Gift of a Lifetime ~
I do not own Naruto whatsoever, but I would settle for Minato and Shikamaru….
Minato crouched down, shielding his son from the explosion as the tags detonated within the shelter. Sensing no chakra signatures within the rubble, he reached out and found the marker seal at his home, disappearing in a flash.
Gently, the young Hokage laid the newborn in the center of his crib in their home.
'You'll be safe here. You'll have to wait on your own for a little bit, Naruto…I've gotta go save your mom, before it's too late.'
Minato studied the face of his young child, trying to memorize it before turning away to rescue his wife. A loud wail broke the silence. A soft step approached him from behind. He whirled around, kunai in hand to face the intruder. A sharp blow to the head sent him collapsing to the floor. All he saw was a nin in an ANBU mask, as Naruto's cries and everything else faded into silent darkness.
O0o0o0O
Minato woke to the light streaming into his bedroom. He groaned as he sat up in bed. Tension filled him as the images from the night previous began to filter back.
'Kushina! Naruto! Oh, no…' He panicked, ready to run out after them.
A glimpse of yellow stalled his actions. There next to him, lay his son snuggled securely in blankets next his red haired love. Quickly, but carefully, he rushed to the other side of the bed. He cautiously lifted the blankets to examine her seal. The seal was inactive, but that's not what surprised him. Attached to her abdomen were seal tags.
"What the…." He whispered in confusion. The blonde Hokage's brow furrowed as he examined the unusual formula. The script was unfamiliar to him.
"A healing seal?" Minato had never seen anything like it before, which made it all the more intriguing. A groan broke him out of his examination, reminding him that he needed to find out what happened, but first, he needed to make sure his family was ok.
With a hand sign, two identical blondes were standing next to the bed. One gently lifted Kushina into his arms, while the other gathered the bundle of blankets that held his son. In a flash they were gone.
O0o0o0O
Minato waited in a chair next to his unconscious wife in the hospital room. His head rested on his folded hands, braced against Kushina's bed.
"Congratulations, kid," A gravelly voice intruded on his thoughts.
"Sensei," Minato replied, never moving from his vigil.
"How's she doing?" Jiraiya inquired, approaching his student.
"Kushina's doing fine, all things considered. The doctors said it's a miracle. She should be dead by all rights." He said. "The only reason she isn't is because of this." Minato held out one of the tags he had found on his wife that morning.
The toad sannin grabbed it, and began to study it. "Who made it? I've never seen anything like this in my travels, and I can identify the script of every seal master in the Elemental Countries."
"No clue. I…" Minato hesitated. "When we were attacked at the safe house, I used my jutsu to take Naruto back to the compound. I figured with all the seals and other safeguards he'd be safest there while I went after the man in the mask. I was about to leave when a man in an ANBU mask attacked. I woke up to Naruto and Kushina next to me in our bed." Minato finished in a low tone.
"There was an unknown in your house?" Jiraiya exclaimed. "How the hell did they get in? You have that place sealed tighter than a tomb."
"I have no idea. I examined the wards this morning. None of them had been triggered. The only people who can get in are members of my family, my team, and you, so it's still a mystery at this point in time."
"Mystery indeed." Jiraiya muttered. "How's your son?"
A tired smile crossed Minato's face as he thought of his little boy. He got up from his seat, beckoning the white haired man to follow. After a few turns, they arrived in the nursery.
"Hokage-sama," A nurse addressed the man with a short bow before leading him to a crib. Inside lay a blue bundle of blankets with tiny wisps of blonde hair peeking out. The nurse gently lifted the baby out, and placed him in his father's arms before leaving the trio alone.
"Sensei, meet your godson. Namikaze Naruto." Minato beamed while cradling Naruto.
"You're seriously going to saddle the kid with a godfather like me? You're just asking for trouble." He chuckled softly.
"Here. Hold him." Minato urged, shifting the boy from his hands into Jiraiya's. "Watch his head."
"He's so…small. Then again, you are a shrimp, so he's probably just taking after you." Jiraiya teased, dodging a half-hearted hit.
"Baby!" He cried.
"And that's the only reason you're not in pain right now." Minato glared, before he turned his attention back to his son.
"There's something else I wanted to show you." Minato glanced around. Seeing no nurses around them, he pulled back the blankets until he could see Naruto's stomach. Said child squirmed at the sudden cold air.
With a touch of chakra, a pattern of black spirals and kanji appeared. Jiraiya almost dropped him out of surprise. "Is that…?"
Minato nodded sharply. "Somehow, after the Kyuubi was released from Kushina, it ended up sealed within Naruto. I found it after I got to the hospital with him, along with the whisker marks on his face. The chakra I surrounded us with to transport us must have activated the seal to the point where it was visible. I've had ANBU scouring the scene where the Fox was attacking, but they haven't reported back yet. Only Sarutobi and I know that Naruto is the new vessel, and I'd like to keep it to as few as possible." Minato said in a quiet, yet firm tone.
Naruto began to squirm in the loud man's hold, before crying out in protest. Quick as a wink, a nurse appeared to see what was wrong. She determined Naruto was just hungry before settling Minato down with a bottle and the proper instruction on how to feed him.
Jiraiya smiled at the unlikely scene. The Yellow Flash, the Bane of Iwa, gentling holding his newborn son and grinning like a fool the entire time. The scene was soon disrupted by the sudden appearance of an animal masked nin.
