Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 6: Shift in the Air

Flashback

They stayed hidden, lying on their stomachs. The dirt pricked at their skin. Tukiko knew they would not be spotted from the road. She had years of practice hiding. Hiding from the mean man. Hiding from his anger. Hiding when he came home smelling funny. The smell tickled her nose. She did not like it. Hiding from when he made Mama cry.

He was not always mean. He was nice in the beginning. Tukiko liked him. He brought her a stuffed teddy bear once. He even gave her new shoes and a dress on her birthday. But that was a long time ago. He made Mama very happy. That was in the beginning. It was only for a short while.

It all changed when they signed a piece of paper. There was a small ceremony. She was there. Granny was there. Mama was there. She even wore a white dress. It matched Mama's. She felt so pretty in it. The man told her he was going to be her Papa. She did not know what that meant but Mama cried. But Mama said they were happy tears. She was crying because their lives would not be the same.

It was not. For a little while after the ceremony, they were happy too. Soon after Mama told her she was going to be a big sister. She was not sure how she felt about it at first. But Mama made it sound really fun. It was after her baby sister was born that everything changed. Mama spent more and more time in the bathroom covering her face with paint. Mama was really jumpy. Mama had blue and purple spots on her skin. Papa yelled. Papa screamed. Papa called Mama names. She did not know what they meant but they sounded mean. They made Mama cry. Papa broke things. Papa threw things against the wall. Papa made Mama clean up the mess.

She would go into her sister's room and both of them would climb under the bed and pull a blanket close. She would hold her sister. Karin could not even walk yet. She would cover her sister's ears when Papa shouted at Mama. Mama would come to find them when Papa was quiet. She always looked so sad.

One day when Papa hit Mama so hard that she could not use her arm for a long, long time Mama promised them that they would leave. Tukiko asked Mama if Papa was going to come with them. Mama told her not to call the man that. She told her that he would not be coming.

So they left their home and everything they knew when Papa was at work. They were happy again. Mama and Granny worked really hard but there was no screaming. No one called each other names. Mama did not paint her face anymore. Karin learned how to walk. Karin learned how to talk. They spent a long time being happy.

But then one day the man came back. He found them. Mama told her to take Karin and hide. She had taken her sister and ran to the woods - a different woods and hid. They wanted for a long time before she heard her Mama calling their names. Mama's eye looked messed up. Mama said that they had to go. So they went.

It had been a long time since she thought about the man. She wondered now if Mama would come looking for them soon. Her stomach rumbled.

"Kiko-oneechan, I'm hungry."

Tukiko reached into her backpack. She took out half her sandwich and gave it to her sister. Karin ate it slowly. Her hands and nails were brown against the white bread, the dirt transferred from them to the bread. Tukiko kept scanning the area waiting for any traces of her mother. Her mother always knew where to find her.

"Kiko-oneechan, I have to use the bathroom." Karin stirred again beside her.

Tukiko sighed. She poked her head up from the large tree they were hiding in. The raised roots provided the perfect hideaway. She looked in all four directions before gesturing for Karin to follow her. She clenched her sister's hand. It felt tiny and cold in hers. It would be dark soon. She led her sister to some bushes.

"I'll help you with your pants." Tukiko encouraged her.

Karin made a face. "But it's outside! I want to go to the bathroom inside."

"Please Karin-chan," Tukikio begged her. "We have to wait for Mama."

"No! I want to go to the bathroom inside." The girl crossed her arms. Tukiko looked around. Maybe it was safe to go back home. She remembered Mama had said not to come back but maybe it was okay now.

"Okay. Okay. Stay really quiet Karin-chan and we can go back to the house."

Karin nodded satisfied with the arrangement. Tukiko held her close. The girls walked barefoot through the forest. The underbrush poked at the soles of their feet as they walked. Thankfully Karin was silent as she followed the path her sister carved out of the brush.

It must have taken them twenty minutes to finally see the first row of roofs in the village. They were being careful, and slow. It normally took half the time. Tukiko rearranged the scarf on Karin's head. Her red hair was carefully tucked away. She did not know why her mother had hidden it. Tukiko loved her sister's hair. It was much closer in color to their mothers. It was so different from her dark hair. She arrived at the window, it was still open. Her mother or grandmother had not closed it. She slipped her backpack off her shoulders. She placed it beside the house. She squatted down in front of Karin.

"Hop on." She instructed as she looked over her shoulder.

With a grunt, Tukiko hauled her sister and herself into a standing position. Karin clung to her neck. Her head rested against her shoulder blade. She paused midway through the window.

