Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 51: October 10th

She stood motionless on the elevated vista point that allowed her to see the village in its entirety. The cool night did nothing to ease the burning she felt internally. The first domino has just fallen.

Sarina's face pulled into a grimace of frustration behind the mask. Her fingers curled into fists from the effort it took to hold in a scream. She had officially failed one objective. They found the seal. They were staying together. Even though she had been preparing herself for this possibility it stung as much as an open-faced slap to the face. Her cover was blown.

It was a little too little and a little too late. They had been dysfunctional long enough for the seal to be all but completely gone. She just hoped the Kyuubi had enough sense to finish the rest of the job on his own. They could not wait for it to completely disappear. They had run out of time.

She brought her lit fingertip to the fuse. It shot up into the sky with a shrieking scream. It exploded in the bright color of neon green. More followed after the first in the same manner. She watched through the mask as the fireworks shot off into the sky. It was a celebration after all. It was her nephew's birthday. She wanted the whole village to know.

She vanished from the area before the Nightwatch arrived to inspect the situation. Nothing was going to get in her way now of achieving what she had set out to do. Especially not mediocre shinobi who were so lax at their post that they were just now rubbing the sleep from their eyes. She did not have time for them.

Sarina moved through the village. The stars became less vibrant in the sky as the lights started to turn on one by one around her. The village was waking up. Just in time for the descent into chaos.

Her victory lap would have to wait. She still had work ahead of her to do. The only sound she produced was that of the wind moving through her cloak. She needed to get Naruto as far away as possible from all of this. That was her priority now.

Her resolve fueled her movements. Her stomach was twisted into a knot. She did have one regret, the child that was still in Sakura. They did not deserve their cruel fate. It was not their fault who their parents were. She supposed it could not be helped. It was better not to be born than killed, anyway. She did not think the Uchiha would be too kind to the offspring of the Yondaime.

He sensed their chakra signatures disappear. It had to mean that they were in the seal room. Wolf knew that could only mean one thing: Minato knew. He was finally brought into the loop of things. He did not know what changed to allow for it but he knew that his sensei did.

'Wolf! I can't reach the Yondaime!' Inoichi's voice was laced with traces of panic.

'Hokage-sama is in the seal room, he is safe.' Wolf answered calmly back.

'Spider is the ANBU, Wolf. She is the one behind this.' Wolf let out all the air in his lungs at the confirmation.

'I'll wait for the order from Hokage-sama,' Wolf told him in a measured tone.

'Understood,' Inoichi's voice answered back curtly.

It was a quarter to five when he felt a spike of chakra outside of the residence. Minato was on the move and he had not bothered to wait for him. He was a spec of yellow, blue, and white racing into the heart of the village. Protocol dictated that he follow after him, especially with Spider out there targeting him but his mind told him that he needed to be here.

When he opened his eyes he was inside the house, inside the master bedroom. He gathered the sleeping boy in his arms. Naruto did not so much as stir. Wolf held him as he walked into the living room. His footfalls were silent.

He did not react when Itachi came out of the only other bedroom in the house suited and ready. His face was an impassive mask.

Kakashi sighed as he adjusted the last strap of Naruto's sandals. He turned to join Itachi. They both stood facing the stairs with grim determination.

The floorboards creaked as he moved across them. The sounds of the fireworks screaming through the sky before they exploded registered in his mind, faintly. She was sleeping soundly prior to them. The bright blue light filled the room before the loud bang rattled the wooden walls. She shot up. Her brown hair surrounded her as she looked around in a panic.

Her parents would be here soon. At least they would have had he not already accounted for them. They were trapped in a restless sleep. His genjutsu would keep them busy. It seemed like a shame to reduce the dying clan's numbers by two-thirds. They would have some more time to spend as a family together this way.

"Uchiha-san?" Her light eyes looked at him in surprise. "Is everything okay?"

He smiled disarmingly. "Everything is fine, Yakumo-chan." He closed his eyes. They were red when he opened them.

'No!' She had enough presence of mind to think. She realized that she made a grave mistake. But it was too late. The pupil's in her wide eyes constricted. Her face fell into a blank mask. She stood up. She moved with stiff movements.

"You don't look so good, Yakumo-chan." He said with concern. He grabbed her elbow.

They disappeared. He let go of her. She walked the streets of Konoha, alone.

Shunsuke vanished into the night sky. The village was in for a rude awakening. He needed to get to the Jinchuriki next. He needed to coax the Kyuubi to free himself from his weakened seal. It was almost showtime.

He was not too concerned with finding her. He had a feeling she would be hard to miss. She, after all, was the star of the show.

'5:01' the blue numbers that were projected onto her ceiling, read.

