I had to go back and do a correction on the last chapter because someone helpfully pointed out that Kisame shouldn't have been in the Akatsuki yet. He's been swapped out for Pain. Because why not? If you have time maybe give the last few lines a glance over before this chapter.

(For future reference, feel free to politely let me know if there's something I have missed/misinterpreted. I'm not the most well versed person in Naruto canon, and we're gonna go off course BIG TIME eventually, but some things might escape me so please let me know!)

Chapter Three

The First Year

Obito had stuck around, hiding away just outside the door, before retrieving something for Fū to eat.

Not that he expected Nagato to do anything untoward, the man had a moral code and he wouldn't harm an innocent child. Unless he had a very good reason, and with the Fourth dead Obito couldn't see there being a reason for Nagato to try to use Fū as a bargaining chip. And, well, technically speaking, with Kushina's death that meant that Fū was Nagato's clan head.

Not that Obito was going to bring that up any time soon.

It became clear what Nagato really wanted with the Uzumaki scion after Obito listened to his volley of questions.

Nagato was trying to assess where she was developmentally. There was nothing untoward about that. Obito was going to do that himself, after all. She would have to train in the shinobi arts in order for him to feel confident letting her out into the world at some point.

This world was dangerous. Until he accomplished his goals, there would be times that Fū would be in danger and he would not be available to help, though he would do his best to ensure that would never happen, it was unrealistic to believe it wouldn't. She needed to know how to save herself. Bottom line.

Once Obito felt comfortable leaving Fū for a few minutes, he booked it down to the kitchen, swinging through the nursery just to ensure the infant jinchuriki was well looked after.

The Minato-sensei in miniature form was sleeping when Obito arrived. He was swaddled in a wool blanket and silent in his plastic hospital-standard crib. Obito's hand gripped the sides of the crib as he leaned over to watch the infant.

The boy was important to Fū. Her brother by blood. And though that caused a pang of irrational jealousy, that was not the reason Obito couldn't help but wonder if it wouldn't be better to separate the siblings from the beginning. To stop the sibling bond before it had a chance to form.

He wasn't related to Fū, and yet just seeing her as his sibling was enough influence over him that he'd gone to extreme lengths for her because of what she meant to him; who she was to him.

What he would do for Taifū, she would definitely do for Naruto.

And that worried Obito. Because, eventually, the boy would have to die. His own father had sealed his death the moment he'd sealed the Nine Tails inside of him.

The closer Fū was to this child, the harder such a permanent separation would be and she would certainly blame Obito for it.

The last thing he wanted was for Fū to hate him.

He was already on thin ice as it was.

It was clear she was in shock from her parents' deaths and her subsequent abduction. In a matter of an hour her entire world had been flipped on its axis–Obito was under no delusions that she was going to continue to be so agreeable as time went on. But regardless of whatever happened from this point forward, Fū wasn't going anywhere.

She would have no choice but to accept that her home was here, now. With him. She'd have to accept that he was going to ensure she was protected, provided for, and educated. There was nothing in Konoha for her anymore.

They would have to talk about it soon.

He pushed himself away from the crib and Obito left the sleeping infant, wondering if he was making the right decision to allow him to stay.

Baby Naruto was just perfect.

It had taken over a day for Obito to declare Fū was recovered enough to meet her brother, much to her aggravation. Within minutes, she'd been escorted a few floors down in the steel skyscraper (it was a lot like a structure from her old world–certainly not something found in Konoha) and ushered into a small nursery.

The nurse instructed Fū on proper baby handling before she was allowed to pick him up. She refrained from telling them she'd held babies before. She hadn't as Taifū, but she'd held them plenty in her past life.

"Hey there, little brother." Fū smiled down at him as she sat in the rooms provided rocking chair. Despite the stress of the last few days, this moment was precious and she wanted to enjoy it. "I'm Fū, your big sister. Sorry it took me so long to meet you. It's been a little hectic, yeah?"

Naruto garbled baby nonsense up at her with wide, trusting eyes the same cerulean blue as her's and their father's. His hands flailed and one landed in her hair, gripping the red strands tightly, the other wrapped around her offered finger. She winced when he tugged on her hair, but leaned in instead of forcing him to let go.

