"Can you feel it?" Tsunade asks him.

Mm…

Yuji nods. He feels a warm sensation slowly pulsating through his body.

'So, this is the chakra?'

Yuji follows Tsunade's guidance and attempts to circulate his chakra.

Argh…

Suddenly, a sharp pain runs across his body.

Bleurgh…

Yuji spews out a mouthful of blood. His entire body writhes in pain. He winces on the ground while shrinking into a fetal position.

"YUJI!"

Tsunade hurriedly grabs his hand and checks his pulse.

"It's the chakra reflux. But how could that be?"

Tsunade's face turns grim. She quickly inserts some chakra in her fingers and pokes multiple acupoints on Yuji's body.

A cold sensation permeates through Yuji's body into the surroundings. Yuji loses consciousness.

"What's with this sudden chill?" Nawaki and Kushina rub their hands to warm themselves.

"Hmm… that's Yuji's chakra!" Yuji's chakra surprises Tsunade.

She places her hand on top of Yuji's forehead.

"Hmm… his body is so hot. He has a fever."

Tsunade quickly picks him up and laces him on a bed. She attempts to use her Mystic Palm Technique to alleviate Yuji's condition, but it's of no use.

"This is the first time I have seen such a case. There were some rare cases where an individual's chakra system followed a slightly distinct path from the norm. But that wouldn't result in such a severe situation."

"Nee-san, here!"

Nawaki places a bucket of cold water beside Tsunade. Tsunade dips a cloth into the cold water and places it on Yuji's forehead.

'Will he be alright?" Minato worriedly stares at Yuji's red face.

"To deduce his condition, I have to do a detailed checkup. I will take him to the hospital."

Tsunade wraps Yuji in a cloth and picks him up.

"What's the commotion?" A frail and old voice enters their ears.

Soon, an old lady with wrinkled skin and waist-long maroon hair enters the room. Her long hair is tied in two buns. She wears a simple loose-fitting kimono held closed by a simple dark-colored obi. The old lady slowly wobbles into the room.

"Grandma Mito!" Tsunade, Nawaki and Kushina turn to her.

"Why are you out here? You should look after your body." Kushina hurriedly supports her.

"Hoho… I heard a commotion earlier." Mito turns towards Minato and Yuji.

"I didn't expect little Nawaki and Kushina to bring some friends. Looks like our little Kushina is getting along with her new classmates in Konoha." Mito smiles faintly.

"Umm… grandma, that's!" Kushina's face turns red.

Mito turns her attention to Yuji.

"Hmm… looks like our little friend is in a little pinch!" Mito is slightly surprised to see Yuji.

"Let me check him."

"Give it a go, Grandma. After all, I learned most of my medical techniques from you." Tsunade places Yuji on the bed.

"Ho! Little Tsunade sure has grown up to be considerate." Mito slowly sits beside Yuji.

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Hmm…

She places her old wrinkled hands-on Yuji's forehead and slowly inspects his chakra.

Hmm…

'This boy!' A slight shock appears on Mito's face as she inspects Yuji's chakra.

'What a unique chakra! It has semblance to the Kura clan, but it's also much different from them.'

Suddenly…

"AH!"

Mito hurriedly removes her hand from Yuji's body. The skin on her hand turns black as her expression becomes pale.

"Grandma! Grandma… are you alright?" Tsunade hurriedly inspects Mito's hand.

"I am fine! It's a simple curse seal. Your grandma had even sealed multiple Youkai with her Fuinjutsu techniques."

Her hand turns normal.

"A curse seal! Why would someone put a curse seal on an orphan like Yuji? He is a little kid. Why would someone want to harm him?" Tsunade's expression turns ugly.

"I will inspect the background of his orphanage and the places he visited." Tsunade clutches her fists as she stares at Yuji's pained expression.

"Tsunade dear! Don't worry too much." Mito calms her down.

"This curse seal is a test for him. It's his inheritance."

"Inheritance?"

"Yes, inheritance. Earlier, from his chakra signature, I figured out that he is a member of the Kura clan. The Kura clan has a unique method of imparting their legacy to their children. They will place a powerful curse of inheritance on their kids. If the kid can survive the curse, then he will inherit the legacy of the Kura clan."

"So, it's his inheritance." Tsunade nods her head.

"It's not as simple as that. It's also a test of endurance for him. If he fails to endure the curse, then the curse will eat up his body and he will perish." Mito explains to her.

