This story was requested by one of my reviewers. Unlike what most people think, I Live for Reviews! You never know what will happen if you leave a review. For the disclaimer, see chapter 1. I just might write another story variation of Fox Children where none of the parents survive. but, that will take a lot of reviews to get made into a reality.
Minato drops from a tree and stares up at the awe-inspiring sight of the incoming Fox Clan. Sighing, he bites his thumb and hits the ground. The huge billow of smoke dissipates to reveal the Boss Toad Gamabunta. "What am I here for, Minato?" he says as he takes a puff from his pipe. The roars of the Fox Clan answer his question. "What did you do to piss off the entire Fox Clan?" he says incredulously, glaring up at the Hokage.
"I don't know!" Minato exclaims. "As far as I know, we haven't done anything!" Gamabunta glances over the foxes and notices one of them is missing.
"They are missing one of their babies," Gamabunta points out quietly.
Minato shouts, "We didn't take your baby!"
The Eight Tailed Fox snorts mockingly and growls, "Close enough."
Gamabunta tenses as the foxes charge forward, leveling the forest around them easily. Beside him, two high level toads appear with Jiraiya on top of the larger one.
The Boss Toad leaps into the air, blocking three tails with his sword. "That jutsu won't work, if that's what you were thinking!" he shouts. Oil spews out of his mouth and lights on contact with the foxes. The Seven Tail rolls over the fire and extinguishes it, the last of the flames sticking to his tails and fur.
"One more reason to kill you," he snarls as his tails lash out at one of the smaller toads, sending flaming globs of oil flying.
In the Council Chambers:
Sarutobi stares at the majority of the clan heads that were not sent out to fight, in case the foxes broke through.
"You know what I am asking of you, ladies and gentlemen," he says quietly.
Shibi Aburami nods solemnly, "We do."
"Do you accept the price of what must be done?" the former Hokage says, leaning onto the table tiredly.
Tsume Inuzuka snarls, "Stop asking! We all said that we will pay. Now, let's get out there before the village is leveled!"
"This is such a drag. My wife's going to kill me," the Nara clan leader sighs.
The Fugaku Uchiha glares at him. "I feel that's not going to be a problem. Now, let's go."
They vanish in squirls of leaves. Reappearing in the Hospital, the clan leaders each grab their children.
"If you are doing what I think you are doing," warns Inoichi Yamanaka's wife. "I am going to tear you apart inside out."
Inoichi smiles weakly, "I'm afraid that honor belongs to another, my dear."
Three identical screams that only come from mothers finding out that they just lost their child. The other six screams would have joined them had the Shinigami not already come for them.
On the Battlefield, One or Two Miles from Konoha:
Ninja fly back in pieces or with bloody injuries as the tails and claws rip the small humans to pieces.
"We need reinforcements!" shouts a ninja as a body part passes his head.
A Hyuga staggers to his feet, wincing at the gaping hole in his side. "Stop whining," he gasps. "You're pathetic." He staggers forward with a kunai drawn towards the Three Tailed Fox. "Come and get me, demon," he mutters, spitting up blood.
The horse sized demon fox lands in front of him and bites off his head. The blood spurting out covers the nearby ninja, freezing him further before a tail rips through his ribcage and yanks it out. He collapses in a bloody heap. The Fox smirks with satisfaction and lunges for its next victim.
Meanwhile, Kyuubi and her husband clash with the Boss Toad and Minato. "Just die already," roars the Eight Tail. Kyuubi whips her tails at his sword and one of them makes it through just enough to leave a gash over his eye.
"Ladies first," Gamabunta grunts as he hops backwards. He pumps his stomach, launching air bullets at the couple. A bullet tears a hole in Kyuubi's shoulder, but the red chakra pulls itself back together quickly. The Eight Tail pins Gamabunta down with his claws and tails.
Minato opens his hand and shouts, "Rasengan!" A swirling ball of energy appears in his palm, and he thrusts it at the fox's eyes. The demon tries to bite it, but it chips his tooth. Growling, he jumps back.
Kyuubi spins in a circle, her tails lashing in all directions, leveling more trees and nicking the leg of one of the two other toads. Jiraiya leaps to the other toad and swallows a soldier pill to replenish his chakra.
The Toad Sannin quickly launches the Mud Swamp jutsu, but all but the Five Tail jump clear. The Five Tail swims in the mud and yells, "Release me or I will crush you! So Says I, Genkuro of the Mighty Foxes!"
