Uzumaki Naruto Kushina meditated whilst sitting on her bed in her apartment. 'Too much happened all at once. I had to ignore things, put them off until later... but now it's finally later.' With a sealless henge, she shifted into a cute red fox. 'I didn't really know what was happening at first with having two forms, but having a fox form as well? Kyuubi is behind this, obviously. I'm going to have to see if I can commune with it somehow within my seal.'

Shifting back to his male form, he pulled up his shirt and concentrated just enough chakra into the seal for it to become visible. 'I'm going to have to decode this, as well. It's obviously the Shiki Fuujin, which means that my dear Minato sacrificed himself for our son. So I know how he died, but how did I... Uzumaki Kushina die? Naruto was never told anything about me... her, and so I can't just start asking for her by name.' She shifted back to her female form.

With a glower she continued thinking, 'What is happening with Sarutobi? I can't believe that he doesn't know about Naruto's heritage, and that means that all the abuse that Naruto had while growing up and the ignorance of his heritage is on purpose.'

'Naruto had the same dream that I did, becoming Hokage. I still want to more than ever. How could I not, when it's been my one dream through two lifetimes?' she thought, mind drifting over her desires and how they came to be. 'Wait. No.'

She cast her mind amongst her memories of both Naruto and Kushina, back to the time that she made up her mind in each life. Each time it had been during a talk with Sarutobi Hiruzen. 'The first time I ended up marrying the actual Hokage. This time, with how the whole village looks at me I simply don't know if it's possible to become Hokage regardless of who my father was. But in each case, the words of encouragement from Sarutobi were identical.'

She sighed to herself. 'More to be questioned. So, on to the second problem. I'm simply not comfortable as a male, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to acclimate myself to it. So far the longer I've stayed male the worse the dissonance between what I am and what I feel gets. Compared to being male becoming a fox is positively wonderful.'

She shook herself slightly, becoming a fox again. 'Third problem. I need to find a way to learn fuuinjutsu. I can't just show up knowing everything there is to know without being thrown into T&I's hands for a long, long time, and until I chat with the fox I won't know why I'm here like this.'

She curled up on the bed, jaw on her paws, looking at her tail. 'Fourth problem. My education was sabotaged in this lifetime. No, not just education, my entire life has been full of sabotage. Is being on Kakashi Hatake's team an accident? It's only blindingly obvious that he dislikes me, which should be ludicrous since he was on Minato's team. I need to figure out why.'

She closed her eyes. Being a fox was relaxing. 'At least becoming chuunin will make finding out what's happening easier,' she thought as she drifted into slumber.

oOo;

"...and so we're all agreed that Uchiha Sasuke has what it takes to be chuunin?" asked Sarutobi Hiruzen. The answering nods from all the jounin and council heads sealed the decision. "Very well."

The final name on the list was a lot more... contentious. He glanced around before he began, noting that the majority of the ninja council-members looked uncomfortable and all the civilian council-members looked aggressive. With a sigh he began. "Uzumaki Naruto finished the third test, also winning three times and losing once. He also got approving reviews from the Kazekage for his mastery of deception in combat."

Shimura Danzou was the first to speak, "I nominate Uzumaki Naruto to the position of chuunin, he is quite a bit more competent than I was led to believe from his Academy reviews and the reports from Team 7."

Most of the council looked at him in surprise, and then looked at Hatake Kakashi waiting for him to second the nomination. Instead of paying attention, he was engrossed in his little orange book. Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help it, he found himself cradling his forehead with his palm. The silence stretched on as the other jounin-sensei looked at Hatake with disbelief that turned to anger when he let out a small giggle as he turned a page.

Clearing his throat, the Hokage asked, "Am I to assume from your silence that you don't care to comment on this nomination, Hatake?"

Hearing his name Hatake looked up from his book. Seeing everyone looking at him he asked, "...I'm sorry, you say something?" When he saw the Hokage glaring at him he shrugged in response.

