Minato Namikaze awoke to bright lights and the odour of disinfectant as his senses started to come back to him. Ignoring his pounding headache and sore body, he tried to remember how he got here, but it was as if his mind was in a haze. When he tried to get up, he was met with a stern hand on his chest and heard someone say, "Easy there brat, you're still in no condition to get up". Squinting to make out anything in the bright room, he realized who is in front of him.

"Tsunade? Tsunade is that you? Where am I? Why am I in the hospital? And when did you start wearing white?"

"Hold on there. We'll answer all your questions. Just take it easy there, OK?" Tsunade exclaimed through hushed whispers.

Nodding in acceptance, Minato tried to get a better view of his surroundings. He noticed Jiraiya sitting in a small, blue chair off in the corner while snoozing. In the other corner of the room, he noticed a squad of ANBU led by a dog-masked operative with spiky white hair. "OK, Tsunade, I want you to start from the beginning and explain to me what is going on."

"Do you remember anything that happened two nights ago?" Tsunade asked.

"I think I remember some things? Wait… Oh wait." As everything came back to him, he's started shaking profusely, he shouted "KUSHINA! Where's Kushina! And where are my sons?!"

Minato's desperate screams awoke Jiraiya who shouted, "Don't go. I love your curves too!" Lucky for him, Tsunade was too concerned about Minato to serve him one of her legendary punches so Jiraiya, seeing his prized student awake and shaking worriedly, got up to comfort him. "Look, Kushina and your kids are fine. I just checked on them before I dozed off. Look at you, you're the Hokage and you're shaking like a baby. Get a hold of yourself and start thinking clearly," Jiraiya said.

Minato felt a flood of relief knowing that his wife and newborn sons were alright. However, he understood that his sensei was right. He couldn't just act like a bed-ridden, relief-stricken father. He had a village to lead, a village that no doubt took heavy damage and many losses to the fox demon. But first thing first, he had to see his family. Steeling his resolve, he said, "Let me see my wife and children."

Sighing, Tsunade said "Come with us," as everyone left the room and crossed the hallway to reach the next room in the hospital. Minato's heart almost broke seeing Kushina wrapped in bandages with tubes wrapped around her entire body. If it wasn't for the clumps of bright, red hair standing out from the bandages, he would never have recognized her. Quickly recomposing himself, he asked meekly, "When do you think she'll wake up?"

"I'm sorry to tell you this, but she suffered severe brain damage and may never come out of her coma. I'm going to do everything I can, but at this stage, it's just the waiting game" Tsunade replied.

Jiraiya put a hand on his teary-eyed student and told him, "There, there Minato. You have to be strong for your two sons and the village. You're a father and the Hokage. Everyone is looking up to you for leadership".

"Your right. I can't get emotional right now. Where are my kids" he exclaimed shakily.

Leading him to the two cribs in the far right corner of the room, Tsunade said "They're two beauties aren't they?"

Looking at the first infant, Minato was proud to see many of his own traits were passed down, including his sun-kissed blonde hair and deep, blue eyes. The round face was decidedly his mother's he said to himself. His eyes, however, bulged slightly seeing his other child and what could only be described as an unimaginable transformation. Minato still remembered the night when his wife gave birth to twins, identical twins. Looking at his second child, Minato couldn't imagine they looked identical only a few nights ago. The child had deep, dark red hair color that he couldn't have gotten from his mother, who had a bright red color that mirrored a fresh-picked tomato in many ways. He also had blood red eyes that matched his hair color. But what horrified Minato the most were those three whisker marks that only added to the child's devilish appearance.

"W-What happened… they were both supposed to get a portion of the fox's power. How did one of them turn out like that?" he asked, not being able to hide his horrified demeanor.

Jiraiya went up to explain. "You remember that after the Sandaime knocked you out, he used the Dead Demon Summoning Seal?" Seeing his student nodding, Jiraiya continued saying, "Well, we still don't have a full understanding of the seal. From what we know, it's a complex Uzumaki seal that summons the Shinigami to seal the power and chakra of the the Nine-tailed fox into one of your sons, Menma, while sealing the consciousness of the fox into your other son, Naruto."

Remembering the Third's sacrifice almost made Minato turn to depression, but he was still many questions about Naruto's state. "So we don't know what this sealing does anymore since my wife is in a coma, but we know that after the consciousness of the Demon Fox was sealed into Naruto, he underwent these drastic changes?" Minato said.

"That's about the gist of it" Jiraiya answered.

Hearing that made Minato's heart sink. "Then how do we know this child is really son. There have been cases of a bijuu taking over a human vessel after destroying the child's consciousness, especially in Suna" Minato asked.

