(This chapter has been edited for better organization and structure. I just learned a new grammar rule thanks to a review and am now putting it into effect.)

I wanna start off by saying that I thank you all for giving my story a read. I want to address a few things to avoid confusion. I know the Namikaze wasn't a shinobi clan, but for the sake of storytelling, they are. I at least made sure they were largely a civilian clan to keep some semblance of canon true. Why Kokoro never awakens Byakugan is simple. She is a civilian. She never unlocked her chakra. The Byakugan requires chakra. Without it, it won't activate. Also, Minato being an orphan IS canon. I merely gave that an explanation. Minato in this story is 25% Hyuuga, which means Naruto is just over 12% Hyuuga. The Hyuuga in his ancestry was a branch member, a Chunin at that. In canon, Branch family Hyuugas had weaker Byakugan, but also chakra, which means their DNA was likely weaker. I'm doing this for a reason. Having this ancestry be so old, and weak, plus diluted, means that Minato likely won't awaken Byakugan, and Naruto really shouldn't because of how weak and diluted that DNA and Chakra is, but does because he has 2 things going for him. Uzumaki lineage, and Kurama. The Byakugan will be largely a non-factor until really late in part 2. The Byakugan has a lot of potential, and it would make Naruto more powerful than Sasuke, but I have a plan to make Sasuke stronger, so they can remain equals. By the way, this story is also on Wattpad under the same name, and I have the same username there as well. Anyways, onto the story.

General narration

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Narration

Bijuu talking

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or Naruto Shippuden, nor the Naruto Manga. They are owned by Viz Media and Masashi Kishimoto.

Narrator: As was previously shown, suffering is commonplace in the Shinobi world. Grief is simply a formality. A young boy's father died days prior to his birth, and his mother minutes afterward. They say someone can die of a broken heart. Whether that is true or not doesn't really matter, but if there ever was a case of that, the case of Namikaze Kokoro could be evidence of said phenomenon being true. Now her child, a young Namikaze Minato, is orphaned. Minato's story is short, but the impact and legacy he leaves behind eventually surpass him. But before said legacy can be introduced, Minato's story must be told first.

Minato was a very smart boy. When he was 3, he noticed that when he saw other kids walk around the village, he'd usually see them with 2 other people. An adult man, and an adult woman. Sometimes, he'd see kids with only an adult man, and more often, an adult woman. Once he reflected enough, he realized that the only ones without having an adult by their side were himself, and the other kids he lived with within the big wooden building with a blue roof. He once asked the matron the name of the building. She told him it was called "The Konoha Orphanage". He wanted to ask her what an orphanage was, but he couldn't gather the strength to do so. It took him many days of mustering courage to even ask her that question. When he was 4, after listening to the other kids talk with accompanying adults, they usually called the adult female companion "Kaa-san" or "Kaa-chan". On rare occasions, they'd call her "haha-ue". Whenever they talked to the adult male companion, they'd refer to him as "Tou-chan" or "Tou-san". And like the female counterpart, they also had a more uncommon title. Sometimes they were called "chichi-ue".

Unsure of what to make of this, Minato decided to ask the matron another question.

"Um, e-excuse me J-Junko-san. W...What is a 'haha-ue' and a 'chichi-ue'?" The matron gives the young Namikaze a blank stare as she looks down at him. After a few moments, her eyes widen, and she gives the boy a pitying look.

"Those are what are called 'parents'. A haha-ue is a female parent, and a chichi-ue is a male parent". Minato gives her a confused, yet interested look.

"What are parents?" he inquires. Junko is startled, and as soon as realization dawns on her, she nearly smacks herself for her ignorance, but she can't let the young boy see that, so she tells him

"Parents are adults that have been with children their whole lives. They care for, protect, keep their children happy, but most importantly, they love their children".Minato looks spellbound. His face shows such pure curiosity that it seems as if he is about to explode with the way his body shakes, and his head bobs. He asks the matron one very important question.

"Umm miss Junko….What is love?" Junko is absolutely shellshocked, then she remembers what this kid is, and a small hint of shame enters her heart. Curse her and her poor wording.

"Love.. is hard to explain. It is an emotion. A good one." Knowing the kid wouldn't understand complex wording, she decides to simplify it. "You know the times when you feel happy? Things that make you happy are warm clothes, delicious food, compliments, and comfort. You always want the best for yourself, because that makes you happy. When you love someone, seeing that person happy makes you happy. Making sure they have the best even over yourself becomes the priority. They make you happy, and you make them happy. That is love Minato."

A look of absolute awe and wonder strikes Minato's face. His body starts to convulse, and his limbs tremble. He then asks a question that will change his life forever. "So, parents love you right? Do I have parents?!" The matron flinches as if struck. She looks the boy in the eyes. Seeing such pure, unadulterated giddiness, and innocence makes her start tearing up because answering his question might make his innocence disappear forever.

"Minato, do you want to know why you live here? You live here in an orphanage. An orphanage is where orphaned children are gathered, and made to live together. You, Minato, are an orphan." Her voice starts to crack, seeing how the kid still doesn't seem to understand.

"Minato, an orphan, is a kid who for no fault of theirs doesn't have parents." Minato's look of pure positivity immediately disappears, replaced by a visage of pure sorrow. A deep, profound sadness finds its way and settles into his heart.

"O-okay...t-th-thanks for a-a-a-answering my que-questions...b-bye miss Junko…" Young Minato runs off to be alone.

After his departure, Junko looks around and makes sure no one is around, and once she is sure of that, she breaks down and weeps. Out of shame for handling that the wrong way, and out of hurting a young boy in such a manner. She vows to make sure nothing like this happens again.

Young Minato runs off to the park. For the first time in his life, Minato is a very sad boy. He looks around the park and sees kids hugging their parents, and a pang of hurt was felt in his chest. He starts to tear up, and he runs off to avoid having them look at him. Eventually, he spots the other kids from the orphanage and decides to hang out with them. About to open his mouth, he stops, like he usually does. For many weeks, he's tried to talk to the other kids, but always stops right when he is about to. His shyness prevents him from talking to the other kids. He doesn't know it, but this is a trait he inherited from his mother.

