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

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

Emphasis

Bijuu, etc. speaking

Bijuu, etc. thinking

A/N: Late Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all of y'all that celebrate these things!

I wish everyone a very happy and better 2022.

SO, I couldn't figure out where to end this chapter, so it just kinda goes on and on. It's transitional but also includes some necessary information. Naruto's moody through a lot of it, thus the title. We'll move on to more interesting things from here!

"You brat," Jiraiya said with a shudder, leaning down over and pretending to mess with Naru's seal. Kakashi was giving him a death glare from behind his book and spilling KI since he had his wife's top up so that he could see the seal: the possessive idiot. Additionally, Naruto had quietly placed a kunai against his family jewels so there was no way he was really going to touch the fox's seal. "What the hell was that jutsu?" he whispered as he turned completely away from Sakumo's brat. He knew that was never a good idea, but needed to make this seem as real as possible.

"I don't know," Naruto said tiredly. She'd had to really beat the shit out of Sora to get his obnoxious Kyuubi chakra-spilling ass to settle down. "Kurama finally got so pissed off that he told me it's what Mito used when he got transferred to my mom - or something similar to it," she said awkwardly. "Sora didn't have a decent seal and I was suckin' both his AND Kurama's chakra out of him like a damn vampire, but I didn't want him to die! I'm tellin' ya, Ero-sennin: I am one feral bitch when I get like that, but I kept my head, right?"

Kakashi came closer and glared at the old pervert, not caring one bit that he was his little wife's grandfather. No one else needed to see his woman's body. "Is everything under control?"

"No," Jiraiya said then choked out a bark of laughter. Naruto slapped him in the leg as he stood up before Kakashi pulled her up from the ground. "Naru-chan was just talking about how feral she gets," he said with amusement coloring his tone.

"Ah," Kakashi said knowingly.

Their little telepathic conversation just pissed Naruto off more. She was really worried about it, and the fact that she had gotten aggravated so quickly again was just proof of how serious her "mood issues" were!

"It's the Uzumaki in you, kiddo," Jiraiya said, tapping the blonde's nose. "You're over HALF and just think about it: Tsunade's only a quarter Uzumaki and she's a freaking nightmare."

Naruto's eyebrows climbed underneath her headband as she crossed her arms under her chest. Both men began awkwardly chuckling; each looking around as if Tsunade would appear out of nowhere and grind their bones to paste. "I beg your pardon?" she asked, but it was clear that they were being butts. "Aww, forget it," Naruto said, turning toward her brother and poor Sora-kun.

Those two Jonin were just being ridiculous.

At least that's what she thought until Kakashi tried to turn her around by her shoulder and she bit his hand. Fortunately, her teeth only hit Kakashi's glove as she stood there growling a bit before blinking stupidly as he looked down at her and began chuckling. She let go as quickly as possible and stalked off to join her big brother.

"Yo!"

"Get her away from me," Sora shouted, panicking again.

What a baby! Yoshino was STILL scolding him for attacking Naruto while wrapping up his wounds. It wasn't Naruto's fault that she had to stab HIM in the leg this time to get his ass to calm down and give it up!

"It" being Kurama's chakra.

"I'm sorry, Sora-kun! …It is Sora-kun, right?" she asked, pretending not to know the older utter brat she'd had to babysit in her last lifetime. "I think ya got screwed over. Someone tried to turn you into a jinchuuriki, but there can only be one of us that contains the Kyuubi - and that's me."

On Konoha's Western border, a blonde Kage sneezed, nearly giving his position away to a group of masked ROOT nins. One of them had pink hair and Minato wondered how the girl he was pretty sure was Naruto's teammate, "Sakura" if he wasn't mistaken, had gotten into this situation.

"What a drag," Shikamaru said as his mother harshly knocked a cigarette out of his hands as she was wrapping the other teen's wounds. "OUCH! Dammit, woman! I was telling Sora exactly that, Naruto."

"Oh good!" Naruto said happily, giving her brother a very quick wink. "ANYWAY, had you continued carrying that demonic chakra, it would've eventually destroyed you. Only an Uzumaki can carry the Kyuubi, Sora-kun."

"But… Why would..?"

"EXACTLY, right?" Naruto interrupted, agreeing with his unvoiced questions. "That's some evil long-term plotting there, my dude. You should be really glad that the pervert and I put up barrier seals on your perimeter because you could've been used or targeted for that chakra. Hopefully, the perpetrators of the scheme aren't in the picture any longer," she continued, noting that Shikamaru was subtly signaling her. The lazy smartass never did tell her everything he knew about the Sora/Fire Temple situation, but it looked like she was going to soon learn something he'd earlier wanted to keep from her.

"I always hated that part of me," Sora admitted regarding that "evil chakra" of his.

"Rude," Naruto said under her breath. Yoshino suddenly grabbed her ankle and flipped her, completely surprising the blonde. She should've known: her mother figure always attacked when she was least expecting it - but that was normally when she was well-rested and awake. She was great that way and Naras were super serious about their sleep.

Speaking of rest, she closed her eyes as she continued laying on the ground Yoshino had put her on, only half-listening to the conversation Shikamaru, his mother, and Sora were having about his future. Kakashi, Jiraiya, and Chiriku were discussing the Kyuubi, its influence over her, and finally, Sora's future as well.

"Do you like it here, Sora-kun?" she asked the young man who was lying quietly in the grass beside her.

"Maybe it'll be better now?" Sora seemed to ask the clouds above them. "I don't know, but this has been my home since I was just a kid. I… if you really think our Temple is in danger, it is my duty to defend it."

