Chapter nine - Black ice
Black ice, sometimes called clear ice, refers to a thin coating of glazed ice on a surface. The ice itself is not black, but virtually transparent. The typically low levels of noticeable ice pellets, snow or sleet surrounding black ice means that areas of the ice are often is practically invisible to your eyes. There is thus a risk of skidding due to the loss of traction.
Naruto froze dead in her track while a sound of surprise escaped her mouth. Hashirama looked confused back at her while Ashina wore an annoyed frown as he soundlessly scolded her for being late.
"Hashirama?" Asked Naruto in wonder, suddenly not sure if it was him after all. The boy she'd known had changed so much.
He was no longer the scrawny twelve year old with the funny haircut. To Naruto he looked much closer to how his grown up state would become. She'd only seen him looking close to this the one time he'd been edo tensei during the fourth ninja war. His face and body wasn't as built yet, but still miles away from what he'd looked like six years previously.
He seemed confused as his head tilted to the side and kept looking back at her. Clearly he didn't recognise her.
"It's me, Naruto. Remember me?" She asked and grinned widely.
For a moment he seemed utterly disbelieving, but then a light of recollection shot up in his eyes and his mouth opened in surprise.
"Naruto?!" He exclaimed while getting to his feet and ran over to her. Naruto had to laugh when he proceeded by hugging the living daylight out of her.
"Where the hell have you been? I was afraid you had died! You said you would come back. What are you doing here?" He asked. One question stumbling out in a rush after the other while he put her down again.
She chuckled while looking up to his tanned, smiling face. Naruto also had to look up at him now, before they'd been even in hight. Hashirama had gone through a very significant growth spurt while she'd been gone.
"I came here two years ago. I've been planning on heading back soon. A lot has been going on, but what are you doing here?" She asked in wonder. Had he been this tanned back then?
"We're coming with a proposition for a new alliance with the Uzumaki clan." Said a second voice.
Naruto looked confused over to the newcomer who stood behind her in the doorway. This one she recognised at once.
No one else in future or the past had two coloured hair the way the youngest of the Senju brothers did. He was a lot taller then she remembered him, looking stretched the way young people who grow to fast for their own good do. He was wearing very similar clothing to what she remembered Hashirama did at that age too.
"Itama!" Naruto squealed and hugged him too. "Look at you! You've grown so much! How old are you now? Thirteen?" She asked, looking him up and down in the doorway.
"Twelve." He corrected, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment at her forwardness, but also seeming rather pleased.
"I see I'm witnessing the reunion of old friends." Said Ashina from the table and gestured towards them with his hand.
"Oh, I'm so sorry Ashina-dono." Said Hashirama and bowed. "Naruto is a dear, old friend who I feared had been killed. I apologise for so rudely running away from our conversation." He explained, and truly did look remorseful.
"No need to apologize. Naruto is a bellowed friend of my family as well, many of my grandchildren would have reacted the same way if she was thought deceased."
"Stop talking about my death will yah'? I'm not planning on dying any time soon, dattebayo." Said Naruto and huffed.
"I would hope not Naruto, and while this is surely a long awaited reunion it will have to wait a bit longer, we're in the middle of a meeting right now. Wait outside until we're finished here." Said Ashina and gestured towards the door, but before Naruto could leave Hashirama held up his hand.
"No, that wont be necessary Ashina-dono. Naruto is a friend and I don't believe she'll be a threat. She will most likely ask what's going on afterwards, and I don't see the point of keeping this hidden." Explained Hashirama to Ashina.
He looked thoughtful before he nodded. "If that's alright with you, then do come in Naruto."
As all three sat down around the council table, Ashina studied their friendly behaviour towards each other. He'd never heard anything about Naruto knowing the Senju leader. The only reference he'd ever heard of, was that she'd avoided their village because of the turbulent war times. Ashina was curious to how they could have met at all.
"You two must have come a long way Hashirama-dono. Can your clan spare your absence for so long?" Asked Ashina while looking from one brother to the other. Both so very young, he though privately to himself.
"We have to leave as soon as possible Ashina-dono. You've been a friend of the Senju, and my uncle, for a long time. My uncle always talked highly of you and your skills, both as a leader and as a shinobi." Started Hashirama while Itama drank a sip from the tea Ashina had ready for them on the table.
