Hey there, another chapter!

Sorry for the long wait but I was pretty busy! This chapter is also unbeta'd. I also thank my review! I appreciate you reading this story! and thanks to my followers!

The disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or Arjuna: Earth Maiden

Now, Have at it!

The Loss:

Rin had spent weeks, or what felt like weeks since it was hard to count the time in a place where there was no night or day, testing and strengthening her connection with the planet. She observed different hidden villages, watched children play and laugh all over fire country and had performed many small acts of kindness leaving many bystanders dumbfounded. But even with this ability, Rin felt that there something was missing, that she was slightly incomplete or not completely connected

Rin knew the source of the aching empty feeling, why she couldn't properly experience the feeling of being complete as Juna had described, why she couldn't fully connect and lower all barriers between the planet and herself. It was all because she hadn't fully 'awakened', something that Juna had yet to teach her and every time the girl pestered the woman, she would deflect the question or ignore it completely saying countless times that she wasn't ready yet rather opting to lecture Rin on her new duties. Countless times Rin had left in a huff after vocalizing her need to become stronger. She had seen the future of the planet, the future of her teammates and Rin desperately wanted to improve so that this could be prevented. Until Juna asked how she was going to save them if she couldn't save herself and use her new abilities to the fullest?

'What use are you to them if you go mad from the whispers of the planet? What use are you if you are killed when it could have been prevented had you had full control over your powers? What use would you be then, Rin?'

Rin had known the answer to that question even though she didn't say anything until Juna had left.

"I wouldn't be" she had whispered into forest devoid of human life, stunned by the revelation.

After that Rin had agreed to a compromise, she would remain at the shrine until all she had to do was fully awaken and Juna woulds teach her to Spirit walk now so she could interact more with her environment instead of just using tree roots. Rin had jumped at the chance to learn a new way to help her family. Thus this had lead to what felt like weeks of meditation, many attempted spirit walks that had failed, interspersed with the practice of her tree root abilities, practice of the kata and jutsu that she had been taught by Minato-sensei and the academy. After all it wouldn't do for her to be remiss in her training should she encounter enemy shinobi on her future travels. When Juna had come across the scene of her evasion and speed training she merely quirked and eyebrow before floating deeper into the forest muttering about paranoid ninja (she wasn't wrong). And as it turns out the animals of the forest did have surprisingly good aim when came to throwing nuts and acorns.

The thought of Minato-sensei sent a pang of guilt through her, she had been so focused on her teammates, her family that she had forgotten the father figure of the trio of them. Rin knew that Minato-Sensei had seen the three of them as his own children and that he had taken Obito's death hard. Perhaps even harder than Kakashi but he had hidden it well. There were moments where Rin had see the anguish and the doubt caused by question of possibilities, of the 'What if?' in his eyes. She had seen but was too wrapped up in her own grief to do anything about it. With that in mind, Rin promises herself that the next time she meditates and visit's Kakashi, she would visit Minato-sensei as well.

As Rin settled down for her daily peak on the village, Rin could feel a...chill in the air but it wasn't just that, it seemed that the planet was holding it's breath and that had made her uneasy. With that in mind, Rin felt the urge to check on her precious people once again. Closing her eyes, Rin could feel the connection take hold

x

She could feel everything. It was quite disconcerting at first but there was always that feeling of wonder and amazement that never seemed to have left. Focusing on her home, Rin could feel the shit as her area of awareness, as she called it, centred on the Leaf. And she could feel every one in the village, for the newly born to those who live and to the elderly and the dying. It was a strangely humble feeling, to know that humans no matter how powerful always succumb to the finality that time brought. Death.

'That is a morbid thought' Rin reflects, feeling oddly despondent.

Concentrating once more, Rin could feel the same chill in the air that she had felt back in the shrine and feeling it this far out made her unease for the near future increase. Looking back in the memories that she had seen from her two boys, she wonders if this is the night that Sensei and Kunshina die. With a shudder she forces herself to focus on Kakashi's location and as the earth shifts once again Rin finds herself watching Guy interact with Kakashi, clearly against his will, but she ignores this as a warmth fills her being. She is happy that Kakashi has someone to talk to rather than isolate himself but as she watches the two interact she can't help but notice that even though Kakashi does enjoy interacting with Guy, he still holds him at arms length. Rin sighs, at least there is some progress there and she knows that in the future when Kakashi is hurting Guy will drag him out and force him to see what is still out there, who is still out there and into his life and for that Rin is forever grateful and considers herself in Guy's debt.

There is a sudden flare of Sensei's chakra and Rin remembers her promise to visit the man. The flare that she had felt was full of shock, joy and fear tinged with a kind of wariness that only came from loss and war. With a fluid movement that came from months of practice, Rin shifts her area of awareness again. Rin sees a room that is bare save for a screaming Kushina, a frightful Minato, the Third's wife and a mid-wife and four seals with the kanji of the cardinal directions: North, South, East and West. Rin has little doubt that together they form a very powerful barrier seal. There is a sudden shout of pain and Rin's attention is once again on the fiery red-head and the frantic blond and as she watches, Rin could fee the shock of an epiphany seep in.

