Diaryanjo: yeah, yeah I know I'm supposed to be updating my other stories but this one has my attention at the moment!
Rising_Sun_Remix: hope you all enjoy this new one!
Diaryanjo: this one is dedicated to my lovely readers who read this o.o
Rising_Sun_Remix: here we go!
Shatter Memory
The day the Kyuubi attacked the Hidden Village of the Leaf was the day the Yondaime's child was born. The day the new life became apart of the living world, was the day countless shinobi's and civilians died. It was a bitter day for the village; a great loss for the Hidden village as well.
"Yondaime-sama! Kitsune-taichou has gone missing in the frontlines against Kyuubi!" an injured ANBU reported to the shock Yellow Flash.
"Kushina's dead…now you're telling me my wife's brother is KIA in the frontlines! Impossible! He wouldn't just! He wouldn't!" the fourth Hokage wailed into the chilly night.
He collected himself after receiving shocking news. He wouldn't know what to do no more if he received another. He was still worrying over the fact that his newborn son had a premature birth so the medics at the hospital were trying to stabilize the not-crying baby. The umbilical cord was stuck around his neck during the birth. The Fourth Hokage's hands were trembling. He couldn't distinguish why he was shaking so badly in front of his ANBU's who waited for him to give orders.
There was no one else to give orders to the ANBUs no more. Kitsune-taichou was the only one he appointed below him to have total command over the ANBUs due to his other duties as Hokage preventing him from giving commands to ANBUs. Kitsune was also his lovely wife's only brother whom he trusted with him life hence why he gave him that position in the ANBU. The experience and knowledge in the organization helped him gain the spot too. But there was another secret why he kept Kitsune-taichou close to him.
"Yondaime-sama! Your son has been stabilized in the 5th ward of the hospital!" a chuunin came running out of breathe towards the cluster of ANBUs standing guard around their shaken leader.
With those words leaving the chuunin's mouth, the Yondaime was up already and with his famous technique, flashed all the way to the said place leaving behind his exhausted ANBUs and a stunned chuunin who could only then give the ANBUs a small apology for making them lose sight of their precious Hokage. The wail of the nine tail fox drew nearer and nearer as the seconds ticked by.
Upon reaching the room where his son resided in, the Yondaime took his son and flashed back to the circle of ANBUs waiting for him patiently. It was his last resort to stop the nine tailed demon from destroying anything else within the village and to stop the meaningless deaths of his villagers and shinobis.
Faster then he ever did before, he sliced his thumb on his three prong kunai and summoned Gamabunta. With a shunshine he ended up on top of the head of the giant toad. He then turned to his ANBUs who stood in the forest patiently awaiting orders. He didn't need to hear the roar of the mighty nine tails to know how close it was to the village now. That was because the size of the demon itself.
"Order all shinobis and kunoichis up in the frontlines to retreat back to village and evacuate as much civilians and help with the injured! I'll deal with the Kyuubi myself." He shouted at the ANBUs.
They all bowed their heads in respect and then dashed off to complete their precious Hokage's last final order. They knew he wouldn't be coming out of this alive. There was no way to kill a demon besides sealing it.
'I'm sorry my little Naruto. It's the fate of any Uzumaki's. Your mother never wanted this fate to be sealed upon you but I'll make sure your life would not be the same as your mother. I'll make the seal so that Kyuubi won't be able to devour you and you'll be able to have extra protection against this harsh cruel world.' He thought to himself as he stared at his son's sleeping form.
"Gamabunta head towards the Kyuubi!" He ordered the giant boss toad.
"You're really going to do it?" Gamabunta responded.
"Yes…" the Yellow Flash responded.
"Hold on tight boy." And with that said, Gamabunta took one giant leap to land directly in front of the snarling fox.
The Yondaime glared at the source of Konoha's misfortune. The day of his son's birth, is the day of the Kyuubi's attack which is soon going to be the day of his death. A small sad smile graced his face. Tears glisten down his cheeks and dropped slowly down on the face of his baby boy.
"I love you my little child. I'm so sorry daddy won't be here for you my precious boy. Live on and become strong just like your mother and your…" he couldn't say it. The sob that was threatening to choke out of his throat prevented him from finishing his sentence. He didn't want to believe his brother-in-law died. He was too powerful to be KIA. But reality was harsh and he has to face the facts that he's gone.
Choking back the sob that was about to spill he slowly then leant down and pecked his son's forehead with his trembling lips.
"We all love you Naruto. The village will view you as a Hero after today my son." He finally said.
Slowly he put his hands together and formed an unfamiliar sign. The Kyuubi roared in anger as he felt the sudden change of the atmosphere's temperature. The Yondaime finally found self confidence as the seconds ticked by and the forms of the seals he was performing became blurs.
Finally he stopped as a bright white light came and engulfed the area. He knew the consequences. Summoning the Death God himself results in your death after the sealing is over, but at least he saved his village and his villagers will view his son as the Hero. He hoped his village will still find it in them to realize that his son really was truly a Hero after his death.
