Disclaimer: We do not own Naruto
Co-Author and Beta: Etheral-23
Chapter 69: Turning the page
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
Kushina rose from her prayer, the scent of incense thick as the stick was almost halfway burnt. She looked at the shrine they had built for Minato, the framed picture of his face adorned with two white straps at the upper corners, the idol of the god Fujin placed on the shrine's lower left row, and a prayer. The Namikaze always favored the wind gods, after all. On the right corner was a haiku,
'Shining as gemstones
droplets in the sea breeze cold
yet warm in our hearts.'
It wasn't much of a haiku but had always been Minato's favorite. He always said it brought him peace.
And he was at peace now; he truly was.
Kushina could now smile at his picture, feeling sadness without losing herself. She had closed down the page on this part of her history but did not discard the book. She could carry it with her, opening it whenever she wished without feeling overwhelmed by melancholy and longing.
It had taken her so long to be able to remember her home in Uzushio without the memories being accompanied by despair. But thanks to Minato, his parting words, and his love for her, she had taken the first step to let his memory be comforting instead of painful.
She kissed the tips of her fingers and traced them over his picture, smiling lovingly at the ever-cheerful visage of her late husband.
Kushina let out a long sigh, and with it, a lot of weight that hung over her shoulders. She stepped away from the shrine and walked until she reached their house's balcony, stepping out to stare at the village in the morning, basking in the fresh air.
The breeze was warm and comforting, ruffling her clothes and playing with her hair. Kushina's violet eyes almost seemed to shine as she smiled, staring at the village. Her hands held onto the railing as she leaned forward. The darkness that glowed inside her was finally gone, and she could finally enjoy the warmth of the light.
"Mom!" Upon hearing her son call out to her in the house, the redhead perked, "Breakfast is getting cold!"
Without a response, Kushina returned inside and went to the kitchen, where Naruto and Karin were smiling and waiting for her. Along with a future she was no longer fearful of but embraced it.
Ready for all that came next.
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
Naruto's sandal-covered feet crunched on the dirt ground strolling through the village. A light hum came from his throat as he held a gentle smile on his lips. The twelve-year-old, soon to be thirteen in a few months, had a spring in his stead with a brightness glowing about him. After breakfast with his mother and sister, he decided to roam around since he did not have an assignment. The young Uzumaki was ecstatic to hear about meeting his mom's new student, Homura, later. Both he and Karin nearly choked upon learning said the new student was the daughter of the madam of the red district.
Outside of that, Naruto had run into Sakura and Ino and was surprised to see his rosette teammate decide to get her hair cut. His teammate stated it was a part of who she once was. And no longer being that person, she decided to cut her hair to shoulder-length shag, as Ino called it. He had to say it looked pretty on his friend, who blushed at the compliment before the girls departed.
As he gazed at the village streets, watching the people go about their day, he couldn't help but feel how things were... different. It wasn't so simple as to look upon his home and spot a physical difference, but how he saw things had changed.
Of course, everything was different now. The events that transpired in Naruto's life changed his goals radically, his own family even as he found himself well in a year, having one. And then after that, it was change after change after change. Good change, honestly, things were... good, they truly were.
He was still finding himself amidst all this; people out there wanted nothing more than to spread pain and torment. And some people dedicated themselves to stopping those monsters, who wanted to ensure innocent folks wouldn't go through such horrible things. Naruto wanted to be one of them, but he was still trying to think of how to reach that new goal. When he wanted to be Hokage, all he had to do was become a better ninja, do his duty, and impress the village.
That goal was thrown out the window when he understood becoming kage would not make the status quo change. He wasn't even sure how he could have changed it. He was barely a teen. That role had fallen to Maiyuri, a young woman who wasn't much older than him.
Now, he wanted to be a sage. He wanted to do more than stop evil people. He wanted to help people who truly needed it. Like in Han'ei, make sure they would not suffer any longer.
He would eventually be trained to be a sage; Kya and Jiraiya agreed. But as things changed, he needed to take it one step at a time.
Heh, the old him would have been so impatient. And that was a weird thought, considering the 'old him' was only a year ago...
It said a lot about how radically everything was different now. The village now obeyed the commands of their shogun and said shogun embarked on a campaign to unify the Elemental Nations.
Tomoe had said the world was going through 'tumultuous times' and that they 'stood at the crossroads of destiny.'
Fancy words to say, 'shit was going down.'
Well, whatever was coming next. Naruto was ready for it.
Or so he thought...
"Naruto-nii!"
Pausing his walk, the blond turned to see Konohmaru running towards him, now just with Moegi, Udon, and Iruka-sensei. The chunin huffed, resting his hands on his knees, 'Ebisu warned me these kids were a handful.' The scarred shinobi perked up seeing his former student and little brother in spirit. "Hey, Naruto!"
"Yo," the blond said brightly, smiling at everyone but a cocked brow at Iruka, "I thought Ebisu looked after these guys?"
Moegi pouted, "With all the changes in the village, Ebisu-sensei is too busy to teach us anymore."
"Our clans took up giving us the training to be ready when we do turn of age, though," Udon said next, adjusting his glasses.
Konohamaru slumped, "We're trying to keep busy when not being trained."
That's right. Naruto recalled now the Kazamatsuri and Ise were minor but respected clans. "Wasn't your great-grandmother a Senju Moegi-chan?"
The orange-haired girl beamed, "You remembered Nii-chan!"
"As for me, I'm looking after these three since the Academy is down for now till the new system is put in place," Iruka commented, rubbing the back of his head.
"Keeping the troublemakers on a leash, huh?"
"Well, I have experience in that field," The chunin replied with an airy tone as he directed a look at Naruto.
"Ehehe..." Naruto awkwardly scratched his cheek.
"Iruka-sensei is giving us lessons too!" Konohamaru said excitedly. "So, in a way, we're still learning from the academy aside from the clans!" His excitement dimmed as he shoved his hands in his pockets, "When they can, I guess, now that the village is reforming, everyone is very busy."
Naruto wagered that Sarutobi-jiji and Asuma-sensei couldn't afford much time with their obligations. Asuma still had his team, after all, and Jiji was busy helping train the recruits of the White Lotus. That and many able-bodied shinobi were being deployed in the imperial army.
"Yeah, Maiyuri-hime needs everyone to do their part," He commented.
"She certainly doesn't do things by half," Iruka laughed. "Did you know she saved my life during the Sound Invasion?"
"Sounds like her," Naruto smiled.
"I saw her through the window!" Naruto swore there were stars in Moegi's eyes. "She was so cool!"
"And you became a Dainin now, Naruto-Nii," Udon proclaimed with child-like enthusiasm. "It has to be so cool being a royal shinobi guard, right!?"
Naruto chuckled, "It does have perks." Granted, how he got the position was questionable ahem.
"Wasn't it awesome to fight beside Maiyuri-Hime in the Land of Trees!?" Moegi jumped on the balls of her feet, "That had to be so super epic!" Konohamaru and Udon agreed with her while Naruto's eyes glossed over for a long moment.
