Seeing the two boys trembling with exhaustion after the strenuous training, Kushina smiled mischievously and said, "Since you both have extra energy, how about a little competition? Whoever climbs that cliff the fastest!"
She pointed towards a large rock wall near the river. Hashirama and Madara turned in unison.
The cliff loomed high, perhaps hundreds of meters. For an ordinary person, it was like a nightmare. But for talented ninja like them, it was certainly not an impossible challenge.
Hashirama's eyes immediately lit up. "Come on, Madara! I'll definitely win!"
Madara snorted arogantly. "Hah, in your dreams! I'll definitely be faster!"
"Well then, ready… go!!" Kushina exclaimed, clapping her hands loudly.
Instantly, the two boys shot towards the rock wall, leaving a trail of billowing dust.
Kushina just chuckled, then with a light movement, she too disappeared.
Not long after, Hashirama and Madara, racing as fast as they could, were almost at the top.
"I'm first, Madara!" Hashirama shouted, looking back at his rival.
"Don't dream!" Madara retorted, speeding up.
Finally, they reached the top, and at that moment...
Clap, clap, clap!
Both of them turned in surprise, seeing Kushina already standing on a large rock, clapping with a mischievous smile.
"It's a tie," Kushina said casually.
"Huh?! Kushina-neechan? W-when did you...?" Hashirama gaped.
"You were still down there just now!" Madara added.
Kushina just smiled mysteriously and pointed towards the view before them.
From this peak, a vast expanse of dense forest, towering mountains, a bright blue sky, and drifting white clouds were visible. The scenery was so vast and peaceful, as if this world had not yet been tainted by war.
"Wow..." Hashirama forgot to breathe.
"Truly beautiful...," Madara muttered.
Kushina approached, then with a soft yet meaningful voice said, "This is what it feels like... to see the world from above. You see? How small this world is compared to our spirit."
The two boys stared at the scenery before them in silence. The beauty was mixed with a strange feeling of loneliness.
"It would be more fun... if everyone we care about could also see this with us," Hashirama whispered, his voice heavy with sadness.
Madara looked down slightly. Memories of his brothers who fell on the battlefield flashed through his mind.
Kushina smiled gently, patting both their heads. "Those who have gone... will not return. But we, who are still alive, can create a new world for them."
Hashirama looked at Kushina with determination, then clenched his fist. "Kushina-neechan! I've decided! Someday, I will build a village in this place! A village where children don't have to fight! A village where everyone can smile!"
Madara was surprised, but soon a faint smile appeared. "Sounds ridiculous... but I don't hate it."
Hashirama turned. "Madara! Let's build that village together! A village that can protect our friends, our families!"
Madara paused for a moment... then finally nodded. "Alright. But don't think you'll become stronger than me just because of that!"
Kushina laughed at the boys' determination. 'This is the root of the world's change... two stubborn kids with pure dreams.'
Hashirama then looked at Kushina with sparkling eyes. "Kushina-neechan, if this village is built... give us a name for it!"
Kushina paused for a moment, then looked at the dense forest hidden beneath the shadows of the trees.
Smiling meaningfully, she said, "Name this village... Konohagakure. A place where every individual is a leaf. Though one leaf falls, it will give strength for this great tree to grow stronger."
Madara and Hashirama were stunned.
"Konohagakure... Village Hidden in the Leaves..." Madara muttered slowly.
"Great! That name... is very good!" Hashirama exclaimed with a wide smile.
The three of them stood at the top of their little world, silently vowing in their hearts.
Under that blue sky... the great history of the ninja world began to move, little by little.
—------------------------------------------------
After days of reading Orochimaru's research scrolls on curse seals, Kushina finally found a loophole for modification.
She sat cross-legged inside a cave, surrounded by intricate scribbles and ancient scrolls. Candlelight illuminated her serious face.
"Hmm... the basic curse seal is good, but it's too unstable," Kushina muttered, twirling her chakra carving pen. "If I combine the principles of Byakugō no In... it should be able to stabilize the flow of natural energy slowly."
After all, Byakugō no In was not just an ordinary medical jutsu. It was a jutsu from the era of the Sage of Six Paths himself. (source: Boruto manga chapter 36, page 17)
"If it works... I can have an abundant reserve of natural energy. But this has to be safer," Kushina whispered.
Thanks to memories from her past life and her foundational knowledge of sealing arts from the Uzumaki clan, Kushina could decipher the basic patterns that even Orochimaru had missed.
A few days later...
Inside the remote cave, Kushina drew a new seal pattern on her body. Not on her forehead like the classic Byakugō, but on her abdomen—right above her navel, near the location of Kurama's seal.
"Well, this is a more sensible place. I don't want a conspicuous mark on my forehead either," Kushina quipped with a small chuckle.
Meanwhile, outside the cave, Kushina's shadow clone casually supervised the training of the two stubborn brats: Hashirama and Madara.
"Kushina-neechan is so weird... she can teach and rest at the same time," Hashirama muttered.
Madara frowned. "Quiet. That must be a secret jutsu. Don't ask carelessly, it could be considered rude."
They then continued their training, suppressing their individual curiosities.