"Huh…? Where am I…?"
Uchiha Tatsumi stumbled along a winding path. A field of breathtaking flowers shimmered before him, but a thick mist obscured the details. I remember… I was in bed, Tsunade knocked me out, didn't she? Confusion gnawed at him.
The path opened onto a wide river, spanned by a long, elegant bridge. Lotus blossoms glowed faintly in the dim water, and butterflies danced in the air, their wings catching the scant light. The sweet scent of the flowers drifted on the gentle breeze. It felt like a dream, a scene plucked from some otherworldly realm.
"It's so beautiful… it doesn't even feel real," Tatsumi murmured, his voice barely a whisper. This place… it felt like a gateway, a bridge between worlds.
His gaze fell upon a stone tablet etched with two stark characters: Naihe.
"No way!" Tatsumi's eyes widened in alarm. "If I don't get back, I'm done for!" This was it – the River Sanzu, the border between the living world and the afterlife! He was dying!
"Over here! Come on!" A voice echoed across the river. "There's nothing to be afraid of! It's a great place! Beautiful women everywhere!" The unseen speaker's words were laced with a strange, unsettling enthusiasm. "Delicious food, endless fun!"
Tatsumi froze. Are they talking to me? He peered across the river. A figure beckoned him forward. And… was that…? Tatsumi squinted, his heart pounding. The figure on the far right… it looked like the First Hokage, with features reminiscent of Nawaki!
No! This is dangerous! I can't listen to them!
Distant thunder echoed almost imperceptibly as he scanned the figures more closely. Another man stood beside the First Hokage, wearing clothing bearing the Uchiha crest. He looked familiar… Uchiha Kagami! A gathering of deceased relatives! Tatsumi knew he had to escape this place, and fast.
"Don't be afraid, my child," Uchiha Kagami said, his voice carrying across the water. "This is a wonderful place."
"Hahaha! Don't be scared, young one from Konoha!" The First Hokage grinned, his familiar, jovial demeanour somehow twisted in this eerie setting. "Don't you see how healthy I look? Come on over, there's nothing to worry about…"
"Aiya, Uchiha Tatsumi," the Second Hokage chimed in, stepping forward. "It's truly fantastic here. Every day is filled with joy and happiness—"
"Really? Is it really that good?" Tatsumi asked, a flicker of doubt accompanied with a vague electric sensation creeping into his resolve. "Are you sure you're not lying?"
"Absolutely! It's so much fun! It's like returning to Konoha, even better! Everyone's so talented, so kind. I adore it here!"
Tatsumi hesitated, his mind reeling. It sounds… tempting. But something feels wrong. He shook his head, the thunder getting louder, steeling his resolve.
"Farewell, everyone! I won't forget you!" Flickers of green lightning sparked all over his body as he turned and sprinted back the way he came, desperate to escape the riverbank. I have to live… for their sakes, too!
"You can't leave! You can't just abandon us!" The voices pursued him, their cheerful tone now laced with a chilling desperation. The thunder now vibrated the very ground as dark clouds from nowhere roiled in, lighting the horizon with massive lightning bolts. It felt like his soul was being pulled on like a rope in a tug-of-war between this disturbingly real afterlife and the ever more intense lightning storm.
Boom! Tatsumi's eyes snapped open.
"Are you… alive?"
He blinked, disoriented. He was lying in a strange room, his body aching.
"Tatsumi! You're awake! Excellent… The Lightning-Style heart stimulation seems to have worked." Tsunade sighed in relief, withdrawing her hand from his chest.
Lightning-Style…? Tatsumi's mind struggled to grasp what had happened. Was I… dead? Was I on the verge of crossing over?
Clarity brought pain.
"Argh! Lady Tsunade! You used Lightning-Style on me?!" he exclaimed, his voice laced with pained indignation. "You know medical ninjutsu, right?!"
Tsunade scratched her head sheepishly. "Well… ah… your heart stopped for a moment, you see. And my medical ninjutsu… well, it's alright to count my lightning palm jutsu as a medical jutsu as long as it saves a life, right?" She gave a small, nervous laugh. "You should be happy, it was my first time trying this method so technically, you are a co-creator of this new treatment. I didn't expect it to work so well but here we are! Humans are truly remarkable creatures!"
