White Dragon Hidden in The Leaves

As the moon illuminated the night sky, most people were fast asleep in the safety of their homes. However, a blur was seen moving over the village in the direction of the hospital. Other Shinobi who were on patrol observed him but did not intervene, recognizing the reflection of the hidden leaf on his forehead band. They watched him with admiration as he moved with great speed and precision. This man was Hayai of the demon eyes, easily recognizable by his well-kept golden hair that had already started to turn silver and his striking eyes. Not a single strand of hair could be seen on his chin.

He had completely black sclera, while his iris was a deep shade of red. He was 6'2" tall and was moving ever closer to his goal. His golden kimono jacket fluttered behind him, along with his gem necklaces, the white shade barely reflecting the moonlight. The jingling sound from the kunai pouch was his only complaint. As he stepped onto the pavement in front of the hospital doors, he stood there and took a deep breath before heading inside. Walking towards the front desk, he noticed a medic ninja waiting for him, who motioned him to follow. They made their way up the stairs, passing many labor rooms, until they arrived at his daughter's room.

As he watched her in labor, he thought that she was just as headstrong as her mother. She weakly smiled at him, with her black, shoulder-length hair sticking to her face. Her irises were a shade of brown gold, just like his late wife's. Many other doctors were rushing past him and into the room, but he couldn't help but worry. She had refused to tell him who the father was, and even though she was 20 years old, he couldn't shake off his concern. He remembered the day he found out she was pregnant; she had returned from a mission. He was proud that she had chosen to be a ninja, but those feelings vanished once he learned that she was pregnant. It was their family mission to create strong shinobi, but not knowing who she had chosen as the father didn't sit well with him.

They were the last of their clan most if not all of the others were killed during the wedding at the Uzushiogakure. If there were any members besides them alive, he had not been able to find them. Fool he wondered why they would go to join a faction in a civil war. As his mind drifted, he rested on a chair outside the room while the screams of his daughter pulled at his mind. A young couple around the age of his daughter greeted him. The pregnant lady with blood-red hair and a young man with golden hair. "Greetings lord forth and Lady Kushina Namikaze," said Hayai bowing his head.

{In another place, a being was observing a birth. The being was sitting cross-legged over a glowing pool, covered in a white outfit that almost concealed its entire body, except for six red Tommo designs at the top. A few orbs of darkness floated around them, and a staff rested on their back. Their white beard reached down to their crossed legs. The being's purple-glowing eyes illuminated the dark surroundings. The moon floated above them as they seemed lost in thought. This birth was unexpected, and the energy they felt from it was strange. It was similar to that of their children and mother, yet different. The being wondered what path the little one would take and how their existence would affect the circle of hate. As they watched the birth with interest, a third eye opened up.}

"How is Lady Hino?" asked Kushina as she rubbed her own swollen belly. Before he could respond, the screams and shouts of Lady Hino echoed through the corridor. A gentle hand rested on his shoulder, and he turned to see Lord Forth looking at him with reassuring eyes. "I have never seen you more afraid. If only Lord Third could see you right now, I'm sure he wouldn't want to see his old friend like that. All we can do is hope everything will be fine," he said, squeezing his shoulder. "I would feel better if Lady Tsunade was the one helping her." He didn't trust any medical-nin after what had happened to his wife and only trusted Tsunade because she had saved his life during the Third Shinobi War.

As they waited together for his daughter to finish giving birth, they spent the time speaking about Hino and Kushina and the mission they did as Genin. It took three hours until she managed to give birth. As the leading medical Nin exited the room his face was sweating and looked fearful as he tried his best to avoid Hayai's eyes. "There were some complications, the baby is fine but she... she doesn't have long Hayai-sama." a flood of energy appeared but just as soon as it came the grip on Hayai's shoulder tightened to a painful level. That brought him back to his senses as the medic was currently backed into a wall.

"I understand that you are upset, but I trust that you know that spending what little time you have left with your daughter is far more important," Minato's voice was firm, leaving no room for argument. As for Kushina, she was tearing up and on the verge of crying. The only reason she had not stormed into the room to speak with her friend was that she believed it was more important for her father to handle the situation.

Hayai nodded to Lord Forth as he made his way past them to see Hino. And there she was, holding onto her baby as she weakly turned her head to look at her father. Her hands rested on her child's head and she ran her fingers through its peach fuzz white hair. "Look, Dad, she looks a lot like Mom," she said with a little laugh as she cried. Her own father cried as well as he sat next to her and looked at the small thing. The baby did have the standard features of his wife, mostly pale skin and golden-colored eyes. Hayai joked to himself that thankfully both didn't have it as bad as Orochimaru. He then told his daughter about it, causing a chuckle from them both.

"I'm sorry, Dad," she said, tears streaming down her face as she looked at him. "I know Ayumi will be in safe hands with you, but I wanted to be there for every moment of her life. Mommy wishes she could always be by your side, but if I'm not able to, I'll make sure the people around you will protect you both."

They spent a few more moments together before she asked him to send in her friends. As he left the room, he motioned for Lord Forth and Lady Kushina to enter.

Pov: Hino

As her friends came into view, their faces displayed a mixture of pain and sadness. Hino took a deep breath and looked into each of their eyes before speaking. "Kushina, Minato, I need to ask a favor of you. I would like for you, Kushina, to be Ayumi's godparents." 

Kushina was surprised but nodded her head fervently. They spent a few minutes discussing the reasons why they were chosen, including their past and how much trust Hino had in them. She was sure that her daughter was going to be great friends with their child. 

Unavoidably, the topic of the father arose. Hino refrained from sharing his name but admitted that he was from the same village. When asked if he knew she was pregnant with his child, she said no and that it was better for everyone involved that it stayed that way.

After everyone had left the room, only Ayumi and her father remained. She had mustered all the strength she had left to ensure that everything was taken care of before finally giving in to her exhaustion. Her father had brought along the child's documents that read the name Ayumi Kure, born on July 23. (Since the year of Naruto's birth was not mentioned, it is unknown and left blank for now.) As her father spoke with her, Ayumi's eyes closed for the last time.

Pov: ended

Resting a flower on a grave that read "Here rests Hino Kure - a great friend and daughter, dutiful shinobi", he held his granddaughter in his arms as he looked at her mother's grave. It had been two months since the birth of his granddaughter. They had spoken with Lord Third to have his wife present to help with the delivery of Kushina's baby. As he made his way back home late into the night, a giant nine-tailed fox suddenly appeared in the center of the village.