3rd Pov

REALM BETWEEN TIME AND SPACE

In the empty void, a single solitary light seemed to drift along an invisible current

"wh-...a-...I..."

Barely coherent sentences continued to spill out as the little light faded in and out of existence like a dim candle barely clinging to life.

"I see. Most unfortunate that this has become your fate little one..."

The light's barely conscious mind could only vaguely make out the towering being before it. The tall figure seemed to be made out of a rainbow of color and wore long almost incandescent robes.

"Apologies, you most likely can't even make out much of what I'm even saying. For the damage, you've taken whilst drifting in the void. I can only give you my condolences regarding that. Usually the process of souls is much smoother, but time-to-time some backlash from other universes can cause waves that interfere with our systems. Ah- I suppose this doesn't make much sense to you currently, but I find it admirable that your doing your all to listen as you are."

Just as the figure stated. The little light's perception of what was happening kept faltering, yet nevertheless, it continued to struggle in order to understand the being's words. For what reason, even it did not know.

"Hmm but perhaps you will be able to remember this more after what I have planned for you has come to fruition. Allow me to explain. I am what is known as a celestial being. One who manages the processes between universes. Our power and influence tend to be higher than worldly gods. Their power tends to come from belief so they are known by most of their world's residents while we are relatively unknown. Our power is higher by principle, and our influence within their domain is slightly limited. This includes even their alternate-world selves. Ah- I've begun to ramble again, forgive me. Allow me to get to how this all relates to you. You see, you were meant to pass through the regular cycle of souls within my domain, but a wave rupture occurred." I believe it originated from some universe called Gurren something. Questions for later. "Anyways, to make up for your ordeal I've decided to pull some strings with one of the many lower realms gods, one who rules over a world you should know quite well."

The little light could partly make out most of the figure's words, its will recovering thanks to having something to focus on.

"However, you have only accumulated a rather minor amount of karma during your last life which means I cannot provide you with what you may know as 'cheats' or 'wishes'. I can supplement your fate and role with another being as this version of the world you know holds a few key differences from what you may remember, not enough to warrant a large concern, but may in fact be beneficial for you. Your memories should prove adequate enough as a boon. Though the damage you've suffered means there may be some… issues with regards to your soul. The fate I offer you should be able to do some patch-up, whether that be for good or bad will be up to you however."

The light's focus was now completely on the figure and its fragmented mind had managed to repair itsef to the point it could comprehend most of the celestials words.

"Now the divinities over there already know you're coming, so the process should go smoothly. While I can't promise you a positive fate, I do wish you luck little one."

With that, a tear in the blackness around him revealed what appeared to be a starry space, and in the center a blue and green globe. The light felt a pull and was thus flung toward the globe in a manner of seconds. A sense of fatigue immediately overcame the light and its consciousness began to fade into darkness

BREAK

ELEMENTAL NATIONS - Leaf Village Outskirts

"Damn this is harder than I thought!" A man with spikey blonde hair, blue eyes, wearing a brilliant white coat with a red fire pattern dancing along its edges cursed out.

The fourth Hokage of the village hidden in the leaves, Minato Namikaze, was face to face with one of the world's most powerful forces. A tailed beast, and the strongest of them all, the Nine-Tailed Fox.

"RRROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRR!" The colossal titan of a fox roared, sending Shockwave in all directions, it's pupils dilated with nothing but fury locking on to Minato.

With another mighty roar, the ground and air shook from the beast's overwhelming power. It sent out a swipe of its claws which forced the fourth hokage to flash far away to avoid it. The claws rending both forest and earth alike as though they were mere paper.

"It won't let up, and I'm running low on Chakra after that battle with that masked man. Master Jiraiya and the 3rd aren't here yet, Kushina is weakened, and the village is still reeling from the attack. My options are limited… DAMMIT!"

Slamming his fist into the tree next to him, Minato couldn't help his frustrations which bubbled to the surface. He was the 4th Hokage, and yet he couldn't protect his wife, he allowed the enemy to retreat, and now he couldn't quell the beast that most likely wanted to destroy his home.

Just when the Kyuubi and he locked eyes again, a large number of golden chains erupted all from the earth below and bound the Nine tails. It thrashed wildly, but was unable to break free of its restrictive bindings.

"This is-? KUSHINA!"

Minato recognized this jutsu, from what his wife had described to him, it was an innate technique of her bloodline called Adamantine Sealing Chains. He didn't waste even a moment in using his flying Raijin to arrive at the source of the chains.

There he found, despite her haggard appearance, a beautiful woman with long flowing crimson hair and violet eyes.

