Chapter 41
Inside Haruto's Mindscape.
Fleurdelys looked up at a giant sphere encased in a dark exoskeleton. It pulsed faintly, maintaining an ever-comforting, steady rhythm. It was her master's core—his near-infinite source of raw power. But it lay entirely dormant now, as it had been for as long as she could remember.
The last time it had shown any sign of a reaction was when her master saved the girl named Tenka. But after that incident, it had receded even deeper into dormancy, and another protective layer had hardened around it.
This was her master's most vulnerable, sacred place. It was the exact reason she had constructed a completely new landscape around it, anchoring her master's core dead in the center to secure it against anyone who dared to breach his mindscape.
She had molded this sanctuary in the exact image of Avinoleum—the tragic, majestic floating citadel where she had once split and sealed her own frequency.
This entire realm hung suspended upside down in the high skies of her master's consciousness, floating amidst a boundless expanse of clouds. It was the ultimate, impenetrable defense for her master.
She would sooner welcome death than let anyone enter this place to cause him harm.
"Hmm. So this is where you are? What are you doing?"
Fleurdelys turned around, a small smile gracing her lips as she greeted the newcomer.
"Why, it's comfortable here," she replied softly, her gaze drifting back to the core floating in the center of the room, which continuously released a calming, peaceful aura.
Currently, they were standing inside the central spire: the Tower of Salvation, the very place where she had remained sealed for countless ages. No ordinary entity could ever hope to cross its threshold, but Cartethyia was different. They were two sides of the same coin.
It was only within their master's inner world that they could exist simultaneously, because at the end of the day, they were still one single being.
"Hmm?" Fleurdelys frowned.
"What happened?" Cartethyia asked.
"Someone has entered our master's mindscape."
"Are you sure it isn't Miss Kaguya?"
"No," Fleurdelys said, casting her gaze downward. "She is remaining within her own territory, though I think she noticed it, too."
Fleurdelys wasn't entirely thrilled about Kaguya's intrusion into their master's inner world, but she wasn't ungrateful either. Kaguya had stepped in to protect their master when Fleurdelys herself had been powerless to do so—even if it was merely a lingering fragment of the woman's consciousness left behind as a failsafe.
***
Matatabi POV.
The last thing she remembered was her jinchūriki's head being crushed like a watermelon.
She sighed to herself; he was as much of a victim as she was. She was sealed in that child the moment he was born. Hated and ostracized by the people, he was trained to become a loyal soldier.
Starved for attention and recognition, he did everything that was told to him.
She would never forgive humans and their ever-increasing greed. Especially that wood bastard who captured every one of her siblings and sold them for his cheap peace that did nothing but cause more harm and destruction.
Now, she even began to doubt her father's words about someone who would guide them.
In her early life, she had been the most amiable of her kind toward humans, frequently helping them in their times of need. But their relentless selfishness had turned her from a benevolent protector into a caged prisoner.
Exhaling a deep breath, she paused. Now... where exactly was she?
She looked around at a vast expanse of crystal-clear water beneath a bright blue sky that stretched endlessly, filled with white clouds lazily drifting by. It was a breathtaking place—quiet, peaceful, and layered with a cozy warmth. Her two fiery tails swayed in quiet contentment.
'Was she trapped inside another Jinchuriki?' she asked herself.
No. She shook her head. She knew precisely what it felt like to be trapped, and there was no suffocating cage confining her like a wild animal here. Instead, a calming energy washed over her, soothing her very soul.
Then, her gaze caught a strange reflection dancing on the water's surface. Looking up, what she saw completely stole her breath away.
High in the sky, a grand fortress hung majestically out of a dense sea of clouds. Flanking the central palace on either side were smaller, fragmented chunks of earth, adorned with ancient stone pillars that appeared to float independently.
What made the sight truly shocking was that the entire landscape was hanging completely upside down.
