Uzumaki Mito

On the evening of the fourth day, the gates of Konoha finally came into view for the four of them, the setting sun gilding the massive portals with a warm glow.

The wounds on Yusuke's body had mostly healed thanks to the special medicine provided by Tsunade.

Yet, the closer they drew to the gates, the more refined the sensory threads Yusuke spread around him became.

It was only after stepping through the gates that Yusuke finally let out a sigh of relief.

"Finally back! I feel like my bones are about to fall apart!" Inuzuka Go howled dramatically. He stretched his back, his joints popping with a crisp sound.

Haimaru, the ninja dog trotting at his heels, seemed to share the sentiment; it tilted its head and let out a few barks, its tail wagging rapidly, exuding the ease of one returning to their own territory.

Hyuga Aya remained as silent as a block of ice, her pure white eyes sweeping over the familiar streetscape without a ripple of emotion.

Yusuke paused, his gaze falling upon the red-haired girl beside him, who had grown increasingly tense since they entered the city.

Kushina Uzumaki had been unusually quiet throughout the journey, though only she knew the trepidation in her heart.

"This is for you." Kushina carefully pulled something from her bosom; it was half of an ancient-looking key.

She pressed it into Yusuke's hand, her palm feeling somewhat cold.

"Grandfather told me secretly before he passed away."

"He said that if only half the key exists, the Treasure Vault's alert sealing jutsu will trigger itself and destroy everything inside."

"If you brought me to Konoha, I was to give this half of the key to you."

She spoke in a timid voice.

Yusuke took the half-key and gently joined it with the one he had obtained from the late elder; they fit perfectly, seamless and whole.

A peculiar fluctuation of chakra emanated from the complete key.

He sighed inwardly, Ginger really is spicier when it's old; this contingency plan is truly cunning.

If he hadn't brought Kushina back, or if he hadn't received this half of the key due to treating her poorly along the way, he would likely be facing nothing but ruins even if he found the Treasure Vault.

The key to obtaining the treasure lay entirely in whether he treated Kushina well.

"Mission accomplished. Go, Aya, you are dismissed. Go back and get some rest; I will handle the mission report."

Yusuke carefully tucked the complete key into the innermost pocket of his ninja tool pouch and spoke to his two teammates.

"Understood, Captain!"

Inuzuka Go grinned, revealing two rows of white teeth, clearly eager to return home.

"Haimaru, let's go, time to eat three pounds of grilled meat."

With that, man and dog dashed off full of energy, quickly disappearing at the end of the street.

Hyuga Aya nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping over Yusuke and Kushina with lightning speed.

Without another word, she turned and left, her tall figure quickly blending into the flow of people at the street corner and vanishing from sight.

Yusuke pondered for a moment, preparing to take Kushina to the Senju Clan compound.

Just then, a figure appeared silently in front of his side like a ghost.

The newcomer wore a standard animal mask and the typical attire of the Anbu, but the chakra fluctuations on their body lacked the gloomy style of Root.

"Chunin Yusuke, Lady Mito wishes to see you immediately, along with the child you brought back."

The Anbu's voice came through the mask, concise and direct.

Yusuke felt no surprise.

As the most powerful member of the Uzumaki Clan and the jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, Mito Uzumaki's sensory abilities had reached an unfathomable realm.

Presumably, the moment their group stepped into Konoha, she had keenly sensed them.

This sudden summons actually saved him the trouble of having to explain things himself.

"Understood." Yusuke's expression remained calm as he took Kushina's hand and followed behind the Anbu.

Kushina was somewhat nervous, her small face serious, and she gripped Yusuke's hand even tighter.

The ancestral home of the Senju Clan was located in a relatively quiet area of Konoha, ancient and solemn, possessing the weight of a century-old clan.

Just as they passed through the courtyard gate, a familiar, energetic voice rang out.

"Brother-in-law! You're back!"

Nawaki rushed out of the residence like a gust of wind, a bright smile on his face.

"Huh? Brother-in-law, who is this little one? She has the same red hair as Grandma." Nawaki leaned in closer, staring at Kushina with curiosity.

Kushina was startled by Nawaki's familiarity and instinctively shrank behind Yusuke.

"Her name is Kushina Uzumaki; she is a member of the Uzumaki Clan and may be staying here for a while."

"Nawaki, take Kushina to play in the courtyard for a bit and let her get used to the environment."

"She's new here and a bit shy."

Yusuke gave a brief introduction and patted Nawaki on the shoulder.

"Leave it to me, don't worry, brother-in-law!"

"You're Kushina, right? Don't be afraid, my name is Nawaki."

"Come on, I'll take you to the backyard, I keep a lot of beautiful goldfish."

Upon hearing this, Nawaki immediately puffed out his chest and slapped it hard, trying to make himself look reliable.

Dead memories suddenly assaulted Yusuke: What the hell, taking a little girl to see goldfish the moment she walks through the door?

It was fortunate that this came from a blockhead like Nawaki; if it had been Jiraiya, he would never have let Kushina go with him.

Kushina looked up at Yusuke, her eyes filled with inquiry.

Yusuke nodded gently at her, signaling with his eyes that she had no need to be afraid.

Only then did the little girl muster her courage, cast a shy glance at Nawaki, and nod at him.

"Follow me."

Nawaki took Kushina by the hand, excitedly introducing the flowers and plants in the yard as they walked, their voices gradually fading into the distance.

Watching the two children's figures disappear around the corner of the corridor, the gentle expression on Yusuke's face faded, returning to his usual composure.

He straightened his slightly disheveled collar and walked toward the main hall deep within the mansion.

The light in the main hall was soft, and the air was permeated with sandalwood that calmed the mind.

Lady Mito sat upright on a cushion in the seat of honor, her figure appearing even thinner than the last time Yusuke had seen her.

Having been the Nine-Tails jinchuriki for decades, even with the Uzumaki Clan's far-superior vitality, she could not completely offset the day-to-day erosion of the Tailed Beast chakra.

She was nearly seventy; although she maintained the appearance of a young woman thanks to the Yin Seal, to Yusuke's perception, she felt more like an empty shell.

Yet those eyes were like deep pools.

Since his relationship with Tsunade had been basically established, this was only the second time he had come to pay his respects to Lady Mito.

Mito offered no superfluous pleasantries, not even looking at Yusuke's respectful bow, merely signaling toward the seat below with her gaze.

She then cut straight to the core: "Yusuke, how is the Land of Whirlpools doing now?"

Her voice was somewhat low.

Yusuke sat down as instructed. He met Mito's gaze, and after a moment of thought, decided to state the truth directly.

"Lady Mito, the Land of Whirlpools no longer exists."

"Less than one in ten of the Uzumaki Clan remain, and the survivors are scattered and drifting."

As his words fell, the entire main hall plunged into a deathly silence, as if only the sound of burning sandalwood remained.

The hand Lady Mito used to hold her teacup suddenly tightened, and turbulent emotions churned within her eyes.

"Crack."

A shattering sound broke the silence as the teacup in her hand was crushed to pieces by Lady Mito.