Paradigm

Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto or any of its affiliated trademarks.

A/N: Posting this with the first chapter. I actually wrote this more than a year ago, and it's definitely gone through a lot of changes since then. Since it's a prologue, I kept it short, a measly seven pages. Most of my thoughts will be in the first chapter, so be sure to read that.

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Prologue

The Yondaime Hokage was in a quandary. To truly realize the depth of his problems, you'd have to understand that he was a most talented ninja, capable of taking down numerous enemy ninja without much trouble. Extremely talented, he had graduated from Ninja Academy at an early age, and had quickly risen through the ranks to become the youngest Hokage ever. Not that there were really that many, mind you, four not being an overly large number. But it was still quite an accomplishment.

The Stone ninja feared him greatly. Even after the war was over, the order to retreat from him on sight still stood. Entire patrol routes were remade, just to keep their ninja away from him. It didn't stop the foolish and adventure seeking from trying their luck, but at least it kept most of their ninja capable of utilizing brain matter from dying meaningless deaths.

Lauded as a ninja with the greatest talent ever seen in Konoha, he knew a vast variety of skills. He was capable of wielding a vast variety of jutsu, from the basics, to the superfluously powerful, to the esoteric. His skills in cooking were described as deliciously gourmet, and he had learned a number of other house making skills such as sewing and decorating. His skills were widely ranged, something which earned him respect from those around him.

More importantly though, was his ability with seals. It had started as a side project set for him by his teacher, Jiraiya, but had quickly evolved from the simple basics, to much beyond that. This had led to his infamous Hiraishin technique, which he became infamous for. It had also led to his developing the Shiki Fuin, something he thought – he hoped – he would never have to use.

But here he was, contemplating its usage. And on his own son, nonetheless. To think that one as talented as he was would have to fall back on what was the equivalent of a suicide technique. And because his intended target was the Kyubi, a great nine tailed fox demon that was rampaging on the outskirts of Konoha, it would also involve the sacrifice of a baby's life.

Not in the sense that the baby would die. No, as desperate as he was, killing an innocent was something he'd never do. The Shiki Fuin would seal the great demon into his son, leaving it trapped there, its chakra slowly bleeding into the child's own. If all went according to plan, then by the time his son was an old man, the Kyubi would no longer have even half its strength.

The sacrifice of the baby's life came in a different sense. The Yondaime was no fool, and though he adored the village he had grown up in, he knew they would never fully accept his son if he went through with this. They would remember him as the great demonic beast that had destroyed many families. It was quite possible he'd even be killed before the seal could settle, releasing the Kyubi to terrorize the world again.

But what choice did he have? If he did not do this, hundreds more of his people would die. Was not the sacrifice of one child worth the prevention of those deaths? It all made sense in his head, the pros outweighed the cons. As the sworn leader and protector of his village, it was his duty to lay down his life in its defense. But still he hesitated. Perhaps it was because the baby was his own flesh and blood. Maybe it was due to his wife's recent death at child birth. Whatever the case, he was having doubts in his course of action.

The acrid smell of smoke met his nose, and he fought down the twitching it brought. Beautiful pale red colored the horizon, not looking at all like the destructive fire that caused it. It was irony, that such a horrible thing caused by the Kyubi could create such an exquisite mosaic in the sky. And it reminded him that every second he dawdled was at the cost of the lives of his ninjas.

"I've made up my mind," the Yondaime said with resolve. "I'll use the Shiki Fuin on the Kyubi. My son will be the sacrifice."

Behind him, his predecessor the Sandaime Hokage frowned. "Are you sure about this, Minato? Our ninja can still buy us more time. Jiraiya is expected to arrive in a few days. It is still possible to find another solution, one that does not need you to forfeit so much."

The Yondaime turned weary blue eyes to the old Sandaime, a resigned smile on his tired face. "And tell me, Professor. How many of those ninja will die in the time we wait? And what for, some possible miracle solution to this mess that may not even exist? Waiting is not something we can afford."

"But losing you is not something we can afford either," the Sandaime pleaded, "Konohagakure cannot lose half its standing forces and it's Hokage in the same day! It would be devastating."

"You are still here, Sarutobi. If you are still here, I am willing to part with my mortal body. Your hands are safe."

"My hands are old." The Sandaime lifted a wrinkled hand up and said, "I am aging, I am no longer the person I used to be. If I were to be made Hokage once again, it would not be for the best. We need someone new, someone young. Someone to carry on the Will of Fire. We need you, Minato. Allow me to perform the sealing."

The Yondaime snorted disparagingly, and turned fully to Sandaime so that the glow of the fire silhouetted his windblown, blonde hair. "There will be no one left to need me if we just sit here with our hands on our asses," he said. "And you are nowhere near fast enough to do this. As I said, I've already made up my mind. There's nothing more you can say to sway me."

Sighing, Sarutobi looked away. "Very well. I shall look after the village in your absence. I only hope that this isn't a mistake."

"You will stay here," Yondaime stated. The Sandaime looked to protest, but a halting hand stopped him. "If you are to lead this village, you will have to be whole and safe. Something impossible if you're dead. More importantly… if I were to fail... If the sealing of Kyubi goes wrong, you will be needed."

