KAGE

She looked directly at me.

She probably hadn't expected that question, judging by the surprise on her face.

But honestly...

If she hadn't, then something would have been wrong.

The question was too obvious.

An Uzumaki with extraordinary sensory abilities...

And, on top of that, a Jinchūriki.

Deep within her eyes, I could see a mixture of emotions.

Pain.

Fear.

Loss.

"What do you think?" she asked, never taking her eyes off me.

"I don't know," I answered honestly.

"Ever since I can remember, I've known how much you love—or loved—my father. The thought that you would ever intentionally do anything to harm him has never crossed my mind."

"Since I can't even consider that possibility... I can't think of any other explanation."

Silence hung between us for a while.

Then she finally spoke.

"Your father was dying."

Her answer shook me.

Dying?

What did she mean?

He had looked perfectly fine.

"We found out about a year ago."

"It was advanced cancer."

"The doctors said he wouldn't survive for more than a year."

She lowered her gaze.

"As it turned out..."

"They were wrong."

I stared at her in disbelief.

"I never noticed..."

"How did I not realize?"

"Out of everyone, only Hikari noticed," she replied.

"Later, she promised to keep it a secret from you."

"We made her promise."

"She truly wanted to tell you..."

"...but she couldn't."

"Not only had she given us her word, but telling you would have placed an even heavier burden on your shoulders."

She sighed quietly.

"His health had been declining for quite some time."

"Then, a few days ago, after we learned our hiding place had been discovered..."

"...he decided to release all the frustration that had built up over years of being hunted."

A faint smile appeared on her face.

"He chose to kill as many enemies as he could..."

"...and die as a true shinobi."

"He died on the battlefield."

Her voice remained as calm as still water.

I took a deep breath before asking another question.

"But how did they find us?"

"We dyed our hair."

"We lived in complete isolation."

She shook her head.

"No one can hide forever."

"Even though we changed our hair color..."

"...our unique eye color gave us away."

"Anyone truly searching for us would eventually notice those details."

She narrowed her eyes.

"And I know who spread the information."

"Who?"

Her expression instantly turned cold.

Murderous intent flashed across her face.

"Momoshi Genzo."

I frowned.

Who was Momoshi Genzo?

And why would he betray our family?

Seeing my confusion, she began to explain.

"I don't know if you're aware..."

"...but there's still a bounty on our heads."

"Even after all these years."

She continued.

"Earlier I told you that one of the main reasons Uzu no Kuni—the Land of Whirlpools—was invaded was because of the Uzumaki Clan's mastery of sealing techniques."

"Another reason was that we possessed two Tailed Beasts."

"Other nations feared our strength..."

"...but they never acted because of our close relationship with Hashirama-sama and Konohagakure."

She paused.

"However..."

"There was another reason."

"One that very few people know about."

"And I believe it was the most important one."

She looked straight at me.

"It was connected to you."

I froze.

"Me?"

"What do you mean?"

The revelation caught me completely off guard.

"Yes."

"You."

She smiled nostalgically.

"I don't know if you remember..."

"...but when you were little, you were nothing like you are today."

She glanced toward the sleeping Daichi inside the house.

"Looking at Daichi now..."

"Seeing his extraordinary talent and abilities..."

"You were just like him."

She paused.

Then added quietly...

"Perhaps even more gifted."

Her words exploded inside my mind.

What?

The original me... was a genius?

Then why don't I remember any of it?

I had inherited every one of Ren's memories.

If I couldn't remember...

Then neither could he.

She seemed to read my thoughts.

"I know you've always felt inferior to Daichi."

"I know you've always felt pressured."

"And I also know what you're about to ask."

"So I'll answer before you do."

She continued.

"The Uzumaki Clan is an ancient clan, dating back countless generations."

"Just as the Tsukishiro Clan inherited the twin swords Hakutsuki and Kokutsuki from our ancestors..."

"...the Uzumaki Clan possesses its own ancestral treasure."

She spoke its name with reverence.

"TENSHŌ-SEKI."

I listened carefully.

"No one knows what it was originally meant to do."

"It has never displayed any abilities or practical use."

"All we know is that our ancestors left it behind together with a message carved into the clan's ancestral monument."

Her voice became solemn.

"It says..."

"'One day, whoever awakens it shall become a god.'"

My eyes widened.

A god...?

What the hell...?

An Ōtsutsuki?

Then...

I remembered the quartz-like crystal I had bought in my previous life.

The exact same crystal that had appeared in this world.

What the hell is going on?

Am I really the Child of Destiny?

She continued.

"For centuries, Tenshō-seki was passed down from one Daimyō of the Uzumaki Clan to the next."

"Every generation tested members of the family."

"But it never reacted."

"Eventually, everyone stopped searching for the so-called future god of the Uzumaki Clan and simply allowed fate to take its course."

She smiled gently.

"That changed when you were born."

A nostalgic laugh escaped her lips.

"When you were around three or four years old, you were an incredibly mischievous child."

"With your overwhelming talent, you behaved like a little prince."

"The only person you would listen to was Hikari."

She chuckled.

"Not even I—your own mother—could make you behave."

Then her smile faded.

"One day..."

"...we don't know exactly what happened."

"Your grandmother found you unconscious inside your grandparents' room."

"Tenshō-seki was in your hand."

She looked into my eyes.

"But this time..."

"...instead of remaining transparent white..."

"...it shone with countless colors."

"And it was absorbing your chakra."

She took a deep breath.

"The ancestral monument only said that whoever awakened Tenshō-seki would one day become a god."

"It never said that person had to be an Uzumaki."

She smiled sadly.

"When my father learned that you were the chosen one..."

"...I believe it was the happiest day of his life."

"You may not carry the Uzumaki surname..."

"...but their blood flows through your veins."

I silently listened to everything.

What a ridiculously cliché plot.

Still...

Considering that I was the protagonist this time...

It was surprisingly pleasant to hear.

But one question still remained.

Why don't I remember any of this?

She smiled mysteriously.

"I imagine you're wondering..."

"...why you don't remember any of it."

I nodded.

Apparently...

There was still more to this story than met the eye.

She looked at me quietly before revealing the truth.

"You don't remember..."

"...because after you awakened Tenshō-seki..."

"...every memory you had from before that day was erased."

"You forgot everything."