Tampering with Time

by Palaserece

When Kyuubi was extracted from Uzumaki Naruto, it was the Nidaime Hokage that came up with an unconventional solution. An experimental reincarnation jutsu on Namikaze Minato and a one-way trip, with his Kurama, to the past. (Minato-centric)

14. Many Farewells

The sun had not yet risen to banish the shadows and bring about a new day. There was an eerie, almost disquieting stillness blanketing the village. Streets were all but empty and even the seedier parts of town were unnaturally devoid of activity.

The Sandaime's bedroom was likewise dark, with only the unearthly glow of moonlight peeking through the panelled shutters of his room.

Beneath his hands, Koharu was pliant and deceptively soft. In Hiruzen's opinion, kunoichi aged better than painted civilian housewives ever could, but Koharu's body was not something most would consider attractive. Her breasts sagged, her face was lined, and her belly protruded with the roundness of retired life.

But there was a spark in her eyes and he could feel the resilience of her chakra that had aged like fine wine. And when his fingers found the scars, he knew this was a woman that had killed. That was an allure that bypassed all deficits in the realm of appearance.

Besides, he was under no illusion that he was a spring chicken either. Nor was he the spry young man that had demolished battalions of shinobi single-handedly. Age changed many things and masked even more.

Hiruzen had mapped the jagged scar tissue clumping around the base of Koharu's spine, laid back while Koharu lifted and lowered herself like a teenager, and felt the firm calluses on her hands as their fingers tangled together.

There was certainly affection between them, but not in the way it had been with Biwako. This had not been the first time Koharu slept with him. Over the years, they had lain together a handful of times. Often, when it served a purpose or when Hiruzen was emotionally overwrought, Koharu sought him out—as she had tonight. The woman had a knack for reading his moods like no one else.

When she showed up at his office an hour shy of midnight, Hiruzen never questioned the surge of relief he experienced. Sex easily served as a method of alleviating frustrations. It did not have to involve romanticism or love. He wanted to expel some tension: it was just that simple.

Afterward, they lay together shoulder to shoulder. Neither of them were the sort of people that were prone to excessive touching. Not to say that they did not enjoy being close from time to time, but it was not a necessity for Hiruzen like it had been with Biwako. Touch was something to be enjoyed in the moment, but not always required.

Koharu did not stir when Hiruzen climbed off the bed. The floor creaked gently as he walked over the planks toward the balcony and opened the door, stepping out into the darkness without a scrap of clothing on him.

It was such a peculiar night. Not a cricket or owl nearby; only a fierce wind that licked his bare flesh with a touch of cold. A mere trickle of chakra running through his skin did much to artificially preserve his warmth even if it did nothing for his modesty.

Uchiha Fugaku was dead. Had been dead for two days now. Fugaku had opted for painless poison taken orally after they finalized arrangements together. There had never been a bond between himself and the Uchiha patriarch, not like he had with the Yondaime. Nevertheless, Hiruzen could honestly say he had been gifted a thorough, complex insight into Fugaku as a person.

Death was an inevitability, but it had the peculiar side-effect of providing witnesses with an intimate glimpse of the soul. Sarutobi Hiruzen had seen many men at their last, but Uchiha Fugaku had proven himself nothing short of remarkable at the end. Remarkable, and a harsh reminder of the definition of duty.

Hiruzen performed a short, coded whistle. Half a moment later, the ANBU squad captain was on his knees before him, awaiting orders and entirely unconcerned with his Kage's nudity. It was precisely the sort of professionalism he expected and Hiruzen would count on considerably more discretion by dawn.

"Gather Nara Shikaku, Jiraiya, and the current interim Police Force Captain, Aburame Shibi. Additionally, you are to pass on a reactivation order to ANBU Dog, effective immediately. And please ask Shizune to meet me at the hospital in just over an hour.

"The two of you will join us for a meeting in my office in a quarter of an hour. This is an S-rank secrecy gathering. Dismissed."

ANBU Bear vanished and left the Hokage to his thoughts.

The Uchiha Clan as a whole would be consumed by the mourning process for the time being. The funeral itself would be held late tomorrow afternoon with an early evening gathering at the compound that he would have to appear at.

If he wanted to act, it would have to be now. As a Hokage, there was no choice.

Aside from Fugaku's death, Hiruzen's office had been busy making arrangements for the handoff of Fugaku's body to the Kumo bastards. And just yesterday, Hiruzen had been forced to explain to Naruto the meaning of "jinchuuriki" and how it pertained to him. That alone would have been problematic enough, but Hiruzen had been called away before Naruto could readjust his frame of mind.

The reaction of the general citizenry to Fugaku's death—heroic suicide—surprised him. Such a radical turn of events had inspired the majority of Konoha's populace. The citizenry rallied overnight, sentiment in Konoha becoming aggressively anti-Kumo. The police force had been inundated with reports of violently public disturbances involving vandalism of shops advertising exports from Lightning Country and harassing travellers hailing from the region. And the once reviled Uchiha Clan were now being treated to free meals in nearly every venue in Konoha and discounts everywhere else.

None of this mattered. All of it was small potatoes to what would be going on behind the scenes in the next few hours. And a few riots were the perfect cover to work under.

Uchiha Fugaku was dead and it certainly was not because A had a temper tantrum.

Well, then, I suppose there really is no choice. The Yondaime never had to learn this lesson. Perhaps he was the lucky one after all.

There was a low sigh, muttering about irritating old codgers, and soft footfalls before something soft and warm was draped over his shoulders.

"You're going to catch your death standing out there like that." Koharu's voice called to him from inside.

"Thank you."

The comforter was still warm and cozy. It felt pleasant on his old bones.

"Don't thank me," Koharu snipped. Her thinning silver hair was loose around her face and the robe she was wearing has been hastily tied. "If you want to stand outside naked in the middle of the night, that just lends credence to the notion that you've lost your marbles. But, Hiruzen, don't subject your protective detail to this. Trust me, a hundred kills are nothing when you have to look at your Kage's shrivelled manhood swinging in the breeze."

Hiruzen laughed for the first time in days. Wrapping an arm around Koharu's bony shoulders, he tugged his friend close and was pleased when she allowed the embrace and even leaned into him.

"You're right, of course." Hiruzen squeezed Koharu tighter, smiling as she wrapped a reciprocating arm around him.

"I'm right most of the time," Koharu quipped.

"Debatable."

"Hmm."

They stood together for a long moment, just quiet. Some people found silence uncomfortable and sought to fill that quiet with words, but a good shinobi understood that you could learn just as much from what was unsaid.

Perhaps, all things considered, it was for the best.

"Introspection is well and good, but most people don't know you the way I do, Hiruzen." Koharu finally confronted him. "You've been mulling something over. Something serious. In fact, I daresay I haven't seen you like this in more than ten years."

Insight was certainly a gift, but definitely not for the ears of the masses.

Coaxing Koharu inside was easy enough. And the estate had privacy seals that trumped even some in his office thanks to Uzumaki Mito and her sentiments concerning Hokage bedroom privilege.

Hiruzen replaced the quilt on his bed and sat with his back to the headboard. Koharu divested herself of her robe for the second time in so many hours and reclaimed her spot beside him, propped up on a veritable mountain of pillows.

"When I picked Namikaze as my successor, I knew he was what Konoha deserved for a Hokage. But, from a more selfish point of view, I saw a man capable of meting out the corruption that had begun to fester in the village."

Koharu said nothing. Instead, she folded her arms around her midsection as if to ward off a chill before nodding for him to continue.

"The day we were informed that Uzumaki Kushina was pregnant by the Yondaime, I remember Danzo suggesting we abort the fetus. The rest of us were against it and began helping the two of them prepare in secret."

"I remember that day very well."

"The night the Yondaime died, I remember looking down at Naruto for a moment and thinking to myself, Danzo was right! If Kushina had not been pregnant, none of this would have come to pass."

The remembrance of the gut-wrenching shame that had encompassed his being after having that thought had been almost too painful to stand.

"I love Naruto-kun like a grandson, but I was selfish for a moment. I did not want to become Hokage again."

"Because of Biwako's death?" Koharu's brow furrowed.

"No." Hiruzen smiled emptily, knowing that putting words to the weight of a title was impossible to explain. "Becoming a Hokage means giving up parts of yourself that you did not know you were going to lose. And putting on the hat again, well...I'm sure you can appreciate that the cost was heavier the second time around."

"Your point? You really are trying my patience, old man."

That's the spirit. Koharu was difficult to reach at times, but he felt a yearning to explain himself and be understood by another person. Even if it was just for a moment, Hiruzen wanted to be just a man again...just for a moment.

"Why did you follow Danzo for so long?"

"You know why."

"I do know why. And I also know that Danzo makes incredibly persuasive arguments and offers insight that is often correct."

"He does." It came out a bit unwillingly.

"Danzo's organization has been instrumental to assisting Konoha in varying capacities. I restricted his activities—or so I thought—but I gave him considerable leeway. Except this time, he's gone too far."

Koharu breathed shakily.

"Fugaku?"

"And Tobirama's son." He had never openly called the boy that, but Koharu's sharp inhale proved his point had been made.

"Alright, okay." Koharu sat up briskly, fumbling around in the dark. "I'll see if I can find anything out."

"Koharu."

She froze. Slowly, she turned with something akin to fear taking root in her eyes.

"There comes a time when a tree needs pruning. I let him grow far too bold as it is."

"You're testing me," Koharu replied flatly. If she was surprised, she was doing a perfect job hiding it. "And you actually mean to—"

"Yes."

"Hiruzen, he is your friend."

"Then you haven't been listening."

Hiruzen dressed silently and swiftly. His muscles bore the weight of his armour like an old friend and even though the fit was not quite as it had been even four years ago, it felt like coming home. His robes went on overtop, creating a living illusion stronger than one constructed by chakra. Taking care to place the hat on his head, he turned back to Koharu.

She was kneeling with her robe wrapped around herself weeping silently. Hiruzen returned to her side, bent over the trembling woman, and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"I am the Hokage and I will do what I must," Hiruzen said, not unkindly.

"I will be right behind you, Hokage-sama." Koharu distanced herself with the title, but there was no anger in her voice.

It was premature to call that a victory, but he was nonetheless pleased that she appeared to understand even if she did not agree with it.

It was a simple matter to make out his escort detail creeping over the rooftops as he exited his home. A discreet hand sign and they all vanished and reappeared outside the tower and climbed the stairs to his office.

The chunin guarding his door executed a few quick jutsu unapologetically to check for identity. Hiruzen approved the thoroughness and made a note to bump up the man's salary a tick for his professionalism.

Pushing the door open, Hiruzen took note of ANBU Bear and Dog standing at attention off to the side. Jiraiya was rummaging through the reports and did not bother looking up as he entered the room. Nara Shikaku was sitting in a chair with a permanent scowl affixed to his face. Shibi remained standing, looking impeccably professional.

"This better be good," Jiraiya muttered.

"Jiraiya."

Scuffles were heard throughout the room as everyone stood and even Jiraiya was taken aback by the command in Hiruzen's voice. Behind them, the door opened to admit Koharu dressed in a hasty rendition of her normal attire. None of her prior weakness was in attendance and he tracked her to where she took a stand at his side, body language firmly neutral.

Well enough.

"Jiraiya, seal the room."

It took all of a minute and it was rather informative. Nara Shikaku was obviously trying to make a determination and Hiruzen was willing to bet the other man was almost right on the money. Shibi was as unreadable as stone. The ANBU might be masked, but Kakashi's posture was rigid and he was aware that there would be many, many questions later. Tenzo was silent and unassuming, but his body language deferred to Kakashi on a seemingly unconscious level. That was certainly something worth noting.

"I'm ordering the S-rank assassination of Elder Shimura Danzo."

His announcement was met by raised brows, much swearing from Shikaku, and widespread uncertainty.

"What charge?" Jiraiya rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Officially, probably the illegal ANBU and unauthorized ops Danzo has been running." Shikaku had his eyes closed as he spoke. "Based on the holes and the inconsistencies behind the actions of the missing-nin and the aberrant behaviour of the Kumo-nin, someone else must be factored in. While it could be one of our enemies, or even a smaller village trying to pit the Great Nations against each other, Shimura Danzo has a reputation that is well-deserved."

"Is Danzo responsible for the attacks made against specific targets?" It was not unusual for an ANBU captain to participate in mission discussion, but Kakashi was obviously fishing for a very personal reason.

"Sonovabitch! So when they targeted those kids…goddammit!"

Jiraiya smashed his fist against the edge of the desk, putting a sizeable crack in the wood. He was no Tsunade, but all of Hiruzen's students were frighteningly strong and temperamental in their own ways.

"I want to end this with as few casualties as possible," Hiruzen continued, coolly ignoring Jiraiya's anger. "Shikaku, if I gave you full discretion, could you arrange for the Ishida woman to be cooperative?"

His Jounin Commander's eyebrows nearly reached the edge of his hairline, but Shikaku stroked his beard once before nodding thoughtfully.

"Full discretion?"

Curiosity was to be expected. Full discretion implied potentially offering to induct a foreign agent into their own forces with a promise of freedom in exchange for cooperation. It had happened only a handful of times and only under highly extenuating circumstances. Considering the woman's value and what they would gain today if she agreed, it was well worth it, by his careful estimation.

"Full discretion." He nodded, not overlooking the sudden flare of killing intent from Kakashi. "But only if she knows something about…" Hiruzen retrieved a crude representation of a seal that was missing a dozen components that Mito had never taught him to make. "This particular seal is amazingly potent but almost impossible to use, but…I think we have just the circumstance. If she is able to recreate this seal, you may offer her whatever you deem necessary."

"I'll accompany him to assess the seal itself." Jiraiya grunted, moving past to stand next to Shikaku.

"That would certainly be beneficial, Jiraiya-sama."

"Shibi."

The other man nodded curtly.

"I want you to coordinate with ANBU Bear on a tactical strike of certain underground facilities operated by Root shinobi under Shimura Danzo. Koharu will have more detailed information on the layouts."

Instead of questioning him, Shibi simply nodded. "What sort of resistance can we expect?"

"You may not expect much of any," Jiraiya said. "If Danzo goes down quickly, Root may cooperate with us completely. Otherwise, I would expect them to fight you tooth and nail. Either way, we'll need a holding facility for all the Root shinobi."

"Danzo has children; they will need to be cordoned off separately."

Killing intent radiated from just about everyone in the room aside from himself and Koharu, who had already been aware. He shared a look with her and found himself almost amused by how she was shaking her head. At least they were all on the same page again.

