Naruto's Father

Chapter 1: The Greatest Act of the Third Hokage

I don't own Naruto... No surprise there.

Okay for those of you who don't read the manga the Fouth Hokages name is Minato Namikaze.

'blah'-thinking

"blah"- talking

"blah" demon talking

Chapter 1-

It was October 10, and a intense evil was present in the leaf village. In the strongest shinobi village, the great nine tailed fox, the Kyuubi laid waste to the village while the greatest ninja of the time, possibly all time, prepared for its defeat.

Minato Namikaze, smiled wearily at the seal he had finally completed. It had taken three whole days to finish the scroll that was going to give him the power to stop the most powerful of demons. He glanced around his office in the Hokage's tower, his eyes finally resting on the moon that shown brightly past the dark clouds and in to the office through the open windows.

"I wonder how much longer it will take for Naruto to get here?" he asked himself curiously.

He is what I always wanted him to be… a hero. I just wish I would be able to see him grow up. His thoughts filled his heart with guilt. The guilt of failing his son. Just then Jiraiya entered the office, the precious Hokage following behind him holding the baby Naruto.

"Minato… I think you're making a mistake. If you sacrifice yourself Naruto will have no family left. He will be hated and treated with disdain for the rest of his life." The third's soft voice was rough mimicking hs tone while his words tore at Minato's judgement.

Minato sighed, and held out his arms taking Naruto for the first time into his arms. "It is a sacrifice only I can make." His tone was melancholy and confident.

The Fourth turned, It is time for me to go. It isn't possible for Jiraiya to understand what I have to do but the Sandaime knows exactly why am doing this he should support me. A Hokage must sacrafice his life before any of his subordinates.

"Wait! I have one last thing to tell my greatest student." Jiraya exclaimed, seeing Minato begin to leave.

Minato turned only for his forehead to connect with Jiraiya's open palm. "Seal of consciousness!" Minato wavered for a second before falling to the ground. Naruto already in Sarutobi's arms.

Jiraiya picked up the completed scroll and walked back to his sensei.

"Good bye, Minato." The third whispered, vanishing along with Jiraiya in a cloud of smoke.

Kakashi dodged a claw that sent the trees behind him flying.I can't believe sensei is doing this. To be with out lord Hokage is… Unbelievable.

"FALL BACK!" Kakashi barked to some chuunin who were attempting to finish the beast chuunin ignored the orders and all together fired several different Suton jutsus.

The water smashing into the Kyuubi with tremendous force, causing the great demon to stumble back. For a moment the Chuunin were ecstatic, believing they alone could defeat the demon.

"GET OUT OF THERE!" Kakashi screamed, but it was to late. With one tail the Kyuubi slammed the Chuunin back hundreds of yards where they lay dead.

The fucking idiots are not slowing the beast down but giving it less of a task to kill us. At this rate we won't hold out until he gets here. Kakashi looked desperately for his teacher in the hysteria, but was forced to give his undevided attention to the gigantic, fox.

Kakashi decided to propose a strategic retreat to the commander in charge when he saw Gambunta appear in a giant cloud of smoke. Finally, thank god for you Hokage-sama! Kakashi sighed, not realizing that the Hokage was not on the Toad summons back, but still in his office.

Jiraiya, finished the seal and in a moment they, Jiraiya and the third, had risen stories to the top of the great toad summon.

"Hello, Jiraiya, long time no see." Gambunta said, hiding the shock of seeing the most powerful of demons before his eyes.

"Hello, Gambunta." Jiraiya said, automatically.

"Let us end this beasts reign of terror." The third said, speaking to Jiraya who nodded in return.

The Kyuubi turned his head toward the toad boss. A look of amusement surfacing on the demon lords face. 'Time for some fun.'

Sarutobi raised the scroll opening it up and then turning around.

"Goodbye, Jiraiya. I'm… I'm sorry I never treated you as well as I did Orochimaru, but now… Now, I have to say thank you for never betraying me." The third said the last words he would ever say, tears streaming down his face.

"Goodbye, Sensei. I'll give your regards to Tsunade… Thanks for everything."

With the final words that had been needed to said spoken the Sandaime slammed down the seal and completed the hand signs necessary to complete the seal opening communication with the God of Death.

The Sandaime watched in awe as the death god appeared. Jiraiya on the other hand could not see anything and was forced to guess at what his sensei was seeing. The Kyuubi began to charge as its instinct told him to stop the jutsu before it was to late, but unfortunately for the great demon the sealing was complete. The Sandaime fell only for Jiraiya to catch him while Naruto began to scream in both pain and confusion.

The ninjas who had been participating in the battle were equally confused as the giant fox disappeared. Jiraiya created a clone to pick up Naruto, and proceeded to sling the eldest Sarutobi's arm around his neck. Both Jiraiyas jumped off the summon and used shunshin no jutsu arrive at the Hokage's tower.

