Kushina sat cross-legged in the center of a field, trying to recover some of her energy for what lay ahead. The Uzuamki and their families were a short distance away, though none of them interrupted or disturbed her.

A sudden ripple of a strange chakra snapped her from her trance. It felt earthy, oily, and distinctly non-human, prickling her senses through unmatched sensing abilities. "Kurama, you feel that?" she muttered silently, her hand twitching toward her scythe.

"Stay sharp, brat," Kurama rumbled in her mind. "These aren't shinobi, they're toads."

The ground quaked, sending shockwaves through the Uzumaki clan, rattling their bones and stirring gasps from the children. Trees along the path to the mountain splintered under the weight of massive webbed feet. A colossal toad emerged, its dull, rusty-red skin marked with dark red patterns around its hands and face. A long, jagged scar ran across his left eye, stark white against his leathery skin.

Gamabunta, the chief toad of Mount Myōboku, towered over the group.

Though the Nine-Tails was larger, the sight of such a large creature never lost its impact.

Kushina and her clansmen marveled, their murmurs rising. On Gamabunta's back stood two smaller toads: Fukasaku, with balding gray hair, and Shima, with purple hair. The Two Great Toad Sages.

Their grim expressions mirrored Gamabunta's, and their eyes were fixed on Kushina with a mix of wariness and resolve.

Gamabunta lowered his massive body with a grunt that sent ripples across the ground. Fukasaku and Shima hopped lightly from his back, landing with surprising grace despite their age.

The air grew heavy, the toads' presence carrying an unspoken tension. Her mind flashed to her battles with Jiraiya, the self-proclaimed Toad Sage. She'd come to Mount Myōboku prepared to fight.

Fukasaku spoke first, his voice grave and steady. "Greetings, Lady Kushina. The Great Toad Sage wishes to meet you."

Shima nodded in agreement, her tone sharper, more urgent. "He already knows about the situation outside. There's something he must tell you- and quickly."

Kushina blinked, startled despite her composure. She had prepared herself for hostility. After all, her dealings with Jiraiya had been anything but pleasant. She had expected resistance, perhaps even battle. Her hand had even twitched toward her weapon when she first sensed their chakra.

But no hostility came- she would be able to feel it. Instead, they greeted her with solemn civility, even urgency. The thought of battle lingered in her mind, and her body still thrummed with readiness. She could slaughter them all if needed- her mind reminded her of this fact with grim satisfaction- but she shook the notion off. There was no need to spill blood recklessly, not yet.

"Alright," she said aloud, turning to Akinari, who stood vigilant among the Uzumaki. "Stay here and keep watch. Protect the clan." Her voice was firm, masking the unease in her chest.

She wasn't worried about leaving them behind. This was one of the Three Great Sage Regions, a place that should not be underestimated, but her people were no strangers to danger. With Akinari, the other Uzumaki, and Nagato- once he awoke- they would have enough strength to withstand even the might of Mount Myōboku, should things sour.

Akinari bowed. "Yes, Lady Kushina."

With that assurance, Kushina followed the three toads deeper into the mountain.

"If this is a trick, Kurama, we'll show no mercy," she thought, her defiance flaring.

Kurama chuckled darkly. "That's right. But let's hear the old toad out first. If he's talking about Madara, he might know something we don't. Keep your scythe ready, though."

Kushina nodded firmly as she followed the two toad sages.

The path wound through glowing flora and giant leaves; the air was thick with natural energy that prickled her skin. She couldn't get enough of the natural scenery of this sacred place. Regardless of whether the talks with the toads went well or poorly, she would settle here.

----

The temple of the Great Toad Sage was an ancient structure, its stone worn smooth by centuries of wind and rain. Moss clung to its sides like a living tapestry, and glowing fungi lit the path as they entered. Inside, the air grew heavy, saturated with the musk of earth and age.

At the heart of the temple sat Gamamaru, the Great Toad Sage himself. His large form- bigger than a normal Mount Myboku toad, yet smaller than Gamabunta- rested on a stone throne shaped into the mountain itself. His dull red skin was creased with countless wrinkles, and his squinted eyes carried the weight of countless years. A hat resembling that of a daimyō sat upon his head, and though his body sagged with age, there was a strange liveliness in his gaze today- a lucidity that was unusual for him.

But his mood was far from pleasant. His wrinkled face carried not serenity, but tension. His massive webbed hands rested heavily on the arms of the throne.

It was not Kushina or her presence that troubled him. It was a name that echoed in his memory, a shadow that was crawling across the world once again: Madara Uchiha.

Unlike any still living, Gamamaru remembered what others could not. He knew the truth of the Infinite Tsukuyomi. He had seen the nightmare it wrought long ago. The spell was not salvation, a perfect and eternal dream, like Madara thought, but damnation- reviving the Rabbit Goddess, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. She was the mother of the Sage of Six Paths, the ancient terror who once enslaved humanity itself.

And now, with the Rinnegan in his possession, Madara stood closer to that cataclysm than anyone had in a thousand years. He had already claimed most of the tailed beasts. It was only a matter of time.

This was not something the Toad Sage could allow, no matter the cost.

The doors of the temple creaked open, and the chamber filled with the heavy footsteps of the toads escorting their guest. Shima and Fukasaku stopped respectfully at the entrance, allowing Kushina to walk forward alone.

She entered with her usual arrogance, crimson hair almost glowing in the dim chamber. Her back was straight, her chin raised. She did not kneel or bow, nor did she temper her tone.

"What is it you wanted to say, old toad?"

Shima bristled, and even Fukasaku stiffened at her disrespect. But Gamamaru merely smiled faintly, the corners of his lips curling in something that was neither anger nor amusement. It had been long indeed since anyone dared to speak to him so casually. Even Jiraiya, for all his irreverence, still treated him with nothing but respect.

This girl clearly did not. But it didn't bother him. It would take a lot more to earn his ire.

His deep, gravelly voice filled the temple. "Lady Kushina, welcome to Mount Myōboku. Your clan may stay here as long as they wish." He paused, the weight of centuries rolling in his tone. "I have known many of your ancestors, reaching back a thousand years."

Kushina cut him off, her patience thin. "I don't need a history lesson, old toad. Kurama's told me plenty, dattebane. Get to the point."

The Great Toad Sage tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing. So it was true. He had heard rumors of her being the perfect jinchūriki, but to know that the Nine-Tails had not only shared his name but also fragments of his history with her- this was unexpected. As far as he knew, the Nine-Tails despised humanity the most out of all the Tailed Beasts.

Still, Gamamaru let it go, his tone growing grave. "Forgive me. The history matters only because of what is to come. Madara Uchiha seeks to cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi, a genjutsu that will blanket the entire world. He thinks it will end conflict, granting peace by placing all people in an eternal dream."

His words echoed in the chamber.

Kushina's lips pressed thin. She already knew the story, and already guessed where this was leading. Her patience was fraying, but she stayed silent, allowing him to continue.

"In truth," Gamamaru went on, his tone heavy as stone, "it will drain the chakra of every living being and resurrect Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. An evil older and deeper than war itself." His large eyes fixed squarely on her. "She must not be allowed to return."

Kurama had already told her as much. She resisted the urge to scoff and reveal that she carried these truths already, but there was no need to show her hand. Instead, she asked bluntly: "So what is your plan?"

The toad sage's great chest rumbled with his answer. "This world has few left who could hope to stand against Madara Uchiha. Even Hashirama Senju, were he alive, would fall before him now. To be honest…" His eyes narrowed, his voice quieted into something almost personal. "…the only one who can do it is you, Lady Kushina. You alone can be the savior of this world."