Author's Notes: Hello, everyone! Your girl has delivered as promised! The rewrite is here! Thank you for you patience and thank you so much for supporting my stuff! Now, unlike other fics, this one is basically done(just a little touch up here and there). Whether I post more chapters or not is completely up to you. Sorry guys, I'm picky when it comes to reviews. If I don't get enough, I kinda lose motivation to put any effort in. So I want reviews! Hahaha!

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Prologue.

Thunder shattered the ominous silence in the air. A forest littered with trees was assaulted by harsh rain. Wildlife was nowhere to be seen, hidden in the safety of natural shelter.

A figure stood in the middle of a gargantuan clearing, which was damaged with a visible whole in the middle, broken and burnt trees cleared the vicinity.

The figure wore a cloak, his true identity hidden by a white mask decorated with circular patterns, two wholes at each side intended to provide space for eyes and one whole above them.

He held in his left hand a baby in a pink blanket, cradled securely, as if the child's safety was very important. Supported on his right shoulder, draped like a sack of potatoes, was a redheaded woman. Her body was bloodied, scads of red lines streamed down her legs, her midsection, her arms and her head. She seemed dead to the world.

The masked man looked to the ground as rain continued it's assault. He had remained silent for what seemed like hours before, finally, he spoke.

"You were very impressive, Minato. In my planning, I had failed to take your sacrifice into account. It was neglected on my part..."

The figure looked around, taking note of the copious amounts of destruction. The land looked like the aftermath of a war. Well, they had indeed been a war, both won and lost. People had died, extinguishing their lives, all so their village could continue to live off them. To use them to prosper itself into a strong entity.

'What rubbish,' the masked figure thought.

He looked down again, staring intently at a spot as he continued his talk.

"As Hokage, you have made your village proud and succeeded in cementing yourself as their legacy. But as a father and husband, you have failed your family. In the end, you chose the village over your own children."

The man was replied by rain splatter and the occasional roar of thunder, nothing else.

He sighed to himself. "All you have done is postpone the inevitable. Konoha will fall, no matter how much you fought for your selfish ideals."

The man looked at the baby in his hands. It was a girl, enclosed by a pink blanket. She had been crying a few moments prior. But now, she slept soundly. That was good for the masked man. He did not need any unnecessary crying. The silence was much more welcomed.

Shut your eyes to the world, for when you truly open them again, a new world of peace will greet you.

That was his ultimate goal, and it was becoming more achievable each second.

"Your death was unfortunate, Minato. However, I will not be deterred. This world shall know true happiness and peace, and I will use any means to achieve this. One day, you'll understand and come to forgive me."

The masked man turned his gaze slightly, eyeing a blue blanket that was slowly getting soaked. There was a bundle in there, but he made no move to help it.

"The child will be my instrument to Konoha's destruction. The demon feeds off of rage and anguish. What better way to fuel a boy's anger then a mother's betrayal?" he briefly turned his gaze to the woman on his shoulders, her face hidden on his back. "Yes, she will be instrumental to true peace."

The man's posture stiffened. His ears could pick up distinct footsteps driven by urgency. He could hear people converging on this very spot. Soon, the place would be filled with unwanted visitors.

He had wasted enough energy as it was. He could not stay here.

He made to leave, but decided to give some parting words.

"Do not worry, Minato. I promise that Kushina will not be harmed, nor will her little girl. They will grow to love as a family and return to your village. That is the most I will give you. They are important to my mission, however, so I cannot just leave them be yet."

He took a quick glance at the baby boy again.

"The boy will be left to this village's disposal, your village. They may grow to love him or hate him, but all will be the same when the child reaches the right age. Your family have a great task to perform. I hope you're proud. I bid you farewell...sensei."

And with that, he shot into the trees, swiftly camouflaging himself with the accustomed darkness.

The clearing was silent once again. The baby lay motionless in the wet blanket. Beside it was another body, bloodied and prone. It was a man, his blonde hair mashed with blood and his shinobi attire was incalculably tattered. His eyes were open, grey and lifeless.

He was dead.

Everything seemed to still for just a moment... The rain had stopped...

Then, the clearing was flooded with bodies, moving swiftly with a purpose. They were all dawned in shinobi attire. One body in particular landed next to the dead blonde.

"Quickly," The man boomed, "get this man medical attention, now!"

Many ninja acted out. Hurriedly taking the blonde to an unknown location.

The man who gave the order looked on forlornly, dread already painted on his face. He had seen eyes such as those many times before. He didn't want to believe that their leader was dead, not yet.

He looked down and noticed a wet blanket on the ground. His eyes widened in terror. Fearfully, he picked up the bundle and cradled the baby in his hands. He took off the blanket, took a dry cloak out of a scroll he wielded and placed it around the infant. He quickly felt the baby's chest, applying a small amount of chakra to heal any unwanted injuries.

The baby was cold to the touch, but he could feel the faint heartbeat of life. He froze mid-stride. It was only for a few seconds, but he finally realised how grim things really were.

He looked around, already knowing something else was amiss. "Search for Kushina and the other child! If you see the man that calls himself Madara, inform me immediately!"

"Yes sir!"

"Sarutobi!" an alarmed voice called.

Sarutobi looked to the voice, witnessing a man with spiky white hair making his way to the clearing.

"Jiraiya, I fear we are too late."

