Chapter 53
It was painfully sad how much time could fly by when one fought in a war. Somehow an entire month had already flown by. Minashi could understand how it went by very easily though. With the reinforcements from the Kumo border, Konoha and Suna had plenty of numbers now to take back lost land from Iwa and push deeper into Kusa.
It was almost depressing when the blonde learned that she had even spent her thirteenth birthday on the frontlines. It mattered little though seeing as how the Konoha/ Suna Platoons were being spread out to reach more and more land. Covering the full front line across Kusa to stop any Iwa from slipping past their lines.
Minashi still held her position at Squad 57's captain. It was actually pretty easy since she had gotten to know her guys through battle and breaks. Ayumu had a dry sense of humor, but was still a very serious and intelligent man. Hayate as well, but also had the good instincts of a shinobi and it displayed itself well in their strategy talks, and the battlefield. Gai...was Gai. Strong as hell in taijutsu, and a force to be reckoned with. Yet always willing to do anything to keep spirits up.
The Blonde wasn't too surprised at Kenji and Ryouta's teamwork. She'd heard through Kakashi that they had been paired often for missions before they were sent to the front. She could see it easily as they worked in battle. They were the easiest to battle with. It reminded her of the Mock months of the academy when they'd been paired. Kenji had been the one to bring that up though.
His snarky remarks about Kakashi though, she could have done without. He stopped after the first five times when she almost took off his man-bun. She still didn't understand why he of all people was trying to grow out his curly mess of locks.
Minashi knew though that she should have paid more attention to the progress of the battle and the movements of her commanding officers. Her Kitsune clone had been feeding her updates, but her mind had almost been numb from her schedule. Fight, return to base, eat, clean, sleep, eat, fight, and repeat. The only changes would be when Orochimaru pulled the captains for updates. Her foxes were even getting tired and being used less and less. She didn't know how much more of this she could push them through. Especially with trying to not kill every person they came across.
She would use her clones if the information overload wouldn't distract her during battles. Even in her training she still has not overcome that hurdle. She wasn't like Naruto and could just ignore them. Her brain was too analytical for it. If it was a one on one fight? Sure, she'd spam them like crazy, but not here, not out where too many of her friends and comrades were putting their lives on the line.
What was making it worse? Somehow, Iwa had gotten a second wave of reinforcements. Already the Konoha/Suna side was dwindling down from injured or dead. Shinobi and Kunoichi being sent back home for better treatment that couldn't be done on the field.
Minashi knew what she was going to have to do and she hated herself for it. Their back up was still days away and Iwa was already starting to regain ground on them.
Falling back from the battle, the Blonde looked to Orochimaru who was being seen by a medic-nin.
"I need you to watch my clones." She asked her sensei.
"What are you going to do brat?" He panted exhausted from so long commanding and fighting without his spouses at his side. Jiraiya was busy keeping the Kumo front stable and Tsunade leading the medical forces back home.
"End this." She responded coldly. Four Clones popped up and sat beside and around the Snake Sannin. Attuned to the energy, Orochimaru felt when it entered the clones and the original who'd also taken up a similar pose. Cerulean eyes turned Fox slit Violet with black accents around and on the lids. Canines sharpened, and with a toothy grin, the Fox Sage of Konoha rose to her feet.
"Wish me luck sensei."
"You don't need it." He waved her off.
With a nod, the blonde was gone, leaving behind her four clones. She missed the Messenger shinobi arriving a few moments later informing Orochimaru of Minato speeding to them to give aid.
Stepping out onto the bloody field, Violet eyes scanned the fighting before between one step and the next, two shadow clones appeared on either side of her hands.
Chakra flooded the area. Those recovering at the back of the line saw the blonde building up two balls of chakra. Both balls of chakra began to grow to larger orbs the size of her head before they began to screech with a high pitched whine. Many may not have known she could wield the technique, but many had seen what a normal Rasengan could do. If the smaller blonde was adding wind, it would not turn out good.
