Author's Notes: I really hope you like it. You can give suggestions on the storyline and I'll definitely consider what you guys put! Hopefully, the updates won't be too slow and I'll keep up if I decide to continue this story. It's really all up to you guys out there! Don't forget to review your thoughts. Please review!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Mangekyou's Blessing

Chapter 1

Waking up on a forest floor wasn't exactly the ideal place to sleep—if you call death sleep— especially when there was one hell of a sharp rock poking at your backside. Cracking his eyes open, Naruto groaned out loudly, several of his muscles twitching and aching mercilessly when he tried to move. "What happened?" he wondered, eyes widening at the sound of his voice. Scrambling into a sitting position despite his pain, he gazed down at his body, a sting of mental curses flowing furiously through his mind as he took in the small hands, small feet, and just small everything! The white haired boy vaguely registered in his head that he held no injuries of any kind on his form, busy with noticing something else as his mind caught up with him. He was a bloody kid! And what was worse was that he wasn't only a brat, the genjutsu for his disguise had broken and he definitely didn't have enough chakra to perform that kind of jutsu, let alone a constant one.

He never really took the time to look at his real appearance back then so he obviously didn't quite know how he looked now. His hair was about the same length as before, mildly tame but not, giving him a vintage of just waking up from bed. Naruto's white hair was the color of pure snow, windswept to the side and framing his delicately structured, but well chiseled face innocently. His skin lost his original tan with the boy now sporting a much paler tone that gave him a healthy glow accompanied only by his snowy hair, as well. His eyes darkened into a midnight blue that shone brightly from his white hair and pale complexion. He sighed, looking down at his body and seeing it clothed in a simple long-sleeved navy blue shirt and black pants that went to his calves with his ankles wrapped in bandages and sandals on his feet. Naruto digested that he was about six or seven years old given from his small stature and short form. This was not good, definitely not good at all.

His thoughts quickly traveled to Orochimaru, pulling a small growl from his throat. 'That bastard played us the fool! I can't believe we fell for it for so long! He must have changed his plans for the body switch and kept the act in order to gain advantage.' His mind wove around all the possibilities, 'That bastard, I can't wait to kill him myself.'

Pushing himself up and using the tree for support, he winced at the cracking of his bones. He was near the border of the east gate of Konoha, he was sure of it. Suppressing his mental screams that the wall should be in ruins and that the forest inside and outside of the border was supposed to be barren, he bit his tongue in an effort to control himself, ignoring the metallic taste of his blood. It was a good thing that he was inside rather an out, though. 'But, how did I get there?' he thought, regretting it as an onslaught of other questions that he so skillfully repressed surfaced.

Shaking his head, Naruto tried to clear his thoughts out, but it didn't really work out. Sighing in frustration, he rubbed the side of his head, 'What do I do now?' Turning toward the village, he headed through the forest, strongly restraining his physical and mental urges to hit the closest object and curse out loud every time he saw something he was sure had been destroyed or damaged during the war. He would contain himself because whatever sick game this was, he was better than that. Nothing would get under his skin.

As Naruto walked around the village, he didn't recognize or see a single familiar face in sight. It was strange and unnerving as he felt panic begin to swell in his chest with each unrecognizable face that he passed. What the hell kind of twisted jutsu was this?! The aura of hate and fear had been lifted. The blonde wasn't really in his right mind to think if he was happy or sad about that particular fact right now. There was no one—no one that he had once known. He was alone…just as he'd always been. Naruto finally thought he had escaped the cold heartache that was loneliness, but he knew that it was a lie he presented not only to others but himself, as well. He would be alone until the day he died and all previous thoughts didn't lessen the pain of his heart and soul. No one understood him like he wanted them to, not even Gaara understood what he wanted and needed. The Kazekage was a good friend and all, who was in a very similar position, but he had the love of a family and even his village now. There was always that voice in the back of his mind that reminded him that maybe he was meant for this, to be born like this and perhaps he was. He had always been alone until he met his few precious people and they became something more, something his heart treasured and loved even though they may not have felt that exact same way. That was just the way he was, though.

