DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything from the Naruto universe.
Thinking (+ flashbacks, Mito speaking to the Kyuubi in her mindscape, etc.)
Emphasis
Bijuu, etc. speaking
Bijuu, etc. thinking
A toad dispelled from Mito's room, having delivered his thin package and apparently unwilling to wait for a reply. She'd barely retrieved the multi-paged message from his mouth when he dispelled himself, leaving her hanging. She knew that she'd been begging her father to visit or allow her to come home, henged, for a while now, but come on!
Okay, maybe he's had quite enough after three years of my shit, she said to herself. She once again vowed to give her father a break for a while, closing her eyes in something between silent fury and reminding herself to be reasonable as she opened the message. It didn't include a seal this time, and by now she knew her father's handwriting well enough to see that it was hurried.
She smiled at the second colorful page with a hand over her heart. It seemed that Naruto-chan was becoming an even better artist. It was a wildly colored "abstract" finger painting although she was pretty sure that it pictured him holding hands with a taller someone. Could it be her? That would be nice, but Mito often wondered if her little brother knew anything about her - if he was even aware that she existed.
Well, if he didn't, little Naruto would get quite the surprise, wouldn't he?
And was that a dog in the picture? There was definitely a brown and blue something or other in the corner of the painting. Maybe it was a squirrel.
Turning to her father's message, she sighed, figuring this was coming. They'd been going back and forth about this for over six months.
Sweetie,
I would ask how you are but I continue to receive complaints about your ninjutsu usage from Lord Chukaku. You need to concentrate on your iryo-ninjutsu only, darling.
- " Darling." Heh, Mito chuckled sarcastically to herself. They can kiss my ass. As if I haven't been working on my (former) specialty and as IF I'd settle for being a regular med-nin!
Destroying trees is something the monks will not abide by, and if you do occasionally need to practice your ninjutsu, I would advise using the river or lake just outside the treeline closest to your building. That is if there are any remaining trees!
- "Ugh: Dad humor," Mito lamented, rolling her two-toned eyes. Hmph: he had just told her not to use ninjutsu in the previous sentence and then told her how to do just that, not even sneakily. That's ninja, rather than parental, thinking right there. All of the adults in her life thought similarly so it was a wonder she even knew that a parent needed to be consistent when disciplining a child. - Not that she was a child. It might also be a wonder if Naruto-chan doesn't turn out to be a manipulative brat if Father doesn't effectively discipline him.
"Give him hell for me, Naruto-chan," she whispered out loud, snickering to herself facetiously - sort of.
I've spoken with Madame Shijimi and she has agreed that you should attend court.
"Fucking hell," Mito exclaimed, desperately wanting to punch something into tiny pieces. She accidentally tore the message in half and put it down on her desk when she couldn't unclench her fists, ignoring that the message was on top of some very explosive seals she'd been working on.
It's for the best, and since you didn't receive formal kunoichi training
"I trained under my godmother, the Sarutobi sisters who were fucking ANBU, and alongside Shizune-nee you stupid Kage!"
the ladies in the fire court will be excellent tutors.
- They'll be lucky I don't Rasengan their dumb, frail asses, Mito internally raged. Realizing that she was beginning to channel the Kyuubi's chakra, she slowed her breathing and began to count, knowing that she would soon need to meditate in order to keep it together. - Or go destroy some damn trees: the place was full of them AND completely surrounded by the things.
Mito would like to think that she was otherwise a conservationist, but she was also a very angry teenager.
Don't complain, dear. It will only be one to two days a week. Think of it like a mission, one that will be beneficial not only for gaining tools of the trade but also in enhancing infiltration skills that could benefit you in the future. You'll have the opportunity to make new friends, and I'm sure a feminine influence in your life - considering your present circumstances - can be a balm to your troubled soul if you'll only allow it.
- Asshole, Mito thought traitorously.
One or (God forbid) two days a week with some pampered "Lords and Ladies" was going to make her absolutely miserable and he damn well knew it!
If it was a mission, it was one for which she wasn't getting paid, and dammit: it totally sucked that she was now getting an allowance instead of earning her keep at her age and rank!
Enhancing "tools of the trade?" While her father might be right that any skills a shinobi gained could potentially aid in future infiltration missions, she was the fucking jinchuuriki! Would she ever be used for missions like that?!
"Make new friends" probably meant helping him obtain more influence with the Fire Daimyo and his whackjob court whether her father wanted to admit it or not. Mito knew from what her godparents told her that the Elders had all kinds of influence there, and she'd been avoiding the pampered princes and princesses ever since she got here.
"A feminine influence..." As much as she'd like to get away from being surrounded by only male ninjas or monk ninjas-in-training who mostly looked at her as if she was either a scary piece of glass or one of the "lowly servants" - and that IS the way most of the monks treated the poor gals who cleaned up after their sorry asses - her father was the one who agreed to put her in such an environment.
