Jugo breaths in the salty sea air. He closes his eyes and lets the breeze blow over his face and through his hair. "This is nice. For the first time in a while, I'm not afraid of being around anyone."

Besides him, Naruto and Hinata keep him company as he gets used to his newfound freedom and sanity.

"Odd thing, I kinda get where you're coming from." Naruto pats him on the back. "It won't be an easy path, but it's worth overcoming your monstrous side."

A booming voice echoes within his side. "I feel like that was a jab at me..."

In his mindspace, Naruto chuckles and looks back to Kurama. "Sorry."

"Not even Orochimaru could keep it under control. I worry that it's simply not possible." Jugo looks down.

"It's possible Orochimaru didn't want you to keep it under control. If he was using your power to create the Curse Marks, that's a major power-up for his subordinates." Hinata smiles reassuringly. "But now you're among people who truly wish to help you."

"Yeah… maybe you're right." Jugo smiles back.

"Just hold on a bit more, alright? When we get back to the Hidden Mist, I'll talk to the Mizukage about setting you free. Then Pa can look into your… condition, whatever it is."

"I'm afraid I'm not entirely sure myself. I know my clan could innately channel these special powers, and were wiped out for it. Can't really blame people for being afraid of us."

"Fear clouds the mind. It drives one to act in a certain way, not considering the possibilities." The wind blows Hinata long locks behind. "Had we allowed that to happen to us, we wouldn't have come to rely on Elder Fukasaku's aid."

"And I'm very thankful for that."

Naruto turns around and lightly bumps his first against Jugo's shoulder. "No need. You get used to the fresh air, I'll go check up on the rest."

-x-

Meanwhile

"So who's the new guy again?" Kotori leans in to whisper to the boys, observing Jugo from afar.

"Sensei said he's a friend that needs help." Yokumaru plays with the end of his sleeves. "But the other new person doesn't seem to like him."

"Yeah, but that guy's scary." Shoto crosses his arms. "He's got sharp teeth."

"Chojuro does, too." Kotori cocks her head.

"But he has a goofy face so they're not as scary."

Yokumaru chuckles. "I didn't think you'd be scared."

"I'm not scared! I just said he's scary. You can think things are scary without being scared!" Shoto protests.

"Uh huh. Sure." Kotori smirks.

"Yes." Shoto scowls.

"Ah!" Kotori jumps to her feet, scared. "We weren't talking about you, Mister Saizo!"

Shoto violently whips his head around to where Kotori was looking, already half positioned to make a run for it.

There's no one there.

Kotori begins laughing.

"That wasn't nice, Kotori." Yokumaru is more worried about Shoto's reacting than he is of the Swordsman.

Shoto fumes and gets right in Kotori's face.

"Don't you brats have anything better to do..." Saizo's voice startles them. They freeze in place. "Didn't you have, like, training or something?" They turn around to see Saizo lying on the railing of the ship, looking over the side.

'Since when has he been there…' Shoto gulps.

Saizo turns his head and looks at them with cold eyes. "Well?"

"Ah, yes, sir!" They begin speed walking toward the centre of the ship, just as Naruto finishes his conversation with Jugo, and bumps into them.

"Hey, guys." He greets the kids.

"Let's train!"

"Yeah, training!"

"Now!"

"Um… okay?" He raises a brow and looks back to where they came from, eyes meeting with Saizo who just shrugs. "Well, we kinda had to interrupt your competition 'cause of our pitstop."

"Well, we kinda decided to finish that on our own." Kotori says with a nervous smile.

"Oh? And who won?" Naruto looks between the three of them. Yokumaru raises his hand. "I see." He grins and ruffles the boy's hair. "And what did you all gather from that?"

Kotori smiles. "That's what the game was for, right? Learn from each other."

Naruto laughs. "Didn't think you'd figure it out."

She puffs out her chest. "Of course I did!"

"Well, I did most of the figuring, you just finished my sentences." Shoto side eyes her.

"No, I let you start mine!"

"That doesn't even…" Shoto shakes his head. "Whatever." He turns to Yokumaru. "Yokumaru took his time to study our movements, while Kotori and I relied on barrages. He waited for the opportune time when our chakra control wavered."

