The very next morning, Kushina and Honoka set out west, their boots crunching over damp soil as mist still clung to the trees. The air was cool and heavy with the scent of wet earth. Their destination lay beyond the rain-swollen rivers and muddy roads, toward the next Uzumaki: Nagato.
The journey didn't take more than a day, but Kushina deliberately kept her pace slow. She could have crossed the distance in mere hours if she had traveled alone, darting across rooftops and treetops with a blur of speed. But Honoka was only a chunin, and although the younger girl didn't complain, Kushina knew better than to push her to exhaustion.
"This is the furthest I've traveled in a long time," Honoka admitted as they crossed a narrow wooden bridge. The water below churned brown from last night's rain.
"You'll get used to it," Kushina replied. "The world's bigger than you think. And a lot uglier too."
By midday, they approached the borderlands of the Land of Rain. The air grew colder, wetter, and every surface slick with drizzle. Tanigakure's quiet countryside gave way to the constant hiss of rainfall on leaves.
The location of their target was an active battlefield. From the treeline, Kushina could see Amegakure shinobi moving in disciplined patterns between the rain-dappled tents and muddy trenches. The fighting wasn't intense here, more like a stalemate line, but even so, the air stank faintly of blood and iron.
Nagato, Konan, and Yahiko weren't anywhere near the front. They were kept well within the protected interior of the camp. Kushina knew why. Amegakure might be small, but even they weren't foolish enough to risk their future leaders in reckless positions.
The real problem wasn't finding them. It was getting close without drawing every pair of hostile eyes in the camp.
Kushina sighed. Her raw power could match a Kage, and in her Tailed Beast Form, she was easily beyond them- but stealth? That was another story. Her movements lacked the subtle precision of trained infiltrators. She was a storm, not a shadow. A berserker's instincts clung to her, and no matter how she tried, her presence carried weight and menace.
Not exactly ideal for slipping past elite Ame sentries.
She could just smash her way in. That was always an option. But barging into a camp and dragging Nagato out like a sack of rice wasn't exactly the best way to earn his trust.
Patience, she reminded herself. For family, she could wait.
----
Life, lately, had been good- or at least as good as it could be for someone like Nagato. He had endured enough tragedy to last several lifetimes, but he also knew there were those who had suffered far more.
The deaths of his parents had shattered him, but not long after that terrible day, he had met Yahiko. That had been the turning point.
Now, with Yahiko and Konan at his side, there was a sense of purpose that kept him moving forward. Yahiko might be a little goofy and occasionally reckless, but his charisma drew people in. He spoke like someone born to lead, and Nagato believed in him.
Konan, quiet but warm, kept them balanced. Her compassion was the thread that stitched their small world together. Without her, the loneliness might have devoured him entirely.
And then there was Jiraiya. Their teacher had been unlike anyone else. His lessons about ninjutsu, tactics, and survival had been invaluable. Jiraiya had left some time ago, but his teachings still echoed in Nagato's mind.
War was a constant, an endless rain of conflict and loss. But with his friends beside him, Nagato thought they could endure anything.
"Come on, we need to get more experience if I ever want to lead Amegakure!" Yahiko called, already walking ahead with his usual restless energy.
Nagato sat cross-legged beneath a sagging sheet of canvas, head tilted toward the endless rainfall hammering the earth. Konan sat nearby, her hands folding thin sheets of paper with quiet precision. Yahiko, unable to sit still, paced like a caged animal.
"We should be doing more," Yahiko said for the third time that morning. "Every day we sit here, more people die out there. We're wasting time."
"You mean you're impatient," Konan said without looking up.
"I'm motivated," Yahiko shot back.
Nagato opened his eyes slowly, their strange ripple-pattern glinting faintly in the dim light. "Motivated or not, running into every fight won't fix the country. We need to rest sometimes."
Yahiko scoffed, throwing his arms up. "And what, wait around for a miracle?"
Nagato's voice sharpened. "No. But I'm not risking either of you for something reckless. I'd rather we change Amegakure together than lose one of us chasing a fight we can't win."
The finality in his tone quieted Yahiko. For a moment, only the rain filled the silence- steady, relentless, and almost suffocating.
Yahiko clapped his hands together. "Alright then! Let's at least go out and scout the area. Jiraiya-sensei would chew us out if we just sat here getting rusty."
Nagato sighed, but didn't argue. Moments later, the three were moving through Ame's sodden outskirts. Their task was simple: sweep the area for enemy movement. Busy work, really. Nagato doubted anything dangerous would be lurking so close to camp.
