Summery: His comrades are dead and his best friend is dying at his feet. Offered a chance to save Sasuke and do everything over again, Naruto seizes it in an instant. However, the outcome of his decision is more staggering than he'd ever realized.

Chapter One: Prologue

The earth directly underneath him exploded and Minato was already flickering away, soles of his boots landing firmly on the trunk of an oak tree, one hand reaching for one of his kunai.

Today was suppose to be his day off.

Coming back from a long month long mission, the ANBU finally had a day off. He could have been at home studying the new scroll that Kushina had let him borrow, or at home with a mug of warm coffee.

Instead, he was pushing off of the tree, dodging the wave of kunai that were aimed for him, landing on the ground of the forest. Three missing nin immediately surrounded the ANBU Captain.

It's a beautiful day, he'd thought. Why waste it indoors? Get some fresh air, enjoy the village, buy some dumplings.. follow that strange chakra fluctuation 'just to be sure'. Discover three rouge nin, one of which you recognize from your Bingo Book, and get into a fight with them.

Because it was his day off, and what else would he have done?

He was gone again, just in time to avoid the wave of wind that would have hit him, kunai drawn as he drew in on one of his attackers. Really, what else could go wrong today for Minato? Just as he was about to attack, a strange burst of chakra hit the middle of the clearing, knocking the missing nin off of their feet. Had Minato not sensed it and applied chakra to his feet, he would have been knocked back as well.

When the light cleared, he did a quick scan and found the rouge nin were knocked out. Turning back to where the strange light had come from, he quirked an eyebrow at the sight.

Laying on the ground was a blond haired man, wearing a black shirt and horrible orange pants. He looked to be beaten up rather badly, but that wasn't the oddest thing. Curled up in the man's arms was a sleeping, dark haired baby, wrapped up in what looked to be an orange jacket. The child seemed to be unharmed, and the hold the blond man had on the baby was protective.

Well, he thought, I feel bad for the paperwork this will cause Sandaime.

Twenty-three years in the future

Dead. Everyone was dead. The war against Madara had gone on for two years without stop. After Obito had converted to their side, the rest of the Shinobi Alliance thought they'd had a chance. The Zetsu army had proven to be too much, taking out many of the allies outposts.

Tsunade and Kakashi were one of the first to fall, along with half of the Rookie 9, sealing the Ten Tails.

The rest fell down with time, until it was just Naruto and Sasuke against Madara.

The fight had gone on for hours. It had been brutal, and Sasuke had stupidly taken a fatal blow meant for Sasuke. It was thanks to that that Naruto had been able to land the final blow on Madara.

They had won, but everyone was dead. Naruto had cradled Sasuke close, listening to his heart beat slowly. He'd cursed, screamed for Kami to bring him back or to take him as well. This wasn't worth it. It wasn't a victory.

He had cursed, cried, tried to heal his dying friend-

And then, the Bijuu had offered him help. A way, one that may or may not work. Naruto had been too desperate to care. He'd lost everyone; he couldn't lose Sasuke too.

Shukaku and Isobi had put Sasuke in a state of animated suspension while Naruto had drawn out the ancient seal the others told him about. Blood between he and Sasuke had been exchanged, the seal drawn carefully on his heart, Sasuke's as well.

The chakra of all the Bijuu together had been the last component. Sasuke would live, but not as he had been.

"Are you sure about this?" Kurama had asked once the last curve of the seal had been drawn.

"There's nothing left, Kurama. I'm sure," Naruto had answered, sounding more sure of this than he had about anything in the last year.

With all of the tailed beasts working together, a bright light surrounded them before they disappeared in a haze of chakra.

It had been nearly a week since Minato had brought the two unknown individuals back to Konoha. He'd explained to the best of his abilities what happened to the Sandaime, who had listened carefully. The first thing that had been ordered was a blood test between the child and blond man. The tests had determined that they were, strangely enough, father and son.

