Chapter Seven
Jiraiya stirred from sleep, admiring the heavenly form wrapped in his loving embrace. Tsunade remained breathtakingly beautiful as the grey February morning light shone through the window. Jiraiya breathed her in, savoring the smell of her steel-blonde hair, feeling his lips curve upward. He gently ran his hand along her bare, muscular arm until he reached the band of metal and the large diamond in the center.
"That tickles, perv," she shivered under his touch.
"Maybe I should do it some more," he chuckled playfully. There were few things more fun than teasing Tsunade; making love to her was one of the few things that fit that category.
"You always did like to tickle a crocodile, waiting to see if you got bit," Tsunade frowned momentarily. Eventually, she straightened into a smile, rolled to face Jiraiya, and kissed him squarely on the lips. Each time sweet as the first time!
Jiraiya's lustful intentions almost won out over his more sterling plans, "Before you go there," he gave her pause, "I need to have a serious chat with you, young lady!" He winked. Tsunade loved the moniker, even if she was his age.
"Oh, really," she traced a finger down his centerline, starting at the base of his neck, down his sternum, and to his belly. You tease! "What could be so important as to stop Jiraiya of the Wandering Hands this morning," Tsunade laughed, her cheeks turning pink as she rubbed his stomach.
She's not making this easy! Jiraiya took her by the hands, "Listen," he took her hands in his, rubbing and smoothing over the rough spaces between the bones of her hands, "I made a promise to you three years ago," he smirked, "and I think it's time we stop dancing around the issue. I love you, and I want you to be my wife, Tsunade, not my perpetual fiancée.
"Jiraiya," Tsunade tightened her lips into a grin, "are you saying we should set a date?" She tilted her head into the pillow, looking at him curiously.
"Yes!" Jiraiya exclaimed.
Tsunade broke out into hysterics, "Jiraiya," she heaved, "the last time I saw you this excited…" Tsunade trailed off, her voice dropping, "… was last night." She winked.
"Last night," he teased, "I'm not sure I remember," he rubbed his chin as if to conjure the memory.
"I think it went something like this," Tsunade's hands slipped from his, she grabbed both of his arms, and she pinned him on his back. "Does this help you remember?" She grinned wickedly as she climbed atop him and gave herself to him. Indeed, it does!
Kakashi sat with Minato, Fugaku Uchiha, Anko, Captain Yamato, Kushina, and the rest of Team Habanero in the Hokage's office. Kakashi checked his watch, 1000. Where in the hell is Jiraiya? The door opened as the aged Sannin strolled into the room, totally oblivious to his being ten minutes late. Kakashi caught sight of Minato opening his mouth to scold his tardy stepfather, he stopped the words in his mouth. Kakashi's good eye moved to Jiraiya who grinned like a predator fresh from victory.
He swallowed nervously as he watched Jiraiya confidently sit down. I've lived and nearly died countless times; never did I think having a question like this would make me sweat so badly.
"Sorry I'm late, everyone," Jiraiya did his best to disguise his amusement, "I was… delayed."
"Now that Jiraiya is here, we can get started," Minato shook his head, "As some of you may know, Kakashi is being reassigned off protection detail for my family."
"Lord Fourth, if I may ask, are you sure this change is necessary?" Kakashi wanted it to be known that he objected. Minato was a great warrior, but he frequently took risks with his own life – a life the village could ill-afford to lose.
"Kakashi, we knew this day would come," Minato stared back with his frost-blue eyes. A little over sixteen years ago in this office, Minato had made a similar decision only to rescind it – a decision that saved Minato and Kushina's lives. Now, there is no talking him out of it.
"But with everything that is going on, that leaves you and Kushina dangerously exposed," Kakashi said. Minato had confided in Jiraiya and Kakashi about a Fourth Shinobi War in the near future – a warning sent by his granddaughter Himawari.
"I have made my own arrangements," Kushina looked at her team, "Konohamaru and Hanabi have graciously offered to serve as my protection detail in public." Both kids grinned, "As for Akemi, I'm happy to announce she'll be training as a medical-nin's assistant, and, hopefully, a medical-nin after that. Akemi blushed, self-conscious, just like Hinata.
