After the minor detour in Konoha, Kushina met back up with the caravan of Uzumaki. While she was gone, they had encountered some rogue Konoha ninja- those who had abandoned the village after it was destroyed, now drifting like ghosts with nowhere to belong- who sought revenge against them.

However, there were only a few jōnin among them, and they posed no real threat to the Uzumaki. A normal Uzumaki jōnin was easily worth two elite jōnin from any other village. Why else would it have taken four villages working together to bring them down in the first place?

The rogues were quickly dispatched, their spite vanishing into silence, and the caravan pressed on.

They traveled southeast, cutting through the Fire Country's vast woods and crossing rivers swollen from recent rains. The mood among the Uzumaki shifted with every passing day- cautious optimism, a glimmer of hope, and a certain tension that came from being free after so long. Finally, after days of steady marching, they reached the southern shore of the Land of Fire, just north of the Land of Tea.

Here, at last, they would depart from the mainland and set sail, or so many of them thought, for the new Uzumaki clan grounds.

But as they gazed out across the white sands and endless blue sea, confusion quickly spread.

"Where's the port?" asked Aina Uzumaki, squinting as though she might spot a hidden dock if she looked hard enough. Her dark red hair was tied up in a bun, strands sticking to her sweat-dappled forehead. "I don't see anything."

Indeed, all around them stretched pristine, untouched coast. Behind them, thick forest pressed in close to the beach, while the sand stretched unbroken for miles. No piers or fishing boats. No human construction at all, save for the narrow road they had taken to get here.

Kushina placed her hands on her hips, her lips quirking into a mischievous grin. "We've got a special mode of transportation today, dattebane."

Several heads tilted in unison.

"What do you mean?" muttered Souta Uzumaki, his brows knitting.

"Watch closely," she said.

Kushina strode toward the surf. The ocean breeze caught strands of her hair, tugging them loose from her ponytail, but she ignored it. Closing her eyes, she let her chakra surge outward, mingling seamlessly with Kurama's. A deep, resonant rumble echoed in her mind as his presence unfurled.

And then it began- Kurama's chakra poured out of her much like the waves of the ocean in front of her, expanding in every direction until a colossal silhouette took shape.

Gasps rippled through the gathered clan.

The chakra swelled higher, tails lashing as they fully manifested. A fox of impossible scale rose before them, burning crimson-orange against the pale shore. The Nine-Tails in all his glory.

Kushina's body served as the anchor, so she couldn't stand apart from him just yet, but the effect was overwhelming nonetheless.

The giant tails lowered, curling down toward the beach. One by one, they plucked up the caravan's luggage- bundles, crates, and heirloom scrolls wrapped in oilcloth- and set them gently upon Kurama's back. A thin film of chakra adhered them firmly in place, as though they weighed nothing.

A hush fell over the Uzumaki. They had heard stories of the Nine-Tails for generations, of course, as an ancient clan. They knew his power, his reputation, and his destructive might. But to stand so close, to feel the sheer pressure of his chakra pressing against their skin and bones- it was an entirely different experience.

A few flinched back. A few pressed their palms together in reverent awe. And more than a handful bowed their heads, accepting him as a protector, as something more than a monster.

"Wh-whoa…" breathed Rina Uzumaki, her wide eyes sparkling with unfiltered wonder. The little girl clutched at her mother's sleeve but didn't look away.

Her mother, Miori, shot her a warning glance, though her own expression trembled between reverence and unease.

The civilian workers they'd brought along reacted far less gracefully.

One man shrieked and toppled backward into the sand. Another froze, trembling so violently he could barely breathe. Three more collapsed in a dead faint. Within moments, the beach erupted with panic- screams, cries, and scrambling feet.

"Enough of this nonsense," growled Hatsuo, striding over and knocking out one hysterical man with a chop. A few other Uzumaki followed suit, disabling the panicked contractors before they could injure themselves.

"They'll thank us later," muttered Aina, rolling her eyes as she dragged one unconscious worker to the side.

Kurama's nine tails swept down again. One by one, Uzumaki and civilians alike were lifted carefully onto his broad back. To Kushina, she could feel the faint grumble of his pride being needled.

'I am not some glorified ferry,' he muttered in her mind.

'Please just do this for me,' she responded.

Kurama gave a sharp snort but didn't argue further.

Once the last of them was secured, he set off into the sea.

The ocean stretched vast and endless, glittering with sunlit crests. In some places, the waters deepened enough that Kurama had to half-swim, his massive limbs paddling through the waves. But for most of the journey, his paws struck seabed, each stride sending geysers of water crashing outward.

To those riding his back, the experience was unforgettable. The ground trembled beneath his steps even underwater, and his tails acted as supports when the ride grew rough. The wind stung, the salt spray lashed against their faces, but few could look away from the sight of the ocean parting before the Nine-Tails' advance.

----

The journey was long, stretching into days. By the time the newly founded island base came into view, fatigue was heavy on the caravan, but their spirits soared.

At last, Kurama padded up the beach of the Uzumaki's new sanctuary. With deliberate care, he lowered his tails, letting the clansmen dismount.

He put down all the people on his back, slowly. The Uzumaki were shaky getting on the ground- even with their endurance, it was a rough ride. The civilians were worse- nearly all of them were passed out.

Rina jumped down with a laugh, her eyes shining. "That was so fun! We should do it again!"

Miori placed a hand on her daughter's head, sighing. "Lord Kurama has far more important things to do than play taxi."

"Speak for yourself," groaned Aina, doubling over and vomiting into the sand. "Let's never do that again."

The clan chuckled, their laughter rolling like a tide.

Once everyone was off his back, Kurama's giant form dissolved, leaving Kushina standing beside him as he shifted into his human guise. Together, they walked toward the shrine that served as their provisional home; the rows of Uzumaki bowed as they passed.

The sight of their new settlement struck Kushina deeply. Already, the island was changing to suit the new population. Nagato and the others felled trees and created temporary homes with ninjutsu.

Nagato's ninjutsu was of a higher quality than even many elite jonins of Konoha. The Rinnegan gave him insane talent, and it didn't entirely leave when they were taken from him.

Though it's not perfect- that's what the contractors and builders they brought were for.

Waiting outside were Honoka, Nagato, Konan, and Yahiko.

They were also awed by the Nine-Tails' power and curious about the man walking next to her. But more importantly, Nagato and Honoka were simply excited to have Kushina around again.

"Welcome back!" Honoka's voice rang bright as she threw her arms around Kushina in a brief hug.

"It's good to be back," Kushina replied warmly. She stepped forward and gestured to her side. "This is Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox."

Every gaze sharpened. Even Yahiko, usually composed, froze. Konan bent low to whisper into Nagato's ear so he could understand, and his lips parted faintly in awe.

As one, they bowed. "Thank you for everything, Lord Kurama."

Kurama tilted his head. "Hn." Without another word, he brushed past, heading into the shrine. Yahiko and Konan followed, unsure of their place in this unfolding clan gathering.

That left Kushina with Honoka and Nagato.

Honoka squeezed her friend's hands. "How did everything go?"

"Better than I feared," Kushina answered honestly. "We didn't run into any problems after leaving Konoha, and I gathered around sixty of our clansmen." She hesitated, lips thinning. "It's not as many as I hoped for. But there are still Uzumaki in Kiri. We'll get them out soon, dattebane."

Honoka nodded firmly, her smile steady. Nagato added in his quiet voice, "Even a single life carried home is worth more than none."

Conversation flowed freely between the three of them. Hope was in the air for the Uzumaki, for the first time in a long time.