So, this chapter was like half done a couple of days ago but then my computer freaked out and I lost everything since I didn't save... Thankfully I was able to write through it. Hope you like it. If you have any questions then leave a review and I'll answer next chapter.

Naruto: Making of a Hokage

True Pain Arc

Ch.37 The Mysterious Member

"I see. So you're still alive."

A silence passed through the room.

This wasn't the first time that they had met. It had been years since the last time they last saw each other face to face.

Back then...

Years Ago

Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, studied the three elders he had called to his office. Sworn to secrecy over the delicate issue, none of them were willing to negotiate with the Uchiha Clan. It was no secret that the clan had problems with the authority of the village, but what the public didn't know was that whispers of a revolt had begun to emerge.

"I will not punish the clan for something that they haven't done," the Fourth said. "We can negotiate with them, I'm sure that they don't want to start a civil war either."

"It is senseless to attempt to reason with them," Homura Mitokado, a former member of the Second Hokage's team, said in a stern voice.

"He's right," Koharu Utatene, also a member of the Second Hokage's team, agreed. "As the authority of the village, it is your job to make sure that everyone is safe."

The Fourth frowned, "That's exactly what I'm trying to do. You can't tell me that starting a fight inside of the village can keep anyone safe."

"There will be a fight either way," Danzo said, "We should attack before they have the chance."

"The reason I brought you three today was so that I could tell you about my plans. None of you will change my decision. Homura, Koharu, you two are dismissed."

Danzo masked his confusion as the two elders left. What could the Hokage want without the others hearing?

"I will be frank with this Danzo," the Fourth started in a very serious manner. "Just as the Third did, I was willing to overlook your secret organization. I understand that it carried out many missions that were best left secret for the good of the village. But after hearing about some of the suspicious things you have done in the last few years, I have decided to put a stop to Root."

The elder fought hard to keep his anger in check.

"That is all that I wanted to say to you today. You may leave."

Hearing the command on his words, Danzo swallowed his rage and left the room.

Once he heard the door close, Minato slumped down on his chair and sighed.

"Work getting to you?" Came a sudden voice.

The Fourth smiled wearily and turned to look out his window, "You have no idea Jiraiya-sensei."

"I had a feeling that's the kind of things a Hokage has to worry about," the Toad Sage said, entering the room and moving to sit on one of the chairs in front of Minato's desk. "That's why I did the smart thing and refused the job all those years ago."

"You've always been wise," Minato humored him with an appreciative smile. His teacher had a way of lightening the mood wherever he was.

"So tell me, why did you challenge Danzo so openly?"

"It's a way for me to make sure that he doesn't try anything," he responded. "With the relations with the Uchiha Clan going south, the last thing I need is for Danzo to try something on his own. While he lays low, I might hopefully manage to fix things."

Jiraiya nodded, eyes closed and a smile on his face. Despite his calm demeanor, his former student was always positive, no matter the cause. Even on the missions they had together during the war, he had a certain charisma that made those around him become hopeful. Now as Hokage, that same charisma seemed to expand the whole village.

He briefly wondered what sort of person Minato's child would be. Would he be calm and collected as his father? Or would he be loud and fiery like his mother?

Only time would tell.

"So Minato, nervous about becoming a father?"

The change in conversation brought a bright smile to Minato's face.

"I am, so much that I sometimes can't sleep. But at the same time," his eyes seemed to shine in happiness as he looked at his teacher. And, with a bright smile on his face, said, "I can't wait to meet him!"

Kushina Uzumaki tried not to let the nervousness show on her face as she was led out of the village by Biwako Sarutobi, the wife of the Third Hokage.

On their way out to a safe place with a barrier to deliver the baby, the old woman was quite blunt and not shy of showing her annoyance every time Kushina complained.

"This delivery is considered classified. Please try not to scream if contractions start."

"Of course I won-AAAAHHHH!"

"Lord Hokage keep the seal in place!" Scolded Biwako as a screaming Kushina lay in bed a sweaty mess.

"R-Right," he stammered before wincing when Kushina let out a bloodcurdling scream. "She's really in pain! Is it supposed to be this way!? Maybe something is going wrong!"

"Good grief, you're the Fourth Hokage! Don't panic! This is the reason why women have babies, you men can't handle pain!"

"But she's-"

Minato tried to argue but stopped when he felt a powerful chakra from the seal on Kushina's stomach. The fox was trying to break out at all costs, clearly it knew as well as they did that a female jinchuuriki's seal was the most vulnerable during birth.

