Hey gang, new story.

Basic premise is that rather than the Kyuubi, Naruto is sealed with the Queen Mother of the Xenomorphs. I would like to thank my beta ABitterPill for brainstorming.

Chapter 1: Life Finds a Way

"For a time, I considered sparing your wretched life…but now…"

"My only regret is not seeing your face when you find out what I have planned for you and this pathetic village… You'll. Just. Die."

- Final words between Uzumaki Gito (Uzushiogakure Leader) and convict Uzumaki Mitsuhide (13th Xeno-jinchuuriki) before his execution for the crime of xeno-smuggling.

0o0o0o

All is lost. All is lost.

Uzumaki Gito was a born optimist; the glass was halfway full. But he could not help but feel despair as he stood at the top of central administration tower watching the village slip into absolute anarchy.

His village.

Uzushiogakure.

"Sir! We lost the third outpost. They've fallen!" He heard a colleague, most likely a chunin, cry out in terror, slowly is comprehending the situation they were in. "Oh Kami! They killed Katiya! They killed her!"

"GET IT TOGETHER!" There was the sound of an audible smack. "Keep it together, Marni or I swear I will kill you!"

Gito gazed out the window, of the central headquarters only to see a black void. The only problem is, if Gito's watch was accurate was that it should have been broad daylight.

"They're outside." Gito growled. "The building's defensive shield will hold, but not for long."

"Father, what do we do?!" Gito sighed as he turned to his daughter, Rika, looking at her round face, bright green eyes, and blood red flowing hair. Gito mused at his daughter. She was the youngest of fourteen children. Admittedly when he first heard news about Rika, he was unsure about whether he wanted another child, especially at his age. However, all that doubt went away when Gito held her in his arms.

Rika was one of fourteen, but that was before the infection. Now she is the last. Seven years old, brilliant, funny and extraordinarily beautiful, and no that was not paternal pride. She had a smile that could light up a room. Only she was not smiling, she was frightened, her eyes quivering in fear. "What do we do?"

"We can only hold out as long as we can." Gito mused turning back to the void. "The Five Great Nations our outside, they will get here soon."

No they won't.

Gito ruffled his maroon spiky hair in frustration. This was his village; he was not exactly a 'kage' but he was the closest Uzushiogakure had. The citizens of this village trusted him with their future, their children's future and now that along with everything else is about to go up in smoke, and all under his watch.

"Gito-sama...Sir?" The old leader turned to his nervous second in command, a man about eighteen years old, a recently promoted jounin. This was not Gito's actual second in command, she was killed during the original containment breach several days ago.

"What is it, kid?" Gito felt so old.

"Sir, we're down to twenty people. There is still about two pockets of resistance on the eastern side but they are about to be overrun." The young jounin. "I have contact with our reinforcements from the Five Great Nations."

"And?"

"They can't get to us." The jounin gulped. "There are too many xeno's, the outbreak has formed a stage three hive. There are heavies out there and they are blocking the main entrance and exit points."

Gito nodded, that was actually better than expected, anything more than stage three and the outbreak would spread beyond the island. So Uzushio is still contained...at least for now.

"Predicted time of rescue?" The look on the jounin's face said it all, but answered nonetheless.

"They said it would take four hours before they can get to us." The jounin grunted as he left the room.

And the emergency containment barrier I surrounded the building with will last less than thirty minutes. Great. Gito owlishly blinked his eyes surveying the room filled with the last members of his village and his family. They were all so afraid, and with good reason, their attacker is not something to be taken likely.

"Father..." The old leader felt his daughter tug on his war uniform. "I'm scared."

Gito dropped his lead facade and embraced the role of a father. He smiled down at his daughter, or at least tried to. "Now Rika-chan, I know you're afraid, I am too."

She teared up and let out a half chuckle. "You're never afraid."

"Oh I am. But you can't let it control you." He knelt down so that they met at eye level. "You have to stay strong. Stay strong for me." Gito for a brief moment paused, and wondered if he was saying that for her or for himself. His thoughts were brought back to the present as he felt a small girl wrap her arms tightly around him in a hug.

"I miss mom." She sobbed.

