Chapter 2: Now that you are here, suddenly you fear, You've lost control (lost control)
They have been waiting in anticipation inside the cave for hours, then Kushina started giving birth after the sun went down.
Sweat beaded Minato's face, his heart threatening to jump out of his chest as his hands hovered above the shishō fūin located on her stomach. He could feel the chaotic chakra from within, struggling to get out.
Biwako had told them to keep as quiet as possible, but all of them ended up raising their voices as tension ran high. He registered her and Taji's words to his right. They could see the head. Just a little more. He made sure to reign in the onslaught of emotions, determined to not let his focus slip.
"Narutooo! Come out! Kyuubi, you stay in!" His eyes closed in concentration, Kushina's partnered with pain. They both promised to do everything they can to see through their son's birth. He's giving it his all, knows that Kushina is doing the same, if not more. He could feel her take a deep breath in and push as she exhaled, then—another cry pierced through the ones filling the cave mere moments ago.
His eyes snapped open and landed on the swaddle in Biwako's arms. Minato couldn't help but be overwhelmed with relief and joy as he let out a laugh. He's a father. His hand raised to wipe the fresh tears sliding down his cheeks as his senses processed the concrete representations of a shared dream.
His gaze shifted to Kushina and he remembers his promise. It's not over yet. Together, they worked on reconditioning the shishō fūin. It was easier now that she's no longer taking on two things at once. No matter what Kushina says, she's the best seal master he knows. It didn't take long before she squeezed his hands, nodding at him to let him know that the seal is secure. She laid back down and they both stared at each other's eyes, smiles reflecting off one another. They did it.
"Where is Naruto?" Her voice was soft and breathy, and he could see the fatigue in her eyes as she tries to fight off sleep. He dabbed at the sweat trickling down her face and neck with a nearby cloth.
Taji was there before he could say anything, and he moved aside so she could place the now calmer and cleaner Naruto in her arms. Kushina gently received him, bringing him closer to her face, her red hair falling like a curtain as Minato stared and watched the connection with their son settle in their hearts. He started to wriggle so she shifted her hold until he rested on her chest. "And here I was thinking you didn't want to be with Okaa-san after everything we just did to get you out," she joked.
He laughed and leaned on the side of Kushina's bed, wrapping his arm around her shoulder so Naruto ends up enclosed in the center of their embrace. "This handsome old man is your Otousan. He's really happy to see you, dattebane! Though it's not fair that you got his hair," she snickered.
He placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. "Kushina, thank you."
Biwako walked over, nodding at them in congratulations. "We should let the ANBU captain know so we can move on with the next step. Minato, you must follow me. Taji can stay here with Kushina. Don't worry, this won't take long."
"You go on ahead. And thank you, Biwako 'baa-chan, for everything." said Kushina. Biwako smiled before making her way to the mouth of the cave. He followed closely behind. Once they reached outside, he saw one ANBU standing a few meters from the entrance, his mask illuminated by the moonlight. He turned as they approached.
"Monkey, inform my husband that the boy's birth is a success. Your squad may proceed with the following protocols."
Monkey nodded at her orders. Then he faced Minato and bowed. "Congratulations, Hokage-sama."
"Ah, thank you. I am grateful for your help in securing the area as well," he laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. Monkey nodded and raised his hand to signal the others.
"Two would go ahead and tell the Sandaime. The rest will escort you back to the village. There will be another hidden squad that will look out from the shadows once we make our way to the Hokage's residence, where the Sandaime and Biwako-sama's iryo nin will be waiting." After instructions to move out in a few minutes, they headed back inside the cave.
Before he could get in, Minato's eyes caught a slight rustle among the trees to his left. He felt his Hiraishin kunai in his pocket. The breeze started to pick up and the leaves on the branches resumed their natural swaying.
"You can tell Kushina. I have something to check first," he told her. Biwako raised an eyebrow before nodding and walking off.