The moment he realized he was too shy, he learned a new emotion. Loneliness. Deciding to walk back to the orphanage since it was getting late, he saw many people give him a bright smile, and he always returned the gesture. Walking up to the steps of the orphanage, he sees that some people stop smiling, and give him a pitying look. He really doesn't like that look. Minato was a very angry boy. At that moment, Minato learned another new emotion. He learned of hatred.

After learning of hatred, Minato discovered he hated his shyness, so he vowed to change himself. That moment, Minato learned of resolve. With that newfound resolve, he decided that he wants to confirm whether or not what the matron said about love is true, so little Minato had a dream. His dream is to find out the meaning of love for himself and experience it. Minato decided he needed a goal though. He looked towards the Hokage Monument, and he saw the 3 heads carved on the mountain. He noticed it looked strangely empty by the right side of Sandaime-sama's head. Right there, an idea struck him. Yes, that will do. At that moment, Minato learned another emotion. Ambition.

Namikaze Minato was a happy boy. He had tanned skin, spiky yellow-blonde hair, and ocean blue eyes. He had on a white zip-up hoodie with 2 blue stripes on his sleeves, with a mesh shirt underneath, black Shinobi pants, and black open-toed sandals. Minato walked around with a small, warm smile, and gentle eyes. He was generally shy, yet he held an air of confidence with him. It seems he inherited his mother's personality and his father's confidence. He was very smart, a genius some might say, and he preferred to observe and think things through before acting. Yes, very smart indeed. Namikaze Minato, though happy, was never truly happy. There was always something that held him back.

He was lonely. Still lonely, like when he was younger, but nowhere near as bad. He has made a couple of friends at school. Today a new student showed up at the academy. Minato has never seen someone like her before. Long red hair, not ginger, but actually red. Violet-colored eyes, and skin as pale as a Hyuuga. Her name was Uzumaki Kushina.

'During her introduction, she blurted out in front of the entire class that although she was a foreigner, she would become the first female Hokage! I have never been so shocked in my life! If a foreigner can be so blatantly brazen in such an unfamiliar place with complete strangers, then I can become better. Besides, she has the same goal that I do. Maybe we can be friends.' Were Minato's inner thoughts. Feeling moved by Kushina, he decided to also do something brazen. Standing up, and looking right at Kushina, Minato decides to state his goal as well.

"That is a wonderful goal. I also want to become a great Hokage, respected by all the villagers." That was the first time Minato had actually told anyone his dream. Unfortunately, Kushina took his remark as him mocking her. Poor kid.

Kushina was bullied in the academy for having a chubby, round face and red hair. The kids called her "tomato". Minato would always observe Kushina for reasons even he was unaware of.

'They keep making fun of her. That is very rude. I should help her, but would she appreciate my help, or feel like I should mind my own business? Maybe she could reward me with a kiss, wait no, where did that thought come from?! Oh no, would she hate me for helping her? But maybe, I should do it anyway for her own good?' While poor Minato was having a meltdown, Kushina decided she had had enough of the teasing and decided to retaliate against her tormentors. Seeing this, Minato smiles. 'Woah. She's pretty strong. She fought off all of them, and she didn't even need any help. Good for her.'

After ridding herself of them, Kushina looks towards Minato and catches him smiling. Mistaking it as him laughing at her, she glares at him. "What are you laughing at?" she threatens him. Minato immediately flinches and looks away with a spooked expression.

'Oh, Kami-sama! She is scary! Maybe I should avoid being around her from now on.' were the inner musings of the young blonde. Poor Minato just couldn't stay away.

Minato and Kushina don't interact much. Most of the time, Kushina just wanders around, not paying much mind to anything. Minato spends most of his free time outside of training stalk- I mean, follo- I mean...Supporting Kushina from a distance. One day, on her way home, Kushina encounters one of her bullies. He claims that he will get revenge on her. Kushina, never one to back down from a challenge, was ready to bring that down a peg, but all of a sudden, the kid's elder brother shows up., and turns out, he is a Genin. The kid wants to make his brother fight for him. That is a cowardly move and Kushina calls him out on it. Now Kushina has to fight a genin, with access to real weapons as an academy student, and alone.

Meanwhile, this is happening, Minato is watching from a distance. He is upset, and wants to help Kushina but…

'I have seen you fight off every challenge that comes your way. At first, I thought you were another classmate I needed to help with, but every time I see you, you show me something else. A new power. You don't need help, and because of that I respect you, and from that respect, I've learned to admire you. Even now, I want to help, but I can't help but want to see more. Show me more of what you are made of, Uzumaki Kushina.'

While the fight is happening, The Genin berates Kushina, calling her hair ugly. Hearing this, Minato damn near explodes.

'Who does he think he is talking to Kushina-chan like that! Her hair is the most intriguing thing about her! It makes her who she is, and her hair makes her look beautiful. Wait...Chan?! Since when was she Kushina-chan?! And beautiful?…' A small, rosy blush appears on Minato's cheeks.

Kushina gives the Genin a royal beating. Having his pride shattered, the Genin berates Kushina, telling her that she would never be accepted by the village before running off with his tail between his legs. This gets to Kushina, and spotting Minato in the corner of her eye, she decides to take her ire out on him.

"So you won't help me just because I'm an outsider!" was Kushina's incredulous shout. This catches Minato off-guard.

'On no, this is a big misunderstanding. She looks really mad too. I better answer her quickly.' "No, I-" whatever he meant to say will never be known, as Kushina interrupts him.

"You think so too don't you?! You think I don't belong here too, right?! You don't want me here!" was Kushina's agitated statement. She runs off before Minato could ever reply.

The same cycle of Minato observing Kushina, and Kushina being none-the-wiser kept happening, even after graduating from the academy, but one day would change everything between the 2.

