A/N: Welcome to the latest story my bizarre muse has cooked up! This was originally two separate ideas I had, that eventually had parts of each combined into the story that follows this author's note. With that being said, I'll keep this note short and let you get on with the story, after the key, disclaimer, and warnings of course.

Update 1/1/13: I'm back, after far too long of a hiatus. While it's not a new chapter, I've added some more material to the end of this one to appease the masses. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or any anime/manga/whatever I draw inspiration from. That being said, a small part of this story was inspired by another author's work, namely Returning to Him by Hikaru Uchida. While parts of this story might seem similar to said work, all of what follows is my own writing, but I will give credit for the ideas I used regardless. (And I'm not certain this will be a femnaru/itachi story either; we will have to see).

Warnings: Past reference to abuse, potential child abuse (in future chapters), violence, and potential writings of the citrus-y nature. If any of these things do not appeal to you, you can always press the handy back button on your respective browser; flames will not be tolerated.

Key:

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

Flashback/Past Reference

"Demonic/Higher Being Speech"

'Demonic/Higher Being Thoughts'

Now on with the show!

Regret.

That was all he had left. In the end, he hadn't been able to do anything; everyone he cared about was now dead. All because he had failed; failed to stop Tobi, failed to prevent the other Bijuu from being extracted, failed to end victorious in the Fourth Shinobi World War. Even now, as he waited helplessly for the extraction process to begin, all he felt was regret.

The young man closed his eyes, sighing lightly.

If only he'd been more prepared, if only he hadn't played the fool for the majority of his life, then perhaps things would have turned out differently. If only, if only, there always seemed to be an 'if only' when it came to his life. Even when he was still a child, all those years ago. Of course, back then it had been something along the lines of 'if only I had parents', but at least he was able to dream and hope for a brighter future.

He let out a mirthless chuckle.

Some future this was, what with his life about to end. And at only eighteen years of age, too. In the end, though, he supposed it was a fitting finale for the bucket of crap he called his life; there hadn't been a day that went by without him being scorned for a reason outside of his control, and now he was about to die for that same reason. Granted, he was glad that he and Kurama were on good terms with one another, but still. He only hoped that in death his precious people would forgive him for failing...

"You know, kit, all this moping around doesn't suit you."

Azure eyes opened once more, surprise flickering dimly in their dull depths as they noted a change in location. He'd been so lost in his regret that he failed to notice the telltale pull of the fox commandeering his consciousness into the mindscape they shared. Granted, for the kitsune it was somewhat of a prison, but they still shared it.

While most times he had an inkling of what his tenant wanted when the Bijuu pulled him here, this time he was left in the dark. For once, the giant kitsune was completely unreadable; even the great fox's muzzle held little to betray the thoughts of the mind behind it. Curious, he let his blue eyes meet Kurama's red, though for a while neither spoke. After so many years spent in the other's presence, they could communicate somewhat without words.

"Kurama." Naruto finally said, his voice sounding hollow and lifeless against the walls of the sewer, "Why did you bring me here?"

His Kitsune partner merely broke into a small grin.

"What? I can't say goodbye when it's time for me to go?"

Naruto's face remained impassive, unchanged by his friend's attempt to lighten the mood. Inwardly, however, he was saddened that his final companion would joke about something like this; having had practically no friends all his life besides the great kitsune before him, it hurt that Kurama would make light of their current situation.

Said fox, meanwhile, sighed when the humor attempt failed to bring Naruto out of his depression. He almost didn't believe that the disheveled young man before him was the same one as the cheerful and outgoing Jinchuriki he'd come to respect, but the facts were undeniable. There was only one being besides himself who could visit this mindscape outside of the gods themselves, and that was Naruto; still, perhaps what he had to say could bring back the old Naruto, if only slightly….

His thoughts now in order, the fox adopted a serious expression.

"All joking aside, what if I told you that there was a way to get out of this mess? To potentially do it all over again? Straight from the beginning?"

