Chapter 50: Naruto: Sacrifices Absent Of Consequences? Part 2.
Uzushiogakure
Life in Uzushiogakure for Aya was joyful despite the constraints that an approaching war placed on the populace.
The Uzumaki, despite their reputation for having a few loose screws in Suna, were very friendly and jovial. They loved their food... and had a speech disorder or verbal tic.
Lucian leaned toward the former, while Madelyne believed it was a verbal tic. Lucian found it hard to believe that over 90% of the population shared a similar verbal tic.
Dattebayo, Dattebane, Dattebase, Dattebasa, and others—Lucian wouldn't have been surprised if he heard someone say Nya, Yare yare, or a strange laugh at the beginning or end of their sentences, like 'Kufufufufu!'.
Leaving aside the Uzumaki's speech disorder, they were undoubtedly eccentric and clearly had more than a few screws loose.
For example, Lucian noticed that they mined the entire island. They had a hybrid formation of fūinjutsu and script inscribed across the whole land of Uzushiogakure. Lucian would have respected them if that was all; he had a similar arrangement in Sunagakure. However, what made them seem completely mental in his eyes was that they had a trigger for it, but once activated, there was no way to stop it.
No fallback, no way to circumvent it, no backdoors—nothing. They designed the inscription so that once activated, it was guaranteed to explode.
If we were talking about a bomb then it would make sense—a bomb should go off when you need it to go off—but this was the island where all of their people inhabited, it was their home, not a bomb.
But it didn't stop there. They had a barrier formation that sealed a designated area and then opened a gate to hell within the barrier. Again, Lucian would have respected them if that was all. Imagine trapping an enemy within the formation—essentially a certain kill technique, right? Trap the enemies and then wait for the demons to kill them. But the Uzumaki had no way of closing the gate.
They decided to seal the area inside the barrier and named the technique a forbidden seal. So, near the island's north side, there is a place roughly the size of a soccer field where space is sealed and collapsed—a huge cubic dark purple barrier... which turned into something of a national monument. The Uzumaki would take their kids around the barrier like parents take their kids to the park. It was a family outdoor activity.
The combination of an unstoppable bomb and a sealed entry to a hell dimension didn't bode well for Lucian. So, when Aya was two years old, he had her sneak to the barrier and applied over twelve thousand lines of script on the seal. At least if the island went down, that section would survive.
Lucian was sure that if he were human, it would have been bad for his nerves to stay on the kamikaze island for a long time. But Aya was enjoying her time in Uzushiogakure.
She was taken care of by the royal family, and initially, she didn't have to do much except be pretty, that changed with the birth of Kushina—two months after Lucian upgraded the barrier.
Two years after that, when Aya could more or less take care of herself, she had some freedoms that no four-year-old should have, but that was because Mito Senju's letter granted her those freedoms.
Sato Uzumaki, the leader of the village, went through a few changes in expression when he read the letter. But in the end, after verifying that Mito Senju had not lost her mind and with a few explanations Aya submitted in the form of her powers, Aya was placed under the care of the royal family and years later tasked to be Kushina's playmate.
A prestigious role that demanded she play with their princess!... Maybe Aya was a bit overqualified, but she was having fun.
"Kushina-chan, let's go play by the pond."- Aya suggested on a hot summer day.
"To fish?"- Kushina asked with a certain shine in her eyes.
"Yes."
So the little girls spent the afternoon trying to catch fish in the pond. Kushina's caretakers were not particularly happy to find their princess damp and dirty, but Aya found their mortification funny.
"Aya-nee, what do you want to be when you grow up?"- Kushina asked, while she enjoyed some ice cream.
"I want to be very happy!"- Aya answered, a subtle grin on her face.
"Noooo! Not that! You'll obviously be happy. I meant like a shinobi, or maybe a Kage, or a mother!"- Kushina whined.
"I want to be the Sekaikage!"- Aya made a sphere with her hands.
"Eh? What's a Sekaikage?"- Kushina was confused by the new term. She knew that her friend would drop new terms from time to time, just like now.
"Hehehe! The Sekaikage is the Kage of the world!"- Aya opened her arms as if illustrating the whole world.
"The Kage of the world?"
"Yes, Kushina-chan. The Kage of the Kages! The UltraKage!"
"Woah! I want to be the Sekaikage too!"- Kushina's eyes shone like stars.
"But if you're the Sekaikage, I won't be able to be the Sekaikage."- Aya teased, with a hurtful tone.
"...Mmmm, can't we share?"- Kushina asked after thinking hard for a second.
"I guess we can, Kushina-chan."- Aya answered with a soft smile and a warm hug.
'She's cute.'
|All kids are. They stop being cute the closer they approach adulthood until they turn into the monsters humans are. From beautiful souls shining brightly to souls of dark light with smudges of shadow, some are plain shadows, how tragic.|
'Not all are bad.'
|I know, but if I had to generalize the humanity of this world, I would say they are monsters.|
'I think there are more good and neutral ones than bad ones.'
|Probably, but the bad ones have a greater impact on the world than the good ones.|
'... That is sadly true. The bad voices tend to speak louder.'
|Mito Senju was not bad.|
'The idiot Senju wasn't either... just too much of an idiot and he ended up doing more damage than good with his idea of creating this machine known as Shinobi Village, which enslaves their shinobi to the greedy nobles.'
|It will also pump children into the battlefield in a few years.|
'What do you mean?'
|Most of the adults participated in the first war. As expected, these same adults were the target of the largest number of casualties. When the next war arrives, to replace the need for military power, the young will be enlisted, given that the old are useless. A cycle will form in which the wars will deplete the numbers, and the young will have to fill this void of power. Rinse and repeat.|
'... Ugh! That fucking idiot.'
Years passed by, and one night, when Aya was seven years old, she awoke with a sudden start.
'Luci, something... changed?'- She looked at her hands, opening and closing them as if trying to grasp a sensation.
|Go to Abeyance.|
To access Abeyance, Aya needed a minimal amount of chakra, at least if it was just her body. However, if she had to drag someone with her, the cost would increase.
This cost became zero when it was about a soul.
Aya's body seemed to implode only leaving behind a sandy residue; she had willed to transport to her dimension and appeared on its sandy beaches.
As the lord of this dimension, Aya expanded her senses and instantly located what had caused the change in her.
She flashed to another beach on a different planetoid and appeared in front of the embodied soul of a man. The man appeared to be about 30 years old and covered in script.
"Aya-sama!"- The man instantly recognized the girl in front of him.
"Natsume. You died?"- Aya asked as she floated to his eye level and petted the grown man's head.
"Yes, Aya-sama. Old age finally got me. HAHAHAHA! I beat all my peers and was rewarded with a chance to follow you in the afterlife!"- Natsume happily accepted the petting; in Sunagakure, it was a privilege after all.
