Naruto: I Roamed the Ninja World as a Woman

Chapter 147 The Bright Moon Has Never Been in Two Places

"I----"

Kushina Uzumaki lowered her head, gazing at the miniature version of the Nine-Tails before her, her lips trembling.

She has excellent perception.

Although this little Nine-Tails looks very cute, the violent chakra aura emanating from it cannot be concealed at all!

Should this thing be sealed inside one's body?

Spacetime transformation.

Kushina felt as if she had returned to that bleak autumn from her childhood.

At that time, I was rescued from Uzumaki Village by the Uzumaki clan's elder at the cost of his life, and then handed over to the Konoha ninja.

The elder comforted her, saying: "Konoha is a safe place, life there is wonderful. Once you get there, you won't have to worry about any danger anymore."

Kushina countered: If that's the case, why don't you come with me?

The elder shook his head bitterly and said, "My home is not there, and Konoha will not accept me. But you are still young and have a chance to integrate into Konoha."

Even now.

She then understood the meaning behind those words.

So this is what integration really means —

Ayane Amamiya sat next to her.

Seeing Kushina in some pain, the girl remained unusually silent.

From her own perspective, she should now speak up and persuade the other party to give her a push.

Whether or not Kushina can be tricked into going to the Land of Rain is irrelevant, but as long as Konoha loses a future Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, that would be a huge win.

However, it's hard to say what effect interrupting at this point will ultimately have.

Even if outsiders understand Kushina Uzumaki's situation, it's difficult for them to truly empathize with it.

This is just like The Truman Show —

From the outset, Konoha's intention to forcibly train her into a weapon of war was malicious.

However, in terms of the process, Konoha provided her with a stable childhood and, to a certain extent, allowed her to enjoy the warmth and kindness from family and friends.

This feeling of contradiction and awkwardness.

Amamiya Ayane gets a headache just thinking about it!

Ultimately, the choice is up to Kushina Uzumaki herself.

"grandmother----"

"I've lived in Konoha for so long—this place has long been my second home—"

Stroking her brand-new Konoha headband, Kushina gradually made up her mind about her decision.

"Perhaps there are still some bad things in this house, but—"

Before she could finish speaking, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door, followed by a male voice: "Lady Mito, I apologize for disturbing you at this time. Tonight, an enemy has infiltrated the village and is causing trouble. Their target is suspected to be Miss Uzumaki Kushina—"

The person speaking outside the door.

He is none other than Sarutobi Shinnosuke, the current head of Konoha's Anbu!

Among the many Konoha Anbu members present, only he has the qualifications and strength to come to the Uzumaki Shrine without any prior application.

Upon hearing her own name, Kushina Uzumaki fell silent instantly, like a startled fawn.

In a quiet little house.

Apart from the three people's soft breathing, the only other sound was the crackling of the candle flame.

Outside the door, Shinnosuke Sarutobi's voice was clearly audible.

He continued in a deep voice, "—Although the three Cloud Village ninja who infiltrated are reportedly dead for unknown reasons, Kushina is still missing and her whereabouts are unknown. The Hokage is aware of this and has ordered the Anbu to find her and bring her back as soon as possible!"

Bring it back!

This word is very interesting.

Ayane Amamiya couldn't help but chew it carefully.

If Kushina was kidnapped by Kumogakure, then "rescue" would be a more accurate way to describe this mission.

But it used the phrase "bring back," meaning—

There was also a possibility among Konoha's higher-ups that Kushina Uzumaki had defected on her own.

Of course, it's also possible that I'm just indulging in conspiracy theories.

After all, she glanced at the fiery red chili pepper beside her; the other person seemed completely oblivious to all of that.

Upon hearing this, Mito Uzumaki coughed lightly.

The old man didn't say anything, but simply said, "Okay, I understand."

Sarutobi Shinnosuke was still standing outside the door.

He paused for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Lord Mito, I hope you can help me use my sensory ninjutsu to search for Kushina's whereabouts."

Konoha doesn't know anything about "Kagura's Mind's Eye".

However, they knew that Mito Uzumaki possessed some kind of super-powerful sensory ninjutsu.

The old man remained silent.

Shinnosuke Sarutobi then said apologetically, "I know that using this level of ninjutsu might be a burden for you right now. But the importance of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to Konoha is self-evident, and I hope you can understand—"

Mito Uzumaki sighed softly.

She glanced at the two red-haired girls in front of her and said hesitantly, "Sensory ninjutsu isn't omnipotent. All I know is that Kushina is no longer in the village."

