Hey everyone, this here is my second story that I actually had finished before my other one, The Spirit of Fire. I lost it when my computer crashed but lucky for me I found my original rough draft in paper form. So here it is and please enjoy!
They say that "No matter how dark the night gets, Dawn's light will eventually drive it away." However, there are times when the darkness is too great that it will swallow the light. At times like these a different type of darkness is needed, one that will combat the other darkness and free the light. For without light, darkness cannot fully exist.
Why did this happen?
This was the question that kept going through Minato Namikaze's mind as he walked down the hallway of a hospital. Today was supposed to be a special day, a happy day. Today his beautiful wife, Kushina Uzumaki, was giving birth to their children. He was so happy when he heard she was pregnant and even happier when they learned it was with twins.
He had never been so happy or proud, not even when he was declared the fourth Hokage. But now his happiness has been shattered for the greatest of the Bijuu, the Kyuubi no Kitsune, has attacked his home Konoha. He did not know why it attacked only that if not stopped it would destroy the whole village and the death toll would be in the hundreds.
Minato had gone through all his considerable knowledge and came to only one solution: the Kyuubi must be sealed. Unfortunately this was the Nine-tailed fox, it couldn't be sealed into just anything no, it had to be a living person. However only a newborn's chakra coils could take the strain of a demon's power. Minato had no choice, he had to use one of his own children and it broke his heart that he must.
After all, what kind of Hokage would he be if he asked someone else to sacrifice their own child to become a Jinchuriki if he couldn't do the same? This was why he was walking towards his wife's ward to do the hardest thing he would ever do. For there was a way to seal the Fox but it was dangerous, just last month he had found an ancient scroll of sealing jutsus in an underground vault in what remains of the once great country of Uzushiogakure that contained a legendary jutsu that was said to never have existed.
It had the power to summon the shinigami itself to the mortal plain and then it would be able to seal the Kyuubi into someone at the cost of the user's soul.
Snapping himself out of his thoughts he noticed that he was in front of Kushina's room, taking a deep breath Minato pushed the door open. Inside he saw his wife cradling his two beautiful children, his sensei Jiraiya and his predecessor Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Minato got a good look at his kids for the first time; his son has his blonde hair and blue eyes whom they had decided to name Naruto. While his daughter has an interesting hair color, it being orange with a small patch of red, right above her forehead, the same shade as her mother's. Her eyes were also the same color as Kushina's a gorgeous violet color that would put any man under her spell when she's older. Her name is Hiromi.
Kushina looks up and sees her husband and smiled, "Minato come here and hold your son and daughter" she says and hands them to him.
He smiled a smile filled to the brim with happiness and love as he took both of them, as he does the boy calmed down when he saw the man he knew to be his dad and his sister soon followed his example. But still minato couldn't stop thinking of what he was about to do and how it broke his heart.
The pain must of showed because Jiraiya saw it asked, "Minato what do you have planned for the Kyuubi?"
Minato looked at his sensei and then his wife and she saw the sadness and pain that was slowly overtaking his face and she felt her heart clench.
"Minato?" she says just above a whisper.
He heaved a deep sigh and sayed with a slight quiver in his voice, "I plan on sealing the fox."
Everyone gained a shocked look at that, to seal a bijuu was an incredible feat, but Sarutobi couldn't help but feel that there's more, "Into whom, Minato?"
Everyone looked to the leader of the village and they saw something they'd thought they would never see, the Yellow Flash of Konoha with a defeated look on his face.
"I'm gonna seal it into Naruto and make him the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune."
This caused a series of reactions throughout the room; Sarutobi's eyes widen, Jiraiya's do the same but his look quickly turns to one of anger and understanding. Worst of all was Kushina's, her eyes widened and suddenly tears started falling from them. Immediately Minato was at her side, arms wrapped around her, trying to comfort her.
"I'm sorry Kushina-chan but I can't think of anything else…" Minato apologized to his wife.
Jiraiya, however, knew there was more to it than that. "How do you plan on doin' that, exactly kid? This is the freakin' Nine-tailed Fox we're talking about, the strongest of all the bijuu."
"With the Hakke no Fuin Shiki."
