Chapter Sixteen
Kakashi wasn't sure what the hell had happened at the Hokage's office, but his left eye burned a low smolder since the incident. Minato had been ready to cut him loose for the night, only to freak out a few moments later. Something about this whole night is just damned wrong. The current company – gravestones – didn't ease his troubled mind, either.
"Rin, Obito," Minato spoke to the headstones, tears dripping slowly, "I'm about the have the happiest moment in my life, but it feels so empty knowing neither of you will be here to share it." Minato wiped tears away, "Rin, not a day goes by where Kushina doesn't cry at having lost you," he said, "You were the daughter she wanted," he paused and shrugged, "I guess, for this time, the one that she won't have."
Minato faced Obito's headstone, "My son, Obito, I hope he grows up to be like you, to share the dream you had – being Hokage and making the world a better place. Had we had more time together…" Minato dipped his head and shook it side to side.
"Boss," Kakashi put his hand on his sensei's shoulder, "There is nothing you could have done," Kakashi felt a strange calm come over him as he said the words – words he'd needed to hear and say for a long time, "and the baby isn't going to wait for us."
"You're right," Minato cleared his tears, "Kakashi, you'll make a great team leader someday."
"That'll be the day," Kakashi laughed. "My students hated me."
"When Naruto is old enough, you're the one I want as his sensei," Minato took him by the shoulders and stared him in the eyes.
"Me?" Kakashi almost choked with surprise.
"You're one of the best Shinobi there is… and one of the most caring I know."
"Boss, are you sure this whole baby thing isn't going to your head?" Kakashi stared skeptically.
"I hope not," he laughed, "Kakashi… thank you for not letting me cut corners tonight. If nothing happens, I want my son to know that you're family, right away."
"And if something happens?" Kakashi asked with a heavy weight dropping in his stomach.
"Then there is no one I'd rather have watching my back," Minato smiled ear to ear, "Ready to go?"
"Yup," Kakashi nodded, and they disappeared in a bright flash. Twilight had fallen, and soon darkness would blanket the clearing. The safehouse was only thirteen miles from Konoha, a trained shinobi could hike the trail in five hours, run it in less than three, but it felt like the other side of the moon tonight.
"Lord Hokage," on of the ANBU approached, "I thought you said Kakashi would be off tonight?"
"Change of plans," Minato said, "Something is up, and I think we need to be on extra guard tonight. Is everything in place?"
"Yes, sir!" The ANBU operative spoke confidently. "Multiple seals are in place, even one of the Legendary Sannin would have a devil of a time trying to get in here uninvited."
"What kind of detachment do we have?" Kakashi asked.
"Six including myself," the man spoke. Fuck me, six? In most cases, it was overkill for a low-risk security detail. As his eye began burning subtly again, Kakashi instinctively knew at least a dozen should have been here. You can shit in one hand and wish in the other and see which fills up first! "Is there a question?" The ANBU stared, almost accusingly.
"May I have my vantage point?" Kakashi asked, not wanting this to turn into a pissing match.
"Certainly," the fellow operative nodded, moving to open the back door for Minato.
"I'll see you when this is over, kiddo," he winked, "extended leave if all goes smoothly!"
"Keep it," Kakashi said, "I prefer to stay busy." Kakashi leapt up into the tree, the one potential weak spot Kakashi had consistently come back to during his security drills. The wind blew with a cold chill to his bones as last light faded. Kakashi faded into the shadows to see and not be seen. I know you're out there. I'm waiting for you.
Minato's stomach had not settled since leaving the office, and now realizing that his son's birth was hours or minutes away only added to the apprehension tightening like a metal band constricting his stomach.
"Nice of you to join us," Biwako said with an almost mocking tone. Throughout the process of training to give birth, Lord Sarutobi's wife had maintained a certain amusement at Minato and Kakashi's squeamishness with all things related to the delivery. The process of birth might be natural, but to a guy nothing is natural about pushing another human out through a hole that small!
"How is she?" he asked, brushing off the midwife's gruffness.
"We're in the last leg, and my assistant could use a break from holding the seal," she said with a shrug, "It's holding, but it's getting pretty damn worn. If we screw up, we have a real emergency on our hands!"
The mention of the seal being delicate again churned acid in Minato's stomach and made him short of breath. Minato had no explanation for what he'd seen at the Hokage's office, but now, the haunting image of Kushina and him lying in a bloody pool as their son lay crying with the towering visage of Nine-Tails in the background. Under normal circumstances, he'd have butterflies in his stomach; right now, an unsavory whirlpool of nausea was hitting him.
"Minato! Snap out of it!" Biwako barked as a loud screech from Kushina split the air. He took is place at his wife's side, placing his hands on her exposed stomach as he watched the moving baby bump to reinforce the seal. "What the hell is wrong with you tonight?! We don't have time for male squeamishness!"
"I had a bad night's sleep," he lied through gritted teeth, "and I've been playing catch up all day!"
"Well, focus!" she shouted, "We don't have time for male weakness, either!"
"OH, GOD! IT HURTS, YA KNOW!" Kushina howled into the night as her body writhed against a contraction.
Minato's focus returned razor sharp as he felt the seal go almost paper-thin at the contraction. SHIT! Minato pressed back, feeling Kurama clawing at his restraints. Minato was one of the most powerful shinobi in the world, and right now sweat was raining down his back and sides with the effort it took to reinforce a seal already in place. How in the hell did Lord Hashirama ever seal this thing to begin with! Minato redoubled his effort as he watched his wife's normally beautiful face crack in agony and tears rained from her eyes. "Is that normal?" he groaned through his effort to hold the seal.
