Kushina returned home from the Land of Water in much the same way as she had the last time: with grandeur.
Kurama's colossal form cut across the waves, his tails leaving massive trails in the sea. His chakra shimmered like a second sun, painting the ocean surface crimson. To her people, this was a symbol of divine strength- proof that their clan would never again be trampled beneath another village's heel. To her enemies, it was a reminder that the Nine-Tails stood by the Uzumaki, and the Uzumaki stood by him.
It was also practical. They had no boats yet, and Kurama's body was far faster than any fleet they could build.
The newly rescued Uzumaki trailed behind her as she returned to the shores of Akagakure. The mist rolled back at Kurama's approach, retreating like prey before a predator. As soon as they landed, the clansmen who had stayed behind rushed forward, calling out the names of their long-lost kin.
The island was alive with shouting, laughter, and tears.
Kushina stood at the center of it, watching joy ripple across her people. Families embraced after years of separation. Parents wept as they clutched children who had grown far beyond the age they last remembered. Cousins reunited, strangers became kin again, and all of them wore the same expression of joy and cautious hope, carefully nurtured since the fall of Uzushio.
Some of her subordinates, whom she had placed in charge of logistics, quickly moved into action. They guided the new arrivals toward the housing district, distributing blankets, dried fish, and tools. Not many houses were fully constructed, but the temporary housing was still set up.
It wasn't much compared to Uzushio's grand buildings and history, but it was much better than what they experienced over the last few years.
Kushina joined them, moving between groups, lending her strength where it was needed. She lifted beams into place, patched walls with her own hands, and listened to the stories of the rescued. By evening, the island was filled with firelight and song. Fish roasted over flames, drums echoed across the shore, and for the first time in a while, the Uzumaki truly celebrated.
She celebrated with them. She smiled and laughed. She let her people see a leader who was strong, unshaken, and unafraid, while keeping a small distance.
But beneath the smile, her heart was burning.
Now that she had gathered the survivors from Kumo, Iwa, and Kiri, she had most of the Uzumaki left alive in the world. Perhaps a few remained scattered across distant lands, hidden away in corners she would never find, but they would be few in number. The great clan of Uzumaki was reduced to barely a hundred souls.
Her main goal- the one that had driven her across nations- was nearly complete. She had saved her people and given them a home.
The only thing left was to build their strength.
But the fire inside her refused to quiet.
She held herself together until the last fire was dimmed and until the last voice had faded into song or sleep. Only when she returned to her private office, with Kurama slipping into the chamber behind her, did she let the mask fall.
"How dare they!"
Her voice rang out like a whip crack. The chair nearest to her met her foot, shattering into splinters that scattered across the wall.
"They destroyed my village! They experimented on my family!" Her hands trembled as chakra flared around her, making the lantern flames shudder. "They wiped us out, and yet-" she slammed her fist onto her desk, cracking the wood in two "-they dare ask us for an alliance!?"
Her chest heaved. She just couldn't stop.
"Do they think we're so weak that we'd just sit here and take it?!" She snatched up her cup and hurled it. It smashed right through, leaving a hole. "I'm going to destroy all of their villages right now! With all the Uzumaki rescued, there's no reason to hesitate!"
She stormed toward the door, her hair blazing around her like a red inferno- only to be stopped short.
Kurama's hand closed gently, but firmly, around her arm. His red eyes narrowed as he pulled her back.
"Calm down," he rumbled, his deep voice shaking the air. "We can't go to war with them. Not now."
"What?!" Her eyes widened in disbelief. Kurama- once considered a force of natural destruction, the one who had urged her forward at every step- was stopping her?
Since when did Kurama not advocate for vengeance?
"You're not alone anymore, brat." His words cut sharply. "You can't just reign terror whenever you want. Not now. Not with them depending on you."
Her voice cracked, a mixture of anger and despair. "But I'll be quick! In and out before-"
"No." Kurama's voice thundered, final. His tails twitched. "If the other villages catch even a whisper of it, they'll come for Akagakure. All of them. And everything you worked for will be reduced to ash."
Kushina's mouth opened, but the words caught in her throat.
"What if you stayed here? Guarded them while I-"
"That won't work either." His gaze bore into hers, steady. "You know I can't stray far. The seal binds us, brat. Where you go, I go. Where I stay, you stay."
"That won't work either," he, once again, cut her off, "You know I need to be within a certain distance of you with the seal."
Cold water drenched her fury. Her fists unclenched, trembling as the fire in her chest sputtered. She lowered her gaze, shoulders heavy.
"You're right," she whispered, the words bitter on her tongue. "I don't know what I was thinking."
Kurama shifted closer. For all his bravado, he moved with surprising gentleness. One arm curled around her, drawing her against the warmth of his body.
"It's fine," he spoke, his voice a little softer now. "But you need to remember- you're a leader. You don't get the luxury of acting so impulsively. Every choice you make now ripples out to all of them."
He was a large fan of revenge, but he wasn't stupid. He had more than enough patience to wait until the time was right. And, although he doesn't care much about the Uzumaki, he knew that Kushina did.
She buried her face against his chest, his steady heartbeat grounding her. She wanted to scream or break something until the fire in her chest was gone. But here, in his arms, all she could do was breathe.
Kurama continued, his tone thoughtful, calculated. "The other villages are bleeding. Konoha and Kumo lie in ruins. Iwa, Suna, and Kiri will probably need to sacrifice a lot for an alliance with them. They're weak and desperate."
He pulled back slightly, just enough to catch her eyes with his piercing red. "But us? We're only growing stronger. Every day your people rebuild, every day their seals and vitality return, and every day this village takes shape. Not to mention your own strength." His hand covered hers, squeezing gently, reassuringly.
"Be patient. Build and train. When the Uzumaki can stand on their own feet, when you grow powerful enough- then, and only then, you'll cut them down."
Kushina stared up at him, and the anger drained from her. All that remained was exhaustion.
She nodded slowly.
The fight could wait. The time would come.
For now, she let herself sink deeper into Kurama's embrace, her breath steadying, her heartbeat slowing. For now, here in the safety of his arms, she felt peace.
They would build their strength. Maybe their numbers would never match the other villages, but their quality would overwhelm them. Each Uzumaki carried a fragment of divinity within their blood- an echo of the Sage's Body, even if diluted through the centuries. With their vitality and mastery of Fuinjutsu, few in the shinobi world could truly stand against them.
One day, she would no longer need to stand guard over them, no longer need to shield them with her own power. They would become a force capable of protecting themselves. And when that day came, when the Uzumaki stood tall as one unbreakable wall, the hidden villages would finally understand what it meant to reap what they had sown.