That statement alone caused all of their eyes to widen to the extreme and Kushina to gasp in horror. "Minato you can't! If you use that jutsu you'll die! Please I can't lose you…"
Minato looked at his wife with a pained looked, one that grew when he saw the tears falling down her face. "She's right kid; you can't do this. You're the Hokage for God's sake!" Jiraiya yelled, "Let me do it, I'm just as good at seals as you are."
Now it was the Third Hokage's turn to step forward, "No Jiraiya I will do it. I am the oldest here and you two are more valuable to the village than I am. I have lived a full life and now I shall do what is needed for the village."
As the two argued back and forth about who would seal the fox Minato moved to Kushina in an attempt to calm her.
"I'm sorry Kushina, I'm so very sorry…but I can't see any other way," the Fourth said in a soft voice.
"I-it's ju-just not fai-air, we just became a-a family. Why d-d-did this have to, have to happen?" Kushina cried into his chest, now holding her daughter while Minato held Naruto in one arm while the other held his sobbing wife and new born daughter.
Both babies, upon sensing the state of their parents, began to cry. Both parents went about calming the child they held.
"Minato,"
Hearing his name The Yellow Flash turned to see Sarutobi standing in front of him while Jiraiya was slightly off to the side clearly pissed beyond all measure.
"I will be doing the sealing; please hand Naruto over," He said in a gentle tone so as to not disturb the now sleeping baby.
Minato just looked at the old man and then gave him a small smile before turning to Kushina and giving her a loving kiss and one more apology. The Fourth Fire Shadow then started to walk towards Sarutobi who reached to take the young babe from his father.
He never did.
Just as he was about to take Naruto, Minato activated his Hiraishin no Jutsu, the same jutsu that earned him the title of Yellow Flash and got him a "flee-on-sight" order during the Third Shinobi War. The retired Hokage's fingers were just a hair's breath away when Minato and Naruto vanished right in front of them, all that was left was a small note he had dropped a split second before he activated his technique. "MINATO!" Kushina's cry for her husband never reached him.
He was long gone.
"Damn it! I shoulda known he'd pull something like this!" Jiraiya yelled in frustration already heading for the window.
However the firm grip on his shoulder courtesy of his sensei stopped him. Turning his head he looked at the old man to see him looking at Kushina's trembling and sobbing form. Jiraiya's eyes softened upon seeing the crying mother and baby. He looked out the window towards the battle that was still raging but noticed that there was now giant toad with a dark blue jacket and giant knife tucked into the back of the sash he wore and knew his student had summoned the toad boss Gamabunta. Jiraiya gave a silent curse before turning around and heading to Kushina. He put a hand on her shoulder and she immediately dived into his chest her cries echoing through the hall of the hospital. Startled by the unexpected action it took Jiraiya a second or two to wrap his arms around her and tell her everything was going to be alright.
But he could not shake this feeling of dread that was filling his heart.
"HE'S HERE! THE HOKAGE'S HERE!" This shout was repeated throughout the battle field as Minato arrived on top of his summon the Toad Boss. He scanned the battle and his frown grew as he saw the number of dead shinobi.
So many dead, He thought in sorrow and anger.
He looked towards the source of all this death and looked the giant demon fox in the eye. He could see the rage and hate and the thirst for destruction in those blood red eyes but he also noticed something else.
Wait a second, He thought, Somethings not right here.Looking even closer he noticed it, It's under a genjutsu! That explains why it's here, but why would someone do this?
For the life of him Minato could not understand how or why someone would let loose the strongest of the bijuu upon his home, he only knew that he had to put a stop to its rampage before even more of his troops died.
"Bunta! Think you can hold him for a few seconds? We gotta get him away from the village!" Minato shouted to the giant toad.
"I'll see what I can do, but this IS the Kyuubi so I'm not sure how long!" Gamabunta said back just before he launch at the fox in an attempt to restrain him.
The sudden attack surprised the demon and so it found itself trapped under the Toad Boss. But it's surprise only last a few seconds as it began to channel chakra to its snout where a giant ball of condensed chakra began to form.
"Oh no, you don't," Minato growled.
