When she left the hospital on Friday—where, besides regenerating limbs and organs, she was now assisting in complex surgeries—she realized Sasuke and Naruto must be close to finishing their trial in the desert. Just a couple more days, and they'd be back home.
That afternoon, she went looking for Karin to continue training with her adamantine chains.
"Try pushing your chakra out from a single point on your body in the form of a chain. Focus on just one. You'll see how hard it is to control."
Seina followed her instructions. She closed her eyes, imagining a chain in her right hand. She channelled her chakra toward her hand, just as she would when using ninjutsu by directing chakra to her mouth. Suddenly, she felt something very strange. It was as if she could sense the chain emerging from her arm, from the tenketsu in her hand. She opened her eyes to see Karin leaping aside with a shout, narrowly avoiding the chain that shot out at high speed.
"Wow! You did it!"
Seina smiled, seeing the medium-sized chain, identical to what she had imagined. It was golden, shining brightly, with a braided pattern reminiscent of a pendant. The tip, however, ended in a sharp, double-edged triangular blade, similar to the point of a kunai. The whole thing glowed with chakra.
"Incredible," she said as she examined her new creation. "But it's hard to control. If I lose focus, I can feel it starting to disappear."
"That happens to me all the time. It's the lack of practice."
"Try using our combined chakra."
She let the chain vanish. Her curiosity about what would happen if she used Kurama's chakra for this was too strong to resist. Without hesitation, she molded both types of chakra in equal parts and summoned the chain in her right hand again. Karin gasped, immediately sensing the difference thanks to her abilities. Meanwhile, Seina examined the new chain. It was amber in colour, glowing brilliantly with the power of a bijuu.
She aimed at the nearest tree. The chain whipped toward the target so fast that she barely saw it move. The tree shattered into pieces when the adamantine chain struck it like a whip. The next tree, impaled by the chain, exploded.
"Wow," she exclaimed, completely delighted. She felt Kurama's excitement at seeing the destruction caused by their combined power.
"I've never seen my chains do anything like that," Karin said, staring at the splinters that had once been a tree. "My chains cut; yours destroy."
"It must be Kurama's chakra."
"You should try using them for defence as well."
That's how Seina spent the entire afternoon with Karin, testing the chains. When she used them without Kurama's chakra, the chains resembled Karin's more closely. They were calmer, less malicious. She could cut a tree the same way, but not cause such violent explosions. She also tried summoning them from other parts of her body. The easiest spots were her stomach, back, and hands. She wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because ninjas molded chakra in their stomachs and were most accustomed to using the tenketsu in their hands?
Attacking with the chains was much easier than defending with them. Attacking felt like throwing a kunai. Defending felt like trying to block a shuriken with a new arm. Strange. She would need practice to use even a single chain effectively. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to use more than one.
"I'm exhausted," she complained hours later. "I think I'm going home to rest."
"No wonder. You've spent the last five hours training," Karin said, shaking her head. "By the way, doesn't your team return from Suna the day after tomorrow?"
"Yeah. I can't wait to hear how they did."
"Do you think we could... meet again sometime? I promise to behave around Naruto and Sasuke."
"Of course. In fact, you could come with me to the entrance gate to welcome them if you'd like. That way, I can introduce you to my friends."
"Really?"
"Sure," she reiterated. "I'd already thought about it, but I was waiting for a situation that wouldn't make you feel too uncomfortable."
"I'd love to join you at the gate!"
"Alright."
As promised, Karin joined her on Sunday at the village entrance. There, they found Shikamaru lazily leaning against a tree, waiting. He noticed them approaching and looked on with mild curiosity.
"Shikamaru, this is my distant cousin, Karin Uzumaki."
"Pleasure to meet you," Karin said with a small bow. "Seina has told me a lot about all of you."
"I'm glad Seina and Naruto found another member of their family."
"How long have you been here?"
"Only a few minutes. I imagine they'll arrive before sunset."
They ended up waiting longer than expected, chatting about Karin's past. Well, the non-confidential parts of Karin's past. Shikamaru, not one to miss much, knew they were hiding something. Still, he was empathetic enough not to press the issue with Karin there. She figured he'd eventually interrogate her to satisfy his curiosity.
"So, do you like Konoha?" Shikamaru finally asked.
"Yes. Much more than Kusa."
"Look! There they are!" She said, spotting them in the distance.
Karin and Shikamaru turned westward. They watched as the group approached, their laughter growing louder as they neared the village. By the time they turned toward the gate, the team had already arrived.
"Nee-chan!" Naruto shouted.
He ran toward her under the amused gaze of those present. Kakashi didn't even try to stop him. Seina waited with a smile at the entrance. She had to brace herself as her brother launched himself at her.
"We made it through the first and second rounds, Seina-nee!"
"I knew you would."
"Hi, Karin!"
