Chapter Text
BOOM!
KATHOOM-BOOM!
“KRRAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!”
“This is Captain Ikkaku, requesting reinforcements at the Southwest Garrison, Sector 2, stat!”
“Acknowledged. Squads 6, 9, and 13, report to Southwest Garrison Sector 2 immediately.”
“Lord Third, we need as many units as possible at the main marketplace. We still have several civilians in critical condition here that we need to get to shelter!”
“Call in any and all remaining genin to assist with evacuation, rescue, and emergency field medicine. Have them keep the civilians stabilized until they can be brought to safety.”
“But sir—”
“Remember your orders: all jōnin and chūnin, unless they have specific instructions to the contrary, should be assisting with engagement and containment of the demon. So get your asses to the garrison, NOW!”
“You hear that, Shikaku? How in the hell are we supposed to ‘contain’ this thing?”
“For right now, we do whatever we can to prevent the demon from causing further destruction until either the Hokage or our sealing specialists can find a way to neutralize this thing. And if that means simply beating it into the ground, well, good thing that’s YOUR specialty.”
“Speaking of, do we know where exactly the Hokage is? I haven’t seen him at all tonight…”
“I trust him to be working tirelessly to resolve this situation as we speak. Now let’s all stop asking inane questions and get moving!”
“I just hope my daughter’s alright…”
“She’ll be fine, Inoichi. Now eyes up! I see the demon beast ahead! Let’s move!”
“I make two over here! And three more under that rubble!”
“Alright, take care of the two over there. Kuromaru, get this kid to the medics, fast.”
“Yes, mistress.”
“Gaku! Help me over here with this rubble!”
“Lady Inuzuka, should you really be pushing yourself like this? Aren’t you still on maternity leave—”
“I'm off maternity leave as of three days ago, and more importantly, my fellow compatriots are dying. Now stop yammering about pointless shit like that, and help me get these folks out of here!”
“Mama! What’s going on? Where’s Kuromaru?”
“Hana, please get back—”
“Hana, honey, I promise you, everything is going to be fine. This will all be over soon and we’re all going to be OK.”
“I…I wanna help!”
“That’s very brave of you sweetheart. But if you want to help, go back to your brother and make sure he’s safe, OK?”
“OK…”
“That’s my girl. Alright Gaku, help me lift…oh shit, I need emergency field medicine here, stat!”
“Shouldn’t the Inuzukas be helping us with this?”
“They’re working on the other side of the village. Meaning we handle this side. This is Captain Hizashi, reporting in. All clear in this area. No remaining civilians.”
“Acknowledged. Move to the next area and do a sweep for any remaining injured civilians.”
“Hoheto speaking. You’d better double-time that sweep, Lord Hizashi. I think the beast is moving closer to the village.”
“Acknowledged. Moving out now. Quickly now, child, let's go.”
“Figures. The main house gets to sit pretty in the shelter while we’re quite literally thrown to the beasts.”
“Watch your tone, child! This is no time for such petty thoughts. You are here to serve your village and save the lives of your fellows, and that is a high honor that you should be ready and willing to take on with grace. Am I understood?”
“Y-yes, Lord Hizashi.”
“Good. Now let’s move out!”
KA-RACK! BOOM!
“All squads! Sector 2 of the Southwest Garrison has sustained heavy damage; the beast has made contact with the bulk of our forces here and the village proper is exposed! Multiple casualties already reported! We need defensive specialists and more medics, stat!”
“Acknowledged. We can send some defense specialists your way, but I’ll have to keep you updated regarding medics.”
“Whatever you can send, we’ll take it. Just send them here fast!”
“Understood. Keep us up to date regarding the status of the beast.”
“My lord, what are our orders?”
“We are to hold back. Keep a protective perimeter around the civilians and ensure that no harm comes to them.”
“Are they serious?! What is the Hokage thinking?! We are one of the Noble Clans of the Hidden Leaf! We should be out on the front lines, fighting this demon head-on!”
“As much as I hate to agree with you, this does feel like an obvious waste of our skills.”
“I understand your frustrations, believe me. But this is quite frankly not the time to be thinking such things. For right now, we follow our orders and fulfill our number one duty as the Hidden Leaf Village’s Police Force: keep the people safe.”
“…Understood, my lord.”
“Let me go!”
“No Iruka! Get back!”
“My mom was in that blast! Where is she?!”
“Iruka, please, get back to the others!”
“MOM! DAD!”
