STORY NOTES:
Japanese will be occasionally included in dialogue if I feel it fits (dattebayo!), but I'll mostly be sticking to English, for grammar and consistency's sake.
Everything pre-attack is still the same as canon, except for Hiashi being on Jiraiya's genin team, making him a few years younger than canon.
This is only my second ever fic, and it's been a while since I've written, so please let me know if something makes no sense.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any related content. c:
Chapter 1: Decision
Naruto Shippuden: Original Soundtrack III, Track No. 4
Decision(Father and Mother)
"With this, the Nine-Tails is no longer yours!" Minato exclaimed as he activated the contract seal, severing the masked man's ties with the Nine-Tails.
"You are worthy of your title, Fourth Hokage," the masked man replied, his white-celled arm having already melted off his body. "Injuring me and separating the Nine-Tails from me. But he will be mine one day." The man's voice echoed chillingly as his body warped out of existence. "I shall rule this world. There are plenty of ways to do it."
Given his tone, he's not joking around, Minato reflected. He flashed to his nearest marker inside the village, just outside the Hyuuga compound. As he prepared to combat the tailed beast that was currently ravaging his home, he noticed a small commotion near the rubble of one of the Hyuuga buildings, eyes widening at who it belonged to. That's Hiashi's residence! However, he knew that he couldn't waste any time to help, despite Hiashi being his former teammate and best friend.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he cried out, immediately taking off towards the battle zone and leaving the clone to check on Hiashi's situation. The clone took a moment to adjust to his surroundings until he heard a woman scream out in pain. He quickly made his way towards the sound, arriving outside Hiashi's office. The roof was partially collapsed in, with debris scattered across the room. The clone noticed a tired-looking Hiashi sitting in the corner of the room on a seat made from rubble. The Hyuuga clan head looked worried, stress lines running across his forehead. Minato turned his attention to the center of the room, where Hitomi, Hiashi's wife, was positioned on a makeshift cot made from Hiashi's desk and a few blankets, crying out in pain. A pair of Hyuuga doctors surrounded her and tried to calm her down while telling her to push, causing the clone's mind to briefly flash back to when Kushina was giving birth not even a few hours ago. He was quickly pulled out of his thoughts by the voice of his best friend, who had finally noticed his presence.
"Minato, what are you doing here? I thought you were fighting the Nine-Tails!" Hiashi whispered to him, not wanting to distract the doctors or his wife. The clone gestured for Hiashi to follow him outside, prompting the Hyuuga clan head to comply.
"I'm just a clone, Hiashi. The real me should already be th-" the clone paused as a large, orange toad appeared out of thin air, crashing down from the sky onto the Nine-Tails, who he noted was no longer in the village. Looks like Lord Third came through. He chuckled, "I guess that answers your question. The original noticed the state of your home created me to check in on you, to make sure you're okay. What's going on? Your baby was supposed to be due in two months. Why does it look like Hitomi's giving birth now?"
Hiashi took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down. "Hitomi was struck by some of the falling rubble from the Nine-Tails' attacks earlier, which induced premature labor." The Hyuuga head balled his hands into fists as a single tear trickled down his face. He continued in a bittersweet tone, "Hitomi will live, but the doctors told us that due to the circumstances of the injury, the chances of the baby surviving are essentially zero."
Far away from the Leaf Village, in a town on the border of the Land of Fire, a tall man dressed in a pale-green kimono layered with a red haori over it crouched down on the branch of a tree, peering into the adjacent hot springs with a pair of binoculars. The man let out a few lecherous giggles as his long, spiky white hair blew gently in the wind. He repositioned himself to get a better view, but instead of seeing more "research material," he was greeted by the sight of a pair of frog eyes staring right back at him through the binoculars.
"GAHHH!" the man yelped, stumbling backwards onto his feet before losing balance and crashing onto his back. The old toad just shook his head.
"Up to your perverted antics again, Jiraiya-boy?" he asked.
The confused Toad Sage looked around, trying to get his bearings straight. His lost expression shifted into one of understanding as he realized he was reverse-summoned to Mount Myoboku. Jiraiya gave the old toad an awkward laugh. "Pa! I-I was just getting research material for my newest book, you know?"