This, of course, got a reaction out of Naruto; Kurama had a hard time holding in his laughter when his container fell over almost comically. As it was, though, he merely snickered, getting a few good chuckles out before the young man righted himself and pointed an accusatory finger in his direction.

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?!" The last Uzumaki practically screamed, annoyed that his friend would hold such information hostage. After all, moments previous he would have given an arm and a leg to go back and change everything; to find out it was actually possible, though...

"In all honesty I didn't tell you because I was still searching for the information myself; after all, I have over a millennium of memories under my belt, and since I remember every single one…"

The giant kitsune left his statement hanging, considering the implications were fairly obvious, even to a knucklehead like his container. Naruto grudgingly accepted the explanation, though he still wasn't happy.

"…Fine, then would your lordship please oh-so-kindly tell this humble peasant what solution he has found?"

Kurama tactfully chose to ignore his container's blatant sarcasm, knowing that they didn't have much time left, even with the time dilation present in the mindscape.

"Alright. Before I begin, I should warn you that this method I'm about to tell you about comes at a high price for both you and me; do you still want to hear it, knowing this fact?"

"There's no other alternative?" Naruto asked, frowning slightly when the kitsune shook his head in the negative.

"There ARE alternatives, but sadly we have neither the time nor the resources necessary to use those methods."

"Fine, then if you're up for paying whatever this price is, so am I."

Kurama gave him a toothy grin.

"I was hoping you'd say that. Anyways, what I'm about to suggest is….complicated. In a nutshell, though, we'd basically use my chakra to break the space-time continuum in a small area, and then push you through the 'hole'. It's essentially like your father's Hiraishin technique, except we focus mainly on the time aspect instead of space. That being said, because this sort of maneuver clashes with the very rules Kami set up to govern this dimension[1], the price of doing so is extremely steep; even I do not know what said price will be, only that the alternative to paying said price is a fate worse than death. So, with that being said, shall we?"

Naruto gulped, but stood firm in his resolve. After all, the only plausible alternative to trying this was a painful, meaningless death at the hands of Tobi.

"Yes, let's do it."

"Good, then here's what I need you to do…."

.-.-.-.-.

Back in the physical world, Tobi was laughing maniacally, all while setting up the preparations for the extraction of the final Bijuu. Almost everything had gone according to plan at this point, and what hadn't was negligible. Granted, he was somewhat irritated that Naruto had managed to kill off Sasuke, meaning it would take longer to set up the extraction of the Kyuubi, but he supposed such a thing was for the better in the end. After all, his fellow Uchiha had been far too power hungry, and would have most likely turned on him when the chance presented itself.

Once everything was set up and ready to go, the last Uchiha allowed himself a moment to gloat. Soon, he would be a god of this world! A being without equal! All that he needed to do now was this final extraction; however, just as he was about to start the ritual, chakra started bubbling from the Kyuubi Jinchuriki's seal.

Tobi merely snorted in amusement.

Oh, he knew it would be some kind of escape attempt, but in the end it wouldn't matter. He had double- and triple-checked the restraining seals placed on the body of the Kyuubi Jinchuriki, and there was nothing wrong with them. And while he couldn't suppress the boy's chakra usage—the ritual was for the removal of chakra entities, after all—Tobi had accounted for such things, placing barriers that would halt any and all attempts to harm him with raw chakra alone.

Unfortunately for the madman in question, he underestimated the combined ingenuity of Konoha's number one unpredictable ninja and the Kyuubi no Kitsune; even as he watched and waited, giving the captive pair precious seconds to complete their plan, Tobi still had an arrogant smirk on his face. Said smirk vanished, however, when the chakra cloak surrounding Naruto eventually fizzled out, revealing...nothing.

The Kyuubi Jinchuriki was gone, vanished without a trace.

It took a few moments for Tobi to realize what had happened, but when he did the yell of rage he let out could be heard for miles.

Sadly, yelling would do nothing to bring Naruto back.

Unknown Location (World Between Worlds):

Naruto was falling. Not just falling, but Falling. He couldn't tell left from right, up from down, or forwards from backwards; all he knew was that he was falling, having done so for an eternity and would continue to do so for another.

