Five year old Ren walked home, her thick vibrant red hair tied up in a loose pony tail with a blue bow. Her long little cream colored dress dragged just a bit behind her, her feet were bare trudging through the early autumn grass beneath her feet. One small hand clutched an old battered stuffed bunny while the other a small crumpled bag containing three fresh buns from the bakers. Her deep violet eyes flickered across the sights of the busy street of Konoha taking in the signs of life all around. A clerk coaxed people into coming to try his fresh delicacies, an old woman rested on a bench, her cane by her side while she sipped on some kind of warm drink. Ren shifted her eyes to other side of the road as she saw a blonde haired girl not much older than herself hand in hand with her father. The girl tugged on her fathers sleeve and grinned while pointing to a dango stand. The girl's father smiled and began to edge towards the cart of tasty treats.
Ren quickly adverted her gaze onward and walked a bit faster. Her father wasn't due to be home till tonight but would shortly be leaving the following morning. She never saw much of her father due to his high status as hokage, she never complained though.
She smiled slightly to herself at the thought of her father returning tonight. She gradually began to walk faster, clutching her bag and bunny tighter. Ren was so lost in thought that she didn't even notice a figure in front of her. Her tiny frame collided with a much larger one.
*THUNK!*
She landed on her bum, the bag and bunny lay in her lap.
"Hey little girl watch where you're going!" the man said as reached down to the girl and lifted her to her feet.
"Sorry sir!" Ren said and bowed quickly.
"The names Teuchi, whats a little girl like you doing out in the streets this early in the morning?" he asked while picking up his white cap that fell on the ground during the collision.
"I fetched breakfast for Mother and myself," Ren quickly said in her small voice while showing him the brown bag of bakery buns.
Teuchi grinned at the girl whilst putting his cap back on his head.
"Wow, if my daughter ever did something like that for me," he laughed while shaking his head, "What's you're name?"
"Karena but people call me Ren."
"Karena as in lord fourth's daughter, Karena Namikaze?" He asked, his thick eyebrows raising.
Ren nodded, a light blush coloring her ivory cheeks. She never liked it when people found out who she was.
"It's lovely to meet you Ms. Ren, why don't you run along and bring breakfast to your mother, i'm sure she'll be very happy," he said whilst giving her a bow and pat on the head.
Ren smiled timidly, another blush coloring her complexion at his bow. With a nod she turned around and enthusiastically ran home.
When Ren arrived at her large two story house located near the hokage main office, she walked straight up to the magnificent wooden door and reached up on her tippy toes, stretching her little fingers to reach the handle. She pulled and the door opened with a great groan. The glowing and crackling fire place was the only light source in the living room besides the open windows. Around the fireplace were two squishy old fashioned sofas one draped with a woolen green throw. A green rug covered a portion of the wooden floors, and a large painted portrait of Ren, and parents was hung on the wall.
"Ren is that you?" she heard her mothers cheerful voice call from across the house. Ren saunterd to her warm kitchen and found her mother sitting at the wooden table. One hand was holding a thick book that she seemed engrossed in while the other was wrapped around her swollen belly. Her magnificent red hair hung down to her hips wet from a shower and she wore her fluffy white robe. Her mother closed her book and looked up at Ren smiling.
Kushina Uzumaki was loyal and protective of her village. A courageous kunoichi she was, and one of the finest as well. As harsh and strong-minded as she seemed, her heart was kind. You felt such great serenity in her presence. Her striking features from her brilliant red hair to her soft violet blue eyes only made her even more charismatic, and her daughter greatly resembled her.
Ren had always thought of her hair as a strange color and never really appreciated it; this was expected though at her young age. In looks Ren was identical to Kushina, but when it came to personality, she had inherited that from her father. Ren was shy and hardly talked to people she didn't know, only mumbling a few words here and there. Exactly how her father was at her age, and she was already very fast for her age. Something she undoubtedly inherited from Konoha's famous Yellow Flash. She was a sweet little girl and hardly ever got angry, loosing her temper was something so rare it was almost unheard of. But when she did, it wasn't pretty. She undoubtedly inherited this from her mother, the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero. Yet Ren was a very unique individual, she was much more mature for her age and had a very distinctive way of looking at things. She was very artistic for her age and instead of dress up and playing with dolls like most girls her age wanted to do, Ren loved to go for long walks in the forest, explore, and paint.
"Back from playing outside already?" Kushina asked brightly.
"Yes mother and I brought you something," Ren said coyly.
"Oooh what did you get me?" Her mother asked, eyes shining with curiosity.
Ren beamed and held out the crumpled brown bag of warm buns covered in sticky cinnamon icing from the bakers.
"I brought you and the baby breakfast."