"FALL BACK!" a Hyuuga Captain suddenly screamed at the Konoha/Suna forces. Dozens of Konoha/Suna forces leapt back as the blonde dispelled her clones and walked forward. With narrowed violet eyes she spun, throwing one ball of chakra to the left and followed through with the second ball of chakra to the right of the field.
The Iwa forces attempted to dodge, but even if they thought they escaped, the balls suddenly expanded.
Screams lit up the field as bodies fell. Minashi could feel when the hatred of the Iwa forces skyrocketed. Eyes full of revenge fell upon her from across the battlefield.
The blonde was momentarily distracted from the oncoming forces when something on the back of her neck warmed. Blinking mildly surprised she turned and found a taller blonde standing at her back.
"Nii-san." She whispered before frowning. "When did you tag me?"
Minato just eye-smiled at her. "Not important. Orochimaru filled me in." Ice filled eyes looked up to the roaring forces nearing them. "How small, and how many can you make?"
"As many as needed." She responded just as coldly, if not a bit detached.
"Get ready then." He ordered before he threw a kunai high into the air. Within a blink he was gone, reappearing midair. There, the Namikaze threw open a scroll and released the thousands of kunai upon the Iwa forces. They stopped to deflect them, but Minato had already returned to Minashi's side. There she already had ten Mini-Rasenshurikens on her finger tips.
"Ready." Minashi said as she felt his grip on her shoulder.
"Hold tight." The elder blonde growled.
Kenji and Ryouta leaned against one another as they watched it. They'd already heard one of the other Captains tell them to not look away. Minato was known as the Yellow Flash, and if they blinked they would miss it. But with the aid of his little sister, there was a flash of yellow and white appearing all across the battlefield in a matter of heartbeats. Explosions and cries of pain filled the air as they worked their way through the kunai and Iwa forces trapped in their area.
Orochimaru noticed a quarter of the way through the forces, Minashi popping one of her clones. The explosions remained consistent as they reacted in a chain following the yellow and white blurs. Just as they neared the end, a second clone was popped.
Finally the explosions ended and two blondes appeared with their backs to the Konoha/ Suna forces.
Minashi was panting, Minato had a bloody Kunai, but neither had any other blood on them.
"Any more Imouto?" Minato asked the younger blonde, knowing of her current position as Sensor from the Sage chakra.
"No." She huffed tired and fought the nausea from his technique used back to back for so long. All thoughts froze though when Kurama and her both felt that familiar vile chakra.
Her head snapped northeast. "Nii-san….where is your team?"
"On a mission. Kakashi is leading them-" He stopped as he saw her face pale. "What?"
Minashi began to tremble. "Something's wrong, I need-" A hand gripped her shoulder. She looked up to pained Cerulean blue eyes.
"You cannot just run off. Their mission is classified and I trust my students to complete the mission. Kakashi will also make sure that both of his comrades come back alive."
"It's not them i'm worried about!" She snapped and raced for Orochimaru. If she needed permission, she'd get it, and pray she wasn't too late. She could still feel Zetsu just hovering in the background. "Orochimaru!" She shouted sliding to where he was talking with a few of his captains.
"Minashi?" he frowned.
"You and Nii-san can secure the rest right?"
"Yes, if the yellow flash and yourself took care of everything else, then you can rest-"
"I need permission to go after Team 7."
"They are on a mission." he narrowed his eyes.
"Yes! I know! But i can feel that they are in trouble. Please! I can sense something Kitsune warned me about!"
Orochimaru's eyes widened in understanding before narrowing. "Go. You have my permission."
Minato had just caught up when he heard that. "Minashi you can't-"
"She can and will." Orochimaru interrupted. "Jounin Minashi, you are ordered to back up Team 7 and make sure their mission is complete and all members return to base."
"Hai!" She snapped and a third sage clone popped, refilling her Sage Chakra. In a blur of yellow she was gone, racing into the trees.
'I can't be late. I can't be late.'
Calm down brat. Kurama growled even as he too primed his chakra. Feel their chakra.
