A figure crept silently across the village, ducking under branches and jumping over fences, they made their way to the training ground where three other figures stood.

"Finally, Kakashi's here." Obito whispered.

"Alright, let's go." The four shadows zipped across the field towards the village boarder. They stopped when the saw the lone house standing in the distance.

"What should we do?" Rin asked quietly, still not completely on board with the idea of sneaking around someone's property.

"Well we gotta get closer." Obito responded with excitement. "The windows are pretty small though, and high too..."

A minute later, Obito sat on Kakashi's shoulders, both of them leaning against the outside of the wooden wall.

"Can you see anything?" Kakashi asked sharply. "Stop moving!" Obito adjusted his goggles and whispered an apology.

"It's totally dark in there." He shook his head in disappointment. A soft creaking noise caused all four of the shinobi to turn their heads, their hearts stopped upon seeing what had caused it. The door to the house was slightly ajar and someone was peeking half their head out from behind it, their face completely shrouded in darkness, completely, except for the one eye that was glowing a deep red. The team took no time in bolting away at full speed.

The figure watched the retreating forms of the intruders for a long moment then slowly disappeared behind the wooden door, giving a small thump as it shut.

"Why... did we... agree to do that again?" Kakashi muttered between breaths. The squad of four were all huffing and puffing by the time they made it back to the training grounds, Obito, however, was not only out of breath but also shaking.

"That was scary..." He made an exaggerated shivering motion.

"Whose idea was it?" Kakashi retorted sharply.

"Guys, it's ok, no one got hurt. Do we all agree to never go near that place again?" Minato asked.

"Yes!" The three students nodded in unison.

"Alright. Go home and get some rest, and remember, nothing happened tonight."

The weeks had passed and Minato was officially named Hokage. He, however, did not inherit the title at a good time, there was a rumor going around, one that said Konoha was going to war again. Officials were doing their best to put down these rumors and ensure the public that all foreign relations were good, however, they could not convince themselves that the threats from Iwagakure held no water.

Minato was sitting in his office, brows furrowed in concentration as he tried to think of ways to get the village out of this rising war. A tapping at his window pulled him from his trance. A small pigeon pecked at the glass, asking to be let in, and upon closer inspection, a rolled up piece of paper was tied to its leg with a white string. Immediately opening the window, Minato pulled the paper from the bird and began reading it eagerly.

'I see the situation is getting severe, Iwagakure's threats cannot be dismissed, you must take action soon. I don't believe conflict can be avoided, but it can be contained.' The rest of the message contained battle tactics and formations that caused Minato's eyes to gleam with every word. It was at times like these that he truly appreciated being able to consult someone with so much experience.

'Your ideas are genius! I can see why Sarutobi-san respected you so much. I will try to get as much done as possible and keep the body count as low as possible. I realize this is quite the favor to ask, but I think meeting in person would be much more efficient. Please consider my request and thank you again.' Minato sent the letter off, though he was unsure if he should have asked to meet, after all, she wouldn't have hidden herself for so many years for no reason. He rubbed his temples as he tried to refocus on the problem at hand: how to get out of the war quickly.

A figure walked gracefully through the village, moving swiftly past the buildings, clearly with a destination in mind. Long white hair waved behind her as her eyes landed on the bright red roof tiles of the Hokage Tower. Her clothes seemed slightly odd, but not so much so that it drew attention, the kimono she wore was slightly too formal and it seemed a little old fashion.

"Stop." She was halted by the guards at the base of the tower. "What is your business here?" One of them asked gruffly.

"A message." Came the strangely chilling voice. "Tell Minato-san that she has sent me with a message." The woman stated, voice smooth and modulated. The taller of the two guards entered the tower and reemerged just a few moments later.

"You may enter." He stated with a nod. The woman brushed past the two and made her way up the stairs, spotting many unfamiliar offices on the way. At the top of the stairs, a plaque engraved with the word "Hokage" marked her destination. Knocking twice, she opened the door after hearing a 'come in'.

Minato looked up from his desk, smiling politely upon seeing the unfamiliar face.

"How may I help you?" He asked, setting down his pen.

"You are the Hokage? Miss Nina has asked me to bring you this letter. She has also entrusted me to discuss war tactics with you in her place." She stated.

"Really?! Wonderful!" He smiled wider. "If you don't mind me asking, how do you know Nina?" Minato inquired.

"I've known her since I was born." The woman responded briefly. "Anyways, should be begin? There are many things we need to talk about."

"Of course, please have a seat."

The sun had set and the two were still deep in conversation, both sides would suggest ideas and the other would consider the outcomes, agreeing or dismissing the suggestion. They had nearly concluded their planning when loud yelling was heard from just downstairs. Stomping, followed by more shouts, made way up the stairs, and next thing they knew, the office door had burst open and a fuming redhead stood in the doorway, multiple guards running to catch up.

"MINATO YOU FORGOT TO PICK UP THE CRIB!" The woman yelled, her actions unhindered by the large bulge of her stomach.

