Prologue:
A different sacrifice
The hidden village of Konohagakure was not expecting the Nine-Tails's attack. It was supposed to be a regular day, with only higher-ups knowing the importance of the day of October 10: The Yondaime Hokage's wife would be giving birth to their son. It had gone well, the baby had been birthed without a hitch, and the ANBU had the area secured, until a masked man had come and stolen the Nine-Tails' from it's Jinchuriki, the mother of the child. The Nine-Tails had then started wreaking havoc on the village, while the Sandaime Hokage and others fought the Nine-Tails.
Minato Namikaze was struggling to make sense of the situation. He had just fought with the masked man who had freed the Nine-Tails, and even undid the seal the man had used to control the Kyuubi. After that, he had teleported himself and the Nine-Tails away from the village into a clearing, where it now lay bound by golden chains that sprouted from his wife, Kushina's back. His newborn son, Naruto, lay on the ground behind him, and he could see that the Sandaime Hokage had also arrived at the clearing.
Kushina was slowly dying after the Nine-Tails had been forcefully removed from her, but that didn't mean she would do nothing. "I'm going to take the Nine-Tails with me to my death," Kushina said. "I'm going to save all of you with what little chakra I have left."
"Kushina, there is no need for you to die with the Nine-Tails," Minato said. "I'll seal your remaining chakra inside Naruto. It will be part of an Eight Signed Seal, the Reaper Death Seal." "But the caster of that jutsu…!" Kushina protested. "It is also strategically unwise," Minato continued, "To let the Nine-Tails die. So instead, I will also seal the Nine-Tails inside Naruto." "Why should our son be the one to carry that burden?" "Because," Minato spoke. "I am sure of two things.
"The first, is that our son is the Child of Prophecy that Jiraiya-sensei spoke of. The second, is that that masked man from earlier will greatly endanger the shinobi world. And I believe that Naruto will master the Nine-Tails and be the one to face that masked man, which is why I have to do this." Minato prepared to cast the Reaper Death Seal. "Wait!" A voice cried. Minato and Kushina looked in the direction of the source of the voice.
The Sandaime hokage ran to them and stopped once he was in front of them. "Minato, let me be the one to cast the Reaper Death Seal and seal the Nine-Tails and Kushina's chakra into young Naruto." The Sandaime said. Minato looked at him in disbelief. "But why? It is my duty to sacrifice myself for the village." Minato said to the Sandaime. The Sandaime sighed. "Minato, you are still young. You have a son, and it is also your duty to raise him. I am already old. I have lived a good life. Besides, I wouldn't want to have to take over as Hokage again if you die here and now." The Sandaime chuckled.
Minato also chuckled. "Thank you, Hiruzen." Kushina managed a faint smile, and she felt herself weakening, unbeknownst to her that a chain had disappeared from the Nine-Tails's paw. The Nine-Tails noticed this, and decided to thrust it's paw towards the 3 adults and child below it, in one last effort to exact it's wrath. Minato and Kushina saw the giant claws and fur descending towards them, and rushed to cover Naruto. "Naruto!" They both cried. Hiruzen Sarutobi reacted fast. "Enma!" He yelled, and his adamantium staff expanded and stopped the claws of the Kyuubi from piercing the couple covering the newborn.
A new golden chain sprouted from the ground and wrapped itself firmly around the Nine-Tails's paw. "Hiruzen," Minato said, breathless. "You saved us. You saved Naruto. Thank you." Hiruzen nodded, now watching the Nine-Tails carefully. "You have to do it now," Kushina said weakly. "I cannot hold the Nine-Tails much longer." Hiruzen took a deep breath, before casting the Reaper Death Seal. "Thank you. I will make sure you are remembered as a hero, Sandaime Hokage." Minato said with a sad smile. Hiruzen chuckled one last time. "It is my duty," He said. "To protect the village."
And with that, Hiruzen Sarutobi sealed the Nine-Tails inside of the newborn baby, noticing the whiskers on the baby's face. He then sealed the last of Kushina's chakra inside the baby. "Goodbye Minato. I trust you will take care of Konoha." Minato uttered one last "thank you" before the Death God took it's blade and cut the blue energy that was connected to Hiruzen Sarutobi, and the Sandaime Hokage breathed his last.
