We spent the next week within the capital, mostly just touring it like tourists — seeing the sights, eating the local dishes, wandering from one market to the next.
It was mostly for Kanna's sake.
The poor woman had been through so much; even while traveling with me, she had been a nervous wreck. She kept it together for Karin, but only barely. This week of comfort was meant to ease her into a new rhythm of life — one that didn't revolve around fear or exhaustion.
That was why I dressed them both in silk.
Not ordinary silk, but the finest divine weave, soft as breath and light as air. I wanted her to feel what it meant to be seen again — to be treated like a person of worth.
She had been conditioned to see herself as inferior, a tool to be used and drained, but that wasn't what I wanted.
In truth, I had little use for her personally. I had taken her on a whim, and she remained with me largely because she was of my blood. Still, if she was to live in the new world I would build, she would need to learn to stand tall.
To that end, I would at least keep her alive — and teach her how to carry herself with dignity.
It wasn't easy.
One could dress a beggar in gold, but that wouldn't make them noble. The spine must be reforged before the silk can mean anything.
Still, little Karin was adjusting wonderfully.
Children were more adaptable; she took to her new life with glee. From being locked away in a dusty house while her mother wasted away, she now roamed bright streets filled with sound and color, clutching new toys in her tiny hands and giggling at every shiny thing that caught her eye.
Kanna, however, still flinched every time Karin dropped something or stained her dress. She apologized to shopkeepers, servants, even to me — as if every misstep would earn punishment.
It was infuriating and sad in equal measure.
The townsfolk didn't know what to make of it either.
Here in the capital, nobles were common, and arrogance was expected of them. Seeing a woman dressed like high nobility bow and scrape in apology for a child's clumsiness unsettled them far more than if she had shouted. Too much humility, they thought, hid something unnatural.
And Kanna, for all her scars, was kind — painfully kind. Her first instinct was always to help, to soothe, to yield.
"Kanna," I said as we left yet another tea shop, her arms full of small purchases for Karin, "you must learn to hold your head higher. Be proud. Remember that you are an Uzumaki — more noble than even the Daimyō."
She blinked, startled by the statement. "More noble than the Daimyō? But… he rules the Land of Fire."
"And despite that, he is nothing. He rules because Konoha allows it. Without that, he and his nobles wouldn't last a day. He has no blood. He is in power because of a mistake — nothing more. Nothing noble about him." I scoffed at the idea that the Daimyō deserved to rule.
Kanna gaped, looking nervously around as if afraid someone might have heard me. "Please, Kaguya-hime, you can't say things like that. It will get you in trouble," she pleaded.
I just snorted but didn't continue. She clearly wasn't ready to see the truth just yet.
The week passed quickly.
We visited shrines, gardens, even the outer walls of the Daimyō's palace. Kanna looked uneasy each time a samurai patrol passed, but no one gave us trouble. Our silks spoke for us louder than any papers could.
By the end of the week, Kanna's steps had grown steadier. She no longer bowed to every merchant or guard, and her voice had gained a fraction of confidence when speaking to others. A small change — but one I noted with satisfaction.
When we finally departed the capital, we did so with sealing scrolls full of supplies — food, medicine, clothes, and every necessity for Karin's care. The road ahead would not be easy, and I had no intention of wasting time scavenging for comfort.
The fields beyond the city shimmered gold in the late afternoon sun. I looked over my shoulder at Kanna and Karin walking behind me — one cautious, the other skipping through the grass, chasing a butterfly.
For a brief moment, I allowed myself a quiet smile.
Perhaps there was something pleasant in this temporary peace — a calm before the inevitable storm.
After all, the world had had a week to come to terms with my actions in the Land of Grass. One didn't take on an entire minor shinobi village and not become a legend.
It was one thing to take on a small country; other S-rank shinobi would and could do that. But taking on a shinobi village? That was beyond even that. Though, then again, Kusagakure had been worthless.
They were weak from the war, having suffered heavy losses against three major shinobi villages, treated like fodder and dirt. So it was hardly fair to judge them based on this one loss — they had held back from fully confronting me.
Because even if they won, the losses they would suffer wouldn't have been worth it. They knew that, I knew that, the smart ones out there knew that. But plenty of fools only heard the major news and didn't think more about it.
Didn't look underneath the underneath.
They saw only that Kusagakure had been attacked by one woman, who kidnapped members of the Uzumaki clan that had sought refuge in Kusagakure. This was the story — no doubt deliberately spread by Kusagakure to put more of a target on my back.
After all, they knew they didn't have the strength to go after me themselves, nor did they have the money to put a bounty on my back, so they just made me out to be as valuable as possible.
It was well known that other villages, like Kumo, wanted to get their hands on bloodlines, and two members of the Uzumaki clan — and someone from the Kaguya clan, powerful enough to deal with a full shinobi village?
I had no doubt the Raikage was drooling at the idea of getting all three of us.
