39. Uzumaki Heritage

'Ugh…' Naruto groaned to himself as he opened his eyes.

Upon waking up, the blonde Uzumaki realized that he was lying horizontally on a bed. Instead of the open, windowless room in the Uzushiogakure Temple where he had last been fighting, he was in an illuminated bedroom. He pulled himself off the bed slowly and began looking around the room.

He was the only person present; nobody else was inside. The room itself was barren except for the bed and the seals on the wall that kept the room illuminated. The structure of the room resembled the rest of the building in the temple, suggesting that the blonde was still in the Uzushiogakure Temple. There was a window present in the room that revealed the full moon and nearby stars in the sky, revealing to Naruto that it was nighttime.

'… Where am I?' He questioned to himself. 'Where's Tayuya-nee and Karin? And what happened to the old guy?'

Naruto, still sore from his last fight, walked slowly towards the door in the room. He opened it and entered the large, circular, central room of the temple. Tayuya, Karin, Jiraiya, and Masakado were all present in the room. The two cousins had been quietly chatting to each other, Jiraiya was examining the rubble that once was a statue of the Rikudō Sennin, and Masakado was sitting down in silent meditation. All four shinobi heard the sound of Naruto opening the door and turned to face the blonde Uzumaki.

"And the sleeping princess finally wakes up!" Tayuya commented with a snicker. "Six hours later."

"Six hours?" Naruto's eyes widened in response.

"Are you alright Naruto?" Jiraiya questioned. The Sannin quickly moved away from the statue pieces and went over to his godson.

"… Fine. I'm just really sore and tired." Naruto replied. His voice reflected his physically tired state. Despite his own exhaustion, Naruto couldn't help but give his godfather a curious look. "How did you get in here, Ero-sennin? I thought only an Uzumaki could step into the village."

"I let him in." Masakado spoke up, getting Naruto's attention. The Sandaime Uzukage stood up from his spot and walked over to the boy. "I found him on the outside of the building trying to get through the blood seal I placed at the entrance. Since I was no longer fighting the three of you and I figured he would still be outside trying to unsuccessfully break in if I didn't do something, I just took down the seal for the moment."

"I would've broken your seal eventually, you know." Jiraiya grumbled in response immediately, in defense of his own skills.

"Bullshit. I designed that seal. There's not a damn way you would've broken in." Masakado stated dismissively.

"Er… So… You aren't fighting us anymore, right?" Naruto questioned the elder Uzumaki.

Masakado turned his attention back to Naruto. The blonde Uzumaki noticed that the man's whole demeanor was different than the man he and his cousins had fought. The Masakado standing in front of him did not appear to have any of the signs of visible anger on his face. He also seemed much older, reflecting his age. He carried himself a lot more modestly and his eyes seemed to wander the room in uncertainty.

"… I talked with your cousins, Tayuya and Karin, while you were unconscious. I…" Masakado sighed deeply before he found the ability to look Naruto in the eye. "I sincerely apologize about the circumstances of our meeting. My mind wasn't… thinking properly when we met."

"No shit. Fucking rage-induced homicidal asshole." Tayuya mumbled under her breath.

Masakado gave no reaction to the kunoichi's statement. Instead, the elder Uzumaki extended his hand forwards toward Naruto. "… In an attempt to start over, allow me to properly introduce myself. Uzumaki Masakado."

Naruto smiled and extended his hand. He shook hands with the man in front of him. "Uzumaki Naruto."

For the first time in years, Masakado let out a good-natured snicker at Naruto's name. Naruto gave the man a confused look, prodding him to continue.

"Forgive me. It just dawned on me that your name, although meaning maelstrom, also refers to those fishcakes you put in ramen." Masakado explained with another snicker. "I knew Kushina was obsessed with the damn food, but I didn't expect her to actually go out and name her kid after ramen."

"Actually," Jiraiya started to speak up, "Kushina named him after-"

"Wait, you knew my mom?" Naruto questioned, interrupting Jiraiya.

"I did." Masakado nodded his head in affirmation. "I was her fūinjutsu instructor from the age of five until she moved to Konoha. I knew her quite well."

"She talked quite a bit about you, you know." Jiraiya commented with a chuckle. "The infamous 'Seal Master Masakado'. You were the one who really started her interest in fūinjutsu. If it wasn't for you, she probably would not have even bothered with the art."

"… She talked about me, huh?" Masakado, once again for the first time in years, let a smile develop on his face. "Surprised she even bothered to listen to me. I was forty-five when her mother and father asked me to tutor her and she was the type of brat that would not respect anyone at or above the age of her parents. I thought wouldn't want to listen to an old fuck like me, but somehow I got her interested in fūinjutsu." The man sighed. "… She was a very sweet kid, though. She was one of my favorite students." He then shook his head slightly to the side. '… And definitely not a traitor. I know precisely why you were in Konoha. Kushina… wherever you are in the afterlife, please forgive me…'

"Can… I ask a few more questions about my mom? About what she was like growing up?" Naruto asked Masakado.

The elder Uzumaki immediately nodded his head. "I can do that, but in a little bit. Now that you're awake, I wanted to do some business with all of you." He then started to walk towards one of the doors in the room. "Naruto, Tayuya, Karin: can you all come with me? And… Jiraiya was it? Can I ask you to wait here for a little bit."

Naruto and Karin nodded their head and proceeded to stand up. They then quickly hurried over to Masakado and followed him. Tayuya seemed reluctant to join them, but ultimately sighed and followed her cousins. She gripped her flute tightly in her hands as she left the group, as if expecting another attack. Jiraiya, respectfully, stayed in the room. He quickly went back to examining the pieces of the Rikudō Sennin statue.

Masakado had led the three Uzumaki Cousins back to the room with the genealogy on the ceiling and walls. Once again, Naruto, Tayuya, and Karin began to look in various directions, taking in every name they saw on the wall.

"So who came up with the idea of this room?" Tayuya questioned.

"… This was the idea of the Shodai Uzukage, Uzumaki Rei." Masakado answered as his eyes moved towards Karin. "She was quite the lovely woman, from what I heard. She wanted to keep a complete record of our clan's genealogy for future Uzushiogakure shinobi. That way, not a single person would ever be forgotten. All Uzumaki would live forever and would be remembered within this room. It was the duty of the Uzukage to keep it up to date and record all births, weddings, and deaths of every shinobi in the village on these walls." Masakado then walked forward to the wall. "… And, judging by your presence here, I have three more names to add to the wall."

Naruto, Tayuya, and Karin looked at the man in surprise as he pulled out a pen and walked over to the wall to Kushina's name. He then looked over back to Naruto.

"Do you know what your father's name? I know he probably wasn't an Uzumaki, but he should probably be up on the wall." The Sandaime Uzukage questioned.

