DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything from the Naruto universe.

Thinking (+ flashbacks, etc.)

Emphasis

Bijuu, etc. speaking

Bijuu, etc. thinking

Author's note: As this story progresses more will be revealed through conversations and flashbacks. I know how hard it is to imagine what seems to be going on here, considering canon and what my other stories are like, but hope you'll stick with me!

Naru knocked on the ajar office door before calling out. "Sandaime-sama. Yondaime-sama, Namikaze-sama, Tsunade-hime, and Kato-sama have arrived and are here to see you."

Hiruzen cringed at Naru's incredibly formal tone but nodded his head as his successor, his successor's wife, student, and his student's apprentice entered his office. "Please stay, Hatake-san. I believe you'll be needed."

"Of course," Naru said politely before taking a silent deep breath. "Shall I summon my husband?"

"Oh, please do, Naru-san," Minato interrupted abruptly. "It looks like I may need Kashi-kun to find my errant son." He failed to see the frowns cross the faces of the Sandaime and Naru, herself, at both the request and his familiar manner as he and his wife were gazing out at the village from the large windows in the Hokage's office.

Naru had no choice but to obey as she was under his leadership now. She pressed a seal that was under her ANBU tattoo and pulsed a code into it. Surprising the newcomers, Kakashi appeared instantly next to the redhead, ready to murder everyone around him.

"Naru-koi are you okay?" Kakashi quickly asked - his hands on her shoulders and turning her around. Naru smiled the way he knew was only for him but it calmed the room. He had to make sure she was alright, though. His wife rarely called him this way.

Naru always told him that it was embarrassing when he did this inside the village, (even though she secretly loved it) but at least he wasn't too obviously sniffing her to see if she'd been hurt this time. He did put himself in front of her, though, when he faced the room. "I'm fine, dear," she said, gently squeezing his arm and stepping out to stand beside him. "Yondaime-sama asked me to summon you to this meeting, love." She rubbed circles into his gloved hand, trying to soothe him: he'd gone so stiff at seeing his former sensei.

Instead of the cheerful reunion the Namikazes expected, Kakashi huffed angrily and turned toward the Sandaime."I was finalizing my retirement from ANBU, Hokage-sama. Is there a reason I'm needed here?"

"Oh, Kashi-kun! I was hoping you'd stay on as ANBU," Minato said with an easy smile. "Especially as it seems that my son may be missing."

"Kenji-san's missing?" the Sandaime asked, hoping in a benign way that Kenji was the son whom Minato meant.

"No," Minato chuckled. "He's just been delayed. I was talking about Naruto-kun, my other son."

There was something about the way his former sensei said: "my other son" that felt and was entirely too possessive and yet somehow dismissive. Did they really expect Naru - or even Naruto if he was still here as he was more than a decade before - to welcome them back into their lives after being abandoned to a village that had suffered so much loss? Kushina supposedly knew what the life of a jinchuuriki could be like! When Naruto was left in Konoha, Hiruzen and the entire village thought that Naruto was the jinchuuriki. What did they think would happen to him?!

Of course, when Naruto died, Naru was born, but that didn't erase the pain that she'd - or the others present - had been through. Naru still remembered terrible things; she remembered dying.

It was all Kakashi could do not to put himself in front of his wife again, but the way she repeatedly pressed her thumb so tightly into their intertwined hands indicated that she wanted to handle this. The Sandaime looked uncomfortable and glanced at his lovely wife, pissing him off even more. She had to explain their cover story?

"I'm sorry, Yondaime-sama. Naruto-kun is not... available and…"

"Oh? Where is he?" Kushina asked, obviously concerned.

Naru took a deep breath. "Naruto was killed on his fifth birthday. I'm very sorry for your loss."

"WHAT?" both parents exclaimed after a beat, but Kushina began to sway. Naru caught her and transferred her to the couch. Her hands glowing green, she placed them on the women's temples. The room was silent, and Minato turned toward the Sandaime, seeing that Kushina was in safe hands.

"Well done."

"Thank you, Tsunade-hime," Naru replied, secretly pleased with the compliment from the woman who had unknowingly given her so many of her incredible skills. Her presence and kind words in this tense meeting were welcome.

Minato finally was able to breathe and speak. "E- excuse me?!"

