A/N Alright! I had the idea for this fanfic for a while now so...here I am! Well then, the pairing is NaruHina (as if I would write something else), there will be background pairings but they won't be crucial to the story. Also this is NOT a crossover. Some of you might think it, but it was entirely thought up inside my headache-suffering mind (seriously I had a headache so I started to think of fanfic ideas to take my mind off of it...don't ditch the fanfic because of that). Also before I forget, even thought they share the tittles, this fanfic is in no way related to the game "Prototype".
Disclaimer: As drunk as The Konoha's Booze Hound is, he's still not drunk enough to claim ownership of Naruto...but he's open to the idea of purchasing Hinata.
-Prologue-
Pro-to-type n. 1 Biology. A primitive or ancestral organism; an archetype: opposed to ectype. 2 A first or original model on which subsequent forms are to be based. 3 An accepted standard to which all others must conform.
-Entry from "Kichigai Tsuchikage's Dictionary & Thesaurus of Modern Language™"
295 years ago, scientists of The Elemental Countries have achieved what to this day is hailed as the greatest scientific breakthrough in the history of humanity. For decades humanity used nanotechnology to increase their comfort of life, but that year Kichigai Tsuchikage, after successfully identifying genetic markers needed to survive it, performed first Nanite Therapy on a living human volunteer. It was beyond successful. Not only were test subjects stamina, strength and speed amplified, but he also gained ability thought to be long lost to humans. An ability to mold chakra into jutsu's.
Within next two decades Nanite industry was completely militarized and standard armies were replaced by specialized chakra using warriors...the shinobi was born. Forty-one years after Kichigai's invention first Nano War consumed the region. It was a first war of its type. Instead of fielding massive armies, each country pitted its shinobi against its enemies. Even though the number of troops that fought was low, it still proved to be one of the most destructive wars in history.
Over the next century Nanite Therapy was perfected and its use has spread over the entire continent*. During that time the "Gene Clans" emerged. Gene Clans were families in which NT brought out hidden, and often powerful, abilities. To protect those clans, their countries concentrated their shinobi into single towns, which quickly grew into full sized cities, which soon became known as Hidden Cities, because of their secret and often camouflaged locations.
That brings us to today's date. The 10th of October, 295 N.E. The final day of the four-year long Iwa-Konoha War, and the day of the last and most brutal attack of Iwa-nin on the Hidden City of Konoha...
-Guard Tower 3, Eastern Wall of Konoha-
Walls shook as powerful Earth Techniques slammed into them, throwing dust into the air of small break room inside the cramped tower. Everyone was silent, waiting for the inevitable moment when the wall will fail and they'll have to re-engage the enemy that they have fought for the past four years.
Kakashi looked over the men sharing the tower interior with him...men that he was responsible for as their commander. They were the best that Konoha had to offer. Every single one of them an ANBU Black Ops operative with wealth of experience accumulated over the years of war. But even they showed signs of weariness...and exhaustion not of physical, but mental nature brought on both lack of sleep and simple resignation brought by seemingly endless conflict.
Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle when he saw Shikaku of the Nara clan sleep in the corner while being watched over by his friend, Chouza Akamichi.
'Only a Nara could sleep in a time like this. Heh, he probably thinks this whole war is troublesome." Thought the 18-year-old ANBU, while feeling a slight bite of jealousy towards the sleeping man. He turned his thoughts towards his sensei, Namikaze Minato, who at that moment awaited the birth of his firstborn child in the Konoha's Main Medical Facility.
-Konoha's Center For Medical Arts, Hallway Outside Operating Room 3-
"What do you mean, she's dead!?" asked a rather distressed blond man wearing Hokage robes.
"I'm sorry Namikaze-sama, but there were complications during the birth and Kushina-sama hasn't survived." The blond man collapsed onto the nearby chair. 'No…Kushina my love...why did you have to leave us...Now our child will never know mother's touch...wait!' His gaze snapped back towards the nurse delivering the grim news.
"What about our child? Is it…? " The nurse shook her head sadly.
