Chapter 2
Minato finally recognizes the sleepy, pajama clad, bed headed child as Uchiha Tsuyoshi, Fugaku's middle child.
"Shinigami-sama, I'm the leader of this village and the one that has asked for your help, I would ask you to use my soul as payment for it and seal what of the most harmful power of the bijuu it can take into it, the rest, please seal it in this child." He makes sure to sound calm, but honestly, how do you beat a shinigami? He has no clue, and no more chakra or blood either, so he is hoping you can at least bargain with it. He won't let anyone else die tonight. Especially a child. Not his and not Fugaku's.
" Minato. I've lived a long and happy life. It would be a fine ending to go out protecting my village one last time." Hiruzen is happy he has the chance to die in place of Minato, he makes a fine Hokage, it's an honor to protect him and by proxy the village.
He wishes he could say good bye to his family, but doesn't every shinobi?" I'll be the sacrifice, you can't leave little Naruto all alone after all." He gives a smile to a blank-faced Minato and knows the new father will let him be the sacrifice.
Minato squeezes Hiruzen's shoulder and can't help but grimace, he will let the old Hokage do this, he doesn't want to, and its selfish, but he will. "Are you sure Hiruzen-sama? Absolutely sure?" If the former Hokage is not, Minato won't hesitate to take that place. He does not want to leave Naruto, but he does not want to live without Kushina or let Hiruzen die either.
They are whispering a few meters from the shinigami, still atop the bijuu, when Tsu-kun starts yawning up a storm, cutely rubbing his face on the death God's shoulder.
Everyone near, does not miss the following actions.
The Shinigami bounces the child gently up and down. " Do you wish to go back to your resting Master?" The Shinigami says in a soft voice and every shinobi does a double take.
.
.
.
"Eh?" Minato almost stumbles comically and Hiruzen gives the God a dubious look with a good amount of 'WTF?' Mixed in.
On the tree line an exhausted nameless chunnin snorts and breaks the moment.
The shinigami continues to bounce the child gently as Minato, and Hiruzen, take a cautious step forward, Naruto still on Minato's arms, fussing but very tired. "Ano... Shinigami-sama?"
The white haired spirit looks at them and stares. "Indeed. " he says, monotone.
Stunted silence.
"... Yes, haha, Shinigami-sama, as I've said." He gets his wits back and continues. " I'm the one to have called you trough the death seal, to seal the kyuubi no yoko that has caused many deaths in my village. I was led to believe a soul is needed as payment and I'm willing to pay it. Was that not the case?"
Hiruzen bows his head just a little and offers himself as well. "I'm willing, also, to be taken as payment. Shinigami-sama." Several shinobi in the tree line want to offer themselves for their Hokage and and former Hokage's continuos living but a hand sign from Minato has them rigidly staying back.
Hiruzen approves of it.
At this point the Shinigami is looking at the two humans in front of him blankly, paying more attention to the bijuu beneath his floating feet, it seems even the fox notice's his Master's strange power. The humans look as puzzled as always, it's a bit weird to think he had once been as clueless as them.
Tsuyoshi is annoyed at the cold and accepts he really isn't going back to sleep anytime soon, at this he sniffs and takes his head out of its hiding place at Shinigami-kun's shoulder.
"Shini-san, it's cold." He wasn't whining, no matter what Onii-chan says, he does not whine.
" Indeed Master, but you had asked to be notified of the use of this seal. I can, however, deal with it if you so want it Tsuyoshi. Would you like me to return you to your bed now?"
"Whaaaa...?" He is a little sleepy, who can blame him? He was taken out of bed in the middle of the night! Death has no respect even after all this years...(?)
" Hum... I guess it's better to be told than not to... It's important so I forgive you Shini-san" Pating the being's clothed shoulder softly. Thinking of when nii-chan left for a mission and didn't even tell him and the little rightness he feels at being here, even if it's cold.
"Did it have to be in the middle of the night though?" He is not pouting, he does not pout, no matter what onii-chan says. Where is onii-chan anyways?
Uchiha Tsuyoshi definitely does not pout, but he does rub his eyes and yawn.
To the bafflement of all the shinobi around the Shinigami responds, dare they say, fondly? To the child. " Well, I can always just take you back to your bed and resolve all of this myself, Master. I don't even know why you would like to be involved in such dealings. You are very young right now, don't you think it's best to wait?" The Shinigami says lowly, very calm and monotone.
"Humph!" Tsuyoshi knows he is the Master of death, he knows he has asked all of the Shinigami to warn him if the spell, or if any variation of the summoning spell he created, was ever used. He doesn't know how he knows, but this is a variation of it.
The little Uchiha thinks he is mature enough to understand some of this, but he wants warmth and a comfortable bed right now. Because suddenly Tsuyoshi has lots and lots of memories where he is important and powerful and that's overwhelming.
The four year old feels to his very heart that he should be right where he is tonight, but that doesn't mean he isn't very confused and upset.
When he tries to pay attention to all his thoughts and memories and it kinda hurts his head. Ouch.
" owwwww!" He sniffs and curls up to the Shinigami. Slowly a couple of fat tears form on his eyes, his head hurts. He remembers more and more and it's so, SO, sad. It hurts to think about it. His heart hurts and his head and he just. It hurts. He wants nii-chan and kaa-san and otou-san and.
He sniffs more often, his tears fall and are followed by many more.