The dark haired boy stood in the middle of the sacred field and scanned the four swords that were positioned from north to south and east to west. He swallowed the lump in his throat and stood firm. He was Tadashi Ryunashi, next head of the Tadashi clan and there was no way he was going to let something as stupid as nerves get the best of him. Tonight was the night of his Ken no Keisho, it didn't matter if he was only ten years old because he had mastered his clan's sword style and now he could take on the responsibility of his own sword and become an adult.
First the boy faced north, where Tengokusaya lay. Its previous wielder had died and the honored blade had yet to move on. Part of Ryunashi hoped the sword didn't choose him simply because even though the beautiful white nodachi was considered powerful, the blade couldn't be used to injury any living thing. Pretty dumb if you think about it. Ryunashi reached out his hand and let out a sigh of relief when his palm passed right through the handle, the sentient's typical method of rejection.
The crowd of clansmen remained quiet as Ryunashi walked to the western corner where the scarlet nodachi, Kyuketsukitou, was positioned. The boy's uncle, Tatsuo, stood behind the blade. When the time came for a Ken no Keisho all the previous owners of the Four Sacred Sword must willingly hand over their blades to see if they change their allegiance to one of the next generation. Tatsuo-ojisan didn't look too pleased at the thought of handing over the blade. Kyuketsukitou was the kind of sword anyone would be proud to possess. That sword could make even the tiniest of wounds in the most insignificant of places become fatal injuries. Ryunashi extended his hand and gripped the handle only to retract a second later, allowing a yelp of pain escape as sharp thorns protruded from the sword and imbedded themselves into his palm. Okay, so that would be a no.
Ryunashi huffed as he continued down to the south where Naraku was placed. He passed it slowly and eyed the deadly sword that could kill anything it touches. The boy's eyes darted up to its owner before glancing back at the ground. The current head of the clan stood behind Naraku as she lifted an eyebrow at the boy.
"Keep going Ryunashi. You know damn well Naraku is off limits to even attempt until you turn sixteen. The only reason it and I are here are for ceremonial reasons," she told the boy in a sharp tone.
"Yes Mother." Ryunashi bowed his head and slowly continued onward to the last sword, passing very closely to a white haired man and a small white haired boy that was on the man's shoulders.
"Don't look so down Nii-san! You can do it!" The idiot boy cheered loudly over the silent crowd.
"Come on Ryunashi! Chin up! Once this is over we'll go celebrate!" The man joined in.
"Bakuryuu! Kenshin!" The woman gave them both a dangerous look from over where she was with her sword, causing them both to jump.
"Sorry Dear! I was just trying to cheer him up!" The man scratched the back of his head and laughed nervously.
"This is a serious coming of age ceremony. Both of you can it before I throw you out!"
"S-Sorry, Mama." Bakuryuu scratched the back of his head, mirroring his father.
Ryunashi rolled his eyes really wishing he wasn't related to any of them as he finally faced east and approached the purple and black katana called Hogoken. His uncle, Ryumaru, stood behind the blade with a very stern expression on his face as the boy reached out his hand for the fourth and final time. This was it, if Hogoken rejected him the Ryunashi, the next head of the Tadashi clan wouldn't possess any of the sacred clan swords and he'd be a laughing stock. Maybe it was the fear of the rejection or maybe it was just the pressure from it all but Ryunashi froze. His eyes were shut tight and he thought of everything that could possibly go wrong. He thought of how he'd let everyone down and how he needed this to work. Suddenly, something flew into his hand as though he were a magnet attracting a metal. The boy's eyes flew open to see that Hogoken was in his hand. There was an eruption of cheers from the crowd, the most profound being his younger brother and father. Ryunashi turned around and watched as his clansmen rushed and congratulated the boy, shaking his hand and ruffling his already messy looking black hair.
"Not a bad sword to end up with, Runt." His mother clapped her hand on his shoulder, nearly scaring the boy into next week!
Ryunashi held his new katana out at arm's length and unsheathed it from the black scabbard that was decorated with purple diamonds and eyed the katana in wonder. The metal of it was mostly black except for that actual blade that shone a deep purple color.
