- Push, harder!
Tsunade's muffled voice echoed through Minato's ears. The man was sitting in a chair in a room next to the room where Kushina was in labor.
His wife's screams and moans were making his heart sorrowful, and he hoped that the birth would go normally.
He had his elbows resting on his thighs, his head resting on his hands, and his legs swinging frantically.
He wished he had gone in with Kushina, but Tsunade said she would kill him if he went. Why were women like that? The same thing happened at Naruto's birth.
At the thought of his son's name he closed his eyes. Not a day went by that he didn't think of him, and in that moment he promised himself that he would do the possible and the impossible for his daughter, so that what happened to Naruto wouldn't happen to her.
And although he was anxious, he was afraid. The ninja world was a cruel, cold place and a shinobi, no matter how strong he was, could die in the blink of an eye.
Fear that he would not be fast enough to save his daughter, just as he was not fast enough with Naruto.
Just that thought made his heart bleed, his hands tremble and his body grow cold.
He was so immersed in his thoughts and worries that he didn't even notice when Kushina's screams ceased and a baby's cry took its place.
He only noticed it when Tsunade called out to him.
Getting up, he walks (runs) to the room where his wife was, and feels his body paralyze in the doorway.
He never thought he would see that again.
His wife with a tired but bright face, holding a delicate and fragile little thing in her arms with a wide smile on her lips.
Old feelings came back to the surface, and a nostalgia, along with extreme happiness and sadness, spread through his chest.
Staggering steps, he walked to the bed.
Kushina didn't look at him, she didn't need to, she knew her husband. She knew well what his expression was at that moment, because she looked the same.
Minato placed his hand gently on the side of the child's head, at the same time leaning on Kushina's side, not even noticing when tears began to stream down his face.
-... She's beautiful...
His choked voice held back an involuntary sob that almost escaped his throat. However, Kushina didn't have the same control, and couldn't help the low moans and sobs as heavy tears streamed down her cheeks.
Tears of happiness and sadness.
-... After Naruto was born... a while later, I began to imagine him on her side... with a pure, curious expression as he looked at our second child.
- Kushina...
- It's hard, Minato. Not thinking about him, I can't, you know... I wake up every day hoping he'll open our door and jump on our bed insisting that you teach him something, or... him and Obito catching Kakashi together.
She said between sobs, but without taking her eyes off her daughter.
Minato was silent for a while, alternating his gaze between the two, and a sigh escaped his lips. He knew it was hard. Just like Kushina, he would always wake up in that false hope, only for reality to knock him to the ground once again.
He missed him. Kami, how he missed him.
But both he and Kushina had to move on. And at that moment, that child was their starting point.
No matter what, she had priority in both their lives.
Leaning down, he kissed Kushina on the forehead, resting his head on hers while keeping his hand on his newborn daughter.
Time passed, and he left the room. His wife needed rest for the moment, as did his daughter.
It was already night, and his footsteps echoed through the empty corridors of the hospital. Angry thoughts raced through his head. Feelings fought in his chest.
At a certain moment he stopped walking and leaned against a nearby window, watching the full moon and the lights that embellished Konoha.
A weak wind blew across his face, swaying his hair and making him relax, at least a little, after so many tense hours.
His guard was higher than ever, he could feel all the ninjas and people in that hospital, and couldn't help but smile when he felt Hiruzen approaching.
- Have you left work yet? Has the paperwork slowed down that much, or was I just too slow?
He asked amusedly, even though he was not in the mood.
Hiruzen snorted, standing right next to Minato, also leaning on the window.
- Very funny. I've come to see the reason for your headaches fifteen years from now.
He smiled slightly, bowing his head in a sentimental laugh.
- Kami, I'll try not to think about it too much for now. Did your son give you a headache at that age?
- Asuma? But of course, especially since he was stubborn.
- Blood of your blood.
Mocked.
- Argh, one day he will go through the same thing. And so will you. If that girl gets the hang of Kushina, you'll have a lot of hard work.
The two of them would laugh lightly. One Kushina is "impactful" enough. Two then...
- You didn't come all this way just for that, did you?
The Kage arched an eyebrow.
- Is it weird that I come to congratulate you and check on both you and Kushina?
- No, especially for all you have done for us in all these years, but... you look different, something seems to be worrying you. Anxious I would say, because of the movements of your fingers. And I have a feeling.
Hiruzen stared at him for a while, and sighed in defeat, looking away.
- You know, you're too perceptive for your own good. Our group reported the situation today, they will end the search.
Minato straightened his posture and got a slightly more serious expression.
- Have they found anything?
- Nothing about Rin, they lost track of her in the forest. But, they did manage to find Hiashi's daughter. She is currently being treated at the clan hospital.
- That's great. Was she badly hurt?
- Very badly. She was found bloodied, almost no chakra, bruises on her face, broken ribs. She was in a big fight before she was found... but she'll be fine.
- A fight? Some kind of creature?
- Our ninjas investigated the entrance to the forest. The place was destroyed, large craters scattered all around. They found a woman's body. Her stomach was shattered.
- Did the girl fight against this woman?
- At one point, maybe, but her body has no evidence of Hyuugas techniques. What's strange is that... those wounds... are extremely similar to Rasengan.
Minato slightly widened his eyes.
- That's impossible. Only me, Kakashi and Jiraya know this jutsu. And Obito hasn't completely mastered it yet.
