Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Naruto or its world. I don't own any media or pop culture referred to or mentioned in the story.

Kushina's fed up. Rightfully so…

Recap:

Remembering that time only re-affirmed Kushina's feelings over this whole "Border Girl" situation.

Kushina accepted the fact long ago that she'd never meet another Uzumaki, not until she had children, or if she met another descendent in the field. As enemies from another Village….

Life can be so messed up, 'ttebana.

* SPITE * SPITE * SPITE * SPITE *

Like now.

"You're saying that THAT little girl," Kushina pointed at the child behind the 1-way glass, sitting in the hospital bed. "Is an Uzumaki?" Her tone dripped with disbelief.

Kushina knew her tone was disrespectful. She was talking to the Hokage for Kami's sake.

But this? A speculation, a guess—especially about a Clan member?

How could they suddenly pull her in for something like this? She didn't have time for speculations.

You see, Kushina was preparing to officially be a jounin of Konoha. It's not that she wasn't powerful enough. Far from it. Between her raw strength, and skills with different chakra releases and mastery of fuuinjutsu, Kushina was more than powerful enough to be a jounin.

What Kushina lacked was political power. After Lady Mito died, Kushina lost the woman's political protection as well. Kushina had to prove herself worthy of being the nine-tails vessel, all the while fighting bigots who were against "foreigners" holding positions of power.

Now, after jumping through so many hoops, and enduring so much B.S., Kushina Uzumaki was going to be a jounin-Finally!

Only for her to be summoned by the Hokage, not to talk about her promotion. Oh no. It's YET ANOTHER hoop to jump through.

This time, the hoop was a little girl of unknown origin, and a guess.

Because of this, Kushina's having a hard time keeping her frustration in check. (At least she hasn't cursed anyone out. That's good. She knows her temper is… explosive.)

Outside of the girl's room, a medic-nin stood with Kushina and the Hokage. The medic-nin gave her the stink eye for her disrespect. Kushina had interrupted their explanation to the Hokage with her outburst.

"Sorry about that." She said in reply. But internally, Kushina rolled her eyes at the stuck up.

The medic cleared their throat and resumed their report. "At this point, we cannot confirm her relation to the Uzumaki clan. We could try to run her DNA for a comparison." Then they glanced at Kushina. She tensed up for a moment. "However, there's a chance this method will yield inconclusive results. Since the… sample size for comparison is so small."

Translated: We only have DNA from two Uzumaki and one is dead. The chances of a random child matching the DNA from one of two individuals of a LARGE clan were slim.

The Hokage hummed in agreement with the medic's explanation, understanding the limitations. "Are there other ways to confirm her lineage?" Hiruzen looked back at the girl. They were going through formalities. With her physical appearance and speaking Uzek, it was an unofficial confirmation the Border Girl was an Uzumaki. However, due to Clan Protection Laws, they couldn't just give her the family name. There was a process. Either DNA match or Kushina claiming the girl would help.

Kushina crossed her arms and looked back at the one-way glass, mind racing. The girl looked small and worn. Even from here, Kushina could see she was tense and hyper aware of her surroundings. To be honest, the child looked more like a feral kitten they pulled out of the forest. Like she would fight to get free.

Heh, the girl's got spunk. Kushina thought.

But the little girl's haunted look means baggage. Baggage Kushina was NOT able to carry or address at this moment in her life. She had to make that known.

"Even if she is an Uzumaki. I can't just… take her in."

The Hokage and Medic looked at her in silence. Kushina tried not to fidget, glancing at the girl once again.

"It wouldn't be fair to either of us." As she spoke, the truth of the statement settled in her mind. "I'll be taking higher-level missions soon," Kushina pointedly reminded the Hokage. "And she'll need support from a guardian who can provide for her needs."

Kushina heard them mention a language-gap. That means girl likely needed to learn how to read and write? Yeah, that's a definite No for Kushina. Outside of her fuuinjutsu, Kushina didn't do all that reading and writing stuff. She left that to Minato. She loved him, but he was a total nerd for those things.

You know, the more she thought about it, Kushina felt she was making the right decision.

After a few moments of silence from Lord Third and the Medic, Kushina felt her face grow hot. But before she could say more in her defense, the Hokage spoke.