Finally, she needed to find, question, and most likely kill Obito. To have even a chance of surviving when facing him, she needed to train. She needed experience.
She fell onto her futon and closed her eyes, knowing that from what the Perv told her, she was supposedly lucky to be in such a "posh spot," as Jiraiya phrased it - as if it were - for the duration of her exile.
Yeah, the Fire Temple was opulent as all hell, but that was only what the outsiders would see and experience. She realized that the monks weren't into the luxuries of life, but could admit that she really missed "things," even though Tsunade, Jiraiya, Orochi-oji, and even her dad would sometimes send her stuff to brighten up her little room. More than anything, she loved Naruto-chan's artwork, but she also tremendously valued the vase Shizune had made for her, some jewelry and hair things that Tsunade sent her for goodness-knows what reason: the pieces sat in a jewelry box her father had gifted her; Jiraiya's pervy books and toad-related paraphernalia, and the stuffed animals that she kept sealed away just in case anyone of them showed up at her place. (Until nighttime, when she used them to cuddle with. Oftentimes, they were the only thing that made it possible for her to sleep.)
She also love-love-loved the weapons that Anko-chan secretly sent her way. And the dango and poisons!
- Not so much the poisoned dango, though. Anko thinks she's so funny.
What Mito missed more than anything, though, was freedom: the freedom to freely train, the freedom of the road, and to visit new and different places and people. She grew up "on the road," after all.
Freedom was denied her in this prison. And that's what the Fire Temple was.
She should have read the rest of the scroll, but there wasn't much left of her father's note and it was already a lot to take. As usual.
Her father was widely known as the most powerful shinobi in the world and had a head for politics that was supposedly even better than the Nidaime's. So why can't he make it so I can come home?
Terrible ideas like the one that said "he doesn't want me there" screamed at her as it did almost daily, but as usual, she argued in her head against that. (And Kami-forbid she ask what her constant-companion fox thought: that guy would insult and make her doubt herself unlike anyone else.) She knew her father could use help with raising her little brother at the very least, so he couldn't feel that way, right? Naruto-chan sounded like he had a lot of energy and - she smiled to herself just thinking about it - was verbally challenging her father for his position at just four years of age.
A desire to lead their village was one thing that she didn't inherit from her parents, but that was just fine with her. She wanted to be an ANBU frontline combat medic, no matter how impossible it seemed right now.
"My grandfather had enormous chakra reserves, Mito-chan, and he founded our field," her godmother had assured her, telling her not to give up on her dream. "My grandmother also - at least at some point - was a great medic even after she became the jinchuuriki: I remember that! Keep practicing chakra control, channel only YOUR chakra to the seal - and don't you ever give up... And never stop learning," her drunk godmother ranted/ordered the last time she visited. Jeez: Tsunade-baa-chan had been in a sorry state the last time she saw her. "And don't ever concern yourself with romantic love, brat!"
Mito snorted to herself. As if she had to tell me that. While she was dealing with hormones like any teenager would - and being surrounded by extremely fit young men (who are - for the most part, she thought sourly for a couple of reasons - totally disinterested) didn't make it any easier. She wasn't interested in romantic love. Nor could she ever risk it.
Look what it did to Mom ...
Gods, she missed her mom's even sometimes faraway presence when she was growing up like crazy!
Wiping at her eyes harshly, she sniffed and unsealed "Hime," a big slug plushie that looked just like Lady Katsuya. Although it was the right shape for squeezing, it made her miss her summons even more - which, it was confirmed - wouldn't be able to work with her, even if her chakra was ever fully under control.
She had often thought of trying the summoning jutsu again, just to see if it took her to another summoning realm, but knew it wasn't a good idea. She'd heard of many shinobi throughout history who had tried it without first signing a contract, and had never been seen again.
Still, it would get me out of here...
Knowing she wouldn't be able to sleep, she grabbed the pages that were behind Naruto's masterpiece and saw that they were scrolls for lightning and water jutsus. Although they were in her father's handwriting, she had a feeling that they were originally either his or one of the former Hokages because of the difficulty of the A and S-ranked jutsus. The originals would've never been allowed outside of the Hokage's library, thus why he might have copied them for her.
Tou-san still believes in me, she told herself, hoping it was true. This proves it, doesn't it?
"Maa, no time like the present!" Jumping up, she sealed away her plush and soundlessly opened and shut her door behind her, headed back to the river again. Outside of the monks guarding the temple and nearby palace, there was only one person who was wandering around and had a chance of catching her. He was good, that Chiriku guy, and although he'd never turned her in, he spent too much time stalking Mito, in her opinion. He was in another small clearing of the forest, though, and the river, stupidly, she thought, wasn't guarded well at night. There were supposed seals both up and downstream that protected the area, but it still seemed like a security risk to her.
