For those of you that had read the original writings of this fic. Well let's just say that after I got to chapter 3 I wasn't completely satisfied with it as a whole.
That's rich coming from you Shane.
Shut up Chris.
Why should I we've had this story stewing away for a month or two seeing as we only had ideas for what to write for Blessing in Disguise which is currently on chapter 39.
Can it Chris let's get this story restarted.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to Rumiko Takashi's work. Nor do I own anything by Masashi Kishimoto. Ok I do own this story and characters not in any of the series by the authors of said stories. Anything that sounds like someone else's work is purely coincidental.
The Fox Siblings Ch 1
"Talking"
'Thinking'
[Written Words]
{ Memory }
To whomever finds these chicken scratches hopefully can glean some knowledge from this scroll. That is assuming on the off chance I'm not released before something happens. Well first I should explain myself a bit. I am currently being held in an underground facility somewhere in the land of tea this is more than anything just to pass the time so I don't go completely mad. But I need to keep this a secret from the guards or I'll lose even this comfort. I just hope that my moronic husband finds me soon. He may be a moron but he's my moron. Here I am babbling not going anywhere. Carrying on. To understand the mess that I call my life we need to begin years before my parents even met each other. What follows at least to begin with is what I've deduced or been told by various people that witnessed and participated in said events. Well here goes.
In a secret location where only a select few knew it's location a woman was giving birth.
"Oh God, It HURRRRRRTS!" Came the cry of said woman. "KHRAAAAA!"
"I, uh.. I've never heard Kushina in so much pain. Ar.. Are you sure she's alright?" Minato Namikaze asked worried about his wife.
"She's fine! Just keep your eye's on the seal!" The Midwife yelled in frustration.
"But she's-" Minato began before he was interrupted.
"Good Lord, you're the fourth hokage! Don't panic!" The midwife slightly calmer. "This is why women have babies. You men can't handle pain." Ignoring her Minato returned his full attention back to the task at hand keeping the kyuubi sealed.
Kushina screamed again while Minato struggled to keep the seal intact. 'It's so strong. I can feel the fox struggling to break out.' Minato thought before saying. "Hang in there Kushina. Hang in there Naruto. It'll be over soon."
Outside one of the Anbu guards had just been killed and the intruder prepared to make his entrance. The man wore a mask over his face with one hole to look through. Without a sound he headed for the rock wall and walked through it. Kushina groaned in pain as another contraction had subsided. "The heads out. Almost there Kushina." The midwife said.
"Keep going Kushina." The midwife's assistant urged.
The kyuubi could almost be heard howling as he tried to escape his prison. "Naruto get out and Kyuubi you stay right where you are." Minato said his forehead wrinkled in concentration as sweat beaded there.
A minute later the sound of a baby wailing was heard. "Get the hot water." The midwife ordered.
"Yes ma'am." Her assistant said as she went to follow her masters bidding.
"It's ok." Minato said a look of relief on his face. Kushina for her part sat there panting tiredly from the exertion.
"Congratulations you two have a healthy boy. He sure has a set of lungs on him." The midwife said in congratulations.
"Look at me I'm a father now." Minato said happily tears streaming down his face.
"Naruto." Kushina said chuckling softly. "I finally get to meet you."
"Okay Kushina I know that you're tired but we need to make sure that the kyuubi is completely sealed." Minato said seriously.
"Right." Kushina said happily.
They both heard groaning behind them turning Minato noticed that the midwife and her assistant were dead. "Biwako-sama, Taji?" He asked almost in disbelief.
"Fourth Hokage. Minato Namikaze." The masked man stated holding Naruto. "Back away from the Jinchuriki or your son dies at the ripe old age of one minute."
'How did he break through the barrier? Who is this guy?' Minato thought giving the man currently holding his son a hard look. Behind him Kushina groaned as the fox was breaking through the incomplete seal. "Kushina. The seal isn't done."
"Back away from the jinchuriki. Or don't you care if your son dies?" The man said as Minato spared a glance to the two corpses on the floor.
