Konoha was dying.
Just thinking that made Naruto want to scream out in denial, but there was no way to deny it now. OrochimaruÆs first attack with the Sand two years ago had been bad, but it had been nothing but a skirmish compared to what was happening now.
Naruto had no idea where Orochimaru had gotten so many ninja from. WasnÆt the Sound Country supposed to be a small little nothing country? Naruto had been out fighting the invaders for hours, as he knew everyone in Konoha must have been, but if they were even making a dent in the numbers assaulting the village, he couldnÆt see it.
As it was, the only reason he could see anything at all was because of the fires raging across the village. Despite being the dead of night the flames, seeming to grow larger and hungrier as they burned, illuminated the village brightly û a tribute to the greatest village of the Fire Country as it perished.
ôOi! Sakura-chan! Ero-Sennin! Anybody!ö he hollered as he ran through the village. He couldnÆt go ten feet without seeing people locked in mortal combat, but itÆd been a while since he could find anyone he knew, and it was beginning to seriously worry him. What if something had happened to Sakura?
Naruto continued to race through Konoha, hollering at the top of his lungs over the clash of steel and the roar of the flames. Ordinarily he would have stopped to help any Konoha shinobi he saw in a fight, but if he did that now, heÆd never progress even a block, and the thought of Sakura deadà He shook his head, pushing that thought away as he ran through the village.
Turning a corner, Naruto cried out as he finally saw someone he knew. ôTsunade-obaachan!ö
The Fifth Hokage was in the thickest part of the fighting, taking on seven ninjas with the symbol of the Sound country on their forehead-protectors. As Naruto cried out her name, she turned to look at him for just a moment, her eyes widening in shock. But it was a moment that cost her.
Instantly, three of the ninjas surrounding her leapt into the air, intent on attacking from above. Two crouched low and sprang at her, as the last two moved in to flank her. Tsunade, however, had already recovered from her second of inattentiveness. A short hop let her bring a foot down on each of the two coming at her from below, crushing their spines. At the same time, she twisted to the side to avoid the two coming at her straight on, grabbing them and with a grunt, hurling them upwards, letting them collide in the air with their descending brethren.
With all but one. The third aerial ninja twisted around his comrades, coming down perfectly as he drew a kunai, and thrust it into TsunadeÆs chest. A surprised look spread across her face before the remaining ninjas collapsed on them in a tangled heap.
ôBaachan!ö Naruto raced over to her, but hadnÆt even crossed half of the distance before the Sound shinobi were flung away in all directions like leaves in a tornado. Standing up from where sheÆd fallen, Naruto could see the markings across TsunadeÆs face. Though heÆd never witnessed them before, heÆd heard from Shizune-neechan about the Genesis of Rebirth technique that Tsunade has used before. This had to have been it.
Contemptuously wiping the blood off her blouse as she looked at the enemy corpses scattered at her feet, Tsunade turned her attention to Naruto. ôNaruto, why-ô
ôBaachan!ö Naruto cut her off as he reached her. ôHave you seen Sakura-chan?! I canÆt find her anywhere! I canÆt find anyone! I-ô
It was NarutoÆs turn to be cut off as Tsunade knelt down so she was level with him, and slapped him across the face. Not hard, but just enough to get his attention.
ôNaruto! Listen to me! TheyÆre probably long gone by now, I-ô
ôThey wouldnÆt do that!ö roared Naruto, upset by the implication that his friends would have deserted Konoha when they were needed the most.
ôNaruto!ö The young man shut up as Tsunade reached out and grabbed his shoulders so tightly that it hurt. ôI gave the order to evacuate Konoha! I gave it three hours ago! Everyone who isnÆt a jounin or ANBU member was told to flee! What are you still doing here?!ö
Naruto couldnÆt answer, just looking at her, total surprise written across his features. ôYouàyou want us toàö
Tsunade didnÆt have time for this right now. It was the first time in hours that a new group of enemy ninjas hadnÆt immediately replaced the ones sheÆd killed, and she doubted this brief lull would last much longer.
