AN: re-written June 15th 2024
Hello readers…. here it is. The last chapter. After so long. Sorry about that. But hopefully you all like this.

And don't freak out, theres an epilogue. And a Sequel. This story is really over yet!

Hope you enjoy~


Chapter XXII: Critical


Ni-san!

He froze mid step, eyes wide and a chill running down his spine. Ahead of him red hair swayed as its owner continued to walk down the street. But that had been…

He looked around. No one was reacting. He was just… imagining it. It was nerves or something. Trying to make an excuse to bail… Pretty lame of him honestly.

The Namikaze took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment as he tried to calm himself down. He couldn't shake a growing feeling of dread… but really it was nothing. Right? They wouldn't have been able to hear the twins from here anyway. They were fine. With Dai-san. He had nothing to worry about. Aside from trying not to make even more of a fool of himself in front of Kushina.

Said girl seemed to have finally noticed he'd stopped and was frowning at him now with a hand on her hip. "What's the hold up Minato-kun?"

He tried to smile as best he could. "Its nothing, just thought I heard something," he tried to dismiss his unease with the words as well. The boy jogged to try and catch up with Kushina… but that feeling of unease only grew. He actually shivered, the hair on his left arm standing on end as he felt almost as if the sleeve of his tracksuit had been tugged for a split second.

Something couldn't really be wrong, right?

Well… it wouldn't hurt to try and check real quick would it? "Uh… sorry, just give me a moment," he heard himself saying to ease the confusion… or rather annoyance, that was growing on Kushina's face. The genin focused on trying to sense out the chakra around him.

He could swear that there was a chakra signature right next to him.

-elp! Ni-

With a start he looked to his side, and out of the corner of his eye it really did look like someone was tugging on his sleeve. As soon as he was looking right at it however the effect was gone. Along with the voice that he was positive belonged to Makiko.

And he could sense someone's chakra right there. Where a wave of his hand told him there was nothing.

"What the hell are you doing ttebane?"

He grit his teeth. The chakra seemed to be moving. But also fading in and out as it did. What was this about?

He had to find out.

"Sorry Kushina-san!" he breathed out, and then leaped onto a roof in hot pursuit of this very strange phenomena.

He just hoped it really was his imagination and the twins were perfectly fine.


He was just dizzy. Sick to his stomach. Disoriented. All he could figure out is he was in movement. Most certainly being carried. But it seemed as if one second he was facing blurring ground, and the next he was carefully in a set of green clad arms, staring at an equally green chest. On the one side there was garbled speech, and on the other just the sound of his own pulse in his eardrums.

"U-ha-san - -ink we sh-ld - -ing Ma-o - the ho-tal, - cl-ly -ell."
(Uchiha-san I think we should be taking Masato to the hospital, He's is clearly unwell)

It was utterly sickening. Even just breathing was a challenge like this, with every other breath turning into a fruitless gasp. Whenever his eyes opened to see blurring terrain his chest just felt much too tight. Whoever was holding him clearly had no idea how to carry a child.

"I- -ve a -ok - hi- wh- we -ive - th- sta-n"
(I'll have a look at him when we arrive at the station)

What was going on? He remembered that Makiko had disappeared, and then he'd felt the sensation of danger, so he'd screamed. And then?

"He -eds - -nin"
(He needs a med-nin)

Rythm had been startled and turned to him to ask what was wrong… but the other boy, Kawazo, had rushed back with surprising speed for his size. After that… he could have sworn he'd smelt blood, and felt a growing panic.

"I'm -ain- in -you -ju-."
(I'm trained in iryou ninjutsu.)

"You -?"
(You are?)

He'd tried to call to Makiko through their connection again and again. Then tried to sense her. The next thing he knew everything just didn't seem to match up. It was almost as if he was experiencing two different circumstances alternating with every breath he took.

"Wh– -bo– th- -mu- bo-?"
(what about the shimura boy?

"-ll - fi-."
(He'll be fine)

Actually… maybe that was exactly what this was? Come to think of it, there had been that time when Maki had somehow influenced what he was saying. They hadn't really tried to explore what that could be yet. Which he was regretting now, because maybe that would have helped with his current situation.

It could be very possible that he was experiencing both what his own body was and what Makiko was in this moment. Though unlike that time when Makiko had controlled what he was saying, they seemed unable to talk to each other now.

"O-ke, -ere- un–ab- cha- ac-vi- in -e -ys -ai-"
(Otake, there's unstable chakra activity in the boy's brain.)

It seemed that his body was coming to a stop now. There was a sound of a few doors he thought. And then he must have been set down as rather than seeing green he saw frustratingly bright lights. He was being laid down perhaps, and there was someone's fingers probing his scalp?

He tried to focus on what was going on with his body.

"Masa-kun, can yo- foll- my fi-er?"
(Masato-kun, can you follow my finger?)

