She was depressed, there was no way around it Kushina watched as Minato and his new girlfriend passed down the crowded streets of their village having run into an alley the moment she had spotted them. As far as he was concerned her reaction was warranted, ever since the two of them had been set up Kushina had done everything in her power to ensure that she wasn't in the same general vicinity as the two of them. Now, that was not to say that she stopped talking with Minato completely. In actuality, she still met up with him two to three times a week, sometimes with his Sensei, so that they could work on their seals and continue to teach one another what they knew. Then there was Holo, Kushina couldn't avoid her even if she had wanted to. The Orange-haired woman worked in the mission room and, therefore, she was a constant in her life. Plus, Kushina couldn't lie - she rather enjoyed her company. The Chūnin wasn't like anyone she had run into, she was blunt with her words and there seemed to always be a witty retort ready for her to give.

It was extremely refreshing and nice change in these trying times.

What it all came down to was the fact that Kushina simply didn't know what to do and while it made quite a comedic spectacle for Kurama... or anyone who had noticed her awkward behavior when she noticed the couple -Shikaku- it drove Kushina up the wall with anxiety. Every time, this time, included, her heart would throb and she couldn't pinpoint the feeling that came with it.

Looking at them now Kushina could easily see how the two of them looked at one another. It was everything Kushina could have ever hoped for.

As they passed Kushina stepped out of the alley and her eyes focused on their laced hands. Minato was talking animatedly with the pale-orange haired Chūnin and she seemed more than interested in the conversation they entered the very place she was en-route to. A piece of her heart was beating erratically, ecstatic that she had done it. That she had found Holo and found the person that almost matched the images of the Kushina Uzumaki Melody had adored. Looking at her now Kushina couldn't help but smile, Holo was wearing a simple light tan tunic that fell down a little bit past her rear and under that she wore brown shorts that hovered over her ankles and even the top of her ninja shoes showing a modest amount of skin. Her hair fell straight down her back all the way to her waist.

Speaking of the Chūnin in question, Kushina knew that Holo had seen her. Their eyes had met before the couple had passed and Kushina had seen them brighten, twinkle even.

While she hadn't known Holo before the whole ordeal they had spoken a lot actually since Holo started dating Minato a month ago. Kushina had to admit, based on prior results and how different Holo was compared to everyone else she wasn't sure if Minato was going to bite. After their initial introduction date, he hadn't spoken about it to Fugaku, Inori or Shikaku. Then Holo had been sent out on a mission the following week, she was gone two days and the next thing Kushina knew Minato was at her door pulling his hair out and explaining the whole situation to her.

Being an orphan himself he hadn't the vaguest idea as to how to continue to see Holo and the closest thing he had to a father figure was his Sensei. Said Sensei who too apparently had no idea how to court a woman, Minato hadn't gotten into the details, but the fact that even he thought what Jiraiya had offered wasn't to be followed meant something. Holo returned from her mission and seemed surprised, for Holo, to see Minato at her doorstep the following morning.

She wasn't stalking him, no not at all. She was just ensuring the idiot didn't screw anything up.

Honestly.

Offering advice to Minato was confusing and if nothing else it proved to Kushina just how little she knew about Holo. That had been what pissed her off at the end of the day, or at least, that is what she told herself. Because there was no way in hell that she was bothered that she was offering Minato advice on how to court and win a girl over, nope.

No way.

Definitely not.

"So what is your plan?" Melody was lying on the ground of her single room apartment with her heels flat on one of the walls as she bounced a ball on said wall. She had been there since her last date with Minato contemplating on if she should have forced Kushina with them to the Ramen Shop. I have to give her kudos she is quick on her feet when it comes to getting out of eyesight. Had I not been searching for those beautiful waves of red, I would have missed her. The pseudo-Chūnin thought to herself completely ignoring the demon in her mind. "We are running out of time Vixen, this is no time to be lounging about." Rolling her eyes, Melody threw the ball up to the wall and caught it by stretching her arm out without a second thought. "That is my current predicament, you giant ball of fur." She mentally groaned. "If I go and stop that then there will be absolutely nothing that I can guarantee." She threw the ball a bit harder, "And sadly if we want to prevent you from being shoved into a newborn child." "That may not be born." "Shush. A newborn child and stop the massacre that your unsealing and subsequent resealing will cause. I will have to let that happen."

"YOU!" Melody lazily looked 'up' at her intruder, not bothering to move from her position on the ground.

"Me?"

"I knew I recognized that scent. Your scent." Melody flickered her eyes twice and maintained the neutral expression on her features.

"Well I mean, it's not like I was purposefully hiding it." The orange-haired henged Kunoichi offered to try to draw out the conversation and piece together just what the hell was going on. Tsume wasn't exactly someone she had hunted down or bothered hanging out with, sure she had played with the soon-to-be head of Clan when she was a kid after returning from her training with Tsunade...sue her, Melody had a soft spot for dogs... but she hadn't thought that the few weeks she had played with the young, rambunctious Inuzuka had meant anything to the girl.

