Chapter Four: The Aftermath

Note: We are finally getting closer to the Naruto timeline. Soon all the rookie 9 will be born.

Warning: AU Universe. Some OOC.

When Zero was born, the Third Great Shinobi War had already started, and Zero was one of the many ones that felt its effects. But seeing and experiencing the horrors of the frontlines of the Third Great Shinobi War affected and changed him greatly. Zero became a pacifist who hated war, yet wanted to become a shinobi because he felt that his own needs were second to the greater good; Zero knew that the mokuton and hyoton he possessed would greatly benefit Konoha and its people, and he wanted to protect Konoha and the King. So despite the Third Great Shinobi War being over, Zero still trained hard. He still practiced his shurikenjutsu, taijutsu, chakra control, and fluency of forming seals with determination and vigour.

It was in mid-December, about a month or so since the Third Great Shinobi War had ended, when Zero was presented with a reason that would make him elated for weeks to come, and would push him to become strong, to achieve even greater heights – his mother's pregnancy.

At first thinking it was just a sickness, Shizuka had ignored the nausea and fatigue she felt, thinking she was simply tired and stressed out, with the death of her husband and the number of people who needed her potions. But after the symptoms continued for more than a month, Shizuka realized that there must be something wrong and went to the Konoha Hospital to have a check-up. She brought Zero with her, because she felt that Zero needed to spend his days doing something other than training and helping out at the Bakery. Having Zero wait outside the room, Shizuka entered to have her check-up with the medic-nin, Hagane-sensei.

"Congratulations! You are close to two months pregnant." Hagane-sensei informed her.

"…What? …I'm pregnant?" Shizuka echoed disbelievingly.

"Yes. Let's see, the due date of the baby should be somewhere round August." Hagane-sensei replied calmly; he was used to patients being shocked about pregnancy after all. Faces of disbelief were usually the first reactions parents have.

"I…I see…Thank you for your time Hagane-sensei." Shizuka bowed politely towards Hagane-sensei, seemingly quite shocked and dazed at the news, and headed out of the room.

Meeting back up with Zero, who was waiting outside like the well-behaved boy he always was, the two of them went home together. Shizuka was silent on the way home, still trying to understand that she was pregnant again. Considering the fact that Yukine had been dead for almost two months, and she was still trying to get over his death, and now she would have another child, another legacy of her husband? It was a bit too sudden, Shizuka thought. Zero tugging lightly on her hand, brought her out of musings. She looked down at him, and oh, Zero's hair, his face, his expression – it really was so similar to Yukine's.

"Mother, are you okay? Are you sick?" Zero asked, worry clear in his bright lilac eyes.

Shizuka laughed softly, Zero really was a kind-hearted boy, though he did look a bit too feminine – maybe he would grow out of it as he grew older? Having a male be prettier than a female, was not really something good, she thought jokingly. Patting him on the head, Shizuka spoke warmly, "I'm not sick. I'm simply pregnant. Zero, you are going to be a big brother soon."

"Big brother?...I'm…I'm going to be a big brother." Zero spoke up, disbelief and happiness running clear in his eyes.

Shizuka smiled, and lightly held Zero's small hand with hers, "let's go home".

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Initially, Shizuka was worried. Zero was always different from other children; he developed and matured way faster, not to mention the prodigious talent he held for the shinobi arts.

When Zero first awakened the mokuton and hyoton at the young age of two, while trying to protect her, she felt concerned for his future. Shizuka knew that with Zero awaking two kekkei genkais long thought to be extinct to the world, there was no way Konoha would let Zero not be a shinobi, plus the Elemental Nations were full of people who would want Zero for his abilities.

When they moved to Konoha, Shizuka felt a mix between thankfulness and sadness. Konoha was one of the great ninja nations; there were fewer places safer to live in than in Konoha, especially during war time. Yet because it was one of the great ninja villages, Konoha was deeply entrenched in the Third Great Shinobi War, and Zero would no doubt be pushed to become a shinobi.

When Shikaku-san introduced his nephew, Kaname to them, Shizuka was beyond happy. Kaname got along extremely well with Zero, and it made her content that Zero had at least one friend. Even if Kaname was the same as her son, and both were absolutely hopeless in the social aspect of life, a friend was still a friend. Shizuka could still remember her husband's face when she told him about Zero making a friend; Yukine didn't believe her and thought she was making a joke – her husband knew as well, how socially inept Zero was. Shizuka didn't know whether she was supposed to feel offended or not, as she would have been sceptical about Zero making a friend to, if she hadn't seen it herself.

