Okay all. Here is chapter thirteen of Redemption. I hope you all like it.
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
Redemption.
Chapter Thirteen – Rescue.
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
The next morning, Itachi had watched his father leave the house. He didn't notice that Naruto was watching from his bedroom window with Sakura. He also didn't notice that Hikari and little Naruto were looking out of the two smaller boy's bedroom window. All hoped for the same thing. Sasuke's safe return and good news about Kushina.
xXxXxXx ONE MONTH LATER xXxXxXx
Naruto looked at a picture that he had on his desk. It was a picture of Kushina and himself when Kushina had turned eight. Naruto remembered her asking why her cake couldn't be made out of Ramen. Now he was wishing he could see her again. After all, it was her sixteenth birthday today.
xXxXxXx FOUR MONTHS LATER xXxXxXx
Sasuke had been following up every lead he could think of. He'd caught a hair of a trail, a couple of times, but he also lost it. Kabuto and Orochimaru seemed to be covering their tracks well. That was until today. Sasuke had found one of Kabuto's regular suppliers of chemicals and other such things. Sasuke hadn't even needed to ask any questions. He had seen Kabuto speaking to the man. Following Kabuto was not a problem. Sending Naruto a message stating where he was, didn't take long either. He hoped that back up would arrive at the right moment. He knew that should he get caught out by Orochimaru and Kabuto, he would have problems. Any other time, killing both men would be no problem for Sasuke. Now however, he knew he had to worry about Kushina as well. While Sasuke fought one of them, the other could make off with Kushina, and hide more permanently. After all, they would know someone was following them then. Sasuke slept for a few hours, ate and waited until nightfall to make his move.
So now Sasuke was in a new, well determined, underground base. He was masking his chakra signature as he walked through the dungeons. He saw several people in agony. He saw the tortured and the dying. He knew he'd been searching for hours, when he came across something that disturbed him greatly.
It was Kushina. At least Sasuke thought it was Kushina. The red hair was the same. The face was the same. But she seemed to have gained weight. Of course Sasuke knew it wasn't just weight. He bit his lip as he saw that she was sleeping and chained to the bed in the cell. He picked the lock and went into the cell. He gently nudged the teenager awake. Kushina stirred, looking frightened. She made to scream, but Sasuke placed a hand over her mouth.
"Kushina it's Uncle Sasuke. I won't hurt you. You should know that." Sasuke whispered. Kushina looked at him as though he were a mirage. She made to move her hands but couldn't. She looked back at Sasuke with tears in her eyes. "Uncle? Is it really you?" Kushina asked softly. Her voice seemed hoarse. Sasuke nodded. He picked the locks on her chains and helped the girl to stand on her feet. It was at this point he noticed how big she was.
"Kushina, what happened to you?" Sasuke asked gently. "I came back here to finish what I set out to do. But he knew I was coming. I was knocked out. When I woke up they told me I was pregnant. That the child was part mine, part Itachi-Kun's and part his so it would be susceptible to his spirit, and have the Byakugan and Sharingan. He said once it comes he'll kill me and raise the kid to be uncaring about its own fate. It'll be like an object." Kushina whispered tearfully. Sasuke gritted his teeth angrily. The idea that Orochimaru had created a child for his own benefit, made Sasuke feel sick to the core of his being. That he'd used a young girl to carry out that creation, made him feel sicker. But to think that the girl was his best friend's daughter, and that this new child would be his grandchild, was like slamming a knife into his gut.
"We're going kiddo. I promised your Dad I'd find out what happened to you. Now it's time to come home." Sasuke whispered. Kushina nodded, but when she moved from the bed, she nearly fell to the floor. Sasuke grabbed hold of her. He helped the girl on to his back and started carrying her.
"Mask your chakra Kushina. We'll be out of here and this nightmare will be over for you." Sasuke whispered. Kushina nodded emphatically and Sasuke felt her chakra signal lowering. As he carried her through the tunnels, he could see scarring on her wrists. "Kushina, what did you do to your wrists?" Sasuke asked gently. "I tried to take my own life. Twice actually. I didn't want him to use me or any kid of mine for his plans." Kushina replied. Sasuke could hear the note of pain in her voice, and while she never mentioned Orochimaru's name, Sasuke knew who Kushina spoke of by emphasis alone.