Before, he made sure—took the necessary precautions to make himself unreachable so that no one could hurt him, but those very few had somehow carved and broken their way through his mask, his ultimate defense, did because they saw his hurt, saw his demons—literally and figuratively—and did not turn away. It was a time where he had wondered how and when he became reachable not by their standards but his. He knew, though. He knew that no matter how many people accepted him as he was; he would still live the life on an empty road because they would never truly understand his loneliness and the pain that he suffered. They couldn't love him fully and unrequitedly like he loved them. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts didn't shake the mood of depression and anxiety that clouded his heart and filled his mind. It didn't matter anymore anyway because once again he was alone, and this time no one could or would reach him. He would make sure of it.

Looking up, the blonde found that his feet had taken him to the park, or more specifically the swing that he used to sit on as a child when he used to watch the other kids run around and play or spend time with their families while he sat there watching as an observer. He was glad to find that it was still there in the exact same area as it had always been. It was something familiar to him that he held with the smallest bit of sentimental value, and without it, it would have been lonely and heartbreaking. It sounded stupid, even in his own mind but that was how it was. Sighing heavily, Naruto slipped off his sandals and plopped down onto the seat with as much gracefulness as his tired form could muster, which wasn't saying much at all at the moment.

'Damn the Uchiha, damn his eyes, damn this life,' white hair tousled and covering his face as the revelations of what happened sunk in, 'just…damn…' He sighed heavily, shoulders slumping in defeat, 'Damn.'

'What the hell am I going to do now?' Naruto moped, keeping his head down and staring at nothing in particular while running his feet through the grass, lightly swaying back and forth on his swing. He didn't notice someone approaching him until a shadow was cast over him, and cloth blocked his vision. Blinking in confusion, Naruto tilted his head up and locked eyes with someone he thought he would never see outside death. The boy was almost like a carbon copy of how he looked as a kid. It was the Yondaime. 'The hell?' Naruto's eyes widened momentarily before he quickly sealed his emotions with a practiced ease and looked at the other with a neutral face. Naruto had a limit and he was definitely pushing it. 'The damn fox has a hell of a lot of explaining to do, damnit!'

"Hi! What's your name? I'm Namikaze Minato."

Naruto stared at the boy before him with concealed surprise, his wide eyed roaming over the other's boyish face and taking in that innocent and happy aura surrounding him.

'Too innocent,' the blonde thought to himself. As he looked over the other, he suddenly realized just how annoyingly alike they used to really look. How could anyone possibly miss it? It really came as no surprise with the seal and all but it always proved to amaze him. 'We could've been brothers.' There had been little differences of course, between the two and Naruto had to wonder if he was approached merely because of the distinct similarities. Shaking his head at the absurdity of it all, Naruto reminded himself that he wasn't nearly the splitting image of the Fourth Hokage anymore.

He must have been staring for quite a while, realizing this when he noticed the other's boy's smile slowly start to falter. Naruto's mind raced to find a name—any name, which unfortunately lead to him blurting out his birth name rather unexpectedly. "Shinji, Shinji Keita." Argh! He could've smacked himself, but that would have just made him look retarded, and he only did that when no one was looking…most of the time.

The boy's face blossomed into a beautiful smile and Keita couldn't help but do the same. Even he was surprised how genuine and natural it came upon his face. The white haired boy didn't really want to think about the things that were justly weighing heavily on his mind at the moment…or at all, but we can't always get what we want, can we? That's just too bad.

A brief uncomfortable silence passed between the two until Keita decided to break it, his curiosity getting the better of him—and the fact that it was getting kind of irritating with the boy standing there staring at him. "Did you need something?" He asked, glancing at the other blonde who suddenly began to look uneasy.

Shifting his weight nervously at the intense gaze, "I-I...," Minato stuttered, bowing his head and suddenly finding a spot on the floor completely fascinating. Keita's deep navy eyes softened because although he may be a child in body, he certainty wasn't one in spirit, and as such, he saw himself as older and definitely more mentally mature while the boy before him was a child in his eyes. He reached out attentively with a tenderness that was held only for a child, outstretching his hand and placing his fingers under the boy's chin and slowly lifting it for those cerulean eyes that he knew so much—as they had once been his—to meet his own.

