Here is a new story for the GrimmFall universe~! :3

Lord Maximus: You will see. :3

nightmaster000: Oh, you will enjoy it, I can promise you that. XD Also, I miss the long reviews you would give me... T-T

merendinoemiliano: Thank you. :3

Titanic X: Glad you did! XD

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Note: If any reader has an account, please use that to review. If you do not wish to sign in to review, please at least put your account name so I can tell who you are. If you do not have an account, then please at least use a consistent name instead of 'Guest', as that makes the reviews seem impersonal to me.

Penelope walked into the library of her family's estate to check up on Minato; it had been hours since she last saw him, as he had never shown up for dinner. Upon entering the vast library, Penelope saw a figure slumped over at one of the desks and gasped. She ran over, wondering if Minato was alright, or if he had somehow passed out, or if he was hurt, or... She stopped worrying when she saw three books and two notebooks before the young man, but he didn't seem hurt or anything. Rather, he looked like he was sleeping instead. Penelope crept over, only to see he was indeed asleep. Soft snores were heard from Minato's limp form, and Penelope looked over the notebooks. She saw Japanese Kanji, Hiragana and Katakana symbols, along with English words next to each.

'Hold on... was he trying to teach himself English? Does he not know how to read it or something?' Penelope thought as she looked over the notebooks again. She frowned; it was odd that Minato could speak English so well but not read it. However, she chalked it up to how he had been raised. 'Maybe his mother and father taught him how to speak both English and Japanese, but only taught him to read in Japanese.' She mused to herself. It seemed likely.

Penelope reached out and put a hand on Minato's left shoulder and gently shook him awake. "Minato... hey, Minato... Wake up..."

However, while the heiress thought he would just wake up and be glad to see her, what Penelope did not expect was what happened next. Minato's blue eyes snapped open and he was on his feet far quicker than Penelope had expected someone like him to move. In a flash, the male blonde had jumped her and was on top of Penelope, his strange weapon in his hand and held to her throat. Penelope was so shocked, she did the only thing she could think to do; she screamed. At hearing her scream, Minato seemed to realize what he was doing, as his blue eyes went wide in shock and he was quick to remove his weapon from her neck.

As quickly as he had jumped her, Minato was off of Penelope's body in a flash before kneeling down next to her. "I-I'm sorry... I-I don't know what came over me!" He exclaimed, trying to apologize for what he had almost just done. The fact he was flustered and the fact his face was red with embarrassment told a lot of how he was feeling, and Penelope was inclined to believe him. Then again, she believed her guardian, Sylvester Sneekly on a lot of things too.

"Oh, it's alright. It was my fault for trying to wake you. I had no idea you would react like that." Penelope reassured the flustered Minato.

For Minato, he was incredibly embarrassed he had just reacted on instinct when Penelope had tried to wake him. He had no idea he had even fallen asleep in the first place! "N-no... It's my fault. I kinda fell asleep so..." Minato tried to explain, but Penelope just brushed it off like it was just a stroll through the marketplace.

"It's fine. I know you would never hurt little ol' me." Penelope assured him.

However, Minato wound up biting his lower lip at that, not that the reassurance made him feel any better. "That's just it! I would have!" He protested. "I really could have killed you!"

Penelope just tilted her head to the left in confusion. "You would have?" She asked, making Minato gape at her in disbelief.

Finally, Minato shook his head and snapped out of his state of disbelief. "Penelope... I... I really would have killed you if not for you screaming." Minato said seriously. "I was ready to!"

The heiress just blinked while staring blankly before she smiled at him. "Oh, I know you wouldn't have. You're far too nice, and you are my bodyguard, isn't that right?"

At her words, Minato felt his jaw drop. 'Seriously?! Is this girl really that dense?! And she has been targeted by this Hooded Claw for a decade?! It has to be because of that Anthill Mob that she has survived this long... She can't be this dense and survive all those attempts on her life alone...'

Penelope had no idea Minato was staring at her in disbelief as she sat up and brushed off her pink top. "I was wondering if you were alright since you never showed up to dinner." She said without even looking at the shinobi beside her. "But I had no idea you would be trying to teach yourself the English language."

Minato felt himself raising an eyebrow at the name of the language. "English?"

"Oh, yes. It's only the name of the language we are speaking right now." Penelope explained like it was the simplest thing in the world.

But for the former Hokage, it wasn't anything that simple. It was becoming clear to him that he was indeed in a new world, one that had human-like animals that could speak, new technology he was not familiar with, and on top of that, different languages that were probably spoken all over the world. However, he was, if anything, adaptable, as most Shinobi were required to adapt to changing mission parameters quite often, so it was nothing new for him if he had to find a way to adapt to a new scenario. This was a completely different step up for him though, as this was a new world he had to adapt to, not just new mission parameters.

Minato bit his lower lip again, his mind racing. In all honesty, he was beginning to feel a bit freaked out, because this was nothing like what he was used to. Missions of top priority? Yes, he could handle that easily; he wasn't known as the Yellow Flash of Konohagakure for nothing. Leading his former village as its leader? Nerve-wracking yes, but doable. Defeating a massive being of chakra that could wipe out villages and countries? Doable yes, if not fatal. Being a father? Minato felt his brain freeze up at that last thought; suddenly it became hard to breathe, like his throat was getting tight. It felt like he was trying to breathe in water, or was it his own blood? His stomach throbbed with a sharp pain, like he had been impaled on a sharp claw or an object that went through his gut. Minato felt his chest heaving as he tried to get air into his lungs, but it wasn't working. His hand drifted up to his throat, not really clutching at it, but not really removed from it either. He began to feel light-headed because of the fact his lungs were not getting enough air into them due to his rapid breathing, and what was worse, he was well aware of that fact. It felt like he was dying all over again, which only made his panic worse. The former Hokage felt sweat running down his face, or was it something else, like blood from someone? Whatever it was, it made his skin slick with wetness. In the corners of his vision, Minato could barely make out black spots creeping into his line of sight. Whatever was going on, he felt like he was being cornered. All that he knew was that he had to get away, but his body wasn't responding to his commands to move. Tremors were racing through him, slowly growing worse. Vaguely, he could hear a voice calling out to him, but Minato couldn't understand what it was saying due to the loud pounding of his heartbeat in his own ears drowning out the speaker.

