A/N: Ugh, this was SUPPOSED to be done on Saturday, blame schoolwork, and social obligations. First chapter of what I intend to be my main fic, will try to update 2-3 times a week, but may or may not meet those requirements.

Summary: Jinchuuriki, 'the power of human sacrifice', believed to be the only means of stopping a bijuu, at the cost of someone's life, but what if everyone was wrong? The ones who taught humans how to seal demons into humans…were the Bijuu themselves. Every living thing must die, some just differently to others. NaruxHina SasuxSaku…later. Other pairings to be decided on.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto…I don't even own the computer I'm using to post this

Key: Normal "Speech" 'Thoughts' "Demon/Inner Speech" 'Demon thoughts'

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Chapter 1

Prologue-Ikou no Gu

Konohakagure no Sato, October 10th, the night Kyuubi no Youko attacked

The earth trembled as the enormous fox-beast stamped the ground angrily, frustrated at the innumerable number of humans swarming at its feet. It swiped its claw, gouging ditches and rending flesh. It's tails lashed angrily, whenever it tried to move, another swarm would clamour into its way. It glanced up and caught sight of the nearby village. It narrowed its eyes and let out a slow, deep snarl.

"DIE!!!" It tensed it's body and ruffled its fur, the warring shinobi at its feet flinched as it gathered it's chakra. It slammed its paw into the ground and let out a violent cry, thousands of fireballs launching from its hide, raining down on the ninja surrounding it. The smell of burnt flesh and scorched earth billowed into the air with the smoke. It arched its back with pleasure as it felt the deaths wash over it, before setting its sights on the village once more.

"Has it really come to this?" A gruff voice asked.

"I'm afraid so" A younger, more upbeat voice replied.

"You don't have to do this, it would be just as easy for me to do this in your stead"

"You've retired, old man. I'm the Hokage now, this is my duty" The younger voice chuckled.

"So there's no changing your mind?"

"Nope"

"I…see". The elder man sighed as his blonde companion turned to leave.

"Relax, after I'm done with ol' fuzzbag out there you can join me for a drink, how's that sound?" The blonde said, his hand on the doorknob.

"I'd like that"

"Your paying" He chuckled before disappearing down the hall.

"Why you cocky little…"

The Yondaime Hokage's smile vanished as soon as the Sandaime was out of earshot. He clicked his fingers, a masked ninja appeared behind him, and matched his pace. He didn't turn around.

"Report" He barked, all mirth gone from his voice.

"Sir, the Kyuubi is currently approximately twenty minutes away from the village, casualties are numbered at over 100 and rising"

"I see, have you located the object?"

"We have" There was a rustling as the masked nin reached into the confines of his clothes and pulled out what looked like a branding iron, in the shape of a spiral.

"So it is real, good." The Yondime Hokage nodded, before snatching the object out of the nin's hands and placing it inside his coat.

"Sir, are you…do you really intend t-"

"Do not question me, I assure you it is only to be used as a last resort"

"Of course, forgive me for my impudence"

"For now, you are dismissed"

"Hai" There was a puff of smoke and the nin vanished, as though never there.

There was an uproar of cheers as the Yondaime Hokage walked past his men, cries of blessings and thanks washed over him. He didn't hear any of it, all he heard was the deep, steady breathing of the enormous beast before him, barley held in place by thirteen enormous chains.

"All units fall back! Return to the village and ensure everyone is evacuated. You will remain there and ensure no-one does anything foolish. Remain with them unless dismissed by your Hokage, Dismissed!"

"But Hokage-sama, we want to-" A lone ninja called out, but was sharply interrupted.

"As of now, you're in the way, dismissed!!"

"H-Hai, Hokage-sama". There was a chorus of salutes, followed by an enormous cloud of smoke, as the remaining ninja shunshin'd away, intent on performing their leaders orders to the letter. As the Ninja vanished, so did the chains, released, the Kyuubi let out a gleeful cry, only for it to turn into a snarl as he caught sight of the blonde figure before him.