"To tell you the truth, we don't know. However, we do know the seals that Suna uses are very weak and those seals failing can be attributed to Suna's lack of seal masters" Jiraiya answered.

Strengthening his resolve to do whatever is necessary for his family and the village, Minato ordered the ANBU operative Inu to get him Inoichi immediately.

Leaving in shunshin of leaves, Inu reentered promptly with Inoichi Yamanaka, head of the intelligence department and head of the Yamanaka Clan. Kneeling, Inoichi asked, "what can I do for you, Hokage-sama?"

"At ease, Inoichi. I need to enter the mind of my son Naruto. After having sealed the consciousness of the Kyuubi inside him, he has undergone some worrying changes. I need you to see if his mind is still intact and if it is separate from the bijuu's. We'll pull you out if we see it's too much for you."

"Hai, hokage-sama" Inoichi said before going to the crib. Making the necessary hand signs, Inoichi entered Naruto's mindscape. However, before he could go far enough into the mindscape, he was grabbed by a large chakra claw and looking into the demonic, fiery eyes of the hate-filled demon, he almost puked. Before the monster could rip him apart, he was pulled out by a concerned Minato.

"What happened in there, Inoichi. You were shivering and sweating profusely, so we had to pull you out." Minato said.

"I'm sorry, Hokage-sama, as soon as I entered I was met with the Kyuubi" Inoichi said.

"So is my son in there or not?" asked Minato.

"I don't know, Hokage-sama. Although, even he is in there, the Kyuubi likely dominates his mind considering it has free movement within his mindscape" Inoichi replied.

Minato, at this point, didn't know what to do. He knew he should to act like a Kage and think about his village above all else, which likely meant killing his son. Giving a 1000-year old bijuu of destruction, even one that has been seriously weakened, time to plot for freedom is not a good idea. However, he couldn't do that if there was a chance his son could still be in there. "What do you think I should do, Inoichi" asked an exacerbated Minato.

"I think we should wait a period of time to observe him. If he shows normal physiological and psychological development, then we don't have to terminate him."

"Good thinking, Inoichi" Minato said, as he pondered that option. He knew that option made the most sense; however, he couldn't have him live in the Namikaze compound. He didn't want to endanger the lives his of wife, his younger cousin Yuna, or his other son, Menma. Wait, he could have him raised in the orphanage and proclaim him an orphan.

"OK, Inu I want you take Naruto to the orphanage and discreetly add him to the orphans section. Make sure to skew his blood work so that it shows that he isn't related to anyone. And then, I want a full ANBU detail watching him at all times. If he shows evidence of being taken over by the Kyuubi, I want him captured. If that is not possible, I want you terminate him"

"Hai, Hokage-sama" Inu said as he shunshined in a swirl of leaves to complete his task.

Jiraiya stepped forward to ask, "What are you going to do about the rumours that there is a new Jinchuuriki. It won't take people long to suspect your sons, considering most Jinchuuriki are related to the current or previous rulers and the fact that Kushina was pregnant wasn't exactly a secret. You know how Jinchuuriki are treated."

Minato thought about this problem. He didn't Menma or Naruto to grow up with that kind of stigma, but there would be no other way to explain the prompt defeat of the Kyuubi or Sandaime's sacrifice. If he told everyone that Menma was a jinchuuriki, it would also hurt Yuna's reputation and he couldn't have that, especially since she was just made a chunin. No, he had to act like a hokage and that meant doing things for his family and the village that he might not want to do. He would have to proclaim Naruto the only Jinchuuriki. He was already sacrificed to the bijuu's consciousness and he would have to endure one more sacrifice for the sake of his family and the village. If, after all that, he grew up to be a normal boy, he would welcome him back to the family.

"I've made my decision. Only Naruto is to be known as the Jinchuuriki. Menma's status is a double-S-rank secret only known to those in this room. Not even of the council is to know about this" Minato said seriously. He then added, "Tenzo, I want you to call a council meeting. I need to know about the status of the village, what can be done, and what our enemies are doing."

"Hai, Hokage-sama" Tenzo said as he left in a swirl of leaves.

"Jiraiya, I want you take young Menma to the Namikaze Compound. I want Yuna to take care of him while I deal with village matters for a while. I also want an ANBU team stationed near her and my son at all times. No doubt, Iwa and others are going to try something after hearing about the birth of an heir. After doing that, I want you to come to the council meeting" Minato said.

"You got it" Jiraiya said as he left to complete his tasks.

"Tsunade, I know I promised you a break after a successful birth. But could you stay for a while to look after my wife. If she doesn't wake up after a while, you can go." Minato asked sincerely.

"Kushina was like a daughter to me. I'll look after her" Tsunade declared.