"But you guys took action and went for it. Taking small losses for a big win." Yokumaru rubs the back of his head. "Main reason I won is because I took so long with my turns so we had less time to do it, so you didn't have as many opportunities to score."

"Yeah, but that's the game, too, right? Part of the strategy is using your time wisely and slowing down your enemies. Like in a real battle." Kotori chimes in.

'That's not something I thought of, but sure.' Naruto still nods sagely. "The next part will be using jutsu while climbing, so better get ready."

"That may have to wait." Awaji walks over behind Naruto. "We've nearly arrived."

"Whirlpools!" The watchman shouts to the crew who gets into position.

The Land and the Hidden Village do not get their name from nothing. The landmass is entirely surrounded by violent maelstroms that swallow any ship that dares think itself brave enough to venture this far. It would take a crew of the highest calibre to navigate through the aquatic mindfield that they're approaching, and while the present crew is good, they would not make it.

That's where the Uzumaki clan enter the picture.

"Captain." Awaji calls out. "Get us as close as you can without killing us."

"Will do. Sure hope you know what you're doing."

The crew make their preparations to go further in, where no sane person goes. They navigate as best they can to position themselves toward an opening between two whirlpools but when they get close, they can already feel the current drag them in.

"Naruto, I would ask that you share your chakra with me. What I am about to perform may be a bit beyond my years."

"Of course." Naruto places a hand on the older man's back, channeling his chakra into his elder.

Awaji focuses his chakra, powered by Naruto's, and weaves the hand signs he's not woven in decades.

[Secret Water Style: Calm Storm]

A ripple spreads from the ship in all directions, followed shortly by another. The waves, despite being much lighter and calmer than the raging whirlpools, overpowers them and lessens the effect of their pull. As another pulse goes out from underneath Awaji, the whirlpools begin to gradually slow their speed, until several moment later and several more pulses later, they come to a stop.

The water lies still as if there was never any whirlpool nearby, and the ship passes safely.

Once they get to the other side, Awaji releases the jutsu and the whirlpools return.

"Wow." Naruto looks back at the raging waters. "I didn't know something like that existed."

"It is how we kept our Land safe from intruders, until it was apparently no longer enough." Awaji pants as he sits on the ground. "I don't remember it being this exhausting, however."

"You rest up for now, gramps."

Naruto goes to regroup with the others and make sure everything is in order for their docking and journey into the abandoned Land. From afar, it resembles any ordinary island in the region. Lush green trees line the entire landmass, with the shores lined with large cliffs save for the few beaches suited for docking.

Soon, they will arrive in the Hidden Whirlpool Village.

Somewhere within the island, past the lush trees, past rivers and lakes, a group of three lies in wait. They all bear featureless clothes- dark blue to black shinobi wear, a standard protective vest that belongs to no village, their faces protected by fearsome oni masks. Three of them, only distinguishing trait being their red hair, stand guard with a chameleon on their shoulders while the fourth member of the team sits down on the ground and opens an empty scroll in front of himself.

They're currently amidst the ruins of a once powerful and respected village. Where once tall and wide brick buildings once stood, they now lie destroyed. Most walls and roofs have long been blown away, revealing metal pipes that act as a support structure. There's nary a few metres of even ground, as most every inch is covered in rubble in some fort or another. The few buildings that do remain upright have long since lost their lustre, their paint peeled off and their windows shattered, they're only a vague reminder of what once was a proud nation.

Takeshi Imori writes in the scroll. 'Naruto Uzumaki and Awaji Uzumaki have arrived. We don't have time to look any more.'

After several moments, writing appears on its own. 'Then likely Hinata Hyuga will be with them, as well. Stay as close as you can while staying out of her Byakugan's range. Not even you can hide from that.'

'And if they do actually find something?'

'Take it, by any means necessary. If there's even a single piece of paper that would be useful to them, we need to get it.'

'Understood.' Takeshi rolls up the scrolls and straightens himself, returning his scroll and writing implements back to their respective pouches. "We have our orders. Fall back and observe for now."

