(AN: Scine my 100th reviewer was also my 101st and very much was a bad review on how I am holding up fic for review ransoms (Actually a beta but whatever...) I decided to use his reward by posting the fic early. However this means you all get to deal with my bad grammar and spelling mistakes. But here is here we go~!)

"BASTARD COME HERE AND LET ME RIP YOU TO SHREDS!" Yelled the Kyuubi with impotent rage.

Memories: Chapter 7: Father

By Hibiki

"Moron. Telling me you'll rip me to shreds is going to make me do the opposite, right Naruto?" Minato looking at his confused son.

"…How do you know my name?" It was Minato's turn to look confused but just as quick he shrugged it off with a bight smile.

"…'cause I'm the one who named you. You're my heir." Naruto was stunned stupid, stuttering the Yondaime's words. In the few seconds of silence the Kyuubi decided to let it's all irritating presence known, scaring Ino further into Naruto's arms. "Yeah! You're my son."

Ino watched Naruto's face change from disbelief to a small smile. She knew what this meant, to finally learn of his father. The smile only grew and a laugh of joy erupted from his lips.

"RAAAARGH!!! YON(1) DON'T IGNORE ME!!!!"

"Damn he's loud, why don't we go somewhere else." With a snap of his finger the trio of blondes left the seal and entered a calm empty space. Naruto at once in the face of his father tried to dry his flowing tears, to be the son a man like the Yondaime could be proud of. "I guess ol' Hiruzen didn't tell you a thing. He probably wanted to keep everything a secret. If people knew you were my son, there might be trouble."

"Iwa…" Ino said mostly to herself. Minato nodded.

"Iwa true, but more for that old war hawk Danzo and others inside the village mostly I'm sure." He turned his attention to the still sobbing boy. "…I'm sorry Naruto."

"Dad…" It came as no warning and stunned both Minato and Ino as Naruto sucker punched Minato in the gut with surprising force. "WHY DID YOU SEAL THE FOX IN YOUR OWN SON!!? Do you know how much trouble (Ino replaced that with pain) it's caused me!!?" The son of Minato gave up trying to hide the tears and forced himself to calm, as Jiraiya told him to. The anger he felt only amplified the power of the fox, and if the still bleeding hole in his stomach was any sign the fox could reemerge at any time. "I don't know whether I'm happy or pissed off!"

"… Just how old are you right now Naruto?" Minato's smile was lost in the confession, now just a solemn look remained.

"Ah'm 17(2)." Naruto sniffled trying once again to hide his shame from his father.

"17, eh…? It… must had been hard… I'm so very sorry Naruto." Ino could definitely see the differences in their face now. Minato had a youth about him, something Naruto seemed to lack, even here where the guilt he was showing aged him, Naruto still seemed so much older than his father. "For everything…"

"It's okay… I'm the son of the fourth Hokage…" Minato's face lost some of the guilt. Both knew there was some tension there, but for Naruto to respond meant once again the Jinchūriki's forgiving nature came to play. "I can handle it." The older blonde gave a sickly smile then dropped it for favor of a look both had only seen from a Hokage about to give a deadly mission.

"The reason I sealed half(3) of the foxes chakra is because I believed you could use it, you are my son after all. But another reason… when the fox attacked I realized something."

"What?"

"There was someone who could control the fox guiding it towards Konoha." Ino and Naruto looked to one another in shock then back to Minato as he continued. "A very powerful ninja and without some power up there would be no way to fight him. I think he will attack again."

"Do you know who it is Hokage-sama?" Ino questioned.

"A member of Akatsuki…" Both Naruto and Ino flinched. Asuma, Kakashi, Shizune, and Jiraiya's deaths had been brought about by a lone member of Akatsuki. "A man who ordered Pein to attack the village."

"But Pein was the leader of Akatsuki, it's why they have been quiet since the attack a year ago!" Naruto paled at the thought of someone more powerful than even the Kyuubi and Pein.