He handed his son to a clone he created earlier and he took out a tri-pronged kunai with markings on the hilt. Going through a series of hand-seals he activated his Hiraishin no Jutsu teleporting the blast to one area far away from the village, and sending the fox, Gamabunta and everyone on top of his head to a forest outside the village.
There was an almighty crash as the Kyuubi and Gamabunta hit the floor in crude wrestling match in order to gain footing. The Kyuubi managed to get on top and lashed out with one paw, aiming to skewer the toad through the skull, but Gamabunta was able to catch it and the following paw. With both of their arms locked it now became a contest of strength, one that the giant toad was slowly starting to lose. Upon realizing the toad was pinned beneath him the Kyuubi brought all nine of its tails forward so that the tips were hovering around its snout. Seeing that the fox was charging another chakra blast Gamabunta positioned both of his hind legs underneath the Kyuubi and kicked with all his might. The force behind the kick was enough to disrupt the blast and send the Kitsune hundreds of feet into the air.
This short reprieve gave Minato to set up the Shiki Fuin, summoning the alter he gently placed Naruto inside and ran through the necessary hand-seals to summon the Death God. Immediately feeling the effect of the jutsu Minato looked over his shoulder and saw a truly terrifying sight, there floating behind him was a ghoulish figure dressed in white robes with purplish skin, pure white hair and a pair horns sprouting from its forehead, a small dagger in its mouth with its large fangs curving around it. There was spectral shape of a man held within its hair and Minato knew that that was the representation of him and his soul.
The Death God raised its left arm and covered it in the prayer beads it was holding; as it did intricate seals covered the arm.
C'mon, c'mon hurry up!, Minato mentally pleaded then he felt the Shinigami shove his hand into the ghost like figure and he felt the very essence of death seep into his very soul.
Finally!
Minato wasted no time in directing the Shinigami's arm, which sprouted from stomach, toward the Kyuubi. The arm latched onto the beast and pulled, dragging half of its chakra out and into Minato. Once that was finished Minato finished the sealing process and sealed the rest of the fox into Naruto.
"It's done," Minato said with a heavy sigh before he let out a sharp gasp. With the sealing done the Shinigami was now collecting his payment.
Minato was dying.
Gamabunta looked down at the Fourth in sadness as he watched Minato drag himself on the ground toward Naruto. Dismissing himself, Gamabunta gave the dying father privacy with the son that he'd never be able to see grow up.
Upon reaching the alter that Naruto laid in Minato couldn't help but shed tears as he thought about leaving his family and the village he loved so much. Taking the young babe into arms Minato only had one regret and that was that he couldn't see his children grow. As darkness started to cloud his vision Minato looked at his son's sleeping face and allowed a small smile to grace his lips.
"Grow well Naruto, grow and take good care of your sister and mother, I know that you'll be a great man even greater than me. I love you so much my son, I'll always be watching you…" and with that Minato let the darkness claim him completely.
However other's had different plans.
Minato opened eyes and saw nothing but black, he turned his head from side to side and saw nothing just more darkness. Then he looked back and was blinded by a bright light, Minato brought his arms up to his face to shield his eyes. After a few seconds of his eyes getting adjusted go the light Minato looked again and found that there was a large purple fire burning ten feet in front of him and that he was floating. Confused and slightly freaked out Minato began to wonder if this was the Shinigami's stomach.
"No mortal, this is not my belly," said a deep voice that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
Looking around frantically Minato searched for the source of the voice but found nothing.
"Are you afraid mortal?" the voice asked.
This time it came from the center of the giant purple flame. Minato spun towards it and saw a giant figure rising from the fire and his eyes widened when he saw that it was the Shinigami itself. It floated out of the fire and stopped right in front of the Fourth Hokage and stared at him.
"So Minato Namikaze, you are the human who dares to summon me to the land of the living?" the Shinigami spoke in a deep guttural voice that sent shivers up, down and around Minato's spine.
"Y-yes, I needed to save my home." Minato replied with only a slight stutter, and given whom he was talking to is no small feat.
"I know your reasons for what you have done I am just astounded that a mortal would actually summon me for such reasons." The Shinigami stated."Now I have a question for you; why do you think the Kyuubi attacked Konoha?"