"What could they possibly find that we couldn't?" One of the red heads says in an almost mocking tone. "One of them doesn't possess a fraction of Lord Kaidomaru's knowledge, and the other one hasn't even the faintest idea about his heritage. If we couldn't find anything left behind, they won't, either."

Takeshi sighs. "The faith you have in his abilities is wonderful but remember that your precious Lord Kaidomaru didn't get to where he is by underestimating his opponents. I should know, I was there to see him get to where he is." He turns back and walks past them.

Takeshi Imori is not a man to show off. He's more of a go with the flow person. As a spy and member of the ANBU, being in the spotlight was never his desire but something made him want to put on a show. He makes it a point to stop by the one who questioned Naruto and Awaji's abilities shoulder-to-shoulder, turning to look him in the face, or mask in this case.

"Now, will you follow his orders or question them?" And Flickers away. 'I don't like how the Uzumaki clan is beginning to act. They're almost fanatical in their confidence by this point. I sure hope you know what you're doing, Kaidomaru…'

The Uzumaki grunts and follows, as do the other two.

As the visit to the Hidden Whirlpool Village is technically more a request than an official mission, Chojuro, Kiri, and the newly acquired team member Saizo are to stick back on the boat. Meanwhile, Naruto, Hinata, Awaji, and the kids will venture into the village and seek out… well, anything, really. Jugo is coming along with the village team, so Naruto can stop him in case he acts out again.

The ship does actually manage to get further into the island via a river that connects to the wide sea around it. They travel through it for a bit, now much closer to the nature surrounding them.

The kids in particular keep an eye out on the wildlife that has managed to thrive in this land with the disappearance of the people. They see a group of chimpanzees hop over from tree to tree, taking a heavy interest in the strange thing that is travelling on the river.

"Ah! Look!" Kotori points to one a bit further in the back. "That one has a baby on its back! Is it the mommy?"

"They're so cute." Yokumaru giggles, seeing the curious creatures.

Saizo spins a kunai on his finger. "You guys wanna get a closer look?"

"NO!" Kotori jumps to grab his arm. He allows her to do it; he wasn't being serious to begin with.

He just chuckles and walks away, as Kotori puffs her cheeks in frustration.

"Never mind that." Shoto pulls her attention to something else within the trees.

They see a flock of birds fly overhead. Fairly big in size, at least for a bird, with a mostly yellow belly which they get a full view of, and blue back with a dash of green. The big contrasting point being their white face, decorated with black markings.

"Oh, I know that one!" She quickly rummages through her pack, taking out the little book she was given all the way back in the Hidden Cloud village. A book listing the limited information on her ancestors and their abilities. She flips through the pages containing descriptions and even depictions of various birds her clan has been known to summon. "Here it is! It's a macaw!"

"That's correct." Awaji walks over next to them. "They're a very intelligent bird, we had many in the Hidden Whirlpool. I imagine they've taken over the island now, as have the others." He looks down to Kotori and her book. "Your abilities involved conjuring avians, correct?"

She cocks her head. "... Avians?"

"Birds."

"Oh, yeah! The more I know about them and the better I control my chakra, the better I do." She embarrassedly scratches her chin. "So far I can only summon them young, though, so they're not as strong. Excerpt for sparrows 'cause they're so tiny and easier to summon."

"Does it actually matter what bird you summon, though?" Yokumaru leans on the railing.

"It does, actually! Or… it will, when I get better at it." She flips through the pages. "Apparently they each have a special ability. Like the ostrich is suuuuper strong, and hawks and falcons are suuuper fast."

"So can these macaw do anything?" Shoto asks

"Hmm… I dunno. The book doesn't actually give much about them."

"Well," Awaji brushed his long greying beard, "If your abilities actually involve enhancing what attributed the birds naturally possess, then the macaw can actually learn the human tongue. Perhaps with your jutsu, you can somehow empower their ability to speak."

"Wait, they can talk?!" Kotori's jaw drops to the ground.

"That's ridiculous, birds can't talk." Shoto dismisses the very thought of it.

"Neither could toads until we met sensei's." Yokumaru chimes in.

Shoto can only let out a few grunts as he tries to come up with a retort. He can't.

