The wind breezed by as tears flowed. Ichigo sat down beside the boy and gently placed his palm on the boy's head, patting him softly. The boy flinched at first, startled by the touch, but then he lifted his head to see who was beside him. There, he saw a man with a warm smile sitting next to him.
"You know, there's nothing wrong with fighting back. Remember that," Ichigo said, his gaze fixed on the scene before them. The beauty of nature unfolded as the sun began to set beyond the trees. The red hue of the evening bathed the village, the warmth of the sun embracing it like a gentle hand.
The boy sniffled and followed Ichigo's gaze, his eyes landing on the breathtaking sight of Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. The rooftops of the Hokage's stone faces glimmered in the fading light, their shadows stretching across the bustling village below.
Children's laughter echoed faintly from a nearby training ground, where young shinobi sparred under the watchful eyes of their mentors. The streets were alive with vendors calling out the day's last deals, the aroma of fresh dango and ramen wafting through the air.
A group of ninja, clad in flak jackets, strolled toward the gates, their mission scrolls tucked securely in their belts. High above, the giant Hokage Rock stood as a testament to the village's history, its carved faces glowing warmly in the amber light.
"I heard them calling you Naruto Uzumaki," Ichigo said, turning his face back to the boy. "Hi, Naruto, I'm Ichigo—Ichigo Uzumaki of the Uzumaki clan." His smile was warm as he watched the boy's eyes grow wide.
"I have a clan?" Naruto asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Apparently so." Ichigo shrugged, his eyes briefly scanning the Uzumaki crest on Naruto's shirt. "I just came to this village a year ago after finishing some… 'work.' Now I run a small pharmacy near the main gate. I've heard the whispers—'demon boy,' 'fox,' 'monster'—but I didn't care about any of that. What caught my attention was this." He pointed at the design on Naruto's shirt, "That spiral is the crest of the land of Uzushio, the land of whirlpool, home of the Uzumaki clan".
Before Naruto could respond, Ichigo stood up and gestured for him to follow. "Come on, let me show you something."
Curious, Naruto trailed behind Ichigo as they made their way into the woods. Hidden among the trees was a newly refurbished shrine. Ichigo led Naruto inside and began pointing at the masks displayed throughout the shrine, explaining their purposes.
"Some of these are summoning masks; others are for protection," Ichigo said, gesturing to the array of artifacts. He then pointed to five masks encased in glass and protected by multiple sealing arrays. "These five are special. See the four masks surrounding that one in the center? Those four represent the four divine beasts.".
"The Azure Dragon mask grants the wearer incredible resilience, making them almost impenetrable. But there's a catch—it doesn't nullify the damage. Instead, it stores it and releases it all at once when you remove the mask, killing you almost instantly every battle.
"The Onyx Tortoise mask enhances mental acuity, giving you heightened senses and parallel thinking. You'll process information faster than ever. But the drawback is severe—prolonged use leads to crushing depression, and most users… well, they don't make it.
"The Vermillion Phoenix mask grants regenerative abilities. Every injury you sustain will heal in a matter of days. But it amplifies pain sensitivity to an unbearable degree. It's been used more as a torture device than anything else.
"The Silver Tiger mask transforms the wearer into a half-human, half-tiger being. It's incredibly powerful, but over time, the user's mind deteriorates, turning them into a feral beast permanently."
Ichigo's gaze lingered on the masks for a moment before shifting to the eerie-looking one in the center. "Now, this one is the Shinigami mask. No one knows who created it—it just appeared in the clan vault is what my old man used to tell me. What we do know is that it's connected to death itself."
"You see, all the masks here represent the Uzumaki clan's progress in bonding with their demons." he explained as he scanned the place, scrutinizing the seals he had placed. "Would you believe me if I told you that every bijuu across the elemental nations was once a part of the Uzumaki clan?"
Naruto's eyes widened even further, his mind reeling from the revelation. "But… why would you tell me this? And how do you even know I'm an Uzumaki?"
Ichigo smiled. "I placed a blood recognition seal at the entrance of the shrine. Only those with Uzumaki blood can enter."
Naruto stared at the masks, his thoughts racing. "So… all this, belongs to my clan?"
"Our clan," Ichigo replied, his tone steady. "But yes, we were that strong."
Naruto's eyebrows furrowed, his young mind grappling with the implications. After a moment, he asked, "So why am I alone here? Why am I not in Uzushio?"
His face darkened as the painful thought surfaced—had his clan abandoned him?
Ichigo sighed, the weight of the past evident in his expression. "Well, Uzushio is gone. We were attacked by maybe three or four villages at once. Most of the Uzumaki died defending it. Some of us—like me, like your parents—fled the village."
Naruto's eyes widened at the mention of his parents, but before he could interrupt, Ichigo continued, his voice tinged with both sorrow and a hint of bitterness.
"So… it's not that Uzushio didn't want you, Naruto. It's that there's no Uzushio left to want you. Everything you see here—the scrolls, the masks, every artifact—is all that remains of Uzushio that I've managed to preserve. The rest… scattered or lost."
Ichigo chuckled softly, though the sound lacked mirth. "Funny, isn't it? A clan once so respected that entire nations bow done just so they can buy a roll of our sealing scrolls is now reduced to scraps and whispers."
Naruto looked down, his fists clenched. The weight of Ichigo's words pressed heavily on his heart, but beneath it, a spark of determination began to grow.
Ichigo ruffled Naruto's hair, breaking the heavy silence. "Come on, kid. Enough gloom for one day. Let's get out of here."