Chapter 32

Inojiro jerked away from Minashi suddenly. Hiruzen stabilized him, but the Yamanaka just rose to his feet with a firm look.

"We need to get her into her apartment. It's the only place secure enough." Inojiro reported.

"What did you find?" Hiruzen demanded.

Inojiro worried his lips with his teeth.

"Inojiro that is an order."

"I was only told to prepare to do damage control. There is a seal protecting her mask, but her loss of control over emotions disturbed any of her clones she has active." He reported.

Hiruzen's eyes lit with understanding. "Hell." He muttered and looked at Sakumo who was focused on Kitsune, but eyes were still watching them. "She's going to hate this." He muttered. "If she asks who's order, I'll take the fall." He ordered meeting everyone's eyes before looking at Sakumo. "How much longer can you hold?"

"Same as before." He reported.

"Ten minutes." Inojiro countered. Sakumo looked at him sharply. "That's how long we have to get her into her apartment and activate her seals. There are ones there strong enough to block the chakra she's about to have blasted."

"Shit." Hiruzen curses.

"And you want to risk taking her further inside the village when it happens?" Sakumo raised a doubtful brow.

"We don't have a choice." Jiraiya frowned. He moved to start to lift Minashi into his arms. Carefully he worked with Sakumo to keep his friend still connected to the unresponsive Minashi. But Hiruzen saw it. Her hand twitched.

"Inojiro, Tsunade on me. Jiraiya, you can take them both?" Hiruzen spoke firmly.

"Hai." He nodded and looked down at Minashi with pained eyes.

"Move." Hiruzen ordered and they left in Shunshins.

Eight minutes later they arrived at her apartment. Jiraiya set her on the bed with Sakumo still holding on. He then rushed to where Inojiro and Hiruzen were staring at the security seals.

"Do you know how to activate them?" Jiraiya asked the mind-shinobi.

"Hai, but I think you should. I don't have proper knowledge to work with Fuuinjutsu to activate them like I was shown." He held up a hand to Jiraiya. "I can share."

Jiraiya nodded and closed his eyes. A voice and images of the seal filled his mind. He reached forward and activated both seals.

He relaxed a fraction back and looked to his stressed Hokage. "Secured. She has one similarly designed to the four-prism barrier she uses with you."

Hiruzen nodded in understanding. "Nothing in or out until she says."

"Yes, but this one I control right now."

"Good-" They froze when Sakumo shouted for them.

"Get In here!" he called.

The trio rushed in to find white and green glowing hands holding down a thrashing Minashi. They rushed forward, each taking a limb or part of her to hold down.

"Were you told what to expect?" Hiruzen grunted.

Inojiro looked at his Hokage with a tight smile. "Well, Sakumo-san is going to be in the know sooner rather than later. It's the only way he can calm her down. He's going to flush her coils with his chakra to calm her down. He says it's a result of him protecting her completely from his end."

The beginning of a new chakra sparked in the room.

"He says he's going to be wrapping her in his chakra. It was described as a warm hug to him before. It's starting. We need to back off for now."

The five backed, off Sakumo being the last as he recalled his own chakra.

Minashi's thrashing eased as the chakra movement increased through her coils. Even as her sobs had began again, they didn't get far before they were just whimpers. She still tossed her head back and forth, but her eyes had closed, and her breathing was becoming easier.

Her body slowly began to glow as the golden chakra covered her from head to toe.

Inojiro sighed and leaned back against a wall when Minashi's face turned peaceful and her whimpers stopped. "Thank Kami." He whispered and slid to the floor. "He was right."

"Remind me to find a way to thank him." Hiruzen sighed back.

"She's okay?" Jiraiya asked. Tsunade moved to her partner worried. She took one of his clenched hands and held it between both of hers.

"If Inojiro says she is, then she is. He knows her mind better than any of us." She reminded him.

Jiraiya ran his other trembling hand down his face. "Kami, I've seen war, I've seen veteran shinobi's suffering from PTSD, I've witnessed torture, but this. This will haunt me. I never want to hear her scream like that again."

Tsunade leaned her head onto his arm and clenched his hand tighter. "You and me both." She mumbled, a hand reaching up for her necklace. "She promised it couldn't kill her. I'll hold that faith in her promise. So, will you Jiraiya." She whispered.

He sighed and rested his chin on her head and wrapped his other arm around her.

Sakumo crossed his arms as he looked at the golden woman before him. His face was carefully blank as he watched the other four people in the room relax at feeling the warm chakra in the room. Warm chakra that he'd experienced once before. He wanted an explanation, but he was patient.

He watched Inojiro get back up and near the woman known as Kitsune. He didn't touch her but his hand's twitched to enter her mind again. Sakumo could see that in his eyes.

Sakumo didn't look away from her when he felt Hiruzen approach him.

"You want an explanation?" He asked softly. Sakumo felt the other three occupants' eyes glance at them.

"Hai." He said firmly as his own dark eyes snapped down to his esteemed Hokage.

"I wish you would have gotten time to speak with Kitsune more." Hiruzen sighed. "You would have been able to get to know her better."

"I want an explanation Hiruzen." He growled back. "Who is she?"

Hiruzen eyed him. "You already know."

"No." he said firmly. "I don't. What I thought I knew was a lie."

"Not really." Inojiro sighed on a shrug. "She didn't have a good childhood. She is making up for what she missed out."

"What?" Sakumo frowned confused.

Hiruzen waved for Sakumo to follow him out of the bedroom. "Inojiro, you as well. You understand her best."

