Disclaimer : I don't own Naruto, or other anime or manga which I may utilize in the story. If I did, the manga wouldn't be called Sasuke.

Chapter Zero : Prologue.

Location : Elemental Countries, Hi no Kuni, Konohagakure no Sato, Hokage Tower, Hokage's Office.

Date : 5 October 146

Time : 09 00 Hours

Minato Namikaze relaxed on his chair, his Kage Bushins taking care of his paper work. Sneaking a glance around, Minato produced a key from his front pocket, before easing the key into the hidden keyhole on the table itself. As the key went flush against the wooden grains, the keyhole lit up. A hidden compartment dropped from a panel – formerly hidden.

Minato nimbly grabbed the compartment before it clattered on the floor and retrieved the scroll inside, before placing a strong Genjutsu on the door. To an ignorant observer, they would only see their Hokage hard at work. The compartment, now forgotten on the table was left alone as Minato walked off with the scroll opened. Now where did I stop yesterday?

Unlocking another door that stood in front of him, the Yondaime opened the door. Closing it behind him, he activated the seals carved on the other side of the door. Satisfied with the security it provided, Minato spread the scroll open on a table, before grabbing a bottle of ink and a brush placing it besides the scroll. Quickly scribbling calculations on some rough paper with a pencil whose end was currently being chewed on, Minato paused.

Is this alright? It works fine in theory, but what truly will happen in reality? Is it wrong to forcefully summon a creature of such might?

Brushing aside his concerns, he scribbled down a possible seal and penned the calculations by the side, before crunching up the paper and tossing it aside. Grunting in frustration, Minato relaxed on his chair. His wife was pregnant, and the baby was due anytime soon. The Yondaime smiled as he thought about how his child would look like. Would the boy look anything like his mother or like him? Hopefully he wouldn't pick up any of his highly irregular tendencies. Like the insatiable urge to annoy the citizens of Konohagakure no Sato with an ill timed prank. While Kushina had managed to convince him rather peacefully to stop, his fingers itched whenever the opportunity presented itself. He chuckled as he remembered the time before he became the Hokage he strung the high and mighty Uchiha family's underwear all around Konohagakure no Sato under a strong Henge.

Shaking himself out of his musings, Minato walked over and penned another set of calculations before scribbling down a possible seal. After double checking it, he opened the bottle of ink and added the final seal to the set. At long last. Shiki Fuuin, completed. Theoretically.

Time : 15 00 Hours

"Hokage-sama! We have reports that the King of the Underworld, the Lord of Hell, the God of Fire, the Kyuubi no Kitsune is approaching our village!" The ANBU reported, slightly out of breath from sprinting all the way back from the border.

"How long more before it comes?" Minato questioned. The ANBU became quiet, and after a moment replied, "One week, Hokage-sama."

"Cease all outdoor trainings and withdraw all shinobi on missions immediately! Set up underground bunkers large enough to contain the civilians and food supplies! Start buying food and other essentials to stock up the bunkers!" Minato barked, mentally cursing. Kushina was about to give birth soon, and the dratted fox had to appear now.

"Hai!" The ANBU replied respectfully, before disappearing in a plume of smoke.

Location : Elemental Countries, Hi no Kuni, Konohagakure no Sato, Konohagakure no Sato Hospital, Maternity Room #01-29

Date : 10 October 146

Time : 13 00 Hours

"It's all your fault you… you… BLONDE NO BAKA!" Kushina screamed, grabbing Minato's hand hard. He winced in pain as his wife swore at him using words he'd never expect out of her mouth. He winced again when she started threatening his supply of food, namely Ramen. His mentor was beside him chuckling, and so was his predecessor. "Stop laughing Jiraiya-sensei, it's not funny at all!" Minato cried in frustration.

"Minato-sensei, the fox is just a day away. What are your orders?" A dog masked ANBU with silver hair appeared. "Man the battle stations and if needed be, fight with your lives. Is there anything else Kakashi?"

"No, sensei." With that, the ANBU disappeared again.

