DISCLAIMER: I own nothing from the Naruto universe but I do have an imagination of my own.

Thinking (or flashbacks, etc.)

Emphasis

Biju, etc. speaking

Biju, etc. thinking

Inu successfully completed his latest mission in Grass, and couldn't wait to get home. Thanks to some Iwa rogue nin that were looking for payback, his "meeting" with his target had been delayed, which meant that he'd had to search out his target's new location. He'd been gone for over a month and found that he missed his home more than ever.

As he reached the trees of the Land of Fire, he comfortably jumped through the familiar branches, allowing his thoughts to ponder what had happened at the Senju place since he'd been gone. Although Tsunade, Shizune, and Hashi still lived in the very secured compound with little Naru, he still had concerns that the adults could be pulled away for emergency shifts at the hospital and didn't like the idea of leaving the two children alone. Granted, Hashi was skilled and much older than Kakashi had been when Kakashi first earned his hitai-ate, but he didn't believe the boy could provide adult supervision to his... charge.

His little blonde charge who was also pretty skilled, herself.

He sighed deeply as he took another leap through the trees. It was still difficult to call Naru his daughter, but the papers had been signed, and when they were together - he reminded himself - he didn't really dislike it much at all. Kakashi had asked Inoichi to look for Tsunade or Shizune who might bring his... child over to his place if both of them had to be out after Academy hours. Jiraiya-sama was in the middle of a big investigation of whatever Orochimaru's disgusting new interests and potential hideouts were and wouldn't be available.

Inu had to assume that everything was alright. He'd left Pakkun with Naru this time, and knew that his first summon would have reached him if there was a problem. What could he do, though? He had ANBU duties to fulfill, and fulfill them he would.

He also hoped that Shisui had managed his infiltration of Danzo's forces and hadn't been caught. Although highly skilled, Shisui was still a kid, too, and Kakashi considered Danzo to be highly dangerous. At least Shisui would be able to run away quickly. The kid's moniker said it all: Sunshin no Shisui was one fast little brat. Considering the Uchiha a little longer, his thoughts traveled to the younger Uchiha prodigy - Itachi, (Kakashi's hand fisted involuntarily,) - and wondered if ANBU duties had prevented him from going to the Academy to pick up his brother... and trying to "pick-up" my daughter.

Soon enough, Itachi would be under his command, so he'd make sure that his schedule changed! He let out the beginning of an evil laugh before snickering internally at the whole thing.

"I don't understand why we can't do a jutsu like Kiba's learning," Naruto said to Pakkun. Again.

Pakkun sighed and put his head back on his paws. Boss had been gone much longer than Kakashi planned. The fact that he was still here with the puppy meant that Boss was okay and had plenty of chakra, though, so that was comforting. "I've told you before, Naru-hime, I'm a non-combat type. And you're not an Inuzuka. The Inuzuka don't use summons like me and the pack. They raise normal dogs and teach them their techniques."

"Don't you call Akamaru and our family normal! Akamaru's awesome!"

"Shhh! Dog breath, you're gonna get me in trouble," Naru winced as she made sure to cover Pakkun up a little more. Pakkun wasn't supposed to be in the classroom, but they both agreed that she needed to sneak him in anyway.

Pakkun poked his head out again at the Inuzuka while Naru tried to hide him behind her leg. He actually liked being carried around in a bag as Naru had been doing each school day. "No one would ever say your family's normal, Kiba-brat."

"Why you! Wait 'til I tell my Ma!"

"Kiba! Naru, Shikamaru, Choji: you four have detention with me," Iruka-sensei said heatedly as he walked back into the room.

"Troublesome."

"Aww, sensei! Shikamaru and me were just sitting here," Choji nearly whined before putting another chip in his mouth.

"You're all supposed to be reading!" the hot-headed teacher scolded.

"I wasn't reading either! Can I stay for detention, too?"

"Ino-chan! You're a clan heiress! You should know better than to..."

"What the hell does that make the rest of us, 'ttebayo? Chopped liver?!" Naru snarked at the same time Ino asked, "Can Sasuke-kun come to attention, too?"

