Chapter reposted and Beta by EvIlDemon 4/9/2024

Konoha's Retrieval Team

Chapter 3

Shizuka and Karin

I don't own Naruto

Masashi Kishimoto does!

The Hidden Village of Nadeshiko is an island southwest of the Land of Lighting and northwest of the Land of Water. What made this village special was that it was matrilineal. They didn't have any alliance with other hidden villages, so they were neutral and, surprisingly, were left alone by two of the five major Hidden villages. Nadeshiko village was considered a very peaceful village mainly run by women; the ports and small towns were the only locations where men could live with female residences; otherwise, they would have to leave the island. The kunoichis would only leave the island for missions and resources and to find a strong male to procreate and challenge them to combat.

Nadeshiko had a unique tradition of finding male partners or lovers; the male had to defeat them in the battle to accept the male's proposition to become a couple. Sometimes, they would encounter strong male enemies, and when they beat them, they would kill them for being weak; sometimes, they managed to take them in and hold them as breeding tools. Most kunoichi saw this as the best way to keep their population at steady and constant growth without having to worry about dealing with the issues of men. However, not all of the village women thought this way since they still believed in falling in love with a man and creating a family, so in part, there were exceptions to the rule. If the women manage to give birth to girls, then the children will be able to grow up with proper education, but if they give birth to a boy, they will either abandon the child at the nearest village or have the father leave the island with the child.

What made Nadeshiko very special was that they managed to harbor secret clans that had kekkei genkai over a long period. They made sure to keep the clans small so that they would attract Kumo's attention. Since they were always trying to kidnap people who had kekkei genkai and had women on their island, they would use them as breeding machines. As for Kiri, they were worried about the single fact that the Mizukage would purge anyone who had a kekkei genkai that came from there and would probably kill anyone who had one as well. That is why the village rarely sends out the kunoichis from the clans on missions. To hide their identities, they became elite Anbu forces to protect the village from crimes, spies, and missing nins.

A lone kunoichi was running toward the village leader's office after receiving a report of an attack on the seaport, and many of the people were killed by unknown individuals. The survivors that got away could make it to the next town and spread the word till it reached the Anbu and sent a message about what was happening. They also received reports that the villagers were being used as sacrifices by one of the individuals, so they were taking their time moving from town to town. They were able to get valuable information through the sacrifice of their kunoichis, and they were able to send a message to their fastest kunoichis to their commander to get orders from their village leader. Ultimately, they got the worst possible news any small nation would get as they sent out many kunoichis to try to slow the intruders.

"Akari-sama! Akari-sama! I received urgent reports not that long ago that I got word that two unknown ninjas were attacking us. From what we heard from the surviving villagers and kunoichis, both of the unknown ninjas are slowly going from town to town, murdering villagers. At least one is committing all the heinous crimes while the other only stands by and watches. A few kunoichis squads have engaged in combat with one of the two and were first tortured and then killed. They are extremely dangerous ninjas that are causing mass chaos on the island. I'm not sure how long we can hold them off. What is your order Akari-sama?" Tokiwa said as she barraged into her village leader's office about the impending danger heading for their village.

"Sarai, have all civilians head to the underground bunkers and shelters; make sure to have all escape routes ready in case the enemy enters the village and begins to kill indiscriminately. We must try to save as many people as possible while delaying the two ninjas from getting close to the village. Should Nadeshiko be destroyed in the worst-case scenario, I would like all the surviving kunoichis to meet up with Tokiwa and head to Konoha. As for the rest of you, go and spread my orders and tell the gate guards to regroup at all hidden shelters and bunkers. We must protect the citizens at all costs." Lady Akari commanded as all her high-ranking kunoichi left without a complaint, leaving her most trusted kunoichi to carry out her next order.

"Tokiwa, I need you to listen to me carefully; I need you to take Shizuka out of the village as soon as possible. I fear this might be it for us, and get four of our best kunoichi you trust with your life. Go to the hidden bunker near the ports on the island's west side. Take them with you, and keep your vigilance guarded around your surroundings. It would be best to wait a few days before sending scouts to check on the village situation. I believe I'll be able to convince Konoha to take you in as refugees and join their ninja forces so everyone can become stronger." While writing something on a scroll, Lady Akari commented when she spoke to her most trusted kunoichi.

