Chapter 31
"I thought we were going back to the lounge?" Shikaku yawned.
Minashi hummed as she walked with the younger man. "We will. But I'm hungry and you're buying."
"What? Why?" he groaned.
"You haven't beaten me in Shogi yet." She smirked.
He groaned. "Mendokusai."
Minashi smiled fondly before pulling him to a halt at the Ramen stand.
"Ah! Kitsune-chan!" Teuchi called waving. "It's been awhile." He saw the Nara at her side and smiled at him as well. "You have a friend this time. Hello Nara-san."
"Hello sir." Shikaku sighed.
"You've been here before?" Kitsune asked after putting in an order for a Pork and Miso Ramen.
"Not for a while honestly. But one does not know Kushina Uzumaki and get away with not eating at her favorite Ramen stand." He huffed.
Minashi smiled.
"Ain't that true." Teuchi snickered setting down their bowls. "So, where you been Kitsune-san? You and your brother Kurama-san promised to stop by again."
Shikaku froze even as Minashi smiled at Teuchi. "Well, you know. Working for the Hokage. Making friends with my fellow Jounin. Teasing my teammates. Kurama is doing good. He's been finding humor in my more annoying troubles. I'm trying to find another way to get him to try some more of your delicious Ramen."
Teuchi let out a belly laugh. "He did seem reluctant to try it. Don't force him. He's not like you and some of my other customers that worship my Ramen." He smiled kindly. "Well, I'll chat with you another time and let you and your friend enjoy your lunch." He beamed and walked further back in the shop to work.
Shikaku's eyes were boring into the side of her head. Minashi ignored it in favor of savoring the Ramen she'd ordered.
"How?" He murmured between bites a few minutes later.
Minashi snorted. "Fuuinjutsu." She muttered. "And a Special Clone."
Shikaku sighed. "Anyone else aware?"
"Hokage, Sannin." She whispered back. "I don't do it often. He finds humanity boring and not as fun when he's mountain sized."
Shikaku just grumbled and went back to eating.
When the duo returned to the lounge, Minashi wasn't surprised when Shikaku pulled the shogi board back out.
"Again?" She asked curiously.
Shikaku eyed her with twinkling eyes. "You know how to play his strategies. I need to learn how to beat them, how to play them myself, and then challenge him with them when it's his time. How else will he surpass me?"
Minashi's gaze softened on the Nara. "Okay." She let him set up the board and pulled out the manuscript.
"Still multitasking?" he sighed.
"I'm almost done anyways. Then I can hand it off to my partner in this and it can be completed."
Shikaku nodded and they began. Time passed slowly as their game continued on. Shikaku taking more time between turns to analyze the board.
"Ah, you're back!" Inoichi beamed as he plopped on the couch behind Shikaku and peeked over his shoulder. "You two suddenly took off earlier."
"Nara-sama and I had something to discuss about." Minashi smiled kindly at the teenage Inoichi. She couldn't believe how much Ino actually looked like him, only the shape of her face was different. Otherwise she had her father's eyes, nose, and cheekbones. Her face shape and jaw must be her mother's.
Inoichi just nodded as his eyes had moved back down to the game. "Is she winning?" he whispered.
"Yes." Shikaku growled. "I haven't been able to beat her yet."
Inoichi's jaw dropped.
A deeper chuckle filled the air as Chouza sat beside Inoichi. "You got here late Inoichi. Everyone has already been gossiping about it. Shika's been cursing all morning after she calls checkmate. Bets are already flying on how long it will take him to beat her."
"He's a Nara." Minashi smirked as Shikaku made a move and she countered. "He'll figure it out. Check."
"Damn it." He sighed fingering his scars without looking away from the board.
"So it's true?" Minato's voice asked as he lowered to her right to also look at the board. "When I heard you were here again, I didn't think you were taking Hokage-sama's advice that strongly Kitsune-san."
Minashi shrugged and checkmated Shikaku's King. He just eyed her. "Again."
She smiled at him fondly again. Like father like son. She mused. "Hai~"
Minashi looked back over her manuscript and was happy to find she was finished. Closing it, she let it be so all her attention would be on the game. She did notice Minato eyeing the Manuscript.
"You can review it." She smirked at the blonde. He looked at her in surprise. "Your sensei is writing another book. He asked for my help. So, we are co-authoring it."
Curiously, Minato picked it up and started from the beginning. Minashi hid her smirk behind her hand as she let her focus move to the board.
Shikaku was beginning to catch on, but then she played as herself and would throw him off. She'd then throw in Shikamaru's style of play and corner him again.
Minato's yelp startled everyone in their group. The manuscript went flying halfway across the small table. Minashi looked to the blonde to find his face beat red and growing darker. Her smirk grew.
"Eh? What's wrong Minato?" she asked.
"K-k-Kitsune!" He scolded. "Why are you HELPING to write something like THAT?" he shouted covering his face.
"Because the plot is actually good." She shrugged.
"but it's p-porn!" He bemoaned.
"Romance." She corrected even as she watched Shikaku glance away from the board and to the opened section of the manuscript. His face was blank until his cheeks started to heat and he reached to turn the page. Minashi's hand whipped out and shut it. His dark eyes shot to meet her smirking face.
"You can purchase it when it is released." She teased.
"Mother will kill me if she finds I bought something like that." He waved it off.
Minashi raised a brow. "I have also written half so that female readers will enjoy it just as much as the male ones. So, she can't prohibit you if she is reading it too."
Shikaku stared at her. "In other words, purchase it after she does?"
"Shikaku!" Minato gasped.
"Exactly." Minashi beamed.
"Kitsune! Don't encourage that!"
Minashi just rolled her eyes at him. "Calm down pretty boy. You should have expected something like this from him. He is your sensei."
Minato moaned in despair. "That makes it all the more embarrassing. He's a self-proclaimed Super Pervert. He doesn't need to be confirming it with this-this- smut."
Minashi rolled her eyes, sparing a glance for the board. "Checkmate." She looked back to Minato. "Too late." She smiled at the blonde. His groan was in sync with Shikaku's curses.
A commotion at the Lounge doors drew the group's attention. A faded orange blur rushed into the room panting. The lack of hidden forehead gave him away. Hiashi Hyuuga looked around frantically before seeing them. He rushed to them and dove behind the couch Minashi and Minato were leaning against.
"Hiashi?" Minato asked confused.
Hiashi's head popped up just enough to speak. "She's back!" He hissed and ducked back down.
"Who?" Minashi whispered to Minato.
His eyes widened in understanding. "Ah."
Snickering filled the air from the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. Minashi looked to them for an explanation.
Inoichi was happy to inform her. "Hiashi joined us on a mission a little over a month ago. Shikaku and Hiashi had gotten injured and were out of commission. This meant that Hiashi's regular team had a substitute Hyuuga fill his spot."
"Hiashi has a bit of a wild teammate that likes harassing him." Chouza chuckled.
"Why? Because she says it keeps him humble." A new voice monotoned from the couch behind Minashi. She snapped her head around to see the bugs settling down from his insect Shunshin.
"Shibi!" Hiashi hissed. "Did she follow?"
"She is the best tracker of her clan. So, results of you out running her are slim Hiashi." Shibi monotoned. "Why? Because she has always tracked us down."