"This is why…" Biwako huffed in amusement, "… men don't give birth!" Kushina ground her teeth as she suppressed a scream. Soon, another searing contraction hit, and she lost her battle with the scream. "Just a little more, I can see his head!" the midwife called out. Lord Third's wife was concentrating her chakra, trying to maintain the seal, "Just a little more Kushina! You're doing great! Any man would be dead right now!"
The contraction struck like lightning. Again, she screamed, this time tears spilled freely as she pushed with every damn thing she had. Kushina gripped the handles on birthing table with enough force to feel the mount warp. Minato pressed back at the seal, a dam holding back the onrush of a disastrous flood. Another wailing sound, distracted Minato as baby Naruto slipped from Kushina's body. Her head flopped back on the pillow. Several deep breaths and an exhausted calm washed over her.
As for Minato, he was tired, soaked in sweat, and still had the awful sensation in the pit of his stomach. "Naruto…" he heaved as Biwako walked past carrying his son.
"Not yet!" she scolded, "The mother should see him first." After a short exchange between Biwako, Naruto, and Kushina, Biwako carried his son away to examine him. She didn't even give him a second chance to see his son, much less hold him. That's it, next time, we're going to use Akemi! His uncharitable thoughts toward his predecessor's wife were drowned out by Naruto's cries. There was no crisis. He turned back to his wife, "Now time to suppress Kyuubi." He made ready to put Nine-Tails back in full restraint.
Whatever calm Minato held vanished as Lord Third's wife and her assistant collapsed, choking gurgling noises coming from both of them. "Minato!" Kushina stared in horror in the direction of the sound. What the fuck?!
"Step away from the jinchuriki or the child dies!" a deathly, malicious voice called. Holy SHIT! Minato stared at the man in black, wearing an orange swirl pattern mask with one hellish red eye glowing at the center of the swirl. The nightmare from the office began constricting around his stomach. No fucking way! Nobody could have gotten through the seals and the ANBU detachment! KAKASHI! Momentary panic gripped him at the thought of his apprentice lying dead.
"Hold on, let's just be calm!" Minato tried placating the man holding Naruto, holding a shuriken to his son's face face. He was in a shit position and the man probably knew it. The longer they stood like this, the weaker the seal would get. And if you move; your son dies! A flash of shadow with another hellish coal where an eye was supposed to be flickered from the back entrance. Minato recognized the faint glint of the steel kunai, and knew they had once chance at this. The masked man threw the baby into the air, looking to impale the child, and everything moved in slow motion.
Kakashi was now soaked in both sweat and piss as he dismounted the tree. The Sharringan Obito had gifted him had activated moments earlier, and he watched vivid detail as the other six ANBU were cut down, the last one being decapitated. The shadowy figure had forced the back door to the house, spilling out a beam of light from within. FUCKFUCKFUCK!
Someone as powerful as to kill six ANBU in the blink of an eye was easily Minato's equal. In his distracted state, Minato was a sitting duck. And Kushina and the baby! Kakashi knew he was going to die in the ensuing exchange; it didn't matter. He would pay his life to save his Hokage and his family. He would pay back the dishonor his father had earned. Rin, Obito, I'll be with you both soon!
Kakashi slipped in through the open door, the world a hellish red due toe the Sharringan's effect. A ghastly sight greeted him: Biwako Sarutobi and her assistant were both dead on the ground, blood and foam dripping from their noses and mouths. His heart stopped when he saw the man had the baby. Oh hell no! Kakashi's blood burned with unadulterated rage as the man tossed the child in the air. With Sharringan, he could tell Naruto was just a feint; the real target the man had in mind was Kushina. Not today, asshole!
The man prepared to teleport himself over to Kushina as he had done when murdering the ANBU outside. Kakashi had no room for error. "TRICK OR TREAT…" Kakashi jabbed the kunai in through the angle of the man's left shoulder and neck as the baby went flying in the air, "… MOTHERFUCKER!" The kunai grazed bone as it exited out the right side of the man's windpipe.
The target gurgled as arterial spray squirted Kakashi's hands. With a solid upright motion, he jerked the kunai up to the man's jaw, and the spray of blood covered Kakashi as the sound of cartilage, muscle, tendon, nerve, and blood vessels ripped like paper. Kakashi had killed before and never felt good about it. This time, he felt the strange sensation of pleasure at the bloody mess he'd created as he impaled his enemy through the throat.
Satisfaction turned to panic as the jagged mass of rent flesh began to pull itself back together before his eyes. Holy SHIT! NOBODY COULD SURVIVE THAT! The unholy figure began to stir again. There was indecipherable yelling followed by the sound of firecrackers. By the time the sound registered to Kakashi, the building blew, and he and the assailant were flying through layers of wood, plaster, and a hell-storm of burning splinters.
Another impact hit, and Kakashi's senses returned as he realized they were outside, having been blown clear from the building. His eyes briefly flitted to Minato, desperately clutching his son as he assessed was looked like a massive splinter impaling Kushina in the gut. NO!
