Chapter 36: The Land of Whirlpools
The next morning, the twelve students and four instructors were assembled at the main gates of Konoha.
Kakashi immediately began to brief them on the mission's destination: the Land of Whirlpools.
"The Land of Whirlpools is a peninsula jutting out from the Fire Country's southeastern corner. Its climate is unique—mild and rainy all year round. Even at this time of year, it could start raining at any moment. Everyone needs to be prepared for the wet weather. Keep your gear dry; dampness will affect its use."
He pointed to their packs. "Make sure your tools are wrapped in waterproof tarps. Humidity will weaken the effectiveness of explosion tags."
Sakura, who was scribbling in her notebook, looked up. "Kakashi-sensei, if we're exploring ruins, does that mean the country was destroyed?"
"It's long gone," Kakashi explained. "The Land of Whirlpools was once a prominent nation. Its primary inhabitants were the Uzumaki clan, a clan with incredible talent for ninjutsu, especially fūinjutsu. Powerful techniques like the Adamantine Sealing Chains, the Four Symbols Seal, and even the Reaper Death Seal were all specialties of the Uzumaki."
"They also had their own hidden village, Uzushiogakure, which had deep ties to Konoha. The Uzumaki and the Senju are distant blood relatives. In fact, the symbol for Uzushiogakure is the same whirlpool symbol we wear on the backs of our flak jackets."
At this, Naruto's eyes went wide. He subconsciously reached back to touch the whirlpool symbol on his own jacket.
"Wait! The Uzumaki clan?" Naruto leaped to his feet. "But that's my—!"
"That's right." Kakashi nodded. "Naruto Uzumaki. Your surname comes from this very clan."
Hearing this, everyone turned to stare at Naruto, their eyes wide with surprise.
They all knew Naruto was the son of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, but no one knew anything about his mother or where the "Uzumaki" name came from. They certainly never imagined it had such a deep connection to Konoha and a lost nation.
Even Sasuke, who in the future had gone with Orochimaru to the Uzumaki temple to retrieve the Reaper Death Seal mask, had never known the details.
"No way! Naruto, you're related to Lady Tsunade?" Kiba, blunt as ever, clapped Naruto on the shoulder. "Lady Tsunade is a Senju, and you're an Uzumaki. If they're distant relatives, that makes you family, right?"
Naruto scratched his head, completely baffled. "Huh? I'm related to Granny Tsunade? I... I had no idea..."
Kakashi coughed lightly, cutting through the chatter. "It's true. The Senju and Uzumaki are related. Lady Tsunade's grandmother was Mito Uzumaki. So yes, Naruto, you are related. But now isn't the time. We can talk more about the Uzumaki clan's history on the way."
His tone shifted, becoming serious. "Ostensibly, this mission is an exploration. In reality, we're looking for any surviving fūinjutsu data the Uzumaki left behind. It's of critical importance to Konoha's research."
Asuma exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Especially considering the enemies we'll be facing in the future..."
Kurenai gently nudged his arm, and Asuma immediately shut up.
"Everyone, do a final equipment check. Make sure your waterproof seals are tight and your tools are in order. We leave in five minutes."
The group left the gates and headed southeast.
Naruto was practically bouncing the whole way, peppering Kakashi with questions.
"Kakashi-sensei, were my mom and dad from the Uzumaki clan too? What did they look like? Why did..."
The others were also curious about Konoha's lost ally. Sakura had her notebook out, and even Tenten was quietly speculating with Neji about just how powerful their fūinjutsu must have been. With no other choice, Kakashi continued the history lesson.
"The alliance between the Uzumaki and the Senju wasn't formed overnight. It dates back to the Warring States Period. Because of their distant blood ties, the two clans allied against common enemies, and over time, that bond became iron-clad."
"Intermarriage between the clans was also common. The First Hokage, Lord Hashirama Senju, took a wife from their clan: Mito Uzumaki."
"Whoa! The First Hokage's wife was an Uzumaki!" Naruto's eyes were huge. "Does that mean... were my parents super strong, too?"
Kakashi's expression dimmed. He didn't answer directly. "I'm not the best person to ask about that, Naruto. That's something you'll have to find out for yourself."
"Oh... okay," Naruto said, his shoulders slumping.
That's when Sakura, ever the student, jumped in.
"But Sensei, if they had such a long history and were our allies, how did they just disappear? Why isn't any of this in our textbooks?"
The question silenced the group. Everyone focused on Kakashi. Even Tenten and Neji stopped their quiet chatter. Naruto looked up, that same hope back in his eyes. He clearly wanted to know the truth of his family's fate.
"In times of war, a clan that masters fūinjutsu is rare. The Uzumaki weren't just masters; they could use their seals to bind Tailed Beasts and restrain powerful enemies. This made the other nations both fear and envy them. They worried that the Uzumaki clan would one day use their seals to take control of the shinobi world, so they formed a secret pact to annihilate them."
"They attacked them?" Sakura pressed. "But... didn't Konoha help? We were their allies!"
"Konoha would never sit by while its allies were attacked. As soon as the distress signal was received, the village mobilized a relief force. But the other nations chose their timing carefully. They attacked while Konoha was bogged down in another conflict, our forces spread thin. By the time our reinforcements broke through, Uzushiogakure had already been consumed by the flames of war. The village was in ruins, and most of the Uzumaki clan had been sacrificed."
"As for why it's not in the history books," Kakashi's voice continued, laced with a familiar weariness.
"For one, the war was so brutal that Konoha chose to seal the records to avoid escalating tensions with the other nations, and to protect any survivors from being hunted down. For another... they didn't want future generations to be driven by this past, to let it threaten the peace of the shinobi world."
"After all, hatred only breeds more hatred."