DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything from the Naruto universe.

Thinking (+ flashbacks, "Naruto speaking to the Kurama in her mindscape," etc.)

Emphasis

Bijuu, etc. speaking

Bijuu, etc. thinking

Naruto, having nothing else to do and finding no reason to piss off Kakashi just because she was bored, escaped to her mind to visit Kurama. He was shuddering in his sleep as he did sometimes, but Naruto was still worried. She hated to wake him up - he CONSTANTLY complained about her doing so - but she hadn't talked to him in days! "Kurama?" she asked as she shimmied through the trees before climbing up his fur. Once she reached his nose, she rubbed it, and he calmed for several seconds but didn't wake. "You okay, buddy?"

Unsure of exactly what to do when her furry partner didn't respond to her, Naruto sat down and crossed her legs, going into a meditative state while also gathering nature's energy. She opened her yellow eyes to examine the fox, who looked and felt the same as he always did, although he was sound asleep. "What's up with you?"

Chomei hummed and Naruto looked over at him, the tanuki, and slug sitting quietly beside him. "He's trying to figure something out."

"He is?" Naruto asked. She guessed that with the three of them to talk to, Kurama would naturally go to them first, although she could admit that it stung a little. She wondered if Kurama could always see them because they'd often (one by one or sometimes more,) seem to disappear on her, although she could definitely feel the chakra they left behind.

"Yes."

"The idiot said he had not been gaining additional chakra recently," the tanuki said, always a little belligerent when it came to Kurama. "What does that even mean, Mother?"

"Well," Naruto sighed, thinking about it more and ignoring what they'd decided to call her. "For years now, Kurama's said he's been slowly gathering the chakra that was in my dad's seal… like from his other half?" she asked more than said. "I can tell - if I'm really thinking about it - that he's more than the half I originally had, NOW, obviously, but I really couldn't always feel his chakra accumulating as time went on as I suppose he could."

"How would that work?" Saiken asked, unusually agitated. "I cannot imagine my chakra being separated into Yin and Yang halves, but theoretically," he said, humming to himself, "Kurama should not have been able to gather his other half without taking it, whole."

"I don't know," Naruto answered, waiting for the others to give their two ryo, but they were all silent but seemed to be contemplating the question. "I don't even know if I could handle that much more chakra. It was a stretch to acclimate my coils to all of you. Maybe it's me that's forcing the process to move slowly." She stopped before another few thoughts came to her.

"I also don't see why it's a big deal to him: enough for him to ignore us and sleep like this…"

Shukaku clicked his tongue. "Kurama's always been a lazy sack of feces."

"Maybe I'm off here, but it's weird that it stopped after my father was - and the uh- deceased Kages were resurrected again. If anything, I would've expected Tou-san's chakra to abruptly surge into me or… NO! That's it: dumb fox! You goof," Naruto added, rubbing his velvety nose fondly. "Tou-san took Kurama's chakra to the Pure World. It's as simple as that."

"I don't think it is," Chomei said, looking grim.

"Perhaps his chakra is reforming elsewhere, as is theoretically the case when a jinchuuriki dies before we can be resealed," Saiken commented, looking thoughtful.

Well, as thoughtful as Naruto imagined a slug could look, anyway.

"You're NOT going to get sealed again," Naruto said with force. "We gotta find Isobu before the Akatsuki gets its hands on him again," Naruto said grimly, reaching out her senses as far as they would go, and not feeling the giant turtle anywhere - or even just a gargantuan bunch of chakra anywhere surprising. She felt Bee's presence tickling at the edge of her senses and smiled. "I gotta go see some friends of mine. I'll talk to you guys later. Ja!"

Back in the reality of the small flat she didn't intend to stay in any longer, she let Kakashi's pooches know she was taking off. They looked furious, which made her feel bad even as she zoomed through the hand seals after biting her thumb. "Gyaku Kuchiyose no Jutsu." She'd have to apologize to them later.

"Yo, Pa!"

"Naruto-chan! What brings you here today? We were expecting you after the full moon," the toad sage said. Naruto had to go to the Toad's home mountain every cycle unless she was on an urgent mission.

"Yeah, I kinda forgot to ask you something," Naru said, wincing and rubbing the nape of her hair.

"And what's that?" Pa asked with a raised bushy eyebrow, already knowing the kunoichi's tells.

"Ano, I kinda need to find Isobu and reverse summon him here?" Pa looked at her like she was crazy. "Awwww, c'mon! He's a giant turtle and you guys are toads! Toads and turtles share ponds quite amicably!"