"Well, if that takes care of that, then I've got a council meeting to attend" Minato said with a hint of dread. Dealing with stuck-up council members wasn't something you could say he enjoyed.

Five Years Later

For the first time in a long time, Minato was feeling content with his life. Menma was turning five and he was a little ball of energy. As though he had unbelievable amount of energy, he would run away from Yuna and his caretakers for hours on end. Sometimes, even Minato was hard pressed to find him. Then, there was the constant and loud proclamations that he was going to be the Fifth Hokage. Certainly, Kakashi's encouragements didn't help. But the only thing Minato could complain about is his fetish for all things orange. Minato doesn't know where he got the obsession with the color orange, but Minato swore to himself that when he finds the person who introduced his son to the color, they would find themselves in the lower levels of the interrogation department. If the bright orange jumpsuit was not enough, he had to paint his room orange as well as the entire first floor of the Namikaze Compound. Minato had to promise the servants overtime pay just to get rid of all that orange paint. Then there were the constant pranks that Menma was always pulling. The endless paperwork and angry victims that he had to deal with caused no small amount of headaches. But none of that could change the amount of love and pride he had for his son and even though he didn't have that much time to spend with him, the times that he did get to spend with him became that much more memorable.

Minato, however, still felt pain in his heart at the thought of Kushina, who is still lying in the hospital unconsciousness as she had been for the past five years. After a few months, Tsunade stopped trying to find a way to wake her up. Not that Minato could blame her. Minato had spent countless hours watching her try every treatment on Kushina, even kinjutsu, to try and get her out of her coma. However, what really surprised Minato was that it was Orochimaru that kept trying to find new ways to treat Kushina. For as long as Minato had known him, Orochimaru had been cold and calculative, not the obsessive type. Regardless, Minato was grateful because Kushina had been his first friend in the Academy and later trusted comrade. However, if Kushina were to wake up, it would complicate things. Minato had restarted his relationship with Mikoto because of Tsunade's assurances that Kushina would likely never wake up again. For although he liked Kushina well enough, Minato could never deny that he loved Mikoto from the bottom of his heart. He still remembered the first day he met her.

He was a heartbroken, lonely Academy student at the training grounds, trying to improve on his shurikenjutsu. Minato was grief-stricken, even months later, after hearing how mother and all his clansmen had died in the Second Shinobi War. This left him an orphan who had to take care his 3 year old cousin Yuna who he wasn't particularly close to before. Even after all that, he didn't give into depression and instead wholeheartedly turned to his Academy studies. It was hard since he didn't have private tutors or parents to teach him after class, and he still had to take care of toddler cousin. It was for this reason, his shurikenjutsu was average at best and he was at the Academy training grounds still practicing long after everyone left.

After missing his second in a row, he heard someone say, "You have to turn the shuriken a little to the right to factor in the wind and at such long distances you should aim a little higher instead of straight at the target."

Turning around he saw a bright girl with luminescent black hair and black eyes. Her jet black hair and eyes seemed to emphasize her pale skin. Seeing the fan crest on her tight blue shirt confirmed that she was an Uchiha. Remembering from her class, he knew she was Mikoto Uchiha, daughter of the war hero Kagami Uchiha. She was also in line to be the heir of the prestigious clan and the top Academy student. He didn't know what she wanted, but he wasn't about suck up to another "noble" clan member who had everything he didn't.

"What does the 'great' heir to the Uchiha clan want with a lowly orphan like me?" Minato asked suspiciously. "Come to tell me how great you are with shurikens like the rest of your clan?"

"Look, I just wanted to help you out, but if you don't want my help then seeya" she said as she spun around to leave.

Minato knew he needed her help, but he didn't want her to gloat about it later and he didn't want to deal with the infamous Uchiha stuck-upness. But he also knew that progress completion checks were coming up and that they might be watched by elite jounin or even the Sannin. These top jounin who weren't part of any clans would choose apprentices to pass on their powerful techniques. If he wanted to have any shot of getting that kind of apprenticeship, he needed to improve his taijutsu and weapons mastery. 'I might as well try' he said to himself.

"Wait. If your willing, I could use some help" Minato asked.

"What was that? Oh, you want my help now do you? Mikoto taunted.

"Look if you don't want to help, then forget about it. I don't want to deal with this right now" he said.

"I was just teasing. Why are you always so stern? Live a little" Mikoto said as she took his kunai and shuriken to show him the correct way.

