Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Negima.

Chapter 2
Return of the Prophesied Child

Story Start

Fate and the Konoha-nin jumped through the trees at high speed, zooming towards the Leaf Village.

Fate's eyes went towards the Konoha-nin behind, not moving his head, so that none of them could see. Then, it went back forward.

It wasn't that long later (about an hour or so, mind you) that they landed in front of the Konoha gates.

He looked up at the open gates of his old village, feeling nothing at all.

Jiraiya walked to his side and asked, "So, how does it feel to be back?"

Fate slowly replied, "You have the audacity to ask that to me, Jiraiya? Have you forgotten what I have faced in this place?"

Jiraiya flinched. "Right, my bad…come on, let's go."

Fate didn't reply and began walking forward.

Once he was five feet from the entrance of the village, the two gate guards, Izumo and Kotetsu, went up to him and said, "Halt, state your name and business!"

Jiraiya walked up to them and said, "Guys, everything's fine. He's our mission."

Their eyes widened as they stared at Fate. They have one thought. This is the same kid who's wearing orange and pulls pranks? What the hell happened to him?

They were so surprised that they didn't notice the others enter.

When they completely passed through them, Izumo said to Kotetsu, "What have we done to the kid? Did you see his eyes? They were even colder than Itachi's!"

Kotetsu sighed. "That's what banishment does to people. But I didn't think it would be this much."

In the middle of Konoha

Stares and whispers filled the streets as Fate walked along it, with his 'escorts' behind him.

Jiraiya stopped and turned to the jonin, and said, "You are dismissed. I can take it from here." He turned to Asuma. "Make sure that Kurenai gets some rest. This trip has been hard on her the most." Asuma nodded and led Kurenai away. He turned to Kakashi. "You go tell the Rookie 12…just…lay it slow." Kakashi nodded and left.

Jiraiya turned to Fate, who said, "You sure do not waste any time, do you?"

Jiraiya replied, "I have to tell the Hokage about this. You can wait until I return."

Fate shrugged before looking around and going for a stall that is named 'Ramen Ichiraku.'

Jiraiya blinked owlishly towards Fate's disappearing form before he chuckled. Some things never change.

Ramen Ichiraku

Fate entered the stall and sat on a chair and waited.

He didn't wait long when someone entered from the kitchen and said, "Hello, welcome to Ramen Ichiraku! May I take your order, please?"

Fate remembered well whose voice it belonged to. Even during his time in Mundus Magicus, he reminisced about the people in Konoha who cared for him before. True, he may not care about Konoha but that does not apply to those within it who cared for him in the past. This particular voice belonged to Ichiraku Ayame.

Fate replied, "I will have one miso ramen with a cup of coffee."

Ayame blinked. "Aren't you too young to have coffee?"

Fate said, "The concept of aging does not apply to me, waitress-san. I have ingested delicacies and beverages that are not normally prescribed for children."

Ayame blinked again. "Oh…okay, I'll get you your order. Please wait until I finish with it."

Fate nodded and watched as Ayame went to the kitchen. While she was preparing his order, Fate took a look around. It hasn't changed much since his last visit here. There were new brands of ramen in the menu. But besides that, nothing else has changed. Well, unless if you count the newly-hung picture of Ayame with his father, Ichiraku Teuchi, and the grinning face of Fate's old self, Uzumaki Naruto.

Fate stared into the picture; more specifically, his old self. He saw the spiky, sun-kissed blond hair, those cerulean blue eyes, those three whisker marks on each cheek, that proud grin on his face. Then, Fate looked in the nearby mirror. What has changed? His one blond hair turned white as snow. His cerulean blue eyes, which were full of life and energy, were degraded into pale blue orbs that emanated nothing but ice. He touched his cheek and felt nothing but smooth skin as compared to the previous feeling of roughness on his sensitive, whiskered cheeks. Fate let out a sigh as he dropped his hands.

Why did I even consent to coming here? This place brings back so many memories and emotions that I have been burrowing deep inside me.

Then, Ayame came back from the kitchen carrying his order. "Here you go, sir."

