the ranks of Kona's finest. So for every mask I handed out, I had received five back taken from the dead bodies of their previous owners. It had gone so far that being nominated for Anbu and bestowed with a mask was no longer seen as an honor, an award to count yourselves among the elite for having become a shadow protector of Konaha, but was rather seen as a curse that only allowed for one outcome, death. The question being, how long until it was carried out? I hated it, every part of it. My younger self couldn't hope to fathom what it would mean to be Hokag, even at the best of times, let alone during a war in which humanity fought against extinction. I chose to wear the fox mask. It was fitting for more than just one reason. Historically, it was the mask given to the only anu operative who was always said to be working alone, the hunter, the metaphorical fox in the hen house. At this point, I had no clue exactly what year I returned to. Sensing the third Hokag didn't help, as he was the longest reigning Hokag of Konaha, having held office for more than 40 years, only interrupted by the short reign of my father. What I could be sure of was the fact that I must be in a time before the Q.B. attack. It was the only thing that would explain the high population. Furthermore, I could sense all of the sonning within the village. Their chakra presences were mature, but still quite a ways off from their primes. This narrowed it down some, but it still wasn't as precise as I wished it to be before I would set foot in the village. Since there was no helping it, I approached the village over the last 5 km via an ambu return corridor. It was used for long-term absentes who might not be in the know regarding current security protocols and approach vectors and as far as I knew dates back to the time of the first Hokag and has never changed since then. To be honest, this was a great security risk to be so careless with something like this. The only reason I could think of for it to have never been changed in all this time had its origin in Anbu splintered off in Danzo<unk>'s route, and he made extensive use of this corridor. Because the third never intended for them to have a fallout over his minations, he closed his eyes to it. Well, I couldn't complain about it now since I was now profiting from it. But inwardly, I wondered if such sloppiness in this instance in other areas stemming from the existence of root was what ultimately allowed Orochimaru to infiltrate Konaha and bring his troops into a position around the village or if he was actively supported from the inside. This was a question that had never been answered to my full satisfaction even after I received the hat and possessed all the clearances to read the classified documents of the highest order. I had no intention to allow the events to play out the same this time. If I even get a whiff of Orochimaru thinking about defecting or conducting any twisted experiments, I would put him 6 ft under myself. And I was going to make sure that there was no way for him to return to the land of the living. I reached the small cave a good kilometer away from the outer village walls that marked the entrance to the tunnel system leading right into the village. It was protected by a security seal that could only be trespassed by someone wearing a Konaha Anbu tattoo or by a seal masteraster. Meaning that a real seal master, not one of those quacks calling themselves seal masters who had trouble sealing a Buu with a pre-drawn seal and instructions. The seals in front of me, had withstood the test of time and were still used to Konaha's second destruction. They had been crafted by no one less than Mido Usuzuaki herself, the one and only Grand Mistress of Seals who ever set foot into Konaha. From what I was told, my mother never lived long enough to achieve Mido<unk>'s prowess, but she had been well on her way to reaching the same heights. I expanded the seal written at the cave entrance to look at it, and it was once more made clear that Mido was the real deal. If I didn't already know this particular seal by heart, even I would have needed some time just to crack her seal encryption. To be fair, she didn't really make an effort here, and she had the right of it. This seal was nothing special. It was just a shortstop gap meant to dissuade all but the most determined from going any further. The real protection measure was of a different nature, like the invisible sensing barrier she crafted for Konaha. It was a true piece of art, and if Konaha used it as it was intended, to notice and intercept any and all who disturbed the barrier, no exception, like the approach corridor, then I would have made the acquaintance of an Amboo squad by now. Complacency, after all, is death to a shinobi. With a trained eye, I found the relevant line and added a small disruption seal between the detection properties and the ones activating the alarms. By doing this, the seal would still detect my presence, but wouldn't be able to trigger the counter measures. My small addition was timed to only be active for the time it would take me to reach the village proper, after which it would dissolve as if it was never there to begin with. With my modifications done, I entered the tunnels and followed them to the end. The whole time I was dreading that someone decided to enter the tunnels while I was transversing them. The chances of it happening were slim. Nevertheless, existent. I wasn't keen on meeting the Hokag and having to explain to him why I saw it necessary to take out his shinobi. Convincing him about myself would be hard enough without such an accident occurring. I was in luck and reached the exit unmolested. The tunnel led to the basement of a well-frequented shop that mostly sold food. Since it was a huge shop full of shelves that turned the ground level into a real maze, nobody would notice someone slip inside the store from underground and leave it. Even though said person never entered the shop from the street in the first place. I removed my mask, put down my hood, and slipped into the store unseen. At the moment, there was no shinobi present within, so I didn't bother to buy something to reinforce my cover as just another customer and simply left. As I stepped out on the street, my first gaze fell onto the Hokag monument, the three faces carved in stone. It was a nostalgic sight, even though I had never seen it with only three faces. And I had to admit, I had never seen my face right next to either. By the time I was made Hokag, the mountain had been reduced to rubble for quite some time, and we had better things to do than cut someone's face in stone. I enjoyed the atmosphere wandering through the streets. The people were happy. There was no dispondency, deep-seated fear, or mourning present in the faces of the people. I couldn't put it in words how I missed this. The children running circles around the people in the crowd trying to catch each other. The half-hearted reprimand when they ran into someone. I really enjoyed just allowing myself to float in a crowd of people not worn down by war and its effects. seeing people who still haven't lost hope and just continued to fight on because they knew nothing else. This was why I returned, why Kurama sacrificed himself, and I will damn well make sure it wasn't in vain. I wouldn't waste my second chance to protect this way of life. My determination strengthened further as I walked at an unhurried pace to the center with its tower over topping all the other buildings. I was contemplating resting up for a time until I faced the Hokag. But with my insurance in the form of a Hiroshin tag in place far outside the village, I saw no need to postpone it. If the conversation should turn sour, there was nothing that could prevent me from just leaving. Even at my worst, they wouldn't be able to subdue me. Even with help from the likes of the professor, the village would have to pay a steep price for only attempting to do so. When I entered the building, none of the gazes that lingered onto me for any meaningful amounts of time escaped my notice. Nor did the stiffening of the more experienced shinobi in my presence, who no doubt recognized the subtlets that clearly spoke of my proficiency in the art of taking someone's life. The lack of a Konaha headband on my person did the rest. I had made the conscious decision not to wear one. Neither did I want to be approached by Shinobi inquiring about not knowing me, nor did I want to make my affiliation public before I got the concession I would need to fulfill my goal. After all, for a long time by now, my fieldy was not only to Konaha, and I wouldn't want to give away the only real advantage I had in my free agent status to the Hokag by wearing anything tying me to Konaha. If I couldn't get him to fear that I might take what I know elsewhere, he would hold all the cards. Well, most of them. The third Hokag needed a few years of retirement and a constant reminder of his failures from looking at my face, the spitting image of his successor to mellow out to the Gigi I knew during my childhood. Accordingly, the Seratobi herin of this time would be another person entirely. The faster I acknowledged that fact, the less it would hurt to confront him. I neared the Chunin man mission desk and sitting in front of me was a man who was the spitting image of a younger Aruka sands. The scars, his cheekbones, hair, everything was the same. There was no doubt in my mind that this must be his father. Naturally, I was shocked. I expected to run into some people I knew in my time or their close relatives and parents, but I never would have thought to meet him. I winced when my mind drifted to the last moments of my first teacher and had to suppress that particular gruesome memory. Is everything all right? He asked concerned. Yeah, sorry, I said. I was just somewhere else with my thoughts. What did you say? Could you repeat it? I asked, how might Konaha be able to help you? I'm not here to hire Kona Shinobi, I clarified. I'm here to offer vital information and my services to the village. He was speechless at my answer and was struggling to formulate a proper response. This isn't something that we can help you with. He finally managed to get out. I'm very much aware, which is why I'd greatly appreciate it if you could escort me to meet the Hokag. He, after all, is qualified to make such decisions. I pointed out there was some hesitation, but ultimately he decided to humor me since it was above his pay grade. It was better for someone else to take care of it. He escorted me out of the room and up the stairs directly to the Hoage's office, one of the greatest shinobi of his time. The hoage's secretary, a young, good-looking, auburn-haired woman, no doubt as a civilian disguised ambu operative going by her chakra, greeted him. Yumos, shouldn't you be at the mission desk? This man, he explained as he pointed behind himself at me, claims to have vital information and wants to offer it to Konaha. I see, she said while she scrutinized me with the gaze and experience of a seasoned shinobi. Allow me to announce you, Mister Nar, was my curt answer. She stood up from her chair