Chapter 82:- Another Uzumaki

After a while, Maki yawned, rubbing her arms against the cold. "I think I'll head back to the tent and try to get some sleep," she said softly, standing up and wrapping her blanket more snugly around her shoulders. "You should get some rest too, Kana-san, once your shift is over."

Kana smiled up at her. "I will. Thank you for keeping me company, Maki-chan."

Maki gave a small nod before heading back to the tent, her footsteps quiet in the snow. The fire crackled softly as Kana settled back into her thoughts, watching the flames flicker and sway.

About three hours later, the flap of the tent rustled again, and Akane stepped out, her breath visible in the cold air. She padded over to the fire, her long dark hair tumbling over her shoulders. "Mom, you should go get some rest. It's my shift now."

Kana looked up at her daughter with a smile. "Alright, Akane-chan. I suppose I should try to sleep a little." She stretched before standing up, pulling her blanket tighter around herself. But before she could walk away, she paused and turned back to Akane.

"By the way, have you thought about what you're going to give Ken-chan for the Rinne Festival?"

Akane sat down by the fire, her expression thoughtful. "I haven't decided yet," she admitted, gazing into the flames. "I'm planning to figure it out after the mission. Maybe I'll listen to what he says and get some clues. If nothing comes up, I'll just give him something I feel would be good for him."

Kana nodded, her expression softening. "That sounds like a good idea. Ken-chan is always so focused on others… it might be nice to surprise him."

Akane smiled, a hint of mischief in her eyes. "Yeah, I'll come up with something that'll catch him off guard."

With a quiet chuckle, Kana patted Akane's shoulder. "Goodnight, Akane-chan. Keep the fire going, and stay warm."

"I will. Sleep well, Mom."

Kana nodded and made her way back to the tent, leaving Akane alone with the crackling fire and the soft fall of snow around them.

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The next morning, the team awoke at first light, quickly packing up their campsite and eating a simple breakfast. The forest was peaceful as they resumed their journey, the hidden Grass Village drawing closer with every step. By mid-morning, the village's gates came into view, and they passed through without incident.

As they crossed into the village, Kana suddenly slowed her pace, her eyes narrowing in concentration. She could feel it—a faint but unmistakable pulse of chakra, one that was deeply familiar to her. Her heart raced.

"Mom?" Kenshin asked, noticing the change in her expression. "What is it?"

Kana turned her head toward the outskirts of the village, her senses fully focused. "There's an Uzumaki chakra… it's faint, but it's there." Her eyes flicked to Kenshin and Akane, then toward the distant hills just beyond the village.

"A familiar chakra?" Akane asked, her brow furrowing.

"Yes," Kana replied, already starting to move toward it. "But I can't tell who…"

"Wait," Yuki called out sharply, her voice filled with caution. "We need to deliver the scroll to the village leader first. That's the mission."

Kana hesitated for a brief moment but shook her head. "This can't wait. I have to know. They're someone close to me, I can tell that much." Without waiting for a response, she took off toward the outskirts of the village, her feet moving with urgency.

Kenshin exchanged a glance with Akane and Maki before nodding. "We're going with her," he said firmly, and the three of them followed, sprinting after Kana.

Yuki groaned in frustration, muttering under her breath. "You've got to be kidding me…" But she couldn't leave her team behind, and with a reluctant sigh, she dashed after them, catching up as they headed toward the outskirts.

As they neared the source of the chakra, the pulse grew slightly stronger, though still weak for an Uzumaki. Kana's mind raced, trying to figure out who it could be. The familiarity tugged at her, but it was frustratingly out of reach. Whoever it was… they were someone important.

Her feet barely touched the ground as she ran, her heart pounding in her chest. Whoever this was, she had to find them.

As Kana neared the outskirts of the village, her heart pounded in her chest, her feet carrying her toward a small, rundown house.

The chakra she sensed pulsed weakly, but there was no mistaking it—it was Uzumaki. The house was barely standing, the roof sagging in places, and the wood worn and splintered by time.

Kenshin, Akane, and Maki arrived just behind her, breathing heavily from the run. Yuki, coming up moments later, was less than pleased.

"Kana," Yuki called sharply, her eyes narrowing. "We talked about this—no distractions, no detours. The mission comes first." She placed her hands on her hips, her expression stern.

Kana turned toward Yuki, her eyes wide and frantic, the urgency in her expression clear. "I know what you said, Yuki, but this... this is something I can't ignore."

Yuki looked at her for a long moment, and the frustration in her eyes softened. She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Fine. Knock on the door and get this over with. But don't forget—our mission isn't done yet."

Despite her outward annoyance, there was a spark of curiosity in Yuki's eyes, wondering who this person could be.

Kana nodded and stepped forward, her hand trembling slightly as she raised it to knock on the door. She knocked gently but firmly, her voice steady despite her racing heart. "Please, open the door. We need to speak with you."

For a moment, there was silence. Then, a weak female voice responded from within, barely audible over the cold wind. "I'm sorry... I can't heal anyone today. Please... leave me be. At least let me die in peace."

The fragility in the voice made everyone's hearts ache. Kana frowned, not recognizing the voice but sensing the sorrow and exhaustion in it.

Kenshin stepped forward, his voice calm and kind. "We're not here for healing. We just want to talk. You may know us."

A brief pause followed, and then the voice answered again, softer this time. "I'm sorry... that was rude of me. Please... come in. I'm sorry for not being able to open the door."

Kana glanced back at the others before pushing the door open gently. Inside, the house was dimly lit and sparsely furnished, with the smell of age and decay hanging in the air.

As they stepped into the room, their eyes were drawn to a frail figure lying on a simple bed near the corner.

