Women of War
By Quick-n-Popular
Disclaimer: "Naruto" and its characters belong to those that own them, not me. I own only this story I've came up with.
A/N: This may seem like a mess but I'm curious to see what I can concoct with this cornucopia of ideas.
Chapter One: A Woman with many Agendas
The village of Konohagakure no Sato was in a midst of healing.
The night prior, it faced a terrible occurrence, where the a nine-tailed demon fox known as the Kyuubi no Kitsune had wrecked untold destruction upon the village hidden in the leaves; countless lives had been lost, numerous properties damaged beyond repair, and the moral of the citizens and shinobi were shaken.
Prominent people had been taken in the aftermath, namely the current leader of the village, the Yondaime Hokage, Minato Namikaze, whose last moments were of saving his precious home from the demon thus saving the village from further carnage.
Immediately, the previous Hokage, the Sandaime, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had been sworn back into office and quickly had the shinobi of the village into action with bringing the injured into the hospital and for others to assist in the putting out the numerous fires that were ravaging in certain districts in the village.
The village is healing and its populace was yet to be given a reprieve from their state of restlessness and grief.
From the horizon, coming upon the village, a cloud of dense black smoke hovered over the village like a black halo. The smell of smoldering wood could be smelled for several miles.
This is what greeted the lone traveler as she was making her stride to the gate's entrance.
Cloaked, her facial features carefully hidden, she came to a complete stop two yards away and soon her entire form peeled itself apart into hundreds of sheets of paper. The pieces soon caught into the breeze in the air and soon through the gate, unbeknownst to the two weary chuunin guards stationed outside. The papers went halfway intro the village before blowing into an alleyway where they gathered together, reforming her physical figure.
Reconfigured, the mystery woman stripped off her cloak, revealing a woman in her late twenties with blue hair, tied up in a bun in the front with an origami blue rose in the middle of the bun. She had blue eye shadow on and a pierced stud underneath her bottom lip. Her grey eyes looked around before slipping a hand into her pocket and brining out a white porcelain anbu mask, its features resembling that of an owl. Securing the mask on, she jumped out of the alleyway and onto the rooftop above. Scanning the area, she absentmindedly noted the number of shinobi on the rooftops before turning her gaze to the tallest structure in the village, one with a large rooftop with the kanji for fire adorning the tiling of the roof itself in black. Making a quick stride, she made her way to an unseen entrance that was adjacent to the rooftop of a building close to the large tower-like building.
Coming to a complete stop to the "wall" in front of her, she made a one-handed hand sign before the barrier in front of her fazed away to reveal an entryway. Slipping on inside, she walked down the corridor till she came to a flight of stairs descending to an unknown level.
Making herself into paper once more, she scattered herself down the flights before slowing and floating off to where an opening lay. From there, she blew through a series of passages until she reached a room at the back. In there was a large space adorned with furniture and a few other things. Another door was in the room where a person wearing an anbu mask stood guarding outside. Her papers completely engulfed this person, soon covering every part until he was completely mummified by the papers, cutting off his air supply, and thus ending his life.
Without pausing, the papers slipped underneath the door once guarded. Inside the room was a desk, a portrait of the Nidaime Hokage, two oak chairs in front of the desk and an ornamental rug on the floor. Behind the desk were cabinets and cases filled with scrolls. On the desk, there were large stacks of papers and documents.
The papers formed back into the masked woman and as soon as she was fully formed, she removed her mask and sighed, despondently.
"Seems like I missed him. No telling where he is, now."
She walked to the chair behind the desk and touched the top of it, her eyes taking in everything in sight. Her eyes soon set themselves on the contents of his desk and son to an open folder which was in the middle.
The folder contained two pictures; one of a red headed woman with green eyes, smiling brightly to whomever was taking her picture at the time. The other picture was of a newborn baby with a tuft of blonde hair with three whisker-like marks adorning both of his cheeks. An intricate seal could be seen on his abdomen, which slightly intrigued the blue haired woman, but her eyes then went to the written documentation that accompanied the pictures.
Uzumaki Kushina
Former ANBU, former member of the village hidden in the whirlpools, second Jinjuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Possess kekki Genkki of inherited through the Uzumaki Clan.
Field Report: After release of the Kyuubi (means are unclear, to be investigated at a later date), spouse of Uzumaki, Yondaime Hokage Minato Namikaze, sacrificed life to seal Bijuu into the offspring of both Uzumaki and himself, Uzumaki Naruto, resulting in Yondaime's death. Uzumaki Kushina found critical at site, unconscious. Subject brought in to lab 4 for inquiry in obtaining Uzumaki bloodline, under heavy sedation which will be for indefinite time. Body double left at site for village recovery.