ôWeÆre defeated, Naruto.ö She released his shoulders, holding up a hand to forestall any protests. ôKonoha wonÆt survive this. By morning Hidden Leaf Village wonÆt exist anymore. All thatÆs left to do is try to get as many people out of here as possible û thatÆs why the jounins and ANBU are staying behind, to sacrifice themselves so everyone else can escape! And that goes for you too, get out of here! Now!ö
She pushed him away, but unsurprisingly, the little brat refused to move. ôNo!ö The thought of retreating, turning tail and running while other members of his village died was absolutely abhorrent to the boy. ôIÆm staying here!ö
ôNarutoàö TsunadeÆs voice was a growl. She opened her mouth to order the boy to run, but paused as she saw more ninjas approaching. She only had a few seconds before they got here, and the little idiot put himself in danger again. Kneeling down again, Tsunade looked him squarely in the eye, forcing herself to speak levelly. ôNaruto, IÆm giving you a mission.ö
The confused look that crossed NarutoÆs face was enough to spur her on. Hopefully now sheÆd get through to him. ôYour mission is to raise your own army of shinobi, wipe out the Sound CountryÆs forces, and then rebuild Konoha. Once you do that, then youÆll be the sixth Hokage.ö
She saw NarutoÆs mouth open, either to ask questions or to protest, but it didnÆt matter which. Leaning forward suddenly, Tsunade kissed him on the lips. Completely shocked, Naruto didnÆt have time to react before Tsunade pulled away. ôNow, get going and complete your mission!ö
Giving him another push, Tsunade turned away from him and leapt to meet the group of enemy ninja that were almost on top of them now. Snarling, she tore into them, determined to buy Naruto some time to escape.
ôBaachan! IÆll absolutely complete my mission successfully!ö Naruto wanted to say something more, something profound, inspirational, and moving. But nothing else came to mindàand he had to go. It was the hardest thing heÆd ever done in his short, difficult life, but Naruto turned and leapt away, left with that image of Tsunade in his mind.
I know you will Naruto-kun, Tsunade smiled, even as she tore the life from the people around her. She knew she wouldnÆt survive this, that even if everyone else left, sheÆd die here with Konoha, as a Hokage should. But with Naruto, there was hope that the flame of this village, though extinguished, would be rekindled again someday.
It was enough.
* * * * *
It was much harder to ignore the sounds of fighting this time around. As Naruto leapt and ran through Konoha for what he tried to tell himself wouldnÆt be the last time, he seemed to hear every clash of steel, every hollered jutsu, and every scream that was suddenly cut short. Each and every one of them seemed to demand his attention, demand that he go and help whoever was giving his or her life so he could escape. And every time he ignored it was like a kunai being stabbed into his heart, making him grit his teeth so hard it hurt as he fled.
ôNaruto-kun!!!ö
He skidded to a stop, immediately turning to leap towards the unfamiliar voice. He couldnÆt ignore that. Mission or not, if someone was calling him specifically for helpà
Running between two buildings, he immediately saw the source of the desperate plea. A little girl he didnÆt recognize was standing in front of a woman û Shizune-neechan! û who was doubled over, blood pouring down her abdomen, as two Sound ninjas advanced.
ôKage bunshin no jutsu!ö Naruto hadnÆt even slowed down as he called out his signature technique. The clones immediately fell in beside him, charging towards the Sound ninjas, who immediately turned to assess the new threat.
Naruto let the clones tackle the first one en masse, focusing instead on the shinobi closer to Shizune-neechan and the little girl. He tried to get in close with a kunai û heÆd realized after the fighting started that heÆd need to use something deadlier than just fists û but the Sound ninja was skilled, and between the narrow alley and the two girls, Naruto couldnÆt surround him with clones.
Slashing madly, Naruto tried not to growl in frustration. He could already hear the sound of clones dissipating behind him, and even though it had barely been ten seconds since heÆd begun his attack, he knew time was running out. HeÆd be hard pressed to fight two skilled ninjas, probably jounins, in such tight quarters and protect two people at the same time.
Naruto was almost ready to fall back and try his rasengan when the ninja he was fighting suddenly stiffened, dropping his kunai. Naruto saw his enemyÆs eyes bulge, mouth opening and closing soundlessly before he collapsed, laying very still. As he fell over, Naruto could see several needles protruding from his back. ôServes theàbastard rightàö moaned Shizune, a trickle of blood running from her mouth, having just barely been able to raise her head up enough to spit poisoned needles at NarutoÆs foe.
The other ninja was down to just two clones, and was starting to perform a series of rapid hand seals when Naruto threw his kunai at him. Forced to abandon whatever jutsu heÆd been about to perform, the Sound shinobi arced over Naruto, landing right beside the little girl and Shizune!
ôEnough, brat!ö the Sound shinobi snarled. ôDispel the clones, then put your hands behind your head, fingers interlocked, or IÆll slit this little bitchÆs throat!ö He already had a kunai, drawn in mid-leap, pressed to the throat of the girl, who strangely didnÆt look worried, despite having screamed for Naruto less than a minute ago.