"You sound like Naruto," Shikamaru said with a smirk.

Sora snorted. "As if I'd ever be like that sea cow."

Needless to say, Sora got his sorry ass pounded a second time.

Looking at the devastated area in front of her, Naruto felt like her heart was breaking.

Broken: that was the only way to describe it. No, there were other words: abandoned, discarded, uncared for… None of them were good. "So this is the Uzumaki Temple," she said out loud, as much to Kurama who had first mentioned the temple as she did her companions for this mission. She stopped in her tracks, feeling exhausted again and NOT only because she'd entered Stage 1 jinchuuriki mode with Sora. Turning toward Chiriku, she took a deep breath and felt something just so… wrong about this place.

"Why isn't this in Uzushio?" she asked anyone and no one again as she took in the dilapidated structure. On the way here, Jiraiya said that he thought that Mito may have brought the shrine's contents here from Uzushio, or that the Uzumakis themselves may have moved what was most precious to them to the mainland during the war. It made her wonder just what exactly was inside it.

And what was inside of it before it became this - this mess…

"I don't know where to start," she admitted in a small voice. "And please, don't call me 'Princess' okay? Just Naruto is fine." Chiriku was good enough to remain silent while she tried to determine how to further express herself. He had been using the "hime" honorific all day, and seeing the abandoned shrine of her ancestors in such disrepair made her feel like anything but a princess.

She rarely if ever felt like a princess, but right now she felt like a heel. "Is the condition of the temple the result of weather - or simply lack of care?" she asked weakly. "How long has it been like this?"

Chiriku frowned as he gazed upon the shrine this young woman's ancestors once gathered in. "Both. There have also been attempts to break through the seals, some of which may have been successful. Your visit at this time is fortuitous."

"I see," Naruto said, slowly trudging forward. She knew others would say that she shouldn't believe in ghosts, but right now? She bet any nay-sayers on the paranormal stuff would shut straight up! It wasn't right to think that this place was creepy, but it was giving off seriously bad vibes that almost made her sick. Taking a step back for a moment, she laughed at herself, drawing her hand through her hair. Oddly enough, Sasuke was crouching in the distance and looked pained. "You alright... Sasuke?"

Sasuke nodded his head but thought he understood why Naruto was so obviously wary of entering her family's shrine. The Uzumaki temple was a wreck, and as the person who was solely responsible - no that's not right: there's Shisui - for maintaining the Naka Shrine, he couldn't imagine trying to repair a holy place from the state hers was in now to what it should be. Taking a deep breath, he wondered if Shisui had been the person who had cleaned the Naka Shrine while he was in Wave. He hadn't thought much about it at the time, and it was no wonder. There was so much to think about.

So much that Shisui told him that he hadn't known…

So much that he was really, really angry about.

Then there was Naruto's ridiculous fear of ghosts. She really was such a dobe, but this place was giving him visions of the Death God himself. "Just go in there, Naru-chan," he said, then felt himself heat up with embarrassment at calling the idiot by such a familiar nickname.

"Are you afraid of ghosts?" Sai asked, his head tilted in confusion as he looked at both of them. Sasuke was glad the attention was drawn away from him when Naruto proved to be her idiotic self.

"Yes! And you should be, too," the blonde said with a pout, uncaring for the groans that came from some of her teammates.

"Ghosts are nothing to fear, Naruto," Chiriku said smoothly. Naruto halted, then walked away from him, looking like a paranoid, frightened rabbit before strutting off in determination to the first steps of the shrine.

"Don't think you've gotten the better of me, Uzumaki."

Naruto shivered at the Shinigami's voice in her head. -No. That was nonsense. The Shinigami may have taken her father just after she was born - I was right there, though, she thought, frightened - but why would he talk to her?

No, it had to be her subconscious freaking out.

Or did it? As the voice repeated those words more and more loudly, Naruto almost swayed as she stepped into the shrine. She had beaten death once, hadn't she? The Shinigami really would be mad at her, she figured. One way or another, she was going to have to be brave: being the only Genin left in her team already sucked more than she remembered it had. She wouldn't let anything stop her, although she didn't have the first clue as to what to do here.

Her stomach lurched at the sight of the Oni masks. "Guhhh," she mumbled, holding her stomach as she leaned on a nearby post. It was one of the many that stood between the floor and the roof coming down - and it looked like that could happen at any time. She'd seen masks like these before, but they were in such perfect condition here in this dilapidated structure - outside of some visible dust.

"Kakashi, can you come in here please?" she asked in a shaken voice.

Kakashi ducked his head and walked in, unwilling to admit that this place creeped him out. He had asked Pakkun to accompany his little wife inside the shrine, but Pakkun took one look at it and dispelled. Without a word, he approached Naruto and took her hand. She put her head against his chest, then looked up at him; she was very pale.

"One of those masks is looking at me," she whispered so low he almost missed it.

He would have laughed if he didn't see what she meant. The way the wall had deteriorated left discolored spots behind the masks, and Kakashi felt that there were at least two or three that appeared to be observing them, depending on where one was in the room. "Maa, it's alright, Naru-chan. What do you want to do with everything?"

Naruto swallowed down a lump in her throat along with the enormous responsibility she felt to her ancestors. "I don't know what TO do. I mean," she said quietly, now looking to Chiriku for answers, "can this stuff even be moved to a more secure location?"

Where would that even be?! She wasn't so sure that she wanted to have all of this... death worship? Yeah, death worship: what the heck were the Uzumakis doing throughout time?! Having a replication of what the temple might have been on their land at home didn't seem like the best idea. Disturbing the temple might also disturb the "natural order" or something - or was she just being a chicken again? "There are no instructions or, you know? Scrolls or anything?" It looked like the shelves that were falling down should've held something like that.