"Dog, I have a special assignment for you. Stay behind. The rest of you meet in the conference room in an hour."

"Sir?"

"Danzo gave the order to poison Senju Minato." Hiruzen offered truth to test reactions. As he had hoped, Kakashi's self-restraint was perfect save for the flash of killing intent that would have had lesser men pissing their pants in fear. "I have an S-rank mission for you. This mission will be off the record and monetary compensation will be delayed a few weeks to allay suspicion. Do you accept?"

"I accept." Good. No hesitation and no fear. "What are my orders?"

A ghost of a smile twisted onto Hiruzen's face. Time to get to work.

---

Minato woke, feeling groggy and smelling smoke.

Kami, what now?

Shoving back the covers, he rolled out of bed and followed the cloud of smoke to the kitchen. An unattended pot was boiling over, but it was the oven mitt that had carelessly been left next to the pot that was engulfed in flames that were dangerously close to licking the edge of the counter.

Reacting on instinct, Minato blazed through the hand signs for a campfire-dousing jutsu. A jet of water easily four times the strength it should have been shimmered into existence and instantly smothered the flame. Alongside the smoke, puffy white clouds of steam covered the oven area.

It was then that he registered the dampness on the floor.

There was a sizeable puddle of water growing around his feet that made the waxed floor just that much more slippery. And looking beyond the steamy, charred stove and partially melted cookware, Minato saw that the size and velocity of his jutsu had saturated the cabinets and countertops with the spray.

What had he done?

Minato had just pulled the water from nothing. He had manipulated water molecules in the air. Holy shit. That was seriously awesome and a little bit terrifying.

"That…shouldn't have gone like that."

'You understood the theory behind the technique, idiot. You read it once upon a lifetime, when the Sandaime gave you access to Tobirama's notes so that you could study the Hiraishin. And instead of just reading his notes on sealing, you read every little detail like the fangirl you secretly were and still are. And now you're the guy's son. Congratulations. Water manipulation should be piss easy for you.'

'Kurama, that is not how elemental manipulation works! Understanding the theory does not mean you can perform it. The precision required is astronomical and I refuse to believe notes I read almost two decades ago gave me any advantage.'

'Fine.' Minato winced as Kurama growled irritably. 'I wanted to test something out and it might have overloaded your jutsu a bit. I still think the Nidaime's technique will be piss easy for you to perform when you actually know what you're doing.'

'So, you made the water do that?'

'I just told you that I did.'

'But…what were you trying to do?'

'I'll tell you later…if it works.'

'Wait just a damn minute, Kurama! If what works? What are you doing?'

No reply, and that was actually incredibly terrifying. Kurama was more the rub-things-in-your-face type. He did not have a cagey, uncooperative personality. Not really. Not anymore.

Kurama, you're really making me nervous here.

And no reply. Fuck. Naruto was rubbing off on him.

"Yo!"

Kakashi chose that unfortunate moment to pop in while Minato was staring into space, standing in water, and ignoring the blackened, steaming mess on the stove.

"Bad timing?"

"Now you show up!"

Minato threw up his hands. How did it make sense that four adults were living here and it was the child putting out fires?

Kakashi set down a bag he was carrying on the counter and wordlessly began rifling through the drawers until he found the ones full of patterned towels depicting colourful birds. He selected a mockingbird towel to soak up the water.

Feeling guilty when nothing was said, Minato sighed and joined his brother on his hands and knees, wiping down the soaked cupboards.

"I was going to make you soup." Kakashi spoke up cautiously after the worst of the mess on the floor was dried and he was gingerly approaching the still-smoking stove like one might a faulty explosive tag. "I got called away and…figured I'd pick up take-out for you to have when you woke up."

"Hmm."

It was a nice thought. Misguided, but nice.

Minato raised up on his tippy-toes to look over the wreckage seriously, while Kakashi dubiously poked at the charred elements.

"I think we might need a new stove."

"You may be right about that, pup."

"Wait, what did you get?" Minato reached over to dig into the bag and pulled out some containers packed with far too many meat products, a steaming container of rice, and vegetables. "Did you go to the Akimichi's restaurant?"

"They were the only place open this early!" That was certainly true since the sun was just barely starting to rise.

Kakashi's cheeks may not have been visible, but Minato noticed the reddening of his Nii-san's ears indicating embarrassment.

"You left me alone?"

That was actually a surprise if it was true.

"Of course not." Kakashi's voice rose in pitch and Minato narrowed his eyes sharply. "I had some of my friends watch the place."

"Friends?" He finished setting out the vegetables and folded his arms sceptically.

"You don't think I have friends, pup?"

"Are your friends ANBU?"

"Not in ANBU," Kakashi said back and Minato was positive the following cough was intended to cover up the laughter.

Definitely a yes, which meant…

"So your friends were watching the house to make sure nothing happened while you were out, but they didn't think a housefire was a big deal?"

There was a long pause.

"…Yes…"

Translation: Somebody was in for a beating.

Now that the outrage had fled his system, Minato felt drained and rather ready to crawl back into bed. Dropping the stuff onto the counter, he ambled out of the room and threw himself onto the couch and buried in his face in a yellow cushion.

The couch shifted slightly.

"So, suiton jutsu?"

In his heart of hearts, Minato really should have expected Kakashi's genius to notice his method. Denials would make him look suspicious and confirming would…well, Minato was not exactly unfamiliar with the prodigy label.

Rolling over slightly, he rubbed his eyes and yawned, much to his annoyance.

"Yeah. I knew I needed to put the fire out so…I did. Didn't think a campfire jutsu would be that wet, though."

"They're not." There was a weight resting on his head and the sensation of fingers rubbing his scalp with gentle motions. "If you want to start learning, I'll help you. But promise me no more jutsu until I'm here to assist you."

Subterfuge was impossible here. Not that he wanted to lie, per se, but adhering to the schedule of someone else was not exactly practical when one was trying to save the world. On the other hand, forcing Kakashi to train might be very good for him.

"I promise, unless there is an emergency."

"Good." The fingers tangled in his hair almost tight enough to make him wince, but then they let go and Kakashi stepped back.

"Tsunade is supervising Mikoto's relocation to the Uchiha building and Shizune is on assignment."

Minato was unable to completely suppress his moue of surprise, which Kakashi must have taken in lieu of an actual question.

"I have a mission too, but not to worry. I have far more competent sitters available to take care of you."

"I'm fine on my own." Minato sat up and nodded pointedly to the kitchen that still smelled like burnt rubber. "Honestly."

"Humour me." A quick impression of lips pressed to his forehead. "I almost lost you, pup."

"But you didn't." Minato swallowed thickly, leaving the obvious unsaid. It was the Uchiha that had lost the most this time around.

Tears were no stranger, but trying to cope with Naruto experiencing an undeserved loss and witnessing the devastation haunt Sasuke's face had been so incredibly painful.

The last thing he remembered was Kakashi carrying him home from the hospital yesterday morning. Considering that the sun was just peeking up outside, it had been at least another day that he had slept. And considering the state of mourning his friends were in, Minato knew that sleep should be the last thing on his mind.

"Not this time." Kakashi's tone was playful, but his eyes bore signs of the same wildness that tipped into desolation the day Rin's body came home in a scroll.

There would be no benefit to pressing the issue at this point. The only thing Minato could do was be patient and let time pass. Hopefully Kakashi would relax soon enough.

"Okay."

Sure enough, Kakashi's chakra felt just a little bit less frantic at his acquiescence. It was far from an ideal starting point, but not even Konoha was built in a day.

Bull, Pakkun, and Akino appeared less than a moment later in a puff of smoke. After exchanging quick greetings, Minato shuffled upstairs to clean up and get dressed.

He was just brushing his teeth when he felt Naruto's chakra approach at a rapid pace, fluctuating between calm and almost frantic. There was a limited pool of possibilities that could have caused that, but Minato was more than willing to lean toward emotional distress.

"Don't mess this up, Minato," Minato ordered his reflection. As an afterthought, he splashed a bit of water over his face. "Naruto needs you."

It took him a few minutes longer than it should have to dress in the expected black, high-collared mourning garb. Procrastination was illogical, but with his mood as sketchy as it was, Minato was willing to buy into a little self-delusion.

Finally caving to necessity, he returned downstairs to find Naruto and Kakashi actually sitting together on the couch with the ninken at their feet. The pair turned as he made himself known, Kakashi's eyes caught in the past and Naruto looking like he wanted to sink into the couch.

"Hey," he greeted his friend lamely.

"Hey." Naruto twisted the cushion and pasted a fake smile on his face that made Minato's rebelling stomach feel just that much more uncomfortable.

"I wish I could stay, but I have to go," Kakashi lied easily and far too convincingly. Then his nii-san deflected attention like the professional manipulator he was. "You look like you think Minato is going to bite you, Naruto."

"I know he's not!" Naruto shot back in a not entirely convincing tone of voice.

"Good, then. I'll leave you two alone. Behave and have a nice visit. And no burning down the house!"

"I'll leave that particular task to Oba-san and you."

"It was just a test!" Kakashi scratched each dog's ears thoroughly before standing. "You three are in charge of the rugrats."

Alone with three dogs that would provide detailed reports on their conversation and everything else they did. Spies everywhere. Sheesh.

"And pup, I'll be back as soon as I can. We're going to the gathering after Fugaku's funeral."

He nodded sharply, while Naruto just balled his hands into fists and stared at the coffee table wordlessly.

"I'll be ready."

"Don't let me down." Kakashi gazed sternly at the trio of dogs.

"You got it, boss!" Akino woofed.

"We'll watch over the puppies, Kakashi. You watch your back," Pakkun replied seriously, attracting Minato's notice.

What exactly was Kakashi up to that was concerning the pack? That was…a mission? ANBU could reactivate someone in certain situations, but what could possibly have brought this on?

Kakashi's chakra signature vanished from the vicinity.

How are you? would be so impractical to ask. Or rather, it was obvious. But something else was awry that Minato could not quite put his finger on. But it had to be something big to cause Naruto to behave so out of character.

"There was a fire earlier?"

Huh? Oh!

"Yeah…Kakashi left a pot on the stove and I woke up to it completely on fire. I managed to put it out." Minato paused there, deciding that it was definitely not the time to mention overpowered e-rank jutsu. "Anyway, we're probably gonna need a new stove, but otherwise it's fine. Mostly."

"Well, could be worse, though, right?"

"Right," Minato agreed uneasily, trying to gauge Naruto's mood and not say the wrong thing. "But somehow I don't think you snuck out of your house this early without a good reason. What happened?"

Naruto was guarded and definitely unlike his usual self. And yes, he noticed there was still grief lurking in the shadows of this boy who was chewing on his fingernails, but there was a haunted sort of awareness too.

"I just kinda thought that Tou-san dying would be the worst thing that's ever happened to me."

Naruto's voice broke and Minato fought to keep a semi-confused, warm expression on his face. He didn't know if he managed it or not.

"And it's not!"

Naruto's anger was quite something to behold in its purity and intensity. Situations like this did not have easy answers like the kind that could be found in an instruction manual. And most people never knew the joys and sorrows that accompanied being a jinchuuriki.

But Naruto did. Naruto had to undergo all this because of a decision Minato had made.

"They told you about this, then?" Minato levelled a finger at Naruto's abdomen carefully.

"Jiji told me," Naruto muttered, mouth twisted in fury. "Told me the Kyuubi never died. That it's inside of me. And—"

Naruto's eyes darted to Minato's stomach and the other boy flinched away when he looked him in the face. It hurt, but not as badly as it might have if Naruto looked accusing.

"I'm just like you," Minato acknowledged carefully. "Part of a bijuu is locked inside of me."

"But you're not a monster!" Naruto said, blue eyes radiating distress. "You're not evil. You're not! You're one of my best friends and you're always nice to everyone! Always! And you stick up for people! How can someone like you be a monster like—"

"Like you?"

Naruto fell quiet and he looked like someone suffering under a particularly potent genjutsu.

Minato shook his head. "You're not a monster, Naruto-kun."

Naruto remained silent in that trace-like state.

"Would Fugaku-san have died for a monster?"

Now that got a reaction. Naruto reared back and his lips curled in a soundless snarl.

"Would Mikoto-sama have adopted a monster?"

Naruto made a sound like a dying animal caught in a trap. It was a low mournful cry that Minato ached to relieve, but knew turning back now would do neither of them any favours.

"People are stupid, Naruto," Minato said in an almost self-deprecating manner. "Sometimes they try to make good decisions but can't foresee the outcome. And sometimes…" Minato paused and swallowed thickly. "People are wrong all the time, Naruto. And it's easier to be mean than it is to be kind. It's easier to hate a jinchuuriki because the bijuu isn't around anymore."

"I guess," Naruto muttered, looking glumly unconvinced.

Time to change tactics, then.

"Do you hate me, Naruto-kun?"

"No!" Naruto's voice was rough with denial, cheeks darkened to an almost righteous shade of angry red.

"I'm glad," Minato said faintly, "because you're one of my best friends." And I love you very much. "I would hate to lose you because of stupid people."

"I just…how can you stand it? Jiji said you've known all along, but you haven't treated anyone differently."

The unspoken you haven't treated me differently was rather obvious.

"Two big reasons."

Minato held up one finger.

"First, I trust that my friends and my family aren't like everyone else. I mean…you don't really think Sasuke, Itachi, or your Kaa-san hate you, do you?"

Naruto shook his head. Minato took that as progress and held up another finger.

"And second, my bijuu did not ask for this either."

"Huh?" Naruto straightened like he had been struck by lightning.

"Have you seen how people have cages for dogs and cats sometimes?" Minato asked carefully.

"Uh, yeah, I guess so," Naruto replied at the same time Pakkun sniffed in a thoroughly put-out manner. "Disgusting practice."

"You see," Minato explained, "you and I are the cages. We might not have bars or locks, but that is what we are: prisons. Our bijuu are stuck inside us whether they like it or not."

Minato lifted his shirt and channelled a touch of chakra to his abdomen. Obligingly, inky black lines popped into existence until his seal appeared on milky white skin. Naruto had hopped up from the couch and was poking at his own bare belly with a frown. It was reassuring to see the torment had transformed into curiosity; another reminder that, mentally, Naruto really was still quite young and his mind had yet to be completely ruined by poor experiences.

"Put some chakra into your fingers like how you stick on the walls."

"Oh. Right!" Naruto chuckled sheepishly and gasped as his own intricate seal appeared on his belly.