Hiashi had narrowed orangish eyes on him. "You put on bug on me."
"Hai."
Hiashi groaned and stood up. He rounded the couch and flopped down. "Then it's pointless to hide."
"That would be correct." Shibi nodded. His head then moved to Kitsune who was looking between them both with a raised brow. "Ah, Kitsune-sama from the Trial. Pleasure to meet you. I am Shibi Aburame. My father spoke of how interesting you were. I am aware he has already thanked you, but I would also like to thank you for freeing my cousin Torune."
Minashi gave him a respectful tip of her head. "I do not ask for thanks or required it. I did what was right and it was a team effort."
He remained silent but his head did tilt curiously on her. "You are interesting Kitsune-sama." He said again.
Minashi just held his covered gaze. "Careful Aburame-san, curiosity about me will get you in trouble."
Shikaku snorted. "Yeah. Like a ride on a Space-Time jutsu."
Minashi smiled at him innocently. "You recovered eventually."
Minato paled beside them. "She took you through it?" He whimpered.
"Hai." Shikaku grimaced. "You didn't ever describe yours like that Minato."
"Because it isn't!" the blonde protested.
Shikaku nodded. "She explained it to Tou-san and I, so I can understand why it feels that way."
Minato's floundering stopped as he looked at Shikaku even as the Nara set up another game. She saw Minato's eyes sharpen as Minashi and Shikaku started their next game.
"Builds allies as she needs them." Minato whispered to himself lost in thought. She ignored his musing as she felt a signature rushing towards the lounge.
"Hiashi, if you would like to avoid whoever you're scared of, you have thirty seconds to run." Minashi warned absently as she made her first move against Shikaku.
Hiashi sighed from his seat. "It's pointless." He grumbled and thirty seconds later, Tsume Inuzuka slammed the doors open.
"Someone's going to break those one day." Minashi chuckled.
"Surprised it hasn't happened yet with the crazy Kunoichi around here." Shikaku muttered back.
"It's TRUE!" Tsume laughed as she rushed Hiashi and tackled him. He grunted but allowed her to poke, prod, and pinch at his entirely orange body, even if it was mostly faded.
"Go bother Fugaku Tsume." Hiashi groaned. "He has pink hair hidden beneath that genjutsu of his."
"But that's just his hair! Your entire self is Orange!" She smirked with too many sharp teeth. "Please tell me there are pictures!" She implored looking at the gathered group. Her eyes stopped on Kitsune, who was smirking at Shikaku as he glared across the board at her.
Tsume jumped up pointing at Kitsune. "YOU!" she shouted grinning. "Spar me!"
The Jounin lounge went silent. Minashi paused and looked up at Tsume curiously.
"What?" Minashi frowned.
"I can't have another alpha female stomping on my turf." She snarled smirking.
Minashi deadpanned her. Her and Naruto really did grow up with a second generation of the originals.
"Inuzuka-san, it is to my knowledge that you only should be worrying about the females in your generations. Those between the ages of fourteen and eighteen. You are sixteen like your other Clan Heir companions here. So with that, wouldn't Kushina-sama and Mikoto-sama be better to challenge?"
Tsume's smirk left as she instead glared at Minashi.
Hiashi smirked instead. "She has. Both have beaten her."
"Shut up Hiashi!" Tsume barked back.
"You really don't want to Spar her." Minato smiled tightly. "I've seen her spar the Sannin and she came out victor."
All eyes moved to Minashi, but she was just ignoring them again to stare at the board. She made her move but Shikaku didn't respond. She glanced up to him to see him eyeing her with a raised brow.
"What?" she asked innocently. "Giving up already Shika-chan?" She teased. His brow twitched and he made his next move. Minashi continued to ignore the pointed stares she was getting.
"Spar me." Was growled inches from the side of her face.
Minashi reached up and slapped a tag on Tsume's face without even looking. The wild female fell to the ground and began snoring loudly.
Minashi just sighed rolling her eyes. "Really." Her voice filled with disappointment. "You should always research your opponent before you spar them. That's basic tactics."
Hiashi looked between the mysterious Kunoichi and the snoring Tsume then back again.
"Do you have more of those tags?" He inquired.
Minashi looked up from the board to eye the Hyuuga.
"Yes. Why?"
"You willing to sell me some?" He asked honestly.
Minashi's lips twitched. "Normally, I might accept. But I have a feeling that you might abuse them."
Hiashi didn't answer, confirming her suspicions.
"Check." Shikaku crowed triumphantly.
Minashi glanced back before moving another piece. "Checkmate."
"What?!" He exclaimed before groaning and slamming his head on the table. Minashi chuckled as she watched Shikaku lift back up to stare at the board with determination. Reviewing and storing away her strategy for use later.
"Another?" she asked the Nara. He growled at her.
"In a bit. I want to review the last few games." He said and closed his eyes as his body went still.
Minashi chuckled and sat back against the couch. Conversations picked up around her as the Jounins caught up. This probably being one of the few times they were all actually in the same place.
"Kitsune-san?" Minato called softly.
"Hm?" she asked opening her eyes. She had been storing the chakra signatures around her with the memories she just made in her mindscape. Minashi had just been enjoying the feelings of these people being Alive. She was going to keep it that way.
"I was wondering if you'd been willing to have a Theory night with myself, Kushina, and my sensei? Kushina's been asking me to check with you for a while now."
Minashi looked at him confused. "Theory night?"
Minato smiled. "Hai. That's what we call it anyways. It's a night dedicated to just Fuuinjutsu theory. We schedule to have a training ground reserved, and then work out and test seals."
"You're actually going to be able to get that pervert to join as well?"
Minato chuckled. "Fuuinjutsu is actually something sensei will stop being a pervert for." He frowned. "Well, most of the time."
Minashi chuckled. "When?"
"Tomorrow night?"
Minashi hummed as she looked away. "Can we do Friday night instead? There is something I need to check on tomorrow and I'm not sure how long I will be busy with it."
"We are on vacation." He frowned.
Minashi nodded. "Correct. But this is a personal matter."
"Alright. It shouldn't be a problem. I'll have to see if Sakumo-san can watch Minashi for us."
"Leave me a message at my apartment. I'll be leaving a clone there to take them while I'm gone."
"Alright." Minato nodded and got up. "I'll be seeing you soon then." He held out a hand to her with a smile. Minashi's eyes widened when instead of Minato, Naruto stood before her. Her eyes burned and she snapped her gaze down. "Kitsune?" he called, worry in his tone.
"Yeah." She struggled to get out through her tight throat. "See you then."
Minato stared at her for a few heartbeats before sighing and disappearing in a yellow flash.
"You okay?" a whispered voice asked. Minashi looked up to see Shikaku frowning at her worried.
She swallowed thickly but gave a shake of her head. She wasn't okay, but she already knew that.
Minashi stood in the middle of a training field the following morning. Jiraiya stood with her. He was eagerly reading through the manuscript instead of doing what she'd asked.
"Jiraiya!" she growled.
He looked up with a pout.
"You can read it after we get there. Please, I need to figure this out."
He huffed and stuffed the manuscript away in his shirt. "Fine, fine."