The Sandaime couldn't take it anymore; Naru had it bad enough: treating the "mother" who had abandoned her and discussing what had happened when she had died as someone else. It was his time to speak.

"Naruto-kun died at the hands of the villagers after suffering similar attacks throughout his young life. They were 'fox-hunting' that night, and since you left him here to cover your tracks, the villagers assumed that he was the fox in human form. They went too far that night! And since he didn't have the healing powers of an actual jinchuuriki," he waited to see if Minato looked regretful and saw no change in his pained expression, "he never recovered from the trauma. He died in the hospital that evening."

That made Tsunade sit down. Shizune had begun crying, and the Slug princess suggested that she go back to their home in the Senju compound.

The Namikazes only gaped before Kushina began to sob. She'd just woken up but heard what the Sandaime said. Minato turned away and stared out the window again, frowning now. As Kushina began to hyperventilate, Naru's hands lit up green again against her temples. Gradually the grieving woman relaxed and Naru placed her in a more comfortable position.

"Nice technique you have there, kid," Tsunade said, genuinely impressed.

Naru began to thank her again, but the Sandaime spoke over her. "Naru-san is an excellent med-nin, Tsunade. She has learned the complete repertoire of your techniques; at least those that you had before leaving."

"Is she completely sedated?" Tsunade asked the younger redhead. Kushina was staring into space.

"She is aware and can speak to us. I only... calmed some of her more potent and possibly harmful physiological reactions," Naru said carefully. Really, attempting that technique on a jinchuuriki - something she now knew that Kushina was - had been dangerous. Of course, it could've also been dangerous had Lady Namikaze lost control, Naru thought to herself. It was intriguing that the Uzumaki heiress was still a jinchuuriki: Naru had previously thought that Kenji-san housed the beast.

"Very well done: combining iryo-ninjutsu with a layered genjutsu," Tsunade praised again as she sat down next to Kushina and patted her hand. "I'm pleased to see the med-nin program has evolved and even improved since my time here." She paused for a moment and used her senses to reach out to the young woman. "If what you say is true, sensei, I would like to test her. It would be interesting to see if she's capable of contracting with my slugs... I could take you on as an apprentice, regardless."

"I'm afraid she has an important position in the village, Tsunade. She is my secretary, you see," Hiruzen said, offering a small smile to both women.

"That's not a problem," Minato said, still staring out at the village that he felt had betrayed him by taking his son. He swallowed down his grief and continued. "Now that I'm back, Kushina will take over secretarial duties."

The Sandaime's eyes widened: had Minato just fired his secretary?! He looked at the younger redhead. Her patience since entering the office had faltered, but only for a millisecond. Kakashi once again looked murderous, and he feared that a fight might break out.

Naru was heartbroken but swallowed the bitter pill down. She'd worked so hard to make her position one that centralized things, was helpful to the village and Hokage, and had become - dare she say it? - important? "It seems I will have time available, if you'll have me, Tsunade-hime: I would be honored to be tested and potentially work with your summons."

Tsunade nodded, trying to smile through her grimace. She hadn't meant to get the girl fired! She'd seen both the girl's and her sensei's reaction - as well as the way Hatake's angry chakra responded. The girl had obviously been happy in her position. And seeing the bottom half of an ANBU tattoo that peeked through her sleeve, she had realized immediately that the young redhead must not be what some would call your average secretary.

"I... think that you should reconsider, Minato," Hiruzen said, unable to help himself. He was powerless to force the issue, though, other than by offering suggestions. As soon as Minato reentered the village, he was no longer in charge due to the original village charter.

His sensei, the Nidaime, and his older brother, the Shodaime, apparently never imagined in their wildest dreams that a Hokage would all but abandon his post.

"I trust Kushina with my life," Minato said simply.

"I understand, Yondaime-sama," Naru tried to say evenly. "I will... have my belongings out of the work area by the end of the day."

"Thank you."

Naru took a deep breath and was incredibly grateful to have her husband's large hand rubbing her back. She knew that whenever this day came, it would be difficult, but all-too-naively, she didn't think she would be fired! She turned to Tsunade. "Shall I report to you in the morning?" Tsunade nodded but didn't give her an exact time. Naru was too internally emotional to realize it. "Is there anything else, Yondaime-sama?"