The woman before them was ancient by Uzumaki standards, her body shockingly thin, with almost no visible muscle, her hair long and white as snow.

Wrinkles lined her face, and her skin was marred by deep scars, bite marks that covered almost every inch of her entire body, and it seemed, even her private parts.

Her condition stunned them. Uzumaki were known for their incredible life force, and yet this woman seemed as though she had been drained of every last bit of vitality. Despite her frailty, she smiled weakly as they entered, attempting to sit up.

"Welcome," she said softly, her voice as fragile as her body. She tried to rise further but faltered, her limbs too weak to support her.

Kenshin quickly moved to her side, gently helping her lay back down. "Thank you, young man...." she whispered.

Kana knelt by her side, her heart twisting in pain at the sight of the woman. "What is your name?" the woman asked, her eyes clouded with age but sharp with recognition of something familiar.

Kana swallowed, her voice catching in her throat. "I am Kana Uzumaki," she said softly, reaching out to gently touch the woman's hand. "And these are my children—Akane Uchiha, my daughter, and Kenshin Uzumaki, my son."

The old woman's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of recognition crossing her features. "Kana-sama..." she whispered, her voice trembling. "Could it really be...?"

Kana felt her breath catch as the realization began to settle in. "Yukari...?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Is it really you? You're Yukari Uzumaki?"

The woman—Yukari—nodded slowly, her eyes filling with tears. "Kana-sama... I thought I'd never see you again."

Kana gripped her hand gently, her own tears welling up as she saw the state her closest friend was in. "Yukari... what happened to you?"

Yukari's gaze drifted downward, the weight of years of suffering etched into every line of her face. "I was brought here by a grass Shinobi I healed, and I... became the healer of this village, after I fled here when our clan was destroyed. At first, I thought I could help... but they began to... take advantage of me."

Her voice trembled with the weight of her story. "They would come to me for everything—every scratch, every bruise. And not just that... they... they violated me, used my abilities over and over to heal themselves, even for the smallest of injuries."

The room was silent, the horror of her words sinking in. Kana's fists clenched at her sides, her heart shattering at the thought of her friend enduring this for so long.

Yukari continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "My healing ability comes at a cost... every time someone bites into my skin, I heal them, but it takes away from my life force. I've been doing this for 32 years... until now, there's barely anything left of me."

Akane gasped softly, her hand covering her mouth in shock. Kenshin's eyes darkened with quiet fury, but he said nothing, standing rigidly beside his mother.

Kana was silent for a long moment, her voice breaking when she finally spoke. "Yukari... I'm so sorry."

Yukari shook her head weakly. "No, Kana-sama... you don't need to apologize. I chose to help, but I... I didn't realize how much they would take."

There was a long, heavy pause before Kana introduced the rest of the team, her voice still thick with emotion. "This is Maki, my daughter's best friend, and Yuki, our team's leader."

Yukari looked at them with soft eyes, nodding weakly. "Thank you all for coming... God listened to my prayers. I'm glad, I can die peacefully now."

Kana's heart clenched painfully as she held Yukari's frail hand, her tears falling freely. "You're not dying, Yukari. Not today," she whispered fiercely.

Unable to control herself any longer, Kana leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Yukari in a tight yet gentle embrace, careful not to hurt her fragile body. Yukari wept into her shoulder, their shared grief spilling out after decades of separation.

Kenshin, standing beside them, glanced at his mother and sister, then at Yukari's weakened form. He nodded in understanding when Kana turned to him, eyes pleading for him to help.

With a steady hand, Kenshin stepped forward, his eyes already shifting into the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, their intricate pattern glowing faintly in the dim light. His right eye focused on Yukari's frail body, and with a deep breath, he activated his healing ability.

He saw a dark blue light emitting from her body, although it wasn't turning white, meaning she wasn't dying immediately.

He used it's ability, and while the bite marks and scars didn't fade instantly, but a warmth seemed to return to her body. The exhaustion in her voice and face slowly lifted, replaced with a subtle, yet noticeable, change.

Yukari's chest rose and fell more easily now, her voice less fatigued as she spoke. "I feel... lighter," she whispered, her hand trembling as she placed it over her heart. "Thank you... Kenshin-sama. Your power is incredible."

Kenshin gave her a gentle smile, deactivating his Sharingan. "It will take some time," he said, estimating quietly, "judging by how long it took mom, I estimate about a month for full recovery."

Yukari closed her eyes, nodding in gratitude. "To be able to recover... after all these years," she whispered, tears of relief spilling down her cheeks.

Kenshin took a step back, glancing at Yuki for confirmation about his next suggestion. "We should bring her with us to the Hidden Leaf. She could recover there, with proper care."

Yuki immediately shook her head, her expression serious but calm. "No. As much as I want to agree with you, Kenshin, we can't. Taking her to the Leaf would cause political complications."

Yuki paused, noticing the shift in everyone's expression before continuing." The Hidden Grass is allied with both the Hidden Stone and Hidden Cloud, whom our village doesn't have a good relationship with. And with the current leadership tensions between us and the Grass, harboring one of their healers could lead to conflict. We can't risk that."

Kana, wiping her eyes, looked at Yuki with desperate hope. "But we can't leave her here. Not after what's been done to her."

Yuki placed a hand on Kana's shoulder. "I know. Believe me, I want to take her too. But we have to be careful." She glanced at Yukari, her heart clearly aching for her. "We'll figure something out, but it can't be an impulsive move."

Kana lowered her head, still cradling Yukari's hand in her own. "I won't let her stay here to suffer anymore." Her voice was resolute, though she understood the weight of Yuki's words.

The room was quiet for a moment as the gravity of the situation sank in.

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