He went through the summoning jutsu and in the small puff of smoke a dark green toad with a tuft of white hair sat before them.
"Jiraiya-boy!" Pa smiled then looked to see that Minashi in her 'kitsune' henge was with him. "Good Boy-o, you brought the foxy-girl."
"Hai, can we reverse summon now to figure this all out?"
"Hai." Pa nodded and they disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Minashi chuffed to get the scent of smoke, toad, and oil out of her nose. The latter two stayed as she looked around. Her heart ached. She'd only seen this place a couple times to visit Naruto, but it hadn't changed. It was just as strange as the Fox home.
"Come Jiraiya-boy, Foxy-girl." He called and started hopping away. "Ma, is making up breakfast."
Jiraiya and Minashi shuddered together.
"Thank you for the hospitality, but I must decline. My summons wouldn't be pleased if I altered from my diet required to keep them as summons." She tried to fib her way out.
Pa stopped at the threshold and eyed her. "Tricky Foxy-girl, that won't work."
Minashi slumped. "Hai." She pouted and followed the Toad in.
Minashi was slumped onto the small kitchen table a short time later, trying to keep the caterpillars down. Another shiver of revulsion shook her body.
"Foxy-girl." Pa called. Minashi lifted her heavy head and looked up to the Toad. He eyed her before nodding. "Come on. Oojiji-sama Gamamaru is awake."
Minashi groaned but got up and followed Fukasaku.
They were soon standing before the Large form of Gamamaru. Minashi noted a few medium and small toads in attendance. But it was the sight of Gamabunta that made her pause. He seemed, younger. She then had to remind herself that he was.
"Oojiji-sama!" Fukasaku called. "The Foxy-girl is here."
"Eh?" His shaky voice was accompanied by a small smile. "Who?"
"The Fox Girl." Gamabunta said louder.
"Ah…Yes." He smiled. "You are far from home young one." His eyes slowly moved down to her.
Minashi sighed and let the Henge drop from her features and stood there before them.
"Ah, That's better. Now you look like the girl from my dreams." He mused. "Such a terrible world you came from."
"Hai." Minashi said softly. "Have I changed it for the better Oogama Sennin?"
Gamamaru hummed.
"Oojiji-sama!" Fukasaku called out sharply after a few minutes.
"Fukasaku-kun." He smiled. "When did you get here?"
"I've been here you old geezer!" he ranted. "The Foxy-girl asked you a question!"
"What question?" He mused.
"Have my actions changed the future for the better?" Minashi asked stepping forward with an imploring looked. "Please, I need to know."
"The prophecy has not changed." Oogama Sennin said seriously.
"What?" Minashi whispered as she paled. "That beast will still be summoned?"
"Eh? Did I say that?" Gamamaru smiled.
Minashi tried to calm her racing heart as she tried to remember what exactly the prophecy was.
"A mischievous blue-eyed boy would unite the tailed beasts and change the world." Minashi recited from memory.
"Hai~" Gamamaru hummed smiling before one eye peaked open. "You will make sure of this will you not, Protector of the Child of Prophecy?"
Minashi's eyes snapped up to him in shock. "What?"
"Fate works in mysterious ways, does she not?" He smiled before going silent. The rest of the room waited in anticipation. A soft snore came from the Sennin Toad. Minashi sighed disappointed that he was already asleep.
Fukasaku slapped his own face in annoyance. "Frustrating old Geezer." He muttered before turning towards Minashi. "We've been waiting for you Foxy-girl." He waved to another toad to approach them. Minashi tilted her head in concentration as the toad got closer. She felt like she recognized him.
"This is Gerotora."
Minashi snapped. "AH! A Scroll Toad."
Fukasaku raised an impressive brow. "Correct."
Minashi looked at him closer. "You seem surprised."
"Oojiji-sama has not spoken much of his dreams. Only to make sure the Fox Girl came to visit soon. When you still hadn't, we made it so you would. Especially when Gerotora came to us with his concerns."
Gerotora hopped closer before stretching up. His belly unrolled and Minashi's eyes shot wide when she saw the Key. Her key. The one she'd rewritten after the war turned for the worse.
A shaking hand covered Minashi's mouth as she eyed it.
"It came with me." She whispered aloud.
"You are aware of what this seal is?" Fukasaku asked staring at her.
"Hai. It's my seal. It's the seal that I rewrote over my father's." She stepped closer and reverently touched it. "I thought I had been left behind. My summons don't have anyone with Gerotora's talents. But I was able to borrow Him from my brother's summons since you all had been familiar with me."
"I've never seen you before." Gerotora grunted.
Minashi smirked. "Yet."
Fukasaku gasped. "That is impossible-"
"Improbable." Minashi corrected and stepped away from Gerotora to take a calming breath.
"Who are you Foxy-girl?" Fukasaku asked with a hint of awe in his voice. "You look like Jiraiya-boy's student. Our other summoner. Minato-Chan."
Minashi smiled at him. "Minashi Uzumaki-Namikaze. Daughter of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki. Younger sister to the Prophecy Child, Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze. Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, Kurama. Rokudaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato." She looked down at her hands and clenched them in determination and looked back up at Fukasaku. "I am also the Protector of the Prophecy Child."
Fukasaku eyed her for a while before nodding. "You are and we Toads will do as much as we can to aid you. You are not our summoner, but you are close to both of ours. That is all we can do until the Child of Prophecy is of age to summon us."
Minashi bowed to Fukasaku deeply. "Thank you. That is more than I can ask for." She choked out.
"Let's go find Jiraiya-boy." Minashi nodded and drew in step with the hopping toad.
"Fukasaku-sama-"
"Pa is alright Mina-chan."
"Pa, I know Jiraiya will ask anyways; He is allowed to look at the expanded seal and key. But it must not leave the Mountain without my approval."
"That is understandable. You are not our summoner though. How will we know when you would want it?"
Minashi reached into her pouch and handed over one of the paper tag versions of her Hiraishin. She fed chakra into it before handing it to Fukasaku.
"Place this on Gerotora. It will allow me to summon him to me."
Fukasaku took it and observed the Fuuin tag. "This is good work Mina-chan." He approved.
"I had good teachers." She replied sadly. "And a determination stronger than anything else."
Fukasaku nodded. "I can only image."
They arrived a bit later to find Jiraiya with his nose deep into the Manuscript.
"Jiraiya-boy." Fukasaku called out.
Jiraiya hummed absently.
"We're done." Minashi said and plopped down beside him. "They did have the key."
Jiraiya finally looked up at her. "How?"
"Pa and Ma would frequent our Base to check in on me. During one of them, I asked for Gerotora to come with them. With the aid of the Reanimated Hokages, we updated the seal my father had used to seal Kurama with the new seal I created before the jump back. Since Gerotora was the first holder of Naruto and I's Key, he in result also held the updated version as well, after the sealing was complete."
"Ah, So my hunch was right. Since Minato is a summoner of toads, he'd leave the key with them." Jiraiya mused.
Minashi smiled softly and nodded at him. "Hai. Gamamaru-sama also had a dream about me. He knows about the future I came from. So far Naruto will still be born." She then looked away. "but from what I got from the sleepy toad; Naruto will also still end up with part of Kurama in him."
"Did you not want him to?" Jiraiya asked softly.