Sarutobi Hiruzen closed his eyes, wincing internally. 'With that kind of support, Naruto will never advance beyond Genin. When I originally assigned Naruto to his team I was expecting Hatake to actually care about his sensei's child,' he thought. 'I'm sorry, Naruto. I've failed you yet again without your knowledge.' He looked over at Shimura Danzou, who looked enraged at the lack of support his nomination had received.

With one last sigh, he closed the file before him.

oOo;

Cat looked down on the council meeting, her thoughts awhirl with rage and shame. 'Just yesterday morning I would have been happy, even ecstatic, with this result. Now it seems like following Hatake's guide and leaving ANBU might be for the best. I wonder if I might not be able to apprentice Uzumaki Naruto myself...'

With that in mind, she decided that she and the Hokage were going to be having a meeting when her shift was over.

oOo;

Nagato looked up from the lecture he was giving Tobi in shock. "W-what?" he stuttered. Tobi seemed similarly shocked.

Zetsu took a small step away from them, and repeated themselves, "Gaara no Sabaku the ichibi died yesterday during the chuunin exam finals died in Konoha."

Both Nagato and Zetsu looked to Tobi as he started chuckling. "My plan... the Eye of the Moon... ruined!" His chuckling got louder.

Suddenly he looked at them both and hissed, "I needed all nine of the bijuu! Now I have to wait, and there isn't any need for Akatsuki anymore..."

There wasn't time enough to retreat.

oOo;

Uzumaki Naruto Kushina looked around. She was in some kind of a sewer, and there was a glow coming from ahead. Walking towards it, she came to a room with bars, with the Shiki Fuujin displayed prominently. Just beyond the bars stood the nine-tails. It seemed to be regarding her without any hostility, and when it spoke its voice was surprisingly gentle.

"Kushina-sama, welcome to my abode," it said to her.

"Ano..," she wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but... "Hello there. Do you have something you would prefer for me to call you, other than 'nine-tails'? Also... '-sama'?"

"You can call me Kurama, Kushina-sama. And how else would I address the single most important existence in my world?" it answered her.

"You're the reason I'm here again, aren't you. And the reason I have my old body and the body of a fox? Why?" she asked.

"You're here because I brought you back. You're the most important thing in my existence, Kushina-sama. From now on, I'll always bring you back. To be without you for the last several years was unpleasant," it confessed.

The directness surprised her, but not as much as the message. "A-always? You're going to bring me back, for-forever?" she stuttered slightly. When Kurama nodded to her, she asked, "How.. how did I die? What happened to me after the last thing I remember?"

Kurama looked down, and then back to her face and admitted, "I killed you while I was being sealed away. I wasn't fully under my own control when it happened. I couldn't restore anything that happened to you after I wasn't sealed in you anymore. I apologize, I didn't mean to ruin your happiness."

Eyes wide she stepped towards the cage. "You really mean that, don't you? I really am the most important thing in your life? And you r-really will... bring me back. Forever," she stated with some awe in her voice. She took another step forward, easily within Kurama's reach. When it made no move towards her, she hesitantly reached out and petted its nearest paw. The fur was smooth and the energy within tingled.

It made a low rumbling noise that was warm and comforting. She looked up at it and asked, "So why a fox form? Are you.. ano... do you want me to be your... your mate?" She couldn't help the blush that formed when she asked.

Kurama chuckled at her, and shook its head. "No, Kushina-sama, I'm not like that. Gendered, I mean. Bijuu are singular entities, we don't need or want to breed. You not being with me is more like a... hole in my existence. The fox form is to give you more options when you get the fox summoning contract."

She blinked in further surprise. Summoning contracts were incredibly rare. "You have the contract? Here?" she asked.

It shook its head again. "No, Kushina-sama. I know where it lies, and how to get there," it answered. As it explained how and where to find the contract, she found herself leaning against it fully within the seal. They ended up talking until she fell asleep.

