Naruto: Journey to Reach You-Chapter 26

And suddenly, a breeze came and moved Kushina's long hair, its ends reaching Naruto's face.

When she looked to the right—the direction her hair flew—she quickly grabbed it and placed it over her left shoulder, saying shyly:

"Sorry... I know it's long and annoying..."

He interrupted her, saying:

"On the contrary... It looks really beautiful."

She looked at him in surprise:

"Really?!"

He nodded with a warm smile. She kept looking at him and thought to herself:

He's the first one to compliment my hair.

She stared at him for a while, then playfully pointed a finger at his face, squinting her eyes slightly:

"You're from the Namikaze clan... right?"

He looked at her in surprise, then laughed:

"Yes... I am one of them."

She smiled at him, then turned her gaze back forward, while he kept looking at her, thinking to himself:

I really don't understand why the villagers hate her so much... I don't think someone as sweet as her could ever hurt anyone!

Naruto:

"Kushina... why did that man treat you so harshly? And I noticed everyone looked at you with hatred and anger... no one even tried to help. Why?!"

Kushina, after a moment of silence:

"I was afraid you'd ask me that question."

Naruto, surprised:

"Afraid?! Of what?"

Kushina:

"That you might treat me the same way once you know."

Naruto:

"I don't think I would... You don't seem like a bad person."

Kushina:

"Do you really want to know?"

Naruto, jokingly:

"I think I have the right to know about the girl I'm protecting."

She laughed happily, and when she finished, she said:

"This was more than ten years ago... I was seven at the time and living with my father. My mother passed away when I was only two...

My dad was my entire world. He was a great scientist in our village, known for his brilliance in creating seals and new techniques...

Everyone respected and loved him. I won't lie—they treated me like a princess too... but that didn't last. One day, my father and I went on a trip, and when we returned—"

[FLASHBACK]

Kushina, scared, looking at an explosion in the village:

"Dad... what is that explosion?!"

Kushina's father, thinking:

That technique...!!!

He turned to hug her tightly:

"Stay close to me, sweetheart."

The explosion reached them, throwing them far to the edge of the forest. Kushina was unharmed because her father shielded her, but he took the full blow and was severely injured, unable to move.

Kushina, terrified, sitting on the ground and holding her father's head:

"Dad... Dad... look at me... answer me!"

Her father moved with difficulty and handed her something:

"Kushina... take this, my daughter."

Kushina:

"What is this scroll?!"

Her father:

"It's the strongest technique I ever created... Run! The survivors will try to steal it. Keep it safe and never open it... Once you do, the place will explode like you saw, only this scroll is even stronger—it could destroy five villages in seconds. I invented it to be our clan's weapon, but I never thought it would be the reason our clan gets wiped out..."

When he saw the fear in her eyes, he gently touched her cheek:

"Kushina... didn't I tell you? You look just like her... You're strong like she was... That's why I named you after her."

Then with a serious tone:

"Listen carefully, Kushina... You can't protect this scroll alone. Since everyone from our clan was annihilated in the village, you need to go to those outside it... I heard Uzumaki Kushina gave birth before she died. I think his name is... Uzumaki Naruto."

Kushina:

"Uzumaki... Naruto?!"

Her father:

"Find him and give him the scroll. I'm sure he'll protect his family's legacy and become someone great like his parents. But before that, go into hiding with Master Hiroshi Miyuki... If they find you, they'll kill you.

Use your time with her to improve your skills so you can eventually reach that boy. He's the one who truly deserves this technique—he's from our clan."

Tears flowed down Kushina's cheeks:

"And you, Dad... what will happen to you?"

He placed his hand on her chest:

"Don't worry about me, sweetheart... Just run. Take care of yourself. From now on, you'll suffer a lot, my daughter... Forgive me for not being there to protect you... Just remember... I love you... I'm counting on you."

Her tears flowed even more as she clung to his hand:

"Dad... don't leave me alone!"

Her father:

"Don't be afraid, my daughter. You won't be alone... Just do as I said, and you'll be fine."

As he sensed someone approaching, he quickly said:

"Kushina... run... run quickly!"

Kushina:

"But—"

He interrupted:

"Go... Hurry... They must not see you. Go!"

She slowly let go of his hand, stood up, still scared, and looked at him. He said:

"Go... I'll be fine."

She shut her eyes tightly, then turned and ran into the forest until she vanished among the trees. She kept running, tears pouring down her face. Suddenly, she heard a loud scream—her father's voice. She stumbled, fell, and hit her head on the ground.

Looking back, shivering and frozen in fear, she remembered his words:

"I love you... I'm counting on you."

She regained her strength, stood up, and ran faster, away from the village.

Kushina kept running as fast as she could. When she got tired, she stopped briefly and looked at the scroll in her hand, saying:

"Now... where do I go with this scroll? That's right, my father told me to find that trainer..."

She wandered until her feet led her to a village. She asked everyone about the trainer until someone told her she lived in a small, isolated house and didn't like to socialize.

Kushina traveled to the place the man mentioned. She walked a lot, snow falling on her, freezing, her clothes torn from the journey. She fought through the cold until she spotted a small house in the distance.

She hurried to it, knocked, and after waiting a while, the door opened, revealing a woman in her thirties who sharply asked:

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

"Who are you?"

Kushina looked at her and, exhausted from fatigue, said, "I'm Uzumaki Kushina, and I came to you so I can..."

Suddenly, her strength gave out, her eyes closed, and she collapsed onto the snow, unconscious.

When she opened her eyes again, she found herself lying on a bed near a fireplace, with a heavy blanket covering her to shield her from the cold. She tried to open her eyes fully and said, "Where am I...?"

Once she fully regained consciousness, she sat up in panic and asked with fear, "Where's the scroll... where is it?!"

The woman, sitting on a nearby desk chair, looked at her and said, "Don't worry, it's with me."

Miyuki (thinking to herself): This girl is too young and weak to carry something this dangerous.

Kushina rushed to her and snatched the scroll from Miyuki's hand, saying with relief, "I was scared I had lost it."

Miyuki (sharply): "You...!"

Kushina looked at her innocently, prompting Miyuki to continue, "Why did you come here?"

Kushina: "I came looking for Lady Hiroshi Miyuki."

Miyuki: "And why are you looking for her?"

Kushina: "To train me and make me stronger so I can protect what my father left for me."

Miyuki: "Train you?!! ... Impossible. You're leaving now. I don't welcome anyone living with me."