Chapter 2
Unexpected news and the insidiousness of a marasmus
"The weekdays passed by; our inseparable couple of souls never ceased to dote on their daughter. They cared for their little girl, showering her with attention and showing all the love to their radiant child. Little Miroku inherited her mother's crimson hair and her father's eye color. Uncle Jiraiya would come by to witness the result of his wards' love. Kaname-san was giving a master class to her not-so-young parents. Minato often visited the Third to glean experience from the older generations. The day of the inauguration was approaching. Kushina decided to help her husband with the preparations and hurried to the home of the old granny Kiemi, who, according to legend, embroidered haori for all past Hokages. But when she stepped over her threshold, something happened:
— Good day, Kiemi-san, I've come for my husband's haori, — cheerfully reported the girl to the old granny, who responded:
— It's not ready yet, come back in a week! — she replied with a disgruntled tone. And then bewilderment, shock, panic ensued!
— How come in a week?! I personally came to you two weeks ago for the order!
— What's the rush, all of you? Youth, I tell you! Making a haori for the Hokage is delicate work; it's not like darning socks!
— Granny! This haori was needed yesterday! We can't tell the people that the Hokage appointment is canceled because our turtle ninja is the only one who makes these haori, and she doesn't have a turbocharger!
— How dare you! I outlived your grandpa, and trust me, I'll outlive your grandkids... Let them wait: until I finish this haori, your hubby won't wear anything!
Arguments erupted with renewed vigor. The shouts echoed almost throughout the neighborhood, and all the ladies who were helping the granny kept themselves far from the epicenter of this infernal mix of senile dementia and the rebellious personality of Bloody Habanero. Kushina even remembered some old curses she didn't shy away from using against this old lady; and when it all reached a boiling point, Kushina simply pulled on the cloak with a fierce look, but the granny wasn't outdone: she almost ripped it out of Kushina's tight grip with her teeth. The outcome was that two temperamental representatives of the female gender simply tore the cloak in two. The initiators of the conflict, seeing the result of their actions, just hung their heads. Kushina couldn't let Minato down, but here was the problem. The appointment was for today, and therefore, overcoming herself, she decided to act together with this stubborn but responsible old lady, who agreed in response, as this incident could badly affect her reputation, she began to oversee the whole process. Finally, in four hours, they managed to finish this thing.
Kushina realized she was late. Arriving at the square, she saw people who had already started to fall asleep standing up, because only duty kept them from going home. Moving to the roof of the Hokage's residence, she immediately approached Minato. In response to the questioning looks of everyone around, she decided not to justify herself and laid everything out as it was. Minato, seeing this creation, described as "It'll do."
The characters weren't perfectly straight, but even despite that, Minato was glad that the dream of his whole life was realized with the help of the one he loved most, like his daughter.
— I, Minato Namikaze, pledge to uphold all the laws laid down by our ancestors and to protect all the people of this beautiful village, and to give my life for it.
After these words, there was a roar of joy and praise for the newly appointed Hokage. Minato, jumping to his family, took his daughter in his arms, kissed his wife, hugged Kaname-san, shook hands with Jiraiya, and accepted congratulations from his friends on the way home. After all this hustle and bustle, the young couple, having put their daughter to sleep, approached the window:
— Darling, our dream has finally come true!
— What are you talking about, dear? It's you who became the Hokage.
— You're wrong! Because when I didn't know what to do next in the last war, only you helped me with advice. Now I'm the Hokage, and your advice and arguments will be as weighty as mine, so we are both equally the Hokage."
In response to this, Kushina just pulled her husband closer to her and tumbled onto the bed, showering him with her love.
The first week for Minato as Hokage was challenging because even though he had received training from the Third on village management, practicality proved to be more difficult. After three weeks into his inauguration, Kushina began to feel strange. A similar feeling had occurred when she was pregnant with their first child. It was devastating for her because there was no guarantee she would survive a second time, as the seal couldn't withstand the birth of another child.