"Oh, did I? I'm sorry dear!" He sweat dropped nervously. She pulled out a pan and hit him over the head with unexpected force. After a long session of yelling, her rage soon boiled down and only then did she notice the other person in the room.

"Hello, I didn't realize Minato was in a meeting." The woman smiled sweetly, extending her hand. "My name is Kushina, I'm Minato's wife." She introduced. The white haired woman shook her hand, also offering a smile.

"Pleased to meet you. I'm afraid I cannot reveal my name, confidentiality, you see." She said.

"Don't worry about it, I know it's dangerous for diplomats to have others knowing their identities." She waved it off understandingly.

"You... are an Uzumaki, yes?" The white haired woman asked. Kushina seemed surprised.

"I am, how did you know?" She asked curiously. The other woman only smiled.

"I knew an Uzumaki once, you two bear quite the resemblance." She explained, standing up. "Anyways, I should be on my way. I appreciate your hospitality, Hokage-sama." With a quick bow to both Minato and Kushina, she turned and left the room.

Heading towards the Hokage Tower to take care of some business, Sarutobi was turning a corner and nearly bumped into someone.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see you there, dear." He said to the young woman in front of him, she bowed slightly to him.

"Pardon me, I wasn't paying attention." She apologized, stepped to the side and walked passed the old man. He smiled lightly then continued on his way to the tower.

'Do I know her?' He pondered to himself, he was almost sure that he's seen her somewhere before...

"Sarutobi-san, good evening." Kushina greeted.

"Oh, I didn't know you were visiting Minato today." He smiled warmly. "How's the baby?" Kushina put a hand to the large bump.

"Due any day now!" She smiled excitedly. "Minato and I want to name him Naruto, what do you think?" She asked, eyes gleaming proudly.

"Interesting name, I believe it will fit your son well." He chuckled, earning a smile from the redhead.

"I think so too. Well, I should be going now, have a good night." She smiled and left the tower.

Things did not get better and, just as Minato had feared, Konoha was plunged into all-out war. Minato did not see the woman messenger again, though his communications with Nina continued. She warned of attacks by foreign nations, telling him to take extra precautions in every decision he made, and so he did, though it seems he wasn't careful enough.

An inhuman roar shattered the blanket of silence that lay over the village. The sleeping villagers were now awake and rushing out of their houses to see what was going on. Away from the compounds, at the edge of the village, a woman stepped out of a small wooden house. She watched as trees collapsed in the distance, a large creature rising from the center of the destruction. She frowned slightly, quickly heading towards the area.

Watching from a low tree, she saw the same redhead from a few weeks ago, she lay on a patch of grass, surrounded by multiple shinobi. She was in labor and the child had not yet been born. She sensed something different about Kushina now... When she had first met the woman, she immediately sensed more than one chakra source inside her. One was hers and one belonged to the baby she was carrying, but there was a third. Whatever creature was sealed inside her was no longer there.

So that was the thing causing such chaos.

No matter which being was sealed in her, it was surely capable of great destruction.

'Minato must be fighting it.' She thought. An explosion in the distance confirmed her thought. Rushing towards the direction of the sound, a flash of orange swept across her vision. As she landed near the scene of the battle, her heart twisted as she saw what was happening.

A familiar fox was glaring down at Minato, all around it lay splinters of wood and remnants of buildings. Minato leapt up and sped towards the enormous beast with astounding speed, hands flying through seals all the while. A large cloud of smoke appeared beneath him, soon clearing to reveal a red toad, one that matched the size of the Kyuubi. The fox threw both of them off with its tails and turned to face Minato, both of them with the goal of eliminating the other.

Destruction.

Massive destruction.

Half the village lay in ruin not an hour later.

Minato was preparing his end game.

She watched as he performed the signs for the Death Reaper Seal, an odd symbol appearing on his stomach and the Kyuubi was immediately trapped in chains, it could only watch as the man summoned an altar, preparing to seal him again. Unexpectedly, he took his newborn son from Kushina and placed the baby the center of the altar. Instinctively, the nine tails thrust a clawed hand at the child in a last attempt to prevent himself from being sealed. Kushina's eyes widened and she threw herself forward to protect her son.

His claw collided with something.

When the small cloud of dust settled, a blood red barrier was surrounding the altar as well as the child, both Minato and Kushina lay on the ground, stunned and confused. The Kyuubi pulled back its hand, eyes narrowed and ready to face his new opponent. His expression faltered when the barrier faded and he saw who it was. The person stood up and looked the Kyuubi right in the eyes as he was sealed away into the body of the newborn.

Minato lowered his hands, letting out a long breath after the sealing was finished. In a flash, before the shinigami could seal his soul away, a sword was driven through his heart. He flinched but understood that this was for his own good.

"Thank you." He croaked weakly, smiling at the white haired woman holding the hilt of the sword. "Kushina and I both thank you." His body collapsed on the ground shortly after. She pulled the sword from his chest and turned to Kushina with an apologetic expression.