"… Namikaze Minato." Naruto answered after a moment as a smile on his face.

Masakado's eyes widened at the name. Despite shutting himself away from the outside world in Uzushiogakure since the invasion, he was not completely unaware of the events that happened in the Elemental Nations. He recognized Namikaze Minato's name instantly and chuckled.

"… Heh. He's on a small list of non-Uzumaki shinobi whose skill with fūinjutsu I respect. I'm not surprised Kushina was attracted to a seal master." The Sandaime Uzukage noted.

The man quickly wrote Minato's name on the wall. He then connected him to Kushina and wrote the name of 'Uzumaki Naruto' underneath. He then turned to face Tayuya, giving her a look. She grumbled under her breath for a moment before relenting the names.

"My parents were Uzumaki Arashi and Uzumaki Ami." She answered. "My father was Naruto's mother's cousin."

"I knew that. I knew your parents as well. Your mother was quite the polite young woman, but your father was fucking obnoxious. But I guess he was a good kid through and through." Masakado chuckled as he walked over to their names. His eyes then widened at a realization. "… Wait, how old are you? And are you in an only child?"

"Fourteen. And no." Tayuya answered. She gave the man a look of confusion. "What does that have to do anything?"

"… I knew your parents before the invasion of the village. They were both sixteen and both were already married." Masakado closed his eyes as he did some 'mental math' in his head. He then gave Tayuya a surprised look. "Your parents were pretty fucking old when they finally decided to have you. Did they make some commitment not to fuck for the first fifteen years of marriage?"

"H-How the hell would I know that? I don't want to talk or think about my parents' sex lives dammit!" Tayuya hissed quickly. Her face was bright red in embarrassment at the thought.

Unlike her, Masakado was able to push the thought aside. He proceeded to write 'Uzumaki Tayuya' underneath the names of her parents. His attention then moved to the third Uzumaki cousin. He made a gesture, prodding her to name her parents. Karin, in response, sighed.

"I actually don't know who my parents were. I was an orphan in Kusa." Karin answered with a frown on her face. "You can just put my name in a corner or something… or do nothing. I don't have to have a place on the wall."

"All Uzumaki's have a place on the wall." The Sandaime Uzukage dismissed her suggestion immediately. He then moved over to a separate section of the wall and began to examine names. A few seconds passed by before his eyes moved back to look at Karin. "During our battle… I noticed you heal Tayuya by allowing her to bite into your skin. That's a very unique quality your life force has that not every Uzumaki possesses. Only the line of the Uzumaki Rei had that ability."

Karin's eyes widened at the statement. "You think I'm related to the Shodai Uzukage?"

"Not think. If your life force has that quality, then you are." Masakado replied with a shrug as his eye moved to Uzumaki Rei's name on the wall. He then moved downward. "She had two daughters. One of them died early in her life, unmarried. The other married and had one kid." He moved down the genealogy to another set of names. "This one also married and had two more children: a son and a girl. Those two were in my generation and I knew them both well. The son, unfortunately, died on a mission and didn't father any children. The daughter, a girl named Uzumaki Keiko, however, did marry and had a son just a few days before the invasion. I actually met her son a few times before the invasion and I recall him having poor vision and needing glasses."

Masakado pointed to a new name. Karin walked forward slowly and looked at the name.

"Uzumaki Hiro…" She mumbled. Her eyes moved to Masakado as she gave him a pleading look. "Was he… my father?"

"Logically, he has to be." Masakado replied with a chuckle. "He was a good kid. All of your parents were good kids." A frown then crept onto his face as he let out a sigh. "… They didn't deserve to die as young as they all did."

"… You're the fakest piece of shit I've ever met." Tayuya declared.

The former Sound Four member walked forward to the Sandaime Uzukage and pointed her flute directly at the man, as if it was a kunai. Masakado had no reaction to her comment. He simply gave her a confused look.

"Just a few fucking hours ago, our parents were traitors to you and you were trying to kill us. Now, just because you fucking taught Naruto's mom when she was a kid, you're mourning their deaths? You're claiming them to be good people now? Just after spitting on their legacies?" Tayuya spat on the ground directly at Masakado's feet. "You disgust me, old man."

"Tayuya!" Naruto called out with a frown on his face. He walked forward to the two and attempted to step in-between them. "Enough."

"Bah!" The kunoichi scoffed.

Within seconds, Tayuya turned around and stormed out of the room, slamming the wooden door shut. Naruto immediately rushed after the girl, shouting her name. Karin and Masakado were left in the room alone. Karin looked in concern at Masakado, who had a blank look on his face.

"Don't think too much about what she says, Masakado." Karin informed him. "Tayuya's the type to hold grudges and anger easily. She doesn't really mean anything-"

"I really don't mind it. It's the truth after all." Masakado interrupted the Kusa kunoichi with a sigh. He then walked over to the door and opened it. "… That's all I really had to do at the moment with you all. You should probably go and find your cousins."

With those words, Masakado left the room. Karin, left alone, quickly left the room. She then began to look for Naruto and Tayuya.

"Tayuya-nee! Wait!" Naruto called out to her.

The blonde Uzumaki followed Tayuya out of the temple and into the ruined city of Uzushiogakure. The flute-playing kunoichi didn't appear to have a particular direction she was going in; she was just trying to get away. She gave no response to Naruto's shouting. That, however, did not stop Naruto.

"Tayuya!" He yelled out her name again.

The Konoha shinobi proceeded to walk faster in his approach towards Tayuya. He was now starting to catch up to her. Just as he was about to reach her, however, the girl proceeded to turn around and face him directly. A scowl was on her face as she pointed her index finger directly at him.

"What the fuck do you want me to do, Naruto? You want me to just bend over and forgive him because he apologized and doesn't want to fight? Fuck that!" She hissed. "He just tried to kill us; tried to kill you for fuck's sake. All of it was under the premise that our parents were all traitorous scum!"

"He didn't mean it. He just admitted that our parents weren't!" Naruto explained. "His mind was just-"

"I don't care what his mind was like or what he was thinking about! That doesn't change what he said and what he did. I know my parents weren't traitors and he spat on their legacy!" Tayuya continued to yell. "He did the same thing to your mother, the person he taught and knew so well too, you know? I don't know why you aren't at all offended by his bullshit, but I sure as hell am!"

"I-" Naruto opened his mouth but was interrupted by Tayuya, who brought her index finger closer to Naruto's face.

"No, don't try to defend him. I'm tired of hearing his excuses and excuses for him. He went on-and-on about this shit when you were unconscious. It was bullshit then and it still is now." She rolled her eyes. "Seriously, give me one good reason why I should bother him. Tell me why I should even put up with his crap."