"Well, it's something to consider. If that book doesn't tell you something, then you tell it instead." He chuckles and walks off to prepare.

The river unfortunately doesn't go all the way to the Hidden Whirlpool. Along the way is a settlement that has also been rendered to a ruin, and the fallen buildings have blocked the river. Water still flows through it and marine life can go between the rubble but ships cannot pass any further in. The rest of the trip will be on foot.

The team designated for village travel hops off on land and follow their guide.

"I hope you find something." Chojuro waves them off.

"Yeah, me, too. Keep the ship safe." Naruto grins and gives him a thumbs up.

They move into the forest. Still following the river as it leads to their destination and is an open, easily traversable space. It doesn't actually take them long. Less than an hour travelling at a good speed.

There, for the first time, Naruto gets a look at the remains of his mother's home. The destroyed Hidden Whirlpool Village stands before them, although 'stand' might be a generous term. There are still some defensive walls that remain but sections have been blown away and the remaining parts have been long overtaken by vines.

Naruto takes a deep breath, taking in the sight, his mind going over the possibilities of how this all could've happened. Hinata takes his hand, and he looks to her with a smile. At least he's not seeing all of this alone.

They walk closer, passing through a ruined section of a wall as the legitimate way of entering the village when it was still functioning has been caved in, ironically enough.

As they step foot in the village, Awaji sighs, bracing himself. "I have been to this village many times before, desperate to find traces of anything I could take back with me. To my knowledge, everything has been taken. However, I am certain that we will discover something."

"Certain, why?" Naruto asks.

"A select few of us had a special task given to us by Lady Mito. She asked us to research the seals of our ancestors from the ancient past but never told us why or for what purpose. She took all that we gathered and simply told us that one day we would need it, and to rely on the future. I still to this day do not know what she did with that information except that it was given to her father, Lord Ashina for safekeeping." He turns to Naruto with a serious expression on his face. "Until recently I did not know what she meant and wondered if she truly had something in mind. But then we received news from Lord Tsuchikage. We received news that you'd gone back and spoken to Lady Mito."

"Yeah… from the Temple of Stone's Song. But it's not like we actually found something out."

"Perhaps not. However, I am now certain it was through meeting with you that drove Lady Mito to seek information that will help us in the present day. Information that has been waiting for 50 years. Waiting for you, Naruto Uzumaki. Lady Mito's attempt to help us from the past."

"Okay, but I'm not really sure how I'm supposed to know what to even do. I'm not even familiar with my own clan's history or deeds, why me?"

Having activated her Byakugan and searching through their immediate area, Hinata answers. "The Temple is the key, isn't it, Elder Awaji." He nods in response. "You were able to enter the Temple when no one else could, except for Lady Mito."

"Yes, that part remains a mystery, still." Awaji scratches his beard.

A deep voice sighs within Naruto's mind. "I think I might know the answer… Let me out, Naruto"

Confused, Naruto forms a Shadow Clone. As he's done before, Kurama inhabits this one, giving it blood red eyes and more defined facial markings.

"You're… The Nine-Tailed Fox, I presume?" Awaji looks on with curiosity.

"You presume correct, boy." It looks a bit weird to hear such a deep voice come from Naruto's face.

The Uzumaki chuckles. "It's been long since anyone has called me 'boy'."

"You said you know why, Kurama?"

"Yeah. I'll put it simply. The one thing that connects you and Mito is that you're my jinchuriki. That's why you were able to enter the Temple."

"That couldn't possibly be it. Lady Mito entered the Temple long before she became your jinchuriki. I can't see how you could be the connecting point in this instance."

"That's right, but you're missing one crucial piece of information. I know the person who made the seals, and she was a Seeress. If she peered into the distant future and saw my fate, she would know about Mito and Naruto."

Hinata stops looking through the wreckage of the village and focuses her attention on the conversation. "But you said this Tamamo lived several hundreds of years ago. Even if she could somehow see into the future, could she see that far ahead?"

