Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto


Chapter 52: Hard Choices

Everything was throbbing. Not one pain receptor in her body was quiet. She groaned as she tried to pull herself up. She fell painfully on her face. She felt the skin of her face open, the part that hit a pebble. She had a metallic taste in her mouth. 'Blood'. She noted grimly. At least her brain was still fully functional. Nothing else seemed to be.

She curled her hand into a fist. Her face was tight from the dried tears and the dirt that clung to her skin. She took a deep breath. It was a mistake. There was an instant sharp pain in her side. Fresh tears stung in her eyes. She exhaled sharply and waited for the pain to dull somewhat. She just needed a second to think, just one second where she was not being bombarded by sensation.

"Damn it," she said out of pure frustration. "Not like this, Kushina. Not like this." She motivated herself. This was not how she was going to go. She was not going to die alone in a field.

She ground her teeth together. She had to get up. She could not let the damn fox win. He had already taken so much from her. She would not let him take her life too. Not after the year she had and not after all the work she put in.

Kushina turned her head. Her red tresses obscured her vision. She blew up towards her forehead. The curtain parted to reveal a sliver of the world. She could now see on top of being able to hear, smell, and feel. She gingerly lifted her head up. She brought both her curled fists flat against the ground. She willed her arms to push her up. It was just a stupid push-up. She could do that in her sleep.

"Come on, come on, come on." She said testily. She was no longer face-first in the dirt. Her dry lips pulled into a strained grin, she felt them crack. Her tongue ran the length of the split. The fox had drained nearly everything out of her. "It's going to take a lot more than that to kill me, you damn fox." She cursed as she sat up. It was progress. She was almost up.

Her fingers curled as she registered the dark sky filled with smoke. She was facing the village. There was something other than just the Kyuubi going on. The fox would have leveled it by now if had been given the opportunity. But she could not worry about that now. Her path was clear.

She looked behind her. Her insides coiled. It was the face that plagued her nightmares for years. It was the very face that taunted her, that told her this day would come, that she could not hold him forever. His will was stronger than hers is what he had said.

"We'll just have to see about that, Bastard," Kushina said with a determined look in her eye.

She turned her attention back to getting up on her feet. She gingerly flattened one foot against the ground. It was not terrible. She swallowed back the little bit of throw-up. She pushed herself up. She swayed. She stood still and rode out the nausea and lightheadedness. Her violet eyes fluttered open.

They would need to seal the fox. She took unsteady steps toward the giant toads and the orange beast. They were going to need her.


Shouting. Screaming. Pleading. Crying.

She ignored all the sounds around her. She could only focus on one body, one task, one decision at a time. At least that was what she told herself she needed to do. She had to be disciplined. There was no room for emotions right now. She had to be critical, objective, and quick. Each second she hesitated or second-guessed herself was a second someone was not getting care. Each lost second could be the reason someone died. Those seconds could be the difference between life and death. It was that simple.

One patient. One decision. One course of action.

All the people - her fellow shinobi - that came across her were all the same. They were patients. They needed help. She should not be seeing faces and thinking of their lives. Her brain should only be focused on saving their life regardless of what that life may look like.

Detachment was a crucial skill for survival in her line of work. She could not save them all. No one could save everyone all the time. Losses happened. Patients died despite best efforts and even when zero mistakes were made. Her eyes should be triaging the injuries and not the person. They were supposed to be faceless and nameless and be nothing more to her than just a life. They were all supposed to be the same. They all deserved her best efforts.

That was the training. That was the only way to survive the burnout.

Despite knowing all that, Rin could not help but look for Kakashi's or Obito's faces in every patient that came through her healing area. It was mentally exhausting. She tucked hair behind her ears as she healed the scorched skin of the chunin unconscious in front of her. It was horrific. Half his body was covered. He would never be the same. He would need skin grafts. All she could do was stabilize him enough to be moved to the hospital. His breathing was labored. It was awful. Had it not been for the white slug on his shoulder he would have died long before they dug him out from the rubble.

She did not understand how this could be happening. They were all on the same side. They were raised together. They went to school together. They all had the same goal. They all wanted to see their village flourish. At least, she thought they did. Today proved that was an incorrect assumption.

"Nohara-san?" She looked up at the blurry-faced shinobi addressing her. "There's another one. It's bad."

Her stomach sank. She looked at the patient in front of her. "I understand. This one can be transported to the hospital." She put a yellow band on his sleeve. He would be okay. Eventually.

The man nodded. He called out to a companion and they took the stretcher the man was on away from her. She did not react as they put yet another charred person in front of her. She closed her eyes. There was no visible area of skin that was not burned. It was cruel that he was somehow still alive. The pain he must be in was unimaginable. He was still conscious. She could see his eyes fluttering slowly even something as simple as that must be causing pain to shoot through him.

There was nothing she could do. He breathed raspily. She brought a hand to his chest. She fought back the tears. No one deserved this. It was a lost cause. She was wasting chakra on a deadman. She could not save him but at least she could ease some of the pain he felt before he drifted off into a sleep he would not wake from.

It only took three minutes. She put on a black band on his arm. She did not understand why this was happening but she did understand it was something the village would struggle to come back from.


She was cold. It was so cold out. And to make matters worse, she was only in her pajamas. The thin cotton fabric was not suited for anything other than the walls of her own home. She rubbed her arms as the goosebumps pricked her skin. She did not know what happened. She did not know how she ended up in the middle of the street in her pajamas with the world burning around her.

Her light-colored eyes searched the space in a panic. She could not stop wondering what happened to her Okaasan and her Otosan. She did not know where they were. She herself did not know where she was. It was in Konoha, somewhere. She could see the monument to her right. But that was about it. She had a vague idea about which direction home was so she put one foot in front of the other.

