Naruto: I Roamed the Ninja World as a Woman

Chapter 177 Dream of the Homeland

Ever since she unexpectedly obtained the Grim Reaper mask at the market, Kushina Uzumaki has stayed in her room for several days without going out.

But she had to admit it.

Perhaps it was because her expertise in sealing techniques was limited, but even after studying for so many days, she still couldn't figure it out. The only thing she was certain of was...

This thing is most likely the work of the Uzumaki clan!

The village of Uzushio (the Land of Whirlpools), where the Uzumaki clan has lived for generations, is also an island nation, facing Kirigakure across the sea.

After the country was destroyed, it is only natural that some of its relics were scattered to the Land of Water!

Kushina Uzumaki took a deep breath.

The girl placed her more antique and heavy death mask, which she had inherited from her grandmother Mito, side by side with the one she had just bought on the tatami mat.

The patterns on the two ghost face masks are similar.

Their empty eye sockets seemed to be staring at each other, and also staring at her.

An indescribable sense of eeriness permeated the air.

"Grandma Mito once said—"

"Death dwells within the mask, and within Death's belly lies the soul of the caster—"

"To release this soul, one must wear a mask, allow Death to possess one's body, and then offer oneself as a sacrifice to cut open Death's belly."

A bold and dangerous thought arose in Kushina's mind: "But if I wear the mask but don't sacrifice myself—would I be able to see what happened in the past from the perspective of a Shinigami?"

This idea is like a deadly poppy.

The moment it entered my mind, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

My childhood memories are now blurred and indistinct.

After being rescued by Konoha, she also pressed for the truth about her homeland.

But all she ever received was Tsunade's perfunctory response and Mito Uzumaki's sigh.

The girl vaguely remembered that the Land of Whirlpools was destroyed by a combined attack from several groups of ninja.

She carefully picked up the newly acquired mask, stared at the ghost face for a moment, and then gently covered her face with the mask.

Si, Hai, Wei —

Kushina Uzumaki slowly and resolutely formed hand seals, finally bringing her hands together in prayer position!

In that instant, the mask on his face seemed to come alive, emanating a chilling aura.

The light in the room dimmed, and an indescribable sense of oppression enveloped the surroundings!

In an instant, Kushina felt as if her soul had been ripped from her body, and her consciousness plunged into an endless, dark space.

The cold sound of chains rattled in her ears, and a huge, ferocious white phantom with a short knife in its mouth slowly materialized before her—it was the legendary Grim Reaper!

I don't know how much time passed.

The chilling aura of death gradually faded, and a vibrant, lively scene emerged before our eyes.

When Kushina came to her senses.

She found herself on a beach that was both strange and familiar, with the salty sea breeze blowing against her face.

All around were chaotic voices, hurried footsteps, and suppressed sobs.

The girl subconsciously brushed a strand of red hair behind her ear.

But she suddenly paused, looked down at her palm, and seemed slightly lost in thought.

Why have my hands gotten smaller?

Kushina lowered her head.

She was surprised to find that not only her hands, but her entire body had shrunk.

His body seemed to have regressed to the appearance of a five or six-year-old child, and his clothes had changed from his original ninja uniform to children's clothing.

An absurd thought suddenly arose in my mind.

This is—

Have we returned to the past we remember?

Kushina Uzumaki was surprised. Why did summoning the Shinigami awaken her own memories instead?

She looked around.

As her gaze fell, the figures around her became clearer, the illusory haze dissipated, and everything felt real, as if it were happening right now.

These are a group of ninjas wearing headbands with swirling patterns.

They wore earth-green vests, the style of which looked similar to the uniforms of the Konoha ninjas, but not quite the same.

of course.

What's even more striking is that each ninja has identical red hair, just like himself—

Kushina Uzumaki turned her head and looked behind her.

It was a village that seemed familiar.

However, at this moment, plumes of black smoke were rising from the village, and the sounds of fighting could be faintly heard from within.

here it is----

The Land of Whirlpools!

It is the land of whirlpools, which is about to be destroyed, erased from the list, and vanish into thin air!

Kushina Uzumaki was deeply shaken.

Whether before the Chunin Exams or after his defection from Konoha.

She had tried countless times to recall this scene.

But as I've grown older, this experience has become increasingly blurred, like a flower in the mist or the moon's reflection in the water, fading further and further away from me.

"Kushina! You must remember me from now on!"

A faint shout suddenly came from beside her, bringing the girl back to her senses from her great trembling.

The speaker was a little girl with a chubby face, who looked to be only three or four years old. She had big, round eyes and messy braids at the back of her head.

Her face looks so familiar...

Kushina Uzumaki stared blankly at her, but couldn't remember the other person's name no matter what.

Why aren't you saying anything?

The little girl looked at Kushina, who was clearly a bit taller than her, and then sighed like an adult: "They all say that we'll never see each other again, and that I should hurry up and say goodbye to you—"

She blinked, a hint of hurt in her dark eyes: "Is it true? You really won't play with me anymore?"

"I—I don't know."

Kushina Uzumaki's voice was hoarse, and for some reason, her eyes reddened.

"Okay—" the little girl's voice sounded a bit aggrieved.

"Oh, right, this is for you."

She rummaged through her pockets and reluctantly took out a small, milky-white seashell.