"Hokage-sama," The nin muttered in respect as he bent down on one knee.
"Report."
"After searching the scene of the attack, two bodies were found. There was little evidence at the site, beyond the expected destruction. The bodies are now in the morgue, awaiting your inspection."
With a sigh, Minato looked down at his satisfied, and now sleeping, child. He reluctantly handed him off to the nurse before heading down to the morgue.
O0o0o0O
The chill air raised the goose bumps on Minato's arms as he approached the two bodies laid out under the sheets. Lifting the first sheet, the orange mask of his attacker met his sight. Continuing down, numerous stab wounds littered the body, along with one deep slash that had pierced the ribs and punctured the heart and lungs beyond repair.
"These were attached to his back." The ANBU informed him, holding out two seal tags. Upon further examination, the script matched those found on his wife.
"There's more, sir...This man was an Uchiha. He possessed the sharingan, although I am unfamiliar with this particular formation." The masked man informed his hokage. Minato nodded in accord. He knew that. He had seen it when the masked man had attacked in the safe house.
Moving on to the next table, Minato gasped. It was his attacker. Dirt and blood crusted over his clothes and formerly blonde hair.
"They were found next to each other. These seal tags were found in his kunai pouch. The script matches those used on the other attacker. From what we can tell, the blonde fought the Uchiha, killing him, before dying of unknown reasons."
Minato pulled back the rest of the sheet. The uniform was a perfect match to the ANBU, but he had never seen the mask before.
"A fox. A bit ironic, considering the events of last night. He wasn't part of the corps, was he?" Minato stated, more than asked.
"No, sir. There is currently no Fox in commission. When I checked to see if someone had stolen the mask, it was still hanging in headquarters." The nin replied.
"Time to see just who you are." Minato whispered, while reaching for the mask. The porcelain released from the blonde's face as he pulled.
The Yondaime Hokage's eyes widened as he took in the features of the body before him. Whisker marks decorated the once tan cheeks. Marks identical to those on his newborn child who was sleeping in the nursery.
"What on earth is going on here?" Minato breathed out.
"Sir?" Minato shifted his attention to the ANBU. "There appears to be some sort of storage seal on the inside of the mask."
Scanning the interior of the fox shaped porcelain proved the nin was right. With the application of chakra and a puff of smoke, a small scroll appeared.
'Namikaze Minato. It's for me?' Minato read, while placing the mask on the chest of the ANBU impersonator. With the sound of parchment, he unrolled the scroll, and began to read.
'If you're reading this, I've most likely accomplished my goals. I may be dead, but because of it, so many more will live. The man who released the Kyuubi was Uchiha Madara. A man of vast amounts of power, but also man pushed over the edge of insanity in the pursuit of more power. Believe me when I say that the world is better off without him. I ask that the Uchiha clan is not held responsible for the attack. They had no knowledge of Madara's actions.
You're probably wondering who the hell I am. In my lifetime, I only met you briefly, and you have never known me in yours. I'm from a future that I hope will never be, and have assured with your survival.
I apologize for attacking you, but we both know that you're too damn noble to let another fight your fight, especially with your village and family on the line. If I hadn't, both you and Kushina would have died, and Madara would have continued his insane quest. Kushina and Naruto should both have been safely next to you, when you woke up. I used a shadow clone to transport them back to your home, away from the destruction.
You've probably already found the seal on Naruto. Only half of the Kyuubi's chakra is sealed into him, the yang portion. The other half I will take with me into the belly of the Shinigami, as payment for the Shiki Fuuin. He's a hero, and I pray that the villagers can accept that. I stabilized his mother with seals, hopefully she recovers. (Feel free to reverse engineer them, they're lifesavers, literally.)
A child should have the love and protection of his family while he grows. Take care of Naruto. Teach him. Nurture him. Help him grow strong.
Live a happy, and if at all possible, long life. Take care of Konoha, and hopefully one day we'll meet again.
All my love,
Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto,
ANBU Captain Fox
Rokudaime Hokage, elect
P.S. Don't forget to introduce little Naruto to the awesomeness that is ramen! Or so help me, I'll find some way to haunt you!'
As his mind struggled to grasp what the letter was trying to tell him, Minato studied the face of the man, no, his son, before him. With a more careful eye, he caught the slight upturn of his lips. He was smiling.
"At least you died happy, Naruto." Minato whispered, tears gathering in his eyes.
"Sir, your wife is awake." The ANBU informed him, from behind.
Stuffing the letter in his pocket, he exited the room to join his wife and son, vowing to keep his family safe, to honor the sacrifice of his son that had saved them all.
O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0O
A/N: Thank you so much for reading this little story. I know there are several other shorts out there like this, but this is my spin. After nearly a year of reading other Naruto stories, (the good, the bad, and the downright crack), I finally had an idea that I could do justice to. I just love Minato and it makes me cry thinking of what he could have had.
I did set up a forum, offering up other ideas for adoption, the link is on my profile.
Thanks go out to my lovely editors/idea bouncers: Tora-Hime-Melody, Mokimo, and Spiffy. Without whom this story would not have been posted or proofread.
Once again, thank you for reading! Any feedback is greatly appreciated, but please, only leave negative criticism if it has helpful advice with it. Tearing people down does nothing unless you can help them build themselves back up stronger than before.