Chapter 6
Decisions

Minato was the first to wake the next morning. Sitting up, he rested his feet on the floor, before giving a quiet stretch. Eyes focused, he looked to the floor to see Sasuke and Naruto both still asleep. He gave a small chuckle, hiding the sound in his arm. There before him, sprawled out on the floor was Naruto and he was taking up much of the floor, mostly off this bed roll. After Kiyoko retired for the night, the men decided on their sleeping arrangements. Minato would take the couch while the other two would have the floor. Sasuke chose a corner of the room to sleep.

He seriously could sit there and watch Naruto sleep. He missed out on everything dealing with Naruto. His first word, first step, first day of the academy. He missed it all. But that came with the territory with being a shinobi and he was the Fourth Hokage, who had to put the safety of the village above his own feelings. At least he no longer lost the chance to see Naruto grow into a man.

His thoughts were disrupted when Naruto suddenly gave out a loud snore and Sasuke woke, glaring at the blonde. Immediately, he grabbed his small pillow and threw it at his comrade, hitting him right in the face, causing the man to wake with a grunt.

"Stop snoring you moron!" Sasuke growled.

Minato chuckled once more as Naruto sat up suddenly, surprised by his abrupt rude awakening. "Huh?"

Naruto looked at the pillow, now on his lap, and then to Sasuke. His eyes were immediately wide. "Hey! What was that for!?" He threw the pillow back at Sasuke who easily caught it.

"You were snoring and quite loudly too," Sasuke remarked. "I warned you already you snore loud again, I was going to throw my pillow at you."

"Hey! I was having a good dream! Want to know how long that has been?"

"Probably a long time," Minato interrupted.

Naruto immediately jumped, startled. He was quick to turn to his father. "You're awake!"

"For someone who is a sensory ninja now, you sure still can be clueless," Sasuke muttered, putting his pillow back on the bedroll.

"You're a sensory ninja?" Minato asked.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. Learnt it when I was training with Octopops."

"Who?"

"Octopops. He was Killer Bee, Jinchuriki for the Eight Tails. And he had full control over him."

"I see, that explains a lot," Minato replied as he thought back to that day when he fought Ay and Killer Bee during the Third Shinobi War.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Naruto has a bad habit of naming people different names. As you heard last night called Tsunade, Granny. 'Pervy Sage' is Jiriaya."

Minato chuckled once again. "Yes, I figured that. Jiraiya-Sensei was quite the ladies' chaser. He was even when I was a Genin."

"So Jiriaya was your sensei then?" Sasuke asked.

"Actually, he was," Minato answered. "He was my Jonin sensei after I graduated from the academy." Looking up to the clock, he stood. "How about some breakfast?"

Naruto started drooling. "I've waited forever to have something home cooked. Living in the mountains with only the wild animals living there, it was rough living."

"You moron!" Sasuke once more threw his pillow at Naruto, getting him in the face once more. Naruto lost his footing, falling on his bedroll, causing Minato to burst out laughing. It had been a while since he last laughed and seeing how foolish his son was, it made him wonder if his young son was like that. He hoped so.

By the time Kiyoko woke, she exited her bedroom to the nice smelling of cooked food. "Smells really good," she replied, announcing her presence.

"Dad just finished cooking breakfast!" Naruto exclaimed, nearly drooling at the sight of the home cooked meal. He had no seen such delicious food in many years, not since before the war. "He was just about go and knock to wake you."

Sasuke kept quiet, but instead rolled his eyes. It would seem, even after the harsh years of living in the mountains and dealing with losing everyone they ever cared about, Naruto still could have a childish side.

"Guess I don't have to now," Minato smiled. Putting some eggs on Naruto's plate, which happened to be the last plate to serve.

"Oh," Kiyoko blinked and then smiled. Taking a seat at the empty seat, the four began eating.

Naruto wanted to get teary eyed at how nice it felt to eat at a table and with company. It had been so long. However, the years hardened his emotions and he still had a long way to go before he could truly be at peace. At least his younger self wasn't going to miss out.