The Yamanaka got up and followed them out. Jiraiya and Tsunade staying to keep an eye on their friend.

Hiruzen grabbed a seat, Inojiro beside him. Sakumo sat across from them both. His eyes scanned the Apartment but noted that it lacked anything that made it personalized. It wasn't a home.

"Sakumo," Sakumo's gaze snapped to Hiruzen "What I'm about to tell you, is SS-rank. Very few are informed about it. Though the list seems to be growing faster than either myself or my advisor would like. I wanted to add you in after you got to know Kitsune better, because that is more truly to who she is. Age wise at least." He sighed. He opened his mouth to continue, but there was frantic knocking at the door. Hiruzen frowned at it.

Jiraiya and Tsunade came when it turned to more panicked knocking.

"Kitsune-san! Please! I need your help!" Minato's voice called from the other side.

"Shit." Jiraiya hissed.

"Her clones popped." Inojiro reminded them.

"Jiraiya, will the chakra leak if we open the door?" Hiruzen asked quickly.

"Kitsune-san!" Minato called again with more knocking. "I need help! Please it's my Imouto!"

Jiraiya frowned pensive. "no. But he can't cross the threshold, or he'll be in the barrier and will feel it." He moved to the door. "Inojiro on me. Tsunade, Sakumo, please move out of view. Sensei should be fine if he's spotted. Minato will get how serious it is then."

They did as told and Jiraiya opened the door with Inojiro a few steps behind.

"Sensei!" Minato exclaimed surprised. His face was still pale with panic. "What are you doing here?"

"Kitsune-san and I ran an errand. Something happened afterwards. Sensei and Inojiro are helping me with Kitsune-san."

Minato looked in worried and saw the Hokage with his head resting worriedly into his hands.

"Kami, is she okay?"

Jiraiya shrugged. "She will be eventually. She's been through a lot."

"I'm making sure her mind doesn't break Minato." Inojiro reassured. "Worry not. She's gone through much worse. She always comes out stronger."

Minato nodded before shaking his head. "Sensei, can you help then? Minashi went missing from the academy. She was reported going to the bathroom when her belly didn't feel good. But she never came back. I've looked everywhere for her. Neither Kushina nor I can feel where she went." He ran a shaking hand through his hair. "What if she was kidnapped?"

"She wasn't." Jiraiya sighed coming up with a story and shook his head. "Damn, we told them not to."

"What?" Minato frowned.

"My errand with Kitsune. I asked her a favor. I had narrowed down where Minashi's Seal Key was. We checked both places and found it at the second one. The Fox summons Home."

Minato's eyes bugged out. "She was reverse summoned? She's only five?!" he exclaimed as his hands went back to his hair.

"And our only active Fox summoner is going through a bad episode." Inojiro sighed.

"Wait! Kushina is a summoner!"

"Two different contracts." Jiraiya stopped him there. "Kitsune shared hers apparently with Minashi's Uzumaki father. He's the one that hid the key. The Foxes can be vain Minato. They are not please with Kushina. They like Kitsune and will not betray her loyalty for a summoner that has not worked with them in years. They are already thinking of dropping her as a summoner if she cannot keep her end of the deal." He told honestly. It had been something he'd asked Minashi a while back while they spared. He was glad for the information as it saved Minashi right now.

Minato groaned in frustration. "So Minashi has been summoned to the fox home? Why? When will they send her back?"

"It is my impression that they will want her as a Summoner as well. Not only is it hereditary, but she is already half fox to them. She holds the Kyuubi. They respect her friendship with him." Jiraiya spun the lie/ half-truth. He'd have to remember to inform Minashi of this conversation.

"shit." Minato cursed and ran a shaking hand down his face. "Kushina isn't going to like this. So that's how Minashi and Kitsune were connected? Kitsune was sent to protect and train one of the next summoners of the foxes?"

Jiraiya shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. This is a new development for me as well. Kitsune is very tight lipped about anything personal."

"Do you know when I'll be able to talk to her? Kushina will run rampant to get Minashi back."

"No, she won't." Hiruzen stood up and frowned at Minato. "You will keep her under control and tell her that the situation is handled Minato. Minashi isn't in any danger. Summons do not harm their summoners. Am I clear?"

Minato stiffened but bowed his head. "Hai Hokage-sama." He swallowed thickly.

"I care for Mina-chan as well Minato. Jiraiya already informed me of her possibly being summoned away to talk with her future summons. She's safe. Be patient. We'll let you know when she's back."

"Okay." He whispered and looked back up and around the room he'd been familiar with then looked back at Hiruzen. "Can you let me know when Kitsune is feeling better as well? Our friendship is odd, but she's still my friend."

Hiruzen smiled at Minato. "It seems she is doing as told. She's lucky to have a good friend like yourself Minato. I will let you know when she is better."

Minato bowed then left down the hall with a pensive look.

Jiraiya sighed and shut the door. His head rested against it. "Kami." He mumbled.

"You can say that again." Hiruzen muttered and sat back down. "Sakumo, shall we continue?"

Sakumo came from the bedroom and sat back down before Hiruzen.

"They are the same person." He muttered.

"Correct." Hiruzen nodded.

"Is she a child or an adult? Inojiro said clone. I've never heard of a clone that doesn't pop when hit."

"Minashi had a Blood Clone."

Sakumo frowned. "That's never been completed though. Too much chakra and blood."

Hiruzen chuckled. "She compensated with Fuuinjutsu. She doesn't need a lot of blood, but she does need a lot of chakra. She uses blood for the Fuuinjutsu seal apparently."