There was a finger in front of his eyes, and he was able to figure out what the person was doing somewhat. They were moving their finger side to side, but it appeared to be jumping about in his vision rather than moving smoothly.

However the fact that he could focus on his body and get a better grasp of what was going on with it might just mean he could do the reverse.

"His track- is incon-tent"
(His Tracking is inconsistent.)

"Th- cha–- -ivi- - gr-ing - vo-le"
(The chakra activity is growing more volatile.)

Focus he urged himself. The only times he and Makiko hadn't been able to talk to each other through their connection after all was after the number genjutsu their mother had placed on them had been triggered, and when only one of them was unconscious. He didn't like what either could mean for his sister.

"C-l f- a -d-!"

(Call for a med-nin!)

The voices around his body had an air of urgency around them now, but he did his best to ignore it. He would stay with Makiko. He had to do something to help her.

His own breathing was coming with difficulty now, but when he was with Makiko it seemed it wasn't always painful gasping anymore. This was good, right?

"H- g—- t- —- a se—- – th– r—!"
(He's going to have a seizure at this rate!)

The lights and voices were gone. He felt just wind, and an uncomfortably tight hold around him… well, her.

But he could also feel something else. Or sense something else. He could sense Makiko… but not here, with him. Aways away. With someone else. Someone… familiar?.

Minato? How could that be? And how was it that he seemed to be heading right for their sister and her captor?

And their allies?

No… not allies. His captor felt too… stressed. These others he felt behind them were pursuers.

Suddenly the culprit came to a stop, and he could feel their alarm. They didn't remain still for long, soon back on the go, having changed directions. He tried feeling out the way they had been going before. There was… someone else there too. Someone also somehow familiar?

Wait now, he knew who that was! Come this way! Damnit no, don't get further away. This way.

Though he knew it was probably pointless he tried calling out. Reaching out. If he'd just come this way then they could trap this damn kidnapper between him, the pursuers and Minato!


This way, Jiraiya!

The white haired man stopped in his rush towards the park, where Hashuro had told him Minato had taken the twins. That… voice… had sounded an awful lot like Masato. A desperate little Masato. Yet glancing at the streets below him he couldn't spot the boy.

"Oi, Ero-sensei!"

Now that he heard clear as day. Not a moment later he spotted the owner of the voice jumping from wall to wall to get to his current perch. "Sorry Kushina-chan, I'm in a bit of a hurry," he tried to tell the girl with a smile on his face.

She glared at him. "Oh no you don't! Have you seen that wuss Minato? He ditched me without any warning, the nerve!"

The toad Jōnin blinked in confusion. Minato ditching Kushina? With how much he was infatuated with the girl? That wouldn't happen in a million years. He'd sooner make a huge fool of himself to the point the girl ditched him instead. Something was up. "Tell me more. Did he say anything at all before he left you?"

She frowned in clear annoyance. "Something about hearing something. Then he waved his hand about this high next to him before he just apologized and dashed off." As she explained she gestured at about wrist height for her and Minato alike. "He was coming this way, but I lost sight of him."

Heard something?

Please notice.

There it was again. That most certainly sounded like Masato. The man's frown deepened. Which way? Well whatever it was, he had to deal with Kushina first. There was no point in panicking the girl. "Have you checked the park ahead? Maybe he felt the need to check on the twins?"

Kushina huffed in more exasperation… or that's what it seemed to be. Looking closer he could see a note of worry in the girl's eyes. The tell tale signs that tears were about to build. Her red hair was also completely in disarray, stray strands hanging in her face after coming loose from the low tail she seemed to have had it in earlier. "Of course I did! Maki-chan wasn't there, and Dai-san was carrying Masa-kun away with a couple of Uchiha officers as escort."

He felt his blood run cold. An Uchiha escort and only one of the twins likely meant only one thing. Makiko had been snatched from the middle of Konoha. Damn it, he was too late! The white haired man nearly cursed, fists clenching at his side for a moment before he let out a low breath. "Kushina, I want you to take this key," and he pulled a key from out of his flack vest, which had been given to him by Hashuro in the hokage's office. "It's for Minato's place… I want you to head there and make sure no one has broken in or taken anything, do you understand? If you see any other genin on the way, get them to come with you. If you find no evidence of intrusion, station yourself for surveillance, but if you do, send word to the Hokage tower immediately. Do not engage any suspicious individuals yourself but call for more experienced Shinobi to handle it, do you understand?"

The girl's face had paled a bit, but she took the key. She was obviously confused, but it seemed his authoritative tone made her not bother to try and question him. Not much at least. "Is this a mission?" her voice shook a little, and it seemed to him like she'd figured out that something was up. Really he was sending her there on the off chance that there was something kept in the Namikaze home that these intruders wanted, which he doubted. So mostly it was to keep her out of the way. After all, there was always the remote chance that these kidnappers of the little Namikaze may just be… interested… in someone who clearly showed Uzumaki features. And Kushina was clearly worked up enough she may just try and follow him… it was a small risk, but not one that he was willing to take.

