At this point, Kushina looked completely different from before. Her natural red hair was now dyed jet black, and her eyes gleamed a bright gold thanks to the special contact lenses she had brought from the future.
After all, not everyone in this era could be as open-minded as young Hashirama. To avoid unnecessary attention, Kushina had to stay well-disguised.
Night had fallen. The moon hung high in the sky, washing the world in a calm, silvery light.Kushina stepped out of the simple cave she had chosen as shelter. Stretching her body, she looked up at the sky, letting the night breeze brush her face.
"The night sky in this era... really is brighter than it is a hundred years from now," she whispered softly.
Within the twinkling stars, familiar faces seemed to appear—energetic Naruto, innocent Karin, the late Minato with his gentle smile, and Kakashi with his cool gaze.
"Wait for me… I'll definitely come back stronger, dattebane," Kushina promised them, her voice nearly lost in the soft night wind.
Morning broke.
Kushina sat relaxed by the edge of a clear river, a simple pot set atop a small fire.With swift movements, she used a kunai to catch fresh fish from the stream. After cleaning them, she tossed them into the pot and added a few dry spices from her supply pouch.
Soon, the savory aroma of fish soup wafted through the air.
Kushina gave a small smile, casually stirring the pot.
"Even a simple bowl of fish soup... can make life feel sweet," she murmured contentedly, then sipped a bit of the hot broth.
But without needing to open her eyes, she was already aware of someone spying from behind the trees.
"...You gonna stay hiding there, or do you wanna come out and eat too?" Kushina asked casually, not even turning around.
Someone behind the bushes stiffened. After a few seconds of hesitation, a young boy's voice shouted out.
"Hmph! You think I'm scared?" he barked, trying to sound brave.
A boy with long black hair stepped out clumsily from hiding, glaring at Kushina with suspicion and a hint of arrogance.
"Hey, obaa-san! Who are you? Why are you in my secret place?!"
Kushina almost choked on her soup.
'Why do all the kids in this era keep calling me obaa-san?!' she screamed internally, though she restrained herself from punching this boy—unlike how she treated Hashirama.
Calmly, Kushina gave a crooked smile.
"Why shouldn't I be here, huh? This is public forest too, you know."
The boy looked like he wanted to argue but hesitated. Finally, he stated firmly,"This is our secret place! Only me and Hashirama are allowed here!"
"Hashirama?" Kushina echoed, her eyes narrowing slightly.
She scrutinized the boy more closely: long black hair, an air of arrogance, a confident expression... And the fact that he knew Hashirama...
It wasn't hard to guess the boy's identity.
Kushina's smile widened.
"What's your name, little guy?" she teased.
The boy lifted his chin haughtily."Why should I tell you?"
Kushina just chuckled softly.
'This arrogant attitude... who else could it be—'—Uchiha Madara!The future God of War in the shinobi world... now just a brat standing before her.
Upon realizing this, Kushina felt a flash of murderous intent.'If I kill young Madara now... how many tragedies could I prevent? No Fourth Shinobi War, no evil Obito, no Infinite Tsukuyomi…' she thought coldly.
Her killing intent flared sharply.Young Madara—sensed the chill up his spine. He shuddered in fear, thinking,'Yikes, her aura's scarier than my dad's! I have to run!!'
But before he could move, the pressure suddenly vanished.Kushina sighed deeply and suppressed the urge.
'Who's to say this isn't a new timeline altogether, like one of those Marvel multiverse theories… Besides, if this timeline is tied to where I was reincarnated, maybe I'll just make things worse.'
Seeing Kushina smile gently again, young Madara felt like he'd just escaped death. But he remained wary.
Kushina raised a hand, as if apologizing."Sorry about that, onee-chan got a little emotional just now, dattebane."
Young Madara frowned, looking at her like she was an idiot.'If a simple emotion could kill someone, the shinobi world would be a giant graveyard already,' he thought.
Still, knowing he couldn't win against this weird "aunt," Madara chose to stay silent and observe.
Kushina decided to change the topic. She smiled brighter and said casually,"Hashirama told me to wait here. He said he wanted to introduce me to his friend."
Madara frowned."Friend? I... I didn't hear anything about that..."
He eyed Kushina more carefully.
