Title: The Demon's Keeper

Universe: Slightly altered (This was written before Mishimoto-sensei explained what happened with Kyuubi)

Pairings/Characters: Minato, Jiraiya, Naruto, Sandaime

Rating: T for character death and minor language (I actually think it's the word "Damn" and I think I use it once, but just to be careful. Mind your ears!)

Summary: "He was gone. The only things left of him; a face on a mountain, a name etched in stone, and a child, doomed to live his life in the shadows." Minato dies. Jiraiya and Sarutobi are left to look after the pieces.

Word Count: 5,000 (around there)

Disclaimer: I do not profit in anyway from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to their original creators.

Minato stared blankly out the flaps of his general's tent; a somber expression marring his handsome features, cradling a soft, blonde bundle to his chest. He held his heart in his hands and he was loathe to give it up. Damn it! He shouldn't have to.

A deep rumble filled the air. He could have mistook it for thunder had he not felt its echo in the ground. He pushed back the doubts about his duty. The terrified screams of the people he cherished told more than enough about why he had accepted this job-this honour. He cherished his babe almost above all others. But almost just wasn't enough.

Another rumble shook the ground, almost tipping him over. The demon was getting too close. He had desperately tried to think of other alternatives, but there were none. This was his only choice, no matter that it was a fate worse than death for both him and his son. But he was Hokage and that left him with certain duties to fulfill. He'd accepted the honour with the knowledge that, inevitably, he would have to make sacrifices, but he had never imagined this.

He looked down at the bright, dazzling blue eyes that blinked up at him. One look at that face and Minato knew that Naruto trusted him completely. He looked away hurriedly, looking at his only son just made the task harder.

Carefully, he placed Naruto down on the table in the middle of his tent. He drew open the blankets that sheathed his son and dipped his brush into an inkwell. Naruto cooed, distracted from the scary rumbling outside by the soft ticklish feeling on his stomach.

Minato methodically cleaned the brush and air-dried the seal before bundling his baby back up. Clutching Naruto to his chest, he swept the flap of the tent aside and stepped outside. Ninjas were running back and forth desperately. Despair was written on every face he passed. He knew he should hurry, but his own despair had numbed him to the world, and all he could manage was a fast meander. He knew what he had to do, and he was prepared to do it, but he could no longer remember why.

The scenery blurred past. His eyes were watering up, but he could not allow the tears to fall. A ninja never cries. The thundering got louder as he entered the large valley where scores of ninja were trying to keep the monster at bay. Mostly failing, by the looks of it. The ground shook as the gigantic fox leapt from side to side, jaws pulled back over long, glistening canines.

Naruto was howling now. His voice fought to be heard over the thunderous growls of the predator, but it was a lost cause. Minato's heart wrenched as he set his son on the ground. The baby truly panicked now that he had lost the warm, protective arms of his father. His small arms and feet waved back and forth, and he shrieked in distress.

Minato stared at the beast as it soared through the air, neither advancing nor retreating. It seemed content to play with the ninja that surrounded it...for now. But it would come for the village, and destroy everything he held dear. He absolutely could not allow that to happen. Biting his thumb, he did the necessary seals and planted his hand on the ground, summoning Gamabunta.

"Huh?" One great eye rolled up to see Minato standing on his head. "Oh, it's you. Well, what do you want this time?" Gamabunta could have sworn he saw a baby, but refrained from mentioning it. There were more important things to worry about; like that fox that had stopped its prancing about to growl ferociously in their direction. Gamabunta sighed, there was no way this was ending well. This would call for several rounds of sake afterwards. "Well?"

Minato jumped, startled out of his revelry. He looked down on Naruto one last time, then returned his steady gaze onward. "I need you to get me closer." If he had asked for help in such a disrespectful manner any other time, he would have been turned down: point-blank. But Gamabunta understood the seriousness of this.

The toad sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that." He waited until Minato had settled onto his knees; one hand grasping his shirt, and the other clutching the baby closer. The toad gathered power into his legs, then sprang forward. Ninjas in his way quickly sprang away to make room. He landed a mere ten feet from Kyuubi; an uncomfortable distance. His paw clutched at his sword, ready to slice the demon through.

"No! Stop!" Minato commanded. "It's pointless. Just keep him at bay until I can get it done."

That's all his summoner had time to say before the fox sprang. Gamabunta grabbed at its throat, keeping its snapping jaws away, but the fox's claws sank into his side. Gamabunta's eyes rolled upwards to Minato. "So that is what you are going to do?" He grunted in pain as the claws dug in deeper. A deep growl rumbled from his throat and with a mighty heave, he threw the fox off. "Poor kid." He shuddered as the blood ran down his sides.

