Author's Note: To all those who have been concerned, my Naruto/HP crossover 'The Fox Hunts Snakes'...I've decided to redo that fic from the beginning and make it better. Probably over the summer I'll get started on that. In regards to 'The Death God, Reborn', I'll continue that one when inspiration strikes me.
This is an idea that stuck with me and would not leave, so I at least have to make a go of it. There will be light crossover elements in this, and I'll try not to make it overt. And even with those crossover elements, there are changes I want to make with it. Those elements will not be in the first chapter. This is AU, so there will be a lot of elements and characters up in the air. I hope you enjoy this and please stick with this beyond the first chapter. This is just the setup, so please bear with it. I'm going to try my hardest to stay away from Naruto fanfic cliches, but a couple of them are useful, and I want to spin them in my own way.
"I am begging you to reconsider, Kushina. This village has lost so much recently, and this child especially. I cannot deprive him of his mother as well. Please, think of your son."
"With all due respect, Hokage-sama, that boy is not my son. Not anymore. I told Minato...I pleaded with him not to use our son for his little experiment in demon sealing-"
"Experiment?! Jiraya has analyzed the seal. Minato gave his life for its success. It is stable, if that is what concerns you."
"To be frank...I feel nothing towards the boy. Too many friends have died, I lost too many of those I was proud to call my family, and the murderer is too close to home for me. Minato is dead, and I feel nothing. I am dead inside."
The Third felt his heart crack slightly as he saw what had been a proud, vibrant woman weep. Too many losses and hardships brought on by a literal monster had broken her. She seemed unwilling or unable to care for her child, a boy who had become famous and infamous for all the wrong reasons not too long ago.
Sarutobi already regretted what he had done. Loose lips do sink ships after all. He had made the mistake of revealing Naruto's status to the populace, hoping they would be reasonable. The beast was locked away from them, and could in time become a powerful and valuable asset. But the civilians and ninja would have none of it. The majority had called for the boy's death in as painful and as violent a way as possible.
He could almost understand. Even now, the fox was out of reach. The Kyuubi's powerful body, composed of demonic chakra and various elements, had been impervious to all attacks. What was left was a young boy with a tremendous weight on his shoulders. Striking at him would be pointless, but tell that to the screaming hordes outside. Sarutobi could hear them even now, calling for the Third to hand over the 'demon' to them, so they could dispose of it. They would tear the child apart. The ANBU and other shinobi did virtually nothing to stop this, in spite of the recent law Sarutobi had made, making it punishable by death to speak the truth of what had transpired three days ago. His shinobi had been depleted badly by the fox's rampage, and those that were left all possessed a shell shocked look. The thousand yard stare. This was another problem that would have to be addressed, along with the Council, who seemed to be frothing at the mouth to do away with the boy. He had ignored six of their requests for a meeting, but he would have to speak to them soon. They were too important, or self-important, to ignore for long.
He looked away from the windows and back at Kushina. She too seemed to be in her own little world. Human nature really was a bitch, the Third reflected. Any maternal feelings she might have had for her son seemed burned out by the depths of her grief and sorrow. Her mate was dead, too many friends gone, and she seemed to have great difficulty recognizing her son as her son. Sarutobi was at a loss. Kushina was an excellent shinobi, skilled in many fields. But right now, like so many others, she was a mess, her emotions pulling every which way. He could order her to care for her child, but he was hesitant to do so. She would not take her responsibilities as Naruto's mother seriously, and the boy would suffer.
He couldn't have that. He had already committed great wrongs against the boy, and his heart bled because of them, but inflicting upon him an uncaring mother who might hurt him or let him get hurt, he could not do that.
"You will not reconsider, Kushina? Whatever your feelings, the boy is your son. All that is left of Minato in this world. You would give him up so easily?"
Sarutobi had to ask, although he knew which way she would jump on this issue. Having her stay in the village would also present a problem. The name Uzumaki was not a beloved one in Konoha presently, and he doubted if it ever would be, given the feelings of the inhabitants. Kushina would suffer by association. Briefly, the Third toyed with the idea of making her stay. Let her suffer the slings and arrows of the populace. Her boy would. Why not her as well? She was more than deserving, given her actions.