She should not be up for another hour and a half. Kushina wiped the sweat from her brow. She was doubled over in pain. Something was very wrong. She threw the covers off of her. She walked gingerly to the window. She pressed her fingers together in the seal of her favorite jutsu. Three clones looked at her. They looked at the sweaty and panting original. They all nodded at her.

"Go," she said with a wasted breath. They had already scattered. Hopefully one would make it to their destination in time. She grabbed her stomach. She could not keep him inside. But she could make sure she was as far away from the girls, the people she cared about before he finished ripping out of her.

With shaking hands, she opened the window before she gingerly stepped through it. She staggered slightly as another wave of pain hit her. She winced but she stayed upright, mostly. She had a severe hunch as she clenched her stomach. She moved as fast as she could away from the village. She could only hope that her clones relayed her messages before she passed out. She used the trees in the path to steady herself.

She panted loudly. Her eyes widened as she saw her breath. It was nowhere near cold enough for that to be possible. A morbid thought crossed her mind. Maybe it had not been her breath that she saw but her life slowly leaving her.

"No," she shook her head stubbornly. "You have to keep moving." She told herself in between breaths. Her legs were starting to feel more and more unsteady with each breath. "No!" She shouted stubbornly as she could keep the fox inside of her through sheer will.

"Damn it," she grunted in pain. Her vision was beginning to blur. Her white nightshirt clung to her sweat-drenched skin. She felt like her insides were trying to run away from each other in opposite directions. She was being pulled apart. She was in too much pain to think of any fuinjutsu that could help her now to at least slow the progress of the fox. It would have been a bandaid anyway.

Her mind was plagued by thoughts of Tukiko and Karin. She had promised them that the fox would not get out. It was a mistake in hindsight. It was too much like a direct challenge. She never should have opened her big mouth.

She leaned a shoulder against the tree as she panted. The seal was weakening at an alarming rate. She only had minutes. She ignored the fireworks going on overhead. She arrived at a clearing. An involuntary scream left her throat. She fell to her knees. Tears rained from her face. Another shudder from her inside knocked her to the ground. The pain was unbearable.

"Don't give up!" She said the words in agony. She dug her nails into the dirt. She pulled herself further and further away from the village. Her desperation propelled her. She did not even register the fact that her nails were broken and bleeding. The pain in her abdomen made her oblivious to everything else.

"Keep moving, Kushina." She half encouraged, half ordered herself. Her hair fell around her face. She saw the world through curtains of red. "Ah!" She squeezed her eyes together and gritted her teeth as another wave hit her.

She was hardly making any progress now. She lowered her head, it was getting too heavy to hold up. She reached her right arm as far as she could. The gravel stung inside her nail bed. She inched forward. Her cheek scraped against the ground.

She fought back as hard as she could. She thought of Naruto. His face joined the girls' faces. The three of them smiled at her. She pushed through the pain. She continued to drag herself. She could not give up. She had too much to lose. Her life mattered. She mattered. She had people that were counting on her. She had people that needed her.

A searing pain raced through her. It was so intense that all she saw was white. She squeezed her eyes together. She let out a labored wail. She gripped her stomach. She was horrified to find a hole, she pulled her hand from it as quickly as she could. She could feel it getting bigger and bigger. She threw her head back and screamed. Her world went black.

Mercy.

'Hokage-sama!' Inoichi's voice in his head was drowned out.

He came to a skidding halt. He allowed himself ten seconds. Ten seconds to realize, process, and acknowledge the terror that was rising in him. The fox, the Kyuubi, stood at his full height. He completely eclipsed the full moon. He was free. He was here. And he was looking right at him.

'Kyuubi' was all his brain could manage.

The blond did not have even half a second more than ten. He threw one of his kunai. It soared through the air. He appeared where it landed in the rock. He saw a flash of red in the corner of his eye. She was not moving. She was lying face down in the dirt. There was nothing he could do for her.

He did not have time to feel. He barely had time to think. He needed to act. He needed to be proactive and take control of the situation that was in front of him. He needed to protect his home.

He narrowed his eyes. The fox grinned at him. His white teeth shone brighter than any star in the sky.

"Yondaime." His deep voice bellowed. The ground shook. "It is going to be one of the great pleasures of my life to tear you limb from limb." The burnt orange fox said in promise. His red eyes shone with his malicious intent.

Minato grimaced. He closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the blue was replaced by a color between yellow-orange. He could hear a heartbeat nearby. It was too slow to be his. He glanced at Kushina. He needed to get the fox as far away from the village as he could. He flashed in front of the beast. It swung a claw at him, He summoned his chakra. They both disappeared. The night was still once again.