Her heterochromatic eyes focused on the central tower, tracking its lines up to a prominent, smooth dome of deep, dark blue. In all her centuries of existence, she had never seen structures quite like those.
"Awww! It's a cat."
In her astonishment, she failed to notice two people approaching her. She looked toward the source of the voice; a blonde-haired girl and a blonde-haired woman, both with pointy ears, were coming toward her.
"Where is this place and—" She couldn't finish her question when she was suddenly picked up by the girl.
"Fleurdelys, look! Isn't she the cutest? Of course not as much as Master, but still, look!" Cartethyia said with excitement as she showed the cat to Fleurdelys.
"A chakra construct…" Fleurdelys narrowed her eyes. She had seen those flames somewhere. "Two-Tails, huh? What are you doing here?"
Matatabi hissed at Cartethyia, who was treating her like a house cat, and jumped from her embrace. She was small—dreadfully so. She shouldn't be so small; it meant something had happened during her resurrection.
"How should I know? I just woke up here. And who are—no, what are you?" she asked, looking at the horn in the middle of her forehead.
Fleurdelys looked at the Two-Tails for a few seconds.
"Follow us."
With those words, the woman named Fleurdelys turned and walked away.
A minute later, she was once more picked up by the girl named Cartethyia. Because of her small stature, she couldn't keep up with them, and this place was strange—she couldn't utilize her chakra here.
She sighed and relaxed slightly in her arms. She once again marveled at this peaceful place. It was so calming and relaxing here.
"It's peaceful, right?"
"...I suppose," she replied.
"Fufu… you are purring, you know," Cartethyia said teasingly.
She didn't reply.
***
After a few more minutes of aimlessly walking, they arrived at a green path of grassland where a modest two-story house was located beside a giant tree whose shade encompassed the whole landscape.
The moment they stepped onto the land, she felt goosebumps run across her whole being.
"W-where have you taken me!?" she asked cautiously, her ears pinning back.
"Hm?" Fleurdelys tilted her head in confusion. "We don't know much about your kind, so I am taking you to someone who does—or at least, someone who claims to."
They stopped in front of the house, where a woman with long, cascading white hair sat quietly upon the lush green grass.
"Hoh! Now, this is the last thing I expected to see in here," Kaguya remarked, a faint, amused smile gracing her lips. "That boy truly is a magnet for trouble." Her eyes shifted, landing squarely on the miniature Tailed Beast.
In that exact moment, Matatabi finally recognized the foreign sensation paralyzing her core: fear. Pure, primal fear. Instinct screamed at her that the white-haired woman possessed the necessary power to erase her existence entirely. Shivering, she shrank even deeper into Cartethyia's protective embrace.
"Matatabi… was it?" Kaguya asked, her voice echoing with terrifying authority in Matatabi's ears.
Matatabi floated involuntarily out of Cartethyia's embrace, hovering directly in front of Kaguya.
"Hardly a fraction of my chakra," Kaguya murmured, casually grabbing the Two-Tails by the nape of her neck.
Matatabi felt something being pulled from her body, but before she could pinpoint the sensation, she was unceremoniously flung back toward Cartethyia, who caught her securely.
"Don't worry, she is harmless—especially with you two here. You might even keep her as a pet," Kaguya said dismissively.
Fleurdelys glanced at Cartethyia, who nodded understandingly and carried the frightened kitten away from the clearing. Once Cartethyia had left her field of vision, Fleurdelys turned back to Kaguya with narrowed eyes.
"As I suspected, you seem to know an awful lot about the Tailed Beasts, even down to their names. And yet, you refuse to reveal your identity to Master, and you even forbade us from telling him. Why? What are you planning? Why is a supposed goddess so fixated on a child?"
Fleurdelys finally voiced the questions she had harbored for a long time. Kaguya had willingly given her own chakra to save her master when he was in critical condition, so Fleurdelys had granted her the courtesy of remaining here as a contingency. But she needed to know the woman's motives. What was she trying to achieve?