"I know." Gito returned the hug. "I miss her too."

"I don't want to die." Gito nearly broke hearing his own daughter in despair. Gito dare not say a word, for fear his voice would break out into cries. "I don't want to die like mom."

"You won't." Gito put on his best 'leader' voice.

"You promise?" Rika released her father from her embrace to look him in the eyes. Gito would have loved nothing more than to leap out of the barrier and face the xeno's outside, allowing himself to be taken and harvested. It was what he deserved. But he could not leave Rika alone, and Gito knew that there was only one way he could keep the promise his daughter asked him to make.

"Father?...Daddy?"

All is lost.

"I promise." Rika let one of her precious smiles escape her lips. That was all Gito needed to do what he had to do.

Rika never felt her father's senbon needle enter the back of her head just under the second vertebrae. Her body went completely limp in his arms and a small gasp escaped her lips. The light in her eyes were immediately extinguished, the look on her face was still one of happiness of hope. That was the only thing Gito could offer his daughter.

Gito held her tightly, and as he removed the needle from her, he wondered what kind of hell he has condemned himself to. However, that was brief, what mattered was that Rika, his darling daughter was no longer a part in this chaos. If eternal damnation was the price to ensure she stayed free from the terror that awaited her outside, he could deal with it.

However, he so desperately wanted to cry. To let go.

But it is not time to do so yet.

"Oh...fuck." Gito turned to face a rather horrified chunin who still had trouble contemplating what he just saw. In fact, everyone in the room turned to their leader in combination of sadness and fear. The old leader placed Rika gently on the floor, looking at her now she almost seemed to be sleeping, having one of her fantastic dreams.

He slowly got up and rounded on the chunin, who was currently and nervously fiddling with a kunai in his pouch, prepared to defend himself. "W-w-wait sir! Please!"

"Relax son." Gito croaked. "I am no longer in any state to harm anyone else."

"B-but-" The chunin stared in absolute terror at his leader, his hands were shaking so badly the kunai nearly fell out of his hands. "W-what about rescue?!"

"There is no rescue boy." Gito sighed as he moved past him, the nervous subordinate trailing him with wide eyes.

"But the nations-"

"Won't get here in time." Gito interrupted. He proceeded through to the main office and glanced around the room. There was his jounin second in command and on the radio was a young rookie girl, she still looked like she was in the academy.

"Report."

"Well sir, we..." The jounin trailed off as he glanced at the horrified chunin who slowly staggered out of the room. Gito had to admire his second in command join the dots so quickly. "Rika-chan?" Gito barely had the ability to nod much less speak. The jounin sighed, realising that if Gito-sama, the leader of Uzushiogakure was willing to do...that, then apparently they were all completely screwed.

"Well we just lost contact with the resistance on the eastern side." The jounin frowned. "So the hive will now focus all its attention on us."

"I see..." Gito moved towards the radio waving aside the rookie who seemed preoccupied hiding her tears. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder inviting her to step aside which she did so reluctantly. "Put me through to the Five Nations."

The rookie paused before adjusting a small dial on the radio "R-r-ready, sir."

Gito took a deep breath before he spoke into the mike. "This is Gito, can anyone read me?"

"Gito-san?" An old voice replied over the static. "Good to hear you."

"Sarutobi-sama?" Gito could not help but smile considering the situation. "Figured you would be out there."

"Please Gito-san, no need for formalities." The old voice chuckled.

"Hiruzen..." Gito sighed. "It is nice to hear a friendly voice."

"Well it is not just us out here." The former Hokage mused. "There is quite a few of us out here. Iwa, Kiri, even Kumo have made an appearance. Killer Bee-san and Minato-san are out here."

"The hachibi jurinchiki and the Yellow Flash?" Gito could not help but feel pride at receiving so much help.

"The same." Hiruzen's tone took a more serious turn. "Look Gito, we will get to you but it will be at least two or three hours before we can breach the barrier those blasted xeno's have set up."

"Barrier?" Gito was confused, and for a brief moment terrified. These creatures cannot use seals...can they?

