Chapter 2: The Village of Leaves

A/N: Definition of FanFic: FICTION (a non realistic story) made by a FAN (an ardent follower and admirer) of another person's work, using that person's ideas to make an original story. As such, the only thing that the FAN owns is their respective original story and original characters; NOT the object(s) of their FANdom.

ZariGS: Thanks for pointing out the errors. I'll try to double check my work more. If you know of a good beta-reader, pm me.

ddcj1990: I'm giving some of them a thought. Depends on the flow of the story.

Vagyr: A very good point; one that I hadn't given much thought on. I'll make sure not to stretch it too far, as you said it would make character developing much more difficult.

Vandun: Yep, as well as from Star Ocean: Till the End of Time and Aria the Animation. The waterways are like those in Venice, and even though ninja can water walk, there's still gondola for civilian day to day life.

NaruHinaLover: I know what you mean. I have so many different ideas on what to make happen, it takes forever for me to decide on something.

Lunar FanHiro: Duly noted, and I agree. I'll try not to overload myself.

Everyone I didn't put on the spot: Thanks for taking the time, and please keep reviewing. Good advice is very much welcome from anyone willing to take the time to give it.

"We're here. I can see the gate up ahead." An eight year old Neji Uzuga stated as the carriage he and his companions rode in began to slow, "Kushinada-sama, make sure you stay close to father, Yakumo, and I. Your mother, Queen Kushina told us that only the Hokage and the members of our clans are to be trusted."

Across from him, Yakumo Kurama nodded deeply, "That's right! Mama said that Konoha is full of bad people and we should stay away from them!"

"Everything will be fine," Shizune spoke from her seat across from them, "The people of Konoha are good people at heart. Don't just go by what you've heard from others, see for yourself what matches rumors and what doesn't. What Lady Kushina and the others mean is that you need to be careful. All of us are well known in Konoha. The Hyuuga, the clan Hizashi and Neji originally come from, and Kurama clans are highly regarded for their bloodlines. Jiraiya-san and Tsunade-sama are part of the Sannin, known throughout the shinobi world as Kage-class shinobi that are loyal to Konoha. I am Tsunade-sama's known apprentice. And finally, there's 'Nada-chan. Kushinada is the heiress of both the Uzumaki and Namikaze clans and the eldest daughter of the Yondaime Hokage. Konoha refers to her father as a hero, talking of how he killed the evil Kyuubi, and then, knowing he was dying stole the evil Kyuubi's power, made it good, and then gave it to his eldest daughter to protect her in his place. Not only that, but 'Nada-chan is very pretty, even more so than her mother when she was a child. There's no doubt that she's going to be the center of attention. And that's with them unaware of our village or that 'Nada-chan really is a princess. Just remember, everyone here will be expecting a lot from the three of you, but we're not allowed to show anything that we have learned to anyone. Try not to draw too much extra attention, but be nice and polite."

The children were silent as they took in Shizune's words. Attention was a double-edged sword. Before anyone else could speak however, the carriage that they were in came to a stop. "Alright brats, we're finally here. Welcome to the Village Hidden in the Leaves." Tsunade said as she opened the carriage door and helped Yakumo out. "Are you alright, Naruko?" She asked as she helped Kushinada down. The moment she had laid eyes on her Tsunade noticed that she was breathing heavier than normal.

"I am fine," Kushinada replied softly, scowling slightly at the pet name Tsunade and Jiraiya used, 'I am just a little tired for some reason." She had been doing her best to hide it and had managed to fool Neji and Yakumo, though Shizune had been suspicious.

"Are you feeling more tired than normal? Is your body feeling all tingly?" When Kushinada nodded Tsunade inwardly cursed. "It looks like your new tail is forming early again this year. Come on, I can go get my office set up, and-"

"I am alright," Kushinada reassured the woman, "Today everyone is celebrating your return to Konoha. I will stay with Hizashi-san while you and Jiraiya-san celebrate your return." As mature a child she was, she couldn't keep the disappointment out of her voice when she said the word 'return', and it hurt Tsunade to hear it. However, before she could respond, Yakumo and Neji, who had moved away to give them space returned, Yakumo grabbing Kushinada's hand, "Come on Kushinada-sama, Hizashi-sama is waiting for us!"

The smile returning to her face, Kushinada nodded and the three children walked over to where Hizashi and Jiraiya were waiting. Getting in step behind them, the group made their way through the gates, the chuunin guards stepping aside as Jiraiya led their way. As they made their way towards the Hokage tower, the group quickly gained attention. Whispers were flying around, and although they tried to ignore it, three sets of ears honed in on some of the conversations that were going around.