"See, that is a prison that prevents your bijuu from getting out. And every time I see the seal, I remember that I'm not the only one stuck like this. I sometimes wonder how it feels for them to be trapped inside without being able to eat, play, or live like I can."

That sort of thinking was well beyond the selfish pursuits of children, but Naruto had never been ordinary. Incredibly, Minato could tell that Naruto was mulling over the concept instead of instantly arriving at a conclusion.

"That's actually…that kinda sucks."

"Are you glad that you know?"

"I guess so," Naruto said distractedly. "I don't know. Maybe."

"Your chakra was similar to mine. It's how I found you that day we met."

"What?"

Minato nodded sagely. "I hadn't been around people in a long time." Unless one counted Edo Tensei. "You felt like me, so…I guess I hoped you needed a friend too."

Suddenly, Minato found his arms full of a babbling, emotional Naruto. He took it in stride; offered a tissue, ignored the blubbering, and held on for dear life.

Someday, Naruto was going to wonder why he was made a jinchuuriki. Minato knew it would be a hard day, but hopefully he would be there to help Naruto sort through his feelings when it came. And if it changed Naruto's opinion of his hero, so be it.

"Naruto-kun, have you had breakfast? It's pretty early so…we could make something."

"Eh?"

Another mood swing. Well, that certainly was going to be wonderful for his nerves.

"Shizune keeps the pantry stocked so I'm sure I could make us something…as long as it doesn't need a stove to make it."

Naruto's stomach growled and the blond rubbed the back of his neck as he turned cherry-red from embarrassment.

Just like your Kaa-san.

"C'mon!" Naruto charged toward the kitchen, froze, spun around to grab Minato's arm, and hauled him into the kitchen. Minato just laughed and allowed himself to be manhandled toward the pantry.

"Don't forget us now!" The ninken padded into the room with noses in the air hopefully.

"Of course, of course."

"Naruto, pull out whatever looks good and we'll see what we have."

"You got it!"

Minato glared at the counter that was defiantly taller than he was. Yup, definite downside to being small. Withholding all his grumbling since he did not want to be a poor example for Naruto, Minato went and grabbed a chair from the living room to use as a stool and set about grabbing one of the kitchen knives.

Just as he was leaning over a cabbage to cut into it, Kurama called.

'I can sense Choumei's presence growing stronger. I hadn't expected that oversized beetle to do this. If he compromises us, I'm going to show him what it really means to squash a bug.'

Minato stumbled and nearly sliced a finger off.

'I'll deal with this. You go on making breakfast.'

"Minato-chan, you okay?"

"Err...yeah," Minato replied awkwardly. "I'm just worried about everyone."

"Me too," Naruto said, "but Kaa-san is coming home for the funeral later today…We'll fix everyone then, right?"

"We'll do our best," Minato agreed grimly.

But who is going to fix me when you really understand the truth?

---

Danzo bypassed the spluttering hospital receptionist with his Root shinobi silently shadowing him. Most shinobi—even Hiruzen's precious ANBU—would hesitate before impeding his process. Danzo's power was widely acknowledged as barely secondary to the Hokage so, as he reached the restricted floor, only a token resistance was offered. A neat gesture had his superiorly skilled subordinates neatly detaining the ANBU and allowing him to proceed in peace.

There were three doors that each held their own village secret, but Danzo ignored them all and instead walked to the end. He deactivated the security seals on the false wall. A moment later, the dead end shimmered out of existence, revealing a stairway that led below the surface of Konoha.

This particular stairwell was known to five individuals in Konoha: Danzo was one of the five. As for who had access to the room itself, that was another matter entirely.

Only a single door remained at the bottom of the steps. Security seals inscribed by Senju Tobirama himself remained in perfect functioning order. Danzo felt no fear as he touched the door knob and twisted. The sealing wards recognized Hashirama's chakra—diluted as it was—and allowed him to open the door as only a Hokage should be able to.

Danzo disliked surprises. It was a simple fact, one that caused him to extensively prepare for undesirable outcomes with a zeal that he drilled into each of his subordinates.

Therefore, it was a significantly more unpleasant surprise to discover the makeshift morgue occupied by more than just a corpse.

Standing above the head of Uchiha Fugaku was Hiruzen.

"I've been expecting you, old friend."

"Have you?"

Dealing with Hiruzen had become increasingly trying over the years. Nearly all of Danzo's proposals were brushed aside in favour of peaceful solutions that would inevitably require his Root shinobi to pick up the slack—that was, perform unsanctioned, covert operations. And now Danzo needed to expend precious effort to pacify Hiruzen.

Instead of answering, the Sandaime turned his back on him and addressed the wall. "You knew I was occupied with a meeting among the clan heads. And no doubt you verified that before coming here."

All true, much to Danzo's consternation, not that he would allow Hiruzen of all people to realize that.

"A clever decoy," Danzo said dryly, "but explanations are hardly necessary. I'm sure you're aware of why I'm here."

"I know why you're here," the Sandaime agreed easily, with a dangerous glint in his eye that was not particularly frightening after years of familiarity. "But I'll be honest with you, Danzo. I'm much more interested in how you obtained the ability to access this room. Not even Jiraiya could enter here without several days of working to dismantle the wards and even then—I wonder."

What is your game this time, Hiruzen? Something is off about you today.

"I thought we had an agreement, Hiruzen." Danzo chose his words with considerable care. Something was less diminished. Something that prickled his instincts. "I take care of the missions that must never be known by our people. And you, Hiruzen, don't ask questions."

Danzo watched the Hokage tap the body's forehead with a finger.

"Was all of this because of the Sharingan?" Hiruzen asked, the inflection in his voice sounding almost sad. How pathetic. To think the old fool sympathized with that den of traitors.

How disappointing.

"A corpse has no need for dojutsu." There was no need for pretences between the two of them. Not anymore. "And the Uchiha would have insisted the eyes be destroyed anyway. We can allow them that illusion and still keep another Sharingan at our disposal."

"You mean your disposal."

"Yes." Denial served no purpose, but the Sharingan would serve the village well beyond the death of their original host. Danzo would make certain of that.

Hiruzen sighed unhappily, placed one hand on each side of Fugaku's head, and looked straight into his eyes—Danzo nearly recoiled at the sharp scrutiny, the staggering amount of killing intent. This was out of character and rather uncomfortable.

"If you tell me the truth when I ask you my questions, I will give you the Sharingan."

Danzo did nothing to acknowledge the agreement, but he waited nevertheless. If a few questions would placate the other man, it was time well spent.

"What went through your head when you decided to have the Senju boy poisoned?"

"There was an error made. If the opportunity presented itself, the assassins were simply to administer the poison. The informant provided more poison than necessary to accomplish the task. And regardless, it was a success."

"Dare I ask?" Hiruzen snapped.

"Why ask questions to which you already know the answers?"

"Your curiosity almost lost us a national treasure, Danzo."

"And your refusal to disclose information may have cost us a more valuable asset: a second jinchuuriki."

"You are not the Hokage, no matter how much you may wish it otherwise."

"And yet I'm the only one of us with the conviction to do what is necessary."

"Tell me how sabotaging our relationship with Kumo is the correct decision? Our relationship with Suna is fragile enough as it is. Allies, even for a brief time, are useful."

"Allying with Kumo will do nothing more than show the nations that we are weak enough to require a treaty with the most treacherous village of the Great Nations. Now, the story will be how the double-crossing shinobi of Kumogakure took part in sabotaging the treaty. And the ending that is remembered will be that one of Konoha's finest lost his life as a consequence. This outcome is the most acceptable, as well as the most salvageable."

"When did the value of life become so cheap to you?" Hiruzen sounded almost regretful and it did nothing but flood Danzo's body with disgust.

An interesting question.

"It's rather the opposite, Hiruzen," Danzo replied finally.

One after another, a history of deadly struggles crossed his mind. A Kawarimi that dragged him to safety while his Baku gored his opponent. A struggle to avoid the barrage of poisoned senbon the puppet masters of Suna pelted them with. Severing a man's head just before Danzo himself could be gutted. And most prominent of all, Danzo running away and leaving one of the most powerful men that had ever lived to face certain death.

Life was unfair. This world was kill or be killed. A genocide to derail an invasion. Killing one's own comrades. The needs of the many over the needs of the few.

"The worth of a life is valued by what it can provide to others. Such value is not so easily measured."

Hiruzen took out a bottle of sake from inside his robe, unscrewed the cap, and took two long gulps. Danzo accepted the bottle thrust in his direction, inspected it carefully, and took a long, measured swallow.

"I should have killed Orochimaru when I had the chance." Hiruzen shifted next to him. "Most of my ANBU teams have reported back in with sightings several weeks old and little in the way of leads. You say I've become weak, and perhaps that is so."

A fortunate weakness in many ways, for him. Orochimaru may be of a sadistic mindset, but the man had his uses.

"Do you regret anything you've done or something you failed to do, old friend?"

"Sentiment." Danzo's mouth twisted and he barely kept his tone even. "I expected better from you, Hiruzen. Regret is for those who have lost their resolve."

"I'm disappointed, Danzo."

Hiruzen's voice matched the defeated slump in the man's shoulders and the way his arms lay limply at his sides.

"An idealist to the end."

"Take his eyes and get out."

Given permission, Danzo stepped past Hiruzen, removed the jar with the false replacements plucked from a convict's sockets. These were not the first eyes he had taken and they wouldn't be the last. The squishy sensation as he removed the first Sharingan was expected and as he proceeded with ease, Danzo heard the swish of robes—

Perhaps I've underestimated you after all.

Danzo's lone eye rounded in horror. His fingers were in the final snake seal but his chakra network was completely disrupted.

Danzo was an S-ranked shinobi; with that rank came the ability to predict an ordinary opponent's moves and counter them with ease even without ninjutsu or genjutsu. Of course, there were exceptions to this.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was just such an exception.

Danzo flipped the table and launched himself backward. His chakra was not responding. There was something wrong, there was—

The chittering of a thousand birds. Danzo's panicky thoughts were disrupted by a burning pain in his chest. Like every victim of this particular jutsu, he looked down and felt almost proud of the lightning chakra humming around a visibly bloody hand.

"Hatake Kakashi…" Danzo moaned, his vision blurring as he lifted his face to meet Hiruzen's blank expression.

"I've made many mistakes that I've regretted, but none more than allowing Orochimaru to escape. And now this," Hiruzen drawled with none of his prior weakness. "What kind of Hokage would I be, if I did not protect my people from you? You believe I'm weak, Danzo, but the truth is, you've served your purpose. Now that you've slipped your leash, I have no more use for you."

Hiruzen had to be bluffing. Or perhaps this was one of Koharu's most terrifying genjutsu—the woman certainly had the mean streak for it.

But the voice whispering in his ear was damning evidence to the contrary.

"Don't fuck with my family."

Danzo swallowed and almost desperately sought Hiruzen out, finding a stranger with unsympathetic eyes that was all wrong. Oh so wrong.

I thought I was the darkness and you were the light, Hiruzen. How could I—

---

Ironically enough, when Danzo had overturned the table, Fugaku's body had fallen to the ground. In death, Danzo was lifelessly lying side by side with the Uchiha patriarch. It seemed strangely fitting to Hiruzen that his victim would have the last laugh.

Without a word, Hiruzen snatched Fugaku's eye off the ground and dropped it into a nearby tray for Shizune to replace before the funeral later.

Kakashi wiped his hand on the cloth Jiraiya extended his way and tossed the bloody rag over Danzo's still body.

I only wish I were sorry, old friend. But here, at last, comes the end of our friendship. You and I have both had to assume many roles over the years, but your work is done now. Whatever life comes next, I hope you finally find some peace.

"I can't believe that woman's seal worked!" Jiraiya seemed genuinely flabbergasted.

"It was ingenious, really," Kakashi murmured. "The Ishida woman set the seal to activate after the eyes were tampered with. What I can't understand is how Danzo didn't feel the seal transfer."

"From what I can tell, this seal requires an organic base—hence, the eye was a perfect medium," Jiraiya explained with awe clinging to his words. "I'm guessing the limited delivery system and the fact that an enemy would have to willingly pick up a questionable item is why the seal never saw much action on the field. How on earth did you even know about it, Sensei?"

"Mito-sama described many of her techniques, but she shared very little with even the most studious of Konoha's people. Doing so would have been a betrayal of her clan's practices. But when I saw the compulsion design on Ebisu, I recognized the distinct Uzumaki style of sealing. That Ishida woman may not know it, but she may very well be better with seals than you, Jiraiya."

"I killed Danzo," Kakashi remarked faintly.

"How does that feel?" Jiraiya asked smugly.

"Well, I'm hungry."

"You've really got to work on that imagination, kid."

"Should we help oversee the relocation of Danzo's operatives?" Kakashi asked him.

"No. Shibi and Uchiha Daisuke are heading up the transfer to a holding facility with limited backup from Bear's squadron. While I've asked Shikaku to coordinate, I want the joint police force to be responsible for this effort. If we delegate that responsibility, it will be a massive demonstration of trust that will hopefully boost the Uchiha's morale during this difficult time."

"And Danzo's body?"

"Seal it."

Without a word, Jiraiya leaned over the body, went through a rapid series of signs, and placed a prepared sealing scroll overtop it. There was a glow from the paper and a crackling pop. Jiraiya stood up after the body disappeared and carefully avoided the pool of blood as he turned back toward the door.

"Got him. Shall we leave?"

Nodding once, Hiruzen turned to the staircase and began the long climb up.

"I'm almost disappointed that Danzo didn't realize that dropping the eye would have cancelled the sealing. If he had, perhaps things would have been different."

"I think he was too shocked that you actually attacked him." Jiraiya's voice was coloured with disbelief and a hint of accusation. "To be perfectly frank, I didn't expect you to go through with it. Even after you had me offer a clemency deal to that woman in exchange for her total cooperation, I expected you to change your mind. For all his flaws, Danzo was your friend."

"Not to interrupt," Kakashi interjected mirthlessly, "but I'm the one who did the killing."

"No offense, kid, but if Sensei had not come up with that plan, Danzo would have been a disaster to take down. The guy was no pushover, he just thought he knew Sensei and he was wrong."

A friend that had strayed from the path far too long ago. And Danzo had been right all along: Hiruzen had become too complacent. If he wanted to leave more than a pile of rubble for his chosen successor, there was much work to be done.

They exited the stairwell, noting the area was absent of Root and regular ANBU operatives. A few of the medical personnel shot questioning looks their way since it was impossible for anyone to miss the Hokage's robes, but no one approached the trio or stopped them.