"Sorry, they have generated some kind of bioelectric field out there." Hiruzen explained. "It is causing havoc with Minato's Hirashin no Jutsu. Konoha is trying to burn its way through but the xeno's are fighting tooth and nail. Kiri is currently underwater trying to dig an underground tunnel in with the help of Iwa shinobi...but apparently the xeno's have laid traps everywhere."

"Containment?"

"One hundred percent." Hirzuen quipped. "Don't worry Gito, they will not get off the island. I promise. How are you holding up?"

"Not well." Gito choked. "There is less than twenty of us and we are all locked up in the tower. The barrier will not hold out for long; half an hour at most."

Hiruzen went eerily quiet on the other end"...just sit tight, we'll get to you..."

"No you won't." Gito chuckled. "You are a terrible liar Hiruzen."

"You can't give up..."

"I'm afraid we can." Gito inched his face close to the microphone. "I'm not going to let what is left of my village be turned into cattle."

"What would you have me do then?"

"Do what you would do if this was an ordinary infestation." Gito did not have to turn around to see the faces of his men and women go pale as white sheets. In an ordinary infestation you just blow up the area to kingdom come.

"Wait a minute!" One chunin cried out. He was quickly silenced by the jounin who delivered a hard shot to the gut. The objecting chunin quickly fell to the floor groaning in pain.

"Shut up. All of you." The jounin commanded, and very few were willing to challenge him.

"...I can't do that." Hiruzen's response was resolute.

"Yes you can."

"No." Hiruzen was adamant. "You are one of my oldest friends. I would never do that to you."

"Hiruzen, you are as stubborn as the day I met you. All is lost Hiruzen!" Gito slammed his hands into the desk. "I repeat, all is lost! Do you want me to spell it out for you?!"

"But-"

"Let me break this down, this is a simple case of mathematics, you won't get here for at least two hours. The barrier, the last defence in my arsenal is breaking in about twenty minutes." Gito growled. "So save us the pain of being infected and end it. If you don't do it now, I will make it easy for you. I will drop the barrier and let them take us. Do you want that?"

"No!" Hiruzen yelled. "Gito be rational, we just need more time."

"There has to be another way." Another voice broke into the conversation. It was far younger, but there was no doubt a strong sense of maturity behind it. "We don't abandon our allies Gito-sama."

"Minato-san?"

"Indeed."

"Young man have you ever encountered a xeno infestation before?"

"...No."

"I have. So has Hiruzen-san." Gito ground his teeth. "There is no other way out. Believe me I know."

"I refuse to accept this." The Yondaime began yelling out orders to someone else telling them to pick up the pace. Gito had heard of Minato, and Jiraya's greatest pupil'. That would explain his tenacity, his strength and unbelievable stubbornness.

"Son, I admire your bravery, but I was just told that the ability that made you so famous is useless is it not." Gito was an old man, he enjoyed giving barbs to young upstarts.

"Yes but-"

"This is just one of many things a stage three hive can do." Gito sighed. "Believe me they only get stronger. Tell Killer Bee to charge up a tailed beast bomb and target the village."

"Gito-sama-" Minato sounded incredibly flustered.

"Son...please...don't make me beg." Gito croaked. The silence on the line was almost deafening.

"Gito-sama, is this really what you want. What all of you want?" Gito felt the sounds of several people enter the room and all eyes on him. He turned to gaze at the remnants of Uzushiogakure. He saw people of all ages, and backgrounds, but they all had Uzumaki lineage, so they were all family.

All of them were terrified, especially the younger ones who wanted to escape. Although they remained silent, their eyes screamed out 'no'. However, the older ones were more accustomed to life and death and they realised the chances were abysmal. Like the younger ones, they said nothing, but their eyes indicated they were in state of acceptance.

"Yes." Gito sighed. One of the younger shinobi was about to cry out in objection only to get silenced by the jounin. "Give the order. Tell Killer Bee to keep on firing until there is nothing left."

"...okay." Minato sighed. "I'll clear it with Kumo. It will be ready in less than ten minutes."

The young Hokage got off the line to leave his predecessor to contemplate the situation. "Gito, this is insane."

