Hello and welcome for whoever decides to read this thing. I've been a fanfic reader for about 2 year now and I thought I'd give it a try. I don't know how long I will write or where I'll go with this story, but I hope you enjoy the ride.Warning, I am not a native English speaker.Any kind of constructive criticism is welcome.That is all, bye bye!

Prologue

All was well within the peaceful village that was Konohagakure no Sato. It was as quiet of a night as every other, no one dared disturb its harmony. A memory of war, even if it was somewhat distant, still lurked inside the hearts of the people that lost their friends and family; they may never have them again, but they took solace in the fact that such things may never happen again. What a blissful delusion!

Still, people went about their nightly activities, some bathing in the light, others hidden in the shadows, not giving another thought about the calmness of night. As sure as the rising of the sun in the morning, everything came to a halt when a resounding boom was heard throughout the village, and then an enormous pile of smoke appeared in the middle of these people's home.

Even though every cell within their bodies told them to run until they could no longer , to scream their throats gave out, to pray onto Kami and beg for forgiveness, they could only watch in harrowing curiosity as the massive beast of a fox with nine swirling tails revealed itself behind the curtains of the smoke.

Should they had not been beneath its presence it would have made a magnificent show. A gruesome beast appearing in the middle of a "small" village, with its fur a dark crimson and and ominous eyes that held nothing but malice and, more curiously, vengeance.

They now feel it. They sense the oppressive pare. They can taste the fear in the air, that made its way slowly toward their hearts. It felt like a dream. No, a truly disturbing nightmare, with little hope that it may ever end. But none the less, this was real.

A child screamed, an elderly man fainted, and all the drunks pissed themselves. The sour stench would have been insufferable had not been for the small fact that a giant angry fox was invading the village.

A deafening roar that shook the land and all hell broke loose.

Panic, agitation, confusion, dread. They all felt it, they tried to run, to hide, to cry, to beg on their knees, but to no avail. The carnage was upon them.

Tails were swinging, paws were crushing, buildings were crushed, precious innocent lives...were lost.

A child, a small girl no younger than six was lost among the chaos. She was kneeling beside a broken house, trying to dig to reach her father. Covered in dirt, bleeding from some minor scratches, no longer feeling her fingers, did not abandon her hope. She could see his hand, unmoving under the ruble. 'Maybe he is just tired' the girl thought, she just had to get to him and everything will be alright.

What foolishness it was, for ow she saw the monstrous tail that was coming to crush her. The girl closed her eyes and raised her little hand up in some hope that maybe, just maybe it will stop.

Waiting, and waiting, but the hit never came. Slowly, the child opened her eyes and all she could see was the back of a man holding back the tail with his bare hands. She knows that man, either by his white coat with swirling red flames, or by his blond hair, everyone knows of his name, Minato Namikaze, the...

"Forth Hokage", the girl whispered.

Minato turned his head toward her and, despite everything that was going on around them, smiled.

"Don't be scared, for I am here." was all he said before pushing back against the danger and throwing it from where it came.

Turning around, Minato lowered himself on one knee and hugged the girl with care, driving away the fear and worries. He will protect her, he will protect the village, it was his job after all.

Before another thought could occur, dozens of men appeared beside them. Ninja, shinobi of Konoha, his soldiers, all from different clans and families, all with their own ideas and dreams, now united with a single objective. Protect.

One was leading, an aged soul hardened by war with eyes that had seen too much, dressed in his old attire, while holding his trusted staff.

"It still fits you nicely, old man." were the words that came from the Forth as he was standing up while holding the girl.

"I had hoped that I needn't have to wear it again. But now it's not the time to be reminiscent of my age, we have to act quickly."

A tired sigh escaped Minato. "Take the girl to a someplace safe" he ordered one of the men. "Now, let us get rid of furball over there."

"How are we going to do that, Minato?"

The Hokage smiled, a melancolic smile. He knew what he had to do. It was the only thing that could be done, just wishing that one day his deed will be forgotten and himself forgiven.

He looked at the demonic creature with a stern glare a spoke the next words that will change the world of many.

"The power of sacrifice."