She was Kushina Uzuamaki, the recently former vessel of the Nine-tails, and wife of Minato. She was using every ounce of strength she still had left to hold the raging beast in place, but was clearly struggling after not only giving birth, but having the tailed beast ripped out of her body.

Next to her were two bundles of cloth that wrapped around a pair of twin babies. Each having a set of animal like whiskers and Tiffany of hair on top, but while one's was blonde like their father, the other's was red like their mother.

"Minato! Take Naruto and Menma away from here! I'm going to use everything I have left to draw the Nine Tails back inside me and take it to the afterlife!" She shouted with steely determination.

"No Kushina! We can still figure something out! What will I say to our own children if I let you die here like this!"

Kushina's battered body took a noticeable dip before Minato moved to support her. Her face portrayed nothing but pain and sadness, yet her eyes shone with resolve

"It's too late Minato. With the nine tails forcibly released from my body it's a miracle I'm still breathing. With what little time I have left... I want to secure the future of our children and protect you..." She spoke through pained wheezes.

Minato couldn't help but feel useless. Here was his wife on death's door With both of his newly born children. These were the people he vowed to protect at all cost, and yet he had failed. He simply didn't have the strength to defeat the Kyuubi on top of everything else.

But perhaps... there was another way

Minato thoughts raced as he remembered one of the jutsu he had learned from the Uzumaki clan. One of the ultimate sealing arts, the Reaper death seal. In exchange for the caster's life they can seal the soul of any living being.

But perhaps there was something more. The technique wasn't like any other jutsu. It was a contract, one between a living being and an actual shinigami. That means that there could possibly be more done than just sealing something in one's own body. Perhaps there was something Minato could do for his family. Even at the cost of his own life

"Kushina, I won't make you suffer by leaving behind your own children... I'll save all of you, no matter the cost." He said while laying his weakened wife against the ground.

Minato began to perform a set of hand seals. A set which Kshina became shocked at once she recognizes it.

"No Minato! I'm going to die soon anyways, but you could at least watch over our sons. There's no need to give your own life!"

"Your wrong Kushina. I'm not going to deny you the life of a mother you always wanted. And remember the prophecy Jiraiya sensei told us about. I'm not just doing this for you, but for the sake of everyone, and especially our sons. That masked man will bring destruction to our world. If this one act can save you, our children, and our future, then I'll have no regrets..." He smiled down at his wife without a single regret to be seen.

Minato clapped his hands together and completed the summoning stage for the Reaper death seal.

A monstrous demon with lonk skipey white hair and purplish skin took form behind him like a specter. Once the reaper appeared it did something which shocked Kushina. Its hand shot through Minato, but rather than go for the Kyuubi, it then twisted and aimed for her! Once the hand had firmly penetrated her chest, she felt a wave of new energy course through her.

"Mi-Minato! This is-?!" She spoke with shock as the life energy that was ripped from her steadily returned.

"I realized- huff* that this Jutsu isn't just about sealing, but rather- cough* allowing the user to communicate with the reaper in exchange- cough* for the casters life..." He spoke between ragged breaths as his own life energy was depleted.

Kushina realized what Minato was doing. He was sharing his life force with her, supplementing what was taken by the Kyuubi while depleting his own.

"Now- huff* on to the big guy..." The fourth hokage turned toward the Nine-tails.

Minato's time was running out quickly, so he made another set of hand signs and summoned a podium before placing his two sons on it.

"You don't plan to-?!"

"I am. But only for one of them- huff* even if this can help them grow strong in the future. It will also condemn them -cough* cough*...I know you'll be there every step of the way for them, but I'd like to at least give one of them more of a choice if at all possible."

Minato declared solemnly before turning to face the Nine-tails. The beast had still been struggling in its chains this whole time and growled towards the husband and wife duo. The reaper's arm flew out again, robbing Minato of even more life force, and this time reached out toward the tailed beast. The hand pulled out a Chakra-shaped copy of the Nine-tails from its body and moved it towards the children. Picking one at random, the blonde haired baby received the chakra, thus forming a seal pattern over its stomach.

"So it's Naruto- cough*... I'm sorry my son, but I know you'll grow up to be a splendid shinobi one day." Now, I just need to seal the other half in myse- gugh?!"

Suddenly, Minato found himself falling to his knees, his life force beginning to dwindle rapidly by the second.

"Minato!" Kushina yelled with worry.

"NOW I HAVE YOU!" The tailed beast, whod shrunk significantly after having half its chakra pulled, roared back to life.