and after softly knocking at the large double door, slipped past the barely opening doors. We waited a lot longer than just announcing someone's presence should have taken. My best guess was that she was a sensor and more than likely an expert in gathering clues through body language. I wondered what she was able to glean from me. My musings were interrupted when the doors opened again, and the woman said with a fake smile, "The Hokag is awaiting you." I turned to Aruka's father. "Thank you, Yumosan," I said to him, and gave her a curt nod before I walked towards the still open doors, passing the secretary who remained standing next to the door frame, eyeing me wearily the whole way. After I fully entered the room, she closed the double doors behind me. It was nostalgic standing here in front of the imposing desk with the Hokag sitting behind it. I could clearly remember the times I was summoned after I pulled one of my pranks to be reprimanded for it during all of which Gigi most of the time was fighting an internal battle to keep up his stoic expression and not give into smirking at my antics. A short roam of my eyes across the room confirmed that nothing changed in all this time he held office. The room stayed virtually the same. No additional effects were added from now to the time I first entered this room as a child in the arms of the man now scrutinizing me. However, the same couldn't be said about him. He was decades younger than I was used to, lacking the wrinkles of old age and the physical traces of a long and hard life. He was at the very peak of his prime and radiated strength with every pore of his being. Not many could hope to compare with him, the man I admired throughout my whole childhood, and it was a new experience to be looked at by the man with anything else than love and poorly hidden regret. I met his eyes, and the staring contest began. More than once, I had been at the receiving end of such a look, trying to weigh my worth, to measure me, trying to uncover my inner self. Most thought me wanting, well, until the moment I educated them differently. After all, I wasn't the duped Konaha most surprising ninja for nothing. I ended our proverbial measuring contest by simply smiling at him. I could see how it left him flustered. Good. I needed him to take me seriously. I stroed forward, my every step measured and exuding confidence, and I sensed the amboo hidden throughout the room, readying themselves to intervene, because they had finally started to perceive me as what I was, a potential threat to the life of their cage. Not that they could do anything about me if I were serious about killing him, but they didn't know that. I stopped my march a few steps away from his desk. We have to talk, Hokag sama. Do we? He shot back, leaning back ever so slightly in his chair, playing up his fake mindlessness underneath. Things were different. I wonder about that, but humor me, would you? When I decided to come here, I didn't expect this to be easy, but this is way beyond the most difficult scenario I imagined. I was about to retort to get him to give up his overly guarded stance when the doors to his office opened and inside stepped none other than the first genturi of the Q.B., Uzu Mumaki Mito. I had no need to turn my head to know it was her. Even in her old age, her presence had an overwhelming strength dwarfing anyone else's in the village aside from my own. Even if I couldn't identify her by this alone, the faint presence of Kurama coming off from her would allow me to know exactly who she was. No matter how good she was able to conceal his chakra within her seal, I would always be able to sense him. And I had to say she did a really good job at that. I doubted there were more than a handful of sensors in the elemental nations who could spot her being a genturi. And this was an optimistic estimate, another addestation to her skill. What I really didn't expect to see was how her presence rattled Serbi, the previously displayed confidence was replaced with uncertainty and his authority with subserviency. I was baffled until I remembered that this was the wife of the first Hokag, and if she was anything like my mother, she would have made sure to get the pupils of her husband and his brother to submit to her authority one way or the other. He stood up to show her the respect she was due. Mido sama, what can I do for you? I was on my daily stroll when the most unusual thing happened. I sensed the presence of Uzumaki arriving on the outskirts of the village. It was faint, hidden, and disguised, but undoubtedly the real deal. So, you might be able to imagine my surprise when this presence entered the village through a secret entrance and made his way here. This piqued my curiosity because I did not expect another messenger or delegation of Ushoger to arrive during my lifetime. Well, so much for trying to hide my ancestry, but this might work out in my favor. However, seeing the narrowed eyes of the Hokag dissuaded me from that notion. He rounded the table and fetched one of the few chairs placed alongside the wall to put it alongside his own behind the desk and offered it up for Mido to sit upon. Without a word, as if expecting it, she made her way to the chair. Because I chose not to show my back to Hirozen, it took her stepping into my field of view to get my first glance at her from the corner of my eyes. She wore a milk white high collared kimono with a purple obi around her waist with her long bright red hair arranged in buns held together by hair pins and hair clips. She was old, far older than she had any right to be as an uzumaki. She should have only reached the midpoint or less of her life when she transferred the Q.B. to my mother at the age of 64. And since she was here alive, she had to be younger. Was it the Q.B's Ubie's presence taking a toll on her life force. After all, she became a genturi as an adult. As a result, her body didn't have sufficient time to adapt to it. This is why only children no older than 12 are used as Beiju containers. The earlier they become a genturi, the better to guarantee the stability of the seal and the survival of the host. But if that was the case and Kurama had detrimental effects on her, no non- adult Uzumaki would have ever had a chance to survive it at all. It was therefore no wonder they only ever dared to use Uumaki and then only those with the strongest and densest chakra to contain the mightiest of the Beiju. Walking ever so slightly hunched over, relying upon a cane to walk, she reached her destination. Only then it struck me what it was that felt out of place as I watched the scene. Her cane made no sound whenever it touched the ground. Thank you, Siru Chan. Speaking those words, she took place on the chair and rested her cane on her lap. She used the time it took the third to return to his seat to look at me with a smile on her lips. I nodded my head at her and silently had my lips form the words sama. When the hokag once more sat in his chair, he asked, "So, where were we, Uzzuaki Nar, I entertained the idea of objecting to the last name he decided to bestow upon me, but decided against it, and my silence served to confirm Mito<unk>'s assumption. I was about to tell you why I'm here. But before we continue, could you please take the necessary precautions to ensure my words will only be heard by you two?" I requested. I could see how the Hokag was about to deny my request when a raised hand of Mido was enough to steal his intended protest. Of course, Narut san she used the cane held in her right hand to touch the ground right next to her feet with its tip, and a black half-tent liquid-like mass started to emerge from the point of contact. Within a few seconds, it spread in a circular fashion on the floor around us. Three, flowing unimpeded below even my feet. The propagation came to a stop with only as three standing on top of it. The edges of the liquid then began to form walls that rose up to the ceiling and then propagated towards the center right above its point of origin. Hence, we ended up inside a cylindrically shaped barrier, allowing us on the inside, free, slightly distorted sight of the outside. Impressive. I couldn't help myself from commenting. Please, no false humility. If any of those seals I can sense on your body originates from your brush, I might be able to learn a thing or two from you, she complimented. The narrowing of the hoage's eyes at her statement made it clear he had to re-evaluate me. Inwardly, I grinned, getting the confirmation that I could even surprise the current holder of the moniker, God of Shinobi. You flatter me, Uzu Maki Sama. My humble self replied. Would one of you please be so kind tell me what day it is. Today is the 3rd of October, she said. Which year? I asked. That question got both of them to raise their eyebrows. It has been 36 years since the founding of Konaha. The Hokag answered. Good. It was not ideal. I would have wished for a little more time to prepare myself and the village for the events to come. But I knew better than anyone. Beggars can't be choosers. Then I'm not too late. Late for what? You better start to make sense soon and stop wasting our time. The Hokag barked. To make the second shinobi world war a short one with Konaha as the ultimate winner. I simply stated war. What are you talking about? The elemental nations never were so peaceful. The last border dispute was years ago. Our alliances are steady. There is no shortage [snorts] of anything vital. There is absolutely nothing that would indicate we are facing another war. The Hokag lectured incredulously. Nevertheless, you are, I said. Am I right to assume Kusha is already in the village. That's classified information. The Hokag retorted. An amused Mito remarked. Please, as if you would not already know the answer to that question. Touché, it would be exceedingly hard to get anything past her considering her proficiency in reading emotions. However, there were a few secrets I had to keep even from them. Then, the events leading to the start of the Second Shobi World War are already in motion. If this really is true, how do you know all this? And why don't you stop it? Serbi inquired. because I can't. There are forces at work who want for the war to happen. If I were to stop this attempt of theirs, the next one or the one after that would succeed. But at the moment, we're in the prime position to be aware it is coming. And if we play our cards right, we can capitalize on it and [ __ ] the manipulated attacking nations for decades to come, giving us time to take out the real threat. I explained, why would anybody want a war? What is their objective? Midito wondered this time the complete annihilation of the Uzumaki clan. I told her that can't be. She slipped in her formal speech in her outrage. Why would anybody attack us? My kin are peaceful people not engaging in any conflicts for years. Most of our shinobi and civilians alike never left the island. She lamented. Simple. They grew too powerful. Their very existence makes the use of their strongest weapons a risky gamble on the best of days. In addition, the bloodlines that can be attained and the accumulated