"Kakashi, get Shizune and take her back down there. Fugaku's body needs to be repaired right away."

A gentle breeze later and Jiraiya was standing with him alone outside the hospital.

"Jiraiya, you're just as weak as I am when it comes to Orochimaru. If we're honest with ourselves, we've both been holding onto some fragmented hope that he's coming home."

"Something broke in him a long time ago, Sensei. And I'm done holding on to false hope. I know Orochimaru isn't coming back and I know that someday there will be a reckoning. I'm ready for it."

"Are you?" Hiruzen snorted, allowing his disbelief to seep into every syllable. The door had closed long ago for traitors: it was high time that he acted like it. "Orochimaru is never coming back. The only reason he could possibly return would be to exact some sort of revenge against the village. Or me. Aside from that, the only way Orochimaru will be coming back here is with his body sealed in a scroll. And if we're both being honest, Jiraiya, I know you lack the resolve to see that fight to the end. If Orochimaru opted to slither away, you would let him and be glad for it."

Hiruzen allowed Jiraiya's hand to land on his arm and stop him in his tracks. There was a wild, frightened look on Jiraiya's face that carved away at least a decade of age. Hiruzen had seen the look more times than he could count, so he allowed Jiraiya's hold and felt the other man shake with adrenalin-induced rage.

"That is one hell of an accusation!" Ah, there was the angry snarl Hiruzen had been anticipating since the disastrous festival.

"Because no matter how much I love Orochimaru, that does not change what he did to Konoha or our people. And I know now that I must do whatever it takes to rectify my actions. Do you really understand that?"

There was nothing to gain from this sort of debate. Shrugging off the slackening hold on his arm, Hiruzen suppressed the urge to rub the tender area and instead continued his sedate pace out of the hospital. Of course, Jiraiya wasted no time in catching up—showcasing how serious he was since the other man did not stop to ogle some of the fine nursing specimens on the way out of the building.

"Don't think this is over, old man. You and I need to talk."

Oh, goody. Not ominous at all with such a ridiculously oversized pool of topics available. Tsunade. The talk Hiruzen had with Naruto. And of course, that other matter that Hiruzen had decided on without Jiraiya's consent. But more than likely, the main topic of concern would be Konoha's proactive approach to finding Orochimaru. This was promising to be another sleepless night.

But this was Konoha, the village that never seemed to catch a break when it came to freak incidents.

"We don't have time." The Sandaime deliberately paused, not wanting to be approached by any of the civilians at this point. "You and I have a meeting with Uchiha Itachi and his cousin Shisui. If all goes well, this meeting should be brief."

"But?" Jiraiya groaned.

"Two things, Jiraiya." Hiruzen kept a straight face, without even an ounce of leeway in body language or tone. "First, I need you to resume your spymaster's duties sooner than expected now that Danzo's information network will no longer be accessible."

"Something tells me I'm really not going to like this second bit."

"You may not decline this assignment, Jiraiya. I do not expect you to be happy with it, I expect you to comply and perform your duty to the best of your abilities."

"Just spit it out. The suspense is killing me, Sensei."

There was a great amount of pleasure gained from watching the colour fall away from Jiraiya's face.

"Very well, what I want is this…"

---

"Okay, wait just a minute!" Shisui nudged his stiff-faced cousin in the side in a futile effort to muster some support. "You're making me Jiraiya-sama's apprentice? Is this some kind of joke?"

A quick glance to his left confirmed that the white-haired man was sitting on a chair, legs splayed, and scratching a few notes into a scroll.

"It was my idea, actually," Nara Shikaku murmured from the side where he stood with his arms folded. "You've been in contention for ANBU for some time, but that interest has gone up considerably since you were observed during your battle with a high-rank combatant."

"Not that I'm not honoured…" Shisui blinked at the Sannin, who had his nose buried in a sheaf of paperwork, and bit his lip uncomfortably. "Because Jiraiya-sama is...incredible and all. But I would have been fine with an ANBU induction."

"Shisui-kun, settle down and allow me to explain." The Sandaime gestured to a free chair. "Please."

"Of course." He nodded carefully, resolving to hold his temper and project some Uchiha formality. "My apologies for my outburst, Hokage-sama."

Shisui dragged Itachi into the seat next to him and tried not to sweat under the combined attention of the Hokage, the Jounin Commander, and the not-exactly-attentive Toad Sage.

"Itachi."

His cousin sat up straighter.

"Effective immediately, you are promoted to chunin. When Maito Gai is not on missions, I'm officially ordering you to continue taijutsu training under his supervision. Additionally, I will be taking you on as an official apprentice and will begin training you in all areas with the exception of taijutsu."

Once again, Shisui's entire world was blown out of the water and he knew—and didn't care—that he was staring slack-jawed and completely shocked at his cousin.

Hokage's apprentice. Apprenticeships to currently reigning Kage just were not the done thing. To have that sort of offer extended came with a lot of implications and made quite the statement to other clans.

"After four years, your apprenticeships should be nearing completion and you will both be inducted into ANBU," Shikaku said expressionlessly.

Shisui nudged Itachi again, trying to gain a sense of what his cousin was thinking, but the other boy was distant and unreadable.

"Shisui-kun," the Sandaime said without inflection in his voice, "our information network would be absolutely crippled if something were to happen to Jiraiya. I am assigning you as his apprentice for a twofold purpose."

There was an undercurrent of tension between the Sandaime and the Toad Sage. The latter had given up his work and met his questioning look with a solid stare tempered by years of experience in the field. Shisui felt a shiver race up his spine, but met the other man's stare with a hard look of his own, refusing to back down.

"First..."

Shisui's head snapped toward the Sandaime.

"You will be learning everything Jiraiya can teach you about espionage, infiltration, and adapting your considerable talents to the creation and maintenance of a spy ring."

"You want me to be a spymaster?" Shisui asked, scratching at his head slowly.

"That would be my main intent, but I have another purpose here." The Sandaime had turned completely to Itachi and was looking at his cousin rather indulgently. "Itachi."

"You intend for me to become the Godaime Hokage."

"You are certainly my primary candidate." The Sandaime looked at him like a hawk eyeing up a rabbit. "But the future is never a certainty. Jiraiya will ensure that Shisui is properly groomed to assume the role of spymaster, but in the event Itachi is not prepared to assume that role..."

Oh, no way. No fucking way! That was…definitely not what he had…ever thought about.

"Bullshit! This has got to be some kind of joke!"

The eyes of the entire room fell on him. Shikaku smirked. Jiraiya leered. Itachi pretended not to care—Itachi-speak for incoming silent treatment. And the Sandaime laughed.

"Not a joke." Jiraiya stretched his massive arms and several joints popped. "Now that feels a lot better."

"I'm not sure I have what it takes to be Hokage," Shisui said, helplessly looking to where Itachi was stoic and far too accepting of this situation. "I mean, I'll do my best, but…I'm just me."

"At least this one is honest." The Jounin Commander fixed that intense gaze on Itachi. "This one is a bit too quiet, yet."

"You both are talented young men whose destinies are deeply intertwined with the future of Konoha. Shisui, you and Jiraiya will be leaving in three days."

"That isn't much time." Itachi spoke offhandedly.

"I'll be ready, Hokage-sama." Shisui shifted, tense.

"Good." The Sandaime looked ready to turn away, but paused and looked back. "How is your family doing, Itachi-kun?"

"As expected."

Itachi replied with a blankness that just snapped something inside of Shisui.

Itachi was processing this far too calmly and burying his feelings like always. Maybe Fugaku was not such a dick in the end, but all Shisui could see right now was Itachi putting on a mask again.

Kumo was a nest of bastards and Fugaku had done the honorable thing, but at what price? What fucking price?

"Everyone is a mess," Shisui hissed.

Itachi shot upright, surprise colouring his cheeks red.

"Shisui!" Itachi snapped warningly.

Shisui scoffed and shook his head. He smiled with his lips pulled back in a way that ferally bared his teeth.

"Mikoto-sama is burying her husband when she should still be in the hospital. Every single time I visit her, she looks like a zombie. She barely notices when anyone is there, even the kids. And Sasuke isn't sleeping, barely eating, and refuses to talk to anybody."

Itachi grabbed his wrist pleadingly.

Shisui shrugged it off. "And Naruto was weepy, but ever since his little chat with you yesterday—" Shisui could not bring himself to feel pleased when the Sandaime's lips hardened. "A kid like that has no business being quiet."

Fugaku was dead, his family was falling apart, and they were being showered with glory. Were they actually deserving or was that an illusion too?

"You definitely aren't being pandered to, kid." Jiraiya had mysteriously appeared next to him and squeezed his shoulder tight enough for it to hurt.

Oh crap. Had he said that aloud? Goddammit, he had said that aloud.

"It's alright, Shisui-kun," the Sandaime said humorlessly. "I did ask how you were."

Jiraiya patted him gently. "It's nice to see you don't have a stick up your ass like so many Uchiha do. I'll see you in a few days, kid."

The door burst open and a short genin huffed and puffed while extending a message held in his hand. Shikaku snatched it, unrolled the contents, and mumbled something about "no end in sight to the paperwork disaster."

"Hokage-sama, you'll want to see this dispatch from Genma's team."

"Give it here."

Shisui stood there listening to the tick-tock of the clock and waiting for the other sandal to drop.

"Itachi. Shisui?"

"Hokage-sama?" "Sir?"

"You can leave now."

"Oh," Shisui muttered faintly. "Right."

On the way home, Shisui finally managed to string a few words together that made some sort of sense.

"What exactly just happened?"

Itachi quietly and succinctly stated the obvious: "Our lives just got fucked up."

Shisui swatted a fly harassing his cheek and hummed lightly.

"So…since when do you swear?"

"Shisui."

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

His day just kept getting weirder and weirder. How was this his life?

---

Returning to Konoha with a foreign jinchuuriki in tow was rattling his nerves. Maybe it was for the best that the girl slept for the better part of the trip and only roused herself when they were two hours out from the village. Genma had volunteered to carry the seven-year old, who was far too light for his liking. When she finally woke up, he had immediately shoved a ration pack into her hands.

The ravenous kid had not objected to the flavour and had quietly listened to Genma chatter away. She had been reluctant to answer his questions at first, but after an hour, Fū—as he learned—had admitted to running away from Taki to find a better life.

Genma felt like that was an incomplete version of the truth, but he had not pushed for information. Not only was doing so going to destroy the tentative rapport he built with the girl, but he also already had a pretty good idea of what might make a jinchuuriki run away.

After that, Fū began to relax and offer more than monosyllabic answers. She spoke falteringly about stories she had read and confessed to bringing her most favourite books in her bag. Of course, the entire ANBU team had rummaged through her bag and had been appalled at the lack of contents. Nothing incriminating and all evidence supporting the runaway story—albeit a poorly equipped runaway with no extra food.

Genma knew immediately when he started familiarizing himself with the cadence of the girl's voice that he was royally fucked. Genma had a terrible time letting go once he became attached to someone and he had already run a dozen scenarios through his head for convincing the Hokage to allow him to keep her.

He leaned toward arguing that Taki was not equipped to challenge a stump and any armed confrontation would end up favouring Konoha, which was more or less true despite the several dozen reasons it was a horrible plan. Another part of him thought appealing to Danzo was clearly the way to go, except that evil fuck was even more twisted than Orochimaru.

Which brought him back to square one, with no particularly favourable options available to him.

Except Konoha had been astir with something akin to disaster. They had entered from one of the many secret entrances—not wanting to create rumours about a Konoha ANBU team returning with another village's jinchuuriki—and made for the Hokage tower over the rooftops.

Genma exchanged looks with his comrades, who had their lips pressed together into thin lines. Below them, a majority of Konoha's citizens were garbed in black. A little chakra to his ears picked up the conversations below, which were largely anti-Kumo in nature, with "Kumo dogs" being some of the choicest phrasing.

The Hokage's Tower had been strangely empty of personnel, but the Sandaime's secretary had ushered them into the office where Jiraiya of the Sannin, Nara Shikaku, and the Hokage himself were engaged in discussion.

Unlike all of his imagined no-win scenarios, the Hokage actually rolled his eyes after taking a look at Fū before demanding a summation of their mission. Genma had stared back defiantly when the Sandaime looked between him and the girl playing monkey on his back with a calculating twinkle in his eye that did nothing to reassure him.

After Raidou finished speaking, the Sandaime congratulated the entire team on a job well done—the underlying impression suggesting the old man was referring to Fū's presence—and asked Fū if she wanted to stay in Konoha. After the girl on his back choked out a "Yes!" the old man simply nodded, fished a scroll from his drawer, and tossed it.

Genma had caught it and felt his jaw opening and closing as the Hokage congratulated him on adopting a child. The old man went on to say he expected to see them in his office for a meeting first thing tomorrow, for paperwork as well as a more detailed discussion.

Translation: seal check, interrogation, and Kami knew what else.

Many aspects of the shinobi world were unfair, so Genma was somewhat overwhelmed with emotion when a payslip for five times the amount it should have been was handed to him along with a pointed look in Fū's direction.

With a pointed suggestion to all of them to seek out their colleagues for information about the incident, they all left.

Holy fuck. The Sandaime just gave me a jinchuuriki. Oh, fuck me. This is so far above my pay grade. Holy hell! That creeper Danzo is going to be all over my ass. Fuck my life!

Genma fished his keys out of his equipment pouch, flashing what he hoped was a reassuring grin to the girl nervously curling her fingers in the sleeve of his shirt.

Instead of addressing the nervous behaviour, Genma crowed victoriously as he pushed open the door to his—incredibly dusty but otherwise tidy—apartment and quickly ushered the small girl into his home.

"So!" Genma clapped his hands together, caught a whiff of his own less-than-stellar smell, and grimaced slightly. "I know it's kind of, well…It probably could use some colour around here, right?"

Genma unzipped his flak jacket and draped it over a peg by the door.

"I'm hungry, so I bet you are too, right, kiddo?"

"I could eat," Fū said quietly.

Genma watched the girl struggle out of the sandals that had most definitely been another colour originally, its soles nearly completely worn. Following his gut, Genma reached over and plucked them from her hands, turned around, and tossed them in the trash bin a few steps away.

"I'll buy you a new pair along with some new clothes after we get cleaned up. And then we'll have to eat out since…well, anything I still have in the house is definitely not safe unless you want to spend the next year in the bathroom."

Genma had spent his fair share of time helping out youngsters in recent years and his own parents had abandoned him to an orphanage for reasons he didn't care to remember. The point was, he never forgot how it felt to have the world turn its back on you.

