A/N: In this story Naruto isn't Minato's son and the third Hokage doesn't know about Naruto. This small change in the story makes a massive change in the future and the world. Just so you know I will try to keep as close to the story as possible but if I make any mistakes just tell me, other than that just enjoy the first chapter.

Destruction

That was all that Namikaze Minato the fourth Hokage could think as he walked through what used to be part of the forest that surrounded Konoha and protected it from enemies. He could see the bodies of many ninja's that had given their lives to attempt to hold off their enemy and their bloody bodies caused him deep sorrow.

He just wished that they had had more warning than the hour they had been given but he supposed he should be happy that they had had that considering what they were up against, something worse than a hurricane and much more deadly, the nine tailed bijuu Kyuubi no Kitsune.

Minato had yet to see the actual beast, as he had begun researching ways to defeat bijuu the moment that a chuunin had run into his office yelling about a large chakra source moving slowly towards the village hidden in the leaves.

The price for this research time that he had demanded could be clearly seen all around him and to make it worse he had still not discovered a way to stop the fox. He should have asked for Sarutobi's advice on the matter but his foolish pride had stopped him and he feared that this catastrophe would now destroy everyone he loved.

He was passing where parts off the gate to Konoha used to stand when he heard a loud cry that could only have come from a baby, sure enough after moving some fallen branches he saw a baby boy held in the arms of his now dead mother. Looking towards her face he was her red hair and noticed it was hiding a ninja headband, the symbol of the whirlpool village etched upon it.

'Weird.' he thought, 'A ninja from another village so close to Konoha and carry a baby with her.' this could very well mean that something had happened to the whirlpool village but there was no time to think on that, he had to stay focused.

A sudden thought dawned upon him as he remembered his main focus of work, excluding of course being Hokage, for the past few years, the fuuin jutsu but it was untested and to seal such a large amount of chakra into an inanimate object would be impossible and although it could be sealed into a person they would have to have an unformed chakra sys...

His head snapped down to the baby lying in his mother's arms, so innocent, could he really do this to the boy, was it really worth it. Looking out once more at where the many dead shinobi lay he decided, he was just glad his sensei wasn't here to see him do what could very well destroy this child's life but he had to, it was for the greater good.

Picking up the baby and hiding him in his cloak so no one would see the boy he started on his way once again to the Kyuubi. As he did this he noticed the name written on the blanket the boy was wrapped in, Uzumaki Naruto.

Arriving he saw nearly ever still active ninja performing their jutsu's to hold off the beast, placing his hands together in a seal he performed the kuchiyose no justsu. The giant toad Gamabunta who was summoned needed no instruction as seeing Kyuubi caused him to rush the fox trying to hold him in place.

This did not buy much time as a few seconds later the giant toad was dispelled but it gave enough time for Minato to perform the seals necessary for the fuuin jutsu and as the Kyuubi's eye wandered towards him he said his final words, "Fuuin Jutsu."

The monster of a fox had realised that there was something unusual about this human as soon as he saw him, he was shown how correct he was when a sudden draining feeling ran through his body and looking above the man he saw what could only be the Shinigami.

Kyuubi didn't know what happened to him after that, only that he seemed to be drawn into something and then nothing but darkness.

As the body of the Kyuubi began disappearing and his spirit began flowing towards Minato, he pulled the baby out of his cloak and placed him on the seal he had just made on the ground. The seal then appeared on the boy and the spirit started rushing into the seal, into the boy's body.

When the spirit was completely gone the boy fell asleep, the seal on his stomach faded and Minato started to fell his chakra and life disappearing. His last though as he disappeared forever from this world was 'May I be judge now for the wrongs I have done to this child and I can only hope that one day he will forgive me and love this village as I do.' That was the end, the fourth Hokage was dead.

As the ninja's who had been fighting the Kyuubi all realised this a sudden silence came over the battle field, broken by cries of, "Hokage-sama!" and then there was many ninja's rushing towards his body, all but one not even noticing the boy on the ground.

The ninja who did notice the baby was part of Anbu root; a branch of Anbu controlled by Danzo, grabbed the boy and disappeared in a swirl of leaves. This left no explanation of how Namikaze Minato won the battle and over the years to come many ninja's would believe that the power that the Kyuubi possessed had been destroyed forever, how wrong they were.