Minashi shrugged. "He wouldn't be Naruto without Kurama. But I also wanted to keep him from the pain of being a Jinchuriki."
Jiraiya placed his large warm hand on his head. "You can only do one thing at a time. If Naruto is meant to be the prophecy child that brings peace through the Bijuu, then he must hold even part of a Bijuu. This will help him bring peace."
"I know. But I'm afraid of what trials he'll have to go through because he holds Kurama."
"That is all part of his journey. All you can do is your job."
Minashi looked at him curiously.
Jiraiya smiled at her. "Protect him as the elder sibling this time."
Minashi gave Jiraiya a sad smile. "Gamamaru-sama called me the Protector of the Child of Prophecy."
"That old geezer is hardly wrong." Jiraiya nodded then held up the Manuscript. "by the way, you changed almost half of this."
"For the better." She replied easily.
Jiraiya looked at her. "I thought you were just going to edit."
"Nope. You had Naruto and I edit it enough that I know the plot line better than anyone else. That and I know how crappy your punctuation and grammar is."
"Oi." He grunted.
"Since I have written half of it to please your female audience, I will be expecting half of the profits as well."
"H-Half!" he croaked.
"Half." She smirked.
"But-"
"Half or I'll never edit for you again and I'll tell Ba-chan what you're really writing Ero-sannin." She threatened sweetly.
Jiraiya groaned and then held out his hand. "Fine. Deal." Minashi gripped it pleased.
"So, time to head home?" She asked.
Jiraiya eyed her with a different look in them. "How is the Nature Energy Seal working?"
Minashi pulled off her sandal and unwrapped her ankle to show him. He pulled it close to look it over.
"What's this?" Fukasaku asked hopping closer.
"I am a Fox Sage, or I was." Minashi hummed. "What you see now is a Blood Henge Transformation. The cost to travel back was my physical age. While I'm much stronger than a normal five-year-old, due to my Spiritual energy remaining the same, my physical energy is not quite up to standard. The imbalance is unable to withstand more than a few moments in Sage Mode."
"You actually accessed Sage Mode?" Jiraiya asked shocked.
Minashi grimaced at the grumbling from Kurama in her head. "Hai. Much to Kurama's roared indignation. It was maybe half a minute. Enough to gather it and add it to my Rasengan to make the Rasenshurikan and throw it at Rasa. It's actually the only way I can handle it. Otherwise, the Rasenshurikan is too dangerous to handle."
Jiraiya's eyes lit up. "Have you worked with Minato on it yet?"
Minashi snorted. "No. Probably wont ever. I don't think he even knows what my main affinity is. I have kept from too many high ranking Jutsus around him. Even in training. I've stuck to Kenjutsu, Taijutsu, Fuuinjutsu, Academy D-rank Jutsus, and the only elemental Jutsus were Water and Fire Jutsus."
"Would you help if he asked?" Jiraiya questioned.
Minashi shrugged. "I've only shown him that I'm a Seal Mistress. If he doesn't ask about my thoughts on Ninjutsu theory, Chakra Manipulation, and Elemental Chakra Theory, then I have no reason to assist him in finishing the Jutsu. Plus, that was Mine and Naruto's accomplishment. I'm thinking of just holding it off for him. Or when desperate." She then eyed Jiraiya. "Minato rarely uses his Sage training anyways."
Jiraiya sighed. "The End of the Second war interrupted it. He's supposed to come back to get more. Your arrival has delayed that."
Minashi stood up and Jiraiya followed. "Convince him then to get back into it. He'll need it even if he isn't good at it. Every tool will be needed."
"I'll try brat."
Minashi chuckled. "That's all I ask."
"Then let's head back. Pa, if you would?"
The green toad just smiled at them. "It was good to meet you Mina-chan. I look forward to hearing of the stories of your coming battles."
"Thank you, Pa."
Jiraiya sighed as they landed back in the training ground they left. "Let me see that seal again." He waved her over to a grouping of boulders. Minashi followed the Toad sage and bared her ankle again.
He looked it over a few minutes again. "We can adjust it already. Your used of Sage Mode let's us know that your body may be acclimating quicker than we thought."
"Awesome." Minashi beamed. Jiraiya chuckled and shook his head at her as he went to work on the seal.
Minashi just closed her eyes as she felt the flow of Nature energy increase in her coils. She sighed softly as she went to work in meditating to adjust to the new flow. Her body relaxed as the warmth soothed her from the inside out.
Her mind wandered to when her and Naruto had talked about how Nature energy had felt to them.
"Nii-san, what does it feel like to you?" Minashi asked while they sat in their lotus poses with their respective Sage Mode markings. Naruto's eyes were golden in color, horizontal like a toad's and Orange shadowed his eyes. Minashi's eyes were violet in color and were vertical slits like a Fox's. Her eyes were not shadowed though. Instead, black lined her eyes similar to the Kyuubi's. The ends curled though. One curl near her nose and two towards her temples. Dots marked the upped and lower curves of the lines, nine split between either side of each eye.
Naruto scrunched up his face that Minashi easily recognize as his thinking face.
"Like warm oil. All flowy and such, but it's nice in my coils. Like a warm thick bath."
Minashi scrunched up her nose at him. "You bathed in the Toad oil? No wonder you smelled like Ero-sannin." She teased.
"Oi!" Naruto growled. Minashi just snickered at him. "Well, what does it feel like for you?"
Minashi's face softened. "Like a warm summer breeze. It's tricky to hold onto, but when it's flowing through me, it's like basking in the summer sun with a breeze cooling my skin to keep me warm but not over heated."
"Why do you think it feels different for us?" Naruto asked kicking back to his hands and stretching his legs out.
Minashi spun to lay her head on his lap. He smiled down at her, the sun behind him making him even brighter as it haloed his hair.
"Akira-sama explained it to me once that each Sage is different because of the type of summons they have. I think you feel Nature energy as oil because of the Toads. The Foxes have to be swift and unpredictable as the wind."
"Why's it warm?"
Minashi shrugged. "They never said anything to me about it being warm or cold."
They were silent for a while, just enjoying the time they were able to get together.
You brats may thank me. Kyuubi's voice growled in their heads. Minashi stiffened and Naruto's eyes hardened.
'Oh? For what furrball?' He asked.
I am a Being of Chakra originating from Nature energy itself. My elemental Affinity is fire.
'You are being very forth coming with information Kyuubi.' Minashi hummed as she eyed the massive fox. He grunted from behind the bars of his cage.
You brats managed to master Sage chakra without help from your summons.
'So we impressed you?' Naruto smirked up at him mischievously.
The Kyuubi just growled and turned to give them his back.
'That isn't a no.' Minashi called sweetly.
Go away brats before I EAT you. He snarled over his shoulder.
Naruto and Minashi rolled their eyes simultaneously at their grouchy prisoner.
They returned back to the physical world and Minashi smiled up at Naruto. "So it's warm because of the Kyuubi."
Naruto nodded and looked thoughtful. "It's surprisingly comfortable."
"It feels like a warm hug." Minashi hummed.
Naruto snerked above her.
"What?" she asked as he covered his snickering with a hand.
"He's fluffy. I bet his hugs are warm and soft." Naruto quipped.