When Yukine was forced to bring Zero along with him to the frontlines, Shizuka was distraught with fear. Being one of the last descendants of the Giou Clan, Shizuka knew what war was like. War, especially the frontlines, changed people, made them mad. It was not something she, herself wanted to see, and definitely not something she wanted to let a barely three year old Zero see either. But orders were orders, and there was nothing she could do.

When three year old Zero came back safe from the frontlines with Yukine, Shizuka only felt relieved. Even though she knew right away from the look in her sons' eyes, that he had seen the horror of this shinobi world, had taken a life, she could only feel glad that Zero was still alive. Even though Zero was plagued with nightmares for the following weeks after he came back, Shizuka still couldn't help but feel relieved. She knew that Zero was strong, and if he wasn't, she simply needed to support him until he was strong.

When Yukine died, Shizuka felt lost. She tried to hold herself together though, for the sake of Zero, and for the sake of Konoha, because her potions were needed by the shinobi. Still, there were times she didn't know what she was supposed to do, how she was supposed to go on living. But every time Shizuka saw Zero, she gained resolve and pulled herself together. She needed to stay strong for Zero, she was the parent here, not the child; she should be the one helping Zero, not the other way around.

When the Third Great Shinobi War was announced to be over, Shizuka was glad. She didn't need to brew batches and batches of potions all day long for the shinobi, and she didn't need to heal shinobi so that they could just die the next day. Shizuka was relieved, the Elders wouldn't pressure or expect so much from Zero, and Zero could relax and be more of a kid.

Now, looking at Zero tenderly touching her stomach, Shizuka couldn't help but feel that everything would be alright. Even if Yukine was no longer with them, he still lived within them, within their hearts; Yukine would not disappear or fade completely unless he was forgotten. These two, Shizuka thought softly, as she glanced endearingly at Zero and her only slightly stomach, were the last legacies of Senju Yukine.

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Instead of spending the majority of his time training, Zero now spent more of his time looking after his mother and helping her brew the potions that the Rose Blossom Bakery needed. His mother had been a bit reluctant, but since Zero was almost three and a half years old and he knew all the theory to potions making, she had finally relented. Brewing potions were a bit more tiring than Zero thought it would be, as he had to constantly imbue his chakra into the potion mix. But after a few times of doing it, it felt natural and didn't strain him at all.

Zero had told Kaname as soon as he could, that his mother was pregnant and he would soon be becoming an older brother. Considering how similar Kaname was with him, Zero should have known that Kaname would also be becoming an older brother; Shikaku-san and Yoshino-san were expecting a child in September. While Zero and Kaname still trained hard together almost every day, it was less strenuous, and the two would always go home earlier in order to help out their respective families.

It was a day of late-December, about a week or two after learning that his mother was pregnant, that Zero was found in front of the memorial stone. "Father, I'm going to be an older brother soon. Don't worry; I'll be the one to protect mother and my younger sibling." Zero promised seriously, in front of Senju Yukine's grave. "I'll become a shinobi, and be the one who protects Konoha and the king. So please rest peacefully, father, and thank you very much for everything." Bowing deeply, Zero payed his respects and gratitude he felt towards his father, before leaving to head back for the Rose Blossom Bakery.

Winter had passed, and spring was well on its way. The months flew by before Zero noticed it, his days filled with helping out at Rose Blossom Bakery, brewing potions, baking desserts, and a few hours of training with Kaname if he could squish it in. The Sandaime had resigned, and Namikaze Minato, the Yellow Flash, was now the Yondaime Hokage of Konohagakure. The Yondaime's inauguration, as he was presented the traditional Hokage hat, was met with screams and whoops of delight from the crowd. The whole village was in cheers; the Yondaime was viewed as a hero because of his actions in the Third Great Shinobi War, and he, himself, was charismatic and kind towards the people of Konoha.

