Warnings: AU (Alternate Universe), OC (Original Characters), SI (Self-Insert; well, sort of), violence, swearing, mild sexual content, possibly mild character bashing
Pairings: Naruto/Hinata, Kakashi/OC?/??
Summary: Many in Konoha lost family, but one young genin who lost her entire clan never felt rage at the young Naruto; instead she felt a connection shared between those who've lost everything. Fighting through adversity, this is the tale of how she'll make sure her precious person achieves his dreams.
Dedication: This story is inspired by and dedicated to my little sister Abigail, a.k.a. Mina.
Glossary"Naruto!" talking
"Naruto!" thinking or thoughts
"Naruto!" mental communication
Chapter 1: The Loss of FamilyNormally, things were quiet in the Hokage's office. At least as quiet as any place located inside of an entire village filled with ninja can be. The Hokage was the strongest and wisest of all the village's ninja. Those who served under him were the most skilled and dedicated individuals available for their assigned tasks. Everyone here moved and worked with a direction and a purpose. They all acted in concert with their leader to serve as the calm within the eye of the storm that was Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Normally this was a place of confident serenity and order.
Today was not a normal day.
Today, chaos reigned in what was once the only calm and truly orderly place in Konoha.
Ninjas raced in and out, rushing messages in and trying to get their responses back out to the field as quickly as possible; a few messengers died from the strain they placed upon their bodies, trying to squeeze out those few extra seconds of vitally precious speed. Strategists were gathered closely around several maps, yelling at the top of their lungs and gesturing wildly, each one trying to let their fellows know why the plan that they had suggested was madness. ANBU, the elite ninjas, were taking one last moment to sharpen their blades and say a brief prayer to the spirits of their ancestors and the previous Hokages before they dashed off to the front, undoubtedly to their deaths. Bloodied jonins and chunins fresh from the frontlines stood before their superiors, giving their reports of the desperate battle in progress and pleading for reinforcements. Medic nins rummaged through desks, drawers, and cabinets, searching frantically for any bandages or medicines that they could take back to the badly under supplied and overflowing hospitals. Of the civilians there most were trying to organize fire brigades to combat the blaze sweeping over their village, but most knew it to be a hopeless task. Others were trying to keep track of the evacuations, trying to get the populace of Konoha to the safety of the hidden bunkers. Those that remained were the aides and office workers, fear plain in their faces as they fetched papers, maps, weapons, or whatever else the ninja needed in order to try and defend their home.
Yes, this wasn't any normal day, for today the demon fox Kyuubi had come to Konoha.
So in all of this chaos, it was understandable that one aide would grow confused. It was perfectly natural that they could be told to send orders to report to the front to a Hyuuga Miya, and that they'd think that they needed to send the orders to one Hayabusa Mina instead. In the din of the building, commands could easily be misheard and misunderstood. It was also forgivable that in the face of such dire circumstances, the frightened aide didn't even think about the fact that a girl who'd just graduated from the ninja academy only four months before would never be ordered to go on such a suicide mission. They just did as they believed that they'd been told to do, writing down the orders for Hayabusa Mina and attaching them to a messenger bird before sending it off in search of the thirteen year old girl. And so one of many orders that should never have been given that day was sent off, about to be delivered to an unwary young kunoichi who was far too young and still too innocent to die for such a senseless reason.
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"Shinji-kun! Yoko-chan! Mattai-sensei! Where are you?!"
Hayabusa Mina, newly made genin and youngest child of the not particularly prestigious yet powerful Hayabusa clan, was scared. Not a usual occurrence at all. Towering over many children her age at nearly five feet and six inches tall, she was a strong willed, imposing, and vibrant young woman. Fear was not something she was very well acquainted with, as she tended to relentlessly attack problems head on. But the problems before her were too large, too overwhelming to imagine yet much less overcome. And so for one of the few times in her life, Mina was afraid.
Squad Twelve, her squad, had been assigned to what should have been a safe assignment, far away from the fighting. Under the guidance of Mattai-sensei, she and her two friends Shinji and Yoko had been guarding one of the marketplaces on the eastern side of Konoha, protecting the wares from looters. Kyuubi had been seen approaching from the west, so the eastern marketplace was deemed to be far enough away from the expected battlefield to be relatively safe for a group of young genin. Mina and the others weren't stupid. They knew that their assigned mission was mainly meant to keep them out of the way so that the more experienced ninja could go and fight. Not that any of them minded being left out of the action. What sane person, even a ninja, would actually want to attack a demon lord head on?
It was supposed to be safe here. So what in the nine hells had gone wrong?
Shinji had been smiling broadly and waving his arms around excitedly as he told yet another of his lame jokes; she could tell that he was trying to lighten the mood and appreciated it, but couldn't he come up with any better material? Yoko was slowly rubbing the prayer beads her grandmother had given her for her eighth birthday between her fingers, absently playing with the ends of her pigtails as she glanced towards the west, towards where Kyuubi was fast approaching from. Mina knew how she felt, Yoko's parents and her own had both been placed in the first wave of ninjas going to attack Kyuubi along with the majority of her relatively small clan. By the end of the day they could both very well be orphans. Mina herself kept running her hands through her short, golden wheat colored hair, taking comfort from the feel of soft silky hair flowing through her finger tips. Even Mattai-sensei, usually a show of unflappable calm, had been uneasy. Yet still they stood their posts, each one taking comfort from the knowledge that the others were right there next to them.
Then suddenly, a flaming piece of debris sent flying from the battle miles away had come crashing down in their midst, scattering them. Mina had tried to keep track of her teammates, she really had. But the smoke had flooded into her gentle brown eyes, robbing her of her vision. She thought that she'd heard Yoko scream at one point, as if the other girl had been in pain. Then the first of the explosions started, broken gas lines set on fire from the blazing bits of wood and paper. The kunoichi just flung herself behind a nearby dumpster, hands covering her ears as the world shook around her, tears streaming down her face. She just felt so afraid. She thought that she heard somebody screaming again during the explosions, only to realize when they stopped five minutes later that the one who'd been screaming was herself.
Now she stood in the middle of the devastated street alone and lost, smoke and flame all around her, and the Kyuubi's roars clearly heard in the distance. Searching through the billowing clouds of smoke looking for her friends, her sensei, anyone at all, Mina was overjoyed to catch a glimpse of Yoko's familiar pigtails coming from around a corner. Relief flooding her body, the girl dashed towards her friend. "Yoko-chan! You're alright! I was so worried Yoko-chan! I was so afraid by myself! Yes you smart ass, I admitted to being afraid! Laugh it up while you can blondie, 'cause I'm gonna…"
Whatever Mina was going to say next caught in her throat as the smoke cleared, and she had a horrifyingly clear view of her best friend since childhood. Yoko was slumped against a wall, glazed eyes looking up towards the sky as blood trickled from her wide open mouth, the same blood that was splattered across the wall behind her. Lodged right between her breasts, a wickedly jagged piece of aluminum siding protruded from her chest, going straight through her heart and keeping her pinned upright against the building. The prayer beads were still in her hand, the pure white beads turned crimson by the blood flowing out over them as they dangled from the girl's limp fingers. Mina took a step back in shock, only to stumble over something and fall right onto her back. Turning to see what it was that she'd tripped over, the girl bit back a scream as she saw Shinji's severed head lying at her feet, face forever twisted into a look of surprise.
Hurling herself away from the scene of carnage, Mina crouched down on all fours and promptly emptied the contents of her stomach. Desperately, she repeated the code of the shinobi over and over again, the words becoming a mantra to keep her sane. "Ninja rule twenty-five…. A shinobi will show no emotion… Ninja rule twenty-five… A shinobi will show no emotion… Rule twenty-five…"
"Mina."
Startled, the girl looked up into the pale white eyes of Mattai-sensei. Staring into the solid colored eyes that were the mark of the Hyuuga clan. "Se-sen-sensei… They… They're… They are… Are…"
"Dead, Mina. They're dead. There's nothing more you can do for them."
Even though to most people he would seem as calm and detached as ever, Mina could tell after nearly five months of working with him that Mattai-sensei was holding back his own tears even as hers flowed freely. Before anything else could be said, a messenger bird flew through the smoke and perched upon her shoulder, holding the leg a message was tied to out for her inspection. Taking the message in shaky hands, she quietly unrolled the scroll. Reading the contents, her eyes widened as she turned to her sensei in disbelief. "I… I've been… Summoned to the front lines. My orders are to report to the forward commanders and immediately engage the Kyuubi as soon as I'm properly prepared to do so."
At this, Mattai's precious Hyuuga calm left him as shock was clearly written across his face. "That's insane! No matter how desperate the battle is there's no way that genin would be thrown into the fighting! It must be a mistake, Mina! A clerical error! Don't go! Don't throw your life away over a pointless thing such as someone else's mistake!"
