Chapter 1: Prologue
The Yondaime's Mistake
The Yondaime ran through the streets of Konoha, his heart pounding and his head racing. His left hand held a large, bleeding wound in his side, and he struggled against the flow of darkness and the ebbing tide of weakness that was enveloping his body at a far greater rate than he could have imagined. Behind him, the shrill cries of a dangerous foe and the moans of the wounded floated on the breeze. Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, was slowly burning to the ground, devastated by a monster that some called a natural disaster. The Kyuubi, the nine-tailed fox, was annihilating the ninja squads that were teamed up to stop it.
The Yondaime shut the cries of the dying and wounded from his conscious thought. He had made it to the one place that he needed to. The Konoha General Hospital. What lay ahead for him he dared not imagine. Nor did he take time to contemplate the trials of the child he was about to take. Stealing in through a window into the nursery, he smiled down at the blond child in front of him, a wisp of blond hair already visible.
"Please...forgive me, my son. I do this for the good of the village." He said it as if the child would understand, and perhaps it did. However, it made no notion of hearing such a remorseful remark, as it was still deep in slumber. The Yondaime carefully picked the small child up, keeping sure to wrap it well in the blanket it was tucked in. Turning, he looked to be sure that no one had seen. Hopping from the window ledge, he hit the ground, pivoting sharply and turning back towards the fight and fires.
"Help! We need reinforcements here!" A village nin, a Jounin, was busily commanding the squads as best as he could. Unfortunately, nothing was seemingly stalling the beast, as it ripped to shreds any that dared to approach. Its tails lashed out, cutting swathes into the packed forces of Konoha, leaving them vulnerable to attacks from claw and fang. The Jounin was about to issue another order as he gazed up, gasping as a rather large tree plummeted towards him. A flash from behind him startled him further, as Konoha's Yellow Flash flew through the air, splintering the trunk with one kick. As shards of broken wood rained down on the confused Jounin, the Yondaime stood on the ground, holding his package lightly.
"Yondaime-sama. Thank the gods you're here. Wait...you're hurt. Please, let us look at it before you continue." The Yondaime smiled, putting a hand up.
"No, Esaburu. You have done enough. The seal that I placed on you before I left allowed me to get here in time. You have played your part." Esaburu looked down, noting the seal left by the Yondaime's Hiraishin no jutsu.
"Oh...very good. What is that in your hand?" The Yondaime took a quick glance down, noting the small wift of hair that stood out in the blanket.
"It's...the future of Konoha, Esaburu." He lay the child on the ground, standing firm as his mind and body ebbed with his wound. Looking up, he grimaced as the demon plowed through yet another offensive, sending the attackers limping backwards. A tail lashed out, making another unit crumble. It roared, fire erupting from behind as another section of forest caught ablaze. "The future of Konoha...begins now!" Bringing his hands together, he began creating hand-signs, looking down at the bundle for another moment before bringing his concentration back, going through each sign as his hands did them.
"Ousu-buta, Inu, Tori, Saru, O-hitsuji..." Bringing his hands together to finish the technique, he roared out. "Kuchiyose no jutsu!" With that, he slammed his hands into the ground, a puff of smoke and steam rising. Esaburu threw his hands up, watching with amazement as a giant toad replaced his vision. He hopped backwards with fright, looking up at the giant monarch as the toad puffed idly on a pipe.
"Ahh...so, Yondaime. You summon me here. I believe that the fox has something to do with it, does it not?" The Yondaime, having picked his package back up, hopped to the top of the toad's giant head, looking down.
"Yes, it does, Gamabunta. Please, old friend. I need your help now more than ever." The toad took another puff upon its pipe, setting it down on the ground. With its webbed hand, it pulled a long, dangerous blade from its belt, levelling it. "No no. You will have no need of that. I just need your power for one moment, Gamabunta. Please." The toad, incredulous, set the blade back in its place, staring up at the shinobi.
