Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Why No Caged Bird Seal?

"**Grandma, watch this.**"

Kushina stepped in front of Uzumaki Mito, forming hand signs. A faint golden glow began to envelop her body.

"**Clank, clank, clank.**"

A pale golden chakra chain slowly extended from her back, stretching to ten meters before stopping.

She stood there, the chain swaying behind her like… a long tail.

*«Captured footage of Kushina performing Adamantine Sealing Chains. Analysis available.»*

The message from his body sent a surge of excitement through Hyuga Wuye.

Sure, he might not have much talent for ninjutsu himself, but he could analyze his wife's—er, wives'—abilities!

"**Your chakra capacity is sufficient. With more practice, you'll be able to split off more chains,**" Mito nodded with satisfaction. "**But this time, the requirement isn't high. As long as you can master the key, that's enough.**"

Kushina retracted the chakra chain, her expression uneasy. "**What do I need to do?**"

Mito explained, "**In the future, it'll be inside you, so the final seal has to be completed by you.**"

Kushina's small face turned deathly pale.

Hyuga Wuye's expression froze, a guess forming in his mind.

They were likely talking about sealing the Nine-Tails—Kushina was about to become the next Jinchuriki.

But he wisely kept quiet. This wasn't something he was supposed to know.

"**Kushina, come with Grandma for a walk around the village. I want to see Konoha one more time,**" Mito said suddenly.

"**Okay.**"

Kushina moved to push the wheelchair, but Mito stopped her. "**Let the boy handle this kind of hard work.**"

She looked at Wuye warmly. "**What do you say? Mind pushing this old lady around Konoha?**"

"**It's my honor.**"

Wuye didn't hesitate to take the wheelchair handles.

With Mito's status, countless ninjas would jump at the chance to push her wheelchair.

Plus, she was clearly sending a message to the Third Hokage, giving him an extra layer of protection. How could he refuse?

"**Creak… creak…**"

In the Naruto world, productivity was poured into ninjutsu, leaving civilian life sorely lacking. Even a wheelchair groaned and rattled.

Wuye pushed the complaining contraption, accompanying Mito alongside Kushina as they slowly traversed Konoha's main streets.

"**Lady Mito!**"

"**Lady Mito!**"

"**…**"

At first, no one noticed, but once the first person recognized her, the entire street paused to pay their respects.

Their gazes were filled with reverence and admiration, deeply moving.

Mito said nothing, just smiled kindly, taking in each face one by one.

Every blade of grass, every building, every person in Konoha—she absorbed it all with profound attachment.

Was this the peace their generation had fought so hard to achieve?

"**Do you think true peace will ever come?**" she murmured suddenly.

Kushina, walking beside her, blinked in confusion. "**Isn't it peaceful now?**"

Mito shook her head regretfully. "**We've only moved from the clan wars of the Warring States to an era of village rivalries. The First Shinobi World War wasn't long ago, and the smoke of the Second is already on the horizon.**"

Kushina, still too young to grasp it, didn't know how to respond.

Mito smiled again. "**The future belongs to you. I hope you'll see the day of true peace.**"

"**We will,**" Wuye couldn't help but say. "**Peace will come.**"

This elderly woman, even on her deathbed, was still worried about the village's future. He instinctively didn't want such a kind soul to leave with regrets.

Even if Konoha had its flaws now, it was leaps and bounds better than the Warring States era.

"**Our前辈 ended the Warring States period. In the future, we'll end the village era and usher in a new age of true peace,**" he declared.

Mito smiled with relief. "**You're right. The new generation will eventually surpass the old, achieving what we dreamed of but couldn't. I don't need to worry about the future.**"

*Actually, the next few generations get progressively worse…* Wuye thought helplessly, keeping his face composed and nodding with bold determination.

The trio spent most of the afternoon roughly touring the village, ending up at the cliff behind the Hokage Rock as dusk fell.

Wuye glanced regretfully at the Third Hokage's rock face beneath his feet… He preferred standing on the old man's head over this cliff.

"**Konoha… it's so beautiful…**"

Mito gazed out over the dozens of miles of Konoha, her cloudy eyes brimming with deep emotion.

Wuye and Kushina stayed by her side until the sun fully set…

This was an old woman on the brink of death, clinging to her final attachment to this world.

