Notes

Waves rolled back and forth across the sand, twisting and swirling as the white froth came forth. Pale feet stood in the water as waves crashed around them. Crabs scrambled back into their burrows to escape the onslaught of water. But the human in their midst pain it no heed, he was dead after all. The wind howled as the rain started to fall striking mercilessly against the man's tall body. His white robes danced wildly around him, making the red flames on its bottom seemingly come to life. The kanji for the fourth Hokage was printed on its back signifying his position. Or former that is. The fourth Hokage, Namizake Minato was long gone, his story once a beautiful tale. Filled with glorious battles, endless humor and a touch of romance. (Because no story was complete without it after all.) Although, the one thing that this man found fascinating about his lost tale. Was the things that the historians left out. Things such as his failure as a sensei, the destruction of an entire army, the death of countless shinobi and civilians alike. But worse of all the man mused was his failure as a father. Minato had only one job, one job, and that was the safety and happiness of his beloved child. Nothing else mattered, not himself, not his team, not even Kohona mattered to him. If his child's happiness and safety would have been compromised. Minato would have done anything to find, and destroy what ever was causing his child's pain.But even that was too much to ask. Yes, the Konoha no Kiiroi Senkō, the Yondamaine Hokage, a prodigy had failed to do the simplest thing in the whole world. Instead, he did the exact opposite. Minato clutched his fists at his sides in anger, not at the wind that was killing his eyes. Not at the Shinigami who had placed him in eternal hell. No, he was angry at himself. Minato grit his teeth, feeling the blood dripping from his hands and the tears leak from their bowl. Not even stopping to clean the blood off his hands Minato wiped the tears from his eyes, leaving blood in their place staining his white skin red. No, he wouldn't cry, he had spent thousands of years doing just that. Minato took a deep, shuddering breath. He had to calm down crying would do him no good, neither would getting angry. There was no way he could right his wrongs, they were in the past. Dead actually, long dead. And that was the worst part of it all because if he had been in heaven he could still see his boy. Not only his son but the rest of his little family, Kushina-chan who had brightened his day with just a smile. Jiraya-sensei a man that Minato even to this day thought of as a mentor, friend but most importantly a father. Obito-Kun who had come up with the lamest, most embarrassing excuses for being late. Rin-Chan who had healed her teams' wounds with not only her skills as a medic. But with her smile that could dissolve even the most severe of arguments. And last but not least Kakashi-Kun, his dumbest yet smartest student, a man who even with his intelligence had been a boy so deprived of human contact and emotion. That he didn't even know what parental love had felt like. Minato grits his teeth and looked up to the sky, hoping to see their smiling faces looking down at him.Instead, all he saw was dark gray clouds rolling overhead with the occasional streak of lightning. Minato internal berated himself, of course, he wouldn't see them. They were in the afterlife and he was on earth. Sentenced to eternal hell, Minato chuckled dryly at his incompetence. What else did he expect, truly? He had sold his soul to the shinigami's stomach. He had expected the shinigami's stomach to look very different. It first he had thought it was all a dream when he had woken up next to his sleeping son. But he quickly learned that this was his punishment. He was to spend the rest of eternity watching everything, his son, friends even family. He would watch them live out their lives, grow old and then die. All the while being invisible not being able to even talk to them. To tell his son happy birthday, or even kiss him goodnight. No, he could do none of that, a lesser person would have gone insane. Their mind unable to comprehend what was happening before them. But he was no simple man he was a genius, but even a genius would have gone insane. But lucky for Minato, he had a passenger along for the ride. As if Kami herself had called his name, Minatos passenger awoke. A huge yawn echoed through Minato's mind, an animalistic growl hidden in its volume.
"Ahh, good morning Minato brooding I see" The voice deep and disgruntling was said with mirth, however. Barely hidden behind its haunting visage.
Minato growled angrily and replied with a retort of his own. "Can you be quiet for three seconds! I swear I can never have a simple moment of peace!" This, however, was devoid of teasing, instead, it was filled with annoyance and dislike. A deep resonating laugh was his only answer, however, angering the blond even further.
"Look if you have nothing to say, could you please shut the hell up! I am tired of your childish antics, Kurama!" At the mention of its name the being suddenly became quiet, as if contemplating its next move.
"Minato I talked with him." As soon as the being said this Minato's eyes widened.
"What?"
With a sigh, it calmly answered. "Minato comes down into the seal, we need to talk." And without even waiting for a reply, Minato was pulled into the seal. His vision turning black.
The first thing Minato felt was the sludgy, thick water running past his legs. Clogging his trousers with dirt and all manner of nasties. But Minato could hardly care at this point, he had done it so many times before anyway.
But now wasn't the time to get nostalgic, if Kurama was doing what he thought he was doing. He had better not be. Minato snapped his eyes open, and he immediately started forward. Wading through the sludge as if it had never existed. His eyes fixated on the only living thing besides himself in the sewer he called his mind. The Kyuubi no Yoko, or Kurama as he called him. The large steel gates loomed in front of him as he came closer, their bars sealed with a sealing tag. The word seal was inscribed on its parchment, its ink a deep crimson instead of the usual black. The blond man stopped at the foot of the gate, its rusted bars towering menacingly over him. If Minato had been any normal being, he would have screamed bloody murder and ran for the hills. But these bars only gave him comfort, however. Because the prisoner held behind them has been Minato's only companion for the last thousand years. The only being he could freely talk to, interact with. It was Kurama who had kept him sane all of these years. Minato would be kidding himself if he didn't say Kurama had become family. It took only a few moments however for that very same being to come into view. The water trembled, the pipes of the sewer shook as blasts of water shot out. Nine crane-sized tails soon came into view, their orange fur glowing in the soft light. White tips swished around wildly, knocking pipes their perches and sending waves of water crashing to the ground. A huge black nose poked into the light, followed by a long orange body and legs. Huge clawed hands came into view, dispersing water with each step thoroughly drenching his annoyed onlooker. Thick black lines ran from the eyes into the beast's ears, enhancing the fox's demonic appearance. It's orange coat gleamed dangerously as if daring anyone to touch, one of the sharp giant thorns it calls fur.