XiaoSan: The only one of your questions I can actually answer right now without spoiling the plot would be your first one. I suppose the Uchiha massacre will still happen, and I think Madara was mostly unrelated to it, though I could be wrong.
Hood Fox3: The "chase" as you call it, is pretty soon actually.
After a brief Q&A, we're now ready to begin Chapter 4.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Chapter 3: Losing Faith
Naruto didn't know why he had never learned about his sister's burden. He supposed it was just common knowledge around the village, yet maybe he was just too young to learn about the secret of the Kyuubi.
Naruto regretted opening that book now, because then he would have never understood the terms "Kyuubi" and "Jinchuuriki". He was six-years old, god dammit! He didn't need to know about such horrible things yet. And, as he looked at his sister smile and laugh, he wondered if she didn't know about the great being residing within her at that very moment.
The whole discovery made him view his sister in a different light. It wasn't anything like hatred, or that he believed Haruki was the fox. No, it was a different kind of feeling. A stranger feeling...
Was it jealously? Naruto didn't know, but why would he feel jealous that his sister held such a terrible being? The thought confused him greatly, sort of like as if he weren't acting like himself.
Maybe it was because of that one thing, that one little thing that Haruki didn't even choose for herself, that her life was so great. People around the village treated her like a god, he realized. She was surrounded by two loving parents who would do anything for her; she had never been sick in her life, and to top it all off she was now the heiress to the family even though it was his birthright.
There was also that slight bit of fear now, knowing that if she ever called upon that power she could crush him in an instant, no matter how great of a ninja he became. God, he was pathetic, being afraid of his baby sister.
But... he had resolved to become a ninja after what he had heard in his parent's bedroom, but nothing seemed to be paying off for him. He didn't feel any stronger or more skilled, while his sister seemed to be advancing in leaps and bounds under his parent's tutelage. He supposed it was because of his parents, but even if he did resolve to become a ninja, by no means did he want any special treatment.
It would just mean that he had good teachers, and didn't do any of this himself.
No one else his age seemed to be afraid of his sister, Naruto noted, but he doubted they knew what was inside of her. Even today, when all of her friends were over for her fifth birthday party, they laughed and played with her, oblivious to what was on the inside.
He had retreated away from the group of four and five year olds soon after they had arrived. His mother, now heavily pregnant, supervised the group of children with several other parents, and hadn't even noticed him slip away from the crowd.
Haruki on the other hand was having the time of her life. She had received several nice presents from her family and friends, including one nice surprise from Jiraiya, who had told her that he would help her parents with training her when she became a genin.
The little girl had squealed in delight at that, while several of her friends looked on in jealously at the lucky girl. She had latched onto Jiraiya after that, causing the pervert to humorously try and pry her off his leg.
"Cmon, everyone! Let's go outside and play ninja!" the girl exclaimed as she finished opening her presents. The other kids cheered, following their friend out to the back door. The adults laughed as they saw lazy Nara Shikamaru unenthusiastically walk outside last.
Minato, who had just come back from the kitchen with refreshments for the adults, nearly dropped them as he saw his little daughter bound outside with all her friends.
"Wait, Haruki!" he called out to her, thrusting out a hand as soon as he put the beverages down on the table.
"There's one more special surprise you need to be told!" he yelled as she passed through the door.
"It can wait, Daddy! I wanna play ninja now! Ninja! Ninja!" she called back, unconcerned of her father's plight. Minato sighed as Shikamaru shut the door behind them, exasperated by the child's temperament.
Kushina sauntered up to him, giggled as she held her pregnant belly.
"She's quite a handful, isn't she?" she said as she leaned in to kiss her husband. Minato smiled back at her and returned the kiss, his previous emotions giving way to laughter.
"She sure is. I don't think she realized that this was probably the most important thing."
"Haruki's right, Minato. The party isn't over yet, and it can wait until the children come back inside." Kushina said, looking fondly out the window to the children who had just started playing.
"Ha Ha! I gotcha!" Haruki cried as she hit the young Inuzuka Kiba with her cardboard shuriken. He had taken to hiding behind a tree in the Namikaze personal training, when his hiding spot was given away by Chouji again.
"Aw, nice job Chouji. You blew my cover again!" Kiba shouted at the large boy, but from the smile on his face it was clear that he was having fun anyway. Haruki giggled back at her two friends, before slinging her arm around her best friend Hyuuga Hinata, who blushed from being put on the spot. She was clearly the polar opposite of Haruki, but for some reason the two had struck a chord in each other's hearts.