Knowing itÆd do no good to surrender û the enemy would just kill him and then kill the girls anyway û but having no other option, Naruto released his kage bunshin technique, letting the two clones disappear in a puff of smoke. He was about to put his hands behind his head when he heard a soft whisper, ôjuuken,ö and the enemy ninja suddenly screamed and fell over, one hand clutching his leg.
Not knowing what was going on, but grateful for the chance, Naruto leapt on the fallen shinobi, grabbing for the kunai. Whatever pain the Sound ninja was in was enough for Naruto to get the blade away from him, plunging it into his throat without hesitation.
Turning back to the women, Naruto was greeted with the gruesome sight of Shizune pulling a kunai out of her body. SheÆd been stabbed low, just below the belly, and she groaned softly in agony as she pulled it out, immediately pressing two fingers of her other hand to the wound, which glowed softly as she started to heal herself.
ôShizune-neechan! Are you alright?ö Naruto mentally kicked himself for asking such a stupid question. Of course she wasnÆt alright! ôWe have to get out of here! Tsunade-baachan gave the order to evacuate the village!ö
ôÆMÆa jouninàö hissed Shizune, obviously still in a lot of pain. ôHave toàstay hereàTsunade-samaàneeds meàö
For once, Naruto didnÆt argue, turning to the little girl. ôListen, little girl-ô
ôHanabi Hyuuga.ö She interrupted softly, voice quiet, and expression calm. Only the way her hands were shaking betrayed the fear and anxiety she felt as her world was falling apart around her.
ôHanabi-chan, is there anyone else here besides you?ö A small part of NarutoÆs mind realized that she must be related to Hinata û didnÆt she mention once that she had a younger sister û that would explain the juuken technique that had felled that Sound ninja.
ôI donÆt think so. I havenÆt seen my father or Hi-Hinata-oneesan since the fighting started.ö Her voice quivered just a bit at the mention of her missing family, but she savagely pushed it down. She was the heir-apparent of the Hyuuga family, and she would NOT start crying like some helpless child!
ôOkay.ö Naruto seemed to deflate a little at hearing that everyone else was gone, and then picked himself up. ôCan you run?ö Hanabi nodded, and Naruto gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. ôOkay, just follow me then.ö Turning away from her, Naruto, without any preamble, then scooped up Shizune, who cried out in shock and in pain as Naruto slung her over his shoulder, which pressed against her abdomen painfully.
ôNa-Naruto-kun! Put me down! I have to go help Tsunade-sama!ö Pain and desperation gave her enough strength to struggle, but Naruto was easily able to hold the older woman in place.
ôàIÆm sorry, Shizune-neechan.ö Naruto didnÆt have time to say anymore, but he knew this was what Tsunade would want. Shizune was obviously too injured to fight, and having witnessed her using her healing technique a lot (heÆd frequently been the recipient of it after missions) he could tell she was low on chakra, probably to the point where she couldnÆt even heal herself completely. Leaving her here would be leaving her to die, and that was something Naruto refused to do.
With a quick backwards glance, and a cry of ôHanabi-chan, follow me!ö Naruto was off. Shizune, her injury bumping against his shoulder as he ran, couldnÆt contain her whimpers of pain or her sobs of heartbreak as Naruto took her and Hanabi out of the villageàher cries were fitting, matching the ones Naruto wished he could shed.
* * * * *
ôIÆm home.ö Naruto called out as he entered the small apartment.
ôWelcome home.ö Came the familiar call of Shizune from the kitchen.
ôWhatÆre you making for dinner? Ramen I hope.ö Naruto asked, sticking his head in to peek at what Shizune was fixing. He would have just walked in to take a look, but after his last attempt at making food for the girls, they had banned him from the kitchen until further notice.
Shizune rolled her eyes. ôNaruto, you work in a ramen shop. You eat ramen every day for lunch. DonÆt you ever grow sick of it?ö She had her back to Naruto, so while he couldnÆt see her smile, he could hear it in her voice. He was glad for it. In the four months since the destruction of Konoha, Shizune hadnÆt smiled very much at all.
The first few weeks had been the hardest. The dizzying flight from Hidden Leaf Village had culminated in a long trek out of the Fire Country altogether. Shizune had been surprisingly slow to heal. Since she hadnÆt been able to heal herself immediately, sheÆd caught an infection in her wound, which had in turn kept her sick enough that sheÆd only been able to spare small amount of chakra to heal her infection and injuries. Between that, the lack of any meaningful supplies, forcing them to forage for food and shelter (Hanabi, who had already learned byakugan, had been a huge help there), and the lack of medical supplies, Shizune had spent more than half of the six weeks of journeying in Naruto and HanabiÆs care before she had recovered.