"Congratulations, Naruto."
Shikamaru clicked his tongue just as the other genins arrived. To avoid blocking the entrance, they moved further into the village. Sasuke, who finally reached her side, offered a small smile in her direction. Then, noticing Karin, he seemed slightly uncomfortable, but relaxed when she simply congratulated him sincerely.
"Karin, let me introduce you to our friends," Seina said, noticing how everyone was eyeing her cousin. "Shikamaru's team: Ino and Chouji. Hinata, Kiba, and Shino are another team. And then there's Neji, Tenten, and Lee's team."
"Pleasure to meet you, Karin!" Lee exclaimed, giving her a thumbs-up.
"Finally, another girl!" Ino said. Tenten nodded fervently. "We need to even out the numbers."
The others greeted Karin casually. Seeing how easily they accepted her, Karin relaxed and started chatting with Ino, Tenten, and Kiba. Just as Seina had expected. Meanwhile, Sasuke, Naruto, Chouji, and Hinata told her and Shikamaru about their experience in Suna's hellish desert.
"It would've been much harder without your gift," Chouji assured her. "I brought plenty of food and water, especially water."
"Chouji's right," Hinata agreed. "Thanks to you, we didn't have to spend hours searching for water in the middle of the desert."
"I brought about twenty bottles of two litter," Chouji said to Hinata. "And I drank every single one!"
"Not surprising. It was unbearably hot," Sasuke admitted. Then, speaking mentally while looking at her, he added, "Even with the enchanted clothes you gave me."
"And what about you, nee-chan?" Naruto asked.
"A rescue mission, hospital work, researching some things I'd set aside…" She shrugged. "Oh, and training with the chains."
"Chains?" Neji's voice came from behind her.
"Adamantine chains," she clarified.
Hinata gasped, while Neji looked surprised. Chouji, on the other hand, seemed clueless.
"Those are the chains used by the Uzumaki clan!"
"Exactly. So far, I've only summoned one, but I'll keep training."
They talked for a while longer before going their separate ways. Everyone was tired from the exam and the trip, so they promised to meet up another day when they had more time. Seina, however, doubted they would see each other in the following weeks. As soon as they recovered from their fatigue, they would start training for the next three weeks before returning to Suna for the final battle.
When they got home, leaving Kakashi behind to talk with the other jonin-sensei, Naruto and Sasuke told her something they hadn't dared to say in public.
"We need to tell you something we saw during the chunin exam," Sasuke began, sitting down on the couch.
"It's probably better if you see it for yourself."
Both of them opened their link to the fullest and shared a series of memories. She saw their journey to the village, their exploration of it, the written test, the preliminary round, their encounter with Team 10, and Ino's words about a crazy girl with greenish-grey hair and orange eyes who killed a giant scorpion with a kunai for fun. The moment Seina heard that description, she knew who Ino was talking about. With such a unique description and at such a young age, it could only be Fu, the jinchuriki of Chomei. Sasuke, and later Naruto, had come to the same conclusion thanks to remembering Seina's memory of meeting her in Takigakure. Still, they didn't see Fu in person until days later, during the test in the Infernal Desert.
Seina watched curiously and attentively one of her team's fights. Apparently, they had heard screams from afar and stumbled upon Neji's team, who had seen something strange in the distance with his Byakugan. What caught everyone's attention was a fight between Gaara, Fu, and an unknown man with a Suna headband who was trying to extract Shukaku. She watched as they defeated him together, feeling a strange sensation in her chest.
"If he had succeeded, your friend would be dead," Kurama commented sternly.
Luckily, the man had been captured and no one was hurt. She knew he would likely be interrogated and possibly executed. What worried her was that her brother had been there, and he was also a jinchuriki. She had never considered the possibility of someone trying to extract their bijuu. As far as she knew, the last time anyone attempted such a thing was with her mother on the night she was born. Nearly thirteen years had passed, so it seemed like an anomaly.
"The fact that an ordinary genin dared to try this so boldly in his own village is concerning… if he really is a genin."
"You're right. It's clear he didn't act alone."
Sasuke and Naruto continued showing her their memories until they left Suna.
"Well? What do you think?" Sasuke asked.
"It's concerning, obviously. Just when Gaara is starting to get along better with Shukaku, who no longer causes problems, someone tries to extract him. Why?"
Naruto blinked in surprise. Sasuke and he exchanged glances.
"You're right. I hadn't thought of it that way."
They talked for a while longer about the chunin exam and her training with chains, the only new thing she could share that they didn't already know. She heard the door open. Kakashi entered, closing his perverted book at the same time.
"Well, guys. I've found someone to train each of you individually," he smiled, leaning on the doorframe.
"Really!? Who is it?"
"Yugao will train you, Naruto, and Anko will train you, Sasuke."
