KAGE

"My memories were erased?"

"You erased my memories?"

"No." She shook her head. "We didn't do it. It happened right after you awakened."

"After you awakened, we discovered that you didn't recognize anyone. Not even your own name. So you had to relearn everything from the beginning."

"That was when your engagement with Hikari was arranged. It was a joyful time for both families and for Uzu no Kuni—the Land of Whirlpools."

"But unfortunately..."

"Good times never last forever."

"At that time, the news that you had successfully activated the Uzumaki Clan's ancestral treasure spread among the great powers."

"No one knew what it meant, but they knew it represented a great opportunity for Uzu no Kuni."

"They had always been dissatisfied with us because of our potential. The Uzumaki Clan refused to submit to any of the great nations like the Senju and Uchiha did. Instead, we created our own nation."

"Things only became worse when your great-aunt, Uzumaki Mito, married Senju Hashirama-sama instead of the current Daimyō of Hi no Kuni—the Land of Fire."

"Your great-aunt was beautiful and desired by many..."

She smiled faintly.

"Even your grandfather loved her."

"But she fell in love with Hashirama-sama."

Her expression became serious.

"Everything combined..."

"The two Bijū we possessed..."

"Our powerful bloodline abilities..."

"And the fact that both Hashirama-sama and Tobirama-sama were already dead at the time..."

"All of it led to the decision to exterminate our people."

She looked toward the distant horizon, lost in thought.

"All because we refused to bow before them."

I remained silent, trying to process everything I had just heard.

What shocking information.

Who would have thought that the main reason behind the destruction of the Uzumaki Clan...

Was me?

Things that were never mentioned in canon.

It seemed Kishimoto had left a lot unexplained.

Now that I thought about it...

If my original self had managed to activate Tenshō-Seki—the ultimate protagonist cheat—then why was he never mentioned in canon?

Why did he become so weak?

As for his weakness...

I could understand.

Many cheats in novels made their users weak at the beginning.

But why was he never mentioned?

Did he die?

Well...

Obviously, he died.

After all, I reincarnated after his death.

But shouldn't he have had some influence on the future of the ninja world?

Or...

Could it be that even after reincarnating...

I still died?

Did I become arrogant and challenge someone I shouldn't have?

This ninja world was truly dangerous.

I was certain that the fact my original self was destined to become a god meant the universe itself would favor him.

A transmigration was almost guaranteed in the case of someone mediocre who died young.

The prophecy said he would become a god.

And he was me.

If he never appeared during canon...

And even the Six Tails eventually ended up in the hands of the flute-playing man...

Then something truly serious must happen in the future.

"So..."

"What was that place you sent me to earlier?"

My mother's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Tenshō-Seki."

After a long silence, I answered.

I decided to tell her about the space.

Considering our current situation, everything pointed toward a future filled with despair.

And since she had already been there...

It was better for her to know.

Perhaps it would give her some relief.

"T-Tenshō-Seki?"

She looked genuinely shocked.

"Tenshō-Seki is a place?"

"But how?"

"How did you enter it?"

"When did this happen?"

"Now that we have this place, everyone can hide inside. It's small, but it would still work."

"If you had this place, why didn't you tell us before?"

She bombarded me with so many questions that I almost became dizzy.

"First..."

"I only discovered this space last night."

"After almost dying..."

"After watching my father die..."

"After realizing I was responsible for protecting the family..."

I lowered my gaze.

"I had no idea what to do."

"Then Tenshō-Seki appeared before me and entered my body."

"The space contains pure chakra energy, and the water has healing properties."

"I don't know if you noticed, but my injuries have improved significantly since yesterday because of the water from the spring."

"That really happened?"

She looked shocked.

"There is water with healing properties?"

I nodded.

"Didn't you notice when you entered?" I asked.

"I didn't have time."

"Everything happened too quickly."

"One moment I was mourning my husband..."

"The next, I appeared in a dark place surrounded by strange mist."

"When I started becoming anxious because I didn't know where I was..."

"Saiken told me that you were the one who sent me there because everyone became frightened when I released part of her chakra."

"Before I could investigate, you pulled me back."

"So that's what happened."

I sighed.

"I was truly scared when I saw you release Saiken's chakra."

"I always believed Bijū hated their Jinchūriki because of the nature of their relationship."

"In a way, Jinchūriki are prisons for Bijū."

I smiled.

"But who would have thought my mother was so incredible that she became allies with Aunt Saiken?"

After hearing my words, my mother gave a proud little laugh.

"Yesterday, when I first entered this place, the first thought that came to my mind was that we were saved."

"From now on, everyone could hide here."

"But unfortunately..."

"I tried bringing people here while they were sleeping, but it didn't work."

"I tried with the children as well."

"None of them entered."

She looked at me curiously.

"I admire that you managed to enter."

"I don't know how it works or what mechanism allows it."

"I still need to study it properly."

I looked toward the horizon.

"When I drank the water from this space and felt its healing properties..."

My voice became quieter.

"The first person I thought about was my father."

"If he had held on a little longer..."

"If I had awakened this power earlier..."

"And if..."

Countless possibilities crossed my mind.

I felt her stand up.

Then she hugged me.

"You don't need to blame yourself."

"Your father died the way he truly wanted."

"As a Shinobi."

"On a battlefield, surrounded by the corpses of his enemies."

"And about the question he asked you before his death..."

"Don't feel sad."

"Deep down, he understood your situation."

"Even I want revenge."

"But because I lacked the strength, I was forced to hide."

"He thought you would never be able to rise again."

"That's why he asked you to abandon your hatred."

"If he knew you had awakened Tenshō-Seki..."

"He would never have said those words before dying."

She gently held me.

"Remember this, my son."

"The cruelest punishment for a proud person is the helplessness of being unable to protect or provide for those they love."

"That is what your father felt after we fled."

"I only regret that he died without seeing the Uzumaki and Tsukishiro Clans rise again under the leadership of his son."

---

Inside the Land of Beginning...

Several hours passed.

It was night.

All the children were asleep.

"So this is Tenshō-Seki..."

My mother looked around in amazement.

Black soil.

A small spring.

Gray clouds covering the sky.

"Honestly, I expected more."

"I've heard so much about this treasure that I thought it would be far more impressive."

She sounded slightly disappointed.

Before I could answer...

The atmosphere suddenly became strange.

My mother began talking to herself.

"This is a great treasure?"

"Seriously? I don't see anything interesting here besides slightly purer chakra."

"You know I hate when you call me stupid."

"Why would I bother thinking when I have you, you old immortal?"

"I'll ignore you."

Listening to my mother's passionate monologue completely destroyed the image I had of her.

In my eyes, she had always been a serious and mature woman who never lost her composure.

Who would have thought...

She had such an immature side?

---

Later...

"The ones who attacked us..."

"Were they ninjas from Konoha?"

"Are you sure?"

"Of course."

Her expression became serious.

"How could I forget some of the abilities they used?"

"Several of them possessed Byakugan and Sharingan."