"Wait no you can't!"

With a glare Minato handed Naruto down into his mother's arms for the first time. "It is the only way Kushina. You are still connected to him. But once that last chain is broke your going to die. But this way I can go with you. We can both see Naruto when he is grown."

Looking down at her son Kushina let tears fall from her eyes to land on his cheek. "But I don't want him going through life as a Jinchuuriki!"

"Kushina…"

Shaking her head side to side Kushina let her tears fall like rain. "Everyone in the village is going to remember this night. They will know what happened and Naruto won't have anyone but the Third who will really care about him! I don't want that for my son! You shouldn't either!"

"I want to give you some time….."

"I don't care if this is all the time that I will ever get to see my son before he dies of old age and comes to see me then. I refuse to leave him alone!"

"If we do what you want, then….."

"I will die knowing that I gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect my only son."

With a sigh Minato stands and starts to go through the hand signs. "I am not going to let you do it on your own Kushina. You gave me your love, took my last name and made me a father. The least I can…."

Her eyes wide Kushina reached out to him as he fell to the ground. "Minato!"

"Is just fine."

Looking up through hazy eyes Kushina saw the smiling eyes of the Third. "Lord Hokage…."

"I am already old. I wouldn't have much longer to go before I too would die of old age leaving the village without a Hokage for some time. Minato has more life in him. And something worth living for."

Dropping her head she sighed. "Why is everyone so willing to die because of me? Is it because of Kura….."

"It's because you are special to us." Then before anyone could react the Third Hokage went through the hand signs. "Reaper Death Seal!"

Blinking his eyes Minato pushed himself up. Then he heard the Third and what he said. Shooting to his feet he blinked. "Lord Hokage! Why?!"

With a smile the Third gathered his chakra to set the seal. "Because the boy is going to need a father to help him and guide him. Kushina will see him again. Now, get the Eight Trigrams Seal ready for me please." The look on the young Hokage's face was clear. "Now Minato."

Kushina lay her head down next to her son with a smile. She reached out with a shaky hand and let him take hold of her finger as tears rushed anew from her eyes. "My son. In all my life you are the best thing that I ever could have done. I will see you one day, will help you with the burden you carry. Remember Naruto. I love you."

"Everything is ready."

Kushina nodded as her husband lifted their son and placed him on the alter. Then the fear at the back of her neck. The fox was…going after Naruto! "NO!" Using the last of her strength she moved pushing Minato out of the way and lining herself and the Third up to stop the blow of the claw inches before it touched her son. "No way am I letting you take him you damn fox!"

"Kushina!" Minato ran to stand in front of her over Naruto. "Kushina…."

Her eyes still full of tears she looked up at him. "Make sure you move on Minato."

His eyes wide as tears now fell from his own eyes. "Move on!? How can you say that to me? It will never…"

"I want you to be happy. Even if that means with someone else. You and Naruto live and be happy. For me."

"Kushina…" His eyes held so much sorrow but he couldn't help but smile as he leaned his face down to hers for one last kiss. "I promise." Then he seared her mouth with one last passionate kiss from him to her.

The Third coughed sending blood flying out of his mouth. "Minato it is time to set the seal. Kushina, now is your time to tell Naruto anything you want to say to him."

As a even bigger rush of tears fell from her eyes Kushina looked down at her son. "Naruto. Don't be a fussy eater, eat a lot and grow up to be a big boy! Take your bath every day, 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 but maybe you will be. Everyone has things they're good at and things they're not. Don't feel bad if you can't do it all. Make sure you listen to the teachers at the Academy. And remember, avoid the vices of shinobi. Don't borry money if you can help it. Save what you earn from missions. No drinking alcohol until you're 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 the world, and you'll want a girlfriend someday. Just try not to pick a weird one. Try and find someone like your mother. And the fourth warning, watch out for Jiraiya. Naruto, you're going to go through a lot of tough times in your life. But I know you will make them through just fine with your father at your side. Always remember who you are Naruto. Find a goal, a dream and don't stop until you reach it! There's so much more I want to say to you. Teach you. But I can't yet. I wanted to stay with you Naruto. Live a long and happy life with your dad. I love you Naruto."