'Kushina is having a baby' came a stray thought which was promptly followed by another.
'Minato-Sensei is going to be a father...this will not end well' While Minato-Sensei is a great shinobi and teacher, it was known that all Shinobi, high level ones in particular are generally quite...quirky. Minato-Sensei especially so when it came to his seals and their use in everyday life and in training. Rin and her teammates had learn't to stay away or to tread carefully when ever he had come to training declaring that he had created a new seal that needed to be tested. The first time was enough to scar even Kakashi who would become extremely wary when Minato came in the 'testing' mood as they had dubbed it. Rin shuddered and without realizing it, the earth had shuddered lightly in response creating a small tremor on the surface in the village. This had caused the midwives and Minato to look around to check for damage, and Rin could swear that Minato-Sensei had looked her in the eyes as though he knew she was there

Rin would have giggled at the sight if she had not felt the five chakra signals she had absently registered be violently snuffed out. Her apprehension increased and as though through some unspoken acknowledgment the tree roots began to slowly protrude through the cracks in the stone floor, slowly enough to escape the notice of the distracted ninja. All attention was drawn the sharp cry of a newborn baby, shrill and full of life and hope. Rin watch as the Third's wife gently wrapped the babe in a blue swaddle and move past Minato-Sensei to give the child to Kushina and poking just above the cloth was bright blond hair, more bright than the father's and Rin knew that the child would have eyes just as blue as his father and the tenacity of his mother. Rin was distracted by the bundle of joy when Obito appeared, stabbing both the Third's wife and the mid-wife before snatching the child and jumping back. She watched this with an unnerving calm.

With calm and practiced will and movement, Rin turned her attention away from when Obito was threatening Sensei's child and focused on the two women bleeding out. As Minato lunged for the child and vanished, the roots that rested in a waiting position rushed out and wrapped the two women in a protective embrace, some of the roots had attempted to reach Kushina but Obito had gotten to her first. Rin watched Obito pause for a moment as he took in the scene of the roots cocooning the two women and the ones that had reached for Kushina before leaving through a swirling portal. Turning her attention back to the injured women, Rin could feel that they were both alive but bleeding out, the Third's wife more so than the other woman. Remembering one of the lesson from Juna, Rin focused her intent and imbued the roots with what chakra she could pull through from her own body and set out about to slow the bleeding. Through this intent, some of the roots moved closer to the wound and gained a soft green pulsing glow.

Not long after, Rin could sense another five chakra signals coming quickly. The Third Hokage came rushing in to the room followed by a team of four ANBU and Rin watched as his chakra flared frantically before a sense of despair slowly settled. Slowly Rin encouraged the roots to unfurl and watched as the Third was immediately on guard from the action. Rin watched the Sandime's eyes widen at the sight of his wife safely wrapped in the roots and the further they unrolled the more she saw the hope shine in his eyes until the roots stopped moving altogether and the once Hokage rushed to the aid of his wife. Rin saw the hope and felt it though his aura and smiled, this was another life that she had managed to save. There must have been an unseen command because one of the ANBU also rushed forward with both hands glowing green with the intent to heal and Rin watched as the Third's wife was brought back from the brink of death.
There was an unsaid collective sigh of relief as the third's wife remained breathing( And Rin figured she really should learn the woman's name) and was announced as stable.

"Bird, take her to safety" the Sandime commanded with a firm voice to which the mentioned ANBU acknowledged with a Shunshin and vanished with the injured woman. With a jolt Rin realized that the other woman in her hold had also been take with the ANBU and Rin gave an inaudible sigh of relief and then focused her attention on her Sensei and Kushina. Something was wrong and Rin could feel the corrosive chakra in the air and felt many lives snuff out and prayed that she had made it time.

x

Rin had just shifted in time to witness the last moment of her Sensei and his wife and as the claw tore through the chests of Minato and Kushina, Rin let out a strangled cry and Ripped herself forward only to collapse before them as she watched the couple bade their final goodbyes to the child. There wasn't a thing she could do, she hadn't been able to change *anything*, she hadn't been able to save them. A ragged breath drew her attention but Rin couldn't look away from the blood and the claw that had pierced their chests.

"It's good to see you again...Rin" Her head snapped up and her heart broke as she took in the pained and broken smile.

"...Seal"

"Minato-Sensei!" Rin cried out as the last of the nine-tailed fox was pulled into the belly of the his only child. She watches their bodies collapse and refuses to let herself think on the deaths.

Rin moves away from their bodies and lingers over the crying child, the final legacy of her Sensei and the last of the great Uzumaki clan and Rin knows that this child would lead a difficult life and would face many hardships. A lost look in her eyes and a sad frown plays upon her lips as she makes one more silent promise.

'I'll watch over and protect you son too, Minato-Sensei, Kushina'

Rin stays as a silent vigil until she can feel the desperation of the Third and two other's chakra as they come barreling into the clearing. She watch as the two make their way over, calling out Minato-Sensei' and Kushina's name, desperate to to get a response and when Kushina speaks, Rin admires her strength to stay alive long enough to tell the Sandime the name of her Child. Naruto. And when she dies, Kushina looks to Rin her eyes widening and she smiles before her eyes close for a final time.

Rin can feel her soul leave and the urge to cry wells up stronger then ever. Staring at the corpses of the people she had always considered precious, the ones who had taught her the skills to survive and had treated her like a daughter and not just a solider. So when it begin to rain, Rin cries with the sky morning the lost of the two greatest and strongest people she ever had the privilege of knowing.

And that's the end! Now we're moving on with the plot and abilities!

So please let me know what you think!