"Where have you been?"

"You are tall." Tsume apparently fed up with her shit-stormed into her studio and picked Melody up by the collar of her clothes. A feat that didn't surprise Melody since she was only about five feet three inches what had surprised her was how much taller Tsume was in comparison. She couldn't remember, especially as something as menial as character heights, but Melody was positive that Tsume was not taller than her when she was a soldier. Actually, she could name maybe five or six characters who would have been, note Tsume wasn't exactly someone she did extensive research on but Kiba - her son- definitely not her height. None of the rookie nine were except for the bug-user who looked extremely awkward when laughing. A scene she wasn't too sure if was fan-made or not.

Tsume, right here and now was most definitely taller than Melody had been before this she-bang.

It was downright terrifying.

"Holo."

"Maah, maah. Look at my neck you Amazon for a woman." The next thing Melody knew her ass hit the ground and her tailbone was expressing its dislike for the drop by shooting pain up her back. "For the love of the Nine, woman is this how you treat your friends?"

"Those who go missing then start dating the villages most wanted bachelor, yes." Melody rolled her eyes and stood up rubbing her ass and glaring at the Inuzuka all the while.

"That is not why you are here."

"That is exactly why I am here." Tsume spat back instantly as she crossed her arms and looked down at the orange-haired Chūnin.

"You are such a child. Voluptuous body aside." Melody crossed her arms as well as her features flattened but she rose a single brow.

"Like what you see?"

"And if I say that I do?"

"Liar."

"A girl can appreciate." This time, orange brows waggled and Tsume was the one to roll her eyes.

"You are still a tease."

"I was a child the last time I knew you, I was anything but a tease." When Tsume didn't respond Melody deflated, "You figured out what those things meant didn't you?"

"We Inuzuka's don't keep many secrets from one another, hard to do with the nose and Nin-kin," Tsume replied with a smirk as she tapped her nose, "You were quite the raunchy child. I am almost afraid to ask how you knew anything you were speaking about."

"I read a lot." Melody offered with a shrug and she smirked when Tsume raised a brow. "Now," Melody uncrossed her arms and slowly circled around her 'childhood' friend. Had she been taller she would have thrown her arms around Tsume and rested her chin on the Inuzuka's shoulder... sadly being a good half a foot shorter than Tsume wouldn't allow that. So instead, she circled around completely and rested her hand on the Inuzuka's painted, marked -she would have to ask about that- cheek and rubbed her thumb across it. "I'd lose my allure if I told everyone all of my interesting secrets."

Tsume thought something over for a moment before she opened her mouth. "You are a seduction Kunoichi."

"Ouch, tell me how you really feel." Melody reeled back and snatched her hand back as quickly as a child would after they placed their hands over an open flame. "That was years ago, but yes. I have done my fair share of those missions."

"And what are you doing now?" Melody couldn't help but feel like Tsume was interrogating her and after everything she had been through she was not really in the mood to deal with any more than that. Sadly she had chosen a prior form she had used before and scent, not that she could change that one too much just enough to not intentionally catch attention. If you were looking, though, one could easily find that the different scents she did use were all similar.

"If you would fill out your mission reports and turn them in you would know that I work at the missions desk." That earned a Melody a whimsical smirk from the tanned Kunoichi. "Uh-huh. You thought you were sneaky." Melody motioned for Tsume to sit down on the couch, "Please sit. We have to catch up,"

"She says as she leaves the room."

"Look, you exact opposite of a prune. I will have you know I am blessing you with a glass of water made by yours truly." She motioned towards herself and a small curtsy, it had to have looked completely ridiculous. "Now shut up and play domesticated you bitch." Melody was rewarded by boisterous laughter from her guest as she fetched some drinks.

Kakashi glared over at his self-proclaimed rival and couldn't help but wonder how in the name of the Sandaime that he got stuck with someone like him following him around.

Kakashi was pretty sure that after their first encounter back at the academy the spandex-clad kid would have left him be and that seemed to have been the case… He hadn't seen hide or hair of the talent-less sad excuse for a Shinobi for years since that encounter. He had honestly been forgotten to Kakashi, then the Chūnin Exams happened and Kakashi was sure he would not make it through. Then he did and on top of all of that Kakashi found himself paired off to fight him of all people during his final round. Then Kakashi had made the mistake, a mistake he would forever blame Emi for, by holding out a hand and praising the Taijutsu-specialist.

Looking back on it now, Kakashi was positive that it was there where he messed up.

Now that he was looking back at that particular incident and the months that followed Kakashi had to admit the signs were there. Sadly, he had other things on his mind instead of why a certain green-spandex-clad Shinobi happened to always be at their training grounds. Then there were the times where he would go out to eat with Kushina and he scanned the room, pointedly ignoring anything that reminded him of that particular Shinobi. Kakashi casually glanced over at the Chūnin as he continued to speak about whatever-the-hell he was talking about animatedly. I am sure that he is laughing it up in the grave. Kakashi mournfully thought to himself as he tuned back into whatever Gai was saying. "-define the terms of the challenge." The Hatake continued walking half-heartily trying to lose the visual loud looking Chūnin~ whether that be by losing Gai completely or his interest, Kakashi cared not.

