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

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

Emphasis

Bijuu, etc. speaking

Bijuu, etc. thinking

Naruto pouted at her husband and Kakashi while wiping away the blood from her mouth thanks to one of Gai's hellish punches that got the real her. "My chakra keeps leaking out," she said in a low voice.

"Chakra does that," Minato said without much thought as he looked at a bullshit proposal that Onoki had sent him - and after he'd returned one of his jinchuurikis to him!

Kakashi's clone raised an eyebrow at the man's disinterest. And why had Minato chosen to "enjoy the beautiful afternoon" outside in a training ground NOT watching while those still in the village from his ANBU division had one of their rare free-for-alls?

He and his original had quickly realized it wasn't any easier to watch Gai hit and kick his wife than it was to spar against her, himself. Kakashi just couldn't handle hurting her. Naru-chan didn't have that problem when it came to facing him in mock battle: she found it exciting, she said.

Naru-chan was doing very well. She had still-conscious ninjas pinned down in gravity seals all over the field.

"Maa, Naru-chan, maybe we should talk about this in private, ne?" He threw what he hoped was a significant look toward the other ANBUs.

Naruto nodded - the real her was hiding in a nearby tree and letting her clones fight and dispel left and right -but knew that her father was the only one who had any idea of just how full her coils were. Oh sure, she knew they'd keep growing little by little, the more she used chakra, but accidentally giving her chakra to someone outside of Kakashi was concerning.

"Flowering Lavender Forever Fanning the Flames of my Eternal Rival's Loins," Gai shouted in his deep, booming voice - almost wishing he hadn't when he felt the Hokage's KI (let alone Naruto's loud snort and Kakashi's boisterous agreement with his endearment) - "tell your husband he does not need to smell you or your clones every time I land a hit!"

"You don't need to smell Boss every time Gai lands a hit, Kash," one clone hollered while swinging Rasengans until she popped. "I'm okay," another yelled.

"Hmm? Did you say something?"

Gai began to lose it; it seemed that everyone was targeting him despite the fact that his rival was RIGHT THERE! "I KNOW you can smell her just fine from over there, you overgrown silver king artemisia!"

"OH! Sick burn," Tenzo, a true plantsman, praised. He barely managed the substitution that was split apart by Kakashi's Chidori. "YEEEE! – Good one, senpai!" Four ink lions splattered all over Tenzo when he used his jutsu to pierce them. Now he had ink in his eyes. "Dammit, Sai," he yelled as he was too slow to dodge Gai's kick.

"Tenzo's out!"

Tenzo was out: he was unconscious.

The battle raged on until Minato couldn't stand not participating anymore. Throwing his kunai into the air that turned into dozens, he flashed behind each remaining ninja and clone, whacking them on the back and sending them out. Kakashi just hiraishined back home to avoid him. "Good job, everyone."

Groans were heard all around along with some cursing, especially from the man's daughter whom his clone had snuck up on. Minato had used one of her own gravity seals against her.

After being released, Naru jogged around a few of their training grounds before returning to her father and Gai - who was some kind of secret ANBU liaison or something. "Is Sasuke around?"

"He's on a mission."

"Still?"

"That'll be all, Naruto," Minato said without looking at her and flashed away.

Naruto hoped that The Bastard was okay.

Sasuke laid in bed, breathing in the smoke from a cigarette that his definitely not-girlfriend/not-lover had handed him. He would not admit that he found Uzumaki Karin attractive. No, this was all about the advice he'd received from the Toad Sage. As a spy, one had to do what one had to do to get information, and now Karin was quite loose-lipped.

His ninneko laying between them gave him an infuriated, long-suffering look after sneezing.

"He's such a bastard," Karin said, taking the cigarette back and inhaling from it deeply. "I detest Kabuto but until either he or Orochimaru-sama emerges victorious, we can't go against him."

"Hn." To Sasuke, it seemed exactly the opposite.

"I mean, sometimes I think that it WOULD be more advisable to go after one or both of them while they're weak like this."

"Hn," Sasuke said after some time, waiting for more information. Karin had already given up information on two prisons in which Orochimaru had civilians or shinobis that he planned to experiment on (or already had.) He didn't have their exact locations, but Sasuke hoped that the information he'd soon send to the Toad Sage would ensure that those people were freed.

Orochimaru was fucking disgusting.

Sasuke was about to speak, but Karin - the motormouth that she was - beat him to it. "But I can't take you to them until the process is over."

"Hn." Sasuke knew that; otherwise, he would have been interrogated by one of them by now, most likely. "How have they been weakened?"

Karin smirked at him but then rolled her eyes. "I guess it doesn't hurt to tell you," she said playfully. "After Orochimaru's final assault on Konoha, he bit Kabuto, hoping to make him his new host."