The next thing the former Hokage knew, what felt like a minute later, he was lying on his back on the floor with the forms of Penelope, Sylvester Sneekly, and that short, blue-suited man, Pockets, gathered around him. Both Pockets and Penelope had concerned looks on their faces, but Sneekly was harder to read; Minato was sure the man was concerned about him too, but he couldn't really be sure.

"Minato...? Are you okay?" Penelope asked as she leaned over Minato.

"I... I think so..." Minato rasped out, feeling dizzy for some reason. The blonde shinobi's hand flew to his head. "Why do I feel dizzy...?"

"You had an episode." Pockets explained. "You were in the throes of a panic attack. That would explain why you feel dizzy."

Minato blinked as he looked at Pockets before frowning. "A panic attack? Why would I have one of those?"

"It wouldn't be the first time someone has had a panic attack because of encountering the horrid Hooded Claw." Sylvester Sneekly replied like the answer was obvious.

"I don't think it was because of the horrible Hooded Claw." Penelope pointed out. "Minato wasn't even aware of who the Hooded Claw was when he first faced him."

Pockets had to agree with Penelope. "She's right. The Hooded Claw would never be interested in someone who he had never met before."

Sylvester just brushed off the words of the two. "Yes, yes, well, it is still possible."

Minato grunted as he sat up slightly, much to the relief of Penelope, but to what was the disappointment of Sneekly; Minato didn't miss the look that flicked across the man's face, and it was not one of relief for his well-being. The blonde shinobi frowned at seeing the look Sneekly had gained, but he didn't press the issue. He had more pressing issues to worry about, like why and how he had suffered a panic attack. Vaguely, Minato was aware of it having to do with his past, but for some reason, while he did remember most of his past, a few things were blocked out, most likely due to the trauma of those events being too much for him to handle at the time.

Penelope looked at Sneekly. "I don't think you should have hired him right away. He is still obviously trying to recover from whatever it is that made him collapse after defeating the horrible Hooded Claw." She said as Minato finally sat up fully, his hand flying to his head to try to ease the dizziness he was experiencing.

"He is the best bodyguard for you since he helped you escape the Hooded Claw. I am not changing my mind on this, as it is for your own protection, sweet dear Penelope." Sylvester said in a sickeningly sweet voice; something about it sent chills down the former Hokage's spine, and not a lot could do that.

Minato frowned as he listened to what Sneeky was saying to Penelope. "I can assure you, this young man will be the best protection for you, my dear." Sneekly continued. "If he can defeat the Hooded Claw while so sick and weak, then he obviously has some serious talent. After all, don't I want what is best for you?" He purred.

"Oh, I know you always have my best interests at heart." Penelope said in a gushing tone, which made Minato frown some more. "That's why you're my caring and ever present guardian."

Sylvester Sneekly grinned. "I know." He purred in a way that sounded almost smug to Minato; it set his shinobi instincts off and he didn't know why.

'What is it about this Sneekly guy that is bothering me so much...?' Minato wondered to himself. He had no idea what awaited him with Sneekly.

It wasn't long before Minato was back on his feet and resuming his studies. While it had been hours since he had begun, he felt he had made decent progress in learning how to read the English language, as he was now able to understand some of what the books had written in them. In an attempt to help him, Penelope was sitting with him and reading some passages from a history book to him, asking the former Hokage to re-read what she had just read to him. This method did make his efforts take longer, but as he had already made some progress before, he was able to catch on very quickly, showing he wasn't this dumb blonde like many would come to assume he was.

However, this did raise many questions for Minato, as most of what he read made no sense to him. Finally, he decided to vocalize his thoughts after running through how to best go about asking the questions themselves.

"What are these Grimm?" Minato asked after Penelope had finished having him re-read a passage about a Grimm attack on a ship that sank in 1912.

"You don't know?" Penelope asked, surprised at his question. When Minato shook his head in response, Penelope frowned. "How can you not know about the Grimm? Did your parents raise you in isolation or something?"

Minato looked at her in confusion before his face became somber as he looked down. Penelope raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay?"

"I don't even remember my parents... I'm an orphan." Minato admitted at last, making Penelope gasp in shock as her hand flew to cover her mouth.

"Oh, you poor thing!" She exclaimed. 'Being an orphan would explain almost everything about him then! Why he can speak English and Japanese, why he can only read Japanese, even why he has no records of being in school or even medical records!' Sylvester Sneekly had shown her the profile of Minato he had created and even revealed the young man had no school records or even medical records. "I'm sorry you have no memory of your parents."

Minato just gave her a sad smile. "I'm used to it." He admitted. "It's just part of being an orphan sometimes. I was dropped off at an orphanage when I was only 3, too young to remember my parents." In hindsight, that part was true; he was just not revealing it had been in another world.

Penelope felt pity for her new bodyguard. 'It may even explain why he hasn't eaten so well; he is probably used to struggling with other orphans to get food, and going without meals because he couldn't get what he needed.'

While his story did seem sad, Penelope couldn't help but feel a bit of pride too, because Minato had pushed through his horrible childhood and was now a thriving, if not a bit underfed, young man.

Her hand drifted over and landed itself on his shoulder, making the young man look back at her. Penelope gave Minato a small smile. "I'm sure you had it rough as a child." She said as he looked back down.

Minato couldn't help but give a mental snort at Penelope's words. 'You have no idea...' He thought to himself.