"You come to seek aid I gather." Said Ashina looking grim.
"Yes, the Uchiha is a very powerful clan, this you already know. We're equal in strength to the very last man, and unfortunately child." He said, avoiding looking in Naruto's direction.
The blonde was listening intently, trying to piece together what was not being said. That things were going badly.
"I'm truly sorry for your suffering Hashirama-dono. I had hoped this war would have ended by now. You've lived in nothing but harsh days my boy." Said Ashina sincerely. "But you know how much we've struggled to keep out of the clan wars. We have something resembling peace here in Uzushiogakure, at least for as long we can keep the Yuki clan from starting up a war. To send my soldiers out to fight in a war that is not our own..." He trailed off looking over at Naruto. "We want to stay peaceful." he added dejectedly.
"I was afraid that would be your answer Ashina-dono. But I had to come, had to ask. I do not blame you of course, no one knows better then I how valuable peace is." He said looking down at his hands.
"But I'll ask you one other thing. And you are of course free to refuse, the Senjus won't hold it against you. Would you consider lending us aid through your skills?" Asked Hashirama, looking weary when he met the Uzu leaders gaze once again.
"Not the ones for offences, but the protective arts you've mastered. I've heard rumours of the protection barrier around Uzu all the way back in Fire Country Ashina-dono. The families at home is protected by nothing but soldiers. We do not have the fuinjutsu skills like yours. Would you consider… Helping us protect what we fight for? I would forever be in your debt. And I keep my word." He said seriously and searched carefully for the elders reaction.
Naruto looked at her friend. The young man who had been forced to grow up too quickly, the childish boy she'd met up on the mountain. One of her precious people.
He seemed so down. So grieved by his burdens and losses as he sat there and pleaded for help, she should have come back sooner. She'd gotten sidetracked here in Uzushiogakure.
"You would need an Uzumaki to activate those shields Hashirama-dono, I won't teach them to you. And we wouldn't have time according to what you say of your haste. They're very intricate, and done wrong could cost the user his or her life." Explained Ashina gravely while his head went slowly from side to side.
"I'm half Uzumaki… I could do it." Suggested Naruto, she knew this would be unfair to Madara but right now she had to help Hashirama.
"This is more to do with being a seal master, and while you're getting better everyday you're not at that level yet." Said Ashina kindly.
"You're an Uzumaki?" Asked Hashirama confused.
"My mum was, so yes. Half Namikaze, half Uzumaki." Replied Naruto. "And I'll join you on your way back home Hashirama, I've put this off for way too long. I'm so grateful Ashina, for both you and your family, but this is something I have to do. I gave Hashirama my word once and I never go back on it." She said determinately.
Ashina didn't seem to like the idea at all.
"Naruto... This is your home now, you've helped us greatly since you arrived. You said you wanted peace but what can you do to stop this?" He asked and everyone seemed to want her genuine answer.
"For one, you can never give up. No matter how many times you're beaten and kicked down you have to get back up. I have no idea how many times that's happened to me, but it's far above what I can count. It's never stopped me before and I won't stop now. I'm going back. Not to fight the Uchiha. I understand why you have to Hashirama, so I'll try to become a messenger. Nothing will be achieved if there isn't some form of communication. I can do that. I might not be the best with words but from what I've been told I can be very persuasive." She said and Ashina snorted. Clearly remembering one of her many passionate speeches.
"I can't force you to stay Naruto, but you'll be welcomed back at any time." Said Ashina as he realised Naruto had already decided to go.
"Then I'm going too." Said a calm a feminine voice in the doorway. All four turned their heads to see Mito standing there with her hands on her hip and a determined expression.
"I can do the security seals, I've done them for over a year now. And someone has to make sure Naruto doesn't wander into a bomb zone by accident." She said and shrugged her shoulders as if to indicate this was something that happened regularly. Mito looked as ready to fight as if Naruto had challenged her to a spar.
"Mito! You have obligations here and I don't want our clan mixed into this war."
"I'll put up a security barrier, it's really not such a big deal. They don't have to know it was us do they? I'll keep hidden within the barrier and they wont get past that. The Uchiha might be masters in ninjutsu, but fuinjutsu could be written in latin for all they know. They don't even have decent exploding tags." She said, looking just as determined as Naruto had been.
