"Huh...? Where... is this?"
Uchiha Tatsumi walked alone along a mist-shrouded road. Ahead, a field of beautiful flowers stretched into the fog—vibrant, but distant, as if seen through a veil.
"Strange… I remember being knocked out by Tsunade… in bed, of all places..."
In front of him flowed a wide, tranquil river. A long bridge spanned its banks.
Lotus flowers floated gently across the murky waters, butterflies drifting between them. A faint floral fragrance lingered in the air.
It all felt like something out of a dream.
"This is too beautiful to be part of the real world..." Tatsumi muttered to himself.
It resembled a place one might pass through on the way to the afterlife.
Suddenly, he noticed a worn stone monument on the bridge, carved with two ominous kanji: 奈何 (Naihe).
"Wait, no! Don't tell me... I'm really about to die?!"
He turned his head, scanning the surroundings.
The river, the bridge, the atmosphere—it all resembled the River of Forgetfulness from myths, the path to the Pure Land.
Am I... crossing into the afterlife?!
"Come over here!" called a cheerful voice from across the river.
"Don't worry, it's a great place! Plenty of pretty women!" the voice continued, unnervingly enthusiastic.
"Everything's delicious! There's fun around every corner!"
Tatsumi froze.
On the far side of the bridge, unfamiliar people were waving him over. But as he squinted through the mist, he recognized one of them.
Wait a second... that man—he looks just like Hashirama Senju! Like a slightly older version of Nawaki!
Panic flared in his chest.
No way. This is bad. I shouldn't listen to them!
Another figure stood nearby, wearing an old-style Uchiha clan cloak—he looked just like the man from the old clan photo album… Uchiha Kagami!
A gathering of the dead—ancestors and heroes long passed.
"Don't be afraid, child. This is a good place," Kagami said with a calm, kind smile.
"Hahaha, don't be afraid, young one from Konoha! Look at me—don't I look fine?" added Hashirama with a booming laugh.
Then, from behind them, another voice: "Uchiha Tatsumi. Life here is full of peace and happiness." It was the Second Hokage—Tobirama Senju himself!
"R-Really? You're not lying...?" Tatsumi stammered.
"Of course not. It's peaceful here—more so than in the village. Everyone is strong, kind, and respectful. You'll love it."
"..."
"Farewell, everyone! I won't forget you!"
Tatsumi turned and sprinted back the way he came, fleeing from the bridge with every ounce of strength he had.
At the very least… I have to live on in your place!
Even as he ran, the ghostly voices echoed behind him.
And so did the pressure—an overwhelming fear, like a curse etched deep in his soul.
---
"Boom!" Tatsumi's eyes snapped open.
"I'm alive?!"
He found himself lying in an unfamiliar room, gasping for breath.
"Chen! You're awake—thank goodness. Looks like the Lightning Release to stimulate your heart worked."
Tsunade dispelled the chakra from her palm and exhaled in relief.
Just now… that was… Lightning Release?
Seriously?! Did I just brush against the gates of death?!
"Tsunade-sama! Aren't you supposed to be the best medical-nin in the world?!" Tatsumi shouted, half in rage, half in shock.
"Er… well, um… your heart sort of… stopped for a moment. Just a moment!" Tsunade said, scratching her head awkwardly. "My medical ninjutsu couldn't do anything. It was my first time using that Lightning trick... and hey, it worked!"
"..."
Where's my kunai? My 40-meter-long kunai?! Tatsumi immediately rummaged through his ninja pouch.
"Oi, Tatsumi, take it easy—don't panic. Kushina's coming soon. You fainted again, remember?" Tsunade called from behind.
---
Tatsumi slowly awoke a second time.
In front of him, Kushina sat by the bed, her long red hair spilling across the sheets like silk. She wore her usual pajamas, fast asleep beside him.
Tatsumi reached out and brushed a strand of her hair from her shoulder. It carried a faint scent of cherry blossoms.
"Mm...?"
Kushina stirred from his touch. She rubbed her eyes groggily, then brightened when she saw he was awake.
"Oh! You're up!" she said, voice soft with relief.
Then she suddenly jumped up, bowing quickly. "I'm sorry! I misunderstood you earlier!"
"It's fine, it's fine. I'm the one who scared you by leaving that mini explosive tag on the bed." Tatsumi waved her off sheepishly.
"Ahaha... that little thing really startled me. For a second, I thought I was done for!" Kushina said, brushing her hair back.
She looked cheerful now—completely different from the tearful, frightened girl from earlier.
"I'm Kushina Uzumaki. I came from Uzushiogakure." Her voice lowered slightly.
Tatsumi noticed the kunai under her pillow.
The Uzumaki Clan... they must have already been destroyed.
She had lived through war, seen her homeland fall. Maybe that's why she clung to defenses even while asleep.
Tatsumi quickly changed the subject.
"I'm Uchiha Tatsumi. Just call me Tatsumi, Uzumaki Kushina."
Kushina nodded. "You can call me Kushina too. We're friends now!"
Friendship among kids really is simple, huh... Tatsumi thought fondly.
Then he looked around.
"Hey, wait… where's Tsunade? Was she caught by the Anbu? Or the village guards?"
He squinted suspiciously.
"Sister Tsunade said to tell you she knows she was wrong... and she's turning herself in to the guards." Kushina said, trying not to laugh.
Turning herself in? Like I'd believe that.
"Where'd she really go?" Tatsumi asked.
"She said since your bad luck saved you, her good luck's probably peaking… so she went gambling again."
Yeah, that tracks. Tatsumi sighed.
"Chen, what's gambling?" asked Kushina curiously.
She'd lived through war—what did she know of peacetime vices?
"Ah… it's when people steal kids like you and sell them for money."
Kushina's face went pale.
Tatsumi looked around the room. The décor was typical of the Uchiha district, but softer—clearly touched by a girl's presence.
"This your room, Kushina?"
"Yep!"
"Then where's mine?"
"Your room's… gone. Tsunade-sama punched you, and, well… your body smashed through the wall."
Great. I'm lucky I survived.
"By the way, how'd you end up in my room?" he asked, curious.
Kushina's face turned crimson. "W-Well, the rooms all look the same, and I just arrived in Konoha today. I got lost coming back from Grandma Mito's place and… accidentally went into yours."
Oh. That explains it. Tatsumi exhaled in relief.
No wonder. Just… no rest for the unlucky.