Okay, I don't own Naruto since its owned by Masashi Kishimoto and the Japanese company Shueisha.
This is just a fanfiction and I ain't making any money from this.
If I owned Naruto I would have made Tsuande much more of a badass.
It was a hauntingly beautiful night in the village of Konohagakure no Sato, marked by a brilliant full moon that cast a silvery glow over everything. The date was October 10, a night that had already unfolded with dire events. Outside the protective walls of Konoha, an immense barrier of golden chakra chains spanned the area, sealing off any escape or intrusion. The unsettling growls of a monstrous creature pierced the quiet—a gargantuan nine-tailed fox ensnared by those very chains that radiated from a woman in the center of the turmoil.
This woman, Kushina Uzumaki, stood resolutely despite her grave condition. Her long, bright red hair flowed like a fiery cascade, contrasting starkly with her pale, blood-drained skin. Her heart-shaped face was strained under the stress, violet eyes flickering with both determination and pain. Dressed in a high-collared, sleeveless blouse beneath a flowing, loose-fitting dress, with a wristband on her left wrist and standard shinobi sandals, she presented a figure of both beauty and battle-readiness. From her abdomen, a giant claw protruded, reaching perilously close to a newborn baby placed nearby, his small form marked by sun-blonde hair and distinct whisker marks on each cheek.
Kushina's breathing was heavy; blood trickled from her mouth as she endured her suffering. Nearby, her husband, Minato Namikaze, shared her fate, impaled by the same brutal claw. Minato, the Fourth Hokage, was a tall man with peach-tan skin and ocean-blue eyes. His spiky sun-blonde hair and sharp, heart-shaped face were set in a grimace of exhaustion and pain. His standard Konoha uniform—accented with a green flak jacket and blue forehead protector—was overshadowed by a majestic white haori, adorned with red flame-like motifs and secured by an orange rope, bearing the kanji for "Fourth Hokage."
Struggling against his weakening breath and the loss of blood, Minato's voice was heavy yet determined as he said, "I said I was his father… dying for him is my right."
Kushina, her gaze flickering between her husband to the tiny form of their son, responded with a mixture of fierce love and resolute strength, "… And I'm his mother. It's my right too."
Fine… this is the first time… I've lost an argument to you… it shows…how serious this is…" Kushina admitted, offering a sad smile over her shoulder to her husband.
"Thank you, Kushina," Minato responded, his voice strained as he struggled to perform hand seals before slamming his palm onto the ground. He summoned Gamatora, entrusted him with the key to the Hakke no Fūin Shiki, and instructed him to find Jiraiya as the toad vanished in a puff of smoke.
Minato turned back to Kushina, exhaustion etched deeply into his features. "Kushina… I'm not going to last much longer… I'm starting the Hakke no Fūin Shiki now… to place some of my chakra inside Naruto too… We won't see him for a long time… Let's tell him… what we need to say," he said, his voice faltering with emotion.
Kushina gazed at their son, her eyes brimming with tears but also pride. This child, whom she had carried for ten months, was everything she had hoped for. He inherited Minato's striking blue eyes and peach-tan skin, along with those adorable whisker marks on his cheeks. She smiled, imagining he would likely inherit her personality, which she reckoned would be the best part of all.
"Naruto… Don't be picky. Eat lots and grow strong. Make sure to bathe every day and stay warm. And don't stay up late; you need lots of sleep. Make friends, Naruto. You don't need many—just a few you can truly trust. I wasn't the best at studies, but keep up with your schooling and practice your ninjutsu hard. Remember, everyone has strengths and weaknesses, so don't be too hard on yourself if there's something you can't do. Respect your teachers and seniors at the Academy," she paused, catching her breath.
"And this is crucial—about the Three Prohibitions for a shinobi: Be careful with lending and borrowing money. Save your mission earnings. No alcohol until you're twenty. Drink in moderation—too much can ruin your health. As for women," she chuckled lightly despite her tears, "I may not know much there, but just remember, the world is made up of men and women. It's natural to take an interest in girls. Just find someone kind, like me. And be cautious around Jiraiya Sensei, you know."
"Naruto, from here on, you're going to face many hardships. Always stay true to yourself. Have a dream and the confidence to make that dream reality. There's so much more I wish I could teach you… I wish I could stay with you longer. I love you," she finished, her voice a whisper, tears streaming down her face.
"I'm sorry, Minato… I spoke too long and took so much of your time," Kushina murmured, her voice heavy with regret.
Minato managed a weary smile, his love for her clear even through his exhaustion. "No, it's alright… Naruto, my words to you as your father… follow everything your mother told you. Eight Trigram Seal," he uttered as he transferred the remaining half of the Nine-Tails into Naruto. The last thing Minato saw was his son's sobbing, so much like a smaller version of himself, and despite the tears, he smiled. 'I believe in the village. They will see you as a hero, my son. I trust you and them,' he thought, his vision dimming as he watched Kushina crawl towards their child.
Kushina, her strength fading, picked up Naruto and cradled him in her arms. That was Minato's final glimpse before darkness enveloped him.
After sealing the Nine-Tails within Naruto, Kushina felt her body grow numb, almost paralyzed, until the crying of her son pierced through her haze of pain. The last of her energy surged as she remembered how her mother used to say that the power of a mother is something beyond male comprehension—mothers find extraordinary strength when their children are in need. Embracing that fierce maternal spirit, she dragged herself to her sobbing child. 'Hell hath no fury like a mother's anger,' she thought, determined not to let her final moments pass without holding her son.
Reaching Naruto, she pulled him to her chest, careful to shield him from her blood. The moment she touched him, his crying ceased, and he looked up at her with his wide, innocent blue eyes—so like Minato's. The pain and fatigue melted away momentarily as he reached for her red hair, mistaking it for something familiar. Kushina chuckled, tears mixing with laughter. "I wish I could be here… to hear your first words, which will probably be either 'Mommy' or 'Ramen'," she giggled. "To see your first steps coming towards me… Dattebane."