Apparently stubbornness ran strong in the Uzumaki blood.
The Senju brothers and Naruto was ushered out of the meeting room soon after, Ashina and Mito getting into a big argument the moment the door was shut behind them. They could plainly hear Ashina's argumentative voice through the wooden room separator.
The three intruders looked at each other and a smile broke out on all of their faces as they started walking down the corridor.
"When are you leaving? I'll have to pack and say bye to a few people before I go with you." Explained Naruto while they reached the reception. Sakura waved happily at all three of them as they passed with a singing; "Hope to see you soon Senju-dono, Senju-san and Naruto-chan!"
"Tonight, we just arrived here about two hours ago and asked audience with Ashina-dono with urgency. I think we might have crashed your mission briefing." Said Hashirama and smiled back at the receptionist who got a blush to match her hair.
"I see… Then I'll meet you tonight. When exactly? And where?" She inquired when they stepped onto the street outside, Itama looking curiously up and down the colourful street while the sun rose over the morning sky.
Hashirama's eyes grew gentle when he looked at her, and some of the tension in his gaze seemed to lessen.
"At the pier, at eight." Said Itama instead and tugged at Naruto's haori. "And this is dirty. Don't you wash your clothes even now when you don't live like a beggar?" He added with a sheepish smile on his face.
"Oy, I washed that a week ago. I just woke up a little late that's all. I had to grab the first thing I found." She said as they started walking down the street.
"Late again, are we?" Said master Yasu and looked annoyed down at her. Naruto decided to ignore him, she'd hoped to leave without having to come in contact with this unbearable fossil.
"Kurou! I was looking for you! I'm so happy you're here since I wanted to say goodbye before I left." Naruto exclaimed while panting heavily.
They were down by the docks at sunset after a very hectic day for Naruto. It had included packing and saying goodbye to everyone, and she'd 'somehow' forgotten going by the fossil in her haste.
She was standing with her hands on her knees smiling to Kurou when she spotted the large number of people who was there for their departure. Itama, Hashirama and Ashina was next to a woman she'd never seen before, and Mito was looking amused next to Yasu.
"That won't be necessary, Naruto. Since I'm joining you." He said looking over at his grumbling grandfather and a very pleased looking Mito.
"You are! That's great! I mean..." She said looking nervously at Ashina. "It'll be really dangerous, dattebayo."
Kurou rolled his eyes and Itama snickered. "Em.. Are you coming too?" Naruto asked looking at Yasu who was as grumpy as ever.
"Of course not. We have decided to let two of our shinobi come along with Senju Hashirama, but on the way there they will have to do a mission. You will be a part of this mission as well. Look at it as departing chore to the village that's been too welcoming of you for my taste." He said and the unknown woman looked from master Yasu to Naruto with one eyebrow raised.
"Is she the mission?" Asked Naruto and pointed at the woman. She finally took properly in her eerily familiar appearance and suddenly stuttered.
"I-It's you! I saved you last week in Water Country! What are you doing here? Who are you? Why did you disappear?" Naruto started asking without letting anyone interfere while she rambled on.
"I was so worried, dattebayo! I thought you could have been captured again, but there was no footprints. We tracked you for three hours but you just disappeared! And I can feel your chakra now, I couldn't back then, are you a ninja too? Wha-" But before she could continue Mito put her hand over her mouth while laughing at her antics.
"This is Ren. She needs to be escorted back home so she can get back to her family. They live not too far out of the route to the Senju lands. That's why I'm giving this mission to Mito, Kurou and yourself so you can escort her back to Karonichi village." Wheezed Yasu haughtily while looking at Naruto with contempt.
She would never understand why he had such a huge problem with her. It didn't make any sense at all.
"Yes, Ren showed up here two days ago and needed medical care. I understood she was the woman you talked about from your mission after hearing her story. She was not sure if you were friend and foe, so she took her chance to get away you see." Explained Ashina kindly.
Naruto nodded and smiled brightly back to Ren. She looked a hundred times better now, which was why the blond hadn't immediately recognised her.
Ren had a change of clothes, a new dress that looked a lot like the ones the Uzumaki family sometimes wore and her hair was brushed and the dirt from skin and hair was washed away.