Naruto's mind was running rampant as he tried to think of a reason to give to Tayuya. This caused him to wonder his own personal feelings towards Masakado. Although he was interested in his relationship with his mother, he would still have to admit that he didn't like the man too much. He was still pretty rude, said very nasty things before their fight, and did try to kill them, as Tayuya had said. If it wasn't for the Kyūbi, Naruto would probably have been killed by him! What was stopping Naruto from hating the man the same way Tayuya hated him?

The answer came relatively quickly to his mind.

"When I was fighting him, just before I fell unconscious, I said something that caused him to stop fighting. I don't really remember what I said or know why it stopped him, but he started to cry." Naruto recalled to his cousin.

"I remember." Tayuya nodded her head. "Your point, though?"

"… We know what that scroll that Karin had found said. He was supposed to invent a seal to protect Uzushiogakure from the invasion, but he wasn't able to do it and the village was destroyed. His family and the village that was elected to protect had all died in front of him. And he could trace all of the blame back to himself. I… I really don't know how anybody would be able to handle that. I know I couldn't." Naruto commented with a sigh. "His mind obviously couldn't handle it either. His mind was filled with nothing but built-in anger and self-hatred that he took out on the only thing in front of him at the time, which was us. I… I really don't think he would normally do that."

"… And I understand all of that. I understand why he would have gone insane and shit." Tayuya acknowledged. Still, she was giving Naruto the same questioning the look. "But why should that excuse his actions?"

"His mind is clearly in a better place!" The Uzumaki declared. "He regrets what he did and has admitted that he messed up! At this point, there is nothing we can do but forgive him."

"He can be sorry all he wants. I don't give a shit." Tayuya rolled her eyes. "I'm not the forgiving type."

"… But you should be. Everybody should be." Naruto informed him sharply. "What if I didn't forgive you? For all the work you did with Orochimaru?"

Tayuya's eyes widened in response at Naruto's comment. The two had not discussed Orochimaru much since their initial conversation in the jail cell at Konoha. The former Sound Four member recalled Naruto's relationship with Mitarashi Anko, Orochimaru's former student, and remembered that Naruto had been attacked by the deceased Sannin. He had plenty of reasons to hate Orochimaru's existence… and by association, hers.

Hesitantly, Tayuya brought her index finger down from in-front of Naruto's face. She brought her hands together and started to look anxious.

"Why did you forgive me, then? Why don't you hate me?" She asked quietly. "Because you have every right to hate my fucking guts. And I would if I were in your shoes."

"Two reasons. One, because I don't want to hate anybody." Naruto admitted plainly. "When you hate somebody, you become someone like Masakado was when he attacked us. It's a consuming emotion. You don't think straight. You just focus on your hate and it makes you somebody who you are not. I… I want to avoid hating anybody that I think has some good in them." A small frown developed on Naruto's face. "I used to hate Iwa shinobi for all of the things they did to Konoha during the Third Shinobi War, but once I met a few Iwa shinobi on a mission, I realized that they were people like me that suffered then during the war at Konoha's hand. It made me realize that hate only clouds people's minds. I only thought of them as if they were demons, but it turns out, they were no different than me."

"… The second reason?" Tayuya questioned.

"Because you aren't a bad person." Naruto informed her with a smile. Tayuya's eyes widened at that answer. "You may have been working for Orochimaru, but you were just trying to find more members of the Uzumaki Clan. It may not make it easy to forget things you've done… but it shows that you aren't a bad person and that you deserve a second chance. You're my cousin, Tayuya-nee." Naruto's face smile dropped slightly as he gave her a serious look. "And Masakado is family to us as well. And I know he's not a bad person and I know you that too. For the same reasons that I can't hate you, I can't hate him."

"… I don't think I'm able to share those feelings." Tayuya mumbled in response. "I'm not you, Naruto. I'm not a forgiving person."

The blonde Uzumaki shook his head. "You don't have to be me. You just need to understand where Masakado was coming from. I… I don't think you have to fully forgive him. Just don't hate him for what he's done and try to move on from there."

Tayuya remained silent as she processed Naruto's words. She turned away from him and began to stare into the night sky in deep thought. Naruto stayed by her side, but remained quiet while she thought to herself.

"Naruto! Tayuya!"

While Tayuya didn't seem to pay attention, Naruto turned his head towards the sound of the voice. Karin was running over towards them. The girl breathed heavily once she finally arrived at their location, but then gave her cousins a concerned look.

"Is everything okay?" She questioned.

Naruto shrugged in response. He and Karin turned to face Tayuya, who was still staring into the sky. Roughly a minute passed before she finally turned her head back towards her cousins. A small smile graced her lips.

"I'm fine. Just need to think." She replied. "We should probably head back to the temple, huh?"

With that suggestion, the three Uzumaki cousins started to walk back towards the temple. Naruto and Karin chatted to each other about various topics. Tayuya listened half-heartedly, but her mind was still focused on Naruto's words to her about Masakado and herself.

'Move on, huh?' Tayuya mentally repeated the words.

Masakado had returned to the large, open room in the Uzushiogakure Temple. Jiraiya was still there, examining the statue. The Sandaime Uzukage didn't pay much attention to him and simply sat down in meditation.

A few seconds of silence passed before Jiraiya finally stopped his investigation and turned his head towards Masakado. The Sannin seemed to notice tension on the Uzumaki's face.

"You want to talk?" He questioned. "Contrary to popular belief, I'm not a bad guy. I can listen if you have something you want to rant about."

"Talk? Rant?" Masakado scoffed. "I'm a seventy-seven year old man who has spent the last twenty-seven years of my life with my only conversational partners being moles. I don't really consider myself as somebody good at talking."

"… Well then, do you mind if I talk to you and ask some questions?" Jiraiya asked out of curiosity. Masakado gave no verbal response, which the Sannin took as his permission to question him. "Why did you never leave Uzushiogakure? Why didn't you let anybody know you were still alive?"

"Who would I have let known? I guarantee I would have had Kumo, Kiri, and Iwa on my ass trying to kill me if they knew I survived the invasion." Masakado scoffed. "… I suppose I could've informed someone in Konoha, like Sarutobi Hiruzen, but I didn't care to say anything. I'm still pissed that he didn't send anybody to help Uzushio."

"We found out about the invasion too late." Jiraiya stated quickly.

"I realize that. Having said that, it doesn't change my feelings. I'm still pissed that you all couldn't do anything." The Sandaime Uzukage replied with a scowl. "… But I suppose the main reason I didn't do anything was because I've been working non-stop on a seal that would fix everything."

"A seal?" Jiraiya questioned.

"How familiar are you with the concept of time travel?" Masakado questioned.

