Welcome back. This is the fourth chapter of this fic and once again, thanks for the support. As always, your reviews, your criticism and your praises are greatly appreciated and if you guys got any questions don't be scared to ask me, I'll answer once it's not something that's gonna spoil or ruin the plot.

Anyway, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Konoha's Orange Comet!

Chapter 4: Almost There!

"So, what do you think Jiraiya?"

The man in question; Jiraiya of the Sannin, was a man of towering height. He wore a green kimono shirt and matching pants on top of a full body mesh armor suit that stuck out at the wrist and ankles. A red haori with yellow circles covered his attire as well as a giant scroll strapped to his back and a horned forehead protector with the kanji for 'oil' adorned his head.

He was currently leaning against a wall in the Hokage's office. He was in the office with the student of his student; Kakashi Hatake, as well as his own sensei; Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage.

Now, Jiraiya was man of many things. As one of the Sannin, he was probably one of the top ten strongest Ninjas in the Elemental Nations. He was also a self-proclaimed 'Super Pervert' as well as a veteran of the Second and Third Great Ninja Wars.

That being said, the white-haired Sannin wasn't easily surprised, fooled or misled. But here he was now, looking at Kakashi as if he had grown a second head as his sensei asked his thoughts on what he had just been told.

"What do I think?" Jiraiya repeated the question as he turned his attention towards his sensei. "I think the kid inherited more than just Minato's hair color and Kushina's eyes, she inherited that Kami forsaken ability to be as unpredictable as the weather!"

The other two gentlemen in the Hokage's office chuckled at Jiraiya's remarks.

It had been two weeks since Kakashi had returned to the village with his team following the Wave mission and had started to take their training more seriously. Following the first day, when he tested their affinities and found out that Namiko had both the Wind and Lightning Releases, he had reported to the Hokage his theory that the Jinton was a combination of the Futon and Raiton.

The Hokage had recalled him to the office today to relay the events of the Wave mission as well as his theory to Jiraiya, who was the only one in the village capable of inspecting the Kyubi's seal to see if anything was wrong, as well as Namiko's godfather – unbeknownst to her of course.

As the chuckle of Hiruzen and Kakashi died down, Jiraiya's demeanor changed to one of a serious nature.

"I must say…Kakashi's theory if anything is insightful as well as extremely probable. We of course know of Hashirama-sama's Mokuton being the combination of Suiton and Doton, then there's that Ice Release you came across in Wave, as well as the Explosion Release of Iwagakure's Explosion Corps which is a combination of Raiton and Doton," Jiraiya began, taking a moment to scratch his chin in thought. "And in my time away from the village I've heard rumors of a Kekkai Genkai stemming from Katon and Doton; referred to as the Lava Release. It's supposedly used by one of the commanders of the Rebellion fighting against the Kirigakure hierarchy as well as the Tsuchikage's granddaughter."

Hiruzen sighed as he took a drag of his pipe – which Kakashi noted had seeminly come out of thin air. "It all makes sense…two chakra natures combing to create a Kekkai Genkai, but can we be sure that this is the scenario with Namiko-chan?"

It was Jiraiya's turn to let out a sigh of exasperation. "Honestly, I say roll with it. Like you said sensei, it makes sense and to be frank, it's the only answer we got." Jiraiya shrugged. "All Kekkai Genkai start from somewhere, or rather someone, and maybe Namiko's just that someone this time around."

Kakashi decided that it was his turn to pitch in. "I agree with Jiraiya-sama. Namiko is half Uzumaki and by extension, part Senju…you add that to the fact that she inherited both Minato-sensei's Lightning affinity and Kushina's Wind affinity, as well as being the Kyubi Jinchuriki and something's bound to happen."

Jiraiya nodded in agreeance with Kakashi's statement and turned to the Third Hokage, who was stroking his beard in what could only be described as wisdom. Hiruzen knew that both Jiraiya and Kakashi were right.

However, there was one more angle he wanted to try. He turned to Jiraiya.

"Jiraiya, how much do you know about the Eight Trigrams Seal?"

"Not a lot honestly," The Sannin scratched the back of his head quite sheepishly. "I know what Minato told me, which is basically it was designed by the Uzumaki clan and is a combination of two Four Trigrams Seal and can be used to seal large chakra masses into something or someone."

"Yes of course, I knew that much as well…but do you think it's possible to seal multiple chakra signatures within that something or someone?"