"Congratulations Ryunashi, you are now the proud owner of Hogoken, the Tadashi's prized Blade of Protection." He was told as he sheathed his new sword.
~Abata Izumi~
"Ryunashi Nii-san! Ryunashi Nii-san!" The boy with messy black hair lifted his head from his studies to see his little brother pulling at him.
"What?" He lifted an eyebrow skeptically. If that idiot and Father were doing something stupid again…
"Mama is back!" He shook his brother's sleeve as though it was the most exciting thing ever. Well, in times of war it probably was.
"Okay, I'll come and greet her in a moment once I'm done." The dark haired boy glanced back down to the notes.
"But, but-but-but!" The white haired boy leaned in and glanced sideways as though he were about to tell a secret. "She brought someone!" He tried to whisper, but he epically failed.
"Who?"
"A girl~!"
"…Oh." Ryunashi lifted an eyebrow once more. His brother was a complete mess around girls. Awkward little bastard.
"Boys!" They heard their father call.
"Oi, runts one and two!" And there was dear old mom.
Ryunashi groaned as he rubbed his temples and followed his brother out into the main hall. The boys saw their father standing there with a wide grin on his face. His white, messy hair tied in a low ponytail and his grey eyes lit up with his smile.
Their mother wore her usual slight scowl, Naraku hung over the brunette's shoulder from behind her jonin uniform. Her hand was on the shoulder of a much smaller person that stood behind their father.
"Mama! I'm so glad you're back!" Bakuryuu exclaimed with his arms wide as though he expected her to bend down and embrace him.
"Me too squirt, but I'll be heading back out in a few days. We're making progress and they need me on the front line." She reached her arm out and ruffled his hair and the boy gripped his mother's arm tightly and hugged it with his scrawny arms.
"Don't you worry about a thing here. I'll hold down the fort!" the boys' father proclaimed proudly as he beat a fist on his chest.
The woman rolled her eyes. "That's what I'm worried about." She smirked as a dark cloud appeared over her husband's head. "Anyway." She had gotten off topic. "I mainly came back to the village for supplies and to drop something off." She eyes shot to the smaller person that was hiding behind her. "Well, come out runt, we don't have all day," she said but her words lacked harshness and she wore a small smile on her face.
The boys' father instantly stopped moping and greeted the hiding figure. "Hi there! My name is Kenshin! It's so nice to meet you!"
The tiny figure stepped out enough for Ryunashi to get a good look. Like his brother had told him, it was a girl. She looked to be about his age with straight, long brown hair, blue eyes, and very fair skin. Even though the girl looked emaciated with were dark circles under her eyes Ryunashi could easily tell that she was very pretty, or she would be once she was back to full health.
"I'm Bakuryuu!" Ryunashi's brother bounced around like a spring. He turned to his brother, waiting for him to introduce himself as well.
The dark haired boy sighed before making a deep, respectful bow. "Tadashi Ryunashi, it is an honor to meet you."
She batted her dark lashes and looked up to the woman for approval. "Go on." She gestured her head.
That seemed to be all the encouragement the child needed before she gave them a kind smile that could stop traffic if it wanted to. "My name is Izumi, it's very nice to meet you."
"Izumi, the main bathroom is down the hall to the left. You can go in there and freshen up while we fix you some food." Tatsuya told her.
The young girl looked hesitant to leave the woman's side to venture into the unfamiliar home, but finally relented and proceeded cautiously down the hallway into the bathroom.
"Will she be living with us?" Ryunashi asked.
"You got a problem with that?" She lifted an eyebrow, daring him to challenge her.
"No," he answered coldly before going back to his studies.
What did he care if some strange girl was in their home anyway?
~seven years later~
"What?!" Uzumaki Kushina exclaimed dramatically. God, why did Ryunashi have to have such a loud teammate? "You're going to get married already?!" Out of their little group of friends that were gathered at the moment she was the only one blowing it out of proportion.
"Hehe!" Izumi showed her roommate and close friend the ring. The redhead gawked at the piece of jewelry.
"I'm very happy for you." Minato smiled kindly at the couple.
"We should celebrate with some dango." Senju Inoue offered.
"Yes! Let's go!" Bakuryuu exclaimed excitedly, possibly hoping it would turn into a date for him.