"Fufufu!"- Aya chuckled. She remembers Natsume because he was one of the few who had seen her during her first time as Aya and the second; though he was nothing but a kid at that time and she was a very old lady, their roles inverted in her previous life as Aya.
"From which generation were you from, Natsume?"- She asked curiously. She remembered most names, but even she didn't remember all the details, and Lucian was not telling her, he seemed busy inspecting her soul.
"Let's see..."- Natsume said while thinking of the past.
"The path to extend our lifespans was perfected by one of the grandchildren of Haruki-sama, your little brother. He was named Ayumi, just like Ayumi-sama, your mother. He was in his last years when he perfected the path. I'm from that generation, but I was way younger, which would make me a third generation."- This generation was special since it was when their long lives started.
For Sunagakue a generation is approximately 100 years for the first three, because these generations were the ones before they started to live centuries at least. After that, a generation could be from 275 years to 350.
"That was the generation that was split, right?"
"Yes. We young ones had the chance to walk the path of an extended lifespan, but the older ones in our peers could only extend their lifespan by a century or so. I was 618 years old when I passed, making me the last of the third generation and the fifth oldest recorded person in Sunagakure. The other four passed away a few decades ago as I'm sure you remember. What a shame! If only they had held on a bit longer."- Natsume lamented.
"Normally, holding on for a few decades more is not considered 'a bit more'."- Aya said with a smile, continuing to pet Natsume.
"Aya-sama, I am the first here, right?"- Natsume asked with a glint in his eyes.
"You're the first from Sunagakure, but there's some wildlife in here if that's what you're asking."
"Heeh, no, no. I meant the first from Suna."- The glint in his eyes grew brighter.
"Then yes, you're the first."- Aya said, wondering what he was planning.
"Hehehehe! Do I get some sort of achievement unlocked or something like that?"
"Uhm, what do you have in mind?"
"Like something to show with pride to distinguish me from the rabble!"- There was a lot of joy and mirth mixed in his feelings from just imagining his wife's face when she arrived. She was a century younger than him so he was sure he would have to wait 'a bit more'.
"I guess you can have this."- Aya opened her closed hand, and in it, an angelic halo of light appeared. She had created it by gathering and manipulating the energy of her dimension.
The halo floated and sat comfortably above his head.
"This is it!"- Natsume said excitedly and walked to the edge of the calm water to appreciate his reflection.
His smile widened after seeing the reflection.
"So, Aya-sama, how does un-life work here? I'm feeling hungry, and I thought that wasn't possible after you die."- He said after he finished appreciating the halo.
"I'll let Luci explain. He's the one who knows this stuff."- Aya said, allowing Lucian to speak for her.
"Technically, you didn't die; you were reincarnated just a moment before your body gave up and the Pure Lands claimed your soul."
"Uhm, what's the difference, Luci-sama?"
"The difference is that technically, you're alive. Your body was recreated by the dimension after I configured it to recreate bodies for any soul that arrived with a special mark on their soul."
"Luci-sama, was that the 'Key' Sahara-sama mentioned?"
"Correct. Unlike the Pure Lands, souls do not wander in here after death naturally. The laws of the universe are not set to do that; that is what the Pure Lands are for. So unless Aya or a marked soul drags these souls here, you won't see disembodied souls wandering about."
Madelyne and Lucian couldn't alter the laws of the world yet, but even if they could, they wouldn't. They planned to leave this world. It would be counterproductive to anchor the dimension to the laws of the world only to lift the anchor later. Besides, they didn't want any random soul to wander into Abeyance; they only wanted the souls Madelyne approved of.
"But to bring you here, the 'key' marked your soul and summoned it just before you died, when the tether of soul and body is at its weakest."
"So, that means I have to eat just as usual?"- Natsume asked as he contemplated that he was alive and that meant supplying your body with its necessities.
"You'll have to eat less because you're connected to the dimension, and this one will feed you some energy. Other than that, this might as well be your second life."- This also meant that if he exited the dimension his body would eventually disperse and his soul would return.
"What happens if I die here?"
"You'll lose your body and turn into a soul with no body, and if you want to recover it, you'll need Aya's help."
"I see... Death is still death, and life is still life, but we're closer to the dead. Right?"
"Correct."
"Thank you very much, Luci-sama!"
Lucian nodded and returned control to Aya.
"Come on, I'll give you the tour!"- Aya exclaimed as she pulled Natsume.
In the letter, she wrote:
———————————
Dear Aya-chan,
Time has flown by, and now, with my little brother in my arms, I'm reminded of you. I always wanted a little sister like you, which is why I insisted my parents get me one! That didn't turn out well, though. But I'm deeply happy with my little brother, Nawaki.
Today, I graduated from the Ninja Academy, and the Third Hokage has become my sensei. I'm taking a step forward toward my dream of becoming a great shinobi, like my grandpa.
My teammates are... interesting. One is named Orochimaru, and he has a knack for learning jutsu, just like our sensei. The other is named Jiraiya. He has a knack for getting punched and saying things he shouldn't to a lady like me. He is a perverted idiot.
I know it doesn't need to be said, but, Aya-chan, never grow up to be a pervert like that!
Things have become more heated, but Grandma promised me we would visit you next year if nothing changes. I hope to see you soon!
With love,
Tsunade Senju, your Onee-chan.
———————————
|I guess she is still cute, even if she's nearing adulthood.|
'I told you, not all of them are bad.'
|Though it's a shame that her wishes won't be fulfilled...|
'Because of the war that is approaching?'
|No, because you are already a pervert.|
'...'
A few months after that, before the year ended, Kushina—at the tender age of five years old—was sent to Konohagakure.
After a tearful goodbye and promises to see each other again, Aya watched as Kushina's escort became smaller in the distance.
'War is coming.'
|Yes.|
'How much power can I access with no holds barred?'
|I can force open your eight gates, and we can prepare script-assisted sage mode. Along with your chakra, you can probably make it to Sunagakure in a few hours of flight.|
'And if I have to carry a few thousand kids?'
|Probably to the edge of the desert in the same timeframe, as long as no rigorous combat is included.|
'That's enough. Let's get ready; the war awaits no one.'
That day, Sato Uzumaki called for Aya.
"Aya-san... The time to fulfill Lady Mito's request is near."
"I'm guessing that's why you sent your daughter to Konohagakure."
"Yes, they sent an official request. Lady Mito is getting older, and soon enough, the time to transplant the fox will arrive."- At least that was the official statement from Konohagakure.
The burden the Nine-Tails placed on her body was lightened after Aya purified the fox's chakra, but for Mito, there was no defeating time.