However, he suddenly sensed two people approaching rapidly.
Nagato stopped dead, his head snapping toward the east. "Get ready! Two people are approaching!"
They fell into formation instantly. Yahiko took point, Konan shifted wide for a flank, and Nagato remained behind them, his focus razor-sharp.
Through the mist and drizzle, two figures emerged- both with vivid red hair that seemed almost to burn against the gray world. The older one raised her hands in a show of peace.
"We're not your enemies," she called out. She gestured to herself and the younger girl. "I'm Kushina Uzumaki, and this is Honoka Uzumaki."
Nagato's eyes widened almost imperceptibly. "…Uzumaki?"
He wasn't very familiar with the Uzumaki clan, since he was too young when it was destroyed, but he did know he was one. The idea of family excited him, but he stayed cautious.
Konan's eyes slid to him. Yahiko, too, glanced his way, letting him take the lead.
"What do you want?" he asked evenly.
"We came for you," Kushina said, her voice steady, uncompromising. "I'm rebuilding our clan. Every Uzumaki still alive should be together."
Nagato didn't hesitate, "I'm sorry... but I can't. My friends are here."
Kushina's face soured, and before she could speak, Yahiko stepped forward with a grin that didn't reach his eyes. "That's right! If you want to take Nagato, you'll have to go through us!"
Konan said nothing, but her stance shifted subtly closer to Nagato.
Kushina snorted. "Relax, brat. If he doesn't want to come, I'm not dragging him."
Her gaze locked on Nagato. "But you should reconsider. When I met Honoka, she was about to be dragged away by two Suna ninja. Kumo and Iwa have taken others, too. The longer you stay out here, the greater the chance you, and your friends, don't make it."
Honoka stepped forward, her voice soft but certain. "It's true, Nagato. She found me, saved my life, and… I believe her. We don't have to be scattered anymore."
Nagato's brow furrowed. "We've survived in Amegakure so far-"
"How long do you think a small country like Ame can protect you?" Kushina cut in sharply. Then her voice dropped, edged with something heavier. "Especially once they find out about those eyes."
His head jerked slightly, and she noticed.
"I used to run missions with your sensei, Jiraiya," she explained. "He told me about you three. You're impressive for your age- but you're also a walking target."
Nagato's silence was taut, his thoughts churning. She wasn't wrong, but leaving meant abandoning Konan and Yahiko to fight without him.
From beside him, Yahiko spoke with renewed fire. "Nagato doesn't need to go anywhere. We'll change Amegakure together. I'll lead it-"
Kushina's eyes narrowed, annoyed, as if she were considering whether to give Nagato some character development. "And how long do you think the current leaders will let you do that? You think you're the first to dream about changing the system? In Konoha, they crushed people like that before they could stand. Ame's no different. Probably worse."
Yahiko opened his mouth, but no retort came. He was naive, but not stupid. Her words hit too close to the truth.
Nagato finally said, "If you can protect Konan and Yahiko, I'll go with you."
Kushina's jaw worked. She clearly didn't like it. "Two outsiders? You're asking a lot."
"I'm not leaving without them," Nagato said, his voice firm as steel.
Yahiko looked equally displeased. "We're not leaving Amegakure! And how do we know you're any better at protecting him than we are?"
Kushina grinned without humor and flexed her arm. "I'm stronger than any Kage alive, dattebane! And I'll never let my clan fall again." Her grin faded, leaving hard resolve. "You might think you can protect him now, but the world doesn't care about what you think you're ready for."
She continued, "How long do you think Ame would support you? How long before the higher-ups view you three as a threat to their power? I've lived this- in Konoha, it was just like that. In Amegakure, it'll be even worse."
Nagato had finally made up his mind, "If you can protect Konan and Yahiko, I'll come with you."
"Alright... just watch them." She eyed the two with distrust.
Konan finally spoke, calm but unyielding. "We would never betray Nagato."
Kushina eyed her for a few moments, almost looking through her, and nodded. "Fine. But I'll be watching."
Before any of them could reply, her expression shifted. She stabbed a hand into the wet earth and yanked upward, dragging a pale, plantlike humanoid from the mud. It writhed in her grip, featureless face twisting. Before it could move any more, she crushed its head and sealed the body.
She had a deadly serious expression on her face; it seemed like this thing wasn't unfamiliar to her.
"We need to leave. Now."