"What?"

Sarutobi Shinnosuke's voice suddenly rose in pitch.

His heart skipped a beat. He didn't doubt the truth of Mito's words at all. Instead, he quickly connected the dots with the fact that Kushina had been taken hostage by Kumogakure and taken out of the village!

Could it be that...?

That amber bottle abandoned in the village was just a distraction by Yunyin.

Did they mislead us into thinking the hostage situation had failed?

Sarutobi Shinnosuke gritted his teeth.

Fuck!

The cost that Kumogakure paid to search for and seize a suitable Jinchuriki for the Eight-Tails is just too high!

They don't even want the famous Six Paths Ninja Tools!

"Thank you for informing me, Mito-sama!"

Upon realizing this, he felt a sense of urgency and immediately turned to leave, leading the Anbu to pursue them out of Konoha Village.

But Mito Uzumaki called out to him softly, "Has the Hokage said how you're supposed to handle this?"

"The Hokage's order is to bring Kushina back at all costs."

Sarutobi Shinnosuke clenched his fist and said without hesitation, "However, if things truly cannot be reversed—at the very least—at the very least, we cannot allow Kushina-san to fall completely into the hands of Kumogakure!"

The Eight-Tails is undoubtedly the strongest tailed beast, second only to the Nine-Tails.

The Hidden Cloud Village seems to possess some special secret technique, which makes their Jinchūriki (spirits) much more stable than those of other ninja villages.

Secret method + eight tails + whirlpool.

Just thinking about this combination terrifies Shinnosuke Sarutobi!

So it's not surprising that he would have such thoughts at this moment.

However, Sarutobi Shinnosuke forgot his current identity and the earnest advice his father had given him before he took office.

As an ANBU ninja, that's certainly true.

After all, ninjas are just tools, so naturally the interests of the village must be put first.

But he's already the head of the Anbu, one of the highest-ranking officials in Konoha, and he just said such harsh things like that—

Mito Uzumaki sighed softly.

She was really tired.

I didn't want to correct them, nor was I bothered to change their thinking, so I just silently said, "I understand, go ahead."

Ayane Amamiya pursed her lips.

The girl turned her head and looked to her side, where she saw that Kushina Uzumaki was already in tears.

This sentence was like the last straw that broke Kushina Uzumaki's back.

"I'm sorry, Grandma."

"I'm leaving!"

In an instant, the girl overturned her previous decision and almost shouted out these words.

She gritted her teeth, her face full of hope, and said, "Please come with me!"

"it is good."

"Grandma doesn't blame you."

Mito Uzumaki smiled and embraced her, gently wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes: "But, Grandma is old and weak. From now on, I can only lie beneath Konoha, quietly watching you grow up—"

Sarutobi Shinnosuke's words seemed to have depleted her already limited chakra.

Mito Uzumaki's once youthful and radiant appearance collapsed almost instantly, turning into a mottled and weathered look.

She gently removed her granddaughter's Konoha headband, kissed her forehead, and whispered, "Little Kushina, from now on, you'll have to face the world on your own."

"grandmother----"

Hearing her farewell blessing, Kushina Uzumaki couldn't stop her tears.

Mito Uzumaki gently patted the back of her granddaughter in her arms, then slowly shifted her gentle gaze to Ayane Amamiya, who was sitting quietly to the side.

"Ayane," she called softly.

Ayane Amamiya paused slightly, then straightened her posture: "Mito-senpai."

"You are an excellent child."

Mito Uzumaki's voice was gentle: "If you had been born in the Warring States period, you would have been the pride of the entire Uzumaki clan, the apple of their eye."

Mito Uzumaki smiled bitterly: "But now the Uzumaki clan has become a thing of the past in the ninja world. The clan can no longer protect you poor children, leaving you to wander the world—"

She gently pushed her granddaughter away from her arms, then stood up, bowed deeply, and apologized: "I am truly sorry for this."

Although the old man's feelings were sincere.

But after hearing it, Ayane Amamiya didn't feel much.

The girl had lived with her parents in the Land of Rain since she was a child; that land where it rained all year round was her true home.

The so-called Land of Whirlpools rarely appeared in her past life.

But she also knew.

This apology is probably more for those "spirits of the vortex" to hear.

Konoha betrayed its allies, but in other words, didn't Mito also betray his own clan?

"My time is running out."

"At the end of my life, there are some things I want to entrust to you and Kushina."

After bowing deeply, Mito Uzumaki straightened up, her voice trembling slightly, but her pace remained unhurried: "This is also the reason I called you here today."