Movement of the assailant called Kakashi back to action. The man struggled with his left arm hanging limply from where Kakashi had cut its nerve supply, but the arm was starting to move again. FUCKING DIE ALREADY! Kakashi got to his feet and kicked the man across the face, bits of burning mask falling away. He pulled a kunai and prepared to cut out the man's eyes so he could piss into his dead skull.
As his eye locked on the man's hellish eye, Kakashi froze as he saw the man's deformed face and his angry Sharringan. "OBITO!" All color drained from Kakashi, as did the remaining piss in his bladder as he viewed the withered sight of his fallen teammate's face. His remaining Sharringan glowed with murderous intent.
"FLYING THUNDER GOD TECHNIQUE!" a quick flittering of movement, and Obito vanished in a bright flash of light. The immediate danger gone, Minato rushed back to Kushina. By now, Kakashi could see the smoldering ember protruding from the right side of her belly, as well as the black marks tunneling under her skin. Minato immediately placed his hands on her belly, trying to reseal or suppress Nine-Tails, but the beast's chakra was spreading outward from her center mass. "SHIT!" he shouted, taking off his jacket and pressing it around the large splinter impaling her.
A tearful exchange, "My love, kill me, let me take Kyuubi with me!" she pleaded.
"Not happening!" Minato shook his head, "KAKASHI!" he screamed.
All Kakashi could do was mutter, "Obito… Obito…" It was impossible, and yet, it had happened. Obito was alive, and he had betrayed the village! He'd tried killing Minato and Kushina! The two people that saw him as family!
Minato picked up the baby, thrusting Naruto to Kakashi. "Kakashi! I know this is a real bad time, but you need to take Naruto! Meet us at the hospital!"
"Obito," Kakashi cried along with the baby in his arms. The gravity of what was happening hit, "he's alive! This is all my fault!"
"KAKASHI!" Minato roared, "There's no time to dwell on that! You do this and any dishonor on your father and family will be erased!" He firmly placed the baby in Kakashi's arms. "GO!" Kakashi nodded weakly and disappeared from her sight.
Kakashi had never run so fast in his life, spurred on by the wailing baby he cradled carefully to his body. "It's okay, little guy," he hugged the boy close, "Uncle Kakashi has got you! Everything… is going to be all right!" Kakashi kept running until he'd reached the village gate; after that he kept running until he met Minato at the Hospital.
Minato knew the situation was deadly serious as he appeared in the hospital courtyard. The ER staff quickly took Kushina in, but a flickering in the back of his mind told him the medical-nin here were way out of their league. Dammit, Dad! Why did you have to leave now of all times! Minato silently cursed Jiraiya, maybe the one other person qualified to seal Nine-Tails, for not being here when his village, his Hokage, needed him.
In short span, anger gave way to recrimination. Dad wasn't here, but there were other options. Minato grabbed the arm of one of the ER staff running by, "Get on the horn and call the Hyūga Compound. Ask for Akemi Hyūga to come to the hospital, urgently!"
"Lord Hokage?" The nurse stared aghast.
"Do it! I'll be right back?"
"Sir, you're wife! Where are you going!?"
"To get help!" he vanished in a flash.
"Lady Tsunade!" Shizune beat the door to her room desperately.
"Dammit!" Tsunade huffed as she rolled out of bed. A quick glance at the clock indicated it was half past one.
"TSUNADE!" a panicked, boyish voice thundered from the other side of the door.
Minato?! Tsunade threw on her scrubs and unlatched the door. Minato had blood running from his forehead and a decent amount of his spiky hair singed. "Minato, what happened?!"
"Tsunade," he grabbed her by the wrist, "I need you to come back to Konoha, urgently!"
"What happened?" she asked again, shocked by what he was asking.
"Obito tried killing Kushina, she's badly injured, and probably bleeding internally!"
The mere mention of bleeding sent Tsunade back to a horrible, paralyzing place – holding Dan as he lay torn and bloody, expiring in her arms. "I-I can't…" she began sniffling.
"YOU CAN AND YOU MUST!" Minato roared. "You're the legendary Slug Queen, the heir of the Senju clan! You're the best goddamn healer in the world, and you can't selfishly keep hiding from it because you're scared! KUSHINA IS GOING TO DIE IF YOU DON'T! THE WHOLE VILLAGE IS IN DANGER!"
"Minato, she'll die if I do…" she protested weakly.
"Lady Tsunade," Shizune too her hand, adding, "if we do nothing…"
Tsunade felt her life flash before her eyes. There was nothing that could have been done for Dan; she knew it when she found him. Every fiber in her body called for slapping Minato for thrusting that responsibility for life and death back on her. Except, he's right. If you chose to do nothing, you've already killed Kushina, your cousin. A healer's first oath is to do no harm and to heal the sick and injured! That is why you started this clinic in the middle of nowhere – you couldn't outrun your duty. "All right, you crazy bastard!" she shook loose from Minato's grip. "Shizune, grab our kits; we're going!"
"Should we prepare to return?" Shizune asked.
"Not in any immediate future. While I trust the hospital, I don't want to rely on them!" Tsunade felt an old fire return. Shizune ran for their medical bags in the small clinic space and returned with superhuman speed. "We're ready, Minato," Tsunade said, tightening her jaw. He took both of them by the hand and they teleported to the courtyard of Konoha Hospital.
"This way," he dragged them to the main building, leaving no time to admire how much the place had changed. As they approached the operating room, Tsuande's throat threatened to close as she saw the bloody mess that was Kushina. Oh my god!