Kurama smiled at the girl curled up against it. This was better even than just leaning against the bars. Feeling content, it closed its eyes as well.

oOo;

Hyuuga Hinata stepped confidently into the room and stared impassively at the elders of her clan. Her father was looking at her with approval for the first time in her memory, and the elders seemed uncharacteristically restlessly eager.

"Daughter," her father said, "I as head of the Hyuuga clan, and all of the elders, wish to know where you learned the surprising skills you showcased for us in the exams today."

She sighed to herself. 'The elders all hate Naruto-kun, and so they won't like this at all. I don't really care anymore, though. I'm not giving him up!' she thought with determination.

"Uzumaki Naruto helped me learn this, father. You know that already, you saw his sword in the exams, shining brightly just as mine did," she stated calmly, folding her arms.

The elders broke out in shouts as she watched, and it took nearly five minutes for them to calm down enough to pay attention to her again. Finally her father turned again to her after shooting the elders with a harsh glare. He stood and looked at her imperiously. "That boy is dangerous, daughter. I've told you several times to avoid him," he stated harshly.

With a rough gesture she cut him off. "Fifteen days, father," she spat.

He looked at her, nonplussed. She was being disrespectful to him and the nonsequitur was just as surprising.

"I trained with Uzumaki Naruto for fifteen days, and I learned what you saw. He's been called the most unpredictable ninja in Konoha, and it took him half a month to find a completely new way of using our sight in combat when he can't even see for himself! And you want me to cut ties with him before I learn anything else?" she asked scornfully.

The elders looked at each other in surprise as her father slowly sat down. This time the murmurs were much more positive.

Smirking internally she added, "I'm sure any of the other clans would love to have his insight and help, so perhaps I should stay away from him instead of being his friend." She was entirely unsuccessful at keeping the sarcasm from her voice. "He's already on the same team as Uchiha Sasuke..." she trailed off.

The Hyuuga Council erupted into argument as her father stared at her in surprise. She carefully schooled her expression and waited for the elders' verdict.

oOo;

As soon as she went off-duty, Uzuki Yuugao had made an appointment to see the Hokage. When the time came, she strode into his office and placed her ANBU mask on the desk.

The Hokage looked up at her in surprise as she said, "I would like to resign from ANBU, and instead take an apprentice."

He closed the file he had been reviewing. "And who would this apprentice be, that would pull you away from ANBU?" queried the Hokage.

"I would like to apprentice Uzumaki Naruto, Hokage-sama. His kenjutsu was exemplary, and I wish to help him hone it further," she explained.

"You know the Council won't like this, Uzuki-san. Are you certain that this is what you wish to do?" the Hokage asked her.

A simple nod was all she gave in return.

"I see. Perhaps this would be for the best. Naruto will not be promoted at this time, although both his teammates will be, so perhaps it would be better for him to be assigned a new sensei," the Hokage mused, staring at her. With sudden conviction, he nodded and said, "Uzuki Yuugao, I assign you to be Uzumaki Naruto's new jounin-sensei, and to help train him in everything that a ninja should know. Do you accept this assignment?"

With a smile she answered, "Yes, Hokage-sama"

oOo;

Gekkou Hayate dropped his chopsticks as he processed what his girlfriend had just told him. "You what?" he yelled. "You left ANBU for him?" he screeched.

Uzuki Yuugao sighed. Explaining this would take some time, and she hadn't expected her boyfriend to be quite so histrionic about the issue.

oOo;

Uzumaki Naruto Kushina stretched as she awoke, shook the kinks out of her back and tail, then transformed into her human self. The sun was bright in the morning, and today was the day that the chuunin promotions would be announced. She went through her morning ablutions with a spring in her step.

'Attaining chuunin rank will let me choose my own missions. It shouldn't take long for one to become available that will lead me near the resting place of the fox summoning contract,' she thought happily. 'Now I just need to find a way to "learn" fuuinjutsu, and I'll be all set until I can figure out how to handle needing to be male in public. Maybe I can find enough about basic sealing to become a prodigy, like I did with my kenjutsu?'