Finally, the trio had reached the Stone Country, and slowly set about building new lives there. Naruto had wanted to stay someplace closer, maybe even with some of the people heÆd met on missions before Konoha had burned, but Shizune had argued against it, pointing out that if he went someplace heÆd been before, it was possible that hunters could find him there if theyÆd managed to get the mission records in the HokageÆs tower. The threat of being pursued, and the memory of his promise to Tsunade, had been enough to make Naruto relent to ShizuneÆs reasoning.
Things hadnÆt been much easier once theyÆd reached the Stone Country. At ShizuneÆs insistence, theyÆd thrown away the few supplies they still had. Anything that marked them as being ninjas could be used to track them down. Naruto and Hanabi had agreed, though Naruto had absolutely refused to throw away his forehead protector, settling for hiding it until the day he could openly wear it again. The only other memento he had of his life in Konoha was TsunadeÆs necklace, still having never taken it off since sheÆd given it to him.
ItÆd been difficult, especially since Shizune had instructed him and Hanabi not to use any ninja techniques unless it was life-or-death, but eventually Naruto had managed to get work at a ramen shop. His many visits to IchirakuÆs previously had given him a discriminating air where ramen was concerned, enough so that the local shop had hired him on as an assistant chef for their kitchen û ramen was, it turned out, the one food item Naruto could make well. Between his job and Shizune working as a nurse at the local hospital, theyÆd managed to scrape together enough money for the little apartment they lived in now.
ôNaruto-kun?ö ShizuneÆs voice snapped Naruto out of his daydreaming.
ôYeah?ö
ôHanabiÆs been in her room for a while. Could you go check on her please? Tell her dinnerÆs going to be ready in ten minutes.ö
ôSure.ö
For the youngest member of the group, Hanabi had seemingly weathered things the best. She had never cried over what happened, never complained about how hard things were. SheÆd never even expressed any desire to go look for any other Konoha survivors, unlike Naruto, who tended to argue with Shizune every few days about doing just that. It was enough to make Naruto wonder if sheÆd been practicing being so closed, or if it was an inborn trait among the Hyuuga clan.
Naruto rapped lightly on the door to HanabiÆs room. ôHanabi-chan? Shizune-neechan says dinnerÆll be ready in ten minutes.ö
ôAlright.ö Naruto paused at the short answer. Maybe he should go in and talk to heràShizune was pretty busy at her hospital, and sometimes Hanabi was left alone when both Naruto and Shizune had to work. That had to be scary for her, since she hadnÆt seen her family since Konoha.
HeÆd almost knocked again, when HanabiÆs voice came through the door. ôNaruto-kun? Could youàcome in, please?ö
ôYeah.ö Shaking his thoughts off, Naruto didnÆt hear the slight catch in HanabiÆs voice. He walked in, looking around for her, but not immediately seeing her. It was unusually dark in there. ôHanabi-chan?ö
ôClose the door.ö Naruto did so, hearing her voice coming from behind her dresser. As the door clicked shut, most of the light left the room, leaving only a little coming in through the drawn curtains.
ôHanabi-chan, whyÆs it so dark in here? I can barely seeàö Naruto trailed off as Hanabi stepped out from behind her dresser. Barely five feet away from him, there was still enough ambient light in the room to let him see her clearly.
Very clearly, as she was completely naked.
ôHa-Ha-Hanabi-chan?! What are you doing?!ö Naruto quickly turned his face away, looking at the bed, and then quickly reconsidering and looking down at his shoes instead.
ôNaruto-kunàö her voice was soft, unlike the flat, emotionless tone she usually used. ôItÆs time.ö
ôT-time???ö Naruto was slowly starting to back up, trying to put more distance between himself and the naked little girl, when she suddenly crossed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her flat, undeveloped body against him.
ôYes, itÆs time.ö As close as she was, he couldnÆt avoid looking into her large white eyes, though thankfully, the rest of her body was hidden from viewàthough he could still feel it pretty clearly. ôIÆm fertile, and IÆm ready.ö She stood up on her toes, just barely able to brush her lips against the freaked young manÆs ear, as she whisperedà
ôBreed me.ö
Author's Notes: The original idea for this fic was developed by The SOC Puppet. While we had fun discussing it for a while, he eventually confessed he probably wasn't going to write it, preferring instead to concentrate more on finishing his current fanfics and branch out into original fiction. While I was saddened that such a talented author wasn't going to follow up on such a promising idea, I was rather shocked when he casually informed me that I could run with this idea if I wanted to.
I originally didn't intend to write any of this, but since coming to these forums, I've been developing an irresistable urge to write ideas like this down and post them, at least a little bit. I'll have more of this (though how much more is iffy) later.
