Just FYI- every thing else here after this paragraph was written a week or two ago, but i wanted to put up all my final updates together. Don't worry, i'm not ending my stories yet! I just need to concentrate on school, so my stories are going on Hiatus for a little while. It should be late July when I finish this semester and am able to write again. It's gonna be sad to be finished for the time being, but i'm looking forward to being able to write again. I hope that my long absence doesn't deter you from leaving reviews as you read this, though, b/c i still need to know if i missed something in my editing, and i'm always happy to hear any ideas that you guys have, and some people, like Saruke101, help me think more in depth on the things i've written. (if anyone reads that review by Saruke101 from last chapter, right now i'm leaning towards the jutsu making it geneticly the three of them leaving out the kazekage, but after i get back i'll be sure if i need to go one way or another for the future portions of this story). So, for the last time for a while, enjoy the story and let me know what you think!
Hey welcome back! I hope you've been enjoying the story so far. I was looking at the chapters i've written so far and i realized that each chapter ends up being longer than the previous one! Hehe, kinda funny, huh?
Anyways, like i said before, this is the part where the kyuubi attacks. It takes about a third of the chapter to get there, and then they're gonna be a little bit of back story on Kushina, mostly because i'm trying to improve my skills (and i'd appreciate feedback on that seciont, btw) and also, i needed to give her a reason to, well, well i'll address that at the end of the chapter.
Also, depending on what you voted for on Rin, you might get a bit upset, but don't kill me for it, please! Just remember what i said in previous chapters and think about it... Anyways, even blabbing; most of you probably skip these sections, just i like do a lot of the time. So, here's the story!
disclaimer-don't own Naruto, Kishimoto does.
"Oh Minato, I wish they hadn't died," Kushina said, holding him with her right arm as their new child rested in her left. They were outside now, in the backyard. They were holding their own private funeral for Karura and their would be son. It was just the two of them along with Rin and Kakashi. Minato held his wife to comfort her for the loss of a new friend, and the child she'd carried for the last nine months.
"I know; I feel like we haven't done near enough for her." He sighed. "The life we live is so cruel. I hope that I can fulfill my master's wish, and find a cure for that hate that exists." Kushina nodded, hoping with all her heart that her husband could fulfill the wishes of his master. She wondered where Jiraiya was now…
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A middle aged white haired man was rushing through the trees. He was wearing a unique headband, with the kanji for 'oil', wearing a red robe along with his tunic and sandals, a large scroll strapped to his back. He'd heard a rumor through his spy network. Granted, it was only a rumor, and a fantastic one, but from one of his most reliable sources. Now, his home was I grave danger, and he didn't know if he'd arrive in time to help save the village he loved so dear, even if he didn't spend much time there anymore.
The sun was rising. The birds were singing. There was dew on the ground and the leaves he was leaping through. Even so, the sage had a sense of foreboding. Who could have thought that such a beautiful beginning to a day could have such a horrible ending…
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The Kazekage had been fuming all day. He'd been so close! He had sent men to search for his wife, asking the Hokage what areas his men had already searched. He'd been so gleeful at the time. After all, the man had no idea that he would be partaking in his downfall! The Kazekage had been given information through an encored message that he didn't really know the source of, but it had told him of an attack that he could take advantage of that would happen to the leaf village, and he had planned on using this to gain a magnificent power for himself.
He had laughed for the dream of the hokage's demise, but what had happened? Nothing! Those fool shinobi of the leaf village were worthless. They had found no trace of her, it seemed. How hard could it be to track a pregnant woman in the forest? A place she knew nothing about, and where the winding didn't constantly shift the ground to cover the traces of your passing?
He shook his head, then lifted it to look ahead of the caravan again. His two older children we walking together, talking quietly. Temari looked rather upset, and Kankurō angry. He smiled at this. The Kazekage was not a soft man; he believed that strength came from being hard, and so seeing his children like that, he believed they would be strong. Gaara, on the other hand… he was smiling in his sleep as he was carried in one of the wagons. No one was willingly to carry him, after all, fearing the Shukaku demon inside of him.
