DISCLAIMER: I own nothing from the Naruto universe but I do have an imagination of my own. I got some inspiration from the story ARVUM. I desperately tried to get permission to continue that story, etc., but received no response, sadly.

Thinking

Emphasis

Biju, etc. speaking

Kakashi Hatake had just finished changing into very formal attire, ("First impressions matter, my boy," the Sandaime had taunted the even paler than normal, shaking shinobi,) and was opening the door to step back into the Hokage's office when he saw a blur of blue and yellow-gold fly through the Hokage's window. He smelled her immediately - curse his genes - autumn winds, the forest, lilac with some kind of natural oil: coconut? No...

"Naruto-chan. What have I told you about using my window?" asked the Sandaime with a heavy sigh.

"Not to?" blinked the blonde with her big-blue, much too familiar eyes. Kakashi sucked in a breath and decided to observe for a few moments. He also needed to retrieve his courage again. It had been there, he was sure but it had fled in an instant when his Hokage had told him that he had to get married immediately. What a mess.

Sitting behind his desk, the Hokage regarded the girl he considered his granddaughter. She had grown so much in the past few years in every way. Where the hell is Shikaku-kun? She probably left him in the dust again: little scamp. "How are you today, Naru-chan?"

"I'm doing great. Nice threads, eh Gramps?" She gave him a flirty twist and circled around so that he could see her beautiful new kimono. "What's up with this anyway?" She paused for a moment and then became serious. "Whoa, JiJi, where the hell's your guard?" She flashed in front of the Hokage and moved down low, pulling kunais out that had been strapped to her legs, twirling them once in each hand, and was quickly in a defensive position on top of the Hokage's desk. Two more identical girls had appeared behind and to the side of the leader as he merely sighed.

"Stand down, Uzumaki-chan."

Shadow clones. She's fast, too. Kakashi chose that moment to enter the room. He managed not to flinch when he saw the exact expression his former sensei used to make when he was about to take out an enemy. Her eyes grew wide, though, at the sight of him. "G-Gomennasai, Hatake-san! I was…" she seemed completely discombobulated - quite different from the confident young woman who had entered as if she owned the place moments ago.

"Troublesome. You're not supposed to be holding weapons, Naruto-chan," drawled Shikaku Nara, having just entered the room. Naruto scoffed. "Why do you think I escorted you today? And jumping through the window… If Yoshino finds out about this she'll kill both of us." There was a grimace on both of their faces at that.

Naruto lifted her kimono to return her kunai and the three men averted their eyes. "For Kami's sake, Naruto! Think about what you're doing!" Shikaku scolded, taking the pair of kunai from the blonde.

"Get a grip. I'm a shinobi. I'm protecting - and keeping my weapons handy! Why didn't you have your ANBU here, JiJi?" Naruto asked the Hokage.

"I excused them so that we can have a private meeting, Naruto-chan."

Why the heck is Kakashi-sensei here? She tried to calm down her racing heart at seeing the man after all these years. He'd meant so much to her, helped her with so many things, taught her important lessons about life…

"Tch! Not to mention your infernal crush on that aloof pervert!"

Shut up, Kurama!

"O-Oh, okay," Naruto stuttered out, blushing. Stupid Kurama - I can't believe you know about that! "What can I do for you?"

"Here you are my dear," the Sandaime handed her a file. "Why don't you sit down first and then read over this information. I believe it will explain everything." He smiled kindly at her, as did the Nara clan head - which was weird because Shikaku-san was usually yawning or reading when not playing Shogi. Oh, she knew he loved her like a daughter, but she also knew that it was pretty troublesome for the man to show or say it.

Naruto sat down and tried to swallow the lump in her throat. Her palms were sweating as she thought about what in the world could be in this file. She was about to graduate from the Academy - maybe it was a mission? Yes, that's it: that makes sense. She opened the file and after several pages had to keep a reign on not only her temper but Kurama's as well. So the council wanted to marry her off to the last loyal Uchiha, eh? And if she refused, they'd make her some kind of broodmare to just put out babies so they'd have the Uzumaki traits that were so wanted by the village again?

"Naru-chan, your hair is coming undone," the Sandaime warned gravely.

"What?" the girl looked up, baffled by what the Hokage had just said.

"Your hair. It was… starting to fly up in the air." He had an amused look on his face - that geezer. "I believe you were angry, which is quite understandable."

"The killing intent was getting to be a bit much, too, brat," Commander Nara chided.