Kurama shakes her head. "Not on her own, no. But… after we parted ways, she apparently went and became a Great Beast." He takes a moment to pause, gathering his thoughts and emotions. He takes a deep breath and continues. "If she was empowered by Tailed Beast chakra to that extent, then she may have boosted her own abilities before she ended up… like that, and left behind clues for my jinchuriki. That's HER way of helping from the past."

"So she somehow made it so that only we could enter the temple and learn the secrets?" Naruto asks.

"Yeah."

"That still doesn't explain why I could enter, or the kids." Hinata mentions.

"Seals, by their very nature, are a set of restrictions and rules. They can be tweaked to have certain exceptions." Awaji explains.

Kurama turns to his host. "You saw her in the end, didn't you, Naruto?"

"Yeah. She mentioned family…" He looks at Hinata, and then the kids who all seem confused from this conversation.

"She was sentimental like that. Anyone you consider family can also enter with you." Kurama turns and starts heading into the village. "Come on, we won't get anywhere just talking."

Jugo looks around nervously. "I feel slightly out of place in all of this."

"It's alright, Jugo." Naruto reassures him. "This is our deal, right? We stick together and help each other. We'll do what we gotta and leave."

Jugo nods. "Right."

The group spends a great deal of time just looking through the wreckage, trying to find any hint of important seals that could be placed somewhere. Awaji does know the ins and outs, having already looked through every nook and cranny before, so he first takes them to the places he believes are the most likely to be the hiding place chosen by Mito and her father Ashina. Neither of them sense or see anything.

There ARE seals placed everywhere, but have been inactive for a while. Hinata can clearly see them as many are placed in such a way to be invisible to the naked eye.

Naruto even enters Sage Mode just in case, while Kurama uses all of his senses to search. Even the kids help clean through the rubble, as does Jugo who takes more of a babysitting role as this goes on.

Awaji does take the time to show some places of more… sentimental value. He takes Naruto to see the main town square that once hosted grand festivities and gathered people from the entire Land. Banners would hang above the streets and tables of food would line them, with performers keeping the crowd entertained. He shows them his old home, and also… Kushina's.

They stand in front of what doesn't even look like an apartment complex anymore. This part of the village is by far the most destroyed.

"And this is where Kushina lived in her early years," Awaji looks at the ground in contemplation, "Before she was sent to the Hidden Leaf."

Kotori stands by Naruto's side. "So your mom lived here, right? I guess that makes her my grandma?"

"Yeah." Naruto purses his lips into a smile. He leans down and pats her on the head. "I'm sorry you couldn't meet her."

"What was she like?" She looks up.

"I… don't really know, either. I only met a memory of her. I grew up an orphan, too, remember?"

Kotori stiffens her shoulders. "Oh. Right. Sorry."

"It's fine. From what I saw of her, she was strong and brave, beautiful and fierce, and wasn't afraid to fight back when she needed to. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you really were related to her." He grins.

Kotori smiles and rests her head on Naruto's side.

Naruto takes a deep breath and turns to Awaji. "You said… you kept in contact with a lot of Uzumaki, right? Did my mom… have any family?"

Awaji shakes his head. "I'm afraid not. Her family perished along with the village."

"I see…" He lowers his head, his bangs throwing a shadow over his face.

"Naruto…" Hinata whispers his name and approaches to comfort him.

Naruto whips his head up and puts on a visibly fake smile. "Alright, let's check somewhere else, yeah? We don't have a lot of time."

"Yeah, alright." Hinata smiles back, a comforting smile. When it comes right down to it, if he needs for support, he'll ask for it. Best she can do now is be here for him.

One of the last things that Awaji shows them is a place connected to Mito. Her own childhood home. The official residence of the leader of the Uzumaki clan showed no result, but they did have a separate home.

And here, Hinata does see something. A seal placed underneath a seal. Different from anything else in the village, different from any seal she'd seen before except for two other places- the Temple of Stone's Song and the Prism Keystone.

"This is it!" She calls out, gathering everyone's attention. "The same seals as the ones created by Tamamo."

"Hm. So Mito did leave something behind, after all…" Kurama crosses his arms. "Now we just need to figure out how to activate it."

"You mean you don't know?" Naruto turns to his cohabitant. "You seem really knowledgable about things up until a certain point, huh?"