Gaara, the child that was to be his greatest triumph almost seemed to laugh in his face! The child was always wanting to play! And that darn brother in law of his, Yashamaru, was always the only one to treat him kindly. When would he stop doing that? When would Gaara learn that he was being weak? When would his plans stop toppling over before him?
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"We gotta tell dad," Kankurō hissed at his sister. She shook her head.
"No, Kankurō, no. I keep telling you, mom didn't want dad to know. Remember, she wasn't happy with daddy last time she was home? Besides, why tell him now when we didn't tell him before?" Kankurō scowled at his older sister.
"But Temari, it's our sister!" He hissed at her. "Mom wanted up to take care of her! To do that we have to find her, so we should tell dad." Temari looked around to see how close everyone was, checking if they could hear anything the two older sand siblings were saying.
"Kankurō, you forget that mom said to do that only if we ever actually meet Naruto. That means that we pretend we don't know about her for now. And besides, mom said not to tell dad!" She sighed as he opened his mouth to argue again. She knew that he wanting to be a good big brother, but he didn't understand.
"Kankurō, I'm going to tell you a secret, okay?" Kankurō looked at his sister surprised, then eager.
"Yeah yeah! Tell me a secret!" Temari checked again to make sure that no one was watching or listening.
"You remember what happened to Gaara when he was born?" Kankurō nodded, shivering. "Well, dad was the one who did that to him, and dad wanted to do it to Naruto-chan too!" Kankurō gasped. "Do you understand why mom doesn't want dad to know?" Small tears formed in Kankurō's eyes. He knew his sister wouldn't lie to him, but his father was his hero. He'd always been proud when people told him that he looked like his dad. But now? He wiped his eyes, trying not to cry.
"Ye-yeah, sis. You, you're right. We… we should keep it a secret. But," he said, looking up at her, "when we find her, I'm gonna be a good big brother!" Temari smiled, then roughly rubbed the hair on his head.
"Of course."
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"You have such a beautiful little girl there, Minato," Hiruzen said. Minato smiled.
"Yes, yes she is." He smiled as the previous Hokage played with the small child in his arms. Minato felt a little guilty about not being straight forward as to what exactly had happened with how the child got there, but it was enough for now that he simply be a good friend. He'd invited several people over that morning to see his child, after him and Kushina had managed to hide all evidence of the funeral for their dead child and Karura. One day, perhaps, their graves would be marked, but it would be some time before that ever occurred. Minato looked around. There weren't too many people there, just a few anbu, Sarutobi, Kakashi and Rin. He had hoped that his sensei would be back in time for the birth, but Jiraiya was nowhere to be seen. He had left shortly before Kakashi had arrived with Karura, saying that one of his spies was uncovering something of utmost importance to Konoha's safety and left as quickly as he could. He had sent a couple reports via toad, but the past couple of days had been uninformative. He wondered if his sensei had gotten distracted while he was gathering information… he chuckled before looking at the clock. This made him grunt in annoyance.
"Well everyone, I wanted to say thank-you for coming, but unfortunately Kushina needs to rest, and I need to get to the office. Some of you I expect to see back on duty by the time I arrive. Just because I had a baby is no reason for us to slack off on the work. Okay?" There were mixed groans and chuckles to his comment as the anbu dispersed. Sarutobi was looking sadly down at the little girl, as if he didn't want to go. Minato walked up to him as Hiruzen sighed.
"Well, Minato, I guess it's time I gave you back your little girl,' he said wistfully. "She is such a good child. I would that I had another, but Asuma is away and his brother just can't seem to settle down. Ahh… perhaps you would allow me to come and visit often?" Minato laughed.
"Hokage-sama, I would more than happy to have you come and visit our little girl." Hiruzen chuckled at the title that he carried from his years of tenure before Minato took over his job.