"Hold it a minute just calm down." Minato said clearly getting worked up. Beside him Kushina groaned in pain again.
"You should take your own advice Minato I'm perfectly calm." The stranger answered calmly.
"Naruto!" Kushina screamed seeing her son in danger. And Minato's eyes shifted from anger and panic to cold and calculating.
With a flick of his wrist the stranger threw the bundle into the air and followed it with a kunai. Before he could stab Naruto a yellow blur passed grabbing Naruto out of the air and Minato appeared on the wall holding his son. "Nicely done. You live up to the name yellow flash. But what now?" The masked man asked as Minato noticed exploding tags burning on the blanket. Not taking time to think Minato pulled Naruto from the blanket and jumped away from it.
"Minato, Naruto." Kushina yelled franticly as the tags exploded.
Minato meanwhile landed just outside right beside one of his specially made kunai. "Thank God you aren't hurt." He said wincing when he felt a piece of wood that had embedded itself in his calf.
'He's after Kushina. He separated us by forcing me to use the flying thunder god technique.' Minato thought grimly. A second later he disappeared reappearing next to another Kunai placed in their hideout.
Somewhere else
"What are you after?" Kushina asked angrily from where she was chained between two rock pillars. The strain of trying to restrain the kyuubi coupled with her having just given birth apparent.
"I came to remove the kyuubi from it's prison and use it to crush the leaf." The masked man said.
"What?" Kushina asked in disbelief.
"Minato's teleportation technique uses a special marking allowing him to instantly move from one to the next. I see that he incorporated it into your seal." The masked man continued. "So that he would always be there to protect you. But I managed to get away from him. And the seal has been weakened because of you being in labor. Do you have any idea how long I've waited for this chance?" He asked sadistically.
"You're an Uchiha." Kushina said gasping in surprise catching sight of the sharingan.
Back at the hideout
"You'll be safe here." Minato said carefully placed Naruto on the bed. "You need to wait on your own for a bit. I need to go rescue your mother while there's still time."
With Kushina
"You." The ninetailed fox said the hate apparent in his voice when he saw the sharingan looking into his eyes before it took control. After control was wrested from the Kyuubi the chains binding him within Kushina began to dissolve allowing him to escape his prison.
"Come forth ninetailed fox." The masked man said as the fox began to materialize. A minute later the fox fully materialized as it began howling. "Now we head for the leaf village."
"Stop." Kushina said weakly.
"The Uzumaki clan is truly something special." The mask man said turning. "Even removing the tailed beast from your body didn't kill you right away. It would only be fitting for the kyuubi to kill it's former jinchuriki." He said as the kyuubi prepared to strike.
But before the blow could delivered Minato grabbed her and carried her to a nearby treetop.
"A small flash of hope but alas it is to late." The masked man said as looked at the pair.
"Minato. Naruto? Is Naruto ok?" Kushina asked slowly.
"He's fine. I hid him somewhere safe." Minato said smiling down at his wife.
"Thank God." She answered somewhat relieved. Minato turned just enough to glare at the masked man.
"Minato. Stop him. Stop the kyuubi. They're headed for the village." Kushina rasped out. Looking down at her he vanished from where they were sitting.
"Hmm gone again no matter. On to the leaf."
"Why?" Kushina asked when she realized they where at the hideout.
"Never mind why. Stay with Naruto." Minato said in a commanding tone.
"Naruto." Kushina said tears streaming down her face as she held her son.
Looking down at is his wife and child Minato had determination etched across his face. Angrily he began squeezing his hands into fist hard enough you could hear the knuckles crack he turned away to grab his gear.
"Minato thank you. Good luck." Kushina said quietly.
"I'll be back before you know it." Minato said donning his white and red trench coat.
In the Uchiha district of Konoha one Itachi Uchiha was watching over his little brother when he felt a dark presence. Sasuke felt it to as he began wailing. "Don't cry Sasuke. Your big brother is here to protect you no matter what happens." Itachi said trying to comfort him.
At the edge of the shopping district two friends were going on about nothing in particular.