Finally, he responded. "It's no big deal. I wasn't the only child to lose his or her parents to conflict." Minato said, trying to keep his story within the confines of this new world he was now in. 'I can't exactly say I lost my parents to a war between ninja nations. I would be seen as crazy.'

Penelope just gave him a smile. "Well, either way, you seem to have overcome much hardship to become as independent as you are now."

Minato looked at Penelope in surprise. "Wh-wha…?" He had not expected that response, but she took his surprise to be confusion, so Penelope decided to explain to him what she meant.

"I mean you overcame being an orphan to become the young man you are today." Penelope clarified. "It must have been difficult to struggle to survive on your own and overcome the hardships you endured."

Minato finally got the hint as to what she was talking about and sighed. "Well, I did have a few people I learned to count on." He admitted at last. "But... I... won't be able to see them again..."

Penelope seemed to take his words as those of loss, and in a way, he did lose those he considered like his family, as he would not be able to return home to his old world again. She frowned at Minato's words. "Oh. I... I'm sorry. I didn't know..."

The former Hokage just waved it off. "It's not like I haven't lost people before."

Penelope didn't press the issue, instead deciding to explain what a Grimm was. "Well, since you don't know what a Grimm is, it is a being made up of what is known to us humans as the Dark Substance. No one knows where it came from, just that it exists, and that Grimm seem to come from it."

Minato looked back at Penelope and raised an eyebrow. "The Dark Substance?"

"Well, what else are we supposed to call it?" Penelope countered.

Minato just shook his head in response. "Never mind..." He said before he sighed. "So, these Grimm... are there different kinds of Grimm?" He asked as he looked back up at his 'charge' again.

"Oh, yes. There are many types of Grimm." Penelope replied. "The Ursa Major, the Nuckalevee, the Sea Fei Long, the Goliath, and even Kaiju Grimm, large Grimm that are giant, even larger than a Goliath Grimm. And that's just the ones I remember. There are way more than just the ones I listed, at least... 25 or more more species?"

The former Hokage felt his eyes widen as his jaw dropped in shock. "There're how many species?!"

Penelope put a finger to her chin in thought as she looked up at the ceiling. "Mmm... at least 30 species of Grimm?"

Minato felt faint. 'S-shit... there're that many kinds of Grimm around?! Okay, this... this is... how in the world has Penelope survived against so many otherworldly beings?!' Minato thought in alarm. It was clear to him now that Penelope was in life-threatening danger on a daily basis.

Seeing the blonde shinobi's alarmed look on his face, Penelope couldn't help but look at him in confusion. "Is something wrong?"

Finally, Minato had to say it. "How the hell have you survived against these Grimm and this Hooded Claw on a daily basis?!" He exclaimed.

Penelope blinked before the reasoning for Minato's question became clear. "Oh! Oh, don't worry. I'm not in danger from Grimm on a daily basis. And the Hooded Claw only kidnaps me three times a week. And if I do get in danger from a Grimm, I have my Aura and Semblance to protect me." She replied.

Minato raised an eyebrow. "Aura and Semblance? What are those?"

Penelope smiled. "An Aura is a manifestation of one's soul, and a Semblance is like an extension of one's abilities."

As if on cue, Penelope flared her own Aura into existence. It was a medium violet red color that seemed to surround her body. Minato stared in awe, but also recognition. 'Wait... is this Aura like my chakra? It... seems similar in a way...' Already the gears in Minato's head were turning, trying to find any connection between an Aura and chakra. His blue eyes flicked over Penelope's body, taking in her Aura and how it moved. 'Her Aura moves similar to when I expose my chakra. It has to have some similarities if that is the case.'

Penelope noticed Minato looking over her body and took note of the thoughtful expression on his face. Oddly, she felt her cheeks flush with heat as she looked at him in a shy manner. "Um... why are you staring at me?"

At hearing her question, Minato suddenly felt his own face burn with heat that gathered in his cheeks. "O-oh! I-I'm sorry! I wasn't staring at you, I was just observing your Aura!" He quickly explained, holding up his hands in a passive gesture. "That's all! Honest!"

Penelope looked at Minato shyly, and she had to admit, it was kinda cute to see how he got so flustered, especially with the way he seemed to blush so easily.

Minato looked away, down at the floor. His cheeks still burned with his blush; secretly he shot a glance at Penelope, his long bangs at the sides of his face hiding his eyes as he did so. The way she was blushing was somewhat adorable, and her shy look was cute, as much as he hated to admit it. At that thought, his eyes went wide and he shook his head, his eyes closing as he did so. 'What is wrong with you, Minato? She is 7 years your junior! She is not someone you can fall for! You're only her bodyguard, nothing more, so get a grip!'

Finally, Minato was able to make his cheeks stop burning with his blush, which made him feel relieved. He reached up and ran a hand through his spiky blonde hair. "Sorry... I was just interested in how your Aura worked..." Minato muttered.

Penelope's own blush faded as an idea struck her. "Oh! I think I know what can help you understand how an Aura works!" She exclaimed as she stood up suddenly. Minato looked up as she made her way to a bookshelf and ran a finger along it before she came to what she was looking for. "Ah ha! Here it is!" Penelope reached up and pulled off a book before walking back over to where Minato was sitting. She sat down and handed him the book. "Here."

Minato looked at the book in her hands. The title read, in English, 'Aura: The Inner Workings'. Curious, Minato reached out and took the book from Penelope. He flipped it open, only for his eyes to widen at the sheer amount of information he saw. The former Hokage looked back up at Penelope in shock.

Penelope smiled back at him. "I hope that will help you to understand how an Aura works."

Minato actually smiled at what she had just done for him. "Yes... Yes, it will!" He exclaimed excitedly. "Thank you!" He jumped up and hugged her, making the 17-year-old heiress squeak in surprise. She felt her cheeks burn with a blush again, but she managed to restrain herself and she smiled back.

