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

Thinking (+ flashbacks, Naruto speaking to Kurama, etc.)

Emphasis

Bijuu, etc. speaking

Bijuu, etc. thinking

"Calm down, you brat!"

"Don't tell me to calm down, you dead PRICK!"

"SASUKE!" Shisui shouted, outraged. "Uchihas don't curse! What would our lessers think," he added, thinking it would lighten his little cousin's anger.

"Fuck you, Shisui! Where the fuck have you been?!" Shisui - his supposed-to-be-dead COUSIN - swatted him in the head and hissed at him to deactivate his Sharingan, threatening him against setting him on fire. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"I don't have time right now, Sasuke! Something's happened and… Fuck. Ah, dammit! I'm being a bad example!"

"You've always been a bad example! Why aren't you dead?!"

"Mou, so cold, Sasuke. Here," his newly-revealed older one-eyed cousin said, flinging a package at him. "Open it and we'll celebrate later, I promise, maybe. Well, I hope. We'll see if I survive again, I suppose. Now, this isn't going to be pleasant."

Shisui's fingers dug into his upper arms and Sharingan met Sharingan. Sasuke felt pain rip through his head.

Images were spinning until Shisui breathed, "Ah-ha!"

"What to do, what to do," a terrifying man in an orange mask asked merrily as he seemed to stroke his hidden chin. "You will grow up to be a pain: of that, I have no doubt, Sasuke-chan!"

"Get away from my brother," It- THAT man said, appearing in front of him with his tanto in his hands. He smelled like blood, although Sasuke couldn't see it. It was dark.

His much younger self dropped to the ground, struggling against what Sasuke now knew was Killing Intent. He was literally thrown behind a nearby chair by his father. "Mikoto!" his father shouted.

His mother - his sweet, sweet mother - appeared in what seemed to be a blaze of lightning with a sword in her hand as he rolled to right himself. "I thought we told you NO!" she yelled at the man with the red clouds on his long cloak. Fighting broke out and Sasuke struggled to keep up with it. The man with the mask was appearing in different places in the room almost magically, he thought back then, panicking when that same man would occasionally appear behind him and smack him hard in the head before disappearing again.

The masked man was taunting him and his parents the entire time!

Suddenly he felt something absolutely sickening and dark outside. It made him tremble and somehow felt familiar. And terrifying.

"Naruto," his mother breathed. "Itachi: go!"

THAT Man, Sasuke realized, had gone as white as a ghost - his visage as clear as Sasuke ever wanted to again see him, even in the moonlight. His older brother nodded his head and took off despite his obvious fear.

"Maa, I wonder what hime-chan has gotten herself into now, ne?"

"You stay away from her!" his mother said fiercely. "Stay away from my family!"

The three adults began fighting again, Sharingans blazing in the dark, two against one: it was beyond fast and a very young Sasuke didn't know what to do.

"I don't think so," the masked man sang childishly. Part of him disappeared just as his mother tried to stab him. Her sword ran straight through the masked man - impossible or not, he saw it: he was positive of the man's chest disappeared! - and Sasuke felt himself choke up in tears as his mother's sword rammed straight into his father's chest.

"FU! NO! Oh gods, no!"

The masked man's maniacal laughter echoed throughout the room before he was gone again. Sasuke woke up to the smell of blood and that orange mask in his face.

"Maa, I had a couple more seals to put on hime-chan, but it would be overkill, considering she'll probably die tonight," the masked man said easily, humming to himself before his voice changed. "This village is rotten to its core, ne?" Sasuke shrunk back in terror from the man's Sharingan that began to spin. "You'll be my guinea pig, ya little shit," he added, his voice more childlike again.

Fake.

The masked man slapped something on his head - a seal, he guessed now - which knocked him out.

Sasuke was shivering and his heart was racing; he was covered with sweat. He wasn't sure but thought that the masked man had run through some hand signs, but hadn't been able to remain awake back then to see what they were. "What the hell was that?" he asked, his voice small and shaky, hardly seeming like his own.