"Naruto," Kiyoko began. "I've noticed your eyes. One is black. What happened to it? I do remember you distinctively having two blue eyes, much like your father."

Naruto sighed, taking in the last bite. "Three months after we arrived here, Kakashi-Sensei no longer could handle the pain. Sakura did what she could to prolong his life, as she was trained by Granny Tsunade..." Abruptly stopping, Naruto stood suddenly. "Excuse me a moment." He turned away from the table, going outside. Apparently, he still had some emotions left inside of him.

Kiyoko blinked, confused.

Minato looked to Sasuke. "What happened to Kakashi?"

"With Kakashi's last dying breath, he asked Sakura to remove his sharingan and implant it into Naruto," the Uchiha replied quietly. "Sakura died a couple years later and Sai a couple years after that. Sai was able to hold longer because of his training with Danzo in the Foundation."

"But Kakashi's sharingan doesn't deactivate." Kiyoko could remember a mission she had with him and he had to use his sharingan. It was the whole reason he kept it covered so it wouldn't use his chakra too much.

"I spent 15 years with Naruto, teaching him how to use the sharingan and to deactivate it. He now can activate it at will." Sasuke looked down at his plate, taking the last bite. "Trust me it was no easy feat to teach him how to turn it off so it wouldn't use his chakra."

Minato wiped his mouth with his napkin and stood. "I'll go and talk with Naruto." He had heard enough. It didn't take no rocket scientist to know his son still greatly missed his comrades even after 15 years.

Going to the door, Minato slipped on his shoes and ventured outside, walking over to his son who was now sitting on the swing.

"Naruto?"

"Everyone I ever loved and knew are dead besides Sasuke!" the blonde blurted. "I wasn't able to save them. I couldn't even protect them!"

"All is not lost," Minato started. "You saved my life and for that, I thank you. You gave everyone hope now."

"But they are dead!"

"No, they are not." Minato took a seat on the ground. "I can't imagine what it has been like for you, to have lived your whole life with no friends. And then finally when you have friends, they were ripped way from you. You're haunted by their memories. But you know something, that future you left will no longer happen now. Naruto of this time will not be forced to watch his friends and family die."

"That's what I keep telling myself." Naruto looked at his hands before clenching them into fists.

"You have the chance to make a difference. I bet you probably wanted to be Hokage one day."

"Yeah, I did. That never came true either. I wanted to surpass you and be the best Hokage that ever lived."

"Naruto of this time still has that chance because of you," Minato smiled. "I know things look really grim right now, but you have succeeded in your mission. It's time to take a step back."

"I can't, there's still so much to do." Naruto looked to his father. "I would love to see Pervy Sage again, but for me to learn how to be a toad sage, I have to let him die. And I need the village to be destroyed so Granny Tsunade can decide to have me sent on a secret mission to learn how to control the Nine Tails. Besides Pervy Sage, Pein brings back everyone anyway. Uses that jutsu that brings the dead back, but sacrifices his life in the process."

"The same thing that happened to Lady Chiyo of the Sand," Minato replied. "Kiyoko told me about that. The new Kazekage was a Jinchuriki."

"Gaara. His father was the Fourth Kazekage and he was killed by Orochimaru three years ago, when Orochimaru tricked the Sand into attacking the village."

"I must admit, when I first arrived, I didn't want to believe that 15 years had gone by since the nine tails attack. It was quite hard for me to swallow."

"Sorry about that. I had to act fast to save your life. I wanted to save mom too. It would have been nice to officially meet her."

"Being a shinobi, we don't always have that luxury." Minato greatly still missed his wife, but he was doing well in trying to move on. They were both shinobi and death came with being one.

"Dad, promise me one thing. Can you please make sure my younger self loses control?"

"But I never was given the chance to put a little of my chakra into you. I won't be able to seal the nine tails like what happened to you."