Her eyes kept scanning her surroundings. She had to find her parents. They would know what to do. Then the three of them could help the village. She had yet to see someone that either she could help or they could help her.

That was not to say that she had yet to encounter anyone. She had seen monsters everywhere. Some were heading towards her and others were running away from her. She lost count after fifteen. With each encounter her panic only grew.

Her bare feet were cut up. They hurt but she could not slow down. She had to keep going. Everywhere she turned she saw Idos. They were coming after. Fire was the only way they stopped. She visualized his face burning and just like that they burned. The smell of burnt flesh was nauseating. She wanted to stop but she had no choice.

She had to find her parents but until that happened, she needed to do her part. She needed to stay alive. Konoha was under attack. Her home was under attack. She had to stop the monsters from hurting the people she cared about, Yakumo ignored their anguished screams. She was beginning to get tired. But what was she to do? Stop? No. She could not let the Idos catch her. Two more erupted into flames. She stepped over the remains of one as he withered on the floor before he stopped moving altogether.

She did not look at him. He was like all the rest. Curled up with his mouth and eyes wide open. It was horrific. She was scared, incredibly so. But she had to survive. It was kill or be killed. She understood that. She was the daughter of shinobis and she knew what that meant. She herself wanted to be a shinobi, she would be a shinobi. There was no room for mercy now. She had to be as ruthless as the monsters. She could not afford to hesitate.


"Damn it!" Anko pressed her back against the brick building. She had walked right into the heart of it. She peered over the side. Her eyes closed as she moved back behind the protection provided by the structure. The screams of another human being being set on fire reached her ears. She pinched her face together. Her hands balled into tight fists.

"Think, think, think," her purple eyes darted around the alley she was in. It was not right. The look on the girl's face. She was walking as if nothing was happening as if she was doing nothing. It was all wrong. She was carrying on as if she were not walking through the streets of Konoha and leaving a trail of charred bodies in her wake.

It was genjutsu. The blank face, lack of reaction, and the dead eyes all pointed to that. But it was different. She had seen firsthand a chunin trying to dispel it. He had gotten close enough to touch her, to disrupt the flow of chakra while his partner kept her busy with an army of clones. It had not worked. Both were burned alive. Their screams were still bouncing in her ears.

She chanced another look over the edge. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Sweat migrated down from her temple to her chin. It stung in her eyes. It was genjutsu. It was different. She did not even need to weave signs. It was instantaneous. It was as if the girl just needed to look and that was enough.

Her purple eyes landed on a half-burned face. Her breath hitched. She was staring back at one green eye. The person blinked. He was still alive. She brought her finger to her lips. He blinked slowly twice. Resolve built up in her. Anko squared her shoulders. The girl's eyes were a problem. So was the fact that she was moving.

Anko reached into the inner pocket of her trench coat. Senbons were held in between her fingers. The girl was young. She was being manipulated. It was not her fault. She firsthand knew what that was like. Maybe better than anyone.

This was it. She was going to give it a shot. If it did not work, she would have to strike her down.

"Kill or be killed," Anko muttered to herself.

She called chakra to her feet. She ran up the building. She moved silently. The girl would not see her coming. Anko pushed off the wall. The senbon sailed through the air with lethal accuracy. They hit her in three pressure points. The girl exclaimed in pain. Her honey-colored eyes landed on Anko.

Snakes shot out of her sleeve, they took the brunt of the attack. They hisses and withered away, turning to ash in the flame. Anko chopped what remained of them off with a hand surrounded by a blue light. She opened her mouth. Venom shot out right into the girl's eyes. She crumpled to the ground.

Anko raised her head. She heard three pairs of footsteps coming. She armed herself with senbon on each hand now, six in total.

'We'll take it from here!' A voice she did not recognize called out in her head.

She narrowed her eyes. It was Ino-Shika-Cho. She had heard of them. They were legends. She relaxed.

'The venom is temporary. It won't obstruct her vision or movements forever.' Anko warned them.

'Understood,' another voice she did not recognize spoke into her mind.

'Right. There's one that's still alive. I need to get him to a medic.' She was already moving. She slung the passed-out man onto her back in a fireman's hold. She did not look back.


'I can't hold her forever,"' Shikaku thought grimly. It was pitiful how he neglected his physical health. He was beginning to tire. 'Who knows how long the poison will last.'

'She's under some kind of genjutsu. There's nothing in her eyes.' Choza noted grimly.

'She doesn't need to be able to move to make us toast. When her eyesight comes back we're in trouble.' Inoichi pointed out what they already knew. He pulled out three kunai and shot them at the light bulbs of the lamp posts. Darkness surrounded them.

'I bought us some time,' Inoichi's voice called out in his teammates' heads. 'If we don't move or make a sound, we should be alright.'

'I can try releasing the genjutsu.' Choza made the suggestion.

'No, it's no ordinary genjutsu. Don't even think about getting near her Choza.' Shikaku warned. His teammates now had a purview of his innermost monologue of thoughts. It was nothing new for them.

'I can go inside and take a look.' Inoichi brought his hands together.

'No!' Shikaku thought sharply. 'You have no way of knowing what you're walking into in there and we won't be able to help you.'

'Well, what do you want us to do then? The venom isn't forever. And the dark won't disorient her for long. She can turn us into flambe at any time.' Choza retorted.

'I need some time,' Shikaku grimaced.

'That's the one thing we don't have, Shika.' Inoichi let frustration color his words.

The Nara knew that. He knew that all too well.


Gamabunta grunted loudly as he was thrown onto his back by a whip of a large orange tail. Trees were leveled as he went down heavily. Jiriaya grimaced. That would cost him dearly. The frog got up onto his feet. He used his sword for support. The summoning panted.