Then as if the God's were looking down on him, Kakashi spotted hope in the form of his Sensei and Kushina as they were making their way towards him. Initially, he locked eyes with Kushina when she glanced away from his Sensei, but Kakashi knew the moment her violet eyes scanned him and then Gai before twinkling and a grin slowly spread across her features that any chances of rescue by her were for naught.

She did train with his self-proclaimed rivals father and had mentioned this, a friendship with someone his age, being good for him in the past.

Mentally huffing his eyes then shifted to his Sensei and it was then that he spotted the short woman with the two of them who seemed to have said Sensei's attention. He cursed her for distracting what could be his only means of escape but took the time to look at the woman. What first caught his attention was the odd shade of her hair, followed by the pure length of it. Not that he wasn't used to that, he was close with Kushina who had ridiculously and impractically long hair as well...noted she had truly begun to grow it out these last few years. For reasons, she had yet to share with him. His ear twitched and he instinctively tensed when he felt as if he was being watched, his eyes went from the woman's hair to her eyes and Kakashi mentally took pause.

Ruby eyes bore back at him, her gaze was... intense for lack of better word and while her sights were solely focused on him her mouth kept moving, continuing on the conversation she was holding with the two other Jōnin. As Kushina's eyes had earlier, the pair of Rubies shifted from him and over to where Gai was walking next to him then returned back to him. There was a split moment where he felt as if it were just the two of them in the world staring at one another from a vast distance, then her eyes twinkled with what he could only describe as pure amusement. Slightly off-put by the woman, who couldn't be more than a Chūnin- if that, Kakashi frowned under his mask. Then with the furthest eye from his Sensei, her right...

She winked at him.

She winked at him and he felt as if he was missing the other half of some joke. He felt as if he were hit with a wave of cold water as the three of them walked into the Ramen shop and Gai's voice -of all things- knocked him back into reality.

"I have decided! We shall run around the village three times then spar with a spoon in our mouths holding a single egg. If you drop the egg you must restart the whole challenge." Kakashi mentally toyed with the idea of asking the Chūnin where he came up with these 'trials' or 'challenges' but decided that he didn't want to know before nodding and they turned to head toward Training Ground Three, which had always ended up being the starting point for most of their challenges.

"So how are things?" Holo looked up from her spot behind the Missions Desk and smiled when she saw the Uzumaki.

"Kushina! Thank you so much!" She stood up and hugged the redhead with all her might, glad to simply be as close to her other half as she could. "I wasn't expecting for anything to come out of that date! Honestly and I would have never thought about taking it seriously had you not talked to me." She couldn't see the confusion that the redhead expressed while they hugged and it was gone when they separated.

"I hope you know what you are doing," Kurama spoke from the depths of both of their minds. Holo internally rolled her eyes unaware that the message had been directed toward the both of them for the same exact reason.

Simultaneously, Kushina grumbled a curt 'shut up' to her guest.

"I am so happy for the both of you," Kushina replied with as genuine a smile as she could muster, not wanting the Chūnin to know just how awkward the whole ordeal was for her. Holo brightened at the attempt but was well aware that the smile wasn't genuine in the least~ try as Kushina might there was no fooling Holo, not when the orange-haired Chūnin happened to be the only person in the world who knew Kushina more so than Kushina knew herself.

She was betting on it, in fact.

"You were right, he can be such an idiot sometimes." Holo laughed, but Kushina saw her red eyes sharpen, "I had to hit him upside the head." The Chūnin added then dug into her weapons pouch and pulled out a slip of paper before handing it over to the Uzumaki. "I don't know anything about Seals, but my gut was telling me that there was something wrong with this." Kushina reflexively looked over the design as soon as it was in her hand and dissected it for a good solid minute. The design was looking much more promising than the last one Minato had offered to her a couple weeks ago. Honestly, she would have to sit down and praise the blond for his work. As Kushina was going over the design Holo was mentally ripping her hair out wondering if this was too bold of a step for he to do. There was no way in hell that someone without Seals training would be able to see that the piece of the seal that would instantly shift him to every other seal with the same design if used as is. Since she had already opened her mouth though Holo merely maintained the confused but irate expression she held whens he handed the seal over and watched as Kushina slowly looked back up to Holo. When Kushina didn't respond right away the henged Yin-half widened her eyes. "Well say something. Am I just overreacting?" Kushina didn't speak for another couple seconds and Holo brought her lips together for a small frown before speaking. "I am aren't I. Man, I wish I understood that stuff. Then I could be of some help."

"Why do you think something is wrong?" Kushina's question was simple and Holo felt the hairs on her arms stand on end as her seals repressed the slight flux in chakra.

