Doubts

"The Land of Rain! I went there a long time ago. It felt like it was always raining there. I remember thinking, 'Is this country going to be flooded?'" The old woman tilted her head back, her gray-white hair fluttering in the wind, the vibrant, life-affirming crimson of the Uzumaki Clan faded.

"…That country has been at war forever, fighting the Land of Earth, the Land of the Falls, the Land of Grass, the Land of Wind, and even our Land of Fire. They even have internal skirmishes from time to time. It's probably the most chaotic place in the Ninja World."

"It feels… just like the Warring States period of old, fighting everywhere, people dying every day. My great-grandfather and I were five siblings. He was the youngest, I was fourth. We had three older brothers above us, and they all died fighting out there. They left smiling in the morning, but what came back… were broken bodies."

The old woman clasped Kushina's and Otome's hands, her eyes distant, as if she had lost focus. Shallow sadness welled up in the deep wrinkles around her eyes.

Time is truly merciless. The sorrow that once pierced to the bone now felt so tranquil!

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

"Mm, I know," Kushina nodded.

"Uchiha, are they part of our clan?" Otome asked Kushina blankly.

The old woman wasn't surprised by her reaction and simply sighed deeply.

Madara Uchiha's betrayal back then was not a glorious event for Konoha or the Uchiha Clan. Over the years, they had tried hard to downplay Madara Uchiha's name, and very few of the younger generation knew of Madara's existence.

Kushina, however, had learned about the history of the Ninja World compiled by the Uzumaki Clan when she was in Uzushio Village. While it wasn't entirely complete or detailed, it contained a bit more information than the censored version in Konoha's Ninja Academy, including some major events concerning Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha.

"Madara… was a genius. Hashirama himself said so. It's a pity his nature was too extreme, and he ended up on a wrong… or rather, a path that went against his original wishes." Mito lowered her head, looking at Kushina, her bright, radiant eyes, her delicate, flower-like face, and her hair, as red as the dawn sky, spread out.

So young!

"Kushina, do you like Konoha?"

"I do. I have Katsuki here, Otome, you, my classmates at school, and many other people I care about."

Kushina's clear, almond-shaped eyes shone, each word filled with the most sincere emotion.

"Good child…" Mito sighed, then stared intently at Kushina, speaking in a soft whisper only Kushina could hear, "Come find me tonight. There's something very important I need to tell you."

Otome sat to the side, still pondering the name Madara Uchiha, completely oblivious to Mito and Kushina's whispered conversation.

"Hiruzen, make preparations. We need to transfer the Nine-Tails as soon as possible," Mito said calmly.

"Have you decided on the candidate?"

Hiruzen sat on a chair below, looking at the aged Mito, and sighed inwardly. The day has finally come!

"Mm, I will talk to that child tonight. You go ahead and start the preparations. Eliminate all potential risks. Transferring the Nine-Tails' vessel might be unstable. Even though she's from the Uzumaki Clan, she's still a child. The Nine-Tails' power is not easy to bear. We must prepare for the worst."

"I understand. All preparations will be made today." Hiruzen nodded solemnly. He had witnessed the destructive power of the Nine-Tails firsthand. If any accidents occurred during the vessel transfer process, it would be very troublesome.

He was already considering moving the ritual site outside the village, so that even if the worst happened, the losses could be minimized. It was a shame Sakumo had to be on the front lines monitoring Hanzō right now. Otherwise, with Sakumo present, it would at least be half as easy.

"Hurry. It's almost nightfall. Tomorrow might be the day I depart."

The ceiling lights had been turned on, casting a soft, bright glow throughout the room.

Hiruzen nodded. Mito's words instilled a sense of urgency in him. Fortunately, he had been preparing for this matter for some time, and his Anbu subordinates were already ready.

After a brief exchange, Nawaki walked in.

"Grandma, Kushina is here."

His voice was slightly choked, and his eyes were a little red. Hiruzen felt a pang of emotion seeing this. He too felt a touch of sadness. If Mito truly passed away, it would mean the complete fading of one of the founding figures of Konoha.

"Let her in. Hiruzen, you can go now. I want to speak with the child alone." Mito waved Hiruzen away, not even keeping Nawaki behind.

Kushina walked with evenly spaced steps, silently along the wooden corridor.

"Great-Aunt, I'm here."

"Earth Release: Rock Rods."

In the backyard training ground of the Uzumaki Clan's residence.

Stone rods stood upright, one after another. Even as the sun set and the sky darkened, he continued to train tirelessly. Rock Rods, a simple C-rank ninjutsu, he had grasped the basics under Sakumo's guidance. However, since returning to Konoha these past few days, aside from his usual training sessions, he had dedicated himself entirely to this C-rank Earth Release technique.

You can't chew more than you can swallow.

A simple truth, but often easier said than done. Few people could resist greater temptations and persevere.

Katsuki had also struggled internally for a while before suppressing his urge to learn new ninjutsu, firmly remembering Sakumo's admonition: he wouldn't learn the next ninjutsu from the scroll until he had mastered Rock Rods.

He had been cooped up at home practicing for two days. No one was rushing their batch to attend classes anyway. War was the main theme among the higher-ups right now. Even with an absolute advantage, they couldn't afford to be careless. And Hiruzen, as the Hokage who cared about the Ninja Academy's education, was busy with more important matters.

"Sister Kushina."

A sweet voice rang out from the front yard.

Soon, Otome's head peeked out from the edge of the training ground.

"Katsuki, is Sister Kushina not here?" Looking at Katsuki training in the dark, the girl clicked her tongue.

The night deepened, and only the dim yellow light from the streetlights outside the yard illuminated the scene. The stone pillars, tall and short, stood like a dense forest, casting long shadows across the yard, giving it a somewhat eerie appearance.

"Katsuki?"

Otome stood on the corridor, not daring to go down, and called out bravely. Then her eyes darted around, trying to locate Katsuki.

"My sister isn't here. Didn't she say she was going to find you?"