Homecoming
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any other crossovers I may put into this work of fiction.
Reviewer's Corner (From Ch. 1):
LoPe21: Thanks! I'm planning on finishing all my stories; I've just got a bit going on in my life.
If I need help, I'll know whom to call.
: Thanks
JAKdaRIPPER: If I didn't write this, I'd be inclined to agree with you, but…
At this point, Kushina is actively betraying Minato.
She is intelligent enough to be able to understand how the Rasengan works + Minato told her about it. She sent the formula to her brother.
He's a master of wind manipulation. That should get explained later. How well it is will vary amongst readers.
Parrot Post: 'Sighs' This is going to take a while.
It's a challenge fic, first of all. I simply accepted the challenge
I couldn't really answer the questions after a certain point. It seems like you're rambling. Sorry if I couldn't help answer them. Kyuubi16 is an odd individual.
Huh, shorter than I thought. PM me if you have any actual questions.
Please Read and Review
Start
Kushina, Kaito, and their entourage escaped from the Land of Fire at a leisurely pace. "This land is ravaged, yet I feel it is still alive to allow them to regain their power." The servants agreed with their master's thoughts and assisted their tired lady in a carriage.
As they had gone out of the tired land, Kushina took one last look at her beloved's home. "The fallen Leaves may eventually come for my head. But who can blame them?" After calming down, she re-evaluated the decision left before her and decided it was for the best.
Within the Ruins of Konoha…
After roughly one hour of destruction caused by Kyuubi, the Nine-Tailed Fox, Konohakagure no Sato, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, was on its last legs.
Luckily for the villagers, Uchiha Keisuke, the Barrier Master had been there. An intelligent strategist, Keisuke was there when the Yondaime had arrived. Sensing the losing battle, he concocted an anti-demon barrier, using the First Hokage's specially made gloves as an amplifier.
When the mighty demon had left the scarred battlefield, the Uchiha had lifted the barrier. He collapsed, weakened from the strain of maintaining the barrier. "Damn it Minato, where are you?"
As he and the other shinobi returned to Konoha relatively uninjured, they received the grave news that their current Hokage was missing. "How?"
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, took a long drag from his pipe. "How could such a kidnapping have happened? Minato is a seasoned warrior. He has senses unlike most." As he took another drag, he continued to think of any plausible reason. None came to mind as to a grown man could vanish.
As he walked around his office, he recounted the previous events. "Earlier this months, our scouts had spotted a cave made by Kyuubi no Yoko. Upon closer inspection, they reported that it was asleep and that as long as it stayed asleep, nothing should happen." He inhaled deeply from his pipe, "Earlier today, the scouts reported activity within the cave, and believed that the beast would come down from its mountain hideout and attack Konoha." As he continued, the door opened, revealing an average height bespectacled brown haired man. He wore the Uchiha insignia upon his dark robes. His hakama flowed in the wind from outside. "Uchiha Keisuke, what are you here for?"
He raised his glasses as he spoke. "I heard that Minato was missing and I'm volunteering that I look for him." As he bowed and started to leave, he was stopped. "Hokage-sama?"
He took another drag and said, "One moment. As one of the great minds of Fire Country, I need to pick your brain. Please." He invited him to sit down.
"Before you came in, I recalled past events in order to obtain some certain snippets of facts." He inhaled and exhaled from the pipe again, "We know for certain that Kyuubi has come, and that Minato is no where to be seen. What we don't know is why he is not here, what happened to him, and where he has vanished."
Keisuke nodded as he proceeded, "Very well, I'll continue for you." Once the Third Hokage filled him in, "After the scouts have reported the whereabouts of the Kyuubi, I believe Minato had spent the time coming up with ways to try and defeat the beast. During the free times I saw him, he look flustered, as if he hadn't seen daylight for quite some time."
