Hey! Welcome to the first story in a series that will eventually be at least three maybe two books long. I know that it's kind of a cliché plot but I decided that I wanted to try it out. Much inspiration for this story came from The Ascendance Trilogy, The Seven Realms, the story of Anastasia, and the classic tale of Sleeping Beauty. So onto the story, The People of the Land!

EDIT (1/18/18): Revised.

EDIT (2/8/18): Added final scene.

EDIT (5/24/18): Changed added scene.

Disclaimer: I do not own the anime Naruto or any of the characters from it.

"Shiki Fūjin!"

Minato and Kushina, the two new parents, both collapsed to the ground. The Kuuybi's gigantic claw was sucked into their newborn son's body, with the rest of the demon fox tagging along. There was a sudden stillness in the landscape, as if the Land were holding her breath. The two rulers lay equally still, their eyes closed, and their limbs limp and unmoving. Were someone were to pass by then, it would seem as if they were simply in peaceful slumber, if not for the blood. Then as suddenly as it was created, the silence was broken by the piercing wail of a newborn. His mother, Kushina, slowly opened her eyes in response, and looked up at where her baby boy laid on the raised dark orange cushion of the sealing altar.

Seeing her baby's distress, the queen attempted to stand on her feet, but found that she couldn't. She was so tired. Going through childbirth and then having the Kuuybi extracted from her was seriously taking a toll on her body. She was tempted just to let herself fall asleep and rest, but when her eyes started to close she heard her small child crying out again and they just couldn't stay closed after that. So, even though Kushina was exhausted and most probably dying, her Uzumaki determination combined with her newly found motherly instincts forced her to crawl to her baby. She pulled him off the sealing alter and wrapped him securely in a strip of cloth from her skirt and then in her shaking arms. She rested against the altar and looked over to her husband.

He's not moving.

She felt the panic rise up her throat, threatening to choke her. The little baby in her arms sensed her distress and squirmed, his wails beginning to rise again. Kushina quickly swallowed her panic and calmed herself before looking down at her child. His big blue eyes were open and rapidly filling with tears as he looked up at his mother. Kushina marveled at the thought that this small baby could possibly understand what was going on.

Of course he does! He's got his parents' super smart and awesome genes after all!

Kushina smiled down at him and let soft and comforting words spill from her lips. "Hey, it's alright, baby, everything is fine. We'll all be just fine. Just close your eyes and go to sleep. I'll be right here with you when you wake up." She continued to reassure him until a tiny (and adorable, might she add) yawn was released and his eyes flutter closed.

A wave of pain coursed through her body and she winced. Kushina knew that promise would most likely be broken. She also knew that Minato was probably dead or dying. A different sort of pain filled her being. She felt as if her heart was being ripped to shreds with that realization. The tears fell down her face as her eyes squeezed shut. How had this night come to this? It was supposed to be one of the greatest days in their lives, the night when their child came into the world. Said child fidgeted in her embrace once again. She pushed the thoughts of her husband out of her mind, and focused on her baby. One of her tears had landed on his face. She wiped it away with one thumb.

"I'm sorry baby," she whispered, for that was all that she could do with her waning strength. Kushina felt him settle down once more, and she softly hummed to her child, her voice growing weaker and weaker by the moment. Kushina knew that she didn't have long for this world, but she had to find some way to make sure that her baby would be protected and loved and safe. She was filled with sorrow at that thought, at the fact that she would not be able to watch her baby grow up, not be able to watch him take his first steps, or grow to become the wonderful man she knew he would become. And for that matter, the finest king this land would ever know.

That was when she heard footsteps behind her. They were quick and light, and Kushina felt through her empathetic abilities that these people were no threat. In fact, this couple just might be the answer to her problem. She then heard the man speak out.

"Excuse me madam, but my wife and I heard some noises from out here and were wondering if you might happen-" there was then a loud gasp and the footsteps grew faster and closer.

They must have seen the gaping hole in my middle.

Kushina saw the two owners of the voices then, as they ran to her side. They were not her citizens, that was obvious enough at first glance. However, their eyes were kind and their worry sincere, and that was enough for the new mother. Kushina came back to focus as the woman commanded her husband to get out the bandages and quick this woman is dying-

"There's no need," Kushina whispered looking up at the young couple. "I'm not going to survive this."

"There must be something we can do." The man said.

"There is." Kushina then held out her baby boy to the man and his wife. "Please, take my baby. Protect him."

