Disclaimer

I don't own Naruto. If I did, then Tayuya would somehow be alive ;3

[Part 1: Chance of a New Life]

~oOo Prologue oOo~

Rain pours down the valley, as if washing away the scorches and marks of the battle that had taken place. The Final Valley. The place where two of the great shinobi in time fought till the other was dead. Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju. And now, Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki. The two had battled each other with all their might. Both of them were willing to go all way for what they believe in. One was for power, while the other one was for friendship. A true test for both shinobi. But also a loss. Perhaps this was a repeat of the past or an event that foreshadows things to come. Either way, Fate has a very cruel sense of humor.

The aftermath of this grand battle will result in two bonds being severed. One is the ties that bound to one's own village. Sasuke left the scene with his village and former friend behind his back. He never looked back and only looked on ahead. Eyes singled on revenge. The bond between him and his older brother was now stronger than ever. In order to attain his lifelong goal, he must sacrifice whatever he must to achieve power. That is what a true avenger must be.

A sad and lonely road for one so young and full of promise. Naruto tried everything in his power to stop him from going to that snake. He was even willing to unleash his inner demon just to stop him. But it wasn't enough. His call never reached his friend's ears. He was too submerged in his own search for power that he failed to notice what's important. He severed a bond that was so...precious.

Battered and defeated, Naruto lies face up to the weeping sky. It trickles down on his unmoving face. Eyes closed in deep slumber. A little while later, two forms drop down near the unconscious boy. A man wearing a mask and his little ninja hound.

Rain continues to pour down on them as the silver-haired jōnin looks down in sadness. Dark clouds spreading ever so slowly up the valley to the surrounding forest. It washes away the battles that had been laid, cleansing all the sweat and blood sacrificed to achieve one's mission. A forest of bones where a lone boy stood and died proudly for what he believed in. His eyes still wide and open as the rain cries for the lost soul.

It spreads further to a wide open field of sliced up trees where a young girl lies dead underneath a stack of human-size logs. Rain trickles down on her form. Its tears washing away the blood dripping down her mouth, as if wishing her a final farewell to the world. However...

The redheaded girl lets out a small cough. New blood coming forth. Just then, the rain gradually comes to a stop, making way for the bright light to pierce through the dark clouds. The first ray of hope kisses her lips where a scowl can be usually seen. But right now, her face is peaceful like Death's touch. The light slowly spreading as a new beginning awaits.

~oOo My Red Thread of Destiny oOo~

Rain falls down over three black cloaked shinobi. Droplets of water splattering their animal-styled porcelain masks as they fly through the forest at a very fast rate. All were silent as they concentrated on doing the task at hand. Just then, the three stop by a branch as they look on ahead at a great expanse of levelled out forest trees. It was as if an angry, vicious, and rampaging storm had passed by, laying waste wherever it goes.

"How can an entire forest be decimated like this?" One of them says, a male.

Beside him on his left, the second cloaked shinobi kneels down, looking at one of the chopped off trees nearby. "Judging by how the trees were cleanly sliced through, I'd say this was done by a long-ranged wind jutsu."

"Must be a powerful ninja."

The woman nods. "Either way, no one could have survived something like this. And if someone did, then they're better off dead."

The female shinobi stands up and proceeds to move up north-east. The male shinobi follows as well. But soon, they stop in their tracks. The two look back at their third companion who was still observing the destroyed forest.

"Did you sense something?" The woman asks.

The third cloaked shinobi shakes its head, and then looks back again at the forest.

The two shinobi look at each other. The man just shrugs his shoulders, and the woman lets out a sigh. She then looks back their companion. "Are you still thinking about Hayate?"

"..."

"..."

"...sometimes...but I– now's not the right time." The shinobi jumps down to one of the chopped trees, and then looks back at the two. "Komachi. Towa. You go on ahead. I'll stay behind and have a look around."

Komachi nods. "Alright. Stay sharp, Yugao."

"See you back at the village," Towa says.

With that, the two disappear through the still standing trees. Turning back to face the vast levelled down forest, Yugao jumps from sliced tree trunk to tree trunk, looking around for at least a sign of something. The Hokage had formed a search team regarding the retrieval team sent yesterday. Officially, the Medical Corps and Kakashi Hatake were sent to get the retrieval team back to the Leaf Village. But that's not the case with the Anbu Black Ops search team.

