Aljan Moonfire does not own Naruto or any other recognizable references.

Prolouge (I) - A Family of Shinobi

When people, responsible people that is, decide to have children, they swear that they will do all they can to protect their child. That no matter what they will always be there for them. To dry their tears when they cry, to warm them when they're cold, to pick them up when they first fall down, to watch with pride as they learn to do it for themselves. The first word, the first step, the first tantrum , the first kunai throw - though that's really more for shinobi families - when they truly want a child, parents swear in their deepest hearts to be there for it all.

Namikaze Minato, as he finally collapsed beside his new born child, half-on, half-off the ceremonial pedestal, knew that with his last shuddering breath he would do something he had sworn to never do. He would break all of those promises, all at once. A single tear, caught in his eyelashes, trembling over the short fall to the loose, torn earth, displayed his turmoil to the world.

He was in too much pain to notice, or care even if he had.

They were a family of shinobi, he thought wearily as he slowly managed to push himself off the pedestal with the last of his quickly fading strength. He landed heavily on his back – the pain ripped through his torn body once again - beside his unnaturally silent wife. He didn't think he'd ever seen her so still, even when she was sleeping. Kushina was never that still – ever.

He closed his eyes to the unbearable sight, the heavy, silent pain of that realization sinking deep into his chest. The chakra exhaustion, severe blood loss, and the now empty and gaping hole that had been driven through his shoulder and upper torso by the Kyuubi's massive claw were quickly taking the last of their toll on him.

He was dying – he could feel it. Kushina was already dead, he knew. He could hear the wailing of his newborn daughter somewhere above and to the left, where he had settled her mere minutes ago. He so wanted to get up, hold her, comfort her; assure her that everything would be alright, even if it wasn't…but he couldn't. The numb, dead feeling in his furthermost appendages was rapidly spreading.

They were a family of shinobi. He couldn't stop the despairing laugh that welled up in his torn, nigh useless, lungs. The harsh, pained sound was half-choked by a sticky dribble of blood that emerged from the corner of his lips along with it.

He suddenly couldn't think of a worse thing to be a family of.

He was so wrapped in his pain and quickly scattering thoughts that he almost didn't notice when his old mentor and predecessor slowly approached him from the side, his steps as habitually near-silent as ever, but still slow and reluctant. He didn't blame him.

"Hey -" more blood bubbled in his throat as he spoke; he stretched his bloodstained lips out and slightly upwards in a parody of his usual wide grin, "Sarutobi…sama…" Minato gasped, somehow managing to get Third Hokage's surname out even as more blood suddenly spurted again from his most severe and gaping wound.

"Why, Minato?" The other asked over the sounds of the crying child and the dying man's pants. He ignored the silent group of Anbu that had accompanied him and sunk slowly to his knees beside his successor. "Why didn't you let any of us help you…?"

Minato hesitated to speak for a long moment, before his eyes hardened; even in his nearly helpless state the Fourth Hokage of Konohagakure answered slowly, his steady words obstructed by his injuries. "….Sandaime-sama…when I…took this hat from you…I…promised…with everything that I am…that I would protect this village with my life."

"But, Mina -" The Third cut himself off, once again taking in the full extent of Minato's injuries and suddenly realizing that nothing he could say would change anything at this point. He suddenly wished, not for the first time, that he had taken the time to learn more than just basic medical techniques over the course of his long life, though he knew that not even his old student could have saved his successor now. Bowing his head slightly, the sadness in his eyes covered by the shadows of his battle helmet, he nodded, and made to speak, but before he could Minato instigated his last conversation on this earth.

"Saru -" He swallowed harshly, choking back more blood with a harsh swallow, "Kushina..." he trailed off helplessly, not even having the energy to turn his head in his wife's direction again.

Sarutobi looked to the slender female Anbu that was checking on the crimson-haired woman and grimaced when the kunoichi shook her head silently. He looked back to the dying blond and his eyes saddened further at the despair already present on Minato's face.

"…You already know the answer to that, Minato." He said quietly, unwilling to actually put voice to the sheer, inescapable fact of the woman's death.