"Actually," Minato said, turning slightly toward the former secretary, "some food would be good. We didn't eat on our way here."

Kakashi's hand crackled with twitches of lightning, and Naru caught his elbow. "Of course," she said pleasantly. "Would you care for ramen or something else? There's a very good barbecue restaurant that's opened since you were last in the village."

Minato chuckled, realizing once again just how good he was at compartmentalizing: here he was thinking of food when Naruto… No, there will be time for that later. "I bet Teuchi remembers what we like. That would be fine, Naru-san."

"Understood, Hokage-sama," the former secretary said as she bowed. Naru then disappeared in a sunshin.

It would be a long time later that the Hokage wondered why he didn't consider it odd that the redhead knew of his favorite food. It should have been one of his first clues. Then again, it wasn't exactly a secret that he and his family loved ramen.

Kakashi clenched his fists, deeply yearning to go after and comfort his wife. Naru took great pride in her position. She was the central hub of the village! Although his wife had no desire for power and didn't particularly care for politics, she was scarily good at it. The ANBU, civilian and shinobi councils, the Academy: EVERYONE acknowledge Naru's position and how efficiently she "helped" the village now run. To be dismissed so easily, to be ordered to go get food for these people: it was difficult for him to maintain a professional demeanor.

Thank God I have my mask, he thought, baring his teeth behind it.

Hiruzen snapped once it was clear that his secretary was gone. "Do you realize what you've done? Naru's important to this village, Minato!"

"She's a secretary, Hiruzen," Minato deadpanned after a beat, still hurting for his son. He further shut that hurt down. "Kushina will do her job effectively, won't you darling?" He heard his student growl and realized how dismissive he had sounded regarding his wife's profession. "Sorry, Kakashi-kun. I'm sure your wife was a wonderful secretary, but I'd like my own in the position."

Kushina blinked rapidly, feeling numb but nodded at Minato once. She had filled in for her husband's secretary several times while she was pregnant - before that terrible night. Her duties were mainly filing and oriented more toward what a receptionist might do. A pretty face to show the village, she often thought of the position.

"Kakashi, control yourself," Hiruzen said, eager to stop the Jonin from committing treason. "Minato, show some reason: Naru-san is more than a simple secretary! She is a vital asset to the village and has the very highest security clearance to properly function as the heart of the village's inner workings. The Jonin and ANBU commander, as well as both councils, will find your decision very questionable... For the village's sake, I really hope that Kushina is prepared to replace her."

Minato blinked and considered his words. "I understand and appreciate your concerns. Thank you for telling me, although I am sure that Kushina can handle these duties with ease." Kushina had, after all, been his partner in almost running Uzushio from behind the scenes for the past few years.

Kushina, however, sat up at the Sandaime's description of the job. She hoped that she really could handle it, but wondered how effective she could be for her husband when she would be so new to it all and grieving. Her husband was being thoughtless and tactless, something he seldom was, but she knew better than to scold him for it publicly. Minato was a known genius, but when his emotions got the better of him, he sometimes acted like this.

She wondered why she wasn't so emotional. Why did she feel so very little?

But there was the young woman's chakra... It felt vaguely familiar to her, and very much like her own. Kushina remembered thinking that she was looking at something close to a mirror of her younger self when they were greeted at the gate, but forgot about that when her son hadn't met them like she thought he would. Her eyes welled with tears, but the question about the young redhead was on the tip of her tongue, even though her heart screamed for Naruto.

"Is... By any chance, is Naru-san an Uzumaki?" she finally asked the quietly bickering Kages.

Silence gripped the office but at Kakashi's nod, the Sandaime spoke. "Yes, Naru-san is an Uzumaki. She was an experiment of Orochimaru's that was rescued from captivity."

- And here we come to the rest of the cover story, the Sandaime thought. The records of Orochimaru's human and other experiments had been sealed and/or burned to ash. Now those individuals who had been rescued or escaped were living in society as shinobi for the most part, no longer needing to be monitored. Only assorted medical records remained. Apparently, Naru's needs to be updated if she hasn't taken care of that already, he thought with a grim smile.

The room's occupants had tensed at the mention of the rogue Snake Sannin, but curiosity was also evident in those remaining. Tsunade was the first to quietly voice her thoughts.

