Sakura: Demon Of The Leaf

PROLOGUE: A Moment of Weakness

Screams of terror rang throughout the village as civilians panicked while Shinobi bravely accepted the call to arms against the Nine Tailed Fox. Minato Namikaze grimaced at the sight of it. The guttural roars of the Kyuubi, the screams of the dying and the fate of the village all befalling on him. And the only option the Fourth Hokage was for him to sacrifice his newborn son Naruto Namikaze in order to save the village from being destroyed.

Naruto burbled as Minato held his son in his arms, conflicted with indecision, he knew life for Naruto would never be easy, should he have the Nine Tailed Fox sealed within him the Villagers would no doubt treat him with scorn and physical abuse and if Minato died in the process of protecting Naruto in the process of sealing the Kyuubi inside him who knows what kind of psychological effects it might have on him later in life.

Looking deeply into his son's innocent eyes it was this moment where Minato knew that what had to be done, it was a necessary evil… but his son… his little baby boy, he couldn't…. no parent would ever let harm befall their children. It was this moment when Minato made a choice he knew he would live to regret until the day he died.

"Kakashi-kun, keep Naruto safe for me" Minato said as he turned to his student who often considered him to be a son to him and Kushina. "Where are you going?" Kakashi asked only to have no response from his former teacher as he already sped off into the distance with a determined look on his face if only as a disguise for the shame he felt in committing this act.

"(Kizashi… Mebuki… Forgive me)"

It was within a matter of minutes that the Nine Tailed Beast was defeated with the roaring cheers of the Hidden Leaf Village and Shinobi praising the Fourth Hokage as a hero for saving the village from harm. But Minato knew deep down he didn't deserve those cheers. What he had done he would never forgive himself for. But as a father he would be damned if he would ever let his son suffer the same fate as this baby girl would soon endure.

A crying girl with a tuft of pink hair on her head was cradled in Minato's arms with a curse seal on her abdomen. "You couldn't do it could you" spoke a familiar voice to the Fourth Hokage as he turned to see Hiruzen Sarutobi standing alongside Kushina, Anko and Kakashi who was still holding Naruto like he had promised.

"No" Minato answered with a sad tone to his voice, "And what of her parents?" Anko asked sounding almost angry towards the Hokage for having to use this child as a vessel for the demonic creature that terrorized them, "Dead" answered the Fourth Hokage in a one word response as his gaze lowered to the infant who was now softly sleeping, "You know what you've done is gonna fuck up her life right" Anko snapped only to given a warning by her boyfriend Kakashi, " I'm aware her life won't be easy Anko and already I regret what I've done… but I just couldn't subject Naruto to that life… maybe it was selfish of me, but as a father I did the right thing by my son" Minato answered glumly, the look in everybody's eyes was of disappointment, even though he knew Hiruzen might've disapproved and Anko would probably hate him for a long time to come. But what had hurt him the most was Kushina's blank stare.

"I pray to Kami that Sakura finds some kind of peace in her life" uttered the Uzumaki woman as she gave the infant a look of pity in her eyes. Kushina wanted to hate her husband with all of her fury, but she understood that had she been put into that situation she would've done the exact same thing.

"So what will become of this child?" Hiruzen asked solemnly curious as to what Minato had in mind for Sakura's future, "I don't know… her parents are dead I'm unsure if she even has any relatives to take her in-", "If you bastards won't then I will" Anko cut in as she stepped forward, "Anko-chan you're far too young to be a parent and besides the village already-", "Personally I don't give a crap about what the village calls me I won't let what happened to me happen to Sakura" Anko snarled as she fought back her tears upon what had happened between her and Orochimaru not to mention the abuse she suffered because of that incident.

"I'm inclined to agree, even if Anko-chan doesn't have parenting experience leaving Sakura on her own is a horrible idea" Kakashi spoke taking his girlfriend's side on the matter, "All of you calm down, this bickering solves nothing" Hiruzen said wanting to cease the arguments that began to arise, "for the time being Sakura will be raised in an orphanage, when Anko and Kakashi come of age you two shall become her adoptive parents" spoke the Third Hokage as he gave an alternative that would end the bickering.

Minato sighed heavily as he looked upon Sakura one last time. "My biggest regret in life was failing you Sakura" Minato said softly.