A/N: Hello! I feel really happy about my story now! I think it's improved a lot from when I first started, which is good. I'm learning as I go!

I also finished my one-shot called A Million Times, where I killed off Naruto.

…

Hmm, that was a bad way to put it. What I meant to say was that he turned into a ghost and sorta reminisces on life and his brother, Minato.

Please have a read!

I know neither Kushina nor Minato's personality well, so I'll be portraying how I want them to be. I'm sorry if they seem too OOC to you.

Interlude – A Hero's Fall

Paperwork was one of the lesser joys of being Hokage, though at the moment, Minato was considering putting it right at the bottom.

He rubbed his eyes blearily and sighed as he stamped another piece of paper. Minato looked at the next piece of paper, saw the seal and promptly swore.

"Is that any way for a Hokage to act?"

Minato looked up from his chair and smiled gently at the woman standing in front of him. She had long bright red hair that flowed to her calves, and soft grey eyes, though at the moment they were full of amusement and she was smirking at the blond Hokage.

"Sorry, Kushina. It's just that anything from the Daimyo is generally unpleasant," he said, standing up as Kushina walked towards him. They shared a quick kiss in greeting and stayed close to each other. Kushina plucked the piece of paper from his hands and read over it.

"Dear Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato. I would like to ask you to discuss matters concerning blah blah blah… well this is boring."

Minato laughed and took the paper back.

"It may be boring, but if it's from the Daimyo it's considered important."

He scanned the rest himself, before sighing.

"The Daimyo wants me to discuss diplomatic relationships with Sunagakure. Preferably as soon as possible. It looks like I'll be away for a few days."

"Oh… when will you leave?"

"I guess when I sort out who will be going with me. Probably an Anbu squad would do. I don't think there is too much danger."

Kushina perked up. "I don't have any missions currently, so can I come with you?"

Minato blinked. "It's only a diplomatic errand. Suna can get pretty hot."

"Does that mean you think I can't take a little heat?" she said with a pout.

Minato hugged her and chuckled.

"Of course not, my sweet wife. If you want to, then I would love for you to come with me."

Kushina started becoming gushy at this moment. Anyone could see that Minato and Kushina were madly in love with each other.

"Ah, my sweet husband. Show me how much you'd love for me to come~"

Minato kissed her again.

"If I could, I would catch all the stars in the sky and give them to you~"

Kushina giggled in happiness.

"Oh will you two lovebirds wait till you're in your own house?"

Both ninja turned to the window, and were unsurprised to find Jiraiya crouched in it.

"Go write you porn," Kushina said bluntly, irritated at he intrusion.

"Now, now, Kushi-chan, don't be so harsh," Minato said, before turning to Jiraiya. "What brings you…to my window, sensei?"

Jiraiya smirked. "Am I not allowed to visit my old student once in a while?"

"Of course you are… it's just you usually want something…"

"You wound me, Minato."

"Build a bridge and get over it," Kushina butted in. Minato calmed her with a kiss on the forehead.

"What do you want, sensei?"

"Weelll, my secret spy network informs me that you are going to go to Suna for diplomatic reasons soon."

"That's right," Minato said, accepting that Jiraiya knew a lot of things he shouldn't. "Is there something I should be worried about?"

"Iie, there doesn't seem to be some great assassination scheme that I'm aware of. But you can never be too careful, Minato. Don't let your guard down."

Sensing the seriousness, Minato nodded. "Of course, sensei. I'll have the best Anbu with me for protection, and I would never go down without a fight."

Jiraiya nodded proudly. "My precious student is all grown up~!" he sniffled, eyes glistening.

"Put a sock into it," Kushina sneered and put a finger on Jiraiya's forehead and pushed. Hard.

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah~~~~~~!"

"That was cruel, Kushina," Minato said, though the smile he was failing to hide gave it away.

Kushina also tried hard to hide her snickers.

"You're the worst lady ever!" A distant shout was heard.

Kushina stuck her head out the window shouting, "You wanna be thrown into a river?"

Minato laughed in joy. If only it would be like this forever.

If only.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Is everybody ready?" Minato commanded, showing his authority as Hokage.

"Hai!" the Anbu replied immediately.

"Then let's go. I don't want this to be any longer than it should be."

Everyone leaped off, jumping effortlessly into the treetops and travelling quickly towards Suna.

"Why isn't Kakashi-kun also with us?" Kushina asked, not seeing a Dog mask among the Anbu. "I would have thought you'd definitely take him."

"Kakashi had another mission. It's only a few days, we'll probably be back before his mission is finished anyway."

