DISCLAIMER: I own nothing from the Naruto universe but I do have an imagination of my own. I will be happy to take advice and suggestions from my readers while continuing the story.

Thinking (+ flashbacks, etc.)

Biju, etc. speaking

Biju, etc. thinking

Emphasis

Classes were so boring, Naru found it hard to stay awake. Recently she had been falling asleep or "resting her eyes" as the senseis taught things that she'd learned more than a lifetime ago, and not for the first time, Ru wondered if there was a way around the Ninja Academy. She wasn't the only person in her class who slept, but she was the only person to be sent out into the hallway whenever she was caught. Perhaps if she ever saw that jerk Hokage again, she'd ask him if she could test out or even go to another type of school.

Since I've got all this time on my hands, it's too bad I can't go back to college to shoot for my master's degree. Not that she was Rachel anymore, but it was still a nice thought, even if it was only a hopeless dream.

It had been well over a year since "JiJi," as she called him then, abandoned her at her apartment, and she hadn't seen him since. Who knows if he would hear her out or not, or if there was even another option?

Kunoichi classes were the highlight of her admittedly dreary days. Although flower arranging, tea ceremonies, and dancing were all supposedly applicable to the field, Ru found it difficult to imagine anyone actually using those on the front lines, thankfully, so she took special care to learn and practice everything that Uchiha-sensei taught. Being something like a spy was a role that she felt she might be able to stomach, and the kunoichi arts classes offered quite a bit of insight into that type of career. The parents she had in her first life were in the military and the intelligence division of the government, and they had been very honorable people. Perhaps Ru could do them proud here, following after them.

Uchiha-sensei was a wonderful person. She was Sasuke-kun's mother, a formerly inactive Jonin who had taken over after the last kunoichi sensei had probably been taken to T&I by Genma -er, Bear. All of the girls loved her, and Ru had been rather shocked that she was so attentive to her, considering her status as the jinchuuriki: a rather disgusting name for "what she was" that she'd found in Lady Ichika's library.

Only one journal that she'd found so far referred to Tailed Beasts, and Ru found their treatment by shinobi to be absolutely abusive and so wrong. The idea that the Shodai, Lady Ichika's supposedly sweet brother-in-law, handed them out like candy to other Kage who then sealed them away in their shinobi didn't sit well with her. And of course, it was personal: very personal to Naru.

"Kyuubi-sama?"

"Get out of here," he said with hot breath that blew her hair back without even opening his eyes.

"You said it yourself, this is my mind! I found Lady Mito's journal and she said that..."

One of the Kyuuubi's eyes opened. "Lady Mito, eh? Come closer."

Ru did so, but the Kyuubi took an incredibly fast swipe at her that seemed to rattle the entire area.

"That - that wasn't very nice! How are we going to get along if..."

"I will destroy you. I will kill you, escape, and come for everyone you've ever cared about... And I cannot wait to utterly destroy this damned village."

"Not cool man! It's no wonder people say horrible things about you!"

Ugh. That fox hated her so much, no matter what she tried. She visited him at least once a week now, and he kicked her out every time. Out of her own mind!

Lady Ichika did not seem pleased when Ru asked how her sister came to be a jinchuuriki, so she quickly dropped the topic for the time being, and Ru noted that Lady Mito's journal had disappeared from Lady Ichika's library afterward. It had been nearly two months since she'd seen her Aunt, and Ru felt that if the separation went on one day longer, she was going to have to go find her. She had to make sure that she was alive and relatively well!

It had also been well over a month or so since she'd begun being followed by the Uchiha brothers. Ru didn't bother trapping her home to the same degree that she had that first afternoon she'd encountered them, but she did have seals ready that held all her trapping and maiming supplies in strategic places, keyed to release if anyone other than either she or Lady Ichika came within their range.

God, she loved seals!

"Naruto-chan, what are you doing in the hallway? Why are you not in class?"

Ru snapped out of her thoughts and opened her eyes. "Good morning, Uchiha-sensei. I fell asleep in class, and umm... believe that I'm being punished," she laughed nervously. "It seems I didn't bring enough reading material with me to pass the day." She looked down at the floor, feeling ashamed even though she knew that the senseis were targeting, or at least singling her out. Ru really liked Uchiha-sensei, though, and didn't want to disappoint her.