"When my mother said goodbye to me the day before yesterday, she told me that there is the sound of the sea inside a seashell, and when I miss my mother, I will listen to the sound of the waves inside."

"Now I'm giving it to you. From now on, when you hear the sounds inside, you'll remember this sea, and you'll remember me—"

Kushina Uzumaki accepted it blankly.

She clutched the seashell tightly.

The feeling was so real that she could even feel the temperature on the shell!

Kushina felt as if her throat was stuffed with cotton, and she was completely unable to speak. An indescribable and immense sorrow welled up from the bottom of her heart.

sorry----

I... I've still forgotten you.

Intense guilt and pain transformed into an invisible hand, gripping her heart.

Kushina bent over, opened her mouth, wanted to vomit but couldn't, and tears slid down her cheeks as she dry-heaved.

"Kushina, it's time to board!"

Another aged voice suddenly rang in my ears.

The voice was all too familiar; it had echoed in her dreams countless times.

"Grandpa—Elder—"

Kushina Uzumaki's body stiffened, and she instinctively replied, "Is it you?"

As if in answering her question, a warm hand landed on her back.

The old man gently patted Kushina to soothe her.

He then said softly, "Do you remember what Grandpa once told you?"

Kushina Uzumaki answered without hesitation, "Konoha—Konoha is a safe place, life there is wonderful, and once you get there, you won't have to worry about any danger."

How could she forget those words?

She even remembers the next sentence, and the sentence after that!

These words left a deeper impression on her than any ninjutsu or sealing technique!

She engraved every word in her heart and never forgot it!

The old man smiled and said, "Little Kushina is so clever; she remembered every single word perfectly!"

He held the little girl in his arms, stepped onto the boarding ladder, and walked towards the only lone boat on the shore.

Get off the boat.

There were countless red-haired ninjas, and one whose name she had forgotten, but who was still waving goodbye, trying to make the other person remember her good friend.

Everyone is looking at me —

Kushina Uzumaki held the seashell in her hand.

She wanted to turn around.

She wanted to ask the girl's name.

She wanted to take one last look at the place where she was born and raised.

The sharp whistling sound of the cannon cutting through the air abruptly interrupted her thoughts.

Don't look back.

The Grand Elder's steady voice rang out once more.

Kushina Uzumaki stubbornly pried his arm off, then abruptly turned her head to look at the spot where she had just been standing.

A thunderous sound rang out.

The beach was blasted open by explosive tags, leaving an ugly black crater from which smoke was rising.

It was not far from the deep pit.

The girl who was waving goodbye to him just a moment ago was now lying there quietly, in a strange posture, like a butterfly that had been knocked down by the wind and rain.

Half of the girl's body was submerged in a pool of thick, dark red liquid.

A vibrant red color flowed down her equally fiery red hair.

It was swimming across the gray-yellow sand at a slow and persistent pace, so dazzling that it made Kushina dizzy.

Kushina opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

Heaven and earth spun in her eyes, mingling together with that blinding red mass—

"Good boy, forget about all that."

"6

The Grand Elder's voice came once again.

The old man's voice was soft, yet it contained immense sorrow: "Don't think about it, don't ponder it, forget it all, let the sea drown it all—"

He looked at the little girl in his arms and said softly, "Everything will be alright once we get to Konoha—"

"Elder."

Kushina Uzumaki gritted her teeth: "I... can no longer go back to Konoha!"

This moment.

She was no longer the ignorant toddler in my memory, but had transformed into her original teenage form.

But the Grand Elder was oblivious to everything before him. He continued to instruct, "Then return to where you belong."

"Remember to shower frequently, eat well, and make more friends —"

"Most importantly, don't let past troubles continue to weigh you down —"

He still has a lot to say.

But Kushina Uzumaki was no longer listening.

The girl hugged the old man tenderly for a moment, then got up from his embrace.

Perhaps Death realized he had been tricked, and this memory was on the verge of collapse, the scene gradually becoming blurry again, like the surface of a lake rippled by the wind.

The girl turned around and looked back.

In the direction of the Land of Whirlpools, one after another, clansmen fell, their blood staining the sea crimson.

She looked ahead again.

The Konoha ninja over there were eagerly anticipating his arrival, their faces beaming with smug smiles.

"Lord Madara's illusion magic is truly amazing!"

Outside the window, the White Zetsu, silently observing the scene, couldn't help but sigh, "That's right. Even someone as strong as the Third Mizukage couldn't break free, let alone a naive little girl who's never seen the world."

Black Zetsu turned his head, glanced at his companion, and said in a calm tone, "You're wrong."

White Zetsu: "Huh?"

"This is not an illusion."

"Lord Madara merely left a small amount of Yin Release chakra on the mask, guiding and activating it slightly."

Black Zetsu said leisurely, "But what she experienced were real memories accumulated deep in her mind, memories she was unwilling to recall."

These memories have simply been sealed away.

Bai Jue was stunned.

"You wouldn't understand."

Black Zetsu, who usually prefers to hide his true feelings, revealed a rare moment of genuine emotion, lamenting, "Even the most perfect illusion can't compare to the cruelty of reality, which can cause more pain."

After saying that, he got up from the shadows.

His tone returned to its coldness: "Let's go, it's time to see how the Mizukage's preparations are going."

"As for this one "6"

"If nothing unexpected happens, you'll probably be getting another new colleague."