Hyuuga Mattai was horrified to see his last remaining student rise to her feet, the normally bright eyes dead and lifeless. She was a ninja, now considered an adult of the village in her own right. But she still seemed so young, too young to have her innocence ripped away from her in such a manner. Mina's voice was quiet and monotone, as if her spirit had been destroyed beyond repair. "My orders are to report to the front. A ninja's life is to follow the orders they are given, even if it could mean their death. You're the one that taught me that, remember sensei? I will carry out my orders."
Turning to the northwest, in the direction of her house, Mina walked solemnly through the ruined city. She would restock her supply of kunai and shuriken, perhaps take a few scrolls, and then report to the front as she was ordered. After all, it seemed like there really wasn't any place safe from the monster, so she might as well go down fighting. Pausing, she looked back behind her and bowed one last time to her sensei. Head lowered, her voice was a mere whisper that the jonin just barely caught. "Goodbye, Mattai-sensei."
Then she was gone, the smoke and flame obscuring his sight of her as she walked away. Inside himself, Mattai felt his proud heart break. In just a few short months, his students had become the best thing in his life. And now, two of them were dead, and the third was marching straight towards her own death. Voice sad and empty in the deserted streets, he too uttered a final farewell. "Goodbye, Mina. You were the best young kunoichi I'd seen in nearly a dozen years. It was my honor to teach you, to teach all of you. I just wish that I could have protected you all better."
With a bitter smile, Mattai turned and ran as fast as he could towards the west. Running towards the demon that had caused and would cause the death of his precious students. He'd be certain to reach the battlefield long before Mina could. As he ran, he had one final thought. "Don't worry Mina, your friends and your sensei will all be waiting for you on the other side."
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Solemnly, Mina strode through the emptied halls of the Hayabusa home. Everyone was off fighting the Kyuubi… As she would soon be. Deep in her heart, she knew that her parents and most of her kin were probably already dead. The Hayabusa weren't as large or as well regarded as the Hyuuga, the Uchiha, or even the Nara clans. But they were all powerful and determined shinobi whose battle prowess and ferocity made them ideal frontline troops, ensuring that most if not all of them had probably been sent out in the first wave against the Kyuubi. Her clan was proud and brave, and none of them would back down even in the face of the inevitable death the Kyuubi brought down upon those who opposed it. Even if by some miracle this battle against the demon fox didn't prove to be the death of Konoha, it would still almost certainly be the end of her clan.
Finally coming to her room, she cracked the door open and slipped inside. Her room was a fairly plain affair. It was kept very neat and tidy, as sloppiness would not be tolerated in her family's home and she didn't spend much time here anyway. The walls were unpainted and adorned with only one or two wall scrolls containing shinobi protocols and sayings popular with her clan. Several potted plants including shoots of bamboo were gathered in front of her windows; the bamboo was supposed to be a symbol of good luck and Hayabusas put nearly as much stock in luck as they put in their skills. Of course, she also personally enjoyed the sense of peace and serenity the plants brought to her room and as an added bonus in the event of an attack the larger pots could be used as cover. Off to the side was her desk, covered in opened scrolls and scribbled notes created from late nights spent studying new jutsus and ninja abilities. Near it were the floor mats, training weights, and punching bag that made up her own personal training space where she would practice her taijutsu stances and moves until she collapsed onto her unmade bed in exhaustion. Her truly valued possessions were the large bookshelves stuffed to overflowing with scrolls, training manuals, and ninja textbooks covering everything from the proper way to throw a kunai and the history of fire jutsus to emergency first aid and lists of common poisons. One of the primary mottoes of her clan was "knowledge is the deadliest weapon", and she had long taken that attitude to heart. By the massive bookshelves were several smaller shelves containing her extra medical pouches, shuriken holsters, attack and technique scrolls, a few senbon needles, and her spare kunai. Really, her room was rather Spartan as she just used it for training, reading, and sleeping. Just hanging around her house really wasn't her style.
Replenishing her shuriken and kunai, she noticed that her fishnet shirt had been ripped and her light flack jacket, common wear for her family who always dressed as though they were about to be thrust into battle, was riddled by wooden splinters thrown by the explosions back in the marketplace. The place where Yoko and Shinji had… Ruthlessly suppressing the memories of her dead teammates, Mina tore off the ruined body armor and her torn fishnet turtleneck shirt, deeming the black tank-top underneath them to be in good enough condition as were her sturdy camouflage pants and her steel plated combat boots. Striding angrily over to her closet, she grabbed a new fishnet shirt and armored jacket. Donning the new clothes, she readjusted her forehead protector on her head, making sure that even in the midst of chaos and her own feelings that the symbol of her home village was borne proudly. Sticking a few jutsu scrolls in their appropriate pouches on her pants and belt, she glanced in the mirror by her training area. She looked exactly as a ninja should, deadly serious and prepared for anything. Turning on her heel, the girl quickly made her way out of the room.
Or she would have, if there hadn't been a large man decked out in full ANBU gear and wearing a facemask carved in the shape of a hungry falcon standing in her doorway. "Going somewhere, imouto?"
The figure reached up and removed the mask, revealing the face of Mina's oldest brother, Hayabusa Zin, member of ANBU and future head of the clan. Mina couldn't help but gulp slightly in his presence. For as long as she could remember, Zin had been her hero and protector. He was so kind to her, spending time with her, giving her gifts, and teaching her everything he knew. There were few people that she loved quite as much as she loved him. But despite that love and admiration, she wasn't blind to her brother's darker nature. After all, you don't become a member of the infamous Torture and Interrogation Black Ops squad by having a pleasant disposition. Zin was, to put it simply, a sadist. Blood and pain was his art, the human body his canvas, and the piercing screams of his victims a symphony from which he drew inspiration to bring forth greater amounts of pain, fear, and suffering. The weapon he always carried with him, a device of his own invention which he'd named a chainsword, earning him the nickname of the "Chainsaw Ninja", best portrayed this sadistic glee of his. It was basically an extremely large and thick sword with the middle of the cutting edge hollowed out and about a dozen shuriken set into it by pegs placed through the holes in the center of the throwing stars. When chakra was forced into the blade it would cause the shuriken to spin at a furious pace, cutting apart anything the whirling blades came into contact with in a spray of blood and gore. Needless to say, Zin loved it as it perfectly suited his style of combat, charge in headfirst and hit everything that wasn't an ally until it stopped twitching. It was confusing for Mina sometimes, to know that her brother could be so sweet and kind one minute and a vicious monster the next.
When she didn't answer immediately, Zin maneuvered his bulk through the doorway so that he was standing right in front of her. Those who didn't know him personally would sometimes comment that it was surprising that somebody as heavy and fat as he was could still be such a relatively nimble and quick ninja. Zin would just shrug and tell them that it was all part of the trials that went with being married to a member of the Akimichi clan. Personally, Mina loved his scruffy beard and layers of flab. It gave him the appearance of a big, cuddly teddy bear. But while he was staring down at her with a slight scowl on his face and dressed in full ANBU garb with his wicked sword slung over his shoulder, he was anything but sweet or cuddly. Curtly, he demanded an answer. "I asked you a question, Mina."
Snapping out of her brief stupor, the kunoichi glared up at him, eyes defiantly meeting his. "How about first you answer what you're doing here instead of fighting on the frontlines, nii-chan?"
The answer didn't come from Zin, but from behind him. "The psycho here and I were passing by the Hokage tower on our way to the front, when we ran across an aide who'd just finished releasing a messenger bird. Imagine our surprise when we learned that he'd just issued orders to our baby sister for her to report to the front. Zin nearly cut the poor bastard in half when he heard that."
From around Zin came a second man, this one wearing glasses and the standard uniform of a jonin. His long hair was pulled back into a ponytail and a nearly perpetual smile was spread across his face. This was Mina's second older brother, Alix. Alix looked a lot like Zin, even though they were four years apart in age. The two brothers however were as different as possible, in fact being complete opposites in many ways. Where Zin was serious and focused, Alix was laid back and carefree. While Zin was usually dark and unfriendly, Alix was cheerful and extremely friendly. Few could understand how someone as seemingly happy and peaceful as Alix could possibly be a ninja, at least until they challenged him to a game of shogi or another test of strategy. When he viciously and relentlessly demolished them in whatever game of strategy they were playing, people began to comprehend just what made Alix so terribly dangerous that he was a veteran jonin at the age of nineteen. Whereas Zin was a close combat and interrogation specialist, Alix was an expert at strategy and research. He'd tirelessly study an opponent just as he would an open scroll, and as soon as he saw a weakness he'd exploit it in such a way that his foe would have no chance to recover and then the methodical slaughter would begin. In his own way, he was as dangerous as Zin if not more so.
With a sigh, Zin brought his free hand up and smacked Alix across the back of his head. The younger brother cursed as small, false tears sprung up into his eyes and he rubbed the back of his head with both hands. "Ow! Damnit, you sadistic bastard! What the hell did you do that for?!"