Just thinking that made Naruto want to scream out in denial, but there was no way to deny it now. OrochimaruÆs first attack with the Sand two years ago had been bad, but it had been nothing but a skirmish compared to what was happening now.
Naruto had no idea where Orochimaru had gotten so many ninja from. WasnÆt the Sound Country supposed to be a small little nothing country? Naruto had been out fighting the invaders for hours, as he knew everyone in Konoha must have been, but if they were even making a dent in the numbers assaulting the village, he couldnÆt see it.
As it was, the only reason he could see anything at all was because of the fires raging across the village. Despite being the dead of night the flames, seeming to grow larger and hungrier as they burned, illuminated the village brightly û a tribute to the greatest village of the Fire Country as it perished.
ôOi! Sakura-chan! Ero-Sennin! Anybody!ö he hollered as he ran through the village. He couldnÆt go ten feet without seeing people locked in mortal combat, but itÆd been a while since he could find anyone he knew, and it was beginning to seriously worry him. What if something had happened to Sakura?
Naruto continued to race through Konoha, hollering at the top of his lungs over the clash of steel and the roar of the flames. Ordinarily he would have stopped to help any Konoha shinobi he saw in a fight, but if he did that now, heÆd never progress even a block, and the thought of Sakura deadà He shook his head, pushing that thought away as he ran through the village.
Turning a corner, Naruto cried out as he finally saw someone he knew. ôTsunade-obaachan!ö
The Fifth Hokage was in the thickest part of the fighting, taking on seven ninjas with the symbol of the Sound country on their forehead-protectors. As Naruto cried out her name, she turned to look at him for just a moment, her eyes widening in shock. But it was a moment that cost her.
Instantly, three of the ninjas surrounding her leapt into the air, intent on attacking from above. Two crouched low and sprang at her, as the last two moved in to flank her. Tsunade, however, had already recovered from her second of inattentiveness. A short hop let her bring a foot down on each of the two coming at her from below, crushing their spines. At the same time, she twisted to the side to avoid the two coming at her straight on, grabbing them and with a grunt, hurling them upwards, letting them collide in the air with their descending brethren.
With all but one. The third aerial ninja twisted around his comrades, coming down perfectly as he drew a kunai, and thrust it into TsunadeÆs chest. A surprised look spread across her face before the remaining ninjas collapsed on them in a tangled heap.
ôBaachan!ö Naruto raced over to her, but hadnÆt even crossed half of the distance before the Sound shinobi were flung away in all directions like leaves in a tornado. Standing up from where sheÆd fallen, Naruto could see the markings across TsunadeÆs face. Though heÆd never witnessed them before, heÆd heard from Shizune-neechan about the Genesis of Rebirth technique that Tsunade has used before. This had to have been it.
Contemptuously wiping the blood off her blouse as she looked at the enemy corpses scattered at her feet, Tsunade turned her attention to Naruto. ôNaruto, why-ô
ôBaachan!ö Naruto cut her off as he reached her. ôHave you seen Sakura-chan?! I canÆt find her anywhere! I canÆt find anyone! I-ô
It was NarutoÆs turn to be cut off as Tsunade knelt down so she was level with him, and slapped him across the face. Not hard, but just enough to get his attention.
ôNaruto! Listen to me! TheyÆre probably long gone by now, I-ô
ôThey wouldnÆt do that!ö roared Naruto, upset by the implication that his friends would have deserted Konoha when they were needed the most.
ôNaruto!ö The young man shut up as Tsunade reached out and grabbed his shoulders so tightly that it hurt. ôI gave the order to evacuate Konoha! I gave it three hours ago! Everyone who isnÆt a jounin or ANBU member was told to flee! What are you still doing here?!ö
Naruto couldnÆt answer, just looking at her, total surprise written across his features. ôYouàyou want us toàö
Tsunade didnÆt have time for this right now. It was the first time in hours that a new group of enemy ninjas hadnÆt immediately replaced the ones sheÆd killed, and she doubted this brief lull would last much longer.