How long had he been here? Naruto didn't remember.

Where exactly was here? Naruto didn't remember.

Why was he here? That, Naruto remembered.

He was here—wherever here was—to get back to the beginning. To change all the choices he had made. To relive his life for a second time. And this time hopefully save them all.

As if that thought was a trigger, Naruto became aware of light; at first he didn't believe his eyes, having lived so long in the darkness, but soon it became apparent that the light was indeed there. His eyes did not deceive him. It was faint, and off in the distance, but definitely there. Soon, however, it grew brighter, consuming the darkness that had been his world for however long he had been in this bizarre realm.

Yet he kept on falling.

.-.-.-.-.

What felt like ages later, he heard a voice. It was soft, lilting almost, yet at the same time it held more power than Naruto's mortal mind could comprehend. As it was, though, he listened to what it had to say; how could he not, when it spoke directly into his mind?

"Young one, welcome to the realm of the gods. We, as a collective group, know of your situation and reason for coming here. However, that does not mean we can let you get away with breaking the rules of your dimension; are you ready to hear the price for doing so?"

Naruto nodded as best he could, somehow knowing that he was unable to vocalize his thoughts.

"Very well. Your price for breaking the rules is your existence as Uzumaki Naruto. Do you accept this stipulation for returning to the past, knowing that the consequences of refusing will be harsher than you can imagine?"

The young Uzumaki blanched. How the hell did he get stuck with such a ridiculous price? Granted, he'd known the price for breaking Kami's rules would be high, but not that high. This practically put him in a lose-lose situation no matter what he did! After all, how could he save those precious to him if he ceased to exist? Moreover how could he even return to the beginning if such a thing happened?

However, the more he thought about the matter, the more he realized that there was something important he was missing; it was for this reason that he decided to take a leap of faith and accept the stipulation the voice gave him, regardless of how much he disliked his choice. If there had been another way he would have taken it in a heartbeat, but there wasn't. In the end, though, he decided that losing his existence sounded like a more peaceful way to go than whatever the gods had planned for him if he refused.

His mind made up, he nodded once more, eyes burning with renewed determination.

That, along with laughter that sounded like the tinkling of bells, was the last thing he remembered before the world went white.

"Come on Kushina, push! You're almost there!"

"When will you get it through your thick skull that I'm trying, Namikaze!"

The redhead in question gritted her teeth as almost every muscle in her body screamed out in protest. She'd been stuck here in this tiny room for quite a while now, ever since her water broke. Of course, it was only very recently that the pain started, but that was to be expected, since the nine month long process was reaching its climax.

If you haven't already guessed it, Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze, Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune and wife of the Yondaime Hokage, was giving birth.

To the redhead in question, this was like a dream come true; ever since she was a little girl, Kushina's dream had been to have a large family, having lost all of her fellow clan members at a young age when Uzushiogakure no Sato fell to war. She had been devastated upon hearing the news—like anyone would be upon the loss of their family—but to her credit she had quickly recovered, growing up to become one of Konoha's most successful kunoichi. Even then, though, she carried with her the loss of her clan, never quite letting the old wound heal. But now, some fifteen or so years later from the time when she lost everything, she could finally let those thoughts go; by becoming a mother she was continuing her clan's legacy, and in the process letting the ghosts of her past finally have the peace and rest they deserved.

Despite all that, however, giving birth was quickly topping the list of painful experiences she was reluctant to feel again; it felt like someone was ever-so-slowly ripping out the base of her spine, only for said chain of bones to grow back and have the process repeat itself. Granted, part of the problem was that this was her first time giving birth, but still. Regardless of how many times one went through the process, it wasn't a pleasant experience by any stretch of the imagination.

Minato, meanwhile, could only watch and worry as his beloved redhead struggled to bring their child into this world, a grimace clearly etched on his facial features. The grimace was there because Kushina held his hand in hers for comfort, but was starting to crush said extremity as a byproduct of both her monstrous strength and being in so much pain. While he knew the medic-nin could fix him up as good as new once this whole ordeal was over, it still hurt, hence the frown marring his otherwise handsome face.

