"But I don't want you to go!"
For what seemed to be the tenth time in this conversation, Minato sighed heavily as he hid his head in his hand. He could already feel the massive headache coming on from his seven-year-old son's insistent whining. Honestly, him and his mother were two peas in a pod. It was frightening.
Explanation after explanation only went in one ear and out the other. No matter how many times the man told his son that it was a simple mission and that he and his mother would only be gone for a week, two at the most, his son would outright refuse to accept it. A temper tantrum in the truest of forms.
Quite frankly, it was rather odd that his son was behaving like this. Normally, he'd be just fine. Honestly, Minato believed Naruto liked it when he was left in the care of his closest friend's family. Mikoto was a stickler for the rules, as one would be as the wife of the Uchiha clan leader, but she had a soft spot for Naruto.
And, if Minato was completely honest with himself, Mikoto was a wonderful to look at. Ogle even. Maybe Naruto had a small crush on the woman. It seemed Jiraiya rubbed off on Naruto more than he first thought.
"I'm sorry, Naruto, but you know how missions work. It's our job. You should know that by now, being in the Academy. We won't be gone long. You've never acted like this before."
"I don't like it this time! Something is different and I know it! Can't the Old man choose someone else for the mission? What about Uncle Pervy Sage? He's strong to handle anything!"
"Master Jiraiya is away from the village. And me and your mother were personally requested. And the pay is very generous."
"Who cares about the money?! You're gonna be the next Hokage, Dad!"
"I'm still an active shinobi and so is your mother. Until I'm handed the hat by Lord Third, I will take on any mission he assigns to me. And you will give the Hokage the respect he deserves."
"But dad-"
"Enough Naruto!" Minato snapped. He has reached his boiling point. "We were given a mission and that's final! Got it?!"
The expression on his son's face nearly broke the man's heart. He hated yelling at Naruto like that. He rarely ever did. Sighing one more time, he knelt on Naruto's level and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"What's the matter, Naruto? Why don't you want us to go?" Maybe it was time to ask the real question rather than forcefully make Naruto accept reality.
Biting his lip, the young boy looked at his father in his eyes. The same eyes as his own. Everyone always said he got his looks from his father but his personality and habits were from his mother. The perfect combo, he remembered someone saying once.
How could Naruto tell his father that he feared that they wouldn't make it back from this mission? Minato and Kushina were highly decorated shinobi. It was Minato's ability and strength that won Konohagakure the Third Great Shinobi War. He was selected by the Third Hokage to be his successor upon retirement, which was next month. And Kushina was the jinchūriki for the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit, an entity of pure living chakra. The strength that it took to keep that beast at bay was absolutely astonishing.
Naruto dreamed of becoming a shinobi like his parents. They were his idols. And he loved them more than anything in this world. He didn't want to lose them. Ever.
"I…I'm just…scared."
Minato raised his eyebrow. "Scared of what, Naruto?"
"That you and mom…I don't want you guys to die."
Ah. It clicked in the man's brain. He probably had a bad dream or a history lesson at the Academy got to him.
"Look Naruto, I know it's a realistic thing that could happen to me and your mother. Or any shinobi when they take on a mission. And I know this won't be much of a comfort to hear, but I think this what you need to hear."
Naruto listened intently to his father's words. A prodigy of his generation and considered a once in a lifetime genius, Minato was a highly intelligent man. He knew what he was talking about.
"As a shinobi, it is our duty to protect this village to our dying breath. Me and your mother are willing to do that, no matter what."
There was a fierce tone in the man's voice. His icy blue eyes were blank of all emotion. This was not his father. This was the Yellow Flash. The next Hokage. The man who killed thousands in a single strike near instantly. Minato knew how to walk that fine line between shinobi and father.
But just as fast as his namesake, Minato Namikaze, his father returned.
"But we are also your parents. We love you with all we have and always will. Whatever we face, together or separate, we will come home to you, Naruto. I'm not one for promises but I promise you this, my son."
