On the path to the Land of Earth, Kushina and her clansmen had to pass through the land surrounding Takigakure.
It was a small country, nestled in thick forests; a place that seemed cut off from the greater currents of the world. In size, it resembled Kusagakure or Yugakure, though in reputation, it stood higher than either. Takigakure was a step above a normal small nation. Unlike Hoshigakure or the wandering mercenary shinobi of lesser villages, Taki produced skilled jōnin, some of whom could rival those of the Great Hidden Villages- if not in number, then at least in ability.
But this wasn't what made Takigakure special.
What truly elevated the village was its possession of a Tailed Beast: the Seven-Tails.
Kurama's growling voice echoed in her mind when they first sensed it nearby. 'Chōmei…' That was the beast's name. Somehow, this tiny village had bound such a creature to a host, and for all this time, no other great power has taken it from them.
How Takigakure had come into possession of a Tailed Beast remained a mystery, one Kushina had no patience to unravel. It was absurd, arrogant, even, that a small village, with no army and no power to control it properly, had kept such a treasure. To her, it spoke not of strength, but of negligence from the Great Nations. Konoha, Kumo, Iwa, and Suna had all overlooked this place.
But if they didn't take advantage of the situation, then she would.
Kushina needed all of the Tailed Beasts. It was the natural course of things now. If she intended to walk this path with Kurama, then each step forward meant another beast claimed, another piece of the whole gathered. The Seven-Tails was practically being offered to her on a platter.
She would take it.
Standing before the waterfall that concealed Takigakure, Kushina amplified her voice with chakra until it rolled like thunder through the gorge.
"This is Kushina Uzumaki! The destroyer of Konoha and Kumo!"
The declaration cracked through the air, echoing against stone. She wanted them to hear, wanted the fear to settle in their hearts before the first blow was struck. By now, news of her had spread far and wide. She had not been subtle when she burned through Kumo.
"If you don't surrender the Seven-Tails within ten minutes, you will suffer the same fate!"
Her words dripped with a sharp edge. There was no offer of negotiation or a false promise of diplomacy. She had spent too long around Kurama, it seemed; demands now came easier to her than pleas. Why waste time when fear would serve better than words?
Her clansmen stirred beside her. The shinobi Uzumaki shifted, weapons ready, blood running hot with anticipation. They all felt the familiar rush of battle lust building. People forgot, sometimes, what it meant to be Uzumaki. They thought of them as kind, compassionate, and tightly bonded to family. That was true- but only half the truth. Underneath that warmth was a fire.
Hot-tempered, relentless, and battle hungry. War was in their blood, much like the Uchiha.
Kushina turned to them with a smile that was more fang than warmth. "Use this village to refine yourselves. They'll fall like wheat before the scythe, dattebane."
Normally, she wouldn't risk her family for something she can do herself, but they're not in any real danger. With her speed and reaction time, she can save them if needed.
"Yes, Lady Kushina!" they answered in unison, voices sharp and eager.
Minutes passed. The waterfall's roar filled the silence. Then four shinobi emerged from the mist. Their expressions were grim, their chakra flaring visibly in blue auras around their bodies.
Kushina's eyes narrowed. Their power was unusual, but it wasn't anything in front of her. However, there was no trace of a Tailed Beast among them.
"Tch," she clicked her tongue. So this was Takigakure's answer? Four shinobi, burning with borrowed strength. She wondered briefly what method they had used to force chakra to surge like that. Pills? Forbidden techniques? Whatever it was, it didn't matter. "Arrogant. Where do these small villages get the courage?" she muttered.
The ninja in front, probably the villager leader, raised a hand, and all four charged at once. Their speed surprised her, but it didn't impress her. Not when she had fought the Third Raikage himself. Compared to him, this backwater village was nothing.
She met the leader head-on. Her fist, sheathed in Kurama's crimson chakra, caved through his chest before he even realized what had happened. Bone and flesh shattered, the force tore him apart, but he stayed stuck on her arm.
"Even trash enhanced by borrowed power," she said coldly, "is still just trash."
She swung her arm, flinging his broken corpse aside like garbage, then pivoted. Her foot lashed upward into the second shinobi's head. Bone cracked with a wet snap; his head separated from his shoulders in a spray of blood.
Her scythe swept next, crimson energy coating the blade as it cut cleanly through the third. His scream was brief, his body split in half before it hit the ground.
Three corpses in three strikes. Barely a few seconds had passed.
The last one faltered. His feet tangled, panic flashing in his eyes as he stumbled back.
Kushina's hand snapped forward, clamping his throat in an iron grip. Nine-Tails chakra surged into him, burning through his system. He convulsed violently, screaming as his body rejected the raw, corrosive power. His shrieks cracked into broken pleas.
"Please! Please- kill me!"
Kushina tilted her head and retracted the chakra, though her grip tightened. "Where's the Seven-Tails?"
He choked out directions, babbling, stammering, the words tumbling over each other in terror. When she had what she needed, she granted his wish, severing his head with one sharp twist.
"Invade," she commanded her clansmen, voice cold.
The Uzumaki roared in answer, surging past her into the village. They were eager, rusty but deadly. The Uzumaki hadn't fought seriously for a while, merely handling a few low-level missing ninja on the journey, so they needed the action. Their chains flashed, their blades sang, and they blazed like fire through the streets of Takigakure.
Kushina stayed close, her eyes everywhere, ready to intervene if her people faltered. But they never gave her a chance. Takigakure's jōnin were skilled, yes, but skill could not stand against her bloodline. The Uzumaki carved through them.
They reached the location the shinobi had described: a modest apartment tucked between narrow streets. It reminded Kushina of her place in Konoha.
She paused at the threshold. Villagers still lingered in the streets nearby, terrified but un-evacuated. There were no layers of protection and no guards in force. Just this quiet home. As though Takigakure believed its earlier defenders had been enough.
...did those four ninja earlier seriously think they could face her? She initially thought they were just buying time or something.
She pushed the thought aside and stepped inside.
The room smelled faintly of herbs and dust. And there, huddled in the corner, was the Seven-Tails' Jinchūriki.
Her skin was warm-toned, her eyes a vivid orange, her hair an unusual shade of mossy green. She looked at Kushina and the bloody Uzumaki surrounding her with wide, terrified eyes.
Kushina stepped forward slowly, kneeling to meet her gaze. She reached out and patted the girl's head gently.
The little one stiffened, then blinked in surprise. Her eyes widened, as though she couldn't remember the last time someone had touched her kindly.
Kushina supposes that all the Hidden Villages treat Jinchuriki this way.
"It's okay," she said, trying to soften her voice.
The girl swallowed, her voice tiny. "W-who are you?"
"We've come to save you," Kushina said.
Confusion clouded her face. She didn't understand. So Kushina pressed on, her voice low and coaxing. "You've seen how they look at you, haven't you? The villagers. The way they treat you. You know they don't see you as a person. Just a weapon."
The girl's lips trembled. Slowly, she nodded. Tears welled in her orange eyes.
Kushina brushed a strand of green hair from her face, thumb catching a tear. "You don't owe this place anything. You were never meant to be their servant. Come with us, and we'll give you a better life. One where you belong, dattebane."
The girl sniffled. "…Okay?"
Her voice was tentative, like a question. But there was hope there, fragile but real.
Kushina smiled. "What's your name? Mine's Kushina Uzumaki."
The girl hesitated, then whispered, "…Fū."