Even after many years, Kushina still remembered the location of her family's small courtyard, though the shrine's exact location had slipped from her memory. Fortunately, Mito had prepared for this; before her passing, she had drawn the shrine's location on a piece of paper. That alone revealed Mito's intentions.
For any clan, the shrine represented its heart and soul. Wherever the clan settled, the shrine would follow. By relocating it to Konoha, Mito ensured that the Uzumaki Clan would forever be part of the village. She hoped Kushina would become the clan's chief, representing all the Uzumaki within Konoha. Uzushiogakure, in contrast, would fade into history.
Whether Kushina fully grasped Mito's plan mattered little; the important part was that the Third Hokage understood it. And there was no doubt that Kushina could revive the clan. She would never change her surname, and at least one of her children would carry the Uzumaki name, ensuring the clan's continuation for generations.
Setting aside Mito's schemes, Hayashi and Kushina followed the map northeast through the Land of Whirlpools. Mito truly was a "Soul Artist"; her map was abstract, almost impossible to interpret for anyone who did not know her intimately.
Before long, they entered a dense forest.
"It should be around here," Kushina said, brushing aside thick vegetation and soil, but finding no marker.
"Allow me," Hayashi said. Forming hand seals, he sent a Wind Blade slicing through the dirt, revealing what lay buried: a red stone etched with black patterns, its edge bearing the Uzumaki emblem.
Kushina clasped her hands and performed a long sequence of seals. After more than forty movements, the black lines glowed and spread, forming a translucent dome-shaped barrier around them, centered on the red stone. When they opened their eyes, the forest had vanished. In its place stood a magnificent structure.
Hayashi sensed immediately that they were no longer in the same place.
"A space–time barrier?" he murmured. He pressed his palm against it, feeling an icy yet resilient resistance.
"Rasengan!"
A pale-blue orb of chakra surged toward the barrier. Pfft! Like a clay ox sinking into the sea, the energy vanished without a trace. Hayashi's hands were empty.
"Impressive," he said aloud. The barrier could absorb chakra to strengthen itself—a true Uzumaki seal.
After observing, they moved toward the shrine. The interior was spacious. Two tall stone tablets carved with the Uzumaki emblem flanked the entrance. In the center stood a stone statue depicting a horned, three-eyed figure, arms extended as if about to clap, palms tilted outward, drawing attention to the Sun-and-Moon emblem painted on them.
"It seems the Uzumaki preserved relics from the Six Paths era, just as the Uchiha did with their stone tablets," Hayashi remarked.
After a careful inspection, they stepped into the dust-laden main hall. Rows of memorial tablets honored past clan chiefs, thick with neglect. On the south wall, a collection of masks hung.
"These… Shinigami masks?"
Hayashi recalled the masks from the Uzumaki's Mask Hall in the manga. He had wondered why such relics had appeared in Konoha. Now, it seemed Kushina had brought them back.
After Mito's death, the shrine had fallen into ruin until Orochimaru's intervention. Hayashi picked up one mask. Its material was indiscernible, only ice-cold to the touch.
A gentle whisper urged him to put it on. Hesitant, he raised his hand.
Smack! Kushina flicked a Kunai, striking the mask, which flew from Hayashi's hand and clattered to the floor. He gasped.
"You okay?" Kushina asked, concern in her eyes.
"I'm fine," Hayashi said, shaking off the shock. "What is that mask?"
"Don't touch them. They're called Hannya masks—sinister things."
"Hannya masks?"
"Yes. Each can perform a forbidden jutsu and has its own name. Legend says they were born from a woman's deep grudge, existing since the Six Paths era," Kushina explained.
"A woman's grudge… from the Six Paths era…" Hayashi shivered.
"Could it be Kaguya?"
Hayashi's expression darkened.
"Probably not. She's still sealed on the moon," Kushina said.
After that scare, they searched more cautiously, going through drawers and cupboards. Mito had instructed them to bring everything back to Konoha, so any valuable item was fair game.
Two hours later, Hayashi and Kushina had even sealed the entrance statue into a scroll.
"Hayashi, do you think the Hokage will give the Uzumaki Clan land in the village?" Kushina asked, a mischievous gleam in her eyes.
"No. Counting Kana, your clan only numbers two," he replied.
"…I see," she said, disappointed. "Then how will we rebuild an Uzumaki shrine?"
"Probably somewhere in the village forest," he said.
"…What's wrong?"
"I was hoping for a central spot so I could rent houses and collect money while lazing at home," she said with a sly smile.
Hayashi rolled his eyes. She wasn't even a teenager yet and already dreamed of being a landlady who eats, drinks, naps, and counts cash—a dream he had once shared in his previous life.
Suddenly, the ground trembled beneath them—a quake strong enough to make them pause. Could the Land of Whirlpools be prone to earthquakes?
Hayashi leapt into a tall tree, scanning the coast. Something was wrong—the anchored skiff had vanished.
"…Impossible," he murmured. He trusted Old Nawaki; it wasn't in his nature to steal a boat. Moreover, Hayashi knew the old man's home—stealing the boat would be suicide.
"Did something happen?" Kushina asked.
Without Himeji, Hayashi couldn't see clearly, even activating his Sharingan.
"Let's go," he said, dropping from the tree. Together, they sprinted toward the beach.
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Powerstones?? (´ε｀ )
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Patreon = _Zeph