Kushina Uzumaki's Farewell Gift

The Senju estate.

The front gate stood open.

Tsunade hopped off Fuga's back and patted his neck.

Yuri Inuzuka pulled on the reins.

"Sorry for the trouble. I'll buy you a drink sometime," Tsunade said.

"Just say the word." Yuri tugged the reins, and Fuga turned and ran off.

Tsunade stepped through the gate.

Several coarse-cloth bundles lay piled in the front courtyard.

Kushina Uzumaki stood beneath the veranda, holding several neatly folded changes of clothes.

Nawaki struggled with a length of hemp rope, trying to tie a large bundle tight.

Mikoto crouched beside him, her fingers deftly working a knot.

Kushina Uzumaki looked up and saw Tsunade. She stopped what she was doing.

"Lady Tsunade. You're back."

"Leaving already?"

Tsunade walked over and took the clothes from Kushina Uzumaki's hands.

"We've already imposed on Lady Mito enough by staying the night. There's still a great deal to take care of back home."

Kushina Uzumaki pushed the bundles together.

Kushina stood behind her mother, her fingers gripping the hem of her skirt.

The little girl's eyes were red, sweat beaded on the tip of her nose, and her lips were pressed tight.

Nawaki dusted off his hands and straightened.

"Aunt Yui, everything's tied up."

Kushina Uzumaki turned and crouched until she was eye to eye with her daughter.

"Kushina, once you're here, you must listen to Lady Mito and Lady Tsunade."

She tucked her daughter's messy hair behind her ear.

Kushina said nothing. Her grip tightened.

Deep creases formed in the skirt.

"Let go," Kushina Uzumaki said softly.

Kushina shook her head. Tears spilled from her eyes and struck the back of her hand.

She took half a step back, trying to pull her mother farther into the courtyard.

Kushina Uzumaki did not move.

"You must be sensible. You're not a little child anymore."

She took her daughter's wrist and pried her fingers loose, one by one.

Kushina could no longer hold back her sobs.

Kushina Uzumaki stood and stopped looking at her.

She turned, picked up two bundles from the ground, and handed them to the clansmen accompanying her.

"It's getting late. We should go."

Tsunade walked over to her.

"I'll see you off."

"There's no need to trouble yourself. You're busy—"

"I said I'll see you off," Tsunade cut in.

She headed for the gate.

Kushina Uzumaki watched her go, swallowed the rest of her words, and followed.

Outside the Senju estate, the streets grew steadily busier.

At a corner, Tsunade stopped and turned to Kushina Uzumaki.

"You two go on ahead. I need a word with Yui," she told the two clansmen behind her.

The clansmen glanced at Kushina Uzumaki.

She nodded.

They carried the bundles ahead, putting some distance between them.

No one else was nearby.

Tsunade took the wooden box from her pocket and held it out.

"Take this."

Kushina Uzumaki looked down.

The box had no carvings. Its surface was rough, and it smelled of old wood.

"What is it?"

She did not take it right away.

"A Sensing Insect from the Aburame clan."

Tsunade pushed the box forward until it touched the back of her hand.

Kushina Uzumaki drew her hand back and retreated half a step.

"Lady Tsunade, this is too valuable. The Uzumaki clan can't accept it for nothing—"

"Let me finish."

Tsunade stepped forward and pressed the box into her palm.

"There's a young insect inside. I have its mother. If you ever find yourself in extreme danger... crush it."

Tsunade looked her in the eye.

"Crush it, and the mother will sense it."

Kushina Uzumaki's fingers trembled slightly.

"Konoha and the Land of Whirlpools are allies. We have regular channels of communication—"

"Through official paperwork. How long would your channels take at best?" Tsunade interrupted.

Kushina Uzumaki had no answer.

For a message to cross borders and work its way up the chain of command would take three or four days at best.

"The Shinobi World isn't safe right now. Every major nation is building up its military," Tsunade said, lowering her voice.