Fate thanked her and began eating, seemingly oblivious to Ayame's stare on him.

Ayame, for her part, is quite befuddled. A boy probably a few years her junior is eating with grace and poise that not even Daimyos can obtain within a year.

Fate finished his meal, put his hand inside of his shirt, and pulled out, to Ayame's great surprise, a large gold bar. He laid it on the table and said, "The meal was exquisite. I hope I can experience more in the future. Keep the change." He left.

Ayame was too speechless and focused on the bar on the counter to notice that Fate left. She slowly went to the counter and took the bar. She counted it and her eyes went wide. The amount was way beyond the supposed payment. The amount he gave was enough to two houses or something akin to that!

The backdoor opened and in entered Teuchi. He noticed Ayame standing still and asked, "Ayame, what's wrong?"

Then, to his surprise, she fainted. Teuchi ran over to her and saw a large gold bar in her hand. He looked at the counter and saw an empty mug of coffee and a bowl of ramen. He put two and two together and assumed that whoever ate here recently gave that large amount of money.

Outside

Fate glanced back at the stall and continued walking. That is for taking care of me as a child, Ayame.

Then, he stopped as someone appeared in front of him. It was Jiraiya.

Jiraiya said, "Everything's set. Let's go…Fate."

Fate nodded and vanished in a blur. Jiraiya palmed his forehead. "Damn, I forgot he had speed skills." He vanished in a swirl of wind.

Outside the council chambers

Fate and Jiraiya appeared in front of two doors.

Jiraiya turned to Fate and said, "You ready, kid?"

Fate replied, "Let's get this over with. The longer we dawdle, the more Akatsuki gets closer to their plan."

Jiraiya sighed. "Alright, kid…let's go." With that, he opened the door and immediately went to a seat right beside the clan seat farthest from the clan head.

Fate walked right into the center, as he looked around. Well, Fate mused, at least, the civilians are no longer part of the council. Indeed, none of the civilians Fate remembered from the past are present. In fact, their seats are no longer there, but instead were taken by half of the clan heads. On the other side was the other half.

Fate saw a huge change in the seating. There was a Senju clan seat, an Uzumaki clan seat, and an Uchiha seat. Also, there was a new person seated beside the Hyuuga clan head.

The one seated on the Senju seat is a blonde woman with brown eyes and a jewel on her forehead. She was wearing a grey, kimono-style blouse with no sleeves held closed by a dark blue obi that matches her pants. Over it, she was wearing a green robe with the kanji for 'gamble' at the back within a red circle.

The one on the Uzumaki clan seat is a redhead woman with purple eyes and a clip on her left bang. Her normally long hair was tied to a bun on her head with the Konoha headband as the…band and extended to the base of the spine. She was wearing a blue battle kimono with the Uzumaki spiral design on the shoulders and was held by a wide, light brown obi that extends to her ankles, covering her ninja shorts and shirt. On her arms are armbands with the Uzumaki spiral on the back of the hand. In front of her was a folded, orange umbrella with red stripes.

On the Uchiha clan seat was a black-haired woman with onyx black eyes. Her black hair was tied to a bun very well, completely taking in her long hair with two chopsticks. She was wearing a dark blue battle kimono with white trimmings designed with the Uchiha fan and a dark green flap that covers her ninja shorts that are held by a white obi designed with the Uchiha fan that extends to her ankles. Across her back were a katana and its sheath. On her left hand was a fan with the Uchiha design on it.

Beside the Hyuuga clan head was an indigo-haired woman with white, pupil-less eyes. Her hair was held up by an intricate flower pin. She was wearing a pink, shoulder-less kimono that is tied by a gold-red-gold obi. Wrapper around her shoulder is a pink shawl that is pinned by a flower.

What all three of them have in common is that solemn and grieving look towards Fate.

However, Fate's stare was now on the person seated on the Hokage's seat. He had spiky blond hair with sideburns on each side of his face. He had cerulean blue eyes that were holding suspicion in them as he stared back towards Fate. He was wearing a ninja outfit with a matching flak jacket which was covered by a white haori with red flames licking the bottom. Right behind the cloak was the kanji for 'Fourth.'

