Inside the room, Sasuke's eyes turned cold as he aimed his Sword of Kusanagi at Kushina, who was pursing her lips in amusement.
"Who are you?" Sasuke demanded. "Answer me, or don't blame me for what happens next!"
In the next instant, Kushina, her smile vanished , her redhair floated in nine different directions with blackned body and red aura surrounding her and lashed out with incredible speed and strength. She punched Sasuke squarely on the head, sending him flying dozens of meters across the room.
As he flew backward, Sasuke couldn't comprehend the sheer power the woman possessed.
Bang!
Sasuke slammed against the far wall and was knocked unconscious while embedded in the wall.
Kushina clenched her fist, declaring fiercely, "Nobody dares speak to me like that!"
Nearby, Kabuto nervously took several steps back, thinking, 'This... this woman is terrifyingly violent!'
Orochimaru, however, remained perfectly calm. He knew exactly who this was. The woman before him was Kushina Uzumaki, Konoha's infamous 'Red Hot-Blooded Habanero' – renowned for her fiery temper. He mused that perhaps she only ever showed her gentle side to Minato Namikaze. Right?
After a moment, Kushina's anger seemed to subside slightly. She turned to Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru " she asked, her tone shifting, "How is Naruto doing? Is the village... is Konoha alright?"
Orochimaru offered a thin, serpentine smile and shook his head slowly. "I'm afraid I wouldn't know..."
Kushina frowned, puzzled. "But weren't you always in Konoha? How could you not know?"
Kabuto quickly interjected, "Lord Orochimaru became a rogue ninja, a nukenin, back in Konoha's 50th year. It is now Konoha's 60th year. Naturally, he wouldn't be aware of the village's current state..."
Hearing that Orochimaru was a traitor to Konoha, Kushina instantly snapped into a defensive stance, eyeing him with extreme caution. She remembered back when Minato became Hokage; even then, she knew Orochimaru wasn't trustworthy, hearing rumors of his disturbing, unethical research. To think that after all these years, he had truly defected...
"Don't be impulsive, Kushina," Orochimaru said, his voice smooth and deceptively calm.
"If I wished to harm you, it would be simple. I resurrected you for a specific purpose: to answer young Sasuke's questions."
He gestured towards the unconscious Uchiha. "Once you have done that, I will release you from my control. Then, you can return to Konoha and see how things have changed for yourself."
Kushina cautiously lowered her guard, though her suspicion remained. "Sasuke... he wants to know about the 'monster' inside Naruto?"
"Indeed," Orochimaru confirmed. "As the previous Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails, I believe only you are truly qualified to explain it to him."
At that moment, Sasuke groaned and began to stir. As he pushed himself up, his eyes met Kushina's, and a flicker of fear was evident.
"Kabuto," Orochimaru instructed, "Help Sasuke over here."
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru!" Kabuto replied quickly, eager for an excuse to put some distance between himself and the violent redhead.
Once Sasuke was closer, though still wary, Kushina addressed him, her tone calmer now. "What is it that , you want to know about the power sealed within Naruto?"
Sasuke hesitated, glancing at Orochimaru before replying.'I can't just admit I'm worried about Naruto, can I? '
"He is merely... curious about that power," Orochimaru helped smoothly.
Kushina found the alliance between an Uchiha and the rogue Sannin strange, but she pushed her questions aside. Her priority was to answer Sasuke's query so she could finally return to Konoha and see her precious son, Naruto.
"Very well," she began, "I will explain the nature of that power, right from the beginning..."
[An extensive explanation followed, detailing the history of the Nine-Tails and its sealing.]
[Ten thousands of words––– Ommited]
Hours later, Sasuke finally had the truth. He understood now why Naruto possessed such terrifying power – the Nine-Tailed Fox, was sealed inside him, making him its Jinchūriki. The overwhelming chakra Naruto had unleashed during their past battles was the Nine-Tails' own.
But the most difficult part for Sasuke to accept was the revelation that Kushina, the woman standing before him, was the previous Jinchūriki.
She had died the night the Nine-Tails broke free from her seal – the same night Naruto was born and became the new host.
A chilling thought struck Sasuke.
'Would Naruto constantly face the same deadly threat? Whom will I marry then? If something happens to him!'
Having explained everything necessary about the Nine-Tails and Naruto's status as its Jinchūriki, Kushina eagerly left Orochimaru's hideout.
As she sped towards her beloved Konoha, she briefly wondered why Orochimaru had specifically instructed her not to reveal too much beyond the core topic of the Nine-Tails.
She quickly dismissed the concern, however. Surely Naruto – the son of the celebrated Fourth Hokage and the Jinchūriki bearing an immense burden for the village's protection – must be hailed as a hero! Everyone in Konoha would surely recognize him, love him, and respect him for his sacrifice.
'I can't wait to see how Naruto is doing! '.She thought excitedly. 'He must be so popular! Maybe he even has lots of admirers? Oh, I'm so looking forward to seeing him!'
Meanwhile, ripples of unease spread through the Shinobi world. News that the Akatsuki had successfully captured the Three-Tails followed reports of Kisame Hoshigaki's confrontation with the Eight-Tails' Jinchūriki. The escalating actions of the shadowy organization cast a pall over the great hidden villages as they grappled with the implications.
As tensions rose, the scene shifted.
.
.
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[In the Image--]
[Might Guy stood before the imposing Waterfall of Truth.]
[Guy: "So, your 'true self' really appears within this waterfall's basin? Seriously?"
Yamato: "Yes. Naruto confronted and overcame his own darker self right here."
Aoba Yamashiro:"Maybe you should give it a try, Guy-sensei?"
Guy (Instantly fired up) :"Don't be ridiculous! We don't have time for such things! Helping Naruto is our top priority!"
Aoba(Grinning) :"Oh? I bet you're just afraid to see what your own 'true self' looks like, aren't you?"
Guy(Puffing out his chest indignantly): "Afraid?! How dare you imply such a thing! Of course not! Fine, I'll do it right now!"]
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A/N: Remember, the sword of the Thunder God was stolen by Aoi Rokushō NOT Aoba Yamashiro.