"It is. Go."

She swallowed. "Yes sir." And then the girl had jumped down into the street to his right.

Now to see if he could find the kidnapper.


Hands clenched into fists as she ran down the street, Kushina resisted the urge to look back at the roof she had come from, knowing the Jōnin was likely no longer there by now. She was about to leap onto another roof to cut over the next street. This would get her to the Namikaze estate that much faster. But before she could she spotted someone who was vaguely familiar and wearing a Konoha headband. A Nara she thought. Younger than Shikaku to be sure and probably a newer genin. He was just strolling down the street with his headband tied around his upper arm, so it didn't look like he was busy. Then again, if he was a Nara they somehow managed to never look busy even when they were in the thick of it.

Rather than jumping up to the roof she decided she'd call out to the boy, so she continued on. Just as she was near enough she saw him come to a halt in front of another boy wearing a high collar jacket and round sunglasses. This one she recognized more readily. Shibi Aburame, heir of the aburame clan… that meant the other boy was a Nara indeed. Nara Suzaku who had been added to Shibi's genin team after their third member had died. She couldn't remember who that third member had been, or how they had died… probably not related to being a shinobi then, because she'd likely remember a mission related death even if she didn't know the details of the mission.

She slowed, debating for a second on if she should call out to them, in case they were meeting up to go on a mission. But they seemed to be speaking casually. She'd only lose a few more seconds if she asked them… and if there was someone there having some back up would be reassuring even if they were boys.

"Aburame-san, Nara-san," she called loud enough for her voice to carry to them, closing the distance between them with a good jump moments after the call. They stopped as she expected, regarding her curiously.

"You would like to ask if we are free to join you on a mission," Shibi stated, and she was startled for a second. "Why, because you are tense and not one to call out to boys you hardly know without a good reason. A mission."

She blinked, still a little surprised.

"Tell us on the way, Uzumaki-san," The Nara boy spoke up. "It looks like you're in a bit of a hurry."

Well… guess they were free then.

She nodded, and jumped to the flat roof of a shop next to them. The boys were on her heels so she didn't pause, running across the roof and then leaping across the street to the other side, and continuing on down the roofs for a bit. "Mission received from Jōnin Jiraiya. Inspect the Namikaze estate for any signs of intrusion. If none found, station off premises for surveillance until we receive orders of release. If signs are found, immediately send someone to report to the Hokage tower. Do not enter the premises if an intruder is detected prior to or after arrival but request immediate chunin and Jōnin intervention."

"Understood" The boys replied simply as they jumped down to the street as it was too wide for them to jump across. They cut through an alley to the next street over.

"Do we have a way to access the estate?" Suzaku inquired.

"I was given the key," she answered simply. They reached the end of the alley then and were back up on the rooftops. They were just a little ways down the street from Minato's place now.

Suzaku came ahead of her and held out a hand to halt when the estate was just barely in sight. "Shibi."

"We stop here. Why? To await the report of my Kikaichu."

Did the Aburame have to speak in such a… weird way? It took her a moment to figure out that he was saying he'd sent his insects on to see if there was in fact an intruder in the estate at that moment. She bit her lower lip, not liking being unable to do anything herself, but she knew it was best to let the Aburame do his thing. So she settled herself in as hidden a place as she could while still having a view of the Namikaze estate, and she waited.

Then she saw Suzaku jumping down the back side of the building back to the next street over. She looked after him in confusion, but decided not to let her gaze linger after him. That wasn't the mission she'd been given.

So when he hopped back up onto the roof with a girl and another boy in tow she was surprised. More surprising however was the fact that the two newcomers weren't glaring at each other, faces instead composed and eyes focused. A Hyuga and an Uchiha… being composed in each-others company.

Well she supposed it wasn't that strange for the adults… but for teenagers?

"Aburame, I see no one present. Confirm." The Hyuga addressed Shibi.

"Confirmed." Shibi replied curtly, not using his strange speech pattern… likely because of the authoritative way the order had been given. It was an order. This was Hizashi wasn't it? He was no Genin, but a Chunin who was already in the consideration to be promoted to Jōnin. In fact he likely would have been promoted, if the Hyuga didn't want his older twin brother to be promoted before him. She wanted to know why that was… but likely they wouldn't tell her.

But being as he was Chunin he was now the captain of their impromptu squad by default.

The Uchiha was Mikoto, and she would have smiled at her in any other circumstance. Mikoto was still a genin, but she was likely to get her promotion soon…. and probably not go any further than that. She was engaged to the heir of the clan, so her role wasn't to go out and die but to stay home and give him his own heir once they were married. She needed to be impressive enough to warrant that position, but no more than that.

It was kind of sad to be honest.

"Uchiha-san, Take Uzumaki-san to enter from the front. Be casual about it. Nara, with me, we have the grounds. Aburame, remain here and watch for incoming intruders. I'll have my Byakugan on you so you can alert me to anything I may not have noticed. Disperse."