ôWeÆre defeated, Naruto.ö She released his shoulders, holding up a hand to forestall any protests. ôKonoha wonÆt survive this. By morning Hidden Leaf Village wonÆt exist anymore. All thatÆs left to do is try to get as many people out of here as possible û thatÆs why the jounins and ANBU are staying behind, to sacrifice themselves so everyone else can escape! And that goes for you too, get out of here! Now!ö
She pushed him away, but unsurprisingly, the little brat refused to move. ôNo!ö The thought of retreating, turning tail and running while other members of his village died was absolutely abhorrent to the boy. ôIÆm staying here!ö
ôNarutoàö TsunadeÆs voice was a growl. She opened her mouth to order the boy to run, but paused as she saw more ninjas approaching. She only had a few seconds before they got here, and the little idiot put himself in danger again. Kneeling down again, Tsunade looked him squarely in the eye, forcing herself to speak levelly. ôNaruto, IÆm giving you a mission.ö
The confused look that crossed NarutoÆs face was enough to spur her on. Hopefully now sheÆd get through to him. ôYour mission is to raise your own army of shinobi, wipe out the Sound CountryÆs forces, and then rebuild Konoha. Once you do that, then youÆll be the sixth Hokage.ö
She saw NarutoÆs mouth open, either to ask questions or to protest, but it didnÆt matter which. Leaning forward suddenly, Tsunade kissed him on the lips. Completely shocked, Naruto didnÆt have time to react before Tsunade pulled away. ôNow, get going and complete your mission!ö
Giving him another push, Tsunade turned away from him and leapt to meet the group of enemy ninja that were almost on top of them now. Snarling, she tore into them, determined to buy Naruto some time to escape.
ôBaachan! IÆll absolutely complete my mission successfully!ö Naruto wanted to say something more, something profound, inspirational, and moving. But nothing else came to mindàand he had to go. It was the hardest thing heÆd ever done in his short, difficult life, but Naruto turned and leapt away, left with that image of Tsunade in his mind.
I know you will Naruto-kun, Tsunade smiled, even as she tore the life from the people around her. She knew she wouldnÆt survive this, that even if everyone else left, sheÆd die here with Konoha, as a Hokage should. But with Naruto, there was hope that the flame of this village, though extinguished, would be rekindled again someday.
It was enough.
* * * * *
It was much harder to ignore the sounds of fighting this time around. As Naruto leapt and ran through Konoha for what he tried to tell himself wouldnÆt be the last time, he seemed to hear every clash of steel, every hollered jutsu, and every scream that was suddenly cut short. Each and every one of them seemed to demand his attention, demand that he go and help whoever was giving his or her life so he could escape. And every time he ignored it was like a kunai being stabbed into his heart, making him grit his teeth so hard it hurt as he fled.
ôNaruto-kun!!!ö
He skidded to a stop, immediately turning to leap towards the unfamiliar voice. He couldnÆt ignore that. Mission or not, if someone was calling him specifically for helpà
Running between two buildings, he immediately saw the source of the desperate plea. A little girl he didnÆt recognize was standing in front of a woman û Shizune-neechan! û who was doubled over, blood pouring down her abdomen, as two Sound ninjas advanced.
ôKage bunshin no jutsu!ö Naruto hadnÆt even slowed down as he called out his signature technique. The clones immediately fell in beside him, charging towards the Sound ninjas, who immediately turned to assess the new threat.
Naruto let the clones tackle the first one en masse, focusing instead on the shinobi closer to Shizune-neechan and the little girl. He tried to get in close with a kunai û heÆd realized after the fighting started that heÆd need to use something deadlier than just fists û but the Sound ninja was skilled, and between the narrow alley and the two girls, Naruto couldnÆt surround him with clones.
Slashing madly, Naruto tried not to growl in frustration. He could already hear the sound of clones dissipating behind him, and even though it had barely been ten seconds since heÆd begun his attack, he knew time was running out. HeÆd be hard pressed to fight two skilled ninjas, probably jounins, in such tight quarters and protect two people at the same time.
Naruto was almost ready to fall back and try his rasengan when the ninja he was fighting suddenly stiffened, dropping his kunai. Naruto saw his enemyÆs eyes bulge, mouth opening and closing soundlessly before he collapsed, laying very still. As he fell over, Naruto could see several needles protruding from his back. ôServes theàbastard rightàö moaned Shizune, a trickle of blood running from her mouth, having just barely been able to raise her head up enough to spit poisoned needles at NarutoÆs foe.
The other ninja was down to just two clones, and was starting to perform a series of rapid hand seals when Naruto threw his kunai at him. Forced to abandon whatever jutsu heÆd been about to perform, the Sound shinobi arced over Naruto, landing right beside the little girl and Shizune!
ôEnough, brat!ö the Sound shinobi snarled. ôDispel the clones, then put your hands behind your head, fingers interlocked, or IÆll slit this little bitchÆs throat!ö He already had a kunai, drawn in mid-leap, pressed to the throat of the girl, who strangely didnÆt look worried, despite having screamed for Naruto less than a minute ago.