Fate stared at him and said, without breaking eye contact, "Well, this surely is surprising. To find that four deceased people came back to life…I find myself disbelieving. How could four legends be here when the Kiroi Senkou and the Shiku Karitori (Crimson Reaper) died on the Kyuubi attack, the Kokutan no Ken (Ebony Sword) died at the Uchiha Massacre and the Zoge no Bisho (Ivory Smile) died some time after giving birth to her second daughter?"

The one known as the Kiroi Senkou, Namikaze Minato, narrowed his eyes. "It has something to do with the Kyuubi no Yoko and the souls in the plane of existence."

Fate raised a brow, "Oh? And how could the Kyuubi have fit into all this?"

"The Kyuubi no Yoko's demonic energy is very potent that it can regenerate anything that it has concentrated on to the point of full body restoration and can force a soul back into it. With that knowledge, Kyuubi's demonic energy somehow focused on us four and managed to restore ourselves to our peak condition."

Fate said, "And how could that apply to you? From what I recall, your soul was in the stomach of the Shinigami, due to the contract made by the Shiki Fujin. And while the Kyuubi's power is enough to force a soul back into a body, its power cannot cross into deity domain, especially when it concerns a contract between a deity and a human."

Minato replied, "Unlike other non-demonic and non-deity beings, the Kyuubi's energy, much like the other demons and deities, cannot be separated that easily, even with the help of a deity. At best, the energy is connected between two containers by a very thin line of the sealed beast's energy. When I activated the Shiki Fujin and sealed the Yin chakra inside me and continued with the Hakke no Fuin Shiki to seal the Yang chakra inside you, the contract that is invoked became a dual-cause deal. If either of our seals is broken, the contract is considered null and void and my soul will be released from the Shinigami. This makes me ask. What happened after the…banishment that forced you to release the Kyuubi's Yang chakra?"

Fate slicked his hair back with his left hand. "Since my banishment, I had nothing to do but run around to avoid Akatsuki. However, it seems that I was not yet the main target of Akatsuki. Before they started their three-year break, Akatsuki decided to go on a jinchuuriki-kidnapping spree." Jiraiya's eyes went wide. He didn't know that. "The Jashinist Hidan and the money-worshipping Kakuzu went after the Yonbi and Gobi of Iwagakure. Uchiha Itachi (Mikoto gripped her fists tighter) and Hoshigaki Kisame went after the Nibi and Hachibi in Kumogakure. And Akasuna no Sasori and Deidara went after the Nanabi of Takigakure. I, unfortunately, ran into Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame."

That got gasps, wide eyes, and surprised looks from everyone.

Minato, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes. "And how did you survive?"

"I survived, barely. They, or Kisame, rather, toyed with me while Itachi watched from the sidelines. My life was barely hanging from a thread. And that thread was known to be Kyuubi. Without a choice, I entered my subconscious and pried off the seal."

Minato clenched his fists, not trying to imagine what he went through. "What happened after that?"

"Your two failsafe mechanisms temporarily stopped me. We had a discussion about my life and, since your failsafe selves couldn't do anything, they let me go; reminding me that you two loved me even before I was born. With that knowledge, I pried off the seal. It should have killed me from my weakness and released the Kyuubi. Unfortunately, the Shinigami had other plans. He placed his own failsafe into the Hakke no Fuin Shiki."

Minato raised a brow. "And what is this failsafe?"

"If I release the seal, a new seal will appear and will contain the Kyuubi. However, it will take a full five seconds before the failsafe takes effect. Because of that, five seconds worth of Kyuubi's chakra has already left my body before the Shinigami's seal activated and began containing the Kyuubi's chakra. The pain I felt that time…was inhuman. It went even farther than what I experienced from Kisame. In my pained state, I reflexively channeled as much of my and Kyuubi's chakra as I could and let it out in any area. Human and demon energies do not mix well and may cause devastating results. For my attempt, it opened a rift in the dimensional plane and, in front of Kisame's and Itachi's eyes, I was pulled into space and time and blacked out."