"I apologize for interrupting Lady Akari, but I don't think Konoha has anything to offer our kunoichi; I'm sure they are overrated, and many of the rumors that come from were also exaggerated. I'm sure if Nadeshiko goes to war with Konoha, we will come out victorious with the help of our clans." Tokiwa stated, with all the confidence in the world, that women are the strongest.

"Tokiwa, I don't know where all this arrogant attitude is coming from, but let me remind you that Konoha has been the strongest Hidden village since its inception. If I remember correctly, all the "Shinobi Wars" were won by Konoha as they retaliated against the other Hidden villages for provoking them, so they ended them at every turn. I even lost to Jiraiya of the Sennin in battle a long time ago, and he promised to have another match or to call in a favor that he would honor in his name as the toad sage. And Shizuka will become a powerful kunoichi and possibly find a strong husband in the future. The leader of Nadeshiko said as she paused to let the information sink to her subordinate before she continued speaking.

"Here is a scroll that explains the situation to the Hokage. Don't expect them to fight our enemy since we don't have an alliance. I'm sure the Hokage will understand, allow our people to stay, and possibly make a clan base off the Nadeshiko with some of our traditions." Lady Akari explained this to her elite jonin so she would understand, as she was planning to save as many people as possible.

"Yes Akari-sama I understand." Tokiwa replied as she bowed and left in a [Suiton: Shunsin.]

"As for the rest of you, it would be best to gather all secret techniques from your clan and make proper arrangements in case any major happens. Some of you might want not to get involved, but this is just the calm before the storm. So take this threat seriously, as your lives depend on it; otherwise, this could spell the end of our way of life and Nadeshiko. But as long as we have enough people to survive, we could always make a clan for us to survive." The village leader said to the clan heads of all the Nadeshiko clans; they nodded in agreement as they got up and left to prepare.

When Tokiwa left the village leader's office, she had a good idea of who to get to, and it only took her a few hours to get the selected kunoichis. She got one member of each of the five clans to agree to protect Lady Akari's daughter on the journey to the Land of Fire. Time was against them since they knew it was a matter of time before the fighting would reach the heart of the village of Nadeshiko, and Tokiwa wanted to make sure that she was as far from there before the killing started. They went to the village leader's home to pick up her daughter and some of her possessions to bring her back to have a conversation with her mother to have some last words with her. Sometime later, Tokiwa returned to the village leader's office with the protection detail that would join her on the mission to take young Shizuka to Konoha. Tokiwa knocked on the door and waited to be permitted to enter.

"I want to thank all of you for accepting my request, and I hope you have safe travels to the Land of Fire. Tokiwa, you're going to be the team leader, and just in case I die, I will make you Shizuka's legal guardian so that no one tries to take advantage of the situation, leaving you in charge of my beloved daughter."

"Shizuka, my daughter, come with me. We must speak in private", Lady Akari commented as she looked at the small group before Shizuka followed her mother to her private study.

Once they entered the room, Shizuka's mother began getting storage scrolls and placing them on her table; then, she retrieved jutsu scrolls, summoning scrolls, and many other things that would be useful to her. Shizuka's mother began sealing everything for her daughter, putting them in a traveling bag when she finished her task. She then walked behind the rice paper divider as she began to undress from her formal wear into her battle armor; five minutes later, she appeared again, walked over to a bookshelf, took a book out of its place, and pressed a button. A secret door opened, and then she walked in and began to gear herself up with all the necessary weapons needed for the upcoming battle that was to come.

"Shizuka, I will need you to go with Tokiwa, where she will take you to a hidden bunker. I don't fully understand what is happening, but my instincts tell me we are in great danger. I need to stay behind to protect our people and defend our home. If I don't survive by chance, I'm counting on you to be a brave girl and grow into a strong kunoichi." Shizuka's mother commented as she gave her daughter a gentle smile as she tried to remember her daughter in her memories till the day she died.

"Kaa-san, how you speak makes it seem like you cannot survive. Are you going to leave me alone in this world full of monsters with no way to survive in this world?" Shizuka replied as tears slid down her cheeks, her eyes red.

"There is a very high possibility that I am going to die, but that is what it means to become a leader of an entire island. You would hold the lives of thousands of people on your shoulders, and with this great power comes respect. And with respect comes the desire to protect what holds you dear in your heart. That is the reason why I'm ready to die, and that is the reason I'm letting you know that Tokiwa is taking you to Konoha to give you a chance to survive and live your life." Shizuka's mother commented as she singled to the rest of the guards to help her seal all the weapons.