The medical staff thus far had cut away her blouse to reveal a deep penetrating wound in the right lower quadrant of her cousin's abdomen. Despite the best efforts of the staff, they were clearly in over their heads as blood continued to gush from the wound all over the gurney and onto the floor. "Lady Tsunade?" Shizune said. The rest of the ER staff paused, and even Kushina tilted her head up despite the sheer agony it caused.
Tsunade froze, seeing the red flowing from Kushina, seeing Dan laying there about to expire. She's going to do the same very soon if you don't snap out of it! "Shizune, scrub in, quickly!" Tsunade felt instincts kick in she hadn't used in years as she, herself, ran to a sink and began disinfecting her hands. "Somebody give me a situation report, what have we got, what have we done?!" she shouted.
A young male medical-nin, probably still in his apprenticeship, spoke up, "Female subject, post-birth with a piercing wound in the right lower abdominal quadrant with uncontrolled bleeding, vitals are…"
"Cut the crap!" she shouted, drying her hands, "Do we have bowel perforation? Do we have damage to the kidney or any of the arteries? Do we have damage to her chakra network?!"
"We for sure have an arterial laceration, but I'm having a devil of a time finding it," the young man spoke, clearly feeling inadequate to the task. Poor kid, probably didn't serve in the war and is on his first night alone in the ER.
"Go on," Tsunade softened her tone.
"One of her chakra nodes was almost completely obliterated; it's hanging by a thread," he said gravely.
Tsunade felt the chill in her back as she thought of the implication. For a shinobi a damaged chakra node could have career-ending disability in terms of being able to mold or manipulate chakra. In Kushina's case, that means the seal holding Nine-Tails is probably toast! Tsunade pushed past the team, examining the bloody mess close up. "Tsu-Tsunade…" Kushina's voice said weakly.
"I'm here cousin!" Tsunade tried reassuring her, "Somebody send up for two units of her blood type, if not, see who here matches; move it!"
"Tsunade!" Kushina gripped her forearm as she began assessing the damage.
"It's okay, just stay calm!" Tsunade tried desperately to reassure Kushina as much as herself.
"Tsuande… kill me!"
"What?!"
"Let me take Nine-Tails with me! It's too dangerous now!"
"Ain't happening!" Tsuande changed her hands with healing charkra and began digging into the wound. Kushina screamed as she did so. "I just got back into the game; I'm not killing my first patient!"
"He's almost LOOSE!" Kushina cried. Tsuande ignored the comment, feeling the wound site. As feared, there was a sizable laceration to the iliac artery, but thankfully, there had not been any bowel perforation. One small step for local mankind!
"This is not going to feel good!" Tsunade pinched the artery with her fingers, sealing it together. She was rewarded with a blood-curdling scream. Nevertheless, it worked; the internal bleeding was controlled. Unfortunately, the apprentice medical-nin was right, whatever had impaled Kushina through the gut had struck one of the central chakra nodes, and the seal, already weakened by giving birth was now damaged beyond any hope of repair.
"Tsunade, we can't let it get out!" Kushina moaned weakly.
"We're already past that point," Tsunade said, withdrawing her hand and sealing the wound in the abdomen. "We've got a half hour at best to think of something, and killing you is no option," she scolded with the last part. "Right now the seal is so weak and damaged that if you die, it gets free."
"And?" Kushina asked knowing what was unsaid.
"In your weakened state, that seal is probably the only thing holding a critical part of your chakra network together. If we transfer it, you'll die rapidly!" Tsunade stared at the waiting room, "I'll be back!" she rinsed the blood off her hands and ran to find Minato.
The phone call had come to the Hyūga Compound at an ungodly early hour; however, Akemi was already awake as Hinata had been drumming on her bladder intermittently most of the evening. She's normally calm; something is wrong! "Yes," Hiashi spoke into the phone with panic in his voice, "We'll be there soon as possible!" he hung up. "Kushina is in trouble, and we're needed at the hospital urgently!" Hiashi said.
"Trouble?" Akemi felt Hinata kick again. "What sort of trouble!" her heart fluttered. "Biwako should have been able to handle anything!"
"She dead, along with her assistant!" Hiashi said bluntly. "Kushina was injured in some assassination attempt."
"What about the baby?!" Panic made her gut jump, along with Hinata.
"I don't know, but we need to get to the hospital right now!" he said, throwing on clothing. Akemi struggled to her feet, her large baby bump making the process of rising extra challenging. Two months to go, and a crisis has to happen! Like Kushina, she was in a vulnerable position. A pregnant woman's chakra reserves were constantly drained as a result of sustaining a baby, and even the use of relatively simple chakra techniques during any trimester could cause complications. Not to mention, if you miscarry, it could have serious consequences for the future of this clan! She ignored the thought as she pulled on her oversized maternity robes and tied her extra-large obi over her bump.
They walked in silence to the hospital, only to be stopped by a night patrol, who informed them that the village was locked down due to an emergency. After identifying themselves and their business, the patrol escorted them to the hospital. As they walked, Akemi noticed a larger than normal security force out at night. If I didn't know better, I'd assume we were going to war. The thought unsettled her already aching stomach.
As they entered the hospital, they were directed to the waiting area for the emergency ward. "Sir, I must insist we take the baby to the nursery!" a nurse chided Minato and Kakashi. Both men were covered in cuts, bruises, and small burns; and their outfits hinted that they had just come from a life-or-death struggle.
"NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE!" Minato roared in the young lady's face. A tiny baby clutched in his arms began to cry. Naruto! Akemi knew the protectiveness driving Minato. During difficult childbirths, Akemi had seen in surviving mothers who had lost their husbands and husbands who had lost their wives in birth.
"It's all, right," she spoke as calmly as possible. Hinata began jumping rapidly as she approached the two men and the crying baby. "Easy Hinata, you'll get to meet him soon enough!" she rubbed her stomach.
"Lady Hyūga, perhaps you can talk sense into Lord Fourth! His son needs to be in a nursery!" the nurse begged
"Nonsense," she said, taking the baby into her arms from Kakashi. A quick check of the baby and she nodded, "He's perfectly stable. Please send a fresh blanket," she hugged the baby boy, tussling his tiny tuff of blonde hair. The nurse bowed, respecting the fact that Akemi was a trained midwife. As the nurse took off, Akemi sat down as her own child began kicking again. Naruto became strangely calmed by Akemi's presence, and the unborn baby ceased kicking at the sudden contact of the newborn. "It would seem they like each other," she smiled. Kushina, you have to live! You have to see them grow up!
"Lord Fourth," Hiashi dropped his normally calm expression, "We came the second we heard. How is Kushina!"
"She's in with Tsunade right now!" Minato choked back tears. His friend hugged him.
"You convinced Tsunade to come out of retirement?" Hiashi said, amazed.
"She said she couldn't let her cousin die, especially not with her son just having been born," Minato cleared snot and tears.
The doors from the operating room swung open. Tsunade's scrubs were covered in blood. She looked haunted. "I have bad news and really bad news," Tsunade dipped her head.
"Oh god!" Minato felt his cheeks turn red. Minato opened his mouth to speak, but Tsunade cut him off. "She's alive, but we have a very serious situation! The splinter caused internal bleeding. I've got it under control, but her chakra network is badly injured!"
Akemi knew damn well what that meant for Kushina's ability to hold in Nine-Tails. Even if it didn't get free, the effect of its toxic negative charka leaking so rapidly would turn lethal to her in a matter of hours. Tsunade confirmed her worst fears, "The seal holding Nine-Tails is irreparably damaged from the injury. We have thirty minutes tops before it gets free!" The stark look of horror on her face suggested real fear, not just for Kushina's life..
"Gets free!" Minato, Kakashi, and Hiashi all gasped in unison. Everyone sounded shit scared.
"At this point, the seal is so weak, if she dies, it will get free," Tsunade sighed. "So, you see the crisis: holding Nine-Tails in her will kill her, but trying to removing it will also kill her. Either way, it gets free if she dies."
"Does she know this?" Minato asked desperately.
"Yes, I made it very clear when she asked me to euthanize her," Tsunade didn't meet Minato's gaze. Kushina would put the needs of the village and her son above her own survival.
"So, we have no means of killing Nine-Tails, and we have no one that can contain Nine Tails," Hiashi throat bobbed up and down as he spoke
"Would she live if we did?" Minato asked suddenly.
"Minato, you're not compatible with Nine-Tails Chakra!" Tsunade chided him.
Minato closed his eyes, sighing in deep resignation. Akemi felt a wave of nausea at what he was proposing. He opened his eyes, exchanging a glance with young Kakashi, and Kakashi nodded. "I'm not," he turned to look at his baby son, the future jinchuriki of Nine-Tails, "but he is."
The dropping of a pin could be heard. Akemi face warped in horror as she squeezed baby Naruto, protecting him. Throughout the pregnancy, and lead up to conception, Akemi had Tsunade said what everyone else was probably thinking, "Lord Fourth, are you fucking crazy! He's only a baby!"
"Tsunade, I know it's an awful idea! Dammit in hell, I know it's a horrible idea! Naruto is our only chance to stop Nine-Tails! But you have a better suggestion, I'm all ears right now," Minato stared coldly at Tsunade. "Anyone?" he gestured around. As much as Akemi didn't want to agree, she knew they were in a situation now impossible.
"Lord Fourth is right," Kakashi said in a calm, collected voice, "As hateful as binding Nine-Tails to Naruto is, we put the whole village at risk if we choose to do nothing!"
"Tsunade!" Minato asked slowly, his fire returning, "will she survive if we transfer Nine-Tails to Naruto?"
Tsunade shook her head in disgust, "No one has ever survived having a Tailed Beast withdrawn completely. I don't know, maybe, Mito was much older and weaker when Mito transferred it to Kushina. I…I give even money, but I'd bet on her dying in the process."
"We should do this in the courtyard," he said, "We may damage the building doing this inside."
"I think we're missing something damned important," Hiashi cut in. "Nine-Tails' Chakra is a handful for a fully prepared adult to contain! How in the name of hell is a baby supposed to safely contain it! No one that young has ever successfully held a beast that powerful!"
"And we don't know if Kushina can survive the trauma of having Nine-Tails removed fully…" Akemi said solemnly, running her fingers through Naruto's blonde hair. My boy, to come so far. We can't lose your mom now! She needs to see you grow up!
"I'll use the Dead Demon Soul Consuming Seal to bind Kuruama," Minato said, his determination growing. "It may save Kushina and limit the beast enough to contain it in Naruto." Akemi had no idea what it entailed, and she didn't exactly want to know.