"I have a counter measure for that. I'm sure you know by now what this eye is." He brought a hand to cover the eye a moment.

"Kakashi's sharingan, which belonged to Obito."

"Yeah, that I knew. At first, I didn't want it because then I'd have a piece of that bastard, but then realized it was more Kakashi's than his."

"Kakashi received the eye as a gift from Obito."

"Kakashi-Sensei told me. Said it was a gift from becoming a Jonin and it was to help protect their comrade. I have learned to live with the eye, knowing all the good that was done with it. I will use this eye to project an image of you so you can tell my younger self that you're an after image and you'll reseal the seal."

"Can the sharingan do that?"

"Not normally, no. But in sage mode and combined work of Karuma, it can work. It works like a genjutsu. Besides the sharingan can control the nine tails, all I have to do is get him under control. The moment it starts to break out of planetary devastation, I can then put him in my control for you to get inside. Sasuke once got inside by doing the same thing."

The two went into a moment of silence just as both Kiyoko and Sasuke exited the house, making their way over to him. The two stopped just behind Minato as the man stood. He turned to his housemate.

"Naruto wishes for me to prevent his younger self from fully transforming the day the village is destroyed."

"How will you pull that off?" she asked.

"I will project an image of him into my younger self using the sharingan. It was Kakashi's idea, which is why he insisted I take the sharingan." He looked over to the black haired woman.

"We've been practicing it for a few years now, so it will work," Sasuke stated. "We've had years to prepare for this moment."

"Yes, I can see that," Minato answered. "I will do whatever I can to assist you in achieving your goals. I should be dead, but I'm not and it's thanks to you."

Naruto looked up and gave a sad smile. "Thanks, dad."

"So, what exactly do you need me to do?" Minato asked, referring to what he was to do in the meantime.

"For now, just sit still," Sasuke replied. "Not much can be done until the day Pein attacks. Probably wouldn't hurt to familiarize yourself with the village. I know from your perspective, it hasn't been that long since you were last there. However, much has changed."

"Yes, I've noticed. There's a whole new generation of shinobi and from what I've been told, they do the village justice," Minato smiled.

Naruto looked to Kiyoko. "You know I don't remember seeing you much in the village before the war. Now, I see why. But why the safe house?"

"My reasons, are my own," she answered.

Minato looked at her. Whatever was bothering her, he was going to need to pull it out of her. Something happened to have her go on medical leave and not often a shinobi, let alone a kunoichi, go on leave for this long. Many kunoichi do tend to retire from active duty when they begin to raise a family.

Sighing, Minato turned back to his son. "How am I to stop the war before it starts?"

Sasuke looked to Minato. "Obito will disrupt the Hokage Summit and declare the war. I will also be there to stop Danzo. In fact, I end up disrupting the summit more than Obito does."

"But there's going to be a big difference this time," Naruto stated, brows knitted together. "Danzo will not be Hokage. You will be."

Minato took a double take as his eyes widened.

"Wait a minute," Kiyoko stated, bringing up her hand, speaking for Minato. "You just said Danzo is at the summit as Hokage."

Naruto gave a devilish smile. "After Pein destroys the village, Granny Tsuande goes into a coma, Danzo takes this opportunity to take the Hokage position. From what I've heard he always wanted to be Hokage."

Minato thought a moment. "When Lord Second was alive, during the First Shinobi war, both Danzo and the Third Hokage were on a team. Lord Second was their Captain. During one mission, he asked for Danzo to do something and he refused, Third Hokage did it instead and from that, Lord Second's last command was for Sarutobi to become the next Hokage if he didn't make it."

"So Danzo was ousted as Hokage all because he failed to do something," Sasuke snorted. "Figures he would be a coward. And then ever since then, he had a grudge against the Third Hokage."

"Yes, before I became Hokage, Lord Third made Danzo his second in command and he created the Foundation. It was the least he could do to try and keep the peace with Danzo. I wanted to put a stop to it after becoming Hokage, but I never had the chance to do so. There's something about him that gives me shivers and not the type that are the good kind."

