Kushina moved through the forests of Konoha at top speed, her crimson hair whipping in the wind behind her. Each leap carried her further across the treetops, her feet barely whispering against bark and branch. She wanted to get what she came for and get out as soon as possible. No lingering.

She had left the caravan a little way back. They were still making their slow march toward the coast of the Land of Fire, their numbers swelling to nearly sixty now. That was more than enough to protect themselves from bandits, missing-nin, and even the minor hidden villages that might fancy an ambush. Against the great powers, of course, they would have no chance. But that was what Kushina was for.

She halted on a high branch, closed her eyes, and drew in a slow breath.

Now that she had awakened the Mind's Eye of Kagura, finding people was no trouble at all. The world opened itself to her chakra sense like a vast ocean, each signature a ripple, some faint as minnows, others heavy as sharks circling in the deep. Uchiha chakra was distinctive- sharp and smoldering, carrying a darker edge than most. Among them, one flared brightest.

Her brow furrowed. He wasn't alone. Several powerful signatures clustered together near him. She could feel the passionate warmth of Jiraiya. The old, oppressive presence of Hiruzen Sarutobi. More besides- the steady, coiled presences that belonged to clan leaders.

"Tch." She clicked her tongue in annoyance.

She had no interest in playing games with Konoha's elders, and she least of all wanted to stand in the same room as Hiruzen again. Just the thought of his voice, that patronizing calm, made her hands tighten into fists.

She considered her options. She could wait—her sensory range was vast enough now that she could remain miles away and still monitor the meeting without being detected. Patient and cautious, waiting for the right moment.

Or she could storm the meeting, take what she wanted, and remind them all why they feared the Red-Haired Jinchūriki.

The choice was obvious. Kushina never saw the point in dancing around when she already knew the ending.

No one in that building could stop her. And they knew it. The advantage was all her's.

Her eyes snapped open, and without another thought, she rushed forward, the trees blurring past in a crimson streak.

----

The Hokage Tower had been among the first structures to rise from the ashes. The Day of Ashes- the people had named it with a fearful kind of poetry- had reduced much of the village to cinders and rubble, but this building had been prioritized. It was more than a symbol. It was where Konoha's future was being decided.

Within the newly rebuilt council chamber, an oval table of polished wood sat beneath fresh lanterns. Around it, the leaders of Konoha's proud clans gathered. Tsume Inuzuka lounged with her feral energy. Shikaku Nara leaned with his lazy sharpness. Fugaku Uchiha sat rigid, silent. Beside him were the Hyuga, the Aburame, the Akimichi, and even the dwindling Kurama clan.

Hiruzen sat at the head, Jiraiya at his right, and Danzo, ever like a shadow, across from him.

But if one looked closer, one would see that things were not as they had once been.

The authority that once draped the Hokage's shoulders like a mantle was thinner now. Since the Day of Ashes, when the Nine-Tails had brought Konoha to its knees, the old trust in the Hokage's absolute word had eroded. The clans no longer deferred. They demanded and argued. And today was no different.

"Going after the Jinchūriki now would be suicidal," Shikaku Nara said, voice flat but cutting. "We're in the most fragile position we've ever been. The other villages are circling us like vultures. One wrong move, and we're carrion."

"No way!" Tsume Inuzuka slammed a fist on the table, her lips baring into a feral snarl. "If we don't act, if we let her walk free after what she did, we lose our honor. What happens when our enemies hear we just let her go?"

"I agree with Shikaku." The words came from Fugaku Uchiha, calm and unexpected. Several leaders turned their heads, brows rising. The Uchiha, known for their pride and their thirst for vengeance, siding with restraint?

Fugaku's gaze was sharp. "To attack now would be foolish. She has already taken her vengeance. To throw more lives at her would only invite disaster."

Shikaku inclined his head slightly, appreciating the support. "Exactly. Better to rebuild quietly. Make Konoha whole again before we even think of striking back."

"Are you insane?" Hiroki Hyuga snapped, veins bulging at his temples. "The blood of our kin cries for vengeance! The longer we wait, the weaker our resolve becomes!"

