Hello again. First, I'd like to say sorry for the delay. It's been almost two years since my last update. Only a couple people on the site know why, but long story short, I moved out on my own and it wasn't until recently that I could afford a computer and decent internet. While most of my time has been devoted to working, school, and supporting myself, I haven't completely neglected my fic. I've written a very rough outline of what I want in this story from Naruto's birth, all the way to the beginning of the 4th Shinobi World War with a few other plotlines interwoven into it. Again, sorry for the delay, I hope this makes up for it.
A Cry for Help
Unaware of the coming climax of the evening, a petite blond woman lay in one of the many sterile white beds in the Kumo General maternity ward. Ironically, though she was in a ward dedicated to delivering new life, she lay dying. She could feel her life force slipping away like grains of sand against the mighty ocean. She couldn't complain though. It had been her choice after all. The doctors had advised her not to have any more children after Yugito but both she and her husband Shun had wanted another child, a sibling for Yugito to love and grow up with. So against the doctor's wishes, Nii Akana became pregnant again. Akana smiled wistfully as she tuned out the beeps and the rumbles and the smell of disinfectant and allowed herself to fall into the sea of her memories. At first, the small family had been happy. A few months passed with no complications. It looked like they were in the clear. But then disaster struck. Nii Shun, known as The Legendary Thunderstorm for his expansive Raiton jutsu catalog, was an A-rank ninja and had been ambushed by bounty hunters on his way back to Kumo from a mission in Iwa. He was captured and killed. His body was later found by Kumo ANBU and returned to the village. The head and heart had been taken. Akana was four months along when she received the news. The new widow and her young daughter had been devastated. Yugito took it the hardest. Her father had been her primary inspiration for becoming a ninja and would not be there to see her graduate. Three months passed and emotional wounds began healing. Then there was more bad news. An injury Akana had received as a chunin had damaged her heart, ending her shinobi career three years ago. The doctors said that her heart could not take the stress of birth and the injury would increase the risk of lethal complications during labor. A few of them suggested aborting the baby to save her life. The hospital ended up having to treat multiple doctors for severe electrical burns that day. Akana refused such an action. This child was the last thing her beloved Shun had given her and she could not imagine killing it, even to save her own life. Unfortunately the doctors had been correct and her weakened heart was now failing her as she prepared to give birth to her son. His name would be Naruto. It was only fitting considering where Akana and Shun had first met. They had both been assigned to a mission to travel to the former country of Uzu to search for remnants and artifacts of the Uzumaki clan massacre performed by Iwa and Kumo during the last war.
Akana let go of her memories and looked around her room. Various medical charts and instruments dotted the bleached white space. It was quiet except for the steady beeping of a heart monitor and the roaring of the storm outside. Her daughter had fallen asleep curled up in the chair next to her bed. The girl's eyes were red from tears as an hour before, Yugito was forced to come to terms with the fact that she would never see her mother again after tonight. Akana looked out at the tempest that was battering her home and thought about the Kyubii steadily advancing on the village. A similar occurrence had happened five years ago when Yugito had been born. The Two-Tailed Demon Cat had been attacking villages on the outskirts of Kumo's territory and was moving towards the village proper. The Yondaime Raikage fought the Nibi to a standstill and sealed it inside Yugito, the only child who had been born that day. Now it looked like Fate was playing a cruel joke on her, having the Kyubi attack on the day of her second child's birth. She wondered how A was going to handle this crisis. Not even he could take on the Kyubi by himself like he did the Nibi. Akana shifted her gaze out the window and looked to the Raikage tower. She was forced to shield her eyes as a bright white column of chakra burst from the roof of the tower. The beam pierced the clouds above and shined for a few seconds before fiickering and dissapating altogether. The Heavenly Transfer Jutsu was the signature technique of A's assistant Mabui. It was a way to instantly transfer matter to any location she desired.
"Looks like a cry for help then." Akana shifted her gaze from the window and back to her expanded belly. "Something tells me that you are going to be destined for great things my little Naruto-kun, just like your sister."
~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~
A was still at his desk shifting through upcoming birth reports when Mabui reentered his office.
"Did you do it?" he asked. She responded with a nod.
"It's done sir." He gave a gruff affirmative.
"Good. Now we can only hope that Minato responds quickly. Can you see how the evacuation is going? I think I know who our new jinchuriki is going to be."
"I'll get right on it sir. May I ask who you've considered?"
"Nii Akana is about to give birth to a son. He will be the one to hold the Kyubi."
"Have you told her yet?"