"Something troublesome," Shisui slowly said, moving away and rubbing his face. As Sasuke tried to gather his wits, his cousin went into the bathroom and washed the blood that had been running from his Sharingan down his face. "Sasuke, I need to get my eye back. We'll talk more later, but even one of my eyes is far too dangerous, and now I know that... I shouldn't say," Shisui continued, ringing his hands as he tried to come to grips with the horror that they both just witnessed. It was one thing hearing about it from Itachi: it was something else to experience it like he just had. "I've been monitoring... but now that…"

"I SAW It- That Man killed my parents!" Sasuke roared. "NOT whatever that was!" How could he have two sets of memories? Has Shisui done this to him?

That fuck! He knew that Shisui favored Itachi, but this was going too far!

"I don't think so," Shisui said, his voice laden with grief - enough to make Sasuke refrain from fireballing him. "I wasn't there: something I will forever regret, Sasuke, but Itachi said he told you the truth. About the coup the Elders were pushing, about Madara…"

"What coup? And who the hell cares about Madara?! That guy's not Madara," Sasuke said - knowing it in his bones somehow - as he crossed his arms over his chest.

His cousin's unnerving focus was now on him in a different way. "You're so sure?" Shisui asked, dark and curious.

Shisui looked toward the door he had sealed as his shoulders slumped. Their time seemed to be up, for now. He ruffled Sasuke's hair, keeping his hand in it for a minute as the two Uchihas took a moment to settle themselves. He pulled his blank mask back down and released the silencing seal that he'd put up earlier. "Not a word," Shisui warned, "not until you hear back from me, Sasuke. I am still your superior and master, and you will heed my orders."

"Hn." Opening the door, Sasuke saw his sensei was on the other side. "What do you want, Tenzo?" he asked sharply.

"Mission," Tenzo replied simply, used to Sasuke's rudeness. "Be at the North Gate in 10: pack for a week." The Mokuton user nodded to Agent Zero and left to go bring Sai to the gate. He had to guard Sai's sassy ass until Danzo was put to death.

"What do we do from here," Sasuke asked his cousin tiredly. He had so many damn questions, the first of many was about his brother and what had really happened to his parents, and now he had to leave. He didn't have time to have more of a breakdown than he was already in the middle of, and Shisui was talking.

"...have to go but are ya gonna open it or not?"

His eyes never leaving his cousin's mask, where he now knew his one eye and scarred eye socket was covered, he ripped open the package, barely reacting to what was inside.

He's gone. He's got to be gone... I just wish I could've said goodbye.

"Don't let her pull shit like that again, Kakashi-kun," Tsunade said, glaring at her granddaughter who didn't pay her any mind. Naruto had healed and was moving around just fine - which is truly incredible - but she seemed to be lost.

Frankly, she blamed Minato: her now-known undeceased son who hadn't even shown up to check on her! - At least as far as she knew, he hadn't.

"Are you sure you're alright, Naru-chan?" Kakashi asked his naughty little wife who was already up and busy around her hospital room. When Tenzo told him that he'd had to take her to Tsunade because Naru had a high fever, and was talking about zombies and being dead, he ran straight to the hospital. He was more than angry with Tsunade who took her into surgery to remove microscopic (and larger pieces of) debris that were lodged in one of her legs before he arrived. Naruto couldn't be anesthetized and their seals weren't completely effective on her.

Had he been told about her fever earlier, he could've put her in a genjutsu when she went into surgery.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just wanna get out of here." She tapped her foot and pouted at her family, surprised that Kakashi didn't want to leave the smelly hospital just as quickly as she did. "Let's go!"

"Maa, we've got a mission," Kakashi said, directing his statement more at Tsunade than Naruto. If Tsunade said that she needed to stay in the hospital, he'd tie her to the damn bed. Tsunade, however, just shrugged her shoulders and told them to be careful.

"See ya, baa-chan!" The couple lept out the window, Naru chatting about her cool new scar which irritated the hell out of Kakashi.

