Critical Moments-Volume 1

III

Chapter Three

Minato paced rapidly forward and back in the hospital waiting room. Lady Tsunade had Kushina in the operating room, working frantically. Meanwhile he, the most powerful warrior in the village, could only pace back and forth, praying that his wife did not die. "Lord Hokage," Kakashi spoke softly as he entered the waiting area, gently cradling baby Naruto in his arms. Kakashi, like himself, was covered in cuts and burns, but at least neither of them had been seriously injured.

"Thank you, Kakashi!" Minato felt himself break down into tears. Kakashi thankfully guided him down onto a couch in the waiting room. Tears wouldn't stop. His wife was dying, and it was his fault! Goddammit!!! Why the hell did I not insist on a larger ANBU detachment!!! This was supposed to be the birth of my son, not a fucking combat mission!!!

He stared at Kakashi, feeling the same horrific sensation in his guts. Obito, his student, Kakashi's friend and teammate, had tried to kill them. He had tried to free Nine-Tails! Had Kakashi not been there, the whole village might be leveled right now! The ANBU and military police were now fully mobilized by now, and the village locked down. Using the Thunder God Technique, he had sent Obito on a long, hopefully fatal journey into a distant mountain range. Even so, Minato wasn't foolish enough to assume they'd seen the last of him. They would have to be ready once this crisis ended.

"Sir, I must insist we take the baby to the nursery!" the nurse chided the two scarred men.

"NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE!!!" Minato roared in the young lady's face. Baby Naruto began to cry. He shouldn't have done it, but he did not want his son separated from them until this mess was sorted. Even then, he was never sure if he'd want his boy out of his sight.

"It's all, right," a calm, familiar voice called. Akemi and Hiashi Hyūga entered the waiting room. Her baby bump seemed to have a life of its own as she approached them. "Easy Hinata, you'll get to meet him soon enough!" she rubbed her stomach.

"Lady Hyūga, perhaps you can talk sense into Lord Fourth! His son needs to be in a nursery!" the nurse begged

"Nonsense," she said, taking the baby into her arms from Kakashi. A quick check of the baby and she nodded, "He's perfectly stable. Please send a fresh blanket," she hugged the baby boy. The nurse bowed, respecting the fact that Akemi was a trained midwife. As the nurse took off, Akemi sat down as her own child began kicking again. Naruto became strangely calm, and the unborn baby ceased kicking. "It would seem they like each other," she smiled.

"Lord Fourth," Hiashi dropped his normally calm expression, "We came the second we heard. How is Kushina!"

"She's in with Tsunade right now!" Minato choked back tears. His friend hugged him.

"You convinced Tsunade to come out of retirement?" Hiashi said, amazed.

"She said she couldn't let her cousin die, especially not with her son just having been born," Minato cleared snot and tears. He couldn't believe this was happening.

The doors from the operating room swung open. Tsunade's scrubs were covered in blood. She looked haunted – the same look Kakashi had when the blast from the explosive tags had blown away Obitio's mask. Even more unnerving, Kakashi had damn near decapitated Obito with a kunai, and he still kept coming at them. Minato had seen some damn weird things in the Third Shinobi War, but he'd never seen anyone survive a wound like that.

"I have bad news and really bad news," Tsunade dipped her head.

"Oh god!" Minato felt his cheeks turn red. His wife had died. Minato opened his mouth to speak.

"She's alive, but we have a very serious situation!" Tsuande raised her hand to quiet him. "The splinter caused internal bleeding. I've got it under control, but her chakra network is badly injured!"