"If there is another way, believe me I would take it." Gito almost sounded rehearsed. "Besides the longer you wait, the higher the chance the hive will reach stage four. If that happens then we will be in deeper shit than we already are."

"You are not one for vulgarity Gito." The former Hokage chuckled. "It is unbecoming."

"Just highlighting the seriousness of the situation." Gito quipped.

"Do you want me to stay on the line?"

"Hiruzen, what am I? Twelve?" Gito scoffed. "You sound like my mother."

Hiruzen let out a full blown laugh, which Gito reluctantly joined in. "Well in that case...goodbye Gito, and...good luck." With that the radio went dead.

Gito stared blankly at the radio until he heard what sounded like something heavy dropping. The young academy student, the radio operator was on the ground knees tucked into her chest, cradling herself in the foetal position. Staring at the last of his family he tried to think of something to say.

Nothing really came to mind except...

"I'm sorry." Gito muttered. "For...everything."

"With all due respect Gito-sama;" the chunin that witnessed the death of Rika cried out, "what the fuck do we do now?!"

"...do whatever you have to." Gito moved away from the main office back into his private viewing room, back to Rika. "Do whatever you see fit...out there, in here. It doesn't matter."

He closed the door behind him and slowly moved towards his little girl. Sitting himself on the floor he picked her up and placed her on his lap, stroking her red hair. She still looked so peaceful, bringing back fond memories of when Gito used to tell her bedtime stories.

With that Gito let go, his eyes watering until tears streamed down its cheeks.

"Rita-chan, it's almost over."

0o0o0o

Uzushiogakure was a long standing ally of Konohagakure; a partner nation. The rule went that if one village or nation was destroyed, the other would inherit its assets: shinobi, territory, property, trade secrets, finances…everything. In Konoha's case, it also meant they inherited the Queen Mother.

Naturally like any estate there were arguments as to who got what and villages like people can be petty and treacherous when money or power are involved. Strangely enough, almost all the nations agreed that the Queen Mother was Konoha's property.

Although Konoha was entitled, they reluctantly accepted it. Being host to the Queen Mother carried risk. The exact same risk that destroyed Uzushio. The Queen Mother was, in effect, a fail-safe or rather a fail-deadly item. Like the xenomorph itself, you don't dare attack the village hosting it. Doing so can result in very unpleasant consequences.

Konoha had ended up with a complete mess ever since.

Thanks to Uzumaki Mitsuhide and his treachery, he took Uzushiogakure and the secrets of the xeno-jinchuuriki with him to his grave. The Uzumaki, longstanding allies and the only viable candidates to be xeno-jinchuuriki, were all but extinct.

Konoha decided to transplant the Queen Mother into a girl who was part of the Konoha-Uzushio exchange program: Uzumaki Kushina.

The other Great Nations feared the balance of power had been permanently shifted in Konoha's favour. There were whispers of war, followed by actual threats of war if Konoha did not do something to ensure the balance of the ninja world.

The Yondaime already a soldier of the previous war finally acquiesced to international pressure and gave into their demands. Peace was guaranteed, for a time at least.

The rest as they say, is history.

0o0o0o

"Orochimaru." The woman spoke. "We need to talk."

"Well if you seek an audience, then you have most certainly earned it." The pale snake like man smiled. "How did you find me?"

"I have been blessed with many gifts." Several black serpent like creatures crawled out of the shadows beside her. "As well as friends."

"Ah…" Orochimaru licked his lips in interest. "The xeno-jinchuuriki, I am honoured. I never would have thought to meet one at least not on friendly terms like this."

"We are not friends."

"The fact you and your…loyal servants, have not tried to hack me to death says otherwise." Orochimaru's smile earned a threatening hiss from the xeno guarding their master. "In my book that makes us friends, at the very least acquaintances. I was under the impression that xeno soldiers were strictly forbidden. How did you get so many?"

"Facehuggers are just as effective if not more so than any kunai." She stroked the ridge of one of the soldiers who seemed to lean into her touch like a cat. "Besides, your men volunteered the moment they attacked me."

The snake like man chuckled in amusement. "That would explain why no one has tried to come to my aid. So why pray tell come to me? Did you make a small detour on your journey?"

