"Sometimes, relying on experience can really lead you astray."
As Haori wiped the dust from the house, he grumbled to himself.
He finally understood what he'd gotten wrong.
This might have been the Uzumaki Clan's ancestral home, but more importantly, it was Kushina Uzumaki's house!
He knew Kushina Uzumaki was living with Minato, but he hadn't dared come here because he was worried he'd run into trouble.
The Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Jutsu was something the entire Shinobi World coveted.
As unbelievable as it sounded, Kushina had been kidnapped by Kumogakure when she was a child.
If Namikaze Minato hadn't already been keeping an eye on her, noticed something was wrong, and rushed to her rescue,
Kushina might have ended up in Kumogakure.
And aside from what happened to Kushina, Kirigakure had actually wiped out the Land of Whirlpools during the Second Shinobi World War.
After Kirigakure had gone to such lengths to hunt them down, the Uzumaki Clan's population was probably reduced to a fraction of what it had been.
Their goal had been simple: the Sealing Jutsu.
If they couldn't get it, then no one else could, either. So they'd simply wipe out the entire Uzumaki Clan!
With Uzumaki Mito in Konoha, they naturally had no shortage of the Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Jutsu.
But Haori had made one mistaken assumption: that the Sealing Jutsu might be kept here, since the Shinigami mask had been left behind.
But when he thought it through, he realized how ridiculous that was.
Aside from Orochimaru, it seemed no one even knew about the Shinigami mask.
And Uzumaki Mito had married Senju Hashirama and moved into the Senju Clan's home long ago.
Kushina was already living with Namikaze Minato, and barring any surprises, they'd probably get married after the war.
There was no one left here. How could the Uzumaki Clan's treasures possibly still be stored here?
"So what's even left here?"
Haori felt rather helpless. If Konoha had taken all the good stuff,
then what the hell was he even looking for?
"What's wrong, Haori?"
Seeing Haori looking distracted, Kakashi asked curiously.
"Are you worried about when Teacher Kushina will get here?"
"Not really. I was just wondering what kind of things Jonin Kushina would teach me."
Haori quickly composed himself and smiled as he replied.
He didn't really care what she taught him. What weighed on him more was what he could find here.
If he remembered correctly, Kushina had gone to reinforce the seal.
As a Jinchuriki, Kushina's life wasn't exactly easy.
Haori seemed to remember that in The Tale of Minato, which he'd read before crossing over, Kushina couldn't even leave the barrier.
But later, she'd managed to break free and help Namikaze Minato complete his Rasengan training. Maybe after that, she was allowed to come and go freely.
Still, the seal was nothing to take lightly. No village could afford to let a Tailed Beast run wild.
"Is cleaning just too boring?"
Kakashi asked with an amused look, then went on.
"There's not much left to do. I can finish up on my own.
Teacher Kushina has quite a few books here, too. You can read some to pass the time while you rest."
"Oh?"
Haori blinked and asked casually,
"What kind of books?"
"Seems like there are only some basic notes on Sealing Jutsu."
Kakashi thought for a moment before answering. He'd helped clean here before, so he knew the place fairly well.
And there really wasn't anything important here, so he answered without concern.
"Of course, there are also some history books. I think that's about it."
History books?
Haori froze at that, but soon his eyes lit up.
The Sealing Jutsu couldn't be left here. It could determine how well a village controlled its Tailed Beast.
But Konoha was unlikely to take away those books about the clan's history!
They only recorded the Uzumaki Clan's past and the heroes it had produced.
With the Uzumaki Clan destroyed, those things were just mementos for the few members of the clan who remained.
Besides, Konoha had already taken the most important things. Surely they'd leave something behind?
"History books are a real treasure."
At the thought, Haori's heart began to race.
He didn't know how far back the records here went, but he knew roughly when Uchiha Mumei had lived.
The Uzumaki and Senju Clans had always been allies. All he had to do was find the right period and see what they'd been up to.
Then maybe he could find out where Uchiha Mumei was!
"But would it be rude for us to look through Jonin Kushina's books?"
Though Haori was excited, he did his best to stay calm.
"Historical records are usually important family possessions. Wouldn't it be disrespectful to read them?"
"Go ahead and read them."
Before Haori could finish, a voice suddenly spoke from behind him.
He turned around and saw that Kushina had returned.
"Jonin Kushina."
"Teacher Kushina."
Haori and Kakashi bowed slightly at once. Kushina was easygoing, but some courtesies still mattered.
"All right, there's no need to be so formal."
Kushina waved a hand dismissively, then turned her gaze to Haori.
Haori keenly noticed a hint of loneliness in her eyes.
"Go ahead and read them. It's nothing to worry about. The Uzumaki Clan is practically gone.
"It's a good thing, really, if someone is willing to remember its history."
In the underground base in the Land of Grass, Madara watched Obito slowly waking up and gave a slight nod.
He'd finally come around. At last, Madara wouldn't have to listen to the boy keep repeating "Kakashi" and "Rin" in his sleep.
The boy had been a real nuisance, and that one "Kakashi" had forced Madara to revise his plans.
But overall, he'd figured out what he needed to.
Having one more person meant having one more bond. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
And when Haori returned to Konoha, Madara had sent White Zetsu to follow him and see how things were going.
Now White Zetsu had returned, bringing him the results he wanted.
Both Kakashi and Nohara Rin seemed to have moved on from the shadow of Obito's "death."
And all of it was thanks to that guy, Haori!
"Quite the impressive kid. But that makes things even better."
Madara thought to himself. If Obito discovered that the feelings of the two people he cherished had been replaced by someone else's—
and that someone was Haori, a person Obito deeply resented—then everything would be simple!
"After all, no one will remember you anymore. No one will care about you.
"Not even the people you cherish most. Would you still like a world like that?"
Madara watched Obito calmly, a smile appearing on his face.
"Where... am I?"
Just as Uchiha Madara was thinking, Obito finally opened his one remaining right eye, weak and groggy.
"Am I dead?"
Obito murmured softly. His memories still ended with the moment he'd been buried beneath the boulder.
"Ah!"
Suddenly, he let out a scream as a piercing pain shot through the right side of his body.
He tried to struggle, but his entire right side was wrapped up without a single gap. He couldn't move at all.
"You're awake?"
Just as he was overwhelmed by confusion and pain, a voice suddenly sounded beside him. It was hoarse with the rasp of old age, yet had a peculiar cadence.
"This is the boundary between the underworld and reality. It seems you've crawled back from the dead, Uchiha."