Prologue
The date is October 10th and it is an autumn evening in the village Hidden in the leaves. A figure stands atop the Hokage monument. He is wearing blue shinobi pants, tape on his legs and blue shinobi sandals. He is also wearing a matching top with baggy long sleeves. Over this he is wearing a white ankle length, short sleeved cloak with a red flame motif design along the bottom that is moving in the wind. He has shaggy blonde hair with sideburns that frame his heart-shaped face. He is also wearing a hidden leaf headband which is keeping his bangs back. This is none other than the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. The man known and feared throughout the entire shinobi world as the yellow flash. Armed with his flying Raijin jutsu many believed him to be the fastest shinobi who ever lived with the Fourth Raikage being the only person who could rival him in this respect. Minato was reported to have singlehandedly faced and killed 10 000 Hidden Stone shinobi at the battle of Kanabi Bridge and ended the Third Shinobi World war.
Minato is standing on his stone head on the Hokage monument overlooking a scene of absolute chaos. Smoke is rising into the sky and smothering the light of the full moon and the stars. Screams of fear can be heard clearly, even from where he is. A giant creature with red fur, crimson blood thirsty eyes and nine swinging tails can be seen below, destroying the hidden leaf with shinobi desperately trying to stop it and failing. The Nine Tailed Fox. The most powerful of all the Nine Tailed Beasts. Legend had it could level mountains and raise tsunamis with a swing of its tails. Right now it was proving it's legend to have some truth to it.
Minato is thinking about the events that led to this very moment. It all began with the pregnancy. Nine months ago he and Kushina had found out she was pregnant with quadruplets. They were ecstatic. The two were in disbelief over how they were going to be parents. However there was a slight issue. Kushina's seal. Kushina was the jinchuuriki of the Nine Tailed fox. In a jinchuuriki's life there was one time where the seal holding his/her Tailed Beast weakened considerably. This was during child birth. The chakra usually used for maintaining the seal was directed towards the maintenance of the foetus or in Kushina's case foetuses. Thus when the Third found out he demanded the matter be handled with the utmost secrecy. And that was what was done. The pregnancy was kept a secret. When the time came the children were to be delivered in a secret location with a barrier erected and the ANBU black ops who were part of the Thirds security detail on guard. The deliveries were a success. Naruto, their first born son, had come first. He had tufts of blonde hair atop his head and whisker- like markings on his cheeks. An hour later their first daughter was born. She had been named Into. She had Kushina's red hair. Not long after this their second son came. Menma had tufts of black and red hair atop his head. Just 15 minutes after this Yayoi their youngest and second daughter was welcomed into the world. She had Minato's blonde hair only it was a shade lighter it was only then it really sunk in. He had really become a father. Just as he was about to rebuild the seal he turned around to see Biwako and the other midwife drop to the ground dead. A cloaked hooded man wearing an orange mask with a tiger stripe like design with one eye hole and the fully developed three tomoe sharingan of the Uchiha visible through it was standing there with a kunai in hand in front of the cradle that held the children. He told him to step way from Kushina or they would die. Minato didn't know what to do and the man attempted to follow through on his promise. Minato saved the children but he had been forced to use his teleportation jutsu and left Kushina in the hands of the enemy, whose plan he realised was to separate them from the beginning. He used the flying Raijin seal that he had incorporated into her seal to get to her but he was too late. The masked man had ripped the Nine Tails out of her body and she informed him of his intention to use it to destroy the village. Minato was devastated. He knew the consequences of a Tailed Beast being ripped from its jinchuuriki's body like that. Of course the masked man had infiltrated the village and summoned the Nine Tails right in the middle of it . That was all that led to the current situation.
Minato inhales and exhales deeply. He had already found Tsunade and taken her to Kushina's location. He hoped that, by some miracle, she would be able to save her.
' I've allowed myself enough selfishness" he says internally. Its time to protect the village!"
