Destined: Prologue
Naruto Uzumaki had no clue what in the world was going on. He remembered battling against Madara, and the nearly awakened Kaguya. He met the Sage of Six Paths, and the man said Naruto would not win. He was too weak, and too inexperienced to defeat the rising goddess. The Sage told him that he would die in this world. He, however, would not die in the next.
"Izanami. An ultimate doujutsu of the Sharingan, able to decide destiny, stems from its Rinnegan counterpart. But whereas the Sharingan governs the mind, the Rinnegan governs the world. It is with this, that I, Hagoromo Otsutuki, declare that you are destined for victory. Naruto Uzumaki, you shall not lose – no, perhaps I should say you cannot lose. Go forth, for your destiny has already been decided."
As Naruto felt the grasping roots of the Shinju take hold of him, he knew that this world was over. He had failed. The tree wrapped around him and covered his vision, plunging him into a world of pure darkness. He could see nothing. He could hear nothing. At first.
Then sounds of a battle faded into existence, and for a second, Naruto thought he was fighting Madara, and had been beaten down so hard he had lost consciousness. He fought to stand up, for his friends and the alliance. He struggled to open his eyes, assessing the current situation through narrowed slits. He, however, was confused by what he saw.
Kurama's orange fur glowed, illuminated by the torrents of fire that licked its feet. The forests of Konoha burned with the fury of a tailed beast. Its tails whipped around, flattening the land as it moved through the dense trees. And suddenly, Naruto was moving. Fast. Very fast.
The world around him blurred as he felt the familiar ebb and flow of walking through space. Naruto's eyes darted upwards to see his father, blonde hair, blue eyes and all. The man's face twisted into a grimace, his eyebrows furrowing as he stared at what was in front of him: his enemy, and Naruto's friend.
Naruto looked back at the Kyuubi and realized that they were eye to eye; he saw the faint tomoes of the Sharingan swirling in the fox's twitching eyes. The legendary doujutsu had wrestled command of the beast's rationality and thought, turning it into nothing more than a machine made to level the village of Konoha.
He must have been on top of Gamabunta, and Kyuubi must have been attacking Konoha, and his father must have sealed the fox into him, and -
And this is where his parents must have died.
Panic rose in his chest as he moved in an attempt to save his father, but he managed to do nothing but roll in his father's arm, his infant limbs flailing helplessly in the air. He was still an infant. What was going on? Regardless, Naruto knew his father was about to sacrifice himself. Naruto looked to the Kyuubi as if he wanted the fox to save his father. The fox's ecstatic eye locked onto his and they stared at each other – old friends who had lived, grown, and died together in a life long past.
The random eye movements had stopped, and the fox blinked once before both slitted pupils turned towards Naruto, the swirling madness of the Sharingan fading away from those eyes. In its place stood clarity. The fox's tails stopped whipping around in a flurry of destruction, and in an instant, the fox seemed at ease.
Minato seemed to not have noticed as he called for Gamabunta to hold down the Kyuubi as chains of chakra flew from nowhere, holding down the fox in place. Kurama looked around, just as confused as Naruto had been, his eyes darting side to side, trying to comprehend what was going on. His eyes locked onto Naruto's once more and the boy could see the emotion in his eyes. Fear, guilt, and regret.
He could see Kurama slowly breaking free of the chains – his mother's – as the fox's thrashing snapped link after link. Gamabunta grabbed hold of the fox with his webbed hands, and his father began channeling chakra. The final nail in the coffin.
'No! Kurama!' Naruto thought as he looked for anything that could save his parents, and his friend. That was not the demonic nine-tailed demon fox capable of nothing but hatred, hell bent on destroying anything and everything that stood in its path. That was Kurama, the lifelong partner who Naruto had promised he would cleanse of hatred. Determined, Naruto did everything to stop his father.
"Shiki Fu – Argh! What?" Namikaze Minato screamed as a sudden pain shot up his hand before he could finish the last seal to the Shiki Fuin. He quickly looked down to see Naruto, yanking on his fingers.
Despite his father's attempts to get Naruto to release his hand, the boy held on, knowing that each second he did was another second his parents were allowed to live. His distraction worked, and within seconds, Kurama had gathered enough energy to break free of the chains, and of Gamabunta's hold. In response, a tail descended upon Naruto, and another ebb and flow indicated he had moved again.
This time, Kurama was further away as it stared at Naruto, its single tail leaving a small crater where the trio used to stand. His eyes said everything. I'm sorry. Goodbye. Remember me.
Naruto blinked, raising his fist in the air the very same day they made their pact. He had made a promise, and even though he was confused by the situation, he knew one thing for certain; Kurama was his friend, and he would be damned to let anyone, even his father, imprison the fox.
