The flight capabilities of the T1 battle armor were beyond question. It took Ayaka Uzumaki only half a day to travel from the Land of Tea to the Land of Whirlpools—even with frequent stops to admire the scenery. At one point, she even spotted a massive fish in the ocean and dove down to scoop it up, completely indulging in her playful nature.
Her original mission—to scout the smaller nations for Hyuga Mirai—was temporarily forgotten.
Upon arriving in the Land of Whirlpools, Ayaka first visited the place where she had lived as a child. However, more than a decade had passed, and now, it was nothing but ruins. If not for the faint memories she still held of her village, she wouldn't have been able to recognize anything from the desolate landscape.
Determined, she decided to search for the ancestral chamber hidden within Uzushio Village. If the enemies that had attacked the village all those years ago hadn't discovered it, then there was a chance it had remained untouched.
Kagura Mind's Eye!
Closing her eyes, Ayaka expanded her sensory field, carefully limiting it to a two-kilometer radius. If the former clan leader had indeed left behind the Uzumaki Clan's legacy, it was most likely sealed away.
To aid in the search, she deployed several nano-surveillance drones from her T1 battle armor. These tiny machines scanned areas where sealing techniques might be present, detecting disturbances that would activate her Kagura Mind's Eye.
"Found it!"
One of the nano-drones had infiltrated the ruins and triggered a sealing jutsu embedded in the floor. The location was near the clan's ancestral shrine, yet Ayaka had no prior knowledge of any hidden chamber beneath it.
She hurried to the site and used her Adamantine Chains to clear away the rubble covering the entrance.
"This is… a contract seal? No, it looks like a modified version… It requires a special key to break."
After studying the seal, Ayaka frowned. Most of her knowledge of sealing techniques came from Hyuga Mirai, who in turn had learned from Konoha. Though she had received some training, she was unfamiliar with the unique sealing arts of the Uzumaki Clan.
Her skills were insufficient to decipher the seal directly—she could only follow the prescribed method to unlock it, rather than attempting to forcefully break it.
After several attempts, she finally discovered a method that worked: using chakra-infused Adamantine Chains to release the seal safely.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Four Adamantine Chains emerged from Ayaka's back, embedding themselves into the four corners of the seal's formation. Unlike ordinary sealing techniques, Adamantine Chains could only be awakened by those with Uzumaki blood, making them nearly impossible to bypass otherwise.
Rumble!
The hidden chamber of the Uzumaki Clan slowly revealed itself. To be cautious, Ayaka first sent in several nano-surveillance drones. After confirming there were no traps or dangers, she stepped inside.
The chamber was not particularly large, but it housed several ancient statues and walls covered in intricate sealing inscriptions—the legacy of the Uzumaki Clan.
"This is… every sealing technique passed down by the Uzumaki Clan."
Ayaka's eyes sparkled with excitement. In her mind, she could already picture the scene: handing over this knowledge to Hyuga Mirai, watching as he praised her efforts with approval.
"Oh, it's nothing, Mirai-sama. This is just my duty. Hehehe~"
Her eerie giggling echoed through the dark, empty chamber.
---
After recording all the sealing techniques using the T1 battle armor's data system, Ayaka resealed the chamber.
Initially, she considered destroying it entirely, but after some thought, she decided against it. The area was remote and rarely visited—who knew when it might prove useful in the future?
Eager to return to the Uzumaki Trade Association, Ayaka set off immediately, planning to organize the sealing techniques and deliver them to Hyuga Mirai.
Unbeknownst to her, Unit 18 had already copied all the data the moment it was recorded in the battle armor. However, without expertise in sealing techniques, it had yet to analyze the information fully. Otherwise, it would have already compiled and forwarded it to Mirai.
The T1 battle armor soared at altitudes higher than even trained messenger hawks, equipped with optical camouflage that made it nearly invisible to the average shinobi.
Ayaka always activated surveillance mode when flying back to the association. If she encountered a large number of enemy shinobi or risked being detected, she would adjust her route accordingly.
"Energy reaction detected ahead… The readings are enormous."
The armor's system suddenly issued a warning. Though she wasn't particularly adept at reading its technical data, she was familiar enough with its basic functions—particularly its weapon systems and general controls.
Instead of relying on the armor's sensors, she chose to confirm the presence herself.
"Kagura Mind's Eye!"
After forming a quick hand seal, Ayaka expanded her sensory field. Within a radius of several dozen kilometers, no chakra signature could escape her detection.
"Such a massive chakra presence… It's almost comparable to mine. But… this doesn't feel like human chakra."
"A Tailed Beast?"
Tailed Beasts possessed chakra that was distinctly different from that of humans—easily recognizable to anyone with strong sensory abilities.
Ayaka had experienced this firsthand when near Kushina Uzumaki. While standing close, she could faintly sense the strange presence of the Nine-Tails' chakra. However, at a distance, it became undetectable.
Now, she had stumbled upon a massive presence, unmistakably belonging to a Tailed Beast…
The sealing jutsu on this individual was full of gaps, like a sieve. Even from several kilometers away, Ayaka Uzumaki could sense the violent and chaotic chakra leaking from within.
"This shouldn't be Princess Kushina. Her chakra feels completely different."
She released a swarm of nano-surveillance drones and flew toward the source from high altitude.
For the T1 battle armor, a few kilometers was a trivial distance. In no time, Ayaka had reached the area. With the assistance of her drones, she was able to clearly see the faces of those below.