"Understood," the group of genin replied easily, and Kushina got to her feet, following Mikoto down into the street to walk towards the estate.


Too much blood. It really was too much blood. On hands. Chest. Feet. Grass.

Everywhere.

All he saw was red. He could no longer make out those around him, reacting to them on sound and instinct only. More pain. More red. His breath was ragged, forced. He couldn't stop breathing. Couldn't fall.

But he would fall, he knew. Not much longer until he simply couldn't keep his feet under him.

A grunt. More red. This time blossoming from the flesh of another. One less to try and take him down… but it wouldn't be enough to save him.

Was this going to be the end of him?

A snarl escaped him, and somehow he made his hands move, avoiding efforts to stop him. He nearly fell to do it, but his hand met the ground… or he thought it was the ground. It, like everything else, was red and slick with blood.

More chakra left him than was expected however, and even the red drained from his vision, Leaving him entirely reliant on his ears as he'd lost his sense of smell some time ago.

There was far more noise than he expected too. Growls. Barks. Shouts of pain.

And then there were hands on him. He tried to strike out with the Kunai he'd kept in hand, but the motion was simply too much.

Sakumo lost consciousness at last, his life hanging on by a thread.


He grit his teeth for a moment, then forced his jaw to slacken so as not to make unnecessary noise. He really hadn't quite believed that something had happened to Makiko. Or he'd wanted to be able to disbelieve it. But she really hadn't been at the park… neither had Masato, but he'd seen Dai-san, carrying Kawazo, following a couple of Uchiha, one of which had his brother. He was safe. For the time being.

Makiko was not.

Still he had hoped maybe she'd just wandered off or something. That it wasn't really something so serious. He tried to hold onto that hope desperately. Right up until he caught sight of what looked to be a cloaked figure and a mass under their arm.

He knew it was Makiko. He just knew it. He couldn't see any details when he first spotted it, but he'd been drawn this way.

The cloaked figure had turned away and put on some speed. Minato stopped for a moment, realizing he'd been the cause of it. He'd been too absorbed in his emotions. That was dangerous here and now.

With great effort he tried to force it all down and focus on the… problem in front of him. He'd gotten too close… he was just a genin after all, and on his own. Really he should be trying to get help. Senior shinobi who actually could close in on the… kidnapper.

Kidnapper.

He started to grit his teeth again, and once more made his jaw relax. Be calm, he tried to tell himself. It worked to an extent… but there was no way he could just leave this to other people.

It seemed he didn't need to get help either, as there were in fact other shinobi in pursuit. At first he wasn't sure if they were pursuing him to try and stop him, or if they were after the kidnapper. But as they were circling about the culprit it became obvious what they were about.

He tried to think more about his own pursuit. Tried not to get in their way. By rights he really should stop and leave it to them. He really should.

Ni-san!

He remembered the call he'd heard that guided him this way. The scared voice of his sister. It really could have been in his head. Yet it had guided him here. She was afraid and being taken and he couldn't stop his body from moving. He needed to get to his sister.

He put on a burst of speed without intending to, caught sight of the kidnapper again for a moment, and then realized he'd made a mistake as the man again swerved.

He came to a stop finally.

Ni-san!

Blood. Everywhere there was blood. Her hands, the ground on which she was kneeling. Flying through the air and splattering on the trees and leaves as battle ensued around her. But mostly it was pouring from the body beneath her fingers.

Body.

No. There was still a pulse. Still a pulse. He yet lived. He would live. She just had to stop the blood. But she poured chakra into his wounds and still he bled. If only his blood would stop pumping for just a moment she could repair this damage enough that he could live.

She took in a heavy breath. In order to save her patients life she was going to have to take it first. And there might be no success in her treatment even then.

Could she do this?

She had to. If she didn't he'd die.

Looking out over the village from his office window it took all his self control not to leap out of it, or take to pacing. He could use a good smoke right now, but at the same time it was unappealing. He did not want the smoke in his eyes obscuring his vision, even as slight as that obstruction would be. His hands, clasped behind his back, twitched.

Out of the corner of his eye he regarded the scroll atop the desk. The one left here by Orokku, now an hour past.

An hour. A lot could happen in an hour. Let alone what else had occurred in that hour. Thirty nine minutes ago Jiraiya had arrived with his report and word of an ambush. Sixteen minutes past he'd received a report that someone had infiltrated the village. He'd immediately put his Anbu on high alert. Six minutes ago he'd been informed Makiko had been snatched right out of one of their playgrounds.

Four minutes ago he was told her brother Masato was in critical condition.

Not even a full minute ago he received a report that while Tsunade had made it to Sakumo thanks to some questionable summoning and reverse summoning, his life still hung in the balance.

In another hour Makiko could be lost to them, Masato could be comatose, and Sakumo may succumb to his injuries despite Tsunade's best efforts.