'Rin's is irregular and she's away from the boys. Kakashi and obito are nearing her though….' Minashi pushed even more chakra into her feet, propelling herself faster. She was still too far away for her liking. 'Damn this body. I'd already be there if I could use the Hiraishin.'
We both know, just like my chakra, your body isn't ready for it. The only reason you were able to join Minato's was because it was his chakra covering you during the jutsu.
'Are you sure I can't even use a little bit of yours?'
Not unless you want to be unconscious and vulnerable behind enemy lines. He snarled in warning. Those brats will need your help and guidance. My chakra is ready to heal you. That, is it. Don't get your head cut off and I'll heal you. That is all you'll be able to do with my chakra. Even one of those damn Chidori through your chest again, and I'll be able to heal you.
'I love you.'
Don't get sappy on me brat. That PEST is there and you don't know what he'll do to get the Uchiha-Senju brat.
'Do you think he'd reveal himself just to get a pawn?'
Obito is rare with his mixed blood. Madara Needs him Minashi.
'Then we will do everything to keep him out of his greedy hands.' The blonde promised as she externally cursed and sped up further as she felt Rin's chakra stabilize. Kakashi and Obito were with her. She could also feel the single Enemy chakra with them. Not to mention the slowly closing in squads further away.
Minashi nearly tripped when she felt the Iwa nin's chakra mold and the responding changing landscape as the cave-in happened.
"NO!" She screamed and rushed for the three flickering chakras. Kakashi's suddenly the weakest of the group.
Calm down! Kurama snarled as she finally landed in the clearing to see the massive pile of boulders.
They are still alive brat. Use that Sage strength and dig them out.
Nodding, Minashi grabbed the first boulder and once it was above her head, she threw it in the direction of the Iwa-nin slowly closing in on them. Rock after rock, she removed and threw them at the nearing enemy. The blonde was partially startled, relieved, and worried to see the Earth dome beneath the pile of rubble.
With careful application of Earth Chakra Manipulation, she lowered a doorway for herself to enter. A kunai flew past her head, but she easily deflected it.
"Friendly!" She barked sharply.
"M-Minashi-san?" Rin's hopeful voice called out from the dim interior.
"Hai." The blonde quickly moved in and with her better eyesight took it all in.
Rin had a broken ankle, Obito was cradling a broken arm and leg, and Kakashi was unconscious with blood streaming down his face and a broken leg of his own. Rin looked to be in the middle of bandaging the boys up. A Kage bushin popped up and quickly helped splint the breaks and bandage Kakashi's face wound.
"What happened?" Minashi asked, already knowing what did.
"We were ambushed." Obito grimaced around the tightening of the split. "Rin got kidnapped. We diverted from the mission to rescue her. The Iwa nin broke her ankle to get her to talk. When that didn't work they tried a genjutsu. We got here and killed two and incompacitated the third. We should have killed him or made sure he was dead. He recovered just as we were helping her run away, but kakashi had already lost an eye by then. The Jounin set off a cave in. We tried running, but in our dodging of the boulders, we dropped Rin and broke limbs from deflecting them off her. Kakashi then saw a massive rock about to drop on us and used the last of his chakra to build this dome. I didn't even know he knew Earth Jutsu." He hissed as Rin finished tying off the knot.
"This is my fault. I should have been stronger." The medic Chuunin choked.
Minashi ignored her as she finished bandaging Kakashi's leg and looked at his destroyed eye with a contemplative look.
'Kurama?'
The fox let out a growl as he knew what she wanted.
You cannot use the Sage's chakra. Zetsu is too close and will feel it. He'll then kill you and the brats.
'What about just enough of your chakra to turn one of my eyes permanently like yours? Can you do that and then regrow my own?'
Kurama hummed even as the blonde tried to wait patiently. She could feel the Iwa nin nearing at a now calculated pace.
Yes. Kurama finally grunted. Give me a moment. You will also need to meditate to help focus and not lose control of my chakra.
'Done.'
Minashi quickly moved to sit with Kakashi's head in her lap and looked to RIn.
"You have enough chakra for an emergency eye transplant?" She asked stiffly.
