I hope everyone enjoys this chapter.

One moment Naruto was on the ground on her ass, the next she was swept up off the floor being spun around in a tight hug, and her arms move instinctively, wrapping around the warm figure in return, her face pressing into Kushina's shoulder as the woman ran her fingers through Naruto's hair. "Hey." Kushina's voice was soft, so very gentle, "What's going on here Naru-chan? I was only supposed to be activated when you were fighting the Kyubi for his Chakra... why did he say he was trying to protect you?"

"Because I am." Kurama huffed, "Despite what you might think of me, Uzumaki, I am not entirely evil and I actually find your daughter somewhat bearable, unlike you."

That made Naruto look away, guilt flooding through her. She was still angry, still wanted to rush off and try and save Fu, but the shock of her mothers arrival had knocked some sense into her-and clearly sensing her guilt one of Kurama's tails moved, brushing over the back of her legs comfortingly.

"Sorry." the word was almost mumbled, and Naruto let out a breath before saying it louder, "Sorry Kurama. I was acting like a brat."

"What's going on here?" Kushina's voice was hesitant, lost, "Because I really don't understand why the Kyubi is being so..."

"Civil." the fox snorted, "I couldn't care less what you think Uzumaki." his gaze focused on Naruto and Naruto gave an apologetic weak little smile in return. "And your apology is accepted brat. But don't pull a stunt like that again or I'll knock you on your ass harder-"

"Deal." Naruto almost giggled, "And I'll keep that in mind.

"Can someone please stop and explain?" Kushina's eyes narrowed, "Wait, wait the Kyubi isn't se-"

"He's technically sealed." Naruto piped up, "Not that he'd need to be." she pushed her sleeve up enough to show the beautiful fox mark on her arm, and Kurama rolled his eyes but raised his leg obligingly to show the Uzumaki spiral. "We're tied together via a seal I designed."

"You designed... can we start from the beginning?" Kushina raised an eyebrow, "Please."

"Unlike you or the other Uzumaki, Naruto-chan actually reached out to me." Kurama declared, giving Kushina a dirty look as he laid down, though he did so very close to the two women, his paw resting next to Naruto's feet, tails moving slowly, uneasily, his gaze on Kushina was incredibly weary.

And of course it was Naruto realized, Kushina and Mito had kept him locked down incredibly tightly in ways that had been painful for him.

At this realization she was moving, flopping onto the ground and leaning back on his paw, fingers curling into his fur, a silent show of support and comfort, and an apology.

"You're a demon why-"

"Don't talk about him like that." Naruto interrupted, "And sit down mom 'cause it's a long story. I reached out to Kurama 'cause I knew that it was possible to befriend a Biju."

"But he's the Kyu-"

"Kurama. His name is Kurama." Naruto corrected, and she could almost sense the soft gratitude seeping out of Kurama at her words as Kushina sat down, "He's a grumpy asshole but he's a living being with thoughts and emotions and a name mom. And you and Mito treated him like he was a mindless beast. I don't blame him for being all angry and filled with hate. It was cruel."

"Naruto-chan it wasn't like that-"

"Yeah, yeah it was." Naruto shook her head, "Anyway, I started working on wearing the fuzzball down when I was a kid. It took a long time but eventually I grew on him."

"She's a pest." Kurama huffed, "And she just wouldn't leave." he rolled his eyes, but there was a certain fondness in his voice. "She's a tenacious brat."

"She... she gets that from Minato and me." Kushina kept looking between them slowly, looking incredibly lost and confused. "I don't think I understand any of this. How did you even know it was possible to befriend a Biju?"

"Because of my mom-" Naruto hesitated, "I mean... adoptive mom technically but-"

"It's okay Naruto-chan." Kushina held up a hand, "I wasn't there. I'm glad that you had someone you could call your mom." She paused, "Even if I wish it had been me."

"Well she's a Jinchuriki too." Naruto hesitated, "Uh... I should probably tell you now who she is. Nohara Rin-"

"What?" Kushina shrieked the word, and oh yeah Naruto could definitely see where she'd gotten her loudness from, "You're saying... but Rin-chan died!"

"No, no she survived 'cause she was a Jinchuriki and she ran before Kakashi-sensei woke up 'cause she was scared of what would happen when she returned to Konoha since she knew they'd planned for her to lose control and to attack the village."

"Oh kami no." Kushina's expression was horrified, "Poor Rin-chan."

"Anyway, she did come back eventually, when I was a baby. And she adopted me and raised me." she'd leave out the whole fact that she'd been raised away from Konoha, her mom would be furious if she found out that anyone had mistreated her for being a Jinchuriki, "So I knew from a young age that I could earn Kurama's friendship. And I did."

