A/N: I still can't believe people are still reading this. Anyways, here's a new chapter with some juicy info about Tamotsu's mission concerning Kushina and a look into more of his family. THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO READ THIS THING AND ACTUALLY LIKE IT! I'm such a review whore.

OKAY, SINCE I KEEP FORGETTING THE DISCLAIMER LET'S JUST SAY I OWN NOTHING: ZIP, ZERO, NADA, NOT A CHANCE. This disclaimer will be forced to support this whole fic just in case I forget, and I will.


They say one in every seven friends have a gambling addiction. My money's on Dave.


Chapter 4: Tsunade and Mission Details

Kushina impatiently tapped her foot as her cousin slowly ambled down the road. Fortunately, thanks to their crazy good Uzumaki genes, Tamotsu was more or less okay. The injury had put their schedule back a few days but luckily their clan's notorious willpower seemed to run deeply in the crossdresser's veins. So they had managed, without any further incidents other than that time when Tamotsu had managed to get tangled in his spare bandages and fall into a river. Kushina had been forced to fish him out with a kunai and some ninja wire she kept handy on herself at all times. It was a miracle they even made it to the Leaf Village with how trouble the two seemed to attract.

"HURRY, TAMOTSU-NEE! Jeesh, you walk like an old geezer." The child threw back her head and whined, "Huuuuurryyyy!"

Tamotsu giggled at the eight-year old's impatience. Kushina rolled her eyes and approached the grand entrance gates of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. She gazed up at the imposing wall in awe. How they remained hidden with a wall like that she would never know.

Tamotsu limped to her side. Kushina whistled in appreciation.

"That's a huge wall."

Tamotsu greeted the guards on duty with a shy hello. The gate guard eyed the feminine man's form appreciatively. Tamotsu was oblivious and stated their business politely. Kushina grumbled to herself about perverts.

"Good m-morning, shinobi-san. I am Uzumaki Tamotsu escorting Kushina Uzumaki to Konohagakure from Uzushiogakure. I b-believe Hokage-sama and Mito-sama are a-awaiting our arrival." The guard stopped his ogling and hurriedly accepted the proffered scroll. The clan head's private seal stood out proudly for all to see. Without delay, two ANBU ninjas flickered to existence. One took a reluctant Tamotsu to the hospital and the other escorted Kushina to the Uzumaki clan embassy. It was a small building. It was really only there for appearances as most visiting Uzumakis stayed with their Senju cousins.

The hospital was crowded with all manner of people. Shouts rang out as a squad of genin came in, carrying their wounded sensei. Those who had returned from the front lines of the war sat in various stages of shock. Tamotsu sighed. This was what awaited him back home. Once he got back he would surely be sent into the fray as well.

The ANBU that had accompanied him quickly disappeared with a sunshine, but Tamotsu could faintly sense the unknown ninja's chakra as they observed him. Tamotsu winced and bent down to sit in an unoccupied chair. A flash of honey-blonde hair caught his attention and Tamotsu was instantly on his feet. He'd recognize that shade anywhere!

"Tsunade-kun!"

If Tsunade hadn't been a kunoichi she would have never heard the soft voice calling out to her. But she was Tsunade Senju, granddaughter of Hashirama Senju, First Hokage of Konoha, and Mito Uzumaki, ex-heiress of the revered Uzumaki clan. So of course she heard the person calling out to her. There was only one shinobi that dared to call that. But she hadn't seen him in years, not after he went away.

"Tamotsu?" She called and turned around. A beautiful redheaded man, she knew better after that misfortunate trip to the bathhouse, smiled shyly at her, but those familiar blue eyes of his shined with suppressed mirth. Tamotsu walked up to her through the throng of patients and medical-nins.

"I knew it was you, Tsunade-kun!" The blonde-haired teen smirked when her cousin tripped over someone's outstretched legs. Tsunade met him halfway before he accidentally killed himself on a stray needle.

He eye-smiled happily, "Look how p-pretty you've become, hime. My oh my, I-I see you've grown up since I last saw you."

The girl rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her gifted bosom self-consciously.

"And I see you're still stuttering." She snapped back. Tamotsu flushed. He turned his head and pouted.

"You know I can't c-control it, Tsunade-kun." He replied.

Tsunade smirked, "I know. It's good to see you too, Tamotsu," She eyed the bandages peeking out of his clothes and smirked knowingly, "Come with me and I'll check you out. I know how embarrassed you get with your, ahem, 'special condition'."

Tamotsu meekly shrugged his shoulders and was roughly dragged away by Tsunade into a private examining room.

