Kumogakure – Raikage's Residence
The Fourth Raikage finally returned to Kumogakure, heavily wounded.
The news spread quickly and shocked the entire village.
Their God of War, the strongest leader of Kumogakure, known as invincible in physical strength—had been injured... by a ninja from Konoha.
And not by Minato Namikaze as in the past, but by Uzumaki Kushina, Minato's wife, renowned as the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails.
When the Raikage finally regained consciousness in his hospital bed, several ninjas, including Killer Bee, stood by his side.
"Bro! Baka yarō! Who dared to mess you up like this?!" Bee shouted, a mix of worry and anger on his face.
The Raikage remained silent, his expression serious, eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.
"Oi! Answer me! Don't turn into a living statue!" Bee yelled again.
"You're too noisy, Bee..." the Raikage finally replied, his voice hoarse and heavy.
"Killer Bee-sama, please refrain from speaking too much," his assistant interjected while checking the IV line and Raikage's blood pressure.
Bee wanted to argue, but the Raikage stared at him and said, "Bee, don't you dare sneak out. I know what you're planning. I don't need revenge."
Bee clenched his fists and bowed his head. He had indeed intended to retaliate.
"Raikage-sama… your injuries…" his assistant asked cautiously.
The Raikage was silent for a moment, then slowly raised his right hand. His hand trembled; the wrist and fingers were swollen and purplish despite intensive care.
"From... what kind of technique, Raikage-sama?" whispered one of the medical ninjas.
The Raikage looked at his hand. "An extraordinary technique… unlike Namikaze Minato's Rasengan. This… is more like a sharp chakra whirlpool tearing from the inside," he said softly.
Everyone fell silent.
"My Lightning Armor absorbed most of the damage... but this Jutsu destroyed the delicate tissues inside. My hand... might never fully recover... unless we seek the help of Tsunade Hime."
One of the Kumogakure ninjas swallowed hard. Even Raikage—whose body was trained to endure the flow of lightning and hardened like steel—couldn't completely withstand Kushina's technique.
"Cancel all operations against Konoha," the Raikage suddenly ordered.
"WHAT?!"
The entire room gasped in shock.
"Recall Reika and the others. We're not playing with fire any longer."
"But… Raikage-sama, our mission isn't complete!"
The Raikage looked straight ahead, his gaze sharp but no longer as aggressive as before.
"Uzumaki Kushina held back. If she had gone all out, I would be dead," he said coldly.
"And one more thing—Konoha is not as weak as we thought. They may no longer have Minato... but they have someone who can stand in his place."
Everyone fell silent, struck by the truth.
The Raikage took a deep breath, gazing out the window where the wind gently blew and sunlight seeped through bamboo screens.
"Kushina... is not just the Fourth Hokage's wife. She's proven that."
Bee was silent—and for once, he couldn't crack a joke.
The Raikage clenched his left fist; his other hand still numb.
"Minato... now it's your wife standing before me. And again... I lost."
The Raikage even joked to himself that one day, he might lose to their child too.
'What a troublesome family…'
News of Uzumaki Kushina standing against and injuring the Fourth Raikage, forcing the Kumogakure forces to retreat, spread across the village—thanks to the organized work of the Anbu, secretly ordered by the Third Hokage.
At the market, ramen stalls, narrow alleys, and even the academy, it became the hot topic:
"Did you hear? Konoha's Jinchūriki, Uzumaki Kushina, fought the Fourth Raikage one-on-one!"
"For real?! That's the Raikage, you know! His body's like living lightning!"
"Yeah! They say the sky shook and the ground cracked. Two unstoppable chakra monsters clashing!"
"So... Kumogakure really retreated?!"
"Total retreat! The Raikage himself was severely injured! The one who saved Konoha from a great war... wasn't anyone else—it was Kushina-sama!"
The name Uzumaki Kushina once again echoed through the streets—not as "the Fourth Hokage's wife," not merely "Naruto's mother," but as Konoha's hero, standing on the frontlines, risking everything for the village.
Among the citizens, children mimicked Kushina's moves; young shinobi began calling her Kitsune Hime, the "Fox Princess," while Jounin nodded respectfully whenever her name was mentioned.
It all felt like a dream.
But it was no coincidence. It was part of Hiruzen Sarutobi's silent strategy. Though aged, he still understood what Konoha needed most: hope and a symbol of strength.
Konoha had long lived under the shadow of losing Minato, the Nine-Tails, and the Great War.Now... it had a new figurehead.Someone who could lead with both power and kindness.A kunoichi who could stare enemies in the eye and declare:
"This is Konoha. And you will not touch it."
Uzumaki Kushina had proven that—even with Minato gone, his strength and will lived on inside her.
A Sunny Morning at the Uzumaki Household
On a bright morning at the Uzumaki family home, a little blond boy in frog-print pajamas ran around the yard, swinging his arms and shouting:
"I wanna be a super ninja like Mom!!"
Karin, sitting on the porch, sighed and shook her head. "Naruto, you can't use a kunai yet. That's a kitchen knife—put it down!"
"But I gotta train my ultimate jutsu! Rasengaaan!" Naruto shouted, drawing imaginary circles in the air.
Suddenly, Kushina appeared, covering her mouth to hide her laughter.
"Sorry, Karin... Naruto really is a copy of me when I was little."
Naruto hugged his mother's legs, beaming brightly.
"Mom! You're amazing! I heard from Uncle Ichiraku—you fought a monster and won!"
Kushina smiled softly and lifted him up.
"Well, honey, I didn't fight a monster. But... I did fight to protect our home, so you can keep playing in this yard."
"I'll protect you too when I grow up!" Naruto declared, clenching his fists with enthusiasm.
At the Training Grounds
Team Kushina's genin—Izumo and Kotetsu—were still in shock.
"Did you hear? Our Sensei... fought the Raikage! The guy who's faster than sound!" Izumo said, wide-eyed.
Kotetsu replied, trembling, "I... I just had a nightmare where Sensei turned into a giant golden fox chasing us for mission reports."
Even Hyuga Natsu, usually composed, stayed silent for a long moment.
Finally, she whispered, "Sensei... might not be an ordinary human. But I still want to be like her."
Suddenly, Kushina emerged from the trees, wearing casual clothes and smiling.
"Talking about me, are you~?"
"SENSEI!!" the three shouted—before running as if fleeing from flying kunai.
In the Hokage's Office
That evening, Kushina stood before Hiruzen in the Hokage's office, her red hair neatly tied back, her gaze serious.
Hiruzen set down his smoking pipe and smiled.
"You've exceeded my expectations, Kushina. Not only did you save the borders, but you also saved the village's honor."
Kushina bowed respectfully. "I only did my duty. For Naruto. For Konoha."
Hiruzen rose from his seat and approached her.
"Not many shinobi could stand against the Raikage and still be standing afterward. You are no longer just the Jinchūriki—you are the symbol of Konoha's strength."
Kushina looked slightly surprised at the compliment.
"In that case... don't give me boring missions anymore, okay? At least give me ones worthy of all these bruises."
Hiruzen laughed.
"Very well. Starting tomorrow, you may choose your missions as you wish."