1½ hours later
After a night of terror, of destruction, of heroism, and of unimaginable loss, things have suddenly begun to reach an eerie, quiet calm. Or at least, relative to the disaster that had just occurred.
Everyone saw the Fourth Hokage arrive atop his giant summoned toad, and they witnessed with hearts full of relief and inspiration as he battled the beast and drove it away from the village. But no one saw what happened after that. Most shinobi took the opportunity to resupply, refortify, tend to their wounded, and make more detailed status checks. As for civilians, only some managed to witness the beast being dragged off. But no one witnessed what occurred beyond that.
And yet, just a few miles east of the village’s walls, in a small forest clearing, an even more quiet calm has fallen. Only a few scant sounds can be heard: the heavy panting of a single woman, and the crying of two newborn children. The woman holds the two infants close. She no longer has the strength to stand, and is struggling to stay conscious due to the massive, bloody hole in her abdomen. But she spends every ounce of her remaining strength holding these two children close, not willing to let them go for anything.
“Shh, shh, easy little ones, it’ll be OK. Everything’s fine now. Mama’s here, mama’s got you. You're…going to be…OK……”
“Oh crap,” she thinks to herself, “My strength is fading. I can’t…hold on much longer. I’m so sorry, Minato. Please forgive me……my children………"
“This way! Over here!” Voices suddenly ring out through the night, grabbing the woman’s attention and giving her the focus needed to hold on for just a little while longer.
Lord Hiruzen Sarutobi, the former Third Hokage, decked out in full armor, crashes into the clearing with a small army of troops by his side. The scene before him drains all color from his face.
“Oh no……oh gods! Medics, emergency treatment, stat! Hokage, his wife, and their kids! Move!” He screams his orders in a borderline panic. He takes no more than a few seconds to recollect himself before he turns back to his platoon of Anbu.
“Anbu Team 1, report back to the village. Get us more medical assistance and ready rooms at the hospital. I want Tsunade herself to be ready for us! And if any soul questions you, you tell them that this order comes from Lord Sarutobi himself! Anbu Team 2, secure a perimeter. Outside of requested medical aid, I don’t want a single living creature within half a mile of this place. If anything gets close, take it down!” He finally turns back to the clearing. “Medics! Status report!”
“Lady Kushina is alive, but barely. We can buy her some time now, but she needs to get to the hospital immediately.”
“What of the children?”
“They’re fine, sir. Clearly shaken, but healthy.”
“Thank heavens. And Minato?”
“I'm sorry, my lord. He……didn’t make it.”
Hiruzen’s fists clench as tears begin to form. But he pushes that aside for now. He was aware of the possibility of this outcome. Besides, he’d have time to mourn his losses later. Right now, he needs to focus on who he can still save.
“I see……OK, how’s that emergency treatment coming?”
“We’ve just about done what we can, my lord. But I don’t think she can wait.”
“Alright then. Gather them up, we’re headed back to the village.” Hiruzen looks back to the tree line. “Fox!”
A single short Anbu drops before the Professor. Aside from their fox mask, their only distinguishing feature is a shock of spiky white hair. “Yes, my lord?”
“We have to get these three back to the village. I’ll guard Kushina, you guard the twins. Nothing and no one gets close. Understood?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Hopefully we’ll be able to rendezvous with team 1 before we get there.” Hiruzen turns back to the tree line once more. “Team 2, you stay here. Guard your Hokage, we’ll rendezvous back with you as soon as we’re able.” He doesn’t look back to the medic-nin, and has already broken out into a run, when he barks out his last order: “Back to the Hidden Leaf! Double time!”
Tsunade finally steps out of the operating room. She feels as though she’s been in there for hours. She doesn’t say a word, doesn’t address anyone. She just lets out a heavy sigh, wipes her brow, and collapses into a nearby chair. Though this reprieve ends up being very short lived.
“How is she?” Her old mentor stands over her, his expression a blend of panic, concern, and deathly seriousness. She lets out another sigh.
“She should be dead. But thanks to her natural Uzumaki resilience — that or miraculous luck — she’ll live. Though I have no idea when she’ll wake up.”
Lord Sarutobi lets out a large sigh of his own as he himself collapses into a chair next to his pupil. A single quiet moment passes, before he begins quietly sobbing.
“I failed them.” He simply says.
“No, no you didn’t.”
“I couldn’t save them. Minato, Biwako, Ikkaku and Kohari, so many civilians. I failed them all.”
Tsunade herself becomes filled with grief. She remembers her own pain, the many loved ones she herself lost. She takes a deep breath.