From then on, Mikoto's help allowed Minato to become one of the top students in the Academy. As Minato got to know her, he started to see Mikoto as kind, caring, and compassionate. And as the years wore on, he also started to see her as a beautiful and fierce kunoichi, who even coming from a strict clan, still knew how to have fun. Entering his late teen years, he couldn't help but fall in love. Usually being from one of the lower clans and being not very wealthy would mean that you could never marry the Uchiha heir and daughter of Kagami. However, Minato was the hero of the Third Great Shinobi War, defeating half the army of Iwa by himself. He also knew that he was likely to be appointed the next Hokage. It was for this reason that he was entering Sandaime's office to confirm when he would be appointed Hokage so that he could propose to Mikoto.

"Hiruzen, do you have a minute?" Minato asked.

Hiruzen, looking up from the countless paperwork he still had to do, saw Minato looking at him expectantly. "Sure, Kami knows I need from all this work. These achy bones just can't do what they used to" Sandaime complained.

"Ha, ha, ha. That's actually what I wanted to ask you about. When do you think I'll be getting that hat" Minato asked.

"Don't be in such a hurry, boy. This seat's isn't all that it's cracked up to be. I tell you it's like this paperwork grows every time you finish a bit" Sandaime replied.

"Trust me, I'm not in a hurry. I just want to propose to Mikoto-chan while wearing the Kage hat since she's helped me get here all this time" he answered honestly.

"Wait what! You want to marry the Uchiha heir?" Sandaime replied, mentally cursing himself for not staying on top of this kind of stuff.

"Well, yeah. I've known her for a long time and I know she's the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. She's also very loyal to the village and I know she'll help me out with my duties to the village" Minato explained.

"I don't doubt that, boy, and this marriage would help ease tensions with the Uchiha. But what about Kushina?" Sandaime asked.

"Well, I do like her, but only as a friend and a trusted comrade. But the person I truly love is Mikoto" Minato replied honestly.

"I see" Sandaime said as he took a big puff of his newest pack of smokes. "But have you considered what your marriage with Mikoto might do to her psyche? She does love you after all" Sandaime pointed out.

Minato thought about this for a second. He knew that Kushina had a crush on him ever since he saved from a group of Kumo nins and he was her only friend growing up in the Academy. "I know that she loves me, but she'll get over it eventually. And it's not like we still can't be friends" Minato replied.

"I need you to think like a Kage for a minute. She just lost her entire village and clan in an attack by three great villages. She's grieving and blames us for not being for them. She's partially correct, we did chose to delay reinforcements to shore up our northern line to not give Kumo a path to the village. Now imagine if her best friend whom she had crush on for years marries the only other person she lets her guard down with–Mikoto. In that case, she may very well lose all her bonds to the village. I want you to think about the danger of a jinchuuriki that isn't completely loyal to the village. And you know Kushina isn't one to hide her emotions. Everyone will get wind of her faltering loyalty and the council will increase their calls for to be reprogrammed in some mind-control scheme or the creation of a new jinchuuriki" Sandaime lectured.

Minato felt like the whole world crashed down on him. He couldn't let his best friend Kushina go through all that grief and pain. He also had to think of the village and ensure her loyalty. Yet, could he turn his back on the love in his heart? Could he pretend to love someone who he didn't have feelings for?

Seeing Minato faltering to come to an answer, Sandaime asked him, "Minato, do you know what a shinobi is?"

"One who works for his village and defends from all threats" Minato answered automatically.

"That is correct, but to me a shinobi is much more. A shinobi is one who endures for the sake of his/her village. A shinobi endures all manner of pain, regret, loss or more in the service of the village. I'm asking you, Minato, to endure the loss of your love for the sake of the village. You're the only one who can keep Kushina loyal. Can you do that?" Sandaime asked.

Minato strengthening his resolve promised to marry Kushina and to be a loving husband. He and Kushina had been married for two years before she became pregnant and the events of that fateful night passed. After many months of Kushina's comatose state, Minato could deny his heart no longer. He called Mikoto to his office at the top of Hokage tower.

As Mikoto entered the room, she said, "Hey, Minato. I see your enjoying all the paperwork as always. So what's up?" she asked.

Seeing Mikoto in all her dark beauty, Minato almost forgot what he wanted to say. "I just wanted to say if you wanted or had time later to catch a coffee or have something to eat" he stuttered.

Seeing where this was going, Mikoto became irate. "Look, Minato, I'm married and your a father, a relationship would be improper" she said.

"That's not it" Minato tried to protest, but Mikoto cut him off by slamming her hands on the desk and subconsciously activating her Sharingan.

"I will not be your second-rate relationship. Just because Kushina is in a coma doesn't mean you can be with whoever you please. I thought you respected me enough not to do that. Don't ever call me again unless its for official business" Mikoto yelled tiredly as she turned around to leave.

"Wait. Don't go!" Minato tried to say. "I always loved you!" Minato exclaimed.

