This is ... Naruto?

Today is a weird day.

Kaa-chan had to go off for something important. Kashi as well.

Instead of letting me stay at home by myself, Sandaime-jiijii picked me up when Kaa-chan left the house.

Now I'm sitting on the sofa at his house reading my book, with him sitting opposite me, doing paperwork.

Honestly, one would think that since he's no longer Hokage, he'd have an extended vacation. But apparently not for clan heads.

"Jii-sama, where did Kaa-chan go?"

Sandaime-jiijii looked up from his papers. "Well, Kanako-chan. There is a ... high profile emergency that requires your mother's expertise in medical situations." I still looked on inquisitively, he sighed and put the papers down. "You know Kushina-chan, right?" I nod. "She's in labor, and as the Hokage's wife, and ... someone of importance, only your mother, my wife and her aide, is able to be present to care for her. Due to safety and security."

Ohh. I nodded in understanding. Thus we got back to our own readings.

•

Outside Konoha, somewhere within the borders of the land of fire, in a remote location ...

"Kushina, breathe in, and out. Follow my rhythm, slowly ...", Biwako said as she stood beside Kushina.

"Kushina", Tsunade called out. "He's crowning already, give me one quick push."

Kushina on the birthing bed panted heavily, while crushing one of Minato's hands, with his other hand hovering over her belly, maintaining the seal.

"Nngh ...!", Kushina grunted. "Nnn ... ahh!"

"Okay", Tsunade heaved a sigh of relief. "Take a few more breathes, and give me another push, and he'll soon be out, ok?"

"Nn ... R-right. Minato ... after ... this, remind me again ... why I ... agreed to this ... Ngah!" Kushina cried out while further crushing the bones in Minato's hand.

"I know, I know", Minato consoled. "No more next time, okay?"

"Shu-shut up, Minato!", she growled. "You know that's not ... what I mean! Why don't you ... be the one ... to give birth instead, ttebane!"

"E-e-ehh? Ah, hai hai ...", Minato sweat-dropped while feeling the bones in his fingers turning to dust.

Taji - Biwako's disciple and aide, stood next to Tsunade. "Tsunade-sama, here's the cloth."

"Right." Tsunade grabbed the cloth and ready it. "Yosh, Kushina. One more big push, and his out. Okay?"

*hu* *hu* *hu* Kushina readies herself (and further crushing Minato's hand), and gave one last push.

Ten seconds passed after Kushina felt her body gave in to emptiness and weightlessness.

" ...Uwahh! Aawuah!"

Everyone present sighed in relief, except for Kushina, who is heavily panting. Even the ANBU stationed outside the isolated cave, hearing the baby cries, relaxed their tense bodies, but still stood vigilant.

"Naruto ... let me see ... my son ..." Kushina breathe out.

"M-me too! Let me carry him! H-here-" Minato jutted in.

"Keep quiet, Minato! Mother's should be the one to see their baby first!" Biwako admonished him, making Minato slouch into gloom. "We need to clean him up first, so focus on the seal."

"Right!" Minato got himself back together and refocused. But before he could do so, Kushina suddenly screamed in agony.

"Aaaaaaaahhhh ...!"

The seal on her stomach bulged, and blood red aura seeped from her pores. The atmosphere of the cave they were in was encompassed with bloodthirsty chakra.

"Kushina!" Minato placed his hands above her seal, trying to contain the Nine-Tails from breaking out.

"Taji! Take the baby and go to the corner!" Biwako commanded.

"H-hai!" Shivering hands grabbed the newborn, and rushed to the corner of the cave near the ANBU's.

"Please ... I want to see ... Naruto's face, befo-" "Quiet, Kushina! Don't you dare think about it. I won't let you die, not before raising our son together, not for a very long time!"

Kushina's skin took on a pasty tone, with her long red hair matted on her sweaty skin. Minato tried to lessen the Nine-Tails hold on his wife's consciousness, but seeing the state she is in, he couldn't help but bite his lips, drawing blood.

Tsunade was next to Minato, pumping him with extra chakra for the seal. Her chakra had healed the wounds he has caused to his lips, but due to his focus on his wife, he ignored his actions, continuing to draw blood despite the healing directed towards him.

Kushina's is not in a good condition. Due to her Uzumaki genes of vitality, she is still alive and conscious despite half of the Nine-Tails chakra escaping out of her. Minato knows that if the Nine-Tails does fully escape, she would survive, and with time, heal. But if he were to force a reseal now ... or even after ... due to her already spent strength and vitality after childbirth, he knows that he has no chance of seeing his wife's eyes anymore, making the resealing useless.

His eyes shifted to his newborn son in the arms of Biwako's aide. His heart clenched at his thoughts. He knew he had many other options. But seeing his son being born, the joy he has felt ...

He wouldn't want to impose such a burden on his son. He knew what Kushina went through. The doubt, the scrutiny, the weariness. More so, he couldn't impose such a burden on the children of others.

He squeezed his eyes shut, tears welling up. "Kushina ... I am going to reseal it, in Naruto ..."

"No, Minato, no, he's our baby! You can't do this to our baby! You know what he will be treated as once-"

"I'm sorry, Kushina. You know I must do this. It's the only way you can get out of this alive, and you can be there for him. And I'll be behind both of you, sheltering my family."