"I'm getting real tired of this shit," Gamabunta's voice rumbled from deep in his chest.

Jiraiya sighed as he regained his balance on the toad's head. Gamabunta was invested now despite his objections. It was personal. The fox had made it that way.

Jiraiya's yellow amphibious eyes tracked Minato. The blond nodded in his direction curtly. Jiraiya and Gamabunta jumped in the air. Gamaken charged in, leading with his shield with every intention of bashing the fox's teeth in. Minato and Gamahiro moved to be behind the fox.

The Kyuubi avoided the shield. He snarled as he snapped his jaws towards Gamaken. The toad used his katana to keep the fox back. Gamabunta came down fast and heavy towards the fox's head. Minato and Gamahiro attacked from the rear.

The Kyubbi roared as he was hit from behind, his front and the top all at once. His skin sliced open from the blades of both the steel and wind variety. His feet were ensnared in a tacky substance that had come out of the Sannin's mouth. He flicked his tails angrily but the blue toad had managed to pin two of them down with his katanas.

"Now, Sensei!" Minato called out.

Jiraiya nodded firmly as made the seals. He was in perfect sync with Minato. The Kyuubi's eyes widened as he felt himself being tethered to the ground. He was starting to sink.

Minato watched as the fox was beginning to be sealed into the earth itself. He did not acknowledge the lick of hope that was starting to form in him. He kept his arm out as his sensei did the same. The seal was a massive chakra suck but it was working. It would all be over soon.

The Kyuubi exhaled with force through his nose. He used his remaining tail to break free from the katanas. The swords shattered as if they were made of glass. The toads had to jump away to avoid being hit with the shards.

The beast roared loudly. He pulled up against the force that was pulling him under. He gathered his chakra. The burst of energy was too much. The summons and the men were forced back as much as twenty yards. The markings in the ground disappeared as the connection was severed.

Minato brought his arms in front of his face as his hair and cloak whipped behind him. Had he not planted his feet with chakra, he would have been pushed off of Gamahiro's head.

His stomach sank as the Kyuubi rose to his full height. There was not a scratch on him. He grinned.

"Nice try," he taunted. "Is that the best you can do, great Yondaime? Master Jiraiya?" His lips pulled into an expression of disgust. "I am not impressed." He spun in a circle, causing another tunnel of wind. They were pushed back even further.

Minato swallowed thickly. That had been their best shot. They expended too much chakra in that attempt. Jiraiya was running dangerously low on it now. He could sense that in his heightened mode. The battle with the fox had raged longer than he would have liked.

It was happening again. The fox would be his undoing. Maybe it was inevitable. Even with his sensei here, it was an uphill battle. Even if he were stronger at thirty-two with more jutsu and knowledge compared to twenty-four. Even with sage mode, it was not enough. They were prolonging the inevitable.

Minato's right hand clenched into a fist. It was no longer about survival, not his anyway. It was about ensuring everyone else's. He looked grimly at the eyes that were looking up at him. He nodded to his summon. The toad understood.

His summoning lunged as he flattened his Rasengan into the shape of a large shuriken. Minato released it and it made contact point blank. The large red gash across the Kyuubi's chest sizzled as it closed just as quickly as it had formed. The fox brushed it off like it was nothing. It probably was nothing to him. Minato panted.

Gamaken used his shield to keep the fox's fangs from crushing Gamabunta. Jiraiya breathed fire as Gamabunta provided oil. The fox took the attack head-on. He snarled. He wildly swung his claws. Ken countered with his shield. A Kyuubi flicked one of his tails. It speared Gamabunta through the side. The Kyuubi raised his tail and lowered it with full force. The toad was slammed against the ground, sending another tremor through the area. The toad popped out of existence. Jiraiya landed on Gamaken's head.

Minato phased himself and Gamahiro behind the Kyuubi. The toad grabbed a tail in between his palms. Minato launched another barrage of attacks while the Kyuubi was pinned. He was moving as fast as his hands would allow. He got off three: wind blade, Rasengan, another blade.

The fox shook his head before he jumped in the air. Hiro was forced to let go otherwise they would have been taken up with him. The drag caused by his lift pushed them all back. He threw his head back. A black ball formed at the base of his open mouth, it grew in size.

Jiraiya saw it as an opening. He and the toad charged before Minato could stop him. He jumped off of Gamaken at the last moment. He shot fire into the Kyuubi's mouth, and it hit the beast bomb. It stopped growing larger. The blast of red pushed back the purple ball. Minato's eyes widened.

The crimson eyes of the Kyuubi narrowed. He dug in his heels and forced more chakra into his attack. The purple ball dwarfed the fireblast. The fox turned quickly. His tail caught the Sannin squarely in the chest. The beast released the bomb.

Minato cursed. He dove after the unconscious Jiraiya who was free falling from a distance that would kill him. He grabbed him and disappeared.


Sakura set the broken leg. She finished splinting up. She looked at Ox and Owl, the ANBU moved the patient to an area that would be out of the way of the medics. There were already ten patients or so lined along the halls of the East Wing. If they insisted on following her, Sakura was not above putting them to work.

She did not know how many burns, concussions, broken bones, and lacerations she addressed. She was exhausted but working and keeping her hands busy was better than the alternative. She was terrified. She was terrified for herself. For Kushina. For Konoha. This was a catastrophe.

She only had faith. Faith that Kushina had survived. She survived the extraction once before and Sakura had no doubt she could do it again. This time she did not just undergo childbirth. She was strong, Sakura knew she was alive. She had to be alive. She could not allow herself to accept anything of the contrary.