Shaking her head slightly she thought, 'No, too many sudden prodigal achievements on my part is a direct path to T&I. I'm going to have to find a teacher.'

She answered her apartment door when she heard a light knocking, being careful to transform first into male form. To his surprise it was Hinata knocking. "You're early today, Hinata-chan," he noted with a smile. "Are you that eager to get to the promotion ceremony?" When she looked down with a frown his expression mirrored hers, and he silently moved aside to let her enter.

"Ano...," she tapered off before she even really started talking, poking her index fingers together. With a slightly exasperated smile, he waited for her to talk about whatever was bothering her.

"Ah...," she continued to poke her fingers together, seemingly finding them fascinating. "I made a tiny mistake last night, Naruto-kun. With my clan. They kind of want me to...," she trailed off again with a blush.

"Hinata-chan," he spoke softly, "it's okay. I'm sure that whatever happened wasn't that bad, really."

With a sigh and slightly-slumped shoulders Hinata said, "I kind of provoked my clan into considering a betrothal contract between the Hyuuga and the Uzumaki clans. But it wasn't really all my fault! They wanted me to stop meeting you, and you helped me so much and it's been only half a month and so I pointed out that if you could help this much with only half a month that you could do a lot more with more time, and now they want you to marry into the clan!" She stopped her frantic explanations, temporarily out of breath.

Naruto blinked at her as he processed what she had just told him. 'A... a betrothal contract? Hiashi isn't bad-looking, but he's a bit old for me. More importantly, would I really want to become Hinata-chan's stepmother? That would be really, really awkward in our training sessions, and I'm not sure how they would explain it when I have to stay male... oh. No. No, they wouldn't be engaging me to Hiashi, would they? They don't know about me... Hinata-chan means that they're wanting me to marry her. Isn't she the heir-apparent of the Hyuuga clan?'

He cleared his throat and asked her, "Aren't you the clan heir? They really want you to marry me?"

She nodded, still unable to meet his eyes. "Either me or my younger sister Hanabi, yes," she answered, "or both of us. The elders want to make sure that you help us as much as possible, Naruto-kun. The Hyuuga clan has been wishing for a way to use the Gentle Fist at range for generations, and you helped me find a way to do it in only fifteen days."

'Both. Right. Those elders aren't just jerks that hate me, they're perverts too. That's a good point, though,' he thought. "Hinata-chan, the elders in your clan hate me. I think your father does, too," he pointed out. "They can't be serious about this."

"They are, though. They want you to help train Hanabi-chan along with me, and Neji-kun too. They even want me to offer you a house in our district to live in," she explained to him.

Transforming into her female form with another sealless henge, Kushina asked Hinata-chan, "And what about this? I don't want to try to explain this to anyone else, dattebane!"

Hinata-chan blinked at her, and pointed out, "You never really explained it to me, you know. Isn't it just a bloodline limit? Even if it is, can't you just not use it if you don't want people to know?"

Kushina sighed to herself. 'I'm going to have to explain more than I really want to here, aren't I?' she asked herself. "It's not that simple," she answered. "I have a problem that I haven't talked about to anyone before, and this form helps me with it."

"A problem? A problem that this helps with?" echoed Hinata-chan. "How can this help with a problem?" she asked.

"I'm not really sure how to explain it, Hinata-chan. For a while now I've been... uncomfortable as a boy. It's like my whole body is just wrong. When I turn into a girl I just feel more relaxed and comfortable," she explained.

Hinata-chan closed her eyes and then with a very tiny voice asked, "So... does this mean you don't like girls?"

Kushina blinked at the unexpected twist in the conversation. 'Why would she ask me about.. oh, right,' she thought, feeling disgust at herself for not noticing earlier. 'She has a crush on me, on Naruto. How can I answer a question like this? I don't know what I like anymore! It doesn't help that everyone is so young. I'm going to have to think this through later and figure out what I can do to make things less awkward.'

