Setsuna stared at the person who had suddenly appeared in front of him, completely dumbfounded.
There was no mistake.
Absolutely none.
This woman was Uzumaki Kushina.
First Hyūga Hinata… and now Uzumaki Kushina?!
"Hm?"
"Minato, where did we end up?"
Kushina seemed a little dazed, speaking on instinct before she had fully processed what was going on.
Then she saw Setsuna—standing there, wide-eyed—staring straight back at her.
"…Eh?"
Kushina froze for a moment, her gaze locked on the boy in front of her.
This child…
This child gave her a strange feeling.
His body.
His chakra.
It felt unfamiliar—yet eerily familiar at the same time.
"Kid," Kushina asked cautiously,
"Where is this place?"
As she spoke, she scanned the surroundings. It was a warm, cozy room—clearly someone's home. Judging by the atmosphere, it looked very much like this kid's home.
"Ah—this is Konoha…"
Setsuna answered, feeling his scalp prickle.
She'd just called out to Minato.
That meant Namikaze Minato had come with her, right?
Then… where was Minato now?
But just like last time, the response from Konoha was lightning-fast.
With a crash, the window shattered as Seiran burst in from outside.
At the same time, Hyūga Shiori, who had been reading in the living room, reacted instantly—yanking Setsuna back and pressing him behind her.
…Yep.
Same terrifying grip strength as always.
Setsuna rubbed his wrist, now visibly red, feeling utterly helpless.
"Ah—um, hello?"
Kushina raised her hands awkwardly, trying to look friendly as she faced the two people now glaring at her like enemies.
Did I just teleport into some big shot's kid's house?
Why does he have ANBU-level protection…?
This time, Seiran didn't act rashly.
Behind his mask, cold sweat trickled down his temple.
Strong.
Absolutely strong.
This woman looked full of openings—but his combat instincts were screaming at him.
If he attacked, he would be subdued instantly.
And yet, he had nowhere to retreat.
Behind him stood the most important person in Konoha.
He could not step back.
"State your identity,"
Seiran—Mitarashi Shishō—said in a low voice.
"I am a Konoha shinobi," Kushina replied immediately.
"Uzumaki Kushina. Shinobi registration number 006511—"
As she spoke, she quietly activated Kagura Mind's Eye, extending her perception outward.
And what she sensed made her heart jolt.
The chakra of Hiruzen Sarutobi—who should have been dead—was still active. Not just active, but incredibly strong.
Wait.
Why are there two Minato chakra signatures?
And wait again—
Why do I sense my own chakra…?
And at this distance—
Kushina's gaze snapped to the boy standing behind Nao.
There was no mistake.
That child's chakra was identical to hers.
But that was impossible.
A shinobi's chakra was like a fingerprint—utterly unique.
No matter how perfect the imitation, it could never fool Kagura Mind's Eye.
"Uzumaki… Kushina…"
Nao stared at the red-haired woman, eyes sharp.
There was no doubt now.
This woman was Setsuna's counterpart—
A female version of Uzumaki Setsuna.
So this was what he'd be like in another world?
Even without the Nine-Tails, she was this powerful.
No wonder she was considered a pillar of her version of Konoha.
"You seem to know who I am?"
Kushina asked, looking at Nao.
She had already noticed the three Hokage faces carved into the cliff outside.
There was no Fourth Hokage—no Namikaze Minato.
No Fifth Hokage Tsunade, either.
"Are you here for Hyūga Hinata?"
Nao asked, her tone tense.
"Yes," Kushina answered directly.
"Do you know where she is?"
"We do. She's currently—"
"Wait."
Kushina interrupted.
Her clear, watery eyes shifted to Setsuna.
"Can you tell me…"
"What is his name?"
Curiosity surged uncontrollably in her chest.
That identical chakra.
That face—so similar to her own when she was young.
She had to know.
With Kagura Mind's Eye focusing more sharply, the sensation grew stronger—
This child felt like another herself.
Closer than blood relatives.
Closer even than her own children.
Setsuna felt the same.
The woman in front of him felt like him.
"My name is Uzumaki Setsuna,"
he said quietly.
He didn't guard himself against her at all.
Not just because he knew she was a good person—
That alone wouldn't have been enough.
The real reason was simpler.
She was him.
She wouldn't hurt him.
He wouldn't hurt himself.
The same thought surfaced in both their minds at the same time.
How could you ever harm yourself?
"…Uzumaki Setsuna?"
Kushina repeated softly.
She took a step closer.
Instantly, Seiran and Nao moved to block her.
"She won't hurt me,"
Setsuna said without thinking.
Even he was surprised by how natural the words felt.
Kushina crouched down in front of him and instinctively reached out her hand.
At the exact same moment—
Setsuna did the same.
If someone had measured it, they'd realize their movements were synchronized down to the millisecond.
A large hand and a small hand overlapped.
And then—
A specially modified kunai inside Kushina's ninja pouch began to emit a faint chakra pulse.
"…Eh?"
The next instant—
Both of them vanished.
Gone.
"Shit—!"
Nao and Seiran's scalps went numb.
The Nine-Tails.
The jinchūriki.
Gone.
"So this way, I can call my companions over."
Namikaze Minato smiled gently as he spoke to the blonde girl in a nightdress standing beside him.
"I see… that's amazing,"
Wave said, eyes sparkling with admiration.
So this was the future version of herself.
So strong…
Would she become like this one day?
"…Eh?"
Kushina and Setsuna blinked in unison, then simultaneously turned to look around.
"Minato?!"
Kushina cried out in delight.
"Wave?!"
Setsuna screamed internally.
I'm screwed—why am I here?!
This wasn't inside the sealing barrier!
"Are you okay, Kushina?"
Minato asked.
"Why are you here, Setsuna?"
Wave asked at the same time.
Hey—hey—Little Nine…
Calm down.
Please calm down—
Inside the seal, the Nine-Tails' closed eyes snapped open.
It had just seized the opportunity it had been waiting for.
No—
No, Little Nine—
Not like this—please—
Please…
To Read advanced Chapters, head over to P@treon
patreon.com/DarkVerse146