The mark he'd left behind wasn't love, not yet at leas, but it was still something.
And sometimes, something was all that mattered.
What people fear most isn't rejection, but indifference.
So long as there's emotion, whether affection or irritation, there's still a path forward.
Two months slipped by like water through fingers, and soon, the golden autumn arrived.
At Mikoto's suggestion, three familiar families decided to take an autumn outing together.
The idea thrilled the children, Sasuke, Naruto, and Karin, but especially the two boys. Neither had ever left Konoha since birth, so the thought of seeing the world beyond the village walls filled them with restless excitement. They spent days counting down, asking every morning if it was time yet.
Though the three hadn't started at the Ninja Academy, their families had long since begun teaching them. Play came second to study — in a way, their lessons had already begun.
Uchiha Gen handled Sasuke's core education, with Itachi assisting.
Their focus wasn't on technique yet, but on foundations, history, discipline, and understanding what it meant to bear the Uchiha name.
As for ninja arts, those were Mikoto and Itachi's domain.
On September 10th, the morning of the outing, the three families gathered at the village gates.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and his wife Biwako didn't attend, they'd long passed the age for such trips and hadn't been invited.
Kakashi and Shisui were both away on assignments.
Still, the group was far from small. Anko, Yūgao, and Kurenai joined in as well — after all, if one family went, the rest couldn't stay behind.
It ended up being a mostly female expedition, with only two small boys, one half-grown Itachi, and Uchiha Gen as the lone adult man.
Even then, Gen hadn't skipped duty — the outing had been scheduled for his day off.
Ordinarily, a Jinchūriki wouldn't be allowed to leave the village, but Kushina was far from an ordinary Jinchūriki. With the Hokage's approval and Gen's presence, there were no objections.
The moment they passed through the village gates, the three children burst into laughter and ran ahead, chasing each other through the grass. Itachi followed like a calm older brother, eyes half-amused, half-protective.
The group moved deeper into the forest, sunlight dappling through the high canopy. After a while, they reached a riverbank covered in smooth white pebbles... a perfect place to set up camp.
Gen formed a few hand seals, and with a puff of smoke, a large scroll unfurled beside him. A Summoning Technique — a contract with one of the great serpents — brought forth an assortment of camping equipment in a blink.
The children stared in wide-eyed awe. To them, it looked like magic.
With laughter and chatter, everyone helped set up the tents and cooking gear. Once everything was arranged, they split into small groups to gather food.
Some went upstream to fish, others followed the river to hunt for wild vegetables and fruits.
Gen, moving into the forest with quiet ease, extended his senses. Through his Soul Perception, he could feel the life of every creature nearby, human, animal, even insect.
After confirming where the others were, he formed another set of hand seals. A fragment of his spiritual energy detached from his body, slipping silently into the ground like mist before merging with the form of a plump spotted dove perched high in a tree.
Two minds, one body. Through the dove's eyes, Gen scanned the forest until he spotted Kushina moving through the trees.
The dove's soft cooing quickly caught her attention. Smiling to herself, Kushina crouched low and began to stalk closer.
When she struck, the dove flitted away just out of reach, nimble, almost teasing.
Kushina frowned, hands on her hips. Had she gotten rusty? Was she really being outmaneuvered by a bird?
Determined, she gave chase.
The dove swooped through the branches, darting between shafts of sunlight. Kushina followed, chakra-light on her feet, her hair a streak of red amid the green.
At the same time, in another part of the forest, Gen — in his own body — pursued a second dove, steering both creatures toward the same path.
Through branches and leaves they ran, two silent hunters on converging trails.
And then—
Crash!
They collided in midair.
Both startled, neither had time to react. In that instant, Gen twisted instinctively, wrapping an arm around Kushina's waist and rotating his body mid-fall. They hit the ground with a muffled thud, a small cloud of dust rising around them.
When the dust cleared, Gen lay flat on his back, Kushina sprawled across his chest, her hair cascading over him.
Thankfully, their faces hadn't met, her cheek had landed on his shoulder.
"Kushina-nee, are you alright?" he asked immediately, genuine worry flashing in his eyes despite the awkward position.
"I'm fine," she said, pushing herself up slightly. Her voice softened. "What about you?"
"I'm alright. Just a little shaken." He smiled lightly.
Though he was unharmed, a ten-meter fall was nothing to his current physique, the gesture hadn't gone unnoticed.
For a moment, Kushina froze. How long has it been since someone shielded me like that…?
"It's nothing serious," Gen continued. "But maybe we should stay still a second. Make sure we didn't scare the kids."
Kushina, regaining her composure, muttered, "You should get up before someone sees us like this."
"Does it matter?" he replied easily. "We're perfectly innocent."
Even as he said it, Gen released her waist — though he couldn't deny a reluctant twinge inside. Kushina stood and dusted herself off, cheeks faintly pink.
"Innocent, huh? You might fool others with that smile, but I know you have an ulterior motive," she said, shooting him a mock glare.
Before Gen could respond, the pair of spotted doves perched above them began cooing loudly, as if laughing.
Gen looked up, pretending outrage. "Those two feathered pests are mocking us!"
He raised a hand, and wind chakra swirled between his fingers, forming twin miniature Rasenshuriken that hummed softly in the air.
Kushina's eyes widened. "Wait! Don't hurt them!"
"Why not?" Gen asked.
"They look like a couple. Let them be," she said, her tone gentle.
Gen smirked faintly. They're both males, actually… but fine.
"As you wish, Kushina-nee." He flicked his wrist, and instead of striking, the two spinning orbs sliced cleanly through the branches above, startling the birds into flight.
He watched them soar away. "See? A little scare helps them appreciate life."
Kushina laughed, unable to hold it in. "You really are impossible."
"Come on," he said, brushing off his cloak. "Let's go find something to hunt before the others think we got lost."
"Alright." She fell into step beside him, watching as he walked. "Your Wind Release is impressive. Even those miniature Rasenshuriken— that's not simple."
Gen shrugged modestly. "I'd say I'm second in Konoha. No one else would dare claim first."
"Braggart," she teased. "The Third Hokage's Wind Release isn't exactly weak."
"The Third Hokage's strongest arts are Earth and Water. His Fire is excellent, but in Wind and Lightning, he can't match me."
Kushina raised an eyebrow. "That confident, are you?"
"Completely," Gen said with a grin. "It's just a pity there's no proper chance to prove it. Otherwise, I'd be happy to demonstrate for you."
"Oh? We could fix that," she said, tilting her head. "How about a little spar after lunch?"
Gen chuckled. You're setting a trap for me, aren't you?
"Sure," he said easily. "But let's do it far from camp. I'd hate to blow over the tents."
"You're right," she said thoughtfully. "We'll find somewhere open."
As they continued deeper into the forest, their banter carried easily between the trees — light, teasing, and edged with a warmth that neither could quite name.