Thank you to all of my loyal reviewers and my new ones! I'm so happy to hear that you guys like this story!
One thing I have made sure of in this fic is that you cant play with fate too much, or else the butterfly effect comes back to bite you ❤️
Thanks once again to the amazing katydid001! I never thought I would connect with someone over my story as much as I have with you!
It was late in the afternoon when Katsumi finally arrived at Obito's front door. Her body was so exhausted from her last mission that her fingers trembled as she tapped on the wood in front of her.
There was a faint shuffling before the Uchiha teen answered, scrambling to open the door. "Katsumi," his toothy grin fell into a confused expression. "You look awful! No wait! I meant tired! Ah!" Obito wanted to slam his head against the wall, instead he slammed the heel of his hand into his forehead.
Katsumi let out a loud snort of laughter before pushing passed the awkward boy and into his home. "Nice save, Obi." She couldn't help but find the floundering boy endearing. Her eyes lingered on the flustered teen with a knowing smile.
Obito shut the door behind him and pulled himself together. "Do you want something to drink?" He made his way to the kitchen, avoiding the girls eyes, lest he fall prey to his nerves once more.
"Got any orange juice?" The young teen asked as she walked up to the opposite side of the kitchen island and leaned against it. She watched the boy with fascination as he pulled the glasses down from the cupboard. The sight was a far cry from the trouble he had completing the same task all those months ago.
"It seems I never have any left, with the amount you drink," Obito teased as he poured the juice and turned to face her once more. He stood parallel to the silver kunoichi and slid the glass across the bench to her in a swift movement.
Katsumi caught the cup with ease, before slipping her mask down and taking a long swig. The sugar from the juice sung through her veins bringing with it new energy. She closed her eyes in a moment of bliss before placing her empty glass back down with a light clink.
"You know most people drink coffee for energy," Obito chuckled warmly as the kunoichi gave a cute hiccup.
Since the two had shared that amazing kiss, their relationship had slowly evolved. The Uchiha boy still found himself stumbling over his words where Katsumi was concerned. But everytime he said something stupid, she always just laughed and looked at him with large understanding eyes. Their romance was blossoming and it was clear they only had eyes for each other.
"Coffee's for old people." She faked a gag and soaked in Obito's resulting laughter. "Besides, orange juice doesn't taste like dirt."
"I like coffee! Am I really that old?" The Uchiha sipped at his own beverage with a playful smirk. "Do you have a thing for older guys?"
Katsumi flushed under Obito's heavy gaze. She opened her mouth to reply but no sound came out. Thoroughly embarrassed, she plucked up the pieces of her shattered courage and returned his cheeky grin. "No not older guys… just one. Though it's not really a thing is it?"
Obito let out a raw laugh and raked his hand through his choppy hair. "Nah, definitely not a thing. I like to think of this," his hand motioned between them, "As a miracle," He admitted breathlessly. For a moment his onyx gaze floated off to the side, and stared blankly into the distance.
"Uh, speaking of miracles," the silver-haired kunoichi smoothly changed the subject. "You never did tell me what happened… you know… when you were gone…"
"Ah," Obito's dark eyes flickered back to her seaglass gaze, pain plain on his features. "It's a long story, babe, you sure?"
"I'm all ears, Obi." Katsumi reached across the table to grasp one of his hands, smiling up at him kindly.
Obito went on to explain everything he could remember. He described the pain and his longing to break out of the cave he had been trapped in. With a grimace he explained the Zetzu and how absolutely annoying those things were; further explaining that it had been part of Zetsu replacing his original limbs when he had finally escaped. It was clear from the teenage boy's expression that he still felt the remnants of his pent up frustration. He recalled an old man who introduced himself as Madara Uchiha, though this seemed to make Obito even more uncomfortable as he continued on into the night.
Stars decorated the sky as Obito walked Katsumi back to her apartment. They strolled casually through the streets making humourous small talk, effectively taking their minds off of the heavy topic they had been discussing earlier.
All too soon, they arrived at the steps to the twins' shared home, and paused at the bottom.
"This is where I leave ya, I guess?" The raven-haired Uchiha rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes resting on the face mask she had pulled back on before they left his home.
'Yeah… but I'll see you when I'm off-duty. Though, I don't know exactly when that will be,' she signed to him, scared of how much her voice would carry in the quiet, empty streets.