"Kaa-san, we should just try to weather this attack and hide in the underground bunkers to rebuild the village again. We don't have to leave the island; we could try to make a stand against whoever is invading. We are strong enough to win if it comes down to the start of the war." Shizuka explained her idea in hopes of getting her mother to agree.

"If the village happens to get destroyed, Tokiwa will follow my last commands and take you to Konoha. Once you reach the Land of Fire, you should be able to make a safe passage to the village Hidden in the Leafs. There will be a culture and, more than likely, a traditional change since it was a military dictatorship with the strong ninja to be able to protect the village. It's the perfect place for you, my daughter, to grow and become something more than you could even imagine, so trust me, please." The village leader said as she walked towards her daughter and gave her a tight hug.

"But I wanted to become a kunoichi from Nadeshiko and place our headband on my forehead. But I guess fulfilling that dream will only stay as a dream now." Shizuka responded with a crest-fallen face, seeing there was no way she could save her mother.

"Shizuka, you will learn in time and accept what will happen, so you don't have to worry about it. If you are so worried about the headband that you could have this one, I'll make you an honorary kunoichi under the command of your new guardian. Be sure to follow her orders and don't argue with her or any higher-ranking kunoichis. Never forget where you come from; the proud village of Nadeshiko will always live in your heart as the strongest kunoichis." Shizuka's mother said, pulling her daughter into a firm embrace before letting her go and kissing her on her forehead.

"I-I-I will make you proud, kaa-san, and I will never forget you," Shizuka told her mother before letting her go. She wiped the tears from her face before the small group left her office before they attacked the village.

Border of Takigakure

A mother and daughter traveling for a few weeks were trying to forget their nightmare since they heard from their friends and villagers alike that ninjas from Kumogakure had been looking for their family. The Uzumaki family had to leave their peaceful life behind as they gathered whatever important possessions sealed them away. They left the village of Yugakure in the middle of the night. The family of three headed towards the west of the Elemental Nations to the village of Kusagakure, where they could find protection if they joined the village as a ninja. The Uzumaki's biggest fear was being caught by Kumogakure and Iwagakure and becoming human breeding for them to steal the secrets of the Uzumaki clan.

(Flashback)

Uzumaki Hideo once saved a person from Kusagakure; the man was a former ninja who became a merchant and vowed to help if needed. He was able to guide that man back safely to Yugakure without any trouble; little did he know that the man recognized him from the Uzumaki clan. And now that an opportunity has presented itself, Hideo would ask for that favor as he sent his [Swift] summons to pass on his message that Kumo ninjas were hunting him on his way to Kusagakure. So they left in the middle of the night without any prying eyes, in case they gave up information on the direction they were heading. Unfortunately, the Kumo ninjas still tracked the small Uzumaki family.

Hideo, knowing what would happen if they got caught, decided he would get killed right away since he was the more significant threat, but his wife and daughter would become Kumo's breeding machine as they would try to put out Uzumaki babies. He shook his head, stopping the images of despair as he found the resolve to stay behind and fight to give his family a chance to live. Hideo suddenly stopped, and with a puff of smoke, a katana appeared out of a storage seal on the palm of his hand; he then handed off his possession to his wife. She knew what he was going to do and began to cry, knowing that he would stay behind to fight off their pursuers when he hugged her tightly before letting her go. He created ten [Kage Bunshins], and then he had two of them henge into his wife and daughter; before the real Hideo came up, he hugged his daughter, kissed her on her forehead, and told her his clone would explain everything.

Without another word, the clone began to escort his boss's family as far as possible from where the battle would take place by misdirecting their pursuers. The clone then asked his daughter to get on his back and hold tight while he picked up his wife in bridal style when he channeled his chakra to his legs before running toward Kusa. Hideo told the rest of the clones to flank the enemies and hit them from the back while he continued to get away with his clone family. When the enemy appeared, he summoned more clones and dispersed one of them to let them know when to attack. He still didn't know how long it would take for Kumo ninja to reach him as he would delay as long as possible, giving his clone and his family time to distance themselves from him.

That encounter with Kumo ninjas was over a month ago, and only because of the hardships and tragedies did the single mother have the strength to continue towards Kusagakure. Ever since they could escape from her old village with the help of her husband [Kage Bunshin], he could transmit his final goodbye to his family when it vanished with a puff of smoke.