The Anbu who had taken Naruto stood holding the boy in Danzo's office in the underground Anbu root headquarters waiting for the man to appear. He had come here as soon as he could and upon arrival had called for Danzo who was probably at the moment on his way here from the council room where he had been most of the night.

The door behind the Anbu opened and Danzo's began walking towards his desk speaking while he did so, "This better be damn important, I had to leave the council meeting and it'll only be a few minutes before it starts and if I'm not there people will start asking questions."

The Anbu held up the baby and replied, "I was on the battlefield when the fourth Hokage defeated the Kyuubi and I noticed that this baby was lying next to him."

Danzo's left eye narrowed at the Anbu and his voice took an angry tone, "You called me out of a council meeting because you found a baby on the field, he's probably just some orphan that managed to survive."

The Anbu nodded and he spoke his words faster than he had before, "Normally I would have thought so to but there appears to be some sort of seal on his body."

Danzo looked at the stomach of the boy where the Anbu was pointing and noticed an almost entirely faded seal; he looked closer at it and froze in shock. He recognised that seal, it was something of legend, suddenly it made sense Minato had been working on completing the fuuin jutsu and if he had used it on the Kyuubi and then sealed its spirit in the boy then...

A small smile appeared on the aged man's face, he had a jinchuuriki who he could teach to follow his every command and turn into a weapon. Of course it would be over a decade before the boy would be of any use but that would just make it easier to plan everything out.

Danzo looked at the Anbu and asked him "What is the boy's name?"

The Anbu who had read the name on the blanket answered, "His name is Uzumaki Naruto."

Danzo nodded and ordered the Anbu, "Take Naruto to where were keeping the other orphan babies that we've gathered to be trained. We he's old enough he'll begin training and we'll turn him into one of us, until then I want monthly reports on how he's reacting to this seal he has."

The Anbu nodded and exited the room, a few seconds later Danzo did the same, for the next several years Naruto wouldn't even see daylight.

Danzo sat in the council chamber listening to the arguments going through the room about who would be the next Hokage. Uchiha Fugaku seemed certain it should be him but he was meeting heavy resistance from many councillors, especially Hyuuga Hiashi.

The room went silent as Nara Shikaku yelled out his suggestion, "I think that we should reinstate Sarutobi-sama as Hokage since he's already done the job for so many years anyway."

This caused the entire council to turn to Sarutobi who sat next to the Hokage's chair, "Well if you will wish for it I suppose I could come out of retirement for a few years, at least until we have found a suitable successor for the job."

A majority of the council agreed with this and it was declared that the third Hokage would be reinstated. Through all this Danzo remained silent, unusual for him but he didn't want to be Hokage at the moment anyway, his plan would work better this way because now he would be able to see who his real allies were and he wouldn't have to waste too much time getting rid of his enemies.

Uzumaki Naruto now twelve years old stood in Danzo's office awaiting his new orders for a mission which he was told he would be beginning today. He had just finished his final day of his eight years of training and although he had been on group missions before this would be his first solo mission.

Danzo looked up from his desk towards Naruto and asked him, "Are you ready for your first mission; it is after all an important one."

The only sign that Naruto had even heard the question was a nod of his head.

Danzo looked down to the paper on his desk and then back up to Naruto again, "Very well, I assume you heard of the Uchiha massacre that happened a few years ago?"

Naruto answered very quickly, "Yes."

"Good, you have been entered into the Ninja academy, in six months Uchiha Sasuke, the last Uchiha, will graduate and become a genin. You will graduate at the same time as him and to ensure you are placed on his team you will just barely pass."

Naruto looked confused at this, "Danzo-sama what am I to do when I am placed on his team."

"You are to watch him, protect him and ascertain whether or not Sasuke will join our cause. When the time is right you will report your findings and we will decide what to do from there. Until then you are to give me regular reports on your mission, understood."

"Yes, Danzo-sama." Replied Naruto

"Good, now begin your mission."

Naruto left the office and began his journey towards the ninja academy, the boy was happy to be on this mission but he wasn't smiling, he never did after all why would a weapon smile.

A/N I'd appreciate if you tell me what you think of the chapter. I hope to be able to write chapters larger than this one and hopefully I'll be able to post every few days.