"I was away from Konoha for a few days, and I didn't expect to feel like everything had changed. It was almost as if I were in a different world."
After returning from the Land of Whirlpools, Kushina Uzumaki arrived at Konoha's outskirts. Seeing the devastation in the middle of the Forest of Death from a high vantage point, she let out a lament filled with exasperation.
The destruction caused by the battle naturally caught her attention. The surrounding area was covered in dense forest, but the middle had become a "Mediterranean."
Kushina had already been informed of what had generally happened during the Chunin Ninja Exams while she was in the Land of Whirlpools. However, although the earlier incident had seemed serious, it had not caused any substantial damage to Konoha. Since it had also been an isolated emergency with no further developments, Kushina had not hurried back. Instead, she had completed her work methodically. There was no point in rushing back anyway—the matter had already ended.
Judging from her current appearance, she seemed to have achieved some results in her "archaeological excavation" of her old homeland. A square cage-like box was strapped to her back, filled with scrolls, books, and similar items. Even with the added significance of her homeland, anything personally carried by Kushina could not possibly be worthless.
"Lady Kushina, a Tailed Beast attack was naturally a major incident. The village's response this time was extremely prompt. So although the battlefield looks terrible, it ultimately didn't suffer any serious damage..." an ANBU ninja behind Kushina said.
"Ordinary ninjas lack experience dealing with large targets, while the Sealing Squad needs systematic preparations to function. Fortunately, the Third Hokage is still going strong." Kushina did not criticize them too much. Konoha's performance in dealing with the Tailed Beast's