It was a loud night, unusual in the normally quiet village. Battle cries could be heard in the skirts, as everybody was making an effort to hold on the infamous nine-tails. Hiruzen Sarutobi, third hokage of the hidden leaf village, didn't had this in mind when he envisioned his day. Something was obviously going on. The kyuubi was attacking village, and the fourth hokage, Minato Namikaze, wasn't anywhere to be seen. He suspected he was fighting someone, as Minato loved the village as much as him. He would be here if he could.
Sudden "Sandaime!" cries alerted him, and when he turned towards the kyuubi he saw he was intending to do a Bijuu-dama again. This was actually a reason to worry. The last one had been repelled by Minato, and there wasn't any other ninja capable of pulling a stunt like that, not even him in his best years. As the kyuubi got ready to launch it, a sudden weight threw him down. A giant toad had appeared above the kyuubi, and on his head, the Fourth Hokage stood.
"Yondaime!" cried everyone, notoriously relief on their voices. Minato was, after all, the strongest ninja in the village, even stronger that the Sannin or the Sandaime. He looked troubled, Hiruzen noticed, and made a pose of chakra accumulation. Just before the Kyuubi threw his attack, he dissappeared in a flash, along with Minato.
"Flying Rajin" Sandaime said, to no one in particular. He was answered when a huge ball of light appeared on the left of the village, a few miles away. Then, they could feel the backlash of the explosion, barely avoiding being thrown by it.
Hiruzen took the ANBU members who where close by, and ran towards the direction Minato was. He knew that between the two latest kages of Konoha, and some of the best ninjas of the village, they would be able to subdue the Kyuubi. He just hoped they would be fast enough.
Line break
Minato, the Fourth Hokage of Konoha, flashed directly to his hokage head in the hokage wall. He saw the Kyuubi getting ready to launch an attack again, the attack in which his own rasengan was based on. Acting quickly, he summoned Gamabunta, toad leader, right above the kyuubi. But he still remembered the words of that masked man. He had been strong, the strongest rival he had ever had, and Minato had no doubt he would make everything in his power to get hold on the Kyuubi. Making his mind, he accumulated the amount of chakra he needed, and then flashed away, alongside the Kyuubi.
Minato, along with the Kyuubi, appeared in a clearing, on the outskirts of Konoha. A second latter, Minato disappeared again in a yellow flash, only to come back in another one, with his wife, Kushina Uzumaki, and his newborn, Naruto Namikaze. He quickly summoned a sealing altar, where he put Naruto. Although exhausted, the Fourth Hokage made a one-hand seal and in a puff of smoke, four identical clones where beside him. They scattered through the clearing, only for a red, square barrier to erect around the three-member family. Kushina painfully rised her head to see directly into Minato's eyes. She had the Kyuubi extracted not even an hour ago, and it is known that a Jinchuriki dies when their bijuu is extracted. She was only alive due to her immensely big chakra reserves, which along with the red hair and skill in fuinjutsu, were characteristical of the Uzumaki clan. Her eyes asked Minato the questions she couldn't, of what did he intended to do and why was their son in a dangerously place like that, after having saved him from his first life-or-death situation not even an hour ago.
"That enemy is the strongest ninja I've ever fought, Kushina. If he gets hold of the Kyuubi again it would be dangerous, to the village and the world. I'm going to do de Shiki Fūjin and seal half of the Kyuubi with me. Then I'll seal the remaining into you, as you will die soon if I do not. Hopefully, with the Kyuubi's influence reduced, you will be able to harness it's chakra. That's the only way to defeat that masked ninja. And Naruto is here because...I wanted to say goodbye. Don't worry, I used some clones to trap the Kyuubi using the Shisekiojin, but they won't hold for long. I'll just say goodbye and fulfill my plan. First, Naruto." And with that, Minato hold his newborn. Just looking at him made him want to cry, he looked just like him, with hair similar in form but the color of Kushina. He has some whiskers, due to the Kyuubi's influence in Kushina, but that just made him more precious to Minato. It was his son, and if he had to give his life in order to protect him and give him and everybody a chance of surviving against the masked man, it wasn't even a choice. As he was opening his mouth to say his last words to him, two words stopped him cold, and made a feeling of panic rise through his chest.