While coming back home from training late in the afternoon, Kushina looks around for her houseparents. She enters the kitchen and there she is ambushed by Shinobi. These are Shinobi from Kumogakure, and they want Kushina for her special chakra. After having subdued her, they escape from Konoha with Kushina in tow.

Meanwhile, after observing Kushina's training, Minato goes to the home he acquired with the money he earned since becoming a genin. Today was the day! He after many months of working up the nerve has decided that he will finally ask Kushina out on a date. He is preparing himself mentally for what he is going to say, how to apologize to her, and how to hold strong in case she rejects him.

'Just be cool. Talk to her for a little bit, give her a compliment, and try to get to know her. At least, try to make friends, and go from there. No! She might think that I am not interested. She might even "friendzone" me as Jiraiya-sensei says happened to him with Tsunade-sama. But, if I just ask her out on the spot without knowing her, she might think I'm shallow, and that I only like her for her looks. I mean, she is beautiful, but that is not why I like her!'

Minato was practically having a mental breakdown, but eventually, he calmed down. He looks towards the Hokage Monument, and just like back when he was young, he found his inner resolve. How could he be a good Hokage if he was indecisive? How could he be good enough for Kushina if he doesn't have courage and confidence? Even if that isn't who he is, he will try as hard as he can, to be worthy of being Hokage, and of Kushina. After all, when he was young, his dream after being Hokage was to find love, since he didn't have that in his life growing up.

Leaving his home, he goes to a secluded area in the village he has seen Kushina frequent most and follows a path leading to a lovely but lonely home. He walks towards it, and he sees something that makes his blood run cold. The house is trashed, and there is some blood around the entrance. Near that small puddle of blood, there is a stray, strand of red hair. The same shade as...Kushina! Looking around, Minato tries to find clues on Kushina's whereabouts. He finds some footsteps leading outside the village. He debates whether or not he should go tell the Hokage, or someone in the village, but resolve fills his gut.

'Kushina-chan probably thinks I'm some flakey guy. I have to become worthy of her. This is my chance to prove myself, not only to her but to myself as well. I can be better.' And so, Minato went off on his own, to look for his beloved, and to prove to himself that he can be the person he wants to be, but first, he needs to get his equipment.

After getting his Shinobi equipment, Minato follows a trail of red hair he finds leading outside of Konoha.

'The hair is most definitely Kushina-chan's. Only she has such beautiful hair, but the trail leads northeast. The only nations in the continent northeast of Konoha are Ta no Kuni, Yu no Kuni, Shimo no Kuni, and Kaminari no Kuni. From what I could see in Kushina chan's home, this is the work of Shinobi. Only Yu no Kuni and Kaminari no Kuni have Shinobi Villages, with Yugakure and Kumogakure respectively. Yugakure is weak and is going under as a hidden village, but Kumogakure is as strong as it has ever been. Only they have the resources, and any motive to take the princess of the Uzumaki Clan. Such a high-stakes mission could only be done by Jonin, so I need to be on top of my game if I am to save Kushina-chan.' Truly impressive analysis by the young Namikaze.

Many hours later with the Kumogakure Shinobi and Kushina in tow and it is nearing midnight. They are approaching the border on Yu no Kuni, and Kushina can be seen with a defeated look. Even now, she still holds some small semblance of hope that she will be rescued. She has heard stories of Kumogakure kidnapping girls of some of the bloodline clans of Mizu no Kuni in an effort to breed their bloodlines into their forces. She is terrified. So much so, she doesn't even want to think about what could happen to her if she isn't saved. Just the idea makes her taste bile in the back of her throat.

'Stay calm. I can't have them see me panic. I refuse to show weakness. Even if I am not loved in Konoha, they'll treat me better than Kumo ever could. Besides, Konoha needs their Jinchuuriki, although no one outside of the Hokage knows. They play with fate if they lose me, but… I am an outsider.' Poor Kushina is on the cusp of breaking. But just when everything seemed lost…

Minato finally caught up with Kushina and her captors. He made sure to keep his chakra concealed and to be stealthy.

'So I was right. Kumogakure was after Kushina-chan. Based on their clothing, these are Jonin. I need to be cautious. No matter how talented I am, I am still just a Genin. I need to take them out as fast as I can and avoid being overwhelmed. I'll knock out the guy in the back, with a chop directed at the base of his neck. Maybe stick in a senbon to make sure he stays down. Move around in a way where I move opposite of any noise I make, so I can't be tracked by sound. Next, the guy closest to Kushina-chan, on her right. Also, aim for his neck. If I am lucky, then I will be left with who hopefully is the weakest link. He is the one carrying the "merchandise" and the weakest link is almost always made to protect the client and product, while the other 2 protect their teammate. If I am correct, then if I move with irregularity, and maintain a visual on him, I can take him out, and save Kushina-chan'. Minato has made a plan, and he hopes he won't be forced to come up with a Plan B on the spot.

So Minato sneaks up on his target and starts to put his plan into action. He hits the guy in the back of the formation with the hilt of his kunai on the base of his neck knocking him unconscious.

Seeing he is falling towards the left, Minato dashes to the right to throw off the other 2 men. The guy on the right faces to the left where he hears the sound of his comrade's body falling. This leaves him open, and Minato cuts back out of the treeline and gives a brutal roundhouse kick to the base of the Jonin's neck, effectively knocking out both of them in 2 moves.

The third guy is forced to abandon his hold on Kushina to get ready to face that blonde-haired annoyance. Meeting for a short clash of kunai, they engage in a mid-air duel. Minato manages to parry a kunai strike hard enough to provide him enough space for another brutal roundhouse kick. Striking his opponent's head, the Kumogakure Shinobi is forced back to hit a tree spine first, where you can hear him wheezing as all the air is forced out of his lungs and then he falls onto a branch face first. That knocks him out, but he continues to tumble down towards the ground.

