Chapter 4

Sandaime Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen rubbed his temples to stave off the headache that was blooming. He didn't want to open his eyes to confirm what he'd already seen. He didn't want to deal with it or with the paperwork it would bring.

But tensions were high. Their alliance with Suna was on thin ice. Iwa was still sore, twelve years later after Minato's annihilation of their armies. Kiri had been quiet after the disappearance of the Mizukage and the reign of their new Kage. A new village had sprouted out of nowhere and no proof could be found of their actual location.

Letting out a long sigh, he opened his eyes an reread the report Jiraiya had just handed to him. One of his contacts had run into a legend long since disappeared into the shadows. One Sarutobi had met thrice in his lifetime. First was when Tobirama-sensei took the hat after his brother's death. Next was when He took the hat himself when Tobirama-sensei died in battle. It hadn't even been a formal meeting. Just an understanding look between two individuals who'd lost someone precious. He hadn't seen anything but a few locks of golden hair, and bright cerulean eyes slitted like a fox. Everything else was either covered by a hooded cloak or cloth mask.

She'd given him a respectful and acknowledging bow. When he passed the hat to Minato, he didn't see her. He wondered if she hadn't approved of his choice of successor. He'd found her instead in his home later that evening, shrouded in shadows.

"You choose well." a melodic voice whispered with the evening breeze. And with the breeze she disappeared once again.

Now thirteen years later, she's been spotted only a day's travel away. Would she accept his summons?

"How accurate is this?" he asked his last remaining student. Jiraiya raised a brow at the seriousness of his sensei.

"One of my best sources. Ne, Sensei, who is this person? My contact seemed dazed by his own information."

Sarutobi sighed and lit his piped before addressing his student again. "Uzumaki Juko, She was the first Blonde Uzumaki. She was a sister in all but blood to the founding four. She was a direct cousin to Mito-sama."

Jiraiya's eyes widened. "How is that possible?"

Sarutobi snorted. "I haven't the faintest clue. But despite her remarkable strength for her age, she was family to our founders. She was there when Tobirama-sensei took the hat. She saw me take the hat. She approved of Minato-kun." they both paused in a moment of pain for his dead successor. "Sensei always spoke highly of her."

Jiraiya nodded and waited his orders.

Sarutobi twitched his wrist and an ANBU dropped down. "Find Kakashi. Bring him here now. You have ten minutes. If he protests, warn him that i'll stick him on all the babysitting D-ranks i can find if he's even a minute late. That includes yourself."

"H-hai!" The boar ANBU trembled and dashed out in the quickest he'd probably ever moved. Jiraiya snorted.

"That was excessive."

"Necessary. I want you and Kakashi to find Uzumaki-sama before she gets too far away." he spoke even as he wrote on a clean new scroll with his invitation to join their ranks. He tried to not sound pleading, but he might beg if needed. Pride be damned. His sensei had paled when Sarutobi asked if he had ever sparred Uzumaki Juko.

A few minutes later a huffing ANBU dragged in one Hatake by his collar, who was still reading his book. Kakashi looked up to see Sarutobi's narrowed eyes.

"D-ranks." He threatened.

Kakashi was on his feet, book away, and ramrod straight with speed rivaling his sensei prior.

"Ah, Gomen hokage-sama, i didn't realize the ANBU wasn't just going overboard."

Sarutobi sighed and tossed Jiraiya the invitation scroll with his signature and seal.

"Kakashi, you and Jiraiya are to find and escort one Uzumaki Juko to Konoha. You have three days."

"Uzumaki?" Kakashi asked one visible eyes widening.

"Hai. The original Blonde Uzumaki."

Kakashi's eye widened further. He'd heard stories from Kushinanee-san about the only Blonde Uzumaki. How she was the most powerful of them all. How she was beyond Grand seal Master. How she was the one to seal the first Nine tailed beasts.

"When do we leave?" he asked.

"Now. Grab enough for the short escort and then leave."

Kakashi nodded and left in a shunshin. Jiraiya gave a small smile at his grandstudent's departure. He'd come a long way. Making him a genin sensei was probably for the best.

"Jiraiya." sarutobi called back his student's attention.