But he could not do that. This woman had been Minato's wife, and she held a place in this old man's heart, even if her present actions caused her to slip substantially in his eyes. He opened a drawer and filled out a form, before sliding it over his desk to her.
She picked up the papers, scanning them. "Free travel papers...?"
"Despite my disappointment in your choices, perhaps some distance and time will give you a better perspective on this. I urge you to think about this, and the consequences of what you're about to do. Now is not the time to be selfish, Kushina."
Sarubobi clenched his fist subconsciously as Kushina took the papers. He doubted he would have been able to convince her. Guilt tripping someone into being a mother. What was the world coming to? He was sure if Minato were here, his beloved wife more than likely would be seeing the business end of a Rasengan right now.
As she made her way to the door, she stopped. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry." Kushina did not look at him.
"I am not the one you should be apologizing to." Sarutobi gestured to the corner of the Hokage's office, where a sleeping blonde-haired babe lay, a large seal on his stomach. "Pray he feels forgiving of your transgressions against him. Were I in his place, I would not be."
The Third closed his eyes as the door slammed shut. Somehow, it felt like the gates of doom closing shut on him. He was too old to put up with this shit.
"I have to say, old man, this is a work of art. I found a real diamond with Minato. A seal strong enough to hold the First among demons...Kyuubi no Kitsune..."
"You're not answering the question, Jiraya. Will the seal hold? The council is in an uproar about this and I have to give them an answer."
"Tough shit, old man. No one told you to make the kid a target and tell every fool in town he was the container. It would have been no problem to just say the fox was dead and leave it at that."
"It was what his father wanted."
"Well his father wanted a lot of things, didn't he? But he's dead. I really can't say it it was worth it. Six days and already there have been 18 different assassination attempts, six of them by ninja I knew for a fact Minato called close friends. And his mother...don't get me started on that bitch. You really just let her go? Walk out of here and out of that boy's life? Fucking amazing. This is what you've done to 'Konoha's Hero'."
"The village was falling apart. The people needed some kind of reassurance..."
"Fuck the people, old man. This won't end well. That sweet law you made? 'Penalty of death for anyone who reveals Uzumaki Naruto's status as the container.' That won't help. And if you were going to let me take him and skip town, you would have let me leave with him already. So what's the game plan?"
"It will be many years before he can be named Namikaze, if ever. Things right now just won't stand for it. A place for him will be made in the orphanage. A lot of eyes are on this child, and it would be for the best if he was allowed to grow up as a normal child."
"A normal child? A normal child?! What are you smoking in that pipe, old man? My godson will never be a normal, ordinary child. Even without that bastard fox, that wouldn't be the case. But now, it's worse. You're just going to ship him to the orphanage?"
"That's what I have to do. Part of it is the council and the people. A few years will diminish the events of the past week. The boy cannot stand out more than he already does. Too many are fighting me right now over him."
"Bullshit. You're stronger than that. You could kick all those bastards to the ground and tell them how it's going to be. Don't you dare play that 'weak old man' card with me."
Sarutobi leaned on his desk and just held his face in his hands. He looked tired.
"I don't know what to do, Jiraya. I really don't. I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't this. Naruto's mother walking out on him...I never expected that. After Tsunade, Kushina was like a daughter to me. You really have no idea how much it hurts me that she would do this. I just...I can't fight them all, Jiraya. You don't know how much I struggled, just to keep this small boy alive! People I've known, ten, twenty years, they're all of the same mind about Naruto. It makes me sick, what's become of us. I need your support on this, and I need your skills. The Kyuubi is gone, but the Leaf is still in danger. Will you help me save it?"
"Shit, old man. You sure know how to spin a speech out of your ass when you have to. Of course I'll help. No matter what, Konoha is my home, and I'll fight for it with everything I have. Just...do right by the boy. Please. That's all I ask."