"Hmm...my power? My form, you mean. I am impressive upon the minds of the small, yes?" Laughing slightly, the Yondaime chuckled.
"You are indeed, my friend." The Kyuubi, having taken notice of this, turned, its head inclined sharply towards them. It roared, throwing a ball of flame from its open mouth. Thinking quickly, the toad puffed.
"Suitaihou!" Opening its mouth, the king toad shot out with a ball of water, extinguishing the flames from the fox. "You had better hurry this up, Yondaime. I do believe that the beast is fairly mad." The Yondaime again laughed, feeling his injury once more.
"Thank you, Gamabunta. You were always a true friend." Looking down at the bundle he carried, he sighed. "I am sorry, my son. I love you. Always remember that." Putting the child down once more, he began making the nine hand signs that would end the battle decisively. As he made the last one, he flinched, looking down once more at the child. "I'm...I'm so sorry." Looking back at the fox, the Yondaime shouted out the jutsu. "Fuuin Jutsu Shiki Fuujin!" As his seals ended and the jutsu began, he gasped as the dark hands of the death demon entered his body, grasping out the other side of it. "Gamabunta...get me close please," he rasped out, his words beginning to catch as he felt himself being torn apart. Gamabunta grunted, hopping the short distance to the demon, who recoiled, lashing out with a tail. Making a quick grasp, Gamabunta snatched the outreached appendage, pulling the fox tight in.
"Time to go, foxy!" Looking up at the shinobi on his head, Gamabunta made a sharp outcry. "I don't know how long I can hold him. Whatever it is you're doing up there, you had better make it quick!" The Yondaime smiled. He felt the hands beginning to extend, grasping for more than air. The fox, having finally realized what was happening, began pulling back, lashing out with its claws and bearing its fangs. Gamabunta, having taken multiple hits, hung grimly on, allowing the Yondaime as much time as possible. Suddenly, the hands of the death demon touched the demon before them, grasping it. The Kyuubi howled with rage as it felt itself being torn apart.
"To...much power...for a child. I...I have to separate it...somehow." Thinking quickly, the Yondaime gave the death demon a strict order. It complied, ripping the soul from the fox and ripping it in two. Half was sealed in the Yondaime, as was his strict orders. Half was sealed in the child next to him, which began crying as its sleep was interrupted by the jarring it was undergoing. The Yondaime grimaced as the Yin part of the fox was sealed away in his body. The Yang would go with his son, Naruto. He hated to do what he had just done, but it was for the good of the village. They, and he, would thank him for it later. As the demon fox before him screeched in agony, it evaporated, its physical form no longer able to exist without its spiritual one. The Yondaime stood for a moment, breathing heavily as the seal was completed, leaving a black, scorched mark on his chest. He felt it for a moment, swaying heavily.
"Thank you...Gamabunta. You...you were terrific!" With that, he fell from the head of the toad, plummeting towards the ground. With a swift movement, Gamabunta snatched at the prone figure, the child still on top of its head.
"Rest easy, Yondaime. Your village is safe." Placing the shinobi on the ground, Gamabunta reached up, picking the small bundle off of its head and placing it next to the body. "You, little one, will be revered as the soul that stopped a demon. Farewell...and goodbye!" With those final words, Gamabunta disappeared, no longer needed by the world of men. As the shinobi who were still standing began realizing that the battle was over, a great cry went up from the village. Every man, woman, and child that had taken part or were touched by the demon gave vent to their feelings of joy.
"We did it, Yondaime-sama! We won!" Esaburu walked through the forest, calling out the name of his commander. "Yondaime-sama! We won! Come out!" However, nothing answered him. It was as if the Yondaime had vanished. "Where did he go? He was right over here last I saw him." Turning his head, he saw a puff of yellow in the darkness. "There you are, Yondaime-sama! Why are you lying down? Get up! Celebrate our victory with a toast to..." However, one look at the limp form on the ground was enough to stop his words. A tear fell from his eye as he rushed to the form, feeling a cold hand and eying the seal on the Yondaime's chest. "Yondaime-sama! Please...please wake up! Don't lie here...please." The Yondaime wasn't about to come back, however. The seal that was used was a forbidden technique, demanding the life of the user. Knowing this, the Yondaime had used the jutsu to ensure Konoha's future...by taking away his own.