Knowing itÆd do no good to surrender û the enemy would just kill him and then kill the girls anyway û but having no other option, Naruto released his kage bunshin technique, letting the two clones disappear in a puff of smoke. He was about to put his hands behind his head when he heard a soft whisper, ôjuuken,ö and the enemy ninja suddenly screamed and fell over, one hand clutching his leg.
Not knowing what was going on, but grateful for the chance, Naruto leapt on the fallen shinobi, grabbing for the kunai. Whatever pain the Sound ninja was in was enough for Naruto to get the blade away from him, plunging it into his throat without hesitation.
Turning back to the women, Naruto was greeted with the gruesome sight of Shizune pulling a kunai out of her body. SheÆd been stabbed low, just below the belly, and she groaned softly in agony as she pulled it out, immediately pressing two fingers of her other hand to the wound, which glowed softly as she started to heal herself.
ôShizune-neechan! Are you alright?ö Naruto mentally kicked himself for asking such a stupid question. Of course she wasnÆt alright! ôWe have to get out of here! Tsunade-baachan gave the order to evacuate the village!ö
ôÆMÆa jouninàö hissed Shizune, obviously still in a lot of pain. ôHave toàstay hereàTsunade-samaàneeds meàö
For once, Naruto didnÆt argue, turning to the little girl. ôListen, little girl-ô
ôHanabi Hyuuga.ö She interrupted softly, voice quiet, and expression calm. Only the way her hands were shaking betrayed the fear and anxiety she felt as her world was falling apart around her.
ôHanabi-chan, is there anyone else here besides you?ö A small part of NarutoÆs mind realized that she must be related to Hinata û didnÆt she mention once that she had a younger sister û that would explain the juuken technique that had felled that Sound ninja.
ôI donÆt think so. I havenÆt seen my father or Hi-Hinata-oneesan since the fighting started.ö Her voice quivered just a bit at the mention of her missing family, but she savagely pushed it down. She was the heir-apparent of the Hyuuga family, and she would NOT start crying like some helpless child!
ôOkay.ö Naruto seemed to deflate a little at hearing that everyone else was gone, and then picked himself up. ôCan you run?ö Hanabi nodded, and Naruto gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. ôOkay, just follow me then.ö Turning away from her, Naruto, without any preamble, then scooped up Shizune, who cried out in shock and in pain as Naruto slung her over his shoulder, which pressed against her abdomen painfully.
ôNa-Naruto-kun! Put me down! I have to go help Tsunade-sama!ö Pain and desperation gave her enough strength to struggle, but Naruto was easily able to hold the older woman in place.
ôàIÆm sorry, Shizune-neechan.ö Naruto didnÆt have time to say anymore, but he knew this was what Tsunade would want. Shizune was obviously too injured to fight, and having witnessed her using her healing technique a lot (heÆd frequently been the recipient of it after missions) he could tell she was low on chakra, probably to the point where she couldnÆt even heal herself completely. Leaving her here would be leaving her to die, and that was something Naruto refused to do.
With a quick backwards glance, and a cry of ôHanabi-chan, follow me!ö Naruto was off. Shizune, her injury bumping against his shoulder as he ran, couldnÆt contain her whimpers of pain or her sobs of heartbreak as Naruto took her and Hanabi out of the villageàher cries were fitting, matching the ones Naruto wished he could shed.
* * * * *
ôIÆm home.ö Naruto called out as he entered the small apartment.
ôWelcome home.ö Came the familiar call of Shizune from the kitchen.
ôWhatÆre you making for dinner? Ramen I hope.ö Naruto asked, sticking his head in to peek at what Shizune was fixing. He would have just walked in to take a look, but after his last attempt at making food for the girls, they had banned him from the kitchen until further notice.
Shizune rolled her eyes. ôNaruto, you work in a ramen shop. You eat ramen every day for lunch. DonÆt you ever grow sick of it?ö She had her back to Naruto, so while he couldnÆt see her smile, he could hear it in her voice. He was glad for it. In the four months since the destruction of Konoha, Shizune hadnÆt smiled very much at all.
The first few weeks had been the hardest. The dizzying flight from Hidden Leaf Village had culminated in a long trek out of the Fire Country altogether. Shizune had been surprisingly slow to heal. Since she hadnÆt been able to heal herself immediately, sheÆd caught an infection in her wound, which had in turn kept her sick enough that sheÆd only been able to spare small amount of chakra to heal her infection and injuries. Between that, the lack of any meaningful supplies, forcing them to forage for food and shelter (Hanabi, who had already learned byakugan, had been a huge help there), and the lack of medical supplies, Shizune had spent more than half of the six weeks of journeying in Naruto and HanabiÆs care before she had recovered.