"I wasn't aware you knew that word," Pa said crossly, ignoring the kunoichi's outrage at his little quip. "Isobu is NOT just a giant turtle, Naruto! He is a tailed beast, is he not?"

"Of course," Naruto said with a big smile. "He's awesome. I mean, in my last life, he did try to kill me and stuff and has… Oh, he has loads of babies that tried to get me, too. Maybe he's a she?" she asked herself, not noticing the look of disbelief evident on the old toad's face as she tapped her chin. "Whatever. Kurama said he's normally super peaceful and docile and stuff, so I can't imagine him giving you trouble."

"Do you realize that turtles eat frogs?"

"I didn't know that! But you guys are big. And you'd be giving him refuge from the Akatsuki, so I'm sure he'd - she'd? - whatever: I'll have to ask the pronoun that THEY, I guess, prefers. He or she or they would be grateful, ya know."

"We'd have to erect a barrier around the turtle," Pa began before groaning and looking up at the sky. "I can't believe I'm even considering this!"

"It could save the world, ya know," Naruto reminded him with a pout.

"That is the ONLY reason I'm considering it, Naruto-chan," he said before sighing and deeply regretting what he'd have to do next. "I'll have to speak with Ma, Bunta, and… Gamamaru-sama." It was the last one that was killing him. Honestly, the Great Lord Elder so enjoyed pulling their legs despite his senility; he drove him crazy.

Naruto felt a pull on her seal and grimaced. "Something's happening," she said, tightly holding her belly.

"You'd better go," Pa said, almost panicking. Naruto nodded and left.

Minato showed up on the Mountain a moment later.

"You almost ran into her, Minato-chan," Pa said, shaking his head. "What you've decided is a mistake and will hurt her! I don't like this one bit! She is every bit our partner as much as you are."

"I've told you, Lord Fukasaku, this won't be for long. I am in… peace talks with the Kyuubi, and believe we have come up with an amicable solution."

"There's that word again," Pa mumbled to himself. "Good luck with that, Hokage-sama, but I won't lie or hide anything from Naruto again! Orders or not!"

Naruto was shocked when she showed up in the fox summons' den -er, forest… Wherever it was, it was surprising to see a bunch of giant vixens circling all around her. "Yo!"

"Don't 'yo' me you, brat!"

"I'm Naruto. Who are you?"

"I told you, she's horrible," a silver vixen that was the size and girth of a cow said.

"Well that's not very nice," Naruto muttered, even more irritated that these jerks brought her here. She could be respectful of a summons and all, but the vixens shouldn't have brought her here against her will just to insult her.

"She's a human: of course she's horrible," the horse-sized purple vixen with the pretty eyes - the one she'd met before - said.

"What am I doing here?" Naruto asked tiredly, wishing she knew their names: it would make things much easier. "Maybe we should properly introduce ourselves, ne?"

The purple vixen ignored that comment. "We understand a battle ensued in Konoha, yet you did not call on us."

"I hate to say this, but I'm surprised you're interested," Nauto said, trying not to scoff. "You gals have proved incredibly unreliable."

"Insolence," the largest multi-tailed vixen cried in what was a very good impression of Kurama. Since Naruto dealt with Kurama almost daily, it didn't phase her, and not cowering seemed to piss the big girl off even more. "We could've feasted on the flesh of humans and tasted victory, but you denied us!"

"Should I say 'sorry?'" Naruto asked in disbelief. "You did just threaten to eat my kind!"

"Only your enemies?"

Naruto wasn't impressed: that vixen was obviously lying! "Maybe we should end our partnership? I mean, you guys have made it pretty clear that you want nothing to do with me."

The vixens' anger seemed to pause and they gathered more closely together. Naruto was sure she was put under some kind of genjutsu and didn't get any help from Kurama like she normally did. It took her quite a while to get out of it, but no harm seemed to have come to her. Naruto figured they had just wanted to have a conversation without her being aware of it.

Geez: they could've just asked! If a civilian was leading my life, that person would've lost her sanity by now.

"We will not end our alliance. But you will summon us for battle."

Naruto was shoved and suddenly found herself in Kakashi's apartment. "How the hell did they do that?" she wondered out loud, petting the ninken who had jumped on her. What a surly summons!

Eventually, she found a couple of balls and played with the ninken, enjoying how the boys got so excited to "fetch" from the ceilings and race around like mad on the walls, despite how small the apartment was.

"Naruto."