Still, despite the pain his captive hand was causing him, the Yondaime Hokage couldn't help but feel excited. Like his wife, Minato had always desired to have a family, having been an orphan for as long as he could remember. As such, both parents-to-be had been elated when they learned that Kushina was pregnant; finally, they would be able to make a start on their shared desire.

That being said, coming up with a name for their child had been easier said than done—it had taken almost all of the nine months for the pair to narrow down their ideas to only two names, one for each gender. If the infant turned out to be a boy, the couple would call him Naruto; it was a name based off of a character in Minato's sensei Jiraiya's first book, The Tale of the Gutsy Ninja. And if their child ended up as a girl—which Kushina's motherly intuition seemed to indicate as the day their child would be born approached—they would name her Natsuki. However, seeing as they wouldn't know the gender until the infant entered the world, that was as far as they got.

Back with Kushina, their child had finally come free, and was in the process of being cleaned of the blood and placenta that covered her small body. Even as the infant cried out loudly, her parents couldn't help but smile at the young life they'd brought into this world. It was a magical moment, that, unfortunately, was ruined only seconds later.

Before either parent could react, the midwives cleaning their child were killed with two swift strikes of a kunai. They could only watch, their horror growing, as the young life they'd just brought into world was scooped up by the intruder. Who was it? Why, none other than a mysterious masked man.

"Step away from the host, Minato Namikaze. Or the child dies."

As if to emphasize his point, the intruder held the bloody kunai used to kill both midwives to the infant's neck. Realizing that his newborn child could very well die if he didn't do something, Minato spoke up, raising his hands in a placating gesture.

"Easy, easy...let's calm down and talk this over like civilized people before resorting to such drastic measures."

The mysterious man merely arched an eyebrow, though you couldn't tell he did so because of the spiral mask he wore.

"We are ninja, Kiiroi Senko. 'Civilized' talking is about as far from the job description as you can get. Now, step away from the Jinchuriki...Or. The. Child. Dies."

"Alright, Alright! I'll do as you ask." His face set in a neutral expression, the Yondaime took a step backwards, then another, always keeping his eyes on the man who held his baby girl captive. However, for each step he took, moving clockwise around the small room, the intruder took one in the opposite direction, always keeping the distance between the two men approximately the same.

After reaching the bedside, the masked man slowly removed the kunai from Natsuki's neck, making Minato sigh in relief. However, before the Fourth Hokage had even completed said sigh, the unknown assailant said one word that made both parents' hearts lurch with fear.

"Catch."

The next few moments were a blur of motion; even as Minato moved to ensnare the now-flying infant in his arms, deflecting the kunai that followed soon after, the masked man was already at work ripping the Kyuubi no Kitsune free from Kushina's seal. Said woman, being already weak from giving birth, could do little more than cry out in pain as her tenant was being forcefully removed from her body.

"Kushina! You bastard, I'll—" Minato yelled, stopping mid-sentence when he heard a sizzling coming from the bundle in his arms. Eyes widening at the multitude of exploding tags covering his daughter's blanket, he quickly removed said article before disappearing in his trademark yellow flash.

Reappearing in the forest surrounding Konohagakure no Sato, the Yellow Flash wasted no time dropping the bomb-riddled blanket and leaving in the same manner as he arrived. Of course, he didn't return to the small alcove straight away, as Natsuki was still in his arms; the Kiiroi Senko knew that trying to fight a man who could get through his protective sealing barriers with one hand tied up was practically suicide.

However, when he did return to the room—after safely depositing his daughter back at his and Kushina's house—the sight which met Minato's eyes made his blood run cold.

The masked assailant was, thankfully, nowhere to be found. Unfortunately, that was where the good news ended; his wife's seal was now in complete disarray, meaning that said man had succeeded in removing her tenant. In addition, Kushina looked to be only just hanging onto life by a thread—which, although not good news in itself, was better than the alternative.

