Konoha, year 34.
Deep inside the Senju compound, preparations for a ritual were underway. The air smelled faintly of aged wood and incense, carrying the lingering presence of a clan that had once stood as the very backbone of the Hidden Leaf. It was here, far from prying eyes, that Mito and Kushina Uzumaki prepared to pass on the greatest burden known to shinobi- the role of the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki.
The Nine-Tails, an existence shrouded in fear and hatred, was said to embody malice itself. Its chakra was not only immense but corrosive, able to tear through flesh, bone, and spirit alike. Containing such a beast required more than raw strength. It demanded meticulous planning, flawless execution, and above all, a host capable of enduring what others could not. A strong body filled with vitality. A strong will that would not break. A calm environment, stripped of distractions. And, most important of all, the seal- an intricate pattern known as the Eight Trigrams Seal. Designed not only to imprison but to carefully regulate the fox's chakra, this seal represented the village's best hope of not only containing the monster, but using it.
Mito sat with the serenity of someone who had long accepted her fate. Her crimson hair, now faded and streaked with white, lay across her shoulders like a river slowed to a trickle. She looked at the little girl beside her, who fidgeted nervously, her own hair the same brilliant red but wild and untamed, the mirror of youthful spirit.
"Young Kushina," Mito said softly, her voice calm yet tinged with exhaustion. "The preparations are over. Come, lie down, and ready yourself. The transfer will be arduous."
Her smile was gentle, almost grandmotherly, though her body already betrayed how little time she had left. Even now, she thought of the Pure Land, where her husband Hashirama waited. She did not leave without regrets- few shinobi ever truly did- but at least she could meet him again.
Kushina's small fists clenched at her sides, trembling despite her best efforts to appear strong. "Ok, Grandma Mito."
Her voice wavered slightly, betraying her nerves. Her pale face betrayed more than her words. Kushina was strong-willed, brash even, but she was still only eight years old. Who wouldn't be terrified, standing on the edge of such a fate?
'It's just a stupid fox,' she thought desperately. 'Just a big orange stupid fox, dattebane…'
She tried to steady her heart with her trademark stubbornness, but her legs felt heavy as she moved toward the prepared bed.
Once Mito lay down, the ritual began.
A suffocating red chakra, thick with hatred and venom, began seeping from her body. It writhed like a living flame, coiling through the air before being pulled toward Kushina's stomach. There, the whirlpool-shaped seal inked onto her skin spun to life, dragging the monstrous power into her small frame.
"Mhhh!" Kushina's body convulsed as the corrosive energy rushed into her. It was fire, acid, and lightning all at once- pain that seemed to sink into her very bones. Her scream echoed through the chamber, raw and ragged, but the seal did not relent.
And yet, this was only the beginning. The transfer would last hours.
Mito, enduring her own agony, forced her gaze to remain steady. She knew this pain intimately- it had been hers to bear for decades. But something unsettled her now.
'The fox… it's quiet,' she realized.
The Nine-Tails she had known was pride given form. Wrathful and relentless. It had fought her from the very first moment of sealing, never once relenting in its hatred. But now, when it should have been most violent, most desperate to resist, it was almost docile. Like it was watching and waiting.
Her lips pressed together as another wave of pain tore through her. 'What are you plotting, fox?'
She turned her head toward Kushina, who writhed under the weight of the chakra, sweat glistening on her pale skin. Mito forced a smile, even as her vision blurred.
"Hold on, Kushina," she urged, her voice strained but warm. "Don't let the pain overwhelm you."
The hours crawled by, each minute an eternity. Kushina's cries grew weaker until, at last, her small body could no longer bear it. She passed out, the seal still glowing faintly on her stomach.
When the transfer finally ended, silence filled the chamber.
Mito lay still, her breath shallow, her vitality slipping away. Yet the task was done. The Nine-Tails had a new vessel.
----
The sliding doors opened, and those waiting outside stepped into the room.
First came a woman with golden hair tied into a ponytail, her steps quick and unsteady, eyes wide with fear. Behind her came a boy with the same hair but younger, his features not yet hardened by war. Finally, an older man entered, his white robes and hat marking him as the Hokage.
"Tsunade! Nawaki!" Mito's lips curved into a weak smile as her grandchildren rushed to her side, tears already blurring their vision.
"Grandma Mito!" Tsunade fell to her knees, clutching her hand. Nawaki pressed against her other side, silent but shaking, refusing to let go.