(Flashback Ends)

She knew that her beloved husband had passed away in the afterlife after sacrificing his life for his family. Now, her only concern is keeping her daughter safe; hopefully, they will be allowed to reside in Kusagakure. She could also work as a civilian nurse or a medical ninja for a living to give her daughter Karin a better future and train her to follow in her footsteps as well.

"Kaa-san, do you think we will be able to make it to the village before nightfall?" Karin asked her mother, giving her a tired look on her face, with the hope of reaching Kusagakure.

"Karin, from what the last traveler told me, we are a day away from Kusagakure," Akahana told her daughter, trying to soothe her from asking the same question repeatedly.

So they kept moving forward and hoped for them to be at their destination soon as they prayed to Kami that they wouldn't run into trouble. Karin's mother began to think about where they would be camping for the night, so she needed to find a water source, preferably a river nearby. They need to refill their water sack and find a place to wash up; after a long day of travel, neither of them likes to go without washing, making them disgusted. All the while, they walked in silence until Karin decided to ask her mother another question, only to make her sigh in dismay at her curious daughter.

"Kaa-san, I can't help but wonder why we have to keep the clan name a secret?" Karin asked, curious since her mother and father never told her anything, making the older redhead sigh for the hundredth time.

"Honestly, Karin, I don't want to tell you for your safety. But since our clan's enemies already know our characteristics. I guess it won't hurt for you to know a little about our heritage." Akahana said with a sad smile as they marched towards the Kusagakure border.

Akahana wondered at what point she would start explaining. The only answer she came up with was the beginning.

"Uzushiogakure was a peaceful nation. We were masters of fuinjutsu and kenjutsu. And no other hidden villages were able to contend with us. It got to a point where we became powerful enough to rival the five Great Nations. Ancient folk tales talk about how we are descendants of the Sage of Six Paths. And we are close relatives of the Senju clan and distant cousins of the Uchiha clan." Akahana began to explain, making Karin's eyes almost pop out of her tiny little face.

When Karin heard this from her mother, she thought she was making it all up as an ancient folk tale. Their clan is descendants of the Sage of Six Paths and is related to two of the most powerful clans. Karin quickly realized she stopped listening, so she refocused and listened to her mother as she told her one day they would be able to meet someone from their clan again. She was sure that this small request Kami would listen to her prayers, but little did she know that this little wish would come true at the cost of something dear to her.

"The Uzumaki clan mainly specializes in fuinjutsu, kenjutsu, and ninjutsu since we have enormous chakras, which allow us to battle longer than normal people. Our clan has always been believed to be the strongest in protecting its people through love and unity, making us the only Hidden village of family members. We were larger than any of the other clans known in the Elemental Nation, but that was not the only thing that made the Uzumaki clan special; all the clan members from Uzushiogakure had to be well-versed in all the ninja arts. Each person had to pick three of them as their main specialization since we didn't want to be at a disadvantage against other experienced ninjas, giving them a slight edge in battles. We also kept the world from knowing our kekkei genkai. Otherwise, we would have more Uzumaki alive as prisoners of war and turned them into breeding stocks." Akahana said as Karin interrupted her by asking a question of her own.

"Kaa-san, what is our kekkei genkai, and what makes us special from the others from different clans?" Karin asked, hoping that she would one day be able to get her own kekkei genkai.

"I will get to that, Karin. Just be patient, listen to everything I'm telling you, and keep it to memory so that one day, when you have children of your own, you can tell them the same as I'm doing with you currently." Karin's mother replied, making Karin blush in embarrassment that her mother would talk about her having kids when she got older.

"MOM!" Karin cried out in protest, making her mother smile at the innocence of a child.

"So, where did I leave off? Oh yes, not everyone from the clan was able to inherit these special abilities, as I'm about to explain. But that wasn't the most precious secret we had in their possession; we had many forbidden fuinjutsu techniques hidden away in a secret location. These techniques were beyond our imagination, one reason Uzushiogakure got destroyed." Akahana paused and considered what else to tell her daughter before continuing the impromptu history lesson.

"In Uzushiogakure, we had a special task force called the Guardians. These Uzumaki were a small force but feared in combat, and most didn't need a four-person squad. They were in charge of the island's protection and security. From foreign invaders, spies, and market traders. These Uzumakis were the pride and protectors of the Uzumaki clan." Akahana explained to her daughter what little she could remember from what her father had told her so long ago.

