Warnings: Scenes of a violent and sexual nature, graphic imagery, gender bending.
Pairing: Kakashi/Female!Naruto
Summary: AU. Naruto was born, and thus the Kyuubi attack occurred, a few years earlier than in canon. Minato did not die in the sealing but the council forces his hand and his worst nightmares come to life. Naruto's father might be alive, and she is very obviously the apple of his eye, but her childhood is the furthest thing from easy or happy.
Author's Note: This fic is actually quite fluffy and light-hearted overall. Very little angst here folks. All I really wanted to do was set up a universe that I've been itching to write. If there's interest, I might be persuaded into writing a sequel ;)
Chapter 2: See You Make Your Way Through The Crowd
After close to a year of travelling, I have seen things in the world and in myself, both good and bad, that I had never noticed before. I was struggling daily with pride and insecurity, homesickness and loneliness.
-Bethany Johnson
It went without saying that Konoha was a large city. As the trade and political capital of Fire Country, it also stood to reason that it was a city that saw a lot of traffic and tourism. Most people, however, did not wait for visitors to arrive at midnight, nor did they stand so rigidly at such an ungodly hour. Minato, however, was not most people. And so that was they scene Izumo and Kotetsu arrived to when they reported for guard duty at midnight. The chūnin exchanged uneasy glances. With the breeze rustling his hair and causing his coat to billow gently behind him, broad shoulders taut and back ramrod straight, the Hokage cut a very intimidating picture.
"Izumo, Kotetsu," the Hokage greeted his subordinates. "I believe that you have about a minute to relieve the current guards before you're officially late for work."
That got the desired results and the two ninja hurried to the offices built into the gate itself, unwilling to be caught slacking in their boss' presence. Were it any other day, Minato would have smirked and shared a few jokes with the younger men to put them at ease. As it was, his mind was too preoccupied with 'what ifs' to put much effort into reassuring others. There was so much that could go wrong.
He had received a letter from Naruto not even two days ago, saying she was well and stating her intention to arrive as soon as it was a minute into the day her banishment ended. Minato whole-heartedly agreed with her agenda. Ten years was too long a time spent apart to delay Naruto's return by even a moment. As if on cue, a figure appeared on the horizon, distinguishable only as a blob of dark clothes and blonde hair. Izumo and Kotetsu stiffened as they spotted the person, glancing at the Hokage but not being able to read his reaction to such an unexpected sight. Or perhaps, given that he was waiting in front of the gates at such an ungodly hour, the Hokage was expecting this visitor. But who on earth…Izumo's eyes widened with realisation and he elbowed his friend and colleague.
"What?" Kotetsu hissed, his frame tense with expectation.
"It's been ten years," Izumo said and Kotetsu rolled his eyes.
"I know it feels like we've been working together forever," Kotetsu said, "But it hasn't been that long. Now focus…"
"Idiot," Izumo punched the other man on the shoulder. "It's was ten years ago that Namikaze Naruto was banished."
"Oh," Kotetsu's eyes widened in realisation and drifted to where the Hokage was trying to imitate a statue, "his daughter…"
He trailed off, gaze drifting towards the rapidly approaching figure. It was only moments before she was close enough for details about her appearance to become visible and Kotetsu's jaw almost dropped. The girl who approached was easily one of the most gorgeous he'd ever seen and he worked with Anko and Kurenai.
Her hair was long and the same brilliant gold in colour as her father's, falling to her knees in loose, glossy curls. She was tall, with moderate curves that were enhanced by the navy blue dress she wore, the skirt of which was almost indecently short. The V-neck of the dress dipped tantalisingly low, revealing a hint of mesh undershirt. A belt was slung low across her hips, holding scrolls and other supplies.
Strapped to one shapely, toned thigh was a kunai pouch, the presence of which only confirmed that this girl was as dangerous as she was beautiful. She wore flat black boots that stopped just above her ankles and the sleeves of her dress were thick straps that exposed the muscled curve of her shoulders as it disappeared into equally well shaped arms. She wore wrist length gloves with metal protectors and completing her outfit was a short, sleeveless white vest, with no zip that fell to her waist and had a flame pattern stitched across the bottom, an obvious tribute to the cloak her father wore.
"Naruto," the Hokage whispered as he caught sight of his daughter for the first time in ten years.
