The Fox's Son

Chapter 4 - The Hokage's Decision

"So what are you going to do know?" Jiraiya asked his former sensei as they sat in the hospital room.

Hiruzen looked at the boy who was peacefully sleeping in the hospital bed. A wave of sadness and guilt washed over his features as he looked at the boy.

"The only thing I can do...." He said with a sigh before he turned to look at the Hokage Monument outside the window, the Fourth Hokage to be more specific. "I'm going to seal his memories away." he responded, much to the shock of Jiraiya.

"Isn't that going overboard, sensei?" Jiraiya questions. "The kid can still see the light." he advised.

Hiruzen chuckled sadly. "No, he won't." he stated, stopping his student from talking. "Did you see the look on his face last night? The malice? The hate? I've only seen that look on one other person a long time ago." he said as he looked into the sky.

"Naruto-kun had the same eyes of hatred in his gaze as Uchiha Madara had towards the Senju brothers." he explained. "Uchihas are never the same when they lose something they care for. Their curse of hatred is something that is not easy to come back from." Hiruzen said and Jiraiya sighed.

"I'm going to seal his memories and bloodline. I'm not going to seal his yang half because he will need it in case the Kyubi's chakra escapes the seal. He will die if there were to be an accident in the future." Hiruzen said as he approached the sleeping Naruto.

"Loyalty to the village above all else, right?" Jiraiya said kind of bitterly.

Hiruzen was saddened by that. "There is no other choice, Jiraiya. It's for the greater good." he said as he stopped in front of Naurto's bed. The Gama Sennin said nothing.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun." Hiruzen whispered sadly as he began to go through a series of hand-signs. "Fuinjutsu: Memory Bind" he said as he pressed his thumb on the child's forehead.

A small, complex seal appeared on his forehead before disappearing. When it disappeared, Hiruzen removed his thumb and just stood on the side of his bed. 'It's done.' Hiruzen thought to himself. He turned around to find that Jiraiya had already left, making the old man sigh once again. As Hiruzen stepped away, Naruto began to stir.

When the boy finally awakened, his cerulean blue eyes wondered the room as if he was trying to figure out why he was there. When his eyes landed on the Hokage, he instantly recognized him and gave him a wide smile.

"Jiji!" the eight year old cheered as he saw his pseudo-grandfather. Hiruzen smiled back at the child with a heavy heart.

'Hope that you will forgive me, Naruto-kun.....' he thought sadly as the eight year old returned to his usual hyperactive self and began to ask him a million questions.