That's right, he couldn't panic. Neither he or Kushina were done.

Kushina screamed loudly with tears rolling down the side of her face.

"The head's out! We're almost done Kushina!" Biwako said.

"Keep going. You can do this," the medic helping deliver the baby said.

Once again, the powerful chakra pushed against the seal, causing Minato to struggle to keep the fox from breaking out.

"Hurry Naruto, come out! You stay inside Nine-Tails!"

Minato closed his eyes as Kushina let out one final scream, before it was joined by the sound of crying.

Time seemed to stop for Minato. As soon as he heard the baby crying, he opened his eyes and looked at the tiny baby, crying on Biwako's arms, in awe.

"Congratulations. It's a healthy baby boy," Biwako said with a gentle smile.

Minato laughed, which sounded more like a whimper, and tears rolled down his face.

"Haha. I'm a father."

"Naruto..." Kushina said weakly when the baby was placed next to her. "I finally get to meet you..."

"Okay Kushina," Minato said while the baby was taken away. "I promise that you'll get to rest after this but we're not done yet. We have to get the Nine-Tails completely sealed."

Kushina panted but managed to nod, "Right..."

All of a sudden, twin startled screams were heard, before two bodies dropped on the floor.

"Biwako! Taji!"

Standing over the two dead bodies, was a cloaked ninja wearing a strange mask. On his arms, was the newborn baby.

"Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. Back away from the jinchuuriki," he moved a hand to the baby's face as a threat, "Or else your son dies at the tender age of one minute."

'Who the hell is this guy? For him to get past the barrier...he's no ordinary ninja.' Minato thought to himself with a frown.

"I believe I told you to back away. Do you not care for your newborn son?"

Minato raised his hands, "Hold it! Just calm down!"

"You should take your own advice Lord Hokage. Unlike you, I'm perfectly calm."

With that the man tossed the baby in the air and took a kunai on his left hand.

"Naruto!" Kushina cried out as the man thrust the kunai forward with every intention to kill her son.

Faster than the eye could blink, Minato flickered out of view and reappeared behind the man with Naruto safely on his arms.

"You live up to the name of 'Yellow Flash' but what will you do now?"

Minato looked down at his son when he heard the sound of a burning paper tag and looked down in horror to see the blanket wrapped around his son covered with explosive tags. Minato wasted no time and quickly pulled the blanket away from his son before the tags exploded.

The Fourth appeared outside of the smoking building with Naruto in his arms.

"Thank goodness... You're not hurt."

That strange man was after Kushina, there was no doubt about that. But he couldn't go after them just yet, first he had to make sure that their son was completely safe.

With that in mind, he disappeared in a yellow flash.

All in the village were horrified.

After hearing a terrifying loud roar, the massive form of the Nine-Tails could be spotted by many in the distance. With its size, it was hard not to see it.

For someone like the masked man, this was just what he was waiting for.

Standing before the giant bijuu, he was genuinely surprised when he noticed the weak jinchuuriki crawling towards him.

"S-Stop this..."

"How versatile," the masked man praised. "I see it is not a myth that the Uzumaki are something special. Even ripping out your Tailed Beast didn't kill you."

The Kyuubi roared as it raised its right arm.

"It's only fitting for the beast to kill its former jinchuuriki."

As the Nine-Tails brought its hand down to crush the ground, a flicker of light shone in the darkness and Minato appeared just in time to take his wife in his arms and jump away from the attack.

"Minato... Naruto...is he..." Ignoring everything else, Kushina could only ask the one thing that mattered to her at the moment, "Is Naruto okay?"

"Yes," he answered with a gentle smile on his face. "He's fine. I hid him somewhere safe."

Despite the situation. Despite her body being in shock. Despite her being incredibly exhausted to.

She smiled.

"Thank goodness..." She managed before blacking out.

Minato's smile disappeared when he turned to look at the masked man with a hateful glare before disappearing once again.

This time he reappeared on a small room where the baby Naruto slept on a bed.

"...why?"

Kushina had seemed to regain consciousness for the moment.

"Don't worry about why. Just stay with Naruto."

He helped her move to the bed to lay next to their son.

Kushina whimpered as she held the baby to her face, "Naruto."

Minato somberly watched the scene before his fists clinched to the point of drawing blood, and he stood up abruptly to gather his things.

Donning his white cloak, he gave one last look to his unconscious wife and sleeping baby.

"I'll be back before you know it."

When the Kyuubi suddenly vanished the villagers thought that things had somehow worked out, but their relief was short-lived as the massive demon suddenly appeared in the middle of the village, crushing anything or anyone that was near it.

