Nagi and Ouza were two separate, uninhabited islands lying far to the east, across the deep sapphire waters from the Land of Tea.
When the morning mist lifted, they looked almost like sleeping beasts adrift on the horizon. Massive shapes with forested backs, their green crowns swaying gently under the wind rolling in from the open sea.
Both islands were large and heavily forested, their trees growing denser and older the farther one traveled inland. They began as gentle, sandy slopes from the shoreline, but as the terrain climbed, the ground became rocky, forming ridges and narrow plateaus. Some spots were so steep that even experienced climbers would hesitate, especially with the ocean winds tearing across the cliff faces. On quiet days, all one could hear was the rhythmic crash of waves against stone and the occasional cry of a seabird cutting through the stillness.
A few structures dotted the landscape, mostly for ceremonial use. Old shrines that the Land of Tea kept standing for cultural pride and a certain event that occurs once every four years, though they rarely set foot here.
Technically, the islands fell under the Land of Tea's jurisdiction, though that fact carried about as much weight with Kushina as a leaf falling into the sea. She doubted anyone from the mainland would have the audacity, or the strength, to try removing her if she chose to settle here. And if they did… well, she'd just kick them out. Permanently.
These islands were perfect for her purpose. They were far from the Five Great Hidden Villages, easy to defend, and big enough to house the Uzumaki population she was gathering, with room to grow. The soil here was rich and dark, promising fertile farmland, and the surrounding waters were thick with fish. The combination meant one thing- self-sufficiency. No outsiders, no handouts, and no need for imports.
This is where she chose to reform the Uzumaki clan. It's located away from the Five Great Hidden Villages, easy to defend, large enough to accommodate their current population, with ample room for growth, and the land is fertile enough to support farming, allowing for self-sufficiency.
Most importantly, no one would think to look here if they came hunting for her. The isolation was a shield in itself, buying her the time she needed to rebuild in peace.
She had considered using the Land of Whirlpools, but the idea had quickly soured. The place was a graveyard- ruins, painful memories, and geography that hemmed you in on all sides. Worse, it was too small for her ambitions.
Kushina wasn't simply gathering the scattered remnants of the Uzumaki. She was creating something new. Something stronger and unbreakable. The Uzumaki name would not just survive; it would dominate.
'The Uzumaki name will be synonymous with power, control, and greatness,' she swore to herself. 'Greater than the Senju, the Hyūga, or those filthy Uchiha ever dreamed of being.'
After the fight with Madara, she had brought everyone here to recover. The journey had been a strain; her side still burned with each movement, but the chakra cloak had kept her moving, holding her together long enough to reach safety. Kurama had accompanied them, but only briefly. Even in his human form, his presence blazed like a sun in the senses of any skilled shinobi within a massive radius. Too much time outside the seal, and everyone would notice.
Still, she wasn't afraid of Madara chasing them down. He had left without finishing the job, and she knew why. He couldn't.
The Rinnegan had cost him dearly in vitality, and now, as an old man, his very existence was tethered to the Gedo Statue. Being away from it for too long would eat away at what little life he had left. Add to that the injuries she and Kurama had carved into him, and she doubted he'd be doing anything bold for a while. No- Madara would retreat, lick his wounds, and start grooming some poor fool to inherit his plan.
The only thing that worried her was Kurama. Ever since the fight, he'd been strangely silent.
"Kushina!"
Her head lifted, eyes focusing on the open doorway where Honoka stood.
"How are you doing?" Honoka asked as she stepped in, her expression filled with concern.
Kushina's hand instinctively went to her side, brushing over the thick layer of bandages. The wound still throbbed, a deep and unpleasant ache. "It's alright now," she replied, "but running around aggravated it. Give me a few days, and I'll be ready to get back out there. Dattebane."
The injury had been deep. Bad enough to kill an ordinary person, but she wasn't ordinary.
"It's fine to rest a little," Honoka said, crossing her arms. "The others out there have survived for four years without us. They can handle one more week."
Kushina shook her head firmly. "But, if I can do something, I should do it right away. Every moment they spend out there is a tragedy."