"Mist shinobi and Konoha… That's not Princess Kushina—why is it another girl from Konoha?"
Ayaka was momentarily stunned when she recognized Nohara Rin. She remembered Hyuga Mirai mentioning that Konoha had only one Jinchuriki: Uzumaki Kushina. But now, another one had appeared. Moreover, the sealing technique used on this girl was crude and unstable—so much so that Ayaka could sense the Tailed Beast's chakra from kilometers away.
"Unit 18, connect me to Lord Mirai. I have an important report."
She decided to inform Hyuga Mirai immediately. Intelligence on a Tailed Beast was of the highest priority. Judging by the battle below, Konoha and the Mist were fighting over the Jinchuriki girl.
"Calling the master now. Categorizing as second-tier emergency intelligence," Unit 18's voice echoed through Ayaka's T1 battle armor. Since Unit 18 had access to all of Ayaka's reconnaissance data, it instantly recognized the importance of the situation and relayed the message to Hyuga Mirai.
At that moment, Mirai was busy packing up the camp, preparing to withdraw from the Land of Hot Water alongside the troops. Cloud had already retreated—not officially surrendering, but all signs pointed to their unwillingness to continue the war.
With the border threat neutralized, there was no need for Orochimaru to remain on high alert. From here, it was up to Konoha's higher-ups to decide whether to negotiate peace or resume hostilities. Given Orochimaru's understanding of his former teacher, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Konoha was likely to take the initiative in peace talks.
"What's so urgent?"
Mirai found an excuse to slip away from the unit and accessed the transmission. Seeing Unit 18 and Ayaka's report, his eyes narrowed.
"A Jinchuriki… Nohara Rin and Kakashi. So, it's this incident."
The Three-Tails—Mist was just giving it away?
Konoha was nowhere near weak enough to be threatened by a rogue Tailed Beast. If the Three-Tails manifested, Konoha's shinobi would tear it apart in minutes. Did the Mist not think things through?
Forget everything else—just the Seven Ninja Swordsmen plus the Mizukage would be enough to overwhelm the Three-Tails. Konoha had at least two squads capable of matching that level of power.
Mirai thought for a moment—this was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.
Even if Unit 18 no longer required a Tailed Beast's chakra, there would come a day when its power would prove useful.
Without hesitation, he connected the call to Ayaka.
"Lord Mirai."
Mirai issued his command immediately. "Ayaka, find a way to bring Nohara Rin back. But don't expose your identity."
A normal human body wasn't suited to being a Jinchuriki. If Rin had been forcibly turned into one, then her physique must be unique.
"I understand, Lord Mirai!"
Hearing the seriousness in Mirai's voice, Ayaka responded without hesitation.
She assessed the Mist shinobi and Konoha's lone warrior below. They were formidable, but none posed a threat to her inside the T1 battle armor.
And once she was airborne, they wouldn't be able to touch her at all.
---
"Kid, you've held out against our assault for quite some time. That's impressive for a shinobi."
One of the Mist ANBU surrounding Kakashi spoke, his tone carrying a trace of admiration.
Rescuing Nohara Rin from their grasp and surviving this long? That alone proved the boy was among Konoha's elite.
"But we can't let a mere brat ruin our plans. So, I'm afraid this is where you die."
Kakashi panted heavily, sweat trickling down his face as he tightened his grip on his kunai.
The Mist ANBU had a point—he had been fighting alone against a dozen of them. But what was more troubling was that he had only awakened one Sharingan.
"Ka… Kakashi…"
Nohara Rin's voice trembled as she watched him, her heart filled with worry.
It was happening again.
She was once more the target of the enemy.
And just like before, someone was putting their life on the line to protect her.
But this time, there was no Obito—only Kakashi. And he was facing over a dozen enemies alone.
If this went on… he would meet the same fate as Obito.
"Kakashi, don't worry about me!"
"Rin, while I hold them off, you need to run back to Konoha as fast as you can."
Kakashi cut her off, forming hand seals as the sound of chirping birds filled the air. Lightning flickered around his hand, forming a concentrated mass of chakra.
"Chidori."
"Tch, that jutsu again…"
The Mist ANBU leader tensed beneath his mask.
Kakashi had already taken down three of their comrades using this technique—it was too fast, too lethal. Even knowing it was coming, countering it was another matter entirely.
"Rin, go now!"
Kakashi shouted his warning before dashing forward, Chidori crackling in his grasp as he lunged at the Mist shinobi.
Boom!
A sudden explosion echoed from above, shaking the battlefield.
Instinctively, Kakashi tensed, turning to look—Blinding light erupted behind him.
The sudden brilliance was overwhelming, forcing both him and the Mist shinobi to shut their eyes.
"Kakashi!"
Rin's voice called out, but it was fading… growing more distant.
Within seconds, Kakashi could no longer hear her at all.
His heart pounded as he clenched his fists. "Rin… Are you okay? Rin!?"
Forcing his Sharingan open, he scanned his surroundings—
But Rin was gone.
A few dozen meters away, a twisted, pale-skinned figure emerged from a tree trunk, its eerie voice muttering in frustration.
"Hey, hey… Where's the girl with the Three-Tails sealed inside her? How did she just disappear in the blink of an eye?"
The creature shuddered.
"This is bad. This is really bad. Madara's plan is falling apart—I need to report this immediately!"
(End of Chapter)
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