"Look, I can't help what I can't help! It's not like I know what either Tamamo or Mito did." The Fox defends himself.

"Actually, wait, why don't you? You can see through my seal just fine, right?"

"Hers and yours are vastly different. Mito's seal was much more suppressing. I had no awareness outside my immediate area within the seal."

"But that's… terrible…" Naruto looks to him sympathetically.

"Well, it's like you said, right? Fear drives people to act in certain ways." He looks back to both Hinata and Jugo.

Meanwhile, Awaji kneels down and begins carefully inspecting the seal. "Please allow me to offer my apologies, Kurama. My clan took it upon ourselves to keep you at bay, without considering your thoughts, or even trying to."

"What's done is done."

Not really certain what he can do, Naruto simply places a hand on the wall where the seals are hidden. And just from the, the visible seals glow and burn away, revealing the hidden seals underneath, which continue to glow. They form a rectangle on the wall, which becomes filled with smaller seals , filling up every inch of what was just an empty space.

When Naruto reluctantly touches it, his hand passes through. He quickly pulls his hand back out and looks to the rest.

Awaji stares at it. "That's… very curious."

"And also insultingly easy to activate."

"Well, is it truly easy when only one person that we know of is capable of doing it?" Awaji asks. "Lady Mito must have modeled it after the seals at the Temple. Now, I'll try to determine whether it's safe to-" As he looks away for a moment, to go through his pouch of sealing scrolls, a blur rushes past him. When he looks up, Naruto is nowhere to be seen and everyone is staring wide-eyed at the formulae resembling a door on the wall. "He… didn't, did he?"

Kurama sighs. "Well, his Clone didn't disappear so I guess it's fine." And he just walks into the wall.

Awaji doesn't have time to protest before Hinata, the kids, and Jugo follow in. The old man sighs and enters last. "If we get stuck in there, I'm not taking the blame."

-x-

In the far distance, Takeshi and his group remain ever vigilant. They've managed to escape being sensed or seen thus far, and have been keeping as best an eye as they can given the uneven terrain their targets have been moving around in.

They've been patiently lying in wait until they finally see the group discover something they'd been unable to.

One of the Uzumaki growls as she clenches her fist. "There's no way we missed that."

"And yet we did." Takeshi lowers his telescope. "We were right. Naruto Uzumaki is indeed different."

Another Uzumaki slams his fist against a tree. "He can't even begin to comprehend what it means to be an Uzumaki, what our people have had to go through just to survive. Compared to that, being a jinchuriki is nothing."

"Then let's go and tell him." Takeshi stands and cracks his neck. "When they leave with whatever they find inside, we attack and take it."

-x-

Within the sealing space is a very simple room, if you can even call it that. It's a very small enclosure that can just fit their entire group. Inside, the walls are lined with seals and the only thing present besides themselves is a scroll hanging on the wall.

Naruto looks at the scroll and then back to Awaji. "Think it's safe to just grab it?"

"Oh, NOW you ask if it's safe?" Kurama lightly smacks him on the head, before de-summoning the Shadow Clone he's been inhabiting to free some room in here.

Awaji sighs. "I don't see why she would entrap this space if the entry wasn't."

Naruto shrugs and takes the scroll off the wall. As he does, a figure begins taking shape. Translucent and only from the waist up, but the elegant form of Mito Uzumaki appears before them, hands in front of her and tucked into the sleeves of her robe.

'I've long since wondered as to the fate that binds you and I.' The image begins speaking, taking everyone by surprise.

"Lady Mito, is that you?" Awaji's shaking hand reaches out.

'However, it is likely that it does not matter. All that does matter is that we accomplish what we must.' The image of Mito continues speaking, not taking in anything being said or done.

"It doesn't look like when dad or mom left behind a part of themselves in my seal."

"I was perhaps too hopeful…"

'I spent years since our meeting trying to uncover the forgotten secrets of what you asked of. I've surmised that if you did not know, then something must have happened to the Hidden Whirlpool Village and the Uzumaki clan, lest you would have sought answers from them instead.'

"Annoyingly astute as always." Kurama growls from his mind space.