The Nine-Tails turned its head to the Hokage Monument, where a glaring Fourth Hokage stood.

"So you noticed me already, huh?"

Bright yellow chakra gathered on its open wide-open mouth to create a massive ball of energy, but the Fourth did not flinch.

He simply got one of his special kunai, ran through dozens of hand signs at an incredible speed and held it out in front of him.

The Kyuubi let loose a massive blast of chakra that would surely obliterate anything on its path but a black portal opened up in front of the Hokage and took the attack before disappearing, preventing disaster. Seconds later, an incredibly loud blast could be heard but too far from the village to cause any damage.

Minato knew that he had to tell the Third what was happening but he suddenly swiped backwards with a kunai on hand, that was caught by the masked ninja that had appeared behind him.

"We're done."

The space around him seemed to pull towards the man's eye, but Minato quickly teleported to one of the special kunai he had around the village. This particular one took him to the building where Kushina had given birth just minutes ago.

"I won't let you escape."

Space swirling in front of him, the masked man appeared before Minato once again.

'He uses space-time techniques too. It must be how he moved so far after taking Kushina. There were ANBU guarding us before. He must have killed them. He also knew that the seal would be weak while Kushina was giving birth, he could even summon the Kyuubi in the middle of the village.'

There was only one person that could do all of that.

"Are you Madara Uchiha?"

The masked man chuckled.

"No. You couldn't be. He's long dead."

"I don't know about that," the man responded, "But that is of no importance now. I plan to star a war. One that will bring an end to conflict. One that will bring true peace."

Minato glared, "You're right about one thing. In the end none of this will matter. Because I will stop you right here and now!"

After Minato was done with his fight against the strange masked man, he reappeared outside of the village along with the Kyuubi, his wife, and his newborn son.

"We have to hold it in place..." he said while panting.

"My chakra's almost completely drained but..." Kushina began before chains made of chakra emerged from her back and wrapped all around the Kyuubi's body.

Naruto began to cry, while a concerned Minato called her name.

"Sorry Naruto...I didn't mean to wake you."

"Kushina..."

"I'll drag the Nine-Tails back...and die with it inside me. That way it won't come back...at least for a while. It's the only way to save you both... I love you two so much..."

She smiled as blood flowed streamed down the sides of her mouth, "Thank you...for everything."

"Kushina..." Minato looked down while shaking slightly, "There's...no need for you to do that. There is another way to stop the Kyuubi."

Kushina looked at him in confusion.

Minato wiped away a few tears from his face and looked at his wife in determination.

"I can lead the Nine-Tails away with a weal only someone like me can use, the Dead Summon Seal."

"But that..!" Kushina exclaimed in surprise, "The user will die!"

"I'll only be able to seal half of the Kyuubi's power," he continued, ignoring his wife. "I can't let the Nine-Tails be revived without a jinchuuriki, there's no telling how much destruction that would bring. But with the Dead Demon Seal I can permanently seal half of the fox's power. As for the remaining half..."

"I'll seal the other half inside Naruto with the Eight Trigrams Seal."

Kushina gasped in shock, horror on her face.

"I know what you're going to say but there's no helping it. That masked man, the one who attacked you. He will bring disaster to the world," he said, voice not wavering. "Naruto will be the one to stop him. He'll do what we couldn't .I just know it."

"But Minato..."

"Have a little faith," he smiled as he ran through various hand seals until he finally stopped and the ghostly figure of the death god appeared behind him, already holding part of his soul. "He's out son after all."

From the shadows of the forest, having come after seeing the Kyuubi appear, Danzo watched the scene before him with his visible eye showing a glint of pleasure.

A new jinchuuriki.

A baby at that.

Far too easy to turn into the perfect weapon.

The temptation of taking the child with him was far too great but he couldn't let himself be hasty. There would be more opportunities in the future, he was sure of it. However, this other opportunity was something only a fool would let go by.

Kushina Uzumaki. A woman with special chakra, and also the former jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi. In her current state, breaking her was far too easy. Who knew what he would find in her mind? What countless jutsu and secret information he could gather.

With that in mind, his undid the wraps covering part of his face and a sharingan glowed in the darkness.

Kushina could barely hold on to life but she somehow managed to pull herself to Naruto's side.

He was quiet now, smiling even.

"What a pathetic scene."

"Eh?" She slowly raised her head and froze when seeing Danzo walking over to her.

