Kushina's cheeks burned as she stormed ahead, her face still red from bumping into Jiraiya. The little dents on her nose made it even more obvious.So humiliating.
Head lowered, she followed after him, Minato scratching his cheek and trailing behind her.Jinzō took the rear, hands in his pockets, watching them with his usual detached amusement.
They crossed open plains, balanced over a single-plank bridge, and climbed steep mountain paths. Three days later, just shy of the border, a village appeared in the distance.
The second he spotted it, Jiraiya's expression hardened. He gestured sharply.
The team dropped low into cover.
The closer they'd come to the border, the heavier the tension got. Even Jiraiya's usual grin was gone.
Crouched behind a rock, they scanned the village. The sun was sinking, yet no cooking smoke rose from chimneys. Nothing stirred.
Then Jiraiya's nose twitched. He sniffed the air—sharp, metallic."…Blood."
The four fell silent. Jiraiya signed quickly: stay hidden, no noise.
They nodded.And then he was gone—body leaning forward like a drawn arrow, streaking toward the village entrance.
Kushina held position.Minato and Jinzō split wide, flanking to scout.
Inside, Jiraiya moved without a sound. But the scene was… hellish.
Blood smeared the streets. Corpses and hacked-off limbs littered the ground. Doors hung open, and more bodies slumped within.
By the time Minato and Jinzō returned from recon, both were grim-faced. They shook their heads—no enemy nearby. Kushina entered last, only to freeze at the sight.
"What—what is this…!?"
Hands, feet, torsos sliced clean apart. Bodies cut down by steel.
Kushina's pupils shook. She clapped a hand over her mouth and staggered to the corner, retching violently.
She had technically killed before—an enemy ninja erased by the Nine-Tails' tail—but that was different. She hadn't seen it. She hadn't smelled the blood.
This was the first time reality hit her body with such force she couldn't suppress it.
Even Minato's smile, normally unshakable, was gone. His face pale, his lips pressed tight.
Jiraiya's gaze shifted to Jinzō.
The boy crouched over a corpse, kunai in hand, poking at wounds with detached interest. No fear, no disgust—just his trademark smirk tugging at his lips.
"All weapons. Kunai, shuriken, blades. No signs of ninjutsu."
…Freaking Uchiha, Jiraiya thought bitterly. Even now, the kid's calm enough to do an autopsy.
Jinzō didn't notice his teacher's silent judgment. He ducked into a ruined home, rummaged, and returned.
"House was looted. Whole village stripped of valuables."
Jiraiya grimaced. Could've been Iwa. Could've been Grass, Rain, or even Sand. Border villages like this were always the first to bleed.
Kushina had stopped vomiting, though she looked drained. Minato sighed, moving to gather the dead.
"Stop, Minato!" Jiraiya barked.
The boy froze, confused.
"Never turn over a body on the battlefield," Jiraiya said flatly. "Could be traps underneath. Paper bombs. Anything."
Minato swallowed and stood back, lips tight. "War is cruel."
"This isn't war," Jinzō cut in, voice dry. "Not yet. This is still 'peace.' And already it's like this."
Before Minato could reply, a faint sound carried across the village.
All four turned to the well.
At first, it seemed like insects. But no—there it was again, a weak splash, a muffled voice.
Jiraiya approached, kunai raised. He angled the blade to reflect light into the darkness——and saw the outline of a girl half-submerged, gasping for air.
"Civilian," he muttered.
The girl flinched at the sight of him, then caught the glint of his forehead protector and cried out:
"Help me!"
Jiraiya's hair shot down like ropes, wrapping her body and hauling her out. She collapsed by the well, dripping wet, shivering violently.
The team built a fire. As the flames caught, color returned to her face.
Once she could speak, Jiraiya asked softly, "What happened here?"
Her eyes filled with terror. "Three Iwa-nin… they came without warning. They cut everyone down. My family, my friends—they killed everyone!"
She trembled, sobbing.
Jiraiya could only bow his head. "...I'm sorry."
Even if Konoha had been closer, even if shinobi had been stationed here—it wouldn't have mattered. Orders always prioritized fighting enemy ninjas, not defending civilians.
"I want revenge," the girl whispered, tears glistening. In the firelight, hatred burned in her eyes.
"Then bring 200,000 ryō to hire Konoha," Jinzō said coldly.
Her eyes widened. "…I—I don't have that kind of money."
"Then there's nothing we can do."
Minato and Kushina winced, but neither contradicted him. Harsh, yes. But true.
Jinzō's gaze sharpened. "We're not saints. We're tools. If you try to drag us into your personal vendetta, you'll only be interfering with our mission. And if you interfere…" He didn't raise his voice, didn't glare, didn't project killing intent. Just a flat truth. "I'll kill you."
The girl shivered. Even the fire's warmth couldn't touch her.
"Please," she whispered. "Anything… I'll do anything if you just help me…"
Minato and Kushina quickly stopped Jinzō from saying more. All three looked to Jiraiya.
He sighed. "...Sorry."
That was the end of it.
They left her behind.
Even Kushina, usually hot-headed, said nothing. She understood the risk. Bringing a civilian to a border outpost was impossible. Protecting her meant exposing their mission.
Hours later, as they raced through the forest canopy, Kushina finally snapped.
"You're too heartless, Uchiha Jinzō."
Her voice was sharp, her expression serious.
"Kushina," Minato said quietly, "Jinzō was just following the rules. Ninja aren't—"
"Shut up!" she barked, stopping him cold.
The three halted mid-branch. Jiraiya watched silently from above, letting them argue.
Jinzō scratched his chin, utterly unfazed.
"Ninja are tools. No emotions. No thoughts of their own. Just weapons shaped by the times." His gaze locked on her. "So tell me, Kushina Uzumaki—are you even qualified to be a ninja?"
"Shut up! Ninjas aren't what you say they are!"
"But it's the truth."
"Absolutely not! I'll prove it to you!" she shouted, shaking with rage.
"…Heh." Jinzō smiled. A fake smile, cruel around the edges. Minato froze—he'd never seen Jinzō wear an expression so laced with malice.
Kushina roared and slammed her fist into a tree, splitting it clean in half.