Keita tilted his head a bit in inquiry, "You…" he trailed off, waiting for his unspoken question to be answered. The other blonde wasn't paying attention though, eyes glazed over mesmerized by those eyes—eyes so deep that they never seemed to end. It was almost as if time had stopped. 'He…he's so beautiful.' blinking out of his thoughts, Minato blushed when he found the other boy gazing at him with a raised brow, amusement dancing in his eyes. It had nothing to do with the way that this Keita person was still holding him. Really, absolutely nothing at all.

Keita took this time to also study the supposedly strongest Hokage to grace the village of Konoha. Maybe there were more differences now that he was looking at the boy closer. Whereas Keita's hair as Naruto had once been bright sunshine blonde to an almost blind proportion, the Fourth had a more of a golden blonde tint, but his eyes were pretty much the same as his were before.

"W-would you like to p-play with m-me?"

Ah. Children can be so unpredictable and surprisingly simplistic sometimes. He should have suspected something like that. "For today," Keita spoke softly, watching Minato's head snap up, showing wide eyes filled with amazed shock and glistening with incomprehensible happiness. "Just for today," he repeated with a whispered confirmation.

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Namikaze Kazumasa was by no means a very diplomatic man, but he looked and played every part of a regal, dignified clan leader that he was. Kazumasa was a ruggedly handsome man, tall and broad shouldered with a firm body structure, and the bangs of his sandy blonde hair framing his strong, finely chiseled face. Most of his hair was tied in a short ponytail, revealing the same intense cerulean eyes that made him a feared and well respected adversary in both ninja rank and political stature. He usually wore a traditional kimono covered by a formal haori over it, complimenting his aura of modest dignity and leading confidence. He was a patient man that was protective over his family and clan but sometimes…

"Oji-sama!" A shout rang through the compound as said person, Namikaze Kazumasa, inwardly sighed into the papers that he currently held in his hands and were also littered all across his desk, as well. He had no time for this. There was just no break when it came to that boy. He ignored the suddenly slam of his door as a brown haired teenager bounced in enthusiastically chattering continuously with too-fast-to-catch-words, noting that he could faintly hear a couple of voices shouting their disapproval at the rude and unexpected intrusion.

This time he bowed his head in exhaustion and outwardly sighed, too, just for good measure before he covered the boy's mouth to make his talking stop, but it took him a while to realize that the elder couldn't hear him with his hand positioned there. Kazumasa took a deep breath, "Koji, you are a grown young man and also now a chuunin." he stated, shaking his head exasperatedly. "When are you going to start acting like it?"

"Uh…when I'm old like you?" The "old man" twitched at the jab at his age before rolling his eyes. He was hopeless, he thought, deciding to voice it, as well. "You're hopeless."

Koji feigned hurt, placing a hand over his heart dramatically, but his bright, excited eyes completely contradicted and ruined the whole act, not that it was really believable to begin with, though. The boy was never very good at keep his emotions in check anyway.

"Don't you want to know what I have to tell you?" The boy asked eagerly, jumping up and down barely able to hold his excitement.

Sighing, Kazumasa raised a finely sculpted brow as he watched his nephew bounce around the room like a five year old. "That really depends now, doesn't it?"

"But it's important!" Whining really didn't help the situation at all. Kazumasa just gave up. His nephew would most likely just end up bugging him about it later anyway.

"Okay, okay. Could you repeat what you were saying then," Koji eagerly opened his mouth again but was cut off before it happened, "and slowly this time, Koji. I don't have the unique ability of picking out words from the river that flows out of your mouth." The chuunin just pouted for a bit but got over it soon enough so he could tell his supposedly important news.

"Well, I decided that today I would follow and spy on-"

Kazumasa felt like hitting himself on the head, covering his ears, and immaturely begin shouting, "Lalalalala…I'm not listening!" over and over again, barely containing himself. Why did he always fall for it every time Koji claims what he has to say is "important?"

"On second thought, do I even want to know?" He made sure to stress that word out so that not even the brunette could miss the hint, not that he ever did, and he just ended up usually ignoring it anyway.