Minashi joined by giggling.
Their minds echoed with the roars of disapproval from said fox. It just made them break out into cackles.
Kakashi walked over to the twins to check on them and came to see they were rolling in the grass cackling. He paused mid-step and debated on if it was safe enough to approach. That was their successful prank cackle.
"Coward." Jiraiya smirked as he walked passed. Kakashi bristled and moved towards his most knuckleheaded students.
"All done." Jiraiya's voice brought her back to the present. Minashi hummed and chose to lay back against the boulders. She basked in the mid-day sun. It wasn't as warm as summer anymore. Fall was settling in, but there were no clouds.
"You look like a cat." Jiraiya deadpanned. "All stretched out in the sun."
"Foxes are part feline, part canine. It's why they get along with neither." She hummed.
"You get along with the Hatake's." He countered.
"Because to them I am just a Kit. Sakumo see's me as a pup." She paused and then frowned. "Well, he see's Mina as a kit. Kitsune, I think it's the name that wards him off. That and my trickery in our little game of hide and seek. Yugito and I, the Niibi, didn't get along the time we met. Then again we were enemies at the time." She mused aloud.
"You aren't helping your case." Jiraiya deadpanned.
Minashi shrugged and stretched out more with a groan of pleasure. "You going to the Theory night?" She yawned.
Jiraiya chuckled. "Minato found you then?"
"Hai~" she hummed drowsily. "Asked for Friday."
"Are you seriously falling asleep?" He asked incredulously.
"Hmmmm…." Minashi barely heard Jiraiya's chuckle as consciousness left her.
"Did you get it?" Naruto asked excitedly almost bouncing with his excited energy.
Minashi smirked and held up the Green book.
"Yes!" He cheered. A clone of his popped up, took the book and ran off.
"You sure it can hide it before Kakashi sniffs him out?" Minashi asked starting to stretch. Naruto chuckled as he joined her.
"I have a different clone distracting-" He paused and winced. "I had a clone distracting him. Kakashi caught on."
Minashi chuckled. "He is a famous elite Shinobi. He probably humored your clone already knowing it was one."
Naruto chuckled sheepish and rubbed the back of his head. "Kakashi-sensei knows us well."
"I do which means I know you two are up to something." Said Shinobi said from behind them.
Minashi and Naruto yelped and turned to smile innocently at their Sensei.
"Hello Kakashi-sensei." They greeted in unison.
His one visible eye narrowed on them. "Okay you two, what have you done now?"
Minashi tucked her chin and looked up at Kakashi with wide blue eyes. She saw his eye twitch.
"Can you help us Sensei? Ero-sannin won't help us test out a new seal." She let her lower lip push out in a small pout.
Kakashi's hand twitched next. He was probably debating on the risks. Minashi's seals were never badper-say, but when Naruto had ideas and asked Minashi to make them possible…The results were always either good or bad. Mostly bad until Minashi could configure the seal correctly. Kakashi had experience with one of the bad results. He still regretted it.
"No." He said firmly.
Naruto joined her in the puppy eyes. "Please?" he begged.
"We promise that the seals don't go on you!" Minashi let her lip quiver and eyes water.
Minashi saw Kakashi's teeth clench as he tried to continue to resist them.
"Please Kashi-sensei?" Minashi went in for the kill, tilting her head and letting her eyes get wider. The sun reflected the water in her eyes, making them shimmer.
Kakashi's hand snapped up to cover his eye as a groan escaped his throat. "Fine. Fine. Kami you two know I Hate that look." He grumbled.
"You only hate it because it works." Naruto snickered.
"Alright. What are these seals?" Kakashi relented.
Minashi pulled the two versions of the seals out and handed them over.
"Why two?" he asked even as he looked them over after lifting his headband. He used his sharingan to study them faster.
"There is part in the matrix that I wasn't sure which symbol would work best. I narrowed it down to two. So, we just need to test which works better."
"Okay, so tell me what the purpose of the Tags are." He ordered, handing them back.
"Shinobi use scent blockers, but they wear off with time. Also, not all shinobi can suppress their chakra enough. Even some ANBU." Naruto started.
"Naruto asked if I could make a tag that basically erased all traces of a shinobi. The only way they could be traced was possibly by any tracks they left. But we want to see if the scent aspect works."
"We already know the chakra suppressant works." Naruto smirked.
"Oh? Who was the lucky test subject?" Kakashi mused.
"You." Minashi smirked.
Kakashi's eye sharpened on them. "What?" his voice was almost a growl.
Naruto and Minashi's smiles turned wicked.
"You can have it back after helping us test the seals." Naruto chuckled darkly.
Kakashi's hand whipped to his back pouch and groaned when he realized his newest edition of Icha Icha was missing.
Kakashi's eye narrowed on the twin troublemakers. "Fine." He snarled.
Naruto and Minashi shared a look. Naruto took one seal and Minashi the other. They activated them and Kakashi made an impressed noise.
"Your scent is still in the air because you were recently here. But you are correct that your chakra just vanished." He nodded and turned his back to them. "Ten minutes. Then I'll have a Kage Bushin hunt one of you down while I go after the other."
"Will we know which is which?" Naruto asked.
"Nope." Kakashi said firmly. "Go." He ordered.
They disappeared.
Minashi laid flat against the branch of the tree she was on. It had been forty minutes since they'd left Kakashi. Half hour since he started hunting them. She'd made a few trails of her possible scent to throw him off. Then she'd doubled back for the last time to stalk-ahem, watch him.
Minashi couldn't fool herself though. She was stalking him as he hunted for her. She just couldn't help it. He was beautiful when he was focused. He'd kept the sharingan revealed, which gave her a chance to see more of his face. She'd hope to one day get a look at the whole thing.
Minashi's violet eyes tracked the silver wolf as he crouched on a branch a few trees over. This was something that she hadn't informed him of. Or Naruto for that matter. Minashi's tag used Nature energy to fuel it properly.
Kakashi's long fingers traced some of her fake tracks carefully. She watched that mind of his turn behind what of his eyes she could see from her angle. Slowly, like a predator, he rose back from his crouch. She watched surprised as he lifted a hand to his mask. She was disappointed when he didn't pull it down. He only pulled it away from his face.
His chest expanded on a slow inhale as he closed both eyes.
He was beauty in male form. He wasted no energy when he moved.
Kakashi's eyes suddenly snapped open and he was gone in a Shunshin. Minashi narrowed her eyes before her Sage Mode gave him away. She flipped to her back just as he appeared above her. She held a kunai to his throat as he held one to hers. His knees straddled her hips, and his other hand rested beside her head. The position was one that sent a thrill through her.
Kakashi's pupil was blown wide with the thrill of the hunt. Minashi's own heartbeat picked up in response. He let out a low growl, barely heard if she didn't have enhanced hearing. Her own pupils dilated in response.
She kicked him off and sprinted away. Instinct taking over. She made it a quarter mile before he snagged her from mid-air and slammed her into the trunk of a tree.
Minashi let out a snarl as her sharpened teeth were bared at him. Kakashi's own snarl rumbled against her chest where he pinned her. His hands had hers trapped above her head. She didn't even realize when he did that. She couldn't when she was getting a lungful of his scent. It made her head fuzzy and sent warmth to her belly.
