Legacy

English

A/N: This fanfiction is completely AU. It's based on a theory I read on another fanfic (which name escapes me at the moment) where Anko is not really the age she seems, thus she was not 12 at the time of this story, and uses a technique similar to Tsunade's to hide her true age. This is merely especulation and theory on my part, not cannon. So please enjoy it as an original work. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or it's characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto and I just borrow them.

---

Legacy

by: lumoslumiere

He would never understand how holding such a small thing could make him feel like this. The strange squirming creature made him feel strong when he could hardly move, it made him feel brave when he was terrified, but most of all it made him feel proud.

Putting his feelings aside for a moment, he lay the baby down on a big pillow near the bed where its exhausted mother slept. Baby, a baby. The word sounded so strange in his mind and on his tongue. Who would've ever thought that he, The Yondaime of Konoha, The Fourth Hokage, The Leaf's Yellow Flash, would have a baby?

He had never thought about it, that was for sure. Everything had happened so quickly... one minute he had fallen in love and the next he was a father.

The world really was turning into Hell.

Enough small talk, he told himself. The people are waiting for you and they've been waiting far too long. For the first time in his life, he was late.

He had put on his cloak and prepared to leave, when the child started to cry. It was odd -- he hadn't cried, not even at his birth one hour ago, but now he did, as if sensing he would lose his father that night. As the Yondaime heard the child's cries, his heart ached as though someone was squeezing it and he felt a horrible need to protect his son. So he ran to him. Picking him up and holding him tightly to his chest, he rocked the child slowly. It was the only thing he could think of to soothe his child's cries.

Then all was quiet and the child was asleep again. The Yondaime smiled, feeling a great pride for his son.

"Hokage-sama," a deep voice called from the doorway, a voice he had heard many times in his life.

"Sensei..." the Yondaime answered, turning to face his teacher.

"How many times have I asked you not to call me that?" Jiraiya asked, a small smile playing on his lips.

"How many times have I asked you not to call me 'Hokage-sama'?" the Yondaime asked back, also smiling.

"The people are waiting..." Jiraiya said, ignoring his question. The smile had faded from his lips.

"I know..." the Yondaime answered.

"What about Anko?" Jiraiya asked.

Anko. The Yondaime had almost forgotten she was there. Anko was sleeping peacefully on the bed. After the birth she had been so weak and exhausted she could hardly sit up; she had only managed to do so for a few moments, in order to see her son.

"It's a boy," the medic-nin announced with a smile. She held the child in her arms and was about to pass him to his father, but the Yondaime shook his head.

"I'll hold him," Anko said, her voice weak and barely audible. She extended her arms and the medic-nin slowly handed the child to her.

Anko pulled the blanket away from the baby's face and peered down at him.

"Ugh, he looks just like you," she said, smiling.

"Really?" he asked, curiosity eating at him. This was the first thing the Yondaime had said since Anko had gone into labor.

"Yes. Would you like to see him, Hokage-sama?" Anko said mockingly.

The Yondaime smiled; she looked so beautiful when she called him by his title, he could never reprimand her for it. He turned to stare down at the squirming creature. A strange feeling of wonder filled him as he slowly traced a finger over his child's face, a face almost exactly like his. His son.

"I told you," said Anko, smiling softly.

"Arigatou, Anko," he said softly, without taking his eyes off his son.

Anko's smile never faltered, as she bent and kissed her son's forehead.

"Naruto..." she said softly and snuggled close to her son's warm face.

"What?" the Yondaime asked in confusion.

"His name," Anko clarified, "will be Naruto."

The Yondaime nodded and smiled inwardly. Naruto, an ingredient in ramen -- only you, Anko, would think of a name like that.

"I'm so tired..." she said weakly. She leaned back on the pillows, closed her eyes, and in a few minutes she was in a deep sleep. The Yondaime reacted instantly, grabbing his son in fear that the now-asleep Anko might drop him. Then he held the child in his arms, carefully, afraid of dropping him himself.

"You're doing fine, Hokage-sama," the medic-nin said from the doorway, smiling. "The mother needs rest; it was a hard labor. She probably won't wake for a few hours."

