Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

The pains came quickly.

She could feel the closeness of her own life and that of her baby's. She pushed.

"Come on. You can do it. Just a little bit more." He smiled at her and her hand tightened on his.

"Shut up!" Her grip tightened to the point her husband had to focus chakra into his hand to keep it in one piece.

The doctor remained impassive watching the proceedings. "Okay, we need you to push again."

She bore down and her husband strained his neck.

"I can see his head!" He lost concentration long enough for the pain in his hand to set in. "Ow."

His wife Kia looked over at him. "Serves you right. This is ALLLLLLL" Her face scrunched up in pain."Your fault."

"Okay, come on. One more and he's here." The doctor looked at the expectant couple.

Kia slowly nodded and started to push. She felt something tear inside her, but kept her muscles working. Her pain increased exponentially as the life sprang forth from her. Her husband left her side and went to look at his son.

"Kia, he's beautiful."

She looked over her own overly-large though some-what deflated stomach "That's good Arashi. That's good."

"She's bleeding!"

"Get a Medic-nin in here!"

Arashi broke out of his daze. "Kia?" He rushed to her side. "Kia?!" The panic in his voice rose. "Sweetie, hold on. You're gonna be okay. You've gotta be."

She looked up at him and smiled weakly. "His name, should be Kiro. Goodbye flashie."

His eyes widened at his wife's nickname for him. He set the baby in a nurse's arms. "Kia! KIA WAKE UP! I need you! Kiro needs you!"

His eyes filled with tears while he looked at his wife's unresponsive body. "Kia."

With that the Yondaime Hokage fell to his knees and the hospital itself shook.

He looked up as flashes of electricity sparked from broken flourescent lights.

His predecessor the Sandaime appeared. "Arashi, the demon fox is here."

He looked up. "No! Intelligence said it wouldn't be here for at least another week! The seal isn't complete yet!"

He looked over at his wife and sighed.

Sarutobi put his hand on his successor's shoulder. "Then we'll have to use a different one."

Arashi looked up at him. "No. I will not let any child be made a human sacrifice."

"And if you don't every child will die."

The fourth hokage looked down. "You're right." He looked over at his son and picked him up. "But, how can I sacrifice a child at all...oh Kami." His face paled in realization.

The old man looked up at him. "What?"

"If the child is even a couple of weeks old, he won't survive. The chakra channels will have developed too much. We have to use a newborn." He looked down at his son sadly. "I'm sorry Kiro." He looked up. "Sarutobi, make sure my son is well cared for. Or I swear I'll make you feel my wrath from beyond the grave."

The Sandaime nodded. "I'm sorry Arashi. It's the only way."

He nodded, and with his son, he headed off to battle.

XXXTwo days laterXXX

"He cannot be allowed to carry on the name Kazama. He's the demon reborn!"

"No! He's a child, a container!" Sarutobi glared at them.

"He will survive, Sarutobi, to kill him now would only serve to release the demon." The man looked over at him. "But as of this day. Kiro Kazama is dead. Complications during birth brought on by the attack of the Kyuubi."

The other members of the council nodded.

"So a father makes his son a prison so that this village can have a future, AND YOU STRIP HIS SON OF HIS HERITAGE!"

"The boy Kiro is dead. In his place is the demon fox. The decision is made."

"FOOLS!'

"Sarutobi, the order has been passed. As of this day Kiro is dead."

The newly reinstated Hokage looked down at the sleeping bundle in his arms. "He's only a child."

The council turned their backs and left.

"And so the die is cast. But you must have a name."

The hokage looked at him and smiled sadly.

"Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki. And one day, you will prove you were born to be a Shinobi. And then, you will regain the name stripped from you here on this day."

The baby snuggled deeper into the old man's arms. He would remain blissfully unaware of the hardships his future held for him.