"It'll be good to finally be home, even if it's for just a few minutes," Naruto mused to her quiet companion minutes later, trying to improve his mood. It wasn't her fault she didn't get all that brimstone crap out of her leg during the invasion: she'd had to hurry plus she was used to Kurama taking care of anything that hit her! So what was Kakashi so pissed off about? She was struck with grief again as she caught sight of the Hokage Tower it almost seemed they were avoiding.

What am I, an idiot? Of course, he's grieving Dad. Everyone grieves differently.

"Is everything... alright?" she finally asked as they walked through the village streets together - hand in hand - which should have been thrilling.

Whatever you do, don't talk about your father, Naruto.

Although rebuilding was finishing up, it was obvious how well the Leaf had defended itself during the attack. The villagers actually seemed excited and proud, and the many shinobi working were receiving treats like dango or gyoza from the shopkeepers that were almost lining the streets. It was almost like a festival. One of them stepped in front of them.

"Would you like some sake, shinobi-san, kunoichi-san?"

Kakashi tried to pull her around the elderly civilian but Naruto stopped and offered her a grin and polite nod, happy that someone wasn't treating her harshly, especially considering that she wasn't wearing a henge. "Thank you, Obaa-san, but it's a little early for me, I think."

"Ah," the woman said in what seemed to be embarrassment. She gestured toward her establishment, which was a bar that wasn't even open. "I wanted to do something to show my appreciation for your hard work." Kakashi took a cup from her tray of wooden sake cups and tossed it back, right through his mask. The woman began to giggle, covering her mouth as she did so.

"What?" he asked.

Naruto snorted and thanked the woman, promising to visit her establishment soon in the coming days. "'What?' I can't believe you asked that." She looked worriedly toward Kakashi as they continued walking, wondering if whatever was wrong with him had anything to do with her father's reappearance and his (probable: and wasn't that a pisser?) second demise - or third or fourth if she considered her other life. OR if his deal was something different entirely.

She could only imagine that it had (again, probably,) been as painful for Kakashi as it had been for her to see the Yondaime brought back to pseudo-life like that.

Skin cracked and what was supposed to be the whites of his eyes dark... Disappearing with Kakashi...

And it wasn't Kakashi's fault that she was jealous! No, her father had made the decision to grab Kakashi and flash away, but Kakashi had chosen to come back to her soon after. She didn't know how to bring the whole insane thing up, so continued to choose not to deal with it. Approaching their land, Naruto looked around, a little freaked out that she didn't sense anyone nearby. Normally there were at least a pair of what had to be ROOT guys stalking them from outside the perimeter. The Hatakes went inside to grab pre-made scrolls that held mission gear. Naru changed clothes and found Kakashi downstairs, rooting through the fridge.

"I haven't cooked for you in a long time."

Kakashi hummed and gave up on finding anything decent. "I miss your cooking." Naruto blushed prettily and promised to make him a month's worth of food as soon as they returned from their mission. She was ridiculous: he loved that about her. Thinking about that more as she grabbed more weapons, he went upstairs to get something special from their bedroom. "Here," he said, enjoying the way her head tilted and gorgeous eyes went wide with surprise. "Wear this until you have a chance to put it on your clothes permanently.

"Really?" Naru asked. She was actually going to be able to wear his clan crest?! "I'm honored," she said sincerely as he tied a bandana that had the same diamond she sported on her back around her bicep. She bowed to him like she had seen Yoshino do a few times over the years. "Thank you, husband," she said shyly.

"Don't do that," Kakashi mumbled as he pulled her up by her hand. "It's weird that it's a turn-on." Naruto broke into a fit of laughter and swore to do it repeatedly and in front of people as he pushed her out the door. She was such a troublemaker.

He was totally going to punish her as soon as possible, and then her father will kill me.

Sensing his sudden shift in mood - as well as the way he tripped mid-step - Naru grabbed him, bringing his hand up to kiss it.

Kakashi drew her into his arms just outside the garden. "Everything will be alright," he said uneasily as much to himself as her, while petting her hair before he grabbed a handful of it at the back of her head. Pulling down his mask to drag her into a dramatic, sweeping kiss, her breath was taken away.