"I'm sorry you had to see that." She said apologetically. The other woman shook her head, taking a deep breath.

"He won't be trapped by the shinigami, he can pass peacefully now..." She trembled with each word. Standing up, she stumbled over to the baby who was still peacefully unaware of anything. "At least Naruto will grow up in an era better than ours... he won't have to know death." She gazed sadly at her son, griping him tighter as her heart ached. Suddenly she looked back up at the woman. "Tell me your name." She said with whatever remaining energy she had in her. There was a short pause before the response.

"Nina." She stated simply. This woman certainly had her pity.

"Nina..." Kushina repeated quietly, only managing to stay conscious for another second. "Thank you."

The room was white: white lights, white walls, white everything.

"Where am I?" Kushina groaned, wincing at the brightness. Her memories suddenly came back to her. "Where's my son?!" She demanded, looking around wildly. A nurse ran into the room, beckoning a doctor in as well, the doctor looked at her kindly.

"Don't worry, Miss Uzumaki, your son is just in the next room." He barely got the words out before she jumped off the bed and rushed passed him. She looked frantically down both sides of the hospital hall and rushed to the closest room, throwing the door open.

"Naruto!" She cried, running up to the startled baby and hugging him tightly. The doctor entered the room, smiling sympathetically at the mother and son.

"There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with you, Miss Uzumaki. You were simply in shock after the incident. We should be able to discharge you later today." He said. Kushina's eyes widened upon realizing something she hadn't considered before.

"How did I get here?" She asked, picking up the baby who began playing with her hair.

"Someone brought you here, I'm not sure who she was, exactly. I haven't seen her before. She carried you and your son to the nurses and disappeared before we could ask her anything." He recounted witnessing the woman who seemed oddly calm considering the situation.

"Did she have white hair?" Kushina asked, already knowing the answer,.

"She did." The doctor nodded. "I'll go alert the Third that you're awake, excuse me." He bowed and left the room, leaving Kushina with her now crying son. She quickly stood and rocked him back and forth, pacing around the room as she attempted to quiet him.

"Shhh... it's ok, Naruto, don't cry. Everything's going to be ok..."

"Ka-chan!" A child with vibrant blonde hair ran up the stairs of his house. Kushina peeked her head out of the bathroom where she was drying her hair.

"Yes, dear?" She answered.

"It's almost my birthday!" He shouted excitedly, holding up five fingers to show her how old he would soon be. "Can I invite my friends?" He asked. Kushina chuckled.

"Of course. Who do you have in mind?" Naruto thought for a moment, thinking about who he wanted to come to his birthday party.

"Kei, Sakura, Kenta, Yato, Emi, aaaand..." He pondered his last choice. "Sasuke!" He decided finally.

"Sure. I'll come with you to invite them, just give me a moment."

Ten minutes later, Kushina and Naruto walked down the street, headed to each invitee's houses. The first, closest, stop was the pink haired girl Sakura. After confirming that she would be there, the two happily continued to the other friends' houses.

"I'm hungry!" Naruto declared loudly when they had finished inviting all his friends. "Can we go get ramen?" He asked, eyes shining at the thought of his favorite food.

"Sure. Let's go." Naruto cheered as he began running towards the ramen shop, his mother chasing behind, both of them laughing joyfully. "Oof!" Naruto ran full force into somebody, causing him to fall back.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Are you ok?" The person knelt down and helped him up.

"I'm ok, thanks." Naruto rubbed his back. "I'm sorry, miss." He bowed low, knowing he should have been paying more attention to where he was going.

"It's alright, don't worry about it." The person smiled. Only then did Naruto notice the long white strands of hair visible from beneath the stranger's cloak.

"Whoa! Your hair's whiter than old man Sarutobi's!" He stared in wonder as the person chuckled, pushing back their hood show more of the pure white hair.

"Is it?" She found the child's excitement amusing.

"Cool!" The child exclaimed.

"Naruto! Oh, who's this? Kushina finally caught up to him, she glanced at the woman curiously.

"Ka-san, look! She has white hair but she's not old!" The boy said excitedly, the redhead sweat dropped.

"I'm sorry about him, he says odd things sometimes." Kushina apologized to the woman.

"He's only a child." The woman waved it off, her hood now back in place. Kushina couldn't completely see her face, but something about her seemed odd.

"Miss, what's your name?" Naruto asked suddenly.

"I'm sorry, I really must be going now. Please excuse me." She bowed to the pair and quickly disappeared from sight. Kushina looked at her son who was staring blankly at where the woman last stood.

"What's wrong, dear?" She asked, picking up the child.

"Ka-san, she looks familiar..." He trailed. "Let's go get ramen!" He instantly returned to his cheerful self. Kushina laughed at her son's behavior and the two walked the rest of the way to the ramen shop.

Something bothered her though... she felt like she knew that woman too.

But how?