Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
Chapter 54: Solace
Guy let out a yell as he slammed a barrage of kicks and punches directly at the torso of an Uchiha. He fell back onto his back heavily, he slumped against the tree trunk. The man would not be getting up for a while, that was his guarantee. The Uchiha's Sharingan could match Guy's moves but it could not match his speed or his endurance. Guy tied him up to the tree. He would not be going anywhere. An ANBU would come soon enough to put him in prison to join the others.
He did not know if they could be rehabilitated. He did not. But he could not bring himself to kill a fellow Konoha shinobi even if they turned on him and his home. He caught a streak of color. He grabbed it around the middle. Guy frowned as he stared at the boy with shiny black hair and thick eyebrows.
"What are you doing here kid? Do you have any idea how unsafe it is?" Guy asked him with a stern expression.
"I must help the village!" The boy said loudly. "This is my home. I must protect it!" He spoke with the full force of his diaphragm.
Guy's lips twitched downward. He was intrigued. "What's your name kid?" He asked him with curiosity.
"Lee. Rock Lee." The boy pounded his chest with a fist.
Guy inwardly had to admit the kid was pretty cool. "Tell me Lee, Rock Lee, are you in the academy?"
"Yes sir!" Lee gave him a stiff salute. "I am eight years old. My dream is to be the greatest shinobi alive."
"I see. What is your specialty?" Guy asked him with his hands on his hip.
Lee seemed to falter at the question. "I do not yet know, sir!"
Guy furrowed his brow. "Can you do any ninjutsu? Genjutsu?"
Lee deflated. "No. I can't mold chakra." He looked crestfallen. He raised his head up in shock when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"That's okay, You don't need it. I rarely ever use anything other than pure taijutsu" Guy pointed a thumb back towards himself. "And I'm a Jonin."
"Wow!" Lee gushed. There were stars in his eyes. "What's your name?"
"Might Guy." He said with a grin that showed all his teeth.
"Wow!" Lee gasped. "I want to be just like you, Guy-sensei!"
Guy was really starting to like the way that sounded. "Stay close to me kid and I'll show you the ropes. Let's go find some people to help."
Lee thrust his fists in the air. "All right!"
Guy could not help but feel the excitement build up in him. Maybe this teaching business was for him after all. They ran towards the fire.
She swung her legs from the bed. Her head was pounding but she was sobering up quickly. Facing your imminent doom seemed to have that effect. She moved through the dark room. She pulled on her clothes.
"Oi," she nudged his foot that was dangling out of the navy blue satin sheets. "Get up."
He groaned into his hand. He pressed his face into the pillow. "This has got to be your rudest wake-up call yet." He squinted as he saw the time on the clock. "It's not even seven yet," he grumbled in complaint. They had less than four hours of sleep which was a luxury on a mission but both of them had closed down the bars last night. They did not do that on a mission either. And the post-bar activities definitely did not take place on a mission.
"The village is under attack," she said with urgency. "Move!"
He pushed onto his hands. His eyes were getting less and less groggy.
"What?" He brought his feet to the floor. He held his head in his hand. The world was spinning slightly.
A shock went through the room. He caught the boxers she threw at him. He slipped them on. He picked his shirt off the floor. He pulled it on. She threw his pants onto the bed. He was now fully dressed.
"What's happening?" He asked her in his deep voice. He was very much alert. She was envious of how quickly he was able to pull it together.
"You know as much as me. I woke up to the sound of screaming." She ran her fingers through her hair quickly before she secured her locks into a ponytail. Just because there was no time to do her hair did not mean that anyone else needed to see her bedhead. She tied her forehead protector to its rightful place.
"Let's go," he said as he slipped through the window. She was right behind him.
It took her a solid minute to make sense of what her eyes were seeing. The village was up in flames. The fires were in all the stages. There were so many of them. She followed behind as Asuma pulled her hand. They moved through the streets. Charred bodies littered the roads. She had to look away otherwise she was worried she would puke on the side of the street. She breathed through her mouth as the smell was too much for her nauseous stomach.
"Who would do such a thing?" Kurenai asked no one in particular. She caught movement in the corner of her eye. She stopped in her tracks. She pulled Asuma's arm back. He looked at her with grim surprise. He set his jaw at the expression on her face. "Wait, someone is still alive!"
They ran to the blacked body. Asuma's eyes widened. "Ibiki," he said breathlessly. The man blinked at him in pain. Half of his body was burned almost cleanly down the middle vertically. "Who did this to you?"
Kurenai swallowed the bile in her throat. There was a slug working to ease some of the edge off of the pain. He needed more. He needed to get to the healing area. She felt Ibiki's eyes on her. Miraculously they were both okay somehow.
"G-girl," he grunted out in pain.
Kurenai's eyes widened. She understood what he was trying to tell her. She looked at Asuma.
"Get him help." She pushed up to her feet.
Asuma looked over his shoulder at her. "Kurenai, where are you going?!" He had to shout over the sound of the flames and buildings collapsing.
She did not look back.
"I need to stop this!" She shouted as she turned the corner. She just followed the path of the burnt remains.
Her stomach churned. She was stone-cold sober now. The emotions raced in her. This was her worst nightmare. This was what she tried to warn everyone about. Yakumo did this. She set countless bodies on fire just by looking at them. They made her stronger. They made her body and mind stronger so she could go on extended rampages.
"Ido," her hands curled into fists. She sank her teeth into her bottom lip in anger. The sentient being must be the one behind this. That was the only explanation that made sense to her. Yakumo must have quite understandably gotten scared and overwhelmed and Ido took advantage. He lulled them into a false sense of security during their training sessions. The girl was never in control. Ido just wanted them to think that. Ido outsmarted them all.
She should never have agreed to them. She was responsible. She came to a halt. It was completely dark in the alley. She could just make out outlines of a girl thanks to the dying flame about five hundred feet away. It was Yakumo.
Kurenai's eyes narrowed as she tried to adjust to the dim light. She felt three chakra signatures around her.
'Kurenai,' it was Inoichi's voice in her head. 'Shikaku and Choza are here too.' He informed her quickly.
There was a flare-up in the fire. She could just make out their faces. Inoichi's teeth were clenched together so tight that her jaw hurt just looking at him.
'I need you to send me into Yakumo's mind.' She told him with more calmness than she felt. Her red eyes looked at the girl. There was something very wrong with her. This was different from anything she had dealt with before.
"I tried that already. Not a good idea." Inoichi said out loud as he fought to keep control of Yakumo. "She's under a genjutsu, Uchiha addition." Inoichi spat out. "She lost and regained consciousness but she's still under its hold."
"Genjutsu?" She asked in a tone dripping with surprise. Kurenai's dark brows furrowed together. Her theory was looking more and more improbable. Maybe she needed to take a step back.
"It's high level. It's on par with Fugaku. There were rumors of the things he could do with his eyes. Crazy things." Inoichi's voice was filled with ample disapproval on top of the strain.