knowledge make it a too enticing target for some to ignore. Of course, robbing Konaha, the winner of the First World War, of a loyal ally is just the icing on the cake, I said. An angered Hokag demanded, "Stop this farce now. As if you could make us believe anybody could overcome Uzu Shioak's defenses. I've been there. The island is an unassalable fortress. Their defenses impregnable. No army could hope to overcome that and not be crushed with their soldiers blood coloring the whirlpools surrounding the island in red. Are they truly impregnable? You especially should know there is no such thing as impossible in the world we live in. So what if you can't hope to overcome them from the outside? What about from within? As we're<unk> speaking, the enemy has already infiltrated Uzu Shioakurer and is sabotaging the defensive seals of the village. I gave them a moment to process that statement before I continued. In a little over a month, during the full moon of the 23rd of November, a combined force of Mizu and Kumo will penetrate Uzu Shioak's barriers. Outgunned 10 to one, their leader, neither wanting to see all the clan's knowledge in the wrong hands, nor his kin captured and bred for their bloodlines, will take drastic measures and attempts to summon the Shinagami himself. A gasp escaped Mido at that point in my narrative. The Uzu Shioaker forces will be sent to buy him the required time with the nine swordsmen leading the charge at the invading troops. The invaders will pay dearly for their audacity, but their numbers with the elite of the Kumo and Kiri in the vanguard under the command of the second rakage just couldn't be stopped. Their eventual death won't be in vain. The Shinagami called forth in a ritual that took the lives of all those summoning him upon seeing his chosen clan being brought to the brink of extinction. He accepted the spilled blood of the Uzumaki as payment to exact bloody vengeance on their attackers. An unbelieving scoff escaped the Hokag. A glance of Meitos was enough to silence whatever retort might have been on his tongue, allowing me to proceed uninterrupted. This resulted in the majority of the invading forces, those who made landfall being killed, and the island was cursed to kill every instance of life on it until the day the Uzumaki would one day return. The few survivors armed with the seven swords they took from Usuzu's fiercest defenders will meet up with the remaining Kumo and Kiri forces who gathered in hot water country right at the borders of Fire Country to invade it. Mido blanched at my recollection of events I read in a history book about the downfall of Uzu Shioak. What about Konaha? A worried Mido sitting tensely in the front of her seat stammered. By the time Konaha will be informed of the attack, it will already have been in progress and the fall of Usuzu was deemed inevitable. Therefore, Konaha decided to send a fast-formed relief contingent to reinforce its borders. The history books will later note that there were no Uzuaki survivors. Only the handful who were away from the island at that time survived it. I dryly informed them. That is preposterous. Konaho would never abandon an ally. Serbi scoffed. Not even after being told by a trusted source that there's nothing to be done. After all, with Kusha already in the village, the Uzumaki had nothing else of value left to offer. Isn't that right, Hokag? And a ginuriki with split loyalties is a dangerous thing for any village to have. Better to take out the competition and ensure unquestionable allegiance. I noted accusatorily. The barely contained anger boiled over in my counterpart. A bald fist lashed out at my last insinuation, and a mighty blow descended upon the desk, separating us from each other and destroying it. With a speed most Jon and wouldn't have been able to follow. He was on me, a canyon, moving in a straight line right for my throat. The weapon never reached me, held back by chains conjured up from the sitting meo, stopping the third in his tracks. Enough, Siru Chan, Mido ordered. This was just a test. He did not mean what he said. The chain loosened its grip on his body and slowly withdrew back into Mido. I bowed my head. I'm sorry, Serbi. Dono, but I had to be sure you weren't part of this conspiracy that will lead to the downfall of Usuzu conspiracy. All I've heard are baseless accusations and the prediction of a madeup future, which has no basis in reality. if it should have escaped your notice. I'm the Hokag and all the shinobi of this village only answer to me and I gave no such order to sabotage UI nor to aid anybody in attempting it. Are you absolutely sure about that? I probed. Every shinobi in the village only answers to you. Are you suggesting I don't know what's happening in my own village? That someone is working behind my back? I'm not suggesting anything. No. Then let's stop playing games. You've something to say, then say it. Stop mincing words. I really was contemplating doing exactly that, but I knew it would get me nowhere. On the contrary, given how this conversation has gone thus far, I'd be lucky if he doesn't warn Danzo about this. Should I name him as the one conspiring with Kiri and Kumo? No, this wasn't going to work. Gigi was still friends with Danzo. I had to present irrevocable proof. Nothing short of that will get him to believe me. I'd like to do nothing more, but I know the current you wouldn't believe a word I say, which is why I'll refrain from doing so. To be honest, in your position, I wouldn't believe me either. The only thing I can ask for is for you to keep an open mind and at least prepare for the eventuality that I'm right. You've over a month to get your shinobi in their peak condition. So, I'd suggest you schedule training exercises. Should I be wrong? You lose nothing. But if I'm right, this might give you the edge in the upcoming war. Surely that can't be too much to ask. If you are right, training exercises alone will not be enough to save user. And do not think I did not notice you evaded answering the question of how you know about all of this. Midito stated, "Where I'm from, this knowledge is ancient history." Midito's eyes widened as she started connecting the dots. It was no wonder in order to become a seal master, you needed a vivid imagination. "I was born asumaki Narut on October 10th in the year 50th after Kona's founding and come from the year 68." "That's impossible," the Hokag remarked dismissively. Wait, if all you said is true and you are born as an Uzumaki with the clan gone, who are your parents? She barely asked the question when she connected another dot. It is Kushi Chan. It has to be. She is your mother. With a nod, I confirmed her suspicion. I'm her firstborn son and was the third genturi of the ninetailed demon fox. That cannot be. She closed her eyes in meditation and spent a good minute in that position only to suddenly open them wide in surprise only to utter the word impossible. The third gave her a curious look and only then she started to elaborate. It is faint, barely noticeable in the process of dissipating, but there is no doubt this man was at one point the gentury of the nine tales. And throughout this whole conversation, he did not lie once. He omitted things but never lied. You can't<unk>t believe this madeup story about time travel here as growled. Doubt clearly written all over his face. Oh, but I do. She calmly announced, "Tell me, young man, you were not just a simple Jonan. And you certainly did not risk coming here just to prevent the extinction of a family you never even met since you were born more than a decade from now. Has someone ever accused you of being far too smart for your own good?" She smirked at me once or twice for sure. There must be a story behind it. I'd rather not talk about it at this point. My story is unbelievable as it is. I wouldn't want to needlessly pile on top of it. Fair enough. But you still did not tell us why you sought us out. Surely there were better methods to get us to act in accordance with your goals. The seal mistress questioned, "Circulating rumors and warning user directly are just two I came up with on the spot. Despite your young appearance, you do not strike me as somebody who would leave things to chance. Therefore, I am reasonably sure you did not come here with no plan and contingencies in mind. While true, it isn't that easy. The method I used to get here was a one-time deal, and I couldn't be sure how far back in time I'd get sent." Arriving before the attack on Usuzu Shioaker takes place was just one of many possibilities. The further in the past I'd have arrived, the more secondary objectives there would have been to fulfill. This situation is not ideal, but far from the worst case. I will make it work either way. She contemplated my words for a moment without a doubt trying to put the pieces from my cryptic responses together in order to get the whole picture. But that is not all, is it? There is something you need, something only Konaha can provide you with, and I do not think it is the means to end this war faster. Definitely not armies, those you could have gotten from every major village, nor tools. A seal master of your caliber can create anything you might need yourself given time. So what is it? What do you really need to fulfill your quest? She wondered aloud with her head tilted. After all, you cannot make me believe it is about a simple war. You are not here for something trivial like that. You are trying to prevent something far worse. And to do that, you need the Q.B. I said, that's not going to happen. Serbi shouted, not being able to avoid noticing Mido not agreeing with his decision. You can't seriously consider that. Why not? She asked. He freely offers to become a genturi to carry that burden. And make no mistake, it is one. I was one of the few lucky ones since barely anybody is aware of my status. But that does not mean that I am blind. Siruchan, I read the reports. I know how Genturiki are treated. And you cannot be as naive to think the population of Konaho would be any different. Fear would be the driving force. And humans that fear, especially if they can fall back on a group that no longer requires them to think for themselves, are known to do the most stupid things. I can't be sure, he mumbled demurly. But it will never come to that, he said, convinced. We agreed to keep her status a secret as we did with yours. Yes, you did. But how often does reality bend to someone's wishes? There is always the possibility of the secret coming out and it increases with the difficulty of the mission Kusha has to undertake. A weapon that gets never used is worthless and only starts to rust in its sheath. She paused with a sigh and her voice softened as she continued. You, despite your best efforts, won't be able to protect her from this forever. If the situation becomes dire enough and it will if Nar is to be believed, she will be deployed, forced to use her power, we both know that. And not even the Hokag will then be able to do anything about it. He is after all the one who has to protect the whole village, not just one citizen. It comes down to the numbers game every Hokag is