Kaguya sighed. "I have already told you: my sole goal is Haruto's safety. When he is capable of protecting himself, I will leave this space. As for why I have not given my name to him… it is for his own security. From what I gather, most of history has forgotten me, but there are still remnants that even time cannot erase. Currently, Haruto is not ready to understand that burden. If he were to accidentally blurt out my name, it would draw more attention than what would already be on him in the future and that could prove dangerous or even life-threatening. That is why I requested that you keep my identity hidden for now."
Fleurdelys looked directly into Kaguya's eyes, searching for any hint of deceit, but found none.
She could understand the logic; her master, as much as she adored him, had his flaws—no, not flaws, but a lack of real-world understanding and experience. The world could be both the cruelest and most beautiful place.
Currently, her master was shielded by his mother, as he should be, because he was still just a child. But every child eventually has to grow up, leave the nest, and venture into the unknown.
"I understand… But why? What do you stand to gain from this? Do you want something from my master?" Fleurdelys asked suspiciously. She had lived long enough to know that an unearned favor could easily become the tightest leash around a person's neck.
Kaguya shook her head. "No, I want nothing in return. I am not doing this to earn his favor; it is actually the exact opposite. I am repaying a debt to a dear friend. Besides, I have watched this child grow from an infant into a toddler, and I have taught him many things. I do not wish to see him snuffed out before he can even lift a weapon to protect himself."
They both knew Haruto had no desire to become a shinobi, nor did he want any part in violence. But they also knew that survival was rarely about personal choice. Simply living was a struggle, and earning the right to your own freedom and choices meant you had to be prepared to fight for them.
Haruto was special; people could sense it just by looking at him, just by being near him. And being special always came with both privileges and severe consequences.
To avoid becoming a pawn in someone else's game, you had to possess power and influence of your own.
****
Uzushiogakure.
It had been a few weeks since Haruto had swallowed the Two-Tails, an incident that had caused a massive commotion in the household. He had been forced to see Shōto for medical checkups every single day since, yet even now, they were unable to find a single trace of the beast's chakra.
Saki kept a watchful eye on the courtyard, monitoring the ongoing spar between Kushina and Mikasa. Recently, Kushina had shown her two brand-new, self-invented techniques.
The first was the Rasengan, a rotating sphere of pure, chaotic chakra. Though classified as an A-rank jutsu, its most defining trait was that it required no hand signs to cast. It was a deceptively simple execution, provided the user had already mastered the baseline chakra sphere training.
The second technique was the Chidori, a Lightning Release jutsu. Saki had yet to witness it in live combat, so she held her judgment, though Kushina had admitted the technique still possessed one fatal flaw.
As Saki observed the clash, Hiyuki handed her a cup of steaming tea.
Saki, Hiyuki, and Tenka were currently resting on the porch overlooking the training field. Saki glanced briefly at Tenka, who was anxiously munching on a plate of cookies. It was obvious she was still worried about Haruto. Saki focused her attention back on the fight; overthinking wouldn't change anything. She was worried too, but she refused to show it. Thankfully, Haruto hadn't displayed any unusual symptoms, which was a relief.
The clash grew increasingly heated as Kushina's kunai struck Mikasa's blade, releasing a relentless cascade of metallic sparks. Saki narrowed her eyes. Mikasa was holding back—another frustrating habit Saki had noticed in her student lately. She rarely went all out against anyone except Hiyuki. While it was true that Mikasa was stronger than most of her peers, the gap wasn't wide enough to warrant complacency.
Saki had beaten that exact leniency out of her before. Spars were specifically designed for both parties to give their all and learn from the exchange. And it seemed she had to teach that lesson to Mikasa once more.
Suddenly, Kushina executed the Shadow Clone Jutsu, creating three identical copies of herself. Each clone immediately manifested a spinning orb of dense chakra. The real Kushina stayed toward the back, rapidly gathering lightning-natured chakra directly into her open palm.