Using the moment, the Nine-Tails attempted to strike down the child who it believed would serve as its new prison. However, before it could, the chains tightened around its body and stopped it short. The Kyuubi shot a glare at kushina , who due to Minato's life energy, now had enough strength to at least restrain it for some time.

In another time and place, she would have been too weak to have stopped the Nine-tails. It was at this moment when fate took its turn.

"Damn, the loss of my life force means I'm too weak now... even if I try to seal the remaining half of the nine-tailed fox inside me, my body would deteriorate before the process even finished." Minato's frustrations bled through his fatigue as he grit his teeth in anger.

Despite what some believe, not just anyone can become a jinchuriki. It is most common to become one at an early age in order to acclimate to the beast's Chakra. Then there needs to be a certain level of compatibility between the beast and its vessel, otherwise the delicate balance between their mind, body, and soul can break down immediately. Lastly, the vessel's body condition must be ideal, which is typically why those with strong bloodlines or unique kekkai genkai are chosen as jinchuriki. So even if they are a child, they can be strong enough to survive the process.

Minato didn't have to worry about Naruto. Although his own bloodline wasn't necessarily special, he was an Uzumaki. Their clan was known for their impressively large life force. In fact, it's because of that reason that Kushina was able to last so long even after the Nine-tails had been ripped out of her. Almost anyone else would have died in the process.

Unfortunately, Minato's life force was like scraps at the bottom of the barrel. He had confidence in his own strength, but without enough life force to sustain the seal till its completion, then he would die which would allow the Nine-tails to break free. If he could last long enough to sustain the seal's completion then he could take the beast with him to the afterlife, but at this rate…

"I can't stop here, but what should I do? Even though I gave Kushina my life force, I doubt her body's in any condition to sustain the Kyuubi anymore than I can right now. In which case...I have no choice."

Minato glanced back at the alter where his second son snoozed peacefully next to the crying Naruto. Throughout the whole commotion the red headed baby hadn't made a peep, even reaching out and grasping his brother's hand to calm him down.

With a heavy heart, he looked back to his wife. Her eyes widened in realization before she gave him a resolute, but forlorn nod. Minato looked back to the struggling Kyuubi

"I'm sorry Kushina, and I'm especially sorry to you Menma. I didn't want to thrust this upon you too yet I have no choice. I'm sure you and Naruto will look out for each other, but I hope you will take care of Naruto just like a proper older brother should. I love you all."

With those final words, Minato let the shinigami's hand fly one last time toward the struggling Kyuubi. If he did not have enough life force to complete the seal then he could only depend on the last person here who could. The reaper dragged the shrinking form of the nine tails toward Menma, and with a flash of light the seal was complete. Minato's body fell forward before being caught by Kushina.

"Oh, Minato... thank you- sniff* I love you so much dear- sniff* I promise. I promise you I'll raise our children with all my heart... I love you..." She conveyed her feelings past the tears and heartbreak, gazing lovingly at her husband.

Minato gave one final love-filled smile before finally letting darkness claim him.

In the distance, the third Hokage and Jiraiya could be seen finally making it to the site, but upon noticing the state of things their hearts grew heavy with sorrow

. . .

. . .

. . .

Unknown to everyone present. When Minato split the Kyuubi in half he also split its Chakra type from the other. The darker half was placed in the body of his first son, causing his bright red tuff of hair to completely blacken. What this meant for the future, only one person present knew...

So that's… how it is...

BREAK

Authors note: 3k, so let me address some concerns and questions.

First id like to emphasize this is my first fic, so I ask you all be lenient with me. If you find mistakes or things you have a problem with, I welcome constructive criticism, not trolls.

Second I'd like to apologize to those who think this was long-winded or had a lot of unnecessary talking, I wanted to establish the foundation and background for this story. Everyone knows how the world of Naruto works but this is my fanfic, so if I wanna change or twist some things so it can follow my direction I probably will

Now for those who obviously will say, 'that's not how the reaper seal works', or, 'thats not how jinchuriki and seals work'. I know, but these are also ideas and concepts not necessarily explored before and adding new facets to things we already know is why I personally enjoy fanfiction

For those who think Minato a bad dad for sealing the nine tails as he did, he didn't want to. If he killed the kuruma it would just come back in a few years and he wasn't aware he wouldn't have the strength to complete the seal. As for those wondering why I spared kushina anyways, it was so I could create a reason for menma gaining half the nine tails. As for why that turned his hair black I will explain that in the future.

On another note this is a Harem story so nay sayers be gone (I guess) don't bug me about adding girls left and right, most members have been decided though some are still under consideration.

Anyways this is a long note, sorry, thanks for reading ! BYE BYE