Meanwhile below the Nine tails must have sensed his presence because the fox turned it's head and looked straight at the Hokage monument. It opens it's mouth revealing it's fangs. Small balls of blue and red chakra begin to form and converge on the spot at its mouth until a giant purple ball of chakra has formed. The Tailed Beast Bomb. An attack only a Tailed Beast is capable of. One that could destroy entire armies and leave a scar upon the very face of the earth in a second.
The Nine Tails takes aim before releasing the bomb, sending it flying at the Hokage monument.
"You wont have to your way here" he defiantly declares. He begins weaving through hand signs before shouting" flying Raijin: guiding thunder jutsu". A complex sealing formula appears in the air in front of the monument. When the bomb reaches its momentum stops. It begins to sink into the sealing array until it can't be seen. Minato then holds up a flying Raijin kunai and an explosion is seen in the distance. Minato has no time to examine his handiwork. He whips around, a kunai in hand, in an attempt to behead the masked man who had tried to sneak up on him. His attack goes right through the man as if he isn't there. When his hand comes out on the other side the man grabs his wrist. A swirling distortion formed in the air with the masked mans only visible eye being the epicentre. Minato suddenly sees himself being pulled into the man. Acting fast he activates the Flying Raijin.
Minato finds himself laying on the ground next to one of his kunai in front of another one of his safe houses this being the one destroyed earlier.
"My attack slipped through him as if he wasn't even there' he thought getting up. The same distortion from before appears and out of it the masked man materialises.
' So he can use space time ninjutsu as well' assessed Minato.
Minato begins to analyse the situation. '
"why did you attack the leaf?" he questions.
The masked man simply stares at Minato.
" I could say I did it on a whim and I could say I did it for a purpose. I could say I did it for peace and I could say I did it for war"
Minato begins to asses the situation.
' He was able to get past a top-secret barrier, kill all the ANBU black ops on guard who were assigned to the Thirds security detail and he knew about the seal weakening during child birth. He was also able to break the it, tame the Nine Tails and get past the hidden Leafs Main barrier undetected. Could it be?'
"Are you Madara Uchiha? No it's impossible. He's dead."
"I wonder about that..." replied the masked man taking out what appeared to be a pair of shackles and putting them on.
'well I guess it doesn't matter who he is. He's still not an ordinary shinobi. His space-time ninjutsu surpasses mine and Lord Second's and he's got dangerous ideology. I'll have to take him down here and now or he'll cause problems in the future' Minato internally said.
The two run at each other. Minato attempts to stab his opponent only for his attack to pass right through him. When he passes through him Madara uses the chain of his shackles to stop Minato and bind him. Minato quickly disappears and reappears kneeling next to one of his kunai.
'He's trying to use that chain as an effective method of attack for whenever he materialises which is the only time he can attack. He can pull objects in but only when touching them. With the Nine Tails summoning time limit on his mind he'll want to end this as a quick as possible.' He gets up and the two run at one another again, Minato with a Flying Raijin kunai in hand.
' whoever is faster wins this battle'. Minato throws his kunai at the masked ninja and like before it goes through him . A Rasengan suddenly forms in his right hand while the enemy is using his to try to touch Minato's left shoulder and end the battle. It looks as if the masked man has the upper hand. His hand is less than a millisecond away from touching Minato.
'I win' he internally voices.
Minato appears above the enemy, the kunai he threw in hand. He brings his Rasengan down, drilling it into the masked mans back causing cracks to form in the ground and dirt to be kicked up.
' Ah. He teleported himself to his kunai'
When Minato's Rasengan dissipates there is a Flying Raijin mark on the spot he hit on his back.
"Ah." The masked mans hand begins to melt and fall off somehow
"You really are a flash. I let my guard down for a second and"-
He doesn't get to finish as Minato appears in front of him with his hand on his stomach.
"A contract seal?" the masked man says seeing a complex sealing formula spread across his body.
"The Nine Tails is no longer yours" Minato declares. He jumps back the enemy having been defeated.
"It doesn't matter. You winning this battle is only prolonging the inevitable. I plan to rule the world. There's plenty of ways to go about doing that." He says in a serious tone disappearing leaving Minato worried.