Mikoto saw red for just a moment but then thought that this could be a blessing. "Has this happened before?"

"Nearly daily, recently," Ru admitted, then felt like an ass for doing so. Her sensei cocked her head and looked somewhere between put-out and amused. Her chakra didn't betray those emotions, either.

"Perhaps you should go to bed earlier, young lady," Mikoto scolded with a wink before shaking her head. She sighed deeply and threw her long hair back. "How long do you believe this punishment will last?"

Naru felt Uchiha-sensei's deep longing for something once again and wasn't sure how to handle it. She cleared her throat and tried to ignore it. "Probably until I'm out of the Academy," she chuckled bitterly, "but if you're asking about how long this usually lasts day-by-day: I usually stay out here until it's time for either taijutsu or your lessons, sensei."

"Hmm. I'll have to speak with Iruka and Mizuki about this." Naruto began waving her hands around to signal that she shouldn't do that and Mikoto once again saw that the girl wasn't only her father's child. That awkward waving with her eyes popping out was so like Kushina that she could've either cried or celebrated. "So, Naruto-chan. Are you a good cook?"

"Umm... I'm creative, maybe?" Ru replied, wondering where that question came from.

"Good! Let's see how creative you are, ne?! We have a few hours before my class starts! You're with me!"

Ru followed her smiling teacher out of the Academy and through the village and finally into the Uchiha compound. She got some funny looks from the MPF officers who seemed to be everywhere, let alone some of the civilians there, but absolutely no one was mean and Ru was sure that was because Uchiha-sensei was the clan matriarch. Nearly everyone waved at or bowed to her, and their emotions indicated that she was quite a beloved and respected figure. "Is... is that a CAT cafe?!" Ru asked as they approached a restaurant that had more cats than people inside. They were even on a covered patio and terrace, and were so, so cute in their little clothes!

"It is," her teacher confirmed as she smiled even more broadly. "Is that something you're interested in, Naruto-chan?"

"Hell yeah! EEP! Gomennasai, Uchiha-sensei! I just..."

"No worries, Naruto-chan, although you should watch your language," she said without heat. There was no use in giving the girl a hard time. Like Kushina-chan always said, getting an Uzumaki to stop fighting and cursing is like forcing a cat to do what you want. She said that before she met Mikoto's cat summons who minded very well. Kushina was almost angry about it, and Mikoto had teased her, telling her that since cats could do as told, that meant that she had to stop using expletives and beating people up. As Naruto looked longingly behind her at the cafe, Mikoto bit back happy tears as she remembered her red-headed best friend and her many shadow clones taking up the entire restaurant as they "loved all over" the horrified kitties.

Naruto gawked at Uchiha-sensei's home: it was HUGE! She supposed it was based on a traditional Japanese style, but it had two floors, and an incredible amount of land around it, considering that the home was within a single clan compound.

Is this how all my little friends live? The only kids she spoke to were all clan heirs, so maybe they did. Gosh... She really wasn't worthy of their status, for lack of a better way to put it. Well, it's not their fault they're rich. It's not my fault I'm poor, either, though! Realizing that one of the boys who liked, (or had been ordered,) to follow her around was inside the manor, Ru scolded herself for being so excited to be in such a nice, almost mini-village. She hadn't been paying attention to sense if anyone would hurt her and hadn't even henged.

Uchiha-sensei's such a nice lady, I just forgot.

Entering her home, Mikoto nearly face-palmed: she'd forgotten that she'd left her troublesome nephew at home to help her move some boxes. Shisui was out cold on the couch, his feet up on the boxes he was supposed to have moved by now. He let out a rather loud snore and Naruto-chan giggled behind her.

"Thank you for having me in your home Uchiha-sensei," Naru bowed.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Shisui yelled as he fell off the couch in a heap.

"Shisui-kun! We have a guest!" Mikoto scolded.

