The Land of Whirlpools, a staunch ally of Konoha, had been destroyed—and Konoha had remained indifferent.
Sora had once heard Orochimaru say that it wasn't because Konoha lacked the ability to help.
It was because aiding the Land of Whirlpools wasn't in Konoha's best interest.
Too many nations and clans had joined forces to attack Uzushio. If Konoha had intervened, they would have needed to deploy a large number of shinobi, and the losses could have been severe.
Moreover, there was nothing to gain from protecting the Land of Whirlpools.
After all, Uzumaki Mito already possessed the most important sealing techniques of the Uzumaki clan.
And since Uzumaki Mito controlled them, Konoha controlled them.
So Konoha chose to turn a blind eye and let Uzushio perish.
And now, for the sake of the Nine-Tails, Uzumaki Kushina had been brought to Konoha specifically to become its Jinchūriki.
Sora realized he should have seen this coming. There was no way Uzumaki Mito would ever agree to his request.
Taking a deep breath, he let out a cold, inexplicable chuckle and murmured, "In the end, you can only rely on yourself. I have to find Karin's mother—otherwise, I'll have to leave sooner than expected."
Early the next morning.
Sora arrived directly at Uzumaki Mito's mansion, ready to take Uzumaki Kushina with him.
Uzumaki Mito didn't appear. It seemed she had silently acknowledged his decision.
Without hesitation, Sora walked straight to Uzumaki Kushina's room and knocked on the door.
He knocked for a long time, but there was no response.
Frowning slightly, he pushed the door open.
Seeing Uzumaki Kushina still lying in bed, Sora let out a small sigh of relief.
He stepped closer and gently called, "Kushina, wake up."
He called her several times.
But Kushina remained still, her head buried beneath the blanket.
For a long time, there was no movement.
Then Sora heard the faint sound of sobbing.
His expression changed, and without hesitation, he pulled back the blanket.
What he saw made his heart tighten.
Uzumaki Kushina's eyes were bloodshot, her face streaked with tears.
Sora's voice was urgent. "Kushina, what happened?!"
It was the first time he had ever seen her cry.
And it unsettled him more than he expected.
Through her quiet sobs, Uzumaki Kushina choked out, "I... I heard everything you and Grandma Mito said last night..."
Sora froze.
She had heard their conversation.
But Uzumaki Mito had the Kagura Mind's Eye.
If she had sensed Kushina listening in, she wouldn't have allowed it—at least, not yet.
In other words, Uzumaki Mito had not sensed Uzumaki Kushina's presence last night.
"You've awakened the Kagura Mind's Eye as well?" Sora asked.
Uzumaki Kushina nodded slightly.
In addition to granting extraordinary perception, the Kagura Mind's Eye could also conceal one's chakra in times of danger—allowing its user to "escape from all threats."
Last night, after returning to her room, Uzumaki Kushina had sensed Sora heading toward Uzumaki Mito.
She knew that Sora didn't like Mito and had always been distant from her.
Curious about why he was meeting with Mito so late, Kushina used her Kagura Mind's Eye to suppress her chakra and quietly followed, listening to their conversation.
And after hearing it, her entire world crumbled.
She didn't fully understand what the Nine-Tails was or what being a Jinchūriki meant.
But one thing was clear—she hadn't been brought to Konoha for the reason she had always believed.
She had been told that Konoha and Uzushio were allies and that Konoha was taking in orphans from the Uzumaki clan to give them a new home.
But that wasn't why she had been brought here.
Konoha had taken her in—and Uzumaki Mito had adopted her—not out of kindness but because they wanted her to be a vessel for the Nine Tails.
And Sora… he had been trying to stop it from happening all this time.
Now, Uzumaki Kushina finally understood why Sora had always disliked Mito despite how kind she had been to him.
It was all because of her.
"Sora… am I really going to become the Nine Tails' vessel?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Sora reached out and gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.
"Kushina," he said firmly, "I promise you—you will never become a Jinchūriki. No one can force you."
In his heart, he swore silently:
I will kill anyone who tries.
Sora lifted Uzumaki Kushina from the bed.
"Kushina, as long as I'm here, you don't need to worry. You don't need to think about any of this. I'll handle everything. Come with me. This isn't your home anymore—I'll take you to our home."
Uzumaki Kushina buried her face in Sora's chest and whispered softly.
She didn't want to stay here any longer.
Even Uzumaki Mito—the woman she had loved and treated as family—had adopted and raised her with a purpose in mind.
She didn't hate Mito, but she didn't know how to face her anymore.
And so, Sora left with Uzumaki Kushina.
After they had gone, Uzumaki Mito stepped out of her room.
Her eyes were filled with guilt as she let out a deep sigh.
Sora brought Uzumaki Kushina to his apartment.
He hadn't lived there much since it had been assigned to him. When he opened the door, the entire room was covered in dust and cobwebs.
Sora sighed helplessly. "Looks like we'll need to do some serious cleaning."
The warmth of his presence had already comforted Uzumaki Kushina on the way here.
And, true to her nature, she quickly bounced back from her emotions.
Looking at their future home, her enthusiasm returned. "Then let's clean it together!"
The two of them got to work.
Two hours later.
The dust had been swept away, and the room looked neat and livable.
Sora and Uzumaki Kushina sat together on the sofa, resting.
She leaned her head against Sora's shoulder and asked, "Sora, can you tell me more about the Nine-Tails and Jinchūriki?"
After a moment of thought, Sora began explaining.
"The Nine Tails is one of the tailed beasts—creatures of immense power.
There are nine in total, each possessing tails ranging from one to nine.
They are incredibly powerful.
Throughout history, these tailed beasts have been feared as bringers of disaster, leaving their mark on the war-torn shinobi world.
To control their power, humans sealed them inside people—creating Jinchūriki, hosts who were meant to harness the beasts' strength.
But in reality, these hosts were nothing more than living sacrifices.
A Jinchūriki's life is tied to their tailed beast. If the beast dies, the Jinchūriki dies as well.
Being a Jinchūriki is incredibly dangerous—because the tailed beast will constantly struggle to take control. If that happens, the Jinchūriki can lose themselves entirely."
Uzumaki Kushina sat up straight, looking directly into Sora's eyes.
Then, with a determined expression, she said—
"Sora, I want to be a Jinchūriki!"
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