"Wow," the blonde breathed a minute or so later, grumbling when she saw the smirk that he then hid underneath his mask. Suddenly he was in front of her in a defensive position and Kakashi had pulled out weapons. "What," she barely asked, gasping, as the Killing Intent Kakashi expelled immediately faded. She'd barely had a moment to pull out her kunai. He grabbed her hand, hard, after putting away his weapon, and looked as pissed off and nervous as she'd ever seen him. Reaching out her senses, Naru didn't feel anything odd, and that was a little alarming. "Is everything alright?" she asked again.

"I said it was, didn't I?" he replied in a harsh tone.

Alrighty then. Great. Kakashi was in another one of his moods.

"You can't be serious," Minato said, knowing that what he'd said wasn't true. Of course, Ibiki was serious. Ibiki was always serious!

"I'm afraid so, Hokage-sama."

"Unbelievable. And with so many Jonin escorting guests to the borders or on other missions, I suppose the task is mine."

"Absolutely not," Ibiki said gruffly, ignoring the way his friend and leader pouted. It was no wonder why all the women were crazy for him, but that expression was also kind of childish. He would NOT admit to himself that he had missed those goofy pouts that Minato and his deceased wife had passed down to their daughter. "The Hokage doesn't take missions."

"The Hokage fights in front of or alongside his shinobi," Minato said as he threw on his long cloak. "Mission or not."

"Then I'm going with you," Ibiki said firmly. It was ultimately his fault that his division had lost another man and that two more of his subordinates were now dead. T&I or Intelligence obviously had a mole... He should've assigned more men to the task, or just killed the old fuck and have been done with it, consequences be damned. A knock on the door stopped both men from continuing to argue.

"Come in! Ah, Tsunade-hime," Minato said, deciding not to call her "Mom" or anything close to that unless it was funny. He would probably never be comfortable doing such a thing but knew that he would've liked to get to know the woman who had birthed him a little better if he had more time. "We're about to leave. Would you please take the seat in my place for now?"

And later: he had planned on discussing her taking The Hat with her this morning but the conversation would have to wait. "How is Naruto-hime? And Hiruzen-sama?"

Tsunade crossed her arms, throwing an additional glare at the blank masked ANBU who had followed her in despite her protests. "I've discharged Naru-chan, and Danzo really fucked sensei over. I don't know how many times he used that eye on him, but he's continuing to show signs of confusion. It could be senility: I still need to run more tests."

"I might be able to help with that," Zero said quietly. His Sharingan revealed no other chakra signatures in the room, so he turned to seal it. Lifting up his mask, he ignored the gasps around him. "Uchiha Shisui," he identified himself against protocol. "I am here to formally request the return of my eye. I can confirm that..." He flinched at being shocked and mentally scolded himself: he rarely spoke at all (outside of training Sasuke recently, which had been exhilarating,) so had forgotten how painful or impossible it was to speak of Danzo. Opening his mouth, he revealed that his tongue had been sealed long ago.

He planned to take his eye back one way or the other but needed to find the old bastard first, (and would really like to return to some semblance of an actual life without the constant mask.) Although he missed Itachi, that didn't mean he wanted to go rogue unless he could take his best friend's place.

Or help Itachi take down the organization that destroyed and wiped out his family over the course of that one horrible year.

"Request granted," Minato said easily. He couldn't help but wonder if Kakashi would have looked like the Uchiha in front of him had Obito not gifted him his eye. That awful thought made him realize that Obito probably DID look like this young man right now, and that - as usual - he had thought of Obito AFTER thinking of his apprentice. It was no wonder his second male student at least partially hated him.

Considering it more, he prayed that Obito didn't presently have the Rinnegan that he (or someone) had mass-produced in his other eye socket. "Ibiki, you'll remain: I want a report tonight or as soon as I'm back. Tsunade, you're in charge; Shisui-kun: you're with us." His lips twitched up on one side seeing the confusion on the Uchiha's face as his guard surrounded him before the young man pulled his blank mask back down. "Your mask is..."

"Zero. I am Zero, appointed by Lord Third."

"Clever," Minato said sarcastically. Really, what was Hiruzen thinking - or was he in his right mind even then?