Naruto continued to stare at the fox, arm raised, and slowly, the fox did the same. It was just the two of them. Two friends amidst a battlefield, remembering their promises to each other. They shared that silent vow. It seemed like an eternity had passed, but Kurama dropped his paw, and turned away before racing into the mountains.
He felt himself move again as this time, he was in front of his mother. And although she was dying with sweat dripping from her face and her vibrant red hair matted with blood, sticking to her hair, her eyes never looked more alive.
"Naruto. Minato, he's alive. You're alive. Our family is alive." Tears mixed in with the sweat and blood as Kushina began crying out of joy. Naruto reached his hands out for her. His father pushed him into his mother's arms as Kushina took him and hugged him close. Naruto never felt such happiness before. "Tell me, what happened?"
"I'm not even sure myself. Everything was going according to plan. I saw your chains, and Gamabunta held the beast down. I had the perfect opportunity to complete the seal, but before I could finish the last of the Shiki Fuin, Naruto twisted my fingers." Minato held up his hand. Two of his fingers, index and middle, were red and swollen. Naruto realized he must have fractured if not broken his father's bone.
"But he's a newborn baby." Kushina looked at her child. As if on cue, Naruto smiled, showing two rows of toothless gums.
"Yeah, but he's got one hell of a grip." Minato chuckled as he used his other hand to pinch Naruto's cheeks. "Anyways, the Kyuubi managed to break free as you saw and retaliate. I had to use the Hiraishin to escape. I was about to go for a second shot, but then that weird thing happened."
"You mean how he did that fist thing?" Kushina rose her fist out, imitating Kurama. Naruto laughed and did the same.
"I didn't know what it was up to. I thought it might have been another attack, so I didn't rush in. But you saw what happened next. It just turned around and left."
"You didn't do anything?"
"No. Nothing. It just raced off into the mountains by itself." Minato and Naruto turned to look in the direction of the mountains. Kurama had already disappeared in the night. Flames of its rampage still lay burning as smoke rose to cover the stars. It was a dark night, indeed.
"Well at least you're safe. Both of you." Kushina hugged both her husband and her son. "I was so worried."
"It's okay now. Kushina, you should rest. I'll take us back to Konoha after I let Hiruzen know what's going on." Minato warped away as Kushina lay there, drifting off to sleep with Naruto in her arms. The boy blinked into the gray sky, trying to make sense of what had happened. He was fighting against Madara, Kaguya. Then the sage of six paths. Then the Shinju. And now this?
Was this perhaps the result of his capture? The Infinite Tsukuyomi? It seemed like the most probable choice. Being forced to live out the rest of his existence in a perfect dream. Both his parents were alive, and they were a family again. This was the perfect dream. No pain, no loneliness, no sorrow. Yes, he was stuck in the Infinite Tsukuyomi. At least he was happy, right?
But then his mind began to wander towards his friend. Kurama had only recently joined his side, but the fox had been with him since the beginning of his life. And while their relationship was tense to say the least, Naruto knew the fox would always have his back. His back was the fox's back, after all.
They had fought, one supporting the other, and then when they had settled their feud, they fought together, side by side. It was as they say: brotherhoods are forged in the fires of war. Naruto was almost sure his and Kurama's little brotherhood would last a lifetime, but now without the fox's presence in the back of his head, Naruto felt a tiny ache in his chest. It was if some essential part of him was missing.
And while his mother was sleeping by his side, and his father was alive, Naruto could do nothing to shake the ever creeping feeling of anguish. For the first time in his life, Naruto felt truly alone. Pain, loneliness, sorrow.
With those in mind, Naruto began to doubt whether or not this was a genjutsu after all.
Kumogakure: Raikage's Office
"A-sama!" A Kumo shinobi burst into the Raikage's office, breathless. "A-sama. We –. Help –. Please –."
"Take a minute, soldier. Breathe." The Kumo nin took a few deep breaths. A reasoned the man must have ran all the way from the border patrols to be this tired. "Now tell me what happened."
"Sir, I came here as fast as I could. My squad was tasked to patrol the south-western perimeter. You won't believe it sir, but it's coming. We need to prepare, oh dear lord it's coming."
"What's coming? Boy, get a hold of yourself, and tell me exactly what's on its way here!" The ninja looked at A with fear in his eyes.
"The Kyuubi."
Silence descended upon the Raikage's office. Nobody moved as everyone tried to process exactly what the patrol had said. One of the other Kumo nins spoke up first.
"That's impossible. The Kyuubi was last seen attacking Konoha yesterday. There's no way it could be here."