"So, what is she?"

"She is an Adult stuck in the body of a child." Inojiro reported. Sakumo raised a brow at him.

"how did this happen? I thought the blood tests came back that she was a relative of Kushina and Minato."

"She is." Hiruzen said simply.

Sakumo stared at them before he frowned. "That doesn't make any sense."

Jiraiya chuckled sadly as sat beside him. "That's because you have only seen Mina-chan. You haven't gotten to work with Kitsune."

Hiruzen chuckled and pulled out his pipe. "Shikaro and Shikaku Nara figured her out. She knew they would, but she was hoping to avoid them for a few more months before their determination to complete the puzzle, drove them into confronting her."

Tsunade snorted as she came in. "You should have been there when she informed the Kazekage. He only stared at her before asking her to prove it in a spar. She did. She kicked his ass and made it look like child's play."

Inojiro chuckled. "Well she was best friends with his Youngest son. She always talks fondly of him. Bragged that he was better than his father."

"The Yondaime Kazekage doesn't have children." Sakumo frowned.

Four sets of eyes landed on him.

"Yet." Hiruzen smirked. Sakumo's whirling mind screeched to a halt. "I want you to do me a favor Sakumo. Shikaro informed me that Minashi let more slip during Danzo's trial than she realized. It wasn't during the entire thing. Only when he'd confronted her at the end. Accused her that he could have gotten away with everything if it wasn't for her."

Sakumo felt the scene replay in his head the more Hiruzen spoke.

"You are correct. If it wasn't for me, you would have been able to continue to fly under the radar. Maybe even turn Orochimaru towards your dark plans and against Konoha. Turned Konoha against is last founding clan. Gotten your wish to have the Mokuton for yourself. Gotten your wish to have the power of the Sharingan. Maybe even attempted to get your hands on the Kyuubi no Kitsune. The thing you see as the greatest weapon of Konoha. But I am here. I am here to protect Konoha."

Sakumo frowned down at the table as he tried to work what he knew of Kitsune and Minashi. They were the same person.

"Has my time with Minashi always been a clone?" he asked.

"No." Hiruzen said softly. "Only when she had a mission."

"Or was avoiding lectures at the academy." Inojiro chuckled. "She has and never will enjoy school. Especially written exams."

"Her time in the hospital with that fever?"

"A result of her pushing herself during a mission and the clone pushing through training." Hiruzen reported. "Her Blood Clones have the same side effects as a Kage Bushin, but a bit worse. She gets not only the mental exhaustion, but the physical as well."

"This past Sunday." Sakumo muttered.

"Kitsune and Team Minato returned from a diplomatic mission. Infiltration, extraction, and Political." Hiruzen reported.

"Her clone didn't push itself, so she was just tired." Jiraiya added.

"I also did a healing session when we got to ease some of her physical exhaustion." Tsunade sighed still clutching her necklace.

"Do I even know her?" Sakumo whispered. "Has everything as Minashi been a lie?" he frowned.

"No." Inojiro said softly. "She cannot lie to the people she cares about. She tells them what she can but keeps it vague. It's why Minato trusts Kitsune even when he knows he shouldn't. She's told me that many times. It amazes her every time that he can just trust her words."

Sakumo ran a hand through his hair. "Who is she? Where is she from? Or should I be asking when?" He asked looked up at the group.

Hiruzen looked at him with calm blue eyes. "She from thirty to thirty-five years in the future. We are not quite sure. She has only revealed bits and pieces of the future. We do have it narrowed down to that because of her parentage and her age before she jumped back."

"Parentage?" Sakumo frowned before he understood. His eyes widening in understanding. "They aren't siblings, they are her parents."

"Hai." Hiruzen got a stressed look on his face. "but she didn't grow up with them. Her and her brother were orphaned at birth. Sharing halves of the Kyuubi after it was ripped from Kushina. I can image from what she's told me that their childhood was not good."

"Minashi pushes away the bad because Naruto was there for her." Inojiro sighed. "She felt she could always stand back up because he was there to help her up. I've tried to get her to understand that he only held out the hand to her, because he knew she was already strong enough to stand on her own."

"That's why she didn't panic." Sakumo whispered. "When I found her, she recognized me."

Hiruzen and Inojiro shared a glance.

"Most likely your scent." Inojiro said carefully. "It was similar to one she knew well."

Sakumo frowned before he raised a brow then the other. "Are you telling me, she recognized me because I smelled like future version of my son?"

"Hai." They chorused.

"but if she knew my son, then she would have known me. She should have been able to recog…nize…" He trailed off as he saw Inojiro's and Hiruzen's faces blank.

"Minashi is working hard for a better future." Jiraiya hummed and looked at Tsunade. "She's brought my team back together. Saved my bastard of a best friend from turning against the village. Helped save my beautiful teammate from wallowing in grief and helped me to see that I can't run away from everything."

"She's already cut off a cancerous root." Hiruzen sighed. "Danzo did much more damage in the future. Even her possessing the Kyuubi changes the fate for Kushina and Minato."

"She is aware that all these changes are taking away her advantage." Inojiro smiled at Sakumo's wide eyes. "But she also knows for a brighter future change has to start somewhere."

"Oogama Sennin called her the Protector of the Prophecy Child. A child that was once her brother." Jiraiya said looking up with determined eyes. "Naruto will be born in the upcoming future. Eight to twelve years in the futures. He will end up with part of Kurama again. Minashi will be in a better position to protect him this time."

