Chapter 1: A Vision

Hey guys ! After discovering fanfiction nearly two years ago and the wonderful stories that came with it, I've finally decided to write my own ! Ever since I saw Naruto in Sage of the Six Paths Mode, I've been on love with this form. So once this little plot bunny popped into my head one day, I had to write it down.

Now I'm really excited to write this story and share it with you guys but I must warn you that it will be NaruHina and that won't change at all ! The pairings of other characters, you can pitch your ideas but for Naruto and Hinata, it's set in stone ! So any NaruHina haters, don't waste your time here. As the summary says it's a strong Naruto story and a lot of people don't like OP stories. But I'll try to do like 'Legacy' from cr4zypt and have some entertaining fights without falling into the usual pitfalls of OP stories.

While I'm really excited about this story, I want it to stay that way so I will not guarantee when further updates will come. I'm writing chapter 3 at the moment and I plan on getting a little ahead before posting a lot more. Maybe chapter 2 soon, depending on the reception. What I want to avoid is to be pressured into updating and delivering bad chapters or losing the original excitement. I'm currently working, I don't have a ton of free time.

Without further ado, here's chapter 1 !

'speech': thoughts

"speech": spoken words

"speech": jutsus

'speech': ninja sign language

speech : Bijūs/Summons speaking or thinking

speech: flashback

The Crystal Peak was the tallest mountain in Kaminari no Kuni, actually it was the tallest peak in the whole Elemental Nations, culminating at eight thousand meters above sea level. It had gained it's name from the eternal snows covering the top of it that were visible during a sunny day and that sparkled like crystal. But while this place dominated over the rest of land around it, it contained a secret that no other human being past or present ever knew or even so much as surmised.

At the exact centre and base of this gigantic heap of earth was buried a cathedral-like cavern, with walls as smooth as glass and a small layer of water covering the ground. The entrance to this sanctuary had been re-sealed ages ago by the same man who had dug it in the first place. That man could be found levitating in a sitting position, above a circle of ten balls of the darkest black, so dark it seemed to absorb light itself. This person was Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, known as the Sage of Six Paths, the man who had defeated and sealed the Ten-Tails with the help of his brother Hamura. Incorrectly hailed as a god by all, he none the less was here in his sanctuary, keeping watch over humanity in his spirit form, waiting for an heir or a reincarnation of his sons worthy of being acknowledged and helped by him. But he was growing tired and weary.

Humans had twisted and perverted his teachings of peace and inner discovery and used them to propagate war and hatred. They had sadly proven themselves to prefer blood and battles over understanding and acceptance. It hurt the Sage everyday to see the horrors mankind could come up with in it's race for power and dominance.

But the most painful truth for Hagoromo was the fact that he unwillingly had had a hand in the twisting of the Ninshū doctrine. He had witnessed his son Indra fall to the darkness and hatred after he had declared his second son Asura as his successor. The Revered Sage had stood by helpless as his first-born had grown bitter and hateful to the point of being the first human to weaponize chakra as he fought his brother. This conflict had been such a shock to him, it had hastened his demise and it was only on the brink of death that he had discovered the reason for Indra's sudden change in behaviour: it was the will of his mother who, even after her sealing, had somehow manifested as a dark shadow with an even darker heart and pulled Indra away from them.

So Hagoromo had managed to stay behind as a spirit, hoping to warn his family of the threat... But it had proven impossible. Probably Kami himself was preventing him from 'cheating' destiny. So the Sage had decided to bid his time until he found a opportunity to thwart the darkness without interfering with the Gods.

'But I've been waiting for millenniums,' thought Hagoromo, 'Hashirama Senju was the best candidate on my watch at the time and I was about to reveal myself to him but he gravely mistreated my children and for that I couldn't in good conscience go ahead. Maybe this is all fut-'

And before Hagoromo could finish his sentence, he received a vision that would change everything and the future of every inhabitant of this continent, present and future.

He saw a life of loneliness and hatred, of pain and suffering. He was a life of relentless dedication and hard-work. He saw a life of success and acceptance. He saw a life of death and strife. He saw victory over the most insidious enemy but at a terrible cost.

And when Hagoromo opened his eyes, he knew why he had stayed behind for so long. He knew who he was unknowingly waiting for. And he now knew what he had to do. For the first time in an eternity, he swore.