Ayane Amamiya opened her mouth.

I wanted to say something, but I didn't know what to say, so I could only remain silent.

Before this elderly man, who has experienced many hardships and is nearing the end of his life, any hypocritical words seem pale in comparison.

The old man struggled to his feet.

She opened a cabinet in the corner of the room and took out an old, rustic wooden box covered with spiral seals.

The old man bit his thumb, and the blood seeped out and soaked into the seal in the center of the box.

A faint light flashed by.

With a soft click as it was unsealed, the box lid opened automatically.

The contents were neither gold nor silver, nor banknotes or contracts.

Instead, there were rolls of special material that shimmered with a faint light, a white mask with a sinister and eerie aura, and a dark red stone shaped like a magatama.

She first picked up the thick stack of scrolls, but instead of handing them to Kushina, she handed them to Ayane Amamiya.

"This is the most core and complete sealing technique inheritance of the Uzumaki clan."

Mito Uzumaki spoke earnestly: "From the most basic sealing techniques to the advanced Four Symbols Sealing, the subsequent Eight Trigrams Sealing, Yin Sealing, and even—the Reaper Death Seal—it's all here."

Ayane Amamiya's heart skipped a beat.

"Kushina has been by my side for a long time, and I have already taught her everything I needed to. Whether or not these scrolls are available is not really important."

"But only you—"

Mito Uzumaki chuckled: "We Uzumaki people can't do without sealing techniques!"

After saying that, she sighed and said, "Of course—this is also a request of yours. Please take good care of Xiao Jiu Shina in the future."

Ayane Amamiya nodded silently and replied, "I've got it."

Then, Mito Uzumaki picked up the white mask that exuded an ominous aura.

She examined the object intently and whispered, "This is the Death Mask, closely related to the forbidden technique 'Dead Demon Sealing'."

She handed the mask to Kushina Uzumaki: "Within this mask dwells a Shinigami capable of devouring souls, but to summon it, one must simultaneously stake one's own life—"

"However, our ancestors found a way to cheat."

"By cutting open Death's belly, the caster's soul can be released again."

The old man earnestly instructed, "So, little Kushina, remember to find the person you trust most and give this mask to him."

Kushina Uzumaki nodded, tears streaming down her face.

Now, all that remains in the wooden box is that dark red magatama stone.

"This is a treasure passed down through generations of the Uzumaki clan."

"Like the Uchiha's Flame Fan, this is a token belonging exclusively to the Uzumaki clan, the clan leader."

Mito Uzumaki gazed at the two of them and said softly, "I don't know the purpose or origin of this thing. Perhaps it's just an ordinary stone, or perhaps it holds some great secret—"

"Who wants it?"

Ayane Amamiya took a small half-step back.

She was already content with obtaining the sealing technique.

Moreover, Kushina Uzumaki is clearly a more legitimate successor to the Uzumaki clan leadership than herself.

Seeing her step back, Kushina took the magatama with trembling hands, held it tightly, and nodded emphatically: "I will keep it safe, Grandma!"

Having delivered everything, Mito Uzumaki seemed to have exhausted her last bit of strength, her body swaying slightly.

Kushina quickly stepped forward to support her.

"Let's go."

The old man leaned on Kushina's shoulder, his voice weak but firm: "Take advantage of the night, and while the Anbu's attention is diverted to the outside of the village, leave Konoha immediately and never look back."

Kushina's tears welled up again.

The girl wiped away the tears from her eyes, and together with Ayane Amamiya, carefully helped the old man, who was on his deathbed, to sit down on the tatami mat.

The two carefully put away the scroll, mask, and magatama.

Ayane Amamiya took Kushina's arm and took one last look at the old man sitting in the candlelight, a kind smile on his face, watching them leave.

"Grandma, take care!"

Kushina said goodbye with tears in her eyes.

Mito Uzumaki nodded slightly and slowly closed her eyes.

Without further hesitation, Ayane Amamiya grabbed Kushina's hand and quietly disappeared into the shadows outside the shrine, hurrying towards the edge of Konoha Village.

On the tatami mat, a faint, relieved smile played on Mito's lips.

We share the same green mountains and clouds, and the bright moon shines over us from different places.

The challenges ahead will be faced by these young people themselves, and I have already completed my final mission.

Looking at the fox spirit in the lantern, Mito Uzumaki whispered, "I never imagined, Nine-Tailed Fox, that you would be the one to stay with me until the very end—"