Inojiro stiffened suddenly and shot up. "Her brother." He whispered with wide eyes. "I need back in her head. I think I might know what have triggered her." He started to rush back, but Hiruzen stood in his way.

"Explain Inojiro."

"I can't. I made a promise. But if Kurama-sama is busy with Minashi, I might be able to speak with him."

"Who?" Jiraiya asked carefully.

"Naruto." Inojiro sighed defeated. "I'm not sure what exactly he is, but there is part of him there. If he contacted her while she was sleeping, he might have caused this."

"She was screaming about being shown images." Jiraiya frowned. "I thought it was the fox trying to calm her down. It backfired."

Inojiro nodded. "Plausible. If she was in mental pain or experience the pain of loss, the images of ones she's lost wouldn't help. Happy or sad images. They would only be painful."

"Will Kurama allow you back in?" Hiruzen asked as they walked back to the still glowing Minashi.

"I can only try."

"I request to be taken in." Sakumo said firmly.

Eyes snapped to him. Hiruzen just stared at him assessing him.

"Your choice Inojiro." Hiruzen hummed.

Inojiro narrowed pale blue eyes on Sakumo. "I will kick you out the moment you do something to make her worse."

"People cannot hide one's true self in their mind, right Inojiro?"

"Hai."

"Then I need to see her. I need to understand if she is still the Minashi-chan I know, or the Kitsune-san I barely know past her compassion to treat my Hokage as a human."

"Alright." Inojiro nodded.

Pain.

It hurt.

Then everything was covered in white. She didn't mind it. It left her feeling like she was in a cloud. Nothing mattered.

White was replaced by red.

Pain surfaced, but the red warmed and washed it away.

Something rumbled against her. It reminded her of a purr. But there was a noise every so often. It was like a low whine. Her heart ached at it. She didn't like it. She nuzzled further into the red that surrounded her. Tried to comfort the red back that was making her pain go away.

The purring stopped, but the red stayed.

What do you want Mind walker? A deep voice growled.

"I need to know what her dream was about."

I do not know. I do not invade her privacy like that all the time. Only the nightmares. I try to pull her from them. They haven't happened in a while though. So, this one came out of nowhere.

Nightmare? She wondered as she tried to remember. Red covered her mind and she forgot to cuddle into the warmth.

You've brought the elder wolf this time. I wish I could have prevented that. She will not be pleased that things are straying from her plans.

"Yeah, I'll be hearing her rant about it later with the Hokage." The kind voice chuckled.

"You are not how I imaged you. Kushina made you seem more…Intimidating." A deeper voice spoke. Something in her recognized it. It sounded familiar. It sounded similar to one she loved to hear. Her mind was still in a haze of warm red. Her thoughts slipped away as the warmth washed over her.

You would be angry too if you were bound by chains and staked to a stone slap. The darker voice snarled. It then eased off a bit. I gave them nothing but my anger and resentment. Instead of returning it. They took it on and instead offered friendship and love in return.

"Is she okay?" The kinder voice asked.

No. But she is getting better. I am shielding her at the moment. There are only two people that could help her right now and neither are present.

"I think her brother left a chakra impression in her. I think it might have come to her in a dream."

The red around her hummed and she sighed into it happily.

That impossibility. He mused.

"Hai. I think like their father did for them, he left a piece of his chakra in her to held her when needed. Though I think it hurt more than helped this time."

Let me search her memories. See if I can bring up the dream.

"You can do that?" the deeper voice asked.

We are partners. With the open seal, I can help her without restriction. This includes her memories.

Silence reigned for a while and she just enjoyed the warmth as it held her wrapped in a soft cocoon.

Sakumo watched as the fox closed its eyes. He felt the chakra move around him, but it headed for the shadowed forest beyond them. He looked to his companion and found Inojiro looking sadly around.

"She's in so much pain." He whispered. Sakumo looked back to the forest. His eyes narrowed at the shadows. Curious he walked closer and realized what he was seeing.

"It's blood." Sakumo whispered. The ground was covered in patches of it.

Inojiro lowered to a knee and touched it. His hand came back red. "it's serious. Her nightmares have never hurt her this bad." He glanced back to the fox before whispering to Sakumo. "He won't appear near them." He jerked his head into the woods. "If it's one of two people, I know who the second would be. I know where his memory tree is."

"Who?" Sakumo asked but followed.

"Kurama-sama will check all her dreams of Naruto first to see if he appeared there. He'll check the other second."

They moved swiftly through the forest until they reached a large Elm tree. It was one of the healthier trees around the forest.

"Elm Tress stand for intuition and Inner strength." Inojiro supplied as he squinted at the leaves of the upper branches.

"Why is this relevant?"

"Minashi organizes her memories by trees. Each person has a different tree. Some trees are hybrids to reflect the person's main characteristics. Some are burnt because they are dead, but she doesn't want to let go of their memories. Others are gone, but new memories are being made." He reached for a lower branch on the Elm. It looked new "like this one here."

His eyes looked back up to the leaves. "There!" he exclaimed and Sakumo looked to see a green leaf dotted with ash and gold specks.

Inojiro gripped Sakumo's arm. "I can call the memory scroll from it like Minashi can. Hopefully we can still view it if I touch the leaf."

"Hopefully?" Sakumo asked skeptically.

Inojiro shrugged smiling. "She has an amazing mind. It would take two lifetimes to understand it." He then gently touched it. The world blurred before they were in a training field.

Sakumo looked around but saw nothing.

