Minato surveyed the blood soaked battle field. Looking around at lifeless bodies and fighting shinobi alike, the images burned into his head and reminding himself once again why he was sacrificing his only son even when Kushina begged him not to.
With a grimace and a heavy heart he took one last long look at his wailing son who was swaddled in the blanket and lying on the sealing alter committing his face his face to memory.
'I'm sorry Naruto. If only kushina were here I could use some if her fighting spirit.'
The impatient eerie hiss of the Shinigami shocked him back into focus. 'It's time to begin.' And his fingers blurring as he began the long chain of hand seals.
"Shiki Fuin!" He slammed his palm into the ground. The kyuubi roared in outrage and struggled against his invisible restraints but it was futile as it was drawn towards the seal on Naruto's navel and then it's was quiet.
That was when the shinigami struck. It yanked it's wispy fingers out of its victim and swallowed the soul in one gulp. 'Your debt is repaid foolish human.'
All to late it was time to leave but the shinigami paused his exit 'This child is the child of prophecy! And the perfect successor,' he grinned for the first time in centuries. 'Yes this child will be perfect'.
Flickering before the child he stretched out a long spindly arm and brushed his finger tips across Naruto's forehead. 'Naruto is his name.' It scoffed.
A pulsed light and ran from its chest down its arm and finally into the mesmerized child's forehead before stopping were his heart was.
It he gave a nod of satisfaction and drew back it's arm before disappearing into the night.