Naruto barely noticed the lights flashing in the corner of his vision, his ears ringing as if they might burst.

Dragon's harsh words—Life is unfair, kid. Deal with it—repeated in his mind, echoing louder with each step he took among the blur of civilian faces around him.

The wind cut through him like daggers, each gust tightening its grip around his chest, making it hard to draw a full breath. Sweat trickled down his forehead, his breathing grew shallow, and a dizzying sensation overtook him. It felt like a command more than a thought—he needed to run, to escape the weight of everything crashing down on him.

Without realizing it, his body reacted on its own, leaping onto the nearest rooftop. As he moved, his face contorted with distress; his brow furrowed, his jaw clenched tight, and his eyes widened in a wild, desperate search.

Kushina Uzumaki.

The name strangled his thoughts, tightening around his neck like a noose.

I need to run.

The thought was frantic, almost wild, driving him forward.

Before he knew it, he was standing in front of his apartment, panting, gripping the cold metal of the doorknob as if it were a lifeline. "Key, key, key!"

The words tumbled from his lips in a panicked whisper as he fumbled with the lock, his hands trembling uncontrollably. His face paled and then flushed with a rush of blood as his heart hammered against his chest.

He was sweating profusely now, each breath shorter and more desperate than the last.

As the door finally swung open, his legs buckled beneath him.

The ground seemed to tilt and sway under him.

----------------------------------------

[ A Few Minutes Ago ]

[ Naruto's Apartment ]

Tenten couldn't suppress a grin, watching Hinata plot her playful prank on Naruto.

It was a sight to behold, seeing her friend evolve from the timid girl who once hovered in Naruto's shadow to someone who much more confident and comfortable. The plan was: bake a cake shaped like ramen to fool Naruto. Simple, harmless, and utterly Hinata.

They were both in Naruto's apartment, having keys and all, prepared for the surprise. But as the hours passed with no sign of Naruto, the light mood began to dim. It was getting late, turning their wait into a stretch of worry.

Tenten glanced at Hinata, noting the concern etching her features.

"Hinata, are you sure you can be out of the clan this late?"

"No, I told my father that I am going to a friend's party, and he actually allowed me to stay out all night. In his words, 'I am a Genin now, I can be trusted like an adult.'"

Tenten raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Things going great with your family?" she probed, recalling the strict stories Neji often shared about the main Hyuga family.

"Father is still strict but he is taking things more slowly and tries to be more..." Hinata paused, searching for the right word.

"Friendly?"

"In a sense," Hinata replied.

It was clearly unusual for her to see her father taking an interest in her day.

"So, good?"

"Yeah, good."

"Where the hell is Naruto?"

As if on cue, the door swung open.

Both girls perked up, ready to spring the prank. But the sight that greeted them froze them in place.

Naruto stumbled in, his face covered in sweat, eyes wide with fear. He leaned heavily against the door frame, his legs shaking uncontrollably before giving out, sending him crashing to the floor.

"He's having a panic attack," Tenten blurted out, her heart racing as she and Hinata rushed to his side.

Dropping to the floor beside Naruto, Tenten took his hand, trying to steady him.

"Naruto, look at me," she instructed, her voice firm yet gentle, trying to anchor him back to the present.

"You're safe here, okay? Just breathe with us."

Hinata was already on his other side, murmuring soothing words. Tenten quickly helped Naruto into a seated position on the floor, her movements precise but gentle.

"Let's breathe together, in for four seconds, hold, and out for four. I'm right here," she instructed, demonstrating deep, steady breaths herself.

She could feel the tension in her own shoulders as she tried to stay calm for Naruto's sake, her heart beating loudly in her ears.

"Dim the lights, close the curtains."

Hinata nodded without a word, her movements quick and efficient as she adjusted the room to be more comforting. Returning her attention to Naruto, Tenten took his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Stay with me, focus on my voice. You're doing great, just keep breathing."

Meanwhile, Hinata, having finished with the curtains and lights, approached them again. Tenten glanced at her and said, "Tell him what we were going to do."

Hinata took a deep breath, trying to steady the tremble in her voice as she knelt beside Naruto. She could feel her heart pounding against her chest, the weight of her own anxieties pressing down on her, but she pushed them aside, focusing solely on Naruto.

"Naruto-kun, I made you this ramen cake," she began, her voice soft and shaky despite her efforts to sound calm. She held the cake in front of him, hoping the familiar, playful shape would bring a spark of joy to his eyes.

"We were going to prank you." She managed a small smile, though it was more for his benefit than her own.