The gears in her brain turned. That explained it. It was on a different level than even Itachi's. It must be thanks to a stage of the Sharingan that he had not developed yet. All she had to go off of was an educated guess.
"She has to be the one to dispel it. Going into her mind is the only way," Kurenai said with more certainty than she felt. They would not be able to break it without Yakumo's cooperation. "I know her. I can get through to her." Kurenai pressed. Now was not the time to argue. "I need to see what she's seeing."
Inoichi's teal eyes met her red ones briefly as another flare of light shot through the sky.
"Fine," he relented. "But I'm going with you."
Kurenai shook her head adamantly. "It's too dangerous. You know that. She can kill you in there and it would happen to our body out here." She spared him a sidelong glance. One he could not see. "You have a family to think about."
Inoichi grimaced. "I'd like to be able to say at retirement that I never killed a little girl."
Kurenai sighed. "Fine." She put her hand on Inoichi's shoulder. She closed her eyes. She felt a sinking sensation in her stomach. When she opened her eyes she was standing in front of Yukamo.
They were in her head. The girl looked relieved. "Kurenai-sensei! Thank goodness you're here. The village is under attack. I need your help." She grabbed Kurenai's hand. She pointed to the four Idos that were standing in front of her.
"I was attacked. I couldn't see for a while. I was so tired. I think I fell asleep. They did something. I can't use my Kekkei Genkai on them as I did for the others. I can't move."
Kurenai watched the scene from Yakumo's perspective. Two of the Idos were conversing in an unintelligible language that was just a series of screeches and grunts. It was Shikaku and Choza. She could tell from their placement.
The genjutsu was of the likes she had never seen before and that terrified her to her core. Kurenai willed herself to remain calm. She kept her voice neutral.
"There are no monsters Yakumo. You're confused."
Yakumo furrowed her brow. She pointed. "How am I confused? They are right there!" She looked at the woman and the Yamanaka incredulously. "Don't you see them? They are trying to hurt people!"
Inoichi noticed the spike in killing intent. She was getting angry. He looked at Kurenai. He hoped she had control over the situation because he did not have much confidence right now. He did not know how much longer he could hold her back from using the extent of her abilities. He was running low on chakra.
"Have you seen any people other than Yamanaka-san and me?" Kurenai asked her gently.
Kushino furrowed her brow before she frowned deeply as she pounded the question. "Not yet," she admitted reluctantly.
"Don't you think that is a little strange, Yakumo?" Kurenai asked her in the same gentle, smooth tone. She held up her hands and took a couple of measured steps toward Yakumo.
"I guess…a little. Why are you asking me this? Why are we wasting time? We need to help!" Yakumo said with indignation mixed with resolve.
"Yakumo, listen to me. You're under the effect of a genjutsu. I need you to work with me so we can break it." Kurenai took another measured step toward the girl. "That's why you haven't seen people. That's why we had to come inside of your head. What you're seeing is not real." She said tightly.
"No!" Yakumo shook her head adamantly. "You just don't want me to help. You want me to stay home. You don't want to see me succeed! Do my part." Yakumo screamed. Inoichi fell to a knee. She was becoming more volatile. She was becoming harder to contain.
"That's not true, Yakumo," Kurenai said calmly. Her eyes darted to the sweating Yamanaka before focusing on the girl.
"You never believed in me!" Yakumo accused. The wind picked up out of nowhere. It cut through their bodies. Kurenai felt her cheek split open.
"Yakumo, you need to calm down. Just breathe." Kurenai took another step forward. There were angry tears in Yakumo's light-colored eyes.
"You don't believe in me." She sobbed.
"If I didn't believe in you, Yakumo, I would not be standing in front of you right now," Kurenai said firmly. "I would not be putting Yamanaka-san and myself in danger. He has a daughter. Her name is Ino. She's five. I would not be risking her father's safety if I did not believe in you." She was now in grabbing distance.
Yakumo watched as Kurenai lowered herself to sit next to her. She only saw honesty in her red eyes.
"I believed in you Yakumo. I believe in you. I'm sorry that I made you feel like I don't. You've come a long way." Kurenai brushed her honey-brown hair from her face. "I'm so proud of you."
"You do?" Yakumo asked her in a small voice. "You are?" She asked in disbelief.
Kurenai nodded. "You did not let Ido take control even in this really scary situation. You remained in control. I believe you. You're right, at first I didn't but watching how determined you are, watching how hard you worked changed my mind. It was impossible for it to not change. I believe you. I've believed in you for a while now."
"Just like I believe you will break out of this genjutsu. Look around, Yakumo. What do you see?" Kurenai asked her gently. "Take your time," she encouraged her.
Yakumo licked her lips. She looked at Kurenai with hesitation. She remembered what they taught her. She looked closer. She looked through the intricate layers of the illusion. She turned her head and saw what her eyes were seeing. The fangs and dark skin disappeared. The horns were gone. She saw three faces of men. They were normal. They were Konoha shinobi.
Yakumo covered her mouth with her hand. She collapsed into Kurenai's arms as the realization of reality hit her.
"I'm so sorry, sensei!" She said with a sob. Kurenai brushed her hair with her fingers. Eventually, the girl's sniffles died down. They were replaced by shallow breathing. She had pushed herself to her limit again. Kurenai looked at the solemn-faced Yamanaka.
"My cousin, Mai. She's great with kids." Inoichi offered. She would need a lot of help to get over this. The good news was they had it.
Kurenai nodded. She closed her eyes. She held Yakumo against her. When she opened them they were outside again. She looked at the collapsed frame of the girl. Other than the tiredness and the cuts on her feet, she was physically unharmed. Kurenai picked her up.
"I'll take her home." Kurenai offered.
"Check on her parents too." Shikaku tugged his goatee. "No one has seen or heard from them."
Kurenai nodded her head. "I'll bring them to the evacuation center."
Inoichi watched her walk off with a heavy heart. The girl had to live with what she did for the rest of her life. She was so young. He made up his mind then and there that the intelligence department could survive with him being part-time for a while. The clinic would need him. Adults would need him. He could help reduce the pressure and strain on the staff.
The trio looked at each other. They were exhausted but they were alive.
"Let's keep rounding up civilians and helping with the evacuations," Shikaku ordered. His teammates nodded grimly.
Sakura paced in the small room. She could not move very fast or very far thanks in large part to being in active labor but she found the motions helpful. She put her hands on her hips and grimaced as she rode out another contraction. She still had a long way to go.
She was restless both physically and mentally. Her heart was full of unease and anxiousness. It was heavy. Naruto's face was not far from her mind. He dominated her thoughts. She assured herself that he was safe. She had no reason to believe otherwise. Wolf - Kakashi - would keep him safe. Naruto was fine, she repeated in her head like a mantra. Even if it did nothing to lessen the aching feeling in her heart, she kept telling herself that.
Just like she told herself that Tukiko and Karin were safe. They had to be safe. They had people looking out for them. Even if Kushina was in whatever state she was. They were fine. Pacing was the only thing that helped even if it was marginally.
