Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
Chapter 05: Preparation (05.10.36 AfoK)
Mito thought of everything. In her study, I found a pre-filled mission request for Uzumaki Naruto and Kushina to transport her burnt remains to Uzushiogakure to stay and attend her funeral.
This would allow me, despite the Hokage's potential other plans to be present during the time of the attack on Uzushiogakure.
The important thing was that she prepared to pay the S-rank extended pay – Something the village couldn't allow itself to decline, for no reason. It was a lot of money, after all. The little bit extra to the normal wage we shinobi get paid for the completion of a mission was nothing more than peanuts compared to what the employer actually has to pay.
She was even thoughtful enough to schedule the mission after Kushina was to receive her headband and in between the usual downtime of at least a week usually given to the genin prospects.
Not sure what consequences this might have on the teams about to be formed. Should the worst-case come to pass with her being overlooked, I would simply take Kushina on as my disciple. Might even be the ideal solution,
What I honestly didn't expect to find was a betrothal contract between myself and Kushina. Penned by non-other than Mito Uzumaki. If what I was seeing here was true, she had already sent a copy of it to Uzushiogakure, to Kushina's remaining family. Moreover, she made my continued appointment, my confirmation as Uzumaki-clan head of the Konoha-branch conditional of accepting the betrothing.
So she really wanted for this to happen because losing the influence that comes with being a clan-leader shortly after being named as such would hamper me in fulfilling my goals, sure there were other ways to get recognition and respect like prowess on the battlefield, but no matter what I ended up doing there some people would always wonder why I lost the position, they would ask themselves what did the Uzumaki clan see in me in order to not trust me with this and it would hurt me.
Even If I could somehow keep the position since Uzushiogakure didn't really have a say in Konoha matters, it would serve to diminish my standing. I didn't doubt Hiruzen would put such a high price tag on his help that it wouldn't be worth it, should he even be inclined to grant it in the first place.
No, I didn't think I could allow that to happen.
I was aware that clans practiced incest, and with my bloodline, there wouldn't be any negative effects potential kids from our union would suffer, and from an outside perspective, we were close. Nevertheless, we were nothing like lovers. It could also be argued, that neither were we like mother and son since I never came to know Kushina in that capacity. I couldn't bring myself to see her as such she was more like a sister...
I heard someone say once that arranged marriages required the husband and wife to be able to tolerate each other. This was why the ability to laugh with each other was the most essential thing that without it, the marriage was doomed to fail.
Nonetheless, it was a strange thing to do, and I wondered about her reasons? Did she see something I didn't? Was it to make sure we stayed close? I couldn't tell, but I wasn't foolish enough to disregard this for no reason. In the short time I got to know her, she didn't strike me as a person who did anything without a good reason, and she certainly wouldn't have started now.
In addition to those, I found dozen other documents, breakdowns of the branch finances dealings, and the like. The more I read, the more I couldn't help but be impressed.
As it turned out, the Uzumaki Clan, to no small degree sponsored the conception of Konoha, even Mito's substantial dowry was used for this. Since Konoha lacked the necessary funds to repay the Uzumaki clan in their first years after being established, they were recompensated with land within the village in place of money.
Mito, instead of selling the land was able to convince her family to loan her the holdings and to give her a few years time to come up with the money to pay the clan back. Additionally, in the event that she could manage to come up with the money, the land in question would then become the property of the Uzumaki-Clan of Konoha.
She argued this would be an investment, an additional financial pillar outside of Uzushio that could be used in an emergency and would allow the financial security of every one of her kin should some choose to live in Konoha.
Not hurting for the money, the clan agreed and allowed Mito to take the position of Clan Leader of the Uzumaki clan in Konoha. A clan solely created as an additional incentive to get Uzushiogakure for the loan of money and for the help with establishing Konoha. Despite it going against the originally envisioned idea for all the members of the clan having to reside within the village. The clan happily accepted the deal. It was a small price to pay in exchange for a chair at the table in Konoha.
The Uzumaki clan decided to give Mito five years to pay them back if she were to succeed the land and everything on it would then be owed by her branch of the clan from that moment onward.
