Whirlpool Effect

Father

***I still own absolutely nothing***

Since this story is in the first person perspective, please note the italicized name before the section to avoid confusion.

***Minato***

An anger courses through my veins like white hot fire as I leap through the trees, drawing ever nearer to Konoha. Something has happened, something has gone terribly wrong.

Jiraiya had not been in the village like his original message had said he would.

Naruto had been left alone, and something terrible had occurred. It was only due to an emergency message sent to me by Rin that I was even aware of it. Simple and to the point, it read 'Naruto in hospital, Jiraiya and Tsunade on their way home.

What had happened? Was he sick? No that couldn't be it. The Uzumaki Bloodline afforded the wielder near perfect health and increased longevity. It would take a specifically designed plague to even cause one of them to sniffle.

Was it an accident? Also unlikely, my son might be many things, but clumsey he was not. Kushina had started Ninja training with him early, and the boy was as acrobatic and nimble as they came. Not only that but he was beginning to show signs of my own Bloodline as well.

That left only one legitimate answer.

He had been intentionally harmed. Someone hurt my son, my family. Someone was going to burn.

There was a small contingent of Konoha coming up on my left. I pass by them as nothing more than a flash of light. The only ones who stood even a remote chance of noticing my existence at these speeds would be high level Uchiha... and even Itachi wouldn't be able to stop me from reaching my child.

***Jiraiya***

"Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit."

"Excuse me sir but..."

"Naruto Uzumaki, where is he?"

"Um..."

She is pretty, young, and looks new to the job. It was too bad that I was in a hurry or I might have taken the time to flirt with the girl a bit, try and get her to relax. She is obviously too stressed out.

"Blonde, blue eyes, crazy spikey hair, a child, wears orange." I snap a bit too harshely. I can tell that she is slightly frightened by the widening of her eyes, and the half step back she takes. I really am being too cruel to her but... well I can't afford to be nice right now. Not with the situation at hand.

"R-room 619..."

I am gone before she can even finish. I don't know how it happened, but for some reason Tsunade wasn't in Konoha like she had promised me. I knew that Naruto was spending a few weeks here, but I had an emergency assignment to take care of in regards to Iwa. My old teammate had promised she would be here to greet him and take care of him. Her letter had been very explicit about that. Hell she had even bitched at me a bit for doubting her.

What the hell had happened?

I made it into the room as second later, only to see a sight that sent a shiver of fear down my spine. Minato was there, standing over a sleeping, at least I pray he is, boy who is covered and wires and strapped to dozens of machines. His eyes flash over towards me for a split second, but in that second I know that he could have ended me in a hundred ways. There is a reason he was chosen for Uzukage, a rank that no outsider had ever held until my apprentice.

Minato is possibly the most dangerous man alive.

"M-Minato I..."

"His charts say he is in a coma..."

I flinch, no sense hiding it from the blonde before me, even if I had perfectly concealed my reaction he would have seen through it anyway. "Wh-what happened?"

"That is what I want to know Jiraiya. Where were you?" there is no anger in his tone, no accusations to be heard... and that is the most frightening thing of all. Minato generally wears his emotions on his sleeve. He laughs, jokes, crys, rages, and more just like a non-Shinobi would.

But that emotionless voice... an icy chill spreads throughout the room. It is the voice of the Shinigami himself, the voice of death.

"I... I was told that Tsunade would be here watching him until I got back. I received an emergency assignment a few days ago."

His eyes freeze on me, he is judging me and holds my life in his hands in this very moment. He turns back to Naruto, and I try to let out a sigh of relief, of course I still know that even with his back turned Minato is beyond normal men. Even with the complete element of surprise I doubt I would be able to take him in a fight.

"Extensive injuries to the Chakra Network, multiple Tenketsu were sealed shut across his body, including those dangerously close to vital organs, life is still in dangerous conditions, comatose without time frame on recovery..."

"I-I am so sorry Minato I..."

"Who did this to my son Jiraiya?"