"Ohhhh!" Kushina beamed and took the bag from her daughter while kissing her on the head.
"Thankyou very much Ren, did you walk all the way into town to get these," She asked. Ren nodded.
"And you used your own money from your piggy bank?" Kushina asked in disbelief. Ren nodded again grinning.
"All my money," She said proudly.
Kushina laughed and hugged her daughter.
"Thankyou very much Ren, but you shouldn't go out into town by yourself," her mom said, "It makes me worried."
"I do it all the time," Ren said slightly frowning. Her mom smiled again and sighed to herself then opened the bag and inhaled the sweet scent of cinnamon rolls.
"They smell delicious," her mom grinned, "but why are there three?"
"One for you, me, and the baby," Ren said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Kushina laughed her maniac laugh loudly and looked down at her swollen belly and rubbed circles around it.
"Well I'm positive Naruto will love it very much."
Later that day after a wonderful breakfast and when the weather at dusk had become quite over cast and a tad bit chilly, Ren decided to take one of her many favorite walks in the forest behind her house. She stood on the stool in front of her white dresser attempting to re-tie her lengthy red mass of hair into a ponytail but failing miserably. With a huff of annoyance she sat down on the stool crossed her little arms and pouted. She would have sat there all night if not for the psychotic but sweet laughter that erupted from the doorway to her room. Only her mother's laugh sounded that way.
"Were you trying to do you're hair all by yourself, Ren?" Her mom asked grinning and proceeding to sit in an awkward position next to her so that her expectant belly was comfortable. ren nodded and then looked at her hair sadly.
"The dreaded Uzumaki curse," Kushina sighed swiping her pale, slender fingers through the vibrant red mass of Ren's hair then her own crimson tresses.
"Here you go Ren," She said while pulling out her signature violet clip from her hair. She slid it into Ren's red locks and then with a gentle pat let go of her hair.
"The lucky clip always helps me with my hair troubles." She sighed whilst rubbing her belly.
"I sure hope you're brother comes soon," she groaned, "You never where this hard on me when I was pregnant with you and my feet are killing me!"
"I wonder if he'll have our hair," Ren wondered aloud, her chin resting in the palm of her hand.
"Well I hope for Naruto's sake that he doesn't, the last thing we need is another red head," Kushina grunted but then perked up instantly, "But we'll find out soon, he's due any day!"
Ren smiled as her mom slowly got up and with an affectionate stroke of her hair left her room. She then remembered her plans to go for an adventure out in the forest. She sprang to her feet, grabbed her picking basket, and ran down the stairs as fast as her tiny five year old legs could take her, her long red hair flying behind her.
"I'm going for a walk momma!" she called in her little voice.
"Karena where's your shoes!?" Kushina asked while standing in the entrance to the library shaking her head back and fourth.
"I don't like shoes mother, they make it so I can't feel the grass under my tosies," she said while curling her toes to add emphasis.
"I swear one of these days you're going to come crying home with a big thorn hooked in your foot," She sighed but smiled, "Just be home before dark and stick close to the house to where I can see you through the window."
Ren nodded and threw open the wooden front doors and slammed them shut behind her.
Ren could feel the cool, grass beneath her feet as she trudged through the periphery of the thick forest by her house. A few cherry trees were scattered here and there and some delicate blossoms blew away in the gentle wind. Patches of autumn flowers grew below the berry thickets sending appealing aromas into the air. The sun was gradually setting causing the dense trees to cast long shadows on the ground.
Ren knelt down beside a lovely patch of monkshood, her favorite flower. She picked a few of the blue blossoms and placed them in her basket. Monkshood flowers were poisonous, and she knew this, but their sheer beauty made up for it. After she was satisfied with her tiny bundle of blue buds, she stood up and proceeded to pick some of the red berries off the thicket above the monkshood. A good portion of the berries ended up in her mouth before they even reached the basket.
"REN YOU NEED TO COME INSIDE SOON, IT'S GETTING DARK AND YOUR FATHER WILL BE ARRIVING!" Kushina's voice could be heard hollering from the house.
In her haste to fill up her basket, Ren plopped down besides a random patch of white daises and plucked the white blossoms. After she had gathered a pleasant assortment of vibrant flowers she stood up to leave. Ren was just beginning to walk away towards home when something caught her eye.
A crystal like blue light was shining through the trees, appearing to be floating and lighting up the vegetation around it. Mesmerized by the unique beauty of this strange light, Ren began to walk towards it. Her basket lay forgotten on the ground. As Ren entered the dense forest the light began to move onward deeper into the forest. Her eyebrows kneaded together in confusion and caution but her naïve youthfulness got the best of her. She followed it deeper and deeper, her eyes transfixed on the glowing blue orb. It was almost pitch black outside and the orb was her only light source.