"Well, as nice as it is to see you again, Jiraiya-boy, I'm afraid this isn't the time for fooling around," Pa replied in a grim tone, a hard expression set on his face. Jiraiya sobered up immediately, knowing something significant had to have happened for him to be reverse-summoned. The Toad Sage nodded, allowing Fukusaku to continue. "Minato-boy summoned Bunta-boy moments ago. I don't quite know what's going on, but if my memory is correct, today is the due date for Minato-boy's child. And I don't think Minato-boy needs Bunta-boy for childbirth duties."
Jiraiya's eyes widened, his brain quickly compiling the information he just received with his previous knowledge and creating a hypothetical scenario in his head. "That means Kushina's seal broke. He summoned Bunta to fight the Nine-Tails! I see no other reason why. I need to go. Are either Gamahiro or Gamaken available?"
Fukusaku understood the urgency of the situation, nodding in affirmation at Jiraiya's question. "I'll send you back to where you came from, and you can summon one of them to take you back. I know they don't like being used as transportation, but they'll make an exception for this."
Jiraiya understood, knowing that being summoned directly to Gamabunta's location wasn't ideal if the chief toad was still in battle. "I'll be on my way then."
"I-I'm sorry, Hiashi," the Minato clone replied dejectedly, but before he could offer any more words of comfort, an ear-piercing scream shattered his train of thought, prompting the two men to rush back inside. They arrived just as one of the doctors handed the baby girl to Hitomi. Hiashi quickly made his way to his wife's bedside while the clone stayed by the crumbling door frame, giving his friends some much needed privacy. He sighed to himself, wishing there was more he could do for Hiashi's newborn daughter. She was going to be another name on the long list of casualties from the attack, and there was nothing he could do about it. He sighed again as he received memories from the original, who had summoned and dispelled another clone to pass him important information. So he's sealing half of the Nine-Tails into Naruto, and the other half into himself, as I thought. Wait… The clone's eyes widened as his mind offered a potential solution to both problems. He created a shadow clone and dispelled it before rushing back inside, alerting both Hiashi and Hitomi to his presence. He could tell that the baby wasn't in good condition, despite the Hyuuga doctors doing their best to stabilize her. Turning back to the newly-made parents, the clone began to speak quickly. "Hiashi, Hitomi, I might have a way to save your daughter. I cannot guarantee it will work, nor will you like it, but it might give her a chance. I don't have much time before the real Minato begins the sealing, so you must make a decision now."
Realization spread across Hiashi's face as he began to understand the implications of Minato's words. Is that even possible? He looked at his wife and noted her distress, telling him that she too understood the consequences of their friend's solution. Hitomi asked, "Minato, Hinata isn't an Uzumaki, and Kushina told me that only an Uzumaki with special chakra can contain the Nine-Tails. Are you sure it will work?"
The clone smiled slightly at the infant's given name. "Hinata, that's a beautiful name." His expression morphed into a serious one as he explained his plan. "Kushina… s-she's not going to make it." The eyes of all the adult Hyuugas in the room widened as Hitomi began to shed silent tears at the fate of her friend. Attempting to subdue the fear and grief gripping at her heart, she gave the clone a determined look, urging him to continue. "The original me planned on sealing the rest of Kushina's chakra into the seal on Naruto, so she could see him again in the future. Naruto would carry half of the Nine-Tails, while I would take the other half with me to the grave."
This time, Hiashi couldn't help but interrupt. "Y-you mean you're dying too?"
The clone shook his head. "No, the real me is fine. However, in order to seal the Nine-Tails away, I must summon the Death God. I assume you both know the consequences of that."
The two nodded, albeit hesitantly, allowing the clone to continue. "I thought that if I sealed the rest of Kushina's chakra into Hinata, then it could allow her to survive half of the Nine-Tails being sealed into her. Kushina's special Uzumaki chakra in conjunction with the Nine-Tails' chakra leaking into Hinata's system should be enough to keep her alive and live a normal life. Well, as normal as it can be given the circumstances." The clone's expression went blank for a couple seconds as he received more information from the original, letting Hiashi and Hitomi process the information for a brief moment. He swiftly relayed the news he had just received to them. "Kushina just agreed to do it. It's your decision now. But you must be quick. We don't have much time left."