"Why don't we just go with rock paper scissors today?" Kakashi Hatake asked his rather eccentric friend Might Guy.
"Not again I want a more hot-blooded contest. And you call yourself my rival." The green spandex clad ninja wailed.
"Hey Guy do you sense something off?" Kakashi asked feeling an ominous presence. "Like there's an awful chill in the air?"
"Why do you have to act like this?" Guy loudly asked. "We'll only be young once."
Meanwhile Hiruzen Sarutobi was looking over documents in the Hokage's office when he felt an evil presence. 'It couldn't be.' He thought looking out the window before he began getting his armor on.
In another part of the village the masked man performed the summoning jutsu bringing the kyuubi into the middle of the village. Taking out a few buildings and causing a few casualties.
"Third Hokage the kyuubi has attacked the village out of nowhere." An Anbu ninja told Hiruzen.
"I know. I'll hold it back. Gather and protect the civilians."
"Right away sir." The ninja said before disappearing to carry out his orders.
'Did Kushina's seal fail? Were all the guards at the safe house really not enough?' Hiruzen asked himself grimly.
The fox looked around the village quickly trying to locate the one who kept him sealed. He spotted him atop the head representing him on the hokage monument.
"So you noticed me already." Minato said calmly as he watched the kyuubi create a ball of compressed chakra in his mouth aimed for him. "Not on my watch." He said his hands forming a handsign. As he finished speaking the kyuubi sent his attack speeding toward Minato. As the blast reached him he created a space time barrier instantly changing the location of where the blast would hit allowing it to explode outside of Konoha.
"It stopped the kyuubi attack.. That was a space time barrier technique." Choza Akimichi stated.
"It's Minato." Shikaku Nara said.
"Everyone move out!" The third hokage ordered.
"Sir." Everyone around him yelled as they attacked the kyuubi.
'I have to tell the third what happened.' Minato thought as he felt a presence behind him. Turning he tried to stab the masked man in the head but his kunai went through it.
"You will face Me. Aaaand we're done." The masked man said catching Minato's arm. Before he could warp with Minato he disappeared. "Huh?" He asked closing his now empty hand. "He teleported. Talk about fast. Next time I'll warp you the moment I lay my hand on you." He promised.
Landing by one of his Kunai Minato groaned as he thought. 'My attack slipped right through him. But a moment later he was solid and trying to suck me into some dimension or something. What was that move?'
While he was thinking he saw the guy materialize right in front of him. "You won't escape me." The masked man said confidently.
'Does he use space time techniques too? Whatever he did it must be how he moved so far after taking Kushina. He defeated Anbu under the direct command of the third. Got past the most powerful top secret barrier we have and must have known that the seal would be weak while Kushina was in labor. Then with the seal undone he took the kyuubi and marched straight into the leaf without so much as pausing to deal with the barrier. There's only one man I can think of that makes sense.' Minato thought before asking. "Are you Madara Uchiha?" In answer the masked man removed his hood. "No you couldn't be. He's long dead."
"Oh? I don't know about that." The man now identified as Madara said.
"On second thought it doesn't matter who you are. But why have you attacked the leaf?" Minato asked.
"Oh you know the usual reasons." Madara began before elaborating. "It's fun. It's part of my plan. To start a war. To bring peace."
Meanwhile Minato was thinking through the situation. 'Whoever he is he's incredible. He can control the kyuubi. Wields space time techniques that exceed both the seconds and my own. Furthermore he clearly has evil intentions. If I don't kill him now he'll become a greater danger than the fox. If I teleport back to the village he'll just follow me and things will get even more chaotic. If he really is Madara, Then I doubt he can summon the kyuubi for very long. I'll just have to leave the village in the third's hands and finish him off right here.'
"There's no hope for any of you." Madara yelled as the two charged each other.
