Unlucky

Chapter 1

Leaves and tree branches whizzed by her vision in little more than a darkened blur.

Moonlight filtered in occasionally through the canopy overhead, the only light guiding through the darkness. The wind howled, obscuring the frightened cries of the insects that buzzed loudly in her ears.

"I know already!" The mint-haired girl snapped at several of the insect's frantic warnings. She had more she wanted to say, but it would have to come later. Her breath was ragged and lungs burned. Sweat poured freely down her forehead and only further hindering her vision.

She blinked the sweat away, the momentarily blindness nearly costing her. Only a sudden warning from one of the nearby insects saved her life. She banked hard, barely avoiding running smack into the trunk of a tree. Small branches nicked at her cheeks and exposed arms, drawing blood and adding more scratches to her already bruised and battered body.

'Running' smack into the tree in this case was simply a manner of expression. It would be more accurate to say she almost 'flew' into it. Yes, because she was indeed flying. Two insect wings growing out of her back buzzed angrily, carrying her through the dense forest at break-neck speed.

It wouldn't be entirely accurate to call these wings her own. However, it was an indisputable fact that they were attached to her body. And it was her muscles moving them. So for all intents and purposes they were her burden and by now it was certainly starting to feel like one. How long had she been flying at top-speed? She couldn't help but wonder. She had to be close, surely.

Close to the border of the Land of Fire.

If she could just make it there, she would be safe. Everything would be alright. She had to believe that. That belief was the only thing keeping her going. If not for that, she would have collapsed hours ago now. Like when her village had fallen. Or when her mentor had given his life to save her. He told her to fly and go get help, but she knew what those words really meant.

Any help would be too late for him and for the village. Their whole country had already fallen. There was no saving her land or her people. She flew with only one selfish purpose- To save herself.

It was pitiful, truly and utterly pitiful to the point she hated herself for it. However, she knew she couldn't win even if she fought back. Not against those… things. It would be a meaningless death. And even if she hated herself right in this moment, she didn't want to die. That should have been obvious. After all, she wouldn't have been pushing herself this hard if she didn't want to live.

Things didn't always go how we wanted, however. This was a lesson she had learned again and time again. Even so, she wished just this once- To finally catch a lucky break. All her life she had been hoping for that one lucky break… and it looked like it had finally come.

The dense forests gave way, revealing a massive river that cut across the land and reflected the full moonlight. This river was the border between her country and the Land of Fire.

She was here.

That was when she learned the true meaning behind the expression: Luck is a fickle mistress. For the moment she reached this border was the same moment her pursuers finally caught up.

Reality was far simpler than that, of course. No kind of luck- good or bad- had been involved. It was simple strategy, her enemy unable to catch up with her in the dense forest, so instead waiting in ambush for the moment she had no more protection.

To the flying girl, none of this was relevant. She only knew one truth: She had failed.

For she didn't even know when or how she had been struck. One moment she had been flying in a straight line, the next and she was spiralling out of control. The world spun, vision alternating between the dark ground below and the moon above.

Then it all came to an abrupt end. She let out a low groan, at least she was sure she had. For she could feel her vocal chords as they vibrated and her lips part. However, the only sound she heard was a loud, rhythmic drumming. Her brain pulsed, as if threatening to burst free from her own skull.

Hot. She was so damn hot. Or was this pain? Everything ached, but she could no longer comprehend what that sensation was anymore. This was no time for her to be in pain, so she pushed past the heat and lifted her face out from the dirt and mud.

Just before her was the river now, not more than several arm-lengths away. All she needed was to get to the other side. That was all. She couldn't even feel her arms, but when she commanded them to move they obeyed her all the same. The tanned skin of her forearm came into sight, fingers digging into the soft malleable earth to pull herself forward.

Her body dragged itself across the earth, leaving a small trail in her wake.

It was a pointless effort. Somewhere in the back of her mind she surely realized this. However, she had been reduced to a single instinct; keep moving forward. In front of her was victory. Behind her was death.

That was wrong.

Death had now all but surrounded her.

The executioner of her sentence was now here, a pale white foot stepping down on her wrist. Calling it 'pale' was perhaps not an accurate description. The foot, along with the rest of this body was pure white. Sickly yellow eyes looked down at her from beneath a mop of mossy green hair.

Whatever this thing was, it couldn't be called human. Certainly it had the general shape of something resembling a human, but it felt more like it was a shallow imitation. A hollow container stripped of dreams.

It was this thing that had taken her mentor, her village, and her country. Not just this one, but tens of thousands of them. Each and every one of them had been slightly unique, as if a new breed of humanity- or perhaps an ancient one. Not necessarily individually powerful, but the sheer number of them had been overwhelming.

"This one is the Jinchuriki, yeah?" The one stepping on her wrist asked. It's voice was muffled to the girl's barely returned sense of hearing, as if she was listening in to some conversation from the other side of a wall.

"That's the one, no doubt about it." A second one responded, using the same voice as the first. She couldn't see this one, as it was still behind her. And out of the corner of her eye she saw a third. In its arms was one of her wings, the glistening insect appendage shimmering in the moonlight and blood still dripping from where it had been forcefully torn from her back.