"I am not here on a field trip." The woman flung a few strains of her blood red hair out of the way. "I am here on business."

"Business?" The snake sannin raised a brow. "What kind?"

"Personal."

"I like that kind." Orochimaru gestured to a nearby chair. "Take a seat if you want."

"I prefer to stand." The woman stood firm, the xeno soldiers slowly backed away giving her some room. "My business is simple, I want you to help me conceive a child."

To any man's credit, they would react with similar surprise, horror and keen interest. Orochimaru may have been treacherous, and some would say 'evil' sociopath who was obsessed with immortality; but he was a man. Standing there arms limp at his sides, eyes wide and mouth open he could barely muster a response. "…what."

"Not like that!" She yelled out. A blush was apparent once she realised how many ways her statement could have been taken. "Don't flatter yourself!"

Orochimaru immediately regained his composure and let out a cheeky smile. "Well, if not me then who is the lucky man?"

"None of your concern."

"Well I hate to be the bearer of bad news but xeno-jinchuuriki cannot have children. Your acidic nature prevents this. Many a man and woman died because of that problem." Orochimaru waved away the request as a childish fantasy. "Besides you have plenty of children, they are right next to you and I think I made them cross."

The woman silenced the hissing of her guards before glaring back at him. "They are the children of the Queen Mother that lies inside of me. I want a child that is my own. I know I cannot conceive as I am now, but you can help me."

"Really? How so?"

"Don't play coy with my Orochimaru, you are a gifted scientist." The woman began to grow irritated. "You have created many things, some said were impossible to make. You brought extinct bloodlines back to the world; you created clones and altered gene structures. If anyone can help me, it is you."

"I love flattery, it is always so accurate." Orochimaru crossed his arms smugly. "Why precisely should my keen intellect be wasted on what seems a trivial quest such as yours?"

"Because if you refuse, I'll get cross and we know what happens then." Several xeno's hissed in unison, crawling closer towards the snake sannin. Orochimaru remained incredibly calm; in fact he found it funny. "Besides I think the challenge is enough to interest you."

"Well, I have always wanted to work with a xeno-jinchuuriki… and it is a unique venture." Orochimaru rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You have my upmost attention at least. What of the matter of payment?"

"I have money." The woman sounded confident. "Any price you throw out, I can meet it."

"Bold claim." Orochimaru found her response to be childish but he did not doubt the red head. "But I have plenty of money already. But there is something else I want."

"What is that?"

Orchimaru's eyes glinted in the darkness. "Well, how about an egg?"

It was the woman's turn to look dumbstruck. "What?"

"One egg, with one facehugger." Orochimaru smiled triumphantly. "That's the deal."

Several of the xenos turned to their master, their heads tilted in curiosity. "Why would you want a xeno egg?"

"That is none of your concern." The snake sannin smiled. "Do we have a deal?"

The woman stood silent for what seemed like hours. Giving xeno material, especially to someone like Orochimaru was wrong both as far as her personal code went, not to mention it was a flat out crime. The sentence of xeno smuggling was death; not even the xeno-jinchuuriki was exempt.

On the other hand, she desperately wanted this so much. Despite knowing it was wrong. Every day was a maddening experience, driven by an instinct that could no longer be ignored. The choice wasn't really a choice. "Deal, but only when your work is finished. After that, you get one egg with one facehugger. If your work fails; I find you, I kill you and take the facehugger back."

"That sounds fair." Orochimaru approached the woman, the xenos hissing in objection but made no move to attack. "Shall we shake on it?"

If there was never a more appropriate analogy for a deal with the devil it was this. However in this case, it was two devils and one of them had a very short fuse, an entire army in waiting and bled acid. She reached up and took his hand in her own.

"Marvellous." Orochimaru smiled. "So Konoha does not really know you are here?" The woman slowly shook her head. An expression of guilt more than apparent on her face. "No."

"I like this business arrangement more and more." Orochimaru could only imagine the look on his sensei's face when he finds out. "So do you have a name?"

The woman remained silent for a moment. "My name is Uzumaki Kushina."

"Well, Uzumaki Kushina, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful business relationship." Orochimaru did a half turn and gestured further into his labyrinth. "Shall we begin?"