Fū had that look. That expression that plainly screamed that she was not coping very well and wanted so desperately to trust, but had forgotten how.

Most people would have pawned off a child with emotional problems to the nearest person.

Shiranui Genma was definitely not most people.

"How about I show you around?"

"Sure?"

"Great, I'll give you the express tour, then!"

Genma invaded Fū's space and lifted her far too skinny body up with no trouble. The girl flailed a bit and tensed while biting at her lower lip.

"Now, none of that! You might have an overpowered insect in your belly, but you're still a kid so I'm gonna treat you like one. Got it?" Genma winked kindly, pleased when the adorable little squirt turned redder than a cherry. "There isn't much to see, but…let's take a gander, shall we?"

"Yes, please!" Fū replied more certainly, her head turning.

"This is our kitchen here. Once I stock it with groceries, you're allowed to help yourself to anything you like, okay?"

Taking it as a positive sign when she just bobbed her head and continued to peer around, Genma carried her through the apartment. It was a quick enough tour anyway, with only his bedroom which had a few knickknacks and a distinct orange book that he kicked under his bed hurriedly when Fū pointed it out. The living room had a television set and a small bookshelf that Fū stared at long enough for Genma to add another stop to their growing list of places to visit. The spare bedroom was a futon with bedding that had not been washed since the last time Raidou stayed over after drinking. That had been months ago; the room itself was no place for a kid.

"We'll get you some new bedding too. Maybe some curtains and a few other things to spruce this place up for you."

"You don't have to do that." Fū spoke in a rush. "This is perfectly fine."

Unsurprised by the outburst, Genma flicked the end of the girl's nose, causing her to let out a moue of protest and gape like a startled faun.

"This place is a shithole, brat," Genma declared matter-of-factly, rather enjoying how incredulous the stare directed at him was. "You're living with me now, so if I say you get new stuff, you get new stuff. Got it?"

"Got it." Fū still looked like she was ready for him to rip the rug out from under her—not that Genma could really blame the poor kid. Jinchuuriki had it rough and Fū looked like she had endured more than her share of disappointment. Not for the last time, Genma was relieved that at least Naruto had finally found a family in the Uchiha Clan.

"Alright, I bet you'd like to get cleaned up, right, Fū-chan?"

"Yes, please."

Genma dropped her just outside the bathroom where she stood uncertainly.

"Hold it, I'm gonna see what I have for you to change into."

Genma wasn't optimistic. Because, really, what did a twenty-one-year-old shinobi keep for kids? Biting his lip, Genma hesitated inside his room, but finally reached for a scroll that Gai had gifted him years ago for "In Case of a Youthful Emergency."

Genma was not exactly sure this qualified, but unless he wanted to leave Fū alone or take a naked seven-year-old girl into public, his options were limited.

Slamming his fist into the scroll, it glowed briefly before a tiny messenger-sized turtle blinked up at him.

"Please ask Gai to bring clothing for a seven-year-old girl to Genma's house." The turtle was definitely giving him the stink eye! "Please?"

It vanished with a poof, hopefully to deliver the message.

Fū had moved from the bathroom entrance to the living area, her nose glued to an old romantic adventure novel that Aoba had given him a few years back as a joke. The book did not seem like such a joke tonight, what with its cover being reverently stroked like it was some tome of kinjutsu.

"If it's that interesting, you can keep it, alright?"

The girl jumped a foot in the air and clutched the book to her chest.

"Ready for that shower?"

"Yes, but…?" Fū was frowning at him with an intense look.

"But?"

He lowered himself to his knees so he was eye-level with the girl. Another trick Genma picked up sorting out Kotetsu and Izumo: kids responded better to someone on their own level.

"I just don't understand why you're being nice to me." Orange eyes stared him down fiercely. "Once people find out about Choumei, their eyes change. No one wants me around and I just—how do I know this is real?"

Ah, so you're testing me already? I guess I'm not surprised. Not really.

Choumei, though? I'll have to talk to you about that another day, if you'll let me.

Fū's voice broke and Genma held himself back from whispering words of comfort that would resound as less than truth. Reassurances were nothing but prettily packaged lies to those whose trust had been broken. Genma knew what it felt like, so he held back and answered as plainly as he could.

"You can't know."

"But how do I—"

"How do you know what to do?" Genma finished the question. He captured Fū's hands between his and rubbed the back of her knuckles lightly with his thumbs. "It's difficult because the answer is something you've taught yourself never to do. You have to decide whether you want to take a chance that something good is finally going to happen. I can't make that choice for you, but I can tell you that I've been in your sandals, kiddo. Taking a chance on people isn't easy after you've been burned a few times."

No one spoke for a moment. Genma knew better than to get up. Walking away even for an innocuous reason could sabotage anything he gained with Fū by virtue of his honesty.

Finally, after several minutes of stillness that his muscles were protesting, his patience was rewarded.

"I think I'd like to be brave like you, Genma-san."

Genma did not comment on how wet the kid's eyes were, and he might have turned his head when he heard a sniffle, but he chucked the girl under the chin and stood up to stretch.

"Eh, none of that formal crap. We're family now, right?"

"Family? We are?"

"That's what adoption means. I think I'm too young to be a Tou-san, but I'd do alright as a Nii-san or something like that!"

Before he knew it, Genma had a green-haired octopus wound around him. Laughing good-naturedly, he ruffled her hair and pulled Fū into a brief hug before urging her toward the bathroom.

"Nii-san says to go wash. Because I think we both need it."

"Your hair does need to be washed," Fū agreed far too readily.

If she thought he smelled bad, he would just have to give her a stronger taste! Genma ripped off his bandana and tossed it at her, causing the girl to squeal and run for the bathroom.

"Into the shower! I'm not the only one smelling ripe!"

"Hai, Nii-chan!"

"Bah!"

Genma ran his fingers through the oily strands of his hair and grimaced. Yep, he could certainly use a good scrubbing too.

It took all of five minutes to clean himself up. Honestly, he longed to soak and let the pounding hot water ease the tension in his shoulders, but he did not want Fū to be left unattended. It was not that he didn't trust the girl, but they were still getting to know each other and it seemed far too great a risk to leave her to fend for herself. Or, Kami forbid, force her to contend with Gai on her own.

He had just managed to clothe himself in his spare uniform when a pounding on the door attracted his attention. So that cheeky little summon had not failed him; the only person that could make the house shake like a doton jutsu was Gai.

Hurrying to the door, he breathed a sigh of relief when the shower down the hallway continued to run. As he pulled it open, Genma braced himself for an exuberant embrace—

Only to find a much gentler, far weepier Gai—who was not dressed in green—wrapping his arms around him.

"Genma, it is such a relief that you're back!" Gai yelled in his ear with far less gusto than normal, but somehow it was worse since Genma just knew there were snot and tears getting his fresh clothing all wet again. "Our beloved comrade Ebisu is in custody!"

Wait. What?

"While it is expected he will be released soon, he feels incredibly dispirited after being unyouthfully tricked by the sealing mistress of Kiri."

Sealing mistress of Kiri? In custody? Wait just a damn minute…

"Gai, hold on!" Genma grabbed the sobbing man by the shoulders and shook him. "What happened? I know Ebisu is a bit of a different sort of guy, but he isn't the type to land himself in jail. What's going on?"

Genma listened patiently as Gai—in a very youthful, passionate way—explained how the village had been infiltrated, how Ebisu had somehow been coerced by a mind-control seal, and how Gai had stopped him with help from his eternal rival. Genma had already been unsettled listening to the story, but he found himself floundering when Gai started weeping even louder about how Uchiha fucking Fugaku sacrificed himself for the village.

If it had been anyone else, Genma would have called bullshit, but this was Gai. Gai who was honest to a fault and would rather stab himself in the face than lie.

"So, let me get this straight." Genma rubbed his head. "Ebisu is with Interrogation because he was mind-controlled, a Kumo shinobi was killed, and Uchiha Fugaku offered himself up to avert a war."

"Yes!" Gai sobbed dramatically.

Konoha really did not need a war right now. It was not exactly common knowledge, but Konoha had lost a significant portion of its upper-division jounin ranks when the Kyuubi hit. It had only been four years, so an armed conflict may not have ended in their favour.

"Can't believe I'm saying this, but we all owe him one."

"Yes." Gai sobered, staring down at his feet. "I have not been able to see Itachi yet since I have been trying to be supportive of Ebisu, but I'm sure his youthful spirit needs lifting."

Ah, hell, Genma had forgotten that Gai had recently taken a shine to the Uchiha heir.

The worst part of this was, Genma knew that Gai was hoping Genma could visit Ebisu in order to give him a chance to find Itachi.

The shower shut off, reminding Genma of exactly why he could not go hang out in the bowels of T&I.

"Genma?"

"Hey, Gai, did your turtle pass on my message, by any chance?"

"Oh, indeed it did!" Gai pulled a bag out of nowhere and handed it to Genma. "Although it was quite a challenge to pick out such foreign clothing! But I have prevailed even if it did not quite make sense to me!"

"You're a lifesaver!" Genma crowed as he ran to the bathroom door. "Kid, I got clothes for you."

The door opened a crack and a single amber eye peeked at him.

"Here!" Genma thrust the bag at the door and a tanned hand nimbly dragged it inside before shutting the door with a decisive bang.

"Genma?"

Gai looked more cautious than before, a painfully uncertain twist to his lips.

"I suppose the timing could be better, but let's just say that my mission did not go exactly as planned."

When it came to Gai, a direct approach was necessary—unless a certain masked sadist wanted to lead Gai around on a merry mental chase.

"The Hokage let me adopt a kid. Her name is Fū."

Genma waited a moment, lazily fished a camera out from under the couch, and snapped a picture of a raisin-faced Gai.

"That's gonna look awesome on the fridge!"

"You have a daughter?" Gai said, looking flabbergasted for another full second before he leapt up and nearly destroyed his end table with a sweeping kick.

"Genma-san has agreed to be my Nii-san!"

Gai froze and Genma thanked his assassin's instincts for not choking; instead, he quite calmly snapped another picture before facing the window and sniggering into his fist.

Sweet Kami. Gai's really done it this time.

Gai had obviously gone to the stores to find the personification of springtime for girls. Or youth. Something of that disturbing ilk.

Fū was wearing a sleeveless kunoichi dress in the same green that Gai himself favoured with matching green shorts and an orange belt that was the same shade as Fū's eyes. He had included a pair of sandals in a practical shade of black that seemed to fit decently. But there was also a giant, oversized black headband with a giant orange flower pinned on it that bounced as Fū swayed forward.

"Thank you for the dress, Gai-san! I love it!"

Oh fuck.

Genma snapped a picture for posterity's sake before fleeing to the kitchen. There should still be a bottle of stronger stuff stashed away if no one broke into his place while he was gone.

"Yosh! I am pleased you like it, my youthful young friend! Do you desire to become a kunoichi? If so, I would be more than happy to stoke the fires of your youth!"

Genma ignored the horror show going on in his living room and poured himself a healthy cup of sake.

"Youth? Is that a training technique?" Fū asked like a little lamb on her way to the slaughter—enthusiastically too.

"YOSH! I can see that you will truly be a disciple of hard work!" Gai boomed in rapturous delight that spawned on the rare occasions people stuck around for longer than five seconds. "Allow me to explain!"

Fuck it. Genma drank directly from the bottle.

Seriously, fuck my life.

---

Minato stopped just shy of the Memorial Stone, nearly jumping out of his skin when the back of each of his legs was butted from behind by something cold and moist.

"When Nii-san said you were coming with me, I have to admit I didn't quite expect this level of paranoia," Minato muttered, one part exasperation and another irritation.

Silently, Bull lumbered past him to plop down next to the Memorial Stone with his tongue lolling out of his mouth in a deceptively carefree manner.

"Sorry!" Akino's ginger head poked around his leg while his snout lifted to scent the air. "All clear!"

"Yeah…" Minato shook his head. "I can sense that we're alone."

Well, mostly.

"Don't get moody, pup." Pakkun around Minato, stretched, and made a desperate scramble to climb onto Bull's enormous head. "You're lucky he only sent three of us. It's barely been a few days and you're still recovering from your ordeal. And you know how much Kakashi worries."

"Is that why Tenzo is skulking in the trees like a creeper?"

There was a shout, the sound of branches snapping, and suddenly silence.

"I guess those senses of yours really are strong," Pakkun remarked lazily, though Minato noticed the canine did not bother denying the accusation either.

"Fine, fine." Minato waved his hands. "But can you guys give me some breathing room?"

The three canines exchanged looks and there was even a series of grunts and whines before a consensus was reached.

"Alright, but we're going to be right over there." Pakkun huffed. The ninken barely reacted to Bull's uneven pacing, not showing the slightest sign of falling off.

"And no funny business!" Akino scratched a spot just behind his pointed ear. "We're watching you!"

Mother hens. Dogs were just a big bunch of overprotective mother hens. Minato was starting to think that the ninken were almost worse than Kakashi.

They had escorted Naruto home before coming here. The blond had been sad to go and even more reserved when he realized he would be dressing for a funeral that would culminate in his final goodbye to Fugaku.

Stepping up to the Memorial Stone, Minato took a shaky breath. So many more names had been added since Minato had last taken time to be here. While he could never explain a visit to the grave itself, the name carved on this stone would suffice. Minato could finally say the things he needed to say.

Minato's fingers traced the fresh engraving of Fugaku's name on the monument.

"I think Naruto understands why you did it. But you've introduced hate into the hearts of both Naruto and Sasuke…I'm not sure you can appreciate fully what you've done."

As a jinchuuriki, Naruto would need to confront that hatred someday and release it. What was already an uphill climb had become a little bit harder. Of course, if Minato and Kurama could successfully reason with the other half within Naruto, that might change things drastically.

And Sasuke. Minato had been resurrected into a world by an Uchiha prepared to unleash revenge for the wrongdoings of Konoha once before already. He would be damned if he allowed his friend to walk the path of vengeance yet again.

"I promise I will do everything I can for your sons. Because, they both really are your children."

You died for them. And you died for Konoha. I really do know what your heart was feeling, Fugaku.

Casually, Minato pressed a finger into the stone and concentrated just a trickle of chakra into a seal. The effect would last only a few minutes, but no one would be able to hear him during.

Minato easily found the name he was looking for and knelt before the monument.

"I wonder if you remember these."

Minato slid a bright red carnation he had brought from the garden and laid it in front of the stone.

"I bought you a bouquet of these once because they reminded me of how beautiful your hair was."