The nurse and Obito were still in the room with her. Obito either had some things he needed to talk to her about or he was just standing guard. They hadn't had the opportunity to talk yet, so she expected it was a mix of both but mostly the former.

Her suspicions were confirmed when he quietly asked the nurse to leave them. Fū eyed him as he pulled the uncomfortable plastic hospital chair over to where she was rocking Naruto and sat down facing them.

Obito lifted his hand, his fingers brushed the orange mask and he hesitated.

"Take it off." Fū encouraged him with a gentle voice, still rocking Naruto.

She already knew he was disfigured, and she'd practically lived in the Hokage Tower over the last couple years (she demanded a lot of piggy back rides from Genma just to laugh because he was commanded to entertain her) and had seen a lot of battle scars in that time. She was desensitized.

His fingers twitched. "I don't look the same anymore, Fū."

"It doesn't matter what you look like. You're still Obito-nii, aren't you?"

This must've been the wrong thing to say, because Obito let his hand fall into his lap with his fist clenched into a tight ball. Almost as if he were frustrated.

"No," he said, "I'm sorry, Fū, I–I'm not ready." She opened her mouth to tell him it was okay, she understood, but he continued on, stammering a little. "You–uhm, you're going to be staying here with me. Both of you, will. For a while–ever. Forever."

She'd figured as much. The real question was why?

So she asked.

"Why?" Fū asked, tilting her head and trying to look underneath the underneath. But reading someone was almost impossible when their whole face was covered. Something she'd learned with Kakashi. She figured, by the way he just blinked his visible eye at her, that he wanted her to elaborate. So she did. "I mean, why are we here and why now? You were alive all this time, so why didn't you come home? We missed you–I missed you."

That last part was true, at least. Taifū had missed Obito. His easy going and fun loving nature, paired with how much of his personal time he'd always set aside to be 'Obito-nii' had made him easily her most loved friend, even knowing how his story would play out.

She was happy to be reunited, and yet terrified because she didn't know what this massive change in the storyline meant.

Would anything be the same? Small details, maybe, but some of the big plot points would likely change from here. Fū had somehow changed the timeline simply by existing (lord knew she hadn't tried to) and now she was off script.

Obito's fist unfurled and both of his hands rubbed over his thighs. When he spoke, his voice was stronger, now. More confident. "You shouldn't be this smart and articulate at your age."

A surge of panic washed through her, and she tried to stomp it down.

Well damn, he was right but he wasn't supposed to acknowledge it.

And acknowledging it aloud was definitely a diversion tactic because he didn't want to answer her questions.

A cowards move, for sure.

"I know." Fū shrugged, hoping her nonchalance would lead him away from questioning her further, then winced when Naruto fussed and tried to soothe him while Obito's eye was fixed on her face.

"Did your parents know?"

"They suspected. Perhaps they knew and just didn't bring it up." She told him with a nod, she'd never been a good liar and it was better to bury the lie in a half truth. "But I was trying very hard to appear like an average child. I'm still close with Itachi and I know Kakashi's story. I've seen what happens to prodigious children in Konoha. I didn't want that."

As soon as she finished speaking, she had a feeling that Obito knew she'd lied.

"I know it's been a while, Fū," he straightened his back, eye narrowed, "but I can still tell when you lie. If we're going to trust each other then I need honesty from you."

Oh yeah, he knew.

This wasn't going well for her.

"You evaded my questions earlier. Trust goes both ways." Taifū said, eyeing him warily. She'd definitely just solidified that there was more to her story, but she couldn't help it. He was evading the truth while at the same time trying to force it from her. It was hypocritical and she wasn't going to entertain it.

Even though a part of her wanted to confess to someone, she knew there was no way she could tell Obito the truth. At best, he'd declare her insane, or an imposter, and kill her on the spot. At worst he would milk her for information and use her to win the upcoming war and sacrifice humanity to that evil alien chakra monster goddess thing–Kagua.

There was a tense moment of eye contact. Fū's heart hammered in her chest.

"Fair enough," Obito nodded, relaxing his shoulders, "can we work up to it, then?"