"Keep your eyes closed, Karin-chan." The thought suddenly occurred to her.

"Why?" Karin's red eyes were filled with curiosity.

"It's a new game. Keep them closed ok? It will be more fun that way."

Karin nodded. "Ok." She closed her eyes. "They're closed."

"Good girl." Tukiko swung both legs over the ledge and landed in the room. Her raven eyes widened. The room was a mess. The drawers of the dresser were open. Their clothes were tossed all throughout the room. The mattress was on the floor. It looked like it had been cut repeatedly. The door of the closest kept slamming against the doorframe. The wind in the room was just strong enough to move it but not enough to close it completely.

Tukiko's heart started pounding in rhythm with the door. She took a couple of steps gingerly further into the room, towards the door. The same door that her mother had locked behind her. She dared not call out for her mother or grandmother. She did not think her voice would cooperate anyways.

She took a few more steps. Karin was still holding on to her. She hoped that her sister had not lied and that her eyes were still closed. She did not want Karin to be as scared as she was. Karin would be really upset seeing all her toys littering the floor without a single thought to their feelings. Monkey was lying on top of Elephant. Karin was adamant that the two did not get along.

Tukiko took a breath to gather her courage to finish crossing the room. Her hands trembled as she grabbed the knob. She turned it and pulled it towards herself.

She froze. Too petrified to move, to even let out a breath. Her brain was having trouble processing what she was looking at. Her mother was sleeping on the floor. Her head resting on her outstretched arm. Lying on her side. Her back was to the door, to Tukiko. She could not see her face.

Something inside of her screamed that something was very wrong. How could her mother be sleeping? When she knew that the girls were still hiding. When the house looked the way it did? When the window was open? None of it made any sense.

Tukiko furrowed her brow. She felt anger build inside of her. How could her mother do this to them? Did she not know how sacred they were? How hungry they were? Tukiko clenched her teeth. She was too angry to speak. She reached out and shook her mother's shoulder. Her mother did not wake. She shook her shoulder harder. Still, her mom did not stir.

Tukiko's frustration grew. "Mama!" She whispered angrily. This time she pulled her mother's shoulder towards her. So that she could see her face. She flopped onto her back. Tukiko recoiled.

"Can I open my eyes now?" Karin's voice called out.

As Tukiko looked into the lifeless eyes of her mother, she remembered her words. This time she listened. She ran. She ran as fast as she could with her sister on her back from that house.

End of Flashback

Kushina flipped onto her back with a frustrated growl. The lilac curtains fluttered in the breeze carried in through the open window. Normally the sound of them would be welcomed. She was not one of those people that could sleep when it was completely silent. She needed some noise, it brought her comfort. That was why she normally slept with the window open regardless of the season. The occasional sounds were like white noise. She had grown accustomed to them being there. And it helped that she ran a little hotter than most people. She supposed like everything else she had the Kyuubi to thank for that.

The curtains, even the crickets chirping and the occasional frog croaking in the distance were not what was keeping her up. It was the whispers. The innuendo. The feeling of being talked about in a not-so-positive way. It was nothing new. The faces changed, the words too even on occasion but the overall hostility and underlying reason did not. They did not trust her. They did not like her. They did not believe she should be in public with the rest of them.

It seemed like it was not even about her really. It did not matter how nice she was. Or how much she went out of her way to help someone. Or even how much good she did. For some people, there was nothing she could do to change their minds and their opinion of her. To those people, she was a menace. She should be locked up. Or at the very least in a remote mountain somewhere away from them all. Contained. Isolated. Alone. Like the very beast, they hated so much.

The words, the conversations, the whispers. That was what was too damn loud. They were not letting her sleep. They echoed in her head as clearly as if they were being bounced off the walls of her room. They were there with her.

I can't believe they leave him alone with her.

She squeezed her eyes shut even tighter.

The Hokage and his wife are foolish. They are playing with fire.

Well, they better not act surprised when something tragic happens.

That poor boy will be the one to pay the price for his parents' carelessness.

They could always make another. Maybe they will be more careful with it.

A tear leaked through her eyelids.

Still, to let her run the orphanage? What can he be thinking?

Those poor children. They are better off not being found.

All we can do is pray for them.

Kyuubi!

That's the demon host.

Hey, hey is that? It is! It's the container.

Stay away from her. She's unstable.

Don't get too close.

Kushina bolted upright. She was panting. She looked at her hands. They were fisted into the sheets. She swiped at her eyes. Her breathing became erratic. She clenched her stomach as she rocked back and forth. Her violet eyes were wide as she struggled to breathe.