Minato waited for a few seconds. When he saw that Fate would speak no more, he said, "I see. And this transformation is because of that?"

Fate shook his head. "No…it is because of something else that I cannot and will not indulge. I answered your questions. Now answer mine. I can understand you and the Shinku Karitori going back to life, since you are the other container of Kyuubi's Yang chakra and Uzumaki Kushina is the previous container of the whole Kyuubi, which grants her a little portion of its chakra that is merged into her chakra. My question is this. Do you know why Uchiha Mikoto and Hyuuga Hitomi are in this equation?"

Minato frowned and furrowed his brow. "No…I do not. However, do not expect me to drop the subject easily. I have heard from them both that they met you in different times before their deaths. It is my assumption that you must have done something in the past to have them contain the Kyuubi's chakra."

Fate gave a soft chuckle. "You prepared for everything, don't you? Yes, I have done something to them. However, it was not of my…own consciousness."

Everyone looked confused. Mikoto asked, "What do you mean, 'not of your own consciousness?'"

Fate looked at her and his eyes softened a bit. "Only a handful of people cared for me in Konoha. Mikoto and Hitomi were two of them. I met Mikoto first and Hitomi second. You would know this from what they told you. What they didn't know is that I grew selfish of them. At the time, I didn't want others to be near them. However, what could I do against those older than I? In the end, I only desired them in my heart…and Kyuubi fed on that desire. While it is not hatred, it is a negative emotion. Kyuubi's chakra acts in accordance to a specific negative emotion. If the container is feeling anger and hate, Kyuubi's chakra grants the container enough strength to act upon that hatred. If it is lust, Kyuubi's chakra increases the container's pheromones to make the person they're lusting over lust over them. For me, it is envy. I, who did not have anyone to love me in the past, do not want anyone else to have Mikoto and Hitomi. Kyuubi's chakra, in reaction, extended from my body and wrapped itself around them and merged with their chakra coils, connecting them with me. It was not in the sense of 'I die, they die,' or 'I live, they live.' It was more of a 'If I need help, they'll know without me telling them.' Then again, Kyuubi has been known to be unpredictable, much less its chakra. When both of them were 'killed,' Kyuubi's chakra remained strong in them and managed to put them in a state of false death, fooling even the most accomplished of med-ninjas."

Fate returned his stare to Minato. "The Kyuubi told me this before I released the seal. He also told me that a subsequent amount of his chakra will go to both of them, returning them to the land of the living. The Kyuubi said that the information was a form of…gift for me. According to him, I was the most entertaining fun he's had in years, even before Senju Hashirama's time. I suppose it is also a return gift for freeing him of my own free will." Minato raised a brow. "Kyuubi is a demon. And demons are known to have a high sense of honor. They do not accept free offers without giving something in return."

Then, the Inuzuka clan head, Inuzuka Tsume, said, "Then, what about its attack 16 years ago? Was that a part of its honor?"

Fate turned to her. "I expected to be asked such a question. The answer is simple and is a question. If you were constantly caged for a long time and was granted release from bondage, you would do everything to be completely free of your captors, would you not? That is what Kyuubi did back then."

Inoichi shook his head. "And that justifies its actions 16 years ago? There were innocents involved."

Fate replied, "Don't people hurt both guilty and innocent in their rage? Sabaku no Gaara is an example. Only the guilty deserved their fate and yet the innocents fell at his feet. Isn't Hyuuga Neji angry in the past? Wasn't he angry at the Fuinjutsu of the Hyuuga clan and the clan elders? Then, why is Hyuuga Hinata within his range of anger? She is innocent of all of the Hyuuga's problems. Wasn't it her that was the victim of Kumo's attempted kidnapping? Do you think it is within her or Neji's control whether she is kidnapped or not, whether Hyuuga Hizashi is sacrificed or not? This is a cruel world we live in. There are times where reality meets our expectations and there are times where it doesn't. Can you control fate? Can you control destiny? Only deities can see between the lines of destiny. They are the ones who control everything, who are the puppet masters. And we…we are merely their puppets. If people perish, then they perish. If they live, then they live. After all," Fate's voice suddenly had an ominous effect to it, "puppets cannot oppose or defy the puppet master." Minato's eyes widened when he heard that last part but no one saw it.