She kissed his face tenderly, feeling the cold encroaching as her body grew weaker. "Your first day at the academy… The first time I'll tell you about the greatness of the Uzumaki clan… the first time I teach you to prank anyone who annoys you," she spoke softly, her voice fading as her eyes grew heavy.
Just then, the Third Hokage approached, a grim expression on his face. Feeling a tiny hand on her cheek, wiping away a tear, Kushina found a shred of strength to stay conscious a bit longer. "Kushina! Stay with me," the Third Hokage urged.
With the very last of her energy, Kushina handed her child to him. "Promise me… promise me you'll keep Naruto safe," she implored.
"I promise to keep him safe, Kushina—" he began, but as her head fell back, her eyes met Naruto's once more. His tears mirrored her own, and as she closed her eyes, her final thought was filled with love. 'I love you, Naruto… my precious child,' she thought, her last view that of her son reaching out to her.
Kushina's eyes fluttered open, revealing a scene that tugged at the edges of her memory. "Is this the Hokage's office?" she murmured to herself, her voice echoing slightly in the emptiness. As she moved, her gaze fell upon the lingering smoke drifting up from the ruins of buildings—a grim reminder of the Nine Tails' recent rampage. Confusion seeped into her voice. "How the hell am I even here? I was outside the walls just moments ago…"
Her train of thought was abruptly cut off as the door to the Hokage's office swung open. "Would you shut the hell up already!" snapped a man shrouded in the shadows, his arms cradling something delicately.
His features were hidden behind an eagle mask, typical of an Anbu, but his demeanor was anything but ordinary. "Oi! What the hell is your problem?" Kushina retorted, her voice sharp with confusion and mounting despair.
The Anbu, seemingly oblivious to her presence, walked past her, his form chillingly phasing through hers like a wraith. A moment of realization struck her as she caught a glimpse of sun-blonde, slightly spiky hair. "Naruto?" she whispered, her heart lurching as she heard the unmistakable sound of her child crying.
"I told you to shut the fuck up!" the masked figure barked harshly, his anger palpable as he callously tossed the baby onto the couch. Kushina's world spun, freezing in horror as she saw her baby's figure slam into the couch and then drop to the floor. A dark pool of blood began to spread ominously on the ground.
Driven by a primal rage, Kushina launched herself at the Anbu, her fist aimed squarely at his face—only for it to pass through him like mist. A spinning kick followed, equally futile. "Why!" she screamed, her fists flailing through the apparition as she roared in frustration and despair. "Can't I hit him!"
The Anbu picked up Naruto, who now lay unconscious, and threw him back onto the couch with disturbing disregard. Desperate, Kushina moved to cradle her child, her fingers trembling as they passed through his tiny form. "No," she whispered hoarsely, tears streaming down her face as she repeatedly tried to grasp him. "No, no, no, no!"
But it was in vain. She couldn't touch him, couldn't protect him. She could only watch helplessly as the Anbu casually wiped away the blood and cleaned Naruto's face. The healing powers of the Nine-Tails were already at work within him, manifesting quietly as his chest rose and fell with shallow breaths.
Kushina stood there, a silent specter unable to intervene, as the chilling reality set in that she was but a ghost in this scene, forced to witness yet unable to alter the grim tableau unfolding before her.
When Minato opened his eyes, he was surprised to find himself not in the endless void he had imagined the Shinigami's stomach would be, but instead under a night sky scattered with stars, reminiscent of his childhood nights spent at the orphanage in Konoha. Looking down from his vantage point atop the Hokage monument, he mused, "Am I on top of my own head carved in the mountain? Is there a festival going on?"
His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the panicking screams of a child. Whirling around, he spotted a boy dressed in tattered clothes, his appearance neglected, as if he hadn't bathed in weeks. The boy, about four years old, had peach-tan skin and ocean-blue eyes wide with fear. His face, gaunt with cheekbones pronounced from malnutrition, bore three whisker-like marks. "Naruto?" Minato breathed, moving towards him.
As he approached, horror took hold when he saw two kunai knives aimed at the boy's knees. Reacting instinctively, Minato reached to intercept them, but to his shock, his hands passed right through as if they were mist. "Why? Why can't I grab them?" he exclaimed, his voice rising in panic as the blades struck their target. "Ahhh!" Naruto's scream echoed as he fell hard onto the stone.
Frozen, Minato tried to make sense of the situation. "Is this a Genjutsu?" His mind raced through possibilities when a familiar, mocking voice cut through the air. "Looky, looky, what we have here," Fugaku taunted, his presence as menacing as ever.
Minato turned sharply, his gaze meeting Fugaku's smirking face, and behind him, a line of Uchiha military police all sharing the same scornful expression. "Looks like the demon brat was finally kicked out of the orphanage," another Uchiha jeered.
"Naruto was what?" Minato gasped, his heart sinking as he realized his son had been ostracized, abandoned even by his closest allies and his godfather Jiraiya.
"What did me do?" Naruto's voice trembled, laden with confusion and fear as he tried to pull the kunai from his knees.
"What did you do? You destroyed the village four years ago, of course, you demon," Fugaku spat, stomping on Naruto's ankle, snapping it with a cruel crunch before kicking him towards the barred gates that guarded the cliff's edge.
Desperate, Minato lunged at Fugaku, his fist and then his three-pronged kunai passing through the man as if he were a ghost. Naruto, sobbing, began to crawl backward, dangerously close to the precipice. "Naruto! Stop, you are going to fall!" Minato shouted, horror-stricken as he realized his inability to interact with the physical world.
"If only he was still alive," Fugaku mused coldly, throwing shuriken at the retreating boy who, unaware of his peril, reached the edge. "I wish he could see how much of a failure his child is," he sneered, leaping over the gate.
"Please, I am sorry… I don't know what I did but I am sorry," Naruto sobbed, his small body shaking with each cry.
Minato, powerless and anguished, watched, his heart shattering as he realized the cruel fate his son endured in his absence.