'In anticipation for that, I asked the ones I trust the most to gather information so that I may preserve it for you, so that hopefully it may survive whatever future awaits my people. Thanks to them, I was able to decipher some of the scroll I showed you.' Mito closes her eyes. 'How I wished to inform them, to tell them that something may happen. However, to do so would have been to tempt fate in ways I cannot comprehend, and so I have chosen to suffer in silence.'

'I knew beforehand of the true nature of the Great Beasts, a secret kept well hidden among the Uzumaki, a secret that is only passed on to a select few. The truth that they are ones who meddled too deeply with Tailed Beast chakra and sought power beyond their comprehension or ability to control. In the centuries since, we have perfected our craft and people came into being called jinchuriki. Such did not exist during the days of the Great Beasts.'

"Back then, we were actually free."

"Didn't you say 'what's past is past'?" Naruto looks back in his mindspace, doing a very poor imitation of Kurama's expression and voice. "Sounds like you hold some resentment."

"I'm allowed to comment as I see fit." Kurama huffs and turns away.

'I have been able to uncover some truths of the world past. The one who held these truths was Tamamo Otsutsuki, who vanquished the Great Beasts behind the Rashomon gates, with the help of Agni Otsutsuki and Varuna Otsutsuki.'

"The Otsutsuki clan again?" Hinata looks worried.

"I guess they're descendants of the Sage?"

'They worked together to put an end to the terror sowed by the Great Beasts. Tamamo through her mastery of seals and ability to manifest her chakra and give it physical form, Varuna through his all-seeing eyes and ability to see the truth of the world, and Agni through his eyes that can channel the powers of the Netherworld that lie beyond the Rashomon. They were able to combine their strengths and use their jutsu as one.'

"Manifesting chakra, that has to be the Uzumaki clan's ability?" Awaji guesses.

"Yeah." Naruto nods. "She's the descendant of the Uzumaki clan."

"The all-seeing eyes, that… that's the Byakugan, yes?"

"Gotta be. But eyes that can channel the power from this netherworld…" Naruto grumbles. "The only other eyes I know of is the Sharingan but… can it do that?"

'The Uzumaki clan has been able to manifest our chakra since as long as we can remember. Giving them the power to crush anything that stand before them, to seal and hold in place, to drain our foes of chakra. However, the ability that Tamamo Otsutsuki speaks of, is one I have never heard of prior. Adamantine Chains that connect people in ways that the Yamanaka clan cannot- chains that allow you to not only share your thoughts, but also shares your experiences, your senses, ... your abilities. Chains that allow you to even use a kekkei genkai as long as you are connected to one that can use it. I have studied long and hard but such an ability has proven beyond my abilities. I hope it is within your reach, one whose name I do not know.'

"That sounds unbelievable." Awaji ponders. "I've never heard of such a thing, either."

'Agni would channel the strength of the Netherworld, which Tamamo would amplify his through her own abilities, to open a pathway between our two realms. Then, Varuna would peer with his eyes to determine whether it is safe to do so. It is they who created the Rashomon gates' and connected our worlds. Just as it is they who found the Great Beasts' weaknesses. Nothing could escape Varuna's watchful eyes. He saw how the Tailed Beasts' chakra coursed through the Great Beasts and weakened its influence enough for Tamamo and Agni to pull it into the gates and seal it away.'

"Sounds like you'll be playing a part in this, Hinata." Naruto glances over to her.

"There was never any doubt." She smiles to him.

'Of course, all that I reveal to you are words that Tamamo Otsutsuki left behind for me to find. I can only surmise that the way to bring back the Great Beasts is the same method that was used to seal them. And to seal them back again, one would need the same set of abilities. Uzumaki, Hyuga, and another clan with an ability I do not know of, assuming of course they are a clan.'

"About what we guessed, yeah."

'I leave you with the scroll, with much of its information deciphered. Read it for yourself. See what you can uncover with your own eyes. Safe journeys, friend. I wish you luck.'

With that, Mito's form disappeared and the room remains quiet for a few moments.

Yokumaru, oddly enough, is the first to break the silence. "I don't think I got most of that."

