Prologue

Minato, Dead.

Sarutobi still could not quite believe it. Minato had been the best of them. And now he and Kushina where gone, the village in ruins and he left with the responsibility of the Hokage, again.

Sarutobi looked out over the village from the Hokage Office. More than half the village was burning. The other half had seen better days. The fox had spent less then fifteen minutes attacking the village, and they still barely survived. And Konoha would survive this, Sarutobi would make sure of that, but there were still problems to deal with. With so many dead there was a desperate lack of ninja. To add to the problem rumors were spreading implying that the Uchiha were behind releasing the nine-tails, And then there was Naruto.

It had been only a few days since he and his personal ANBU guard had found Naruto outside the village, his parents lying dead next to him. He had been lying on a sealing alter, the Nine tails safely sealed inside him. So far he had been able to keep Naruto a secret. But soon questions about what had happened to his parents and the nine tailed fox would have to be answered. So far he had gotten away with tell people that they had died sealing away the demon, but that would only hold for so long. In the meantime Sarutobi had to decide who should care for the boy. He had already informed Jaraiya of Minatos death and would be here in a few days, but Sarutobi doubted that he would take responsibility for the boy. Not that he thought Jaraiya would not care about the boy's fate but he did not want to live in the village and Naruto would have to stay in Konoha.

As Sarutobi thought this over one of his ANBU guards appeared. "Lord third, the Uchiha clan head and his wife are requesting to see you." Ah, well he had to talk to them at some point.

"Let them in."

Fugaku Uchiha and his wife Mikoto looked tired as they walked in to Sarutobi's office. Both were dressed in civilian attire of a more traditional sort, mostly worn by the older families. Sarutobi could tell they had been nice once, but were now ruined from being fought and worked in none stop.

Sarutobi greeted them with a weary smile. "Fugaku, it is good to see you and your wife."

"It is good to see you too, Lord Hokage" Fugaku's words turned hard near the end. He thought Sarutobi was too leant to those who hated the Uchiha, and that he never supported them when they had been wronged. He had been a big supporter of Minato when he became Hokage, thinking that he would be the Hokage to finally bring peace between the Uchiha and the village. Minato had been the kind of person to inspire faith like that.

Fugaku continued, "We have come to discuss an urgent issue Lord Hokage, yesterday my people began picking up on rumors spreading about the Uchiha unleashing the Demon on this village. As you must know this is completely untrue but," Fugaku's face twisted a little from bitterness and pain,'' you also know that decisions made by previse Hokage and council members have segregated the Uchiha. We have been treated as volatile and Selfish by the council and that has caused suspicion from our fellow Shinobi. This has created these rumors, not wrong doing by the Uchiha. We-

Sarutobi raised his hand to stop Fugaku midsentence. "I agree with you, the Uchiha are blameless in this matter." Fugaku raised his brows, "I'm surprised you would find us innocent so easily."

"I do not think the Uchiha villains, Fugaku I have turned up nothing to indicate your clan is at any fault and unless that changes I shall presume you innocent. You forget to easily all the times I have tried to help the Uchiha. I wish you would stop thinking of me as your enemy and more like you wish the village to see you." Fugaku shook his head," Sarutobi you have spent too much time kowtowing to the council for your words of friendship to have any meaning." Inwardly Sarutobi sighed. He had been fighting this battle for decades, and apparently this was not the night for victory. Fugaku looked ready to build up steam for another argument again. "Words of placation are all well and good Lord Hokage but we will need more than just you believing we are innocent." Sarutobi nodded in agreement. "Worry not; I have evidence of an unknown assailant that we believe to have caused the attack. What we have points to a rouge Ninja. We plan on dropping bits of this to lure away the rumors from the Uchiha."

Fugaku sat and thought for a few moments, "That could work," he said reluctantly. "The more anti-Uchiha people you can get spreading the Information the better it would look for us." Sarutobi agreed. He and Fugaku discussed the details of Sarutobi's plans for the village and how the Uchiha could help in the rebuilding. The Uchiha had taken hits like everyone else, but they had seen this as an opportunity to improve their image and were willing to setback their recovery to gain favor in council. "I'm glad Sarutobi that you were of some help this time." Fugaku's face sported a weary grin. "I'm afraid though that before we leave we have one more thing to discuss." Sarutobi frowned, "What?"

Mikoto spoke up, "Kushina and Minato's child, what has become of it?"

Sarutobi barely kept from jumping in his seat, the combination of the taboo topic spoken by Mikoto who had yet to say a word caught Sarutobi off guard. She spoke with worry on her face and in her words .Mikoto and Kushina had been not only team mates but best friends. So of course Kushina must have told her. Only a handful of people knew that to protect the village Kushina had to give birth hidden away from the village in case the demon fox broke free during childbirth. Those who knew would wonder if the child had been born before the fox had been unleashed. People like Mikoto.

"I have already told everyone what happened to Minto and Kushina." Mikoto shared a look with her husband. "Lord Hokage." She started hesitantly. "I believe the child is alive and that he, or she, is the new nine-tails host."

Sarutobi's voice went cold, "And you have come to the idea how…?"

Mikoto's face became definite. "We are Uchiha; we are not ignorant of the ways of jinchuuriki. You say Minato died sealing the fox. Sealing it where? The Uzumaki's are the only ones capable of being adult hosts to tailed beasts. That leaves sealing it inside a child." Mikoto's eyes were sad, "Lord third, I know them, and they would have sealed the fox in to their child."

"Who have you told your suspicions to?"

"We have told No one."

Sarutobi sat back thinking in silence. Denying seemed futile at this point but he wasn't sure what to tell them. He realized he had to make a decision now as to what Naruto's future would be. Suddenly he had an idea. It would need some ironing out but it could work. It had to work.

"Mikoto, you are correct." They Uchiha looked surprised not expecting the Hokae to be so forth coming. "Kushina and Minato sealed the fox inside their newborn son, Naruto. He is under watch by Minato's most trusted guards."

Sarutobi took a moment to look in to both of their eyes. "Mikoto, Fugaku. Naruto has no living relatives, and Minato and Kushina have few friends capable of raising their son. The fox has only ever been sealed inside adult Ninja, people who know before hand and can prepare for it. Naruto's future is an unknown. Not just anyone can raise him. That is way I ask you to."

Their faces were shocked.

"Mikoto, you are-were Kushina's closest friend, do you not think she would trust you with her child." the Uchiha were silent thinking. Fugaku looked up at Sarutobi a look of grudging respect appearing on his face. "This will also help the rumors will it not." Mikoto looked at her husband. Sarutobi Sighed. "It might. In a few days I will announce Naruto as the new Jinchuuriki to the council. But I will also write a decree punishing any who speak of it."

"What why?"

"Because Naruto must be kept safe, No one outside those who know of either the nine tails or Naruto must know about who he really is. I'm afraid if the entire village knows of it then the fear of the fox my lead people to seek him harm. I will also hide who his parents are. Since his importance will not be known outside the council I do not wish him to have so much unwanted attention." There were other reasons to keep that secret to, but Sarutobi dare not tell.

"You ask us to raise him, but how much of that is true." Fugaku stared at the old man." will we be allowed to raise him anyway we see fit or will it be in name only?"

"I will add only a few stipulations that we can work out later, but will you do it?"

"We will." Mikoto answered before her husband could. He threw her an annoyed glance. She gave him a steady look back. "How could we refuse?"

After they left Sarutobi set back in his chair and thought about the future of one little blond haired blue eyed boy.

End prologue.