The chakra of the demon inside of her burned her stomach. It was reacting rather unpleasantly to the chakra of its source being so close. It wanted to join it, be one with it again. Between the Kyuubi's chakra, Amekmi's voice in her head, and the baby kicking in her stomach, she had no space for herself. She was sidelined in her own mind, in her own body.

She was being pulled in three different directions. Her mind was spiraling. Her hands were cramping and her dread was growing by the minute. They had not sealed the beast yet. With each minute that passed their chances of doing so without any Kyuubi-related casualties decayed exponentially.

Between Minato, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Kushina they had enough experts. The four of them could pull off a major feat. They could do it. They could seal the beast and no one would have to die. She clung to that. It was all she had that kept her from completely falling apart all over again.

She could not help them; it was beyond her at this point. The list was long of all the things she could not do. She could not even protect her son. That was the toughest pill to swallow. It was her childhood all over again. She could not help Naruto. Despite everything she worked for or achieved in the end she could do nothing for him. Again. That alone was enough to kill her.

She could not focus on what she could not do - even if the recess of her mind was quick to bring it up during any moment of stillness. She could only worry about what she could do. She worked to keep from curling up into a ball. She just had to have faith that he would be alright. He was with Wolf. Naruto was safe. He would be fine.

Just like she had faith that Minato would be okay. He had Jiraiya this time. They had Tsunade. Minato knew what worked and did not work from his first fight with the Kyuubi. He was stronger. He was smarter. He was more resourceful. He had more perspective and experience. They would be fine. Things would be different. She worked quickly to close a cut on a man's head. Ten stitches. It was probably her fastest time.

The baby kicked. It was as if it was feeding off of her restlessness. It was more active than it had been in a while. She threw her gloves away. She pulled out a fresh pair from the cardboard box. She snapped them on. The light in the room dimmed.

Her eyes narrowed as she turned her head.

'Sakura!'

She waddled to the window as fast as she could move. Her breath hitched. A tailed beast bomb. Headed straight for them. It would level the hospital along with a sizable section of the village. The barrier would barely slow it down. Her pupils dilated as the purple glow of the bomb eclipsed the moon.

There was no time to think.

'He'll be fine.'

She opened the window. The cool air hit her face, and it blew her hair back. Sakura squared her shoulders, planted her feet, and focused her eyes. She tugged at the chakra in the seals. She felt it coat her arms. The yellow light warmed as it moved through her appendages. She concentrated on the black and purple orb that was getting progressively larger.

She brought her hands together. One over the other. She did not hesitate. She shot the chakra right in the middle of the tailed beast bomb. The light speared it completely through. The halves dissipated into the air. She crossed her arms in front of her face. The wind pushed her back.

She walked slowly back to the window. She took in the still around her. She could hear the flames lapping up oxygen but it was at a distance. She had felt him it had only been for a fraction of a second but it allowed her to breathe. He was okay.

She reached for the glass plane, pulled it towards her, and closed it. The sound of water hitting the tiled floor filled the once-silent room.

"Ahh," Sakura gasped in surprise.

Warm water dripped down her leg. She clutched her stomach. Sakura grabbed the window sill to keep herself upright.

"No, not now," she whispered with a ragged breath. Her first contraction greeted her rather suddenly and painfully.


Gold-colored orbs widened. Akemi brought her hand to her heart.

"No," she blinked her eyes slowly. There was no mistake about it. She had sensed him. "Naruto," her heart ached. The boy was out there all alone.

Another wave of pain rattled the space.

"Flower-chan," Akemi's expression became more anguished. There was nothing Sakura could do. The ANBU could potentially do something but then she would have to alert Sakura. There was no way to do that without causing her more distress.

She was not even certain if Sakura would remain in the hospital if she knew what was happening outside right now. She could not guarantee that the medic would cooperate. She was crazy enough, desperate enough, to try to go after the boy herself. Sakura could not protect him but she could still die for him. The Hime could not risk it.

Akemi lowered her eyes. She would not tell Sakura. If Naruto was alone it could only mean that Kakashi was dead. The goddess shook her head.

No. It was best if Sakura did not know. She could not break the news - either news - to her. It would have to wait.

Akemi brought her hands together. Her lips moved as she set out her first prayer. That someone would find Naruto soon. The second prayer was for Kakashi's soul to find peace.


Minato deposited the unconscious sage in front of a stunned Tsunade.

"Take good care of him, Tsunade-sama." He said quickly. He did not even look at her. His attention was focused on the rapidly approaching beast bomb.

Tsunade began to get to work immediately. Jiraiya's strained breathing was causing her own heart rate to skyrocket. Her green hands began to fix the internal bleeding before she could even address the lacerations. At least he was unconscious. The pain would be too much to bear.

Minato visibly relaxed. Tsunade shot him a look.

"What are you doing?" She all but yelled at him. The bomb was getting closer.

"It's handled." He grinned over his shoulder at her. His yellow eyes were brimming with sureness.

'That's my girl.' He thought to himself before he vanished into the wind.

Tsunade blinked in confusion. Her eyes widened as a beam of light came out and hit the bomb right in the middle. It made it through on the other side. She looked on with a loose jaw as the purple and black orb melted away into the sky. She covered Jiraiya with her body as a huge burst of wind filled the area. The trees were bent nearly in half. Her hair whipped behind her.

'Sakura.' Even the voice of her subconscious was floored. Her hands continued to funnel chakra into him as she blinked in disbelief. It was as if she imagined the whole thing. The only proof she had that any of it happened was right under her fingertips. She peered over the edge of the railing. The street down below was quiet.

Her eyes narrowed as she saw movement. Her blood froze in her veins as she tried to discern what she saw. A speck of yellow.