Even Hiruzen Sarutobi, standing a respectful distance away, could not completely mask his sorrow. For all his composure, his eyes betrayed the ache of losing someone who had been a pillar of the village since its founding.
Mito's voice was faint, every word costing her, but her heart remained steady. "Little Tsuna, little Nawaki… watch out for each other. You are all that's left of the Senju. You carry Hashirama's legacy now. Both he and I will always love you."
Her grandchildren broke down completely, their sobs raw and desperate. They had lost too much already- their parents, their grandfather- and now their grandmother as well. The Senju clan that once stood so tall had been reduced to two grieving children.
"Why… why do you have to leave us, too?" Tsunade choked out, clutching her grandmother's frail hand tighter.
Mito's eyes softened. "I'll always watch over you from the Pure Land, Little Tsuna. You are never alone."
She turned her gaze to Hiruzen, who remained silent, his jaw tight. "And you, Hiruzen. Hashirama entrusted this village, his dream, to you. Guard it well. And take care of Kushina… the life of a Jinchuriki is never easy."
Hiruzen bowed his head deeply. "Of course, Lady Mito. I will always do what is best for her- and for the village."
With that, Mito's strength finally gave out. Her eyes closed, and her chest stilled.
Silence fell heavy over the chamber, broken only by the cries of her grandchildren and the quiet grief etched on Hiruzen's face.
----
Meanwhile, Kushina's story was only beginning.
Inside her seal, a vast darkness stretched endlessly. A colossal cage loomed before her, its iron bars impossibly tall, a paper tag with the kanji for "seal" affixed at its center. Behind it lay a creature out of nightmares- an immense fox, its nine tails swaying lazily, eyes glowing with a predatory red light.
The Nine Tails.
The beast's fur was a fiery blend of orange and black, his very presence suffused with malice so dense it pressed down on the air like a crushing weight. He despised this place, this prison. He had been here too long with no freedom. And now, yet again, he waited for another.
He had been waiting ever since that strange night half a month ago, when something… foreign… had brushed against his soul. A human soul, alien to this world, had tried to steal his body. Laughable. A pitiful wretch named Steven Wilkes, who crumbled instantly before the Nine-Tails' wrath. But fragments of that soul lingered, scattering strange memories through his mind. Memories of an "anime" called Naruto, a story that mirrored his own reality disturbingly well.
For nights, he had pondered the unreality of his world, but no answer came. What use was speculation? Better to discard the question and live as though this world were genuine. What mattered now was survival. If those memories were true, then Madara's return, the Ten-Tails, and worse still lay ahead. Freedom could wait. First, he had to endure.
That meant using his new host.
And so, when the little girl finally appeared before him, trembling yet defiant, he lowered his massive head and spoke. His voice rolled like thunder, deep and terrible.
"So… you're my new host, little one."
Kushina's knees nearly buckled, but she forced herself to stand, her eyes wide. "Y-yes! I'm your new Jinchuriki, y-you big fox!"
Her voice quivered, but the words came out anyway.
Kurama tilted his head slightly. For all her fear, she stood. 'Cute,' he thought with a grudging flicker of amusement.
"Such a small little girl, holding me?" His teeth bared in a grin. "Ridiculous. I allow you to contain me… because I sense potential in you."
Her eyes lit up, hope flickering through her fear. "R-really?! But Grandma Mito said you're a dis… dispi- uh, despicable fox!"
A low snort rumbled from his chest. "Mito. That old hag. We never saw eye to eye. Hypocrite to the end."
Kushina's temper flared, faint but visible. "H-hey! Don't talk about Grandma Mito like that, dattebane!"
Kurama narrowed his eyes, lowering his snout until it loomed inches from her. She froze, certain he was about to devour her whole.
And then, to her shock, he licked her.
His massive tongue swept over her tiny frame, leaving her sputtering and tumbling backward onto her butt.
For a moment, she sat dazed, too stunned to move. Kurama's low chuckle reverberated through the chamber, amused despite himself.
"Your courage is admirable, little one. But you're not ready to speak to me like that. Come back when you are stronger. Or… beg enough, and I might consider helping you."
The words tasted bitter, but he let them stand. She was still too overwhelmed to notice the reluctance in his tone.
With a wave of his tails, he forced her out of the seal space.
As her consciousness faded, Kurama's eyes narrowed.
'Yes, little one. Wait until you see the true face of this village. Then… when they push you down, I will be the one to lift you back up.'