Bodies of countless Tree citizens lie scattered across the ruins of the once-small Shinobi village. Men, women, and children; none were spared from the demonic onslaught that ravaged the area. The blood and visceral blanketing grass and ground. Horror and fear are forever etched on their dead faces...
The blond Uzumaki sharply shook away the images of the past. Which thankfully went unnoticed by the younger kids, but not Iruka-Nii, who gazed at Naruto with knowing eyes.
He understood...
Both shared a quiet nod of acknowledgment before the blond got struck into the conversation of the young trio. When the Chunin heard all that happened to his former student, he could say his nerves had never been put through such a wringer of emotions. Disobeying a mission to join a rebel faction to eliminate Daimyo Tokuhara. Completely upend the local government.
Imprisonment and then taken to the royal capital for judgment. Only for said judgment to be canceled and pardoned to be promoted to royal Dainin and fight a legion of hellborn demons in the ruined Lad of Trees alongside Maiyuri-Hime, now Shogun of their land's new empire.
Umino was more worried for Naruto's well-being than upset over his decision to disobey orders. Especially all the horrors he had heard about from the others returning from the Land of Trees mission. That kind of incident doesn't leave a person once it is done. The mental trauma alone would be nightmarish for a lesser person, let alone adolescent teenagers thrust into martial service.
But despite the older man's worries, Naruto handled it all well. Of course, he was deeply shaken by it all but had enough emotional support from family and friends not to let the horrors consume him.
His now somber gaze went to Konohamaru, Udon, and Moegi. Their eyes were full of innocent life and vigor. He was grateful they could keep those bright looks for four more years. But also heartbroken that the new changes made by Shogun Maiyuri did not happen sooner for Naruto's generation…
"It's something," Naruto settled in, saying with a practiced fake smile. The three didn't need to know the horrible things he's seen. They deserved to be kids for a while longer, not to be saddled with these heavy responsibilities he and his friends had to endure.
Something in the background caught his attention: a small orange fox perched atop a wall. It wasn't Kurama; for one, it didn't have nine tails (in fact, Kurama was smart enough to stay the Hell away from people when wandering around), it wore a scarf around its neck, and its eyes were squinty lines.
It nodded at him.
"Sorry guys, I have to leave now." He smiled and waved them off, "Dainin business."
They looked entranced at his declaration that he was about to be sent off to another mission by the princess, but Iruka seemed to know better than to take his statement at face value. "See you around, Naruto," He said as he guided the kids away. "Next time we meet, ramen's on you, remember."
He laughed, "Yeah, yeah!"
"Later, boss!" Konohamaru called, waving excitedly with his friends until they disappeared from view.
Naruto turned to the fox, walking up to the wall it was perched on. "You from boss Yuri's clan, right?"
"Correct, Naruto-san," The fox replied in a soft masculine voice. "You and your friends are required at the Valley."
Ah... so it was time.
"They're gathering at your house for departure."
No sense in waiting, then.
"Let's go"
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
Homura took in the sights with awe, the mountain peaks stretching over the distance as far as the eye could see. The temples and training grounds are built upon its majestic landscape. The sheer spiritual presence of this place filled her soul and brought her a sense of peace just by walking through its majestic steps.
"First time in the Valley of Courage and Perseverance, huh?" Her senpai smiled at her, looking amused. "Mine too. Can't blame you." Yugao looked at their surroundings, "It's... quite the sight."
"Oh, you've seen nothing yet!" Their teacher gave them a grin over her shoulder as they walked towards the closest building, a large stone construction that bore some style resembling Gogyo-koku's old-style architecture.
Kushina had insisted they come along. She wanted her students to be present for more of her duties to the country and this 'White Lotus' society. Accompanying them was Kosuke, closely followed by his bear companion. And the young dainin, Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura, Karin, and Soujiro. He joked that Kakashi would have joined, but there had to be a dainin doing his job in the village. And from what Kushian told them, they were about to embark on a very important quest that carried a lot of personal significance to the Uzumaki clan.
"Heeeey, you're here!" The familiar voice of Lyn called out. The wild-maned Uzumaki waved them cheerfully, skipping over the stone path to meet them.
"We have the best surprise waiting for you!" Another voice spoke up, coming from Lyn's hip. There on her hip, hanging by a rope, was the horned and bearded head of a man.
Yugao balked at the sight. Homura was more... forthcoming in her reaction.
"Ah, a talking head!" She loudly said. "He's gross and creepy!"
Naruto let out a chortle, barely held back by his hand covering his mouth. Kushina and Lyn openly laughed at her reaction.
The only one not amused was the head. "Ah, thank ye, lassie," Mimir droned. "That's wonderful for my self-esteem."
In a flash, the bluenette bowed, "I apologize for my rudeness, severed head-san."
"It's Mimir, lass, and you are fine. I heard a lot worse."
Yugao slowly glared at her sensei, "I thought you were kidding about the talking severed head."
"After all the weird shit happening, why would you think I was joking about that?"
"He is cool!" Lyn beamed, holding up the reanimated deity's cranium, "You have got to hear some of his stories. Especially about this legendary badass named Beowulf!"
Sasuke deadpanned, "You've been having fun then, eh?"
"You know it, Uchiha!"
A sigh came from Sakura, slumping forward, "I was hoping to take a bit of a break from the crazy."
"Yeah," Karin mumbled beside her, "that will never happen."
"I thought so."
Kuma made several huffs and barks while lying on his backside, "I like it here too," Kosuke rubbed his hand on the bear's head.
Lyn walked up to Kushina, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Saito and Samenosuke are here already."
That earned a small reaction from Soujiro, "Father is here?"
Kushina's eyes widened slightly. "And? Did they find any...?"
Lyn's smile was beyond happy, and told Kushina everything she needed to know. "See for yourselves," Mimir said with gentle cheer.
She led them toward one of the walled courtyards; behind its gates, they could see the large figures of Genryu and Kamiko, the silver and bronze dragons looming and smiling oh so widely at something underneath them. With increasingly racing hearts, the Uzumaki all but ran towards the courtyard, stepping through its doors and stopping in their tracks at the sight before them.
Red hair, so much red hair.
Individuals of all ages, men and women, of pale skin with vibrant shades of red hair. Dozens upon dozens of them.
Uzumaki, all of them were Uzumaki.
Kushina's eyes watered, her lip trembling at the sight.
Memories of streets filled with redheads, store owners, artisans, musicians, and more assaulted her mind. Of temples and traditions tended to by elders, of young children running and laughing as they played with hatchling dragons in the gardens.
Here, she stood witness to a recreation of those memories. She saw an old Uzumaki, his hair turning a shade of pinkish white, surrounded by younger redheads as he recalled something to them, a story of their kin or other. She saw a few smiths and artisans sharing the crafts their lines had preserved before an impromptu smithy tended by the dwarf brothers. Uzumaki dressed in gi as they went through familiar katas, receiving instruction and counsel from the monkeys.
She saw her great-grandmother Meihui, in her human form, kneeling on the grass surrounded by so many red-headed children, cooing and laughing gently as they held on to her, eagerly reaching to touch her horns and pat her tail, all while she held a half asleep toddler close against her breast.
Naruto's heart ached at the sight, unsure if he had ever seen someone as happy as Gran-gran Meihui looked now.