"Look! That child! She's got four tails! And the other two children next to her have tails as well!"

"Are demons trying to invade again!?"

"Idiot, look, they're with Jiraiya-sama and Tsunade-sama! And don't you recognize the girl with the red hair?"

"Oh my god! She looks like a mini Kushina! Could that really be her?"

"There's no doubt, that's the Yondaime's daughter, Kushinada-sama!"

"She's only six. If they've returned, does this mean she's already mastered her power!?"

"Truly fitting of the Yondaime's eldest daughter! I'm going to have my son get to know her. They'd be perfect for each other in the future, don't you think?"

No one in the group questioned it when Neji pulled Kushinada much closer to him.

When they arrived at the tower Jiraiya led them straight up, completely ignoring the flustering secretary, and into the office of the Sandiame Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. "We're back, Sensei. We've come to give you an update on the training journey, as well as let some of the children take a look around Konoha."

The Hokage nodded and ever so slightly shifted his hand. He was slightly surprised with the way the children responded to his ANBU's sudden appearance. Shizune had immediately pulled Kushinada into her chest, kunai out to fend off any attack, while Neji and Yakumo were suddenly to their front and rear, Neji's doujutsu active as the two prepared to protect their princess. Ignoring them, the ANBU waited until the Hokage gave them the signal to leave the room and disappeared just as quick and silently as they had appeared. Hiruzen however, was still watching the three fox children. He had seen their noses twitching slightly after his ANBU left just before they immediately turned to stare (in Neji's case, glare) at a seemingly random point on the wall. Hiruzen nodded to himself approvingly; it seemed that the children were indeed training well if they were able to notice the still hidden ANBU that remained.

"Alright, we are free to talk now." The moment he said that everyone save Jiraiya and Tsunade shifted to stand straight as Hizashi moved forward. "Good to meet you again, Hokage-san," He spoke formally, "I am the Shodaime Tenshikage Hizashi Uzuga. I have been authorized by Her Majesty Queen Kushina to negotiate terms of an alliance between out villages. Accompanying me is Her Highness Princess Kushinada. The princess, my son Neji and their companion Yakumo have come to see off Tsunade-san's return as well as look around Konoha. Shizune-chan is also accompanying them."

Neji, Yakumo, and Shizune bowed while Kushinada simply looked at the Hokage for a long moment before suddenly smiling. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, grandfather. Hahaoya and Jiraiya-san speak of you quite often!"

Hiruzen laughed at how similar it was to when he first met the child's mother. "And it's good to see you and your friends again, Kushinada-chan. I've heard from your mother and Jiraiya that you have been training and studying very hard to be a wonderful princess."

"Yes," Kushinada replied, "I shall become the greatest princess to ever live, and watch over my people with a will of fire and the grace of angels."

Somewhere, in a random training ground, a man in green spandex passed out from a sudden overload of youth.

Though she spoke softly everyone in the room could feel the conviction in her words and see the fire in her eyes. At that moment, Hiruzen had never been prouder. The Will of Fire he had instilled in Kushina all those years ago was now burning brightly within her daughter. "Never lose that feeling, Naruko-chan. I have no doubt that you will become a wonderful princess." He smiled when Neji and Yakumo nodded in agreement. "I've heard that you two have also been training hard, Neji, Yakumo."

"It is our duty in life to protect and aid Kushinada-sama with our lives. That is why we have to learn our clan techniques and how to use the power that Kushinada-sama gave us as soon as possible." The last part of that statement surprised the Hokage. He hadn't expected the children to understand what had happened when they were younger.

"Sensei," Tsunade spoke up, "It's been a long trip and the kids are tired. Can we let them get settled for the evening?" Indeed Hiruzen had noticed that Kushinada looked a bit worn. "Of course. They can stay at the Hyuuga estate. There are currently diplomats from Kumo in Konoha, so the Namikaze estate is off-limits until they have left. Jiraiya, Tsunade, the two of you remain here. Uzuga-san, feel free to relax at the Hyuuga estate for a while; I will send someone for you later this evening to continue our discussion." With a nod Hizashi led the children out of the room. "Now," Hiruzen took a puff on his pipe before his piercing stare turned onto his remaining students, "Tell me what news you have of my other student."