"She's bearable, for a human."

"Don't act as if you don't love me." Naruto patted his paw lightly.

"So you can actually work with him?" Kushina's eyes were wide, "You actually did it."

"She's a perfect Jinchuriki." Kurama's voice was slightly smug, "Far better than you or the other Uzumaki, I let her use all of my chakra." he paused, "Usually."

That made Naruto flush and shrink in on herself, "Sorry Kurama."

"What happened?" Kushina frowned, "That was what you two were fighting over right?"

"Yes." Kurama shook his head, "Your brat has a few friends from outside of Konoha, including other Jinchuriki."

"I was... I was put in a tough spot, I can Hirashin which is real good but I can't be in two places at once and I didn't realise.. two of them were attacked at once and by the time I finished with saving one of my friend the other was gone... and there was a note and I kinda lost it. I probably would have wiped out Fu-chan's stupid village for their reaction to her being gone if Kurama hadn't stopped me. Then I'd have gone and..." she groaned "It's probably a trap he's right."

That made Kushina's gaze move to Kurama's face as he shifted, turning it slightly to meet her gaze.

Then Kushina was standing and bowing low.

"Thank you Kurama-sama." her voice was stiff and uncomfortable, "You... you protected my daughter. I'll never be able to repay you-"

"Hmph." Kurama's expression was only mildly pleased and smug. "I didn't do it for you I did it because despite everything I do like the brat-she's an entertaining one."

"Why thank you." Naruto gave a very soft smile as her mother sat down again.

"So... do you know who kidnapped your friend?" Kushina's voice was soft, "Are you going to try a rescue mission."

"We don't even know where to look." Naruto looked down, "The only clue we have was the blatantly obvious trap that Kurama refused to let me just rush into. As for the who... they're this group that are dedicated to hunting down the Biju... their leader wants some perfect Genjutsu. I don't even know how it works."

"I think I've figured that out." Kurama spoke up in a low rumble. "I've been considering it myself. But to explain my theory I'll need to tell you a long story. The story of our creation?"

"Your creation?" Naruto's voice was soft, curious.

"Huh." Kushina blinked, "I never thought about that before... I guess you had to have been created sometime."

"It was many many years ago. There was a Princess, the progenitor of Chakra, named Kaguya. She came to possess it by eating the fruit of the God Tree, which bore fruit every thousand years and was considered sacred. She had two sons, Hagoromo and Hamura. They inherited Chakra from her. As time went on she came to want her Chakra back, it turned her against her sons.

She ruled with an iron fist, she longed for peace but she stole freedom. When her sons rose against her they fought, and she merged with the God Tree and became the Jubi."

"Wait." Naruto frowned, "I... that... that doesn't sound good."

"The Jubi." Kushina's eyes widened, "I think I've heard of the Jubi but I thought that it was just a legend."

"It was not." Kurama sighed heavily, shaking his head. "Hagoromo and Hamura fought the Jubi, and together they overcame it. They sealed the body of the demon into the moon itself, and Hagoromo sealed the Jubi's chakra into himself, becoming the first Jinchuriki."

"The Sage of Six paths!" Kushina's eyes were almost shining as she gasp the words out, "I knew I'd heard of the Jubi."

"Wait I've heard of the Sage before!" Naruto yelped, "Didn't he pretty much create shinobi or whatever?"

"Yes." Kurama nodded, "That was him, and he held the Jubi within himself."

"Huh." Naruto shifted, "He was the father of shinobi or whatever wasn't he?"

"He was." Kurama's voice was incredibly soft, she'd never heard him like that and on more than one occasion she'd heard him go very soft with her.

"What happened after that?"

"Hamura left to guard the body of the Jubi and Hagoromo spread his chakra amongst humans, he even had two sons, and he grew old and passed on the mantle of leader to his younger son who he felt was most suited to the role, and before he passed on he split the Jubi's chakra into nine forms."

"The nine Biju." Naruto's voice was soft, "You and your siblings."

"I was the first created, and my siblings followed shortly after. We were young then, new and free, and he sent us each to do different things, and in time we were each captured and sealed away."

"Which was wrong." Naruto huffed slightly, snuggling into Kurama's fur, letting the anger seep away as she listened.

"I was controlled by Uchiha Madara." Kurama growled the name, "Forced to attack against my will, I don't fully blame the Uzumaki for it, believing she had no other choice, but all they had to do was break his control and I would have helped them take that whelp out." he shook his head, "Instead I was imprisoned for years, I wasn't truly freed until the day you replaced our seal, until you gave me more freedom."

