Minato heard the sound of crying as he rose out of bed. Looking at Kushina he noticed that she was still asleep, which amazed him. Getting out of the bed and walking to the crib Minato saw Naru crying heavily. "Hey, hey it's ok, what's wrong." Naru looked up to him as she made grabbing motions to him. He was a little suspicious due to the last time she did this but obliged as she seemed to calm down immediately. Minato smelled the air but nothing seemed overly nasty as Naru just seemed to want attention. "You just wanted to be with someone huh?"

Naru clung onto him as she began to shake. Minato was confused as he began to rub her back. "Hey it's ok. Did you have a nightmare? Can babies your age have nightmares? Hm, didn't know that"

Naru began to cry again as Minato didn't know what to do. "Hey don't cry. It's ok you don't need to cry. What's wrong?" That's when he noticed something in the crib, a pacifier. Picking it up, Minato was confused as to how it had gotten there as Naru made grabbing motions for it.

"Do you want this?" He asked as he brought it closer to Naru, who grabbed it and placed it in her mouth, instantly calming down. "Where did you get that?"

"What?" Kushina asked as she yawned. Minato turned to her and pointed to the pacifier in Naru's mouth.

"This."

"Oh that, I found it with her old clothes while you were in the shower last night. Gave it to her when I put her in the crib and she loved it." Minato looked at the now much calmer baby as he looked at their alarm clock.

'5:00 huh.' Going over to the still sleepy Kushina, Naru started to want to go to her as Minato looked at the baby. "You want her now? Up to her sweety not me."

Kushina looked at the baby for a moment before she obliged. Taking Naru as Minato stretched.

"You have to go to your team?" She asked as Minato went to his dresser.

"Soon yeah. After I'm done with that we can go to the Hokage tower to see if anything for that one has come up." He said as he pointed to Naru who seemed at peace as she laid her head on Kushina's chest, her eyes growing heavy.

"Ok." Kushina said as she seemed a little sad.

"Kushina, remember what we said."

"I know, I know." Looking at Naru, Kushina noticed that she had gone back to sleep. "I think we'll sleep for a little longer. You have fun."

Minato nodded as he walked to the bathroom to get ready. Kushina laid down as Naru laid on her chest. 'Why do you seem so familiar.' She asked herself as she started to drift to sleep as well.

XXX

Minato walked through the forest that made up the training grounds. He liked doing this in the morning as it comforted him to see nature, hearing the birds sing or the wind rustle the leaves on the trees. It all felt right as he just listened to it all.

He soon made it to the clearing that was training ground 3 as he came to the posts in the middle of the grounds. Looking around he saw no one was here yet though he expected that as it was still over half an hour before the time he told his team to arrive. Wanting to see what they would do if he wasn't around, Minato leapt into the trees and watched the grounds. Soon Kakashi arrived as he looked to see if anyone else had. Seeing that no one had he went up to one of the posts and leaned on it, visibly bored.

Around fifteen minutes later Rin appeared as she waved to Kakashi who just ignored her. Frowning at his coldness, Rin sat next to another post as she waited for their test to begin. Around ten minutes passed as it was now seven and yet Obito hadn't arrived yet. Minato was confused and thought maybe he was just a little late. Unfortunately after ten more minutes Obito still hadn't shown as Minato became a little worried. Fortunately it was then that Obito arrived.

"Hey, am I late?" He asked as he breathed heavily. Rin nodded as she turned to him.

"Only ten minutes this time so that's good." Obito cheered at that as he usually could be hours late at best. And that's when he noticed someone was missing.

"Hey where's sensei?"

"He hasn't shown up either." Rin said as she suddenly felt a gust of wind from behind her.

"Are you sure about that?" All three kids jumped as Minato appeared out of thin air.

"Wow, how did you do that?" Obito asked as he was amazed at seeing their sensei just appear out of nowhere.

"A little trick I picked up. So are you all ready?" The three nodded as they lined up in front of Minato.

Reaching into his pocket, Minato showed them two bells on strings. His face became stern as he explained to them what they needed to do. "Your mission is to take these from me. If you can't do that by noon then you fail and will be sent back to the academy. If you do have a bell by then you'll be trained by me. Understood?"

Obito raised his hand as he asked a question. "Um but sensei, there's only two bells."

"You're right. Now then let's begin. You have until noon to get these bells." At that the kids were a little slow to act as Minato went to place the bells on his belt. Suddenly, Kakashi lept at him in an attempt to take a bell. Unfortunately for him Minato anticipated this as he grabs the boy's arm and flings him away. The other two were shocked to see the best of them to be so casually flung away as they got into combat stances.

Minato smiled as he waited for them to make a move. When they did, well, it didn't go well for them.

XXX

Kushina woke up as she looked up to the ceiling. Looking down to her chest she noticed that someone was missing. She immediately began to panic as she looked around the room.

