Found the right sacrifice?
Inside the sealed space, Minato Namikaze frowned deeply.
He immediately thought of the strange white creatures Naruto had been hunting these past few days—White Zetsu. They looked almost human, but had no real internal organs. Just creepy plant-based knockoffs of people.
But then the question hit him.
Where did these White Zetsu even come from?
Could they be connected to the masked man who invaded Konohagakure and unleashed the Nine-Tails?
Minato felt a massive conspiracy lurking beneath the surface of the ninja world. Unfortunately, being dead made investigating slightly inconvenient.
Meanwhile, Naruto clearly knew about White Zetsu already.
Did he learn that from Kurama?
…No, that fox would've charged consultation fees.
Uzushio Village – Office
Naruto found Uzumaki Fire Gate and casually proposed,
"I want to visit the Uzumaki ancestral hall."
Fire Gate gave him a long look and sighed.
Of course. What was destined to happen would happen.
Naruto didn't come all this way just to help the Uchiha pick real estate. The real reason had to be the Uzumaki clan's inherited treasures.
Soon, they entered a hidden cave. Deep within it stood the last remaining Uzumaki ancestral hall.
On the altar sat rows of Death God Masks.
Naruto stared at them and couldn't help complaining internally:
Why do ancient ninja clans always stash their ultimate trump cards in places meant for worship?
The Uchiha hide their secrets in their shrine.
The Uzumaki hide literal death masks in theirs.
What about the Hyūga?
What are they hiding in their basement? A "How to Survive Branch Family Oppression" manual?
And the Senju?
Probably just vibes.
Fire Gate spoke flatly:
"Other than Konoha's, this is the last Uzumaki ancestral hall. Take what you want. But these ritual artifacts require mastery of sealing techniques."
Naruto tilted his head.
"These masks… are sealing mediums, right? Can they all perform the Reaper Death Seal?"
Fire Gate nodded.
"Yes. But using it costs your life. During the destruction of Uzushiogakure over twenty years ago, many clansmen died sealing enemies."
"You didn't use it?" Naruto asked.
Fire Gate shook his head.
"I was a child. The clan smuggled me out before the country fell. By the time I returned… everything was gone. Including our sealing inheritance."
He sighed.
Without sealing techniques, could they even call themselves Uzumaki?
Naruto picked up the oldest-looking mask, sensing the chakra residue.
"Do you need a blood contract to use these?"
"Yes," Fire Gate replied. "But the techniques required to activate them were lost when Uzushiogakure fell. You can treat them as souvenirs."
Naruto paused.
"Wait. The Sealing Scroll in Konoha… it contains Uzumaki sealing techniques, doesn't it?"
Fire Gate's eyes widened.
"It does?!"
Naruto nodded.
"It includes many sealing techniques. Even the complete Reaper Death Seal."
Then he added casually:
"But I'm not here for sealing."
A shadow clone dragged a bound White Zetsu into the hall.
"I'm here to perform a forbidden technique that temporarily resurrects the dead."
Fire Gate's eyes nearly popped out.
"There's still a ninjutsu that can resurrect the dead?!"
Naruto shrugged.
"Our clan invented a technique that summons a literal Death God and drags people to hell together. Is resurrection really that shocking?"
Then he smirked.
"Besides… since the sealing inheritance is broken, why not summon a senior from the Pure Land to teach us?"
Perfectly logical.
Absolutely not insane.
Fire Gate felt Naruto's reasoning made sense.
That somehow made it worse.
Before he could stop him, Naruto completed the hand seals.
White light flashed.
Paper scraps wrapped around White Zetsu's body.
After a painful scream, the form shifted—
Into a gray-haired, bearded old man.
Naruto blinked.
"Huh. Looks knowledgeable. Jackpot."
Fire Gate's face went pale.
"Senior… that's Uzumaki Ashina. The founding patriarch of Uzushiogakure. My grandfather said he had a terrible temper."
Naruto: "…Ah."
Before he could react, Uzumaki Ashina opened his eyes.
In one smooth motion, he cast a sealing technique on himself—cutting Naruto's control—then charged forward.
Fire Gate looked like his soul had left his body.
"It's over. He'll hang us up and beat us. Maybe seal us for ten years."
Naruto choked.
"Ten years?! People in the Warring States barely lived to thirty! That's half a life sentence!"
"That's what my grandfather said…"
Naruto activated his Sharingan—
Ashina casually sealed the illusion.
"Uchiha brat with three tomoe. Why are you attacking this old man? Trying to break the agreement between Madara and Hashirama?"
Naruto: "…That's not even remotely the situation."
Golden Adamantine Sealing Chains erupted.
Naruto dodged with Flying Thunder God–level speed.
Fire Gate did not.
He was immediately sealed like discounted takeout.
Naruto sighed.
"Guess we're doing this the hard way."
Shadow clones flooded the hall.
Ashina crushed them with ease.
Naruto entered Nine-Tails Chakra Mode. A black cloak of chakra engulfed him.
In an instant, he appeared before Ashina.
Rasenshuriken—controlled output.
The attack cracked Ashina's body but didn't damage the surroundings.
After all, Edo Tensei bodies can't be killed—only sealed.
And sealing…
Was Naruto's weakest subject.
Because life is cruel like that.
Ashina examined him.
"Nine-Tails chakra? You're Konoha's jinchūriki. Are you related to Mito? You have Uzumaki blood… but why do you have Sharingan?"
Naruto rubbed his forehead.
"If you know I'm Uzumaki, why did you try to kill me?"
Ashina snorted.
"I was sleeping peacefully in the Pure Land and got dragged back here. Of course I'd discipline the idiot responsible."
Fair enough.
Naruto sighed.
"I'm technically the third Nine-Tails jinchūriki. I've left Konoha. And Uzumaki Mito… she passed away over twenty years ago. She should be my great-grandmother."
Ashina fell silent.
"…That long?"
Then he asked quietly:
"How is Uzushiogakure? You should be safe under Konoha's protection. After all, they would never abandon an ally."
Naruto and Fire Gate exchanged a look.
A very awkward look.
Ashina's eyes narrowed.
"…Say it."
Naruto scratched his cheek.
"Uzushiogakure was destroyed. The clan scattered. We're rebuilding from scratch."
Silence.
Heavy silence.
Ashina's chakra surged.
"…Who did it?"
Naruto smiled faintly.
"That's a long story."
And somewhere deep in the ninja world—
The gears of chaos began turning.
Again.
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