“Sensei, today you showed remarkable strength, skill, and overall leadership ability. You saved countless lives today; you failed no one.”
“I failed the ones who mattered most to me.”
“And they too, just like you, were willing to put everything on the line for the lives of those around them, as we saw tonight. If Biwako were here and you weren’t, and she were saying these things, how would you feel?”
He tries to parse his feelings and pick his words through his grief. He can only come to one conclusion.
“I would feel that my hard work and sacrifice is being insulted.”
“Exactly.” Tsunade puts a hand on his back. “Despite what some may call you, you’re not a god. So please try not to hold yourself to the standards of one. You went above and beyond the call of duty tonight, sensei. You’ve done the Hidden Leaf proud.”
He wipes away a tear. “Thank you, Tsunade.” He embraces her in a hug. “And you’ve done me proud as well.” But this tender moment, too, is short lived, as their attention is drawn to a cleared throat. They both turn and see another familiar face.
“Hello Tsunade, Sensei.” Jiraiya says with a surprisingly sincere tone that turns serious. “I hate to break up this tender moment, truly. But we need to chat.”
Hiruzen stands back up. “It’s about the children.”
Jiraiya wordlessly nods, then gestures for the two of them to follow as he turns back down the hallway.
Hiruzen, Tsunade, and Jiraiya stand before the maternity ward, all eyes locked on a set of sleeping twins, male and female, both with strange whisker-like markings on their cheeks. On the side of the girl’s crib is a name written in big bold letters: “NATSUMI.” On the boy’s crib, there is the name “NARUTO.”
“How do we know their names already?” Hiruzen asks.
Jiraiya smiles. “Minato and Kushina talked to me about potential baby names a month or so ago. Told me their first choices for both a boy and a girl. Decided to take initiative and just apply them here. But, that’s obviously not what we’re here to talk about.”
“Indeed.” Hiruzen's expression grows very dour as he turns to face Jiraiya. “It’s the Nine-Tailed Fox, isn't it?”
Jiraiya silently nods with a dark expression of his own. “It seems Minato used the Reaper Death Seal on the beast. Split it in half, and gave each kid a half.”
Tsunade, in comparison to the other two, looks bewildered. “He did what?! But then…that makes them—”
“Jinchūriki.” Hiruzen finishes. He pinches the bridge of his nose. “I cannot believe he did that. And after everything he knew Kushina went through for having that burden—”
“The beast was rampaging and he likely didn’t have many options.”
“But to go through with this one!”
“I don’t like it any more than you!” Jiraiya takes a deep breath and calms himself before continuing. “But none of that matters now. What’s done is done. Now, we need to figure out what our next steps are.”
"What do you mean?" Tsunade asks.
“Come on now. Twin children of the Fourth Hokage, legendary warrior of the last Shinobi World War? Not to mention they’re members of the fabled Uzumaki clan. And on top of all of that, they’re both Jinchūriki? Guarantee you, if word of these kids reaches the Stone or Cloud, every power-hungry shinobi from genin to Kage will be after their heads.” Jiraiya leans against the wall. This line of thinking is filling him with exhaustion and stress, and the night’s work has only exacerbated this. “So, what do we do?”
“Well, I think the other nations are going to find out about the kids’ existence sooner or later.” Tsunade says. “Minato was infamous enough that high-ranking shinobi knew of Kushina, and that was without her being an Uzumaki. Just having the twins under the same roof as her will cause them to put two and two together.”
“Do you suggest we separate her from the twins then?” Hiruzen asks.
“Oh yes, please let me know how well she takes THAT line of thinking.” Jiraiya says, his trademark sarcasm finally shining back through. “The Hot-Blooded Habanero of the Leaf loses her husband and risks death to save her twins, just to be told she can’t even raise them.”
“Fair…” Hiruzen himself shudders at that thought. He looks back down the hall, in the direction of the room Kushina's currently resting in. “For right now, let us wait until she wakes up. Then we can run over options with her.”
Tsunade looks back, her heart filled with nervous worry. “I hope that that’s soon.”
The morning comes in full, and with it, the people of the Hidden Leaf Village get to work. Most high-ranking shinobi secure the perimeter of the village, whereas the lower-ranking ones assist with cleanup, or even locating bodies. Even now, the total body count is not yet known.