Jiraiya gave Masakado a confused look at the question. 'Time travel' was a concept that many scientists and seal masters have tried to study. The idea of going back in time to fix mistakes was something that could appeal to nearly every person. Even Jiraiya would have to admit that was something he had considered looking into. However, every attempt by anybody to research time travel proved fruitless. Time travel appeared to be something only capable in fiction: not in reality.

"What about it?" He finally questioned after a moment of silence.

"I've tried to accomplish time travel now for the past twenty-five years." Masakado admitted with a frown. "I've obtained all possible notes and research on space-time and have tried to design a seal that would be able to take me back in time to the day of the invasion… and allow me the chance to fix everything and to save my people. I've spent every day for twenty-five years trying to figure out how… and have failed each time."

Jiraiya's eyes softened at the answer.

"… If you can't perform it, then it must be impossible." The Sannin commented sadly.

"I suppose… but I still have to keep trying. I made an advancement in the last two years that I've been working with that I think may hold the key." The Uzumaki replied.

"How so?" Jiraiya gave the man an incredulous look.

"… Although I think you'd understand the theory behind it, I think it might be easier to simply show you." Masakado informed him as he stood up.

The Uzumaki walked over to Jiraiya and pulled out an elaborate seal from his jacket's sleeve. He then placed the seal directly on Jiraiya's forehead.

"… This may seem odd, but you have to trust that I have a reason for my actions. I want you to hurry over to the other side of the room. Once you get there, I want you to stab yourself in the hand with a kunai."

Jiraiya gave the man a curious look, but nodded in understanding. Relenting to the man's request, the Sannin quickly rushed over to the other side of the room. He then pulled out a kunai and proceeded to stab his hand. He winced slightly in pain as blood started to drip from the wound.

Once Jiraiya finished his request, Masakado went through a long series of hand signs. "Fūinjutsu: Chrono-Reversal!"

The seal on Jiraiya's forehead proceeded to glow a bright blue color. Instantaneously, the blue light surrounded his body, encasing him. The blue light quickly moved backwards towards Jiraiya's initial position right by Masakado's side. Upon arrival, the blue light released Jiraiya and faded away. The seal on the Sannin's head proceeded to immediately disintegrate once the jutsu was complete.

Jiraiya was currently in a daze and seemed confused about his position. He looked around, trying to understand what had happened and why he had moved. He then noticed something; he was no longer feeling pain. He quickly turned his attention to the hand that he had stabbed with his kunai only to notice that there was no wound. It appeared as if he was standing exactly where he had been and that he had never even been injured.

"What… the…" Jiraiya mumbled to himself. His mind was trying to understand what had just happened to him.

"Erk!"

As Jiraiya was slowly trying to understand what had happened, Masakado proceeded to fall to the ground. Jiraiya rushed over to the man's side and tried to help him up, but the Uzumaki seemed incapable of standing at the moment. He was breathing very heavily and struggling to remain conscious.

"Bad… decision. I shouldn't have used that jutsu so soon after my fight with those three kids." Masakado mumbled as he winced in pain. Despite the pain in his body, however, he turned to face Jiraiya and gave him a curious look. "Do you… understand what I just did, though?"

"Did you just take me back in time?" Jiraiya questioned in amazement.

"In a loose sense… I suppose." The Sandaime Uzukage replied with a chuckle. With a grunt, the man managed to pull himself off the ground. He took a deep breath, trying to still ignore the pain, before continuing to speak to Jiraiya. "That seal I put on your head is my most advanced creation based on over twenty years of research on space-time. It records a direct copy of your body's physical condition and its placement in accordance to its surroundings. It constantly stays up to date with every action you make. Once activated, it recreates the recorded image and forces your body to return to those conditions." Masakado mumbled. He closed his eyes in thought, as if trying to come up with the words to explain his technique. "It's not fully time travel, but it allows the person affected to travel back to a specific place that the seal recorded and keeps their physical condition the way it was then."

"… Essentially, this jutsu forces a person to move through space back to where they had been and heals any wounds that they may have taken during that time period." Jiraiya realized.

"That's one way to put it, yes." Masakado commented. "… How long you travel back in time depends on the person using the jutsu, but it seems to be limited at thirty seconds max. It's not much, but I'm trying to find some way to expand on this jutsu and create full-scale time travel."

"Not much?" Jiraiya shook his head. The Sannin was completely stunned about the existence of this technique and couldn't understand what Masakado meant. "This is a huge advancement in the field of fūinjutsu! Do you have any idea how many lives this one seal could save? This could allow seal masters to save the lives of their comrades during any mission and prevent so many needless deaths! How is this not that much?"

"It's not what I was trying to create dammit! I want to go back in time to save my family and village; not heal some fucking wounds from the past thirty seconds. That's how it's not that much to me!" Masakado growled.

"Still-"

"Even then, it's not much because the jutsu has way too much limiting factors to really be able to 'save' as many lives as you think it could." The Sandaime Uzukage informed Jiraiya sharply. He then held out his index finger. "One: the user of the jutsu must be the person who created the seal. And to be completely honest, there are only three people other than myself who I would even trust to attempt to create the seal. All three of those people are dead."

Masakado then held out his middle finger. "Two: this jutsu can be messed up badly. This ties in with my last point. If someone attempts this jutsu and is unable to use it, they could potentially erase the person that they are trying to save from the space-time continuum. They'd kill the person. I could easily see this jutsu actually being the thing that truly kills people; not saves them."

The Sandaime Uzukage then proceeded to hold out his ring finger. "And three: the shear amount of chakra this jutsu requires. I'm fucking drained right now. I can only practice with my research with this jutsu once a day with how physically draining it is to me. Right now, if you tried to kill me, there's not a damn thing I could do about it. And if any seal master somehow managed to pull this jutsu off on the battlefield, they won't be able to do anything else for the rest of the battle. They'd simply be waiting for an enemy to come and kill them."

Jiraiya remained quiet for a moment. He closed his eyes in deep thought as he began to process Masakado's words about the 'limitations' of the jutsu.

"Not trying to really be rude about it, but I'm just explaining facts about the jutsu." Masakado mentioned with a shrug. "It's not the lifesaving technique you think it is. It's just a small advancement that I hope can help lead to some form of time travel."

"… What if I had somebody that could do this jutsu?" Jiraiya spoke up.

"Hmm?" The Sandaime Uzukage raised an eyebrow at the Sannin.

"I… I think I know somebody who has enough chakra and general strength that they'd be able to use this technique properly without draining themselves in a battlefield." The Toad Sage stated. "Would you be willing to teach it to them if they could do it?"

"It's just a jutsu for my research. Nothing more." Masakado dismissed the comment.