Tears welled up in boy's eyes. He hated crying. It was so ugly and it never solved anything. But Naruto just couldn't help it. Practically throwing himself into his father, Naruto sniffled into the ruff material of the green flak jacket.
Wrapping strong arms around his beloved son, Minato held his son dearly and tightly. Sometimes he would forget that Naruto was just boy. Just barely over the age of seven. No matter what would come, he had big shoes to fill as he grew up. The expectations that will come are going to be sky high, possibly even higher than that. And he knew Naruto was aware of those expectations.
He tried desperately to be the best. To make him and Kushina happy and proud to be his parents. And not to be bias, Minato knew he was the best. Or going to be, at least. From a logical look at the boy, the genes Naruto inherited were quite possibly some of the best out there. With his father's smarts and talent and his mother's uniquely strong chakra and deep reserves, Naruto Namikaze was a God of Shinobi in the making.
Okay, maybe there was some bias in there.
Once his shoulder was good and soaked from his son's tears and snot, Minato pulled Naruto off and looked him directly in the eyes.
"I'm sorry, Dad. I wasn't trying to be brat."
Minato chuckled. "Never apologize for something you believe in." He wiped away a straggling tear from his son's cheek. "I'm sorry, too. If I knew this would be such a big deal to you, we wouldn't have accepted the mission."
"No." Naruto sniffled. "I'm a big kid. I can accept things I don't like. Or at least, try better to not throw fits about them."
Both blonde Namikaze boys laughed, relishing in the fact the departure wouldn't be soiled by a stupid tantrum over an irrational fear. Naruto still hated that they were going, but he accepted that this was the way of the life they lived.
The beautiful Kushina walked into the room, dressed in her shinobi gear like her husband. And despite her long, red hair being up in a ponytail, the tip still gracefully touched the ground.
"Are my boys ready to go?"
Naruto flung his pack over his shoulder. "Yup!" He yelled enthusiastically. "Me and Sasuke are gonna go to the playground and play with everyone!"
Minato smiled. He was always impressed with Naruto's ability to flip the switch of his emotions like that. He could tell he wasn't hiding anything. It was genuine.
"That sounds lovey." Kushina took ahold of her son's hand. "C'mon, I know Mikoto wants you there before dinner time. She made your favorite."
Naruto beamed brightly. "Yes! I love her ramen!"
The trio walked through the village, giving and returning greetings of the villagers. Beloved and known by all, the Namikaze family was the closest thing Konoha would probably know as a 'power family'. They always were ready to help whoever whenever. Missions, chores, or simply helping the elderly carry some bags. It didn't matter.
The flame of their popularity only grew as they did. Minato and Kushina had been together since they were kids, only a few years older than their son. The family welcomed the love and support the villagers gave them, but never took advantage. Their thanks and recognition were enough.
Even trailing through the Uchiha Compound, the clan of Sharingan users welcomed the family openly. Usually, they weren't too keen on having outsiders inside their quarters without permission. But Fugaku had garnished them with an open pass into the compound, mostly because of Mikoto and Kushina's friendship. Fugaku and Minato were decent friends by association and their future relationship as Hokage and clan head only helped. Even Sasuke and Naruto, the two crowned princes so to speak, had become great friends. Their families meshed well. They'd trade off weekly dinners.
"Naruto!" Sasuke cheered as he sprinted from around the corner of his home.
"Hey Sasuke!" Naruto took with the boy, dashing past the two parents and elder brother, Itachi. "Hey everyone!"
Mikoto giggled. Sasuke was usually pretty reserved but his energy always came out when Naruto was around. One of the many reasons she loved when he was around. "It's not like they never see each other." She said sarcastically.
"What? Those two? Never seen each other before." Kushina played along. "Hello Itachi. How you today?"
The polite young man bowed slightly. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Kushina. I'm fine, thank you. How has your day been?"
Always the formal one.