"My door is always open…" Obito found himself towering over the kunoichi in front of him, leaning in closer as her pale cheeks flushed at their sudden proximity. He reached up to hook a finger in the fabric of her mask, only to stop when he heard a loud growl.
The Uchiha teen pulled back from his flustered girlfriend and spun to face the sound. Kakashi stood not too far from the pair, the feral noise radiating from his clenched fangs. Standing beside the fuming wolf shinobi was a thoroughly amused Rin, a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles.
Katsumi crossed her arms and huffed at her brother's interruption. Frustrated that the couple's intimate energy had dissipated with her brother's appearance.
"Step away from my sister before I return you to the hospital myself." The male twin snarled at the Uchiha.
"Ok, ok! I'm backing off!" Obito raised his hands in surrender before flashing Katsumi a sheepish smile. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
Katsumi giggled as her love retreated. 'Of course,' she promised. Then she turned to face her disgruntled brother as he made his way over to her. 'Hello to you too, nii-san.' Her heterochromatic eyes locked with her twin's dark orbs.
Kakashi narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to speak only to freeze. The twins' differing expressions melted into the same mask of horror as they both felt the massive surge of chakra in the atmosphere.
"Katsumi-chan!" came a familiar cry from behind the silver-haired kunoichi. She spun just in time to catch the warm buddle Minato shoved into her arms. "Take Naruto and get out of the village now! All of you flank her. GO!" As fast as their sensei appeared, he was gone.
Katsumi stared down at the squirming baby in her arms. His yellow hair stuck up in little tufts on top of his head. Naruto's chubby cheeks were decorated with whisker-like birthmarks. Her mind began to reel with snippets of her past nightmares.
"What's going on-?" Kakashi's question was cut short as the ground began to tremble beneath the group's feet.
A earth shattering roar rumbled through the village as the screaming began. They all turned their collective gaze towards the sound. There, on the farside of the Leaf Village stood a gargantuan orange beast. Chakra radiated from the fox-shaped monster in undulating waves as it brought a giant destructive paw down on a block of buildings.
"Go! Go! Go!" Kakashi grabbed his frozen sister by the elbow and scrambled in the opposite direction of the rampaging Nine-Tails.
The twins bolted through the streets followed closely by Rin and Obito. Shinobi appeared from their homes upon hearing the cataclysmic cacophony. They ran past the group towards the frontline, not even sparing the teens a second glance.
Katsumi's mind echoed with the same question. Where is Kushina-sensei? She bounced the whining baby in her arms, trying to keep him and her own heart calm as they ran. The group raced to the outskirts of the village and scaled the barrier unopposed before slipping out into the surrounding forest.
"What is happening?" Obito asked Rin as they followed the silver-haired twins closely, watching their backs as they followed their sensei's orders.
"I don't know, but I don't feel right about all of this!" Rin replied as the teenagers made it to a clearing in the woods.
Katsumi dug her heels into the dirt. She skidded to a stop as she felt a familiar chakra signature nearby. The bundle in her arms struggled restlessly and let out a gurgling cry.
"Sensei!" The group cried in unison as the Yellow Flash appeared before them, a seriously injured Kushina cradled in his arms. He lowered his exhausted love tentatively to the ground. Rin rushed towards him before dropping to her knees beside the red-haired kunoichi.
"Stop this! Minato, you know what we have to do!" Kushina gripped the front of Minato's green jonin vest and pulled his face down to her level. "Bring that bastard to me! We have to get it sealed again before it destroys everything."
"Kushina, your body can't take it-" Minato's usually calm tone was now frantic with worry as he stared deeply into her determined eyes.
"I'll be fine! We have one shot at this." The couple had a furious stare-off for a second before the blond shinobi caved with a nod.
"I will not fail you." Minato teleported away from them with a flash.
As if thawed from ice, Katsumi shook herself to attention and made her way over to her sensei, Naruto still wailing in her shaking arms. Kushina's skin was pale and clammy, her breaths short and sharp. It was obvious to everyone that her energy was draining quickly. Rin's hands glowed green as she started working on the red-head's abdomen, pinpointing it as the source of her injuries.
"Katsumi, you remember that Uzumaki seal I taught you." She hissed in pain before pinning her silver-haired apprentice with her fiery gaze. "The one I told you never to use?"