Minato went right through Madara only to get caught by the chain he was holding on the other side. Using the flying thunder god technique Minato appeared about twenty feet away. 'He makes his body intangible to negate my attacks, then solidifies to counterattack. My only shot is to try and trade hits with him. But attacking at all is a big risk for him. If he can only keep the kyuubi summoned for a short time he won't want this fight to drag on. It comes down to speed. Whoever strikes a split second earlier will win.' With that thought in mind Minato charged Madara again. As he raced at Madara he threw his kunai which predictably passed through Madara's head. As Madara reaches to grab the incoming Minato. Minato charges up a Rasengan.
"Gotch-." Madara begins when Minato disappears hitting him in the back with the rasengan causing Madara to scream out in pain. 'Damn it he teleported to the kunai he just threw.'
"That was the flying thunder god technique level two." Minato said simply as Madara warped away. When he reappeared he was shaking uncontrollably. Though a second later Minato appeared right in front of him.
"Gak." Madara cried in surprise before thinking. 'The flying thunder god technique. He must have placed his marker somewhere on my body.' While Madara was mentally rambling Minato pulled his kunai from the folds of Madara's robe and put a seal on him. "A contract seal? Are you trying to wrest the kyuubi free from my control?"
"No I already did. He's no longer your weapon." Minato said simply.
Within Konoha the fox regained control of his body.
"Iruka are you hurt?" Iruka's mother asked.
"Mom?" Iruka asked before yelling. "DAD. MOM'S-"
"I'll take care of your mother." Iruka's father began. "You get out of here."
"No way dad I can't leave you and mom alone. I'll protect her." Iruka yelled back.
"Cut the Crap! PARENTS are supposed to protect their CHILDREN!" Iruka's father yelled back at him.
Meanwhile the fox had been driven outside of the village walls.
'Where is Minato?' The third thought worried before yelling out more orders. "We've driven it out of the village! Don't stop setting traps!"
With Minato and Madara. "You definitely deserve the title fourth hokage. Being able to wound me and remove my control of the fox in one blow. But someday it'll be mine again." Madara said confidently. "The fox, and this whole world will bow to my will. Many doors are still open to me." Madara finished before he warped away.
'Something tells me he wasn't lying.' Minato thought with a grim look on his face before he started off toward where the fox was.
"Hold it off until the Fourth arrives!" A ninja yelled.
"Lemme Go!" Iruka screamed as he was carried away. "My Mom and Dad are still fighting!"
A short distance away all of the ninja in the village had formed ranks though one of them was questioning the sanity of her superior.
"What do you mean?" Kurenai asked a little miffed.
"I don't want you kids anywhere near the kyuubi. We're not fighting another villages problem, and not something you should be risking your life for." The Anbu in charge said.
"That's a load of crap and you know it!" Kurenai yelled back.
"Calm down Kurenai." Her father told her. "You are a shinobi and you may or may not have long life. But, my daughter you are also a woman. If nothing else survive long enough to give me as grandchild and pass the will of fire on to them. Promise me that at least. I will put my faith in you to fulfill it."
At this time the kyuubi was preparing to fire a tailed beast bomb. Minato caught sight of this from atop the hokage monument. "This is bad." He said.
"Not again." Hiruzen said as he slumped over with exhaustion.
"Summoning Jutsu!" Came a shout as a giant toad appeared landing on the fox.
"It's the fourth." One of the ninja present called.
' "The fox and the whole world will bow to my will." ' Minato remembered Madara saying. "I'm sorry Kushina." Minato said quietly. "Gamabunta hold the fox down for a minute." He called.
"Look I may be big, but I'm not a miracle worker." Gamabunta said.
"And I'll need enough chakra to take him and that blast out of here." Minato said as he prepared to do as he said.
Hiruzen sat staring into the gaping mouth of the fox growling. Then it vanished.
"Minato. Did he teleport himself and the kyuubi?" Hiruzen asked then everyone saw a bright flash of light appeared some distance away. "Out there."
The fox and Minato appeared just outside the hideout damaging the building. Minato was holding his wife and son. "Gotta put up a barrier." Minato said quietly.
"My chakra is almost gone." Kushina said quietly as she released her chakra chains tying down the fox.
"Kushina." Minato said loud enough to be heard over Naruto's wailing.