The four kids heard some more shouting in the distance, and it was apparent that someone else had been caught.
"C'mon Hinata-chan, let's go! We're definitely going to catch more people, and won't let the others outdo us!" she shouted and was about to leave the three of them in the dust.
"Hey, look!" Kiba said suddenly, stopping Haruki from going somewhere else. There, on the second floor of the Namikaze mansion, visible from the third window from the left, was a small, blonde-haired boy, slightly shrouded by the window's curtains.
Haruki turned to see where Kiba was pointed, a glazed look in her eyes appearing.
"Onii-chan..." she said distantly. Over the past few months, she had noticed that her brother was becoming more and more distant, and quite frankly, the thought made her very sad. Naruto seemed to notice that they were staring at him, and he quickly ducked out of view.
"It's your weird brother, Haruki," said Kiba bluntly, laughing a little at the thought of the young blonde's personality. Her friends usually tried to avoid talking about her brother, as they knew what reaction it stirred from Haruki. Kiba, was a different case, however.
Haruki glared at him weakly for his barbed insult of her brother.
"I've never seen him before..." commented Chouji.
Kiba snickered, knowing exactly the reason.
"That's cuz he goes up to his room every time one of us comes over here. It's completely different than they way you act, Hinata. At least you are friends with us and do things with us, but he never even talks to any of us. I think he's ashamed of something," Kiba said, a grin coming onto his face at his brilliant theory.
"What are you saying, Kiba..." said Haruki a little more forcefully.
"My mom says that your brother's a disgrace to your family. Your mom and dad might think that way too, seeing that he's doesn't even want to become a ninja in a family that creates incredible shinobi. She thinks that he's undeserving of the Namikaze name..."
"B-But, Naruto-nii-chan, not wanting to become a ninja..." Haruki stuttered, almost refusing to believe it. It was the first time in a while since anybody had ever gotten under her skin like that.
Kiba held up his hands defensively.
"H-Hey, I'm just telling you what my mom thinks. No need to get so worked up over it..."
Haruki turned away from the boy, not wanting to hear more about the matter.
"Let's go, Hinata," she said angrily. "We've got a game to finish..."
But, even as she said that, Kiba's words rang in her head, and the young, impressionable girl couldn't stop the cold, dark feeling of shame rise deep within her stomach...
Minato was very surprised when his previously cheerful daughter came inside from playing in a less-than-happy mood. The other kids seemed painfully oblivious to their friend's behavior, and continuously harassed and played with each other. Only little Inuzuka Kiba and Hyuuga Hinata seemed to notice the change that occurred in his daughter. For that, he was at least thankful.
Kushina looked at him awkwardly, seeming to notice the same thing as he did. The Yamanakas seemed to be whispering to themselves something, and he had a strange feeling that it had something to do with his daughter's sudden mood change.
The other children seemed to go sit with their parents or guardians, leaving the birthday girl to wander on up to both him and Kushina. She stood there about three feet in front of him, her fists clenched and her eyes pointed towards the ground.
"Haruki..." Kushina began cautiously. "Are you ready for your last big surprise?"
Haruki seemed to brighten up slightly at that, and looked at her mother with big, curious eyes.
"Well, I think it's best to let your father explain this to you..." Kushina said, passing the buck off to her husband.
Minato bent down to her knees, placing his hand on top of his daughter's head fondly. The little girl closed her eyes and smiled lightly as she enjoyed the feel of her father's strong, warm hand on her head.
Minato grinned widely, feeling such immense pride in her.
"Haruki... ever since your brother entered the academy a year early, I believe it's necessary for it to become a tradition in this household. And, while you may have noticed that Naruto isn't exactly, ah, inclined to become a ninja..."
Haruki felt like a stone was just dropped into her stomach.
"... I believe you'll have a much greater disposition, and fare much better as a ninja than your brother."
Minato felt slightly awkward at such a blatant show of favoritism, and even Haruki seemed to notice that there was something wrong. He had expected his daughter to be beaming at him right now, but instead he saw that the girl's cheeks were slightly flushed, and she seemed tense.
Minato stood to his full height, adopted the fake persona of the stern, yet benevolent Hokage.
"Namikaze Haruki... by order of the village of Konohagakure, I have hereby enrolled you in the academy so that you may study the art of the ninja and serve this village to the best of your ability..." Minato couldn't keep a smile off his face as he saw his daughter's look of wonder grow.