"Host."

"Yeah," Karin said bitterly, swallowing a lump in her throat. "A… willing host - or I suppose a body is a better word for it - makes it easier for him, ya know? I've… seen it happen before." She remembered her friend, her senpai, who had changed her mind about becoming Orochimaru's latest body at the last moment. She had thought that she'd have more time, but Kimimaru had become ill - and then she was gone. Karin would never forget her senpai's begging and screams. "What are you thinking?" she asked her new boyfriend.

Sasuke side-eyed her, wondering if it was the time to go after Orochimaru and if he was strong enough to do it himself. Orochimaru had been a nightmare opponent in the Forest of Death, but could he really trust Karin's information? "Hn."

"I like that about you," she said in a low voice. She put on her glasses and looked Sasuke up and down again. "You're really pretty."

Sasuke gave her a dry look. "That's not as complimentary as you seem to think it is." Karin giggled.

"Tell me about that fake Uzumaki on your old 'team,'" she said, a strange glint in her crimson eyes.

"Tell me about where those prisons are."

"Why are you so interested in them?" Karin asked, hoping that they were thinking along the same lines.

"Who knows. Maybe I'm bored, maybe I need practice dummies."

"Oh," Karin said in disappointment.

./ .

It was almost odd that Hiraishining alongside her father didn't affect Naruto at all. Well, there was one thing: it felt familiar and gave her a feeling of creeped-out nostalgia. She knew that she had done this before with him but the memory of how to do it, herself, was beyond her. As Naruto tried to rub an odd headache away, her father made another stop at the shipyards she once stood on to leave for Turtle Island. "Hang on."

"You okay, Naruto?" Minato asked, looking down at his daughter with concern - and holding back a smirk when he noticed the face of his rather green student. It was (sort of) sweet that the two were immediately concerned with each other, he thought. Considering the way Kakashi used to be, he would not have expected their seemingly positive romantic relationship.

Other than the near-obsession they have with each other.

"Yeah. …Yeah!" Naru exclaimed, trying to sound more sincere. "I just had a… little flashback or something." She smiled at Kakashi who was frowning at her, then offered a grim smile to her father who seemed to understand before quickly looking away.

Sometimes Naruto wished they were closer.

"Let's take a break, hm?" Minato asked. "Grab some dinner?"

"That is a horrible idea," Kakashi said, holding his gut.

"You never had this much trouble when you were younger with my jutsu," Minato commented.

"Maa, I don't think I understood it before."

"You should stop thinking with your brain then," Naruto said seriously, not appreciating the way either man snorted at her innate super-wisdom. "Just… Go with the flow, ya know," she advised, wiggling around as she did so.

"Stop practicing for Lord Kirabe, Naruto," Minato joked. "And Kakashi-kun: if I hear you start rhyming, I'm going to lose all respect for you."

"You have respect for Kakashi?" Naruto asked, breaking into a giggle fit when both men gave her offended looks. "Awwww - I respect you, too, Kakashi-koi!" The blush coming up over the edge of Kakashi's mask was definitely worth it. Even her father coo-ed at him, which earned him a threat of violence from her Copy Nin husband.

"Sushi then? Since we're near the water?"

"Absolutely," Minato agreed heartily. He blamed Kurama for his voracious appetite, although he sometimes wondered if having been starved in the Shinigami's belly for over 30 years was the cause. Either way, he'd gained more than a little weight, and sitting behind his desk all day meant that he should watch it. He loved sushi, though; and all that weight he'd gained was probably muscle, really. He still trained every day, after all, and he was, physically, a young man. Active young men, particularly men using chakra, needed a high caloric intake and… "Hmm," he smiled, perusing the menu.

The waiter and restaurant owner gushed over the honor of having the Hokage visit their humble establishment: this kind of thing happened all of the time, (along with people gawking at him for being alive,) so Minato really wasn't phased. After thanking the men, he placed an order for pretty much everything on the menu after Naru and Kakashi gave the waiter their requests.

"Maa, sensei: you should really watch it. You're getting fat." Naruto threw her head back and laughed so hard that she had tears in her eyes.

"You're both demoted," Minato lied, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting terribly. He changed positions when he feared that he might have felt a belly pooching out under his arms. No: you're being ridiculous, he told himself.

"Speaking of getting fat, I want to start having regular family dinners at the house again."

Kakashi grumbled about it, but Naruto knew her own pout and puppy eyes would get to him. Plus, she was pretty sure he liked doing it (aside from the preparation it always entailed.)

"Fine," Kakashi eventually rumbled in resignation. "But I get something in return," he whispered dangerously into her hair before leaning back, giving Naru a certain look. "Every. Time."