"No not him. The one in the mask. Back then… He saw through every move I did… Jiraiya's too." Ino remembered the crazy 'Tobi' character who avoided all their attacks as if he could 'read' them. It at once reminded Ino of the Sharingan… But only three of the eyes should have remained. Sasuke had burned Danzo's stolen Sharingan eye from the inside with Amaterasu, killing the man with both the fire and destroying the purloined bloodline in the process. It was a gruesome death but the pain the attack had caused Sasuke had forced Taka to retreat from the remaining Kage(4). Tsunade was back on her feet by the time news of Danzo's death had reached Konoha so she was instantly reinstated as Godaime. "As long as that man exists Konoha is in danger, as well as you, Naruto."

"How can I fight someone that strong, if you and Ero-sennin couldn't fight him, how can I!?" Ino was inclined to agree, a experienced Genin with three A to S ranked attacks was nothing against a man who could outsmart and fight both a Kage and Sannin. "That's not fair! I'm stupid! I'm not a great Ninja!! And.." it was as far as he got before Minato grabbed him by the hair somewhat harshly. The younger man hissed in pain but was silenced.

"You will find the answer… I believe in you." Minato's smile had returned.

"…Really?" Naruto's hope, that which had flickered but never died over the years grew. If his father believed in him, if the Yondaime believed him. Then he could have moved heaven and earth, demons or the underworld chasing him the whole way.

"Parent's always believe in their children." Minato ruffled Naruto's hair before he kneeled before Ino. It was then she noticed a seal upon her stomach much like the one that had been torn from Naruto's. "I'm sorry for having to do this to you Ino, but I thank you very much for being there for my boy." Ino flushed. At the words.

"No… she'd gonna be…. She didn't deserve this dad! Can't you put the foxes chakra back inside me?" Naruto's face looked even more aged with the guilt that marred it.

"With the amount Kyuubi put into her it'd kill her to pull it from her pathways. As it is you'll need to find a crystal like the one Shodaime had so it can help this seal neutralize and add the foxes chakra inside Ino like my Shiki Fuujin is doing to you Naruto. Otherwise the demon's chakra will poison and kill her over time."

Naruto blinked then pulled from his neck the crystal his dad had just mentioned. "That very one. She'll probably need to wear it the rest of her life just to be certain of the seal's effect." Minato then helped the girl to her feet before turning to his son. "Now… I have to be going… My chakra is fading… I'll restore your seal." With a touch of his hand the skin and seal were replaced, the seal looking as pristine as the day it was put upon Naruto's infant form, minus of course the remains of the blood that had bled from the wound. "But this is the last time I can." Naruto grunted as the seal took hold then watched saddened as the hand that had saved his life began to dissolve. The two younger blondes watched as Minato's form began to fade from view.

"Dad…" Naruto begged, wishing for more time. Tears once again flowed from Naruto's eyes.

"I know your mother(5) is proud of you, we love you…" The man looked to Ino beside Naruto. "Take care of him for us Ino." Minato was almost gone.

"I promise, Hokage-sama!" She shouted, tears falling from her own eyes as well. "Because that's my NINDO!" Minato smiled knowingly then paused and grinned.

"Tell Hitomi our love too, son." Naruto looked stunned but nodded. With a final foxy grin Minato was gone leaving them alone in the mindscape. Naruto was still for a moment then began to wipe his eyes, trying keep the tears from falling further.

"Are you okay Naruto?" He nodded.

"Yeah… I'm the son of the fourth… I can handle it." The grin on his face didn't diminish in the slightest even as the world around them faded. "Thanks Dad."

* * *

Naruto shivered against the cold. His twelve year old frame, despite the many years since the long chill of those horrible four days, had never accepted the chill. a permanent reminder of that night, hence his like of the jumpsuits. Thunder rumbled in the dark snowy skies of his village as he looked out into the night. The dim yellowish glow given off by a city clashed with the occasional bluish white glares of lightning. The boy shivered again, unable to distract himself from the low temperature. Until a thought pierced the cold.