Minato just stood there with a deep frown on his which seemed to only grow in intensity as he answered, "Someone was controlling it, someone wished to destroy the village. For what reason I can't figure out and I won't get the chance now," he finished with a sad look on his face.
"Now why is that?" the Shinigami asked curiously.
Minato just looked at the Death God with a confused look on his face "But, I'm dead…aren't I?" he asked.
Minato definitely wasn't expecting what happened next; the Shinigami actually started laughing, it was a small hallow laugh but still the God of Death laughing could not be good. "Hahaha, that all depends on you human. I have a proposal for you; there are some individuals in the world that are planning on upsetting the balance of things and I will not stand by while they do this. I cannot interfere directly however; the ancient laws prevent such a thing. So I need an avatar, an apprentice if you will, to go about the business I am forbidden to do."
The thunderstruck look on Minato's face would've made those close to him laugh at the sight.
He couldn't believe his ears, a god was more or less asking for help. "What do you need me to do?" Minato asked after a few seconds with a determined look.
This question however was met with more laughter from the Death God, "From you? Not much really, what I really want is one who can handle my power. You would not be able given your age. No, I need someone young and it just so happens that there is such an individual," the Shinigami answered, with a wave of his hand an image appeared showing Minato's body on the ground holding Naruto in his arms.
It then dawned on Minato whom the Shinigami was talking about, "NO! Not my son! You can't have him!" Minato yelled at the Death God.
The Shinigami merely looked at the Fourth Hokage for a few moments before speaking, "You have guts human, no one has ever spoken to me in such a way. They're always too busy groveling for me to send them back or to have mercy on them. For that I will make you a deal; I will send you back and let you keep your boy for four years, once the four years are up I WILL claim that child so that he may be trained. But fret not, he will be returned to you; on this you have my word as a god."
For what seemed like the hundredth time that day Minato was speechless for a moment but before he could find his voice again to argue with the Celestial Being began speaking again, "This NEEDS to happen Minato Namikaze, for the sake of the world, your son must become my student so that he may defeat the man who was controlling the Kyuubi."
"So it was being controlled," Minato breathed.
"Yes, he was. Now your answer; will you accept my deal or deny it? Either way I win but I would rather you live. You are interesting and things can get somewhat boring when you are immortal."
Minato looked at the image of his son again and began shaking slightly. How could he make such a decision? It is just like the Shinigami said; either way it won.
Either way Minato would lose his son.
So with a heavy heart and a shaky breath Minato decided, "The lesser of two evils. Please forgive me Kushina…"
"I accept your deal God of the Dead," Minato said still looking at his son and his body.
"Very good, remember; four years and then I will claim him and he WILL be returned to you. You have my word."
Minato woke with a gasp and sat straight up from the bed he was lying on. He quickly scanned his surroundings and noticed he was in a hospital room.
"How'd I get here?" He asked out loud.
However this question was going to be answered sooner than he thought, "Jiraiya and Hiruzen brought you here you big jerk," came a harsh if somewhat exhausted reply.
Swiveling his head to the side of his bed Minato saw Kushina sitting in a chair holding little Naruto while a young boy with gravity defying silver hair, a face mask, with his leaf head-band pulled over his left eye and wearing ANBU armor was holding Hiromi.
"Kakashi, it's good to see you weren't hurt," Minato said with a smile looking at the young boy.
Kakashi nodded to Minato, "It's good to see you as well sensei," his right eye closed with crinkle lines around it.
Minato, after knowing him for so long, knew that he was smiling. Minato smiled as well before turning to his wife and son, his smile fell a little when he saw the boy fast asleep and his mind drifted back to his meeting with the Death God.
"Minato-sensei? Is everything ok?" Kakashi asked seeing the troubled look on his teacher's face.
Minato's attention snapped back to his student, "Yes, I'm fine I'm just thinking is all. Where is Jiraiya and Sarutobi?" He asked.
"They're still over-seeing the damages done by the fox, they should be here soon though," Kushina said, adjusting Naruto to a more comfortable position, "Kakashi had Pakkun summoned just in case you woke up early to go get them."