"Alright then." Hiruzen nodded to the medic. They nodded and closed their folder with the report. With that, they nodded to Kushina and bowed to Hiruzen before walking away.

"That's... It?" Kushina stepped aside and let the Medic Nin walk by. "You don't… need anything from me?" She hesitated, pointing at herself.

"Of course that's it." Hiruzen chuckled. "Did you expect me to force you to be her guardian?" He clasped his hands behind his back.

Kushina mutters, not answering directly.

Hiruzen shook his head. "Indeed, you are right. She has been through a lot, especially for one so young." He thinks back to the report mentioning the child's sleeping habits. Sleep paralysis, and intense nightmares. Whatever she's seen, it's starting to manifest in her psyche. But he doesn't share that with a nervously relieved Kushina. "But I only want what's best for you. Both of you."

Kushina bowed to him. She hoped her relief wasn't too evident. A part of her felt obligated to the girl. Lady Mito took her into her home when Kushina first came to the village. Shouldn't Kushina help a child in a similar position?

But then Kushina's logical side kicked in. No, she made the right choice. She was thankful that Lord Hokage considered those things.

Standing to her full height, she gave him a more assured smile. "Yes, Lord Hokage."

He smiled at the spirited woman. That's one thing he admired about Kushina. She never gave up, even if the odds seem stacked against her. "You're free to go, Uzumaki-san."

Before she was out of ear shot, Hiruzen pointedly cleared his throat. This stopped Kushina, making her look at him in question. "Expect a notice in the coming days." He turned to the window, watching her reaction in the reflection.

Kushina paused, processing his words. When it clicked, she gave the brightest smile. She bowed, saluting her leader. "Yes, Lord Hokage!" Then she turned to leave, an obvious pep in her step.

Hiruzen waited a few minutes after her before making his way out of the hospital. As he walked past a row of windows, he heard it: "TAKE THAT, 'TTEBANA!"

He snorted, covering it up with a cough when someone walked by him. "Good day." He nodded to a random passerby. With that, he quickly left the hospital. From the normal entrance this time.

He had to keep up with the optics.

Later that night, Konoha Hospital Room

"B-baa…" Nami twisted in the blankets, quietly muttering. "Baabaa…"

She was having another nightmare. Like all of them, they centered around one thing.

Fire.

The Nightmare

The forest was on fire. Acrid smoke filled the air, cloying and sharp in the back of her throat.

Tight binds crisscrossed Nami's body, holding her in the air over the raging inferno. Every time she tried to move; her body was yanked in another direction. With every gasp, more smoke seared her lungs.

Nami cried out as she was jerked into another unnatural position. Tears rolled down her cheeks as the flames grew closer.

"B-Baa—" She barely gasped out around the binds holding her arms and torso. "Help!"

All the while, her grandmother Miho cooed and hummed. The sound echoed hauntingly around the burning landscape. The woman towered over the tree canopies, strings leading from her dancing fingers down to the binds tied on Nami.

"Be a good girl, little one." As the words left Miho's lips, her face began to peel and flake like ash. Fire danced behind her teeth, melting her from the inside out.

"Baabaa!" Nami was suddenly dropped, lowered to the flames below. "P-Please!"

Bits of bark and leaves danced on the wind created by the inferno. They floated through the air on the lighting on fire. The embers touched Nami's skin, feeling like small, hot coals.

Nami tried to shout in pain, but every movement made the binds tighten around her chest and arms, squeezing what little air she had left out.

"My good girl. My sweet Nami." Miho said in a sing-song manner. Then, she began singing.

The macabre lullaby filled Nami's ears, smothering the sounds of her cries.

Just like it's done every night since waking up here.

In the Hospital Room

"Poor thing." The Nurse monitoring Nami closed the door as the child whined in her sleep. He made a note on the girl's file. 'Psychological Evaluation Needed.'

"They get younger every day." The nurse tsked, moving onto his next patient.

With that note on her file, she'll be placed in the system with other children of the state. From there, she'll be processed into Konoha's orphanage and treated like the other orphans.

With that note on her file, The Border Girl became another child without a name.

A/N Thanks for reading! See you next time.