Author's Note: Hello, it is your author speaking. As I am an incredibly boring person, I know the overwhelmingly likely chance is you're not going to actually read this. But just in case you do, here's a cookie:

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I actually don't have a cookie. There's some bacon on the stove, though. You can't have it, though.

Though.

Disclaimer:I know this isn't actually going to help me if someone decides to sue, but I don't own the Naruto manga, anime, video games, or other assorted Naruto-related things. I would say I own my OC, but you can't own something that doesn't exist. Unless you're a corporation, then you don't have to follow anyone's rules.

CAPITALISM, GO!

Prologue

It was, as it always was in Konoha's humid autumns, a dark and stormy night. Thunder and lightning raged across the blackened sky. But, as it happens, no one was paying much attention to the weather. This had little to do with the fact that they should have been fast asleep, but more because of the stories high demonic fox rampaging its way through the outskirts of the village, rushing towards its prize-Konoha itself.

When the fox had appeared, the retired Sandaime had immediately mobilized the village's ninja. Few were outside the village on missions, so he had amassed hundreds of Konoha-nin in just a few minutes. More streamed into the village square, as the former Hokage rallied the village to defend against the Kyubi.

While many brave warriors died for their home on that night, the Yondaime Hokage was among the most mourned. Sacrificing himself for the village he loved, he became the first mere mortal to kill a Biju.

So went the official story. But only an idiot believes the official story.

"Minato, are you absolutely sure you want to do this alone?"

In all the time I'd known Minato, I'd seen him do many things. Amazing things-some might say even impossible things. But facing down one of the infamous demonic tailed beasts still struck me as being slightly suicidal.

Then again, I'd just seen him beat the ass of one Uchiha Madara, so who was I to talk?

He glanced back at me. Our eyes met, and for a scant few seconds we held them there. He nodded, and I knew that I wouldn't be able to help him here.

"Alright, then. I suppose you have a plan?"

He nodded again.

"Then don't let me keep you."

Not wasting any time, Minato bit his thumb and began making the proper hand seals. He paused right before the last, then left in his signature yellow flash.

"I really do hope you know what you're doing," I announced as Gamabunta appeared in the distance, holding the fox down.

I wasn't an idiot. I knew that there was no chance Minato could beat the Kyubi by conventional means. If he needed to stop the damned fox, he would have to seal it. By the look we had shared, I already knew who he was sealing it into.

Where is sensei?

Pondering that, I reached out with my chakra. It was hard to sense a chakra presence as small as a human's when there was a huge Biju stomping around, but I did my best to locate him. By the end of my search, I hadn't managed to find him. That could only mean one of two things-he was outside of the village on a mission, or he was outside of the village to get laid.

"Hmph." Knowing sensei, the latter was far more likely.

But I did sense where Kushina was-and, more importantly, Naruto. If Minato required a young, Uzumaki child to chain the Kyubi, his own son would be the only candidate who would suffice. Kushina would die if it was resealed into her, and then the Kyubi would simply be free again.

Not that she isn't already doing a good job dying.

Her chakra was waning, the Kyubi having taken a large portion of her reserves. It was a miracle she was even still conscious, as that much chakra exhaustion could easily knock any normal ninja out. But she was an Uzumaki. She would live, for now. Minato would have no trouble securing Naruto for the sealing.

That left me with another question.

What the hell should I be doing?

I stood there, breathing slowly. I could hear the sound of my own heartbeat, even with the cries of the dead ringing in my head. The answer came to me swiftly, even though it felt like an eternity.

Do what you've always done, Kazama. Protect the village with your life.

With that thought firmly ingrained in my mind, I sped off in the direction of the Hokage's mansion.

It took longer than expected to reach my destination. With so many buildings destroyed, it was harder to find a fast route there. But regardless of that, I ran. Paying no mind to the sealing that was likely occurring right now, I made my way there.

Minato had written the secrets of the Hiraishin and the Rasengan on scrolls. With the mansion already up in flames, I needed to hurry before the scrolls burned with it.

When I finally got there, it was clear that my punctuality was definitely necessary. The mansion had practically crumbled, and the fire was spreading to the surrounding houses.

"Shit."

I rushed to the door, and cut myself with a kunai. The blood fell on the security seal, and with a slight blue glow it allowed me entrance. With only a few minutes to spare, I didn't waste a second and pushed it open.

The mansion was small, luckily, so it wasn't hard finding my way to Minato's study. Some of the scrolls were ash by the time I found them. On the shelves, the books were starting to darken as the fire overtook them.

Sighing, I cut myself again and let it drip on a section of carpet under Minato's desk. Cue another blue glow, and I opened the secret compartment. Inside it were the scrolls I was looking for. Grabbing hold of the them, I leaped out the window.

Broken glass bit into me, but I knew that I had to get these somewhere safe. I reached out again, searching to see if the Kyubi was still unsealed.

It wasn't, but I knew that wouldn't be for long. I sensed a chakra presence even larger and more malicious than the Kyubi's, and recoiled in fear.