Shikaku's eyes narrowed, his usual drawl sharpening. "You can throw your clan into the fire if you want, Hyuga. But don't drag mine down with you."

The tension snapped like a bowstring. Hiroki surged halfway to his feet. "You arrogant-"

And then he froze. His breath hitched, and his eyes widened.

"The Nine-Tails…" he breathed, his voice breaking. He spun to Jiraiya, his voice urgent. "Burn the scroll. Quickly!"

Jiraiya's eyes widened as he looked down at the parchment in his hand, the Tsuchikage's seal gleaming upon it. Without hesitation, he called flame to his fingertips and incinerated it, the ash curling into the air.

The room went still. All eyes turned to the doors. Every breath was drawn shallow. The air itself seemed to weigh heavier, thick in their lungs.

The doors burst open, and Kushina strode in, her presence filling the chamber before her body even crossed the threshold. The scarlet of her hair seemed almost aflame in the lantern light, her blue eyes sharp as blades.

"What do you want?" Jiraiya's voice rang out first, but even he could not keep the tremor from it.

Kushina did not answer. She simply stood, gaze sweeping the chamber. The silence was suffocating. Even the boldest among them knew that to speak here, now, was to sign their own death warrant.

Her footsteps echoed as she moved forward- slow and deliberate. Each click of her sandal on the polished floor was another nail driven into the room's tension. She passed by clan heads who once would have barked orders, once would have dared her to defy them. Now, their mouths were shut. Their throats worked, but no sound came.

Even Hiroki Hyuga and Tsume Inuzuka were quiet now.

She stopped before Fugaku.

"I want his eyes."

Before anyone could react, her hands shot out with blinding speed. In one smooth motion, she plucked both of his eyes, sealing them in a vial she had prepared for this very purpose.

Fugaku let out a strangled groan, his hands clutching at his face. His body sagged against the table.

No one moved. No one spoke. It was as if, in that instant, there had been a silent agreement: better him than me.

Kushina turned, her hair swaying behind her. She walked toward the door, her vial secure.

At the threshold, she paused, turning her head slightly, her voice calm but cold as ice.

"If Konoha leaves the Uzumaki alone, I won't raze this village to the ground again."

And then she was gone, leaving behind only silence, the faint smell of burned paper, and Fugaku's quiet groans.

Only when her chakra signature vanished into the distance did anyone dare to breathe again.

At last, Hiruzen exhaled through his pipe, the smoke curling like a ghost into the air. His voice was heavy, but steady.

"She has made her position clear. Any reckless move now will doom us."

Tsume bared her teeth. "Doom us? She walked in here, took what she wanted, and walked out again like we were nothing. And you're saying do nothing?"

"Doing something," Shikaku drawled, his face pale but his tone composed, "would mean all of us ending up like Fugaku. If you want to test that, be my guest."

Hiroki slammed his palm against the table, veins standing out around his eyes. "Cowards, all of you! If we bend any further, there will be nothing left of Konoha to protect."

"She is not an enemy we can simply strike down," Jiraiya cut in sharply. His voice carried the weight of command now, his gaze burning into each clan head in turn. "You saw it yourselves. None of us could even lift a hand before she had taken Fugaku's eyes. If we push her, she will wipe what remains of this village from the earth."

Danzo's cane clicked once against the floor, drawing their attention. His one eye gleamed with something unreadable. "Power on that scale cannot be allowed to roam free. She is not simply a threat- she is an inevitability. Sooner or later, we will need a way to control her… or to kill her."

"Control?" Tsume spat. "You couldn't even look her in the eye."

"Yet you expect her mercy to last forever?" Danzo countered. His tone was ice, unflinching. "You are blind if you believe she will stop with this. Today, it was his eyes. Tomorrow it will be blood. And when that day comes, hesitation will be the death of us all."

Jiraiya's jaw clenched. For once, he didn't snap back at Danzo. Instead, he let the silence stretch, then said, "If we're to survive, we don't fight her head-on. We adapt and buy time. And we pray she has no reason to come back."

The words hung in the air like a funeral bell.

One by one, the clan heads lowered their gazes, each wrestling with the same truth: if she wanted to act, their fates would be sealed.