Four days later, the boat circumvented the reefs near the Whirlpool Kingdom and finally arrived at the coast.
Lao Muzi did not go ashore with Chen and Kushina, but chose to stay in the boat.
For a person of his age, continuous sailing is already very energy-consuming.
What's more, his duty is only to bring Chen and others to the Kingdom of Whirlpool.
"Don't worry about me." Lao Muzi waved his hands to Chen and the others, "Master Ninja, go about your own mission. I'll just wait here."
Now that everyone said so, Tatsuya gave up the idea of letting him get off the boat and left the boat with Kushina.
Seasickness is a very common thing for people who don't often sail.
In particular, this kind of small boat is very easy to wave along with the waves, which will cause nausea over time.
This is true for Tatsuya, let alone Kushina.
"Would you like to take a rest?" Looking at Kushina's pale face, Chen slowed down.
"No need." Kushina took a few breaths, "I have a few places I want to visit. Can you accompany me to visit them?"
"No problem at all."
This mission is said to be to take away the Uzumaki legacy, but the main purpose is to give Kushina, who has become the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, a chance to return to her hometown.
Although she has been away for ten years, it is her hometown after all, and there are many things that Kushina still clearly remembers.
After walking for about twenty minutes, the little fox, who had recovered, stopped walking through the ruins.
"What's wrong?" Chen asked.
He looked around and found nothing but vegetation and weeds that were denser than those on the beach.
But the little fox let go of Chen's hand and walked in one direction until he stopped under a big tree.
"I remember this used to be my backyard. If there had been no civil unrest, I would still be living here."
Kushina sighed as she touched a few notches on the big tree. These were left by her father to measure her height.
The young man standing behind couldn't see the little fox's eyes, but presumably it should be that calm yet sad look.
People will only show this look when remembering something that has been lost forever.
Chen didn't speak, and he couldn't get a word in at this time.
After a while, Kushina took out a kunai, squatted on the ground and dug it up.
Chen also quickly took out his kunai and stepped forward to lend a hand.
A few minutes later, the two dug up a tattered box.
"Time capsule, do you want to see it?"
"Okay." The young man nodded.
The small box is not big, so if you have lost the key, you can only destroy it by force.
The rusty iron lock was easily opened, and the young man saw the whole thing inside.
A photo that has become gray and worn due to long-term exposure to moisture in the soil, but it can be vaguely seen that it is a group photo of a family of three.
On two pieces of paper with the same grayish-yellow color, there are extremely childish, yet endearing crayon drawings unique to a little girl.
As for the big ones, there are just a few items, in addition to two headbands, a few bamboo sticks and a few colored glass balls.
And a tightly sealed letter.
Through the sealed bag, you can still see a few large characters written in crooked notes on the cover of the envelope.
To my fifteen-year-old self.
"I thought I would never have the chance to see him again."
Kushina smiled a little lonely, then reached out and picked up the only three glass balls inside, and handed one of them to Chen.
"..." Although I don't know what it means, taking it at this time is the most correct choice.
Chen took the glass ball handed to him by the little fox without asking, because Kushina had already picked up the well-kept letter.
"Want to hear it?"
Kushina opened the envelope, then took out the letter that still had a childish pink atmosphere inside, and shook it towards Chen.
"… if you do not mind."
"Hehe~" Seeing his serious expression, Kushina laughed and then shook her head.
"It doesn't matter, it's been many years."
After the slightly silent atmosphere eased a little, Kushina looked at the letter in her hand. The handwriting on it was crooked. Speaking of which, her handwriting had not changed much until now.
She opened her mouth and read:
"Fifteen-year-old Kushina,
Are you OK
I am five-year-old Kushina.
It was quiet outside at this time, my father and mother must have fallen asleep, and I was lying on the bed, secretly writing you a letter under the moonlight.
Gua, what should I write about
Well, by the way, first I have to thank you. At the age of fifteen, I must have become a big hero, but I still found time to read this letter. "
"... It failed." After reading this, the little fox shook his head and said in an apologetic tone.
She continued reading:
"I heard my father say that we have to leave this home because the situation is unstable and it is not safe here, especially there are explosions every day.
In fact, I really don’t want to leave at all. I hate strange places. Now I have finally adapted to this place, but I have to leave again. "It would be great if I could settle down." This thought has been running through my mind lately.
I must cheer up from now on. Although I'm not confident that I can really do it. But, I have to do it.
…
…
"At the age of fifteen, have I found a boy I like? Have I learned how to swim well? My mother's legs are not very good, have I taken good care of her? My father likes to smoke, have I often cleaned his ashtray?"
As she read, Kushina's tears flowed out uncontrollably, as if the huge ice cube that had been hidden in her body melted. She kept crying and reading.
"I hope that fifteen-year-old Kushina can be a strong and beautiful girl, engage in a job she likes, and work hard to realize her dreams.
Anyway, have a good time.
So... can I ask fifteen-year-old Kushina one last thing? "
"Write another letter to twenty-year-old Kushina and tell her what dreams your fifteen-year-old self had."
"... Sigh." Chen sighed and handed over a pen that happened to come from the port area of the Land of Fire.
"Do you want some paper? I mean the kind you use to wipe your nose."
The little fox, who burst into laughter for a moment, rolled his eyes at Chen. After taking the pen, he took out the letter paper he had prepared long ago from his ninja bag.
Only this time, she didn't read it out. Instead, after writing it silently, she folded the letter and put it back into the sealed bag together with the original one.
Finally, it was put back into the iron box of the time capsule.
"Chen..."
"Um?"
After a moment of silence, Kushina spoke softly:
"Can you come with me again in four years?"
… …