A Final Attack
"Ichiru-niisan!"
Kin's
last shout echoed through the dingy room long after Kabuto had
plunged the sword into the boy's chest. A smile played on the man's
lips as he realised what had been said.
"Maybe you've been
useful after all…" he said, turning away from the Uchiha's
lifeless body and wiping blood from metal.
*
"Naruto.
Inuzuka Aiko's entire troop was massacred at the boarders with
Rain. Aburame Shino and his team are still missing, with no trace
whatsoever. What are we going to do?" Tsunade's face was troubled
as she sat across the desk from the Hokage.
Naruto looked down at
the scroll before him. It was from the Kazekage, his old friend
Gaara, informing him of Suna's victory and capture of many enemy
troops. He'd re-read it so many times since it had been received,
but had no idea why. His mind was so full of thoughts, he felt like
it wouldn't be long until he went spiralling completely out of
control. He clenched his fists, realising finally that Konoha's
time of peace was most definitely over.
*
Hinata
clutched her husband close to her, sobs racking her entire body. Kiba
howled to the sky, overcome with grief. They stood by the memorial,
upon which Aiko's name would be added, along with her cousin's.
The rain that had fallen almost constantly the past week had finally
ceased, leaving the sky clear enough to pick out every star. The air
was bitingly cold, and both Hinata and Kiba's breath came out in
clouds of steam, but neither cared. Their daughter's body would
arrive in the village in 2 days time, after an autopsy, and then she
could be laid to rest.
"M-my baby girl…" Hinata wept into
Kiba's chest.
Kiba sighed deeply, trying to control his
emotions, holding his wife as tightly as he could to himself,
clenching his eyes shut.
"Kiba! Where have you been?
Hinata-chan is already in the labour ward!" Shino shouted as the
Inuzuka ran towards him.
Kiba handed his young son to his
teammate, quickly entering the hospital. He ran as fast as he could
down the corridors, finally arriving at Hinata's room as Aiko came
into the world, a tiny little bundle with fluffy brown hair like his
own. Her huge pale eyes were just like her mothers. She opened her
little mouth and let out the loudest cry as he held her up.
"A
real Inuzuka!" he cried, handing the baby to the nurse to be
cleaned up and weighed.
Akane was born a little while later, just
as beautiful in Kiba's eyes. Her hair was black like her mother's,
and she mewled quietly as he held her close to him. Hinata sat up in
the bed, propped up by cushions, with Akane held in the crook of her
arm. Kiba held Aiko as he perched next to his wife, beaming happily
at his daughters. Shino entered the room with an excited Haru, who
immediately tried to get into his mother's lap.
"They're
ugly!" he cried, disappointed.
Kiba laughed good-naturedly.
"They're beautiful." He cooed, stroking Aiko's cheek
tenderly.
"Do I have to look after them?" pouted Haru, poking
Akane a little.
"Yes. Always." Hinata said, smiling at her
family proudly.
Kiba sighed again, the memory leaving him
with warmth.
"Nata-chan. I love you. I love you so much." He
said into her hair as she held onto him.
"I love you too,
Kiba-kun." She said, sniffling onto his shoulder.
*
Akane
sat up as Ichiru pulled away from kissing her to undo the buttons on
her shirt. His fingers fumbled with them, and his cheeks turned red
with embarrassment. Akane placed a hand upon his, stopping him in his
tracks. She undid her own buttons slowly, keeping her eyes locked
upon his as she did. His blush got worse a she did this, and he fell
upon her as soon as the shirt was removed, making tiny little
satisfied moans as his lips had access to her smooth, pale skin. She
lay back slowly, pulling him with her, basking in his attention as
his mouth travelled across her stomach and her ribcage. He paused
above her bra, before moving up to her neck and nibbling a little at
the sensitive flesh he found there. His hand stroked her sides,
running up and down her skin, giving her goose bumps.
"I-I…I
want you…" Akane whispered as Ichiru kissed her collarbone.
He
stopped, looking into her eyes.
"Really? I mean…are you sure
that's what you want?"
Akane nodded, trying to smile, but
finding herself too nervous. Ichiru knelt above her, his legs either
side of her waist, his hands beside her shoulders as he leant towards
her. His lips met hers tenderly, and her eyes closed as she lost
herself in his kiss again.
"Uchiha!!! Get the hell off my sister!"
Haru flew across the room towards Ichiru, his eyes
ablaze. His fist made contact with the side of the black-haired boy's
face, throwing him off the bed altogether. Akane screamed, grabbing
her top and hastily throwing it back on. Haru stood, furious,
watching Ichiru scramble up from the floor.
"I thought we were
friends?" Haru was saying.
Ichiru held the side of his head,
blinking. "We are." He said, looking confused.
"Then why
were you…with my sister…I just…" Haru shook his head, "Aiko
isn't even buried yet! And you're here carrying on like…like it
doesn't matter."
Akane rushed forwards to her brother.
"Oh
no, no! Haru-niisan! I-it's not like th-that at all!"
Haru
shook her off, obviously disgusted.
"Whatever. If this is how
you want to be, so be it. I won't tell dad now. But if I catch you
again…then he will know."
Haru stormed out of the room,
slamming the door behind him.
"I'm sorry Ichiru…I forgot
H-Haru-niisan has the master key t-to all the guest rooms." Akane
hung her head in her hands, "We used to p-play in here when w-we
were little."
"Maybe you should go back to your room."
Ichiru said, looking away from her.
Akane bit her bottom lip,
staring at him angrily. She left without another word, but Ichiru
heard her start to cry on the corridor. He threw himself onto the
bed, thumping the pillow with a fist. Now was definitely not the best
time to let his hormones get the better of him like that. Both he and
Akane were grieving and confused, and what they were doing wasn't
going to solve any of that. Yes, he liked her but… That just wasn't
the right way to go about any of it.
*
Kabuto smiled at
Izanami.
"I had to…dispose of him. He did give me some
interesting information though. I'm led to believe that there is
another Uchiha. Sasuke had two sons."
The girl stared at him,
wide-eyed.
"Are we going to collect him, niisan?"
Kabuto
nodded, leaving the room as he did so, "Most definitely,
Izanami-chan. Most definitely."
*
Naruto lay in bed wide-awake. Sakura was late home from the hospital, ad he felt terribly alone. He could hear Dai in the room next door playing computer games even though it was well past 1:00am. Etsu was probably asleep by now, surrounded by teddy bears in her pink room. Naruto smiled, and then stopped himself. How could he be so happy when horrible things were happening to those friends he had grown up with? Ino's husband Shino was missing. He was a father of two. The Hyuugas had lost their extremely talented daughter, and the Inuzukas had too. Sasuke's youngest son was missing, only months after his wife had passed away. Suddenly Naruto felt lucky that his family had not been touched by all of this. But then guilt overcame him, and he found himself crying silently into his pillow, waiting for his wife to come home and comfort him with kind words and soft hands.
*
The
shadows crept ever closer to the village, knowing its defences would
still not be up and running fully. A second attack would cripple the
village completely. But this was a capture mission. However, Kabuto
had said nothing against having a little 'fun' while they were
there.
A young girl led the team, her white hair billowing out
behind her. The mask she wore hid her expression, but if any saw it
they would be filled with a sudden dread. Blood lust. In its purest
form.
"The final attack." Kobayashi Izanami smiled to herself.