Chiriku only shook his head, looking aggrieved. Yes. Naruto was, too. Konoha supposedly valued the Uzumaki and Uzushio so much that they put her mother's village and clan's symbol on their uniforms, but this is how they had allowed her clan's temple to decay?

That's not fair, Naruto. This is YOUR responsibility, not theirs. The fact that they made sure that nothing about Uzushio was taught in the Academy, and that she'd NEVER in two lifetimes heard about this place from anyone in Konoha spoke volumes to her, though.

More importantly than whether or not to blame the village for this, Naruto knew she couldn't leave the temple in this condition without a plan.

She was a Hatake now.

Although she wanted to honor her Uzumaki heritage, too, she barely knew of it and this place really threw that in her face. She reached up to touch the mask of the death god which she swore was glaring at her and saw him - the real deal - in her mind. He was terrifying! Quickly pulling her hand away, she decided she didn't want any of this stuff near her or hers. "I wonder how much it would cost to have a team restore it? Here?" she asked aloud. "I mean, I don't think I'd want just any old team of Genin to attempt to repair a place like this."

Chiriku was the one who gave her an answer that she could live with, or so she thought at the time. "Fire Temple monks are qualified and often hired for such missions. It would be our honor to restore the Uzumaki Shrine." Agreeing to discuss terms once off the land, Chiriku began a ceremony to cleanse the temple with incense and incantations. Naruto had never been a religious person, but watched in interest, feeling solely responsible for this place.

Which she was.

I wish I could've gotten through to Karin. They could've shared this responsibility.

Naru wondered if Karin had known her Uzumaki parent(s,) and if she'd have better knowledge of what her family would've wanted her to do. Maybe she'd even been here before? Well, as soon as she got back to Konoha, she'd find her distant cousin at T&I and tell her about this place.

She didn't know that Karin was long gone.

"Doesn't baa-chan know about this stuff? Has she been here?" Naruto asked Jiraiya, once outside of the shrine. It was now late in the afternoon, and they still needed to get to the capital.

"I don't think so, kiddo, but I'll... Bah," Jiraiya began before putting his hands on his hips as he began to pace the outside forest of the shrine's perimeter. "I could just seal it up to keep out any more intruders - people or animals - but I'll need time to see what seals remain in place and make sure mine won't interfere with what's already here. - Wouldn't want to blow the thing up. The gods wouldn't be happy with that!"

The gods aren't happy, anyway, Naruto thought bitterly.

"Chiriku-sama," Naruto said, deciding to just put another question out in the open, "can you tell me about the temple that was devoted to the Kyuubi?"

"Very few remember that," Chiriku said uncomfortably.

"Maa, I have a giant fox in my gut that remembers it well." Fortunately, that elicited a few snorts from around her, rather than the fear she imagined they'd have when she asked about it. Chiriku had the most peculiar look on his face, however. "What is it?"

"This entire area was said to be the Kyuubi's home."

"The Fire temple was just a part of it," Kurama said, scoffing. He had been awfully quiet up until this point and now she understood why. "The fucking Uzumaki who sealed me AND my siblings had the nerve to put their shrine on the land that was my home?! Disgusting. Despicable!"

Naruto looked away from Chiriku, who at least had the good grace to seem embarrassed or uncomfortable with what he'd admitted. "We'll get your homes back, Kurama: for you and your siblings. I know you're stuck inside me right now, but... we'll find a way. I don't know if it'll be in a different spot or not, but we'll make sure you're safe."

The way Kurama glared at her reminded her of what it was like to deal with him in her last life when she had been so afraid of him.

A deep voice echoed through the forest, getting everyone's attention. "KAH-KAH-SHI!"

Kakashi slumped but Naruto could see the smile or smirk grow underneath his mask. "Gai, Asuma," he lazily greeted the two men. "Everything go okay?"

"To use someone's words, it was a drag," Asuma began but Naruto didn't get to hear more of what he was saying because Gai was bowing to her and prancing around her, talking about roses that ushered in youth where there was once only thorns, etc., etc. "Ran into Gai on the way back," she heard Asuma explain.

Gai was something else. Her mood had already brightened a little because of him, and it was always nice to see Asuma. When she told them that, Gai burst into tears. "Oh no. Don't cry!"

"Beautiful blossom! You are truly in the Springtime of Youth!"

"Thanks, Gai-san," Naruto said sheepishly. "I assume you were on a mission?"

Gai nodded eagerly and there was a strange glint in his eye. Pulling her over to her husband, he bent down and definitely made his way right into her personal space. She chortled a bit as Kakashi pulled her behind him and basically snarled like one of his ninken at his best friend. "I asked Pakura-sama out on a date!"

"What did she say?!" Naruto asked with big eyes as she substituted herself with Kakashi. He pulled her behind him again. Yoshino began scolding Gai in a motherly fashion about not harassing the Kazekage.

"Don't encourage him, Naru-chan," Kakashi scolded, seeing his little wife's excitement over the prospect of Gai dating the frickin' Kazekage. Naruto just shrugged at him, really wanting to hear if Gai was going to date her!

"Yeah, seriously," Asuma agreed, "please don't."

Naruto hummed while Gai began lightheartedly arguing with his friends about doing such a thing, dating in general, and their lack of youth.

"We need to get you a girlfriend, whether it's Pakura-sama or not. It might be nice for you to have one in the village, though," Naruto said, thinking about how maybe they could go out on double dates like civilians were said to do. "But we've gotta fix your hair."