"Not if it turned around and went straight for Kumo. Reports have been saying that Konoha was unscathed in the attack."
"You're saying the Kyuubi attacks Konoha, then backs off just to come to attack Kumo? You can't be serious."
"The patrol must have seen something wrong."
"And you must be stupid for trying to come up with an excuse!"
Shouts and accusations were thrown around as the Raikage's council room was thrown into an uproar. There were those that would not believe the new predicament, while others scrambled for A to respond to the imminent threat. All in all, they were getting under A's nerves.
"Silence!" The authority in A's voice washed over the councilers as each of them quickly shut their mouths. "That is my ninja you are doubting. I trust his eyes over any one of yours, so prepare our forces. How long until it gets here?"
"Two hours best, sir."
"Then we don't have much time. Get B up here in my office. Yugito too. We may have failed to capture the Kyuubi before, but Kami is giving us another chance. Let's not waste this opportunity."
Kurama swiftly made his way up the mountains that surrounded Kumo. He ran this way, hoping that the Hachibi could help him. Maybe they would let him hide in their temple. Maybe.
Despite his large form, he slipped through cracks and crevices, clawing over the large rocks. As he traversed the difficult terrain, his mind began to wander back to Konoha.
After he and Naruto had been captured by the Tree of Life, Kurama thought that his life was over. The tree would drain the rest of his chakra as he merged back into the Juubi. However, that was not the case as the instant he felt the world turn to darkness, he had lost all thought and rationality.
It felt like something in his mind was gnawing its way through his thoughts. It pushed and pulled and mesmerized him as the swirling tomoes of the Sharingan appeared in his mind. He could do nothing but stare as the three tomoes spun round and round and round and round... Until he realized what was going on.
He had felt such a feeling before. The feeling of being controlled and imprisoned in his own mind. First Uzumaki Mito, then Kushina, and then a brief interlude by Uchiha Madara had freed his spirit. Uchiha Madara. That name was nothing but poison in his mind. His vision was narrow and he could barely see the outside world, save for those red spinning eyes.
But then something changed. His eyes managed to see past the darkness and the Sharingan, into the eyes, clear and blue. Just like an old friend.
Naruto. The fog cleared as the haze from the Sharingan was lifted from his mind. He blinked once, then twice, and his vision returned to normal. He could see everything again. The Kyuubi looked around, trying to find his bearing. It was dark, no it was nighttime. Smoke. Fire. Trees. A frog, and a man. 'Konoha.'
Chains burst forth from the side, grabbing his tails and body and pulling it towards the ground. He could feel the familiar presence of his past jailor, Uzumaki Kushina, as her special chakra chains immobilized the fox. Kurama used his strength and flared his chakra, trying to break free. The chains were weaker than he remembered, and given a few more moments, they would shatter.
That was, until that old Frog latched onto him, and that all too familiar feeling of deja vu hit him. The demon clad in white. The man on the cross. Pain, darkness, and imprisonment. He poured more of his strength and chakra into breaking free of those wretched chains and frog. He could do it, although it seemed as if he wouldn't have the time. The moment that shinigami began pulling his soul, the Kyuubi knew he wouldn't have the strength to win.
The next few moments occurred in an instant. A blur. Kurama wasn't even sure what had happened.
A man's scream. Then he burst through the hold. The chains shattered and dissipated, freeing his tails. He swung one down on top of the Frog, slow enough for them to react, but dangerous enough for them to retreat. The Yondaime and Gamabunta flashed away. He had the perfect opportunity. Retreat, and recover.
Before he left, he looked once more at the Yondaime and that little bundle in his arms. Matching blonde hair, and blue eyes. He stared into those eyes, and saw the boy raise his fist. His mind took him back once more into that cage where a foolish mortal boy promised to absolve him of his hate. It was the moment he had opened those gates.
And this boy was the very same one who had tried to fulfill his promise, and was given the chance to try again. Acknowledging his container, and his friend, Kurama rose his fist in agreement. Yes indeed, they would try again. He was suddenly jerked out of his memory.
"Kyuubi!" A sudden burst of demonic chakra shot forward as Kurama moved to dodge, the Bijuudama clearing one of the mountaintops. Another smaller burst shot forth, and he twisted his body, the beam narrowly missing him. "It's been a while."
The owner of the voice stood in front of Kumo, his eight tentacles readied behind him. Alongside the Hachibi, stood the smaller form of the Nibi. She looked incomplete, and although two blue tails of fire swept behind her, Kurama felt something was missing. She wasn't as strong as he had remembered.
"Hey fox, I know you came to kill our brethren,
But when it comes to tails, two plus eight, that makes ten!"