The toad smirks, "Isn't that what you were going to do anyways?" Jiraiya looks questioningly at his steed, since he can't understand the foxes but shrugs as he launches another jutsu.
In the far corner of the field Bit and Two Tail wrestle with Inuzuka hounds and their masters.
Arriving on the scene of the battle, the clan heads and Sarutobi land in what little of the woodland there is left. "You have all memorized the seals and hand signs?" he calls to them.
They all nod and start painting small seals on their children's stomachs. If anyone had been paying attention to them, they would have marveled at the unity with which the normally argumentative clan heads work. After two minutes, they finish and begin going through the hand signs.
"They will be revered as heros," Sarutobi promises them as they finish the hand signs.
Minato notices the power beginning to build around the clan heads and summons another toad with what chakra he has left. "Keep them busy, Bunta!" he shouts as he and the other toad hop to the clan heads.
"Will do, Blonde!" Gamabunta replies as he pars yet another slash from the tails.
The Fourth Hokage lands beside the Third and stares at the seals and the hand signs being performed. "You can't be serious!" he gasps. "Sarutobi!" he stares at the old man accusingly. "You were going to kill yourself in my place!"
"Me? Kill myself?" Sarutobi grins innocently.
Minato's face hardens. "Yes, kill yourself to seal the Kyuubi into my son. I will do it myself. It is my responsibility as Hokage and father to him. Now, get out of my way." Sarutobi sighs and steps aside.
"You are making a mistake, Minato," the retired Hokage warns.
Minato snorts, "It wouldn't be my first." He flashes through the hand signs at triple the pace of the other clan heads, easily catching up with them in the final hand signs. "You should have listened to reason," the blonde mutters. Sarutobi steps in behind him and chops Minato hard on the back of the neck. The Fourth Hokage falls to the ground unconscious.
The Shinigami appears in front of them and looks over the nine parents. "I'm going to need backup," he exclaims. A moment later, two more identical Shinigami appear on either side of him.
"We will need a lot more back up!" the two say at simultaneously. Three more appear and they all nod. "That will do."
The clan heads exchange glances as the legendary death angels murmur amongst themselves about who will eat who. They come to their decision and grin. The first Shinigami states, "This is an honor for you, Third Hokage."
"Is it really?" Sarutobi says with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes," the Shinigami replies. His eye twitches. "You managed to summon at least six of us here at once. The deal is accepted." They each reach into the parents, pulling out a soul with each hand and tossing them into their mouths. The original Shinigami grabs onto the former Hokage's soul with both hands and begins to pull.
Sarutobi grunts stubbornly as he pulls back, "How do I know you won't break the deal?"
The Shinigami pulls back and growls, "I don't break deals!" Sarutobi stares him in the eye for a few seconds before relaxing.
"Very well, Shinigami," he smirks as his soul is yanked out of him and swallowed.
The remaining ninja forces are on their last legs when the six Shinigami appear around the demon foxes. "We are going to need even more back up! Call them all in!" shouts the original Shinigami. Twelve more of the death angels appear around the foxes and all grab onto the foxes and start pulling. Kyuubi and Eight Tail lash at them angrily, resisting their strong grip to the very last second as they are yanked from their bodies and thrown into the babies' stomachs.
Bit looks around her new cage and barks, "At least we are still together!"
"Shut up, Bit," murmurs the Four Tail sourly from her container's stomach.
Kyuubi roars and slams her body against the cage furiously. "Let me out! This cage won't hold us forever! We'll get our revenge!"
Minato groans and rubs the back of his neck as he stands up. He notices that the seals are still glowing. "That's not supposed to happen." Red chakra pours out of the seals and interlock with each other. The howling of the enraged foxes echoes through the now silent clearing. The chakra retreats back into their seals as the seals push them back in and lock the doors of each prison.
He looks over the dead bodies of the clan heads. "I'm proud of you all," He whispers. "But now I have to tell our spouses. I'm the Hokage! It's my responsibility to seal the children, not yours, Sarutobi, you old fool!" He sighs heavily. "Since the Shinigami didn't kill me, the mothers and council will gladly finish the task, I'm sure." He creates shadow clones and carries the bodies back to the village. The surviving Konoha ninja forces cheer weakly at their survival and the survival of their Hokage.
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