From directly upstairs... out of sight... a small figure watched the parents cheer and the children throws fits of jealously... and all that he could do was scowl.
Weeks passed by as the academy got out for the year, leaving Naruto to stay at home on break. While before Naruto saw Haruki in a new light, it was also that Haruki saw Naruto in a new light. She never forgot the words Kiba had spoken to her at the birthday party, but every time she saw her brother's face, she had to ask herself whether he really was bringing shame upon their family.
Some days she hated him, but on most days she just felt sorry for him. He hadn't looked like he had improved a single bit in his first year at the academy. It was truly pitiful. She was beginning to lose faith in him.
Haruki did in fact love her brother, and the days when he was on break from the academy, he wasn't as surly, and he didn't retreat out of sight. He would go up to their mother every night and listen to her belly, which was an action that made the pregnant woman smile.
Her mother was due for her third child any day now, and unknown to Haruki, she would be able to deliver like a normal woman now considering she no longer carried the Kyuubi.
While her mother was preparing for the birth, her father was preparing all the paperwork that would get her into the academy. It wasn't that difficult of a process, since he was the Hokage and had total power when it came to the military of the village.
It was the last night before they were to begin academy classes, and Naruto had grown increasingly more moody as the night went on. He didn't even touch his dinner that night, but it was ramen after all.
He just sat there at the table, staring at his empty bowl and the large pot of the stuff that the rest of the family was devouring without mercy.
And then, out of nowhere, he saw his mother make a very strained face, before rising from her chair and clutching her swollen belly. Naruto's eyes widened, and he had a strange feeling what was happening.
Minato seemed to sense it as well, rising from his chair shortly after Kushina did with an alarmed expression on his face.
"Kushina! Is it..." Minato trailed off, leaving his question unfinished.
Kushina looked slightly panicked now, and was clutching her stomach in agony at the contraction. She rushed over to her husband, and glared at him while grabbing his Hokage robes forcefully.
"Yes, Minato! I'm having the damn baby! So stop spacing out and get me to the hospital this instant!" she shouted.
Minato freaked out at that, though not as much as he did for the first and second time. He danced about like a madman, shouting random instructions to his kids and trying to soothe his wife.
He considered calling the ANBU, and having them use Shunshin to get her to the hospital. However, there might be too much of a jolt for a pregnant woman to take. The only option right now was to carry her to the hospital on foot.
Minato grunted slightly as he picked up the pregnant woman, who was thrashing slightly but was fully aware of what was going on. With his wife in tow, Minato headed for the front door, a no-nonsense look on his face.
"Naruto... Haruki... You two will probably have to stay here with the ANBU overnight. I will likely be at the hospital all night and through tomorrow, so you'll have to get to school on your own. Naruto... since you're older, make sure to show your sister what to do on her first day, understand?"
Naruto nodded shyly, to which Minato smiled.
"Good. Once school is over I'll come get you and take you to the hospital and you'll see whether you have a new brother or sister yet."
As his father rushed out of the door carrying his pregnant mother, Naruto felt like he was almost in a daze...
Naruto didn't think that he'd be the one who woke up his sister the next day. In fact, he believed that it would be at 6 in the morning when his younger sister came bounding into the room like the high energy girl she was, and raucously wake him up by pounding him.
But... that wasn't the case. His lackluster attempt to get out of bed was just a sorry excuse for not wanting to go back to the ninja academy. Just because he was resolved to become one to protect his family's image didn't mean he didn't have feelings of doubt or reluctance. It was just another type of resolve...
He grumbled as he walked out into the hall and down towards his sister's room near the edge of the stairs. He opened the door, feeling the familiar musty smell wash all over him.
Even as a five year old girl, Haruki had no such desire to fill her room with frilly things or anything pink in nature. Instead, her room was adorned with posters, scrolls, and the occasional faux weapon hanging on the wall.
A giant banner displaying the kanji for "Determination" hung over the front of her bed, and the wooden floors held a giant rug that was of the spiral that always was on the village's flak jackets.
That was not to say it was without toys. Her closet was littered with Haruki's beloved playthings, and several of them were thrown out all over the floor. Naruto resisted the urge to complain about the mess, but stopped and then resisted the urge to laugh as he viewed his sister's ridiculous sleeping position.
Her body was thrown all over her bed, with her arms and legs spread way apart from each other. She was wearing her favorite pajamas today, which were a soft lavender color with pictures of steaming ramen bowls, which looked ridiculous in itself.