They looked at each other, and then the woman nodded. She held out her arms, ready to take the baby from his mother.

"He will be well loved."

Kushina was hesitant to let go of her child, but she knew that it was for the best. This couple would keep him safe and she could tell that they already adored him, even though they had never even held him.

She lowered her head and placed a gentle kiss on her baby's forehead and whispered to him, "don't worry baby, you will be well looked after and raised with love and care. Just remember that mommy and daddy love you very much." Her voice broke a bit at the end, and then Kushina placed her beautiful baby boy in the arms of the woman that knelt beside her.

The woman looked at the small child peacefully sleeping her embrace and then asked his mother, "what is this little one's name?"

"It's Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki."

Then there was a brief, peaceful silence as the couple stared down at their new charge. However, it was soon shattered by the sound of marching feet and loud voices in the forest behind them.

"Keep searching! Their majesties must be around here somewhere!" One voice shouted above the rest. Kushina knew that voice. It belonged to the captain of the royal guard. She should be happy to hear that voice, but for some reason she felt panicked. They would find baby Naruto and he would be forced to survive court life without his parents, taking the crown at a young age. Kushina did not want that for her son. She looked up urgently at the couple holding her baby. They faced the forest with similar looks.

"Go," Kushina whispered. "Get out of here before the royal guard arrives." At their hesitant glances towards her and Minato she added, "don't worry. They will take care of my husband and me."

With that reassurance the couple needed no more prompting and fled into the thick forest that laid opposite of the one the guards were in. Kushina then saw her vision going dark, and her last sight was of the fleeing couple with her baby, before they disappeared into the forest, and she saw no more.

On the night the Kyuubi attacked, Konoha was alight with sharp agony and red chakra. Then, when it was finally over, the vibrant city was void of energy and life. The only sound came from the wind as it carried the sorrowful wails of those left behind to the entire continent.

Konoha was wounded. Many of her citizens were dead and her people's hope was dying, just as her monarchs were. Her brilliant and lively spark was diminished. She was losing hope too.

All this the shadow could see.

He glided down the marbled halls of the palace, loving the darkness they held. Konoha was dark, and the palace was a reflection of that. The only break in shadow came from rooms a little further down the hall, where nurses and close friends attended to the flickering lights of the Fire King and Queen.

"Will they be okay?"

"There's no way they could die, right? Not Minato. Not Kushina."

"Please, wake up."

The shadow avoided that room. Light hurt his eyes. Instead, he carefully entered the room beside it, pausing briefly in the doorway, curling against the wall. His eyes were drawn to the cradle in the center of the room. The shadow treaded across the floor, looming over the cradle. He peered into it curiously, and then sighed in disappointment.

It was empty.

"You aren't here, Nasazí…" the shadow rumbled, its voice hoarse like despair. "However, I was correct. You chose this family."

The shadow let out a deep sigh, vanishing as the morning light came through the window, leaving behind only a few words. "I will find you, Nasazí."

And the wails of the city echoed across the room, made only sharper by the rising light.

THE LOST HEIR: BOOK 1 – PEOPLE OF THE LAND

Kushina's sight was filled with darkness as she felt herself coming to. She heard fuzzy voices all around her that were slowly becoming clearer. Her mind was filled with confusion. Why was she waking up? Wasn't she supposed to be dead? She opened her eyes and saw white walls and bond hair on a blurry face above her. Her vision cleared and she realized that is was Minato. Wasn't he supposed to be dead too? Just what was going on here?

Minato, recognizing the confusion on his wife's face gently told her, "we're not dead, honey. We made it." He paused. "You've been out for three weeks."

Kushina reeled in shock.

Three whole weeks. Did my Uzumaki genes take a vacation?

"Kushina, sweetie, where is Naruto?"

All of the events that came after the sealing finished came flooding back to her. Her baby wailing. Her husband dying. The couple. Giving up her baby.

"I don't know, Minato. I don't know." She whispered as the tears rolled down her face. Minato sat on the bed his dear wife laid in and gently pulled her into his warm embrace. Kushina wept into his chest, and Minato placed his cheek on his wife's head, silent tears of his own falling down to rest on her fiery red hair.

(A few days later Kushina told her husband about all that had transpired after the sealing of the Kuuybi. They decided that it was best to keep the information of where their child was secret from all else, and for him to stay with the strange couple. They would keep him safe. Naruto would return to them someday, and that day couldn't come soon enough.)