She was a little afraid at the way everyone - even the birds in the trees, it seemed - went silent at her statement. "Just a little?"

"Your thorns have wounded me, Rose," Gai said in a way that seemed pretty damn threatening! Well, threatening for Gai anyway.

"Okay, what if I help you find someone?"

Naturally, Gai fell on his knees and wailed. Who could she find that would put up with this much nonsense?!

Gai and Asuma left shortly after their little conversation and headed back to Konoha with the majority of her team. It seemed that the upper-level shinobi were running back-to-back missions as they escorted foreigners that had been in Konoha for the exams to the Fire Country borders.

"Are... Have you all been guarding me for this trip?" she asked Kakashi in a hushed tone as they jumped through the trees.

"Maa, did you say something?"

Naruto wanted to push him off the next branch they hit. "Don't talk that way to me, Kakashi, and stop hiding behind your book! You can't even read it in this light," she said, scowling at him.

"The Sharingan can see well even in the dark," Kakashi commented, turning a page as he jumped off another branch.

"You don't even have it uncovered!"

"Maa, I didn't think you'd notice." Kakashi was just joking but seeing the way Naruto sped up to get away from him, he caught up and found her with glassy eyes. His own softening, he put his arm around her and jumped with her. She didn't push him away, fortunately, because he wouldn't have allowed that, but she was wiping away tears. He thought he knew why. "I was kidding, Naruto. All shall be revealed soon; just wait."

Naruto didn't know what he meant but felt really hurt that he might think she wouldn't notice things. She guessed that was yet another reason why she would remain the sole Genin of her generation again.

Well, there had been Sasuke, but that was only because he defected. And now he had his vest.

Stop being childish, Naruto! There is a hell of a lot of things more important than being promoted!

The Fire Capital was a lit-up, absolutely beautiful place, but Naruto had little time to take it all in. As soon as they arrived at the Daimyo's palace - and it was a freakin' palace, much bigger and nicer than that asshole, Gato's, place - Yoshino and some ladies rustled her into an incredibly opulent bathroom and began scrubbing her down like a dishpan before shoving her into the most beautiful gold kimono that she'd ever seen. It had some kind of black material underneath the gold, and iridescent shades of both and other colors were popping up here and there. Naruto kept trying to really look at it to see if that was just a trick of the light, but the women wouldn't stop manhandling her.

And holy crap: it was made for her, it looked and felt like. It even had the Hatake crest on it, as did the obi.

She must have stammered the following words out a hundred times before it was all over: "What is... Wait! What are... GAH!"

After Yoshino finished dressing in an absolutely gorgeous kimono that looked like watercolors: blue that faded into white that faded into green, and the women helped with their obis, Yoshino took Naruto's hand and led her into a big hall, telling her to be respectful, listen, and to behave herself.

The first "person" she met was Tora the cat. The cat gave her a big rub and meowed at her. It had a really gnarly meow. "Uhh, nice to see you, Tora-chan?" Naruto said, reaching down to pet the cat. "I guess this is where you live, huh?" Naru squatted down as much as she could - which wasn't very far in the formal thing she was wearing - and continued talking to the cat. "I don't know why you run off all the time: I bet there are lots of places to hide from her here," she whispered but not quietly enough. Yoshino smacked her hand and Naruto apologized but meant what she said. She was only apologizing for being heard. Hearing a gasp, Naruto quickly stood and grasped Yoshino's hand tighter when she saw a woman covering most of her face with teary eyes.

"Naruto," the woman breathed as if her name was giving her life. The way she said her name so lovingly intimidated Naruto for some reason, and she could only nod.

"Hatake Naruto," Yoshino said with what seemed to be a proud but pained grin, "I would like you to meet Madam Shjimi, your godmother."

It was like time stopped, and Naruto realized moments later that she hadn't breathed. One: the elegant woman in front of her looked nothing like the cat lady she had so often seen in the village, waiting for her cat to be captured again. Two: she had a godmother? Yoshino slapped her hard on the back and she finally let the air out, glaring at her mother figure for hitting her so hard while Madam Shijimi laughed with tears in her eyes.

"I... Oh, Naruto, I'm so sorry," she cried. "I was told you were... dead," she said, breaking into fresh tears before apologizing repeatedly and violently shaking her hands. The Daimyo's wife bowed low to Yoshino and Naruto felt some relief at seeing how flustered the Nara Matriarch became. "From the bottom of my heart, thank you for raising Kushina's daughter."

"It was my pleasure," Yoshino said softly.

"It probably wasn't," Naruto said to herself, shocked stupid from this news and taking a step back at the way Yoshino looked like she would throttle her. Madam Shijimi began laughing again - a lovely sound that was so different from the voice she CLEARLY remembered when the Madam Shijimi she knew took back her cat on those horrible repeated missions a lifetime ago.

"Come with me, darling," the woman said, extending her arm.

Naruto nodded and took it somewhat reluctantly. "Can umm, can Kaa-chan umm, Yoshino-san come with us?" She felt like all of this was some kind of ruse, but she trusted Yoshino. She knew her chakra so well, and why was her supposed godmother exuding the chakra of a shinobi? It didn't make any sense. Well, it did if...

"Of course," Madam Shijimi said, but seemed disappointed.

An apology was on the tip of her tongue, but Naruto couldn't seem to get it out as she walked on the ornate marble floors passing all kinds of fancy people in a place that looked like the ballrooms that she'd read about in fairytales as a child. Naruto blanched and shrank.

"Straighten up," Madame Shijimi whispered to her - very subtly.