"You woke up! Oh my gosh, Kurama: I was worried about you!"

"Naruto," Kurama repeated in a grave tone, knowing what he was about to say sounded insane, and he couldn't be sure, but…"I think Minato may be alive, or still out there, in any case."

Shikamaru drew in a deep breath and nodded at the Suna representatives that had been sent back to Konoha.

"As I'm sure you know, Chunin Nara's father was once an ambassador to Suna before he was eventually appointed Jonin Commander."

"After the war," Kankuro surmised, giving the Nara heir a dirty look. Kankuro was sure the guy had the hots for his sister, and if he wasn't mistaken, Temari was oddly interested in him, too.

At the Chunin Exams, she had agreed to go out with the guy!

A tree-hugger!

Temari had never been interested in anyone, and why she would potentially have the hots for some leafling who lazily paraded about while hiding great skill, he didn't know. Temari was cocky and skilled - and she didn't hide that skill for anyone, anywhere!

Not that he was much different. He could only thank Kami and Pakura-sama that he'd been promoted to Chunin despite his humiliating loss at the Chunin Exams so he would be eligible to guard his sister.

Naruto hopped in through the window, looking furious, pale, and sweaty: her clothes were torn and Shikamaru wondered what had shaken her so much. She was soon followed by two of Kakashi's ninken who were out of breath. "Sorry if I'm intruding," she said, pulling at her ponytail.

She realized that she'd intruded on some kind of diplomatic meeting and felt her face heat up. Temari-hime was glaring at her, and Naru wondered if it was because Shikamaru had moved closer to her once she came through the window. If so, she'd have to tease her for it someday.

"What have I told you about going through windows, Brat?" Tsunade spat from behind the Hokage's desk. She was going to have to seal her out, wasn't she? Goddammit!

"I thought, ano," Naruto mumbled, feeling like an idiot for imagining what Kurama said could be true: that her father might somehow be behind the Hokage's desk. She hadn't been here in a while, and she'd already run by their old home to see if he might be there.

That's pretty pathetic, Naruto.

"I thought someone else might be here," she admitted while looking at her sandals. Because of that, and sadly for her, she didn't see the obviously pained look that crossed her grandmother's face.

Tsunade hated this but was under bullshit orders from her Kage son, with whom she was trying to develop a relationship. Doing so was risking the trust the short one in front of her had always offered so unwaveringly, however. "Well, you're here, now, so you might as well know, since you're familiar with all involved?" Naruto perked up, so the Slug Sannin continued. "Shikamaru here has been appointed Ambassador to Suna."

"Aww, that's so nice Aniki," Naruto chirped, moving to shake his hand. She then grabbed Kankuro's, startling him. "You two make nice and try to stay professional in your ambassadorial duties despite your obvious attraction for each other, 'kay?"

Both men pulled their hands back as if they'd been burned, and Naruto laughed at them.

"Idiot," Temari murmured under her breath before holding her head up high. "I have been appointed as Konoha's Ambassador, Naruto-hime."

"Is that right?" Naruto exclaimed brightly, giving her brother a wink and enjoying how Temari and Kankuro both seemed to be blushing - or maybe Kankuro was red with anger: she didn't really care. "Congratulations, Temari-hime! Shika-kun!"

"Thank you," Temari said dryly at the same time Shikamaru spoke.

"What a drag," he whispered. Shikamaru hated the work that came along with being Ambassador but loved spending time with ONE of the troublesome blondes here with him. Plus, he was supposed to be aiding Naruto in hunting the Akatsuki, so having an additional assignment could pose a problem and was definitely more work.

"I need to send a toad to Gaara-kun to see how he's doing! He's okay, right?" Naruto asked.

"He is," Kankuro said, glaring at her and saying nothing further. Naruto maturely stuck her tongue out at him.

"Since Naruto is the Leaf's jinchuuriki…"

"What the fuck, Baa-chan?!"

"We already knew that, Naruto," Temari reminded her. Did the other blonde really think their brother hadn't told them?

"Yeah, but it's still uncool just to call me that," Naruto said, crossing her arms after dodging a few paperweights that were thrown at her.

Honestly, people needed to STOP giving the Kages paperweights as gifts!

"Brat! I was going to mention that you might have trouble getting a message to Gaara because he's controlling the Sand around Suna to protect the village from our shared enemies."

Naruto was impressed: that was an excellent idea. "Wow: he's pretty awesome, huh?" Kakashi's ninken growled in warning at her, making the (in this life) youngest blonde in the office roll her eyes. "How are you guys getting back and forth from Suna, then?"