"Where are they?" Inojiro grumbled.

Movement drew their eyes and out of the brush came a masked man. His silver hair familiar, but eyes not.

"K-Kakashi?" Sakumo whispered stunned. His son had a sharingan.

"Shit another fake." He cursed before chuckling. "Ma, she's gotten better." Another Kakashi stepped out. "Find him?" The Kage Bushin eye smiled.

"I'm giving him a bit more time. The Toads don't train like the Foxes. His stealth is still horrible. The tag is working though. His scent is hard to trace. His tracks, not so much."

Kakashi nodded and a third one appeared. "Yo!" it waved lazily.

"If Minashi stole my book then she handed it off to Naruto. Track his Kage Bushin down and get back my book. That one shouldn't have a scent and chakra suppression seal" He growled.

"Hai~" The clone smiled and disappeared in a swirl of leaves. Kakashi looked at the original clone.

"Give him another twenty minutes. Attempt to track only by scent like asked."

"You got it!" The clone waved and left.

Kakashi sighed and tossed his head back. "Ne, sensei. They are getting stronger." He mused allowed. He turned back around, and his demeanor shifted. "Now, to out fox a fox." He chuckled darkly.

Sakumo and Inojiro took off to follow the original Kakashi as he tracked Minashi via scent and tracks. Sakumo felt pride fill his chest. His Son was an amazing shinobi. The tiniest of tracks and he had her. But she was a fox summoner. She had laid false trails.

Kakashi slowly stood up. "Where are you?" He whispered to himself, careful to keep his voice low enough that it wouldn't travel.

Pulling his mask away from his nose, he closed his eyes and took in the scents around him. They were overwhelming at first. There. Just the faintest scent of Ink, her cleaning oils, and the scent of female.

His female. The thrill of the hunt filled him. Knowing that he was about to catch his prey. A sly prey. A strong prey. His prey.

He disappeared to Shunshin above her. His kunai met her throat. Cold metal pressed against his neck. Violet eyes were mere slits. His heartbeat thudded against the chest as he realized he had his female beneath him. His instincts howled at him. He growled at her in victory and in challenge.

She took the challenge. She escaped.

Tricky vixen. He snarled and took chase. She was good. He was better.

Trapped. He had her trapped. She snarled at the submissive position he trapped her in.

"Your training with your summons is paying off." He praised.

Common sense tried to return when her squirming brushed up against his waist. He hissed as pleasure shot through him.

"Don't do that." He scolded breathlessly. Violet eyes looked up at him. The black outlines around them enhancing the striking beauty of her already exotically shaped eyes.

"Why?" She challenged him. Kami she always challenged him. He growled at her, unable to answer with the truth. It would be admitting what he shouldn't be feeling for her. Sanity slowly began to return to him, but instinct fighting hard to take what he wanted.

"H-how did you find me?"

Such an innocent question. He mused and moved to get an unrestricted breath of her scent. The constriction in his chest and mind eased as he took her in. Ink, Katana oils, Konoha's breeze, ramen, female vixen.

"I will Always be able to find you." He whispered honestly. It's always been like this. Her scent always called out to him. It made her just a little bit more special than her brother. Naruto was still special to him. Like a knuckleheaded little bother.

"H-how?" Minashi's voice trembled. The scent of vixen grew stronger. Kakashi hummed against her throat. So close. He couldn't resist taking in another unfiltered breath of her scent. Then she purred against him.

Heat shot through him. Instincts and Sanity fighting for control. Instincts wanted to see what else he could do to make that scent stronger, how long until his own mingled with hers. Sanity reminded him that he couldn't have her. His love killed. He couldn't love someone. It would end in more pain. He started to push away.

Minashi yanked him back and he stopped breathing when her hands were only millimeters from skin. Her nose was buried into his own neck. Searching. He felt teeth. He felt his mask moving further down. He growled a warning to the female.

The scent of vixen and heat filled his nose. He pressed her firmer against the tree.

"Minashi." He warned, but then warmth pressed against his skin. Her breath rushed against it. He swallowed thickly.

"Minashi." He growled and tried to push himself away and keep her against the tree. Distance. He needed distance to clear his head.

She whimpered. His female whimpered in pain. His chest clenched in pain.

"Please." She whispered. He relaxed against her and let out a tired sigh. He was so weak to her.

"We can't Minashi." He whispered into her skin.

"We can." Stubborn female.

"You're still technically my student." Please stop. I'm not that strong.

"You still want me." She argued and rolled her hips. His eyes crossed as pleasure shot through him like a Raiton jutsu.

Instinct took over. His female wasn't listening. He gripped her neck with his teeth. Sharp canine's pressing in warning to listen to him.

A warm wet tongue licked up his neck and brushed against his jaw. His teeth bit harder into soft flesh. He shuttered and groaned at the pleasure that one action caused. It didn't help that the scent of an aroused female vixen was flooding his sensitive nose.

"I licked you. Does that mean I get to keep you?" her whispered words cooled the wet skin, making goosebumps rise on his arms. He felt the smile in his skin. Vixen. His mind called playfully back. He forced his instincts back. Sanity returning. He released her neck with a groan.

"You need to stop this Minashi." He needed to get her to stop. "We can't. I can't. You shouldn't." he tried to find the right words to explain past his hazy mind.

"Why?" she whimpered.

"I'm too broken." He reasoned. It was the truth. "you deserve so much more than a broken old man." Wasn't that the truth. His past was nothing but blood.