familiar with. Sacrifice one and in exchange save hundreds or thousands even. That is what your job is all about. Making the hard decision for the good of the whole village, she lectured. So why should I not entertain the possibility if it presents itself to spare little Kushi Chan such a fate when there is a strong, capable, and most of all compatible shinobi standing right in front of us who wants to bear this burden? She questioned Sarobi. There is just one thing I need to know. I need to be sure of, she continued. So excuse my straightforwardness. She focused on me with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine. Are you loyal to Konaha to the will of fire? Yes, I have been my whole life and will be to the end of my days. Konaha is my home, the place my parents sacrificed their lives to protect, the place my friends died protecting. As will I, I asserted. Good, she declared. Let us get you something to eat. You must be starving. She raised herself from the chair when the sandame interjected. You can't<unk>t. He got no further stopped by Mito<unk>'s sharp retort. What? Make that decision by myself? Did you forget who it is you are speaking to? Her voice took a dangerous tone. It is my prerogative to choose my successor. And the only concession I have to grant is that he or she is a loyal Konahashbi. Well, as far as I am concerned, that stipulation also includes future Konahash Shinobi. So, on what grounds are you interfering, Siru Chan? She eased up on the stair Serbi was exposed to when it became clear that there would be no reply and continued in a non-threatening manner. You should be grateful to this young man for what he already did for this village and will no doubt continue to do so if you allow him to. It would not set a great example for the rank and file if two people who both wore the hat would squabble about insignificant stuff like some children. My mind came to a complete stop. How did she figure that one out? What a scary old woman. Admittedly, I didn't expect anything less from grandmother. Ba Chan's fierceness had to come from somewhere. I wasn't the only one at a loss for words. By the time the sandame had processed the information, Nidato was already standing in front of me. Her elbow raised, prompting me to take it. She then ended the discussion, bursting her barrier around us, forcing the sandame to swallow whatever words he had on the tip of his tongue. She turned around one last time, addressing the Hokag. Can you or Konaha afford not to heed his warnings? Take your time and think about it, Siru Chan. I finally hooked my arm with hers and escorted her out from the Hokag's office. While we stepped through the door, Mito said, "You have got to meet Cushi Chan. She is such a whirlwind." When we exited the Hokag tower, Mito addressed me, breaking the silence that was prevalent during our descent from it. "Don't worry, he will come around eventually." Mito tried to assure me. "That's not what I'm wore." I was saying when my stomach growled quite loudly. I paused in a moment of stuper and then Mito started to giggle into the wrist of her kimono sleeve. She then leaned into me and whispered in my ear, "You really are your mother's child." Out loud, she said, "Let us go fetch Kushi Chan from the academy. At the snails pace I am restricted to nowadays, we will be just in time for it to end and we can go eat something together." How does ramen sound? How did she know? I inwardly wondered, she just shook her head at my involuntary reaction. Usuzuaki, so easy. Contrary to her earlier complaint, I found she was easily able to match the average speed of the people walking in the streets, and I really came to enjoy the atmosphere the people around us gave off. The easygoing and happy attitude that was prevalent took care of getting me to relax a little. And for once, I regretted having lost my emphatic ability along with Kurama. It would do wonders for my mental health to feel other than despair, hate, and anger from the people in my surroundings. It wasn't my heritage that drew you to investigate me, right? I ventured. Out of the corner of her eye, I could see her grimace. No, it was not your heritage, she answered in confirmation of my suspicion. That's why you called me young in appearance back in the Hokag office. Because by any other metric, I was anything but. The extensive use of shadow clones had me already accumulate the experience of several lifetimes. This power is an incredible burden, especially with not being able to stop yourself from experiencing it, she mused. I can only imagine what it must feel like to touch upon the last emotions of somebody who you are about to kill to feel their quote dot dot dot anger despair hate that you know for certain is directed at you I listed to continue her thought she just nodded along it's something you get used to something you can blank out if you had to kill them then one way or another they deserve their fate this is what I tell myself at least After all, I see myself as a good person. So, if they didn't deserve it, I wouldn't have killed them. It's as simple as that. I chuckled self-consciously. I'm probably just lying to myself, I am mused. I mean, who thinks of himself as the bad guy? Even the most despicable persons I killed didn't see themselves as the villain. They somehow found ways to justify their crimes. It had to be done. If not me, then someone else or for science. Those were just the most prominent excuses I came across. And I'm sure somewhere along the line, I've justified killing someone using the same excuse. She used us walking arm in arm to give me a reassuring squeeze and took my hand in hers. At first, when you notice doing it, you call yourself out on it. Force yourself to be better, to uphold a code. Once you're past a certain point, you just stop caring. It's a slippery slope, one I doubt someone in our profession can ultimately escape, but you might be able to stretch the time until you succumb to it. I ruminated. The lucky ones end up dead themselves before it can become an issue. However, it's an undeniable truth no one can escape from. By killing people, you're slowly killing yourself bit by bit. But that's something we've to learn to accept in this profession. My regrets about the empathic ability began to surface. The worst part of it all, what you never can shake off, is feeling the disappointment from your friends when you were just a tick too late to save their lives. It's never a prominent feeling. It's overshadowed by the regret at dying, by the love they feel for people close to them when they remember the good times they shared with them just before their eyes close for the last time. except lingering under all that beneath the surface. You can feel it, the silent accusation that it was your fault. An involuntary shudder at remembering the feeling ran throughout my body and made me pause for an instant. In response, Mito just squeezed a little tighter, telling me that I wasn't alone. It mocks you, your weakness at allowing it to happen. You're unwillingly confronted with your worthlessness, that your best just wasn't good enough. sensing it once you can manage to endure to suppress it. But the problem is that it starts to pile on. The next time you sense this particular feeling when a friend you grew up with is bleeding out in your arms, you're hit with the memory of every single instance you came across this particular feeling at the same time. It starts as a splash of water, then turns into a raging tsunami, trying to crush you under its weight and drag you down into an inescapable abyss. listening to me. She suddenly just stopped and pulled me into a hug. I didn't know how long we stood there embracing each other, but when she released me from her arms, I had tears in my eyes. I felt like the weight of the world I was carrying on my shoulders just got lighter by several orders of magnitude. Thank you. I didn't know how much I needed that. I admitted there was a lot left in spoken, especially the fact that going through those emotions, I essentially forced them onto her with no way out. Standing this close to me and in direct contact even, she must have experienced them with the same strength as if they were her own. Anytime, anytime, my boy. Pretty pathetic, huh? From the boy who set out to save us all to have a mental breakdown in the middle of the street, I lamented. Quite to the contrary, I have yet to meet someone with a stronger mind, and anybody else, I can assure you, would have shattered into a thousand pieces with just a tiny fraction of what you had to contend with. Do not waver in your belief in yourself, Mido declared. If you think you can no longer trust your judgment, trust mine, for I am believing in you, Uzumaki Nar, to do the right thing, to do those things that are necessary without crossing the line. You don't know you know what you are talking about. Please, I was not always as ancient as I am now. And there were numerous battles I followed my dumb husband into. And you have all should know with the curse that we shared how easy it is to get to know someone better than oneself by utilizing it. I swallowed hard at her rightful reprimand. I'm sorry. Don't be. One of the self-imposed tasks of as fossils is teaching the young ones how to behave. She hooked her arm with mine again and we resumed our walk. I could hear her complaining under her breath if it would be just as easy with everyone. We reached the gates of the academy shortly after. The school must have just ended because most of the young prejinean hopefuls were standing around in the courtyard either greeting their parent who came to fetch them or huddled together in groups animatedly talking to each other. There were a few exceptions with some of the children already leaving the premises on their way home. Some of those walking alone had a longing in their eyes when they saw one of the other kids in the embrace of their parents. These most likely were orphans. I could sympathize with them. No kid should grow up without their parents. Unfortunately, it was one of the bitter realities of the shinobi world that at some point you run into someone better and die for it. Still, from what I could remember from the first few years of my life, living in an orphanage, those children deserved better than what little they got, especially if their parents gave their lives in the service of Konaha. Knowing that Danzo had recruited most of his shinobi from there when he couldn't blackmail a clan to give up one of their own made me wonder if the bad living conditions they suffered might have been by design, to allow him to pressure the children and caretakers alike to accept his generosity. After I have taken him out this time around, I will have to look into that. Perhaps I could get my hand on funds to alleviate the worst of what they had to endure. My eyes had no problem making out the only redhead in the crowd of humans scurrying around. Not that I would have needed them to find her. Sensing the energies her body produced, the chakra at her disposal, the quantity, and especially the quality was something else. It was as expected of a Uzumaki slated to become