"Here we are." Hizashi said as the group walked up to a large set of gates. As they approached, two Hyuuga clansmen stepped towards them, "Hizashi-san! It's good to see you again! We received word of guests, but Hokage-sama didn't say who they were!" Hizashi nodded as he shook their hands, "It is good to be back, if only for a few days. Along with me is my son Neji, the Kurama Heiress Yakumo, and Kushina-sama's daughter, Princess Kushinada. We will be in the Hyuuga's care for the next few days."

"Of course! It will be an honor to have our princess staying with us, I'm sure that Hiashi-sama will be more than happy once he finds out who it is that will be staying with us. Please, follow us to the living room."

"Where is Hiashi?" Hizashi asked as they made their way through the halls. "He is in the main training room at the moment, instructing Hinata-sama in the ways of the Gentle Fist."

"'Hinata' is Hiashi-san's daughter?" Kushinada asked, which the escorts quickly confirmed, "Yes, she is a year younger than you, and is Hiashi-sama's eldest daughter. She has a younger sister, Hanabi-sama."

Kushinada nodded, "Take us there. I want to see her training." Immediately complying, the group detoured to the training room.

"That is enough sparring for today. Practice your forms for the next two hours." As Hiashi watched his two daughters practice he noticed when Hizashi's group entered, and couldn't help the smile on his face, "Hizashi! It is good to see you again!" moving over, he embraced his brother in a rare public display, "The Hokage mentioned guests, but I didn't expect for it to be you. Who are the children with you?"

"Hizashi smiled, "You remember my son, Neji. I'd like to present to you the Princess of The Land of Angels, Her Highness Lady Kushinada Uzumaki and her companions Yakumo Kurama and Shizune Kato. Princess, this is my brother Hiashi Hyuuga, the Hyuuga clan head."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, princess and guests, welcome to our home. These are my daughters Hinata and Hanabi. They are both around the same age as you, and it would be nice if all of you were able to get along. In fact..." he looked at Kushinada and Neji thoughtfully for a moment, "Have either of you started learning the Flowing River style?" Both nodded. "Then would you agree to spar my daughters? It would be a good way to check your progress as well as give my daughters valuable experience in what it is like to fight against one of our clan's ancient styles."

By this point Shizune had noticed Kushinada's weariness, and gave Neji a look before said girl could answer. Neji quickly caught on, "Our leader has forbidden us from fighting anyone in Konoha, but Yakumo and I can show you our progress if you would like."

"Very well then, show us how far you have come in your training." Neji nodded- or, he would have had he not been sent crashing face first into the ground by a kick to the back of the head. Shocked, everyone save Kushinada stared at Yakumo as she rushed at the fallen Uzuga.

"It's a standing challenge that if one of us can beat Neji-nii, he will escort us to Luna Cafe. It is our favorite place for lunch, so we always try our best."

"Interesting..." Hiashi thought aloud. Perhaps something like that would inspire Hinata. She did have that obsession with cinnamon rolls... "Have either of you managed to defeat him yet?"

"Yakumo did once," Kushinada answered distractedly. Her swaying tails had caught Hanabi's attention and the younger girl was absently swaying along with them. "She kicked him and he just fell down and cried. Hahaoya told us not to do that anymore- ah, she lost." Sure enough, moments later Yakumo fell to the floor.

"It seems that you have both been training hard," Hiashi noted, "Although I admit I am surprised to see someone from the Kurama clan using an original Uzumaki taijutsu style." The silver ring on Yakumo's right ring finger didn't escape his notice, either. "None the less, it was a great display of progress. I'm sure that all of you are hungry and tired; Hinata will show you to our gardens while food is being prepared. Hizashi and I will be catching up with each other until then."

"Here we are, princess..." Hinata said shyly as they entered the vast Hyuuga gardens. The young heiress was completely nervous, something the kitsune children had quickly picked up on. Hanabi however, was bursting with curiosity, "Kushinada-sama, are you really a princess? Do you live in a palace? Can I touch your ta-!" She was cut off when her wrist was grabbed, inches away from one of Kushinada's tails. And what surprised both her and Hinata was that Yakumo had been in front of Kushinada and neither of them saw her move to make the grab. Neither had they seen her pull out the knife in her other hand.

"Yakumo-chan, enough. She didn't know." Shizune said sternly. Slowly, Yakumo let go of Hanabi, "Only family and we guardians are allowed to touch the princess. Anyone else, and all males save Neji, Hizashi-sama, Jiraiya-san, and Hokage-sama are forbidden from touching her. Anyone who dares break these rules will be dealt with harshly. Do not forget."