It looked like whatever she'd been through hadn't been bad enough to harm her baby either. As Naruto contemplated if she should ask or not about what happened, she decided it wouldn't be wise. If something was needed to know then most likely Ashina would have told them by now.
"Nice to meet you Ren, I'm Namikaze Naruto, dattebayo!" She exclaimed and reached out her hand in greeting. The woman seemed just as sceptical as she'd been back in the hideout, but reached out her hand and shook it after a few seconds.
"Nice to meet you Naruto-san. I thank you for what you did for me. As I understood it you did not expect to find me down there." She greeted Naruto with a deep, calming voice that reminded her of the bottom of the ocean. A voice that rang of security and insight.
"No need for thanks. I would have done that for anyone." She said smiling broadly back.
Ren didn't appear to like the reply, since she raised her eyebrow sceptically and said. "Even those men?"
There was an awkward silence that followed those words, while Naruto scratched the back of her head uncomfortably.
"At least she got you out Ren, but now for the mission. Hashirama is needed at home as soon as possible, so he will only be with you for the first two days. He'll use the time to do some extra chores before joining you back to their village. Ren can't actually run since she has one month left before the little one arrives. She's in good health though, and can still walk quickly. There is a possibility for an attack. You are of the Senju and Uzumaki clan after all, and it's always a risk of getting attacked because of that, but Ren has been held a hostage, and there is a small risk of attack because of that. Everything clear?" Said Ashina and tried to steer the conversation onto a new subject.
"Yes, I'll have to leave you, but Itama will work as your guide after I go." Explained Hashirama and smiled to Naruto.
"I see, and Mito is coming to put up the barrier right?" Asked Naruto but looked confused over at Kurou.
Mito laughed and patted her shoulder. "That too, but mostly I'm coming to make sure you keep all your limbs intact. The Senju also owe us a favour now, it's good business. We're not going to get involved with the fighting, we're going to protect those who can't protect themselves. The sick, the injured, the civilians and the old. The same way we do here." She said making a circle with her hand, as to indicate the invisible barrier around them.
Kurou then added. "And I'm going to make sure Mito does as she promises and doesn't get herself mixed between a Senju and an Uchiha."
Naruto tried to grin while laughing nervously.
"You should have seen it, Naruto. I made that Uchiha run away with his tail between his knees! It was hi-la-ri-o-us. And then when the third guy saw the one I'd killed, the other got scared off as well. Right, brother?" Gloated Itama as the six companions walked through the forest. They were heading west from Uzushigakure towards the land of fire.
Hashirama didn't reply, but Naruto certainly did.
"Itama! You killed someone! He was someone's son and someone's friend. I won't tolerate hearing you making jokes over something so sad. I understand you're in a war and I understand why you're being forced to kill to survive. But show some respect for the dead." She growled to the shorter boy who instantly recoiled at the look in her eyes.
"Naruto is right, Itama. There is no glory in this war. Only destruction." Said Hashirama who walked ahead of them in his low, soothing voice.
"Forgive me." Itama replied, but unlike Hashirama he didn't smack into a ball of depression. Naruto almost wished he did. Some comic relief was really needed in such terrible times.
"How long will it take to get to the Senju village?" Asked Mito who was walking next to her younger brother with Ren behind the rest. It was their responsibility to make sure she got from A to B without a scratch.
"Two weeks I would think, with this pace it's a lot longer than when we run. Hopefully there won't have been another battle. Itama and I left fresh from the last fight to Uzu for help. Neither the Uchiha or the Senju would have had time to recover in such a short time." He answered as they came into a clearing in the forest which opened up to rocky field.
"How long was that? When did you leave?" asked Kurou curiously.
"Hmm… About a weeks ago..." Answered Itama as they started the decent up the mountain. "We had to take it easy at first, the last battle lasted for hours. Madara is such a bastard. He doesn't seem bothered with fighting anyone except brother here. No one else is 'worthy'." He said while doing quotation marks with his fingers and continued irritably as they climbed steadily upwards.
"Brother can't focus on anything but keeping that bastard at bay. He's a damned monster you know. Completely ruthless. Wouldn't surprise me if he took down his own brother when he gets all blood-lusted and stuff." He said and crossed his arms in front of him. Naruto looked irritably over at him and was about to give him another piece of her mind when Hashirama interrupted.