He fell out of his bed with a grunt. He brought a hand to his head. He had a very strange dream. One minute he was sitting in the hot springs minding his own business and the next second someone was dragging him by the hair out of them. He did not see who it was; all he heard was a roar.

Jiraiya rose to his feet slowly. He was thankful no one had been around to witness his pathetic display. That was one underrated perk of being alone. There were no witnesses.

He yawned loudly as he took a look at the clock in his room. It was 5:24, he had a couple more hours of rest still ahead of him. He looked forward to them. He had just slipped under the covers and closed his eyes.

The ground underneath him shook. His eyes snapped open.

He could barely make out the outline of her face. She could not sleep unless there was some form of light in her room. She claimed she did it for their son so that if he had a nightmare he could find the bed without hurting himself.

It was a lie. Their son was simply too lazy to get up from his bed and walk over to theirs at something as little as a bad dream. No, Shikamaru could not be bothered to get up in the middle of the night for something as trivial as a nightmare. And besides she slept with a night light ever since they were married, years before Shikamaru was even a concept.

It normally annoyed him. He had to sleep with his back to her as he preferred total darkness. But today as he looked into her scared eyes, he found himself thankful that she had it on. Shikaku and Yoshino exchanged a solemn look.

"Be careful," she said to him as she ran her fingers through her hair before she secured it in place with a tie.

"Be safe," he said to her as he reached for his jonin uniform that was in the closet.

Both turned to look at the sharp gaze of Shikamaru who was now standing in their doorway. He was wide awake and curious.

Yoshino looked at Shikaku. She felt her heart beating frantically in her chest.

"Mom?" Kiba looked at her with brown eyes, her eyes. "Where are you going?"

Tsume did not answer him as she tightened the laces on her boots. She attached her hip pouch to its rightful place.

"Mom," Kiba tried again. He stood directly in front of her. "What's happening?"

A roar shook the ground around them. There were traces of smoke in the air. She could hear the telltale sounds of a firefight happening not too far away. She looked at the grave eyes of her daughter.

"Keep him and yourself safe," she said to Hana. The girl nodded. She gripped Kiba's shoulders firmly. Tsume could not help but smile at her. She was proud of her.

Tsume looked at Kuromaru. The ninken looked into her eyes and nodded slowly while maintaining eye contact.

"Mom?!" Kiba shouted, clearly upset.

Tsume bit the inside of her cheek. She crouched down in front of him. She put her hand on his head and ruffled his hair.

"I need to go help people. You're going to stay here with your sister where you will be safe. The clan will keep you safe. Our pack will keep you safe."

"What about you?" Kiba asked her with tears swimming in his eyes.

Tsume smirked at him with confidence she did not feel.

"I will keep myself safe," she gestured to her left with her thumb. "I have Kuromaru here as my backup."

Kiba searched her face. "Come back," he implored her with a face that reminded her so much of her late husband.

Her eyes softened. "Nothing will keep me from making that happen." She promised him. Tsume pulled him into an embrace. She beckoned Hana to join in. Tsume hugged her kids for dear life. By their curled fists into the back of her jacket, they were doing very much the same.

Mikoto hugged her sleeping son to her as more and more faces started to file into the compound. They all wore the same expression more or less. They were worried just like her. They were no longer safe in their own homes.

They had narrowly avoided the bloodshed. Shisui had alerted Fugaku that Uito was dead. The teen was keeping tabs on the man. Shisui might have saved countless lives. Because of his tip, they were able to start the evacuation of the women, children, and elderly out of the compound just before the fireworks had gone off.

Mikoto looked around the makeshift Uchiha refugee camp she was now a part of. The atmosphere of the place could not be any different than what it was when she was last here. She could not help but think what a difference a week made.

Sakura's heart sank. They were too late. She heard the fox, and the whole village heard the fox. Kushina's smiling face was burned into her memory.

'She's fine,' she told herself not for the first time. And certainly not for the last.

She had just climbed to the top of the stairs. Her labored breathing filled the still. Itachi and Wolf were already in the room. From their posture, she did not need to explain anything. They knew. A slumbering Naruto was cradled in Wolf's arms.

"Sensei, I need to get you and Naruto to safety," Wolf said curtly.

She looked back at him. They had no time. "I need you to take me to the hospital, Itachi. Kakashi, you keep Naruto safe." She put the silver chain around Naruto's neck. She was careful to tuck the blunted kunai end in his shirt. It was their compromise. No seal if Naruto kept the chain on him during emergencies.

Wolf shook his head. "I can't do that, sensei."

"And I can't sit by while the village is attacked. We are wasting time. Spider won't kill me. Take me to the hospital, Itachi." She looked at both of them sternly. No arguments, no discussion, only time for action.

Wolf must have sensed it because his shoulders dipped.