"I'm sorry." Naruto's voice was incredibly soft, "I'm sorry Kurama, for trying to take your chakra by force, I was wrong." she could feel her mothers gaze, soft, confused and curious on them but she didn't care as she twisted and Kurama shifted some more so that she could press her hand to his nose.

"Hush now." Kurama huffed, "You were hurting and angry, while what you tried wasn't right I don't blame you. You just want to save Fu and Chomei. I don't begrudge you your anger and pain-I'd be a hypocrite indeed if I did."

"We have time don't we? To find her?"

"I'm sure of it." Kurama nodded, "It will take some time for them to do the extraction, I'm sure we'll find her."

"Good."

"I.." Kushina's voice was hesitant, "I hate to interrupt but you were saying about the Jubi and the people kidnapping Jinchuriki's plans?"

"Yes." Kurama nodded, shaking himself slightly. "Yes, you're right I was. I fear that the rat of a Uchiha" his gaze focused on Kushina, "The one who attacked you when you had just birthed Naruto-"

"Wait so he's the one behind all this?"

"Yeah." Naruto nodded, "That's another super long story but I know all about that night."

"Good, I was going to tell you." Kushina shook her head, "But I'm glad I don't have to."

"In any case I believe that he's planning on merging us together once more to reform the Jubi. If he was the Jinchuriki of the Jubi he'd be able to cast an incredibly powerful on the moon."

"Oh." Naruto blinked, "That would be bad."

"It worries me very much." Kurama admitted, "If they do that then..." he shook his head, "I fear that they may release Kaguya herself. And the world would be a great trouble if they ever did that. I might not like humans at all, but you've restored my faith in your race, at least somewhat and I know that my father would have been horrified at the possibility of such destruction."

"We'll just have to make sure their stupid plan fails." Naruto declared firmly, curling her fingers into Kurama's fur. "'Cause they can't do it without you Kurama, and I will never be parted from you, not ever."

"You two really do care." Kushina's voice was barely more than a whisper. "I never thought..." she hesitated, "I'm sorry Kurama. I really am."

"Apology accepted." Kurama turned his face away, "But only because it'll make the brat happy."

"I appreciate that."

"Thank you mom." Naruto's smile was wide and bright, "For doing what was right-" she hugged the woman tightly and Kushina hugged her back.

"Don't thank me sweetheart." Kushina pulled back slightly, "Kami you're so grown up."

"I know." Naruto smiled, "I'm not a baby anymore-"

"You remind me so much of your father... and me too." Kushina laughed, "He'd have probably been the one holding me back and stopping me from running head first into a trap, Y'know?"

"Yeah, I met him when I tried to remove the seal a while back."

"You did?" Kushina beamed, "Well you know we both love you very much then?"

"I do."

"I wish we'd have longer." Kushina admitted softly, "I wanna get to know you."

"Oh for-" Kurama groaned. "I can't believe I'm doing this again!" and Kurama's tail whipped out and wrapped around Kushina's legs, his chakra seeping into her. "And don't say a word brat."

"What the hell?" Kushina yelled the words, her eyes wide. "What-"

"I just gave you a tails worth of Chakra so that yours will take less time to fade away."

"Why would you-"

"I did it for the brats sake. The rules are the same as what I did with Namikaze."

"You did it for Minato too?"

"I did it for Naruto." Kurama snapped, "I still don't like either of you but you're her parents."

"That means that I'll be able to summon them both!" Naruto gasped out, "I'll be able to do it for my inauguration-"

"Wait." Kushina's voice was slightly high pitched, "Inauguration. As in-"

"As in she's going to be the Rokudaime." Kurama rolled his eyes, "It was made official toda-"

"AHHHHHH!" Kushina swept Naruto up into her arms, bouncing excitedly, "My baby girl's gonna be the Hokage! AHHHH! How old are you? You're still a baby and you're gonna be the Hokage!"

"I-" Naruto blinked rapidly as Kurama groaned.

"Dear Kami I forgot that she was as bad as you sometimes."

"I'm fifteen."

"My fifteen year old baby's gonna be Hokage! I've never ever been so proud!"

"Can you stop your catterwauling?!" Kurama groaned, "We get it you're proud of the brat."

"Proud doesn't even cover it! My baby's gonna be Hokage!"

"Ugh." Kurama huffed loudly, "I can't believe I actually gave you a tails worth of Chakra to keep you around longer."

"Oh hush!" Kushina waved a hand dismissively, "I'm fussing over my daughter!"

"Mom!" Naruto laughed softly before letting out a breath, "Kurama's right though. Now's probably not the time, as glad as I am to see you so happy for me." she shook her head, "It's time for me to get serious. Kurama is right I shouldn't go the the Valley of the End on my own. But I have a plan."