Okay here's chapter nine of Redemption. I hope you all enjoy it. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and added me to their faves and alerts lists.
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Redemption.
Chapter Nine – Aftermath.
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Kushina made her way to the 'Snake's Den' as she had dubbed it. She found Orochimaru and Kabuto waiting for her, still stuck together in the same body. "Well you did keep your word." Orochimaru said. Amusement laced his voice. Kushina glared. "Shut up bastard!" Kushina hissed angrily. Orochimaru smirked. Kushina yelped as her mark began to burn. "Don't think you'll have any independence here Kushina-Chan. You'll do as you're told and you'll obey me without question. The pain I can cause you through that mark can be never ending. Don't forget it." Orochimaru hissed. At this point, Kushina had fallen to the ground, and was curled into a foetal position, trying to stop the pain. Orochimaru smirked evilly. "Do you understand Kushina?" Orochimaru asked the girl. She looked up at him and glared. "I understand Orochimaru." She hissed back. She screamed as her mark burned more. "Orochimaru-Sama! Child!" Orochimaru corrected. "O-Oro-Orochi-maru-Sa-ma." Kushina gritted out. The pain stopped. Kushina got up from the ground and glared. "Good girl. Now my pet, you've got plenty to learn if you want to become stronger." Orochimaru stated in a snake-like slithering voice. Kushina bit her lip and let her head bow. Orochimaru seemed pleased, and Kushina followed him. "I will get stronger, and then I'll destroy you, you old bastard!" Kushina thought to herself angrily. Hatred was already taking over this child's soul.
xXxXxXx ONE WEEK LATER xXxXxXx
Itachi was lying in a hospital bed. Hikari and little Naruto were sat in a chair together, next to his bedside. Sasuke stood on the other side of his bed, hoping he would wake soon. Saiyuri had been to visit several times, hoping that Itachi would be awake. Itachi had not regained consciousness since Itachi and Kushina had fought at the Valley of the End. Naruto had become a broken man. Many people wondered if he was fit to lead anymore. Sakura and Sasuke both glared at anyone who dared suggest such a thing. Losing a child was something any parent could find hard to deal with. Sakura felt her heart break every time she walked passed Kushina's room. She allowed no one to go in there. "When she comes back, she'll want to know we didn't replace her, and let anyone use her things." Sakura had told the children. The truth was she couldn't handle the idea that Kushina had really gone for good. She lived in hope that Kushina would walk through the gates any day now. Even though Sakura was not her mother, Sakura loved Kushina like a daughter. She knew she could never replace Hinata. She didn't want to, but she wanted to help Kushina, the way Hinata would had she been alive.
Today, Itachi finally opened his eyes. "K-Ku-Kushina-Chan?" Itachi questioned. The first words he said when he woke. Sasuke bit his lip. "I'm sorry Itachi. Kushina's gone. We couldn't stop her." Sasuke said softly. Itachi let a single tear drop down his cheek. "I let my best friend down." He thought to himself sadly. "I'm sorry Father. I let Uncle Naruto down. I let Kushina down." Itachi uttered out. Sasuke sent his other children out of the room with a gesture. Once they had gone, Sasuke set to work trying to get Itachi to think straight. "This isn't your fault Itachi." Sasuke said softly. "Yes it is. I saw her mark in the Land of Waves. I should have told you. I should've told someone. She asked me not to so I didn't. I should've known that it wouldn't be long before Orochimaru found a way to get to her." Itachi whispered. "What are you talking about Itachi?" The two Uchiha's turned to see Naruto in the doorway. "Kushina told me why she was leaving." Itachi said softly. "Why Itachi?" Sasuke asked. He knew Naruto needed an answer. "She did it to get the cure for you Father." Itachi said softly.
Both men stared at the bedridden teen. "What are you talking about Itachi?" Sasuke asked. "She heard you talking to Tsunade-Sama in the office, the night we came back from the C rank and she was stuck in the hospital. She said she heard your conversation. That Kabuto would have a cure. She told me that the man that gave her the mark, gave it to her the day she got her last report from the Academy before her graduation exams." Itachi said. Naruto bit his lip. "She came home late that night, and we asked her why. She never told us." Naruto whispered. "She was scared. She thought as soon as anyone knew she'd be locked up and executed. She was afraid she was a monster." Itachi said softly. "Why would she think that Itachi?" Naruto asked. "Because the man told her that people with that mark don't get a fair trial. She tried to defend herself. She was just scared of what would happen if she told anyone." Itachi replied. "She told you." Sasuke stated. "I found out about it. I thought her neck was injured because she was holding on to it, and I pulled the collar down, and saw the mark. I said that she needed to tell someone. She begged me not to say anything. I shouldn't have agreed. I should've told someone." Itachi said sadly. "You were trying to do the right thing for your friend Itachi. But what else did she tell you about leaving?" Sasuke asked softly.