"I should hope so." The boy looked up thoughtfully, a grin stretching across his face. "It's about chibi."

Kazumasa lifted his head to look at him, eyes reflecting his surprise for a second, and then sharpening a moment later. "What about Minato?" he asked cautiously.

If it was possible, Koji's grin widened even more. "He made a little friend today," he spoke in a sing-song voice, watching for his uncle's reaction to what he said. He was satisfied to see the normally composed, laidback man staring at him, rigid in shock that clearly showed upon his face.

"A friend?" He whispered almost as if he were whispering it to himself.

The brown haired teenager nodded happily, "Hai…it was interesting. Not like anyone that I've felt before. There's just something about that kid that I can't really grasp."

He realized that Koji used the word "felt" quite tactfully and stored it for later use, not wanting to question about it now, "Is he a danger?"

"I can't tell you that. All I've seen them do is play," Koji shrugged, "there's just something about him, something special, I guess you could call it." deciding to add that as an afterthought.

Kazumasa smiled easily, chuckling at the implication. "Most children are," he spoke out but paused in thought, "when they're not tormenting people, at least."

"For the record, that's like most of the time," the brunette stated matter-a-factly, "but that's not what I meant. I think the only way you would understand is if you saw him and were near him."

The elder didn't speak for a while, but nodded, "I see," he spoke slowly. Koji's eyes widened waiting for a bigger type of reaction, motioning for him to continue but it never came. "You see what?" He asked impatiently, surprised when his uncle looked up at him seriously, words coming out brisk and firm. "I see that you really need to get a hobby-"

Taken aback, his jaw dropped in shock, "Eh?"

Kazumasa just continued as if he didn't hear a thing, "because following and spying on your cousin is no way to spend yours and unknowingly my son's time, as well. It's a waste, and you can spend that time training and doing other productive things." he stated, leaving Koji no room for arguments. "It's actually also kind of creepy, too."

Koji gave him a flat look. "I would think that that's the first thing you would mention." The elder man gave a small shrug in response. "Yes, well, I would also think that you would have a life as well," he drawled, looking lazily at his nephew through half-lidded eyes, "but apparently we can't always be right, can we?"

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"It's getting late." Keita stated, looking at the height of the sun over the horizon. It would be setting soon in a little over an hour. "I think that you should head home."

Receiving no reply, he tipped his head to the side, eyes shining questionably. "Hey, is something the matter?"

Shuffling his feet, the blonde turned to him. "Can we play again tomorrow, Keita?" Minato asked hesitantly, gazing up at the white haired boy with his head slightly bowed from his seat on the grass covered floor fidgeting nervously. Smiling sadly, Keita looked away shaking his head slowly from side to side, "I don't think that I can. It was just for today." he spoke softly. "I'm sorry."

Keita turned his eyes elsewhere; he never did like it when children cried. Walking a few paces away, the blue eyed boy spotted something and bent down, plucking a flower from the forest floor and gingerly fingering the silky smooth petals. Turning back, he spoke, "Please don't cry," he whispered, lifting the boy's face with his left hand and using the pad of his thumb to wipe the tears away while Minato sloppily brushed the right side with his sleeve before harshly slapping his hand away in anger. "Don't cry because of me."

"I'm not!" the blonde shouted, swiping away the tears that ran down his face with his sleeves. "You're my first friend. I don't understand. Why are you leaving me?"

"I'm not leaving you."

"Yes! Yes, you are!" he cried. "Don't lie to me!"

Kneeling before the boy, Keita spoke in an even voice, eyes glinting with firm determination. "I would never lie to you on purpose if I knew it would hurt you."

Minato just curled up, seeming every bit of the small child that he was, if not smaller. "Then why?" he whispered.

The white haired boy said nothing. Instead, choosing to twist and twirl the flower between his fingers. It truly was stunning with the countless white petals swirling beautifully around the stem in an organized frilly-like fashioned and showered in pink, making a perfect combination of white with the barest hint of pink. "You see this flower, Minato?" he asked.

"Y-yeah," Minato nodded reluctantly, "but flowers are for girls." he huffed out, crossing his arms over his chest and frowning stubbornly.

