"Huh...? Where... is this...?"
Uchiha Tatsumi walked alone on a winding path. He seemed to see a very beautiful flower field... but it was shrouded in mist, making it difficult to see clearly.
"Strange... I remember I was last knocked unconscious by Tsunade in bed, right...?"
Before him was a wide river. There was a long bridge over the river.
Lotus flowers bloomed in the murky yellow water, and a group of butterflies fluttered around. The scent of flowers faintly drifted on the river's surface.
It was like a scene from a dream.
"It's so beautiful that it doesn't seem like it belongs to this world..."
Tatsumi couldn't help but mutter to himself.
That's right. If he had to compare it, this place felt like the boundary between life and death—
Suddenly, he noticed a stone tablet on the bridge with two characters written on it: "Naihe" (meaning 'what to do').
"Whoa, no good! If I don't go back, I'll really die!?"
What was there to see? Wasn't this the real River of Forgetfulness and the Road to the Underworld?!
Did that mean he was about to die!?
"Come here! Come here quickly!"
Suddenly, a voice called out from the other side of the river.
"There's nothing scary here! This is a great place! There are lots of beautiful women here," the voice kept calling.
"There's delicious food everywhere, and fun things to do everywhere!"
Were they talking to him!?
Tatsumi hesitated.
A group of unfamiliar people was waving at him from the other side!
Come to think of it, if he looked closely, wasn't the person on the far right someone who looked a bit like Nawaki?!
No good! It was dangerous to listen to them!
Looking more closely, there was also a man wearing an Uchiha haori who resembled him—Uchiha Kagami.
A big reunion of deceased relatives! Tatsumi had to leave immediately—
"Don't be afraid, my child. This is a very nice place," Uchiha Kagami said.
"Hahaha. Don't be afraid, Konoha junior. Look at me, I'm very healthy, so don't worry and come here..." The First Hokage smiled.
"Oh dear, Uchiha Tatsumi. This place is really great. Every day is full of fun and joy—" Now the Second Hokage stepped forward.
"R-really? Is it okay? You're not lying to me?"
"Ah, of course! It's really fun, really fun. Coming here feels like returning to Konoha. It feels much more comfortable here than at home! Everyone here is talented, and they speak so nicely. I love it here!"
"...."
"Farewell, everyone! I will not forget you!"
Tatsumi turned and ran for his life from the riverbank.
"At least I will live on for your sakes too...!"
"I can't accept that only you get saved..."
The eerie whispers behind him sent chills down his spine.
---
"Bang."
Tatsumi suddenly opened his eyes.
"Did I survive?"
Waking up, he found himself in an unfamiliar room.
"Tatsumi, you're awake! That's great… Using Lightning Release to stimulate the heart seems to be effective."
Tsunade canceled the ninjutsu in her hand, revealing a relieved expression.
"That just now… was... Lightning Release?"
…Are you kidding me? Was my life just hanging between life and death?!
"Don't you know medical ninjutsu, Lady Tsunade?!" Tatsumi said through gritted teeth.
"That… ah… that, your heart seemed to stop for a little while just now. Just a little while. My medical ninjutsu can't heal injuries of that extent," Tsunade scratched her head sheepishly.
"Now that I think about it, it's my first time using this method. I didn't expect it to succeed on the first try. Humans are truly amazing creatures."
"...."
Kunai! My kunai! Where's my forty-meter-long kunai!?
Tatsumi immediately rummaged through his ninja bag.
"Hey, Tatsumi, talk when you talk, don't move the kunai. Ah, Kushina, come quickly, he's fainted again," Tsunade's voice rang out.
---
Tatsumi woke up again.
He saw Kushina in front of him. Her long red hair was like silk, scattered on the bed. She was still in her cute pajamas, asleep by the bedside.
Tatsumi reached out and picked up a strand of her red hair. A faint cherry blossom scent lingered in the air.
"Hmm?"
Kushina stirred. She groggily raised her head and rubbed her eyes. When she saw Tatsumi awake, her face lit up.
"Hmm, you're awake!" she said excitedly. But there was a strange hesitation in her voice.
Then, suddenly—
"That, I'm sorry! I misunderstood you!"
Kushina quickly stood up, flustered, and apologized.
"It's okay, it's okay. It was my fault for throwing the explosive tag on the bed and scaring you," Tatsumi waved his hands quickly.
"Ahaha. That mini explosive tag was quite interesting. At the time, it really gave me a big scare. I thought I was going to die," Kushina patted her hair.
Now, she looked full of energy again. The helplessness and tears from earlier were gone.
"Hello. My name is Uzumaki Kushina. I'm from Uzushiogakure," Kushina said, her voice suddenly quieter.
Tatsumi looked at her, remembering how she had a kunai under her pillow.
It seems that the Land of Whirlpools has been destroyed…
Kushina had lived through brutal wars. Maybe she even witnessed her homeland's destruction. That's why she was so insecure.
Wanting to change the subject, Tatsumi introduced himself.
"My name is Uchiha Tatsumi. Nice to meet you, Uzumaki Kushina. You can just call me Tatsumi."
Looking into his dark pupils, Kushina nodded.
"You can just call me Kushina. We're good friends now," she smiled.
Friendship between children is so simple, Tatsumi thought to himself.
---
Then, something clicked in his mind.
"Wait a minute… where's Tsunade?"
"Hmm, that's right. Where's Tsunade?! Did the Anbu catch her? Or did the Military Police Force get her?"
Kushina looked guilty for a moment.
"Tsunade-nee, um… she told me to tell you that she knows she was wrong. Now she's gone to the Military Police Force to turn herself in," she stammered.
"Turn herself in? As if I'd believe that."
Tatsumi narrowed his eyes.
"Then where did she really go?"
"She said she wanted to take advantage of your bad luck and her particularly good luck to go gamble a few more times."
Ah, as expected… that's exactly the kind of thing Tsunade would do.
Kushina tilted her head. "Tatsumi, what does 'gambling' mean?"
Having spent years in war, she naturally had no idea.
Tatsumi smirked. "It means… stealing children like you."
Kushina's horrified expression was priceless.
---
Looking around, Tatsumi noticed the room's arrangement was almost identical to his own.
"Kushina, is this your room?"
"That's right."
"Then where's my room?"
"Your room? It's no longer habitable. Tsunade-nee punched you so hard, your body punched a hole through the house."
…So, I'm really lucky to be alive.
Tatsumi sighed. "What a disaster."
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