I Was Just Saying It, and It Really Existed. I Really Was the Child of Fortune

The ruins of Uzushiogakure, in the former Land of Whirlpools.

The Uzumaki Clan crest could be seen everywhere, but all around were crumbling walls and ruins overgrown with weeds.

Looking at it all, Tamaki felt a sense of sadness, even though he only had the Uzumaki Bloodline and had not truly awakened the Uzumaki Kekkei Genkai.

The three walked through the decaying ruins.

Tsunade walked along casually, empty-handed.

Shizune carried a pack of personal belongings on her back and held the little pig Tonton in her arms.

Tamaki, as usual, carried that large pack on his back.

"Hey, kid, are you planning to drag us around looking aimlessly?"

"No, I came prepared."

As he spoke, Tamaki took a scroll from his pack. Its cover read "Map of the Land of Whirlpools."

"Generally speaking, important ruins are in relatively important places, like the clan cemetery, the clan temple used for rituals, or the meeting hall used for meetings."

"We could also check places like storehouses, but if there really was anything there, it's probably already been found."

"Then hurry up and lead the way."

Tsunade gave Tamaki a pat on the back as she spoke.

"All right, let's go to the clan temple first. It's close."

Tamaki then led them to the site of the clan temple.

It was called a clan temple, but it was essentially a large plaza.

This place was also in ruins. A huge stone stele stood in the middle, carved with the Uzumaki Clan crest, but unfortunately, it had been cut in two.

Behind the stele, equal numbers of stone wall murals stood to the left and right, depicting the Uzumaki Clan's understanding of Chakra, contracts, souls, gods, and the Uzumaki Clan crest.

But these murals were damaged as well.

There were few buildings around. The only other one was the Mask Storage Temple, which housed all kinds of masks.

"We can take a look over here. We might find something."

Tsunade did not answer. She waved Tamaki on, telling him to go by himself while she kept watch here.

"Tamaki, let me help."

"All right, sorry for the trouble."

Tamaki and Shizune set down their packs and split up to search for clues.

Tamaki went to the Mask Storage Temple first. The masks hanging there were covered in dust.

Since he was already here, Tamaki decided to collect all the masks, even if he only took them back as souvenirs.

There were three tiers and twenty-seven masks in total, one of which might be the mask for the Reaper Death Seal.

Thinking of the Reaper Death Seal, he wondered if all twenty-seven masks had their own unique functions, each activated in combination with a particular Sealing Jutsu.

It was also possible that only the Reaper Death Seal mask was special, and the other masks had no such function.

Still, Tamaki opened the Gate of Spirit to heighten his perception and examine the masks.

When he touched one of the masks, he suddenly had a strange feeling.

He picked it up and examined it again and again. The only difference between it and the other masks was its pattern.

But Tamaki kept feeling a strange urge to put it on his face, and as time passed, the urge grew stronger and stronger.

Tamaki forcibly suppressed it through sheer willpower. An inexplicable feeling like this was often the beginning of something going wrong; that was how it always happened in horror movies.

After confirming that there was nothing unusual about the other masks, Tamaki took the special one and returned to the clan temple.

Shizune was still searching the surrounding area, while Tsunade stood before several relatively intact stone wall murals.

"Teacher, I found a special mask. When I hold it, I feel a strong urge to put it on."

"A mask?"

"This one."

As he spoke, he took out the special mask.

Tsunade did not reach out to take it directly. Instead, she took out a pair of medical gloves.

"Remember this: the next time you go somewhere unfamiliar, take precautions beforehand. The Land of Whirlpools isn't particularly dangerous, so I didn't specifically warn you two."

"Yes, Teacher. I'll remember."

"There's nothing special about it at a glance. As for that urge to put it on you mentioned..."

Tsunade paused, seemingly about to say she felt nothing, but then:

"Wait, I'm feeling the urge to put it on too. There's something really sinister about this mask."

"Lady Tsunade, Tamaki, I didn't find anything special over there."

"Shizune, try holding this mask and see what happens. Remember to take precautions."

"Yes, Lady Tsunade."

"Teacher, do you suspect something?"

"I'm not sure. Let's see how Shizune reacts. If my guess is right, kid, you might really have found a legacy of the Uzumaki Clan."

"You mean..."

"You understood, kid?"

"Well, I do have a little intelligence."

Tsunade rolled her eyes at that.

"Lady Tsunade, do I need to do anything while holding this mask?"

"No, just hold it."

After a while, Tsunade asked, "Do you feel an urge to put it on?"

"An urge to put it on? No, I don't feel anything."

"Then we can be sure."

"Seems so. Next, we need to see what happens when someone puts it on. Can I use a Shadow Clone, Teacher?"

"You're surprisingly cautious, kid. Try a Shadow Clone first. If that doesn't work, try it yourself."

"Okay."

Tamaki then used the Shadow Clone Jutsu, ready to conduct the test.

The test was called "On Whether Senju's Uzumaki Bloodline Can Resonate with an Uzumaki Legacy."

Of the three present, both Tamaki and Tsunade had the Uzumaki Bloodline.

Both of them had reacted to the mask, while Shizune, the only one without the Uzumaki Bloodline, had shown no reaction at all.

So this mask was very likely some kind of Uzumaki legacy that required the Uzumaki Bloodline to activate.

Poof—

He made a clone, which picked up the mask and put it on its face.

As soon as it put the mask on, it vanished with another poof.

Clatter.

Looking at the mask that had fallen to the ground, Tamaki spoke.

"Looks like a Shadow Clone won't work. I'll have to do it myself. Teacher, sorry for the trouble, but please keep an eye on me while I try it on."

"All right."

Tamaki picked up the mask and began putting it on his face.

The moment he put it on, he felt a slight sting on his forehead, which vanished in an instant.

Then Tamaki realized he had fallen under a Genjutsu, one that had drawn on his Chakra to activate.

In the Genjutsu, a stern-looking old man with white hair and a white beard began to speak.

"I am Uzumaki Ashina. By the time this mask is found, I should already be dead."

"I placed two safeguards on this mask. One draws in descendants with the Uzumaki Bloodline."

"The other tests your bloodline and, in the process, enters your Chakra pathway to draw the Chakra needed to power the test and the Genjutsu that follows."

"If you can trigger this Genjutsu, then you have the Uzumaki Bloodline."

"Time is limited, so I'll be brief."

"I had people take Sealing Jutsu to Konoha and flee to other places, but that wasn't all of them. More Sealing Jutsu were left on the floor beneath the base of the Uzumaki stele in the clan temple."

"A Sealing Jutsu has been placed over them. The method for undoing it is as follows. You must memorize it within three viewings; this Genjutsu can only be maintained three times."

"The Sealing Jutsu also permits only three attempts. After three attempts, if it hasn't been opened, the seal will instead devour everything around it."

"If more than fifty years have passed since the Land of Whirlpools was overrun, don't attempt it either. That hastily made seal has probably deteriorated, and forcibly undoing it will also trigger the devouring."

"All right, that's all I have to say. What you do with those Sealing Jutsu is up to you."

"Everything is a whirlpool, everything is a spiral. The Uzumaki Clan has perished with me. I hope you can put those things to good use."

After the Genjutsu ended, Tamaki took off the mask with a strange expression.

A question suddenly arose in his mind: Could I really be the child of destiny?