"I don't know. That looks like a load of crap to my eyes." Holo lied easily as she crossed her arms defensively. "The fact that of the matter is that all of them looked the same, I have no idea what it is supposed to do." She snagged the paper away and moved it around as she looked at it. "I mean, I was sitting here thinking about it all this time when something he mentioned under his breath came back to me-" She then paused and brought her brows together, "Speaking of which, are you two fighting?" That derailment caught the Uzumaki completely off guard and her eyes widened as she sputtered out a response as she snagged the Seal back- nearly ripping it in the process.

"W-what?! No, of course not. We are best friends, ya know!" Holo chuckled at the remark and her hands twitched to ruffle the Uzumaki's hair.

"That is as adorable as he says it is." Holo smiled before she shook her head and narrowed her eyes, more than willing to take this distraction that had presented itself. "He is worried about you. Wondering if he did something wrong, I keep telling the idiot to just come up and talk to you but then he goes and says 'that I just wouldn't understand' and 'That's not how you deal with Kushina.' Or something like that." She rolled her eyes, "Look. I am going to invite him out to Ichiraku's tonight… can you be there? Can we all meet and hang out? I would really like for you guys to still be friends." Kushina paused for a moment and seemed to think it over before she spoke again. "I would actually like all three of us to be-"

"What made you think we were not friends?" Holo easily caught he hurt that her other half was trying to hide in her words, but chose to ignore it and answer the question as someone who didn't know the Uzumaki's wood-work.

"He always talks about how much fun you guys used to have," She admitted looking down from Kushina's curious albeit sad glance and down at her feet. "Honestly, I thought you had died." Kushina arched a brow and bit the inside of her lip, unknowingly at the same time that Holo had when she took pause. "You had been out on a mission when I realized the tense he was using." Holo lied building the story from multiple conversations she had shared with the future Hokage, "I checked the records for missions and found that yours hadn't been returned, but it hadn't been moved to the unsuccessful pile either. The next day you walked in and turned in your mission." Holo laughed awkwardly to herself and Kushina joined, "It was all really confusing and I didn't want to seem unsympathetic by asking if you had passed." At Kushina's curious glance Holo elaborated, "I feel as if that should be something I am aware of." Kushina quirked her head to the side.

"And why is that?"

"Because you are my friend, of course."

And that was how Uzumaki Kushina found herself sitting between the couple at Ichiraku's. Holo was poking at her Miso Ramen and Minato his chicken, it was obvious even to Kushina about how awkward this whole thing was...albeit Holo didn't seem to give a rat's ass and was the only one who seemed natural in this scene. She had been the one to converse with Teuchi as he was making their meals while both she and Minato remained silent throughout the whole ordeal, at most giving single worded answers to everything they had asked them.

"Ah!" Said Chūnin voiced, "You never did answer my question, Kushina." The Uzumaki looked over at the Chūnin, aware that her outburst gained even Minato's attention on her left. "That seal. I don't understand any of that, but it seemed like perhaps me snagging that from him before he tried testing it was a good move." It took a moment but eventually everything Holo said finally processed through her mind.

"You were going to use this?!" Kushina spun around and roared as she pulled the seal from her pocket. "Are you trying to kill yourself?!" Minato reeled back momentary struck in a state of déjà vu as he looked into a pair of knowing red orbs and a threatening pair of violet. "Hmm?!"

"I was looking for that." He frowned regaining his voice and bearing as he spoke to Holo, before turning to speak with Kushina. "I went over it three times, the only thing left to do is test it." She could not believe what she was hearing, there was no way in hell that something like this should be tested. It would instantly kill him and wipe his existence from the world. He was too important, whether or not that be to the village didn't quite matter at that moment. All Kushina could think about was the feelings that were embedded into the memories that Kurama had shared with her. Whiles he still didn't know what happened to him, Kushina knew that something happened by the underlying sadness that seemingly held the memories together. He was too important to her and she would be damned if she lost her best friend over something as stupid as a Seal. Over something that she should be able to prevent.

She was supposed to train mini-Minato Jr's dammit and spoil them to where they drove him up the wall and adored her. That was going to prove to be impossible to do without him being here and having the damn brats. "What did both Jiraiya and I tell you, idiot? Before you go testing this particular seal have either him or I look at it."

"Jiraiya did look it over." Minato defended, but before she could dig further into that Holo's scoff gained Kushina's immediate attention. The Chūnin reached back into her weapons pouch and pulled out a red book, shifted through a few pages then handed it to Kushina.

At first, Kushina was in denial about what she was looking at, but after flipping two pages and comparing them to those in the room. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that inside the book were sketches of Minato, Holo and herself. Her eye twitched and when Minato attempted to glance over her shoulder the redhead spun to where the cover was to him as she flipped through the pages. They were innocent at first, a couple of full body sketches, a few poses, a couple of profile shots. It all seemed innocent as she flicked through five pages, but it became apparent where this was going as he went through the next five pages and the clothing became less and less while her anger rose more and more and her eye twitched.