She could no longer see patients, not when random pangs of pain had her doubled over. She could just not catch a break. Of course, she had to go into labor three weeks early on the day of the attack. That was just her luck. She breathed shallowly and frequently. She was so frustrated with everything. She had no idea what was happening.
'Breathe, Flower-chan'. Akemi coached her.
She was the only company Sakura had that was not a brooding, conversationally challenged ANBU. Akemi was keeping her distracted from the chaos that was in her life right now. Talking and listening to her took the edge off the pain, both the physical and the mental.
Using her light release had induced labor. Using it again would be irresponsible. She was blind and completely in the dark. She was going crazy. She ignored the ANBU staring at her. They did not want to be there any more than she wanted them here. She gripped the edge of the railing of the cot. She moaned in pain as a contraction rocked her. A back rub would be much appreciated right now but she kept that to herself. She could only imagine that everyone was a little uncomfortable right now at best and she stubbornly refused to entertain the at worst scenarios in her mind.
She glanced at the clock. It was now 7:13. The contractions were still consistently far apart enough that she did not need assistance.
"Haruno-san," Ox - she had learned to differentiate their voices today - began with hesitation.
"No," she snapped at him, cutting off the line of conversation completely. "I do not need to pull someone away from an actual patient that needs actual help." She bit her lip as the Kyuubi roared in the distance. Her heart stopped every time he did that.
Ox said nothing. Ox and Owl exchanged looks. They were hidden behind the masks but they seemed to get the general sentiment behind the gesture.
There was a knock on the door. Sakura sighed. "Come in, Shizune-chan." Who else could it be? She was the only one who was not completely terrified of her.
"How are you Sakura-sensei?" Shizune asked her kindly. She took in the pinkette's bent form, She was doubled over the railing but still on her feet.
"I'm fine, Shizune-chan." She winced as a smaller contraction overcame her.
"I want to stay here and monitor you. Make sure you and the baby are okay." Shizune said concisely and clearly.
Sakura hid a smirk. She knew how hard that was for Shizune to do. Sakura pinned her with her no-nonsense look, the one she learned from Tsunade herself.
"At this moment you're our most competent, skilled, and able medic in this hospital. You will stay on the floor. I need you to keep the triage bay running. If any surgeries come through you are leading them. Shizune, you are the only one who can do that. Anyone can help me with this baby when the time comes. The time has not come. So let me worry about this and you go worry about everything else." Her tone made it clear she would not be repeating herself.
Shizune blinked. She unpacked the words.
Sakura smiled. "I'm really proud of you, Shizune-chan. And I know Tsunade-sama is too."
Shizune's face lit up. Her cheeks flushed red. "I won't let you down, sensei. Same with Tsunade-sama."
Sakura nodded. "I know." Her expression became stern once again. "Pace yourself. You remaining on your feet is instrumental to the success of the hospital. Don't push yourself too hard."
Shizune nodded in understanding. "Will do, Sakura-sensei."
Sakura waited until she left the room and the door was firmly closed before she let out another pained moan. Shizune did not need a preview of what may be in store for her on top of everything else she was dealing with right now.
His face was an impassive mask as he stared down at the gasping body below him. His eyes held the hurt and devastation he felt. His eyes conveyed just how tormented he was to have yet another regret to carry with him.
"You were like a brother to me," Fugaku said softly to his dying friend.
Wakato grinned. It was a cruel expression. His teeth were red with blood. He did not have much time. He pressed his hand against the blood gushing from the cavity in his abdomen.
"Now you've killed both of your brothers." His tone was wrought with conviction.
Fugaku clenched his arm to his side. It was dislocated. It was in much better shape than its opponent was. Wakato's words stung the most.
"I'm truly sorry. I don't know how it got to be like this."
"You picked wrong," Wakato glared at him with the last of his energy.
"No," Fugaku said solemnly. "I did not." Even knowing that did not make anything marginally easier. His heart was as heavy as the rest of him.
"Will you kill my sons?" Wakato stared at him with flat eyes. His salt and pepper hair fanned around him. Blood ticked down from the corner of his mouth to down along his jawline. His breathing was becoming increasingly labored as the seconds ticked away. He was fading quickly.
Fugaku saw the life rush from him. "No," he looked his former friend in the eye. "No harm will come to them. You have my word on that."
Wakato turned his head and spat on the ground. It was more blood than saliva. "Weak," he said in disgust. "A trait you share with the Hokage." He looked at Fugaku with contempt. "They will kill you. If you keep them alive, you will die by their hand."
Fugaku sighed deeply. He knew that Wakato would not have hesitated to kill his family if the roles were reversed. He was right.
"Better that than them dying by mine."
His lips pulled into a snarl. "You are not fit to be an Uchiha."
Fugaku regarded him. "The cycle ends with me." He looked at the unmoving face of Wakato.
It was very telling to Fugaku how his once dear friend Wakato chose to spend his final moments. He had chosen to double down on the rhetoric and condemnation. He has chosen to hold tightly to the hate that led to his untimely demise. He chose to focus on all the wrong things.
They were not the same. Their ideologies and priorities were vastly different. It was as clear to him as the day was long. They were friends in name only. Whatever they had was firmly in the past.
Fugaku crouched down. He closed Wakato's eyelids over his flat dark eyes. He stared at the face of the man he knew like the back of his hand at one time. He did not know how they got here but he did know that he was at peace with his actions. There was no doubt in his mind.
He did not have enough chakra to power his Mayoikao Sharingan. His fight with Wakato was both too long and too draining. He could not do anything to help the Hokage with the beast. Not all hope was lost. There was still Shisui. The boy had his Sharingan. Fugaku's hopes were pinned on the fact that Shisui had to be in a better state than he was.
Fugaku looked up at the sky which was quickly losing its dark hue. He let out a long breath. He may not be able to help with the Kyuubi but that was a far cry from being useless. There was so much he could do still. He turned and walked deeper into the village. The fight was just getting started.
"Obasan?" Naruto tugged on Mikoto's dress.
"Yes, Naruto-kun?" Mikoto spared the boy a small smile that she could only hope was reassuring. He had broken her from her thoughts. She did not realize that the boys had stopped bickering among themselves. They had been at it for minutes prior to this moment.
"Can I see Mama now?" He looked up at her with solemn eyes.
"Not yet, Naruto-kun." Mikoto's heart wrenched as the boy's face fell. She could see hope leaving his person. "Soon," she patted him on the hand. "Soon, Naruto-kun." She closed her eyes and smiled as she lied to the boy.
"Okay," he looked down at his hands. The tiny kunai dangled from his neck. He looked up when he felt a pair of eyes staring at him rather openly.
"Stop being such a baby, Naruto," Sasuke said with a scoff.
Naruto puffed out his cheeks in indignation. "I'm not being a baby!" His voice squeaked. He looked around suddenly, feeling multiple pairs of eyes. "I just want to see Mama." He said in a smaller voice. "You're with your Mama. Does that make you a baby?" Naruto shot back the question as soon as he thought of it.
