Several days later, at one of Konoha's training grounds—
Kushina was watching Namikaze Minato's squad train while Minato himself drilled Kakashi and the others.
Her eyes were full of envy.
After graduating from the Ninja Academy, the village had forbidden Kushina from leaving Konoha. In fact, she wasn't even allowed to leave the Nine-Tails Barrier.
Her two teammates had been caught up in it as well. They had barely gone on any shinobi missions before being sent early to Konoha Hospital to study medical ninjutsu.
Kakashi, Rin Nohara, and Uchiha Yetao were currently working together to surround Minato.
In the original course of things, Kakashi had graduated early from the Academy at age five and had gone on missions with his squad far too soon, leaving his fundamentals somewhat shaky.
But now, with White Fang personally training him from childhood, Kakashi's foundation was rock-solid.
After White Fang's death, Minato had taken over Kakashi's instruction.
This time around, Kakashi was the prodigy spoken of by the Academy teachers—the top talent in ninjutsu and the best in basic skills.
His chakra extraction speed and chakra control were monstrous for someone his age.
At that moment, Kakashi was using Lightning Release chakra to stimulate the muscles in his legs, dashing around Minato at extreme speed as he searched for an opening.
As for Minato, after mastering Wind Release chakra refinement, Vacuum Blade, Body Flicker Technique, and chakra blade combat, he had already stepped firmly into Kage level.
A thin layer of Wind Release chakra covered Minato's body.
Light warped slightly within that refined Wind Release chakra, making his figure appear blurred and indistinct.
No matter how hard Kakashi pressed, he couldn't touch Minato.
The squad's other member, Uchiha Yetao, anxiously paced around in the rear.
His eyes hadn't awakened yet. He simply couldn't follow the speed of either his teacher or Kakashi.
Then Minato suddenly disengaged from Kakashi and appeared before Rin like a ghost, kicking her away with one strike.
A voice sounded from behind Yetao.
"Yetao, pay attention to protecting the weak point in your team. Don't stand there dazing out."
Yetao hurriedly swung his arm backward, thrusting a kunai at the suddenly appearing Minato.
Minato caught his wrist and flung him aside.
While flying through the air, Yetao saw that Kakashi had already appeared behind Rin.
Kakashi caught her before she could slam into a tree trunk.
A wave of frustration rose inside Yetao.
He felt too weak.
At that moment, he suddenly sensed an overwhelming presence descend.
A figure dropped from the sky.
When it landed, the ground for several meters around it cracked.
Minato looked at the newcomer in shock.
Why was Fox-sama in such a hurry that even his landing looked uncontrolled? What kind of emergency could possibly make him this urgent?
Yako beckoned to Minato, signaling him to come over, then walked toward Kushina.
Fox wore his mask, so Kushina couldn't see his expression. But from his body language alone, she could tell something major had happened.
"Kushina. Minato. Come with me. We're going to the Land of Rain."
Minato immediately turned toward the Hokage Tower.
Fox-sama was taking Kushina to another country? Did the village even know?
Before he could ask, Fox's hand landed on his shoulder.
In the next instant, Minato's view changed.
Rain fell on his blond hair.
Rain fell on his shoulders.
They were really in the Land of Rain?
Then Minato felt a chill.
Not the chill of cold rain.
The chill of the Nine-Tails' chakra.
Kushina had only taken one glance ahead, yet her chakra had already surged violently, and the Nine-Tails' chakra began pouring out of her uncontrollably.
Her eyes instantly became those of a fox—slit pupils, wild and inhuman.
Minato followed her gaze and saw several enormous summoned beasts in the rainforest ahead, fighting desperately against enemy shinobi.
Split-Hound. Bull. Eight-Winged Crow...
Minato had never seen those summons himself, but he had heard Kushina talk about them many times.
When Kushina was a child, she had lived in Uzushio Village, where many powerful summoned beasts had protected the settlement.
The moment she saw those familiar creatures again, panic seized her.
It felt as though she had once more returned to that night when Uzushio Village had fallen, when the summoned beasts roared and fought against the invaders.
Minato hurriedly asked, "Fox-sama! What happened?!"
Kushina turned toward Fox as well.
Yako said, "There's something that's been hidden from Kushina all this time.
Now is the time for her to know.
The Uzumaki clan was not wiped out.
More than forty Uzumaki ninja escaped and have been hiding in a remote rainforest in the southwest of the Land of Rain.
The Third Shinobi World War is about to begin. While preparing for war, the other villages discovered the hidden location of the Uzumaki survivors.
They want to capture Uzumaki clan members for sealing experiments.
The Uzumaki are the most perfect sealing experiment subjects in the shinobi world."
"The Uzumaki clan wasn't wiped out? There are still survivors?" Kushina demanded at once. "Then why didn't you tell me? Why did you hide this from me for so long?"
Behind Kushina, more and more tails appeared in succession.
Seeing the Nine-Tails' chakra scorching Kushina's skin red, Minato recognized the signs of it slipping out of control and hurriedly said, "Kushina! Control the Nine-Tails' chakra! Don't let hatred swallow you!
You can investigate the reasons later. Right now the most important thing is helping your clansmen fight.
A berserk Nine-Tails doesn't distinguish between friend and foe, Kushina!"
At Minato's words, something shifted in Kushina's eyes. The situation stopped getting worse.
Yako no longer needed to suppress the Nine-Tails himself, so he said, "Kushina, the truth was hidden from you because we feared that once you learned it, the Nine-Tails would consume you.
Go. The two of you go help the Uzumaki clan.
I'll stay here and cover you. This is Kushina's first real battle, so make the most of it."
The Nine-Tails' chakra quickly stabilized.
Six translucent chakra tails swayed behind Kushina as she vanished first in a Body Flicker.
Minato immediately followed after her.
Yako watched the two of them leave, especially Minato's back, and thought:
Flowers raised in Konoha's greenhouse... go learn the wildness of the shinobi world.
In the process of witnessing the Uzumaki clan's destruction, you'll learn a great deal. Cruelty will help strip away your innocence.
And once that innocence is gone, perhaps I'll be able to convince Namikaze Minato to join the Calamity Organization and become one of my people.
What the shinobi world lacks most is talent.
Geniuses.
If Minato joins, then the faith of the Three Gods will spread faster, and the growth of my soul will enter the fast lane as well.
In the distance, Uzumaki Yuka bit her finger and slammed her hand into the mud again.
"Summoning Jutsu: Hell Crab!"
A crab more than thirty meters long burst out of the white smoke and charged at the combined Iwa and Sand forces opposite it.
The last time the Uzumaki clan faced destruction, it had been Kumo and Mist working together.
This time, it was Iwa and Sand.
Was the Uzumaki clan truly such an evil clan?
Why did every village want them wiped out?
At that moment, a massive chakra presence made Yuka's expression change.
Had Fox arrived?
She quickly turned—
And saw a figure she had thought about for years.
Kushina.
Uzumaki Kushina!
Nearly ten years had passed...
Had Fox finally decided that it was time for Princess Kushina to reunite with them?