The Brunette nodded confused. "Yes, if i don't heal any more of the bone breaks."
"Don't heal the breaks. We'll worry about those later. Come sit beside me and be ready to replace Kakashi's eye. Get his old one out while i prepare."
"Prepare?" Rin frowned.
"Prepare what?" Obito grunted scooting closer.
"To give him my own." She replied even as she moved into her meditative position. She ignored Rin and Obito asking what she meant, instead she focused on Kurama's warm and heavy chakra building up in the seal. With a deep breath, she began to move and guide it up her pathways. Kurama warned her that he'll do the alterations, but she needed to continue to guide it so he could keep it pure.
With her own Sage Chakra acting as a stabilizer, the blonde didn't have to wait long until the chakra was guided to her left eye. With a deep breath out, she surrounded her eye in sage chakra, keeping the kyuubi chakra from leaking. Kurama went to work on her eye, changing it from violet, back to it's natural blue, before flooding it with his own chakra. She absently felt the burn as his corrosive chakra worked to change the pathways of her eyes, changing it down to the molecular level. After a few minutes, Cerulean blue turned to Vermilion eyes with a vertical slit.
Opening her eyes, the two Chuunin were met with heterochromia eyes of blue and red.
"Take my left eye and replace Kakashi's with it." She ordered.
Rin just stared.
"Now!" Minashi snapped.
The brunette jolted before doing as told. Green chakra covered hands moved to her face and the blonde ignored the searing pain of having her eye removed while she was awake. She would never understand how the Uchiha could deal with it.
Closing the lid once the eye was removed, she watched Rin replace the empty socket with the new red eye. Minashi narrowed her one good eye, even as Kurama quickly worked his chakra to replace hers, when she saw that Rin wasn't going to be able to properly connect the pathways in Kakashi's eyes. She wasn't worried about her own lingering chakra, but Kurama's. It would be an even worse draw on his reserves than the Sharingan.
'It will have to do until I can get him to Tsunade.'
Incoming.
"We have company." Minashi stood up even as Rin continued the delicate replacement of Kakashi's eye.
"Wait!" Obito hissed. "You can't go out there with just one eye!"
"I can, and I will. You three are too injured to go. Plus I have a special bloodline. I'm already healing."
With that said, she crawled out of the dome and popped her last Sage clone. She ignored the scolding Minato had given her and his order to call her if needed. She knew she couldn't. She knew he was needed there. She paused at the order from Orochimaru.
"Do not reveal yourself too soon or all your work will come undone." The snake sannin had warned.
Calling upon her chakra, she prepared as the Iwa nin made themselves known with arrogant grins and readied weapons. Pulling her own katana from it's seal on her wrist, she gave them a terrifying grin.
"Nii-san is not the only Namikaze to fear." She said clearly before disappearing in a blur of pure speed from Nature energy. When she reappeared behind their group, Kage bushin popped into existence.
"Kill her!" The captain ordered.
Minashi leapt for the group and just like she did on the frontline, she danced through their numbers, her clones having more range to fight without comrades in the way. While she only had six clones aiding in a twelve on one fight, it was enough.
In less time than it had taken for Kurama to regrown her missing eye, the dozen Iwa nin were dead and Minashi was covered in a few sprays of blood. Not fast enough without the hiraishin to completely avoid the spray.
She created two more clones who automatically sat down and meditated. They would keep an eye out for Zetsu while she got Team 7 out safely. She only stopped before reentering the dome, to summon two foxes.
Panting she felt the air move with their tails blowing it away. Before her sat two almost normal sized foxes, if not for their six tails each. The Blonde felt the drain on her chakra to the point she lost her Sage mode. Her look out clones would have to be enough for now. Not to mention she wouldn't be able to take anymore Sage chakra on her own without it knocking her out. Four was still her limit before her body couldn't handle the chakra anymore. Plus, summoning the two Six-tails had dented her reserves.
"Katsu, Baku." She huffed to the twins. Their black fur tipped in coal grey on their tails was a sight for sore eyes. "I have a job for you."