Zin's grin was one of amusement. "Baka. I didn't cut him in half, I just took off his left pinky finger. Besides, I rather felt like hitting you, dumb-ass."
Mina stifled a giggle as her two older siblings squabbled like children. Not many realized that this was just how Zin and Alix got along. The two were actually surprisingly close despite their differences. And when they worked together, their different skills complemented each other perfectly. Separately, each was a capable and powerful shinobi more than worthy of their high ranks and respected positions. But when they fought side by side and back to back, they were a force that was known in the bingo books as "The Brothers of Death".
Her giggling broke them out of their playful fighting and refocused their attention on her. Alix grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. Zin on the other hand glared, completely serious once more. "Back to the matter at hand. You still haven't answered my question, sister."
Again, a flare of defiance rose up within the girl and she returned the glare with equal venom. Alix actually cringed, while Zin was secretly impressed and pleased with her death glare since he knew from experience that it alone could totally break lesser opponents. Still, he kept up his own glare, even as she began shouting at him. "I don't have to answer to you, Zin! You don't command me! You're not head of the clan yet, big brother!"
Both Zin and Alix looked stricken at that. The younger brother turned his head away from her while the eldest of the three siblings bowed his head so that both of their expressions were unreadable. Zin's reply was less than a whisper, but it almost seemed to echo in the suddenly silent room. "Yes, I am."
That simple statement threw Mina off more than anything else possibly could have. "Wh-wha?"
Alix took up the explanation for Zin, his expression grim for once. "The latest reports from the front came in just twenty minutes ago. With the exception of the three of us, all the members of the Hayabusa clan, including mother and father, were already on the frontlines. All forty-nine members of the clan at the front spearheaded the first assault. All forty-nine personally engaged the Kyuubi. All forty-nine have been confirmed killed in action. The three of us are all that's left, Mina. Zin really is now head of the Hayabusa clan, such as it is."
She'd known that the majority of her clan was most likely dead. Logic would suggest that few would survive an encounter with the nine-tailed demon fox. But still the entire clan? Her parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends gone? All of them dead, just like that, without even a chance to say goodbye? Every single member of her entire clan killed in battle, except for just the three of them? The revelation was too much for her, and the stoic mask she bore broke as Mina once again began sobbing. Alix knelt down and held her while Zin began talking again, struggling to remain expressionless. "Alix and I are still needed at the front, and as jonin and ANBU we're obligated to be there. But you're just a genin. I don't care what you've been told to do, stay here Mina."
Mina looked up at her eldest brother, eyes wide and frantic. "No! Brother, I won't stay! Take me with you!"
Finally losing his temper, Zin started yelling at her. "Damnit Mina! Don't you get it?! You're the last hope of the clan! You need to survive, to keep our traditions and beliefs alive! So that the Hayabusa clan doesn't fade away into complete obscurity! Protecting the well being and continuance of our family line is second only to our duty to Konoha, and it is a task only you have a chance of carrying out! If you go to the front you'll definitely die, and our heritage will die with you! So I'm ordering you, as your older brother, as your acting clan head, and as a ninja of superior rank, to disregard your orders to report to the front and remain here at home!"
Tears pouring from her eyes, the distraught girl shook her head violently. "No… No… I… I have to go to the front. I must…"
Quickly Alix turned her to face him, eyes scared as he clenched her shoulders. "Sister, you're speaking madness! For the love of the kami, use reason! The orders are obviously a mistake! As a genin you'd only be getting in the way of the more experienced ninja! Stay here! Live!"
Face down, Mina's voice became dead and lifeless. "Live for what? To be alone? To be the sole survivor of a dead clan? To live without a purpose or a reason to keep going on? Why would you possibly desire such a life for me when death sounds more preferable, brother?"
"Mina, I…"
Her head came up, face collected and deadly calm with pride and determination radiating off of her. "I am a kunoichi of Konohagakure, of the clan Hayabusa. I shall run from no enemy. I shall never hesitate to protect my home and those I care for. And I shall never hide from my duty. I shall carry out my orders, and fight and die as a ninja should. You and Zin taught me these things, and I will not forget them now when they matter the most. This I swear on the souls of our departed kin."
Smiling sadly, Alix couldn't keep a few stray tears from his eyes as he held onto her shoulders. "Brave, determined, foolish Mina. Stubborn and dedicated to the end. You are a true Hayabusa and a fine kunoichi, one whom I'm proud to call sister. No words we can say will keep you here will they? I'm not surprised, I figured as much. In that case, remember that Zin and I love you very much, and I hope that you can forgive us."
Without any further words, Alix nodded to Zin where he was standing right behind the young genin. Mina didn't even have a chance to turn around before she felt the sharp blow to the back of her neck. Slumping into Alix's arms, she could feel consciousness fading as he gently laid her onto the floor. The last thing she saw before her world turned completely black was her brothers walking away from her side by side, walking forever out of her life.
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Silence reigned between Zin and Alix as they walked through the deserted streets of their hometown. Both were deep in thought as they slowly approached the battlefield, conserving their energy for what was to come. Finally, it was Alix who broke the silence. "You know, she's going to be pissed off as all hell when she finally wakes up. And she's going to hate you for a long time for this."
Zin just grunted in acknowledgement, eyes focused on the towering flames coming from the battlefront. "Good. That means that she'll be alive to hate me. That's all the comfort I need right now. Besides, she's the only reason I have left for living besides Konoha and you, and I want to make sure that at least one person I care about makes it through this."
"The only reason? But Zin, what about..."
The elder Hayabusa didn't give his younger brother a chance to finish that sentence, hand whipping forward in a flash and giving Alix a brutal smack to the back of his head. Yelping in pain, the jonin turned to yell at Zin before he noticed something he hadn't seen in years. There were tears in Zin's eyes, and the mask of the psychotic ANBU was lowered to show the other side of the man, the side full of compassion and caring. It was the face of a man who'd been utterly broken. A man who'd lost the most important thing in the world to him.
Zin turned away to dry his tears, voice barely a whisper. "Don't. Don't say her name, Alix. If I hear it, I know that I'll break down and become unable to fight. And I need to fight, for her, for both families that I've lost today."
Dread filled Alix as he got a very clear idea of what Zin was talking about. "She didn't."
The unmasked ANBU just tilted his head back and laughed bitterly, causing Alix to wince at the broken sound. "Of course she did, Alix. Since when have you known my wife to back down, even when she should know better? She went to the front right alongside her father-in-law and mother-in-law, off to face the Kyuubi despite her orders not to. Kimi went to the front in spite of my protests and pleading. It's sick in a way, because I want to be angry with her but the only thing I feel besides sorrow is pride in my beautiful wife's unbreakable spirit. It makes me think that our child would have been the most stubborn ass ever born."
Alix didn't know what he could possibly say to his brother in the face of such a great personal tragedy. Akimichi Kimi had entered Zin's life six years ago, when the two faced each other in the finals of the jonin exams. It was a fight that had been talked about even years later, a fight that Zin was only able to win after hours of wearing his opponent down. And by the end of the fight, the young man was smitten, not surprising as he'd always had a thing for strong women. He'd treated her to a drink when the exams were over, and within a year the two were known as a committed couple. Alix had stood as Zin's best man just three years ago, and it always amazed him how two people could be so deeply in love, especially two ninjas. He'd truly adored his sister-in-law even if Zin had picked up her clan's eating habits; she'd been beautiful, strong of body and will, and fun to be around. She'd also been five months pregnant with her and Zin's first child, a fact that should have made her exempt from frontline duty, but still she went. And now like so many others, she was dead. It was no wonder Zin was on the edge of breaking as it was just as he'd said, he'd lost two families today the one that he'd known his entire life and the one he'd just started.
Composing himself, Zin wiped away his tears, resuming the mask of violence and indifference. Walking towards the front again, he turned briefly towards his younger brother. "What about you? What happened to your team that you're also so willing to throw away your life for a shot at the fox's ugly face?"
Alix was able to keep himself from tears as all he felt was a roaring anger inside of himself, an anger that he normally kept contained beneath his cheerful mask but allowed himself to show this once as his face twisted in rage. "My genins were helping to evacuate the Academy of any remaining students when the flames reached it. They were trapped and couldn't perform any jutsu with the smoke choking their lungs and blinding their eyes. I arrived just in time to hear their terrified screams as the last of the timbers gave way and the flaming building collapsed on them. I know that at least one of them was still alive and conscious when the fire reached them because I heard their agonized screams, as they were burned alive. I need to see the thing that caused their deaths with my own eyes, and I need to see it hurt and killed."
Zin nodded in acceptance, and silence fell between them again as they kept walking. They were closer now, close enough to hear the shouting of ninja fighting and dying over the Kyuubi's deafening roars. Alix broke the silence again, turning to his big brother with just a hint of fear in his eyes. "We're not going to walk away from this one, are we Zin?"
