It's been a long time since I wrote much of anything on any site. Deleted my previous stories when I realised they weren't going in the direction I wanted. After a while, I decided to take some time and properly plan them out for future purposes. This is one I wrote on the basis of an original female character and a war between the Five Great nations. Au in a sense as much of the plot changes after team selections. I'll try to post the new chapters once every week.
~•••~
The village of Konohagakure no Sato had been decimated, left in ruin and disaster by the tragedy of the Kyuubi no Kitsune's fatal attack.
The air hung heavy, the stench of blood hard to ignore. Bodies were littered all over the outskirts of the village, spread around haphazardly. There was no order. Simply chaos showcased by the massive massacre of the shinobi forces. Tree stumps stood in place of what used to be miles of forest and a deathly silence filled the area. All apart from the uncoordinated cries of a new born in the centre of the ruins.
A shrine, made of white and gold, held the child up off the ground, blood drops spluttered all over the material of the construct, with some smeared across the child's cheek. He was naked for all to see, the intricate seal sitting across his abdomen the only blemish to his newborn skin. He cried out, his mind still uncertain of what surrounded him, yet knowing he lacked warmth and comfort. The aura of pandemonium that surrounded him did nothing to calm him.
"N-Naru...Naruto..." A figure rasped out from the feet of the shrine, desperately clawing at the ground with bloodied fingers as she made her way to the newborn. Her plea went unheard as the cries intensified, causing her heart to bleed. The sound hurt her more than the gaping hole that went through her torso. "Naruto..."
She disregarded the pain that shot through her limbs as she oared herself up to the side of the shrine, her breathing labored as her hair clung to the sides of her face due to all the blood and sweat. Her hands grabbed the bundle that sat at the centre of the sanctum and brought the child into her safe embrace.
"Naruto."
Instantly, he stopped, the cries dying down as the child felt the comfort of the woman's warmth encompass him. Kushina did not possess the strength to sit up straight and she gently laid him on a patch of grass, sleeping next to the child. She wrapped her arms around the boy, affectionately staring at his undefined features. Her child...tears trickled down her face.
He was safe now, yet she knew the troubles he was bound to face with his status. She stroked his hair, the motion needing more strength than she could believe. Naruto quietened in her grasp, the seal fading as he felt the warm and love she gave off. For the first time that night, sapphire blue eyes opened, staring innocently at the tired shade of violet that met him. Eyes filled with love he would not come to know for years.
"I'm sorry...but I don't have much longer in this world. It pains me to leave you, more than you will ever know...but...I love you, my child." She managed to say before her mouth tasted the familiar metallic flavor of blood. Her eyes threatened to close and her heart clenched as she realised she was leaving him all on his own. She had already said what she had to, yet it would never feel like enough. "Please, forgive me."
Her body, in its final attempt to protect him, began to glow an eerie white as the chakra chains wrapped around them, a fragment of herself seeping into him as he cried out once more. The light died down to find the child brought even closer to the woman. She had stopped breathing, her body going cold yet she still held on.
Naruto cried out, once more unrestrained, as though he was aware she was gone for good. For a while, his crying filled the otherwise silent clearing until some semblance of life came upon the scene. The previous Hokage landed silently, the Anbu arriving along with him. His eyes were drawn to the scene of the mother and her child and his eyes softened. Among all those he had seen today, this scene hurt the most. Both so young, unlike his wife, who had lived out the majority of her years. He walked over, alone and unguarded. Prying the child from Kushina's arms, he took a good look at him. He was so much like his father and the seal that adorned his stomach further aided his suspicion.
"Rest idly Kushina...I shall watch over him for you," Hiruzen looked across the clearing, finding another body laying in the ground, "both of you."
Naruto, he knew the child was called. His wife had mentioned it in passing after Kushina had told her the day before. Fitting, considering her likes and general attitude. He watched as the Anbu cleaned up and collected the bodies of the dead. Some family, some close friends, others simply faces they recognised in passing.
The attack had done a number on the village and its forces. The Western side of the village walls had been completely eradicated, left in shambles after the Nine Tails had run rampant. So many lives had been lost in the attempt to drive the beast out. He had failed to protect those he considered his children, leading his successor to sacrifice not only himself, but his family as well.