Stopping right in front of Kushina, she sees a silhouette of someone she vaguely recognizes. In the night sky, the clouds finally part from the moon, and the moonlight hits the shadowy figure. Kushina sees someone she never expected to see. 'Minato?!' she thinks incredulously.

"I've come to rescue you." States Minato with a warm smile. Feeling mentally, and physically exhausted, not to mention confused, Kushina collapses, but thankfully Minato is there to get her before she can hit the ground. Using a kunai to cut the rope, Minato picks Kushina up in a bridal carry. Kushina is finally aware of what is happening, and their compromising position so she tries to stop whatever is going on here.

"Hey, wait…" is all she can get out in her utter bafflement with what is going on. Leaping into the air, with the pale, pulsing glow of the moon in the background, behind them, Kushina is momentarily silenced by the utter magic of the scene. She is about to ask Minato how he found her, but almost as if reading her mind, Minato answers the unasked question.

"It's very beautiful hair, so I noticed it immediately." This completely took Kushina by surprise and left her speechless. A small, faint blush appears on her cheeks, but just as quickly as it appears, it fades. Skeptical of his intentions since he has never given her any thought as far as she knows, Kushina retorts with

"But you have never helped me before." It wasn't a question. Just a statement showing how much she doubted the pretty words this kid is saying.

"Well, that is because I know that you are strong. You've never needed my help." Again, this statement completely changed her view of this kid. His first statement made her feel pretty for quite possibly the first time in her life, and the second made her feel strong as if she really was this super-woman Minato seemed to speak about. Kushina is starting to see Minato in a new light, but she needs one more burning question to be answered.

"Why? Why are you helping me now, dattebane?" Minato gives her a gentle smile, and at that moment it seemed as if they were floating in the air. He has the most confident look she has ever seen on his face. 'Is this really the same flakey kid I met back at the academy?'

"Well, you are strong, but the moment foreign Shinobi became involved, this stopped being your problem. This became a matter for Konoha as a whole. An issue between villages, which makes this different from all your other fights. You are living in Konoha, and that makes you one of us. I guess, what I mean to say is, I just didn't want to lose you."

And there was another gentle smile, and hearing that, another blush appeared on her face. This time more prominent, and it'd be harder to make it go down. All because of that damned smile! In time, she would associate that smile with home and comfort, but for now, that smile comforted her, letting her know that someone in Konoha acknowledges her, making it feel like home for quite possibly the first time ever. This one moment changed everything. She saw Minato as a truly great Shinobi, started to like her hair, and eventually, led to her falling in love with Namikaze Minato. With that, Minato finally became the man he wanted to be. Minato finally discovered for himself the meaning of love and the rest, as they say, is history.

Many years later, Minato would go on a mission in Tsuchi no Kuni. There, he would see the Yonbi Jinchuuriki lose control, and he saw, for the first time, a Bijuudama. He was awestruck by its power. It was stuck in his mind for days until he had a crazy idea. 'Could it be recreated by a human?' And that is how Namikaze Minato developed his signature jutsu, the Rasengan.

After being promoted to Jonin, Minato finally had access to the Sacred Scroll of Sealing. After having to wait for weeks for his request to be accepted, Minato Is given access to the sacred scrolls. There really isn't much he finds interesting. Most Jutsu in the scroll are useless, or impractical, or just too dangerous to be further developed. Eventually, he stumbles upon 2 Jutsu that grab his attention.

'Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. I can't do it since the chakra cost is too much, but this technique would be perfect for Kushina-chan. But this other Jutsu, Hiraishin no Jutsu, also developed by Nidaime-sama. This one seems really strong, but also incomplete. This seems like it would be impossible to complete, but thankfully Kushina-chan is teaching me Fuinjustu.' Minato inherited his father's obsessive nature, and although he doubted he could complete this Jutsu, his obsessive nature made him try regardless. This was how the future Yondaime Hokage developed his 2 signature techniques.

A few years after that, Minato became an accomplished Jonin, and he took on a Genin team. A young prodigy in Hatake Kakashi, a hard-working young boy named Uchiha Obito. They had a fierce, yet not actually all that competitive rivalry. Lastly, on his team was a young girl named Nohara Rin.

'They are quite the funny bunch. Sensei claims that my team is a carbon copy of his own with Tsunade and Orochimaru. Orochimaru. A fantastic Shinobi. One of the greatest products of the Konoha Academy. A man meant for Shinobi's life. One of Konoha's most loyal men, but something about him just rubs me the wrong way. He gives off an aura. One of rot and death. He IS a Shinobi, so it is only logical that he is responsible for many deaths, but something about him is just so...wrong. I can't put my finger on it and I can't tell sensei or Sandaime-sama without proof of my suspicions. That is a one-way ticket on "How to end a relationship". I really shouldn't focus on him. The Third Great Ninja War is on, and I need to work very hard to prepare my Genin for when they eventually enter the field.'

Later in the war

'My team was another casualty in the cruel Shinobi world. Obito was the first to go. It was just bad luck. The one mission that I am not with them, and Obito dies. What is worse is that his death was an accidental one. It was completely avoidable, at least that is how I see it.

Rin… Oh, Kami-sama! Again, the second time my team takes a mission without me, and Rin is a casualty. This time, my team was ambushed by an entire squad of Kirigakure ANBU. It was an absolutely shitty situation. How were my team supposed to be ready, or even prepare for that?! 1 recently promoted Jonin and a Chunin against 20+ fully trained ANBU. It's impossible.

Am I a bad teacher? Maybe I'm just bad luck?! And now Kakashi is left alone and broken. I eventually ended the war myself, thank Kami-same for that, but I had to kill over a thousand men in a second to do so. I have achieved my dream to become Hokage, and my secret one to find the meaning of love.