A day after arriving, the child woke up crying his lungs out. The child couldn't have been more than a few days old, and looked nothing like his father. Where the blond had tanned skin, the baby had fair skin; blond hair clashed with the baby's dark hair. If not for the bright blue eyes, blue like Minato's own, then he could have sworn the child was an Uchiha.

He didn't know why he kept visiting. Maybe it was because he had found them, or because he couldn't stop thinking of the strange way they had arrived in that clearing. The blond man was healing at a miraculous rate. Within a few days, the cuts on his body had all but disappeared, leaving not even a scar. The medic nins couldn't describe it, and were currently thinking it was some bloodline limit. The only scars that seemed to remain were the three whisker marks on the man's cheeks.

A week to the day that they'd arrived there was a huge crash in the man's room.

White. White was what Naruto saw when he opened his eyes. He felt the soft sheets covering him up, and was laying on a rather comfortable bed. Immediately he recognized the smell of the place. He was in the hospital, but where? He remembered the war, fighting Madara, Sasuke-

Sasuke.

Moving out of bed with reflexes that could have only come from years of training, Naruto stared around the room he was in, already defensive. He could sense many people in the hospital, but blocked them out right at the moment. Kurama was still inside of him, the unmistakable warmth of the chakra washing over him. Eyes snapping open, he kicked the hospital door open, not caring about the noise. Sasuke was his main priority.

Immediately he sensed chakra signatures closing in on him. A hand on his shoulder had him reacting, grabbing the wrist and twisting as he turned his body, ready to fight whomever this was-

Naruto froze, staring into eerily familiar blue eyes.

Minato stared down at the blond man who had quite literally kicked his door down, taking in his appearance. He'd arrived at the hospital just a few moments ago to see if the man had woken from his coma just yet, and had heard the noise. That frantic look on his face couldn't have been mistaken for nothing else but parental concern. As soon as he'd touched his shoulder, however, the man had displayed surprising skill. Oddly enough, when those blue eyes turned to look at him, the blond had frozen. Looking into those blue eyes, he could understand now just how this man and the child was related to each other.

"Calm down. You're not in any danger. You're in Konoha hospital, and you're safe now," Minato ordered, carefully taking the man's hand off of his wrist, his own grip gentle yet firm.

He was real. He had to be, because Naruto wasn't easily caught in genjutsu's. Kurama would have dispelled it by now if this wasn't real. He tensed at the order, instinct kicking in, and gave a sharp nod. That fox had some explaining to do.

"Where's Sasuke?"

"Is that your son's name?"

Pausing at the question before remembering the strange seal he had done and the vague explanation the Bijuu had given him, he nodded.

"He's safe. One of the nurses here has been taking care of him. Do you remember what happened to you two?" A shake of his head was his answer.

"I found you and your son in the forest outside of Konoha. You were heavily injured, but your son was fine. You can see him once the Sandaime arrives to ask you some questions. If you're deemed to not be a threat, and wish to stay, then you will be put under surveillance. Understand?" It may have seemed harsh, but Minato knew it was necessary. From what he'd seen, this man was obviously a shinobi and they couldn't afford a threat to stay in the village.

Naruto understood the conditions. He was lucky he wasn't being hauled off to T&I right now, honestly. If he wanted to see Sasuke again, then agreeing was his only option.

"I understand."

Minato searched the man's face for any signs of a lie, but found none. What he did find was resignation and a tiredness in those blue eyes. It was obvious that this man had been through a lot, and his son was important to him if he were willing to break down a door to find him. Satisfied that the man wouldn't attack again, he put a hand on his shoulder, gently guiding him back into his room.

Naruto felt tense after waking up to this. He didn't fight the other, though he didn't know how the outcome would be if they ever really fought, and allowed himself to be led to the bed. He really needed to talk to Kurama about what the hell was going on, but he'd pieced most of it together by himself. The jutsu had worked, Sasuke was alive, and somehow, he was back in the past. Running a hand over his face, he sighed and resigned himself to wait, as well as ignore Minato as long as he could.