Uzumaki Naruto
Newborn, son of Yondaime Minato Namikaze and Jinjuuriki Kushina Namikaze. Jinjuuriki upon birth.
Field Report: Sandaime Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen, reinstated, after failed efforts in convincing the council of infant's innocence and goodwill, placed infant in Jikoku Orphanage and set law to forbid speaking of said child being a Jinjuuriki. Will obtain child for training and tests for family bloodline in a week's time.
Once she had finished reading, she set the folder down and then looked at the desk once more before coming to a calendar with the day's date marked with notes detailing a journey to the Daimyo of Fire Country.
'Looks like I missed my chance of ridding this world of the man.' She mused. Her eyes then traveled back to the folder.
'Perhaps, if I can't end his life right away, then I'll settle for making things difficult for him as the beginning of what I'll do.' She smirked behind her mask before her method of moving came back into effect and she quickly left the room.
Finding the Uzumaki woman had been easy, however the number of people either guarding her or researching her still, nude, form had taken her by surprise. Thus the room soon turned into a slaughter house as a torrent of razor-sharp paper came in like a tornado leaving all, but one, disemboweled or headless. Once the "clearing" had been done, the blue-haired paper user came back to form and approached the slab where the red haired Uzumaki lay deep in slumber. Glancing at her for a brief moment, she then went over and disrobed a headless victim and dressed the woman before casting a high level genjutsu over her and made her way out from the underground and back up the spiraling staircase to the entrance/exit she had come from, leading to the outside world.
The next stop had proved to be an interesting one as soon as she came to the orphanage she could see how low a village's mentality could sink. People pointed at the building calling out names like "Demon's den" and "Home of the Yondaime Killer". Traveling in invisibility, she found her second target in a room littered with broken glass, an open window, lying nude and crying his eyes out.
The woman, rightfully, repulsed by how things were and, if her intuition was right, which rarely it wasn't; what would likely happen in the future for the boy.
Gathering the child and casting a sleeping jutsu on the terrorized infant, she sushined out of the room and appeared next to a cart piled with dead bodies of nameless travelers, who had been unfortunate to have been caught in the midst of the Kyuubi. Their burial would be in a plot outside in the village, since there was no identification on them to find loved ones to claim the body. Within the pile of bodies was a compartment that had been built into the cart, concealing the woman with red hair and, as she placed him in there with her, securely; her son.
The woman then donned a henge as a disheveled woman, hiding her chakra, and soon pushing the cart to follow the others that were in line to go outside the village. Her guise secured, she passed by a sentry who inspected everything to make sure there was no foul play as Konoha was already on high alert. She passed by with no suspicion and soon was back outside of the village hidden in the leaves.
Hiding the cart behind a large overgrowth, to ward of curious eyes that might soon report back to the village she had come out from, the woman quickly, to ward of curious eyes that might soon report back to the village she had come out from, the woman quickly unloaded the living cargo from the recently departed and created a paper-Bunshin. Her clone carried the woman as she carried the woman. Soon the trio was making their way out of fire country towards Wave.
A week had passed before she was reassured that the man whom she had stolen his objects of interest, would not be in pursuit.
Sitting in a cottage that she, "procured" from its previous owner, drinking tea while the other party was in another room, she took the time to take out several scrolls, one being larger than the rest. Looking over the two, memories filled and sifted through her mind and eyes. More so, on the smaller of the two scrolls which had her looking towards the closed door that was a few feet away from her where the woman and son slept.
Meanwhile, in the adjacent room, the red headed woman's eyes went back and forth underneath the eye lids before the eyes sprung open and she blinked several times before she sat herself up and looked around.
Confusion reigned in on her thoughts.
'Where…where am I? Minato…he…completed the seal. The two of us were going to…but, I'm not dead, am I?' Looking around the room she was in, it appeared to be a small house, probably a cottage. The room was sparsely decorated, nothing but a few art pictures on the walls and a single bookcase filled with several books. The only thing else that was of interest was a bassinet near her bed.
Curious, the woman, Kushina Uzumaki, looked over and into it to see a bundled baby wrapped up in a blue blanket.
'It can't be…' She thought, but to her surprise and joy it was, 'Naruto!'
Scooping up the infant gently as to not awake him she held him to her bosom while he continued to sleep soundly. Holding him, led her to believe one of two things. Either she was in heaven, and this was her reward in the afterlife to care for her son in an imaginary way, or she had not died and she was now with her son.