"You're welcome, Minato." Penelope said. Minato pulled away from her and sat down at his seat again, flipping open the book so he could get to reading it right away.

Penelope giggled as she watched him dive right into reading the book like a kid would dive right into finding the perfect amount of candy at the candy store; his attitude reminded her of a kid in the candy shop.

While Penelope was watching him, Minato's mind was already taking in the information he was reading like a sponge did water. As his eyes flicked over the words, and the information they revealed, he was already finding that the mechanics of unlocking an Aura were similar to unlocking one's chakra energies, but not as deep or as refined. It appeared that an especially skilled Aura user could also use their Aura energies to create clones if they were from a Ninja clan...! His eyes went wide upon reading that last part. 'Hold on... Ninja exist here?!' Minato thought in amazement. Now that he thought about it... it did make sense in a way.

Pushing that information to the more prioritized area of his mind, Minato resumed his reading. 'Okay... so if one can unlock their Aura, then one can use it to literally protect themselves from harm... That sounds like the Rotation of the Hyuga Clan's Main Branch family, only without the actual rotation part of it. That's interesting...' He mused to himself.

As the blonde shinobi read the book some more, he was quick to take note that a person's Aura could take on different colors, unlike chakra, which was a blue color under normal circumstances. Minato was so engrossed in the book, he actually jumped when he felt a hand tap his shoulder. His hand flew for his signature kunai as he turned to face the person who had tapped him, only to stop his hand before it could grab the hilt when he saw it was Penelope.

"Are you going to get some rest?" Penelope asked as she looked at him. "It's almost midnight now."

Minato's eyes went wide as he looked at the clock on the wall. Sure enough, it was 20 minutes to midnight. "It's... that late?"

"You were reading that book for at least two hours." Penelope said with a smile.

At her words, Minato looked down, embarrassed she had seen him fall into one of his old habits; when something had his interest, he tended to get so engrossed in it he lost track of time.

"I... I guess some sleep wouldn't hurt..." Minato murmured at last, trying to keep himself from blushing; while mostly successful, a light blush still appeared on his cheeks anyway.

Thankfully for Minato, Penelope didn't see his blush on his face. She smiled and stood up. "Well, come then. I will show you to your room."

Minato looked up before he too stood up and followed her out of the library, the book he had been reading now in his grasp.

As they walked down the hall, Penelope looked back at Minato. "Say, do you have any other clothes on your person? If you're going to be staying here, you will need to put them away."

Surprised, Minato blinked before he realized he did not, in fact, have any other clothes with him. He only had on his green Chunin flak vest, his blue shirt and matching pants, his chainmail undershirt, his boxers, and his shinobi sandals. Minato looked away, his blush returning to his face. "N-no..." He admitted at last. "I... I only have the clothes I am wearing now..." 'I'm also missing my haori and hitai-ate headband... not that I know where they are...' He added to himself.

Penelope gasped before she spoke up. "Oh! We can't have that! Tomorrow, the first thing we are doing is going out to get you some new clothes!" She said with determination in her voice.

Minato looked up, surprised. "Y-you don't have to do that! It's fine, really!"

Penelope shook her head. "No, it is not fine. If you are to be staying here, and if you are to be my bodyguard, you need clothing to wear."

Sighing, Minato decided it was best to not argue. He felt too tired to deal with such a thing anyway. 'And it doesn't help my chakra is still very low...' Minato thought to himself.

Seeing she had won the argument, Penelope smiled before she looked up and saw they had reached their destination. "Oh! We're here!" She said as she stopped in front of an ornate door. She opened the door, revealing a very well-kept bedroom. Penelope moved aside so Minato could walk inside, and he had to admit, it was not too extravagant, but it was also not too plain. Penelope followed him inside. "Is this room to your liking?"

Minato looked back at Penelope with a small smile. "It will do." He admitted; she didn't have to do this for him, but since she was, he figured it was best to be polite and accept her gesture. The former Hokage looked around the room again, taking in where everything was. The bed was across from the door, positioned against the wall, next to the window. The window was at the back wall, across from the door as well. Across from the wall the bed was against, there was a good-sized bathroom, and a walk-in closet was next to the bathroom. There was even a desk next to the door leading to the hallway with a TV mounted above it. Bookshelves were between the bathroom and the closet, with books located on them.

Sharp blue eyes took in where the window was, and Minato made a mental note to place some of his seals on the window to keep out intruders, as well as some on the doors of the bathroom and into the bedroom from the hallway. The bathroom window would also need some seals as well.

With a plan in place, Minato looked back at Penelope. "This is much more than I expected from you. I thought I would have to find a place of my own." 'Which, admittedly, would be difficult since I am not from this world...' Minato added as an afterthought.

Penelope giggled. "All my bodyguards reside here at the estate. Most have their own building they live in, but I thought it would not be right to place you with the rest of them, since you are supposed to be my primary guard." 'Well, that and you probably would have bad memories of your time at the orphanage come back if I did that...' Penelope added as an afterthought.

There was an awkward silence between the two of them before Penelope cleared her throat and spoke. "Well... I hope you have a good night, Minato." She said before she turned to leave. But before she did leave, she looked back at him one last time. "Remember, we are getting you some new clothes tomorrow."

Minato sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I remember..."

Penelope smiled again. "Good. Oh, and before I forget, my room is just down the hall; it has a big pink 'P' on the door, so you can't miss it."

Minato nodded again, taking in the information. "Right... I won't forget."

The heiress smiled one last time before she turned and actually left. The door closed behind her, and once she was gone, Minato fell onto the bed, the book falling from his hands as he turned onto his back and fell into the grasp of sleep.