Suddenly it stopped moving, then after a few moments it diminished, leaving Ren in darkness and frozen in fear. The now freezing wind chilled her to the bone and she wrapped her arms around herself shaking slightly.
"There's no need to be frightened child,"
Ren's heart stopped.
"Wh-who's there?" she squeaked, her eyes darting all around her trying to locate the owner of the chilling, cold voice. All she saw was darkness.
Then the blue light flickered again and in front of her stood a tall, cloaked figure.
His face was obscured from the dimness but his eyes weren't. Yellow, snakelike slits glared at her from the night. Then ever so slowly, the figure stepped in front of her. It was a man, that was for sure, but she immediately wondered whether he was actually human or not. His long, raven black hair was intensely dark in contrast with his ghostly ashen skin and pale lips. The markings on his eyes only made the look in his amber eyes all the more menacing. Just looking into his eyes caused Ren to immediately feel as if everything was wrong. She wanted to run, she wanted to scream for her mother, she wanted to be back in her warm home waiting for her father, but this demon-like person in front of her kept her to her very spot. He held her gaze in his intimidating one, and ever so slowly a wicked grin spread across his pale face.
"Hello Karena, I've heard so much about you," he sighed in an exhausted tone. Ren just stared at him completely frozen, her features etched with fear.
"They tell me you possess such immense speed for your age and already show impressive signs of strength, you are a promising one," he dragged on while keeping his golden gaze fixed on her, "being the daughter of the yondaime and all it's really no surprise."
He took a step closer to her, his long snakelike tongue licked around his lips.
"I think adding you to my collection of promising future shinobi would be a wise decision," he sighed, then rapidly his hand shot out and wrapped around Ren's head dragging her to him, "This might hurt a little."
The he lurched forward and sunk his teeth into her neck.
An ear piercing scream echoed across the forest reaching the nearest houses, including the yondaime's. Kushina dropped the plate she had snatched from the cupboard, it plummeted to the floor and smashed into sharp, jagged pieces. She had recognized the scream the second she had heard it. Ignoring the sharp pieces of glass that ricocheted off the ground and sliced her legs, Kushina ran to the front doors and threw them open. Standing on the other side of the wooden door was Minato.
Minato was tense and alert, a serious look was etched on his face.
"Mi-Minato, R-Ren she sc-screamed, it was her," Kushina stuttered, her eyes filling to the brim with tears.
Another ear splitting scream erupted from the air, coming from the direction of the forest. This scream was followed by another. Kushina was full on sobbing by now, her eyes wide with horror, her hands clamped over her mouth.
"KARENA!" She screamed in despair and attempted to run forward. Minato gripped her shoulders to stop her. His face still held the concentrated seriousness but in his eyes was sheer panic.
"Kushina! You are in no shape to run, stay here!" he said then looked behind him. Two anbu were behind him. One a tall woman with auburn hair who's face was shielded with a pallid cat mask. The other was a younger boy of the age of 11 with longish silver hair; his face was shielded by an anbu dog mask.
"Michiko alert the other anbu to reconnoiter the area, Kakashi you are to locate Karena , I will be investigating the woods as well," he said firmly.
"Hai," Michiko said fiercely before turning to the left and disappearing in a cloud of smoke.
Kakashi just nodded before taking off for the forest.
By now Kushina was slumped to the ground, her head lying in her lap, shaking from heavy weeping.
"We'll find her," Minato said fiercely. He gently stroked a lock of Kushina's scarlet hair before disappearing himself.
Pain. All Ren could feel was pain. All she could think about was the terrible pain as she lay writhing on the ground weeping and choking, her hands clasped down behind her neck where she was bit. The petrifying demonic man had long disappeared and had left Ren, panting and curled in a ball screaming bloody murder.
She began to choke again, due to her shortage of breath. After her coughing fit, Ren lay helplessly on the cold forest ground; she now gave up and just held herself tighter, staring at the full moon, tears streaming down her face. The only source of light was the moon and the vague brightness from the town lights in the distance.
Ren did now know how long she lay there, but after what felt like hours, a shadow came into view. A pair of strong hands grasped her shoulders and gently hoisted her up. She was met face to face with a white dog mask, which was a similar shade to the evil demonic man's visage. Her eyes widened in alarm and she hastily backed away. The rapid movement caused the sheer pain throughout her body to flare up again.
"Don't move Karena," a youthful but masculine voice filled with authority ordered her, but she had already moved too much.
The pain wracked through her tiny five year old body like a massive wave. With a gasp of pain, Ren slumped to the frosty firm ground, out cold.