That last statement caught her off guard. "What do you mean. You married her" Mikoto rebuffed.

"The Third made me marry Kushina to keep her loyal, but I always loved you Mikoto. Not just your beauty, but your kind and understanding personality and stern and prideful demeanor. Truth is, you're the first person I looked up to when I had no one" Minato answered truthfully.

Mikoto was taken aback by his confession. No one had ever said those words to her. Not even her husband, Fugaku, the current head of the Uchiha Clan and commander of the Uchiha Military Police. Her bastard of a father, Kagami, set her up because she had to "keep the bloodline strong and pure" while also doing her duty to keep the clan one of the largest in Konoha. Maybe she could try a new relationship and if it doesn't work out, what could happen?

"Alright. One coffee tomorrow morning. But only as friends" she said.

From that day, their relationship grew to the point where Mikoto divorced Fugaku and married Minato in a private ceremony. Now with Mikoto pregnant with his child, he couldn't help but beam with excitement, especially considering later tonight they would have Memna's birthday party attended by family and close friends. Minato could only sigh happily thinking about how his life is going on now. Even, in terms of paperwork, Minato was getting less and less. It really was a peaceful era now thanks in part to Orochimaru. When other villages heard that he was in the hospital for a couple days after the Kyuubi attack, Iwa and Taki took the opportunity to attack the Hidden Leaf. However, thanks to Orochimaru, Konoha's forces were quickly organized to repel the threat. Even though, Minato was still recovering he knew he had to lead the charge. By himself, Minato was able to take out about a quarter of the enemy forces. The key victory allowed Konoha to form the Southern Alliance, which stipulated mutual economic and military cooperation. Comprising the countries of Fire (Konoha), River (Taki), Rice, Tea, and Hot Water, the alliance became a powerful trading block that led economic policy in the Elemental Nations. Konoha was also get favorable trade deals with Iwa in exchange for not going to war with their weakened village. With its reputation cemented as the most powerful nation, Konoha went into a period of economic prosperity and peace never before seen in its history. Economic development in Fire Nation nearly doubled Konoha's size and made it the most modern city, second only to Ame. Minato never managed to stop a chuckle from escaping his lips every time he hears his new moniker the Golden Hokage for the so called Golden Period of Konoha. Yes, Minato couldn't be happier these days.

Yuna Namikaze was beaming today not only because she wouldn't have to go on anymore missions for a while, but also because she would be able to spend all afternoon with her group of friends and then go home to dinner to Menma's birthday party. She was especially excited to show everybody that she completed the Hiraishin. Minato had been giving her lessons since she became a chunin and now she would be able to showcase it to everybody. She was absolutely ecstatic. As she was walking to Anko's apartment, she couldn't help but skip excitedly, pushing her untied blonde hair up and down as she went. As she neared the apartment, she was tackled by a mess of purple hair. Noticing that it was Anko Mitarashi on top of her, she rolled over and pushed Anko to the ground while loudly proclaiming that "two can play at that game".

"Oh, so you want some more do you?" Anko teased. "Let's see you handle this" she said as she bit her thumb and made the precise hand seals yelling "Summoning Jutsu".

As three snakes appeared in a puff of smoke, Yuna was already completing the same hand signs. Right when the snakes were about to attack, a small, orange toad in samurai armour and a large sword strapped to his back appeared in a similar puff of smoke.

"Seriously, Yuna, why do you even bother. You know my snakes can beat your stinky frogs anyday" Anko taunted.

"Lets see you say that when your snakes are chopped liver" Yuna replied. "And they're toads, not frogs. Toads!" Yuna yelled.

Before they could restart their fight, Anko was tackled by Yugao Uzuki and Hana Inuzuka was in front of Yuna, stopping her from doing anything to a downed Anko.

"Seriously guys, can you spend one minute not having the same argument?" Kurenai Yuhi asked.

"I'm sorry, Kurenai, but its not my fault that Yuna won't accept the inherent superiority of the Snake summons. And also, Yuna was waaay to happy and jumpy today" Anko answered.

"She's always like that, Anko. That doesn't mean start a summons battle in the middle of the street" Yugao lectured.

"Oh common on. You have to have noticed that Yuna is jumpier than usual. That can really mean only one thing–Yuna got herself a boytoy! You have to tell us all the juicy details" Anko said while looking at Yuna expectantly.

"No, no that's not it" Yuna stuttered when everyone's attention turned to her as she turned pink.

"Then why all the joy" Hana asked?

"It's not that important" Yuna stammered.

"Someone doesn't want us to know about her first boyfriend. Don't worry, once I found out who it is, I'll let him experience things he could only dream about with you" Anko said while licking a kunai sensually.