While Yugao continues her search of the area, the rain slowly dies down until it was nothing but light droplets here and there. Bright light comes through the dark clouds above, shining its warm rays to the cold wet ground. The puddles of water shining by the reflected light, making a beautiful scene to see. But that's not what caught the female Anbu's attention. No, it was actually tufts of red hair sitting by a log up north where the rays of light shines down.

Yugao quickly dashes through the obstacles of sliced trees and arrives at her destination. What she does find sparks her interests. Based on the description of Anbu Captain Otomatsu, the unconscious redheaded girl was one of the Sound shinobi from the invasion. One of the four that had a hand on the Third Hokage's death. And now, one of Sasuke Uchiha's escorts. Well, was. Right now she was as good as any dead shinobi. And no use for the Hidden Leaf Village.

Suddenly, the girl lets out a cough with blood coming forth her lips. Yugao's eyes widen behind her mask. The girl was still breathing. But how? She didn't sense her chakra.

"Even now," Yugao whispers.

She looks at the girl's lower body. It was crushed by two larger than human-size logs. Shifting her attention to the girl herself, she notices how her breathing was labored. Internal injury.

Deciding that now was the right time, Yugao places both her index and middle fingers in a criss-cross pattern. A poof of smoke appears, and an identical Yugao takes place. The clone moves by the girl's head, while the real Yugao takes down her cloak's hood and reaches for the sword hidden under. Channelling chakra into it, the purple-haired Anbu swiftly and cleanly cuts the wooden logs. But also being very careful not to hit her. And as the large logs gave way, the Yugao clone quickly pulls the rain-soaked girl out before anymore damage could be done.

Sheathing her sword, Yugao makes a half-handed ram sign, and her clone poofs out of existence. She kneels by the redhead's side and places her right hand over the girl's upper body. With hand glowing green, she assesses her for any major injuries. Her hand moves up, and then down to her lower body where it seems the most damage was done. She couldn't heal something like that. The most she could do to keep her alive was to...

Moving her hand back to her upper body, Yugao places both her hands over her left lung, healing the girl of her injury. After that was done, she takes off her black cloak and carefully puts it on the Sound shinobi.

"That should at least keep your body warm," Yugao says.

The purple-haired Anbu looks down at the unconscious redhead. She was breathing just fine, unlike before. And that makes it easier. Kneeling down, Yugao lifts up the girl and carefully maneuvers her body so that she was riding behind her back. With everything set, secure, and in place, Yugao jumps the sliced up trees, making her way back towards the Hidden Leaf.

~oOoOoOo~

Kakashi flies through the trees with Pakkun following right behind. They had found Naruto and were heading back towards the Hidden Leaf. Even though the jōnin was sad that one of his students left while the other one was seriously injured, he was at least glad to know that both of them were still breathing. If somehow he had lost one, it would be a deep blow on him. He couldn't afford to lose another comrade.

Kakashi looks back at the blond on his back. Naruto was sound asleep. A serene expression so unlike his loud and hyperactive persona. Though he couldn't imagine how much pain he had been through. Naruto deserves a break. His wounds were serious, but already healing at a fast rate. He will be alright thanks to the Nine-Tails. And that at least comforts the silver-haired jōnin. Naruto would be alright.

Turning back to face the trees ahead, Kakashi continues his way back to the village. But just then, he spots movement due south-east by his left. An enemy perhaps? Or maybe. He couldn't tell for sure, but it looked like her.

Kakashi quickens his pace, following the blur he had seen.

~oOoOoOo~

Yugao continues her flight path when suddenly, she senses a presence coming towards her. She was about to reach for her sword, but soon stops when she realizes just who the chakra signature belongs to. The mission was supposed to be kept in secret. She could just boost her speed and somehow lose him. But this was him they're talking about. He would just catch up anyways. Besides, he was her senior.

Yugao continues her speed, waiting for the former Anbu to catch up. Moments later, a greyish-white, green, and blue blur drops by the trees down to her right, emulating her speed level.

"Kakashi." She greets.

"Yugao." He eye smiles.

"Pakkun." The ninja hound suddenly interrupts.

The two shinobi sweatdrop.

Shaking his head, Kakashi looks at the young woman. Straight purple hair reaching down to her waist. Her features were blocked by the Anbu mask she was wearing. But he knew what was underneath those thin cat-like slit holes were sharp, but kind brown eyes. As a member of the Anbu, she wore the standard uniform consisting of black and grey armor, metal arm guards, and a katana strapped to her back. She also has the signature Anbu tattoo on her right shoulder. Overall, she still looks the same.

