✓ Naruto: Euphoria (2011) ||Winner of NWA 2014||

Prologue 01: Marked

"Get the boy here!" The voice was so far yet close.

"What about the girl?" Another voice inquired.

I shivered inside my house as my weak body trembled and supported two tiny lumps of body, eyes closed, breathing slowly with a peaceful smile pasted on their faces.

"Get her as well! It will be easier for us then!" The hoarse voice of the same person barked at the other.

The war was not yet over and the screams and the bloody shouts were what we were surrounded with.

I clutched both my kids to my heart as I heard them nearing. I was trying to shield them with all the power left within me but that was not enough and I knew that. There was no way I could deny that it was for our own good but still...they were my kids.

"Kushina-san! The portal's almost ready !" I heard a shout from behind me. At the same time the curtains were drawn apart for some men to enter. The smell of the wet sand hit me along with the smell that made me scrunch my nose. The smell of rust- blood.

The two persons who had made their way towards me were clad in black from top to bottom. On their face were white masks designed uniquely in shape of some animal or bird. There was a clearly visible mark on their arms that gave off their identity as the member of ANBU Ops.

As they neared, I pulled the both my kids near to my chest but they didn't give any second thoughts and took them away...

I did not react because I knew that it was for our own good. That viracious monster had to be stopped before it destroyed the village any further with his gigantic, flaming orange nine tails.

Eventually, I stood up and started walking with them, out to the battle field.

As soon as I stepped out of the door, I heard a rushed voice calling out to me.

"B-But, Kushina-san, it's almost complete! The portal! You cannot go out... its-its too dangerous for you! The Fourth is already doing his best to save our village!" Sanako, a red haired lady with full bangs framing her face from both the sides exclaimed. She had a worried look plastered on her face as she looked drained off power.

Sanako was the caretaker of the Uchiha Clan's new born, the next gen heir of the clan, Sasuke. She saw him as her own child. She was an Uzumaki first, hence she was there to help me with my delivery. Sanako also had a child, few months older than Sasuke. This was already too much responsibility for her to shoulder, I didn't want to put more work in her plate but it couldn't be helped.

I turned around and smiled at her. "You have two sons to look after and both of them can be the heirs of the Uchiha... What if you had to choose between them? Who is that you will choose?" I asked, giving her a tired smile.

This question confused her but she attempted a reply. "I may consider both of them as my sons but only one of them is the real heir of the Uchiha." she paused and bit her lip.

It was true, she had a child but the other was her master's child. The hierarchy was clear.

"As you already know, I am originally not an Uchiha, so even my son is a half! He may or may not possess the power of the Uchihas. That leaves us with the master's child... the true Uchiha."

"So what does that lead you to? Won't you want your child to be the master?" I asked her.

"I would, but-"

"Exactly what I mean. Don't you see that I have to choose between my two children? The village, Konoha, or the two with my blood flowing in them. Being the wife of the Fourth Hokage and a kunoichi is not a very easy task. I choose Konoha because I know that my children, eventually, would be safe here, otherwise Minato wouldn't have chosen this fate for them..." My smile had vanished as well as Sanako's confused look which was now filled with a look of acceptance and defeat.