"Lord Hokage, with all due respect," Kakashi shook his head, "that's insane! Nine-Tails is still in Kushina! Even if Kushina survived you sealing Kyuubi, and I don't think she would," Kakashi hung his head. "You'd leave her a widow, your son an orphan, and your village without a protector!"
The guilt of what she was about to suggest made Hinata sit heavy in her hips. "There is another way," Akemi Hyūga's voice went from soft to firm. Everyone turned to look at her, "It's risky, but I think it will work, without anyone dying," she turned to Tsunade, "But I need to see Kushina first!"
"What's the downside?" Tsunade asked.
"That's… complicated," Akemi said as she got to her feet. Akemi rubbed her stomach desperately "But there isn't time to explain! Please take me to her!"
The pain of holding on was almost as bad as the pain of childbirth. Kushina gripped the side of the stretcher like a sailor grasping a life-ring after being shipwrecked in the middle of a typhoon. She wanted to let go, wanted to die, but she knew that was no longer going to save anyone. If she died, Nine-Tails got free. She felt him clawing away at the seal. And judging by my current predicament, if he gets loose, I die.
Tears began spilling from her eyes at the unfairness of it all. She had lost family and village in youth, and now she was going to lose both again as an adult. It isn't supposed to be this way! I'm supposed to be home with Minato and Naruto, teasing Kakashi for being a worry-wart! Now, I'm going to die because I didn't listen!
The doors to the OR swung open, and Akemi was joined by Kakashi and Tsunade. In Akemi's arms a tiny bundle wrapped in a white blanket shook, his unkempt mop of blonde hair mimicked his father's. "Naruto!" she moaned against the pain.
"Kushina…" Akemi cried as she brought the baby boy to her, "I'm… sorry… I should have been there!"
"You'd… be dead, too," Kushina sobbed. Between pain and slipping in and out of lucidity, Kushina had forgotten about Biwako and her assistant. "Akemi, take care of my son! Tell Minato to take me away, far away!" she sobbed as she held her boy who was now crying as well.
"Your boy needs his mommy," Akemi said as she placed her hands on Kushina's now largely deflated belly, "It's bad like I thought, but I think the plan will work," Akemi said to herself.
"Plan? What plan?!" Kushina moaned, feeling Nine-Tails scratching again.
"Kushina, we have to transfer Nine-Tails to your son," Akemi cried.
"Please, don't!" she pleaded.
"Kushina, if you die, he grows up without a mom and Nine-Tails gets free. Even if we dump you somewhere far away, what's to stop him from coming back to take vengeance on this village? What stops someone like the asshole who tried extracting it from you from capturing and going on a rampage!" Akemi's cheeks turned rosy, "I know it's a horrible idea, but I think I can do it without you dying!"
"How?!" Kushina joined Tsunade and Kakashi in desperate frustration.
"I can use my body as a chakra conduit, just like I'd do in childbirth with a mother in distress. I'll siphon off Nine-Tails into Naruto while Minato seals him in."
"Naruto can't handle that much!" she protested.
"I'll only be doing half," Akemi cut her off; "The rest we can reseal and use the seal as a bridge over the damage chakra node!"
"Tsunade?" Kushina turned to the medical-nin of legend.
"I've never done anything like that, but nothing says it won't work," she said. "Given our current shit situation, I think it's the only viable option. Everything else leaves you, Minato, or both of you dead. At least we have a fighting chance with this one!"
Kushina watched Akemi stroke her baby-bump, her Hinata, as Tsunade spoke. Oh no! Kushina gripped Akemi by the forearm, "Hinata?!"
"She'll be fine," Kushina deep down knew it was a lie or at least not the whole truth. "Kushina, this is the only way!" Akemi pleaded. "You need to see your boy grow up, after all you've endured! He needs you! H-Hinata… she needs you to see her grow up with him!"
Something warm and calming came over Kushina as her thoughts wandered to her son and Akemi's daughter. Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyūga. For a brief moment, Kushina could see the two children growing up together, becoming friends, and one day becoming more than friends. The desperate spark of hope was enough to latch onto as Nine-Tails attacked the almost collapsed seal, "Akemi, hurry!"
"Tsunade, I agree with Minato," Akemi said, "Outside will be the best place for this."
Kakashi's throat constricted as he, Hiashi, and a handful of other ANBU stood guard as the medical staff pulled the stretcher out to the courtyard, "Minato…" Kushina moaned weakly.
"Lady Kushina, please hold on!" Kakashi beckoned. "The boy needs his mother!"
"Kakashi!" she cried, "thank you for keeping us safe!" She cried desperately; the black marks were tunneling under her skin. Kyuubi would be free any second if they didn't hurry.
"Thank me when this is over!" Kakashi, despite being covered in piss, sweat, and blood; was a man with hope. As he held the small boy he'd carried on a thirteen-mile run, he had a new lease on his own life. Kakashi had to see this through; this family was his reason for life and living. He held Naruto close to her. "He'll understand when he grows up!" He stared down at the little bundle that he'd seen come into the world. I'm no father, but that doesn't mean I can't help him make sense of this someday!
"Everyone remember," Akemi commanded as Minato summoned the ceremonial alter, "Nine-Tails has very powerful negative Chakra," she clutched at her pregnant belly, "at all times maintain focus on people you love. Kyuubi is likely to try and break us up, don't let him." Kakashi reluctantly handed Akemi baby Naruto, and she placed him on Kushina's stomach.
"I'm sorry, Kushina," Minato cried as he held his wife's hand, "this is all my fault!"