"Sorry? You are sorry? Tell that to the many people you killed with your beast form. You damn fox," Fugaku hissed, his words dripping with venom as he stared down at Naruto with undisguised killer intent. Naruto's body froze, shaking violently on the spot.
"B-but… I… don't.. know… what… you are talking about," Naruto stammered, barely able to breathe, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Hundreds, thousands died because of you. You were a mistake and you will always be one. Do us all a favor and end your worthless life," Fugaku sneered, his face only inches from Naruto's, who now let tears stream down his cheeks.
"Stop, don't do it!" Minato shouted in desperation, trying futilely to push Fugaku away from his son. His hands passed through the air, touching nothing.
"It's your fault that the village sees us as traitors," Fugaku snapped, his hand striking Naruto's face so hard the slap echoed off the surrounding stones.
"Minato, Minato, you foolish man. Guess this is where your bloodline dies," Fugaku chuckled manically before brutally kicking Naruto off the cliff.
Minato leapt after his son, diving off the cliff in a frantic attempt to save him. He reached out to grasp Naruto, but every time their hands nearly touched, they phased through each other, and the ground rushed ever closer. "Please," Minato pleaded through tears, his efforts fruitless and agonizing.
Naruto's cries pierced the air, filled with despair. "Mommy! Daddy! Please save me!" he screamed, just inches from the unforgiving ground below.
"Please, please, please, someone save him… Kami-sama, save him," Minato prayed to any deity that might listen, but it seemed his cries went unheard.
Smack! The sound of Naruto's body hitting the stone ground below echoed up to Minato, stark and final. Floating helplessly above, Minato stared down at his son's unmoving body, his scream a raw, tortured sound that filled the air—a cry of a man who had lost everything.
Kushina's eyes were hollow, red-rimmed and swollen from ceaseless crying. The source of her grief was painfully clear—her seven-year-old son, Naruto, was trapped in a small cage barely large enough for him. A group of ninjas, ranging from Genin to Chunin, carried him into the foreboding Forest of Death.
"Are you sure about this? I mean, if the Hokage finds out, we'll be punished," one nervous Genin muttered, his eyes darting around the shadow-draped woods.
The Chunin leading them scoffed derisively. "Hahaha, that's the funniest shit I ever heard. The Third Hokage? Please, that old piece of shit is probably buried in paperwork in his office," he mocked, confident in his belief that the Third Hokage would turn a blind eye, just as he had when Naruto was hospitalized.
"He's right, the Third Hokage won't do anything. Last week, some villagers poisoned the brat with that zaru soba. He was in a coma for a month. The Hokage figured out who did it and did nothing. Just relax, nothing's going to happen to us," another Chunin reassured the Genin.
"So why the Forest of Death?" the first Genin asked, stabbing Naruto with a kunai to ensure his blood left a trail.
"We're going to drop him into the waterfall. Hopefully, the demon drowns, or the animals in the water eat him. To be honest, I don't really care," the Chunin leader coldly declared. "After that, we'll be promoted to Jonin, and you kiddos will make it to Chunin," added another Chunin, his face marked with fang tattoos like those of the Inuzuka clan.
Kushina felt as if Kami was punishing her. Hadn't she suffered enough? She wasn't perfect, but she had tried to do good in her life. Why did she have to witness her son, who bravely contained the demon fox that nearly destroyed their village, suffer endlessly? Her son, the unsung hero, was scorned and called a monster by the very people he protected.
"If anything happens, we will be there," she venomously recalled the empty promise made by Mikoto, Naruto's godmother. "You are one within my pack, Kushina. I'll make sure your puppy is okay if you aren't around," she remembered Tsume Inuzuka's hollow words. "They are all traitors," she growled in rage.
The Chunin then urinated on the cage containing Naruto before heartlessly throwing him off the waterfall. "Please, Kami-sama, stop all this torture," Kushina pleaded, torn between wanting her son to live and wishing for him to find peace in death—free from the relentless abuse, blame, and torment.
She watched as the cage plummeted and crashed against a rock, breaking apart. Naruto's body was flung into the water, and he weakly dragged himself to the shore. Kushina, unsure whether to feel relief or curse the cruel fate that continued to allow her son to suffer, floated down and silently stroked his spiky sun-blonde hair, providing comfort he could not see or feel. Her touch was a whisper in the wind, a mother's love unyielding even in the face of the darkest despair.
Minato watched, a cold detachment settling over him, as the Uchiha Massacre unfolded before his eyes. The irony was thick and cruel—Fugaku's own eldest son, Itachi, was methodically and mercilessly slaughtering the Uchiha clan. Minato might have felt sympathy for the victims, elders and children alike, had he not witnessed the continuous brutalization of his own son, Naruto, by the Uchihas. After seeing Naruto beaten into yet another coma, any pity he might have held for the clan evaporated.
What fueled his anger further was the Third Hokage's ineffectual leadership. The man he had once revered almost as a grandfather to himself and Kushina had failed them spectacularly. This 'wise' leader had stood by while adults and shinobi alike attacked Naruto, had caught those responsible for torturing his son, and yet had released them without punishment.
"The old bastard even had the audacity to ask Naruto for forgiveness when he wakes," Minato seethed internally. "'Please forgive them, Naruto. They are in pain and don't know the difference. Just try to understand them,'" he mimicked bitterly. "How is a seven-year-old supposed to understand why they hate him? How, when you never explain it to him? You lied, and when those lies tangled, you lied even more."
Disgust and a sense of betrayal clouded Minato's thoughts. He secretly wished for Iwagakure or Kumo to attack Konoha, to let their tailed beasts ravage the village he once loved—a village that betrayed his and his son's sacrifices. His disillusionment was complete, his earlier dedication to protecting Konoha now a bitter memory.
So, as Itachi's massacre continued, Minato floated towards Fugaku's house, where he found the man's lifeless body. A cold laugh escaped him. "Poor me? Poor you, since it had to be karma for your own child to be the downfall of your clan. Guess there's only going to be three left—and that counts the Uchiha behind the Nine Tails attack. Funny, you blamed my son for causing the Nine Tails attack, but it was someone from your own clan. No wonder the villagers think you're traitors. Who would have thought it would take me three whole years to snap," Minato spoke to himself, his voice empty of warmth.