Minato came home late one evening. The job demanded too much time: clan meetings, paperwork bureaucracy, civil receptions - there was just too much to do. Kushina even started meeting her husband every night with a frying pan, working on his punctuality, and even teasing him that he caught tardiness from Kakashi. But tonight was different. As Minato entered the kitchen where his wife was, he sensed something was off. She was sitting at the table, poring over a report of test results. Minato decided to approach cautiously:
"Sweetheart, is everything alright?"
"My dear, how about you?" She immediately lowered her gaze to the sheet, conveying that she had only noticed him now.
Minato took the paper in his hands and, after looking at the results, his emotions ranged from surprise to confusion. Placing the sheet back in place, he pulled a chair closer to his wife.
"Kushina, we'll figure something out," he said with all the confidence he could muster, though he began to doubt the positive outcome himself. But one thing he knew for sure! He wouldn't let his beloved die. After sitting a little longer, he suggested they sleep on it and think with a fresh mind in the morning.
The morning rang with the doorbell. Kushina, opening the door, saw her aunt Kaname.
"Hello, Kushina, how are you, and how's Miroku doing? I brought some baby food for you."
"Hello, Aunt Kaname. Everything's fine, and Miroku's sleeping. Come in, I'll freshen up and be right back."
Approaching the table, Kaname noticed a white sheet of paper. Yielding to curiosity, she immediately picked it up and began to read. Shock was the only readable expression on her face. And when Kushina approached, she showed her the paper with these words:
"Do you understand what this means for you? Last time, I barely managed to seal the Nine-Tails back! " Kushina, meanwhile, cursing herself for forgetfulness, began to contemplate escape routes.
"Aunt Kaname, I understand, everything is datttebane, but... but..." She began to tear up, but the hand of her dear aunt, resting on her head, managed to quell the hysteria, if only slightly.
Minato, appearing from above with their daughter in his arms, descended downstairs. Seeing the familiar sheet in his aunt's hands, he understood the reason for the heavy atmosphere that had settled in the kitchen and spoke up:
"Kushina, Aunt Kaname, we need to consult with the Third... all of us. I'll call Kakashi to watch over Miroku."
Both nodded in agreement and began to gather, not forgetting to feed Miroku. When Kakashi arrived, Kushina made a list of how to take care of their daughter to avoid any mishaps. Arriving at the Third's residence, they prepared all the questions for discussion, and when the Hokage himself arrived, they began their unplanned meeting, setting up a barrier against eavesdropping. Minato was the first to speak:
"So, we're gathered here to discuss some very serious news. Kushina is pregnant!"
After these words, the Third's pipe dropped instantly from his mouth, but regaining composure, he easily picked it up. And he spoke up:
"Minato, Kushina, Kaname, this is a very big problem. And it's not just about you, Kushina, risking your life. If the Nine-Tails is released, the entire village could be destroyed. Even if everything goes well, we don't have any Uzumaki children on hand. Or do you want to make Miroku a jinchuriki?"
After that tirade from the old Hokage, a shiver ran through all three of them. The newlyweds were the first to regain their senses, both responding with a resounding refusal. Kushina had long grown accustomed to this role, and the others understood that she contained this colossal power and demon's wrath. But to sacrifice the fate of the jinchuriki for their daughter... they couldn't even consider it. Kaname, lost in thought, began her musings and presented one argument:
"There's one option, but please, don't interrupt me! Seeing the interested faces, she continued: If there's sealing, there's unsealing too, but we can try to do it without risks. And the endurance of our clan won't let you die so quickly. Remember Lady Mito! She walked for another week after sealing, and I even suspect she simply died of old age... Yes! Kushina, don't look at me like that, it's true! I think she used a special kind of unsealing, and notice! She first extracted the Nine-Tails from herself and then sealed it into you. Although she could have passed Kurama on immediately. And here's what I think! I need to go to Uzushio, since Lady Mito didn't have time to teach anyone else! I need companions. Minato, can you lend Kakashi for a month, he's still your ANBU anyway?"
