The residential district of Akagakure buzzed faintly with the hum of village life. Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato were all gathered at his home.
The house was quiet, the lamps dimmed, the blinds drawn. From the outside, it looked like any other Uzumaki home, neat and carefully kept, but inside, the air was heavy with secrecy. As one of the highest-ranking Uzumaki in terms of power, Nagato had been granted a fine property. Its halls were spacious, its garden full of red blossoms, and its location near the Akakage building- the center of the village- spoke of his importance. It had everything he could ever need.
And yet, the three of them were not enjoying any of its comforts. Instead, they huddled in the basement, voices hushed as though the shadows might betray them. A single candle flickered between them, its flame bending whenever one of them shifted.
"Nagato… are you sure this is a good idea?" Yahiko's voice broke the silence, tinged with a rare hesitancy. He was always the boldest of the three; it was odd seeing him like this.
"Yes." Nagato's reply came firm, though hesitation edged his voice. His crimson eyes glowed faintly in the dim lighting. "I don't think it'll be safe here for you two in the long term. The clan will protect me, but you…" He trailed off, his gaze lowering. "Everyone who would target you is already focused on Lady Kushina. You should be safe in the mainland now."
Konan's soft voice cut through the tension. "What about you, Nagato?" Her eyes, usually so calm, shimmered with worry. She leaned forward slightly.
Nagato's lips pressed together. He glanced down at his pale hands resting in his lap. "I'll stay here."
Yahiko's chair scraped back sharply against the floor. "What?!" His voice rang louder than he intended, and he immediately glanced at the ceiling as if expecting someone to overhear. Lowering his tone, he added urgently, "You'll be screwed if you stay here. You know how she feels about insubordination."
Konan nodded, silent, but urgent, her eyes pleading with Nagato to reconsider.
"I…" Nagato's voice faltered, and he turned his gaze to the shadowed corner of the room. "I can't leave. The Uzumaki clan is my home, my blood. It's where I belong. Not anywhere else"
Yahiko's face twisted, a mix of frustration and hurt. "Not even with us? Your friends? The family we built together?" His voice cracked. The three of them had survived Amegakure's rains, fought side by side, and forged a bond he thought was stronger than steel. To hear Nagato say anything otherwise was like a blade to the chest.
"Yahiko, don't make this harder than it already is," Nagato pleaded, his voice raw. "Lady Kushina saved us all- you, me, Konan, and my entire clan. She gave me a purpose and a home. I can't just turn my back on her."
The words struck deep. Yahiko looked down, rubbing the back of his neck, his defiance slipping. "…You're right. I'm sorry. It's just… damn."
Konan's voice was barely audible, a soft whisper. "It's always been the three of us."
Nagato turned his face away, shadows crossing his features. "I know. But things can't stay the same forever. Right now, this is what we need to do- while she's absorbing the Seven-Tails."
At that, both Yahiko and Konan fell silent. Their nods came slowly, reluctantly, like people accepting a sentence they could not appeal.
---
The docks of Akagakure were eerily quiet, the usual bustle of fishermen and shinobi absent under the midday sun. The salty tang of the ocean mingled with the faint scent of wood from the boats bobbing gently in the harbor.
The Uzumaki had evolved since their days of relying solely on Kurama to ferry them off the island. Now, sleek vessels lined the docks. Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan stood together one last time, a small boat prepared for the latter two's departure.
Nagato's voice was steady but laced with regret. "I need to place a seal on your memories. It won't erase me or our time together- just the Uzumaki's secrets. You understand, don't you?"
Yahiko and Konan nodded without hesitation. Their trust in Nagato was absolute. They knelt before him, their heads bowed slightly, as Nagato raised his hands. A soft yellow glow emanated from his palms, his chakra precise and controlled.
He placed a hand on each of their foreheads, the warmth of his chakra seeping into their minds.
The sealing process was swift, almost imperceptible. Nagato's mastery of chakra control made the technique seamless. Though he wasn't a Fuinjutsu specialist, growing up with the Rinnegan had given him near-perfect chakra control.
When he stepped back, his hands trembling slightly, he said, "That's it."
Yahiko's eyes glistened as he stared out at the horizon, the endless expanse of water stretching before them. "I can't believe it's over," he murmured, a single tear trailing down his cheek.
Konan, usually so composed, broke. She threw her arms around Nagato, her sobs muffled against his chest. Yahiko joined them, his own tears falling freely now. Nagato's stoic facade crumbled, and silent tears streamed down his face as he held his friends tightly.
"Maybe someday we'll meet again," he whispered as they parted, his voice thick with emotion.
