Aside from Kushina's name, which was becoming increasingly revered as Konoha's hero, another name had begun to echo across the shinobi world.
That name was none other than Hatake Kakashi.
Unlike in the original timeline—where Kakashi had long stagnated due to emotional burdens and chakra drain from his Sharingan—this world gave him a different opportunity.
Since Kushina helped seal Kakashi's Sharingan, the eye now only activated when needed, making his chakra usage far more efficient.
In addition, after their mission in the Land of Snow where he resumed his sword training, Kakashi's growth skyrocketed like a rocket.
Now, on the battlefield, Kakashi resembled a living replica of Sakumo Hatake, the "White Fang of Konoha."
His handsome face remained hidden behind a mask, but his calm presence, lethal swordsmanship, and blazing Sharingan during combat struck fear into his enemies.
Tales of "Hatake Kakashi" began to spread. In Sunagakure, there was now an unspoken order:
"If your mission involves Hatake Kakashi, better cancel it or retreat."
Even Suna's higher-ups preferred shame over the risk of losing many shinobi by facing Kakashi unexpectedly.
Meanwhile, Kushina—currently considered Kakashi's partner, although their relationship had not been officially announced—could only smile with pride whenever she heard stories about the man.
"I definitely chose well," Kushina often thought, gazing at the silver-haired man from afar.
Back to the mission field...
At the moment, Kakashi was leading a small team swiftly heading toward the border between the Land of Water and the Land of Fire.
For some reason, Kirigakure had recently started sending its shinobi secretly into Fire Country territory. This obvious provocation could not be ignored.
The team consisted of five members:
Kakashi and Shisui Uchiha as jonin,
Two tokubetsu jonin,
And Natsu Hyuga, the only chunin in the group.
Though Natsu was "just" a 13-year-old chunin, no one complained.
Everyone knew a Hyuga with an active Byakugan was more valuable than any sensory-type ninja.Besides, thanks to Kushina's intense training, Natsu's combat ability had already surpassed that of many tokubetsu jonin.
As they ran along the dusty roads, the nimble Natsu kept pace beside Shisui.
"Ne, Shisui-san," Natsu began cheerfully, "You said you know Itachi, right? How close are you two?"
Shisui offered a warm smile."If I had to describe it… I'm like an older brother to him. We used to train together a lot. When he was little, Itachi would follow me everywhere."
"Really?" Natsu's pale eyes sparkled. "I didn't know that. I always thought Itachi was the serious and cold type."
"Ahaha, well, he is now," Shisui chuckled. "But when he was a kid, he was really shy, you know?"
Natsu let out a small giggle. Imagining the usually stoic Itachi as a timid little boy… somehow made her heart skip in a funny way.
Up front, Kakashi, overhearing their conversation, let out a quiet sigh and shook his head.
"…Are you two on a mission or a picnic?" he muttered with half-hearted resignation.
One of the tokubetsu jonin behind them chuckled.
"Let them be, Captain Kakashi. Isn't it better like this than having everyone all stiff and tense?"
Kakashi merely shrugged as if to say "Whatever", but a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips beneath the mask.
Secretly, he was pleased to see Natsu and Shisui getting along. Two talented kids. Two bright lights of Konoha's future.
Still, his professional instincts remained fully alert.
Meanwhile, while Natsu and her team carried out their border mission, somewhere else, Uzumaki Kushina was stepping into a long-awaited personal mission.
The Land of Rice Fields.
A small country in the north of the Land of Fire, its size didn't compare to the Land of Iron. Yet in the past few years, its development had progressed at a suspiciously rapid rate.
A new village had risen there.Otogakure — The Village Hidden in Sound.
The village leader was highly mysterious. His true face was rarely seen by outsiders. But one thing was certain: the Daimyo of the Land of Rice Fields had handed full control to this person and aggressively funded the village's development.
Now, nearly all missions in the Land of Rice Fields were handled internally by Otogakure, reducing their dependency on major villages like Konoha.
Konoha's higher-ups had noticed something suspicious. But since the gains from Rice Fields were minor compared to the Fire Country's core, they didn't treat it as a serious threat.