"He wouldn't do that, Itama. There's no one he would protect more fiercely then Izuna. He cherish his brother's life more then his own." Said Hashirama sternly to his youngest brother.
"But you have to agree the guy is a maniac? I mean, I know you were friends for like a summer or something, but he's gone bonkers, you know. Every time we meet in battle he seems more hell bent on killing you then actually winning the war." Said Itama stubbornly.
Mito joined Hashirama in the front and tried to change the subject. She had noticed how stiff Naruto and Hashirama got from the subject. So she got the oldest Senju's attention by asking something that she'd been wondering about for a few hours already.
"Who's leading the Senju while you're away? I mean, my father said you were the leader of the Senju clan now." Mito asked while trying to keep Itama out of the conversation.
"What? Where's Suoma?" Asked Naruto before Hashirama could answer.
"He died fighting Uchiha Tajima." He answered and saw the empathic but confused look on his blonde friend and added. "Madara's deceased father."
Naruto's eyes widened and nodded carefully while observing the dark shadow which fell over Hashirama's face. "So you're leading the Senju now? And if his father is dead, does that mean Madara has taken over as leader of the Uchiha?" Naruto asked aloud.
"Yes, they've both been leaders for a while now-" Started Itama and looked at Naruto ready to give a full summary.
"But what about now? You didn't answer, Hashirama." Interrupted Mito, noticing how Itama was about to start another rant about all the worst aspects of Uchiha Madara.
"Tobirama is leading the village in my absence. He's a little younger than me but very strong. He's also the sensible one of us." Hashirama looked from the red head to the blonde and added. "He'll be glad to see you again, Naruto. I think he wants a match with you after he saw your performance by the river that day." Hashirama said and grinned back to Naruto.
"Let him try! I won't loose to little, bitty Tobirama! I know he's your brother and all, but you're not the only ones who's gotten stronger in the last six years!" She said eagerly at the aspect of fighting the boy who'd become strong enough to be chosen as the second Hokage.
"I don't doubt you, Naruto, but Tobi is fierce. I've never seen anyone use water jutsu like him anywhere in the world." He said and chuckled at the competitive aura steaming from Naruto.
"I'm not surprised! But I doubt you've seen anyone like me anywhere in the world either!"
Hashirama laughed and agreed wholeheartedly. "Too true, you're a unique one, Naruto!"
As nightfall came closer they made camp for the night. Hashirama would leave the morning after the next and run straight for the Sarutobi village who was helping them with supplies.
He'd then meet up with them in Karonichi village in two weeks where they were going to drop off Ren before joining them back home.
Itama lit a fire while Mito prepared food for everyone. They had bagged soup that tasted alright even cold, but it always was better with a warm meal when you travelled.
"So how it is going Hashirama? I understand that the war is still going on, but is it still as bad as it was back then?" Asked Naruto while they ate.
Hashirama turned to her with a serious expression and reluctantly started talking. Was it one thing he hated was the lack of progress in this war, both to win it and the lack of progress coming to an agreement.
"Actually…. I think it's worse… A couple of years ago there was a really bad attack on our village. It got very intense and at the end my uncle Suoma was killed which is when I became the new leader. It also resulted in Madara and I killing each others fathers..." He explained without looking properly at Naruto when her mouth fell open.
'How on earth could they have done that to each other?'
"It took me a while to get over that, and for some time I gave up on Madara and the Uchiha all together. I realised after a few months that things hadn't truly changed. Not really. It was no more terrible than when my brother was killed, but it was just seeing Madara doing it that truly set me off. After some deep thinking sessions I realised I should have hold on to your advice better, Naruto. To never give up. Still, I don't think Madara remember that anymore. He activated a stronger Sharingan that day. They are called the Mangekyō Sharingan and can put people into some truly horrible genjutsu. He has sent a lot of my shinobi into comas after using them and he's still set on all this fighting." He said, sighing heavily and finally looked Naruto in the eyes.
She had no idea how bad things had turned and felt incredibly guilty for letting this happen. The memory of Sasuke being put under the same technique by Itachi was running through her head when Hashirama continued.
"I'm not sure how to approach him anymore. I still believe he wants things to change. How can anyone truly want all this death, you know? But Madara isn't the only one that needs to be convinced. I think if I can get Madara over then the young Uchiha who admire him will tag along. The elders will be difficult though, and those are my main concern." He said and took a spoonful of soup. Mito looked at Kurou who shrugged. They didn't have any suggestions either.