"Naruto?" She muttered the name in pure fear. "Katsuyu!" She shouted to the slug on her shoulder. "What is Naruto doing out here?!"

"Wolf was taken down by Spider." The slug summon explained.

Tsunade's heart skipped two beats. On the third, it restarted with a heavy kickback in her chest. "No," she did not accept that.

"I'll send word to the closest ally. Someone will get to him." Katsuyu promised.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. He was headed towards the hospital.

"Don't let anything happen to him." She said firmly.

Someone would find him. He would be alright. She had to believe that. It was the only thing keeping her on the rooftop. Someone else could help him. Anyone could help him. She was the only one who could save her teammate. That was what she had to do.

She turned her attention back to Jiraiya.

"You're not dying today old man!" She told him. She refused to let it happen. "We still have that trip to go on!" She reminded him in a tone that was entirely too harsh for what the words suggested.

She pumped more chakra into him. The color was beginning to return to his face. She kept her almond eyes scanning the area as she worked. He would be safe with her. She was not going to let anything happen to him.


He was getting tired. His fear and adrenaline pushed him forward. He was confused. Spider said that she was his friend. Spider said she would protect him. She said that it was her job. But she had tried to hurt Wolf. She had tried to take him away from Wolf. Spider was fighting Wolf. Spider had lied.

Keep-away-from-Spider was not fun anymore. It did not feel like a game. It was not a game. It was serious. Wolf and Spider were not playing pretend. They were fighting for real. He knew the difference.

He ran around a pile of broken things that were in the street. The air was making it hard to see. His eyes kept watering. His eyes hurt, his throat hurt and his lungs hurt. His blue eyes darted from side to side. He kept looking everywhere just like Dada had taught him. He would not make the same mistake. He was paying attention to where he was going. Just like he promised Mama.

Naruto took cover as the blast of wind hit the area. It broke a couple of windows. He was lucky that none of it landed on him. Mama always made him stay away if there was broken glass. Mama told him it would hurt really bad. Way worse than a paper cut and those hurt.

He had just run past the tower where Dada worked. He knew Dada was not inside. Wolf said that Dada was fighting the monster. He would win. Dada was the strongest. That was why his face was on the mountain. That was why he wanted to be just like him. Dada protected the whole village, everybody. That was his job.

He had been running for a long time. This was the longest he ever ran without breaks. It was different from the races he ran against Sasuke. Those were short and he had to run as fast as he could. Right now, it was getting harder and harder to run. He was slowing down. But he still felt scared.

He was scared that Spider would find him and take him away. He did not want to go with her. He did not like her anymore. Not after today. His stomach started to hurt when he thought about her. She was not nice.

Wolf had not found him yet. He needed to keep moving. He was running towards the hospital, where he knew Mama was. Wolf told him.

The monster roared in the distance. He jumped. He was glad Sasuke was not here to see that. Sasuke would have called him a baby. He was not a baby. But he was scared. The monster sounded big and mean. His heart was beating really fast. He wondered if it would beat so fast that it would run away. He might not be able to catch it. He wondered what happened when someone lost their heart. Mama had said that he was Mama's and Dada's heart. He did not know what that meant. He was a person. He was a boy. He was not a heart.

He clutched the small kunai in his fist. He knew it was special. He knew it would keep him safe. Dada could get to him any time. It made him feel better. He looked up at the sky. The clouds were gray and black. He had never seen clouds like that before. He wondered if Shikamaru had. He spent more time looking up than anyone he knew.

He forgot to pay attention to where he was running just for a little bit. He tripped on something. It was a rock. He landed on his stomach. He let out a pained exclamation.

He sat up. He pulled his legs towards him. His knee was bleeding. He could see it. Tears stung in his eyes not because he was crying but because of the pain. He was not a baby. He tried so hard to listen to Mama.

Naruto covered his head. A kunai landed right in front of his face. He backed away from it instantly. He looked with wide eyes as an Uchiha walked towards him. His eyes were red. They were very scary. He was not supposed to look into them. He remembered what Itachi-oniichan had told him.

"Naruto-kun," the Uchiha called him in a calm voice.

Naruto's heart was beating in his chest. He did not like this man. He had seen him yell at his Obachan. He was not a nice man. His gut was telling him. Itachi-oniichan told him he should listen to his gut. Even if it sounded gross. Naruto glared at his chest.

"What are you doing out here all alone? You could get hurt." He repeated in the same voice.

Naruto brought his clenched fist across his body. He coiled away from the man. He was scared. Where was Wolf? Why was he not here? He needed him.

The man crouched down. He looked at Naruto's knee. He clicked his tongue.

"Looks like you already are." He frowned. Naruto scrambled away from him as he tried to touch his knee. "I won't hurt you, Naruto-kun." The man said. "I want to take you to your mother. She's probably so worried about you."

"Leave me alone!" Naruto screamed when he found his voice again. He clutched the special kunai at the end of his necklace even tighter. It made him feel brave. Brave like Dada. He had to be strong, strong like Mama.

The man stood up at full height. "I'm not a bad guy, Naruto-kun." He pointed to his arm patch. "I'm a police officer, see?" He said nicely. "I'm a friend of Itachi-kun."

Naruto shook his head. His gut said no. And Wolf said not to stop for anyone. He was supposed to listen to him. That was what Mama said. He was going to listen to Mama really good this time.

The man reached for him again, but this time it was faster.

"Go away!" Naruto squeezed his eyes shut and shouted loudly. He put on his best brave face. He was so scared.

He felt the necklace in his hand heat up. Naruto opened his eyes. They widened. He watched as the man was pushed back by a cyclone of air. The man said a bad word. He stumbled. The man was just as surprised as he was.