"The Fourth Hokage, so adamant is going against me, ended up dying like a rat. How fitting," he chuckled to himself before kneeling down and grabbing the baby by an arm, causing him to wail uncontrollably.

"Naruto!"

The elder smirked before driving a hand through the baby's torso.

Blood splattered everywhere as the baby's cries stopped.

"N-Na..." Kushina's eyes were wide in horror, words refused to escape from her mouth, before she released an anguished cry of pain.

'Now,' Danzo smirked, preparing to hypnotize her so that she could give him precious information, but was forced to stop when his trained ears heard the sounds of incoming ninja.

"Dammit." He cursed. There was no way he could stop now. Now that the woman was a broken mess, with nothing to live for, he mind was incredibly easy to manipulate.

He decided to leave it up to fate.

A river going down to a deserted wooded area was in the vicinity. Perfect.

Danzo took the weeping mess that was Kushina by the arm and flung her across the area until she landed on the river and was gone with the current.

"Let's hope you manage to live until I can come retrieve you," he muttered to himself. Next he snapped his fingers, causing two Root ninja to emerge from the shadows, "Erase all traces of my being here. Do so quickly."

"Understood!"

A wanderer, visiting a shrine belonging to the Uzumaki, on the outskirts of the Leaf Village, had seen the disaster that struck the village moments before. However, the massive form of a Tailed Beast had disappeared and, though he could only feel tremors and hear the loud roars, everything had gone quiet.

Just when he was prepared to leave, he noticed something on a nearby river. A woman that appeared to be barely clinging to life, was caught by a log on the water.

The old wanderer quickly moved to the river and pulled out the woman, to notice the terrible shape she was in.

A gaping wound in her stomach.

Scratches all over her body.

Most concerning was her large belly that suggested pregnancy.

Taking that into consideration, he reaches into the many scrolls on his back and put them all down. With the years it had taken him to make each of the seals, it was easy for him to tell them apart, so it was quite simple for him to quickly apply two of his special seals infused with healing chakra to the woman.

He placed one on her chest and another on her stomach.

The green chakra covered covered the hole on the woman's stomach but it suddenly stopped.

"Hmm? Why are you rejecting it?" The old wanderer muttered to himself in surprise and then noticed something. It was small and sudden, far too sudden for someone other than him to notice, but he managed to see a tiny trace of red chakra flicker on one of his seals for just one moment.

"A jinchuuriki..." he muttered with a sad look on his face.

He then reached for another of his seals, this one having very complex writing on it, and placed it on her stomach.

Purple chakra emerged from the seal and covered the woman's stomach, before the light chakra flickered again, however, this time it merged with the seal and covered the woman's body.

Soon, he could see the wound began to close, as did most of her other wounds.

This was one of his most special seals. Made in case of a run in with a Tailed Beast or one of the poor ninja that had been made jinchuuriki.

Using the many seals, this purple chakra had the ability to merge and duplicate demonic chakra. If what he noticed was right, with the massive fox he had seen moments earlier, then this woman had had her Tailed Beast ripped out of her. It was nothing short of a miracle for him to have run into her.

His seal, able to duplicate demonic chakra and keep it steady for months, would be a sure way for this person's body to slowly get used to the sudden absence of the Tailed Beast, and live on.

A miracle indeed.

Kushina watched the grassy plains that seemed to extended forever with a blank look.

After parting ways with the old man that had saved her, Ayumu.

She had no idea what to do.

The first thing on her mind was to escape as soon as possible. When Ayumu had told her that she had been asleep for a whole day, she had been quick to tell him to escape since Danzo would most likely come after her.

But with that initial call to action over, she was left feeling completely hollow.

Minato, the love of her life had been killed.

Naruto, the baby she had carried for months, had been killed.

Why?

Why had she lived on?

There was nothing she wanted more than to stop suffering. Every breath she took was a constant reminded of what she didn't have. Minato...Naruto... She would never see them again. They were gone. The family they were about to start, had been nothing but a dream. A beautiful dream that had ended.

That had been taken away.

She promised...

She promised that she would kill Danzo. That she would kill the masked man. There would be no rest until she did, and after she was finally killed them, she would join them in the afterlife.

"I have to be strong," she told herself. "I miss them so much...but, I have to avenge them. I must."

Minato had put all of his trust into Naruto but now that he was gone, she would take on that roll herself. No matter what it took.

Present Day

"Uzumaki Kushina..." Danzo said in a serious voice.

"I have been waiting for this moment for years," she said with a hateful glare. "I'm going to kill you!"

Ch.37 End