Chapter Nineteen: Kidnapped!
Kushina and Aiko waited back inside the hospital lobby to hear the news about Keiko. That's when suddenly one of the nurses walked over to them and both of the ladies stood up. "So, how is she?" Aiko questioned her.
"She's fine. What relation is she to you?" the nurse wondered.
"Umm,.. I think she is like a cousin or something." Kushina said.
"And your names would be,.." the nurse began.
"Oh I'm Aiko Uzumaki and this is _" she began with a pause while she slowly turned to face her sister and pointed at her.
"Kira." She replied. "We're sisters." She said.
"Yes, believe me I can see that. You guys look like you're twins." She said.
"That's because we are." They said at exactly the same time while the nurse simply just glanced at one twin from the other.
"Wow, that is freaky." She said. "So if neither one of you is the girl's mother than where is she?" she wondered.
"I don't know." Kushina (Kira) began. "They must have lost track of each other when the village was attacked. Don't worry, we'll make sure that they find each other though. What is Keiko's room number?" she asked her.
"Room twenty-one." The nurse told her before both of the women thanked her and then they started on their way down the hallway.
"Why didn't you tell her your real name?" Aiko whispered over to Kushina once they were far enough away from her.
"Because I don't want anybody finding out that I'm still alive." She said.
"But what about Naruto though?" Aiko wondered suddenly in fear for her nephew's safety.
"That's exactly what I mean. I want Naruto to grow up being treated like a hero. I'm well known around here as the wife of the fourth hokage. If people find out I'm still alive and I stick around to raise Naruto it will only make things worse for him in the end because they'll eventually find out that the Nine-Tails has been sealed inside of him. I have to protect my son and that's why I decided to have Iruka raise him as his own instead." She explained before they both finally reached Keiko's room and slowly went inside.
Keiko was sitting up in bed and her eyes were dark blue while tears started streaming down her cheeks. "Don't worry Keiko, we'll get you back home where you belong." Kushina whispered soothingly while she sat down beside her and Aiko sat down on the other side of the bed.
"I don't see how. Big brother is the only one who knows how to teleport through time and right now he's partly the reason that I'm here in the first place." She said with a sniff while blinking back her tears.
"Really? Who's your big brother sweetie?" Aiko questioned her.
"You would never believe me if I told you." She replied with another sniff as Kushina wrapped a loving arm around her.
"Tell us." She instructed.
"Sasuke Uchiha. I mean he is in the future. He's married to my big sister Sakura Haruno and he's really like my big brother as well. I love him and he loves me. Look." She said before she removed her locket around her neck and handed it to Kushina who lifted the lid with her thumb and saw that sure enough an adult version of Sasuke was holding Keiko and smiling up at her while standing next to Sakura. "He gave me this before he went away on his Anbu Black Op mission,.." she began while heaving a deep and heavy sad sigh. "Now I'm afraid that I will never see him or the rest of my family ever again." She said while tears continued rolling down her cheeks as she hung her head in sorrow.
That's when suddenly Aiko and Kushina glanced up at each other. "Kushina, I think that she's telling the truth." She said.
"She has to be, I don't see any other explanation for this." She told her sister before closing the locket again and then handing it back over to Keiko. "Keiko, if you're really from the future,.. is Naruto alright?" she asked her.
"Yes he's fine." Keiko began while she slipped her locket back over the top of her head. "He has a girlfriend and everything." She told her as she suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.
"And what about my daughter, you said I had a daughter in the future right?" Aiko questioned as Keiko nodded.
"Yes her name is Sachi and Sasuke is currently raising her since he's her uncle. You marry his brother." She explained. "Anyways she's fine too but she really misses you right now." She said.
"Then what if,.. what if I came back with you to the future to see her?" Aiko wondered. "I mean, could I do that?" she asked her.
"I don't think so." Keiko began with a shake of her head. "Because then you would never meet and fall in love with Itachi, hence Sachi would never be born, and she would probably disappear off of the face of the planet." She finished. "Besides, how could I possibly take you back with me when I don't even know how to get back myself?" she questioned.
"Good point." Aiko said. "Anyways, here's just an idea, why don't you just go ahead and text your brother?" she suggested.
"I'll try, but I'm not sure if it's going to work because he's currently fighting Orochimaru and God only knows what is happening to Konohamaru and everybody else." Keiko replied as she got out her cellphone and began texting Sasuke as Aiko simply just grinned at her.
"Who's Konohamaru? Is he your boyfriend?" she wondered.
"Yuck! Are you crazy!? Of course not! That's absolutely disgusting." She said before both of the women giggled.
"You won't think so someday." Aiko pointed out when all of a sudden Keiko gasped and widened her eyes as she received a text back.
"Did your brother text you back?" Kushina wondered.
"No,.. Kakashi did." Keiko began with a shake of her head. "I have to find a way to get back home! Sasuke, Sakura, and my foster niece Ami have all been kidnapped!" she exclaimed while feeling her heart starting to pound frantically against her chest.