"That brings us to the topic of this meeting," Minato tapped a pencil on his desk, "the readiness exercise to take place in a week's time."
"Are you sure it is wise, using the opposition you plan on using?" Captain Yamato crossed his arms as he sat back in his chair.
"Bah," Anko scoffed, "the reservists need practice, and I'm eager to see what they can do," she eyeballed Konohamaru and Hanabi.
"We'll be more than ready," Kushina smirked in return.
"Are you sure that is a fair test, considering the opposition?" Kakashi asked. Naruto and Temari were to attempt to break into the archives and steal the Scroll of Seals, at least a mockup of it, as part of their final test before being cleared into field duty in the KIB/ANBU.
"We need a real-world test of our security apparatus, and the group testing it needs a good challenge; this is win-win as far as I'm concerned," Minato smiled.
"Who is the opposition? I can't wait beat their butts in the field!" Konohamaru shouted.
"Easy, Konohamaru," Kushina spoke in her motherly voice, "that's a secret from us as part of the test; it could be anyone." Kushina lied, she knew it would be Naruto at the very least.
"He had too much sugar with his breakfast again!" Hanabi quipped.
"I DID NOT!"
"Children focus!" Akemi spoke up, "You are in the Hokage's office and will act like Shinobi, not students!"
"We're sorry," the two bowed in unison.
"It's all right to be excited," Minato laughed, "Just remember, this will be like the real thing, not a game."
"Yes, Lord Fourth," the two genin bowed.
"Well, that wraps up the wargame preparations," Minato said, "If you'll excuse us, our next meeting is about to begin." Minato gestured to the door. Yamato, Anko, Akemi, Konohmaru, and Hanabi left. "Well?" Minato asked Kakashi.
"Well what?"
"Is Naruto ready?" Minato clarified.
"This is kid's stuff for him and Temari," Kakashi shrugged.
"Don't be too sure," Kushina giggled, "My team will be guarding the scroll, and they are known troublemakers."
"So is Naruto," Jiraiya added.
"But seriously, do you think he's ready for undercover work?" Minato asked.
"He's like the son I never had, Minato," Kakashi meant it, too. "I understand your reluctance, but right now is time for us to let him go and see how he does without us watching over his shoulder." The irony of the statement versus Kakashi's previous opposition to leaving Minato's protection detail was not lost.
"The kid needs the combat training Kakashi and the others can offer; there is little else I can teach him," Jiraiya said. "Besides, he's been still making his trips out with the Toad Sages."
"Speaking of," Minato's voice became tight, "I have a delicate assignment for you, Jiraiya."
"Oh?" the sage raised his eyebrows.
"We still have zero intelligence on Amekagure and the situation going on there… can you get in?" Minato asked.
"Minato," Kakashi interrupted, "why don't I go. Yamato can finish training Naruto instead."
"Nonsense," Jiraiya waved a hand, "I can get in," he said confidently.
"But can you move around unnoticed," Kakashi objected, "You're well known the world over; I'd be able to keep a lower profile."
"Yes, but I also have a plan for getting in and out safely," he said to Kakashi before turning to Minato, "What do we need to know?"
"We need to know more about the Akatsuki, like why they're targeting the Jinchuriki, and we need to know if they are behind our Fatal Lust problem."
"Gentlemen, maybe I should go with him," Kakashi again interjected.
"Kakashi, is something wrong?" Kushina asked, voice filled with concern. You were always good at reading us.
"Yes, Kakashi," Minato stared, "you seem unusually tense."
"It's just," Kakashi choked, "We lost Lord Third three years ago, going on four. If we lose you, we lose our next most experienced Shinobi in this village." Father had once been a distinguished shinobi in the field, a living legend, until he chose the survival of his team over the mission. While things had changed since then, failing a mission was still seen as a major disgrace, and teams did sometimes take fatalistic devotion to the mission as a result. Just like you chose with Rin and Obito.