"Very good, Hokage-sama. I'm sure that I'll be here to visit shortly." The old man gave his goodbyes and walked out, hands held together behind his back as he hummed and headed to the park. The old man loved to go there and watch all the little children play. It made him feel almost as if he did have grandchildren.
Minato, meanwhile, kissed his wife and daughter good-bye and headed to the office. If only he had known what was already beginning, so far away from the village, but the danger still imminent.
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A great fox lay resting in a forest. It had laid there for years, not caring about the world. After all, when one lives forever, why not take the pleasure in long naps? Terrorizing can be so troublesome if all you do is terrorize and destroy. The naps allow the pests to re-grow, and sometimes they can actually come up with something new and surprise the destroyer, giving them some real fun!
However, this long nap would end without the chance for fun the fox had intended, for the moment he opened his eyes, having felt a nudge in his sleep, he was caught by those dark, red, sinister eyes…
"Now," a low voice said, "you are going to do a little something, kyuubi no kitsune…"
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It started that afternoon. The sun was almost down, its light hitting the skies, turning them red. The same color as the fox. This light masked its approach as it came from the west. There was a band of shinobi on patrol there, fresh chuunin, still on a high from reaching the next level.
"So, do you think is should ask her out," one young man said to the other as they jumped from tree to tree on their patrol. He had on a bandana beneath his forehead protected. It was red. He was also wearing a pair of sunglasses that were in the shape of a nearly full moon, the full side on bottom. He was wearing an open chuunin vest with his own red shirt and black pants.
"Nah, you gotta reel her in nice and slow," said his friend. This one had a scare on his left cheek from the exams and was missing two fingers on his left hand, courtesy of a well aimed kunai. He wore the traditional garb of a Konoha chuunin, vest zipped closed. He did wear a small earring in his left ear, though. "You, these girls, they want to play hard to get, so you gotta do some reverse psychology on 'em, ya see? That way they get frustrated when their games don't work an' then they come to you 'cause yer different, and then they don't leave ya, see?" The first one laughed.
"That's the one of the most ridiculous things I've ever…" The second one turned to ask his friend why he stopped talking, only to see a great fox standing there to his side, breathing lightly, saliva falling from its jaws, and from its jaws, he saw his friends sunglasses fall.
"NOOO!" He jumped at the beast in rage. He never stood a chance. Neither did anyone else that night, and these were just the first…
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Kushina was cooing to her daughter, rocking her back and forth as she fed her. The little girl had latched onto her mother with much enthusiasm. She was not easily sated, either. Kushina laughed at the little child's energy. She was so full of enthusiasm! Kushina was happy for her daughter, but she had gotten close to Karura over the past couple of weeks, and she wished that Karura was still here, and that both of their children had lived. What if, she wondered, what if our son had lived, and Karura as well? How would things be different for our futures? Would they have fallen in love as Minato and I did? What will happen to our daughter now?
As she sat there, contemplating, she heard, and even felt, a distant roar. Her blood ran cold with fear. She could feel the sinister chakra even from here, and shuddered, remembering one time when she came across a giant fox…
She had been a young girl, still traveling around the world with her mentor. He had taught her the ways of the shinobi and they made a small living volunteering their skills in the various villages they visited. She often dreamed of living in a real village and being part of a real hidden village, since the one that her family had been from was no longer in existence. It was sad that it had been destroyed, but she'd gotten over it. Life was full of pain, she'd realized, and the only way to live was to find joy in what you had, and let that joy over take that pain. Besides, you never lost everything, did you? Until you died, you always had the memories.
"Jirobo sensei, when do you think we'll come to another village? Do you think this one will have a fair?" The older man laughed. He had once been fine young man, tall and well muscled. He was not quite lean, which hid all the strength that his body still carried. His hair was white, and he pulled it back in a ponytail. He always wore a large black robe, tied with a green sash. The symbol of the whirlpool village was still large on his back. He wore a pair of loose fitting white pants to go with his shirt, and he had a katana in his belt, just in case he came across someone who actually knew how to use a sword. His face was quite wrinkled now, his eyebrows creased as if he were a severe man, but Kushina knew him to be quite congenial.