Kushina nodded. Anbu squad 13 were talented ninja, and with the speed they were going, they would reach Suna in about a day.

"Keep alert. We don't want any surprises," Minato said.

"Hai," everyone replied. They would be loyal to their beloved Hokage. Even in the face of death.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The group reached Suna without any trouble. It was nearly night, and they had been travelling nearly non-stop, so they were invited to spend the night there before discussing anything.

Minato and Kushina had a room to themselves, and they were sitting close to each other on the guest bed.

"I want my own," Kushina said suddenly.

"Hm? Your own what?" Minato asked.

"My own child of course," she replied, still remembering catching a glimpse of two of the Kazakage's own three children. Though they were unaware that the Kazekage's one year old son currently held the Shukaku.

Minato smiled. "We will have a child someday, and our child will grow up to be a great ninja."

Kushina smirked at him. "And I'm sure it will be a girl who looks just like me."

"Heh, I don't think so. I'm certain it will be a boy who has spiky blond hair. And when he becomes a genin I'll teach him the Rasengan…"

Kushina pinched his cheek, saying, "No way! I'll be the one to teach her a jutsu after graduation! Perhaps she'll have inherited my abilities with chakra chains…"

They both looked at each other, before bursting out laughing.

Minato hugged her.

"No matter what, our child will be our child, and we will love our child with all our hearts and souls."

"Agreed."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Two days later…

Minato ran a few last checks on everything, and said a polite farewell to the Kazekage before turning to the Anbu.

"We'll set off now, at the same pace as when we arrived here. Don't let your guard down."

"Hai!"

They ran quickly over the desert sand, which took a little less than half a day. Though hidden, the Leaf ninja were extremely glad to be back in the comforting surroundings of the forest, and leapt into the branches with a little more enthusiasm than needed.

Well, Kushina never bothered to hide it.

"Ooh, this is so much better! How can Suna live in that heat?"

Minato turned his head to his wife and smirked. "If I remember correctly, you said, 'You think I can't take a little heat?' to me just a few days ago."

"Yeah yeah, don't act so high and mighty," she muttered. Minato snickered at her face.

Suddenly Minato froze, and his eyes widened.

"Alert!" he shouted, but it was too late. Four seals in each corner surrounded the group activated. The effect was immediate.

Everyone jerked and some cried out as chakra was violently pulled out of their bodies. They fell to the ground, though Minato was able to land on his feet.

"Move, we have to leave this area," Minato choked out, trying to help his wife up. Kushina was faring well, as her special chakra was harder to pull out of her body. The Anbu also made an effort to stand, but with each second everyone was becoming weaker.

Minato took out a kunai with his Hiraishin seal and threw it. Just as it was about to leave the sealed area, a purple barrier blocked it. The kunai struck into it, the seal instantly disintegrating and the kunai followed soon after. Minato cursed.

The new barrier was like a cage, sealing everyone inside. Four people were at each corner, but on the outside, so there was no way to get at them.

"Ku ku ku, can't have you doing that now can we," a voice resounded from no particular area.

"Show yourself!" Minato ordered. The Anbu were also standing with their swords or kunai out, though it was clear they were struggling to breathe let alone stay upright. With the rate the chakra was leaving their bodies, it would take mere minutes for chakra exhaustion incapacitate and after that, death.

"Putting up a fight I see. Well, that won't be happening for much longer."

The seal's power multiplied, and even Minato was unable to keep standing as his chakra left his body. His vision blurred and he panted, dropping to his knees. Beside him, Kushina was lying on her side. He tried to reach out a hand to her.

"Kushina…" he mumbled weakly, before it was too much and he slumped, unconscious.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Minato groaned as he flicked his eyes open. After a few moments, he was able to keep them open, and he scanned his surroundings. It was dark, with only candles releasing light, showing him to be in a small room. There was a passage way to the right, with stairs going up, so Minato guessed he might have been underground. There was also a wooden door at the back of the room.

His hands were shackled above his head, and he sensed chakra suppressing seals on them, made so that he had just enough chakra to stay conscious.

As his memories of the ambush finally returned, he cursed himself for not sensing the seals or any enemies. His eyes widened in horror and furiously searched for his wife. But he was alone in the room.

Minato looked up at the shackles on his wrists, and gave a little tug on them. They were thick and fastened on tightly. There was no chance Minato would be able to break them in such a weak state.

He jerked his head up at the sounds of footsteps, and eyed the two people who came in warily. His eyes glinted in recognition.

"Orochimaru," he hissed.

Orochimaru smirked at the Yondaime.