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
Orochimaru glared slightly in the middle of his conversation with Kabuto. "I think you need to go and check on my pet. She might have escaped her cage. I sensed her chakra move. Then stop suddenly. Maybe she found a way to get out of those chains, eh Kabuto?" Orochimaru stated. Both males smirked as they left the room.
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
Sasuke had managed to get Kushina up to open air. It was dawn now. Sasuke realised he'd taken far too long to find Kushina. It was only now, in the sunlight, that he realised how pale she had actually become. Her time in confinement had obviously left its mark on her. She had dark marks under her eyes, her face looked tortured. Her hair looked lank. Despite her obvious pregnancy, Kushina looked malnourished and ill. He placed her on the ground for a moment. He searched in his kunai pouch for a moment, and dug out a soldier pill and his canteen of water.
"Eat this Kushina. It'll give you some strength and drink some water." Sasuke said kindly. Kushina nodded and took the soldier pill. He heard the crunch of the pill as she ate it. He saw she was wearing a brown, sack dress. Her feet were bare. Sasuke pulled out a piece of bandage. It was short, not really useful for a large wound, but Sasuke had kept in case he needed it.
"I'm going to tie your hair back Kushina. We're going to have to get moving soon." Sasuke said. Kushina nodded gently. She seemed enchanted with the sunshine. She took sips of water at regular intervals. Sasuke knew this was what she had been taught to do when she hadn't been given enough water for a while. He managed to tie her hair into a messy bun. With her feet bare, there was no way she would be able to walk anywhere. The fact that she obviously hadn't been allowed to use her legs much was also a hindering factor. Sasuke was good at making a bad situation better however.
"You're not strong enough to walk Kushina. I'm going to carry you back to the village." Sasuke said softly. "Thanks for coming to get me Uncle Sasuke. I was praying for so long. I hoped Dad would send someone for me. I prayed that someone would get here in time to help me." Kushina said, a few tears leaked from her eyes, and slipped down her cheeks. Sasuke pulled the teenager onto his back, and made to leave, when a voice came from nowhere.
"Sasuke-Kun. So good to see you again." Orochimaru hissed. Sasuke turned around, Kushina still on his back, to see Orochimaru and Kabuto. "You're not taking her back." Sasuke stated. "I don't want her. I want my little monster." Orochimaru replied. His eyes travelled to the swell of Kushina's baby bump. "You're not having the child either." Sasuke hissed back.
Orochimaru smirked evilly. Before anything else could be said however, a group of Ninja jumped in between Sasuke and Kushina, and Orochimaru and Kabuto.
Sasuke recognised the group straight away. One was Sai, the other three Sasuke knew, were Neji, Ten Ten and Sakura. Sasuke was shocked to see Sakura there. "Looks like you're not getting any options Orochimaru. There's more of us then you. Are you planning on dying today?" Neji asked. Sakura moved backwards towards Sasuke and Kushina, never taking her eyes from Orochimaru and Kabuto. Sasuke gave a smirk. He and Naruto had at least made Sakura cautious, if nothing else. She was next to the pair within moments. "I'll look after her Sasuke. I think you'd be better off in the fight." Sakura stated softly. Sasuke nodded and moved to stand next to Neji, Sai and Ten Ten.
"Ten Ten, stay with Sakura and Kushina. They'll need the extra protection." Sasuke said seriously. Ten Ten nodded and moved to stand in front of the pair like a barrier. Sasuke was their Anbu captain after all. "Neji, Sai, we need to be careful of those two. They want to get Kushina from us and run. They don't care how they do it either." Sasuke stated firmly. Neji and Sai nodded. They all took their own fighting stances and waited for Orochimaru and Kabuto to attack them.
