Author's notes: Greetings, fellow fanfiction reader. If you have read my other works (Critical Moments Volume I and II), welcome back. If this is your first time reading one of my stories, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy. This story is a prequel of sorts. Like most writers, I hate plot holes, especially when whole characters are not explained. In the Naruto series canon, Hinata and Hanabi's mother was never named, appeared only briefly in a photograph, and was implied to have died shortly after Hanabi's birth. Akemi Hyūga (my chosen name for her) features prominently in both my other stories, and I felt there was too much to explain about how she came into the Hyūga Clan to leave to a paragraph here and there. I also felt it necessary to explain the antagonistic relationship between Hinata's grandfather and the rest of the family.
As with all works of fanfiction, I have no rights to the characters; this is strictly a work for personal enjoyment. Unlike my other works, this will be definitely rated Mature as it will feature references to parental abuse and a significantly more sexual content than my other works. I would not recommend reading this if you are under the age of 16. Due to the demands of writing Critical Moments: Volume 2, I will probably be more intermittent with updates than my other work in progress. With all that out of the way, I hope you enjoy!
An Irresponsible Thing Called Love
Chapter 1
Minato Namikaze tapped his foot impatiently for the troop convoy as he waited at the gate. You've done some stupid shit in your day, my friend, but this takes the cake and biscuit. Waiting beside him was Fugaku Uchiha, the newly promoted patriarch of the Uchiha Clan and head of the Konoha Military Police, and Hizashi Hyūga, younger brother, and sworn bodyguard, to the reprobate they were waiting on.
Hiashi swaggered his way toward them flanked by two MPs. The man's normally immaculate robes were torn and askew, and he sported a black eye over his right Byakugan. Despite the somber occasion, Hiashi gave the trio a shit-eating grin, "Hey guys, nice to see such a pretty welcoming-committee!"
"Keep talking, brother," Hizashi scowled, much like his father and other Hyūga Clan members did, "Dad is going to beat your ass bloody for what you did!"
"Wouldn't be the first time," Hiashi's smile didn't fade. "And Minato, looking good, my man!"
"Welcome home, Hiashi; I trust your time at the front wasn't too eventful?"
"Bah," he scoffed, "had Dad let me, the bums from Iwa would be pissing in their pants scared, and the war would be over in a few weeks," he paused, "a few hours if we also threw you two into the mix!"
"If you keep blowing smoke up my ass, my wife might accuse me of cheating," Fugaku shook his head.
"Oh, we can't have that," Hiashi laughed, "I have a black eye, battle scars, and a village full of young ladies whose menfolk are off at war!"
"What you have," Minato struggled not to laugh at his friend's inappropriate behavior, "is twenty-four hours in the brig followed by the ass-reaming of the century by your father." He shook his head, "Seriously, stealing your brother's ID papers and taking his place at the front!"
"Did dad even notice I was gone?"
"The MPs noticed when they dragged me away thinking I had deserted," Hizashi growled.
"Oh, come on, you weren't exactly excited to go off to war! Had I been killed, it would be you, your wife, and kid heading up the clan someday instead of me!"
"Big brother," Hizashi facepalmed, "When will you ever learn?"
"Never!" he smiled like a tiger.
"Ha! Just you wait," Minato shook his head as he released the handcuffs, "You're one day going to come across a woman you can't stand the thought of leaving, and pretty soon you'll be a clan leader with a wife, two kids, and a scowl to match your father's!"
"Bah!" Hiashi snorted, "Minato, if this shinobi thing doesn't work out, you should consider being a standup comedian, ya know!" Hiashi did his best to imitate Kushina.
"Just you wait," Minato said, as he and Fugaku escorted Hiashi into the village. Poor fool, I only hope I'm around to see it!
"Minato," a gravely voice came from around the corner as they walked.
"Lord Third!" Minato said shocked, "you shouldn't be out here without a bodyguard!"
"Fugaku, please take this deviant home; I have no need to see him in jail."
"Haha! Here I come ladies!" Hiashi smiled.
"I wouldn't get your hopes up too high, Lord Hiashi," Lord Third shook his head as he puffed his pipe, "A lot of young men and women will be coming home soon."
"You mean!" Minato exclaimed, overcome with joy.
"That's right," Lord Sarutobi smiled, "the armistice goes into effect at midnight, and we have you to thank for it," he patted Minato on the shoulder.
"You?" Hiashi and Fugaku were taken aback.
"I may have had a hand in negotiations," Minato said coyly, "but that's just a ceasefire, what about a formal treaty?"
"That, my son, we need to discuss. If you'll join me at the office."
"Fugaku, hurry up and get me home!" Hiashi said, "I need to get my arse chewed out by my dad so I can make an even greater fool out of myself before everyone gets back!"
"And Minato," Lord Third sighed, "when we're done, keep his ass out of trouble for five minutes."
