Chapter Text
Land of Fire
Hidden Leaf
Outside the village's walls
Minato Namikaze, the Yellow Flash, and the Fourth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf, looked down at his son, his greatest joy in life. Formed by the love he held for his wife Kushina, cherished and kept secret from the world, and now forced to carry a heavy burden. Looking to her, he softly said, “I'm sorry, but we both know this is the only way, for us to both protect our village and to ensure that we are able to pass on what is necessary to Naruto.”
What was supposed to be the happiest moment in his life, the birth of his baby boy, had turned into a disaster as the masked man attacked him and Kushina, tearing free the Nine Tails Fox. The demon’s rampage had killed countless villagers already, and deep in his soul Minato knew the mastermind behind this would not be satisfied by that. His beloved wife had the beast —barely—restrained, and Minato knew with a heavy heart that a new Jinchuuriki was required for the Fox. And Minato could not ask any other parent to put such a burden upon their child, leaving only his own son, Naruto.
Despite this, he grimly smiled. However, we still have some time for some last preparations. To give our son a fighting chance.
Kushina Namikaze Née Uzumaki’s tired eyes looked on in confusion as Minato visibly gathered what remained of his chakra, created a Shadow Clone which disappeared with the Flying Thunder God, and then bit his thumb and wove the hand-signs for the Summoning Technique.
Gamatorra, a small but mature looking toad, looked up at Minato. “What the—!? What’s going on Minato!? Nine Tails is out and chained by your wife, and is that a baby!? Is it your baby!?”
“I'm sorry Gamatorra,” Minato answered, hastily getting his words out. “I have one last favour I must ask of you and the Toads. We were attacked, and we need to make Naruto into a new Jinchuuriki. But the main issue right now is this.” Minato paused as his clone returned and dispelled, leaving behind a scroll, which the Fourth Hokage promptly picked up and handed to Gamatorra. “When my son is ready, please give this to him.”
Gamatorra carefully picked up the scroll, noting the complex seals that locked it shut. “What is it?”
“Kushina and I’s will. Some messages, but also our greatest secrets, including the Flying Thunder God. All for Naruto.”
Grinning despite how she was dying, Kushina nodded. “A precaution to leave him everything he should need to get him started in forging his own path through life. So that he can surpass us in every way.”
Gamatorra gaped at the scroll in his hands, knowing that whoever possessed it would have the potential to rise to be a giant in the shinobi world. Doubtless someone like Minato had started such a project not only long before he even married Kushina, maybe even before he had become a jonin. The man would have been well aware of all the enemies —both domestic and international— that he and Kushina had made as they rose through the ninja ranks upon piles of corpses. Shaken by the trust his old friend had placed upon him, Gamatorra nodded and swore to them both in the strongest oaths of the Toads that he would prove worthy of their trust. Then in a puff of smoke, he returned to Mount Myoboku with his precious treasure.
“We’ve done all we can,” whispered Minato as he began the seals for the Dead Demon Consuming Seal. Between their will, chakra sealed into him, and the power of the Nine Tails Fox, Naruto would possess tools and weapons far beyond any ordinary ninja.
The die was cast, and now all he could do was believe in Naruto as a father should.
For he knew Naruto to be Jiraiya's destined child would blaze the trail through the oncoming disaster and change this world
XXX
Hidden Whirlpool
Sixteen Years Later
Haku Yuki, Jonin Captain of the reborn Village Hidden in Whirlpools, walked towards the figure sitting on the edge of the cliff. Once Haku's unwilling master, then student, friend, and finally brother-by-choice, Naruto Uzumaki had grown into a man who had accomplished miracles. “They are coming then.”
Naruto gave a slow, sad nod. When he had fled his home years ago, he had deep down known that it might come to this. One of many painful realizations from that time. After all, the Nine Tails sealed within him was too valuable to the Hidden Leaf, and Naruto had created something which dared to challenge the power and authority of the Great Nations. Yes, the sixteen year-old had known that conflict with his old home was inevitable, even as he tried to prevent it. He had merely hoped to keep it from spilling into open war.
Even now, his various Shadow Clones throughout his spy network, and those taking in reports from Hidden Whirlpool's intelligence department, continued to send him updates of the oncoming storm. I tried to avoid this, present myself as a valuable ally, hoped they would stay true to their philosophies of peace. That my friends that still lived there would be able to help me enough. But it seems it was all for nothing.
As bitter as some of his memories of his former home were, there were still good and warm ones, and overall, life had been good. It had even been improving significantly towards the end as he had made new friends within the Hidden Leaf.
Any further ruminations by Naruto were cut off as someone else joined the two young men, dropping down from the sky. Fu, the Seven Tails Jinchuuriki, casually walked up to Naruto and dropped down to sit beside him, her head resting on his shoulder. “Naruto, you’ve done all that you can. Your job now is to protect our Village and those who live within it. All of the people who believe in you.” When his only response was a vague grunt in reply, she sighed before trying again. “You don’t have to kill them, not at first and not if they get the message. Just don’t forget who we’re really fighting against."
Danzo.
Only years of mastering his temper made it possible for Naruto quell his fury. Yes, this conflict has indeed been inevitable. Obsessed with Pax Konoha, Danzo would have been an enemy of Naruto regardless of whatever choices he had made in his life, even if he had been able to stay with the Hidden Leaf; their philosophies were just too different. The fact that Naruto suspected Danzo of deliberately working to leave Naruto emotionally vulnerable did not help matters, and out of all of Naruto's personal enemies, Danzo was the only man he held absolutely no respect for. And given the grade of monsters found within the ranks of the Akatsuki, that was saying something.
For Danzo, the Hidden Whirlpool was a threat to the Hidden Leaf's status as a Great Nation, and his last chance to prove the validity of his future vision for the village as the Sixth Hokage. He would send everything he had to destroy Naruto, including his Human Puppets. Born from a Faustian bargain with the captured Akatuski, Sasori of the Red Sand, Danzo was creating immortal, emotionless soldiers, possessing far less weaknesses than normal humans. The madness of Root had to be stopped, discredited, and, above all else, as soon as possible while the rest of the continents militaries were still in turmoil over the loss of most of the Tailed Beasts, as well as their . . . other problems.
Speaking of which… Naruto mused, and then spoke out loud to Haku and Fu, “Have the scouts stand by, and assemble your special squads. The Akatsuki will be standing by to make their move. They’ll want to strike when we and Konoha are at are most vulnerable when fighting each other.”
Haku sighed. “Are you sure this is what we should do?” he asked. It was not hesitation that made him question his orders, only the knowledge that whatever happened next would irrevocably change the world. As ruthless as he could be at times, Haku still wished for an alternative, lest the ninja world collapse into another cycle of seemingly endless violence.
“I know it’s not the best choice!” Naruto growled. “That what we’re doing is all but insane! Except that given everything that’s led us to this point, it’s the best of all the choices we have left! This is our last chance to stop it from all coming apart.” Then his voice dropped until it was almost whispering. “Our last chance to make it right.” Then he stood up, spine stiff with conviction. “So in the end, there is only one thing we can do.”
“What?” Fu asked quizzically.
“Protect those precious to ourselves. Trust in our friends and family. And keep everyone from realizing how much we are really just rolling the dice and betting large.” Then his eyes sparkled. “But we will win this! Believe it!”
Haku gave a small nod, and turned around to head back, while behind him, his leader disappeared in the blink of an eye.
. . . The Beginning . . .