"But you do want me?" she asked again. Then those talented fingers of hers, that could make Fuuinjutsu look beautiful, touched his skin. Sharp nails scored down his skin. He shivered as his body wanted him to just give in. Give in, take her, make her his. Stop this torture. He couldn't though. If he loved her, she'd be killed. She was safer without him.

"Stop Mina." He hissed and bit her again in warning. Harder to make his point. Not breaking skin. He'd never physically hurt her intentionally.

Sakumo and Inojiro watched Minashi and Kakashi argue further. Sakumo's son fighting his instincts.

"What happened to him that made him believe that everything he loved would be taken away from him?" Sakumo whispered and covered his mouth with a shaking hand. He didn't know if he could take more. He'd watched and performed torture, but this was worse. He could feel both of their pain. The memory somehow sharing it.

"A lot apparently." A new voice called from behind them. They snapped around to find a new blonde standing there giving a tight smile.

"Naruto." Inojiro sighed. Naruto grinned a bit brighter at Inojiro.

"Ah, I was hoping you would figure it out." He nodded.

Sakumo stared at the blonde. He'd been surprised to see a grown up Minashi with his son, but what surprised him is the young man before him. They were truly twins. They looked almost exactly like. Only Naruto's broader shoulders, and shorter hair being the difference.

"I didn't know it would set her off." Naruto said softly. "I was just trying to help her."

"I know you have been." Inojiro smiled kindly. "You've been keeping the nightmares away right?"

Naruto looked to the ground and nodded. "Hai. I can't do much, but I can do that."

"You can't always protect her Naruto." Inojiro sighed. "She needs those memories to help her grieve. To help her move on. To heal." He tried to reason.

Naruto scuffed a foot at the branch. "I don't like seeing her in pain." He mumbled. "I'm the Nii-san. I'm supposed to make sure she isn't hurt. But I always seem to mess it up." He looked behind them and Inojiro and Sakumo realized the scene behind them had changed. Naruto was curled around Minashi protectively as she cried her eyes out. He just whispered hushed words to her and held her against him as the sun moved across the sky.

"I should have confronted Kakashi then. Not let them drag it out for another two years. I knew that he was emotionally hurting her to protect her. To protect himself. But I didn't know what to do."

"How old are you here?" Sakumo asked.

"Sixteen." Naruto mumbled.

"And My son?"

"I think Thirty? He always made dragging information about himself hard." Naruto smiled fondly.

"That's fourteen more years of experience than you." Sakumo said. Naruto's eyes, no, eyes of another blonde looked at him. "I don't know what my son went through. But he though himself broken. I can only image that he lost everything he loved and in result thought he wasn't allowed to love anything."

"I know." Naruto said. "Well, I know that now. But eventually he stopped fighting. It only cost him dying and coming back to life to realize it." He waved his hand over the air, and the scene shimmered.

"Oh!" Inojiro smiled happily as they watched Kakashi worry over the unconscious Minashi. Naruto speaking to him. Kakashi finally giving in. Minashi's tears over almost losing him.

Kakashi crawling into the cot and claiming her as his verbally. The twins cackling when Kakashi then had to dodge a certain Pinkett.

Sakumo raised a brow at Naruto and Inojiro. "Will someone explain why my son was terrified of the medic?"

Naruto's grin turned wicked. "Sakura was Tsunade-ba-chan's apprentice."

Sakumo blinked. "Ah. That's understandable then." He nodded almost feeling sorry for his son having to deal with two Tsunade's.

Naruto waved again and they were back to the original memory they had snuck into. Minashi was still curled in Naruto's lap, but they were just watching the sunset in peace.

"Inojiro is correct." Sakumo said calmly. Naruto looked back at him with sharp eyes. "You need to stop protecting her. She can't heal until she faces her pain."

"but-" he whispered.

Sakumo narrowed his eyes. "Do you think she is that weak then?"

"What? NO!" He shouted.

"Then why are you treating her as if she is?" He raised a challenging brow at the younger blonde.

Naruto blinked at him before his face scrunched up in thought. Naruto eyed Sakumo a moment later. He couldn't describe how the boy was looking at him.

"Kakashi-sensei was nothing like you." He mused aloud.

"Is that a compliment or an insult?" Sakumo hummed patiently.

"I don't know." He smirked but then he dropped it for a serious look. "I'm not letting her have all the bad dreams back at once. I'll try to moderate them. You two are right. I know she is strong. I always felt stronger when she was standing beside me. She was always so calm. So, seeing her so not calm, has been making me feel bad about what I've put her through."

"but you would do it again. The price of one person's pain can bring a brighter future for everyone else involved." Inojiro smiled sadly. "Minashi knew what you meant the moment you asked her to make the jump back. You always asked the impossible of her. And she always delivered. She knew you trusted her to complete this. You cannot regret believing in her, when she stumbles from the weight of the responsibilities she has."

"You can only catch her and then let her rise back up on her own." Sakumo nodded.

Naruto looked between them blankly before he gave a soft sad smile. "I'll try." He whispered and started to glow. "Furrball noticed your absence." He waved again and the memory faded away. They were back standing before the massive Elm tree.

Inojiro let out a long sigh. Sakumo echoed him. They walked back together in silence to where the fox was curled up in his cave. Red eyes were narrowed on them and lips were pulled back in a snarl.

You did not have permission to do as you pleased. He growled.

"I was trying to help." Inojiro said carefully. While you looked at the Memories with Naruto, I remembered where Kakashi's tree was.

Kurama's eyes narrowed. Silence remained.

Well? He snapped.