Pinching herself, she experienced the short pain of it and, in her mind, answered the question burning inside of her.
Looking out the window, she could see she was by the coastline of wherever this house was situated. This lead to a multitude of questions but the most prominent ones were, where they were and who had taken them here.
As if the question had been spoken aloud, it had been answered by a voice entering the room as the door had been opened.
"I see you're awake now."
Kushina turned towards the door to see a woman with blue short hair with an origami flower placed inside the part between her ear. Her eyes seemed subdued although the woman was making an attempt at a smile.
"Where are we and who are you?" Kushina asked.
The woman took the chair by the door and moved it to the side of the bed and then sat down while placing her hands folded on her lap.
"What was the last thing you remember, Kushina Uzumaki?" The woman asked.
Kushina blinked and then she closed her eyes and recounted her, to what she remembered, final moments with the ceremony of holding the Kyuubi back while she gave birth and the mysterious person who fought her husband, the Yondaime, Minato Namikaze; the Kyuubi being drawn out of her and Minato sealing the being inside her son with cost of their lives. When she finished, the woman in front of her looked away before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.
"Well, as you can see, you didn't die. Instead, a man named Danzo Shimura took your body to be investigated and experimented on, while a body double was used to signify your death at the scene with the Yondaime.
Here, the woman, took out two folders and handed them to Kushina. Kushina read through them and her brow furrowed from what she had read. After finishing her sons, she turned to the woman.
"You still haven't told me who you are and why you're did this. Why save us? Why take us away from Konoha?"
The woman nodded, "My name is Konan Hitogawa. I'm an orphan from Amegakure and was trained with two of my best friends by Jiraya of the Sannin."
Kushina's eyes widened at this revelation and made to speak but was stopped by Konan holding up her hand.
"Please, let me finish and then I'll answer your questions. Anyways, we were trained for a short period before Jiraya-sensei had decided that we could fend for ourselves. Soon after, in the years that followed, we gathered many individuals like us that were horrified by what the wars and the current leadership had done to Ame. All were of like mind; we soon set out to usurp control from Hanzo and were close to doing so until one day."
Konan closed her eyes and her fists clenched, "I was taken prisoner by Hanzo, who had joined forces with Danzo Shimura."
Kushina's eyes widened and her mouth was agape in shock.
Konan nodded, "In the end, the offer was that my life for that of Yahiko, my best friend and leader of our group. However, this was just another ploy as Hanzo soon killed nearly all of us as soon as Yahiko had sacrificed himself. I'm the only one that remains from our group."
Kushina closed her mouth and looked sadly at the woman in front of her who was probably just a few years older.
Konan took a deep breath and then continued, "My reason for taking you and your son is this. I've vowed to take revenge against those that have killed the only family I've known. I've already taken care of Hanzo, so Danzo is the next person I shall soon have to fight. I came to Konoha for that purpose of ending that man's tyranny once and for all. It was only by sheer chance that I came across your file and that of your son's."
Konan sighed, "With placing a double at the scene, Konoha will no doubt, doubt your claim to be who you say you are as Danzo had gone through the extremes to supply a perfect clone of yourself to be examined and identified with no traces to be found that it was in fact a copy. Your son has already begun to receive hatred for what he bears, from what IK saw at the orphanage and, like a dye; it has already been cast throughout the village. My benefit from all this is that I'm aware of your exploits as an ANBU member and what benefits your line of an Uzumaki seal master are, which in turn could be incorporated down to your son, in the years to come."
Kushina listened and, while being saddened at the truth that neither her son nor her would be welcomed in Konoha, felt that Konan ultimately did them a favor by saving their lives. However…
"What about contacting Jiraya?"
Konan looked at her for a moment, "Jiraya-sensei may be easy to convince but his political say-so is next to nothing. From what I heard, he, like Tsunade, are in self-exile and probably don't want to be found at this point. However, should you insist that he should be contacted, I'll digress and try to find him for us."
Kushina nodded.
"There is another reason as why I saved you and your son." Konan said, "A friend of mine, Nagato, was also an Uzumaki."
Kushina's eyes widened, "W-What?"
Konan nodded, "From what I understand his family had lived in Ame for several generations so I assume that separated from Uzukagure a long time ago."
Kushina nodded however her mind was in a torrent at this information of possibly living relatives.
Konan brought forth the small scroll she had been holding looking at before, "There is a matter I wish to speak about with you, concerning his last will and testament…"
To be continued…
A/N: Please review.
Q-n-P