Her voice softened at the end, but her eyes stayed sharp. Honoka glanced away, unable to argue with that reasoning.
"Nagato and the others are awake now," she said after a pause.
----
Kushina didn't waste a second. She headed straight for the Todoroki Great Shrine, a sprawling wooden structure that stood on Ouza Island. The air inside was cool, the scent of aged cedar and incense still clinging to the walls. The caretaker's quarters were toward the back, modest but comfortable. The man who had once lived there wouldn't be needing them anymore- Kushina had seen to that.
Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan were inside one of the larger rooms, voices hushed but tense. From the doorway, she could see that none of them were seriously hurt, though the emotional strain was heavy in the air.
Nagato sat apart from the other two, his head bowed. The empty hollows where his eyes had been were stark and raw, tears sliding freely down his cheeks.
"What am I supposed to do now?" he muttered. "How am I supposed to protect both of you? I'm useless…"
Kushina paused. She didn't often sympathize with weakness, but she understood this. If she lost Kurama, she didn't even want to think about the void that would be left behind.
When she and Honoka stepped inside, the room went still. Nagato's head lifted slightly. Even without sight, he knew she was there.
He rose to his feet and bowed low. "Thank you for saving my friends."
"You don't need to thank me," Kushina said simply. "I saved them because we're family."
His voice was hesitant. "So… can we still stay here? Even though I lost the Rinnegan?"
"Of course, you idiot!" She stepped closer, her tone blunt but steady. "I never wanted the Rinnegan, I wanted you. I didn't save you or Honoka for your strength. I saved you because you're family."
The tears came harder, his bow deeper. "Thank you."
"It's alright," she said. "Now, how are you feeling?"
Nagato's hands curled slightly. "It's my eyes. The pain isn't worth thinking about, but without them…"
Kushina had no patience for his depression. In three quick steps, she closed the distance, her fist snapping out to clip him across the cheek- not hard enough to knock him over, but enough to jolt him. Her hand caught his collar before he could stumble back.
"Hey-" Yahiko started forward, Konan right behind him, but Kushina's glare froze them both in place.
"This moping," she said, her voice low and sharp, "is what makes you useless. If you want to protect your friends, you find another way. No eyes? Then sharpen your ears, your instincts, your sensing. Build your taijutsu. Whatever it takes."
She released him, her tone softening, though the edge never fully left. "Even if you'd never had eyes at all, I still would've taken you in. That's what family means to the Uzumaki. We don't throw our own away."
Yahiko stepped up, his voice steady. "She's right. You're not useless, Nagato. Whether you had the Rinnegan or not, you'd still be with us."
"Exactly," Konan added, moving to stand beside Yahiko. "You're still our friend."
The tension in Nagato's shoulders eased, just a little. The shock of the punch, combined with their words, broke through the heavy fog in his mind. "Thank you," he said again, voice trembling.
They both hugged him, and for a moment, the air in the room warmed.
Kushina folded her arms, a small smile of satisfaction tugging at her lips. 'There isn't a problem a punch can't solve, dattebane.'
"When I get back to the mainland," she said, "I'll find you a new pair of eyes. They won't be the Rinnegan, but they'll be an upgrade from what you've got now. The Sharingan."
That earned a round of startled looks.
"How are you going to steal eyes from the Uchiha?" Yahiko asked, suspicion and curiosity mingling.
Her grin widened into something smug. "Guess I didn't tell you. I destroyed Konoha. Completely. They've got nothing left that can keep me out."
Nagato's head tilted slightly. "Konoha… destroyed?"
"That's right. They tried to control me, so I set off a trap planted around the village. The entire area was leveled. I also fought that old bastard, the Third Hokage." Her voice lifted with pride. "They're not so powerful after all."
Honoka didn't say anything, but there was a flicker of satisfaction in her eyes. For her, Konoha had been nothing but a betrayal- refusing to aid Uzushio when it mattered most.
For Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan, the name Konoha meant something else entirely: the root cause of their orphaned lives. Although all three are compassionate people, they couldn't help but feel a flicker of satisfaction.