Katsumi nodded furiously before gesturing for Kakashi to come and take the blond bundle from her arms. "Hai, Sensei!" The young kunoichi recalled the symbol in her head, flexing her fingers as if practicing the technique.
"I'll hold the Nine-Tails down, but my chakra chains won't be at full strength. I need you to use the imitation seal to pin the beast from the other side. Understood?" Kushina's voice sounded desperate, making Katsumi's nerves increase tenfold. Kakashi scooped the crying baby from his sister's waiting arms as he observed the interaction between his twin and her sensei. Obito guarded their backs with his weapon drawn, scanning the tree line for any surprises.
Shock waves rolled through the clearing as the chaotic sounds of battle and death carried through the crisp night air.
Without warning, Kushina wrenched herself to her feet, against Rin's protests. A second later, the massive chakra-beast appeared in the air in front of them. Minato perched on its back, his kunai buried in the fox's neck. It snarled furiously as its paws hit the ground with a resounding boom. The yellow-haired shinobi teleported off of the back of the beast as soon as it landed.
A scream tore itself from Kushina's raw throat as she poured the last of her reserves into the chakra chains erupting from her back. The long tendrils soared high, wrapping around the giant fox before pulling tight; pinning the middle of the beast to the earth. "NOW!"
Katsumi launched into action, leaving her crippling fear behind her. She ran in front of the fox before sliding painfully along the dirt on her knees while dodging the monster's large swinging paw. When the kunoichi finally stopped, her skilled hands flew through impossibly fast hand signs before she plunged her fingers into the ground. A glowing seal erupted from her arm and sucked almost every ounce of her chakra from her body. She swayed in exhaustion as white chains burst from the ground as they launched into the air over the beast. The glowing chains came crashing down on the flailing fox and smashed the creature into the ground with a great thud.
The two kunoichi poured everything they had into holding the tailed beast down. Minato appeared in front of the teenage boys, his cloak fluttered in the wind.
Kurama let loose a feral roar as he turned his attention to the weaker of the two kunoichi in his sight. Struggling against the chakra bindings, he managed to wiggle his arm free enough to swipe at the miniscule pest. His sharp claws sliced through the air and headed right for the struggling kunoichi.
Katsumi saw the attack coming and fought against her natural instinct to flee. She grit her teeth in determination and held her focus on keeping the seal intact. The young teen made peace with death as air rushed past her cheeks, a sharp claw aiming straight for her chest. In the final second before the teen was speared she snapped her eyes closed.
Yet death never came.
The kunoichi's mismatched eyes popped open in shock. A sharp white claw hovered inches from her chest, seemingly frozen in time. The beast trembled in its static position, its huge red eyes glared daggers at the spot behind its intended victim.
Katsumi fought to keep control over the seal, the edges of her vision blurred. A strangled noise came from the figure standing behind her. She chanced a glance over her shoulder, a gasp fell from her lips as she realised what was happening.
Obito loomed over her kneeling figure, blood-red tears poured from his lone mangekyou sharingan. His expression was a mixture of pain and tremendous fury as he fought a great internal battle for control.
Finally, the powerful seal pulled every ounce of chakra from the girl's body, taking her consciousness with it.
Kakashi watched helplessly from his spot behind Rin, clutching the crying baby tightly to his chest. The chains that Katsumi had summoned fizzled out as she flopped to the ground. Obito stood protectively over her fallen form. His body trembled with exertion. Something warm and wet started to drip down Kakashi's left cheek. It was then that he realised both of his eyes were wide open. Obito's gifted sharingan was slowly draining his energy.
Minato started to perform a series of complicated hand signs. "I'm almost there, Obito! Hold him a little longer!"
"I'M FUCKING TRYING!" the Uchiha teen screeched through his clenched teeth.
Kushina collapsed to her knees as the last of her chakra drained from her body. Her chains shattered before dissipating. Despite the beast's new freedom, he was still frozen, fighting for control with the solitary Uchiha.
Obito cried out suddenly as he flew back, struck by an unseen force. Just as the fox regained control once more Minato completed his powerful jutsu.
Kurama let out a furious cry as Minato split him in two. One-half of the beast is placed back inside of the incredibly weak Kushina as the blond shinobi repaired her existing seal. Minato placed a hand on the stomach of his son in Kakashi's arms, before pouring the other half of the beast into him and sealing it away.
Finally, silence fell over the battlefield.
Ohhhhhh who's the villian?! mwahahahaha! See everyone next time!