"Naruto-kun, could you please change Himawari's diaper? I'm in the middle of bathing Boruto."
"Emm, yeah, I'll be right there…" Naruto definitely didn't want to change the diaper. He will just have to wait it through – Hinata will be done soon and will take care of it herself. Just need to gain some time…
"Naruto-kun…?"
/ / / Same time, different place / / /
"Go away! We're playing now here!" The girl was from Inuzuka clan and clearly lacked any manners.
"Yup!" Confirmed Akimichi kid with his mouth full of potato chips.
These four kids have been playing in their hideout. And they moved stuff around, Gen noticed with furrowed brows. "You go away, it's our hideout!"
"Who says so?!"
"What do you mean? We built it!"
"And now we are playing here. Come back tomorrow. Or next week, when we get bored with it!"
"You should leave! And that immediately!"
"Or what? Will you burn us? You Uchiha ass, acting all almighty! Will you now start fighting over his place with your fellow villagers?!" Suddenly they were no longer twelve-year olds speaking, but their clans, clashing through the centuries. Why did their clan had to come up each time they had an argument with someone, Gen wondered. It made him angry. Was he always supposed to stay back not to fuel accusations against the Uchiha?
He stepped forward, a clearly offensive stance.
"Oh, yes, you're gonna fight… Uchiha are always traitorous!"
Gen clenched his fists, all tensed. Feeling grab on his shoulder, he glimpsed backwards to read Yume's eyes. One deep breath and he was able to speak in even voice again.
"My sister says that we can allow you to be here. Tomorrow we come back and if things are not exactly as we've built it…" The unspoken threat hung in the air.
Other children gulped. But the Inuzuka boy apparently couldn't hold his tongue. "Can't your sister speak for herself? Is she mute or what?!"
Gen smirked. He didn't even have to force acting cool. Confidence was strong in him with Yume just inches from his back. "Of course she can. She just doesn't bother with scum like you."
Inuzuka boy barred his teeth. Kunai flashed through the air and buried in the middle of his chest. Gen grabbed for his weapon, two girls from the other group started screaming. Inuzuka boy fell on his knees and then face forward on the ground.
"Only Uchiha children are the target." said tall man stepping into the clearing. Several others appeared from behind the trees. It could have been ten of them, maybe more. Gen and Yume moved together in smooth, synchronized motion, their backs finally touching, kunai in hands. "Grab them. Kill the others."
It was quick. Other children manage to par two or three kunai before the onslaught of projectiles got them. Yume drew a very deep breath. The attackers were turning towards them now. One was unfolding a net.
Gen squished her hand. He knew what had to be done. So did she. But it was so difficult. She didn't want to!
They looked at each other. No words necessary, she didn't know if it was thanks to their lifelong closeness, their strict training as team mates or the time they shared in the womb, but they didn't really need to speak.
Head nod. And scatter. Two different directions and they will have a chance to escape. The attackers will become pursuers, a task they were no so necessary suited to. They will need a moment to reorganize and divide to follow both of them and that should give them enough of an advantage to escape in this familiar terrain.
All well calculated, but they underestimated the attackers' skills. A powerful blow of wind-based technique hit Yume in mid-flight like a hammer.
"Yume!" Gen turned back. They will have to fight now. Two against ten, and all adult ninja on top of that.
"Incapacitate him! Avoid the vital points!"
Kunais hit his left leg and left arm. He rose, lifted hands to form Fire sign. Third kunai pierced his palm to the tree…
Long-haired man was approaching Yume. She was conscious, but still confused, on her knees. Blood was flowing from an opened wound on her shoulder, trickling down her forearm, between her fingers. Gen didn't notice when did she get hit…
"Look at the girl. Grown-up enough already. We will get Sharingan babies from her!"
Yume jerked her head. She was more collected now. Her right arm was useless; Taijutsu or extensive seal forming were out of question. But her chakra reserves were still untouched. Maybe she could manage… She thought about Lady Katsuyu, mother's summon to come and shelter them. About Sasuke's hawks to take them into safety… She didn't have a summoning contract with neither… But she needed someone to protect them! "Oh, please, let someone come! Oh please, let it happen! Someone, anyone, please come save us!" With effort she formed a seal and slammed her bloodied palm to the ground.
"Kuchiyouse-no-jutsu!"
Nothing happened…
The leader of bandits was getting closer. "Maybe we'll keep her for ourselves… Trade only the other. Hey girl, am I your type?"
Surprisingly to herself, Yume understood what he meant. It gave her a terrifying, sickening feeling somewhere inside. This man wanted to harm her and he was getting nearer, about to lay his hands on her. He cannot touch her, she will never allow it! She wanted to kill him now with her bare hands. To rip him limb by limb, to tear him open, to see his entrails on the grass beneath her feet… The hate was boiling, he will never touch her. Never, she will kill if he tries, kill him, kill, KILL!
She dug her both hands into the ground, palms not anymore in summoning gesture, scratching the soil with her fingers crooked like claws, fingernails tearing the dirt. No more fear, no more calling for help, just hate, blinding rage flowing through her. "KILLL"
Gen saw Yume bow her head, dig the hands even harder into the ground. A confident power was in her voice when she spoke up again.
"Kuchiyose."
And world went aflame.
Gen saw orange fiery glow surrounding her sister like a pillar of fire. A head formed, and two human arms. Head was not human though… It was some monstrous wolf… No. The Kyubi.
With a single clap of jaws he ripped away whole side of the man nearest to Yume. Kyubi's right arm extended reaching other attackers, while the left grasped tightly around Yume. One by one the bandits were crushed or ripped and in couple of seconds it was all over.