The jeers. The hostility. The fear. They all wreaked havoc inside of her.

Kuromaru lifted his large head. He took one sniff of the air before lowering it back down, satisfied that the new arrival was not a threat. Tsume's lip curled into a frown. It was Thursday. It was the day she watched Naruto when she was not out on missions. She gave one last look at the whelping box. The pups were fed and in a state of blissful milk sleep. She wiped her hands on her pants and made her way to the door. She did not bother to alter her expression in any way.

"It's you." She said flatly. She took in the pair of blonds with a blank face.

Minato smiled. "Good morning to you too, Tsume-san."

"Good morning, Tsume-san." Naruto smiled up at her. Today he was dressed in a dark gray long-sleeve and black pants. The shirt had the red Uzumaki clan spiral. It was a tame outfit. It told her everything she needed to know.

Tsume winked at the younger blond. "How's it going, Stinker?"

Naruto scrunched his nose. "I'm not stinky. You're the one covered in dog hair!"

Minato looked at Naruto sternly. "Naruto, that was not nice. Apologize to Tsume-san."

Naruto puffed his cheeks. For a second Minato thought that he would double down and ask why he needed to apologize when it was technically the truth. Or that he would point out that Tsume started it.

But the boy then shuffled his feet and looked abashed. "I'm sorry, Tsume-san."

Tsume leaned forward with her hands on her knees and looked him dead in the eye. "Do you want to see the new puppies?" She grinned knowing full well the answer.

"Yes!" Naruto jumped up and down, completely forgetting his earlier mood.

"Well what are you waiting for, get inside." Tsume took a step to the side just as Hana appeared behind her.

Naruto hugged his father's legs. "Bye-bye Dada. I love you." He raced to get the words out. He moved as fast as he could to kick off his shoes before following Hana. Only to reappear seconds later. He did not look up at them once. He had tunnel vision. He made a straight beeline for his haphazardly discarded shoes. He turned one of his shoes the right side up and put both neatly by the door. He rounded the corner again and he was gone just as quickly as he had come.

"Bye Naruto. I love you too." Minato called out behind him.

"He's fast," Tsume commented with amusement. "But his trash talk needs work."

"Please don't encourage him." Minato sighed. His eyes were saying something else entirely.

"Don't worry, he gets that from Sakura," Tsume assured him. It was true. Minato preferred to let his jutsu do the talking. Kami knows that their weird names did not leave much room for anything else to be said.

"He's turning out to be more like her day by day." Minato agreed. Not that he would have it any other way. He could do with a little more quiet and less stubbornness every now and then, though.

"Better luck next time." Tsume regretted the words right as they came out of her mouth. "Is Pinky okay?"

She could see the hesitation on his face. It could only mean something not good. "She's seemed tired from last night so I figured I would help out where I could. Thank you for watching Naruto today." Minato's smile did not reach his eyes.

"She partied too hard eh?" Despite her words and tone, Tsume felt the guilt rise in her.

"Something like that." Minato looked in the direction of Hokage Tower. A subtle hint.

"Can you tell her not to take it to heart? Mixing beer and sake was a mistake. And I'm still paying for it." Tsume pointed to her head. She was still a little hungover. But both puppies and kids waited for no one.

This time the smile did reach Minato's eyes. "I think she learned a long time ago not to take anything you say too seriously, Tsume-san."

Tsume covered her heart with her hand. "Ouch. Ruthless as always."

"I'm running late for a meeting, Tsume-san. I'll be picking up Naruto in the evening. Thanks again." Minato held up his hand. She blinked and he was gone.

Tsume shook her head as she closed the door. Naruto's and Kiba's voices were definitely not of the inside variety. Despite the growing headache, the grin on her face grew. Today was going to be a good day. She was sure of it.

"Ah nice of you to join us, Yondaime." Minato could picture the smirk on his face through the cloud of smoke. Minato grimaced. He would have to be sure to change before picking up Naruto. He would be damned if he had to be the one to tell his predecessor to not smoke indoors.

"Sorry about that Sandaime-sama, Utatane-sama and Mitokado-sama." He bowed as he took the only empty seat at the table.

Homura dipped his head in greeting. The frown on Koharu's face implied that she was less likely to overlook Minato's transgression.

"Where are we with capturing those responsible for the attack?" Her tone cut through the air like a whip.