"That was what his Sensei was working on as he looked over the seal." Holo reached over Kushina and snagged the book as she was greeted with what was undoubtedly a page, plot, and sketches for his next book. "I do believe it is safe to say that the Sannin's head was in a completely different realm from Minato's." Kushina was trying her damnedest to control the blood rushing to her cheeks.

"Did you finally find something you enjoy?" She really did not want to deal with Kurama at the moment.

"Shut it fur-ball!"

"Touchy, touchy. I didn't take you for a mate who shared."

"Kushina?" The blond in question asked cautiously when the redhead hadn't moved after a full minute of silence. Drawing her attention from the cackling Tailed-Beast and back to the couple, she was eating out with. When she came to she found Minato looking at her worriedly and she was biting the inside of her cheek so hard she could taste the blood on her pallet.

"W-What are you even doing with that book?!" Kushina demanded from the Chūnin who in response quirked her head to the side and knitted her brows together. Kushina could feel Minato's worried gaze turn off of her and she could only imagine that he too was interested and as curious as she was.

Saying he had even seen the book, which she doubted.

"Ensuring it doesn't get published, of course." Kushina paused horrified at the implications of that statement, "I didn't think either of you would have appreciated that." Holo admitted though she didn't look the least bit apologetic about having the item. Honestly, though, Kushina wasn't too sure if she would have rather had anyone else have access to that book. Then her mind wandered to how exactly a Chūnin like Holo would have been able to get such an item from the author who hoarded his work until the final product was made. "I only had to drink him under the table for it." Holo seemed to have been able to read Kushina's head though the answer she had offered did not set her mind at ease and from Minato's choking sounds behind her, it bothered him as well.

"You drank Sensei under the table?!" The red-eyed Chūnin nodded. "Do you know how dangerous that is?" Kushina found herself agreeing with the blond, but looking at the Chūnin in a new light. Drinking someone like Jiraiya could not have been an easy feat and her admission had not only fueled her rage but her curiosity as well. Kushina needed to know, it would drive her insane.

"Or stupid," She added, "You are Minato's girlfriend and someone I consider a friend. You have to take care of yourself." Holo looked between the two of them and much to their chagrin smirked.

"Calm down mom…" Holo began looking directly at her and Kushina growled as Kurama cackled even more in the depths of her mind. "Dad." Behind her Minato's frown deepened and he mumbled a 'not funny'. "I made sure he drank something way stronger and frequently than me." Then the Chūnin had the audacity to turn her attention away from them, apparently done with the conversation, and back to her Ramen before she began slurping it down.

"You may be good a cards Holo, but he is better."

"Be that as it may, he was extremely distracted by our waitress," Holo replied after cleaning her mouth with a napkin and bowing in respect to her finished bowl. "She happened to have a thing for more experienced Shinobi with good stories." The Chūnin shrugged, "I am sure her bust that was protruding out of her chest was quite the thing to look at as well. Plus she was blonde and quite beautiful if I do say so myself." She then turned to Minato and smiled the most vibrant genuine smile Kushina had ever seen out of the Chūnin. "Honestly, Minato do you have any siblings?" That floored the two friends, even so Minato still shook his head in response. "If I had to imagine you as a beautiful woman or even use someone to describe you, I would use her." Holo nodded to herself, "Her eyes were maybe a shade or two darker than yours and she had these weird marks on her cheeks." Holo brought her hands up and with three fingers wiped across her cheeks. "But I think it added to her exotic beauty."

"Holo!" Kushina interrupted with a snarl not wanting the Chūnin to weasel her way out of this. "The book?!"

"She was in on it."

"What?" This time, it was Minato who spoke having apparently found his voice and Holo sighed.

"She was genuinely interested in Jiraiya-Sensei, do not get me wrong. I happened to mention that he was holding something of mine that I needed back and had said that if she did not help me then I would have to resort to other means to retrieve this item." Kushina couldn't believe what she was saying, " the poor girl looked horrified when I told her that little bit of information, kind of like how you two look now actually." Holo shrugged and downed her drink. " Honestly, I'd slit his throat before resorting to that, but she didn't need to know that and the easiest way to get what I wanted from him was to use a beautiful girl who happened to be bringing our drinks." Kushina looked over her shoulder to Minato who seemed to be in just as much shock about the whole ordeal as she was then turned to face Holo again and ask her final question.

"And how exactly did you know he had something like this?" Holo shifted in her seat a couple of times at the question then with an adorable flush under her cheeks when they wouldn't look away from her the Chūnin spoke.

"I didn't." She then said something really fast and quietly to where neither of them heard.

"What was that?" Minato asked first.

"I said, I just reaaaally wanted to try and snag his newest novel." Kushina felt herself blanch at this admittance. "When I found this I was just as surprised as you two were. Embarrassed, but it technically was what I was looking for. When Jiraiya-Sensei came to the next morning I was long gone and left a note for him in my place." It was here where Holo wouldn't look anywhere near where they were sitting and her blush deepened. "As I told Minato, it has a good plot and since Jiraiya-Sensei hasn't come back for it with force it is now mine."