"This matches the reports I received about Kirigakure, Kumogakure, and Iwagakure making concerning movements."
"Forces from Kirigakure have been seen in the Land of Forest, which shares a border with Konohagakure. But their more concerning move is the war fleet that lies in wait on their shores." - On a continental map, Sato moved a small ship to Kirigakure.
"They'll probably use their men in the Land of Forest to distract Konoha while their fleet comes for Uzushiogakure." - Aya understood the implications.
The Kiri-nin attack through land, and their fleet makes a move on Uzushiogakure while Konoha responds to the land attack.
"Iwagakure seems to have split into three fronts. The front in the Land of Hot Water appears to intend to fight Kumogakure. The second and third fronts are against Konohagakure, one in the Land of Rivers and the other in the Land of Fields."- He set small cubes inscribed with Iwagakure's forehead protector symbol.
"Kumogakure splits into two, one front against us and the other against Iwagakure in the Land of Hot Water or Konoha, that part is not clear yet."
"... Iwagakure and Kumogakure will probably be attacking together with Kirigakure." - Aya said while analyzing the distribution of forces.
"Why do you think so, Aya-san?" - Sato Uzumaki asked.
"Part of the reason for my deal with Mito is that she suspects the other villages will form a temporary coalition to get rid of Uzushiogakure. Even though there's so much bad blood between Iwa, Kumo, and Kiri, getting rid of the Uzumaki takes priority."
"So, they'll keep Konoha occupied and then attack us with their jinchūriki?" - Sato was uncertain about how they would keep Konoha occupied but still retain enough force to deal with them.
"No. Because of the Uzumaki skill with pseudo-script and fūinjutsu plus Mito's fame for sealing the Nine-Tails and helping Hashirama seal the others, they will try to keep the jinchūriki away from you."
Mito's feats were well known across the continent.
"... The Kages." - Sato realized what Aya was implying.
"The Kages." - Aya confirmed.
"I'll inform the village's Shinobi and try to get some of our people to move to Konoha before this explodes."
But things escalated faster than expected. Not even a month later, Sato Uzumaki received reports of his people being picked up by 'rogue' shinobi during the evacuation. Some made it out, but most were killed, so he had to stop the furtive evacuation.
A week after that, the Second Ninja War officially started.
Contrary to his and Aya's predictions, the villages began battling each other, leaving Konoha alone. Sato tried to evacuate more civilians but the 'rogue' shinobi were still picking up the Uzumaki that evacuated, so Sato concluded that it was a smoke screen to lower their guard.
By this time, Aya was displaying script on about 97% of her skin, and Sato had supplied vials of blood she requested, filled with life force from the clan members.
Time waited for no one, and finally, the day arrived when the Mizukage, the Raikage, and the Tsuchikage walked across the sea to Uzushiogakure.
"Aya-sama... Thank you for this." - An Uzumaki woman thanked Aya through tears as a bundled baby floated to Aya.
Aya nodded and smiled, trying to reassure the mother.
"Take care of my imouto." - A twelve-year-old who had lost his parents said to Aya as he pushed forward a toddler.
The toddler fell asleep as she got closer to Aya and joined the other children levitating asleep behind Aya.
"I'll buy you enough time to escape with my grandchildren." - An older man said as two toddlers separated from their tear-stricken parents. He placed a hand on the shoulders of the parents in support.
Some new parents were parting from their newborns between sobs.
Tens of Aya's clones followed the same procedure, accepting a child and a storage scroll with everything the family wanted to leave for the child.
Some families left more than one child, but all the children had one thing in common: they were younger than twelve years old.
Behind Aya, the sleeping children were flown above the sealed area with the Hellgate.
"Sato." - Aya called to the village leader. Sato now wore his battle gear, and his determination was evident in his demeanor.
"Aya-sama?" - Sato addressed Aya respectfully.
"Put me through the communication system of the island." - Aya commanded as the last of the children joined the others and she released her clones.
Sato nodded and passed her a microphone connected to the village communications system through fūinjutsu.
Aya took a deep breath and started to share her emotions through empathy around the island. It wasn't a very strong sentiment, but it was pervasive enough to slowly manipulate the masses if she added the appropriate speech.
"Uzushiogakure... today marks your end." - She shared Hopelessness.
"There's no escaping this siege; that much is clear. Thousands of bloodthirsty slaughterers await outside your land, led by their chief slaughterers, the Kage." - She shared Resentment.
"They have not underestimated you. They disrupted space to nullify the summoning contracts while bringing enough numbers to overwhelm a major shinobi village, leaving you with no route to escape the executioner's blade... You are cornered." - She shared Apprehension.
"Take pride in that fact." - She shared Pride.
"Three villages that hated each other pushed their differences aside and joined hands to destroy you and only you!... Not Konohagakure, not the monsters of the Desert, nor any other village, but you, Uzushiogakure!" - She shared Dignity and Satisfaction.
"... Which is why your end will be today. You ran this far, but today you must stop and rest." - She shared Resignation and Acceptance.
"..."
Aya waited for them to internalize what she just said. Sato gazed at her in confusion, wondering why she was lowering morale before their last fight.
"Uzumaki, today is not your end." - She shared Determination.
"Today, I will carry your dreams and hopes with me as I leave the falling Uzushiogakure behind." - She shared Perseverance.
"I will fly them to safety, a type of safety they would not have ever experienced in Uzushiogakure." - She shared Hope.
"I will make sure that none of the little lights you tenderly left in my care will go out or get marred by the blight that lurks outside Uzushiogakure." - She shared Resoluteness.
"I will ensure that the future of the Uzumaki won't end with Uzushiogakure's." - She shared Anger, though it did not match her sentence.
"But I need your help... I need your help to guarantee this future for your children."- She said, Rage burning in her words—rage that didn't align with her heartfelt request.
"We need you to stop being human today."- Madness creeping into her tone.
"We need you to stop being bound by pain, by loss, by injury, by morals..."- She conveyed, her Agitation palpable.
"We need you to be guided by the dark side of what makes you human. We need you to dip your feet in something worse than blood today."- Her voice tinged with C̵͈͋o̵̚ͅr̶͈̈́r̵̯͂u̶̬̒p̷̞̐t̴͕͛ì̸͖o̶̭̅n̷̳͠. {Corruption}
"We need you to become demons today."- Bloodlust dripped from every word.
"And coincidentally, the Hellgate rests below me... ᙎ丨ᒐㄥ ㄚOㄩ 尺ᙓﾌᙓ匚Ʈ Ƴㄖᙀ尺 卄ᙀ爪ᗣ几ꙆㄒƳ Ʈㄖ Ꮆᙀ卂ᖇ卂ᙁㄒᙓ乇 ㄚOㄩᖇ ᙅ卄Ꙇㄥᙃ尺ᙓ几'丂 千ᙀㄒᙀ尺ᙓ?"- Her voice mixed with Lucian's, the resulting mix laced with Insanity. {Will you reject your humanity to guarantee your children's future?}
And with Lucian's words through Madelyne, the barrier sealing the Hellgate lit up, filled with scripture.