Hiruzen would make sure he did better. Those sacrifices would not be in vain.
~•••~
Midnight
Within the interior of the village, the hospitals were in overdrive. Patients had been flocking in at an ungodly pace and all those working at the facilities were beginning to feel overwhelmed. People had come in with varying symptoms, from open wounds to chakra poisoning from the Nine Tails' demonic presence. They were struggling to contain the spread, having not seen this many injuries since the last war. These casualties were not nearly as numerous as those in the war, yet it felt that way.
As with every other day, children had been born as the population of the village continued to blossom, despite the heavy culling they had endured. It was nearly enough to offset the death toll, yet the shinobi forces had still taken a heavy hit due to all of it. Many children had been orphaned as a result and placed in intensive care. This was the scene that Tsunade walked into as she made her presence known.
The woman had never thought she would find herself here once more, confined by the walls of the village once more. "What's left of the walls anyway," She snorted internally, eyes scanning over everything.
Shizune was at her side, her pet in hand. Her youthful pupil was still so young, barely past the age of an academy student. Despite that, she was filled with knowledge beyond her years courtesy of her often drunk teacher.
Tsunade was not sure what had made her come back. She could have so easily disregarded the urgent message her former teacher had thrust upon her, yet her heart would not have allowed her to do such a thing. Somewhere inside her, she still cared, not for the village itself, but for those that still lived within it. Those of a generation yet to come. For those she once cared about, she was willing to make sure that the village lived to see another day, even in her soon to be absence.
The newly reannounced Hokage was still unaware she had arrived, for she had not bothered to send the delivery bird back with an answer, letting it go empty handed.
The blonde walked into the room, lazily peering at each child that was present, each soundly asleep. She could see Shizune doing her own check on the opposite end of the room and she trusted her apprentice to be thorough as well.
They all looked relatively fine, all small and still very prone to death under anything less than perfect conditions.
"Tsunade-sama!"
The sannin craned her head off to the side, arms folded over her bountiful chest as she looked over at the young girl. There was a slight panic in Shizune's voice and it garnered her interest.
"Hmm?"
"Come see...this child, she's..." The girl's words died in her throat as she looked at the child she was referring to. Tsunade walked over, her steps nothing more than leisurely and relaxed.
"What is it?"
She paused as she stood next to Shizune, peering across the glass panel to see the child that her captured Shizune's interest. A newborn, likely over only a few hours at most. A tuft of white hair sat atop the child's head, and her skin was pale, even for a child. Her appearance was not what was concerning though, as Tsunade soon came to realise.
The child, sleeping peacefully in the dead of night, was enveloped in an eerie mist of red. Remnants of the Nine Tails chakra coated the air around her. It was faint, by still noticeable. That kind of exposure to corrosive chakra could kill most grownups, let alone a child.
"Interesting." Despite the gravity of the situation, Tsunade was not concerned. If the child had yet to die from over exposure, she likely was not going to succumb any later.
At heart, Tsunade was still a medic and she held a great fascination for human life and its ever changing anatomy. That extended to the abnormalities that came her way in this field from time to time.
"What does her file say?" The blonde asked as she continued to watch the child's steady breathing. Shizune looked past the glass and opened a small window, reaching for a stack of papers next to the child while avoiding the chakra that had become a permanent feature of the air around her. The sannin's ears picked up on the delicate sound of papers being flicked before she got an answer.
"Nothing..." Shizune's brow furrowed in great confusion, fingers lifting page after page. "...no parents, no next of kin, no reports of when she was brought in,"
"Nothing at all huh?" Tsunade did not sound concerned by the new development. She placed her palm over the window, watching as all the chakra swirled around the child. Then, her eyes snapped open, lavender irises staring at Tsunade with innocent curiosity. The coat of red suddenly stopped, taking a lighter hue as it was drawn in through the girls skin.
"Is that normal?" Shizune questioned as she returned to her teacher's side. Tsunade was silent for a few seconds, watching as the child did nothing but absorb it all with an innocent smile.
"No, but once someone does it, another person is gonna be able to as well. Then it eventually becomes normal. That's life for ya." The woman shrugged. "No name as well?"