Pitter-pattering of rain could be heard as Minato regained awareness. But what was odd was that he was not cold or anything. No, rather, he felt warm instead, like he was under the covers of a blanket in a warm bed... Groaning, the former Hokage opened his blue eyes, only to see he was not in his room he was familiar with. Confused, Minato sat up, rubbing at his eyes with his right hand. For a moment, he wondered if he had been captured by enemy shinobi, but that was immediately ruled out, as most enemy ninja would not treat a captive so nicely, least of all give them a nice bedroom to stay in.

Then memories of what had transpired over the last two days came back to him. At once, Minato was on his feet. He wasn't sure if Penelope was wake or not, or if she was even alright. Minato glanced at the clock on the nightstand, seeing it was about 8:45 in the morning. Realizing he had slept in, Minato rushed to the door and opened it. He was about to bolt to Penelope's room when he saw the door open. Penelope came out of her bedroom, only to see Minato standing out there, looking like he was about to rush to her room.

"Oh! Good morning, Minato!" Penelope greeted with a chipper smile on her face.

Minato realized Penelope was in fact not in danger and looked away, somewhat embarrassed again. Once more, his blush was on his face. 'I swear, I have blushed more times in the last two days than I have in my entire life!' "It's... good to see you up..." He muttered, trying to think of something to say.

Penelope smiled. "C'mon. I'm sure you're hungry. We can go have breakfast and then we will go out looking for some clothes for you." Minato was about to protest that he was not hungry, but his own stomach decided that was the best moment to rebel, letting out a low growl to indicate it was in need of food. Minato went as red as a tomato when that happened, which made Penelope giggle. "Someone's hungry it seems~!"

'Damn it... how could I forget that I'm not dead anymore?!' Minato thought in dismay. 'Way to remind me I'm alive again...' He added bitterly to his own stomach, which let out a growl of hunger again.

Penelope's hand was on his wrist before he realized it and Minato found himself being dragged down the kitchen of the large estate house. Once there, Minato could see there was a staff already making food for the house's occupants.

After a filling breakfast, which satisfied the blonde shinobi's rebellious stomach, Penelope was taking Minato to the store to get him some new clothes. She was the one driving, having told Pockets to remain on standby; it was just a routine run to the store, so the Hooded Claw would not be after her.

Once at the store, Penelope dragged Minato into the clothing department and pulled out some outfits that she thought would look good on him.

After that., she ushered the poor shinobi into a dressing room and waited for him to change.

Minato, after putting on the first outfit, came out looking somewhat embarrassed. The outfit was a pink jacket with yellow pants and dark blue boots. Penelope actually gave a cringe at the outfit and shook her head.

The second outfit was actually much better, and when Minato came out wearing it, it looked far better than that fashion disaster he had first tried on. This outfit was a black T-shirt with a red Kanji symbol for fire on it and some dark green cargo shorts. Penelope gave a nod of approval, which Minato felt pleased by. He gave her a small smile before he went back into the dressing room.

When Minato came out a third time, he was wearing a dark grey tuxedo with a white dress shirt and black dress shoes. Penelope felt herself blushing when she saw him in that outfit. 'Wow, if I didn't know he was an orphan, in that outfit, he looks like he could be high society...' She thought as Minato went back to find another outfit to try on.

After finding some dark blue swim trunks (which Minato did not come out to show her) and a nice winter outfit that consisted of a red sweater with black sweatpants, a dark grey down jacket, black ski gloves, and dark grey boots, Penelope decided it was time to take a break.

The two of them were eating lunch at a restaurant inside the store, the newly bought clothing in bags that were beside Penelope; she had insisted in making the buys herself as well as carrying them.

Lunch went by without any incident, and soon the two were back to looking for clothes for Minato, as well as a few other essentials like oral care, hair care, and a few other things, like a Tablet for him as well.

Minato found a few more outfits that he liked and once those were paid for, the duo were on their way back to the Pitstop Estate.

Penelope felt the whole trip had been worth it, and she was pleased with what they had gotten for Minato. "I think that was a good day well spent, don't you?" She asked the shinobi next to her.

Minato had to admit, the day had been well spent. "Actually... it was." He admitted with a small smile. This was the first time he had felt at ease since arriving in this new world, and it was, as much as he hated to admit it, nice.

Penelope smiled at his response. "Well, I'm glad to hear it then." She remarked with her own smile.

As soon as they returned to the estate, Penelope had the stuff she had bought for Minato brought to his room, and Minato was glad to actually have some new clothes for once. It meant he wouldn't be stuck with just one outfit anymore.

Once the new clothes were washed and put away, Minato was able to relax for once. He flopped down on the bed, picking up the book he had been reading last night to see if he could resume his research. He found where he had left off and began to resume his reading. It had been some time since he had last found a book that was enjoyable to read, and it was nice to just read again. The rain fell outside, giving a calming feeling as well.

It was about an hour later when he heard a knock at the door to his room. Minato looked up as Penelope opened the door. To his surprise, she was wearing a pink one-piece bathing suit, her blonde hair hanging down in its usual ponytail. Against his will, his eyes wandered over her curvy form, and Minato had to avert his gaze so as to not appear to be a pervert. He looked back down at his book, as if he had found something very interesting suddenly. "H-hey..." Minato said, his voice slightly strained; Penelope didn't hear the strain in his voice however. "W-where are you headed?"

"Oh, I'm just headed to the little ol' pool for some swimming." Penelope explained with a smile. "Would you care to join me?"

Minato was very tempted to decline, but he decided to go with her instead; after all, as her bodyguard, he would have to be with her anyway. 'And it may be good to get some physical exercise too. I've been lazing around too long.' Minato reasoned to himself. Sighing, the shinobi set the book down on the bed and sat up, stretching his arms over his head before standing up. "I guess it wouldn't hurt. I need to get up and moving anyway." He admitted at last.

Seeing Penelope smile convinced Minato he had made the right choice. He grabbed his new swim trunks and went to the bathroom to change into them. A few minutes later, Minato came out, also wearing the black T-shirt with the red fire Kanji on it; he had a towel himself as well as something else that was in the towel, but what it was, Penelope could not determine.