Tsunade frowned. "That does not sound like the old Naruto. He does not believe in fate."

Fate turned to her and coldly said, "Then, to you, I am no longer Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto. If you can't handle my change, Senju Tsunade, then consider me a different person. I have no patience dealing with such inability to accept change."

All of their eyes widened. Such a cold response was not expected.

Kushina clenched her hands. Fate's eyes darted to her before it went back to Minato. "What is your purpose in wanting me to return?"

Minato gave a sigh, masking his sadness at Fate's previous statement. "We want you back in our ninja regime."

Fate walked right in front of the table. "Then, give me my hitai-ite. The sooner we get this done, the sooner I can see how much this place has changed and see if there's still hope for it."

Minato's eyes narrowed. "Not so fast…Fate Averruncus. We will have to determine your strength."

Fate nodded and said, "Very well, then." Fate walked to the side and took a chair, went back to the center and sat on the chair. "Let's talk details," he droned, resting his cheek on his knuckles (Aizen-style).

Behind the Hokage Mansion

Yuuhi Kurenai slowly walked along the forest to the Kurama mansion. Her emotions are currently in turmoil, from Fate's words.

You have the right reason but the wrong process. […] You do not train ninjas. You mother children. From the way I see it, you are better off not being a sensei as that did more harm to both your students, their families, and to you than good.

She didn't want to trouble Hinata with this news yet. Hinata might not take it well that her love is going all Itachi on them. Then again, Hiashi-sama can tell her about Fate.

She arrived at the mansion and had her identity confirmed.

When her identity was confirmed, she entered the mansion and into Yakumo's room.

It was quite plain and normal, as compared to the last time she had been here.

Before, there had been tons of pictures of Kurenai's death or Konoha's destruction by different means all around the room. Now, it was filled with paintings of grasslands, the Hokage Mountain, clear blue skies with Yakumo staring up at it, Yakumo and Naruto embracing, and even a painting of Yakumo and Naruto being…intimate with an oddly tied-up Hinata in the corner of the paining canvas. Then, she looked up at the doorsill and saw a painting of the room as she remembered it. Then, she heard a voice.

"What do you want, Kurenai?"

Kurenai turned to the source and found Yakumo painting a new painting. It was half-done, but Kurenai could see the ending already. It was an older Naruto and an older Yakumo with an unfinished child in her arms.

Kurenai took one step forward and Yakumo stopped painting. "Take one step further and you will be in my genjutsu. Now, answer my question. What do you want?"

Kurenai gulped and said, "Naruto's back."

Yakumo gripped her brush tighter. "And what do you care? I would have found out eventually. If he is back, then he would be going here some time later. Your coming here is moot…unless you have an ulterior motive for coming here."

Kurenai sighed. "Yes…I want to know why and how you became infatuated with Naruto."

Yakumo put down her pallet and brush and looked outside the window. "I heard of his reputation as a brash loudmouth who wears orange and performs pranks. Then I met him, one day, while I was painting. He followed me home and we…well, he engaged in a conversation while I kept silent. I was irritated by his attempts to make me talk. Every time he is free, he visits me with a bowl of ramen on his lap to share his stories. Eventually, I replied. Then, he replies. I reply back. Our relationship grew. Slowly, I found myself attached to him. Even with his life, he still found it fit to smile. Even with my cold attitude, he still wouldn't leave me. He was an idiot…" she smiled, to Kurenai's shock and surprise, "but he was a lovable idiot. I suppose that's why I am in love with him."

Kurenai was silent in shock. She knew that Naruto affected her greatly but she didn't expect it to be this! Yakumo was smiling! She hasn't seen her smile since her sealing of Ido. "Yakumo…"

Yakumo slowly turned to her. "Kurenai, I do not see you as a sensei. However, Naruto-kun told me to forgive you, as much as I detest doing so."