"You need someone impartial, dattebayo." Exclaimed Naruto and pointed to herself. "I think he'll talk to me without trying to cut my head off. At least not before I've finished... Hopefully…." She said and thought back to her first disastrous reunion with Sasuke in Orochimaru's hideout. Sasuke had actually tried to cut her head of if she remembered correctly.
"Or what do you think? Does he remember me at all after all this?"
Hashirama shrugged his shoulder. "At first I wondered if he even remembered me, he seemed set to ignore our friendship at all cost. However, after a while he started showing some recollection again, so yes, I think you're right. There's a much better chance he'll listen to someone who's impartial and never done him anything wrong." Answered Hashirama and smiled hopefully at that thought.
"Things might have worsened back at home, but I still cant get over how great it is to see you Naruto. Especially how you haven't changed at all. You're still so endlessly positive."
Naruto straightened up proudly and grinned an identical smile back at him. "Of course, someone has to stay upbeat in times like this, dattebayo."
Itama chuckled and handed her a water container when she pointed at it. "So you'll fight with us or not?" Asked Itama.
She swayed her head so fast from side to side Kurou wondered how she didn't get a whiplash. "No, no, no. Didn't you listen? I'm the messenger Itama, I ca-" She started but stopped abruptly.
Naruto looked over at Ren who'd remained quiet for the whole journey. So far she'd only listened calmly without a change in her facial expression.
"What?" Asked Mito in a low voice, immediately tensing at Naruto's behaviour. "Is there someone coming?" She muttered while looking around the trees for incoming enemies.
Naruto nodded towards Ren. "It's them… The Yuki rebels. I recognise some of the chakra signatures, but there's more of them then back in Water Country." She whispered and at once Kurou and Mito got to their feet and helped Ren up.
Hashirama got to his feet too, becoming serious at once while he took in the change in situation. Itama took out a shuriken while Naruto indicated which direction they were coming from. Ren was placed between Mito and Kurou while the Senju brothers joined Naruto in the front.
"They seriously lucked out didn't they brother?" Muttered Itama with a wicked grin on his face. "What is a little ice release compared to the power of the Senju, the Uzumaki and lets not forget our Namikaze."
"I'm an Uzumaki too Itama, and what do you mean with 'ours'." The blond said and rolled her eyes.
"You'll always be Namikaze to me." He said and wagged his eyebrows. It didn't look right on him to Naruto. She missed the innocent little boy she'd rescued from the big bad Uchiha.
Ren stood mute as ever, but her face had gone pale as she looked around. Mito peeked at her from the corner of her eye, searching for answers. She couldn't understand why they were so intent on recapturing her.
Naruto aimed carefully between the dark trees, her eyes half closed as she squinted into the night. She knew exactly where they were located, all she had to do was wait for them to come into the right position.
With precision she threw the kunai with blinding speed through the branches of the tree to their left. A pain filled gasp was heard, and a person fell down struck in the leg by her weapon.
The next moment ten Yuki shinobi landed in front of them, the eleventh still moaning in the bushes.
"You have something of ours." Muttered the tallest Yuki ninja from the middle of the row.
"We're not releasing Ren to you and I warn you not to attack us. There's no way we'll lose." Warned Naruto and took one step forwards.
She knew it was better for her, a clan-less young woman, to do the threatening here. They must have already noticed the Uzumaki and Senju symbol on the others, but she didn't wear any clan markings and wouldn't cause the same problems for any village.
Naruto was a Konoha ninja and until that village was built she refused to use any symbol on her clothes.
"So you went to the Uzumakis, eh? We should have guessed. The Sarutobi still have some connections there after all." Growled the man and looked at Ren.
It was with a very small margin that Naruto held in her surprise.
Ren was a Sarutobi clan member? It could be true... She knew from the book Madara had given her so many years ago - which she never had the opportunity to return - that the Sarutobi lived not too far away from Karonichi village.
"Leave!" Naruto growled and pointed sideways into the forest.
"Not without her!" He shouted and pointed at Ren in the back of their formation.
They flew forwards so quickly that Naruto barely had time to stop the two in front of her. Hashirama was using his wood release to catch four, and Itama, Kurou and Mito all had one each. One managed to break out of Hashirama's technique and ran at Ren.