"Tunnels," Kankuro said, then was swatted harshly by his sister.

"Troublesome blondes," Shikamaru whispered regarding violent sisters - not quietly enough, though, as three sets of eyes narrowed at him. "Sorry."

"Yeah: sorry," Kankuro said, feeling for the Nara for the first time as Naruto-hime prepared a jutsu to throw at him before sighing and taking a step back while dropping her dangerous little hands.

"It's not like I'm going to tell - and I don't really know how in the world the toads move about," Naruto said, rubbing her chin and considering it. She still had a lot to learn from the toads.

"She needed to know about this, anyway," Tsunade assured everyone. "Kazekage-sama and the Ambassador have requested your presence as a guard when they make their trips."

"Makes sense," Naruto said, bobbing her head. "I'm awesome, so yeah."

"Brat," Tsunade groaned, knowing she needed to come up with a more insulting name for her granddaughter.

"I'm a target for the Akatsuki, though. I don't want to put anyone in danger."

"True, but these tunnels are nearly complete. Very new," Tsunade continued, even when she saw that her granddaughter's attention waned. Naruto had picked up Jiraiya's short attention span - or maybe she got that from her TBI…

Naruto didn't remember hearing about tunnels to Suna in her past life, and she was pretty sure that IF they made the trip faster, her team would've taken one (along with Temari) when they retrieved Gaara from the Akatsuki back then. The image of Gaara's lifeless, stiff body froze her for a few seconds before she forced herself to grin (fakely, she was later told) at those around her. "Do you need me for anything else?"

"We didn't need you at all, professionally, for this, Naruto," Tsunade reminded her. "You're excused. Next time, use the damn door," she tried to order, but Naruto had already hopped out of the window, the two ninken following her.

Naruto was already on her way to find someone to train with her - or at least find a place where the ninken could stretch their doggy legs more than in that stuffy apartment.

Temari hummed before sitting down in the chair she was offered while Tsunade steamed. She cleared her throat and offered her first thoughts. "I would've liked to have told her that my brother crushed the traitor, Sasori of the Red Sand.

Literally.

"Very impressive," Tsunade commented, remembering exactly what the Suna puppet master was capable of. "Deidara the Mad Bomber is also dead."

"Two down, around six to go then? I'm ready to get to work," Temari said, smiling professionally at her fellow ambassador. "But first, I'd like to ask if you have been formally named Godaime Hokage." Temari could feel that something strange was going on in Konoha.

Tsunade smiled and didn't like the way the Nara brat was observing her so closely. "I suppose one could say that I am the one candidate for the position."

"Congratulations are in order then," Temari said after a beat, while Shikamaru mumbled his favorite word under his breath.

If Tsunade-hime really was the soon-to-be Godaime while the Sandaime was up and alive, that was purely good news for Konoha, but something told the strategist there was more going on.

Sasuke wondered why his life revolved around idiots.

"Two words, Kabuto: 'Not. Interested,'" he said before turning away from Konoha's latest traitor. Who knows? Maybe Kabuto was in a situation that was similar to his brother's, so he decided not to kill him for now.

As long he fucks off immediately. Afternoon off or not, I need to train.

"Now, now," the gray-haired young man said in an uncaring manner, almost as if he was lightly scolding Sasuke for being rude. "I don't suppose I was actually asking."

Sasuke turned to him fully then, and Kabuto could say that he was perhaps a little intimidated by the Sharingan that spun to life and narrowed upon him, not that he'd show it.

"What did you say to me?"

"This is in your best interest, Sasuke-kun," Kabuto explained while pushing up his glasses. "Orochimaru-sama has techniques that can make you stronger than your wildest dreams. You will never be strong enough to beat Him if you stay in Konoha. "

Sasuke hummed to himself, putting his hands on his hips and looking toward the horizon. "I do want to beat his ass," he said to himself regarding Itachi: that possibly self-sacrificing idiot. He still wasn't sure if everything Shisui told him was completely true, but now that he could even question the massacre's cause and exactly who was behind it, he knew he needed to speak with him. And then beat his ass, regardless.

Kabuto smiled but didn't quite understand why he got the feeling that Sasuke wanted to tangle with his brother, (whom Kabuto and the Orochimaru-sama considered to be the REAL Deal - not the imitation that was standing in front of him,) rather than killing Itachi on sight. He anticipated the hatred he'd seen burning for years in the young Uchiha's eyes, not this… sappiness. "Has being on a team lessened your desire for revenge?"