Itachi was a good role model for Naruto and Sasuke. And a great person learn from as well. He was the first academy student to graduate early. He completed the Chūnin Exams alone. And was approached by the ANBU Black Ops to join their ranks. All before the age of twelve. A prodigy if she had ever seen one.
"It's been good, thank you. How are your missions going?"
Itachi shrugged. "Nothing noteworthy."
That was his answer nearly every time he was asked that question. Mostly because of the classified nature of his missions. And also because there was probably nothing noteworthy to him.
Fugaku greeted his future leader with a firm handshake. "Lord Fourth." He chuckled with girth.
Minato chuckled back. "Now, don't start that. I've only been nominated. It hasn't been made official yet."
"There is no other name in official contention. Mine and Lord Orochimaru's were the only other two thrown up. But yours was the only one official stated. The hat is yours, old friend."
Minato grinned at that. He watched their children run about, playing some form ninja tag. Sasuke kept using his toy bow and arrow and Naruto dodged them all. His grin disappeared.
"He's in good care, Minato."
"No, I know that. It's just…"
Fugaku raised his brow. "It's just what? Nervous for mission? That's not like you."
Minato kept his eyes on his son. "Naruto threw a fit about us taking this mission. He said he was scared that we wouldn't come back. It was…odd."
The leader of the Uchiha was surprised to hear this. "That is odd. He never says anything like that. Even on that escort mission you had to the Land of Snow. That mission was over a month long and he never showed any concern for you two."
An unknown uneasy feeling rose up in Minato. It was rare for him to have cold feet over a mission. It wasn't that he was overconfident in his ability or simply cocky. He, and Kushina, knew how to handle themselves in most situations.
"Maybe I should go talk to Lord Third about this mission. It was odd the client requested both me and Kushina. And we really don't even know many of the details. He really doesn't want us to go. Maybe…we shouldn't."
"Don't overthink, Minato. You two will be fine. And so will Naruto." Fugaku padded his friend's shoulder. "Everything will be fine."
Minato took in a breath. The Uchiha was right. "Yes, of course."
A few more minutes of pleasant conversation between the mothers before the fathers separated the two and it was time to go. Kushina hugged her child dearly, giving him an ungodly amount of kisses and multiple 'I love you's. She tripled checked his bag, making sure he everything he needed, before she finally pulled back.
Minato knelt down and brought his son into a hug.
"You'll be back?" Naruto whispered into his father's ear.
"I promised, didn't I?" He whispered back. "And I left you something in your bag, as well. Wait til night to look, got it?"
"Got it."
The two pulled away…for the final time.
"Love you, dad."
"Love you too, son."
-Some time later-
"Hey, Naruto? You alright?"
The young boy remained distant as he swung back and forth on the swing set. How long had he been there? Minutes? Hours? Honestly, he blanked the second he sat down. Faint memories of his friends playing around him slowly came to light, but that's not what concerned him now.
"Naruto? You there?"
"Huh?"
"Finally!" Sasuke exclaimed. "You've been spaced out for like an hour. What gives? I've never seen you like this."
Naruto jerked his motion to sudden stop. "Sorry. I'm just thinking about my parents…"
The young Uchiha knew his friend had been uneasy of his parent's departure. He understood why. He always felt worried when his older brother left for missions. "I get it. But your parents are super strong! There isn't anyone that can take them down!"
His parents were strong. There were many reasons why they were both so feared. Naruto didn't know everything they were capable of but his imagination was probably accurate enough for a good assumption. Sasuke was right. What did he have to worry about?
His smile returned. "You're right! C'mon, let's go play!"
"Yeah!" Sasuke yelled enthusiastically.
Running up to the playground, a young girl with pink hair and a board forehead stopped in front of the two boys. "You guys! Kiba dared Chōji to see how many marshmallows he can fit in his mouth! C'mon, you gotta see!"
Chōji was never one to turn down a good challenge, especially one that involved food. The trio took off and made haste to the boy a mouthful of marshmallows.
-Days Later-
Dark clouds came in over the village of Konohagakure, bringing devastating cracks of thunder and intense flashes of lightning. Rain poured down like hailstorm of rage and sadness with no end in sight. The weather carried the rare emotion of the gods.
