Leafs of Change

SLAM

I perked up from the book I was reading and felt the upset emotions rolling off of Kushina in waves from the next room over, and soon I started to hear her crying.

Getting up and opening the door, I was about to check up on her when dad called me into his office.

The air was currently tense in our home in Uzushio. My dad had called me into his study where we faced each other, my face plastered with confusion at the sudden call from him and his face filled with regret and sadness.

"Shiran, we need to talk about Kushina," he said, his voice carrying a gravitas that he only used when he was being serious.

Sitting across from him, I felt a sense of unease settling in my stomach. Having lived and seen the anime, I had an inkling of what was coming; my stomach twisted even more. 'Don't tell me it is what I think it is,' I thought as my chakra started fluctuating, creating a slight pressure in the room.

"Konoha has made a request, one that we, as a clan and village, have accepted," he continued, his eyes looking into mine, steady and almost comforting. "They want Kushina to join them, to become the next jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails."

The words struck my heart, even though I had anticipated them. I had seen one of Kushina's futures already, a little of her strength, and more of her struggles, through an anime. But this time, it affected me personally, and more than a small portion of me had hoped it wouldn't go this way. Kushina was still my little sister, and the thought of her bearing such a burden pained me, especially for a village that would end up neglecting her son, even after what she and Minato had sacrificed.

"It's for the best; this will strengthen the alliance between our villages during these times of unrest. It's a move towards extended peace, and Kushina... she has the power to handle this. Her chakra came out just as yours did, after all, very strong and very potent."

I looked at my dad sitting behind his desk and asked something that he seemed to have expected. "Couldn't I go instead? I have the chakra chains and potent chakra to tie the nine-tails down. Don't put all the burden on Kushina; I can do it instead."

My dad smiled sadly and just shook his head. "They asked for you originally because you're older, but because you are the clan heir we couldn't give you up."

I nodded, understanding why they did it and all the politics behind the decision. But it didn't make it any easier to accept. "I know," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. "But she's still my sister; she shouldn't have to go to a foreign village by herself with this burden."

He stood up and came around the desk to place a hand on my shoulder. "You have always been her protector, Shiran. And you will continue to be, even after all the distance. You guys still have that seal on each of your right hands, so you'll be able to be there for her. Trust in her, as we have all trusted in you."

As I left the room, I took a detour to go see Kushina who had stopped crying but still had sadness permeating her being.

Knock knock knock

"Go away, I don't want to see anyone," she almost whispered from inside of the room.

"I'm coming in, Kushina," I said, as I pushed the door open to see my little 6-year-old sister curled up into a ball laying on her bed.

Walking up and sitting on the edge of the bed, I pulled her into a sitting position and sat her facing me with her downcast eyes and tear-stained cheeks. I softly put my hand on top of her head and patted, trying to give just a little comfort at that time.

As if I had broken the dam on her emotions, they burst out once again and she collapsed forward into my arms, sobbing out all her feelings. After about 5 minutes of her crying until there were no more tears, she sat up and looked me in the eyes, denial plain as day in her eyes.

"They can't, I won't let them take me. They can't tell me to go live somewhere else; THIS IS MY HOME!" She shouted out, her voice laced with disbelief.

"I know, Kushina, I don't want this to happen either, but we can't do anything about it now. This is happening in spite of what we both want," I sighed softly.

Anger flared very brightly in my Mind's Eye at that moment. "It's not fair! How could they? Do they not love me anymore? Why me; I don't deserve this, to be sent off to live somewhere else and forget all my friends and family I have here."

I smiled a sad smile at her while scooting over to give her a hug. "It's because you're the strongest one in our family, tomato. You're the only one that has the power to take on this burden."

Kushina started to think of other ways this could happen that didn't include herself. "No, no, no, there's gotta be something we can do to avoid this, Shi. We can try to..."

I held her hand and cut her off, trying to ground her just a little bit so she didn't get her hurt on false hope. "Believe me when I say that this is hurting Mom and Dad just as much as us. They don't want to have to send one of their kids to live away from them in a village that's not their own. I guarantee that they have explored as many different options as possible."

Depression settled in, creating a heavy atmosphere in the room. Tears started to form in her eyes, and her voice was barely a whisper. "I'm scared, Shi. I don't want to be alone."

"You're not alone," I assured her, my voice firm. "I'll always be with you, whenever you need. I'm just one quick thought away." I said while tapping her right hand and infusing feelings of comfort and love into the seal on my right hand. "If you ever feel alone, just know that I'll always be here to respond, just like if you ever want to tell Mom or Dad anything at all you can ask me to and I'll give you their response."

Kushina sighed and dropped her head into her hands and wiped away the remaining tears. "I'll do it, but only for the safety of my family and village. I couldn't care less about what the leaf village wants with me."

I smiled and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. "That's the Kushina I know. Brave, selfless, hard-headed, and always tells you what she thinks. Remember that no matter where you go, you're an Uzumaki. You carry our spirit, our strength, our love, and when you're allowed to you can always come and visit us."

We watched the sun as it continued to make its way all the way down the sky and cast the sky in darkness.

------

The next morning came, and with it, there was an eerie silence over Uzushio. The usually vibrant and energetic village seemed to

 slip through my sights. My mom, dad, Kushina, and I were walking towards the village gate with 6 elite members of the Uzumaki clan and 5 members of the village's ANBU. Kushina walked beside me, holding her head high, but I could feel the stiffness in her every step. 

Our mother rested a hand gently on Kushina's back, feeling exactly what I was feeling. Dad led the group, his face an unreadable mask that hid all of his emotions that he had bottled up. The elite guards, adorned in the crimson and white of our clan, were stoic, just as well were the Uzu ANBU as well.

Reaching the gate, the reality of our goodbyes settled in. Mom turned to Kushina with tears in her eyes and a steady voice. "You carry the will of the Uzumaki with you, my little tomato. Be brave, be strong, and remember that you are never alone."

"Kushina," I said, my voice mixing with so much emotion. "You are going to do amazing. No matter what you'll face or who you'll fight, I know you'll come out on top. You're an Uzumaki, and you have the power of our entire lineage within you." 

Kushina nodded, her resolve clear in her eyes. "I will do what I have to do to keep the peace."

"And one more thing," I spoke again, grabbing her attention. "Don't let anyone pick on you. If they do, show them the results of all of our strength training exercises and spars." I smirked as she too returned her bright smile that seemed to lift the atmosphere considerably.

"It's time," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder, giving it a squeeze. With those words, he and the clan members prepared to escort Kushina to Konoha.

As they began to walk away, Kushina turned back one last time, her red hair a fiery banner in the morning light. She waved and we waved back, leaving our sister and daughter alike to take on a burden that no child should have to take on.

(A/N: A tad late today but how did you like it? Shiran has officially ended his academy arc and will start to enter his life as a ninja next chapter. I still plan to include Kushina in future chapters in so this won't be the last we see of her, just as of right now.)