"All the more reason I should go, then," Jiraiya nodded as he interrupted Kakashi's nightmarish thought, "It means preserving the generation that will see us through the coming storm."
"Jiraiya," Kushina gasped, "please tell us you're not planning on going out there to die!"
"Ha!" he laughed, "Wouldn't dream of it!" He paused to grin, "but I do need a favor in return."
"What sort of favor?" Minato asked.
"Oh, I need help arranging for an event around June sixteenth," he smirked as he let the mystery hang in the air.
Minato smiled back, wide as a shark, "You mean…"
"Uh huh," Jiraiya nodded, "This old bachelor is about to be a married man!"
"Jiraiya, congratulations!" Kushina beamed, her red hair flailing.
"Indeed, many congratulations," Kakashi said, sincere though subdued. Maybe now is not the time to ask the old man his advice. Maybe you should stop being a damn chicken who can't commit!
"Well, I think we can get set up and finalize the details when you get back," Minato smiled.
"Deal!" Jiraiya flashed a thumbs up. Kakashi hadn't seen the man this excited in some time.
"Well, if there is nothing else, meeting adjourned," Minato rose from his desk.
"Jiraiya, if I may," Kakashi spoke up, heart in his throat, "could you and I speak privately?"
"Of course!" Jiraiya turned to Lord Fourth, "May we borrow the office for a bit?"
"Be my guest, just let me know when you're done." Minato said as he followed Kushina out.
"So," Jiraiya moved to sit beside Kakashi, "got something on your mind, kid?"
"Something like that," he sighed, "What gave it away?"
"You seem damn apprehensive to start," Jiraiya eyed him, examining for the slightest hint of what could be bugging him, "something about the mission?"
"Surprisingly, no," Kakashi sighed, sitting back in the chair.
"Naruto?"
"No."
Jiraiya scanned deeply, "Your woman?" Kakashi only responded with tense silence. "Bingo," Jiraiya rubbed his chin. "What's happening?"
"It's… nothing…" Kakashi's heart threatened to tear loose. This had been a mistake.
"Kakashi, I can't dole out advice, however bad it might be, if you won't open up," Jiraiya shrugged. "Are you unhappy?"
"No."
"Is she?"
"No, at least, I don't think she is…"
"So, what is happening between you two?"
"Nothing… that's the problem!" Kakashi huffed in frustration.
"Nothing…" Jiraiya stared pondering, "You mean you two haven't done it after three years?!"
Jiraiya's blunt assessment unfortunately was the correct one: despite three years of being a couple, Kakashi and Shizune had not been intimate beyond simple kissing. Kakashi couldn't even put it to words; he just nodded in affirmation as his throat squeezed.
"Is this a mutual decision?" Jiraiya asked.
"It… I don't know…"
"Have either of you tried initiating?"
"Sort of…" the awkward answer was the best he could manage.
"You two have spent the night together in the same bed?"
"Yes!"
"And you two do love each other?"
"Yes!" Kakashi almost shouted.
"Well, if you two are happy as is, why the issue?" Jiraiya shrugged, "It might be unconventional, but not unheard of, for a couple to share love without sharing physical intimacy."
"Jiraiya," he started at the Sannin, pained, "She wants to!"
"Do you?"
"Yes," Kakashi nodded. "Sometimes holding back is almost painful!"
"Well, if it's about some kind of performance issue," Jiraiya smirked, "I know a few doctors who can help, very discrete, too!"
"Jiraiya!" Kakashi almost felt his Sharrigan activate as he growled, "It works perfectly fine!"
Jiraiya regarded him with a long, penetrating stare. "It's about your folks, isn't it?"
Kakashi almost cried from the pain of thinking of Mother and Father. "Yes," he sighed heavily.
"Maybe you heard this story before? Guy loses his mom at a young age, so young he can't remember her; then, he loses his dad when he's still incredibly young – too young to be on his own. Nevertheless, he's alone in the world, except for his sensei. Then one day, a girl comes along and throws the world upside down."
"And he's afraid of committing because of what happened to the people who made him. Afraid of repeating the past and subjecting another person to the pain he went through," Kakashi stared harshly at Jiraiya, "My story sucks, I get it!"