The man straightened to his full height. He took three steps towards him. Naruto saw blood hit the floor. The man was hurt.

"Leave me alone!" Naruto held out the necklace. He did not feel anything. His stomach sank. Maybe it did not work anymore.

"Looks like your father only put in enough juice for one attack," the man clicked his tongue. Mama did that when he did something he was not supposed to. "Sorry, Naruto-kun. It looks like it's just you and me now."

His whole body froze. Tears pricked at his eyes. 'Mama, I'm scared.' He watched the man come closer.

"No!" He screamed as loud as he could. His fist was curled around the kunai around his neck.

The man took a step back.

"Shisui," he snarled.

Another man appeared. He was standing between them. "Run, Naruto." He looked over his shoulder.

Naruto got up onto his feet. His gut said the new man, and Uchiha too, was good. He ran. He ran as fast as he could. He ran faster on land than he swam in water. He ignored the pain in his knee. He needed to get to the hospital. He needed to get to Mama. He wanted Mama.

Mama would make it all better.


The air deflated from his lungs and his heart stopped altogether.

"Naruto!" He turned his head. There was no doubt about it. The failsafe on his son's necklace was activated. Naruto was in trouble. He did not even think. He brought his hands together in the ram seal.

"Don't you dare disrespect me, Yondaime!" The beast roared. He flashed in and out of existence. He moved past the summons and launched himself straight for Minato.

Minato was forced to react to the attack. He clenched his teeth as he pushed the Kyuubi back with a wall of wind that could rival the worst of hurricanes. The fox planted his feet. He was moved back a few yards.

"Hokage-sama!" Katsuyu spoke from his shoulder. "I have sent word. Someone will get to Naruto-kun soon." She tried to reassure him.

'I'm sorry, Naruto.'

He swallowed the lump in his throat. He gave the Kyuubi most of his attention. In the back of his mind, he kept tabs on the necklace and the chakra signatures closest to it. He sent out a prayer that a familiar one would find him soon. It was all that he could do.


"Why did you have to do that?" Shunsuke looked at him with a bored expression. "Now I have to go through the trouble of finding him again."

Shisui narrowed his eyes. "Pick on someone your own size, Shun."

Shun laughed. "Is that supposed to be you?" He grinned, revealing a perfect row of teeth.

"I see you got an upgrade." Shisui pointed to his eyes. "Color me shocked you care for anyone that isn't yourself."

Shun's smirk receded a little. He hit a raw nerve.

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Shisui."

"I know enough." Shisui flickered. He reappeared behind Shun with his blade ready to cut him down.

Shun ducked. The tips of his hair were given an impromptu haircut.

"That's as close as you'll get to touching me." He promised.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be controlling the fox?" Shisui asked him flippantly. "That is why you killed Uito, is it not?"

Shun's eyes narrowed into slits. His composure was beginning to give way to his anger.

"The fox still hasn't dealt with the Hokage yet. Be patient. I will get to it," He said with a sneer.

Shisui sized him up. Shun was not one to underestimate. But then again so was he. He disappeared. The sounds of metal clanking filled their ears. It was a deadly dance. They were both skilled. They both had the same eyes. It would come down to the one that made the least amount of mistakes.

Shun was lethal. He was efficient. He did not open himself to attacks. Shisui flickered away as a fireball came hurling towards him. He countered with a fireball of his own as Shun tried to recover.

Shun snarled as Shisui landed a kick in his ribs. He heard a cracking sound. His eyes tracked movement. He grinned. He jumped up higher in the air. He blew out rapidly small fireballs at least ten of them.

Shisui's eyes widened. He watched in horror as the building to his right slowly caught on fire. There were people inside. He set his jaw. He turned from Shun and ran straight for the burning building. Shisui covered his eyes with his arm while elbowing the glass of the windows on the ground floor. The shattered glass embedded into his black long-sleeve shirt pricked his skin. He paid it no mind. He kicked in the door. It landed with a thud. He brought the crook of his elbow against his mouth. His eyes stung.

He could feel them but his eyes were next to useless. Two bodies.

"Call out!" He shouted over the sound of beams falling and crumbling. The house creaked, and the fire cackled as it ate the ample fuel that was available.

"Call out!" He shouted once more. He drew too much smoke in his lungs. He needed to find them quickly. If the flames did not get to them the smoke would. And then there was the matter of Naruto. The boy could not have gotten far, especially with a hurt knee.

Shisui heard a rustle to his left. Planks were being pushed aside. He ran to the source of it. He started to pull off the boards from the girl, a teen probably no older than Itachi.

"My ankle," she told him with panic in her eyes. She coughed into her hand. Her ankle was swollen. She would not be able to put pressure on it. He grunted as he helped her to her feet. He slung an arm over her shoulder as he led her out of the burning house.

He sat her down in the grass several yards away. "My grandma!" The girl caught his wrist just as he was turning away. "She's upstairs. She has a bad hip. Please, you have to help her!" She pleaded with him. Her pink eyes were bright with unshed tears.

"I'll get her out." He promised. He ran back towards the house. He took a couple of deep breaths before charging in. His dark eyes narrowed. The smoke burned his throat and eyes. The heat was sweltering. It was unbearable. Sweat pooled from his brow and upper lip.

The stairs were unusable. Most of the steps were in the process of being devoured by the flame. He clutched his teeth together. He pumped chakra into his legs as he jumped up. He grabbed the edges of the hole in the ceiling. The wood dug into his hands and arms. He pulled himself up to the second floor.

His lungs burned for air but he stubbornly held his breath. He followed the presence he felt. The woman was on the floor unconscious. She had fallen from the bed. He slung her on his back. He grunted as he stood up. His body protested against the added weight on his battered frame.

