Kurama reacted first between them, letting loose a terrible snarl from between jagged, crimson-dripping fangs at the woman who had appeared in the mindscape. They slammed their body at the barrier of wood and trees, causing the entire ring of trees to shudder and the ocean around the to overflow with waves on pure impact alone.
"You!" They snarled, and the sound was so loud it rumbled around the entire mindscape, causing Naruto's teeth to rattle. Uzumaki Mito watched Kurama with a sad, weary look on her beautiful face before turning to Naruto.
"You must be an Uzumaki," she murmured. A look of confusion crossed her face before an expression of recognition washed over her. "She always was interested in that little blond boy," she sighed, more to herself than to Naruto. "Are you Kushina's son, by chance?"
"Yup. Thas' me," Naruto said, as he managed to pull himself back to his feet then took a chance by reaching through the branches of the sakura trees to brush his hand against Kurama's fur. The fur felt exactly as Kurama's chakra did; like hot, crackling flames, licking at his hand in little simmers, but without the burn. Kurama stilled at his touch and ceased their violent efforts at breaking through the branches, much to Naruto's relief. Instead, they stayed very still and silent, slit eyes fixed with deadly intent on Mito.
On Mito's part, she was watching Naruto with a look of badly hidden alarm on her face, appearing as if she dearly wished to tear Naruto away from Kurama and to safety. Naruto kept his own face calm, kept his hand in Kurama's fur, determined to show a united front between the pair of them that seemed to soothe Kurama more than any words could. When Mito dipped her chin slightly, Naruto knew she'd understood the silent message, thank the gods.
"The name's Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto introduced himself with a grin, which Mito returned with an albeit softer smile and a bow.
"I am Uzumaki Mito. You appear quite young, Naruto-kun," Mito said softly.
"And you look real alive, for someone who's supposed ta be dead," Naruto replied bluntly. Mito's mouth curved into a ghost of a smile.
"I am quite dead, I'm afraid. But I made a vow before the gods, before the time of my death. It was a vow I intended fulfilled and when I could not within my lifetime, I ensured that I left behind the means to aid my descendants in achieving what I could not in theirs." She gestured to herself. "I am a chakra imprint," she explained. "Before I died, I sealed a part of myself into this mindscape and tied the seals of the chakra imprint and the mindscape both to my bloodline."
"So even in death, you exist to make my existence a misery!" Kurama broke their silence to snarl furiously, tails thrashing about behind them, Naruto flinched and Mito sighed.
"I can understand why you would think that," she said quietly.
"So ya only exist inside ma mindscape?" Naruto cut in before Kurama could continue.
"Correct," Mito nodded.
"And yer only gonna appear when I activate the seal from your hair-pins?"
He asked. Mito frowned.
"You don't understand the seal?" she asked. Naruto blinked.
"Nope," he admitted. "I only recognised it because o' the dreams Shinigami-sama keeps sendin' me."
Mito's eyes widened in alarm. "Activating seals in your mind without knowledge of what they are or what they may do is very dangerous," she said urgently. "Surely Kushina has taught you that by now!"
Naruto flinched and he felt like crying. He could feel the tears threatening to form at the corners of his vision but he blinked them away as best he could. Despite his best efforts, Mito noticed.
YOU ARE READING
Blood of the Broken, Scars of the Spiral (there are whirlpools in our veins)
Fanfiction"I wish I could be here to teach you what that means, to teach you what being a child of Uzushiogakure means... I wish I could teach you our history, our customs, because I know that Konoha won't teach you, I just know," Kushina couldn't help her bi...