Two familiar figures walk away from the group of redheads. A usually stern-looking face adorned by a smile that refused to leave his lips with slick back red hair with various strands over his forehead. A roguish-looking man with long bangs of red hanging over his chest, his usual impish attitude replaced by a gentle expression.
Saito and Samenosuke stood reunited with their family, who could only stare at them in wonder at what they had achieved.
"You found more..." Karin muttered, feeling her chest swell with emotion, overwhelmed by all these familiar chakra signatures. "You found more."
Samenosuke knelt before his niece and nephews, taking turns to pat their heads. "Told you we would."
Saito's smile became melancholic as he looked at Kushina. "I just wish we could have done more."
Kushina sobbed and threw her arms around him. Saito replied by tightly hugging her back. She sniffed, burying her face on his neck, and as she muttered, "Thank you" repeatedly with tremendous gratitude.
He did not notice his tears as Kosuke stared at the many of his Uzumaki kin all gathered. Despite the movement of his mouth, no words came as he could not express the emotions swirling in his heart.
As a tearful Kushina finally let go of Saito, several gasps came from the more senior Uzumakis, who stared directly at the redheaded woman they recalled as a child so long ago. "Kushina-hime!" Voices hushed from the declaration from one elderly man with a mixture of red and white in his short hair.
Many more eyes turned to the former ANBU, who looked in shock with renewed tears, "Nobu-oji..." Her voice trembled.
The senior man nodded as he began to cry himself. And was soon joined by many other senior Uzumaki who grew emotional at the sight of their late Daisuke's daughter being alive! After the heartache and regret upon hearing of her death in Konoha. The guilt of not having gone to the Leaf village out of fear and being there when Kushina needed them. The guilt and regret melted away, replaced with joy and relief.
Her feet moved on their own as Kushina walked, which soon to a dash before wrapping her arms around Nobu, who did the same.
"Oji..." Naruto sharply looked up to a tearful Saito.
"Not your uncle by blood, but one of Daisuke-sama's closest vassals and friends. Your grandfather ordered him to save as many of our kin and run away from the island to keep them safe."
"I wish I could have saved more," The elder said mournfully, holding Kushina's shoulders with his arms outstretched, taking in every detail of her face. "Our ships scattered with the snakes' attack; we drifted apart for each other so much... The most I could do was gather whoever was left and care for them."
"'The most he could do,'" Another Uzumaki snorted, a man who looked to be in his fifties, but given the Uzumaki's longevity, he was potentially older than that. He was large-bellied, yet his arms and chest were massive and thick with muscle. His red hair was long frazzled, and his hands rough and calloused. His physical traits and the apron he wore marked his profession as a smith: "He single-handedly kept a dozen of us safe for years; one time, this old fool fought no less than three large snakes hunting us down!"
"We're all responsible for keeping our family safe, Takuma," Nobu said softly at the large man, looking at him with the same closeness one would give their immediate family. And Naruto saw just how his kin had formed their family units in their struggles for survival. Relying on each other to survive, to live.
"To think so many of you were out there..." Karin muttered in disbelief, wondering how many times she had missed another of her clan by mere chance while she lived in the Land of Grass with her mother.
"Some of us were all alone; we had to find our way," An Uzumaki man spoke up; his long hair and youthful looks made him quite handsome. The most peculiar trait about him was the individuals at his side. Their cousin Tamamo and her mother Haruki (in human form), the half-kitsune and kitsune, respectively, both had the man's hands on their shoulders, "But wherever we go, we Uzumaki form bonds and families." And it quickly was made clear this was Eiji, the Uzumaki who found a home with the fox clans, the one whom they never really had an opportunity to meet despite how closely the foxes were working with the dragons ago. His duties kept him occupied, but now his duty was to reunite with his family.
"Nice to finally meet you, Eiji," Kushina turned to the man, his wife, and their daughter.
The man bowed back formally, "I apologize for not being at that one meeting months ago, Kushina-hime."
"You are here now; that's what matters."
"Ah! You're finally here!" Eyes turn to see Jiraiya walking past several Uzumaki, "Hell of a sight, eh? I came an hour before thinking it would be a handful of Uzumaki." He pats Nobu's shoulder, "Glad I was wrong."
Nobu chuckled, "Good to see you too again, Jiraiya."
"Hey!" A tall and stout middle-aged Uzumaki woman with short, wavey red locks called out in a booming voice. "Lunch is almost ready! We need help bringing some tables out here!"
Several Uzumaki ran into the building without much prompting to do as the woman asked. "That's Risone," Nobu said to Kushina before looking down at Naruto and Karin, "Your children?"
"Yup," The former ANBU patted her kids' heads. Kushina gestured to Yugao and Homura, "These are also my students." The purplette and bluenette gave formal bows.
Takuma laughed, "Then you are as much a family as the rest of us! Come on, Risone will wring our necks if we don't get ready."
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
Not long after were at least several large tables brought out to the courtyard with massive amounts of food and drinks; Naruto beamed, seeing two familiar faces among the bunch. "So you guys decided to come after all!"
Benjiro scratched the back of his head, coming up to the tables with his daughter Emica. "Thank Saito. Degarashi Port has hit an economic boost now with the Wasabi family in full control. After speaking with those two, I made enough to move myself and Emica."
The white-haired child looked up with her usual blank expression, "Papa was complaining all people wanted was silverware and jewelry." A deadpan came from the blond before seeing the little girl's thumb behind them back to the forge, "Papa has a lot of partners now."
Glancing back, a young Uzumaki man who was at least two or three years older than him, with a strong muscular frame under his clothes, was still working beside Brok and Sindri. His hair was short spiky, and with golden-brown colored eyes focused on his work.
A groan escaped Benjiro's lips, "His name is Shirou, and his family is also of the Smith branch. You met his grandfather, Takuma." The large Uzumaki man in question soon laughed heartedly at a joke being told by Jiraiya.
While Shirou looked so intently into a blade that he looked completely entranced, a pretty young woman with long black hair and blue eyes, dressed in expensive and stylish red robes, gave him a frustrated glare while crossing her arms and tapping her foot impatiently.
"Your clan has gathered for the first time in decades, and you're just playing with swords?" She scolded him. "Mingle, talk! Be a person, damnit!"
"In a minute, Rin," He waved off her concerns, "I think I'm close to getting what Brok said about enchanting weapons."
"Put a seal on it; it's the same effect," She tiredly replied.
"Not the same process, though,"
"UGH! Eat something, at least!"
Shirou grabbed a chicken leg from a plat set at the side, took a bite out of it, set it down, and continued inspecting the half-made weapon while chewing.
Broke, munching on a much larger leg, nodded approving. "I like this kid. He knows how to get in the zone."
"Don't encourage him!"
"Look at that, Naruto," Sasuke deadpanned at his blonde teammate, "Another non-redhead Uzu; you're not alone anymore."
"Screw you," He deadpanned.
The girl, Rin, seemed to hear them as she turned to them with her nose up in a way that reminded Sasuke of some people from his clan. "For your information, I am Rin of the Tohsaka clan."
Karin did a double take, "Not... the Tohsaka from the Land of Jewels, right? You people pretty much own that land."