"Come on guys! Doesn't it seem kinda soon to everyone else, dattebane?!" Kushina attempted to get the others on board with her exaggerations.
"Not at all Kushina-san, it's actually about the average for those in our clan." Bakuryuu told her brightly. "We don't really have the long lifespans that the Uzumaki or really a normal person does so it's always a good idea to start young because you won't get to be old." Bakuryuu laughed and scratched the back of his head.
"That's morbid, Bakuryuu!" Inoue scolded.
"That's Tadashi," both Tadashi boys announced in unison. They had no idea what it meant to be Tadashi.
"And might I remind you that I'm already seventeen so I'm perfectly of age," Izumi stated, reminding the others.
"Hey Izumi," Kushina leaned in with a sly look in her eye and a hand to the side of her mouth as though she were about to whisper a secret. "You're not pregnant are you?" The other five face faulted. Obviously she didn't whisper quietly enough.
"No she's not!" Ryunashi was ready to beat her upside the head.
"Kushina…" Minato had his hand attached to his face and Inoue was pinching the bridge of her nose.
"… You're not are you?!" Bakuryuu exclaimed like the idiot he was.
"No! She's not!" Ryunashi had absolutely no qualms at all over smacking his brother.
"Kushina," the green haired Senju said. "You didn't say any of this when Mikoto got married last year."
"But Mikoto's marriage was arranged, not to mention she's a few years older than us," the red-head stated, reminding them that her and Ryunashi's other teammate was three years older than they were.
"Oh Kushina, have you heard what she's having yet?" Izumi added excitedly.
"No, what?!" The Uzumaki was now nearly bouncing.
"She's having a boy!"
"That's great! Let's go get her too and we can celebrate with ramen!"
"I thought we were going to celebrate with dango?" Inoue crossed her arms and pouted.
"Fine." Kushina rolled her eyes a little. "Let's celebrate with some ramen and then get some dango!"
"Hey!"
"Bakuryuu," Ryunashi caught his brother's attention on their way back to the compound. "Have you heard about Tomoe?" he inquired about their little cousin.
The white haired teen blinked several times. "What about little Tomoe-chan?"
"She's finished mastering the clan's sword style." He frowned at his brother.
"She what?!" His jaw dropped to the ground. "She's six years old for God's sake!"
"And yet she has a Ken no Keisho scheduled for the day after tomorrow."
"That's-that's—"
"While you, whom I might add is seven years older than her, have yet to even request one."
"Hey! I'm waiting until I turn sixteen so I can go on and get all four done with at once! It seems dumb to go back years later and do it again just to try for Naraku."
"Most people don't because few even finish before they're sixteen, but you've had our Nisshoku style almost as long as I have. This just makes you seem lazy." He was going to make the head family look lazy and weak. "Are you sure you even want to try Naraku?"
"Yeah!"
"You say that like it could be fun."
"Who knows, it could be!"
"No it's not. I've tried it remember? Two days of being tested by that damned sword in a nightmare genjutsu and I nearly had my arm cut off because of it."
"Haha! I remember! You puked—never mind." Bakuryuu waved innocently with sweat drops on his head.
The day after that the two spectated their little cousin's Ken no Keisho and watched as the six-year-old chose a direction to begin in and worked her way clockwise from there. To the absolute and utter astonishment of everyone present at the ceremony a sword did choose the little, dark haired girl, but not just any blade. Kyuketsukitou, a scarlet nodachi that specializes in leaving marks and wound to where they can't heal. Bakuryuu had better watch his ass or she'd possibly actually kill him next time he's late for training.
~Good News~
"Ryunashi," Izumi said with a smile across her face. "I have something to tell you." Her eyes gleamed with excitement.
"What?" Ryunashi looked up from his mission report to his new wife.
"Something exciting." Her smile widened.
He lifted an eyebrow. "Okay." The shinobi closed his mission report to better listen to her.
"Ryunashi… I'm pregnant!" she practically squealed and wrapped her arms around his neck. "We're going to have a baby! Isn't that exciting?!"