Hinata, who had pulled Hanabi far away from Yakumo's reach looked at her with shock and confusion, "But we are family!" Hanabi, who was still too young to realize the danger she had just been in simply nodded, "Mama said that we're cousins!"

Surprised at this declaration both Yakumo and Shizune looked to Kushinada, who was sitting underneath a nearby tree. Yawning, Kushinada shrugged and waved a tail towards Neji who nodded, "The Hyuuga, Uzumaki, Uchiha, and now Uzuga families are all related to each other from back when the country of Whirlpool still existed. So, while she still shouldn't grab someone's tail without permission-" Here he gave Hanabi a slight disapproving look, "-she and Hinata-san are our cousins."

Kushinada nodded as she yawned again. Absently she noted the sudden looks of shock and horror from the others before feeling a sudden pain and succumbing to immediate darkness...

"Hiashi-sama!" Hiashi, his brother, and his wife Hisana were in Hiashi's office when a bloody Hyuuga branch member stumbled through the door, "We've been attacked! Hanabi-sama and the princess have been kidnapped!"

No other words were spoken as both brothers rushed out of the room to the gardens where Neji lay unconscious and Shizune was trying desperately to stop the bleeding from his chest, badly injured herself. "Don't worry about us!" She coughed, blood dripping from her mouth, "Save the princess and Hanabi-chan, they were taken by foreign Shinobi! Hinata-chan and Yakumo-chan went after them!"

"Hisana-san, please help Neji and Shizune; Hiashi go inform the Hokage so he can get a tracking team. I'm going ahead." His voice was firm yet calm, spoken with the confidence that he had gained in recent years. With a nod, Hiashi disappeared in a swirl of leaves while Hizashi did the same in a swirl of water.

For the first time in her four years of life, Hanabi was dying.

Things had been looking up at first. She had awoken inside a sack on top of an unconscious Kushinada, something digging into her side. Moving slightly, praying the kidnapper didn't notice, she almost gasped in shock and instead silently thanked the gods for the red-headed princess. Inside Kushinada's clothes was a knife exactly like the one Yakumo had been carrying. Without a thought, Hanabi grabbed the knife and stabbed at the sack itself. There was a cry of pain, and Hanabi felt herself falling before a sudden impact ripped the sack open, the two children slamming hard into the ground.

Hanabi lay on her back, her eyes wide open as pain raced through her body from the fall. Before she could gasp out in pain however, she was lifted high into the air by her throat and a sharp, piercing pain erupted in her stomach. Completely helpless, she could only stare in horror at the Kumo-nin who was glaring at her, a large cut just above his eye. "You damn brat! I was going to let live to be a Byakugan breeding factory, but you just signed your death warrant! All I really need is your head any-!" The man suddenly jumped back, dropping her a split second before a red blur sliced through the air where his arm had been just before. Coughing violently as she hit the ground, Hanabi, even though her four year old mind couldn't understand it, knew on an instinctual level that she was dying. As her eyes began to haze over she could faintly hear her sister screaming her name, but the only thing she could focus on was the red haired fox girl that was desperately trying to fight off the kidnapper, and the beautiful multicolor eyes that were locked onto him. Ans as the light left her eyes, a simple thought popped into her head, a thought that was in a sense far removed from the situation, but still prevailed nonetheless.

"Her eyes...are...really...pretty." And then there was darkness.

Red.

Red.

Red.

Hinata saw red. The moment she saw Hanabi bleeding on the ground, something within her snapped. Screaming in rage, she ran at the Kumo shinobi, who had just managed to kick Kushinada into a tree. Lazily, the man tossed several shuriken and kunai directly at her. Hinata could only gasp in shock as a red streak of light slammed into her, and stare silently at the red haired princess who had pushed her out of the way and now lay in a bloody heap, weapons littering her small body.

"Dammit!" The shinobi swore, "I needed her alive! Now I'll have to-!" He cut off abruptly as the entire area was saturated in coldness and a sense of foreboding.

"You hurt Kushinada-sama..." Both Hinata and the Kumo shinobi looked over to Yakumo, who had gone unnoticed until now. The two could only stare in shock/fear at the bone-chilling red chakra flowing from her, before the girl completely vanished. It was only years of experience and sheer luck that let the man move just enough to avoid being decapitated as Yakumo reappeared, slashing at his neck from behind with her claw-like nails. "YOU HURT KUSHINADA-SAMA! I WON'T FORGIVE YOU!" This time he wasn't able to evade as her claws struck out, raking across his face.

