The Curse Within Her

After changing into her clothes, YN marched out of the cave without looking back. She leaped onto the thick branches of the forest trees, moving fast and alone through the dark woods. The cold wind bit at her skin, but the anger in her chest burned hotter.

SWISH!

A kunai zipped through the air, barely grazing her cheek before burying itself into a nearby tree trunk. YN stopped in her tracks. She dropped down from the branch, landing gracefully on the forest floor. A cold, dangerous smirk spread across her face.

“Perfect,”she muttered to the shadows.

“I needed something to get rid of this irritation anyway. kicking your ass will definitely freshen my mood.”

From the dark, a dozen masked enemies lunged at her all at once.

YN didn't hesitate. She threw herself into the fray, her movements a blur of sharp kicks and quick deflections. Metal clashed against metal as she fought back with ruthless aggression, letting out all the frustration Kakashi had caused her. For a few minutes, she held her ground, taking down one attacker after another.

But there were too many of them.

Slowly, the enemies began to synchronize their attacks. They closed in from all sides, cutting off her escape routes until she was completely cornered against a massive stone wall. Heavy breaths left her lips as she raised her weapon, preparing for a desperate clash.

Then, something shifted. Deep within her chest, a sudden, burning heat flared up.

For the first time in her life, YN's crimson core awakened.

Instantly, the entire area slowed down to an absolute halt. The wind died. A leaf that had been falling from a tree froze in mid-air, suspended in space. The masked attackers froze mid-stride, their bodies locked in place like statues. A thick, suffocating aura of crimson chakra began to flow out of YN, expanding outward in heavy, red waves. Everything within the range of this glowing energy was completely trapped in time.

The attackers, barely able to move their eyes, realized what was happening. Absolute terror filled their voices.

"It... it awakened!" one of them choked out, his voice trembling.

"The first stage... the Crimson Core is finally awake!"

"Retreat! Everyone retreat!"

another screamed in panic, breaking through the pressure with sheer adrenaline.

"We have to report this to the boss immediately!"

YN stood in the center of the red light, her heart hammering against her ribs.

What is happening? she thought, looking at her hands. Everything has stopped.

Why can't I even move my own body properly? And this red chakra... this isn't Kurama's chakra. What on earth is this?

Before she could find an answer, the intense flow of crimson chakra abruptly snapped and vanished.

Time crashed back to normal. The leaf hit the ground, and the wind howled once more. Taking advantage of the sudden release, the remaining enemies fled into the depths of the forest, disappearing into the dark.

From the shadows of a nearby tree, Kakashi stepped out. He had followed her the moment she left the cave, watching over her from a distance. But what he had just witnessed left him completely paralyzed with shock.

So, the nightmare is real, Kakashi thought, his eyes wide with fear as he stared at her.

The thing we feared the most has finally happened. Her Crimson Core... it's awake.

Before he could even call out her name, YN’s eyes rolled back. Her knees buckled, and her body tilted forward as she lost consciousness.

In a flash of pure instinct, Kakashi dashed forward. He caught her just before she hit the cold ground, lifting her gently into his arm.

YN remained unconscious for over twenty-four hours. It wasn't until the next afternoon that her eyes finally fluttered open. She found herself lying in a warm, clean bed.

"You're finally awake," a soft voice spoke beside her.

YN turned her head to see Kakashi sitting on a chair next to the bed. The exhaustion and deep concern in his dark eye were clear. He didn't have his usual casual demeanor.

"How do you feel?" he asked softly.

"Tired," YN mumbled, sitting up slowly as her head throbbed. "What happened?"

Kakashi took a deep breath, leaning forward.

"Your power... it awakened in the forest, YN. We can't hide this anymore. We need to report this to the Hokage immediately."

YN frowned, her stubbornness flaring up again.

"No. I don't want to involve him."

"YN, please,"

Kakashi insisted, his voice gentle but firm as he reached out, though he stopped himself from touching her hand.

"This is beyond us now. It's for your own safety."

Seeing the genuine worry in his eyes, YN reluctantly gave him short answer

"fine"

An hour later, they arrived at Minato and Kushina's house.

The moment the door opened, Kushina’s eyes lit up with pure joy.

"YN! Oh my god, you're back!"

Without wasting a second, Kushina threw her arms around YN, hugging her tightly.

But YN remained stiff. She slowly but firmly pushed herself away from the embrace, her expression distant.

"I didn't come here for a happy family reunion."

Kushina’s smile fell, a look of deep hurt crossing her face. She opened her mouth to say something, but YN cut her off, getting straight to the point.

YN calmly explained everything that had happened in the forest—the ambush, the freezing of time, and the strange, suffocating red chakra that had erupted from her chest.

As YN spoke, the color completely drained from Kushina’s face. The room went dead silent.

"No... no, it can't be," Kushina whispered, her hands trembling as she looked at Minato.

"The Crimson Core... not that curse."

YN’s eyes narrowed. "A curse? What do you mean by that?"

Minato stepped forward, his expression heavier than YN had ever seen it.

"We don't know much about it either, YN. The Crimson Core is an incredibly rare, forbidden power within the Uzumaki bloodline. It only appears in one person every hundred years or moreover a decades ."