Naruto, who was aware that they were being watched and had been trying to retain some measure of decorum, heard the greeting thanks to her enhanced senses. She froze, eyes widening as they met her fathers and her breath stuck in her throat. In an instant her eyes catalogued the changes a decade had wrought. There were fine lines at the corners of his eyes and he seemed paler, as if he had spent all his time indoors. Other than that, there were few physical signs that her father had aged.
"Naruto," Minato spoke again, louder this time as he took a step forward.
As if she had been waiting for that exact signal, Naruto broke from her trance. Shaking her head for a moment before darting forward with a speed the chūnin could never hope to follow. Minato easily caught her as she barrelled into him, arms going around his daughter as his heart swelled. He thought this day would never come. Izumo and Kotetsu quietly retreated into the guard house, feeling as if they'd already intruded too much on what was such a private moment, but neither father nor daughter paid them much heed.
"Daddy," Naruto whispered, burying her face in her father's neck as tears pricked her eyes.
There'd been times when she thought she never see home again and now that she was here…well, relief and joy and a sudden surge of affection for the man hugging her as if his life depended on it swelled within her, blocking her vocal chords.
Naruto didn't know how long they stood there but soon they were making their way home. Home. It was such a powerful word. People say home is where the heart is and Naruto thought that that was only partially true. Bits of her heart were scattered all over the world. She had friends and people precious to her in every corner of the Shinobi Nations but Konoha would always be home and only partially because it was where her father lived.
Konoha was where she first learned the ninja arts. It was where she would beat Kakashi at laps around the village despite the fact he was older than her. It was where she would practice taijutsu with Maito Gai until she could barely walk and the jōnin would have to carry her home, desperately hoping the Hokage wouldn't catch him bringing his daughter back in such a state. It was where Ichiraku Teuchi let her taste-test his new recipes. It was the only place in the world where, in the autumn, the leaves turned that particular shade of gold-tinged russet brown. Konoha was where her happiest and saddest memories lay.
It was also where the bedroom she decorated as a six year old lay untouched except to be kept clean. Naruto's eyes wondered over the yellow walls, one of which sported a massive motif of the Uzumaki spiral in orange – a tribute to her mother. The bed was still dressed in the white silk bed-linen embroidered with tiny yellow daisies she'd loved as a child and matching curtains were pulled wide open at the window, letting the moonlight filter into the room. Everything was the same, from the collection of stuffed animals and oversized cushions that were arranged in one corner of the room; to the scroll on chakra manipulation that lay open on her nightstand (a subject with which she was now intimately acquainted).
Unstrapping her kunai pouch and belt, Naruto left them on the animal-themed dresser, resolving to redecorate as soon as she could and made her way back to the kitchen where her father was brewing a pot of tea. Being back in this house caused nostalgia to well up inside her and she held in a sigh.
"You look thinner," Naruto noted as she slipped into a chair. "Have you been skipping meals?"
"Of course not, Naru-chan," Minato replied, his eyes curving into a smile as he set down the tea and retrieved two cups. "When have I ever skipped meals?"
"All the time if I remember correctly," Naruto grinned. "I learned how to cook though. No more disregarding your health okay?"
"Okay," Minato's gaze softened and he reached over to ruffle her hair, "whatever you say, Naru-chan." He took a sip of his tea before continuing.
"Where did you learn to cook? Please don't tell me Tsunade-san taught you?"
"No of course not," Naruto laughed. "Granny can burn water. There's this little village in Tea Country where we spent some time and a man lives there, Ui Takahashi, who is the best chef in the entire world. He taught me how to cook in exchange for self-defence lessons for his daughter."
"Hm, how old were you then?" Minato asked and the two fell into easy conversation, catching up on the minutiae of each others lives over the past decade.
Before they knew it, the sun had risen and it was time for Minato to go to work. Father and daughter walked through the village, arms linked as they watched Konoha awaken. Only the early birds were out and about and almost everyone greeted the Hokage with a wave and a smile. Naruto was met with curious looks. She'd been sheltered as a child, people feared her status as a jinchūriki but feared Minato's anger should harm come to his daughter even more. News of her banishment had provoked mixed feelings within Konoha. On the one hand it was better if she learned to control her bijuu somewhere far away where she posed no threat. On the other, she was only six years old. Talented as Naruto was, nothing good could come off of sending a six year old out into the world to fend for herself. Now that she was back, older and reeking of confidence, well that could only be a good thing, right?