Zero had met the Yondaime Hokage personally, when he visited the Rose Blossom Bakery sometime in the middle of March. The Yondaime had heard about Zero and his mother secretely being the family of Senju Yukine, and the fact that Zero held the mokuton and hyoton, from the Sandaime, when he took over the Hokage's position. The Hokage said that he would continue keeping it a secret and it would not be disclosed until either Zero or the Hokage wanted it to be. The Yondaime thanked Zero and his mother, for the potions they sold at the bakery had saved a lot of people's lives in the Third Great Shinobi War, and Konoha had benefitted greatly because of the potions. But both Zero and his mother denied the praise, saying that it was only right for them to do what they could to help.

Konoha, as a whole, was recovering steadily from the war, and the talks of peace with the other villages were going well. The regulations for entering the Ninja Academy had been changed from the four-year wartime curriculum to a six-year curriculum, with the entrance age being six. Since the war was over, there was no need to push and graduate children from the academy early, regardless of whether they were ready or not.

Zero had also celebrated Kaname's fifth birthday on April 26th, giving him a pack full of strong potions that Zero, himself had brewed. The two of them spent the whole day together in the Nara compound, training a bit but most of the time, just relaxing at Kaname's house, with the pregnant Yoshino-san. As the Jonin Commander, Shikaku-san was busy most of the time. Zero was already a regular visitor of the Nara compound for quite a while, and people were no longer surprised when they saw him there.

Spring ended, and then it was summer; the months, May, June, and July had passed and August finally rolled by. Zero's younger brother – Kiryuu Ichiru, was born on the morning of August 14th, the same day Zero turned four years old. Zero feel in love with his younger brother, from the first time he saw him. Ichiru was so cute with his silver hair and soft lilac eyes, so innocent, and so small; Zero vowed that he would protect Ichiru with his life, just like he would do for Konoha and the King. Afterwards, Zero happily introduced Ichiru to Kaname, Shikaku-san and Yoshino-san. All three of them had been delighted to see his younger sibling. Near the end of September, Kaname's younger brother/cousin – Nara Shikamaru was born, and Zero and Kaname spent the majority of their time with their younger brothers. If not Zero bringing Ichiru with him to visit Kaname, it would be Kaname visiting him with Shikamaru; both the two of them were older brothers who adored their lovely younger brothers.

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But as usual, all good times come to an end.

On the night of October 10th, everything went to hell again.

Zero and Ichiru were staying over at Kaname's house, since their mother was at the Konoha Hospital healing patients. Shikaku-san was at work and Yoshino-san was helping out at the Rose Blossom Bakery, in Shizuka's place.

Both Zero and Kaname were holding their younger brothers – Ichiru and Shikamaru in their arms respectively, relaxing out on the porch and enjoying the full moon. Suddenly, the two of them felt a wave of dark, oppressive, and malevolent chakra wash over them; Zero and Kaname stiffened, wondering what that feeling was, when both Ichiru and Shikamaru started crying at the same time. The village alarm sounded, stating for the civilians to head for the shelter, as screams filled the air and explosions rocked the house. Zero and Kaname hurriedly headed outside, and were met with chaos.

The Kyuubi, it was released inside the village, and with each movement of its tails, it was creating a horrifying amount of damage.

Zero held tightly onto Ichiru with his arms, dodging pieces of concrete, trees, houses, that came flying towards him. He sped up his pace, with Kaname beside him, who was holding Shikamaru, doing the same; they needed to hurry to the shelter. Zero ignored the cries of help from the people around him, turned a blind eye towards the two men trapped under rubble, the husband and wife trapped inside a burning building. Out in the far distance, the kyuubi flicked another one of its tails, and both Zero and Kaname dived to the left, watching as debris triple the size of them sails past their original position.

If they were a second slower, a moment slower in moving, then both Ichiru and Shikamaru would be dead.

Zero and Kaname immediately got up, there was no time to rest, no time to think; they needed to get to the shelter, they needed to protect their younger brothers. When the two of them finally arrived at the shelter, Zero couldn't help but collapse in relief, feeling Kaname do the same next to him. They were safe, Ichiru and Shikamaru had survived, they thought.

Outside, the Kyuubi roars, and both Zero and Kaname continue hearing screams and sounds of pain. It's unclear to them how long they were at the shelter, but when there is finally silence, the sun has risen over Konohagakure and the kyuubi is nowhere to be seen.

One of the great ninja nations – Konohagakure, was now in a state of rubble and blood.

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