"Your training with your summons is paying off." Kakashi's voice was more a growl than actual words.
Minashi squirmed against him when the vibrations against her chest did funny things to her.
Kakashi hissed, switched her wrists to one hand and snapped his freed hand to her hip.
"Don't do that." He breathed. Minashi looked up into his heterochromic eyes.
"Why?" she asked breathlessly.
Kakashi just growled in answer. Minashi felt her knees weaken. She tried to find anything to anchor herself to. She was losing her mind and he wasn't even doing anything to her.
"H-How did you find me?" she whispered.
Kakashi's gaze held her before he leaned forward and she felt him release her hip for a moment. Then there was something warm on her neck. Warm and soft. Air blew against her skin, sending shivers down her spine and heat to her lower belly.
"I will Always be able to find you." He whispered against her neck. Minashi swallowed thickly when she realized it was his nose and lips, she felt against her. He'd pulled down his mask.
"H-how?" Her voice trembled.
Kakashi just hummed against her neck as she felt his chest expand again, taking in her scent. She couldn't help it when her own chest rumbled with a pleased purr like growl.
Kakashi went stiff against her. He started to pull away. Minashi didn't want this to end. She'd never seen Kakashi's iron will crack like this before. She yanked her hands free and wrapped her arms around his strong waist. He stopped breathing all together, but Minashi just buried her nose into his neck. Searching for his scent past the Mask that still covered his neck. She gripped it with her teeth and pulled it further down.
Kakashi's warning growl made her shiver as he pressed her harder against the tree.
"Minashi." He warned, but she finally got it down and pressed her nose into the skin beneath his jaw. She closed her eyes and just breathed. Her body relaxed and heated at the same time. Her hands tightened underneath his flak vest and into his shirt. She could feel the heat of his skin against her palms.
"Minashi." He growled again and his hands began to push against her hips. To push her away from him. She didn't want to though. A whimper escaped her. Kakashi froze.
"Please." She whispered into his skin. Kakashi slowly relaxed against her and she felt the sigh against her skin.
"We can't Minashi." He whispered.
"We can." She argued.
"You're still technically my student."
"You still want me." She argued feeling everything with how close they were pressed together. She proved her point by rolling her hips against his.
Kakashi's fingers tightened on her hips as he snarled into her neck. She felt teeth there and shuttered. She knew it was his way of warning her to stop. She knew they were more instinct than common sense right now. Kakashi was fighting his. Minashi wanted to stop fighting.
Minashi pushed her limits with him. She stuck out her tongue and made a gentle swipe up his neck, tasting his skin-his scent. Kakashi groaned against her and those teeth pressed firmer into her skin.
"I licked you. Does that mean I get to keep you?" She whispered letting her lips press to his skin so he could feel her smile.
Kakashi groaned against her skin, releasing his teeth.
"You need to stop this Minashi." He whispered. "We can't. I can't. You shouldn't." he stumbled over his words. Instinct and his brain fighting each other.
"Why?" she whimpered, eyes burning.
"I'm too broken." He whispered. "You deserve so much more than a broken old man."
"But you do want me?" Minashi asked as she moved her fingers down and then up under his shirt.
Kakashi shivered against her when her nails score his skin lightly.
"Stop Mina." He hissed and latched back onto her neck in warning. Pain flared sharply, but nothing bad. Just a sharp warning.
"No." She whimpered trying to hold him tighter, but his teeth released. She felt one hand release her and moved his mask back in place. "No." She cried out again, burying her face firmer into his neck. "Kashi."
His hands reached behind and pulled her hands off him and put them back at her own sides.
She looked up and found sad heterochromic staring down at her. He then reached up and brushed her bangs behind an ear, his fingers barely skimming her skin.
"Forget me Minashi." He whispered. "Find someone else. Please." He looked so sad. "I'm not the man for you."
"But you are!" she argued eyes brimming with tears.
"I can't love you like you deserve." He growled getting angry as his hands came up and cupped her face. They were firm with his aggravation, but not hurtful. "There is nothing in me that is even capable to love." He said with an empty voice.
"That's a lie!" she yelled as her tears finally fell. "You love Icha Icha, you love your Pack, you love eggplant, you love the competitions with Gai no matter how much you deny it! And I know you love Naruto and I. It was familial for us to start with for you. But I know it change like it did for me!"
She wanted to tell him she loved him, but the knots in her stomach only allowed a little out.
"I like you Kakashi. A lot. And it keeps growing." She tried to get through to him again, but Kakashi just closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to hers.
Minashi whimpered as one of his hands moved into her hair, the other moved down her neck, shoulder, arm, and then settled back onto her hip. His head pulled back and her cerulean blues found black and sharingan staring at her with pain.
He opened his mouth, she saw it through the mask this close, but instead his eyes glazed over and his body went rigid.
He suddenly was six feet away from her with his Sharingan hidden and relaxed pose back in place.
"Ma, that was cheating using Sage Chakra." He eye-smiled at her.
Minashi frowned at him confused at the sudden change before a voice filled the air.
"WHAT? Mina!" Naruto scolded as he landed between them and pouted at her. "Yours needed Sage chakra? That's cheating!"
Minashi didn't look at her twin though. Her hurt eyes were on Kakashi who'd made it to where she was on his left. She couldn't see any of his face.
"Mina?" Naruto called again frowning. He stepped closer when he realized she had tear tracks down her face. "Why were you crying?" he whispered, and she felt him begin to look for in through their connection. She blocked him as best as she could before taking off from the training grounds.
"Wait Mina!" Naruto called, but she still had some Sage Chakra. Naruto was already out.
She rushed all the way through Konoha and then up to the mountain. She collapsed when she made it to her and Naruto's hiding place as little kids. The Yondaime's head. Her knees slammed against rock as her arms wrapped around her waist. Sobs choked her throat and tears flowed down her cheeks in earnest.
It hurt. His denial. His words. His refusal. It hurt. It hurt worse because she still loved him. She knew his scent just like he knew hers. They've always known each other's scents. Even if Kakashi didn't know that her and Naruto knew it was him all this time.
He'd always been there to protect them. He'd always leave new prank supplies for Naruto and her. He'd then always leave a book for her when they learned to read. He'd always drop off groceries for them.
He had always carried her in his arms after they got attacked by villagers. Naruto always got a piggyback ride or carried by Agent Cat, but she was always placed with her ear to his heart. He knew it had calmed her down as a child.
Warm familiar arms wrapped around her and pulled her close into a familiar chest. Legs surrounded her, kept her close. She wrapped her own arms around him and sobbed into his jacket. Familiar fingers brushed down her hair trying to sooth her like he always did as a child.
Slowly her sobs eased as they turned into hiccups. His hands didn't stop brushing down her hair or running up and down her back soothingly. He finally spoke when she was down to shuddered breaths.
"Want me to hit him with a Rasengan?" he whispered into her hair.
Minashi choked on a laugh. "No." she answered pathetically. "Seeing him hurt, makes me hurt." She whispered as she moved her face up and nuzzled into his neck. She frowned at the collar of the bulky jacket. Grumbling, she freed a hand and unzipped it. Her arms rewrapped around his mesh covered torso as she buried her face against his neck. Trying to fill her lungs with a different scent. She couldn't handle Kakashi's scent all over her right now.