"AH! You little bi-urk!" Before Yakumo could strike again vines sprang up from the ground, wrapping tightly around both her and the enemy shinobi. At the same time Hizashi appeared, knocking the man out with a powerful blow to the back before rushing over to Kushinada and Hanabi as several other Hyuuga clan members appeared to secure the enemy while the others raced over to give the girls immediate medical attention. "Quickly, get them to the hospital! Contact Tsunade-san!" In a swirl of leaves the Hyuuga left with the fallen children. Hizashi wanted to take them himself, but he still had something to do. As he moved over to Yakumo the Hokage, his ANBU and Hiashi arrived on the scene. Meeting his brother's eyes Hizashi nodded towards the hospital. Nodding in turn Hiashi grabbed Hinata and left.

"ANBU, take that man to Ibiki, with the others!" Without a word several masked Konoha shinobi professionally (very roughly) grabbed the enemy and shunshined away. "Come on, Hizashi-san, let us hurry to the hospital." By this point, Hizashi had released Yakumo from the vines, the girl slumped over his shoulder from chakra exhaustion. With a nod, the three disappeared as well.

Two days later the atmosphere in the room where Kushinada slept was one of silent depression. Kushinada, even though mortally wounded, had been able to survive from the brink of death. Her Kyuubi and Uzumaki traits had fought to undo the vast damage to her body the weapons had caused. And while Tsunade had done everything she could for the moment, she was still in critical condition. She had been moved to the Namikaze estate, where Shizune, who had already been healed up by Tsunade was keeping constant watch over her while secure within the massive security seals in place around the estate. Yakumo and Neji were also residing there. Of course, word had gotten around that There had been an attack, and that Kushinada and the Hyuuga children had been kidnapped, and it quickly reached the Uchiha clan, who were more than a little angry that they hadn't been informed Kushinada and the others were coming to visit Konoha. Without hesitation they sent some of their police force to help guard the estate alongside ANBU.

Hanabi had fared much better. It had been close for the first half hour after she arrived due to blood loss, but Tsunade was able to stabilize her. She was now recovering at the Hyuuga main estate, where she and Hinata were under tight security.

On a related note, the Hyuuga Council had been executed.

After interrogating the kidnapper, they were found to have aided him in order to discredit Hiashi and take control for themselves. They hadn't anticipated that Princess Kushinada would be visiting at the same time, or that the kidnapper would decide to kidnap her as well. Nor, had they prepared in the event that their plot failed. Their foolishness cost them their lives.

That said, Hizashi was also sweating for his life. As part of his duties, he had sent word back to Tenshi no Kuni about what had occurred, and had gotten an immediate reply in the form of an angry fox summon that stated that she would arrive the next day. The fact that it had taken him and the others a week to arrive while she planned to do it in a day made one thing absolutely clear: as soon as she arrived, he was dead. Well, at least he wasn't going to die alone.

High up in the Hokage tower, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the god of shinobi felt a sudden sense of impending doom. Silently, he thanked the gods that Midori Uchiha was away on a mission or else he would have already been screwed.

Neji and Yakumo however, already felt dead inside. Neither of them had spoken a word since Tsunade told everyone that Kushinada would be alright. Neji had locked himself in the Namikaze training room and refused to stop training for anything longer than food breaks. Yakumo hadn't moved from her spot by Kushinada's side. She wouldn't respond to anyone, nor would she let go of her princess's hand. If it wasn't for Neji bringing her food when he got some for himself, she would not have eaten at all.

Said Neji was heading towards the kitchen when a sudden shout from Yakumo had him sprinting up the stairs, foregoing protocol and bursting in to Kushinada's room with a kunai in hand, Byakugan active, "What's wrong!?" It took him a split second to see that Shizune and Yakumo were crying, and a few seconds longer to realize why. Kushinada was slowly sitting up, awake for the first time since the attack. Shizune had to physically hold Yakumo back from hugging the injured girl, and Neji had to force himself not to try as well, seeing how much it hurt just for her to sit up. It didn't stop the tears from dripping down his face, though. "Kushinada-sama..."