Inojiro sighed. "I think the chakra impression entered one of the mixed memories of Kakashi and Naruto. Minashi must have been dreaming about it. It seemed like a sweet, but more bittersweet memory. He must have tried to stop her from remembering them."

"He's a brother." Sakumo supplied. "The elder. Even as a chakra impression, he feels it's his duty to protect her. Even from her own mind."

Kurama groaned and a hand dragged down his face. That knuckleheaded brat. Always sticking his foot in and making messes worse.

Inojiro chuckled used to Kurama's feelings on the Twins.

Sakumo just raised an intrigued brow.

"Where is Minashi?" Inojiro asked softly.

Kurama stopped grumbling and looked at them then sighed. He turned his head and looked to the pile of tails curled up against his side.

"Can we see her?" Inojiro asked.

No. If I remove my chakra suddenly then she'll just revert to how you found her. It will take the rest of the day and most of tomorrow, but I'll slowly wean her off and let her deal with the emotions slowly.

Sakumo stared at the fox. "You love her." It was the tone of the fox's voice. Worried, fond, caring, protective.

Kurama's red eyes moved slowly back to the Hatake.

One cannot meet the Uzumaki twins and not fall in love with them. He admitted in a roundabout way. Now, get out. A tail shot to them and the Shinobis grunted in mild pain.

Sakumo stumbled away. Jiraiya catching him. Hiruzen and Tsunade caught Inojiro as he fell to his knees.

"Rude." Inojiro huffed. "But we probably deserved it for snooping around." He shook his head to clear the headache.

"Well that was interesting." Sakumo grumbled and gave a nod of thanks to Jiraiya.

"I can fill you in in the other room Hokage-sama." Inojiro smiled softly.

Hiruzen's shoulders relaxed.

The group moved back into the main room. Crowding around her dining table. Inojiro last to join them as he made sure the bedroom door was shut.

"She'll be fine." Inojiro start as he too his seat. "Kurama has her protected by his chakra. It's shielding her from the pain. He said he'll let her slowly sort through the emotions over the next day and a half. Her mindscape was already looking better than before. Though the dark patches in her forest, Sakumo helped me identify as blood."

"Is she injured still?" Tsunade asked concerned.

Inojiro shook his head. "A person's mind is more symbolistic than physical. She had patches of blood puddles all over her mindscape. On the ground." He looked around to see if anyone got it. He frowned and tried to figure out how to explain it.

"Okay, here is this." He pulled out a blank scroll and brush and roughly sketched out her mindscape, Kurama's cage and everything. "These trees? Memories of people. Each leaf is a tree. Each tree is a person. Following me?"

They nodded.

"Only Hiruzen knows this, but this valley of trees? Is a result of the Fourth war. Minashi's mind was not like this before hand."

"What?" Jiraiya frowned.

Sakumo raised a brow interested.

"Each tree is a person and their memories." Inojiro smiled excitedly. "Minashi and Naruto shared Kurama's chakra with the entire Shinobi Alliance. That's tens of thousands of people, all their memories, their feelings, their experiences. All stored in her mind."

Tsunade and Jiraiya's jaws dropped.

"Her mind adapted to them. Adjusted to them. Created the trees to organize them all."

Sakumo's eyes bugged out as he remembered just how many trees there were, the amount of leaves or branches on each.

"That's impossible." Sakumo whispered.

Inojiro smirked. "Hai. It is supposed to be. Naruto apparently received them as well. But he only sorted them by nation. Knowing Minashi had it handled. They did this all while fighting a war."

Inojiro waved a hand. "I'm off topic." He drew another tree in the background of the others. "Deeper in her mind, we find her origin. Her father and mother's tree. Interestingly enough, Kurama's tree is wrapped around them. She explained that he was just a part of them as their parents."

"What's fascinating is that I've seen tree after tree as her and I would walk through them. Some I could identify by nation, others I recognized as Clans from Konoha. Or individual ones if they were more important. There are only one or two trees I have not been able to find."

"Hers and Naruto's." Sakumo whispered starting to understand.

Inojiro nodded enthusiastically. "Minashi has no tree. Naruto as well."

"The ground bled." Sakumo whispered. Inojiro looked at him sadly.

Hiruzen sucked in a gasp understanding.

"The ground is Naruto and Minashi. They are the foundation. That's why it was covered in blood. Minashi's heart was bleeding."

"If both are the foundation, why hasn't it bled or cracked sooner?" Tsunade asked curiously.

Inojiro shrugged. "I could be the chakra impression holding it together or Minashi's denial to grieve properly over her brother."

"But wont she still be getting him back when he's born?" Jiraiya asked confused.

Inojiro smiled sadly.

"He won't be the same." Hiruzen answered on a sigh. "It's just like her worries for Kakashi. He will not be the Kakashi she grew up to love."

"Correct. Just her presence alone has already caused ripples. She's aware of this, but she still holds hope that she just has to wait, and she'll have her brother back. Yet she still witnessed his death. It's confusing her heart and mind since she didn't properly grieve." Inojiro sighed and looked at them sadly. "I think that's what Kurama is going to make her do. It's the only way she'll heal."

"So, all we can do is wait?" Jiraiya asked frustrated.

"We can be here when she wakes up." Hiruzen clarifies.

"Alright." Tsunade sighed and stood up. "Sensei, when will Orochimaru return?"

"Tomorrow morning."

She nodded. "Jiraiya and I will fill him in then. For now, I want to go back to the hospital and get supplies. I want to get an IV into her to keep her hydrated."