"You would have totally fallen for it, I guarantee it. And then we would have had cake."

Her words trailed off as she added, almost whispering, "Naruto, thank you for being my friend."

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The simple confession brought a sudden surge of emotion, and Hinata quickly closed her eyes to stop the tears that threatened to spill. Her hands slightly trembled as she clutched the plate tighter, feeling the room's stillness envelop her. She fought hard to keep her voice steady, to not let her fears and worries show.

Naruto needed strength now, not more burdens.

Her shoulders were tense, her posture rigid as she struggled to maintain composure. In that moment, with her eyes closed and her voice barely a whisper, Hinata's own vulnerabilities surfaced—yet she stood strong, for him, because that's what friends do.

They show up, even when it's hard, especially when it's hard.

As the peak of the attack slowly subsided, Tenten continued to monitor Naruto closely. She was deeply worried but masked her concern with a calm exterior, knowing that showing her own distress might only worsen things for him.

"Naruto, talk when you are ready," she said after a while. She motioned to Hinata to cut the ramen cake and pour some juice. As Hinata moved the table in front of Naruto and placed a slice of cake and a glass of juice down, both Tenten and Hinata settled themselves on the floor across from him, mirroring his position.

They sat in silence, waiting for Naruto to speak.

In the silent apartment, with only the soft sound of their breathing filling the space. They were there for their friend, no matter how long it took for him to feel like himself again.

[ System Notification: Status Update ]

[ Status: Panic Attack Removed ]

[ Player Naruto has stabilized. Emotional stress indicators have returned to baseline levels. ]

Naruto felt an overwhelming weariness settle over him as he looked down at the ramen-shaped cake.

Carefully, he picked up a piece and took a bite, feeling the simple act of eating grounding him slightly. Beside him, Hinata and Tenten did the same, and for a few moments, the room was filled with nothing but the sound of quiet chewing.

The silence was a comforting blanket, softening the sharp edges of his emotions.

"I found out a lot about myself today," Naruto finally broke the silence, setting his juice down as he gathered the courage to share his burdens.

"What, that you like cross-dressing?" Tenten attempted to joke, trying to lighten the mood, but her words fell flat, and she quickly looked down, embarrassed by her own awkwardness.

"Sorry, I thought a joke might lighten up the mood and..."

"It would have if the joke was good," he retorted, a hint of a smirk tugging at his lips despite the heaviness in his heart.

"Hey, I can tell good jokes."

"What did you find, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto paused, the next words catching in his throat. He wasn't ready to reveal everything just yet, especially the part about being the Kyūbi Jinchūriki. That was a revelation that needed more courage than he felt he could muster at that moment.

"Ji..." he started, then stopped, cleared his throat, and tried again. "At the Hokage's office, I found out the name of my mother."

Tenten and Hinata's eyes widened in unison.

"Kushina Uzumaki."

"The Red Hot-Blooded Habanero?" Tenten blurted out, recognition flashing in her eyes.

"You know her?" Hinata asked.

Naruto's hand reached out, gripping Tenten's shoulder. "Please, tell me!"

"Okay, let's go to my house. I need my journals."

Before anyone could react, Naruto had summoned a shadow clone. In a swift motion, both he and the clone scooped up Hinata and Tenten, bridal style. Without further ado, they used the Flash Fist technique, rushing through the streets with a speed that left both girls startled and slightly disoriented.

As they sped towards Tenten's house, Naruto's mind raced with thoughts of his mother.

Who was she? What had she been like? And how had she lived her life that her name alone sparked recognition in his friend? Each question pounded in his chest like a drum, propelling him forward.

----------------------------------------

Mr. Higurashi stood behind the counter of his weapon shop, arranging a set of kunai neatly in front of a customer. His movements were precise and calm, the way they always were when handling his babies.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and Naruto, carrying Hinata and Tenten, rushed through.

Hiten's eyes briefly followed them as they sped up to the living quarters above the shop. He had become accustomed to such bursts of energy from the young ninja, though he still wondered what urgent matter drove them today.

"Hn, you let your daughter be friends with the demon brat," the customer sneered. Mr. Higurashi's face remained impassive, his displeasure hidden behind a practiced neutral expression. He had long since learned to control his emotions in the face of ignorance and prejudice.

"How much for the kunai set?"

"10k," Mr. Higurashi responded, his voice steady.

"Huh, you are joking," the customer scoffed, disbelief etching his features.

"20k."

"What? You can't be serious," the customer protested, his voice growing louder.