"Sorry Naruto. I didn't. Mean to wake you." Kushina said straining to speak.
"Kushina." Minato said quietly worry lacing his voice.
"I'll drag the kyuubi back in and die with it inside me." Kushina began still straining. "That'll prevent it from coming back for a while. It's the only way to save you both with the little bit of chakra I have left. Thank you. For everything."
Minato gasped at this declaration with tears welling in his eyes. When he began speaking the emotion was heavy in his voice. "Kushina. You. You made me your husband. You made me into the fourth Hokage. You made me this boy's father. And I-."
"Don't look so sad Minato." Kushina said interrupting him. "I'm. I'm happy. Happy that you loved me. Happy that it's. Our son's. Birthday. Like. If I try to imagine surviving and the three of us. Living. Together. I can't think of anything. Beyond 'I'd be so happy.'" Right then and there Minato looked ready to have a breakdown with the tears streaming down his cheeks. "If I had any regrets. It would be that I won't see Naruto grow up."
Pausing a moment to compose himself Minato began to speak. "Kushina you don't need to take the fox down with you. We can use our last bit of chakra to see Naruto again."
"Huh?" Kushina asked the drain on her chakra even more apparent than earlier.
"I'll use the last of our chakra to seal the fox into Naruto with a multi chakra eight trigrams seal." Minato began explaining determination in his eyes. "That will insure that the fox is as fully sealed as possible."
"But that method is untried there's no telling what'll happen." Kushina said trying to reason with him. "It'll most likely use all of our combined chakra and then we'll both die."
"That is a risk we'll have to take." Minato said. "I can't let the kyuubi be revived without a jinchuriki. The balance of the tailed beasts would be destroyed." Minato paused a second thinking about what Jiraiya told him a few years back. {"You know you might be the destined child." Jiraiya stated. "The what child?" Minato asked curious. "Sometime in the near future the shinobi world will be faced with disaster. And the destined child will be it's savior."} "I know what you want to say. But Jiraiya-sensei spoke of the world undergoing a revolution. And with it a great disaster. Tonight I've confirmed two things. The first is the masked man, the one who attacked you. He is the harbinger of that disaster. And Naruto will be the one to stop him. The jinchuriki who will blaze the trail to our future. I just know it."
Hiruzen arrived at the edge of the clearing only to be stopped by the barrier.
"But Minato." Kushina began as Minato began going through a series of seals unsealing a pedestal made specifically for creating a new Jinchuriki.
"Have a little faith. He is our son after all."
'The ceremonial throne. He plans to reseal me into that child?' The kyuubi thought keeping a close eye on him. 'Curse you fourth hokage.'
"This way should Naruto attempt to control the fox's chakra when he's older you'll be there to guide him.
"Our son." Kushina wheezed.
"That's why. I don't want him to bear such a heavy burden all on his own." Minato explained before going silent.
"What's happening third?" Kakashi asked as he and Guy landed beside the third hokage.
"Minato and Kushina have placed a barrier around themselves and the fox. Whatever they're doing they're doing it alone." The third told them.
"But why. Why use this Sealing method." Kushina yelled. "There's no reason for you to die. Just so I can meet him for a few minutes when he's older. I wanted you to be there for him. I wanted you to raise him. Why? Why are you sacrificing Naruto just to preserve the balance of the tailed beasts. To save the Village and the Country. Why are you sacrificing yourself for me?"
"Turning your back on the country, on the village. Is just as bad as abandoning a child." Minato explained patiently. "You should understand. You saw your own country fall apart. You know the pain of growing up without a home of your own. And you know that we are a family of Shinobi." Kushina looked back at him with an unwavering gaze. "Besides. Even if I lived I could never substitute for you." Kushina's expression changed to one of surprise. "There are things Naruto needs to be told. Things I could never say myself. That's the mother's job and I need you to carry it out. Even if you only have the briefest of moments to do so. This isn't just for you. This is for Naruto. Dying to make a better life for his son. That's the stuff you let the father handle." Minato finished as he left Kushina's side to place Naruto on the pedestal. "Now for the eight trigrams seal to seal the Kyuubi inside Naruto."
