Chapter 1

TIme.

It is a concept that we humans still grasp the meaning of until now. In truth though, it's such a fragile thing. One decision could change its entire course forever.

This tale is an example of that. The story begins in the battle of two former friends.

It was a fierce battle. Their clash was so harsh that cartographers had to redraw maps every time these two had their bouts. After countless battles and many lives lost for their respective clans, this battle was going to be the last.

Senju Hashirama, the now crowned Hokage of Konogakure no Sato, had resolved himself. His friend, Uchiha Madara, was too far gone. He was beyond help; he could no longer be saved. It was time for the Hokage to step up and end this feud once and for all, all for the sake of the village.

It was in a valley, which would later be called the Valley of the End, a man-made valley created by one of their countless bouts. Hashirama and Madara stood in front of each other, almost breathless. The two had not backed down for hours, trying to best each other. But now, they were out of chakra, and they knew, whoever would be able to pull off the next strike would win.

They both stood there panting, gathering as much breath as possible before they move again. It was as if they were waiting for a sign to attack.

The sign they were waiting for came in the form of a loose pebble from mountains they carved around them. The pebble rolled down to them, pulled by the gravity into the valley below them. It landed in the waters between them with a plop.

Both of them charged, wanting to end this conflict.

As fate would have it, Hashirama stood over Madara victorious, with a sword sticking out of the man's chest. It was over. He won. He left there to die, believing that the deed was done.

He lay there, unmoving, with the life slowly fading from his eyes. Hashirama was now nowhere in sight when his eye shot open.

He groggily stood up. Somehow, he was brought back to life by whatever jutsu he used, but that didn't mean his strength was back to full. He could barely even get on his feet.

It was a long and arduous process, but he was able to get back on the main road, where he collapsed once again. Unfortunately for him, a couple of lowlifes appeared out of the shrubbery and took interest in him.

If only they knew who they were dealing with, they would think twice about messing with this unconscious man, but then again, he was out of it, so whatever fearsome reputation he held was useless. But as luck would have it, the sound of a carriage or cart could be heard not too far away.

The bandits looked up to see a lone woman, with sunkissed blonde hair and blue eyes. The first thing that came into their mind was: "Jackpot!" They were proven wrong. The woman's moves were polished like she had some form of training and experience; for Kami's sake, she was a former shinobi! The blonde-haired woman expertly dispatched of the lowlifes like it was nothing despite them being armed.

After getting rid of the nuisance, she noticed the man passed out on the side of the road. Upon recognizing who it was, she was taken aback. The man's fearsome reputation preceded him, so despite being knocked out like this, one would feel fear, especially if he/she had fought in the war. Although looking at him now, she couldn't help but feel pity.

She sighed to herself, "I can't believe I'm actually doing this…"

The woman carried the man quite effortlessly and positioned him comfortably on her cart. Once she got home, she nursed the man back to health, well as much as she could. When the man woke up, the woman rebuked him.

"You're lucky to be alive, you know that?" The woman said without looking up from what she was doing. "I'm sorry, I couldn't save your eye though."

Madara palmed his closed eye. That's right. He used that jutsu; it was the only reason he survived their supposed final battle. Clearing those thoughts out of his mind, he studied the girl. She didn't look like she was from Hi no Kuni. Those features mean she's from…

"Yes, I know what you're thinking," The woman spoke as if reading his mind. "I'm not from Hi no Kuni. I was originally from Kaminari no Kuni, but there's nothing left for me there now, so I left."

Madara sure was speechless. She didn't expect this woman to read him like a book like that. Was he really that easy to read or was he just in a vulnerable position?

"Now, if you don't have any more questions, eat up. You can do that much right?" She said.

Madara gulped. He was fearless in battle, but despite how scary you were on the battlefield, there is one thing you must not defy, a woman, especially if she isn't in a good mood. Was she in a bad mood though? He couldn't tell. He had devoted his life to battle and was considered a genius in the art form to boot, but despite that, he just couldn't understand the female gender.

