The blond man turned away from the window and moved over to sit on his bed. This sparsely furnished room had been his hiding place for around half of his sixteen years in hiding.
The Sakura Bijuu, how didn't I know about it? I was the Hokage for crying out loud. To top it all, if what Itachi and Kisame said is true, the two final Jinchuuriki are in an alliance. This will be difficult. If... Naruto is any son of mine... Then even on his own he'd be a formidable foe, but paired with another Jinchuuriki...
Minato looked back to the window, frowning.
I may have to do it myself...
Naruto was bent double with sweat running down his face, Sakura held him up, shaking her head in annoyance.
"Naruto, you just mastered the technique! But being you, you just had to show off didn't you?" She held his face in her hands and looked him dead in the eye. "Don't-push-yourself. You hear me?" He nodded weakly, but still grinned mischievously.
"Unless it's in a fight." He grunted. She set him down on a stone bench, sitting upright, just barely noticing that it was the exact same bench that she herself had been set down on by Sasuke almost three years ago now...
"No." Sakura said firmly, putting a hand on his cheek, he just grinned that inane grin of his. "It's not worth it. You'll do serious damage to yourself." She sat next to him and was more than a little frustrated when he laughed softly. "Why are you laughing?"
He rested his head against hers, smiling happily. "You're worrying about me again." He mused, and she sighed.
"For God's sake Naruto it's difficult not to, you just keep doing this..." Sakura took his hand and held it tight in hers. The boy smiled softly and kissed her cheek, he frowned in concern though when he realised that there was a tear running down her cheek.
"I'm sorry Sakura-chan, don't cry." She looked at him and raised her eyebrows.
"I'm not crying." She said automatically, then smiled and kissed him.
"I always seem to interrupt at this point." Sai murmured sheepishly. The two teammates broke apart and blushed awkwardly.
"Ah, just to say, Tsunade wants to see all of team Kakashi... Some sort of emergency mission." Sai continued and began to walk off in the direction of Hokage's tower, closely followed by Naruto and Sakura.
They stood in Hokage-Sama's office, with Jirayia, staring at the woman before them in shock.
"What the hell granny Tsunade? Orochimaru's dead?" Naruto almost shouted, Sakura too, was in shock.
"Sasuke-kun killed him?" She whispered, how was he so strong? Jirayia looked out of the window.
So, Orochimaru... My years of pursuing you are finally over... Goodbye.
Tsunade grimaced; "That's not all..." She took a deep breath, "Those Akatsuki guys... Uchiha Itachi and Kisame... They've been sighted."
Sai's eyes widened... Was all of this possible? "But- we saw them die... If they were able to resurrect themselves, why tell Naruto about Sakura?"
"I know that it makes no sense. We're assuming that the Akatsuki leader has developed this technique recently, or else Sasori, Deidara and those two "unkillable" Akatsuki would also be alive..."
"What if they are?" Sakura said in a low tone. "We don't know for sure."
Tsunade lowered her eyes. "This is not going to become a mission... But." She looked up sharply. "No one else in the village can know about this. Though other teams will be involved at times, I have decided that team Kakashi is the only team that will specialise in Akatsuki, apart from my ANBU teams... Sai, did you officially leave ROOT?"
"Yes Hokage-Sama." Sai nodded, "I now have no other allegiances than those to you, Konoha, and my teammates." He smirked. "These are my bonds."
"Thank you Sai." Tsunade stood up and looked directly at Naruto. "Naruto. I would like to speak with you, alone." Jirayia looked at her, eyebrows furrowed.
"I'm not sure that Naruto should be told this now." He said as the others left the room, Sakura glancing back worriedly as the door closed behind her. Naruto looked from one legendary Sannin to the other.
"Told what?" He asked. Jirayia pulled himself up and sighed.
"Naruto... We know who your parents are. We have always known. Kakashi too. In fact there are a few of us who know." He looked at his student with regret. "I'm sorry that I never told you Naruto..." Tsunade looked away; she knew that Jirayia would be the best one to tell Naruto this. Having been sensei to father and son.
"Who are they?" Naruto whispered, with his blue eyes set in determination.
Jirayia looked out of the window at the Hokage monument. "There's no simple way to say this, it will... come as a shock. Naruto, do you remember who my student was before you? I told you once before."
Naruto's brow furrowed in concentration, trying desperately to remember. Jirayia sighed.
"His name was Minato... Otherwise known as the fourth Hokage of Konoha. Your father, Naruto, is the same man who sealed the Kyuubi inside you. To protect this village." Naruto looked out of the window at the Hokage Mountain, his eyes drawn to the face that was fourth from the left... Yondaime Hokage... Minato... Naruto's father.
"I have said before that you reminded me of him Naruto. You look a lot like your father. But your personality is another matter entirely... In personality, you resemble your mother the most."
"Who was she?" Naruto whispered; his voice hoarse and painful in his throat. "Who was my mother?"
"Her name was Kushina... Not originally of Konoha, but she came here to be with your Father."
Naruto swallowed hard, his mind was reeling. "Do... Is there a photo of her? A grave?"
Tsunade pulled out a folder. "Naruto, this was her file." The boy took the folder and opened it, looking out at him was a beautiful young woman with a shiny new Konoha headband, she was holding onto it with one hand and using the other to give the camera a thumb up. She was grinning widely. Naruto looked closely at the picture, it may have been wishful thinking but there was something about her expression that made him feel warm inside... she was acting like him.
"Can I- well..." He started to ask, Tsunade understood.
"The picture is yours Naruto." The female Hokage sat back in her chair, looking at him intently, and waiting for him to ask about his father. But the question never came.