"Shiki fūjin" Kushina said, with more determination that ever. She knew Minato's plan was doomed to fail, since she would be dead by the hour, Kyuubi sealed back on her or not, leaving Naruto an orphan. So, she "improved" it a bit. She was sad to leave the man he loved and the offspring of that love behind but, it was that love the reason she was doing it. Minato had turned her life from miserable to extremely joyious. She had turned her from the hated, ridiculized outsider into the respected, loved wife of the hokage. He had helped her became who she was and achieve her full potential, in both ninja speaking and not. She had been loved by him, and for that she was extremely grateful. He had made her loved the hair she had and which she had thoroughly hated. She couldn't have had a better life even in her dreams. And she would honor that, even with her life. Just when she felt that she had half of Kyuubi's chakra, she sealed into her. "Fūin". As soon as she said that, Minato was on her side, holding her gently with a panicked expression on his face.
"Why Kushina? Why the Shiki Fūjin?!?!" Minato, half screamed, half cried. Tears were starting to drop from his eyes as, his mind had finally caught up of what was happening.
"I would have died anyway, Minato. And this way Naruto won't become an orphan" Kushina said, trying for a smile but realizing afterwards that in was extremely painful. Tears started dropping from her eyes as well, both at what was happening and what would happen.
"He will still become an orphan... sealing the Kyuubi in me will kill me."
"You won't seal the Kyuubi in yourself, Minato. You'll seal it in Naruto. Oh come on, don't give me that look." Kushina said tenderly, as Minato was about to protest. "His last name may be Namikaze but you know he's an Uzumaki, like me. Just look at his hair. He can handle the Kyuubi. And one day, he will harness it's power. Remember Jiraiya sensei's prophecy. I think it's not about you, but rather about Naruto and that masked man. Now, my time is almost up, and I would like to see my son for the last time." Minato was still shocked about Kushina's actions. She had been, for once, the fastest of the two of them.
As time went by, neither of them noticed Minato's Kage Bunshin disappearing. He acted on a split of second as one of the Kyuubi's claws tried to kill Naruto, having figured Kushina's plan. Both Minato and Kushina jumped in front of it to stop it, and they managed, barely. Kushina then used her famously chakra-chains to subdue the Kyuubi, and as she felt her time coming, she urged Minato to whisper two words, at the time she put Naruto down in the sealing altar again.
"Hakke Fūin" barely above a whisper, but it still worked. A bright light appeared in the clearing for a few seconds, before it went out. The spiraling simbol could be seen immediately on Naruto's belly, signaling what he would have to endure a tough life from now. Kushina then said her goodbyes to Minato and Naruto, feeling even more chakra drained than she should have. Then, after a minute or two, Kushina Uzumaki died in the arms of the Fourth Hokage.
Minato wanted to cry, but found out he couldn't. He was extremely weak, on the brink of death himself. "Seems like I will be joining you too soon, Kushina. I'm sorry." And with that he closed his eyes, accepting darkness to take him over.
Line break
Hiruzen knew by his first look at the clearing, that it had been too late. The kyuubi was gone, but there were two blodied bodies on the ground, a red-haired one and a blond. There was also a red-haired baby in a sealing altar. Hiruzen checked Kushina's pulse, which he never found. Dispair filled his chest, only to reduce a little when one of the ANBU he took reported that Yondaime was still alive. Relief etched in Hiruzen's face, but it was short lived as he looked at his successor. Minato had a massive hole in his chest, result of jumping in front of the Nine tails' last attempt to remain free. As they were about to pick him up to take him to the hospital, he woke up. Minato knew he was really close to dying, so he wanted to make sure the Third knew some things before he passed away.