Jiraiya's face twisted into one of concentration. What his sensei was asking was in fact possible, as a matter of fact, there was no specified maximum on how much chakra or how many chakra signatures the Eight Trigrams Seal could hold, the limit depended on the object used to seal the chakra masses.

"Just what exactly are you getting at sensei?"

Hiruzen was quiet for a short period of time before clearing his throat. "I was outside the barrier when Minato sealed the Kyubi, and of course considering how potent the Kyubi's chakra is, I was able to see it being sealed within Namiko-chan, however, after all of the Kyubi's chakra had been sealed, for about another minute or so it seemed as though Minato was still performing the jutsu."

"What are you trying to say Hokage-sama?"

"I believe what I'm trying to say is that I think Minato sealed more than just the Kyubi's chakra within Namiko…I suspect he also sealed some of his chakra…potentially some of Kushina's chakra in the seal as well, which would explain how she was able to do something as rare as inheriting the chakra affinities of both her parents."

The Hokage's office was extremely quiet following Hiruzen's statement…you could actually hear a pin drop. Kakashi was the first one to break the silence.

"Let's just say for a second that sensei did in fact do that…why would he?"

Jiraiya answered. "You know how Minato was, always trying to play some sort of long game. Only he knows the reasons behind his actions."

The Hokage spoke next. "Is there a way to test this theory? Because I was thinking along the lines that given how string their affinities were, it may have been the spark that created the Jinton."

"Of course, I sparred quite a lot with both Minato and Kushina when they were alive, and I still remember the feeling of their chakra signatures. We can go to Namiko under the ruse that I'm just checking up on the Kyubi's seal and I can check if their chakra signatures are within the seal as well."

The Hokage nodded firmly. "Very well, however, if you do detect their chakra signatures within her, of course we will not be able to release that as the reason behind her Jinton, so as far as anyone outside this room is concerned, it's the combination of her Futon and Raiton, understood?"

Jiraiya nodded but Kakashi cleared his throat. "If I may Hokage-sama, would it be possible to have her Kekkai Genkai kept under wraps until a future time? I think it may be best for her safety as well."

Before the Hokage could answer, Jiraiya spoke up. "I have to agree with Kakashi here, I would prefer if Danzo did not know that my goddaughter; Konoha's Jinchuriki, had a Kekkai Genkai of this caliber, Kami knows the lengths he'd go to get a hold of her."

The Hokage responded with a nod. He knew as well as anyone that both Kakashi and Jiraiya made good points. It would do Namiko good to have an ace up her sleeve and he also knew that Danzo would be the first one in his office fighting for custody to train Namiko to be a weapon of Konoha should he find out about the Swift Release.

"You're right…the both of you. I'll leave it up to your discretion to allow her to use it publicly or not, Kakashi."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

"Good, now that one problem is out of the way, onto the next…and Kakashi, you'd do well to stay for what Jiraiya has discovered," Kakashi looked in curiosity as he noticed the Hokage's entire demeanor changed to one of absolute seriousness. Of course, for the most part the Hokage was always serious but this was a whole new level he had never seen since the Third Great Ninja War. "Jiraiya, if you would."

The Sannin nodded in return. "I've been hearing chatter from some of my spies about a mercenary organization composed of S rank missing nins; so far they've been doing odd jobs here and there and while a mercenary group isn't something Konoha would be worried about, it's their end goal that worries me. They plan on capturing all nine of the Biju."

Kakashi's eye widened in surprise. "Do we know what they want with the Tailed Beast?"

Jiraiya shook his head. "I have a few spies trying to get to the bottom of that but so far, nothing."

"Even then, we can only assume that if it involves the nine Biju, it's not to bring world peace." The Hokage put in his two cents dryly.

Kakashi nodded at his Kage's words. "How long before they make a move for the Biju?" Even though it wasn't shown on his face Kakashi was upset with himself. He had been so carefree with his team's training and now he was learning that there was a group of S rank missing ninja that wanted the Biju sealed within his sensei's daughter.

"Well, there some positive news on that end. According to my source it could be anywhere between three and five years before they start hunting the Jinchuriki, which gives us some time to ensure the Namiko is prepared for what would literally be the fight of her life." Jiraiya explained.

The Hokage was next to speak on the matter. "What about the whereabouts of the other eight Biju?"