"Okay," he relented.

Sakura kissed the top of Naruto's head. She brushed the bangs from his forehead tenderly.

'He'll be fine.'

"I love you, Naruto." She whispered. She looked at Wolf. Her expression was still soft. "Take care of both of you." She looked into the eyes of his mask. "Be careful."

He nodded his head. He vanished from the room.

Sakura looked at Itachi. He was already dressed and ready to go. "Ready?" She asked him.

He nodded his head. Sakura held onto his arm as he teleported them to the lobby of the hospital. She blinked a couple of times as her eyes adjusted to the bright lights of the hospital. She did not let go even when the unbalanced sensation passed. She looked at him with hard eyes.

"Be careful. Stay safe. Stay alive," she said to him.

He nodded. "You too." The words caught in his throat before they became airborne.

Sakura watched him leave with a heavy heart. She gathered her hair into a loose ponytail. She may not have chakra but she was not invalid. She could still help. Sakura clapped her hands. The medics looked at her grimly. It was pin-drop silent in the room which was impressive given how many medics were in front of her. More were joining the ranks each time the doors opened. They all had enough sense to listen first and foremost and not speak.

"I'm only going to say this once so pay attention." She spoke to the full extent of her range. Her voice was easily audible from outside of the hospital. "We are going to set up a triage area. Make room for it here in the lobby. Move equipment. Move furniture. We are entering emergency protocol. Field medics grab your bags and go. Set up healing areas as per our training. Start with two on the east and west sides of the village. If more are needed, Nohara Rin has the authority to add additional centers."

She took a breath. "Katsuyu-sama will be used to aid with healing as well as communication. She is a lifeline, she is a valuable resource. Work with her, not against her. Trust her insects and calls out there. She outranks everyone in the field. Right now is not the time to get fancy. Stick with your training."

She paused to allow them some time to process her instruction. "Be aware of your surroundings. Be mindful of where you're standing. Do not be in the way. Watch each other's backs. Know your limits. Don't be a hero. An injured field medic or a field medic without chakra is nothing but a hindrance."

They looked at her. She could see the fear in their eyes. She felt the same way. She was just better at hiding it.

"Everyone has a place and role. Go." They nodded. A third left the hospital in fast sprints. The rest began to comply with her order.

"Sensei?" The voice was timid. She could picture her as twelve years old again.

"Yes, Rin?" She asked her with little patience.

"It's going to be okay." The brunette squeezed her hand.

Sakura's mouth went dry. "Be careful out there, Rin. Come back alive." Her throat was threatening to close up on her.

Rin nodded her head. Sakura watched her leave with dread. She could not dwell on the turbulence she felt. The first wave of the injured was already coming in. She looked at the burns and cuts with a downturned lip. She began to mark the severities in their injuries.

She never made it to alert the elders. She had been halfway to Koharu's residence when she

saw the Uchiha huddled just outside their compound. She had taken one look at Mikoto's face and she knew something was very wrong. She did not have time to think. She had all but shoved the keys to her home in the palm of her hand. They barely had time to exchange a look of understanding before she was off again.

When she was within five hundred yards of the house, she heard the fireworks. They had nearly caused her heart to beat right out of her chest. She was within a hundred yards when she first heard the Kyuubi's roar. She heard Minato's voice in her head not even seconds later. Everything was happening so quickly that it felt like she was moving in slow motion. She was not moving nearly fast enough. She was half a step behind in her thoughts. Everything was a mess.

She was seeing it all vividly again. The village was decimated and so many were dead. Shikaku was dead. Minato was dead. Jiraiya was dead. Katsuyu had told her and her heart had stopped beating in her chest. It was as if someone was pushing her into the ground, she could not breathe. The pressure was too much. He had died. He was dead for twenty-seven agonizing minutes. And she was alive for every second to feel the torment.

She had opened herself up to be hurt again and she was. For twenty-seven minutes she was inconsolable. For twenty-seven minutes it was as if her very heart had died right alongside him. She was in so much anguish for those twenty-seven minutes. It was just like Dan all over again.

It had not been permanent his death but it left a lasting impact on her all the same. He did not understand it but she still carried the devastation she felt on that day with her. Pain was dead and gone and the village had more or less recovered but she was slower to rebuild and heal.

That was then and this was now. Tsunade pushed past the unwelcome memories that were trying to float to the surface. She stood at the foot of the Hokage Tower. Minato's instructions relayed through Inoichi rang in her ears. She knew what he expected of her. What he needed of her. She would not let him down.

She ignored the giant toads fighting a giant fox, it was like a children's story gone bad only this was very much her reality. She bit into her thumb. She pressed her palm to the ground. Black markings appeared around her hand. She found the ground underneath her shift, she was standing on a white head that was taller than any building in Konoha. She leaped back and landed on the roof of the tower. Katsuyu had to bend down to be at eye level with her.