Thousands of Uzumakis shouted their approval in Fervor, their voices burning with Determination, Indignation, and Madness.
"YEAAAAAAH!"
"YESSSSSSS!"
"KILLL THEEEEM!"
Killing intent flooded the island.
Chakra surged in torrents, affecting the surroundings. Tens of thousands of birds fled in panic from the island.
Their eyes seemed to have replaced the light of sanity with Insanity, Rage, Destruction, Evil, Desperation, Immorality, and Depravity.
"What—"
Sato was interrupted when smoky shadows of wickedness flew out from the barrier in a frenzy.
Thousands of these shadows began to circle the skies of Uzushiogakure like wraiths.
From outside Uzushiogakure, the enemy shinobi gazed at the cloud of 'smoke' swirling menacingly above the village and the droves of birds fleeing in terror.
Their sensors were terrified by the wickedness they instinctively felt emanating from the chakra on the island. They didn't understand what the feeling was but their bodies seemed to reject it.
"Something's wrong! Report to the Raikage—multiple signatures are preparing for battle!"
Most sensors didn't even know how to report what they felt.
Each of these shadows found a match in each of the Uzumaki who expressed their agreement. Not a single shadow was left without a recipient, and not an Uzumaki blinded by insanity was left without a shadow.
Sato gaped in horror at Aya.
"What have you done?!"- He screamed, his voice a mix of rage and fear.
"What needed to be done. They wouldn't have bought us enough time to escape. The Raikage is faster than me, and the Tsuchikage can fly like me and possibly faster. With this, we will gain a head start."
"...Their souls?"- Sato asked, calming down as much as the situation permitted.
"It's a pact. The demons will return upon their contractors' deaths. They will buy a chance to wreak havoc and will pay for it by providing a berserker boost. The Uzumaki will go to the Pure Lands, and the demons will return to the Hellgate, closing it on their way out."- This was Lucian's way of killing two birds with one stone. What Aya didn't explain was that the 'contractors' were her.
"...Can you pass a message to my daughter?"- Sato didn't care anymore. He was dying today, and his only regret was not spending more time with his daughter and late wife.
"Sato, are you under the delusion that I will make it to see the next sunrise?"- Aya asked, dumbfounded.
"Mito said that you reincarnate."
"...I see, she even included that in her letter. I didn't notice."
"No, she sent a separate letter when the Konoha-nin came to escort Kushina."
"...If I meet Kushina in my next life, I will pass your message to her. Write her a letter; she always liked those."- Aya said after a pause.
Sato was surprised Aya could carry a letter to her next life but decided to write the letter instead of asking questions from the monster girl.
Aya simply sent the letter to Abeyance.
"It's time."- Sato said.
"Would you like a boost?"- Aya asked, glancing at the barrier.
"*Sigh* I might as well fall into your demonic crutches and join my brethren."- Sato said with a sardonic smile.
"Sato Uzumaki, it's been a pleasure. I wish you a blessed afterlife."- Aya said. She received a nod from him, and one last shadow shot out of the barrier and merged with Sato.
Like the rest of the Uzumaki, his eyes turned into orbs of black light. Smog dripped out of his mouth, nostrils, and ears. Tears of tar flowed down his cheeks. Finally, his chakra exploded in potency and destructiveness.
"Demons!... Do as demons do!"- Lucian ordered through Madelyne, and the possessed Uzumaki went berserk toward the targets of their grudges.
"47, 007."- Aya said while staring fixedly at the demonic redheads running in wild abandon towards the encirclement.
"Aya-sama."- The two Hashshashin responded as they kneeled in front of her.
"Go, you'll only get in my way. Sabotage their supply lines on your way out and try to take out as many sensors as you can... Make sure to get away from the island before it blows up."
"As you wish."- The Hashshashin said before seemingly disappearing.
Aya flew above the cubic barrier, sitting patiently with thousands of sleeping infants and children floating behind her in bubble-like barriers.
The peace surrounding Aya contrasted sharply with the bloodbath of the battlefield below.
Flashes of light were followed by distant explosions as the Uzumaki fought like feral beasts.
They didn't care for defense, relying on the demons within to boost their natural regeneration. Some were even lit in sticky flames but kept killing as if everything was normal.
They didn't care about friendly fire; their only concern was the death of their enemies.
They didn't weave hand signs, as the demons focused solely on enhancing their bodies and attacking with corrupted chakra.
This corrupted chakra eroded everything it touched—external chakra and enemies alike—making it more dangerous than any normal release.
"KILL IT WITH FIRE!"- An Iwa-nin shouted after blasting a redheaded female demon with enough earth ninjutsu to bury a squad, yet the creature kept crawling back, trying to bite him.
"SHIT! NOT EVEN WE ARE THAT BLOODTHIRSTY!"- A member of the Kaguya clan shouted in panic.
"GYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"- A redheaded demon laughed as it grabbed a Kiri-nin by the leg and neck, pulling until the Kiri-nin was torn apart and his entrails dropped to the ground.
"MORE! MORE! MORE!"- An aged redheaded demon demanded as it barreled through the battlefield in a cloak of corrupted chakra. Its skin was in a constant battle of regeneration and corruption, and every shinobi it grazed began to be corrupted.
*Shhhhunk*—A Kumo-nin cut off his left hand after he couldn't stop the corruption from consuming his arm.
"DON'T LET IT TOUCH YOU! CUT OFF THE AFFECTED LIMB!"- The Kumo-nin commanded.
"NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, DON'T GO!!!"- A female redheaded demon shouted in desperation as the shinobi tried to flee from her.
In one section of the battlefield, a demonic Sato, dragged nine bloody black chains, multiple corpses impaled on them.
"FOR KUSHINA!"- He cried out. The tar-like tears he shed became demonic warped clones of himself, running in different directions to wreak more carnage.
He wasn't the only one shouting the name of a loved one through insanity and immeasurable pain.
"KIHIHIHIHIHI~KIHIHIHIH!"- A small redheaded demon ran on four legs through the enemy formation, laughing like a mischievous child. The kid was followed by three warped demonic clones of him.
Bullets of water rained down on it, but the demon child swerved left and right, sometimes even submerging below the water it walked on, other times a demonic clone would take a shot for him and explode into a mist of tar-like blood.
A shinobi created a rain of ice needles, finally stopping the demon child as its limbs froze solid.
The shinobi approached to capture its body and study its weakness, but as they got closer...