"She told me that the man that had given her the mark was half Orochimaru and half Kabuto. She said he'd told her himself. She told me that he'd tried to convince her every way imaginable to come to Oto of her own free will. But she said she only agreed to go because she knew you'd never get the cure otherwise. She tried to get the cure and he offered it to her if she swore to go to Oto afterwards. She said that she promised and she doesn't go back on her word." Itachi replied softly. Naruto stared brokenly. "It's my fault... I taught her that... I taught her that you never go back on your word. I taught her it as a nindo… Oh god! I practically handed my daughter on a plate to Orochimaru!" Naruto thought in horror. "I'm sorry Uncle Naruto. I tried to get her to change her mind, but she refused to go back on her word. She said she had to get the cure for my Father because she said she cared about my Father and respected him, and all the people she loves most in the world would be hurt if he died. She said that to spare them that pain she would do anything." Itachi said. Tears threatened to spill out of Itachi's eyes. He was pleading with Naruto, silently, for his forgiveness. Naruto looked at the boy and walked over to him. He wrapped his arms around Itachi and hugged him. "It's alright Itachi. None of this was your fault. You tried your best. You almost died. You're a good kid, and a good friend. We'll get Kushina back. One day, she'll be back." Naruto said soothingly. Itachi hugged Naruto back, hoping that what he said was true.
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Kushina was honing her Byakugan. She was alone in a dark training room, learning to harness all her latent abilities. She felt hate well up within her. "I'll find a way to control the curse mark one day. When I do, Orochimaru is finished. I never promised not to kill him." She thought to herself. She used it as a mantra as she trained. It made her work on and on. She'd been training for three days straight, only stopping to sleep for a few hours, eat a little and use the bathroom. She trained constantly. When she dreamed, she dreamed about the family she'd lost. "I won't forget them. I won't forget them." She chanted silently as she fought through her own backbreaking training. She refused to give up.
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Later that day Itachi was sitting up in bed. He still had to stay in the hospital, as his wounds weren't fully healed. He heard a knock on the door and saw Saiyuri looking in at him. "I should've come with you. I might've been able to help." Saiyuri said softly. "Kushina wouldn't listen to anyone. We both did what we could." Itachi said softly. "We'll get her back Itachi. We'll both get stronger and we'll get her back somehow. Right?" Saiyuri questioned softly. "Yeah Saiyuri. We'll get her back. We'll do it somehow." Itachi replied. Saiyuri went and sat down on the chair beside Itachi's bed. The pair stared out of the window. Both prayed that Kushina was well at that moment as they watched the setting sun.
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Naruto was sat at his desk, doing his paperwork. He looked at the window suddenly. "Sasuke get in here Teme. I can't think straight being watched through a window." Naruto stated. Sasuke hopped in through the window and grabbed a seat. "I feel like I owe you Naruto. If Kushina hadn't found out about my cure, she wouldn't have sacrificed herself to get it." Sasuke said sadly. "No. She did what she thought was the right thing to do. If it had been me I would've done the same thing. I blame myself. I taught her to think about the people she loves most first. She did. It's my fault this happened. Hinata would be so damn angry at me." Naruto said softly. "Hinata loved you so much Naruto. Even before we graduated she used to watch after you. She believed in the same things you did. She wouldn't be angry with you. But she'd want you to get Kushina back. And we will do that Naruto. We'll get your daughter back somehow." Sasuke told Naruto firmly. Naruto smiled for the first time in weeks. "You're right Sasuke. We will get her back. The first thing I need to do is inform our allies that she's gone. Let them keep an eye out for her where I can't." Naruto said. He got about writing messages to Konoha's allies. Sasuke nodded, happy to see Naruto finally using his head. Naruto wrote messages to The Land of Waves, The Land of Tea, Hoshigakure, The Land of Waterfalls, The Crescent Moon Kingdom, The Land of Snow, The Land of Greens, The Land of Birds, and Demon Country. The last letter Naruto wrote was to Gaara, in Suna. Naruto felt he needed to explain everything to his old friend and fellow Jinchuriki in more detail.
xXxXxXx ONE DAY LATER XxXxXx
Gaara was sat in his office in Suna, when his daughter walked into the office. "Hi Daddy!" Ayuko said cheerfully. Gaara spared his only daughter a smile. "Where are your brothers?" He asked softly. "They're with our Sensei. I thought I'd come and bring you this." Ayuko replied happily. She handed her father a message scroll with the Konoha symbol on it. "It's from Uncle Naruto, right Daddy?" Ayuko asked. Gaara nodded. "Go and catch up with Hiroshi and Takashi. I'll tell you what the letter said later if it's important." Gaara told his daughter firmly. Ayuko nodded and ran round to his side of the desk. She threw her arms around her father's neck. "See you tonight Daddy!" Ayuko exclaimed. She then ran off out of the office. Gaara gave a small smile as he opened the message. As he read it, his feelings of dread grew.
Hey Gaara.
I know it's been a couple of months since I last wrote you. I hate to write to you on this note but it's important to let you know what's happening. My daughter Kushina, defected to Oto one week ago. We're not sure what places she may turn up in, and as my friend I can tell you she made the choice by herself. But if you see her, let me know.
Naruto went on to explain the full details of Kushina's defection. Gaara sighed. "Looks like history does repeat itself." Gaara thought as he looked out at the sunset.
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Okay all that's the end of this chapter. I hope you all liked it. Next chapter, there will be a time skip. So we will be seeing Kushina again. What kind of person she'll be however, I'll leave to your imagination. Please R&R and I'll be updating soon.