The brunette stumbled backwards as the man got a hold of her arm, but Kurou had just used a binding seal on his own enemy and hit Ren's attacker hard in the head which knocked him out.
Ren shouted as she lay on the ground, the man had stabbed her arm as he fell. It was probably not deep, but enough to hurt.
As they dealt with the rest they noticed how Ren wouldn't stop moaning. If she really was a kunoichi it was strange she'd be in this much pain over a stabbing wound like that. Turning to her after the last man was bound to a tree it was only to see Mito sitting bent over the woman with one hand on her stomach.
With wild eyes she turned to Naruto with fear written all over her face.
"She… Ren… The baby! She's in labour!" She exclaimed looking scared out of her mind. It was such an uncharacteristic look on the usually calm and collected girl that Naruto had the absurd wish to laugh.
"What? How?! Ashina said it wasn't due for another month! Babies doesn't get born ahead of time do they?" Asked Itama looking just as out of place as the rest of them.
"Let's get her away from here! Kurou-san, you make sure these guy's can't move for a day!" Bellowed Hashirama while pointing to the Uzumaki boy. "The rest of you, lets find somewhere she'll be more comfortable." he added as he moved his finger from Kurou to Ren.
"Gyaaah!" The labouring woman screamed and squeezed the hand holding onto Mito, making the Uzumaki wince.
"Do anyone have any idea what to do?" Mito whispered helplessly to the others as Hashirama lifted up Ren in his arms.
They all looked lost back at her as Ren cried out again.
"I don't know, but whatever is happening is happening fast!" Said Hashirama and started running with the others hot on his heel.
They raced for ten minutes wildly through the forest. Whatever fear the Yuki ninjas had lit up in them was nothing compared to this. None of them had any idea what so ever how to deal with a woman in labour.
Hashirama lay her down on the grass when they felt they were far enough away, and Mito sat down next to Ren again while fussing over her.
"What do we do? You have to tell us!" She said as Ren moaned in pain again.
"The baby… It's… You have to help catch the baby." She muttered dazedly.
"Oh! I think you're supposed to breathe!" Exclaimed Itama with a snap of his fingers.
"What? Breathe?! That goes for all of us you idiot!" Shouted Mito furiously at Itama.
He raised his hands protectively while shaking his head from side to side. "No, I mean between the cramps or something. I heard the woman next door to us say that once. Breathing between the cramps." He said as Ren gave a long shout of pain.
Mito looked sceptical, but when Ren leaned forwards in agony she seemed to take his advice anyway. "Breathe!" Exclaimed Mito when Ren's pained voice cut off.
And Ren certainly did.
She breathed as fast as if she was running a mile in half a minute while sweat gathered on her brow. Ren was leaning up on her elbows and was getting very red in the face.
Naruto started rummaging through her ragged backpack. She was as useless in this as she was in shogi, but Ren looked warm. So maybe some water would do her good.
"AAAAHAA!" She screamed again, and Naruto who'd just gotten her water container out dropped it in surprise. This time they all could see the movements on her stomach through her dress.
"The baby... is… coming." Ren said weakly as she lied down.
Naruto couldn't picture Mito's mum do this nine whole times. Or maybe it was just five because of all the twins.
But still…
Mito seemed to get a grip on herself as she bent down and parted Ren's legs.
Hashirama and Itama tried discreetly to move away while looking pointedly towards the trees. Naruto moved forwards and bent down next to Mito. "Eh… Can I help?" She asked weakly and the red head whipped her head sideways with the same wild expression that had haunted all of them for the last ten minutes.
"Can you deliver a baby? NO! So shut up, stay put and I'll tell you if I bloody need any help!" Mito snapped so venomously Naruto sat down on command.
At least it didn't last very long.
It was only twenty minutes from Ren's fall to her baby boy was born. The baby looked hideous with all the blood and the umbilical cord still attached. Naruto had no idea why they called it the miracle of birth. It looked more like hell than anything close to a miracle in her opinion.
"Eh… Do you need this?" Asked Naruto and held up her kunai. She still had one clutched in her fist since the short battle earlier.
Mito gave it one dirty look and snapped it out of her hand to cut the cord. Now they just had to figure out how to clean the thing.
