On the Eve of Departure

Sometimes, first impressions really mattered.

For the sake of her husband Hashirama Senju's dream of peace, Uzumaki Mito had willingly sealed the Nine-Tails inside herself. The first time she saw it, she felt its evil, savage chakra and thought it was a beast consumed by bloodlust.

Nearly forty years had passed since then. The Nine-Tails had been with Mito longer than Hashirama had.

A human and a beast, landlord and tenant—they had never opened their hearts to one another or tried to understand what the other was thinking.

Watching the Nine-Tails reach an agreement with Genichi in just a few words, rein in its chakra, and prepare to cooperate with the transfer of the seal, Uzumaki Mito felt speechless. "I never expected you to be like this, Nine-Tails."

"You two... Ah, never mind. Things are much better than I imagined. From now on, Genichi, you and Kushina must live well. Live happily." As the seal was undone and the Nine-Tails gradually transferred into Kushina, Uzumaki Mito's life force grew weaker and weaker.

Feeling the Nine-Tails securely sealed inside Kushina, Uzumaki Mito used the last of her strength to say, "Nine-Tails, I'm sorry for keeping you imprisoned all these years. Hashirama, I'm coming to you."

Thus, a legendary shinobi of her generation, the wife of the First, Hashirama Senju—Uzumaki Mito—came to the end of her life.

It was Kushina's first time meeting the Nine-Tails, yet she found it could chat happily with Genichi. It didn't seem like the legendary monster at all. After all, if what Genichi had told her was true, then it really was pitiful.

After a long while, Kushina finally emerged from the grief of watching the old woman pass away. Feeling the Nine-Tails sealed within her, she said, "Nine-Tails, Kurama, let's get along from now on, okay?"

"Hmph. Only because of that brat Genichi." The Nine-Tails was still as haughty as ever.

Outside the sealing barrier.

Tsunade paced anxiously. "Why is this taking so long? There's been no word at all. Did something go wrong?"

"Calm down, Tsunade. No news is good news. If the Nine-Tails had broken free, it wouldn't be this quiet." Sarutobi Hiruzen stood guard at the entrance with the Sealing Squad.

Suddenly, the seal disappeared and the door opened. Genichi slowly walked out with Kushina.

Grief showed on Genichi's face, and his voice was subdued. "The Nine-Tails' sealing went smoothly. It's just that Grandma Mito..."

Seeing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen comforted him. "Lady Mito had been preparing for this day for a long time. There's no need to grieve. The dead are gone, but we who remain must carry on with their will."

Sensing Kushina's chakra, steady and without the slightest sign of the Tailed Beast Chakra running wild, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help exclaiming, "So this is the [Eight-Trigrams Seal]? Lady Mito truly was remarkable."

Genichi explained, "Lady Mito said the [Eight-Trigrams Seal] worked even better than expected. Unless something from outside gives it a tremendous shock, the Nine-Tails will never be able to break free."

Hearing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt even more reassured. "Good. But just in case, Kushina will stay here for the next month. I'll have the Sealing Squad maintain the barrier."

"As for Lady Mito's body, I'll personally take it to the cemetery. You've all worked hard today, so get some rest."

During this period, Chiba Genichi had been living in the Senju Clan's compound.

His old house had been fine for one person, but it felt a little cramped when he often invited Uzumaki Kushina, Mikoto Uchiha, Hyuga Hana, and the others over.

When Uzumaki Mito heard about it, she waved her hand generously once more and gave Chiba Genichi a vacant courtyard in the Senju Clan Compound.

The courtyard was beautifully landscaped and elegantly laid out. Near the edge of the village, it was quiet and peaceful, with lush bamboo swaying in the breeze, sunlight dappling through the leaves. It soothed the soul, and Genichi loved it.

He had complete faith in the [Eight-Trigrams Seal]. Naruto had grown up shunned and mocked, yet the Nine-Tails had never run wild in all those years.

He also trusted Kushina's talent, and believed the Nine-Tails wouldn't cause trouble. For all that it was a fox, it wasn't the kind to act one way to someone's face and another behind their back.

Still, he couldn't help worrying. During this time, Genichi stayed in the Senju Clan Compound and visited Kushina whenever he could.

At last, the time to part had come. To grow stronger, Genichi decided to leave the village and undergo a special training regimen for one to two years.

When he arrived, Kushina was sitting by the pond, taking a break.