"Wow! Kaa-san, our clan sounded amazing, so how was Uzushiogakure destroyed?" Karin asked, seeing her mother scowl as she remembered such a hurtful memory. She closed her eyes in thought before speaking.

"From what I remember, when they were escaping Uzushiogakure, a coalition of Iwa, Kumo, and Kiri attacked the island from three different fronts. After a long, hard month of devastating battles, the Uzushiogakure was eventually destroyed, but in the process, they weakened the other major Hidden villages. Konoha could retaliate by wearing down the coalition and winning the second "Shinobi War" while they scattered like the wind. Many of the Uzumaki clan escaped and were hunted by the coalition, while some stayed behind to kill as many enemies while letting their clan members have a chance to escape. But the ones that had been captured decided to commit suicide before letting any of their enemies take them alive. And from what you have seen, I'm a survivor of the mass genocide, and so was your tou-san; we just had the unfortunate luck that they found us." Akahana said as she looked over at her daughter, who gave her a sad smile as they continued to walk toward their future.

Little Karin began to imagine everything her mother explained, from the clan's folklore to the creation of the Uzumaki clan. She would have wanted to see their ancestral home and meet all the different Uzumakis, and from what she heard, her clan members sounded like they were a fantastic type of people. Karin wanted to know if their family had a gift or a kekkei genkai because she tried to get one. Hopefully, their new home would be as understanding as their last one, giving them decent shelter and protecting them from other ninja villages who would try to steal clan secrets. On top of that, she finally learned more about her family history since her mother never talked to her about their past. Everything was beginning to make sense now and why her father was always gone, sometimes for an extended period.

"So, was tou-san a ninja or a civilian?" Karin asked as she wondered what type of ninja he was.

"Your tou-san had a kekkei genkai, one of the three special abilities called [Minds of the Kagura.] This technique allows one to sense chakras from exceptional distances, and the only way to avoid it is to be a civilian or have the chakra sealed away. But what made this secret technique special was that it didn't matter if a person could suppress their chakra; they would then use a search jutsu technique in conjecture with their kekkei genkai. The Uzumaki sensory is among the best in the Elemental Nations during their era." Akahana finishes explaining as she feels the pride of knowing that her husband is one of them.

"Kaa-san, do you have a kekkei genkai?" Karin asked her mother, with a hint of curiosity on her face.

"I have a kekkei genkai as well. I ended up discovering that ability by accident with your father's help. It's called [Chakra Consumption jutsu]; this ability quickly heals any injuries, self-inflicted or enemy attack with some expectation. I will only use it in a life-or-death emergency." Akahana explained as a slight blush appeared. She turned her face away and reminisced about the memory.

Karin soaks in all the information her mother tells her since she knows how intelligent she is for her age. She always knew inside her heart that her family was unique, and their clan were distant relatives of two prominent clans. Karin also learned some of the history of what happened to their clan and island, and Karin wanted to keep their culture alive by learning whatever was available to her. She discovered that her tou-san and kaa-san were once ninjas and that maybe they would let her join the ninja forces at her new village. But she also realizes that she would have to be careful with whoever she was around in case they tried any despicable actions against her and her mother. Karin was not sure if her little mind would be able to handle all this new information. Karin thought about it before they were interrupted by her kaa-san speaking again.

"I used to work before I found out I was pregnant when I became a housewife. I was a medic ninja and a perfect one." Akahana told her as if an epiphany struck Karin, understanding how her mother was so good at healing people.

Now everything made sense, and that's why they moved around a lot from place to place when she was a little girl. She never knew how her mother was making a living or why her father was away. While both mother and daughter fell into a comfortable silence as they continued to trek closer to Kusagakure. Not even ten minutes later, an explosion snapped the little family out of their thoughts. Karin's mother told her daughter to take cover and hide. And from their hiding spot, they saw the beginning of a battle about to unfold in front of them.

A battle was being fought between the borders of Takigakure, Kusagakure, and the Land of Fire while a squad of Kusa ninjas entered Taki's borders without permission. They want to complete their mission faster by taking a shortcut through Taki, which leads both sides to this minor confrontation. While in the shadows, another group of ninjas watched the battle's outcome to ensure that none of the ninjas in the struggle came any further into the Land of Fire.