"**Wuye, c-can I go home with you tonight?**"

In front of the Senju mansion, the girl's face was as red as a tomato.

Wuye's jaw dropped. "**Go home with me?**"

*Are you ready to be posed this way and that, doing this and then that, and finally—mmph?!*

"**Aren't you afraid the Hokage will catch us in the act?**" he teased with a laugh.

Kushina's face grew even redder. "**B-But we haven't done anything couple-like today…**"

"**Stay with Grandma Mito tonight,**" Wuye said, reaching out to pat her head.

"**Oh.**"

Kushina's voice was low, her mood sinking as she turned away.

"**Huh?**"

But then, a firm hand pulled her back.

Kushina stumbled into Wuye's arms, her back pressing against his chest.

Wuye wrapped his arms around her from behind, holding her arms and body close.

A strange warmth enveloped her…

Kushina's face flushed instantly, her earlier disappointment vanishing.

Her body seemed to melt into that fiery warmth—hot, soft, almost liquefying… So this is what it felt like to be held by someone she liked.

"**It'll be okay,**" Wuye whispered in her ear. "**Things will get better.**"

The girl in his arms radiated youthful charm, her softness like water.

He held her small hands and waist tightly, his nose filled with her sweet scent.

The village night was silent, so quiet they could hear each other's heartbeats.

Pressed chest-to-back in an intimate pose, the atmosphere was oddly beautiful.

"**Go on.**"

Wuye slowly let go.

"**Mm…**"

Kushina practically bolted through the gate, fleeing in a panic.

Wuye chuckled, watching her silhouette disappear before turning to leave.

"**Catch us in the act…**"

Suddenly, a figure wearing the Hokage's hat appeared at the gate.

"**What's there to catch now…**"

He peered inside, muttering with a bitter smile, "**Lady Mito's given me quite the problem. If the future Nine-Tails Jinchuriki ends up in the Hyuga clan's hands, the Leaf's leadership will be a mess. Sigh…**"

---

"**You're, uh… Hyuga Wuye?**"

Not far down the road, a woman stepped into his path… Yep, the 21-year-old Tsunade-hime.

*Is she delivering herself to me? Ready for me to do this and that?*

"**Lady Tsunade,**" Wuye bowed immediately, his face betraying none of his wild thoughts. "**That's my name.**"

"**You're from the Hyuga clan—why don't you have the Byakugan?**"

Tsunade stepped closer, inspecting his clear black-and-white eyes with curiosity.

Then she reached out to measure his height.

"**Four years younger than Nawaki, but the same height as him.**"

Noticing his head reached her chest, she muttered to herself.

"**???**"

Wuye's mind was a sea of question marks… What was she doing waiting here?

"**I don't know why I don't have the Byakugan,**" he said, shaking his head. "**Did Lady Tsunade need me for something?**"

"**Nawaki said you're from the Hyuga branch family?**" Tsunade continued, ignoring his question.

Wuye nodded.

"**Doesn't the branch family get the Caged Bird Seal at three?**"

She bent down to inspect his smooth forehead, bringing a whiff of young woman's fragrance.

"**Because I don't have the Byakugan,**" Wuye said as if it were obvious.

He stepped back slightly to avoid glimpsing anything through her loose collar.

"**Uh.**"

Tsunade visibly faltered, then murmured, "**Interesting…**"

Wuye: "**???**"

"**I came to thank you,**" she said, finally noticing his confusion. Her expression turned serious. "**Thank you for spending the afternoon with Grandma.**"

Wuye blinked. "**It's what I should've done.**"

"**Head home early.**"

Tsunade nodded, then waved him off.

Seriously? He'd thought she'd offer some reward for his thanks, but just words?

Wuye sidestepped her and headed back.

Fine, he'd claim his reward later himself…

Tsunade turned, watching his figure vanish around the corner.

"**A Hyuga branch kid with no Byakugan. If I…**"

"**Hmph, that'd piss off Hiashi something fierce… Maybe I could win back my gambling losses, heh…**"

She crossed her arms, muttering to herself.

Then she glanced back at the Senju mansion and sighed softly.

"**Grandma's only keeping Kushina by her side now… She won't even see me or Nawaki…**"

"**Is it really her final moments…?**"

"**…**"

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