Uzumaniac I'm not going to spoil you but if I ever chose that I'll probably tweak the village name a bit so it sounds less weird. Thanks on your input, I'll be able to spout out some more reasonable naruto world physics :)

Chapter 16: Prophecy Child and Promise Land

He was stocked in a void of endless darkness. Looking at his hand he knew this is a dream. But as bothered as he was, Naruto did not will himself to wake up. He was too tired, half of the week they have been fighting for Konoha and the other half was spent to keep them alive from their past comrades. He at least wanted to fully rest even inside a dream.

"You seem to be enjoying alone brother" he jerked, he thought that he was all alone in his supposed dream. But that is not the thing that surprised him, only one person ever called him brother 'and that person is gone now' he wouldn't look. He doesn't wanna remember the bitter memory of losing his beloved brother 'at least not until we reached that place.'

"What's the matter nii-san? Afraid of looking to your younger brother?" Naruto opted not to response, he wouldn't want to show a single reaction. Oh how he wish he could, how he wish he would still be able to hear his younger brother's smug proud voice, the happy memories of their family and most of all the warmth of having a younger brother he would die to protect. But the boy talking to him now is not him, he might have his voice. Maybe the looks if Naruto bothered looking at him but he would never in his lifetime be convinced this is his brother.

A tear fell from his eyes, he promised himself not to let loose until he would have his privacy in the place they are going. The place where his brother's body would be buried which would allow him to reminisce memories with him even in his pure delusions.

A hand touched his shoulder and this time Naruto could not control himself, he badly wanna see his brother again, living and breathing. 'maybe I'll let myself believe this is real until this dream ends.'

"Don't you miss your deceased brother?" Naruto looked to see a smile plastered on his brother's face. "I guess you don't huh…. I haven't died that long yet" he wondered. He was unable to keep blubbering when Naruto completely wrapped him in his brotherly hug, the blond allowed tears to fall freely as he sob on his brother's shoulder "I-I'm sorry Nagato…. I couldn't be there on time…. I-I could have saved you, I should be the one who died, I-" Nagato beat his brother's back lightly pushing him away to see his face.

"no you idiot…." he smiled ""….I should be the one saying sorry. I was careless and I left all the responsibilities to you, I'm sure kaasan and tousan will not be happy for a while. Take care of them for me?" the red haired asked hopefully.

"H-how could I? " Naruto wiped his tear "I'm not ok myself" Nagato shook his head "nii-san I truly take pride of our family" he said " I believe everyone of us in the family is destined for something, even after I died, so you have to keep your act together."

The blond did not reply instead Nagato continued " Listen, tousan once told us that with power comes greater responsibility. None of gained power without reason. Before I died I have wondered something" he look directly at Naruto's eyes "Tousan, Kaasan and even you Nii-san you're gaining incredible power. But I fear that the responsibility that comes with it would be too much for you to handle" he continued worry seeping out of his eyes.

"So I'm giving you something to better protect yourself before I go" he smiled at the blonds confused eyes "You will know when the time comes brother" he said patting Naruto's shoulder. Naruto just nodded not knowing what to say. The dream started to fade but both only concentrated in each other's emotions.

"Tousan should be awake by now, and tell Kaasan I miss her…." Naruto's eye widened.

~~BREAK~~

He abruptly woke from his sleep, he did not know when he started to cry and his sweat is cold, he could clearly remember his dream. ""You're awake, join us for breakfast. Sasuke and Yuugao went to get fishes again earlier today" his red headed mother entered his temporary set up tent "we'll be leaving today, your father is aw-" she was unable to finish as a sobbing Naruto hugged her tightly " he said he miss you Kaasan."

She did say a word anymore, she did not ask, she already knows. Her hand went to his living son's sun kissed hair brushing it gently with his fingers "I miss him too Naruto, I really do" they were uninterrupted as the mother and son had their moment.

~~BREAK~~

Team seven, the Namikaze couple, Yuugao and the two clan head are currently on a circle eating their share of fish for the day. All of them noticed the bloodshot eyes of Kushina and Naruto but none asked about it considering they knew what happened.

Naruto on the other hand noticed the older purple haired, Yuugao, sitting beside Sasuke and bugging his friend with topics unknown to him. With his observing eyes, he knew that the two were almost always in each other's company since yesterday when they returned from fishing in the river. But he's not going to comment on that, he shifted his vision to Sumire and saw his teammate with dreamy eyes looking at the two. He shook his head in their antics.

"So Minato, it seems you're fine to move already. Where are we going exactly?" Tsume asked the blond. Minato brought out a map and opened it towards them pointing at a lone island near fire country, just outside the boundary.