The answer was short, brutally honest, and to the point. "Nope."
Looking at Alix, Zin gave a confident smirk. "There's no chance in hell that we'll survive what's going to come, little brother. But such is the shinobi's life, to hurl themselves at their enemies until they finally come up against a challenge they're not prepared for. We are going to die, and we're going to die gloriously. The Brothers of Death have one last dance with the reaper before them, and it's best that we're not late."
Alix returned the smirk, his brother's words making him feel more prepared for his own end. "Indeed Zin, it is a good day to die."
The two stopped and stared at each other, before breaking out laughing. It was a good laugh, an honest laugh. A laugh shared between two brothers who were closer than anyone could possibly understand or imagine. It was the laughter of two soldiers who knew their duties and were content with their fates. Alix wiped away mirthful tears, chuckling lightly. "Hoooo, boy. You could cut the cheese here with a knife, eh? Seriously bro, could you think of anything cheesier to say than that?"
Zin snorted. "What I said was cheesy? Look who's talking! 'It's a good day to die' indeed! Could you get any more cliché?"
"Heh-heh, probably."
Their personal masks down, the brothers smiled at each other before embracing. They had been through everything together, and this would be no different. They would die together, die protecting their home, and die keeping their little sister safe. There was nothing else they could ask for. Breaking apart, they thumped their chests in salute, repeating one of the most loved phrases of the Hayabusa clan, used before entering battle. "Strength and honor."
Removing his sword from it's sheath on his back, Zin sent chakra into it causing the shuriken implanted in the blade to come spinning to life with a furious whirring sound. Sword held aloft, the ANBU sprinted through the woods, knowing he'd be at the site of the battle in seconds. Alix was right behind him, kunai and explosive tags held at the ready. Turning back to glance at his brother without slowing down, Zin couldn't resist one final joking insult. "Come on, slowpoke! The next world is waiting for us!"
Laughing, Alix followed closely behind and the two disappeared amongst the trees.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
The young genius ANBU, Kakashi, panted deeply as sweat poured into his one visible eye while he tried to catch his breath. To either sides of him were hundreds of his fellow leaf nins, launching kunai and powering up powerful jutsus at their enemy. Before him was the Kyuubi, the legendary nine tailed demon fox, and the doom of many loyal Konoha ninja this day. Behind him was Konohagakure itself, his home, the powerful Village Hidden in the Leaves whose strength and power couldn't hope to compare to that of the monster approaching it. His teenaged body exhausted, the young ninja had a single thought going over and over in his mind as he watched more and more ninja fall like leaves before a hurricane. "This isn't working."
Five times. Five times, they'd attacked, throwing hundreds of skilled shinobi at the demon fox in waves, hoping to slow it down or force it to retreat. And five times, they'd been swatted away like gnats. The casualties were mounting, as dozens of shinobi died for every minute of time they bought, extra time bought with blood. If Konoha survived, the amount of names placed upon the memorial stone would be enormous. He'd seen the entire Hayabusa clan torn to shreds just an hour ago. At his feet was the mangled corpse of a Hyuuga, Mattai he thought the man's name had been. Slowly, bit by bit, the ninja population of Konoha was going extinct.
Kakashi really wished Obito and Rin were here right now, for in the presence of the demon bearing down upon him he like many other shinobi were on the verge of running in fear. They had no chance of defeating something so powerful. There was no hope, none at all. It was only a matter of time before their lines broke and then…
"HOLD THE LINE!!!"
Startled, Kakashi and many others glanced behind them to see two ninjas, an ANBU and a jonin, racing towards them from the rear. The ANBU Kakashi recognized as Hayabusa Zin, one of his superiors within the ANBU unit. The other one must be Hayabusa Alix, Zin's younger brother. It seemed that two members of the Hayabusa clan were still alive after all. Kakashi expected that the two were coming to join the defensive line. But to his shock and horror, the brothers ran past the lines… Headed right for the Kyuubi.
Tuning out the shouts of those beside him for the two to come back to the lines, Kakashi watched in terrified awe as the two shinobi laid into the fox. Zin would come in on the left, his signature weapon ripping at the Kyuubi's ankles. The second the fox turned to confront him, Alix would dart in from the right and scatter explosive tags over its back. While their target was temporarily blinded and deafened by the explosions, the brothers quickly performed the hand seals for jutsus and released them at once before backing away to renew their attack. And each jutsu they unleashed perfectly complimented each other. If Zin used a water jutsu, Alix would use a lightning jutsu to strengthen the effects of the combined attacks. And if Alix used a powerful fire jutsu Zin would throw up a weaker earth jutsu in front of it, sending burning hot chunks of magma hurtling at the demon. The two moved in perfect unison, in perfect synch, and with perfect unity. To those observing, it was almost as if they were dancing with the demon, a complex and dangerous dance of death. Kakashi had never seen anything so violently beautiful before.
But as with any battle, it was only a matter of time before something went horribly wrong.
Zin was getting tired very quickly, pushing himself to the brink of chakra exhaustion. Normally, a ninja conserved their chakra supply carefully, using the bare minimum that was required. As has already been stated, today was not a normal day and this was not a normal situation. Currently the bearded ANBU was running at over a hundred and twenty percent of his overall chakra capacity, and had been doing so for close to five minutes straight now. Pushing chakra into his chainsword, pouring it into his body and limbs to speed up his reflexes and make himself faster and stronger, and rapidly performing dozens of high powered jutsus one after another all at once was taxing his concentration and draining his chakra reserves faster than he went through a pot of coffee in the morning. If not for his training and strength the effort probably would have killed him already, and if the Kyuubi didn't take his life chakra exhaustion certainly would after the battle was done.
As exhausted and focused on the fight as he was, it wasn't surprising that he missed seeing the tree root sticking out of the ground next to his left foot when he sidestepped away from the Kyuubi's tail coming down at him like a club. Tripping over it, Zin was too surprised and tired from his constant use of chakra to recover and found himself sprawled on the forest floor. The demon fox noticed his dilemma, and decided to take the opportunity to rid itself of one of the insects pestering it. Shakily getting to his feet, Zin looked up in fear as he saw the massive jaws descending upon him. He didn't have either the strength or the chakra left to get out of the way in time. This was the end. Suddenly something plowed into him from the side, sending him flying to safety from the demon's maw. Looking back, Zin's blood chilled even as he felt unsurprised to see Alix standing there in his place, kunai upraised as the jonin stood defiantly before his killer.
A flash of teeth, the sound of rending flesh and splintering bone, and it was over. Alix was gone, just a splatter of blood and a few shreds of cloth left where he stood. In the middle of the pool of blood was Alix's forehead protector, the fabric torn and the metal plate punctured along one edge where the Kyuubi's fangs had gone straight through it.
Zin stared at that spot where what little remained of his brother lay, and he felt new energy surge into his body. It wasn't chakra, he knew that much. No, this energy was fueled by pure, blinding rage. The rage that Zin had known his whole life. The fury that he crept closer and closer to every time he killed or tortured someone but had managed to keep in check just barely. But now, there was nothing left. Nothing for him to protect from his own inner darkness. Hayabusa Zin, ANBU of Konohagakure and last male heir of the Hayabusa clan, welcomed the rage with open arms and let it take him over.
Everyone flinched, eyes wide as Zin lunged at the Kyuubi, a piercing cry of rage shadowing all other sounds upon the battlefield. Lips pulled back in a feral snarl more at home on the face of a maddened animal than the face of a man, teeth bared, the ANBU attacked with a fury that put all the other attacks against the fox demon tonight to shame. Gone was any strategy, tactics, or discretion. Only bloody, violent anger remained.
Kakashi watched, forcing himself not to look away from the form of his superior as the ninja fought against the towering demon completely alone. Zin twirled and twisted, evading Kyuubi's jaws and tails as he surged forward. Within seconds, he was right where he wanted to be, directly underneath the fox's belly and surrounded by its massive legs. Now his work could begin. Like a possessed lumberjack, Zin began hacking furiously at the tree-sized legs around him. There was no rhyme or reason to his movements, no grander strategy, just the unbridled aggression of a ninja who'd snapped and lost what little remained of their humanity. Those watching knew that Zin was no longer a man, but an uncaged beast in human form. And it terrified them.
Even the Kyuubi itself began to feel a small welling of panic in its heart. The pest was actually hurting it! It, the Kyuubi no Kitsune, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, most powerful Demon Lord in the world, was being hurt by one lone mortal where countless others had failed to even scratch it! And from where the shinobi was positioned, it had no chance to retaliate! In mild desperation, the demon fox leapt back, bringing the leaf nin back within its field of vision. Before Zin could respond and renew his assault, the Kyuubi inhaled deeply then released a gout of flame right at the bloodied and battered ANBU. There was no chance to dodge, and the black clad figure disappeared within the raging inferno created by the demonic attack.
