Chapter 6 Family Part 2

One of the few teams of ninjas outside of the Village Hidden in the Leaves was team 8, the three man team moved through the woods near the border with the land of Lightning. Normally the team would have a jonin member but with the desperate need experience ninjas back home in the Leaf they had to send three chunin out on their own. They had a simple but important mission, gather food and other supplies needed to keep the village and the refugees in it alive.

"There is a farming village just over the next rise," reported Shino Aburame as one of his bugs landed on his hand before traveling inside his body. They began to climb the rise. When they reached the top they found a small village of maybe two dozen farm houses. There was no sign of life as they looked at the village.

"Anyone left alive?" inquired Kiba Inuzuka as he looked at the only female member of the team, Hinata Hyuuga. She closed her eyes for a moment before reopening them, the veins around her pale eyes bulged a bit as she activated her clan bloodline ability the byakugan.

"I don't see anyone," said Hinata as she looked through the very walls of the farmhouses.

"Alright let's go take a look," ordered Shino as they moved into the village. It was just as they expected empty houses; there was signs of people leaving in a hurry and of course sign of the sickness. There were dozens of fresh graves located in the local graveyard and the small village shrine was surrounded with mementos to the dead such as photos and candles all of whom had burned out long ago.

"So another dead village." confirmed Kiba "Judging from this place it fell early."

"This is just so sad." said Hinata as she picked up a little doll which had been left in the middle of the street when the village had been abounded. There was a small amount of dried blood along the dolls leg and it was covered with dirt and grim. A weed had actually grown out of the ground between the dolls legs showing how long it had been left on the ground untouched by man.

"This is the world we live in now; let's see if there is any grain left in the silos. We need to get back to the Leaf as soon as possible," said Shino as Kiba spun around and looked down the road. "What is it?"

"I smell something," stated Kiba "We are not alone."

Hinata reactivated her Byakugan and that is when she saw them, there was two figures moving down the road maybe five hundred yards away. Maybe it was because Kiba was down wind, which explained why he could smell them at such range.

"Contact, two females coming down the road." explained Hinata as she focused on the people, since she saw chakra network and not colors she could not tell who it was but she could see that one of them was supporting the other as they moved.

"Threat?" inquired Shino

"One seams injured and the other is barley holding the other up." reported Hinata "Not much a threat."

"Well let's go say hello then," said Kiba as he reached for a weapon pack.

"Kiba they aren't a threat so let's just walk up to them." explained Hinata before looking around at the abounded village "There is enough problems in the world why make another."

"Very well, I will stay back and cover you," explained Shino as Hinata and Kiba moved down the road. They did not have to go far as they spotted the two of them, both where dressed in ninja gear from Kumogakure, their flak jackets where white with only one strap over the left shoulder. Both white Jackets where stained with dirt and mud and appeared that they had not been washed in a while. That was normal right now; all three of their vests where covered with dirt and neither of them had a proper shower in weeks. It was even more noticeable with Kiba who had a clear start of a beard.

The two women did not seem to notice them at first but when they spotted the two leaf ninjas walking toward them, the blonde haired one who was supporting the red headed one pulled a kunai out.

Hinata followed suit and raised the kunai up over her head before turning the tip down. The Kumogakure ninja followed suit and both put their weapons away. It was an old sign of peaceful intention between ninjas from different nations, it was an old way dating back to the first ninja war and it was considered the highest crime to harm someone once the sign was given. Those who did break this old tradition almost always ended with them dyeing horribly.

"Are you two sick?" yelled Kiba at a distance.

"Do we look sick you blockhead!" yelled the red haired woman who's leg was wrapped in blood soaked wrappings.

"Do you need some help?" inquired Hinata as she guided the two of them toward a large stone which sat on the edge of the road. The blonde-haired woman lowered the red head down onto the stone while she remained standing on guard as best she could.