Taifū had no choice but to nod her acceptance, doing her best not to sigh and sag with relief. As if noticing her change in demeanor, Naruto finally freed her hand.

It wasn't like she could go anywhere, anyway. First of all, she was going to have a bodyguard no matter where she went for the foreseeable future. Even if she didn't it wasn't likely she'd make it out of Ame with Nagato monitoring the rain. Secondly, she had no means of surviving out there on her own, especially with an infant.

She was well and truly stuck.

The only way forward was to play up the Stockholm syndrome and seek to learn as much as she could. Learn and train and become strong enough to protect Naruto because as of right now she was pretty fucking useless.

Especially without materials for Fūinjutsu. Fat chance of her getting her hands on any sealing equipment until Obito trusted her, too, and who knew how long it was going to take to gain enough of that from him.

"We can start with you telling me what it is you want with us." Fū extended an olive branch.

Obito sighed and leaned forward until he could hold her free hand in between his. "There's a lot about Konoha that you don't know, Fū. As you said, you've seen what happens to smart kids. It is far worse than what you've seen. I assure you of that. I took you away to protect you from that."

A partial truth if she'd ever heard one, but she wasn't going to call him on it. Not yet, anyway.

"My brother?"

"Can't protect one without the other, can I?"

Oh, no. Now that she was going to call him on. Fū gave him a look, lips pursed and unable to keep the question from flying out of her mouth; "Now who's lying?"

Another intense staredown ensued, but Obito did not drop her hand from between his and she didn't pull back.

"He's important, too." Obito admitted slowly, like he was forcing the words out. "For a different reason, but still important. I don't intend him harm, he can be raised here alongside you."

So he wasn't planning on separating herself and Naruto. That was reassuring, at least. Though Obito definitely intended harm, even if it was in the far off future.

She had less than fifteen years to figure this shit out and save herself and Naruto… and the world, really.

'Fuck me, this really is hell.'

"Am I in a position to ask for a couple of things, since this will be an extended stay I was unable to pack for?" Fū asked, tone light and teasing despite being serious.

Obito's eye crinkled and he relaxed, finally letting her hand fall from between his. "If you answer one of my questions first. Honestly, this time."

Now it was Fū's turn to tense. "...okay."

"You still like me better than Bakashi, right?"

That pulled an unintentional laugh out of her and it shocked Naruto into hysterics while Obito laughed on, watching the five year old scramble to comfort the crying newborn.

Things were not going well in Konohagakure no Sato.

Namikaze Minato's loss was staggering in and of itself, but the Kyuubi's release had amounted to hundreds dead, thousands homeless, and millions in damages. With financial help from the daimyo, after many promises and compromises made by the Third Hokage, the shinobi forces worked diligently for months to repair, rebuild, and restructure almost every surface of their beloved home.

Things were beginning to get back to normal. Whatever normal meant now. And from sorrow anger was born.

A deep and hollow hole in the eyes of the people, and a growing wrath spread through whispers in the darkened streets and in candlelit households.

"...the Fourth's children–heard he sealed that monster between them…"

"... missing since that night, the nine tails with them…"

"...they're responsible, somehow, if they ever return we have to kill them—get them before they can get us, never again—we'll get the shinobi to do it. Protest… force the Hokage…"

And just because these things were whispered among the civilians, did not mean it was only the civilians who felt this way.

Eventually, after nine months, the Third Hokage was forced to call off the search for the Namikaze children.

A month later, Orochimaru defected.

In time, the tension between Taifū and Obito eased.

That hadn't happened until Obito had introduced her to Konan, who was kind to her and had a matron-like smile that set Taifū at ease even though she knew that Konan was a dangerous and powerful ninja. That casual grace and feminine exterior was lethal. Definitely not a woman to be trifled with.

'Goals,' she thought after meeting the woman for the first time. 'Konan is goals.'

The introduction to Konan was followed by Obito sitting her down and explaining that she couldn't call him by his real name unless it was just them. He wanted her to call him 'Tobi' and had warned her that his public persona was quite different from who he was in private.

After that, it was 'Tobi' that was always around. He installed himself as her bodyguard and ninjutsu trainer most days. Except when he is busy doing 'Akatsuki business.' Which he was incredibly vague about, but she figured it meant he was causing mayhem in order to further his goals of establishing 'Peace.' (Such a contradiction–when she got a little older she planned to call him on it.)