"No!" Sasuke turned his head.
"My dada is fighting the monster." Naruto boasted, eager to turn the conversation in his favor. "He's the bravest."
"My otosan is protecting the village," Sasuke pointed at himself with ample pride. "My otosan is stronger than your otosan."
"Nuh-uh" Naruto shook his head vehemently. "My dada is the strongest. He's Hokage." He defended his father empathically. "He's going to beat the monster in no time. You'll see. He's gonna make us all safe."
"Both your otosans are protecting the village. Both of them are very strong. Both of them are keeping us safe." Mikoto rubbed her temples. Much to her exasperation both of the boys did not look remotely convinced or done with this line of thought. She tuned them out.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. His lips pulled into a smirk. "You sound scared. I'm not scared. Are you scared?" Sasuke asked with his holier-than-thou attitude. They resumed their earlier argument.
"I'm not scared!" Naruto said adamantly. His blue eyes blazed with resentment at the implication.
"You look scared," Sasuke said flatly.
"You look scared!" Naruto accused back.
Mikoto continued to ignore the back-and-forth intellectually challenging conversation the two five-year-olds were having. Her dark eyes tracked movement coming towards her. Mikoto watched warily as a girl around Itachi's age walked with confident steps. She was holding something in her hands.
"Uchiha-san?" She called out to Mikoto.
Mikoto smiled tightly at her. Naruto and Sasuke were looking at the girl with curiosity. The girl crouched down. Mikoto's wariness only grew as a result of the action.
"Is that Hokage-sama's son?" She asked her inquisitively as she pointed to Naruto.
She was just a child but Mikoto's protective instincts were triggered. What could she say? Naruto himself had just as loudly proclaimed that not even minutes ago. And that was not taking into account how much he looked like his father.
"What's your name?" Mikoto asked the girl sternly.
She seemed to be caught off guard by the tone. "Inzumi, Itachi-kun, and I were at the academy for a short time together." She explained. She held out the bandages. "I think he's hurt," she pointed to Naruto again. "I can dress his wound. If that's okay, I mean."
Mikoto found herself relaxing slightly. She looked at the cut on Naruto's knee. It was filled with dirt. She could tell that much with the low glow provided by the candles they had found in the residence. The curtains were pulled firmly over the windows. Her internal clock was telling her that it was morning. The skin around the boy's kneecap was purple. The longer it stayed dirty the chances of infection went up.
"Okay," she relented.
The girl pulled out wipes from her hip pouch. Naruto hissed and made pained faces as she cleaned the wound. She wrapped it up in the bandage.
"I've never seen you around the compound." Mikoto made light conversation as the girl began to gather her things. Her guard was still somewhat up.
"My dad isn't an Uchiha. We live outside of the compound." Inzumi answered openly. "We had to come here because… well, you know."
Mikoto nodded. She did know. Half or full it did not matter. Uchiha features were not a welcomed sight today, perhaps for even longer.
"My dad's out there helping people. Getting them to safety. I wanted to be out there too but he said it would be better to be here in case something happens." Inzumi's fists curled. "It's not right, Uchiha-san. What they are doing out there." Her tone was getting more and more angry.
Mikoto nodded her head. She patted Naruto and Sasuke on their backs. Each boy was resting a head on either side of her lap. Their eyes were starting to get heavy with sleep. The adrenaline and excitement were starting to wane and their need for rest was too great to ignore.
"My mom can sit with you if you'd like." Inzumi's dark eyes bore into hers.
Mikoto smiled. "I'd like that." She watched as the girl ran off. She returned back with a woman who was not much younger than Mikoto.
"Hi, I'm Mikoto." She smiled warmly at her as she sat down.
"I'm Hazuki," the woman smiled kindly back. Her eyes darted to the boys sleeping on the floor, they softened.
She groaned. They were still too far away. The constant shifting of the ground underneath did not help. She gripped the tree tightly. She stayed on her feet. She did not want to expend the measly energy she did have to back to an upright position in the event of a fall. She turned her head. Her heart raced. Someone had found her.
"Kushina!" He burst through the trees. The excitement in his voice was quickly replaced by deep concern on his face. "Are you alright?" He asked her with a frown.
"Never better," she deadpanned. She took a couple of steps in the direction she was facing. "Where are the girls?" She asked without looking at him. She needed to remain steadfast in her focus.
Joben fell in step with her. "In the catacombs behind the monument. They are with your friends. Nara-san, Akimichi-san, and Yamanaka-san. Mako-chan was there too."
Kushina sighed. She felt better. They would be okay. They were okay.
"What are you doing here, Joben?" She asked him weakly.
His brow furrowed and his frown deepened. "I came to look for you. You need medical attention."
"What I need," Kushina stressed the word. "Is to get to the damn fox so a seal team can seal it in me again."
Joben gaped at her. "Kushina," he grabbed her shoulder. She was about ready to fall dead on her feet. He took in her extremely exhausted state. Pure stubbornness was the only thing keeping her up. He was sure of it. There was dried blood on her cheek. There was a gash that needed to be cleaned.
She looked at him in an irate manner. She smacked his hand away. "Joben, this is not up for discussion. Either help me or get out my way." Her violet eyes blazed.
He knew what he was looking at. She knew it too. He set aside feelings of fear, apprehension, hesitation, and all negative emotions. He shoved them deep inside. He squared his shoulders. He gathered her into his arms. He did not say anything. He did not have to. His eyes said it all. She nodded back at Joben before she set her eyes back on the horizon where the fox was. He ran towards it. That was where they needed to be.
He stirred. She looked away from the village below her. Her almond-colored eyes watched intently as he blinked his eyes open. He looked confused and dazed.
"Are you in pain? Does anything hurt?" She asked him quickly and curtly.
Jiraiya blinked a couple of times. The ringing in his ears was making it hard to hear her. She was staring at him with an angry expression. She was so pretty, he could not help but think. He registered that she rolled her eyes. It was in response to the wide smile on his lips.
It only graced his face for a second. He tried to sit up. He groaned. He only got halfway before he had to stop. His body was throbbing. Tsunade pressed her hands against his abdomen.
"You were basically cut in two. Take it easy." She snapped. He could see the relief deep in her eyes. He was relieved to be alive too. He thought that was it when he saw the demon's eye so up close. But he supposed today was his lucky day. It just was not his time.
"I need to get back to Minato." He argued halfheartedly. He could barely lift his arm much less be of any use.
"You're only going to get him and yourself killed." Tsunade quipped.
"Give me a soldier pill and I'll be fine." He retorted. He did not care for what she had to say. He still had some fight left in him.
She thumped him on the head. "Ouch!" He rubbed the spot.
"Stay and behave or I'll just knock you out." She warned. Her eyes darted to the village.
He turned his head. His breath hitched in his throat. It was devastating. "Kami," he breathed.
