DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything from the Naruto universe. This is my Mito, though.

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

Emphasis

Bijuu, etc. speaking

Bijuu, etc. thinking

She'd long since given her father a very thorough report AND had submitted to a MindWalk or two…

What more can they want from me? Mito asked herself. She'd spent the last eight or more hours - it was hard to tell from inside her room - going through old and new bingo books AGAIN. She did have some friends or acquaintances among those in the latest editions, and more than enough people she'd run into over the years were in them, too.

T&I didn't exactly feed or water an Uzumaki (let alone one with a chakra monster in her gut) adequately - although Mito thought that things could be far, far worse. My room here is more than adequate; I just wish there was a desk here. The little room (really just a white box with tatami mats and a futon) had a bathroom attached to it - just for her! Unfortunately, water was only on a couple of times a day, but still. Compared to the latrines in Water Country or the tiny women's facility at the Temple? Oh: this clean bathroom of her very own was a luxury!

This little room - Mito's weird little slice of heaven, considering that she was in the Torture and Interrogation building - had greatly aided in helping Mito suck up her irritation, hunger, and thirst with these ninjas gracefully, she'd like to think, but her patience was running a little thin.

Mito had been here for over a week and couldn't believe that her status as a Konoha ninja could be in jeopardy - no matter what she'd warned herself about in Kiri. Supposedly, her mission there hadn't been properly sanctioned and, for the first time, Mito was learning just what sticklers the village was for shit to be in writing, approved (by my father,) signed off on by the ANBU or Jonin Commander, dated correctly, blah, blah, blah.

Seriously! Tsunade had never said anything about these requirements and she was her master. Neither did the other Sannin OR her parents. Or Ojii-san - and he was one of the longest-reigning Kages in Konoha's history. Mito knew that none of that shit was in the village charter or the last contract she'd signed when she became a Chunin.

- Which had expired
- But the Daimyo promoted me before its end date

*This meant that her promotion to Jonin superseded her Chunin contract and thus, her status as a shinobi was still valid
*Except that Daimyo-sama forgot to send the paperwork to my father
*Aaaaaand her father never looked into that

Mito was reasonably sure that the snafu was caused by her kidnapping and rehabilitation period - something this Ibiki-person was having his assistant "look into."

Things could certainly be worse but now that she was back in Konoha, Mito was anxious to meet her brother and start working. Some ramen would also be nice… Kurama had said that what happened with Sora would not happen with Naruto, although he wanted to "examine" her precious little brother's chakra.

Unbelievable.

Kurama swore this little "exam" of his would not involve one of her chains or anything else that was invasive, but the mere idea that one of her chains could be controlled by him again was terrifying. She wouldn't allow it.

To think that he could do something like that. She really didn't understand how it had ever happened. It took so long to get my chains under control in the first place. They used to just suck the chakra out of anyone they seemed to deem a threat, all on their own! Now she could do some pretty interesting things with them, although she'd probably never be as good with the adamantine chains as her mother had been.

What am I going to do with you, Kurama?

According to her grumpy orange tag-along, if Naruto was NOT a reincarnate of his part-alien half-brother, then he would wait to siphon his chakra until she and her "sire" were prepared to safely do so, provided they get his chakra back within a year since Naruto had a proper seal and Sora really didn't. Did Mito believe him? Not entirely: sadly, she'd probably be on guard against accidentally hurting Naruto for the rest of her life if crazy-Kurama-sama believed him to be his brother. His quarter-alien, half-brother, she reminded herself.

And it would be even more troublesome and dangerous if Kurama decided that Naruto was NOT his brother... thing.

Unbelievable! How did this get to be her life?!

During that fight with Obito, she'd lost her darn watch, so either yesterday or the day before - again, it was hard to tell in this windowless room - Kurama had tried to claim/reassure her that no harm would come to Naruto but their conversation really left almost as many questions as it was supposed to provide answers.

.

"You were easier to influence because you had tapped into my power thanks to that Sora-brat tapping into my chakra within him. MY POWER, which that Senju gaki shouldn't have had in the first place! –Although the event wasn't completely my fault."