"KIHIHIHI"- It laughed ominously.
"Get away from it!"- The Ice user shouted, but it was too late.
*BOOOMSHHPLAT*—Its body erupted in gore, and the rain of corrupted blood splattered onto the few surrounding shinobi.
"AGGHHHHHHHH!"- They cried out as if acid was eating their skin.
One of the Shinobi who was the closest to the explosion became fully corrupted and started to bloat before...
*BOOOMSHHPLAT*
"KEEP YOUR DISTANCE! PELT THEM WITH EXPLOSIVE TAGS!"- A field leader commanded.
"GO FOR THE LIMBS! ANYTHING LOWER THAN B-RANK JUTSU BARELY WORKS!"- Another instructed on a different battlefield.
'They are adapting.'
|It won't matter much. This was never a battle of annihilation.|
'Luci, this plan of yours... I feel like I can only stomach it because you're modulating my emotions.'
|I also got rid of the empathy feedback.|
'... It's so cruel.'
|It's also a perfectly logical strategy. They were going to die; now their deaths will amount to more.|
'... I can coldly understand it... It's just... That one is Kai.'- She focused on a 13-year-old neighbor who used to tease Kushina and her. He was now dragging five corpses behind a single corrupted adamantine sealing chain.
'That one is Futsume.'- A madly cackling elderly woman was about to explode after a few Kumo-nin quartered her.
'That's Nina; she used to be Kai's crush.'- A teenager flew across the battlefield with three limbs missing. Upon crashing, she immediately blew herself up after realizing she couldn't move anymore. In the blast of her explosion she caught five shinobi and these ones bloated before exploding and catching some more.
|I see your point. My counterargument is...|- Lucian floated a bubble with a toddler sleeping peacefully inside, followed by two more.
|This is Kai's little brother.|
|This is Futsume's granddaughter.|- A girl was sleeping, hugging a storage scroll.
|And this is Nina's adopted sister.|- In Uzushiogakure, it was normal for teenagers—considered adults—to adopt.
|All of this... awfulness... is for their sake.|- Lucian returned the children to their positions.
'I understand it... I just can't accept it.'
Suddenly, across the southern battlefield, where a chain reaction of corrupted explosions was gaining ground, a white beam of light encased in a transparent cylinder swept across the feral Uzumaki and the exploding bodies, leaving nothing but dust—some shinobi included.
'Ōnoki of Both Scales.'
|The Raikage Ei (A) is also approaching.|
From the opposite direction, on the northern front, blue lightning zigzagged wildly through the redheaded demons.
'The Mizukage?'- Aya asked.
|Sato is holding him back.|- On the eastern blockade, corrupted chains seemed to be battling the oceans themselves.
'With the Kages here, is it time to make our escape?'
|Yes.|
With Lucian's confirmation, the script on Aya lit up, and torrential natural energy flooded her.
"*Gnu* Fuck, this shit will kill me."- Aya clenched her jaw in pain.
|No. The eighth gate will kill you sooner, once I open it.|
Aya focused on enhancing her body. The natural energy, as much as it was empowering her, was also killing her, but it didn't matter. She needed a stronger body to channel more of Lucian's power and escape this hell along with the kids.
Aya, with some effort, stabilized herself and floated with the bubbles behind her. She began to slowly gain altitude, not flying forward, but simply ascending.
The hellscape that used to be Uzushiogakure became smaller and smaller.
Then she started to fly forward.
She flew faster and faster until she was soaring above the enemy troops... and the remaining sensors detected her, reporting to their Kages.
But this was where the rampaging Uzumaki came into play. If the Kages stopped assisting their troops and pursued her, the Uzumaki would ravage their forces—they would not survive, but they would cause catastrophic damage before they died.
This left the Kages with only one realistic option: they had to put down the demons before they could chase after her.
Aya took advantage of the precious minutes her redheaded friends had bought her. She flew with the bubbles containing their future.
'Luci, I'm tired of living like this.'
|What do you suggest?|
'I don't know, but I might want a sabbatical after this.'
|That's alright, Madelyne. Whatever you desire that I can get you, I will get you.|
'*Sigh* I know, Luci. You're my rock and my oldest friend. I... I'm old, Luci... I've learned when to get attached and when to avoid it. It's... it's just that sometimes, friendly people are hard to avoid.'
|Were you hoping to have a long life in Uzushiogakure?|
'... Yes. They were the first friendly uragirimono we've found.'
|Maybe it wasn't a good idea to accept Mito Senju's request.|
'Maybe, but I wouldn't have met Kushina if not for it... They were a fun seven years...'
With that, they remained silent as Aya hurriedly flew toward the desert.
Every few minutes, Aya would bring out a vial of blood and drink it to heal some of the damage the natural energy and Lucian's powers were inflicting on her body.
Almost thirty minutes after they had left, the sky was painted in an orange-white hue.
Aya glanced behind her.
The clouds were pushed away from Uzushiogakure, a shockwave visible as it fought against the pressure of the atmosphere. A bright mushroom of conflagration illustrated the horizon.
*BOOOOOOOOOOM*- The shockwave caught up to Aya after a few minutes. The sound of the explosion traveled above the sea and was even heard in Konohagakure and beyond.
The part of the explosion that hit the sea created a tsunami that sank several surrounding islands and continued toward the Lands of Fire, Water, Forest, and Hot Water.
'Luci, why am I witnessing a nuclear explosion?'
|You're not; there's no radioactive fallout from it.|
'So, what? They had enough explosive power to match a nuclear explosion?'
|The branch of pseudo-script the Uzumaki created fitted perfectly with their fūinjutsu. The seals they engraved in Uzushiogakure had been there for generations, being fed chakra almost monthly, until the snowball grew big enough to mimic a nuclear explosion.|
'Are the Kages alive?'
|I can't tell, but we don't have the freedom to wait and confirm.|
'Meaning they are most likely alive.'- Aya commented, not stopping her flight even as she gazed at the mushroom cloud.
|Possibly.|
An hour later...
|Ōnoki survived.|
'Fucking shit.'
|The Raikage is not far behind; he's gaining ground.|
'What the fuck?! We're flying over the Land of Fire. Why aren't they being stopped?'
|There are probably orders not to waste human resources on them, given that possibly only the Hokage could match them. Besides...|
'Besides?'
|I don't know if Konoha is up to date with our situation, but unless we are heading straight for Konohagakure—which we are not—they would rather we die.|
'Why?'
|They wouldn't want the Uzumaki bloodline to fall into anyone's hands but theirs. Since, as far as I know, Konoha doesn't have a ninja capable of flight, they're at a disadvantage compared to Iwagakure.|
'So? Are they waiting for Ōnoki to bring us down and then claim us?'
|No, I don't think so. We're moving too fast for that. Probably only the Raikage is fast enough to keep up with us. They're likely just maintaining a perimeter, ready to react quickly and join the fight when the Kages catch up to us.|
'Fucking ninjas! I hope they all die!'
|Incoming.|
The bubbles parted, creating a gap in their formation as Aya quickly ascended. A beam of Dust Release shot through where she had been, passing through the opening in the bubbles.
|I'll open up the third gate.|- Aya's skin began to turn red, with veins bulging across her body.