Despite the cold exterior that both individuals exuded, they were able to bond with each other. At first, Madara considered this woman as insufferable. They were at odds most of the time, but little by little, as they got to know each other, their icy exteriors started to melt their icy exteriors. He even learned to know her name, Moriko.

After countless wars that he had fought in before he and Hashirama established the village, he had been used to the hate from the other party. So, when he was shown kindness, it felt different; literally a foreign feeling. He never expected to feel this from a complete stranger, but it was welcome nonetheless.

It didn't take long, though, for Madara to become familiar with this new feeling. He didn't know when it happened, but the feelings grew, and now, he found himself falling in love with Moriko, his caretaker and the one who saved him from death. Madara found it funny when he learned of her name. Before, you wouldn't know why her parents named her this, but now that she pursued a new life, it just made sense. And through time, he found more and more things to be enamored by.

At first, they did not see eye to eye, but as time went on, even she felt the same way. She did not know why, but despite how many times she tried to send him away, and yet he stayed. Madara too questioned why he still stayed. It was probably due to his pride. He couldn't just leave without returning the favor for the care he received. After all, there were still those few shinobi who didn't want to join the emerging shinobi villages.

In time, their love bore fruit. Madara was ecstatic. He loved seeing the joy in his lover's face. The pain and sadness that he came to know when she first found him were now gone. It was like the empty void in her heart was finally filled.

But alas, Madara was not destined for a happy ending.

Just like before, he had his heart torn to pieces. One day, he left to procure some supplies from a neighboring village, but he did not know his goodbye kiss was the last one he would be giving her. He was furious when he returned. The small hut they shared was in pieces with Moriko nowhere to be seen. He screamed in agony at the top of his lungs. He asked whatever deity ruled this cured world for the reason why things never go his way.

A moment later, he calmed down. All emotion was gone from his face. Truly, when someone learned to love, he would run the risk of gaining hate should he lose that love. This is what he was feeling right now, hate at its most sinister and purest form.

With the skills he gathered in the countless wars he fought over the years, he tracked down every single ruffian. It was safe to say that he was the reason why there were no more rogue shinobi to terrorize the world, for now. He stood over the mutilated corpses of his enemies; the job is done, but he still felt empty inside.

Now, he was just thankful that he planned ahead if ever this new life he chose who be ripped from him. With his plans in place, he retired from this world dead set on creating a world where he could live with Izuna and Moriko along with their child could live.

Although, unbeknownst to him, Moriko had survived. She had just been able to escape their clutches; she was still capable despite the time that had passed since she was an active shinobi. She was later brought to Konoha, where she gave birth to a healthy baby boy. She named him Minato.

KONOHA
YEARS LATER

It was another fine day, or so that's what you thought.

Tensions were once again rising between the ninja villages were rising once again, and there were plots among the Hidden Villages to eradicate Uzushiogakure, fearing their power. A young Uzumaki Kushina had just been brought into Konoha.

She was born in the village protected by whirlpools. She didn't have any parents, since they died in the First War, bless their soul, but everyone would tell her that her parents were of the Uzumaki and Senju clans. Elders would say she has inherited the Senju clan genes directly, and when you combine that with the already powerful chakra of the Uzumaki clan, well it is something short of godly. You see, she was born with an extremely potent chakra. Some would say that it reminded them of the late Shodaime Hokage, if not stronger. They didn't know how right they were or how far back this type of chakra dates back. The only thing missing was the characteristic eyes.

This was not the reason why she was brought to the village. You see, the Shodaime's wife is the container of the Kyubi no Yoko, a large beast made of pure chakra. She presented herself as the Jinchuuriki of the kitsune in order to keep it at bay. This was why she was brought here, but no one told her that. No one will tell her that until the moment the Biju is extracted and transferred to her.

Anyway, Kushina would be starting the Academy today. It was there where she would meet her destiny.

Upon entering her class, she was immediately made a target by bullies. It could be due to her status as an outsider or the fact that her bangs made her look like a tomato. Either way, the class wasn't a big fan of her, especially when she spouted that she would become Hokage.