The hospital, surprisingly, is no longer total chaos. It is still packed to bursting with all sorts of people with all manner of injuries, but with the initial rush of new casualties now stopped, things have settled into a rhythm, albeit a very high-energy fast-paced one. Nurses and medics rush from room to room, stabilizing patients, checking on wounds, and ensuring that as soon as someone is ready to leave, they do.
But on the other side of the hospital, in the maternity ward, the atmosphere is much different. Anbu armed to the teeth guard every path towards Kushina and the twins. No one is allowed nearby for any reason. Pregnant women and newborn infants must be treated elsewhere. Any and all messages for the Hokage, Third or Fourth, are left to the advisors. And only two extremely trusted midwives are allowed anywhere near the twins. Meanwhile, Hiruzen, Tsunade, and Jiraiya all take turns watching over Kushina by her bedside. The day drags on, and she does not wake. Dawn becomes morning, which stretches into afternoon and then evening. They begin to fear the worst.
But as the sun begins to set, painting the sky in a vibrant orange hue, Kushina begins to stir.
“Mmm…ah…what…” She barely has time to utter a word before Tsunade practically tackles her in an embrace.
“Kushina! Oh thank the gods! Stay here!” Tsunade bolts for the door. “Medic! She’s awake!”
Kushina sits up and rubs her head, trying to come to terms with her surroundings. It’s then that she begins to recollect what happened before she went out.
“Wait…Tsunade, where are my children? Where are my kids?!” She begins to sit up from the bed before Tsunade and a nurse rush to her.
“Kushina, please, stay seated.” Tsunade urges. “Your children are fine, we’ll bring them to you in a moment. But please, just stay calm.”
Kushina does sit back down, but how can she possibly be calm at a time like this? She has no idea what even happened after Minato……
She remembers what Minato did, and several new waves of grief overcome her. The loss of her husband, the attack on the village, but most of all, knowing the curse that has been set upon her kids. It all gives way to a kind of hollow numbness at the core of her being. It’s so much pain and tragedy that she can’t even cry or even feel the sorrow. She just feels…empty. Mercifully though, that feeling fades as soon as a nurse brings in her crying twin children.
“Oh, my babies.” As soon as she has them in their arms, she practically has them in a death grip. “Naruto…Natsumi…”
“Called it.” She turns her head to see Jiraiya standing in the doorway, alongside Lord Sarutobi, both beside Tsunade. Hiruzen looks to the nearby nurses.
“Leave us, please.” As soon as they exit, he makes a silent gesture to two nearby Anbu, and they leave the room to guard the doorway. Hiruzen pulls up a stool and sits by Kushina’s bed. “How are you feeling?”
“Tired.” Kushina says, though that much is obvious just from her voice. “Scared. Numb. Upset.” She looks to her children. “And overjoyed.”
Hiruzen gives a small smile. “Yes. Well I know you just woke up, and I hate to overwhelm you. But we need to have a discussion.” Kushina’s demeanor, as well as that of the other three shinobi in the room, becomes all business.
“Absolutely not. Hell no.”
“See? I told you so.”
It’s now deep into the night. The twins have finally fallen asleep, and Hiruzen has not only debriefed Kushina about the status of the village, but also of her children.
“There is absolutely no way in hell you will EVER separate me from the only family I have left!”
“Kushina, please, we are not going to separate you from your kids.” Hiruzen tried to reassure her.
“Well you just implied it!”
“The point I’m trying to make here is that your children are in danger, and we need to do what we can to keep them safe. Especially from Minato’s old foes in the Hidden Stone and Cloud. So we need to take some sort of precautionary measures.”
Kushina glances down at her kids. They look so gentle, so soft and innocent. She hates the fact that they’ve been a part of this world for less than a day and they’re already in danger, in so many ways, for reasons totally beyond their control. It’s like her own life story repeating itself: her children are damned for the circumstances of their birth.
For the first time today, she wants to cry. She would love nothing more than to ensure a normal life for her kids. But that’s not the hand this family was dealt. Besides, she was the Hot-Blooded Habanero! When did she ever accept the easy way in life? She swallows her tears and looks to Hiruzen.
“First thing’s obvious. No one, not even within the Hidden Leaf itself, learns of the twins being Jinchūriki.”
“We’re already well ahead of you on that front.” Hiruzen says. “That information is highly classified and need-to-know, even among the clan heads.”
“Good.” Kushina sighs lightly. “Second, can you ensure a small estate for us? One heavily guarded and defensible?”
Hiruzen chuckles awkwardly. “Well, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we’ve recently had a lot of land, well…open up.” He takes a sideways glance out the window. “In all seriousness, though, given the current state of the village, that should be feasible.”