He returned the favor by wrapping around her tighter and trying to replace Kakashi's scent with his own.
Slowly Minashi's body relaxed as she basked in his scent. It had changed recently, but it was still him. Ramen, Summer Breeze, Toad oil. Home. He was the scent of what Home has always been to her.
"Home." She whispered into his neck.
"Not anymore." Naruto whispered into her ear.
Minashi frowned. "You will always be home." Naruto chuckled sadly into her ear.
"You have new people that are home to you Mina."
Minashi shook her head in denial. "No. You are home. You always have been. We have always been."
"But I'm not there anymore." Naruto sighed. "I'm sorry Mina. I've put you through so much pain."
"What?" Minashi asked realizing that this wasn't relevant to Kakashi anymore. "No, Kakashi's the one that just-"
"Mina." Naruto's voice was firm as he pulled back and cupped her chin. Twin sets of Cerulean blues stared at each other. "I'm sorry." He whispered. "You're going through so much. I've never been more proud at how strong you are." He smiled sadly at her. "But you need to stop remembering all the bad things."
Minashi frowned. "But that wasn't bad. Kakashi had given in some. It's good."
He frowned at her frustrated. "But he hurt you. Why are you remembering this? You were doing so good. I've been able to keep the nightmares-" He stopped and looked down. "Please Mina, stop remembering the bad." He looked up at her. "All it does is hurt you. I can't see you in pain."
Minashi's blue eyes sharpened on the pair before her. Her own eyes stung with unshed tears.
"N-naruto?" She whimpered. He gave a soft sad smile for her before pulling her forward and kissing her forehead.
"Only good dreams Mina." He whispered against her skin. She smelled it then. A new scent on him she didn't like. Blood.
Minashi whimpered and clung to him tighter. "No." she whimpered. "Don't leave me again."
Naruto sighed as he tucked her head back into his neck. "I'm always with you Mina. Everything I was are in our memories." He whispered.
Minashi whimpered when she felt the world fading around them. "Don't go!" she cried out into his skin.
"No more bad dreams Mina. Promise me."
"NO!" She shouted.
"Mina." He sighed.
"Even the bad dreams are worth it if they have you in them." She cried.
"I can't let you hurt yourself anymore." He said firmer and even he became darker.
"NO!" She screamed as everything went dark.
"NO!" Minashi screamed as she shot up panting. She curled up and sobbed into her knees. First the pain of Kakashi's original denials, then Naruto leaving her again. She sobbed and let out all her pain into her knees.
"BAKA!" She screamed as a hand pounded into the boulder beneath her. "BAKA!" She howled as her fist met boulder with chakra fueling it and it cracked under pressure.
Minashi slipped down the boulder and sobbed harder as she curled up against the boulder with her arms covered her head and she cried into her thighs.
"Bakas! Bakas! Bakas! Bakas! Bakas! Bakas!" She shouted and sobbed as she rocked in place, tears dampening her shinobi pants.
"You're both BAKAS!" she roared and punched the boulder with the side of her hand. It rumbled as another crack appeared. Her hand slid down as her tears fell faster. Her pain so overwhelming. She didn't even notice her Chakra lashing out. Her killer intent flooding the area as she lost control of her emotions. They were both idiots!
Her only saving grace during her loss of control was that a seal protected her Blood Henge.
Her nails dug into her scalp as her anger and pain flooded her mind and body. It Hurt! Those idiots hurt her!
"B-ba-k-ka-s!" She stuttered through her sobs. Nails dug further into her scalp. She didn't feel the pain. She didn't notice the blood. She just sobbed and rocked as the pain consumed her. She couldn't hear Kurama's shouts of worry. She couldn't hear his panicked tone.
She couldn't notice anything but the pain in her heart and mind. She cried out as her mind flashed with Kakashi's unmasked faced smiling at her lovingly. Naruto smiling at her happily.
IT HURT! They were BAKAS! Smiling BAKAS!
She felt arms on her. Unfamiliar. She screamed and lashed out. She heard a muttered voice hiss out a curse, but she couldn't focus.
More images filled her head. Kakashi hovering over her after their first time. The love in his eyes. She choked on a sob and pressed her hands into her eyes.
"NO!" she screamed. "HE's GONE! STOP SHOWING ME!"
Another image flashed. It was Naruto when they'd gotten home after making Genin. He was proudly wearing his headband and giving her a smile and thumbs up. Happiness and pride in his eyes.
"STOOOP!" She wailed. "IT HURTS! HE'S DEAD! STOP IT!" she dragged her nails trying to stop the images.
Something stopped her hands. She struggled against it. She heard muffled noises, but she couldn't understand it past her own sobs and howls of pain.
More hands were on her. She kicked and punched, but she hit air. Scents, so many scents were filling the air. She couldn't recognize any. She was pinned. She couldn't escape the scents.
They burned her nose. They weren't home. They weren't Naruto. They weren't Kakashi.
"NO!" She screamed again and landed a punch on soft flesh and then bucked the rest of the weight off her body. Sobbing, she scooted away and back against her boulder. She tucked her head into her knees and sobbed.
"Bakas." She whimpered. "Bakas." She cried wrapping her arms around her legs tighter.
Jiraiya heard the screams first. He started heading for them, worried. They had come from the direction he'd left Minashi. He stumbled when the Chakra and Killer intent came next. He sprinted back to Minashi.
He gasped at the sight of Minashi curled up in a ball at the base of the boulder she had been happily napping on when he left. Now it was riddled with cracks. Minashi rocked in place as she sobbed. He approached her carefully, not sure if she was aware or not of her surroundings.
He heard her whispering something but was still too far away to understand. Once close enough he attempted to wrap his arms around her in comfort. It was a mistake. Minashi screamed. Her arm shot out and caught him down his arm with her nails. He clenched his hand over the wound to stem the blood flow.
"Shit." He hissed as he watched her deteriorate further.
"NO! HE's GONE! STOP SHOWING ME!" She wailed. Jiraiya figured Kurama was trying to calm her down and it royally backfired. Either that or her mind was breaking. If it was the latter, then she was in trouble. He needed to get help. He took off. The sounds of her screams following him. Haunting him.
Jiraiya pushed more chakra to his feet and sprinted for the Hospital first. He headed right for Tsunade.
"What do you want- Oh my kami! What did you do?" She gasped alarmed "Run you arm through a box of Kunai?" she growled but thankfully healed his arm. He didn't explain. Just waited for her to heal him enough. Once done, he surprised her by throwing her over his shoulder and Shunshined to Sensei's office.
"JIRAIYA!" Tsunade snapped once she was set down. She went to punch him but froze when she finally looked at his face. His eyes were blown wide with panic, his face ashen.
"Jiraiya?" Hiruzen stood up behind his desk at his student's sudden entrance.
"Help!" He said unsure how to explain it.
"Who?" Hiruzen asked calmly.
Jiraiya ran a hand through his hair. "Need Tsunade, Need you, Me, and- Inojiro!" he exclaimed looking at Hiruzen panicked. "Something's wrong. I don't know what. She just kept screaming." Jiraiya trembled as her screams echoed in his head. "Just screams and screams." He whispered.