Meanwhile in the hidden leaf.
The battle rages on. Several shinobi are trying to subdue the Nine Tails but are unsuccessful so far. None notice but the Nine Tails eyes revert from the normal pupil with three dots at the very edge of the iris to an eye with just a slit for a pupil.
"We'll push the Nine Tails out of the village! Advance!" the Third orders. The Shinobi all comply running forward to occupy the demon fox.
The Third meanwhile bites his thumb, weaves through some hand signs before slamming his hand down. A poof of smoke follows and when the smoke clears standing next to him is none other than monkey king Emma.
"Did the seal fail?" he questions. The former Hokage nods. "we have to push the Nine tails out of the village" there is a poof of smoke and when it clears a large black staff stands in his place. Hiruzen grabs it, places under his arm and yells "Adamantine Staff: Extend". It complies as it suddenly extends it's length, the tip rushing out to meet the Nine Tails. It hits the Nine Tails in the chest pushing the beats back until it is out of the village.
"It's out. Don't stop. Advance and attack!" orders the Third.
Minato appears atop the Hokage monument once again this time on the Thirds head just in time to see another Tailed Beast Bomb being gathered. He weaves through hands signs. A sealing formula appears in the air above The Nine Tails. There is a giant poof and a giant toad falls on top of the Nine Tails. Gamabunta the chief toad he boss summon of all toads. Minato teleports himself atop Gamabunta just as the Nine Tails begins forming another Tailed beast bomb.
' I'm sorry Kushina' Minato says gathering chakra. He needs to get this as far way from the village as possible.
The Third realises what Minato is gathering chakra for and runs towards him.
"Lord Third" protest the shinobi.
Hiruzen jumps onto the Nine Tails and before anyone can do anything the Nine Tails, Minato and Hiruzen are gone. An explosion is seen in the distance.
"Over there! Let's hurry"
Scene of explosion
The safe house Minato teleported to with the Nine Tails and Hiruzen at the last moment is destroyed. Crying can be clearly heard.
"Minato what's going on" Kushina asked. She looked a bit better.
" I'm sorry Kushina. It was the only way. The Nine Tails was going to destroy the village"
Hiruzen and Tsunade run up towards the too, Tsunade holding Menma and Mito while Hiruzen is holding the Naruto and Yayoi.
A growl is heard by the group. They turn to see the Nine Tails getting up.
Kushina claps her hands together. "Adamantine Sealing Chains!" Yellow chains made of a special kind o chakra. The chains drill into o the ground before come up and wrapping around the Nine Tails.
"Listen all of you. I'm going to use what little strength I have left to seal the Nine Tails inside of myself and take it with me into the afterlife".
"No, Kushina. The man who did this...this wasn't the last the village will see of him" he said confusing Tsunade and Hiruzen. " the Nine Tails power will be needed to fight against him when he returns. If I seal half the Nine Tails in myself and the other half in one of-".
"There's no need for either of you to do that"
"They turn to see Hiruzen with Naruto and Yayoi in his arms.
"I will seal the Nine Tails using the Reaper Death Seal in conjunction with the Eight Trigrams Seal." he says in a tone of finality. "I don't know what's the cause of the events that have transpired tonight but I know the fate of the Hidden Leaf and perhaps the world is on the line. And that's all I need to know."
"Lord Third-
"No Minato. My time has come and gone. You on the other hand have just become Hokage. You achieving this at such an age is symbolic of the next generation stepping in. And you're a father now. Your children will need you to be there for them. It is time the baton was passed"
"Very well Lord Third" he relented.
Meanwhile the Nine Tails is thrashing about desperately attempting to free itself but to no avail. He knows he is strong enough but his chakra isn't gathering
'This feeling. My chakra won't gather. I feel paralysed. It's not Kushina's Adamantine chains. It's... He looks ahead and his eyes fall on Naruto ' That brat. His chakra. With it he's unconsciously suppressing mine. His chakra feels just like... The Nine Tails thinks of a certain shinobi who lived ages ago. He had the ability to subdue Tailed beasts and was a leaf ninja. "could it be he has the same ability?"