"I told you that's not it" Yuna spluttered angrily while everyone else was laughing at her expense.

"Then just tell us what it's really about" Yugao said straightforwardly.

"Alright, but it's a village secret. I completed my own version of the Hiraishin" beamed Yuna.

"Congratulations" "It's the new Yellow Flash" "They're probably going to make you jounin now" everyone chorused, except for Anko.

"How's that a secret. Everyone knows you've been working on that for the past five years. Why don't you show us mortals 'Oh Second Coming of the Golden Hokage' " Anko teased.

"Yeah, can you show us?" Hana asked.

"OK, but let's go to training ground 44. There aren't many people there" Yuna said.

"Yippy. I'll lead the way. Destination: Forest of Death" Anko said while grinning and leading everyone to her second home.

Once they climbed over the fence to the forest, Yuna took out a pink, stylized three-pronged kunai and through it over to Anko. When the kunai passed Anko's ear, Yuna instantly transported there. Then, picking up the kunai, Yuna through it over to Kurenai who swiftly dodged it. However, not even a second later, Yuna was right behind her with a kunai to her throat.

"You're dead" Yuna said while smirking.

"Wow, fast" Kurenai exclaimed when Yuna let her go.

"All I saw was a literal yellow flash" Hana said amazed.

As everyone was commenting on Yuna's speed, Anko proclaimed "It's time to celebrate. To the bar!"

As everyone began moving out, Yuna was hesitant, saying "Wait, I have Menma's birthday party later, and I have to show everyone the results of my training. I can't get drunk."

"Oh, don't worry, we won't leave you too hammered" Anko said while putting an arm around Yuna. Anko's statement, coincidentally, didn't make Yuna feel any better.

Menma was running from yet another infuriated shopkeeper because of his latest prank, which involved lots of marshmallows and tons of pink paint. Menma couldn't stop a chuckle from escaping his lips at the thought of that panting civilian thinking he could catch a Namikaze, something even ninjas are hard pressed to do. From the history lessons his father gave him, Menma knew that the Namikaze clan always specialized in speed and speed techniques and only their bodies can handle the stress of the hiraishin. But that's actually the reason he pulled pranks so much. Those aloof villagers deserve his goofy antics for always calling him 'Namikaze-dono' or 'Golden Prince-sama'. I mean yeah the Namikaze Clan is practically royalty Fire Nation and his hair is a deep yellow color unlike the the pale yellow of most blondes, but still. Why can't anyone ever call him Menma? Why can't he have any real friends. Everyone is either scared of him or awe-struck and ask what it's like to have the strongest person on the planet for a father. Uh, it's so exacerbating. Right before Menma was about to turn a corner, he was caught up in a mess of Ninja wire.

"Alright. What did you do this time, Menma" Kakashi asked as a tick mark grew on his forehead.

"I didn't do anything, I promise Kakashi-niisan. How was I supposed to know that shopkeeper doesn't like pink marshmallows!" Menma answered credulously.

Kakashi had to suppress a chuckle hearing of Menma's latest prank. Truth is, he found them to humorous and they never failed to brighten his day, which in ANBU, can be either dull and boring like today or dangerous and stressful. "Now, now Menma. You can't keep doing these pranks. They always cause more paperwork for your father and we can't keep paying for damages. We're not as rich as people think we are" Kakashi said in a bored tone that wasn't convincing at all. Seeing Menma looking at him incredulously, he said "Menma, if you stop doing pranks for a week, I'll teach you a new jutsu."

Instantly, Menma's eyes grew wide. "Really, Kakashi-niisan. That's great! I won't do any pranks. That's a promise of a lifetime–dattebayo!" Menma exclaimed.

Sporting a chuckle, Kakashi said "Well then let's get home. It's getting late, and everyone's waiting for us" while leading Menma home.

Once they got home, Kakashi suspiciously asked Menma to open the door, something that Menma didn't missed. Ignoring his gut feeling, Menma opened the door only hear a loud "SURPRISE" while all his family members and close family friends jumped out behind out a large screen that simulated a wall. On the ceiling, the words "HAPPY BIRTHDAY MENMA" were displayed prominently. Menma was caught off not just because he completely forgot that it was his birthday, but also because he was seeing his name displayed brightly in red, neon colors. Yes, these were people that saw him as Menma and not just the son of Konoha's greatest hero. In that moment, he didn't care what the village thought or what the world thought because at this moment, he truly felt as himself. Before, he knew it, he became teary eyed. Wiping the tears before they could fully form, Menma yelled "Yay, presents!"

"Happy Birthday, Menma" said Minato.

"Look at you. you've grown big and strong now" Mikoto teased.