"The Land of Whirlpools is in too valuable a position, and too many people covet its Sealing Jutsu. You're a fat prize with no teeth to defend it."

"If something happens, by the time your message reaches us and Konoha sends help, we won't even make it in time to collect your bodies."

Kushina Uzumaki's face paled.

She knew her clan's situation all too well.

But they had all been fooling themselves, believing that with Konoha as an ally, no one would dare touch the Land of Whirlpools.

Now that Tsunade had said it to her face, she could not argue.

"Take it."

Tsunade pressed down on her hand, making her close her fingers around the box.

"The moment I sense the mother insect die, day or night, no matter what I'm doing, I'll bring people over immediately."

She paused.

"That's my promise to you."

The box's hard corners dug into Kushina Uzumaki's palm.

She kept her head lowered, staring at it.

Her fingers slowly closed around it.

Then she looked up and met Tsunade's eyes.

There was no pity in them. No condescension.

Only absolute certainty.

She could trust this woman with everything, even her life.

Kushina Uzumaki stepped back.

She folded her hands before her and bowed deeply to Tsunade.

It was a formal, full ninety-degree bow.

"Lady Tsunade."

Her voice shook, but every word came out clear.

"If the Land of Whirlpools faces a crisis we cannot overcome, I will crush it."

She remained bowed, her head low.

"Kushina... I leave her in your care!"

Tsunade put her hands on Kushina Uzumaki's shoulders and helped her straighten.

"You can count on me."

Those few words hung in a corner of the busy street.

They walked all the way to Konoha's entrance.

The enormous wooden gates stood open, and the guards were checking travelers' documents.

Kushina Uzumaki handed a guard her travel permit.

Once the formalities were done, she turned around.

Kushina hid behind Tsunade.

One hand clutched the hem of Tsunade's coat.

Her knuckles were white with the force of it.

Kushina Uzumaki crouched and looked at her daughter.

"I'm going now. Be good."

Kushina did not let go.

Tears welled up again and ran down her round cheeks.

They struck the ground, leaving dark spots.

Kushina Uzumaki stood and forced herself to look away.

She bowed to Tsunade, then turned and walked through the gate.

She did not look back.

The other two clansmen followed close behind.

Their red hair stood out in the sunlight.

They gradually receded into the crowd leaving the village.

"Waaah!"

Kushina finally broke into loud sobs.

She released Tsunade's coat, ran two steps forward, and stopped at the line marking the village boundary.

She did not chase after her mother.

She only stood there, crying toward the road Kushina Uzumaki had taken.

Tsunade came up behind her.

She rested a hand on Kushina's red hair.

She stroked it gently twice.

The warmth of her palm reached Kushina. Her wails softened into broken sniffles.

But Tsunade was not looking at Kushina.

She raised her head.

Her gaze passed over the people saying their goodbyes, then over Konoha's towering walls.

She looked toward the eastern sky, toward the Land of Whirlpools.

Now I have a way to warn me.

The Sensing Insect could solve the delay in getting word to her.

But that was not enough!

Tsunade narrowed her eyes, her mind racing.

Suppose the Land of Whirlpools is attacked and Yui crushes the young insect.

The mother insect would die and send its signal.

She would gather a team, leave the village, and race toward the Land of Whirlpools.

Even with jonin moving at full speed, the journey would take time.

Three days at best!

Three days was enough for the elite forces of any major hidden village to raze the Land of Whirlpools.

By the time she arrived, she would probably find nothing but red-haired bodies strewn across the ground.

An early warning was only the first step.

Without a way to reach the battlefield quickly, the information would be useless.

She had to cross those hundreds of kilometers.

Running there would not work.

Ninja Hounds would not work.

Summoned beasts would not work either.

She needed speed that ignored distance.

A way to cut straight through space.

Tsunade's fingers slowly curled at her sides.

In the entire Shinobi World, only one jutsu could do that...