Still pondering Kaname's arguments, Minato didn't respond immediately. For him, figuring out what to do with Kushina was much more important than arguing about Kakashi, so he nodded. But the Third Hokage spoke up again:
"Kaname, this is all great, but what about Kurama? We still need to seal it into a carrier, preferably a child, because adults won't withstand its mental attack."
After a moment of reflection, Kaname pointed at Kushina's stomach and said, "We'll seal the Nine-Tails into him!"
Everyone raised an eyebrow in question. But Kaname continued, more coldly this time:
"We'll seal the demon into the child that will be born to you. I understand it's somewhat cruel, but you know yourself, if we don't do this, it's the end for all of us. The bijuu are the balance of power among the Great Nations. Even if we manage to kill Kurama, the other nations will just devour us, and after rebirth, Kurama will trample over our corpses."
Minato and Kushina protested vehemently, but Kaname stopped them with a wave of her hand.
"Minato, Kushina, I understand it's cruel, but you're both Leaf Shinobi, you both swore to protect your home. At the moment, you have no attachment to this unborn baby, so don't get too attached to him. You may have to part with him, but it's too early to talk about it. By the way, when's the due date?"
"On October 10th," said Minato and Kushina in unison, and Kaname noticed that it would be the hottest day in Konoha's history, excluding the date of the battle between Madara and Hashirama. Hiruzen, who had been listening attentively, began to boil inside and, unable to contain himself, started:
"Kaname, have you gone mad?! You've just condemned an unborn child to hellish life! How could you even think of such a thing? And what do you mean by them," the old man gestured towards the couple, "having to part with him?!"
Kaname started boiling with anger at all this bravado and screamed back:
"And what do you suggest, Hiruzen? Let Kurama roam freely in Konoha or kill it so other nations come knocking at our door, rubbing their hands in anticipation? I won't allow my niece to die! She's all that's left of our family in Uzushio!"
Hiruzen grimaced in response.
"Kaname, I'm not against the idea of this newborn becoming a jinchuriki, but him being left without a family while his parents are alive is madness!"
"Hiruzen, this is the first time the strongest of the bijuu is being sealed into an infant. I'm not even sure if he'll remain human! And that's why I can't have this monster living in the same house as my niece, my son-in-law, and granddaughter. Well, if everything goes smoothly and he's okay, we'll bring him back home. So, who's in?"
Everyone, including Third, raised their hands. But the meeting was not yet over. Minato once again captured everyone's attention:
"You do understand that this information is classified, and no one has the right to disclose it, right? We don't need any unnecessary noise." Everyone nodded vigorously.
The days went by. Minato continued to struggle with paperwork, Kushina cared for Miroku while also dealing with hormonal imbalances, and Kaname went to the ruins of Uzushio to search for scrolls and conduct research. Kaname was considered a master of A-rank fuinjutsu during the Uzushio era, so she could risk using seals without experiencing painful backlash in case of failure. Months passed, and a month before October, they gathered again and discussed acting according to the old plan.
Root's Lair
Many shinobi of the world say that Konoha is like a tree, with its leaves representing the younger generation, held up by the branches of the elders. But one must not forget about the root that sustains life in this tree. But what to do if the root has rotted to its core? Root. That's what the organization was called, operating on the principle of "Anyone not from Konoha is an enemy," and even some within Konoha were never considered friends by them. This organization dealt with counterintelligence, espionage, and even manipulation. They undertook tasks that any jounin would refuse. The ANBU division served in this organization, with a life creed: without feelings, without a past, without a future, without their own opinion, serving for Konoha, perfect machines for execution. To a fighter from this division, it meant nothing to kill old men, children, or even infants. But they had one major drawback—the lack of initiative affected the quality of task execution. This semi-legal organization was ruled by the most ruthless old man named Shimura Danzo. Those in the know referred to him as a shadowy figure. Danzo himself, both in the past and present, was from the same guard of Konoha as Hiruzen Sarutobi, advisors Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane. Throughout his life, Danzo had been a staunch opponent of the Third Hokage due to the position of Hokage and the status within the village.
