Uzumaki Vanilla's gaze fell upon the fair wrist offered to her.
She froze in a daze for a split second, then looked up in shock at the white, three-eyed fox mask hovering inches away. Her eyes darted back and forth, tracing the dark hair of the mysterious figure.
"My Lord..." she began, her voice trembling, only to be cut off by his frigid tone.
"I told you to bite," Menma commanded, his voice brook no argument.
"Your lineage is far stronger than your daughter's. To unlock the Uzumaki clan's sealed chamber, I need your bloodline. Therefore, you are not permitted to die yet!"
To a stranger, these words might have sounded like the cold calculations of a man merely intent on exploiting a mother and child. Yet, to Vanilla, they felt like the purest form of warmth.
Trembling, she parted her pale lips and bit down gently.
The moment her teeth brushed his skin, a gargantuan tide of vitality surged into her mouth like a spring, rushing through her meridians and flooding her entire body. It was the feeling of parched, cracked earth finally meeting a torrential rain; every inch of her flesh greedily drank in the life force.
Feeling refreshed and her strength returning, Vanilla tried to pull away, but a hand pressed firmly against her head.
"Keep going."
The voice from above remained cool, yet it carried an irresistible power.
Though she did not know who he was or why he had saved them, this massive vitality and this specific method of healing were traits unique to the Uzumaki constitution! Even if this masked man claimed he only wanted to use her blood to claim the clan's secret treasures—even if his voice was a mask of ice—to her, it was the warmest sound she had ever heard.
Beside the bed, little Karin knelt, her eyes wide with confusion. She didn't understand what was happening between the two, but her small eyes saw her mother's complexion improve at a visible rate.
A moment later, sensing that Vanilla's condition had stabilized, Menma released his grip and withdrew his right hand, now marked with teeth indentations.
Even though he was currently using a Transformation Jutsu, the transfer of chakra and vitality could still be conducted through this primal, direct method.
Deep into the night, a campfire crackled and popped.
Menma used the cooking utensils left behind in the rogue ninja camp to boil a pot of water, then pulled several loaves of bread from a storage scroll. He placed them before Vanilla and Karin.
Vanilla poured the water into a cup, carefully blowing on it until it was lukewarm before feeding it to her daughter.
"Rest well tonight. Tomorrow, you will accompany me to unseal the Uzumaki treasures," Menma said.
Without waiting for a reply, he stood and walked toward the fire, sitting down with his back against a ruined wall.
On the side hidden from the mother and daughter, a tiny Nine-Tails poked its head out from Menma's fur collar. The little fox glanced at Vanilla, who was tenderly watching her daughter eat, then leaned in close to Menma's ear.
"Talks about 'utilizing' them, but you're softer than anyone, aren't you?" it whispered playfully.
Only steady, rhythmic breathing came from behind the mask, as if its owner had already drifted into a deep sleep. The little fox chuckled to itself and burrowed back into the warmth of the collar.
A short distance away, Vanilla finished feeding Karin before taking small, careful bites of the remaining food. Her eyes drifted frequently to the masked man by the fire.
The flames bathed the white fox mask in a layer of flickering orange-red. She stared at his silhouette, lost in thought. For the many years she had been imprisoned by the Grass Village, she had fantasized countless times about a hero who would rescue them from that hellish cage.
Now that a hero had actually descended and saved them, she was terrified it was all a dream.
This hero was ruthless, having leveled half the Grass Village without a second thought. His voice was cold and demanding. And yet, for some reason, Vanilla felt that he wasn't actually that old.
Satiated, Karin curled up into her mother's bedding and fell into a peaceful sleep. Watching her daughter, Vanilla's only wish was to see her grow up safely. Eventually, exhaustion claimed her, and she drifted off to sleep with Karin in her arms.
The next morning, as the first rays of dawn touched Vanilla's face, she slowly stirred.
Feeling the empty space beside her where Karin should have been, she bolted upright in a panic. But the sight that met her eyes was one she would never forget.
Near the embers of the campfire, the black-haired youth sat leaning against the ruins. Karin was perched in his lap, happily playing with the white fox mask. Her giggles drifted away on the sea breeze.
The surreal scene brought back the reality of yesterday's events. A masked man had destroyed the Grass Village and saved them. Yet, looking at the youth playing so naturally with her daughter, Vanilla felt as though she were still dreaming.
Slowly, tears began to stream down her face, unstoppable.
"Mama!" Karin cried out, seeing her mother awake. She scrambled out of Menma's lap and went bounding toward her.
The campfire was relit.
Having regained some strength after a night's rest, Vanilla took it upon herself to use the camp's tools to heat up breakfast.
"May I ask for your name, My Lord?" Vanilla asked, handing a bowl of simple porridge to the youth sitting opposite her.
The recovery rate of the Uzumaki was far beyond ordinary people. After receiving a boost of vitality and chakra followed by a night of rest, Vanilla's body had begun to mend itself. It wouldn't be long before she could move like a normal person again.
"In public, call me 'Shura'," Menma replied, taking the bowl.
He paused for a moment before adding, "In private... you may call me Menma."
"Yes, Lord Menma!" Vanilla tucked a lock of red hair behind her ear, her eyes filled with nothing but reverence.
After breakfast, Menma led the mother and daughter deep into the ruins of Uzushiogakure.
"How much do you know about the Hidden Eddy Village?" Menma asked, glancing at Vanilla as they stood inside a stone chamber deep within the ruins.
"I am sorry, Lord Menma," Vanilla said, her voice tight as she held Karin's hand. "I fled with my parents when I was only six. I spent over a decade wandering. Because of this red hair, I encountered much misfortune... even Karin's father passed away because of it. Eventually, I had no choice but to seek refuge in the Grass Village."
The Hidden Eddy Village had been destroyed roughly seventeen years ago. Vanilla had been a mere child then. Years of displacement had left her memories fractured; she hadn't even learned most of the Uzumaki secret arts.
"No matter. Try injecting your chakra into this stone wall." Menma wasn't certain it would work, but he wanted her to try.
"Yes, Lord Menma!"
Vanilla released her daughter's hand and stepped toward the wall. She raised her right hand, stroking the cold stone as she channeled her chakra into it.
A ripple of chakra bloomed from the surface. The stone chamber began to shimmer with golden, wave-like seal formulas, until the entire room was bathed in a golden glow.
Menma sensed the distinct ripple of Space-Time Ninjutsu. It seemed the pure Uzumaki bloodline had indeed triggered the seal.
A massive golden gate manifested before the three of them. As the chakra continued to flow, the sealing charms above the door slowly peeled away.
The golden gate swung open.
A black-haired girl was suspended in the air, her eyes tightly shut. She possessed the exquisite face of a sleeping beauty, with long black hair reaching her waist. A deep blue robe obscured her figure, though the bandages and heavy shackles around her ankles looked jarringly out of place.
Slowly, the girl's eyelids fluttered open.
A pair of Mangekyō Sharingan bloomed like blood-red flowers!
"Tch... I came to dig up the Uzumaki clan's secret treasure," Menma muttered, a headache beginning to form as he stared at the awakening Uchiha Hikari. "Instead, I dug up this?"