"Sandaime...this attack was the doing of a masked man. He called himself Madara Uchiha. He is cunning and powerful and... will do anything in his power to control the world. I believe this is part of the prophecy...Jiraiya-sensei received, and I also believe my son is the prophecy child, and Kushina believed so as well." With this, Minato took a pause to look at his child, his own son. Naruto was sleeping so quiet, so peaceful. The imaged filled Minato with despair, but also hope of what was about to come. He, as Kushina, had decided to trust this little baby. It was their son, after all. "His name is Naruto" He continued, looking at Hiruzen's eyes again. As blue met brown, the eyes of Konoha's war hero began to water. "Kushina and I...we picked the name from one of Jiraiya-sensei's novels. Not the erotic ones, though.Minato said as he tried for a laugh, but it came out as a cough more than anything. His time of reuniting with Kushina was almost up. "Please, Hiruzen. Take care of him. Make sure he is alright. Train him." With each word, Minato's voice was close to break, as tears were now openly falling in his face. He knew he would see his son again, he did made sure of it, but it would be a long time from now. "Tell him we're sorry of what he will have to endure. Tell him we're sorry... for not being able to see him grow, or to be there for him. Tell him we're so sorry of not being able to give him our love, and please don't let him forget that we love him, with all our heart." With each word, Minato's voice lost strenght, and his eyes lost bright. His body lost grip and when he finished his speech Hiruzen knew that the Fourth Hokage and his wife had just gave their lives to protect Konoha.
He then took his attention towards the crying baby. A seal could be seen in his belly. "God's Minato, you sealed the Kyuubi in Naruto? What were you thinking?" Hiruzen wondered, as he knew Minato loved his son a lot and wouldn't put such a burden on him unless it was extremely necessary.
A minute later, a three-man squad arrived. Hiruzen recognized Genma Shiranui and his teammates, the Yondaime's guard. Even though they were supposed to be in lock down with the other shinobi around their age, He knew they admired Minato to much as to not do anything in the battle against the Kyuubi. They had a shocked looked on his faces, their eyes filled with guilt. Hiruzen felt the same guilt, too, as he had been the one to told them that his personal ANBU would take care of everything concerning security, so they didn't need to be there. That thought actually intrigued Hiruzen, 'What happened with Biwako and the others?'
"Genma, take your team to the place where Kushina was supposed to give birth. Minato mentioned an enemy and we have to find out what happened there" Hiruzen said, addressing them. With that, Genma and his teammates went there, using the shunshin. He was a little worried, but these were some of the best shinobi in their generation. Genma was even on par with his own son, and not that far from Kakashi, an ANBU captain.
'Kakashi...' Hiruzen train of thought went to the white-haired ninja. He had lost his father, his teammates, and now his sensei. He would have to make sure to talk to him.
As he took a last look on the corpses, he silently prayed to whoever was listening, so that they would be together again in the afterlife.
Line break (October 11)
The sky was dark as rain poured down. 'Fitting weather for a funeral, I suppose.' A young, white-haired ANBU captain thought. His face was stoic as he was getting awfully close with funerals, more so, if he was close to the person. He even had the theory that being close to him was the cause of their deaths, one way or another. He took a look behind him, noticing that the whole village was there, even the civilians. Understandable, though, as they were burying the most loved man in the village since the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. The Shodai had been loved by everyone, just like the Yondaime was. As Sandaime said his speech about bravery of ninjas, and sacrifices never to be forgotten, Kakashi could only think in the newborn baby his sensei had. He had yet to see him, but he heard from Genma that the kid had whiskers and red hair, although he believed the baby would be the splitting image of Minato. 'Minato sensei...'. Kakashi was angry with the village, and more importantly, angry with the man giving the speech. If he had allowed Kakashi to support the birth efforts... or allowed him to help in the fight against the Kyuubi...no, it wouldn't had mattered. Kakashi was a good ninja, one of the best, but against a bijuu or someone who killed five ANBU and then managed to steal the Kyuubi from his sensei, and also giving him a challenging fight, he had no chance. Not even the Yondaime Raikage with his Jinchuriki brother had given sensei so much trouble. He let out a sigh, he would have to move on. Like always.
All the Jōnin in the village were together, called by Sandaime Hokage and his advisors, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado. There was also an old man, with bandages in his head and his right arm. He was Danzō Shimura, one of the political enemies of the Sandaime and the Yondaime. The Fourth Hokage had just died, but the Fifth had to be chosen fast. The war had ended, but the sour feelings among villages remained, and not choosing a Hokage would be like an open invitation for the other villages to attack. And if there was something other villages wanted with Konoha, was to destroy it.