What infuriated her though was this blonde wimp who, in her words, had a stupid look on his face. He would only look on even as the bullies would pick on her. That was what fueled her rage though, allowing her to beat everyone to a pulp.

More years passed, and she was now a genin of the village.

Word of her special chakra had spread to other nations. This night, in particular, was chosen by Kumogakagure to strike. As the girl was walking home, agents of Kumo infiltrated the village and made an attempt to kidnap the Uzumaki.

It was one thing to fight against fellow genin and bullies, but her adversaries here were trained shinobi, probably chunin or higher. That is why she just resigned to her fate and let her get captured. She knew nobody would come for her; nobody had seen her get taken. There was no way anybody would come for her, right? Plus, they were now close to the border. Who could come for her at this point?

Her question was answered when she was close to the village border.

Hope was lost at this point. Her captors had let their guard down at this point. They didn't notice one ninja skulking around them.

The Kumo Shinobi suddenly dropped dead, unbeknownst to her. She just continued walking as if they were still dragging her away. She was startled out of nowhere when a hand touched her shoulder.

Her eyes slowly fluttered open, scared of what she might find. When she finally recognized who it was, she relaxed; it was just that wimpy kid,

"I-it's you!" Kushina said, her voice still shaky from the encounter.

"I never did tell you my name, did I?" Her savior said. "The name's Minato. Come on. Let's get you out of here."

The boy cut off her restraints and swept her off her feet. At first, she protested at being carried like this, but the more she stared into those cerulean eyes, the more she relaxed. She didn't care anymore that she was in his arms like this. It was like a spark was igniting in her chest.

"H-how'd you find me?" Kushina asked as they landed on the treetops.

"Oh, with these," Minato said holding out his other hand.

Kushina's eyes widened. "You noticed them?"

"Of course," Minato looked down and gave her a 1000-watt grin. "I wouldn't miss this beautiful hair of yours."

LUB DUB

Kushina could tell. The spark had ignited and turned into a roaring inferno. It was at that moment she fell for the wimp, who turned out to be a capable shinobi. It was like fate had woven her red thread of destiny.

Fate could be funny sometimes, right? Love could blossom in the most unusual places. You don't expect that you will fall in love with someone who made you angry in the past. I guess love works in mysterious ways.

Such is this love. This love will only grow and blossom until it bears fruit. A fruit that will, later on, be called, Naruto.

OCTOBER TENTH

Parties raged on the streets of Konohagakure no Sato. It was the anniversary of the Kyubi attack. People were livid. Memories of the lives lost during the attack fueled their rage. Rumor has it that the demon fox possessed a young boy, and that boy was holed up in the orphanage. For years, the boy stayed there, not once being eyed for adoption. Now, word spread that the orphanage kicked him out.

It was a perfect opportunity. It was time to go hunt.

What would they hunt for you ask?

They would go fox hunting, and their target was somewhere inside the village.

—

A young blonde-haired boy caught his breath as he hid behind his crates in a god-forsaken alleyway. He didn't know it was dangerous to roam the streets at night. But why did those people chase after him and not the other children? Was it also the reason why the parents told their children not to associate with him? Or maybe it's related to why he got kicked out. In any case, there was no point in dwelling in something you don't have the answers to. Right now, he just had to get home and fast.

He mentally cursed himself. He just had to stay out too long playing by himself, didn't he?. If only he had just given up and gone home earlier, then he wouldn't be in this predicament at all. Why did he just have to try hard enough to get some playmates?

He just sighed.

Peeking from behind the crates, he checked if the coast was clear. Seeing that there was no soul around, he rose from his hiding spot and crept along the walls. He couldn't be too careful. But he just had to get to his home, then he would be safe. Easy, right?

THUD

He accidentally kicked something lying on the ground.

"OUCH!" That something was apparently a person passed out after one too many drinks at the local pub.

He watched as the man slowly rose to see who was the wise guy who kicked him while he was snoozing in the perfectly empty alleyway.

The blonde was about to scurry away when a look of realization dawned on the drunk man making him quickly grab on the hood of his shirt.

"Wait! I know you!" The man slurred. "You're that demon brat!" The drunkard said a little too loudly.