"Oh." Ryunashi furrowed his brow, he wasn't necessarily surprised, but became worried. Not about Izumi of course. The woman was a natural born mother and loved children more than anything else, but him… Ryunashi wasn't exactly good with children. They were loud, drooly, impatient, and they didn't abide by logic so he often quickly lost his temper with them making him look a baby-hating tyrant or something.
"Oh?" She detached herself from him and gave him a concerned look. "I tell you that you're going to be a daddy and all you can say is 'oh'?"
"Okay?" God, he didn't know! He was in shock dammit!
"Okay? Okay?!" She threw her arms out and pushed him away. "I can't believe you!"
Ryunashi blinked several times. "What am I supposed to do then?"
"I don't know! Say that it's wonderful and tell me that you're excited and kiss me or something!" She obviously didn't know him well enough. Hopefully her friends would take the news much better than her husband did, if not she would be almost impossible to live with.
"Ha!" Kushina exclaimed, waving her dango and pointing across the table. "I knew it! I knew you were pregnant!" Mikoto laughed quietly into her hand while bouncing her little baby, Itachi, on her knee and Inoue gave the Uzumaki a bland look.
"Kushina, sweety she wasn't pregnant before the wedding," Mikoto was able to say between giggles.
"What?" She held a question mark over her head.
"That's what the honeymoon is for." Inoue finished for the Uchiha.
"I…" Kushina held her finger up as though she were going to say something but stopped before turning redder than her hair.
"There it is."
"Oh man, poor Minato." Inoue shook her head and the other two women laughed.
Nine months later Ryunashi and Izumi had their first child, a beautiful baby girl they named Kitsune. Everyone had a fit over the quiet, well-mannered infant and were always fighting for her attention. The young parents would watch in amusement as others fought over the pretty little baby girl.
~Naraku~
"About fucking time!" Tatsuya exclaimed as she threw her hands up in the air from her work desk.
"You don't have to sound so mean about it, Mother~" Bakuryuu whined like a child.
"It can't be helped." Ryunashi crossed his arms. "We were beginning to wonder if you'd ever have your Ken no Keisho."
"I thought we were wondering if he'd ever get a date." Tatsuya added.
"That too."
"You two are mean~" Bakuryuu cried comical tears and a dark cloud hovered over his head, but he bounced back up with a wide grin on his face. "But you were both wrong so ha! I got Inoue to say yes! So ha-ha-ha, in your faces!" He pointed and exclaimed only to shrink down from the dangerously dark looks he was receiving from his mother and older brother. "Hehe, so… When is it going to be?" he asked sheepishly.
"Ryunashi can organize it." Tatsuya waved it off to her older son.
"But Mother, doesn't the head normally deal with these kinds of matters?" Ryunashi lifted an eyebrow at his mother. How dare she try and push her responsibilities on him?
"Exactly." She smirked. "I think it's about time I step down anyway and enjoy my last few years. Hell, maybe I can even get back out there and end the Third Great Shinobi War without having to constantly return to the village and worry about clan issues."
"Mother, are you saying—"
"Congrats, Son." She slapped Ryunashi's back and he had to struggle not to fall on his face from the force. "You just go promoted."
"Oh come now Mother, you're retiring so soon?" Bakuryuu asked.
"I'm thirty-six Bakuryuu." She gave him a serious look and the teen bit his lip, wishing he hadn't said anything. "I'm surprised I've made it this far as it is."
"Yep, you're probably going to bite it within three years at most." Ryunashi was organizing papers.
"At least I got to the ripe old age of thirty-six."
"Here, here," her sons said.
It only took a few days for Ryunashi to officially take over as head of the clan and the day after that way his little brother's Ken no Keisho. Ryunashi scanned the large crowd of not only Tadashi, but Uchiha and a few others who had gathered to watch Bakuryuu be tested. The idiot sure did make a lot of friends.
"So, which do you think will choose him?" Uchiha Fugaku asked as he and Mikoto joined Ryunashi near Hogoken, their four-year-old son Itachi was gripping his mother's hand tightly.
"Beats me." He shrugged his shoulders. "My best guess would be Hogoken, but—"
"Something tells me that would irritate you like nothing else, Ryu-kun," Mikoto laughed.
"Took the words straight from my mouth," he grumbled back.
"Ryunashi-san," little Itachi looked up to him. "Where is Kitsune?"