The distant screams of Fugaku's youngest child reached his ears; he merely shrugged them off. With nothing left to tether his spirit to that place, he drifted towards the hospital, to the room where his son lay still in a coma, enveloped in an eerie silence that matched the darkness in his heart. Minato arrived at Training Ground Three, where he encountered someone he never expected to see again, given the severe penalty exacted by the Shinigami for his use of the forbidden Jutsu—a technique meant solely for the Uzumaki clan. There, under the somber canopy of ancient trees, his gaze met with the surprised stare of his wife, Kushina. In a moment charged with surreal relief, they flew towards each other, embracing tightly. For the first time since their deaths, they could touch and feel each other, and they both wept tears of joy.
"I am such an idiot," Minato whispered into her ear, his voice thick with regret.
"I know, you are too smart for your own good, but I know you have your idiotic moments. This whole thing isn't just your fault," Kushina reassured him, her words soothing the deep lines of sorrow etched into his face. She looked into his ocean-blue eyes, seeing in them a reflection of her own violet gaze filled with shared pain.
"D-did you see his childhood?" Kushina's voice trembled with the weight of her dread.
"From his fourth birthday," Minato replied heavily. "I was so confused, I tried, and I tried, but I couldn't do anything. I had to watch, helpless, realizing how much I had messed up by trusting the village."
Kushina kissed Minato's cheek softly. "I had to watch right after we both died... I hate this village. I want revenge," she confessed, her voice a raw whisper.
"I do too," Minato responded solemnly, and they clung to each other in their shared grief and anger, until a sudden puff of smoke nearby caught their attention.
They looked down to see Kakashi arriving at Training Ground Three, where their twelve-year-old son, Naruto, was already present.
"I don't know how he keeps going... I don't know if I could, at his age," Minato admitted, observing his son with a mix of awe and heartache. He saw how Naruto had become accustomed to the harsh glares, to subsisting on nothing but cup ramen—Teuchi and his daughter from the ramen shop didn't realize how much their kindness had impacted Naruto. Of everyone in the village, only they had treated him like a person, like the scared little boy he was. This simple act of humanity had changed Naruto, prevented him from breaking completely.
Minato reflected on how close Naruto had come to snapping, how he could have turned his pain outward in violence towards the villagers and shinobi alike. Yet, the ramen shop had given him a glimpse of humanity, a reason to hold onto hope. That's why Naruto would rather spend his days there, finding solace in the warm broth and the warmer smiles—a stark contrast to the cold world outside.
Under the shadows of looming trees at Training Ground Three, Minato and Kushina watched their son from an unseen vantage, their hearts heavy with unspoken pain.
"I hate the mask," Kushina said, her voice laced with sorrow as she watched the cheerful façade Naruto had crafted for himself—a mask that suggested none of their torments had reached him. But both Kushina and Minato knew better. They knew how, once he crossed the threshold of his small, neglected apartment in the red light district, the mask would slip, revealing his true feelings: loneliness and fear.
"Every day he comes to that apartment, he says 'I am home' after facing another day in his harsh world," Kushina murmured, her voice breaking. It tore her apart that she could welcome him, yet he couldn't hear her. "It breaks my heart to see him watch other parents with their children, enjoying moments he's never known. Oh, how I wish I could come back to life... to hug him, kiss him, cook him a warm meal. To pull him close and let him fall asleep beside me, telling him I love him, that no one will hurt him again. I'd train him to be a badass, and then... we'd destroy this wretched village and start anew in Whirlpool."
"But that's just it, isn't it? If only... if only I had a chance," she sighed, the weight of impossibility pressing down on her spirit.
Minato's expression was somber, his eyes reflecting a storm of emotions. "You mean the mask of pretending everything is okay, no matter how badly they treat him. I hate it too," he confessed. "And it shatters me to see it fall away each time he returns home. Every day, hearing him say 'I'm home' or 'I'm leaving' as he steps out of that apartment... How I wish I could respond, to tell him 'Welcome home' or 'Wish you a nice day.'"
Their shared pain for their son's solitude and unseen struggles resonated silently between them, a cruel testament to their spectral existence—powerless to intervene, destined only to observe. Minato and Kushina watched, their expressions etched with disillusionment and simmering anger, as Kakashi conducted the bell test with their son and his new teammates.
"Oh, Kakashi, please don't tell me you're one of those who think Naruto is the fox," Minato remarked bitterly, his voice tinged with a mixture of disappointment and disbelief as he observed Kakashi binding Naruto to the logs in the center of the field.
They had just witnessed the disarray and lackluster teamwork of Team Seven. The lack of cohesion made them think the Third Hokage was losing his touch with age. While they couldn't claim Naruto was an outstanding ninja—he was only as proficient as a Genin could be expected to be under normal circumstances—his shortcomings weren't entirely his fault. Both Minato and Kushina had seen how the Chunin instructors at the Ninja Academy had neglected and actively sabotaged his training at every turn.
"Kami knows how remarkable our child could have been if this village hadn't sabotaged him or beaten him down whenever he succeeded," Kushina murmured, her voice cold with suppressed rage. "When Naruto first arrived at the Ninja Academy, he actually scored the highest grades, having tried his hardest. That all changed after the Chunin sensei found out and led an attack on him. They stomped on his head and beat him until he fell into another coma. And what did the Third Hokage do when he found out? Nothing. Absolutely nothing, just switched him to another Chunin sensei."
Their disappointment wasn't directed at Naruto; they knew he learned and extracted as much as he could from the meager guidance he was given. Kushina's gaze then shifted with scorn towards Sakura Haruno. "Kami, I really want to punch the crap out of that pink-haired girl. If there was ever anyone so utterly useless, it would be Sakura Haruno," she seethed. "And to think, a new generation of fangirls is emerging in the academy. It's ironic, really, considering a large percentage of the female ninjas will just end up being fangirls. The girl was named Rookie of the Year among the girls, is good in genjutsu, and is very smart. Yet, it's laughable that she was taken out by a simple E-rank genjutsu and passed out."