"I don't know, but I promise you I will find out."

The man I consider my own son slowly sits down in a chair next to his own child, gently grasping a small hand in his own. My heart breaks a little more.

"Kushina will be coming"

"Any chance we can... delay her arrival?"

Blue eyes glance back at me, and I hold up my hands in a defensive manner, no reason to agitate the sleeping demon. "Wh-what I mean is until we can get more information of course. I just want to try to avoid any more political repurcussions than we already have. You know how she will be..."

"I know, but Naruto has emergency seals in place should something like this happen. She will have already been notified."

"This is going to get worse isn't it?"

The blonde sighs, "I am going to try to talk her out of burning Konoha to the ground, no promises though."

If it were anyone else I would have laughed at the joke, but Kushina may very well be able to do it. Between the Kyuubi and her own prowess as a Kunoichi...

"Would you rather me wait or begin investigating now?"

An odd look passes over his face, clearly he wants answers but at the same time I can tell that he needs guidance. For the first time in many years he appears... unsure of himself. He is doubting something...

"Minato, this isn't your fault. You are a good father."

"My son is laying in a hospital bed after a vicious attack and the doctors say he might not wake up... what part of this sounds like 'being a good father' to you?"

"The part where you are here rather than tearing the village apart looking for his attacker."

This time a smile does tug at his mouth. "Much as I want you to be here... we need to get as many answers as possible before Kushina arrives."

"I will keep you informed, I promise. I heard Tsunade should be arriving in the next few hours. She is the best there is Minato, she will be able to help him."

"I can only pray that is true, for everyone's sake."

I turn and leave my 'son' to his thoughts.

***Minato***

'Have I failed?'

The day stretches on into evening with doctors continuously coming in and out to check on Naruto, his vital signs stabilize... but there is no sign of him recovering. Jiraiya mentioned that Tsunade will be arriving early morning, she wanted to be here tonight but it is simply too difficult to navigate the forest in the dark, especially with Shizune being with her. It is a bit ironic, that even after her and Dan began having 'problems' the young girl still chose to stick with the blonde rather than her actual relative.

'I should have been here, I should have ensured that someone was with him before departing. What kind of father am I?'

My own thoughts drift back to my childhood. Of being cold and alone in the orphanage that I grew up in. Stale food, cold showers, loneliness... these were the things that consumed my days until I was discovered to have Chakra levels high enough to attend the Academy. It was there that I first found my calling, something I was good at, something I could be proud of.

Up until then I was a failure, up until then I was just the hyperactive brat with no friends or family, the person who would never amount to anything in life. Up until then I had no future, but then I found one, I forged one.

I studied every day, and even through the nights. I practiced until my fingers bled and my limbs were so sore that I couldn't move. I slept in training fields just to get a head start the next day. I became a Shinobi earlier than most children could even name the three Hokages.

'Was it enough though?'

Even with all of that, with learning everything I possibly could from a Sanin, with training day and night without stop for years. Even now I am useless. I cannot help my son, I could not protect my family when they needed it most. I could not save a single child...

What kind of Kage am I?

What kind of Father am I?

***A***

"Excuse me, A-Sama"

Annoying little weasel, he thinks that I do not know about his theft of funds when I am not looking, he thinks that he can 'kiss ass' enough to hide his faults.

He is wrong.

A grunt sounds from my throat as I give a slight gesture, and the man approaches before handing me a report. A dismissing wave sends the man off, a slight gesture informs the ANBU to end the man's presence after he leaves.

I have spent enough time putting up with the man's lack of talent.

Unfurling the scroll before me reveals a spy report from Konoha. It is interesting how even though they have the greatest spy network of the nations they are also the most infiltrated. Ironically, despite all of the refugees they take in, it is Uzu with the most protection, and they have made it quite clear that they allow the spies to exist within their borders. A token of 'good faith' or some such nonsense.

That and no one would dare cross the Namikaze... not even me, not after...