Keita smiled lightly, but it didn't quite reach his eyes, his sadness reflecting in them. "I like flowers." he claimed proudly. "Does that make me a girl?" he asked, amusement over shining the curiosity dancing across his face. He lowered his eyes back down at the flower, he fingered it thoughtfully. "Generally, this beauty right here is called a Camellia." taking in the sweet fragrance, the white haired boy smiled as the silky, soft petals brushed against his nose. "What's special about this flower is what it represents."

Minato gazed up at the flower, then back to his face. "Represents?" cocking his head to the side, he asked in a bemused voice.

"Ah," Keita breathed out in agreement, "it represents fate and destiny." smiling at the look of interest peeking on the boy's face. "So, if we are truly meant to meet again some day, then fate will decide if we will, you see?" Minato just stared at him strangely before nodding a bit in a confused manner. Keita's smile thinned out into a line as he lifted his head up towards the cloudless sky. "I'm not one to believe in fate or destiny, though, but I do believe that it connects and intertwines ours, and the villagers and everyone's lives together in ways that are a complete mystery to me and beyond my understanding." he stated, closing his eyes and feeling the wind brush his hair and sweep past his face. "That, I do believe with all my heart and soul."

They stayed like that, in a comfortable serene silence that carried the understanding between them—the promise, even if Minato didn't quite grasp it; he knew the significance that this moment held. "Do you understand?"

The blonde shook his head negatively, disappointment and shame showing on his face. Keita just smiled that small, calm smile of his that held nothing, said nothing and perhaps even meant nothing, looking blank of anything in Minato's eyes. "Perhaps, some day you will." The white haired boy leaned forward, hugging the child close. "Until we meet again…" his breath tickling the other's ear as the blonde tightly fisted the back of his friend's shirt, burying his head into his shoulder and feeling that familiar sting at the back of his eyes. "Please…"

Then, everything went black.

Keita…

…don't leave me…

Keita sighed heavily as he detangled himself from the boy, removing his fingers from pressure point on his neck and setting him carefully against the bark of a tree. He made sure the future Kage was comfortable, gingerly wrapping Minato's little hands around the flower, and then headed off. He only looked back once before disappearing from sight.

"We will meet again…"

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'Where could he possibly be?'

Kazumasa hurried through the village, his feet quickly taking him to the park with as much dignity as he would allow. He normally didn't care much for appearances, unfortunately as the head clan leader, his actions not only reflected and spoke for himself but his whole clan, as well. Sure, no pressure there.

"Minato!" he yelled across the clearing, cupping his around his mouth to project his voice. "Why could he be?" whispering to himself. "Minato!" The clan leader now regretted not sending anyone out to search for his child, but really, his son should know better!

Dread began to seep into his body as Kazumasa quickly headed toward the forest. It was the only possible place that his son could be, as least he hoped so. It had to be. Soon after, the man saw a flash of bright blonde hair, swiftly heading in that direction and picking up his pace as his heart beat faster against his chest.

Upon arriving at his destination, he stopped short a few feet away, sighing in relief as he saw his son peacefully sleeping at the base of a tree. Gingerly picking the boy up did nothing to prevent his awakening, as the blonde blinked the sleep out of his daze-filled eyes, rubbing them with his fists over his father's shoulder and looking out into the distance as recent events caught up to him. "Otousan?"

"Ah," he responded, still holding his son tightly against him, his anger seeping away quickly. He didn't have the heart to scold the blonde right now, happy that he was safe and to be holding him. "You worried me, little one." Minato buried his head into his shoulder, seeking comfort as the boy wrapped his small arms around his father's neck grasping the flower tightly.

"He left," the boy whispered, "and it hurts, tousan."

Minato turned slightly, looking into the other blonde's eyes, "Why did he leave me?" he asked in a small, uncertain tone that was laced with confusion. Before Kazumasa could respond, Minato began to voice his bewilderment.

The clan leader didn't know what to say, softly brushing the boy's silky blonde hair back repeatedly in soothing motions. "I don't know."

