In any case,
The situation in the Ninja World began to change in a direction no one could predict. No one could foresee what terrifying events the future held.
Time passed slowly.
But now, every minute and every second was especially agonizing for Kushina.
Five days had passed since Minato was nailed to the Hokage Rock and the Uchiha Clan was annihilated, yet Kushina remained in a deeply negative and oppressive emotional state.
Of course,
This oppression had little to do with the Uchiha Clan. It was because, over these past few days, Kushina had watched helplessly as Minato's corpse was dissected by personnel from Konoha's relevant departments in the coldest and most unacceptable way.
Pupils, spinal fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, blood, vertebrae, central nervous system, muscle fibers…
The ice-cold procedures systematically disassembled Minato's corpse piece by piece before Kushina's eyes. For a Ninja who shared an extremely deep bond with him, this was immense mental torture.
But it was also unavoidable. The Ninja World was never short of various bizarre Forbidden Jutsu. No one could guarantee that Minato's corpse wasn't just another trick by some bored individual. So, taking it apart to confirm his identity was only natural.
Originally,
Both the Hiruzen and Jiraiya wanted Kushina to avoid this matter, but they were both cut off by Kushina's expressionless face.
She wanted to watch over Minato. Even if it was the final journey, she would see him off from this world personally.
Therefore,
At the Konoha's Anbu Base.
Kushina stood rooted in the laboratory like a nail, watching as Minato's corpse was dismantled into tens of thousands of shattered fragments by those workers in masks and protective suits, then sorted and stored in corresponding instruments.
No fear, no nausea, no disgust, not even any so-called anger. Kushina spent these five hellish days with an extremely calm demeanor.
Very calm.
But the lake-like dense blood-red color in her eyes indicated that Kushina's heart was not as calm as it appeared.
'I will join you soon, Minato.'
When the final piece of tissue sample was placed into a condensing test tube, Kushina finally made her decision and turned to leave this secret room that had long felt like purgatory.
She slowly raised her head, looking towards the Konoha's Ninjas waiting for her in the corridor.
Hiruzen, Jiraiya, Homura, Koharu, Inoichi, Choza…
In the utterly surprised and grave pupils of those people, she could clearly see her own current state, her haggard and wretched appearance.
Her red hair clung to her scalp like dried seaweed. Her eye sockets were deeply sunken from six days without sleep. Her body had even lost over thirty pounds due to the massive mental shock.
However,
Kushina, whose soul was already in excruciating pain and full of holes, paid no mind to the trivial pains coming from her body.
Hearing those people's hesitant words of comfort, Kushina offered no response. She deeply realized that no one's pain over Minato's departure could surpass her own.
A moment later, she left the Anbu Base.
Swoosh~
Swoosh~
Swoosh~
Only after exiting the main gate did Kushina realize that the entire Konoha was shrouded in a torrential downpour.
In the dark sky, countless raindrops, seemingly tinged with blood color, pelted the earth and struck Kushina's body.
However,
Kushina was indifferent to all this, completely unconcerned about what was happening to her.
She even felt a strange anticipation, hoping this sudden storm would drown her alive, preferably suffocating her to death, ending everything once and for all.
"Sensei cannot have died in vain. The one who harmed Sensei must pay the price. Must…"
"Kill that person!"
A dark umbrella suddenly appeared over Kushina's head. It was held by a white-haired Ninja in a black Ninja Attire, wearing a mask. His face was expressionless, and his crimson Sharingan beneath the Konoha's forehead protector flashed with agitated killing intent.
Kushina looked up and recognized the person immediately.
Hatake Kakashi.
A perpetually aloof youth, yet the genius student Minato valued most.
"Kill who?"
Kushina's gaze remained cold, but her tone inexplicably carried a few strands of warmth.
"Uchiha Fugaku."
Kakashi raised his head, looking at the equally expressionless face on Kushina, and said viciously, "The missing Uchiha Fugaku is the real culprit. I will never allow the one who harmed Sensei to roam free in this world. Kill him…"
"I will definitely kill him!!!!"
Silence.
Quiet.
Then a sudden outburst.
"Kakashi!!!"
Kushina grabbed Kakashi in a tight embrace. The force of the impact even sent the small dark umbrella flying away, but Kushina paid it no mind.
She wept in the torrential rain, her contorted face covered with the pitiful filth of tears mixed with rainwater.
Five days of fortitude collapsed at this moment. Feeling the pain and hatred in Kakashi's pounding heart, Kushina felt she had met her most trusted comrade-in-arms.
No,
It should be family.
The rain poured down on both of them, yet neither cared. They were like wretched souls huddling for warmth in the apocalypse, their crying and lamentation echoing continuously.
No one knew how much time passed.
The entrance to the Anbu Base finally returned to its original state.
Kushina returned home. Utterly exhausted both physically and mentally, she collapsed onto her bed and fell into a deep, long sleep.
On the other side,
Kakashi, who also returned home, immersed his body into a shimmering black film.
Soon, he arrived at a dark corner near Konoha Village.
Before him, hundreds of transparent glass cylinders were arranged. Each cylinder shimmered with a faint blue light, vaguely revealing somewhat blurry humanoid outlines inside.
Kakashi arrived. He stood beside the handsome man clad in the white haori, also staring intently at the one cylinder among them that emitted a white light, containing a familiar figure.
"Kakashi…"
"Kakashi, why are you here!???"
"Yuki Sora, what have you done to me? Yuki Sora, ahhhhh!!!"
Amid the piercing screams, the white figure became increasingly solid, its features vaguely taking on a more human-like contour.
"Minato-kun…"
"Welcome to the new world."
Sora looked at the hysterical Minato within the glass cylinder, a gentle and satisfied smile appearing on his face.