She drew in another shaky and ragged breath and said "Thank you, for everything." I could feel the look of horror steal over my face. My beautiful Kushina was dying, and there was nothing I could do about it.
Our joy over the birth of our son moments ago had quickly been replaced by tragedy. A masked man had come and almost killed our Naruto, and then ripped the Kyuubi from his still recovering mother. She had been managing to struggle on, using up the last of her chakra reserves that she had been so renowned for.
Our son was going to grow up without his mother. I was going to have to live on without her. There had to be something I could do! But no, there was no way to save my beloved Kushina. I felt hot tears begin to well in my eyes and roll down my face.
"If I had any regrets, it would be that I won't get to see Naruto grow up," she continued. I looked down at our son, who I was holding so tightly in my arms, my mind racing.
"Kushina, we can use our chakra to see him one more time." I said quietly.
"What?!" She gasped, the small flame of hope burning a little brighter.
"I'll seal the last of your chakra in Naruto, with the Eight Trigrams seal, and then use the Dead Demon seal to deal with the fox!"
"But that! The user will be...!"
Yes that was it, this was how it had to be, it wasn't the only way, but it was the best way. With my mind set, I quickly deflected what Kushina was trying to say by continuing to tell her the plan I was devising.
"I'll seal the remaining half of the fox's chakra into Naruto! Naruto will be the one to stop the masked man and lead this world on its new path, I just... know it."
"But Minato!!!"
I quickly did the nine necessary seals. "Have a little faith; he is our son after all! I will seal your chakra in him, and you will meet him when he tries to tame the fox's power."
"Our SON, that's exactly why I don't want this burden for him!" I knew what Kushina was saying, but I knew that Naruto could do it that was my job—to trust in him.
"Kushina, this isn't just for me or you, this is for Naruto. I could never substitute for you. There are things a mother must do and say for her child, things I never could, and it's your job to carry that out."
"But!" She cried as I knelt in front of her and looked into her beautiful eyes. I could tell she was confused and torn as to what to do.
"Dying to make a better life for his son... that's the stuff you let the father handle."
As I told her this, I saw the steely resolve enter her gaze, and knew that she had made her decision.
I stood and faced the Kyuubi, who was still struggling to get loose of Kushina's restraints. I felt the ghostly demon behind me rising up. I watched its hand explode from my stomach as it reached searchingly, hungrily, towards the fox.
"SEAL!" I cried, and the hand came rushing back, and the fox's chakra with it. It slammed into me, and it was as if I was hit by a mountain. The pain was immense; the chakra's weight almost to heavy to bear.
I prepared the ceremonial sealing throne and placed my son on it. As I was nearly ready to start, Kushina began to cough up blood violently, the pain wracked her body. It was so painful to see.
"Kushina! Stay with me!" I cried, torn between my son and my failing wife.
Suddenly, the Kyuubi attacked, aiming for Naruto. My body reacted on its own, throwing itself between my son and the fox's claw.
Kushina, relentless even on the verge of death, had actually beaten me there.
The claw pierced through my back and out my stomach and then passed through my wife's battered body. The tip of the claw rested mere inches from my son's chest, Kushina's blood and my blood mingled as it ran down and dripped lightly onto our son.
"If the father can do this job, then the mother can do it even better, right? Well, you win, first argument you've ever won, I guess you're serious about this."
"Thank you Kushina" I smiled at the back of her beautiful red hair, then summoned Gamatora and gave him the key for Naruto's seal to give to Jiraiya. I could feel our time slipping through my grasp.
"It's time for me to go, so I'm going to perform the seal. We don't have much time, if you have anything to say to Naruto..."
She told him to be a good eater, and to make sure to take baths, to watch out for the three vices and Jiraiya, to find a woman like his mother... and to make friends. She spoke of the pain he would face, but told him to remember who he was! To find a goal, a dream, and to not stop trying until it came true. She ended it all with the most important... "I love you".
"Naruto," I said, "listen to your mother..." Naruto smiled as we took a final deep breath...
"EIGHT TRIGRAMS SEAL!!!!!!"
END
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Table of Contents
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Story notes: Pulled most dialogue from the manga chapters when Kushina is recounting the day of Naruto's birth to Naruto.
Chapter notes: This is my first fan fic, let me know how you think I did! :)
Chapter end notes: Thank you for reading! Don't forget to let me know what you think!