The sky was sad. As was the village of Konohagakure for Naruto Namikaze.
He sat in the worst chair of his life, with an uncomfortably heavy blanket over his shoulders and a stale cold cup of hot chocolate. The irony.
He patiently waited for the Third Hokage to finish talking with his advisors on the situation before he was brought into the office. He could hear bits and pieces of their conversation. And it was heated. Tensions were so high that Naruto could feel it in the hallway.
"How on earth could Minato have been killed?!"
"That's your concern? What about the Nine-Tails?!"
"From our observation, it's still sealed in Kushina's body."
"How is that even possible?"
"I'm not quite sure. We'll have to examine the bodies and figure out exactly what happened."
He ignored the conversation entirely and simply continued to stare at the wall in front of him. The secretary for the Hokage kept herself busy with the menial tasks filled the in the silence. As much as he tried to think about other things, there was only one question on Naruto's mind.
How did this happen?
It was just another day, nothing unusual about it. Rain had continued to fall, like it had for the previous week. Naruto sat in his usual spot in his Academy classroom, taught by the mildly interesting but highly attractive teacher, when two ANBU operatives abruptly entered the classroom and escorted Naruto to the Hokage's office.
Excitement filled his little stomach. This was the day his parents were due home. So, in his young mind, he created the idea this was their welcome home to him. They were going to surprise him. But when he was thrusted into the Hokage's office, Minato and Kushina were nowhere to be found.
That excitement quickly became dread.
The only one in the room was the Third Hokage. Naruto could tell, just by the man's expression, something had gone wrong. Very wrong. And his stomach twisted fiercely as he approached the elderly Kage's desk.
In hindsight, Hiruzen Sarutobi laid the horrific news of his parent's death as gently as he could. But at the time, Naruto thought it was blunt and extremely insensitive. What way could you tell a seven-year-old that his parents were found dead with no distinguishable causes of death? How could you tell the same young boy that his world has just crashed around him and there was nothing he could do but watch?
The man enveloped the young boy in a strong, comforting hug. But Naruto felt no comfort. He was numb from head to toe. Shock was an interesting sensation. You are aware of your surroundings and understand what's happening, but your body reacts violently by rushing adrenaline through your blood, causing anxiety, difficulty and rapid breathing, and handful of other functions that simply just fucking suck.
Sarutobi calmed young Naruto as much as he could until the just as the advisors of his reign arrived to discuss the situation of his parent's death. He placed Naruto outside his office and instructed his secretary to look after him until the meeting was over.
It wasn't until the Uchiha family he was staying with arrived that Naruto realized the world around him.
Mikoto brought the boy into a motherly hug and comforted him properly. Sasuke stood directly next to his best friend, willing to do anything to help through this. Itachi remained behind his brother, his mind racing as to who or what could have defeated the legendary Yellow Flash and terrifying Red-Hot Habanero. Fugaku promptly marched into the Hokage's office and demanded answers for his friend's death, despite protests from the two annoying elders for his sudden arrival.
Some time had passed; some yells carried through the walls before the Uchiha leader emerged from the office of the Hokage.
"I'm sorry, Naruto. They're gone…"
Emotions flew out of Naruto's eyes as hot tears fell down his whiskered cheeks, soaking the blue dress of the Uchiha mother. His best friend placed a hand on the shoulder and rubbed comfortably.
His parents were gone.
How?
Why?
"The Uchiha clan will do everything in its power to find out who did this, Naruto. That's a promise from someone who just lost their friend."
He cried harder, nestling hyperventilating from the gasps of air.
"We're here for you, son."
-Third Hokage-
The Konohagakure Medical Facilities were undoubtedly the best in the entire world, thanks to efforts of his Chief Medical Adviser. Tsunade built the program from the ground up, setting up the future generations for unrivaled success. She poured every ounce of knowledge she had into this building and program. Medicine was never going to be the same.