"Oh?~" Katsu grinned with sharp white teeth, yellow eyes gleaming in interest.
"Do we get to have some fun?~" His just as manically grinning brother asked with a matching glee filled eyes.
"Kannabi Bridge. Team 7 was to destroy it. They are indisposed."
"So you want us-"
"To blow up the bridge instead?"
"Hai." Minashi grunted as she looked between the twins. They could be by far some of her most eccentric summons.
"Consider it done." They chorused and disappeared into the shadows. It was another reason she called them. While they were small and sometimes worrisomely creepy, they were able to blow up anything without getting caught. She still to this day did not know how they could blow up a bridge. They weren't fire foxes, nor did they ever seem to have any supplies on them. But, she respected their craft and made sure to use them when needed.
Continuing back to the cave, she saw that Rin had just finished Healing Obito's leg.
"Can he run?" Minashi dropped into the dome.
"Yes." Rin sighed reluctantly. "But not for long. Especially not with carrying Kakashi-"
"I'll be carrying Kakashi." Minashi interrupted and looked to Obito to see that his Sharingan was active. She'd missed that earlier. "Can you carry Rin?"
"She's smaller than Kakashi, so i should be able to do it longer."
Nodding the blonde moved to the still unconscious Hatake. "Put him on my back. We need to head for Base Camp."
"What about our mission? We still need to destroy Kannabi Bridge." Obito grunted even as both him and Rin worked together to get the teen onto her back.
"I have two of my explosion specialized Summons already working on it. Trust me. You'll know when it's done."
Tying Kakashi's wrists off in front of her with some bandages, she aided Rin onto Obito's back. Summoning a Kage Bushin she sent it off to check that the coast was still clear with the Sage Clones. It popped a moment later.
"Clear." She stated and the squad left the dome to see the two Sage clones standing as sentry.
"Report." She barked at them.
"Malicious intent, rising with every second that the target is moving away." Two sets of violet eyes turned to Minashi. "Orders boss."
"One stay and delay it. The other on us as a sensor. I can't go into Sage mode again without repercussions."
"Hai!"
The clone took up the rear as the four Teens leap into the trees and back towards safe territory.
They were a few minutes out when suddenly there was a massive explosion. Stopping on a branch the four teens and clone turned back to see a mushroom cloud of smoke rising in the distant horizon.
Minashi smirked. "Kami, I love those two."
"Uhh…." Obito started Sharingan eyes turned on her. "What...was that?"
"Katsu and Baku. Twins. Six Tails. Very special foxes that can blow up anything and everything. They are Very good at what they do. Let's move."
Obito nodded and once adjusting Rin's grip on him, they were once more tree hopping back to base.
It was twenty minutes later when Minashi stumbled at the return of her clone's memories. She paused to hold onto a tree to sort them.
"What?" Obtio asked, Rin passed out from their brief pause to heal Obito's leg ten minutes ago.
"My clone popped." Minashi turned to her last clone as it eyed the distance. Violet eyes widened as it felt it.
"MOVE BOSS!" The clone ordered. Minashi didn't waste a moment.
"RUN." She snapped at the Uchiha. They took off at Jounin speeds and pushed it faster and faster. Minashi sent a silent signal to her clone and it broke off from their group.
"What's chasing us?" Obito asked a few minutes after the last clone had turned back.
"Something with nothing but bad intentions." Minashi replied.
"Iwa?"
"Worse." the blonde grunted as her sage clone used Kage bushin to hold Zetsu back this time.
Ten minutes from camp, Minashi sent chakra into MInato's marker. He responded in a heartbeat later.
Cerulean eyes widened at the state of his students.
"Back to base, NOW nii-san." Minashi ordered.
MInato didn't question, only grabbed onto Obito and Minashi, who were already holding Rin and Kakashi. In a blink and mold of chakra they were back at Base Camp, just outside the medic tent. The Medic-nin startled before Minato's order got them moving.
"We need Help!"
Soon the three members of team seven were rushed to the temporary hospital. Minashi trailing the medic that was looking over kakashi. She heard them spouting medical jumbo for a few minutes before they reached his eye. The Head medic gasped at the sight and looked at Minashi who just wore a blank face.