Maybe I don't deserve to live my dream. Maybe others are meant to suffer so others can thrive? Is that what it means to be Shinobi? Thinking about these things leaves such sorrow in my heart. Whenever I feel these emotions, my eyes always hurt, like they are burning, but nothing ever comes of it. It isn't normal, well, except for Doujutsu wielders in sorrow, but I don't have a Doujutsu. Regardless, such moments make me realize that I don't know if I have the strength to keep going, but I love my village, so for the village, I will muster all the strength I can to be the best Hokage possible.'

Later that day, Minato decides to quit work for the day early and go home. He sees that his home with Kushina is empty, so he decides to start dinner early. Kushina comes home in a hurry, and Minato sees that she is really excited. Intrigued, Minato decided to ask the burning question. "What happened?" Kusjina responds enthusiastically and rapidly "I went to the hospital because I felt a little ill, and I wasn't sure if it was dangerous or not since Jinchuuriki don't get sick, and at first I decided to wait it out 'ttebane, as in wait 'till there was a change or it left, and though it wasn't too severe, it was a constant annoyance that never left no matter what I did, so I went to get it checked out and-" Minato interrupts "Whoa whoa. Slow down there and take a breath. Now, why don't you get to the point of all this?"

Kushina was a little peeved about the interruption but decided to push past it to get to the point. "I'm pregnant!"

"...Huh" was Minato's intelligent reply. "I said I'm pregnant!" A tiny blush appears on Minato's face. "So I'm going to be a chichi-ue?"

"I'm going to be a haha-ue dattebane!"

"I'm going to be a chichi-ue!"

"I'm going to be a haha-ue dattebane!"

"A chichi-ue!"

"A haha-ue 'ttebane!"

This is the happiest day in the life of Namikaze Minato. All the dark thoughts from earlier that day are gone. He has never felt such intense emotions. His eyes hurt. They burn, but he isn't sure if there is a reason for that, or he rubbed his eyes too hard trying to wipe the tears away. Regardless, he now has a new purpose. He swears that he will do whatever it takes to protect his family, no matter what.

That day, a new strength awoke inside of Minato. A primal desire to protect what was his from all.

Minato is in his home with his wife. They are waiting for his sensei, Jiraiya the Toad Sage to arrive. He is asked to give his honest review by his master. 'Jiraiya has recently written a book, but unfortunately, it tanked in sales. I decided to read the book as a favor. Tales of a Gutsy Ninja By Jiraiya the Gallant. Huh. What a pretentious pen name. Well, I gave the book a read. It is a masterpiece in my opinion. I thought that the book tanked because sensei was a terrible writer. I never expected the populace to have bad taste! But then again, I am in the minority in terms of those who actually enjoyed the book, so maybe I have bad taste.' Minato suddenly looks turns his wardrobe.

'Looking at my wardrobe, however, I realize that there is no way I have bad taste. I am always the best dressed. No competition. Have you seen me in my Hokage cloak! No way I have bad taste! I am in the minority of those who have good taste! Regardless, this shows me that I need to ask something of sensei when he comes over later today.'

When Jiraiya arrived, the couple had a nice dinner with the Toad Sage, but as he was about to leave, Minato pulled out a certain book that Jiraiya immediately recognized. "Hey, that's my book!" exclaimed Jiraiya.

"The sentences are childish and I don't think I did a really good job." He states in a self-deprecating way.

"No, I don't think so. I think this tale is wonderful!" exclaims Minato

"Oh…" was Jiraiya's lame remark.

"Every chapter reads like one of the numerous legendary exploits you told me about. It's like it's almost autobiographical." was Minato's earnest review.

"Yeahhh… but it didn't sell at all. Heh, for my next one I think I'll add some spicy elements to pep it up." replied the toad sage.

"The main character of this book… I thought his determination to never give up was really cool. He's a lot like you sensei…"

"Yeah… you think so?' was Jiraiya's flustered response.

"So, I was thinking, I really hope my unborn child can become a ninja just like the main character! Which is why I'd like your permission to name my son after him." At this, Jiraiya's eyes widen.

"H-Hey! Are you sure? I mean I randomly came up with it while eating ramen." At this, Kushina appears from the kitchen with a large, pregnant belly.

"Naruto… I think it's a wonderful name." was her gentle response.

Jiraiya starts to get a little giddy. "Wow, so would that make me his godfather then?! Are you really sure you are sure about this?"

"You are my sensei Jiraiya. You are a ninja who possesses true talent. There is no one else like you in the whole world." Minato said this with such conviction that Jiraiya was momentarily stunned. He had no words.

A few days after this, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage arrives in their home accompanied by his wife Biwako. He tells them of the risks of a Jinchuuriki pregnancy. How the only time the seal weakens is when a female Jinchuuriki gets pregnant. He tells them how Kushina's predecessor Uzumaki Mito went through the exact same thing. When Mito gave birth, the seal of the Kyuubi nearly broke.

"Kushina, I'm sorry, but as a precautionary measure, we're going to ask you to deliver the child outside the village inside a barrier." was the Sandaime's solemn statement.

"Minato and Taiji from the ANBU Black Ops will be there to protect you. Minato needs to feed chakra to the seal to keep the Kyuubi at bay. Also, I will send my wife Biwako to help with the labor. There will be Anbu Black Ops under my direct orders around the barrier." Minato reached out to grab his wife's hand.

"Don't worry. I'll go ahead and start preparing things."

"Remember, this will be carried out in absolute secrecy," stated Hiruzen,

"Thank you." was Kushina's determined reply.

On her way to the barrier, Kushina runs into her best friend, Mikoto Uchiha. Mikoto had recently given birth and could be seen walking around with her youngest. After a brief exchange of small talk, Kushina focuses on the bundle in Mikoto's arms.

"Oh my. Was it a girl?" was Kushina's clueless question. At this, Mikoto giggles, but recollects herself to respond.

"No no. He gets that a lot, but it's a boy."

"Oh, he's so cute! And what's your name?"

"It's Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke."

"Oh, so he's named after Sandaime-sama's father?"

"Yes, so he will grow up to be a strong and fine Shinobi. Have you decided on what to name your child Kushina?"

