In the early morning, the sun struggled to rise, hidden behind thick clouds and mist. The remnants of night lingered in the air, with twinkling stars still visible in half of the sky. Uzumaki Raiden was jolted awake by a sudden shake. He opened his eyes with difficulty, only to be met with pitch-black darkness. His cries turned into wails, drawing the attention of Uzumaki Kushina and Hyuga Daiki.
"Yoshi, yoshi~ Be good now~" Kushina cooed softly as she noticed Raiden struggling. She gently lifted the layer of tulle covering his eyes, letting light pour in. Babies only a few weeks old are sensitive to strong light, a fact Kushina had learned quickly. To protect her brother, she kept his eyes covered during sleep with a thin veil to block the sunlight.
Raiden's cries echoed through the forest, causing the Konoha team to halt their march. His voice was loud enough to attract enemies. Hyuga Daiki activated his Byakugan, scanning the surroundings. After confirming there was no immediate danger, he gave a quick nod to his hidden companions and approached Kushina, who was holding the crying baby.
In Kushina's arms, Raiden had stopped crying once the tulle was removed, his gaze fixed on his sister before shifting to Hyuga Daiki's white-eyed visage.
"Yi-yi-ya-ya~" The baby's underdeveloped vocal cords produced incoherent sounds that were little more than noise to everyone else.
No one could comprehend Raiden's inner turmoil. Just yesterday, he had been living a mundane life, only to suddenly find himself in the world of Naruto. Being here wasn't the worst part—he could survive by holding onto Uzumaki Naruto's coattails. Perhaps he might even enjoy hamburgers, soda, and laptops again someday.
But fate had other plans. He found himself in the wrong era. Seeing a youthful Kushina, he realized he was now part of a turbulent time. His life seemed destined to be fraught with challenges, just like Kushina's. As her younger brother, his future appeared equally uncertain.
Hunger pangs gnawed at Raiden's stomach, causing him to cry out involuntarily.
"Oh-oh-oh~ Yoshi, yoshi~" Kushina, flustered by her brother's cries, gently rocked him, hoping to calm him down. But her efforts weren't enough to quell the child's hunger.
"Could he be hungry?" Hyuga Daiki, a seasoned father, suggested. His own parenting experience surpassed that of the young and inexperienced Kushina.
"Huh? Hungry?" Kushina hesitated before placing her finger near Raiden's mouth to test his reaction. Instinctively, the baby began sucking, confirming Daiki's suspicion.
Raiden, meanwhile, stared at Kushina's chubby cheeks. His hunger momentarily forgotten, he stopped crying, much to his sister's relief.
"Looks like he's not hungry anymore!" Kushina grinned, only for Raiden to start wailing again a moment later.
"He's definitely hungry. Let's prepare some food," Daiki advised. He signaled the other ninjas to secure the perimeter. The group, already on high alert, stopped again to accommodate the baby's needs. Though lighting a fire could expose their position, traveling with a screaming infant posed an even greater risk.
Before long, Daiki lit a controlled fire surrounded by earthen walls to prevent its glow from spreading. He broke a piece of dry rations into a pot of water, creating a warm, mushy meal suitable for the baby. Once cooled, Kushina carefully fed Raiden, whose cries ceased as the warm food eased his hunger and comforted his small body.
Raiden, now full and drowsy, drifted into a deep sleep. Though his body rested, his consciousness remained sharp. He experienced the unsettling sensation of sleep paralysis while observing the chakra within his body flow faster, faint arcs of electricity coursing through him, stimulating his young frame.
"It looks like we're heading to Konoha," he thought, analyzing his situation. Based on Kushina's age, the Nine Tails hadn't yet been sealed into her. "This must be the time when she first went to Konoha."
Despite his body being immobile, Raiden's mind raced. He began piecing together his predicament. "So, I've really died? A cliché time-travel scenario? My parents must be devastated… I was a successful sign language teacher with a good life. Why am I stuck in a world where death lurks at every corner?"
As despair crept over him, a loud explosion echoed in the distance, shattering the quiet. The violent sound rattled his sensitive ears.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!!!" A series of detonations sent shockwaves through the forest. Kushina instinctively tightened her grip on Raiden, her relaxed demeanor replaced with tension.
"Whoosh!" Three figures emerged from the forest, and Hyuga Daiki immediately sprang into action, positioning himself and the other ninjas to shield Kushina and the baby.
"Captain! The enemy is attacking! They're masked, and their identities are unknown. Everyone else is engaged in combat. You need to get the Uzumaki siblings to safety!" one of the ninjas reported. His grip on his kunai tightened as he spoke, his calm exterior betraying the anxiety bubbling beneath. A sudden attack was every ninja's worst fear—unknown enemies posed immense danger.
"Careful!" Daiki shouted as seven or eight figures appeared in his Byakugan's sight, advancing rapidly. Shurikens flew from all directions, forcing him to react.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!" A sturdy wall of earth erupted from the ground, intercepting the projectiles. Daiki wasted no time, grabbing Kushina and Raiden and fleeing. Before leaving, he cast a sorrowful glance at his teammates, silently acknowledging their sacrifice.
The enemy's swift infiltration and overwhelming strength made it clear this wasn't a fight they could win. Daiki's priority was the survival of Kushina and Raiden. He dashed through the forest, guided by his Byakugan, leaving behind the sound of explosions and the grim resolve of his comrades.
Not long after their escape, the deafening roar of another explosion echoed from their previous location, signaling the fierce battle that ensued.
(End of Chapter)
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