"What's your name?" Of course he couldn't have a moment of peace.

"Kazama Naruto," He answered without thinking.

"Where are you from?"

"Shouldn't the old man be here first before I answer these questions?" Glancing up, he was amused by the incredulous look on Minato's face.

Before the Konoha nin could reprimand the other for using such a disrespectful title, the Hokage came through the door, raising an eyebrow at his shinobi. He turned his gaze on the man on the bed, who looked rather amused for some reason, while Minato looked a bit ruffled.

"Ah, I see you're finally awake. I'm assuming you know where you are, correct?" The blond nodded, sitting up straighter.

Naruto at least was able to keep his expression steady when he saw the old man walk through the door. He'd mentally prepared himself since seeing Minato's face, reminding himself that these people didn't know him. If he could help it, they would never know him.

"Would you mind answering some questions?" Sarutobi assessed the other carefully. He would speak with Minato after this, if the blond wasn't deemed to be a threat, to ask his opinion about the other blond.

"I don't mind, Old Man," Naruto's mouth quirked into a smile at the vein he could practically see popping from Minato's forehead at his title. Sarutobi seemed to take it in stride.

"Alright. I'll start with your name, and then you can tell me where you and your son are from exactly." It wasn't a request, but an order.

"My name is Kazama Naruto, and my son is Kazama Sasuke. I'm an orphan, so I can't tell you about my parents. I was in an orphanage for a while before a wandering shinobi picked me up and taught me how to defend myself. I met Sasuke's mother in Nami no Kuni just last year. One sake bottle too many, and nine months later Sasuke was born. His mom died during childbirth, and I decided to bring my son here so we could start a life. We were.. attacked by missing nin, and I can't remember anything after that." It was sketchy at best, would seem suspicious, but it was all Naruto could do right now.

Sarutobi studied the man carefully. He couldn't tell if he was lying or not, and that made this even more difficult. He could tell that Naruto wasn't a threat, however. From the way he held himself, he seemed wary of waking up in a hospital, but that was to be expected. The wounds he'd reported coming here with was consistent with his story of being attacked. If it was true, then Naruto had done quite a job at defending his son.

"You've put me in a difficult position, Naruto. We cannot just accept anyone into our village. I'm assuming you want to be a shinobi?"

Naruto nodded, knowing he had no other real choice. He wouldn't give up being a shinobi, and Sasuke needed to be protected. Sasuke came first to him.

"Then you will be put on a probationary period of six months. You will have chakra suppressors placed on you, and you will be monitored by one of my shinobi at all times. If we find nothing suspicious about you, I can offer you a chance into our ranks. What is your rank?"

Well, it was better than what Naruto was expecting. "I'm a Jounin, and I specalize in Fuuinjutsu and.. Infiltration." He noticed the way that Minato and Sarutobi stiffened at his words and rolled his eyes. "What? It's what my Sensei taught me! I have a habit of hearing some.. interesting information, Hokage-sama. Information I think that Konohagakure will need." Whether it was his words or his expression that convinced them, Naruto had no idea, but both of them suddenly looked serious.

Half an hour later, he was in the Hokage Tower, dressed in some simple jeans and a shirt he'd been given, and his chakra sealed, thanks to Minato.

The Hokage studied Naruto closely before having Minato place silencing seals in the office. "Elaborate on your statement in the hospital."

So, Naruto did. He was going by what he remembered of the history books and told Sarutobi of the upcoming war the other nations were planning. When asked about his sources, Naruto refused to say, stating they would be in danger. This was a big risk he was taking, but he'd found out long ago he was a lucky gambler.

"Hokage-sama, at most, you have three years before the war starts. At least, you have a year." There was silence in the office. Naruto was doing this not only for Konoha, but for Sasuke. He had to seize this chance for what it was; another chance at life. Sasuke wouldn't be raised in the middle of a war, not if Naruto could help it. He had no one else but Sasuke and Kurama left.