Tatsumi stared at her, nerve endings still spasming, speechless. That woman… she nearly killed me!
My kunai! He scrambled to his feet, frantically searching his ninja pouch. "Where's my kunai?!"
"Hey, Tatsumi, take it easy!" Tsunade's voice was sharp. "Just lie down! Kushina will be here soon… and you'll probably faint again."
Tatsumi's world went dark once more.
Kushina's long, vibrant red hair cascaded across the bed like silken threads. She was still dressed in her simple, comfortable pajamas, fast asleep beside him. Tatsumi carefully reached out and picked up a single strand of her hair that had fallen onto her shoulder. It carried the faint, sweet scent of cherry blossoms.
"En…?"
Kushina stirred, her eyes fluttering open. She blinked sleepily, rubbing them with her knuckles. Seeing the young man awake and watching her, her eyes widened in surprise.
"Oh! You're awake!" she exclaimed, a hint of a strange accent colouring her voice.
"I'm sorry!" Kushina suddenly scrambled to her feet, her movements quick and apologetic. "I misunderstood you!" She bowed slightly towards the bed.
"No, no, it's fine," Tatsumi waved his hand dismissively. "It was my fault. I shouldn't have thrown that explosive tag on the bed. I scared you."
"Ah ha ha!" Kushina laughed, a touch nervously, patting her hair. "That mini explosive tag was quite something! It really gave me a fright. I thought I was a goner!" She seemed much more energetic now, the earlier vulnerability and distress gone.
"Hello," she said, her voice dropping slightly. "My name is Uzumaki Kushina. I come from the Hidden Whirlpools Village."
Tatsumi's gaze lingered on Kushina. He remembered her earlier apprehension, the way she'd hidden a kunai beneath her pillow. The Hidden Whirlpools Village… it must have been destroyed, he thought grimly. And Kushina… she's been living through the war all these years, witnessing its horrors. That's why she's so on edge. He decided to change the subject, to steer the conversation away from painful memories.
"My name is Uchiha Tatsumi," he replied, offering a friendly smile. "Nice to meet you, Uzumaki Kushina. Just call me Tatsumi."
Kushina studied his dark eyes for a moment before nodding. "You can call me Kushina," she said. "We're friends now, right?"
Friends already? Tatsumi thought wryly. Childhood friendships are so easy to forge. He couldn't help but feel a pang of longing for such uncomplicated connections. Then, a more pressing question surfaced in his mind.
"Say," he began, looking around the room. "Where's Tsunade? Did the Anbu take her? Or the guards?" He couldn't quite believe his sensei would abandon him so readily.
"Sister Tsunade…" Kushina hesitated, glancing away. "She… she asked me to tell you that she knows she messed up. She's gone to turn herself in to the guards."
Turn herself in? Tatsumi scoffed internally. Yeah, right. "Where did she really go?" he pressed.
"She… she said that since you're having such bad luck, her luck must be good," Kushina stammered. "She wants to go… gamble."
Of course, Tatsumi thought, rolling his eyes. That's just like Tsunade.
"Tatsumi," Kushina asked, her brow furrowed in confusion. "What does it mean… to gamble?"
"It's… well, it's like betting on something," Tatsumi explained, choosing his words carefully. "Like… betting you can catch a fish this big," he gestured with his hands.
Kushina's eyes widened, a flicker of fear crossing her face.
Tatsumi glanced around the room. It was similar to his own, but with more feminine touches. This must be Kushina's room.
"Kushina," he asked, "is this your room?"
"Yes," she replied.
"And… what about my room?"
"Your room… well, it's not there anymore," Kushina said apologetically. "There was… an accident. Tsunade-san… she punched you, and you… you went flying through the wall."
So I'm lucky to be alive, Tatsumi thought, a shiver running down his spine.
"Then… how did you end up in my room?" he asked, finally voicing the question that had been nagging him.
Kushina's face flushed crimson, the colour creeping up to her ears. She looked like a ripe tomato. "Because… because all the rooms are the same size," she mumbled. "And the layout… it's all the same. I just arrived in Konoha today, and I got lost coming back from Grandma Mito's. I… I accidentally went into the wrong room."
"Ah," Tatsumi sighed, finally understanding. "So that's it." What a mess. He couldn't help but shake his head. What a truly bizarre day.