Kushina Uzumaki found Miyuki Uzumaki. She looked at her and said, with complete sincerity, "I'm sorry."
Miyuki heard the apology and blinked in surprise. "Why apologize to me? If this is about being the Nine-Tails jinchūriki… it's unnecessary. I chose this."
A deep guilt shadowed Kushina's features. "Qianyu told me. He told me everything. How he found you in the Land of Grass and brought you to Konoha. About the… arrangement between you two."
Miyuki's eyes widened a fraction. "He told you? Really? That doesn't seem like him. He'd want to spare you the worry. The guilt."
Kushina twisted her fingers together. "I… I guessed. That you two knew each other from before. I asked him, and he didn't lie. He told me the whole story."
Miyuki let out a soft, surprised laugh, followed by a long sigh. "So you figured it out. But still, no apologies are needed. It was a transaction. He offered me a life. I offered to become the container. A fair trade."
Kushina shook her head, her red hair swaying. "But he said when he brought you here, he didn't tell you why. He didn't say it was to make you the jinchūriki. He told me about the dangers. The discrimination. How most villages see jinchūriki as monsters. Time bombs. And the war inside… the constant fight with the beast, the risk of it consuming your mind…"
Miyuki held up a hand, stopping her. "Kushina. Do you know what my life was before this? I said 'displaced' and 'living in fear.' Those words don't cover it. After Uzushiogakure fell, the survivors… we went to the Land of Waves, the Land of Tea, the Land of Waterfalls. We never stopped running. Because whenever our identity was discovered, it was the same. Captured. Interrogated for our sealing techniques. Studied for our unique physiology."
She paused, the memory tightening her voice. "Our clan… some of us awaken an ability called 'Physical Healing.' Bite our skin, and you recover chakra and wounds. Once they found out… we became tools. Walking med-kits. A life in hell."
"I kept moving. Until it was just me. I found a quiet place in the Land of Grass. I thought… maybe here. But the peace didn't last. War came. I was forced to go to Kusagakure. If I didn't, I would have starved. And if Qianyu hadn't found me… I might never have left that village. I could feel eyes on me. Someone had noticed."
A shiver ran through her, subtle but there. "When he found me… when he looked at me and said, 'You're from the Uzumaki clan'… that fear. I don't ever want to remember that feeling. When he said he was taking me to Konoha, I resisted. I hated Konoha. For standing by and doing nothing. And I was afraid. Afraid you'd use us as tools too, just like everyone else."
Her expression softened. "Then he told me about you. Another Uzumaki. His fiancée. Living here. So I agreed. And living in Konoha… I came to love it. The stability. The safety. No more looking over my shoulder every second. Compared to the life I had? Becoming the jinchūriki is a choice I make gladly. The Third Hokage promised me. My status will be a secret. Only a handful will know. The discrimination you fear? It likely won't happen."
She offered a small, confident smile. "And my progress in sealing is fast. Lady Mito herself said that with our clan's sealing arts and physique, controlling a tailed beast is… manageable. So you see? There's no need for your guilt. I meant what I said. This is my choice. If I truly didn't want it, the Nine-Tails would never have been mine. You know that's true."
Kushina opened her mouth. Closed it. The words wouldn't come.
Miyuki's smile turned gentler. "Kushina… I envy you, you know."
"Eh?" Kushina looked up, startled.
"Because Qianyu loves you. Truly. He'd move mountains for you. That kind of devotion… anyone would be envious of that."
A faint blush crept up Kushina's neck. "Yeah. I… I'm lucky. To have him." She shifted the topic, a friendly gleam in her eye. "So, you and Minato Namikaze? Are you two…?"
Miyuki gave a slight nod. "We are."
"When? That was sudden!"
"Not long ago. We'd met before. He's… kind. Bright. Gentle. I liked him. Then, about two weeks ago, a mission required a sealer. I was assigned to his team. We were ambushed by Iwa-nin. He protected me. After that… things just progressed naturally."
Kushina smiled, a genuine one. "That's good." She might not think much of Minato herself, but if Miyuki was happy, she would be happy for her.
Miyuki reached out, her expression solemn. "Kushina. Please. Don't carry this burden. Don't feel guilty for me."
Kushina took Miyuki's hand, squeezing it. "Thank you, Miyuki."
"Now go," Miyuki said, shooing her playfully. "Qianyu's finally back. Don't waste time here with me."
Kushina stood up. "I'll go. We'll visit tomorrow, okay? Both of us."
"Good. You still haven't brought him over for a proper visit." Miyuki nodded. "I'll be waiting."
"Bye!"
Kushina left, the door closing softly behind her.
Miyuki watched her go. She stood there for a long moment, then finally pursed her lips.
Years of drifting across the shinobi world had given her a sharp eye. She could see the strings.
Her first "chance" meeting with Minato Namikaze… it was too convenient. Combined with her upcoming role as the Nine-Tails' vessel, the conclusion was obvious. His approach had been deliberate.
And yet.
She had accepted him. Because beneath the mission, beneath the duty, she could feel it—he did care for her.
But Miyuki was also clear-eyed. Minato would never choose her above all else. Not like Qianyu would choose Kushina.
Minato's first love was Konoha.
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