The man pointed over near Kyuketsukitou and Tomoe were positioned. "She's down there with Tomoe and Izumi." He could see this three-year-old holding a conversation with the twelve-year-old like they were both adults.
"Do you want to go say hello Itachi?" His mother asked kindly and the boy nodded, pulling her along.
"But anyway," Ryunashi turned back to the other clan head and got back on topic. "Bakuryuu waited this long so he could try out Naraku."
Then other stern man lifted an eyebrow skeptically. "Didn't you nearly lose your arm trying that thing?"
Ryunashi's eyebrow twitched.
"So that's a yes. I swear, you Tadashi are as weird as they come."
"Oh, is that why the Uchiha have been our closest allied clan for centuries? No, wait, it's because we pulled your Katoned asses from the fire every time you hot heads have gotten in trouble over the last two hundred years. You can't pick your family, but your comrades are a different story." He scoffed back. The Tadashi and Uchiha have had a very strong alliance that went back farther than that of any other known clans. Even now as the Uchiha headed the police department in Konoha, the Tadashi were in charge of the forensic and investigative forces that partnered with the police.
That shut Fugaku up (good) and the two men watched as Bakuryuu began from the east and attempted to lift Hogoken… which zapped the idiot backwards a little. "Oh come on you mean sword! How can my brother be more protective than me?" he exclaimed dramatically with a pout as he moved on to the north where Tengokusaya lay on its pedestal… and also where the overly excited idiot passed straight through the sword and landed with his face full of grass. Ryunashi lifted an eyebrow as his brother marched to the west and halted in front of Kyuketsukitou where little Tomoe's black pixie cut hairstyle that was tipped in red at the ends could barely be seen from behind her over-sized sword and was giving him a look that said 'you better not touch my fucking sword!'.
Bakuryuu swallowed a lump in his throat and reached out. "No! Don't you dare!" She pointed her finger at him.
"But Tomoe-chan—"
"Kyuketsukitou is mine!"
"But you have to at least let me try. That's the rules."
"I don't care." She crossed her arms like the stubborn child she was.
"Tomoe." Her father, Tatsuo, gave her a warning look. "You must respect the laws of the clan whether you like it or not."
The girl's eyebrow twitched and she crossed her arms and watched and then laughed as Bakuryuu reached out and quickly retracted his hand with it full of bloody thorns.
"Act your age, Tomoe!" He smacked the girl upside the head.
"I'm Twelve Otousan. I am acting my age!"
"ALL OF YOU SHUT UP SO WE CAN FINISH THIS ALREADY!" A dangerous yell came from the southern end of the field from Tatsuya and everyone, even Bakuryuu who was whining while pulling thorns from his hand, shut up and shut up quick.
Finally, the moment had come for Bakuryuu to try Naraku. The teen reached his hand out for the dangerous odachi and in an instant his head drooped and he was in the sword's genjutsu, being tested by the hellish creature whose claw the sword was forged from.
"What just happened? Did it reject him?" Fugaku whispered.
"No, it's testing him now," Ryunashi told him.
"Why is he just standing there?"
"Naraku is a hellish sword that thrives on pain and suffering. You get cut by it and the flesh around your wound begins to rot away. It feels like it must flush out its own test before accepting a new master."
"… You Tadashi and your fucking weird swords."
"You can't deny that our sentient blades are the best though. The best swordsmen and swordsmiths in the Elemental Nations. You can't even touch any of the four sacred swords unless you're a Tadashi, even then it's not a guarantee. But Naraku, Naraku is the trickiest of the four. You touch it and the blade finds you unworthy the demon that was used to forge it will take over and possess you, killing anything that crosses its path. The only way to stop it is to detach yourself from it as soon as possible and even then if you're not fast enough it can take hold."
"Which leaves the next step which is—"
"Your arm will have to be amputated for the safety of those around you."
There was a short pause. "Why the hell do you have children at this thing then?!"
Ryunashi smirked. "Because, everyone is about to be dismissed and a few choice members of the clan are going to stay behind and keep an eye on Bakuryuu. He's going to need it. I've never even heard of anyone getting out of the genjutsu any sooner than two days."