"Anko? The crazy kunai lady?" Sasuke asked, his face slightly pale.
Seina and Naruto stifled laughter at his concern. Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the new nickname for Anko.
"The crazy kunai lady?"
"In the last chunin exam, she threatened someone and then licked a kunai like a psycho," Seina grinned from ear to ear. "I can't wait to see what she teaches Sasuke."
Kakashi chuckled at the absurd explanation and sat on the couch with a drink in hand to continue discussing their training.
"Anko might be… questionable, but what ninja isn't? She'll teach you a lot, you'll see. You need different opponents than what you're used to. Naruto has never fought someone with Yugao's expertise in kenjutsu and infiltration, while Sasuke, you'll benefit from fighting someone unpredictable to push your sharingan's limits."
"Hn. Fine."
"When do we start?" Naruto asked, rubbing his hands together.
"The day after tomorrow, Tuesday. Take the rest of today and tomorrow off. There's no point starting new training while stressed."
To unwind, they ended up playing a board game and arguing about who was cheating. As if they weren't all cheating! Seina went to bed with a smile after spending the entire afternoon with her family.
The next day, with nothing to do except Kakashi's task of handling Yugao and Anko's paperwork to ensure they had no missions for the next three weeks, they spent the morning at the pool. At Naruto's request, she conjured a net for volleyball, and he challenged the other two to a 2-vs-1 match.
"Ah! You don't have to hit it so hard!"
"Another point for the winning team!" she exclaimed, high-fiving Sasuke, both grinning. "Didn't you say you could beat us even alone?"
"Not if you're using brute force!" Naruto shouted. "You're gonna pay! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
Sasuke and Seina burst into laughter when Naruto's clone appeared to help him win. The fierce battle for volleyball supremacy lasted hours until Kakashi found them.
"Who's supposed to be winning?" his voice asked from nowhere.
He was watching from the rooftop, book in hand. Naruto pouted and said nothing, as even with his clone, he was losing miserably to Sasuke's sharingan and Seina's chakra-enhanced strength. Sasuke predicted the ball's path, and with their link open, she saw it too, smashing it so hard that Naruto often had to dodge the ball to avoid breaking his arms or dispelling his clone.
"How am I supposed to win against these two cheaters?" he muttered under his breath.
They laughed in his face again. Hours later, thoroughly wrinkled, they left the pool to grab some food. Seina's stomach growled as they prepared an impromptu barbecue in the backyard. To everyone's surprise, Sasuke took charge of the meat, and it turned out edible. It wasn't much, just flipping seasoned slices of meat she had prepared, but it was a start.
"Soon you'll be cooking solo, Sasuke," she teased.
"…"
She saw the pale, slightly green faces of Kakashi and Naruto and had to look away to avoid laughing again. Sasuke pretended not to notice them, tongs in hand, deeply focused on the conjured barbecue.
"I have to admit, it's not bad," Kakashi confessed as they ate in the garden.
"Hn."
"This is the first time you've cooked something decent, teme."
"…"
Sasuke sent him a murderous glare while chewing his meat.
"I can't believe you're just three weeks away from levelling up," Seina smiled.
"Soon we'll be able to take missions with you, nee-chan!"
"That's only if Tsunade-sama or Shikaku-sama decide to put you on her team," Kakashi interjected. Naruto deflated, and Sasuke frowned. "But it's likely you'll do some missions together."
"Only some?"
"Seina's a jonin. She hasn't taken B-rank missions in over half a year," their teacher shrugged. "At first, you'll handle B-rank missions, so it's unlikely they'll pair you up. But for A-rank missions, you might form a team."
"How long will we be stuck doing B-rank missions?" Sasuke asked irritably.
"Not long. As I've said, despite being genin, you've had chunin-level skills for months. You've been doing C-rank and even some B-rank missions—something unheard of for genin. Tsunade-sama is smart. She won't waste your talents on low-rank missions for long."
"Do you think she'll assign us to Seina?"
"Yes. Remember, this team—Team 7—has a specialization, like Teams 10 and 8. Your specialty is adaptability. Together, you're the most versatile team: tracking, combat, interrogation, infiltration, assassination, and healing. Tsunade-sama will bring you back together eventually, you'll see."
"Stuff Seina can do alone," Sasuke pointed out. "Why would they put us together when one person can do it all?"
"Because most missions aren't solo. The jonin commander is taking advantage of Seina's rank and abilities by sending her on solo team missions. But look at anbu. Missions are never solo. They're always done in squads of four."
"Why do you say he's taking advantage?" Seina asked curiously.
"Because he knows that with your powers and skills, you're not in danger during certain solo missions. This way, Konoha avoids paying the salaries of a four-man team, as they only pay you. That means the money for the three ninjas not on the mission can be used to accept another mission. Using you is like a 3-for-1 deal where Konoha always wins."