"You shoved one of my big, thick chains in that little boy's torso! How is that not your fault?! Sora's a CHILD, Kurama. I find it hard to believe that your father would abide by you or any of your siblings hurting a child!"

"Don't bring up my father, you… you damn sea cucumber!"

"'Sea cucumber?!' Who are you calling a sea cucumber?!"

"...Close enough and the name is appropriate," Kurama claimed, looking almost embarrassed that he'd said that. "Humankind arose from pond scum. As a descendant of that island of explosive-loving, red-headed morons, I thought you'd appreciate the oceanic terminology or analogy."

"Well, I don't."

"And that's what I get for being nice. I was SAYING before your unwarranted outburst, Mito-2, that I could not have accessed the power of your repulsive chains had you not accessed my chakra."

"But I didn't intend to use your chakra at all."

"Well as long as your beloved otouto doesn't access my chakra, potentially causing you to do the same, we'll have no problem!"

.

At that exact moment, a very blonde-haired Academy student with whiskered cheeks violently sneezed on the pale, black-haired boy who was sitting next to him drawing a detailed picture of his friend's sexy-jutsu. He'd sneezed so hard that it made his stomach hurt. "Gah: it burns! –Sorry, Sai."

"You ruined my picture, Crossdresser. I will require you to model for me again."

"Sai! Naruto! Come to the front of the class! Why don't you share with the class what you've found to be so interesting!"

Sai, usually a clear thinker, quickly stuffed the Mostly Naked Lady picture into his mouth and swallowed it before gagging and gagging again when he realized that Naruto had just sneezed on it.

"Troublesome!"

.

…But at this point, Mito could admit that she was tired of "hiding from her family:" the people she loved the most. Thanks a lot, Inoichi-san; I guess. Interrogation with Inoichi sure seemed a lot like what therapy might feel like - or at least it seemed that way after he left and she was alone to deal with her thoughts day after day. Sometimes multiple times a day! –Doesn't he have other people to mess with?!

The Head of Konoha's Intelligence Division was really good at having mostly pleasant conversations that left a lot to think about.

Creepy Yamanakas. He was probably doing something weird to her brain to make her "admit" that she was tired of seeking vengeance…

Yamanaka Inoichi AKA "Destroyer of Minds:" A-class*
Bounty: 25,000,000 ryo

*If teamed with S-class Nara "The Shadow Strangler" Shikaku and A-class "Wrecking Ball/The Giant" Akimichi Choza, consider Yamanaka Inoichi an S-ranked threat.

Now that Mito had said that she had supposedly "tired of vengeance," though: Is that why she was still here at T&I? After all, Uchiha Obito was still the most wanted rogue in Konoha. And probably Water Country, now, too. "Hmm…" Perhaps they thought she wasn't committed enough to properly defend Konoha?

What is your game? Were you sent here as a small child by some enemy to get close to jinchuurikis, Obito, or did someone else find you before or after you left Konoha? Mito didn't know enough about Obito's early life to know his story, and Asuma had barely known him in the Academy, beginning from when they were both six. Asuma said he had never been close to Obito, interestingly enough, but that was probably because Obito mouthed off so often about becoming Hokage - and Asuma hated the position that took all his father's time away from him when he was a kid.

If getting close to my mother and Yagura was your plan all along, Obito: then why?

What could he do with a tailed beast or two? When she'd asked Kurama that, he'd become beyond-sullen and silent, with his big ears going down and everything. Although he refused to discuss it more, Mito thought that her question might still be upsetting him. Or maybe he was just in one of those broody moods of his.

Now that she was in Konoha, Mito could investigate Obito more thoroughly.

If - when - she got out of this room!

.

Inoichi sighed as he began his report; he was thoroughly exhausted and still had cases backed up for weeks because of the Uchiha unrest. "Jonin Namikaze is obsessed with Uchiha Obito, and continues to suffer from various... forms of anxiety mostly related to her… well-managed PTSD. –'Well-managed' for a shinobi." He knew that Minato understood what he meant. "From what you and Tsunade-hime said, I believe her social anxiety has improved, however; unless Tsunade was overstating your daughter's prior issues with it. She's also said some interesting things about the Kyuubi that made me uncomfortable."

