A/N: Okm this is my first real story so feedback, both positive and negative is greatly apprciated. This is the follow up to a teaser I posted on here a little while ago entitled "Sakura in Trouble"

A few quick notes: There will no Janglish used in this story, I hate that. This story is written in English with the understanding that everyone is actually speaking Japanese.

The only time you will see Japanese is for ninja techniques, ranksand titles (ex: kage bunshin no juistu, Jounin, Hokage, etc) because it just isnt the same in English and suffixes such as "sama", "chan", etc because there really is no English equivalent. Also I will probably replace "yes" or "affirmative" at times with "hai" or "osu" because, like with the ninja techniques, saying it in English just isn't the same.

Authors Note

Ninja Techniques"

"Kyuubi"

"Character thoughts"

Prologue:

It could have been a night just like any other in the suprisingly peaceful ninja village of Konohagakure, the wind was singing gracfully through the forest which surrounded it, causeing thousands of trees to play a symphony of rustling and weaving, millions of trees broke from their boughs to dance in delight along with the giant orchestra in which they lived. Babies inside the village slept peacefully, warm in their blankets as thier parents carried them as gently as they could, cooing to them softly and lovingly as they made their way to evacuate. Yes, it could have been a night like any other in the VIllage Hidden in the Leaves were it not for the tiny matter of a very large and nine-tailed demon fox being only a few miles from the village. It might have been a perfectly ordinary evening for the residence of this village if the ground behind and at the feet of the Great Fox were not saturated with the blood of slain shinobi, those who had died in a seemingly vain attempt to halt the Fox' progress, if the landscape for miles around were not permanesntly altered with the signs of the "battle", if the tears and sweat of the fallen and the fighting was not mixing together on the blood drenched battle field and the mighty roar of the Kyuubi no Kitsune had not been peircing forever into the dreams of all who heard it....this night could have been just like any other.

Tragically though, it was not a night just like any other and the ninja who proudly wore the insignia of their village were, in fact, dying by the hundreds. Genin, Chounin, Jounin and even ANBU were all fighting and dying at the claws of this mighty creature and it seemd as if there was simply nothing which could be done to stop it, those who opposed the Fox were as fast to fall in defeat as they were to rise in challenge. Moral was slipping even more quickly than the number of shinobi, many on the feild were already feeling the absolute reality of the fact that they and everyone whom they loved were about to die and there was nothing that anyone could do in order to stop it. In some, a tiny inkling of hope remained, though all seemed lost and anyone with eyes would think that nothing could possibly stand before this creature which slaid hundreds of shinobi with almost no apparent effort, like a man casually swatting away whatever insects who approached with more annoyance and contempt than anger. Some of those ninja on the feild however, remembered that they too had a man capable of defeating over a hundred enemies in mere moments, that they too had someone so powerful as to seem almost god-like, these shinobi remembered that their Hokage was strong, more importantly, they beleived with absolute cetainty that the Fourth Hokage of Konohagakure would not allow his village to be destroyed, no matter what happened, they beleived that Minato Namikaze would save them in the end. They were correct.

As men, women and adolescents fought, died and despaired a sudden, golden ray of hope appeared atop the back of an unbeleivably gigantic toad. Even amongst the many shinobi who had given up all hope of victory, who had decided that even the Hokage could not defeat this beast, a feeling of joy, releif and jubilation could not be escaped. Faces covered in bitter tears, soot, blood and burns were washed by an open flowing of tears of joy, many dropped to their knees, some openly wept, all cheered.

"THE FOURTH HAS ARRIVED!!!!!"

Chants rang out from all with the energy to yell, attacks were launched with renewed vigor, even defeat was not so scary when your leader fought along side you. Fresh determination glowed in the eyes of every human present, and no ones eyes held more determination then the "golden ray of hope" atop the Toad's back.

Minato Namikaze gazed cooly at the incredible beast before him, far from him and the task at hand, his mind was on the infant boy he was about to bestow with this burden, the wife that had died in his arms, and the decision he and his wife had made. Questions like:

"Did I do the right thing?"

"Will Naruto grow up happy?"

"Has Kushina already made it to the Afterlife?"

"Will I meet her there?"

"How much will dying hurt?

Were spinning around his thought process even as his body prepared for the impending battle. He sighed with agitation and tried unsuccesfully to get his head in the game when a deep, rumbling voice rang out from beneath him.

"You did what you thought was best as you're doing now.

Probably not but life shouldn't be too bad for him, he's got Jiraiya afterall.

She is watching us even now.

You will meet if you are destined to do so.

Probably"

Minato's eyes widened in shock at Gamabunta bussiness like anwering of all the questions that still labored his mind with doubt and worry.

"G-Gamabun-" He started in suprise before being cut off by the ancient Toad.

"Just how long do you think I've been alive kid? And I've known you since you were a tadpole, you think I don't know how you think? Show some respect and get your head in the game!" The Great Summon's words were a tad harsh but that was exactly what The Fourth needed. Suddenly all of the doubt and worry dissapeared and his mind returned to his body and the situation at hand. With a wry smile, he lifted his gaze back toward the Fox, slapped his face simultaneously with both hands, and shook his head as if to dislodge water which had colected in his hair.

"My aplogies Gamabunta-sama." Minate emoted with the usual calm back in his voice. "it seems I still have much to learn from you."

"Heh," the Toad grunted with jocular rebuke "you could live to be one thousand and you'd still just be brat as far as I'm concerned"

The Fourth cheekily responded, "Well then, I suppose it's just as well that I won't living past tonight." with that, he returned his gaze to the creature in front of him, the determination in his eyes now shining in sync with the will of his heart. There was only one thing left to be said, Minato said it with no doubt wavering in any portion of his being.

"Let's go, Gamabunta-sama!"

"HAI!"

The Toad charged, the Fox atacked, the Fourth Hokage sealed, a legend was ended just as a new one was began.

As the smoke cleared, and the Kyuubi was sealed Minato Namikaze layed on the warty back of his life long friend, he thought of all those he was leaving behind, the things he had not acheived and the happy old age he would never reach. Quietly, as he lay dying he made peice with all of these things death was a simple fact of life, particularly if one happened to be a ninja, he had buried many just as he knew that he would be buried. The next generation would pick up the torch and life would go on. Just before consciousness left him for the last time, the blonde legend breathed six final words, words that would shape the fate of the entire world:

"Become a good king, Uzamaki Naruto!"

So that concludes the prologue of what will be a rather long fic. Next installment I'll be explaining some things and we get into the REAL action. Till then, enjoy and review!!