"Still shorter than me" said an irked Sasuke. Even though, he and Menma practically grew up together, he still didn't see Menma as a true brother unlike Itachi whom Sasuke admired more than anybody.

"Your what five, now. They grow up so fast" congratulated Jiraiya.

"You're lucky you're taller than last year, brat, or I would have been annoyed that I came all the way here from across Fire Nation" said a slightly amused Tsunade.

"Oh, you're a such a party pooper, Lady Tsunade" said Shizune as she smothered Menma.

"Oh, I think you actually got cuter than when I last saw you" Shizune continued.

"I believe the child is undergoing second-stage anemia. If you continue, he is liable to pass out" Orochimaru said.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I guess I got carried away" Shizune said sheepishly.

"Huh, yes. I can breath" Menma said as his face returned to its natural hue.

"Thank you, Orochi-chan!" Menma shouted loudly.

As everyone began laughing at the Snake Sannin's expense, Orochimaru became increasingly annoyed. "Listen, here brat. If I hear that one more time, I'm going to feed you to my snakes after I skewer you over a large grill and dip you into nicely-aged sake" he warned.

Everyone became quite as Menma turned pale. All the people in the room understood that Orochimaru doesn't make threats. More like delayed promises.

"Uh, okay. How about we eat some cake and open presents" Minato suggested.

Instantly, the room returned to its jovial atmosphere as everyone enjoyed each other's company.

As the party continued, Yuna and her friends entered the party in a blinding yellow flash, tripping over Menma who landed right on top of Tsunade luscious breasts. Jiraiya and Kakashi grew large nose bleeds and shouted "lucky brat's get all the luck" and they soon found themselves on the wrong side of one Tsunade's chakra powered punches as Tsunade continued to smother Menma on her vivacious chest.

Yuna then muttered "Soshy, guys. We-We're late."

"Are you drunk, Yuna?" asked Minato incredulously.

"Uh… uh, we've might have overdone it with the sake" Hana tried to explain.

"Wait, you can do the Hiraishin, now. And you can transport multiple people" Mikoto asked disbelievingly.

Everyone stood there stupefied for a moment as Yuna scratched the back of her head.

"Wow, you're so cool Yuna-niichan" said Menma with stars in his eyes.

"Well, I guess I'm going to have to make you a jounin, then. Get ready for more difficult and longer assignments" Minato said seriously.

"Oh, you really know how to ruin a moment, Minato. It's like you never change. Live a little!" Mikoto said as she started throwing sprinkles at everybody.

The birthday party continued that way deep into the long hours of the night while during the same day across Konoha stood a lonely boy outside the Leaf Orphanage.

It was another night where Naruto would come back to find the steel doors to the building locked. Over the years, he thought of many different and unique ways to try to get in and everytime his plans would be foiled from someone on the inside. By now, he learned to resign himself to his fate of sleeping outside on the cold concrete of the floor and only being able to lean on the doors for support. Staring at the doors, it made him hate the large leaf insignia displayed prominently on the door. As a cold chill ran down his back due to the high winds tonight, he wondered if he should have never left the orphanage this morning. He quickly shook his head. He couldn't stand the constant the constant bullying of the other kids and the physical and verbal abuse of the caretakers. If he wasn't able to leave the orphanage to be by himself, he would have certainly lost his mind. He learned early on to avoid other people when he went outside the orphanage. Most of the adults would stare at him with thinly disguised hate and disgust while others would ignore his existence as though he wasn't there at all. Kids at the playground at the Central Park of Konoha would either ignore him or try to stay away from him. He never understood why parents would tell their children to keep away from him. He never thought of himself as dangerous and never hurt a fly in his life. People would think that he couldn't hear their hushed whispers, but he found out from a young age that he had better hearing than most. He would always hear people calling him 'dangerous', 'demon', or 'evil'. Naruto considered himself more intelligent than most kids his age. But he could never understand why people thought he was evil or a demon. Was it his dark, red hair? Most people in the village didn't have red hair, certainly not this particular hue. Was it his prominent whisker marks that ran the length of his cheeks. Or was it his deep, red eyes? He never saw anyone else with these features. Maybe he was part of a hated clan that looked like him. Sometimes, he would imagine he was part of a clan of red haired, whisker people who lived in the forests of Konoha. But he would always shoot down that idea. He never heard of such a clan and after listening to so many quite conversations in the village through his enhanced hearing, he would have heard something, anything, about such a clan if it existed.

Naruto was so lost in his thoughts as fatigue and tiredness took over him, he never heard the growing mob forming close to the orphanage.

"Let's get the demon once and for all" yelled one villager.

"Today is the day of reckoning for all the suffering we went through five years ago" yelled another.