"Push, Kushina-san, push. On the count of three…" Minato zoned out as the nurse aided his wife in giving birth. Staring out of the window, he wondered why he suddenly felt such a sense of despair.

Location : Elemental Countries, Hi no Kuni, Konohagakure no Sato, North Gate.

Date : 10 October 146

Time : 18 00 Hours

"The Hokage's here!" Cheers were heard and the shinobi doubled their efforts. Perched on top of Gamabunta with Sarutobi besides him, Minato looked lovingly at the bundle in his arms. "You know what to do, don't you Saru? The fate of Konoha rests in your hands."

"Of course, Minato-san." The Sandaime said sadly. "Are you sure you don't want me to do it? You could…"

"No." Minato spoke harshly. "You are best suited to rebuilding the village again. I am not as level headed as you, and I don't think I can rebuild Konoha with my current capabilities." When Minato saw that the Sandaime wanted to argue, he cut the old man off. "This is my duty as the current Hokage."

Seeing that the stubborn man was set in his ways, Sarutobi could only prepare for what he had to do. Gathering the chakra needed, he nodded. Taking the nod as the cue to act, Minato's hands flashed quickly through the various handseals, before concluding with a shout that made the entire battlefield quiet. "SHIKI FUUIN!"

A spectre garbed in black appeared, a nodachi hanging by the belt. Minato moved fast. A third spectral hand emerged from his chest, and using that hand, he grabbed the Kyuubi. "I won't be defeated by a mere mortal! I refuse to accept this!"

"Shut up you overgrown fur ball." Minato grunted, pulling the Kyuubi's soul out of the temporary body. "What… what is going on?!"

Minato's eyes widened. "You mean, you don't even remember destroying more than HALF of Konoha? Don't lie Kitsune."

"I swear it on my life that I seriously don't remember a thing at all!"

Minato was silent. According to his research, when a demon swore, it was binding and no demon had ever successfully evaded a promise before. "This is a predicament. Simply put, you have attacked and destroyed half of Konoha, and I have summoned the Shinigami to seal your soul. I will seal you in a newborn kid. My kid, in fact."

Sensing Minato's intentions, the Kyuubi spoke. "Seal my Chakra whole, don't bother separating the Yin from the Yang as the two MUST be balanced."

Rushing back to his son, Minato thought. I apologize, my dear son, I had no choice to bring you here but it seems that the situation has escalated out of my control. All I wished was for you to have a nice life, but it seems that I've to use you as the vessel.

Grunting with the effort of lugging around a gigantic monster, Minato slammed the third hand into the navel of his newborn son. "Sarutobi-san, two Shishou Fuuins and a Hakke no Fuuin Shiki now!"

Moving quickly for his advanced age, Sarutobi retrieved three pieces of paper from his seal pouch and slammed them on the baby's navel, before pouring his chakra into the seal, activating them and they flowed off the paper and onto the navel. "I do hope you know what you are doing Minato-san. Sealing the Kyuubi in your boy…"

"It is for the best. All I can do is hope that the villagers will understand that the boy is the Kyuubi's jailor… not the Kyuubi incarnate. I've left some instructions under the desk in the secret compartment..." The baby wailed, opening its eyes. Minato kneeled, exhausted as he felt his life draining out of him. Kissing the boy the final time on the forehead, Minato's figure toppled over onto the ground, where the cheering shinobi forces quickly quietened down as their saviour dropped.

"Very well then Minato. I'll take care of your boy." Sarutobi said sadly as he saw Kakashi Hatake rush over to catch his sensei's body. Sarutobi then tried to soothe the wailing baby's cries, but failing, he decided to Shushin back to the Hokage Tower. Sarutobi grumbled as he held the baby in his arms. Wait! Blast you, Minato! You made me have to face PAPERWORK again! I should have just knocked you out and do the job myself!

End of Chapter Zero.

A/N : This is going to be the only chapter where every break has the location, date and time stated.

A/N 2 : Ambiguous wordings changed. .