"I'm sorry Hokage-sama, but your son wont live 'till tomorrow without Nanite Therapy and there is no nanite serum left in Konoha that meets the quality requirements since our supply line was cut of by the siege."
"Does he meet Therapy requirements?"
"Yes Hokage-sama, he has all the genetic markers but..."
"KITSUNE!" Shouted out the blond interrupting the nurses' explanation.
A moment later man wearing an ANBU uniform complete with a mask shaped into stylized muzzle of a fox appeared in front of the Namikaze and quickly bowed to him.
"Your orders Hokage-sama?" He asked.
"Go to my office and retrieve contents of the safe behind Shodaime's portrait, password for the safe is KYUUBI."
"Hai!" The ANBU disappeared in an explosion of smoke, only to return two minutes later to see his leader waiting for him with a small bundle in his arms. Within it was a small newborn boy with few strands of blond hair atop his head. What seemed strange was that the child was awfully still and pale.
"Good, you're back" said Minato, while handing the child to one of the two nurses waiting next to him, and taking the armored box that Kitsune brought with him. He quickly opened the blood seal on top of the box and unlocked it, revealing a large, sealed beaker, made out of armored glass, with a metallic red liquid inside of it (A/N think like liquid mercury but red). He handed it over to the other nurse.
"Here, use this in the therapy, it meets all the requirements." The nurse quickly took it and walked back into operating room.
"Kitsune, I have another order for you, but first take off your mask." Ordered the young Kage.
The ANBU hesitated for a moment before quickly removing his hood and mask, revealing his long blond heir, just few shades lighter than Minato's own, tied into a long ponytail, and a pair of pale green eyes.
"Your orders, Hokage-sama?"
The other blond took a deep breath and looked him straight into eyes.
Inoichi, we've known each other since the Academy and during all those years you've always been a good and loyal friend." Said Minato. " But this is the greatest favor I could ask from anyone."
Inoichi looked at his friend and leader in one curiously.
"You're a great friend too Minato, but why do you talk as if we would never see each other again?" he asked suspiciously.
Minato just smiled kindly. "After his therapy is completed I want you to take my son and keep him safe. If…if anything happens to me, I want you and your wife to raise him as if he was your own son."
Inoichi was shocked speechless. "B-but why me!?" The young head of Yamanaka clan tried to get a grip on himself. "I mean, why not Hiashi!? Isn't he supposed to be his godfather?"
Minato sighed wearily.
"Hiashi is having problems with keeping his Elder Council in the line, and I'm not risking my son becoming a pawn in some political game played by a bunch of all farts. I want him raised as a normal child, with a normal family, and I believe that you'll be able to provide him with the kind of childhood that I would like for him."
Minato left Inoichi to think over his words to take a small bundle from the nurse that just walked out from the operating room. He gazed softly at small face looking at him from between blankets folds, before frowning and turning back towards the nurse.
"What are those marks on his face?" He asked while pointing at thin metallic lines on his sons face, resembling whiskers, three on each cheek.
I'm sorry Hokage-sama but we don't know." Nurse apologized. "They appeared during the activation phase of the therapy"
Minato nodded and turned his head back to the child, before handing him over to Inoichi.
"Will you take care of him for me?"
Yamanaka took the baby and nodded to him with a serious look on his face. "If anything happens I will raise him as if he were my own blood."
Minato took a deep relieved breath. "Thank you Inoichi, don't know how much this means to me. Here." he took out two scrolls from his pocket and handed them to his friend. "First scroll is to the old Sarutobi with explanation of what happened here, and the second is to my son for when he makes chunnin."
With that he turned towards the exit meaning to join the battle brewing outside, when Inoichi called after him.
"Minato! You didn't tell me his name!" Minato looked up and smiled slightly
"His name is Naruto…the maelstrom that will affect everyone…"
Inoichi looked from the back of his departing friend at the face of the baby in his arms and smiled. "Naruto, eh? Nice to meet ya kid."
And as they say, the rest was history…End Notes:
* I went with a design for this world that uses a single super-continent with some small islands, and one super-ocean.