Aya took a shot of blood to counteract the strain, and her speed increased.
Lucian channeled the excess chakra and natural energy to forcibly reinforce her body, using telekinesis to boost their speed further.
Despite the acceleration, Ōnoki was still fast enough to keep up, forcing Aya to continually dodge while adjusting the bubbles' formation to allow the deadly beams to pass through without hitting the children.
Lucian guided Aya through high-speed aerial maneuvers, his senses filling the gap in Aya's.
|Gate of Pain.|- Lucian informed her as they reached the fourth gate.
Aya flew even faster now, but she kept herself from moving unnecessarily, avoiding rupturing her muscles and breaking bones.
She and Lucian were only utilizing the body-enhancing effects of the technique for the moment; it wasn't time to fight yet.
Periodically, a vial of blood would appear, and Aya would drink it carefully by having the blood float to her mouth, replenishing her strength.
'Luci, the Raikage?'- Aya asked, noticing a blue hue from below but not moving muscle to look down.
|He passed beneath us. I think we're still out of his reach.|
'So, he'll try to wait for us to land?'
|Yes.|
'... Luci, as soon as we land and the kiddies are safe... we'll open the eighth gate and unleash the mother of all telekinetic blasts. I don't think my body will hold out long enough for a fight against them.'
|That's an option, but we'll have to fight to keep them off the children.|
'That's fine. If there's no other choice, then there's nothing we can do. But as soon as they're safe, kill me! I'm fucking tired of this day—the sooner I die, the better.'
|Alright.|
Aya kept flying at breakneck speed, and whenever it seemed like Ōnoki was getting closer, Lucian would force open another gate. They did this two more times until they reached the Gate of View, a green aura surrounding Aya's tattooed body.
'We won't make it to the desert.'- Aya said solemnly.
|We won't, but the kids will. We'll touch down in the Land of Rivers. While I control the bubbles to keep flying to the desert, you'll fight Ōnoki and A, and maybe even the Hokage if he decides to join|- Lucian replied.
'Then, before we go... Let's give these fuckers the scare of their lives.'
After leaving the Land of Fire, the bubbles flew faster while Aya began to slow down, descending softly.
Before landing—still without moving a muscle—a flash of lightning announced the Raikage's arrival.
"A little girl? The monster was a little girl?"- A exclaimed in surprise.
"Don't underestimate her, Raikage. This little monster has been evading all of my attacks."- Ōnoki commented as he arrived shortly after A, floating at the same level as Aya.
"Tsuchikage, the cargo?"- A asked, unable to see what was inside the bubbles from below.
"Uzumaki children and some scrolls."- Ōnoki shared.
Their alliance was based on two objectives: destroying Uzushiogakure and stealing the Uzumaki's fūinjutsu techniques. The first objective was completed splendidly—but by the Uzumaki themselves when they blew up the island.
The problem was that only a tall, perfectly rectangular growth of stone remained in the turbulent sea, where the sealed Hellgate stood.
After losing more than two-thirds of their forces, they couldn't return to their villages empty-handed. But they couldn't access the barrier they wrongly believed held some loot.
With their only clue about how to open the barrier being the chakra signature their sensors detected leaving, they had no choice but to pursue it. Neither Kage was a perfect sensor, but they could feel the monstrous chakra emanating from Aya, which spiked from time to time.
"Go after them; I'll take care of the girl."- A said.
"I can't. They're moving faster than me. We have to get rid of the monster girl before collecting our spoils of war."- Ōnoki surmised, believing that killing her would give them access to the scrolls inside the bubbles—even if the children wouldn't survive the fall.
"Apart from a few, ninja were never known for their smarts."- Aya murmured softly—trying not to rupture her body needlessly—but loud enough for the shinobi to hear.
A and Ōnoki stared at her.
"You should have been content with the destruction of Uzushiogakure. That was the smart decision... Now you won't make it back in one piece... Well, at least you'll make it back, no?"- Aya smiled sweetly through the pain.
Aya's script lit up, and a shadow of smog shot out, only to fly back into her body. Her eyes turned black, but unlike her Uzumaki friends, she had a white, slit-like draconic pupil.
"So you were behind that!"- A gnashed his teeth angrily, remembering the thousands of his soldiers lost to the demons—some of whom he had to put down himself.
"Before I go, I will make sure you regret your greed and stupidity."- Aya said, referring to their greed in not being content with the destruction of Uzushiogakure and pursuing her further.
"Gate of Wonder."- Lucian said through Aya.
Her aura became more oppressive, and her body started visibly breaking down, with specks of light occasionally appearing around her.
Aya looked at the Kage with contempt, and white beams of light encased in transparent cylinders shot forward from her eyes.
Ōnoki's eyes widened in shock as he barely moved out of the way before the edge of the beams disintegrated his left ear.
The beams zigzagged and sharply turned toward the Raikage.
A, enhanced by his lightning cloak, flashed in a different direction, but when it seemed he had avoided the beams, they turned again and started following him.
No matter where he ran, the beams followed. Just as it seemed he was about to be struck, the beams disappeared. A looked back to find that Ōnoki had shot his dust release at the girl, forcing her to abandon her pursuit.
As Ōnoki's dust release cylinder approached, Aya's body became encased in a double sphere of dust release, acting as a barrier.
The cylinder and barrier clashed, and after a flash of light that erased everything around Aya, she remained unscathed.
"Girl! Answer me! How can you wield my Kekkei Tōta?"- Ōnoki demanded.
"You showed me how."- Aya answered flatly.
"Tsuchikage, this will get more complicated if she can use dust release. The cargo will get further away."- A said, flashing back next to Ōnoki. He was worried Konohagakure would intervene and steal their spoils of war.
They were back at their starting positions.
Before Ōnoki could respond, Aya started descending and stepped onto the ground.
"I can wield any jutsu I've seen... Unlike the Uchiha, genetics don't limit me. You know... among the releases I've seen, wood release is one of them."- Aya smiled predatorily as the forest around them came to life.
The Kages felt their hearts begin to race, adrenaline coursing through their veins. Their pupils shrank in response to the impending danger.
Aya was on a timer, and the children were still flying above the Land of Rivers, so she didn't allow the Kages any more time to speak.
