"Victory cannot be achieved without sacrifice" - Viktor Reznov

Minato

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the Hokage mansion's balcony as Jiraiya and Minato shared tea, the village of Konoha sprawling beneath them.

"So," Jiraiya said, setting down his cup with a knowing smile, "have you two finally decided on a name? The kid's going to be here before you know it."

Minato's blue eyes sparkled as he gazed into his tea. "Actually, we have. We're going to call him Naruto."

Jiraiya nearly choked on his drink. "Naruto? As in—"

"As in the main character from your first book," came Kushina's voice as she stepped onto the balcony, one hand resting on her swollen belly. Her red hair caught the dying sunlight, making it look like living flame.

"You can't be serious," Jiraiya laughed, looking between his former student and Kushina. "That book barely sold any copies! I was half asleep when I wrote that name—I got it while eating ramen, for crying out loud!"

"It's a good name," Minato said firmly, standing to help Kushina to a seat. "The character in your book... he never gave up, no matter what challenged him. That's the kind of spirit I want our son to have."

Kushina nodded, her face glowing with that special radiance unique to expecting mothers. "Besides, it just feels right, you know? Every time I say it, the little guy kicks like crazy, dattebane!"

"Well, I'll be," Jiraiya shook his head, still grinning. "Using the name from my worst-selling book for the Fourth Hokage's son. You two are something else."

Minato placed his hand over Kushina's on her belly. "I know it in my heart, sensei. Naruto... he's going to be special. He'll be the kind of shinobi who changes the world."

"The way you say that..." Jiraiya studied his former student's face. "You really believe it, don't you?"

"Of course he does," Kushina interjected, wincing slightly as the baby kicked again. "And so do I. Our son will have Minato's determination and my gutsy ninja way! He'll be unstoppable, dattebane!"

"Then I suppose I should be honored," Jiraiya said, raising his tea cup in a toast. "To Naruto—may he live up to his namesake and surpass him in every way."

"To Naruto," Minato and Kushina echoed, their voices filled with hope and love for their unborn child.

The Night of The Attack

Minato's breath came in ragged gasps, his composure shaken to its core. The night sky above Konoha glowed an unnatural red, punctuated by distant explosions and the roars of the Nine-Tails.

"You're faster than I expected," the masked man's deep voice cut through the air. "Living up to your moniker... Yellow Flash." he added as he appeared before Minato from the strange whirlpool hole in the space itself.

Minato's eyes narrowed. "Who are you? What you did... that technique... it's unlike anything I've ever seen."

"Does it matter who I am?" The masked man tilted his head, his single visible eye gleaming through the mask. "Your village burns, your wife lies dying, and the Nine-Tails dances to my tune. Yet here you stand, asking questions."

"You separated Kushina from the Nine-Tails mere moments after childbirth," Minato's voice was razor-sharp, his hands clenched into fists. "You knew exactly when she would be at her weakest. You knew our ANBU patrol patterns. You knew how to break through the barrier. This wasn't random."

The masked man chuckled, a sound devoid of warmth. "Very observant, Lord Fourth. Perhaps you're beginning to understand—this night was years in the planning."

"When I tried to strike you," Minato continued, his analytical mind working despite the chaos, "my attack passed right through you. Like you weren't even there."

"Yet here I stand, solid as the earth itself," the masked man spread his arms. "A ghost who can touch, a shadow who can strike. What will you do, Fourth Hokage? Every second we speak, your precious village crumbles."

A kunai appeared in Minato's hand, one of his special three-pronged blades. "I'll do what any Hokage would do. I'll protect my village, my wife, and my son."

"Your son..." the masked man's voice carried a hint of amusement. "Naruto, isn't it? Named after a character in Jiraiya's book. How... sentimental. Will he live long enough to learn why you chose that name?"

Minato's eyes flashed dangerously. "You know an awful lot about us."

"I know everything about you, Minato Namikaze. The question is... do you know anything about me?"

Minato could hear more explosions from the village, feel the malevolent chakra of the Nine-Tails poisoning the air itself.