He folded his hands on the table. "As you are aware the four rogue nin were dispatched. The autopsies were done. No additional actionable information was gained from the procedures. Jiraiya-sama is in Yukigakure. He conveyed through a summon that the target of the attack was me. The group fancied themselves as some kind of bounty hunters, going after faces in the Bingo Book. They figured the four of them could get the job done."

Homura adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat. "Why were you targeted specifically? There are hundreds of lower-profile targets out there. Ones that would not risk starting a war."

"That is precisely the reason why they targeted me. They wanted notoriety. They wanted their names to be known. The nin had abandoned their village. They severed their ties within their former home. There is no reason to go to war with Yukigakure." He watched Homura's shoulders relax.

"Then why is Jiraiya in Yuki if that is the case?" Koharu asked. Her face was stern as she studied Minato carefully for any signs of incompetence or weakness.

"Jiraiya-sama is being thorough to ensure that the conspiracy does not in fact also include the village. My understanding is that the leaders of Yukigakure have been very forthcoming, from what Jiraiya-sama shares. They are very motivated to clear any suspicions we may have."

"How can we simply take them at their word? For all, we know they are cutting their losses and covering their backsides at a failed assassination attempt at best or a coup at worst." Koharu pressed.

Minato tried not to smile at the fact that Koharu called the chance at his life the best-case scenario. It was nothing personal. It was bigger than him. The thought of someone trying to destabilize Konoha, and within it the Land of Fire, was a catastrophic scenario. It went beyond one or two lives.

"We are not simply relying on their word. Are you familiar with the phrase trust but verify?"

No one moved. He continued. "He has been tapping into his network as well as doing recon. All while being discrete and undetected. It takes time. But from what he has found he is confident that Yukigakure is not culpable."

"So we trust them?" Koharu summarized.

"We do not distrust them. But to call it trust might be a bit of a stretch." Minato admitted. They were about as cordial as two lands without treaties or trade could be. They mostly tolerated each other, staying out of each other's way. And that worked just fine for him.

"Is Jiraiya on his way back? He could have more pertinent details to share." Koharu persisted.

Minato shook his head. The expressions on the Elders' and former Kage's faces did not change. "Jiraiya-sama's focus has shifted to another priority." He said solemnly.

"What could be more important than this?" Koharu's brow furrowed as she pressed her lips into an even firmer line.

"Ensuring that Akatsuki is still dead."

A still covered the room. Homura's mouth hung agape.

"Akatsuki? I thought you said the target was you?" The accusation in Koharu's words was as evident as the day young.

Minato nodded. "I was. Attackers managed to arrive at our doorstep without us knowing until after the fact. I will not make the same mistake with the Akatsuki or whatever incarnation of it." His eyes were determined. His jaw flexed slightly after he finished speaking.

"You made no mention of them before. How do they tie into the attack? Has there been any news? Why are we just learning of this now?" Koharu fired off the questions as quickly as she could.

Minato crossed his arms as he gathered his thoughts. "As of right now, Akatsuki has no relevance to the attack. We have not heard anything about them in quite some time."

"So you're utilizing valuable village resources to chase after a ghost?" Koharu's voice was now angry.

"It is all a matter of perspective. I believe it is better to know definitively about the Akatsuki, either way." He kept his voice level.

"And this decision is not backed by personal reasons?" She asked the question through narrowed eyes.

Minato leaned back. He fought the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. "If someone, anyone, in my village is potentially targeted, hunted, and threatened with harm it is personal." He held her gaze, unyielding.

"Tch." She turned her head. Unsatisfied with his response but unwilling to attack him on it.

"That still does not answer why Konoha. There are other Kage, other Kage level shinobi in the book that are either closer to Yuki or easier targets. Why come out all this way? Why you?" Homura steered the conversation back to a less volatile place.

Minato looked from face to face. His eyes came to rest on Sarutobi's. The man had not uttered a single word beyond his earlier greeting. And from the looks of it, he was content keeping it that way.

Minato squared his shoulders. He knew this question could come up. "Because they had help from inside Konoha."

Homura audibly gasped. Koharu's face paled. Sarutobi moved his pipe from the corner of his mouth to his hand. He leaned forward. "What kind of help?" He asked in a gravelly voice.

"We have reason to believe it was an ANBU that colluded with the nin."

Sarutobi closed his eyes and leaned back. The admission weighed heavily on him. He brought a hand to his face and covered it. "I'm sorry my boy. It appears I left a mess for you."

Minato's steely expression softened some. "No use in ruminating over what cannot be controlled."

Sarutobi nodded slightly. His eyes still had a far-off look to them.

"Do you know who it is?" Koharu found her voice again.