"But that's…" Tears appear in Nawaki's eyes.

"Grandma, he is my friend. Can you save him? I don't want to lose him." Nawaki grabs Mito's sleeves.

"There… there, child!" Mito gently pats Nawaki's head to calm him down.

"This curse is his clan's legacy and inheritance. If he doesn't receive it, then he won't be able to use his chakra and thus will never become a shinobi. All his other friends will graduate and become shinobi while he will be forever stuck behind. In this world, one has to endure numerous hardships to move forward and carve a path for themselves." Mito recalls her childhood.

"When I was of your age, there were no shinobi villages like Konoha. Wars were prevalent everywhere, and it was a struggle to survive another day. So, the teaching of the clans was a lot more brutal."

Mito reminisces about her past.

"Even I… who was the princess of the Uzumaki clan, had to undergo such brutal training. I can remember it. When I was six years old, my father sealed me in a room full of Youkai. To pass the test, I had to seal every Youkai in the room with my Fuinjutsu techniques, which I learned for one and half a year."

Mito closes her eyes to recall that memory.

"Back then, I almost died inside that sealed room. I spent three days, exhausted and tormented by Youkais with nothing to fill my stomach. In the end, my strong will to see my newborn brother helped me overcome that difficulty." Mito smiles as she stares at Kushina.

"Oh! You mean Grandpa." Kushina asks in excitement.

"Yes, back then your grandpa was a little newborn kid." Mito chuckles.

"Grandpa and small! Augh… I can't even imagine that." A figure of a frail old man with white hair, a beard and a mustache appears in Kushina's mind.

"So, back to Yuji kun's condition. I can remove the curse seal and wake him up if that's what you want. But then Yuji-kun will never be able to use his chakra and become a shinobi." Mito reminds them.

"This… well… I…" Nawaki has a hesitant expression on his face.

"Yuji-kun will be fine! I believe in him." Minato has a confident expression on his face.

Sigh…

Tsunade stares at Minato's confidant face and sighs.

"You heard him, Grandma. We must trust Yuji-kun's determination."

"Hoho… I expected such an answer. Very well, I will aid him slightly." Mito makes some hand signs and taps Yuji's forehead.

A Fuinjutsu seal appears on Yuji's forehead.

"Grandma… what did you do?" Nawaki curiously asks her.

"I just helped him gain early access to his mental plane."

"Mental Plane?" Kushina, Minato, and Nawaki curiously stare at Mito.

"Mental plane is a plane inside one's mind. We often call it the subconscious of a person."

"A plane inside the mind. So, this is what Aunt means when she says uncle has an empty brain."

"…"

Tsunade and Mito turn speechless.

"Ahem… anyway, the mental plane is the reflection of one's inner self. People with greater control over their subconscious can manifest themselves inside their mental plane and take a deeper look at their minds and body. Only a talented shinobi with good control over his mind and body can maintain their mental space." Mito explains to them.

"So, with this seal, Yuji-kun will be able to access his mental plane and will have a better chance at survival. Still, I am curious how he got that cursed seal?" Mito turns towards the little kids.

"Umm…" Minato ponders for a while.

"It might be because of that book."

"Book?!"

"Mm… Yuji got some scrolls, a book and a dagger from his clan treasury. There was some kind of seal on the book and I asked Yuji-kun to drip a drop of blood on the seal since I saw Miina do that in the orphanage. The seal on the book disappeared, but the book was empty." Minato shakes his head.

"Miina?"

"That's our caretaker in the orphanage."

"It must be that book. That book must be the host for the curse seal and the legacy of the Kura clan. Only someone with the Kura clan's bloodline can activate the seal and get access to the inheritance. The seal was dormant inside Yuji-kun's body, since his chakra was in an inactive state. However, when he attempted to unlock his chakra, the curse seal took effect." Mito explains the process to them.

"Oh! So, that's how it is!" The group nods their head in understanding.

"Let him rest here for today. Also, if possible, fetch that book and dagger here. They might have some connection with Yuji kun's inheritance." Mito instructs them.

"Then I will be off to the dorm."

"I will also go with you."

"I have nothing to do, so I will also follow you."

Minato, Kushina and Nawaki exit the Senju clan compounds.

Mito turns to Tsunade and her expression turns grim.

"Tsunade, I have something important to discuss with you."