"Yes ma'am," Naruto squeaked and did so. That earned her a loud snort from the Daimyo's wife. They finally entered a lavish room and the madame let go of her arm and walked forward as she began speaking.

"I haven't gotten Hiruzen yet, but I got my husband good." Seeing that her beautiful, beautiful goddaughter didn't understand, she put her nose in the air and huffed as she tried not to smother her with affection. "Those morons... I can't tell you how happy I was: how DELIGHTED I was when I saw you, Naru-chan," she continued, sniffing away her tears of happiness. "Hiruzen's going to pay for telling me you were... gone, and my husband already has!"

Naruto paled. "Ano, I think that Sandaime-sama is already having a pretty hard time from what I hear, and may I ask what you did to your husband?" She was trying to be as formal as she could be, plus Naruto didn't think that this lady wanted to hear her call the third Hokage "Jiji" if what she was saying was true. And as a large donor to Konoha and the Land of Fire, she wanted the daimyo to live!

"Whatever the Sandaime is going through isn't bad enough," the madame said crossly, tossing some kind of poofy thing off the table she was standing by and onto a nearby chair. "And I broke my husband's arm when I found out!" She chuckled for a moment as she covered her mouth daintily with one hand. "I didn't mean to, of course."

"Wh- what?" Naruto squeaked.

"It's what we kunoichi do when a husband gets out of line," Madam Shijimi said with a wink. She seemed a little too serious in her jest, though.

"Here, here," Yoshino said in agreement, eventually giving Naruto's chin a little pop so that she'd close her mouth. Honestly, that girl was so troublesome.

"I don't see myself doing that with Kakashi," Naruto began, blushing furiously when she saw the Ino-worthy Eager-for-Gossip eyes of the daimyo's wife on her. "And, ano, you're a kunoichi?"

"Retired," she confirmed, then looked down at herself, "obviously."

Naruto smiled at her, understanding that she meant that she'd gotten out of shape. She didn't know how old the madam was, but she was really pretty. "You've been playing us Genin: making us run around the village chasing your cat."

"Pranks are fun, ne Naruto-hime?" she asked slyly. "Plus it funds the village and trains the Genin, and sometimes even the ANBU: Tora is very talented, but we'll keep this between the three of us gals, ne?" Naruto nodded and Yoshino seemed to already know that this woman was a former kunoichi. "My ninneko's little adventures also keep me informed! Speaking of Genin," she said happily, turning to find a box in the corner. "I have other gifts for you, things of your mothers that I'd like to share with you, but open this first." Yoshino let out a soft giggle and Naruto wondered what the two enthusiastic women were up to.

Opening the box after thanking her, Naruto gasped. She never thought she'd have one, especially after today. Yoshino scolded her for crying and potentially messing up the makeup they'd forced her to wear, but what could she say? "I can't believe it," she said as she stroked it reverently. She looked up at the two women, searching them for a lie. "Is it really for me?"

"Of course, it is Naruto. From what Tora and a few of my friends tell me, you saved the Sandaime's life after winning the Chunin Exams," she praised with a proud smile. "Jiraiya says that you are a sage. Skill-wise, that means you should be a Jonin, but you need experience in order to handle that rank. I asked to be the one who gave you your Chunin vest," she said, looking away, "I've missed so much of your life..."

Naruto nodded and thanked the woman again - for acknowledging her, she supposed. And for the vest! She really figured that her grandfather figure was going to make her wait for it again. The mission to the Fire Capital was turning out to be surreal. If this was really happening and she wasn't in a genjutsu, she would forever be grateful. There was another person that cared for her? Someone else that her parents had entrusted to care for her? Someone who wasn't a traveling (although much-loved) pervert who obviously couldn't take care of her because of Jiraiya's duties to the village?

Naruto had begun to think that her parents hadn't put that much thought into who would care for her should something happen to them, but now it looked like they might have. And if the Sandaime Hokage told her godmother that she was dead?

...Don't get her started on what she thought about the man right now. He was still the Hokage, though, so this vest must have come from him, right? He must believe in her.

One question for Madam Shijimi stood out to the blonde and it wasn't about Sarutobi Hiruzen. "Can you tell me about my mother?"

"Ah. First off, I should tell you that my name is Shijimi Masako. Your mother came to me after taking on what is now your burden when Lady Mito died. It was a difficult time for her..."

Kakashi looked so handsome in his hakama - she thought that's what it was called - it was even fancier than the one he wore when they met in this life and immediately got married. He also looked really uncomfortable, but he did smile at her affectionately.

His kimono was made of the same type of silky material as hers, but the black was overlaid with silver instead of gold. He had on those wide-legged pant things and Naruto felt herself swooning. He caught her in his arms and chuckled in his stupidly sexy, smooth voice. "Careful there, Naru-chan. Would you like to dance?"

"Seriously?!"

Kakashi shrugged like this was the most natural thing in the world, so Naruto nodded her head. Once in his arms, she began to relax, although she did check to make sure that her nose wasn't bleeding. Why was she a sucker for formal, layered clothing?! Trying to ignore those watching them, which included the damn daimyo and his wife - her godmother, who looked like she hoped Naru would have an immediate explosion of babies on the dance floor - the blonde wondered if this was really her life. "You look hot," Naruto sighed. He laughed again as he held her up.

"Little pervert," he whispered into her hair. "Congratulations are in order, ne?" Naruto smiled up at him so beautifully, he held her closer. "You're the most beautiful woman here."

Naruto tried to look around his shoulder and saw many other women that proved that wasn't true. "I think you might just be trying to get into my pants - well, my kimono."