The only thing they'd gained this day in the matter of the Twins and their mother was a cryptic warning and a scroll that may not really be related to it at all.

The scroll was unmistakably of Uzushiogakure though. Likely sealed by the Uzumaki themselves.

Keeping the heavy sigh that wanted to escape him in place, The Hokage turned for a moment from the window, forming the necessary hand signs for a shadow clone. He didn't much like using this jutsu for… errands, but sometimes there was little choice.

"Gacho," he spoke even as his clone picked up the scroll from his desk. The Anbu melted out of the shadows soundlessly.

"Should my clone fail, see that this scroll makes it, unseen, to Uzumaki Mito-sama."

There was no response, but he knew Gacho would carry out this mission as he dissolved back into the shadows. His clone also left…. though he had a feeling sending his clone rather than having it stay here may be a bit of a mistake.

Mito hated it when people couldn't show her the common courtesy of requesting something of her face to face.

He almost shivered at the thought of having to deal with her ire later. Contrary to the belief of others, not even the woman's advanced age would save anyone from that. Nor would his title as Hokage.
_

They were closing in on the kidnapper… but whoever it was was getting desperate too. Someone young he assumed. They must lack experience to some extent if they were allowing themselves to panic. They were most certainly panicking, even if their movements themselves seemed calm and calculated. It was the changes in direction that gave it away. The momentary halts when even just a civilian's chakra came up in their path.

Desperate was bad. Dangerous for the girl. Once the culprit came to the conclusion they couldn't break out from the closing perimeter, whether there really was one or not, they'd turn to the only other means of escape possible. Using the girl against those who would snare them. They had to keep the net loose enough that this shinobi thought they could still get away up until the moment they could rush in and take hold of the girl in the time it took a man to exhale. Anything else risked harm to Makiko, and Fugaku was not one to allow for such a risk to his charges. Not when proper coordination could avoid that.

However coordination was difficult when new parties kept joining the pursuit. First it was an anbu squad. Easy enough to work with. But then came the boy. Minato was skilled yes, but he was too green to understand some of the intricacies in what they were trying to accomplish. They had to shift their strategy around the boy… there wasn't the manpower to send one of them to stop him… not when it would have to be one of the anbu or he himself that did so. Minato was fast for a genin. Fast for a chunin if he was being entirely honest.

His instincts were just good enough that he didn't hamper them too much however, and paying attention to where he was allowed them to use him to their advantage. They didn't need any other parties joining in though, that would just make this shifting about and subtle herding of the culprit that much more challenging.

So when he realized two more had joined the loose net Fugaku wanted to curse. A half breath later he realized who the newcomers were. He finished his exhale, and drew in another breath.

The target swerved, putting on a reckless burst of speed that would get them noticed. Should they fail to get over the wall to the right of them then they would surely turn to threatening the girl in order to get away… or just kill her before ending their own life to avoid capture and try to take whatever information they had to the grave with them.

They had to act now.

Exhale.

The anbu closed in as his own unit did, and they saw the culprit was a teen boy. A young one. His mouth was set in a grim line as they closed in on him, and then split into a mocking, twisted scowl. He read the hand signs, breath hitching… they couldn't possibly make it in time!

A blur of blonde and orange. But still it wasn't fast enough, the teen leapt out of the way of Minato Namikaze, his sneer now aimed at the genin who tried again to reach for his sister.

And then the girl was in his arms. Minato's eyes were wide, surprised, but Fugaku hadn't missed it. A shadow was wrapped around the teen, preventing him from avoiding the genin's grab for his sister. "Retreat Namikaze!" Fugaku shouted. Because despite being bound, there was no stopping what was about to happen.

There was more movement attracting his gaze. Handseals. Realization, and then action.

Doton Doryuheki

There was a slight tremor in the ground, and then an upheaval as from four sets of hands earthen walls shot up, boxing in the teen as Minato jumped clear. Only a moment later the walls cracked with the force of an explosion, and he thought he heard some wet splats on the other side.

Well… so much for taking the culprit alive. At least they had a way to glean information from his body… if there was enough of his brain intact. Even if there wasn't, they could still get something off of his remains… if there was any at all.

The Anbu were over the wall, while he and the other four casters of the earthen walls straightened from the ground. Hento and Toriumi were next to Minato, coaxing him to come with them to the hospital, and allowing Toriumi to take Makiko so as to examine her on the way.

Minato hesitated for only a moment but relented, clearly realizing they were there to assist. He glanced over at the white haired Jōnin who had used the earth jutsu a moment before the three Uchiha. His face showed gratefulness and confusion for a moment, before he schooled his features.

The Anbu were gone, a scroll with them as they made haste to the Hokage tower.

Shikatsu regarded him and Jiraiya with what looked to be a bored gaze, but the Uchiha knew better.

He allowed himself to breathe more easily, and let the Sharingan fall dormant. How long had the chase lasted?

Too long he decided.

It seemed it was time to review the training and performance of his men to better ensure the security of his charges.


