The door creaked open
A tall woman with long red hair stepped inside, her jonin vest catching the light. A small smile played at her lips.
"Sister Tsunade, is it me?"
The room fell silent.
Kakashi's eye widened in shock, and even Shikaku muttered under his breath. "Kushina-sama…"
Uzumaki Kushina, long thought to have faded from the world's stage, stood before them in the flesh. Ten years ago she had been strong enough to draw on the Nine-Tails' chakra mode, a feat that few could even imagine.
She had lived quietly in the Senju compound since. Rumors said she had mastered the Fourth Hokage's Flying Thunder God Technique and refined the Rasengan on her own. Others whispered that her sealing arts rivaled those of Uzumaki Mito herself.
Now, as her presence filled the office, the weight of her chakra was undeniable.
Kakashi thought back to the stories he had heard. Even the Third Hokage had once sought Kushina's aid and been turned away. For her to appear now, standing respectfully beside Tsunade, meant their bond was far from ordinary.
Tsunade rose from her seat. "This is your partner. I don't need to explain who she is. Together, you must protect the shrine maiden Shion."
"Got it," Kaito and Kushina replied in unison.
Kushina's lips curved into a playful smile as her gaze lingered on Kaito. Her bright eyes carried a spark of mischief.
Kaito sighed softly. He had sensed Kushina's chakra earlier but assumed it was nothing urgent. Clearly, Tsunade had gone to great lengths for this mission.
"Enough," Tsunade declared. "Kaito, Kushina, leave at once. I'll hear Jiraiya's report on Akatsuki."
"I understand," Kaito said, nodding.
Tsunade turned to the others. "The rest of you know your orders. Stop Mōryō's undead army. The shrine maiden must succeed in sealing him."
"Understood!" the shinobi shouted together.
"Then, dismissed!" Tsunade ordered.
…
On Konoha's streets, Kushina walked beside Kaito, her arms swinging lightly as she glanced at him with a grin. "What's with that sulky face? Surprised?"
"A little," Kaito admitted. "I thought you were still keeping to yourself in the Senju compound."
"Tch. With you back in the village, why would I keep hiding away?" Kushina said, her voice carrying a trace of heat.
Kaito fell quiet. His tone softened. "Kushina, I'm sorry. For all those years, you must've felt like I abandoned you."
Her expression flickered, then hardened. She grabbed his collar, tugging him close. "As long as you know. If you ever leave me again, I'll—" she raised her fist threateningly, though her cheeks were faintly pink.
Cold sweat slid down Kaito's temple. He nodded hurriedly. "I won't. Definitely not."
Her hand fell away, and she chuckled, brushing off the moment. But the unspoken weight between them lingered.
"Let's move quickly," Kaito said, voice firming. "From Tsunade's words, the situation isn't good."
"Right." Kushina's playful expression faded into seriousness.
Their forms blurred, vanishing into twin flashes of light.
…
Beyond Konoha's gates, in a quiet forest, Kaito crouched down. "I'll carry you. It'll be faster."
Kushina didn't argue. She climbed onto his back, her arms looping around his shoulders with casual familiarity. They had been through too much together for such closeness to feel awkward.
With her weight secure, Kaito launched forward, his speed tearing through the forest. Trees whipped past in blurs of green as they raced toward the Land of Demons.
…
Far away, in the depths of a volcanic cavern, the air shimmered with purple light. Magma churned below, bubbling violently, filling the cave with oppressive heat. The aura that filled the place reeked of destruction.
A massive beast of energy stood in the center, its form a dragon-like monstrosity with multiple heads, each wreathed in dark violet chakra.
Hovering in the air above, a young shinobi clutched a girl with pale yellow hair. His lavender eyes glowed as an enormous Rasengan formed at his side. With a flick of his hand, the sphere of spiraling chakra shot forward, smashing into the monster below.
Boom!
The explosion split the rocky ground, sending molten stone crashing into the magma pool. Waves of fire surged upward, molten spray hissing through the cavern.
Unfazed, the beast roared, its voices overlapping into a terrifying bellow. Its heads lashed out like serpents, crashing toward the boy and girl in midair.
The youth darted aside with remarkable agility, narrowly avoiding the strikes. Wherever the monster's heads landed, stone cracked and melted, leaving gaping holes in the cavern's ceiling like a hive gnawed through by insects.
"You think you can win by running?" the monster snarled. "You can't hide from me! Super Destruction Laser!"
Energy surged through its many throats. In unison, the beast's mouths gaped open, spewing concentrated beams of purple chakra upward like a storm of lasers.
The boy thrust out his hands, chakra surging wildly. "Wood Style, Deep Forest Emergence!"
Vast trees and vines burst forth, weaving together into a towering shield that encased him and the girl. The beams struck the living barrier, shaking the cavern with thunderous impact, but the wood held fast.
The beast shrieked in rage. "You will die here!"
Its body pulsed with more energy, the magma churning violently below as if the entire world was about to collapse.
Boom!
…
Thanks for the Power stones.