Autumn War. Third day after the main defenses were destroyed.
The enemy alliance has breached our borders and has begun advancing toward the main fortress. We've retreated to the underground tombs.
We are about thirty-two people left. The others chose to stay above and divert the enemy forces.
Sixth day after the main defenses were destroyed.
The battle above still rages on. The Village Headman refuses to let us rejoin the battle. We can clearly hear our comrades fighting the enemy. We had hoped our allies would help, but weeks have passed, and Konoha still hasn't sent a single reinforcement.
The nations of Sand, Cloud, and Stone are cowards. They attacked our civilians.
Many of our warriors gave their lives protecting the villagers.
Our village leader has decided to abandon the emergency plan. He will personally lead the volunteers in a final counterattack.
I will be one of those who step forward to join the survivors for the final blow—to drive out the enemy.
This will be our most glorious moment, and they will sing of our courage.
The force commanded by Red Sand no Sasori is massive.
He used his [Puppet Technique] to bind our remaining ninja while he himself fought our leader.
The Third Kazekage, who had recently vanished, became his most devastating weapon. Even in death, he could completely paralyze us with his Iron Sand Body.
The Village Headman ordered us to move all valuable artifacts of Uzushio Village to the safest location.
After the vault door closed, we were completely paralyzed, unable to move or use chakra, and even breathing became difficult. With my dying breath, I write this.
As long as the greatest treasure of the village remains sealed inside the Uzumaki family vault, our legacy will not vanish.
The final page was covered in bloodstains, without a date noted.
Naruto shut the diary and shook his head, sadness weighing on him:
"Red Sand no Sasori?"
"The greatest puppet master in Sunagakure's history. He defected roughly two decades ago," Sai said. "He must've been brought in specifically to deliver the final strike."
Naruto nodded.
"So..." He turned toward the ornate door. "A vault built to keep everyone out. You wanna go in? I mean, that's why we're here, right?"
Sai shook his head:
"I don't have the key. That door won't budge without it."
Naruto examined the door carefully, then his eyes widened:
"Woah, this is an elaborate [Blood-Sealing Formation]—designed with extreme precision to restrict access."
Sai paced around thoughtfully, then stopped and looked at Naruto:
"What was the last line of the diary?"
Naruto recalled:
"'As long as the village's greatest treasure remains sealed within the Uzumaki family vault, our legacy will not vanish.'"
Sai nodded:
"You're from the most revered clan in the village. Try activating it."
Naruto frowned at Sai:
"Let's just hope this doesn't fry me."
He drew a shuriken and slashed his palm open, smearing the blood across his fingers.
Then he stepped forward and pressed his bloody hand against the vault door.
He braced himself for rejection—but instead, there was a solid *click*, and the door swung open.
The safe room wasn't large—just enough space for two people to stand inside. No treasure or riches were stored inside. Just a single shelf holding a dozen scrolls.
Sai reached for one of the scrolls and tried to unroll it. Watching Sai struggle, Naruto sighed and ran his blood-streaked fingers across the scroll, opening it effortlessly.
"Thanks," Sai said, then began reading, but he squinted at the blank surface, puzzled:
"There's nothing written here, senpai."
Naruto squinted at the scroll—and saw the text clearly appear.
Naruto grinned widely. "Wow, this is some high-level sealing technique! Only members of the Uzumaki clan can see what's written here."
"Let's take the scrolls and get out of here."
After tucking the scrolls into their pockets, Naruto noticed a door behind them with a sword embedded in it.
It resembled Naruto's ninja blade—a black sheath adorned with silver and golden spiral patterns. The handle looked smooth and finely crafted.
Naruto gripped the hilt and tried pulling it out, but it didn't budge.
Gritting his teeth, he braced his feet against the floor and pulled with all his might.
"No way am I leaving without this! It's freaking awesome!" Naruto growled through gritted teeth, yanking even harder. "Don't you know who I am?! I'm Naruto Uzumaki! The damn Uzumaki! Stupid sword!"
As Naruto loudly shouted the word "Uzumaki," the slot holding the sword gave a sudden click, and Naruto was knocked backward by a sudden burst of icy smoke.
Sai looked into the safe room, eyes going wide in disbelief as the smoke cleared.
Naruto stood back up, smiling widely:
"Alright, Sai, I think we've got everything. Let's get out before anything else goes wrong."
Sai didn't move:
"Naruto-senpai, you should come look at this."
Naruto and Sai stepped into the safe room and found that the wall where Naruto had pulled the sword had collapsed. Naruto waved his arms, trying to disperse the smoke.
As the smoke lifted, Naruto saw a shocking sight.
A white-haired girl was trapped in what looked like ice.
******
## Uzushio Village - Ground Level ##
"Big bro, why are we still hanging around here? The tailed beast is gone. Shouldn't we report back to the leader?"
Back when Uzushio was first attacked, people assumed they'd been wiped out after two weeks of battle, but many survivors emerged from hiding, ready for one last counterattack. Here, nothing is ever as it seems. Not until I see their bodies will I believe they're dead. They'll return, and we'll finish them then."
Deidara looked at Sasori and nodded:
"Big bro, how do you know so much about this place anyway?"
Sasori remained silent.
******
## Kiri Village ##
Kakashi let out a sigh. "Where the hell are you, Naruto? You've already been gone a week."
He glanced at Shikamaru, who was asleep in bed.
Footsteps echoed down the hallway, interrupting Shikamaru mid-dream.
Muttering a curse under his breath, Kakashi headed toward the door. "Here we go again."
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Kakashi opened the door with his usual polite smile:
"Oh, Tayuya. What's up?"
Tayuya stood at the doorway, her face twisted in irritation, hands planted firmly on her hips:
"Where's that damn blond brat?"
"I've told you since day one, it's up to Naruto to decide where he goes."
"Then can you at least tell me when he'll be back?"
Kakashi had no reply.
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