Letting out a slight breath of relief, the kitsune focused its attention back upon the line of defenders between it and the village. It relished the renewed looks of unadulterated fear upon the faces of those opposing it. That is, until it realized that they weren't looking at it, but towards the bonfire it had just created. It was at that point that it heard a laugh, a chilling, psychotic laugh filled with madness. Even a lord of demons could feel a shudder roll down its spine from hearing that laugh. Turning towards the dying flames, the Kyuubi hoped that it wouldn't see what it expected to see.
Standing there, laughing even while wreathed in fire, was the form of Hayabusa Zin.
"Ha! Stupid fox! You underestimate us! Never forget this! A ninja, even a mere mortal, can become a demon in how they face their death!"
The silver haired teenager continued watching; willing himself not to look away or even to blink as the flaming wreck of his fellow ANBU member launched himself up into the air. Soaring through the burning skies, Zin was a flaming arrow headed straight for the Kyuubi's face. With all his strength, the ANBU brought the weapon that he'd forged himself down upon the demon, screaming a war cry as he plummeted towards his enemy.
"FOR KONOHA!!!"
Shaken, the Kyuubi jerked back, causing the whirling and energy infused blades of Zin's weapon to only glance across its right cheek. But it was still enough force to cut deep, deep enough to leave a scar. Falling back to earth, Zin crouched, blade still held at the ready as if he were going to attack again. Looking up at the destroyer of his family, Zin gave a bloodthirsty grin as the flames continued to consume his flesh. Then, slowly, the finally spent ninja collapsed to the ground and laid still. The heir to the Hayabusa clan had followed his brother into the great beyond.
For a long moment, there was silence. Then, inspired and fortified by the example of two brothers with nothing to lose, the lines of shinobi let lose a single, unified shout.
"FOR KONOHA!"
To his surprise, Kakashi found himself shouting with them as they renewed their defense. For the first time in a long time, he felt connected to his fellow ninja, part of something greater than himself or any of the rest of them. The rest of the battle was a blur for the young ANBU as kunai flew and shouts rang out.
"Hold the lines!"
"We need to keep it from the village!"
"Hold it until the Hokage can arrive!"
"It's him! The Hokage is here!"
There was the gigantic form of the summoned frog boss Gama Bunta, the Fourth Hokage riding on top of his head, facing against the rampaging demon. Then there was a flash of light and gust of wind from Kakashi's sensei, and it was all over. The Kyuubi was gone, and with them the village's beloved leader along with so many others. With the battle finished, Kakashi found himself standing over the burnt corpse of Hayabusa Zin. The man's skin was black and cracked open, showing the exposed flesh underneath. The entire right side of his face was melted off, the skin and hair fusing into one solid mass of charred body matter. And yet, Zin was smiling. Kakashi thought that perhaps, he was at peace, knowing that his duty had been done.
Zin's forehead protector had fallen off, most of the cloth burned completely away and the metal plate warped and melted away in places. It might have been coincidence or perhaps something more, but Zin's forehead protector had fallen right next to Alix's. The two symbols of a Konoha ninja lay side by side, just as the brothers had always been together both in life and in death. Reverently, Kakashi knelt down and picked up the marred pieces of cloth and metal with his gloved hands. The two Hayabusa brothers had died as true heroes of Konoha, just below the Fourth Hokage and just above his dead friend Obito in Kakashi's opinion.
Forehead protectors in hand, Kakashi turned back towards Konoha. If he remembered Zin's tales of the man's family correctly, the two brothers had a younger sister. Zin had even shown him a picture once, a picture of a golden brown haired girl just a couple of years younger then himself. And Kakashi hadn't seen her at the battle, understandable since she was still a genin. It was entirely possible that the girl was still alive, the last of her clan. Tabling his own grief over his teacher's passing and pushing it to the side, Kakashi began the trek back to the village. He knew that he had to find Hayabusa Mina and tell her. He had to tell her how her brothers had died.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
With a start, Mina surged awake, hand going immediately to the back of her neck as she winced in pain. She wasn't shy about voicing her discomfort either. "OUCH! Goddamn bastard! That fucking hurt Zin!"
She had no way of knowing just how long she'd been out for. Zin may have preferred a more violent and messy form of combat, but as an interrogator he also knew hundreds of pressure points and other ways to quickly knock out an opponent. And she should know, he'd taught her most of them after all.
Rising shakily to her feet, Mina knew that something was different. Something had changed from when she first went under. She just couldn't place it. What was different? What had changed? Then with a sudden realization, Mina understood what the difference was. Kyuubi's roars and the sounds of battle. She couldn't hear them anymore.
Hope flaring inside of her, Mina raced to the window and looked in the direction of where the demon had been. There was nothing. The demon fox was gone, and Konoha still stood. She could also see lines of shinobi marching back into the village, subdued but still obviously victorious. Mina almost couldn't believe it, but the proof was there in front of her eyes. The Kyuubi had been defeated. Against all odds, they'd won.
Hope welled within the young genin as she watched the ninjas returning and the civilians emerging from the shelters. All throughout the village, joyful reunions were taking place as families and friends found each other after the chaos and destruction. It filled her with hope, making her think that perhaps her brothers were back on the way home as well. She imagined Zin ready to flee from her wrath as soon as she saw him and Alix more than prepared to mock his brother for fearing the anger of a teenage girl half his age. The girl could almost see them walking up the path to the house. She purposefully ignored the other scenes before her, of people dropping to their knees and wailing in grief as they learned of the deaths of friends and loved ones.
Mina was shaken from her hopeful thoughts by the sounds of knocking coming from the compound gates. The sound made her heart freeze in fear. Zin and Alix wouldn't stop to knock on the gates of their own home; they would have come right in. Maybe they were hurt and in the hospital? Maybe it was somebody coming to let her know. She was again shaken out of her thoughts by more knocking, this time more insistent. Moving away from the window overlooking the streets of Konoha, Mina raced out of her home and across the Hayabusa compound's grounds, quickly making her way to the gates.
Flinging the gates open, the girl was startled to see a boy her age with silver hair and his shinobi headband covering one eye. It was the ANBU armor that gave his identity away. Nobody in Konohagakure knew the identity of ANBU members except for the Hokage, the village council, other ANBU, and the close family of ANBU members. And as the sister of a high ranking ANBU member, Mina had seen most of the ANBU at least once and been informed of who they were. This was Hatake Kakashi; the young genius that'd made ANBU at the age of fourteen and had the honor of calling the legendary Fourth Hokage sensei. What was someone like him doing here?
Kakashi stared in her eyes for a moment, wondering how to best inform her of her brothers' deaths. He could tell that she was on the edge of grief and the littlest thing could push her over that precarious edge. He was familiar with that look. He'd seen it every time he'd looked in the mirror after Obito died. He'd seen the same look in Rin's eyes before she left Konoha and vowed never to return. He remembered late nights spent awake, staring at his kunai, thinking about how easy it would be to draw the razor sharp edge over his wrist and escape from the pain he felt at having lost both Obito and Rin. Only Arashi-sensei had kept him from truly contemplating suicide, the blonde man giving him strength. Now his sensei was gone but Kakashi had his duty as an ANBU, to protect the village that his sensei and friend had both loved so much to keep him going. What did Hayabusa Mina have to keep her going? In a single day absolutely everything and everyone that she'd known and loved was gone. He'd have to keep an eye on her to make sure that her grief didn't push her too far. He owed Zin-sempai that much at least.
Finally, the young ANBU decided that there was no right way to say this, so he'd better just say it. "Hayabusa Mina?"
Mina blinked, confused and a little frightened that Kakashi was looking for her. Why would he be doing that? Why unless… No! She couldn't let herself think like that! Zin and Alix were okay, they had to be! "Hatake-san? Wh-what is it?"
The silver haired ANBU didn't say a word, nor could he bear to say anything as he looked away from her face. Instead, he silently held up two battered and heavily damaged hitai-ate headbands, both of them scarred by intense battle and soaked in blood. Mina gasped and clutched her hands together in front of her face, praying that this wasn't really happening even as tears began to pool in her eyes. Within her heart, hope shattered and her spirits fell. Kakashi hadn't said anything, but then he didn't have to. She knew what this was; she'd seen it happen within the compound's walls before, as clan members didn't return to their families from their missions. When a shinobi fell in battle, their family was presented with their hitai-ate. What she'd feared most was being confirmed in the form of this young ninja, holding two pieces of cloth and metal in his hands.
Zin and Alix hadn't made it. Her brothers were dead with the rest of the clan, and she was alone.
Kakashi still refused to meet her eyes, even as he gently pushed the two forehead protectors into her hands. Feeling the need to say something, anything to bring her some sense of comfort, he whispered a few words just loudly enough for her to catch them. "They were very brave. They attacked the Kyuubi head on, delaying it greatly, and even managing to hurt it. Their bravery inspired us to match it and carry on, as they would have. Without them, we never would have held long enough for the Hokage to arrive and beat the fox. Your brothers were heroes, Hayabusa-san. They fought and died together defending Konoha… Defending you. I'm sure that… That they both loved you, very much. You should never forget that, and always remember them."
