New Beginnings

Chapter One...

She ran aimlessly through the woods, no sense of direction. Her feet just carried her wherever they felt safest. The tears in her eyes drying as the wind blew over them, using the little bits of energy she had left in her body. She cared non the less about the cuts and bruises that made home on her body: the pain was excruciating but she didn't care. Her body started to give way, all the running and injuries had drained her. But at least she got away from everything, the pain and misery of seeing her own kin and home go up in flames: everything she knew and loved...all perished in one night. It was the night she learnt that not everything lasts forever, and you shouldn't place your trust in just anyone. 

It was a calm and peaceful night in the land of Aedes, everyone going on and about their daily routines...and a particular young girl making her way home through the bright streets of their small town. She was common among a few of the locals...of course because of her mother. Their land...home to the one and only Uzomaki clan. She'd always been kept within the walls of Aedes for reasons she was well aware of, so she never really knew the outside world...not enough to see it.

"Kushina! Will you come here for a minute?!"

"Coming!"

Kushina Uzomaki, one of the youngest members of her clan at that time, the new generation meant to carry on with the works and teachings of their ancestors. She was not yet of age to start her training process yet, so she just read books and scrolls she found lying dormant in her father's office. Her dad wasn't around much so she was living alone with with her mother, Hizumi Uzomaki. 

"Can you deliver this to your mother for me?" The  tenant at the store handed her a bag of groceries before sighing in exasperation. 

"It's been a long, your mom should come out once in a while."

"She's just been really busy lately but she will have to come sooner or later." Kushina answered reassuringly. 

"I hope you're right."

"Yeah. Thanks again." She waved to the tenant as she ran in the direction of her house, eager to meet her mother, who was probably knitting or reading a book to kill the time waiting for her daughter. 

She was stopped when she heard a huge blast that caused a mini-earthquake that made her lose her balance. She tumbled and fell over as her vision got blurry, along with her ears ringing. 

It took her a while to regain her composure but once she did, she was able to see what was actually going on...and the destruction it had caused. Kushina's eyes opened wide like saucers when she saw the horror in front of her. A reflex action as one would call it, she quickly got up on her feet and ran straight to her home, barely dodging the collateral attacks coming her way. She feared for the worst to happen, when the next blast hit the direction of her house. She wanted more than anything to know that her mom was safe, but it was quite the contrary when she got there...she couldn't even find her.

"Mom!" She yelled but there was no response.

"Mom!!" again no response

"Mom..." Her gaze landed on her mother's lifeless body lying amongst the rubble of their former home. That had to be the biggest shock and most devastating moment of her life, seeing her own mother hanging on for dear life by a thin thread, and yet...she still fulfilled her duty as a mother even on her deathbed.

"Kushina please listen to me, you have to..."

"Mom save your breath. If you talk anymore you're going to bleed out."

"It's okay...I don't have much time left anyway."

"Mom, no..." Kushina tried her very best to be strong. She couldn't afford to break down at that moment, however much she wanted to. She knew well enough her mom had slim chances of survival since her injuries turned out to be more fatal than she thought, and Kushina didn't have that capacity to help her, let alone heal her wounds. She'd never imagined seeing her mom on her deathbed, at least not at this time.