prolouge
The fifth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village stood in the underground cavern that had been Akatsuki's base, now just a hallow shell. All that remained was the huge, grotesque container that currently held eight of the nine Bijuu.
Tsunade stood there for a moment contemplating her options before turning to one of the many anbu standing in the room.
"Bring me the infant." she said in a flat empty voice.
The room was instantly filled with gasps of protest from some of the masked figures and the air became thick with tension before one of the anbu stepped out of the group practically shouting the word, "What?!" leaving it to echo in the heavey silence.
The man walked agressivly towards the blonde woman, only stopping when he stood right in front of her. The man jerked off his mask to reveal angery blue eyes, and a face with whisker-like scars that slashed across his cheeks;the mouth that was so easy to smile was arched in an uncharacteristical scowl.
"What do you mean 'bring the infant'?", he said in a voice deep with age, "What, may I ask, the fuck are you planning to do baa-chan?"
The Fifth looked up at the anbu captain with narrowed eyes; he had long since outgrown the busty woman.
"The Bijuu need to be contained, Fox. What did you expect, that we'd just leave them in that thing and place anbu to watch it?"
The man known as Fox didn't say a word, he had been thinking exactly that.
Tusnade let out a tired sigh, "I would do that if all the members of Akatsuki were captured but seeing how some of them escaped I can't chance it that they might come back for them." she looked over at the anbu she had watched grow from boy to man and let out another sigh. "If there was another way, I'd pick it but this is the only way that I can think of that they won't think of."
The man looked down, his fists clenched, his shoulders tense, and when he looked back up there was a haunted pain in his eyes. "But why that baby?" he asked in a tense voice, trying to understand.
Tsunade winced imperceptivly at the question and bluntly gave him an answer, "Because I know it can take it and not die."
He turned away, closing his eyes and let out a frustrated sound. Tsunade just watched as he paced jerkily away running his hand through his electric yellow hair, his mind working franticly for another solution, any solution except for that.
The room was silent as the ninjas in the room watched him. His shoulders suddenly slumped and he turned back to the room with eyes filled with defeat.
"Fine," he said in an empty voice, "But under one condition." he looked at his Hokage, eyes filled with determination, "I get to raise the baby."
Tsunade and the others in the room were taken aback by his words.
"Why?" she asked.
"Because," he said looking up at the container, "I'm the only one who'll really understand the baby as it grows up, at least to a certain point. If or when the villagers find out that they've got another Jinchuuriki walking among them, with not only one but eight bijuu's in it, the kid's life'll be hell.
"After all," he said looking back at Tsunade with a small sad smile, "it's one-third mine anyways, right?" she wouldn't meet his eyes.
"Alright," she said after a moment, her voice strong, "Everybody stand back. I'm gonna need a lot of room to seal eight demons into the kid."
"Seven." a voice rang out in the cave and everyone turned to the red-headed Kazakage that had been forgotten during the argument. He gave them a small smirk at their confusion, "We'll be taking ours back." Tsunade just gave a nod.
One of the anbu stept forward, a small bundle craddled in its arms.
Tsunade knelt and skillfully drew a circular seal on the floor of the cavern, at the base of the container, her hands flowing quickly through the movements. Without looking away she silently held her hands out for the child.
The anbu watched as she placed the now fussing bundle at the center of the seal, its small delacate hands and chubby little arms moved jerkily in the air as the sounds of its soft mewls and gurggles filled the tense, silence.
Tsunade rose to her feet, never taking her eyes off the small being wrapped in a white blanket. Takeing a deep steading breath she carfully made the hand signs that would seal the seven Bijuu within the babe.
Horse, snake, dog, horse-
-her hands began to flow faster as one by one the eyes on monsterous container began to twitch and open-
-tiger, monkey, rat, boar-
-Tsunades's hands became a blur as the huge thing started emitting a deep, rumbling noise, and the eyes started to whirl around wildly in their sockets-
-snake, bear, monkey, horse-
-the seal around the infant began to glow red, and the baby became agitated-
-tiger, bear-
-the seal glowed brighter as the markings began to move towards the baby and the ground shook-
-snake-
-the Fox watched as the baby cried out in pain-
-horse-
-The entire was filled with a blinding white light and all sound was washed away...
And then it stopped. The silent witnesses watched as seven seals slowly changed from red to black and then faded into skin. All was still and soundless as they waited for something to happen as the childs cries rang out and echoed in the great room. Then the sound of swift footsteps acompanied the harsh sound coming from the babies lungs as the Fox rushed forward and walked across the now dead seal.
Swooping down he picked up the small bundle and gently rocked it in his arms, making soft soothing noises to calm the infant down.
"That's it," he said softly as the cries were reduced to whimpers and large tear-filled blue-green eyes blinked up at him, "It's okay, baby, I've got you, I've got you. Shhhhh...shhhhh."
The baby gurggled and reached out to try and touch the fox mask the anbu had put back on, its tiny fingers reaching to feel the cool, white porcline. The Fox chuckled softly and held out one of his hands that held so much power for the infant to grasp with its miniscule fingers. The anbu smiled gently from under the mask as the baby took hold of one of his large fingers, its little didgets didnt even reach all the way around. He wiggled his finger back and forth, causing the little bundle in his arms to giggle.
A small group of anbu and the Kazakage, all who the Fox considered his friends, gathered around him and the little life in his arms.
"What will you name it?" asked the Dove, her voice still gentle but had lost its stammering long ago.
The Fox looked up at the friends, his family, surrounding him: The Wolf, his teacher and a man he considered to be one of the male romodles in his life; the Shrew, a teammate, one that started out with hating him and now would give her last breath for him; the Boar, who always had a smile for him and could always eat more romen than him; the Deer, who had in the many years become one of his closest friends and confidant; the Monkey, who still spouted off about youthful things; the Dove, who was no longer the shy stuttering girl she once was; standing protectivly behind her was the Hawk, who had lost his hate and had taken up the job of protecting his gentle Dove; then came the Tiger, who the Fox still didnt know how she kept silent with all the weapons she carried; after her was the Dog with his large pet that the Fox was still debating if it was really just a dog or a large mountain; Badger who still kept his face hidden and talked to random bugs; and finally the red-haired Kazakage, who knew and understood hm better than anyone else and that would love this little child the way he never was.
This was his family, his precious people. The Fox looked down at the infant in his arms, still playing with his finger. He thought for a second then smiled his big, cocky smile, he glanced around at all the masked faces before looking back down at the baby, his baby.
"Welcome to the family--"
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Chapter notes: yes, i own all the characters in this story and all the cool niffty ideas. shyeah, right like i'd be posting this on the web instead of making a butt-load of money if i really did own this.
-ceri