"Long time, Tsunade-sama," Katsuyu said in her gentle voice.

"Indeed it has been," Tsunade said solemnly. They had not seen one another since the Pain invasion. "You know the drill."

"Unfortunately I do," the slug commented before dissolving into hundreds if not thousands. Tsunade remained at her post. She watched as the barrier team scrambled. They were nowhere near ready to get it up in place.

She looked to her left at the hospital. Her lips pressed into a firm line. She was needed here. So she would stay there.

Naruto was starting to wake up. They were about halfway to the evacuation center, right behind the Hokage Monument. He blinked at him sleepily.

"Dream?" Naruto asked him in a drowsy voice. He rubbed his eyes and let out a small yawn.

"No, Naruto, you're not dreaming," Wolf said tightly. He saw civilians being evacuated below them. He nodded curtly to Guy. The man returned the gesture. Kakashi flew through the rooftops.

"Where are we going?" Naruto asked Wolf with big eyes.

"Some place safe," Wolf answered simply. His eyes scanned for danger, specifically one person. The fox roared in the distance. He ignored it. Naruto's eyes widened.

"What was that?" He tried to look back over Wolf's shoulder. Wolf tightened his grip around Naruto. They flew through the cool air.

"Monster," he answered. Adrenaline raced through him.

"Where's Dada?" Naruto demanded.

"Fighting the monster." He did not know if he was doing the right thing but Naruto was a pretty smart kid. He would not be satiated with lies for long.

Naruto's eyes lit up. "Cool." It was very much not so but he could not fault Naruto for not being scared. He was just a kid. He still thought his dad was invincible, that nothing could touch him. His blond locks were tousled by the speed at which they were moving. His white and green dinosaur PJs were not suited for the cool weather.

"Where's Mama?"

Wolf glided through the air. His feet came into contact with the roof tiles.

"She's at the hospital helping people."

Naruto frowned. "I want to help too."

"You're too little," Wolf answered without thinking.

Naruto bristled. "I want to help! I can help too!"

"You can help by staying safe," Wolf said with a sigh. Defiance seemed to be a hereditary trait.

"I wanna see Mama!" He screamed as he tried to break away.

"Naruto," Wolf said with more sharpness than he had intended. He regretted his tone immediately. Naruto stilled instantly. "This is an emergency. We talked about this, remember?"

The blond boy nodded his head. "Mama said to listen to you in a 'mergency."

"That's right. So let's work together to get you safe, okay?" He said in a softer voice. "It's what your Mama and Dada want."

Naruto nodded his head. "Okay." He said reluctantly.

His heels dug into the ceramic tiles of the roof as he came to a stop, they groaned loudly. Wolf avoided a kunai. He jumped down to the street. He put Naruto down. Wolf stepped in front of him.

"Naruto, stay behind me." His order was clear and concise. Naruto clung to the back of his cloak.

"Why is Spider trying to hurt you?" He looked at the magenta mask.

"I won't hurt you, Naruto-kun. I'm your friend, remember?" She called out from the rooftop that she was perched on. She twirled a kunai in her hand. "It's my job to keep you safe."

Naruto stared at her with hesitation dominating his features. He looked up at the back of Wolf, he did not seem happy to see Spider. Not in the slightest.

Bile rose in Wolf's throat.

"Don't address him." He said coolly in a dangerously low voice.

Naruto looked between the two ANBU. The concern was palpable on his face.

Spider held out a hand. Her cloak billowed in the wind. The moon was behind her.

"Naruto-kun, come here," she said in an enthusiastic tone. She beckoned him with her fingers.

Naruto gripped Wolf's cloak tighter. The words of his mother were racing in his head.

Spider's eyes narrowed behind her mask. The boy did not trust her fully.

"Give me the boy, Wolf." She said in a low voice as she completely abandoned her previous strategy.

Wolf narrowed his eyes. "Over my dead body."

"As you wish," Spider said with a shrug.

Wolf intercepted her in the air with his kunai, forcing her to change trajectory. He could not afford to get close, especially with Naruto. He summoned four clones. He looked at the boy.

"Naruto," his blue eyes snapped to his mask. "Do you remember how I taught you to run?"

Naruto paused. He nodded his head.

"Good. Run like that. Don't stop for anyone. I will come to get you. Be fast." Wolf did not take his eyes off of Spider.

"Like an ostrich," Naruto said grimly.

"Like an ostrich." Wolf felt something well up in him. He crushed it down. "Run!" Wolf ordered.

Naruto hesitated.