Not that Chukaku-sama listened to my warnings: that sexist old pig.
Walking out onto the river, she allowed her chakra to flow along with the water, relishing in the sensation and peace that it brought her despite the cold. Wishing she could combine the new jutsus, she channeled her chakra into the instructed hand seals for the water prison jutsu first. Enclosed in an enlarging bubble of water, she tried to breathe in it and the jutsu broke. She choked on the water she'd inhaled and laughed at herself at the same time, making her cough even more.
"Stupid," she eventually said, chuckling at herself as she wiped her nose and mouth off on her sleeve. "The scroll didn't say I couldn't breathe in there, so it was worth a try as the jutsu's caster," she said out loud, just in case anyone had seen what she did.
"Your mother is more of an experiential learner," her father had laughed after her mother zapped herself with lightning while standing on water.
A very young Mito had been scared silly for her mother at the time, but her father had seen her do things like that for years, it seemed.
Don't think about that: it doesn't help. "Back into the Mind Palace you go, memory!"
The red and blonde-haired girl looked around to make sure she was alone, embarrassed this time. Because of the amount of time she spent by herself, she had begun talking to herself just so she could hear or speak to something.
Pathetic.
Sitting cross-legged on the water, she repeated what she'd done earlier, only working to enlarge the prison. It was a little unruly, but a good fit for her, technique-wise, so she made a slew of shadow clones to repeat the process. She'd found that her chakra was much more manageable when she had literally hordes of them in action, but that was a little difficult to do when she had to hide her techniques from the monks that wouldn't even engage her in taijutsu.
"I will speak to your father if you continue this nonsense, hime-sama!"
"Go for it," she said to herself and the memory of the head monk who thankfully wasn't present.
She smiled as she received memories and watched the clones' water prisons overtake each other. Her doppelgangers seemed to be having a good time seeing which clone could drown which. Considering that they're all me, maybe I should be more concerned about my mental health. It wasn't like she really wanted to kill herself, though.
But battle herself? Sure!
Reaching her arm as far underwater as possible while remaining on top, she began to channel a Rasengan. The cold water responded like it always did, churning and turning wildly while she slowly brought it to the surface. Inhaling additional water with a water whip from her other hand, she channeled more chakra within her gut, minding that she didn't touch the fox's chakra. He had made it very clear that he would not help her and threatened gleefully that he would be closer to getting out if she used his chakra, and unfortunately, Jiraiya said it was possible. Spewing out the water with pressure from her lungs, she combined it with the waterlogged Rasengan for a spectacular result. Her remaining clones cursed her as they were sent flying, but she was happy that she'd climbed at least five meters in the air/water this time.
Unfortunately, the water had spun her around so fast that she was now really dizzy.
Meh, it's a work in progress, she thought, giggling from the sensation.
"You should be wearing a coat," a calm voice said from the treeline as the dizzy girl tried to remain standing.
"You got me again," Mito sighed as she approached the young man, ringing out her long heterochromatic hair. She was sure Chiriku was older than her; he was definitely taller, but that wasn't saying an awful lot considering how teenagers' growth rates varied throughout and even after puberty. He was beginning to lose some hair, though, which told her that he was probably at least in his late teens if not older. "Gonna turn me in this time?"
"I see no reason to," Chiriku replied, studying the younger girl. Although he didn't remember his mother well, she had been a fearsome kunoichi and unlike most of his brethren, he saw no reason to dissuade women from training for combat. He didn't like the idea of anyone fighting but believed that men and women alike needed to be able to protect themselves and those whom they cared for. "You could catch a cold out here."
"I doubt it," Mito sighed, remembering one time the Kyuubi told her that he had no choice but to keep her alive for now. (Visiting the Kyuubi was something she forced herself to do, even marking it on her calendar despite his hatred for her.) Another time, when she'd been terribly depressed, she went to see him on the assigned day, and he vowed to keep her alive and well no matter how much she supposedly wished for death.
Just to spite me!
And she hadn't wished for death! Alright, so maybe she missed being coddled when she (seldomly) used to get sick a little, but that was all: nothing more!
That damn fox...
"I tend to run hot anyway," Mito said as she hastened her chakra so that she wouldn't freeze.
Chiriku clicked his tongue. "And I thought you were a responsible med-nin."
"I thought so, too," she muttered more to herself than him before giving him a big grin. "I patched you up the last time you broke your arm." Mito hadn't been able to fully heal it, but she had put it in a splint and was eventually able to monitor the fracture and growth plates while his arm healed. In a way, it was thanks to his need that she could now do a diagnostic jutsu again. "What kind of training were you doing - ARE you doing - in the middle of the night to get yourself in such a sorry state, anyway?"