The Hokage rested his chin on his open palm. All of that pained him - and had been going on a long time. "Mito's always been a little obsessive about things that interest her." And you're right: she is far too interested in vanquishing the man who took away her mother and so much of Lord Third's immediate family.

"She is also oddly… fond of Orochimaru," Inoichi said, subduing a shudder. "She wouldn't allow me to see many of her memories of them, but some were unforgettable."

Who could forget seeing Orochimaru overseeing a 6-year-old Mito's dance moves while the two watched music videos?

Minato's head dropped and he felt sick. "...Did he touch her?" he asked quietly. He'd sworn to himself that if Orochimaru had laid a hand on his child as he did to others, he'd seal and torture him in the dark for years before he ever killed him. "And she resisted your jutsu?" –That was a surprise; a worrying one.

Inoichi offered his leader a quick but reluctant head nod on the last question, not having appreciated Mito OR the fox throwing him out of her mind. "The Snake didn't touch her in that way but, like Anko-san - and sometimes WITH Anko-san - Mito-hime allowed herself to be injected with poisons, etc., in order to gain resistance to them." After a long period of dead-eyed silence, Minato let out a strangled groan while furiously rubbing his eyes for a moment: Inoichi understood. If he found out his little princess, Ino-chan, had undergone such things with someone like that he would both want to cry and hurt the person responsible. "This was before she became a jinchuuriki. Jonin Namikaze believes the Kyuubi filters and burns away at least 90% of all poisons."

"Believe me: sensei and Tsunade did NOT tell us they used to drop her off with that traitor on occasion," Minato groused. "I haven't had an opportunity to tell Mito what we've learned about him - or about Orochimaru disappearing and being hunted."

"Makes sense," Inoichi said. He tried to suppress a yawn. "The fox doesn't burn away everything, though: not immediately, by the way," he added, handing him a medical report Tsunade had written. "I don't know WHAT he can burn out of her system. Mito-hime was successfully anesthetized although genjutsu was involved in her last surgery, and Anko-san indicated that when she was retrieved in Grass Country after her kidnapping, she was successfully sedated and numbed."

The conversation Inoichi had with Anko rang in his head...

"I call bullshit on that although it's not like Mito's trying to hide anything: she's just being a dumbass. The fox and her Uzumakiness don't make Mito immune or resistant to everything. –Not at first, anyway." Anko narrowed her eyes and growled at his T&I head. "I swear to God, Ibiki: if you try anything with her, I will END you!"

"Anko-san, please stop threatening your superior. Remember, Mito-hime is our guest and not a prisoner, so there's no need for that. –Not that you should be doing that under any circumstances." Inoichi wanted to laugh at the way Ibiki, of all people, looked like he was seconds away from sticking his tongue out at his one-time classmate and "trainee."

Anko sure hasn't needed much training.

Anko smiled at him but it wasn't quite friendly. "By the way, she'll put you through a wall if you keep calling her 'hime,' Inoichi-san. Believe it. –I like ya and don't want to see ya get hurt!"

"Mito purposely avoids thinking of things like that," Minato said quietly after a beat, looking tired and frustrated. "...Things that might hurt her." He shook his head and gave Inoichi a grim smile that matched his Intelligence Head's own. "How is Anko-san working out, anyway?"

Inoichi's lips curled up into something that balanced pride with wickedness. "She's brilliant, Minato. –Everything I could ask for as an employee although she's a total brat." He took that moment of levity to finally stretch and let out another yawn that he'd been suppressing for several minutes.

"...Anyway, I told you earlier that Jonin Namikaze allowed Yamura to inactivate the seals on her body, although Mito-hime told her that she could easily reactivate them." Inoichi didn't really appreciate the way Minato grinned and laughed at that but guessed he could understand: parental pride and all of that. –Even though Minato's daughter had politely informed his cousin, Yamura, that she didn't know what she was doing when it came to seal work. "Mito-hime mentioned recently, however, that most of what she's holding in those seals is clan business."

"I'm sure that's true. The rest is probably weapons." And God only knows what else...