"My desire to maim my teammates rarely lessens," Sasuke said, thinking that was both true and rather funny. If only someone was here to hear that, he thought. People didn't think he had a sense of humor, but he did.

"Good, good," Kabuto said approvingly. "And to hurt your brother? To kill him?"

Kabuto wasn't exactly sure what Sasuke's Mangekyo Sharingan could do, but he didn't like to have it suddenly pointed at him at all.

"I thought I told you I wasn't interested. Fuck. Off. …Before I become angry." Sasuke was already angry with this moron, though. "Leave before I alert the authorities."

"And how might you do that?" Kabuto asked smoothly. A woman with light blue hair moved out of the shadows. She was followed by a group of men whom Sasuke wasn't impressed by.

A smirk grew on the young Uchiha's face. He was eager to test his limits with these assholes, but his smile fell at feeling incoming chakra signatures that he knew belonged to his old team, including the obnoxiously huge one a little farther away that belonged to that mega-moron, Naruto-chan. He hadn't seen her in a while, and it had been great: relaxing even, despite his harsh ANBU training. All good things had to come to an end, however, didn't they? Wanting to take on these idiots without her, he layered one genjutsu on top of another before moving to strike Kabuto.

Kabuto was fast but was tripping as he tried to dispel the genjutsus that Sasuke continued to lay down. As soon as he'd stabbed and blasted the jerk with a fire flower jutsu, he turned to the other intruders that were wearing Sound hitai-ates. "It is foolish to show your true colors when infiltrating another village. Who wants to go next?" he smirked eagerly.

The blue-haired chick seemed to be in charge, but she was holding back, ordering her ugly minions to do her dirty work. She was about to speak when her team moved around her protectively, which seemed to irritate her.

Great: backup has arrived, Sasuke thought.

"Maa, Sasuke-kun," Kakashi drawled. "You were having a tea party and didn't invite me?"

"Stand down. You are under arrest for entering Konoha without providing proper papers and infiltrating a protected district," Tenzo said. He was always all business with enemies.

Guren put up her hands. "You have it all wrong, shinobi-san. We were bringing you the Konoha traitor, Yakushi Kabuto."

"And you decided to deliver him to Uchiha Sasuke?" Kakashi asked, finding that way past suspicious. In fact, it was ridiculous.

"He is the first person we ran into. My associates and I only wish to return to the Sound Village," Guren said, trying to look as innocent as possible. "Orochimaru-sama is dead, and we wish to form an alliance with a strong village. There is no village stronger than Konoha."

"Is that right?"

Kabuto's groan startled almost everyone. He really looked burned and dead.

"Interesting ability you have there, traitor," Kakashi said, pulling him up as he raised his headband. He smirked as he pushed a Chidori through his chest. The mud clone dissolved around it and Kakashi looked to those remaining in disbelief. "You thought you could get away with this? Let's go."

"I- I swear! We thought Yakushi was dead," Guren exclaimed. Kakashi thought she almost sounded truthful - and also might have wanted the traitor dead as he took her into custody.

"I'm going to kill that little bastard," she muttered between gritted teeth while her hands and feet were bound in Tenzo's Mokuton.

Naruto arrived and was very surprised by what was going on. Kakashi glared at her and she tried to look pleasant, knowing that he was probably irritated with her for running around the village - but his apartment had been so boring! Plus, Kurama was freaking out about stuff he wasn't sure about: things involving her FATHER - and that plus sitting still was making her crazy.

She made a bunch of clones - two of which began to take in nature's energy - that surrounded the team she remembered battling once upon a time, knowing that Guren was the one they really had to watch out for. That woman's abilities were damn scary.

"Naruto-chan, send some of your clones ahead to T&I," Tenzo said.

"Hai!"

Later that night, Sasuke laid out his ideas to Senju Tsunade and Nara Shikaku, careful to control his emotions and appear that he was up to the task he was proposing.

"Let me get this straight. You want to infiltrate the Sound Village. What's in it for you, Sasuke-kun?" the Senju asked.

Sasuke sighed, thinking that he had already made that clear. "It is in the village's best interest. My understanding is that we don't know where the Sound Village is, or of Orochimaru's status, OR how many secrets that belong to our and other villages that he is hoarding. I do this for Konoha," he concluded firmly.