The Hyuuga couple glanced at each other, quickly coming to the same decision. They trusted their friend, the Fourth Hokage, who was unmatched in sealing. They didn't want to condemn Hinata to the life of an outcast, but they wanted to give her a chance at life, to see what she could become despite the adversity she was sure to face. "Do it," Hiashi responded, before turning to the doctor holding Hinata and giving him a silent order. The doctor nodded and handed the infant girl to Minato, who took one last look at his friends.
"Hitomi, Kushina has a message for you. She says to not worry about her, and that a part of her will always be with you, inside your daughter. As for me… if I'm not around after this, please take care of Naruto." He gave them a sad smile before disappearing in a yellow flash, leaving a downcast Hiashi and a sobbing Hitomi in its wake.
Hiashi took a moment to compose himself before shooting both doctors a threatening look. "Not a word of this conversation leaves this room. Ever."
"Yes, Lord Hiashi."
Hiashi nodded in satisfaction, looking up at the night sky through the gaping hole in his roof while praying for his friend and daughter's safety.
The clone arrived at the safehouse, where he noticed the Nine-Tails being restrained by Kushina's Adamantine Chains, contained within a barrier made by those same constructs. He quickly made his way to Minato and Kushina, the former preparing to summon the Death God. The clone summoned a sealing altar and placed Hinata on it before dispelling himself, giving Minato the chakra necessary to finish the sealing. Kushina smiled slightly at the baby girl, noting her similarities to her mother. She was smaller than Naruto, but that was to be expected, given her premature birth. Kushina asked her husband, "What's her name?"
"Hinata," Minato replied, making his way through the hand seals needed for the Reaper Death Seal before realizing something. If I'm sealing the other half into Hinata, I don't need to use that seal. However, I still need to split the Nine-Tails' chakra in two. Maybe I can be there for Naruto. I just wish Kushina could be there too. He sighed, pushing the depressing thoughts to the farthest reaches of his mind while subtly changing the sequence of his hand seals.
"Hinata. That's a beautiful name," Kushina replied, her smile growing slightly as the name rolled off her tongue.
Minato chuckled at her choice of words. "That's exactly what I said." He quickly regained his composure and pressed his hands together, forming the last hand seal in the sequence. He glanced between two children, noting Hinata's worsening condition. "Alright, Hinata first."
Outside the barrier, Hiruzen Sarutobi, along with two ANBU, helplessly watched as Minato performed the signs for the Reaper Death Seal. However, the former Hokage noticed the sequence change and breathed a sigh of relief. For a moment, I thought he was going to do it. What changed his mind? The Third Hokage looked closer, desperately looking for an explanation. His eyes widened in surprise at the sight of a second child inside the barrier, something he had failed to notice before. He pondered potential reasons as to why Minato would endanger anyone else's child, unaware of Hinata's precarious condition. What could he possibly have a second child in there for?
He then heard footsteps approaching him, whipping his head around to see an out-of-breath and seriously worried Hiashi. Hiruzen squinted back at the second child before turning back to Hiashi once more, realizing who's daughter it was inside the barrier. "Is that-"
"Lord Third, can… can we discuss this later, in a more private setting?" Hiashi interrupted, not wanting to discuss his daughter's plight in the open.
The retired Hokage nodded, refocusing his attention on the sealing process.
The Yin half of the Nine-Tails was soon torn out its body, halving the tailed beast's size as the chakra was sucked into Hinata's gut. Moments later, the Eight Trigrams Seal appeared on her stomach, signifying the completion of the sealing process. After giving himself a moment to rest, Minato gave Kushina a questioning look. She nodded, allowing him to seal her chakra into her best friend's daughter. As he put Naruto on the altar and prepared the second seal, Minato noticed Kushina's discomfort and decided to speak up. "I know this isn't what you wanted for Naruto. But, let's believe in him. He can fight through the tough times. After all, he is our son!"
"It's because he's our son that I don't want him to carry such a heavy burden! And little Hinata too, I know that she won't live without it, but condemning them to this fate is just– it's just–" a torrent of tears streamed down Kushina's face as she thought about the hardships both children would have to endure in their futures.
