Author Notes:

1.) Dukkha: Buddhist term associated with suffering/pain. To Buddha, "life is dukkha" because it is imperfect. Things that change can lead to dukkha, and so are attachments to things. In Japanese, the kanji used for dukkha is "ku" (苦) meaning "bitter" and "hardship".

2.) Jinchuuriki (人柱力): "Human Sacrifice power". The human containers to the tailed beasts. Connected to the concept of the monk Kuoan's poems (see below) and Dukkha.

3.) To reflect Japan, especially in pre-modern culture, the character names are spelled in Kanji.

4.) Few original and "guest" characters will be present throughout the fic.

Bloody Tenko

(血の天光日)

"When one treats people with benevolence, justice and righteousness, and reposes confidence in them, the army will be united in mind and all will be happy to serve their leaders."

~ Sun Tzu

Naruto Uzumaki (渦巻 鳴門): A show-off boy who sought to crumble the feudal civilization by delivering inspiration onto others. He was looked upon as "empty", dragged by the shadows of "hate" and "oppression", and then he took steps towards being proven as "marvelous". One could say that many heroes, many retainers and leaders, are honored as "marvelous" or "popular" after accumulating a war record or a plethora of martial skills, philosophies, and sciences. Naruto gained followers with the ways he used pain and hardships, turning it into something positive through his words and actions.

Naruto's story began when he was just an infant.

In Konoha (木の葉), simply known as "the secret ninja village nestled in leaves", the tenth day of the tenth month arrived. Through the adults, the date was sanctioned the Tenko Day, or the "Day of the Heavenly Flash" (天光の日). The custom was established to mark the birth of a child belonging to the village leader. It wasn't made out of the leader's conceit, but it was to hail something that happened very rarely. After all, ninja led very difficult lives.

Tenko felt like a peaceful title, reflecting both village and leader. Also, it was hoped that the child would become leader in the future.

"Yes Naruto, The Tale of Kitsune," said the village leader, who was sitting in a lounge chair with caster wheels. He, who was formally entitled as the Hokage, had a book on his propped up knee. He softly turned the page.

"This is a story about a beautiful lady and her emperor. A woman of upper court status, Dako lived a prosperous life, but what was privilege without respect?" Minato Namikaze (波風 港) averted his eyes from the book and gazed ahead. He smiled; across from him was a cushioned bassinet.

"Can you tell me, Naruto?" Minato asked his question with a soft cheeriness. Little Naruto Uzumaki was only hours born. He was already cleaned by his father's aides and given his first bottle of milk. The little one still carried the bottle in his tiny hands, emptied of Nara deer milk.

"Minato, stop it," said a female voice. Her voice was nearly a whisper, dry, as if life was dwindling from her. She pushed a weak laugh from out of her throat, along with a few coughs.

"You're being embarrassing," she said, forcing a smile.

"How so?" Minato looked across Naruto's bassinet to someone lying in a bed nearby.

"Already, you're reading to him? It's not like he understands you or will answer back yet." Kushina Uzumaki (渦巻 駆使儺) was Minato's wife. On the flooring, she lay close by her son in a very padded futon. Even after childbirth, the allurement from her bright long red hair and positive temperament couldn't be suppressed.

Being the husband, Minato couldn't help but feel teased – and to tease back.

"Can to, can to!" Minato pouted. "I heard that if we read to our children at a young age, they will read and write very early."

"Maybe so," Kushina said, "well, Minato, use a hush-hush kind of voice?"

Minato only hummed and closed his folklore book, frowning. Naruto just quieted down a short moment ago. His eyes were closed in sleep.

Minato and Kushina were situated in a tight-spaced room with rice strawmat flooring and one sliding paper door. The door was latticed with wood; in current culture, it was a familiar architecture for houses and meant for a simple and tranquil presence. There was a short-legged wood table and an alcove with a vase of flowers and a lamp. In entirety, it was wide enough for about five or six people. Originally, Minato's lounge chair wasn't in the room, but he moved it in preparation of spending sleepless hours with his wife, aides, and baby, watching them. Especially his wife's health; Kushina closed her eyes and entered sleep.