"Arigatou. Please, leave us," the Yondaime said. The medic-nin obeyed and retired.

"Arashi," his sensei called, snapping him out of his memories.

"I'm sorry, sensei," Arashi responded. He always felt like a child being reprimanded when Jiraiya called him by his real name -- probably because Jiraiya was one of the few people who actually remembered it.

The Yondaime walked over to Anko's side and kissed her lips softly.

"I'm sorry..." he said, leaning close, so that only she could hear him, "but it must be done. And I promise you, Anko, I promise you I will make sure he is taken care of. I promise you."

"I love you," he whispered fiercely, focusing his Chakra on his hands. "I always will."

"Memory Sealing Jutsu."

The Yondaime turned around and looked at his teacher.

"Take Anko away -- I don't want her to be here when I return. But leave Naruto where he is. He won't wake up," he said.

"Naruto?" Jiraiya asked, a frown appearing on his face.

"My son," Arashi said proudly, a small smile gracing his lips.

His sensei smiled back. "He looks exactly like you, you know?"

"I know..." the Yondaime whispered. A deep feeling of sadness took over as he realized that this was the first and, indeed, the last time he would see his son. He would never see him grow up, never see him train, never see him become the amazing ninja he knew his son would be.

"Sensei?"

"Hmmm?" Jiraiya replied, still staring at his student's son.

"Will you make sure he is well taken care of? Tell the new Hokage to find him a suitable home? Train him?" Arashi asked, feeling a desperate need to know his son would be protected.

Jiraiya tore his eyes away from the child. "Why are you asking this of me?" he said, his frown returning.

"Because I won't be here to do it myself," the Yondaime said, looking at his feet.

"What are you going to do, Arashi?" his sensei asked, his voice full of concern.

"Whatever I must do to protect my people," the Yondaime answered.

Arashi put his son down on the pillow again and turned away. He didn't think he could bravely face his sensei right now, when he so badly wanted to run away and hide with his family.

"I will make sure he is well taken care of, Arashi," Jiraiya said, "and no one shall ever know your secrets."

"Arigatou, sensei," the Yondaime said. "One more thing. Please tell Kakashi to keep working hard and that I will always be proud of him."

"I will," Jiraiya said.

"And sensei... thank you, for everything."

Jiraiya nodded. "Good luck, Arashi."

The Yondaime tied his cloak and walked outside without looking back.

The people of Konoha didn't know how he had done it, but the Yondaime had lured the nine-tailed Kyuubi away from the village and into some old building. The fight would end soon.

What they would never know was that he made the ultimate sacrifice to save them all.

"Shiki Fujin no Jutsu! Hakke no Fuin Shiki no Jutsu!"

A ball of red Chakra slowly filled the Yondaime's hand. He was barely able to contain it; the force of it made his hand shake violently, but he wouldn't let go, not now. He would not let the Kyuubi harm his people anymore.

He slowly walked over to where his son was sleeping. Carefree, peaceful.

"Forgive me, my son," he said, gasping. There's no time to cry, Arashi, you must do this now! the voice in his head told him.

The Yondaime gently pushed the ball of red Chakra into his son's abdomen.

Naruto, who had been quiet since he fell asleep in his father's arms, started to wail. His cries echoed around the large room.

It hurt, the Yondaime realized, to hear his son cry out in pain. It was the most horrifying thing he had ever heard. He had to fight with himself not to take his hand away.

But then the ball of red Chakra disappeared, to be replaced with a bright seal on Naruto's abdomen. His cheeks now bore whiskers.

It was done: the Kyuubi was sealed and the village saved.

The Yondaime felt his legs give out and, within a few seconds, he had landed on the floor.

He had once heard that your whole life flashed before your eyes when you died, and it was very true. He saw everything. His parents' deaths; his training; his days as a sensei; Obito; Rin; Kakashi; the day he met Anko; the day he became Hokage; Naruto's birth.

His arm unconsciously extended, reaching out for his son. With his eyes wide open and barely breathing, he could feel life physically leaving him.

Be brave, be strong. I hope someday you might understand... Naruto...

And with one final breath, one legend was gone and another was born.