Naruto grinned and rubbed his thigh. On the other side of the booth they were sitting in, Minato frowned before giving Kakashi a disappointed glare. "I'll look forward to those dinners, Naruto," he tried to smile then shot Kakashi another darker glare when she looked back at Kakashi, but his student was totally unaffected.

Naru bit her lip before looking up at her father. "Will you come every time?"

"I will if I'm in the village." Seeing the ferocious little face his daughter made, followed by her blown-out cheeks, Minato chuckled. "Alright. I'll make sure that I'm there every… Sunday? Sunday would be good for me, although I can't promise that everyone will be there each week: that wouldn't be fair to my other shinobi."

"I understand," Naruto said, feeling rather elated for some reason. "I'll still cook for everyone, and you guys can bring guests, ya know. Just - if you're bringing people - let me know so I can make more."

"Gai doesn't have to be there," Kakashi said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Phhhhht. The fact that you brought him up shows just how much you want him there," Naru said knowingly. Kakashi bristled but didn't deny it. "And Tenzo's family, too, so that'll be nice for you."

"Mou: that's so many people," Kakashi whined, secretly glad that Gai would be there. Naru and Gai were his secret weapons against being constantly haunted by the thought of a potentially alive Obito. "Make them bring their own food."

Naru frowned at him, remembering how cheap Kakashi could be in her first life. On the other hand, it also wasn't quite fair to be expected to pay for the food (and drinks, i.e. booze) of all those Jonin.

The three ate their dinner with Minato out-eating even Naruto before proceeding toward Kakashi's marker on the Lightning Border. They stopped short of it a few times. It seemed to Naruto that her father was taking his time.

"Alright, we'll be there by morning. Why don't we rest here for a moment." Minato pushed his fingers to the ground to sense nearby chakra signatures while Kakashi flopped into the grass. The Hokage refused to watch as Naruto tried to make Kakashi bite her arm, and he walked away when his student whisper-begged to let him have… something else. Another part of her body, he supposed - although he hoped not. I can't believe my son-in-law/student turned out to be a damn pervert.

And then married my daughter.

Minato groaned and walked further away, unable to be around the couple's swooning giggles. Gods, he missed Kushina. And Kami: did he want to strangle Kakashi! He often wondered what Kushina would think about his student and Naru-chan's relationship. Sometimes he thought she would put her chains right through him, other times he thought Kushina would be doing cartwheels of joy.

If Naruto were older. Well, physically. "33," he supposed, was fine in theory.

"Naruto, why don't you just let Kakashi rest, hm? I need to speak with you about the mission a little more privately."

"Let me see your new seal," he asked once they were a little further away, taking her arm gently in his hand. He used a nifty lightning jutsu he'd come up with to light his hand up so that he could more closely examine things in the dark. Kakashi had drawn a storage seal on the inside of Naru's forearm, and Naruto had been incredibly excited about it. "What's in it?"

"Ramen."

"Of course," Minato mumbled to himself. "Okay, Naru-chan: I need you to take the ramen out so you can put something else inside." He watched, dumbfounded, as Naruto began unloading not only cups and cups AND CUPS of instant ramen, but a large teapot that was full of water.

"Okay; that's it, I guess."

"Honestly, you two," he said, giving his daughter a look of disbelief before throwing one toward Kakashi who seemed to already be snoozing with his porn on his face. "Are you happy with him?" he eventually whispered.

"Oh yeah; absolutely," Naruto said with a slowly growing smile, her cheeks turning pink. Minato knew that the smile that reluctantly snuck up his face was also sad.

Kakashi cleared his throat in something that sounded like a fake snore. "Maa, sensei: aren't you going to ask me if I'm happy?"

"NO!"

Minato didn't appreciate the couple's laughter at his expense at all. He handed his daughter one of his special kunai. "I want you to keep this on you, inside that seal, all by itself." Naruto nodded and handed him the other one she had in her pack back to him. He led her even further away from his lazy brat-pervert student.

"Naruto, we haven't heard anything from Kumo in a long time. I know you have fond memories of Bee, but I need you to be smart about this mission, alright? A-sama and B-sama may not remember what we've been through in another life." Considering all of the things that Naruto didn't remember, it was more than possible, Minato felt.

Naruto nodded, although the idea of Bee not knowing her made her sad. "You think this might be a set-up."

"It's possible," Minato said as he stretched and raked his hand over his belly. It was definitely too big - or maybe it was just the large dinner he'd had. "Considering what the other jinchuurikis you've met remembered, it will probably be fine but a shinobi must always be prepared. Now. What will you do if you get separated from us?"

"Well, I'll first try to get some intelligence, ya know, but... How little chakra can I have if I need to pull out this kunai?" Naru asked. The last thing she wanted to do was get kidnapped again or get her father and thus the Leaf into some kind of war with Kumo. The Akatsuki was bad enough, thank you.