Kurenai went wide-eyed.

Yakumo frowned. "Naruto-kun told me that you cared for me but showed it wrongly. I, for one, agree with him. You should have trained me to prevent Ido. Thanks to your sealing, I almost lost myself to Ido. It was thanks to Naruto-kun's efforts that I was saved. You should be thankful to him, Kurenai. If it wasn't for him, I would have used my genjutsu on you the moment you stepped into my house."

Kurenai frowned this time. "Naruto has changed, Yakumo. He is not the same Naruto you once knew. From that aloof, brash boy, he became a cold and detached person with no regard for authority or principles…much like Itachi."

To her immense surprise, Yakumo gave a mere hollow chuckle and said, "An expected outcome."

Kurenai raised a brow. "What do you mean? Aren't you surprised about what happened to Naruto?"

Yakumo turned to her and gave a weak smile. "During one of his visits, he suddenly turned grim and looked out at the forest through this window." She turned to the window and looked outside. "When I asked him about his sadness, he said that there would be a day where the village's hatred of him will cause them to make a foolish decision and will either banish him from Konoha or force him to drop his ninja career and to become a civilian. Should any of the two occur, Naruto can't guarantee that he will be the same again. He may become insane, sadistic, hateful, cold, or something akin to that. In the event that that occurs, he asked me if I will still look at him the same way I did before. I promised him that, even if he became the Kyuubi itself, nothing will ever change my view of him. In return, he promised me that he won't forget me no matter how many changes he goes through. Since you came here and discussed about Naruto, I knew that he kept that promise." Yakumo's shoulders shook. Kurenai knew that she began crying. "Kurenai…please leave…I don't want to talk right now…"

Kurenai nodded and said, "I understand." She turned to leave and said, "Thank you, Yakumo, for forgiving me." She left.

Back to the council

Minato leaned back on his chair. "So it is settled then. In three days from now, your official examination will begin and your rank will be decided. The place of examination will be the Konoha stadium."

Fate nodded. "It is settled."

Minato turned to the clan heads and said, "You're dismissed."

All of them left, except for Minato, Kushina, Mikoto, and Hitomi. Hiashi turned to his resurrected wife, who shook her head at him. Hiashi nodded and he left. So, only the aforementioned people and Fate were left in the room.

Fate raised an eyebrow. "Is there something you want from me…Father?"

Minato tightened his hands. "Do you…hate me…Fate? Do you hate me for sealing Kyuubi into you?"

Fate went over to the table and said, "Cold, I may be. Heartless, I am not. Fate was clearly not on your side when the Kyuubi attacked, nor is the Uchiha Massacre, nor is the Hyuuga matriarch's death. It is out of your control. It is the villagers who are at fault." He walked to the window and stared down at the villagers, doing their business as if nothing's wrong. "Didn't you tell them that I was to be treated a hero? Wasn't it that the seal that houses Kyuubi is based on both my mentality and physical health? They think that they know what they are doing. They think that, with my death, Kyuubi will die. They think they know more about sealing than their beloved Yondaime Hokage. My life in Konoha is within their control. They are the ones I despise, with a select few who are exempt from my hate. Do not worry, though," he said, turning back to Minato. "I will not kill them." He frowned. "Nor will I save them. They look at me and turn away back then. This time, I will be the one who will turn away." He took a deep breath. "Do I hate you? No…I do not. I…consider you…as my father and mother."

That statement did it. The moment he finished that sentence, Kushina immediately dropped to the floor, hands covering her face, her shoulders shaking from crying, and relaxing in relief. Mikoto and Hitomi were at her side, comforting her.

Fate could hear the words 'thank Kami,' 'he doesn't hate us,' and 'I'm still his mother' coming from her.

Fate closed his eyes as something seems to be welling up inside him. What it is, he couldn't place. But, somehow, it felt…relieving. He turned to the door, "Let us leave. I wish to rest. This journey has somehow tired me more than I thought."