"Did you really think anything like this would happen? We're imploding from the inside out." She shook her head in disbelief. She was seeing it but she could not believe it.
"It's been an old wound, Tsunade. There's a lot of bad blood on both sides." He reached for his side. There was a stitch in it. Her eyes darted to him. She must have deemed it not worthy of healing. She had to conserve her chakra. She was healing the whole damn village.
"Mistakes were made," she mused. Actions had consequences. Actions that her family, her blood, had a direct part in.
Jiraiya grunted. "They built this village too."
A single tear migrated from the corner of her eye to her chin. No one knew what they were doing. They were making decisions and hoping for the best. The illusions she had of her grandfather and great-uncle were being shattered today.
"You're not like them." Jiraiya reminded her.
"I'm not healing the Uchiha. On either side." Her throat constricted with the tightness she felt in her throat.
"Don't be too hard on yourself, Hime." He said in a soft tone. He leaned back against the railing. He sighed deeply. He closed his eyes. "How's my boy out there?"
"Alive," Tsunade answered honestly.
Jiraiya nodded. "I just need ten minutes to rest. I will be back on my feet and as good as new after."
She did not contradict him. She knew what he was doing. She was doing the same thing herself.
She narrowed her blue eyes. She ducked down to avoid a fireball. She clung to the arm of the civilian child. There was another on her shoulder. Two women with toddlers in their arms hurried after her. Mai was sure that she was reliving some kind of recurring nightmare. Only this time there was a twist: the bad guys were people she knew.
She came to an abrupt halt. She looked at the brick wall. It was too high to climb without chakra. She would be fine but the women and children not so much. She let go of the child's hand. She handed the toddler to one of the women.
Running was not an option so she would fight. "I'm going to give you an opening. Take it. Do not hesitate. Get out of here." She looked over her shoulder at the shell-shocked women. "Do you understand?" She asked them in a clipping tone.
"Y-yes." One of them stammered out.
She brought her fingers together in her clan's famous jutsu. She peered through. She waited. Her body went slack before it crumpled to the ground in a heap. She switched minds with the unsuspecting Uchiha that chased them into the ally.
Mai turned on the Uchiha's heels. "Now!" She roared at the women. She went right while they scurried to the left. Mai charged the other Uchiha that was with him. She engaged him in combat. The shock on the other Uchiha's face was priceless. He was so confused as to why his comrade had suddenly turned on him. The bastard got a taste of what the rest of them were feeling.
She ducked and kicked the Uchiha in the ankle. It gave out under him. He landed on his knee. She did not give him a chance to recover. She grabbed his arm. She wrapped her legs around his neck. She twisted it with all her might and leverage. It snapped. He screamed in agony. She kept the pressure around his neck. He eventually stopped struggling.
Mai got up to her feet. She panted. She jumped back onto her hands to avoid an attack. She blinked.
"Tsume?" She called out in surprise.
The woman snarled. "Who the hell are you and why do you know my name?" She spat out the question.
Mai recovered from her confusion. She looked down. She held up her hands.
"It's not what it looks like." She began to explain the situation.
"It's exactly what it looks like," Tsume's eyes narrowed into slits. The red markings shone in the moonlight. "Uchiha-scum!"
"Will you just let me explain?" Mai asked her testily.
"Explain what? Why are you killing your own? Why are you burning your home down? I don't care to know. It will never make sense to me!" She fell into a stance. Her ninken's hackles were raised.
Mai rolled her eyes. She brought her hands together. Tsume watched as the Uchiha fell on her face.
"The hell?" Tsume crossed the distance and nudged her with her sandal. The Uchiha did not move.
Kuromaru did not react as Mai appeared from the alley. She dusted off her dark top.
"Does that clear anything up for you?" Mai asked her dryly.
Tsume crossed her arms. Her lips pulled into a smirk. "We have really got to stop meeting like this."
Mai rolled her eyes earnestly this time. "Are you seriously hitting on me right now?"
"No time like the present right?" Tsume picked the dirt from underneath her long nails. She frowned. "What are you doing out here?"
Mai sighed. "I was helping some civilians." She pointed behind Tsume. "They went that way."
Tsume looked at Kuromaru before turning to her. "So what are we waiting for?"
Mai ran beside her. "Where did you learn moves like that?" Tsume asked her with clear admiration in her tone.
"You try being the only girl as well as the youngest in a group of cousins." Mai thought back to her childhood. Those were some dark days.
Tsume grinned. Her nose tracked the scent. "That sounds like it built character."
"That's what my mom always said. In truth it just built resentment." Mai said humorlessly.
Tsume frowned. "Is this what you're always like? Psychoanalyzing every little thing? Never not thinking?"
"Is this what you're always like? Being incredibly judgmental? Never thinking about what leaves your mouth?" Mai countered.
Tsume's lips pulled into a grin once again. "You're not too bad for a blonde."
Mai smirked. "Thanks." Her eyes softened slightly. "How are Hana and Kiba doing? It's been a while." Her eyes scanned the streets as they moved.
"Better," Tsume's voice took a far-off edge. "They don't need that therapy stuff anymore. They're great. They are normal."
"We all need therapy, Tsume. Even you." Mai's voice was level.
Tsume looked back at her, offended. "I am perfectly fine!"
"Right. And I love dogs." Mai said sarcastically.
Tsume frowned. "What?"
"I'm more of a cat person," Mai admitted. "Is that going to be a problem?"
Kuromaru whimpered. Tsume looked at him. "I take it back. You're just like the rest of the blondes."
Mai smiled.
Every move he made Shun countered perfectly. The inverse was true as well. Their eyes put them on equal footing in that regard. Shun was older, he had larger chakra reserves. At the end of the day, Itachi was still in the body of a thirteen-year-old boy despite all his prowess and talent. Shun was just entering his prime.
Had it not been for Shisui seriously injuring the man, Itachi was sure that this fight would have been over a long time ago and it would not have gone his way. He expended a lot of chakra doing his numerous teleportations. They were all necessary as time was of the essence but he was beginning to wish he had skipped one or two of them.
The fight was giving him ample time to compare himself to Shun. He was seeing what he could really do for the first time. It was nothing like their controlled spars where it was more mental than physical. He whipped around to land a kick. Shun saw it coming from a mile away.
Maybe this fight was not so different from their earlier sessions. Itachi ducked down. There was one thing he could do better than him. Genjutsu. He had to be careful to not let Shun realize that it was a factor at all.
Subtly was Itachi's specialty. As long as Shun did not know to look for it, he would be fine. Itachi grunted as he caught the heel of a kick to his right hip. The joint stung. He landed on his other side to avoid aggravating the injury. He got up slowly.
Four years. If he was just a little bit older this would be a completely different game. He would be taller. His frame could accept and do more damage. If he looked like that version of himself from his dream, this would have been over already. Shun would not have stood a chance against that Itachi. But right now he was caught in between stages. He was not a kid but he was not a man. He let out a frustrated sigh.