Black eyes met deep brown. "Tread Carefully. I respect Uzumaki-sama, but i do not know her personally. I cannot say how she will react."

Jiraiya nodded. "Hai sensei. We'll be careful."

"Good. Dismissed."

Jiraiya was gone in a swirl of leaves.

Ten minutes later Kakashi and Jiriaya were racing through the trees of Fire country. Eight hours later they were in the village where Jiraiya's contact had said the Uzumaki was staying.

Neither felt the shadow already on their heels.

"Ma, Jiraiya, How much do you know about this Uzumaki Juko?" he asked low to keep ears from listening in.

Jiraiya hummed in thought. "Not much honestly. There isn't much about her written down. Sensei wasn't helpful either. He respects her because the Niidaime respected her." he frowned. "Sensei said to still be careful because of this lack of information." His eyes strayed from their path to the bathhouse they were passing. "Hm, since we have a few days to find her, how about you get us a room, while i do some resea- Recon?" He said and didn't even wait for Kakashi's answer as he headed for the bathhouse.

Kakashi sighed annoyed. Ignoring his sensei's sensei, he went to the local Inn and got two rooms for them. He also checked with the front desk to see if they had anyone under Uzumaki or Blonde women.

Meanwhile Jiraiya was cloaked between the fence and bushes of the Bathhouse and looking into one of the few holes he'd made during his travels. His notebook was out and his grin was present.

Neither realized the shadow that had been following them moved to an ally and popped into smoke.

A blonde woman, her henge gone for her time soaking, slowly opened her eyes in the outdoor onsen.

"Eh…" she said softly to herself as a foxy grin lifted her lips. A small pinch had gone through her chest at her Henge Clone's memories of the Two Konoha Nin, but she'd had plenty of time to prepare. She'd spied on Konoha long enough to watch them all grow up anyways.

"So it begins." she whispered to herself as she uses some chakra to coat the outdoor bath in a thicker fog.

Her sensitive hearing could hear the perverted toad's cursing as he settled in.

Slowly she let the fog up.

Jiraiya's pencil froze as golden strands caught his gaze. Toned arms rested against the stoned edge of the bath. But that's not what caught his attention. Those arms were covered in black ink. He focused his senses more, but he couldn't sense anyone in the bath. The woman either had no chakra- impossible- or had suppressed it to nothing. Which meant that he'd found their target.

Jiraiya swallowed when she suddenly stood up. Her hair was long and while wet, looked like spun gold. He realized then that it wasn't just her arms that were covered in seals, her entire body was minus a few important areas.

His pencil fell from his fingers when she turned and a perfect figure stepped out of the bath. His nose dripped with blood even as the fog seemed to blur her upper and lower assets.

Long fingers ran through her hair, brushing it out and wringing the water from it. But as she moved, it was graceful and -predatory- his mind provided as he watched her grab a towel and dry off. He couldn't stop watching as her hands moved over all that sun kissed skin.

"Did you find the target?" Kakashi spoke into his ear.

Jiraiya yelped and fell back, too mesmerized to notice Kakashi near.

Kakashi looked at the Sannin surprised. "Jiraiya?"

Husky chuckling filled the air and both men looked up to find the golden haired Uzumaki laying across the top of the bathhouse fence. Only a very small towel covering her modesty.

Kakashi's eyes widened at all the seal work even as his own nose threatened to bleed at the sight before him.

She was stunning. But what kept him from falling to his perverted ways was her facial features. She had six whiskers like another blonde he knew. But her Blue eyes were Slitted like a fox. They were also sparkling with mirth.

"Looks' like i've found myself a couple of peeping toms." her smirk turned to a foxy grin. "What shall i ever do with you two?"

Kakashi let himself slip back into his masked persona. He gave her a lazy salute. "Yo. I was just fetching Jiraiya-sama here after getting our rooms for the night. I apologize for his peeping. We're working on retraining him."

"Hm?" The blonde raised a single sleek brow at him.

Jiraiya finally stood up and bowed at the waist. "When you are ready, we would like to speak with you Uzumaki-sama. I am Jiraiya of the Sannin, Shinobi of Konoha. This is Hatake Kakashi, Elite Jounin of Konoha. We come with a message from the Hokage."