He'd spoken more than he usually did, but he felt compelled to do more. Hesitantly, he reached out and embraced her much as he'd done for Rin and his sensei had done for him after Obito's death. He could feel the tears spilling out over onto his shoulder as her body shook against his, sobs racking her form. Carefully he stroked the back of her head, whispering gently to her. Finally when she calmed down, he broke the embrace and said just a few more words. "Just remember, through our memories our loved ones still live within us. Live, for them. And… If you need somebody to talk to, come find me. I… I owe your brother that much at least."
With that, Kakashi turned and walked away, leaving Mina to slump down against the opened gates sobbing her heart out, the hitai-ate tightly clutched in her hands.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
The newly reinstated Third Hokage stood before the gathered citizens of Konoha just a day after the tragic loss of his successor. In the old man's arms was a tiny, blonde haired infant, the baby boy's exposed navel still showing the markings placed upon him the day before. Sandaime had just finished explaining everything to the villagers, how the Yondaime had been forced to seal the demon away into this newborn child, Uzumaki Naruto, since the Kyuubi could not be killed or defeated by force of arms. Finally, the formerly retired Hokage lifted the infant over his head, holding him up for all to see the Fourth's legacy. "People of Konohagakure, I present to you your savior!"
Inside, Sarutobi was smiling sadly. This was what Arashi had wanted. For Naruto to be seen as a hero of the village. He was sure that a symbol of sacrifice and hope would help the villagers and shinobi to better recover from their grief.
He was to be bitterly disappointed as the first murmurs of dissent arose from the crowd.
"You mean that thing is the demon?"
"Look at it! Taking the form of a child!"
"It can't be totally powerless, can it?"
"Of course not! Do you remember how strong that demon was?! There's no way it could really be as helpless as it appears! It's a trick!"
"Yeah! The damn fox is just waiting to get stronger again, and then without the Yondaime to protect us it'll finish what it started!"
"But it's weak right now! This is our chance!"
"You're right! For the Fourth! For our friends and family!"
"Yes! We must protect Konoha and have our vengeance!"
"It has to be killed!"
"If it lives, it'll grow up to kill us all!"
"Kill the demon!"
"KILL THE DEMON!"
Horrified, the old man recoiled from the suddenly violent mob, the now wailing infant clutched protectively against his chest. Instantly, the ANBU sprang into action. Even if some of them shared the villagers' opinions, they were the elite members of the Konoha ninja corps for a reason. They knew their duty, and right now their duty was to protect their Hokage and the child he carried in his arms. At first it seemed like the mob would be kept under control without any need for resorting to violence. But then a chunin who was amongst the crowd, driven half-mad by grief and rage, launched a kunai right for the baby Naruto. Fortunately an ANBU was able to leap up and snatch the knife in midair, but that was all it took to cause the angry mob to explode into a full-blown riot. Countless scuffles and fist fights broke out amongst the packed in citizens, buildings that had escaped the Kyuubi's wrath were set aflame, clubs and knives were flailed about, and the ANBU were forced to draw their swords and turn them upon even civilians in an attempt to restore order.
As the majority of ANBU tried to regain control, a few squads began herding the Third Hokage and his precious cargo out of the town square and towards the safety of the Hokage tower. Only a few people noticed them go. One of those people was a young genin who'd managed to remain on the edge of the chaos. Tied to her left shoulder was a hitai-ate marred by marks left from enormous fangs; on her right shoulder was another headband which had been charred and the metal was partially melted away. Mina narrowed her eyes as she watched the squealing bundle held in the Third's arms. Her right hand hovered over her kunai holster as anger replaced grief. "So, that's it. That's the demon that stole my family and my friends from me. That robbed Konoha of the Fourth. I'll kill the little hellspawn, I'll…"
Suddenly she was interrupted from her thoughts by a little nagging voice in the back of her head. Surprisingly, it sounded a lot like Zin. "Hold it. Something's not right here. There's something that the Hokage isn't telling us, something that he's keeping secret that we need to know. I know that I might be rabidly paranoid imouto, but if there's one thing that I've learned as an interrogator it's that you need to be able to tell when somebody's trying to pass off donkey piss as fine sake."
The girl bit her lip, trying to keep back tears as she argued silently with the voice that sounded so much like her dead brother. "But the demon that killed you is right there, held safely in the Hokage's arms. I need to avenge you nii-chan, I need to."
Another nagging little voice spoke up, this time sounding like Alix. Mina could almost see him in her mind, straightening his glasses as he clucked his tongue at her. "Now you're not thinking like a ninja, little sister. You're thinking like a hurt little girl. You need to approach this logically and see underneath the underneath. There must be some reason that the Hokage is protecting the boy. If the child were the demon reincarnated, then there would be no reason for him to be granted such protection. But even if this Naruto were a normal child used to contain the demon, why the insistence on presenting him as a hero? And why was this child chosen? There is more going on here than can be seen on the surface. You need more intelligence; information is a shinobi's greatest weapon. Gather more data, than come to whatever conclusion the facts lead you to."
Reluctantly, Mina agreed with what her mind was telling her. Something didn't add up about this Uzumaki Naruto, and she needed to learn what it was. Reaching up, she rubbed her shoulders, hands sliding over the hitai-ate of her dead siblings. It was strange, just then it felt like they were with her, lecturing her just as they always used to do. Shaking the feeling off, Mina slipped into the shadows of a nearby alley and began making her way towards the Hokage tower. She had work to do.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Sarutobi gazed up at the full moon mournfully, his fingers clenching in frustration around his pipe. The riots from this afternoon had finally been suppressed. Nineteen civilians had been killed, another eighty-three had been injured, twenty-eight ninja had been injured, and three ANBU were now in the hospital. It angered and saddened the old Kage at the same time. The thought that the people of Konoha could so easily disregard the final wishes of the man who had sacrificed himself for them. That instead of seeing Naruto as a hero as Arashi had hoped for, that the villagers would try to kill a boy who was barely two days old. Staring up into the sky, he imagined the Yondaime looking down upon the village. Sighing, the Sandaime turned to go back into the Hokage tower, his thoughts troubled. "Was it worth it, Arashi? Was it worth giving your life for this village when they can't even accept your legacy? When they reject the only thing left of you in this world? Was it all worth it?"
Walking through the halls, the old man made a point of stopping to talk to every ANBU he came across, personally thanking them for their service and loyalty both to Konohagakure and to the office of the Hokage. The ANBU were tired, exhausted, weary, and without their efforts today Naruto would surely have been killed. He was going to keep a few squads in the tower tonight to guard it, but the majority of the ANBU would be sent home to rest. They'd been pushed beyond any and all human limits over the last two days, and Sarutobi felt that they'd earned a few days of down time.
Finally coming to the room where Naruto was sleeping peacefully, the Hokage paused at the door. Frowning, the old man removed a kunai from within his robes and held it firmly in his aged hand. There within the room, carefully hidden was just the barest flicker of killing intent. It was so small that the ANBU, as exhausted as they were, would have easily missed it. But Sarutobi wasn't a Kage for nothing. If whoever was in that room meant to hurt Naruto, then they would learn why the name of the "Professor" was still respected across the world.
Kunai hidden behind his back, the old man opened the door and stepped into the darkened room before he was stopped by an icy voice that was far too young to be so cold. "That's far enough old man. I know that you detected me as soon as you got close to this room, no matter how hard I hid my presence. Cooperate, and we can settle this peacefully. Now, drop the weapon; frankly I'm insulted that you think that holding it behind your back would be enough to make me think that you're not armed and ready to use that weapon. Do it or I can't promise the boy's safety."
Reluctantly, the Sandaime let the kunai clatter to the floor behind him. He couldn't launch an attack into the pitch-black room without risking hitting Naruto. For now, it would be best to play along with whomever it was that seemed to be holding Naruto hostage. The intruder's voice, which Sarutobi could now identify as that of a young female, sounded satisfied with his actions. "Very good, Hokage-sama. Now, close the door behind you and turn on the lights. Remember that young Uzumaki's safety is in your hands, and depends on your willingness to cooperate peacefully. Please, for all of our sakes, don't do anything rash."
Carefully, Sarutobi did as the girl asked, closing the door quietly before flipping on the light switch. On the far side of the room was the crib where Naruto was still sleeping soundly. And standing over the infant with a kunai hovering just inches over his tiny throat was a young female genin who the Hokage identified as Hayabusa Mina. He'd read the casualty reports and knew that the girl was now the only surviving member of her entire clan. The old man kept his features impassive and stoic, but on the inside he was crying. He'd been a close friend of the Hayabusa clan for most of his life, and during his reign as Hokage they had been some of his staunchest supporters. Now it seemed as though in order to save his successor's legacy, that he would be forced to personally cause the utter extinction of a clan that he saw as an extension of his own family, just as he saw most of Konoha.