Shifting his attention from the woman to the cloaked person riding on her back, Kakashi narrows his eye as he recognizes the girl. Even though he was very far when the attack on the Third had happened, he saw each of the enemy's faces with his Sharingan eye.

Kakashi looks back at Yugao. "I'm guessing an Anbu search team was sent to capture the bodies of the enemy ninja. And with how you're holding one of Orochimaru's lackeys like that, it means that the girl is still alive. Am I right?"

Yugao nods. "I see that you rescued Naruto Uzumaki. But it seems Sasuke Uchiha's not found anywhere in the area. So he had escaped."

"Unfortunately."

A sudden cough takes their attention, and the two look at the redhead. Blood trickles down her mouth, dripping some on Yugao's right shoulder.

The purple-haired Anbu stops on a branch, carefully laying down the injured girl. Yugao moves the cloak's flaps and places her hand over the girl's chest, glowing green. Kakashi and Pakkun stop on her branch as well, looking at the Sound girl with the latter coming near her. As Yugao tries to heal her injury, the girl lets out another bloody cough.

"Tch."

"What's her situation?" Kakashi asks.

"Her lower body is badly damaged. But the cause of internal bleeding comes from her punctured left lung," Yugao answers.

"Then you shouldn't have carried her on your back."

She stops at what she was doing, and then stares at him. "My mistake. My medical capabilities still need a lot of work." She then looks back at the girl. "I thought I healed it properly."

Kakashi sighs. "Well, what's done is done."

"Kakashi." Pakkun calls.

"Hmm?" He looks at the ninja hound. "What is it, Pakkun?"

The small pug closes in and takes a whiff of the girl. His big cute eyes narrowing. "It's this girl. She's–"

Pakkun was suddenly cut off by more coughing coming from the girl with more blood coming out of her mouth.

"We don't have time. I need to get her to Lady Hokage immediately." Yugao kneels down and proceeds to carry her again.

"Why don't you let me handle her?" Kakashi suggests. He then walks toward the girl, laying down Naruto beside her.

A still moment passes by the two unconscious teens, and sudden thought comes inside Kakashi and Yugao's mind as they picture the blond and the redhead beside together. But that soon fades away, and the jōnin picks her up bridal-style, while the Anbu lifts Naruto up and positions him on her back.

With that, the three continue their way back to the Hidden Leaf Village.

~oOoOoOo~

In one of the intensive care units down below in the hospital's basement lies the redheaded Sound ninja girl. Dextrose was flowing down and was attached to her left hand from a plastic bag on a stand by her bed and more than a dozen medical wires were attached to her head and upper body in order to closely monitor her health and condition. Guaranteed, she would live. Any major injury afflicted upon her has been dealt with by the Hokage herself. Although very taxing and a dangerous process, the girl's condition has been stabilized. She was now sleeping soundly and out of pain.

The blonde Hokage eyes her from a one-way mirror at the right side wall by the room's only exit. Her brows were slightly brought down, and a thin line creased the side of her mouth from all the frowning and thinking. They had successfully captured one of her former teammate's subordinates. With the Torture and Intelligence Force, it'll be an easy task in getting out all the information needed to bring down the snake but...

Tsunade sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. All these problems and the solutions she has to solve were giving her a major headache. If she could only just steal a couple bottles of sake, her headache might be relieved. It wouldn't hurt for a cup of drink and all, right? But being the Hokage that she is, it was her duty to ensure the village's safety. The village and the people within were her top priority. It has only recently coped up from the joint invasion from the Hidden Sand and Sound. And now, Orochimaru strikes yet again when he sent his subordinates to get Sasuke Uchiha. It was a blow to village to lose one of the two remaining members of the Uchiha Clan. Not to mention now that the Sharingan was in his hands, Orochimaru's strength grows by the second. It'll only be just a matter of time before he lays siege to the village again.

But her worries were at least comforted when Jiraiya had told her that he couldn't use his Immortality Jutsu to transfer bodies for about another three years. Knowing Orochimaru, he will most likely wait for the Sharingan before he attacks. There was still time to prepare. And Naruto–

Tsunade's brow eases. She looks at a clock hanging above the wall. "Three years, huh," She mumbles to herself. A small smile forms on her lips. "I guess I'll miss the little brat."