Moreover, he didn't shy away from betrayal and lies, which caused harm to almost all the village residents. All these actions were justified by being for the good of the village. Nevertheless, there were some actions of his that were somewhat positive. For example, his organization excelled in sabotage and dealing with traitors from their village, even if they used radical methods. Danzo looked like an old man with hair as black as coal, one eye bandaged over his right eye, the other eye brown. He wore a white robe on top and a black tunic underneath, his right hand hidden under his clothes while holding a cane in his left hand. In the underground chamber where he trained the ANBU NE, experiments were conducted on children. These experiments were led by one of the legendary Sannin, obsessed with eternal life, a friend of Jiraiya and Tsunade. This experimenter was called Orochimaru, also known as Konoha's White Snake. But let's return to our Danzo. The head of Root sat in his office, decorated strictly with chairs, a desk, and a few cabinets. At that moment, one of the ANBU, codenamed Rat, teleported to him and began reporting on the completed mission.
"Danzo-san, I have news about the person you sent me to monitor."
"Report!"
"Kaname Uzumaki returned to the village from the ruins of Uzushio."
"Well, the Minato family has decided to reseal the Nine-Tails! But that's not important. Keep watching them, and let it go as planned by that youngster Namikaze. On October tenth, we must take action. Execute!"
"Yes, Danzo-sama!"
As soon as Rat left the office, Danzo, after some thought, called an ANBU with the mask of a Boar, who promptly teleported to him.
"Boar, send this letter to its destination. I need to meet with him!"
"Yes, Danzo-sama."
"Well then, it's time to take matters into the hands of this village and finally acquire its weapons!"
Three days later, in a cave, Danzo and two of his fighters awaited their old acquaintance. The air stirred, and a man in an orange mask emerged from the space, with black lines resembling his hair, and a slit for his right eye, which glowed with a Sharingan. He wore the black attire of the Uchiha from the past century. Upon his full arrival, he spoke, having been introduced to Danzo earlier as Toby:
"Danzo, do you really need my services again?"
"Yes, you're right. You greatly assisted us back then with Hanzo in neutralizing Yahiko and his gang. Unfortunately, not all of them died."
In response, Toby chuckled slightly and continued, "Don't forget, Danzo! It was in my interests too. So, what do you need from me this time?"
"To attack Konoha!" Danzo replied, feigning hesitation.
"Hmm, that's interesting. But what's in it for me?"
"Listen carefully! In a month, on October 10th, the current Jinchuriki will give birth, and as soon as the child is born, they'll extract the Nine-Tails from her. Your task is to seize the Nine-Tails under your control before they seal it into the infant. Once you have the Nine-Tails, unleash it on Konoha. It's crucial that people see the Sharingan in the demon's eyes. The Fourth Hokage will seal it into the child, but that's enough to discredit the Uchiha. And you told me you hated them. I'll give you the opportunity to act as an executioner against this clan!"
After considering everything, Toby replied, "Well, it's a very tempting offer, but how will I get to the Jinchuriki? She's guarded by a barrier."
"Don't worry about that. I have my man in the Fourth's personal guard. He'll assist you."
"Why do you need all this, Danzo? Not that it's interesting, but I should know the outcome?"
"It's all for the good of the village; reasons and personal motives don't matter!"
"Well, I'm willingly believing! And with those words, he left in a swirl."
Danzo watched his agent leave and called his subordinate, "Horok, keep an eye on his actions. If anything goes wrong, report to me immediately."
"Got it!"
A day before the child's birth, at the Namikaze residence, in the evening, after a family dinner.
Kushina sat on the couch, trying not to think about what they would have to do tomorrow. Her husband sat at the table, reading a book given to him by his sensei, Jiraiya. He was equally shocked by what awaited them tomorrow. But since he was the head of the family, the man approached his wife, taking her hands.
