Hearing the old woman's words, Kushina's little face instantly turned deathly pale. Her eyes widened as she asked in a trembling voice,
"Ni...Nine-Tails? What is that...?"
The old woman's expression grew complicated, and she spoke gently.
"The Nine-Tails is a terrifying monster. If it were ever allowed to escape, it would cause great destruction in this world."
At her words, little Kushina's face twitched. She asked in a trembling voice,
"A m-monster? Why does it have to be sealed inside me...?"
The old woman looked at little Kushina affectionately and gently drew her into her arms. Her dry, withered hand softly stroked Kushina's red hair as she said tenderly,
"Because this is the duty of our Uzumaki Clan."
"Kushina, don't be afraid. I'm the current Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. The Nine-Tails is very frightening, but in some ways, it's also quite an interesting fellow."
"As members of the Uzumaki Clan, we're all eventually brought here to become the Nine-Tails' vessel... Before it's sealed inside you, try filling it with love."
Hearing Mito Uzumaki's kind words, Kushina nestled in her arms. Little by little, the fear and unease in her heart faded.
Love...?
A few days later.
The Land of Earth joined the war, citing the flimsy excuse that the conflict between Konoha, Amegakure, and Sunagakure threatened its territory.
The announcement once again shook the continent!
Konoha and Sunagakure had long anticipated that Iwagakure, which had been lying low and watching from the sidelines, would join the conflict. That was precisely why they had held back throughout the war, so the news didn't come as much of a surprise.
After the Land of Earth announced its entry into the war,
in a remote corner of the continent, on a highland surrounded by towering peaks, deafening thunder echoed now and then.
This was