Shun was oddly quiet. He did not know what to make of that. It could just be that Shun respected him enough to take him seriously.
He countered the blasts of fire with his own. Just like that they moved. He moved to the right, Shun moved to the left. They mirrored each other's movements. Itachi inched him deeper and deeper into the illusion.
The web was intricate. It was delicate. It was like the thinnest of spider webs. Invisible from certain angles only to be noticed by unsuspecting prey. He needed to keep his emotions and tells in check. His face was a blank mask.
He softened the impact of a kick to the head with his forearm. Shun spat more fire at him. Itachi spun. He released kunai as he went. Shun's face pulled into a twisted look of disgust.
"Is this the best you can do Itachi? I'm disappointed." Shun sneered.
Itachi ignored him. His eyes scanned the clearing. Everything was just about set. There would only be one chance to get this right. A stump replaced Shun. He dodged a wind attack. He looked to his right to see a head of silver hair running quickly in his direction.
"What happened to your eye there, Son of the White Fang?" Shun taunted.
Kakashi said nothing. He pulled up his forehead protector. He closed his right eye. His left eye opened to the world. Shun's eyes narrowed in abhorrence.
"You opportunistic bastard!" Shun was visibly outraged.
Kakashi came to stand next to Itachi. He stared at the boy, he had some cuts on him. He held out his arm. Katsuyu slithered to his wrist. She jumped onto Itachi's shoulder. She began to heal the injuries on his body.
"Itachi," Kakashi looked at him from the corner of his eye. "I can take over if you want to rest for a little while."
Itachi shook his head. "No, he killed Shisui."
Kakashi squared his shoulders. His new eye scanned the field. He saw the confines, the parameters in which to work.
"After you," Kakashi said casually.
Itachi disappeared. Kakashi appeared behind Shun. The older Uchiha now had to hold them both off. He grunted as Kakashi landed a punch to his side, the very rib cage that Shisui had damaged. He vanished.
Itachi's crimson eyes darted around the trees. Kakashi formed the seals. The winds picked up. The trees swayed dangerously. They looked like they were about to be uprooted. It would draw him out.
Itachi spotted him. He caught him in midair with a kick. Shun fell at an alarming rate. He dodged Kakashi's Chidori at the last minute. He caught himself on his hands to prevent falling into the ground face first.
He narrowed his eyes. He held his side. It was getting difficult to breathe. His ribs were poking him. He focused his eyes on Kakashi. A yellow glow started to appear around him. The skeleton enveloped him. The strain was unbearable. He panted as he felt the build-up of pressure behind his eyes.
Shun charged them with his early-stage Susanoo. Kakashi had not seen anything like it before. From the quick look at Itachi's face, he had not as well. The skeleton protected him. A thousand birds chirped. Physical attacks were the way to go now.
He divided himself into four clones. His fists went through the beast. The clones popped out of existence. Kakashi kicked up dirt as he landed back down.
"I'll keep him busy," Itachi said as he released a barrage of fireballs.
Kakashi nodded. He narrowed his red eye. He reminded himself that everything always had a weakness. He just needed to exploit it. He studied the yellow skeleton. There was a thin hairline crack in the bottom two ribs on the left side.
Shun cut through the clones that Itachi had raining over his head. There was a flurry of dark feathers and screeches that were designed to disorient him. The talons of the ravens slashed at his skeletal shield. The genjutsu was pitiful. It was an insult to the eyes he wielded. He knew which one was the real one. He grabbed Itachi by the neck. He moved to avoid another Chidori from Kakashi. He squeezed the life out of Itachi. The boy went limp in his Susanoo's hand. He grinned. He screamed.
A searing pain hit him on his left side. His ribs were being broken open. He swatted away Kakashi. He was a pesky fly. He threw Itachi's body. He landed several yards away. He grabbed the Hatake with both his hands. He smiled animalistically. His need for blood was great.
"You die."
The man's face transformed. He blinked in confusion as he saw Itachi smirking at him.
"You fell for it." The younger Uchiha taunted him. He was awfully smug.
Shun looked around. The Susanoo was gone. He was standing without cover out in the open.
"How?" He asked in astonishment with wide scarlet eyes.
Itachi stared at the basic stage of Shun's Sharingan. It was over.
"You've been under a genjutsu this whole time," Itachi explained calmly. "You spent a lot of time and energy fighting someone who wasn't even here."
Shun's eyes widened even more with panic. He did not sense Hatake's signature. "You -"
"Shisui," Itachi correctly, slowly. "He beat you. His eye beat you." Itachi stared impassively at Shun's face. "I knew seeing a non-Uchiha with a Sharingan, one at the highest level at that, would get you worked up enough to throw you off kilter. It would open you up for sloppiness."
"I am impressed, Shun." Itachi carried on in a bland tone. "You managed to progress enough to use Susanoo. Not even Otosan was capable of that." Itachi clapped slowly. "Well done."
Shun narrowed his eyes, the corner of his right lip twitched repeatedly as if not sure if it wanted to commit fully to a snarl or not.
"I'm going kill you." He threatened in a low voice.
"That is going to be hard to do seeing how you're already dead." Itachi disappeared.
Shun screamed as lashes of fire whipped him from every direction. Shisui's face looked back at him indifferently as his skin burned with each new lashing. He was left raw. He fell to his knees.
For some reason, he was still conscious. He felt Shisui stab him in the exact spot he had. Shun saw the kick coming but he could do nothing. He fell on his back. He stared up at the smoky blue sky. He let out a labored breath as Itachi stood over him, watching him. Judging him.
Itachi held out a coin. Shun furrowed his brows. It hurt just to breathe.
"Heads I make it quick, tails I watch you bleed out." His voice was devoid of all emotion.
Itachi tossed the coin in the air. He caught it and flipped it over. His dark eyes looked at the depiction of clouds.
'Shun must have someone looking out for him', Itachi thought to himself.
Shun could not even utter a pained groan much less pray for mercy. He closed his eyes as he waited for the verdict.
"Goodbye, Shunsuke." The kunai caught him right where his forehead protector should have been.
It was his first-ever kill. Never did he imagine it would be his own kin. Never did he think that his first kill would come within the walls of Konoha. Maybe it did not matter all that much. The kill was for Konoha. Where it happened was inconsequential. It was just a minor detail.
Itachi walked away from the body. He thought he would feel better or at least different. He was still angry. Still numb. Shisui was still dead. Killing Shun did not change that fact. In fact, it actually almost made things worse. He no longer had a goal to focus on anymore. He had nothing to put these negative emotions towards. He had to face his grief head-on.
Shisui was dead. He had been unable to help him. Konoha lost yet another shining example of what it meant to be a shinobi. The girl that Shisui saved had blabbered everything. Once she started talking there was no stopping her. She talked his ear off the whole time he stood guard while the medic healed her ankle and tended to her grandmother.