She, of course, had to pay a small profit-based tax in the future to the clan. But otherwise would acquire complete autonomy.
Mito, the administrator of this land, loaned money by using the land as collateral and started the construction of buildings and shops.
Following this, she offered them up to civilian families for no cost with only the condition for the Uzumaki clan to receive a cut from their profits.
This way, Mito removed the need for seed money most families wouldn't have been able to come with on their own to start a business. As a result, Mito singlehandedly elevated poor families to eventually become the richest of Konoha. She essentially was the one responsible for kickstarting the economy in the early days of the village.
Without any real competition, the families sponsored by her were controlling the majority of the market and were able to establish an ironclad monopoly within Konoha within a few years, all backed by the Uzumaki clan, which in one way or the other ended up a shareholder of most non-clan based business in the village.
Even most of the clans had some dealings with the Uzumaki clan over the years, financing their projects lending them money, and every deal she made in some way resulted in profits for everyone involved.
The cut from the profits she received in the first few years alone allowed her to clear the debt Konoha owed to Uzushio and pay back the loans she used at the beginning.
From then on, with the exception of the tax, she dutifully paid Uzushiogakure an incredible amount of wealth started to accumulate. Making the Uzumaki Clan the wealthiest clan of Konoha a conclusion I reached only going over her dealing with other people and didn't include the money she made through her own labor.
She designed and applied seals throughout the whole village, the detection barrier, the seals carved on the village walls preventing people to stick to its surface using chakra on their feet, and hundreds of other seals all commissioned from her.
All her work was worth an incredible amount of money. On top of that, she was paid a retainer to repair and maintain those seals. Especially the detection barrier surrounding the village and its outskirts, used as an early warning system that had no small part in keeping the village safe and was something the higher-ups were ready to pay a nice sum for.
Which made a lot of sense, having to rely on just one clan for something like this, with the Hyuuga having the predisposition for that might hurt the village, in the long run, should they decide to leverage their importance.
Therefore it was no surprise, that they were willing to pay a premium for that, notably, since the seal was operated by the barrier squad under the direct control of the Hokage instead of the Uzumaki clan, therefore allowing for no abuse of trust.
Looking over those contracts, I once more had to congratulate her for her genius. Simply because the arrangements for those seals were all issued to the Uzumaki clan and not exclusively to herself. Meaning the Hokage, even if he wanted to, couldn't just cancel them and deny me a good revenue without good reason, which not liking me didn't qualify as.
What I also found lying on her desk was a scroll labeled ventriloquism. Obviously intended as a reminder to get me to learn it. I couldn't trust all the Hyūga as I could back in my own time, thereby a means of communication that they couldn't `eavesdrop´ upon. One that would even allow me to fool them if your lips are spelling out different things; might be a useful skill to have.
Especially with a guy like Danzō still around. I couldn't be sure that he had no Hyūga in his employ.
Considering the prowess of their eyes and the fact that no one commented on what he had under his bandages after the Uchiha massacre lent credence to it. It was likely that he either blackmailed the clan or found a way to control them via other means because I refuse to believe that Hiashi would willful work together with him. With someone who harvested the eyes of another Dojutsu bearing clan.
Could it have been Kotoamatsukami responsible?
No, he shouldn't have had an eye capable of it at this time with Shisui about to be born in a few years. Even if there was another user of this technique that he could have gotten his hands on. It wouldn't have worked. Not the way he would have needed it to
Ao, after all, was able to identify the jutsu being used on Mifune with his stolen Byakugan, therefore exerting control over the Hyūga this way would have required to get at least all the Main-Branch members under his control.
With Kotoamatsukami being a single target Genjutusu a near-impossible endeavor, with the inherent Shinobi paranoia, he wouldn't have been able to get them all one at a time something would have inevitably gone wrong and exposed him. Chiefly since he needed Senju DNA to get the jutsu to work within reasonable time intervals.
So it must have been through different means, which didn't bode well for me because he could already be in control of the Hyūga.
