The battle raged on—
At least for the twenty elite ninja from the combined ANBU and ROOT divisions now encircling a single woman: Uzumaki Kushina.
And yet, the woman stood calm, poised in the middle of the silent training field.
One of the ANBU shouted, "Attack all at once! Don't give her an opening!"
Without hesitation, they moved in unison.
A massive fireball shot from the left, tearing through the air toward Kushina. But the woman simply pivoted her body slightly—as if dismissing the threat entirely, she swept her fox-like chakra tail.
The fireball disintegrated in midair.
No explosion.
No scorch marks.
Just chakra unraveling and vanishing into nothing.
One ninja gasped. "No way… She didn't even dodge!"
Kushina's eyes, once warm violet, now glowed crimson—like embers in the night.
She raised her right hand slowly. Crimson chakra condensed into the shape of a long, muscular fox arm. It lunged forward, latching onto the ninja at the front line.
"Eh—!?"
THWACK!
The man was lifted off the ground, gripped in the claw of that chakra arm like a rag doll. With one fluid swing, Kushina hurled him into a group of five others. Their bodies collided midair and rolled across the ground, groaning in pain.
"Agh!"
"Damn… She's alone, but—!"
In ten minutes—just ten minutes—Kushina wiped out all twenty.
These weren't ordinary shinobi. They were elite.ANBU. ROOT.
But none managed to lay a single finger on her.
She didn't even use a single jutsu.
Just taijutsu—enhanced by the brutal speed and raw power of Kurama's chakra coursing through her body.
After flooring the last opponent, Kushina remained standing at the center of the field, her chest rising and falling slowly. The crimson aura surrounding her began to fade. The fox tails disappeared, one by one, as the glow in her eyes dimmed.
To anyone watching from afar now, it would be unthinkable that this woman had just annihilated twenty elite ninja in a merciless battle.
Her face was calm.
"That's enough," Kushina muttered to herself.
From the edge of the field, the Third Hokage—Hiruzen Sarutobi—stepped forward. His white cloak billowed gently, tobacco pipe still smoking in hand.
He gave a slow nod. "Remarkable, Kushina. Not only did you survive—you controlled the Nine-Tails' chakra exceptionally well... Even better than we expected."
His tone wasn't mere flattery. There was sincerity in his words—and a respect he didn't bother to hide.
But not everyone present shared that sentiment.
From the shadows beneath a tree, Danzo Shimura observed silently.His bandaged hand stayed hidden beneath his cloak.His other hand gripped his cane tightly.
His expression—as always—was unreadable.But his eyes narrowed, locked onto Kushina.Not with admiration—but calculation.
'The Nine-Tails' chakra… fully stable. She can access it consciously,' Danzo thought.
His gaze didn't waver from the red-haired woman now standing so casually—as if she hadn't just obliterated twenty elite shinobi.
'A power like this... is far too dangerous to leave unchecked.'
But then, a soft, nearly inaudible sigh escaped Danzo's lips.
'Her personality… too free-spirited. Too stubborn. Not ROOT material.'
For a moment, he considered recruiting her.
But then immediately abandoned the idea.
'It wouldn't work. Even if I tried to force her—she'd rebel. And if Kushina rebels...'
His eyes darkened.
'…then not just ROOT. Half of Konoha could burn.'
He exhaled.
'As long as the Nine-Tails remains under control, it doesn't matter if she's one of us or not. I have more pressing concerns...'
Danzo's eyes drifted westward—toward the Uchiha district.
'That clan… grows wilder by the day. They are the true threat.'
Meanwhile, Hiruzen patted the shoulder of an ANBU who had just barely regained his footing.
"Get them to the hospital. Now."
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
One by one, the shinobi began retreating from the field. Kushina, however, remained still—her gaze distant, as if her thoughts were elsewhere entirely.
Hiruzen approached her.
"Not heading home?" he asked.
Kushina turned slightly, her expression hard to read.
"I… want to train a bit more. Alone. If that's alright."
Hiruzen paused, then smiled gently. "Of course. But don't be too hard on yourself, Kushina."
She gave a faint smirk. "I'm not that fragile, old man."
He chuckled and turned to leave.
Once the field emptied completely, Kushina looked up at the sky. Sunlight danced behind the drifting clouds.
She closed her eyes for a moment.In the silence, a voice echoed in her mind.
"Hmph. Satisfied, human?"
Kushina chuckled. "That was just a warm-up, Kurama."
The wind swept through her red hair, carrying with it the scent of earth and battle.
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The week-long break had ended.
Morning sunlight shone down on Konoha, warm and clear—as if to welcome its shinobi back to duty. But to Kushina, it was just another morning. Flat. Joyless.
She strolled the corridor toward the Hokage's office, her green kimono flowing softly around her. Her red hair swayed with each step, loose and untamed. In her left hand, she held a small box of her favorite sweets.
"Well… back to work," she muttered, biting into one of the treats with visible indifference.
Without knocking, she pushed open the heavy doors to the Hokage's office.
"Good morning~!" she called cheerfully, though the tone was clearly forced.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up from his mountain of mission reports.His wise eyes regarded her with calm warmth.The pipe in his mouth still sent gentle smoke rings into the air.
"Morning, Kushina," he replied without fuss, unfazed by her lack of formality.
Kushina plopped onto the couch as if it were her own living room, crossing her legs and continuing to munch on her snack.
"I still don't get it—this room hasn't changed since forever. The window frames are the same, the cushions still smell ancient, and don't tell me this tea's from three days ago?" she sniffed the cup suspiciously.
Hiruzen smiled quietly, opening a drawer and pulling out a mission scroll.
Seeing it, Kushina narrowed her eyes. She chewed slower, gaze sharpening like a child realizing they're about to be told to clean their room.
"Don't tell me this is another missing-nin hunt, Gramps…"
Then, with exaggerated pouty eyes, she added,"Or at least don't send me alone this time. I just got back from vacation. My soft, delicate body hasn't been pampered in ages, you know…"
Her tone was teasing—but her eyes were dead serious.
Hiruzen's hand froze mid-air, scroll still extended. His eyes narrowed slightly, and silence fell over the room. Even the hidden ANBU guards could sense the awkward stillness.
Kushina blinked. "Eh?"
No reply.
With a soft sigh, she stood, taking the scroll directly from his hand.
Her gaze dropped briefly, before squaring her shoulders.
She tucked the scroll into her tool pouch and turned around.
"Alright then… Goodbye, Third."
Her steps were light as always, but her expression wasn't the usual lively Kushina. No trademark grin. Just faint lines of exhaustion beneath her eyes. Her lips were neutral. Her face… slightly dull.
As the doors closed behind her, Hiruzen remained seated in silence, watching the path where she'd disappeared.
Smoke curled from his pipe, forming a faint ring that slowly drifted, then crumbled in the air.