Minato faced the trees, his back to the entrance, and closed his eyes. The forest is rich in natural energy, so it didn't take long before he completed the process of activating Sage Mode. He sensed four chakra signatures inside, seven scattered nearby, and zeroed in on one.
His Hiraishin flew and landed on a tree deep in the forest to his right. Not a second later and he transported. His feet landed on the dirt, his gaze flitted to the small hooded figure crouching a few meters in front of him. Their chakra felt foreign and erratic, his eyes narrowed at the prospect of them hanging around so near to where Kushina was giving birth.
"Who are you?" he called out.
No reply. Minato did not waste a second before throwing his kunai at them, then teleporting as soon they dodged it.
The figure twirled to face him and tried to jump back as he appeared, body twisting after his right hand caught his kunai, the other seizing their arm to hold them in place. Before he could swipe, the figure poofed! and his blade cleanly sliced through a thick log.
He sensed the figure on the branch to his left. He threw his kunai again and the figure kept substituting as he pursued her deeper into the dark forest, faint light filtering through the leaves and branches. They were moving further away from the cave, and Minato furrowed his eyebrows at this. The ANBU remained in their stations, sensing the nearest one a few ways east from where he initially teleported. If something were to go wrong, he could alert them and transport back in the cave where one of his branded kunais was stashed. Until then, he would catch this hooded figure and identify who they are and what they intend to do as quickly as possible before he loses Sage Mode.
Repairing the shishō fūin took a hit at his chakra reserves, so balancing nature chakra with his personal chakra would be impossible unless he took the time to recharge. He knew he couldn't keep his senjutsu active for long if he doesn't want to drain his reserves. But again, he noticed the figure's rapid breathing. It won't be long before they would run out of chakra before he does.
Then, the figure landed precisely where one of his seals was placed. He stopped on a branch and formed a ball of chakra in his hand. Before the figure could shift and shunshin away, he materialized beside them, Rasengan colliding into their torso, launching them forward then making them smash into several trees before coming to a stop on the ground.
His Sage Mode ran out immediately after he had located where the figure landed. The fight most likely got the attention of the ANBU nearby, and it won't be long before Monkey sends one or two of them to head to the scene.
He teleported to a branch above the location of the body, expecting to see them faced down and unconscious, ready to be hauled to interrogation. But when he arrived, the figure was standing, cloak torn but the hood still up and hiding their face. The trees had fallen down, letting in more light from above. He readied his kunai to bring them down again when the figure raised their hands in the air.
"Wait! I am not your enemy." The voice was high pitched, and slightly ragged from labored breathing. A kunoichi. The left sleeve slid down and Minato caught black lines on her arms. Something about it looked familiar. She raised her head to face him, although she didn't move too much to let the hood fall. In the shadows, he could make out a small glow on her forehead, and dark, consistent lines spanning all over her face— is that Tsunade-hime's technique?
He vaguely remembered his meeting with the Slug Hime, a purple diamond decorating her forehead, Master Jiraiya's previous tales of the Sannin and their renowned techniques. No one in Konoha aside from her had mastered it, which means this person is a foreign kunoichi.
"Who are you and what are your intentions?" He asked, kunai raised and ready to strike at the slightest provocation. If this person had mastered Tsunade-hime's regeneration technique, he needs to calculate his moves. Though his main goal right now is to know their purpose.
He waited for a beat, then, "I wanted to know," she said.
"What do you mean by that?" Was she referring to the birth? Was she intending to strike when the seal was weak and sabotage Kushina? The thought angered him and before he knew it, he threw the kunai and it lodged itself on the kunoichi's stomach. Before she could take it out, he materialized in front of her and knocked her to the ground, trapping her arms with his hands and her lower body with his knees so she couldn't move and perform any seals.
He could finally see her face clearly and was surprised to find that she looks younger than he thought. He looked into her eyes and before he could ask, he saw something about them that reminds him of his student. Kakashi had the same haunted gaze. The lines from the seal on her face makes her look older, but he could see that they weren't far off from age as well. But this is not Kakashi.