Minato tried to block out Gamabunta's words. He knew what he was condemning his son to become. He hoped his people would look on Naruto as a hero, but he had a vague suspicion that he would be treated just the opposite. He had left a letter to whoever took over as Hokage, but controlling the emotions and actions of traumatized civilians was a hard and heavy task. It was a burden.

His eyes hardened as he watched the fox get up from the crater it had created when it had been thrown. Why his village? He did not understand this hell-bent desire for destruction. He could only understand his desire to stop it. No more delays, he thought as the creature advanced; this time a little more cautiously. Its red eyes were gleaming with hatred. He shuddered as their eyes met and his hands formed the signs.

He felt the reaper behind him, like a cold dagger slicing through his heart. He heard the creature's distressed wailing as the shinigami's claw stole its power. Minato grimaced as the world went dark, barely acknowledging the low rumbles of Gamabunta's farewell. All he could see was Naruto, and the glowing seal that told him his plan was working. Naruto would be the vessel for the Kyuubi's spirit; the prison which held him captive. He fell to his knees. Naruto would be the unsung, unacknowledged hero of The Village Hidden in the Leaves. Reaching for his son, he hoped to touch him one last time, but the reaper was impatient and the remaining light was stripped from him.

He was gone. The only things left of him; a face on a mountain, a name etched in stone, and a child, doomed to live his life in the shadows.

The sandaime sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose as his eyes skimmed the contents of the letter once more. He could understand the Yondaime's wishes, but he asked nearly the impossible. The village could hardly see this child as their saviour! They would only look on him as the monster he was. He had heard of Jinchuuriki before. They were strong, vicious, and self-centered. Their needs came before anyone else's. They were dangerous.

Besides, the only possible way they could see the boy as a hero was if they knew of his origins. That couldn't possibly be allowed to happen, not if he were to be protected. The fourth, in all his power, had made too many enemies. The child would be marked for assasination if it were made known that he was the only heir to the fourth's legacy.

Soft fussing beside him caught his attention. Sandaime looked on Kyuubi with a hard scowl, but a light touched his heart when he caught hold of those bright, blue eyes. The baby stared up at him seriously, as if he knew the terrible future that was in store for him. He reached out and grasped his finger, cooing softly. A smile broke through the surface of his worry lines briefly, and he squeezed the small hand gently. He sighed, knowing he would carry the burden the fourth had left behind. He would protect this child, this Naruto, as if he were any other member of the village.

How to keep the child safe was a different question altogether. It would be difficult to keep the villagers from exacting their revenge on the demon in its weakened state. They would see him only as an incarnation of the monster that had already taken so much from them; as he had only moments before. He had come to understand in only a few minutes with the child, that that was not the case. The boy was so much more than that. He was human, through and through, but few others would allow themselves to see that.

He heard a knock on the door, and he bade whomever was there to enter.

Ryouichi Makoto and Fumi Beniko, the leading members of the council, entered the room and bowed, staring down at the child with twin looks of revulsion. Makoto, an aged man, bent over and leaning on a cane, hobbled forward. "Hokage-sama, wouldn't it be better to rid our village of this menace?"

The Sandaime leant his head on his entertwined fingers and studied the two head members of his council somberly for a moment; letting a few moments pass before he said, "I presume you read the letter before I was reinstated in office."

The two glanced at each other nervously, unable to read his tone of voice. The aged crone nodded her head. "Y-yes, Hokage-sama. We did."

Sandaime nodded and leaned back in his chair. "And what did you make of it?"

Makoto frowned. "There was nothing to make of it! That thing may have once been the Yondaime's only son, but it is only a danger to this village now! It must be destroyed."

Sandaime raised an eyebrow. "Must it?"

Fumi gasped in horror. "Surely, you are not going to allow it to live? After all it has done to this village; to our families. It is an abomination that plagues this earth! We have now a chance to rid ourselves and the world of it. You musn't let this chance pass you by!"

"Indeed. But as long as this boy remains a citizen of this village, no harm shall come to him." He glared at the two as they opened their mouths to speak. "I will use all my resources to protect this child. He is all that is left of the fourth's legacy. Anyone who harms him will be punished to the full extent of the law."

"But-"

Sandaime glowered at Makoto, cutting him off, "Enough. That is my final say on the matter. He shall be set up with someone who will care for him until he can care for himself." Sarutobi paused, studying them sternly. "Have you told anyone else of this?"

The two shook their heads.

Sarutobi nodded, satisfied. "Good. Let it stay that way." His eyes pierced into theirs until they nodded their acquiescence. "Now. Is that all you wished to speak to me about?"