"The poor girl," she said to herself, shaking her head and feeling her anger build toward her former teammate again. Tempering her feelings was the way the girl's chakra had felt to her. "The other half, sensei? She's half Uzumaki, but she's also..." She was afraid to say it.

"Sharp as ever, Tsunade-chan," Hiruzen said fondly, although he was still angry with her for agreeing to leave with Minato. He assumed she at least half-agreed with his schemes, although he knew that before Kushina's children were born, the Uzumaki princess was the last member of her blood-related family. Senjus and Uzumakis were supposedly incredibly loyal to their families. He looked upon a thoughtful Kushina and wondered, once again, how true that old adage was. "Do you remember hearing of his experiments to recreate the Mokuton?"

Tsunade glared at the old man. "Of COURSE I do! He desecrated the tombs of my clan to get Senju DNA; that bastard!"

Hiruzen nodded at his former student. "Naru-san is the result of implanting Senju DNA into an Uzumaki child." He sighed, hoping that Tsunade would buy his next words. "She was cloned from DNA acquired from an Uzumaki woman and then forcibly implanted from two sources."

"TWO?" Tsunade shouted, wanting to crush something - or someone: that vile snake! "Can that scum sink no lower?!"

"Moving on," Hiruzen said, although he agreed with the slug princess' words, "she has not only Senju DNA but also DNA from an Uchiha. Although her eyes are her own, she can somehow manifest the Sharingan."

Everyone's, (save the previously informed Sandaime and Kakashi,) mouths were agape. "How - how is that," Tsunade began to ask, before shaking her head. "That should be impossible! More than any other clans, putting Senju and Uchiha DNA should've torn her apart!"

"It's the Uzumaki in her that saved her," Kushina said evenly: too evenly. To the others, she clearly remained under the younger redhead's "treatment" or genjutsu.

Tsunade was still shaking her head when the realization fully hit her. She began trembling. "To even have a chance to," she began, feeling the possibility of something she'd been terribly denied in life stir within her, "...she'd - he would've needed a living donor of Senju cells, not some old... Preferably... He'd need to get a female's," she continued, the last word coming out darkly.

A well-rehearsed (between Kakashi and Hiruzen) "awkward" silence followed.

"She's got my DNA, doesn't she?" she asked her sensei, glaring at him: daring him to deny it!

"Your DNA and chakra," Kakashi answered gravely.

"But that's - that's… I'm infertile, sensei," she nearly cried out. It took a lot to get Senju Tsunade this open or emotional, and she was reaching her limit. "I always have been! And if what you're saying is true, then... then," she gulped, "then she's, in many regards, my daughter!"

Hiruzen covered his mouth, faking a cough, as he hid a gentle smile, but not only because his student finally had someone that might be her own. He coughed again, sharing a glance with Kakashi while hiding his own emotions at seeing Tsunade so moved. He had bet Kakashi a thousand ryo that Tsunade would react this way once hearing the news about Naru: the eventual truth or part of it. He knew how much his student longed for children. Kakashi had scoffed when he'd said that Tsunade would declare Naru as her own; Kakashi thought it would never happen: that Tsunade would fight it and want more answers they didn't ever want to give about Naru's Senju roots.

The silver-haired Jonin wasn't wrong often, but this time he was. Hiruzen watched patiently as he gave his student time to dry her tears, knowing how much even a preteen Tsunade despised crying or being seen as what anyone (insane and wishing for death) would call weak.

Being formally acknowledged as a Senju by Tsunade, the clan head, would protect Naru if any pieces of the actual truth about Naruto's birth/Naru's origin came out. Although Kakashi was also a clan head, the Hatakes were a minor clan. Even though the Senju clan now consisted - by including Naru - of two people, like the Hatake, theirs was one of those from whom the village originated and had special privileges. The Senju clan was also protected because of its important foundational ties to the entire nation: laws were in place to ensure that.

And from a genetics standpoint, they were technically telling Tsunade the truth. The botched sealing; the echoes? Even a DNA test would show that she was Tsunade's child.

"Hello, Teuchi-san," Naru said quietly as she moved into a barstool at her favorite restaurant.

"Naru! How's my favorite - what's wrong?" he asked quickly once he saw the look in the redhead's eyes. "Ayame," he hollered over his shoulder, making the redhead bitterly chuckle.