~oOoOoOo~

It has been three weeks since Naruto and Jiraiya had left the village. A three-year training trip. Though it was actually less than that. Jiraiya didn't give a specific date, but he told her that they would return by the time of the Chūnin Exams. Probably the fifth or sixth starting from the one coming the next two months or so.

Tsunade leans in on the sofa she was sitting. Her left arm was propped up on its top back as she looks at the four framed pictures hanging above the wall. Her grandfather. Her granduncle. Her teacher. And her predecessor. All had given their lives for the village. And now, she must do the same. What being a Hokage truly means is that no matter what crisis may befall on the village, the duty of protecting and raising the little leaves falls on her shoulders.

A smile lights up Tsunade's face. "Being Hokage's difficult, isn't it?" She looks up at each of the past Hokage before her. She then closes her eyes to at least get a short rest before resuming her paper work duties.

Just then, an Anbu with a cat-like mask suddenly drops down. "Lady Hokage! It's urgent that you come with to the Leaf Hospital immediately."

She looks at him. "What is it about?"

"It's the Sound shinobi, milady."

"Oh, is she finally awake?"

"No. It's actually worse."

Tsunade stands up. "Tell me what happened? What's the situation?!"

"That's just it. They don't know what's wrong with her? Right now, the Medical Corps are doing their best to stabilize–"

The Anbu stops what he was saying as the blonde Hokage strides past him, throwing the door open and marching her way to the hospital.

~oOoOoOo~

When Tsunade arrives at the location, she was greeted by shouts and orders thrown across the room. Her eyes then immediately land on the redhead as she convulses uncontrollably on the bed. Her eyes were wide open, but were dazed. A little bit of saliva drips from the corner of her mouth as she continues to trash around. Two medical ninja were holding her down. One of them was her apprentice.

Tsunade walks inside the room. "Shizune, what's going on?!"

The black-haired woman turns around and meets the blonde's eyes. Her expression slightly softens at seeing her master. But they were still edgy and worried. "She's having seizures. And it's been like this for fifteen minutes. Stopping, but resuming again after a while."

As that was said, the girl's body slacks. She lays unmoving with her eyes looking straight dead ahead and her mouth slightly ajar. Tsunade walks toward her and places her hand over her face.

No response.

She then palms her eyes and closes them. After that, she turns back to face the black-haired woman. "Do you have any idea what might be the cause of the attack?"

Shizune shakes her head. "I've no clue. We've read the scans, but nothing seems to show up. Even our medical ninjutsu doesn't help."

Tsunade rubs her forehead, and then looks at the sleeping girl. Her brow was scrunched down, and a frown paints her face. Her left hand glows green, and she places it over the girl's body.

...nothing.

Tsunade narrows her eyes and orders the cat-masked Anbu she was with. "Kusa, call in Mejiro immediately!"

The Anbu quickly disappears. A little while later, an Anbu with a bird-like mask in a white coat suddenly appears. "Lady Hokage."

"I need you to use your Byakugan and check the state of the girl's chakra."

"Right away." The Hyūga Anbu activates his kekkei genkai and looks at the now stable girl. "Wait, this is..."

"What is it?! Spit it out!" The Hokage barks.

The Anbu moves closer. "Her chakra network is in complete disarray. More specifically, it's eating away her chakra!"

The Hokage and the two medical ninja's eyes widen.

"At this rate, her body will give way. And soon...she'll die."

Tsunade puts her hand on her chin, biting her lower lip. "Something's affecting her chakra system. Maybe something injected to her. Or something she took in."

Shizune gasps. "The pills!"

Tsunade looks at her. "Pills?"

She nods. "We found a small bottle containing pills in her possession. Looking at how she's from the Sound, it might've come from–"

"–Orochimaru."

Shizune nods.

Tsunade frowns. "Alright. Shizune, I need you to get me a sample of that pill. We'll make an antidote out of it as a countermeasure." She then turns to the Anbu and the medical ninja. "Both of you stay with the girl. Report immediately if anything new happens."

"Understood, Lady Hokage!"

~oOoOoOo~

Tsunade lies awake in her office, staring at the ceiling though looking at nothing in particular. It was the dead of night, but still she couldn't sleep. Her mind was still restless. She was thinking about the redheaded girl sleeping soundly in her hospital room. The Anbu were guarding her, as well as a few handpicked medical ninja checking on her condition. She has stabilized just a few hours ago. The toxins inside her were removed by the antidote they made. She would be alright but...