"Don't make me ask again. What were you doing near the cave?" The handle of the kunai was pressed further by his own weight, the blade slicing into her skin. He could see the regeneration technique still working. Her light colored hair peeked through the hood, but the moonlight wasn't strong enough for him to make out discernible colors and features. He decided to place a transportation formula on her left arm.
"Don't do it. I am already sealed. You won't be able to survive where I'd end up."
He raised his eyebrow. "Who sent you? Are you after the kyuubi?"
"Nobody sent me, especially not for that. But Obito was planning to free the kyuubi."
This made him freeze. Hearing the name of his last regret out loud, connected to such an outrageous, inconceivable idea is certainly a bold and disgusting lie. She looked into his eyes and must have seen his disbelief, because she continued, "Obito, he's alive."
Her words slowly registered. This angered him even more and his patience was running thin. "You should not tell lies, kunoichi. ANBU will arrive soon to take you to Konoha for interrogation," he finally said. He could see her expression turn into apprehension.
Her eyes flickered to his then immediately broke the contact. She paled, breaking out in cold sweat and gasping for air in painfully small and short breaths. Minato could tell the beginning of a panic attack when he sees one, and he knows this will be a major one. "I can't tell you everything right now. I will see you again, when the time is right." As if suddenly obtaining some newfound strength, she headbutted him and used his blinding pain and confusion to out balance his weight and flip him over, knocking him out of breath as dust clouded his vision. He coughed and tried to regain his breathing back to normal.
She had acted out in pure instinct, his hold on her making her feel claustrophobic which resulted in her breaking out with all her might. A slight miscalculation had cost him greatly.
The dust cleared and the kunoichi had jumped on the branches and started to flee. Minato considered chasing after her, but what she said had stopped him from pursuing.
"I am your ally. Look up Wēijī Operation in the Nidaime Hokage's archives. I will contact you soon." With that, she disappeared into the woods.
Not a few seconds passed and a pair of ANBU landed in front of him. Hawk kneeled by his side to check his condition while Hound moved to chase after the fleeing kunoichi before he reached out and shook his head. They both nodded and helped him stand up before heading back to the direction of the cave.
.-.
She carefully navigated the streets of the village after successfully avoiding the ANBU patrols. There were more than usual given the circumstances, which suspended Root activity and making members stay wherever they usually do when they're not assigned in-village missions. She was betting on Danzo twisting and turning with suspicion of the abundance of security tonight, finally sparing one or two spies to watch in the shadows.
She slipped and scurried along the alleyways, taking cover behind taller buildings when she needs to access the roofs. Her chakra is masked to the barest signature, not unlike a kitten's. It would prove to be a useful choice when she finally arrived at her destination and confirmed a handful of cats loitering around while a few residents, mostly old people who sleep later than most, stayed in living rooms with lights on.
Pulling her cloak tighter and making sure her hood stays up, she hopped across the roofs and moved further into the residence, careful with her shadow, until she got to the main compound. So far, no alarm was raised. Either they didn't have seals or they don't need to. She couldn't care less as she found her target sitting on the engawa, a thick piece of fabric encircling his torso, cradling a small lump of mass in his arms. He was right.
She thought of what she'd do next, wondering if it would result in the reaction she was hoping for. She decided to risk it. She aimed a shuriken at the boy, and struck. One second he was rocking the lump in his arms, the next he was gone.
She slid down and took his place on the engawa. He had shunshined ahead and looked back, so they ended up staring at each other. His eyes glowed red as she realized that he had activated his sharingan. He secured the knot of the fabric to prevent it from slipping and repositioned the lump encased in it.
His eyes narrowed at her while she looked at the center of his brow. She knows Itachi could trap his opponents without eye contact, and she can't afford to let that happen even when he's still young and probably has not unlocked his Mangekyō Sharingan yet.