Minato felt his eyes burn and he fisted his hands in the grass.

"You called it our red thread of fate, Kushina. I've never forgotten that. Just like I'll never forget you."

Could Kushina even hear him from wherever she was? Maybe, maybe not; Minato supposed the answer did not really matter. This moment was for him.

"But I'm not the same anymore, either. I've changed and I'm still changing."

The wind swept upward, tugging at the end of his ponytail and roaring in his ears along with echoes of birdsong.

"I have new friends that I care about."

Hinata. Naruto. Sasuke. And even the others: Shikamaru, Shino, Chouji, Ino, Neji, and Kiba.

"Old friends that have become more."

Kakashi showing off his overprotective, loving side. Tsunade rallying to recover.

"And…you'd never believe me about this last one anyway, but let's just say your furry friend is my best friend now."

Kurama.

"I'll always watch out for Naruto, though. You wouldn't believe how much those Uzumaki genes shine. He has your laugh, your smile, and your strength of spirit, Kushina. All of the best parts of you. As much as I wish it otherwise, I'm not his father. I'm his friend. And I will give my life to protect him, but I can only do it as a friend."

Minato stood and bowed to the memorial.

"Namikaze Minato is dead. I'm Senju Minato and…I have to figure out who that is."

The wind almost seemed to tug sharply on his hair and Minato laughed once, wiping a tear from his eye.

"I'll never forget you. And I'll always love you."

Finally, he turned his face away from the monument and spoke to the grey clouds in the sky that threatened to burst with rain.

"As for you, Obito...I'll be coming for you."

Minato rose, brushed the grass off his black pants, and started walking back toward the huddle of pups that all lifted their heads as he approached. Grinning, he paused as he felt a slither of chakra making its way toward them.

"Company?" Pakkun asked.

"Yes." Minato turned and pointed to the place he felt Shizune waiting.

Shizune had been a trooper over the past few days. When things got tough, the woman kept going and refused to be pinned down. Minato certainly admired her tenacity.

"It's time?" Minato ran up to where Shizune was watching him with a peaceful look on her face.

"It is." Shizune bowed respectfully toward the ninken. "Thank you for watching over Nato-kun."

"The boy is pack," Pakkun said gruffly. "Thanks are unnecessary."

"Let's go home, then. I'll get you boys some nice bones too."

"Oho, you're certainly a keeper, Shizune-san!" Akino cooed, prancing about like an excited puppy.

Even mighty Bull looked pleased. His tail thumped the air harshly.

"Let's go, then."

---

Orochimaru used the sleeve of his coat to wipe away the worst of the blood and ichor off his cheek. A dozen paces away from where he was standing, the massive construct housing his partner was rolling in his direction.

Orochimaru glowered pensively at the severed arm lying abandoned in the dirt as it was pecked over by a pair of particularly bold crows. The hand had been unwillingly surrendered by an Aburame ANBU member. Not more than ten paces beyond the limb were the Aburame's charred remains.

It came as no real surprise that Sensei would make sporadic efforts to obtain intel on Konoha's number-one missing-nin. Mistakes were rare occurrences, particularly with Orochimaru's level of paranoia, but he was hardly infallible. He couldn't always outrun his enemies.

But this quaint little group was a lot more resilient than typical reconnaissance teams. They had been prepared for him to engage them and reacted defensively before orchestrating an impressive tactical strategy that would have been effective against someone of A-rank caliber.

Such a shame. They really had picked the wrong sort of opponent.

Oh, the ANBU team had put up a terrific fight—as much as mice can when they unwisely attract the attention of a pair of predators. In the end, though, the Nara kunoichi took it upon herself to sacrifice herself and ensure the Uchiha and Hyuuga escaped. The Hyuuga was not long for this world, however, as he had more than a few of Sasori's senbon sticking out of his flesh, but it was an awful shame about the Uchiha…

There were more than a few experiments that Orochimaru was dying to conduct on a live specimen like that…

Never mind that. What could the purpose of Sensei's little stunt be? As a missing-nin, there was no real surprise in having Konoha pursue him, but Orochimaru was dissatisfied with the lack of information at present. Something about this entire situation did not fit.

Why was Sensei being so bold after so many years? To his knowledge, nothing should have changed the situation, but obviously something had changed.

But what? What could have forced that old fool's hand?

Something interesting was afoot. Something…worthy of attention. Perhaps acquiring a bit of information into current affairs was worth his time.

"Orochimaru, my patience with you is wearing thin. You are going to make us late," Sasori said in deadly tones as Hiruko's tail loomed over his head.

Sasori enjoyed these intimidation tactics even if Orochimaru was not one to play along. While it was tiresome, Orochimaru knew it was necessary.

For now.

"I would imagine the opportunity to add a few more bodies to your army would be appealing, Sasori."

"You know as well as I do that Konoha ANBU personnel utilize specialized suicide measures as a last resort." The puppet's tail lifted menacingly. "The only thing this skirmish has accomplished is to delay our mission in Tani. Let's go."

"So touchy. I almost fear you resent my company, Sasori."

Kicking over a piece of the Nara's immolated remains, Orochimaru sighed and looked toward the forest. Now was not the time to arrange an encounter, but oh, how he yearned to track down the fleeing shinobi and rip their eyeballs from their sockets.

"Orochimaru, let's go."

Orochimaru rolled his eyes and tipped his head to accentuate his serpentine jaw.

"I suppose so."

Later, he would have to acquire some information. Perhaps trading a favour to Sasori would be worth it to make use of the man's impressive spy ring. Regardless, Konoha had piqued his interest once more.

After all, it was not every day an old man learned to grow a pair.

"Sasori, has anything interesting been whispered about lately?"

---

Fugaku's funeral had been a clan-only affair mostly for the sake of Mikoto, who would not be capable of performing in front of a large audience.

The reception, however, was another matter entirely. The Uchiha Clan was hosting a rather ostentatious event despite the condition of the widow. Tsunade had mentioned more than once that she intended to crack a few skulls when she discovered who was behind it. Nevertheless, their little family would be going to this shindig—and Shizune had singed the cover of one of Kakashi's books with a legitimate fireplace iron when his Nii-san had moved a bit too slowly.

Minato hadn't seen the man move that fast in…ever.

East of the Uchiha District, Minato felt the sporadic pulses of a chakra signature that, although unique, was in the same flavour as Kurama's chakra. Even without having laid eyes on her, Minato felt positive that sunny personality had to be Choumei's jinchuuriki.

"Oba-san, will Mikoto-san be alright?" Minato piped up in an attempt to distract Tsunade from her foul mood.

"She'll be much better after I deal with those bumbling fools."

So much for that distraction. He tried.

"That's what happens when shinobi retire, Minato. They have nothing better to do except meddle in the affairs of others."

"You would know," Kakashi remarked slyly, because the man obviously had a death wish.

Shizune choked and stumbled into Jiraiya, who looked far too happy to have his hands treacherously close to Shizune's backside. Tsunade's fist glowed briefly with intent and Kakashi wisely replaced himself with someone's mailbox just before the wood post shattered and the metal box was sent flying until it was just a speck in the sky.

Minato acted quickly and forced himself to stumble. Deliberately, he trampled Jiraiya's toes, which caused the large man to jerk backward. Seizing the opportunity, he planted his elbow in his so-called "goods."

Jiraiya yowled and his grabby fingers retreated before they could grope Shizune, promptly eliminating Tsunade's interest in Kakashi. She now had a juicier target for her wrath.

"Jiraiya! What the hell are you up to?!"

It worked like a charm. Tsunade had hands on either side of Jiraiya's head and was shaking the giant of a man with the ease one might fling about a doll. Kakashi nodded once in approval and Shizune was fretting up a storm next to Tsunade about not making it on time—which was a ridiculous argument since they were already in the district itself.

"I'm going to find Sasuke and Naruto," Minato announced casually.

"Hmm, fine. I'll catch you later, pup."

Minato rolled his eyes, not believing Kakashi's innocent ploy for a moment. Obviously Kakashi knew that Shisui and Itachi were in the vicinity and trusted them to babysit him too. How Kakashi was aware of that would have to remain a mystery.

Minato bypassed the front yard milling with people. Most overlooked him for his youth and height, but a few more cunning schemers thought to approach him after taking a closer look at him. Minato used his height to his advantage and avoided everyone while winding himself around back to an area of the Naka River that bordered the Uchiha District itself.

Ducking behind a few round shrubs, he finally made it around back, where he saw most of his friends dressed in soul-sucking black at the edge of a particularly turbulent patch of water. Shisui and Itachi were standing just far enough off to the side that they could not readily be considered part of the group of children.

It was Sasuke standing in the middle of the river's uneven surface, holding a dark bokken and performing beginner's stances for kenjutsu upon the water, that caught his eye. From a distance, Minato could tell that Sasuke's chakra reserves were nearly depleted and each swing of the wooden sword was more sluggish than the last.

It was hard to say what exactly was going through Sasuke's head, but Sasuke's chakra and mind had to be at war with each other. With so little chakra left and so much of it going into keeping him atop the water, he had to be exhausted.

But there was a noticeable lack of turmoil that left a mark on Sasuke's chakra. He was missing something.

Shisui turned as he approached, a smile blooming upon his face as he pumped his arm in a wave and whispered into Itachi's ear. Shisui was at his side in a flash, his arms embracing him gently.

Minato returned the gesture and, after a second, he was put back on his feet.

"Missed you, kid."

"You too."

A second later he was released—only to be swarmed by the other children, who made a packed semi-circle in front of him.

"Minato-kun!"

There was a blur of dark hair from his periphery before he was impacted by Hinata latching on and clinging to him almost desperately. The girl's dark attire was slightly damp, as was her hair, suggesting she had braved the water's surface to be near Sasuke. No one else looked damp, but no one else—at least to his knowledge—had the chakra control necessary to achieve this result.

"Sasuke-kun isn't cooperating, I take it?"

Minato patted her back, sensing her limited chakra reserves spluttering weakly. At least she had the good sense to stop while she was ahead.

"Sasuke-kun is not himself," Hinata snapped back in harsh defense. "I certainly wasn't after…well, you know."

"Breathe," he ordered patiently.

"I'm glad you're alright." Hinata sniffed, but the tears never fell. "The last few days have been dreadful."

Carefully freeing himself from Hinata's grasp, Minato greeted everyone.

"It's nice to see you guys again."

"You too, Minato-chan." Chouji was fiddling with the seal on his bag of chips, but they were noticeably unopened. "Glad you're okay now."

"I told you guys he was fine." A bit of Inuzuka cockiness made an appearance, coming almost as a relief after everything that had happened.

"Your basis for that assumption was not substantiated by evidence, therefore we could only conclude you were making assumptions based on a faulty premise," Aburame Shino stated calmly, causing more than a few kids to look confused.

"Um…huh?"

"He said you're an idiot," Neji translated for the majority of the children.

"We already knew that," Ino stated blandly.

"Hey!"

"All of you need to shut up," Shikamaru growled, startling nearly all the youngsters into complacency. "Look, Minato, we're all glad you're okay, but funerals are depressing and Sasuke is acting weird. And if Chouji doesn't start eating, I'm not gonna be able to nap."

Sweet Kami, did the Nara have frighteningly one-track minds.

"Shikamaru!" Ino nailed the other boy in the head. "His Tou-san died! If that happened to me, I would be so sad."

"Yeah, well, we've been here for almost thirty minutes watching Sasuke on the river." Shikamaru pointed to where Naruto was literally hopping up and down screaming at Sasuke from the riverbank while Itachi held him back with a restraining arm.

"I'll try to get him. Do you guys want to grab some stuff from the house so we can have a picnic?"

"Oh yeah! We can do that!" Ino looked so happy to be of help that it was rather endearing.

"Yeah, everyone is bringing food so we should be able to grab some stuff easy-peasy." Kiba held out his hand in a peace sign.

"I'll make sure we get enough," Chouji added.

"Sasuke hasn't been eating much, so we'll make sure to bring lots of stuff." Hinata had a strange glint in her eye—sort of fiercely determined and almost protective.

Neji just sighed, but moved to stand near Hinata with Shino trailing behind them.

"Will you guys save me some dumplings?"

To his embarrassment, his stomach growled enthusiastically.

"Sure thing," Into chirped with a slow, exaggerated wink. "Sounds like you're starving too, Minato-kun."

"Meh, I'll just wait for you guys here."

Collectively, everyone—including Shisui—intelligently drew away from the resident Nara genius.

"Gah!"

"That's what you get for being a bum!" Ino screamed.

She kicked him again, causing the boy to roll to his feet while nursing the goose egg on his head and ambling toward the house.

"Thanks, guys!"

"Itachi is worried about Sasuke," Shisui confided as they walked together slowly to where Itachi was standing near Naruto.

"Itachi is going to go grey early." It was a fair assumption considering how forcefully controlled Itachi could be.

Minato would never forget the jaded, angry Sasuke from the future. The young man that had bargained with Orochimaru for the chance of finding an answer that would not lead to vengeance. The cycle of hatred was not such an easy thing to navigate, even once the mind knew it was there. Ignorance was bliss and knowledge was the bane of existence.

No matter what, Minato would not allow Sasuke to become that hurt, betrayed person ever again. Maybe it would be impossible to eradicate the seeds of repulsion toward Kumo, but not everything was ruined. Sasuke's love for his father was great, but it was not that unfettered rage that led to Madara's ascension to power.

This was wholly different.

"He hasn't said a word," Itachi stated, looking visibly unhappy.

Minato knew the last remnant of Itachi's childhood had died along with Fugaku. Uchiha Itachi had been destined for greatness before his birth and now would carry a dozen more burdens. Considering the vengeful young man that Sasuke had become in the future, Minato knew that he would have to watch this one carefully. A young mind was malleable and intelligence was not the same as wisdom. Itachi had listened to the whisperings of Danzo and that had brought his family to ruin. Minato could not allow that to happen again.

Would not allow that to happen again.

"You worry over Sasuke too much." Minato spoke at last, feeling reluctantly pleased that Itachi seemed to be attentive and distressingly aware that no one had yet turned on Minato. "Everyone grieves in a different way. Even you. But you're always hovering over Sasuke instead of walking next to him. If you want to help Sasuke, stop over-thinking it. Just be there for him. The rest will sort itself out."

Minato did not stick around to watch Itachi try and dissect him with that uncannily discerning gaze. Instead, he took a deep breath, carefully regulated his chakra flow, and stepped onto the river. Whatever Kurama was doing was definitely impacting his chakra control, but the impact was infinitesimally small—a ripple on a pond—so he was able to compensate for the moment.