My mind fades back to the first time we actually had an encounter, it was shortly after he had been made Uzukage and his reputation had leaked about being 'the fastest man alive'. At the time I had snorted about how utterly ridiculous that was. Clearly I was much faster, but an interesting, and looking back completely stupid, plan had formed in my head. The man was married to an Uzumaki, something I had wanted to parktake in for some time. Why not kill two birds with one stone?

Thus I had invited both the Kage and his wife, the Empress of Uzu, to my palace. Once there, and slightly inebriated due to the alcohol, I purposed a challenge to the blonde man.

"A friendly spar, just to settle once and for all who really is the fastest."

He had looked over pleadingly to his wife, the coward. I did not even glance in the direction of my own. She would know better then to voice her opinion concerning what I chose to do.

The redhaired beauty had sighed and nodded, earning a gleeful smile from the man.

"How about we make things a bit more interesting eh Namikaze?" My voice carried just far enough so that he could hear me.

"Uhmmmm okay?"

"There is an old saying in Kumo, 'to the victor goes the spoils' whoever wins out little contest is allowed to claim the other's wife for the night hm?"

"Uh I don't think that is..."

He never finished his statement as I am in front of him in less than a heartbeat later, cloaked in my 'Lightning Release' technique. Every neuron, ever nerve, and every muscle in my body were beyond the peak of what any human could ever hope to achieve. I was faster than any person living, or who had ever lived. None could surpass my raw physical ability in this...

Suddenly I was on my back, with a tri pronged kunai hovering inches above my eyes.

How

He hadn't even moved, there was no Fuinjutsu, no twitching of muscles, save for him finishing his statement. There wasn't even the natural reaction of shock as he comprehended my attack.

One moment I was about to connect with a completely unaware adversary... and the next he has me completely helpless, still grinning as he crouched on my chest.

"Looks like I win" he practically laughed out, but it wasn't malicious. There was no anger or disgust, no fear or hatred. Just a humor in his eyes, as if it was just a game to him. Then it hit me. It was a game to him. Even at my peak, catching him completely by surprise... he defeated me without even trying.

There were no words for speed like that. Humans are only meant to move so fast... and he surpassed even what I considered to be physically possible.

He was more of a God than a man.

A shifting of the air alerts me to my ANBUs return, and pulls me from my memories. The man hadn't even taken up my offer to have my, rather beautiful, wife join him in his bed. There had been no breaking of trade agreements, no threats... he was a flawless Kage.

Glancing down at the scroll and upon, finally, deciphering the code, my eyes open wide in shock. It appeared as though young Naruto had been injured in Konoha, the leading theory on the cause was a Jyuken strike.

This was... a potential catastrophe. An attempted assassination on the son of not only the most popular Kage that Uzu has ever had, but also their royal family? This was the makings of not only a breaking of the oldest alliance among the Ninja nations... but war.

Where would Kumo side though? It was a well known fact that in the past both Iwa and Kumo were not huge fans of Konoha and Uzu, but over the last decade the relations had changed dramatically. Konoha was still the pompous assholes that they always were but Uzu... it was a trade partner with every major nation, and a safe haven for all who required help. Declaring war on them would not only be an invasion that could not possibly succeed, but a political nightmare.

Add to that the fact that I have long since desired to marry one of the Kumo bloodlines to the young Uzumaki boy, who I find to be quite entertaining, and... well our relationship with the island country is far stronger than that of the 'Will of Fire'.

Time would only tell what would come of this situation, but I have no doubts that it will shake the countries to their very cores.

***Tsunade***

"Lady Tsunade slow down, if you wear yourself out..."

Shizune continues scolding me, or trying to, but I have long since tuned her out. She could become a bit of a 'nag' when she would get on one of her rants and this was not time to indulge her. Konoha lay a mere two hours away at the rate we were traveling, which meant a little bit more speed could cut that down to about an hour and a half.

I needed to get there faster. Naruto, my godson, had been injured. The only information I currently had was that he was in a hospital with Jiraiya and Minato.