"Did you hear that?"

"Someone found him!"

"Let's go!"

Screams from the "hunting party" came from a nearby alley. They were apparently close by looking for him.

"There you are you little shit!" One of the lead "hunters" yelled at the boy.

"I knew it!" The drunk man yelled raising the boy up to his face. The small boy reeled from the bitter smell he could smell from the man's mouth. "You will pay for killing my wife!"

BLAM

A heavy punch slammed onto the poor boy's abdomen making him keel over and spit out blood. He reeled from the pain of the sudden force, and he gasped out for air

"Hey what was tha–"

He tried to protest, but another one punched him in the face. Soon after, all of them joined in. Whips cracked the air and the sounds of a tortured boy exploded onto the quiet night.

There was nothing he could do. He wanted to fight back, but these were grown men and women. His frail body just slumped and accepted the beating. He cursed his current fate. Why did he have to endure this beating year after year? Even in the orphanage, he experienced this from the idiots running the institution. He hoped that things would get better when he got kicked out, but his current situation just proved him wrong. And worse? The Hokage did nothing.

He closed his eyes and prayed, praying to whatever deity was watching up above to just end this pain.

Suddenly, power welled inside of him. He felt anger and resentment at these villagers. He wasn't doing anything, so why did he deserve this treatment?

The power exploded around him, knocking his torturers back. None of anyone present had recognized this power, assuming that this was from the Kyubi inside the boy.

The so-called hunters got up to their feet.

"Let's get him before the Kyubi kills us again!"

SOMEWHERE IN AN UNKNOWN LOCATION

An old man sat in a darkened room. He had black, shaggy and his right eye was bandaged. His right eye was concealed under a bandage. He wore a white shirt under a black robe that covered his right hand.

Just then, he felt the odd ominous energy leaking from somewhere in the village. There was no mistaking it. He felt this one before, but the original owner has long since passed away.

"Terai, Dajimu!" The old man called out.

"Hai, Danzo-sama," The two of them said as they appeared in the room, kneeling on one knee. They were wearing light-colored hooded jackets, masks on their faces, and black gloves on each hand. The mask had three eyebrow-like markings above the eyeholes and a red cat-like nose.

"You feel this too, right?" The old man asked.

Both of his subordinates nodded.

"I want you to determine the source of this foul energy and bring him or her before me," The Warhawk ordered.

"It will be done," They said and scattered.

BACK WITH THE ANGRY MOB

The two hooded shinobi leaped through the rooftops trying to get to their destination as quickly as possible. One thing they noticed as they got closer was the build-up of people and screams of agony.

A normal human would wince at sight. There were people lying everywhere. They looked battered and bruised like they had been beaten up. And lying in the middle of the carnage was the Yondaime Hokage's son. He was lying in a pool of his own blood or probably the blood of the people.

They landed close to the carnage.

"Urk…help us…" One of the conscious villagers reached out pleading for help.

"The Kyubi is back…" Another one managed.

Instead of heading the pleas of the villagers, they just investigated the area. What they found was very interesting.

There were traces of ominous energy around the area. They could still feel it in the air. What made it interesting was that it was coming from the unconscious child that bore a striking resemblance to their late Hokage.

Following their leader's orders, they picked the boy up and transported him towards their base of operations, and brought him before the old man.

"So, Minato's brat was the source of that ominous feeling," Danzo mused as he stared at the beaten boy. "I had my suspicions about Minato's heritage, but this now confirms it. This boy has inherited the bloodline quite strongly."

"Forgive me asking, but what will we do with him, Danzo-sama?" Dajimu asked.

"Hiruzen was a fool to neglect this boy and keep him holed up in that apartment of his," The old Warhawk began. "We shall make him a weapon that other nations will fear. We will exploit this bloodline of his and combine it with his status as a Jinchuriki. Very soon, no nation shall dare declare war on Konoha."

A YEAR LATER

Hiruzen sighed. The boy suddenly disappeared almost a year ago. He was not in his apartment a month after his supposed disappearance. It couldn't be a coincidence that the boy disappeared at the same time as the appearance of the foul energy.