Her long blonde hair was all tangled and messy, and a little bit of drool was leaking out of his open mouth onto her pillow.
Naruto creeped up over to the bed, a slight creak in the floor the only noise he was making.
He rustled her slightly, then harder when he received no reaction.
"Mmm, Onii-chan?" she muttered as she dizzily saw her brother standing over her.
"'S too early. C-Come... Come back in a few hours..." she grumbled, as she laid down on her side.
"Did you forget, Haruki? Today's your first day at the academy. Classes begin in an hour, and ANBU-san downstairs says to get ready as soon as possible."
Haruki sat up in her bed and frowned; her brother wasn't being his usual meek self today. Maybe it was the birth of another sibling that had gotten him so agitated today? She wondered that as she flung her legs out from the bed, and noticed that Naruto had already left the room...
The two siblings ate breakfast in near-silence, both still tense with each other and both still tense about the arrival of the new baby. Naruto finished first, setting his dishes in the sink and grabbing his schedule. He walked over to the door where the ANBU was ready to see them off, looking slightly annoyed with Haruki for her lagging.
After ten more minutes of waiting, which was by the way beginning to get on both Naruto and the ANBU guard's nerve, Haruki finally appeared at the front door, clothed in a small, little dress and her sour, morning mood permanently evaporated.
She waved to the ANBU giddily, who then proceeded to open the door for the two children. Haruki slung her backpack over her shoulder in a mimic of Naruto, and eagerly noted the sights of the village in the morning.
As they walked through the streets of the village, Haruki skipped and bounded along excitedly, while Naruto dropped his pace down to a slow waddle, slouching over slightly as he walked. Haruki would grab his arm and beckon him over once she found something she liked, which would distract them yet again from their necessary destination.
"Onii-chan! That nice, old lady over there always gives me candy when I come over to her shop!" she said excitedly, grabbing her brother's hand and leading over to the small stand where the lady was.
"Oba-san!" Haruki called over to the lady, who turned and seemed to be delighted by the girl's presence.
"Oba-san! Good morning!" she cried as she finally reached the stand, brother in tow.
The old, wrinkled woman of about seventy smiled warmly at the young Namikaze girl, before her eyes set on Naruto and her smile faded a little and an unreadable expression entered her eyes.
Everyone in the village knew about the first child of the Namikaze, the scrawny, meek boy who seemed to have issues with being a ninja. Anyone with a brain enough knew that Naruto had a much higher chance of making Hokage, or at least a very high position of power within the village, simply due to his heritage. That seemed to set their nerves on end. Someone like him holding so much political power? It was kind of a bitter feeling, especially knowing that Haruki was such a better alternative, but would be less inclined to be anything because of her birth order.
Of course, the woman didn't know that the title of Namikaze heir had been switched in recent years.
"Oba-san! Oba-san!" Haruki said, pounding her hands on the stand.
"This is my Nii-chan! Have you met him before?" she asked.
The old woman turned a slightly frosty gaze on the young girl, which threw the girl for a loop as the old woman was usually so amiable.
"No... we haven't met before, Haruki-chan. Though I know who the first child of Hokage-sama is..." she said.
Haruki frowned, and stopped beating her hands against the wood. She didn't like the tone of voice the elderly woman was taking, and all it seemed to do was perfectly validate Kiba's earlier words about her brother.
She wasn't a good reader of emotions, but damned if she didn't realize that that woman had a problem with her brother.
The awkward situation wasn't progressing well, so Haruki grabbed her brother's hand again and led him away from the stand. The old lady called out to her about free candy, but Haruki just ignored her.
As they walked through town over to the academy, Haruki pointed out more people who seemed to look away when they spotted Naruto, or people who began whispering under their breath.
An angry blush formed on her cheeks as she began to pick up speed, becoming more and more embarrassed about this the further they got into town. Naruto seemed to be feeling awkward about it as well, and he avoided her gaze when she turned back to look at him.
As they entered the academy grounds, Naruto sighed in relief when he realized they weren't late, and parents escorting their children stood outside the building surrounded by a few academy instructors, chatting with them about their child's education.
But, that relief changed to panic as he saw all of the academy instructors and students file into the building, while the parents said goodbye to each other and went off to do their daily business.
"No, we're gonna be late!" cried Naruto as he broke free of his sister's grip, and began running towards the school. Haruki followed closely behind him, surprised at his sudden behavior.
The five-year old girl followed closely behind him, easily catching up to him as he approached the building. The two siblings marched through the grass, but sitting on the stairs up to the building were three people that Naruto didn't want to see.
