The Cloud Over The Leaf

Minato didn't know what to do, and neither did Kushina.

They could only watch as the Shinigami fight for its life.

'This damn ghost is struggling in vain.'

Akumu's jaws were clamped on the spirit's neck as he fought to bite through it. The spirit's hands tried to pry the wolf's jaws off, but it could feel the sensation of death coming to it. 

I'm not letting you get away!'

Even Akumu could feel the Kyuubi waking up and decided to end this little struggle.

Ghost style:Dark Eclispe Technique!

Akumu's head began to glow with dark energy and expand. He became large enough to devour the Shinigami in one bite, snapping the hair that trapt Minato's soul!

"Iiiiiaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!"

The Shinigami gave a shrill cry as Akumu began to devour the spirit into nothing. 

Minato and Kushina could only see the back of the now normal sized wolf chewing on Minato's trump card.

*Gulp*

They could hear the wolf swallow his meal as it turned around and faced them. The two had rather amusing faces Akumu thought as he slowly walked forward.

Minato readied his kunai and watched the wolf, not forgetting the Kyuubi behind him.

'It ate the jutsu?! How can we stop the Kyuubi and this beast?!'

Minato's thoughts were racing light speed while Kushina's face seemed to come to realization.

"You are the one who healed me, aren't you?"

"!!"

Minato was shocked as he heard his wife. He turned to her, only to find himself even more baffled. Her face was lively and full of energy! It was as if she didn't nearly die from the Kyuubi coming out of her at all!

She was perfectly fine!

While Minato tried to steady his whirl of emotions, Kushina stared at the wolf who seemed to look directly at her. 

Though she lost the Kyuubi, she could still vaguely tell the intentions of others. Her gut instinct was astounding as she tried to see the wolf's intentions. The wolf seemed to radiate darkness, seemingly giving a cold chill to the surroundings. She was worried as her chains began to rattle more and more, but she knew this was important. She then suddenly realized the energy coming off the wolf was familiar.

'It's the same as the energy that helped me earlier!'

Kushina then turned around and started to tie up the Kyuubi!

"Graaa!!"

The Kyuubi realized it was bound once again! His hatred burst forth as the fox tried to get up, but the chains around his limbs and tails held him down.

"Kushinaaaa!"

The fox bellowed as he couldn't contain his rage.

"Kushina!"

"Don't worry,Minato! I think the wolf is alright!"

Minato trusted Kushina's words, though he couldn't help but look back at the wolf. He could see Akumu...smile as he bared his fangs. 

'....Let's just trust her for now.'

Minato also turned around and began to wrack his brain for ideas to help.

The two suddenly felt the wolf move towards them at high speed!

'Shit!'

Minato was going to turn back around, but saw Kushina still focused on the Kyuubi. 

'....'

He paused and focused back on the Kyuubi as well, hoping his wife's words rang true. He was quite surprised when he felt the wolf bold towards Kushina and leapt towards her!

Minato was ready to Hiraishin in front of the wolf when he saw her head turn towards him. He could see her eyes, and knew what she was trying to say.

Trust me!

Minato hesitation lead the wolf to finally land on her....and disappeared?!

"What?!"

Minato couldn't believe his eyes as Kushina's chakra started to skyrocket.

"Haaaaaah!!!!"

The chains behind her began to retract at high speed, dragging the Kyuubi over to her direction. She rushed forward as she felt her strength increase.

"Thank you, Wolfy!"

Kushina yelled as Minato felt cold sweat fall down his back.

'We don't even know what that thing is, and she already gave it a nickname?!'

If only he could hear the laughter Akumu had as he realized Naruto's bravery was definitely inherited from his mom.

Kushina smiled as the wolf didn't take offense and continued to close the distance with the Kyuubi. Minato stayed near Naruto, ready to either assist his wife or take them both away if need be.

As Kushina got closer to the Fox, He started to form a Bijudama!

He didn't want to go back to being imprisoned again!

The bijudama began to form, and Kushina tried to yank his focus away, but he wouldn't budge!

Minato was getting ready to grab her when he suddenly saw the wolf appear once again!

It shot out of Kushina's stomach and ran straight to the Kyuubi!

The Kyuubi was stunned, but soon aimed his Bijudama at Akumu!

His instinct told him the smaller wolf was a bigger threat!

'Hmph!'

Akumu scoffed at at the beast and raised its head.

"Woooooooo!!"

The wolf howled towards the Kyuubi. Its howl sounded closer to the wails of ghosts instead of wolves! The Bijudama that was forming suddenly collasped as all the Yin energy around them headed straight for Akumu!