Minato nodded and went over to his wife and carried her bridal style, as she cried into his shoulder, Mikoto and Hitomi looking at her.

Minato said to Fate, "Thank you, Fate."

Fate raised an eyebrow. "What do you want to thank me for? Is it because of what I said? What is there to thank about from that? What I said is merely the truth. There is nothing to thank about."

Minato smiled at him and followed him out of the room, Kushina in his arms and Mikoto and Hitomi behind him.

In Mahora

Negi didn't know how it happened.

After he read the letter, he was bombarded with the concerned members of Class 3-A about Fate and his reason for resignation. He refused to tell, even with the dreaded 'Puppy Dog Eyes' from Konoka, which is an impressive feat for someone like him.

Then, the following day, he was asked to come to the class pool for something the class doesn't want to tell.

And the next thing he knew, he was tied up, gagged and prevented from moving by his class. Everyone was there! From Sayo to Zazie…heck, even Evangeline was there.

Then, to his horror, Asuna walked up to him and searched him until they found the letter and they read it.

After they read it, Setsuna, Mana, Kotarou, Zazie and Evangeline went wide-eyed (while Evangeline also paled) and fell to the floor in shock. The others, however, were not so expectant.

Konoka went over to her friend. "Set-chan, what's wrong?"

Setsuna muttered, "How…how could it be possible?"

"What is?"

Setsuna looked at her then at the others. "It was an old folktale that was told in my clan that is supposed to be told from one generation to the other. Since time immemorial, there were once nine demons with increasing strength whose very presence could cause even the most powerful of tribesmen to fall to their knees. They were distinguishable by their tails, one being the weakest, nine the strongest. And the ninth was known as the Kyuubi no Yoko, whose single tail can cause tsunamis and can destroy mountains."

Everyone's eyes widened.

"Also, the Kyuubi has a special ability to jump through dimensions. Because of that, it went to Mundus Magicus and the netherworld and challenged all of its demonic inhabitants. The Kyuubi won and gained the demon's loyalty and devotion and was given the moniker 'Mittsu no Sekai no Oni-Kami.' However, the nine vanished from the face of the earth. And with the disappearance of the Kyuubi, chaos and discord broke out amongst the demon folk. Nobody knew what happened to them. But…to think that they were sealed inside humans…it's unbelievable. That means that these ninjas are very powerful…possibly, even past Evangeline's prowess."

Asuna said, "It's lucky that we're even alive."

Konoka asked, "But, why? Why didn't Fate use it? He was dead set on saving Mundus Magicus and would do anything to accomplish it. So why didn't he use this Kyuubi's power?"

Then, a new voice interrupted, "It's probably because he knew that there would be none who could stand up to him." Everyone yelped as they turned and saw a grim Konoemon, Takamichi and Albireo Imma.

Everyone stared at them. Konoka voiced out, "Grandpa…what are you doing here?"

Konoemon sighed. "I knew that whatever reason Fate Averruncus has for resigning lies with Negi-kun so I had Takamichi-kun and Albireo-kun tail him until it was revealed. Once word has reached my ears that Negi-kun was supposed to go to this pool, I joined Takamichi-kun and Albireo-kun here."

Asuna started, "And what do you mean 'stand up to him'? I thought that he was supposed to use all advantages to 'save' Mundus Magicus."

Albireo frowned. "For now, we have only one possibility and that is Fate's lack of programming. However, even that is surprising for a group like Cosmo Entelechia. So the most probable explanation for both Fate's unwillingness to go all-out and his lack of programming is the very being that he claims to be sealed within him: the Kyuubi no Yoko." He put a hand to his chin as everyone looked at him. "The Kyuubi no Yoko is the most proud of the bijuu. To be sealed is a very big stain on his reputation. However, to be controlled or sealed inside a person who is controlled by someone is an even bigger stain. That is probably why Fate doesn't have the full programming. The Kyuubi prevents it."

Konoemon nodded. "Yes, that is possible. However, this could be very problematic. This Akatsuki could become a serious problem should they gather even seven of the nine bijuu. Fate, no doubt, can win against them. However, I'm not so sure about the other eight." Then, he turned to Negi. "Negi-kun, I want you to go to where Fate is and help him in defeating Akatsuki."