Hiruzen stiffened "Where?" he spoke deadly calm.
"Training grounds 9." Jiraiya whispered.
Hiruzen snapped a signal to his ANBU. One dropped down. "Go tell Inojiro to meet us there immediately. Tell him it's Urgent and it's about her." The ANBU nodded and disappeared in a Shunshin, rushed by his Hokage's serious tone.
The trio left following Jiraiya's rushed steps back to the training ground.
Hiruzen swallowed when they got close enough to feel it. Between the Chakra lashing out and Killer Intent, it made the screams even more haunting.
Hiruzen, Jiraiya, and Tsunade finally arrived at the training ground but Minashi was no longer alone.
Sakumo looked up as he held Minashi's wrist still on her scalp even as she struggled against him. He looked up with a worried but calm look in his eyes.
"I found her like this." He said calmly.
"I heard the screams earlier and tried to calm her." Jiraiya said and rubbed a hand down his face. He shivered when Minashi howled in pain again. "I went for help."
"I'm here." Inojiro huffed and placed a hand on Jiraiya to steady himself. "Whoa, that's potent Killer Intent." He swallowed. "Anyone know what caused this?"
"I only came to the smell of blood and sounds of screams." Sakumo sighed and winced when she howled again.
"Jiraiya got Sensei and I." Tsunade said clutching at her necklace, her eyes watering watching Minashi in pain.
"I left her to go get some lunch. She had been taking a nap in the sun after our trip." He said looking at Hiruzen. Hiruzen nodded understanding.
"Anything there possibly set her off?" Hiruzen asked.
Jiraiya shrugged. "She seemed fine. Pleased even with the results."
"She has nightmares." Inojiro hummed as he looked at the struggling Minashi still in her henged form of Kitsune. Her eyes were open and wide, but they were completely glazed over. He knew she couldn't hear or see anything.
"She told me though that they have been lessening. She gets a few sad ones here and there, but nothing bad. She'd also been getting good dream memories." Inojiro ran a hand down his face. "I need to get into her head to check the status of her mental state. I need to see if she's just stuck in a dream, or if her mind is breaking."
"We'll hold her down." Hiruzen nodded. "Sakumo, can you get her arms pinned?"
"I'll try." He grunted. "She's stronger than she looks."
"I'll take her legs." Jiraiya grunted. "Watch those nails Sakumo. She about filleted my arm of its skin."
"Thanks." He replied dryly as he walked around her to prepared to yank her arms up and away.
Jiraiya grabbed her ankles, ready to pull then sit on her knees.
Tsunade stood ready to sit on her stomach to press her chest down. Hiruzen stood ready near Inojiro to keep the mind-shinobi's body from disconnecting from Minashi.
"On my count." Sakumo grunted. "One. Two. Three." He growled and pulled and pinned Kitsune's arms above her head. She thrashed and bucked trying to dislodge Tsunade and Jiraiya.
Tsunade pressed her shoulders down. Minashi's head thrashed back and forth as a scream howled from, her throat.
"NO!"
Sakumo cursed when nails bit into his wrist. The blood made his grip slippery. A hand broke free and he took a right hook to the jaw, dislodging him before Inojiro could knock her under the jutsu.
Minashi bucked and snarled, catching Tsunade with a swipe of nails, and Jiraiya with a kick to the chest.
The group watched as she scurried back to the boulder and curled up into a ball. Blood running down her face, bloody hands gripping her arms as she rocked and coiled tighter into a ball.
"Bakas. Bakas." She whimpered. "no more. No more. They're gone. No more." She whimpered and rocked.
"I can't help her if I can't touch her." Inojiro hissed frustrated. Hiruzen sighed and looked to the stricken looking Tsunade.
"Tsunade?" Hiruzen called questioningly.
Tsunade looked to her sensei with pained eyes. "I'm afraid to knock her under. I think it might make it worse if we can't see what her mental state is." She said even as she started to heal herself.
Hiruzen sighed and opened his mouth to try anything but froze when a new chakra appeared gently in the clearing. Hiruzen's eyes whipped to Sakumo. A visible while outline appeared around him.
"No!" A choked sobbed escaped Minashi as she shook her head. Sakumo neared her slowly and Minashi trembling increased with every step. "NO!" she shouted but it was followed by a whimper when Sakumo just kept moving closer to her.
"Please stop." Minashi sobbed into her knees. Sakumo dropped to a knee behind her, but Minashi didn't move away. "S-Stop." Minashi's voice trembled softly.
Sakumo's white covered hand moved and gently rested onto of Minashi's head.
She froze. No more sobs. No more screams. Hiruzen wasn't even sure if she was breathing.
The killer Intent and Chakra from Minashi disappeared.
"Inojiro." Sakumo called evenly. "Whatever you need to do, do it now."
Inojiro walked carefully over, eyeing the frozen Minashi. "How long do I have?" he asked preparing to enter Minashi's mind.
"I don't know. This was just a guess." Sakumo frowned. "You have until I run out of chakra, or Kitsune fights it off. Whichever comes first."
Inojiro grunted but stopped delaying and completed the Jutsu that would take him into Minashi's head.
Hiruzen and Jiraiya supported Inojiro once he activated the Jutsu.
"Tsunade, you can start healing her and Sakumo."
Tsunade nodded and maneuvered to being healing what she could. She frowned when she realized that Kurama wasn't helping heal Minashi like normal. She sent her sensei a concerned look.
"Sakumo." He said instead. "What did you do?"
He sighed as he rubbed his face with his free hand. "You know of the Hatake Clan White Chakra?"
"Hai, your tanto glows white when you imbued it with your chakra. It's where your Moniker came from."
"White chakra is also special. It's very dense. While we may have less reserves, it also means that we don't need as much to make a jutsu work. It's why genjutsu is difficult to use on my clan."
"And this deals with Kitsune's sudden change, how?" He inquired back.
"I'm currently using my denser chakra to flood the chakra pathways to Kitsune's brain." He sighed.
Tsunade began to shake. "You could harm-"
"I'm not hitting all of them. Only the ones connected to her nerve endings. Right now, I am basically paralyzing her temporarily without interfering completely with her mind." He frowned trying to think of a better way to put it. "Her mind should currently be experiencing a floating like sensation. Like in you drugged a patient to calm them down without completely knocking them out. She's still awake, but also still unaware like earlier. This is different though. She should be pulled to Inojiro with his Jutsu active."
"How do you know this?" Hiruzen asked curiously.
Sakumo gave a sheepish look. "I might have experimented on a few teammates in my youth."
Hiruzen deadpanned him.
"No one was hurt!" he defended quickly. "The first was an accident during training. I had been experimenting with Chakra manipulation and Kaede had touched my chakra covered hand. It ended up being where I used it to help dull some of the pain for her labor years later. Of course, once I learned how to manipulate it correctly through the brain. That I swear was done on enemies of Konoha during interrogations."
Hiruzen sighed and rubbed his temples. "I will laugh," He started softly. "I will laugh when the day comes when subordinates or students of yours cause the same or similar amount of trouble that you and my students have caused." Brown eyes narrowed threateningly on Sakumo.
He swallowed thickly and focused back on keeping the chakra flow into Kitsune even.