Akumu didn't stop moving as he soon came below the Kyuubi. He could see the Kyuubi was still shocked over the turn of events!

Even Kushina and Minato were shocked at what happened!

'Ok! Here goes!'

Akumu's body began to glow with black chakra and his newly gained Yin chakra once more, but he didn't expand.

Ghost style: Assimilation Technique!

Akumu's body began to transform as the tips of his fur turned eerily white! A ring of four blue flames floated around him as he used his other technique.

Ghost style: Dark Eclispe Technique!

His body suddenly grew to the size of the Kyuubi and knocked him over!

'What?!'

The Kyuubi was still shocked from his Bijudama disappearing, now the wolf was as big as him?!

He couldn't keep up with it at all!

Akumu lunged at the Kyuubi and his jaws locked on to his back. 

"Graaaugh!!!"

The Kyuubi snapped out of his daze and tried to get the giant wolf off of him, but Akumu pressed him down!

Kushina snapped out of her daze as well and began to try to assist the wolf. 

They soon saw Akumu's big,white teeth suddenly have sealing marks on each tooth! His jaw clamped down on Kyuubi as it howled in pain that reached his soul.

The wolf ripped away from the Kyuubi, taking a silhouette of the fox with it!

'It used the Reaper Death Seal!?'

Minato's mind was reeling as he saw this spectacle. Kushina was shocked as well, but she saw the Kyuubi started to shrink along with part of its soul being taken away. 

"Now!"

Kushina used her full power to drag the Kyuubi towards her and suck him into her body!

Sealing Technique: Adamantine  Chains!!

"Nooo!!"

The weakened Kyuubi tried to resist, but was sucked into Kushina once again. Minato appeared right before her, pressing his hand on her stomach.

Four Symbols Seal!

A tatoo with four marking appeared on her stomach as the Kyuubi was finally placed back into Kushina.

Minato sighed in relief, but couldn't let his guard down. The wolf was still there, holding the feebly thrashing soul of Kyuubi in his jaws.

Minato looked at the looming wolf for a short while, and bowed his head.

"Thank you for your assistance!"

Minato wouldn't dare to not respect this being as it helped him do something he couldn't have done without sacrificing himself!

Akumu nodded his head, still holding on to the struggling Kyuubi and started to walk towards where they stood before.

Minato wondered where the wolf would go with a soul in his mouth, until he quickly realized who was in that direction. He held Kushina and teleported back to their son. 

Kushina was quite exhausted at this point, having done so much today. 

She had a baby, got a beast ripped out of her, got acquainted with a new beast, and even put the old beast back into her!

She just wanted to sleep, but her husband's quick moves put her on alert. She realized she was next to her son once again as he was crying his eyes out from the commotion. Newfound strength surged through her as she quickly and gently picked up her son with the utmost haste.

"It's ok, Naruto! Mommy's here!"

She brought her son close to her and held him in her arms. As he stopped crying and went back to sleep, it was Kushina's turn to cry. The transition made Minato worried as he tried to console her.

"It's ok,Kushina! Everything is fine."

This only made her cry more, as her crying quickly turned into sobs. 

"I-I thought I was going to lose everything! I'm so happy right now."

Minato couldn't help, but cry as well. Even if he would sacrifice himself for the village, death wasn't something that was easy to overcome. 

He hugged his family in his arms as they had a moment of peace, but only for a short while. 

Akumu was now in front of them, holding the Kyuubi soul still in his jaws, and looking in Minato's direction.

"....We still have one last thing to do."

Minato wiped his wife's tears, his own tears, and picked up their son. He looked lovingly at Naruto before heading over to the altar once more, with Akumu in tow.

Akumu placed the soul close the altar and Minato prepared the seal he originally planned to use for Naruto.

Eight Symbols Seal!

The soul was sucked into Naruto as a new Jinchuuriki was born. Minato winced,however, for the Kyuubi as the wolf seemed to have eaten on of its arms before he was sealed. 

Akumu ate the energy and slowly changed back into his all black, smaller form. Kushina picked up Naruto and held him. She worried for his future now with Kyuubi now inside of him, but she was grateful she could be there to help him through it. 

Kushina had managed to drag the Yin part of Kurama into her while the Yang part went to Naruto. Minato looked at Kushina with a smile, glad that his family was still intact. He wanted to thank the wolf once again for its help only to realize it was gone. 

Minato and Kushina looked around for the wolf only to hear the eerie howl of Akumu in the distance. The two looked at each other and wondered whether it was a good or bad thing that a new Biju had made an appearance.

To them, however, it was miracle they needed.