"Darling, don't worry, I'm sure our son will be fine."
Looking sadly into her husband's eyes, Kushina said, "Our son? We haven't even chosen a name for him! I feel like a terrible mother!" Tears welled up, and a small hysteria began. They spent this entire pregnancy on edge.
"Why do you think we haven't come up with one yet? I have!" A little cheered up, Kushina skeptically looked at her husband. She remembered how he named his new techniques. It was even good that Jiraiya intervened and didn't allow him to name his technique "Chakra Rotation of Extreme Explosion Power that Stimulates the Imagination", suggesting a simple idea - "Rasengan". Because of this, Kushina even forbade Minato from inventing a name for their daughter. But out of curiosity, she still asked, "So, what will you name our child?"
Seeing her reaction, Minato immediately began looking around, not that he was lying to his wife, but in order to lift her spirits a bit, Minato's gaze caught a book.
"Naruto, his name is Naruto Namikaze."
As expected, Kushina raised an eyebrow at the fact that naming was not his strong suit and asked,
Seriously? You want to name our son after a fish cake for ramen?
No, of course not. - He shows a book.
What's this book about?
It's Jiraiya-sensei's first book about the bravest ninja, and his name is Naruto. I'm sure our son will be as great a hero as the main character of this book.
You want to make that pervert the godfather of our son?
Hmm, why not? Don't worry, dear, I'll talk to the sensei to keep his antics away from our son.
Alright, dear, thank you. By the way, Miroku will be with my friend Mikoto, I'll give her to her tomorrow.
Alright, dear, tomorrow evening, Bivako-san will come by and show the shelter. And then we'll wait for you with Aunt Kaname, she'll prepare everything for your arrival.
In the morning, Kushina walked with one-year-old Miroku to the Uchihas. Arriving at their home, she met Itachi in the hallway, Fugaku at the table, and Mikoto with little Sasuke in her arms. Seeing their idyll, she exclaimed:
We've arrived! - In response, Mikoto approached them.
Kushina, hello! And who do we have here? Miroku, you've grown! - The girl stroked the child's cheeks. And Kushina, seeing their son, also didn't skimp on affection for Sasuke. Meanwhile, they began to discuss their household problems among themselves, and in the end, Kushina turned to Fugaku:
Completely forgot, Fugaku, Minato called for you urgently. Sorry, I forgot to mention it all in my absent-mindedness...
It's alright, I won't hand you over to your husband.
Thank you.
Hokage's Office.
Fugaku entered the office, sat on the couch, and began to speak:
Minato, you called me?
Yes, Fugaku. And immediately set up a soundproof barrier. - Understanding this, Fugaku became more composed.
Fugaku, I have a bad feeling.
And what is this precaution caused by?
I don't even know, but I feel like something bad is coming.
It's not surprising, your wife is giving birth for the second time, but I think she'll manage.
I'm sure of her too, but there's something else.
You think someone will take advantage of this?
Exactly! I think someone wants our plan to fail, and I'm not just talking about the Kyubi.
I understand what's required of me?
It's too late to change anything, so we'll act based on what we have. If something goes wrong, let the police evacuate all civilians to the shelter. And you'll help pacify with your Mangekyo Sharingan!
But, Minato, my Mangekyo isn't as strong as our Madara's, I can't hold it for long! I even almost went blind after the three-tailed, when we found him after his reincarnation.
Yeah, we would have taken the three-tailed for ourselves back then, but we didn't have time... But, Fugaku, I only need a few seconds to seal.
Alright, I'll do whatever I can...
Excellent, I leave it to you.
After Fugaku left, he called for the Third, and he himself went to prepare.
In the evening, Bivako came to Kushina and commanded her to follow. Walking through the streets, she tried to be less noticeable to avoid suspicion. Arriving at the place, she saw a bunker with a barrier.
Around it stood dozens of Anbu.