"Yes, her file is empty."
"An orphan then," Tsunade put a finger to her chin in thought, a bit of a smirk forming on her graceful features. "Then I suppose we can name her."
"Is that allowed?" Shizune asked, eyes focused on the child. The baby shifted her gaze from Tsunade to the younger girl as the air around her became clear. She held her gaze, before releasing a small squeal like sound and closing her eyes.
"It better be." The older woman said as she turned on her heel. "Himika, what do you think of that one?"
"Himika? Why that name?"
"Sounds about right, so I went with it." She shrugged helplessly as she walked out of the room, expecting for Shizune to follow immediately.
"Of course you did, trust her to do something that random,"
Shizune turned to leave as well, before the child cried out. She turned, but as soon as she did, the child stopped and closed her eyes, seemingly falling asleep. Something clicked in the girl's mind and she grabbed the child's file and jotted down the kanji required for the name Tsunade had picked from the top of her head.
With that done, she trotted after her teacher, knowing the rest of the hospital was likely going to be more gruesome than the room they had just tended to. The night was still relatively young.
She was right, painstakingly so.
The rest of the building was a sorry sight. The mass amounts of patients far outweighted any of the facilities at hand. There were not nearly enough beds for the injured, showcased clearly by all those resting against walls and sleeping on the cold marble floor. The rooms reeked of dry blood and rotting skin, most having burns caised by the corrosive essence of the Nine Tails. It made Tsunade nauseaous.
Shizune raised a hand, her fingers trembling as her mouth hung open in shock. Her pupils dilated, taking in the horror before her. She had seen people near death before, some mutilated beyond medical repair, yet never to this scale. Never to such an extent. "H-How?"
Tsunade's eyes hardened, hazel irises darkening as she realised the gravity of the situation. Without hesitation, she reached over and placed a strong comforting hand on her students shoulder. She did not speak, her eyes conveying whatever she had to say. Shakily, Shizune nodded, hands tightening around Tonton.
"It's far worse than I had originally assumed. So this is what the Nine Tails can accomplish in such a short time." Tsunade walked forward, her pace brisk and hurried now, all the relaxation melting away. Shizune struggled to keep up as Tsunade made her way to the roof of the building.
The outside was not any more comforting than the inside proved to be. Carnage filled the streets, demolished buildings and scattered bodies laying all over the village. It was a sorry sight, and for the first time that night, she had to acknowledge how vulnerable Konoha was in its current state.
She sat, legs crossed and eyes closed, bringing her hands together in the classical ram symbol. Shizune stood a safe distance away, watching as the marking on Tsunade's forehead pulsed and glowed, spreading all over her face, chest and arms, undoubtedly reaching every end of her body.
The building shook as her aura gave off its brilliant golden glow, chakra rolling off her in waves. Shizune planted her feet firmly to the ground, chakra flowing down her system in an attempt to keep her grounded.
The sannin's eyes opened slowly, her left hand coming up to her mouth as she bit into it before pressing into the ground, a large burst of smoke follwing. No words were said. The summoning towered over her, and Shizune let her eyes fall upon the majestic form of Lady Katsuyu.
"Lady Katsuyu." Tsunade's voice was clear and firm and nothing else had to be said. The creature nodded, her body peeling apart as smaller fragments of her slithered away, intent to deal with as many casualties as possible. Tsunade closed her eyes and focused once more, her strength more controlled and centralized. Her head turned halfway as her eye glanced at her apprentice.
"Shizune."
"Yes Lady Tsunade." The girl stood straighter, posture rigid as she listened intently.
"I understand you are young amd may feel overwhelmed, but please...watch over those beyond Katsuyu's help.That means the elderly and the young." The blonde did not wait for a reply as she turned back forward.
"R-Right. I'll do my best." She stated, turning on her heel and running down the steps. There was still a lot of work to do before the first dregs of daylight made an appearance.
~•••~
Hokage's Tower, sunrise
Sunrise.
It was a time of day people associated with the coming of a new day, giving birth to new opportunities. This time, to the people of Konoha, it presented an opportunity to put the events of the previous night behind them, yet even that was a monumental task when the damage was still present, laid bare for all to see.