Kushina, on the other hand, was a young ten year old. She had been around five when the whirlpool village was attacked and her now mentor had taken her away. He had been god father to her mother, and while her mother stayed behind to cover the flight of many of the village, she'd made the man promise to take Kushina to safety. So he had, and five years later Kushina was well skilled for her age, and quite the tom-boy. Every town they visited she'd want to wrestle with the local boys. Some actually made the mistake of taking her for a guy. They'd soon found themselves on the ground wondering if they'd ever been able to have children themselves.
At this point in life, she'd favored a brilliant red shirt with the whirlpool symbol on the back. She'd taken an odd choice on her shirt, though, when she made her right sleeve a little short and the left sleeve nearly full length. However, she used to exposed area on her arm to put a holster for a dagger she had from home. She used it whenever she got into close combat. One of her few memories of her mother was of her fighting with a similar dagger. She wore a pair of brilliant green shorts to match, her pouch with her ninja gear hanging on her left side while her kunai holster sat on her right leg, just above the knee, both of which were covered with strong metal guards down to her ankle. She also had a guard hidden under the sleeve on her left arm, but it was well disguised by the loose cloth. She finished her outfit by wearing a bandana as a headband with a makeshift piece of metal to show that she was from the whirlpool country. The headband was green as well and only functioned to keep her hair out of her eyes, which hair fell down loosely to her shoulder blades.
"Well," she asked. "When's the next village sensei?"
"I don't know, Kushina-chan, but when we find it, we'll find it."
"Ah, come on! That's no fun! I wanna get to another village now!"
"Calm down, Kushina, calm down," he said, lazily waving his hands in the air, holding back his laughter at her enthused antics. "I promise, we'll cut loose in the next village but for now-" He froze before he finished speaking, though, feeling an oppressive aura in the trees around him. Kushina, due to her exuberance, hadn't noticed it yet.
"Huh? Sensei? What's up? Why'd you stop? What are you-" He gave her a silencing motion, putting a finger to his lips with a completely serious look on his face. The little girl immediately stopped talking, reaching for her dagger and looking around. When Jirobo acted like that, she knew he was actually serious. He'd only done this as a joke once and swore he'd never do it again when she pranked him with squirrels in his sleeping bag that night. He motioned with his fingers and the two of them took to the trees as silently as possible. He motioned with their personalized signs that they would investigate and then back off. Kushina was wondering what he was talking about investigating, then as they got closer to the source, she could feel the oppressive and sinister energy radiating from a direction that had been off to their right a little while ago.
Some minutes later she was working hard not to shake. They had traveled a few miles, and the aura got more oppressive with each leap through the trees. Jirobo was only doing a little better, and that was because of his years of experience. Finally, though, they reached a break in the trees and gasped. There, in a clearing created most unnaturally, lay the body of a gigantic fox. It was snarling in its sleep, pawing at the air as if mauling something.
As cautiously as they had come, Jirobo motioned for them to leave as quickly as possible, the greatest fear ever known seen in his eyes. It was an hour later that they finally landed on a forest floor, panting and sweating, completely out of breath.
"Ji, Ji, Jirobo sensei, wha-wha-what was that?" Kushina gasped. Jirobo took a moment to get his breath.
"Kushina chan, you remember any stories of the sage of six paths?" Kushina nodded, still trying to get her breath back. "Well, Kushina, the sage of six paths once faced off against a great demon with ten tails. He was powerful monster, bent on mankind's destruction. However, the sage defeated him and placed the demon into himself to protect the world from his power since it is impossible to actually kill a demon.