"One thing I do know," Minato said, shifting into his battle stance, "is that you made a crucial mistake tonight."

"Oh? And what might that be?"

A ghost of a smile crossed Minato's face, reminiscent of his usual confident demeanor. "You threatened my family. That's something I cannot forgive."

The masked man's eye narrowed behind his mask. "Then let's see if the Yellow Flash is truly as fast as they say. Can you strike what you cannot touch? Can you save what you cannot reach? Time to find out, Fourth Hokage."

Minato watched as the masked man put handcuffs on his wrists, and they were connected with a single chain. Minato couldn't understand what he was trying to do but had no time to waste. He quickly rushed toward him, and the man barely moved as Minato passed through his body as if the masked man was a ghost. Minato's body slowly moves beyond the man's body, and at that moment, he moves forward, the chain touching Minato's chest, but he quickly disappears in a yellow flash and appears far enough away from the masked man.

The man laughs, mocking him. "Is this all you can do, playing cat and mouse with me?"

But Minato remained focused, his expression controlled despite the chaos. He was sure he knew what he was doing now. Without wasting time, the masked man rushes towards him as Minato throws a kunai at him.

The kunai sailed through the masked man's head, and in that precise moment, the man reached for Minato's throat. Just as his fingertips were about to make contact, Minato's lips curved into a slight smile.

"The game is over," Minato said softly, "and you've shown me everything I needed to see."

In a flash of yellow, Minato teleported to the kunai that had passed through the masked man's head, spinning in mid-air with his Rasengan blazing. The masked man's eye widened behind his mask as he realized his mistake – he had to materialize to touch Minato, and in that split second of solidity...

"Too late!" Minato declared, driving the Rasengan toward the man's back. "Your technique has a weakness!"

The masked man twisted, but not fast enough. "Impossible—!"

The Rasengan slammed into his back, the spiraling chakra tearing through flesh and bone. The impact sent the masked man hurtling backward, his body spinning from the force of the attack.

"You can only make yourself intangible for five seconds at most," Minato stated, landing with his feet. "And you have to become solid to attack. More importantly, you can't maintain your intangibility while using other techniques."

The masked man staggered to his feet, clutching his wounded back. His laughter, however, was unsettling. "Very impressive, Lord Fourth. You lived up to your reputation... figuring out the secret of my technique in mere minutes."

"Who are you?" Minato demanded again. "Your space-time ninjutsu rivals my own. There are only a handful of shinobi in history capable of such techniques."

The masked man straightened, his posture showing no sign of pain despite his grievous wound. "Would knowing my identity change anything? The Nine-Tails is still under my control, your village still burns, and your precious family..."

"You talk too much," Minato cut him off, his voice carrying an edge rarely heard from the usually calm Hokage. "You're right – your identity doesn't matter right now. What matters is breaking your control over the Nine-Tails."

"You think you can break my control?" The masked man's eye glowed red behind his mask, the pattern of the Sharingan spinning lazily. "Even if you could, the beast's hatred has been unleashed. It will continue its rampage with or without my guidance."

Minato's hands flashed through a series of seals. "Then I'll deal with both problems."

"Your confidence is admirable," the masked man said, raising his uninjured arm. "But can you protect everything at once? Your village? Your wife? Your newborn son? The moment you turn your back on me—"

A flash of yellow light interrupted him as Minato vanished, only to reappear directly behind the masked man with another Rasengan formed.

"You're right about one thing," Minato said, his voice cold. "I can't protect everything while fighting you. That's why I need to end this now."

The masked man began to phase, but Minato had anticipated this. A kunai sliced through the air where the man's head would solidify, forcing him to remain intangible longer than he intended. The moment he had to materialize, Minato struck.

"This is for threatening my son!" The Rasengan exploded against the masked man's back, sending him crashing through several trees.

The masked man rolled to his feet, his robe in tatters, revealing armor underneath. "Impressive... most impressive. But you're running out of time, Fourth Hokage. Can you feel it? The Nine-Tails' chakra growing stronger?"