Death.

Wasting no more time Minato rushed to her side, quickly performing a diagnostic jutsu to find out if there were any injuries she sustained from having her tenant forcefully removed. He very nearly breathed a sigh of relief when all that turned up was internal bleeding, but immediately restrained himself, instead focusing medical chakra to his hands in order to correct the problem. While by no means was internal bleeding the worst that could have happened—a ruptured organ for instance would be far worse—it could still prove fatal if not treated quickly.

. . . . .

Roughly twenty minutes of intensive medical attention later, and Kushina was out of the danger zone. Sitting back with a weary sigh, Minato closed his eyes, his mind a maelstrom of questions.

Who was that masked man? How had he broken through the protective barrier? Why was he after the Kyuubi? Moreover, what did he need said kitsune for? All these and more flickered through his head in a little over an instant. But as hard as he tried to find them, the answers to such questions eluded him; he was lacking in the information department, and knew it. Perhaps his wife would be able to shed some light on the purpose of all this, given that she was the one to have spent the most time with the intruder, but that would have to wait until she woke up.

Thankfully, he only had to wait roughly another half an hour before the redheaded woman started to stir, her Uzumaki vitality having repaired what little of the internal damage Minato hadn't been able to correct.

"Minato...our musume...is she safe?" Kushina mumbled, groaning as she tried to prop herself up on the headboard of the bed.

Key word there was tried; her muscles sharply protested at even that small movement, so she settled for shifting her head ever so slightly to the side to look at her husband. Minato merely nodded once their eyes met, not trusting himself to speak just yet. Smiling gently at the affirmative gesture, she closed her eyes once more, trusting his word that Natsuki was indeed safe and sound.

"I'll go get her; I'm sure she would want to see her mother, after all. I'll be right back..."

Giving a chaste kiss to his wife's forehead, the Yondaime stood up, disappearing once more in a yellow flash.

. . . . .

Idly the Kiiroi Senko wondered how matters could have traveled this far south in such a short time; scarcely a few hours ago he had been a part of the perfect happy family, with a wife and child that he loved with all his heart. Now, however, that picture had been utterly ruined.

Even as he stood atop Gamabunta, going through the nine hand seals needed to summon the Shinigami, he couldn't help but let a few tears fall in mourning for the happy family that was now all but destroyed. Natsuki would be forced to grow up without any parents, not to mention the burden he was about to place upon her shoulders. He had no doubt that what he was about to do would condemn his only child to a life of misery, but sadly there just wasn't any other way to go about protecting Konoha. As Hokage, that was his duty.

And unfortunately, his duty came before his family.

He could only hope that when they met again in the afterlife his daughter would forgive him. And even if she couldn't, he and his wife would still love her with all their hearts. So, with that thought in the forefront of his mind, he set about sealing the Kyuubi's Yin chakra within himself using Shiki Fuujin, and its Yang chakra within Natsuki using the Hakke no Fuuin Shiki immediately after.

His final task completed, Minato Namikaze closed his eyes for what would be the last time, but not before uttering three heartfelt words.

"Be safe...musume..."

[1]: I wrote this under the assumption that the gods of Naruto's realm set things up similar to how physics works in the real world, hence the hiraishin and/or kamui techniques are perfectly fine because they only deal with jumping through space. However, time—like in the real world—is only supposed to move forward; as such there is a penalty enacted by the gods to those who break this rule.

A/N: rehashed and lengthened this chapter, because after a long time spent ruminating over it, I found this to be a better stopping place.

Anyways, this is what you can call a 'trial run' chapter; I don't know at this point whether or not I will continue this ficlet, since I have a lot of stuff going on in my life at the moment. If this gets enough of a positive response, though, I will do my best to continue it. Just know that if the latter happens, updates will be sporadic at best :(

With that being said, if any of you who read this can give a review—even if it's only something along the lines of 'good job'—you'll make me one very happy author :)

Here's to another chapter (hopefully) out soon,

-ZGS