Shun's attacks had done more damage than he initially thought. He was feeling every one of them. Shisui could not see his hand in front of him. He was forced to draw a breath. He coughed immediately. Something reflected in the corner of his eye. A window. He tucked his head and charged in.

The glass shattered. They were airborne. He maneuvered them so that he took the brunt of the fall. He gingerly rose to his feet. He hauled the woman onto his back, once more. He walked with unsteady steps until he joined her granddaughter. He lowered her to the ground.

"Thank you!" The girl cried in relief. She circled her arms around her grandmother and pulled her close.

He nodded. "I'll find a medic for you." He doubled over. He coughed violently.

The girl looked at him in a panic. Her eyes were impossibly wide. She pointed behind him. She should not have bothered. He sensed him.

"That's the thing about bleeding hearts, they are predictable." Shun's voice said with disgust just before a burning pain overwhelmed Shisui's senses. He spread his arms to cover the girl and her grandmother as the skin on his back blistered and burned to a crisp.

Pain, pain ripped through his throat. He did not even know he was capable of making such a sound. He landed on his side heavily. Shun stabbed him through the gut. His eyes widened. He jumped back onto his hands.

Shisui launched a barrage of kicks and punches. He was aiming for Shun's cracked ribs. Just one needed to land. He ignored the pain in his back.

"I'm done playing around," Shun declared. He brought his hands together. He moved through the ten seals required for his jutsu.

Shisui flickered to avoid the first lash of fire. The second was lying in wait. It hit him. He stumbled. Another whip of fire hit him across the chest. He let out a pained cry. The next last hit him across the neck. He blinked back the tears. He was brought to his knees.

Shun clutched his side. "It's over." He said as he kicked Shisui's chin. The Uchiha flew backward. He did not move. Shun spared him one last look. He ignored the girl who was in shock. She was not worth his time. He needed to find the blond boy.


Her blue eyes narrowed as she watched Shun brutally kill his clansmen. Shun was one sadistic bastard. She had seen which way Naruto was headed. She had every intention of following him once the Uchiha were engaging each other in a battle but the chakra signature she had sensed off into the distance had caused her to pause.

What Shun had said to the boy did not help matters either. The man was after Naruto. She did not know his intentions but they could not be altruistic. He also mentioned his mother. It did not add up in her mind what he could possibly want with the two of them other than to kill them.

She could not allow that. Shun was strong even in his weakened state. He had no qualms about playing dirty. She had seen that with her own two eyes. If she did not still need him, she would have killed them then and there with her poison. It was just waiting to be released, held back by the seal. But she needed him. The Hokage was still alive. He was still a problem.

Shun had to live, for now. He was not of her concern at the moment. It was clear to her which one she needed to go to. She could not let Shun beat her to it.

Her long, magenta almost maroon hair fluttered in the wind behind her as she brought her hands into the bird seal. She was gone.


"Where are you, Blondie?" Her brown eyes were narrowed into slits. She sniffed the air. She had his scent. They were getting closer.

"Any update?" She gave the slug on her shoulder a sidelong glance.

"No, Inuzuka-san. No one has seen Naruto yet."

"Let 'em know he's headed towards the hospital. He's moving to the east."

"Understood," Katsuyu relayed the message to her numerous partitions.

Tsume's hand curled into a fist. She ran as fast as she could. She knew what the slug had not said. No one from their side had seen Naruto. It did not mean that the Uchiha did not find him. Kuromaru matched her pace with desperation.

"Fuck!" She came to a stop. She did not have time for this "Out of my way!" She growled as she threw kunai to discourage the lone Uchiha from approaching her.

"No can do, Inuzuka." The man smirked cruelly. "Your kind serve no purpose for us."

She furrowed her brow. "My kind?"

"Die!" He charged her.

She lunged backward. She looked at her ninken. He nodded his head. He ran past the Uchiha.

"Looks like your dog is smarter than you." The Uchiha grinned.

Tsume said nothing. Instead, she moved head first to attack him.


He was a blur of white and black. He was moving as fast as the wind. The pup - the one that was a ball of energy and only spoke in high volumes - was getting closer, he could smell him. He had to get to him quickly. He did not like leaving his handler. He knew that she could take care of herself just like she knew he could take care of himself but he could not help but worry. She was reckless. She was rash. She bit off more than she could chew. She only got away with it because he was there with her.

He made a sharp right. He ignored the sounds of a crying girl. She was safe. There was a comrade down but there was nothing he could do. He could smell death on him, even under the burnt flesh. It would not be long. His claws kicked up the gravel as he moved. He was leaving his prints to be followed but he did not care. He did not have time to be stealthy. He had to be fast.

He jumped over a pile of debris in the middle of the street. He kept his ear trained for any sound, friend or foe; it did not matter. He bared his teeth as he ran. He would rip the bastard to shreds. The pup was bleeding. The pup was hurt. He could smell his blood. It was just a small amount but it angered him no less. The pup was no different than his handler's son. He was just like Kiba. They were both equally loud and boisterous. He had seen them both grow up. He would not stand to see him die.

His lone eye narrowed as he recognized a familiar scent. He came to an abrupt halt. He sniffed the air. He sighed. He was satisfied. Kuromaru turned and sprinted at full speed back in the direction from which he came.


The corner of his eye caught something. The blur of yellow, white, and green. It was unmistakable. He grabbed him and lifted him up by the back of his shirt. Naruto swung his fists wildly, his eyes were squeezed shut.

"Let go of me!" He squirmed in his grip.

Itachi dodged his flailing hands and legs. "Naruto," he said in an even voice.