The Fourth blinked furiously a few times, his lips tightening harshly and then relaxing a tad. It wouldn't be long until he'd be with his beloved red-head again. He nodded slowly in an effort not to jostle his injuries too much and somehow managed to move his hand enough to grip at the elder man's wrist harshly. He locked suddenly intense blue eyes with the saddened gaze of his predecessor and made one last request of him. "…Take…care of…her…old man."

"Her?" Sarutobi was silent for a split second, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Who?"

"My…daughter." Minato stated, tears hovering somewhere beyond the surface of his eyes. He titled his head towards the ceremonial pedestal to his left.

The Third quickly removed Minato's hand from his wrist and rose to his feet, moving swiftly to remove the squalling child from the elevated stand. Still surprised, he resisted the urge to check for himself before returning to his successor's side. "I thought you two were going to have a boy?" he couldn't help but ask, even though the opposite was obviously true. This tiny girl couldn't be anyone but Minato's child with that vivid, spiky golden-blonde hair and ridiculously blue eyes.

Minato laughed harshly and silently, copper blood flooding his throat again for a moment. He choked it back as quickly as he could, and suddenly realized that he couldn't feel any of his extremities anymore. He couldn't have moved his hand to touch his daughter one last time even if he wanted to. He struggled to finish choking back the liquid before he replied, deciding to ignore the lack of sensation for now. "We…did too. I suppose it…might be…better this way…in the end." Every other Kyuubi Jinchuuriki had been female; he supposed that tradition was now aptly carried on.

His eyes glued to the now quiet, but still wide-eyed, child, he smiled slightly – a painful quirk of the lips - as the girl's solemn gaze turned to regard him. "I love you…my daughter…my legacy. No…matter what…you choose to…do…in the uncertain future… You are…the true hero tonight, Namikaze-Uzumaki…Noriko." His eyes flicked up meet Sarutobi's for a brief moment before turning back to his child. "Make sure…they know that too…old man."

"Yes," Sarutobi swallowed back his own pain at the sight of quickly fading man to answer, "I will."

Minato made no indication that he had heard him though, as he finally closed his eyes for the last time. He whispered it brokenly on his last breath, his darkening mind filled with images of his wife's long red hair and wide smile, the bright blue of his daughter's eyes, her tiny, precious hands. His browed furrowed ever so slightly before smoothing. He still couldn't believe she had his hair…

"I…love…you..."

After a moment or so of unbearable silence the soon to be reinstated Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, moved forward to quickly check the now still man's pulse. He closed his eyes in despair as, as anticipated, he felt nothing beneath his fingers.

The Yondaime Hokage was dead.

Holding the girl gently to his chest, he bowed his head in respect for a long moment, the Anbu behind him mirroring the action. He then stood, and his eyes softened as he watched the baby hesitantly, and then loudly, begin to cry for a mother and father that would never answer her tears again – were never even able to answer them in the first place. Gently running a few fingers through the soft tuft of blond hair on her head he rocked her gently in a motion he'd, if not perfected, at least become proficient at over the course of raising three children of his own. It took quite a while for the infant to calm down, but once she was reduced to mere sniffles, but was barely awake, he spoke.

"You will have many hardships laying in front of you, my dear. I will do all I can to help you on your journey, Noriko-chan." He then turned to the three Anbu that had stoically watched on. "Everything you heard here is now an S-class secret. Speak of this to no one." He gave them a hard look. "Now, seal their bodies and the pedestal – leave no traces. It's time to go back."

Author's Note

So, here it is: the rewrite. I'm honestly glad that I decided to do it, especially now that I'm done with this first part of it. And, you should also know that since I'm posting this (this prologue in particular has been done since late December of 2012) I have also completed rewrites of all of the chapters up to where I left off in Noriko: The Beginning – in other words, this is written and completed, aside from last minute check overs, edits, and revisions, well into the obligatory Chunin Exam Arc.

I will post a new chapter steadily - once every two or three weeks, most likely - until I run out of pre-written chapters. And that might take a while, since after the rewrite I have many more chapters than I originally did to actually post.

For those of you that are coming back to read this after reading my first try of this story, some things will remain the same, but others will be very different. I hope you enjoy it anyway. For those of you that haven't read it yet, but want to, that version will be kept up indefinitely. Comparisons between the two versions (positive or negative) might even be viable fodder for reviews…Just saying. Any reviews are welcome and appreciated though, regardless of their content.

~ Aljan Moonfire