Flames lit up the sky, their light punctuated by the sounds of shouting and combat.
The village leader's building had been pulverized by a single punch, and the resulting shockwave sent her flying.
As her consciousness faded, all she could think was that she had to protect the children. But then, there was only an oppressive, impenetrable darkness.
"Hah… hah…" Uzumaki Ruri's eyes shot open. She stared at the familiar ceiling, her mind a complete blank. Her body felt as if it had been filled with lead; it was so heavy that she couldn't even sit up.
"I'd stay lying down if I were you. The immediate danger has passed, but you're still incredibly weak."
Ruri turned her head toward the voice and saw a stranger's profile. "Who are you? Why can't I move my body?"
"Hm. You haven't lost your memory, have you? Why don't you try to remember? This is the academy." Kaito gestured to the other side of the room. "And you should probably keep your voice down. They only just fell asleep."
"They?" Ruri turned her head in the other direction. The sight of four familiar faces, curled up together in sleep, brought the memories flooding back into her mind.
"I remember now," Ruri said softly. "The village was suddenly attacked last night. I found Kaori and the others right away, but we ran into enemies on our way to the academy. I managed to kill them, but I was badly injured. I barely got the children into the underground shelter and sealed the exit before I… I passed out."
"A friendly correction," Kaito interjected. "It wasn't last night. It was the night before last. You've been unconscious for two days."
"Two days?" Ruri asked, her voice tight with anxiety. "What happened to the village?"
"As of right now… you five are the only ones left alive in the Village Hidden in the Whirlpools."
"…"
After a heart-stopping silence, Kaito glanced over at Ruri. He saw that she had already closed her eyes, with fresh tear tracks glistening on her cheeks.
Pale moonlight spilled through the window, blanketing Kushina and the others like a soft quilt.
The moon was exceptionally round tonight.
The next morning, Ruri awoke again.
When she opened her eyes, her entire field of vision was filled with four small faces.
"Ruri-sensei, you're awake!" Kushina was the first to speak.
"Sensei, does it hurt anywhere?" This was from Kaori, ever the caring one.
"Sensei, Sensei, we listened to you! We didn't run off!" This was Ryunosuke, who loved to be praised.
"Waaah, Sensei… I'm so glad you're okay. Everyone else is… they're all gone…" This was from Jinta, the crybaby.
Looking at their four precious faces, Ruri felt a sting in her nose and nearly started crying again.
"I'm so glad… you're all safe."
She swept them all into a hug with one large embrace.
The long-overdue warmth of her arms finally shattered the fragile shells of strength the children had built around themselves. One by one, they began to sob, even Kaori.
When Kaito returned carrying a crate of food, he was greeted by the sight of five little clowns with red noses.
"All that crying must have made you thirsty." He pulled five bottles of milk from the wooden crate and handed them out. "Here. Drink some milk, one for each of you."
"Thank you, Kaito-niichan!"
"There's some bread in the box, too. Help yourselves if you're hungry."
"Okay!"
With Kaori's help, Ruri managed to sit up. She accepted a bottle of milk and nodded at Kaito. "Thank you. You saved me and the children, didn't you?"
"It wasn't just me who saved your life. It was these four kids, too. It's their blood flowing through your veins."
"Is that so?" Ruri smiled warmly. "It seems I owe a debt that I can never repay."
"Let's introduce ourselves properly." Kaito extended his right hand to her. "My name is Kaito. I'm about thirteen years old. Just an unlucky guy who got caught up in this disaster by chance."
Only thirteen? Ruri's expression was one of undisguised shock. He looks the part, but he acts far too mature for his age. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and gently took Kaito's hand. "My name is Uzumaki Ruri. I'm seventeen, a chunin from the Village Hidden in the Whirlpools, and a trainee teacher at the academy."
"A teacher at only seventeen? That's impressive," Kaito said, clapping his hands together.
"Just a trainee…" Ruri shook her head, her gaze shifting to the children. "You should all introduce yourselves, too."
"Uzumaki Kaori, eleven years old. It's a pleasure to meet you." Kaori placed her hands together in front of her and gave a graceful bow, carrying herself with the air of a well-bred young lady.
"Kushina is eight!" Kushina gave Kaito a sweet smile, with no hint of the "Red-Hot Habanero" she would one day become.
"Me too! My name is Uzumaki Ryunosuke! I'm seven, and I have the best grades in my class!" Ryunosuke eagerly raised his hand, a wide grin on his face. He then nudged the boy beside him. "Hey, Jinta, your turn."
"Um, I… I'm Uzumaki Jinta. I'm also seven," Jinta mumbled. Compared to the boisterous Ryunosuke, he was much more reserved, with the shyness typical of a young child.
"Kaori, Ryunosuke, and Jinta are orphans who lived near the academy," Ruri explained with a fond smile. "I knew they didn't have anyone to look after them, so I went to find them first. As for Kushina… she's safe entirely thanks to you, Kaito."
"Not at all. That girl has incredible luck. She would have been fine even without me."
Seeing that Ruri was about to offer more thanks, Kaito quickly waved his hand. "There's no need for all these pleasantries. The most pressing issue right now is this: what are your plans for the future?"
"Our plans for the future?" The question stumped Ruri.
She was only a seventeen-year-old girl herself. An event of this magnitude had left her completely lost; how could she possibly have the presence of mind to think about the future?
After a moment of contemplation, Ruri shook her head. "I don't know. Right now, all I can think about is making sure these four children grow up safely. They are the last hope of the Uzumaki clan."
Suddenly, her eyes lit up. "That's right, we can go to Konoha! The Leaf Village has always been a close ally of our clan. They'll surely take us in and protect us!"
"Konoha…" Kushina opened her mouth as if to say something, but then fell silent.
"Go to Konoha? Are you sure about that?" Kaito pulled over a chair and sat down, resting his chin on his hand. His gaze was deep and piercing. "Didn't you find anything suspicious about this attack?"
"What do you mean?" Ruri asked, confused.
"Why would a powerhouse like Konoha have received absolutely no intel about an enemy operation of this scale? And you must have sent a request for aid to Konoha as soon as you were attacked, right? So why is it that after two days, not a single Leaf ninja has shown up?"
"That's…" Ruri's expression shifted, and she blurted out, "That's impossible! Konoha has no reason to abandon our alliance."
"Don't get upset. It's just a suspicion I have. I don't have any concrete evidence," Kaito added. "But if you want them to grow up safe and sound, I would advise even more strongly against going to Konoha."
"Konoha is a major village in a large country; war is inevitable for them. You would be better off finding a small, peaceful country to settle down in. This is just my suggestion, so think it over carefully. But you should decide quickly. Once news of your village's destruction gets out, you can be sure plenty of 'treasure hunters' will come snooping around."
With that, Kaito gently patted Kushina's head and walked out of the room, leaving Ruri with a conflicted and troubled expression on her face.