Finally, the trio had reached the Stone Country, and slowly set about building new lives there. Naruto had wanted to stay someplace closer, maybe even with some of the people heÆd met on missions before Konoha had burned, but Shizune had argued against it, pointing out that if he went someplace heÆd been before, it was possible that hunters could find him there if theyÆd managed to get the mission records in the HokageÆs tower. The threat of being pursued, and the memory of his promise to Tsunade, had been enough to make Naruto relent to ShizuneÆs reasoning.
Things hadnÆt been much easier once theyÆd reached the Stone Country. At ShizuneÆs insistence, theyÆd thrown away the few supplies they still had. Anything that marked them as being ninjas could be used to track them down. Naruto and Hanabi had agreed, though Naruto had absolutely refused to throw away his forehead protector, settling for hiding it until the day he could openly wear it again. The only other memento he had of his life in Konoha was TsunadeÆs necklace, still having never taken it off since sheÆd given it to him.
ItÆd been difficult, especially since Shizune had instructed him and Hanabi not to use any ninja techniques unless it was life-or-death, but eventually Naruto had managed to get work at a ramen shop. His many visits to IchirakuÆs previously had given him a discriminating air where ramen was concerned, enough so that the local shop had hired him on as an assistant chef for their kitchen û ramen was, it turned out, the one food item Naruto could make well. Between his job and Shizune working as a nurse at the local hospital, theyÆd managed to scrape together enough money for the little apartment they lived in now.
ôNaruto-kun?ö ShizuneÆs voice snapped Naruto out of his daydreaming.
ôYeah?ö
ôHanabiÆs been in her room for a while. Could you go check on her please? Tell her dinnerÆs going to be ready in ten minutes.ö
ôSure.ö
For the youngest member of the group, Hanabi had seemingly weathered things the best. She had never cried over what happened, never complained about how hard things were. SheÆd never even expressed any desire to go look for any other Konoha survivors, unlike Naruto, who tended to argue with Shizune every few days about doing just that. It was enough to make Naruto wonder if sheÆd been practicing being so closed, or if it was an inborn trait among the Hyuuga clan.
Naruto rapped lightly on the door to HanabiÆs room. ôHanabi-chan? Shizune-neechan says dinnerÆll be ready in ten minutes.ö
ôAlright.ö Naruto paused at the short answer. Maybe he should go in and talk to heràShizune was pretty busy at her hospital, and sometimes Hanabi was left alone when both Naruto and Shizune had to work. That had to be scary for her, since she hadnÆt seen her family since Konoha.
HeÆd almost knocked again, when HanabiÆs voice came through the door. ôNaruto-kun? Could youàcome in, please?ö
ôYeah.ö Shaking his thoughts off, Naruto didnÆt hear the slight catch in HanabiÆs voice. He walked in, looking around for her, but not immediately seeing her. It was unusually dark in there. ôHanabi-chan?ö
ôClose the door.ö Naruto did so, hearing her voice coming from behind her dresser. As the door clicked shut, most of the light left the room, leaving only a little coming in through the drawn curtains.
ôHanabi-chan, whyÆs it so dark in here? I can barely seeàö Naruto trailed off as Hanabi stepped out from behind her dresser. Barely five feet away from him, there was still enough ambient light in the room to let him see her clearly.
Very clearly, as she was completely naked.
ôHa-Ha-Hanabi-chan?! What are you doing?!ö Naruto quickly turned his face away, looking at the bed, and then quickly reconsidering and looking down at his shoes instead.
ôNaruto-kunàö her voice was soft, unlike the flat, emotionless tone she usually used. ôItÆs time.ö
ôT-time???ö Naruto was slowly starting to back up, trying to put more distance between himself and the naked little girl, when she suddenly crossed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her flat, undeveloped body against him.
ôYes, itÆs time.ö As close as she was, he couldnÆt avoid looking into her large white eyes, though thankfully, the rest of her body was hidden from viewàthough he could still feel it pretty clearly. ôIÆm fertile, and IÆm ready.ö She stood up on her toes, just barely able to brush her lips against the freaked young manÆs ear, as she whisperedà
ôBreed me.ö
Author's Notes: The original idea for this fic was developed by The SOC Puppet. While we had fun discussing it for a while, he eventually confessed he probably wasn't going to write it, preferring instead to concentrate more on finishing his current fanfics and branch out into original fiction. While I was saddened that such a talented author wasn't going to follow up on such a promising idea, I was rather shocked when he casually informed me that I could run with this idea if I wanted to.
I originally didn't intend to write any of this, but since coming to these forums, I've been developing an irresistable urge to write ideas like this down and post them, at least a little bit. I'll have more of this (though how much more is iffy) later.
