For the past few days, Uzumaki Kushina had been feeling stifled deep inside.
She had always believed that the Uzumaki clan had been reduced to just two people—Uzumaki Mito and herself.
But now, Mito had told her that Yuuki Seisui was also an Uzumaki.
The lonely tension in her heart eased a little.
She still had clan members—she wasn't alone!
Watching Kushina sob in Minato's arms, Mito shook her head before speaking again.
"The Hokage has already issued a mission."
"There may still be other Uzumaki survivors. Once they're found, it won't just be the two of you anymore."
"But until then, you must pull yourself together!"
"I don't know how much longer I have to live… so you need to learn the sealing arts as much as possible before I'm gone."
Hearing this, Kushina slowly pulled away from Minato, glanced at him with a faint blush, then turned to Mito and nodded firmly.
"I'll definitely master them!"
Mito nodded back, as if remembering something.
"Seisui will be busy learning Sage Arts for the next few years—he won't have time to study sealing techniques."
"In the future, the two of you must pass down the Uzumaki sealing arts to him," she said with a trace of concern.
Between Kushina and Seisui, she admittedly favored Seisui more.
Kushina nodded. "I'll make sure to teach him!"
Her promise brought a faint smile to Mito's face.
There were only a few things she still clung to in life.
The first was Uchiha Madara—her old love rival. But Madara was long dead, so there was no need to dwell on that.
The second was her wish for Konoha to continue existing—Senju Hashirama's dream, which she had taken as her late husband's last wish.
And the third… originally, it hadn't existed. But after the Uzumaki clan's downfall, her greatest hope had become to make the clan great once more.
All of that hope now rested on Yuuki Seisui.
This young man—recognized by many—was also recognized by her.
As the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki, her ability to sense good and evil through the fox, combined with her own Mind's Eye of the Kagura, allowed her to perceive people's true hearts.
She had observed Seisui for a long time. Though he had a mischievous streak, he was steady-minded, had his own unshakable principles, valued his comrades, possessed extraordinary talent, and was already quite strong.
If even someone like him couldn't realize her dream, then truly, no one in the world could.
That was why she intended to entrust the full legacy of the Uzumaki clan to him.
Kushina, to her, was more like a granddaughter—her backup plan.
Placing a hand over her lower abdomen, Mito smiled at Kushina.
Looks like I've found you a fine vessel, Nine-Tails.
"ROAR!" Perhaps sensing her thoughts, the Nine-Tails howled within her. "Damn Senju Hashirama! Damn Uchiha!"
"Damn Uzumaki Mito!"
"You'll all pay!"
"When I get out, I'll destroy the village you hold so dear!"
Mito's face didn't even twitch. "Settle down, Nine-Tails."
"Your power is far too dangerous—it needs to be restrained."
She'd seen plenty of sore losers in her time.
Madara had been one, after losing her husband to her, though at least he hadn't shouted like the fox did.
Over the years, she'd heard the Nine-Tails' threats more times than she could count, but they had long since lost their sting—if anything, they just added some variety to her days.
"Damn woman!" The fox roared even louder, but the golden chains binding it didn't show the slightest sign of breaking.
"I'll tear you all apart!"
"ROAR!"
Mito ignored it entirely.
Just another sore loser.
She turned to Kushina, still slightly hesitant.
Becoming the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki meant becoming a monster in many people's eyes.
But seeing Minato by Kushina's side reassured her.
A jinchuriki's heart needed to be filled with love. After the clan's destruction, Kushina had been like a walking corpse—but now, Mito felt far more at ease.
With Minato and Seisui here… it should be fine, right?
She couldn't be certain, but she could only choose to trust them.
She could clearly feel how little time she had left.
A few more years… it should be enough.
Grow quickly.
=======
Meanwhile, in the Panda Clan's territory…
Yuuki Seisui was chewing on a raw bamboo shoot with a look of disgust.
He'd tried roasting and boiling them, but nothing worked.
Only eating them raw allowed him to sense natural energy.
"Don't make that face," Panda Ming said, shaking his head. "Even Kuma isn't as picky as you."
He handed a bamboo shoot to Kuma, who tilted her little head at Seisui before peeling the outer skin and chomping it down in crisp, sweet bites.
Seisui's mouth twitched. You think I can compare to you pandas?
The bamboo he had to cut with a wind-chakra-enchanted blade crumbled like tofu in their mouths.
Talk about species differences…
What Kuma found sweet, he found bitter and astringent—enough to make his mouth go numb.
Pushing the thought aside, he finished the bamboo shoot in a few quick bites, then formed two shadow clones. The three of them sat cross-legged.
After days of training, Seisui could now enter meditation at will.
The moment he closed his eyes, darkness enveloped him, with wisps of green clouds drifting within—that was natural energy.
He skillfully drew it toward his body, though much of it dispersed before reaching him.