That day, on a path near the border of the Land of Rice Fields, a young man with black hair walked calmly.
Hidden beneath this disguise was her true identity: Uzumaki Kushina, using the alias Menma.
"So this is the Land of Rice Fields… Orochimaru's chosen place, huh," Kushina muttered, surveying her surroundings.
Fertile land, clear rivers, air heavy with the scent of rice.
Perfect for growth—both agricultural… and military.
Kushina smiled faintly.
"Huge potential. If managed properly, this country could flourish. But in Orochimaru's hands…"
But she hadn't come for sightseeing or political evaluation.
She came with one goal: to find Orochimaru.
Thanks to her prior-life knowledge from the Naruto anime, Kushina knew exactly: Otogakure was Orochimaru's experimental base.
More importantly, she was after something—The cursed seal that could unlock the path to senjutsu power.
The mission was dangerous, but Kushina wasn't alone.
"Kurama, did you sense it?" Kushina asked silently.
"Of course, idiot. That rotten chakra... east, two kilometers from here," Kurama replied, voice annoyed but sincerely engaged.
Kushina gave a small nod.
"Good. Let's begin."
Meanwhile, deep within Otogakure's underground laboratory...Orochimaru, frowning, looked up from his experiment table.
"…Something's wrong," he murmured.
A foreign aura had just brushed against Otogakure's chakra sensors—one that made Orochimaru smile with amusement.
"What an interesting guest…"His voice slithered like a snake.
He stepped out, his cloak billowing. At the door, a white-haired boy was already waiting.
"Kimimaro," Orochimaru called softly yet commandingly.
"Lord Orochimaru," Kimimaro bowed respectfully.
"Go and greet our guest. Bring them here… slowly," Orochimaru instructed, eyes narrowing with cunning.
"Yes!" Kimimaro responded firmly before dashing off.
Watching Kimimaro's figure disappear, Orochimaru whispered,
"Such a shame that perfect body is so fragile…"
Meanwhile, at the gates of Otogakure...Kushina—or Menma, in disguise—walked leisurely into the village area.She made no effort to conceal her presence.
Two shinobi guards immediately reacted.
"Stop! This is a restricted area!" one of them barked.Kushina simply raised an eyebrow, unfazed.
"And if I keep walking in, what will you do about it?"
"Insolent! Attack her!"In an instant, a dozen shinobi surrounded her.
Kushina let out a small sigh.'Even the welcome involves violence, huh?'
But before the clash could begin, a cold voice rang out.
"Stop."
All the shinobi froze.
Emerging from the shadows was a young man with white hair and a cold expression—Kimimaro.
"Kimimaro-sama!"
Kimimaro glanced at Kushina, then said flatly,
"Come with me. Orochimaru-sama is expecting you."
Kushina smiled faintly."Is that so? How polite of you to escort me."
She walked behind Kimimaro through the quiet streets toward the heart of Otogakure, leaving the trembling guards behind, still shaken by the chakra aura she had released moments earlier.
The underground corridors were dark and damp.
Oil lamps flickered slowly, casting eerie shadows on the walls.
The scent of wet earth mixed with dried blood filled the air.
Kimimaro stopped in front of a heavy black door.
"Go in," he said flatly.
Kushina pushed the door open and entered Orochimaru's laboratory.Dim lights illuminated a room full of glass tubes, experimental tools, and a sinister atmosphere.And in the center of the room—stood Orochimaru, dressed in a loose kimono, his black hair cascading down, his golden eyes glowing faintly.
"Uzumaki Kushina," Orochimaru said in his raspy, serpentine voice. "We meet again."
Kushina grinned widely and dropped her disguise, letting her red hair flow freely.
Her clothes were still those of a man, but Kushina's unmistakable presence could no longer be hidden.
"Hey, Orochimaru-senpai," she greeted cheerfully. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
Orochimaru stared at her for a long moment... then gave a small smile.
"Fascinating… how very fascinating… What brings you to my lair, Kushina-chan?" Those golden eyes gleamed with deep interest.