Kushinada took a few moments to take in the unfamiliar room. Faintly, the three could feel her chakra spread out around the area in a wave-like fashion, searching for any unfamiliar chakra signatures in her vicinity. It was an ability that was unique to her, one that very few people knew about. After a moment she sighed in relaxation, a light wince as she moved slightly. Looking between her three friends, who were in various states of bandaging themselves, she then looked herself over, frowning at something only she noticed. She turned back to the others, a worried and questioning look on her face.

Gently Shizune sat down on the bed, brushing a strand Kushinada's hair behind her ear, "We're still in Konoha, 'Nada-chan. This is a guest room inside of the Namikaze estate. How are you feeling? You were asleep for two days."

Kushinada winced again as she felt her bandaged wounds. She could feel that her body had began to heal itself, however she could tell that it was muc slower than normal. "..?" Everyone's eyes widened as Kushinada tried to speak, only for her to remain silent. "..!" The shocked princess tried again and again, yet no voice would come out.

At this, everyone again fell silent, until Yakumo couldn't take it any more and burst into tears, falling on the bed and clinging to Kushinada for dear life. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Neji looked just as miserable, his eyes shut tight, "This is our fault. We failed to protect you when you needed us the most and you were hurt because of us."

Shizune looked lost, her eyes almost completely void of life, "I was foolish to believe that we were completely safe inside Konoha. We got caught up in the middle of the Hyuuga Council's plot. They hired a kidnapper from Kumogakure to kidnap one of Hiashi-san's children in order to take over their clan for themselves, and the kidnapper decided to try to kidnap you as well. Neji and I attacked him the moment he grabbed you, but we were no match for him. I don't know what happened after that, but somehow Yakumo was able to hold the man off until Hizashi-sama arrived."

"..." Kushinada sighed softly as she continued to hold Yakumo in her arms, and held up two fingers.

"Two? Are you referring to Hinata-chan and Hanabi-chan, Kushinada-sama?" A nod. "They are fine, princess," Neji answered softly, "Tsunade-san was able to save Hanabi-chan before it was too late, and Hinata was unharmed."

"..." Kushinada smiled softly and hugged Yakumo a little tighter, her eyes filled with silent thanks.

Yakumo furiously shook her head as she continued to cry, "I didn't do anything! I couldn't help you when you needed us! If I were a better guardian, then you would have never been kidnapped in the first place!"

Kushinada shook her head, frowning slightly. She made a gesture to Shizune, who quickly got her something to write with, along with paper to write on. Although she winced from the effort it took to write, and wasn't very good at it yet, she made her point clear. 'The person who kidnapped Hanabi and I was an adult, a shinobi who most likely had years of experience. He snuck onto the Hyuuga estate without any of the guards noticing, even if he was aided by the Hyuuga council. There is almost no way that we could have defeated a professional with our abilities. If not for the help he received, that Kumo shinobi would never have made it into the Hyuuga estate, with all of the security there. The only ones to blame are the Hyuuga council, and the Kumo shinobi himself.'

"It is just as Kushinada-chan has stated." Immediately Shizune, Neji, and Kushinada spun towards the door, ready to attack whomever had managed to get past the estate's massive seals, only to just as quickly drop to one knee the moment they recognized the person's visage and unmistakable chakra. "Your Majesty!"

Kushina Uzumaki (Namikaze), Queen of the Land of Angels stepped into the room, the worried expression on her face increasing as she caught sight of the bandages that adorned her daughter. Nonetheless, she turned to the three kneeling children, "I have already spoken with Hizashi and Hokage-san about what happened. All of you did your best in the situation given. We don't expect children, most of whom haven't even turned ten to be able to defeat and a fully trained, experienced shinobi. That the three of you were capable of buying enough time for Hizashi and the others to arrive was a great achievement, one that came with great injury to all of you. You should be proud of yourselves." Despite the praise, Shizune, Neji, and Yakumo seemed to become even more depressed. Finally, Yakumo looked up at her with the most serious expression she's ever seen on a five year old child. "What is it, Yakumo?"

"Your Majesty..." Yakumo began slowly, then seemed to gather her courage, "Please allow me to join the shinobi academy!"

While Kushinada gasped in surprise, her mother just looked at the kneeling girl questioningly. Seeing her look, Yakumo continued, "Your Majesty said that you don't expect us to be able to fight off an adult shinobi. But, it's our duty to protect Kushinada-sama no matter what! We almost lost her! I can't let that happen again! There's going to be more times where we will need to have the skill and power to protect her, and we can't afford to not be prepared! I'll do anything to protect her!"