"Yes, his name will be Naruto." At this, Sasuke opens his eyes and faces Kushina. "You'll be classmates Sasuke-kun, so be friends okay? By the way, Mikoto-" a fearful look settles on Kushina's face "-does it really hurt as much as they say?"

Mikoto adopts a teasing look. "So there's something that actually scares you Kushina! I'm surprised." Unfortunately for Kushina, she was dragged away by Biwako to continue on their trek towards the birthing barrier before she could get a straight answer.

Narrator: This is the first meeting between our protagonist and his rival. This is their story. A story of differing philosophy, contrasting abilities, and of two people who are alike in every imaginable facet, but couldn't be more different. The rivalry between Uzumaki Naruto, and Uchiha Sasuke, the last of the Senju and Uchiha lines respectively. Their rivalry eclipses anything ever seen before. From Indra and Ashura to Madara and Hashirama. The powers these 2 achieve puts even the Gods to shame. They will leave behind nothing but suffering and condemnation.

A few hours later at the birthing site.

"Ahhhhh it hurts, dattebane!" can be heard in a secluded area outside the village. Kushina can be seen thrashing around in agony.

Worried for his wife Minato has to ask about her condition. "I've never seen her in so much pain before. Is she… alright?"

"Of course she is! Besides, you are supposed to be watching the Kyuubi's seal. You are the Yondaime Hokage. Show some composure and act like one!" Biwako snaps at him. Peeved about Biwako's reaction, but more worried about Kushina, Minato ignores her remark and focuses on the seal. The Kyuubi is fighting as hard as it can to break the seal. Minato is struggling.

'Please, hang in there Kushina. Hang in there, Naruto.' pleads the Yondaime Hokage.

Meanwhile, outside of the barrier, a cloaked figure can be seen staring at the barrier. The ANBU protecting the barrier can be seen scattered behind him. All of them dead. It seems to be a man, and he has a yellow mask with black fire-like marking circling the only hole present on the mask. He walks towards the barrier but seems to just fade into the stone. Almost as if passing through it.

Back in the barrier, the Kyuubi is almost out. The fox is roaring inside the seal, Minato is sweating, showing how much he is struggling to keep the fox at bay. "Please Naruto. Hurry up and come out!" were his pleas of desperation.

"You stay in Kyuubi!" A few moments later, and the room suddenly becomes inexplicably quiet and still. Then only a heartbeat later, and the wails of an infant can be heard.

"Hot water. Now!" demands Biwako.

"Right". Kushina can be seen finally easing the tension in her body, and she is drenched in sweat. Minato looks at her in awe. "You...You did it."

"Congratulations. It's a healthy baby boy" states Biwako holding a blonde-haired infant with whiskers. 3 on each cheek. Minato can be seen running up towards Biwako, his focus on the bundle in her arms.

"Naruto!" just as Minato starts reaching for his son, Biwako swats his hand away.

"Hands off! Mother first, everyone else, second." Her message was clear.

Naruto is handed off to Kushina. She looks at him with the most wonder-filled eyes Minato has ever seen on his wife. "Naruto… It's nice to meet you." With glossy eyes, Minato only has one thing to say to the love of his life. "Kushina… Thank you." Biwako comes to take the infant away to get cleaned up. Minato finally remembers what he needs to do, but remembers his wife is still weak from labor.

"Are you alright Kushina?"

"I gave birth Minato. I'm not dead!" He grins lopsidedly.

"Yosh! It'll be hard since you just gave birth, but I need to seal the Kyuubi."

Just as Minato is about to put his hands on Kushina's seal, Minato hears a body fall. He sees it's Sarutobi Biwako. But he doesn't pay much mind to that, as he sees a masked man holding his child.

"Yondaime Hokage Minato, step away from the Jinchuuriki, or this child will perish in his first minute of life."

'Who the hell is he? And how the hell did he get past the barrier.'

"Get away from the Jinchuuriki. Don't you care what happens to the brat?" The man pulls out a kunai and holds it in front of Naruto's face. Minato then sees the seal holding back the Kyuubi spreading. His wife seems to be in agony, and the seal on her stomach is expanding. Seeing no other option, Minato decides to plead with the masked man.

"Wait! Just calm down!"

"Heed your own words Minato. I am perfectly calm. It seems like you don't care for this child's life, so I'll get rid of him for you." The masked man throws the infant in the air and is about to stab him.

"Naruto" yells Kushina. Just as he is about to reach him, a tri-pronged kunai whizzes past him, and the Hokage appears in time to grab Naruto. The masked man seems impressed.

"You really live up to your moniker Konoha no Kiiroi Senkoo " Just as he is about to address the masked man, Minato hears a sizzling sound. He glances down at his child and sees paper bombs attached to his blanket. Reacting fast, he teleports them to a safe house, and then removes the blanket, escaping the explosion.

'Good thing Naruto isn't hurt. That masked man is after Kushina. I need to hurry.' Minato teleports to his home and places Naruto in his crib.

"Naruto, I have to go save your Kaa-san now." 'I'm coming, Kushina."

Back with Kushina.

The masked man has Kushina bound by seals. She is in the middle of a strange Fuinjustu made by the masked man.

"Why… Why are you doing this?" Though the masked man has no reason to answer her, he decides to humor her regardless.

"I am going to extract the Kyuubi from you and destroy Konoha. Your seal has weakened from childbirth, and it appears Minato has placed a marking for his teleportation technique on your seal so I need o do this fast. Do you have any idea how long I've waited for this moment?" After his speech, Kushina takes a peek into his eye hole. She sees a fully matured Sharingan.

'An Uchiha?! Why would an Uchiha do this?' With that, the masked man was able to go into Kushina's subconscious and put the Kyuubi under Genjutsu to both control it, and force the seal to break.

"Now then. Come on out. Kyuubi!" Bubbly red chakra is pouring out of the seal, and surrounding Kushina. The chakra is leaking out en mass, and the Kyuubi is fully released. A deafening roar is released into the night, and Kushina collapses.