Minato sighed. For the first time, his meticulously crafted exterior melted away and revealed the face of a distraught man. The impact this had on him was not missed by anyone. "We have a lead. We should know more in the upcoming days."

Koharu and Homura exchanged looks. They stood to their feet. Minato rose as well. They walked to the door.

"You have your work cut out for you. We will give you time to be sure as it is not something to rush. But do not take our generosity for granted. Every second justice is not dealt, the threat to the stability of Konoha grows." Homura looked him in the eye.

Koharu stared him down. "I hope that your priorities are straight and that you are not distracted. For both your sake and the village's." Traces of contempt flickered across her eyes.

"They are and I am not." He stated firmly. He held the door open for them. They walked through without so much as a glance back.

"That went well," Minato said dryly as he ran a hand through his hair.

Sarutobi's lip twitched slightly. "Don't mind Koharu. She's… passionate." His dark eyes focused on Minato's face. The aftermath of it all had taken a toll. He hid it well but he watched him grow up. He knew all the places to look for signs.

"She's not wrong." He sighed as he leaned back against the wall. "I got distracted. I let my sight off of what is truly important and the village almost paid the price." Now it was his turn to have the hundred-yard stare.

Sarutobi took a drag of his pipe. What Minato was experiencing was something he definitely did not miss about the job. The constant second-guessing of every action and inaction. Good decisions at the time became the worst possible step to take with hindsight. That was just how it worked.

"You know the feeling, the one you're feeling right now?" Sarutobi asked him in a measured tone.

Minato looked at him with his undivided attention. "Only those who survived the crisis feel that way. You're alive Minato. It is only because you're alive you have the ability to look back and reflect. You can learn. You can adapt. You can prepare to be better in the future. But don't forget the most important thing. You lived. Don't let this one event keep you in the past. You said it yourself, no use ruminating on what we cannot control. Learn from it. Move on. And move forward."

A knowing look crossed Sarutobi's face at the contemplative look on Minato's face. "I seem to recall having a similar conversation with Sakura-chan many years ago. What does she think about all this?"

Minato averted his gaze at the question. Sarutobi's curiosity grew. The firm line of his jaw and crossed arms came across as very guarded.

"Minato-kun?" He asked innocently. Playing oblivious to all the warning signs.

Minato rolled his head. He knew that despite the Third's light tone, there was only so much he could do to delay the inevitable, the man demanded an answer. "She doesn't know."

"She doesn't know what?" Sarutobi kept the pressure firmly applied. Minato's admission surprised him. It was not like the blond to keep something so close to the vest from his wife.

"Any of it." Minato's gaze was fixed on a spot on the ground.

Sarutobi inhaled deeply. He slowly exhaled. A black smoke cloud filled the air. "I see." He tilted his head back. "Curious." He felt Minato's eyes. "I'm curious if that is the best course of action. Sharing your burden can lighten the load on one's shoulders."

He regarded the former Hokage. He respected the man greatly. He saw firsthand how he handled knowledge with grace and was decisive in situations. It was on full display with how he handled Sakura's arrival and all the events that unfolded soon after. He remembered how calmly he stayed the course and kept sight of the bigger picture. Even Minato himself lost sight of it.

Sarutobi never once wavered. He admired that greatly about him. But he was not Sarutobi. He could not and did not remain collected when Sakura was kidnapped - either time. He could not think straight when it came to her. She was the line, the line in the sand. The one he could not cross. She was his blind spot. She could unravel him in ways no one else could.

Sarutobi leaned on Sakura. He let her do what she needed to, to make what she believed was the better world. He let her carry that burden. Minato could not. He saw the toll it took on her. For years he would wake up with his heart breathing in his ears, in a cold sweat at the sound of a blood-curdling scream. He was the one who saw the anguish on her face as she sobbed in her sleep begging for someone to stop. He did not see any of that. Minato was sure that even Sakura did not know that he had any idea.

She suffered. She suffered greatly before arriving. She nearly lost everyone that she loved. And she continued to suffer until Madara had breathed his last. Her whole life up to that point had been one burden after the other. She was resilient. She fought. She survived. She deserved better now. He could not carry her burden from her then as she was the only one capable of it. But he could be damn sure not to add to them now.

She deserved better. She deserved to be happy. She deserved not to have to worry about stopping the next bad thing. Her whole life did not have to be waiting for the next shoe to drop. It did not have to be that way. And he was going to make sure of it. Sure, sharing his burden might lighten the load on him but it would only add more for her. And that was something that he was not willing to do.