"Correct," She smirked in a smarmy manner, "I'm here because this knucklehead would be lost without me. I can't count the number of times I had to save his sorry hide, so of course I was invited to such a prestigious occasion-"
"She's my girlfriend," Shirou casually said.
All the smarminess and pride vanished from her face, instantly replaced by a flushing and embarrassed expression. "D-Don't just say it like that!"
"Why not? Aren't we dating?"
"Y-Yes, but have some decorum at least! Also, don't comment on it like you're just talking about the weather!"
"So I should just be dishonest?"
"D-Dummy!"
Naruto could only stare, "What is happening?" He muttered to his friends and family.
"Holy crap," Kushina looked impressed, "She's a Class A Tsundere. Boy either got super lucky or damn unlucky there."
At the table, Homura leaned to Sakura, "I heard the Tohsaka were self-made royalty."
"..." The rosette took a long, analyzing gaze at Rin before her brow rose, "She is the Heiress of the Tohsaka clan! The first daughter of Tokiomi Tohsaka!"
"Really?" Soujiro casually asked at her side. "Huh."
"You don't just say 'huh' when the literal princess of the Land of Jewels is standing with us!" Haruno screeched and bonked her eccentric sword-wielding Uzumaki friend on the head.
The Heiress groaned dramatically, "Why did I put up with a man so obsessed with his work?"
"Because you love him," Emica retorted in a matter-of-fact tone. "And you stare at your boyfriend's muscles while he works."
A blushing Rin glared at the young girl, "You're too young to comment on that!"
"You're too old to be a prude." The doll-like girl retorted dryly.
"Imma punt her!"
"Please don't punt my baby cousin," Shirou conveyed off-handedly while keeping his eyes on his work.
The raven-haired Heiress glared back at her boyfriend with a twitching eye before huffing, "Oh, very well."
Naruto looked at his mom dryly, "Well, she fits in with us."
"She's got the volatile personality down," Kushina, an expert on the subject, commented approvingly.
On the other end of their table, Saito and Samenosuke were catching up with Kosuke. It was still jarring knowing this towering mass of muscle was once the tiny nervous thing that would cling to Tsukiko's skirts. The swordsman shook his head, laughing softly, "Non-talking bears?"
"The best family I could have asked for," The wild-haired man said, taking a large piece of beef and handing it to the enormous bear that saw beside him. Kuma chewed on the meat happily, remaining still even as several children climbed upon its furry form.
"Took a lot after them, I see~," Samenosuke said with a tone and smirk that made Saito roll his eyes, getting closer to the Kosuke's muscular frame and placing a hand upon a wide chest. "You're a bear of a man yourself~."
"Not interested."
"Don't fancy men?"
"Don't fancy sluts."
A sharp 'Ha!' came from Lyn a few seats over, "He got you pegged instantly!"
Kosuke let out a throaty sound of displeasure. "He smells like cheap wine and alleyways."
Samenosuke's shoulders slumped, pursing his lips with an unamused look as he crossed his arms petulantly. "You people are always slutshaming me. We freaks have feelings, too!"
Kyra sighed, and it said a lot about her growth that she even chose to comment. "You don't even deny it."
Shaking his head, amused and honestly warmed at his family's antics, Saito looked at his son sitting next to him; he admired the new outfit, elegant and formfitting, perfect for a swordsman. Soujiro wore it well. "I've only heard vague things about what's been going on. How have you been well? Did you have fun?"
"Yes," Soujiro softly replied, "It has been eventful."
"Oh?"
Then Soujiro proceeded to summarize the events he had partaken in. With each sentence, Saito's expression grew more horrified, and by the time his son finished, he looked white as a ghost before directing a scathing glare at Kushina. The woman avoided his gaze as she sweated nervously, slowly sinking under the table as though that would make her disappear.
"To be fair, the Han'ei situation was just bad from the start," Jiraiya declared in Kushi's defense. "And then everything else went to Hell at Land of Trees, too. But it all turned right in the end. Dainin's status is very prestigious."
"That was by sheer luck," Saito retorted sharply. "All of you could have died."
"But we didn't," Naruto quickly spoke, "You can ramble about all the what-ifs all day, Uncle. All of us did what was right at Han'ei. What's done is done. We're alive and not in pri-" Kushina's hand swiftly covered her son's mouth.
"We do not mention that within earshot Maw-Maw." The redheaded woman whispered in a pleading hiss. "Not unless you want her to decide she'd be a better ruler over our lands than what we have now."
Saito turned white again before glancing to see Meihui was fully enraptured playing with the Uzu children. So thankfully was oblivious to the conversation. The man sighed, "Suppose it is as you say, Naruto. What's done is done. And you all are alright."
A relieved smile across the lips of Team Seven while Homura looked to Yugao, "A lot has happened in such a short time, hasn't it?"
"Yes, it has..."
"Aunt Kushi!" Tamamo called out to get the former ANBU's attention. They saw the young kitsune/Uzumaki girl skipping over with another girl about her age in a martial arts gi.
"There you are; where did you run off?" Kushina asked the fox girl.
"Oh, had to get some of the meatheads to stop training for now," She said with a grin fitting of her species, "Including this one."
She was on the tall side, not to mention fairly built, with lean, athletic, and well-defined muscles. Long way red locks were tied up in a ponytail, with various bangs covering her forehead and two long strands framing the sides of her face, falling to her collarbones. Her gi was black with red outlines, around her chest and forearms were white sarashi wrappings, and she wore long loose pants but no sandals. Brown eyes stared at her fellow relatives sheepishly. "It's not every day you get to train with the monkey masters." She scratched her cheek while giving out an awkward smile.
"You guys would have spent the entire reunion like that had I let you."
"I was bonding with my kin..."
"Now you're bonding the others the civilized way."
With a soft laugh, the muscular girl gave a small bow. "I'm Hikari, pleased to meet you."
"Look at that, a formal Uzumaki," Kushina said with a large smile, "You don't see many of those. Nice to meet you, sweetie."
"We met Hikari in a hamlet a few months ago," Saito smiled as he recalled the encounter. "She only had the basics of her training, but it was impressive what she managed to do independently."
"It's not that big of a deal," She chuckled awkwardly.
"Girl, you were knocking down trees with your fists," Samenosuke laughed. "If that's not impressive to you, I don't know what is."
"So cool..." Naruto muttered in awe, wanting to see what this cousin could do.
"You and Sakura should spar," Karin commented, nudging at the pinkette, smirking as she saw Naruto shivering; no doubt he found that prospect a bit less 'cool.'
"Ahhh, a fellow martial artist, huh?" Hikari looked at the girl.
Sakura shrugged in reply, "I'm sure I'd call myself a 'martial artist'; I just… brawl a lot. Not much technique there."
"You make the ground explode," Sasuke deadpanned, "I think that counts as some 'technique'..."
A few laughs were shared, and Hikari proposed. "You should join us in sparring with the monkeys. Their masters are sure something else; I don't think I've ever seen such refined... techniques..." Strangely, she began to trail off, an unfocused look forming in her eyes. Her lips pursed for a moment before she panted, urgency and a bit of panic clearly showing in her gaze. "Excuse me."