"Actually," Jiraiya tiled his head, "I was talking about Minato."
"What?" Kakashi cocked up an eyebrow.
"You ever wonder why he was so awkward around you when you were grieving for Rin and Obito? Did you ever stop and think of how nervous he was when he learned he was going to be a father – why he had an ANBU assigned to his wife twenty-four/seven?" Jiraiya shook his head, staring at the floor, "He was afraid of bringing a child into the world after one of the most destructive wars in history. He was afraid he would fail that child the way he failed Obito, and Rin… and to an extent, you."
"He didn't fail me, Jiraiya…" Kakashi protested half-heartedly.
"Of course, he did, he almost failed you and his family!" he pointed sharply at Kakashi. "Let's be realistic, he was going to give you the night off! From what we know, he would have gotten a lot of people killed by that bad call, including Kushina, including himself. He would have left Naruto a neglected orphan in the care of a neglectful godfather!" Jiraiya looked downward with grim realization.
"But he didn't!" Kakashi felt tears, "I was there!"
Jiraiya smiled, "That's right, you were. You saved Naruto. You saved Kushina. You saved your Hokage, the highest act that any bodyguard can perform. You changed the course of that kid being an underdog runt into being an alpha male at a young age." He crossed his arms, "Don't doubt the good you can do, my friend."
Kakashi stood silent, shocked by the acknowledgement of his achievements. Deep in the back of his head, he saw father, lying dead in the living room, sword protruding through his stomach and out his back. Kakashi closed his eyes, and shook his head, desperately trying to remove the image from his sight. "Father… accomplished a lot, too!" he began heaving.
"Kakashi, your father killed himself because he was sick. He was depressed, and it wasn't just the one failed mission. He had lost his wife, he'd lost a lot of good friends, and…"
"And what?!" Kakashi demanded.
"And he was dealing with the guilt that he was never there for you," Jiraiya shook his head, "he thought he was a bad father. Between taking high-stakes missions and working undercover nonstop, how often did you see him?"
"Not often, but he seemed so happy to see me when he was home," Kakashi said.
"He was, and then when he had the big failure, he couldn't think of showing his face in the village; I'm pretty sure he couldn't live with the thought of his son calling him a failure – one of Lord Third's worst indiscretions."
Kakashi's interest piqued, "How did you know my father?"
"Professionally, we were both heroes to our village," Jiraiya crossed his arms tightly, "And yes, I still hold it against my sensei that he didn't back your father up when he should have."
"You blame him?"
"Yes," he nodded, "Imagine if Minato had blamed you for Kushina's injury or not killing Obito when you had the chance? What would you have done?"
"I would have killed myself," Kakashi spoke coldly. "I almost did, anyhow, until Minato charged me with protecting Naruto."
Jiraiya sighed against a heavy weight on his chest, "The day he died, I had tea with Lord Third. He confessed that letting your father take the blame for the mission he failed was one of his most regretful mistakes as Hokage, and he never forgave himself for what happened. That was partially why he suggested to Minato that you take over the protection detail for Kushina. He hoped that giving you something of a surrogate family would keep you from following your father's footsteps. He hoped you'd make your own path, a better path."
"Why are you telling me this?" Kakashi asked.
"Nobody is perfect. Not Minato, not you, and certainly not me," Jiraiya put a hand on his shoulder. "But I think things are turning out all right."
"Ha, how do you figure?"
"Look at Naruto, and for that matter, Hinata." Jiraiya laughed, "Even Sakura grew up considerably."
"There is that," Kakashi nodded. "Jiraiya…"
"Yeah?"
"What made you ask Tsunade to marry you?"
The older man looked up in ponderance. "I guess, after finally winning her heart I reached a point in my life when I couldn't think of her not being in my life." He smiled thinly, "That's what started this, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Kakashi looked down at the ground.
"You can't imagine Shizune not being in your life?"
"After all the loss, all the heartache, and discovering how long she'd been waiting in the shadows… I almost can't remember what it was like before she was there, really don't want to remember."