"Sounds good." He smiled.

"Let's go Jiraiya." She yanked him up and stormed out the door. Jiraiya spluttering as he was practically dragged away.

"I need to grab her file and update it." Inojiro sighed. "I can return afterwards."

"Thank you Inojiro." Hiruzen nodded and waited for the Yamanaka to leave. His hard gaze moved to the quiet Sakumo. "Sakumo.

"Why do you respect her so much?" he asked curiously. "It's not just because of her strength to come back to a time not her own. There have been rumors that you tried to pass your hat to her, but she refused."

Hiruzen chuckled and puffed on his pipe. "I did forget to mention that didn't I?"

"Mention what?"

"When Inojiro and I first entered her mindscape, instead of a five-year-old blonde child. A twenty-five-year-old woman stood before us. She had her right arm covered in bandages, wore a black sleeveless kimono top, orange leggings and shinobi sandals. A Konoha hitai-ate was belted with her white obi. Another hitai-ate was adorned on her forehead. All it was marked with was 'Shinobi'. But it was her hat and Robes. She had the Hokage Hat tied to her obi and wore a white cloak over her shoulders. Orange flames danced at the bottom, and when she turned, Rokudaime was embroidered down the back."

He chuckled at the memories of his dread. "She then introduced herself. Former Rokudaime Hokage of Konoha. Kage of the Shinobi Alliance." Hiruzen chuckled as he shook his head at the memory. "I knew right then that I needed to find a successor to deal with that shit."

Sakumo grunted annoyed.

"Oh, don't worry, I've dealt with the worst of it." He paused. "For now."

"And you just believed her?" He questioned wanting to know how his predecessor handled the situation.

"Eventually. She showed me a memory of the future. She was sitting down for tea with my counterpart. The only difference was I was a Reanimation. A product of the Edo Tensai Jutsu of the Niidaime. That and I got to see a glimpse of your grown-up son."

Sakumo stiffened. "The memory Inojiro and I sneaked into." Sakumo whispered. "It was one of Kakashi's." Sakumo ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "My boy, my son, denied his instincts to be with his mate, because he believes that everything he loved would be taken away from him."

Hiruzen didn't speak. He just looked at Sakumo sadly.

"Wh-what happened to him Hiruzen?" he whispered looking up at his Hokage imploring for an answer.

"Minashi doesn't tell us everything. She thinks she's protecting us that way." He took a breath and released it with a cloud of smoke. "Your son is already changed because he has Minashi at his side. But the future is not set in stone. All we can do is prepare for what we do know. Even that has been turned into shaky guess work. Minashi isn't even sure if the moments in Kakashi's life that changed him, will even occur anymore. She knows she can't protect him from everything, but I know she's going to try to make it not as life altering. Still painful, but not enough to break him like they did the first time." Hiruzen's eyes were steady as they gaze at Sakumo.

Sakumo's own were on his Hokage. Life-altering.

"I died." Sakumo whispered. So that was why they reacted strange earlier.

"You are bright." Hiruzen nodded. "Kakashi gets it honestly."

Sakumo pushed the compliment to the side. His mind was putting the pieces together. "This Hokage mark."

"Minato Namikaze was the Yondaime. He died a year into his reign. Twelve years later I died during an attack on Konoha. Tsunade then took the hat. She held it until Naruto was supposed to. Naruto died. Minashi took her brother's place. That is the basics of what she explained to me when talking about Konoha having a bad luck with Hokages dying on them."

Understanding flared through Sakumo. "She's putting me in a position I'm less likely to perish. Yet a position I could die in?"

Hiruzen chuckled. "She's getting you off mission roster." He corrected. "I am putting you there because I cannot handle another war. I am too old. I will be your advisor with her, but they will be your decisions."

Sakumo groaned and tossed his head back.

"Just think of this Sakumo." He called sweetly. Sakumo lifted his head to see a downright evil look on his esteemed Hokage. "Minashi will officially be a Genin by the time you take my hat. She'll have to work her way up the ranks through missions."

Sakumo's lips twitched. "Is being a Sadists part of the Job?"

Hiruzen huffed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Minato described Kitsune's training as sadistic. I've heard that she gets enjoyment of taking people on a ride of her space-time Jutsu. She was the Rokudaime. So are Hokages required to be sadistic?"

Hiruzen didn't reply for a while. Just stared at Sakumo and puffed his pipe.

"Best entertainment around." He deadpanned, but it didn't last. His lips twitched with a smirk. "I have a feeling that you will excel in it. You have a brilliant mind, steady poker face, and you are young enough to still scare the shinobi of your generation and below if you turn your battle face to a Hokage Face."

Sakumo hummed before nodding. "I'll work on it. I'll also stay here with Minashi. I'm sure you're due back in your office."

Hiruzen groaned but got up and left.

Sakumo moved back to the bedroom and stared at the Henged woman sleeping peacefully. The same woman that saved his son from fighting his instincts and hurting himself further. That even a man that thought himself broken could love again.

"Thank you." Sakumo whispered in her ear. "Thank you for what you did for him. For what you will do for him." He moved and kissed her forehead. The Kyuubi chakra warm against his skin, but not hurtful. "I'll do what I can to help pup." He mumbled smiling. It was strange. She was an adult only six years younger than him in mind, but still as innocent as his son. She was still a pup to him. Or kit fit more appropriately. He mused smirking. "Little vixen." He sighed and grabbed a chair to sit in with her. Closing his eyes, he let his mind adjust to all the new information about his little Kit.