"I think everyone needs help." Said the standing woman "I am Samui and this is Karui, we are likely all that is left of our village."

"What?" inquired Hinata

"We are likely all that is left of Kumogakure." stated Samui as she sat down on the rock as well before taking out a canteen of water, only to find it empty.

"Here." Said Kiba as he handed over his canteen, Samui took a long drink before handing it to Karui who finished it off.

"Your leaf ninjas right?" inquired Samui

"Yes, this is Kiba Inuzuka, I am Hinata Hyuuga and our other teammate is in the village right now," explained Hinata

"So has the Leaf been hit?" inquired Karui

"By this flue? What place hasn't?" said Kiba

"I am not talking about the sickness," stated Karui "I am talking about what comes after that?"

"What comes after that?" inquired Hinata

"I don't know what the hell they are but they are not humans that is for sure." stated Samui "They overran all our defenses in a single night and even our sensei Killer B and his eight tailed demon wasn't enough to stop them."

"Kumogakura, one of the most powerful ninja villages fell in a single night?" inquired Kiba not believing it.

"Yes, it may not have even been a single night," confirmed Samui "It was only because Killer B ordered all forces to scatter when it became clear that the village was loss that we managed to escape."

"Wait you said they weren't human?" inquired Kiba

"Yes, they were not humans," snapped Karui as she looked toward Samui who nodded her head. She reached into her hip pack and pulled a scroll out. "Here unseal this if you don't believe us."

Kiba raised an eyebrow as he unsealed the scroll, instantly a large puff of smoke filled the air and a body unlike anything either of them had seen before appeared out of the smoke. It was the body of a man, or at least a male. It had pail skin, so pail in fact that they could see almost every vein through the skin. Its features where very pointed and it is ears where extremely long and pointed. It had black armor one with chainmail over most of it, there was a huge gash in its neck from a kunai strike. If that was not enough coming out of its back where two large bat like wings.

"What the hell is that?" inquired Kiba at the top of his lungs.

"One of the things that attacked us." explained Karui "Look at its teeth."

Hinata used her kunia to lift the lip of the dead body only to see that instead of normal human teeth it had twin fangs on either side of its top and bottom row of teeth.

"This is just one kind of the different things which attacked us." explained Samui "We sealed it so that someone would believe us."

"We have to tell the Leaf about this," stated Kiba as Samui resealed the body back into the scroll.

"Smart move, now can we get going." snapped Karui as she tried to stand only to wince in pain again.

"Kiba can you carry her?" inquired Hinata as Kiba groaned a bit as he lifted the woman up.

In the heart of the Leaf village in the basement of the main hospital sat a room off limits to the public. The room smelled of cleaning solution and even the items in the wastebasket would be burned at the end of the day. Hanging on special hangers was the full level 1 biohazard suits; it would take almost ten minutes to get the multiple levels of air tight and chemical resistant clothing. It had a full facemask and was pressurized so that nothing could get in. When Sakura finished getting on her oxygen system and everything else she had to wear, she could stand in the most known poisonous environment on Earth without harm.

"Sometimes I wonder why I have to get in this thing," said Sakura as she threw on the vest, which would hold the extra oxygen tanks. Since this was a lab, she could have used the airline system, which ran across the roof, but she found that it limited her movement and since she had to carry the tanks for a backup why not use it.

"Its standard operation Sakura," countered Shizune as she took off her own oxygen tanks and placed them in their housing. Because the suits trapped in all heat it was standard for anyone wearing as little as possible, so that the doctors looked more like people going to bed rather than going to work. Both women where dressed in sports bras red for Sakura and black for Shizune and shorts.

"I know but it isn't like I can get sick, I lived through a level 2 infection and there has been no recorded reinfection for a person who lived through a level two." defended Sakura as she took a quick drink of water from a bottle.