He had made up his mind. And he was prepared to accept full responsibility. He could take it. He could endure it for the village and for his wife. He would happily endure it.

"Thank you for coming today, Sandaime-sama." He pushed off the wall. The Professor had been studying him while he was in his own head.

"My pleasure, Minato-kun. It was nice to get out of the house." He smiled easily.

"If that is the case, maybe you'll consider joining the Elders permanently? We could use your perspective." He did not get his hopes up.

Sarutobi chuckled. "No thank you. I am content with retirement. You'll see one day, it is worth hanging onto."

"If only we all could be so lucky." Retirement did sound nice. He could almost picture it.

"I am lucky. Just be sure the choices you make today secure your tomorrow." Sarutobi rose to his feet slowly. "Speaking of which, how are Sakura-chan and Naruto-kun?"

Minato's smile was genuine. "They're both great."

Sarutobi nodded. "I'll have to stop by sometime to say hello. It's been too long."

"You're welcome anytime, Hokage-sama," Minato said warmly.

"Please do not call me that. It triggers my PTSD." Sarutobi joked.

Her back hurt but she pushed through. She had a self-appointed mission to complete. The promise of putting her feet up when she was back at her desk was all the motivation she needed to press forward. She had a late start to the day but after the way she left things with Kushina, it was more than warranted. She could hardly pull herself out of bed this morning. She wanted nothing more than to waste the day away under the safe cocoon of her blanket.

But life did not work that way. The world did not stop spinning just because she got into a fight with her best friend. She felt awful but she figured she might feel a little better if she had something other than what happened last night to fill her thoughts. She turned the corner, her braid trailing behind her. She was almost there.

She saw the brown sign up ahead. Her body was momentarily rejuvenated. She let out a sigh of relief when she stepped into the temperature-controlled room. She looked around the first floor for a familiar face. She frowned when she did not spot his distinctive features.

She put a hand on her hip as she contemplated taking to the stairs. Maybe she could find him on the second floor or third floor. She mentally prepared herself to accept the idea. She did not have a lot of time and the longer she stood in the middle of the cube farm she was wasting what little of it she did have.

'Let's do this.' She encouraged herself to take a step forward. Movement registered in her peripherals. She turned at the source and felt her whole stomach drop. Jade locked with a pair of all too familiar lavender orbs. The universe was conspiring against her today.

"Masaki-san, hello." She held up her hand lamely.

To his credit, he looked unaffected by her presence. But then again she did not try to look at him any longer than strictly necessary.

"Haruno-san." He greeted her.

She repressed the urge to shiver at the downright frigid reception. "Maybe you can help me?" She asked him with a hopeful expression.

His expression betrayed nothing. "What can I do for you?"

Progress. This was already the longest interaction they had since their breakup. "I'm looking for Ibiki-san. Have you seen him?"

"He's not working today." He said flatly.

Sakura could not help but feel disappointed. Her eyes flickered to Masaki. She was not one to give up easily. "Do you have access to the autopsy reports for the four rogue nin?" She knew that she did not have to specify which ones. Everyone who had been paying attention knew what she was referring to.

Masaki regarded her. "Why do you ask?" His eyes were distrusting of her but had nothing to do with her request.

"There were some inconsistencies with the injury report so I wanted to circle back and find out what needs to be corrected. Having the autopsy reports would really help." She was lying through her teeth.

"You weren't the one who did the injury report?" His brow shot up.

Sakura bit the inside of her cheek to keep from visibly reacting to the statement. That fact was still a sore spot for her and it did not help to have Masaki all but rub it in her face. She simply shook her head. With Masaki, less was more. The less she talked the less rope she had to hang herself with. He found weakness as a living.

For a split second, she thought he would deny her but when his shoulders dipped she felt hope rise in her. "Follow me."

He led her down a flight of stairs into the basement. She had never been in this particular part of the building before. There were rows and rows of boxes. She wondered what was held in them. For a torture department, it was surprisingly a lot like the archives in a library. She watched carefully as he pumped chakra into a drawer on the single desk in the room. The drawer opened and he pulled out four folder covers.

He placed them on the desk and gestured for her to sit. He then stood a few feet from her. She was too busy engrossed in reading and remembering everything that she could to care about his eyes on her. She scanned the reports. She frowned at the initials in the top right corner. She recognized the handwriting.

'Takana Ryo, there's that name again.' In the past few weeks, his name came up more than in the past several years.