A shiver of fear rolls down my spine as the sky seems to darken just a bit more. Minato Namikaze was not someone that you wanted to have as an enemy, and one of the few things that Kushina had stressed about the man was that he put family above all else. For someone to injure his son... there was going to be hell to pay.

But that would be for another time, right now she had to reach the child whose care she had been entrusted to. Where the hell had Jiraiya been? Why wasn't he looking after the boy, who he had declared as his own godson as well? Why had his note explicitly told her that everything would be fine, that he was looking out for the boy and she could take her time with returning to the village.

Something wasn't right, too many 'coincidences' were adding up to conspiracy. Naruto had been left alone by a serious of unfortunate events, and he just happened to be hurt during this time?

No, even the most unlucky of individuals would find such a thing hard to believe, and Tsunade would know. She was about the most unlucky human being to ever walk the planet.

***Minato***

"Minato, is... oh God..."

I nod morosely as the blonde healer practically dashes to the bed and begins flipping through charts, Shizune simply stumbles towards a nearby chair and flops down onto it, her eyes frozen on the bed and its occupant the entire time.

It was not secret that the young medic was quite fond of my son, although how far this went Kushina and I never quite figured out. At first it seemed more like an older sister and younger brother relationship but the most recent visits... despite the age gap Shizune seemed to spend quite a good amount of time holding his hand, or simply being close to him.

"Comatose... Tenketsu scarring... Chakra network damage... Unknown recovery time..." I already knew exactly what Tsunade was reading, hell I had memorized it the first time I had read it over.

"H-how could this happen?"

"That is exactly what I am trying to find out."

The two women turn to the door where Jiraiya stood, a rather angry expression frozen on his face as he stared at his former teammate. I turned and gave him a slight nod, "what have you found?"

"Looks like our guess was correct, it was definitely a Hyuga who had attacked him. Based upon the damage we suspect the attacker was either relatively small for their age or young. I have already gone through both houses and there are no adults who match... that leaves the children."

"Surely you don't suspect..."

"I suspect everyone Tsunade!" the man roared back, earning a wince from the woman. I had only heard of a few moments where Jiraiya had ever raised his voice, it was quite the sight to behold.

Just as quickly she regained her composure though, and anger flashed in her eyes. "So tell me Jiraiya... where were you when Naruto-kun was harmed?"

A deep silence settled in the room, broken only by the soft beeps of various machines and a few quiet breaths.

"What are you implying?" The white haired man's answer was surprisingly calm, almost a peaceful whisper... but I knew better. Jiraiya was never that quiet unless he was struggling to hold in the rage deep below. What was said next could very well escalate into a full out Sanin battle.

"I am implying that either you were slacking off in some brothel... or you chose not to intervene..."

"How.. DARE YOU! I HAVE SACRIFICED FOR THIS VILLAGE, FOR MY FAMILY. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE BESIDES GAMBLE AWAY YOUR HERITAGE AND FAIL AT ONE RELATIONSHIP AFTER ANOTHER!?"

That... was the wrong thing to say, and everyone knew it. Tsunade could deal with a lot of criticism, but her failed relationship with Dan had always been considered off limits.

A growl was the only warning before the remaining Senju launched herself forward, earning a lunge by the other Sanin, a battle was about to ensue.

***Shizune***

Blink

What had happened? One second Lady Tsunade and Lord Jiraiya were inches from each other, prepared to go to war and the next... the greatest medic of all time was currently pinned to the ground by a dozen tri-pronged kunai placed strategically around her clothing, ensuring that even if she ripped herself free she would undoubtedly be... less than modestly clothed.

The white haired man was on the opposite side of the room, likewise pinned, but to a wall.

How had...

The Uzukage sat back down next to his son, "there will be no fighting in this hospital room."

But... how? He hadn't even moved. No twitch, no drawing of a weapon, no start or end of momentum; just instantaneous results.

The full impact hit me a second later. This man, this goofy, happy, silly man was a Kage, and one that was not elected due to politics. He was a warrior beyond peer, a man who could end wars single handedly.