Both of them knew the different levels of the infection of the red death. Level one was how it had first spread around the world. The red death had all the symptoms of a normal flue, fever, cough, body aches and everything else a normal flue had. Then in most cases, it would progress to a level two where the red skin blisters, painful urination and increase fever would take place. This was the stage where people either lived or died, if it progressed to a level three the person was as good as died. This was when then the skin would start falling off, boils would form and burst causing blood to pour out of the body. Then the organs would begin to shut down and as they shut down the whole body would start seizing. So far, there had only been one person to make it through a level three alive, that was Lee, and they did not know how he did it.

"Which is why you can go into the infected area without a gas mask and level 2 biohazard suit. We are also dealing with pure, highly purified strains of the virus and there is no proof you or anyone else could make it through that," explained Shizune as Sakura leaned back a bit to get a look at her older medical ninja back. "What?"

"When did you get a tattoo?" inquired Sakura as Shizune turned her shoulder toward the mirror so that both Sakura and herself could see a golden flower blossom on the back of her shoulder. It was maybe five inches by five and was very realistic.

"Oh, that didn't I tell you?" inquired Shizune with a slight laugh which sounded so alien right now.

"No." stated Sakura as she tried to buy time so she did not have to put on the yellow hood of the biohazard suit.

"Remember about five months earlier when I went to that medical conference in Tea country?" inquired Shizune as Sakura tried to remember it, she could not but the last couple of weeks were hell on Earth. "Well I met up with some of the doctors Lady Tsunade meet on our travels and we drank too much and I woke up with this."

Sakura laughed, something she had not done in weeks it seemed almost alien to her.

"Didn't think you were a drinker." laughed Sakura "But at least it could have been worst and I am sure Iruka likes it."

Shizune rolled her eyes like an older sister would at something a younger one did something to drive her up the wall.

"I told you multiple times I am not seeing Iruka," stated Shizune as she looked up at the clock "Now get your suit on and get in there a cure isn't going to find itself."

Sakura entered the room after finishing her checks only to find a small team of doctors working with samples of the virus. All of them had the yellow biohazard suit on and was move ever so carefully as they kept trying to find something anything that could either stop or slow down this virus. Sakura moved to her station the one that Shizune had worked at before leaving and started on her task.

Elsewhere in what was left of the village hidden in the Leaves the genin instructor of team seven Kakashi Hatake was having another stressful day in a long line of stressful days. With the ANBU core stretched beyond its limits with the number of people dead or dying from the flue, he had rejoined so that they would have some experience. With the numbers dead or dying the entire ninja core had entered a desperate mode, jonin with almost any kind of experience was moved up to the ANBU core, Chunins where now doing the jobs of Jonins, Genin where doing the jobs of Chunin and even Academy students where pressed into action.

"Everyone remain calm," ordered Kakashi as five ninjas, three of which were in truth Academy Students and one was a genin who had passed his test days before the outbreak. Their mission if you call it a mission was to hand out food to just over a hundred thousand people who were still uninfected but confined to an area that normally only held a quarter of that number.

"Last time I didn't get any and my baby needs food!" yelled a woman from the crowd of people.

"People we are doing the best we can but there is only so much that we can do." Explained Kakashi as one by one people came up and grab either a very small bag of rice and either a single strip of salted fish or an equally small and just as salty piece of beef or pork. There was a few special items like baby formula but that was almost worth its weight in gold at the moment. Maybe it was because of Kakashi's reputation or the fact that the cart was covered and people could not see just how little was in it but they remained calm for the moment.

"Kakashi sir, we are out of pork." came the voice of the Academy student from the back of the cart.

"Damn it," cursed Kakashi to himself as he saw what was coming before it came. People in the back of the line to get food only heard the word out, not that it was only the Pork and that they still had fish and beef. There was a mad rush as they tried to rush the cart for the food. Reacting fast Kakashi jumped to the back of the cart where they were unloading everything, at the same time he began channeling chakra into his hand. Within seconds, the sound of chirping birds filled the air followed by the light and small bolts of lightning that came off his hand from his chodri.