The Yondaime awoke where he had fallen. He looked around and the first thing he spotted was Jiraiya lying on his favorite couch drinking sake. The toad sannin was obviously very drunk.

The second thing he saw was Naruto cuddled in a blanket sleeping on Jiraya's lap. Minato quickly stood up and grabbed baby Naruto who immediately awoke. Minato grinned foolishly. "Hey son, sorry to wake you, but I didn't want you to be on that crazy drunks lap." He tilted Naruto so he could look at the red faced sannin. Naruto giggled as if understanding what his father had said.

The Hokage then fell back on to the couch with Jiraiya. "This sucks." He said once Naruto had fallen back asleep. "I can't believe he's dead."

Jiraiya nodded, before taking another swig of sake. "He…" Jiraiya began his thoughts spinning around his teachers final words.

"Hmm?" The Hokage questioned, absentmindedly staring at Naruto's sleeping form.

"Never mind." Jiraiya whispered standing up. "I'm gonna go."

"Where?" The Hokage asked curiously turning around to look at his sensei who was stumbling to the door.

"Anywhere. I have to leave this village, I'll come back in a few years, ok."

Minato looked panicked. "NOW? OF ALL TIMES?..." He sighed, his frustration subsiding, "So your leaving me too? Well come back in five years at least, OK? I'm going to need you to train Naruto."

Jiraiya nodded, feeling the guilt of leaving Minato and Naruto. I'll be the third to leave them today. I'm being selfish… I guess it can't be helped, I'm certainly not strong enough to stay sane in this village right not. Minato is tough, he'll get through it.

Laughing loudly, Jiraiya didn't face Minato he looked to the door ready to leave and not sure he could maintain his composure if he had to look Minato in the eyes. "Just don't die on me, alright." Jiraiya waited for a moment to hear an answer.

Minato chuckled "You have yourself a deal."

Jiraiya walked to the window and stepped out onto one of his lesser toad summons. Not saying a word he vanished.

Minato awoke to the sound of Naruto crying. Jumping up he ran to the fridge where baby formula had been stockpiled for Naruto. Soon it would be time for him to explain the result of the battle to the entire village. And to be honest he wasn't feeling up to the task. He sighed. "Well Naruto no matter the results you will always have me." Naruto's eyes shown an underlying sense of comprehension which children ten years older couldn't do.

"You're special, Naruto." Minato whispered, causing Naruto to giggle. Finishing the bottle Naruto smiled at his father ready for anything.

"Let's go buddy." Minato said.

The two walked to the top of the Hokage's building and looked at the masses of citizens who had already gathered.

Creating a shadow clone to hold Naruto, Minato waved his arms signaling for silence. Immediately the crowd hushed.

"Citizens of Konoha!" the Yondaime yelled. "The terrible beast that slew countless ninja has bee defeated at a huge cost."

The crowd nodded in silence almost everyone had lost a family member and there was not a single person who hadn't lost a friend.

"We must never forget the ones who sacrificed themselves so that we are allowed to live on. But the true reason we're here is to acknowledge the two heroes, who in a joint effort defeated the beast with a single jutsu of overwhelming power."

Not waiting for suspicion to grow the Fourth continued, "The Third Hokage died sealing the terrible Kyuubi in my son Naruto."

He paused and looked out and to his displeasure he wasn't winning the crowd. If I'm going to stop Naruto from being hated I'll have to do it now, here at the beginning. Hmm time for some improv.

"It is our duty to now continue the dying wish of the Third and protect the one who guards you all from the Kyuubi's wrath. For if Naruto is not protected he could be taken by those who would wish to free the beast."

I have some of the crowd now it seems I can't get all of it-. But perhaps-. No I musn't lie-. No, I can't kid my self lying is my only chance.

"Great people of Konoha the Kyuubi's chakra will meld with Naruto's until he is an adult when it will be fully melded. If he dies before all the chakra melds the great demon will be released again."

Not bad, many of the citizens still won't like him, but at least no one will try and hurt him. Hopefully no one will try to see if that is statement by investigating the seal if they find out…' Minato shook his head. Now's not the time to think about that.

"My family of Konoha I have urgent matters to attend to now, but if you have any questions I will be happy to answer them at a later time."

Then taking Naruto from the clone he used to the seal in his robe to teleport away from the gossiping crowd and into his office. Falling back onto the couch Minato sighed, golden locks of hair falling over his warm blue eyes. Naruto looked up at his father his cheeks a rosy red and his eyes bearing an innocent curiousity.

Minato reopened his eyes looked down at Naruto. "I tried my best Naruto. I just hope it was enough."