"Trust me, Danzo is not a good person." Sasuke smirked. "He is the one who commanded my brother to kill all the Uchiha, including innocent children. I was spared because my brother wanted me to pour all my anger and hatred onto him. He wanted me and me alone to take him down as payment for what he was forced to do."

Kiyoko gasped while Minato looked somewhat disgusted. How could a man of Konoha do something so cruel? It was despicable. To kill innocent children all because their parents did something against the village, that was beyond unforgivable. Just the very mention of the man's name was giving him a bad taste in his mouth.

"Knowing Danzo, he will be pissed that you returned from the dead and assumed being Hokage. He will no doubt try and overthrow you while at the summit."

Minato quirked a brow. "And I suppose you'll make sure he goes?"

"I'm sure a little push wouldn't hurt. Don't worry though, he won't make it officially to the summit, my younger self will no doubt see to that. Originally, Danzo was caught having a sharingan in one eye, which he stole. And when that happened, he managed to slip out of the kage meeting while I was trying to take him down but was distracted by a samurai. That man died by my hands, but this time around, I want him to be humiliated."

"Sasuke, isn't that a little extreme, don't you think?" Minato knew arguing about the matter was useless but it did strike his curiosity why the change.

"Maybe," Sasuke answered. "But he is the very reason my clan is dead. He made Itachi kill the clan all because they were planning a coup d'état."

"Seriously?!" Minato blinked. Bringing his hand up to his face, he lightly pressed his finger and thumb to his chin. His other hand came up to rest against his elbow. "I never knew. Perhaps if I had lived, I could have stopped it."

Naruto shook his head. "None of that matters. Dad you would be dead now if I didn't send you to the future. So, whether I interfered or not, you wouldn't be here."

"I know." Minato turned away a moment. He wished there was another way to have stopped the nine tails. The more he was learning, the harder it was hitting him on how much he had missed out. "Alright, so after the attack on the village, I interrupt the meeting with the Feudal Lord and make sure I am appointed Hokage, stopping Danzo. What then?"

"You will then travel to the Land of Iron where the Kage summit will take place. There you'll stop Obito from announcing the war," Naruto continued. "Do whatever needs to be done to ensure the war is not declared."

"You realize Obito, won't take that laying down," Minato pointed out. "If what you tell me is true and Obito has turned away from his village and become malicious, it will be difficult to have him back down."

"We know," Sasuke answered. "But it will slow his plans down for us to put a full stop to his creation of the poison."

"Gaara, will no doubt side with you on the matter," Naruto added. "Gaara was captured by the Akatuski and the One Tail was extracted from him."

"Yes, I told him about the Kazekage being captured and his people asked for our assistance," Kiyoko replied. "But what does Obito have to do with the Akatuski?"

"Obito, currently is the secret leader though allows everyone to think Pein is," Sasuke answered. "Naruto will defeat Pein in the end and then Obito begins to take an active roll since by then there will only be a couple left. Zetsu, Kisame Hoshigaki and himself. Myself and a few of Orochimaru's experiments will form a team and later join the Akatsuki for a brief period of time. But after obtaining the Eight Tails, at least we thought we did, we left so I could pursue my goal."

"Why did you hand the Eight Tails over?" Minato asked, looking perplexed.

"At the time, I really didn't care," the Uchiha answered. "I was so angry with the Leaf for what they did, I was blaming everyone."

Kiyoko blinked and then gave Sasuke a hard look. "You're going to stop him aren't you? You're going to prevent him from teaming up with Obito."

Sasuke shook his head. "No, I'm going to prevent him from killing Danzo."

"Dad, I know this is hard for you to understand, but seeing Sasuke and I are proof that everything turns out fine. Obito doesn't get the Eight Tails as I was trained by him after that event happened."

Minato sighed in relief. "That's good to know."