a genturi. She on the other hand had problems locating us due to her short stature. It was no surprise with her being half a head shorter than most of the children in her vicinity. The adults mixed within the crowd only exacerbated the problem, so that even while standing on her toes, she had trouble looking past them. What immediately stood out to me as I watched her despite standing in the middle of a crowd was that she looked lost and alone. No other child took an interest in her. At most, they avoided her. Kusha wore a sleeveless yellow kimono style blouse held closed by a green obi over a mesh shirt with a pair of dark blue shorts. Her hair was like, "I remembered it." Usuzuaki read, "Long enough to reach her waist with two shoulderlength strands framing both sides of her face with a black clip in it that parted it to the left." Midito lifted her cane in the air and signaled Kusha. The next time Kusha's searching eyes fell upon the general area we waited in, her eyes widened at recognizing Mido. And without missing a beat, she ran through the crowd, dancing around all the people, degraded to mere obstacles in her way, only to crash at full speed into the waiting arms of a crouching Mido. Careful, young lady. One of these days, your exuberant enthusiasm will be the death of me. Mito grouched to the little whirlwind while they separated from each other. Nope, said a smiling Kasha while popping the pee. Not going to happen. I won't allow you to Oba San. You're going to live forever. I would like to share in your belief. But that is not how life works. But enough of such gloomy thoughts. There's someone I would like you to meet. With a soft touch on her shoulder, she turned Kusha my way. This is Nar. He is an Uzumaki just like us. she grimaced, turned to Midito, and asked, "Are you going scenile Obasan? There's no way he is an Uzumaki with that piss blonde hair." Before the surprised Mido had any time to respond, her head was already facing my way again. "You better apologize for tricking my Oba San and then crawl back into the hole you came from and hope we never meet again, or I'm going to punch the living [ __ ] out of you, whiskers," she threatened. and I could swear her hair started lifting itself up in the air in a menacing manner. Inwardly, I was amused by how she tried to defend her family. Outwardly, I feigned a fearful gulp. If she was anything like my younger self, laughing at her while she threatened me would sour any and all future interactions I might have with her. After all, weaki are known to hold a grudge. In addition, I really saw no need to worsen the first impression she might have gotten of me by mocking her. She seemed to have scarcely any positive interperson relationships as it was. The expression she wore amidst the crowd was of someone who desperately needed a friend above all else. I would know I was greeted by the same face for many years when I looked into a mirror. Mido placed a hand on Kusha's shoulder to forestall her charging and attacking me. Cushi Chan, calm down. What did I tell you about attacking strangers for no reason? Nata, she more asked than actually stated. But this guy can't be an Uzumaki. He has blonde hair, she adamantly argued. While you are right, the typical Uzumaki indeed has red hair. Mito conceded and inspired a smug look on Kusha's face at being affirmed in her statement. Not all necessarily possess it. There are cases where one parent of a child did not have red hair resulting in one of their children not having it either. It is a rare occurrence. Nonetheless possible. Just take your aunts for example. She is my granddaughter but also does not share the color of my hair and neither did her mother. It didn't seem to have fully convinced her because she narrowed her eyes at me which I interpreted as a silent message. I accept it for now. But I'm watching you. I sighed and reminisced about the numerous times I have been told by people that I was difficult as a kid. Preposterous. Seeing Kasha's expression, Mido couldn't hold in her amusement and hid her giggle behind her hand only to suggest, "Let us go." "You can resolve your differences over something to eat." "Ramen," Kusha hopefully asked. "Only if you promise to be nice to Nar. He came all this way to visit his Uzumaki kin living in Konaha and does not deserve to be treated this way. Since he will be living with us from today onwards, you better start to get along with each other. The Uzuaki matriarch warned, "That revelation had Kusha speechless." Mito then bent down and whispered into Kosa<unk>s ears. If you show yourself on your best behavior, he might even stick around, and you might be able to persuade him to become your only san. This was by no means enough to prevent somebody, with senses as sharp as mine, from hearing every word. Not a moment later, Mito's teasing had a visible effect on Kusha as her cheeks went deep red. Combined with her round, chubby face and the red hair, I could understand why she was duped. Tomato in the academy. So, Midito asked Kosino with a raised eyebrow. Yes, I promise, she agreed reluctantly. Good, my little whirlpool, she said while ruffling her hair. Let us go. We walked a few dozen meters and left the crowd behind us with Kusha practically dragging Mido behind her to reach the ramen stall faster. "Where did you get those scratches on your cheek?" I asked. She released Mito's hand from her grip and mumbled. don't want to talk about it. She turned away from us and increased her pace and thereby distance between us in the process. I tried to say something but seeing Neato shaking her head dissuaded me from that notion. Kusha kept walking a few steps ahead of us for the rest of the way. Her earlier good mood vanished without a trace. Her subdued behavior only changed when the Ichiaku Ramen Bar came into view. I shared her enthusiasm and barely managed to stop myself from running there myself, as it had been far too long since I last tasted the food of the gods prepared by one of his chosen. When we came closer, with Kusha already sitting on a stool, my eyes confirmed that yes, it was Tuki, an incredible young Tuki, but a Tuki nonetheless. He was only a few years older than me if I had to guess. For a single moment, I wondered where Ayame was before my mind caught up with me, and I had to remind myself that she wasn't even born yet. Mido and I reached the stools at the exact moment Tuki placed the first bowl of steaming hot ramen in front of the Kusha. If there was ever any doubt about Kusha being my mother, seeing her making the ramen disappear in moments would have cleared those with absolute finality for anyone who has ever seen me eat ramen. I seated myself on a stool on Kasha's left and Mido took place to her right. Mido sama, it's<unk> always a pleasure, especially if you bring my best customer along. The usual, Tuki greeted her with barely contained enthusiasm. Yes, please. One bowl of miso ramen. Coming right up, he said to her before turning to me. What can I bring you? Esteemed customer. Nar, my name is Nar, I told him. Nar. Then, he affirmed. I took a moment to study the menu. For the most part, to satisfy my curiosity about whether it changed over the years or not. It didn't, so that left me with a taste test to see if Tuki was able to refine his art over the years. Let's start off with bowls of miso, vegetable, and pork ramen. There was a hard to overlook glint in his eyes. I see another ramen lover, he stated and started to prepare my order. If you continue to bring such customers to my doorstep, I will be able to buy you out in no time, Mido Sama, he joked. Too true, Tuki Sanan. Perhaps I should set them both on a ramen-free diet, she responded, smirking. The last word wasn't even out of her mouth when Kusha attempted to argue against it. Instead, she inhaled the noodles in her mouth and had a coughing fit. This naturally wasn't nearly enough to prevent her from glaring at Mido while she was trying not to suffocate. On more than one occasion, she wasted the breath she managed to get into her lungs with great difficulty berating Mido, which only resulted in another coughing fit immediately after. While I shared her sentiment, I really thought she should evaluate her priorities. But who am I kidding? Bleeding out wouldn't have stopped my younger self from doing exactly the same. "You okay?" I asked her after she finally recovered. "Yeah," she said with tearfilled eyes, and she was about to add something, but stopped herself and allowed a smirk to show on her face that vanished as fast as it appeared, replaced by puppy dog eyes. "Naruni san, you've to help your Imowudo Chan. You can't allow Midito Oba Sand to take away my ramen. I need my ramen. It's the only food possessing the necessary nutrients to power a growing Uzumaki Kunoichi. Please, you've to help me. There's no way I can survive on rice, nor is it able to bring out the true Uzumaki greatness. She really seemed desperate, and I was always weak to crying girls, even when I should have known better than to allow them to me into making promises. Sure, I'm on your side. I won't allow your Oba sand to withhold your ramen. And Uzu Maki should never be separated from the food of the gods after all. The words barely left my mouth when I was suddenly tackled by her, which nearly resulted in us falling from our stools with her arms entwined around my midsection. She declared, "You're the best, Oni Chan." I lifted my head from looking at the redheads face buried in my chest to look at a smiling Meato who silently mouthed too easy. For a moment, I contemplated being angry at her for manipulating us, especially Kasha, in such a way, but thought better of it given she helped me gain her acceptance. I mouthed my thanks in response. It took Tuki placing Kusha's second bowl on the counter to get her to release me. The bowls for Mito and myself followed not a second later. I took some chopsticks and savored the scent, the texture, the taste of my first bite. Oh my god, was it good to be home? I missed you ramen. In the blink of an eye, I emptied it to the last drop. As I placed the bowl back on the counter after drinking the broth, a wide-eyed Kusha was staring at me, so I gave her a questioning look. You're fast, but no one can eat ramen faster than me," she proudly declared. "Care to put your money where your mouth is?" I challenged. She smirked, hit the counter with her open hand, and exclaimed, "Keep it coming to Tuki San has to be put in his place." At the other end, Mido shook her head, smirking, "Oh my, oh my." Tuki relentlessly presented us with bowl after bowl. It took 10 servings until Kusha finally admitted defeat. I had to admit she came close after finishing the 11th bowl one felt sated myself. With some effort, I could have managed one more at most. It seemed like years without ramen reduced the number of bowls one could eat in one sitting. It was a shortcoming I would have to overcome to get back to my old level in order to avoid being beaten by a squirt. Midito paid for us. Thank you. That's too generous, Tuki said as he bowed to her. I wish you a good day, Tuki. Mito rose from the stool and was about to walk away when she