There was only one reason Mito was still being held now, really, considering that Minato, the village leader (he would never call himself a dictator although Konoha was technically a military dictatorship) was her father. He could easily pull her out of there, but… "What did she say about the Kyuubi?"

"Let's see," Inoichi groaned, pulling a set of stapled pieces of paper out of Mito's file and began reporting on the kunoichi's odd and very open thoughts regarding her burden.

- "He's not so bad. We have an 'understanding.'" Inoichi looked up at Minato and saw that his expression had understandably soured. "...An 'agreement,' she called it." Minato groaned.

- "For years, I went to see him monthly but we've begun to speak more frequently albeit at varying intervals. –When one of us needs the other's attention."

- "There are times that Kyuubi-sama has been my closest confidant. He has protected me and outright saved my ass," Inoichi continued, stressing the polite honorific Mito-hime used with the monster fox repeatedly and the crass words she used half the time.

- "After challenging her about what she called him - and I suppose about why she spoke to him at all - she said, and I quote, 'Well maybe humans shouldn't seal sentient beings. No one else will ever take on my task; I can guarantee you that!'"

"Well that certainly sounds like my daughter," Minato remarked, chuckling rather bitterly. The last thing especially bothered him, though - more than he'd let Inoichi know. "She's… outspoken."

Inoichi gave Minato a sad smile. "Like her mother."

Minato returned his expression before barking out an exasperated huff and crossing his arms over his chest as he looked at the pictures on his desk. "Naruto is much more like Kushina, although I certainly see her in Mito, too. I don't know if the village is prepared to have two Uzumakis."

Inoichi almost dreaded that idea, although Mito did seem much more calculative and was certainly calmer than her younger brother. She had, however, surprised his operatives with a variety of pranks. Well… he was fairly sure it was her that had been responsible for them. "She's already been here for over a week, Minato. I don't believe she's a threat to the village…"

.

"Okay. I'm gonna say the 'bad word' and you're going to be reasonable. Agreed?"

Kurama glared at the brat. He was disappointed (for what felt like the thousandth time) that she didn't bow down and beg him to cease his Gloriously Dangerous Look of Annoyance. "Fine."

"There are Uchihas in this village. Oh, stop growling you silly fox!"

"Don't call me silly. You don't know what that filthy, despicable clan is capable of!"

"Oh, but I DO know, Kurama. Look, I get why you hate them: I really do. And if they've really been reincarnating and -uh, killing the reincarnation of your favored half-brother..?"

"Brother! OLDER brother. ONLY older brother for millennia! …This is all Indra's fault."

- And Hashirama's: that fucking idiot used my siblings and me as if we were trinkets to be traded!

"Well, Indra does sound like a scumbag although you know: he's probably misguided; that's usually how it is with so-called bad people. That or, you know… Mental disorders, severe childhood trauma that…"

"Oh, please shut up."

"Sorry." Mito really was really working on shutting herself up and not ranting about things. People and chakra beasts did not appreciate it. "Anyway, there are normal Uchihas in this village and you cannot kill them." The fox crossed his arms over his chest.

He really does have a weird body, Mito thought for the hundredth time.

"You never let me do anything."

"Hopefully, we'll be living amongst them and the other villagers soon!"

"The Slug Hag told you that they planned or enacted a coup. It is not surprising: Uchihas ALWAYS crave power. Perhaps your sire/pathetic village leader was or will be wise enough to exterminate them. –Vermin that they are."

"I'd like to think that my father is pretty fair, ya know. And I'm guessing we're actually close to LIVING Uchihas right now - thank you very much - here at T&I. I've felt familiar chakra when the door to my comfy little cell here has opened. Haven't you?" Kurama only looked annoyed and didn't respond. He could be so infuriating.

Tsundere!

"My guess is that there are a lot of Uchihas here at the facility." Mito scratched her chin, her nose wrinkling as she thought more about it. "In fact, there are so many chakra signatures that hit me whenever the door opens, I kinda get lost in it." Just thinking about all those people being so close and yet she couldn't otherwise feel them made her shiver. "I don't like it."

Man, she really missed her mask!

"Well, I certainly don't like it, either. Why are we discussing this? Why are you here, disturbing my sleep again?"