Kurama could barely grumble at the awful rhyme before one of the Hachibi's tentacles swung to smash the fox into the mountainside. Kurama sent one his tails to block. Instead of attacking, the Hachibi's tentacle wrapped around Kurama's tail, bringing both of them down. Both Killer B and Yugito worked through each of their tails, one by one, pinning down the Kyuubi. Due to Yugito's incomplete form, she required both her tails to hold Kyuubi's one.
"Gyuki! Matatabi! What are you doing? Let me go! I need to talk!" Kurama struggled against the might of the two Bijuu, but unlike last time, he wasn't going to break it.
"You've got some gall coming here, Kyuubi. Calling us out like that. We'll talk after."
"After what?"
"Hm."
"Minato. Calm down, will you? You almost died trying to seal the Kyuubi. I don't need you to die choking on my cooking!" Kushina's irritated expression only served to cause Minato to laugh. The laughter, coupled with the copious amounts of food stuffed into his mouth, sent Minato into a coughing frenzy. Kushina pinched the bridge of her nose. "Sometimes I wonder why you're even the Hokage."
"Well. Ahem. You know I only choked because your cooking is so delicious." The Fourth cleared his throat, placing his bowl of noodles down. The porcelain bowl gently tapping on the wooden table, ringing out through the room. While their house wasn't especially large, it was more than enough to be called home. A few days ago, this house might have ended up unoccupied – lonely. Minato looked at his wife. "But you? How are you feeling."
"Much better." Kushina smiled. "After a few days of rest I'm as good as new!"
Minato watched the child in Kushina's arms clap happily as if he knew there were something to be happy about. Minato couldn't help but smile at the scene. This was the family he had always dreamed of. This was the family that he had risked his life to protect, and this was the family that –.
"Minato! Open up this door." Minato recognized that voice. It was a voice he knew far too well.
"I'm coming old man. Relax." The moment Minato opened the door, Sarutobi Hiruzen stepped in. The man held a scowl on his face.
"I apologize for intruding, but I have bad news." Upon hearing that, Minato's positive mood dwindled and his face became rigid and serious. More bad news? What was so 'bad' that Sarutobi Hiruzen had to personally come into his home instead of calling a meeting.
"What is it?"
"Kumo has successfully captured the Kyuubi."
Konohagakure: Council Room - Post Assault
"I applaud you, Hokage-sama. Your 'successful' defense of Konoha has allowed for Kumo to acquire our only Biju." Danzo's words broke the silence of the council room. As he spoke, his face twisted into a scowl.
"We never had any to begin with." Minato turned towards the man in bandages.
"Uzumaki Mito? Uzumaki Kushina? What were they?"
"Not Biju! Do not try to bring my wife into this, or you shall pay dearly." The Fourth Hokage stared into Danzo's cold eyes. The man cared not for sympathy or regret or emotion even. The only thing that mattered to Danzo was Konoha's rise to power. Military superiority. War.
"...It still stands, that Kumo now has 3 jinchuriki whereas we have absolutely none. They are the current superpower and there is little we can do to stop them." A few murmurs of agreement ran through the councilers. "These skirmishes with Kumo will escalate until they wage war against us."
"No. Nothing's changed. They might have 3 jinchuriki, but the Kyuubi can't be used for now. They have no means of controlling its power as of yet." Minato pulled out a scroll and unfurled it, allowing the entire council to see.
"A treaty?"
"We're ending this constant back and forth between us. There is no need for meaningless deaths for something so trivial as land." Koharu took the scroll and read it, meticulously searching the entire document for any loopholes in the agreement.
"Reasonable conditions. They can have the land, as long as Konoha is given priority in all trade along that route."
"Kumo wants the land because it holds cultural significance, dating back to their First Raikage. We simply need that route to pass our caravans through. They get their land, and we get our route. That's the main gist of it." Murmurs of agreement passed through the council. While the war with Kumo never escalated to a full scale invasion, small skirmishes along the border kept tensions high and death rates higher.
"We are scrambling to find some way to save ourselves from a humiliating defeat. Once pitted against three Bijuu, we can do nothing." Danzo spoke, his voice condescending.
"And I would agree." Minato looked at the warhawk. "If Kumo brought the force of three Bijuus, Konoha would be utterly crushed. As Hokage, it is my job to make sure Konoha survives, so if we need to scramble some sort of treaty before Kumo manages to control the Kyuubi, then so be it. At least Konoha survives another day."
"...As long as you understand, I have no objections."
"Good. Send this to the Raikage. Let's hope he's feeling generous."
Hey, thanks for reading Destined. I hope you've enjoyed the first chapter/prologue. Leave a review, and let me know what you think! Any comments or criticism is much appreciated.