Lady Tsunade had once spoken of how in a straight fight she doubted even all three Sanin togther would be able to defeat the man in a straight fight. Now there was no doubt. Judging by the stunned expressions on both of their faces neither even saw what happened.

He could have killed two of the most powerful Ninja in Konoha... without them even reacting.

The breath I had been holding without realization was released as the tension in the air dissipated.

"From what Jiraiya has told me he had been informed that you would be in the village Tsunade, I assume that you received a similar message?"

She could only nod, still in slight shock, as an answer.

"Seems rather convenient. Once Kushina arrives..." that earned a wince even from me, I knew how protective the redhaired woman could get, and her wrath over her son being comatose would undoubtedly be felt by all present. "... I will be speaking with my former students. I am deeply curious as to what Kakashi, Rin, and Obito were doing while my son was wandering around the streets by himself at night."

A threatening tone edged his voice, and I felt that familiar shiver of fear roll down my spine. I can only wonder... will Naruto turn out like his father, or will he be even more handsome?

***Tsunade***

Jiraiya, the perverted bastard, leaves shortly after our 'defusal' with the promise to begin checking on the Hyuga children. Despite my own words I can tell he isn't happy with the idea of someone so young being a potential assassin of his godson.

Speaking of which... "what is the diagnosis Tsunade? Is there anything you can do?"

I let out a sigh and turn to confront the blonde man, "I'm sorry Minato, I can certainly speed up the physical healing of his body... but the mind is far too complex to try and attempt to heal. Comas still arent' very well understood and if we try and wake him from it..."

He nods in understanding, "let him wake up on his own then?"

"That is my suggestion yes. Although I would advice against it medically I think we should consider moving him back to Uzu if his condition improves. Konoha is..."

"What is Konoha?"

I spin in place, and notice the Hokage standing before me. Fugaku Uchiha, what Konoha was thinking making him Hokage was beyond me, but considering the other contenders he might have been the best choice. At least Danzo hadn't been elected...

A second after I calm myself I am able to answer his question, "Konoha is the place where he was violently attacked. Considering the fact that the perpetrator is still alive it will hold negative memories for him which has been shown to slow down recovery time even while unconscious."

"Ah... I do wish to apologize to you about that Uzukage, I cannot imagine how difficult this must be for you."

Minato nods in appreciation. How he is able to keep calm in such situations I will never understand. I am not even Naruto's parent and I want to punch the deceitful bastard's teeth into his skull.

"Thank you for your hospitality Hokage-Sama. I do so hope we are not inconveniencing you or the hospital."

"Nonsense, any actions we can take to help will be done so. I would hate to damage our alliance with Uzu over such a minor incident."

Forget his teeth, now I am seconds away from ripping him to pieces. How can Minato...

"I appreciate it, Jiraiya is currently looking into the reports to see what he can learn. Otherwise we will let Konoha perform its own investigation into the matter."

"It is for the best. I assure you that we will be taking all necessary steps to bring this situation to a close."

How is the Namikaze not stabbing this man? I can only wonder as I stare back in forth slack jawed. Even Jiraiya, with his nigh endless patience, would have tackled the Uchiha by now.

As the Hokage turns to leave Minato does call out one last time, "Hokage-Sama, could I make a small request? I would like to have a few additional chairs brought up to the room. Kushina will be arriving tomorrow and she will undoubtedly be wanting a place to sit."

I am unable to hide my surprise as the slight expression of fear appears on the Konoha leader's face. It is gone a second later but regardless. Minato has always been a very kind and forgiving man, never known to show any anger or hatred, only taking life when absolutely necsessary, and always keeping calm despite the situation.

Kushina... is not known for any of that. So despite the fact that Minato is the supreme military commander of Uzu, and considered one of the most dangerous men alive, Kushina is far more feared for her... reactions.

That and the carnage and destruction that tends to follow those reactions.

***Whirlpool***