Hope for a Change

Preface: Cataclysm

/ˈkadəˌklizəm/

noun

a large-scale and violent event in the natural world.

When you were standing in the wake of devastation

When you were waiting on the edge of the unknown

And with the cataclysm raining down

Insides crying, "Save me now!"

You were there, impossibly alone

~Iridescent by Linkin Park~

It was raining.

The drops of water splashed on her face as she lay motionless amongst destruction. A once beautiful land with luscious green fields with trees and animals of all kinds was now… nothing but rubble and potholes and blood.

Laying in the heart of all this was one woman; Uzumaki Naru had once been considered a beauty, with long golden hair, sunkissed skin, and the blue eyes that could rival the sky. But now her body was broken, her golden hair missing, and her skin a mess of burns and old scars. The only thing that remained was her blue eyes, now dark and haunted from the memories of the deaths of her friends.

The rain continued to fall, as if the sky itself was crying. The rain mixed with the red of her blood, turning it to streaks of pink that fell to the poisoned earth.

It wasn't suppose to end like this… Were the thoughts of the broken woman as she stared into dark, clouded sky.

The air itself was corrupted with the Juubi's poisonous chakra, which had rendered all forms of life infertile, or dead. Naru was the only survivor, as the former Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune she was immune to the demon chakra.

It was more of a curse than anything, for she stood and watched as, one after another, her friends were felled by the toxin the Juubi had released into the air.

Gaara had been the last.

The former Kazekage had, like her, been immune to the Juubi's poisonous demon chakra, but he didn't last much longer than the others. He had sacrificed himself to end the Edo Tensei jutsu, which had allowed for the souls trapped to move on.

She was alone.

Naru had managed to seal away the Juubi after that, as it had been weakened significantly by the death of it's summoner. But such an action had not come without a repercussion.

She was dying; the temporary seal she had used used up the last of her remaining chakra.

It wasn't supposed to end this way…

Her vision blurred, and the tears came. They rolled down her burnt cheeks, leaving a stinging pain in their wake that would have bothered her once upon a time, if it weren't for the fact that her body was numb. She didn't bother even trying to wipe them off. What was the point?

She let them fall.

Everything that she had worked towards was for nothing; all the friendships, the bonds, they had died the moment her friends did… the home everybody had fought for was gone, she was all that was left and would be the last to fall into darkness.

She would welcome death with open arms.

Her vision darkened, and she looked at the sky one more time before her eyes slid closed, a small smile lifting her lips.

She just wished she could have saved them...

And the rain continued to fall.

Nothingness

When she opened her eyes again, Naru was confused.

The absence or cessation of life or existence.

Where was she?

"You are Everywhere, and yet you are Nowhere. You are at the Between, my sweet child of the prophecy."

Who -

"I oversee everything, my child. I see all, I know all. I am All and yet I am Nothing. I am the Maker, as well as a Destroyer. You may address me as Kami if you wish, I have grown quite fond of the name your ancestors gave me."

Naru looked around the vast whiteness for any sign of where the voice came from, but she was the only one there.

And then there was.

Standing in front of her was a pure white being, outlined in black shadows that seemed to be alive. It was featureless, except for the soft smile it wore on its face.

"Who are you"? Naru blurted out on reflex, despite already knowing the answer.

The being chuckled, "You already know the answer, my child."

Naru just stared, this being was claiming to be Kami?

The being tittered, "I don't blame you for not believing." It sobered, "You have gone through so much already, my sweet child. You have worked so hard, for so long. You deserve to rest, however I have a favour to ask of you." It told her, gently cupping her whiskered cheek. "I can grant you the chance to save them. All of them. Their deaths were not meant to end as they did."

Naru blinked, shock overcoming her features. "I-I can save them?"

"It has never been done before, however you are different, my sweet prophesied child. I can send you back to where it began to go wrong, you will have the chance for a better future. You will bring the hope they sorely need." Kami told her, "You will live again, as a new person. One who never got the chance to live to begin with. I will send your soul back to inhabit the body of a child who passed before they could see the world." Its voice dropped to a near whisper as its fingers collected the tears that had unknowingly dripped down Naru's cheeks. "However, it is up to you. You could move on to be with your friends and family. Or you could start anew, and create a better world for them to live in. The choice is yours, sweet child."

It was her choice? She could decide if she wanted to move on, or if she wanted to give her friends -her village -everyone - the chance at a better future?