But no matter how proud he was of her accomplishments in this field, Hiruzen hated visiting her during work hours. It was never for personal reasons. Only injury and death brought their offices together.
And this visit to the facility was quite possibly the worst of entire Kage reign.
The doors to the morgue closed behind him and the slow moving Danzō. The Warhawk cradled his cane in his non-slung arm as he trailed his longtime friend to the two bodies on the examination tables. Even he, the cold-hearted bastard he was, hated the sight before him.
Such promise.
So much potential for future generations.
All wasted.
He hated to waste anything with purpose.
"Anything, Princess Tsunade?"
The female Sannin made no audible noise. She picked up the chart and read the contents. "No noticeable injuries to the body. I quickly examined their minds for possible damage for a genjutsu and Mind Destruction. No damage to either of them. No poison in their blood. There is…no cause of death."
Hiruzen and Danzō kept their disbelief to a minimal. "N-Nothing?"
"I double checked the examiner's work myself. It's like they dropped dead."
The pain and sadness soaked her words. These two she held in such high regard. Hell, everyone did. They were Konoha's power couple. Literally every single villager and shinobi admired and respected their relationship and their strength. Inside the walls of Konoha, there wasn't one person who hated Minato and Kushina.
She could only imagine what Naruto, the sweet child, was going through. He was always happy and loved them dearly. She feared he wouldn't be able to get passed this. That their deaths and the emptiness would consume him forever. Then shove him down a path that only lead to darkness.
Tsunade could only imagine how Jiraiya felt. He taught them both and practically raised Minato.
Wait.
"Does Jiraiya know?"
Hiruzen's breath hitched, his teeth clenched down on his pipe.
"…You bastard!"
"Tsunade, calm down!" Hiruzen took his pipe out of his mouth. "Jiraiya's work is essential to Konoha's survival! He can't be distracted right now."
"You think orchestrating a war between two opposing villages is more important than Jiraiya knowing the man he thought of as a son is dead?! What the hell is the matter with you?!"
"Princess Tsunade, Jiraiya is keeping Konoha's hands clean from another war. With Minato and Kushina's untimely death, we are weakened. We lost our weapon.Hiruzen is shell of his former self and I'm simply out of my time." Tsunade knew how hard it was for the Warhawk to admit that. "We have you three Sannin and some promising shinobi. We can't afford another major conflict."
"So, having Jiraiya out in the field for how many years now and how many more to come will solve that? We should pull all of our assets in and buckle up. Konoha is the Tree with deep roots. We don't move. They move around us."
Danzō snickered silently. Deep ROOTS indeed.
"Enough Tsunade!" Hiruzen's elderly wise voice broke through to the woman. "Danzō is right. Konoha is greatly weakened with them gone. Minato was a once in a lifetime genius. There will never be another like him. And Kushina was our failsafe. She was the jinchūriki for the Kyūbi. As much as I never liked to admit it, Kushina was our deterrent for war."
Tsunade knew that her master hated the world for turning a jinchūriki into a horrible life. But he did little to change it. Kushina was brought here from the Land of Eddies for the sole purpose of being the jailer for the beast when Mito Uzumaki, Tsunade's own grandmother, died. Kushina's unusually strong chakra, even for Uzumaki standards, was the perfect candidate for suppressing the Kyūbi's malevolent chakra.
"Now what? That beast is still sealed inside her body. It'll eventually break free, right?"
"A plan is already in the works." Danzō answered quick. "A suitable specimen will be ready when that time comes. Until then, we wait."
"Specimen? You mean a child? What adult can survive that kind of intake of chakra? I'm not even sure how Kushina survived her sealing, and she was only seven!"
"Her genes as an Uzumaki didn't allow her to die. A true blooded Uzumaki can't and won't die under normal circumstances. It takes an act of God himself to bring one down. Let alone the entire clan. They are the perfect jailers for the Nine-Tailed Beast."
"The clan has been dead for nearly twenty years. Who could possibly be left?"