Under the grim skies of Konoha, Minato and Kushina watched with a deepening sense of despair as the dynamics within Team Seven unfolded at the training ground. If there was anyone who deserved to be bound to the log, it was Sakura, yet it was Naruto who found himself tied and mocked by his teammates—mockery that only ceased when Kakashi arrived to declare they had passed the bell test. Kakashi spouted some nonsense about the importance of teamwork, which seemed to Minato and Kushina as nothing but a hollow justification for the unequal treatment.
"Looks like they aren't going to cut him down," Minato remarked grimly as Kushina floated down beside her son, who silently pleaded for help that wouldn't come.
"I don't know what Naruto ever did to deserve this," Minato said sadly, watching his son who remained bound until the middle of the night. "You liar... you lied once again, old man," Naruto whispered to himself, letting his mask of resilience fall away once more as the night wore on. Kushina and Minato could do nothing but sit beside their helpless child, their presence as spectral as the moonlight.
Time skip a few months later*
Kushina and Minato's feelings of indignation had only intensified. How could Kakashi, a Jonin trained by the Fourth Hokage himself, display such lethargy in his training of Team Seven? All he taught was teamwork, yet it was clear that Sakura and Sasuke refused to cooperate with Naruto, leaving him to handle the grunt work of their D-rank missions alone. While Naruto toiled, Sakura and Sasuke were treated to drinks and snacks by the clients, praised for their hard work.
"Oh, how we wish we could turn back time and let the Nine-Tails destroy Konoha to the ground," Minato muttered bitterly. "What were the Uchiha, Nara, Yamanaka, Inuzuka, or the Hyuga going to do? The Uchiha didn't even protect the village during the Nine-Tails attack. And now, Naruto's earnings are being unjustly cut because the client claimed he let Sakura and Sasuke do all the work while he was lazy."
What infuriated them most was Kakashi's silence on the matter and the Third Hokage's dismissal of the situation, merely advising Naruto to stop being lazy. Meanwhile, Naruto was forced to disguise himself and work two jobs just to make ends meet. His bright orange jumpsuit, the only clothing the villagers permitted him to buy, made him a conspicuous target outside the village.
Seeing their son so emaciated, his body almost skeletal, brought a new level of pain to Kushina and Minato. "No wonder he's the shortest in his graduation class—he isn't getting enough to eat," Kushina cried out in frustration.
Their fury reached a boiling point when they learned that Sakura had falsely accused Naruto of ruining her dress during practice, leading to a brutal and unjust punishment. The Hokage had even allowed Sakura's parents to beat him until he was unconscious, all while Naruto had no clue what happened. Once he was knocked out they stole all of Naruto's savings that he been saving for five years. It was enough for one whole year and Sakura's dress cost less than one-tenth of the amount. Naruto lay there unconscious for hours till he woke up and just went along his day like nothing ever happened to him. Kushina and Minato knew it was a matter of time before he actually snapped and destroyed this village. The only thing stopping him is Ayame and Teuchi who live here. As Team Seven ventured out on what was supposed to be a simple C-rank mission to escort a bridge builder named Tazuna to the Land of Waves, Minato and Kushina watched from the spectral sidelines, sensing that something was amiss. Tazuna's nervous demeanor—sweating and shaking as they stepped beyond the village walls—hinted at deeper dangers lurking ahead.
Their suspicions were soon confirmed. Barely a few hours into their journey, a duo of missing-nin from Kirigakure, known as the Demon Brothers, ambushed the team. Minato and Kushina watched in dismay as a seal on Naruto's neck flared red and appeared to shock him with lightning chakra, rendering him immobile just as he was about to join the fray.
Sasuke managed to take down one of the brothers, and shortly after, Kakashi arrived, subduing the other with a chokehold. Kakashi then praised Sasuke and Sakura for their efforts, while derisively telling Naruto that he wasn't ready for this mission, which both Sakura and Sasuke echoed with scornful laughter. Tazuna, noticing the strange seal on Naruto's neck, looked on with concern.
The mission's true nature soon escalated when they encountered Zabuza, a formidable Jonin-level shinobi from Kirigakure. During the confrontation, Kakashi barely managed to push Sakura, Sasuke, and Tazuna to safety, neglecting to warn Naruto of the giant sword swinging dangerously close to decapitating him. Minato and Kushina observed how Kakashi struggled, resorting to using his Sharingan against Zabuza and eventually getting trapped within a Water-Style Prison Jutsu.
Sasuke, in the heat of battle, boldly proclaimed his future strength, declaring that once he obtained his Sharingan, Zabuza would need to bow down to the "last great loyal Uchiha." Kushina thought bitterly, *'Sasuke is just like Fugaku, and he'll deserve whatever end he meets,'* while Minato couldn't help but laugh when Sasuke was abruptly knocked out by an elbow strike to his chest.
The situation devolved further when Sakura attempted to attack a water clone of Zabuza, only to trip and nearly get decapitated by the clone's counterattack, resulting in her twisting her ankle instead. Even Zabuza and Tazuna could only respond with incredulous sweatdrops to the unfolding chaos.
As a clone of Zabuza raised its weapon to strike Sakura down, it was Naruto's quick thinking with a shadow clone that thwarted the attack, saving her from certain death.
However, Sakura's response was anything but grateful. "Why do you always get in the way? Sasuke-kun was going to save me like the prince he is!" she scolded Naruto, her voice sharp with irritation. "You're so stupid, Naruto! I wish you'd just die!" Her harsh words cut through the tense air, even as Tazuna looked on in disbelief, questioning the competence of his supposed protectors and contemplating whether he should seek assistance from another village.