"Ku ku ku, it's been a while since I last saw you. Tell me, how's Jiraiya and Tsunade?"

Minato ignored the question, instead shouting, "Where's Kushina?"

Orochimaru's smile stretched wider.

"If you mean the red haired kunoichi, then…" Orochimaru looked at Kabuto. Kabuto walked to the wooden door and opened it, dragging out the body from inside towards Orochimaru.

As soon as Minato laid eyes on the red hair, he began struggling furiously and shouting, "What have you done to her!"

"Ku ku, I kept her alive, just for fun," Orochimaru said.

Minato ran his eyes over Kushina's body. She was unconscious but breathing, and her hands were shackled together with chakra suppressors.

"And if you're wondering what happened to the others, they are serving as perfect test subjects for Kabuto's experiments."

Kabuto grinned at this.

Minato glared fully at Orochimaru.

"What the hell do you want?" he snarled.

Orochimaru smiled and walked closer towards Minato. Minato remained still as Orochimaru stroked the side of his face, his blue eyes glared at him in silent fury.

"Isn't that obvious? I want your body, and your kekkei genkei that goes with it."

Minato glared at him in silence.

"That's right, my dear Yondaime. I know of your special abilities with time-space ninjutsu. And I want it, very badly."

"Then why not just me? Why did you have to take everyone else?"

Orochimaru laughed. He brought his face close to Minato's own.

"Why not?"

He chuckled as Minato hissed at him.

"Just let Kushina go, you have me now, you don't need her…" he said in defeat.

"Ah, but you see, it's much easier to transfer my soul to another body if they are weakened. In both body and mind."

Minato frowned, but was distracted when Kushina groaned and opened her eyes.

"Kushina…" Minato called out, and she turned her head towards the voice.

"…Minato…?" she said weakly. Kabuto grabbed her hair and jerked her head up, causing her to gasp.

"Let her go!" Minato yelled.

Orochimaru chuckled, thoroughly enjoying himself.

"Your body is sufficiently weakened, so all that's left is your mind. And what better way to do that…"

Kabuto pulled out a kunai and held it at Kushina's throat.

"…Then to see your beloved die in front of you."

Minato stared in terror at the knife at his wife's throat.

"No, please, I'll do anything!" he begged in desperation.

Orochimaru just grinned at him. "You should be thankful I'm not going to torture her. I don't have time for that, so I'll just settle with killing her."

He nodded to Kabuto.

"NO!"

It was too late. The kunai easily slit her throat. Even with the Uzumaki's longevity, there was no way she could have lived. Kushina died in mere seconds.

Minato screamed in horror and agony.

His head hung down, and his body shook. Orochimaru laughed and stepped towards Minato again.

"How does it feel, Yondaime? Does it hurt?" he taunted.

Minato slowly lifted his head. Tears were dripping down his face, but his piercing blue eyes were full of pure fury.

"I'll kill you."

"Ku ku, I think not. Soon you will cease to exist, and your body will be mine."

But this time, it was Minato who laughed.

"I think not."

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? And why not?"

Minato ignored him, instead he focused on the body on the floor. The person that he had loved so much. Gone.

"I'm so sorry, Kushina… I love you. I love you. I love you. Activate."

Minato summoned up the last drops of chakra still within him. Hidden under one of the shackles, a small black seal appeared on his inner left wrist. It spun clockwise, then anti-clockwise, then stopped and faded away.

Minato stiffened, before his eyes closed and his body became limp.

Orochimaru hissed and snarled at Kabuto, "What happened? What did he do?"

Kabuto hurried to Minato's body and ran a chakra covered hand over his head.

"I-Impossible! He's put himself into some kind of deep coma…"

"Wake him up! He needs to be conscious for the transfer!" Orochimaru screamed. He had to switch bodies soon.

"I can't! It's like his mind has been completely closed off!"

Orochimaru hissed in anger, before he calmed himself.

"Very well, get me Subject 36, I need a new body now."

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru," he bowed and disappeared.

Orochimaru looked at the body of Minato.

"You have escaped this time. But one day, your body will be mine."

A/N: Well that's finished! I was struggling to decide whether I should show this to you later on, but it fits better hear, as it provides a good break for the next chapter.

I hope you guys aren't too unhappy that I killed of Kushina, but it plays an important role in the future with Minato.

Also I'm aware that some of the jutsu in this have been modified to suit my needs. Please don't be too angry! I'll be explaining what Minato did in a future chapter.

Naruto Abridged is awesome! Please check it out sometime if you haven't before.

Please review on what you think~