Over night, the debris had been cleared and not a body remained out on the streets. The hospitals were still packed, but things had stabilized with the intervention of Tsunade. The morning was silent, with no chirping of birds of early chatter from local vendors. The mood simply did not allow for it.
The attack had left a sizable chunk within the shinobi forces, the Anbu having to work overtime to cover up for their comrades, fallen or otherwise. The shortage of man power was alarming, so much so that it left Hiruzen with little option but to turn to Danzo and his own illegal organization, lest he leave the Leaf in it's vulnerable state.
Hiruzen had barely taken the hat for half a day, yet he already felt decades older than his age presented him to be. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. He cast his tired eyes up to the door, sensing an approaching figure. He propped his elbows on the hard wood of his desk, hands brought together as the door slammed open without so much as a knock. Tsunade stepped in, her figure lacking her signature coat, eyes heavy and clouded.
"Sensei." She managed with a soft sigh, the door closing on its own from her brute force. She walked over to him, declining the seat that was ready for her to take. Hiruzen allowed a small smile to grace his features.
"Tsunade, I never thought I would see the day."
"Neither did I." She told him, as she folded her arms over her chest. Her eyes bore into his, silently asking question after question.
"Will you be staying?"
"No." Her reply was immediate, her tone firm. "I did as you asked. I'm leaving as soon as Shizune has rested enough. Never intended to stay anyway."
"That's a shame." A third voice bit out as the door slowly creaked open, revealing the old frame of Danzo Shimura. A frown graced Tsunade's face, lips turning downwards at the sight of the man. "Your stay would be beneficial to the village...Tsunade."
"I highly doubt it." She craned her head his way as he walked in slowly, his pace not at all rushed.
"Oh, but I assure you. At the moment, the Leaf is in a weakened state. Do you not agree, Sarutobi?" he directed the question to his former teammate. Hiruzen raised an eyebrow.
"Unfortunately, I must agree with Danzo's assessment. The Leaf is in a rather precarious position." He was uncertain what Danzo was aiming at.
"You hold the title of one of the Legendary Sannin. Surely you understand that your presence here offsets most of the damage and deters any threats that could seek to harm the very village you came to nurse back to health."
"Be that as it may, you can hold down the fort just fine on your own, can't you?" She smirked, arms falling away as one rested upon her hip. "I would simply be a figure head to keep people feeling safe. Thanks for the offer, but I'll pass."
Danzo narrowed his eye as Hiruzen watched the exchange in silence, eyes dragging over to the windows as the light slowly crept in. The sun was rising higher.
"Do you not..."
"That's enough!" the Hokage bellowed, his voice stopping Danzo from speaking and preventing Tsunade from firing another response. "Tsunade will take her leave soon. Danzo, we cannot spend our day pursing such a hopeless endeavor. There are other things that I wish to discuss with you."
He looked over towards his former student and nodded. She understood, turning her back and heading for the door without so much as second glance. She paused by the door.
"Make sure you take care of that future generation you're always yapping about Sensei." Had she turned, he would have seen the ghost of a smile that danced on her lips, quickly replaced by a more wistful one. The door shut as she left.
"Sarutobi." Danzo's voice was low and threatening, undoubtedly angered from watching the man let another one of his students wall out on the village.
"Perhaps I have gone soft in time, but I still have this village's best interests at heart. Keeping her here would do us nothing." He started.
"Keeping her here was in the village's best interest. You've gone senile!"
"Tsunade is a grown woman. She can not be bound by the laws of this system. Our goal is to keep our people happy, not imprison them. Perhaps you have forgotten that?"
"Hmm."
"In a sense, this village is in a process of rebuild. The people do not feel safe. One person alone cannot provide such a thing, you know no one has accomplished such a feat. Right now, we must focus on healing the injured and rebuilding the village."
"Years of experience yet still you fail to see the bigger picture."
"Old friend..." Danzo turned his back and walked out without another word. Hiruzen watched as his door slammed shut, leaving him to his own thoughts.
The situation was so very delicate. The rebuilding of the western wall had started as soon as dawn had heralded a new day and the hospitals had gained control of the situation. The Sandaime sighed as he reclined in his chair, knowing that he still had plenty of work to attend to.