"Why did it get so cold?" Kushina complained as she tightened her son in her arms, warming him. Kushina prepared to increase her pace, but stopped because of a voice that came out of nowhere.
"Without a husband… in a hurry to live with a man who isn't your husband… Hehehe, what a lovely life." A mocking voice echoed again in Kushina's left ear, in her right, and in her mind. Kushina knew whose voice it was: the Bijuu in her belly, the Nine-Tailed Fox that had been sealed by Minato.
Kushina didn't pay attention and continued walking without looking anywhere. She didn't want to, but her mind began to wander on its own, something she couldn't control because of the situation she was in.
"Ignoring me will change your situation? Are you satisfied that your husband is no longer the same? Aside from the body, he is not your husband. Are you going to accept that? The man who took the life of your love." Again the voice echoed. Inside Kushina's belly, the yellow water on the ground and the large gate with a seal in the middle belonged to the Kyuubi; nothing could be seen except a red pupil in the pure darkness, trembling as if excited by something.
The yellow water trembled, as if reflecting Kushina's emotions, making the red eye shake with even more excitement.
Kushina took a deep breath as she ran her fingers through her red hair, which seemed even redder because of the night. She calmed herself before continuing to walk.
"I'm disgusted by you. Where is that bold woman? Where? Your husband is replaced, the soul in that body isn't his." The voice sounded louder in Kushina's head, making her stop walking. She closed her eyes, thoughts scrambled because of what the Kyuubi was saying — and it was affecting her, not in a pleasant way.
"Are you going to stand still? Your husband is gone. Are you hesitating because he saved you? Hehehe… he is in your husband's body, of course he would do that. It was more an obligation than a duty. You, to him, are nothing more than that. Your child there must be nothing more than a stranger he'll have to take care of. Are you going to accept that? Shouldn't you honor your dead husband and get rid of the body too?" The Kyuubi continued her speech, seeing that she was truly affecting Kushina. The seal began to shake nonstop, even taking the Kyuubi by surprise, making a white smile with blade-like sharp teeth appear in the darkness of the cell.
The Kyuubi didn't know she would have this opportunity. She had seen the same thing as Kushina the night before and realized that the weakness came from Kushina's mind. If it were a weak emotional impact, nothing would have happened — but that wasn't the case. This was a great opportunity that the Kyuubi would not miss!
"Stop… stop talking…" Kushina murmured between choked breaths as tears fell from her blue eyes, now reddened around the edges, and becoming even more so. Words that Kushina didn't want to hear, words she shouldn't hear — but there was no avoiding them. She couldn't see lies in those words.
Kushina didn't believe her husband could do that to her, something she couldn't accept. But if she accepted it, she would be with a stranger in her husband's body, knowing that she and her child were nothing but obligations. She couldn't contradict what the Kyuubi was saying.
Inside the seal, the trembling didn't stop, only increased, while the fast breathing inside the seal grew along with the Kyuubi's anxiety.
The water started to sway like ocean water, moving from side to side as if in a storm. The bars of the large gate where the Kyuubi was shook and creaked as if they were about to collapse at any moment. Red hairs were visible in the darkness and the nine tails moved slightly, increasing their speed every second.
Kushina was already crouched down, holding her head with her left hand. On her cheeks, three marks appeared and began to thicken. Her nails began to grow and turn black. Even her red hair began to move as if coming to life.
She opened her eyes slightly. The blue sky-like pupils she once had were gone — only a blood-red pupil with a slit in the middle remained. Her eyelids began to darken.
"Kushina! Are you okay?!" Mikoto's shout came from behind Kushina, bringing her form back to awareness as she felt her friend's hand on her shoulder.
Whoom!
Kushina heard a heavy sigh in her mind before it disappeared. She looked at her friend, who was staring at her with worry, holding her hand and pulling her up from her crouched position.
"What happened? Let's go home. It's not safe!"
Mikoto pulled Kushina while looking around and activating her Sharingan. The moment she heard the explosion, she ran toward Kushina. Mikoto was relieved that nothing had happened, but she was still worried about her friend.
"Kushina!"
Mikoto called out to her friend, who was distracted, making Kushina snap out of her thoughts and look at her.
"You're not okay, tell me what happened."
Mikoto said before turning quickly. She was sure she had seen a figure passing over the rooftops with her Sharingan. She squeezed Kushina's hand while running with her toward her house, the place she believed was safest, even knowing the clan guards should already be moving.
On top of one of the houses, the two ninjas stood still, their bodies motionless, cold sweat running down their skin, while a special kunai rested against their necks. Behind them was Minato, who watched Kushina and Mikoto leaving while letting out a sigh of relief.
It was a good thing he made it in time before something bad happened. Of course, he didn't know what Kushina had just gone through — he had only just arrived.
Minato disappeared in a yellow flash along with the two captured ninjas. In an instant, he reappeared inside a cell and threw them inside. Before leaving, he was approached by a Yamanaka clan ninja, who asked if those were the intruders.
"Yes," Minato confirmed, serious. "Conduct a full interrogation. We need to find out who was responsible for letting them into the village."
As soon as he finished speaking, Minato disappeared again in a flash, leaving the Yamanaka alone with the two prisoners, who remained completely silent.
The Yamanaka frowned.
"They're awfully calm… even knowing what they're about to go through," he muttered, approaching. He tried to provoke fear in one of them, but both remained relaxed, as if there were no danger at all. The strangeness only grew, and he stepped back, suspicious.
But before he had time to react, something sliced through the air — too fast for him to perceive. A light pain touched his neck, followed by a warm sensation dripping down his skin. His legs lost strength, his body went limp, and his eyes widened in shock, unable to understand how his neck had been cut so quickly.