noticed Kusha slumped down on her stool, her head placed on the counter, groaning and looking sick. Come on, Cushi Chan. Time to go. I can't. My tummy hurts and moving hurts even more. Kusha whed. That's what you get for challenging the best. I quipped. PFD. Next time I will beat you, she declared only to shrink back on herself with pain contorted face holding her tummy again. In your dreams perhaps you might out here in reality. No way. Not in a hundred years, I scoffed. Well, in that case, you leave us with no other choice than to leave you behind, Mito remarked. That might teach you to eat with deliberation and not to stuff yourself beyond the point that you can walk. Young lady, please can't you just carry me? She begged. Cushi Chan, I am an old woman. I am lucky I can manage to reach my destination on foot without having to rely on others. How do you think I could manage to carry you? Mito stressed. And in the case, you have not noticed. It has been quite some time since you were a baby. For a few seconds, they just stared at each other in a battle of wills until Mito relented with a sigh and said, "Perhaps your only Chan might be willing to carry you." Kusha shily looked away, refraining from commenting. "Instead of waiting for her to come to a decision, I walked up to her stool and knelt right next to her." "Come on, Kusha Chan. I'm going to carry you home," I offered. "Don't wanna," she protested. Well, it's either that are having to stay here waiting for the food in your tummy to be digested. Your call, I said reluctantly, she wrapped her arms around my shoulder and allowed me to give her a piggyback ride. Mido, watching this closely, couldn't contain her mirth. Even Tuki had trouble keeping his amusement to himself. This got both of them a glare from Kasha who to her displeasure found that she was unable to get them to stop to not get on her bad side. Two, I started walking. If I remembered right from the old plans of Konaha that predated the QB attack, the Uzumaki compound was located next to the Senju compound. And since Mido didn't see it necessary to correct my direction, I probably was right in my assumption. The trek back to the compound was a silent affair with Kusha sulking on my back. The only stir she made was when she saw academy kids in our vicinity. Her grip got tighter. Her legs around my hip contracted and she more than once attempted to look away to hide her face or bury her head in my neck. Something wrong, Kusha Chan. We can take a break if you're uncomfortable. I wondered about her peculiar behavior. No, everything's just fine, she hissed. Is it? Then why are you gripping me harder at a regular intervals? You aren't in pain or something, right? I asked. If so, I can take a look at you. Don't keep walking, she ordered. Okay, I relented. She finds it embarrassing to be seen by kids from the academy while getting a piggyback ride, Mito explained. Oh, I faked understanding. There's no reason to be embarrassed about that. On the contrary, think of it as a service provided to you. Nowadays, only princesses and children below a certain age get to enjoy being carried around. I'm no princess, she hissed. Well, are you sure about that? I asked. If I'm not mistaken, your father was the son of Usuzu's leader, a position comparable to a daimo, which makes you a princess. You know what? I think I'm gonna call you that from now on. I'm no damn princess. I'm going to be a Kunoichi, the best there is, and then I'm gonna become Hokag. She animatedly declared, "Hokag him, you set your goals high. I like it, and I'm sure you will be able to fulfill your dream just fine. You really think so? You aren't making fun of me." She doubted my words. "No, of course not. I'd never dare lie to a beautiful girl like you, I remarked. Unhand me now. She suddenly raged while at the same time she was trying to wiggle her feet free. Surprised at her reaction, I set her down. What's wrong? Did I say something wrong? I asked baffled, my eyes darting between Mito and the nearly crying Kusha as I kneel on the ground. You jackass, she bellowed. Don't think I don't know when I'm being made fun of. What are you talking about? I meant every word I said. I stated. Liar. She screamed and charged me. Her first right punch was easily avoided by moving first my head, then my body out of the way. Because of her miss, she stumbled and momentarily lost her balance and interrupted what she intended as a flurry of blows raining down on me until she regained her balance. Her second attack consisted of a right cross aimed at my chin, which in my kneeling position was exactly at the correct height for her to reach without overextending herself. Given her stance, it was clear she intended to follow it up with another punch. Still confused about what I did wrong that prompted such an attack and concerned about her exerting herself like that when she couldn't walk a few moments ago, I decided to end this fast. I leaned forward directly into her, which resulted in her punch sailing through the air behind my head. I then embraced her tight to my torso and stood up so that her feet left the ground, hanging uselessly in the air. My left hand was wound around her torso under her shoulders and my right hand around her thighs to take away her ability to kick me somewhere no man wants to be kicked. Kusha struggled to the best of her abilities, but without any real leverage, she was unable to put any strength in her attacks. They hailed down on me, delivered via small fist, onto my back. Her onslaught continued for far longer than it should have taken her to notice its futility. During all of this, I tried to soo her somehow, which only yielded results when her anger slowly subsided. With every punch she threw, she turned from an angry, all devouring maelstrom into a sobbing mess. You're just like all the others making fun of me. I'm not beautiful. Everybody says so. I'm just the tomato. I knew she was bullied. She had told me herself back in my time, but I never thought it was that bad. She seemed so strong and the way she described it, how she pummeled everybody who called her that, I just somehow assumed she was above it. But I should have recognized nobody attacks someone else for no reason over things they don't care about. I should have noticed the bravado in it, how she tried to hide the hurt, remembering it must have caused her. Never again. Now that I was here, nobody was going to hurt her again. I would make sure of it. I'd never make fun of you and who says you're not beautiful. They clearly don't know what they are talking about. How could there be anyone who doesn't find your crimson red hair beautiful, who isn't enticed by your laugh or drawn to your willfulness? Stumped by my truthful response, her cheeks reened and she tried to wipe off her tears. You're not lying to me, Oni Chan. You truly think my hair is beautiful? She asked with tearfilled eyes. Yes, and so are you. Don't let anybody tell you differently. They are just jealous that they don't have such nice and beautiful hair like you. The words barely left my mouth when all the air left my lungs because of how hard she hugged me. You're the best, Oni Chan. Not for much longer if you continued to strangle me. I pressed out. She loosened her grip with a tint of embarrassment at her enthusiasm. And of course, I'm the best. I need to be in order to be called Oni Chan by the future Hokag, don't I? Him, I said playfully. Her response only consisted of a h true. She then snuggled into me. A cursory glance at my surroundings had me notice that all the people around us stopped what they were doing to watch us. Some were blatantly staring, while others were more subtly. Nonetheless, to my trained eyes, it was clear what they were doing. In any event, I didn't expect to be the talk of the village quite this fast. It wasn't that I counted on my anonymity to last, just that in case it did, some of the things would have been easier. I just hope that there wouldn't be any fallout from this for Kusha. Her academy life seemed hard enough already. Otherwise, I might be forced to have some serious conversations with a few of her teachers that might involve some threats to their continued well-being. Midito, on the other hand, was standing there with a huge grin plastered on her face. You did not tell me you were a heartbreaker. She smuggly stated. I nearly fell over my own feet at that comment and dreadfully realized what I had just done. Didn't mom tell me she fell in love with dad when he complimented her hair? And when I did the same, she said I was the second person to do that and she loved both of them. [ __ ] Did I just change the events in such a fashion that they might never get together? I decided to ignore this possibility for now, if only for my mental well-being. "Something wrong?" she asked, amused. "You look like you have seen a ghost." "Please don't mention ghosts around me," I told her. "Oh, is there someone frightened of such things?" she said knowingly at my grimmst face. "Do not worry. I approve." I couldn't help but glare daggers at the back of Mido. She walked another few meters, figning not to notice me falling back. "Come, let us get your him into a bed," she teased. And I didn't get flustered at her insinuation. "Nope, not at all." I was even preparing myself to be on the receiving end of Kusha's anger, but a short glance showed that she was sleeping like a newborn in my arms. The food, physical, and mostly emotional outburst must have been enough to exhaust her to such a degree that she was out like a light the moment she could snuggle onto something. Nidato was right on one thing. Kusha had to be placed in a bed, which is why I continued to follow her and tried my best to ignore her giggling. I didn't want to know what scheme she was cooking up in her mind. I just hoped it didn't involve me in some fashion. It took us another few minutes to leave the developed center of the village until we reached the surrounding forest. Still well within the outer walls. We stopped at a small stone gate embedded into a stone wall that extended for quite a stretch left and right of it. The occasional Uzumaki spiral carved into the stone left. No doubt of this being the Uzumaki compound. It was great to finally get to see it with my own eyes since the Q.B. rampage destroyed it entirely, and with no adult Uzumaki remaining in the village, no one had seen a need to restore it to its former glory. I couldn't fault them for it. There were other more pressing matters to attend to in the aftermath of the attack. Still, I always regretted only being able to see what it looked like from the few pictures that still had lying around. Midito turned to me and requested, "Give me your hand." I put out my hand. careful not to wake Kasha and with a practiced motion, Nidato removed a sinbon needle from her hair and pecked my index finger. "Awa," I exclaimed. "You baby," she taunted. "Wait here a moment." She then laid her hand on the handle of the gate and it opened for her. Immediately after she stepped through, the gate closed behind right behind her. I could make an educated guess for what she needed my blood, which is why I allowed