With the full support of the Uzumaki clan-experts in sealing-the production of countless detonating tags was ramped up and rushed to the front lines. These were handed out to individuals and hidden in traps lining every coastline.
Their method wasn't subtle. The entire Land of Whirlpools had basically become one large spiked shell. Any enemy forces storming the coasts would first be met by the explosive wrath of those tags.
Even if the enemy used ninjutsu to remove or neutralize them, that action would give away their position-drawing further bombardment.
As the saying goes: "When you're poor, use tactics; when you're rich, use firepower."
And the Land of Whirlpools, with its frequent sales of the Tailed Beast Sealing Technique, wasn't rich in resources-but it had cash to burn. That wealth was one reason the five great nations conspired to carve it apart.
Akira didn't care that it was his ancestral home. He had no qualms about throwing money to solve problems-and time was what he was buying from the Mist-nin. That time would be used to make the locals stop taking their peace for granted.
While the explosive-laced coastlines held firm, Akira and Uzumaki Yusuke returned to the estate. There, they rummaged through Kushina's clothes-she was only six-and did some alterations before dressing Yusuke in them.
When Yusuke finally appeared in those clothes, Akira couldn't hold back his grin. The sight overwhelmed him with secondhand embarrassment from head to toe.
Yusuke narrowed his eyes at him.
"You don't have to dress me in girls' clothes for this," he said, exasperated.
Akira smiled wider. "What if they've sent sensors who track by scent?"
His tone darkened as he added, "Think about it. If Konoha really wanted to help the Land of Whirlpools, someone would've stayed behind. Tell me, do you see anyone from Konoha here?"
Yusuke didn't answer. He just stared calmly at him. Akira caught on quickly and exhaled through his teeth.
"You think I'm from Konoha?"
"You're not?" Yusuke asked, nearly under his breath.
He started doubting who Akira truly was-but before he could continue that line of thought, Akira cut back in:
"Doesn't matter what you believe. Without my help, your clan's wiped out. Take it or leave it."
"Fair," Yusuke said after a moment, then gave a tired smile. "Doesn't matter who kills me at this point. At least you're honest-maybe you won't lie to me."
Akira tilted his head and grinned again-but Yusuke's eyes drifted back toward Kushina's little clothes with renewed focus.
"At the very least, I have to protect Kushina."
Akira nodded immediately. "Exactly what I was planning to do."
Reaching for Yusuke's face, Akira smeared on some white ointment-thick and unpleasant in texture.
Yusuke flinched at its stickiness. "What is this?"
"It alters your chakra signature," Akira said. "I don't have much left."
"Alters chakra?" Yusuke repeated in disbelief. The technique sounded outrageous. Their clan's Kagura Heart's Eye relied heavily on chakra perception-the ability worked similar to echolocation by sending out one's chakra and interpreting the feedback from surfaces it touched.
It was almost as if Akira had spread stealth coating over him that rendered that sense useless-and if it worked against his own clan's skills, then any ninja with sensory specialty would be completely blind to him too.
Akira had sourced it from White Zetsu's cells.
He adjusted Yusuke's face once again, molding and smoothing things until everything looked right.
"I feel like… Kushina?" Yusuke whispered once it was done. The resemblance was eerily accurate-if he kept his chakra suppressed, even perception-based ninja wouldn't know the difference.
"You're trying to use me as…" he began.
"If that's what you're thinking-then sure," Akira answered casually.
Yusuke couldn't help it then-he gave into the excitement and laughed hard, eyes pressed shut as his whole body shook from it.
"Hah! Hahahaha-!"
Akira winced slightly at how ridiculous he sounded. It completely shattered the sense of intensity he'd been building into the moment.
"Alright already," Akira grumbled. "Are you gonna do this job or not?"
"Do it? Absolutely! Even if you told me I had to wear diapers too-I'd do it!" Yusuke smiled so hard his eyes practically disappeared into slits.
Akira raised one brow and said flatly, "Well… if you're offering-"
"..."
Yusuke clammed up instantly after that reply and had no clue how-or whether-to respond anymore.
...
Danzo's so-called rescue team remained in Whirlpool territory-untouched by the slaughter happening elsewhere around them. They had no orders to help or intervene in the fighting.
Danzo had given clear instructions: bring back one suitable candidate from the Uzumaki-we want someone young, female if possible, strong enough to host the Nine-Tails and act as its new jinchūriki. This tool would then become Konoha's next buffer against disasters.
Kushina was their target.
As for the other Uzumaki? They weren't part of their mission at any step. In truth, when the Hidden Mist's forces invaded the country, Danzo sent his own agents to capture any stray Uzumaki found outside its borders first-not save them.
Captured Uzumaki could serve two purposes: material for his Wood Release re-creation project-or backup jinchūriki options in case Kushina didn't work out.
Ideally, Kushina would succeed her relative Mito directly-that transition would be cleaner and easier politically. If she failed? Well… there were others now.
To ensure Kushina became loyal and subservient to Konoha without hesitation, this group had one additional assignment: emotionally sever her ties to her homeland while conditioning her with fear and manipulation to believe her only safety lay within Konoha's walls.
Their goal was for Kushina to equate her entire self-worth with protecting Konoha, that belief was now their mission as much as her recovery was.
(T/N: sorry for the long wait! I was sick! I would love to do a double upload (10 chapter) but i could only do 5 chapter upload! Sorry! A chap for the next 5 hours!)
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