"Four years ago, I couldn't fathom staying in the village for more than a few days or weeks; now, I almost can't fathom going on this mission and being away from her.
"Are you sure I shouldn't go, instead?" Kakashi asked in vain hope.
"No, you have to keep my grandson and his girl in line; I hear they're starting to play hankey-pankey together," Jiraiya winked, "Fun stuff!"
"That's not exactly what happened," Kakashi shrugged, "but next thing I know, I'll be asking him for advice on relationships." Both men laughed, soothing their tired souls.
"Listen," Jiraiya said, "and you think you might be ready to commit to her, maybe start a family. It's normal to be scared, even more so given what you dealt with." He shrugged, "My advice, talk to Tsunade or someone from the counselling department at the hospital, but also talk to Shizune."
Kakashi nodded, "You're right, I will."
The rooftops in the market district provided ample cover in addition to the cover of night. Naruto's bladder tightened slightly at the knowledge that they were in the middle of a real-life wargame, and they were the opposition against most of Konoha. Ducking out of his parent's house had proven surprisingly difficult. The family's protection detail had not been briefed that he was part of the exercise, and they had enforced the mandatory curfew with all the seriousness of protecting a real-life VIP.
Once given the slip, Naruto delicately navigated the alleyways between houses and businesses, ducking between night patrols and slipping shadow by shadow until he arrived at the rooftop of the grocery store that was the rendezvous point. Temari was already waiting, dressed in a matte black coverall and mask. Naruto rapidly donned his own navy-blue coverall and black ski-mask that covered everything except his eyes, and he sorted his bag of tricks for tonight's test.
"All right," Hinata's voice came muffled by her ANBU mask, "Final exam time." Despite the porcelain kitsune mask, Naruto could still see her amused smile as she spoke. Hinata handed them a manilla envelope. "Your instructions for tonight. Remember, the night patrols have orders to arrest anyone in violation of curfew, no exceptions. If you are captured, you are expected to surrender and not reveal what you were doing. Is that perfectly clear?"
"Believe it!" Naruto exclaimed in a whisper.
"Yes," Temari nodded.
"Good, we will see you back at the rendezvous point." Hinata ran off across the rooftop and began heading in the direction of KIB Headquarters.
"Shall we see what we're up against?" Temari asked, unimpressed.
Naruto broke the seal on the envelope. The orders inside were terse: break into the Academy Archives, steal the Scroll of Seals, and get out without being caught. There was a bonus objective of eliminating a VIP target pictured in an attached photograph. One look at the target's flowing red hair and violet eyes elicited a chuckle from Naruto.
"What's so funny?"
"Long story," Naruto thought back to the night before graduation from the Academy, "let's just say the thing we're going to steal has a history with me. As for the target," he showed Temari the photo.
"Your mom, tough nut to crack," Temari crossed her arms.
"On the contrary, this opens a world of opportunity," Naruto felt his fox grin spread on his face.
"Oh? Please, do tell," she sassed.
"If she's the VIP, then there is a moderate chance she and her team will be guarding the scroll."
"Big deal!"
"They won't know what the primary target is…" he let the thought hang in the air.
Temari nodded slowly as he watched the picture forming in her head. "Okay, I follow, but we have to get there first without getting caught. We're in the market district, the Academy is almost sixteen blocks from here!"
"Leave that to me," Naruto winked and nodded as he dug through his bag, extracting a long string of firecrackers and a lighter. Without missing a beat, he scurried toward the edge of the roof while lighting the fuse and flung the tiny explosives away.
"What the hell are you doing!?" Temari hissed as the firecrackers exploded. Popopopopop! The chorus of explosions was soon joined by the ear-splitting sound of an alarm bell.
"Providing a diversion," Naruto focused through his mind, willing his hundred shadow clones to do the same. Soon, the night air was further peppered by the sounds of tiny explosions throughout the market district and the dissonant chorus of burglar alarms sounding wailing. As expected, significant numbers of the night patrol began racing toward the sound of the alarms. Good job, now run toward Ichiraku's! The clones began luring "Let's go!" he snatched Temari by the arm and dragged her toward the edge of the rooftop and they leapt to the next roof, then the next.