Her resolve hardened.

"I'll do it."

Kami smiled, the kind of smile a parent might have when they were proud of their child's choice - a smile Naru had never before seen aimed at her, as it leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss to the young woman's forehead.

"Thank you and good luck, my sweet, brave child."

And the whiteness faded away once more.

Uchiha Compound, October 10th - 80 Years in the Past

Uchiha Tajima leaped to his feet when the elderly midwife stepped out of the room where his beloved wife, Uchiha Nyoko, was giving birth to their sixth child -two of whom (other than the unborn child) had not been killed by those damned Senju.

But as soon as he saw the woman's lined face, he knew something was wrong.

"I'm sorry, Tajima-sama… Neither mother, nor child, survived the birth."

Tajima's blood went cold, his beloved Nyoko -the only woman he had ever given his heart to- was gone? The mother of his children -dead? Their unborn child as well?

"Otou-san?" Tajima turned slowly to where his oldest living child, his heir, stood, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Little Izuna stood beside his older brother, clutching Madara's sleep yukata, large black eyes blinking sleepily at their father.

Tajima heart tightened at the site of his sons' faces.

"Is the baby here yet?" Madara asked drowsily, "'zuna won't go to sleep 'till the baby comes…" The six year old mumbled sleepily.

Tajima open his mouth but then closed it, he didn't know what to do, what to tell them. It both hurt him, and made him disgusted with himself not being able to tell them, so he did the only thing he could do; he left.

Madara watched his stony-faced father leave in bewilderment. "Otou-san?" A hand on Madara shoulder made him jump and turn towards the sad midwife. "Yuuki-obaasan?"

"I'm so sorry, Madara-kun, Izuna-chan…" Yuuki said quietly,

"Baa-chan?" Izuna looked lost as he stared at the elderly woman, who flinch under the two year-old's innocent onyx-colored eyes.

"I'm so sorry." She repeated brokenly.

Madara's eyes narrowed -such a smart, smart boy, the poor child- "What happened, Obaa-san?"

When the woman didn't reply, Madara swept past the poor midwife who tried to stop the overly intelligent six year-old, but she didn't need to even try, Madara froze in the doorway.

Laying on the bed, completely still, was his mother, a white sheet draped over her face to hide it from view, hands clasped over her still chest.

Madara had seen that very same sheet and pose twice before, when his older brothers Daichi, Takao, and Yasuo had been killed fighting against the Senju clan (at the same time too - killed during Yasuo-nii's first mission).

His Okaa-san was dead.

Beside his mother's bed, was a bassinet, and with shaky steps Madara walked towards forwards until he stopped beside the bassinet and peered down at the tiny body covered by a pure white sheet. He reached forward with a trembling hand and gently pulled the sheet away from the baby's body.

It was a girl; with downy soft black curls surrounding an angelic and pale face adorned with three whisker marks on each cheek, she was adorable. But she was also dead.

Both his mother and his baby sister were dead.

Madara looked away from the tiny body, tears dripping down his cheeks and suddenly everything around him was so much sharper; he could see the dust motes in the air, he saw Izuna standing in the doorway, clutching Yuuki-obaasan's skirt, and could make out every individual eyelash that fanned across his little brother's cheek everytime he blinked, as if in slow motion.

A sudden coo caught his attention, and the young boy's head snapped around, eyes widening as they met bright blue irises.

The baby blinked up at him, beautiful baby blue eyes glittering in the first rays of sunlight that filtered through the windows. Madara reached forward, as if in a trance, and the baby's pudgy little hand wrapped around his finger, drawing it closer to her face.

Such hopeful eyes.

A gentle smile spread across Madara's face. "My beloved baby sister… Welcome to the world, Nozomi."

"Hey brother, there's an endless road to re-discover.

Hey sister, do you still believe in love, I wonder?

Oh, if the sky comes falling down for you,

There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do."

~Hey Brother by Avicii~

THIS STORY WAS CO-WRITTEN WITH THE WONDERFUL BLUE-HART

Hey followers! It's Uzu with another story for you! Another fem!NaruXTobirama, too (I have fallen in love with this pairing). This story was born from a conversation between blue-hart and I, and it just kind of evolved from there.

A bit of a happy accident if I do say so myself!No promises as to when the next chapter will be up - this story isn't very high on my priorities list.

We hope you enjoyed the first chapter,

~Tempestas D. Uzu~

~blue-hart~