"DEtention, Ino-chan, and no!"

"Hn," Sasuke smirked at the group of losers.

"Bastard," Naru shook her little fist at the emo. She couldn't stand that guy. How could someone as uncool and stupid-haired be at all related to Itachi-chan? Itachi-chan was nice and cool. He even told her the secret that he was going to be working with her daddy, which meant that he HAD to be super awesome. Well, he sorta told her. His curly-haired cousin was the one to actually spill the beans as a supposed joke but Itachi-chan swore her to secrecy - so that meant it was true. She couldn't even tell her daddy that she knew.

Soon the class was over and the five children decided to make Iruka-sensei's life as miserable as possible. Naru had learned a few containment seals and was trying to figure out whether to get some of Iruka's blood to activate one filled with glue and another with feathers or doing like Shikamaru advised and making a time component so they'd go off just after detention would be over. Ino-chan had brought some pretty green leaves that she wouldn't touch unless she had gloves on and offered to put them in Iruka-sensei's desk, but that seemed like too much.

Other than offering advice or saying "troublesome," Shikamaru only wanted to sleep but would get another detention if he did. He finally pulled out a shogi travel board and played with Naru and Choji, who teamed up against him. Ino and Kiba were playing with Akamaru, who was training to do some cool Inuzuka move by rolling around on the floor in circles. Pakkun spoke dog and people, so he was giving the pup advice on how to roll faster, but hid again in Naru's bag when Iruka-sensei came back.

"What are you... Did Akamaru chew on my chair again?!"

"He's a puppy, sensei! He's teething," Kiba replied.

Iruka groaned and palmed his forehead. "Right. Please bring something for him to chew on - a toy or... well, I'm sure your family has something that will help him get through the day. I need to leave early, so for homework I want you to hand in a paper listing all of the shinobi rules tomorrow." The children booed him and he felt his headache increase in intensity. His kids had to be the brattiest in the entire Academy.

The children were dismissed and Iruka was so glad to see them leave, he didn't notice each of them hop over the area in front of the classroom door as they left. It was only when he was leaving once it was nearly dark outside that he stepped on those tiles and heard two pops as he was covered with glue and pink feathers.

The five friends ran outside to their parents, or in Naru's case to Hashi and Tsunade. They were all scolded for getting another detention before being dragged to various parts of the village.

Naru hated the hospital! Even with her cool mask on, it was smelly and creepy. Shinobi hated being there and were really rude and only shut the hell up when her granny came in and scared them senseless. Since being forced to work at the hospital, (which usually meant following Drunk Granny and Shizuneechan around,) she'd had to go there almost every day no matter what she did to make them mad.

Now she was pouting under her mask as an old guy with weird hair laughed at her size. All she needed was to write down how this asshole was feeling today, and here he was, making fun of her when she'd been being nice. "If that will be all, Shinzo-san, I'll be on my way." I'm trying to be professional here!

The man named Shinzo continued to laugh. "Sure, sure. Thanks for dropping by, mini-doc!"

Naru cringed even though that's not the worst name she'd been called here by a long shot. It was the straw that broke the camel's back, though. Looking through the patient's file, she decided to write down that the man reported he was terribly constipated. Laxatives wouldn't really hurt him and were karma, so she figured she was doing the gods' will.

Plus, it wasn't fair that she was doing someone else's job for free!

She stomped down the hallway but stopped when she felt a familiar presence. Quickly looking behind her, no one was there, but Naru stayed on alert. "Is someone there?"

"I think you were being watched. A presence was erased quickly when you alerted me."

"When I woke you up!" Naru scolded. She quietly and quickly made her way back to her family, refusing to do more than her homework in Tsunade's office.

"It's up to you to sense your surroundings, brat! I cannot be awake all of the time: you know this!"

She drew pictures on her paper of a lazy fox with x's for eyes, but threw it in the trash and started over on her stupid shinobi rules homework. Naru didn't agree with half of the rules for shinobi conduct, and Kurama-nii-san told her that in the end, shinobi didn't abide by them half the time anyway. Even her daddy didn't really believe in the one about putting the mission first no matter what, and that was supposed to be the most important of all of them!