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
Sakura was sat with Kushina and assessing her injuries. She bit her lip when it came to the girl's large stomach. "You don't hate me do you Aunt Sakura?" Kushina asked softly. Her eyes were filled with tears. Sakura pulled the frail looking girl into her arms and hugged her tightly. "Of course not Kushina. I could never hate you. We've missed you so much sweetie." Sakura whispered gently. She felt Kushina's tears falling onto her shirt. "Do you think Dad will be angry with me?" Kushina asked. "No Kushina. He'll be so glad to see you. He won't be angry with you. Orochimaru is another matter of course." Sakura replied. Kushina was leaning heavily against Sakura. "I'm so tired Auntie Sakura. How is everyone?" Kushina asked. "Everyone's fine. They're all waiting for you." Sakura said softly. Kushina gave a weak smile and Sakura couldn't help but wonder how the strong little girl she'd known had become this frail looking teenager.
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
Sasuke, Sai and Neji were ready for anything. Orochimaru glared fiercely at them. "I'll be back Sasuke. You can be sure of that." Orochimaru hissed. Then he and Kabuto disappeared. Sasuke looked at Sakura. "We should leave before he decides to try and attack us. Kushina is our main priority." Sakura said softly. Sasuke nodded. "We still need to keep our guard up. He might still be lurking around." Sasuke replied. He walked forward and helped Kushina on to his back so he could carry her. The group all sped away as quickly as possible from the area.
Sasuke looked at Sakura, who was scribbling down a message. "For Naruto?" Sasuke asked. Sakura nodded. Sasuke smiled as the group carried on their journey. Sakura summoned a small slug and told it to deliver the tiny scroll to Naruto as quickly as was possible and the slug disappeared in a puff of smoke.
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
Naruto bit his lip as he waited in his office for any news. He heard a knock at the door and muttered out a quick greeting. Nawaki, Itachi and Saiyuri walked into the office. "Hi Uncle Naruto." Itachi greeted calmly. "Hi Naruto." Nawaki stated. Saiyuri game a soft smile. "Hi Naruto-San." She said kindly. Naruto gave a half-hearted grin and looked at the group. "What are you all doing here?" He asked. "We all wondered if you'd heard anything Uncle Naruto." Itachi replied.
Naruto was about to open his mouth and tell the group he didn't know what was going on, when suddenly a slug appeared on his desk. "A message from Sakura-San." The slug said softly. He raised a hand to ask for a moment, before he took the scroll from the slug. He opened it and as he read it, the others in the room saw relief and happiness cross his face. "They've got her back and they're on their way home." Naruto stated gently. Saiyuri leapt up into the air, cheering happily, and Nawaki grinned and ruffled the girl's long hair. Itachi didn't say a word. He just looked relieved. Naruto couldn't help but feel joy in his heart. He'd soon see his daughter again.
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
Kushina was holding on tight around Sasuke's shoulders when she felt a twinge of pain in her stomach. "Uncle Sasuke something's wrong with me." Kushina whispered. Sasuke stopped, and let Kushina sit down. She felt her stomach cramp painfully, and she looked at Sakura. "I think something's wrong with the baby Auntie Sakura." Kushina said fearfully. Sakura scanned Kushina, using her own healing chakra. That was when Kushina felt a trickle of water run down one of her legs. Sakura's eyes went wide. "We need to try and get back into Fire Country as fast as possible." Sakura stated. "Her waters have broken, she's officially in labour. It's dangerous for us to keep travelling with Kushina in this condition." Sakura added. Sasuke looked at Neji, Ten Ten and Sai. "How far do you think we are from Fire Country?" Sasuke asked. "A few miles at least." Neji replied plainly. "Then we'd better get going as fast as we can go." Sasuke said seriously.
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
Nightfall had come, and yet there was no sign of the retrieval team that Naruto had sent out. Naruto felt worry well up within him. He didn't want to move from his office until his daughter was bought back to him safe and sound. That was when he received a message from Sakura that made his jaw drop.
