This was it... no mistake!
This was the one! Rubbing the three-pointed fork Kunai in her hand and the strange pattern formed by Tadpole Script at its hilt, a faint smile appeared at the corners of Yukina's lips.
The Kunai Kushina had given Chiba! The moment she activated her Byakugan, she had immediately noticed this unusual Kunai. Now, comparing it to her memory of Kushina handing it to Chiba, she quickly confirmed that this strange Kunai was the lifesaving charm Kushina had given them.
As long as Chiba undid the seal on it, they would have a way to escape.
Kushina...
At that moment, gazing at the unusual Kunai, Yukina drew a slight breath. The image of that beautiful red-haired woman slowly surfaced in her heart.
For no reason at all, her nose stung, and her eyes abruptly reddened.
Thinking of the Teacher who had truly cared for her, she suddenly found it hard to stay strong. The thought, If only Kushina were here now. Then she could save Hirohiko and Chiba, suddenly rose within her.
She was, after all, only a girl in her teens. Before outsiders, she could be strong and rational, but before those close to her, she was merely a little girl. Now, thinking of the Teacher close to her and of the current situation—the humanoid bloodstain Chiba had left behind, and the two people before her risking their lives, perhaps never to return—it was hardly strange that she could not control her emotions, wanted the caring Teacher she loved to be by her side, and even felt like crying.
No! This was not the time for sorrow! Very quickly, Yukina suppressed that urge to cry and refocused on the situation before her.
This thing was important. Chiba would not have lost it for no reason.