The fox was gone and in the silence that fell only screams of bandit leader were heard. He still lived, ripped almost in half, his entrails spread in the grass. Yume was not moving. Gen's blood froze in his veins. "It cannot be. It cannot be!" He freed the hand that was pinned to the tree, didn't feel any pain, didn't even notice it. "It cannot happen. Yume, no. No." He started to run. He felt something strange inside his head, his eyesight blurred. Gen stumbled, something was wrong with his eyes, but it didn't matter, he had to get to her!
She was lying face down. She was severely burnt. Gen turned her over carefully, she was breathing! "Yume! Yume!" She moved, whimpered, opened her eyes. And screamed. She twisted out of his hold, started to tear the clothes never stopping to scream. Her voice was drilling into Gen's brain. It seemed that she was burned whole, but worse were bands going around her torso and shoulders – there skin was completely gone, burned to the muscles.
"Yume! Yume! Look at me! I'll take care now." Their eyes met. The connection and understanding that he always could find in Yume's eyes were fogged by pain. He tried to reach to her to calm her down. At least he has to stay calm. They have to treat their wounds as both were loosing too much blood.
"Yume, my hand is good for nothing. I need you now, Yume, please, focus." Using his other hand and his teeth Gen tore strips form his clothes. They bound his tight, where he was loosing most of the blood, using his right and her left hands.
"I have to bind your arm…"
Yume looked. Even half-insane from pain she had to agree. The blood kept flowing even as her shoulder was scorched. The sand around her was red already, couple more minutes and she will be gone. She gulped.
"I have to, I'm sorry…" Gen was kneeling in front of her, touching his forehead to hers. "I'm so sorry." He started wrapping. Pain swept over her, she was screaming her lungs out now. Gen had to bandage the burned part as well to tame the bloodflow.
"Yume, hold the other end of the bandage." Gen pressed his forehead to hers. He had to hurt her. To cause her even more pain with his own hand. But it was the only chance to safe her life. He grasped the end of the bandage collecting his resolve. He has to hurt the one he loves the most. "Just hold. Don't let go." He pulled. She held.
She never imagined pain like that. She screamed right into Gen's face, holding to his eyes as to the lifeboat. And then she noticed it. Tomoe of Gen's Sharingan were forming a strange pattern…
"Brother… You're eyes… They are bleeding…"
He wiped his face, smearing the blood. When he opened his eyes they were familiar black again.
"Gen, please, make it stop hurting. I cannot stand it anymore… I cannot. Make it stop."
"I don't know how. I cannot heal you…"
"Put me under genjutsu."
Gen focused, formed a seal. He was definitely not a genjutsu master, but maybe he could pull it of. But his chakra reserves where all spent. He was empty. He will fail her again. No. He scrambled behind her. This amount of power he still could gather.
"Sleep Yume. Dream." And with all strength left, hit Yume on the back of her head. She went limp, he caught her, cradled her on his lap. His arm wasn't bound properly or it opened because of the blow he delivered. The blood was now trickling under makeshift bandage. Gen sat straight, focused on his heartbeat. He must slow it down. And he mustn't faint. For Yume. He closed his eyes.
/ / / Same time, different place / / /
"Naruto-kun? Naruto-kun… If you really cannot change this diaper it's enough to say…" Hinata entered the room.
Naruto was lying on the floor, trying to vomit.
"Naruto-kun, you don't need to make such a display out of it. It's enough to tell, but seriously, it's just baby's diaper…"
The look Naruto gave her, make her understand it wasn't about the diaper. "Naruto-kun! What's wrong!?"
"Kurama… Suddenly he jumped out of me…"
"..! Then how are you…?"
"Not completely. And he's back again. But I think I just had a heart attack. I definitely need to go to Tsunade-baa-chan for a check-up.." Naruto suddenly broke of.
"Stop that rant. Thanking me you can also do later. Now go and get the brats until they are still alive." Growled Kurama and retreated into the dark place he usually occupied in him.
"What! Kurama, what happened?! What brats?"
But Kyubi was only willing to show him his behind as he curled and pretended to be asleep.
"Baka-Kitsune! Don't you ignore me here!"
Word-sparring with Kyubi always took time. And gathering from what Kurama just said time was ticking away. When coming to analysis of dangerous situations, Naruto wasn't that dumb. So, Kyubi charged out to help some children. Children, that were apparently important to Naruto as well. An extremely rare event: for a tailed beast to even lift a finger for a human… that could only be… Oh, kamisama, the twins!
They were left in the village when Madara, Sakura and the younger ones were paying official visit in Suna.
"Tajuu-Kage-Bunshin-no-jutsu!" The room filled up with clones. "We're looking for Gen and Yume. Check whole the village and the surroundings. Ask the gate guards. Go in threes so that two can always disperse to report. Mobilize hospital personnel. Find Tsunade-o-baa-chan. The moment when approximate location or direction is known, take the medics that way. And mobilize the ANBU. Disperse!"
Naruto sat cross-legged on the floor.
"Naruto-kun, what happened?!
"I don't know. It seems Sakura's kids got into trouble. Probably an attack." He bit his lip. Nobody targets the children of Uchiha Madara without a very good reason. This can be a kidnapping attempt; can also be a war declaration. And if he fails to protect them… Oh, kami, he loved these children almost like his own. But now he has to act like a Hokage. Command, not let the fear win over. And if he fails, they will have a civil war in Konoha.
The clones ran into the clearing. "We found you at last!"
Gen opened his eyes, smiled faintly. And fell face down.
A/N:
Sorry to leave you with such a cliffhanger, but I will be away and the next update will be end of October.
A/N 2:
To Guest reviewer that wrote a wish for a specific scene in comment to Chapter 18 of Dreamt: If you're still reading it, I hope you like it. This scene was written already a long time ago, and it made me smile a lot how accurate of a guess your wish was.