The river burbled over the rocks and saturated the air with a pleasant mist that cooled his warm skin. Sasuke was standing dead in the middle of the river with his bokken almost slack, one swift current away from being swept off.

"I did it."

A loaded statement if there ever was one.

"Did what?"

"Took me over two days…but I got it down."

"A…kata?" Minato asked hesitantly.

"The water-walking technique," Sasuke muttered, just on the edge of brusque, but there was an element of pride infused in his voice. "I promised Tou-san I would keep making him proud. And I will."

Minato sighed once, feeling his heart lighten a bit.

"Will you show me the kata you learned one more time? I haven't gotten to see you and Naruto doing them yet."

It was the opposite of what most would do, but Minato had learned many lessons through trial and error with Kakashi. When you nudged a grieving child in a direction they didn't want to go or told them something they did not want to hear, it pushed them away instead of bringing them closer. If Minato wanted Sasuke to learn something, he would have to gently guide him in such a way that Sasuke never realized he was being led.

"Sure. Watch."

Sasuke took up a guard position followed by a lateral swing. Each movement was overcompensated with excessive force—no doubt brought on by imminent chakra exhaustion—and on top of that, the manoeuvre was clumsy, but still recognizable. All in all, a good beginner's effort.

Sasuke was panting, but there was a gleam in his eye that Minato had been expecting and looking for. Sasuke swung again. And again. Harder and slower.

Minato waited. And waited. He never said a word.

After a couple minutes, Sasuke stumbled and his chakra gave out.

Minato slid his arms under Sasuke's armpits. Sasuke was much heavier than he looked so he decided to just drag the other boy back to shore.

"I fell."

"Your body is just tired. Like mine was."

"Tou-san would have done better."

"Hardly." Minato grinned, thinking back on that very day. "Hyuuga Hiashi was on the same team as Fugaku-sama. They learned how to walk on water after making genin. And Hiashi beat him and rubbed his nose in it for weeks! Made your Tou-san crazy! But no way, Sasuke-kun. You're doing amazing."

"I couldn't save him, though."

"Not your job," Minato replied firmly.

"I hate them. I hate Kumo."

"Then live well. What better vengeance is there than remembering your promise to your father?"

Sasuke seemed to ponder that for a second.

"…Maybe, but I'm still going to make the Raikage pay for what he did someday."

Not a worst-case scenario. And while Sasuke was angry, his chakra did not scream of that twisted hatred from the future. Despising an enemy was not all that surprising; it was how the person handled it that really mattered.

"Here we are. Come on!"

"Sasuke!" Naruto pounced on the other boy at the edge of the shore and pointed to a large, colourful quilt their friends were sitting on with heaping plates full of food. "Everyone's here now. You need to eat before you pass out. Like seriously, Kaa-san doesn't need to worry about us too."

Clearly, Naruto bringing up their only living parent and suggesting she was not exactly coping perfectly was the right thing to say because Sasuke did not once complain as he was dragged over to the quilt.

He sniggered into his palm and made to follow, only to be stopped by Itachi's solemn voice.

"I never heard my Tou-san tell that story before."

Shit. Desperate times certainly call for desperate measures. Jiraiya-sensei's rules for bullshitting your way out of trouble: Deny everything or create false leads.

"That's weird," Minato fabricated casually. He shrugged both his shoulders and smiled disarmingly. "Hiashi-sama was rather fond of that story."

"The context would suggest that." Itachi had backed off from suspicion, but he was frowning at the river and looked rather conflicted.

"Join us when you're ready, Itachi-san."

Minato trotted over to the picnic table, giving thanks to Hinata as she offered him a plate already piled with some of his preferred foods.

"Quit napping or I'm dumping the pork onto your head—you remember what happened last time."

Shikamaru actually inched away from Ino a bit and Chouji began muttering barely sensible apologies into his plate.

"Alright, no napping," Shikamaru muttered, looking more like he was surrendering instead of agreeing as he waved his hands at Ino urgently. "Tch, you sound like my Kaa-san. Quit nagging."

"Ino!" Minato successfully captured Ino's attention, carefully noting how the platinum blonde's left eye twitched dangerously. "I just wanted to say thank you for organizing the food and…the flowers look really nice inside. Did you help?"

The truth was he had not seen the inside so there was no telling whether any flowers were present, but he could hardly believe a funeral with Yamanaka attendees would be free of any blooms.

"I did!" Ino brightened, apparently having forgotten Shikamaru's unfortunate remark. "I told Kaa-san that I wanted to make it really nice for my friends so I worked really hard!"

"Oh, well, they do look nice," Naruto chimed in uncertainly. "I hope they cheer Kaa-san up."

Sasuke looked far less lost and almost a bit interested in what was going on around him. He went so far as to start shuffling toward the group of friends that instantly surrounded him.

"Come get something to eat, Sasuke." Chouji dumped a second mound of dumplings onto Sasuke's plate. "You look hungry and that's making me worried which makes me hungry."

"I guess I could eat a little more…" Sasuke admitted hesitantly.

Leave it to the Nara to pull the ace they needed. Oh well.

"Dude, no offense, but you kinda smell. How long has it been since you bathed?" Kiba had a hand in front of his wrinkled nose.

"Yeah, it's been a while." Naruto reappeared with arms full of a dessert tray. "I brought us some goodies."

"Cinnamon buns!" Hinata snatched the tray away from Naruto, plopped down at their table, and sat directly in front of the sweet-smelling pastries. "Here, Sasuke."

Sasuke himself plunked down on a bench and frowned at the pastry on his plate.

"Not much of a sweets person," he muttered.

"I am." Shisui popped in and snagged the cinnamon bun off of Sasuke's plate—somehow oblivious to the killer intent pouring off the Hyuuga heiress.

Minato thought he heard Neji directing Shino to "back away slowly," but they were sitting the furthest away.

"Tou-san would like this," Sasuke said abruptly, causing the chatter—and Hinata's rage—to dissipate.

"The food?" Kiba continued to chew with his mouth open. A small octopus leg dangled between his lips.

"No. He would have liked us being here together."

Minato sensed the genuine goodness in those words and relaxed infinitesimally. The future was looking brighter already.

---

It was a sweltering afternoon that necessitated all the doors and windows to be open to allow for a fresh breeze.

The Uchiha Clan home was overflowing with well over a hundred people. Representatives from all prominent clans were in attendance, in addition to dozens of Uchiha mourners and certain members of the Civilian Council that were making an appearance for the sake of politics.

Fugaku would have approved of this. Mikoto could practically hear his voice whispering to her even now, telling her what a triumph it was that their clan's prominence was being recognized; musing over potential marriage contracts for Itachi that Mikoto would have to squash before they became reality. Fugaku would have been proud, like dying was some sort of achievement instead of a tragedy.

Mikoto hated it. She wanted to take those smarmy politicians that reeked of overpriced perfumes and smash their painted faces into the dirt. And she wanted to go back in time and smack some sense into her late husband too. And if there truly was no other way, she would have been proud to take his place just so she wouldn't have to feel this lonely. Mikoto would not wish this sort of pain on her worst enemy.

A hand on her shoulder had her automatically struggling to muster up some sort of false thanks.

"Easy, Mikoto." She sagged in relief and felt the woman pat her shoulder in a gesture of commiseration. "It's been an hour. I'm going to reposition you a bit. Just relax and let my strength do the rest."

Relaxation was the last thing on her mind, but Mikoto forced her muscles to unclench and surrendered herself to Tsunade's care. It was a simple repositioning, but it removed the pressure on her body. Tsunade rearranged the pillows in a brisk manner.

It was over in less than a few moments and Mikoto felt only a few twinges of pain that were quickly dealt with by Tsunade's glowing green palms.

"Better?"

"Very much so, thank you," Mikoto mumbled before absently pointing to the open spot next to her that no one had quite dared to take.

"Here." Tsunade flopped down and pressed something cool into her hands. "It will taste like shit, but it has some essential ingredients."

Medication and probably something more discreet to help her relax.

"If one more person comes up to me, I might kill them," Mikoto admitted while taking a careful sip of her drink.

Kami, it was foul. It was also a reminder of exactly why she ditched the hospital in her more reckless days. If only today was like those days were.

"Welcome to my world."

Mikoto frowned slightly at Tsunade's last comment, finding something a little off about the subtle jibe that she did not quite understand. To the few that dared approach them, the Senju woman warned them off with a glare that would make the most intrepid of souls piss their pants in fear. For what discernible reason was Tsunade staying with her? There was a new respect between the two of them since Tsunade saved her life, but that made them amicable, not friends.

"You're stuck with this one."

Mikoto's jaw clicked as the venerable Kami of Shinobi himself graced her with his presence. Around them, onlookers inched closer like the curious gossips they all were. Privacy was an illusion and she certainly would not be afforded any courtesy at all while she grieved.

"Hokage-sama." Mikoto greeted the man with a dip of her chin.

The Hokage's demeanour was dominated by regret. Understandably, he took the only remaining free seat next to Mikoto and stirred a cup of tea without drinking it.

"Again, I wish to extend my condolences on this saddest of occasions. Your husband was the sort of man all shinobi aspire to be."

"If they aspire to be dead men, then I'm sure that is the case."

The Hokage hummed once and seemed to overlook her less than appropriate response. It would surely get her into trouble with upstart clan elders at a later time.

"I've taken your son on as my apprentice."

The buzz of conversation around them abruptly dropped off as the eavesdroppers received the pound of flesh they had been waiting for.

"And I've officially reinstated you as a kunoichi of Konoha."

What the hell? The bit about Itachi was all but expected considering the state of their agreement and Fugaku's death, but a reinstatement? Outside of a request or wartimes, such an action was unheard of. Gauging from the flurry of whispers, the news of this would carry and it would carry fast.

Next to her, Tsunade seemed just as bewildered by this news as she was. What sort of meddling was this?

"Sensei, she has enough on her plate as it is. Active duty is not about to do her any favours."

"I wonder about that. Grief is a funny thing, Tsunade." The Sandaime was staring intensely at Tsunade for a minute and Mikoto felt like an entire conversation was happening between them, especially when the other woman suddenly looked away as if unable to bear the weight of that gaze.

"Naturally, you'll need time to recover and train, so I'll give you paid leave for the time being."

"Hokage-sama..." She scrambled to find the words that would not paint her the fool and found herself grasping at straws. "My boys are—"

"Mikoto." The Hokage's face was smiling, but there was something hard in his voice that she was reluctant to combat. "I'll have Koharu stop by to brief you on your new position next week. Rest, relax, and don't give it any thought. I have no doubt the position will suit you."

"As you command." Mikoto let her chin drop in deference as she seethed inwardly.

"I'll leave you ladies to relax." The Sandaime stood and casually moved to mingle with some of the other guests. Around them, conversation restarted.

"Bastard."

Tsunade snorted and Mikoto felt her cheeks flush with shame when she realized what she had just said was bordering on treasonous. Fortunately for her, everyone was so busy tittering with idle chatter and trying to fawn over the Hokage, they didn't appear to have overheard her.

"He certainly can be."

It was not as if Tsunade understood what she was going through. Except that was wrong, wasn't it? The Sannin did not have much privacy considering their celebrity status, so it was common knowledge that Tsunade-hime had been involved with a young man during the Second Shinobi War.

Tsunade did know what she was going through. The man she loved had also died an unfair death.

"How did you get through this?" Mikoto blurted out suddenly. Thankfully, she was quiet enough that those standing nearby didn't notice.

Tsunade's smile was utterly mirthless. She downed her entire drink in a single go.

"You don't," Tsunade murmured. "You just find reasons to keep breathing. And eventually, maybe, a reason to enjoy living again. You're luckier than I was. You already have a reason. Three, in fact."

Oh, her poor boys. Mikoto really had not been the best parent in the last few days. If she were being completely honest, she only recalled seeing the children in passing if at all. She could not remember holding them or helping them.

Had they even been hurt? Or was it just her?

"Are they—" Mikoto's voice broke somewhat. "Are they alright?"

"Hmm?"

"My boys…are they doing alright?"

She did not want to say it. She did not want to say that she had blocked out her children and focused on herself like some horrible, selfish person. What kind of person—let alone a mother—was she to have to ask someone else about her children?

"I took the liberty of arranging sessions with Inoichi for Sasuke. I think it would have been more difficult if Itachi had not intervened and made Sasuke cooperate."

Mikoto felt her eyelids sink closed in shame.

"Naruto?"

"Hanging in there. The Sandaime had a talk with him yesterday."

That hit Mikoto like a punch to the face.

"About…it?" she stressed.

"Yes, but he's coming around. Minato seems to have helped him. In fact, Minato is out in the garden trying to pull Sasuke out of his shell."

That was a comfort, actually. Mikoto did not know why, but the Senju heir seemed to have a way with people and the other children that defied understanding. If there was someone who could help Sasuke, she believed Minato was just the one.

Kami knows I haven't been around. I might be injured, but…there is no excuse for this.

The sound of a crying baby dragged her from her guilt. Mikoto only just managed to put her arms around Hiashi's daughter as the bundle was unceremoniously shoved at her.

Her injuries protested, but Tsunade was instantly at her side, fluffing pillows to help support the weight of the squirming babe she now held.

"What are you doing, Hyuuga?" Mikoto hissed, instantly sorry when Hanabi screeched in protest.

Hiashi was attired completely in black and had dropped onto the cushion next to her and closed his eyes.

"You offered to help me with my daughter." Hiashi shrugged, somehow not dislodging a single hair even though he was slouched against the couch like a Nara.

"You suppose this is a good time?" Tsunade asked with a heavy dose of sarcasm.

"Yes," Hiashi remarked defiantly. "I can think of no better time."

Tsunade looked prepared to say something rude, but Mikoto just shook her head and blinked tiredly at the baby innocently cooing up at her.

Absently, she trailed a finger over Hanabi's soft cheek. Hanabi just blinked blurry eyes, entirely uninterested in and unaware of the solemn affair going on around her. Leaning over, Mikoto buried her nose in downy black hair and felt her heart ease as the baby cooed at her some more.

Such a carefree innocence that was not tainted yet by their world. No war or hardship to worry about even though her family might be less than perfect.

Her eyes burned as she looked at baby Hanabi.

Was this what you saw, my love?

The baby cooed again and Mikoto held her as tight as she dared, just soaking in that innocence that was like a balm to her aching heart.