Despite the vitriol directed at him, Naruto continued to demonstrate his skills and resourcefulness. He used the Shuriken Clone Jutsu he had mastered on his own to intervene once again, this time saving Kakashi, who was locked in combat with Zabuza. The fight was abruptly concluded when a mysterious hunter-nin from Kirigakure appeared, dispatching Zabuza with a few well-placed senbon needles before disappearing with his body.
After the threat was neutralized, Kakashi went to check on Sasuke, who was still unconscious from the earlier encounter, completely overlooking Naruto's instrumental role in their survival. Meanwhile, Sakura continued to berate Naruto, blaming him for her injuries. "Stop touching me! I'm going to tell my parents it's your fault I broke my ankle," she snapped, as Naruto reluctantly helped her, burdened further when Kakashi, drained of chakra, also collapsed, leaving Naruto to support both his teammates.
Kushina and Minato watched all this unfold, their spectral forms cloaked in the darkness of the forest. Their hearts ached for their son, who, despite his bravery and quick thinking, received nothing but ingratitude and scorn. They could do nothing but gaze sadly at the scene, their child enduring thanklessness and hostility in silence, his spirit unbroken but sorely tested.
Day after dismal day, Kushina and Minato bore witness to the unfolding hardships their son endured, and all they could do was shake their heads in disbelief and disappointment. Minato, particularly disillusioned, couldn't fathom what he had done to deserve such a failing successor in Kakashi, who seemed to neglect Naruto with almost deliberate oversight.
Kakashi's mismanagement reached new lows when he explicitly tasked Naruto with protecting Tazuna alone, while he dedicated his time to teaching Sasuke and Sakura the art of tree walking. When Naruto returned from his guard duty and attempted to use the night to train himself, Kakashi wielded his authority as a Jonin to assign Naruto night watch duties, further depriving him of any chance to rest or practice.
They watched as Naruto grew increasingly exhausted, forced to return to the bridge each day to continue his protective duties while Kakashi resumed training the other two members of Team Seven. Sasuke struggled with the exercise, making slow progress, whereas Sakura, with her minimal chakra reserves, quickly mastered the skill and then merely observed Sasuke, offering no help.
On the fifth day, utterly spent, Naruto collapsed from sheer fatigue, having not slept for five days. He didn't awaken until the following morning at seven, only to be found and berated by Kakashi for his inability to follow basic instructions. "You're useless, Naruto. I'm going to recommend to the Hokage that your forehead protector be removed and your chakra sealed," Kakashi declared harshly before leaving Naruto alone and dejected.
Kushina and Minato could only remain silently by their son's side, their spirits aching as they witnessed such cruelty. Meanwhile, Tazuna's family, having overheard everything, grew increasingly sympathetic towards Naruto. The continuous mistreatment even altered the perspective of Tazuna's grandson, who began to see Naruto in a new light, shifting his disdain towards the other Konoha Genin who had failed their teammate so thoroughly.
As the week progressed, Kakashi, foreseeing another assault by Zabuza on the bridge, decided it was time to involve Sakura and Sasuke more directly in guarding Tazuna. Unbeknownst to Naruto, Kakashi drugged his food, rendering him unconscious until a sudden scream from Inari jolted him awake. With quick reflexes, Naruto saved Inari from a lethal attack, dispelling his own shadow clone in the process, and swiftly incapacitated two samurai who were in league with Gato. He urged Inari and his mother to find safety, then headed for the bridge.
Kushina glanced at Minato, a wry half-smile playing on her lips. "I blame you for him being such a hero," she joked lightly.
Minato chuckled in response, his voice tinged with both pride and regret. "Sorry about that," he replied, their laughter mingling in the air—a rare moment of levity given the gravity of their son's situation.
Naruto, aware that his actions might cost him his ninja license and the cherished forehead protector he had earned after his third attempt—having secretly learned the shadow clone Jutsu from observing an Anbu—persisted bravely. It was a moment that brought tears of joy to Kushina and Minato when they had seen Naruto truly smile for the first time in ages.
However, the atmosphere of despair soon returned. Minato and Kushina's spirits were crushed by what followed. They watched in horror as Sasuke, driven by some dark impulse, betrayed Naruto by stabbing him in the back with a tanto—a weapon painfully familiar to Minato as it was one he had once given to Kakashi when the latter joined the Anbu. The betrayal deepened as Sasuke then pushed Naruto from the bridge into the sea below.
Kushina and Minato, their forms ethereal and powerless, hovered above the water, witnessing the heart-wrenching scene. They could hear the cold laughter of Sasuke and even Sakura, while Tazuna looked on, his expression one of shock and anger on behalf of Naruto.
Silently, they floated there, watching as Naruto's body sank deeper into the murky depths, bubbles escaping into the chilling embrace of the sea. The laughter above was a stark, cruel contrast to the quiet sorrow enveloping them as they grieved for their son, whose journey seemed to have reached a tragic, unjust conclusion.
As Minato and Kushina hovered silently over the water where their son had disappeared, a new presence joined them, breaking the heavy stillness with her arrival and an unsettling question.
"So do you think it was a good idea sealing the nine-tailed fox inside your son, Minato?" The voice belonged to a woman neither Kushina nor Minato recognized.
She was striking in appearance: tall and voluptuous, with scarlet hair thickly braided and adorned with bows. Her attire was that of a witch, albeit more risqué than typical depictions. Her black top, which barely covered her, had a diamond-shaped opening that exposed much of her cleavage, bordered with a heart-shaped pattern. The top extended to her naval, where it met a significant scar, and was overlaid by a dark cape with a lighter inside, held together by golden medallions. Her attire was completed with a long black loincloth edged in white, connecting to another heart-adorned piece of cloth. She wore thigh-high black boots with white tops, gloves with claw-like extensions to match, and a disproportionately large witch's hat adorned with dreadlock designs and a fur lining.
"Who are you?" Kushina asked, her voice tinged with both curiosity and caution.