0o0o0o

Many years later, the incident known as 'The End of Uzushiogakure' was a sobering reminder to not only Konoha but indeed all nations that no one was untouchable. No one. Not even the Uzumaki.

Times changed, the world grew smaller. As a consequence, the countries became more tense. The world was no longer big enough to accommodate all of them. However, if it was not for the actions a few good men and women, there would have been a Fourth Ninja War a long time ago.

But that did not happen...at least not yet.

The Sandaime could not help but feel old as he stared at the young child cooing quietly in his crib. He also could not help but wonder how he could ever look in the mirror ever again after tonight.

He glanced around the vacant room, although converted into a hospital and maternity ward, its original purpose was a bomb shelter. About a kilometre underground it was the perfect if not logical location to perform a procedure he had been regretting.

"Hiruzen, are you okay?" Hiruzen turned his eyes to his colleague Mitokado Homura who was cleaning his glasses with his sleeve, his eyelids black from a lack of sleep.

"No, I am not okay." The Sandaime growled. "I would rather be enjoying a cup of tea than here. I refuse to believe this is the only course left to me."

"Hiruzen, you are thinking like a man." Homura placed a firm grip on his friend's shoulder. "We need you to think like a leader. We need the Hokage."

"...Homura, shut up.." The Sandaime spun around pointing a bony figure into the advisor's chest. "Shut. Up. I was the Hokage, in case you have not realised I retired. This was my successor's job."

"He cannot help anyone." Homura's face remained passive. "Minato knew what had to be done and chose be selfish. He tried to stop what we were doing, and he paid for it with his life."

"He chose be a father so you assassinate him?!" Hiruzen's pointed finger turned into a fist. "I should flatten you right now!" Homura stiffened as he felt a wave of killer intent flow over him like a wave. Sarutobi Hiruzen might actually do it...

"Relax, Hiruzen. Neither Homura nor Koharu killed him." Hiruzen spun around to see a bandaged man standing in the entrance. "Me on the other hand..."

"Danzo, you son of a-"

"Have you really become so senile you are resorting to insults?" Danzo winced painfully as a free hand touched a rather fresh scar on the side of his face. Killing a kage, especially Minato is arguably impossible. Then again, Danzo had a reputation for doing the impossible. Even so, Minato was not one to go down without a fight.

"If Jiraya finds out it was you, he will-"

"No doubt try to kill me, and will most likely succeed." Danzo seemed unperturbed as he entered the room glancing around in mild disinterest. "But he will not find out. Because you are not going to tell him anything. I made it look like a foreign assassin got to his tea."

"How could you do that to him?" The Sandaime stared at him aghast, wondering where that boy who he made friends with all those years ago went.

"He was a traitor." Danzo quipped. "Ignoring the actions he has done in the past, he was going to stop the procedure so he could try to save his son and dying wife. Frankly if there was another option I would not have resorted to this..." Hiruzen had a hard time believing that, and his incredulity was apparent on his face. Danzo chose to ignore it. "...but there wasn't, so I put him down like a sick animal."

Hiruzen was about to say something but was interrupted when a three people rushed into the room with a gurney. Danzo had to perform a quick side step to get out of the way and gave a menacing scowl to the new intruders. One of them was none other than Hiruzen's second teammate from the younger days, Utatane Koharu. The other was an ANBU Captain, white clad and with a cat mask.

The final person was a young red head, completely sedated and lying on the gurney. She looked incredibly pale, and gaunt almost like a corpse. If it was not for the subtle breathing, Hiruzen would have thought she was dead.

"Uzumaki Kushina..." Hiruzen's mind was spinning. "...wait, you are going to do it here? Now?"

"We have no choice. The Queen is breaking through the seal. We have to start the transfer now."

"Can she hear us?"

"Don't worry we made sure we drugged her shortly after she held her child." Danzo smirked. "No adverse memories will be transferred over to the new host."

"He's not a host." The Hokage growled.