I couldn't allow myself to put my trust in someone unworthy of it. It would be a mistake I simply couldn't afford. Therefore I had to wait in approaching the Hyūga and Uchiha clan with my seals until my emotion-sensing returned.
Shouldn't be long for that to happen, the stinging and pain in my body was already receding, and my perfect chakra control was slowly returning. Which also meant it wouldn't be long till I can meet the grumpy old fox.
When I sensed Kushina awaken, I stopped my work. There wasn't much left to look over either way. I made my way upstairs and waited in front of her room for her to emerge. That occurred in a rather explosive manner. One moment, she was stretching on her bed like a cat after waking from a nap to over-excited Bee-hive and stormed out of her room and nearly knocking me over in the process. If not for me catching her under the arms.
"Naruto-onii-chan, what are you doing here? Doesn't matter, I'm late. I overslept. Why didn't Mito-obaa-san wake me? Where is she? I can't sense her." the words bubbled from the bed-headed girl while she half-heartedly tried to wrest herself free of me. I went down on my knees to reach her eye level.
"Kushina, Kushina slow down and listen to me. "I couldn't be sure what it was my soft tone or the fact that I didn't release my grip on her, but she realized something was wrong and ceased with her struggling.
"It's Mito," I said heavy, with meaning. "She is dead. She died during the night."
"Stop Onii-chan. You don't joke about something like that," she admonished, with an uneasy smile.
"I'm so sorry, Kushi-hime."
"No, no, no, she can't be dead. She is Uzumaki. We live forever. She can't just... leave me alone." She started to get hysteric.
I embraced her in order to get her to calm down caressed her beautiful red hair.
"Shhh, I'm still here, and I won't leave you. I promise," I whispered soothingly in Kushina's ear as she clung to me as if there was no tomorrow and cried into my shoulder.
Through her wails, she somehow managed to press out a few words.
"Really? ... You aren't tricking me? ... You ... promise ... to ... stay ... with ... me ... for ... the ... rest ... of ... my ... life?"
"Yes, I do Kushi-hime, and Uzumaki Naruto never goes back on his words. I will stay with you forever." After I said those words, Kushina squeezed me even tighter, and I got the feeling she did not intend to let me go ever again. I had to admit to myself that I had no problem with that. It felt really nice, being held by her in her warm embrace, smelling her strawberry scent.
There were worse fates, which could await someone like me. This was different. This was heaven which was a strange feeling.
I came here knowing that I could change things for the better to save all of my friends and family for those yet to be born, but deep down, I had no expectations for what that would mean for me. It was just another mission in my mind, one I couldn't fail but a mission nonetheless, one, to be honest, I didn't see myself survive, let alone return from.
Once more, I was intent on shouldering all the problems, the weight of the world by myself, but being held by Kushina for the first time in a long while, I could feel the inkling of something within me from which thought I lost some time ago; hope. Despite having managed to come here, the driving force behind it wasn't some vague prospect at a better future but pure unadulterated desperation.
Which made it strange that now there was a flicker of it within me, lit by her, by her unwillingness to part with me, she gave me a reason to come back home. Realizing, that I started to cry myself and buried myself deeper in the embrace of her, like two people drowning, trying to hold on to driftwood, unwilling to let go of it.
Was this the reason Mito wanted me to marry her, knowing what we could be for each other? A safe harbor, loving family?
I didn't know, and for the moment, I didn't really care while enjoying the warmth of Kushina. We held each other for a long time until there were no more tears to be shed. She then slowly freed herself from my grasp.
"Can I see her? To say my farewells?" She finally asked with red begging eyes.
"Of course," I offered her my hand, and she reached for it. Together, we then walked, holding hands to Mito's room.
She was still lying there the exact same way I left her, clad in her white Kimono eyes closed and her hands folded on her stomach. Her loose hair was strewn over her pillow. If not for the lack of heartbeat seeing her this way, one could think she was meditating.
We both, with our hands still interlinked, stepped right next to her. Kushina, with her free hand, caressed Mito's hair and gave her a farewell kiss on the forehead.
"She is so cold to my touch," she said with a trembling voice.
"That is what death is all about," I said, "the warmth leaving one's body, leaving just an empty shell behind."