Akahana felt terrible about the situation when her parental instinct told her they should move as far away from this battle as possible. Just in case they had a suitable sensor and were discovered, the last thing they needed was for the ninjas to mistake them for extra enemies. That is what Akahana thought as she kept a vigilant eye on the surroundings in case they accidentally set off a trap, giving their position away. She then heard her daughter try to get her attention, guessing she had something to ask.

"Kaa-san, I saw four of them go off in that direction, and the other two, I lost track of them," Karin commented as she continued to look around, her face looking frightened.

They were startled again when they heard another explosion while ninjas were shouting; yells, curses, and screams were heard. The battle started to get closer to where the two Uzumaki females were hiding. Sensing that the situation was becoming extremely dangerous, Akahana decided to go to the Land of Fire. She didn't care if she didn't get to Kusagakure anymore because she needed to keep her daughter safe. Akahana told her to get her things and to start running in another direction, where she noticed the battle was not heading that way.

All they needed to do was cross the border before they managed to get themselves killed in an accident by a jutsu or by mistake. Mother and child ran as fast as they could to try to get away by reaching the border when a kunai flew past them and hit the ground. Karin's mother saw this and grabbed her daughter, telling her to brace herself by channeling up her chakra and throwing her as far as she could. When the exploding tag went off, the shock wave caused Karin to fly past the border into the Land of Fire, while Akahana flew past the border but was seriously injured. Sometime later, Karin woke up to be treated by a scary-looking masked person.

"W-who are y-you? W-where am I?" Karin groggily asked as she tried to look from side to side and shook the cobwebs, forgetting for a moment about her mother.

"Child, stay still while I heal you. I'll answer your questions in a moment." A female Anbu said as she continued to heal the red-haired child.

"Where is my kaa-san?" Karin asked another question as she began to feel better from the explosion, and her vision cleared up.

"You are currently in the Land of Fire, and the explosion managed to fling you across our border. I'm a ninja from Konoha from the village Hidden in the Leaves, and we are protecting our land from other ninjas that would cross into our land. As for your kaa-san, well, I'm sorry to say, but we are only keeping her alive to let her say her last words to you." The female Anbu explained to the little girl in a monotone voice, as she put a hand on her shoulder and with a half ram seal, they shunshin in a swirl of leaves.

Before the explosion, an Anbu team was coming from a mission when they heard about a battle near their borders. So, they decided to investigate any illegal ninja crossing into their land without authorization from the higher-ups. So they watched from the shadows, waiting for an unlucky person to get caught by them so they could gather information when an explosion was set off. At that moment, one Anbu went to check on the child while the elite Anbu went to try to get as much information as possible from the dying mother. Not long after, the child and his fellow Anbu appeared, letting go of the little girl to speak with her mother.

"Ka-ka-kaa-san, please, y-yo-you can't le-le-leave me alone," Karin sobbed while she hugged her mother tightly.

"I'm sure these Konoha ninjas will take you back with them. You are special after all, Karin." Akahana said as tears began to sprout from her eyes as she coughed up a mouth full of blood.

"Kaa-san, how am I going to survive on my own? Maybe they could save your life if we get you back to their village," Karin cried out as she held her mother for dear life, not wanting to see her die, while the Anbu gave them a few more moments to say goodbye.

"No, my dear, the explosion is too late for me since the explosion bisected me, and I asked them to cover me up so you would see such a horrific sight. I'm only alive because they are keeping me alive and my willpower to say some last words to you and to the ninjas that will take you in. I don't have long, but here is a carry-back full of scrolls for you to hold on to. Remember, these are clan secrets, so don't show them to anyone." Akahana slowly handed it over to her daughter as she began to speak again. "They have blood seals, and our clan is the only one to open them. I left a letter and notes to guide you just in case this happened." She paused to catch a breath before continuing to speak once again.

"I Love you, Karin. I wish I'd seen you grow up and get married. But I guess life has other plans for me, so come closer, my dear." Akahana said as Karin got closer to her mother. Then she felt her give a kiss on the forehead.

"Now, Karin, I must speak with the ninja in charge here. It is important, so please go with the female ninja who brought you here." Akahana asked as the female Anbu made some silent hand signs. In a puff of smoke, a man appeared with gravity-defying hair and an Inu mask geared up.