Kumo's obsession with bloodlines had never been subtle. If even a whisper reached him that two Uzumaki and a Kaguya rogue were wandering unaligned, unprotected, and unattached to any nation…
He would send everything he could spare to get us, one way or another.
And the worst part?
He wouldn't be the only one.
Iwagakure would also not sit still; they too would want to try their luck, and likely go with an "if we can't get it, no one can" approach. Get us, or kill us.
To say nothing of Kirigakure, who already had a bounty on my head and would only try far harder to kill if they assumed I was one of their rogue shinobi.
Even Konoha wouldn't ignore us — if for no other reason than it looking bad that they wouldn't try to help members of their old ally, the Uzumaki clan. And Danzō would likely not be able to resist the news of an Uzumaki child; after all, those were valuable for many reasons, more so as a backup Jinchūriki candidate should something happen to Kushina.
People didn't think deeply, but they thought greedily.
Especially when it came to power.
And Kusagakure had made certain to paint the picture in the most dramatic way possible.
"Rogue kunoichi destroys the village."
"Uzumaki captives stolen."
"Kaguya clan rogue sighted."
"Bone user tears through defenders."
While nothing had happened while inside the capital, I suspected that it was only a matter of time before someone got too impatient — in particular Danzō. He was the closest, being in the Land of Fire, and also someone who would gladly break the rules of no shinobi business in the capital to get at least Karin.
So, we left, going back on the road, to face our enemies — and I welcomed it.
Because I still needed to cement my reputation and burn some bridges. Only then could I fully join the underworld, the black market, and hopefully find the organization controlled by Isshiki.
-----
Lightning cracked hard enough to rattle the inkpots on Raikage A's desk.
It wasn't a storm.
It was his chakra.
The wooden floor vibrated as he slammed both palms down, his glare stabbing through the man standing before him.
"Repeat that," he said, voice like a growl dragging across steel.
C swallowed, gripping the mission report tightly.
"A rogue kunoichi, Raikage-sama… one using Bone Release. Accompanied by two Uzumaki. She attacked Kusagakure and escaped before they could mobilize a full defense."
A's expression darkened.
A Kaguya.
Two Uzumaki.
Traveling together.
Unclaimed by any nation.
A walking treasure trove.
"Location," A demanded.
"Last confirmed sighting: the capital of the Land of Fire. Yesterday morning."
A snorted.
"Of course it's there. Neutral ground. A nest of bureaucrats."
C adjusted his glasses with a trembling hand. "Sir… the reports emphasize her strength. Dozens dead in minutes. Over a hundred casualties."
A froze.
"…A hundred?" he repeated.
"Yes, Raikage-sama."
Even for him, that number was unsettling. A single kunoichi erasing half a village's shinobi force — effortlessly, according to rumor.
Mabui entered the office then, bowing deeply. "I've reviewed the reports as well."
A turned toward her. "Tell me it's exaggerated."
"It may be," she admitted, "but the consistency of the accounts is concerning. They all describe precision killings. No wasted movement. No injuries sustained. She simply walked through Kusagakure."
A's jaw tightened.
C continued, voice soft. "Even the Kaguya clan of Kirigakure likely doesn't have someone so strong among them; she is likely extremely dangerous."
"And valuable," A snapped. "Don't forget that part."
C cleared his throat delicately. "Sir… if we move aggressively, we risk provoking someone we do not yet understand."
Mabui nodded. "A diplomatic approach may be wiser at first. If she is as powerful as described, an attack could end badly."
A hated how reasonable they sounded.
"So what would you have me do?" he demanded.
"Send an invitation," C said. "A formal message from Kumogakure. Offer her protection, resources, a place for the Uzumaki child to grow safely. If she accepts, we gain powerful allies."
"And if she refuses?" A asked.
Mabui's eyes narrowed slightly. "Then nothing stops us from sending hunter-nin afterward."
A leaned back slowly, thinking.
An invitation cost nothing.
And if she came willingly, she could become the strongest asset Kumo had seen in decades.
But if she refused…
Well, he always had backup plans.
"Fine," A said at last. "Draft it."
C immediately pulled out paper and ink. Mabui stepped forward with her writing tools.
"What tone shall the message have, Raikage-sama?" she asked.
A considered for a moment.
Not too aggressive.
Not too humble.
Respectful, but not weak.
"Write this," he ordered. "Address her as the one who toppled a village. Acknowledge her power. Flatter her — warriors like that respond to recognition."
Mabui nodded and began writing.
"Invite her to meet with a diplomatic escort in a neutral settlement near our borders. Make it clear we offer a place of honor in Kumogakure, should she desire it."
"And if she accepts?" C asked.
"Send an elite escort," A said. "Make sure they show respect."
"And if she declines?" Mabui said quietly.
Lightning sparked across A's shoulders, illuminating the room.
"Then we send the hunters. She may be powerful — but no one is untouchable."
He turned toward the window, watching storm clouds gather over the distant mountains.
A rogue Kaguya with a perfect mastery of her bones.
Two Uzumaki at her side.
An unknown agenda.
A slow smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
(End of chapter)
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