"Don't barf on us," Genma said quite seriously as he continued chewing on his senbon.

"Okay?" Shisui replied, a little afraid that he might do just that.

"Hiraishin no jutsu."

Tsunade began grilling Ibiki as soon as the group disappeared, refusing to sit in the chair she'd earlier been readying herself for.

"Congratulations," Naruto breathed, smiling shakily before she forced her grin to be face-splitting. "I knew you guys would get promoted!"

Both of her teammates just stared at her before looking away. Unlike she would've figured, Sasuke didn't look pleased with himself. "Are you alright, Bastard? Sai?" Getting peeved at continuing to ask that question and all of her comrades this morning being moody and evasive, she put her hands on her hips and glared at her entire team. "What's wrong with everyone? It's not like you've seen a ghost or something. Or have you?"

"Naruto," Tenzo and Kakashi said together in a scolding tone. The blonde wandered several steps away.

"Our mission is primarily diplomatic," Tenzo began after making sure the entire team was within hearing distance.

"What a drag."

Naruto turned around, smiling at her brother's voice, and froze. She KNEW that he would be promoted, but as the only person in the new group without a vest, she had to bite her lips as bitterness crept up, burning like fire. "Congratulations, Aniki." She turned her attention to the other Naras, glad that she could distract herself. "Tou- umm, hi, Shikaku-tou, Yoshino umm- san," she said, obviously flustered. Now that she'd seen her father, she felt even more guilty for calling Shikaku that.

And if Tou- MINATO - ever heard me call Yoshino "Mom," he'd probably be heartbroken. Which is one reason she tried to never do it. Her mother, Kushina, had been so loving when she'd met her inside her seal - the first time, anyway.

She never noticed how aggravated Shikaku looked before she absently examined her painted toenails, half-listening to Tenzo's boring briefing. She also didn't realize that he was a clone.

"Should I feel guilty, though?" Naru wondered as she barely paid attention. Shikaku had been more of a father than Minato ever had. And Minato was never a real father, was he? No, he hadn't even moved to hug her, either in her seal or on the battlefield in her last lifetime. Had he even really wanted her?

Maybe Minato blamed her for her mother's death?

Shame on me. Following Sasuke and his vest, flanking her father figure - and she didn't even hear why he and his family (their family, she reminded herself) were on this mission - they flew through the trees, Naruto trying not to think how out of place she looked in her stupid orange without a stupid vest.

Shame on me!

It's not like rank mattered: as a sage, Naruto was probably one of the most powerful shinobi in the Leaf other than Jiraiya or maybe Tsunade. She lacked combat experience in this life and knew that Kakashi would still be able to take her because of that… and normally that thought was an absolute turn-on. It didn't matter that she was still a Genin in this lifetime, too, she told herself.

If I'd been able to really show off my skills, whether or not it would link me to my "parents," maybe I would've been promoted.

That small voice that followed her everywhere, told her that she knew better than that, however. It didn't matter that she saved the Hokage and JIRAIYA; no. She's the jinchuuriki, plain and simple. It's not like she'd ever regret going Stage 2 to claw her way through Orochimaru's barrier. So why did it hurt so much to see Chunin vests on Sai and Sasuke? ...And Shikamaru, if she was honest with herself?

Lost in her thoughts, Naruto missed a branch and had to throw herself into a mid-air flip to avoid falling a LONG way to the ground, bouncing off a different tree, and using her hands to grab the next, nearby branch like a monkey. Flipping again to right herself, she cursed the splinters that she now had to pull out and shrugged her shoulders as most of her team asked her if she was alright.

No wonder she was still a Genin. "Sorry, guys."

"Many are asking for your death."

Yeah: she had been joking with Tenzo about that being the story of her life, but it was, wasn't it? "So we're going to the Capital? I've never been there."

Not in either life.

Shikamaru gave Naruto a significant look and she nodded back at him. They had just come upon the fanciest, biggest, yet traditionally-styled compound she'd ever seen in her life, and the Jonin were talking to a bald monk who had the Guardian 12 sash around his waist, just like Asuma.

So this is Chiriku.

