Minato Namikaze...
A name that carried incredible weight in the world of Shinobi. As the Fourth Hokage of Konoha and the legendary "Yellow Flash of the Leaf," Minato's legacy was etched deep into the very foundation of the shinobi world. Swift as lightning and brilliant as the morning sun, he was both warrior and guardian, respected not only for his unmatched speed and prowess in battle but for the kindness, clarity, and selflessness that defined his soul.
Entire enemy battalions trembled at the mere whisper of his name, knowing that once he marked his seal, there was no escape. But beyond his fearsome abilities, Minato's leadership was calm and thoughtful, his words measured, and his heart unwavering.
As Hokage, he was a symbol of hope. As a father, a husband, and a friend, he was gentle and fiercely loyal. And when the time came, he gave his life without hesitation to protect his village and his newborn son, believing in a future where peace could one day bloom.
To generations that followed, he wasn't just a legend.
He was the standard. A flash of gold in the darkest of nights.
A man who ran faster than death itself to protect the ones he loved. Minato Namikaze, the hero who smiled at fate and rewrote it.
.
In the uttermost end of his life, his tragic death, were few moments after the birth of his own son. After his success in defeating the spiral masked man, and protecting Konoha, he finally met his end, speared through the chest with the Kyuubi's claws, along with his wife..
Blood dripping down his face, Minato embraced his wife, Kushina from behind, as she spoke her blessings and expectations onto their son. Naruto was safe, Konoha was protected, but in the end, such an arduous task required the ultimate sacrifice, his life. Having sealed half of the Kyuubi into his own soul, and half into his son, he knew the implications of his actions..
The Kyuubi was finally sealed completely, with the Eight Trigrams Seal, and would probably never cause the village any problems again, should Naruto learn to harness it's power, but at what cost? The childhood of his own flesh and blood. He knew the implications of what he had done... And he didn't exactly deserve the father of the century, but Naruto could do it.
He was an Uzumaki and a Namikaze heir, Minato believed in the potential of his son, knowing the heights he would soar to with his talent and the power of the Kyuubi at his disposal, but deep down, he cursed himself. He knew the stigma Naruto would face, he knew what the village would do to a walking world ending threat like him...
He cursed himself inwardly for this. Perhaps if he had anticipated and handled things better, Kushina and him would be alive, and Naruto would've had a loving family to grow up with.
He sighed, holding back the sorrow and the pain, and forced a pained smile towards his sleeping baby. "Live well, Naruto....
I'm sorry.." The last part of his statement sounded like a whisper, as his consciousness slowly faded away. He felt the cold embrace of the Grim Reaper tugging at his soul. He knew what awaited him, an endless eternity of suffering and pain in the bosom of the Grim Reaper, but if the same chance was given, he wouldn't have hesitated..
One last glance at Kushina's still form.
One last look at his son.
Would Naruto forgive him?
Would the village cherish or destroy what he left behind?
Would his son even remember him?
A thousand questions screamed in his fading mind as the Reaper tore the last threads of his soul apart. His body slumped forward onto his wife's, and the light in his cerulean eyes flickered out forever.
Just like that… the Fourth Hokage was gone.
Minato Namikaze, the feared Yellow Flash, the golden hope of Konoha, died at the age of twenty-four. But in death, as in life, he ran faster than fate itself.
For love. For peace. For the future.
...
After slumbering for God knows how long, the golden rays of light peered down onto his sleeping countenance, forcing the man out of his slumber.
His eyes fluttered open, revealing beautiful sky blue gems that shone with incredible brilliance. It took a minute to refocus his senses and when he did, he finally scanned his surroundings. He laid on a grassy plain, underneath a small tree within a small forest settlement..
He frowned for a moment, uttering his first words as a soul. The two names ultimately closest to his heart. "Kushina?... Naruto?" It wasn't until realization gripped him, that he let out a soft breath, resting his back against the tree. He was dead. More dead than he could ever be. Kushina? Naruto? They were in different places, or realms as you would call them.
Naruto was alive, a fact that was thankful for. And if the legends were true, Kushina, being the exemplary kunoichi she was, had been sent to the Pure lands. Meaning, he was all alone. If time has truly passed, he wondered how Naruto was doing? Was the Leaf treating him well, or did his fears come true? He thought solemnly, running a hand through his hair.
