Naruto: Altered History
Volume One: It All Begins!
Chapter 0:
-The Brave-
By Geor-sama

There once appeared a Nine-tailed Demon Fox. One swing of it's mighty tail could crumble mountains and create Tsunamis. To fight the Demon the people assembled the Shinobi but only one could stand against the Demon...

The air was dry, heavy almost, with the unnatural heat. It was a heat that had baked the ground solid and almost turned it to glass, it never faded. It felt as if it was attempting to consume the landscape with a relentless hunger. In the distance, the heated nighttime air was filled with hoarse shouts.

They seemed to grow closer for a moment and then faded away leaving only a silent void with nothing but the unbearable heat.

This was the world that the Yondaime awoke to, his body stiff and sore. He could taste the copper of his own blood and his mind could only struggle in an attempt of rational thought. He wasn't finished yet, this thought was galvanized by the feel of the bundle in his arms moving. He had to get up, he had to...

Biting his lip to keep from screaming at the pain he was placing on his already taxed body he rose shakily to his feet. It had been so painful, almost murder to use that jutsu...but he couldn't think about that. He held the still moving but silent bundle in his arm tightly forcing his way upright.

Stumbling he almost collapsed as one of his legs tried to give out, but his fanatically devotion to protect the village allowed him to force his way through the pain. He scanned the world around him, swaying, and wondered if the village would ever recover.

He could see the shattered walls of the village, nobody was moving near them. Fear would be rampant, now was his chance...to protect the village. He stumbled forward, struggling to maintain his balance and keep from dropping the precious bundle in his arms. He almost collapsed but managed to reach the hole where he fell forward, thankfully managing to brace himself up with one hand.

He didn't have long. He had to hurry but his Chakra...it was almost gone, he could feel The God of Death's cold fingers digging deeper into his soul. A hacking cough racked his body, followed by a spray of dark blood. Could he do it? No he had to...if anyone found him now, with this baby...

He couldn't let that happen.

He had to do something. He couldn't let them know and...he could feel several ninja approaching at high speed, not for him but the fallen shinobi around him. They would find him if he stayed much longer, but he honestly didn't know how much chakra he had left. He could die at any moment and he had to ensure he was finished before then.

His only chance was to gamble...gamble his life, the baby in his arms life and Konoha's future. Yondaime didn't see any other option however, he would have to use the Hiraishin no Jutsu. Closing his eyes he concentrated, struggling to separate the hundreds of different locations for the one he needed. Finding it he started molding all of his remaining chakra, praying that this would work.

One minute he was propped up against the shattered wall, the next he was sprawling across the shattered pavement in front of the darkened hospital. Suddenly the baby started crying, making an unholy racket. The Yondaime coughed, the cold fingers of Shinigami-sama tightening around his throat. Placing his palm against the ground he leveraged himself upwards, blood splattering the ground as he stumbled back to his feet.

Forcing his way through the cracked glass doors he stumbled into the dark hospital, his eyes darting all around disorientated. Stumbling he started toward a set of damaged stairs, almost collapsing. He managed to keep his balance and reached the nearly empty hallway almost collapsing once more.

He couldn't fall yet, just a little bit more, a little bit more...his mind was already crumbling but he couldn't stop, he had something important to do. Forcing the door open he stumbled into the dark room filled with crying babies. Finally, he could...he could...

Stumbling to an empty crib he managed to release the child, ignoring the blood streaks on the boys young face. The child would be safe now...safe...

"Yondaime-Sama!"

At that shout his legs gave out and he collapsed to his knees, staring up at the terrified looking nurse. She seemed so far away, but she was getting closer, reaching out for him...but Yondaime pulled away. "P-please, help me..."

"W-what? The Kyubi?"

"D-dead..." coughing he fell forward onto his hands, breath becoming ragged. "P-please...help..."

The nurse nodded cautiously, kneeling in front of him. "W-what..."

"J-just..."

One brave Shinobi was able to seal up the demon, but he lost his life.

That Shinobi was called the Yondaime Hokage.