Naruto chuckles. "You and me both, buddy." He ruffles the boy's hair. "But now we can fight those big monsters, we know where to start and what we need to do. We can work our way from here."

"We should head back right away. We cannot delay any further with such crucial information." Awaji turns to leave the room, and everyone follows behind him.

-x-

Outside begins making their way out of the district they were in, with the intention of going back to the ship and returning to the Hidden Mist.

However, someone has other plans.

The group had all but relaxed after learning everything they just learned and are still processing all that information, piecing everything together. It's mostly for that reason that the enemy was able to get as close they did.

[Adamantine Attacking Chain]

Chakra, taken the form of chains, rushes at them with violent speed while they're distracted. Just barely, Naruto's reflexes allow him to see them mere centimetres away from them and manages to face his palm in that direction.

[Massive Rasengan]

The chains clash against the spiraling chakra and neither manages to truly overpower the other. The force behind the two jutsu causes a shockwave that blasts back Naruto and his group. Jugo, who was closest to the kids, shifts his flesh to enlarge his arm and create a shield for them, at the cost of not having time to form a shield for himself. He hits the ground hard, as does Awaji who was not able to brace himself. Hinata manages to skid to her feet but her back ends up hitting a wall. Naruto took the brunt of it and was blow a bit further back.

Before the dust settles, their group manages to quickly get back to their feet and regroup. They then see their assailant- their basic gear and oni masks not really giving away any particular allegiance but the jutsu they used for their surprise attack.

All three of them have spectral looking chains apparating from their biceps and wrapping around their arm, reaching all the way to the ground.

"That…" Awaji gathers his breath. "That was the Uzumaki clan's Adamantine Chains. Why would you attack us? We are Uzumaki!"

The man at front chuckles. "No, you're really not." He slams the chains on the ground and sends them to attack once more, but this time Awaji is prepared.

[Adamantine Sealing Chains]

His chains surround his group to form a protective dome that shields them from the Attacking Chains of their opponent, but the more passive chains do seem to give in as they're struck.

Jugo activates as much of his abilities as is safe for him while Hinata activates her Byakugan. While she expected to only prepare for the upcoming bout against these three, she actually sees a fourth presence- right next to Awaji, reaching for the scroll that's within his pocket.

In a hurry, she darts off to the invisible man, channeling her chakra in her hands. It flares with the road of a lion and she goes on the offensive.

[Gentle Step: Twin Lion Fists]

The invisible man dodges out of the way before he can accomplish his task and drops his jutsu. Hiding is no longer an option. He moves to the other side of Naruto's ground, where Awaji's Chains do not guard.

Takeshi clicks his tongue. "I took too long."

"Who are you guys?!" Naruto demands. "Why are you attacking?!"

"It doesn't really benefit us whether you know the answers to those questions." Takeshi forms a series of hand signs and slams his hand on the ground. "Just know that you're in our way."

[Ninja Art: Summoning: Rashomon]

A giant gate appears behind him. A familiar terrifying visage stares back at them as the massive chains that hang from its rafters fill the dead village.

Awaji's eyes widen. "No…"

"So, it's you guys…" Naruto grits his teeth and makes a dash for Takeshi.

[Uzumaki clan Seal: Release]

The gates open and send a chilling, howling wind to blow into the village. Into the realm of the living. Naruto's run is halted by the force of it but also the feeling of dread that overcomes him. Maybe it's just the presence that the Rashomon give out, or maybe it's the creature that comes out of the gates.

The first thing that's seen by those on the outside of the gate is a large pincer that grabs the gate and pulls itself out. A beak then pokes out and gives a terrifying screech and while it does have a long straight beak, it's face is anything but birdlike. With another pincer it pulls itself completely out of the gate. Its serpentine body slithers out, but instead of crawling on the ground, it flies through the air. It hisses and stares at Naruto.

Great Beast: Amikiri.

Name meanings:

Agni Otsutsuki (大筒木 アグニ, Ōtsutsuki Aguni) = Vedic deity of Fire.

Varuna Otsutsuki (大筒木 バルナ, Ōtsutsuki Baruna) = Vedic deity of Sky and Seas.