Death's Call

"Eh...? Where... is this...?"

Uchiha Chen walked alone along a winding path. He seemed to see an incredibly beautiful field of flowers... but it was shrouded in a thin mist, making it hard to see clearly.

"Strange... I remember Tsunade knocking me out while I was in bed...?"

Before him lay a broad river. A long bridge stretched across it.

Lotuses bloomed in the murky yellow water, while butterflies danced through the air. The faint scent of flowers drifted over the river's surface.

It looked just like the scenery from his dreams.

"It's so beautiful, it doesn't even seem like it belongs in this world..."

Uchiha Chen could not help muttering to himself.

That was right. If he had to compare it to something, this place was practically like a place connected to the other world—

Uchiha Chen suddenly spotted a Stone Tablet on the bridge, with two words carved into it—Naihe Bridge.

"Whoa, this is bad! If I don't go back, won't I really die!?"

What was there to look at? Wasn't this the actual River of Oblivion and Yellow Springs Road?!

Did that mean he was about to die?!

"Come over! Hurry and come over!"

A voice suddenly came from the other side of the river.

"There's nothing scary anymore! This is a wonderful place! There are lots of beautiful women!" The voices across the river kept calling out.

"There are delicious things everywhere, and fun things everywhere!"

Were they talking to him? Uchiha Chen stopped.

Unknown people on the opposite bank were waving at Uchiha Chen!

Come to think of it, if he looked carefully, wasn't the person on the far right the First Hokage, who looked somewhat like Nawaki?!

No! It would be dangerous if he listened to them!

Looking closer, there was also a man who somewhat resembled him, wearing an Uchiha Windbreaker—Uchiha Kagami.

A grand gathering of deceased relatives! He needed to say goodbye to this place as soon as possible—

"Don't be afraid, my child. This side is quite a nice place," Uchiha Kagami said.

"Hahaha. Don't be afraid, junior of Konoha. Look, aren't I perfectly healthy? Don't worry, come over here..." The First Hokage smiled.

"My, my, Uchiha Chen. It's really nice over here. Every day is so joyful, so joyful—" The Second Hokage appeared now.

"R-Really? Is it okay? You aren't lying to me?"

"Ah, of course. It's truly joyful, so joyful. Coming in here feels just like returning to Konoha. It feels much more comfortable here than at home! Everyone inside is talented, and they all speak so nicely. I absolutely love it in there!"

"..."

"Farewell, everyone! I won't forget you!"

Uchiha Chen quickened his pace, turned around, and fled from the riverbank with all his strength.

At least I'll live on for all of you...!

"I can't accept being the only one you save..."

The curse behind him always felt unusually real to Uchiha Chen.

And terrifying.

Bang. Uchiha Chen suddenly opened his eyes.

"You're alive?"

After waking up, Uchiha Chen discovered that he was lying in an unfamiliar room.

"Chen, you're awake! Thank goodness... It seems using Lightning Release to stimulate your heart worked."

Tsunade dispelled the ninjutsu from her hand, her expression relaxing with relief.

That just now... was... Lightning Release, wasn't it?

...You've got to be kidding me. Had my life just been hanging by a thread?

"You know Medical Ninjutsu, don't you, Lady Tsunade?!"

Uchiha Chen said through gritted teeth.

"Well... uh... your heart seemed to have stopped for a little while, just a little while. My Medical Ninjutsu can't treat injuries of that level yet." Tsunade awkwardly scratched her hair.

"Come to think of it, this is my first time using this method. I didn't expect it to succeed on the first try. Humans really are such amazing creatures."

"..."

Kunai, my kunai! Where was my forty-meter-long kunai? Uchiha Chen immediately reached for his Ninja Pouch.

"Hey, Chen, if you want to talk, then talk—don't touch the kunai. Ah, Kushina, hurry over! He passed out again," Tsunade's voice rang out.

Uchiha Chen woke from unconsciousness once again.

Uzumaki Kushina was before his eyes. Her long red hair, smooth as silk, lay scattered across the bed. She was still wearing her cute pajamas, only she had fallen asleep leaning against the bedside.

Uchiha Chen reached out and picked up a fallen red hair from Kushina's shoulder. A faint scent of cherry blossoms drifted from it.

"Hmm?"

Kushina, who was leaning by the bed, seemed to have been awakened by Uchiha Chen's movement.

She groggily raised her head and rubbed her eyes. Then she discovered that the boy in the bed had already woken up.

"Mm, you're awake!" the girl said in delight, though her words ended with a strange trailing note.

"Um, I'm sorry! I misunderstood you." Kushina suddenly scrambled to her feet and hurriedly apologized to the boy on the bed.

"It's fine, it's fine. It was my fault for throwing the explosive tag onto the bed and scaring you." Uchiha Chen hurriedly waved his hands.

"Ahaha. That Mini Explosive Tag was pretty interesting. It really gave me a huge scare back then. I thought I was going to die." Kushina patted her hair.

She looked as though she had regained her energy. Kushina no longer appeared as helpless and tearful as she had earlier.

"Hello. My name is Uzumaki Kushina. I'm from Uzumaki Village." Kushina's voice suddenly grew subdued.

Looking at Kushina, Uchiha Chen recalled how she had placed a kunai beneath her pillow.

It seemed that the Land of Whirlpools had already been destroyed!

And Kushina had spent these past years living in the Land of Whirlpools, enduring miserable warfare every day. Perhaps she had even witnessed the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools. Was that why she lacked a sense of security?

Uchiha Chen immediately changed the subject.

"My name is Uchiha Chen. Nice to meet you, Uzumaki Kushina. Just call me Chen."

Looking into Uchiha Chen's black eyes, Kushina nodded.

"You can call me Kushina too. We're good friends now," Kushina said.

So they were good friends already. Friendship between children really was easy to gain, Uchiha Chen mused.

Come to think of it, he did not seem to have seen that person anywhere.

"Oh, right. Where's Tsunade? Where did Tsunade run off to? Did the Anbu arrest her? Or did the Police Force take her away?"

What would Tsunade think, hearing her own student speak of her so bluntly?

Uchiha Chen narrowed his eyes and began searching for Tsunade's whereabouts.

"Tsunade... well, she told me to tell you that she knows she was wrong. She's gone to turn herself in to the Police Force now," Kushina recited haltingly.

Turn herself in? As if he'd believe that nonsense.

"Then where did she really go?" Uchiha Chen asked.

"She said that while you're still unlucky and her luck is especially good, she's going to go gamble a few more times."

Oh, yes. That was exactly the kind of thing Tsunade would do.

"Chen, what does 'gamble a few times' mean?" Kushina asked. Having been displaced by war these past few years, she naturally had no idea what it meant.

"It means... it means going to kidnap children about your age," Uchiha Chen said.

Kushina immediately revealed a terrified expression.

Uchiha Chen looked around. This room was arranged much like his own.

There were just a few more things belonging to a girl around the room. They should have been Kushina's.

"Kushina, is this your room?" Uchiha Chen asked.

"That's right."

"Then where's my room?"

"Your room can't be lived in anymore. It's started letting in drafts. Sister Tsunade punched you once, and then your body smashed straight through the house."

So it was really lucky that I survived.

"Then, Kushina, how did you end up in my room?" Uchiha Chen asked the question that concerned him most.

Kushina's entire face had turned red all the way to her ears, like a tomato.

"Because... because all these rooms look the same, and the furnishings inside are similar too. I only came to Konoha this afternoon. Then, after I came back from Grandma Mito's place, I got lost. So I went into that room."

Oh, no wonder. Uchiha Chen let out a sigh. So that was what happened.

What a completely undeserved disaster.