Makoto and Fumi shared a glance before shaking their heads. Fumi stepped forward. "The reason we've come is about the state the Village is in. It will be long before we are able to fully repair the damage, and our borders are weak."

Makoto nodded. "What is more is there have been ominous stirrings in the Cloud."

Sandaime nodded, rubbing his forehead. "I am well aware of the high probabilities of an attack. Even after a few years of peace, it seems we've grown weak." He glared at the table, as if this was all its fault. A soft cooing drew his attention to the baby again. His eyes were fluttering shut, and soon his soft breathing told Sarutobi that the child was asleep.

Sarutobi's eyes widened as they rested on the seal. There was the answer! This was the way to protect the child, train him to make use of his powers. That way he could protect himself and the village. The Kyuubi's chakra was more than enough power to keep himself from harm! But he felt a stab of guilt. It would mean turning the child into a tool. Not the life the fourth had envisioned for his only child, to be sure. But these were desperate times, and they called for desperate measures. They could probably keep the Cloud at bay until the child was properly trained, but if this course wasn't taken...he couldn't see how the Leaf would survive a war so soon after such heavy casualties.

Sarutobi sighed. "This child is the key to the protection of this village." He gazed down on the child, the guilt making his stomach heave. "Jiraiya will help him learn how to control the demon's chakra. Send for him."

The two bowed at the clear dismissal. "Yes, Hokage-sama." The two hurried from the room. They didn't want to be the ones to tell the frog hermit that he must return from his...sabbatical. The foolish man couldn't see a lost cause when it stared him back in the face, but try telling him that. He was known for his temper. Whereas he had never gotten violent before, he certainly could look menacing, and you never knew. There was a first time for everything.

Sarutobi spun in his chair to gaze out the window. He'd collected Naruto from the desk, and held him now in his arms. He regretted what he would have to do, but he had chosen his course and he would stick with it. This future held little compassion for the boy, but what compassion could be spared, would be. This path would lead the boy to independance. Soon enough, he wouldn't have to worry about needing protection, and that would give Sarutobi less to worry about.

Forgive me...Naruto.

Jiraiya was creeping through the forests at the edge of rain when an ANBU landed softly in front of him, approximately fifteen feet away. Jiraiya had sensed his-and three others-chakra before this ninja had appeared which is why the ANBU wasn't dead. He had reigned himself back due to his curiosity. What a coincidence that they came from the same village!

"What is a leaf ninja doing so far from home?" He straightened out of the defensive pose he had taken, just in case, and crossed his arms, grinning.

The ANBU bowed quietly, but his body was tense, filled with agitation. Jiraiya's grin slipped from his face and he sobered quickly. "What's happened?" His mouth was drawn into a tight line as a dozen thoughts whirled through his head. But the most prominent was: Had Orochimaru...No, he's nearby. I know it! It couldn't have had anything to do with him.

The ANBU crouched into a more relaxed position, although the tension was still present in his shoulders; his dismay evident despite the dog-mask hiding his face. "You are aware of the Kyuubi's attack on the village?"

Jiraiya cringed guiltily. He had heard rumours, but he had assumed that things could never be that bad. He had just caught on to a new lead to Orochimaru, therefore his priorities were a little skewed and he ignored the fact that ninja gossip was rarely anything but the truth. Grinding his teeth together, he glared at the ninja; more angry at himself than at anything. "What happened?"

"Sandaime-sama has ordered that you return to Konoha at once, Jiraiya-sama." Dog shifted again, only a trained ninja would have been able to identify the motion as the emotion it was.

Jiraiya blanched. "Sensei?" His hands clenched into fists, his knuckles burning white. He prepared himself for the worst. "What happened to the Yondaime?"

Dog bowed his head slightly. That was all that needed to be said. Jiraiya gritted his teeth together before the cry that threatened to break loose erupted. Instead his shoulders drooped and he nodded. "I guess I'm going home, then." Without another word, both he and Dog shot off into the trees; the other three ANBU following them silently.

It had been a few months since he had last set foot in Konoha. He came back sporadically to check up on his favourite student, but he had left on his self-given mission two years ago. It was a few months after the end of the third war and the village was booming, and fast becoming accustomed to peace. Sometimes he wondered if Konoha's impending victory was what generated Orochimaru's departure. Peace meant his experiments could no longer be turned a blind eye. There was enough time and ninja to instigate a thorough inspection.

In the end, Orochimaru stuck around for one last dig at Sarutobi-sensei before escaping. Hmm. Perhaps 'escape' isn't the right word. Jiraiya thought. More like he was let go. That was something he was always punishing himself for. When he had confronted Orochimaru, he had been unable to convince him to stay and he had lost his best friend. He had followed soon after, determined to fix that mistake. For two years, he had dogged Orochimaru's footsteps; however, it had only led to two more abismal failures.