That was why he couldn't yet enter Sage Mode instantly.
When he could draw in all of it at once, he'd truly have mastered it.
As minutes turned to hours, natural energy filled him more and more.
Once he felt he'd gathered enough, he stopped drawing it in and began merging it with his chakra.
When he opened his eyes again, it was already mid-afternoon.
"You're slow this time," Panda Ming remarked, glancing at a nearby clock while holding Kuma.
"Three and a half hours—half an hour longer than last time."
Seisui wasn't surprised. He'd drawn in more energy, so it was natural to take longer.
He clapped his hands, and white light enveloped him. His eyes turned golden, black-and-white spiral markings forming around them—
—but this time, something was different. His hair had turned red.
Blinking in surprise, he brushed the crimson strands hanging over his forehead and looked to Panda Ming. "Did my hair just turn red?"
Panda Ming looked, equally startled. "How did your hair turn red?"
White light flared around him too. "Nope, nothing's changed for me."
He scratched his head, puzzled, then called out, "Boss, something's up!"
"Shout, shout, shout—what are you, my mother?"
"You can't see I'm in the middle of important research?"
The voice came before the panda did.
Moments later, Panda Sage appeared, holding a slip of paper and wearing an annoyed expression.
But when he saw Seisui's red hair, his brows lifted. "Gone a few hours and you dyed your hair?"
"What, does it make you look cooler?"
He rubbed his chin in thought. "Maybe I should dye mine too. I'll call it my new 'Style Technique.'"
Seisui: "…"
You really are a scholar of nonsense.
Not wanting to explain, Seisui simply released Sage Mode. His hair faded back to its usual black with a reddish tint.
"Huh? Auto-hair-dye?" Panda Sage muttered. "Even my Overlord Body can't do that."
"Probably awakened some hidden bloodline," Seisui replied, not expecting the panda to have any real answers.
He suspected the Panda Clan was likely something his "golden finger" had created—otherwise, how could a clan like this have zero legends in the ninja world?
Even the term "Sage Arts" was something Panda Sage had come up with the first time Seisui visited.
What clan comes up with their technique names on the spot?
Panda Sage stroked his chin, leaning close. "Sounds about right."
"But your chakra hasn't increased."
"Go Sage Mode again—let me take a look."
Seisui shrugged, clapped his hands, and let the remaining senjutsu chakra flow through his body.
Golden light flashed in Panda Sage's eyes as he stared intently.
After a while, he straightened with a casual air. "It's the senjutsu chakra making your cells hyperactive. You've got a special kind of chakra in them—normally it boosts your vitality, chakra reserves, and sensory ability."
Seisui raised an eyebrow. He'd always thought the panda was just a strong but clueless show-off.
Apparently not.
Seeing his expression, Panda Sage snorted, conjured a flame to light a cigarette, and exhaled a stream of smoke.
"I don't like thinking—it doesn't mean I can't think."
Seisui scratched his head, caught off guard.
Smirking inwardly, Panda Sage continued, "Before, you didn't have enough senjutsu chakra for it to trigger. This time, you had plenty—so the special chakra in your bloodline activated and started flowing through you. That's why your hair turned red."
He took another drag—then suddenly choked.
"Cough! Cough!"
Trying to save face, he waved it off. "Anyway, feel it out—you should notice more changes."
Then, embarrassed, he vanished.
Why the hell did I smoke? Now I look like an idiot! he cursed from hiding.
Seisui, meanwhile, was too focused on his own body to care.
His sensory abilities had skyrocketed since gaining the Uzumaki bloodline—then risen even further in Sage Mode.
Now, focusing intently, he indeed felt a strange chakra moving inside him.
Closing his eyes, he tested it—then opened them again, golden irises flashing briefly.
Looking at Panda Ming, he could sense his mood instantly: Relaxed. Content. Waiting to die.
He glanced at Kuma: Curious. Confused.
"Yip! Yip!" Kuma waved a paw in greeting.
Happy. Excited.
He smiled back, then turned toward the hidden Panda Sage.
Within a hundred meters, no living being could escape his perception.
He could feel Panda Sage's tangled emotions—curiosity, regret, joy.
This is… interesting.
Exiting Sage Mode, his hair returned to black, and the sensation faded.
This special energy—he decided to call it Bloodline Chakra.
It was unique to the Uzumaki clan, just like the special chakra the Uchiha had for awakening the Sharingan.
He suspected all inheritable Kekkei Genkais had such chakra.
This must be the Mind's Eye of the Kagura—the rare sensory ability only some Uzumaki awaken.
Two weaknesses fixed in a single day—perfect.
Panda Wu's explosive clay had given him a large-scale attack option, and now Kagura's Mind's Eye filled the sensory gap in their three-man squad.
Only Uchiha Haru had decent sensory ability before—and even hers was limited.
Now, that hole was patched.
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