"I'll make sure it happens," Yahiko said fiercely, gripping his shoulder. "No matter what."
Konan nodded, her tear-streaked face resolute. "We'll find you, Nagato."
Nagato managed a sad smile. "I hope so."
The boat creaked as Yahiko and Konan climbed aboard, their silhouettes small against the vast ocean. As they sailed toward the mainland, the midday sun cast a golden glow over the water, illuminating their departure. Nagato stood rooted to the dock.
And as he watched the boat grow smaller and smaller along the horizon, one thought weighed in his mind:
The dawn had passed.
---
Hours slipped away. Nagato remained on the dock long after they had vanished, the sea breeze tugging at his cloak, the waves lapping against the wood beneath his feet.
He had spent the previous night wrestling with his decision, torn between loyalty to his blood- the Uzumaki clan- and the family he'd chosen in Yahiko and Konan. And in the end, he had taken the coward's path- refusing to choose fully, trying to preserve both. He loved the Uzumaki, and he loved Yahiko and Konan. He could not sever either bond, so he had cut himself in two.
Cowardly, perhaps. But he knew in his soul he would not have chosen differently.
A sudden chill ran down his spine. The air shifted. His breath caught in his throat. His body stiffened as if he had plunged into ice water.
There was only one person in this world who could strike that kind of terror into him.
He turned slowly, meeting her gaze. Her face was a mask of ice, cold and unyielding. Yet there was a fragility to it, like the frozen surface of a lake that would shatter the moment it was stepped on.
Her red hair swayed in the breeze, and her blue eyes bore into him with an intensity that made his knees weak.
"Why?" she asked.
One word, and yet it carried the weight of a thousand questions. Why did you go behind my back? Why didn't you trust me? Why did you betray me?
Nagato's throat tightened. He had only rarely glimpsed Kushina's emotions; she guarded them fiercely, sharing them only with Kurama. And yet in two years, he had seen cracks appear, little moments where her heart slipped through. This was one of them.
"I couldn't bear to see them hurt," he whispered at last.
Her expression softened, but only slightly. She could sense his sincerity- Kushina, with her connection to Kurama, could always tell when someone spoke the truth. Still, her gaze remained piercing.
"I don't regret leaving Amegakure," he continued, voice unsteady but full of resolve. "I don't regret what we've built here. The Uzumaki are my family. They always will be. But Yahiko and Konan… they're a different kind of family." His gaze fell to the boards of the pier. "I'm sorry. But my loyalty will always be divided."
"You could've come to me," Kushina said, her tone firm but not without a trace of hurt.
Nagato's lips curved into a bitter smile. "Could I?"
This time, her eyes wavered. They both knew the truth: Kushina's distrust of outsiders ran deep, and Yahiko and Konan had never fully earned her approval.
"I sealed their memories." He swallowed, shifting uneasily. "They won't be a threat."
Kushina's gaze returned, inspecting him closely. He felt sweat bead at the back of his neck. The ocean breeze was cool, but her silence made the air feel suffocating.
"You're family," she said finally, her voice softer. "So I'll grant you this one favor." Nagato's face brightened, but her expression hardened. "But this act of disloyalty won't go unpunished."
Nagato's body trembled, but he forced himself to kneel, his head bowed. "I'll accept any punishment."
---
Kushina looked down on him, her emotions complicated. If there was one thing she hated above all else, it was betrayal. She could endure thieves, killers, even Madara Uchiha himself. But betrayal… betrayal came from those closest to you, those you trusted. That was the cruelest wound of all.
And Nagato had betrayed her.
Yet he had done it not with malice, but with love. He was only twelve, still a child despite his maturity. His earnestness was real- she could see that better than anyone. But… she could not let this go unanswered.
"Give me your arm," she commanded.
Nagato extended it without hesitation, his head still bowed. She gripped it firmly, nearly knocking him off balance.
She pressed her hand against his forearm, and a seal in the shape of a fox flared to life, burning into his flesh. Nagato groaned, the pain unlike anything he'd felt before- a searing agony that seemed to reach into his very soul.
"This seal was developed with Kurama's help," Kushina said coldly. "It uses his power to sense malice. Whenever you harbor another disobedient thought, it will burn."
She released him, and he collapsed to the pier, clutching his arm, groaning. The mark glowed with a cold, red light.
The scent of burning flesh filled the air.
"You'll bear this mark for the rest of your life." Her voice cut into him as he writhed. "This is the cost of betrayal."
Nagato looked up at her, his Mangekyo Sharingan eyes filled with pain but also acceptance. He had made his choice, and he would carry its weight.