She quickly walked away, far from the rest of the large family gathering, drawing concerned gazes from more than one Uzumaki.
Naruto and his family felt something was wrong when Saito and Samenosuke quickly stood up, looking at the girl with apprehension as Tamamo ran after her. He was almost on his feet when Hikari stopped, standing a few paces away, clenching a fist over her chest.
She took deep, labored breaths as if trying to center herself. Did she have a medical condition like she was in the middle of an episode?
Karin, however, was looking at her with wide eyes. "What the...?"
Then, he knew it was extremely serious when Meihui stopped playing with Ganyu and the children and focused her attention on the young Uzumaki woman.
As Hikari seemed to be calming herself, the faint glow of a seal was seen under her chest's sarashi. She let out a last long breath as Tamamo touched her shoulder, looking at her worryingly. "Are you okay?"
"...Yeah," She panted, "Yeah, it's over now."
The Kitsune gave her a gentle smile and nodded, looking at her cousin's chest momentarily before waving a hand, "It's already dissipating."
Hikari sighed and walked back to the reunion, doing her best to ignore some of the looks sent her way. "I'm... sorry about that."
"Are you okay?" Kushina quickly went into maternal mode. "What happened?"
"I... don't suppose you'll believe I have asthma?"
Saito groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose while Samenosuke shook his head. "You're with family here, kid. Besides, some of us here already know. Don't even try to keep it a secret."
Hiraki bore a guilty look.
"You..." Karin stammered, "You were just absorbing a lot of nature chakra right now..."
Genryu and Kamiko also focused on the situation as a few shocked looks graced the Uzumakis. Even the expression of the Tohsaka heiress and Shirou bore a look of surprise. "She can what," Jiraiya rose from his seat.
Bellowing roars, sounding like neither man nor monster, echoed within an enforced seal room.
The bifocal-wearing Uzumaki shuddered, remembering him vividly.
Tamamo quickly spoke up, "We do have it under control."
"That is beside the point," Kushina walked around the tables and came to both of them, "How can you be naturally absorbing Nature Chakra? That should be impossible."
"It isn't," Eyes turned to Karin, "I knew someone else who could do that."
Hikari looked surprised at that, "There is someone else like me?"
Naruto recalled from Kya the dangers of Senjutsu and taking in nature chakra and what it could do to a person if left unchecked. But to even access nature chakra requires intense training. For a person to be able to absorb it in such a manner would be extremely dangerous to the person and people around them.
The older teen remarked, "Ever since I could remember, I could absorb nature chakra. Even after I was born, my parents did their best but were never good at seals. But on bad days, Dad took me camping so I could vent it out..."
"Who are your parents? Are they here?" Lyn asked with concern in her tone.
"Arabata and Minamo Uzumaki..." Hikari's face dimmed, "They died in an accident when I was ten. Been on my own ever since. I knew how to take care of myself, thanks to my parents. Even redid the seals on me, but they weren't very good. So just kept to myself and away from people in case... I had a bad day."
"A bad day?" Naruto muttered, "What does it do to you?"
"Absorbing nature chakra without knowing what you're doing, without training your body for it, is lethal," Jiraiya muttered grimly. "I've seen it, Mount Myōboku; there are statues of people who could not handle sage training. They weren't built in their honor; those people turned to stone."
Looks of shock and horror were prevalent, looking at Hikari as though she was at risk of turning to stone right in front of them. Something the woman did not like, given her expression.
"But it's clear that isn't what happens to you," Karin said. "The person I know, his clan passively absorbs nature chakra, but their bodies are sturdier, far more... 'attuned' to it, but it's not a seamless process. It causes their bodies to change." She looked at Hikari worryingly. "That is what happens to you. During a bad episode, you... mutate, don't you?"
"...Yeah," The martial artists sighed.
"This is an extremely rare condition," Meihui spoke, walking closer to the young woman. And when the clan mother spoke, everyone else listened. "Because you're an Uzumaki, you survived; your body and vitality are stronger than average, but not enough that nature chakra isn't changing you. It is raw power, after all."
"Yes," Hikari nodded as the dragon woman stood before her; she looked at the clan mother like the revered elder she was. "I lose control..."
"When we met her," Saito took over, "Samenosuke and I had to redo her seals from scratch, make something to contain, and filter out the nature chakra properly. Then Tamamo made sure to optimize it so it'd run smoother."
"I'm fine now, I swear," Hikari said, "Ever since I had the new seal, I hadn't had any episodes. At most, there are moments when the chakra levels rise too much, so I must wait it out and let the seal do its work. You don't need to worry yourselves so much-"
Meihui bonked her in the head.
"Nonsense!" The matriarch chided. "You're amongst family now; we'll worry as much as we want to."
The warm, loving eyes of the people, no, her family, made Hikari recall the warmth of her parents. A grateful smile crossed the young woman's lip as she bowed her head, "Thank you."
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
Kushina had her eyes covered as she counted down to zero while several Uzumaki children went into hiding around the compound. Before she even realized it, the former ANBU had been dragged over by most of the youngsters who wanted to play games with her. Which soon involved the majority of Team Seven playing around, too. Naruto snickered before deadpanning, looking up to Emica piggybacking on his shoulders, "You know this isn't how you play tag."
"I'm super tiny; you're huge. Thus, you are my ride for the tag." Naruto squinted as this little runt was much like Gaara while they were supposed to have fun. Her face remained blank, and she kept speaking in a monotone.
Still, at least the blond could tell the pipsqueak was having fun despite her lack of emotional expressions. "Onward noble steed."
"Do I look like a horse!?"
Lyn couldn't stop giggling at the sight of her precious Kya, frozen in place with several children climbing on her. "I... I have no idea what to do. Help."
"Your hair is really pretty," A young Uzumaki girl told Sakura.
"Thank you!"
Karin chuckled as she helped a few girls make floral arrangements, though perhaps it'd be fair to say they were helping her. To her regret, this was never really something she had done with her mother. But she enjoyed being around her clan's literal future, the sign that their lineage was healing.
Seventeen young signatures, twenty young adults, forty-six older signatures, and at least five elders.
Eighty-eight
Eighty-eight.
It was such a small number from a clan once a village unto themselves, but it was something. It was far better than the nigh-complete annihilation they suffered at the hands of their enemies. She wondered how many of them had been in her situation, alone, thinking they'd never meet someone from the clan, only for Saito and Samenosuke to appear in their lives...
What a wonderful it was, this feeling in her chest she had no name for.
"Hope is a beautiful thing, isn't it?"
Soujiro said that to her as though he could tell what she was thinking. Or rather, what she was feeling. For someone she always had trouble reading, Soujiro was not the cold or unfeeling boy people often thought he was. He was at peace; he didn't find any reason to get angry or sad; he merely took it all in stride. But there was still an amazing amount of love and caring for people underneath that passive exterior.
It seemed he certainly knew how to handle kids as he was perfectly happy to sit still as two boys painted his face to look like a tiger's.
"You're a tiger now!" One of the kids giggled, proud of their work.