Kakashi hummed and tried to imagine that this was just the two of them, rather than the whole menagerie that surrounded them. "I meant what I said. You've got my crest on that kimono. That means it's mine to take off."

"Pervert," she replied tiredly. "Ya wanna get out of here?"

Kakashi snuggled into her hair, noticing that her updo was still a little wet. Inhaling deeply, he wanted to take off his mask and bury himself in her scent and within her warmth. "We have to stay for a little while, but soon I am going to Eat. You. Up." He laughed quietly when his little wife went weak in the knees again.

"I guess it's nice to enjoy a dance with you... It is, I mean!" Kakashi hummed noncommittally. "Where did you learn how to dance?" He needed to knock off on the sexy chuckling: it was doing titillating things to her.

"Mission. I - hehe - was 9 and... was impersonating a girl." Naruto began laughing at him, which was to be expected. "That's classified information, woman. And I was very pretty."

"I'm sure you were," Naruto grinned up at him, loving this side of him. "What did you do about the mask?"

Kakashi scoffed, remembering the arguments he had with his sensei about it. "Genjutsu."

"Of course," Naruto sighed, fully leaning into his embrace. She bitterly swallowed the words that cried out to tell him that she loved him, knowing that it would only scare him away. "I'm glad for my promotion. It was kinda... hard being the only one on the team without that vest, I'll admit. Hmm. I don't think I could've admitted that before. I guess that makes me a jerk."

"No."

Naruto felt odd applauding for the little group that was playing stringed instruments after their song was over. This formal crap was almost completely foreign to her. Yoshino had tried to prepare her for it, but Naruto couldn't really imagine being in this situation.

A civilian asked her to dance and Kakashi said she was taken, pulling her into his arms again. "You're a good dancer," the blonde said instead of what she wanted to say as the music began to play again.

"I know."

Naruto's lips twisted up in dissatisfaction. "That was supposed to be a compliment." Kakashi chuckled again, a low rumbling in his throat and chest that was really turning her on. "Stop with that sexy voice," she whispered. She almost lost a step - or maybe Kakashi did - but they worked it out without mentioning it.

"Did you know Shijimi-sama was my godmother?"

Her husband didn't reply immediately.

"I only found out recently. Otherwise, I would have told you - and her," Kakashi explained, wondering why his little wife then looked up at him as if she didn't believe that. Of course, he would've told her, unless he was under orders to refrain from doing so or something. Thinking of the whole situation with her father, which he'd been ordered to keep quiet about, he wondered how angry she would be when she found out he had just lied to her. "Unless I'm under orders or a mission's classified, I'm honest with you."

"Thank you," she said, appreciating his words and enjoying the fairytale she was in.

"I had the honor of knowing that you would be a girl, even before your father did, Naruto! Your mother was afraid Minato would get rid of all the boys under 20 in the village if he found out. He was very, very paranoid when he found out Kushina was pregnant that you might be a girl: he was terrified that you'd be as beautiful as your mother, so Kushi kept it a secret."

Maybe that was why the daimyo's wife - Masako-sama, she reminded herself - never acknowledged her at the end of the dreaded Tora missions when she was parading around like a boy in her last life.

Hell, when she came back with curves, Kakashi didn't realize she was a female until after Nagato blasted the village away. She shivered at the memory, clutching onto her husband tighter. Closing her eyes tightly, she tried to rid herself of the knowledge she had back then that Kakashi had died in the Pein attack.

"Are you alright?"

"Of course," she replied too quickly. Seeing the disbelief on his face, along with the little electric current of lightning chakra in warning her against lying to him, she tried again. "I'm just tired," she answered, trying to be "normal." Thinking more about how to do that, she gave up quickly. Normal had never suited her, and it sounded like that was a trait she'd gotten from her mother, from everything Masako said. "She wants me to try to come back monthly. I think this is too much, ya know?"

He gestured his hand subtly around the room with a flick of his fingers. "The ball?"

"The balls," Naruto repeated, then wiggled her eyebrows before giggling into his chest. He pinched her side, quietly called her a pervert again, but promised to get her out of here, supposedly so she could get some rest. "Does this dancing thing happen all of the time here?"

Kakashi gave her a sly look, that silver eyebrow raised as he looked down at her. "Maa, Naru-chan: you don't like dancing with me?"

"I do!"

"That's good," he sighed before sunshinning them toward the Daimyo. "They put these things on far too often," he groaned.

"That'ssss not good."

"Mou, so mean," he began but was cut off by a kiss from the other side of his mask by his wife who'd climbed up on her tiptoes. "Not in front of people," he hissed, although he hoped she could tell he felt bad for his tone when Naruto shrank away from him, apologizing and looking away.

"I think we're going to say goodnight," Naruto said to her godmother as she approached her, hoping that no one saw her give her husband a kiss. He obviously didn't want it - or didn't want people to see it.

...Her husband, whose clan crest she was wearing, and had carved/sealed that clan insignia into her back. Her husband, who was possessive and grabby like no one she'd ever known. And it wasn't like there weren't other couples doing major PDA here, and he had on his mask for Kami's sake! Masako enveloped her in a hug which make her feel better as she tried to ignore Kakashi and her dumb hurt feelings.

"With everything going on right now, I can't tell you how proud I am of how you're handling things," Masako said before letting go and rubbing Naruto's arms. Naruto didn't understand what she meant but appreciated the sweet compliment. Kakashi was stiffly chatting with the daimyo and when she saw Naruto glance at him, he gave her a wink.

She quickly looked away.

"He's a good-looking man, hime-chan," Masako whispered excitedly.