Today, Kushina wore a sleeveless, pale-yellow one-piece dress with a short hem. Beneath it, she wore snug black shorts. Her snow-white legs swung gently, and droplets of water sparkled in the sunlight.

Her skin was as delicate as a lamb's, her cheeks tinged with pink; a pearl seemed to drop onto a jade plate.

When she saw Genichi approaching, Kushina happily got to her feet. Her bright eyes shimmered like rippling water, and a smile bloomed on her face. With her silky red hair, she looked like a flower in full bloom.

"Genichi, you're here." Kushina came over, wrapped an arm around one of his, and greeted him cheerfully.

Since becoming the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, Kushina had gotten along fairly well with the Nine-Tails. But she could only move around inside the sealing barrier each day, while a squad of Anbu Ninja secretly followed her to keep watch.

After a while, it had started to feel dull.

"I came to say goodbye." Genichi gently ran his free hand through Kushina's soft red hair and spoke warmly.

"You're leaving the village again, Genichi?" Though her heart was full of reluctance and worry, Kushina still supported his decision. "Remember to take care of yourself. If you get hurt, I'll be so worried."

The two of them chatted about childhood memories and their plans for the future.

"Parting is so we can have a better reunion. I'll write whenever I get the chance."

As Kushina watched him reluctantly, Genichi gave her his final farewell. "Say goodbye to Kurama for me, too. Remember to train hard, so you don't get bored on your own."

He had never worried about Kushina's strength. The Uzumaki Clan naturally had far more chakra than ordinary people, and as time passed, the [Eight-Trigrams Seal] would slowly turn the Nine-Tails' chakra into Kushina's own power. Add the brute force of the Rasengan, and she'd be a budget version of the child of destiny.

As for the Nine-Tails' opinion, it didn't care. It used less chakra than it naturally recovered.

Tailed Beasts were immortal. Even if one died by accident, it would be reborn somewhere in the Ninja World after some time. Even sealed inside a Jinchūriki, it could still absorb Natural Energy from its surroundings and replenish its chakra, as if its reserves were endless and would never run dry.

Genichi didn't make a big deal of his departure. He only told a few close friends.

Minato Namikaze was still training in the Flying Thunder God Technique and had reportedly made some progress.

Hyuga Hana spent all day in Orochimaru's laboratory. Genichi had recommended her, since she was still searching for a way to undo the "Caged Bird," and Orochimaru was quite pleased with his Byakugan-wielding assistant.

The Byakugan truly was a standard feature of the Ōtsutsuki Clan, who had created the God Tree, a planet-level weapon. It was like a cheat code not only in combat and medicine but also in scientific research.

As for Mikoto Uchiha, longing clung to her heart like a creeping vine. She was in the throes of love and didn't want to part from Genichi, but she knew he had things he needed to do.

"Don't worry, Mikoto. I'll write whenever I get the chance. Please bear with it for now; this is for our future, too." Genichi comforted her, his own eyes clouded with reluctance.

Mikoto, who had been feeling down, suddenly raised an eyebrow. In a dangerous tone, she asked, "Our future? Genichi, when you say 'our,' are you including Kushina and Hana, too?"

"Ah, Hana and I don't have anything going on yet," Genichi explained guiltily.

"So you and Kushina do have something going on? 'Not yet' means you will later, doesn't it?" Jealousy swept away her sadness at their parting. Mikoto reached for Genichi's waist and pinched him.

"Hiss!" Genichi didn't dodge. He knew he couldn't dodge this time.

"Mikoto, I'll give you—and all of you—an answer, all right?"

He had never hidden that he wanted a harem, and he didn't want to keep their relationship going through lies. Genichi faced Mikoto's resentful gaze without flinching and clasped her hand tightly.

Mikoto felt a little wronged. The thought that she would have to share the person she loved with someone else—even if that someone was her good friend Kushina—left her with a jumble of conflicting feelings.

In the end, Mikoto stepped in front of Genichi, closed her eyes, and rose onto her toes. "Remember to take care of yourself. Don't forget that someone in the village is waiting for you to come back."

I fell for Genichi, so what else could I do? Of course I had to forgive him.

He hadn't expected a parting gift, and Genichi couldn't help savoring the feeling from just moments ago. Looking deeply into Mikoto's eyes, he gently held her and said softly,

"Mikoto, I'm so glad I met you."