'Did Hashirama betray our bond and befriend this weird lady?!' he wondered anxiously.But Kushina's calm voice made him hesitate.
"Don't worry, I'm not an enemy. I'm just a traveler who wants to see the world," Kushina said as she sipped her fish soup.
Young Madara scoffed, but his curiosity was stronger than his suspicion.He took a few steps closer, arms crossed.
"If you know Hashirama... what's your name?"Kushina smiled mysteriously.
"My name... is Menma," she replied lightly, choosing a false name for now.
'If I say Uzumaki Kushina now, things will just get messier,' she thought.
Young Madara stared suspiciously, but before he could say more, the sound of approaching footsteps rang out.
Young Hashirama came running up, waving."Kushina-neechan! Sorry I'm late!"
Seeing the cheerful Hashirama, Madara glanced toward Kushina, even more confused.'Neechan?! Not obaa-san?! What the heck?!'
Hashirama, smiling brightly, ran up and waved at Kushina again.
But the moment he opened his mouth, his careless words slipped out:"Eh, Kushina-neechan! You said your name was Menma earlier?! But isn't it—"
Plaak!
A quick but light slap landed on top of Hashirama's head, messing up his bowl-cut hair."Ow!" Hashirama yelped, clutching his head as he looked at Kushina, eyes brimming with tears.
"You idiot! My name is Menma out here, you got that? MEN-MA!" Kushina hissed, emphasizing each syllable like a strict teacher scolding a misbehaving student.
"I-I got it, Kushina-neechan!" Hashirama nodded quickly, too afraid to argue.
From the side, little Madara, who had been watching the whole scene unfold, let out a snide scoff. Arms crossed, he muttered half-mockingly:"Hmph, and this scary auntie wants us to call her 'onee-chan'… weird."
Plok!
In an instant, a precise but gentle chop landed right on top of Madara's head."Ow!" Madara stumbled back half a step, rubbing his head in irritation.
Kushina's stare pierced like a needle."I heard that, kid. Say that again… who am I?"
Madara's face tensed. He looked left, right, hoping for an escape—but Kushina simply stood there with arms crossed, exuding pressure.
Reluctantly, with a scowl on his face, Madara clenched his fists at his sides and bowed stiffly."B-Big sister who's beautiful… young… kind… and sweet…" he muttered, as though every word stabbed his pride.
Seeing the proud little Uchiha finally give in, Kushina smiled in satisfaction and raised her chin."Hmm, that's more like it."
Hashirama, still recovering from the 'love tap', quickly joined in, mimicking Madara."Beautiful, young, kind, and sweet Kushina-neechan! Really!"
Kushina beamed brightly as the two boys said the line in unison—though it was very clear they were half-forced to do so.
Inside, the boys were crying.'This auntie is terrifying!'
But outwardly, they both forced a smile, occasionally sneaking glances at each other as if saying:'If we complain again, our heads are gonna get smacked!'
Kushina clapped her hands as if ending the morning lesson."Good, good! Since you two behaved, onee-chan will treat you to some fish soup, dattebane!" she announced cheerfully.
Hashirama immediately let out a small cheer, "Yay! I love fish soup!"
Madara, though still sulking, couldn't hide his hunger and simply sat cross-legged near the fire with a grumble.
While pouring fish soup into bowls, Kushina glanced at Madara, who still hadn't introduced himself.
"Heh, you haven't told me your name yet," she said, offering him a bowl.
Madara looked up briefly, seeming hesitant, but finally took the bowl with reluctance."…Madara. My name is Madara."
Kushina chuckled inwardly.'Heh, so this brat's finally softened up.'
But on the surface, she just nodded casually, pretending to hear the name for the first time."All right then, Madara-kun. From now on, be a good boy, okay? Onee-chan doesn't like naughty kids."
Madara grunted softly."…Hmph. I'm not a little kid."
Kushina narrowed her eyes, smiling with a threatening sweetness.Madara quickly added in a much more polite tone:"Of course, beautiful, young, kind, and sweet Kushina-neechan."
Beside him, Hashirama burst out laughing and rolled on the ground, making Madara want to dig a hole and disappear.
As she sipped her soup with satisfaction, Kushina thought to herself:'Hehe… it's so fun teasing the future Gods of Shinobi while they're still just snot-nosed brats, dattebane.'