"Why don't we choose someone if the generation below Minato?" Shikaku Nara, Head Jōnin And Head of the Nara clan suggested. He was labeled as the most important strategist in Konoha, and the most intelligent person as well.
"While we have fine Jōnin in those generations...they are still to young. I would prefer someone with more maturity... one of the Sannin perhaps?" Koharu Utatane said. She was close to the Hokage and knew the Sannin were now the strongest shinobi in Konoha, perhaps only behind the Sandaime himself.
"That won't do. Orochimaru isn't fit to lead a village, Tsunade still grieves his lost lover and brother, and Jiraiya has already turned down the position before. And now that his apprentice has died, I don't think he will be coming back to the village anytime soon." Hiruzen said, with a sigh. He too would like for one of his two good students to take the position.
"What about Fugaku Uchiha?" A blond man, Inoicihi Yamanaka, head of the Yamanaka clan said. "He was also feared in the war. Not as much as Minato, but well, even you Sandaime-sama weren't feared as much. I think he would be a great Hokage." Inoichi concluded, earning a surprised look from said Fugaku Uchiha, Head of the Uchiha clan and Head of the Konoha Military Police department. Things had been tense between the village and the Uchiha clan, so he was surprised his name would even come out. Hiruzen also thought he would be a great Hokage, but neither his advisors nor Danzō would allow it, and their opinions carried a lot of weight with the Daimyō. But, if he could manage to mend the rift between the Uchiha and Konoha...
"No." Hiruzen said, standing up. "Desperate times calls desperate solutions. I'll be returning as the Hokage. We need ontinuity right now and I'm the best one to have that. Are there any objections?" No one dared to say anything. Most of them because they too thought it was the best course of actions, but the few who didn't think that were too afraid of the Sandaime Hokage to say anything. "Good. Then I'll be assuming office right now. Meeting adjourned." And with that, everybody except his advisors left.
"Are you sure about this, Hiruzen?" Koharu asked him. She knew, as well as Homura, that their old teammate was already tired of leading. Surprisingly, he smiled in return.
"I'll be fine. It's just for a few years until I find a good, strong successor. Now let us get to work, advisors, as we have much to do."
Line break
"You asked for my presence, Hokage-sama?" A brown haired man said. The head of the Uchiha clan had arrived as soon as he could, but now, he was wondering about what would the Hokage would want to talk to him.
"Ah, Fugaku. Yes, yes. Please, take a sit. First of all, how have you and your family been? I know your wife was really close to Kushina, and that you and Minato were good friends. How is it going?"
"Well, Hokage-sama" Fugaku seemed reluctant to answer, but answered noneless. "We're better now. Mikoto had been coming to terms about Kushina, as well as I have about Minato. She even visited Naruto in the hospital. By the way, what are you going to do to him? Mikoto asked me to offer you about bringing him to our house and raise him, clan be damned." Fugaku ended.
"I appreciate the offer. Unfortunately, word about the Kyuubi being sealed in Naruto has already leaked. And as you know, many people are suspicious of the Uchiha clan, since your Sharingan could control a bijuu. If you take Naruto to your house, it would seem suspicious and give all these people more reasons to be suspicious, and you know how delicate your position is now." Hiruzen said sternly. He too wished for Naruto's welfare, he even wished he could take him to his own home, but that couldn't happen. "But that's exactly what I want to talk about with you. I'm not going to lie, I too think you would be a great Hokage. In fact I would have supported you, If i wasn't sure you would fail. But right now, you would be voted against by my advisors, as well as Danzō. But, if we could manage to restore the trust in the Uchiha clan, and get Koharu and Homura to support you, you could have a chance. But it's going to be difficult. Are you willing to take the chance? I know for a fact that Minato would be pleased to have you as Hokage."
Fugaku took a deep breath, and then another. That would certainly be a cause to get the Uchiha to work with the village, and his clansmen would make an effort to see the head of the clan as Hokage. It could finally mend the rift between the Uchiha and the village.