Penelope, seeing Minato was wearing a shirt along with his swim trunks, found herself pouting, which made Minato confused when he saw her pout; she had been hoping to see him without his shirt on.

"Uh... are you okay?" Minato asked Penelope, who blinked before she shook her head and gave him a smile.

"I'm just fine. Now let's get to the pool. I've been dying to take a swim since this morning." Penelope replied.

Minato followed Penelope out of his room and down the halls of the estate. It didn't take them long to find the pool, which was actually quite big; it was not as big as some other mansions' pools, but it was large enough to be considered above what the average person could afford. There was even a hot tub next to the pool for relaxing in once done with swimming in the main pool itself.

Penelope walked over to one of the chairs and set down her towel she had brought with her before smiling at Minato. "I hope the pool isn't too much for you." She said as Minato looked back at her in surprise.

"No... no, not at all." Minato replied with a slight smile. His words made Penelope smile again.

She then made her way to the edge of the pool and jumped in before surfacing and looking at the shinobi with her. "Well, aren't you coming in? The water's warm and fine!" Penelope called to him.

Minato looked unsure at first, but the look on Penelope's face finally forced him to make up his mind. He sighed before reaching down and pulling up his shirt from the bottom and over his head. As he did so, Penelope was greeted with a view most girls would die for. She could see Minato indeed looked quite thin, but not as in underfed or malnourished. This made her wonder if Minato was just naturally skinny. Walking over to the edge of the pool, Minato then jumped in as well, surfacing as soon as he was in the water.

The water, as Penelope had said, was indeed warm, but not too warm for anyone who wanted to swim for the fun of it. Minato actually found himself enjoying the feel of water on his skin again, at least until something splashed him, earning a yelp of surprise from him. Minato lowered his arms, which he had used to shield his face from the sudden attack of water, only to see Penelope grinning at him sheepishly, her hands cupped together, like she had just squirted some water in his face.

Minato blinked in surprise before Penelope gave him another sheepish grin and squirted more water at his face. The blonde shinobi took a deep breath and ducked under the water to avoid getting hit by the water. He swam around behind the heiress and surfaced, taking in a breath once he did so. Penelope was looking for him, even though the water was clear enough to see him when he had been swimming away from her. Curious, Minato slowly swam up behind the heiress, only to poke her left shoulder. She squeaked and whirled around, only to see Minato was the one who had poked her. Penelope blinked before she grinned and splashed more water in his face. Minato yelped as he shielded his face from being hit with the water. Cautiously, he lowered his arms, wondering if the heiress was going to try to splash him again. More water did indeed come at his face, forcing the former Hokage to duck into the water again.

Acting quickly, Minato surfaced behind the heiress again, confused and concerned. Was she actually attacking him or was someone controlling her? However, his instincts as a shinobi didn't tell him Penelope was doing this with intent to hurt or anything. Rather, it seemed like she was just playing...?

Heat flushed to Minato's cheeks as he realized his charge was just trying to play around with him. "I've been a shinobi so long, I don't remember the last time I had actual fun...' He thought to himself. More water was squirted in his direction, actually hitting the shinobi in the face. Penelope gave him a sheepish grin as he stared at her with a blank look. Slowly, a grin began to cross his lips before Minato splashed some water in Penelope's direction. The heiress squeaked as water splashed her, leaving her soaked.

The shinobi and heiress stared at one another before each had a grin cross their lips and then Minato ducked under the next squirt of water Penelope sent in his direction before he splashed some water in her direction, making her squeal with laughter. Despite his best attempts to prevent it, Minato found himself letting out laughter as well. For the first time in a long time, he was actually having fun, like actual fun, and not training or anything of that nature.

Both the heiress and the shinobi were soon engrossed in a game of splash tag, where the person who was 'it' had to splash the other to get them to be 'it'. This went on for about a few hours before both began to become tired, and soon, both Minato and Penelope were done swimming in the main pool. Penelope went into the hot tub to take a relaxing soak while Minato sat at one of the tables, wearing his shirt again.

"Ah, now this is the life." Penelope sighed as she sunk down into the warm waters of the hot tub. "Nothing like a little ol' soak in the little ol' hot tub to relax one's nerves."

Minato gave a grin. "You can say that again." He joked from where he sat.

Penelope gave him a matching smile of her own. "Well, why don't you join me then?"

Minato blinked before he looked away, his cheeks turning a light pink. "Err... No... No, it's... it's fine..." He said, trying to hide his light blush. Thankfully, his long bangs at the sides of his face did that just fine, much to his secret relief. 'What is going on with me? Why am I always blushing around Penelope? It's not like I... have feelings for her! She is only 17! She has her whole life to find someone she likes! I'm just her bodyguard... right?' Slowly, Minato snuck a glance at the heiress, his bangs hiding his gaze. He did have to admit, she was attractive, but he was not ready to start all over again like that. No, he was just her guard and nothing more.

A sigh escaped Minato as he put his head in his hands, tryin to figure out the mess that was his emotions. Or rather, he would have if something didn't hit his hearing, a sound he didn't quite understand.

Turning his head, Minato's eyes went wide when he saw something that shocked him to his core.

Hooded Claw's Lair

In his lair, the Hooded Claw sneered as he observed the two blondes playing in the pool. It made him sick to see Penelope playing with the one who was supposed to protect her. However, it also worked in his favor, because it only confirmed to the evil man that he had indeed hired an incompetent individual as Penelope's bodyguard.

"Bully Brothers, prepare the Horrible Hot Tub Trap." The Hooded Claw said to the two bull Faunus under his command.

"Yes, Claw." The two Bully Brothers replied before running off to do as the Hooded Claw ordered.