Chiriku was definitely on the save list. He had given his life defending the Fire Temple and ultimately her, as obviously he was advanced enough in rank to have simply said, "The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki is in Konoha" and given the Akatsuki her name, but he never did. He had been friends and comrades with Asuma, she knew, and she owed Asuma, Kurenai, and their future baby big time. She'd really never be able to repay him.

Maybe saving his father and comrade would ease her guilt or sins? You had to lose major points with the gods for getting a temple-full of monks wiped out, though. She'd bet a lot on that!

Did Monks bet?

As she studied Chiriku, Shikamaru approached her. "Dude, I thought he was at the Fire Temple," she whispered to her brother, covering her mouth with her hand.

Shikamaru looked at her and made a face. "Moron, this IS the Fire Temple," he whispered.

"What?!" she asked a little too loudly. She had unintentionally gained Chiriku's attention just as he let out a belly laugh at something Shikaku said. It made him look much less intense. He smiled at her handsomely, placed his hands together, and bowed. Naruto felt herself blushing up to her roots as she returned his actions.

"Dumbass," Shikamaru mumbled. "You're going to make Kakashi jealous."

"A breeze makes him jealous," Naruto remarked, more to herself than her brother. "So why's this place so jazzed-out?"

Shikamaru tried not to roll his eyes, wishing he'd never approached her. "It's a Buddhist Temple, Naruto."

"So? I mean, it looks like it's dedicated to gold," the moron replied, still whispering. "We've been to the Nara shrine and I'm PRETTY sure I've seen at least the outside of the Uchiha temple... Neither of those was all decked out."

"The Daimyo is Buddhist, Naruto, as are many citizens in the Land of Fire. Because of these facts, and that the Temple's monks are trained shinobi, it is also a political place of power"

Naruto hummed and ignored the way one Jonin or another, or Yoshino, would turn back to look at her/them. "The Daimyo should give his money to the orphanages rather than here. Or the hospitals," she whispered quietly.

Shikamaru couldn't refute that opinion. Konoha's orphanage straight out sucked, and after taking Naruto in, his parents had forced the staff to be re-examined for fitness. With their partner clans, the Naras increased funding for the orphanage, but it was still a poor place to grow up. Naruto had all kinds of ideas to help the lost, abandoned, and orphaned children of Konoha and the world. He really did hope that one day he would be able to help convince her to become Hokage.

Even if she was an idiot.

"Deer Boy. Blondie," Sai greeted with his first only slightly annoying words of the day, "Taicho asks for your presence." Getting into Naruto's personal space repeatedly so that it was difficult to move around him, he whispered entirely too loudly. "I believe you are mistaken about the Temple. I have extensive studies and am prepared to educate you properly." He looked away from his gawking teammate to her Nara brother. "You too. Loser."

Naruto nearly cackled and pushed Sai away by his stupid pale face.

"Taicho," she greeted Kakashi while Shikamaru just muttered "troublesome," because of course, he did.

"Uzumaki-Namikaze-Senju-Hatake Naruto," Shikaku's clone began, rolling his eyes over Naruto's eyes bugging out at the name that was such a mouthful. "This is Lord Chiriku."

"Nice to meet ya," Naruto said with a red face as she bowed. "And just Naruto's fine, ya know. Hatake Naruto: that's it."

"The Fire Temple welcomes the lost princess," Chiriku said pleasantly.

"Do what?" Naruto asked, puzzled. "OUCH!" Yoshino had just rapped her on the head with something.

"Troublesome" was muttered along with Shikamaru's "What a drag" again as Kakashi hummed and looked toward the heavens for help. It wasn't there.

"I will explain more inside," Chiriku said, gesturing broadly into the Temple where the huge, ornate gates were being opened.

Gosh, his smile was so handsome. Too bad he was a monk!

As they entered the Temple, the ground shook. A huge poof of smoke alarmed many. Naruto covered her face with her hand as much as possible, sensing who was disturbing the beautiful peace and serenity of this gaudy place.

"I am the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku!"

"You're one of them, you old perv," Naruto hissed.