Instead, she called out to him. "Protect your brother. He needs you and your family, whether you believe it or not."
The lump started to cry and Itachi started.
"Of course I will," his voice was faint but his resolve is strong.
"Good. Do not forget that last part." She nodded at him and formed a seal with her hands, disappearing in a cloud of smoke.
.-.
The civilian sector was quiet. No ANBU patrols around this time of the night, so getting there was easy. She wasn't sure whether this is a good thing or not. Her brows furrowed as she considered this when she reached a house and unlocked the window with no problem. If she was to change things, her list had become unapologetically longer than she had thought.
Before Minato had found her, she managed to knock some sense into Obito, using the wisdom and raw strength she had acquired and brought with her when she had decided to hunt him down first. Dealing with the aftermath of their encounter with low chakra reserves then facing off with Minato had put her and her mission at risk, but she managed well enough to leave him with something to work on, which in turn would help her objectives in the long run.
Having the Yondaime Hokage and the Kyuubi Jinchūriki alive for this could give her enough time of peace and recuperation. There's also the newly turned spy whose affiliation is currently aligned with her goals after she had literally knocked sense into him and offered a much-needed therapy mid-fight, but this could be debatable when she would not be able to check up on him for years. She had no choice but to have faith that her decisions and actions did what they meant to do.
Mentally checking her list, she still had Orochimaru, Danzo and his Root situation, and the Akatsuki to worry about, not to mention those small pebbles that would set off the ripples and waves that led to the future she had promised to resolve.
Someone had told her that her worrying would lead her to a spiral of irrational decisions and breakdowns, so she shook her head to snap out of it. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she promised to take it one step at a time, with exception to special cases that would present themselves.
After sliding through the window, she found herself in a familiar living room, one that was not destroyed after the Snake Sannin let his summons loose. She knows where she needs to go from there when she felt the chakra signature, tiny as a candlelight. She removed her cloak and controlled her chakra precisely to destroy the fabric until there was nothing left. Forming the hand seals that had been hastily taught to her, she transported to a different room. The written seals were a confirmation that it worked, and she only needed to activate it by making contact.
She walked over to the crib in the far corner, mindful of the occupants of the room across this one. She had been given this opportunity when she feared that hope was slowly disappearing from their hearts. Memories of losing their loved ones in the field invaded her thoughts, visions of the moment when they were the only ones not trapped and turned into fodder had made itself known. Her sun and moon had placed their hopes and dreams in her hands, had laid it all on her heart. She reached over and let her fingers ghost over the seal. Her ghostly eyes, filled with grief of a failed past, caught a brief glimpse of innocent green and she knows, then and there, that the future starts with her.
._.
A/N: GUYS AND GALS WHEN I TELL YOU HOW MY SOUL LEFT MY BODY WHEN I LOST WHAT I WROTE AAAAAAHCK ToT Those words are forever gone ;w; This chapter is a watered down version of the one I originally wrote (u know it made me ooh and aah in awe bc how tf did I write these words and sentence structures so well the story's coming along great!) I tried to make it again but this is a slightly sadly written version from the bullet points I hastily typed from memory in an attempt to salvage it (lacks the previous oomph and now it's just oozing with oof D:
Btw I'm on tumblr ( coeurea) and I have posted my woes there lol.
This chapter is a flashback that sheds some light on how Minato managed to be there in the Hokage's office lmao. I have plans for Obito's interaction with Future Sakura but that won't come up anytime soon. The following chapters will resume from the last one where tiny Saku cried after seeing Nart and his sticky inky hands.
Anyway, thank you so much for following and adding this fic to your favorites, and for leaving comments on the previous chapter! Reading them is really fun and can be encouraging. ^^
Again, constructive criticism is welcome! I hope everyone has a nice day 3
P.S.: Chapter title is from Bastille's Weight Of Living, Pt. II. I rlly love that song.