"Many years later, he died, but before dying, he separated the demon into nine parts so that it would be possible for others to control them and keep mankind from utter destruction. Each one had a different form, and a different amount of power, shown by the number of tails they had. The greatest of these was the nine tailed fox," he said, "which we just happened across as it was taking a nap." Kushina shivered, the reality of the gravity of their situation falling upon her.
"I hope I never come across that thing again! It felt so… evil." Jirobo nodded, then stood up straight and they headed for the next village. It would be Konoha, the place they would be welcomed as visitors, but remain in as family.
Now, so many years later, Kushina's worst nightmares were coming true. She remained in her home for a good while, hoping that the feelings she was having where not that great beast, but soon, more roars confirmed it. The kyuubi was attacking her home. She looked down at the child in her arms. Was this all that was left for the child? To be killed in the day of its birth? She stood, placing her daughter in its crib. She had grown much since that day, and she remembered her sensei's story. It was possible to defeat this beast, she knew, and to protect her home and her daughter, she was going to fight and find a way to subdue this creature.
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Minato was frantic. The Kyuubi had appeared as if out of nowhere! It was now ravaging the outskirts of the village. The genin were already evacuating the village, and the anbu were heading up the defense. He had hoped for a counter attack, but really all they could do was attack the creature in an attempt to distract it. They had not other chance to survive. So many had already died!
Minato looked back down at his scrolls. He was searching for a way to defeat this monster, but so far he had only once chance against the kyuubi, strongest of the tailed beasts. If only someone had come across it will it was asleep! Then they might have had a chance with some of these other seals and techniques, but it was looking more and more like he only had the one choices left. Then suddenly a squad of Anbu appeared in his office. He looked up in surprise.
"What is it? What's happened?" The captain spoke.
"Hokage-sama, your wife has been spotted in the attack force!" Minato gasped.
"She what?" He looked down frantically at all his work. He had to find a way… but his wife! And where was Naruto? He looked back up, sighing. "Well come on," he said, leaping running to then leaping through the window. He didn't have any more time, and his wife's life was on the line. He would lose his life as it was. There had been no other way that he could find. He didn't want to leave their child without a parent. He needed to think about that, too, though…
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"Rin! Look out!" Run jumped to the side as a huge tail came slamming down. Kakashi ran over to grab her, pulling her away from body that she'd been working to heal. There were wounded everywhere, some only a little, some well on their way to death. Few were brave enough to venture near them besides Rin. It had taken her some time to convince Kakashi to let.
"Kakashi, I have to help them! If I don't they'll die for sure!"
"But Rin, I promised Obito that I'd protect you! I have to keep you safe," he yelled as they dodged the giant tails of the nine tailed fox.
"Kakashi, I'm a med-nin! I have to help people! No one else is trying, and there are Shinobi out there dying needlessly because no one is brave enough to go help them!" Having pulled her away from the danger zone again, Kakashi grabbed her arms.
"I don't want to lose you!" He yelled. Rin's eyes got wet as she put a hand to his cheek softly.
"Kakashi-kun, I don't want to lose you either, but we have to protect our village, and the best way that I can do this is help those men and women suffering that no one else will help. Besides, I know that you'll look out for me." Kakashi's eyes were raining tears so much that one could even see the stream coming from his covered eye.
"Please, Rin, don't, don't make me do this…" Rin pulled her hand down from his cheek, pulling his mask with it, then reached in and gave him a kiss.
"Kakashi, I know you'll look out for me; you won't let me die. Besides, sensei will be here soon enough. Let me do this; I promise I'll do whatever I hear you tell me to, no matter how much I want to help someone out there." Kakashi sighed, then pulled his mask back up, and lifted his headband.
"Alright Rin, but you better not die!" Rin gave a chuckle.
"I promise, I won't. And I'll even swear that I'll give you a really nice…gift after this is all over and we get back to the village. Okay?" Kakashi nodded then they both ran back into the fight. And so there they were, Kakashi trying to keep the Kyuubi's attention from shifting the small woman beneath it, healing it's not yet dead victims, and keeping an eye out for her at the same time. True to her word, Rin never disobeyed him, always moving at the exact moment he told her to. She soon began healing with one hand while gripping the people she was healing with the other so that she could still keep healing them.