Shisui was dead because Shun played dirty. For all the talk he had of the old Uchiha and their way of life he certainly did not have their sense of right and wrong. He picked and chose what he wanted to keep and what he wanted to conveniently gloss over. That was not the way of the Uchiha. What he was doing was not the way of the Uchiha.
The clan had been wronged. He understood that. He could not argue against that. They helped build the village that Shun was so hellbent on destroying. They were digging their own graves. There was no Konoha without the Uchiha. They made it what it was just as much as the Senju did.
This was not the way to go about change. He still had hope for peace. It would be harder to come by now. They would have to work twice as hard to get half the respect that they currently had. They would have to work back the trust and even then it was not guaranteed. For some, the trust was shattered forever and that was fair.
Itachi blinked. In a few minutes, the sun would be bright enough to completely obscure the still-visible full moon. The moon was always there, always watching even if no one else noticed.
Shizune looked at the controlled chaos of the hospital. There was barely a place for her to set her feet, much less put another patient. The lobby had overflowed over thirty minutes ago. She was sending people to the cafeteria to be looked at. There were not enough hands.
She stepped through the moaning and groaning bodies. They were more or less clustered in groups. The trainees were working on the patients with the green bands. They needed to get them out of the doors as soon as possible. They were discharging patients out of the East Wing to keep the flow going in one direction. Every time the double doors opened her heart sank a little more.
Anyone who came in with a red tag was her first priority to address. She had seen enough burned bodies to last at least five lifetimes. Shizune removed the red tag from the patient in front of her. She pulled the sheet over him.
It was not the first they had lost. He would not be the last. As quickly as she had stood up, two volunteers came and took the stretcher with the man's body away. She did not have to dwell on the loss too long, the doors were thrown open.
"Sarutobi-san?" She asked with dread.
"It's Ibiki. You have to help him." Asuma gestured to the man on his back. His eyes briefly met his mother's. He kept the surprise off of his face. It made sense that she was here the longer he thought about it.
Shizune's stomach churned. "He needs surgery right away." She looked over her shoulder. "First room on the left. It's empty. Set him down." She gathered her short hair and pinned as much of it up as she could.
Her eyes locked with a pair of dark ones. The woman frowned at her. "Know your limits, girl."
Shizune nodded. "I do, Sarutobi-sama." She nodded at the woman before she ran in the direction Asuma had gone.
He looked at her as she came into the room. Ibiki was placed on the cot. "Just you?" He asked her incredulously.
Shizune shook her head. "You're going to help me." She looked at him firmly. She did not have a body to spare.
Asuma looked at her confused. "What can I do?"
"Hold him down." She said grimly. His body was too burnt for restraints on his right side. She tightened the straps around his wrist and his leg on the side that was charred.
Asuma looked like he was about to pass out. She shot him a stern look. "Can you do that?"
Asuma looked down at Ibiki. His breathing was very, very labored. He was fighting for his life with each breath. Shizune put an oxygen mask on his nose and mouth. He set his jaw.
"I can do that." He grabbed him by the shoulders.
"Okay." Shizune's hands hovered over Ibiki's torso. "Ready?" Her eyes flickered to him. Asuma nodded. She set her face in a grim line and began to pump chakra into him.
Ibiki screamed. Asuma closed his eyes but he kept him down. Shizune tuned out the sounds of the anguished screams. He would pass out soon enough. She simply did not have enough resources to sedate him. He fell limp. A quiet blanketed the room. Asuma slumped against the wall.
"Stay alert," Shizune said without looking up. "He may wake up again."
Asuma pushed off the wall. He resumed his post. He kept his eyes trained on Ibiki. The intensity in Shizune's eyes was scaring him.
Naruto was safe. Confirmation had come from the slug herself. He was safe. He did not fail his son. He did not fail in his responsibility as a father. The boulder that had settled on his heart was reduced in size. His son was alive. The sense of relief was total and overwhelming.
There was a brief moment of clarity and still in the chaos. He was allowed a reprieve. He could breathe. He inhaled deeply as far as his lungs would allow. He counted to three before he let his breath out slowly. It was the perfect morning. It was crisp and cool. Everything was painted with the soft glow of the early hours. It was the kind of morning he liked the best.
It was a perfect moment. The wind tossed his hair. It moved through the leaves that were still on the trees. They had changed colors. The yellows, reds, and oranges littered the landscape. They stood out amongst the hardy evergreens. Konoha was most breathtaking during the fall in the light of day.
He could just about picture the wind blowing gently through the almost sheer mint green curtains, the breeze hitting him in the back as he shielded her from it. He could see her breathing evenly in his arms as he took in her face. Her face was illuminated in a soft, warm glow. Her pink, silky hair was wild and free all about her. Her cheeks were dusted in a muted pink. Her green and lilac seals are like gemstones on her distinctive, one-of-a-kind forehead. He just wanted to look at her for a few minutes before her pink eyelashes would flutter to reveal her beautiful jade-colored eyes before she scolded him for being creepy. She never truly meant it. The slow smile that would stretch on her rosy lips said it all. She not-so-secretly loved the attention. She would look at him and time would stop. He could spend forever looking into her eyes. He saw the promise of forever in her eyes. That was how this morning should have started. That was how all his mornings should have started. That was where he wanted to be.
It was just one moment. It was all he had. Reality came crashing around him quickly as the crimson eyes blinked in anger at him. Pain, they promised him a world of pain. And not just him, but everything that he held dear. The beast had a taste of freedom. He liked it. He did not want to go back to how things were. He quite liked his new circumstances. Much to the chagrin of all the lives in the village and possibly in all the nations.
Minato struggled to catch his breath. He could not catch his breath no matter how hard he tried. The collapsed lung he had was the most likely culprit. The slug on his shoulder worked diligently to do what she could. He neither had the chakra nor the time to spare to help her speed along the process. Being without chakra would kill him faster than a collapsed lung would.
He was down to one summon. Gamahiro would not last much longer and Minato knew the same could be said for him. He was almost all out of everything.
He had been foolish to think that he and his sensei were enough to seal the beast. The Kyuubi was determined and steadfast in his stance. He would not go down easily. Any old seal would not do. From where Minato stood, he did not think even ten shinobi with better-than-average chakra control and reserves could contain him. There were not a lot of options in front of him. There might not even be a single one if things keep degrading at the rate they were. There was only one way.
He had put it off long enough. He was ready to admit to himself that the writing was on the wall.
He had tried everything. He had given his all but that did not matter. The end result was about to be the same. He did not see another way out of this. The Kyuubi would have to be sealed. His heart was heavy. It would have to be Naruto, again.
The Kyuubi looked a little worse for wear. There were cuts and bruises from his attacks. But it healed itself with its regenerative properties. Just like the slug healed him. Unlike the Kyuubi, Minato did not have nearly endless reserves of chakra. He could not outlast the beast. He could not keep wasting time. More people would die. More people would die the longer it took him to act.