She was right. Hospital visits of any kind always ended in humiliation and awkwardness. For him. The nurses would either register him as a female, since his personal medical records were all messed up, and place him in the women's ward. He was then forced to suffer in silence as the women complained about their menstruation cycles and teammates. And they were not shy at all when came to showing off their bodies. So either that happened or they actually recorded his gender properly and he was boarded with a bunch perverts who leered and ogled at him whenever the nurses came to redress his bandages.

Yeah, he'd feel much better with his cousin treating him. Plus, he didn't have to fill out any pesky paperwork!

Tsunade quickly assessed him and calmly healed the lacerated tissue on his chest with all the efficiency and skill of a true medical ninja.

She whistled. "It's a miracle you managed to make it this far without collapsing, idiot." Tamotsu rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as Tsunade sterilized the wound and rewound a fresh set of gauze over it. "So what brings you here?" The kunoichi placed her hands on her hips and stared her older cousin down.

Tamotsu grimaced. "Mito-obaasan is dying."

Tsunade's eyes lost a bit of their fire. She nodded sagely. Of course she knew that. Tsunade and her grandmother were very close and it hurt to see the woman so ill. The medics had said there was nothing to be done. Even she had tried, but it was no use. Mito's time had come. She had already made her peace, but Tsunade wasn't all that accepting of the matter.

"Yes I know that, but you're not here to mourn her." She replied, her eyes narrowing. A small burst of pride filled Tamotsu. Tsunade was just as perceptive as she was strong.

Tamotsu smiled sadly and pulled out a bottle of ink from his sleeves. Tsunade watched as he quickly drew a set of symbols on his fingertips. Summoning a bit of chakra he placed his hand against the wall. She didn't even sense the chakra burst as the ink slipped off her cousin's petite hands and stretched itself across the room's walls and ceilings. The symbols brightened for a moment before sinking into the white walls.

Tamotsu calmly swung his legs on the examining table like he hadn't just performed an A-rank sealing jutsu.

Tsunade shot him a stern look. Sometimes Tamotsu could be just as bad as Jiraiya.

"I'm only telling you this because we're family but if the information I'm about to tell you ever leaves t-this room," Tsunade tried not laugh at her older cousin's horrible attempt at intimidation, "I will not be happy, okay, Tsunade-kun?" Said teen just nodded and bit her lip to keep from laughing. Yeah, intimidation was sooo not Tamotsu's forte.

Tamotsu was oblivious to her internal struggle and continued on, "A s-successor has been chosen to carry on Mito-obaasan's burden. I am here to guard and help in the sealing of the Kyuubi's second jinchuuriki, Kushina Uzumaki." Tsunade felt something twist inside her. While her relationship with the Uzumaki side of her family wasn't as close as she would like due to the distance that didn't mean she didn't care for her family.

"Isn't Kushina that kid you're always talking about?" Tsunade asked, remembering when Tamotsu had excitedly showed her and Nawaki pictures of a crying redheaded child. "Wait, isn't she clan head's daughter, our little cousin?"

Tamotsu nodded sagely. "Yes, she's not only h-heiress to the clan, but also possesses the Kanzen Tentai, the m-main family's bloodline which is what's needed to contain something as strong as the nine-tails." The Kanzen Tentai only existed in the main family and can be possessed by only a female of the main family. Something to with genetics and chromosomes.

Tamotsu was a quirk in that department, being the only male in the history of the clan to possess the Kanzen Tentai, even if it was a weaker strain. "Only an Uzumaki born with the Kanzen Tentai can be tasked with containing the s-strongest of all the nine Bijuu at this stage."

Tsunade gritted her teeth, hating the way Tamotsu's eyes had glazed over as he relayed the facts.

"After the s-sealing is completed she will be s-stripped of her title as heiress and will remain h-here in Konoha to ensure the tailed beast balance."

While Tsunade knew that they couldn't have the Kyuubi roaming free and it was necessary to have it sealed it didn't do anything to defuse her anger. If she did her math right Kushina was only around eight years old or so. Much too young to become a living sacrifice for a foreign village's sake. Even if it was for Konoha.

Tsunade growled and punched a nearby wall. Tamotsu anxiously looked at the fist-sized hole the blonde had created in the wall. Luckily, the sealed had absorbed most of the impact so no one on the other side took notice.

"Damn it! Why her? She's just a brat. Isn't she like eight or something?"

Tamotsu frowned thoughtfully, "It's hard to tell w-with her face. It's all chubby and round. But, yes, you're right."

Tsunade snorted, "Like your face is any different."

"H-Hey!"

The medical-nin shook her head, "It must have been hard for you to bring her here." Tsunade knew her cousin loved and cherished his family. She could only imagine the effect this mission would have on his psyche later on in life. To know you'd played in someone else's fate.

