Konoha — Senju Clan District.
In an old-style courtyard, Uzumaki Kushina sat in meditation, practicing one of the Uzumaki Clan's secret arts. The immense chakra surging around her body overflowed visibly into the air—its sheer magnitude far beyond what any girl her age should possess.
Large chakra reserves, exceptional recovery, and mastery over sealing techniques—these were the hallmarks of the Uzumaki bloodline.
Right now, Kushina was gathering chakra. She sat cross-legged with eyes shut, her delicate face serious and focused, but her brows were tightly furrowed, as though she had run into some sort of bottleneck.
After a long while, the turbulent chakra finally calmed down.
Kushina opened her eyes and muttered, "Failed again!"
"To awaken the Uzumaki bloodline ability, your mind must be perfectly still, Kushina."
A gentle, maternal voice came from the side.
Kushina looked up. Standing before her was none other than her grandmother—Uzumaki Mito, the wife of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama.
Mito wore a white, traditional kimono, her hair still the distinct red of the Uzumaki line, tied neatly into a bun. Though age had touched her face, it couldn't hide the dignified beauty that had once captivated the "God of Shinobi."
She gazed at her granddaughter with both affection and helplessness.
"Grandma… I'm sorry. I've disappointed you."
Kushina rose to her feet, head bowed, her voice heavy with guilt.
"Is it because of that boy?"
Mito asked with a knowing smile.
"N-no! Of course not!"
Kushina's face flushed instantly, like a child whose secret had been eEXPosed.
Mito chuckled softly.
"That child truly is a good one," she said. Though she rarely left the Senju residence these days, news of the village always reached her ears.
As the First Hokage's wife, even the current Third Hokage treated her with utmost respect.
"Grandma, you think Leo is a good person too?"
Kushina's violet eyes sparkled with hope.
"Mm."
Mito nodded gently.
"But he's such an idiot! Like a block of wood—never understands what people are thinking! Always that cold, serious face. And lately, he's been gone all the time!"
Kushina puffed her cheeks in frustration.
Mito, who had seen far more of love and war than most, saw through her granddaughter's feelings instantly.
"Things aren't always as they seem, child. Our family's secret guards reported that this boy has followed you home several times—quietly, from the shadows—only leaving once he saw you safely inside."
"What!? Really? Why didn't I ever notice?! Grandma, you're not teasing me, are you?"
"Of course not. I only told you this because you've been so distracted lately."
"Oh…"
Kushina's heart warmed instantly. So that guy had been watching over her all along—worried she might get bullied—but never said a word about it.
Such a tsundere!
The image of Leo in her mind suddenly grew taller, stronger, almost heroic. Her lips curved into a small, silly smile.
"He's a genius from the Ninja Academy, you know," said Mito gently. "If you wish to stand beside him one day, you must also become stronger yourself."
"Got it, Grandma! I'll train hard. I'll master our clan's sealing arts and awaken our bloodline power!"
Kushina's voice brimmed with confidence.
"Ah, foolish girl…"
(1/3)
Uzumaki Mito watched her granddaughter and couldn't help but see a reflection of her own younger self—the first time she met Hashirama, that man who had once been hailed as the god of the shinobi world.
Women were always drawn to men who shone brightly yet carried warmth within.
Since Hashirama's death, Mito had long since lost her attachment to this world. The only reason she still lived was the Nine-Tails sealed within her body—her duty, her burden.
But her body was failing. She could feel her time drawing near. She needed to find a successor soon.
And though it pained her to see Kushina bear that weight so young, Mito hoped that when darkness inevitably came for the girl, someone might be there to bring her light.
Hokage's Office.
After the mission team left, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat back in his chair, pipe in hand, smoke curling around him. He looked across the desk and said,
"Sakumo, what do you think about this matter?"
Hatake Sakumo smiled faintly.
"Hokage-sama, a genius who's never faced blood and fire, isn't a true genius. Let him go. Only through hardship will he grow."
It was clear they were talking about Leo and Might Duy's recent mission assignment.
This world was full of danger. If one remained forever under protection, how could they ever soar into the sky like an eagle?
Hiruzen nodded thoughtfully and took another puff of smoke.
"You're right. Leo's strength already rivals most chūnin. There shouldn't be much risk. In the end, every shinobi must walk their own path."
"And that genin, Might Duy—I believe he's far from ordinary," Sakumo added, eEXPression serious.
"Might Duy?" Hiruzen chuckled. "If even you say that, then he must have something special."
Sakumo nodded. His eyes were sharp—able to discern a ninja's true potential.
Though the village mocked Duy as a "forever genin," Sakumo saw him differently.
This was a man who trained in one of the most dangerous forbidden techniques ever devised—the Eight Inner Gates, a taijutsu method created by the Second Hokage himself to unlock the body's latent potential.
The difficulty wasn't intellectual—it was physical and spiritual. Very few could endure the pain and perseverance it demanded. Even the Second Hokage, its creator, never mastered it.
Yet Sakumo's instincts told him… one day, that technique would blaze gloriously in Might Duy's hands.
The Land of Fire.
The largest of the Five Great Nations, blessed with open plains and abundant land. Its fertile fields and forests were said to have been shaped directly by Senju Hashirama's Wood Release and Tobirama's Water Release techniques, giving rise to vast rivers and greenery.
Over time, the Land of Fire's prosperity far outstripped the other four nations.
During the Third Great Ninja War, they had faced all four nations at once—and still emerged victorious. That triumph wasn't solely due to legends like the Three Sannin or Namikaze Minato.
It was the nation's immense resources and deep foundation that truly made Konoha unmatched.
Leo and Might Duy traveled side by side, having already left the village half a day ago. Most of the terrain they passed through was dense forest stretching endlessly into the horizon.
Only when they ventured farther from Konoha did the scenery begin to change—rivers, valleys, and mountains gradually appeared, though forest still dominated the landscape.
Compared to the harsh, barren lands of Iwagakure in the Land of Earth or Sunagakure in the Land of Wind, this was a paradise.
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