From the report Shikamaru had given her the day after the failed retrieval mission, Tayuya was a member of the Sound team that had escorted Sasuke out of the Hidden Leaf. Her abilities are mostly sound-based, as well as being a long-range genjutsu specialist. What fills the blonde Hokage's mind though was the fact that she has the curse mark. And Tsunade could only guess that it was by that reason that Orochimaru had her taking pills as it probably increases the use and effectivity of the curse mark. But such things will always have a catch. She must have been doing that for a long time. And just by stopping and being cut off from that supply, her body underwent severe withdrawal.

Tsunade sighs. How could such a thing happen? Orochimaru. Though it was really no surprise. She didn't know it back then. It was before she was even chosen for the title of Hokage.

Just then, a sudden knock takes the Hokage out of her thoughts. She clears her throat. "Come in."

The door opens, and Shizune enters the office, a clipboard in her hand. "Umm, Lady Tsunade. I have some uh...news."

The blonde groans and closes her eyes, leaning back on her chair. "Please tell me it's the good kind."

Shizune sweatdrops. "Well, I think it's good, but kinda slightly bad."

Tsunade looks at her curiously. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, you know how she's one of Orochimaru's subordinates."

"Yes."

"I think that status will give us a problem. As well as the consequences of what she had done."

Tsunade leans on her desk, elbows propped up and fingers laced. "I'm already aware of that, Shizune. What are you getting at?"

"Well..." Shizune scratches the back of her head. "You remember telling me to get a sample of her blood if there are any more of that toxin inside of her"

Tsunade nods.

"Well, the thing is...I have the results. I think you'll be very surprised at what you find."

Tsunade tilts her head to the side as Shizune hands her the clipboard. She takes it and reads what it says.

Patient Information
Name: Tayuya
Patient ID: 750101
Birth Date: Unknown
Sex: Female
Age: 14 - 15
Status: Alive
Height: 4.8 ft
Weight: 84.2 lb
Blood Type: A

"It's at the bottom," Shizune suddenly says, "At the Blood Test Results, milady."

Tsunade scrolls down her eyes until they land on the Blood Test Section. A blank look passes by her face as she finishes reading it. But when understanding sinks in, her eyes gradually widen in shock and surprise. Her mouth hangs agape. The blonde Hokage reads it over again. Particularly the words 'Positive' and 'Uzumaki'.

Minutes pass by, and Shizune starts to worry for her master as she continues to clutch on the clipboard for dear life. "Umm, L-Lady Tsunade. Are you alright?"

Her voice seems to reach the blonde as Tsunade suddenly blinks her eyes and looks back at her apprentice. "Shizune. Tayuya is...she's..."

The black-haired woman nods. "It seems so. No wonder she has red hair, as well as surviving being crushed by sliced trees," she says the last part solemnly. "Do you think...do you think she knows? Should we tell Master Jiraiya and Naruto about this?"

Tsunade shrugs, and then gives the clipboard back to Shizune. Leaning back on her seat, she swivels her chair so that she was looking outside at the moon from her window.

After about a minute of silence, Tsunade speaks up. "I'll tell Jiraiya once they're back at the village."

"And Naruto?"

"...I'm not sure. For both of them."

"Naruto and Tayuya?"

Tsunade nods, a dazed look in her eyes. "I can't believe we found one. After all these years I thought their entire clan and culture would just fade away into non-existence. There's still a chance. Naruto Uzumaki...and now Tayuya Uzumaki."

AN:

Aaaawww, the latest manga chapter was so beautiful and heartwarming, I think I'm gonna cry. Happy Birthday, Naruto! X)

Anyway, this story will be a dedicated NaruTayu pairing. So for those fans of the pairing, I'm glad to present another fanfic for that collection! XD

The main characters will of course be Naruto & Tayuya. Though they didn't really get enough screen time in the prologue. But don't worry, they'll be shown in the next chapter. The main supporting characters will be Yugao, Kakashi, Tsunade, and Jiraiya. Also, I plan on dividing the story into 5 parts:

Part 1 - Introduction

Part 2 - Uzumaki Clan

Part 3 - Tayuya's Past

Part 4 - Nine-Tails

Part 5 - Bonds

Anyways, please be kind and read & review hehe ;3