She figured being drugged would only work for so long - if at all, at this point - but having her chakra blocked would suck. She wasn't sure if anyone or anything was capable of doing it, considering how much chakra she had at this point, but one couldn't be too careful.

"Just a drop - well," Minato scoffed, "probably less than even that for either one of us: especially you."

"I should be fine then, ne?"

"Yes," Minato said, rethinking everything. "I'm hoping what they want is an alliance, and considering that they've asked for you specifically, there is a strong possibility that Lord Bee wants to see you again."

"And Yugito. Don't forget Yugito and Matatabi," Naruto said. She covered up a giggle at the way the bijuu inside of her almost purred at her words. It seemed that Matatabe was very popular amongst her siblings. "Tou-san," she continued uncomfortably, "I think that uh, just in case, ya know: we need to hide Kurama's chakra within you. One, if Bee is expecting and remembers me the way I hope he does, then Kurama's presence in you might lead to some confusion. On the other hand, if they're trying to grab me or Kurama - something like that - it's best that they only go after me."

"Naruto, if they're after you, it's not only because you're a jinchuuriki, '' Minato said darkly.

"Yeah and that's super gross," Naru agreed, knowing that Kumo had been after bloodlines in the Third Raikage's reign, especially. They'd even tried to kidnap her mother. "Taking me for that reason is just like begging for an ass-whooping, I can tell you that right now!"

Minato let out a bark of uncomfortable laughter but nodded. "This is why I've ensured that you're training in defensive seal work, Naruto. You've done incredibly well, but I don't want you to get cocky." Naruto nodded back at him with an expression that was incredibly tired, pained, and much too mature for her face all at once. "Go back to that pervert and get some sleep, eh? I'll take the first watch."

"A-sama," Minato greeted the man the next morning with a polite head bob. Honestly, he had not anticipated the Raikage, himself, meeting him at the border. The huge man did love to fight, though. "It looks like I should've brought more company."

The Raikage was accompanied by his brother and two other Jonin, one of whom Minato thought he remembered - although the Kumo nin had been a kid at the time.

"It's really him," C said in disbelief.

"Can't say that's dull," Darui admitted as he scratched the back of his head.

A blew a raspberry. "These two rarely let me out of their sight, Hokage, and God knows I can't let Bee run off on his own again."

"I suppose introductions are in order, then," Minato said tightly. Naruto and Bee seemed to be in a staring contest, although it was hard to tell because of Bee's very dark sunglasses. "You're probably familiar with my student, Hatake Kakashi, and this is Tokubetsu Jonin Naruto."

Bee seemed to at least have really heard of her because he stood up straighter and seemed to have inhaled a big breath. Or he was flexing: either was possible, Naruto knew.

She looked away from the silent Bee and Gyuki for a second, though, and greeted the other men she remembered from the Fourth Shinobi War with a blinding smile "Hi! How ya doing?!"

The tall blonde guy smiled back but seemed to then think better of it while shuffling uncomfortably. Darui - she definitely remembered hearing about and seeing Darui with his awesome jutsu - yawned and shrugged his shoulders. "Suppose it's alright, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Naruto lied brightly as she lifted an eyebrow in a silent challenge as she examined Bee, "I guess it is." Glancing back at the Raikage who was studying her father and husband, she fairly quickly got ticked off. "Oi. Isn't it polite to introduce yourselves when someone has done the same?"

"Che. I'm sure you know that this is my brother, Bee. Smiley-face over here is C," A snarked, giving C a dirty look for smiling at Naruto, she guessed, since that was the only time C's expression softened. "And this is Darui, my right-hand man."

"Yo," Kakashi said - but didn't smile.

"Yo, indeed," Naruto said quietly, pushing out her fist for Bee to hit. Her father pushed her arm down seconds later; Bee had not responded in kind. Old man A looked slightly alarmed, giving her an odd look as he turned to lead the group of shinobi toward Kumo. They hadn't gone far when Kurama spoke up. He was HIGHLY agitated.

"The fuck you think you're doing, Gyuuki: ignoring my jinchuuriki?"

Maybe she was becoming a better ninja because Naruto definitely saw Bee - who was an exceptional shinobi - hesitate just slightly as he followed his brother in a formation around the Konoha team.

"Like you're a good one to talk, Kurama," Naruto began but interrupted herself as she saw Bee actually trip less than a second later. "You damn fox: you've been holding out on me! Just because you've been quiet doesn't mean I've forgotten!"

"As if you'd forget ANYTHING - oh, wait! You've forgotten plenty!"

"Like you're any better!"

The two continued arguing as the group traveled, and although Naruto and Kurama didn't stop, they looked at each other in concern within her mindscape when they heard Gyuuki finally speak to Bee.

"Looks like we fucked up, Bee."