So that was what had happened- She realized dully. Not that it mattered anymore. This was truly as far as she could go, it would seem. Nevermind that she had never accomplished anything in this pathetic and short life that was nearing its end.

Friends? Zero. Family? Zero. The chances now that she would ever obtain either? Pretty much zero.

Too bad it wasn't going to be these things that put her out of her misery. "That man has plans for her." A fourth spoke up now, more and more of her pursuers arriving by the moment. "Pick her up and carry her back." No, she wasn't even going to be given the privilege of being allowed a clean death at the hands of the enemy.

They were going to make her have to end her own life.

For that was better than being used by the enemy. Her still free hand moved slowly, unclipping a small holster at her hip. Inside were several shuriken. The small throwing weapon would do no good against these enemies. A single one jammed into her throat would do the trick of ensuring they failed their mission at least.

As her fingers tightened across the cold metal she felt her heart begin to still. As if she was detaching herself completely from all emotions. It was only a temporary trick, but just a moment was all she needed. Otherwise, the fear of death and the hope for life would dull her resolve and she wouldn't be able to do what was necessary.

At that moment, Fu had prepared herself to die.

"That's far enough!" A voice like a bell cut across the air.

Her arm froze in place, the shuriken still holstered. Whether or not she would have actually gone through with it was a mystery to her, but it was a puzzle she would be happy if it was never solved.

Standing on the other side of the river was the source of the voice. A woman with long flowing red hair, arms crossed and stance wide as confidence radiated off of every fiber of her being. Violet eyes glared down at Fu, as if telling her that this woman knew what she had just been about to do. Her words hadn't been directed at the humanoid creatures, but Fu herself.

"It can't be- a Konoha Kunoichi!? But it's too soon!" The one standing on Fu's wrist yelled.

This wasn't just any ninja from Konoha, however. This was the Yondaime Hokage and Jinchuriki of the strongest Tailed Beast of them all. Well, half of it at least.

Uzumaki Kushina was Fu's idol.

Despite being from different villages and having never met her in real life, it was only natural that Fu recognized her immediately. This was the person she tried to emulate and was a role-model for that better life that she always knew she could one day have so long as she never gave up.

And for her to be here now- It made Fu feel like maybe she had caught that lucky break after all.

Her star-struck gaze couldn't last, all the momentarily forgotten pain quickly racing back to remind her of the dire situation she still found herself in. Even if this woman was here to save her, she was still on the other side of the river and Fu had already been effectively captured.

With Fu no longer aiming to take her own life, Kushina's glare softened into a kind, almost motherly gaze of affection. Now she smirked, as if trying to tell her everything would be okay. She was the very picture of certain victory even when that victory should have been impossible.

"Get her out of here-" One of the monsters started to shout. It never finished the thought. With a flash of yellow and resounding boom the top half was completely obliterated in a single blow.

Fu blinked. In that split moment she had blinked, Kushina was no longer standing on the other side of the river. Now she was on this side, standing over the white legs without a torso. Her red hair was golden like the sun, waving wildly behind her more akin to tails than flowing locks.

"You're not going anywhere." Kushina declared, voice leaving no room for argument. It was as if that blow had been the signal to begin. Because as soon as she made this proclamation and more than a dozen other Konoha Ninja charged onto the scene.

The remaining monsters were quickly dealt with, cut down by a barrage of thrown kunai and shuriken. Coming and going as quickly as a summer breeze, the Konoha Ninja leapt deeper into the territory Fu had just been fleeing from. The sounds of conflict broke out as the two sides met one another in fierce battle.

Yet this was hardly of consequence to Fu anymore. For she had accomplished her mission. Against all odds she had somehow survived.

"You did well." Kushina praised, bending down and resting a hand on Fu's back. Her touch was warm and comforting. Like the gentle caress of the mother Fu never had. "It's okay to rest now… we'll take care of everything from here."

It was a lovely sounding suggestion. However, Kushina and her subordinates didn't know what it was they were up against. Not what they were or the sheer number of them. Fu had to warn them… this wasn't a winnable battle.

Yet no matter how much she tried to get her voice to work, it wouldn't listen. She only succeeded in coughing, spitting blood that soaked into the muddy soil and turning it a dark shade of red. Darkness creeped at her vision and she felt sleep take her.

In the end her luck had only managed to get her this far. She would survive, but the price for that was going to be the lives of those who came to save her. Just typical. She cursed herself with the last remaining seconds of consciousness she had.

Just why had she been born so damn unlucky?

Chapter 1: End

Author's Notes: This is kind of an idea I've had for a while now but wasn't sure about actually giving it a go. Yet the idea continued to distract me so I figured I would at least get it out of my system. If it also happens to intrigue anyone then that would be a nice bonus!

In this AU, Kushina became the Fourth Hokage instead of Minato. During Tobi's attempt to unleash the Kyubi from her seal, Minato sealed the Yin half back into Kushina to save her life and then gave the Yang half to Naruto before dying. Everyone else that died or defected from Konoha following these events are alive and remain loyal to the Leaf.

So I guess I'll see you next time! Whenever that ends up being.