Once the group reached their destination, they found a young boy half asleep at the doorstep of the orphanage. They, then, proceeded to brutally beat him down with all manner of household items they were carrying. After a while the ninja leading the group decided to end the fun of the villagers and finally end the Jinchuuriki's life. Unlike the clueless villagers these ninja didn't didn't just hate the jinchuuriki because they thought that he was the actual Kyuubi. Far from it, they understood the difference between a scroll and a kunai. But they used to be against Kushina Uzumaki living in the village. They always feared that the beast would be released as long as a demon container lived freely within the village. And five years, their worst nightmare came true as the Kyuubi was released right in the middle of the village. Why couldn't people realize the truth? And now, they had a new jinchuuriki living in the village, and they knew they had to take action. That's why they most of their group of ninjas were causing a scene on the other side of the village while they finished off the demon container for good. But before they could complete their assassination, they were found themselves caught in a web of strong wood. Try as they might, they couldn't break free. And they couldn't use any techniques because the wood seemed to be sapping their chakra. As they slowly lost consciousness, the last thing they saw was an ANBU mask that seemed to be glaring at them.

The ANBU operative codenamed Tenzo was having a bad day. First, a fire starts starts in the west side of the village and unidentified chakra signatures enter the barrier surrounding the village. ANBU HQ goes into high alert, forcing most of the ANBU to investigate and stem any first wave of invasion. However, it turns out to be a few bandits who say they were paid to cross Konoha's barrier and the fires, although clearly arson, barely did any structural damage and no one was hurt. Tenzo immediately understood it was a set-up and began scouring the village for the real target. And lo and behold, he comes across an attempt on Naruto's life. Even more irritatingly, the ANBU that were on standby to guard him were nowhere to be found. They probably left to investigate the incident on the other side of the village, blatantly ignoring the order that only agents not otherwise occupied should go to investigate. When the Hokage hears about this there's going to be hell to pay he thought to himself as he tied up the perpetrators with a wood clone to take to the Interrogation department and the real him took Naruto to the hospital.

In his mindscape, Naruto was perplexed as he found himself in a murky sewer. He wondered if he died and this where people went to after they were no longer alive. He knew he was in a lot of pain as he saw a lot of angry people hitting him. Maybe his wounds were fatal? As he continued walking deeper into the sewer, he came across large bars like a cage closed off not by a handle but by a large piece of paper with a kanji on it. Then out of nowhere came a enormous fox with shark-like teeth and nine, large tails. As he saw the fox appear, he was initially startled, but he felt no fear. How could he when he was most likely already dead?

"So my container decided to grace me with his presence. Tell, me young one, why have you awoken me from my slumber?" asked the Kyuubi.

"I don't know. I was in a lot of pain, and then I woke up in here. Am I dead?" asked Naruto.

"Yes, you were being attacked by petty and scared humans. But you are not dead. I already healed your most of fatal wounds and am almost done with the rest. I had to use my own, limited chakra to complete the task, so you need to stop letting those worthless humans hurt you or you could actually die, especially if the injuries are so severe that I don't have enough chakra to heal you" answered the Kyuubi.

"If everyone hates my existence and want me dead, then wouldn't it be better that I die?" asked Naruto.

"Don't you get it, human. If you die, then I die. And I'm the Kyuubi. I will not become the dominion of that cursed Shinigami" roared the Kyuubi.

"But what's the point. No one likes me, and I don't belong anywhere. Most people hate me, and many want me dead. I'm just a child. I can't defend myself" Naruto almost shouted back.

Kyuubi was stunned. It was like he wasn't talking to a five year old human, but a defeated warrior. The intelligence and deductive skills of this child far outpace the vast majority of his species even at this young age. However, he's still a child and has yet to form any emotional attachments. If he could this child to see him as parental figure, he could use to gain his freedom at a later date. Yes, this would be sound plan indeed.

"But I like you" answered the Kyuubi. "You have to live for me and in return I will live for you. If you trust and listen to me, I'll protect you from those pitiful humans" answered the Kyuubi.

Naruto stood there as though he was contemplating the Kyuubi's words.

"But I'm human, so why would you like me" asked Naruto finally.

Kyuubi's head started spinning as he tried to come up with a response while also mentally berating himself for the slip up.

"Because you're not like all the other humans. Inside of you lives me, the most powerful demon in the continent. Other humans are pitiful creatures who only care about satiating their own greed and hurting others, particularly you" answered the Kyuubi.

"Wow. That means I'm special" said Naruto as he started to understand why people were always so mean. Seeing the Kyuubi nod, Naruto added "Okay, I'll do what you say as long as you can help me out." "But what should I call you?" he asked.

"Call me Kurama" said the Kyuubi.