Naruto: Blood Ties
Prologue
"Eiko-sensei, what are you doing?"
"I'm doing what I have to, Yuae."
Before Yuae could respond, the small two bedroom apartment was rocked by a distant explosion. After taking a second to regain her footing, she responded,
"What you have to? You have to raise and protect your children!"
Eiko let out a soft grunt as her brows furrowed in anger and determination.
"Everything I do is for my children."
"Then why are you leaving? Do you want your children to grow up orphans?"
"The Nine Tails is destroying the village as we speak. If I don't help hold it off they won't grow up at all. And Kai would haunt me if I ever did that."
She tilted her head down and grabbed the pendant around her neck.
"But.", Yuae trailed off.
"No buts. Take the children and get out of the village before it's too late."
Eiko removed the pendant and separated it into two parts. Placing one around the neck of her 8 month old twins and giving them both a kiss on the forehead. Tears started to form and slowly roll down her cheek.
"I love you both. So much. And I wish I could tell you that every day you're growing up. But sometimes the choices we make keep us from doing what we want. And sometimes they not only hurt you. But the ones you love too."
A flash of her husband Kai flashed before her eyes. Bruised and bloodied. But with a smile on his face. A little smile appeared on her face. No matter what, he always found a reason to smile. Her thoughts shifted back to the present. And her last words to her children.
She continued her speech, "You might feel alone growing up. People might give you dirty looks. But always remember that you have each other. An unbreakable bond between brother and sister. Use that. And take all the pain. And grow from it. Become better shinobi.
Better people than me or your father."
Another blast rocked the building.
"I'll always love you, Sukiko, Kōshi. Your father and I will always be watching over you. Always."
She was barely able to keep from breaking down right here. More tears leaking out of her forever tormented soul. But it wasn't over yet. So she pulled herself together.
"Goodbye."
She walked over to Yuae, who was still stunned by the heartfelt goodbye given by her sensei.
"Yuae, you are already a great ninja. But soon you'll even surpass me. I know your duty is to the village. But try and be there for my children when you can. They'll need your strength. Please."
"Yes master. I'll do everything I can for them."
"Alright. Now take them and go! Now!"
Yuae grabbed both children, wrapped snugly in their blankets, oblivious of the chaos around them. She ran to the door and turned around before leaving.
"Goodbye, Eiko," said Yuae. A single tear rolling down her cheek.
Eiko stood in silence as Yuae turned and ran out the door. Eiko darted out the door and leapt onto the neighboring apartment building. Finding where the chaos was coming from she started leaping from building to building. Making her way to the fight. She pulled out a kunai as she neared her destination. She saw the rest of the ninja, probably twenty or thirty, surrounding the Third Hokage, Saurtobi. She landed next to one.
"How we doing," asked Eiko, almost rhetorically noticing the massive beast and almost as massive pile of dead shinobi.
"Nice to see you've finally arrived," replied the Shinobi. It looked like he got clipped at some point during the fight but was lucky compared to some of the others,
He continued, "Just look for yourself. Even Lord Third can barely handle the power of the Nine Tails. Unless we figure out something quick the whole village is done for. And Minato is nowhere to be found!"
"He'll show up. I'm sure he's just preparing a fancy entrance as usual," joked Eiko, attempting to ease the Shinobis worry.
Just then the Nine Tails made another swing in their location and she barely made it out of the way. Alright, time to get serious, she told herself. She leaped into the air, simultaneously tossing a dozen kunai in front of her.
"Fire Style: Flaming Kunai Barrage," shouted Eiko.
Her body engulfed in light blue chakra and the kunai in front of her caught fire. She proceeded to grab and throw the kunai at an inhuman speed one after another. Her arms becoming almost invisible to the naked eye. Every kunai hit its mark. But the beast didn't even seem to notice. She started falling back to the ground. That attack would've decimated a normal opponent. But before she could form a follow up thought she was sideswiped by one of the beasts many tails. She crashed into the ground, leaving an indentation in the earth below. She tried to muster the strength to get up but couldn't. Her breaths were shallow as she realized the beast had shattered the left side of her ribcage and probably punctured a lung.
She couldn't move, but somehow found the strength to start crying.
I just wish I could see their faces again. See them walk across that stage and become shinobi. Standing proud with their Leaf Village headbands. Smiling and waving as they noticed their mother in the crowd. Then have children of their own someday. Starting the beautiful process all over again.
Despite the grim situation, she found solace knowing that she would finally be reunited with her long lost love in the afterlife. She managed to smile through the pain. The light began to fade and the beast's tail came down, finishing off its wounded prey without a second thought. The smiling faces of her children and husband the last image to cross her mind.