Minato smiled gently at his wife, trying his best to comfort her given the circumstances. "I know. The road for them won't be easy. But as long as they have each other, they'll be just fine. I truly believe that. Plus, Hiashi and Hitomi are still around. Neither of the children will be alone."
Taking a moment to calm down, Kushina smiled at that idea. Even though it pained her deeply to know that she couldn't raise Naruto and be there for him when he needed her, she took solace in knowing that someone would always be there for him. And no one would do the job better than one of her best friends. However, that smile would only last a second. She was thrown into another coughing fit by her injuries, in turn weakening her hold on the Nine-Tails, who took the opportunity to try and kill the remaining unsealed child. Both parents immediately noticed, jumping in front of the claw and preventing it from hitting Naruto. Once the two had stopped the claw's momentum, Kushina turned her head in despair, feeling her husband's presence behind her. "Minato, no! Why?"
Minato just smiled at her, blood trickling down the sides of his mouth as he reflected on the consequences of his decision. I guess I won't be there for you after all, Naruto. I'm sorry. Feeling his life force weakening, he responded, "Kushina, I'm willing to die for my son, just as you are." The dying Hokage swiped some blood from the side of his mouth and slowly flipped through five hand seals, summoning an orange and black toad.
"AHH! Nine-Tails!" the toad exclaimed before turning to his summoner. "And Lord Fourth too? What is going on here?"
"Geratora... I'm giving you the sealing formula's key... Since there will be two jinchuuriki, it will be reusable. Take it to Jiraiya-sensei to store it," Minato ordered. "He will know what to do with it."
After retracting his scroll-abdomen, Geratora acknowledged, "I confirm I received the key. Alright, I'm off now!" The toad quickly de-summoned himself, leaving Minato and Kushina alone with the kids again.
"I… I don't have a lot of time left," Minato said to his wife. "I'm going to start the seal now, and we won't see him for a while… so let's tell him what we want to say."
Despite the tragic nature of the situation, both parents smiled slightly as Kushina began to speak, willing herself beyond her injuries to get her words out. "Naruto, don't be a picky eater… eat a lot and grow well! Make sure to bathe every day… and stay warm… and… don't stay up late… get… plenty of sleep!
"Don't forget to make friends as well! You don't need a ton of them, okay? Just a few is fine… as long as they're ones that you can really trust. And… your mom wasn't very good at this, but make sure you study hard… and learn your ninjutsu… Always remember, everyone is good at some things… and not so good at others… so even if something doesn't go well, don't get depressed, okay? When you're at the academy, respect your teachers and the upperclassmen.
"Oh! And this is important! Regarding the three prohibitions of the shinobi, be careful about loaning and borrowing money. Take your pay… put it in a savings account. No alcohol! Not until you're of age. Too much sake is bad for you, so… practice moderation. And… another prohibition is women. Remember, I am one, so I don't know too much about it… keep in mind that this world is made up of men and women, and so, at some point you'll notice girls and that's normal. Just be careful… don't fall for the bad ones. Just go out there and find someone that's like me!"
In response to her own words, she focused on Hinata for a brief moment, who was still sleeping peacefully next to Naruto on the altar. The Hyuuga Heiress had been surprisingly quiet throughout the whole process. Kushina took note of the infant's skin color. While it was still pale, it looked much healthier than a few minutes prior. It looks like Minato's gamble paid off. Hopefully, she'll live a long, fulfilling life. Smiling widely at the infants' sleeping forms, she continued, "Or… maybe you and little Hinata could grow up… and grow old together." Her eyes wandered outside the barrier towards Hiashi, who gave her a soft glare, one that couldn't hide the pain and grief he carried behind those normally emotionless eyes, knowing the fate that befell two of his best friends. Kushina giggled slightly at his reaction as she turned her attention back to Naruto, wanting to make sure she said everything she wanted to say.
"Speaking of the prohibitions, be weary of Jiraiya, Dattebane!" Her soft smile faded into a frown as she reflected on the life she had just condemned her son to. "Naruto, I'm sorry to say… there will be plenty of hardships and painful times ahead, just be true to yourself… make sure to have dreams, and the confidence to make those dreams come true." Kushina's eyes began to water when she realized she was running out of time. "Naruto, there are so many things I want to pass on to you… there's so much more I want to tell you. I wish I could stay with you longer. I love you." She looked at Minato apologetically, feeling guilty about taking so long to talk. "Minato, I'm sorry. I took up your time."