The Uzumaki clan mysteriously was destroyed just after Kushina was brought to Konoha when she was just over the age of four. The timing too convenient for Tsunade's liking. She was entering her teen years when the news broke of her grandmother's clan demise. She always had a feeling that there was foul play.
Moving passed a conspiracy theory, how was that a realistic plan for Danzō to create? Kushina was the only Uzumaki in Konoha and whatever survivors scattered to the wind. The only option would be-
"Oh, fuck no!"
"Tsunade, please…"
"Naruto is your plan?! You intend to make him the next jinchūriki?!"
"That was not the idea, but we did consider the possibility. But young Naruto will be too old when the beast emerges again."
"Then what do you plan?" Tsunade needed to know. She would not allow a young, innocent live be ruined by that curse.
Hiruzen, the man they called 'God of Shinobi' and 'Professor', was at a loss. "I…don't know. We are still working out the details."
"…How long until the Nine-Tails comes back?"
Danzō stepped forward and stood over the table that carried Kushina's beautifully naked body. The seal that kept the beast bay had faded away. "Our knowledge on jinchūriki's is, quite honestly, minimal, at best. Konoha has always been careful to not let the beast be free. The Shodai used his immense power to tame, and Lady Mito sealed it within herself. Mito outlived the Nidaime. Kushina was brought here to be the next vessel. Konoha is in uncharted waters."
Tsunade felt that there was more they could do. "This might be a long shot, but we could contact another village and request their knowledge. One of the other Great Villages must know something."
Danzō laughed. "How naïve, Princess. That would put Konoha in more danger than it is now. We aren't just working against the clock of the Kyūbi, but of the rest of the world as well."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "What are you talking about?"
Hiruzen packed his pipe and lit it with a simple flame from his fingertips. "It's only a matter of time until word gets out of Minato's death. And it was no secret that Kushina was the host of the Kyūbi. Konoha is vulnerable, like we said."
Tsunade let out an utterly defeated sigh. All this talk of hypotheticals and plans that could or couldn't work made her hate the idea of being Hokage even more. Hiruzen Sarutobi always wanted one of the three of them to retire him. But she outright refused the hat. Jiraiya was too valuable to be stuck behind the desk. And Orochimaru was…Orochimaru. Despite his favoritism towards the Snake Sannin, Tsunade believed their teacher didn't quite fully trust Orochimaru with being Hokage. Or trust him in general.
"Is there anything else?"
The woman shook her head. "No. I've said everything I know."
"Then this little meeting of ours has ended."
Danzō swiftly turned and made haste out of the morgue. Though having seen countless deaths and mangled bodies, he hated the room. He always felt uncomfortable in the environment.
Tsunade continued her clean up when she realized her teacher was still in the examination room with her. He was looking over the bodies of the two on the tables, reminiscing of the times they had. Guilt filled his soul, and she could see it. Quietly and quickly, Tsunade finished her tasks and allowed her old master a few moments of silent mourning.
Now alone, the Hokage could finally let it all go.
Tears streamed down his aged cheeks. They were the best and brightest. Konoha had an extremely bright future with those two at the helm. And, hopefully, their son would rise up and follow their footsteps. This family was meant to carry Konoha for generations.
A wish in the dark, he felt.
Hiruzen buried both his teachers. The Shodai and Nidaime were the ones who drilled the meaning of a shinobi and the Will of Fire into him as a young boy. He drilled the same teachings into his three students. But all of them had completely drifted apart. He felt like a failure because of how much they learned after he gained them as a genin team.
War after war. Conflict after conflict. Time and time again, Hiruzen had to defend Konoha from the enemy. Never a moment of peace to enjoy his life as Hokage or be the proper father and husband he envisioned himself to be.
Hiruzen was tired. Tired of it all. Minato was his chance to finally have a break and leave the village in a set of capable hands.
Nothing ever seemed to go Hiruzen's way.
But Konoha's survival was absolute. And nothing would stand in his way.
Guilt filled his mind. Death was a new beginning.