- I know, but...
The Kage was silent for some time. Minato faced him curiously, and even worried.
There were extremely few subjects that made Hiruzen silent.
- What is it, Hiruzen? You're scaring me.
The Kage sighed.
- No more than I am scared, Minato. The girl didn't escape from the forest alone.
The man arched an eyebrow.
- Did she have help from someone? But who? If anyone would be in that place it would be Nukenins.
- This is the part I was afraid to tell you, because I don't know how you will react. When they saw her, she was in the arms of a clone of a boy.
Minato closed his eyes, already understanding what Hiruzen meant, but refusing to think any further, wanting to hear in every word what he meant.
- The boy in question was wounded. Torn clothes, blood all over his body, especially in his left eye. Before the clone disappeared, they took a good look at him. He was blond and-
- Stop.
The man interrupted him, and Hiruzen sighed. He didn't blame him.
Minato's fists were shaking, his head lowered, and his eyes closed tightly showed how much more he was suppressing those feelings inside.
- He died... you know how hard we searched, you were in the search parties. All we found was blood and several predators nearby.
They were silent for some time. Hiruzen was searching for the right words, but they simply didn't exist.
There was no "sweet talk" on that subject.
- I know, Minato. I'm just saying what our people, and even the Hyuugas have reported. And you must recognize that it is a great coincidence.
Minato took a few deep breaths.
-... What did the girl say?
- She is still sleeping. They are waiting for her to wake up to question her.
- What about the boy?
- Nothing, not even traces. Just blood, from the battle. Look, I know I told you to focus on your family, and I still stand by that. But I had to-
- I understand. Hiruzen, I'm the Hokage, I understand, really.
The man turned and began to walk slowly and calmly down the hall.
- But... my son is dead. He was a strong boy, but... we searched for months... nothing. And with no evidence... I'm just going to deduce that he was kidnapped too. I don't want to get my hopes up, and have them dashed just because of a coincidence. And please, don't tell Kushina.
He said, looking over his shoulder at Hiruzen.
And though he saw little of his expression, the Kage could clearly see the broken, pained expression on Minato's face.
-... I got it.
He said with a sigh, turning back to look at Konoha.
The boy he had spotted had a similar appearance to a Demi-human. It was unusual to see whiskers on his cheeks and a slit-shaped red eye.
But still...
What would Minato do if it wasn't just a coincidence?
Naruto groaned in pain as he woke up, weakly spitting out a small amount of blood without opening his eye.
He felt his body move, but was too weak to pay attention. Soon he passed out again.
Flashes appeared in his mind, memories of the battle he had fought against those people. The image of the Behemoth still vivid in his head.
And also, the image of Hinata in the arms of a man from her clan, surrounded by countless other people.
At least his heart could beat a little more relieved. He could not keep his promise to free Nibi, but he had kept his promise to keep them safe. They were out of the forest.
He hoped that one day he would see them again. He might not have kept his promise that day...
"But there was always a second chance... right?"
His own voice echoed through his mind, trying to stay positive, even though he had no idea of his situation at the moment.
He was supposed to be dead... so how could he still hear his own voice in his thoughts?
A dream? Nah, impossible.
Hm... was that the afterlife? Different from how he imagined it.
Or maybe he had become a wandering soul wandering through space-time eternally without a final destination?
Nah, what a childish thought.
He didn't know how long he had been in that state, where he was, or what was happening. Occasionally he heard some muffled noises, deep or far away.
A strange trembling spread throughout the space, and the blackness around him began to slowly lighten.
Soon, a strong wave of pain spread through his body, especially in his abdomen. His voice didn't come out, he couldn't move.
However, he realized that those pains were slowly fading away.
Some time passed, and he finally managed to open his eye. Slowly, blinking several times until he got used to the clarity of the dark place. Disadvantage of having an enhanced eye, perhaps.
The muffled noises of before were now much more audible.
Still in pain, he began to look around carefully. He was in a small crater, it seemed. He didn't recognize the destroyed surroundings, but he noticed an entrance to a tunnel not far from there.
A huge entrance, big enough that it was possible for a giant beast to get out of there.
Groaning softly with trembling voice and breathing, he lifts his torso slightly. Managing to do so to some extent, since the pain in his abdomen worsened as he tried to sit up.
Soon, his gaze fell on his stomach. He vividly remembered that he had been impaled, and that there should be a hole in his body.
And indeed, there was a hole in his stomach, a big one at that. But this hole seemed to... regenerate.
At a slow speed, and in a bizarre way, because the boy was seeing his own organs moving inside, rebuilding themselves. Painless, but strangely uncomfortable.
No longer wanting to look at the strange happening in his body, he decides to find out what those strange noises were.
It was then that, as he focused his eye on the scene ahead, a certain despair arose in his chest, and his heart began to beat faster.
Further ahead, a smaller and less threatening looking version of the Behemoth was devouring some human bodies, along with some creatures he had never seen before, and others he had already fought. For example, the body of a white mamba with several pieces missing surrounded almost the entire lair.
Among them, the man he had fought.
Reality came crashing down hard in his mind.
He was taken to the beast's lair. The Behemoth had gone hunting for his cub, he must have been attracted by the noise of the battle.
And everything became even worse when the cub stopped eating the bodies, raised its head, and looked directly at the boy.