"Here" he said. " That place huh, no one has ever been there since the great tragedy years ago " the Inuzuka matriarch commented, Minato nodded " exactly why I chose it among other reasons. "

"It seems to be a logical choice, but it has come to my mind that the path to that place is littered with…. difficulties" Shibi Aburame moved his glasses. "Don't worry about that, my wife will take care of it, if we travel at leisure pace we should arrive at the sea by noon" the older blond replied making both Shibi and Kushina nod.

Kushina coughed gaining their attention " Do you think Sasuke and Yuugao likes each other Minato-kun? They reminded me of how I reacted after you saved me back then" she said out loud as if the two person in question is not around. The Uchiha and Uzuki blushed like a couple of tomatoes.

"No!"

"Of course not!"

Both denied fervently. This only made the audience laugh as Sumire started teasing "Yyyyiiieeeehhhh" as she felt kilig.

~~BREAK~~

The sour mood of Konoha council is thick in the air due to the news of a huge group left their village together with two major clans. Not only that but it's a hard blow that ninjas at the caliber of Minato and Kushina willingly left the village. Even team seven is a great asset of the village as only few teams could hold themselves against S-ranks.

But the nail in the coffin is the bijuus. Those bijuus are the only bargaining chip of Konoha to Akatsuki for their help against the war. Without those, no one knows what will be Akatsuki's move.

"This is…. unexpected" Obito said as he took charge of the meeting, daring the Hokage to say a word. He had them in his mercy. "without those bijuus this war means nothing to us. What do you have to say Kakashi?" he asked disrespecting the leader.

The guy lose all hope the moment his sensei decided to leave the village. Akatsuki might be strong but in his eyes his sensei is the only ninja alive that could outfight a battalion. "I…. we're sorry" he said in defeat his head lowering.

"Well you should be, Akatsuki could very well leave this moment and forfeit your lives. Only Sasori, Kakuzu and Deidara's presence in the front line is making a huge impact on the enemy lines. Not even your precious sannins and the professor could do enough damage."

"How dare you!?" the council was outraged but Kakashi placated them by beating the long table "Enough!" Kakashi looked at him intently, the fact that the guy is not dismissing them yet means his on to something.

"what do you want in return?" he said deciding to cut directly. Obito laughed sarcastically at this "how very perceptive of you Hokage" he said standing off his seat. "Akatsuki is going to take charge of your army and all the plans for the future including war tactics and resources. I want your cooperation without question after this war" he said casually as if commanding the leader of the village.

Kakashi swallowed thickly 'I'm going to regret this' he nodded hesistantly "deal."

~~BREAK~~

A messenger hawk announced its arrival with its loud sound above Kumogakure no Sato. The village leader A saw the bird circling around the Kage tower and put up his hand for the bird to land. He saw a scroll attached to the leg of the bird and took it. 'hmm, a missive from Kiri' he confirmed seeing the Mizukage signature. He read the letter as a dark smile slowly but surely crept to his face.

' Kiri is going make it's presence known' he looked darkly to no particular person except the camera.

~~BREAK~~

They can already hear the sound of waves and taste the salty air from the nearby sea. Across that sea is the place where they will settle. An island protected by the outside world where none should be able to enter. The huge group walk continuously at civilian pace because of the civilians in their group, they pushed aside bushes and finally saw the sea they are going to have to cross. But in front of them is a barrier in the form of the toad sannin.

"I'm right, I was pretty sure you would come here" Jiraiya said to his ex-apprentice leading the charge. " Why Minato?" while several people stepped back in fearing of the ensuing large battle, Minato remained calm as he felt the chakra of his sensei 'a clone' he thought. "You should not concern yourself with something like this sensei, it's none of your business"

Pain struck Jiraiya as he instantly schooled his emotion before the people but the most observants have seen the moment of weakness. "I am sorry about your son, but you should not be angry with Konoha. It is not the vill-"

"I blame not the village for its leader's fault sensei. Nagato might be only one of the many that died that day but I stand firm that no gennin should have been on that battlefield. What were the chances that only my wife and son's team were the only gennin team put to that battlefield? No war before had the villages willingly sent its children to the slaughter" he poetically said.

"But it was still Nagato's duty as a ninja of his village, I am sure he is grateful that he died for his village I-"

Minato cut again "That is until the very village that he ought to protect betrayed him, his very teammate putting a sword to his heart as I see the light disappear to my son's eyes. No, nothing you will say will make me come back to such….vile…. traitorous village. Now if you'll excuse me" he said walking leisurely until he was behind his own sensei.

Jiraiya turned around to look at his apprentice and adopted son "Do you remember the child of prophecy?" he asked. Minato snorted not gracing him an answer instead he commanded his people "ninjas carry the civilians, I'm going to give us a ride near the island" he said as he almost instantaneously tranformed into Gyuuki's form.