"I talked with Kushina about it, but she was busy herself with young Naruto coming in about that time." His eyes raised, "That reminds me, where is she? She definitely wouldn't be on the front lines. I've already looked through the Namikaze Estate and she's not there, nor young Naruto, who should have been born just as the Kyuubi had arrived."
"Keisuke, why do you believe the times of Narutos birth and Kyuubis' coming would be so close?" He folded his arms, "It's a personal hunch. Earlier this week, I talked to Kushina and she believed that Naruto would be born today. I thought it strange, but her hunches are usually correct, as if by divine guidance."
Hiruzen frowned, "As it stands, we cannot make any conjectures. Instead, we must focus on what we know. The last time Minato and I spoke, he researched the Shiki Fuujin, a seal that uses a sacrifice to seal a demon within a new life. He told me that he would use his new baby if no other option brought itself. Sadly, he had to go with it."
Keisuke interrupted, "Now, we're in the present. The Kyuubi came down the mountain, our forces fought to stall as Minato was supposed to arrive, with me as a contingency plan to protect the people while risking my own life. By coincidence or sheer fortune, the Kyuubi had vanished without a trace."
Hiruzen took a deep breath, "We could count ourselves lucky, or believe that something sinister is in the works." They continued to talk before he agreed to allow Keisuke to take a small force to search for Minato.
A few days later…
Sarutobi sat at his desk, wondering about the search, when Keisuke bursts through the door. "Hokage-sama, come to the square immediately! You must see this!"
After Sarutobi had issued the search for the Fourth Hokage, things went according to plan. He put civilians and shinobi alike, working to rebuild their village. While the reconstruction was going forward, Keisuke and his crew of the villages' best searchers couldn't find the body of their Fourth Hokage.
As Sarutobi hurried with Keisuke to the center of the village, they witnessed the site. Upon a bloody wooden cross was their beloved leader. A giant mess of blood covered his chest, with a gash in his body with blood still slowly coming out. His usual sun-kissed blond hair, dirtied, shone in the sun, though only slightly. Perched above the cross was a crow, squawking at the masses. A silver haired young man ran up to shoo the crow away and cut the Hokage off, but was unsuccessful in both endeavors. The crow scared him slightly away as it nested in the leaders hair.
Many cupped their hands in dismay, with few staring intently at the display. "What do you make of this, Lord Hokage? Accounts from civilians who came earlier say that while they started todays reconstruction, the cross just appeared out of nowhere. They tried taking Minato off, but they were as successful as Kakashi."
Sarutobi rubbed his temples tiredly. "I'm too old for this shit." He sighed and pointed to the cross. "First we take the body off, kill the crow if need be. We'll plan for a funeral sometime this week. Try to keep this low key; we don't need outsiders knowing Minato is dead for as long as we can keep it a secret. I'll arrange a meeting with the Fire Lord at a later time to discuss safety measures."
Keisuke bowed, but was stopped again. "Also, how are things going with your clan? I understand that things are slightly shaken up with the death of Fugaku." Keisuke stared intently before replying. "Everyone's taking it pretty hard, especially young Itachi and Mikoto. I hear that she was pregnant before Fugaku died. It'll be tough with no father in his life."
The Hokage stared at him, before he figured out the message. "Me? I apologize, but I'm not fatherly material. I may be able to run an ANBU team, but I'm not good with life skills."
Hiruzen simply patted him on the back, "Keisuke, all boys need a father-figure in their life. Itachi was raised under Fugaku, and he's turned out to be one of the brightest minds of this generation, although he seems to have strayed off the path set for him. With no guidance, his little brother may become worse off than anyone in this village. No other clans have suffered like yours, Keisuke. Please keep that in mind."
He left the scene as Keisuke shined his glasses and helped the villagers reconstruct and clean up the mess. "Brother, how would you have treated young Sasuke if you were still alive?"