I gave her time to contemplate my words and then prompted her.
"Come on, let's go."
After we left the room, she asked. "Onii-chan, can I stay..."
"Yes, of course, I wouldn't dream of sending you to the academy when ..."
She nodded, signaling her understanding and sparing me from having to say it.
"What now?" she wondered.
"Well, you should eat something. The day ahead might be a long one."
"I'm not hungry," she said. I doubted the truthfulness of her statement. Nevertheless, I refrained from calling her out on it, I also had no mind to eat something, although I did know better.
"Okay," I relented. "In that case, I think it is time to inform Tsunade and Nawaki."
"Do we have to?" she asked.
"I know you don't like them, Tsunade in particular, but they too loved Mito. It wouldn't be fair to deny them the same courtesy we would expect if the roles were reversed, and she would have lived with them."
She reluctantly nodded, hearing my explanation.
"Do you want to stay here? I can fetch them by myself." I offered.
Her grip on my hand strengthened. "Don't, don't leave me alone," she begged.
"I won't, I promised, remember." She looked relieved at hearing me say it.
"We should change in something appropriate for the situation," I said.
"Okay," was her curt response.
We both went our separate ways to our rooms, and I unsealed a black Kimono, a piece of clothing that I had worn far too often in recent history. Clad in this reminiscent outfit, I returned to the door of Kushina's room and waited for her to come out. When she eventually did, what I hadn't expected, was for her to reach for my hands and dragging me inside.
She led me to a chair in front of a huge mirror and pressed a comb into my hands.
"Mito-obaa-chan used to comb my hair every morning after waking me, would you..." she couldn't bring herself to say more before she was overwhelmed by her feelings and started sobbing.
"It would be my pleasure Hime," I declared with a mock bow I also used to place a peck on her head. I softly guided her to sit on the chair and then moved behind her to take care of her hair. It took quite some to untangle it and get it to hang straight down from her head.
Something that seemed to amuse Kushina to no end, given by the grin she wore throughout the whole time, I tried to puzzle out how to get her hair to behave.
Eventually, I succeeded in my task. "Good all done -" I proudly proclaimed at my work.
"You suck Onii-chan, that took forever. A clear indication you lack training, which is why in my endless generosity I will allow you to comb my hair every day from this day forward." She unceremoniously declared.
I ran right into it, didn't I?
"As my Hime commands," I consented demurely. She stood up in her form-fitting black Kimono, which accentuated her curves and budding breast far more than her usual outfit did more than likely ascribed to her foregoing her breast-binding usually used under mesh-shirts. She interlinked her hand with mine, and we left the Uzumaki compound in the direction of the Senju compound.
It was a short distance we had to travel since they were located right next to each other. Nonetheless, it felt different, which was mostly owed to the different architecture and our compound only hosting a single large structure in the middle of what looked and felt like a nature cradle.
The Senju compound was the opposite of that. It looked like an urban environment, full of different-sized houses in various stages of decay, each one being surrounded by some plants, with trees being the most prominent.
The few people up and about we came across were mainly parents on their way to bring their children to school. They ignored us for the most part. A nod was the extent of interaction we had with any of them.
An allegory of the slow downfall of the once-great Senju-clan -
I knew from my history lessons that after the death of Tobirama, the Senju clan was in a steady decline and that the Second Shinobi World War, with the high casualty rate especially for the Senju clan, was ultimately responsible for Tsunade to become the last of her clan. However, seeing it with my own eyes that only every second or third house looked inhabited really drove the point home far more than any dry book-knowledge ever could.
Not for the first time, I wondered how that came to be. After all, the Senju and Uchiha fought for decades against each other. Fights that, of course, resulted in many deaths on both sides as a consequence. But despite that, both clans thrived during that time.
For some reason, after settling down, the Senju clan declined. It couldn't be explained with the establishing of the Uchiha Police Force alone. While it was true, it kept most Uchiha within the village during peace times, it wasn't the same in a war, when the village had to deploy them too, which should have equalized their numbers but for some reason didn't.