Now, he had returned, and everything was different. The buildings at the edge of the village closest to the forest had collapsed. He could only assume that the tremors had been two much. The buildings had been designed so that they might withstand heavy bombing, but man-made explosives and a demon's rage were quite different.

Jiraiya's shoulders shook as the guilt settled on his shoulders, and started to weigh him down. Here was another of his failure's and it was his biggest. His entire existence up until now had been one failure after another. The little things he had done right could not stand up to the back breaking mistakes he had made over the years.

Sighing, he ventured into the mess that was his home village. He passed excavation teams digging through the debris, making sure everyone escaped the collapsed buildings. Everyone. He could already see a small pile of bodies waiting to be given the proper funeral rites. He vowed to return and help after his meeting with Sarutobi-sensei.

The Hokage tower grew steadily as he and Dog leapt towards it. They ran up the wall, and Dog excused himself soon after they entered the window. He disappeared to help with the aftermath of Kyuubi's attack, Jiraiya could only assume. He turned to the Hokage's desk, and bowed grimly to the Sandaime who was sitting in the Hokage's chair.

"I have been temporarily reinstated until another Hokage is selected by the council." Sandaime interlocked his fingers and stared sternly at his student. "Now, I am curious. Did you hear of the Kyuubi attack?"

Jiraiya glanced away out of the corner of his eye. "...I heard rumours."

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed, and his anger shot through. "And you didn't feel the need to come to your village's aid?"

Jiraiya lowered his head, guilt gnawing at his conscience. "I-I didn't want to believe-"

Hiruzen shook his head abruptly, cutting him off. "I don't want to hear your excuses! You understand you could be considered as a missing-nin for your lack of action?"

"I am sorry, Sensei." Jiraiya stared at the floor, gritting his teeth. It was as if he were once again a genin, and Sarutobi was disciplining him on being inconsistent in his mission. Though this was a thousand times worse. He wasn't the student this time, he was the teacher, and he was still failing.

As quickly as it came, the anger dropped off Hiruzen's face and he sighed. He leaned heavily on the desk, and his shoulders drooped. "It wouldn't have made a difference anyway."

A tendril of ice snaked down Jiraiya's back. He was about to ask the question he dreaded to ask. The question he had come all the way back to Konoha to ask. His most precious student...what had happened to him? Before the words could leave his mouth, however, a wail came from his right, out of his line of sight.

He reacted as a ninja would, and before his mind could catch up, he had spun to the right with a kunai thrust out in front of him defensively. Sandaime had also risen, although, Jiraiya noted, not as urgently as he had. Something which stopped his hand from throwing the kunai, perhaps.

It was a good thing he hadn't, because he saw a bundle of cloth lying on a table. A small arm waved in the air and drew him forward. "What is this?" He saw the blonde locks, and the blue eyes-scrunched up with tears-but what drew his gaze were the whisker marks and the seal on his stomach. One look at the seal and he knew. Minato was gone to a place he could not follow.

He jumped when Hiruzen's hand fell on his shoulder. The older man reached past him and picked up the child, offering it to Jiraiya. Jiraiya backed away, eyeing the baby warily. Sandaime frowned. "This is Naruto," he said, "the savior of Konoha."

Jiraiya's eyes widened and he stared in horror. "Naruto?" he whispered, his voice hoarse. "This...is..." He closed his eyes and turned away. He didn't want to believe that this...creature was his godson. His fingers clutched the table until his knuckles bled white.

His vision flashed red and he heard a great bang! The table had been knocked over, spilling the rest of its contents. Naruto was crying. ANBU rushed into the room, kunai held at the ready, visibly on edge. The sight of an agitated sannin glaring savagely in the direction of their hokage-he must of turned sometime in his rage-was enough for them to leap forward in attempts to pin him down.

"Stop!" A voice trickled through Jiraiya's daze and he watched as the ANBU stopped right before him and then leapt back warily. Jiraiya's eyes returned to the child now that the threat had been subdued.

"No one is to intervene unless he attacks."

Jiraiya noted that Sarutobi sounded worried. Who's he worried about? Jiraiya wondered fuzzily. Surely not that...thing? It's possessed Minato's son. It has to die. It should die! However, no matter how angry he was-and he was, you could feel the killing intent floating in the air-he remained motionless. He couldn't seem to order his legs to propel him forward; couldn't order his arm to reach forward, nor his hand to strangle the life from the child.