Mina barely caught the tensing of the Hokage's hands, and immediately lowered the kunai another inch. The old shinobi paused as Mina glared at him, almost daring him to make a move. "Just relax, Hokage-sama. I'm not here to kill the kid. At least, that's not my intention. I'm just here for some answers, answers that only you can give me. If you answer my questions to my satisfaction, then I'll surrender peacefully. If you lie to me… Well, Naruto will suffer for it. And just keep in mind who my brother was and everything that he taught me. If you lie to me, I will know. And then your only choice will be to kill me before I can hurt Naruto, and we both know that you don't want that. Having your first act as the newly reinstated leader of Konoha being the killing of the last member of a clan that willingly gave it's life for the village? Do you have any idea how many clans in Konoha owe my clan debts of honor for acts of service? If you want the support of those clans, then I suggest that you just give me what I want."
Sarutobi scowled. Trust the sister of two of his most dedicated and cunning ninjas to maneuver him into a no win situation. If he told her what he suspected that she wanted to know, then he would be betraying the trust of one of his dearest friends. But if he killed her to protect Naruto and his secret, then he would lose the support of nearly every clan in Konoha, support that he would need if he hoped to rule again effectively and keep Naruto safe. The question now was, which were the lesser of two evils? Take a life to keep a trust or betray a trust to save a life? He needed to stall for time, to figure out what to do. "And what is it that you want?"
At this question, Mina's expression turned sad, and Sarutobi cursed himself for allowing her show of emotion to get under his skin. It reminded him of how he'd been present as a friend of the family at her birth, and held the newborn baby girl in his arms as she looked up at him. How he'd been made an honorary grandfather of all three Hayabusa siblings, attending countless birthday parties and being there at each of their academy graduations. How could he bring himself to kill this girl, the last remnant of a proud clan that he had been glad to call his friends? Could he really go so far to keep the secret of Naruto's lineage? Mina's voice, quiet and scared, further wrenched at his heart. "I want to know the truth, Sarutobi-sama. I want to know why my family died. I want to know why you're protecting this child if he really is the demon in human form, like the villagers say he is. And if he's not the demon, then I want to know why you won't tell anybody anything about him. That's all I want, the truth and nothing more. Please Hokage-sama, I need to know. Please, please tell me the truth, all of it. No more lies and half-truths, I beg you."
The Hokage let out a loud sigh and nodded tiredly. Even driven to the breaking point, any Hayabusa would value their honor as dearly as they would their lives. Mina would keep her word of not harming Naruto and surrendering peacefully as long as he cooperated and was honest. A spoken promise from a Hayabusa was considered better than a written contract in Konoha after all. He also didn't doubt that she would know if he lied to her, just as she said. Zin had been one of the village's top interrogators, and Sarutobi knew that he'd passed on most of his knowledge about everything that he knew on to Mina. With luck, he could honestly answer her questions and still avoid breaking Arashi's trust in him.
"Alright, Mina-chan. I accept your terms. Ask what you will."
The kunoichi regained her composure and nodded curtly even as she inwardly blew out a sigh of relief, grateful that the Hokage hadn't called her bluff. It was a gamble, threatening a man that she knew could kill her in less than a second if he wanted to. She'd gambled on the fact that his connection to her family would make him reluctant to take her life, and she'd won her bet. Now to take her winnings and hopefully get out of here both with the answers she wanted and just maybe with her freedom.
"First question. You said that the fox had been sealed away into this boy, but not how. Is the boy the demon reborn?"
Sarutobi didn't have to hesitate. "No. The child was born just a few short hours before the Kyuubi reached the outskirts of Konoha. As you know, chakra is life energy and the highest concentration of it for humans is in the navel. The Fourth placed a seal of his own design upon Naruto's navel, used a forbidden technique to separate the Kyuubi's demonic chakra from its body, and forced the chakra into Naruto."
Well that answered that question, but Mina was still confused by his answer. Why? Why would the Fourth, as benevolent as the man had been, force such a burden upon a child? He'd never do anything even half as cruel as that if he could help it. So why was it necessary to seal a demon into a baby boy instead of just killing the damn thing? "I don't understand, Hokage-sama. Why would the Yondaime do such a thing? Why seal the demon into an infant instead of destroying it?"
"Because, Mina. Kyuubi is lord of the tailed demons, and is immortal. It has existed for countless thousands of years, dwelling mostly in the realms of myth and legend. You can't kill something that powerful. The Fourth could rip it's soul and it's energy from it's body, but if he didn't seal it away then it would just return to it's body later as it's soul and chakra can't be so easily destroyed."
"But then why an infant? Why not somebody who could understand and willingly accept the burden placed upon them?"
"Once again, the Kyuubi is a being of immense power. It could not be sealed into anything with a chakra pattern less complex than that possessed by a human being. But introducing that much foreign chakra into an already developed chakra system would overload it and kill the person that the demon was sealed into. Only a newborn baby, with their chakra coils not yet developed, can hope to adapt and grow used to having a different source of chakra housed within their body."
Mina nodded slightly and licked her lips. So, the child really wasn't the demon, was he? Instead, he was the demon's jailer. No, not jailer, jail. The girl realized with a sense of dread that this baby, Naruto, had been born into this world just to become a living prison. If anything, he was even more of a victim than her. But still, she'd protect Konoha just as her family had, and if it meant killing her soul just before her life was ended, than so be it. The kunai dipped just a little bit lower, coming about another half of an inch closer to Naruto's jugular. Sarutobi tensed again, ready to spring into action if he had to. Mina knew that if she harmed Naruto, then she was a dead woman. But she'd accept that as her fate if need be.
"What of the seal? Can it be broken? Is there any chance of the demon breaking free?"
The old Hokage scowled, and Mina couldn't help but to gulp. She might have seen Sarutobi-sama as a grandfatherly figure, but damn if he wasn't scary when he was angry. The normally gentle tones of the man's voice were sharp and harsh. "You should place more faith in the Yondaime. Konoha hasn't seen a seal master of his talent, skill, and ability in its entire history. Within only a few years the seal will have drained off enough of the Kyuubi's chakra that it will be impossible for it to exist without a host body. By that time Naruto will have become so used to the demon's energy that no host body other than his will do. There is no escape for the demon fox. It will be tied to Naruto until the day he dies and by the time that happens its chakra will be so exhausted that it will not be able to survive. The seal will not fail."
Mina's first reaction was to bow her head in shame for daring to doubt the late Yondaime, but she resisted the urge to do so. Instead, she made sure to keep her eyes firmly upon the Sandaime. If she lost her focus and gave him enough of an opening, he could be upon her in the blink of an eye. A simple nerve pinch would paralyze her without killing her. The standoff would be ended without Sarutobi having to kill her, and she'd lose any chance to get answers. As it was, he'd been cooperating almost willingly with her, a fact for which she was grateful. As a sign of goodwill, she drew the kunai away from Naruto by nearly two inches. Sarutobi noticed this and let himself relax just a little, giving a sigh of relief that this might be soon over and without him even having to give away Naruto's secret.
But Mina still had one question left.
"One more question, Hokage-sama, and then I will surrender myself to your judgement as promised. You didn't tell us anything about Naruto, which is what led many to believe him to be the demon in human form. Why did the Yondaime choose this child to be the demon's vessel? I know for a fact that there have been at least three other children born over the last week who would still meet the requirements of not having their chakra coils developed yet. And what about his parents? Who are they? I've never heard of a Uzumaki clan before."
Sarutobi barely kept himself from drawing in a sharp breath. This was the question that he'd dreaded more than any other. He couldn't lie without risking Naruto's life. Perhaps if he gave her enough information to answer her questions without telling her everything then she'd be satisfied and surrender anyway. "He is an orphan. His mother was a civilian who had emigrated here from Grass Country; she went into labor prematurely due to the stress of the Kyuubi's approach and did not survive Naruto's birth. His father was a ninja who fell in the battle against the Kyuubi. As for why he was chosen, Yondaime simply felt that he was the best choice. Now that I've answered your questions, please..."
Before he could get another word out of his lips the kunai flashed down and stopped just before it would have cut into the baby's flesh. Just the length of a hair separated the tip of the throwing knife from Naruto's throat. Mina's eyes were angry, and promised violence. The Hokage openly cringed at his blunder. He really should have known better to try evading a question from someone trained by both Zin and Alix to glean for every little bit of information that she should get. "Don't toy with me, old man! I warned you what would happen if you weren't completely honest! You didn't give me his parent's names or explain why the Fourth thought that this baby in particular would be the best suited for the task! I don't want to hurt the kid, but if you don't leave me with any choice than I will! Now talk!"
The Hokage just sighed heavily. There was no other choice now. He would have to break the trust that he'd been given. "Arashi, please forgive me."