Minato could indeed feel it – the malevolent chakra was increasing, and distant screams from the village told him the situation was deteriorating rapidly. But he couldn't let this man escape.

"You know what fascinates me?" Minato said, forming another Rasengan. "You claim to know everything about me, yet you made a fundamental mistake in your calculations."

"Oh?" The masked man's head tilted slightly. "And what would that be?"

"You assumed that because I'm known for my speed, that's my greatest strength." Minato's eyes hardened. "But you're wrong. My greatest strength isn't my jutsu or my speed – it's knowing exactly how long I need to keep an enemy occupied."

The masked man's eye widened as he sensed multiple chakra signatures approaching. "You—"

"Did you really think I wouldn't have contingency plans?" Minato smiled grimly. "I activated emergency protocols. The Third Hokage is already coordinating the village's defense, and my special kunai have been distributed throughout Konoha. I can be anywhere in seconds."

"You're bluffing," the masked man snarled. "No one could have prepared for—"

"A surprise attack? An enemy who can phase through solid matter? A tailed beast rampaging through the village?" Minato shook his head. "I'm the Hokage. It's my job to prepare for the impossible."

The masked man took a step back, his confidence visibly shaken for the first time. "Even so, you can't save everyone. The Nine-Tails—"

"Will be dealt with," Minato cut him off. "But first, I'm going to make sure you can never threaten my family or my village again."

The masked man gasped loudly as Minato slammed his hand on his stomach, a seal spread on his clothes.

"Contract Seal"

Back on the Battlefield, Kyuubi was finishing his tailed beast bomb when the Sharingan in his eyes slowly disappeared. Before the bomb was launched at the village, he raised his head upwards in the last second, throwing the bomb in the air; after a few seconds, the bomb exploded, causing a bright light that illuminated the entire arena around the Hidden Leaf Village and beyond.

Suddenly, a massive wind-wave came through the village so strong that some small trees were ripped apart.

To his surprise, the Third Hokage opened his eyes again after the light was gone, but Kyuubi wasn't there anymore. The only thing was an enormous crater where Kyuubi had stood.

Minato

Outside Konoha

Naruto's cries pierced the darkness. His blonde hair caught what little moonlight filtered through the clouds, his newborn face marked with six distinctive whisker marks, three on each cheek.

"Naruto," Minato whispered, gazing down at his son with a mixture of love and regret. Everything had spiraled out of control so quickly—the masked man with the Sharingan appearing like a nightmare.

Kushina stood beside him, her vibrant red hair dulled by exhaustion, her body trembling from the trauma of having the Nine-Tails forcibly extracted. Behind them, the Nine-Tails himself—loomed in the darkness.

"I'm sorry, Kushina," Kyuubi's deep voice rumbled with genuine remorse. "I couldn't break free from his control."

Kushina turned to the fox with a weak but genuine smile, shaking her head. She knew it wasn't his fault—the masked man's Sharingan had been too powerful, forcing Kyuubi to rampage through the village until Minato had managed to break the control.

"Mina-kun," Kushina's voice quavered, "are you certain about this? We both know... we know how villages treat their Jinchūriki." Her eyes filled with tears as she stroked Naruto's cheek. "He'll be alone... no parents, no one to hold him when he cries, to celebrate his first steps, his first words..."

Minato's heart felt like it was being torn apart. "I have to believe in Hiruzen and Jiraiya-sensei," he said. "How can I ask another parent to make this sacrifice if I'm not willing to make it myself?"

Kyuubi's eyes were fixed on Naruto, an unexpected expression of wonder crossing his massive features.

"Take care of him, Kyuubi," Minato said firmly. "I'm entrusting my son to you."

The Nine-Tails' eyes met Minato's. "Even if the entire world turns its back on him," Kyuubi declared, "I will always be there for him."

Kushina knelt beside Naruto, her trembling fingers tracing his whisker marks. "Thank you for being my friend, Kura," she whispered, tears falling freely now.

As Minato performed the hand signs to summon the Shinigami, the air grew colder as the death god appeared.

"What do you want, Mortal?" the Shinigami's voice echoed like steel on bone.