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
As soon as the group had found somewhere to stop within Fire Country they had stopped. In fact they were in a small cave at the Valley of the End. Sai, Neji and Sasuke were outside the cave, keeping a look out for any trouble, while Ten Ten and Sakura were inside with Kushina. As soon as they had gotten there, Sakura had had to write a message for Naruto. She hadn't been sure what to tell him until Kushina had said it was alright to tell him about the child that was trying to make its way into the world. "It's better he finds out now rather than later when we come back with the squirt." Kushina had stated earlier. Now the three men cringed as they heard the teenager screaming in agony.
Sai and Sasuke looked at Neji as he winced. He glared at his two fellow Shinobi. "This is a time when I'm glad I was born a man." Neji stated seriously as another scream of pain rang out into the sunset. Sasuke and Sai nodded their agreement. After all, who really wants to go through the pain of childbirth?
Meanwhile, inside the cave, Kushina was trying to listen to Sakura's instructions. "Kushina, when you feel the pain, you have to bear down and push as hard as you can." Sakura stated seriously. "Why don't you do it for me then?" Kushina yelled angrily. Sakura sighed. "I've already given birth to four children Kushina. Two at the same time. I understand you're in pain, but it'll never be over unless you give birth or die, so my suggestion is to keep pushing." Sakura stated. Kushina glared but nodded. "Why did this have to happen to me?" Kushina asked weakly. "I don't know sweetheart. But at the moment the only thing we can do is make sure you and this baby survive." Sakura stated. Kushina nodded as she felt terrible pain well up within her again.
xXxXxXx THREE HOURS LATER xXxXxXx
The three males were still standing outside. None of them wanted to even imagine going into the cave at that moment. That was when they heard the wail of a baby. They all stared at each other in confusion. "Is it over? I thought my ears were going to start bleeding." Sai stated. Sasuke slapped Sai around the back of the head playfully. Sai just smirked. The group waited for Sakura or Ten Ten to come out and tell them it was alright to come in. That was when Ten Ten poked her head out of cave. "It's safe for you wimps to come in now." Ten Ten stated coldly. The three shrugged and went in. They saw Kushina holding a tiny bundle, wrapped up in a spare shirt of Sakura's. Kushina looked down at the child in amazement. "To think that came out of me." She said softly. "Boy or girl kiddo?" Sasuke asked. "A girl. I'm kinda glad she's a girl." Kushina stated. "What are you thinking of calling her?" Sakura asked softly. "Kimi." Kushina said softly. The baby's thick hair was black, with streaks and splashes of bright red, peppered all over it. Sasuke wondered if the child would have Kushina's, Itachi's or Orochimaru's eyes. He prayed that the child wouldn't carry the snakes eyes. It was well into the night now, and Sasuke thought that it would be a good idea to get some rest before they set off travelling again.
Later that night, Sasuke was still awake. He was supposed to have woken Neji for the next watch, but he couldn't sleep. He felt a presence sit next to him and knew straight away that it was Sakura. "Sakura?" Sasuke acknowledged. "It's strange isn't it? I delivered my husband's grandchild." Sakura stated cheerily. "He infused the baby with Itachi's DNA, as well as his own. Technically this baby is my grandchild too. I'm not even sure I know how to feel about what Orochimaru has done. For some reason, I get the feeling that I might have been able to stop this. If I'd never left the village and gone to him for power, he'd never have gotten a taste of what having an Uchiha's power could be like. Then he wouldn't have spent time wanting something more powerful." Sasuke said softly. Sakura placed a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. "I don't know if that's true. I don't know if you could have made any difference. All I do know is that Orochimaru is a sick man. If he hadn't done this he would have done something worse. I don't know how but he would have. For now, we just need to protect Kushina. God knows what Naruto is going to say when we get back to Konoha." Sakura said kindly. Sasuke smirked at that statement. "I can just imagine Naruto's face now. Especially after you sent him that message." Sasuke said in amusement. Sakura gave a slight giggle. The two friends watched the sun rise, not ten minutes later. Both hoping for good things in the future.
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
Okay all, that's this chapter finished. I hope you all liked it and such. Please R&R and let me know what you think. Oh and feel free to ask any questions you like and I'll be sure to reply to them. Until next time readers, hopefully I'll be updating soon.