All the people started walking towards the laid down palms of Gyuuki-Minato, none spared a word for the toad sannin as the old legendary ninja felt more pain when Kushina walked past him. None really talked to him, that was until Naruto was the only one left on the beach sand. He started walking until he was up front Jiraiya. They were never close but he respected the old man for training his father.

But this time he would not give sympathy "Prophecy child?" Jiraiya look towards him as Naruto's eyebrow is raised. " I do not really believe in prophecies…" he started walking towards the group but in slower pace as he kept talking "… but if there is such a thing as prophecy child, it should have been my brother" Jiraiya's eyes widened as he look at the childs retreating form. "By the way…" Naruto turned a look to him "….please tell Tsunade-sensei thank you" he said before he started walking again, Jiraiya's clone poofing as his purpose is done.

~~BREAK~~

Just beyond them is the island, it is larger than most people that knew it thought, it even has its own mountain on the far opposite side and a river that split the island in half. They would have been there by now but multiple high speed whirlpools surround the island that could even threaten to swallow Gyuuki's form. They stood there mesmerized by the beauty of the island. Manmade structures were slightly visible just beyond those huge trees that hid them.

Kushina sighed "well, what do you think of the whirlpool island!" she said joyfully, pride in her eyes and voice "my ancestor's home" she said.

"Amazing…." Yuugao said.

"Beautiful…." that was Sumire.

"Hn" was Sasuke's only word as the people said their own word of complement for the island.

Kushina's eyebrows twitched "is Hn the only word you have?!" she asked indignantly. Sumire and Yuugao laughed "apparently yes" Yuugao said as Sasuke looked angrily at her while Naruto had a thin smile.

"Okay then! Time to go home after almost three decades!" Kushina announced. She went through handseals "Uzumaki Tokushuna Fuinjutsu: Michi no Uzu" she said as one of the whirlpools dissipated giving a parth just about the size of Gyuuki.

"So that's how you get inside" Tsume said in amazement.

"it seems logical that Uzumaki's protect their home with their specialty."

Gyuuki-Minato landed on the beach carefully bringing down his passengers before transforming back to his original form. "How come you still have your clothes on?" Naruto asked him, Minato looked at his clothes and shrugged "I don't know. It's not even wet after I cross that sea."

"Alright!" Minato raised his voice getting the attention of the people "civilians remain here. Shinobis form a group of four. We're going to scout the whole island, be careful of traps and native animals. Try not to disturb their ecosystem."

The whole team seven opted to remain together, they walk deeper intent on seeing the ruins of Uzushiogakure, the village of Uzumaki clan. Minato still remembered this clan, this one clan made every village afraid of them during their golden era. Their mastery of seals are so far advance than the other villages that none of the other clans could contend with their popularity. Even the Senju and Uchiha clan.

But unlike the Senju and Uchiha, Uzumaki clan is not primarily battle clan. The primary work the clan always accepts during their days includes base defense, demon sealing and battlefield tactics. The few however that decided to be battlefield fighters were almost always guaranteed to be strong, their affinity to seals when carried to the battlefield can kill hundreds in a flash.

Just like Minato's hiraishin, although he copied it to the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, the guy would not have been able to make this jutsu if not for the theory and the seals provided by their cousins, the Uzumakis.

The island was not as tree filled as they thought from the outside. Once inside the forest like barricade of trees, it was more of Savannah where trees were scattered and more of sand and grass. There were huge wolves alone or in pack every once in a while that wisely did not antagonize them, it is not really a surprise to the team since Konoha's famous forest of death also had animals even larger than man, primarily tigers, snakes and spiders.

In the distance they could see the river flowing in the middle of the village and direct into the sea that made it seem like there are two islands.

What surprised them are the many other animals of prey and predator alike, most of which have been extinct to the world. Apparently not in the island. There are antelopes and deers, bisons, elephants and even lions!

The group wisely stayed away from any of these animals. The inside of the village ruin is just like any ruin where bricks and walls were displaced and fallen. Rusty and broken kunais littering the ground and multiple white fragments around. "Are these bone fragments?" Sumire asked picking up a sample.

Minato nodded "the Uzumakis were massacred by three great villages during the second shinobi war, their bodies were left scattered on the ground since no man was able to enter the place."

"So how were the three villages able to wipe them?" Sasuke asked curiously, any clan that requires three great village have to be very strong. His clan was wiped out by only one person.

Naruto sighed "if you're really reading your history you would have known that they were aided by sky country before that country turned their face to Konoha where they got annihilated."

"Hn, smart ass."

"Okay, here we are…." Minato said as they stop in front of the round table he is pointing at the very center of the village.

"what do you mean here we are sensei?" the only girl asked.

"this is where we build our village….."