Plot Synopsis: What if the Sandaime actually killed Orochimaru? What if Itachi didn't leave just Sasuke? What if the Kyuubi no Yoko wasn't provoked into attacking Konoha? Naruto gets to find out after he stands before Kami due to fatal wounds received in the defeat of Madara and Pein. The cost? He won't remember his past life and will be born to a surprised Namikaze Kushina, the Nine-tails jinchuriki, who thought it was impossible for her to carry a full pregnancy due to the demon youkai in her body.

"Demon speech" 'Demon thought' "Demon Fusion speech" 'Thought' "Regular speech"

PRELUDE

Naruto opened his eyes to an unfamiliar scene. Everything is white, except for little bits of black on furniture legs and the like. As far as he could recall, Konoha didn't have a room like this in the hospital; he would know after his countless visits. He thought nothing of it when he sat up and didn't feel any pain from where Pein had skewered him on a shadow rod, believing that the fox had taken care of it. But before he made it three steps to the door, it opened to reveal a woman who appeared in her early-fourties with a knowing smile. "Welcome, Naruto. It is good to see you awake."

"Who are you? And where am I? How long have I been asleep?"

"Slow down, young man. It seems just yesterday that you were taking your first steps. But I suppose being around since time immemorial will do that."

"You still haven't answered my questions, lady!"

"Since you are so adamant, I am Kami. You have arrived on this plane because your body has failed. It seems that even you couldn't heal the damage of Amaterasu."

"So, I'm in heaven?"

"No, not heaven. You see, your soul is quite special. Though your human body has died, your spirit is still strong. Few people have your will to protect others, which is why I have chosen you Naruto. I will send you to another universe, if you wish, but first you must make a choice. Three choices, to be precise. Looking back on your life, what would you want to be different? Think about it; your answers must be exact upon my return."

With that, the deity turned and walked out. 'Three things, huh? Um… Orochimaru definitely has to go. Snake-teme caused way too much trouble in my life. Hmm, the whole Sasuke/Itachi thing was a big problem too. Maybe I can come up with something there. Ol' Fuzzy Butt was my biggest hassle though. He cost me my parents, made the village hate me, and got the attention of Akatsuki. The damn fox isn't setting one toe in Konoha if I can help it.'

Two hours later, Naruto felt like he had figured things out. Rather than affecting drastic changes to his "world," barring the removal of the Kyuubi attack, he decided to make subtle changes. Itachi would still slaughter the Uchiha clan; this time, though, he wouldn't quite kill his mother. With his mom to protect (she would never fully recover), Naruto thought that Sasuke might not betray the village this time. He knew now that the massacre was necessary to save Konoha, despite the problems it caused. Naruto also decided that Orochimaru would not be totally erased from existence. Hokage-jiji would kill the bastard this time instead of letting him slip away, but he wanted an example to be made for future would-be villains. Satisfied, he sat back in his chair and waited for Kami to return.

"Have you made your decisions, Naruto?"

"I have. It was hard to fine-tune what I wanted for two of them. But here's what I want…" Naruto laid out what he had planned, earning silent nods of approval. "Does that satisfy your requirements?"

"Certainly. However, I must add a stipulation for negating the Kyuubi attack because it affects so many people in Konoha. You shall be born with no prior knowledge of any events in this timeline. This means you will have to trust that others will make the decisions you hope to achieve. That is a lot of faith."

"You drive a hard bargain, lady, but I want him out of my life."

'Oh dear. Well, he'd have been in for a surprise. He's stuck with that fox whether he likes it or not. It's just a matter of who the container is.' "It is agreed then. Very well, off you go." And with a clap of her hands, the bargain was struck. Naruto felt himself being pulled through the stomach as his soul was transferred to his new, infant body. To be continued...

Author's Note: I'm not entirely sure where this story will go. The plot bunny kept bouncing around in my head and keeping me awake, so I had to put it down into words. Updates may be slow, but I promise quality work. Make a suggestion in a review and I will consider it (except for pairings).