"I'm in, Hokage-sama."
"Good, we will discuss this further. For now, start trying to get your clan to have better attitude towards the village. I'll do arrangements to change your clan compound closer to the village, as it was destroyed by the Kyuubi. You can go now." Hiruzen pondered about telling him about the masked man, something only he and a handful of ANBU knew, but he opted against it. He would try to investigate things on his own and tell everyone when he had solid leads, especially the Uchiha clan. There was no need to worry them about a rogue Uchiha, or a stolen sharingan.
Fugaku stood, and walked towards the door. As his han grabbed the handle, he turned, and looked at the Third Hokage. "What are you going to do to protect him?"
Hiruzen sighed. He too had been thinking about this. "I'll change his last name to Uzumaki, at least for the time being. That should throw off his father enemies. As for the village... I'll make a law regarding him. It will be prohibited, under death sentence, to tell him about his parents or the Kyuubi. He will be left in the dark until he can take care of himself."
Fugaku nodded, It was indeed a good plan. Although it would do nothing about the villagers mistreatment he would most certainly suffer, but there was no way to control that. They just had to hope Naruto would be strong enough to overcome it. With that, he left.
After Fugaku left, Hiruzen turned to one of his ANBU guards. "Bring me Genma Shiranui, Raidō Namiashi, Iwashi Tatami And Kakashi Hatake."
A few minutes later, a knock on the door was heard. "Come in" Hiruzen said, figuring it would be the people he asked for. His intuition was correct as he saw the faces of Genma with his custom senbon in his mouth, Raidō, Iwashi and Kakashi.
"You wanted to see us, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi asked, having a feeling about what the meeting would be.
"Ah, yes. I have something to tell you all. As you know, Minato had a lot of enemies. If word leaked out, about Naruto being his son, he would be in danger. That's why we have decided to change his last name to Usumaki, like Kushina. His red hair will be a support. That way, it's less probable for enemies to discover who he is. Still, some in the village knew Minato's wife, so we will have to make sure there are no leads from Minato to Naruto. That's why...that's why I forbid you to have any contact with the child, until I let you so."
Silence hung the air. Raidō and Iwashi had a neutral facial expression, like they didn't really care. Kakashi had almost a relief look, like he was most certainly looking for an excuse to avoid contact with his sensei's son. But as for Genma...
"What? Are you nuts?" Genma said towards the Hokage, his words harsh and rude. "He has no family left. No one to take care. The Uzumaki clan stands no more and he has no close relatives. And you think of cutting us from him? He will be all alone!" It was clear for the Hokage that Genma wouldn't accept this so easily.
"Genma, you have to understand...we can't let anyone figure out his origins. He would be in danger! Surely you wouldn't want that?" The Hokage said, his tone almost matching Genma's.
"So what? You'll just leave him on his own? How will he learn the things supposed to be learned at home? Or better yet, how will he fare against the villagers reject he will surely face? If he's all alone!" At this, the Jōnin was close to screaming. The Hokage noticed, and sighed.
"Genma... I know Minato's family took you in when you were left all alone, as well. And that he taught you many things. But you have to understand, you will only put the child in danger."
"Yeah, because God's forbid the villagers found out he was the son of the man they all loved and treated him like royalty, instead of how they will treat him like garbage for being a Jinchuriki. You know we could protect him of all foreign dangers, and he would have no intern dangers. At least, no more than he already has, as I am sure Danzō and Orochimaru already know about him. It will be as you say, Hiruzen, for the time being. But you won't keep me away forever." And with that, Genma disappeared in a poof or smoke.
The Hokage sighed, he had never seen Genma so pissed. He should have expected it, though. Genma loved Minato like an older brother. "You are dismissed, except Kakashi." Hiruzen waited for the other two shinobi to leave, before he turned to Kakashi, who was looking him with an expecting expression. "You served Minato as an ANBU directly under command of the Hokage. Will you serve me as well? Minato intended for you to become his right hand in the ANBU. Now I ask you to become my right hand. "
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Kakashi answered, almost immediately. His sensei died protecting the village, and now he would do his best to keep it safe. His eagerness made Hiruzen smile, for the first time in days.