The sun stood high in the sky, yet the training ground felt unusually quiet.
Kushina stood in the center.
Arms crossed.
Annoyed.
"So… you're seriously telling me I'm supposed to do NOTHING?"
Daichi stood a few meters away, calm as always.
"I said you should stop fighting it."
"That's the same thing!"
"No."
Silence.
Kushina rolled her eyes.
"That makes no sense at all."
Daichi let out a quiet sigh.
"Then stop thinking and start feeling."
Kushina stared at him.
"You talk like an old man."
"I am an old man."
"That explains a lot."
A brief gust of wind passed over the field.
Kushina closed her eyes.
"…Feel…"
She breathed in.
And out.
Slowly.
That feeling again.
Deep inside her.
Warm.
Heavy.
There.
Kushina whispered,
"I know you're there."
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then
A pulse.
Like a heartbeat.
Not hers.
Stronger.
Heavier.
Kushina's body tensed.
"…It's getting stronger…"
"Good."
"That does NOT feel good!"
Daichi remained calm.
"Stay with it."
Kushina clenched her teeth.
"If I explode, it's your fault."
No answer.
Only silence.
And that feeling.
It moved.
Slowly.
As if it were testing her.
Kushina's hand lifted slightly.
A faint glow appeared.
Then
A chain.
Thin.
Shaking.
But there.
Kushina's eyes opened.
"…I've got it."
The chain moved.
Calm.
Controlled.
For a moment
It worked.
Kushina smiled slightly.
"See? I—"
Suddenly
A jolt.
The chain tightened.
Too fast.
Too strong.
Kushina's eyes widened.
"Wait—!"
The ground cracked.
The chain slammed down.
Then another.
And another.
"Damn it—!"
More chains burst out of her.
Uncontrolled.
Wild.
The ground trembled.
Dust rose into the air.
"Kushina! Stop pushing against it!" Daichi called.
"I'M NOT PUSHING—!"
Another strike.
The earth shattered beneath her.
The air vibrated.
And then
A shadow moved at the edge of the field.
A child.
Too close.
Far too close.
Kushina's gaze snapped to the side.
"GET AWAY—!"
Too late.
One of the chains shot straight toward the child.
Too fast.
Too precise.
Too dangerous.
Kushina's heart stopped.
"NO—!"
Daichi moved.
Instantly.
He appeared between them.
The chain struck
Right in front of him.
The ground exploded.
Stones flew through the air.
The child was thrown backward.
Silence.
Kushina's breath caught.
"…I almost…"
Her hands trembled.
The chains grew stronger.
More unstable.
Angrier.
The feeling inside her shifted.
No longer just pressure.
But
Rage.
Kushina gasped.
"…That's not me…"
A growl echoed within her.
Deep.
Dark.
Alive.
"…weak…"
Kushina's eyes widened.
"Shut up—!"
The chains slammed down all at once.
The entire ground shook.
Daichi grabbed her arm.
Firm.
"KUSHINA!"
For a moment
Silence.
Kushina's body tensed.
Then
Everything collapsed.
The chains vanished.
The dust slowly settled.
Kushina dropped to her knees.
Her breathing was fast.
Too fast.
She stared at the ground.
"…I could have…"
Silence.
Daichi slowly let go of her.
His gaze was calm.
But heavy.
"Yes."
That hit.
Hard.
Kushina pressed her lips together.
"That wasn't me…"
"It was."
Silence.
Then, quieter,
"But it wasn't only you."
Kushina's hands clenched.
"I'm losing control…"
"You never had it."
Kushina looked away.
"…Great."
A moment passed.
Then she whispered,
"What is it…?"
Daichi did not answer immediately.
His gaze briefly shifted to the child.
Now standing farther away.
Unharmed.
But shaken.
Then back to Kushina.
"Something that can make you stronger…"
A pause.
His voice grew heavier.
"Or destroy everything that matters to you."
Kushina swallowed.
Then slowly lifted her head.
Her eyes were calm.
But determined.
"Then I'll learn to control it."
Daichi looked at her.
For a long moment.
Evaluating.
Then he gave a slight nod.
"Then stop treating it like your enemy."
Kushina frowned.
"What else am I supposed to do?"
Silence.
Then he said,
"Listen to it."
…
Kushina stared at him.
"You've got to be kidding me."
"No."
"That is the STUPIDEST thing I've ever heard."
A hint of humor.
But also fear.
Daichi remained calm.
"It's the only way."
Silence.
Kushina looked at him.
Then at her hands.
Then back at him.
A quiet breath.
"…Okay."
A pause.
Then
"But if I die…"
A crooked grin.
"I'm going to haunt you."
Daichi replied dryly,
"That wouldn't surprise me."
Kushina smiled.
Briefly.
Then she grew serious again.
Slowly, she placed a hand on her stomach.
The feeling was still there.
Faint.
But awake.
Kushina whispered,
"…Then let's talk."
For a moment
Silence.
Then
Very quietly
Something answered.