OK, guys. Here's the redo of the prologue. Hopefully I'll have chapter one up for you all soon. Thanks for your patience and enjoy.
Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, do you think I'd be writing this?
Twelve Years ago, a nine tailed fox suddenly appeared. Its tails lashed out, smashing mountains to rubble and sending tsunamis crashing to the shores. The ninja of the leaf took up arms to defend their village...
"Hold the line and wait for the Yondaime!"Shouted one ninja over the chaos.
"Its getting closer! Don't let it near the village!"Ordered another.
One Shinobi rose up to face the fox spirit in mortal combat. He sacrificed his very soul to seal it into a newborn. He was Namikaze Minato; the Yondaime Hokage!
~Far Beyond A Promise Kept~
Young Iruka Umino's dark emerald eyes widened at the sudden influx of dark energy swirling through the streets of his village. He couldn't find his stepmother and he was now hunting down his father. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears just over the furious roars of the Kyuubi in the distance. Running through the streets, he was scooped up by a passing chunin as he caught a glimpse of his father rushing toward the front lines, leading the reinforcement troops.
"Let me go!" the academy student yelped, struggling to free himself from the elder boy's grip, "My father is still out there!"
"I'm sorry. You must be brought to the catacombs. The next generation must be kept safe."Replied the chunin, running so fast he was almost in a shunshin.
With the reinforcements nearly out of sight, little Iruka called out as loudly as his little lungs would let him.
"FATHER!" It was no use. His father didn't even look back.
It was just like Yukigakure.
Just like the Coup d'etat that cost him his mother and brought him here to Konoha. It was still fresh in the six year old's mind.
The chunin carrying him must have gotten tired of his squirming and struggling, for he felt a pressure at his neck suddenly before his world turned black and quiet.
Minato stared at the Kyuubi from atop Gamabunta, perfectly calm to anyone who spared a glance, but anyone who knew him could have seen the worried glint in his eyes. He knew how Jinchuuriki were treated in their respective villages and here he was, about to turn his newborn child into one.
Not that he had much of a choice.
How could he ask anyone else to sacrifice their child for the sealing if he himself wasn't willing to do so?
He simply hoped that Shinigami-sama was in a good mood today.
"Hold him for me, Bunta!"the Hokage ordered, starting through a sequence of hand seals.
"I'll do my best, Gaki!"
The Kyuubi nearly escaped just as the last seal was formed.
"Fuuin!"
In a great burst of darkness, the Shinigami appeared; her form large and intimidating with long white hair and sickly pale skin. A silver kimono blew in the wind and a dagger in her mouth completed the look.
"Why have you summoned me, mortal?"She asked, her voice little more than a ghostly rattle. Minato gulped, internally sweating his balls off. He had a bad feeling about this.
"Oh great Shinigami-sama, I have called you here tonight to seal away this demon. I offer my soul in return."Minato bowed at the waist, offering the respect a being such as the death reaper deserved. The being nodded.
"Very well. I shall get used to having you around, Mortal."She said, removing the dagger from her mouth and giving a mighty slash. In one stroke, she'd cut the kyuubi in half before grabbing it and yanking it down, locking the yang half away inside of the seal slowly appearing on Minato's tiny daughter. She ate the other half.
Minato's body fell as his soul separated from it; just in time for his wayward student to appear in a shunshin. Kakashi's eyes widened at seeing a transparent Minato standing over his body. Gamabunta had disappeared a mere moment ago and all was quiet.
"Sensei..."Kakashi whispered as his arms fell limply to his sides. The white haired ANBU's mask tumbled from his fingers as he walked numbly forward, falling to his knees near Minato. Tears leaked from Kakashi's eyes, almost unbelieving that his sensei was dead.
Minato's spirit glided toward the small stone alter his daughter lay upon, sleeping peacefully. He picked her up, wrapped the red blanket around her and glided back to his 14 year old student.
"Kakashi."Minato called, garnering the boy's attention. He offered her to him and Kakashi took her into his arms.
"Sensei, What..?"
"Look after her for me. Keep my Naru-chan safe." Minato requested, then reached up behind his neck, removing the locket and placing it on top of the sleeping Naru. The one on his body disappeared, appearing where the incorporeal one laid.
"Give this to her when she becomes a Chunin."Minato smiled, then began gliding toward the Shinigami, "Tell the old monkey to look in my desk. It contains my will and my last wishes. I wish for my child to be seen as the hero she is, not as the burden she now carries."
"Hai."Kakashi could feel a large lump building in his throat, not really allowing him to say anything else.
"Thank you, Kakashi."Minato's smile turned sad, then he finally vanished with the death reaper, leaving his grief-stricken student and his child alone in the silence.
Sarutobi Hiruzen pinched the bridge of his nose, a headache building due to the incessant howling of the civilian council calling for Naru Namikaze's life. His successor was probably rolling in his grave. The Shinobi council remained silent, glaring heatedly at their civilian counterparts. They were howling for the Jinchuuriki's death, yelling that she was the Kyuubi incarnate and would kill them all.
'I'm getting too old for this...'
"I think that is quite enough out of you."Sarutobi stated calmly. A small burst of KI shut them up and even had a few of them pissing themselves.
"B-but Sandaime-sama-"One started.
"NO!"Sarutobi roared, "This child is under my protection now. The knowledge of her containing the Kyuubi is now an S class secret. Any who speak of it will be immediately executed."
"Why don't you leave her in my care? I'll ensure that she grows up to be the weapon Konoha needs."Danzo, Sarutobi's old rival spoke up. He looked like he was going to say something more, but a glare and an even larger burst of KI made him think twice.
"Danzo, I will say this only once. I am not going to turn an innocent child into a weapon. Now all of you, get out." All of the civilians rushed out of the council chamber, leaving the shinobi clan heads.
"Before any of you get any ideas, I know any one of you would love to take Naru in. However, I can't allow that."Sarutobi started, only for the clan heads to begin to protest, "It would only cause an imbalance of power among the clans. Uzumaki Naru will go to the orphanage, with an ANBU watching her at all times."
The protesting died down to grumbling and half-hearted glares. They might not like it, but they accepted it.
Sarutobi sighed.
'I'm definitely getting way too old for this...'