"No, it's alright," Minato replied. "Naruto, my words to you… I guess your talkative mom… said it all," he finished, closing his eyes as he finished the Eight Trigrams Seal with his dying breath.
Once the barrier fell, Hiruzen and Hiashi immediately rushed towards the altar. Hiashi carefully picked up Hinata, Hiruzen doing the same with Naruto, before the two made their way to the fallen couple. With the use of his Byakugan, Hiashi could clearly tell that both of them were dead, nodding sorrowfully to Hiruzen when the man looked at him for an answer.
"We didn't even get the child's name," the retired Hokage sighed, disappointed in his own inability to do more.
Hiashi closed his eyes in regret, but opened them almost instantly after reflecting on his conversation with the Minato clone.
"The original me planned on sealing the rest of Kushina's chakra into the seal on Naruto, so she could see him again in the future. Naruto would carry half of the Nine-Tails, while I would take the other half with me to the grave."
"Naruto. His name is Naruto," Hiashi replied sadly.
Hiruzen gasped slightly. "How do you know that?"
Hiashi shook his head. "We need to be in a secure place to discuss further. I don't want that information getting leaked."
"Let's head to my office then. I have security seals in place that I can activate. ANBU, make sure no one gets to their bodies. We will have a proper funeral once everything has calmed down," Hiruzen commanded.
The two ANBU nodded as the former Hokage and Hiashi flickered out of view with the infants in tow.
Of all things they expected to see when they arrived at the Hokage Tower, they did not anticipate seeing a massive toad. Jiraiya hopped off Gamahiro, who nodded at him before poofing out of existence. The Toad Sage hastily made his way to his old sensei and student, the deep-seated worry embedded in his eyes contradicting his outer stoic expression. "I saw the state of the village when I arrived. What happened? How the hell did it get out? Where's Minato? And Kushina?"
Hiashi shook his head in response to the latter two questions. "It's a long story, Jiraiya-sensei. I don't want this information reaching unintended ears." Jiraiya nodded, his formerly impassive face giving way to a worried frown as he followed the other two into the tower. The defeated looks the two were giving him didn't give him much hope for his student.
Once the trio was inside the Hokage's office and the seals were activated, Hiashi began explaining his side of the story: Hitomi's injury, Hinata's premature birth, Minato's idea, Hinata's status as a jinchuuriki, and Minato and Kushina's deaths. However, major gaps still existed in his story, as he was not present for Naruto's birth, so no one knew how the Nine-Tails escaped. They all suspected foul play, as Minato was unparalleled in the sealing arts and would have never let the Nine-Tails escape without outside interference. The three agreed to have Jiraiya and Hiruzen investigate the hidden location while Hiashi would take the two children to his wife to keep them safe. Hiashi's only request was that no one outside of this room, aside from Hitomi and the two doctors, was to know of Hinata's status, one that was swiftly accepted. Before leaving for their tasks, Hiruzen called for a meeting of the village higher-ups, wanting to make sure everyone was on the same page.
Jiraiya couldn't help but empathize with his sensei. Losing his student was one thing, but his sensei had lost much more. They had just discovered that Biwako, Hiruzen's wife, had been killed in the attack, along with everyone else guarding Kushina at the time of Naruto's birth. They both knew for a fact it was foul play now, but not even Danzo knew where the birth was going to take place, so they had no leads on the culprit.
Not only did Hiruzen lose his wife, but he would likely have to take up the Hokage mantle so soon after retiring. He would have to lead the village when it was at its weakest. The Toad Sage sighed in regret, wishing he was in the village during the attack.
The two made their way to the meeting room, where all the current clan heads, Danzo, and Hiruzen's former teammates were waiting. Jiraiya noted the looks of shock on many of their faces as the Third Hokage took a seat at the head of the table. "I know that most of you expected Minato to be in my place. I'm sorry to say that he and his wife perished in the attack, at the hands of the Nine-Tails. Together, they were able to defeat it, saving the village from more unnecessary casualties," the former Hokage announced. The silence was deafening as the clan heads processed the information. Knowing that he had much more than just the attack to cover, he continued, "Unless anyone wishes to oppose, I reluctantly reclaim the position of Hokage until a suitable successor can be found."