"Hmm… I hadn't thought of it that way."
"It only took me a few hours to learn about your rescue mission," Kakashi said. "Did you know that mission should have been done by a four-man team if not for your powers? Maybe a highly experienced jonin could've done it alone, but you rescued your client in less than a day without even waking him up."
"How did you find out?" she sighed.
"The chunin in the mission department. One of them is a friend of Anko's."
"Ugh. Nosy ninjas."
"Part of being a ninja," he replied, unapologetic. "As if you don't do the same."
Seina chuckled softly. It was true—she had been spying on people ever since she regained her magic in this world. She had no grounds to reprimand others for eavesdropping or snooping for information. In fact, she was pretty sure it had been Anko who had given Kakashi the information without him even asking. She looked like the nosy type, despite her psychopathic demeanour.
The rest of the day passed calmly. The four of them stayed home, unbothered by missions or other duties, and made the most of the time to talk before Naruto and Sasuke began their new training.
When Wednesday arrived, Seina didn't have a chance to say goodbye to them, as she was summoned for another mission. She assumed it would be another solo task, but upon reaching the Hokage's office, she found she was the last to arrive. The room was packed: Kakashi, Yamato, Hayate, Shikaku, Shizune, the Hokage—and even a pig.
She raised an eyebrow at the pig, dressed in a pink vest and pearl necklace. It had been a long time since she'd seen it.
"Pay it no mind. You're finally here," said the Hokage.
"I just got the call."
"Whatever," Tsunade waved dismissively. "You're all here for a new mission. A confidential one. Each of you is loyal to Konoha, which is why you've been tasked with finding and seizing enemy spy bases in the Land of Fire."
"Seizing them?" Hayate asked, a trace of surprise in his voice.
"Yes. This is connected to Kakashi and Seina's last mission. They went to the Land of Hot Springs to halt the illegal construction of a base by Kumo," Tsunade explained to Hayate and Yamato. "Thanks to Seina's ingenuity—and her powers—rather than destroy the base or engage Kumo's ninjas in open combat, they waited for construction to finish, eliminated the few enemies left behind, and… concealed the base."
"Before you ask," Shikaku interjected with a barely stifled sigh, "Seina has the ability to hide anything with her powers. When she does, only she can reveal its location. No matter how much anyone searches, every trace of the hidden object vanishes."
"Exactly. This means that Konoha now has a new base in the Land of Hot Springs, courtesy of Kumo—and no one but us knows where it is."
Seina felt the eyes of Hayate, Yamato, and even the hidden anbu on her. She had to resist blinking under the weight of their scrutiny.
"With that established," Tsunade continued, fixing her gaze on Seina, "I want you to scour the entire Land of Fire for enemy bases. Every last one of them. Eliminate any ninja residing within, seize control of the base, and then, Seina," the Hokage's eyes locked on hers, "you will hide their locations. You have three weeks to complete this mission. After that, you'll return for a brief rest, and Kakashi will accompany me to Suna to represent Konoha—and his team. You're dismissed. Kakashi, you'll lead the mission."
They bowed before leaving. Seina caught a glimpse of the magical barriers deactivating momentarily as the door opened, only to reactivate after they exited.
"I assume everyone's prepared?" Kakashi asked casually, noting the compact, bottomless bags each carried. The others nodded. "Then we'll head straight for the northern gate."
"What's the plan?" someone asked.
"Konoha is most vulnerable in the north, so we'll start there and work our way down. We have a lot of ground to cover, so we'll use Seina's summoning to take to the skies," Kakashi replied as they headed north. He turned his gaze to her, walking at his left. "Can you teleport us to the border of the Land of Hot Springs? We'll finalize the plan from there."
She nodded. They walked in silence until they reached a secluded area of the forest. There, Seina used the Hiraishin to teleport everyone to the designated location. Upon arrival, they ensured they were alone, though her magical barriers were still active.
"Perfect. Now we can speak without fear of being overheard."
"You're planning to use Seina's locator jutsu to find potential bases, aren't you?" Yamato asked, taking a seat on a rock.
"I need to mention something," Seina interjected. "The locator might not be entirely reliable."
"Why's that?" Yamato asked.
"If Seina tries to locate an enemy base—say, one belonging to Kumo—it might give us a direction but not the distance. The base could be on the far side of the country or even outside our borders, right?" Kakashi asked rhetorically, proving he paid more attention than he often let on. She nodded, slightly surprised. "Instead, we can search for 'enemy bases of Konoha.' We might pick up some bases belonging to rogue groups not affiliated with ninja villages, but we can just mark those on the map for Tsunade-sama to handle later."
"Good thinking. She can decide what to do with that information."
"In summary, here's the plan…"
They listened as Kakashi outlined their strategy to make the most of the three weeks. As Seina listened, she sighed, realizing what this mission truly entailed.