"One? One! A single, lowly human against me? You will suffer for your impertinence!" The blonde man deftly leapt out of the way, narrowly missing the tail that had tried to crush him.

"LISTEN KYUUBI, AND LISTEN WELL! NEVER, NEVER UNDERSTIMATE THE POWER OF ONE MAN!!!!" With that, he leapt into battle.

Far away, behind the watchful eyes of the former Hokage, all the people watched in awe. It was hard to tell what was happening from such a distance, all they could see were flashes of blue, and yellow, but they could also see the Kyuubi, and it was plain to anyone there that the attacks were injuring it.

"Yondaime-sama, to be able to fight a monster like that on equal grounds, he truly is Konoha's finest." The jounin were grateful for the light show, if anything else it stopped the cries of the now-orphans begging for their lost parents.

"Hey, Orochimaru, aren't you glad you didn't make Hokage after all eh? If you did that would be you out there" The snake-sannin's white haired teammate said.

"Perhaps it is best to lose on some occasions after all…of course, if I was the one fighting Kyuubi at the moment I doubt I would stand a chance" He replied, Jiraiya couldn't help but notice how his friend seemed to put the emphasis on 'at the moment'.

"Heh, dream on old friend. You and I, we're old news now. But that boy, he's the future, the one who surpassed all of us"

"There is a limit to how much power a human can obtain in a single lifetime, a limit we seem to reach all to quickly…" Jiraiya could have sworn he saw the pale man lick his lips as he said that, with a tongue that seemed just a little too long.

"Oh, isn't that your frog out there?"

"Huh? Oh crap, he summoned Gamabunta. I'm gonna get an earful about this later, lazy toad never did like getting summoned."

Yondaime's mind was racing as he battled with the demon, desperately trying to come up with a solution.

'I've hit him with just about every technique I know, the only thing that seems to affect him is Rasengan, but I've already hit him with nearly a dozen of them, and he just regenerates wherever I hit I'm already down to about 60, but he still seems to be at full strength, It looks like I have no choice' He thought grimly. He ducked as the fox made another swipe at him and pulled the artifact out from his coat, gripping it between his teeth he began going through handseals. The Kyuubi's eyes widened as it recognised the item in his possession.

"That's!"

"Shiki Fujin!" The air went cold as death's avatar materialised behind the blonde.

"YOU FOOL!"

The spectators watched in awe as a bright light filled the sky, so bright that none could watch and all averted their eyes.

"Wh-what is that?"

"Wow! This is so cool!"

The light lasted for a full minute before it slowly dimmed.

"D-did he get it?"

"I don't see it anywhere"

"He did it, Hokage-sama killed the Kyuubi!"

"Hooray!!"

"What should we do?"

"Hokage-sama said we where to remain here until we received his orders, it might not be safe to go down yet"

"But the beast is gone, what possible threat could there be?"

"It is gone, but we don't know where, it may come back if his technique failed"

There was a yellow flash and the blonde Hokage appeared in a modest dwelling. As soon as he set foot his hardened features softened, a smile on his face,.

"There you are, you bastard! You're an awful man, leaving your wife to give birth on her own" An angry, female voice cried out.

"Ehehe, sorry. I guess I should have been here instead of saving the village" He said, walking towards the source of the voice.

"Damn right you should have been" He walked into a room to see an attractive, red haired woman, sitting on a bed and cradling a baby in her arms. Her face seemed to glow in the candlelight, accentuating the bags under her eyes.

"Is that…?"

"Yes, his name is Naruto" The Yondaime walked over to his wife slowly and picked up his sleeping son.

"He has your eyes, and your hair, I can only hope he got something from me, the last thing the world needs is another Minato running around the place" She said, softly.

"I'm sure he'll be something…" Minato replied, gazing lovingly at his son.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, only to receive silence in return. He glanced at his wife's limp form, a single tear dripped from his eye.

"It's okay, rest now…". Cradling his newborn son in his arm, he reached into his pouch and drew a single kunai.