her the extraction in the first place. After witnessing Hedan and his particular set of skills, I had become rather paranoid about my bodily fluids. In other words, I went to great lengths drawing more than one seal on my body capable of rendering anything, leaving its confines inert unless I consciously choose otherwise. It was a necessary precaution. After all, Hedan was an idiot. The possibilities his ability opened up for an assassin were unbelievable. Killing someone half the world away by only getting a hand on some of their blood. He could have killed half of Konaha in an afternoon if someone had provided him with the blood samples stored in the hospital. And instead, he used it to torture people standing in front of him for his twisted god. Mito returned a short time later. You are now allowed to enter the confines of the compound, she said. I thanked her and she escorted me along a narrow paved path through a small forest which cleared out after a few hundred meters on a small hill with an unobstructed view of an enormous villa in the center of an immense garden. I could identify every kind of vegetable, fruit, and herb imaginable growing in it. There even was a small section designated for flowers. It was a truly magnificent view, like a piece of paradise. The villa wasn't any less noteworthy. It was a three-story building built entirely out of stone consisting of several wings surrounded by a wall. Behind the house, I could make out a small lake and couldn't keep myself from being impressed. This was idyllic, peaceful, even. It sure was a stark contrast to the small flat I called home and spent the majority of my life in. Midito led me to the front entrance and opened the door for us. She took off her shoes and placed them in the allocated space. She then proceeded to do the same for the still sleeping Kasha held in my arms. I followed her example and followed her on the tatami mat floor. Kusha's room is on the second floor, the room to your right. After ascending the stairs, she said, and I nodded to her in understanding, when you have laid her down, come back downstairs so I can show you your room. The little bit I saw from the inside of the villa turned out to be even more amazing than the already great exterior would let one assume. This house was a dream come true. Kusha's room, not so much. It had more resemblance to a nightmare. Having opened her room with my elbows, I thought of myself standing in the middle of a war zone. Scrolls scrolled on paper, dishes, and clothes were spread throughout the entire room. I was confident my six-year-old messy self was tidier than her, probably. I skirted around the things lying on the floor, which was not too dissimilar to evading traps, and finally reached her big futon. With my left hand, I folded back her blanket, slowly put Kusha down and tucked her in. "Sleep tight," I whispered. I turned around and was about to leave when I noticed my foot got tangled up in something. I lifted my foot and removed the offending piece of fabric from it. I was about to place it back on the ground when my mind caught up with my eyes and identified it as a female undergarment. Instantly, I threw it away and left the room behind. as fast as possible while my mind went places. Outside, I rested, leaning on her door to get myself back under control. This wasn't what I expected to come across. When the shock receded, I deemed it safe to venture downstairs. I knew my reaction wouldn't have escaped Meo, who seemed to be a sensor on par with myself. But sensing and seeing something is an entirely different matter. I wanted to preserve a little bit of my dignity and not lose it all. On the first day, I found Mito sitting at a chabai with a steaming teapot standing in the middle of it. A steaming cup was in front of her, and one more was on the opposite side of the table. The chabai was placed next to a large translucent wall, allowing for an excellent view outside, showcasing the beauty of the lake in the vast backyard of the house. Clearly responsible for this had to be the work of the seals painted on the bottom panel of each section of the wall. I wondered if the wall was translucent from the outside or if it only allowed for a one-way view. Seeing Mido was silently waiting for me to sit down. I reigned in my curiosity walked to the shuki chang and seated myself. Tea? She inquired. Yes, please. I answered. She took the teapot and filled my cup with a hot, aromatic green liquid. I didn't particularly like tea. Despite that, I came across a huge variety of it because those I surrounded myself with enjoyed it a great deal. Despite all my experience with it, I couldn't place this one. It smelled different than any other tea I had come across so far. It is my own blend made from leaves only found on uzu shioaker. She answered my unasked question. I took the cup and took a sip, mostly out of politeness. Unexpectedly, I liked how it tasted. To make sure I wasn't just imagining things, I took another larger sip. It only confirmed my initial impression that yes, this stuff was good. It seems you like it. I never acquired the taste for the tea the mainlanders serve. It tastes too bland with a bitter undertone. I was astounded by her comment. Those were precisely the words I used in the past to explain why I didn't like to drink tea. As nice as it is to drink tea with you, even more now that you managed to convert me to drinking tea. Trust me, you by far weren't the first one that tried. I'm sure it isn't the reason why we're here, I noted accusingly. No, it is not. Why are you truly here?" she asked. I was afraid you'd ask me that. "Can we not talk about it?" She gently shook her head at my pleading inquiry. I took a deep breath. "Yeah, didn't think it would be that easy to avoid answering that particular question. Instead of answering her, I unsealed the last headband I wore from one of the scrolls one had fastened on my back. I handed it over to her. Written on it was just one word. Shinobi. She gave it a good look. Wideeyed comprehension dawned on her. That bad? She asked with a serious inflection in her tone. Worse, we came together, all the shinobi, forgetting all past grievances, of which there were many, and fought one enemy and his pawns, and we were losing badly. After trailing the word etched into the headband, she wordlessly returned it to me, and I placed it back where it came from. We sat there for what felt like a very long time in complete silence while she digested the news. Kusha died, did she not? Long before her time, she suddenly said, breaking the silence. It was more a statement than a guess or a question. Yes, she died the day of my birth. Both my parents were attacked shortly after she brought me into this world. Quote, taking advantage of the weakened seal, she interjected. My god, they died. I nodded. That's why you were made gentury long before it was time to pass on the burden, she concluded. Yes, they were able to seal the Q.B. inside me with their dying breath. I never got to meet them, and until I turned 16, I didn't even know their names. I told her. "So, in the end, you and Kusha both had to pay the price for my mistake," she somberly said, dropping her gaze. "I don't see it that way," I objected. "You couldn't have known. While true, the first few years of my life were hard, and I don't think of them fondly, they weren't all bad. They taught me many valuable lessons, the most important one being that family is everything. And if not for Kurama, I wouldn't be here today. Kurramama, she wondered the Q.B.'s name. After some ups and downs at the beginning, we became friends. No far more than that brothers, I sighed. I miss him dearly. She clearly was surprised at hearing that admission. You gave me a lot to think about today, but one thing became clear. The Q.B. cannot be allowed to be sealed in another woman. The risk of a repeat of what you told me is just too great. And if I had not already decided to give, she hesitated to use his name, Kurama, to you, this information would have made up my mind. I always wondered why every CQB genturi that came before was female. Midito's cases easily explainable as she had sealed Kurama within her mid battle. Consequently, it made the decision to use Kusha as the next host questionable with the seal weakening while giving birth. I highly doubted that Konaha was keen on burdening themselves with that risk. Neither did I think the Uzumaki clan had no male children in their midst fulfilling the requirements of becoming a genturi. That meant either Mido or the Uzumaki clan pushed for her. I didn't see Mido doing that with her descendants living here and being a citizen of Konaha herself. The Uzumaki clan, on the other hand, was quite possible. After all, difficult birthing conditions that could result in Konaha's extinction might dissuade them from trying to breed in Uzumakis for themselves to get their hands on the highly sought after Uzzumaki blood. Such a plot would be far easier to implement with a male gentury because it eliminated the risk of the Q.B. escaping. Additionally, men are able to impregnate more than one woman at a time. They could get themselves a whole clan of descendants in the span of a single generation. If enough women were to be provided, that outcome would greatly diminish the worth of an alliance with Uzu Shioaker for Konaha and bolster its strength with all the Uzumaki blood contained. So, as the junior partner in this alliance, the smart thing to do was to make themselves irreplaceable. But it didn't stop the cravings if Danzo was anything to go by. Still, with Midito's offspring as an example, Danzo knew that the Uzumaki properties diminished or got lost entirely for whatever reason in certain circumstances. After all, bloodlines had to be a dominant trait for there to exist clans possessing them. He was taking an awfully great risk since he couldn't know for sure that Kusha could produce children fulfilling the requirements as a container. He couldn't have known at this time what Orochimaru could do. And to my knowledge, Kakashi was the first Nanuchi with a successful sharing transplant. Was I overlooking something? In exchange, you have to promise me something. Mido implored. Anything. There was not a moment of hesitation when I responded. When I am no longer around, promise me that you are going take care of Kusha. She is too young to live on her own, all alone. Sununa Chan comes around all too rarely these days. She noted with regret. I will. You have my word on that. Kusha will be taken care of. She is family after all and no one hurts my family. I vowed. Even having never met another Uzuaki. You are cast in the same mold as the best of us. She said, "You mentioned sununade. Why aren't you living with them in the Senju compound together with them and the rest of your family? I asked. My question elicited a pained expression on her face, she lamented. Oh, I did. This whole compound was erected just for appearances sake at the start and to house Usuzu dignitaries when they were visiting Konaha. But afters parents died, especially her mother, May and Hashiama's only child, I could not bear being there any longer. Every