Doubts

"Land of Rain! I went there a long time ago too. It felt like it was always raining there. Back then, I wondered whether the whole country would end up flooded." The old woman raised her head, her gray-white hair fluttering in the wind. The blazing crimson that had once proclaimed the Uzumaki Clan's vitality had faded away.

"...That country has always been at war. They fought the Land of Earth, the Land of the Falls, the Land of Grass, the Land of Wind, and our Land of Fire. They even fought among themselves from time to time. It could be called the most chaotic place in the ninja world."

"It felt... just like the Warring States era of the past. Wars everywhere, people dying every day. Your great-grandfather and I were one of five siblings. Your great-grandfather was the youngest, and I was fourth. We had three older brothers, and all of them died in battle outside. They had still been smiling when they left that morning, but when they came back... they were incomplete corpses."

The old woman held Kushina and Otome's hands. Her eyes were unfocused, as though they had lost their focus, while faint sorrow surfaced amid the deep wrinkles at their corners.

Time truly was merciless. The grief that had once pierced her to the bone had now become so faint.

"Later... I left the clan and married into the Senju Clan. Then Hashirama and Madara founded Konoha..." The old woman withdrew her gaze and looked at the two girls seated beside her. "Do you know Madara? Madara Uchiha."

"Yes, I do." Kushina nodded.

"Uchiha... are they members of our clan?" Otome looked at Kushina in confusion.

The old woman was not surprised. She merely let out a long sigh.

Madara Uchiha's betrayal had been no glorious matter, whether for Konoha or the Uchiha Clan. Over the years, they had done their utmost to downplay Madara Uchiha's name. Hardly anyone among the younger generation even knew of his existence.

Kushina, on the other hand, had studied the ninja world's history compiled by the Uzumaki Clan when she was in Uzushio Village. It could not be called complete or detailed, but it contained a little more than the censored version taught at the Ninja Academy in Konoha. At least some major events involving Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha had been recorded.

"Madara... was a genius. Hashirama said so himself. It was a pity that his temperament was too extreme. In the end, he embarked upon a mistaken path... or rather, a path that ran contrary to his original wish." Mito lowered her head to look at Kushina: bright, radiant eyes, a flowerlike tender face, and scarlet hair spilling down like rosy clouds.

She really was young!

"Kushina, do you like Konoha?"

"I do. Katsuki is here, Otome is here, you are here, and so are my classmates from school, along with many other people I care about."

Kushina's almond-shaped eyes were clear and bright. Every word she spoke was filled with the sincerest emotion.

"Good child..." Mito sighed, then fixed her gaze on Kushina. In a faint whisper only Kushina could hear, she said, "Come see me tonight. There is something very important I need to tell you."

Otome sat at the side, still pondering the name Madara Uchiha. She did not notice Mito and Kushina's whispered exchange at all.

"Hiruzen, make preparations. Transfer the Nine-Tails as soon as possible," Mito said calmly.

"Have you decided on the candidate?"

Hiruzen sat in the chair below her, looking at the aged Mito with a silent sigh. This day had come after all.

"Yes. I will speak with that child tonight. Start making arrangements first. Eliminate every possible source of danger. The Nine-Tails may be extremely unstable during the vessel transfer. Even though she is from the Uzumaki Clan, she is still only a child. The Nine-Tails' power is not so easy to bear. We must prepare for the worst."

"I understand. Everything will be ready today." Hiruzen nodded solemnly. He had witnessed the Nine-Tails' destructive power firsthand. If anything went wrong during the vessel transfer, it would be extremely troublesome.

He was already considering moving the ritual site outside the village. That way, even if the worst happened, the losses could be kept to a minimum. It was a pity Sakumo had to keep watch over Hanzō at the front lines. Otherwise, with Sakumo there to oversee things, at least half the burden would be lifted.

"As soon as possible. It is nearly nightfall already. Tomorrow may be the day I return."

The overhead lights had been switched on, their soft, bright glow illuminating the entire room.

Hiruzen nodded. Mito's words gave him a sense of urgency, but fortunately, he had been preparing for this matter for some time. The Anbu under his command were already ready to move.

After they exchanged a few words, Nawaki entered.

"Grandmother, Kushina is here."

His voice was slightly choked, and his eyes were faintly red. Seeing this, Hiruzen felt deeply moved, and a trace of sorrow rose within him as well. If Mito truly passed on, then the generation that symbolized Konoha's founding would have completely withered away.

"Let her come in. Hiruzen, go first. I want to speak with that child alone." Mito waved Hiruzen away and did not even allow Nawaki to remain.

Kushina walked quietly along the wooden corridor with evenly spaced steps, making no sound.

"Great-aunt grandmother, I'm here."

"Earth Release: Rock Rods."

Uzumaki Clan, rear courtyard, training ground.

Stone rods rose upright one after another. Though the sun had already dipped westward and the sky had grown dark, he continued training tirelessly. Rock Rods was a simple C-rank ninjutsu. Under Sakumo's guidance, he had already gotten the hang of it. Yet in the days since returning to Konoha, aside from his regular training regimen, he had devoted himself entirely to this C-rank Earth Release technique.

Trying to swallow too much only leads to indigestion.

It was a simple principle, but easy to say and hard to do. Very few people could resist greater temptations and persevere.

After much inner struggle, Katsuki had finally suppressed his desire to learn new ninjutsu. He kept Sakumo's warning firmly in mind: unless he mastered Rock Rods completely, he would not learn the next ninjutsu on the scroll.

He had spent the past two days shut up at home training. No one was urging their group to attend classes anyway. War was the main concern among the higher-ups now. Even with an absolute advantage, they could not afford to let down their guard. And Hiruzen, the Hokage who cared about Ninja Academy education, was busy with even more important matters.

"Kushina!"

A girl's sweet voice rang out from the front courtyard.

Soon, Otome poked her head out from the edge of the training ground.

"Katsuki, isn't Kushina here?" The girl clicked her tongue as she watched Katsuki train in the dark.

Night had deepened. Only the dim yellow light from the streetlamps outside shone into the courtyard. The uneven stone pillars stood densely like a forest, casting long shadows across the yard and creating a rather eerie atmosphere.

"Katsuki?"

Otome stood on the corridor and did not dare go down. She merely called out bravely, her eyes roaming around in search of Katsuki.

"My sister isn't here. Didn't she go looking for you?"