"I am a tiger," Soujiro raised his hands to be like paws, "Grrr." Tamamo laughs at Rin, who spits her drink at the young swordsman's antics with the children.
While the overwhelming joy and merriment were infectious to everyone, Sasuke kept a comfortable distance, sitting on the compound wall. Quietly, he observed every Uzumaki he could see enjoying themselves. Despite his neutral expression, he did feel happy. If nothing else, his mother would be delighted if she could see this. Seeing the joy from his teammate and his mother as they enjoyed themselves made him glad.
But he also soon looked away as the sight before him brought back a much happier time that brought an ache to his heart. He remembered the joy-filled smiles of the members of his clan, who were now gone. He let out a deep, shaky breath, reigning in his emotions because he knew that, unlike the Uzumaki, none of his Uchiha kin would ever return.
Sasuke could not help but feel an intense wave of envy. But he squashed that emotion down instantly. That kind of feeling is unbecoming and shameful to a Uchiha.
...Gods, what did that mean any more to him? Everything he thought he wanted had been turned on its head. Was he still Sasuke, the righteous avenger of the Uchiha clan? Was he Sasuke, the shinobi, in service to the shogun? Or was he just Sasuke, the guy who would throw away his goals for the sake of his friends?
Well... if nothing else, today he could be Sasuke, the last Uchiha, comrade to the resurgent Uzumaki. The Uzumaki had been friends with Konoha and once had encouraged and mediated peace between the Senju and his clan. He could honor the respect his family had for the nation of redheads.
There was a future here, and it should be celebrated.
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
Kushina and Lyn lay on their stomachs, a large cloth between them and the grass. Their eyes were almost comically wide as they stared at the occupant in the center, a tiny baby with messy red locks and a ribbon on her head. "She small," Kushina said with her lips pursed and making a hilarious inflection.
"Seven months old," The mother, a Uzumaki woman named Toma, said. She wore a red kimono, her eyes were green, and her hair was cut very short, almost a boy's cut. She knelt next to her child, tenderly tracing a finger over her cheek. "Mika, the youngest Uzumaki so far."
Mika made a small sound and kicked the air in her sleep.
Kushina and Lyn restrained the need to loudly coo. It wouldn't do to wake her up... her or any of the other children currently asleep in a pile around them. They were worn out, the poor things. Usually so full of energy, only fellow Uzumaki children could pick up the pace, and having met their match, they all eventually tired themselves out.
"Those kids must have played with more in an hour than in their entire lives," Meihui said with a soft smile, holding a toddler in one arm; the boy was snoring softly as he buried his head in her long white locks.
Ganyu smiled warmly as she placed a blanket over a few children, "I had missed this, watching over Uzumaki children, feeling my heart about to explode when they did something that'd worry me half to death."
"Yeeeeah, we made your job difficult," Kushina admitted, resting her chin on her palms. "We even figured out how to fool your sense of smell."
"That you did..." The blue-haired, horned woman replied with a less than enthused tone. "I had to ask Kaida to help me find you, which she did in under five minutes."
"Aunty Kaida knew us very well," Lyn giggled. "Then we'd get you to take us to the beach and play house there."
"You were so good at playing the moms!" Kushina recalled with a beaming smile. "You got in character, hugging and kissing even!"
Meihui snorted, and Ganyu made a sad, longing, yet still happy smile.
Then, the two grown women began remembering some of their childhood memories in a whole different light.
"...Oh shit," Lyn muttered, then felt VERY glad the kiddies were asleep.
Kushina's face went through several various expressions of revelations, sorting her memories. She looked downright comical to the point Toma had to bite her lip not to wake her baby from laughing. "H-H-How did we not see that?!" Kushina spoke in a hissing whisper.
"To be fair, we genuinely kept our relationship private," Ganyu admitted.
Meihui deadpans, "Despite all of us knowing." And not a single person remotely cared that they were. Everyone was happy they became a couple despite never telling anyone anything. "I never understood why you two kept it quiet."
"We just wanted our relationship to be about us."
Kaida and Ganyu were usually so busy that when they had free time, they just wanted to be with themselves every chance they could. Forget the worries and troubles of the world and be with each other. The warm coastal breeze was soothing as the two lovers sat on a hill near the shoreline. Neither spoke; words were unnecessary as they held hands and stared at the ocean around Uzushio.
The blue-haired she-dragon quickly wiped away a stray tear, which the other adults noticed. Despite offering a kind smile, everyone could tell Ganyu was hurting. Deeply missing the woman she loved with all her heart. Kushina and Lyn sat up gently to avoid disturbing the sleeping babe with melancholy expressions. Toma gently brushed her fingers through her infant's hair, "Mother told me tales of Kaida-sama. Wish I could have met such a legend of our people."
"She was something else," Kushina mumbled.
Lyn rubbed her arm, "Always knew what to say when things got tough. Or just wanted to make you laugh."
"Kaida was perfect," Ganyu spoke in a gentle but broken tone.
"Kaide would be the first to tell you she wasn't," Meihui said gently, "But she didn't have to be. She was better than perfect. She was ours. Your aunt, my granddaughter, Tsukiko's child. Like Rokuro, Ahmya, Manami, Mei-Lin..." Her voice trailed off into a mournful sigh. Remembering every last detail of her grandchildren, from the smallest traits of their personalities, the sort of food they each liked to the strongest of their virtuous. She remembered the many children her own had sired, the ones who started the clan; even after so long, she still held them all close in her heart... Many of them had passed in peace ages ago, but this wound on her heart, on the heart of every survivor of their clan...
She looked at her kin, distant and close descendants, and beautiful progeny. The melancholic gaze on Lyn's and Kushina's eyes, the tender love and hope Toma had for her child as she held her close, the longing in Ganyu's heart. Meihui felt their pain, their hopes... they deserved their home, and she would give it to them.
"We'll make our family whole," The clan matron passionately swore, "I'll make sure of it."
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
From a distance, Tomoe knelt and watched. The crowd of redheads still mingled, laughing, talking, playing, arguing, and training. Acted like, after all this time, there had never been any distance from each other; the strangers they were meeting for the first time were lifelong friends. Family to care for and protect above all else.
This was truly the Uzumaki spirit, alive after so long. A clan forged in love and trust bonds stronger than those made pride and loyalty to the 'idea' of a clan.
Having seen the split of the Minamoto clan, the bloodshed as kin slayed kin in a power struggle. She wondered if the clan had believed in love for each other instead of the concept of 'glory' so vaguely defined for the clan that things could have been different. That her beloved Yoshinaka would not have done what he did, maybe she would have remained at his side...
But then, she never would have taken this important role and met all the wonderful people in her long immortal journey.
Tomoe did not react when a massive serpentine body of silvery scales lowered behind her. Genryu's massive head settled on the ground next to her, one reptilian eye looking at her. "You could mingle closer, you know. They'd be delighted to know you better."
"Another time, perhaps," Tomoe said softly. She'd embark with them to fulfill the next task for the White Lotus, to find her teacher. She was who they truly needed. "As Tsukiko's pupil, I can't remain idle until I return her to them... to you."
"They do not want to know Tsukiko's pupil," The dragon chief said. "They want to know you, Tomoe Gozen, the onna-musha. One of the kindest, bravest, most driven souls in this world."