"Left Rin! Left!" Another great tail came from above and to Rin's right; she dodged left, as Kakashi had said, avoiding the tail by inches. Kakashi's breath had caught for a moment on that one. He breathed a sigh of relief at the near miss.
"Kakashi!" He looked over to see Rin leap towards him, pushing him down. He saw the fear in her eyes, and for a mere second time froze. She seemed to hover in the air above him, hands still pushing down on his chest, a red glow hitting her face, then there was a great whoosh of air, and she was gone. His eye still caught it all. He saw her body impact with another tail he had missed when he bowed his head to sigh in relief moments ago. Her body had flipped over, her head facing down, pain evident over her whole face, then she was passing through the hair till the tail reached an apex, and she was flying, and then gone. Kakashi lay there for a moment in shock.
"Obito," he whispered, "I, I failed us all…" Tears in his eyes, sobs racking his body, he couldn't make out the face of the person who picked him.
"Kakashi, now's not the time! We still have people to save!" He couldn't recognize the voice, either, but he felt himself get lifted up and carried a little ways away from the carnage to be laid against a tree.
"Kakashi! Kakashi!"
"She's gone," he sobbed, "She's gone! I, I couldn't protect her! I, I, I failed, I-"
"Kakashi, she wouldn't want you to be like this! Now get your act together and help us out again brat!" He looked at in surprise, but the figure had already leapt away to go help everyone else. He slowly stood up, wiping his eyes. He needed to push past the pain, like that person had said. After all, Rin died to protect these people. Now he had to protect them for her.
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Minato looked out on the scene, trying to find his wife. He thought he saw a glimpse of red on the edge of the field, and rushed over to where he'd seen it. Once there he saw Kakashi leaping out into the fight. It seemed that he'd been taken out of it for a moment. But where was Kushina? He came to wish he'd never asked the question for, right before his eyes, he saw his wife slam into a tree. It broke apart, propelling her into the next tree, but not before a large branch impaled itself in her abdomen.
"Kushinaaa!" He was immediately at her side. She looked up at him in a daze.
"Minato-kun? What are you doing?" He cried over, holding her. He could already see she was dying. No one could survive such a wound. The piece of wood had an eight in diameter. If Tsunade were here… but what about Rin?
"Kushina, you're hit really bad; do you know where Rin is?" Kushina replied in a strangely calm voice in her daze.
"No, I don't. Not her body, anyways. She was, hit with a tail. She went flying through the air…" Minato held in his howl of grief. His last chance for his wife was gone, their child would grow up without either of them… and he felt that Naruto would end up having the fate that Karura had fled Suna to avoid in the first place.
"Ku-Kushina chan, I, I don't think, that it…" Kushina looked down, wincing a little.
"Yes, I think, in know what you're going to say," she said. "I, I'm sorry, Minato-kun, but, I had to. I saw this beast, once before and I, wanted to make sure our, daughter would be safe, so I left to attack it…"
"Kushina, save your strength, please,"
"No, tell me now, Minato, can we stop it? I know I've tried to find a way out here, but you've been researching, right? Can we, defeat it?" He held onto his grief as best as he could. His eyes refused to be kind to him, tears welling up in his eyes.
"I, may have found a way, but Kushina, I can't ask anyone, anyone else to do it. I, I have to," Kushina gave him a weak punch.
"Get to the point, you lovely baka." He tried to chuckle, but failed.
"That is, the only way to stop it is to seal it, and the one who seals it will lose their life…" Kushina gasped, both from pain and shock. Fear finally came to her face.
"N-Naruto? Who will, who will take care of Naruto?" He hung his head.
"Also, the only way to seal it is into a small child, and, and I know Karura didn't want it, but how, how can I ask anyone else?" Kushina was turning pale, and now tears were streaming down her face.
