Bearing the Burden

Along the edge of the training grounds, avoiding the cluster of rock pillars in the center, Katsuki leaped onto the corridor, looking at Otome in confusion.

"My sister left right after eating, saying she was going to find you."

"But... Kushina-neechan hasn't been here! I came because I had some questions I wanted to ask her!" Otome's eyes widened as she met Katsuki's gaze.

"Where did Kushina-neechan go?"

"Where did my sister go?"

The two exclaimed at the same time.

"That's not right. Aside from going to your place, my sister wouldn't go anywhere else, and she used an excuse like this... Where on earth did she go?"

A deep worry surfaced in Katsuki's heart as his mind raced, trying to figure out where Kushina might have gone.

"Um... could she have gone to find Minato?" Otome said cautiously.

Seeing Katsuki's ravenous gaze, she flinched and quickly added, "When I was shopping with Kushina-neechan today, five or six out of every ten sentences she spoke were about Minato. I thought maybe she went to find him?"

"Tsk!"

Katsuki clicked his tongue fiercely, his expression shifting unpredictably. Without a second thought, he grabbed Otome and strode out.

"Let's go find that guy."

Minato's house wasn't far, a five-story building. Most of the residents were ordinary Genin or chuunin. Minato's parents had been among them, but after they died in battle, Minato was left living there alone.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

He raised his fist and pounded furiously, sending a shower of fine dust from the doorframe.

Otome stood to the side, panting. Being dragged along by Katsuki like this was exhausting. The pervert, who was accustomed to such high-intensity training, seemed oblivious, but she was struggling. She wished she could kick the bastard. Had she been hanging out with her idiot brother for too long, losing IQ points?

"Knock, knock, knock!"

Katsuki's face was unruffled, his breathing steady, though his heart pounded. If Kushina opened the door, he...

"Creak!"

"Who is it... Katsuki? And Otome? What are you two doing here at this hour?" Minato's brow twitched slightly in surprise as he saw them.

"Minato, have you seen my sister?" Katsuki asked directly, his gaze locked onto Minato's face.

"You're saying Kushina is missing?" Minato's pupils constricted sharply. With his intelligence, he instantly grasped their intention and immediately said, "Kushina isn't here. I haven't seen her at all today."

As he spoke, Minato stood sideways in the entryway, clearing a path for Katsuki and Otome. The implication was clear: if you don't believe me, come in and see for yourself!

"Damn it, where could she have gone?"

Katsuki didn't enter. Setting aside the relationship between Kushina and Minato, his trust in Minato himself was extremely high.

However, there was no one here. For some reason, he suddenly felt a sense of unease. A thought flashed through his mind, and he suddenly remembered a place.

"Damn it, how could I have forgotten her?" He smacked his forehead hard. Katsuki looked at Otome, grabbing her slender shoulders. "Otome, what else did you and Kushina talk about today? Where did you go? Did you go to the Senju Clan's place? In short, did anything unusual happen?"

"Hmm, if you put it that way, we met an old lady today. Kushina-neechan called her Great-Grand Aunt. Katsuki, is she one of your elders?" Otome tilted her head, looking at Katsuki.

So it was true!

But even if Mito-sama had sought out Kushina, there was no need to lie and say she was looking for Otome, unless... the Nine-Tails!

The siblings both knew about the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Mito had explained everything clearly when she first met them – the existence of the Nine-Tails, the matter of the Jinchuriki, but she hadn't specified which of the siblings she would choose.

It seemed, judging by today's events, that the powerful inertia of history was still difficult to overcome, and Kushina had still caught Mito's eye.

His heart surged like a stormy sea. He felt a bit lost about what he should do. Should he prevent his sister from obtaining the Nine-Tails, thereby preventing future tragedies? Or should he go with the flow and try to prevent tragedies from happening at other points in the future?

He didn't know which choice was correct, his heart wavering, unsure of what to do.

"Katsuki! Katsuki!" Minato's voice suddenly rose, snapping Katsuki out of his self-absorbed world. He stared into Katsuki's eyes, his expression solemn, and asked, "Did something happen to Kushina? Tell me."

"...The situation is complicated, but I know where my sister is. However, I... don't know if I should go find her," Katsuki mumbled, his eyes filled with bewilderment.

"Is Kushina in danger?" Minato stepped forward quickly, almost face-to-face with Katsuki, his expression extremely grave.

Quite suddenly, Katsuki felt like slapping himself. What was the point of hesitating here? No matter what decision he made, the prerequisite was to find Kushina, not to wallow in self-pity here.

"Where do you want to go? I'm coming too."

Minato's perceptiveness was astonishing. Noticing the change in Katsuki's expression, he instantly blocked Katsuki's path, initiating a negotiation.

"I'm going too."

Otome cut in, tugging on Katsuki's sleeve. The intelligent girl had also sensed that things weren't simple and was very worried about Kushina's situation.

Katsuki looked at Minato and Otome with a complex expression. "This matter isn't that simple. It's best if you two don't get involved. I'll handle it myself..."

"Whether we can get involved or not is another matter, but since I know something has happened, I can't just stand by and do nothing." Minato's attitude was unusually firm, directly interrupting Katsuki before he could finish speaking.

"That's right! I definitely have to go see Kushina-neechan."

Otome grabbed Katsuki's arm. Although they were about the same age, Katsuki was significantly taller and sturdier than Otome, making her look like a koala clinging to him.

Katsuki's mouth twitched. He nodded, picked Otome up, and slung her over his shoulder. He then leaped from the third floor, landing on the roof of a low, flat-roofed house opposite, and began to sprint, playing a game of rooftop hopping. Minato kept pace with Katsuki, not falling behind.

Meanwhile, at the Senju Clan's residence.

Mito sat by the bedside, embracing Kushina and stroking the girl's head with affection. "Kushina, have you truly made up your mind? Once you make your decision, you will be the next Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."

"Yes, I've thought it through clearly, Great-Grand Aunt. I will become the Jinchuriki. Katsuki doesn't need to bear this burden. I am the older sister, so it is natural for me to bear it."

The girl held her head high, revealing her fair neck, like a proud swan.