Well, I had to take a look at the birthing register to know for sure, but somehow I doubted the Uchiha were more fertile. In fact, it should be the other way around. In other words, there had to be another reason for their decline. Since it set in only after Tobirama's death it could be that they were sent on more dangerous missions on average, or were they... Of course, how did I not see that earlier?
There were three Clans in the history of the elemental nation who possessed the abilities to subdue and control the Bijuu. And all three, except for a few sole survivors, were wiped out by the time I reached my teens. All things considered, if Madara had his hands in the demise of the Uzumaki and the Uchiha, what made me think he couldn't have had a hand in the Senju's too.
It would make a lot of sense. The Uchiha tasked with enforcing the law and protecting the village were kept mostly in its confines and the Uzumaki with their impregnable Island would require more effort to get to than slowly killing the Senjus who would leave the village constantly. And since they were paired with other shinobi, it might not even look like someone was picking them off even by looking closely at those occurrences.
Without my knowledge of the future, I wouldn't have considered it either, and I stopped believing in coincidences some time ago. Experience taught me that when something looked like it was purposely done it usually is, despite not knowing the who and why.
I had to wonder if this was even necessary. There wasn't a Senju since Hashirama capable of wielding the Mokuton. Admittedly he couldn't risk it. If another Senju were to emerge with the same strength as the First, Madara could kiss his plans goodbye.
Kushina guided us to the biggest house right in the center of the compound, not that it would have been necessary with my sensor ability finding her would have been child's play.
Being lead had the advantage that no one would question how I found her house and might put two and two together.
Kagura Shingan is one if not the strongest sensor jutsu in existence, and I would rather avoid it becoming common knowledge that I possessed such an ability.
The house was one of the few in good repair. Even the small garden surrounded by a hedge seemed to be cared for with several different herbs growing all around.
We walked up to a small bell connected to a rope right next to the door and pulled on it. The chime spread throughout the area resonated for some time. The few people within hearing range gave us a short glance and then continued with what they were doing.
The door was opened by a kid a handsbreadth taller than Kushina. He had short light brown disheveled spiky hair, not unlike my own, and wore a dark teal poncho. The necklace of which a future copy was sealed within one of my scrolls was hanging around his neck. It made it clear to me that this could only be Nawaki. A closer look confirmed my suspicions there were some undeniable similarities between us, not just limited to our looks, his demeanor was closely mirrored by own of the same age. As a result, us having different hair colors and eye colors; his eyes were hazel brown while my eyes were blue certainly didn't dissuade any comparison between us.
His gaze, the intensity in it, felt awfully familiar as if I was looking at a past self under a Henge. No wonder I was able to convince Tsunade to return to the village with me. It must have been like a blast from the past meeting me.
It also explained why Jiraiya would have taken me with him. At its core, it was an underhanded attempt at the emotional manipulation of his teammate. Despicable for sure, nonetheless, I couldn't be certain that I wouldn't have acted differently in the same that situation, with the possibility of Danzō becoming Hokage more than an abstract threat looming on the horizon.
He hastily crammed what remained of a slice of bread he had held in his teeth to have both his hands free, one to open the door and the other to hold his backpack with, in his mouth. I gave him time to swallow his mouth's contents until I inquired.
"Is your sister here?" a superfluous question, after all, I knew she was, but decorum demanded I asked, "We need to talk to you both." Besides, hinting that I was aware she was here would defeat the purpose and the lengths I went through earlier to hide the fact that I possessed a sensor ability.
"Yeah, sure, and you are?" He asked.
"Uzumaki Naruto," I stated.
"Aha," he turned his head and then shouted into the house, "onee-san we have visitors!"
"Nawaki, what are you still doing here? You are already late as it is" We heard an irritated Tsunade barking from within.
"Kushina and some guy want to talk to you." He shouted back.
"His name is Naruto," Kushina hissed. "You fish for brain id..." I stopped Kushina's stream of insults by placing my hand over her mouth before it could get out of hand.
"Whatever," he grumbled our way until he turned back in the direction of the house, "someone called Naruto wants to see you."
"Don't shout through the house like a maniac," she chastised him as she came into view and approached the front porch wearing a white top over a sleeveless mesh shirt with a red skirt.