"This is the part I hate the most…" He muttered, before bringing the kunai down into his hand. Moving quickly he smeared the blood across the floor, across, and across, into intricate shapes and designs. It took his the whole of two minutes to complete the diagram, his face pale and his breathing ragged. Gently, he placed his son in the centre. As soon as his skin touched the blood the seal began to glow a soft blue.

'His spiritual energy is strong, that's good' He reached into his coat and pulled out the artifact, which was now glowing an angry red. He let out a hiss as it scorched his hand, but his grip never faltered. Moving unsteadily towards his son, his words came out choked by the tears streaming down his face.

"F-forgive me, for what I am about to do…I-if you must hate me, sleep well knowing that I will pay for my sin for all eternity" He placed the artifact on his child's naval and quickly flashed through a rapid collection of handseals, three sets in the time it took to blink

"Ikou no Gu: Inkouku no Hi! Shishou Fuuin! Hakke no Fuuin Shiki!" Blue fire erupted over his entire hand, holding it with his other he pressed it down onto the burning seal, causing it to slowly sink into his son's naval. The seals on the ground erupted into brilliant crimson fire and began to get drawn into a spiral on the small boys stomach. Scared by the unfamiliar pain, the blonde child erupted into a loud cry.

"I-its okay, it'll all be over soon, j-just bear with me". After a short while the fire died down, leaving a spiral shaped seal on the childs naval, surrounded by four symbols. Naruto continued crying, but stopped when his father picked him up. He stared at his father with tear filled eyes and the sight was almost enough to finish the man there and then, but he still had things to be done.

The Sandaime blinked as a yellow flash illuminated his former office.

"You're back, where have you…" He trailed off as he saw the state his successor was in; his face pale and drenched with sweat, a hole going through his clothes like a hand had been plunged through him, his right hand badly burnt and starting to turn blue, and a blonde babe that could be barley a day old nestled fast asleep in his left arm.

"Ehehe, I'm gonna have to...take a raincheck...on that drink" The Yondaime chuckled feebly.

"Is that?"
"His name is…Uzumaki Naruto, keeper of the…Kyuubi…he's the real hero…today…" He staggered forward and placed the child into his predecessor's arms, before collapsing onto the floor.

"Make sure they…take…good…care…of…him…for…me…old…monkey" He gasped, his body failing on him.

"You…you young, stupid, fool, what about the boys mother?"

"Gone…dead…Kushina…so-ry" His voice drifted away, and his body slumped, the life gone from his eyes. The eerie chill that the Sandaime had felt since the flash of light dissapitated, and the child in his arms began crying.

"For one with such potential, to die so young…I had hoped to never see such a thing again…" He paused and looked at the crying child in his arms.

"Uzumaki Naruto eh? I wonder what will become of you…"

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Ikou no Gu: Inkouku no Hi (Tool of Power: Engraved Seal of Fire)- an ancient artifact believed to be as old as the bijuu themselves, and passed down from generation to generation. An object regarded by many as a mere legend, it is actually one of fire countries greatest treasures. It seems to have some connection with the Kyuubi no Youko…

Shishou Fuuin – (Four Image Seal)-one of the two supplementary seals used the bind the Kyuubi to Naruto

Hakke no Fuuin Shiki –(Eight Divination Signs Seal Style)-one of the two supplementary seals used the bind the Kyuubi to Naruto

Shiki Fuujin-(Dead Demon Consuming Seal)-a forbidden technique that makes a deal with the Shinigami, to bind souls at the cost of the users

A/N This chapter brought to you by KoRn's latest album; " ". I had planned on just skimming over the sealing…but it just came out so good, and kept on going, I'm really pleased with this chapter. I tried to portray Yondaime as someone who didn't associate business with pleasure, in contrast to absolutely loopy as in my last fic. As the summary says, this is NaruxHina and I'm sticking with it, it won't have ALL that much romance…well we'll see how things turn out. Odds are it will be SasuxSaku as well; the only other pairing I've put any thought to is an internal debate between ShikaxTema, or Shikax? (I know who '?' is, but I won't spoil the surprise). For those that didn't know, btw, Yondy is Naruto's dad, as stated by the latest Manga chapter, look at www. onemanga .com