Jiraiya clicked his teeth in return before speaking. "From what I know; the Ichibi is in the possession of Suna, the Nibi and Hachibi are in Kumo and the Sanbi is in Kirigakure, but as for Four, Five, Six and Seven, I'm still working on it."

The Hokage sighed, it seems that every fifteen or so years there was always something problematic brewing in the Elemental Nations, and he was getting far too old for it now.

"What of the ninja of this group, you say S rank, but do we have any names?"

Jiraiya nodded. "I have a few names; Kisame Hoshigaki, one of the former Seven Swordsman of the Hidden Mist, Deidara of the Hidden Rock; a former member of Iwa's Explosion Corps and one of our very own; Itachi Uchiha."

Kakashi looked at Jiraiya blankly. He had known Itachi during his time in the Anbu, before he had massacred the Uchiha clan, and he hadn't pictured the Uchiha joining a mercenary group upon his defection.

The Hokage, however, seemed unfazed. "Anything else?"

Kakashi noted as Jiraiya's expression became dark. "At one point, that retched snake was also a part of this organization, but according to my sources now; he's no longer with them but working on a project of his own, creating a hidden village."

"Orochimaru's forming a hidden village?"

Jiraiya nodded.

"Yup. Somewhere in the Land of Sound, I'm still working on pinpointing his location."

Hiruzen sighed. "If it's not one thing, it's another," At his statement both Jiraiya and Kakashi chuckled. "Thank you for the update Jiraiya, you can come back this evening and I'll have Namiko here for you to inspect the seal and test our theory. If that is all, I do believe you have some research awaiting you, the next installment of Icha Icha won't write itself." At that, all three men in the room giggled perversely.

"Of course, sensei." With a wink, Jiraiya began climbing through the window, something that annoyed Hiruzen but before the Sanin could fully leave, he was stopped by Kakashi.

"Wait, Jiraiya-sama…does this S rank group after the Biju have a name?"

Jiriaya internally facepalmed. How could he have forgotten to tell them the name of the organization? As good as a ninja he was, he was a bit ditsy sometimes.

"Oh right…they're called the Akatsuki."

As Namiko Uzumaki woke up she let out a slight wince and grabbed her right shoulder that was slightly bruised and sore (despite the Kyubi's healing prowess), a by-product of yesterday's training session with Kakashi and the rest of Team Seven.

Speaking of her training; she had been progressing in what could only be described as leaps and bounds. Kakashi wasn't kidding around when he said that they'd be trained into the ground and then some, her wounded shoulder a testimony to that.

In terms of training, she had mastered the first steps to her elemental manipulation, for both affinities and was currently working on the second stage for both, which involved cutting a boulder with pure wind chakra for Futon and creating a small storm cloud over a particular area for Raiton – two exercises she found extremely difficult.

And like Kakashi had said, they had focused highly on chakra control and she had to admit that the results were fruitful. She now found it extremely easier to use the shadow clone jutsu. Not to mention that the Kyubi and Kakashi were right when they theorized that chakra control would help her control the Jinton! Now, don't get it wrong. Her hair still glowed and floated but she had realized that using the Jinton was way less taxing than when she had first used it.

As for her Taijutsu, Kakashi had helped her enhance the Academy Taijutsu style to better suit her. He had helped her make the necessary adjustments to turn the aforementioned basic Taijutsu stance into one that relied on speed. Using fast movements of the hands, feet and elbows to strike the opponent on the offensive and using effective counter attacking while on the defensive.

Considering that she was finally able to give Sasuke a better run for his money than before, she was happy with her fighting style, and knew that once she got a good hold of the Jinton, her Taijutsu style would only get better.

Speaking of teammates. Namiko had to admit that when he wanted to be, Kakashi was a pretty good sensei. Of course, her own improvement in the past two weeks was superb but what the scarecrow-like jonin had done to transform her teammates shouldn't have gone under the rug.

Now that he had his Sharingan and Kakashi was teaching him how to utilize it, he as well had gotten stronger. And she had noticed in their ninjutsu spars, since he completed the beginning of his elemental manipulation, his Katon jutsus had gotten bigger and hotter.

As for her pink haired teammate, to say Kakashi had transformed her would be an understatement. Namiko didn't know what Kakashi had told her, but the pinkette seemed to be taking her training much more seriously following the Wave Mission. Kakashi had also taught her a Genjutsu which – to borrow a word from Shikamaru – Namiko found troublesome during spars. Being as her chakra reserves were so large, she at times found it hard to detect whether she was under one or not.