"What do you want?" she demanded.
"I'm sorry to inform you, but Uzumaki Mito died in her sleep last night," I informed them.
"You are kidding right, she was fine a few days ago, and you met her just yesterday onee-san, right?" Nawaki asked, skeptical of my words.
Meanwhile, Tsunade's face went through a lot of different expressions representing the whirlwind of emotion she felt at the news. Of those, I could identify disbelief grief, and irritation amongst them, with my slowly returning empathic ability, until it finally settled on anger, no rage. And this time, it wasn't a fleeting emotion.
"You fucking bitch, you just couldn't wait, didn't you? You had to kill her not a day after this guy arrived huh. I'm gonna fucking kill you!" she yelled as her brother was flung aside while she charged at Kushina.
I stepped in front of Kushina and caught Tsunade's fist aimed at the red-heads face in my hand. It was anything but effortless. She put a lot of her strength into it, my feet sunk a few centimeters in the ground, and my muscles were straining by just holding her in place. The blow even though blocked, displaced enough air to shatter most of the windows in our immediate surroundings, and Nawaki was floored by it.
Without intimate knowledge about her strength technique and knowing it myself, my still recovering body would have taken a lot of damage.
Kushina, on the other hand, would have died if that would have hit her.
"You've just made a big mistake. I'd strongly suggest you stand down immediately because I can promise you one thing, you won't like what you'd find in the wake of when I let loose." I threatened her.
The killing intent I released with those words caused Nawaki, who was about to stand to freeze midmotion with his consciousness hanging on by a thread. Tsunade withstood it better, her face unable to hide the fact that she was also greatly disturbed at someone matching her in strength and possessing a killer intent that put her sensei to shame.
If she were just a bit less seasoned, I didn't doubt her reaction wouldn't differ much from her brothers.
"This is how this is gonna play out. I'm gonna release your hand. You will then step aside, and you will apologize to Kushina for the transgression of attacking her for no reason. If I get just an inkling that you are less than sincere in it or that Kushina doesn't want to accept your apology for trying to kill her. I'm gonna file a formal complaint about you trying to kill an academy student. Should you, on the other hand, think it a good idea to resume your attack. I'll personally guarantee you Mito won't stay the only one to have died today, and I'll bury you right next to her. Now, are we clear?"
There was no response from her, which was why I saw the need to repeat myself, "I asked, are we clear?"
"Crystal," she informed me through pressed teeth.
"Good -" I said. And with those words, the pressure I exerted vanished. "After all, we all friends here, no need to be anything else than courteous to each other," my unburdened smile, as if nothing had just happened seemed to disturb her even more. She was wary of me, on guard observing my every motion; for a good reason. If there was one thing, I learned during my short tenure as a Hokage was to never make a threat you aren't willing to follow through on; without fail.
Stepping to the side, I vacated my position in front of Kushina. A position, which not only served to protect her from Tsunade attack but also from the killing intent I released.
Tsunade took a reluctant step forward. "I'm sorry for my actions. I don't know what possessed me to attacked you... Sometimes my anger just gets the better of me and I try to punch my way through my problems, and this time, I ..." She hesitated, perhaps realizing what she was about to do, Kushina decided instead of watching her struggle for words, enjoying Tsunade's discomfort to end her suffering.
"It is okay. I forgive you. Mito-obaa-san wouldn't want us to fight with each other." Kushina said.
"No, she wouldn't," confirmed Tsunade.
"Come on, let's go." Kushina invited and started a slow-paced walk back to the Uzumaki compound. I decided to follow after her, I already said my piece, and I suspected Tsunade would take a moment to get Nawaki out of the fear-induced state my killing intent put him in.
Turning my back to her, she should be used by now to the clear disregard I had for her being a threat to me.
Tsunade and a decidedly reluctant Nawaki, who was dragged behind her, closed up not long after, and together we made our way to the compound. It was an eerie atmosphere, with no one daring to speak for different reasons.