The three bullies, who had repeatedly abused his last year, were all sitting on the steps ditching class, and apparently very pleased as they all laid their eyes on him. Naruto backed up a little bit, trying to avoid a confrontation, but as he took a step back as the three groupies began to stand up.
"Who are they?" asked Haruki subtly, righteous getting a bad feeling from those three much bigger boys.
"Bad, bad people," said Naruto simply. "Get out of here, Haruki. I don't want you getting caught up with them too. Just run away and come back in a few minutes to see if it's clear..." instructed Naruto.
But Haruki didn't move. She simply stood there, eyes fixated on the three bullies, refusing to listen to her brother's words.
"Go!" shouted Naruto.
Too late.
"Who's this, Namikaze? Your new girlfriend?" came the obnoxious voice of the leader bully.
After hearing one of the most cliché greetings by a bully ever, the two Namikazes realized how big of trouble that they were in.
"She's not my girlfriend, Toji. She's my sister, and she's starting her first day at the academy..."
Toji scrutinized the young girl, then looked at Naruto, and then at Haruki again. After a few quick once-overs, the big eight-year old seemed to hold in his laughter for a moment, before it evolved into a full blown laugh fest.
"HAHAHAHA! That's rich!" Toji laughed. "Guys! Guys! Take a close look at these two and tell me what you notice!" he wheezed heavily, before going back to more laughter.
The other two bullies squinted stupidly as they looked at the two nervous Namikazes, before they too burst out into peals of heavy laughter. Toji laughed even harder when he realized his friends had gotten it too.
"N-Namikaze..." he pointed at Naruto in-between laughter. "That girl is your younger sister..." he paused to allow more laughter. "And looks bigger and stronger than you do... HAHAHAHA!" Toji collapsed onto the ground.
Both Naruto and Haruki were seething in rage.
"You're an even bigger wimp than I thought!"
Naruto's eye began to twitch, and Haruki stared in awe as an attitude she had never seen before in him began to occur. Maybe all the emotional stress of handling these jerks was finally getting to him?
Something in Naruto seemed to crack, and Naruto calmly yet eerily walked slowly over to where Toji was kneeled over in laughter. He cast as big a shadow as he could over the larger boy, who was still paralyzed from laughter.
He might never get another chance like this again; it was now or never.
He raised his fist in the air, breathing out of his mouth in pure rage. After what seemed like an eternity, the young brought it down on the much larger boy.
The fist connected with the bully's cheek, and all the laughter was propelled out of his system as soon as he felt the forceful blow. Toji was knocked back slightly by Naruto's punch, and his face connected with the ground with an audible pounding noise.
Haruki had her mouth open at the scene; Naruto was never this aggressive. She didn't know what had gotten into him.
"Toji!" the other two bullies cried simultaneously as they watched their leader get pounded. Unfortunately however, the lead bully was far from unconscious, and his previous laughter gave way to cold, piercing anger as he got to his feet and wiped the small snuff mark off his face.
"Namikaze!" the bully roared, hoisting Naruto up by the collar of his shirt and holding him at arm's length. Naruto was beginning to seriously regret his moment of impulse, considering Toji was much more proficient in Taijutsu than he was.
Haruki heard a sickening crack as Naruto fell to the ground after receiving a much more devastating punch than the one he had given. Using his superior shinobi skills, Toji jumped over to where Naruto was lying prone in an instant, delivering a nasty downward punch at the fallen boy. The punch acted upon the force of gravity, and all the air was driven from Naruto's lungs.
Naruto gasped for breath, and clutched the wound on his chest. Some blood got in his eye, and he was only dizzily able to see the ongoing scene through one of his eyes.
"Stop it!" yelled Haruki, rushing to her brother's aid. Even in a constricting dress and sandals, Haruki's training with her mother and father paid off, and her fluid Taijutsu helped her immensely as she thanked God that Toji was leaving himself wide open at that very moment.
Haruki's foot implanted itself with the older boy's chin as the little girl sent him a surprisingly powerful kick upwards. The bully was separated from his prey for a moment, being disoriented from the girl's attack.
"You-" Toji exclaimed angrily, not expecting the girl to attack him at all.
Haruki didn't respond to Toji, instead putting up her hands in the familiar seal of the Bunshin no Jutsu.
"S-She already knows jutsu?" Toji said in surprise.