"Oh." Naruto looked around the room with big eyes. "I'm sorry," she said sheepishly. She realized some of her intricate hair braids and such had come out of the bun they had been in. She went back to reading the file and eventually cleared her throat. "So if I understand this, you want me to…"

She felt the Nara's hand on her back, where the Uzumaki spiral was placed on her kimono. Chakra was pressed into it and immediately the fabric turned a beautiful silvery-white - even the blue jewels turned white. They looked like diamonds and pearls now. "Wow; that's a really nice fuuinjut…" Shit. Oh no! Her mind caught up with what was happening. The girl paled from her sun-kissed features and now she looked like a ghost. Actually, her skin resembled Kakashi's.

"Naru-chan, you need a protector. Someone you can trust - someone I can trust - to look out for you and make sure these things do not take place. Can you understand what I'm saying, Naruto-chan?" the Sandaime asked gently. Naruto could only nod her head. She could hear him, she could understand him, but she sure as hell did not agree with him. Those council fuckers! Think, Naruto, think! "I have heard that you are not particularly eager to get married at this point in time…" At the look of fury in her eyes, the elderly Hokage actually sat back a bit in his seat. "However, Uzumaki-chan, this is the best way." Nothing more was said.

Naruto went back to the file in her hands, searching for a logical argument against all this. Finally, she asked a question that seemed to place a giant hole in the council's plans. "The seal becomes weakened during childbirth. This is how the fox was taken from my mother when I was born. Why would they want me to be with the Uchiha or anyone for that matter? Aside from me being the village's weapon," the men flinched at this, "why wouldn't they simply lock me up to ensure that possibility never took place again?"

So she knows then, at least that much, Kakashi thought.

"You know that you are not a weapon, Naru-chan," the Hokage said in his grandfatherly way.

"I know that you feel that way, Hokage-sama, but I also know who and what I am. I will protect this village." She sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "Still, though, what can they be thinking - outside of just trying to be a pain in our collective asses."

Kakashi was impressed. He hated the idea of her thinking of herself as a weapon. Kushina-nee had been the holder of the nine-tails before. Only an Uzumaki could hold the strongest of the Biju, it was said. - Great, why am I only thinking of that now, when I've been avoiding and resenting her for the entirety of her life before this?

"It seems, Naruto-chan, that some of your information was leaked," the Sandaime began. "Your seal is much more powerful than your mother's. It does not have the same weaknesses that hers did. Your chakra reserves are also even more vast. That, combined with the Uchiha DNA…" Naruto stopped him mid-sentence.

"The fox hates the Uchiha." She chuckled without there being any humor to it. "The one reason he would attack more than any other would be because of the Sharingan. You should hear how he goes on about it."

"You talk to the fox?" Kakashi asked worriedly.

"He's grumpy and sleeps most of the time, but get him started on anything Uchiha-related and I'll never hear the end of it." Naruto tried to school her features. She'd already said too much, most likely. The last thing they needed to see was her fondness for Kurama. "I know that probably worries you, but it's a jinchuuriki thing. We're weird that way," she said, attempting to reassure the man, and most likely failing horribly. "One more question, Gramps: how the heck did they even find out that I'm female? I know that the Academy senseis believed I was a boy before I left."

"The investigation is still ongoing, Naru-chan, but the damage has been done. Those who are after you will not stop unless we do something about this, and it must be done before you become a kunoichi." Naruto's shoulders sagged. She had worked so hard to avoid this, and thought she had been successful! "I am still your legal guardian and will be until the moment you become a legal adult in the eyes of the law, and that of course is when you receive your hitae-ate. You and Kakashi are both here, and I would like to perform the ceremony uniting you two in matrimony…"

Suddenly she couldn't hear the Hokage's words because the blood running through her ears seemed to take on a high pitched tone. Kakashi? She was marrying Kakashi-sensei?

"Idiot! Why do you think he's here? And in that getup? Honestly, sometimes I think you're getting smarter, then the next minute it's like you're as dumb as dirt!"

Who's shaking me? "Oh. Sumimasen! Did you say Kakashi? Hatake-san?" She asked dumbly.

"Forgive me, Naru-chan, there's been so much to explain, and I haven't done a very good job of this, have I? Naruto Uzumaki-san, I'd like you to meet Kakashi Hatake-san. I promise you, Naruto-chan, that you can trust Kakashi-kun with your life. After all, Kakashi-kun is your father's only remaining student," the Sandaime explained.

It was quick, but Naruto saw the wince in Kakashi's features and his forced smile. She smiled back as best she could and gave a polite bow. Not exactly the best beginning to a beautiful relationship.

Kurana snorted. Two perverted brats. It could be interesting!