In another Timeline

Chapter 22- The Red Hot Habanero!

Tobias sat in silence listening to the rain fall onto the leaves of the trees that surrounded them.

Speaking of them, who was this women? Well he knew her name was Kushina Namikaze. But she seemed to familiar, did he perhaps know her?

"So what are you doing in a place like this Tobias?" Tobias shrugged. "Traveling." She nodded. "Seems fair." Tobias thought for a couple more moments before deciding to speak on his own terms. "What are you doing?" She smiled. "I'm headed to the Uzumaki clan ruins. I visit once and a while." Tobias nodded. "I see." She smiled.

Something about her smile was comforting. "I am apart of the clan but I live in the hidden leaf now." Tobias looked over at the women. "I knew a girl that looked like you, she had red hair like yours, just short." Kushina's smile brightened. "That must mean you met a fellow Uzumaki!"

She seemed happy at the thought. The Uzumaki clan was in ruins. That means the people that are left are few and far between. Surprising he had met two.

"Where is she now? I'd like to meet her." Tobias frowned and looked down. "She died a couple of weeks ago." Kushina's smile dimmed and she looked at Tobias encouragingly. "Then let's beat whoever did it to a pulp!" She hit her fists together.

Tobias didn't even say that she was killed by someone. Though... Every Uzumaki seems to just have a sort of foresight.

"Believe me I want to." Tobias smiled. Kushina's eyebrows raised. "Then why don't you?" The thunder boomed outside.

Tobias was quiet for a couple of minutes. "I am physically unable too." Kushina was quiet as well. "what that supposed to mean." She seemed angry that Tobias didnt really say what he meant. "I try, everytime I see him. But I am physically incapable of moving an inch closer to him." She hummed in response. "What are you, scared?" Tobias shook his head.

"No, I mean that I cannot move when I see him." She was silent, thinking. "So your prohibited from moving." Tobias nodded. "I could not lift a finger even if I broke every single one of my bones in the process." Kushina frowned. "That's strange, what does he have on you? A seal?"

Tobias was quiet. This first mission was going the complete opposite of what he wanted.

Tobias looked down at the floor and the women's eyes widened. "He does!" She crossed her arms. "Your in the presence of one of the best fuinjustu masters in the leaf, you know!" Tobias looked at the women. The way she said 'you know' was so familiar.

"Let me get a look at this seal. I can get it off in a jiffy! You know!" Tobias was shocked at the willingness the women possessed. "Sure?" If this women can brake his seal, then that means he can do whatever he wanted.

He lifted his shirt and pulsed chakra through his body, revealing a black chain that had several kanji surrounding his body.

She looked at the seal with wide eyes. "Wow, this is complex." She didnt seem awestruck with the seal. It was the strange white material that encased Tobias's right side of his chest and arm.

She studied the seal for a couple of minutes.

"This is the type of seal that would take hours to remove, not to mention to put on the host. When was this put on you Tobias?"

Tobias thought for a moment. "I think around..." He trailed off. How old was he? Ah, right, he was around 12 or 14 when he got to the place. "I think when I was 13?" Kushina frowned at the uncertainty.

"Well say it was put on you when you were 13, you look around 18 or 19 now." Kushina frowned. "If the seal had been on you for that long, it won't be that simple to remove it. It's apart of your normal chakra flow now."

"Unfortunately I cannot remove something like that alone. Or not to mention in a middle of a stupid forest." Tobias nodded and put his shirt back down. "I see. That makes sense." Kushina's frown deepened.

"I'm sorry that I can't do anything for you." Tobias shrugged. "It's fine. I'm not bothered as much as you probably think i am." Kushina smiled slightly but it didnt last long.

Her eyes widened, she made a realization. "Your one of the children." Tobias raised an eyebrow. "Pardon?" She shook her head. "Your one of the kids that they kidnapped!" Tobias thought for a moment. "Probably." He shrugged. Kushina seemed bothered by his calmness.

"You were trained to be a ninja! Are you on a mission right now?" She seemed a lot more like a ninja now. Not a friendly women. Tobias stayed quiet.

He didn't know why he stayed quiet. He just did.

She seemed confused why Tobias was now silent. "You do know they are using you? Right?" She seemed panicked.

"Yes." She shrank back at the honesty. Tobias eyebrows furrowed.

"We had been looking everywhere! For your base or people like you." Tobias looked at the women. "Why?" She froze. "Why? Because children don't deserve that!" She hit Tobias on the head. "I thought that was obvious!"

There was a certain roar in chakra that caught Tobias off guard. She looked at Tobias with wide eyes. "My husband has been, for several years now trying to help kids like you!" She huffed and crossed her arms.

"I was just supposed to visit the Uzumaki clan ruins. I didn't expect something like this." Tobias nodded. "You have been trying to help us?" She nodded she seemed to have calmed down. "I'm guessing by your age, we are too late." She looked sad.

"Come back to the hidden leaf with me." The offer was so sudden. Tobias shrank back. "That seems like something that will get me killed." Kushina looked at Tobias with a questioning look.

"We will be able to help you that way. Some of the best fuinjustu users are in the village right now. It's a best time as any." Tobias was quiet. He really was scared now. What would happen if he just straight up didn't return to that place.

Not to mention neglect the mission he was given.

"We can head to the Uzumaki clan ruins first. You can come with me." She smiled. Her smile was so familiar. She sighed at Tobias lack of response.

"I bet it's scary to all of a sudden do something like this. I'm not going to make fun of you because you are scared to disobey orders. I get it."

Tobias nodded slowly. "I will go." She smiled enthusiastically.

"It's what the redhead would have wanted. She wanted freedom. I will not ignore my chance. She would beat me to a pulp if i didn't take this opportunity."

Tobias smiled to himself. Everything seemed to progress as soon as she died. Why did it have to be her?