Desolation

Chapter 1 : Maybe this'll be just a bad dream.

Under the moonlight, Kushina heaves her soon to be final breath. She panted as her eyes flicked through her blurry view, searching for a baby blanketed in an orange quilt. Her heart skipped as she realized her eyesight was becoming spotty with black dots and she couldn't feel anything past her torso.

She tried her hardest, searching for him. Her cute, little Naruto. Hand hovering over what she thought was the location of her child. Naruto was no longer crying. While she was relieved that Naruto wasn't feeling any pain, she hated that she couldn't find him without it. Her eyesight grew darker, she could hardly see anything at this point but she didn't cease her efforts.

She crawled with shaky arms. Strength waning with each push she took. She felt something cold as she reached over again, this time feeling like a face. She knew this face, she held it before, had seen it so many times she could draw it again and again with perfect clarity.

She never felt it this cold before.

She heaved a shaky breath and continued searching.

It was then she felt a bundle in blanket and let out a relieved breath. She moved her hands over until she felt the tiny hand gripping her finger. She couldn't see her baby. And she could only hear her rattling breaths now, desperately holding on to the last thin line of living. She realized she won't be able to see Naruto for the very last time.

Her tears renewed. She remembered their wishes. Minato and her's last, hopeful advise for their amazing Naruto. Who will no doubt experience hardship from this point on. With how much destruction the Kyuubi caused to the village, there's no way the village could rebound back immediately. There were no doubt, casualties. And from the damage she managed to glimpse at, the village will be mourning not only for their hokage and his wife.

She couldn't help but feel guilty. If only she were stronger, much more skilled in sealing jutsus like Minato did or maybe even thought of something that wouldn't cost the village so much. That wouldn't cost the village their hokage or cost Naruto his father.

Maybe this wouldn't happen. Maybe this will be just a worse case scenario that the analysis division would come up with years after the incident. Maybe this'll be just a bad dream.

She sobbed as she thought of Naruto. It was already a struggle, a pain, to be told to become the holder of the nine tailed beast as a 9 years old. She remembered the clear despair and loneliness of withholding something so important for a village she wasn't loyal to. She remembered hating the adults for not telling her before she walked into said village. For putting a monster hundred-no million times stronger, deadlier than she could ever be. Who's spouting it's own disgust and hatred at humanity for over 20 years they're together.

Now, she could only think that she was blessed with the knowledge and preparation to be given such a burden. Naruto wouldn't have that.

He'll grow up without his parents. Wondering who they were, and why they put such a burden on him as a newborn baby. He'll have a lot of questions.

Kushina felt sorry for whoever was on the receiving end of those questions. They wouldn't even be able to give a 'true' answer for her baby because they'll never knew the conviction Minato had for their son as he performed the Dead Demon Consuming Seal.

She felt her chakra draining out inside her. It was disconcerting, feeling this weak. She had never experienced this bone-weary tiredness and not bounce back from it. Her breath became shallow and ragged. It's getting harder to breathe and she kept desperately clinging to life. Choking for more air that wouldn't eventually come.

She wished she could turn back time. Make sure the masked man couldn't ever come close to her and her baby. Make sure Minato at least survive this, not the dead body inches away beside her. She wished she could spare Naruto of the hardship, the loneliness, the helplessness of becoming a Jinchuuriki.

She muttered a final apology to the spotty image of her son before falling into the deep sleep she couldn't ever wake up from.

--------

The Kyuubi attack had forced Danzo to go into hiding until the Kyuubi was subdued. Danzo tsked internally at the obstacle it'll bring to his plans for the betterment of Konoha.

He knew the Kyuubi vessel couldn't be relied on. She was too impulsive, hard-headed, prone to violence. Truly a disgrace to the memory of late Lady Mito.

Her famous nickname obviously hadn't helped at all in managing her anger. He couldn't believe the red-head Habanero being the Hokage's wife, he was disappointed in Namikaze for choosing such a woman to court with.

He acknowledged Namikaze's ability as a shinobi. He truly was a skilled ninja. One Danzo was even tempted to induct into ROOT until Hiruzen ended the programme after the second shinobi war and Danzo couldn't be allowed to do it as openly anymore. Besides, the boy had garnered enough popularity that Danzo couldn't touch him even if he wanted to. It'll be too obvious and Danzo couldn't afford that now that Hiruzen thinks the ROOT has been disbanded.

His remaining student, Hatake Kakashi, is a talented shinobi too. Rising in the ranks immediately and becoming Jonin at the age of 12. The boy is a valuable asset to Konoha. Last he heard the boy was put in ANBU. He's sure he could entice the boy into ROOT too. Hatake was in suicide watch after the death of his two teammates. Someone overwhelmed in darkness like that couldn't possibly find light easily.

Now with even his sensei gone, he'll be too easy to manipulate.

"Danzo-sama", a voice rang out from under the shadow.

Danzo couldn't stay hidden any longer. If the whole village is attacked, then the underground headquarters of ROOT might be compromised. He needs to cover it up before Hiruzen or any other shinobi finds out about it.

"Report." Danzo ordered.

The ROOT member bowed, "The Hokage and his wife were fighting a masked man near ROOT underground headquarters before the masked man disappeared. It is presumed they hadn't found the HQ in the duration of their fight. The Hokage and his wife then executed a ritual to seal the Kyuubi inside their newborn son. The both of them is found dead near the ritual."

Danzo widened his single exposed eye as he took in the information. He didn't think the new Hokage would be this foolish. Entrusting such a beast to a newborn child! Especially so when it's his own offspring.

That was the cause of this whole issue to begin with, wasn't it? Having a baby would weaken the nine tail seal and expose the village to harm just as what was happening right now.

Danzo couldn't let this newborn endanger the village any more than it already did, "Has Hiruzen known of this information?"

"No, sir. The third Hokage ordered every shinobi to focus on those who are injured and trapped. He's sending a team to check out the scene soon."

Danzo has to work fast for this to work without Hiruzen discovering what he's planning, "Hinoe, Kinoto, Mizunoe".

The three emerged from the shadows.

"Bring the newborn to me. Clean the scene, make a body double for the baby. Make sure Hiruzen thinks the baby died with both of his parents and the ritual fails. The Kyuubi is attained by the masked man who later disappeared right after."

The three bowed before disappearing in the dark.

Danzo has to keep an open ear for the next couple of days. He couldn't let anyone know he has gotten custody of the Kyuubi vessel now that the village would be in an uproar that their military power was squandered. 

--------

What do you think?