A distinct, piercing noise filled the courtyard, sounding like thousands of agitated birds chirping in unison.
"Well, that certainly explains the name Chidori," Tenka commented from the side.
Saki kept her eyes locked on the field. Kushina wasn't rushing in blindly; she was calculating, her gaze reading Mikasa's every movement.
Mikasa had clearly noted the sound of the lightning attack, but she was currently pinned down by the advancing shadow clones. She was forced to dodge the incoming Rasengan variants; she had already witnessed what those spinning spheres could do to solid matter and had no intention of taking a direct hit.
Saki watched as one Rasengan barely grazed Mikasa, impacting the dirt and creating a localized blast that forced the girl to leap backward. Another clone was already waiting in her blind spot, thrusting a second Rasengan forward. In mid-air, Mikasa's muscles compressed. In one swift, elegant arc, she spun, coating her blades in lightning and cleanly slicing both the chakra orb and the clone in half.
Seeing her opening, the real Kushina smirked. In an instant, she vanished in a brilliant streak of lightning, reappearing directly behind the still-airborne Mikasa.
But in that split second, Mikasa proved exactly why people considered her the second coming of Saki Uzumaki, the Crimson Witch.
Mikasa's instincts flared violently. Without even turning her head, her body reacted automatically. She had been ambushed by her sensei far too many times not to recognize the lethal shortage of time. Utilizing her remaining aerial momentum, she spun a full 360 degrees, barely evading the piercing streak of lightning that flashed past her torso.
When her feet finally touched the ground, a sharp sting flared in her side. Looking down, she noticed a clean, bleeding laceration across her abdomen.
"Oh my! Did I damage that sculpted six-pack of yours? But hey, I still managed to bypass your instincts," Kushina said with a mischievous, Cheshire Cat smirk.
Mikasa raised an eyebrow, a small smile tugging at her lips. Yeah, that hit was entirely on her. She needed to start taking this seriously. Currently, she was still ahead of them, but the margin was dangerously slim. If she didn't give her all, she would easily be left in the dust. She certainly wasn't the only monster in here.
Reaching back, she activated the specialized gravity seal that her sensei had given and engraved upon her.
Slowly, the black fūinjutsu ink began to crawl from her back, spreading across her body and winding down her exposed arms.
Kushina's confident smirk instantly froze at the sight. She snapped her head toward the porch, shouting accusingly at their hateful sensei.
"Sensei?! That is so unfair! You actually gave her your signature fūinjutsu!" she whined.
Saki merely shrugged her shoulders from the porch, taking a casual sip of her tea. "She earned it."
Kushina had allowed herself to get distracted during a live spar, and Mikasa had no intention of letting the blunder go unpunished. In the blink of an eye, Mikasa vanished, reappearing directly in front of Kushina with her twin blades crackling violently with lightning chakra.
Kushina's eyes widened in genuine surprise at the sudden, explosive increase in her opponent's speed. The dual blades halted a mere fraction of an inch away from her throat.
"You lose," Mikasa declared.
"And who decided that?" Kushina countered, her smirk returning.
Suddenly, Mikasa felt it—a subtle shift in the ambient air pressure. Her combat perception sharpened instantly, tracking a distinct displacement in the space right behind her. Trusting her reflexes, she ducked low.
Two events unfolded simultaneously in the span of a heartbeat. The Kushina standing before her popped out of existence like a burst balloon, revealing itself as a shadow clone. At the exact same moment, a blinding streak of electricity crackled a few meters behind her original position.
In a beautiful, fluid display of martial prowess, Mikasa used her low posture to sweep her leg backward. Her foot caught the ankles of the real Kushina, who had completely failed to see a counter-attack mid-dash. Upended by the sweeping kick, Kushina flew forward, losing her footing entirely and face-planting hard into the dirt with all her forward momentum.
