A collaboration piece with the wonderful and amazing PALC!
Warning: This story is yaoi! If you don't like yaoi quit reading and leave now!
For those of you who do like yaoi, enjoy the story!
The Link Between Us
Chapter 01
Minato held his newborn son closer as he gazed at Kushina.
"Tonight I've confirmed two things. The first is that masked man, the one who attacked you… He will be the harbinger of a great disaster. The second," Minato paused and turned his gaze to his son, smiling gently, "is that Naruto will be the one to stop him. The jinchuuriki who will blaze the trail to our future. I just… know it."
Kushina's eyes widened in silent shock as Minato placed their son carefully on the ground between them.
Tears filled her eyes, "But… Minato."
Minato swept to his feet and began forming the hand seals for the Eight Trigrams Seal. He won't have a mother, he won't have father but… Naruto will be strong.
He gave Kushina a broken smile, "Have a little faith! He is our son after all!"
A sudden dark and chilling laugh filled the area. The air dropped to a unsettling temperature and the Kyuubi stilled underneath the binding chains. A breath of cold air, rancid with the smell of rotting flesh, fanned across the back of Minato's neck, causing the fine hairs to rise.
"Namikaze Minato," an icy voice rasped behind him in a harsh whisper, freezing Minato where he stood. "You are a foolish human. I will grant you your request, but there will be a price, your debt will be paid."
Minato was finally shaken from his stupor when the Kyuubi let out a ferocious roar. He scooped Naruto up swiftly and turned on his heel to stare up into the chilling dead eyes of the Shinigami.
Unseen weights suddenly settled onto Minato, forcing him still. Panicked, Minato tried in vain to move his arms to no avail. He was held immobile by the unknown force.
The Shinigami then broke eye contact and looked to the right of Minato, toward where Kushina lay vulnerable. Dread pitted in his stomach as the Shinigami lifted his arm and stretched it out toward Kushina. What is he…? From the edges of his vision he could see red chakra being directed toward Kushina.
Realization dawned on Minato as the Kyuubi released another agonized roar, causing his son to cry in his arms. He could hear Kushina's heaving breathe increase to a dangerous level. He fought viciously against the unseen force, but it was in vain. The malicious chakra continued to flow at the edge of his vision.
After several terrible moments, the Shinigami finished sealing half of the Kyuubi's chakra into Kushina. The God of Death lowered his arm and turned his dead eyes on Minato. The eyes were a cold, dead black that bored into him, causing his blood to run cold.
Kushina's loud breathing quieted until it became inaudible, making Minato's heart lurch painfully in his chest. Is she all right? Is she…? No! Denial coursed through Minato's being. She is strong! She is alive. She has to be… This is all wrong. This is not how it was supposed to go! He had to get Naruto and Kushina away; he had to protect them. Move! But it was in vain. His limbs would not obey him.
Minato watched in agony as the Shinigami shifted his icy gaze to Naruto. No! The Shinigami raised his arm toward Naruto and another screeching roar rang from the Kyuubi. Red chakra flowed around Minato's body, burning his exposed skin, and forced itself into Naruto's frail body at an alarming rate. His son suddenly jumped his arms and began to wail shrilly and writhe in distress. He felt Naruto twist harshly, his small body edging out of his grip. Naruto began to teeter dangerously at the edges of his fingers; any second and Naruto would fall.
Move damn it! Though no matter how hard he tried, he could not get his unresponsive limbs to budge. His son would fall the dangerous distance to the ground and there was nothing he could do!
Then his arms began to shift against his will. Slowly, the grip he had on his writhing son tightened and Naruto was adjusted to a safer position, one that, no matter how much he moved, Naruto would not escape from.
Finally, the red chakra ceased to flow and Minato felt his son fall quiet still in his arms. Panic laced through Minato as he desperately tried to feel for some sign of life from his son. There! Relief flooded Minato as he felt a weak 'thump' vibrate beneath his fingers; his son's heart was still beating.
"Namikaze Minato."
Minato quickly refocused his gaze on the terrible being hovering before him, the frosty dead eyes drilling into him once again.
"You have taken the lives of 1932 humans. It was not yet their time to rest and yet you decided for them. 1932 lives… You should owe your life for taking them, however, your soul is tainted with the blood of those you have kill. It is not enough. Your son however…" Terror filled Minato as the Shinigami slid his eyes back to Naruto.
No…
The Shinigami swept closer toward the father and son. "You son," the Shinigami continued, "will be enough. He will take you place. His soul for the lives you took."
NO! Minato struggled ruthlessly against the unseen weights. He tried to call out, to scream No! at the being floating closer and closer but he could not. Not Naruto! Not my son! Please no!
His vision blurred momentarily as water slid easily down cheeks. He pulled and yanked relentlessly at the immobilizing restraints as the Shinigami reached out his arm toward Naruto and the sickly gray hand disappeared from Minato's vision. His head was forced to remain staring straight ahead and he could not see what the Shinigami was doing to his son. He fought with all his will to MOVE! against the concealed fetters. Pushing, pulling, screaming his head at his unresponsive body, to get Naruto away from the monster he summoned.
The Shinigami shifted his eyes back to Minato's and seemed to understand his distress. "It was not your decision," he said, "to decide who lives and who dies. I understand that you humans are fickle, but taking so many of your kinsman… And to doom your son to a life of hatred… Your kinsmen have proclaimed you a great war hero but all I see is a black soul, tainted with blood."
Against his will, Minato's grip slowly loosened around his son. He felt cold hands – the hands of death – grasp the small body resting in his arms. NO!
When the warmth of his son's body had completely disappeared, the Shinigami floated back, Naruto nestled in Death's arms.
"I have decided," the Shinigami spoke as he ran a single finger across Naruto's face, "that your son will not suffer the fate you planned for him." Naruto opened sleepy eyes and cooed softly at the touch. "Instead, his soul will be the payment for the 1932 lives that you ended."
Lifting his head higher, the Shinigami gave Minato his ultimatum, "Your punishment, Namikaze Minato, is to live. You will never rest; not until your body is weak and crippled with age; not until your mind has been destroyed by guilt. No wound or illness will ever grant you rest and until your debt is repaid, you will live haunted by the lives of those you ended."
The Shinigami raised his hand toward Minato. A rumbling sounded from the ground below Minato and suddenly hideous black chains dripping red shot out, aiming straight for Naruto.
As soon as the chains touched him, Naruto released a piercing screech and thrashed in the hold of the Death God. NARUTO! The terrible chains wrapped around Naruto small body, engulfing him and muffling his cries.
"Your sins have been given to your son. These chains are your sin; one link for every life you ended."
Minato did not hear the terrifying words and instead wrenched futilely at the invisible restraints. MOVE DAMN IT! MOVE!
Sluggishly, the chains released their hold and fell away from Naruto. Horrified, Minato saw that the dripping chains had painted his son red. Naruto's shrill wail continued and he flailed hopelessly against four deathly black shackles that were clamped harshly across his small wrists and ankles. The chains sank into the ground directly beneath Naruto. Even when the chains grew taunt against the shackles, it continued down.
Minato watched helplessly with wretched horror as the shackles seemed to move through Naruto's small limbs until they too disappeared beneath the earth. Naruto's cries cut off as suddenly as they began and his son grew deathly still. His son's wide, lifeless blue eyes stared back unseeingly at Minato.
The Shinigami gave a cruel grin before fading out of existence, leaving Naruto's frail body to fall to the distant earth below with a sickening crack.