The trees around them began to uproot themselves, their trunks twisting and morphing into humanoid shapes.
The treant-like wooden golems completed their transformation and fixed their gaze on the Kages.
*ROOOOAAARR!*- They growled in unison, charging forward with a speed that belied their massive size.
Aya's eyes glowed once more as two beams of dust release shot toward Ōnoki. Of the two Kages, he was the most troublesome.
The Raikage flashed across the battlefield, destroying golem after golem as if they were made of paper. But these were not ordinary wood release creations; they were modeled after Kaguya's techniques, designed to rapidly absorb chakra in exchange for durability. It didn't take long for the Raikage to realize he shouldn't let his cloak touch them directly.
He tried to use black lightning, but the treants absorbed it just as they did his lightning cloak.
Ōnoki was having an even harder time. He had to evade the roots that reached skyward to drag him down, all while dodging or defending against Aya's relentless beams of dust release.
If Ōnoki and the Raikage really put their efforts into escaping, they likely could—but they knew that to secure the scrolls, they would have to get past Aya.
"ENOUGH!"- Ōnoki shouted, gathering chakra between his hands to create the mother of all dust release beams.
A high-pitched sound filled the air as the jutsu charged. Aya's beams intensified their pursuit, and the roots surged with greater speed and number.
Ōnoki unleashed his dust release at the spot where Aya stood, unmoving.
Just as it seemed the beam would reach her, she ascended into the air, avoiding it entirely.
Ōnoki attempted to track her with the beam, but she kept moving, trying to position herself between Ōnoki and the Raikage, forcing him to risk hitting his ally with collateral damage.
A dashed through the forest, avoiding roots, golems, and now the disintegration beam.
Ōnoki spat earth from his mouth, creating five rock clones that surrounded him. The clones used dust release as well, though with less intensity, attempting to cut off Aya's escape routes.
A deactivated his lightning cloak and used his natural speed to run over the roots and wood golems, closing in on Aya.
The Raikage planned to distract her, hoping to leave her vulnerable to Ōnoki's dust release, but as he got close, his head began to ache, as if his mind was under attack from genjutsu.
"Tsuchikage, be careful, she's proficient in Genjutsu!"- The Raikage warned.
'I'm not 'proficient' in it, I excel at it.'- The Raikage heard a voice in his head, and suddenly, all light vanished.
He missed a step and started to fall, only to snap out of the genjutsu just in time to dodge a rising root. He escaped purely because his misstep took him out of Aya's range.
Seeing that he couldn't get close, he pulled a javelin from a scroll and hurled it at Aya with enough force to break the sound barrier.
Aya shifted her flight path, and the javelin flew directly through her dust beams, disintegrating on contact.
But the Raikage had more than one javelin.
Like an anti-aircraft gun, he began hurling javelin after javelin as he flickered through the possessed forest of killer treants and impaling roots. Ōnoki and his clones didn't let the opportunity go to waste, intensifying their attacks in an effort to wear Aya down.
Lucian sensed that they were starting to overwhelm Aya and that the children hadn't yet reached the desert. He used his telekinesis to rub the air molecules against each other, increasing the temperature until the treants caught fire. The resulting smoke was heated further, and before anyone could react, the air itself ignited.
The resulting heat burned the oxygen, causing the air to expand uncontrollably...
*BOOOOM!*- Everything exploded, with Aya at the epicenter.
Aya protected herself with a barrier of dust release. Ōnoki flew back as fast as he could, his clothes catching fire and burning him. The Raikage reactivated his cloak, enduring the chakra drain from the roots beneath him to shield himself from the blast.
Aya stood alone in the crater left by the explosion. She might have appeared unfazed, but the damage to her body was becoming harder to ignore.
|The Hokage is here... So is Tsunade.|
'If that mongrel places her in danger, I'll take him with me.'
Using the Body Flicker Technique, the Hokage and his students appeared at the edge of the crater, which was now large enough to hold half of Konohagakure.
Aya flew closer to them—not to seek help, as some might think, but to protect Tsunade from any collateral damage.
As imposing as a disintegrating eight-year-old could be, Aya floated down to their level, though she didn't touch the ground.
"Tsuna-nee, you shouldn't be here."- Aya's voice was grating, her vocal cords constantly rupturing and healing.
"A-Aya-chan?"- Tsunade stammered, her voice trembling.
"Hokage, what are you doing here, and why have you brought her into this?"- Aya asked coldly.
"Aya-san, I'm here to represent Konohagakure's interest in safeguarding the survivors of the Uzumaki clan. They are our brother clan, after all."- Hiruzen replied calmly. His stand as friendly was doubtful but politically correct.
"You can go and pick them up in the desert, Hokage."- Aya said noncommittally, pointing in the direction of the children.
"The desert?! You sent them to that place? Didn't your parents tell you that there are monsters in there?!"- Jiraiya exclaimed in fright.
Aya glanced at him and ignored him.
The Hokage knew Aya was not flying the kids to Konoha, and Aya knew that part of the fault of the current situation rests in Konoha. Yet it was not so evident, given that Konoha was indeed busy fighting on different fronts in the Land of Fire.
"Aya-chan, please come back to the village with us. The Hokage will escort us!"- Tsunade pleaded, her voice laced with desperation.
"Tsuna-nee... I won't make it to Konohagakure."- Aya responded, her gaze shifting to the Raikage and Tsuchikage, who were gathering themselves for another bout.
"Why not? The Hokage will protect you."- Jiraiya asked, confused since it seemed logical to make it to Konohagakure if the Hokage was protecting her.
"What do you mean?"- Tsunade asked, almost imploringly.
"Tsunade, you know what she means. She's dying here."- Orochimaru stated bluntly, cutting through the tension with his usual detachment. He did not bother to reply to the clueless idiot.
At Orochimaru's words, Jiraiya's eyes widened in shock and Tsunade felt a constricting feeling in her chest.
"It's as the snake child says. I die today."- Aya's detachment mirrored Orochimaru's.
|They've landed. Sunamushi and a squad of Suna were waiting where we instructed them.|
'Finally! I can die now.'
"No, no, no! Aya-chan, let's return! I've been studying healing jutsu. Grandma can help us find a solution. Don't you want to see Kushina-chan?"- Tsunade begged, her voice breaking.
"Tsuna-nee, give this to Kushina-chan. It's from her father."- A letter materialized in front of Tsunade with some white sand residue. She grabbed it instinctively.
"Aya-san, is there a way to work things out?"- Hiruzen's question carried layers of unspoken implications.
"What are you talking about, Hokage? I've told you where the kids are. Go to the edge of the desert—you'll find them peacefully sleeping there."- Aya answered flatly. The Hokage to her was as dubious as Lucian's deal sounded to Kaguya.