With a sigh, she answered, "I simply don't know right now, Hinata-chan. Everything is confused." Seeing Hinata-chan tense up, she quickly stepped forward and enfolded her in a hug. "I'm not saying that I don't like you! I'm not rejecting the idea of a betrothal, either. Let me have some time to figure things out myself before I have to make any decisions, okay?" she asked.

Hinata-chan relaxed into the hug, nodding into her shoulder. "My father wanted me to tell you something else, too," she almost whispered. "He was at the shinobi council meeting where the chuunin promotions were decided. You... they didn't decide to promote you, Naruto-chan. He told me that your jounin-sensei didn't support you when you were nominated!"

Kushina closed her eyes, expecting to have to subdue a rage that never came. 'I wish I could say that I was really surprised,' she thought, leaning into Hinata-chan. 'Kakashi has been blatantly favoritist since team 7 was formed, why should he stop now?'

"It's okay, Hinata-chan. I can always wait for the next exams, that's only six months away. Maybe I'll be able to join a different team, too," she said with hollow enthusiasm. "If all else fails I can just wait until I've completed enough missions to earn it the long way."

'Perhaps a distraction is in order,' she thought. She guided Hinata-chan to the table, and then sat next to her. "So, you mentioned something about helping you with your Gentle Fist?"

oOo;

The chuunin promotion ceremony had been a little boring for having so much pomp attached to it. Naruto had cheered when Hinata-chan got her promotion, and again for Sasuke-kun, and also for Sakura. Ignoring the smirks of the civilians when his name wasn't called had been easy thanks to the forewarning he'd gotten, though he had noted that the Hyuuga seemed to be split between the smirks and a hidden, smouldering anger at Kakashi.

Hinata-chan had introduced him to her father, Hyuuga Hiashi, and her younger sister Hanabi. They had both seemed happy to meet him, which had made him uncomfortably aware of the proposed alliance and betrothal contract. He had been thankfully able to extricate himself from the awkward impending conversation when the Hokage had summoned him.

As he walked into the Hokage's office the other person standing at attention turned toward him with a smile. She had dark hair, dark brown eyes, and a flowing outfit with a sword strapped to her back. 'I could swear that I've seen that hair before... Yuugao-chan? I remember her begging me to teach her kenjutsu when she entered the academy. She looks like she's done well for herself.'

Before he could speak, she introduced herself. "Hello, Naruto. My name is Uzuki Yuugao, and I'm going to be your new jounin-sensei. The Hokage has allowed me to take an apprentice rather than a whole team, and your kenjutsu was very impressive. Since I also focus on kenjutsu, I'll be helping you hone your skills with your blade," she said with a smile. Her voice was gentle and confident, and Naruto couldn't feel any ill-will within her.

Sarutobi smiled at them, and then said, "She'll be preparing you for chuunin advancement based upon merit instead of going through another exam, Naruto. I'm certain that you'll attain your promotion in no time at all."

She smiled, keeping the frustration she felt from her face. 'Sarutobi, what are you thinking? You could just promote me unilaterally. This dissembling really raises questions about what you're planning... is there some reason you don't want me to become chuunin? I'm just going to have to wait and watch, I suppose,' she thought. Aloud she answered, "Thank you for giving me this chance, Hokage-sama. Uzuki-sensei."

Yuugao-chan smiled back at her and chided, "None of that, now. You can call me Yuugao-sensei. We'll be working together quite often, and too much formality hinders teamwork."

"Yes, Yuugao-sensei," answered Naruto.

"That's all I wanted to speak with you about, Naruto," said Sarutobi.

"Come meet me tomorrow morning in training ground 23, Naruto. We'll begin familiarizing ourselves with each other's capabilities there," Yuugao-sensei said. "Thank you for this opportunity, Hokage-sama."

He bowed to Sarutobi and trailed out after his new sensei, thoughts whirling.