Kushina opened the door of the house and went straight to the door of Mito's room. Before she had a chance to get inside, I placed my hand on her shoulder to stop her and shook my head once when she turned around to look at me. She seemed to understand my unspoken intention and stepped out of the way.
"We will give you some privacy. Call us if you need anything," I said. Tsunade reacted by moving her head in something that could be interpreted, with a good deal of imagination, as a nod and then stepped inside the room, closing the door behind Nawaki.
"How about some tea, Hime?" I suggested to Kushina.
"Sounds good."
We both went to the kitchen. Kushina prepared the cups while I heated some water. I originally considered using the seals or fire chakra to that effect but ultimately refrained and used the stove instead.
I had the hope that by extending the time it would take for the water to boil and for the tea to be ready to be served to give the Senju siblings enough time to say their goodbyes. In any event, doing it this way would increase the chances that when they emerged and were willing to join us that they would get a cup of hot tea instead of a cold one.
Besides, one shouldn't ignore the soothing effect looking at flickering flames has on people. It helped me get my mind off of things, and I suspected Kushina might be the same. I didn't need to use my slow returning emotion sensing to notice the gut-wrenching grief she was feeling while at the same time trying to keep her composure. Suppressing and burying her feelings deep within her heart instead of confronting them.
I knew from experience they will eat at you. It would be nowhere near as bad as what I went through time and time again thinking, no blaming myself as the one responsible.
Nonetheless, I had to help her.
"You want to talk about it?" I prodded
"No -" was the curt answer I received.
"In case you ever change your mind, I'm here for you, anytime. You know that, right?" I told her.
She was biting on her lips what looked like an attempt at buttoning up her mouth, but for some reason thought better of it. "I'm scared ..."
"Of what?" I questioned, "I said that I won't leave you, and I meant it."
"I know, and that is not what I ... I fear forgetting." She looked down
"I had this Uncle who always brought me presents whenever he came to visit us. He went on a long journey around my seventh birthday and didn't return for two years, and by the time he did. I didn't recognize him, his features, his voice he was a stranger to me. It took my father showing me pictures I painted of us together for me to believe his claims to be my Uncle."
I reached over the table and put my hands on Kushinas, and our eyes met.
"I didn't know Mito for long, despite that somehow it felt like I knew her my whole life. She was a great Kunoichi, a Sealmistress without equal, but those were not what distinguished her in my eyes. What made her special were neither those abilities nor her achievements. What set her apart was her wit, her intelligence, and most of all her heart. She will be dearly missed but not forgotten, not ever. We as those who had the privilege to get to know her will make sure of that, won't we?"
"You can bet your life on it, Onii-chan." she declared, her sour mood wiped away.
"See, no need to fear anything if we stick together." I was met with a beaming smile. Mere moments later, the water on the stove was boiling. As I was standing up to fetch it I sensed the use of chakra in Mito's room. It wasn't difficult to guess what was being done, I have used and felt this particular medical diagnostic jutsu countless times to unequivocal identify it.
I wasn't surprised by Tsunade's actions, given the open distrust she had for me. Subsequently, her doubting my words and suspecting foul play by Mito dying not two days after I appeared was to be expected.
Nevertheless, it hurt to be seen that way by her, the woman I remembered to have placed unwavering trust in me, a lot more than I cared to admit.
Tsunade, by now, undoubtedly had discovered the circumstances of Mito's death. The extraction of a Bijuu leaves clear traces so distinct that even the least talented medic-nin in the elemental nations would have had no trouble in noticing them. The question was, how would she react to it. She knew it was inevitable, contrary to what she might have wished for, but would her mind triumph over her feelings.
Understandably this caused my anxiety to rise. My relationship with her might have degraded into an unrecoverable state.
I sensed them leaving Mito's room and making their way towards us. When Kushina heard them coming around the corner and into view she stood up from her chair.
"We prepared some tea if you..." she didn't even get to finish her sentence before Tsunade responded.
"That won't be necessary, Thank you for allowing us to pay our respects, but we have to go." politely declinal Kushina intervention and at the same time extending the minimal courtesy required not to offend us.
I sighed, oh my ...
"I see. Allow me to escort you back to the streets then." I offered while already on my feet, not giving her any chance to refuse.