That done, the Hooded Claw turned his attention back to the screen showing Minato and Penelope having fun still. "Enjoy yourself while you can, Penelope Pitstop, because soon, you and your bodyguard will be finished!"

An evil laugh escaped the Hooded Claw as the lights slowly shut off, leaving him in darkness with only the screen illuminating his face.

Pitstop Estate

Minato reacted quickly, grabbing his kunai holster and rushing forwards as he saw Penelope nearly vanish beneath the water of the hot tub. There were so many bubbles, it looked like she was swallowed up by them. His hand lashed out and grabbed onto hers, stopping her from being sucked under the water, but it was only a matter of time before the suction got the best of even Minato himself; despite being a shinobi able to use chakra, he was still only human.

Penelope looked up, only to see Minato's face, his blue eyes meeting her black ones. "I... I've got you..." Minato grunted out as he tried to keep a firm grip on her slim wrist. However, the suction of whatever had been draining the water was getting worse and worse, and Minato knew he was fighting a losing battle.

With little time to think of a different plan, Minato thrust his free hand into his kunai holster and pulled out an explosive kunai as well as one of his signature kunai. He threw his signature tri-pronged kunai at the wall, allowing it to embed itself into it. Minato then tried to summon what chakra he could, and to his relief, he felt he had enough to pull off his signature technique with one other person. He looked at Penelope, who had a fear-filled look on her face. The suction was getting stronger, meaning Minato had almost no time to react with a different plan now. "Do you trust me?!" He exclaimed.

Penelope gave a fear-filled nod rapidly. With no time left, Minato then threw his explosive kunai into the gap he was seeing. As soon as the weapon went into the open gap in the floor of the hot tub, Minato then concentrated on his kunai that was embedded in the wall. He channeled his chakra into Penelope's body and then the two of them flickered out of the hot tub and against the wall, just below the kunai. Not even a second later, there was an explosion from Minato's explosive kunai, and there was a rush of water coming out of the hot tub before it settled down, the opening in the floor now sealed off. Minato held Penelope close to his body, panting heavily as he leaned back against the wall.

Using his Hiraishin and transferring some of his chakra to Penelope so he could get her to safety had drained Minato of what little chakra he had regained over the last two days. Thankfully, he had had just enough chakra to use his signature technique quickly if he needed to, but now that was not the case.

Minato could feel sweat running down his face, a sure sign of exhaustion, as he panted. He looked down at Penelope. "Are... are you... o-okay?" He asked her between pants.

Penelope nodded. "Y-yes... Thanks... You saved little ol' me again..."

Minato gave her a smirk. "Well... I... I was... hired to... protect you... right?" He rasped out, chuckling a bit.

For Penelope, it had been a shock to see her new bodyguard just react so quickly before her eyes, or so she had assumed. She had just been relaxing in the hot tub, and then the next thing she knew, she was being sucked down into an opening in the floor. Then Minato had saved her. What was odd about how he had done that though was the fact that he had seemed to flicker out of danger, taking her with him. She had felt a... tugging in her gut before she and Minato had arrived on the other side of the pool room, just below one of his strange knife-like weapons that was embedded in the wall.

As Minato sat against the wall, with her in his grasp, Penelope became aware of something at that moment; Minato was actually ripped. Penelope could feel solid muscle on his chest as well as on his arms, which explained how someone who looked as thin as Minato could hold her hand against the suction that had almost dragged her down with the water.

It made her wonder if he was just naturally lean but strong. It explained why Minato lacked the muscular build most associated with being strong. In fact, it also made Penelope wonder if Minato had some sort of martial arts training, because that would explain the lack of bulging muscles on his body.

Penelope felt her cheeks flush with heat as she felt Minato's strong arms wrapped around her.

She shook her head, trying to make the odd feelings she had go away. After about a minute or so, Penelope felt her blush fading, just as Minato released her from his grasp.

"Are you okay?" Penelope asked Minato once he had released her.

"I'll... I'll be fine..." Minato replied, waving it off. "This isn't the first time I've used that technique..."

Penelope wondered if it was a Semblance Minato had used, but then she shook her head. 'No, it can't have been a Semblance, not if he didn't know what a Semblance was in the first place.' She reminded herself.

Hooded Claw's Lair

The Hooded Claw frowned at what he was witnessing. "So, he seems to have a Semblance of some kind, a teleportation one it looks like." The Claw noted with disdain. "Very well, I will just have to adjust my plans then."

He glared at the screen showing the two blondes. "Just you wait, Pitstop. You won't be so lucky next time..."

He turned and left the room, the monitors behind him going dark as he did so.

Pitstop Estate

Minato got to his feet, feeling a bit dizzy from using his Hiraishin technique so suddenly. 'Okay... have to be more careful with how often I use it... I don't have enough chakra for continued usage yet...' Minato thought as he steadied himself with a hand on the wall.

Beside him, Penelope was wrapped in her towel now, looking at Minato worriedly. He was still panting somewhat, not that he really cared at the moment. He reached up and pulled his signature kunai out from where it was embedded into the wall. After looking it over and determining there was no damage to it, Minato slipped the kunai back into his holster.

Penelope looked back at the remains of the hot tub. "It looks like our swimming time is over until repairs can be made." She noted glumly.

Minato looked back and narrowed his eyes. 'Which reminds me... it seems this Hooded Claw was most likely behind this event, given how that opening I sealed shut with my explosive kunai seemed to be man-made. It seems he operates by elaborate plans. That's not good...'

Penelope noticed Minato's expression and nudged him. "Are you okay, Minato?" She asked, making him look back down at her.

His sharp blue eyes flicked over her body, checking her over for any injuries. As he didn't see anything to be worried over, Minato finally gave her a smile. "I'm fine." He said in a reassuring tone.

Penelope smiled. "Well, that's good to hear." She said as Minato looked back at the remains of the hot tub again.

