Chapter 4: If the Land of Uzushio Falls, Then This Tale Ends
"Kushina?"
As more ninjas filed into the chamber, Uzumaki Jun let out a quiet breath of relief—so long as everyone's spirit held firm, the Land of Uzushio would not fall. Yet when the last figure stepped forward—a little girl with a shock of red hair—he frowned. "Why are you still here?"
"I—I want to help too," Kushina murmured, clasping her small hands into tight fists and lowering her gaze, too shy to meet Jun's eyes.
Jun's expression darkened. "Don't be ridiculous. Go down to the caves and shelter there."
This was no joke. If anything happened to Kushina, not only would the clan chief blame him, he'd never forgive himself. After all… she was such an adorable little girl.
"Hurry—children have no business in a war," the clan chief's stern voice boomed. "Wartime is no place for kids."
Still, Kushina lifted her chin defiantly. "But Jun-oniichan is a kid too! Why can he fight and I can't? I can help—I'm strong!"
…She had a point.
A hush fell over the council. No one knew how to answer that one.
"I'm your brother—and heir to this land," Jun said, steeling himself. Then his eyes brightened as he remembered, "And I've already become a genin of Uzushio Village!"
Thank heavens. Though his rank was honorary, he truly was a genin now—and a shinobi who couldn't simply hide in safety. Even if he was still technically a rookie…
"I…" Kushina pouted, but could only whine, "I don't care! I'm coming too. This is my home—I have to protect it."
"Don't worry," Jun replied, seeing those determined, fiery eyes. Though she was small, she grasped the stakes: their country teetered on the brink, and her heart trembled with fear. Yet she still wanted to fight for her home. That little girl was… utterly adorable! He gripped her shoulders firmly. "I promise, Jun-oniichan will protect the Land of Uzushio and our village. No one will be harmed."
"But… but…" Kushina's eyes reddened. She pressed her lips together to stop the tears. "I want to help."
"You want to help?" Jun smiled. He knew that if he refused, she'd sneak out on her own—she was a little firecracker![^1]
He gave her a thoughtful look, then knelt and ruffled her red hair.
Kushina's cheeks flushed scarlet—especially with all these elders watching. She ducked her head in embarrassment.
The clan chief's stern face softened into a proud smile, though his worry lingered. If the Land of Uzushio did truly fall… the younger generation had to survive. Especially Jun—only then could the Uzumaki clan rise again. He met the elders' gazes and saw their shared resolve.
"Since Kushina wishes to help," Jun announced, "I, in my capacity as acting commander of the Uzumaki clan and the Land of Uzushio, order Uzumaki Kushina to lead our people in the caverns. Keep everyone calm and safe—no mishaps, understood?"
At first, Kushina beamed—then her grin collapsed. "But I want to stay with Jun-oniichan!" If she'd been sent underground, what difference would it make?
"This order is vital," Jun said gravely. "Don't underestimate it. To keep everyone patient and safe in those caves… it's not easy. And if enemies from Kirigakure spot us down there—it would be disastrous."
"Really?" Kushina's eyes narrowed in doubt, as if to say, You're not tricking me, are you?
"Of course not," Jun smiled. "Only you can do this." As the clan chief's daughter, no one could soothe frightened hearts better than she could.
"All right, then," Kushina nodded solemnly after a moment. "I won't let anything happen down there."
Jun patted her head and turned to his guard captain. "Uzumaki Tomo, you understand, yes?" He gave Tomo a sharp look, signaling that any trouble in the caves was to be eliminated immediately. There could be no mistakes—not if the Land of Uzushio was to have any hope left.
"Your Highness, a young Uzumaki girl requests an audience," another ninja announced as he entered.
Another little girl?
"Who is she?" Jun asked, drawing a glare from the clan chief.
"She's an ordinary clanswoman," the ninja answered.
Not a shinobi? He didn't recall knowing so many little girls…
A ten-year-old with bright red hair walked in—and Jun's confusion deepened. "What is it?"
"Your Highness, I'm Uzumaki Kōko." The girl glanced nervously at the elders, then steadied her voice. "I… I want to help too."
Jun smiled kindly. "Don't be afraid. We're all Uzumaki. That makes you Kushina's sister."
Truly a pretty child—those red locks marked her as one of their clan at a glance.
Kōko lifted her chin. "My body's special. Even if my chakra's drained or I'm hurt, one bite from me—and will heal."
Huh? That power… it sounded familiar. That was the same ability as Kōmē and her daughter! Only someone whose life force overflowed could manifest such a gift—something even a genius like himself lacked.
And Kōko… could she be Karin's mother?
The clan chief came over, gently squeezed Kōko's hand, and examined her closely. Then he nodded solemnly to Jun. Among ordinary clansfolk, a prodigy like this… it was heaven-sent for the Uzumaki! Only one young gift had been found so far—right here before them.
Jun grinned. "All right, Kōko. We'll put you to work too."
Every extra hand was a flicker of hope. And a "wet-nurse" of healing talent like Kōko was priceless—thanks to the Uzumaki's tenacious life force, they could normally recover on their own. But in a fierce war, without dedicated medical-nin… they'd been nearly wiped out.
Seeing all the council gathered, Jun raised his voice. "Let's begin our battle plans!"