"Dude! Hands off!" she shook her arm loose but continued to follow him at pace.
"Sorry, force of habit," Naruto huffed as they hustled along. By now, the night patrols sounded their alarm whistles as well, and waves of shinobi reservists on night patrol began chasing clones around wildly. That's right, run!
The moist February night air clung to Naruto's face as he and Temari raced along the rooftops until they reached increasingly lower, residential buildings. From the last tall building they dropped into an unlit alleyway. Naruto closed his eyes, searching for nature in the air. Even in a place as built up as Konoha, nature was carried on the wind, and it was still teeming in plant life in the forests nearby.
Hey, Kyuubi, you feeling frisky tonight? Naruto grinned as he felt his sense expand. He had yet to truly master Sage Mode, but that didn't stop him experimenting.
"I was having an amazing nap, Naruto!"
Aww, come on, foxes are nocturnal, aren't they? Naruto grinned.
"Naruto, what are you doing?" Temari asked, impatient.
Her brother is carrying Shukaku, just a reminder!
"Fine, blackmail me, why don't you!" Kurama's chakra joined the flow of nature chakra, and Naruto's vision sharpened through the veil of night.
"Becoming," he answered Temari as he listened, "There is a patrol of three walking down the street, not alerted to our presence. We let them go then we can cross to the next alleyway. As predicted, the foot patrol walked down the street, oblivious to their presence. Slipping past the patrol was almost unsporting with such an advantage. I wonder what challenge they threw at Hinata given her advantage.
By the time they reached the Academy grounds, it was midnight. The exercise would end at 0200 whether or not they finished. The security detachment here was predictably better focused than the rank and file guarding the approaches from the village – this bunch at least knew they were guarding a high-value asset. "There is a dozen guards on the grounds, at least two of them are of jonin rank."
"Any more bright ideas?"
"Yes," I'm going to flood the main approach with clones and we'll slip in near the service entrance.
"It's going to be locked up tight and alarmed," she chided.
"Who said we're using the door?" his lips curled.
"How then?"
"There is a vent shaft I once used to break into the archives before I was a genin."
Temari tilted her head curiously, "Dare I ask why you did that?"
"Long story," he shrugged, "but here's the plan." He explained how they'd proceed.
Radio chatter filled the earpiece Kushina extracted from her ear and set on the table. Konohamaru and Akemi stood on the second level catwalks overlooking the lower level of the archives. Next to her stood Hanabi, cycling her Byakugan intermittently. The girl was positively bored. Like you wouldn't be if you were her age and didn't know it was Naruto coming here? Kushina was the only one of her group privy to the fact that Naruto was going to break in at any minute. What even she did not know was the target.
She started back at the armored glass case holding the Scroll of Seals. Priceless in value by its own right, the scroll contained a wealth of chakra techniques highly restricted to all but the most seasoned shinobi.
Konohamaru yawned loudly. A quick check of Kushina's watch confirmed it was just past midnight, and Konohamaru and Hanabi should have been in bed by now. The boy sat with his back to the wall, struggling not to fall asleep. Had it not been for all the radio chatter, even Kushina would be struggling against the sandman threatening her with sleep.
"We got company!" Hanabi screeched, dropping into a defensive stance. Akemi and Konohmaru shot to their feet, refreshed by the surge of adrenaline.
"Who do we got?" the boy asked.
"Big brother Naruto," her voice heightened in surprise. "I'll be damned…"
"Hanabi, who is with him?" Kushina asked.
Hanabi strained to focus her vision, "No one… just him," she sounded as surprised as Kushina was.
"Cut the lights!" she ordered, and Akemi killed the overhead lights, bathing them in shadow. The only light now was the light in the scroll's display case.
"What's he doing, Hanabi?" Kushina asked as she dropped into a crouched position.
"He's doing something to the door…" the girl's faint glowing eyes suddenly went wide, "SHIT!"