With the Uzumaki family…
As Konoha began reconstructing their village after their first encounter with the Kyuubi, the Uzumaki entourage left Fire Country and Water Country. They boarded the ship in the Kirigakure, Hidden Mist Village without too much trouble. True, while the currents were rough, due to sea monster sightings, the trip was fairly pleasant. "Sister, what do you make of these waters?"
She spat into the waters while tending young Naruto, "Fools messing with forces not meant to be understood. This country will be flooded by the upcoming Maelstrom." She grinned a suspicious grin as Kaito smiled widely.
Land of Whirlpools…
The ship landed safe enough at the port. The entourage hurried to the castle, presenting their successful retrieval of the package, Uzumaki Kushina and Namikazi Uzumaki Naruto.
A servant took Naruto to the palace nursery, while the queen, Kushinas adopted mother, escorted her to be cleaned up. "Welcome back, my lady. How has married life been treating you?" She tended to Kushina as she cleaned up.
Kushina said nothing as she stabbed the queen. The double merely smiled as it faded from existence. "Troublesome questions only lead to ones demise." She quickly cleaned up the mess.
Later…
Kushina walked to the nursery, clean from the day's activities. She wore a red gown and a tiara in her hair. The palace attendants and others welcomed her as she walked by. She asked the caretaker of the nursery, "Dr. Mizuki, how is Naruto?" The doctor, Mizuki Mari, was a young woman about Kushinas age. She had shoulder length blue hair wrapped in a red bow and a dreamy look about her. She replied, "Ah, Lady Kushina. Your son is in an excellent condition, from coming here so roughly."
Kushina nodded as she picked up her son. He slept as he was cradled in her arms. "Thank you for your analysis. Please keep up the good work."
A knock sounded as the person was allowed in. Mari asked him, "Ah, Kaito, how are you?" Uzumaki Kaito, dressed all in blue, walked in. He kept his head towards the ground, "I'm fine, thanks Mari. I actually wanted to speak to Kushina in private." She nodded as she gave Naruto to Mari, and they both walked out the door.
As Kushina shut the door behind her, "Kaito, did anything affect the mission in anyway? I've never seen you so flustered."
His face flushed as he pushed his emotions back. Kushina giggled, "I'm joking. So, is anything wrong?" He clenched his fist. "I think we may have overplayed our hand. The Leaf ninja are bound to find out that you are the one who murdered Minato. They'll come in full force."
She calmly assessed the situation. "We did what was necessary. Killing Minato was a necessary sacrifice. He would have died one way or another. This early death will push the Leaf to greater heights. If not, there are other methods. I will hear no more of this until it is deemed necessary. Do you understand, Kaito?"
He nodded as she left. "I hope you understand what you're doing. Out of all the Uzumaki family, you have been the most dangerous. Ever since you were found in the wilderness." He walked away but not before being punched in the back especially hard, also not knowing that Mari was watching the display. She quickly shut the door and tended to Naruto, who had just woken up.
Konoha…
As the villagers started funeral proceedings under the supervision of the Third Hokage, he was approached by Danzo Shimamura, one of the village elders. "Danzo, what are you doing here?"
"Peace, Sarutobi. We have no reason to fight amongst ourselves in this delicate situation. I was just coming to inform you of a startling discovery." He took a forehead protector with a gash and an engraved rose out of his pocket. "Do you recognize this?"
His eyes widened. "Are you accusing Minato's wife, Kushina, of murder and high treason?" Danzo was silent, but at this point, words were meaningless. The proof was right in front of them. Uzumaki Kushina, wife of Namikaze Minato, killed her husband.
"Deny it all you like, Hiruzen, but it's clear what you must do." Hiruzen simply pocketed the gear and left the proceedings, saddened by the events.
He decided that he would announce the evidence and walk along the new path set by today's events.
End
Please review.
I'm not going to make any promises, but I will say that I'll try my best to make at least one chapter of any of my stories at least once a month.
As I'm reading over my story, I'm making miniscule changes to my story to make sense.