As if on cue the door swung open to reveal the Third Fire Shadow and the Toad Sage. Sarutobi smiled and nodded while making his way to one of the free chairs to sit, while Jiraiya simply made his way to the other side of the bed that was free.
Minato saw the look in his old teacher's eyes, he tried to get away but he was too tired and slow. Jiraiya's fist lashed out as fast as lightning.
"OW! What the hell old man? I know I deserved that but still you didn't have to hit me that hard," Minato yelled while glaring at his former master and rubbing the spot where Jiraiya had hit.
"Shut up you stupid brat, I should hit you harder for pulling a stunt like that. You're so thick headed sometimes," Jiraiya growled at him.
The two continued to glare at each other until a subtle cough was heard. Everyone's attention shifted to the third Hokage, who was drumming his fingers on the arm of the chair.
"If you two are finished, I would greatly like to know just what happened out there tonight, Minato?" Sarutobi asked with a frown.
Minato sighed before looking to Kakashi, "Kakashi, why don't you hand Hiromi over? You need to get some rest,"
Kakashi was about to object when he saw the look his master was giving him, he knew better than to go against this suggestion.
"Hai sensei, you're right," Kakashi said, giving the sleeping baby to her father before bowing and leaving the room.
Once the door was closed Minato reached for his coat that was hanging next to his bed and pulled out several small, blank sheets of paper.
"Minato?" Kushina began but was silenced by her husband with a raised index finger.
Biting the pad of his thumb hard enough to draw blood, The Yellow Flash scribbled symbols on each of the sheets before throwing them all across the room, where the stayed fixed on the corners of the door, window, and each corner of the room.
"Impressive brat, Kushina and I taught you well but what the hell is this about?" Jiraiya asked but was ignored as his student looked at the Third.
"Sarutobi, if you would?" Minato asked. Sarutobi understood after a second and quickly ran through a series of hand seals before clapping his hands together, from which an invisible layer of chakra expanded completely encompassing the room.
Once it was finished Sarutobi nodded, "Thank you Hiruzen," Minato said.
"Minato, can you please tell me what all that was about?" Kushina pleaded, growing angry and a little worried at her husband's odd behavior.
"Now that the silencing barriers are up, I can. What I am about to tell all you must never be repeated; to anyone." Minato said with one of the most serious looks any of them have ever seen on his face.
Once everyone nodded Minato looked at his son, his eyes softening, "It involves Naruto…"
And so Minato told them everything, from his meeting with the Shinigami to the deal that had been made. By the end of the story Kushina was in tears clutching her little boy her chest. Both Sarutobi and Jiraiya were shocked beyond belief, and Minato continued to stare at the sheets of his bed while rocking Hiromi back to sleep.
"H-how could this happen," Kushina sobbed, "How c-c-could you d-do this, M-min-nato?"
"Kushina plea-"
"Shut up!" she said trying to keep her voice down so as to not wake the babies, "I know why, but why? Won't he suffer enough? Naruto is now the jinchuriki of that crazy demon, why does this god want him?" she continued to cry.
"You know why my love, I hate this just as much as you do but I can't see any other way," Minato said in a soothing voice reaching over and placing a hand on her arm, she didn't react to his touch but she didn't recoil from it either.
"I-I-I know, it's just going to take me some time to stop being angry with you," Kushina said, still looking at Naruto's sleeping face.
"We're here for you two as well, right old man?" Jiraiya said looking at his old teacher.
Sarutobi smiled and nodded, "Of course, now you two have been through quite a lot in the last few hours, its time you rested,"
He nodded to Jiraiya who nodded back, making his way over to Kushina and lifting her as gently as he could into the bed next to Minato. She smiled at him and gave a small thank you before curling up to her husband and making sure the babies were comfortable. Minato draped the blanket over them.
"Aren't they hungry?" He asked.
"No, they finished dinner right before you woke up. Naruto has both of our appetites," She said with a tired laugh.
Minato couldn't help but laugh at that before settling down and almost as one the family drifted off to sleep, enjoying a small moment of peace.
And there you go! Not the best I know but the following chapters will be better, as for why I made this I've pretty much had this story idea in my head for years and I finally decided to write it down. Pleases review!