Jiraiya froze, his face shocked. He shook his head, stern. "We lost a lot of good people, I know, but is Minato okay? How about Kushina? Are the kids alright?!"

Sarutobi took in a deep breath. This day made him feel truly old. They had lost a lot of the innocent because of the Kyuubi's surprise attack.

It was horrible, loved ones were lost all because of the masked man claiming to be Madara. Knowing that the village might have also lost not only a Hokage, but a good friend as well, really tore at Sarutobi's psyche.

"We are searching for Kushina and Mito. I have Naruto. But Jiraiya... I-I don't know if... If Minato made it."

"What do you mean?!" Jiraiya yelled, enraged and scared. "This is Minato we're talking about! He single handedly beat hundreds of shinobi!"

"Jiraiya," Sarutobi forced, face contorted in sadness, "where did the Kyuubi go?"

Jiraiya paused. He looked to the side; his face was grim as realisation hit him hard. He closed his eyes and spoke: "He told me that if all else failed, he would use the Shiki Fuujin... Oh God no."

"I applyed chakra to Naruto... The seal is there."

Jiraiya's mind shut down. His body slacked and he fell on his butt numbly. His face was a mask of horror. He didn't know whether to cry or just scream in rage.

"I feel the same as you, Jiraiya. It was unfair fate that robbed Minato and Kushina the life of a family they deserved. And it was unfair fate that so many lives were lost because of something we were not prepared for."

"Kushina, where is she?!" Jiraiya screamed in alarm.

"They are still searching for her," Sarutobi reminded. He understood Jiraiya's hysteria. The man was already in the process of grieving from one loss, he didn't need another.

"That bastard," Jiraiya hissed. His eyes were red; he was livid. "When I find him, I'll make sure he pays for what he did."

"Calm yourself, Jiraiya. Right now, we need to focus on tending to our fellow shinobi. We will deal with that man if he shows his face again."

"DAMN IT!" Jiraiya screamed. "Why now?! Why when things were starting look up for them?! After all the shit Minato and Kushina had to deal with, why this?!"

"Jiraiya!" Sarutobi commanded. "Calm yourself!"

Jiriaya stopped his rant and glared at a tree. It wasn't fair, it just wasn't.

Sarutobi looked at Naruto. "We have to hope that Kushina and Mito are okay. You will have your time to grieve, just wait for the rest of the news. We need to know how much damage has been done."

Jiraiya looked at the child too. "Poor kid."

"Yes, it's very unfortunate."

"What are we going to do?"

"... If Kushina is alive, we will trust Naruto's care to her. But if she's not."

"She is!" Jiraiya protested, standing up on his two feet once again.

"I'm not saying that she's dead, Jiraiya. But we have to be prepared for anything."

Jiraiya crossed his arms and grit his teeth, but let his mentor continue.

"If she is dead, then I have to put the child into an orphanage. I have little choice but to do so. I'm certain that the council will opt to it and wait for Naruto's adoption"

Jiraiya sighed. "You sure it's a good idea? It will be like Minato again."

"If you're willing to look after him, I can leave him with you."

Jiraiya's mouth thinned. He looked troubled, not sure if it was the right decision to place a child in his care when his spy network was so active.

"I don't know. I don't want you to give me the kid and I end up neglecting him. He could die in my care. I'm always busy. You know I'd love to be there for him. But right now, there's just too many things going on."

"Are you sure, Jiraiya?"

"As long as the kid's safe in Konoha, then there's nothing I can do. When things calm down, I'll be here and ready. That is, if Kushina..."

"I understand. You have an obligation to the village. If we were to lose your expertise and your spy network, Konoha wouldn't stand a chance against invading enemies."

Jiraiya nodded, although he seemed apprehensive in agreeing. "Yeah..."

"Don't fear, Jiraiya. Naruto will be cared for."

"So what are you going to do about this situation, Sarutobi?"

"I will wait for Kushina's arrival. Only after, I'll make a decision."

"If... If she's really dead?"

"I will inform the village of her and Minato's bravery in protecting Konoha, and I will make sure that they are aware of Naruto's sacrifice for their safety."

Jiraiya nodded, satisfied with what he was hearing. "It's going to be a shocker when the village finds out that Minato and Kushina married and had kids."

Sarutobi shook his head, face serious with little effort. "They won't know the identity of Naruto's parents. It's for the child's safety. If people were to find out that Minato had a child, then enemy-nin would surely come for him."

Jiraiya posture deflated. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Sarutobi suddenly smiled gently. "Relax, Jiraiya. I'm sure Kushina and Mito will be found soon, then it's all up to her. It will be hard for everyone, I'll admit, but as long as the children are safe, I'm sure Kushina will look after them and remain strong."

Jiraiya allowed a tired grin. Yes, Kushina would be found and he wouldn't need to worry about Naruto. It was okay. Everything was going to be okay.

"I need to take Naruto to safety. Go on searching for Kushina and I'll catch up," Sarutobi said, swiftly hurrying in the direction of Konoha.

Jiraiya nodded, going deeper into the forest. After he found Kushina, He would need to see Minato anyway, if only to pay his respects and grieve. It shouldn't be that hard to track down the redhead. If anything, she should still be around the area.

The clearing was empty again. No one could be seen and the ominous silence returned.

It was deathly quiet...