"K-kage Bushin no Jutsu!" The clone then made a sign. "Hitomi no jutsu!" In an instant two soft arms wrapped around Naruto.

"Onee-chan… I'm cold…" Hitomi held her little brother in her arms, sharing their combined heat.

"It's okay otouto. I'm here." for the first time in his life, the boy slept soundly and without fear, knowing his sister would keep him safe.

Ino awoke with a start. It was a little shocking that she could still see his memories, but now they had gained a grainy sort, as if the connection was closing. She looked about, Tsunade had apparently shifted them to a room at the hospital, and from the open window she could see the lights of hundreds of lanterns as the cities populous returned to the city. It was there she saw him. Uzumaki Naruto stood watching them return, his shirt was off, more than likely from Tsunade examining the seal. He shivered against the cold.

"When they find out why they had to leave they'll go back to hating me." He began, knowing she was awake. "And when they find out what dad did to you… they'll begin to hate you too." He shivered again, but this time it wasn't the cold. She stood, thankful her top was on and draped the blanket over him before wrapping her arms around him. "I'm so sorry Ino… I…."

"So what if they do… I'm not going anywhere Naruto." She gave him a squeeze. "I promised your dad to take care of you. Like someone I know I don't go back on my nindo." Naruto said nothing, but warm fingers wrapped her left hand and gave it a squeeze, showing his thanks. Silently the two blondes watched the parade of villagers return, long into the night.

Story Stats:

MemoriesWords: 18,451Chapters: 6Reviews: 103Hits: 33,219C2s: 50Favs: 230Alerts: 382

YOU GUYS ROCK! Thanks for making Memories my most succesful and entertaining fiction yet!

As I said my 100th reviewer 'INaRealPickle' would get a special reward but that comes as me posting this early. Oh well we'll see if this story gets to 200, probably by then the story will be nearing it's completion but who knows.

And so Chapter seven is done, in record time. (I received my 90th review as I finished this chapter) Only three hours or so compared to the give or take a hour three days 6 took. This was easier than 6 by two fold. A: I had a template (the manga) in which I structured 80% of the dialogue from. And B: once again a odd number chapter is always so much easier to me than even ones. I swear. I'm gonna say 8 will take three weeks and nine will be out the day after that. Frig.

Next Chapter: Memories 08: The Masks We wear

Hibiki's ramblings and meanings:

1: Yon as in Yondaime, not You mispelled. I was going to make Hiruzen ol' San similar to Minato's words in the manga but refrained to add a variance and also to keep understanding.

2: In this, my AU universe, The attack by Pein was set a year before, as it is in Kishimoto's Naruto universe. However Hinata didn't jump in front of Naruto so the fox never made it past six tails before Yamato returned and sealed it's chakra, restoring Naruto to his normal form. From here the fight lead up to Naruto fighting Pein's diva form until the Akatsuki leader died of chakra exhaustion.

3: Straight from Kishimoto. Half? This makes me wonder. It wouldn't have been brought up like that if it wasn't important. I mean if it wasn't it'd be "I sealed the Kyuubi's chakra into you for a reason blah blah blah" …. So what does it mean. Someone else has the rest? Technically Kyuubi is really a Yonibi inside of Naruto? If so then why eight tails? It's confusing. Anyway I'm gonna use it to my advantage. Half of anything means it's outta balance and balance is my specialty. Yin and Yang baby. Ino's in for a treat.

4: I use Kage instead of Kages because like how Kishimoto and the SJ gang classify most jutsus and ninja classes of the same type without plurals. Kage Bushin instead of Kage Bushins Fuujin instead of Fuujins. Genin/Genins Jounin/Jounins. Ect. Ect. In reference I am talking about the 5 Kage talks going on in the Manga as we speak.

5: There is another thing Kishimoto brought to my attention. Not a single thing was mentioned of Kushina by Minato. Either she is still alive, he didn't have the time, or Yondaime was a self centered guy. Since I already pointed out her death I had to go this route.