"Excellent. Now, it's time to face Konohagakure." Just as the mystery Uchiha is about to leave, a cough can be heard behind him.

"Wait…" This makes the masked man stop in his stride. He decides to address Kushina.

"You Uzumaki. You are just amazing. Surviving a Bijuu extraction. You know, you were the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki. It's only fair for you to be killed by what you once contained." Just a the paw strike from the Kyuubi is about to hit Kushina, she disappears. Minato had come just in time to rescue his wife. "You really do move like a flash." Before leaving, Minato turns to give the masked man a death glare.

Minato teleports Kushina back to their home. He lays her next to Naruto. He clenches his fist, seeing the condition his wife is in. He goes towards his wardrobe and picks out a white high-collared haori with red flames licking the bottom, and the kanji for "Fouth Fire Shadow" on his back

"Don't worry Kushina, I'll be right back."

Back with the Masked man

The masked man is in the middle of Konoha. His one Sharingan glaring into the night. He does a series of hand seals, and he yells, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu". Then, a large plume of smoke and shockwave is released, and the Kyuubi is now in the middle of the village.

"Go Kyuubi." With that command, the Kyuubi roars, causing a shockwave that flattens a section of the village. He swings his tails, and destroys entire segments of the village, and swings his arms in an effort to destroy anything in its path. Only a few minutes later, and half the village is in ruins, and at least a third is on fire. The Kyuubi spots the Yondaime Hokage by the Hokage Monument and charges a Bijuudama at him, Anything in the path of the Bijuudama is immediately destroyed. Minato starts a series of hand seals, and a large sealing matrix appears in front of him. He pulses chakra into one of his kunai, and about a dozen miles away, the Bijuudama explodes. If the Bijuudama were to have gone off in the village proper, Konohagakure would cease to exist. Minato then feels a presence behind him. It's the masked man. Minato swings his kunai in at his head, but… he slips right through him? The masked man catches Minato's hand and declares the game over. He starts to suck Minato into a wormhole of sorts, but thankfully, Minato was able to teleport away in time. Now in a different location, Minato rests a bit, but looking up, he sees the masked man.

'He has an instant transportation technique too? He took out an entire ANBU squad assigned by Sandaime-sama, was able to get past the highest level classified barrier, was able to slip in and out of the village barrier without raising any alarms, was able to release, control, and summon the nine-tails, and lastly, possesses Sharingan. I can only think of one person who can do that.' "Are you Uchiha Madara? No that's impossible. That Madara should be dead."

"Dead you say? Hmm. I wonder about that."

"Why are you doing this?"

The masked man replies in a mocking tone. "What would you like to hear? I could say I did it on a whim, or that this all towards a quest of peace."

'He isn't ordinary. He has control of the Kyuubi. If I don't take him out now, then he'll come to the battlefield with me. It would be chaos.'

"There is no hope for any of you!" The battle commences. Charging at one another, Minato tries to strike the masked Uchiha. He slips right through him. He gets tangled up in the chains behind the masked man, and just as the man is about to touch him, he teleports away.

'No effect on him. But he makes himself solid when he attacks me. Considering the amount of time left on the Kyuubi's summoning, the winner of this battle will be determined on who lands the first hit.'

Minato charges in again and throws a kunai at the masked man. When the kunai fully slips past the Uchiha, Minato waits for a mutual strike. When they are about to touch, Minato charges up a Rasengan, and teleports to the kunai, and then buries the Rasengan in the back of the Uchiha. He places a Hirashin tag on his exposed back. Backing away from one another, the Uchiha is holding his right arm. It appears to be melting, and it falls off. Minato teleports to him and uses a reverse-contract seal to remove control of the Kyuubi from the masked Uchiha. The masked man leaves, but he leaves a few parting words.

"There is no hope for any of you. One day, the Kyuubi will be mine, and this world will end."

Back in the village

The Kyuubi, after being released of control is angry. Very angry. He was once more controlled by one of those filthy red-eyed monkeys. He doesn't know where that man went, but he was angry, so he decided to attack the village that had kept him, prisoner, for so long. This rampage was even worse than when the masked man had him under his control. Left with no other choice, Sarutobi Hiruzen decides to summon Enma. Biting his thumb, and going through a familiar sequence of hand seals, he yells,

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu." There appears Enma, the Monkey King. Transforming Enma into the Adamantine staff, Hiruzen extends the staff forcefully moving the Kyuubi outside the village.

"We need to hold on until Minato arrives." 'Where are you Minato?'

The Kyuubi, in an effort to rid himself of pests, build up another Bijuudama, this time aimed at the Shinobi fighting against him. Minato teleporting himself on top of the Kyuubi summons Gamabunta. Bunta lands on top of the Kyuubi, and Minato teleports them away from the area.

At the secluded sealing barrier

Minato asks Bunta to hold down the Kyuubi for a while, so he can get Kushina and Naruto. Teleporting himself home, Minato takes Kushina and Naruto and teleports back to where the Kyuubi is. Kushina offers to hold the Kyuubi down so Minato can prepare a sealing altar. Using her chakra chains, Kushna is successfully able to hold down the giant fox.

"Naruto, Minato I'm sorry. Please, seal the Kyuubi back within me. I'll take it with me."

"Kushina-"

"We can reduce the interval from now and when it will appear again. So thank you… for everything, you've done. For making e a mother, and making me the happiest woman in the world-"

"No. It was you who helped me become the Yondaime Hokage. You made me a man. You taught me what love was. You made me a husband and you made me a father. You are not dying tonight."

"Oh please don't give me that sad look. Believe me, I'm happy… to have met you. I have lived an accomplished life. Looking back, what I regret most of all… is not being able to see Naruto grow up. I guess what I mean to say is, I'm not afraid to die here if it means you and Naruto can live."Minato starts tearing up but holds strong.