The ramen stand owners were two of Naru's favorite people, and she had - many years ago - told them about her "birth" even before she told Kakashi. They had been so devastated at not only the loss of the Yondaime's family, but Naruto's life on top of that, and had always felt like they should have done more for the boy. Learning that the Yondaime and his wife were still alive a few years back had shaken Teuchi to his core.

They had guessed that Naru and Naruto were somehow related, unlike the shinobi of the village, interestingly enough, because of her ramen orders and just how much she could eat.

Naru knew that they were not looking forward to this day.

"Ah, Ayame-chan: so nice to see you," Naru said, accepting a hug from the young woman. "I'm actually here on official business," she said, turning a little more toward her best friend's father. "Teuchi-san," she said with practiced diplomatic ease despite how tired she felt, "I would like to place an order for Yondaime-sama and his entourage." She continued despite how agape the Ichirakus now were. "That would include Yondaime-sama, Namikaze-sama, and Tsunade-hime. And Sandaime-sama, of course."

Teuchi bitterly turned away to his other customers, only glancing up at his daughter. Ayame took Naru's hand and pulled her into the prep room. "Wait. Dad! YOU talk to her!"

Naru knew what was coming, but also knew that she couldn't allow it...

Once Ayame had returned to the counter while muttering curses, Naru leaned back against the stainless steel table, steadying herself to make her arguments; no: make that demands.

Teuchi washed his hands and turned to Naru, crossing his arms over his chest defiantly. "You can't expect me to serve those traitors."

Naru clasped her chest and pulled the man into the corner. "Don't do this: please. I implore you, Teuchi-san," she nearly hissed. "For one: you can't say things like that against a village leader, and two: I will not have you lose business - potentially a LOT of business - if people know that you are against Yondaime-sama and his family!"

"I'll risk it," Teuchi said movingly. "And I'm not against his family," he added with a meaningful look.

Naru bristled at the comment. She did not consider the Yondaime family although she might still share some of his genes. "Everything will work out, Teuchi-san; if anything, I want you to take advantage of their ramen devotion," she said, her smirk turning into a genuine smile. "Please. For me," she implored. "I'm sure you remember their favorites, ne?"

Teuchi grumbled but ambled away. Naru watched him prepare a monstrous amount of ramen, not allowing herself to turn away despite her nausea. They didn't poison it, so Naru considered this a win.

"What about you, Naru-san?" Teuchi asked over the noise in the kitchen. The young woman usually ate with the Sandaime.

"Ah. Well, you see," Naru began, internally lamenting how difficult this news would be to her friends who always worried about her, "I'll have to decline." Both Ichirakus turned toward her in incredulity. "I need to clean out my office when I get back," she admitted quietly.

"No way!" Ayame gasped in disbelief. "He FIRED you?!"

"Namikaze-sama will be taking my place," Naru explained with her head held high. "I have been offered a position as Tsunade-hime's apprentice."

"This village is going to hell then," Teuchi mumbled into his work, but not low enough to miss Naru's ears. Naru scolded him but Ayame searched her friend's face.

"How do you feel about working with Tsunade-hime?" the younger ramen chef asked, concerned.

"Honestly?" Naru asked, thinking more about the question. "I'm a little excited about it... Truly," she told her friend. "I'm not happy about - you know I only want the best for the village," Naru said honestly, turning how she felt about being fired into something more diplomatic. Even though she was ANBU (until the end of the day,) or perhaps because she was in the organization, she knew that ears could be anywhere. "And I'd like to invite you two to dinner tomorrow night. Gai-san accepted our invitation, and my husband and I would be so happy to have you there."

"Husband, eh?" Teuchi asked with a smirk, glad that at least Naru and Kakashi must finally be able to admit they were in a relationship now. They were adorable and deserved to be acknowledged as a couple. "And I'll pass on the fifth wheel to the double date, thank you very much."

Ayame blushed and swatted her father with the back of her hand as she finished up the order she really didn't want to prepare. "If Gai said yes, then you know that's yes for the two of us."

"You two need to tie the knot," Naru said while her friend sputtered. "Marriage is a wonderful thing."