"Yondaime-sama...why?" A cry from the underbrush made the shinobi turn, eying the parcel on the ground. "What? A child? What are you doing here?" The shinobi got up, picking the child up from the ground. "Wait...this mark. You...you have a seal mark on you. Does that mean that..." He turned, looking back to the Yondaime lying on the ground. The two had seal marks that were identical...meaning that both had been sealed in some way. The shinobi knew instinctively where the beast had gone. He dropped the child on the ground, turning to run. However, he thought about what the Yondaime would have said about such cowardice. Wincing slightly, he turned, picking the squealing babe from off the ground and holding it. "I'm sorry, little one. I'm so sorry." Turning, he lifted the body of the Yondaime in the other hand, walking off with both of his packages.
"It's a shame, it truly is." The Sandaime stood before a crowd of shinobi, honoring the Yondaime who had just passed. "He was a brave and loyal shinobi. His life will not be in vain." Turning back to the assembled, he held the child up. "This child is the savior of our village! We will pay homage to the memory of the Yondaime Hokage. Our children are not to know of this, otherwise they may have certain prejudices against this child. Be it known to all the adults of the village. This child is the Kyuubi's vessel, but its name shall henceforth never be mentioned in the village again!" The shinobi began talking and muttering to one another. The idea was practical. If none of the children knew of this, than no one would ever blame the child for what had occurred. "Very well. A ceremony will be held tomorrow for those who have passed into the realm of death." Turning, he placed the babe into the waiting arms of a nurse. "Nurse...please take this child back to the hospital and be sure it gets proper medical attention please." The nurse, bowing, took off at a sprint. The Sandaime smiled, watching her disappear into the gloom of the sunrise.
"What do we do about the village, Hokage-sama?" A shinobi in the back asked the question that none had dared to ask. The Sandaime thought about the question, mulling it over in his mind.
"The first thing that is important is the protection and safety of this village! The fires still burn, and the village is still torn by grief. The physical must take place before the emotional can be secured. Half of the shinobi will be on guard duty. When this leaks out, other villages may want revenge on Konoha for deeds of the past done in hatred. The other half will see to reconstruction. I vow that I shall turn the village of Konoha into something greater than what we started out with. That is my nindo." The shinobi turned to one another, smiling and nodding. Thus began the work of rebuilding Konoha to something greater.
"Here you are, little one. Though, I don't know how you'll be able to hide the fact that you're actually a demon. Well, hopefully those here won't find out, hmm?" Placing the child back into its original crib, the nurse clucked her tongue. "Poor child. To think about what you have to look forward to. It's a shame, really." Looking down at the child's chart, she smiled, stroking its head thoughtfully. "Your life will be full of hardships, but tonight you can find some peace. Goodnight, little Ino. Sleep well." With that, she left, leaving the child in a peaceful sleep that had been disturbed. The light began to peer through the window the child lay under, illuminating the chart on her crib, allowing the words to be read.
Yamanaka Ino...
A/N: I got this idea from my friend, who was saying something about Naruto and Ino's hair being blond. Of course, my imagination didn't help at all, either.
All rights are exclusively that of Masashi Kishimoto...you lucky bastard!
The only thing that isn't his is the name of the Jounin.
I got some help with the names and jutsu's from NarutoFan. Go there for more good stuff. Thanks, NarutoFan!
Sign names in Japanese taken from SaiyanIsland. Thanks, SaiyanIsland!
Expect this to be long! However, expect updates every week or so, perhaps. It will take time to do some in depth research on Naruto, which I plan to do for this. I hope to make it as detailed as possible.
Thank you in advance for all those who decide to review, alert, and favorite this. You guys are all awesome!