---

The stools of Ichiraku Ramen were completely occupied that afternoon. A cool breeze had the cloth covering flapping lazily. Teuchi had welcomed them heartily and served up over a dozen dishes—most of which were being stacked next to an exuberant Naruto. The Uchiha may not have had the same affinity for the bowl of noodles, but the seasoning was impeccable and even such quaint dishes filled everyone up nicely.

Minato had suggested they take Shisui for an early lunch before he departed with Jiraiya. While Shisui's departure was not comparable with Fugaku's death, it was another loss in a short time span; the boys were displeased by the lack of notice.

"I can't believe you're leaving! The funeral was just yesterday!"

Minato swallowed a mouthful of noodles as Naruto complained to Shisui for the umpteenth time that day.

"Jiraiya-sensei is going to teach me some things that are important for me to learn."

"As if that'll help a moron like you," Sasuke retorted with all of his Tou-san's arrogance. "Itachi is going to be trained by the Sandaime. You'll never catch up to him."

"You're such a prickly little fellow!" Shisui cooed.

A second later, Sasuke snorted up a noodle as Shisui stuck a chopstick in the uppity boy's ear.

Minato snorted into his bowl as he observed the two engaging in a chopstick duel that involved the occasional flung vegetable, Sasuke's enraged growls, and Shisui's sniggering.

"You guys sure are a lively bunch." Teuchi chuckled from behind the counter. "You're all good kids."

"Thank you, Teuchi-san." Minato spoke on behalf of everyone except Itachi, who offered a quiet, polite thank you from a few stools over.

"You're welcome, kid. I better go get that miso going. I know Naruto is going to want a couple of those in a few minutes."

"You bet! Keep 'em coming!"

The ramen stand owner waved his ladle in a salute and returned to stirring.

"I still don't see why Shisui has to go." Naruto was so downcast and dismayed that he had slowed his ramen consumption to half his usual speed. "Minato, what did your Oba-san say about that old coot?"

Well, that rather depended. On any given day, Jiraiya was referred to in any number of derogatory fashions. The content—or lack thereof—of Jiraiya's literary works was denigrated on a daily basis. Tsunade also consistently called Jiraiya "that lecherous bastard" and a number of other less savoury terms.

"Erm..."

Minato looked to Itachi for a bail-out. The dark-haired boy looked entirely unimpressed, but nevertheless shoved a mostly empty bowl of ramen away and made a slight ahem sound that attracted Naruto's attention like honey attracts bees.

"Tsunade-sama's opinion is irrelevant, Naruto," Itachi explained. "Jiraiya has what many would deem an eccentric personality, but that hardly makes him an unfit teacher. Jiraiya-sama is the one that taught the Yondaime Hokage so I would not underestimate him as a teacher. I imagine Shisui will have much to learn from him."

"He taught the Yondaime?!"

Minato held his breath as Naruto's face exploded in a dozen different expressions before settling finally on a challenging smirk.

"You better train your ass off, Shisui!" Naruto erupted then, untidily ending the chopstick war with his antics.

"Naruto-kun, language!" Minato admonished Naruto without any hope of exerting a real impact.

Sure enough, the blond slammed his hand onto the counter, causing all the bowls to rattle. Itachi used his quick reflexes to rescue innocent condiment containers from an untimely demise.

"Because Sasuke and I are going to kick your ass when you get back!"

Shisui burst out laughing and started rubbing a rough noogie into a squirming Naruto's head.

"It's a challenge, kid!"

"As if a gumhead like you poses an actual challenge," Sasuke snarled, all huffy and puffy with his hair looking wilder than usual after being manhandled.

"Least they left me out of this," Minato muttered thankfully.

Your head is in the clouds, kid. Sharpen up. You've got company coming.

Huh?

There was no need for Kurama to elaborate, though. A chakra signature that resembled a small star was weaving its way toward them in the company of one other that felt familiar, but Minato could not quite—

The tent flap ruffled and two shadows passed underneath.

"Ichiraku-san, you got any ramen left?"

Genma!

The bandana-wearing, senbon-chewing tokujo looked a little older, but otherwise completely unchanged from when Minato last saw him. That deceptively relaxed stance and those eyes that had definitely inspected the group of them twice over in the last two seconds were achingly familiar.

"Ah, Shiranui-san! Good to see you're back in the village again. And the charming young lady next to you?"

The girl beside him had exotic-looking features. Pale orange eyes soaked in the sights as if she could not quite make sense of what she was seeing. Her hair looked like some of the seagrass that grew along the shores of Uzushio.

Choumei's container stood out in an easily identifiable manner that looked nothing like a common Taki shinobi, nor someone from any other village.

And her clothing stood out for other, rather frightening reasons.

"I'm Fū!" the girl declared with a wide smile that was infectious just for how sincere and enthusiastic it was. "Shiranui Fū!"

"Any relation of Genma's is welcome here." Teuchi pointed to one of the few empty stools, which happened to be next to Itachi. "Take a seat and look over the menu. Your first bowl is on me! Pick whatever you like!"

"Thank you!"

"Genma-san, you made it just in time to say goodbye!"

Shisui moved to engage the tokujo in conversation, freeing Minato up to shoot a quick clarifying question at Kurama.

Does she know about Naruto and I?

No. That girl isn't a sensor and Choumei's relationship with her is still at an early stage. They seem to have a positive relationship, but it's too soon for that sort of disclosure.

Minato smiled as the girl nervously asked Itachi for his opinion on the menu and, in doing so, coaxed the stoic boy into conversation. It was a strange pair: one bright and enthusiastic, if cautious, and the other quiet, intellectual, and unassuming.

Odd indeed, but maybe Itachi could make a friend on the eve of his best friend's departure.

Of course, Naruto looked up from his ramen binge-eating and noticed the colour in Fū's clothing. Thus, he instantly became friends for life with the slowly relaxing girl.

Conversation flowed easily in the end. Gradually, Fū started speaking to all of them in turn and Genma was reintroduced to Minato under his new identity. Everyone took to the tokujo—even Sasuke, who was drawn in by the down-to-earth personality and easy smile of one of Konoha's finest assassins.

Somehow, this good-natured introduction led to all of them accompanying Shisui to the gate, where a not insignificant group of people had gathered.

The Sandaime stood out as the most prominent figure, flanked by Koharu and Shikaku. Minato frowned at the obvious missing presences of Homura and Danzo, but dismissed the concern for a later day.

Tsunade was standing with Shizune, looking somewhat conflicted as her apprentice spoke to her quietly. Jiraiya was chatting with a masked ANBU—oh. Right. Tenzo. And yep, his former sensei was rather indiscreetly passing a thick envelope to the ANBU and patting the slump-shouldered man's back once. Tenzo promptly fled the area afterward.

Minato quickly moved in and wrapped his arms around Shisui's waist.

"Thank you for your kindness, Shisui-san."

A hand tugged on his ponytail once and cradled the back of his neck for a single second.

"Take care of yourself, little silver. And look after these two eggheads for me!"

A chorus of denials sounded. Minato promptly extracted himself from that situation and gave the boys some time to say goodbye privately.

Minato intended to make his way to Tsunade, but he paused next to Fū instead, who looked tense and uncomfortable as if she was not quite sure what to do with herself at present.

"It was nice meeting you, Fū-san." Minato's address caused her to startle slightly, but she brightened again almost instantly. "We didn't have much time to talk, but feel free to come around whenever. I have a feeling we have more in common than you know."

Genma shot him a piercing look that Minato ignored. He just focused on Fū and evaded the tokujo's attention.

"I would like that!" Fū smiled so widely and hopefully at Genma that the older man seemed to melt under her attention.

"As touching as all of this is, it's time for us to leave. C'mon, Uchiha. Say your goodbyes. I want to be in Otafuku Gai by sundown."

"Because I'm sure it's all for the sake of practicality," Minato caught Tsunade muttering.

Some things never change.

Minato drifted over to where Tsunade was and allowed himself to be hefted onto the Sannin's hip.

"You're going to miss him," he whispered quietly enough for only Tsunade's ears.

"No." She surprised him by how calm and sincere she sounded. "Jiraiya was never meant to stay in the village. He might tolerate it, but he wouldn't be himself. That's the thing about people, my little one. Living and thriving are not quite the same thing. You'll understand better when you're older."

I guess you can teach an old dog a few new tricks.

"Goodbye, Hime," Jiraiya leered from the safety beyond the gate. "When I return, I just know you'll be even sexier than ever! Go on a date with me when I get back, won't you?"

"In your dreams, you old perv."

Tsunade sounded irate, but her heartbeat remained steady save for a minute fluttering. Maybe Oba-san enjoyed Jiraiya's attention more than she let on. If it was true, that information was best kept to himself, unless he intended to bring down upon himself a world of misery and pain.

Minato rested his head on Tsunade's shoulder and watched Shisui exchange goodbyes with Naruto and Sasuke, who were suspiciously rubbing reddened noses into their sleeves.

Shisui broke away and moved to stand by Jiraiya with a mighty thumbs-up.

"Bye, everyone! Thanks for coming to see me off! You guys take care now!"

"You better come back with some new moves, Gumhead!" Naruto cupped his hands and shouted, "And don't forget presents! And send letters! And Itachi's snacks!"

"Naruto-kun." Itachi shook his head despairingly.

"Shisui and Jiraiya. That's an interesting pair."

Strong, thin arms plucked him from Tsunade's grasp and replanted him atop familiar bony shoulders. He buried his fingers in grey spikes and felt Kakashi's hands squeeze just a bit around his ankles.

"You're late," Minato commented nonchalantly.

"Just a bit. There were a few things I had to take care of, but I came as soon as I could."

That reply had been less evasive and ultimately made Minato more than a little curious. Still, he could hardly ask questions, even though he was dying for the answers.

"Shizune has been busy too. I'm going to have a word with Sensei tomorrow about stealing my subordinates."

"Hmm, we ready to go?"

"Hmph. Minato could use a bit of extra rest. Let's get going," Tsunade agreed while making it sound like it had been her idea all along, then stomped off in the direction of their home.

"I'm fine," he protested.

"You're fine when I say you're fine." Tsunade shut down his attempt at coercion and Minato slumped forward, admitting defeat. Kakashi squeezed his ankle again and Minato clung to the idea that it was a sign of solidarity.

"Off we go, then," Minato's transport commented as he began walking forward at a sedate pace—minus his favourite reading material, what with Tsunade in such close proximity.

"Minato-chan, you're leaving?" Naruto cried out from behind.

"Ah, sorry, Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun." He waved to them, grateful that Kakashi paused to allow him a brief farewell. "We'll visit tomorrow, okay? And you really ought to come around with Shiranui-san sometime, Fū-san!"

"Bye!" the orange-eyed girl called cheerily. "And I will as long as Genma brings me!"

Sasuke's goodbye was silent, but he lifted his hand to wave in a mirror image of his Nii-san.

"Oh, wait!" Naruto looked positively giddy, just as Minato detected an approaching chakra signature travelling at an incredibly fast pace. "Should we meet at the—"

"ETERNAL RIVAL!"

There was a green blur that never quite solidified as Kakashi executed a shunshin worthy of the ANBU captain he was. They reappeared several rooftops away, moving at speeds that truly challenged even Konoha's Green Beast.

Unexpectedly, Minato found himself laughing.

There was so much to do if they wanted to change the bleak future awaiting them. So much growing, but that fear could not reach him with the wind whipping his hair around and his body firmly attached to Kakashi's shoulders.

Minato looked upon the rocky faces of Konoha's Hokage and nodded once. The past could not be changed, but the present was just waiting to be fixed. The future was already irrevocably altered and it was up to him to keep things from unravelling the way they had before.

And if he truly wanted to start living this life as if it was his own, he really needed to start treating it as such. To start accepting who he was.

"Nii-san, what was Tou-san like?"

Kakashi faltered. A slight misstep that he felt when Kakashi's gait was interrupted for a split second.

"That isn't…the easiest thing to answer. What do you want to know? I can't promise I'll be able to answer, but I'll do my best."

Minato snuggled closer, ignoring the telling scent of blood and focusing on strands of hair that smelled like fresh leaves and sweat. It was comforting even if Kakashi's chakra felt queasy with fear.

"Doesn't matter," he remarked softly. "Tell me about spending time with him. Tell me whatever you want. I just want to see him the way you do. Not what some dusty history book tells us."

"Hatake Sakumo was his name. And as much as you do resemble the Nidaime, you remind me of our Tou-san very much."

"I do?" This part he was certainly interested in.

"You do," Kakashi said easily. "Let me tell you how my Tou-san taught me to swim. It was a rather unorthodox method even by shinobi standards. You see…"

Kakashi's pace slowed and his words began to flow with greater confidence with each passing moment. Sure enough, Kakashi actually began emoting during certain parts of his story and engaging with his past instead of running from it.

While Kakashi was experiencing his own catharsis, Minato asked simple questions—nothing that would link to Sakumo's suicide—and actually found himself adapting to the idea that he had an actual history now. It was not just a farce created by Tobirama's jutsu, but a true and real experience that he was able to reflect upon as an entirely new person with a rich and unique background.

Genetically speaking, Minato had parents, though he would never meet them. And with those parents, came stories that now belonged to him.

Who am I?

An annoying brat named Minato. The rest hardly matters.

So much for trying to be existential. Thanks a lot, Kurama.

Kakashi continued to speak, imparting a dozen positive memories that seemed incredibly raw for something so long in the past. Minato continued to listen, stared into the sunset, and smiled faintly.

The next few years were sure to prove interesting.

---

"Danzo is dead? Who could have done that?"

"The Hokage is responsible. No matter how paranoid Danzo became, he never would have suspected his friend. This changes everything."

"Hahaha, Tobi won't like that."

"Tobi's expectations are irrelevant. Madara will be displeased if his orders have not been carried out when we resurrect him."

"Eh?! So what do we do, then?"

"We wait."

---

AN: So sorry for the wait on this chapter. It couldn't be helped. I have a life and my beta reader has a life and...lives can plot against you!

A fun announcement!~ We are having our timeskip to the Academy! That period will consist of 2-4 chapters depending on how inspired I am. After that, we're aiming for graduation. That being said, if you have a request, this is your one time to ask. I won't promise anyone anything, but I'll consider anything you have to say. The only thing I will tell you is that Sakura will show up. And obviously Minato will get plenty of screen time. But if you have a request for a specific pov or something fun, you're welcome to ask. I obviously can't do everything, but I'll see what I can come up with.

For the record. They are kids, so no dirty stuff! Just putting that out there!

Anyway, I adore each and every one of you. I really, really do. I hope that my erratic schedule hasn't put you all off the story! Take care!