A/N: The Last few days have been like this: work, play oblivion, eat, sleep. Finally made some time to write a chapter.
3 Weeks Later
Kuro was relaxing on the sofa as he considered the coming events based on his knowledge of the Shinobi world.
With the power to protect both himself and his family, he no longer feared the chaos ahead. But domination? That path no longer interested him. He had already spent too much of his life conquering and destroying within the Tower of Heavens.
Now, he wanted something different—peace. For once, he hoped to simply enjoy life and explore what the Shinobi world had to offer beyond war and bloodshed.
He had also uncovered the truth about what happened to his parents: Danzo and the Root were behind it. Kuro could have easily eliminated him, but he chose a different path. Rather than end Danzo's life, he opted for something far crueler. Danzo would live on, constantly thwarted and frustrated, forced to watch as everything slipped from his grasp slowly and painfully.
With Kuro around, his parents and loved ones were safe. Even Madara, should he attack, would find himself powerless.
Since returning, Kuro had assigned four elite shadow soldiers to guard his parents around the clock. As for the others—Niji, Sanji, and the rest—he granted them a well-earned vacation. They were free to roam, to experience life in the Shinobi world.
Recently, rumors of shadowy pirates wreaking havoc across the Land of Water have been circulating. The culprit? A figure known only as Blackbeard.
From what the villagers were saying, it went something like this:
Multiple port towns along the Land of Water have been ransacked. Survivors report a group of highly organized pirates with dark chakra signatures and clocked in a dark, shadowy aura. Their leader is described as a large man with a crooked grin and a laugh that shakes the sea itself. Calls himself... Blackbeard.
Kuro had nearly burst out laughing when he heard the name. He remembered subduing Blackbeard and his crew on the fourth floor of the Tower of Heavens. Their ship, a sentient ghost vessel, had eventually yielded after taking a proper beating.
Even as shadow soldiers, Blackbeard and his crew remained a rowdy, unpredictable bunch.
Meanwhile, Mito has decided to take revenge on those who were involved in the destruction of the Land of Whirlpool.
Sanji, in particular, wasn't thrilled. He had already complained to Kuro that Mito was dragging him around, preventing him from enjoying his vacation.
Kuro simply smiled and wished him the best of luck.
Now, after 3 weeks, Mito had made a decision—it was time for Kushina to know the truth: that she was still alive.
But revealing herself came with risks. The eyes of the ANBU were everywhere, and Mito wanted to avoid triggering any unwanted attention from the higher-ups. So she gave Kuro a simple, yet delicate mission: bring Kushina to the villa without alerting the ANBU.
As Kuro began tailing Kushina to plan the approach, he discovered something surprising. Despite living in a modestly comfortable apartment, Kushina was, in fact, incredibly wealthy.
After Mito's supposed death and Kushina's appointment as the new Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails, she had quietly inherited Mito's considerable assets, including an entire shopping district.
Kuro drifted to sleep until late evening. The streets had thinned, and the presence of the ANBU had lessened. With the cloak of night on his side and his chakra completely masked, he made his move.
Kushina had just returned from a long day at the academy. She was unlocking her door when Kuro appeared behind her, silent as a shadow.
Before she could turn around, he gently tapped her shoulder.
"Don't scream," he said softly. "I'm a friend. And someone very dear to you wants to see you."
Kushina froze, her hand halfway to a kunai hidden in her sleeve. But seeing who it was, she relaxed a little.
"It's you again. What do you want?"
Kuro gave her a calm, almost apologetic look. "I need you to come with me."
"Why? So you can have your revenge for me bumping into you a few weeks ago?"
Kuro gave a faint chuckle, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. "If I held grudges over things like that, I wouldn't get anything done."
Kushina didn't smile. Her hand was still near the kunai, just in case. "Then what is this about?"
He took a step back, hands raised in a non-threatening gesture. "This isn't a trick. I'm here because someone—someone you thought was gone—is waiting for you. She asked me to bring you. Quietly."
Kushina's eyes narrowed. "She?"
Kuro nodded. "Mito Uzumaki."
For a moment, the world seemed to stop. Kushina stared at him like he'd spoken a curse. "That's not funny."
"It's not a joke," Kuro said, his tone completely serious now. "She's alive. She 'faked' her death for reasons that made sense at the time—and she wants to see you." Kuro told her some truth mixed with lies. He and Mito have already discussed his power to bring the dead back to life. She decided that the fewer people who know of it, the better.
Kushina's expression faltered. Conflicting emotions played across her face—anger, hope, disbelief.
"I don't believe you."
"You don't have to," Kuro replied gently. "Just come with me. If I'm lying, you can beat the truth out of me yourself."
A tense silence followed, then Kushina let out a sharp breath and stepped away from the door. "You better be right about this."
"I usually am," Kuro said, opening a swirling shadow portal nearby.
Kushina raised a brow. "Dramatic much?"
He smirked. "I do have a reputation to maintain."
She gave him one last wary look, then followed him into the portal.
In a blink, they stepped out into a serene, warmly lit interior. The air smelled faintly of sandalwood and plum blossoms. Kushina blinked, her eyes adjusting to the soft light, taking in the polished wood floors, the paper-paneled walls, the quiet rustle of wind chimes outside.
But all of that faded the moment her gaze landed on the woman sitting at the low table in the center of the room, calmly sipping tea.
Kushina's breath caught. Although the woman looked far younger than she remembered—her skin smooth, her posture straight, and her aura strangely vibrant—there was no mistaking her.
Mito Uzumaki.
Her mentor. Her guardian. Her guiding light through the darkest parts of her youth.
The porcelain teacup in Mito's hands stilled as she looked up, her golden eyes meeting Kushina's with a quiet warmth.
"Hello, Kushina," she said softly, as if not a day had passed.
Kushina didn't respond—not with words. Her eyes welled instantly, tears spilling over as disbelief, relief, and overwhelming emotion collided in her chest.
She took a hesitant step forward, then another—until all hesitation broke and she rushed across the room.
Mito rose to meet her just in time to catch her in a tight, trembling embrace.
"I thought you were gone," Kushina sobbed into her shoulder, clutching her like a lifeline. "You left me… I thought I was alone…"
Mito gently stroked her hair, holding her close. "You grew stronger than I ever imagined. You made me proud."
Kuro stood silently by the doorway, his presence unnoticed, his face an awkward smile.
As the tears slowly quieted and Kushina pulled away just enough to look into Mito's face, she finally asked, voice hoarse, "How? How are you alive? And why… why didn't you tell me sooner?"
Mito gave her a soft, almost sorrowful smile. "That... is a long story."
Kuro decided he had seen enough and disappeared from the villa.
Instead of going home, he went on a little adventure to climb a tall tree and gaze at the heavenly view of the hot spring.
'If only I had the spying technique from the Hiruzen.' Kuro thought to himself.
Not far from him, someone with spiky white hair with red lines under his eyes and a perverted face was also watching the hot spring.