Kushina's lack of chakra began to get to her and she almost fainted allowing her chakra chains to loosen. "Kushina stay with me." Minato yelled as he dashed toward Kushina.
'Now.' The Kyuubi thought almost happily as he prepared to kill Naruto. Kushina's eyes widened in fear as she threw herself in front of the Kyuubi's claw before it could kill her son. She sighed in relief seeing that the claw had stopped from hitting Naruto by mere inches. Hearing someone gasping for breath behind her she slowly forced her head to turn and saw Minato right behind her also using his body to shield his son.
"If the father can do this job. The mother should be even better. Right?" Kushina joked weakly.
"Is that their child?" Hiruzen asked.
"They protected it." Guy said in awe.
"Damned Humans." The Kyuubi growled out.
"You win." Kushina said before coughing up some blood. "First argument you've ever won. I guess you're really serious."
"Thank you. Kushina." Minato said before smearing some blood on his palm. "Summoning Jutsu."
"Huh?" The toad that appeared asked looking around. "Aaaah the kyuubi. And fourth what the hell happened to you?"
"Gamatora I'm entrusting you with the key to the seal." Minato instructed. "Hurry to Jiraiya-sensei and store it with him."
"I see." Hiruzen said realization dawning. "Minato intends to save the village by making his son the new jinchuriki."
"Gotcha. Good. Goodbye." Gamatora said before leaving to do as he was bid.
"I'm going to perform the seal now." Minato began beginning to wheeze himself. "We don't have much time. If you have anything to say to Naruto."
Kushina sat there in thought wheezing a minute before she began. "Naruto. Naruto. Don't be a fussy eater. Eat a lot and grow up to be a big boy. Take your bath everyday. Go to bed early and sleep well. Make friends. It doesn't matter how many. Just make sure they're real friends. People you can trust. Even a few is enough. And study your ninjutsu. I was never very good at it maybe you will be. Everyone has things they're good at and things they aren't. Don't feel bad if you can't do it all. Make sure to listen to your teachers. At the academy. And remember. Avoid the three vices of shinobi. Don't borrow money if you can help it. Save what you earn from missions. No drinking alcohol till your 20, and don't overdo it or you'll ruin your body. And as for women. Well, I'm a woman so I don't know what to say, but there are only men and women in this world, and you'll want a girlfriend someday. Just try not to pick weird one. Try to find one like your mother. And the fourth warning. Watch out for Jiraiya-sensei." Kushina stopped a minute to take a few wheezing breaths. "Naruto you're going to experience a lot of pain and suffering. Remember who you are. Find a goal. A dream. And don't stop trying till it comes true... There's. There's. There's. There's so much more I want to say. To teach you about. I want to stay with you. I love you." Minato sat in silence tears streaming down his cheeks as his wife finished. "I'm sorry Minato. I took all our time."
"It's Okay." Minato reassured her before turning his attention to Naruto. " Naruto. This is your dad. Listen to your motor-mouth mother." Both where in tears when they finished and for the briefest of moments they could see a smile play across Naruto's face. "Multi chakra eight trigrams seal." Minato called a bright light enveloping the four. When the three shinobi opened their eyes the barrier was gone and all that remained was Naruto atop the pedestal.
"Lord Hokage what are we going to do?" Kakashi asked worried.
"What you have seen here today won't be told to a soul." Hiruzen told the pair. "And furthermore you two are being placed on long term assignment to watch over Minato's child."
"The power of youth shall do it's best to assure his safety." Guy yelled giving a stiff armed salute.
'That's what I'm afraid of.' Kakashi thought a sweatdrop appearing on his head.
In another dimension Kushina fell from the sky in front of someones residence. "What's was that?" a woman asked before opening her front door to investigate the sound. She gasped in shock when she saw Kushina's battered and broken body laying on the front walk. "Honey quick call 911." A woman yelled franticly to her husband rushing back into the house heading for the phone.