Sarutobi thought over the information this strange man had given him. First Minato reports that this man, Naruto, arrives right outside in the forest in a strange light of chakra. Now, this man has information on a war that the other nations are planning. If Naruto is telling the truth, then Sarutobi could use this to Konoha's advantage. However, he was still suspicious of Naruto as well. For one, the blond refused to give up his contacts. Another thing, all Naruto asked for was to be instated as a shinobi so he could protect Konoha and raise his son. Locking eyes with Minato, he saw that the ANBU Captain was suspicious as well.

"Very well then, Naruto. I will investigate your claims. If they are found to be correct, then you will be instated as a shinobi. If they are false and I find you have planned against Konoha, you will be executed. Is that understood?" He narrowed his eyes, waiting until his message sank in.

Naruto understood. He nodded, sitting up straighter and still ignoring Minato. Facing the Sandaime was enough of a challenge, but facing both of them? He didn't know if he could do that. "Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Good. For now, you will be living with one of my shinobi. Minato, your place is empty right now, and you do have an extra room I believe," Sarutobi stopped any protests with a firm look, smiling when Minato gave a weak nod. "Good then. Minato, take your new charge to the hospital so that he can get his son. Keep an eye on Naruto for me. I will have supplies for his son delivered to your apartment by the time you arrive. Dismissed."

Naruto stood up, glancing at his would be father. He could tell that Minato didn't trust him. In fact, he obviously didn't even like this arrangement. Well, too bad. Naruto didn't like it either, but he had Sasuke to take care of now. Sasuke. His best friend turned into a child. Oh, Kami, this was weird.

Minato didn't know what to think of Naruto. The man had literally came out of nowhere, bringing with him vital information that, if true, would possibly avert this war that was coming up. If what Naruto said was true, then Konoha would owe a debt to the man. Minato didn't trust him. He wouldn't trust him until he proved that he wasn't a threat.

"Come on." He ordered, leading them both out of the office, not even looking back to see if Naruto was following him.

Naruto sighed at the blatant distrust he was being shown by the other blond. They didn't speak as they headed out of the office, not even when they left the tower and worked their way through the village, towards the hospital. That had been the longest meeting he'd ever had in his life. Right now, he just wanted to get Sasuke back.

The hospital was just as he remembered it. Naruto took the chance to look around as Minato lead them both through the halls, bringing him to the nursery that Sasuke was in. As soon as they arrived, he could hear babies crying. Sasuke was a baby. Kami, his best friend he'd fought with in a war for two years, the man he'd known since he was a kid, was a baby. A helpless, vulnerable baby.

"Sir?" Blue eyes snapped down to the crying bundle in the nurses arms. Sasuke was so small, dressed in a blue baby outfit they had at the hospital. His hair looked as Naruto remembered, but he had teary, blue eyes that looked exactly like his own. Carefully, Naruto took the wailing child and was surprised when Sasuke stopped crying to look up at him. Those blue eyes were wide, seeming to study his face.

"H.. Hey, Sasuke. Remember me? It's.. Tou-chan. Daddy." He would have to get use to calling himself that now. Holding Sasuke in his arms, his best friend looking so vulnerable, he reminded himself that this wasn't the Sasuke he knew. This child wouldn't ever have his brother betray his family, and he would never have to see his clan massacred. He would never have to kill his brother, seek revenge, fight in a war or face hardships.

"It's okay. I've got you, Sasuke," Naruto murmured, holding the baby to his chest, carefully resting that small head right over his heart. Sasuke cooed, making intelligible noises as his hands reached for Naruto's bright hair.

"I'll protect you, Sasuke. I.. I'll be the best Dad ever. I swear, I'll protect you," Naruto didn't even know when he started crying, but he couldn't help it. The nurse assumed it was because of the attack on them during their trip here, so she left them alone.