Minato stood straight, meeting the death god's gaze without flinching. "Seal the Nine-Tails into Naruto."

The Shinigami's eyes narrowed before he nodded. They watched as Kyuubi's massive form was drawn into Naruto's tiny body, condensing into pure chakra that swirled like a crimson spiral before settling into the seal on the infant's stomach.

"You have a few minutes," the Shinigami announced dispassionately.

Minato managed to smile slightly before slowly walking up to Naruto, who was in Kushi's arms; she was rocking him in his arms. Tears rolled down her cheek. His eyes turned to look at Naruto's palms and noticed a sun in his right palm, and he turned his eyes to his left palm to see a moon. Minato wondered what that symbol was, but he didn't have time for that now, Not Anymore.

Lying close to his wife, he looked at what their love had brought to this world. A beautiful boy, he is perfect in every way possible. His hands slowly reached Kushi's red hair, his thumb touching her soft and beautiful red hair.

Kushina kept looking at Naruto; she didn't want to believe that their time was limited, how much she wished that she and Mina-kun could stay like this forever. "Kushi-kun, we need to say our goodbye" she suddenly heard Minato's voice. She slowly nodded her head; she looked down at Naruto again, his eyes slowly opened to reveal ocean blue eyes like Minato, she smiled at her treasure, and Naruto smiled a little. He Recognises us, Kushina thought.

"Naruto, my baby boy, I know you will have a hard time without us, but you should know Mina-kun, and I love you more than life itself. You will eventually grow up and with the time will come naturally to like girls, choose a girl who loves you, who's always there for your happiest times and your lowest points. And you will soon meet Jiraiya, don't become like him but he's still a good man who will take care of you. I love you. My Sochi," Kushina said, tears streaming down her cheek.

Minato smiled at Naruto, and his son smiled back. "Naruto, I want you to become what you want, do something that brings you happiness; Kakashi will be there for you as well, I know it. Please, if you become a shinobi, be strong and take care of your loved ones, and as your mother told you, chose a girl that loves you and is a bit hothead. . . " Minato felt everything slowly darkening; the last thing he saw was his son crying in Kushi's arms before everything went dark and his head fell in the cold ground.

Kushina's chest was barely rising; she could hear Naru crying in her arms, but her whole body started feeling numb, her legs first, and now her arms didn't feel anything anymore. Her eyes still at her treasure with her last strength, she smiled at him, and her chest stopped raising.

Naruto started crying even more and not stopping. His blue eyes slowly changed, his pupil shrank, and his eyes began to change color from blue to metallic purple. The white area of his eyes completely disappeared and left the eyes completely purple. Three rings appeared in a rippling pattern out from the center. His eyes stayed like that for a few moments before turning back to normal blue eyes.

Hokage Office

Sarutobi stood alone in his office, deep in thought; the only sound heard in the office was the sound of Naruto crying his heart out. He had been crying since the old Hokage found him; despite him trying to cheer him up somehow, he didn't stop. He kept on crying and didn't stop.

Because of the sudden attack from Kyuubi, the hospital of Konoha was full of injured people, the nurses and doctors left were doing everything they could to save people. To the old Hokage's surprise, a medical ninja checked on Naruto to see if he needed anything. Naruto was perfectly healthy and just needed milk.

A nurse feeds Naruto, but the newborn starts crying again after that.

Hokage didn't understand how things could have gone south so quickly, and the place was secured, so why did this happen. Minato was there to make sure Kyuubi would not escape, but it seems that wasn't enough.

Earning a headache, he massaged his temples; how Kyuubi escaped and ended up attacking the village was a mystery, but The old Hokage had another question on his mind.

The strange symbols in Naruto's palms, a sun, and a moon. After he had put Naruto in the crib, the old Hokage had started searching through books to find anything that might help his situation, but it seemed there was nothing there.

Suddenly the door opened, inside came walking a pale looking Jiraiya, his usual happy face was gone. Instead, a frown had conjured his face. The last time the old Hokage remembered his student to look like that was when Nawaki and Dan had died on the battlefield.