The group has finished setting up the ritual alter.
"The Nine Tails is much too large to seal in one child so I will split it amongst them. It's chakra I will divide into three equal parts and seal into three of them while the beast itself I will seal into one of them... Minato?
He sighs "Naruto, he's the eldest". Hiruzen nods.
He weaves through hand signs and the Reaper is summoned from his realm. The Reaper puts his hand through Hiruzen making him feel and indescribable cold. 'No! The Nine Tails protests but to avail as it's chakra it ripped from it. Then the Nine Tails itself is sealed in Naruto. Hiruzen feels himself being to fade. He falls to the ground. The three gather around him with Tsunade carrying two of the children and Minato the other two.
"Tsunade, I want you to know I'm proud of you and tell Orochimaru and Jiraiya the same" he says making her tear up. "And Tsunade, I know it's hard but I want you to open your heart again. I want you to learn to love once more"
He turns to Kushina. " Kushina. From that little I welcomed to the leaf years ago you've grown into a splendid, strong woman. Lady Mito would be proud" he says as she struggles to hold back the tears.
He finally turns to Minato.
" Well done my boy. You've done me proud. I leave the village in your hands" he says handing him four scrolls each holding the key to each seal. Minato nods. "I won't let you down" he says determined.
Hiruzen looks up at the moon. He hasn't had a bad life. He regrets a few things like not being able to be with his wife in the afterlife and letting his best friend slip into darkness. He closes his eyes, breathes his final breath and allows the Reaper to claim his soul, dying with a smile on his face.
Days later
Minato is sitting in his office thinking. A lot has happened in the past few days. The council had demanded answers on the Nine Tails breaking loose. Minato had decided against revealing what had happened and branded the seal breaking an accident. If the possibility of a shinobi such as Madara Uchiha being alive became common knowledge panic would erupt throughout the village and shinobi world. This unfortunately meant the Uchiha were facing suspicion from certain council members. He had had to notify the elders however who were not pleased with the information.
He had however gone public with the information of the Nine Tails and it's chakra being sealed away. The villagers had praised Mito, Menma and Yayoi as the village heroes who stripped the demon fox of its power. They did seem a bit apprehensive about Naruto but he is sure it will pass. It is still the early days after the attack.
Kushina by some miracle was still alive and no permanent damage was done. He had thought it was Tsunade 's doing but she was perplexed by it as well. It was put down to her Uzumaki blood in the end.
Right now Minato is waiting for Jiraiya who he summoned to the village. He hears someone enter through his window. He turns to see his sensei. "Hey brat" Jiraiya greets walking into the office. Minato smiles and immediately activates privacy seals on the room so none outside can hear anything.
He proceeds to explain everything to Jiraiya from beginning to end. When he is finished the Sannin has a frown on his face.
"I think this is it sensei. What you spoke about" Minato says.
"The shinobi world will face great danger in the coming days. A child of prophecy will be born. He/she will hold a great power with in and will either save the world or bring about its end" Jiraiya had said to Minato and Kushina.
" I believe one of our children is the child of prophecy" says Minato.
Jiraiya adopts a thinking pose" I believe so too. It's got to be either Menma, Mito or Yayoi as they hold a great power just as the prophecy said."
"So what will we do?"
"Train them of course! Prepare them to save the world!" he shouts in an overly peppy manner. Minato smiles at this.
"Come on then. Take me to my god children". They both get up and leave heading for Minato's home, unaware of the events they've set into motion, events that will lead to the birth of a lion that will either save the world or destroy it just as the prophecy said.
End of prologue
Yes very long for a prologue I'm aware. I apologise. This is my first ever fic. I've read many over the years but this is the first one I'm writing so I'm bound to make mistakes. That's how you improve. It is a neglect fic. If you don't like those that's your heads up to stop reading. If you don't like the way I write, stop reading but I won't tolerate flames. If you do thanks and I'm always looking for constructive criticism so I can improve.