"True, the boy is not a host yet." Danzo continued. "We are running out of time and options here. Do I need to remind you that the Uzumaki are the only people who can contain the Queen Mother for any decent period of time? And considering what happened to their village, the Uzumaki are not exactly growing on trees. Would you rather we put the Queen Mother in some other child? They would last less than a week."

"Danzo, you sick son of a-!" Hiruzen fumed, gesturing to the small boy in the crib. "This is not a host! He is just a boy! A little baby! You know, maybe all these years I was wrong, perhaps you really are a monster after all."

"I'm a monster..." Danzo opened is unbandaged eye to stare at the angry Hokage. "I'm sick...Fine you can do this yourself. I'm going home to sleep and nurse my wounds."

Danzo turned around and walked out the door.

"Wait Danzo!" Koharu yelled, grasping at the cane wielding ninja's sleeve. "You can't go."

"Sure I can." Danzo turned around to face his colleagues and the ANBU captain. "You don't actually need me, I have done my part."

"No you have not Danzo." Homura growled. "You know we cannot do this without you."

"Really?" Danzo's mouth crept into a even more serious frown. "All of you know how to do the procedure. Why do you need me?"

Hiruzen took in a deep breath and let out a seething hiss. "You know why."

"Oh," Danzo's eyes narrowed, "so you know what needs to be done. You just can't do it yourself."

Koharu did her best to diffuse the situation to no avail. "Danzo-"

"This is why I always opposed you and your besotted lot as Hokage's." A twinge of rage flashed Danzo's face. "You do not have the courage to do what is necessary. None of you do. You despise me, and call me sick; a monster. Yet when you have a problem that you cannot hope to solve, who do you come crawling to?" Danzo gestured to himself as an exhibit.

Homura could not help but wipe a bead of sweat that developed on his brow. "We don't have time for this! Kushina could die any minute and then the Queen will be loose!"

"I'll tell you what Hokage-sama. I will do it, but you have to order me to do it. Then you are going to have to stand there and hold the child down while he screams in pain as I start the transfusion."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because I am fed up with you being weak Hiruzen. I am fed up with you making Konoha weak. You have the opportunity to keep the Kyuubi, and what did you do? You allowed Minato that traitorous dog to give it away. All for the sake of peace; all because some countries were nervous that we were too powerful."

"Not this time Hokage-sama. Now you are going to finally step up. I am not going to wash the blood off my hands alone Hiruzen." Danzo seemed to take some satisfaction at the Hokage's face became as pale as a white sheet. "It's one thing to kill a man, it is quite another to turn a child into a jinchuuriki, especially to the Queen Mother." Sarutobi turned to stare at the child who was suckling his thumb.

"Well?" Danzo tapped his can impatiently.

Sarutobi closed his eyes, condemning the fact he will probably never sleep well ever again. "Do it."

"What?" Danzo mused. "I did not catch that."

Hiruzen's eyes hardened as he turned to stare at the head of the ANBU Root division. "Danzo, I order you to start the transference."

Danzo smirked, satisfied with what has transpired. "Very well Hokage-sama, but I will need someone to hold the child while the transference occurs."

The Sandaime felt completed nauseated as he agreed to the second condition of Danzo's deal. "...I'll do it."

"Very good." With a tap of his cane, Danzo slowly moved over to Kushina, positioning the gurney so that it was next to the crib. "Did you bring it?"

"Yes Danzo-sama." The ANBU captain pulled out a specialised medical kit from under his pouch and handed it to the bandaged ninja. "The equipment is resistant to Kushina-san's blood."

"Good." Danzo began extracting the equipment and laying them next to the gurney. He gave a needle to Hiruzen with a sinister smile. "Well I am ready on my end. Hiruzen?"

The Sandaime would have loved nothing more than to tell Danzo where to shove that needle. But as much as Hiruzen hated to admit, Danzo was right. This needed to be done, however, he and indeed Homura, Koharu even the ANBU Captain were not capable of doing it. They were too human. Danzo did not suffer from the same...condition.

The old man slowly walked to the crib and placed his hands gently against the child's shoulders. He closed his eyes and thought of happier times.

0o0o0o

A/N: Well gang first one down. I hoped you liked it.

Yes the quote was from Unicorn from Transformers: The Movie.

Review and PM as always.