"Yeah, I can see that!" Suddenly the boy was in front of them. Mikoto did face-palm this time, wondering why her nephew always had to show off his sunshin. "Hiya, Uzumaki-chan! I'm Uchiha Shisui! Whatcha doin' here?" He saw his aunt shaking her head at him, so he wiggled his eyebrows at her.

Women are suckers for my beautiful eyes, Shisui knew. His aunt flicked him in the forehead particularly hard before he could move out of the way. "Ouch!"

"Naruto-chan is here," Mikoto replied, trying to hold back her racing heart at finally having the girl in her home, "to cook with me!"

"So you're learning to cook, Uzumaki-chan?" Shisui asked as he bent down to look into her eyes.

He's way too close! "Ano, I already know how to cook, Uchiha-san, but…"

"Don't call me that! Call me Shisui! Shisui-senpai," the boy said, nodding his head as if that was a great idea.

Naru supposed it probably was. "Pleased to meet you, Shisui-senpai," Naruto said and scrunched her nose up as she followed Uchiha-sensei through her home and finally into a large kitchen that had a table possibly meant for informal and cozy family meals. She'd noticed the grander but very traditional dining room that was next to it. She regretted that she really didn't sound at all happy to meet the boy who had been sneaking around, following her. "You seem to know of me," she said as she gave him a little glare - which made him smile broadly, of all the ways to react - "however it only seems polite to introduce myself. I am Uzumaki Naruto. You may call me Naruto."

No way was Naru letting this weird teenager call her one of her "pet names." Maybe I should have him call me Uzumaki-sama. The idea made her snort rather loudly, which she then apologized for, covering most of her face. Shisui-senpai laughed at that way too hard, and even Uchiha-sensei giggled and looked at her like she was seeing someone else.

"Why don't you show me that creativity you spoke of, Naruto-chan? Feel free to make what you want, and tell me what I can do to help," Mikoto said, her eyes twinkling.

Naruto twisted her lips and thought about what she really wanted to eat, and what might seem creative. "I could make pizza," she said absently as she scratched the back of her neck. It's not like she was a great cook at all, so maybe Uchiha-sensei could help her figure out what was missing. The ingredients were pretty basic, after all, or so she thought. Ru asked if she could use one thing after another, with Uchiha-sensei finally pulling out what seemed to be half of what was in her cupboards.

Hours later, her latest pizza was really coming together. Uchiha-sensei was a wonderful cook - and Ru already knew that she was a wonderful teacher, too. Herbs and spices made a huge difference in how the pizza and even the crust tasted. Ru was happy to see Shisui was absolutely moaning in delight as he downed another slice of Hawaiian-style pizza. The kid had a sweet tooth, and the pineapple on this one definitely made it his favorite. Ru had to admit, he was growing on her, that is until he challenged her to a duel.

"A duel?! Shisui-kun! She's an Academy student!" Mikoto scolded as she slapped her nephew in the shoulder. "And we just cooked for you!"

"I meant a spar! It'll be fiiiiiine," he groaned out happily. "I'm all bloated and happy, so she'll have an advantage!" Shisui patted his enlarged belly gingerly.

Ru and Mikoto each had an expression of slight disgust on their faces. "You're a Jonin," Naruto deadpanned, making Shisui laugh brightly.

"I just wanna see what you've got! Itachi and I train Sasuke-chan all the time! C'mon," Shisui dragged Naru into the large backyard. Mikoto sat down on the steps to watch, shaking her head and making Shisui promise to be careful.

She needn't have bothered.

Shisui had so far puked part of his lunch when he was hit - by an Academy student! He's a Jonin, Mikoto thought in a degree of exasperation at both of the children - by a chakra-infused punch after he'd been pulling the girl's pigtails as he sunshinned around her. Naruto-chan had apparently tired of his teasing as she and her clones - shadow clones for Kami's sake! - skillfully and quickly tripped and rapidly pounded on him in a way that was reminiscent of Tsunade-hime. Naru's taijutsu form reminded her of Maito Gai, only dirtier, and Mikoto wondered if she'd somehow learned it from him, although Gai-san didn't infuse his punches with chakra like Naru was doing now. He also didn't henge substitutions and use ninjutsu in his attacks.

She saw her nephew's Sharingan spin to life and stood up to stop the spar, knowing the Kyuubi's and Kushina-chan's weakness to it, but Naruto unleashed a seal that splashed water into Shisui's eyes right at that moment. A seal! Oh, Kushina! If only you were here! Your daughter is amazing! "Enough! Make the seal of reconciliation you two."

Naruto was breathing hard and made the seal, which Shisui met as he grabbed her up with his fingers as if she weighed nothing and he'd just been taking a walk rather than fighting as hard as she had been. "That's it: making those pizza things, then landing those hits on me? You're going to be my apprentice!"

"Whaa... Umm - really?!" Ru knew that it wasn't as easy as that, though. Becoming an official apprentice to a Jonin meant paperwork, various signatures, and approval by that mean old Hokage. She'd read about it. The idea of not having to sit through those boring lessons at the Academy, though...

"Absolutely, and I mean in an official capacity," Shisui smiled genuinely.

"It will... require more than just the two of us signing off on it, Shisui-kun," Mikoto said hesitantly. "She'll have to have Jonin or ANBU-level shinobis' signatures from outside the clan. Preferably the more outside the clan, the better," she said bitterly. It was the truth, though. If Shisui only had her family's signatures saying that Naru was ready for something like this, the Hokage and the Council would believe that they were trying to "control their weapon," just like Hiruzen-sama had said after the girl was born. She tsked. "She'll also have to take a written test."

"I can... I can do that. I don't think there will be a problem, but I umm, still lack knowledge in the kunoichi arts," Naruto said, hoping that she could still learn from Uchiha-sensei. "I also may not know what else the Academy is supposed to teach us in upper-level classes."

"Your kunoichi arts knowledge won't be an issue: they don't test that," Mikoto said flatly.

"Well that's just wrong," Ru said without thinking. "Oh, gomennasai! I should think before I speak, 'ttebayo." She thought she'd done something wrong with the way her sensei stared at her for a few moments but was suddenly enveloped in a hug by the dark-haired woman, who had started crying. Naruto froze: it had been so long since she'd been hugged like this. It almost made her cry. "I'm sorry, Uchiha-sensei." She wasn't sure what she had done to upset the woman, though. After being released, she saw the pity in Shisui's eyes and recoiled a bit, blinking back tears.

"Aa. It's all me, Naruto-chan: there's nothing for you to apologize for. Something you said brought back happy memories of a dear person that I lost," Mikoto sniffed, and grabbed a few tissues. "If you'd like," she said gently, "I can continue teaching you in the kunoichi arts?"

"I'd like that very much!"

"Well let's see what we can do." Mikoto couldn't believe she'd have anything to do with sending her best friend and teammate's child into the career they'd forced upon her after her birth this early, but it was clear to her that the Academy wasn't supporting her. She'd also seen a maturity in the girl that wasn't present even in the older kunoichi-hopefuls at the Academy while she studied and worked in her class. Shisui would be good for her, too. Her nephew held no animosity to her for being a jinchuuriki, had already mastered two chakra natures, worked additionally on wind techniques, and was such a good person. Perhaps the arrangement would even help relations between the village and her clan. Or not.

"I'm going to teach her to be a badass like her Kaa-chan, Miko!" Kushina said, both arms around her pregnant belly.

"Of course," Minato said as he chewed his pen behind the Shodai's desk in the Tower, "and I'll make sure she's the fastest kunoichi alive. Plus seals! Oh yes, we have to teach her sealing, Shina-chan," Minato nodded sagely.

That memory did it for Mikoto. Since the girl's father had passed, Shisui-kun was widely known as the fastest shinobi in the Leaf. He was strong, fair, wise for his age despite his silliness outside of missions, and deeply cared for those around him. Picking up a slice of "pizza," since for some reason Naruto said that eating it with chopsticks was a "sin," Mikoto gathered her belongings for the kunoichi classes along with a blank apprentice application that she eventually found in Fugaku's office. She read through it, signed as a once-again active Jonin, and gave it to Shisui before considering who he should also have sign it.

I'm not sure whether to ask your forgiveness for this or not, Kushina.

"I'm bringing Naruto-chan back to the Academy, Shisui-kun. Meet me there after classes are over." Shisui agreed and ruffled Naruto's hair which made her squawk and told her that he'd see her later.

Shisui hurried to the Hokage's office after meeting his aunt at the Academy and running around the village, finding most everyone he needed either in the bars or various training areas. Who knew that Uzumaki Naruto-chan knew so many ANBU? It had been incredibly easy to get all of the signatures required from those who used to be her guards. He only had to assure them that he would train her properly, allow them to see her, keep her out of dangerous missions, and that Yugao - that oh-so-beautiful kunoichi - allow her to train Naru-chan in kenjutsu. That was actually very helpful not only because Yugao and her damned steady boyfriend were so incredibly good at their specialty, but she was oh-so-female, and Naruto-chan would probably need... that. Yeah, that. PLUS, he still had ANBU and MPF duties - the latter of which he could take Naru-chan on... Plus there was Danzo and his ROOT nonsense.

Those duties he would certainly keep her away from.

He was gonna save his family!

Running up the stairs to the Hokage's office with a smile plastered to his face, he ignored Hiruzen-sama's secretary as he felt his aunt's chakra already with their leader.

"And this is the actual test she took?" Hiruzen asked as he went over Naruto-chan's answers and perfect score on the Academy's graduation test. He shouldn't have been surprised by the girl's intelligence, but the last time he saw Uzumaki Naruto, she didn't seem interested in being a kunoichi. He greeted a grinning Shisui who was in his Jonin uniform today.

Not that she has a choice about being a kunoichi. Hiruzen never expected Naruto-chan to graduate so soon, though.

The Hokage glanced up at the picture on the wall of his successor, and quickly looked away, feeling a bit of shame. If Minato found out where his daughter was living, he would probably bring the Shinigami back to the Leaf simply to take Hiruzen back with him, whether Lady Ichika owned the building Naruto now lived in or not. At least it looked like the girl could defend herself, if what Shisui and Mikoto said was true. ...Not to mention what she did to the Hyuuga boy.

"Yes, Hokage-sama. I observed her taking the test, and also ensured that Umino-san graded it properly," Mikoto said rather angrily, making sure to keep her expression blank.

Hiruzen grimaced. He had very much hoped that the two senseis he'd chosen for the girl while attending the Academy would've been fairer. Worse, he didn't think he could find full-time Chunins to work at the Academy that would treat her any better. He glanced up to see an almost giddily smiling Shisui and nearly laughed at how excited the boy seemed. However... "I'm sorry, Shisui-kun, but it was decided long ago that Jiraiya will be Naruto-chan's shishou.

"And where exactly IS Jiraiya-sama, Lord Hokage?!" It wasn't the first time that Mikoto had asked that, and she became determined that this would be the last time.

Hiruzen internally groaned, although he didn't appreciate Mikoto's outburst - however, he understood it. Although he received reports via summons from his last loyal student, he had no idea of where the man was. Worse, Jiraiya had refused to take care of his legal goddaughter and had only left summons to watch over her. If the ANBU reports were correct from when she was still cared for by a team - and I know they are - even that had eventually stopped. "Jiraiya-kun has a long-term mission, as you know Mikoto-chan..."

"He's NEVER been here for her, and you haven't allowed me my rights," Mikoto said bitterly, fisting her hands so that she didn't break down in tears here in front of this... this... this pitiful EXCUSE for a leader! "Kushina and Min-"

"That is ENOUGH, Jonin Uchiha-san," Hiruzen barked. His ANBU were in the office with them, and gods knew that the walls in this place talked. He leaned back in his chair and thought more on the topic. Obviously, his successor's daughter was good enough to graduate to Genin, but she would be the earliest to do so since Hatake Kakashi, and that young man was a mess. He'd graduated in near-wartime, however, and Naruto-chan would do so in a time of peace if he allowed it. He picked up the paperwork regarding Shisui's application and re-read it, absently weighing the pros and cons of the entire thing.

Positives for allowing the petition.

1. Naruto-chan will be properly trained and not wasting her time at the Academy.
2. Relations with the Uchiha could improve: it would show his trust in allowing a clan member to train the jinchuuriki. It would also definitely get Mikoto-san off his back, or at least temper her anger at him.
3. Lady Ichika might approve of this: the last time he spoke with her, she had been angry at how Naru-chan was being treated at the Academy, after all.
4. Many of his upper-level shinobi had signed Shisui's petition, and thus now know that Naruto-chan is ready to graduate. They probably already knew her skill level as he caught most of them observing her from afar. Knowing how popular Shisui is, if he didn't allow this petition to go forward, many would believe he was trying to hinder the girl's talents.
5. As a registered Genin, Danzo would be forced to stop his efforts at taking the girl. Those were efforts that he had been stopping his rival from for the girl's entire life. He groaned. Danzo. Which brought up point number six.
6. He would be seen as "finally" sharpening the village's weapon, something Danzo would surely approve of.
7. As pitiful an excuse for a godfather as Jiraiya had proven himself to be, this would drive his student mad.

Reasons to disallow the petition.

1. If I don't, Mikoto-san will be on my back even more.
2. Relations with the Uchiha could easily worsen if that was possible. The Uchiha were very wary, to say the least, of the jinchuuriki, and most chose to completely avoid the girl.
3. Lady Ichika might not approve of this, and if she didn't and he approved Shisui's application, she might try to kill him. If the woman really put her mind to it, she'd probably succeed, too.
4. Danzo would definitely be on his case about this and might become even more difficult to control - if that was possible.
5. Jiraiya had assured him that he would come back after Naruto became a Genin; they only anticipated that happening when the girl was 12, not seven! Judging from the last report he received from his student, however, there was no way he'd be able to leave his partially self-appointed mission to bring back Orochimaru-kun, as it seemed that his wayward genius student was occasionally delving into an organization of rogues. That was something so unlike the man he considered his third son, even now, that it was terribly suspicious.

"Hokage-sama?" Shisui asked; he was rather worried about his leader as he stared past him and his aunt for so long.

"One moment, Shisui-kun," Hiruzen asked before blowing out a few circles of smoke from his pipe absently. It really comes down to Danzo and Jiraiya, but mainly Danzo. "I require more time to consider this."

"Is there something not in order, Sandaime-sama?" Shisui asked. Village statutes stated that if the application was filled out properly with the compulsory number of signatures, which Shisui exceeded by including additional Jonin signatures to what was required, the petition would be allowed.

"No. That is all, Shisui-kun, Mikoto-san," he said, clearly dismissing them as he placed the application on a stack of paperwork. Mikoto grabbed Shisui's shoulder angrily and sunshinned them out of there before either even had a chance to bow to their leader as was customary.

"Let's find her," Mikoto said to her nephew in aggravation.

"But Aunty Mikoto, Hiruzen-sama said..."

"I've finally got my goddaughter back in my life as more than a student, and I'm not letting her go! Use that sensing ability you love to brag about, Shisui-kun! Find Naru-chan right now!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Shisui said. He really liked this feistier version of his aunt. Ever since she came out of retirement, it was like she was a different person in some ways. Especially with his downer of an uncle.

"Stuff it, Fu! I'm going to become an Academy sensei, and that's final!" Shisui snickered to himself. The look on his grumpy uncle's face had been priceless as he backed away from his wife. "There," Shisui said, detecting Naruto's massive chakra signature. Wait! It's like she disappeared!"

"Take me there now!" Mikoto wouldn't admit it, but she felt sick while traveling alongside Shisui-kun's peculiar and incredibly fast sunshin. It was different from Minato's: Minato's flashing around always made her vomit! There was no choice, though. She had to make sure that her goddaughter hadn't been taken.

Naruto brought The Supreme pizza she'd made at Uchiha-sensei's house home in a seal at her sensei's insistence. She didn't care for all the combined toppings on it, however, and decided to take it to her aunt. Her aunt, whose wonky chakra signature seemed to have disappeared right here, where she was now standing. "What the hell?"

The spiral that was on all her clothes, the Uzumaki spiral, was on the gate that had seemed to appear out of nowhere, right in front of her as she searched for the place her Aunt Ichika had last been, according to her senses. Is there actually an Uzumaki compound? It only made sense that this compound was exactly that, as she chewed on her bottom lip, trying to figure out what to do next. The gate was nearly covered in vines and loads of foliage surrounded it. Had Naruto not nearly walked straight into it, she would've walked right past it.

Did the Hokage really keep me from what might be my birthright?! Lady Ichika had told her that she was a real Uzumaki, although she wouldn't tell her who her parents were "yet." She'd long ago read that no one could be gifted a clan name, so she had assumed that was the case, but it was still wonderful to know that she had a family member, whether she was able to spend as much time with Lady Ichika as she wanted to or not.

"Aunty Ichika?!" Ru yelled after determining that no one else was close to her. She's gotta be in there. She's gonna eat this damn pizza, and she's not allowed to be dead: Goddammit! She grabbed the bars of the gate and shook them, and felt a hum of something warm and tingly, and felt her chakra coils sing along with that hum. Ru almost wanted to just stand there holding the bars; it felt so good. Trembling as she let go of the gate; she searched around under the plant life to find what she figured had to be a seal or lock somewhere. "There!"

She tried to unlock the gate, and that's when she saw the seal. Steeling herself, because if she wasn't allowed in it might not only break her heart, but seals could be tricky: she might get electrified or worse. Nicking her thumb on her sharp canine, the blonde brushed her blood across the seal and watched as the entire gate seemed to come to life. "Oh my God! Oh my God, oh my God," Ru said, her voice turning into a whisper. She took a step inside the gate and marveled at what was in front of her. There were fruit trees everywhere, as well as six large homes that were nearly covered with moss and vines. Naru thought they looked beautiful. The tiles, masonry, and woodwork were either a sandy white or dark black. Shells were incorporated into nearly everything, and each home had the Uzumaki spiral on the front door. "I'm home," she whispered shakily in English.

Naru still couldn't feel her aunt's chakra signature, though, and felt her already shot nerves and anxiety spike because of it. She decided to try the large home on her right first. Placing her hand on the doorknob, she nearly yelped as she felt a nick to her palm as she did so. It had drawn her blood, and she was even more shocked when the door opened automatically. "Aunty Ichika?" Stepping into the room, she hollered for her aunt again. The home she was in was completely dust-free, but looked lived in as she spotted a woman's sweater on the big fluffy red couch, and...

"Oh my God," the girl muttered aloud as she saw a Hokage's - the deceased Yondaime's - cloak hanging on a coat rack. "Is there anyone here?" she gulped. It wasn't in Ru's nature to walk into a place that - well, anyplace that she wasn't familiar with, but especially someone else's home! Her feet seemed to have a different idea, though, as she took everything in, her gaze finally settling on two attached framed pictures. A woman with red hair was in the Yondaime's arms, being kissed in the one on the left, and on the right... On the right... She knew that face: she had that face! A picture of a hugely smiling, red-haired pregnant woman with most of Ru's own facial features, who was being held by the Yondaime, himself, his smile soft and his expression proud. "Tadaima?"

"Naruto!" Mikoto yelled as she entered her friend's old home, followed by her nephew, who she feared was completely freaking out after pulling him into an unknown compound, to him anyway, as its gate was closing. She watched her goddaughter fall to the ground, on her knees, and she didn't seem to even be aware of her. Tears were flowing down her cute little face. "Naruto?" The girl sniffed miserably.

"My parents... my fath-, my," Ru cleared her throat, still staring at the picture. Yes, she noticed that she had the Yondaime's coloring long ago, and had completely forgotten about a silly conversation that she had, back when she was Rachel, with her little nephew.

"Can you believe that the Yondaime is his father?! That's his hero, you know," Sean said, looking up at her from her lap cheerily. Rachel snorted and gently scratched her nephew's fluffy ash blonde hair.

"Uh-duh! Sean! Couldn't you tell that they look like the same person outside of the whiskers! I think I've known since the first episode, and that was when I saw his dad's head on that Mount Rushmore they're ripping off!"

"It's the Hokage Mountain, stupid-o," Sean replied with a pout.

"My biological father is the Yondaime," Ru said with a bitter chuckle. "But who is this? Who is my mother?"