"30k."

"Wait, is it because I called that brat for what he is?" the customer's voice was accusatory now, his face turning red with anger.

"70k."

"Keep your crumbly kunais to yourself," the customer spat out, turning to leave with a huff.

"Pathetic losers," Mr. Higurashi muttered under his breath, causing the customer to pause at the door.

"Ha. Look, I am a Chunin, okay? I can get this shop taken down."

"Fine, I'll sell you the kunai set," Mr. Higurashi said, his voice dangerously soft.

"That's what I am talking about. How much?"

"100k," Mr. Higurashi stated flatly, and before the customer could react, he moved swiftly, head-butting the man in the nose. Blood splattered, a stark contrast against the polished floor of the shop.

"You..."

Mr. Higurashi didn't hesitate, pulling a katana from under the counter and pointing it at the man's neck.

"Get the fuck out of my shop, or I'll make sure you wake up in the ER, Mr. Chunin."

The man gulped; his eyes wide as he saw lightning crackle along the blade—a clear display of chakra flow. Fear finally registered in his eyes, and he turned, stumbling out of the shop as fast as his legs could carry him. Mr. Higurashi sheathed his blade with a sigh, shaking his head slightly as he wiped the blood from the floor. His body relaxed now that the unpleasant encounter was over, but his mind was busy with concern.

Why were the kids in such a hurry?

----------------------------------------

In Tenten's cluttered room, filled with books and weapons, a noticeable target hung on the wall bearing a photo of Neji Hyuga and several embedded kunai.

Hinata couldn't help but sweatdrop at the sight.

Meanwhile, Naruto tapped his foot impatiently.

"Okay, so when I was an academy student, I had a hobby of collecting all the stories and information about powerful kunoichi throughout the shinobi world from books or Black Market bounties that my father bought from ninjas," Tenten explained as she pulled out a giant journal from a stack nearby.

The journal was worn at the edges, its cover a patchwork of dark leather and faded symbols. As she flipped through the pages, Naruto and Hinata saw a collection of bounty posters and entries detailing notable feats accomplished by these kunoichi.

"Ah, here it is," Tenten exclaimed, finally stopping at a page. She turned the journal towards Naruto, whose breath hitched as his eyes landed on a poster.

The poster depicted a beautiful woman in her early 20s with a slender figure and fair skin. Her dark violet eyes were striking, and her dark red hair flowed past her knees, held up on one side of her face by a small black hairclip. What caught Naruto's attention most were the chains—chakra chains—flowing from her body.

Tears began to well up in his eyes as his lips quivered. "Mom," he whispered, his finger tracing the outline of the woman in the poster. The names below her image read:

The Red Hot-Blooded Habanero.

The Bloody Chain Maiden.

The Crimson Blade of Death.

"So many aliases were given to Kushina Uzumaki," Tenten said, smiling warmly at Naruto's reaction.

"Your mother was an amazing woman," Hinata added, her voice filled with awe.

Naruto nodded, wiping the tears from his face, then looked up with hopeful eyes. "Can you tell me more?"

Tenten sighed softly, a hint of regret in her eyes. "Unfortunately, I don't know much about her. She was an S-rank shinobi during the Third Great Shinobi War, and the majority of information about S-ranks isn't well known."

Hinata pointed at the stack of entries in the worn journal. "But you have all these entries."

Tenten sighed, her expression turning serious. "That's the thing, I don't know what information is correct or not. Being an S-rank ninja means that many of the other nations want to know more about you. When you know information about a ninja, you have a better chance against them. Hence, during wars, Konoha would purposefully spread fake news about their S-ranks. These entries exist, but I can't say how many of them are true, except for maybe one," she explained, her fingers pausing over a particular page.

Naruto's eyes immediately locked onto hers. "Tell me."

Tenten nodded, flipping the journal back to a specific entry. "This entire entry is what actually cemented her status as an S-rank. During the war, Kirigakure was quite the problem for Konoha because of a shinobi who was able to transform into a giant three-tailed turtle that could vaporize mountains."

Naruto and Hinata's eyes widened in disbelief.

"But Kushina Uzumaki was able to kill this shinobi," Tenten continued. "They say that the moment a Konoha rescue squad came to Kushina, she had crucified the turtle on a mountain in the Land of Water just so Kirigakure could see."

Naruto chuckled, the tension in his chest easing slightly as he looked back at the bounty poster of his mother. Emblazoned at the bottom was the reward:

1.5 Billion Ryo from Kirigakure.

You were so awesome, Mom.