"Ouch! Dang it, that hurt! Note to self: never use the Chidori against someone who has the raw instincts and reaction speed of a wild beast," Kushina groaned. She froze as she felt the cold steel of a blade resting gently against the nape of her neck. "I give up! All right? Geez. This jutsu clearly still needs a massive amount of work."
Mikasa sheathed her weapons and offered a hand to Kushina, who took it gratefully and pulled herself up.
"That was a close one," Mikasa admitted.
"Heh! Don't lie to me. It wasn't nearly as close as you're making it sound," Kushina retorted. She immediately placed her glowing green hand over Mikasa's abdominal wound, knitting the flesh back together with medical ninjutsu.
"Thanks."
Kushina gave her a playful shove. "Tch! Just don't hold back on me next time, will ya?"
***
Now, they were all gathering on the porch, where Hiyuki was still calmly sipping her tea.
"Hmm… I see," Saki murmured, reflecting on the match for a moment. "To pull that off, you need to possess insane reaction speed—just like Mikasa, who uses Lightning Release for instantaneous movement."
"Ugh! Yeah, no thanks," Kushina replied painfully. Only she and her sensei knew the sheer hell she had endured just to achieve her current reflexes; trying to push them to a monstrous level like Mikasa, who was naturally gifted with a body and mind built for combat, sounded completely insane.
"Or, you could use your dōjutsu to artificially accelerate your perception."
Kushina fell silent, turning those words over in her mind. Yeah, she could technically do that, but her unique eyes were far from simple. She could wield them that way, but she knew that if she lost focus for even a second, her vision would see far more than her mind could handle. She could still vividly recall the soul-splitting headaches she felt that night, making it feel as though the entire world was unravelling right in front of her. Still, her sensei's advice was valid. She needed to speak with her father; it was finally time to unlock the second restriction on her eyes.
Suddenly, a very familiar, energetic voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Saki-nee, Saki-nee! Look what I can do!" Haruto cheered, bursting onto the porch like a tiny hurricane.
A warm smile broke out on everyone's faces at the sight of the boy and his ever-present, infectious grin.
"Oh? And what exactly is that?" Saki asked, setting her teacup down.
Kushina's smile, however, instantly froze. She was far too familiar with that tone of voice. Haruto had a knack for shattering her understanding of reality. Whenever he wanted to show off a new trick, it was either incredibly wholesome or something that completely broke common sense.
She vividly remembered a time when she was actively debating with Saki-sensei about why ninja required hand seals to mold chakra, and whether a jutsu could ever be executed without them. Haruto had casually strolled into the dojo, immediately casting high-level techniques without weaving a single sign—he just called out their names and released the jutsu.
The boy was a prodigy, capable of copying any ninjutsu perfectly just by looking at it once. Most of the time, he didn't even need hand signs; he only used them because, in his own words, 'They look cool.'
After that incident, the entire household had to sit Haruto down and painstakingly explain why he needed to use traditional hand signs in public so he wouldn't draw unwanted attention. Taking the advice to heart, Haruto now intentionally chose the most elaborate, flashy hand seals he could find just to perform a basic fireball.
And right now, he was doing exactly that. He was contorting his tiny fingers into a bizarre, unrecognizable pose, looking incredibly adorable with his eyes squeezed shut in deep concentration.
For a few seconds, nothing happened. But just as Kushina was about to let out a sigh of relief, Haruto suddenly erupted into brilliant blue flames.
The transformation occurred in a matter of moments. The blue fire molded itself around his hands and feet, taking the unmistakable shape of flaming cat paws and legs. Atop his head, two spectral cat ears popped into existence, while two long tails composed entirely of gentle blue flames manifested behind him.
Every single person on the porch froze instantly. Hiyuki's teacup remained pressed to her lips, entirely forgotten as the hot liquid spilled freely down the front of her upper garment.
"Khyaaa!! You are so cute!"
Tenka practically launched herself from her seat, catching Haruto mid-air and smothering him against her chest.
"Oh, Kami... not again," Kushina groaned painfully in the background, rubbing her temples.
*****