Chapter 22 Family Ties
"Thank you, Lady Hokage, for helping us. Not to be rude, but what of my mother? She was wounded as well." The blonde girl asked.
Tsunade sadly shook her head, watching as the young woman started to cry silently as she lowered her head. The Hokage hated to do whta she had to do next, but knew there was no beating around the bush.
"I know your upset at the loss of your mother, but I have to ask. Why were you traveling with Kushina Uzumaki?"
The room went silent as the young blonde woman simply stared at Tsunade with shock and fear on her face. Naruto himself felt his jaw drop as Hinata gasped putting one hand to her mouth while placing the other on Naruto's shoulder. Sakura placed both hands over her mouth. Tsunade waited for the young woman to answer, still blocking Naruto from veiw.
"How...How do you know my mother?" The young blonde asked, tears still falling.
"First, I'd like to know your names and the anwer to my question before I answer any of yours." She said flatly. She was glad that Naruto hadn't tried to come foreward yet. She knew he was shocked that Kushina's name had been spoken by this woman. The blonde gulped as she brushed her blonde bangs away from her face. She wipped the tears from her face and looked back at the Hokage.
"My name is Tokiko Uzumaki. This is my cousin Kira Uzumaki. And the reason why we were traveling with my mother was because we were trying to get away from a group that chased us all the way from the land of whirlpool. They call themselves, 'The Dogs of War'." The young woman said, placing a hand on her cousins shoulder.
"Your from the land of whirlpool? That's a long way away. Why were you being chased?" Tsunade asked, wondering who these Dogs of War were.
"Because their leader is insane. They arrived at our village two days ago. They demanded logging and medical care. Our kage didn't want to cause any trouble, so he allowed it. That was when our trouble began. I was out walking with mother and Kira when their leader spotted me. He shouted something, a name I think." She said, trying to remember.
"He said 'Naruto'." She said, remembering the strange thing he had shouted. Everyone in the room felt there hearts drop. But Tokiko didn't pay attention.
"Of course I didn't understand it, but mother did. I saw her face light up for a moment before the man pulled a kunai and charged us, his fifty plus friends too. We would have fought, but we had Kira with us, so we did the only thing we could. We ran." She paused, recalling what had happened.
"We didn't have any contact with them all day yesterday. They finnally caught up to us this morning. Mother used her sommoning jutsu to call forth a fox with four tails. She spoke to it, telling it to slow down the attackers. The fox agreed and dissappeared. We thought we were inn the clear until we were less than five miles out from the village. They ambushed us. Mother told me to take Kira and continue on to the village." Tokiko started to cry a little. "We started to sun when a barrage of kunai caught me from my side. But I pushed on through. I knew mother didn't stand a chance against those odds. Maybe if it had only be ten even twenty, she would have made it." The young woman began to sob. Naruto could only stand there, tears streaking down his face. Hinata hugged him, trying to help him through this. If the information was accurate, Kiba had been responsible for the death of his mother.
"I entered village and head toward the strongest gathering of chakra, thinking that it was were the Hokage was. And you know the rest." She said, wipping her eyes again. Before Tsunade could say anything, Jiriya entered through the window.
"I've moved her to the room next door. There's no sign of the attackers. At least not the ones that got away. She killed thirty of those bastards before they got her."
"Grandpa Jiriya!" Both girl shouted. Jiriya turned, startled by their shouts, but smiled.
"Tokiko! Kira! You girls are alright." He said as he walked over and gave the girls a hug.
"Is mom okay?" Tokiko asked, as Jiriya ended the hug. He shook his head.
"No. She took quite a beating. But she wants to see you three." He said looking around the room.
"Three?" Tokiko asked, confused as she to began looking around.
"Yes. You, Kira and your brother." He said, seeing Naruto standing completely still.
"My...brother?" Tokiko asked, truning back to Jiriya.
"Yes. Naruto. You and Hinata need to come." Jiriya said, snapping Naruto out of his grief. He placed an arm around Hinata and stepped out from behind Hinata, causing Tokiko to gasp.
"He...he looks like me. How?" She asked, he waist long blonde hair swirling as she rounded on Jiriya. He held up a hand.
"I'lll explain it to all of you. Right now, your mother is waiting." Jiriya helpped Tokiko to her feet and led the four to the next room. They filed in and saw a young woman with firey red hair sitting up in her bed, looking pale and shaky. As the door opened she looked over and when she saw them, tears began to fall. Tokiko and Kira ran to the woman and hugged her as she returned the gesture.