'I should probably explore this Hell while I'm at it..' He stood up, stretching his waist and taking in a deep breath. This wasn't what he had expected. He had expected fire and brimstone, the wailing of souls, or whatever. But no, it was a simple human settlement, with lands stretching further than the trained eye could see. Maybe other users of the Grim Reaper's seal lived in this place?
'That would make a lot of sense'. Minato monologued as he walked along a windy path, leading him out of the area he had awakened in. After about several minutes of walking, he stumbled onto a small stream and decided to refresh himself, before continuing his sightseeing.
Crouching low, before the bank of the stream, he finally saw his reflection and then shrugged jokingly. Deep blue eyes reflected the sky above, and stared back at him. Bright blonde shaggy and messy hair still framed his head, with two long bundles falling at the sides of his perfectly handsome and streamlined face..
He was dressed in an attire he recognised from his youthful days. A white jacket, with red patterned arms, along with his own blue Shinobi pants from the time he was alive. His legs were banadaged and his feet were adorned by a pair of blue Shinobi sandals..
But what stoked him the most and made him shake his head was the Leaf village's headband that was wrapped around his forehead. "Guess I'm still a Shinobi, even in death.." He caressed the metallic front slowly. This forehead protector wasn't just any ordinary Shinobi armament, it represented his status as a full fledged Shinobi of the Leaf, one bearing the will of Fire.
It signified his allegiance to the Leaf, his pride and honour as a Shinobi, and an oath of protection. It was a symbol of his principles and values, and his honor. Minato refused to take it off, not out of sentiment, but because that forehead protector represented and reflected a part of him, that made him into the man, the legend that Konoha grew to respect and love.
On the other hand, he had nothing, on him. No ninja backpack, no tools, no money, and most importantly no chakra, nothing. It was just him and his honor. He washed his face thoroughly, his hair and then arms, wiped himself with the front of his jacket and then continued his journey.
Seconds turned to minutes, minutes turned to hours. The entire settlement was silent except the silent footsteps of a lone man taking his first steps in the afterlife. Hands in the side pockets of his jackets, Minato slowly came face to face with a small village like settlement, one that was fully out of his expectations, yet brought a serene calm to his heart.
Seeing the village here meant only one thing. People. At the very least, he wasn't the only one here in this afterlife. One of his greatest fears had been resolved. Loneliness could chop away at the sanity of any man, no matter how strong willed you were. That is why, it was imperative that Shinobi found for themselves wives, to start a family with.
He took a deep breath, making his way into the village, with hopes as high as the sky. But he wasn't too disappointed. The village consisted of equally malnourished citizens, children running around, men, and women going about their daily work, the sick and impoverished elderly, begging at corners for money to afford meals to survive. He saw it all.
The entire settlement was nothing but a slum, a small slum. As he made his way through the outskirts into the central part of the slum, the smell of freshly baked, fried and steamed foods wafted against his nose. He saw the villagers in better conditions compared to those at the outskirts. At least there was a form of trade going on.
Not just that, they looked to be in far better health than the others and some kept casting strange and knowing glances at him. 'Pity?' He murmured, lowering his head and continuing ok his stroll. "These people don't know who I am?" Interesting.." He mused, but refused to draw any conclusions here.
He continued his journey, until he met an old man, sitting on a small log, smoking a pipe. Walking slowly up to him, so as not to alarm him, Minato asked the old man, with the biggest smile he could muster.
"Hello, kind Sir, could you please tell me where I am?"
The old man turned his gaze towards him, examined him for a moment and then scoffed. "You must be a new soul around here yeah? Pity.. With the Hollow attacks and increasing rate of death, I doubt you'd live past a month.."
The man's words took Minato aback for a moment, but as trained as he was, his eyelids didn't so much as twitch to the man's words. His face remained neutral. "Hollow attacks? Death?" Minato dissected the information carefully inwardly and then looked to the man for clarification. "Forget it, kid. This is the 63rd District of North Rukongai. Welcome to the Soul Society.."
A/N: Enjoy folks. The first of many.