A woman whose love for all mortals and life rivaled his sister's. Who rose above the hatred and prejudice of being a hanyō and proved herself a warrior unsurpassed. Who faced down evil in all its shapes for the good and innocent. Saved countless lives during the Age of Chaos and many more in the Sundering. And faced down the hordes of the nine Hells itself.
She is a hero whose legend should be told across the world itself. Yet she desires no praise and seeks neither reward nor thanks. Only moving ahead to face the next crisis without hesitation or weariness.
Infinitely selfless, unimaginably humble. Forged with a sense of an unshakable duty to her purpose.
Beauty to rival a god in both the body, mind, heart, and soul. Tomoe is a light to the world, unaware of her brilliance.
...An unaware just how much...
Kamiko's eyes soften, seeing the longing in her father's eyes as he looks at the woman who captured his heart. Something she was grateful for since how much her mother's passing affected him. Qilong had been the pillar in their family for centuries; losing her led her father through rough paths that brought consequences with his rashness. But somewhere in the passing ages, her father had been growing feelings for the immortal woman.
"Pondering upon our dear Genryu?" Her grandmother's voice called out, and Kamiko looked down to see the dragon woman walking towards her. She was always comfortable taking the shape of a human, even if her tail and horns were still very prominent. Shapeshifting was a useful skill for many beings, though Kamiko had never really found the need for it; she hardly ever needed to interact with others in a way that required her form to change.
Kamiko lowered her head until it touched the grass, settling beside Meihui's smaller form. "Pondering why the need to dance around so much," She said, referring to his father's approach towards the half-demon or lack of one.
"Oh, he has always been stubborn, always one to drag things out." Meihui shook her head fondly. "He got that from Toryo truly; I don't think his father would have taken the hint had I not smacked him in the head and dragged him to my dwelling."
"You do not need to tell me everything," Her calm voice was laced with an underlying tone of desperation.
"The point is, my dear, Genryu is in love, and it is difficult for him to act upon, given everything that's happened."
"Hmm..." Kamiko hummed in thought. "An opposite approach should be taken, given precisely our circumstances." These were dangerous times. After losing so much, you never knew how long you'd keep that dear to you.
"A sound logic," Meihui smiled, leaning against Kamiko's face. "But seldom does it have a place when love is involved. You'll understand one day."
"I'm centuries old," Kamiko dryly reminded her grandmother. "And have several mates."
"Ahh, but does your heart tremble at the thought of any of them?"
She was fond of many of them, but perhaps her grandmother had a point.
They remained in comfortable silence for a moment, just watching as the clan, their clan, recovered what they lost, even a little. With words and shouts and laughter and hugs, in blatant displays of affection as the Uzumaki were always known.
"This family deserves so much," The great matriarch muttered. "Their wellbeing, their happiness, is paramount."
"...What of yours?" Kamiko gently asked.
Meihui sighed; she pressed her body further against Kamiko's head, both palms gently rubbing over the scales. The bronze dragon leaned into her grandmother's 'hug.' "You are the last of my grandchildren, your father the last of my children... even if our goal fails, if Tsukiko is not out there, know you're all I need for my days to be filled with joy."
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
"It is almost hard to imagine, isn't it Airi?" One elderly female Uzumaki muttered beside her granddaughter in disbelief.
Airi nodded curiously, "How can it be possible, Fuyuko-baachan?"
"Hmm, even I have never seen such a thing back when Uzushio was still around."
Naruto's eye twitched as both women inspected the blond hair on his head.
"A blond Uzumaki..." Fuyuko shook her head, "Who would have guessed those Namikaze have such strong genetics? It is so strange."
"It was kind of out of my hands, you know," Naruto grumbled, glaring back at the two before sighing. They had not been the first of his kin to look at his blond locks in astonishment since coming here.
It felt like they were examining him like he was a rare oddity. Which was getting steadily annoying...
Shaking his head, he focused on a large wooden table Tomoe had set up in the courtyard. On top of it was a very extensive detailed map of the entire Elemental Nations that looked like one in the Hokage Tower. On each corner of the map were lit large candles and a strange necklace the Hanyou woman was holding. Meihui and several others were gathered around the table, with Chief Enma bringing over Mimir.
The reanimated deity of wisdom looked approvingly, "Nearly ready, I see."
"Since our divination attempts proved unsuccessful. Likely due to wards from the enemy."
Kushina leaned forward beside her son and daughter, "So what are we doing exactly?"
"We have made preparations for a ritual design to detect blood ties," Tomoe explained. "Using certain traits of blood gathered as a reagent should highlight every individual who shares those traits on the map."
"Across all the nations?" Lyn muttered as she stared at the map. "Can you even perform a technique of such scope?"
"I'm an ancient sage," The white-haired woman replied, "And I have the support of power and resourceful allies," She waved at the leaders of the monkey and dragon clans, respectively.
"We just need a bit more blood to finish it," Meihui took over. "Kushina, Saito, Lyn, your hands, please." The trio did not hesitate in sticking out their hands; Meihui pulled out a vial from her sleeve, half filled with blood already. A sharp nail pinched into Saito's finger first, drawing blood and making it flow through the air and safely into the vial, which she repeated with Kushina and Lyn. "This one already has mine and Genryu's blood,"
"People with close blood ties with Tsukiko-sama," Karin expressed understandingly.
"Precisely," The dragon matriarch mutters something and pours the blood into the map. Predictably, it stained the parchment as it soaked the material but gradually lost coloration until it looked like it had not been stained in the first place. Meihui took a deep breath before turning to her daughter's apprentice. "You may proceed."
Tomoe nodded and began performing a series of slow hand signs with the necklace still in hand, chanting softly in a tongue that... sounded like Gogyoku's but felt more archaic. Mimir's lips faintly moved on the table as he was muttering something in a language they could not understand, green eyes glowing slightly as they looked over the map.
After a minute or two, Tomoe finished by slamming her hands together and stomping her feet twice. She brought one hand over the map, and everyone held their breath as her finger tapped its center. Naruto could feel his heart drumming in his chest, anxiously waiting for something to happen.
Then they saw a small circle expanding around Tomoe's finger, traveling in a wave across the map, tiny red-orange dots lighting up on its path.
"It's detecting individuals with any sort of blood relation," Tomoe explained, looking over where there were a bunch of lights of varying degrees of intensity, around five or so shining far more brightly than the rest. "This is where we are. The ritual highlights all the Uzumaki present here."
Sasuke's eyes reflected every detail on the signatures, glowing, "There is more..."
It was indeed, as the Uchia pointed out. Numerous red-orange dots glowed in nearly every map portion, save for Iwa and Kumo. Dots huddled together. Others separate and on their own. Emotions glowed on the many faces of the Uzumaki standing at the table. "So many," Naruto muttered, unable to hide his smile.
With a shaky hand over her mouth, Kushina tried hard not to cry with relief and pain. Relief knowing so many of the Uzumaki had survived. But grief seeing how far away they are and yet back with their family.
Jiraiya's eyes paid close attention to a single dot in Ame.