item in our house only served to remind me about them. I felt like living in a house of the dead. It was suffocating and so very painful. I knew precisely what she was talking about. There was not a day that could go by when something reminded me of what I had lost. So one day I just grabbed bothsade and Nawaki and moved here with them. We lived here until late last year, shortly before Kusha was expected to arrive soon and Nawaki moved out. Suna Chan justified her action by saying she didn't want to impose on the hospitability of the next Uumaki clan head. That didn't sound like thesunade Bakan I remembered. I thought to myself, of course, it was just an excuse. She knew why Kushi Chan was sent here. And to say she is of two minds about it is an understatement. Then again, she knows Kushi is kin family even though distant. But her arrival will herald my death. The only other person she considers close kin aside from her little brother. She in a certain sense sees Kusha as the one ultimately responsible for my death. The one taking away her grandmother from her. She sighed. You have to understand she suffered greatly during her childhood. She saw everybody around her die. Her closest family just gone, starting with her grandfather. In her mind, she knows the truth that if not for Kusha, someone else would be sent and that ultimately it is not Kusha's fault. But sometimes it is difficult to have your mind prevail over your feelings. The sad thing in all of this is that Kushi Chan is the victim, wishing for nothing else but to have a sister insunade. But she is not allowed to simply because Suna Chan is insisting on keeping her distance. Although they aren't that different from each other, both could benefit from a closer relationship, if only to fill the hole in their hearts. She paused for a moment, something that hopefully might be possible with your help as she gave me a melancholic smile. Well, she was right. If I was to be the next Genturiki, that would get Kasha out of the line of fire and instead would put me in it. H, it wouldn't be the first time I had to change behavior for the better. So, this might be for the best. I drained the cup. I will do my best. Nade Bakan deserves nothing less. I said, I cannot believe that she allowed you to call her that. She doubted my statement with a smile on her lips. To be honest, I didn't give her much choice in the matter, I said. As I reached for the necklace around my neck to show it to her. That explains a lot. But you better not let anybody see you wearing it, she warned. Right. That would invite unnecessary scrutiny. I will seal it away before going to sleep, which reminds me, is there a room and a bed I can use. The journey left me exhausted, I confessed. Of course, the room at the end of that corridor is the one prepared for you. A fresh futon, blankets, and towels are already there. If you need anything else, do not hesitate to ask. That's plenty enough. I just need some shutye. The rest can wait for tomorrow. Good night, Uzzuaki Sama. I bowed before her and took my leave. I was surprised when I stepped into the room. It was huge and extensively furnished. I wondered about being in the wrong room until I saw the futon and the towels, which was enough that in my current state, I didn't care. I stripped most of my clothes and together with my necklace, sealed it up in one of my scrolls. I placed them all on a table and then laid down on the soft and warm futon. My tired eyes closed within moments. The loud chirping of birds outside the window of my room woke me up. I turned around and was greeted by warm sunbeams falling on my face. Squinting my eyes at the brightness to little effect, I resorted to shielding my eyes with my hand. Flipping myself on my back, I rubbed the sleep out from my eyes and stretched my body like a waking cat. In the process of doing so, my blanket got kicked on the floor. I moved to a sitting position and rolled my shoulders. Impressed by what a good night's rest in a comfortable bed could do for one's wellness, I stood up and gave the room another once over, which confirmed I didn't misinterpret what I saw yesterday. This really was a large room. I wondered with what I earned it. Lying on a chair next to the futon was a white kimono as my touch confirmed it was manufactured from the finest cloth, something I couldn't have afforded as a child. Later on in my life, when I could, the last thing on my mind was owning fancy clothes. Placed on top of it was a note written in the most artful handwriting I have ever seen. You might prefer something more comfortable to wear than your rags. Meato. Thinking about it. Yeah, actually I do. On the other hand, calling my badass clothes rags was a bit too much. For just a moment, I considered ignoring those clothes merely to show how awesome they were, but thought better of it. I no longer was an obstinate child, so I should start an act like it. I ended my introspection and focused on my surroundings. The only person in the vicinity was Kusha. Given her position, she must still be asleep. Strange, shouldn't she be at the academy around this time? Shrugging, I assumed that she might still be suffering from the aftermath of yesterday's ramen eating contest. I grabbed a towel as I left the room. Standing in the middle of the hallway, I wondered where I would have hidden the bathroom. This presented me with the perfect opportunity to have a closer look at the house. The little I saw yesterday was already incredible, and I had no doubt the rest wouldn't disappoint either. After taking my time exploring the house, I had to say it was breathtaking. The size and the love for detail were just mind-blowing. My old apartment didn't even compare, so merely using the same terms to describe this kitchen, and the one in my apartment felt just wrong. They were so far apart in functionality, equipment, and just general awesomeness that it felt like the right thing to do would be to come up with a new term to call it simply to make the difference between a kitchen and this more clear. The same could be said about every other room I stepped into. It took me a while to shake off the impression the house had on me, and more than once, I had to ask myself, how loaded was the Uzumaki clan? This house made it seem as if the Hauga and Uchiah were nothing but beggars in comparison. The fifth door I opened ended my search for the moment since I found myself standing in the bathroom, and in the same way, the whole house took my breath away. It was no different. The ground and the wall were plastered with white marble carved into it were different motives. For the most part, it consisted of fish or other sea creatures. It gave the whole room the feeling as if it was wholly underwater and allowed for an unobstructed view of your surroundings. It was a nice touch and must have cost a fortune. In the back of the room, there was an in the ground sunken bathtub. A good deal larger than my old living room. Stairs allowed one the slow descent in its confines, which easily could allow a whole family to bathe together. I had a hard time calling this a bath in my mind. Admittedly, I visited hot springs in the past which were smaller than this. I stripped out of the only article of clothing I still wore, placed the towel on a small marble shelf, and walked down the steps to the center of the tub, marveling that the edge of it reached above my hip while I was still standing upright. My attention was drawn to a set of seals on the wall. Each one was labeled with a different word. I tried to push a little chakra into the one with water written on it, and immediately the tub started to fill up with water. To my misfortune, it was freezing cold, which caused me to reach for the seal labeled fire. The good news was that it indeed increased the temperature of the water within the tub. The bad news, the freezing water was now steaming hot, and I was jumping around to prevent my feet from burning up. I deactivated the fire seal and slowly but surely the temperature started to drop as the hot water mixed with the additional water streaming from the water seal. It didn't take long for the temperature to pass the pleasant warm mark and started to cool down again. Since I was convinced that there should be more settings than steaming hot and freezing cold, I tried activating the fire seal again. This time though, I took great care in how much chakra I channeled through it. And behold, it worked. The water slowly started to heat in proportionate to the amount of chakra I used. After some fine-tuning, mostly owed to my shot chakra control, I managed to get the water to adopt the perfect temperature. With that hassle finally over, I enjoyed the bath once more, being reminded that you usually don't appreciate the small things life has to offer until you find yourself deprived of them. I leaned against the smooth marble and closed my eyes, thinking that I could use my time in the bath, at least somewhat meaningful, and tried to get a grasp on my willful chakra. There simply was no way I could allow myself the luxury to allow it to stay this way, and as a result, it kept me from utilizing a vast degree of my jutsu repertoire and abilities. I could call myself lucky if I still could manage so much as a one-handed reengon. At this point, it was an untenable situation. Should I get into a fight, I would have to fight my chakra to a greater degree than my opposition. I really hope that I wouldn't be separated from Kurama for too long. In the event, I managed to get accustomed to my current state because getting him back might shoot my chakra control once more and I would have to start all over again. Not a situation I would like to find myself in, especially not with the start of the second Shinobi World War on the horizon. I needed to be at my best. Despite my misgiving about what that would mean for Mido, I knew there was no other option. And I soothed myself with the knowledge that independent of my arrival, she would have transferred him to Kusha in a few days anyway. This way, I might even spare Kusha the self-loathing and hate she otherwise might have felt for my ninetailed friend for taking away her Obaa san. I entered a deep state of meditation and even went so far as to extend my awareness to the nature energy flowing around me. However, I didn't dare to touch it. For obvious reasons, I wasn't keen on ending up a statue, which without a doubt would have been the result in my current state. I circulated the chakra within my body and lost myself in doing various chakra control exercises with it. When I opened my eyes to pruny skin and the feeling of cold water around me up to my torso submerged body, the results of my hour-long training sessions were varied but helped me in getting a clear picture of what jutsu I should rather not attempt. I dunk my head one last time under the water and then waited through the water towards my towel. Right. In my morning drowsiness, I forgot to take some actual clothes with me other than the underwear I wore coming here. A bad habit that I formed while living alone. Something that I was better off breaking before I ended up in an awkward situation.