"And the blonde?" Kushina found herself asking. Holo paused for a moment then rolled her wrist dismissively.

"I have no idea. Maybe she got another table?" She paused then shrugged, "It was like she was gone in a puff of smoke."

It was Tuesday and the both of them were still in the village, a feat with Minato being called out to the field as often as he was, so the two of them were at Training Ground 4 sparring with one another. "I was given another mission." Minato casually brought up as she dodged his fist directed to her gut by stepping back with her right foot and twirling around it bringing her right elbow to hit his chest. A motion he easily dodged by back flipping out of the way before coming forward with a downward kick. "Something about a bridge." Much to his surprise, Holo faltered for a moment and his foot connected with her right shoulder, she grunted in response and jabbed her finger into the dead center of his calf. It looked harmless but that simple action had a bit of Chakra infused with it and sent a surge of pain throughout that muscle forcing him to stop his kick before fully connecting and pulling away. "I take it you have seen that mission?"

The two of them had been fighting for the last three hours, it was a means for the both of them to let off some steam from a pretty horrible week. As weird as it was the two of them bonded over it though no one really believed that they were in-fact sparring during the hours they would disappear with one another. That was not to say that the idea had not, finally, crossed his mind after the tenth time it had been brought up. "Break?" Minato nodded at the offer and Holo nodded spinning around to fetch the bento's she had brought for them. It had been six months since they had first started 'dating', six months since they had hatched this plan to get Kushina to realize just how much she truly cared for Minato. Holo was a character and definitely not someone he wanted to wrong. "If you think I will not eat your food, you are wrong!" She yelled from the position under the tree, he red eyes glancing over at her from the rice bowl she was digging into.

Minato chuckled and rubbed the back of his head before he jogged over and sat next to her under the tree. As he ate the lunch made for him the Namikaze couldn't help but reflect back on a conversation he had with Shikaku when all of this started all the while looking over at the sweat covered Chūnin sitting next to him from the corner of his eye. He couldn't help but mentally curse his friend for his intelligence slash borderline premonition-esque abilities. A woman who can Cook, Keep me on my toes and Protect what she cares about? Huh. He never said much and it was always the random remarks he made that seemed to inevitably be the most important thing he said. Holo's sigh brought him back from his thoughts just before she spoke. "Kanabi Bridge?" He nodded, "Maah. That can turn the war in our favor, no?" She looked up at the sky and genuinely smiled, something that always bugged him though he hadn't noticed until just this moment. Her most genuine smiles always seemed to be when she was looking up at the sky thinking about something, he hadn't ever seen her smile like that because of anything he or anyone else has ever said. "That was a two-team based mission, was it not?"

"Yeah." Minato frowned and was surprised when a hand fell on his shoulders and offered him a light squeeze. "I know, I know they aren't kids."

"But they are." He looked over at her just as she glanced back down from the stars in the sky and back at him. "Whether you like it or not they will always be your kids. Just like the Sannin are still Hokage-Sama's kids. You guys will always have that bond and nothing will break that." Minato smiled and nodded in understanding.

"I am truly sorry."

"Maah, don't be. We lived good lives. Wrong place, wrong time was all that was." She waved him off. "Your kids are all Chūnin now, right?" He nodded, "That explains why they were so insistent that you take the mission." He watched as she looked over his shoulder and seemingly got lost in her thoughts once more. "Well, I suppose as now is as good a time as any." She shrugged reaching into her weapons pouch and pulling out a three-pronged Kunai. "You asked what I would put the seal on, right?" He nodded as she tossed him the weapon, "It was hard to find someone who could make them to my preferences, but alas someone managed to finally do it correctly." She paused, "And they call themselves blacksmiths." He heard her mumble as his eyes went over the specialized Kunai before he tossed it into the air a couple of times. "That is what I would use. It is made to be as accurate as a normal Kunai and has additional prongs to latch firmly onto whatever you feel like throwing it at." She paused and followed the Kunai to where it landed in a tree a good bit away. "I would have liked you to have practiced with them before having to use them, just so you can get the kinks out before you go out there but..." She shrugged, "Beggars can's be choosers I suppose." He couldn't help himself, he laughed and she scowled in response. "What?!"

"I think that is the longest string of sentences you have ever said in one go." He brought his hand down onto the top of her head and she glared at him in response. "Are you worried?"

"Yes." Minato had definitely not been expecting that answer or for it to be as quick as it was. "Minato-baka you are making a name for yourself and that means you are going to have a target on your back. More importantly, your team is. I know you can stand your own ground and I am not saying that the kids cannot. I am simply saying that is this not going to be the first time that they are on a mission on their own?" She didn't give him time to even nod, "They are a dysfunctional team as is, we all know that. I merely worry for them is all and I want to ensure that you have a means to get back to them." She stood up and pulled her hair up into her hands, "Please don't forget that you can easily 'pop' in on them and make sure things are alright if you have the time." Minato's eyes narrowed.

