"Help..." the midwife who was being held pleaded, her voice weak, choked, almost suffocated by the grip on her neck. Her eyes, already cloudy and blurred, searched desperately for Minato's blue eyes, as if only in them there was hope for salvation.
The Hokage's heart tightened in his chest. Tension wrapped around him like a suffocating chain. He knew: the life of that woman depended on every choice he made, but also on the cruel will of the masked man, who could just as easily kill her as use her in his dark plans.
"Step away from her now, or this one dies!" the rough, young voice came out from the mask, laden with threat. The enemy extended his hand toward Kushina, making it clear that every movement from Minato could seal her fate. In that instant, Kushina's tired eyes lifted, meeting Minato's in a silent plea.
"I believe we can talk. There's no need to kill her," Minato said, trying to sound firm, though he knew those words would fall on deaf ears. He didn't truly need to convince the masked man. What he sought was only a gap, a second, a sliver of opportunity.
The enemy didn't respond. The silence, more threatening than words, was broken only by the slight movement of his hand loosening on the midwife's neck, a cruel gesture just to gather momentum and crush it once and for all. But those brief moments were enough.
In the blink of an eye, Minato vanished with the Hiraishin. His body appeared beside the midwife, and his fist shot toward the masked man. However, his hand passed through the figure as if it were smoke: intangible. Even so, the time gained was enough. In less than a second, he wrapped the woman and vanished with her.
An instant later, Minato reappeared beside Kushina and the other midwife. He placed a hand on both of them and, with his eyes fixed firmly on the masked man, declared in a cutting tone:
"I'll deal with you in a moment!"
And vanished with them before the enemy could react.
"What...?" the masked man was stunned. He hadn't expected such speed. It had all happened in an interval impossible to follow. Only then did he realize: Minato had already marked teleportation seals on the midwives, foreseeing the attack. The shock was inevitable.
Minato reappeared at his home with Kushina and the rescued midwife. Carefully, he laid Kushina on the bed. His heart clenched at the sight of her. She was pale, sweating profusely, her face twisted in pain.
"Hokage, the seal!" the midwife screamed in panic. She tried to run to Kushina, but her legs lost all strength, freezing as if bound by fear itself.
Over the mark of the Kyuubi's seal, red chakra bubbles grotesquely welled up, distorting the skin and lighting the room with a sinister glow. Kushina gasped, each breath broken by pain.
"Damn it..." Minato muttered, feeling guilt crush him. He had forgotten about the seal. It was still closed, yes, but that only meant Kushina had been holding it back alone, since the beginning of labor.
The sense of failure cut deep. Without wasting time, he joined his hands in quick signs. A burst of white smoke appeared beside him: a shadow clone.
"Sorry..." he said, as the clone knelt before Kushina, beginning to reinforce the barrier that contained the Kyuubi.
"It's all right... I'm still in control." Kushina murmured, her voice strained with effort. Sweat streamed down her face, and her arms trembled, but still she resisted. She didn't want to worry Minato, but she had never imagined the masked man would appear at such a critical moment.
"Give me my child!" she said with a determined look, even in weakness. The midwife hesitated, holding the baby tightly against her chest, then looked at Minato. The Hokage only nodded. Carefully, the woman approached and handed the newborn to Kushina.
"My baby..." her voice nearly broke. Holding the child in her arms brought tears to her eyes. She had just brought him into the world, even while sacrificing her strength to hold back the beast. She ran her hand lovingly over her son's serene little face, who remained silent, as if sensing the chaos around him.
"One of you must warn the village that we are under attack," Minato ordered, his voice firm once more. Even if there was only one enemy, it was better that everyone was prepared.
He walked to the wardrobe, took out his Hokage cloak, and put it on with the determination of one who knew the weight he carried. He turned to Kushina and approached, touching her hand.
"I'm going. I won't be long," he said resolutely. But before he could vanish, he felt Kushina's weak hand grip his.
"Be careful..." she pleaded, gathering her strength to squeeze her husband's fingers. Her blue eyes, full of worry and love, locked on his.
"I will," Minato replied, and in that instant a pang of discomfort shot through his chest. With one last look, he vanished with the Hiraishin, leaving to face the enemy who threatened not only his family, but the entire village.
---
With a yellow flash, Minato appeared in the cave where Kushina had given birth. He looked around, but did not see the masked man. He clicked his tongue in frustration: the enemy had fled.
"I..." Minato wanted to say that he had failed. He had nearly put the whole village at risk, along with his wife's life. If Kushina hadn't managed to hold the seal, the Nine Tails would already be loose.
He shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside. It was not the time to blame himself. First, he needed to find the masked man. Later, he would have time to face the weight of his mistakes.
---
Minato's clone breathed a sigh of relief. He had reinforced the seal. Perfect? No. But it would be enough until the original returned and made the necessary adjustments.
The pain in Kushina's belly had subsided. She looked at the clone, who avoided meeting her eyes. She remained thoughtful before speaking:
"Are you all right?"
"Yes. The seal won't loosen," the clone replied, without looking at her, keeping his focus on any possible reappearance of the masked man.
"I'm not talking about the seal... I'm talking about you."
Kushina's words made him lift his head and meet her eyes, but only for an instant. He quickly looked away.
"Yes... I'm fine," he said quickly.
Kushina fell silent. Before, she had thought it was just nervousness from being a father. But now, she realized there was something more. Something she couldn't understand.