At this, the Sandaime Hokage nodded grimly. He understood what it was like to face the Kyubi, having fought it when it had first approached. The terror of the overwhelming chakra was something he would never forget. It was very much in the realms of possibility that Yondaime would die before he sealed the demon.

The old former Hokage heard the rustle of Minato's robes as the Yondaime turned to leave, but kept his gaze downwards so as to not let the younger Hokage see the tears in his eyes.

"Take care of my son for me, Sarutobi."

"Good luck, Namikaze Minato."

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Gathering his will, Minato bundled his son into his arms and used a transportation technique, Shunshin, to carry him halfway across the village, to where he expected to find his ninja mustering whatever defense they could manage. It hadn't been that long since he had left them after all.

However, what met his eyes was a massacre that left him in shock. Clumsily set up tents were crushed into the earth, and fire raged at the edges of what had once been a camp of capable ninjas. Discarded bodies lay strewn about, many missing limbs that could possibly be found in one of the gory messes. Even with his many years of battle, Yondaime Hokage had to fight down the bile that struggled to rise in his throat.

Filled with regret, Minato lifelessly stumbled forward, looking for a sigh that anyone had survived. Fire raged around him, but he ignored it. Even when a stray flame caught alight his Hokage cape, he merely let it slip off his shoulders. Yuki, the kunoichi he had left in charge, where was she? Surely she would be able to tell him what had happened. Was everyone stationed here dead? Was that why no one had come to inform him of the camp's destruction?

A small wail caught his attention, and alertness returned to his eyes. Using his speed, the Yondaime dashed towards the sound. It came from a baby, swaddled in delicate cloth. A woman with long black hair was hunched over the child in a protective fashion, her back broken against a tree. Blood pooled at her feet, even as the baby continued to cry. Sorrow filled Minato as he bent down to pick the baby up with the arm that wasn't holding his own son. The woman was obviously the baby's caretaker, perhaps the mother or a hired nanny.

As he easily lifted the baby into his arms, the woman he previously thought to be dead suddenly grabbed his wrist. Surprised, he was barely able to stop himself from reflexively beheading her. She gasped out in a raspy voice, blood trailing down from the corner of her mouth. "W-Wait…" She looked up at him, a great feat of willpower considering the state of her body. "The… the girl… h-her… name…" she gasped out. "Rei…Reimi."

Minato waited patiently as the woman coughed blood. He could see now that she had somehow broken her spine against the tree, and her head was the only part of her she could still move. Experience told him that her lungs were beginning to give out, causing her great pain to talk. But she kept trying to form words with her disfigured mouth. And though the Yondaime knew that he wouldn't be in this world for much longer, he would at least allow the woman to depart with the notion someone had heard her final words.

"Girl is… please… Kyubi… too-… f-for….. Revenge…!"

Suddenly the woman began coughing violently, blood flooding out of her mouth. Minato moved to help her, even knowing that there was nothing he could do. It was only a little while later that the old woman's body went still. She was dead.

Minato stood for a moment, not sure what to make of the woman's last request. If what he interpreted was correct, than the woman wanted him to train the baby girl Reimi for revenge against the Kyubi? That… was odd for a last request. He was expecting it to have been something along the lines of 'Take care of her for me', or 'Please find her shelter', but this was quite different.

He took a closer look at the dead woman. She was garbed in a kimono that was obviously of high quality, which meant she probably came from money. Was she somehow related to a rich merchant, perhaps? He knew most of the major nobles, so he knew she wasn't one of those, but was it possible she came from a minor noble family?

Then he noticed a kunai holster hidden beneath the folds of the woman's kimono. Yondaime frowned as another possibility came to mind. The woman could be from a ninja clan, one of some repute if her fine clothing was anything to go by. He was familiar with all the ninja in Konoha, something he took some pride in, so he knew she was not from his village. Did she come from another village? If so, then why? As an enemy spy? A refugee? A fugitive? Some defector perhaps?? Whatever her plans were, it was obvious it hadn't involved running into the Kyubi.

Now it seemed that the woman wanted her daughter, if that's who the baby was, to be trained to exact vengeance on the entity that had caused this? He had seen vengeful people, but nothing compared to this. How was he going to take care of her anyways, if he was planning his own death in the very near future? If the baby had not been entrusted to him as someone's last request, he wouldn't be thinking so much on it at such an important time. Not only that, he did not know where his ninja had retreated to, and he still had worries about the Shiki Fuin, which was technically only theoretical work. And even if it worked, how would his son fare? Though he was sure the Kyubi would protect its host physically, he wondered whether his son would be able to handle the mental and emotional abuse. If only there was some way to solve all this.

Then inspiration hit him, he could solve all his problems! One of the primary concerns he had with the Shiki Fuin was its capability to completely seal the Kyubi into one thing. But if he modified it so it was split into two objects, than the Kyubi itself would be split! Not only that, but it would also fulfill the woman's request for vengeance as well! The baby could also become a companion to his own son, one who could serve as a buffer against mean hearted adults.