When Tobi was busy, Fū was usually with Konan, learning taijutsu.

She was an unforgiving teacher, despite her matronly, affectionate manner off the training field. Konan did not relent until Fū collapsed in exhaustion, her muscles like jello inside her body. She could barely lift Naruto by the end of most days, but somehow she managed to do it.

Infant care came back to her as if she'd never stopped. That old adage 'once a mother always a mother' seemed to hold some truth because her maternal instincts kicked in that first night, after she'd convinced Tobi that she and Naruto needed a private suite of rooms so she could take care of him.

She hadn't missed the sleepless nights, but it all came back as if she'd never not had an infant to care for. Fū supposed that it wasn't that long ago that she'd had little ones of her own to take care of–even if that life and that world seemed like a fever dream nowadays.

And Naruto was a wonderful baby. He didn't cry and fuss all that much and he'd started sleeping through the night at about two and a half months old. He was just over thirteen months now, and he was up and walking and charming everyone he encountered.

Naruto's sunshine personality was already breaking through and it was impossible not to smile when he was around. Fū had even caught the Pain avatar's lips twitching once.

Still, between Tobi's ninjutsu conditioning, Konan's taijutsu, and raising a baby, Fū hardly felt like she had time to think about anything, let alone escape.

And she was starting to like it at the Akatsuki headquarters. That false illusion of Stockholm Syndrome she'd intended to cultivate for them was starting to be quite real.

Because Tobi acted like the old Obito–insane and full of energy. Happy. Fun. He spent a lot of time with her, and he even played with Naruto just like he did Fū when she was a baby.

Often she'd come in from training with Konan only to find Tobi-nii sitting cross legged on the floor, Akatsuki cloak discarded haphazardly in the corner of the room, and holding Naruto's arms up so the baby could bounce around on his underdeveloped legs, shrinking with glee.

Naruto's first words were 'Fū!', followed just a few days later by 'Tob-nii!'

Fū wasn't sure if it was Tobi's plan, or if he truly thought of her and her brother as his siblings; his responsibility, but he certainly acted like it.

Then there was, to her complete surprise, Pain. Which, to keep them straight in her head, was what she conformed to call Nagato's avatar–Yahiko's body. Since everyone else was doing it. It was just easier that way, less likely to screw up and call him Nagato.

Pain was… awesome, really. Fū liked him a lot. He was insightful, smart, and jaded with a caustic wit that was just so fun to banter with, even if it came from a very hard life.

It was easy to forget herself when talking to him, because he made it easy. Pain wasn't judgmental when she shared her ideas and argued back with him, even when they disagreed.

Like right now, for instance.

"... Justice comes from vengeance but that justice only breeds more vengeance," Pain told her as they walked along the streets of Ame.

Tobi had only recently begun letting Fū go outside so long as she was accompanied at all times, so she dragged Pain along with her for an afternoon walk in the unceasing rain every day.

During their walks, Pain escorted her around the most war torn and parts of the city still in disrepair. He would list his efforts to affect positive change and rebuild in each area they visited. It wasn't lost on Fū that the people of Ame treated Pain like a savior and royalty everywhere they went. His defeat of Hanzo was a couple of years ago, so he'd only been the Kage for about a year when she'd arrived.

"But it's not really justice, if it's done out of the pursuit of vengeance, is it? Those who pursue vengeance tend to get what they deserve in the end. Because vengeance and violence are synonymous." Fū responded, hands folded behind her back and kicking a rock into a drain off the sidewalk. "I mean…" she thought for a second, trying to remember the whole quote, even though she was probably going to butcher it; "The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate...Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.*"

Fū could tell that Martin Luther King Jr.'s sage words had had an effect on Pain when he stopped walking abruptly. When she stopped and looked back at him, he was staring at her with those Rinnegan eyes with a deep look of concentration.

This was another one of those times she didn't seem six years old, just because she couldn't help but open her big fat mouth.

Other than that first day with Tobi, no one had called her on it. Yet, anyway.