"Minato ..." Kushina's eyes stung with tears. Knowing that her son will be the next to carry the monster.

Minato bent down, and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Trust me, we'll both get out of this alive, I promise. Then all three of us can live together as a family, alright?"

"... You'd better, dattebane."

Tsunade looked on, as Minato prepares the altar for sealing the Nine-Tails in Naruto, and she contemplates the possibilities in her head. "Minato, stop. I may not be well versed in fuinjutsu, but I know an Uzumaki technique when I see one. That ... you are preparing for the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, aren't you?"

"Minato, you-!" Kushina stared at Minato with disbelief.

"... Not being a jinchuriki, or rather, an Uzumaki, it's the least I can do to seal the kyubi in." Minato relents, and confessed, under the stares of Kushina and Tsunade.

Tsunade sighed. "Tell you what, go and bring Kanako here for me."

"Eh? Tsunade-sama?" Minato gave a shocked expression, and stared at her confusedly.

"Just go! You're the fastest here. I'll explain later." Tsunade rolls up her sleaves, and walked towards Kushina. "Plus, though less than half, I still have the blood of an Uzumaki, I can hold the seal for a while, till you get back."

Minato nodded, and flashed off. Within seconds in record time, he flashed back, panting, with a serious Sandaime, and a befuddled Kanako.

"Kanako!" Tsunade shouted. "Heal up Kushina, then Minato. Quick!"

•

I was enjoying a cookie, chewing the chocolate bits and gritty nuts in my mouth, when a familiar yellow flash appeared, and snatched me up.

Within a few seconds, I appeared in a cave, carried by Minato-nii-sama.

In front of me, I see Kaa-chan with bloody arms, hands held over Kushina-nee's exposed stomach, with patterns of seals.

"Kanako!" Kaa-chan shouted. "Heal up Kushina, then Minato. Quick!"

Sandaime-jiijii turned to Biwako-baa-sama. "Biwako, update me on what has happened", he said in a serious tone.

I quickly released my chakra full blast, and the dark green glow enveloped Kushina-nee's figure.

Kushina-nee's skin returned to a healthy glow, and her breaths became more even. She clenched her fists for good measure, feeling the strength return to her, fastening her postpartum recovery.

Flaring my chakra once more, I directed it to Minato-nii-sama. He took deep breaths, as his chakra reserves began filling up again.

Once both parties were healed, I cut off my chakra healings.

*phew*

*throb* Urgh.

Suddenly, my head started having a pressing feeling, like something is slamming books onto my skull repeatedly.

I blacked out for a second, only to have a wave of clear memories and information filling the blanks of my ... dreams. Or now that I know - memories.

Of another life.

Another me.

I steadied myself and opened my eyes.

Kushina-nee, Minato-nii-sama, Tsunade ... Kaa-chan ... and the baby ... Naruto.

Naruto.

The manga I remember reading, and also the anime I remember watching.

But ... what is it for? I recall many discrepancies in comparing the story versus my life now.

But no matter, that thought have to be put on hold, considering what is happening now.

I break out of my thoughts to realize that only a few seconds has passed in my contemplations.

I also noticed the mini prayer bed setup. Ugh.

"Minato-nii-sama, tell me you're not planning on doing the Dead Demon Consuming Seal." I said in a monotone voice.

"No he isn't", Kushina-nee said, while staring pointedly at Minato, who's busy keeping the seal on the Nine-Tails intact while waiting for the transfer. "Since I'm all healed up, I can do the sealings, tebane!" She paused for a while. "Wait, now that I'm all healed up, can't I just seal it back in me?"

"Uh ..." Gah! I don't know! As far as I know, Obi-nii is in one whole piece and still with us, and Rin-nee didn't have a Tailed Beast sealed into her. So the probability of Zetsu's existence is low. But since there are indeed Tailed Beasts, that means either the Sage of Six Paths exist, or that nature is just being a bitch.

Either way, if the Sage of Six Paths is real here, then Naruto may still be Asura's reincarnation in this world. While he doesn't necessarily need to have Kurama sealed in him to make things work, who's to say it does not? If Zetsu doesn't exist, meaning that Kaguya is forever sealed. Kaguya can't not exist, as she's the mother of the Sage of Six Paths. But ... urgh.

Do now, think later.

But hey - besides, a male jinchuriki is better. No childbirth control problems, right?

But also, do male Uzumaki's have Adamantine Sealing Chains? Sigh.

"No, you can't. I healed your wounds and fatigue. Even your vitality. But I cannot heal ... whatever that is needed to construct and hold the seal? I guess once it's off, it's off." I quipped. Urgh. Hope my bullshitting works.

Kushina-nee sighed, and looked at Naruto with worry and pain. She cupped his pudgy baby cheeks. "Sorry Naruto. Mama has to put the big bad fox into you. We'll beat up your papa later, okay?"

"Hweh?" Minato-nii-sama looked up from his sealing business, confused.

Kushina-nee stood up, and faced the contained mass of red Nine-Tails chakra. "Kongō Fūsa!"

Howling's filled the cave, and golden chains shot out of her back, wrapping around the vengeful red blob.

Huge canine teeth and blood red eyes turned towards them and roared.