Hey, guys. I guess this is my first attempt at a long-running fanfic. Basically, this is my version on what would have happened had Minato survived the Kyuubi attack. This will drastically change the events of the main story. Some of the characters who died will live, and some of the characters who survived will die. Also, some characters who were evil before may not be evil in this version due to how much events have changed (I think we all know who I'm talking about.)

This story will focus on the events in Kakashi and Iruka's lives, though it will mainly focus on Iruka. This is NOT a KakaIru fic. There will most likely be no pairings, though I may have a bit of UST. Also, expect a couple of OCs, though rest assured I will do my best to write them as believable. If anyone has any criticisms or complaints, feel free to message me or mention it in a review. Or heck, you could just review it anyway *nudge nudge wink wink.*

With all that said and done, enjoy!


"Iruka!" His father shouted urgently. "Run! Now!"

The brunette shook his head, tears streaming out of his eyes and lower lip trembling. The entire village was in chaos, and even in the cool October Night one could smell the blood in the air. Smoke was rising throughout the entire village, obscuring the moon.
"Listen...to your father." The woman below Iruka croaked out, and both father and son immediately turned their heads toward her. "Mom..." Iruka whimpered. This wasn't right. Hadn't they promised? That they'd all get through this. He remembered his mother promising to buy him some ice cream later, even. But this...his own mother, dying, her blood already staining her uniform, brown hair tangled and stained with irony flecks of red, his father, covered in bruises with one bloody gash down his leg...this was wrong.

"IRUKA! GO!" His father screamed, and the little boy shook his head again. "No...I...didn't we promise, dad?" He gazed pleadingly up at the man before him. "We promised to always stay together..." He was crying again, could feel the tears running down his cheeks, leaving a salty taste in his mouth. "I'm..." His father hesitated. "I'm sorry, Iruka." And before Iruka could say anything, he'd picked up Iruka and thrown, literally thrown, him at the nearest ninja. "Get him back to the hideout!" His father yelled, and Iruka was wisked away. He tried to yell out to his father, but they were already gone.

It wasn't until two hours later that the screams suddenly died down. The chuunin who had taken Iruka away glanced up, flipping around the senbon in his teeth. Iruka was still sniffling, rubbing his eyes. He was a ninja. He had to be strong. "Hey, kid." The chuunin said. "Don't worry about your parents, they were still alive last time you checked, right? Come on, be a bit happier." Iruka looked up at him. Maybe he was right. Maybe his parents were okay. He smiled a bit, rubbing his eyes again. He'd be strong for his parents.

It wasn't until later when Iruka was asleep, drooling peacefully on the unfortunate ninja that the news was delivered that not one of the shinobi on the front lines had survived. He barely even noticed when the chuunin immediately got up and sprinted away.

That some moment on the other side of Konoha, Hatake Kakashi frantically paced around the makeshift Konoha Hospital.


Well, what do you guys think? I know this chapter was short, but the rest of the chapters will be a lot longer, I assure you. Thank you to everyone who reads this, I appreciate your input!