"I don't know Kakashi-kun terribly well but I did know his father, Naruto. I know that Hatakes are said to be incredibly loyal; it's built into their genetic makeup. I wasn't pleased when my husband admitted he'd signed off on a marriage contract for you, but when I learned who your spouse is - well, I felt much better. I'm sure Kushina would've approved."

Naruto nodded at the woman. "I know; believe me: I know," she said quietly, agreeing that Kakashi was hot, and also to see Madam Shijimi in the morning before they went back to Konoha.

Kakashi seems like he's as into these kimonos and layers of clothing as I am.

Her husband had shooed maids out of the little bungalow the couple had been given and was undressing her slowly, with his Sharingan open most of the time. Naru worried that it would wear him out too much, but she was still a little upset about what happened earlier, and he knew his chakra burn better than she did anyway. He was being bossy, not letting her undress him which was driving her crazy but then again, he looked so ethereal, glowing in the moonlight coming through the large windows in that fabric... She took a shuddering breath and a whine fell from her lips when he finally got around to touching her as he knelt before her.

Slowly, too slowly, he undressed her, kissing her softly but with increasing hunger as he slipped the different layers of materials off of her. Only when she was fully unclothed, needy, and mewling did Kakashi put his hands and lips in the hidden places he'd wanted to all day and night. Finally alone, he could let it all go, indulge his woman and himself - only now could he make the strong, fierce woman he'd watched fighting a faux-jinchuuriki of the mighty Kyuubi as if it was any other Tuesday fall apart in his arms. Maybe he was mental for not being afraid of her then, but he was there when his little wife repeatedly tore that vile Orochimaru apart - that awful chakra that had been thrust upon her when she was only minutes old had been perfectly under her control.

He didn't realize the first time he saw her "other form" that power was a turn-on for him. Today at the Fire Temple? Yeah, today he realized it. When one added her beauty, nearly flawless skin - and he liked that white scar that now ran down her leg (although not how she received it) - and that body that wouldn't quit? He was a very lucky man. "You're perfect," he sighed as his lips slid and sucked down her skin. Moving his fingers between her legs, he groaned and bit her. "So wet for me."

"Sh- shut up," she replied, flustered. She grabbed the back of his head, holding on to his hair when he began thrusting his fingers inside her and moaned. "You're... perfect - and," she let out a whimper and felt him smile or was more likely smirking against her breast as he pulled on her nipple with his teeth, "let me take off your - yeek," she yelped when he suddenly tossed her on the bed, content to just stand there and watch her bounce. Kakashi held up his index finger against his lips before sucking on those that had been inside her as his eyes rolled back before pulling his mask from where it hung around his neck. He inhaled from it deeply and began very, very slowly taking off his clothes.

If he wants a show, I'll give that bossy man a show!

Moaning wantonly and definitely getting his attention, Naru brushed her fingers over her torso, her hands sliding on opposite paths. Kakashi stopped moving and stared at her, completely still. Biting back a smile and closing her eyes, she sucked on her fingers to more enticingly play with her nipples while reaching for her clit. It only took another few seconds before Kakashi began desperately pulling off his clothes, even tripping as he tried to get to her.

As hot as watching him undress was, (aside from the tripping which was adorable,) Naruto did wonder where the ring she'd given him was. Before this, he had worn her father's ring on a long necklace around his neck under his clothes all of the time. She prayed he still had it but was certain he did. Her father was precious to him, too. More importantly, hopefully, he cherished it because it was a "symbol of our love" and all that stuff the TV commercials said. It was a love that he'd have from her for the rest of her life. She couldn't help but wonder if - and hope - he'd one day love her, too.

Kakashi was even wilder than Naru was getting accustomed to as he ravaged and marked her before kissing her more gently as he entered her with a desperate moan. Her hair was wrapped tightly around his hand and wrist, the back of her head pulled back and held in his large hand. Agonizingly slowly, he began to move after nearly bringing her to cum just from stilling inside of her and rocking. "Fuck you're so big; so good, so good," she whimpered, trying to hang onto her sanity and forgetting all about earlier. She wasn't sure how long she lasted before finally begging him to move faster.

Her husband's praises began coming more quickly and brokenly from his lips as he thrust into her harder, granting her wishes. Naruto was holding out on him, and he couldn't allow that. Reaching down to her clit, she came undone so beautifully he felt tears come to his eyes. "So good to me, giving me that... Fuck, baby! Taking it... so well... Beautifully... so pretty... love you," Kakashi gritted out as he came with a moan that was nearly a scream.

Shakily pulling her nails out and smoothing her hands from his extremely fine, toned ass and back, Naruto knew it couldn't have been: he couldn't have said he loved her! It must've been a figment of her desperate imagination. Her eyes welling up in tears, she held him in her arms, both of their hearts beating desperately.

Hours later, Naruto woke up to a breeze coming from the open engawa door. It was chilly and she wanted to snuggle into her husband's warmth, but he was gone. She heard him talking with Jiraiya outside and tried to listen in, deciding to feign sleep.

"...afraid her," she heard. "Maa, I'm not..."

Getting frustrated and channeling chakra into her ears, it was too late. Kakashi had just said goodbye to her mentor/grandfather and ambled back in wearing one of the long cotton kimonos that had been gifted to them. "You're awake," he said, looking as blank as ever, but Naru could sense that he was nervous - or something was off about him...

"Yeah," she said, feeling even colder and miserable. Kakashi snuggled up against her again, covering them but Naru cursed herself. There she'd been, thinking he'd said he loved her - accidentally, but she thought he might have still said it - when instead he was afraid of her.