"Fuck, I better not be too late," was heard as his ethereal shape disappeared from the cavern.

NHxNHxNHxNHxNH

Minato looked over his village from atop the Hokage monument, his cloak billowing in the wind, taking in the sight that, until an hour ago, was that of a joyful and peaceful village filled with life. Until a few hours ago he was a happy father-to-be, married to the most wonderful lady. But this masked man had to ruin it all.

'Guess our happiness had lasted too long,' sighed Minato in his mind. After rescuing Kushina, his son that he had named Naruto and defeating the masked man who claimed to be Madara, the Fourth now had to deal with the poisoned gift left over by him. The Kyuubi stood out like a sore thumb amidst the low buildings of Konoha.

Minato was drawn out of his musings when the Kyuubi roared, sending dozens of ninjas flying and toppling over building before unleashing a Tailed Beast Ball in his direction. As the gigantic mass of black and purple chakra flew towards the stone figures, Minato drew a kunai out before letting it float in front of him as he began his jutsu.

"Hiraishin: Dorai," shouted Minato just as the ball reached the monument. It suddenly stopped moving and as ten lines of kanji erupted all around it, it slowly started being absorbed through the barrier that Minato had erected. Once it had fully disappeared, the silence created by the disappearance of the ball made the follow up explosion even louder.

The villagers and ninjas defending the village started cheering as their fear turned to joy and reverence for their esteemed leader as he had once more saved them. But the explosion and the flash of light seen in the distance quickly brought them back to reality and the threat still present within their village. They saw that the Kyuubi was moving away from them and towards another section of the village.

"Don't let it move too far ! Keep it away from the shelters !" shouted the Third Hokage who had donned his battle robes, despite his retirement, to defend his village.

The ninjas jumped as one towards the massive beast. It turned around and eyed the ninjas attacking him with hate before rearing up and charging another Tailed Beast Ball. But before the Kyuubi could go any further in his attack, a voice was heard above him.

"Kuchiyose No Jutsu !" and a gigantic reddish, pipe-smoking toad wearing a blue happi with an equally huge tantō strapped to his side landed on the Kyuubi, pining him on the ground and dispelling his attack. Minato was on the head of the toad and as he concentrated his chakra for his next move he turned to Hiruzen and the assembled ninjas below.

"Hiruzen, I'm going to deal with the Kyuubi myself. I'm taking it to my safe house a little outside of Konoha. Secure the village and meet me there." shouted Minato

"Wait, Minato ! What are you planning to do wit-" started the Third before Minato vanished taking the beast with him and leaving him without answers.

Hastily, he turned to the ninjas with him. "Hiashi, Chōza, Inoichi with me. The rest, you go and help secure the village. See if you can find any injured ninja or civilian and if so bring them to the hospital".

"But Sandai-" tried to protest one of the ninja.

"Do as I say, that's an order !" barked Hiruzen, "With Minato we should be able to deal with the problem. You have your own mission." The ninjas finally relented when they received a serious-Hokage glare courtesy of their leader. Despite his age and retirement, he hadn't lost any of his stature and they were soon running full-speed towards the place the Sandaime knew Minato had taken the Kyuubi.

As they approached the remote location, they saw the barrier that had been raised around the place but more horrifying, they saw the Kyuubi launch himself towards what looked like a small shrine. They watched helpless as a smaller than before but still imposing Kyuubi pierced Minato and Kushina, who had jumped to protect whatever was on the shrine, with one of his claw. As Minato finished a jutsu, the hulking beast disappeared and Minato's lips started moving, the barrier raised around the place fell and the group was able to rush forward.

As Minato finished saying a few words to his son he'd never get to see grow up, he felt the barrier disappear and raised his head to look at the approaching group. To his shock, he saw an ethereal form float just beyond the edge of the nearby woods but it was gone the instant after, as if it had never been there in the first place.

He turned his head towards the small group of ninjas and smiled a bloody and tired smile to them.

"I'm sorry my friends but that was the only way I could think of to deal with the Kyuubi..." explained a tired and quickly fading Minato. He could feel that Kushina had already departed and he would soon leave this life too, only he knew he'd end in the stomach of the Shinigami.

"What did you do ?" asked Hiruzen.