"There is no need for you to die. I will seal the rest of your chakra within Naruto. To do that, I will use the Shiki Fuujin to "

"You can't! If you cast that Jutsu you'll-"

"Die. I know. But I don't have much choice. It is impossible to seal this much power, at least with my current chakra levels, so I have to use this Jutsu to split the Kyuubi. Remember what Jiraiya-sensei said about the great prophecy about the Child of Prophecy and great evil? I think that masked man will be the one to bring catastrophe to the world and, this child, who's our child, and whose godfather is Jiraiya will be the one to stop that man. He is the child spoken about in the prophecy. But in order to do that, he is going to need the power of the Kyuubi."

"But, Minato-" Minato has finally completed the seals.

"Shiki Fuujin!" An astral figure appears behind Minato. A tall demon with long spiky white hair, black eyes, red horns, and purple skin. It has a sword in its mouth and it appears to be holding Minato's soul.

"Let's believe in him Kushina. He is our son after all. After I've completed this seal, Naruto will be the Jinchuuriki of the Yang-half of the Kyuubi's chakra."

"But he is our son Minato! I don't want him to live the life of a Jinchuuriki. I was lucky enough to not have anyone know that I was one, but I doubt Naruto will have that luxury. I'd rather you stay with him, and watch over him than for you to die just so I can have a few moments with him. He isn't even a day old, and Now he is being sacrificed for his village, and now so do you! Why do you have to sacrifice yourself at all?!"

"To abandon one's village is the same as abandoning one's own child. You should know that. Your very own homeland was destroyed, so you should know that. Besides, our family is Shinobi, so the rules are a little bit different for us. You won't have much time with Naruto, but I'm not doing this just for you or the village. I'm doing this for Naruto. I was an orphan, and I would know this better than anyone. No matter what, the one person in his life he will miss the most is his mother. I could never replace you. Loving him is your duty as a mother, and dying for him is my duty as his father."

Minato starts the ritual. The Shinigami shoves his hand through Minato's soul, and through his chest. The arm extends towards the Kyuubi and grabs its chakra. The yin-half of its chakra is being sealed within Minato. An 8 trigrams seal appears o his chest.

'I can't believe how heavy its chakra is.' Unfortunately, losing half its chakra made the Kyuubi smaller, which loosened the binds of Kushina's chakra chains.

Minato summons the sealing altar and places Naruto on it. The Kyuubi sees this and decides to kill the child to avoid being sealed. Using its now loose arm, the Kyuubi aims to impale the child. Seeing this, Minato and Kushina jump in front of the claw to protect the baby. Ther, impaled on the claw of a giant fox, are Minato and Kushina. The claw is no more than 3 inches away from Naruto. A drop of their merged blood drips from the claw, and onto Naruto's chest.

"I am his father… I am the one who is meant to die for him."

"I am his mother… It's my duty to die for him as well. I don't think in our entire time being together that I have ever lost an argument with you. It just goes to show how serious you are about this. You usually wimp out. Heh… even though you liked me first, I was the one who asked you out, remember?" Minato just smiles at this. Doing another set of hand seals, Minato summons Gerotora to store the key to the 8 Trigrams seal.

"Please give the key to the seal to Jiraiya-sama Gerotora"

"Roger" He poofs away.

"Kushina. I'm not gonna last much longer. Before we seal the Kyuubi away, do you want to leave any parting words?"

"Naruto… Don't be picky… Eat lots and grow strong… Make sure that you bathe every day and stay warm…

Also… Don't stay up late… You need lots of sleep… And make friends… You don't need a lot of friends… Just a few… Ones you can really, really trust… I wasn't very good at it myself, but keep up with your studies and practice your ninjutsu hard… Remember that everyone has strengths and weaknesses… So don't get too depressed if you can't do something well…

Respect your teachers and upperclassmen at the Academy… Oh, and this is important… It's about the Three Prohibitions for a shinobi… Be extra careful about lending and borrowing money… Put your mission wages into your savings account… No alcohol until you're twenty… Too much can ruin your health, so drink in moderation… Another Prohibition is women… I'm a woman, so I don't know too much about this but… All you need to remember is that this world is made up of men and women… So it's only natural to take an interest in girls… Or boy… As long as you are happy… But just don't get hooked on bad women… partners… Find someone just like me… Speaking of the Three Prohibitions, be wary of Jiraiya-sensei, dattebane…

Naruto, from now on, you're going to face lots of pain and hardship… Be true to yourself… Have a dream and have the confidence to make that dream come true… There's so much… Oh, so much more that I want to pass on to you… I wish I could stay with you longer...I love you. Minato, I'm sorry… I took up all your time."

"No no. It's alright. Naruto… my last words to you are… well, I'll just second what your talkative mother said. Eight signs seal…" That was the last breath Namikaze Minato ever took. Kushina clung to life for a few more minutes. When Hiruzen finally appeared on the scene, Kushina only had enough in her to say 1 thing when Hiruzen tended to her.

"Naruto… His name… is Uzumaki Naruto."

Narrator: And history repeated itself. Another child orphaned young. His father died bound to his duty, and his mother from circumstances out of her control. Usually, history repeating itself helps us identify patterns in history so we may learn to avoid the mistakes of the past, but in the Shinobi world, there is no way to avoid those mistakes, as there are forces constantly working to make each cycle worse than the last. History repeating itself is the CURSE of the Shinobi world. We have now been introduced to the Protagonist of our story. His life will be filled with unimaginable pain, suffering, and sorrow. Although he is our protagonist, his story isn't the story of a hero saving the world, and bringing about peace. His story is a story filled with failure after failure. Our protagonist, no matter how hard he tries, when looked back on in history, will never be seen as a hero, but rather a failure, whose weakness condemned the world to suffering of the likes never seen before regardless of the many accomplishments and reforms he's made. Because in the end, in the Shinobi world, and happiness and positivity are only a temporary reprieve from further suffering.

I will update this as often as I can. At least once a week. Please leave any reviews, and ask me anything. This is Zippy, out.