Prologue: The Girl in the Rain

One rainy morning in late June, the newly appointed Fourth Hokage was strolling with his predecessor to set up his new office. The well-aged Sarutobi would chuckle every now and then at the golden-haired man before replying to his words.

"You are one lucky man, Minato. Biwako would never make me a cloak even if I begged her," the Third Hokage looked up at the cloudy skies as they approached the small, wooden doors that would lead to the Academy building.

Minato smiled sheepishly before lightly tugging on the thin red string that held his white cloak in place. "Kushina insisted. I couldn't say anything even if I wanted to."

"Well, well. Woman have their days," Hiruzen uncrossed his arms with a hearty laugh. Minato's shoulders tightened when a chilly breeze, at least for the summer, blew between the two of them. He shifted his grip on the large umbrella that shielded them from the cold rain that had begun to fall at a faster rate. "Speaking of, have you and Kushina thought of how many children yet?"

The younger male twisted his head to the side in surprise, his jaw-length bangs swaying as he moved, a slight blush appearing on his pale cheeks. "I-i-it's too soon, Lord Third!"

Again, the middle-aged Sarutobi gave another friendly laugh. "Please, drop the honorifics. The village is still asleep, no one would mind."

He took another step towards the locked door of the Academy, pulling out his own set of keys that he would soon hand over to the new Hokage. Realizing that his fellow shinobi hadn't moved when he felt the absence at his side, he turned back to look at the Yellow Flash. "Minato?"

The golden-haired man had stopped a few feet away, his head turned to look at something. Turning his head to see what it was, Hiruzen's eyes landed on a small girl, wrapped up in a thin gray blanket. Her long, pure white hair reminded the elder man of his own sensei's hair. A clear and clean white, the color of freshly fallen, untouched snow.

Minato slowly approached the sleeping girl, kneeling by her side. His large hand lightly shook her small bare shoulder; her skin was freezing cold despite the warmth of the summer. With his other hand, the Yellow Flash pulled the rain-soaked blanket off of the girl.

At that moment, the girl's eyes fluttered open. Her large silvery eyes looked into his bright, sky-blue ones with great curiosity. When she lifted a small hand up to touch his long blonde strands, her other hand unconsciously gripped the edge of the gray blanket tightly. A small tear slipped from her clear eyes as she stared at the young man, holding his attention for what seemed like the longest time. Her eyes told him a story of sorrow and pain, captivating the young man.

"Minato."

Snapping away from the girl, the Fourth Hokage turned his attention the older Sarutobi. Pulling the blanket away, he picked up the small girl in his arms. "What's your name?" Minato spoke softly to the girl, but she only blinked at him with no reply. The snowy-haired girl didn't even open her mouth to try to answer; her eyebrows pulled together, as if she didn't understand what he was saying.

When she didn't make any move to communicate, lightning flashed across the sky. Another tear flowed down from her unclouded eyes and the droplets of water seemed to get heavier.

"Why don't we get you inside?" Minato spoke in a hushed tone to the young girl, holding her to his chest tightly. He tried to remove the wet blanket from her hands, but she refused to part with it. Sighing, the Fourth Hokage followed after the Third inside, deep in thought about this strange girl.