Mito unintentionally bit her lip and half-hid by ducking her head and wrapping a handful of hair around her chin. Sighing deeply, she admitted the truth. "I was lonely. It's boring as fuck here. Aaaand, when we get released, I want you to behave so that we are successful in the village." Seeing that he was (possibly pouting - he's definitely fuming - and) about to interrupt her, Mito raised her hand and offered him an encouraging smile. "I know you'll hate being around the Uchihas, but I'm bound to protect them and everyone else in this village, Kurama."

Kurama glared at her so fiercely that it made her squeak. "Uh - umm… And by being successful here, I'll be sent out on missions which undoubtedly will lead me to find Obito if he's not dead! I'll kill him or verify his death, okay? And we'll see about checking on that Madara connection, 'ttebane."

"As if that shithead would so easily die after previously being crushed by a boulder."

Mito winced: ouch! Seriously, Kurama? That was harsh! "

He looked really bad." Mito didn't see Obito when she ripped him apart with her chains: the traitor had disappeared into that weird void-space of his when she'd pulled his prosthetic leg and other… thing out of it. She had seen his face, though - and those weird white parts of his body.

Senju cells shouldn't look like that. –Whatever they were combined with might not have been fully human. I really need to look into that further.

"I want you to crush him into dust; do you hear me? A bloody mess: that's all we'll leave of him so that he cannot be rebuilt!" His vessel grimaced and began staring stupidly into space again - lost in her thoughts- so he blew a quick stream of air at her, making her squawk. Squawking, Kurama was sure, was an Uzumaki trait stronger than their disgusting sealing prowess. "I'll leave the others alone, for now, if you swear to take that Uchiha down. And free me… Somewhere safe."

Or, alternatively, somewhere I can be free to wipe out humanity.
Kurama had big dreams and a lot of motivation.

Mito got comfy and leaned back on her hands and considered that more - and not for the first time. "I've already happily agreed to take him down. Hmm... Regarding where to eventually free you, Uzushio might work."

"I don't like sand."

Mito clicked her tongue. Stubborn fox! Uzushio was beautiful!

"Maybe I can talk to the cats about one day having you live with them. -IF I was positive that you'd never, ever hurt them. I mean, I'd be gone then - and it would be their decision, of course." Kurama shrugged and Mito jumped as the door to her room opened. Once again, all those chakra signatures that had otherwise been buffered from her senses by seals in the room startled - no: OVERWHELMED her - but this time…

"Anko-chan!" Mito hadn't realized that she'd jumped on her best friend until they both tumbled to the ground.

Anko grinned so hard she almost couldn't see! She reluctantly shrugged her best friend off, chuckling at how embarrassed Mito then looked. "How's it hanging, Mito-chan? –Ya roughhousing bitch!"

"Fuck you," Mito giggled as she wiped some embarrassing tears away. "And since you asked, it's hangin' long, thick, and HARD, thank you very much!"

"You are the worst," Anko easily replied as she turned back toward what she and her comrades here in the building called the Hallway of Horrors. Mito's room was nice and clean, though.

"What's this?" Mito asked. Anko had begun pulling a long cloth-covered table into the room.

Grinning like a loon, Anko closed the door behind her once she and the table were inside. She noticed that Mito instantly relaxed. Still dealing with that anxiety shit, eh, Mito? It'll probably be a life-long thing, bless her weird-haired heart. She ripped off the big white tablecloth. "Ta-daaaaaaaaah," she sang. "Oops." Some of the pieces had crashed to the floor with her less-than-stellar reveal.

"Tea?" Mito asked. "Are others coming?" Mito hoped not - but there was pretty much a full, formal tea set-up here. "Ooo: cookies!"

"No," Anko drawled happily. She slapped Mito's hands away from picking up the tray of baked goods. God, she's such a pig! "I've gotten into formal tea ceremonies…"

"So this IS torture," Mito said knowingly. "I'm at the right place for it, I guess." Anko scoffed and began resetting the table. "What are you doing here, anyway? Not that I'm not super glad to see you because I am!"

"Of course you are!"

"Idiot."

"I work here."