Even though the civilians where hungry and wanted nothing more than to get the food on the cart, none of them wanted to be first to take on Kakashi.

"Listen up!" yelled Kakashi over the sound of chirping birds "Yes, we are out of Pork, but we still have fish and beef so you will get food! NOW GET BACK IN LINE NOW!"

"Well done Kakashi." said a voice as Kakashi looked up toward the nearby roof to see a man dressed almost totally in green.

"Guy?" inquired Kakashi as his old rival jumped down along with two other were Anko Mitarashi and Muta Aburama. "If you're here to challenge me to something please don't."

"Even if I wanted to my friend I am afraid we have far more important things to worry about," explained Guy as he pulled Kakashi away from the mass of humanity, which was trying to reform a line to get food without getting into a fistfight.

"What is it?" inquired the copycat ninja

"We just got word that last members of the council passed away," stated Guy as Kakashi nodded his head, it was not that unexpected they had been sick for days. "And that the ANBU commander has fallen sick as well, early phase 1 sickness."

That got Kakashi's attention, if Yamato died then the next person in line after Tsunade would be himself.

"Where do you want me?" inquired Kakashi

"The ANBU barracks, top floor main office." reported Guy "We will handle things here."

The sun was just going down in the land of water where the hidden island of the demons was, unlike the rest of the world which was dying from the red flue, there was not even a single case here. The main reason was because there were only a handful of humans on the island and by sunrise, there would be none. Sitting at a low table with his legs folded sat the legendary yellow flash of the Leaf village, Minato Namikaze the man who had become 4th Hokage when he was only 23 and who the world believed died before he had been Hokage for more than a year. He had in fact been taken and replaced with a blood clone as well as his wife Kushina Unzimaki Namikaze.

He glanced down at his wrist where the seal which would cause not only his death but the death of every human on the island if he tried to leave. He could disarm the seal in less than twenty seconds but the seals where all linked together and if one triggered the rest would in fifteen seconds. With clones, he could risk taking out the seals but that was risky and he had already lost his son he was not going to risk his daughter, wife and everyone else.

"Dad, is something wrong?" inquired Meiko as she looked at her father who hadn't touched his food.

"No, just thinking Meiko." explained Minato as he looked across the table to Kushina who had not touched her food either. Both of them had come of age in the Leaf and both of them knew that right now the Leaf was likely either on the edge of falling or had already fallen.

"I know Minato, I am worried too." said Kushina

"About if Naruto will survive the sickness?" inquired Meiko slightly confused, she knew that the more time a person was exposed to demon chakra the more likely they were to make it through phase 1. "But they said since he has a demon he will get sick but be totally fine after a couple of days. That is what happened to Dad and I, and we only got exposed to demon chakra by what mom had left over in her from the Kyuubi. Naruto has the Kyuubi and he has been exposed to demon chakra since he was born."

"True." admitted the forty two year old Minato

"We aren't worried about that dear," admitted Kushina

"The turn?" inquired Meiko "I heard it is strange but if it allows our family to get back together."

She looked across the table to the place, which had been set up at every dinner since as long as she could remember. It was the spot saved for her brother, a brother she always wanted to meet but until she turned, she could not.

"The four of us will be together and I can see all the places you talked about, the Leaf village and so on." added Meiko

"Meiko, I hope to someday have Naruto sitting here but we have to be realistic." said Minato "In order for us to have the reunion we want countless number of people had to die, Naruto will not like that one bit."

"But you had no choice, they were going to do it either way and held all of us hostages." countered Meiko "He is going from being an orphan to having a family."

"That may be the case, Meiko but we can't be sure," said Kushina as she put her hand on top of her daughter's "That is all we are saying and remember he likely doesn't know who we are."

Before this talk one that they had multiple times in the past could go anywhere a knock at the front door caused everyone to look that way.