Everyone went wide-eyed, save for Albireo and Takamichi.

Negi exclaimed, "Dean Konoe, you can't be serious! Fate said that he does not want anyone to follow!"

"And let Fate deal with this Akatsuki by himself? Is this what your father wanted, Negi-kun? Even if Fate ordered your idleness, that should not deter you, even if experimentation and breeding awaits you there. Your father faced an even greater danger when he went to save your mother from Megalo Mesembria. Have you inherited none of your parents' stubbornness?"

Negi's eyes flashed. "You're…you're right, Takamichi! I can't just let Fate deal with Akatsuki all by himself! But…but…what about Mundus Magicus?"

Konoemon waved it off. "We can handle everything there, Negi-kun. Right now, Fate and his dealing with Akatsuki is even more important. Go…take your Ministra with you. We'll alert Fate's when we get to Mundus Magicus."

Negi shook his head. "That many people, girls no less, will get too much attention in the village. After all, you know what thoughts will run through most people's heads when they see only two guys in the midst of over 30 girls."

Kotarou nodded. "Yeah, we must start small."

Albireo raised a brow. "Then, who would you send?"

Negi replied, almost immediately, "I suppose Asuna-san will be the first. She is my first partner, after all." Asuna grinned at that. "The second would be…Kaede-san." Said ninja girl was surprised at being chosen. "Her knowledge of the ninja system would benefit us greatly. And last…would be Setsuna-san. Her skills could be a valuable asset to the group."

Konoemon nodded. "Then, so shall it be."

Konoke, however, puffed her cheeks indignantly. "What about me, Negi-kun? Why can't I be in your group?"

Negi turned to her and smiled. "I'm sorry, Konoka-san. But, I doubt that Eishun-san or Dean Konoe would allow you to join. Besides, you heard what Fate said about these ninjas. Not only are they powerful, they are also cruel. I can't forgive myself if something were to happen to you."

Konoka was about to respond when Evangeline interrupted, "Don't bother, Konoe. The boy has a point. At this point, you would be a hindrance because of your lack of offensive capabilities. At least, the boy chose wisely with his group. They can defend themselves against any attack."

Konoka looked down in hurt. Setsuna glared at Evangeline, who shrugged, before she patted Konoka on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Ojou-sama. I'm sure it would be a boring trip."

A click of fingers caught their attention. It was Asakura. "I got it! So that no one will feel left out of Negi-sensei's adventure, I can use my artifact to generate a video feed from them to us!"

Setsuna blinked. "That would be a good idea. However, a floating object would cause suspicion when we get there."

Asakura winked and wagged a finger. "I got that covered. We can use Negi-sensei's Ala Alba badge to hide the input devices." It's foolproof. And when they check you, you can say it is an heirloom."

Konoemon chuckled. "It's settled then. Negi-kun, you and your group prepare for your departure. You will leave in two and a half hours. The faster you get to Fate, the better. That way, you can explain your situation to him and can help him against this Akatsuki."

The group assigned nodded, as they prepared for their departure.

Hey, guys, I see you liked this story.

If you're confused about the part why Minato, Kushina, Mikoto and Hitomi are back from the dead, I can explain in this.

Minato had the other half of Kyuubi's chakra. Kushina was the previous jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi, therefore she had a small part of Kyuubi's chakra that has merged with her chakra coils. Mikoto and Hitomi met Naruto in the past, where Naruto doesn't want anyone else to have them. Because of that selfishness, Kyuubi's chakra reacted to the negative energies, extended to the two, merged with their chakra coils, and connected them to him. Thus, all four had Kyuubi's chakra in their system.

When Naruto released the seal in his subconscious and after the Shinigami's seal took effect, the expelled Kyuubi's chakra sought out those with its chakra. The Shiki Fujin part is explained up there. That's the simplest I could go.

I brought them back because I need them in this story.

If you still can't understand my reasoning, just PM me.