"These are wise words from someone so young." He began once he'd shaken himself from his thoughts. Pain closed the distance between them and crossed his arms, looking down at her. Not with any malice or negative emotion, but with a curiosity in his gaze. "In a perfect world, we would all understand such things and know each other's pain. Only then could true peace be established."

Not for the first time, Fū was so glad that she'd had the opportunity to have lived in a world and learned the teachings of truly great and influential people like Martin Luther King. This world didn't have any people like that… not really. Besides, perhaps, Senju Hashirama. He was long past but his teachings lived on within Konoha, and his influence was clear–otherwise there would be no shinobi villages.

Hashirama's philosophies were stagnant without other people picking up the torch and carrying it one step farther. This world had fallen short and yes, progress took time, but each time they seemed to take a step forward they fell back into another war. It was frustrating, reading about it and watching it in real time.

But not much was different from her old world to this new one, when she thought about it.

Wars were waged so rich countries could reap the benefits of it, even when she had died her own country had been at war… a major country fighting over resources in poor smaller nations. A lot like what had happened between the large Shinobi nations in the smaller, poorer regions like Ame.

All the money in the world to wage war, and yet nothing to spare for necessities like food for the poor. The poor then perished at the expense of the corrupt ideals of those in power…The concept of peace is unreal. It can never be achieved. The human race is ultimately greedy and selfish. Peace into this world is just a utopian idea.

Nagato definitely had a point, and that was why she had always liked him in the story. He'd resonated with her then, and he was doing it now, in person.

"You're speaking of empathy." Fū nodded as they resumed walking, the rain was cold and her hair was stamped to her face but she was entranced in this conversation now so she barely noticed when she'd started to shiver. "To understand each other's pain, so that we don't perpetuate the cycle… that would be intentional living. Most people aren't mentally capable of that because they are mired in their own selfishness."

"So you would agree that perhaps it is necessary to force others to know pain, then they shall see their selfishness for what it is… destructive and hateful. As you said, a means of perpetuating a cycle."

Fū hesitated, letting his words sink in.

She'd never been fond of 'force.' The idea of it, the use of it, what have you. It always had negative outcomes and it never worked. Pain's use of the word right now, in this conversation, set off little alarm bells in her head.

Of course, how had she forgotten? Pain intended to show the rest of the world 'pain' in order to establish peace. He was so far gone down that line of thinking that he'd viewed himself as a

'God' who could do whatever he wanted in order to make it to his end goal–establishing global peace through the use of force.

Perhaps she could nip that in the bud early on… all she could do was try, right?

So, Fū shook her head and stopped, brow pinched. She looked up at the dark sky, letting the rain slap against her face and down her cheeks and neck.

"That would never work." Her heart jumped when she saw Pain's eyes narrow sharply out of the corner of her eyes and she hastened to elaborate. "Because people aren't wired that way. Use of force… it's oppressive. It robs people of their agency and is more likely to cause rebellion against whomever they view as their oppressor. Even if peace is achieved through such means it cannot be kept that way. It would be an injustice… therefore perpetuating the cycle again. Because force without justice… well that's just tyranny."

Pain looked like he wanted to say something. He opened his mouth to reply but a shrill, jovial voice interrupted.

"Oh Pain-sama!" Tobi swirled into existence between them, one hand raised in greeting. "Tobi is so glad to find you and little Fū Fū together! But–" the dramatic fucker gasped and smacked both of his palms against his cheeks, "Oh no, she's shivering! Poor dear, in the cold rain for so long! Come, come, Tobi will take you home. Tobi is a good boy!"

Right before Tobi swirled off into the abyss, dragging the unwilling but unable to argue Fū with him, he turned to Pain again and his parting words were;

"Orochimaru defected from Konoha and he's in your meeting room waiting to strike a deal with you, Pain-sama!"

I've been working on the outline for GFU and I now have an endgame/general idea where I'm going. That said we won't be seeing the show-canon era for a while. We've got a lot of world building. This is probably going to be another massive, twisty IAM story now that I'm thinking about where I wanna go and how to get there. Viva la Revolution!

Everything will be different by the time Naruto and Sasuke are 12.

*Martin Luther King Jr. (The absolute GOAT.)