"I didn't understand what he was saying, but he said that this flower means fate and destiny and that if we are supposed to meet again than we would," the boy spoke in a questioning voice, "I think."

"Do you think we'll see each other again, tousan?"

Kazumasa gazed at his son, rolling the possible answers in his mind thoughtfully. "Yes, you just might one day."

Minato turned to his father, innocent cerulean eyes wide with excitement and curiosity, looking for a trace of doubt or hesitation on the blonde's face. "Really? You're sure?"

"Yes," The man smiled as he lowered his face slowly, whispering into his son's golden hair tenderly. "I'm sure you'll meet again."

…We will meet again…

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Keita felt the guilt nagging at the back of his mind as he walked away from the boy, but it had to be done. The white haired boy needed to figure everything out before he could make any irrational decisions. His mind was a mess and the emotional scars he bore didn't help with the situation either. "I doubt he'll even remember me." He whispered to himself as he battled with his conflicted emotions.

Keita didn't know if he felt relieved or disappointed with what he spoke but quickly banished the thoughts from his mind. Speaking in a neutral voice, remembering to keep himself in check. As long as he didn't think of it, then he technically wasn't in denial. Well, that's how he saw it anyways, and no one was here to tell him different. That meant he was right, right?

"Wrong."

He blinked in confusion for a moment, 'Kyuu?'

"You seriously have some mental problems, you know that?" the demon spoke flatly as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

'Tell me something I don't know.' sitting on the forest floor, staring at nothing in particular. 'But I wonder whose fault it could possibly be.' Keita thought sarcastically, directing all his irritation to the fox.

"Hey, hey, don't blame all of your internal issues on me," the demon spoke. "Even if I wish that I could be." The fox claimed in an unconvincing voice.

Keita smiled, purposefully talking in a baby voice, 'Would it make you feel better if I told you that you were?'

"Well, maybe a little bit."

'Geez, you're such a baby!' He laughed, pretty much able to see Kyuubi pouting in his little self-induced corner. After a moment, the fox straightened himself, body tense and stiff. "Kit," he spoke, knowing the boy could feel the sudden tension, "we need to talk."

Keita gazed up at the demon lord, his unwavering stare meeting those of the Kyuubi, momentarily taking in the fox's large structure and menacing presence that demanded nothing short of idolizing respect. His red, crimson blood eyes boring into his own as the white haired boy gave a slow nod in acknowledgement and half acceptance. "Yes. I suppose we do, don't we?"

"Come, it is something we need to speak of up close."

He nodded in agreement even though he was still awake to the real world, getting into a comfortable position for his meditation. He saw the grass beneath his feet as he closed his eyes and the next thing he saw was the all too familiar place that resembled a hall of dripping sewers, shadows encompassing the walls, and water pooling at his feet that left a dank and hollow feel in the pit of his stomach. Keita lifted his head, midnight blue eyes landing on the Kyuubi questionably with happiness swirling beneath its depths. "We haven't seen this background in quite a while, ne Kyuu?" The demon looked the same as ever, with his massive stature and nine tails, menacing fangs, piercing crimson eyes and overbearing aura of power and authority that could only belong to that of a demon lord.

Kyuubi just sighed, "Your mindscape returned to its original format when you were…detained." The white haired boy cocked his head slightly to the side before nodding. The landscape seemed to bend and mold out of fabrication, eventually settling on a backdrop of a forest.

Keita turned to the fox with his brow raised, "So?"

The demon stared at the boy for a while, contemplating what he was about reveal to his vessel. "Kit, we have a bit of a problem."

His other brow quickly rose, following the first. "Care to elaborate?"

"Until we can come up with a solution, you'll never be able to return to your original plane." He stated bluntly in a well practiced neutral tone.

Keita narrowed his eyes, mouth thinning unhappily. "What do you mean by, 'until we come up with a solution'?"

"The only way to return is through your own doing. I have no way of helping you. The other human's ability is a tricky skill that has to be taken care of delicately or else unwanted circumstances may occur in this delicate situation."

"I'm still not quite following your train of thought."

