[Intelligence Exchange successfully activated]
[Rule Replication function successfully activated]
[Medium triggered]
[Target lock available: Uzumaki Kushina]
"Target Uzumaki Kushina"
[B-Rank ninja locked: Uzumaki Kushina]
[Adjusted time-space flow of Exchange]
[Enable Shadow Mode?]
"No."
Time seemed to halt, and the surrounding scene instantly shifted.
Soon, Uchiha Yun nodded as he looked at the scene before him. It was a vast, empty ninja village. Most of the features were blurred, with only vague outlines of buildings.
At that moment, Kushina appeared within the space as well. After a moment of confusion, she turned to see Yun, who appeared in the guise of Uzumaki Sora, beside her.
"So this is the strange space Minato mentioned?"
Yun thought for a moment and replied, "The scene here differs for everyone. When the Fourth Hokage entered, he had no particular desire, so all he saw was a simple transaction room. But you… are different."
"Close your eyes and think. The rules of this space should now be in your mind."
Kushina did so, and instantly, information appeared in her thoughts.
She wasn't entirely ignorant of this place. Minato had told her a little after his first transaction with Sora.
But standing here herself, Kushina was still startled by the sudden flood of information in her mind.
After a while, she opened her eyes and asked, "Can I ask you anything?"
Yun shook his head. "Only if you can afford it. This is a seller's market. Just because you want to know something doesn't mean I'll answer."
Kushina nodded, glanced around, and asked: "Then why is my scene like this? Is it because of what I want to know?"
Yun nodded. "The scene doesn't decide what you can ask, it's just a reflection of your subconscious. Now, what do you want to ask?"
Kushina frowned, hesitating. "How many survivors of the Uzumaki clan still exist in this world? Where are they?"
Yun shook his head. "I advise you not to ask overly broad questions. You can't afford the tokens. Even the Fourth Hokage asked that once, and he couldn't pay the price either."
Kushina exhaled sharply, then asked: "Then with my tokens… how many Uzumaki survivors' whereabouts can you tell me?"
Yun considered for a moment. "Truthfully, your tokens aren't worth as much as the Fourth Hokage's. Three tokens, for two."
"What?!"
Kushina's eyes widened, her fiery red hair starting to rise as chakra flared. But the energy quickly dissipated, her hair falling back down.
Yun scratched his head. "Why do you all get angry here? Didn't the information in your mind explain? Here, no one, not even the Sage, can cause harm."
Kushina clenched her fists. "Why do three tokens only buy two answers? Isn't it supposed to be one token per question?"
Yun shook his head. "Your tokens don't carry the same weight as the Fourth Hokage's. Whether sealing techniques or the Uzumaki physique, compared to the Flying Thunder God and his unmatched reaction speed in battle… yours are less valuable."
"Humph!" (▼皿▼#)
Kushina snorted, turned away, and started to leave. On her way, she shot a sidelong glance at Yun, but saw he didn't try to stop her.
When she turned back again, however, the scene around them shifted.
A door was kicked open by a dark figure. Inside, a weak red-haired woman lay on a bed, while a short-haired red-haired girl rose to shield her.
"I told you I'm not feeling well!"
The intruder ignored her and barked, "Hurry up!"
Behind the girl, her mother struggled to rise.
"Helping others with your ability is the price of staying in the village," the mother said weakly, resting her hand on her daughter's shoulder.
Tears welled in the girl's eyes, but she couldn't reply.
As her mother turned to leave, the girl grabbed her hand. "But- "
The woman stroked her daughter's hair. "Don't worry. I'll be back soon."
The girl whispered, "Don't go…" But all she heard in return was a gentle command to listen.
The scene shifted again.
…
Kushina clenched her fists and demanded of Yun: "They're my clanswomen, aren't they?"
Yun nodded. "Red hair doesn't always mean Uzumaki, but these two are indeed survivors. That woman, though… she won't live much longer."
The vision changed again.
Now, in darkness, the red-haired woman was swarmed by shadowy figures.
"Quick! Bite her, I'm hurt the worst!"
"Me first! You're late!"
"My turn! Move aside!"
They pinned her down, their teeth sinking into her arms, legs, back, and neck, her screams filling the air as they fed.
"Ahhh!"
Kushina roared and punched the figures, but her fist passed through like smoke.
Yun's voice came from behind: "This is only a scene born of the intel you seek. Your attacks are useless."