"Minato-kun, why did things have to turn out like this?" She looked up at the sky, ignoring the screams and the roars. She gave him a weak push. "Go, I know how long it takes to get home. I, I'll summon you here with my, with my kunai." He looked at her in surprise.
"Why, why don't you want me to stay?" She looked at him with love in her eyes, despite the pain on her face.
"I want to hold my child one last time before they die, now hurry up or we'll never be together as, as a family again!" Minato leaped away with all urgency. As fast as he'd come to the battle field, he now rushed back home. He slowed once to summon a toad.
"Gamaken! Do what you can to help the village fight the beast," he yelled. The giant toad was a little confused, but seeing the carnage quickly leapt over. He knew that he would leave before he could be seriously injured, but if Minato was running away, that meant he needed something, so if Gamaken could even distract the beast for a few seconds, many lives would be saved.
Minato, meanwhile, reached his home, grabbing Naruto out of her crib, then began rushing back, hoping he wasn't too late. Kushina could be dead, so he needed to hurry regardless…but he suddenly found himself among the trees, Kushina across from him as he leapt. He stuck a free hand in ground, stopping himself. He leapt to his dying wife.
"Here she is, Kushina. Here she is." Kushina smiled at their sleeping baby.
"Oh, she's still asleep," she cooed. "That's right, be a good baby, Naruto-chan. Be a good girl and grow up good and strong. Don't worry, we'll be with you, and Karura chan, your other mother, too. We'll all be there to watch over you." She looked up at her husband. "Thank-you," she said, but he leaned in for one last kiss before she could finish.
"No, thank-you," he said, "for letting me love you. I, I'll see you again soon," he said quietly, not wanting to reveal what would happen to his own soul. She nodded, caressing her child's face.
"I, I know that this, this isn't what Karura chan wanted, but I, I think you're right; you couldn't ask, ask anyone else. This is, this is best," said, breathing heavily. "No go, go and hurry up; save our home!" Minato nodded. A moment later Gamabunta, who already knew what was going on due to Gamaken having already received substantial damage and returning to inform the rest of the toads.
"Minato, I hope you have a plan to fight this guy! Gamaken tells me he fights real nasty!" Minato replied sadly.
"Yes, I do, Gamabunta, but I'm afraid I'll never see you again in this life or the next. What I'm doing will seal my soul far away from where everyone else's will go." Gamabunta sighed, leaping at the great fox.
"Well that's too bad. You deserve better, but let's get this thing taken care of."
"Yes, Minato replied, voice a little stronger, let's!"
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A few hours later the Yondaime's body was found, holding a small child with a strange seal on its belly. No one understood what had happened at first, so they took the baby to the third hokage. He was the 'professor' after all! He should know what the seal was. Meanwhile, the beloved fourth hokage was taken away and put next to his wife in a prepping area for the dead to be buried.
"Oh little Naruto, I'm so sorry," Hiruzen whispered, cradling the child in his arms. If only he'd known what was going to happen, he could have helped, but he'd been evacuated by a presumptuous genin before he even knew what was going on, having been taken during his nap. He wondered what he should tell everyone. Word would already be all around the village that a small child was found in the arms of the hokage with a strange seal on its belly. Someone would figure it out without him. They would know that the little Naruto girl was now a Jinchuuriki. Just then, someone tapped on his window. It was another white haired man…
"Jiraiya! What are you doing here?" Jiraiya came in quickly.
"No time, I have to know, is it true? Did the Kyuubi attack Konoha?" Hiruzen's head dropped.
"Yes, it's true."
"And… Minato? Sensei, what about Minato?" Hiruzen forced himself to look at his students.
"Minato and Kushina both died to protect the village," he said. "But this is their daughter, Naruto." Jiraiya's grief was momentarily forgotten as the child was placed in his arms. He could feel the same exuberance that Kushina had in abundance. It was… comforting. His head jerked back a moment.