"Field transplant. Do what you can. Rin did what she could. Whatever you can't do, I'll have Tsunade-san fix it."
"H-h-hai. Do you know why it's-"
"Classified." Minashi's sharp blue eyes narrowed on the taller Kunoichi medic.
"Hm." The brunette nodded and finally just went to work. With a short order to make sure it's covered when she's done, Minashi finally left, knowing her friend and comrades were safe.
The blonde was just stumbling out of the medical tent as her last sage clone popped, informing her at how FURIOUS Zetsu was.
"I will get that Uchiha! He is the perfect piece to our plans! You will not be able to protect him forever, Kyuubi."
A trembling hand went over worried blue eyes. Minashi felt her exhaustion and anxiety tearing at her mind. Zetsu knew that she was the container. She didn't know just that little bit of the Fox's chakra to make an eye for Kakashi would reveal her to the pest.
'What am I going to do now? He'll manipulate things to either attack me, discredit me, kill me, or do all that as a distraction to get to obito. They need him as a vassel for Madara.'
We can only do what we can to predict things, or wait for him to make a move and play catch up.
Minashi stumbled to a crate of supplies to rest, so she could think.
Or you need to have your Blood Clone meet with the Hatake and Nara to devise a plan. The Uchiha boy may even need to be let in to a degree so he can be prepared properly.
'I'll...I'll make sure to let Kitsune know.' Minashi stumbled across her thoughts as Chakra exhaustion pulled at her state of consciousness.
"Mina?" Said blonde startled to awareness and found matching cerulean blue eyes kneeling before her.
"Nii-san." She mumbled.
Minato looked her all over even as his sensory delved deeper to feel just how little chakra she had. With her vast reserves it was a shock to see her levels so low.
"You are borderline Chakra Exhausted." He stated.
Minashi shrugged. "Balancing Nature Energy takes a lot of energy. I used all four of my clones against Iwa, and then created two more who dispelled the energy instead of sending it back."
"You also spent a lot of energy with your Rasenshurikens, plus keeping your body steady during my Hiraishin." He said understandingly. "How much chakra did you use to get to my students? They were a good few hours away by Chuunin speeds. You did that run twice….and if i heard correctly, replaced Kakashi's eyes with one of your own. Rin and Obito are both asking me how you really did it."
Minashi looked up to Minato with a sheepish look. "Kurama's unfiltered chakra is full of life. When he concentrates, he can regrow what I need."
Minato stared at her before going pale. "Have you lost limbs before Mina-chan?"
The younger blonde shook her head negative, even if it was a lie. He had regrown a lung and had eventually been able to regrow her arm a few painful years later after losing it. Yet in this life, Kurama had not regrown anything of hers yet.
The elder blonde let out a relieved sigh. "Okay. So you two talked about it before you did it?"
"Kurama reassured me he could do it but Nii-san, Kakashi needs baa-chan to make sure the lingering chakra doesn't pull on his own reserves too much. Rin is a decent medic, but she's not Tsunade."
Minato ruffled her messy hair with a gentle smile. "Team seven is being shipped back. I'll make sure he sees her. Until then, you need to eat and sleep."
To the younger's surprise, she suddenly found herself on Minato's back as he headed for Squad 57's area.
There Kenji was first to jump up at her return.
"Minashi!" he exclaimed, worry lining his face. "Where did you go?"
"Minashi is a sensor." Minato reminded the Uchiha.
"Kakashi was in trouble." The Uzumaki yawned even as Minato set her down.
"Namikaze-san." Ayumu Sarutobi nodded.
"Make sure she gets something to eat and sleeps. She's borderline Chakra exhausted."
"Hai." Ayumu nodded even as Ryouta was first to get up and go get her food. Set on a log near the fire, Kenji helped her exhausted body stay propped up where Minato was leaving her.
"Nii-san." Minashi called through her drowsiness. A large hand gripped hers.
"I'm here Mina."