'He better pray Sahara is not there when he arrives.'
|I don't think it matters if Sahara is there or not. By now, most of Suna must be aware of how Konoha's lack of support drove you to this point.|
'You're right... He better pray the kids are gone by the time he arrives.'
Hiruzen stared at Aya, his expression unreadable.
"Hokage, I will only guarantee Tsuna-nee's safety. If you don't want your students caught in the crossfire, get away."- Aya said, her voice cold and unwavering.
"Aya-chan! Stop it! We ca—"- In the middle of Tsunade's pleas, Orochimaru struck her neck, knocking her out.
"Orochimaru!"- Jiraiya exclaimed in anger.
"Thanks, snake kid."- Aya found herself approving more and more of this clearly mentally perturbed kid.
"What are you going to do, monster girl?"- Orochimaru asked with a smile, intrigued.
"Have you ever wondered what comes after fire when you keep heating a gas?"- Aya responded with a genuine smile.
"Let's get away!"- Hiruzen hurriedly ordered, slinging Tsunade over his shoulder. He glanced back at Aya and said:
"Thank you for securing the future of the Uzumaki clan."- Whether he meant it or not was unclear, as Lucian had numbed Aya's empathy.
Aya watched him retreat.
'He's hard to read.'
|We can try next time. Empathy doesn't lie.|
'If we get a next time.'
Indeed, he was hard to read; all of his actions were politically correct, and the fact that he brought Tsunade could be interpreted as him showing her as a hostage or him trying to appease Aya's worries with a friendly face.
"So he left."- Ōnoki observed.
"That works in our favor. Fighting this monster was problematic enough."- A commented.
"Yes, but we must hurry to the edge of the desert. I'll have my forces rush there once we're done with this monster."- Ōnoki said, his focus still on the ultimate goal.
"Gate of Death."- Aya muttered as she stabbed her heart with her thumb.
'I don't think we'll get them, but let's go out with a bang! Today I'll upgrade from an explosive baby to an explosive child!'- Aya thought, a flare of madness flickering in her mind.
The steam of blood exuding from her pores became a black aura instead of the classic red due to the demonic corruption, her script glowed brightly, her hair started to fall off, and dust and specs of light seeped off of her.
She waved her hand, causing her muscles to rupture and her bones to break, and a translucent cubic barrier enclosed the crater and the two Kages. This time, she was using Lucian's barriers, not a seal or a psionic shield, but one made of void energy.
"I always liked explosions."- Aya said as she noticed the faltering expressions of the Kages. Their pupils shrank as Aya transformed into a ball of plasma.
From a distance, Orochimaru, Hiruzen, and Jiraiya watched as the cube began to glow brightly, forcing them to shield their eyes.
In the pillar of stone left in Uzushiogakure, the cubic barrier vanished, revealing the gap in space known as the Hellgate. From the sea, thousands of shadows made of smoke rose and flew toward the gate.
The barrier containing the explosion disappeared, and once again, the Shinobi World saw the horizon light up.
"Summoning: Quintuple Rashōmon."- Five demonic gates were summoned at Hiruzen's command.
The shockwave and heatwave hit them, uprooting everything in their path and glassing the ground.
Hiruzen weaved hand signs rapidly and a dome of earth covered them, then he spewed water from his mouth, enveloping himself and his students in a protective bubble.
From the site of the explosion, a shadow of smoke rose and flew out. With the addition of this last shadow, the Hellgate closed, leaving only the pillar as a marker of where Uzushiogakure, the home of the Uzumaki, once stood.
Hiruzen rushed to the edge of the desert, where he managed to catch a glimpse of the largest creature he had ever seen, carrying thousands of redheads into the horizon, swimming through the sand as if it were water.
That day, the Second Shinobi World War halted for over three months. The affected areas due to the explosion of Uzushiogakure could only be toppled by the affected by Aya's explosion, given that Aya's happened on land and the other over the sea.
News of the demonic Uzumaki spread like wildfire. But nothing was said about Aya.
Ōnoki survived, though he lost his left eye and right leg.
A survived as well, suffering third-degree burns on about 30% of his body—the lightning cloak had protected his limbs.
Hiruzen made the events an S-Rank secret, forbidding his students from ever speaking of what they witnessed.
Tsunade slept with little Kushina for a month, and the two cried themselves to sleep every night. Until one day, Mito spoke to Tsunade in private. After that, Tsunade cried no more but kept Kushina close.
————————————————————
Purelands
'Well... That life's start and end were shitty.'
|I liked the end.|
'... Fine! The explosion was awesome!'- Lucian granted Madelyne's request of spiritualizing her soul before dying so that she could witness the explosion.
|The Uzumaki were quite different.|
'That as well, they, as a group, were similar to my people. I really liked the middle part of that life, even if it were just a few years.'
|So?|
'So, okay! I'll do one more life, but if it turns shitty we'll take a sabbatical!'
|Good, because you're getting reincarnated now.|
'Oh? That was fast! I wanted to check Abeyance before going, I'll guess I will do it later.'
________________________________________
10th Life.
Konohagakure
Mito Senju stood in a bedroom that reeked of iron. On the bed a woman with her throat slit, a kunai loosely in her hand smeared in her blood, an unconcerned newborn breastfeeding from the corpse of her mother covered in her blood.
"Miyu... why did you do this?"- Mito asked, not expecting an answer.
Miyu Senju was from the same generation as Tsunade's parents, Mito had met her more than a few times. Miyu had married some time ago and her husband was a Shinobi who lost his life during the current war. Leaving Miyu alone.
'Postnatal depression.'- Mito heard a familiar voice in her head. One she'll never forget.
As if she were a robot, she walked to the side of the bed to get a better view of the bloodied newborn.
There she found the eyes she didn't think she would see so soon again.
"Aya-sama..."- Mito said.
'Eiko, this life. She said it before taking her life.'- Madelyne informed her of the name her mentally unstable mother had chosen for her.
"...Eiko... Meaning 'prosperous child'?"- Mito asked while she brought a white cloth to softly clean some of the blood from the baby.
'I believe so. I'm sleeping now, this body is currently too weak, and I don't plan to rush the development of this body, so take care of me, we can talk compensation later.'
"There's no need for that Eiko-sama, after you did so much more for my clan than I expected I would be ungrateful if I asked for more."- Mito added while carefully lifting Eiko from the corpse of Miyu.
Mito cleaned Eiko and exited the house, Tsunade was waiting for her outside.
Mito showed the baby to Tsunade.
"Aya-chan."- She muttered. She was a ninja and she had heard what Mito said.
"Eiko-chan."- Mito corrected her.
Tsunade smiled sweetly and tenderly caressed the cheek of the sleeping Eiko.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone