DISCLAIMER: I do not own the characters in this story, as they belong to the creator(s) of Naruto. I am by no means claiming to own the rights of any character, object, or anything for that matter involved in the Naruto Series. Thank you! :D
*(Reference to the English Dub)
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Kushina was fast asleep. Her dreams were empty and filled with void; she was incapable of having dreams. She clinged to
Minato's shirt even in her sleep. Her room was spotless. Just a bed surrounded by polished hardwood flooring and white walls.
Her entire house was this way in exception to the washroom, kitchen, and bathrooms. She was wearing her Guitar Hero pajamas,
which included grey pants and a black longsleeve shirt.
She awoke to a loud thump that came from her roof. Someone was outside. She got up after placing Minato's shirt on the bed,
and carefully snuck outside to identify the source of the disturbance. At first, there appeared to be nothing. She let her
guard down, and headed calmly to the door of her backyard. Just as she grabbed the handle she noticed a small human-like
figure standing behind her in the reflection of the glass on the door.
"What the?" Kushina quietly exclaimed as she turned around. It was a small girl. She had short brown hair, with purple marks
-one on each cheek- on her face. She looked no older than a fifth grader. She was very frightened. It reminded Kushina of
herself when she was younger.
"Hey. What are you doing outside my house?" Kushina asked the girl calmly. The girl looked up at Kushina's face slowly,
"Well... It's because I'm hiding..." the girl answered. "What are you hiding from? What's your name?" Kushina asked her while
trying to sound pleasant. "My name is Rin. I'm hiding from my daddy..." Rin answered, but Kushina noticed that Rin had began to
shake on the word "daddy." "Oh I see... But Rin-san, why are you hiding from your daddy?" Kushina asked her comfortingly.
"If he finds me he is going to hurt me." Rin answered and began to cry. Kushina had a strange feeling in her chest.
"I understand," Kushina heard someone else coming their way, "My name is Kushina. Come on, Rin-san, we need to get inside."
Rin nodded and carefully went inside. Kushina followed her and carefully closed the doors and locked them. They went into the
living room. Rin sat down on a dark blue sofa that formed one corner of the the room. The rest of the room was just polished
hard wood flooring and white walls. Kushina brought Rin some tea and sat down next to her.
"So Rin-san... Why does your daddy want to hurt you?" Kushina asked her carefully. "Well... He does other things too. I
don't know why. I'm always trying my best to make him happy. It never works... When I get home from school he... I don't
know what I'm doing wrong..." She gripped her cup tightly and began to cry. She looked humiliated. Kushina knew that
look very well. Somehow, Kushina knew exactly what Rin meant when she said "other things." She became angry. The thought
that someone else had felt pain that she had caused a storm inside of her to erupt. Their hearts had connected as Kushina
hugged Rin tightly. "I don't need to know anything else. I'll protect you. I promise." Rin slowly calmed down and was
surprised at how kind Kushina was to her.
Hope had filled Rin's eyes. She hugged Kushina back just as tightly. The feeling of the embrace itself had shocked Kushina,
as this was the second person to ever hug her since her parents abandoned her. She heard a knocking that broke the moment
coming from her backyard door. She motioned Rin to stay put and answered the door. Kushina was relieved to see that it was
a small boy with white hair. It was Kakashi, who had been watching out for Rin this whole time.
"Howdy-do*. Can I come in?" Kakashi said aloud while walking into the house. Kushina's had a confused expression.
"Ummm... Who the hell are you?" she asked while rather annoyed by his entrance into her home. "Kakashi Hatake. I'm a friend
of Rin-chan's." Kakashi replied in his sarcastically cheerful tone. "Kakashi-kun!" Rin shouted happily while blushing. She
ran up to him and hugged him. He lost his balance because of her sudden hug and he fell with her on top of him. Kushina was
assured at this point that Kakashi was in fact a friend of Rin's and settled down a little. She just watched them for a moment. She was amused, and asked him why he had come.
Kakashi had explained how he had been observing Rin, assuring that she was safe. This made Rin blush and smile. He had been
following her since she fled her house. He heard her father shouting at her and he immediately began his silent observation.
"Does her father know that she's here?" Kushina asked him while sounding rather unimpressed with his efforts. "Ah.
Unfortunately, he saw her come here." Kakashi answered her with a regretful tone. "You realize what will happen if she goes
home right?" Kushina asked. "... Ah." Kakashi replied as his expression became angry.
Kushina and Kakashi's expressions matched perfectly as they heard the doorbell. They both glared beyond the door. Kushina's
eyes had turned red and began to glow like the Kyuubi's. They both knew who it was that awaited them on the other side.
Rin's father was at the door when Kushina had answered it. "Hello. I believe my daughter is here. I would like her back."
the man said calmly. "Certainly." Kushina said in response. Her voice had been altered by the Kyuubi's power. Though he did
not show it, Rin's father was quite afraid of Kushina at this point.