"As much as we would like to remain, we can't," Sasuke announced suddenly. "We can't stay here for fear of being discovered."

"No worse than with Minato here," Kiyoko pointed out.

"True, but we still need to make some provisions," Naruto answered. "There's still plenty to do."

"No," Minato interrupted. "You both can stay here. I must stay hidden as well, so I can't see why you two have to leave. Besides this will give me time to get to know you, Naruto. You can help me to be prepared for when I meet my young son. If you two need to leave for any reason, you can do so but you can feel safe while you're here. I've been here for a few months now and in that time, no one has come around. Only the Hokage knows of this safe house"

"Minato, are you sure?" Kiyoko asked, somewhat discouraged. "It would be a little cramped here."

"I have to prepare myself for the day when the village is attacked," he argued. "I'm sure Naruto and Sasuke will not be any trouble."

Kiyoko sighed. This was not how she wanted to spend the remaining time of her medical leave. Of course before she was able to go back to active duty, she had to be tested and she wasn't sure if she was ready to face her demons.

"What do you think Sasuke?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke looked around. "Well you two are both sensory ninjas, you'll be able to be on the look out for any uninvited guests." He then sighed. "I suppose I can't see why not. However, I must tend to another matter."

"You mean..." Naruto began. "Yeah. You have your job and I have mine."

"Why do I get the feeling I'm missing something?" Kiyoko asked, looking between the two older shinobi.

Sasuke looked to the woman. "There are a few things I need to do, to ensure we're successful. I'm sure you remember Kabuto?" He watched her nod, remembering. "Well he too plays a roll in the war. I must stop him."

"Be careful, Sasuke," Naruto replied.

" I always am." The Uchiha went to turn to leave.

"Wait! I have something for you before you go." Kiyoko rushed back into the house and moments later came out with a handful of instant ramen. "You will need some food to take with you. I hope this will work for you." She wasn't all for the idea of them staying there, but she wasn't going to be rude.

Sasuke was mildly surprised by the generosity of the woman. He had never had someone give him something before. "Thank you." Grateful, he took the food. Setting it down for the moment, he then returned to the house, exiting moments later with his backpack and cloak. Pulling his backpack out, he tossed the food inside. "I will first refill my water canteen and then be on my way. Minato, thank you for breakfast. It's been a long time since having such wonderful food."

"You're welcome," Minato smiled, tilting his head, giving an eye crinkle. "I wish I could have done more."

"Oh, trust me, there is plenty for you to help with," Naruto added. "Good luck Sasuke."

"You too, Naruto." With his backpack on his back and cloak over his body, he turned away and jumped into the nearby trees, jumping out of sight of the safe house.

Minato turned to Naruto, as soon as Sasuke was out of sight. "Perhaps we could spar a bit. I need to sharpen my skills since I've been out of commission for the past couple months, recuperating."

"Sounds like a good idea," Naruto smiled. "You want to come along?"

Kiyoko lifted her hand. "No. I have to go into the village and get some more supplies. I also must speak with the Hokage on a personal matter."

"But..." Naruto began.

"It's alright, Naruto," Minato held up his hand in front of the older Uzumaki. "She does travel to the village almost on a daily basis. I will see you later then Kiyoko."

"I will return as soon as I can. I promise, Naruto. I will not speak about what has transpired here in the last 24 hours." She then turned away from the men and began to make her way towards the village.

Minato looked at his son, quite interested on what his son knew. It would give him a hint of what sort of abilities his young son had. But being sure his skills were up to par was not his only goal. He was going to have to familiarize himself with the village and those who lived there, so when the time came for him to become Hokage, no one would be able to challenge his authority.

There was much to do and only so little time to do it in. He knew before long the appointed time would be upon and he also had to figure out what was wrong with Kiyoko. She was hiding something and he knew she was going to have to let it out or she was going to lose her position in being a ninja. But he also knew he was going to approach the matter very delicately and Naruto nor Sasuke couldn't be anywhere near when the day came.