She was not a corner. It was not her specialty. But even she could see that the report was all wrong. On the surface, it passed the sniff test but when she started to dig in nothing was adding up. Some fields filled within the data could not be correct unless the attackers were all over 500 pounds and over eight feet tall. Random aspects were giving strange emphasis in the notes. There was no consistency from one report to the next. No pattern to follow.

"What the hell?" She muttered to herself.

'Why would Minato have someone who never conducted an autopsy the go-ahead for these four?'

There was learning on the job and there was handing a novice a complicated device and telling them to reverse engineer it. None of it made sense. Minato was too smart, too careful, and frankly too rigid of a person to not follow the rules. To leave something like this to chance. She closed the reports more confused now than when she came in. She still had so many questions.

Why was the autopsy done in the I&T department? Why was it done by a field medic who prior to this had no record of even assisting with an autopsy much less conducting one? Why were they not done by the regular corner? Why did this whole thing feel so off?

She looked up at Masaki. "The bodies?"

"Cremated." His gaze was calculating. Her interest in this sparked his interest.

Sakura frowned. Nothing was adding up for her. She looked at the clock on the wall. She smiled at Masaki. "I got what I needed." Another lie.

Masaki knew better than to ask questions. Sakura had not changed. She has a knack for getting into and finding trouble. He had learned his lesson. He had been burnt once. He was not going to do it again.

They walked up the stairs. Sakura turned to look at Masaki. "Thanks for your help. I'm so glad that things weren't awkward."

"Why would they be?" He shot back at her.

She did not know if it was her guilt or just the hormones but she did not leave it at that. "How are things? Are you seeing anyone?" She told herself it would be nice to be cordial with her only ex.

His eyes narrowed slightly. Had she not known his tells she never would have noticed. "Things are stagnant. My last girlfriend broke up with me because of the trust issues caused by the previous girlfriend before her."

She stood there unsure of how to respond. For some reason 'that's rough' did not seem appropriate. She doubted very much it would be appreciated.

"Sakura!"

Sakura sent a prayer of thanks to the universe. Her face faltered when she realized just who had called her name. The pair watched as Inoichi came to join them.

"Inoichi." She smiled at him. The men greeted each other with a nod. She was still hopeful that he could help her with a graceful exit from this conversation. "How are Miyoko and Ino? We missed Miyoko last night." Sakura thought she must have imagined Masaki stiffening at the mention of Ino's name.

Inoichi rubbed the back of his head. "They're good. We had to move some things around this week. Miyoko was sorry to have missed it. She wanted to be there in person for the announcement."

Sakura's smile slipped. She felt Masaki's eyes. "It really wasn't planned or anything." Sakura waved her hand. She left off the part where it was more accurately described as an interrogation and not an announcement. "You know it's been a while since I saw Ino. Why don't you bring her for a checkup sometime?" She asked in a desperate attempt to change the topic that she had so stupidly set up.

Inoichi frowned. "What are you talking about? You saw her like two months ago. Are you already having cases of pregnancy brain? Do you remember what day of the week it is? You do know this isn't the hospital, right? Do I need to get Minato to take you home?" Inoichi's tone became more and more teasing with each question.

"I'm fine." Sakura smiled at him through clenched teeth. Her left eye twitched slightly.

"If you insist. I just saw you from the corner of my eye and wanted to congratulate you. That's really great." He patted her on the back in a job-well-done gesture.

Sakura's smile grew tighter as she said nothing, stubbornly avoiding looking in Masaki's direction. The dark aura coming off of him said more than enough. She really should not have left her bed today.

His eyes fixed on the door. He lowered the pen in his hand. "Come in." He called out in response to the knock. Red hair - and lots of it - was what caught his attention first. She had that look on her face. She was going to ask him for something and he had a pretty good idea what. "What can I do for you, Kushina?"

"I have credible information that there might be children in Hacho Village. I would like to set out as soon as possible." She told him the half-truth. Sakura always called her out for her lack of poker face so Kushina decided to focus on the parts of the request that were true. She had credible information, she needed to be in Hacho Village and she needed to set out as soon as Minato could clear it. She hoped there was enough truth in there that Minato would not see right past it.

Minato counted to fifteen in his head to give the impression that he was weighing the decision. "How credible is the information?" He asked her.

She looked at him taken aback by the question. Never in all the years that she had done this had Minato asked her that. "Credible." She hoped he did not find her voice as defensive as she did.

Minato shifted in his seat. He had done a lot of sitting today. "I'm sorry Kushina, I'm going to need more than that."

Her hands twitched at her sides. "It's from a source I've been using for years now. It's good. They never let me down before."

"They?" He shot back.