"So what do you have planned for today?" Naruto asked, following her father into the tower. "Are you meeting with the council? Can I sit in?"
"Thankfully no council meetings today," Minato chuckled. "They'll be spared your exuberance and I'll be spared a headache."
"A headache, Papa?" Naruto pouted. "I see you for the first time in ten years and you call me a headache? I feel so loved."
Minato's grin widened and he laughed out loud when Naruto feigned annoyance, huffing and crossing her arms over her chest with exaggerated motions. Unable to help himself, he threw an arm across her shoulders, marvelling once more at how tall she'd gotten. Kushina had been slight, a disadvantage she'd made up for with her speed, agility and the sheer force of her personality. Minato himself was tall, with broad shoulders and long legs. Naruto seemed to take after him physically. Reaching his jaw, she was slender and graceful, moving with an ease that suggested extreme comfort in her own skin. And as a blue eyed blonde with tanned skin, Naruto even had Minato's colouring. Her personality though, that was all Kushina. Minato could see echoes of his deceased wife in the wide curve of Naruto's grin, in the mischievous sparkle in her eyes, in the way she found joy and amusement in the smallest of things, in her slightly sarcastic sense of humour and in her razor sharp wit. For a moment, Minato was seized with a fierce sense of loss as he realised just how much of his daughter's life he had missed out on.
"Hokage-sama?" A voice greeted as they entered the mission hall and father and daughter turned in unison to find themselves faced with a chūnin. He was a few years older than Naruto, with a scar across his nose and long hair pulled into a pony tail.
"Iruka," Minato greeted, his smile broad and bright, "good morning!"
"Morning, Hokage-sama," Iruka glanced between Minato and Naruto, his hesitation obvious.
"Naru," Minato placed a hand on his daughter's back and ushered her forward a little. "This is Umino Iruka; one of our Academy teachers who also helps out around here during the school breaks."
"Pleased to meet you, Umino-san," Naruto smiled and saw that the confusion didn't completely leave the chūnin's expression and so she turned to her father.
"Can I watch you assign missions, Papa?" She asked. "I can get to see all the new shinobi that way."
"Of course, Naru-chan," Minato slung his arm around Naruto's shoulders and beamed down at her, missing the surprise that flittered briefly across Iruka's features. "It's the best way to let everyone know you're back."
And so the Namikaze's made their way into the room and Minato took his seat, Naruto perching easily on the arm rest of his chair. Iruka stood to Minato's left, a sheath of papers in his hand and the guards at the doors started letting people in. Unsurprisingly, Maito Gai and his team were the first in line.
"Good morning, Hokage-sama!" Gai greeted at his usual volume, one that was akin to a sonic boom. "It is truly a beautiful day!"
"Yes Gai, it is," Minato agreed and gestured to his daughter. "You may remember Naruto?"
"Hey Gai!" Naru waved and Konoha's Green Beast froze in place, his eyes almost bulging out of their sockets.
"Naruto-san!" To everyones horror, Gai's eyes filled with tears. "You have returned! Your flames of youth must burn brightly indeed for you to have returned to us after all these years. This is a cause for celebration, Lee! Let us do fifty laps around Konoha!"
"Gai-sensei!" Lee emoted. "I do not know why we are celebrating but I shall be most honoured to do fifty laps!"
"Oh geez!" Ten-Ten exhaled, blowing her bangs out of her eyes. "Here we go again."
"Gai's found a mini-Gai?" Naruto turned to her father in horror. "How could you let this happen and, more importantly, why didn't you warn me?"
"Now Naru-chan," Minato's eyes curved with the force of his smile. "They're not that bad."
"Not that bad?" Naruto echoed, her gaze travelling towards the spandex-clad duo and resting on them for a fraction of a moment before she was looking away in horror. "Is that a genjutsu? Kai!"
Naruto's eyes widened as the soul-scarring scene refused to dissipate.
"Kai!" she tried again, "Kai!"
"Don't bother," Ten-Ten sighed. "Not even Kurenai-san can get rid of it."
"I'll take our mission assignment, Hokage-sama," Neji said, accepting the piece of paper from Iruka as Ten-Ten grabbed Lee and Gai by their collars and proceeded to drag them out of the room.
"Okay," Minato replied. "When Gai calms down tell him to come see me, Neji."
Neji nodded his understanding and followed the rest of his team out, unaware that Naruto's eyes narrowed as she watched him leave.