His blue eyes shot open, he stopped struggling when he recognized Itachi's face.

"Oniichan!" He latched on to Itachi's neck. His expression was that of pure relief. There were dried tear stains on his cheeks. Naruto started to shake. Itachi patted him on the back with a soothing rhythm.

"Naruto, what are you doing here?" Itachi asked him with more calm than he felt. "Where's Wolf?"

"He was fighting Spider. He told me to run." Naruto said with a frown. He both sounded and looked more like himself.

Itachi repressed a sigh. Wolf was probably dead as the boy was still alone. The losses experienced today were starting to become insurmountable. He peeled Naruto from his neck and lowered him onto the ground.

"I want to see Mama." Naruto looked at him expectantly.

Itachi shook his head. "No." He took Naruto by the hand.

The blond dragged his heels. "Yes!" He was seconds from going deadweight on him.

Itachi sighed. "I'm taking you to Sasuke."

Naruto's face lit up. "Really?" He paused. "Can I see Mama after?"

"Really," Itachi confirmed. "I need you to stay with my Okaasan and Sasuke. You can see your Mama after."

"Okay." Naruto nodded in agreement. He slipped his hand into Itachi's and followed along with him.

"Did you run into anyone else?" Itachi's eyes landed on the hole in his pajama bottoms, revealing his cut knee.

Naruto nodded. "A bad Uchiha."

Itachi's brows were knitted together. "What bad Uchiha?"

"The one that was yelling at Obachan," Naruto said with anger.

Itachi's heart skipped a beat. He stopped. "Shun?" He asked him.

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know his name. He said he was a police officer. He said he would take me to Mama."

Itachi's stomach churned. It had to be Shun. "How did you get away?" He looked at Naruto closely.

"A good Uchiha helped me. He told me to run. Then you found me," Naruto answered.

Itachi's blood went cold in his veins. He needed to move fast. He crouched down.

"Hop on." Naruto climbed on. "Hold on tight." He gripped Itachi's shoulders. Naruto cheered as Itachi ran.

He was flying. He reached the Senju compound in record time. He walked right through. He searched the faces of those huddled. He spotted his mother. Naruto climbed down when they came to a stop.

"Take care of him." Itachi handed him off to Mikoto.

The woman stared at Naruto in shock. She took hold of the boy's arm. Naruto waved at her with his free hand. Mikoto waved back at him, stunned.

Naruto came to sit next to Sasuke. Mikoto let go of him as he did so. Naruto seemed to be affected by the solemn atmosphere. They both stared at Itachi. Mikoto nodded her head. She had so many questions but they would have to wait.

"Be careful." She told Itachi.

"You too," Itachi said back. He teleported to the spot where he had found Naruto. He did not have time to waste. He had to help Shisui. Shun could not get to Naruto now. He would be safe.

He searched for Shun's or Shisui's chakra signature. He ran towards the first one he registered. He willed his feet to carry him as fast as humanly possible. It did not take him long to arrive at the spot where the signature was emanating.

He had the sudden urge to empty his stomach contents. His whole face was covered in sweat and soot. Shisui was blinking lethargically. His mouth was opening and closing as he breathed. It was not an easy task. Each breath was pained and labored. He was burned all over his body. He was barely recognizable.

Itachi blinked back the tears in his eyes. Someone was crying softly. His gaze briefly fell on a girl with red hair and pink eyes. She was holding an unconscious woman in her arms. She was looking over at Shisui with a pained look on her face. His eyes locked with Shisui's dark orbs.

"Shisui," he could not believe it. He did not want to believe it.

"I-Itachi," Shisui said in pure agony. "P-please," his dark eyes made the rest of the request.

"I can find you a healer. I can take you to Tsunade-sama." Itachi did not recognize his own voice. It was falling apart. It never did that before.

"N-no." He breathed in raggedly. "L-let m-me go." He looked up at the sky. "Naruto?" His eyes looked back at Itachi.

"He's safe. You saved his life." Itachi did not realize the wetness trailing down from the corner of his eye to his chin.

Shisui smiled. There was great pain in his eyes. "I'm ready." He blinked slowly. When he opened his eyes they were washed red. He said with clarity. "Take my eyes. Make good use of them."

Itachi shook his head. "I can't." He could not do either thing Shisui wanted.

"Please Itachi." His dark eyes implored him. "I want to see peace with them."

Itachi bowed his head as he reached into his pouch behind him. He pulled out a kunai. He pressed it into Shisui's outstretched hand. He helped him grip it. He had to look away as Shisui dealt the final blow. His arm landed limply at his side.

Itachi's shoulders shook as he honored his second request. With trembling hands, he closed Shisui's eyelids over his empty sockets.

He brought his fingers to Shisui's forehead. They left two red dots on his forehead protector. He teleported them both to the Senju compound, just to the edge. A guard came running. His footsteps halted as he registered what he was seeing.

"Protect the Hokage's son," Itachi said in a cool voice. He did not wait for the man to respond. When he opened his eyes he was standing in front of the girl and grandmother. He teleported both of them to a healing station.

It did not take them long to find a medic. He watched as the girl regained mobility in her leg. She was able to put pressure on her ankle again and the older woman regained consciousness. He said nothing to them as he stood up. His mind was spinning.

He pushed away the feelings and the thoughts and he focused on one chakra signature. He walked closer and closer to it until he was standing right in front of her. She was so engrossed with her patient that she almost did not notice him.

Rin blinked at him in surprise. She got up on her feet.

"Itachi?" She asked him with concern.

"I need your help," he looked at her through his puffy eyes.

Rin swallowed thickly. "Okay."

He grabbed her arm. He teleported them away. He flatted his palm against his thigh to prevent it from trembling.