"Get the hell outta here. Why?"

"Shut up! I LIKE it," Anko said zanily.

"You're so weird," Mito commented fondly. "But I'm glad you're happy. …Are you happy?"

"With work? Hell, yeah!"

"And everything else?"

Anko pulled a face. "Meh - it's getting there."

"You're so positive."

"Fuck you, Mito. I shouldn't give you your present…"

"PRESENT? –Oh boy. What is it?"

"You're such a child."

"Fuck you, Anko; everybody loves presents!" Mito popped another couple of cookies in her mouth. "And I was serious about you being so positive: I think it's nice! …I got a present for you but it's in my arm." She tapped a seal there.

"That's just…" Anko looked at the many white seals that seemed to be tattooed on her friend's arm. All but one of them were new. Her damn skin looked like lace. "Disgusting."

"Hey!"

"Useful, though," Anko knew.

"Yeah: they are. ….Where's my present?" Mito asked, looking around before Anko pushed her to sit down. "And what kind of tea are we drinking here?"

Anko didn't know what had happened in Water Country - or if Mito's improvement was simply due to time passing - but seeing her best friend not recoiling from being touched repeatedly was great. "Have some grace, idiot."

"Nah."

"Oh alright," Anko said, reaching underneath the 'as-elegant-as-she-could-make-it' rolling table. Usually, they used it for moving bodies around.

But it was clean and Mito didn't need to know that! She pulled out two plastic gallon-size containers. "It's stripper," Anko chirped and began reading the bottle: "'Guaranteed to remove all traces of hair color and leave hair silky, smooth, and sparkling,' whatever that means. And this one's conditioner."

Mito sniffled pathetically. "You know me so well! Stupid hair! Thank you so much, Anko-chan!" Mito put her face in her hands and wept. She wasn't sure why.

Was she really crying because her roots were showing? Surely not! She didn't care about shit like that, did she? What is wrong with me?!

S-s-SO embarrassing! She couldn't stop at first! "I- I'm sorry," Mito whimpered, spiritually dying - her pride taking a major hit - over how weak she sounded. "I, seriously, don't know what's wrong with me."

Anko shrugged and poured her some tea, giving up the formality of the ceremony for now. They were being watched, which really sucked, but surely Mito had to know that. "It's alright. I mean; you've been through a lot," she said quietly.

We've separately been through a lot, Anko thought to herself.
Now that they were together, though, nothing could stop them!

Mito looked up at her friend through her damnable tears. "Like what?"

Anko facepalmed, always impressed by how her ogrely-strong and smart friend could be so emotionally stupid sometimes. "Never mind. Anyway, you're lame," she joked, trying to sound serious, "sooooo I guess tears aren't unexpected."

"I will stab you," Mito swore with a big wet sniff, getting herself together and wishing she had tissues. Oh yeah: toilet paper in my private bathroom! She ducked in and blew her nose. Eventually returning, she sat down and took a sip of her tea. Kami: It was sumptuous. How the heck does a tea taste and feel like this?! She took a moment to enjoy how it seemed to envelop her tongue and senses. "Wow, Anko. This sucks."

"THAT'S IT!" Anko jumped over the table and began strangling her soon-to-be deceased best friend. She'd been really careful with that expensive tea! Ibiki had to come in and pull her off.

Mito found the whole thing hilarious and heartwarming. They made a mess of the outrageously wonderful tea, though.

Two hours after Anko left (having helped Mito strip her hair of the purple color: something that Anko swore was a terrible mistake,) the awful door to her room/prison opened again. All of the nearby chakra signatures hit her but Mito held firm. The largest one closest to her was extremely familiar, after all. She stood up as it opened.

"Mito-chan."

Hello, Tou-san: it's about damn time. "Hokage-sama," Mito said as she dropped to one knee with her fist held over her heart. When he didn't say anything, Mito wasn't sure what he wanted from her. "Forgive me; I've lost my mask."

Minato got himself together. He hadn't expected to see her without the hair coloring and it shook him for some reason. "Please, rise, Mito; we could use some help at the hospital."

Mito gave her father a quick nod. "Lead the way then." He grasped her shoulder and they were off.