However, the technique widely considered to be a joke continued to remain as a joke as Toji's two groupies snuck up behind the Namikaze prodigy. No matter how much a prodigy, she was still only five years old, and too inexperienced to defend against the onslaught of the two bigger and older boys. She needed more training, she realized as she was sent to the ground.
Toji regained all his confidence when he saw the display from his two friends. The two boys continued to attack the poor girl, until her hair was strewn everywhere, her dress was tatters, and she was bruised in many places.
Toji laughed raucously, sauntering up to the fallen girl.
"Look at this closely, Namikaze. Because of your pitiful weakness, your little sister is going to suffer..." he said cruelly.
Naruto stared in horror as the bullies went all out on his sister, punching and kicking her with all their might. The five-year old cried out in pain, screaming his name and her father's name, and begging to be released from his torment.
He attempted to move, but found that his legs weren't responding to his thoughts. The thoughts of Haruki being in pain allowed him to inch along in sheer determination, but he couldn't even walk in this state, let alone fight off the bullies.
Naruto felt an enormous feeling of shame, and he just wanted to fall off the face of the Earth at that moment. His little sister was suffering because of him, and Naruto couldn't even do anything about it. The thought was heart-breaking. What had he been doing that last year? He thought he had resolved himself to become a ninja.
For one agonizing minute, the three bullies continued to torment his sister, before they finally got bored and rushed off to class, leaving Naruto and Haruki to lie there on the ground, injured.
"H-Haruki..." Naruto managed to say, feeling almost unworthy to address his sister this way. Haruki was eerily silent, and was struggling to rise to her feet, brushing off her tattered dress with her face pointed to the ground.
Haruki walked over to her fallen brother, he face shadowed by her messy hair.
"H-Haruki..." Naruto repeated, and his mouth opened in shock and sadness. Tears were pouring from Haruki's hidden eyes, running down her little cheeks and dripping onto the ground.
"Why?" she asked angrily, staring at Naruto with little more than contempt.
"Why did you have to challenge that boy? Everyone around the village knows that you have no talent as a ninja, so why would you challenge him when you should know better?" Naruto's eyes widened further at his sister's angry tone.
"Everyone's ashamed of you because they think that you are undeserving of the Namikaze name. And I'm starting to believe that they're right! I'm starting to become ashamed of you as well, Naruto!" Haruki shrieked, for the first time not using the honorific.
Haruki hobbled away from her brother after an event that would forever change her. No longer would she be the happy-go-lucky girl. Now, she would begin to take her studies more seriously. All of this had gone too far, and she had gotten beat up simply because of her brother's weakness. She would no longer be cordial with her brother. Now... she would begin to resent him in a way not unlike everyone else.
She was now fully ashamed of him.
An hour later, Naruto would find the strength necessary to move himself from his spot, and walked into his second-year classroom feeling like a real scumbag. He was just in time to hear about a field trip later in the year.
To be perfectly honest, it wasn't Minato's best day in his life. Naturally, when he had stepped out of the hospital for a bit of fresh air, one the nurses rushed out five minutes later proclaiming that his wife has gone into labor.
It was only natural that the man freak out after that, snapping at the nurse and then rushing into the hospital at top speed to confront his wife. But of course, he had to get lost in the long corridors of one of the places he hated most in the world, and it took him another five minutes to finally find the maternity ward.
As he approached the door, he heard the sound of a crying baby startled him. The Hokage looked quite silly, jumping at every little noise like a fool and struggling to turn the handle to the door because his nerves were shot.
"Kushina!" he cried as he finally opened the door, and was relieved to his wife sitting relaxed on the bed, a beautiful happy smile adorned on her face. She was worn out, yet very happy, the telltale sign of a successful birth.
"Minato, you missed it..." Kushina admonished, almost looking annoyed with her husband. But then, she weakly pointed to one of the nurses, who was carrying a small bundle wrapped up in a blanket.
"Is that?" he asked rhetorically, knowing full well what it was.
The nurse smiled at him.
"Congratulations, Hokage-sama. Your wife has given birth to beautiful, healthy baby..." she said, readying the bundle for its father.
"May I see my baby's face?" Minato asked weakly.
The nurse smiled again.
"Of course..." she replied, undoing the blankets that unveiled the baby's face.
"Congratulations! It's a girl..."
Chapter is done! And with an entirely new member of the Namikaze family!
I must tell everyone now, the next update won't be so quick. In fact, I'm taking a break from this to work on Amenaza for the next two or three chapters. I'll post my next update for this on my profile page.
I'll see everyone next time!
Alban55