Tsunade still hasn't been able to move on since Dan died.

"Jiraiya, I'm-" "What happened?" Jiraiya interjected him. The old Sannin had been outside the village to do his spying duty when he received a toad informing him of the tragedy in Konoha.

Originally he had wanted to wait until Naruto reached one month old to see him but instead, he got information that his prized student wasn't anymore, his son in all but name.

"I don't know how it happened; Kyuubi showed in the middle of the village out of nowhere; Minato took him a few miles outside Konoha to seal him inside Naruto. Kushina had not been able to survive the extraction, and Minato sealed Kyuubi using Reaper Death Seal," The Third Hokage said with a grave tone, barely a whisper.

Jiraiya closed his eyes and took it all in; his student was gone, how it could have gone so wrong. He felt tears in his eyes, but he didn't want to cry now; he shouldn't.

He opened his eyes again, took a deep breath, and looked at the blonde bundle that had fallen silent in the room; it seemed to be tired of crying and had fallen asleep.

Walking over to him, he noticed his sunny hair like Minato, whiskers in each side of his cheek. His cheeks were red and puffy and the same for his eyes.

Looking at him now, Jiraiya could see the similarities; looking closely at his face, for a moment, he felt like it was Minato. Moving his head away in fear and sadness, he couldn't look at him right now, and it reminded him so much of Minato.

He felt his sadness rising all over again, like a violent river taking over all his body to the darkness of abysses.

"Jiraiya" his thoughts were broken when he heard the voice of his sensei in his ears. Pinching the bridge of his nose and wiping away unshed tears, he turned his head around, almost feeling heavier.

"Jiraiya. I know how you feel" The Sannin wanted to say that he didn't but remembered that his wife had been killed in the attack and kept his mouth shut.

"But Minato chose you as the godfather of Naruto. You're his guardian, and I want to know what will you do?" The third asked quietly, hoping he wasn't rushing, and Jiraiya wasn't felt pressured to make a decision so soon.

"I... " he paused and turned around, not daring to look at his sensei right now. "I need to make sure that the other villages don't try to attack us. Kumo and Iwa will think of this as an open invitation to war, and my job is to protect him," he stated, pointing at the newborn.

"And I Will. From Outside. To make sure no enemy village will attack Konoha," Jiraiya finished as if trying to convince himself more than the Hokage.

Sighing, he knew they needed what Jiraiya was implying.

"Very well, but I hope you return soon," Hokage said, and Jiraiya nodded his head after a moment of hesitation.

Leaving the office almost in a hurry, The old Hokage heard Naruto start crying again.

Council Room

The same night, Naruto was fed by the nurse again, checked again to make sure he was healthy after a lengthy check. The nurse said that the baby was as healthy as a baby can be; much to Sarutobi's surprise, she said she had never seen a baby more healthy than Naruto.

A meeting was called to discuss what they had lost, the cost to rebuild the village, and the empty place left of the Hokage.

The fox was gone, nonexistent like it had never been there. The Yondaime was gone as well, and his spirit departed for the belly of the Shinigami. He left behind a wife who followed him into the abyss and a son only a few hours old that he had entrusted to jail the most fearsome of beasts. Truly, it was a sad day in Konohagakure.

Old Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage, stood with a tiny blonde baby in his arms. The babe slept soundly, unmindful of the gathering of elders that were assembled to decide his fate. Sarutobi did not know why the fools had even gathered. The boy's fate was already decided. And Sarutobi meant to keep his destiny unaltered. He listened as the council bickered back and forth, some for killing the baby, some for saving it, honoring the wishes of their dead Hokage. This was a trying time for the village, and patience ran thin.

Even for one of infinite patience like Sarutobi.

He'd never had to raise his voice before to get the point across. One does not attain the title 'God of Shinobi' by being loud and spontaneous. Ninja is calm, collected, silent, and deadly. All these things encompassed what Sarutobi stood for. What set him apart from the pack was his high level of intelligence. And that intelligence would grant him a successor and save the village in this time and in future times. No one noticed as he rose from his seat, the babe still sleeping peacefully in his arms.