"Jiraiya, you must calm down. You know this child; it's importance." Jiraiya's eyes narrowed, glaring venemously at the child, who hadn't stopped wailing.

For several minutes he just stood there, staring at the child. The blanket had been wrapped more firmly around him, hiding the seal, but that was still all he could see. It had been burned into the back of his eyelids. The whisker marks were a constant reminder of what he was, but...

This was Minato's son. This was the one who was supposed to be the ninja from his book. The one book that Minato liked. Even now, it still amazed him. The one book he had written that had had the least success, was Minato's favourite. This boy was going to be raised to be the type of ninja from his book.

Tears swelled in his eyes, but he blinked them back. He strode forward, ignoring the ANBU that had tensed up again at his movement, and took Naruto into his arms, pulling him into his chest. This boy can never have that now. What was Minato thinking, condemning his son to such a life? He sighed. Only one thing for it, then. He looked back up at Sarutobi. "What must I do?"

Sarutobi sighed in relief. "Nothing for the moment. But I'm afraid your mission is coming to a close." He raised a hand to silence Jiraiya's protests. "I'm sorry, but you have no choice in the matter. This boy will need training when he comes to be a trainable age. You will be his teacher."

Jiraiya frowned. "I don't understand. Why can't he be trained in the academy with the other students?"

Sarutobi opened his mouth, but paused. "No reason. He will be." He turned to the ANBU. "Leave us."

Once he was sure they were alone, he continued. "However, he will need special training as well. So that he can harness what power from Kyuubi he can get."

Jiraiya's face fell open in shock. "What? You mean to make a killing machine out of-"

Sarutobi glared. "I intend to do whatever is necessary for the safety of the village. It is the duty of the Hokage and every ninja of this village."

Jiraiya eyes narrowed. "That is not the life for the son of a Hokage." This was one of the few moments of true anger he had experienced towards his sensei. It was moments like these that made him truly consider following in Orochimaru's footsteps and abandoning the village. But he would never do it, because his complaint was always something to do with the morality of the situation. If he had learned one thing over the years, it was that morality and the life of a true shinobi never went hand in hand. He couldn't let his emotions get in the way of what had to be done.

Sarutobi sighed. "I know."

Jiraiya's eyes fell to look at Naruto, who had once again fallen asleep. He was in a jumble of emotions. On the one hand, he was angry and filled with hatred for the Kyuubi. To know that the life of the monster that had killed his student was in his hands and to not do anything was torture. On the other hand, he knew Minato would never forgive him if he murdered his son. His mind had cleared that much, at least. It wasn't just Kyuubi he held, it was Naruto. Only a baby, he already looked like a miniature Minato, so, in his heart, Jiraiya knew he couldn't lay a hand to him. Right. He thought bitterly. I won't hurt him. I'll just bring him up in a world that will hate him for no reason, and train him to be a killer. That's a better future. He shook his head and put the baby back on the table.

"I'm sorry, Naruto."

END

A/N 03/12/09: Hey, everybody. This is one of my first attempts at writing a Naruto fanfiction. This idea was based vaguely on a song, and I wonder if anyone can guess which song it was engineered from. I challenge you to guess which song I used. Here's a hint: it's a song I used for Naruto, when, in hindsight, it would fit Gaara SOOOO much better. But, oh well, I don`t want to rewrite everything, because I LOVE what I have so far. I don`t want to honk my own horn, but this is probably my favourite fic I`m writing. I guess, I could give one more hint, since my other hint is kinda vague...It's by the band Within Temptations! Put some thought into it, and try and guess. I promise to tell you if you get it right! And the prize is an Axel plushie! :3 (well, a virtual one, anyway)

Just to let you know, I would like you to review. If you take the time to read it, please review, it would really help a lot to know your opinions. Also, if you have any ideas of what should happen next, please, express yourself. Basically, you decide if I should continue with this or not! The outline as of now is non-existant, and when I eventually get around to writing it (I'mma get on that as soon as I decide if I'm going to continue or not), it will be extremely flexible.

05/02/11 Wow! It's been two whole years since I wrote this...And I'm only now polishing it up...Hmm...:/ Bad me! Anyway, I've decided that this fiction has been rendered into a dump for my Naruto one-shots instead of a chapter fic. Not to say that this shot is quite finished, I just don't have enough meat to flesh it out into a full-blown story. So I'll just add on chapters as they come to me. So don't expect them to be in order. In fact, the next one-shot coming doesn't actually have anything to do with The Demon's Keeper at all. So, anyway, the changes I've made to this shot is just a bit of vacuuming concerning my previous A/N. As you can see, if you've read this before. What used to be three or four enourmous paragraphs, is now just three small ones. Have a nice day!