"Minato, you…"

The Shiki Fujin was no ordinary sealing jutsu. Summoning the Shinigami itself to grant you a wish…for the price of your soul. It was probably the best seal Minato could have chosen to seal the Kyubi, were it not for that small detail.

Bleeding from all the cuts and scrapes I acquired on the way to the Mansion, I let myself do something I only did rarely.

I laughed.

It wasn't a happy laugh, nor really even a hysterical one. I hadn't heard a funny joke, or accepted the futility of it all, or something like that. It was a sad, morbid laughter, the kind that most people never heard. Most people never had to deal with death.

"Damn it, Minato. I could have done the sealing, and…"

I didn't laugh again. Instead, I gazed down at the dirt as the fire kept raging around me. I was lying to myself. I wasn't a genius at fuinjutsu, not the same way sensei and Minato were. I only knew what little they could teach me. I would never have the ability to perform a fuinjutsu as complex as the Shiki Fujin. The only people who could possibly do it were Minato, Jiraiya-sensei, and the Sandaime, who, according to what I had sensed earlier, hadn't even reached Minato yet.

Without even knowing what I was doing, I got up. Even though I had done very little to help Minato against Madara, as both were too far out of my league to keep up, I was still exhausted by the battle. I brushed the dirt off my flak jacket. In the chaos of the attack, I hadn't even put my hair up into its spiky ponytail, so my hair flowed to my shoulders.

"I'm sorry," I said, to no one in particular. Or, perhaps, to myself.

I made a promise to myself, that day, so it isn't like that couldn't be the case.

"Minato, you're so strong. I wished…I wish, that I could be more like you. But I'm just too weak."

I paused, my eyes wandering to the stars above me as the cries of the villagers droned out of my brain.

"So, I'll just have to get stronger."

The council room was in an uproar. The shinobi part of the council was mostly intact, but at least half of the civilians were gone, most likely dead due to the attack. It took the Sandaime himself to calm them down, with a blast of killing intent making it clear that they should shut up.

"I understand that we all mourn the Yondaime, and our dead. But we must stay vigilant. In these dark times, Konoha must stand united, lest the other villages take advantage of our losses!"

The Sandaime had a flair for the dramatic when it was necessary, I supposed. At the very least, it was convincing to the council, who were all focused on him at the moment.

"The first order of business is what to do with Konoha's new jinchuuriki. I am of the opinion that-"

As soon as Naruto was mentioned, the council erupted into a torrent of shouts once more. Danzo was among the few that remained calm, glancing at the Sandaime with a predatory look in his eye. This time, I felt I had to speak up.

"All of you, be quiet! If the Yondaime could see you now, he'd be ashamed! This council will remain silent, until Hokage-sama finishes speaking!"

I added in a blast of my own killing intent. While it was nothing compared to the Sandaime, it easily quieted the unruly crowd.

"Thank you, Kazama-san. As I was saying, I am of the opinion that the jinchuuriki be left to the orphanage. He is a relative of the Uzumaki, but unfortunately Kushina-san died with her husband and their child. There is no one else to take him in."

I looked at the Sandaime. Without thinking, my mouth opened again.

"An orphanage? With all due respect, Hokage-sama, that is a terrible idea. While the Yondaime's seal is unlikely to break, considering his skill in fuinjutsu, it still stands that it would be better if he was raised in a shinobi household."

I was already thinking of all the possibilities that could be if only he would only allow me to adopt Naruto. I had failed Minato, and I'd be damned if I failed his son.

"While the thought is attractive, Kazama-san, why stop there?" From his perch above the rest of the council, Danzo had finally spoken.

"After all, He is the jinchuuriki of the largest of the Biju. With proper training, he could be a perfect weapon for Konoha. I say, let me take him as my charge. It has been a while since I have trained a shinobi, but I assure the council that I am fully capable of doing so."

The Sandaime didn't even bother to consider our words (I don't think I would consider Danzo's either) before he denied us.

"It should be the boy's choice whether he shall be a ninja, not ours. Once again, he will be raised in an orphanage. I remind you that this is only an advisory council, and that…"

This day couldn't get any longer, could it?

"Are you sure you want to do this, Kazama?"

Jiraiya-sensei eyed me strangely. It was a long time since I had been a genin, so I barely recognized that look on his face.

He was concerned, for me.

"Sensei, I couldn't be surer."

He sighed.

"Don't worry, sensei. Make sure Naruto is safe while I'm gone. Tell Teuchi the same."

Teuchi had been injured in the attack, but if I knew anything about him he'd be better in no time at all. Bastard always was a fast healer, even though it was clear he'd never be able to do field work again.

"I will."

I looked back, from my spot watching over the village at the top of Minato's head.

"Thank you, sensei. For everything."

If I weren't a seasoned ninja, and a veteran of a Shinobi World War, a tear might have even escaped from my eye at that point.

"You're welcome, Kazama. Have a safe trip."

I laughed, but this time it actually was happy.

"Sensei, whenever ninja are involved it's never a safe trip. But…I appreciate it. Take care of yourself, you perverted old goat. Goodbye."

When I left the village that day, I didn't realize that it wasn't truly a goodbye. A goodbye would mean an end.

This was just a beginning.