"Enough. Be silent."

The room quieted immediately, and even the tiny bundle in his arms woke and stared at him reverently. But no sound did it make. He smiled down at the blonde wonder and then turned his gaze back to the council.

"I have sat and listened to your nonsense long enough. This child will not be slain. He will not be made into a mindless weapon. He will not be used. He is a child of Konoha, and he holds within him the most powerful of beasts. He deserves our respect above all."

A nameless council member, one of the civilians, rose.

"But Lord Hokage, the Kyuubi could break free at any moment. Knowledge of the seal says that its soul is bound to the boy's and that upon the boy's death, it will die with him. Would it not be best to kill him now and avoid any future issues?"

Sarutobi narrowed his eyes at the civilian and spoke in a level voice.

"This child shall not be killed. His own life is a sacrifice. Even if the Kyuubi dies, he will be reborn again after nine years in the same place he died. The Yondaime chose him to hold the Kyuubi, and he believed that his people would see this boy for what he is." That said, many of the civil council pale at the thought that Kyuubi would return.

"And what is he?" Someone asked.

"A hero. A jinchuuriki. He is a living sacrifice and a living testament to a human's tenacious hold on life. I will ensure that this boy serves Konoha. I might love the people of this village, but if the leaders themselves can't tell the difference between a harmless child and the most murderous of all demons, then how can I trust the villagers to let him live a peaceful life?"

He lifted the child and held it out for all to see. The blonde babe giggled and flapped its arms merrily. Sarutobi allowed a small smile to cross his face.

"Now then. Look upon this child and tell me where the malice is. Where is the unbridled hatred and rage that the Kyuubi exuded? Where is the fear that should be present in all of you if he were the Kyuubi?"

"But it could be a trick of the Kyuubi to lure us into false hope. It could be pretending to be harmless."

Sarutobi frowned and wrapped the baby back up in its swaddling clothes.

"And how exactly is that child different from any other newborn? What newborn doesn't look upon the world with wondering eyes? This baby has been born into a cold, harsh world on the worst night of our village's history. He will be ostracised and hated if he mingles amongst the villagers, and I will not have that. I will ensure the boy grows to be a ninja of exceptional quality. I will ensure that he is pure of heart and loyal to the village."

"And how do you mean to ensure all that?"

"I will be busy in my job as the Hokage, but I will visit him every now and then, making sure he's happy," Hokage responded to Danzo, who glared at both the old Hokage and the newborn weapon.

Hiruzen had decided to keep a secret about the weird symbol in Naruto's palms, and he didn't need more attention than he already had.

A man from the clan heads stood up; the man was known as Fugaku Uchiha.

"Lord Hokage, let me raise Naruto. The Uchiha clan would welcome him with open arms" Fugaku spoke with a neutral tone; at first, he wanted to mention that Kushina was a good friend of his wife; therefore, she would be more than happy to raise Naruto, but he wasn't sure yet if The old Hokage would reveal to everyone who's Naruto's parent were.

Danzo narrowed his eyes while Hiruzen's facial expression didn't change from the outside.

"No. If I were to give Naruto to any Clan, their power and influence would increase, therefore breaking the balance in the village. Naruto will be raised in an orphanage," Hiruzen stated, ignoring the glare of Danzo.

Fugaku sighed, disappointed since he could be a good friend with Sasuke but decided to keep his mouth shut.

Sitting back in the chair, Sarutobi decided to end the meeting.

"This meeting is Over," Sarutobi spoke and left the room with Naruto, who was sleeping.

Walking outside, Shukaku Nara shook his head in disappointment; he turned to his friends and gestured for them to follow him out.

Everyone left, and Danzo quickly reached his office; closing the door, he snapped his fingers, and two Weapons kneeled in front of him.

"I want you to spy on Naruto Uzumaki, blond hair, three whiskers in each cheek, newborn, the Jinchuuriki of Kyuubi. I want any valuable information," Danzo stated, and they both left as if they were never there, to begin with.

Soon he will be Mine.