He could not have that. It was the toughest and worst decision of his life. He was going to seal the fox in his own son. It would be his biggest regret, the heaviest burden he had to carry. It was happening. Maybe it was just meant to be. Maybe that was just something he told himself to make himself feel less terrible.
This was his recurring nightmare come to life. He was leaving his wife alone. He was leaving his children without a father. He would not even get to meet the newest addition. It was his price to pay for his family to live. This was the price he paid to keep her alive. If he had to die for them to live, he was at peace. His decision was made. The fox would be sealed. Half in him and the other half in his son.
He could not ask anyone else to take on this burden. He could not even ask his son to. All he knew was this time he was certain it would be okay. Naruto would figure it out. Naruto was, is, and will be amazing. He will not let this define him. He will rise above his circumstances. He would turn all that anger the Kyuubi was directing at his father into an intense bond of friendship.
Naruto would be okay. He would have his mother. She will protect him fiercely from the voices. She would protect him with everything she had. She will not let anything happen to him. She would love Naruto enough for the two of them and then some. She would not let Naruto feel a lack of love. She would keep his memory alive for their son. Minato knew that. She was more than enough. As long as Naruto had her, he would be fine.
As a bonus, Naruto would also have Kushina in his corner. She was alive. He had felt her faint but stable heartbeat in sage mode. She would give him advice and guidance. Jiraiya would look after him just as he had looked after Minato. He would help teach Naruto how to control it. He would teach him everything he taught Minato. He would have Rin, Kakashi, Obito, and Itachi. He would have most if not all of his friends. He would have his new sibling. Naruto would have a full life. He had his support network and it was a solid network. He would not be alone. This time around, all the adults in his life would not fail him. Not in this life. That was his solace. That was why Minato could do this to him.
He narrowed his yellow-orange eyes. He sensed signatures approaching. Dread welled up in him. He blinked, cobalt glared out into the horizon.
Joben looked up at the back of the giant blue toad in front of him. He felt every bit as small as he was. It towered over the trees which in turn towered over them. He felt incredibly out of place. Kushina moved in his arms. He looked down at her. He was reminded that he was not alone.
"You need to get out of here." She told him firmly. It was cute how much attitude she had for someone who could barely stand on her own.
"No," he said without hesitating. "I won't leave you."
"Joben, please!" She pleaded with him. "I can't be responsible for you getting hurt or worse." There were unshed tears in her eyes.
"No. You're not responsible. I'm making this decision for myself. I'm not going anywhere." He said adamantly.
"Why are you so stubborn, databane?!" She asked in pure frustration.
"I could ask you the same." He looked at the toad. They needed to find a way up there. "You're seeing the giant toad right?"
Kushina looked at him incredulously. "Of course I am. There's a big orange fox too in case you're wondering." Her expression changed into one of curiosity. "Why?"
Joben's lips pulled into a frown. "Just making sure I'm not already dead." The trees were not tall enough for him to get up there. She was in no state to get herself up there.
"You're so…you're so…I don't even know what you are," Kushina huffed.
"How do we get Minato to notice us?" Joben asked her without looking away from the toad.
"Minato's noticed you," the blond appeared behind them. Joben jumped. "What are you doing here?" He asked them with a sense of urgency.
"We're here to help you seal the fox away, duh." Kushina crossed her arms indignantly. All that was missing was the haughty utterance of 'you're welcome.'
"I know some sealing jutsu." Joben piped up. Blue and violet eyes looked at him in a state of surprise. "I picked up a few things here and there," he said dismissively with a shrug.
Hiro held the fox back. "Please, hurry up!" He called back loudly. The ground shook.
"We'll need someone else." Kushina looked at Minato expectantly.
"It's too dangerous. The Kyuubi is adamant about not being sealed. He's volatile." Minato's eyes narrowed with authority. "You need to leave."
"You need to listen. Reseal it in me." Kushina glared at him. "I'm not going anywhere. I should have noticed the seal slipping. This is on me."
"It's not your fault." Both men muttered at the same time.
"Rin!" Kushina's eyes brightened. "She was there in Suna. She can do it."
"Hurry!" The earth rumbled.
Minato shook his head. "We can't risk it. The One-Tails is very different from the Nine-Tails. I need you to leave, now!" His tone did not leave much to the imagination just how time-sensitive the direct order was.
Kushina climbed out of Joben's arms. She stood at her full height. "You listen to me, Minato, you don't have to do this on your own. We can help. We can get Shizune, Tsunade, anyone will do. We can do it!"
He did not share Kushina's optimism. "Leave now. Or I will be forced to Hiraishin both of you out of here."
Kushina narrowed her eyes. Joben grabbed her elbow. She shrugged him off. "I can help!"
"You have two little girls to think about Kushina! You're all they have. This is not your decision to make." He said harshly. She needed to face reality. The reality in her head did not line up with the real world.
Kushina looked as if she was struck. She stood there stunned. Minato pushed down the guilt. He rejoined his summon. Joben grabbed Kushina by the shoulders.
"Kushina, we need to get out here." He began gently. His hands moved down her arms.
"Joben, you don't understand. How am I going to look Sakura and Naruto in the eye? If I let Minato die?" She asked him in the beginning stages of panic. She had not thought of this scenario. "They're having another baby. I can't just do nothing."
"Your life has value too. You need to worry about yourself. Tukiko and Karin already lost so much. They can't lose you. Minato's right. You won't survive the sealing. Even if by some miracle you do, your body won't contain him for long. It's in no state." He said in a voice thick with emotion. He covered her as a cyclone of wind descended on them.
Her hair whipped up in the air. They both grunted as debris hit them. They were toppled over. Joben pushed off of Kushina. She was trembling.
"He won't survive either. Sakura is the only one other than me who could. But she can't be the jinchuriki because she's pregnant." She swiped at her eyes. "Damn it! I should have noticed something sooner! I should have realized."
"It's not your fault." He said gently. "I missed it too. I didn't notice anything." The anger he felt at himself bled through his words.
Kushina shook her head. "We have to try something. If it fails it fails but what is the harm in trying? We've done it before. It worked." She held on adamantly to the idea.
He looked over his shoulder. "Kushina, we should get out of here. We're a distraction for Minato." He pulled her to her feet.
"Maybe we can go find Rin and Shizune and get the scroll and seal ready?" Kushina suggested.
Minato was pushed back. Hiro popped out of existence. He was in a freefall. He twisted so that he was falling headfirst. Just as the ground was rapidly approaching he threw a kunai with lethal accuracy. It embedded itself in a tree. He flashed. He pulled the kunai from the bark.
His blue eyes widened. He saw it all happen in slow motion. He threw his kunai with desperation. Joben saw movement in the corner of his eye. He pushed Kushina to the ground. He spread his arms. Minato reappeared. Joben's eyes widened. Kushina's scream replaced the still in the air.
Ravens gaggled angrily as they took to the skies from the trees.
A/N: Hello! How was that? Thank you for the kind words of support. I look forward to reading more. Hope to have another update for y'all real soon. Thanks! Until next time