"Go!" Wolf shouted. Naruto turned on his heel. He ran in zig zags. He stayed away from open areas and he stayed low to the ground. "Good boy," Wolf muttered to himself. It was better if a clone did not go with him. It would only draw more attention to him.

Wolf turned his attention back to Spider. She had mowed the Wolf clones down.

"It's over Spider. Turn yourself in." Wolf gave her a chance to come peacefully.

Spider narrowed her eyes behind her mask.

"Not quite." She said in contradiction.

He moved his hands through the seals. A vortex of fire surrounded her. She shot through it. She discarded her burning cloak. She removed a scarf from her head, she patted out a waning ember from her hair with it. Her hair was coiled tightly against her head in a bun.

The earth rose around his feet. He jumped up in the air. He narrowly avoided the strike of the heel of her palm to his shoulder. If she touched him, it would not be good. He pulled the blades from his back. He countered her taijutsu. He caught her with the edge of his blade. Electricity moved from his hand and to her leg.

Spider let out a grunt as she moved backward. She hissed as she tested putting weight on her leg. She was angry now. Her hands blurred as she formed seals. She touched the ground. Kakashi jumped up. He used his blades to deflect the spikes of earth that shot out at him. There were too many. One caught his side. He stumbled. He looked at his bloodied hand.

Her earth release was nullifying his fire. But he had wind. He needed to be fast. He formed the four seals needed. He vanished. He phased behind her. He hit her with a blade of wind, squarely in the back. She fell to the ground like a broken ragdoll. He narrowed her eyes. Her body went up in a puff of smoke. His eyes searched for her only to find no traces.

He jumped up high. His chakra propelled him through the air. She shot out of the ground.

Wolf lunged at her. A thousand birds chirped. Spider dodged the attack by kicking her feet up over her head. She arched her back. She winked at him from underneath the mask as she came to be directly on top of him. She touched her hand to Wolf's shoulder. Instantly he crumpled to the ground. The influx of poison overwhelmed his system.

"I'm sorry it had to end this way, Wolf. I actually really liked you." She looked at him from over her shoulder. "Hopefully, you'll make it out of the coma." She said sympathetically.

She turned her head in the direction Naruto was headed in. Smoke rose in the air. She joined the shadows. She was gone.

Wolf's body lay unmoving on the ground. His face was among the dirt. He blinked slowly. He willed his body to move. He had to move. Naruto was out there alone. His pinky twitched.

"Bastards!" Tsume snarled at the pair of faces with dark hair and red eyes blocking their path. Kuromaru's black lips curled to reveal his sharp teeth. They promised pain. She looked over her shoulder. She had a group of women, elderly, and children with her. She was outnumbered.

"Let us through! They are just civilians." She narrowed her eyes as she stood protectively in front of them,

"Saves us the trouble of cleansing the village of them later." One of the Uchiha said with levels of ill intent.

"Cleanse?" Her anger increased. She looked at Kuromaru. "Looks like we'll be cleansing the earth with your blood."

She spun, and Kuromaru joined her. They charged the Uchiha. They scattered. She relied on her nose. Staring at their eyes was a big no-no. She jumped back towards the civilians.

"Run!" She barked at them. "We'll cover you."

A woman grabbed her daughter and made a break for it. The small group of six to seven civilians followed after her.

Tsume nose scrunched. The village was on fire. It was under attack by her comrades no less. The Kyuubi roared in the distance. She refused to think about her red-haired friend. Right now the time was to fight, not mourn.

"Come and get me, assholes!" She jeered as prepared for another attack. Kuromaru was at her heels.

"You're okay." Yoshino clutched the hands of Shikamaru and Choji. Ino was holding onto her mother's hand. "You're okay." She repeated as they narrowly missed a building coming down on them. Choji was crying. "You're okay." Yoshino shushed him. Her dark eyes plotted the best way to get to the catacombs of Hokage Monument. The Akimichi and Yamanaka with her were civilians. She was the only one with any training and she was years removed from having utilized any of her skillset.

She pushed up against the dumpster in the ally and the wall.

"It's smelly," Ino pinched her nose.

Yoshino shushed her. Her dark eyes narrowed as she heard footsteps approaching. Her palms were sweaty, making it difficult to maintain a grip on the boy's hands. She gestured for them to move. They moved to the other side of the street, still staying obscured from view.

The smoke was agitating their eyes and throats. She pressed her fingers against her lips. They were sitting ducks. The children did not have any control over their chakra. The other women had meager amounts. She did not even have a weapon. The Kyuubi was free. That was not even the worst of it. The Uchiha started burning anything in their sights. They were the imminent threat.

She looked at their scared faces. If they stayed in the alleyway they were as good as gone. They were too exposed out here. She looked at the manhole cover in the middle of the street. She looked at Ino. She mentally apologized to her. It was about to get a whole lot smellier.