"Girls. I'm sorry." she said softly. They broke the embrace as she leand back on her bed, looking over at Naruto. All he could do was stare at the woman in front of him.
"Naruto. You look so much like Minato. But from what I've heard, you act like I did at your age." She flashed him the same smile he had, her short red hair making her face stand out.
"Mom?" He asked in a whisper. She nodded her head, but the sudden action caused her to feel faint. She laid back on the bed, giving him a small smile.
"Yes. I'm sorry for this. I'm sorry to both of you." She said as the tears continued to fall. Naruto felt tears of his own running down his face, his wife next to him crying silently.
"For what?" Tokiko asked, trying to hold back her tears, Kira crying as well.
"For not brining you both together sooner. I wish that my children could have grown up together." She said, her face going white. "After all, twins aren't ment to be apart."
Naruto looked at the girl, Tokiko as she looked at him. He knew that what his mother had said was true. And so did she.
"Naruto. Who is that with you? She's lovely." His mother said.
"This is Hinata Hyuuga, my wife." He said, smiling at her. Hinata tightened her hand a little.
"Oh! Well, it is nice to meet you, Hinata." Kushina smiled at her.
"It is nice to meet you, Mrs. Uzumaki." Hinata gave her a small bow as Kushina narrowed her eyes.
"Are you with child?" She asked.
"Hai. Two weeks."
"That makes me feel better. Naruto." She gasped in pain.
"Yes?" He said moving closer with Hinata.
"Take care of your sister and cusin for me. And take care of your wife and child." She started to close her eyes. Naruto felt a lump form in his throat.
"I will. I never go back on my word. That's my nindo. After all, I'll be Hokage someday." He said, his throat tightening up. His mother smiled as her eyes closed.
"Just like me and your father. I'm sorry to just show up and die on you, but I...don't think...I'll live much...longer." She started to breathe slowly, her eyes shut completely, causing Naruto, Tokiko, Kira, Jiriya, Sakura, and Hinata to cry.
"Seeing...my children in...the same room...was my last wish. I got it." She smiled as she passed before them. Tokiko dropped to her knees, head in hands as Kira placed an arm around her, both blondes crying. Naruto felt pain and rage. Hinata stood next to him, tears rolling down her face.
Naruto let out a roaor of pain and rage that reverberated through the village. Nobody could do anything for the Uzumakis as the pain and grief was heard around the village.
Naruto, Tokiko, Kira, and Hinata sat in the courtyard, trying to comfort each other. It had been three days since Kushina Uzumaki had died, and they had yet to even talk to each other. Naruto, of course, had allowed his new found family stay with him at his house. As they sat in silence, Jiriya arrived, wearing all black like the four of them.
"Alright. It's time your guys were told." He said sitting down. The four looked up at him, faces sad,
"As you were informed Naruto, Tokiko, you are both twins. Naruto, you were born first, making you the oldest. Now, the reason you were both seperated and not told was because your parents feared that one day, his enemies would find out about one of you. They didn't want you both to die, so, when you were born, Tokiko, your mother took you to her home village. Minato would keep Naruto here. It was painful to decide upon, but they had to do it. Unfortunatly, that was the same night that the nine tails attacked. October 10. Fifteen years ago." He watched for some kind of response. All he got were stares. He continued.
"Now, as you both know, Minato died sealing the demon in Naruto, so he never knew a parents love. Tokiko, you, how ever were lucky. You got to spend fifteen years with you mother. Right now, you both need each other. Your all family now." He finished standing up. He turned to leave when a scream echoed behind him. Turning around he saw Tokiko faceing away from him, holding Naruto's fist. Looking at the man's face, he saw pain and anger.
"What the hell do you think your doing?" Tokiko shouted as Hinata pulled Naruto back, calming him down. "Granpa Jiriya didn't do anything!"
"He never told me. Do you know how it feels to not have a family? The pain of always being alone?" He said quietly, holding Hinata. Tokiko looked at her brother and understood where he was coming from.
"No. I don't. But I know how stubborn Mom could be. If her and Dad told him not to say anything, than he didn't have a choice." She said, looking at him.
"I suppose your right. I suppose it's time to stop acting like this and get on with our lives. If what I heard about Mom is true, she wouldn;t want us greiving for long." He said, smiling slightly.
"Yeah, she wouldn't." His sister said, smile identical to his.
"Come on. I'll show you around. You to Kira." He said as the young girl hugged her cusion, Tokiko.
"Sounds great."
Together the four walked down the street into a new day.