"No, I just came to the decision. Something tells me she knows though. Either way, I will inform her of my decision when Minato gets here." A seemed to be supressing a sense of sadness. "The report says she is not long for this world. After she passes, I will be caring for Yugito and the boy." He paused for a second and let out a long sigh. "We're not even in a time of war and yet a family just getting off the ground is already broken."
"It's not right sir, but there's nothing we can do about it. We'll just have to make the best of the situation."
"I suppose you're right Mabui. I thought the loss of Shun was the worst thing that had happened to this village in a long time. We even lost Darui for a while. He took the death of his student the hardest. But this is worse. A daughter just entering the Academy, a son on the way, and a widow with a foot in the grave. A family destroyed before it's even begun."
"Maybe you should visit Akana now sir. Let her know what you plan to do with her children. It will comfort her I think to know that the Raikage himself will be protecting her children. I have to check on the sanctuaries now but I'll be back with a report soon." A let her go with a nod and Mabui left the office.
A listened to the encroaching storm for a few minutes and then he began to leave himself, but not before taking the Hiraishin kunai from his desk and putting it in his pocket.
~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~
Back in Konoha, the Hokage was entertaining his closest friends for a dinner celebrating the announcement of his wife's pregnancy. The small party was being held in the dining hall of the Namikaze estate where Minato and Kushina lived. Unlike other clans like the Hyuga and Uchiha that valued oppulence and expensive decor, Minato and Kushina saw no need to splurge on decor to show status and the look of the small dining hall reflected this. Kushina was the heiress of the Uzumaki clan but she despised clan excess so she decided to add her own special touch. Between the two of them, the estate had more of a warm cozy feel to it.
The only people that had been invited to the celebration were Minato's teammates Hyuga Hiashi and Inuzuka Tsume, Hiashi's wife and one of Kushina's teammates, Hana, his student Kakashi, his sensei Jiraiya, Jiraiya's teammate and Kushina's physician Senju Tsunade, and Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage. The group was currently sitting on cushions around the longtable enjoying the dinner made by Kushina and talking. As high ranking ninja, they were often busy and had little time to get together like this. The group was currently laughing at a story told by Tsume that involved Minato and Hiashi landing in the women's hotsprings after a collision bewteen the Rasengan and the Kaiten launched them from a nearby training field. Unfortunately for the two shinobi from Team Jiraiya, they landed right in front of Jiraiya's teammate Tsunade who ended up sending them flying again, courtesy of an augmented strength induced punch straight into the hospital. Obviously embarrased by such a not so proud moment in his career, Hiashi cleared his throat and raised his glass into the air.
"I propose a toast, to the birth of the Namikaze heir. May she bring glory and prestige to her village, and her clan." Everyone else around the table raised their glasses in agreement. After he drained his cup, he continued. "Well it's getting to be that time. Congratulations Kushina, Minato. Hana and I would love to enjoy your company longer, but we really must be going." A wry grin appeared on his face. "Some of us have much work to do and lack Kage Bunshin to do it for us."
Ignoring the friendly, albeit slightly jealous jab at one of his favorite shortcuts, Minato rose to meet his friend in a hug, brushing aside the outstretched hand he knew would be there.
"A handshake Hiashi? Sometimes I wonder if you don't believe we're really friends. I'm hurt." Hiashi grunted dismissively but the smile on his face betrayed his true feelings as he returned the gesture to the mom he considered another brother. The sentimental moment was interrupted by the brash voice of their female teammate.
"Well I don't know about you guys, but I could use another drink. Feel like moving this party to Mariko's place Jiraiya-sensei?" The perverted Sage didn't even need a moment.
"You just read my mind Tsume-chan!" the man replied boisterously. "It's been fun Minato-kun, but the night's still young and so am I, Hahahahaha! Hey Tsunade-hime, feel like joining us?" The Slug Queen didn't even deign to give an answer to her perverted friend and excused herself from the table, reminding Kushina to stop by her office the following week. "That's cold hime." The Toad Sage ceased his pouting and excused himself as well offering a final congratulations over his shoulder before following his other student into the night.
The rest of the guests slowly filtered out of the Namikaze estate until only the happy couple and Minato's predecessor remained. On his way out, the old man suddenly stopped at the threshold as something he couldn't describe washed over him then, a feeling of both hope and dread he'd never experienced. Behind Sarutobi stood his successor and his wife with child, framed by the light of their home, a perfect symbol of his beloved village's future. But in front of him was the uncertain night, darkness infinite and everlasting. Sarutobi Hiruzen was never a man to believe in premonitions, he left that to Jiraiya and Tsunade. But the feeling that permeated his being at that moment screamed out to him for reasons he couldn't comprehend. He wouldn't get a chance to.