"You can use this." Said Itama and handed Mito a black sweater.
Mito had her hands full with the baby so she looked at Naruto pointedly. "What? Me? You want me to clean him?" Asked Naruto looking scared again.
Mito just rolled her eyes and looked over at the sweater Itama was holding out. With a sight she did as she was told and started carefully to remove the blood and chunks attached to the baby's body. "We'll light a fire, he'll need to stay warm right?" Said Hashirama uncertainly.
Mito nodded while Ren sat up and looked at her son in Mito's arms. Naruto was pretty pleased with how well she was cleaning the boy up while he bellowed into the night. As soon as the boy looked presentable Mito gave the boy back to his mother.
For a while she rocked him back and forth to calm him down, a growing smile on her face. The rest looked utterly exhausted and Mito hadn't even noticed how much blood she'd gotten all over herself. Even her hair looked to have some dark patches.
"Why were they trying to capture you again?" Asked Hashirama after a ten minutes time of observing the little family.
"Because they made a mistake. I was caught three months ago while I was heading for Uzu with my brother. He was… It was supposed to be a very short visit, but right on the boarders we were attacked by the rebels. My brother was killed because they thought we were from Uzushiogakure." She explained. Her smile growing sad as she talked.
"My hair looks more red in the sunlight and my brother is a red head... Was… A red head... When they realised their mistake they kept me there while they figured out what to do. They knew my clan was friendly with the Uzumaki, and they were reluctant to get in a fight with my clan on top of Uzu." She said without taking her eyes of the now calm baby.
"Oh… I see…" Said Mito and nodded absent mindedly.
"What will you name him?" Asked Naruto and smiled warmly at the boy. He was sort of cute now that all the gore was gone and he'd stopped torturing their ears.
Ren looked up with a beaming smile and tilted her head to the side. "Hiruzen, after my brother. Sarutobi Hiruzen."
Two and a half weeks later they arrived in Karonichi village without any more problems. It had been slow for a while because of Ren still being very sore after giving birth, but after Hashirama left them a little later then originally intended, they steadily made their way westwards.
It had taken Naruto a whole week to properly proses that the cheery little boy with very healthy lungs was in fact the man Naruto once had called 'Jiji'.
The whole concept was incredibly hard to wrap her head around, and left her both sad and incredibly happy at the same time. Naruto couldn't truly recognise the wrinkly old man within the soft features of the baby, but maybe around the eyes. He also had a small tuft of dark hair which didn't resemble his mothers.
In whole she felt a surging sense of relief every time she looked at him. This was someone she'd known, someone who'd known her. And the comfort of knowing he'd been born despite Naruto's disturbance in time was enough to make her want to weep.
They met up with Hashirama and a short man who resembled a young version of the third Hokage in Karonichi village. Naruto instantly realised this had to be the father when she spotted him and when he introduced himself as SarutobiSasuke, she gaped.
"Oh no, It's nothing… I just used to know someone named Sasuke you see..." She said while waving her hand to stop them from looking funnily at her reaction to meeting the man.
They lived north of the village while the Senju village was further west. After a heartfelt goodbye they went their separate ways.
Sasuke was cooing his son who he was holding for the first time while Ren fussed and reminded him to mind the head.
As they headed for the Senju village at a much faster pace, Naruto felt the happiest she'd been since before the fourth ninja war. The bittersweet longing to see the rest of her friends again burned stronger than in a long time.
Naruto wanted to see them, talk to them, just know they would be once again. Even if it would never be as it once was.
Author not: Thank you once again for reading and following this story. You're my absolute favourite!
So I think I promised a few people that Naruto would meet Madara in this chapter, but clearly he failed to even make an appearance at all… He'll definitely be in the next one though, I have it all written and almost ready to be posted, just need to edit a few things.
I hope it was a pleasant surprise to meet baby Hiruzen. The age gap is about right I think. In this story Naruto has been thrown 75 years back before her own birth and 92 years from the fourth shinobi war. Which makes Hiruzen 59 when Naruto was born in her own time line.
To clear up any age confusion: Naruto was 13 when she met Hashirama and Madara who was 12. After the first time skip they were 17 and 16 respectively, and now 19 and 18 in this chapter. Six years have passed so far.
Please forgive any grammar mistakes, English isn't my native language and I do the best I can to avoid them.