"C'mon..." He said suddenly. "Let's get out of here." He grabbed Penelope's hand and began to pull her out of the pool area.

"What? Why?" Penelope asked as she was pulled along by the former Hokage.

"I'm not putting it past the Hooded Claw to have more than one trap in that room." Minato said seriously.

Penelope's eyes went wide. "Wait... The Hooded Claw? He was behind what happened?"

Minato looked back at the heiress and gave a nod. "That opening in the floor of the hot tub was man-made, meaning someone dug under it to create that tunnel that would have dragged you under." He replied as he then turned his gaze ahead of them. "The only one who could have had someone do that was the Hooded Claw."

"Then that was a trap?" Penelope realized. "Oh, you saved me from the Hooded Claw again!"

"I just did what I was hired to do." Minato said, but his mind was not on Penelope or his conversation with her; he was trying to figure out how the Hooded Claw had managed to create that trap. 'It's obvious it was done over a period of time, but to do so without alerting anyone else here as to what was going on is quite a feat, and very disturbing.' Minato thought as he pulled Penelope down the hall to their rooms. Already his genius mind was working on possible plans to counter anything else like that. 'I will have to place seals around the house too, just in case something similar happens. But I need to make sure I can get some of the usual stuff I need for that as well. I mean, I know I have some extra on me in sealed scrolls, but it won't last forever, so I need to be able to get extra in case I ever run out.'

Looking up, Minato saw he and Penelope were back outside her room and he let go of Penelope's wrist. He sighed as he turned to face her. "Sorry about pulling you out of there so suddenly, but I can't take any chances, especially after today's little incident down there." Minato said apologetically.

Penelope just waved it off. "It's fine. You were only doing what you were hired to do." She reassured him with a smile. "Now, why don't we get cleaned up? Chlorine is not good to leave on skin and hair."

Minato blinked, but chalked it up to something used in this world and nodded. "Yeah... good idea..." He said. Penelope smiled before going into her room. Minato watched as she shut the door before sighing and making his way back to his own room.

Rain fell outside, giving off a calming air to any who heard it, but one individual was not feeling so calm.

Like the rain outside, warm, relaxing water fell on his spiky blonde hair from the showerhead. Minato stood under it, his hands on the shower wall as his mind raced, trying to figure out what had him so confused about Sylvester Sneekly and the Hooded Claw's antics. However, he was not relaxed in any way, shape, or form, not after that near disaster in the pool room that had nearly taken Penelope from him, meaning he would have failed in his job to protect her.

Minato's hands clenched into fists as he gritted his teeth, his blue eyes narrowing as his keen mind ran through many different scenarios, but each of them never made any sense to him because he lacked any information on the Hooded Claw and Sylvester Sneekly. 'What is it?! What am I missing?!' Minato thought to himself. 'What is it about the Hooded Claw's motives and Sylvester Sneekly that has me so worried?! And why can't I figure it out?! I'm the freaking Yellow Flash, the genius shinobi who is a certified seal master and who was the youngest Hokage ever to take power! So why is it I can't figure out what is bothering me when it comes to Sylvester Sneekly and the Hooded Claw?!'

A clenched fist pounded into the shower tiles as Minato looked down in frustration. While the warm water falling on the back of his neck and his back would normally relax him, this time it didn't help Minato settle down. Finally, Minato sighed as he lifted his head and leaned back under the warm water, letting it flow over his face and chest before he turned and made to shut off the shower. The warm water ceased and Minato reached for one of the towels hanging on the bar, wrapping it around his waist before grabbing the second one and using it to dry his hair as he stepped out of the shower. Now out of the shower, Minato let the towel he had used to dry his hair sit across his shoulders as he glanced out the window at the falling rain. He made his way over and stood there, staring out at the falling rain. Minato was not sure how long he stood there, but after a while, he sighed and turned away from the window to leave the bathroom.

Minato entered his room, tossing the second towel onto his bed before he made his way to where he had one of his new outfits set up to put on. As Minato got dressed, undergarments included, he wondered what he could do to get some information on Sylvester Sneekly as well as the Hooded Claw. Finally, Minato slipped on the black T-shirt and cargo shorts before he put on his shinobi sandals and even his kunai holster and shuriken pouch. Minato checked his small scroll pack as well, finding he had all of the stuff he had stored like that still. Feeling satisfied he was prepared, Minato stood up and left his room.

As soon as he opened the door, the blonde shinobi was shocked to see Penelope outside his room, wearing a casual pink shirt and a white skirt with black shoes on her feet. Her blonde hair was in its usual ponytail, and she had a book in her arms. "Oh! There you are!" Penelope exclaimed. "I was wondering if you would like to go to the library room with me."

Minato blinked. "Uh... sure?" He said, not sure of what else to say. He looked down, feeling somewhat embarrassed for her awkward response. "Just... let me get the book you gave me..." He muttered before going and grabbing said book before also grabbing his Tablet. Minato made his way back to Penelope as she gave him a smile.

The former Hokage gave Penelope a small smile as well before the two of them left for the library room to unwind, unaware as to what awaited them down the road...

The Hooded Claw, in his lair, sneered. "Soon, I will have you removed, Pitstop, and not even your new bodyguard can protect you forever! I will make sure of it!" The Hooded Claw cackled as the screen showing Minato and Penelope went dark. The Hooded Claw turned around, the white inside of his cloak showing what looked like something red on it as it billowed out behind him while he walked away...

Minato learns to read English with the help of Penelope, but during that time, suffers a panic attack for reasons unknown to her. After recovering, Penelope leads Minato to his room he will be staying in, and makes plans to get him the stuff he will need while staying with her, including new clothes. But while the day turns out to be a mundane affair, the Hooded Claw attempts to capture and off Penelope later on, only to be foiled by Minato's quick thinking. But what sinister plans does the Hooded Claw yet have up his sleeve? Read on to find out and review :3 Well, enjoy~! :3