But for Bakuryuu it didn't take two day, no, instead the poor idiot was stuck out there in that field in a nightmare genjutsu for five days. A few times a clan member had to feed him an IV to make sure he didn't dehydrate. Finally though, one the evening of the fifth day Bakuryuu's head snapped up and he collapsed on the ground with the sword in his hand… and he proceeded to dry heave for about five minutes after that and then chugged nearly a gallon of water before puking that up… idiot.
But Ryunashi couldn't believe it. His brother, his stupid, bubbly, overly happy puppy-like brother was accepted by the most dangerous sword in the world. God help them all.
Through countless efforts and lost lives of courageous shinobi, Third Great Shinobi War came to an end and peace spread throughout the Elemental Nations.
"I want one so bad~" Kushina whined as she held Kitsune in her lap. The prospect of peace brought hope for the next generation and many people were taking advantage of this.
"Kushina-san," Kitsune looked up. "I don't mean to be rude… but you're crushing my ribs."
"Sorry!" Inoue, who was by that point showing some, pulled the four-year-old from the hyper red head to place in her own lap.
"Don't worry Kushina, your time will come." Mikoto giggled as she handed Itachi some dango and patted her swollen stomach.
"What do you think of all this, Itachi-kun?" Izumi leaned down to the little boy who looked up to her from his dango. "What do you think about having a little brother or sister?"
The boy considered the question for a second as he chewed. "I'm not sure," he finally answered like a little adult. "I suppose I'm excited, but the reality of the situation really hasn't sunk in yet."
"I think it would be interesting," Kitsune interjected. "It's an opportunity to show a sense of responsibility and superiority as you look after and pass on your knowledge to those under you."
"That's a fair point."
"… Are you two feeding you children dictionaries for breakfast?" Kushina gave her two friends a bland look. "I don't even use words that big!"
They both laughed. "No, that's just how they are."
"Man, I hope my child has Minato's study habits but that," she pointed to the two little ones. "that right there is too much. They should be talking about candy and rainbows, dattebane!"
"Why would I talk about candy when I already have dango?"
"Here, here Itachi-kun!" Inoue raised her stick.
"And what about rainbows? They're just refracted light." Kitsune blinked at the Uzumaki from her aunt's lap.
"You see?!" Kushina exclaimed and slammed her head on the table dramatically. "…Ow."
Although Kushina didn't have to wait too much longer to get her wish. In January she quickly and loudly spread the news that she and Minato, who had risen to the rank of Hokage after the war, would be expecting their first child. The entire village knew in less than a week.
Izumi was beginning to wonder when she would get another baby. She loved Kitsune and she was the whole world to her mother, but she didn't really act like a four-and-a-half-year-old should. It was like she was a tiny adult or something. And Ryunashi didn't help at all with her worries. He said it was natural for Tadashi to grow up quickly considering their lifespans. But the brunette just wanted her baby to stay little for just a bit longer.
It was March and Mikoto was showing profoundly when Izumi got the most wonderful news she could ever imagine! She was pregnant again!
Ryunashi had better damn well react appropriately this time!
on July 23rd Mikoto had her second child, she named her second son Sasuke after the Third Hokage's father. It seemed Itachi was even more excited than his parents after his little brother was born. If ever the baby would cry or yell Itachi was there almost as fast as Mikoto, sometimes he even beat her to the punch!
And, at last, in September Inoue would get to join the Mom Club as she announced that her and Bakuryuu were starting. Everything was going so wonderfully, they were all prospering and happy and maybe even their babies could become good friends too!
But the happy times didn't last too long. On the night of October 10th everything seemed too calm, too quiet, Ryunashi didn't like it. He stood outside the front of his home and felt an oddly cold breeze for this time of year. Something didn't feel right. "Izumi!" he called and his wife stepped outside, holding her pregnant stomach.
"What is it?"
"Where's Kitsune?" he asked a little too hastily.
"She's playing with Itachi and Shisui down at the Uchiha compound." The brunette seemed a little startled by his tone.
"Good, go to them and stay there," he ordered.