"Thank you Tsunade-Sama." He said quietly. Jirayia looked at the boy carefully, trying to read his face.
"Naruto, would you like to know about Minato?" He asked; Naruto looked up.
"I know that he was the greatest Hokage ever and that he started the creation of the rasengan. He fought the Kyuubi and successfully trapped it. In me." He looked at the mountainside with the face of the man most respected in Konoha, then back to Jirayia. "Why would he do that to his own son?" Jirayia stepped forwards and put a hand on the boy's shoulder, looking him straight in the eyes.
"You know why, Naruto, deep in your heart you know... You would have done the same thing. To protect the village and the people inside it. He expected that you would harness the power and become a great ninja. That you would be hailed as the hero of Konoha, who was sacrificed to protect them all."
Naruto sighed, defeated. He turned and left the room.
"Well..." Tsunade sighed, "That could definitely have gone better..."
Sakura looked up from her seat on the floor as Naruto emerged from the Hokage's office. Sai too, looked up. They were the only ones who had stayed behind as Kakashi and Yamato had wanted food.
"Naruto..." Sai whispered as they saw the haggard look on their friend's face, and the slight tearing in his eyes. But he avoided their eyes and walked away down the corridor. Sai and Sakura watched the receding figure clothed in orange and they both leaned against the wall, recognising that he needed space.
"I wonder what that was about…" Sakura mused, keeping her attention on the Hokage's door. When the blonde woman eventually emerged, Sai and Sakura would be there.
"Dunno…" Sai murmured, "Fancy finding out?"
"Sure, I'm in no hurry." They both stretched out lazily against the wall and kept their attention on the door, waiting for either Tsunade or Jirayia… Whichever, it didn't matter. They'd made Naruto sad, they would pay.
"Is it safe to leave yet?" Tsunade asked nonchalantly. It was getting dark outside now and the two younger Nin were still keeping a vigil outside the office.
"Not yet, they're taking it in turns to sleep now."
"Great… They've been trained well." She said sarcastically, tipping her bottle for some more sake before she realised that she'd run out. "We have to get out now Jirayia." The white haired man thought for a moment before striding over to the door.
"We may as well face them now Tsunade."
She took one longing look at her empty sake bottle, before nodding.
The door opened on two grim faced young ninja.
Naruto stood on top of the mountain adorned with faces and growled low in his throat. After all this time, they just came out and said it. Now what? Was there a reason that they told him now? Why hadn't the third or Kakashi ever said anything?
If he was my father, why seal itin me? Why leave? Why die after putting a demon in your son?
Now to seal the Kyuubi. Thought Yondaime, determinedly. He looked at his exhausted wife who lay before him, and then at the blond child held by a medic ninja. My son. Don't die before you need to. I'm sorry child; this is for the good of the world... I wish that I could make you understand... But I hope that after tonight, you will grow healthy and strong. Put up a fight when the time comes. Just don't have the same hopes that I had.
"Hold him once, Minato Namikaze." The woman on the birthing bed sighed. She grinned and gave him the thumbs up. "He won't bite." The Hokage smiled softly.
"I know but if I hold him I may not have the courage to do what I must. To leave him."
"Leave us." Kushina Uzumaki said to the medic ninja, who looked at her helplessly, still holding the newborn, who was not crying. "Leave Naruto in Hokage-Sama's arms." She stuck her tongue out at the blond man who was immediately handed the child.
"Naruto?" He asked, raising an eyebrow, "Like the spiral stuff in ramen? Interesting name Kushina-chan." He looked at the boy in his arms.
"I like it!" Kushina laughed, even after childbirth, she was laughing as if she had all the energy in the world. Which, thinking about it, she probably did.
Minato looked at his son with regret.
I wish that we could stay with you, or simply not do this, but you're the only one who I believe will contain it, who is strong enough to overpower it.
"I'm sorry." He whispered, knowing that however good the third would be to him, it should still be Kushina and himself there.
"I have to go, they're screaming for me." Yondaime said solemnly, Kushina's smile faded and she looked at the two blond males in sadness. Yelling and fighting came from outside, a cry of; "HOLD HIM OFF UNTIL THE HOKAGE GETS HERE!" was clearly heard.
The man set the child in a small carry cot and looked to his wife. "I'm sorry Naruto. Kushina-chan. I know this is hard... for me too. But you know why."
"Yes." She looked at him with sad but determined eyes. "This is the best way." He nodded and left the room, holding his son's basket tightly, his knuckles white with the effort it took to stop his hands from shaking.
A small hand reached up and touched his. Yondaime looked down to see the child touching his hand, looking up at him with eyes so like his own, but with a sparkle in them that he could only have inherited from Kushina-chan.
"You or the world Naruto? Don't make me choose again, it was hard when I hadn't even felt you kick in the womb; it was too hard then... If you make me choose again, I may choose you. That is not what we want." He looked away from the child, emerging into the darkness of evening where a great battle raged.
This is it.
When the jutsu was complete, he checked for any witnesses before looking at the baby below him, now crying, now with three whisker lines on each cheek.
I truly am sorry my son... but don't forgive me. I truly hope that I don't meet you before the final stage. I can't choose you.
He kissed his son's forehead, and then prepared a decoy body of himself before turning away with tears in his eyes.
Yondaime woke up, covered in sweat.
I can't choose you.
"I just can't choose you over the world."
He looked up at the ceiling, his eyes cold and hardened, bright blue almost completely hidden by shadows.
"I will not choose you over the world."
R&R!!! Minato has made his choice... what will Sakura and Sai do when they find out whi Naruto's father is?