"Really, I don't think that was a sign of an intruder at all," She tried again to convince Mikoto.

"What was it then? Why else would that room be such a mess? The clothes were everywhere, Kushina."

Currently they were on a roof to the south of the Namikaze estate, having completed their investigation and coming up empty handed. Well, she knew they'd come up empty handed, as what Makoto was describing was likely the aftermath of Minato trying to get his siblings to agree to matching clothes of a different colour so he didn't have to leave the house in fluorescent orange and green. Though she had to wonder why he had such vibrantly colored clothes if he didn't want to wear them. Or why he had so many of the same track suit. He couldn't possibly need so many even with all the different colours. Had he bought all the tracksuits in a department store going out of business or something?

She'd ponder it later. Now she needed to try and convince Mikoto. She'd tried in a way that would save face for the boy, but that was clearly not going to cut it. She'd apologize to Minato later for selling him out this way, as knowing Mikoto she'd definitely tease him about it if she was given the opportunity.

But why did that bother her? She'd done so herself.

Focus Kushina.

"Well… Before this I was going to go shopping with Minato-kun. He showed up to our meeting place in this bright orange tracksuit and admitted it was because the twins insisted he matched with their orange rompers and he couldn't convince them on some other colour." Just explain it all she decided. With no more detail than really necessary. Hopefully this would convince Mikoto. "Besides, if someone had been in there why would they only throw clothes all over the place and not anything else?"

Mikoto regarded her for a moment, and then seemed to be holding back a laugh before she nodded. "Alright, so no sign of intrusion after all then. But you have to admit it looked weird Kushina." The older girl went on, though her eyes were already back to scanning. "Who owns so many tracksuits like that…" Then the black haired girl shook her head. "Enough talk, We have a job to do."

An insufferably boring job.

Then again, it would be better if it stayed that way. Better if nothing happened.

She hoped the twins were alright.


Moments before Makiko had been grabbed by their brother, Masato found his consciousness had been forced completely from her. However it hadn't returned to wherever his own body was currently, and somehow he was watching what was going on around his sister as if he was floating in the air slightly above and behind her. Walls of earth erupted from behind them.

He tried to make himself turn to see better… and found that he could, but only marginally. It was as if he was bound in some way. Something tying him to Makiko's body.

He looked back to his sister then, since he couldn't really see much aside from some Uchiha of the police force approaching his brother.

He couldn't hear anymore he realized as their mouths were clearly moving yet all was completely quiet. He could only watch what was going on around his sister. How one of the Uchiha took her, and then with Minato they were hurrying off. Where? Well he'd find out, as he went with her. He didn't have a choice.

He tried moving again, but this time he couldn't even change the direction he was looking. He had no sensation of anything actually. It was just sight. Was he actually here at all? He tried to will himself back to his own body…. nothing. He closed his eyes and waited.

When they reopened it was to see that despite him feeling nothing at all they had moved quite far. Nearly at the hospital by the look of it. Was this really happening? Or had he passed out and was dreaming now?

There was a tug from a little above him as they entered the hospital. And in response he felt a stronger one from Makiko, holding him in place.

Was she somehow preventing him from going back to his own body?

He saw a panicked look on Minato's face as a nurse was speaking with him, and then uncertainty in what to do as he spoke with emotion by the look of it. A moment later, looking torn, he started following the nurse, leaving Makiko with the Uchiha.

Instinct told him to try and go with him.

He got the impression of something snapping, and something else fastening tight, and in what should have been a dizzying instant he found he was now seeming attached to a point just above one of Minato's shoulders. Shoulders that tensed in that moment, and Minato stopped for a second, before hurrying on, just barely keeping himself from running by the look of it..

Then he found himself looking through a window into a treatment room, where there was… seven, he thought he counted seven. Seven medical personnel around a small body.

His body, he realized.

A glance at the machines that seemed to be hooked up to him told him his heart was not beating. They were trying to revive him. So what did that mean for him?

Was he a spirit?

Would getting back to his body aid in getting his heart beating again?

Minato was shouting by the look of it, tears streaming down his face. They'd barely been in his life and already he was this attached… he'd be devastated if his little brother died here… He couldn't let that happen.

But did he have a choice?

Again he felt the sensation of a tug from above… and this time it proved a little stronger as he seemed to get further from Minato.

The force that wished to expel them. Pulling him in. And he seemed robbed of the means to stop it.

The personnel in the room seemed to be losing hope as they stopped working on the toddler's body and seemed to only be discussing. Then the door to the room opened and one of them came out to talk to Minato. The boy was screaming, he thought, not that he could hear a word of it.

Then an eerie calm came over Minato, and he walked stiffly into the room. The tug was stronger, and he wasn't able to follow.

Minato looked as if he was going to say goodbye…

NO! You can still fight it Masato!

Makiko.

It felt as if she was there then, next to him. But if she was, then it was possible she could be pulled as well.