"Is it finally over?" Tired Cerulean looked into a matching pair.
"We can only hope for that Mina."
"Iwa didn't send their Jinchurikis Nii-san….Why didn't they send them?"
The blonde opened his mouth to answer, but was answered by someone else.
"Because Oonoki has already lost contact with the Yonbi and Gobi Hosts." Both blondes looked to see Kitsune standing there with Orochimaru.
"Kitsune." Minato stood up, but Minashi stayed leaning against the very warm Kenji.
Kitsune had eyes for only the smaller blonde. "Orochimaru tells me you encountered one of the two people I warned you to flee from if you ever met them."
"Hai." Minashi nodded. Kitsune looked to the Uchiha she was leaning against.
"Leave us for a moment." The group did as told and Kitsune sat with a hand on her original, a moment later a privacy bubble shimmered around them, blurring their lips.
"Boss?" Kitsune asked.
Minashi grunted. "Fucking Zetsu." The blonde sent the memories to her Blood clone to see her frown getting deeper and deeper.
"I need to warn Sakumo then that Obito will need a guard. Madara and White Zetsu might be convinced to just use another Uchiha, Black Zetsu will want the Uchiha-senju blood that Obito has. He's the only one compatible with Madara's Rinnegan." Kitsune's face was harsh with a deep frown.
"Why are you here?" Minashi asked. "I didn't send for you."
"No, you didn't. Sakumo sent me to give Orochimaru a break. The Senju will be heading home while I help organize the last fronts here."
Minashi blinked tiredly as her brain tried to fire and connect the dots. "W-what?"
"Konoha has already received word from Iwa. They are pulling back. Oonoki and Sakumo will be discussing a ceasefire and hopefully a peace treaty to end the war."
"Oh." The Uzumaki slumped. "Good. This was one too many wars to fight in. Even those missions we did, dodging all the fights and frontlines...but actually fighting up here is exhausting. I just want to go home and enjoy Kushina's cooking, Sakumo's stern looks when i try to sneak into Kakashi's room, Minato's loving looks when i ask him for help with a seal."
Kitsune just chuckled softly before her original didn't continue further. Looking down, she just smiled at the sleeping form of the preteen. Releasing the privacy bubble, she picked the blonde up and placed her in her tent. The rest of Squad 57 returned with Orochimaru, Minato and even Ryouta returned with a tray of food. Kitsune took it, placed it in a seal to keep it fresh, and place it beside Minashi.
"She'll eat it when she wakes." She told the collective group. "Well done. If you'd excuse me, I have a report to write to the Hokage."
"Who did Minashi encounter?" Minato stepped in front of the ravenette, keeping her from leaving. There was nothing but tightly contained fear in his eyes. What had he let his imouto race right for and rescue his students from?
"Something with no good intentions….for anyone." Kitsune answered evasively. "It is for Hokage's ears only Minato." She patted his shoulder. "If i could tell you i would, but then you'd lock that amazing shinobi you have as a sister in a room, and never let her go."
Minato just held her gaze. She was a little awed to watch his mind work by just gazing openly into his eyes. She saw when it clicked. Minato paled.
"She just made herself a target." He whispered.
"Currently, she's an obstacle." Kitsune whispered back. "Trust your Imouto Minato. Trust myself and Hokage-sama to protect her."
"Is there anything I can do?" He pleaded.
"Train her. The enemy is fast Minato. Even for her at her speeds. What i can tell you is that her clones were barely able to hold it off, and keep it talking before it realized she was getting too far away. It took much less time to take out her last clones before you were able to get her."
Minato nodded and hit his lip. "Aren't you going to teach her your teleportation jutsu?"
Kitsune gave a sad smile as she jerked her head for him to follow her, Orochimaru already passing earlier with a sign to meet later.
They continued to walk and talk together as Kitsune activated her own privacy bubble once more.
"Mine, she can't learn until she's older because her body isn't ready for it. Plus, I had very little to go on when I built it from scratch. With your guidance, she would be able to prepare her own version. Possibly, if she even took both our notes, she'd be able to create her own unique version that surpasses both of ours."