Dusk was approaching.

"Minato," a male voice called from behind the door. Minato immediately glanced at the door, seeing a silhouette through the paper. He recognized the voice; furthermore, to be addressed by his given name grappled his attention, swore it even, as such a custom was only entitled to those like masters.

"My Lord Third?" There was a grave groan, and the silhouette slowly pulled the door open revealing an old man in brown robes. His hand carried a fresh smoking pipe. The smell of tobacco was absent.

"Minato, we must speak," he said.

"I see," Minato stared at the old man and promptly, he rose from his chair. He placed his book on the armrest. He quickened to Kushina and Naruto, and gave each of his loved ones a kiss on their foreheads. Then, Minato made haste out of the room. He would never cast away the man who preceded him and trained his master: The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarurobi (猿飛 昼山).

"Yes, My Lord Third?" The Third and Fourth Hokage stood side by side, looking out a tower window that gave them a high above view of Konoha village. They could see the horizon tilting between orange and blue as dusk reached for them. No matter how low lit, the bright deciduous color of the trees couldn't be avoided, and were a sure sign of Autumn season.

"I hope you know that the Hokage burdens the responsibility of learning the Kuoan Jutsu," Sarutobi said. "You also know of the jinchuuriki system." The old man's voice was often dreary and carried a serious tone. It demanded listening.

"Yes." Minato nodded his head.

"Minato, I am afraid to tell you this, but one of the Tailed Beasts has been spotted."

"A jinchuuriki?" Minato asked, looking at the Third.

"No," the old man said, shaking his head, "our beast, the ninth one."

Minato's eyes widened. Immediately, his thoughts went astray as dread entered his body. The feeling of concern led his wonders to where he left his maids, exhausted wife, and hours-old child. Sarutobi sighed and continued.

"The Nine Tails, being the strongest, accumulates hatred the easiest. Through history, it has become the most feared beast. We can't let it become a tool that ravages the world." Then, his eyes narrowed. "We can't let it forget what he has learned from us."

Minato lowered his head and frowned. Kuoan was the name of a popular master monk who wrote ten Buddhist poems about the human mind called "The Ten Bulls". They were so significant that they interpreted the foundations of reaching enlighten. Together, beast and man lived, struggled, learned joy and hate, fought, witnessed, like there were no difference between each other. They were all sentient beings; thus, the name "Kuoan Jutsu" came to be.

"I love my wife. I think she is truly the best choice to cleanse the dukkha from the Nine Tails." Those were words of duty; however in secret, even Minato felt that Kushina without the demon was acceptable, even if for a moment. But Sarutobi's words were a harsh reminder of reality, the reality of The Feudal Lands, the culture of fighting, profit, and renovating the lands under a power. Even if it meant making deals with animals.

"Who is it? The one who calls himself 'Tsukuyomi'?" Minato asked.

"Indeed. He too was sighted." Sarutobi brought his pipe to his mouth. Minato cupped his chin with a hand. Many questions whirled through his mind, along with him having to form a plan.

"If he uses the Nine Tails against us, then we must take this opportunity to get it back."

Following dusk came night. The night was peaceful; later, a roar reverberated through Konoha village and its forest. Hours later, there were many burials. And Hiruzen Sarutobi returned to the seat of Hokage.

On the Day of Tenko, not only was a son's birth remembered, or an invasion of Tsukuyomi and the Nine-Tailed Fox, but also an oath. The great village of leaves faced a divergence of paths: anger, forgetfulness, unforgiveness, compassion, keeping secrets.

Twelve years passed since then. The title of Tenko would be forgotten.

Replaced by another title: The Loudest Fool of Konoha!