These were her thoughts as she groggily rose from the confines of her bed. The blonde jinchuriki then proceeded to do what she did every morning. She showered, brushed her teeth and changed into some comfy clothes. Being as it was her day off, she opted out of the orange jumpsuit and instead decided to throw on a grey tracksuit pants with a matching jacket over an orange t shirt. No matter what she just couldn't go a day without wearing orange, it was just her color.

Deciding to leave her forehead protector off for the day, Namiko went to her kitchen and had a quick meal of toast and eggs. Once she was satisfied, she went to her living room and sat criss cross apple sauce with a determined look on her face. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"Kyubi…"

No answer.

"Kyubiiiiii…"

Once again, no answer.

"Listen here you baka fox! I need to talk to you!"

This had been the scenario for the past two weeks for Namiko. After her discussion with Kakashi about his idea that the Jinton was a combination of her two affinities, she had been trying to contact the fox to hear its thoughts on the matter. But every time she tried to contact the fox; it was a failure.

She tried calling the fox a few more times but after all her attempts failed, she grunted in frustration. As she gave up and was about to stand up, she mumbled.

"Stupid oversized furball…"

Then she felt it, a tug on her brain and suddenly she was staring down the Kyubi behind its cage.

"What did you call me?"

Namiko pursed her lips. "A stupid. Oversized. Furballlll!" She exclaimed back, glaring at the fox.

"Have some respect, child."

She internally winced at the added venom.

"Yea well, respect is earned not given, and quite frankly you haven't done anything to earn my respect." She crossed her arms, offering the Nine Tailed Fox another glare.

"Did I not earn your respect when I saved you countless times from death?!" It exclaimed and Namiko in turn shrugged.

"Meh."

The Kyubi glared her down for a few seconds before laying its head down on its paw.

"What do you want?"

She smiled, that was a small victory in her opinion.

"Wellllll, Kakashi-sensei was telling me that he thought the Jinton could be a combination of my Futon and Raiton affinities, and I thought that since you were the oh so all knowing Nine Tailed Fox, you'd be able to prove or disprove that theory."

The fox was quiet for a while before it grunted.

"It seems reasonable, but I do not believe there is a way for us to test that theory and be sure." The Fox admitted, and Namiko nodded her head in understanding. "Speaking of which, how is your training with the Jinton progressing?"

Namiko then furrowed her brows in confusion. "Can't you see what's going on…you know…through my eyes or something?"

The fox shook its head. "Only when you're using my chakra, for me to see through your eyes when my chakra is not in use, you have to give me permission, I may inhabit this place but, in the end, it is your mind." The Kyubi explained.

"Oh…so how do I do that?"

If the fox was shocked that she wanted it to see through her eyes, it didn't show.

"Just think it."

She was quiet for a few seconds before she smiled.

"Can you see anything?"

The fox deadpanned. Just as it had done when they first met.

"You're still in here, baka child."

Namiko once again glared at the reddish kitsune. "Geez, no need to be such a hard ass about it." The Kyubi offered her no reply and closed its eyes, it was already tired of dealing with the brat and it had only been a few minutes. "Did my mother have such a hard time talking to you?" She asked with a roll of her eyes.

The Nine Tails huffed in response. "Your mother probably came into her mindscape a total of six times, to tell me how she'd never succumb to my negativity and hate," Namiko listened intently as the fox spoke about her mother. "And…she lived up to that statement, she never once used my chakra."

At that, Namiko's eyes widened. Her mother had never used the Kyubi's chakra, despite having it sealed within her for half of her life? She looked down in what she could only describe as shame, she was only thirteen and had already used it…to kill.

"Your mother…as well as the First Hokage's wife saw me as nothing but a demon and a burden to their lives, rightfully so. Their goal was to stop me from roaming free and causing havoc, a goal they both accomplished."

When it had finished speaking, neither Namiko nor the Kyubi said anything further. The Nine Tails sat in silence, pondering what the young Uzumaki would do with the information she was given, and Namiko, trying to fully comprehend what had been said to her.

After what seemed like an eternity, Namiko looked at the Kyubi. "Do you remember what I said when I first met you?" The Kyubi only nodded its head slowly. "I meant that. You and I…we're stuck with each other, so we have to be a team. Kakashi-sensei told my team and I that those who betray their comrades are worse than scum, and I believe that includes you, Kyubi."