The convoy of other civilians and the few shinobi retainers did little to ease Akemi Tanaka's mind as they walked the road to the Village Hidden in the Leaves. She stared back down the road, feeling hollow. There's nothing for you back there, so quit staring like it will bring your village back!
Despite reddening at the cheeks, she resisted tears. The village elders had called for support evacuating the village. Knowing how close they were to the frontline, mother and father insisted Akemi look for a posting in Konoha well before the evacuation. Much to everyone's surprise, she had received an offer from the Hyūga Clan to serve as midwife to Yukio Hyūga, wife to a high-ranking family member. First thing first, you have to get there without getting mauled by bandits or the enemy.
"Akemi!" a young lady in back of the wagon screeched, "It's happening!" Akemi had been midwife to Lady Yui Nakamura since the middle of the pregnancy. Despite her young age and overall good health, the expectant mother's pregnancy had been fraught with issues such as unstable blood pressure and blood sugar. Had they not been at war, she would have been sent to Konoha immediately for proper management. As it stood, the act of sending a sickly pregnant woman across a bandit plagued countryside would be akin to suicide.
"Stop the cart," she commanded the driver as she climbed into the cramped back of the wagon.
"Oh god!" Lady Nakamura screamed with tears raining from her eyes.
A quick check of vital signs indicated a rapid pulse and spiking blood pressure. Visual inspection confirmed Yui's water had broken and birth was probably imminent. Goddammit, of all places! "Yui, let me know when the next contraction hits!"
"Lady Tanaka, we have to keep moving," one of the Shinobi spoke grimly.
Akemi began feeling with her chakra, sensing the baby's growing strength as the mother continued to weaken, "We can't move her, she's in severe distress and about the give birth! We have to stop, at least temporarily or we risk losing them both!"
"Lady Tanaka, we have a whole convoy to worry about, and we are still in a hot zone," the shinobi answered.
Akemi resisted the urge to slap the man; she knew he was just doing his job.
"Akemi!" the mother-to-be screamed.
"How long can you give me?"
"Thirty minutes, otherwise we have to resume moving or leave her!"
Shit, thirty minutes! "Do any of your team have medical training?"
"I do," a female shinobi approached, "I'm a basic medic!"
"Okay," Akemi began focusing her chakra. She was no ninja, but her grandmother and her people knew something of chakra manipulation. Grandma had used it to assist many women through pregnancy, and she had started training Akemi to midwife at age fourteen. Ever if you were in Konoha, there is nothing more they could do! "Yui," she focused her chakra around the mother's womb and the baby, "you're going to have to trust me here! We're about to deliver much faster than we normally would. This is going to hurt, a LOT!"
The mother shrieked, but Akemi raised a finger to calm her. "Yui, listen to me, if we don't do this right now, your life and the baby's life will be in serious jeopardy! I need you to breath for me just like we trained, and when I say push, you're going to have to push with every damn thing you have!" Akemi took her position between Yui's legs, turning to the kunoichi who volunteered, "Hold her hand, and try to keep her steady."
You've delivered countless times as an assistant, now it's time to do it solo! Akemi reached with her chakra, anticipating the contraction; it struck like lightning. Ignore it, push through! "PUSH!" Akemi winced as she willed her chakra to assist the mother and child, sharing the religious level of pain the mom endured. Akemi had done this almost a dozen times in almost seven years of midwifery, each time was every bit as exhausting and painful as the first time.
Yui's shrieks nearly split her eardrums. Can't quit now, a few more ought to do it! On cue, another surge flowed from the mom, and Akemi caught it, nearly breaking her teeth as she groaned, "PUSH!" She split her chakra between helping push and sustaining the almost depleted Yui. Yui's channel was stretching, "PUSH!"
"GAHHH!" Lady Nakamaru screamed in agony. The assisting Kunoichi and her partner both froze in agony.
"I can see the head, almost there!" Akemi shouted; her determination returned as she braced for what hopefully would be the last contraction. HERE WE GO! The pain hit, but by now she was almost euphoric with the thought of being finished. "PUSH!"
As the mother pushed, Akemi was rewarded by the sound of crying as head, shoulders, and arms sprang forth. Another hard push, and the baby was free. Akemi raced through her mental checklist, assessing the baby for responsiveness, making sure she was breathing, and making sure the baby wasn't cyanotic. "Hand me a towel from my kit," she groaned to the assisting shinobi. Akemi quickly severed the umbilical cord and wrapped the baby up, "Yui, it's a girl!"
Yui's muted response shot Akemi full of adrenaline. No! The baby needs her! Despite her own exhaustion, Akemi handed the baby to the male Shinobi and placed her hands on Yui's stomach. "Come on, Yui!" Akemi focused her chakra, shunting every last bit she could spare, but it wasn't enough. Dammit! Akemi coldly realized it was her life or the mother's life. She stole a glance at the baby and the mother whose light was faltering. If I die, let me die well. Akemi pushed with everything she had left, and everything went dark.