If Itachi could be employed as a spy, so could he! Seeing the way that the new Hokage(?) and Jonin Commander looked at each other, he knew he was right. "The Sound infiltrators were sent in order to apprehend me. Oto's ops were willing to get caught in order to do so. …I doubt this will be their last attempt."

Sasuke felt that if they were after him, specifically, it was in order to get his Sharingan. He'd like to think it was for his skill, but in his memories, nearly his entire clan had reminded him and anyone listening that everyone wanted to steal the Sharingan at every opportunity - and did it in almost every conversation!

"Watch out, kiddies! Don't let those bastards get yer eyeballs," the old bakery owner cackled. "Can't be strong without 'em in your cute little heads!"

"Remember boys, the Sharingan is - or will be in your case, Sasuke - precious and coveted. Your eyes can lead to greatness or down a path of destruction even without being in your heads," Father said.

What a responsibility.

Tsunade tapped her son's desk, thinking over his proposal. "This isn't a job that you've trained for," she said before turning to Shikaku who muttered a Nara's favorite word. "You would require… on-the-job training," she said, trying to find the right word for what Jiraiya did with his contacts before brightening. "Do you have a summons?"

"I have a contract with the Uchiha ninneko."

Tsunade nodded. "Wait in the hallway."

Sasuke waited for over an hour. He was just beginning to think they'd forgotten about him when he was ushered in by the senbon guy. His eyes widened - in fact, he was surprised enough to involuntarily activate his dojutsu. Seeing the Yondaime Hokage - the Yellow Fucking Flash - glare and growl like an animal at him from behind the Hokage's desk, he bowed, wondering what the exact FUCK was going on! "Yondaime-sama," he said as he kneeled and stared at the floor, fist over his heart.

Has his voice always been that weak?!

"Sasuke-kun," the Yondaime said, clearing his throat anxiously. Kurama had gone ballistic when Sasuke showed off his Sharingan and also didn't appreciate Minato shushing him. "Stand, my boy: let me take a look at you!"

Minato had seen Sasuke before, of course, both in his last life when the teen so kindly "arranged" for him to be reanimated and when he was a baby. The young man in front of him looked much less murderous - well, as much as a son of Fugaku could look, he internally thought. "Before we get to your proposal, are you aware that I'm your godfather?"

Sasuke hadn't quite known that. He knew that Namikaze Minato, his parents' old teammate, had been Itachi's godfather, and knew that had both been caused by a fight between his parents. His parents had never told him that this man was HIS godfather, too. He wondered if his father had even been made aware of it!

And if they were that close, why would the Uchiha revolt? …Namikaze Minato had died, though - or so he thought.

"You look good, Sasuke-kun," the Hokage(?) -he's definitely wearing the cloak, Sasuke thought to himself - said to the silent and stunned young man.

"I've read your file and I know your parents would be very proud of you. I knew them well: they were the best of us."

Aside from the coup… Which I have to admit still stings, Minato thought.

Sasuke was NOT going to cry from that comment, nor was he going to allow his Sharingan to manifest itself unless the Yondaime - his GODFATHER, for fuck's sake - attacked him. "Thank you, sir," he said in just over a whisper.

"Shikaku-san and Tsunade-hime have briefed me on your proposal, and I'm impressed. Before any mission, you'll be meeting with our spymaster and will agree to my application of the Hiraishin and a loyalty marker on your person. You won't be on your own, Sasuke-kun," Minato continued, enjoying the fire that seemed to be ignited in the young man's eyes from his words.

Uchiha Sasuke had once left the village for power, but this time he was doing it to protect his village. Supposedly, Minato thought. He was always careful, thus the loyalty seal. Sasuke had also been strong enough to kill Danzo at one point in time when he was around the same age in that other life. "You'll also have to go through a battery of psychological tests before your mission begins. If you pass these tests, you'll be on your way with the shinobi that were apprehended today."

"His testing has already begun," Tsunade said, pulling more files from a cabinet that was previously hidden. "He's on the ANBU track."

"Very good! Until it's decided, you'll be staying with me at the Tower."

"Hokage-sama?" Sasuke asked weakly.

"Maa, maa, Sasuke-kun! A room's currently being prepared for you. Now," Minato said, then hummed, thinking everything over. "One more question: what do you think of my daughter?" Killing Intent filled the room.

Oh God: a nearly superpowered, returned-from-the-dead and overprotective father, Sasuke moaned to himself. Oh well, at least he wasn't Kakashi…

His life took another turn for the worse when Sakura came out of the room next to the one he was assigned.

"Sasuke-kun!"

"Oh god."