The walk back to the front gate was a silent one. Something was bothering Tsunade. It was easy to see more than once she opened her mouth to speak, only for her to close it again in the same motion changing her mind.
Eventually, we passed the gate of the Uzumaki compound. Tsunade stopped just outside the gates. While her brother kept walking, lost in his thoughts, unaware of the steadily increasing distance between him and his sister. The docile demeanor Tsunade had during our walk, doing her best to avoid looking directly at me abruptly changed, and without preamble, she turned on the spot to face me.
In a pained voice, she said. "So she went through with it, killing herself in the process and didn't even have the decency to say farewell. Not that I'm surprised she never really saw us like family. Why else would she keep her maiden name?"
"You are unfair," I remarked.
"Am I?" she contended.
"Yes, you are – Her status was a secret. If she were to disclose her imminent death, it could endanger ... " I started to explain, only to be interrupted by her.
"The kid, for someone to see something he or she shouldn't. As I said, I get it." she spat. "So she is now the new hidden superweapon of our village, a bad trade if you ask me," she blatantly mocked.
"Listen and listen closely," I glowered. "Because I won't repeat myself. I'm aware you are hurting, grieving even. But that is no excuse to disclose any S-class secrets in a public setting, nor is it appropriate behavior, some would expect, due to the jailor of a creature capable of flattening this village with a swipe of one of its tails. Do I need to remind you Kushina did not choose to be selected as the next person bearing that burden, being the equalizer in the constant power struggle between the villages?"
"She, I can assure you of that, would have preferred to spend more time with Mito damn the consequences, because she was the only person until I came along that gave a shit about her. So why don't you go and blame the ones truly responsible for this? Starting with your grandfather he was the one who thought it a good idea to hand over the remaining Bijū to the other villages creating the need for Konoha to have one of their own. Or how about your teacher, the Hokage, and his advisors who are unwilling to relinquish their pet weapon. Instead of taking out your frustration of the situation on the one person who is completely blameless and a victim of circumstances out of her control." I slowly but surely talked myself into a rage.
"She didn't choose to be born with a strong enough chakra to be a viable candidate, nor did she volunteer for it, she was forced to leave her family, her home, to come here in order to be made Mito successor, to receive her burden all the while knowing it will kill the only person here she cared about, years before her time. But of course, it is easier to make her into the scapegoat, the punching bag for all your frustration a girl who can't defend herself, well guess what those times are over effective immediately." I told her in no uncertain terms.
My rant left her speechless, and I didn't stick around long enough for her to recover to deliver her response. A response I had no interest to hear and which I had no doubt would have escalated this argument further.
Authors Note:
I'm aware that Kotoamatsukami should work on multiple targets (given Shisui plan to prevent the Coup) at the same time and probably doesn't require eye contact – since Danzō could use it on Mifune (presumably through his eyes bandages).
But I think that would be OP as hell and would beg the question of why the hell didn't Danzō use it to make himself Hokage years ago?
Meet with the Hyuuga-Clan use Kotoamatsukami- they are yours to command Meet the Hokage use Kotoamatsukami- he makes you his successor Meet with all the jōnin, use Kotoamatsukami - they confirm your nomination Why use it only on Mifune at the Kage-Summit why not on all of the Kage and their bodyguards at the same time?There had to be some downside to the Jutsu that didn't allow for those things – and the best and most plausible is that it could only be used on a single target – Therefore if he used it on Hiruzen the Hyuuga would know and no matter how he got them to sit still that would have crossed the line ...
Furthermore, It was clear in canon, that whatever Obito used to control Yagura the 4th Mizukage, it couldn't have been Kotoamatsukami otherwise, why would he be interested in obtaining Shisuis eye from Danzō? It would be superfluous if he could cast the technique himself.
This might be just another plot hole of the series in some fashion... I mean if it is this easy to control a Kage-Level Jinchūriki why was it only done with Yagura? And with what a strange unnamed MS ability?
Wonder If somebody figured out my barely hidden wordplay in this chapter. Minato=harbour
Last edited 29.08.2021