The woman's laugh was light and chilling. "Oh, I guess you wouldn't remember me. Back in Whirlpool, I am revered as a dragon, and Minato-chan wouldn't remember me since I used my male form back then. But I am Irene Uzumaki, the first Uzumaki and the Shinigami," she revealed, her declaration sending a shock through Minato and Kushina.
Minato gazed intently at the Shinigami, grappling with the weight of his past decisions. "So is this my punishment for using the Shiki Fūjin?" he asked, his voice laden with the burden of knowing that the sealing jutsu was meant only for the Uzumaki clan.
The Shinigami, Irene, maintained her enigmatic smile, offering no immediate response, which prompted Kushina to speak, her tone respectful yet filled with an undercurrent of desperation. "Lady Irene, is this our punishment... but why?" she implored, seeking understanding from what she considered a maternal figure of the Uzumaki clan.
Irene's expression softened slightly as she finally responded, "Punishment? Yes, it is a punishment, but not for using the Shiki Fūjin." She paused, watching the dawning realization on their faces as they noticed that their surroundings seemed eerily suspended, as if time itself had halted. "Oh, you finally realized that time froze, huh? Well, it's not that time froze, but this is a flashback of the story of your son. Everything has already happened," she revealed, her words slicing through the silence with stark clarity.
"So this is the reason why we couldn't stop anything," Minato murmured, his voice tinged with sorrow upon understanding that all the events they had witnessed—every trial, every pain—were beyond their reach to alter. Despite his desperate attempts, the truth was that there was nothing they could have done to intervene.
Kushina felt a wave of despair threaten to overwhelm her as this realization set in. Her son had endured every hardship alone, and all those moments she had witnessed—his first steps, his first words, his playful pranks—had already transpired. She knew now that Naruto was unaware of her presence through it all. "He was always alone... and he never knew I was there," she whispered, her heart aching. She remembered how proud she had felt watching him cover the villagers in black oil and feathers, those who deserved no less for their treatment of him, her spirit momentarily lifted by the memory of his defiant spirit.
Minato's gaze remained fixed on the dark ocean depths into which his son had disappeared. "So what now, Shinigami-sama? What's going to happen now that our son has died?" he asked, his voice barely more than a whisper against the relentless sound of the waves.
Irene observed the palpable sorrow on their faces, then replied with a hint of mysterious promise in her tone, "Well, that's precisely why I had you witness his entire life. There remains a possibility for you to still aid him." At her words, Minato and Kushina whipped their heads towards her so quickly that, had they still been alive, they might indeed have broken their necks. Their expressions were a mixture of surprise and burgeoning hope.
"Really?" Kushina's voice trembled with cautious optimism, her eyes wide as she sought confirmation.
Irene simply nodded, and the surroundings shifted dramatically to reveal Naruto's unconscious body washing up on an island familiar to Kushina. "Did he end up at Whirlpool?" Kushina asked, voice rising in a mix of disbelief and recognition.
Irene nodded again and raised her hand to forestall further questions. "Before I explain how he survived, I must tell you something crucial. Your response will determine whether the outcome is favorable for you or not," she stated, placing her left hand on her hip with a serious demeanor.
Kushina and Minato exchanged a glance, communicating silently through their eyes. A mutual understanding passed between them, an unspoken agreement that no cost was too high. They nodded resolutely to one another. "We'll do anything," they affirmed together, earning a bright smile from Irene.
"That's good to hear," Irene responded warmly. "I had to intervene with the seal to keep Naruto-chan alive, but this intervention will benefit him and provide you two with more time together," she revealed, watching as hope kindled in Kushina's eyes and Minato's anticipation grew.
"What would that be?" Minato inquired, his curiosity piqued about the nature of the change to the seal and its potential benefits.
Irene paused, the gravity of her next words hanging in the air. "The modification I made will not only preserve his life but also enhance his abilities. However, it requires something from you both in return—something that will test your resolve and dedication as his parents." Her tone was serious, hinting at the significant choices and sacrifices that lay ahead for them.
"Testing?" Minato echoed, his voice tinged with disbelief.
Irene nodded gravely. "It seems Kakashi had planned to eliminate Naruto during the C-rank mission from the start. Your one-eyed student colluded with Danzo to place that seal on his neck, thinking he would never discover another jutsu like the clone technique. They intended for Mizuki, his Academy teacher, to manipulate him into stealing the Scroll of Sealing. Their goal was to turn him into a weapon under Danzo's control, though the Third Hokage opposed this, not out of affection for Naruto, but because he feared Danzo would use him to usurp the village. Thus, he preferred Naruto remain neglected and defenseless rather than become a potential threat," Irene explained, watching as disgust and fury twisted Minato and Kushina's features.
She continued, "Everything changed when Naruto passed the academy. The civilian council, realizing they could not directly control him, ensured his path as a shinobi was fraught with hardship, hoping he would seek out Danzo. When it became clear Naruto wouldn't, they resorted to that neck seal. Kakashi used it to incapacitate him whenever necessary."
Kushina and Minato's faces hardened with hatred at the betrayal.
Irene then revealed the most chilling part: "Kakashi covered the tanto he gave to Sasuke with a poison designed to kill a jinchuriki. Uncertain if the poison alone would work, they aimed for a fatal blow to the heart. That's when I intervened and altered the seal."
They waited in tense silence, hanging on her every word.
"Your son is the new Nine-Tails fox. Before you panic, he is still human, not a demon or whatever else people think of the tailed beasts. He now possesses the full chakra of the Nine-Tails," she explained, easing Minato's next concern with a dismissive wave. "The chakra won't poison him. He'll manage it as he grows older, unlike other Jinchuriki."
Relief washed over Minato and Kushina, their worst fears allayed. "We really don't care if he becomes the Nine-Tails fox. He's our child, and nothing will change that," Kushina declared, a fierce determination in her voice.
Minato, equally resolved, nodded in agreement. Regardless of form, Naruto was their son.
"Will his appearance change to become more fox-like?" Minato inquired, a lighter note in his voice amidst the heavy revelations.
Irene giggled at the question. "He will have nine small fox tails and fox ears, nothing more," she assured them.