"Enter." said Minato as a Kitsune wearing a long red robe opened the door.

"Namikaze the time has come." said the Kitsune as all three of them nodded as they sat up. They did not have to get anything ready since they knew what will happen and had prepared. They grabbed the small bags which was waiting by the door and headed out the door. Waiting for them where four other demons each dressed in long red robs with hocked staffs, at the end of each hock hung a small lamp.

"Follow me." ordered the Kitsune as they turned and headed away from the place which had been home for almost 17 years and headed toward the large building which was at the base of the mountain near the back of the city. From anyone looking from a ship at sea it was nothing more than some shrine of some kind, maybe it was a little larger than the normal shrine for a village this small but that was the only thing odd about it at a distance. As they got closer, they saw that the pillars which framed the outside of the building was covered with different images carved into the ancient stone. For those who did not know the truth it was nothing more than imagines of mythical beasts with inlays of vines. They entered the temple to find a medium sized lobby held up even more columns. There was a seal below them which showed a large six peddled flower, the vines where coming off this flower and spread across every pillar.

"Wait here." ordered another red robed figure as he held out his hand for Kushina, "Kushina will enter first then, the child before the husband will enter."

Kushina pulled her daughter into a hug.

"Whatever happens be brave and know that I love you," said Kushina as she kissed her daughter's forehead. She did the same for her husband only on the lips, than she followed the figure into a room near the end of the hall. For a while, the two of them just stood there waiting as the process took place, then finally after what seemed like forever even though it was less then ten minutes the doors opened and Kushina walked back out. She was struggling a little on her feet and she wore the cloths that they had brought with them in the bag but she looked fine.

"Kushina-chan?" inquired Minato

"Mom?" inquired Meiko

"I am alright." Said the human looking Kushina, they all knew it was a justu they wanted to reveal their new looks as a family. "It is what we expected but I need a shower for sure."

"Meiko Namikaze it is your turn." said the red hooded demon as Meiko got a hug and a kiss from both her parents before following him.

"How bad?" inquired Minato to his wife.

"It was painful but not as much as I thought." explained Kushina as she looked down at her wrist, normally the seal which held her here would be there but that was gone thanks to the turn. "This is for our family so that we can hold our son again, so that he can meet us and so that Meiko can know her brother and Naruto can know her."

"I know." said Minato as the doors opened again and his daughter stumbled out. Instantly both parents were on their daughter.

"I am alright dad." said Meiko "Hurts like a son of a…."

"Language." stated Kushina as her daughter shut up.

"Minato it is your turn." Said the red hood demon as Minato hugged his family and took his turn to walk down the corridor and into the room. When he entered, he found it was not a room but instead a large garden full of different plants. Fireflies danced around the burning lamps, which hung around the garden. Minato took a breath as he walked down the path toward the center of the garden.

"Leave your pack here," ordered a demon in a red hood as Minato dropped his pack, as he did he noticed the shreds of the cloths his family had worn in. "Then step over there, it will not be long."

"Should I take off my shoes?" inquired Minato

"You can, but it makes no real difference, all clothing is either designated or destroyed beyond use when turned." Confirmed the demon as Minato slipped off his shoes and walked into the large clearing. As he felt the grass under his feet he felt a shadow pass over him, he looked up to see what appeared to be a giant plant, it had six peddles which were together into a single point, a long neck with what appeared to be a tube of some kind in it. The tub went down toward its base where a giant see through stomach like structure was visible. It was full of some kind of liquid and Minato lowered his head as he felt the vines wrap around him.

"What I do for my family." was the last words of the yellow flash of the leaf as a human as the plant pulled him up toward it's peddles which opened up to show the tub. He dropped head first into it before being forced down into the strange liquid of the stomach.

Well I hope you like this chapter, next week I am going on a vacation so don't expect another chapter next week. Until next time please keep reading and reviewing. Thanks Wilkins75.