Year 41.
Another year had passed in the Shinobi world. It was a year of major change for many nations, especially on one island off the coast of the Land of Tea- the island that holds Akagakure, the new Uzumaki homeland.
A year ago, it was little more than a shrine, some tents, and temporary earthen houses. The people had to hunt or fish for every meal and forgo most modern amenities.
However, now it looked unrecognizable. With the shrine at the center, there were four roads expanding in each direction. Complete with sewage and drains for the rain.
The infrastructure had been meticulously planned, drawing from Kushina's memories of Konoha's efficiency while incorporating Uzumaki ingenuity. Underground channels funneled rainwater to reservoirs, ensuring a steady supply even during dry spells. The roads were paved with compacted earth reinforced by fuinjutsu seals, making them durable against the island's frequent storms.
Houses lined the streets, made out of wood and with tiled roofs. Compared to many other Hidden Villages, these were of high quality. No stone huts like in Iwa or sand huts like in Suna. Kushina wanted only the best for her clan. Each home featured spacious interiors, with rooms designed for both living and training. Sliding doors etched with protective seals allowed for easy reconfiguration, turning a family space into a sparring dojo in moments. Gardens bloomed in backyards, growing herbs and vegetables that thrived under the clan's chakra-infused care.
Parks were scattered around for the remaining children of the clan, and the ones that would be born in the future. These green spaces weren't just for play; they included obstacle courses and meditation areas to foster early ninja skills.
Laughter echoed through them now, a sound that had been absent for so long amid the ruins of Uzushiogakure. Shops, too, were set up here and there. Although with how insular they were, no currency was used; instead, things were bartered and traded. A blacksmith traded finely forged kunai for a supply of fresh fish, while a fuinjutsu artisan exchanged scrolls for medicinal herbs. This system built community bonds, ensuring no one went without.
The Uzumaki aided the workers and contractors in building- with their speed, it took no time at all to set up a functioning village. Each house had running water, plumbing, and electricity. All of the amenities Kushina remembered experiencing in Konoha. Solar seals captured sunlight to power lights and appliances, an innovation born from necessity on an isolated island. Kushina had personally overseen the installation of these systems, her hands glowing with chakra as she etched arrays into the foundations.
She was more than happy to welcome these comforts after living on the road or in the base wilderness that had been the village a year ago. Mornings now began with hot baths drawn from geothermal springs tapped by earth-style jutsu, and evenings ended with communal meals in the central hall, where stories of old Uzushiogakure were shared to keep the clan's history alive.
But perhaps the thing that changed most was the people.
After a year of freedom living among their clan again, their physical and mental states improved a lot. They were laughing again- enjoying life for the first time in years. Scars from the destruction of their original home faded, replaced by the glow of renewed purpose. Group therapy sessions, led by those with genjutsu expertise, helped process the traumas of war and exile.
Many had also regained their strength. Kushina re-standardized the criteria for each ninja rank. They were so high that an Uzumaki of each rank could take on numerous ninja of the same rank from other villages.
Training regimens were brutal but effective, incorporating the clan's legendary vitality. Akinari Uzumaki, for example, wasn't that much weaker than Sakumo Hatake. With his Adamantine Sealing Chains and Kenjutsu, he's one of the most formidable Uzumaki left. His chains could bind multiple opponents at once, and his swordplay was a whirlwind of precision, honed through daily duels.
Then there was his fiancée, Aina Uzumaki, who, while not the strongest in combat, had exceptional sensory abilities. Her Mind's Eye of Kagura allowed for perfect surveillance. She could detect chakra signatures from miles away, mapping out potential threats before they reached the island's shores. Her role as the village's early warning system had prevented several scouting incursions from curious shinobi nations- alongside Kushina, of course.
Another rising star, and already someone with significant power, is Nagato. He has exceptional mastery over ninjutsu. He's able to perform shape and nature changes with all elements at a high degree of skill.
And with his new Mangekyo Sharingan, he can match a weaker Kage. His Minakanushi allowed him to negate almost any injury immediately, while his Tokotachi allowed him to foresee any attack his opponent might make. He was even working on the power of Susano'o, though such an ability is difficult for a non-Uchiha.
Under Kushina's guidance, he balanced his dojutsu with Uzumaki stamina, preventing the usual drawbacks.
Yahiko and Konan were also progressing nicely, but they lack the inherent abilities of the others here. However, they're still powerful despite that- around the low jonin level. Yahiko's leadership shone in strategy sessions and leadership, though Kushina didn't like any non-Uzumaki taking office.
Konan's paper techniques had evolved, which, combined with Uzumaki fuinjutsu, can produce formidable explosive tags.
Among the Uzumaki were two rising stars- not yet powerful, but obviously talented. They were Souta and Rina. Souta had a talent in Fuinjutsu, and he had been training under a seal master Kushina had rescued. He has the potential to reach the level of a Kage. His seals are strong, fast, and creative.
Rina is no less talented; however, her abilities fall into the realm of Taijutsu. Like all Uzumaki, she has a strong body and lots of chakra. Her bloodline is among the purest, too, so it's likely she'll awaken either one or both of the clan's secret abilities. Her punches already cracked boulders, and her speed blurred the line between movement and teleportation.
However, the Uzumaki who grew the most over the year is undoubtedly Kushina herself.
Speaking of, she's currently sparring with Kurama. The only one in the village, and perhaps the world, that's stronger than her.