He tried to look everywhere. He even sent his Anbu to interrogate the usual suspects of the blonde's assault and battery. After exhausting all possible locations to look, he tried looking in the one place he didn't look. Or more specifically, the one person he didn't ask.

He entered the dark and dank location. He was surprised. He remembered that this organization was disbanded after a certain incident, but now, he didn't know if he should be surprised or not that it was still up and running, albeit in the shadows.

Entering the compound, he was immediately flanked by two shinobi wearing masks, similar to that of the Anbu Black Ops. Just as quick as the two shinobi appeared, a pair of his own Anbu detail appeared in defense of their Hokage.

"What are you doing here, Hokage-sama?" One of the masked shinobi asked. "You are no longer in jurisdiction here. We serve under Danzo-sama."

"Your organization was supposed to be dissolved years ago. I can't say I'm surprised you are still up and running," Hiruzen said. "But that is not why I came here. I am looking for Uzumaki Naruto-kun. I don't suppose I would find him here, would I?"

The two Root shinobi lowered their weapons. They looked at each other, but before one of them could speak the clopping of sandals were heard along with the tapping of a cane.

"Ah, Hiruzen," An old man's voice called out. "I wondered what the commotion was. What can I do for you?"

As he said that, the old Warhawk came into view, but he wasn't alone. Tagging along with him was a boy around five years of age, wearing the standard attire that the other masked shinobi were wearing. The most distinguishing features were the whisker marks on his face.

Realizing who the boy was, his eyes widened. "Why is he here, Danzo? Why did you bring him here?" He demanded.

"You've neglected the boy, Hiruzen," The one-eyed old man said. "I am merely giving him shelter and teaching him how to defend himself."

"You are turning him into a weapon!" The Hokage raised his voice.

"And you're allowing him to get beaten on the streets," Danzo challenged. "Sooner or later, your villagers would make the mistake of giving him a fatal blow and we would lose our Jinchuriki just like that."

"But he is just a child!" Hiruzen countered. "He needs to spend time with children his age. He needs to have a normal childhood before he goes in the Academy."

"And did he have a normal childhood?" Danzo argued. "Show him."

With the motion from their leader, the Root Agents lowered themselves to Naruto's level and removed the small boy's shirt, exposing a scar. Exposing more of the skin, it showed not just one, but multiple.

"Now, you, holed up in that tower, do not have the slightest idea, what this boy has been going through," Danzo said, stating his point. "One wrong move and our greatest weapon turns against us."

"Danzo-jiji," The small bundle of energy spoke up not knowing what is going on. "What are you and Jiji talking about? Are you still going to take me out to ramen?"

Hiruzen smiled at the young blonde and knelt so he was at eye level with the small boy. "Did you do some training today, Naruto?"

"Hai!" Naruto gushed, excited to talk about what he had been working on. "He showed me a lot of really hard stuff, but he told me I could have some ramen if I did well."

"Would you like to go get some Ichiraku, then?" The aging Hokage offered.

The smile on the little kid's face couldn't be any bigger. "Can I have all the toppings I like?"

"Of course, of course," Hiruzen nodded. "Now, go along with my companions, and I'll get you all ramen you want once we get out of here."

Naruto cheered and joined the pair of Anbu standing next to the one with gray gravity-defying hair.

The Hokage stood and looked at Danzo with all authority. "I am still your Hokage, Danzo, so you will do as I say. Disband this institution at once; I was clear on my instructions the first time. My Anbu will forcibly shut this place down if they find this place operational tomorrow. And, I expect that you will turn him over to my custody starting from this moment."

"Whatever you say, Hokage-sama," The Warhawk bowed, saying that last part sarcastically.

"Very well, I will now take my leave," Hiruzen said and turned to leave.

'I am sorry, Minato, Kushina,' He thought to himself. 'I hope I made it to him.'

A/N: I always wanted to write a crossover of this category, and I'm excited to be writing one of my own. I know the chapter ended with Naruto still in the Elemental Nations, but next chapter for sure, he will be joining the mightiest heroes.