"Since you're awake," he breathed into her ear before sucking and biting on a few key spots on her neck, "I wanna fuck you again," he growled, rubbing his hardening length against her ass.

Naruto swallowed hard and masked her feelings as she allowed it.

Only a little earlier -

Jiraiya let his chakra go and tapped on the brats' glass door. A minute later, Kakashi came out in a kimono and his ever-present mask, looking irritated with one eye closed and smelling enough like sex that it made him irrationally want to throttle the married man. He stepped away from the other Jonin and leaned against a tree. "Brat, I need to talk to you about what Naruto's doing to herself and my plans for her. I've gotta head back to Konoha after a little stop this morning, and I wanted to discuss it with you."

Kakashi crossed his arms over his chest and offered the sage a head nod, waiting for more information. He'd better have had a good reason for pulling him away from his mate, and it sounded like he did.

"I'm putting together an ANBU team to specifically take out the Akatsuki. I'm going to take Naruto-chan, have a look at your team plus the Nara brat..."

"No. Absolutely not."

Jiraiya wasn't really surprised that he didn't want Naruto in the black ops, but the way Kakashi snarled at him didn't agree with him at all. Raising an eyebrow and stepping closer to the younger man, he gave him a look that dared him to deny him. "I'm sorry. I don't think I understood you, Hatake."

"I'm her alpha. When I say no, it means no," Kakashi said dangerously, in some disbelief that Jiraiya would want his little wife in ANBU. Sasuke and Sai? He could see that. Sai was already ANBU, trained, and raised in Danzo's forces. Sasuke was promoted to Chunin so that he could be put in a trial to enter the organization, something that Agent Zero believed would make him less of a flight risk - and Zero agreed to supervise him. Kakashi didn't like it; he knew that Sasuke now had the skill to be a Chunin, but didn't have the teamwork or leadership needed for the position.

Zero was right, though. If Uchiha Sasuke wasn't promoted and his team/agemates were, he'd most likely leave the village to be acknowledged. Potentially-traitorous brat.

When did the Uchiha change so much, Obito?

"You can join us or not, Kakashi, but Naruto's a sage and has a skill set that could quickly..."

"No. Sasuke and Sai? Fine. Tenzo? He just got out, but it's up to him," Kakashi said, knowing that the distress he felt was coming uncharacteristically through his voice. "Naruto's too good for ANBU. Don't ruin her. And what are you thinking putting her in harm's way?"

Well, didn't that make Jiraiya feel like shit? He wiped his hand over his face, wishing he could just go back and curl up in that woman's arms he'd picked up at the party, but no: Tsunade wanted him back and Minato was out chasing Danzo and who knows what else like the reckless martyr he was.

"I'll be talking to her about it," Jiraiya said, giving up trying to convince the Hatake - who was now emitting a low growl: that punk. Naruto knew more than anyone what she was up against, and he knew that if his granddaughter wasn't allowed to go hunt the Akatsuki in ANBU, she and Shikaku's clone-son would sneak off to do it alone. No, it was better that he accompany her because she was too much like her self-sacrificing father.

"There's something else, too," Jiraiya said with a sigh as he scratched his head. "I know Naru-chan can control the Kyuubi's chakra and that it's very impressive," he continued, feeling what seemed like the fate of the world was on his shoulders. "But burning through it like she's been doing will kill her if she keeps that up," Jiraiya said uneasily. "I sent a toad to Tsunade to see what information she might have gathered on demonic chakra demands on a jinchuuriki, and she agreed. The Kyuubi may quickly heal her each time she goes into what they call Stage 1 and 2 jinchuuriki modes, but it takes years off her life each time - or that was Tsunade's belief."

Kakashi swallowed thickly, feeling his insides clench. To think, he'd been turned on by that power: it was really pathetic of him and disturbed. What had he been thinking?

"She needs more training," he finally said. If she wasn't to use the Kyuubi's chakra, then she needed a lot more jutsus in her arsenal.

Jiraiya agreed, but knew he could train her - especially in using fuuinjutsu - in the ANBU team he was planning to lead as they moved through the Elemental Nations. "I am going to loosen the seal. It'll give her a power boost."

"It's already too loose," Kakashi hissed, looking behind him toward the cabana his mate was sleeping in. "I've been in her head and have seen how that seal is barely hanging on!"

"I forgot about that," Jiraiya mumbled. Naruto had told him that Kurama had told her that Kakashi was the reason his cage had changed so much, and of course, she'd told him about the seal that was hanging onto the fox's cage by little more than a thread. He only mentioned loosening the seal so that when Naruto and Kurama finally agreed to rip the thing off, she could fully access the fox's chakra and rip the lid off their combined chakra. He couldn't wait to see it, honestly, and knew that Kakashi would flip: he couldn't wait to see that either.

"The fox is pretty agreeable and partial to Naru-chan these days," he said after making sure they weren't being observed, "we'll make it work."

"She doesn't think twice of using it's - his - chakra," Kakashi said uneasily. "She channels it when her emotions run high. We'll have to ensure she stops that. I'm... I'm afraid for her. Maa..."

"Don't worry, brat," he said, obviously frustrating and interrupting the younger man. Noticing that the darkness of night was ending, Jiraiya perked up, having been given an out to this conversation. "Shit, I gotta run! See ya when I see ya," Jiraiya said, turning and waving over his shoulder before sunshinning away.

Kakashi ran his hand through his hair, concluding that he needed to seek out more information on jinchuuriki and ensure that Naru-chan carefully read all of her mother's journals and notes. Now that he was up, however, it might be nice to make love to his wife again...