On the outside, the fox's demeanor had not changed but on the inside, it was shocked to its core.

"Whatever issues Lady Mito and my mom had with you are in the past and have nothing to do with me, I am my own person, and I can make my own decisions," The Kyubi was surprised at the determination that shined in her eyes. "And that's why I decide, for as long as you're in my body, I won't treat you with hatred, but strive to get rid of the hatred inside of you!"

This time…this time the Kyubi's shock showed on the outside. That was a bold statement coming from the Uzumaki.

Her determined face then turned into a shit-eating grin as she turned towards the Kyubi and gave it a thumbs up. "I promise you that! And I never go back on my word. That's my Nindo!"

"Are you stupid?!" Namiko was startled at the fox's sudden outburst. "I am the Nine Tailed Fox! Hatred and destruction are all I know!"

Namiko clicked her teeth and tilted her head to the fox. "So what?" She shrugged.

Another response that had the Kyubi shocked. Did she just not understand the lengths of those things, she was a child after all. Or did she really just not care that it was a mass of negativity that fed on destruction, pain and anguish?

The Kyubi was quiet for a while before it laid its head down on its paw, something similar to that of a smile on its face. This brat had proved to surprise him on many fronts.

"Kurama."

Namiko's face twisted into one of confusion…was that some sort of jutsu or a foreign language or something?

"Huh?"

"…"

"…"

"My name…it is Kurama."

As her face turned into one of realization she grinned at the fox.

Silence once again engulfed the two. In order to stop the silence from, becoming more awkward that it already was, Namiko spun on her heals and began walking away, waving a hand behind her back to the Kyubi.

"It was nice talking to you Kurama, but I got to go do some training."

As she began to imagine pulling herself out of her mindscape, she was stopped by Kurama's voice.

"You use too much chakra."

She spun around to face her Biju. A look of perplexation on her face.

"What are you talking about?"

"In here, I can see your entire chakra network, and when you use the Jinton you push the maximum amount of chakra your body can maintain to your arms, legs and even your head, that's why your hair glows and floats. You should try gradually sending small doses to your arms and legs only so that you can increase your speed, maintain the Jinton for a longer period and not have your hair do what it does."

Something in Namiko's head clicked, the Kyubi actually chuckled as he saw the face she made when the gears started to turn.

As for the ninja in question, she was hit with realization. All this time she had been thinking of the Jinton as something with an on and off switch, when in reality she needed to send the amount of chakra she needed to her arms and legs.

She grinned at the fox once again. "Thanks for the help Kurama…but why?"

The fox grunted. "If it's one thing I can't have is a weak jinchuriki, as the strongest Biju I need the strongest host, and knowing your idiotic tendencies I don't think you would have ever realized the true nature to that Kekkai Genkai on your own," Namiko blushed in embarrassment. She was pretty sure she would have figured that out…eventually. But with its next words, it was Kurama's turn to shock her. "Plus, we are a team, after all."

She smiled at the fox and held up a peace sign. "Thanks, Kurama! I'm gonna test that out right now!" She exclaimed as she felt her conscious returning to her body.

She opened her eyes to find herself where she had originally been, in her living room. She glanced at the clock on the wall, a total of five minutes had passed in the real world. With a grin, she jumped up and slipped on her blue shinobi sandals. She stepped out of her apartment, locking it behind her and decided to take the conventional – or unconventional, depending on who you were – method of roof hopping, she dashed off towards the training grounds.

The day was still extremely young, and she had some training to do.

"Damn it! One more time!"

Namiko laid on her back in the middle of training ground thirteen. Her tracksuit and skin were covered in scuff marks and bruises, respectively. It was a little after five in the evening and she had been trying to use the Jinton as the Kyubi had told her, by sending gradual amounts.

However, it was easier said than done. While she was able to activate the Jinton and use it without having her hair float and glow (a small victory), she had found sending an even amount to her arms and legs extremely difficult, something that would take quite a bit of practice to fully grasp.

At one point, she had sent more chakra to her legs than her arms, thus, her arms could not keep up with the movement and were strained. On another attempt, too much chakra had been sent to her arms and they had been overexerted by her momentum.

