Mito Uzumaki

On the evening of the fourth day, the gates of Konoha finally came into view. The setting sun bathed the massive doors in a warm glow.

The wounds on Yusuke's body had mostly healed under Tsunade's specially formulated medicine.

But the closer they came to the gates, the finer the sensory threads Yusuke had spread around them became.

Only after they passed through the gates did Yusuke finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Finally, we're back. I feel like my bones are about to fall apart!" Inuzuka Go groaned theatrically, stretching until his joints popped.

Haimaru, the Ninja Dog at his feet, seemed to share his feelings. He lifted his head and barked several times, his tail wagging furiously as he reveled in being back on familiar ground.

Hyuga Aya remained as silent as ice. Her pale eyes swept over the familiar streets, betraying not the slightest ripple of emotion.

Yusuke stopped, his gaze falling on the red-haired girl beside him, who had grown increasingly nervous since they entered the village.

Kushina Uzumaki had been unusually quiet throughout the journey, but only she knew how anxious she felt inside.

"Here. Take this." Kushina carefully pulled something from her clothes again. It was half of an old-fashioned key.

She pressed it into Yusuke's hand. Her palm was a little cold.

"Grandpa secretly told me about it before he died."

"He said that if we had only half the key, the vault's protective sealing jutsu would activate on its own and destroy everything inside."

"He said to give you this half if you brought me to Konoha."

Her voice was timid.

Yusuke took the half-key and gently fitted it together with the one he had received from the deceased old man. The two pieces matched perfectly, forming a single whole.

A strange chakra fluctuation emanated from the complete key.

He sighed inwardly. The old really are the wiser. What a cunning contingency plan.

If he hadn't brought Kushina back, or if he hadn't treated her well enough along the way to earn this half of the key,

then even if he found the vault, he would likely have faced nothing but rubble.

The key to obtaining the treasure had depended entirely on whether he treated Kushina well.

"Mission complete. Go, Aya, you're dismissed. Go get some rest. I'll take care of the mission report."

Yusuke carefully tucked the complete key into the innermost part of his ninja tool pouch and addressed his two teammates.

"Yes, Captain!"

Inuzuka Go grinned, showing two rows of white teeth. He was clearly eager to get home.

"Haimaru, come on. Let's go eat three pounds of grilled meat."

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

Hyuga Aya gave a slight nod, her gaze flicking briefly between Yusuke and Kushina.

Without another word, she turned and left. Her tall figure quickly blended into the crowd at the street corner and vanished from sight.

Yusuke considered their next move and was just about to take Kushina to the Senju Clan Compound.

At that moment, a figure appeared soundlessly beside and slightly in front of him, like a ghost.

The newcomer wore a standard animal mask and the usual Anbu uniform. The chakra coming from him lacked the sinister quality of Root.

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

The Anbu's voice came through the mask, terse and to the point.

Yusuke wasn't surprised.

As the most powerful member of the Uzumaki Clan and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Mito Uzumaki's sensory abilities had reached an unbelievable level.

She had likely sensed their arrival the moment they stepped into Konoha.

This unexpected summons saved him the trouble of explaining things himself.

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

Kushina was nervous, her little face solemn as her small hand gripped Yusuke's even tighter.

The Senju Clan's ancestral home stood in a quiet part of Konoha. It was simple and dignified, carrying the weight of a great clan with a century of history.

As soon as they passed through the courtyard gate, a familiar, energetic voice called out.

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

Nawaki dashed out of the residence like a gust of wind, a brilliant smile on his face.

"Huh? Brother-in-law, who's this little one? She has the same red hair as Grandma." Nawaki leaned closer, eyeing Kushina curiously.

Startled by Nawaki's easygoing manner, Kushina instinctively shrank behind Yusuke.

"Her name is Kushina Uzumaki. She's a member of the Uzumaki Clan, and she might be staying here for a while."

"Nawaki, take Kushina and play with her in the courtyard for a bit. Help her get used to the place."

"She's new here, so she's a little shy."

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

"Leave it to me, Brother-in-law! Don't worry!"

"You're Kushina, right? Don't be scared. I'm Nawaki."

"Come on, I'll show you the backyard. I have lots of pretty goldfish."

At that, Nawaki puffed out his chest and patted it hard, trying to look reliable.

A long-forgotten memory suddenly assaulted Yusuke. What the hell? He just got here and he's already taking a little girl to see his goldfish?

Thankfully, it was the clueless Nawaki saying this. If it had been Jiraiya, Yusuke definitely wouldn't have let Kushina go with him.

Kushina looked up at Yusuke, uncertainty in her eyes.

Yusuke gave her a reassuring nod, silently telling her she didn't need to be afraid.

Only then did the little girl gather her courage. She looked timidly at Nawaki and nodded.

"Come on."

Nawaki led Kushina away by the hand, excitedly pointing out the flowers and plants in the courtyard as they went. Their voices gradually faded into the distance.

Watching the two children disappear around the corridor, Yusuke's gentle expression faded, and his usual composure returned.

He straightened his slightly rumpled collar and walked toward the main hall deep inside the residence.

The main hall was softly lit, and the soothing scent of sandalwood hung in the air.

Mito Uzumaki sat on a cushion in the place of honor, looking thinner than she had the last time Yusuke saw her.

After serving as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki for decades, even the Uzumaki Clan's extraordinary vitality couldn't fully withstand the daily erosion of Tailed Beast Chakra.

She was nearly seventy. Though the Yin Seal kept her looking like a young woman, to Yusuke's senses she seemed more like an empty shell.

Only her eyes were like a deep pool.

Since his relationship with Tsunade had become more or less official, this was only the second time he had paid his respects to Mito Uzumaki.

Mito dispensed with pleasantries. She didn't even look at Yusuke as he bowed respectfully, merely indicating the seat below her with her eyes.

Then she got straight to the point. "Yusuke, what's become of the Land of Whirlpools?"

Her voice was somewhat low.

Yusuke sat as instructed. Meeting Mito's gaze, he considered his answer, then decided to tell her the truth plainly.

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

"Less than one in ten members of the Uzumaki Clan survived. The rest are scattered across the world."

When he finished, the entire main hall fell silent, as though the only sound left was the sandalwood burning.

Mito Uzumaki's hand tightened suddenly around her teacup, turbulent emotions surging in her eyes.

"Crack."

The sound of shattering broke the silence. The teacup crumbled in Mito Uzumaki's hand.