"S-sensei! Is this what I think it is?" Hiruzen nodded as Jiraiya continued to look at the seal on the child's belly. "So, barely a dad old, and already Naruto is doomed to a life if isolation…" He chuckled grimly. "At least it looks like the girl will have her mother's attitude." He looked at his sensei once again.
"Sensei, is there anything we can do? People will hate her…" Hiruzen shrugged sadly.
"I've thought, but I haven't come up with anything yet."
"I'd take her with me," Jiraiya said, "but I don't think I'd do very good by her. I move around too much, maintaining my spy networks." He rubbed his chin, and then a light bulb went off.
"Wait a second! Sensei! You always wanted a grand kid, right?" Hiruzen looked at him in surprise.
"Well, yes, it would be nice, but,"
"Well, as Naruto's god father, I have the power to put her up for adoption, and you can adopt her as your grandchild! If you take up being Hokage again, then being part of your family will help keep her safe as she gets older!"
"But Jiraiya," the old man gasped, "what about you? Besides, shouldn't the village take a younger man, such as yourself, to be hokage?" The younger man looked at the small girl sadly. "Sensei, I never was hokage material, and I don't have the right life style to raise my student's girl. Besides, it's not like I'll never be able to come back and check on her!" Sarutobi looked down at the child as Jiraiya handed her back to him. She opened her little brilliantly blue eyes and grinned sleepily at him. He smiled.
"Yes, perhaps you're right," he said to his student. "I can take care of her. She is, after all, quite the girl, but being an old man, I'll have to find someone to take care of her in terms of her physical needs." He frowned at his student's slight lecherous look. Anyone who knew Jiraiya would know what he was thinking about now, with the mention of a child's nutrition needs, but the sannin quickly snapped back into focus.
"Of course, that's right. Hmm… maybe, for a short time, you could give it out as a missing for some of the recent shinobi mothers, and perhaps one of them will be in to taking the girl in?" Sarutobi considered.
"Perhaps, but for now, I think there's a girl my son is dating. Maybe this will get him thinking about settling down…" Jiraiya laughed.
"Perhaps, perhaps sensei." He looked down. "I just wish I'd gotten here faster. One f my spies heard about a possible bijuu attack, and I guess he was right." Sarutobi's eyes snapped up.
"What! This was planned?" Jiraiya looked up.
"Yes." Hiruzen sat down heavily, looking at the child in his arms. She was giggling happily, trying to grab onto his beard and tug it.
"Oh Kami, please, help us all…Oh Naruto…"
Not too much on the sand sibs this chapter, but next chapter will probably start with them. We'll be doing our first major time skip(s) next chapter. Also, i'd like ideas on who raises Naruto. Obviously she'll be granddaughter to Sarutobi, but old men just don't make up a childs everyday nutritional needs and such! So, i have a couple of ideas, but i'd like yours as well.
Also, again, please don't kill me about Rin. Please! I didn't like doing that to her, either, but things will work out how they will work out...
Anyways, like i said, i added in that part to give Kushina a reason, thought i didn't reveal that reason earlier b/c i didn't want to give a spoiler. As you probably figured out, it was to give her a reason to go face the Kyuubi and leave Naruto behind. I mean, i hate to say it because it makes sound cruel and all, but she had to die. I know i know! I already beat up Rin, but did i have to do Kushina to, right? Well, that's just the way it works sometimes. Sorry... :(
One last thing, if you read previous chapters, you may see where i've hinted slightly to something no being exactly how I've implied it to be. I don't really know why i'm even trying to make you guys guess it, but there is a part written that isn't as it appears. If you think you know what it is, feel free to leave a review. If you're right, i'll tell you under the stipulation that you promise not to tell anyone else what it is.
Well, it'll be a few days before i actually manage to post this, so in the meantime, i hope you have/had a good memorial day weekend, and i also hope you have a great rest of your day/night!
Have any questions? Then leave a review or PM me and i'll do what i can to answer it.