She now knew why her body seemed to be fine when she had been unknowingly sending the maximum output to her limbs. It seemed as though the maximum for each of her appendages were the same, that meant that when she was using the Jinton at maximum capacity, her chakra was evenly distributed.

She sighed, as with every ninja technique, there was a learning curve.

Grunting, Namiko stood once again and focused, trying to evenly send chakra to her arms and legs. Once she felt as though there was enough, she started moving…only to end up running into some shrubbery.

That had been another problem. Without the Jinton being evenly distributed, her ability to change direction as well as increasing and decreasing her speed had been practically for naught.

As she climbed out of the shrubbery, she mumbled curses to every deity that she had knowledge of. And another long and exasperated sigh left her mouth. She tried not to get too upset by the fact that she could not fully control the Jinton yet. She admitted however, that she was probably being a little too impatient, considering she only discovered the ability three weeks ago.

Namiko stretched and bent backwards, cracking a knot in her back. She had been at it for the majority of the day and was pretty hungry at this point, so she decided she'd get some ramen and then go get some rest, considering she still had to meet up with her team tomorrow.

She looked around the training ground. Various marks and overturned dirt littered the field, to which she smiled. She now had some groundwork laid out for the Jinton thanks to the Kyub…thanks to Kurama. She had no doubt that soon enough, she'd be able to use the Jinton properly and effectively.

She began making her way out of the training ground when suddenly, a female Anbu appeared in front of her.

"Lord Hokage demands your presence."

She could only nod dumbly. When the Hokage called, you went.

The Anbu took a step towards Namiko and placed her hand on the jinchuriki's shoulder. They both disappeared in a swirl of leaves, reappearing in the Hokage's office. In the office, Namiko saw the Third Hokage himself, as well as Kakashi and a tall white-haired ninja she had never seen before.

The other three occupants of the room looked at her with seriousness spread across their features. Namiko chuckled nervously as she scratched the back of her head.

"You…uh…you wanted to see me Old Man?"

Namiko's nervousness suddenly evaporated when the aging Hokage looked at her with a small smile. "Why yes Namiko, this man here…" Hiruzen then gestured to the white-haired man she had never seen before, who raised his hand and smiled towards her. "Is one of my former students, Jiraiya, and he is a seal master. I would like for him to look at the seal restraining the Kyubi."

She had fully heard every word the Hokage had said, but for some reason her brain lingered on something in particular.

Jiraiya…Jiraiya…why did that name sound familiar?

She must have been lingering in her thoughts longer that she was aware, because Jiraiya called out to her.

"Hey kiddo…you okay?"

She blushed a light tint of red from embarrassment.

"Oh yea, I'm fine sorry I just zoned out for a bit…it happens sometimes," She admitted, then turned to face Hiruzen. "To answer your question, I'm all for checking if the seal is good to go…but how are you going to do that?"

Jiraiya chose to answer. "It's simple really, I'm going to examine the seal by using my knowledge in Fuinjutsu and testing the solidity of the seal with my chakra."

"Fuinjutsu?" While it wasn't much a question – more so a mumble to herself – Jiraiya answered as if it were a question.

"Yup, the art of sealing."

She nodded. "Okay…so, what do I do?"

"I'm just need you to lift your shirt a little."

That's when realization dawned on Namiko.

"Wait! I know who you are! You're that pervert that writes those books Kakashi-sensei and the Old Man read!" She turned and gave the Hokage a glare. "If you think I'm gonna lift my shirt for this pervert to 'check the seal', you got another thing coming!"

Jiraiya gasped in shock.

He was offended.

He was one of the most powerful ninjas in the shinobi world…and this kid…no, this brat…had the audacity to call him a pervert?

"Listen here kid, I am not a pervert!" He exclaimed and started doing a little dance in the office. "I am the Gallant Jiraiya of Mount Myoboku, the Toad Sage! And I am a SUPER Pervert!"

Hiruzen, Kakashi and Namiko all looked at Jiriaya with deadpans.

Silence engulfed the office as the Hokage, jonin and genin tried to deduce what had actually transpired.

Jiraiya sighed, seemed as though no one respected him these days. "Don't worry kid, you're two decades too young for my liking…and that's just gross."

Namiko narrowed her eyes at the Sannin before looking at Hiruzen, who stared back at her with a smile on his face, letting her know that it would be fine.