Tamotsu hung his head down in shame and fisted his hands as he stared at the sterile floor. "I…I tried to c-convince uncle to have m-me become the Kyuubi's vessel in Kushina's place, but they needed someone younger to become accustomed to the nine-tails volatile chakra. Someone s-stronger."

Tsunade watched as a few tears slipped onto the shinobi's lap. She knew that Tamotsu thought of himself as weak and he hated himself for it, but Tsunade knew otherwise. Her cousin was strong. Stronger than he would ever admit to himself. She wished he would come to see that.

"I b-begged him, I really did! I knew I shouldn't have insisted because the decision was hurting uncle too, but he was f-firm. He s-said that even if my Kanzen Tentai was complete and I managed to seal the Kyuubi, its chakra would only c-corrode my chakra coils and I would die as a result."

The blonde reluctantly nodded. The container would have to be someone considerably young with a malleable chakra system or someone possessing Kanzen Tentai which bestowed the carrier with incredible healing abilities and the ability to summon the Uzumaki's adamantine sealing chains. And Kushina fit the bill perfectly. Her chakra coils were still developing and she had been born with the strongest strain of the Kanzen Tentai the clan has seen since Mito. Kushina was their best and only candidate.

Tamotsu felt the privacy seals fade away and he wiped his eyes.

"Ah, seems our time is up, Tsunade-kun." He stood up and shyly gave reached his arms out for a hug. Tsunade sighed and yanked him into her arms, nearly crushing him.

"Yeah, yeah, Tamotsu. Get out of here before I kick you out myself, you crybaby."

Tamotsu blushed. Tsunade respectfully ignored his teary eyes and the way he sniffled as the two walked out. Tsunade escorted her cousin out the hospital doors. Kami knows what the man would get up to without her there to save him.

Tamotsu thanked her profusely for her hospitality and apologized for taking so much time away from her fellow downed shinobi. Tsunade slapped him lightly on the head and brushed off his apology. He was family. She'd always be there to help him out. She patted him fondly on the back.

Tamotsu blinked away the stars in his eyes. Tsunade sure was strong.

"A-Ah, yes, okay," he looked at her inquisitively, "I apologize in advance if I'm being r-rude, but what are you doing in the village? I thought you would be out there fighting in the war."

Tsunade scowled, "Sarutobi-sensei pulled us out. I mean it's not like we're genin anymore or something. Me and the two morons are perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves."

Tamotsu nodded. "I see. Don't worry I'm sure he's just concerned for your well-being." Something dark passed over the redhead's eyes. "War is not something I would wish for you to shoulder," his earlier composure return and Tsunade had to do a double take, "but you are a s-strong kunoichi and I believe in you, Tsunade-kun. Hirzuen-sama will see that t-too one day. I know you'll g-grow up to do great things."

Tsunade didn't know what to make of her cousin's words. She merely nodded and punched his arm playfully. A warm feeling settled in her chest and she smiled softly.

Tamotsu winced. When had his little cousin grown so strong? Ow.

"Kami, Tamotsu, are you always this mushy? Don't go spouting out crap like that." Her tone held no bite and Tamotsu basked in the fond expression Tsunade had momentarily let slip onto her face. "Besides Nawaki's birthday is coming up soon and I still need to get him something. So I guess staying in the village is okay."

Tamotsu smiled, "Ah, yes, tell Nawaki-chan I said hello please."

"Sure he'll be ecstatic now that the 'pretty girl' is back." She teased, referring to the way Nawaki talked about Tamotsu when they were all younger. Tamotsu blushed and sighed in defeat. Tsunade never let either of the two forget about that. The blonde leaned against the door of the hospital as Tamotsu prepared to head out.

"Hey, Tamotsu?"

The redhead turned around and looked happily at his younger cousin "Yes, what is, Tsunade-kun?"

The girl uncharacteristically fidgeted before looking at the young man pleadingly.

"Can I borrow some money?" Tamotsu sweatdropped but the adorable expression on the girl's face had him reaching into his clothes and pulling out a small bag of coins.

"Thanks, Tamotsu!" Tsunade snatched the money and grinned at him.

Tamotsu reluctantly bid her farewell, "You're welcome, Tsunade-kun, but t-try not to lose too much. You're not very good at cards."

Tsunade waved off his advice and headed back inside the hospital.

"Sure, whatever. See ya, Tamotsu."

The redhead shook his head and sighed. At least he could always count on Tsunade's horrible losing streak to stay the same even as his cosin continued to groa and develop. Tamotsu watched her retreating back with fondness.

A/N: I like reading Naruto theories and I remember one of them being that Kushina is actually directly related to Mito, the first Hokage's wife, because Kushina calls her grandaunt in one of the chapters right before Kushina becomes a jinchuuriki. Yes, this whole fic is made up of crack theories and ideas brainstormed between two Naruto dweebs.