"Even if that were true," she cut him off, "and it isn't, I still love you!" She gripped his hand with all her strength, "I'd die for him and you!" she cried. "You both have made me so happy in such a short time!"
"Don't cry, Kushina!" he pleaded, "You've seen nothing yet! I promised I'd keep you both safe and happy, and I never go back on my word. That is my ninja way!" Minato kissed her, his passion for keeping his word evident.
"Everyone ready?" Akemi asked, placing one of her delicate hands over the failing seal on Kushina's belly and the other on Naruto. "Ready," Kushina said, and her eyes rolled back in her head as Akemi rested her hands on Kushina's injured belly and Naruto. Tsunade, Minato, and Hiashi nodded, placing their hands over hers.
Kakashi stood at a crossroads. He had done his job and gone above and beyond. No one could fault him for bowing out right now. He could go home, shower, and collapse like he desperately needed. However, the family in front of him reminded him that he had duty beyond that of a shinobi. At the last moment, Kakashi also added his hands. Everyone stared briefly. "I've become quite attached to him tonight; I should see this through all the way. The other ANBU are good enough to protect us."
Akemi nodded, and she began channeling everyone's chakra into Naruto and Kushina, using herself and baby Hinata as a concentrating vessel. Kakashi felt himself melt away and mold into one with Kushina, Minato, Akemi, Hiashi, Tsunade, Naruto, and the tiny flittering that was Akemi's unborn child.
"You're a fool for doing this, Lady Hyūga," a gravelly, sinister voice called out to her in the darkness. "You put your baby at risk on a plan that is doomed to fail! You're a poor mother and a terrible wife for concealing it from your husband.
Thick, crushing guilt radiated from Akemi. "Don't listen to him, my love!" Hiashi implored. Akemi found her grip on Nine-Tails, pinning it in chains.
"Ah yes, Hiashi," Nine-Tails growled. "I was wondering when the underachieving son would appear," the beast gave a cavernous laugh. "Born only seconds before true heir to your family, the son destined for greatness; tell me, how does it feel to be Hiashi the blind and stupid?"
"Hiashi, hold fast!" Tsunade implored him.
"Ah yes, the medical-nin who learned to fear blood, just as she fears death!" Kyuubi's voice boomed with laughter, "You've chosen the wrong place to practice your arts! I'll kill you last, just so you can watch in horror as the blood of the others covers you!"
Nine-Tails grinned as the chains on him slackened. "Ah yes, and you, hiding there in the shadows, Kakashi." Kakashi's heart began to skip beats as Nine-Tails spoke, "You abandoned your friends, killing them both. Failure runs in your family, Kakashi! That's why your father killed himself; the only reason he didn't kill you was that he couldn't wait that long!" The group was faltering.
"Trying picking on someone half your size!" Minato called through them bravely.
Akemi tapped into the bonds holding Nine-Tails. Feral rage radiated off him like a malevolent fire. "YOU! The beast snarled acidly, "I live to devour your corpse! Mark my words, Yellow Flash, I will feast upon you for this!"
Minato's amusement was palpable, "I hear I'm tasty in a sauce of black vinegar, soya, and sesame seed oil!" Minato grinned, as did everyone else at the inappropriate reference. Boss, I did not need that image in my head!
"You sicken me!"
"The feeling is mutual!" Minato called back.
"Enough of this, Kyuubi!" Akemi exerted the strength of the group back into the chains. The bonds snapped taut, restraining the beast, "Kushina may not be able to hold you, nor Naruto by himself, but mother and son together can!"
"Do you really expect a child to hold me forever!" Kuruma roared.
"Nothing lasts forever," Akemi rubbed her stomach, "It only has to last long enough!" With titanic effort, Akemi began drawing off Nine-Tails Chakra through her and Hinata and into Naruto. For a long moment, the ease of the task fooled Kakashi into thinking this would be easy.
As Minato sealed the one half into Naruto, Kakashi felt terror pulsate from Akemi; she realized she had gravely miscalculated the situation. The seal holding Kushina's half of Kurama began to crumble again. Lady Tsudande and he jumped in with all their might to keep the foundation holding the seal in place from crumbling, but it wouldn't be enough. Too much of the beast's chakra was still present, and Naruto could safely hold no more. AH SHIT!
Kyuubi began laughing again, yanking at the chains binding him. "Did you think even such a weak vessel could hold even half of me!"
Akemi and the others shared a moment of panic. They'd failed Kushina and their village. Everyone was going to die because of her hubris! "Oh my god! I'm sorry everyone! I'm sorry Hinata!" Akemi cried.
As the chains began to slacken, something unexpected occurred. Nine-Tails began to weaken, shrinking. "What!" it cried out, alarmed. "What sorcery is this!"
Kakashi couldn't make sense of it, either. The chakra was draining from Nine-Tails like fluid moving from an area of high pressure to low pressure. Moving where?
"Oh my god, HINATA!" Akemi exclaimed. Her unborn daughter was absorbing Nine-Tails, like a hungry fetus feeding on the chakra from its mother. Makes sense, all that chakra going through the mother and baby; it has no way of telling what belongs to mom and what doesn't! Akemi guided the feral chakra toward the unadulterated chakra of new life. Far from corrupting the small ember of purple-blue chakra, Kuruma's orange chakra grew the small ember to an unfathomable size for someone so small. The restraints solidified around Nine-Tails. "It's working!" Akemi yelled.