Uzumaki just glanced at him before her eyes rolled. "I'll meet you at the Inn in ten minutes."

"Hai." The two Konoha nin's chorused and suddenly the woman popped with a cloud of smoke.

Back at the Inn, Jiraiya and Kakashi sat at one of the low tables, finally getting some food instead of rations they ate on the way.

The cushion across from them suddenly was no longer empty. Both nin jumped at her sudden appearance.

Slitted blue eyes glanced between the two nin, but a waiter took her order before either could speak. She ordered a lot of food and sake and dismissed the waiter.

Sharp blue eyes looked back to the two men. She sat before them in similar attire as when she first stayed in Konoha. She didn't keep the wide Obi anymore. Instead it's a three inch wide belt was much easier to move in. A cream haori rests like a shaw over her elbows and tucked into the belt. It dipped low at the back and v's below the belt to act as a skirt. She still wore a burnt orange top, but the modern skin tight shinobi top was stitched with seals in black thread in thin strands all over it.

"You have sought me out because Hiruzen-kun has sent you?" she prompted after food and drink had been dropped off.

"Hai." Jiraiya said and handed over the scroll. "To summarize the contents, he is requesting that you join our ranks."

Juko hummed as she spun the scroll in her hands. "And to double check, this isn't another ploy to make me take the hat?"

Jiraiya and Kakashi shared a look. "Huh?" Kakashi smartly asked and wanted to slap himself.

Juko smirked. "Hashirama threw a fit one day and ran away from his duties. Tobirama had all their best shinobi looking for him while he was busy keeping the village running. Eventually the stubborn man finally let go of his pride and asked me to find his wayward brother. That was only after he tried to get me to take the seat instead of him so he could search. Hashirama had asked a few months later if i'd take the hat so he could retire. I declined. Later Tobirama had sought me out after a few years under the hat to see if i'd take it. I declined. Hiruzen hasn't made the attempt yet. I thought he'd do if after losing the fourth, but instead he stayed."

"Why don't you want to be Hokage?" Kakashi asked curious.

Blue eyes rolled. "I was temporary Hokage during the first war. I know what the position entitles. I was stuck behind that desk for three years before I hunted my four boys down and dragged them back to the village."

Both Konoha Nin's eyes widened at this. Why didn't they know of this?

Jiraiya cleared his throat. "He is not requesting you take his seat. He is only asking that you return home and help us in the coming years. Sensei is worried about the tension around the nations."

Juko hummed as she sipped her drink. Opening the scroll with one hand, she read through it and absently ate everything she'd ordered. She read the politically written letter almost begging her to come to Konoha.

Her eyes glazed over as she thought it through. Kakashi and Jiraiya here were almost at the ages she'd knew them before. Only a little younger. How old was her counterpart now?

"When was the village last attacked?" She asked absently.

Jiraiya and Kakashi shared a glance. "Twelve years ago." Kakashi answered. "Why?"

Juko sighed and closed the scroll. "I lose track of time. Konoha being attacked gives me a reference of what the date is."

"Ah." he mumbled confused.

She met their gazes and nodded. "Go get some rest. We'll leave first thing in the morning." With that she disappeared with a very small flare of chakra.

Both men sat there for a bit longer. Kakashi's gaze moved down to the empty plates and just stared.

"That went well." Jiraiya sighed.

"Hn." Kakashi grunted as something clicked in his mind. She had an Uzumaki appetite. She'd ate and drank and left. Kakashi stood. "At least we can call it mission success. Good night Jiraiya." With a swirl of leaves he left.

It took a few moments later until jiraiya squawked when the bill was handed to him. Kakashi and Juko both grinned from their respective rooms in the Inn.

Morning came swiftly and both Nin found Juko standing right outside the Inn without any signs of a bag. Instead her cream Haori had been replaced with red one trimmed in black.

"Ready to go boys?" She smirked.

"Hai." Jiraiya said covering a yawn.

"It will take eight hours to run back to the village, not including any stops." Kakashi said more diplomatically.

Juko blinked between them. "Who said anything about running?"

Shivers went down both their spines when she gave them a foxy grin.

Suddenly she was gone, and they felt pressure on their shoulders before the world spun.