"But if I had somebody that could do it... if I had somebody that could do a lot of good with this technique, would you teach it to them?" Jiraiya continued to question.

The Uzumaki remained quiet for a moment until he shrugged and started to speak. For the moment, he would humor the man. "Well, yeah. If I actually thought they could learn the jutsu and actually use it the way you think they could, then I'd help. But, again, we're talking hypotheticals. I doubt this person has as much chakra as you're talking about, but assuming they did, are they that skilled at fūinjutsu to pull it off?"

"They haven't studied it yet." Jiraiya stated. A scowl developed on Masakado's face. The Sannin spoke up quickly. "But he's very quick at learning and has an interest to start learning fūinjutsu. And he definitely has the necessary chakra reserves and physical conditions to handle the draining aspect of the jutsu. I think… no, I know! I know he'd be able to learn this jutsu and use it to save his comrades during battle."

"And this person would be?" The Uzukage demanded.

Before Jiraiya could answer, the door to the room opened up. Naruto, Tayuya, and Karin entered the room. The three Uzumaki cousins walked over to the two seal masters.

"Sorry about that." Naruto apologized to them. "We just had something to do for a moment."

"That's fine. Masakado and I were just having a lovely talk." Jiraiya answered. "… Anyway, now that you are here, I was thinking of asking you all something. We can technically return to Konoha whenever we want. However, I'd think I would like to stay here for just a few more days. A week tops. It's here I would like to begin some training with you three on fūinjutsu."

"Fūinjutsu?" Karin questioned in surprise. "… And you want to work with all three of us?"

"Really? Really Ero-sennin?" Naruto seemed as if he was about to jump up-and-down in excitement at the thought of learning fūinjutsu.

"Of course I want to work with all three of you. It's in the Uzumaki blood and I haven't taught fūinjutsu to somebody in years. This could be good for all of us. Besides, the world needs more seal masters." Jiraiya commented. He then turned his head towards Masakado. "Would you like to help me teach them, Masakado?"

Masakado didn't say anything at first. He began to notice something: Jiraiya's eyes were subtly moving back-and-forth from Naruto to Masakado. A thought entered the man's mind.

'Is he the boy Jiraiya said would be capable?' He realized. 'Hmm… I guess I can find out.'

"… I'll help. If they want my help, that is." The elder Uzumaki stated.

To everyone's surprise, Tayuya stepped forward and bowed at Masakado. She then looked up and gave him a curious look.

"So, when do we start… Masakado-sensei?" Tayuya questioned.

Masakado's eyes were wide in surprise at her question, her tone, and her overall behavior. It took him a few seconds to recover from the shock. A genuine smile crossed his lips.

'… Whether or not I can teach Naruto the jutsu, I think I'll enjoy teaching them regardless. This world needs a reminder that the Uzumaki Clan fūinjutsu is still alive, after all.' He noted to himself. "We'll start first thing tomorrow."

On the boat to Mizu no Kuni, the merchants were all crowded together in the hold of the ship, trying to sleep. On the outside of the ship, the four Konoha shinobi were there, rotating shifts between sleeping and keeping watch. Dosu was currently on watch and, therefore, was standing in the crow's nest, looking out for any incoming ships. Anko and Shikamaru were fast asleep as they waited for their shifts. Hinata, in theory, would be sleeping with them. However, she found herself unable to sleep. Instead, she was at the edge of the ship, doing her best not to vomit.

"J-Just get through the night. Only one and a half days left." Hinata mumbled to herself.

Like father like daughter, the Hyūga heiress suffered the same condition that her father had on his first mission: seasickness. The movement of the ship was random and unsettling to her and generated the urge to throw-up. Hinata, at the moment, wanted nothing more than to get off the ship and to set foot on solid earth again.

'How do sailors do this every day? I would hate this…' She commented before feeling something come up in her throat. 'Erk…'

"Are you alright, Hinata-san?"

Hinata didn't even bother to respond to the voice: she simply bent over the side of the building and proceeded to throw-up. A moment passed before the urge died down and she returned to her original position. She took in a deep sigh before turning to face the source of the voice: the merchant, Haku.

"Haku-san…" Hinata blushed in embarrassment at being caught doing something so 'vulgar' in front of somebody else. "I, uh, didn't know you were still awake."

"I don't sleep too well. I'm more of a night person." Haku replied with a smile. "Are you having trouble sleeping too? Seasick?"

The kunoichi opened her mouth to respond, but the urge to vomit arose again. She quickly covered her mouth and tried to resist the urge. Haku proceeded to laugh quietly in response, causing her cheeks to redden once again.

"S-Sorry. I'm not, well, really used to this." She mumbled to herself.

"No one is. Sea travel isn't the most pleasant experience. Especially in a boat like this." The merchant chuckled. He then reached into the pocket of his kimono and pulled out a vial that contained a brownish colored plant. "Why don't you try one of these?"

Hinata took the vial from Haku's hands and examined the plant. She recognized it almost immediately. "Ginger?"

"Mhmm. It will help with the seasickness." The boy told her with a gentle smile.

Hinata, after a moment of thought, proceeded to open up the vial and took out one of the plant herbs. She then proceeded to place it in her mouth and chew it. She then returned the vial back to Haku while she swallowed it.

"Thank you very much. I appreciate it." She told him with a smile of her own. "I never actually heard about ginger helping with seasickness before."

"Don't thank me. It's nothing much." Haku replied with a chuckle. "It also helps with motion sickness in general."

"I'll keep that in mind. I like working with natural remedies, so I'll definitely make a note of that in my books." Hinata replied with a giggle. "Are you familiar with other plants and herbs?"

"I am. I loved looking at flowers and collecting them. My mother taught me everything she knew about them before she passed away." Haku explained. His smile gained a sad-quality to it.

Hinata immediately bowed her head towards the boy. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't apologize. It happened long ago. I had time to heal." He replied. The boy's eyes then focused in on the Hyūga. "Hinata-san, do you care if I ask you a personal question? Feel free to say no."

She quickly shook her head in response. "Go ahead. What do you want to know?"

"Why are you a shinobi? What made you want that type of lifestyle?" Haku questioned.

Hinata gave the boy a surprised look. She didn't assume he would ask a question like that. The girl, however, didn't mind the question and closed her eyes, trying to come up with an answer that would satisfy him. After a few seconds of thought, she opened her eyes again and started to speak.

"I want to protect Konoha and do what I can for my village. I want to make myself strong so I can help the people in my life and protect them." Hinata answered simply.

"So it's about protecting." Haku mumbled to himself. "Do you have somebody precious to you?"

"Many people." The Hyūga heiress nodded her head in affirmation. Images of her family, her classmates, and her friends entered her mind. An image of Naruto, however, lasted the longest in her head and caused her to blush. "… Naruto-kun…"

"Hmm? Who is that?" The merchant questioned.

