Meant to be
There was chaos all around as Kushina held Minato's hand, Minato almost racing through the village to find somewhere safe. Another roar escaped the lips of the nine tailed demon. There were uncountable screams.
"Quick," Minato almost ordered. He jumped down into an empty cellar, helping Kushina down before he got back up, holding onto Kushina's hand while he leaned over to talk to her. "Wait here and I'll come back."
Kushina's eyes welled up. "I want to help," she whispered as Minato gave her a quick kiss.
Minato looked at her seriously, the pained expression on her face while she held onto her stomach as tightly as she could. "Stay here." He wasn't going to let her go out into war. Not while so heavily pregnant.
"Minato… I ca-" Kushina winced in pain, holding her stomach tightly. "Minato!"
Minato knew what was happening. "Kushina, you can do this. I'm going to get someone to help you but you have to stay strong for me, alright?" he insisted, grabbing her hand and squeezing it tightly. He let go and Kushina could feel tears running down her cheeks.
"I can't do this alone," she cried as Minato stood up and turned away. "You have to come back to me."
Minato pushed his open palms to his face, trying to pull himself together. "I will, I promise," he said before disappearing. Kushina knew it was a lie. He was Hokage – it was like an unwritten law that the Hokage sacrifices himself for the village.
"Please, Minato..."
--
Rin stood beside Kushina, holding her hand tightly. "Don't be scared, Kushina-san," she tried to say soothingly. "Sensei will be back soon, I promise."
Kushina was in tears as Rin smiled, holding onto her hand with a firm grip. "Fucking hell," she cried as she felt sweat drip down her forehead.
"I think it's time, Kushina-san," Rin tried to say calmly.
Kushina was leaning against a wall, gritting her teeth. "No! Minato has to be here," she cried as her grip tightened on Rin. Rin thought her hand was going to break.
"Kushina-san, please. You need to have this baby now or you might not ever get a chance to."
Kushina was sobbing from the physical pain and the pain of knowing her lover and fiancé was more likely to die than ever see his child. "Just hurry up Minato, you fucking bastard!" she cried, giving up on holding on for Minato to come.
--
Minato stood up, trying to defend as many people as possible, but it was just no use. Kushina was strong; he never doubted her but he couldn't risk her and the baby on the battlefield. Hopefully she could hold on until it was over. The spark of hope dwindled but it was overcast by harsh reality.
A Hokage must defend his village, even if that means to sacrifice his own life.
Minato growled at the thought. He wanted peace and he loved the village with all his heart but he was just a man; he needed to be with his fiancé when their child was born but his duties overpowered this.
It wasn't fair.
"Sensei!" a voice shouted, recognisably Kakashi. His ANBU mask had broken slicing open his cheek. "Kushina... she's had the baby." Minato's attention instantly drew to him. "Rin did everything she could to prolong it, but she couldn't any longer."
Minato turned to look at his student, a grave look in Kakashi's eyes. The sharingan was crying, which was never good news. Even though the sharingan was part of Kakashi's body, Obito still cried through it a lot. "What's his name?"
Kakashi looked at his sensei, realising that Minato wasn't stupid. He knew that the baby was a son, even before it was born without anyone telling him. "Naruto. His name is Naruto."
"Naruto," Minato said with a wistful look in his eyes. "How is Kushina?"
Kakashi looked downcast as soon as this was mentioned. "Sensei... she..." Kakashi thought through his words for a few minutes. "There was too much blood. Rin did everything but... there was too much blood."
Minato looked back at the tragedy falling in front of him, then back to Kakashi. "Tell Rin that she did her best and I'm proud of her."
Kakashi nodded. "I will."
Minato thought for just a second as Kakashi turned to go back to Rin and the baby. "Kakashi, wait."
Kakashi turned around, looking at his sensei's expression. He could already tell this wasn't going to be good news. "Yes?"
"I need to see him," Minato said as he came to follow.
Kakashi folded his arms. "You're not going to die, Sensei," Kakashi said blatantly.
"There's no other choice, is there?"
Kakashi was taken back, trying to understand. "Sensei, sacrifice me. The village needs you. Naruto needs you."
"Rin needs you," Minato said very harshly. "You can watch the village for me, Kakashi. You're a skilled ninja and I have no doubt that if the time came, you would be a high candidate for Hokage yourself. What about your promise to Obito? Will you abandon Rin just to prevent myself from fulfilling my duties?"
"You're a god damn father, Sensei! Obito would understand. The village needs you more than me right now."
Minato shook his head. "I want you to make sure Naruto is seen as a hero, Kakashi. Get Rin to bring him here."
"Sensei, what are you planning?"
Minato growled. "As Hokage I command you to bring my son to me right now, Kakashi."
"Ye-yes sir."
--
"Kill it!"
"Stop!" Rin cried, covering the baby as so no one could touch it. "Sensei said specifically that this baby is a hero."
"A hero? He's the kyuubi!"
"Quiet!" the sandaime shouted, everyone going silent. "Minato was right. Without this baby, we would all be dead right now."
The surrounding ninja went silent. "Yes sir."
"I want no one to speak of this again. This baby is a hero. Anyone who says otherwise or speaks of the Kyuubi attack will be severely punished. Do I make myself clear?" the sandaime ordered, a chorus of voices all agreeing with his words. "Now, what is this baby's name?"
Rin could feel tears welling up in her eyes. "His name is Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki."
--
Kakashi watched as Naruto sat on the swings outside the academy, wondering what could have been if the Kyuubi hadn't attacked or if he wasn't born in the midst of it. Kushina would probably have been alive; medics would have rushed to her but they were so busy saving the lives of ninja Rin had to try and save her by herself. Minato could have been alive. Maybe. He fulfilled his duty as Hokage so no one could ask for any more.
Kakashi sighed, watching from afar as so Naruto wouldn't know that he watched him all the time. Just to make sure he was safe. "You're just like them, Naruto," he would whisper before getting up and making his way to the memorial.
He'd remember his sensei and his kind voice, Obito and his tardiness and smile, Rin and her kind heart, Kushina and her affection for others and strange way of showing it, his mother and her warmth and finally his father who he wished would just tell him that he was proud of him every single day.
Kakashi smiled at the thought. At least Naruto hadn't picked up Kushina's use of language. She meant well, but sometimes it wasn't quite appropriately placed. But he could see the same determined look in Naruto's eyes as he did in hers and Minato's.
Kakashi would spend hours wondering why Minato didn't listen to Kakashi's sense of reason, but he knew that without Kushina, he wouldn't have been able to take care of Naruto. It would have ruined him. Minato and Kushina were meant to be together. Always.