Minato stood on the other side of his son as tears rolled down his face and went through the signs. "You will see him one day Kushina. You will see the man your son grows up to be. I promise. Eight Trigrams Seal!" Closing his eyes as the body of the Nine Tails is fused inside his now screaming son all Minato could do was to ball up his hands into fists. "I promise you this Kushina Namikaze. Our son, Naruto, will be the greatest ninja that the Leaf will ever know."

Once the light died down, the bodies of his wife and the Third Hokage lay next to each other. In the last moments before she died Kushina reached out and grabbed her son's hand, where it laid now. Whipping away his tears for another day, Minato made a shadow clone to carry the third, placing his son on his wife's chest he lifted them both and walked back toward the village.

X

"Fourth Hokage! What happened?!"

Stopping with his wife's body in his arms he handed the Third off to a member of the Anbu. "The Third used the Reaper Death Seal, and I used the Eight Trigrams Seal to stop the fox and seal him inside my son. My son is the new vessel of the Jinchuuriki Nine-Tailed Fox Kurama. Just as my wife was before him."

"Lord Hokage…"

"I will speak to the village in a few days and inform them of what happened myself. Right now, I need a few days." Then he walked on in the village and toward the home that he once shared with his wife and would with his son.

Laying them both down on the bed that he and Kushina shared he then lifted Naruto and put him in his crib. Turning to look at his wife, then back down at his son Minato could no longer hold it in and fell to his knees as he bowed his head and let it out in a torrent of tears. "This day wasn't supposed to turn out like this! I should be on the bed with you! Talking about all the great things that Naruto is going to become. Not getting you ready to put in the ground!"

Forcing himself to stand he went and knelt down by the bed as he used his sleeve to wipe the blood from her face. "I love you Kushina. I know I promised you that I would move on but I just don't see how that is ever going to happen. But I will keep my promise where Naruto is concerned. I will make him a great ninja one day. One greater than any this village has ever seen before. The name Naruto Namikaze will be known throughout the world." He then leaned down and gently kissed her lips before dropping his head on the side of the bed as another mess of sobs overtook his body.

X

With his three day old son in his arms, his wife's funeral said and done a still distraught Minato walked out the door that lead to the top of the Third Hokage's stone face. As he got to the edge of it he could see the entire village gathered down bellow him. With a sigh he bowed his head. "Three days ago turned from being a joyous day in my life to being one that this village will never forget. Some of you knew, some of you did not. The wife of the First Hokage, Mito Uzumaki was a vessel for the nine tailed fox that the First battled along with Madara Uchiha in the Final Valley. When Mito was ready to pass on, another Uzumaki, with the same sort of chakra was brought to the village to become the second vessel of the Nin-Tails. That was my wife, Kushina."

The collected gasps made his grip on his son tighten even harder. "I hear the fear. But tell me, any one of you! Was she a monster or your friend?" He could see how some let it sink home and others only looked down. 'I am sorry Naruto.' He then held his son up in his hands with a glare. "It was the dieing wish of my wife, and Lord Third Hokage that my son become the new vessel! Sealing half of the Fox's chakra in himself, and the other half in my son they alone saved the village and everyone in it from certain death. They will be known as heros!"

Lowering her son back down into his arms he then glared down at the group. "Until I see fit to tell him the truth of what is inside of him, it is forbidden for ANYONE in this village to breath a word about who holds the fox now. Anyone who does will be arrested and jailed. Never to see the light of day or their own family again. I hope I have made myself clear." Then he turned and walked off, once he was out of sight he used his Thunder God Technique and was instantly at the grave of his wife.

Falling to his knees he held his son close as he fought back tears. "I hope I am making the right choice Kushina."

When the wind blew past him he gasped as he jerked his head up. In the wind he could have sworn that he felt the feather soft touch of her hand brush across his face. He smiled as he whipped the tears from his eyes. "Even though you are gone. You always have a way of letting me know I am on the right path with everything."

Standing he turned and headed back to the village. "First thing is first, to make sure that you are taken care of when I can't be with you." The small sigh from his sleeping son made him smile. "Naruto."