The door exploded inward with a deafening explosion that reverberated throughout room's solid construction. Kushina crouched, stunned by the incredible sound of the blast. She sensed rather than saw Konohamaru vault over the edge of the catwalk's railing. Hanabi screamed something, and there was the sound of marbles scattering over the floor, and Konohamaru wailing as he slipped and fell on his landing. "AKEMI, HIT THE LIGHTS!"
Everyone, even Naruto, froze for a moment as the fluorescent lights filled the room like daylight. When her eyes adjusted, a sea of metal ball bearings spread over the floor, and Konohamaru, was sprawled out from where he'd fallen. Naruto, meanwhile, vaulted up onto of the top of one of a storage shelves. Hanabi ignited her gentle-fist as she leapt up to the shelf to block his path. As she landed, Naruto fell over the edge, but quickly leapt back over, charging at the girl. As Hanabi aimed to block his chakra points, Naruto flipped overhead, slapping a paper tag over the girl's face. Hanabi froze statue still from what Kushina guessed was a paralysis seal. Damn boy!
Naruto locked yellow sage eyes with hers. He pulled off his ski mask, smirked, and he leapt down to attack her. Kushina rolled to her left, letting his attack sail past her. As he landed, Kushina charged a fire release attack and sent a wall of flame at him, dispersing the ball bearings while forcing her son back out toward the door.
"RASENGAN!" Konohamaru shouted as he charged toward Naruto.
"KONOHAMARU, NO!" Kushina screeched as the boy shot past Naruto, who pivoted, letting Konohamaru ram the concentrate mass of chakra into the wall beyond. The concussive blast sent both boys flying back into the archive rooms and knocked Kushina to the ground.
Akemi ran to Konohamaru, checking on the boy who appeared dazed but otherwise uninjured, while Kushina ran to her son. Naruto laid flat on his back, sprawled out. Kushina. "Son, I admire your brazenness, but I think you were just a bit reckless," Kushina crossed her arms in satisfaction.
Naruto smirked a blood encrusted smile, "Did I, Mom?" he disappeared in a puff smoke. A goddamn shadow clone! Kushina looked back toward the now empty display case behind her. Trailing down from the ceiling was a length of rope tracking up to a vent in the ceiling. The clatter of footsteps from the hallway caused her to give chase, but it was hopeless – Naruto was already out of sight. The only sign was a piece of paper on the floor: Not bad, Mom, but you'll have to do better.
Kushina pulled out her earpiece and called into the radio, "Red flare, Red flare, exercise over…" she paused, deciding it was worth acknowledging her son's victory, "… the OPFOR is victorious."
Minato watched his son and Temari standing before him in the early morning hours as the sun rose over the horizon. "Are you both sure I can't talk you out of this?" he asked, knowing the answer was no.
"Dad, it's time to do some important work for the village," Naruto said.
"I'm in for the duration," Temari nodded.
"Well, I wish I could say the next part was enjoyable," he said as Shikamaru and Hinata heated ANBU branding irons. "Are you ready?"
"Yes," they said in unison.
Naruto pulled the waistband of his uniform, and he winced as Hinata drove the hot iron into his right hip. "I thought this was done on the shoulder," Naruto groaned as he covered over the burned flesh.
"We used to," Minato explained, "but the shoulder was to easily seen. A few years ago the hip was deemed more practical."
"Get it over with, crybaby," Temari ordered.
"Fine, don't say I wasn't trying to be nice about it," Shikamaru drove the heated iron into her hip. The girl barely flinched.
"Well," Minato smiled at the odd couples, "You kids might need these, we got work to do." He handed Naruto and Temari porecelain masks. Naruto's mask was similar to Hinata's – a kitsune mask made to look like a fox. Temari wore a mask that looked like a beautiful geisha – a geisha with a maw of fangs protruding over her lip. Well kids, may you live in interesting times. "All right, let's get some sleep," Minato yawned, "and we'll reconvene over breakfast tomorrow."
Author's notes: Hello, everyone. Thank you for reading, and I hope you have enjoyed. As always, stay healthy, stay safe, and I'll see you all next week.