Go back Makiko. He can't lose both of us.

He could feel the anger rolling off of her… and he could hear muffled sounds as well. A rhythmic beeping from somewhere seeming quite far away.

Don't you dare give up and leave me to this task alone. Don't you dare.

But how couldn't he? How could he get back to his body. He'd been trying!

Then he realized the heart machine was going again. His heart was beating. That was the rhythmic beeping. Minato was next to the bed, tears still falling, but his shoulders were slumped in relief as the tension that had built there left them.

Footsteps were rushing down the hall.

A moment later a bed with a small body was rolled seemingly right through him.

Makiko was on it. She wasn't breathing.

All at once he understood. Makiko had left her own body in order to get his heart going. And now she was dying instead of him.

Stop Makiko! Go back to your own body! He pleaded with her desperately. Don't kill yourself for me!

Several long seconds passed

You first.
_

A sigh of relief escaped her lips. Somehow that had worked. It worked. Hatake Sakumo would Live.

More than just live, she amended. Somehow she'd been able to stop the bleeding with her desperate treatment strategy and get his heart and lungs started again before irreversible damage was done to his brain and internal organs. He might not regain some of the strength he had, but he would recover enough to be a shinobi again… if he so wished it.

Looking to his white faced wife, Tsunade rather thought he would have to work very hard to convince the woman that was what he wanted should he choose that course. She'd have a hard time of it… many civilian spouses who ended up seeing their spouse nearly die did.

"He'll make a full recovery with proper rehabilitation," she assured the woman softly. "Which starts with you. He's out of danger, the need for worry is gone. Support him Minori-san, and he'll recover all the quicker."

The blonde woman tore her gaze from her husband in his hospital bed to look at her with a look of chagrin and then a thankful smile. "Thank you Tsunade-san. I don't know what I would have done if…Thank you." She cut herself before she could finish, and then schooled her features.

Well, she wasn't such a weak woman as many civilians it seemed. But she was the wife of a shinobi. So perhaps that made some sense.

"It's always hard when he's hurt… but He's never been so close to death before… since we've met. I told myself I understood what it meant to be the wife of a shinobi… that he could die at any moment… but I don't think I really understood it until it hit me in the face," she admitted, though now her eyes had returned to her husband. She smiled a worried, but accepting smile. "Still, knowing him, he'll want to return to duty when he can. And I'll have to watch him leave a good many more times, wondering if he'll come back…" The woman trailed off, and then moved over to sit by the bed, taking her husbands less injured hand in her own, careful not to shift his IV.

"Will you ask him to give it up?" Tsunade asked her, curious. It wasn't easy to handle the prospect that your loved ones were in a line of work that could so easily kill them. She'd struggled with it herself… and then her brother had died, and she'd almost not returned to the career herself. She'd found the determination to do so when she focused on the medical side of things, improving her already superior healing techniques to be unrivaled in all of Konoha.

To save as many loved ones of the village's citizens as she could.

Minori didn't look at her, closing her eyes for a moment instead. Then she shook her head softly. "No… As much as it terrifies me, I can't ask him to give up on his dreams. It would be too selfish of me… I want him to be happy for as long as I have him."

No, this woman wasn't a typical civilian at all. She had what it took to be the wife of a shinobi. And Tsunade's heart went out to her. This woman loved her husband so much she was willing to face the fear of losing him every day, just so he would be more satisfied with his life while he had it.

She didn't envy her that stance.

Nor did it feel right to intrude on this family moment any longer. She'd imparted her diagnosis on the family, and now it was time for her to leave them.

It was one more family she'd managed to save the loss. Just one more. And she would always keep striving for another.
_

How had it come to this? He'd just been going shopping, and Makiko had been snatched… and then Masato had had a seizure… and died. He'd been dead. Dead for a minute before he was revived, only to die again after he'd finally arrived to see him. Before his eyes.

He'd never felt such… despair as he had in that moment. His little brother was gone. The doctor was saying that at this point there was no hope they could revive him as he wasn't responding to treatment.

And then hope as the boy's heart had started again. Weak, but there. He wasn't breathing on his own, hooked to an oxygen machine to make him breathe, but alive. Alive again as he'd walked into the room to say his goodbyes. A miracle…

Only for Makiko to suddenly be in dire straits herself. She'd been breathing just fine when he'd taken her from the kidnapper! How had this happened? Why?

The steady beep of the machines hooked to Masato slowed.

Red tearshot eyes snapped up to look at his brother in disbelief.

"Why?" He demanded of no one in particular. Why did his siblings have to die.

Why did they have to leave him! They were too young. They hadn't really lived at all! How was this fair?

Couldn't he at least say farewell properly? Hold them?

He had been told not to touch either of them… that the disturbance might…. They were already dying however. He knew it. So at least he wanted to..

He choked on a sob, reaching out for Masato's cheek. His cold cheek. His breath hitched.

The pulse was… stronger. And growing more so.