"Holo, what aren't you telling me."

"That's the thing Minato, I am telling you a lot. A lot more than I would tell anyone else," She paused and sighed dropping her arms and her hair fell down her back. "This is a newer seal. This will be the first time you use these Kunai. This is an important mission. This is going to be, what I assume Hatake-Senpai's first mission as Jōnin without you. And this mission is out in the middle of no man's zone pretty much." Minato stood up and wrapped his arms around her when she brought her fingers to her nose to pinch the bridge. An obvious sign she was flustered, upset and/or stressed. "I am worried." She finally admitted after another longer sigh. He stepped back and looked down at her offering her the best reassure smile he could muster while he tried to ignore the organ that was trying to bust out of his chest.

"Everything will be alright." She sighed and shook her head, he could see the smile but at the same time, he could see the pulled back annoyance in her features as well. "What?"

"That's up there on the list of things not to say." She chuckled, "Not quite as high up there as 'what could possibly go wrong,' but still." Ruby eyes locked with his and Minato found himself smiling beside himself. "You idiot. Finish eating." She wiggled out of his grasp and sat back down, although she was a bit farther than where she was last time. Shaking his own head and returning to his meal Minato watched as she began stretching her limbs out, he was not completely familiar with all of them but he had seen her do them or a variation of them after every spar and during their breaks. As far as he was concerned she was unusually flexible, even for a Kunoichi... but she admitted to taking pride in it and he couldn't count the number of times she had dislocated joints to get out of his holds and such in spars.

There was a practicality to it.

The reaction was instinctive and Kushina looked down at the item she caught with her left hand as she sat minding her own business in the Tea Shop. It was a book and it was covered in blood, Kushina hadn't needed to look further for the perpetrator who had thrown the small book at her while she waited for her meal. The deviously smug Chūnin had sat across from her and was resting her chin on laced hands, the largest grin plastered on her features and overall she looked like a giddy child in a candy store. Kushina's violet eyes glanced back down at the book then the Chūnin when she didn't make a move to speak or explain herself."Turn to page 349." Kushina's expression immediately flattened and that only seemed to rile Minato's girlfriend further. "Fine you party pooper, turn to page 86." When Kushina made no attempt to move Holo curled her nose up and freed her hands before rolling her wrist, "Come on! I promise it will be well worth your time."

Kushina rolled her eyes, but curiosity had won out and she was skimming through what was obviously a foreign ninja's Bingo Book. Her eyes glanced up at the giddy Chūnin once more, who had lost all of her prior amusement and giddy demeanor and was instead looking at the book intently. Like a predatory would the killer of its young. When those Red predatory orbs looked up at her Kushina found herself quickly shooting her sights down to the book. 78, 79, 80... She snuck a glance up at Holo finding once again that her sights were set on the book and now her posture had tensed. 81...82... 83.

Her heart skipped a beat, possibly five and her eyes shot back up to Holo using every will in her body to demand answers for what she was looking at. When those cold eyes shot back up to her and narrowed again Kushina found her sights back down at the book and straight into pools or cerulean blue. "Where did you get this?" Her fingers ran over his image as her mind began piecing information together. Minato as in a Bingo Book... She had always figured he would have ended up there, especially with him to become the Yondaime Hokage, but seeing it made it all the real.

"Go ahead and read out loud that page."

"Name, Namikaze Minato. Village Konohagakure. Rank, Jōnin." It was all typical information, but looking up to find Holo nodding with her chin back on laced hands made her continue. Holo was a lot of things, Kushina had come to know since meeting the Chūnin but everything she did was done after being thought out and she knew that while this could have just been a ruse to start a conversation... something in her gut told her that there was more to this than just that. "Height, appx 175cm. Birthday, unknown. Registration Number," Violet eyes widened in shock and she looked up to Holo who seemed bored with the whole ordeal as she cleaned under her nails.

"Go on, go on. Hokage-sama is already aware of that piece of information." Her eyes shifted back up to those deep pools of blue and Kushina couldn't help but frown. This didn't bode well for them, they had someone in their own ranks who were not on their side.

"06510... Classification: Flee on sight?" She couldn't help herself, it came out as a question and she shot her attention back at Holo who seemed to be once again giddy and unable to sit still in her seat. The last bit of information after his registration number had been written in by hand and while she wanted to say that is what it said she still wanted verification. It didn't take long for pieces of information to begin forming the big picture in her head and with every passing second, she could feel her own excitement building up within her. "So that means?!"

"Yep!" Holo smirked.

"And it was?"

"Uh-huh."

"YATTA!" Kushina cheered as she jumped up from her seat and looked in the book for any new information. "This stuff is fresh meaning that it is happening right now." She had buried her nose in the book and therefore hadn't seen Holo's knowing look and smile that would have given her away in a heartbeat. When she did look back up, instead she saw a look of confusion on her features and the orange-haired Chūnin's head cocked to the side. "Don't you know what that means."