Before the shinigami grabbed his soul a blur of red flashed in front of the stunned Yondaime. The sealing of the Kyuubi was complete but the price of summoning the shinigami still needed to be pay. The Fourth was prepared but the red blur standing in front of him shocked him.
"No Minato! Don't sacrifice yourself yet! Your son needs you! Your village needs you! You want to leave your only son an orphan who will not even know how great his father is or how hot-headed his mother was when she was alive! You still have years left to live with your family! Live Minato I beg of you please! For Naruto-kuns sake! Live to see another day! Kakashi-kun would be in turmoil and Jiraiya-san will drown himself in guilt! Please Minato! Do it for Kushina! My sister would knock you into the next world for leaving your only son within a foster family's care! He deserves a chance to know his own biological family! Minato don't do it!" The figure gasped out in pain and agony that it stunned Minato into silence.
The figure slowly turned his head to face the blond. Half his mask was broken so his left side of the used to be ANBU mask was on while the right side revealed half his face. His eyes were a brighter bluish greenish color of the Uzumakis. His hair was covered in blood and grim but underneath all that was a darker shade of red hair. His skin was turning pale by the second. He was loosing blood fast.
"K-Kitsune!" Minato said in disbelief.
The ANBUs reported their Taichou MIA and possibly KIA but here he was standing protectively in front of him because of his duty to his code of loyalty to Minato the day he took the title of being the ANBU-taichou.
"My loyalty lies to the Leaf. My Fate is decided by the Yondaime, for it was you who have chosen me. My life, my feelings, my body, my soul, it is for you to have at your command. To protect and to watch, my duty is to you Yondaime-sama for you are the Hokage before me. No other shall take this position of mine until death is at my door. For I am your shield, your knight, your armor, your weapon; use me to my fullest and no hesitation to throw away my life to save yours for I am your second chance at life. See me as your escape route for when death knocks on your door Yondaime-sama. Everything that makes up my being now belongs to you Yondaime-sama. This is my code of loyalty Minato don't you dare make me repeat myself." He snarled at the now crying blond.
"I-I can't do it Kitsune!" the blond Hokage responded.
"Why Minato! It is your duty as the Hokage to protect the village!" the red head retorted.
"I-I thought you were dead…" Minato replied.
"I *coughs* would never die…" Kitsune clutched the sides of his stomach in pain as his body shook in waves of pain as he coughed up blood. His mask fell off his face revealing his full face and his heritage. He gave Minato a smile. "not until I know you are safe from danger Hokage-sama. I will never die until I know you are…" he didn't get time to finish as the shinigami who seemed to have been forgotten yanked out his zanpakto.
The shinigami's sword glittered at them from the moon shining through it. Minato then finally remembered what he was supposed to do.
"It's too late Kitsune…my fate has been sealed when I summoned the shinigami. My life is about to end. This is the price I have to pay for sealing the demon away." He replied sadly.
Naruto wailed from the arms of the Yondaime. It shocked Kitsune and the Fourth greatly because they have forgotten about the infant. His fatherly instincts kicked in. Due to the sudden wail the Hokage slowly rocked the baby gently back and forth while cooing at the baby to hush down and go back to sleep.
With Naruto back to sleep, Minato looked up at the stilled ANBU-taichou. He looked as beautiful as ever. Red spiked hair that can be mistaken for the color of blood, brighter bluish greenish eyes and the rest of his facial features mirrored Kushina's but more masculine looking but also with a feminine touch. His body was of a slender build similar to a female's body. This is why his ANBU codename was Kitsune. His sly nature and movement is like that of a sneaky bewitching fox.
The sound of the air being cut in two reached the ears of both the shinobis. Gamabunta felt the air going chilled but didn't know why but he knew that the death god was taking his payment now if the air didn't look like someone put a line through the sky.
Minato gave one last look at Kitsune's face and gave him one last smile.
"I love you…I've always loved you Kitsune." Were his last words before the zanpakto approached the stilled blond.
He closed his eyes to await his fate but then the sound of rushing feet and a harsh push caused Minato to take a step back and down the backside of Gamabunta's back. His eyes opened on instincts and then everything moved in slow motion. In his left arm was where Naruto was bundled in with his hospital blanket. His right arm was reaching out towards the person who pushed him. Kitsune was in his line of vision and the person who pushed him.
"Goodbye Minato…tell Kakashi I couldn't return his feelings and Minato I…" Kitsune mouthed the last words but by then Minato was too far to read his lips or hear what he had to say to him.
Minato watched in horror as the shinigami sliced Kitsune's spirit form in half and devoured the remains of what's left of it. Shock, anger, sadness, loneliness, horror, pain, hatred, betrayal, love…all types of emotions ran through the blond Hokage. He gulped a huge amount of air as he fell down Gamabunta's back and shouted for the whole world to hear his feelings of agony and love for one person.
"Natsuuuu!"