The training ground was a vast clearing on the island's eastern edge, ringed by dense forests and crashing waves. The air hummed with chakra, the ground scarred from previous sessions. Kushina, clad in a form-fitting red tunic and black pants, gripped her scythe tightly, its curved blade glinting under the midday sun.
At 15, her body had matured into that of a young woman- lithe yet powerful, with a beautiful, youthful face framed by fiery red hair, a toned physique, and her sizable chest spoke of her transition.
Kurama, in his human form- a towering figure with wild orange hair, piercing red eyes, and a muscular build- wielded a massive nodachi, its blade nearly as tall as Kushina. He wore simple black robes, his expression a mix of amusement and focus. "Come on, Kushina," he taunted, his voice a deep rumble. "Show me what that ninth tail can do."
They exchanged rapid blows, the clash of metal echoing like thunder. Kushina swung her scythe in a wide arc, aiming for Kurama's midsection.
He parried with his nodachi, the impact sending shockwaves that uprooted nearby trees.
Undeterred, she summoned her Adamantine Sealing Chains, golden links erupting from her back like serpents. They lashed out, wrapping around Kurama's sword arm in an attempt to bind him.
Kurama chuckled, his free hand glowing with chakra. He twisted, shattering the chains with raw power, but not before they sapped a fraction of his energy.
"Not bad, but you'll need more than that." He countered with a sweeping strike, his nodachi cleaving the air with enough force to split mountains.
Kushina dodged, her enhanced speed a blur, and activated her Tailed Beast Mode. Crimson chakra cloaked her body, nine tails manifesting behind her. But this was no ordinary mode- alongside her natural growth, she had developed a new technique: a fusion of her Adamantine Sealing Chains and the Nine-Tails' power.
Each tail was now imbued with the sealing chains' essence, glowing with golden veins. They gained increased durability and offense, capable of sealing anything they touched, just like the originals.
As Kurama lunged again, Kushina whipped two tails forward. They coiled around his nodachi, the sealing energy crackling as it began to suppress the blade's chakra infusion.
Kurama grunted, pulling back, but Kushina pressed the advantage. She channeled chakra into her scythe, infusing it with wind nature to sharpen its edge, and slashed upward. The blade grazed his robe, drawing a thin line of blood that healed almost instantly.
"You're getting cocky," Kurama growled, his eyes narrowing. He unleashed a burst of tailed beast chakra, forming a miniature Tailed Beast Bomb in his palm. He hurled it at her, the orb screaming through the air.
Kushina reacted instinctively. She aligned two of her enhanced tails side by side, forming a barrier. The golden chains interlocked, creating a shimmering wall that was nearly impenetrable. The Tailed Beast Bomb collided with it, exploding in a fireball that scorched the earth but failed to breach the defense.
Not even Kurama had been able to destroy it in previous spars. Smoke cleared, revealing Kushina unscathed, her tails retracting with a satisfied hum.
The most progress she made was definitely in her Tailed Beast Mode: she finally unlocked the 9th tail. With all nine unlocked, she was stepping into the realm above Kages- the realm that Hashirama and Madara had once dominated. While she doesn't have quite their experience, her raw power surpasses theirs. The full mode amplified her senses, her chakra reserves were bottomless, and her strikes were capable of leveling mountains.
Emboldened, Kushina charged, her scythe spinning in a deadly dance. Her tails shot out, one aiming to seal Kurama's legs while another targeted his chakra points. He blocked the first with his nodachi, clashing in sparks of red and gold. The second grazed his shoulder, momentarily numbing his arm. "Impressive," he admitted, shaking it off. "But let's see how you handle this."
Kurama summoned his own partial transformation, three tails emerging from his back. He vanished in a flicker, reappearing behind her. His nodachi descended like a guillotine. Kushina twisted, her ninth tail whipping around to form a protective coil.
The blade struck, the impact reverberating through her body, but the enhanced durability held. She countered by extending all nine tails, each one lashing like a whip. One sealed a patch of ground, creating a trap that Kurama narrowly avoided. Another wrapped around his wrist, draining chakra before he shattered it.
The spar intensified, blows raining down in a symphony of power. Kushina's scythe clashed against the nodachi repeatedly, each strike testing her limits. Sweat beaded on her forehead, but her eyes burned with determination.
"I won't lose to you forever, Kurama!" she shouted, pouring more chakra into her tails. They formed a multi-layered barrier around her, then exploded outward in a sealing wave that forced him back.
He chuckled, low and approving. "We'll see, brat."
In truth, he no longer saw her as just a vessel or an amusing companion. Watching her grow, watching her push herself past human limits- there was something intoxicating in it. She carried not just her clan, but a hatred and determination sharp enough to reshape the world.
He sheathed his sword momentarily, opting for hand-to-hand. His fists, empowered by his Tailed Beast strength, met her chains in a flurry. One punch shattered a tail's projection, but it reformed instantly, sealing his momentum and throwing him off balance.
As the sun dipped lower, their movements slowed, not from fatigue but mutual agreement. Kushina deactivated her mode, breathing heavily but smiling. Kurama nodded, wiping blood from a minor cut. "Not bad, brat. You've grown a lot."
He hadn't been trying his hardest, but it was still impressive.
She nodded, pride swelling in her chest. In this year of rebirth, she had forged not just a village, but herself. And with Kurama by her side, the future of Akagakure shone brighter than ever.