"Eh?" Hinata, unaware that she said his name, gave Haku a confused look. Realizing that she, indeed, mumbled his name, the girl started to blush further in embarrassment. "H-He's just somebody really close to me. S-Someone that I've always respected and-"

"Maybe love?" Haku guessed. Hinata didn't immediately respond, causing the boy to chuckle. "I don't know much about that kind of love, but I can tell you must feel strongly about him. I've seen that far-off look and blush on your face from time-to-time during our time together. You think about him a lot, don't you?"

"I do." Hinata admitted with a sigh. A smile developed on her face as the blush started to fade. "I… plan on talking to him the next time I see him and admit my own feelings. And w-whether or not he reciprocates, I don't care. I just want to finally let him know what he means to me."

"That's a good idea. Let him know and just see what happens." Haku advised with a gentle smile.

"Mhmm." The Hyūga nodded her head.

She was about to say something else in response, but she found herself yawning instead. Haku proceeded to chuckle once again.

"Tired? No longer feeling seasick?" He questioned.

"Yeah… I am. And, honestly, I'm starting to feel a little better." Hinata commented with a smile. "Thank you so much for the ginger, Haku-san. And for the talk. I really enjoyed it."

"Don't think anything of it. I'm lucky to have you shinobi escorting me back to my home." The merchant replied. "You get some sleep. I'll probably stay up just a little longer."

"I will." Hinata nodded her head. She then gave Haku a friendly hug before starting to walk off. "Goodnight."

Haku waved goodbye to the kunoichi. When he noticed that she was gone and had returned to her quarters next to Anko and Shikamaru, the merchant sighed. He then looked out towards the sea with a sad smile on his face.

'I hope everything works out for you, Hinata-san, and that you can make it home in one piece to tell him how you feel.' Haku mentally sighed. '… Hopefully everything works out for all of us in these next few days. Zabuza-sama… I'll be there soon. Stay safe!'

As soon as daylight hit the ruined village of Uzushiogakure, Naruto, Tayuya, and Karin were forced awake by Jiraiya and Masakado. The three Uzumaki cousins were yawning and appeared annoyed as the two seal masters rushed them out of the temple. The group then proceeded to sit down on the ground as they began their lesson.

"So, you all know the basics about fūinjutsu, correct? What its use is and the general principles about how it works?" Masakado questioned.

"Basically, you use a mixture of ink and chakra to create a particular seal on paper." Tayuya answered with a yawn. "This can be used for different shit, but the main things are sealing objects, unseal objects, and restrict movement of some sort."

"For the most part, correct. However, it doesn't necessarily have to be ink. The medium could be blood. And the uses for fūinjutsu are limitless." The Sandaime Uzukage declared, passion evident in his voice. "The only limiting factors are the seal master's skill and their creativity. You can do roughly anything with it based on what type of chakra you encode into the seal, what type of seal you drew, what medium you use-"

"Again, to reiterate what he said: the potential of fūinjutsu is only limited by your own capabilities." Jiraiya declared, interrupting the Uzukage.

"… Why aren't there more seal masters, then?" Karin questioned in confusion. "If the potential is near limitless, wouldn't it make sense for everyone to practice fūinjutsu then?"

"There are a couple of reasons, but the main reason behind it is the complexity of the art." Jiraiya answered.

"Let me demonstrate." Masakado requested as he pulled out two pieces of paper and a pen.

The Sandaime Uzukage quickly drew an elaborate seal on one of the papers. By the time he finished, he attached the seal to a kunai knife and tossed it into the sky. He then made a singular hand sign, causing the seal to explode and create fireworks in the sky. The three Uzumaki cousins watched in amazement.

"Wow!" Naruto gasped.

"It's so pretty…" Karin mumbled.

"That was a seal done correctly. Now, observe this." Masakado declared, calling their attention.

Masakado, once again, began drawing an elaborate seal on the second paper. This time, however, he made one singular stroke on the paper differently. Once the seal was complete, he attached it to a kunai knife and tossed it into the sky. He made the same hand sign. Instead of exploding and releasing more fireworks, however, the seal merely caught on fire and disappeared.

"What happened?" Tayuya questioned.

"The seal didn't work. That's what happens when there is a mistake in the creation process of a seal. Even if it's a minor mistake, it can still ultimately ruin the jutsu. Fūinjutsu is not a forgiving art. It will punish the user if they make even the slightest of mistakes." Masakado informed them.

"Now, the seal only disappeared from existence because of the nature of the technique. However, some seals, like seals that directly affect the user, can have a lot more drastic effects if they are ultimately done incorrectly." Jiraiya explained. He then turned to face Naruto. "Naruto, your father had to design a seal when using the Hiraishin no Jutsu – the Flying Thunder God Technique. If he made a single mistake when making the seal that he was using, he could have potentially destroyed himself."

Naruto's eyes widened in fear. "R-Really?"

"It's a dangerous art, kid, but filled with dangerous possibilities for your enemies." Masakado declared with a shrug. "But I hope that helps you all understand how important it is to do things right with fūinjutsu. It will help explain the first step to learning fūinjutsu."

Jiraiya and Masakado both pulled out three scrolls and handed them to the three Uzumaki cousins. They then handed them separate ink pens. Once each Uzumaki had their tools, Masakado pulled out a fourth scroll and laid it out in front of them. Written on the scroll were various kanji, ranging from kanji of the natural elements to kanji that represented abstract concepts, like 'time' or 'health'. Altogether, there were twenty different symbols on the scroll.

"To figure out where to start, though, were going to see how your penmanship is. I want you all to copy these kanji perfectly onto your scrolls." Masakado informed them. "This is a test to see how precise your penmanship and your brush strokes. It's the simplest task involved, but it's also the easiest thing to fuck up. And, if you truly intend to add fūinjutsu to your repertoire, you can't afford to fuck up when designing your seals."

"Easy." Tayuya rolled her eyes. "Any random person can write properly. This won't be hard at all."

"Oh?" Masakado raised one of his eyebrows. "Alright, start copying. You have thirty seconds."

"Thirty seconds?" Naruto shouted loudly.

"Twenty-nine… twenty-eight…" The Sandaime Uzukage continued to count.

Frantically, the three Uzumaki cousins began to copy down the kanji onto their own scrolls. Masakado proceeded to count down from thirty to one. By the time he finished, the three Uzumaki's were still writing.

"Stop. That's all the time you had." He ordered. "… Jiraiya, how did they do?"

Jiraiya quickly rushed over and took the scrolls away from the Uzumaki cousins. He then started to examine them. A frown developed on his face.