Kushina looked at her for a long moment. No matter how much she saw evidence of it, it always surprised her how much more mature Kushinada, Yakumo, and Neji were than a normal child. Despite being only five (eight in Neji's case) the three would show astounding insight from time to time, and had an understanding of things no child that age should have an understanding of. Kushinada's rationalization of the kidnapping was proof enough. Add to that Yakumo's plea to join the shinobi academy, and it just went to show just how much potential the three demon children had. At first, Kushina wanted to immediately deny the girl's request. No matter how mature she was, she was still a five year old girl that should be enjoying her childhood, and join the academy when she was eight like the other children, or be trained privately alongside Kushinada. But, Yakumo had made her point, and it wasn't the argument of a child's whims. That said...

"I shall not grant your request."

Although she looked devastated, Yakumo didn't speak out, and instead waited for her Queen to give her reasoning. This show of maturity gave Kushina reassurance that she was making the right decision. "Yakumo Kurama, Neji Uzuga, Shizune Kato, the three of you shall be receiving private training starting when we return to Tenshi no Kuni. The three of you shall be trained harder and longer than any normal academy student. Be prepared. From time to time you will also be participating in some of my daughter's training and studying sessions." By now Kushinada was speechless, while Neji, Yakumo, and Shizune began to sweat slightly- each one of them had spent time watching some of the princess's at one point, and even just a small demonstration was more than enough to convince them how hard their own training was going to be. "If you truly want to protect Kushinada-chan, then you will have to push yourselves just as hard, if not harder than her. Are any of you not in agreement with this?" It was a statement, not a question, and the three of them were well aware of it. At the same time it didn't matter, because they had no intention whatsoever of turning back.

"We will give it everything we have, Your Majesty!"

"I will be expecting great things from all of you. The three of you should go and prepare yourselves; we shall be returning home in the morning." It was a dismissal, and the three of them quickly complied. After the door closed, Kushina sat down on the bed and gently yet firmly embraced her daughter. "My darling child. I was very worried about How are you feeling? Your chakra is extremely weak, more so than I've ever felt it. But more importantly, why is it that you are using paper to communicate?"

It took Kushinada a moment to reply, she was reveling in her mother's embrace, but after a moment she pulled away and wrote 'I can't speak. No words come out, and it hurts whenever I try. I don't know about my chakra, Hahaoya. I can only feel a little of it. It hurt when I used a tiny bit a few minutes ago.'

Kushina's eyes widened, then narrowed, "Hizashi didn't mention anything like this in Tsunade's medical report. Are you in any pain at the moment?" She asked, her voice full of motherly concern, and Kushinada couldn't help but smile. This was the Kushina that only appeared when they were alone, or with family. Most of the time, she was busy speaking as the Queen, so speaking as just a mother was rare. Kushina nodded as her daughter shook her head, "That is good. Then I shall return in a moment with Tsunade-san so we can find out what what has happened."

Getting to her feet, Kushina was surprised when her daughter struggled o her feet, using a nearby dresser to keep her balance. "What are you doing, Kushinada-chan? Lay down and rest; I will not be gone for long." The little princess shook her head, slowly walking over to where her mother was, grasping on to Kushina's kimono to keep herself steady. "..." Kushina sighed as her daughter looked at her with a determined expression, almost managing to hide her pain as she moved. She'd never admit it, but her daughter was just as stubborn as she was as a child. With a small smile she took Kushinada's hand, "Alright, we can go together."

As the two made their way towards Konoha Hospital, many of the citizens stopped to greet them, and wish Kushinada well. The attempted kidnapping was known throughout the village, and everyone wanted to let her know that they were glad that she was recovering. Kushinada smiled at them in response. Secretly however she clung closer to her mother, distrustful of the warm looks and kind words of the strangers. Any one of them could be trying to trick her. Kushina held her closer in response, grateful that the Uchiha police force and ANBU were discreetly preventing people from getting too close.

As they came up to the hospital, they passed by a young girl who was exiting. While Kushinada simply gave the girl a curious passing glance, Kushina immediately recognized the shade of blond and blue eyes that were a shade lighter than her and her daughters. There was only one person in Konoha who had that countenance. The fact that she had a yellow fox tail swinging behind her was also a giveaway. By the way the girl was holding her arm and staring at them, it seemed she recognized her as well. The girl had a sharp mind if she could immediately recognize someone she had only seen in pictures. Giving the girl a simple smile Kushina led her daughter into the hospital. There would be time to talk to the girl later, after they spoke to Tsunade.