"Follow me." She tugged at the boys to remain in step with her. She grabbed a stick from the side of the house they were hiding behind. She used it to pry the cover from the opening. "Get in." She gestured for Miyoko to go in first. A look of mortification crossed her face before she hiked up her skirt. She went down the metal rungs. Yoshino gestured for Ino to follow. The blonde gagged but she followed her mother.

Down they went one at a time. She looked at Shikamaru. He said nothing. He quietly followed after Choji. Yoshino was the last to climb down. She pulled the cover in place. As soon she was at the bottom of the steps, standing in the water that went up to mid-calf, a flame danced on her palm. She covered her nose with her arm.

"Let's keep moving." She said to them grimly. "Breathe through your mouth." It would help albeit marginally.

No one complained as they followed her.

Itachi wiped the blood on his katana on the body of the Uchiha he had just maimed. The Uchiha would not make it very far with only one hand and one foot once he regained consciousness. The shocked civilians scrambled to get away from the ally. He moved quickly. His dark eyes locked on his target. He was getting close to the compound. The closer and closer he got the more intense the flames became.

All his eyes saw was fire. They had started with the Uchiha compound first. His heart was beating in his ears as he moved. He searched for survivors. He searched for his father's signature. He did not find it. He chose to believe that meant his father was no longer in the compound. He could not dwell on the alternative.

He focused on finding his mother's signature. She would not be welcome into the evacuation centers because of her association with the clan. He had witnessed it. The way the people recoiled in fear at the mere sight of him. They only saw Uchiha. They did not make a distinction between good and bad. They were all the same.

His mother was here. He was sure of it. She had no other place to go. She was too stubborn to leave when his father undoubtedly told her to. He could not sense her chakra. Panic surged in him. They had to be alive.

He drove his blade through another face that resembled his just enough. It was the third Uchiha he had incapacitated. He did not want to but what other option did he have? They would not hesitate to do the same or worse to him. They would take great pleasure in it.

His eyes widened. He had been wrong. "Otosan!" He ran up to his father. "Where are Okaasan and Sasuke?"

"They are safe," Fugaku said with a frown. There was blood on his clothing and sweat on his brow.

"Where is Shun?" Itachi asked him as the relief flooded him.

"We can't worry about that right now. Help evacuate as many as you can." Fugaku looked at him sternly.

Itachi's brow furrowed. "Where will the Uchiha who can't fight go?"

"Take them to the Senju compound," Fugaku instructed. "There are Uchiha on guard there. They are protecting the ground."

Itachi nodded his head. He looked at the scared faces of children and their mothers and grandparents.

"Follow me." He instructed them.

He could not believe it had come to this. His people were made refugees in their village by their own blood.

The group of seven moved as quickly given their size. It was chaos. They were getting heckled and sneered at by other civilians. Itachi felt garbage pelt his frame as it rained from overhead. He paid it no mind. They were scared. They were angry. He looked back at the solemn faces. They were all the same.

They made it to the Senju compound without incident. He nodded to the four Uchiha standing guard. The fifth was perched on the roof. His father must have planned it. It was still startling to learn that Tsunade had offered her family's compound to be an impromptu evacuation center.

"Oniichan!" He turned around. Sasuke barreled into him. Itachi let out a breath he had no idea he was holding.

"Sasuke." He put his hand on his head. "You need to stay with Okaasan. She must be worried."

"I just wanted to say hi." Sasuke frowned. "What's happening?"

Itachi looked into his eyes. He was going to lose some of his innocence after tonight. "I'll explain later. Go back to Okaasan and stay with her alright?"

Sasuke pushed his lips to the side. "Okay." He gave Itachi one last squeeze before running back into the house.

Itachi gave himself a minute to be thankful that his family was okay. He nodded to the guard as he made his way back to the Uchiha Compound, Ground Zero for everything. He became one with the dark sky.

Joben cursed. The clone had barely made it up the steps to his apartment before it vanished. It did not take a genius to deduce what it had tried to warn him about, The Kyuubi's roar had frozen his heart in place. He was fighting every instinct in him to travel in the opposite direction of the beast.

He needed to get to the girls. It was what Kushina wanted from him. This was how he would help. He kicked in the door. He did not have the time or mindset to be gentle.

"Girls!" he called into the dark home. He could already smell smoke in the air. He needed to get them to safety.

Thank Kami that he had paid attention when Minato was giving him the tour of the village. The blond had been adamant about going over the emergency escape routes and now he was beyond thankful that the man was so thorough with details.