"I took half of the Kyuubi's chakra in me, the Yin part and sealed the rest in my son, Naruto". At this moment Naruto decided to make himself heard as he could feel the death and sadness around him. He knew something was happening. The whole group stared at what they now saw as a baby laying in the little shrine. They were baffled that this little thing had been through so much despite being born only a few hours ago.

"But I had to use the Shiki Fūjin so I will be leaving this plane soon even without the injury." continued Minato, raising a weak and shaky hand and resting it on his son's head. He then turned his head towards the Hyūga Head.

"Hiashi, as your ex-teammate and friend, I ask you to watch out for my son, please. I know you won't be able to care for him personally as other clans would protest against this shift in power." spat out Minato, "It pains me so much so talk about my son this way, but while I want the inhabitants of the Leaf to view my son as a hero to celebrate for his sacrifice, I can't deceive myself to how they will actually view him... I'm so sorry my son, I hope you can one day forgive me." The last bit came out as a whisper, Minato's eyes were filled with tears at the thought of what his son's life will be like.

"Of course Minato, I'll do my best so that my people will know the sacrifice that is Naruto's life and how the village is protected through his presence alone ! He'll never find the door to the Hyūga compound closed, that's a promise !" affirmed Hiashi, the quivering voice of the usually stoic ninja filled with emotions.

"Minato, you know we won't be able to reveal the fact that he's your son-" started the Sandaime.

"Yes, yes I know. Sadly he won't be able to know about us until he's old enough and can defend himself. I have too many enemies that would seek him out just to fullfill some kind of revenge on me. But make sure to tell him about his burden, he will need to know !" After a little pause, Minato closed his eyes, "Goodbye my friends." before falling to the ground, motionless.

Hiashi picked up the small bundle that was Naruto while Chōza picked up Minato's body and Inoichi picked up Kushina. They would bring the bodies directly to the morgue to spare the other ninjas and civilians the sight of the gored body of their leader and to also throw off any early guesses at the baby Jinchūriki's parentage. Hiruzen, leaning against his summon Enma still in his staff form, felt a headache incoming as he thought about the uproar that Naruto's appearance will cause and having to deal with the aftermath of yet another catastrophe hitting Konoha.

NHxNHxNHxNHxNH

Hagoromo's spirit arrived on the border of a wood to the sight of a man and a woman getting skewered by a a claw belonging to his one of nine children.

He felts his spirits sag at this sight and at the idea that he had failed even before he could change anything that he had seen in his vision. It seems like fate was laughing at him, as he stood there watching the parents slowly bleed out as they leaned over a small shrine containing what he could feel was a little baby. But the most prominent feature he could practically see, hovering over the casket, was the ghostly spirit of his youngest son hanging over his reincarnation. It confirmed what he had seen in the vision.

Turning his gaze to the orange fox currently being restrained by a forest of chains. He felt despair for his child and the times he must've been through to contain so much hate. The Sage knew his children weren't perfect beings: they had been born from the division of the Ten-Tails, they each had their flaws and their virtues. But he had tried to mould Kurama to the best of his abilities as he had wanted him to be the 'big-brother' to his other siblings and not just in power. A big-brother to help them in case of troubles, be it personal or with the humans.

However Hagoromo was anything but foolish and when he had witnessed Indra's actions and the change within all the other 'ninjas', he knew they would soon turn their attentions towards the Bijuu. During his time in his cavern he had felt his children's presence come and go with time but he hadn't looked to much into it, focusing on more important matters.

Now seeing the hate roll off Kurama and the tiny baby at the tip of his claw, he came up with another plan to change the gloom future that he had seen. It would also allow him to visit the fox.

Hagoromo suddenly sensed something that surprised him even more, which was close to an achievement knowing the day he just had. He disappeared from the scene just as the blond Hokage looked up, his plans now in hold for the next few years.

NHxNHxNHxNHxNH

Somewhere else in Konoha, a blue-haired woman was hiding in a shelter, waiting for ninjas to come and tell the hundreds of civilians hiding with her that the threat was gone. As she caressed her heavily pregnant stomach, she swore she heard a faint "Hello brother..." echo from behind her but as she turned around she couldn't see anything. Her attention was quickly brought back to her belly as she felt the baby kick and she smiled.