"None of them finished. Karin wrote sixteen kanji, Naruto managed twelve, and Tayuya just hit ten. Having said that, not all of the kanji were done correct. I can see brushstrokes that were missed and Tayuya forgot a complete radical in the kanji for 'time'." He answered.

Masakado took the scrolls and examined them himself. He brought the palm of his left hand to his face and sighed upon seeing the results.

"… This is going to take a while, it seems." He grumbled.

"What was the point of a time limit?" Karin questioned.

"Yeah, what the fuck?" Tayuya hissed.

"Do you really think that if you try and draw a seal on the battlefield that an enemy shinobi will simply wait and let you draw your seal undisturbed? Fuck no!" Masakado rolled his eyes. "If you want to even dare consider yourself a student of fūinjutsu, you need to be able to produce a seal instantly on command. If you can't do that, then forget about using this type of jutsu in battle. Period."

Tayuya grumbled in response, but did not backtalk him. She, Naruto, and Karin seemed to accept his answer. A few seconds passed before Naruto opened his mouth.

"So… can we practice again?" He requested.

Masakado gave no verbal reply. Instead, he responded by returning their scrolls to them. Naruto, Tayuya, and Karin began practicing again right away and the timer was started once more.

"Alright, that's enough for now." Jiraiya spoke up.

The group had spent six straight hours of practicing speed-writing different kanji. It was a tedious session, but the quality was improving. Naruto, Tayuya, and Karin proved to be capable of drawing twenty unique kanji in thirty seconds quite well. The quality of their writing still needed to be improved, but they were getting the speed down. That was a step in the right direction, so far.

"We'll get back to work on improving the quality of your strokes in a little bit, but for now, I want to start working on another concept." Masakado informed them.

The Sandaime Uzukage proceeded to lead the group back towards the temple. They remained outside, standing just by the front doors. Upon arrival, Masakado pulled out three slips of sealing paper and handed it to Naruto, Tayuya, and Karin.

"We practiced, in a very general form, the idea of writing and creating seals at a rapid rate. Now, I'd like to start practicing on the other general idea that is required for fūinjutsu: sealing your chakra inside them." Masakado informed them.

"And how do we go about doing that?" Karin questioned.

"You all did those basic chakra control exercises, right? Balancing the leaf on your forehead, walking up trees, etc. All that basic stuff?" Jiraiya asked. The three Uzumaki cousins nodded. "It's a very similar to that."

"How we're going to start is by having you all seal a small portion of your chakra into the sealing paper so that it'll stick to the wall without falling." Masakado informed them.

To demonstrate, Jiraiya pulled out his own sealing paper. He placed the paper on the wall and kept his index finger on it. A second passed by and Jiraiya removed his finger. The paper remained stuck to the wall.

"It's a simple exercise, but it helps you all start with placing your chakra within seals, which is a necessity for legitimately every sealing technique." The Sandaime Uzukage commented. "Try it yourselves."

Naruto, Tayuya, and Karin nodded their heads in understanding. They then walked over to the wall of the building and placed the seal on the wall, holding it in place with their index fingers.

"Mold chakra into your finger." The Uzukage continued to explain. "Once you feel like you have chakra into your finger, attempt to release it from the chakra points in your finger alone. It will have nowhere to go except for the paper. Apply just the right amount of chakra it would take to keep a leaf on top of your head."

The three Uzumaki cousins attempted to take Masakado's advice to heart and channeled their chakra into their fingers. They then tried to transfer that chakra to the sealing paper. A few seconds passed by before they let go of the papers. Naruto's and Tayuya's papers immediately fell to the ground. Both cousins appeared to look sheepish at the display.

Masakado brought his palms to his face, grumbling quietly to himself. Jiraiya snorted, trying to resist full-out laughing at the elder Uzumaki's frustration.

"At least Karin's paper remained on the wall." Jiraiya replied with a shrug in a slight attempt to make Masakado pleased.

As if on cue, Karin's paper fell off the wall and landed on the ground. Jiraiya could no longer resist and immediately burst into laughter.

"… We are going to need to spend a lot of time practicing, it seems." Masakado sighed in response.

The three Uzumaki cousins were unaware exactly how much more practice they were going to end up doing. Masakado was a stubborn man and an even more stubborn teacher. He wasn't going to stop until they had fūinjutsu completely down, even it killed him… or, most likely, them.

"Ah, finally! Land!" Anko cheered loudly.

The merchant caravan joined her in cheering as their ship docked at the port town of Sensō in Mizu no Kuni. After two and a half days of sailing, they had finally arrived at their destination. Almost immediately upon arrival, the group disembarked. Hinata and Dosu stepped off first and were followed slowly by the merchants. Shikamaru and Anko, along with a few of the younger, stronger merchants, helped with removing supplies and merchandise from the ship and into carts that were already prepared for the merchants.

Roughly an hour and a half after arrival, the group was about ready to start heading towards their destination. Everyone was now at the gates of the town and was ready to start walking.

"Alright, now: we're a little ways travel away from Kibō, the town you all requested us to take you to. If we go at a good pace, though, we should arrive there just before nightfall." Anko informed them.

"That's a relief." One of the merchants, an older man with blonde hair, admitted. "We really need to get back to town as soon as possible."

"Yeah, yeah. We'll get you there." Anko replied with a chuckle. "Let's-"

"I hear something." Dosu spoke up, interrupting the jōnin. The group gave him his full attention. "I hear footsteps: loud, multiple footsteps." The boy turned his head to face Hinata. "Hinata-san, can you activate your Byakugan?"

The kunoichi responded by activating her dōjutsu. Using her enhanced vision, she saw what Dosu was referring to. A group of five shinobi, not too far away from the town, was rushing towards the gate. Each of them were wearing masks with the Kirigakure symbol and were dressed in shinobi attire.

"How many are approaching?" Dosu questioned.

"Five." She answered.

Instantly, the merchant caravan stiffened in fear. They started to chatter to each other nervously and a few of them began to pray to various deities for their safety. Anko proceeded to step forward ahead of her students.

"Everybody, calm down. Nothing is going to happen to anybody. I promise" She informed the merchants in a calming manner. Almost immediately, they began to quiet to listen to the jōnin. She then turned her attention towards her team. "I'm going to move ahead out of the village. If I come back, then there was nothing to worry about. If you see a giant fireball in the sky, then two of you rush forward to help me fight while the third person stays here to defend the merchants. If you a giant snake, though… then that means flee and keep the villagers safe. Do you understand?"

"We aren't going to abandon you, Anko-sensei." Shikamaru informed her sharply.

"I'm not asking you to abandon me. I won't die. If that happens, I'll be fleeing as well. What I'm asking is for you all to prioritize the safety of our clients. Is that understood?" Anko replied sharply.