"Excuse you?" Shit, he should have phrased that differently, now she'll never do it. "And what gives you the right to tell me where to go? I have thinks to do around here and Mikoto is being hospitable enough to look after Kitsune while I—" Suddenly there was a rumble that shook the ground under them and Ryunashi lunged to catch his wife before she fell and a horrible, monstrous roar echoed throughout the village and sent a chill up Ryunashi's spine.
"Izumi," He gripped her tighter before releasing her. "Get to Kitsune and get somewhere safe." He untied Hogoken from his hip and unsheathed the katana, handing her the scabbard. "Keep your heads down and stay hidden. You should be safe if you keep this close."
"Ryunashi, what about you?" She held the scabbard with one hand and gripped his hand with her other.
"I have to go find out what the hell that is." His head darted in the direction the roar had erupted from and cringed as another one rumbled throughout the village. "You had better be safe when I return." He placed his hand on her abdomen. "All three of you."
"You'd better damn well return." She kissed him before he took off to go defend his village.
"What's happening?" Ryunashi had found some other shinobi in the village and began inquiring them.
"I-it's a monster! It's attacking the village!" One of them, obviously a chunin that was wet behind the ears, exclaimed.
"A monster?" He turned to the other ninja.
"It's the nine-tailed fox Tadashi-san! It's getting close to the village and Hokage-sama is nowhere to be found!"
"I see." Ryunashi took off once more without another word. He and Kushina had been on the same team for years and he knew full and well she was the Jinchuriki for the nine-tailed fox. Seeing that it was out and running rampant around the village meant that she was either dead or dying. If she wasn't already dead that would mean Minato was doing everything within his power to keep her alive. Ryunashi had a decision to make. He could either go and face the demon with the forces already there, or he could go search out his comrade and get the Hokage to join the fight.
The Tadashi activated his doujutsu in order to go find his comrade thinking he surely had to be around somewhere. He had a few places in mind as to where the Hokage might be and where he might hide his pregnant wife- if she was still alive- and possibly look after her. Ryunashi was outside the walls of the village when his doujutsu caught notice of someone else going in the same direction. "Tomoe! What are you doing here?!" He was able to grab his fourteen-year-old cousin by the scruff of her neck as the girl swung her arms back and forth at in, trying to reach for Kyuketsukitou.
"Let go, Ryunashi!" He set the teen down and looked her over from head to toe, making sure she was fine. The teen tapped her foot impatiently and shook her head at him for grabbing her, causing her little layered pixie cut to swing back and forth atop her head.
"Tomoe. I'll only say it one more time. What are you doing here?" Ryunashi knew village emergency protocol by heart. All women and children were to take shelter within the Hokage monument and all shinobi under the age of sixteen were to go to a designated area in order to preserve the lives of the next generation of ninja. "You're supposed to be with your peers."
"Like I couldn't get away from that." She scoffed. "I'm an ANBU level shinobi Ryunashi, I was able to ditch the kiddy group before they could even say 'where the fuck did Tomoe go?'." She quirked an eyebrow. "Shit's going down and Minato-sensei is nowhere to be found so I'm going to find him."
Right, Minato was Tomoe's teacher. "Do you know where he is?"
The girl gave him a snarky expression. "Like I'd just tell you. If I did you'd just send me back to the playpen with all the other kids."
… Well she wasn't wrong.
"Fine, but I'm going with you and you're not getting out of my sight." He eyed her with his doujutsu.
"I have the Ryugan too you know." She stuck her tongue out and pulled down her eyelid and showed off her purple iris and pupil that was shaped like a four point star with four diamonds circling it. The brat was very proud of her fully developed doujutsu.
"I don't care."
Their search for the Fourth Hokage brought the pair closer to the battlefield where shinobi were starting to gather and word had spread that the Hokage had finally been spotted near the beast but had disappeared once more.
"Ryunashi!" Fugaku spotted and called out to the other clan head. "The fox! Look at it!" he snarled.
"What? What about the fox?"
"This fox is going to cause trouble for the Uchiha clan!"
"What do you mean?" He scanned the beast over, trying his very best to find what his comrade could possibly mean by his odd words.
His search finally ended when he got a good look at the enormous beast's eye. It was the Sharingan. A Sharingan user was controlling the tailed beast and forcing it to attack Konoha. An Uchiha was attacking the village.
Well… fuck.