"Look, I never met them in person. All I know is that there are kids there that might need my help." She answered clearly frustrated.

"Which is it?" Spending the morning with the Elders had left an impression on him. He was beginning to spin everything.

Kushina clenched her jaw. What was left of her patience was not going to last much longer if he kept pushing her. "The source is solid. There might be children. One of the reasons the source is solid is it never promises results. Nothing in life is guaranteed and anyone who tells you otherwise is a crook."

The warning signs were out on full display. Anything that happened next would be on him if he continued to push. "I'm sorry, Kushina," he began. He was now bearing the full weight of her ire. "Might be, is not good enough. Maybe next time."

She took a deep breath. She was not going to lose it on both of Naruto's parents in a span of less than twenty-four hours. "Do you want to tell me what's really going on? Or are you enjoying the banter, Hokage-sama?" She asked him in an icy tone.

He considered throwing his weight around. That would work most of the time with most of the population but he was not convinced it would work here and now with this particular individual. And he really did not have the desire to deal with an escalated situation.

"I can't risk your well-being on a maybe." He was not hopeful that she would leave it at that.

Kushina looked at him as if he grew a second head. "My well-being? You weren't all that concerned when I went on my last mission. What could have possibly changed that now you're so concerned about my - wait." Her eyes went wide. "Does this have something to do with the attack? It does! Doesn't it?!"

"No," Minato stated firmly.

Kushina looked at him, clearly not convinced. "I don't believe you." Tact was not her strong suit in the slightest.

He counted to ten. The same technique Sakura used when Naruto was being particularly difficult. He did not want to speak from a place of anger. Anger only made Kushina stronger. "The attack reminded me of how vulnerable the village is. Until we get back to a standard of security and operation I am comfortable with, I think it is best to minimize risk."

"What the hell is any of that supposed to mean, dattebane?!" She fisted her hands to her hips. "That could take years!"

"Thanks for your vote of confidence." He deadpanned.

"Come on. Be honest with me, here. What are you so scared of?" She asked exasperated.

"I am being honest with you." His patience was being chipped away slowly. She could easily outlast him.

Kushina told herself to take a step back. She looked at him. He was a different man than the one who had sent her on her way mere weeks ago. There was a weight on him. The last time she saw him close to being under duress like this was before he became Hokage.

She searched her brain. "This doesn't have anything to do with those freaks in the black cloaks with red clouds does it? The Atasuki?"

Minato did not know whether to laugh or groan. "The Akatsuki. The attack does not but it's been a while since we investigated any whereabouts that might exist."

Kushina crossed her arms over her chest in an act of defiance. "So I'm supposed to sit here because a maybe is not good enough to help actual kids because there may be people after the Kyuubi?"

"You're not going on the mission or any mission until we hear back from Jiraiya-sama about the Akatsuki. Please don't fight me on this." He held up his hand to cut off the protest she was about to do. "I won't be able to look either of them in the eye if anything happens to you. I can't live with that on my conscience."

She went silent. His words weighed heavily on her. "That was a dirty play." He knew just how to pull on her heartstrings.

"There was no other play left to make." He admitted. He did not like pulling the Sakura and Naruto card but he did not have all day to make her see reason.

"Fine. You win." She turned on her heel and stalked off. The door slammed behind her.

The first time she heard a rock on her window she told herself it was probably just some kids entertaining themselves as they walked by. The second time it happened she decided that she would be zen about it. The third time the rock hit her window, she got up from her desk grinding her teeth. Her anger was almost palpable. She took a full inhale of air to prep her lungs. She grabbed the wooden panel and lifted the glass plane up ready to rain the full repertoire of crude words on the stupid soul that decided this was a good use of their time.

By the time her angry, almond eyes made contact with blank amphibious eyes her anger was long forgotten. A pink tongue shot out from the mouth of the stout frog. She grabbed the scroll from one end, barely touching it with two fingers. The frog blinked slowly at her before it vanished leaving a small puff of smoke. She closed the window. She made a face as the saliva stuck to her hand. She grabbed some napkins from her desk and tried to clean it. She sighed in frustration when the napkin clung to her skin.

"Damn you, Jiraiya." She muttered under her breath.

She abandoned getting her hand clean and instead focused on using her other hand to pulse chakra into the scroll. With a flick of her wrist, it opened. She read the words eagerly. She read the letter twice. Tsunade lowered the scroll. She was too preoccupied with thinking about the meaning of the words to register that she was wearing the biggest smile. Not that she would have been able to do anything about it.

"The old perv is coming back home." She said to herself.