Kakashi walked into the compound and found it empty. He cleaned up and put on his Jonin uniform before leaving again. He was starving but thought that taking Naru out to Ichiraku's sounded really good right now. He looked away from a Chunin who had two bright feathers stuck to his backside, not even wanting to know what that was about.

Deciding to turn in his mission report on time for once - that would shock the hell out of the mission's room so it would be worth it - he walked toward the ANBU entrance. Feeling Naru's gigantic hot chakra at the hospital, he nearly had a fit. He rushed in, asking for his daughter's room, only for the receptionist to tell him that she wasn't a patient before she tried to flirt with him. He ignored her and ran toward his daughter's chakra signature. She WAS staying there!

Kakashi slammed a door open, scaring the daylights of the elderly woman lying in a bed. Naru was standing there in the tiniest med-nin's cloak he'd ever seen with a clipboard and file, her dark blue mask pulled up over her nose.

"Daddy?"

He held his arms out and Naruto rushed to him. "I missed you!"

"Ohhhh! Shinobi-san, you nearly scared the life out of me, and I'm an old woman! I'd say shame on you, but first, I must tell you that your daughter is adorable," the old woman eventually said with a smile as she held her hand to her heart.

"What are you doing here, kiddo?!" Kakashi asked after looking Naru over and smelling that she was just fine.

"Drunk Granny's work!"

"Is that right?" Kakashi asked darkly. "Maa, why don't we go see the old hag and get you out of here?"

"'kay. I've gotta get Mai-san some tea, though." Naru jumped out of his arms and went behind the nurses' station. She came out with a little teapot and cup and scowled at the nurses who were already trying to look cute for her father. What a bunch of idiots. She took the teapot to the nice old lady and told her to get better soon before skipping back out to rescue her dad from the stupid women. "Can you carry me?" Naru enjoyed being picked up and flipped off one of the nurses behind her daddy's back who was scowling at her for taking his attention away from her.

Naruto told the masked nin all about her adventures at school and the hospital as she slurped her delicious ramen. She couldn't figure out how to eat through her mask, and Kakashi wouldn't allow it. She also scolded her father for eating so fast, telling him that it was going to make him sick, but he just shrugged at her.

Just as her daddy was slinking from corner to corner in order to avoid Uncle Gai, Naru felt like she was being watched. "I think someone's there again," she whispered in his ear.

Kakashi was instantly on alert and flipped Naru around to his back. "Stay there." He made a clone to watch his back and hers, but didn't see anyone until Gai nearly took him down with a "DYNAMIC ENTRY!"

"Goddammit, Gai! I've got Naru-chan on my back!"

Gai paused before breaking into tears. "M - my humblest of all apologies, Rival! I did not see the princess and BWAH!" Naru shook her head as Uncle Gai broke out into full manly tears as he called it. He apologized over and over and only when he got control of himself did he answer Kakashi's questions. "No, I only saw you - or rather your hair in the moonlight."

Naru thought Gai's eyebrows did something especially weird as he became more serious. "Has your youth been threatened?" She supposed in Gai-speak he was asking about what she'd felt, as her daddy was staring at her with one eye, too, after holding his headband up to scan the area with that red eye of his. She shook her head: she didn't feel anything weird or scary now. The three of them headed toward the Senju compound; Gai was more excited to be with Kakashi than made any sense.

"It's definitely her." The traitor held up a crumpled paper that had obviously been thrown away. He tapped the childish pictures of multi-tailed foxes and smirked. "She's supposed to be smart, but it looks like she's still a child at heart."

"Do we grab her now?"

Mizuki took a deep breath before slowly shaking his head. "No. She's got the Leaf's top tree-huggers guarding her. We'll need to wait and play it by ear. This is a long-term, multi-faceted mission. We've got time." They needed to keep watching the girl to get a better grasp of her patterns and skills. He was Orochimaru's man through and through, but he didn't trust the Snake Sannin to have told him everything that the altered jinchuuriki could be capable of.