Minato was observing Naruto's reaction. He could clearly see the care that he had for his son. Naruto was holding Sasuke as if he'd never held a baby before, looking almost scared of making the wrong move. Then, he started promising to be the best dad, to protect Sasuke, and started crying. Despite his own suspicions, he couldn't help but soften up at the sight. Whether Naruto's circumstances were strange, the man was a father who obviously wanted to protect his son and had no clue what to do with a child. He could see that Naruto just wanted to protect his son. They were both without a home, having only each other to rely on. Maybe having Naruto living with him the next half year wouldn't be so bad. After all, Sasuke was an adorable child. It would be interesting at the very least.

Naruto finally pulled himself together after a while. He was glad that Minato hadn't said anything and shot the other a grateful look. When Sasuke started whining, the baby's face scrunching up, he almost panicked. What was wrong with him?

The panic on Naruto's face was amusing to Minato, but he sympathized with him. He had no clue what was wrong with the baby either. He watched as Sasuke started wailing and Naruto panicked, pacing around to try and calm the baby, rocking him awkwardly in his arms. Finally having pity on him, Minato quickly called for a nurse.

Why did he think he could do this? What in the world made him think he could actually care for a child? Naruto didn't know what was wrong! Sasuke was crying bloody murder, and Naruto couldn't figure out the problem. He'd tried rocking the baby, he'd tried humming to him, but it just wouldn't work! Finally a nurse came over, looking exasperated, and handed him a baby bottle.

"He's probably hungry," She said, showing Naruto how to properly hold Sasuke. Placing the bottle in his mouth, Naruto stared with wide eyes as Sasuke stopped crying and started eating. He was relieved it worked, honestly. Kami, how was he going to do this alone?

"T.. Thank you," He stammered, looking at the nurse gratefully. Despite how much of a powerful shinobi he was, Naruto knew he was useless when it came to children. The nurse gave him a small smile, shaking her head as she told them they could leave.

Remembering that Minato was there and had probably seen the embarrassing display, Naruto felt a blush spread across his cheeks and he glared at the Jounin, who looked too amused for his liking.

"I will castrate you if you say anything. Just get us out of here," He snapped, his face practically flaming when Minato smiled too innocently at him.

"Right this way, Kazama-san," Minato hummed, leading the way out of the hospital, glancing back at his two new charges. Sasuke was obviously content, occasionally cooing as he ate, his wide blue eyes taking in everything they could.

"Look, just call me Naruto," He sighed, glancing down at Sasuke, noticing he was falling asleep slowly but surely. The bottle was running low, so he tugged it out of Sasuke's mouth, remembering some things about children. After adjusting Sasuke onto his stomach against his chest, Naruto started gently patting his back, wrinkling his nose a bit when he burped.

"Naruto. Alright," Minato had stopped to watch as Naruto handled the baby, his movements still awkward. It was obvious to the Jounin that Naruto was new with babies. He wouldn't deny that the sight of Sasuke cuddled against the other blond's chest was downright adorable though. The blanket was slipping a bit, and as it was winter, he knew that children needed to be bundled up. With Naruto's hands full of Sasuke, Minato stepped forward and took the blanket, carefully wrapping the baby up while he was laying against Naruto's chest. Ah, there was another blush on Naruto's face, probably from either anger or embarrassment.

"I ah.. Thank you," Naruto mumbled. He hadn't really expected for Minato to help him like that, but it made it easier to carry Sasuke.

"Namikaze Minato. Call me Minato," He introduced, placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder so he didn't get separated from him, and leading them in the direction of his apartment.

Naruto nodded absently, his head spinning from everything that had happened. First he'd woken up in the past and found his father of all people alive. Next, his friend is a baby, one that's apparently blood related to him, but he figured out that it had to do with the seals and jutsu he'd preformed. It would explain Sasuke having blue eyes at least. Now, he was a suspect in Konoha and living with his father of all people while on a trial period, until he could be claimed as innocent and not a threat.

Naruto couldn't wait until they got to the apartment. That fox had a lot of explaining to do.

AN: What do you think? Reviews are appreciated!