"Ugh, fine. But if he tries anything I swear to Kami he'll be eating through a straw for the rest of his life." After her statement, she grumbled and slightly lifted her orange t shirt and began focusing her chakra, and in a few seconds the black marking on her stomach appeared. "Hurry up."

Jiraiya said nothing as he took a stepped forward and knelt on the floor of the office. He inspected the seal for a few minutes, mumbling to himself a few times before he placed his hand flatly on Namiko's stomach.

"This might tickle."

Before she could respond she felt the unfamiliar and foreign chakra signature enter her body. Namiko had prepared her body to be ready for a tickle, however it didn't tickle at all. Instead, it made her feel extremely nauseous. They could actually see her face turn green. She fought the urge to throw up and after a few more seconds Jiraiya was done, and some color returned to her face.

"Well sensei, seal's all good." Jiraiya said to his old teacher with a smile.

The Hokage in return, smiled rather 'grandfatherly' to Namiko. "Thank you for your patience and time Namiko, that will be all."

She grinned at the Hokage. "Anytime, Old Man!" She then turned towards her sensei. She wanted to speak with him and considering he was here; she might as well do it now. "Hey sensei, can I talk to you for a moment…about it."

Kakashi was confused for a second but after he realized what she was referring to her chuckled. "You can talk about it in here if you want Namiko, Jiraiya-sama has been informed."

"Oh," Namiko looked at Jiraiya who smiled. "Well, I just wanted to say that I can activate it without my hair doing the 'theatrics' as you had called it." Kakashi's eyes widened at that – though you couldn't see the Sharingan eye.

"And just how did you manage that, Namiko?"

"Well, when Kakashi-sensei tested our affinities and he told me about his idea that my Kekkai Genkai was the Futon and Raiton, I tried talking to the Kyubi to ask its opinion considering that it's been around for a while, but I guess it was ignoring me," She began explaining, to answer the Hokage's question. "But today, I was able to get in touch with it and we had sort of a heart to heart, and it gave me some advice to help. It said that I was using too much chakra when I activated it, and that I needed to gradually add chakra while maintaining a balance in my limbs."

"And I'm guessing by the condition of your clothes, you went out and tested that theory?" Jiraiya asked with a raised brow.

"Yup! And it was right! I can activate the Jinton without my hair glowing and floating, but it's much harder to control and I'm not nearly as fast when my hair was glowing and floating."

"That's great to hear Namiko," The Hokage responded with a smile. "I'm sure soon enough, you'll be using the Jinton perfectly, but I'd like to warn you to be weary of the Kyubi." Namiko grinned at the praise, though she swore she heard something inside of her grumble about the caution of the Kyubi.

She was then dismissed by the Hokage, leaving the three men standing in the office, just as they had been in the morning.

"So?"

"You were right sensei…there is definitely some of Minato and Kushina's chakra sealed inside of her along with the Kyubi."

Hiruzen stayed quiet, thus giving Kakashi an opportunity to speak.

"I still can't see why would sensei do such a thing? Is it possible he plans on communicating with her through the seal at some point?"

Despite his knowledge filled brain, the Third Hokage sighed. "Questions we don't have the answer to, unfortunately."

Jiraiya then interjected. "Let's just say for a second that it is in fact what Kakashi is suggesting…that Minato plans on meeting the brat in the seal. What do you think her reaction is gonna be if she finds out about her father that way instead of from you?" When the Hokage did not reply, Jiraiya crossed his arms. "I think you should tell her."

"No." The Hokage's response was quick, and his voice was filled with authority, leaving no room for argument. "Not yet."

Jiraiya sighed. His sensei was at times, as stubborn as his old teammates had been. Eventually, the topic had been changed and the Hokage, Sannin and jonin had regular conversation for a while but soon enough, Hiruzen sat in his office on his own, the four Anbu in the shadows having returned to their hiding places.

The Sandaime placed his elbows on his mahogany desk, interlocked his fingers and rested his chin on his hands.

"Just what angle are you playing at, Minato?

Yessssssir! Chapter four is complete! I know it was pretty slow but don't worry…because;

The next chapter: chapter five, is going to be the first chapter with some real action! The first chapter of my very own arc which is going to precede the Chunin Exams Arc.

Anyway, let me know what your thoughts are in the reviews, I really hope you guys liked this chapter, and if you have any questions feel free to ask any questions. This has been your boy…

Deuces!

- AlphaZulu99