Kushina gripped her own apron, tears welling in her eyes.

"Except for one ancient ancestor, no one has ever been able to control it. In the end, the users... their own chakra becomes too unstable. It explodes from the inside out, destroying them."

She choked on her words, stepping closer to YN.

"No! I won't let anything happen to my daughter! YN, don't worry. You won't face this alone. We are all here, and I will help you find a way to control it."

They talked for hours, discussing seals and ancient texts, until the sky outside turned pitch black. YN stood up, preparing to leave, but Kushina stopped her.

"It's too late tonight, YN," Kushina pleaded. "You and Kakashi should stay here. There's no need to go anywhere else in this state."

YN opened her mouth to refuse, but a loud, energetic voice interrupted her.

"Oh, come on, YN-neechan! Just stay for tonight! Please!" Naruto yelled, running into the room and pulling on her sleeve with a massive grin.

YN looked at Naruto's bright eyes. The cold walls around her heart softened just a bit. She sighed.

"Fine. Just for tonight."

After a quiet dinner, Kushina led YN and Kakashi upstairs to YN's old bedroom.

When YN pushed the door open, she froze in absolute shock. The room was perfectly arranged, looking exactly the way it did five years ago. It was as if time had stopped inside these four walls. Her small study table was dusted clean, and sitting right at the corner of the bed was her old, faded teddy bear.

"It's... exactly the same," YN whispered.

Kushina smiled softly from the doorway.

"Of course it is. Because I always knew that you would find your way back home one day."

Naruto grinned, piping up from behind his mother. "Yeah! Mom wouldn't even let me peek inside this room for five whole years, ya know! You really are her favorite, YN."

YN didn't say anything, but a rare, genuine softness washed over her face as she looked at her childhood sanctuary.

After a few sweet goodnights, the family left, closing the door behind them. YN walked around the room, gently touching her old things before crawling onto the soft mattress. She looked up and noticed Kakashi still standing by the door, looking slightly awkward.

A bitter memory flashed in her mind.

"You can go sleep by the window if you want," she said coldly. "Just like you did on our first night."

The words struck a chord in Kakashi. He vividly remembered their arranged marriage's first night, where he had awkwardly spent the entire night sleeping against the window frame to give her space.

A quiet smirk graced his lips. Kakashi reached up, unzipping his green flak jacket and letting it slide off his shoulders. Then, with a slow, deliberate movement, he pulled off his dark face mask, revealing his stunningly handsome face, sharp jawline, and the small mole near his chin. He walked over to the bed and sat down on the empty side.

YN’s breath hitched. In the cave, the light had been too dim and everything happened too fast for her to truly see his uncovered face after the kiss. Seeing him now under the clear light left her completely stunned.

Kakashi looked at her flustered expression and gave her a slow, playful wink.

"Nah, there's no need for that anymore. I'm perfectly comfortable right here on the bed."

YN quickly snapped her eyes away, her face burning bright red. She muttered a few incoherent curses under her breath, pulled the blanket completely over her head, and turned away from him, her heart beating frantically in the quiet room.

Seeing her hide like that brought a faint smile to his face. The urge to tease her was far too strong to ignore.

Without saying a word, he moved and slipped under the same blanket.

She immediately went still as she felt his presence so close to her. Startled, she tried to move toward the edge of the bed to put some space between them. However, he followed her lead, inching closer as she moved away. This quiet game of cat and mouse continued until she reached the very edge of the mattress. As she began to tilt backward, losing her balance, his arm reached out quickly.

He caught her around the waist, pulling her back toward the center of the bed. The momentum left her lying on the mattress with him hovering above, his arms on either side of her, effectively keeping her in place.

She found herself looking up at his face, now without his mask. At this distance, the intensity of the moment was undeniable. He looked down at her with a quiet, observant expression.

"What is it?" he asked softly, his voice carrying a hint of a tease. "Are you finding it hard to look away?"

She quickly turned her head, her face flushing.

"Not at all," she insisted, trying to keep her voice steady. "I was just thinking about how this is all just a job for you. I'm just a mission, a responsibility."

The atmosphere in the room changed instantly. The playful look in his eyes faded, replaced by something much more serious. He moved closer, his hand resting firmly near her shoulder.

"Is that really what you think?" he murmured.

Before she could answer, he leaned down and kissed her. It wasn't like the brief moment they had shared in the cave; this was deep and filled with an unspoken intensity that caught her completely off guard. She instinctively reached up, her hands pressing against his chest as her mind raced, trying to process the sudden shift in his demeanor.

He briefly pulled back, his breathing uneven. He gently captured her hands, holding them still above her head to stop her from pushing him away, and then leaned back in to continue the kiss. It was overwhelming and passionate, leaving her breathless.

After a long moment, he finally broke the kiss and rested his head against her shoulder. They stayed like that for a while, the only sound in the room being their heavy breathing.

She opened her mouth to say something, to ask what this meant, but she realized he had gone completely still.

The exhaustion of their journey had finally taken its toll. He had fallen fast asleep right there. She looked at his sleeping face for a long time, her own thoughts a whirlwind of confusion, before finally closing her eyes and allowing sleep to take her as well.

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