Ayame placed the take-out bags on the counter and watched Naru seal them away. "Tell Gai that," she whispered to her friend before Naru left the restaurant with a gentle laugh and nod. At least the redhead was happier than when she entered the ramen bar, Ayame felt.

Naru entered the Hokage's office silently. Announcing her presence, she also put down her storage seal on a side table. "Your order, Yondaime-sama."

Minato gaped at a seal he had never seen before, having noticed how silent the young redhead was, and having even been surprised that she'd entered the room. Kakashi's wife - and wasn't that something? - said nothing about the interesting seal but brought everyone, save herself and Kakashi, their favorites. He was impressed that his wife remained under a genjutsu, understanding in the way Tsunade was staring at the younger redhead with longing, and also wondered if Kakashi's wife had him on a diet.

That would be comical, he thought, recalling what a nightmare Kakashi had been in the kitchen or when attempting to cook on missions.

He was certainly going to have to do something about Kakashi's surly attitude, however. As a boy, Kakashi had always been temperamental, but he'd thought his student would've been openly happy to see him.

He hoped that Kakashi wouldn't be a problem.

"By your leave, Yondaime-sama?" Naru asked respectfully.

"Actually," Kushina said from the other side of the room, "can you please show me to your workstation?" Kushina felt bad for taking the woman's job but believed she could handle it.

"Of course," Naru immediately agreed. "I can box up my belongings while you enjoy your dinner?" She reminded herself that she only needed to keep up the genjutsu on the woman until she could leave. She didn't wish the older woman any harm, but by then her duties in the office she loved so much would be over. Plus, it was important that the woman properly dealt with her grief, rather than be shielded from it.

If she is grieving, Naru thought painfully.

Over an hour later, Yondaime-sama's wife was gaping at the work she was expected to do. Boy, had she been wrong about feeling she was up to the assignment she'd agreed to take.

The secretary's position was now intense, complicated, and absolutely vital to the village. Somehow, Jiraiya's Uzushio intelligence network had missed this, too! Kushina found that several Chunin had been covering for Naru's short absence, and the relief they expressed at Naru's return after only minutes made her wince. The older Uzumaki watched as the younger redhead effortlessly cataloged missions and sent a few Chunins on their way before introducing her to a council member she was unfamiliar with.

Naru addressed the last Chunin remaining, feeling that she had explained an overview of her duties sufficiently. "Please take these missives to Iruka-sensei and the Jonin commander and pass on to them that I will no longer be the one to assist them," she said, gesturing to Yondaime-sama's wife.

Kushina didn't miss the look of alarm on the paling Chunin's otherwise stoic face. Naru only gave the young man a soft smile and assured him that they would understand. Uzumaki-Namikaze Kushina began to wonder even more just what she'd gotten herself into.

Naru released one genjutsu from the older woman and swallowed thickly when she saw that the woman seemed to be fine. She would observe her a few minutes longer before going home, but it was a surprisingly bitter pill to swallow... She guessed that Namikaze-sama really didn't care that much that her son had died. Either that, or she was simply able to hide her grief incredibly well. "And Neji-san, please inform the shinobi and civilian council heads that Namikaze-sama will be taking over my duties."

"Of course, Uzumaki-san," Neji said, knowing that his uncle would react poorly to the news.

"Actually, my family name is Hatake, Neji-san," Naru said more warm-heartedly. "I'm sure that Lady Namikaze will be an efficient, well-qualified secretary to Yondaime-sama."

Neji's smile at the news of her marriage (he had bets riding on the secretary's relationship to the ANBU Inu) wavered but nodded before blanking his expression as he bowed to both women. "You will be missed, Hatake-san."

"Thank you, Neji-san," Naru said gratefully. She turned around in the office that she'd once made her home away from home before releasing the last genjutsu on Naruto's birth mother. "Unless there's anything else, m'lady?"

"No," Kushina said, rubbing her head. She appreciated the healing genjutsu the younger redhead immediately used but only wanted to be left alone. Reconsidering the choices they made meant very little now, but she blamed herself more than she blamed Jiraiya for not letting them know what was happening - had happened - to Naruto almost as much as she blamed her husband. "Thank you, Naru-san."

"Of course," Naru again responded. "By your leave then." Naru left with the scroll that contained all of her personal effects, save for one plant that she left for the redhead. It thrived in the environment, just like she once had.