"I appreciate that you took care of Rin. Please, come over for some tea. I would be honored to thank you properly." the
man's voice was filled with something Kushina identified as "The Liar's Tone." She knew his intentions were devious from it.
"Hai." she turned to Kakashi and signaled him to follow them carefully, and finally closed the door.
They had been walking for a few minutes when they reached Rin's house. When Kushina walked in, Kakashi was waiting in the
backyard, awaiting the man's anticipated dirty move. The three of them sat down at a table. The man poured Kushina some tea.
"I didn't catch your name." the man said as his voice grew colder. "Uzumaki Kushina." she replied calder than him. She grabbed
her glass and crushed it, her nails had grown longer. "As I thought. The Jinchuuriki in my household. Normally, a monster
like yourself wouldn't be welcome here. But you did take care of Rin. I'm afraid that you will have to pay for that glass
though, somehow." the man's dirty voice grew colder and darker as he declared the final scentence. Lines appeared on Kushina's
cheeks and she grew silent as the man approached her. When he tried to grab her, she punched him in the face with great
strength. A loud pop sounded as the man's nose broke. She took off down the hall with Rin and entered her room.
Kushina slammed the door shut, which had no lock. "Typical... fucking sicko." Kushina said quietly as she held the door
with her amazing strength. The man was trying to get in, but he couldn't get the door to budge an inch. He seemed to have
given up, and left momentarily. Rin stared in horror at Kushina, who had started to look more and more like the Kyuubi.
Kushina didn't blame her. Kushina was just as frightened when she saw herself in this form for the first time.
"Rin-chan. It's going to be okay. I'll protect you... I promise." Kushina comforted her and smiled. Her voice was still quite
distorted and startled Rin at first. Though she slowly began to ease up a little.
Just when Rin had finally started to calm down, the sound of a gunshot filled the house. Kushina's stomach had spewed
blood as she feel to the floor. Rin's father had shot her through the door with a shotgun. Rin's father ignored Kushina
and rushed Rin. He grabbed her by the throat and angrily began touching her. Rin was trying to cry but she could hardly
breathe. "Stupid little whore!" her father shouted as he punched her repeatedly and ripped her pants off.
Rin had lost all hope. The wicked man had penetrated her, sending blood down her legs. The man stopped as he heard a
strange chirping noise approaching. A blue flash filled the room. Within the blind of an eye Rin's father was dead on the floor,
with a hole in his chest that bled heavily. He was gurgling as most do when they are killed. Kakashi was now standing in front
of Rin. He looked at Kushina who appeared dead on the floor. His Sharingan began to tear up.
"Rin-chan... Kushina-san... I'm so sorry..." Kakashi said quietly, staring Rin in the eyes sorrowfully. Rin noticed
that he was crying from his left eye. From his Sharingan. Rin was shocked. Kakashi had never cried before. Not once.
"Kakashi-kun... You're crying." Rin said quietly. She hugged him tightly and began to cry with him. Kakashi was trying
to avoid looking at her, as she still had no pants on. He just closed his eyes tightly and cried harder.
They had stopped crying and were both staring at Kushina in remorse. Rin and Kakashi had tears in their eyes. They
felt so guilty; they dragged her into this mess. Kakashi especially, because he felt responsible as the boy. His goal
was simply to protect the girls, and he had failed his comrades for the second time. He was always too slow.
Kushina heard their sobs, and carefully got up. The two children were rendered speechless. Kushina looked around the
room. She saw Rin's dead father, and gasped when she saw Rin was bleeding between her legs. Even worse, her face had
several bruises on it. Kushina started crying and making painful noises with each breathe she took. Her heart felt Rin's
pain, as she stared into the young girl's eyes.
"K-kusa... Rin-chan... Kakashi-kun... I'm so sorry..." Kushina began, "Because of me... Yuo guys were-" Rin interrupted
her, "Because of you, Kushina-san, I'm safe. Arigatou." Rin said with a smile on her face, trying to encourage Kushina.
"But, you're all alone now, Rin-chan. You can't stay here alone..." Kushina replied after she calmed down enough to speak.
"Maybe. But I have an idea. If it's okay, Kakashi and I are alone, and you're house is really big. Maybe we could all move
in together. We'll be like family!" Rin said excitedly. Kakashi nodded in approval of her request. "Family..." more tears
formed in Kushina's eyes. This time they were tears of joy. She had always wanted a family. "H-hai! Family!" she hugged Rin
and Kakashi lovingly and started to laugh and cry simultaneously. They all were crying tears of happiness.
They quickly packed clothes up and any other necessities and brought them to Kushina's house. The rest would have to wait
until tomorrow, as it was already late at night. They had brought all of Rin's stuff. They just needed the rest of Kakashi's
possessions. They all slept in the same bed that night, and Kushina was over-joyed to have the company.
"Night Kushi-chan! Night Kakashi-kun!" Rin said happily before she layed in bed with them. "Night Rin-chan!" Kakashi and
Kushina responded Simultaneously.
It seemed as though everything was finally going to be okay.