Thank you, Ni-san.

He blinked, bewildered and confused, but Masato was breathing again. Trying to at least. And his heart was beating.

Suddenly afraid to cause harm he withdrew his hand. Only to find himself gripped by a terror that the boy would just get weaker again without the contact. It was irrational, he knew.

It's okay. Masa-nii will be okay now.

Makiko?

He looked at her still figure on her own hospital bed. And then to his amazement saw her chest rise and fall. Still, she hadn't spoken, he could tell that much. She'd just started breathing again.

After the staff had all left. He looked to the call button, and quickly got up to press it.

It seemed the twins weren't done fighting for their lives, so he wasn't going to let the Iryou-nin give up on them yet.

As if to answer his determination the machines telling him his siblings were alive continued to make their reassuring noises steadily, falling into a natural, healthy rhythm by the time a nurse had rushed into the room, and then surprised had called for a doctor to come right away.

Makiko and Masato would live. Their family would stay together.

"Are you certain of this?" He couldn't help but question, even if they had suspected this already.

"Positive."

He nodded, and then sighed as he turned back towards the window of his office. So it was confirmed then. The twins had the Namikaze Kekkei Genkai. The Unnamed Kekkei Genkai he'd never seen before... had doubted even existed. They'd only had records of it. Cryptic ones. And the word of Mito who stated it certainly existed.. An invaluable tool in Uzushio when there had been more members who had had it. Before the decline of the Namikaze clan.

She'd refused to share more, or rather, claimed she couldn't remember... but he knew she must know something. He just had no evidence to prove as such. He couldn't ask her for information he couldn't prove she had to give.

Mito had been a kindly and obliging person in most aspects of her life, for a good many years he had known her… but whenever it came to anything remotely linked to her clan… even before her age seemed to have made her misplace her kindness to some degree… she would clam up. The last non Uzumaki she'd discussed any such matters with at length had certainly been Tobirama.

But there was nothing to do about that now. He simply had to try what he could to answer his questions… including learning about what he needed to know from other sources. And making an attempt at getting Mito to talk.

Now perhaps they would better learn just what this kekkei genkai really was. How it was possible for it to allow the two twins to push themselves out of their bodies, in a way somewhat like Dan Kato's deadly jutsu, as well as to communicate silently to each other like the Yamanaka could facilitate with proper training and control. And anything else such a bloodline ability could be capable of. Because it was an innate ability they were born into, and not something that could be taught… that much had been proven.

He stiffened, memories rushing to him that left a pit of dread in his stomach.

It seemed this matter would have to wait. "Thank you Inokai. You are dismissed."

"Understood," the Yamanaka replied, and left him to his thoughts in the office. Well, that's likely what the man assumed he was leaving the Hokage too. In reality however the Sarutobi had an irate Uzumaki to placate.

He'd better send word to his wife that he would be late coming home this evening... very late.


Word count: 8268


To the Reviewers:

KaixDecayx: It may have taken me too long to get this up to welcome you back, but I will say it anyway! Always happy to receive a review from you 3And your theory is a pretty good on on that. Its not quite it, but it has something to do with it yes!

Riku Uzumaki: Unfortunately he didn't get the chance to do that. I had been tempted to write it that way originally, but decided this felt more realistic. He is still a Genin no matter how talented of one he is after all. Still you make a good point that Kushina and Minato could bond in a different way here. Hope you're still around and will keep reading what comes after this to find out!

JWolfcat: Thanks for taking the time to review! I hope you enjoyed the story and got to this point, but I'm glad you enjoyed whatever you did read. Yes Minato does have it bad. I did get the impression he was hopelessly crushing on Kushina from how the portrayed their past in the anime, so I ran with it!

EtheriousLogia: thank you for your kind review! Sorry for the wait on this but I hope you enjoy it as much as what came before if your still around to read it!

Kemono Mimi: Wow what a review! Thanks for taking the time to write out so much of your thoughts and theories! I certainly share some of those sentiments about Mito and the Uzumaki in general. But lets face it, the canon story is filled with holes and inconsistencies… and that's a veritable goldmine for fanfiction as long as you can figure out how to twist them to your means. I hope I've been managing that pretty well here, and seeing as you picked up on that little implication of Mito I decided to add a little bit about her that is more implicit on just that! Hope you enjoyed that little addition to this chapter.

LadyHokageSama: Thank you for taking the time to submit so many reviews! Even though I am spotty in when I can get on and update, I really do appreciate all the kind words and comments on what is going on in the story and your thoughts as you read it. Especially when you point out details from earlier on and how they connect to what you were currently reading. I was a little concerned some people had forgotten about that detail about the Father since its been so long. Hope you enjoy the rest of the chapters! No need to review them if you haven't the time, I'm flattered with all the reviews you have left already! Thank you very much for reading!

gabbay18: And it will get finished! Late, but better late than never. Just the epilogue to go, and that won't take as long as this chapter did.