The Elder Kunoichi continued even as they arrived in the commander's tent. "Where mine requires little control and loads of chakra, yours takes loads of control and keeping that control on a decent amount of chakra. Control she does not completely possess yet. She is getting there, but once Kurama's chakra is added into the mix, her control drops. This is where she still needs her training. Right now her body can't handle Kurama's chakra."
"How can i help her then?" he asked desperately.
"Rasengan Training. Keep having her work with it and it's nature transformations and sizes. That is some of the best training she will ever have towards chakra control."
The blonde nodded before eyeing the shimmering bubble around them. "The war has kept us from Theory night….I'm very jealous of this privacy bubble." He grumbled.
Kitsune smirked and patted his shoulder again. "Maybe I'll share, until then, I have a commander and Hokage to update."
The bubble popped with a small release of pressure to their ears. Minto wiggled a finger in one and eyed her before nodding and leaving.
"You keep him placatated?" Orochimaru asked from his desk.
"He's a mother-hen. Always has been, always will be. When him and Kushina settle down to have kids, he'll be the one wanting to wrap them in bubble wrap."
Orochimaru snorted. "You can say that again. Yet, I'm not one to say much. I did work with Jiraiya for a tracking seal for Wakana."
Kitsune couldn't help her smile at the adoring and protective look the Senju had as he spoke of his and his partner's daughter. Even at three and a half, the tiny toddler was already breaking hearts. Porcelain white skin, honey gold eyes, pitch black hair, two red facial markings matching jiraiya's, and the toddler was once more an even mix of her parents. Itama and Kawarama were about as equally protective of her as their fathers were.
"Speaking of kids, you two convince Tsunade for any more brats?" Kitsune smirked, taking a seat.
Orochimaru looked at her as if she was crazy. "You want to see Tsunade pregnant and terrorizing everyone again don't you?"
"Uh, duh." she deadpanned him. "It gets under Sakumo's skin, makes Kagami twitch, and makes the old man smile. Especially since Ayumu is holding out on him still."
Orochimaru chuckled. "Sensei does spoil the kids." He said fondly before clearing his throat. "Back on task. Will we be expecting trouble from Minashi's encounter?"
Kitsune hummed even as she took a step and a privacy barrier sprung up around them completely.
"Yes. Zetsu is furious. Obito is a perfect candidate to manipulate. When they return, he'll need to be kept strictly in the village and watched until the threat passes. While I'll be at a disadvantage, I'd rather they not have Obito, then have him and his powerful blood. Zetsu is a manipulative pest though and will do everything to get him on Madara's side. All of Team 7 will have to be monitored then." Kitsune brought a finger to her teeth as her mind remembered just how close she was getting.
"Shisui is five meaning itachi is four….Things are going to be tense the next year. Team seven is at high risk, Minato and Kushina are at high risk even if Kurama has been moved."
"What?" Orochimaru asked even as he worked on cleaning up, and sealing up his documents and reports from the war. Kitsune would be staying to close the borders before returning home.
"Kushina doesn't have Kurama, so it might even happen earlier with the lack of fear…."The time traveler mumbled as her mind went through all the possibilities. A hand clasped hard on her shoulder, bringing her back from her whirling mind. She looked to find calm Gold eyes staring at her.
"You are not alone."
"Right." She took in a deep breath. "In the next year to year and a half,...Naruto will be born."
Orochimaru held her gaze before humming. "Report to Inojiro when you get back. You are due for a session. You cannot let your personal feelings get in the way. Like you said, this next year and a half are important. You Need to be at the top of your game to be able to prepare and act on anything that comes our way."
Kitsune took in a deep, calming breath. "Hai. Don't worry about things here. I did the same in Suna and the Kumo border already this month."
"Good." The Senju hummed. "Go do that so you can return sooner. Your original will debrief with Sakumo-san in your place."
Turning, Kitsune headed back to do what she's done, not only back in her own time to secure their bunker village, but in this time to protect the smaller nations and secure Konoha's own borders.