“OK then. I have one last request: Naruto and Natsumi are not to leave the village walls without my permission. Not until they are at least 16.”
Hiruzen looks a bit confused at this request. “I mean, all due respect Kushina, you are their mother. That is something you should be—”
“No.” She interrupts. “I mean I want border guards and even dedicated Anbu patrols ensuring that they stay in the village. I don’t even care if they become shinobi and start taking on missions. If they even want to leave the village before 16, they need my expressed permission!”
Hiruzen stares at Kushina, with a look that combines shock, confusion, bewilderment, and even pity. This woman was such a free spirit. So full of energy and laughter, not willing to be held back by anything or anyone. Now, he sees a scared and vulnerable woman, trying so hard to shelter her newborn children from the world they will have to face one day.
And the worst part is, he can’t even argue with her. He knows exactly why she’s acting like this; any person in the village right now would understand her current behavior. And it’s that sense of empathy, combined with an inability to reject this woman during her time of greatest grief, that prevents him from refusing her.
“OK. Once we have regular Anbu patrols back up and running, I’ll inform them of that update.” He sighs lightly before standing up. “I have to go. I’ve been selected as interim Hokage until the council and daimyō can confer and come to a solution regarding the next Hokage. Once you’re discharged, Kushina, you can stay at the Sarutobi estate until your new home is built.”
She lightly bows her head. “I thank you for your kindness, Lord Sarutobi.”
He gives her a light dismissive wave. “Please, just take care of yourself.” He looks down at the twins in her arms. “And…congratulations.” With that, he heads out, leaving Jiraiya and Tsunade with them.
She smiles widely at the two Sannin. “Well? Are you two going to say hello to your godchildren?”
Tsunade stands there, looking totally stunned. Jiraiya just starts mumbling. “W-wait, wait, are-are you serious? Did I hear that right?!”
“Of course!” Her smile grows somber. “Minato and I had already decided on this long before these two were born.” She holds the kids out in their direction. “Here, hold them.”
The two of them carefully hold the kids, with Jiraiya holding Naruto and Tsunade cradling Natsumi. Jiraiya smiles. “Hey little guy. I can already tell, you’re going to grow up to be a real ladykiller, like your old godfather here!”
“Oh Jiraiya,” Kushina says with a VERY intimidating smile on her face, “if I find out that your hobbies have passed onto my son, I will put you through a world of pain!”
Jiraiya’s knees begin to buckle and shake. “Oh c-come on now, K-Kushina, I was just having fun! I’m just complimenting my godson!”
Tsunade sees all this and just gives off a smirk, before going back to swaddling Natsumi. “Well I know you’re going to grow up to be a fine, strong, beautiful woman. Count your blessings.” She looks at Kushina. “You have two of the best women in your life as role models. You’ll be alright.”
Kushina looks at the scene before her; Jiraiya holding Naruto with that stupid nervous smirk still on his face, and Tsunade handling Natsumi with a master medic’s care. Her smile fades. She knows that the path ahead of these kids — ahead of all of them, in fact — will not be easy. But in that one perfect, beautiful little moment, seeing her closest friends holding her children close, she makes a quiet promise to herself.
“Minato gave his life to ensure that both our children and I could live. To ensure that this family could be here today. I will not let his sacrifice be in vain. I will do anything and everything in my power to ensure that my children grow up knowing peace and happiness. No matter the cost, no matter the method, no matter what.”
She looks out the window, at the ruined Hidden Leaf underneath the dark night sky. She can only hope that from all of the darkness that has taken hold, some light may spring forth.
Shinobi World Guide: The Elemental Nations
Our story takes place on a large continent, which is home to what the people living here have come to call the shinobi world. Though there are several smaller nations that have sprung up and fallen over time, each with their own rich and developed cultures and histories, it’s the Five Elemental Nations — the Lands of Fire, Earth, Wind, Lightning, and Water (founded in that order) — that are the largest, oldest, most prominent and powerful nations on the entire continent that still stand today. Governed by land-owning daimyō, these nations each hold sway over massive tracts of land, and manage the lives of countless villages and people.
Though each of these nations can claim to be multiple centuries old, they only really began to take on their modern shape in the wake of the Warring States Era, which tore the continent apart with civil war over the course of several centuries of its own. In the wake of this horrid conflict, however, rose a new power within each of these nations; one that would come to redefine and reshape how each of these nations operate. That power was, of course, the hidden villages of the shinobi.