As much as Meihui felt nothing but hope seeing so many of her clan being alive. She stayed focused, with Tomoe looking for a specific glow on the map. Both felt a tinge of desperation, only seeing average signs for several minutes... Till both came to a stop where one signature glowed. But unlike the rest, this almost shined like a star.
Their bodies were motionless as it almost felt like time stood still. Both felt a quickening in their hearts with their breathing heightened.
"...Sensei..."
"...My baby girl..."
Mimir's eyes rose, "By The All-Father's beard-"
"Tsukiko is-" Chief Enma muttered in shock.
Kushina felt tears run down her cheeks, "Baachan is alive." Upon hearing those words, everyone in and outside the compound grew quiet and unmoving.
"It's her," Genryu muttered in utter astonishment, the light on the map calling, drawing him like a moth to a flame. "It has to be her; this is the only light that's reacted so strongly to the blood used in the ritual."
Nobody else was tied to their blood this closely. It burned even brighter than any of the signatures gathered close. It had to be her, his dear sister Tsukiko.
Their hopes were not in vain; the long years of grieving, pain, and heartache would be no more, and the need for the wise sage of Gogyou-koku to return would be realized at long last.
It was Tsukiko; it had to be.
"The location is the Forked River Valley, in the Land of Fangs!" Meihui immediately sprang into action. Her eyes burned with intense determination as a bright, hopeful smile bloomed on her lips. "Tsukiko must be being held prisoner!"
"Wait, how do we know?" Samenosuke called out, alarmed.
"It's a location that's been used sometimes by the Kurokiba," Enma grumbled as he glared at the map. "It was them; we should have known..."
"Send the fastest scouts we have!" Tomoe shouted, and already Kamiko flew away to alert her vassals. "We don't know the sort of defenses the Kurokiba have, so we'll go in with everything we have!"
"We'll need a sufficiently sized team," Jiraiya said before turning with a grin at the various Uzumaki present. "Any volunteers?"
Almost all of them shouted, clamoring to go with them for a chance to release their beloved sage. Kushina, Saito, Lyn, Samenosuke, and Kosuke *needed* to go; they needed to do something to release the woman who had been so important in their lives.
And Naruto knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he wanted to be part of it.
"Easy there, much as we'd love to, you can't all go. Will be risky," The Toad Sage tried to calm down the crowd of redheads. Which took some serious courage, considering these were all Uzumaki. "We'll pick some of you to go, then depart."
A blue-haired head in a sea of red stood out, looking directly at Meihui. "My lady," She knelt in reverence and respect for her elder as she humbly requested, "Let me go as well."
Meihui's draconic eyes settled on the half-dragon, authority clear on them before shifting to fondness and nostalgia. "You are more than welcome."
For his part, Naruto turned to his cousins excitedly, "We're gonna find our gran-gran."
"I'll call her Gran-Gran Tsukiko," Soujiro agreed earnestly with a small and gentle smile.
"Hope she likes the title," Karin giggled.
"Good grief..." Sakura sighed tiredly, rubbing her forehead. "It's been barely two weeks since we got into the hell that was the Land of Trees; you're now just jumping straight into another big fight?" She shook her head and smiled at Sasuke, "The things we put up with, huh?"
"Somebody has to keep these idiots in check," The young Uchiha boy droned, "It's our burden to bear."
"Oh, this is a family responsibility," Karin tactfully said. "You're not obligated to come."
"Of course, we are obligated," Sakura rolled her eyes but smiled, placing her arms akimbo. "You just said it's a family thing, after all."
Naruto's eyes were shining, "You guys..."
"Hug me, and I'll punch you," Sasuke warned.
"Gonna risk it!"
"Do not-!"
Kushina smiled at their antics, feeling so much hope in her chest that it would burst.
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
Forked River Valley, above ground, was a majestic and captivating land with large forested regions and multiple mountain peaks, with its namesake flowing in its center. For any wandering individual, it was a place of calm serenity. A place where one could escape their troubles and relax.
Below the surface, however, laid a dark secret not even Fang Daimyo Ōkami, or any shinobi, knew. Large and spacious shafts went on like a maze with torches in various places. Out of the numerous snakes coming and going, one humanoid figure strolled by the serpents. Jeanne held a crystal in her hand and glowed with an image of Yamata's heads, "How goes the ritual?"
"It is taking longer than expected. Moreover, we spotted White Lotus scouts an hour ago." Displeasure rang in her tone.
A slight hiss came from the God of Destruction, "I had felt Meihui's presence as well. She is drawing closer. No doubt with allies. I shall be sending Ibuki to aid you. My daughter, Katsura, and our fifth regiment should be enough with you for our old friends."
Jeanne nodded, "I'll tell Gilles to pick up the pace."
"This ritual cannot be overly rushed. However, we shall waste time either."
"Understood Lord Yamata." The crystal's light soon faded along with the divine serpent image. The Herald snarled, pocketing the crystal away inside her armored dress. "Fucking hell, he's sending Ibuki...?"
That damn woman was far too troublesome to handle; it was downright impossible to give her command as she would just do whatever struck her fancy at a moment's notice. Guided purely by instincts and passing desires, while she could appreciate that about Ibuki, she certainly did not want to deal with her whims.
A low, throaty growl escaped her lips as she pondered her next action. A metal-tipped finger tapped over her armguards as she slowly began to pace. "Are they prodding our defenses?"
"Just a few scouts, my lady," A woman answered her, tall, black-skinned, dark hair shifting into fuchsia the longer it went; the sclera of her eyes was completely dark, with her iris colored a shining purple. "They are intent on finding our location," A smile widened on her lips, showing sharp fangs. "I believe they're throwing caution to the wind."
"They're desperate to find her," Jeanne slowly nodded. Good, they could use that. She snapped her fingers and conjured a plume of dark smoke which formed in a circle. A rippling liquid-like dark substance took form in the center, which soon cleared up to show another chamber filled with robbed individuals. One, in particular, was a large skeleton with an attire similar to a certain faith, one that would send her flying into rage were it not for the fact the obvious mockery amused her. "Gilles, Yamata demands we speed up. How much longer will it take?"
"We are proceeding as fast as we can," The skeleton replied, his jaw unmoving as shining blue eyes seemed to emote apologetically. "She's... very strong-willed."
She growled, "How long can it take to corrupt a mortal woman? She's almost bones and skin!"
"She..." He paused, "She is a powerful mortal; you know how potent her blood is."
Hmm, that she had to acknowledge. Ohhh, how sweet it tasted...
"Keep it at. We'll soon have company." She dismissed the communication without waiting for his reply. She sighed, crossing her arms once more as her red eyes stared at what was in front of her.
Large, almost spherical, pulsating with life, at least five of them...
"Shall I instruct our forces to begin laying a trap?" The dark-skinned woman dutifully asked.
"Do it, Drolta," She commanded without turning.
Drolta bowed in reverence, "By your will," And turned with a sway of her hips.
Jeanne let a smile form on her lips, showing sharp bloodthirsty fangs. "Let them come," She stared at the giant objects in front of her, feeling the life force and power radiating from the inside. The life was morphing and changing into something far greater. "We are ready."
The eggs pulsated.
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