Satsuki (Namikaze) Uchiha was tired. Her uncle Fugaku had her delivering things to different people all day, and the last stop was the hospital. As she stepped out of the hospital, she couldn't help but smile as she noticed the time. Her mother should be coming home about now. Eager to meet her at the gates, she noticed people giving a rather large amount of space to a woman and girl walking in her direction. What more, it seemed that they had the Uchiha police force escorting them around. Interested, she slowed her pace to get a better look at them. The two were very pretty, and there was a nagging feeling that she had seen the adult kunoichi before somewhere. They couldn't be anything except mother and daughter, the girl looked almost exactly like the woman she clung (cutely) to. It was when she was passing by them that it happened.

Azure eyes a darker shade than her sky blue met hers and the whole world flipped upside down. Her heart pounded furiously, the seal on her arm was growing hot, and at that moment, nothing in the world mattered except the red haired girl in front of her. It was such a powerful feeling that she stopped walking and could only stand there as the girl's mother gave her a small smile and led the small goddess into the hospital, even though her body and chakra was pulling her towards the girl. She was so distracted and caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't pay any attention to anyone as she made her way home, and it was only then that she realized where she had seen the woman before. Hanging on the wall was a picture of her mother, her father, and the woman that they both loved.

"...Kushina Uzumaki Namikaze... that was...Kushina-mama..."

No wonder the woman had given her such a warm smile, she was her god-mother! But, if that was Kushina-mama, then that little goddess-er-girl could only be..! Without another thought Satsuki sped out the door, not even noticing her mother who had just returned (and immediately followed after the slightly panicking child), rushing back towards the hospital. The person she had been been waiting for was finally here, and nothing would stop her from meeting her.

"I won't mince words. The reason why Naruko is like this is because she was attacked while her fifth tail was forming."

Kushina could only gasp at Tsunade's words; it was a well kept secret that only few were aware of, the fact that when forming a new tail, all of the children were incapable of using any more than the tiniest bit of chakra, the majority of it being used up to prepare their body for the change. During this time, their natural healing didn't work and their bodies were extremely weak, the children usually becoming sick during the ordeal. In other words, they were completely vulnerable.

Tsunade gently patted the now sleeping girl's head, "Her vocal cords were severely damaged, along with the majority of her body. As you know, the kids don't have chakra coils like normal humans, rather they naturally generate chakra as a part of their being. For some reason, Naruko's chakra production has almost completely stopped, only a bare minimum being made, and used up just as fast trying to heal her in ways that I can't. I don't think this will last forever, but it looks like she will not be able to speak or voluntarily use chakra for a few years at least.

"This means that she's going to be vulnerable, without her bodies' natural protection. For all intents and purposes, she's about as strong as an academy student, and even that's only because of the daily training she's been doing since she was three. She won't be able to do that anymore, at least until she fully recovers."

Kushina simply held her daughter's sleeping form. There would not be another disaster like this. She would not let it happen. "Still, how could something like this have happened?"

"I think we can explain that part." Jiraiya answered her as he and Hiruzen entered Tsunade's office. "Hizashi will be here later, he's checking in on his nieces. But, as for why Naruko's chakra and body is out of whack, it most likely has to do with this. We found it after we captured the spy."

Reaching into his pocket, he revealed a kunai wrapped in cloth. The strange thing about this kunai was that it had various ink markings imprinted on it. "There's a bunch of seals that are targeted towards demon sealing on this thing. Most likely this is how Kumo managed to get their own Jinchuriki, although I doubt they were more than just a little help."

Kushina nodded, "Most likely. These markings are amateurish, obviously not made by a seal master. These kunai, if there are more of them were probably made to deal with Jinchuriki themselves, instead of biju. The fact that someone is making seals like this is a problem that needs to be dealt with."

"That's right," Tsunade immediately agreed, "Those things are able to completely cut through the children's natural defenses like butter, and stop them from working afterwords."

"Then I will have some of our ANBU, as well as Jiraiya look into it deeper." Hiruzen said, after a moment, "By the way, Kushina-chan, A few minutes ago a certain woman returned from-"

Before he could finish the sound of a nurse yelling filled the air before Tsunade's door burst open as a pretty woman with black hair and Jonin gear looked into the room with wide, teary eyes, "Kushina-chan!"

Kushina looked back at her love that she hadn't seen in five years with pure joy. "I'm back, Midori-chan."

A/N: And, here we go with another chapter.