Kushina fell to her knees, head bowed, hands trembling.
She knew exactly what she was seeing. The Uzumaki had rare abilities, among them, a chakra vitality so strong that others could heal and recover just by biting them. But once their chakra ran dry, they would die.
Kushina clenched her fists. She, too, had once been bullied as a child, back when her nation was destroyed.
"Tell me where they are!" she demanded.
Yun raised his hand, forming a contract. Kushina signed without hesitation.
"Kusagakure," Yun said. "Both survivors are there. In small villages, local wars are constant. To them, these women are nothing more than tools to rapidly restore fighting strength. The girl's mother's life isn't valued, because with the daughter, there's a replacement."
The scene dissolved.
Kushina rose, glaring at Yun. "Ku… are you really an Uzumaki?"
Yun smiled faintly. "Sorry. You don't have enough tokens for that question."
Kushina's fist stopped just before his face, her burning eyes full of fury.
"I told you, no one can touch me here."
Ignoring him, she lowered her fist. A single tear slid down her cheek.
"If you are Uzumaki, then you know what it means to lose a homeland, to wander and suffer abuse. And yet… when your clanswomen are abused, you do nothing! Uzumaki Ku, are you truly one of us?!"
Yun sighed. He did feel sympathy, for he remembered Karin's childhood in Kusa, abused just like this. And he despised Kusa's cruelty.
But he also knew: even Konoha hadn't helped when Uzushiogakure fell. Even when Mito was still alive, Konoha hadn't raised a hand.
"Are you still that naive, even as the wife of the Fourth Hokage?" Yun asked.
Kushina froze. She understood. Without Mito, without Jiraiya, without Minato, she herself would never have lived peacefully in Konoha.
She realized: back then, even if she'd known about survivors, what could she have done? Even Konoha had only taken her, no one else.
"I… understand," she whispered, wiping her tears. "But when you let me walk away earlier… was it because you knew I'd come back? Or because you don't care about our people?"
Shaking her head, she added, "Either way, I'll go bring them back. I should thank you; without you killing that old man, I might never have managed it."
Yun instantly knew she meant Danzō. And yes, the old vulture deserved death.
Kushina then hesitated. "You really won't return to Konoha? Minato i- "
But Yun cut her off. "I know. He's different from the Second and Third. But the village's scope is still too small. I have a unique ability in this world, and I intend to use it."
With that, Kushina vanished from the space.
Yun shifted the scenery to Konoha. She was still too naive. Even with Minato, there would be resistance. Everything depended on his will.
…
[Simulating changes in Uzumaki Kushina's future]
[Fixed death altered]
[Naruto's fate altered]
[Sasuke's fate altered]
[Karin's fate altered]
[Kushina's fate alteration: 100%]
[Drawing Secret Scroll (CD resets nightly)]
Chakra (restore one's full chakra instantly)
Wind Release Chakra (mergeable with kekkei genkai)
Uzumaki Sealing Techniques
Uzumaki Bloodline (Kushina)
…
At the Uchiha compound, Yun sighed as he opened his eyes. He still lacked one.
Kushina, yielding a secret scroll, was inevitable. She was supposed to die in the Nine-Tails' attack, yet now she would live, and even raise Naruto. That alone changed everything.
'But… an Uzumaki bloodline fusion option? So even that could appear.'
Senju, Uchiha, Hyūga, Uzumaki, Kaguya… all descended from the Ōtsutsuki.
Still, for now, he chose: Sealing Techniques.
The Uzumaki's sealing arts filled his mind, even the Reaper Death Seal. For others, a suicide technique. For him, with his clone, no issue. Like the Eight Gates, once per day.
As for the rest, he picked the Secret Scroll.
…
That night, at Minato's home, Kushina suddenly sat up, startling her husband.
He held her. "Nightmare? Don't be afraid."
But when she turned, her tear-streaked face nearly broke him.
"Kushina, what happened?!"
She shook her head, then whispered, "Minato… I just went there."
"The Intelligence Exchange? Uzumaki Ku?"
She nodded, recounting everything.
Minato thought, then said: "He's right. This is the best time. Earlier, the elders would never allow it. Later, the woman might already be dead. Now, after victory against Kumo, we can act. The Uzumaki are our allies, and with me as Hokage, the elders won't dare object."
Kushina nodded, though her eyes still brimmed with worry.
"Yes," she thought, "if Lady Mito were here, she'd want me to bring them home too.
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu