Play: Rewriting History

by A-Lysdove63

*This is a 2nd installment of a series and CANNOT be read as a Stand Alone. Please read Rewind: Reversing History, First. Thank You! Uzumaki-Namikaze Minashi has spent ten years waiting for the history she grew up in to arrive. Grow up a second time in the Third war; she now faces times of peace even as the shadows grow and plot the Fourth War once more.

7. Chapter 7

Season 2 Chapter 7

Sakumo stood once more in the small meeting room of section R3 of the hospital. Seals were lining the walls, inactive, as Uzumaki after Uzumaki either walked in or limped in with assistance. It had been almost a week since the last patient had woken. Thus, it was time to have a long talk with them.

Sakumo was the only non-Uzumaki present. Standing against the wall he left the seats for those who needed it and in respect for Michi-dono who was older than him.

When all nineteen survivors of Uzushio settled into seats, against a wall, or the spare chairs he'd had brought in to line the walls, the Hokage took a breath. He reminded himself of the discussion he'd had with Minashi a few days ago and prepared to tell Nineteen people a story of a lifetime.

"Are you waiting for anyone else Sakumo-san?" Michi asked seeing that all his people were present.

Sakumo nodded and flared his chakra in the short pattern signal. A moment later a swirl appeared at his side as Nagisa arrived. Attached to her was Minashi, Mariko, and Tsunade. Just as they arrived the walls lit up activating the security and privacy barrier.

Eyes of the Uzumakis were looking all around the walls with impressed looks before they landed on the tallest redhead at Sakumo's side.

The Hokage noticed the ones not of the main family weren't reacting like Mariko once had, even with Nagisa's chakra not hidden completely.

Mashai was the only one of his siblings not to react. Mako had stiffened with the other main family, but for another reason. The same reason Sakumo could tell now that it wasn't hidden. Nagisa and Minashi's scent were exactly the same.

"What is the meaning of this?" Kaiya Uzumaki-Senju hissed jumping to her feet. "Why is this Nagisa woman's chakra connected to Minashi-chan's Life gate?!"

Sakumo blinked and glanced down to Minashi. "Life gate?"

The blonde twitched. "How else do you think i can telepathically communicate with her so easily?" she muttered.

"Or why she had a fucking seizure when her Original almost died." Tsunade grunted. Minashi winced.

"Oi, I didn't know it would do that too, give me a break!" She snapped at the taller kunoichi. "And that wasn't my fault Zetsu decided to sever me in half."

"Please stop." Sakumo grunted out. "I do not like being reminded of that night."

The two blondes stopped and Nagisa let out a sigh as she looked at Michi. "Ne, jiji you going to continue to sit there like you don't know anything about this?"

Michi just tilted his head at her. "Well, Ane-sama was the one that was the main conduit for the Seal and got the brunt of it. I only received echos." He waved to his white haired temples. "However I do have a feeling we were all under that Fuuin-kinjutsu a lot longer than what history is currently saying. So, what Time-Space Fuuin-kinjutsu did you create, little sea star?" The elder smirked.

Nagisa hummed and then completely dropped her blood henge. Revealing a grown up Minashi. "Time travel."

Jaws of the Uzumakis dropped, but the four blood mainline members narrowed their eyes.

"Hm, so that was it." Michi nodded. "How much time passed in the history you knew?"

"Since Uzu's fall or for me personally?"

"Both."

"Forty-four years. I was Twenty-Five years old when I traveled." Nagisa answered respectively, ignoring how all the Uzumaki eyes had widened.

"How long have you been in this time?" Michi continued.

"Ten, almost eleven years."

Michi let out a long sigh. "Fifty-five years. That is a long time."

Nagisa swallowed, her eyes watery as she nodded sharply. Minashi's own head bowed and was hidden by her hair as her Blood Clone spoke for them.

"I didn't know." Nagisa whispered. "Nii-san and I didn't know. We didn't even know what it meant to be an uzumaki until Jiraiya-shishou got a hold of us when we were thirteen. He taught us Uzumaki sealing. Naruto…" she smiled sadly and fondly. "My Knuckleheaded Aniki didn't have a head for Seals in the same way I took to them. That didn't stop him from listening to me ramble about them and then ask for me to do something that completely broke the rules of sealing. And, being the dutiful sister i was, i did what he asked. Jiraiya-shishou threw a fit every time they worked."

She shook her head. "Gomen. I got distracted." Nagisa took a calming breath and met Michi's gaze again. "Naruto and I were born on the day the Kyuubi was set on konoha. Our parents died the same day sealing it between us. For thirteen years our life in konoha was miserable. Dark men in the shadows tried time after time to manipulate things so that we would end up in his hands as his personal weapons to train and then point at Konoha enemies. Our shadow guardians never let him get us however."

"Things then just got so busy. We had a terrorist group after the bijuu, an ex-teammate that went rouge and were determined to drag back kicking and screaming. All while we were training under Shishou to get stronger. There was a war brewing and everyone was the target if the madman got his hands on the bijuus."

Nagisa turned her eyes up to the ceiling. "War broke out when we were eighteen. Naruto and I had mastered Sage Mode, even made friends with our furry companion, but it wasn't enough. Naruto died after Kurama was extracted from him when we were almost nineteen. On his dying breath he gave me his last crazy idea. He told me to take my Kurama, take our comrades in the Allied shinobi forces that remained and run. Run, survive, and find a way to go back. Go back and Change our fates." Tears fell down Nagisa's face at the memory. "I don't remember the return to Konoha. Kurama had taken control as all I could feel was Naruto's soul missing from my own. When I returned, I did everything I could to get stronger, to fight harder and longer."

"We ended up going deep underground after a devastating loss to the villages. The Alliance banded together to create an underground sanctuary where we were free from the Juubi's monsters, Madara's power, and the catastrophic Bijuu bombs that destroyed and poisoned the lands."

"We fought for years to save who we could, to make a dent in the forces, but nothing worked. I threw myself into Fuuinjutsu to see if my brother's last wish was even possible."

Nagisa closed her eyes as she continued to confess to those who'd waited so long. "I'd never known much of Uzushio. Not…Not until we used Edo Tensai to assist the alliance instead of having it used against us. We called up Konoha's Kages. They helped ease some of the pressure off of our defenses. But it was Tobirama that helped me the most. He taught me Uzumaki sealing, he taught me swordsmanship. He…He kept silent when I summoned my great-grandmother Miku to teach me all I needed to know about the Uzumakis."

Michi's closed his eyes and let out a breath before reopening them when the Clone continued its original's story. Miku had been the head of their hospital. It didn't surprise him that she was long gone, most likely defending her patients.

"Between Tobirama, myself, my father, and Miku's teachings, I was able to create the Time-space Fuuin-Kinjutsu I would need to go back in time. However, being the one sent back, I could not cast it. Everyone that was strong enough gathered to power a point in the seal that would cast it around me. With that and the sacrifice of my own age, I fulfilled my brother's final wish and turned back time to give the world another chance."

Nagisa finally looked down and met Michi's gaze. Those Violet eyes were sharp on the clone.

"There are other reasons that gave me a reason to visit uzushio this time, as i've dreamed about her ever since Miku-ba told me stories of her. But they gave me reason and purpose to finally get permission to visit and take those that I'd made and claimed as family in this new life, to also return and see what we could do for our people. We were not expecting Miho-oba's seal."

Michi hummed and nodded. "That is understandable. It was practically suicide for us as well, and we'd accepted that. You are not responsible for making us and our people wait to be put to rest or saved in our cases. How were you to know that we were still there when you weren't taught of the power of our determination and bonds until much too late?" He smiled gently before it dropped. "However, did your teachers not discuss with you why no Uzumaki has ever succeeded in time travel and then Forbade it for that reason?"

"Not enough sacrifice?" Nagisa said carefully and with a confused inflection. (she was hoping he wouldn't say what she had already theorized but was denying.)

Michi's violet eyes narrowed. "You are not that stupid girl."

The blonde looked away. "They didn't talk about it because they didn't know…or Tobirama never talked about it."

"Ah, but you are quickly rising to a grand mastery level yourself. You must already have the theories in your head."

Nagisa stubbornly stayed silent even as Sakumo's head bounced between the two concerned.

"There is a reason I automatically called you granddaughter Minashi." Michi stood up and moved to take her hand. "I do not know how it is possible, and I would love to know your theories of how this came to be, but Time travel is not humanly possible because a soul cannot exist in two places at one time. Thus, you turned back the clock and took over the body of my youngest son Kenta's child."

Nagisa's watery eyes looked up and into Michi's sad ones. "I….I know." She whispered.

Michi hummed. "Your soul would have been rejected if the original host was whole and healthy. Minashi dear, whatever you did, saved her. Her body and soul must have been too weak to continue on thus she didn't fight it when you took over this body."

"But-but Tsunade-ba's necklace came with me."

Michi blinked and looked at the necklace Tsunade showed off even as Minashi lifted the one she was wearing.

"Oh, that's easy, that's Uzumaki Jade. As long as it is filled with the power of the mokuton or Uzumaki chakra, it bonds to its wearer. There are protective seals cast on it to protect those of Uzumaki blood."

Tsunade's face pinched and Minashi's eyes widened as she looked down at the gem. "Ba-san said it was the Shodaime's though."

"Hm? Oh, no, that was a gift Mito made for Hashirama as an engagement gift. It also helped him control his Mokuton." Michi beamed. "Quite a unique piece to be honest. Also since it is not human or living, it traveled with you."

Minashi and Nagisa just stared at Michi a little lost. "But…but…"

"She fell from the fucking sky." Sakumo blurted out. "She was a literal ball of golden chakra falling from the sky."

Michi opened his mouth before shutting it and frowning. "Well now, that is a curiosity to unravel."

Minashi spluttered as her Blood clone just stared at the older man with a blank look. "That's it!? You're just going to accept that I took over your granddaughter's body?!"

Michi smiled and lowered to kneel before Minashi to meet her gaze head on.

"Little sea star, I already told you. If her body had been whole and healthy, you would have been rejected. Even a four year old would have been strong enough to kick out an invading soul. Thus, there was something that was connecting you to my granddaughter long before you decided to time travel. So when your strong soul that had a connection to her own, came with the ability to survive where she no longer could? She let go of her position as host soul of her body. Thus your chakra merged into her system just as her blood merged with your own so that you wouldn't be rejected by the world. Thus, you are my granddaughter by blood and chakra."

"Would…this be affected," Sakumo asked carefully. "If Minashi herself was already an old soul that is stuck in the reincarnation cycle and has access to some of those memories?"

Michi straightened up and looked at Sakumo sharply before gazing between Minashi and Nagisa. "W-w-well…uhh…Really?!" His head bounced between them excitedly. "There's never been recorded conscious recollections of reincarnations! Who do you remember?"

Nagisa snorted. "Researcher to the core." She smiled fondly. "Miku said as such, but it's nice to see it in person."

"Yeah, yeah brat, now answer me." Michi pouted.

"Otsutsuki, ne Uzumaki Kamera." Minashi said innocently and watched as many red brows rose as all the Uzumakis recognized the name of their legendary originator.

"Sister of Otsutski-Senju Ashura and Otsutsuki-Uchiha Indra?" Michi confirmed.

"Yeeep." Minashi popped her 'p'. She could practically see the wheels turning in Michi's eyes as he connected the dots.

"Huh." He grunted.

"Hm." Minashi vocalized.

"It is possible then that Kenta's original daughter was supposed to be one of your reincarnations, but something went wrong the first time, thus you were lost young. Because of this, Kushina was able to give birth to you instead. Running off the theories of reincarnations, that means Indra or ashura's souls from the previous cycle were still around-"

"Madara didn't die until the third war." Nagisa provided dryly. Michi snapped his fingers and pointed at her.

"That would do it. However ,since you, a stronger Kamera reincarnation came back in time, the world readjusted and allowed you to live….it is possible that Ashura's soul was reincarnated around the same time as you and you both were going to die and go through the cycle again. Do you know if they have again?"

Nagisa nodded. "Hai. Ashura and Indra have been reborn once more. I am just not Ashura's twin this time."

"Which means, due to Kenta's DNA, Ashura was your twin again in this life but didn't have a second soul to save him like you did." Michi beamed as his researcher's mind flew with theories and arguments, missing Minashi's face blanking and Nagisa turning away biting her lip.

"Dad!" Ren and Riku barked out, speaking for the first time in the meeting. They'd promised their mother to behave, but they had been watching their niece closely. Kami, she was a twin? How was she stable?

Michi jolted, glanced at his sons before looking back at Minashi and wincing. "Ah, apologizes Mina-chan." he pet her head. "I can get insensitive when i'm on a roll."

The blonde shrugged. "You are only voicing what I too had concluded but was denying. Losing Aniki once was hard. I didn't want it to be true that I lost him again."

"I find it ironic that you unconsciously followed the truth of this history when you created your backstory with sensei." Tsunade crossed her arms and shook her head at Minashi. "Oro and Raiya are gonna blow their tops when they hear this. Oro has been wondering how you broke that cardinal rule of the theory that if there was no body, there was no travel. He hadn't wanted to say anything without proof though."

"Soooo…." Namika interrupted. "She's still my grandbaby?"

Michi snorted at his wife. "Correct Nami. By blood and chakra, Minashi is our grandbaby."

"I'm almost fifteen thank you!" Said blonde snapped pouting.

Nagisa snorted. "Technically you're thirty-five mentally boss."

"Shut it!" She hissed. "I'm young and i did it without a vanity seal like Tsuna-oba."

"Oi, you little shit!" Tsunade lunged, Minashi dodged cackling before disappearing in a shunshin with tsunade leaving hot on her heels.

Sakumo snapped his head to her Blood clone that was face palming.

"Well?"

"Relief." Nagisa snorted, her hair turning blood red once more. "She's an empath Sakumo. She can tell without even asking that her family accepted the truth of our words and accept her for who she is now. Uzumaki Kenta's daughter. She will explore the mindscape at a later date and look for the original host's memories. For now, she's probably going to go prank the shit out of konoha in her relief. Thus, she poked the Tsunade bear so she could eventually drag her teammates into a spar against one of the former senseis."

"Hm." He grunted. "And you haven't vanished why?"

Nagisa rolled her eyes. "Minashi's background is real and solid. I still need a background if i'm going to continue to work as the Hokage's personal advisor."

"That's easy." Kaiya huffed, waving her concern away. "You are still Minashi which means if questioned you are still part of the main family blood. Thus you just need to be claimed by one of the heads of the lines."

"Kai-chan's right." Riku smirked. "One of us just needs to claim you as a sister" Ren added, "if you go with your mental age of thirty-five," Riku continued "give or take a few years if needed." Ren finished.

Nagisa looked between the twins, her lips twitching. "Are you two volunteering?"

"It would fit." Shouta hummed. "You are a twin yourself. Subtracting two years to make you a year younger than Kenta wouldn't be difficult. It would match with when Miho-sama relented on the birthing distance restrictions. It's why the twins are only five years apart from Kenta instead of closer to ten."

Michi nodded at his brother-in-law. "Shouta's right. Miho relented on the restrictions set for the island because with war came loss. Whether via missions and battle or due to experimentation increase in the Fuuin Research labs."

"Then it's decided?" Namika asked rising up from her seat.

Michi noticed his wife's movement and prepared. "Hai. Hokage-dono?"

"Hai." Sakumo nodded. "That was the original plan anyways."

Michi stepped out of the way suddenly and Nagisa's eyes widen as she was suddenly tackled by Namika. The redhead went down with a yelp, landing on her ass before suddenly pulled to her feet and a crushing hug.

"I've always wanted a daughter! Miku and Mika always bragged about having girls! When can we go shopping?"

Nagisa spluttered and looked at Sakumo. The ass just leaned back against the wall smirking.

"Soon." He promised. "It depends on how you all would like to handle things. I'm prepared for any scorn you all might feel towards konoha-"

"Pssh." Mako stood up. "Please brother, as soon as Michi-sama told us about the 'uzumaki woman' that got us justice for the betrayer, we forgave Konoha."

Sakumo relaxed. "Is this true?" He looked to the shinobi and kunoichi survivors. There were murmured agreements and nods. "Alright, then here is the question. Will you want to return home?"

Silence echoed across the small room as people exchanged looks.

"Well…there is a world ending war approaching is there not?" One of the Survivors, Sakiko -an Uzushio ANBU/jounin- inquired.

"Yes." Sakumo frowned. "We are doing everything we can to prevent it, but the thing we are up against is millenia old and will stop at nothing to reach its goals with anyone he can make into a servant."

"Then we are better to do what those of a gone future did, but earlier." Michi looked at Nagisa who his wife was still hugging close. "We will stay in Konoha and grow stronger with our sister village. As we are, we are too small in number and cannot do anything on our homeland. Uzushio will be there when our people are ready to return, if we decide to return. Trips back for things left behind will be the only request."

Sakumo let out a relieved breath. "Due to the Senju clan being previously reduced down to just Tsunade, it was formally changed to the Senju-Uzumaki Compound. You all are more than welcome to take the homes there and make them your own."

"There is one more thing to discuss." Nagisa interrupted. "Currently within Konoha, Kushina is the official Clan Head. She has already told me to pass along that if one of her elders would prefer to take the position as is their right, she will hand it over when the Uzumakis go public."

"Shina-chan's clan head too?!" Shouta yelped.

"Aniki." Namika scolded. "Let it go." her twin pouted and practically sagged to the ground in a depressed ball. Nagisa's brows touched her forehead. He reminded her of the Shodaime.

Sakumo cleared his throat and glared at Nagisa. "You aren't getting out of it that easily. Or your original isn't."

Nagisa twitched. "But-"

"Nope!" Sakumo chirped eye smiling.

Namika hummed against her new daughter/granddaughter. "Whacha hiding?"

Nagisa looked away.

Michi chuckled. "I think i know. So, who would you like to choose as your proxy Hime-sama until you are of age to formally take your position as Clan heir?"

Many of the Uzumakis choked on air. Miho-sama made her heir?!

"Or, since you have this lovely little Clone living a second life for you," Namika grinned deviously "You could still pose as your own proxy in Council meetings as the Clan Head."

Sakumo chuckled as he watched Nagisa's face drop in despair and the groan echo out from her.

"Nooooooooo! I don't want to be stuck in any more boring meetings than i have to!"

"Too late." Mariko snorted. "I saw that headpiece you left the cavern with. Kushina was too young to recognize its significance, but Ba-sama told me stories about it."

Nagisa's face dropped to glazed acceptance. "Che, This is going to bite me in the ass. I just know this is going to end up being something used politically. I hate politics. Being a War Kage was easier."

Namiko hugged her daughter/grandbaby closer. (A war kage? Good kami, her poor grandbaby.)

"Back on task." Sakumo cleared his throat. "About your stay in Konoha. I will not force you to see me as your Kage, but i do ask that as a Kage that you at least-" Michi held up a hand and Sakumo went silent at his elder's calm look.

"We follow the Hime. Because the Hime has chosen you as her Kage, you are our Kage. My Ane-sama knew what she was doing when she made Minashi heir. When it is time, my people will pick a Kage and follow them. Until then, you are our Kage Sakumo and as long as your successor is half as good of a man you are, then we will follow them too."

Sakumo bowed to them deeply. "I will do my best to not disappoint you." He rose back up and frowned. "Now, how would you all like to address your statuses in Konoha? Preferably, we'd like to keep you a secret as long as possible. At least until we can find any other escaped survivors. Nagisa's pack is currently hunting down Ezume's status."

Kaiya twitched at her practical brother's name.

"We are in contact with his daughter Queen Sara in wind country and Rasa is looking after her for us in Suna." Kaiya's jaw dropped as she mouthed 'daughter' and 'queen' silently.

"Suna's an ally?" Mashai's brows shot up in surprise.

Sakumo smiled proudly. "Hai. With Nagisa's actions, Suna was our ally in the third war, making it many years shorter than in the history she knew. Kawa is also our ally with Ame too. Nagato and his two best friends are stationed in Ame and making a better life for the people there after Hanzo's defeat at the hands of the Ame rebellion and the Konoha Sages."

Mako whistled. "Nice job Vixen." Nagisa nodded smiling with pride.

"Like said, Nagato, son of Fuso and Ise is in Ame and as you can see Mariko is here. Nagisa's pack found her and her infant daughter Karin in Kusa. They were liberated from their captors and brought to Konoha. Thus, before we shout to the world that Konoha was able to get onto Uzushio, we need your assistance in figuring out who else might have escaped and bringing them back to their family." Sakumo paused and glanced at Nagisa before looking at Michi.

"In light of new information, I have a feeling that Kenta Uzumaki…has a chance of still being out there too."

Michi's eyes darkened. "We will see. I pray he is alive, but if he was separated from his children, it would be right to assume it was because he could no longer physically protect them."

Sakumo nodded. "Understood, but it wouldn't hurt to search. Kudorama senju-uzumaki was there with the others that found you all. He took the liberty of documenting all who were lost and all who were MIA. If you could take time over the next few days to mark off any that you know were lost that have not been marked as such, or those that you believe might have made it to the mainland or another island, it would enable us to further gather the rest of the Uzumakis and protect them Properly this time. Konoha will not fail the Uzumakis again." Sakumo swore.

Michi smirked. "You are a fine Hokage Sakumo Hatake. Get us the paperwork and we will do what we can. However, what will you do afterwards with such information?"

"Send hidden and cloaked teams to hunt down the other survivors and bring them to Konoha for safety if they wish. If they are happy where they are, they can stay. Or we will pass on the information that Uzushio's children have been given their final rest. So any who would like could always return. Uzushio is only accepting Uzumakis into her waters and could protect them behind her eddies. It will be hard living separated from the mainland, but it would be peaceful living."

Michi nodded. "Those are good plans, Hokage-sama. I look forward to seeing them in action and our children returned to us." he suddenly arched and cracked his back. "Well, is there anything else?"

"Just how you'd like your status to go. I'll leave it to your votes. I'd like to keep it gagged at the gates however."

"Oh? How will you do that?"

"That's where you come in Jiji." Nagisa answered. "With your assistance, i'd like to place a seal into Mito-ba's wall barriers that has a genjutsu mixed into it. Kushina's best friend is a powerful Uchiha. She could assist us in casting such a genjutsu powered seal that erased or choked all mention of the Uzumaki clan at the walls. Thus spies, civilians, and even Konoha's own people couldn't talk or write about you all until the gag order is lifted."

"This would allow you all to leave the hospital and Compound without fear of spies sending word to their Kages of more uzumakis." Sakumo added.

"Hm, tricky, but doable." He nodded. "Bring that uchiha here and we'll get that whipped up quickly."

Sakumo nodded and glanced at Nagisa. "If that is all, the barrier can come down."

Nagisa looked around but saw no one speak up, thus she was about to drop the barrier before jerking, remembering one important detail.

"AH!" She exclaimed and gained everyone's attention again. "Please keep my traveling status from Kushina and Minato. There are others that know, but know to keep them out of the loop and to treat myself and Minashi as two separate individuals unless behind my personal barriers. As for Kushina and Minato, I want to save them from unnecessary guilt and pain from a life they aren't responsible for anymore."

"Noble." Shouta hummed smiling softly. "Thank you niece."

Nagisa nodded and dropped the barrier. Soon the Uzumakis were returning to their rooms or hanging out in other rooms. Nagisa herself herself left to find Kushina and together they grabbed Mikoto.

Sakumo himself watched Ren and Riku slipping out with Mako between him. His hackles rose as he followed them like a stalking predator. Now that the formal talk was done. It seemed like he needed to have a Chat with the twins that were trying to marry his baby sister.

"What in the world is going on?" Said uchiha hissed as they passed not only ANBUs that had Konoha captain markings on them, but one of the strongest security barriers the Uchiha had ever seen! "Kushina!" She hissed even as she was linked arms with her best friend as they followed Nagisa-sama. Mikoto was getting nervous as she realized they were in the restricted section of the hospital. This was only for ANBU!

"Told ya Miko, need a favor and you are the best one for it!" Kushina smiled like they were surrounded by additional ANBU on duty and visible in the hall. Mikoto clung closer to her best friend and wondered just what the hell she'd gotten into-

Mikoto's thoughts were derailed when there were crashes, bangs, and shouting behind a door before it exploded open as two identical redheads came bursting through just before her Sensei and Hokage followed out with a very terrifyingly pleasant smile on his face.

"Oh? Did you think you two could escape me that easily?" Sakumo hummed stepping over rubble and walking towards the twins that were quickly getting back to their feet as they were backed up against a wall.

"Oi,oi oi! Sakumo, Mashai didn't have a problem with this!" Ren stuttered.

"Satoshi-san even gave permission after-" Riku started before yelping when both men were trapped between the thick hatake arms boxing them into the walls. Both obvious uzumakis were huddled together hugging each other, white as a sheet as Sakumo growled deeply, baring his hatake canines to them with deadly intent in his dark eyes.

"I have not given my permission. Mako is my baby sister. My Last baby sister. She is my responsibility to protect and take care of, and you two want to take her away?" Sakumo tilted his head, eyes cold and deadly.

Mikoto's own eyes were wide and impressed. She'd never seen sensei like this. She would question Kushina about the twin Uzumakis later.

Mikoto's eyes caught quick movement as a silver blur leapt onto Sakumo's back and put him into a headlock.

"Aniki!" A very pretty female hatake snarled. "Release my crazy uzumakis! I claimed them, their mine!"

Sakumo didn't budge even with the tall looking Hatake woman doing her best to choke him out.

"Damn it, are you a marble wall?" She hissed before then smirking with sharp teeth and biting down on Sakumo's ear. The Hokage yelped and jerked away as he was then trying to throw the she-wolf off his back.

"Mako! Mako, you brat! Stop biting my ear!"

"Leav- my boys, alone!" Mako shouted muffled.

"Never!"

Mako snarled and the two went tumbling down the hall in a wrestling match as the twin Uzumakis hooted and cheered Mako on.

Mikoto slowly turned to her best friend to see a sheepish look on her face.

"Surprise?" The uchiha deadpanned her best friend. "Help me keep them secret with your awesome Genjutsus in an awesome seal? Nagisa and Michi-oji are cooking one up but we need a genjutsu expert's opinion and help." Kushina deflected when Mikoto started on the Uchiha glare.

"Dango. You owe me so much Dango for this Kushina."

"Done!" The redhead pulled her best friend around the rubble and wrestling and towards a different room. There they found beds pushed to the side and the floor covered in sealing notes, scrolls, and two redheads arguing over one of the matrixes.

"Ah!" Michi lifted his head feeling the distinct Uchiha chakra. "Your Uchiha friend. Good, come here young lady and help us refine this seal." He waved over absently. Mikoto just raised a perfect brow and did as asked, Kushina joining her on the ground.

The time slipped away as the quartet worked. Mikoto herself hadn't even realized the time passing until there was a loud clearing of a throat.

Four heads popped up from the partially done seal. Mikoto blinked away her thoughts of the genius of combining seals and genjutsu to find her husband standing at the doorway with the Sandaime and an ANBU escort.

"Ah, Fugaku-kun." Mikoto sat back on her heels. "Is everything okay?"

Her husband raised a brow at her. "Miko, it's almost dinner time. When I couldn't find out where Kushina stole you, i went to the Hokage, but he's apparently busy. Minato directed me to the Hospital." He looked at the obvious fuuinjutsu around her. "Just…what has Kushina dragged you into this time?"

"Ah, it was actually my request." Nagisa stood fixing her hair even as Michi stood with her. "We're working on a security seal to add to the village walls."

"The gag seal." Hiruzen hummed nodding. "How is it coming along?"

"Very well actually!" Michi grinned. "Hello Hiruzen, been a while."

The sandaime's face gentled on the Uzumaki. "It has. If you four are at a stopping point, i'm sure mikoto's little ones are missing her, and I'd like some time to speak with Michi-dono."

TH\he three Uzumakis looked back at the seal longingly.

"Naruto was asking where his mom was when i visited Minato." Fugaku added absently even as Mikoto had moved to greet him with a kiss.

Kushina jerked, pouted, and glared at the Uchiha. "Low blow." The man's lips twitched. "Fine. Let's go! I owe Miko dango anyways. I bet Itachi-chan would love some."

The trio left and Nagisa was left to clean up as Hiruzen escorted Michi out of the room to talk in hushed voices.

It was three days later when Nagisa, Kushina, Mikoto, and Michi finished the seal and the adaptors it would need to connect to the Wall barriers.

With the Hokage in attendance, the group slipped into the Sealing corps HQ and down to where the wall barrier seals were protected by ANBU. Sakumo dismissed the ANBU as the three seal masters and one Uchiha went to work.

Less than ten minutes later the Uzumakis were slowly activating the seal all while Mikoto weaved the genjutsu into it.

While such was happening, all across Konoha's tall walls, the once hidden seals were lighting up and as people watched, the black lines of chakra shifted and moved. The new sealing lines were added to the existing powerful lines. If one looked close enough, they would see the distinct pattern of a sharingan that appeared over the gates of Konoha surrounded by the swirlings of sealing lines.

With a final wash of chakra, the seal went into effect and the once visible lines disappeared. Those out of the loop were confused, but not too worried. It wasn't that long ago that a similar thing had happened when Nagisa had updated the walls.

"That should do it." Nagisa hummed pleased.

"Thank you Mikoto." Sakumo smiled at his former student.

"It was nothing. Kushina can now walk freely with her family." the two best friends shared looks. "Now, come on, our baby boys are waiting for us." The Uchiha disappeared with Kushina in a shunshin with a light in her eyes.

Sakumo nodded a shallow bow to the elder Uzumaki. "Michi-dono, if you excuse me, i'm going to go deliver the good news to our cabin fevered Uzumakis."

Michi snickered. "Good luck."

The hokage grimaced a bit before disappearing too in a shunshin, leaving Nagisa with her 'father'.

"Come daughter," the man hummed, "show me to this restaurant my granddaughter Mina-chan was bragging about." He stated even as they still stood in the middle of the lobby of the Barrier corps HQ. They hadn't snuck back out but instead blatantly walked out together.

Nagisa felt her throat tighten with the happiness exploding in her chest. "Hai~" She smiled "Tou-san." She wrapped her arm around his and happily led him out of the building, letting the Konoha gossip mill do its thing. There was no longer a reason to hide their family with the genjutsu seal active.

It wasn't too much later when Namika appeared with both Ren and Riku on either side of her…well it was more like she was dragging them by their hair with an innocent smile on.

"Ma!" "Mom!" "He started it!" "We didn't pick the fight!" The twins were whining.

Namika just yanked them forward until they landed at Michi and Nagisa's feet. They sat there on their asses rubbing their heads.

"Boys, must you?" Michi sighed, used to this.

Nagisa chuckled. "Did you two pull the wolf's tail again?"

Eyes that were two shades darker than their mother's, closer to sapphire, blinked at her in unison.

"Sakumo makes it easy." They chorused and stood, brushing off the dirt.

"So, where are ya heading koi?" Namika asked taking Michi's hand.

"Nagisa was showing us to our grandbaby's favorite restaurant."

"Sounds lovely!"

Nagisa didn't react much when Ren and Riku were suddenly on either side of her with grins she knew, as they walked towards Ichiruka's.

"So, what's this we hear," "about our baby niece being," "a proud Uzumaki." They asked together. If Nagisa couldn't sense the difference in their chakra she would probably not be able to tell them apart. That and their scents were just a hair different.

Nagisa smirked as she took their hands into her own. "Well, there was this one time that apparently one of her academy friends made a bet that she couldn't-" Nagisa started off telling her fellow twins all about every prank Minashi had set off within konoha.

Sakumo took a deep breath before letting it out and knocking on the house door. He felt the nerves bubbling up in his belly as he waited for the occupant to answer. It had been a few days since the Uzumakis had been unleashed on Konoha, and the rumors were busy with the shocking news. Even more was the fact that Kudorama had also revealed himself in all the chaos and had been trying to get Mashai to take his mask. Thus, with careful planning, it allowed Sakumo time to slip away to do something he'd been wanting to for weeks now.

A few moments later, Mariko opened the door to hers and her daughter's home. There standing not too far behind was Kaiya-san cuddling the uzumaki toddler.

"Sakumo!" Mariko smiled. "I wasn't expecting you."

The hatake swallowed and smiled. "I know, sorry, am I interrupting anything?"

"Oh, no! Kaiya asked if she could stay with myself and karin until she could decide which home she wanted to live in. Having grown up in the Senju Compound, there are more memories here for her than others."

Sakumo's brow furrowed, concerned. "If she would prefer a new home be built, konoha has a contract with builders from Wave. I would be more than able to reach out to them since they have also done work with Uzushio in the past."

"The sentiment is appreciated." Kaiya hummed and was looking between the two. "I'll think about it. In the meantime, i'll go get Karin ready for her nap."

"I don't need nap!" Said toddler protested. "I'mma big girl!" Ruby eyes glared at her new aunt.

Kaiya grinned even as she walked away with said grumpy toddler. "Ne, be a good girl and take a good nap and then you can show me your cousins at Tsunade's home."

"Okay!" Karin cheered. "Bye mama!"

"Sweet dreams Karin." Mariko smiled and waved as the duo disappeared upstairs. She turned ruby eyes back to Sakumo and flushed at realizing he was gazing at her with eyes that were fully focused on her. "S-sakumo, did you need to talk to me about something?"

The Hokage nodded and offered his hand. "Would you join me for a walk?"

Mariko smiled and took his hand with ease. Like a court gentleman he tucked her hand into his elbow and escorted her through the Senju woods. Mariko could sense his chakra shifting nervously and waited patiently for the man to collect his thoughts.

"Mariko-san,-"

"I've told you many times now Sakumo, if i can call the Hokage by his given name, the same man can call me by my own." She side eyed her companion and saw him smiling crookedly.

"Mariko, We have known each other for a very short time, but each moment in your presence has been a gift." He slowed down and turned to face her. "I…I am aware of my own feelings towards you and believe that you reciprocate them. I do not want to rush anything we are, even if we having put a definition to what sort of relationship outside of work we have-" Mariko reached up and placed a finger over the man's rambling lips. Dark eyes met Ruby.

"What are you trying to say Sakumo?" Mariko asked softly. She watched his eyes go half lidded as he gently grabbed her hand and then pressed a kiss to her knuckles.

"What are we?" He murmured. "Because if we have been dating for the last year then i would like to see what pace you would like to continue with. I will never push you past your comfort level. However, Mariko," Coal eyes looked deep into Ruby as he spoke with his heart. "I have been in love with you since you appeared in my office. I have only fallen head over heels for you as i've watched you regain your 'self' back from those that took it. I've watched you reconnect with family, and bring lost family home and it's only made you shine brighter."

Mariko's cheeks were as bright as her hair as she heard not only his words, but could feel that every piece of it was truth through his chakra.

"I am a selfish man." Sakumo murmured against her knuckles. "I want you for myself. I want you to be happy and a part of my family. I want us to go home together at the end of the day and watch our children grow together. I want to never know a day without you at my side. I want to marry you and keep you for myself. I want no other man to ever lay a hand on you. I want to watch you flourish in your freedom in being whoever you want to be."

Mariko felt tears in her eyes as her heart practically leapt out of her chest as he gazed at her like no man before.

"I want to show you every day how much I love you. I've been trying my hardest to not overwhelm you, to respect your sense of independence. I will wait if you need more time-"

"I love you too." Mariko blurted out, interrupting Sakumo. She had the joy to watch his eyes widen and that charming smile she adored, brighten his very handsome face. "And that sounded awfully like a marriage proposal Sakumo." She said with a little shake in her voice.

Sakumo just lifted her left hand to his mouth again and kissed her fingers. "If you so wish it to be, it can be. If you desire to wait-"

"No!" She yelped. "No…" She cleared her throat. "I…I want to be selfish too. I want everything you just said and so much more."

A deep rumble echoed from Sakumo's chest as his dark eyes narrowed on her with desire. "Then, may I give you a kiss?"

"Hai…" Mariko whispered as she was pulled gently forward by the hand he still had in a light grip. Another lifted to her jaw and Mariko felt her eyes close as for the first time, she kissed the man that had held her broken heart patiently as she pieced herself together.

Sakumo felt lightheaded as he kissed Mariko for the first time. Kami, he'd wanted to do this for so long. He let out a groan when he felt Mariko's hand dig into his hair and pulled him closer and deepened the kiss. Nibbling her lips, he continued to kiss the breath from his Uzumaki.

When they finally came up for air, Mariko was sporting slightly swollen lips and a beautiful dazed look in her eyes. Sakumo smirked a little proud, especially as during that he'd done a little sleight of hand.

Lifting her left hand to his lips once more, he kissed his mother's ring he slipped onto her finger while she was distracted. He watched as Ruby eyes regained focus before snapping to the ring.

Mariko's jaw dropped at the blue sandstone set on rose gold that twisted around like delicate knotwork around her finger. She looked up at Sakumo to see that he was making sure she was okay with this.

"It's beautiful." Mariko whispered, bringing it closer for inspection yet leaning her head forward to rest against Sakumo's forehead.

"It was my mother's. My birth Mother." He clarified. "She wasn't a Hatake, but a strong kunoichi that retired to help my father when he was forced into the CRA. They were best friends and he showed her how much he did care for her by giving her the ring that has been passed down for generations in the Hatake Clan. The stone was said to be a gift from the Uzumaki to the Hatake as a show of their friendship. It became a symbol of the Matriarch of the Clan, or in old terms, the Luna of the pack." Dark eyes met her ruby ones. "The Blue sandstone looks like a starry night. Who better to wear such a piece than the moon lighting the way for the pack even during the darkest of nights?"

Mariko let out a few choked giggles as tears fell from her eyes. "Kami you are such a sap!" The redhead then pulled her wolf down into a deep kiss, humming when those strong arms pulled her in close. There was no flinch, no desire to pull away from him. Nothing but the need and want to be closer to this man.

Sakumo picked her up and swung his Fiance around, his heart light enough he felt like he was flying. Setting his giggling fiance back on her feet, he cupped her flushed face and kissed her forehead. She leaned into his touch and he let out a sigh of relief. Well, until she suddenly tensed. He was about to pull back, but her arms were tight around his waist.

"Minashi isn't going to be a brat about this. She's a sensitive sensor-" Sakumo's chuckles cut her off and she pouted up at him. He pecked those pouty lips, now comfortable with the knowledge he had permission to do as such whenever he pleased.

"Minashi is busy shopping with her grandmother. Nagisa is currently sparring with her brothers."

Mariko brows rose impressed. "Well are you mr. prepared."

Sakumo grinned mischievously. "Well, when you are surrounded by Uzumakis, you learn a thing or two about pranks and trickery to get what you want. I wanted you alone and for there to be no one to disturb us. I got that, leaving everything else up to whatever you decided."

Mariko's lids lowered coyly. "Well, you've got me alone for a while it seems. Are ya gonna keep chatting Sakumo, or you going to kiss me again wolf?"

Sakumo growled and picked Mariko up again and spun her to a tree, gently pushing her up against it as her legs went around his waist. He paused and checked her over, Mariko huffed and pulled his head with both hands in his thick, down hair to her mouth. She appreciated the sentiments towards her comfort, but right then she wanted the life kissed out of her. Sakumo growled as he pressed her harder against the tree, and Mariko only hummed pleasantly into the deepened kiss, nails scratching along the wolf's skull. Sakumo shivered delightfully under her hands and it only empowered Mariko more.

The Uzumaki didn't know how long they kissed, couldn't really care either. Between the firm rumbling chest pressing against her, Sakumo's mouth against hers and the feel of his long hair in between her fingers, she was in bliss. Pulling back for air, Mariko could hear that delicious growl better now as Sakumo's mouth moved down along her jaw and to her neck. Gasping at the feel and the warmth it shot down right to her belly, Mariko only tilted her head to give him more access.

Sakumo made a noise of satisfaction and proceeded to kiss and nip her creamy throat. With every new spot he found, Sakumo felt higher and higher. Mariko's gasping voice in his ears made him deaf to everything else that Wasn't her right then.

Thus when his personal ANBU guard captain came to him for the meeting he had scheduled, the ANBU was not only startled by the sight, but the Hokage didn't even notice at first. Not until Lion shifted from downwind, to upwind.

The Hatake went very very still, internal hackles risen, pressing his flushed fiance firmer into the tree and shifting in a way to block her face.

"What?" Sakumo snarled, predator eyes sharp on the ANBU that dared to get close to his female.

Lion clenched his fists to hide how they were trembling at the KI being directed at him. The Captain was brutally reminded with that alone why sakumo was Hokage and how he'd earned the White Fang moniker.

"Hokage-sama, apologies, you asked to be reminded of your meeting with the Civilian council."

Sakumo's hackels lowered as logic returned. He let out a very long sigh and dropped his head gently onto Mariko who was trembling. If he didn't know better he would think she was scared. However, he not only could just barely see her face, but he could scent her arousal and happiness. Taking another deep breath of her herbal and ocean spray scent, He gently lowered his snickering fiance back to her feet.

Shining ruby eyes gaze up at him, and the tension from his instincts lessened once more. Mariko was happy and they should stop here. He wanted to do right by her. Picking up her left hand once more, he kissed the ring on her finger with a possessive rumble.

"Unfortunately my Luna, it seems that my duties call." Sakumo had the pleasure to watch Mariko's cheeks flush at the endearment. "Would you be free to continue this at dinner?"

Mariko nodded. "Hai, I'd love to."

The Hokage smirked pleased and leaned forward to steal another kiss. "Until then." he murmured and turned to leave with his captain. He paused a few yards away after feeling Mariko disappear in a hurried shunshin back to her home. "Captain." He warned, a growl in his voice.

"I saw nothing." Lion yelped and disappeared with impressive speed. Sakumo couldn't help his snort of amusement and took off for his office.

Minashi lowered herself into the corner booth seat. Sure it was rude to take up one of the group spots, but at her desperate look, the hostess had allowed her to hide.

The blonde uzumaki would forever rue the day she said yes to shopping with her grandmother Namika. The woman was unfairly strong, unfairly good at manipulation, and completely enjoying spoiling both her daughter and granddaughter. Minashi personally could only handle so much mothering in one day. Her blood clone thankfully had taken an out with her new brothers to spar.

"Minashi?" Said blonde groaned from where she had her head down on the table. The following laughter was totally uncalled for. "Awww, what's wrong short stuff?"

The blonde's head snapped up and gave her most lethal glare at the one who dared. Obito was completely unaffected and instead chuckled and joined her in the booth.

"Alright, no short jokes. But come on, it's kinda expected when you are the only one that hasn't grown yet." Minashi punched his arm. Obito flinched but was still laughing. The blonde let him go and returned to pouting with her chin now on her arms. "So, what's up?"

"Grandmothers are a lot." She muttered.

Obito hummed nodding even as he looked over the menu. "Yep. But their love is pure. Hanako-oba makes every excuse to come check on me in the Senju compound."

Minashi's pout eased at that. "Does she drag you around everywhere shopping?"

"No, I do normally help her with her groceries. Why, were you?"

"Yessssss!" Minashi whined. "Now i know where Kushina-nee gets it!"

"Get's what?" The sibling students turned to see Inomi and Kurenai standing together. "Hey obito, Minashi!"

"Inomi!" Minashi cried fake tears. "Ba-san took me on a shopping spree!"

The platinum blonde tilted her head and eyed her younger friend. "And that's a bad thing why?"

Kurenai giggled and sat down beside obito as Inomi slid in beside Minashi. "Come on Mina, every kunoichi deserves a good wardrobe. You especially! You are always in training gear or uniforms! What will you wear when you finally get asked on a date?"

Obito and Minashi snortined in unison. "Not gonna happen." They chorused.

"Oh, why not?" Kurenai inquired also looking at the menu before passing it to Inomi. "There are a lot of eligible guys in Konoha. You even apparently brought back a few from your 'vacation'."

Minashi looked at the Yuhi under her lashes, knowing that they were fishing for information and didn't really care. "Three are uncles, one is my grandfather, and the other is Sakumo's brother and family through my great aunt Miho."

She got three varying looks as they tried to piece those family trees together.

"Uhh…what?" Obito asked giving up.

"It means that Kushina-san's father is her uncle. Nagisa-sama's brothers are her uncles, and Michi-sama is her grandfather." Ryouta said as he and Kenji walked over.

"Yo!" Kenji grinned.

"It also means that the Uzumaki walking around with the ANBU commander Senju Kudorama, is connected to the Uzumaki that married into the Hatake." the hyuuga answered easily. "Honestly Obito, being in the Uchiha you should have been taught to track family lines. It's how cousins can marry without adverse effects. We hyuuga are the same way. Purity and all to keep the mainlines going."

Obito rolled his eyes. "I've officially taken the Senju name jerk. I couldn't give two fucks about the Uchiha Clan. The only people I care about from there is my Ba-chan, Oba-san, itachi, sasuke, and kenji's brother shisui."

Kenji paused in taking a drink from the water he'd brought. "Oi!" He choked and spluttered. "What about me?"

Obito just eye smiled at him. "What about you?"

The rest of their group snickered at Kenji's pout.

"See if I ask you to help baby sit ita-chan and Sasu-chan ever again!" Kenji blew a raspberry.

"Oh, very mature." Kakashi's voice drawled as he joined and sat beside his teammate. "Obito, you know better than to argue with idiots. I thought we discussed this?"

Obito shrugged relaxing back. "Kenji-nii makes it easy."

"I do not!" "Ah, very true." Kakashi interrupted Kenji.

Inomi was hiding her snickers behind her hands. Kurenai was smiling calmly watching the entertaining show.

They were interrupted when a waitress came and asked if they were ordering food. Once everyone put in orders and extras, they dissolved into gossip.

"So! Spill!" Inomi grinned at Minashi.

"Spill what?" The blonde shrugged playing with her drink straw, now that they all had their own while waiting for food.

"Stop being troublesome." Shikari's voice came from behind Minashi. She turned but instead suddenly had a full grown Nara slumped over her from behind.

"Where in the kami did you come from?" Obito yelped pointing at the Nara.

"Hm, Nara." The Chuunin smirked. "So, answer her blonde blanket. Spill the details about your family. Gossip is going wild about more Uzumakis."

"Well, what are the rumors saying so far?" The Uzumaki asked curiously. "The Hokage is kind of letting things go without explanation to see how people react."

"I heard one that while you all were on vacation you found a small village of uzumaki survivors and brought them back." Kurenai provided.

"My clansmen believe that being that only Uzumakis went, you all somehow got onto Uzushio despite the rumored impassable waters." Ryouta stared his blonde friend down with a calculative gleam.

"My clan thinks the same." Shikari yawned. "With a bit of Uzumaki sealing bullshit thrown in. Apparently there are whispers about a seal that put the remaining survivors in a stasis. Thus why they were snuck into konoha, and part of the hospital has been under lockdown while they healed."

All eyes turned to the half asleep Nara as she settled her head on Minashi's and prepared for a nap.

"You were listening in on your uncle and cousin's conversations again!" Inomi exclaimed pointing at her childhood friend.

"What of it?" Shikari smirked. Inomi opened her mouth to answer when their food arrived and just shortly after a new face appeared in clothes that were obviously not of Konoha fashion. With white shinobi pants, a cyan colored sash riddled with seals, and a deep navy blue skintight top that reminded them of ANBU tops, the young man also had fingerless gloves running up to his elbows. Then to top it off was long silver hair pulled to the side in a fishtail braid.

Inomi's mouth had dropped. Kurenai's were wide, and even some of the their other friends were just staring.

"Yo!" The obvious Hatake smiled and waved at them. "Sorry to intrude."

"No problem!" Inomi beamed before trying to push Ryouta and in essence kenji and kakashi as well further out of the booth. "Would you like to join us Hatake-san?"

Mashai's smile remained polite. "Thank you for the offer, but I'm actually here tracking Minashi-san's scent."

Said blonde tilted her head. "Me? What for?" only their friends noticing Kenji's sudden alertness.

"Well, Mako and I would like to get to know you. Sakumo practically adopted you into the pack, so we'd like to…test you of sorts. We've already done so for the Pup." He jerked his thumb at Kakashi who crossed his arms glaring at his Uncle.

"I'm not a pup! I'm fifteen! You are only six years older!"

"Hm, physically yes. Technically i was just asleep for sixteen years. The debate is still out on how we will be 'aging' ourselves for our records." Mashai hummed. "So, you free vixen?"

"I mean, we just got our food." Minashi said obviously. The Hatake shrugged again.

"I can wait. Plus i wouldn't mind being introduced to yours and the pup's friends." he smiled and he felt all of them staring again all while he'd pulled up a chair at the end of the booth.

"Oi! Bakashi!" Obito blurted out. "No wonder you wear a mask if you look anything like your uncle."

"Obito" Kakashi growled.

"What? I'm a wrong?" He smirked.

"I wear a mask because my nose is too sensitive!" Kakashi pouted.

Mashai chuckled and ruffled his short locks. "The pup is right. Even his pops didn't have such a sensitive nose. Honestly the last one to need a mask in our family was our pops. He too was the son of a Hatake and Inuzuka. The Wild gene was strong in him as it is in you kakashi."

Kakashi nodded and went back to eating when people weren't looking.

"So is it true?" Inomi leaned forward.

"Hm?" Mashai asked even as he stole a fry from kakashi's plate. The pup growled at him. Mashai just smirked right back. He was so easy to rile up.

"The seal." Shikari asked from her new spot between Inomi and Minashi.

"Oh, yes." Mashai nodded. "Miho-sama was a bloody genius. She whipped something like that up on the second day of the invasion when we realized reinforcements weren't coming. The barrier would only hold out for so much longer and with the number of ships in the fleets, we all had sort of realized we were gonna die. But hey, we're uzumakis. If we were going down, we were gonna take as many of the bastards as we could with us." Mashai grinned darkly.

"They…didn't teach us about Uzushio in the academy." Kurenai said sadly.

"That's not really surprising." Kenji frowned. "Grandfather said they were all embarrassed and ashamed that they'd been unable to save our sister village. So they covered it up."

"How can we learn from mistakes if they are removed from history?" Minashi frowned. "It isn't right."

"Politics." Kakashi grunted.

"Can you tell us more?" Shikari asked the elder Hatake.

"If it's okay." Kurenai finished for her friend. "We don't want to upset you if it-"

Mashai sent her an eye-smile that was tight, but calm, silencing her.

"Sixteen years may have passed under Miho-sama's seal, but to us, it feels like it was just yesterday. However, during our recovery period in the hospital Inojiro-dono and Inoichi-sama have been gracious enough to sit with us and address the massacre of our people. Many of us are still going to the therapy sessions that were recommended. So, yes. It hurts, but like Minashi-san said, lessons can't be passed on if they aren't talked about."

Mashai sat back muching on more of kakashi's fries, the younger not stopping him this time.

"Well, from what i heard, you all aren't too far out of the third war correct?"

"Hai." Obito answered. "A little over a year."

Mashai tilted his head. "Were any of you on the frontlines? I know Konoha has always been a bit more flexible with their shinobi ages than Uzushio has been."

"Genin at Five." Kakashi and Minashi chorused.

"Genin at eight." Ryouta waved to the rest of them.

Mashai stared before paling. "You all were just babies." he whispered mortified.

"Konoha war program." Minashi answered smiling sadly. "The Sandaime was pressured by his advisors at the time to drop the age so that more soldiers would be active."

"Dad's since fixed that." Kakashi continued. "Entrance is a minimum of six and graduation is set at twelve. No exceptions for early graduations. He's also working on getting a year of genin required before a team can take the chuunin exams."

"He's just doing that because he doesn't want anyone repeating what we did." Kenji chuckled.

Ryouta saw the older Hatake's inquiring look. "Myself, Kenji, kakashi, and Minashi all made Chuunin on our first Chuunin exams just before war broke out. Kenji and i were nine. Minashi and Kakashi were six."

"What's ironic is that the Chuunin exam finals were a bunch of six year olds kicking almost preteens asses into the dirt!" Obito grinned.

"Excuse you, i was nine." Ryouta glared.

"As was I!" Kenji flailed. "If it wasn't for the Hokage stopping the semi-final fight with Mina, I could have gone on to kick kakashi's ass in the finals!"

Minashi went utterly still. "What?"

Kenji nodded. "I had you on the ropes! If the proctor hadn't interrupted my kenjutsu would have beaten yours!"

"Ooooooh." Inomi and Shikari watched the Uchiha basically challenging his teammate to a fight.

Ryouta leaned forward to meet Kakashi's tired face that was facepalming. "Should we alert Tsunade-sama?"

"Nope. Idiot needs to learn to not provoke and Uzumaki. I thought he learned that years ago." Kakashi grumbled.

Obito grinned as he realized what was about to go down. "Yes! Can we watch?"

"Of course." minashi hummed as she smiled innocently at Kenji. "It seems that my dear teammate has forgotten that i'm still captain for a reason."

Kenji narrowed his eyes at her, the obsidian depths tinging with red. "You've been slacking off the last few months. I've been training my ass off. Plus, you are still short. My size will overcome yours."

Mashai leaned over to kakashi and whispered low enough that most didn't hear. "He's gonna die…isn't he?"

"Yep." Kakashi sighed. "Wouldn't be the first time." Mashai nodded and stood up.

"Alright, lets go see the fruits of your labor then Uchiha."

"Yes. Lets." Minashi smiled slowly standing, eyes narrowed on her taller teammate. "Training ground 3. Ten minutes." the blonde tossed down her share of food and disappeared in a shunshin.

Scrambling to put their own money down, the friends then scattered all across konoha looking for any of their other friends currently in village to watch the epic fight.

"Uhh…."Mashai looked to his nephew that was one of the two that hadn't left. "Where are they going?"

"Witnesses for a bigger betting pool." Kakashi shrugged and started loping for the training grounds. Mashai and Shikari a step behind.

"It's not often that we get to watch two of the monster students of the Sannin spar with each other." Shikari hummed lazily, a spark of eagerness in her eyes.

"Monster students?" Mashai chuckled nervously. "Surely that's an exaggeration-" he stopped at the look the nara teen sent him.

The elder Hatake remained in thoughtful silence as they headed for the agreed training ground. It wasn't a surprise that Minashi and Kenji weren't there quite yet. However that changed five minutes later when both walked into the grounds. It was moments later that even more teenagers were arriving and Mashai was suddenly feeling old. All of them were wearing worn Chuunin vests or Jounin vests.

Kami, Uzushio hated sending anyone under fifteen off island and Miho-sama always did her best to make that an unspoken law until a real one could be passed. Just as how it was still sort of unofficially seen for Uzumakis to not be of age until they were at least twenty. It apparently used to be higher, but time did change some customs.

Mashai was quickly introduced to the new faces, and properly introduced to the other ones he'd met in the restaurant.

The friends were silent as they watched Minashi and Kenji-san just stare at each other. Then, Kakashi looked around, saw everyone had arrived. Bending down he picked up a pebble, and the flicked it with his thumb up into the air.

It rose high and as it drop, time seemed to slow as it neared the ground. In a split second, Kenji had turned on his sharingan and drawn his tanto from his back, pulling it down in a powerful swing. Just as Mashai thought it would connect, Minashi pulled a katana out of the palm of one hand with her other hand!

Metal clanged in the air as the two swords met and neither moved. Their audience could see Kenji's arms building and shaking as he tried to brute his way through. Minashi just held her block, smile gone from her face, and eyes a cold blue. Then with the flexibility of a feline, she twisted just enough to throw a kick to the side of Kenji's head. He had no choice but to disengage or get a concussion.

The Uchiha smirked, and Minashi returned it. A blue of speed and they were at it.

Mashai let out an impressed whistle. The pretty blonde vixen was very skilled. He recognized not only the Uzumaki kenjutsu, but the senju kenjutsu in her style. There was a third one he didn't recognize, but….was that also the Uchiha style mixed in here and there?

"Hatake-san?" Masahi grunted, not wanting to take his eyes off the two very impressive shinobi. He did recognize the voice as the Nara from earlier. "It seems we got derailed. Why did you ask if any of us were on the frontlines?"

He shot the teen, from what kakashi and his hyuuga teammate had said these older teens were around eighteen, a looked before returning his gaze to the blonde and how she was like a walking typhoon yet elegantly flowing like an ocean current.

"Well, i wanted to try to explain that whatever you all saw in your war was nothing compared to what happened to Uzu."

Genma, Asuma, Gai, Koto, and Rin perked up. They had been invited to Kenji and Minashi revenge spar. They didn't know one of the survivors would be there. And they'd been talking about Uzushio's fall?

"What do you mean?" Asuma asked.

Mashai's face darkened a bit. "Two hundred ships. From Kumo. Eighty from Iwa. Almost four hundred ships from Kiri."

He didn't need to look to know the others had paled. He could smell their reactions.

"We fought for days to take those numbers down as they slowly chipped away at our barriers. Uzu's numbers have never been outstanding. Between fuuinjutsu accidents and population control so we didn't over run our island, we never reached the city numbers that other villages reached. We were a Village, not a city posing as a village. Granted that also meant we relied more on quality than quantity."

"Kambi-sama once said to me that one Uzumaki on the field could change the tide of a war." Koto said softly.

Mashai smirked proudly. "Damn straight." His mind went to the pretty time traveling blonde Uzumaki. He would bet his life that if her and her brother hadn't been on that field of battle, the Alliance would have never lasted as long as it did. Even when it was down to just one, she held the will of two and kept them alive for years.

"When the barriers fell…" Mashai continued smirk dropping. "We did what we did best. We blew shit up, we drowned the invaders in the ocean and on land. Everything we had in our arsenal was used, and nothing was off limits. It was us or them. I watched many people i consider friends and family, get cut down even as we tried to protect the civilians and children for as long as possible. But uzu is small."

The hatake tried to keep his gaze focused on the fight despite the images flashing in his memory. "At one point, the battles on the shores and city outskirts…you were fighting on top of bodies. Trying not to slip in blood on the streets." He said softer and softer. "We survived because Miho had already made an announcement beforehand. That she had created a seal that would blow the enemies out past the central arches and leave them unable to get to anything uzumaki related. But she had needed time to put the seal down. Everyone agreed to give her the time. When she was ready a day later, she called for volunteers. As the ANBU commander in training I stepped up to do as my Kage required. I left my father and mother in charge of holding the line as myself and the other volunteers were healed enough to aid in the seal. The last thing I remember is the sounds of the earth shaking, explosions, and distant screams and my baby sister praying to the Kamis to protect any of our people that escaped."

A yelp Jolted Mashai from the past and to the present. He had the pleasant opportunity to see an Uchiha disarmed with masterful sword skills and knocked to the ground, with said Uzumaki technique.

"Now, Kenji, do you really think i slacked off all this time? Even on Uzu? Do you think my Nee-san would allow such a thing when we were all emotional wrecks and needed an outlet?"

Kenji pouted up at her. "You added Uchiha katas!" he accused.

Minashi just beamed. "Well of course! Mikoto-nee adores me!"

Kenji's pout just deepened before Minashi put her sword away and held out a hand to Kenji instead. He rolled his eyes, but took the offer.

The blonde then turned to the crowd with a sunshine smile. "So? Who won? Because you owe me ramen for winning ya big bucks!"

Genma chuckled just as did most of their friends. "Minashi, we learned years ago to not bet against you. Your luck is crazy good."

"Wait! Did none of you bet for me?" Kenji exclaimed.

"Sorry Kenji-san." Rin smiled guiltily. "Even in your Taijutsu spars, Minashi is better."

"And Ninjutsu." Obito grinned rubbing it in.

Kenji glared at his younger cousin. Conversation was stopped when in a blink a blonde that looked remarkably like Minashi appeared. Well, minus the fact he was male and had no whiskers. Cerulean eyes looked around and eyed his sister's friends.

"Nii-san?" Minashi called curiously.

Minato waved at her. "Imouto."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm just looking for Obito."

Said Uchiha tilted his head confused. "What for? Is there a mission?" He brightened "A solo?!"

Minato gave him a patient smile. "Not yet Obito. Nagisa-sama sent me. She would like her father to look at your seal to see if there is any adjustments they can make to ease things for you."

The uchiha had stiffened at the mention of his seal, and now that Mashai focused there was some interesting ink near his neck and ears. He watched as the Uchiha slowly relaxed.

"Can…Can he help silence the voice?"

"Jiji's a Grand Seal Master." Minashi said gently grabbing Obito's wrist. Dark eyes looked down at the blonde with fear. "Trust him. Trust the faith Shishou has in his work."

Obito nodded and moved towards his sensei. Minato smiled fondly and placed a hand on Obito's shoulder. They were gone in a blink and chakra flare.

"Teleportation." Mashai grunted impressed. "Has Shouta met him yet?"

Minashi shrugged even as their friends started to disburse back to what they were doing while Minashi and her team walked together with the older hatake back to the village.

"Not that i'm aware of. Sakumo has been really busy so Nii-san has too."

"All the higher ups are busy." Kakashi huffed. "Even Orochimaru-sensei's been busy. Apparently one of the Uzumakis, Aoi? I think, has been placed under his tutorship. Apparently they were a student of one of Uzushio's ninjutsu researchers. Once sensei heard that he practically kidnapped the kid."

"Apparently Dragon-sama's been busy too." Kenji sighed. "Many of the Uzumakis requested to work part time as ANBU as most of them already were that. Not to mention there's been talk of ranking spars so the Hokage can properly assign them shinobi ranks."

"Sounds about right." Minashi nodded. "Shinobi cope best with trauma by getting back to work and creating bonds that will help them through it."

"This isn't counting that we want to hunt down those that escaped and bring them back home to the clan." Mashai hummed. "Nagisa was right to start such a movement once the traitor was exposed and killed. If only because in another light it could be seen as Konoha trying to repair their lost honor for failing Uzushio."

"Brutal." Kakashi deadpanned. Mashai shrugged unashamed.

"Politics." He countered back. "So! Minashi-san, have enough energy for another spar?"

The blonde glanced at him with a strange look. "You were serious?"

"Dead serious." Kakashi grunted reminded of his own spar not two days ago.

"Sure." The Uzumaki shrugged.

"Would you mind if we watched?" Ryouta inquired lavender eyes sharp with curiosity.

"I don't mind!" Mashai smiled. "But, it's gonna be at the Hatake Compound. Mako is waiting there for us."

"Go home." Sakumo said when the blonde entered the Hokage's office after dropping Obito off. Minato jerked surprised.

"Sakumo?"

The Hokage looked up with a pointed look. "Minato, you've been avoiding your father-in-law and in consequence, your wife and son. You will not make a good impression if you keep this up."

The blonde shifted nervously. "I heard how he reacted to the news of Kushina being married and already having a kid. Kushi used to talk all the time about how strong her dad was."

"Are you scared of him?" Sakumo smirked teasingly.

Minato paled. "A little."

The Hokage snorted. "Go, before your wife's patience runs out and she hunts you down instead. I heard she was introducing Naruto to Shouta today anyways."

Giving in to his approaching death, minato latched onto the seal he kept on Kushina and disappeared.

Arriving in their kitchen wasn't too much of a surprise. Kushina has been a busy host and helping all of her clansmen settle in a making them food while they had been settling in. All of the Uzumakis knew there would be food at the Clan Head house if they didn't feel like cooking. With Kushina taking a break from missions due to her family needing her more, she'd been home. Naruto had loved it. Minato too to be honest. Kushina's cooking was the best.

Stepping forward, he wrapped his arms around the love of his life's waist and sunk his senses into her chakra. The tension that had been piling up on his shoulders during his interim time as hokage, was washed away.

"Minato!" Kushina hummed pleased relaxing right back into him. "You're home before dinner!"

"I missed you." He murmured. "Spending a month with you practically alone spoiled me. Now i've got more work with the Hokage and running interference with him, the survivors, and the Councils. Not to mention training my students in between and spending time with naruto and you."

"Oh? So i'm last on that list?" She teased, but Minato only leaned on her heavier.

"Never. You are the sunshine of my world. I'd be a very boring standard shinobi without you."

"Liar." Kushina sighed softly, reaching back to tug at one of his bangs. "You're a genius Mina-kun. You'd still be an international deadly threat with or without me."

The blonde just shook his head and burrowed deeping into her hair and neck. "Nope. without you, i wouldn't have a perfect wife, an adorable son, or an amazing imouto. Without you, our family wouldn't have grown to what it is now. If i could remarry you, i would because once isn't enough."

Kushina was flushing up a storm at minato's words, knowing he meant every single one.

"I'll admit that i've been a little busy on purpose, but…your father terrifies me. One well placed word or argument and i fear everything i've ever dreamed of could be taken away from me." His arms tightened around her middle. "Just the thought of losing you, of losing anyone of this family that you gave me, terrifies me."

"Oh, Minato." Kushina cooed and turned the burner off so she could spin in her husband's arms. His beautiful eyes were wet with unshed tears. Cupping his face, she adored how he leaned into her touch so easily. "You aren't gonna lose me. You won't lose us." She promised and reached up to kiss him. He held her preciously and when she let him go, he kissed her forehead, making a blush bloom on her cheeks.

"I would give up my own life kushi, to make sure yours was never taken. I'm so lucky that you came to Konoha when you did. I know you were scared and angry, and even resented your family at one point for having you become the jinchuriki, but I thank the Kamis every night that you did. Because that sent you to Konoha, to me. Your seal then brought Minashi to us. And then you blessed us with Naruto. Kami Kushina, as a kid i never dreamed i'd get the chance to be a dad. I hardly remembered my own. But especially after meeting you, i knew you'd make a great mother and a great life partner."

"Mi-mi-minato!" Kushina spluttered flushed bright red. "What brought this all on?!"

Minato hummed as he pulled her closer. "I might be a little sleep deprived from stress. But i just love you so much. You could have easily been one of those people we sent off to the eddies….and…and that terrifies me at how empty my world would have been without you in it. So this might make me selfish, but thank you for being Kurama's host until our imouto could take it. Thank you for giving me the time of day when we were kids. Thank you for choosing me when you could have anyone in this village."

Kushina hugged her husband back and knew what she could do to give this amazing the same thing that he'd given her.

In a flare of chakra, a kage bushin appeared and went to look after naruto who was napping in the other room. Leading the shunshin, she disappeared with her amazing husband to their room and sat him down on their bed. Wide but still loving blue eyes watched her as she straddled his lap.

Kissing him, she deepened it until they were both out of breath. Pulling back to where just their lips were touching, she whispered to him what she wanted most right then after everything he'd confessed to her.

"I love you too minato. I lost my family once, and then you became my family. You were there to support me every step as we grew our family." Another light peck. "Help me grow it again, my love. I want another child. I want to see you glow once more with fatherhood. I want to see naruto light up at a sibling. I want to continue to grow our family until we are both satisfied."

Minato groaned. "I could never have enough of you. If you make that promise, i can't promise there will be time between babies for mission work." he teased smirking.

Kushina's eye twitched before pouting. "Six."

"Three."

"Five?"

"Four."

….

"Four." Kushina purred and pushed her blond back. "Shall we work on number two?"

"Seals." Minato hissed. "Too many sensors in close proximity."

Kushina giggled but got up and activated their bedroom seals. The world around them disappeared and with a lunge, Kushina tackled her husband back onto their bed. Minato's chuckles turned to groans before he was flipping them over and dragging wanton sounds out of his beautiful wife instead.

Minato didn't stop kissing up his wife's neck even as she tried to brush out her damp hair. He'd helped her dry it with some gentle Futon jutsu, but now it was just a matter of brushing it. Minato wasn't the best with long hair. Case in point; minashi always went to Kushina for hair care.

Kushina suddenly went stiff under his arms. "My clone popped." she answered before he could ask.

"And?" he wondered aloud. Kushina would already be running if Naruto was in danger, not to mention the seal they had on him would alert them to any serious threat.

"Dad's here." Minato stiffened behind her. "I…I forgot he was coming over for dinner. You surprised me so it slipped my mind." She winced.

Minato let out a long sigh. "Well, i've already made a bad impression for avoiding him for so long. I really should try to get to know him."

"He's not as scary as you think. I mean he's always been this pillar of strength to me, but that was when i was a kid, of course i saw him like that-" Kushina's rambling stopped when Minato kissed her silent. Violet met bright blue eyes that were nervous but steadily calming.

"Kushi, introduce me to your father?" Minato smiled softly and Kushina felt her heart leap and fall right in love with her husband all over again.

Shouta stared at his daughter, tilted his head and frowned. "You're a clone."

Kushina's clone smiled. "Hai, sorry daddy, she'll be down in a little bit. Do you want to meet Naruto until she's ready?"

Shouta felt his lip stick out in a deep disgruntled pout, but followed the clone in. He was too young to be a grandfather! He wasn't even fifty yet! Miyuki he knows is laughing at him in the pure lands. (he closed his eyes at the still fresh pain of his wife's death, that and his unborn son's death.)

"Daddy?" Shouta opened his eyes, tears willed away and found Kushina's clone standing before him with a baby on her hip. Cyan eyes widened on the blonde boy. While his eyes and hair were not Kushina's…Shouta felt the previously stopped tears fall. Naruto looked like Kushina…like Miyuki. That adorable round face, big eyes, and bright smile. His chakra even felt like Kushina and Miyuki.

Shouta chuckled and walked forward to take the baby from his daughter. "Hello there little storm. I am your Jiji." the young grandfather moved to sit on the couch with his grandson and play with him. He did absently notice the clone popping, but put it aside as Naruto giggled and babbled as Shouta talked to him all about the boy's mother and grandmother. How Miyuki-ba would have squished him because he was so cute!

Shouta was in the middle of helping the almost year old to stand and keep his balance, when he felt a seal deactivate and Kushina's presence reappear on his immediate senses. The feel of one that had a similar summer storm feel to it that echoed in naruto's own, was right beside Kushina. The older Uzumaki was rightfully keeping his back to the stairs as the boy that stole his precious daughter away finally decided to show his face.

"Sorry for the wait daddy." Kushina's call caused little Naruto to perk up and look to his mama's voice. The toddler must have seen his father too as his arms went wild and he ended up on his rump as he quickly crawled to his parents. Minato was more than happy to kneel and pick up his son that crawled right for him.

He held him close as the rest of his nerves settled for now. He had kushina at his side, and his precious son in his arms. All would be well.

Shouta stood and brushed out the few wrinkles of his casual yukata and the invisible dirt. Eyes not looking at the blonde that stole his baby girl.

"It's no problem Shina-chan. Naruto and i were just getting to know each other. He is adorable and just like you at this age." He finally looked up and only looked at his daughter, ignoring the adult blonde. "Now, you invited me to dinner and to also meet little Naruto. I do not mind entertaining the little storm if you needed more time cooking."

Kushina's smile fell as her eyes moved to her husband and then back to her father.

"Actually, Minato was able to come home early-"

"Or if you'd like we can always go out to eat. I'm aware that you've been making sure all our clan has been eating and sleeping properly until little Mina-chan and Nagisa's status have been made public. Your mother surely didn't like the politics of the clan. I'm sure you are also ready-"

"Dad." Kushina frowned at him, fists on her hip. Shouta twitched at the practical replica of his wife. "You are being rude! While it is unexpected, I do want to introduce you to my husband. He is a good shinobi, a wonderful, and a great father. He's my best friend and you are being horribly rude by not even acknowledging him!"

Shouta's face scrunched up. "You are entirely too young to have both a husband and child. Nothing can be done about Naruto and he is fine as he is anyways. Looking just like you and all-"

Chakra flashed angrily and naruto squeaked before Minato placed a chakra covered hand on his back as his wife's hair started to raise in familiar tails from her jinchurikis days.

Shouta's face turned a little nervous at the rising Uzumaki temper.

"I am NOT a child anymore daddy. I know i was only eight when we last saw each other, but i am twenty six now! Even in the outdated laws of Uzushio, i am a legal adult. Not to mention that you should not be fighting the man that was there for me with everything that happened since i moved to Konoha when i was six! I missed my parents. I rarely got to see you both with all your missions for Uzushio. And Mito-sama was getting old and was always busy with the remains of the Senju. Minato didn't pick on me for being a foreigner. He didn't pick on me for my verbal tick or hair color. He wasn't put off the fact that I was beating up everyone that did pick on me! He was there when i was ten and Kumo tried to Kidnap me after Mito-sama's passing! I love him and he's my soulmate."

"Minato has been my family since i lost everyone! He wanted nothing but to be at my side and when i gave him my heart, he has only ever cherished it since! He helped me raise our imouto and protect our village! He was there for me when Danzo was caught. Hell he was on the team that Nagisa led to get further evidence against danzo! He was my rock when we found out i was pregnant and not even engaged yet. He proposed to me before even knowing and when i blurted out after his proposal that i was pregnant he kissed me and told me told marry him so we could be each other's families all while trying to hold back his own tears."

"He was there for me when we thought we lost Mina during the kyuubi attack. Even though i know he was barely holding onto his own sanity as we watched her have seizure after seizure."

Kushina took a deep breath, panting from her ranting and scolding of her father to see him looking properly scolded, but she also saw the grief in his gaze.

"You once told me…that for an Uzumaki, once we find the one that completes our souls, nothing else matters. Minato is that for me daddy. He is to me what Ka-san is to you. So if you can't accept him as my husband, you can walk out that door and not come back. I've lost you once and recovered. I wouldn't like it, but i would do it again. There is no choice for me. I choose Minato, our son, and the future children we want to have."

Shouta's tears fell as he saw the roaring eddies burning in his daughter's spirited eyes. He finally looked to the blonde and saw that he wasn't standing behind kushina. No, he stood beside her, a hand still holding hers even as the other kept the toddler protected from kushina's lashing chakra. There in those bright blue eyes was a calm cool look, however, he could practically see the held back veteran shinobi with hackles raised and ready to pounce if either his wife or child were in danger. He was eyeing Shouta up like a threat.

The man looked back at his daughter and then took the three of them in. Kushina was no kitten hissing and spitting. She was a mother fox protecting her pack. Minato too was like a predator feline ready to be given a reason to gut him. Honestly, Shouta was impressed, thus while it hurt -kami it hurt, his baby girl really had grown up into a fierce woman, a fierce kunoichi- he knew he'd long since lost.

"I would never make you choose Shina-chan. To be honest, i was jealous that he's had more time with you than i have. I was scared that you were pressured into an marriage. I was worried that he was good enough for you. And…" Shouta swallowed thickly, "Honestly, i'm not coping well with your mother's and brother's loss. We'd just found out it was a boy…but you know how stubborn your ka-san was. She was right in the thick of it defending her friends and her students. I was busy beside Miho-sama and didn't get word until too late that she was gone. I feel so guilty that i hadn't even realized she was gone. I couldn't sense that she was missing from my senses. So i've been focusing on you…and it just turned to acting out and keeping the only part of Miyuki left, close."

Kushina's own tears fell at the grief in her father's gaze. Said gaze turned to Minato and he gave a deep bow.

"I apologize for my behavior to you Minato-san. It was unbecoming of a person of my position. I lashed out at you and you didn't deserve it."

Shouta rose back up but couldn't meet the other man's gaze. Too ashamed, the guilt of his actions fully settling in.

He was shocked from his depression when he suddenly had Naruto in his arms, and Minato had been the one to plop him there. He looked into eyes that met his own and saw the cold look gone. Instead were the eyes that were twins of Minashi's. Kindness pouring out of their ocean-like depths.

"I didn't know my father, died before i was born." Minato said and took his time to say what he needed. "My mother left me when i was young. My grandparents died of illness, leaving me abandoned and orphaned young during the second war." he looked to Naruto then kushina and back to Shouta. "I do not want to repeat their actions. I promised myself that one day i would have a family that I would cherish. It was my dream right there beside being Hokage. Even as a child I grew skeptical of the former. Instead I'd started focusing on just being a good leader and greater shinobi. Then…"

He looked back at Kushina who smiled back. "Your daughter walked into our class room and exploded with an exuberant introduction and adorable verbal tick." He looked back at Shouta. "I've been in love with her since. I would never deny her family. I wanted to take her to Uzushio long before my sister arrived and manipulated a trip there. Yet, i didn't want her to go there and just re-live the pain Uzushio's loss caused. It was selfish of me to put it off, yet fate still allowed me to be there to support my soulmate as we put our family to rest, as we found those that could still be saved."

"I will admit, i've been scared to meet you. Kushina praised you and your skills so much when were children, it felt like you were the shinigami that would steal her away from me. And that terrifies me even to this second. However, I think we can agree on a common goal to protect her happiness and smile. They are wonders of this world afterall." Minato smiled.

Shouta felt himself let out a mix of a snort and gauff. "That they are."

Minato's smile grew. "Then how about we try this again." He held out his hand. "I'm Namikaze-Uzumaki Minato, Elite Jounin, Godaime-to-be of Konoha, and I'm hopelessly in love with your daughter. I'll also murder anyone that dares to harm her or our children."

The redhead smirked and took Minato's forearm in greeting instead of just his hand. "I am Uzumaki Shouta, former ANBU Commander Shark, and I am proud that a good man like you has been there to protect my daughter's health and happiness when I could not. I am Honored to have you as a son-in-law."

They released each other as Kushina stepped up and smiled at her father. Well, until Shouta's face blanked.

"Even if i still think you both are too young to have already married and have a baby."

"Daddy!" Kushina yelped.

Shouta just smirked. "So, what did you make for dinner, Shina? I know you got my cooking skills. Plus you two can tell me all about your adventures together as we eat!" He deflected with practice ease.

Kushina let out a long sigh even as Minato chuckled and followed his father-in-law to the kitchen, Kushina sulking the way there, but Minato could see her twitching lips. He pause and grabbed her hand. She met his gaze and he surprised her with a deep kiss. She squeaked a little startled. Minato pulled back and let her see how much he loved her with just a look. Kushina's face was tomato red. Smiling, he gently urged her into the kitchen.