"… It is." He replied with a sigh.

Hinata and Dosu nodded in affirmation as well, showing their understanding.

Once the plan was finalized, Anko marched forward by herself. She exited the gates of the town and waited in front of them, preparing for combat.

A minute passed by before she received company. Five shinobi, as Hinata predicted, arrived on the scene. Anko recognized their uniforms immediately as Kirigakure shinobi still loyal to the Yondaime Mizukage, Yagura.

'They didn't bother trying to be stealthy… I suppose I can trust that either they do not want to fight us or they just aren't the most capable shinobi. Either way is fine with me.' Anko noted in her head.

"Konoha shinobi: we mean you no harm. We ask that you surrender the merchant caravan you are with to us. We are Kirigakure shinobi and will escort them to their village." One of the shinobi informed her. He spoke in a tone that suggested he was demanding her.

"I'm sorry, but that wasn't part of our mission stipulations. The caravan requested for us to deliver them to their village." Anko informed them coolly.

"There's been a change in policy. All travelers that step foot into Mizu no Kuni must be approved by Kirigakure shinobi to make sure they are not rebel allies or sympathizers. This was new law passed by Yagura-sama himself." The same shinobi declared emotionlessly.

Anko soon noticed that the other four shinobi were starting to reach for weapons. The jōnin resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

'They aren't even subtle about this. The Mizukage really has some shit shinobi within his ranks.' She noted in disgust. Regardless, she began to channel chakra throughout her body and prepared for the first strike. 'Regardless, they're hostile. They're going to attack regardless. Guess there's only way this confrontation is going to go. I was really hoping to not start something here, but if they're going to attack first…'

"It'd odd that this law has never reached the ears of the Hokage." Anko told the shinobi. "I don't believe it. Sorry, but we're still going to transport them."

"Perhaps you can be persuaded!" One of the shinobi declared as he charged forward towards Anko with a kunai.

Before Anko could respond back, a giant spike made of pure ice developed directly underneath the man. The spike shot forward from the ground and impaled him in the heart, killing him instantly.

"What the-" One of the remaining Kirigakure shinobi gasped.

"It's the Ice Style. One of those bloodline freaks is nearby!" The lead Kirigakure shinobi hissed.

Although she was confused about the origin of the ice, Anko proceeded to take advantage of the Kirigakure shinobis' surprise and attack. She quickly held out her hand and pointed it at one of the shinobi. "Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

Four snakes rushed forward from the sleeve of Anko's jacket. They went straight for the neck of one of the Kirigakure shinobi. Taking him by surprise, the snakes bit down, poisoning him. The man struggled to break free before his eyes widened and he fell to the ground in pain.

"Bitch! I'll-"

Before the man could finish his statement, three more spikes of ice developed from the ground, impaling him, the shinobi that Anko's snakes had just poisoned, and the fourth Kirigakure shinobi. All three died instantly. The only surviving shinobi was the lead Kirigakure shinobi. He looked around in surprise at the deaths around him before glaring at the jōnin in front of him.

"You are an accomplice with the rebels, I see. Konoha must be working with them. Yagura-sama will not be happy about this. This will mean war." He declared ominously.

"We're not working with anybody, but it doesn't matter in the end. You won't be telling him anything. Dead man don't have anything to say!" Anko hissed in response.

Anko made another series of hand signs, preparing to unleash a large fireball into the sky and have two of her subordinates join her in battle and against the shinobi. Before she could finish the attack, however, a large pillar of ice developed underneath the Kirigakure shinobi's body. The pillar consumed his body, completely encasing him in ice. He was unable to move or do anything. Immediately after, a single senbon flew from behind Anko from the direction of the gate to the city and hit the ice pillar, going straight through it and making contact with the man's body. It hit him in his chest, where his heart was. The ice immediately shattered and the man fell to the ground. The senbon pierced deep enough into his heart that it killed him.

'Who is the Ice Release user? Where are you?' Anko questioned in her head. Her eyes started to look around the battlefield and in the direction where the senbon came from. She, unfortunately, could not see anything. '… Are they already gone? Seriously?'

Anko remained motionless, looking around for the 'Ice Style' ninjutsu user. She remained in position for battle, preparing for any form of skirmish. A few minutes passed by before Shikamaru, Hinata, and Dosu, along with the merchant caravan, came outside the gate of the town and headed towards the jōnin.

"Anko-taichou, is everything alright?" Dosu questioned.

"… I'm fine." She grumbled in response. She then looked towards Hinata. "You had her Byakugan still active, right? So you saw what happened with the ice?" The Hyūga nodded in her affirmation. "Where was the person? Did you see them?"

"… As soon as it appeared you were about to engage them, the person appeared from hiding. I saw them attack and then disappear when the last shinobi died." Hinata admitted with a frown. "I-I don't know where they went though. They just seemed to disappear."

'Getting away from the Byakugan? In a way that Hinata has absolutely no idea where they went to? That should be impossible!' Anko nearly screamed.

"Anko-san? Is everything okay?"

Anko was pulled out of her thoughts by the questions of one of the merchants. The entire caravan was looking at her with concern on their faces. The jōnin quickly nodded her head.

"I'm fine, yes. The men are gone. We'll keep an eye out for more during our trip to Kibō." She told the merchants. "… Although, I need to know something. You all promised me this and you all promised the Hokage this, but I need to make sure: are any of you affiliated in some way with either the rebels of Kirigakure or the Mizukage's Army?"

"No!" One of the merchants quickly shook her head. "Choosing a side in the conflict is suicide! The other side would simply kill you if they thought you were against them!"

"No, none of us have any affiliation. I promise that!" Another merchant stated.

After hearing a variety of reasons why each merchant was not working with either side in the Civil War, Anko finally heard enough. She held out her hand, signaling for the merchants to stop talking.

"I believe you all. I believe you." She told them. "…It seems, though, that the Mizukage may suspect something, though. We all need to be careful. We're going to increase to the village and try and get there as quickly as possible. I don't want to risk anything happening. Is that fine with everybody?"

The merchants were quiet for a moment. A few seconds passed by before one, Haku, stood forward and nodded his head.

"We're willing to follow your request, Anko-san. Just lead us to our village as fast and safely as possible." He told her with a smile.

"… Then it is settled." Anko commented as she started to walk forward. "Let's get on our way then. Keep up the pace with me!"

With those words, the group began their march forward toward the village of Kibō. Anko marched at the front of the caravan, Hinata and Shikamaru to the side, and Dosu in the rear. All of them were on the look-out for any possible attacker: whether they were working for the Mizukage or for the rebels.

The group was in a dangerous territory, now. They needed to be careful with every step they took.