"Naruko! Naru, where are you!?" She asked as she got out of bed and searched the room. Unfortunately no matter where she looked she couldn't find the baby.

"Oh God, where is she!? NARUKO!"

Suddenly she heard a giggle as just out of the corner of her eye she noticed a yellow blur go out the door.

Kushina went to the door and looked out the room, finding Naru running through the halls giggling like a mad man.

"Oh thank God. Naru come here." She asked as she walked up to the baby. Naru however seemed to think this was a game as she ran away. Kushina ran after her as she tried, and somehow failed, to catch a one year old.

"Who are you so fast?" Kushina asked as she looked at a laughing Naru who was happy to be playing. "Oh don't you laugh at me you little menace. Now come here!" Kushina went to grab Naru who dodged her and started to run away again. This however didn't work as she tripped on her own feet and began to fall. Kushina was able to grab the baby before she hit the floor face first as she laughed at how fun this was. Kushina on the other hand wasn't having as much fun.

"How are you so happy? And hyper? You drank any of my coffee while I was asleep?" She asked the baby who had no idea what she was saying. Naru looked at her confused for a moment before she began to make baby babble. Kushina smirked as she walked over to the couch and sat Naru next to her, having grabbed a toy for the baby to play with. Naru seemed to like it as she distracted herself with something.

Kushina went to the coffee maker as she started a batch for herself, looking back at Naru who was still on the couch. Looking back to her coffee Kushina waited for the thing that kept her going through the morning finish as she looked back to Naru only to realize she was now off the couch and looking at framed pictures. Walking up to her she looked at the girl who seemed amazed at the pictures.

"You find something you like?" Naru looked at Kushina before looking back at the pictures. Kushina looked at the one she was looking at as she saw it was a picture of her and Minato together. Picking it up she looked at it for a moment and then smiled before lowering it so Naru could see it better. "Here, want to see?"

Naru looked at the picture as she then looked at Minato and tried to touch him only for her to feel paper instead. She looked at Kushina very confused as the older woman chuckled. "It's a picture." Naru was still confused at it as she just stared at Kushina.

'Hmm. Shouldn't baby's her age be trying to speak? She seems quiet.' Kushina pondered this as Naru walked off to see what else was around. Kushina smiled as she followed the baby so as to make sure she didn't break any…oh, spoke too soon.

"Nooooo!"

XXX

Minato was impressed with the kids. They had almost gotten the bells several times though it was mostly Kakashi who was going after them while the other two stayed back. Now however, Obito and Rin were on the attack as Minato had to block their attacks instead of only dodging them. Impressed with how good they were doing together Minato decided to stop going ad easy on them as he kicked Obito away and grabbed Rin's hand just as it was about to grab the bells.

"Sorry but it won't br that easy, even with help." Suddenly he noticed Rin's hair begin to stand up as his instincts told him to get away. Reacting quickly, Minato pushed Rin away as he jumped out of Kakashi's attack, his hand sparking with lightning.

'He's using lightning release. That amazing.' Minato thought as Kakashi ran at him, aiming for the bells. Just as Kakashi touched one other the bells Minato moved to intercepted him only to see Obito had grabbed his arms to keep him restrained. 'Rin was a distraction. They used her

so Kakashi could get in close while Obito kept me from stopping him. Impressive, of course.' Minato disappeared as Obito and Kakashi face planted into one another. Rin ran to them as to see if they were alright, and it was at that moment that the clock used to tell what time it was went off.

"It's noon. Seems like I win." Minato said as he appeared in front of the three again.Rin and Obito looked dejected at having lost while Kakashi was emotionless. "Sorry to say but that's it. You guys did very well and you almost got me at the end there. But it seems like there's still two…wait?" Minato looked at his belt only to see that one of the bells was gone. Looking around he heard a jingle as he looked to see that Kakashi had one of them in his hands.

"How did you…"

"I got it just before you vanished." Kakashi said as Minato looked at him amazed.

"Well I'll be. Then if that's the case I guess I have no choice but to pass you all." The kids were confused at first as they let that sink in. Soon Obito began to celebrate while Rin looked at Minato.

"But sensei, only Kakashi got a bell. How did we all pass?"

Minato smiled as he looked at them all. "The point of the test wasn't to take a bell. It was to see if you could work as a team. In Konoha, teamwork matters most as it is what makes us able to do missions effectively. So if I could see all three of you work effectively then I knew you'd have what it takes to be shinobi."

All three were amazed at this until they realized that what he was saying made sense. Minato smiled at how they seemed to get what he was trying to say. "Well if that's it then I'd say we're done for today. We'll start training tomorrow along with some missions so get some rest. And if you need me for anything just tell me and I'll help as best I can."

The kids bowed to him as they were dismissed as Minato watched off, all three leaving the training grounds. 'Well, looks like it's time to go home. Hope those two got along.' Minato thought as he teleported back home.