"That's my cue to leave," Tenzo said with a nervous smile. He spoke in hushed tones to Jiraiya for a few seconds, the Toad Sage slapping the Mokuton user on the back as he laughed raunchily about something that had to be perverted.

Fortunately, Chiriku didn't look offended. He seemed amused, if anything, and was just so zen. Naruto and Kurama both just wanted to curl up close to his nice chakra, she was sure the sleeping fox agreed until he sat up straight, getting his vessel's attention: loud and clear. Following the attractive bald man inside the largest building available, Naruto looked around but didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

Then she sat down on the cushion she was directed to at the head table and found herself to be seated between Kakashi and a... cat. Naruto swallowed thickly and tried not to panic. "Ne, Tora-san," she said weakly, wondering what kind of mood the demon cat would be in today and if it randomly showed up at the Fire Temple often like it did in Konoha. "What's a pretty kitty like you doing in a place like this?"

Incredibly, Tora gave Naruto a big, long rub before hissing at Kakashi. The cat then pounced onto the table and ran off with a big piece of fish.

"Wow."

Polite conversation carried on around her following way too many prayers, (in her opinion,) although Naruto had no idea of why they were here. Just as she was about to question her husband, her senses went wild. "Sora," she breathed.

"I'm sorry, Naru," Kakashi said in a low voice as he leaned toward her, "I didn't hear what you said."

"Nothing!" she said in a tone that indicated to Kakashi that she was panicking and that something was definitely wrong.

"I've been putting up barriers since I dropped off old Onoki and his band of thugs at the border," Jiraiya said loudly, getting their attention. "The seals should keep the monks secure and I want you to give me a hand, Naru-chan."

"Oh sure. Of course! I'd be happy to," she said, smiling at Chiriku. She hid her wince behind her hair when Kakashi pinched her leg. Jealous of a breeze, indeed. She turned toward him after searching for Sora - he was somewhere in the area, but not here - knowing full well that Kakashi was only pretending to ignore her since Jiraiya was telling a tale he'd probably heard a hundred times. Leaning so that her lips touched his unmasked ear, she purred to him, "You know you're the only one for me right?" She couldn't hide her smirk when she saw the way he shivered.

"We'll see about that," he whispered before glaring at her then looking away.

"Yes we will," Naruto agreed in a voice that even she could admit absolutely oozed sex before noticing that Sasuke wasn't eating. "Bas - Sasuke. Are you feeling well?"

Sasuke looked up and stared at her for a full minute before he seemed to snap out of it and respond. "Hn."

"See if I ever ask you anything again," she sneered beneath her breath. Naru was still worried about him though. She also swore in her mind to cut off his damn legs if he still tried to run to Oto in spite of her team beating Orochimaru's ass(es) in the Chunin exams. Maybe that wasn't something to promise even internally in a Temple, but she had shit to do and watch out for!

Once lunch was over, Shikaku's clone dispelled and Chiriku offered to escort them to the Daimyo's Palace. It was a polite request, but everyone could tell that there wouldn't be a choice about it. Naruto finished up the barrier seals, Jiraiya checking her work in every section.

"Naruto, Chiriku's going to be your guide to the Uzumaki Temple: it's near here," Jiraiya said as he finished the last piece of protection that should keep outsiders OUT of the Temple unless they were invited in. "From what you've said you don't know shit about holy places, no offense, and that place is fucking spooky."

Naruto's elated surprise immediately went out the window with the pervert's rude comments - not that she was much better. "Yeah, no offense taken," Naruto said sarcastically. He was right though, she didn't know what to do, what to handle, what to clean, what to avoid - anything like that. "When do we leave?"

"Right now," Jiraiya said easily before he took a step back. He'd just seen that as she turned around, Naruto's eyes were red and her whiskers thick and dark. She let out a rumbling snarl in a deep, dangerous voice that was not her own. "N- Naruto?"

"Give me back my chakra you fraud!"

A (now) red-eyed boy around Naruto's present physical age threw himself on top of his granddaughter, and Jiraiya had to dodge not to be burned by two sets of demonic chakra. "Oh gods, Naruto! Not again: not so soon!"