"It's Joben. I need you to come out. We have to get out of here." He was sure there were a million ways to handle this better. It was his first real test. He was jumping right into the ocean. He waited. Nothing happened. Joben let out a frustrated breath. He needed to get them to safety so he could find Kushina. She could be hurt. She needed him.

He closed his eyes. He willed his rapidly beating heart to settle. They were inside. He crossed the room with a wide stride.

"Girls," he called as he turned on the light. He could feel them. He just could not see them. He quickly checked the closest. He did not see them. He lowered himself onto his knees. He checked under the first bed closest to the door. It was empty but saw the light glitter off of something. They were hiding under the second bed. He moved to the second bed. He peered under the frame. He saw two pairs of eyes looking at him.

He forced a smile on his face. "Hey, Tukiko-chan, Karin-chan. I need you to get out from under there." He kept his voice level.

"No!" Karin screamed. It was ear-splitting how loud it was.

He winced. "I know this is all very scary and you're probably confused. I'm confused too but I need you to work with me here."

"Where is Kushina-obachan?!" Karin all but shrieked in her highest octave.

"She is busy." He said for lack of a better description. "She sent a clone to tell me to come get you." He kept the patience he did not feel in his words.

"What's the secret word?" Karin asked him. Tukiko was staring at him with hard eyes.

He searched his brain. It was just like Kushina. She always had to squeeze in something unpredictable somewhere.

"We aren't coming out until you tell us the secret word."

He rocked back on his heels. He really did not know. Joben rubbed his forehead. It could be anything. So many options were coming to mind but they all seemed equally viable. The clone had evaporated before it could get a word in edgewise.

"Habanero." He said with a grin. She hated the nickname. It was an obscure enough safeword that would not be used in most sentences. It was a stab in the dark.

The girls slid out from under the bed. He felt relief instantly.

"Put on your shoes. We need to move."

They were out of the house in under a minute. Tukiko was walking two steps behind him at all times. He kept a close eye on her.

"Why do we have to leave?" Karin asked from behind his back as he carried her.

"There's something going on and we just want to be extra sure you two are safe." He said cryptically. "Stay close, Tukiko-chan." The girl moved to be one step behind him.

"Is Obachan going to be there?" Karin asked him.

"Maybe, hopefully soon." He said through gritted teeth. They were moving way too slowly. He wished he could sling Tukiko over his shoulders and just run all the way to the monument. Why did Kushina have to live so far from the evacuation space anyway?

"Are we bad luck?" Karin asked him slowly.

It caused him to mentally pause his thoughts that were directed toward the taller redhead.

"No. You are not bad luck. None of this is your fault."

"We had to leave home too. Many times. Now we have to leave here. I don't want to leave. I like it here." Karin said gloomily. It tugged at his heartstrings.

"You don't have to leave. You'll be back home before you know it." He said firmly.

"You don't know that," Karin said snarkily. The tonal shift surprised him.

"You don't know that you won't." He sighed. "Everything will be fine. You'll see."

"Maybe," Karin said grimly. "Why does it hurt to talk?"

"It's the smoke. It's making your throat itchy." He looked back at Tukiko. "Are you okay Tukiko-chan? Do we need to slow down?"

She shook her head. He looked at her. "Did you ever learn how to use kunai?" He asked her calmly. He lowered Karin from his back. Tukiko nodded her head. "Good," Joben crouched down and he pulled a kunai out from his boots. He held the hilt of it towards her. "Take it." He instructed her calmly.

Tukiko grabbed it without hesitation. "Stay behind me," he put himself between the girls and the Uchiha.

"Tukiko?" Obito relaxed as he recognized the girls.

Joben blinked. He did not change his stance.

"We know him!" Karin said loudly with excitement. Joben winced.

Joben grabbed her and Tukiko and lunged backward. A fireball swelled and covered the spot they were occupying. Joben fell into a defensive stance. His dark eyes scanned the area.

"Get out of here!" Obito yelled at him. "I'll handle it."

Joben looked at him from the corner of his eye. "There's two of them."

"Like I said, I'll handle it." Obito moved so that he was in between the samurai and the girls. "Go!" He looked over his shoulder at him.

Joben gave him a hard look. He nodded. "Sorry, Tukiko-chan." He slung both girls over his shoulders and ran as fast as he could out of the area.

Obito snarled. His red eyes narrowed into slits. "You should be ashamed to call yourself Uchiha!"

The two Uchiha, one woman, and one man looked at him with disdain-filled expressions. "I was just about to say the same to you."

"Look out of respect for being brethren I will give you one last chance to turn yourself in. There will be leniency." He kept the fire in his belly from coloring his words.

"Traitor." The woman spat on the ground.

Obito grimaced, he really did not want to have to kill fellow Konoha nin but he supposed they left him no choice. He charged head first.