Prologue:
The Yondaime frowned. It was almost impossible to tell, but it was there. The slight curving of his lips, but then that was acceptable. For today had not been the best day. Today he stood before the council to be informed that in less than seven hours the Kyuubi would attack them.
"No," the Yondaime thought sadly, "Today has not been the best day."
And everything had been going so well. The Third Shinobi War had ended, he was Hokage, and his wife was pregnant. The frown deepened. By now it was slightly visible, but as the messenger continue to relate the tale of the horrible Kyuubi on a rampage the frown visibly grew until almost everyone in the room could easily see it. The Sandaime sighed and rubbed his forehead.
"No," he decided as well, "Today is not a good day."
The Yondaime glanced around the room taking in everyone else's faces. They were a mixture of shock, fear, and pure horror. But one face stood out among the crowd. Fugaku Uchiha stood with a curiously blank look upon his face looking strangely winded, but not in the least bit shocked to hear about the Kyuubi heading for Konoha. The Yondaime growled. It was, after all well known that only the Uchiha with their cursed sharingan could control the bijuu. And as the Hokage sat their thinking a horrible terrible thought came to the fore front of his brain.
It erupted, "There's no good reason for the bijuu to attack Konoha. In fact we've done nothing to provoke it, so why would it attack? Unless someone had provoked it into attacking us, but the only ones capable of doing that are the Uchiha."
It was an accepted fact that Madara Uchiha was dead. No one could survive for so long. This left the only people capable of causing this the Uchiha or namely Uchiha Fugaku.
Minato glared straight at the Uchiha and stormed from the room before declaring sharply that, "If it was the last thing he ever did he would save Konoha!"
The room remained deathly quiet after the Yondaime left before the people burst into action to defend Konoha. They would need all the help they could get.
XXX XXX XXX
Four hours later the plan was almost finalized. He and Kushina agreed that they would induce her into labor and would use Naruto to contain the demon. It was the only shot they had at winning. Minato stared down at her. He knew he should leave to discuss the plan with others, but right now all he could do was stay with her before they induced the birth.
A knock sounded on the door and a voice proclaimed, "Hokage-sama, it is Uchiha Fugaku. We wish to discuss the battle plan with you in the council room."
The Yondaime cursed and glancing down at his beloved wife hastily told her, "I love you Kushina. If you don't want to go through with this, just tell me."
But the red head merely laughed and with a cheeky grin said, "Just don't die Minato, huh." A blush colored his face and a feeling of regret washed over Minato. He almost just wanted to flee Konoha and never come back. Take his wife and unborn son and leave forever to never have to face his looming problem. Unfortunately, that was not possible and as he walked out of the room he almost wished he had had the courage to tell her that the jutsu would kill him.
XXX XXX XXX
Fugaku glanced at him slowly from the corridor in the hallway before raising an eyebrow and smirking and then walking away. Minato found himself glaring daggers into the Uchiha's back. It was his entire fault! All that damn Uchiha's fault. He had brought the Kyuubi here and now Minato was going to die for it, his son sacrificed for it, and his wife abandoned. Who else would be capable of it? Who else would commit such treachery and force Minato to abandon his family? The glare intensified until Fugaku turned around and stared at him, yet the glare remained firmly in place. It was all the stupid Uchiha's fault.
And with that Minato exploded, "You sent this damn fox on us didn't you! Who else would dare? Who else could? This is all you fault! If I could I'd kill you I would, you traitor scum Uchiha!"
It had felt as if the words were wrenched out of Minato as if he had never been meant to say them. As if he should not have said them or in another world he had not said them. But here he had and they forever changed the course of the world. For a moment Minato regretted them. But then the self righteous anger at the helplessness of his situation came back. He almost wished Fugaku would attack him just so he could kill him. But Fugaku did not attack him as Minato had hoped.
Instead his eyes widened and he stared at Minato in pure anger and rage as his eyes turned a blood red, "You dare to accuse of us causing this calamity as we die continuously against the fox's onslaught? Do you forget that right now it is the Uchiha who are holding the fox back? Do you forget how we serve Konoha as its police force? How we constantly die for Konoha? How we have always been here for Konoha as one of its cofounders?"
Minato merely laughed a bitter laugh and staring straight into the depths of Fugaku's eyes stated angrily, "Who else could command the fox to attack us? Who Fugaku? Who was unhappy with their lot in life? Who else besides the arrogant Uchiha? Don't think we have forgotten about your crimes in the past. We won't. You and the rest of the Uchiha don't deserve to be part of Konoha."
The moment he said it Minato regretted it. But it was almost as if he was not in control. As if someone else was talking through him, a bitter and angry Minato, that he could not possibly contain.
Fugaku stared at him for a moment and then his bright crimson eyes slowly turned back to black and in a defeated voice he said, "We'll never truly be part of Konoha will we? Not as long as the Senju are in charge, huh." His bitter tone continued though, "Isn't there anything we can do to prove our loyalty? Anything at all? I'd sacrifice my son, hell both my sons for the Uchiha to truly be part of this village."
And in that second a spark shone in Minato's eye. He knew Fugaku had not meant it literally and not truly, but Fugaku had two sons. One, Sasuke, Minato believed the name was had just recently been born. He could be used! But then Minato frowned. To use another's son for this was despicable, but then again the man had offered. Minato sighed. One part of him was arguing to use the boy and save Naruto. After all Naruto hadn't even been born yet. Inducing his wife into labor might even kill her. Unfortunately for Minato another larger part of him argued that using someone else's son was just plain wrong. To curse someone else's child to a life as a jinchuuriki was cruel and unjust. Minato stared at Fugaku trying to figure out what he should do when a plan presented itself. He'd let the Uchiha decide!
"Ne, Uchiha-san, you want to truly become part of the village right?" Minato offered. Fugaku slowly nodded and without a thought Minato explained the plan.
"So, you'll do it Fugaku?" Minato finally asked afterwards. Fugaku frowned. It was impossible to come to a decision this soon. Yes, he wanted the Uchiha to truly be accepted, but he hadn't meant to really sacrifice one of his sons to do it. Minato frowned at him and told him rather abruptly that they didn't have much time. Fugaku had to decide now or never.
Finally, finally Fugaku said, "Fine, I'll do it." A serious look passed on Minato's face before he nodded. But both men could not help wondering if they had made the right decision.
XXX XXX XXX
That night as the Yondaime lay dying, he did not ask the Sandaime that Naruto be seen as a hero, instead in his dying breath he begged him that the Uchiha be finally considered true Konoha ninja. No more spying on them, forcing them to join the police force, and keeping them out of high rank ninja jobs like Anbu. They had tonight proved their loyalty to Konoha in one move. The Sandaime with a ghost of a smile on his face promised to comply. A second later the once great yellow flash was dead. Slowly and sadly the Sandaime picked up the jinchuuriki of the nine-tails, Uchiha Sasuke, and stared at the boy wondering just what to do with him.
