As soon as Orochimaru vanished into the ground, silence reclaimed the hilltop. The night wind blew gently, teasing the neatly tied strands of Kushina's black-dyed hair. She was just about to leave when the air around her suddenly shifted.
Thick mist began to roll in.
Faint at first. Then heavier. As if it wasn't natural—but guided by chakra. The kind of mist known only to Kirigakure: cold, silent, and deadly.
Kushina narrowed her eyes. Her breath hitched for a fraction of a second. This was a trap.
In seconds, figures emerged from the fog, closing in on her in a tightening formation. Five masked Kirigakure ANBU stood firmly—each one at jōnin level. Behind them, five more chūnin formed a second ring, ready to strike from mid-range.
Ten ninja. All trained. All targeting one person.
Kushina remained outwardly calm, though inside...
'If I weren't undercover, I could've taken them all down while snacking on my favorite red bean mochi…'
But she couldn't be reckless.
Not now.
To them, she was just a nameless young man. That false identity had to stay intact. Too many foreign shinobi already knew her trademarks—massive chakra, striking red hair, a fierce frontal combat style, and a temper impossible to mask.
The name Uzumaki Kushina wasn't just legend in Konoha. It was now in every major village's bingo book. And the bounty? Astronomical.
One jōnin stepped forward. His voice came low and gravelly through the mask.
"Identify yourself and state your purpose in this restricted area."
Kushina said nothing. Not a single word escaped her lips.
Not out of fear.
But because speaking was too great a risk—her voice could be recognized. Her disguise exposed. Even tone, cadence, and word choice could betray her.
Silence was a strategy.
Without waiting for discussion, one of the chūnin raised a hand and launched a Water Dragon Jutsu from the mist. Kushina leapt back, gracefully dodging the attack. Water splashed high beneath her feet.
'Damn, they're not holding back.'
She drew a standard ANBU short blade from behind her back. Not her usual weapon, not truly hers—but enough to deflect incoming attacks.
They came in waves.
Kunai from the left. Shuriken from above. High-pressure water blasts from below.
Kushina flipped mid-air, deflected, spun, then landed neatly atop a large boulder. But she didn't strike back. Every movement was... controlled.
She couldn't use Kurama's chakra. Couldn't use Rasengan. Even one signature move would shatter her entire cover.
'Orochimaru… damn you.'
She gritted her teeth inwardly.
'He knew they were coming. He had to know. And he still called me that nickname—on purpose!'
A flash of Orochimaru's sly smile passed through her mind.
'That snake. He wanted me off balance.'
Kushina pivoted and blocked a double strike from two ANBU. Metal clashed in mid-air. She didn't use full force—but her defense was flawless.
Meanwhile, the mist thickened. Chakra laced the air like a living sensor web. They were trying to identify her through chakra signature.
'I can't stay here much longer. If they sniff out my real chakra, it's over.'
Her movement pattern shifted. She leapt to higher ground, maintaining distance. Not out of fear—but to seek escape, not victory.
A powerful, unknown intruder who refused to attack—was better than one who revealed too much.
Suddenly, another jutsu came from her five o'clock—a Water Prison. Kushina rolled aside and cut the enemy's path with a sharp, precise slash.
She kicked a chūnin backward and quickly moved northwest—toward the escape route she'd planned since entering the area.
One ANBU tried to follow, but Kushina threw a special smoke bomb laced with chakra-dampening seals.
Puff!
Mist and smoke fused. In the chaos, Kushina disappeared.
Minutes Later – Atop a Giant Tree Branch, Far From the Ambush Site
Kushina knelt on a high branch, catching her breath. Her face remained cold, but adrenaline still surged in her veins.
She slowly peeled off her blue contact lenses, replacing them with a fresh pair. She wiped blood from her temple. Not much—but enough to annoy her.
"That was way too close."
She looked up and sighed deeply.
"I hate you, Orochimaru."
Nearly an hour had passed. Kushina kept moving, slipping through hidden paths, leaping from branch to branch, cloaked in thickening mist. Yet one thing nagged at her:
No matter where she went, Kirigakure's ANBU kept finding her.
It didn't matter how fast she moved, how thoroughly she covered her tracks, or how carefully she suppressed her chakra—they kept showing up. Sometimes just one or two. Other times, five or ten. As if tracking her with perfect precision.
A creeping thought took root.
'What if… I'm already under Obito's surveillance?'
Suddenly, the air felt colder than before. Not from the mist—but from the idea that every step might be under unseen eyes.
And... she wasn't entirely wrong.
In a Hidden Place – Deep Underground
Several meters below ground, between damp roots and wet stones, a bizarre plant-like creature slithered in silence. From the mouth of the earth, a head slowly emerged—half pure white, half pitch black.
Zetsu.
The ever-watching scout from the shadows. One side cheerful and chatty, the other calm and calculating.
"Should we tell Obito?" asked White Zetsu, voice innocent like a child hiding a big secret.
Black Zetsu answered flatly, tone sharp and precise.
"Tell him... a foreign shinobi infiltrated Kirigakure. But don't mention Uzumaki Kushina. With that woman's power, it's not time to involve her directly."
White Zetsu nodded. "So, we're playing it safe?"
Black Zetsu said nothing. He simply watched the surface, ensuring their steps stayed hidden. Then their body slowly sank back underground.
Back in the Mist – Kushina's Escape
Kushina stood atop a tall branch, her body slick with sweat. Her black outfit torn in places. But her eyes were sharp, her mind clear.
She knew she couldn't keep running forever.
Her identity had to stay hidden. But if she kept retreating, the risk of being exposed only grew.
"That's enough. Time to leave."
With swift precision, she created two shadow clones at her sides.
Then, standing still within the mist, she closed her eyes—and formed a special hand sign.
Hiraijin no Jutsu—a modified version of Minato's Flying Thunder God.
Originally usable only by Genma, Iwashi, and Raido in a trio formation.
But Kushina, after watching Naruto form Rasengan with clones, had a simple idea:
'If Rasengan can be clone-assisted… why not Hiraishin?'
And it worked. With one real body and two perfectly coordinated clones, she aligned space-time enough to trigger teleportation.
In a flash, she vanished.
Border of the Land of Fire
Kushina landed smoothly behind a thicket, breathing hard but relieved. This was the emergency route—where she had secretly planted a Hiraishin seal earlier.
She rose slowly, glancing back at the fading mist.
"Thank goodness for insurance," she muttered, wiping her temple. "At least... the intel on the Kaguya Clan massacre, Zabuza's rebellion, and Orochimaru's presence is secured."
She exhaled long.
"The rest... is up to the Sandaime."
Without wasting a second more, she set off again—her black silhouette fading into the forest.
Back in the Mist – The Confused Pursuers
Kirigakure's ninja stood in the woods, breath ragged. One ANBU struck a tree in frustration.
"Where did they go?!"
"No idea! The trail just vanished!"
Another sighed. "We're going to be punished by the Mizukage... The target disappeared without a trace."
None of them realized what had truly happened.
But... one creature had seen it all.
From afar, behind the brush, Zetsu's head emerged once more.
"Should we hide this part too?" asked White Zetsu.
Black Zetsu shook his head. "No. Tell Obito… but say we couldn't confirm who the ninja was. The disguise and jutsu were too good."
"Got it," said White Zetsu.
Not because Black Zetsu wanted to protect Kushina.
But because he knew—if Obito got angry and attacked too soon… the entire plan to resurrect Kaguya Ōtsutsuki could fall apart.