"I mean I thought I did, then you began spewing utter nonsense out of your mouth." Holo jibed back, "What do you mean 'it is happening right now?" Kushina paused and held back a blush, embarrassed she had said that out loud and not internally toward Kurama like she had thought. Speaking of said Fox, he wasn't the least bit excited by this bit of information. Seriously, he snoring in the back of her mind. He was asleep! "Oh! You mean the Seal right?" Holo rolled her eyes, "Of course you do. What else would it be." Thankful for the interruption and distraction Kushina nodded vigorously. "I mean it has to be working, they are writing in the book to run away from him if they see him." She fell back into her seat and let out a sigh, "What I would do to see it in action."

"Right!" Kushina joined in sliding back into the chair and blatantly ignoring the other customers in the shop that had looked at her when she shot out of her chair. "He would have died five times over at least without the two of us looking out for his idiot self." She laughed and much to her amazement Holo joined in for a second as she snagged the book back and flipped through a couple more pages before handing it back to her. "He is not the only one making a name for himself," She added with a smirk and an arched brow, curious once more Kushina looked at the book and reeled back.

Staring back at her was a picture of herself.

Her eyes scanned the information, unhappy about how they had her birthday and even specified that she was a survivor of Uzushiogakure. Unlike Minato's page, which had a lot of handwritten in gibberish, hers was well written and the calligraphy was legible. "Oi! What's this?!" Looking back up to find Holo staring back at her with slightly widened eyes Kushina spun the book around and pointed to the offending piece of information. "What do they think I am?! Some kid running around?" She ranted as red orbs scanned the page then paused and she smirked. "What's so funny?!"

"Shorty."

"I am taller than you!" Kushina defended and Holo merely shrugged and leaned back in her seat. It was when her eyes steeled over when Kushina calmed herself and listened intently to her next words.

"Keep reading." It wasn't nice or in her typical voice. It wasn't cold and distant either, no it was just stated. Kushina looked down at the page and her heart stopped and she felt the blood rush from her face.

Classification: SS-Rank. jinchūriki, host of the Kyuubi.

Capture at all Costs.

"That is going to make this war a bit more interesting." Kushina ignored the Fox and instead her eyes went over that piece of information a few more times as he continued speaking. "They were bound to find out who it was eventually. You don't just lose a Tailed Demon." He added as her violet eyes slowly shifted from the page and toward Holo, who was now picking her teeth with a toothpick looking as uninterested as she had earlier.

"I personally don't give a damn." Kushina frowned confused, "Minato and I actually tossed ideas in the air as to who we thought the Host was." Her heart froze, "Your name was mentioned as the most likely of candidates, so you don't have to worry about his reaction to the whole thing." Holo waved her hand dismissively, then seemingly saw something under her nail and went to pick at it. "What bothers me most is that this information is now out there in these Bingo Books, meaning anyone who picks it up is going to know about it. If you ask me you can use this to your ad-"

"You don't care?" Kushina couldn't wrap her mind around the whole ordeal, "And Minato knows?" Holo nodded slowly and eyed her cautiously though it was nothing like how Kushina would have expected someone who had just found out that their boyfriend's childhood friend happened to be the most terrifying of all Tailed Beast's Host would have... instead she looked concerned. That didn't make sense, not with anything that Melody had shared with her. All of her son's life he was hiding the fact he was a demon from everyone he knew. His team had yet to have found out as far as she had been informed and everyone who had, outside of the Shukaku's host, had been terrified of him. The very people in the village, the Counsel had been terrified of him. People had used this piece of information to play him like a pawn, something neither of them could condone.

"Everyone has their secrets Kushina." Holo's hand fell on her shoulder and where it did Kushina felt a spark. "And we are entitled to them. I do not condemn people for having secrets, we are not called The Village Hidden in the Leaves, are we not?" Kushina absently nodded, "Right, no. It is what you do once the secret is out that will make or break a character. This secret is out Kushina." Holo removed her hand, "And the repercussions are not going to be small or localized." Holo paused and shut the book before sliding it closer to the Uzumaki. "So tell me, what are you going to do?"

Authors Note:

I am by far a horrible human being, making you all wait all this time for a chapter. Here is the deal, I started writing a three part Christmas Special and then life threw a curveball and I kid you not all of my muse during all this time. Seriously. No Joke.

I actually was sitting at work when the muse hit me again, but, of course, I didn't have my phone or notebook with everything for this story so there were a lot of blanks when it came to details. (Remember how I mentioned re-writing the whole thing because I realized my timeline was crap- Yeah I am one of those guys.)

I cannot say that the posting will become more frequent, but I have not given up on this. Far from it.

Also, I want to thank you guys for the reviews. I do read them and try to fix anything you mention. My writing style is a little odd (I have realized), please continue to send them in and tell me what you think. I will not be that guy and wait for a set number, but do note I do read them and try to fix things as I get critiques and advice. :3