Unfathomable exhaustion broke over Kakashi, and all went black. He was alone again, floating is a sea of darkness – a lonely island adrift between the heavens and hells. Kakashi had no concept if he was alive or dead; he wasn't even sure if it mattered anymore. "Kakashi…" a gentle voice called in the dark.
"Hello?" he said desperately.
"Kakashi…" the voice called again, soft, imploring him like a siren of myth.
The voice was distinct enough to know it didn't belong to Kushina, Akemi, or Tsuande. "Rin?" he croaked, his lips barely letting sound pass.
"Kakashi…"
"R-Rin!" he pressed the words past his lips with all his might.
"Kakashi?" the voice solidified, but it also became less familiar as it did, not that it was unpleasant. "Kakashi, can you hear me?" the voice was joined by the sensation of something cool and moist dabbing his face. The heavenly balm of soft skin running across his face shook Kakashi back to full consciousness as his eyes sprouted open. The owner of the voice was pale-skinned, with obsidian dark eyes, and short brown hair. "Kakashi?" she asked softly.
Confusion swirled around him momentarily, and the memories hit him in a flood, "Minato! Kushina! Naruto!" he screamed as he bolted upright, taking in the surroundings of the hospital room. "Where are they!" he threw off the blanket only to realize too late that he was complete bare-ass naked beneath the blanket. "Ah!" he as quickly pulled the blanket back over his hips, at the same time using a hand to cover his mask-less face.
"Kakashi," the girl put her arms on his shoulders, pinning him with surprising strength, "you have to calm down, or I have to sedate you!" she stared him in the eyes. "Just take a few deep breaths?"
"Minato? Kushina!" he again exclaimed, now crying violently. He couldn't live with himself if they didn't make it.
"They're fine, Kakashi!" she exclaimed, they, the baby, everyone are fine!" she said resolutely as she hugged him to her shoulder.
"Wh-what happened?" he asked, "I don't remember anything after trying to…" he trailed off, after realizing he didn't know who he was talking to, "Who are you?" Panic gripped him, "Where are my clothes!"
"It's okay," she didn't leg go, "You passed out, along with the others when they bonded Nine-Tails to Naruto," she explained. "As for me, I'm Tsunade's apprentice, Shizune," she released him and smiled. "As for your outfit… well, I hope it didn't have sentimental value…"
"What do you mean?" he asked, unconscious to the fact she was staring at his face.
"When we took you in, it was soiled beyond any hope of being salvageable… I had to cut it off you for sanitary reasons. After that, I had to clean you up."
Translation: "You probably shit your pants." Kakashi was again aghast, "You mean, you saw me…" Kakashi squirmed at the thought of being seen naked, much less not wearing his mask. It only then dawned on him that he'd moments earlier exposed himself to her. "Oh god…"
"It's all right," she traced her hand up and down his back, "I'm a medical-nin; I've seen it all!" she laughed in an attempt to calm him. "Umm… Kakashi…"
"Yes?"
"Why do you wear the mask?" she asked. "I can tell you're ANBU by the brand," she pointed to his shoulder, "but few of them wear the type of mask you wear."
Kakashi again put his hand over his mouth and nose, "I… I wear it to hide my face…" He really didn't have a good answer, but it was the best one he had.
"It's a good face," she smiled thinly, "you shouldn't hide it so much." She reached over onto the bedside table, "You're friend Might Guy brought this," she handed him a duffle bag. "I think there is a mask inside.
"Good, I can wear it to court-martial," he sighed.
"Why would they court-martial you, Kakashi?"
"Kushina is injured, Minato is injured, and god only knows how screwed up their kid is!"
"Naruto," she said, "the baby is named Naruto."
"In any case, I doubt Minato will ever trust me again."
"On the contrary," she said, "Kushina asked me to see if you were awake."
"She did?" he asked, perplexed.
"It seems a certain son of a once disgraced shinobi restored honor to his family," Shizune winked, "At least, that's what the morning edition says," she handed him the newspaper.
Hero Shinobi Saves Lord Fourth and First Lady
"Unbelievable!" he said, not entirely believing his eyes.
"Lady Kushina ordered the press release yesterday when she regained consciousness," she said.
"Yesterday? What about Minato? What day is it?!"
"He hasn't regained consciousness yet; it's October 12," Shizune said. "You've been out for almost two days; you were exhausted."
"Two days?! Who is leading the village!"
"Lord Third assumed emergency control pending Minato's recovery," she assured him. "How about I step out and let you get dressed," she said. "I'll walk you down to Kushina after that, assuming you feel ready?"
"Just give me a minute," he began digging through the bag. As he did, Shizune quietly stood up and made for the door. As she reached it, she paused for just a short moment, almost imperceptible, and she continued out the door. I wonder what that was about? He pulled on a fresh mask and began putting on fresh clothes as well.
Author's notes: Hello everyone, and thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed. As you may guess, this story only has two, maybe three chapters left. It's been a fun ride dabbling in the untold history. I hope maybe in the future to do some one shots of until tales of this series. For now, I look forward to finishing this and Critical Moments Vol. 2.
While every effort was made to keep this in continuity with Critical Moments Volume One, there might be subtle differences of events/language due to changes in my writing style over the last year or because of corrections I made to the original that I missed. I hope it didn't detract. Anyways, thanks again for reading. Stay healthy, stay safe, and stay classy! See you next chapter!