"That's Hiashi-san's son?" Naruto asked and Minato nodded, his smile dimming a little.
"Yes," Minato said. "Hyūga Neji, a certified prodigy."
Before Naruto could reply another team was approaching and mission assignments took priority. Over the next few hours, Naruto's presence and relation to Minato had to be explained to almost every genin team and even some of the chūnin. By the time lunchtime approached, Naruto was at her wits end.
"Honestly," she complained. "How hard can it be to tell I'm your daughter? Everyone knows about the exile and I call you 'papa' for Gods sake!"
"Ten years is a long time, Namikaze-san," Iruka spoke. "People have gotten used to you being gone and it's going to take them a while to get accustomed to you being back in Konoha."
"I suppose," Naruto frowned but it softened when Minato reached out a hand to ruffle her hair. It would take her at least a month to get annoyed at being treated like she was still six years old.
"I haven't seen Kakashi yet, Papa," Naruto said after a moment. "Does he have a mission away from the village?"
Iruka coughed to hide his snicker and Minato's smile was knowing, causing Naruto's brow to furrow in confusion.
"What aren't you telling me?" She asked.
"Oh nothing Naru-chan, nothing," Minato grinned. "In fact, I think I hear Kakashi now."
Naruto opened her mouth to refute his statement since, even at twelve, Kakashi had been one of the stealthiest people she knew. Ten years would only improve his skills. Before she could do so, however, a voice shrill enough to cause everyone in the vicinity to wince pierced through the room.
"Sai you pervert!" Haruno Sakura hit her teammate on the head as they entered the mission hall. "Don't say things like that in a lady's presence!"
"I don't see any lady's around, hag," Sai retorted and he ducked to avoid another punch from Sakura.
"You rude, immature, annoying jerk!" Sakura shrieked gearing up for one of the infamous Sakura/Sai tirades. Naruto had other plans.
"Somebody please pass me earmuffs," she spoke causing all team seven's attention to swivel towards her except for Kakashi, who had his head buried in a book. Well that just wouldn't do.
"I never thought I'd see the day you took on a genin team, Hatake," Naruto smirked and it deepened as Kakashi's head snapped up, his visible eye widening in surprised recognition as he spotted her. "And I never thought that when you did it would be one composed of loud brats."
"Naruto?" Kakashi's disbelief coloured his voice as he ignored her last statement. "Is that you?"
"In the flesh!" Naru beamed then, before anyone could blink, she had vaulted over the table and thrown her arm around Kakashi, her first and best friend, who immediately returned the hug.
"Why didn't you let me know what time you were arriving at?" Kakashi asked as they broke apart. "I would have met you at the gate."
"I wanted to surprise you," Naruto smiled. "And also, you would have told everyone and they'd all would have waited up. Welcoming committee's are embarrassing."
"I don't think it would've been a bad idea," Minato spoke. "Maybe we could still throw a welcome back party for you Naru?"
"Please don't," Naruto quickly vetoed that idea. "I'd prefer to catch up with everyone individually."
"But, Naru-chan, I haven't been able to throw you a party in years," Minato tried to wheedle.
"I know that, papa, but I hate parties," Naruto crossed her arms over her chest and tried not to feel guilty about saying no to her father.
"Wait, papa?" Sakura spoke, unable to contain herself. Beside her, Sasuke and Sai perked up, their expression sharpening. "Why are you calling the Hokage 'papa'?"
"Geez, Kakashi," Naruto winced at the volume of Sakura's voice but only Minato and Kakashi knew she was exaggerating. "You really shouldn't let the little harpy get away with being so loud."
"Little harpy!" Sakura rose to the bait, missing the way her teammates smirked. "Who the hell are you to call me that?"
"Namikaze Naruto, at your service," Naru replied with obvious sarcasm.
"Namikaze?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Weren't you exiled?"
"I was but now I'm not," Naruto grinned briefly but didn't elaborate, enjoying their confusion.
"Do you want to come with us today, Naru?" Kakashi asked before turning to Minato. "That would okay, right sensei?"
"It's fine by me," Minato replied.
"Actually," Naruto's smile was a little rueful. "I wanted to have lunch with Papa. I'll find you afterwards, is that okay?"
"Sure Naru," Kakashi grinned under his mask, his visible eye curving with the motion and he drew her into another quick hug. "And welcome back. We missed you."