"Uzumaki is his mother's maiden name, Uzumaki Saiko. She was married to one of the higher-ranking ninjas in Konoha, and the marriage was kept secret because of all the enemies he earned during the Great Shinobi War. That's why I kept the names of his parents secret, for his protection. His father made me swear to do so just before he died."
Now Mina was felling confused again. Who in Konoha could be so hated by the other hidden villages and have so many enemies that the birth of his child had to be kept hidden, much less his marriage? "Who? Who is his father?"
Sarutobi gave yet another heavy sigh, then came out and told her. "Kazama Arashi. The Yondaime."
In an instant of shock, Mina's fingers went limp and the kunai fell off to the side of Naruto's crib. Astonished, the girl turned to stare with wide eyes at the slumbering infant, who had thankfully slept through her angered shouts. "He used his own son as a living sacrifice?"
The old man nodded sadly even as he had a rueful smile on his face. "Of course. A Hokage is dedicated to giving absolutely everything he has and values to the defense of Konoha. And Arashi was perhaps the greatest Hokage of all. How could he do any less than to place this burden on his son? He would not ask another to do something that he wasn't willing to do himself, that wasn't Arashi's way."
At that precise instant, Naruto woke up and began wailing once more. Moving entirely on instincts ingrained into all women since birth, Mina quickly bent down and before Sarutobi could say anything Naruto was in her arms being rocked gently. Frankly, Mina was as surprised as the old man at her actions. She hadn't given any thoughts to boys or family, focused entirely upon her career. She'd never tried babysitting since it cut into training time, and there hadn't been any children younger than her in the clan so she'd never had any great deal of exposure to babies. But still, holding Naruto in her arms and seeing him looking up at her with those wide blue eyes, she couldn't help but to somehow feel warm inside. For a moment, her own grief was put to the side as she held this helpless little miniature person. He was alone like her, but unlike her he was defenseless and couldn't help himself. Right now, he was depending entirely upon her to keep him safe, depending on her not to drop him or abandon him. She couldn't help but feel a connection growing between the two of them as they stared into each other's eyes. Mina wondered if this is how Zin and Alix had felt when they held her after she was born. It was easy to imagine that they had, as it would explain why they'd always been so protective of her. And now she felt the same things for this tiny infant, for Naruto.
Smiling down at the baby, Mina gently rocked him from side to side, cooing softly to him as he gurgled happily. "Shhh, it's okay little one. Big sister Mina's here for you."
As soon as Naruto fell back asleep, lulled into slumber by the kunoichi's gentle rocking, Mina raised her head to stare into the Hokage's surprised eyes. Her voice was a whisper. "We're the same, aren't we? Naruto and I, that is. We both lost our entire family to the demon. The Kyuubi has scarred us both, even if his scars are so much greater than mine are. I guess… I guess that in that way, he's my brother. He's my brother in pain and loss. But we can still have each other, can't we? We don't have to be alone."
Looking back down at the slumbering infant cradled in her lithe arms, the girl smiled. Here was what she'd lost with the death of her friends and family, a purpose. A reason to keep living. Someone who depended on her to be there. Just as her brothers had been given strength from the need to protect her, she was being given the same strength from the baby who needed her to keep him safe and give him love. With those adorable crystal blue eyes and toothless grin, Naruto had unknowingly given her back her purpose in life and a reason to keep living. For that she owed the newborn everything, just as Konoha owed his father for the man's sacrifices. And Hayabusas were never ones to let a debt go unpaid.
Again meeting Sarutobi's eyes with her own, Mina spoke crisply and formally, letting the old man know the absolute seriousness of what she was about to say. "Sandaime Sarutobi Hokage-sama. Konoha owes a great debt to the honored Yondaime and to his son, Naruto-kun. As sole member of the Hayabusa clan, I acknowledge this debt and pledge myself to repaying it. The Hayabusa clan has always gladly supported the Hokages. I wish to support Yondaime-sama's last act by giving his son some small measure of comfort, support, and family. I hereby formally petition to adopt Kazama Uzumaki Naruto into the Hayabusa clan as my younger brother, Hayabusa Naruto."
For a moment, Mina could have sworn that she saw a brief flash of pride for her in Sarutobi's eyes. Which is why what he said next caught her completely by surprise.
"No."
Flabbergasted, Mina clutched Naruto more firmly to her chest, shock and panic beginning to set in. "Bu-but… But Hokage-sama! Why?! Why won't you let me adopt Naruto?!"
His words were cold and emotionless, his face as expressionless as a statue. "Need I remind you that just ten minutes ago, you were holding a kunai to the boy's throat? How can you possibly think that I would entrust his life to you after you threatened to take it like that? I won't allow him alone with you as his guardian."
"But Hokage-sama! You have to know that I didn't want to harm Naruto once I was sure he wasn't the Kyuubi! I pledged myself to taking care of him! You know my clan's reputation! We don't go back on our word, ever! You have to trust me!"
Sarutobi snorted bitterly. "Trust you? Like I trusted the village to honor Arashi's dying wish? No, Hayabusa-san. I have been shown that my trust has been misplaced one too many times today. I refuse to trust anybody but myself to watch over the Yondaime's legacy."
The girl was trying to keep from sobbing again. She'd cried more in the last three days than she had in the last three years. Desperately, she clutched at straws, trying to convince the Hokage that she should be allowed to make Naruto her family. "But… You… You're Hokage… You have your duties to Konoha, so much work… You can't possibly raise him and watch over him all the time Sarutobi-sama…"
"He'll be sent to an orphanage and I'll watch over him as best I can, using my position to protect him and visiting him as much as possible."
Mina blanched and backed away with Naruto still held tightly in her arms, her voice soft and shaky with disbelief. "You… You have to be insane. With the way the villagers are already treating him? He won't last a month in the orphanage. Somebody will pick him off, or the woman in charge will smother him in his sleep, or if he lives long enough then the other kids will beat him to death especially considering how many of them will be in the orphanage because of the Kyuubi. Everyone will know who he is and they'll hate him for it, and sooner or later one of them will kill him for it."
The Hokage just shook his head grimly before withdrawing a scroll from his pocket. "I have not been idle since the incident in the square this afternoon. I've already written a law, which shall protect Naruto. Anyone who harms him will be punished by lifetime imprisonment, torture, or death. Furthermore, the new law declares the knowledge of Naruto containing the Kyuubi to be an S-Class secret, to be kept from the younger generation and from Naruto himself. Hopefully with the knowledge kept from him and all those his age, he'll be able to live a normal life. It may be less than Arashi wanted for the boy, but it's the best I can do for Naruto right now. Also…"
His gaze grew stern and unyielding, and Mina felt petrified to see those eyes that were normally so warm turn icy cold as they stared at her. "I am going to let you go without punishment. However, you are to consider the truth of Naruto's parentage to be an SS-Class secret not to be revealed even to the Village Council, and should you reveal that secret I will have no choice but to have you secretly tried and executed. You are also forbidden to have contact with Naruto, and will be required to never come within two hundred yards of him. If you get closer to him than that, your punishment will be severe. I will not risk Naruto's safety or the safety of his secret by allowing someone who threatened to kill him near the boy. I genuinely wish that I could believe you, that you're honest in your desire to care for him, but after today I can't afford to fully trust anyone with Naruto's well being and I need to take your threat as a serious one. Now hand Naruto over to me."
Tearfully, Mina refused, holding the baby closer to herself. No, this couldn't be. She'd gained a new family, a new purpose, only to have it taken away. Sarutobi sighed in frustration, walking over to the broken young ninja and gently wrestling Naruto out of her grip. As soon as her contact with the infant was gone, Mina collapsed, kneeling on the hard marble floor with silent tears running down her face like twin waterfalls of sorrow. The Hokage, Naruto now in his arms, turned and walked out the door. Just before he exited though, the old man decided to have some small degree of pity on the poor girl.
"Mina-chan, please don't worry about this. You're still a child yourself; you shouldn't be worrying about taking care of a baby. And how can you afford to provide for both yourself and him on a genin's salary? How would you go on missions with a child to look out for on your own? No, this way is best for you as well as for him. Now go home."
With that the elderly ninja disappeared through the door and down the hall, taking Naruto away with him. Mina couldn't stop crying for at least a half-hour before she was finally able to pull herself together enough to go home. As she collapsed on her bed, the girl thought about her promise, her pledge to be there for Naruto. She had to keep it, for the sake of her brothers who died fighting the Kyuubi, the Yondaime who'd given his life to defeat it, and for the sake of Naruto who had already suffered and would suffer more than anybody else in Konoha from the Kyuubi's attack. She had to find a way around Sandaime's rules, to support Naruto even if she couldn't give him a home or be there for him. Crying herself to sleep, the last image on the young kunoichi's mind as sleep claimed her was of baby Naruto smiling up at her with love and trust. She wouldn't fail him, she couldn't. He was everything to her now.
She would protect him. Her precious person.
End of Chapter 1