Minato's eyebrows furrowed as he made the necessary modifications to the jutsu in his mind. It was no simple feat, but for one so experienced with seals such as him, it was possible. He ignored the urge to recheck his work again, though he knew he should. There was too little time. Gathering both babies into his arms, he quickly went up a tree, perching himself on the highest branch.

From his high vantage point, he could easily see the trail of destruction the Kyubi left in its wake. The sheer amount of power the nine tailed beast wielded was hard to imagine, even with the sight of acres of upturned forest in front of him. The babies in his arms began to cry, protesting against their rough treatment and the acrid smoke in the air.

Minato looked down on the two, his son swaddled in a bright orange blanket, and Reimi in a jet black one, and smiled sadly. "I'm sorry. If I had a choice, I wouldn't do this. Especially to ones as young as you two. However, I've been left with little options, and this will end the suffering of my village."

The babies in his arms calmed slightly as he spoke to them, and he looked into the blue eyes of his son. "Naruto, I am sorry to have you bear this burden. If I could bear this burden myself, I would, but that is not possible. And for that, I deeply apologize. However, I know that you'll be able to overcome this obstacle. You are my son, and I love you." He turned and looked at the other baby.

"To you, Reimi, I apologize even more. I do not know why you are here, nor do I know where you're from. Perhaps it was fate that brought you to me, I do not know. However, I ask you to share this burden with my son. I cannot fathom what kind of life you two will live, but it is my hope you will support each other in whatever you endeavor."

His hands quickly formed seals in quick succession. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" There was a giant puff of smoke, before it cleared to reveal a giant red toad with a short sword sheathed at its side. It turned one scarred eye to Minato.

"Eh?" it grunted out in a low, guttural voice. "Minato? What did you call me out here for?"

"Gamabunta," Yondaime said as he hopped onto the great toad's head. "I'm performing that jutsu on the Kyubi. Buy me time till I can get a clear shot at it."

The enormous toad turned its great head downwards. "Hmmph. I see, so that is your choice." Gamabunta drew his sword from its sheath. "Very well then, I shall assist you, as I promised I would."

The loud sound of the Kyubi's enraged cries roared through the burning forest, causing the flames to bend away momentarily. The blonde Hokage stood fearlessly atop Gamabunta, bravely looking towards the giant beast as it wreaked a path towards him. He gave a bitter smile. "Heh, it seems that my death is nearing, and here I am talking to babies, who can't even understand me, and some oversized frog. What a sight I must make."

"Here it comes!" warned Gamabunta.

The Yondaime Hokage began gathering chakra to perform the Shiki Fuin, his eyes never leaving the much larger ones of the Kyubi. He pasted a cocksure grin onto his face, his hands wrapped around his charges to form a hand seal. "Come, beast! I, Namikaze Minato, will show you Konoha's Will of Fire!"

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Sandaime Hokage watched as the Kyubi rushed at the familiar toad summon of the Yondaime. The two monolithic beasts were easy to see, even from such a distance, and the earth shook whenever they clashed. But it was obvious that the Kyubi was the stronger of the two, as it slowly pushed its foe back with its vicious attacks.

Then there was a sudden flare of chakra signaling the usage of some powerfully overwhelming jutsu, and then a momentary flare of light that barely lasted a second. And then, there was nothing. The giant summoned creature and the Kyubi were gone. Where they had been causing untold destruction to the land, there was only a long section of dug out land. The silence was deafening in comparison to the caucus their fight was causing earlier.

In a way, Sarutobi mused in a far corner of his mind, the end of the Kyubi's mighty rampage was anti-climactic. He didn't know what he was expecting exactly, but somehow it felt empty. Then he shook his head, dwelling on such thoughts wouldn't be good. He made a few subtle signals with his hands, summoning his personal ANBU guard to him A few more, and they immediately left to where the Kyubi had disappeared.

Sandaime slowly donned his old Hokage robes, face grim. "I promised you, Minato. I promised I would protect Konoha in your stead. Though I'm still wary of whether you made the correct decision, I shall abide by it."

Placing the last of the traditional dress of the Hokage, the hat, onto his head, Sarutobi formed the seals for the Shunshin. In a swirl of leaves, he disappeared from his tower, and reappeared at the site of the Yondaime's fight with the Kyubi.

The area was desolate, the Kyubi's massive power having incinerated every tree it had come near. The ground was burned a shiny black, and a sense of foreboding still lingered in the area. Fire still burned around it, reddish lights reflecting off the reflective earth.

But for now, Sarutobi and his ANBU team had more pressing matters than the condition of the land. In the center of the destruction wrapped in orange blankets lay Uzumaki Naruto, the legacy of the Yondaime Hokage, crying loudly. Instantly, Sarutobi was at the baby's side, picking him up gently.

As Sarutobi fussed with Naruto, no one noticed the black blanket that had disappeared. Nobody questioned why it wasn't there, as no one knew it was supposed to be there. The name, Reimi, sewn into one corner of the blanket, was not seen. And when the Sarutobi and his entourage left so they could inform Konoha's people of what had taken place, they would do so without knowing there was supposed to be another child there.