"The Mangekyou Sharingan is capable of doing many unforeseen things." the fox stated, flicking his tails in a show of his agitation. "Like your useless silver haired sensei, who was able to make a target literally disappear—for lack of a better word—into a portal to another dimension, the Uchiha was also able to create his own, as well."

Keita said nothing in return. His eyes closed off to the world as he took in the new information. Kyuubi knew he was listening as the boy's only indication of so was the constant clenching and unclenching of his fists. The fox continued unhindered after a long pause, with the boy giving no sign of objection. "As I'm sure you've figured out, the brat sent you back whether he knew what he was doing or not."

"Did he send me back in time or to another world completely?" The demon snapped his eyes over to him, eyes sharply roving over the snowy haired figure. "The explanations and logistics of it are quite complex and intricate in its standing to explain."

"Then come up with an unpretentious description to describe to me this 'complex and intricate' explanation." Keita jeered quietly coldly, his midnight blue eyes darkening. The demon glared back, meeting the boy's eyes evenly with his tails swinging in angered fury. "You know nothing, so don't demand information of me, human." the fox hissed, baring his fangs threateningly.

He gazed up at the demon calculatingly, leveling him up before sighing in defeat and giving up as he saw no other way to gather the information he needed. "Look, Kyuu, I'm sorry, okay? I…I just…" Keita sighed again, nervously running a shaky hand through his hair. He paced a bit in front of his resident, finally coming to a stop and trying to come up with something to say.

The fox watched him all the while, letting the silence between them stretch before continuing as if nothing happened. Keita sent him a small smile, seeing the forgiveness that the demon lord offered him. "As it does seem that you have been sent back in time, it is only partially true. When the Uchiha used his doujutsu on you, he sent you through a portal that did send you back in time, but as the world you were originally from can't just disappear or be erased from the universal plane or space time continuum, another world was created as a result. It is what you mortals would call a parallel universe."

Keita furrowed his brows together, slight confusion overruling the fear and panic that reflected in his eyes. "If what you say is true, then doesn't something need to be different if this was a parallel universe?"

"Yes, there is supposedly always something that will or is different in each one these worlds. It is clearly impossible for a being to coexist in the same time plane. So, you can just envision the contrasts that the future will hold, can't you?" the fox gazed at Keita from the corner of his eye.

The boy's mouth flapped open a few times before snapping it shut in shock. His mind racing through all the possibilities of there being no demon attack, no destruction or loss of valuable shinobi and families, no hate, no glares and most of all no Uzumaki Naruto. "So, that means this world that we're in will ultimately turn out differently in the end."

"Of course, you may not realize it, Kit, but it has already begun."

Keita looked up at him with a flabbergasted expression upon his face that made the fox want to laugh, "What? What do you mean that--how?"

"You."

If possible, blue eyes grew wider, mouth parted in absolute shock, only one word running through his mind and slipping past his lips that described the situation perfectly.

"Shit."

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Minato gasped, shooting up from his bed, breathing heavily and clutching the front of his shirt. 'It was that dream again.' he thought as he turned his head to stare out his window overlooking the village. "It's been three years since that day," his voice whispered softly. The light was barely up above the blanket of buildings and trees. The blonde closed his eyes briefly, turning slowly away from the sight and rising from his seat to prepare for the day in relaxed movements.

'No, not a dream,' he thought quietly, 'never a dream, but a memory.'

Minato paused in the doorway and glanced back, eyes drifting from the window then to the flowers that stood proudly within the vase at his bedside. 'Do you remember, Keita?'

"Something feels wrong." He closed his eyes again. "No. Not wrong, but different." turning his eyes away and resuming his morning duties. 'Something's going to happen today.' The blonde's cerulean eyes gleamed, narrowing in thought. 'I can feel it.'

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Well, this chapter hardly took any work at all probably because it was actually part of the prologue but I separated them to make it shorter. Ha! It feels good to do nothing…hahah…nah, it actually took a lot of revisions and work so anyways…I hope you enjoyed it and please tell me what you think and if you have any suggestions to give! Your reviews will help me decide if I want to keep going on with this story. The next chapter will probably skip a few years but that's all I'm going to tell you!

Please Review!

Much Love!

xxFrozenSn0wxx