Kushina instantly pictured a chibi version of Naruto in an orange fox costume, complete with tails and ears. "Kawaii!" she exclaimed, her eyes lighting up with delight at the adorable image, while Minato chuckled, finding solace in the thought of their son, however changed, still embodying the spirited child they loved.
Irene resumed speaking, her voice grave as she introduced a new, darker aspect to their conversation. "The other part of the deal I am trying to offer you is this," she began, ensuring she had recaptured Minato and Kushina's full attention. She paused deliberately, then continued with a cold edge to her tone, "The reason I am telling you this is because… I want the destruction of Konoha and its people."
Minato and Kushina responded almost instantly, their voices in unison, hard and resolute. "We'll do it."
Under normal circumstances, Minato and Kushina would never entertain such a thought. Konoha was their home; they would argue for reconciliation, for finding a peaceful solution that would avoid needless death. But after witnessing everything from the sidelines—the complete betrayal of trust and the abandonment of their son—their perspective had dramatically shifted.
Kushina had seen it all unfold from the moment of her and Minato's death. She had watched as every promise made by those they trusted evaporated into nothingness. Naruto's godmother, Mikoto Uchiha, had never visited him. She allowed her clan, along with the Inuzuka, to torment Naruto relentlessly. Minato and Kushina had been forced to watch helplessly as these clans used Naruto as a pawn in their cruel games, training their Genin and Chunin in a barbaric "fox hunt" that involved large dogs attacking their son, tearing at him while the onlookers laughed cruelly.
Their son had been ostracized, tortured, and ridiculed by those they had once called allies and friends, and not a single clan had stepped forward to aid him. The laughter and mockery of Naruto's pain had extinguished any residual loyalty Minato and Kushina felt toward Konoha. They were consumed with a thirst for vengeance, indifferent to the cost or the number of lives that might be lost in their pursuit of justice. The entire village had shown a chilling disregard for Naruto's suffering; thus, Minato and Kushina felt justified in their retribution. Only the family that ran the ramen shop, who had shown Naruto kindness and humanity, would be spared from their wrath.
"That makes it easier," Irene began, her smile unsettlingly wide, causing Minato and Kushina to shiver, an odd sensation given their spectral state. "Do you remember when you both placed parts of your soul and chakra inside his seal?"
"You are quite fortunate that you married a Uzumaki, Minato. Otherwise, I would have punished your soul just as I intend to punish the Third Hokage and his old teammates and rivals." Her words carried an edge that made Minato silently thank the stars for his fortunate affection for Kushina from their very first meeting. Kushina, meanwhile, couldn't help but give a mischievous smirk, her pride in her heritage evident.
"Like I was saying," Irene continued, "due to Naruto becoming the newest Nine-Tails fox, the chakra you left within his seal has been greatly amplified. Once I send you out of here, you will be sent to your small soul and chakra inside his seal and will pop out of the seal. So you will be able to be with your child—"
She was cut off abruptly as Kushina, overwhelmed by a surge of gratitude and relief, tackled Irene in a fierce hug. Kushina showered her with kisses, repeatedly murmuring, "Thank you, thank you, thank you," her voice thick with emotion. Minato, watching the scene, blushed at his wife's exuberant display, a mix of amusement and affection coloring his reaction to Kushina's heartfelt outburst. And he wouldn't say it but it was very sexy seeing his wife kissing another woman who was barely wearing any clothes and their boons pushed together. Irene pushed Kushina away gently and gave her a mocking glare. "I wasn't done," she said, her tone firm yet playful, causing Kushina to blush and look away, embarrassed and sheepish.
"But there's more since I am orchestrating this," Irene continued, drawing their attention back to her. "After Naruto wreaks havoc on Konoha, you will need to assassinate the Third Hokage. Something significant will unfold during the Chunin exams, and I'll require Naruto to carry out specific tasks for me. However, your role will be to ensure the Third Hokage does not survive the aftermath. After that, you'll have six months to spend with and train your son because I need him to then travel to the other side of the world," she explained, her words hanging heavy in the air.
Minato and Kushina exchanged shocked and confused glances.
"Yes, there is another side to the Elemental Nations, long isolated since the time of the Sage of the Six Paths," Irene divulged, revealing secrets that left them even more astonished.
"No, the people there don't possess chakra. They have powers that resemble bloodlines. But don't concern yourselves with that," Irene waved off any further questions about this new place, focusing them back on the immediate task.
Minato and Kushina, still processing the information, felt a mix of anticipation and trepidation. Yet, the prospect of being with their son again, of feeling his presence and showing him the love he deserved, filled them with a fierce longing.
"So, when is the Chunin exam?" Minato asked, trying to piece together a timeline for their upcoming responsibilities.
Irene glanced down at her wrist as if checking a watch, a gesture so human and whimsical that it drew a giggle from Kushina and a sweatdrop from Minato—such antics were very much like Kushina.
"About three months from now, so please train him well because I will be watching," Irene instructed, her tone half-serious, half-teasing. With a flourish of her hand, a black circle appeared and began to envelop them. "Bye-bye," she called out as they were sucked into the void.
Swallowed by darkness, Kushina and Minato felt the weight of their new reality settle around them. Meanwhile, Irene smirked slightly, vanishing as the surroundings shattered like glass. "Well, I should probably get ready to deal with a few souls I've been waiting to punish," she mused, disappearing into the fractured void, leaving a trail of ominous plans and cryptic futures in her wake.
Author notes
I really don't know how this is since this is the first time I have written anything.
If my writing is kinda fucked well English isn't my first language and it's kinda my third. So please have mercy.
Well, this is just the first chapter in have the next two chapters finish already. I am following canon kinda I guess but this is just the beginning since I want this to be a cross-fiction. With Naruto and my Hero Academia so I haven't gotten that far yet.
Let me know if you have any ideas on how to fix my writing or any questions you might have about this story since like I said it's my first time writing anything. Well Good bye and have a wonderful day you sexy people.