"What is so important you need to talk to me about?" The male Anbu asked as he waited for her to speak since she was mortally injured and was having trouble speaking.

"What I'm about to tell you might be considered an S-rank secret once you tell your village leader," Akahana commented as she tried to stay conscious of all the blood loss.

The Anbu nodded in agreement with her request as he proficiently did a few hand signs to put up a privacy jutsu. He quickly relayed sign language to let his team know what he was about to do and that everything was fine. Once he finished, he told her to go ahead and speak her mind, giving her peace of mind no one could hear them. Karin was curious about what was going on with the male ninja and what was so essential for her not to be able to listen to what her mother had to say.

"My name is Akahana, and the girl is my daughter Karin. We have been running from Kumo ninjas for the past month as my husband stayed behind to sacrifice his life to give us a better chance to survive. From there, we tried to make it to Kusagakure but had many close calls. We were also chased from time to time by bandits trying to make us into playthings and afterward into enslaved people. We have been trying to get to Kusagakure for protection since our clan was destroyed during the second "Shinobi War." Cough, cough, Cough. My time alive is running short. My daughter is special and might get our clan's kekkei genkai. Please have the Hokage protect her as one of the last of our clan." Akahana said as she felt her life starting to fade away, and she was losing the light in her eyes.

"What is this clan name you speak of that is so important?" The male Anbu asked her as he waited for her to answer his question.

"We are from the Uzumaki clan. I'm sure that there are not many of us out there. And we might be hiding from the world, but we will not die out so easily, mark my words." Akahana said with a voice full of determination as she coughed once again uncontrollably.

"Please, when I move on to the afterlife, take my body and get whatever secrets out of it. Whatever secrets you find, please give them to any member of the Uzumaki clan. Then have someone burn my body, please." Akahana begged before having a coughing fit again, as the Anbu nodded in agreement while releasing the privacy seal.

"May I speak with my daughter one last time? I don't have long," Akahana asked as she felt any moment she felt her life slipping away. The Anbu with the dog mask nodded when her daughter appeared beside her mother, crying her heart out.

"Kaa-san, p-p-please don't die ka-ka-kaa-san." Karin started to ball her eyes out, cherishing every moment with her.

"Don't worry, dear, and these ninjas are taking you to Konoha; if anything, they will protect you. Karin's kaa-san began to cough some more.

"I love you, Karin, and I will always watch over you from the afterlife. P-ple-please n-never fo-or-g-get it." Akahana whispered, slowly closing her eyes and letting the darkness take her.

The little girl began to scream hysterically for her mother to open her eyes. She begs for her not to give up, that there is a chance for her to survive. After a few minutes of crying and trying to wake her mother, it was too late, and she had already passed away since she closed her eyes. The male Anbu walked over to the little girl and placed her under a genjutsu, which helped her fall asleep. He put the redhead on the ground, then he pulled out a storage scroll and unrolled it; he went and placed the dead body over it.

Then, with a hand sign, the word "seal," and a puff of smoke, the body was stored away. Inu picked up the little Uzumaki girl and put her over his shoulder, giving a discreet hand sign to the rest of his team that appeared around him. They waited for his next orders since they got off course from their return home from their last mission. They were able to capture one prisoner from each village and decided to take them in for interrogation and charge them for the murder of a civilian woman.

"Neko and I will be heading back to the village. I must take her back with me and report this to the Hokage. The rest of you, keep patrolling the border. If anything important happens, you know what to do." Inu told the rest of team Ro what to do in the meantime.

"Neko, don't speak of this incident to anyone. Once the Hokage learns of it, he will call this an S-Class village secret. And I'm sure I didn't have to tell you what will happen if you do." Inu commented to her as she waited for her next order.

"I understand, Inu-senpai" Neko gave a short replied to her team leader.

"Alright, Neko. Are you ready to leave?" Inu asked Neko as she remained vigilant about her surroundings.

"Yes, Inu-senpai," she said before they left in a swirl of leaves.

A/N: Hello fellow writers and readers the chapter was re-edited and Beta by EvIlDemon who happens to be my son. I hope you have enjoyed the chapter cause I finally was satisfied with it after the fifth try. The good thing I have a full picture of where I want this story to go. I don't want to follow canon and since this fanfiction we have to create our version of it, I think. If anyone has a question PM. I would appreciate reviews to get a better feel of the story.

*EPYON*