"Of course. Now, here's what needs to be done. Iwa's striiring up trouble in the north...-"
Jiraya and the Third left the office, and two ANBU slid from the shadows, taking positions at the only entry point to the room where the container of the Ninetails lay fast asleep.
Hidden from view, inside the darkened room, the seal on the boy's stomach began to glow dimly. The seal array, which to a Seal Master would have told a tale of a pact with the Shinigami to contain a powerful spirit, began to change and mutate.
Ink blurred and ran in new directions as a radical reconfiguring began to take place. Locks of containment and supression shifted to describe expression. New links to a human chakra system formed.
Finally, the redesigned seal glowed and sparked, and a mass of red chakra formed in a vaguely humanoid shape next to the crib in which Naruto lay. The expression of energy to form this being was actually quite low, as the intelligence detected enemies nearby.
Baleful points of red light formed in the swirling mass, where a head would be. It was at this point Naruto woke up. His stomach was itchy and felt weird. There was also this inside tingling feeling that wouldn't let up. The last things he remembered was a redheaded woman looking down at him. She didn't seem to be doing so good and he didn't see her again. Now, Naruto saw a red...something looking down at him.
Naruto reached out to this red figure, who seemed to stare at him and tilt its head.
Suddenly, the red mass solidified. Rich red hair sprung from the head, coming down to the shoulder. Pale skin covered the body, with slight red pulses coming from within. Fleshy eyes covered the points of red light, although these new blood red eyes contained a hidden fire. A thin mouth opened, revealing sharp teeth barely covered by ruby red lips. And finally, pale hands came up, tipped by long red nails, to rest against cheeks that were marked by six whisker marks, identical to the ones on the child.
A soft chuckle filled the room, but did not escape it. "Well this is ironic." The woman commented. "The very fate I hoped to prevent, came to pass. Trapped inside this human whelp. I bet that blonde rat thought he was very clever. But I think the Kyuubi no Kitsune has a little more play with the Death God than some filthy mortal."
She looked at the barely awake boy, who seemed to reach out to her. "I think you shall suffer for this, boy. I do not suffer indignities lightly, and this is the worst. I think it will be the lash for you, young man-child. I am not done with the Leaf just yet."
The clawed hand was suddenly stopped, and the construct moved towards the window. The windows to the Hokage's office were closed, the transparent shutters secured by Kage-level seals. Sound could still come through perfectly, and it was certain sounds in particular that made the female's head tilt, deep in thought.
Her enhanced hearing could distinguish a pin dropping in a thunderstorm, and listening to the mob outside was considerably easier.
"Death to the Kyuubi...Kill the demon...burn it...kill it..." The woman seemed to be processing the mad ramblings of the mass of humanity outside, repeating their ranting and raving to herself. She suddenly leaned against the wall and began laughing hysterically. Her expression of ill humor was too low to be picked up by the ANBU outside, however.
But it was high enough to wake Naruto up from his slumber. He woke up to see a familiar face staring down at him, an odd expression behind burning red eyes. Ruby red lips curved in a smile.
"They truly are fools...I did not become the ruler of the Makai and then breach the veil between worlds to die here, of all places. I don't plan to die at all, as if filthy ningen could destroy my greatness. You shall live, boy. I shall see to it."
She leaned closer, her smile growing wider and more feral. "Poor boy. You're going to need a friend. Too bad for you I don't do friends. But...I think you and I are going to have a beautiful partnership."
She leaned in and kissed Naruto on the forehead, her red lips slightly glowing, leaving an impression on the boy's forehead that flashed brightly, before fading into nothingness.
"Perfect. Although I wonder...will I be a voice in your head, or will you be a voice in mine?"
With that, the construct puffed out of existence and the room grew dark again.
Please comment on this. Continue or not...like or not. Kyuubi will not be Naruto's friend in this. More like a forced associate working towards a goal. Also, in regards to Kyuubi being a female, don't flame me. I'm working off the idea that the bijuu are genderless masses of energy who pick a sex and an identity based on interactions with their host. In this case, there are strong elements of Kushina in regards to Kyuubi's residual self image (Matrix term)
Please review!