Danzo looked like he wanted to speak up, but Jiraiya silenced him with a piercing glare. No one else said a word, understanding that having stability was a top priority for the village. Without a leader, the village would be thrown into chaos. "Now that that's taken care of-"
"Hold on, Lord Third. I'm sorry to interrupt, but how did Minato defeat the Nine-Tails?" Shikaku Nara, the current Jonin Commander, asked. "We know that Tailed Beasts can't be killed, so it had to be sealed."
Hiruzen sighed, knowing that this was coming. He had spoken to Jiraiya about it earlier when investigating Naruto's birthplace. The Toad Sage was adamant in hiding Naruto's status, but as much as Hiruzen wanted to do the same, he knew the clan heads would want answers. Jiraiya conceded, on the condition that he was allowed to take care of Naruto for the boy's early life, ensuring no harm would come to him in case his status was leaked. Hiruzen was worried about the spy network, but Jiraiya brushed it off, saying that he had ways of operating it remotely.
Hoping that the clan heads wouldn't ask more questions, Hiruzen responded, "Minato sealed the Nine-Tails into a child, preventing it from escaping or causing further damage."
"Troublesome," the Nara clan head muttered. Before Hiruzen could change the subject, Fugaku Uchiha asked, "Where is the child? And whose child is it?"
Hiruzen responded, "Minato used his own son, Naruto. I don't need to remind you all that this information, along with his jinchuuriki status, will be considered an S-ranked secret. Knowledge of this does not leave this room. Understood?" Receiving nods from around the room, he continued. "To prevent enemy factions from targeting him, I am giving Naruto his mother's last name. He will be known as Naruto Uzumaki. To the outside world, it will be seen as an homage to the late Uzumaki clan. And his current location will not be disclosed due to security reasons." The shinobi nodded again, understanding the logic behind the decision. While the former Hokage explained Naruto's heritage, Danzo began to scheme. He would leak Naruto's jinchuuriki status to the populace while omitting the infant's heritage, drawing out as much fear and hate from the citizens as he could. He knew that after a traumatic event like this, the village needed something to blame to keep the populace together. Unfortunately, Naruto would be the scapegoat. It's times like this when Hiruzen can't make the difficult decision. He was always too soft to be Hokage. I must do this… for the village.
He was pulled from his thoughts by Fugaku when the Uchiha clan head asked another question, not fully satisfied with the Hokage's answer. He was also a close friend of Minato's and he wanted to make sure the child was safe. "Who's going to take care of Naruto?"
Jiraiya responded immediately. "I was named his godfather well before he was born. It is my duty to take care of him, and I will."
Most nodded in acceptance, having no plans of arguing against one of the Sannin. However, Hiashi stood up, voicing his dissent. "Sensei, Minato asked me and my wife to take care of Naruto if something happened to him, and I intend to live up to his expectations."
Having heard Hiashi's summary of the situation at the Hyuuga compound earlier, Jiraiya had a feeling his student would want to take care of the boy, having already come up with a solution prior to the meeting. "I understand, Hiashi. I still have a spy network to maintain, so I can't be in the village all the time. When I'm not here, I'll entrust Naruto to you."
His student nodded and sat back down, satisfied with the compromise. Fugaku sat down as well, knowing that Jiraiya, despite his less than desirable traits, would be the most capable shinobi to train the boy. Hiruzen smiled for the first time following the attack, happy that Naruto had people who cared for him so dearly. Despite the depressing aura looming over the meeting, Hiruzen couldn't keep that small smile off his face for the remainder of it.
A/N: The next chapter will be released next week. I learned from my previous story to pace myself so I don't burn myself out. I have the chapter written already, but if I release it now, I'll just be putting more pressure on myself to release the following chapter, which isn't fully completed.
Any feedback is welcome. c:
Edited 06/28/2024. Fixed minor grammatical/spelling mistakes and added a few lines about Geratora, who I somehow forgot about.