Chiriku leaned on the tree with his arms crossed, deciding to tell her the truth. "A technique of my own making. An idea was bestowed upon me in a dream: a combination of tai and genjutsu," he said, glad that the rather agnostic young woman didn't make fun of how he'd received the idea. "You are a tactical thinker: a prodigal kunoichi with a mind geared toward science..."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Mito interrupted, lazily waving her hand and shaking her head. "I'm not a prodigy. I may be the daughter and pseudo-niece of one - and another one: and that sentence structure right there should tell ya I'm no genius. And aside from my father and Orochimaru, I was primarily raised by those who had to work incredibly hard for their skills. - Not that they didn't work hard, cuz they did!"
"Yet you think strategically."
"Yeaaaaaah," Mito drawled, wanting him to get to the point. It was damn cold outside! She should've brought her coat, not that she'd tell him that. When Chiriku kept looking at her, there was only one thing she could say. "Dude: I am not interested in a relationship." When Chiriku looked taken aback and dare she say it: a little horrified, she realized that she'd misunderstood his possible intentions. "Ano," she said, glad it was dark as she rubbed the back of her neck, "never mind I said that!"
Chiriku closed his eyes and looked to the heavens. "You know that all monks take a vow of celibacy."
"I do," Mito acquiesced, but it still doesn't stop the disgusting lust I sense from some of them. "So I got off on the wrong track there! Sorry about that," she said pleasantly, forcing her mind away from those older men who'd recently begun to look at her "differently" - and often. "It is cold. We should both head in," she said, crossing her arms over her developing chest, wishing she wasn't wet.
"Agreed," Chiriku said, turning away. He waited until she joined him as they made their way back to the rooms and barracks. "In exchange for helping me develop my technique, I am willing to spar with you."
"Seriously?" Mito asked, intrigued. It had been a LONG time since she was able to spar with someone else!
"Hai. I have little knowledge of genjutsu, but it is essential for my technique," he said in frustration.
"I... have trouble with genjutsu," she said, longing for the days when illusions were a piece of cake before she became the jinchuuriki. "But I know the basics and can guide you," Mito continued, hoping that he would still agree.
"I'm sure that would be sufficient," he said when they first came to her room. "Goodnight, Mito-hime."
"Blegh. Just Mito, or Mito-chan, please, Chiriku-san."
"Then you shall simply call me Chiriku."
"Very well, Chiriku. Goodnight."
Mito was surprised, however, that he guarded the perimeter of the servants' quarters she took off to in order to have a warm shower. "You didn't have to do that," she said upon finding him outside.
"One can never be too careful," he said, throwing a disgusted glance at one of the elder's residences. Mito noticed and felt her trust in him grow a little.
She was also even warier about the old monk that lived there, however.
"Is it that day of the month? The day my jailor bestows her grace upon me with a visit? Already?" the fox drawled sarcastically, baring his teeth in something very dissimilar from an actual smile.
Mito knew he only really smiled when he was threatening to rip and chew her to pieces. "I guess it is, Kyuubi-sama."
"What do you want?" he asked dryly. And why did this brat keep doing this? One, he wanted to sleep and forget that he was stuck inside a third Uzumaki and a SECOND Mito, for Sage's sake. Two: in their pathetic lives, the other two redheads said one sentence to him each, aside from Kushina sometimes cursing him.
This brat never let him be.
"You know what I want. I'd like to be friends or at least make peace with you," Mito explained for at least the twentieth time. "I also would like to enlist your help in hunting Obito. You didn't deserve what you went through, and neither did I..."
"...And we're both in the unenviable position of living the rest of our lives together. Yes, human: I've heard it before. You are what your kind calls a broken, damnable record player."
"I guess I am," Mito said, sitting down. Her basement - er, her Mind Palace's basement was one weird joint. The Kyuubi was behind a sea of thin bars which were kept closed by Sandaime-sama's seal. In front of the bars was a half-wall that looked like it belonged in a doctor's office but had a translucent panel that climbed to the ceiling - so high that she couldn't see it. The see-through panel was either clear or purple with red fuuinjutsu that floated within it. Jiraiya's seal was large and covered part of the bottom wall. It looked like a high-tech, multiple-sealed sneeze guard: one that jutsus probably couldn't get through, although she had landed herself in between the bars and wall once before.
She had accidentally channeled a lot of the Kyuubi's chakra when she had been angry. Fortunately, Jiraiya had shown up seemingly out of nowhere, slapped a seal on her head, then left shortly after. When she woke up, she was back to herself, temporarily locked completely out of her mindscape with an alarm in her room that went off whenever she channeled too much demonic energy.
That alarm was a last-ditch effort to force her to control herself, and although Mito couldn't find another seal on her body, she wondered if the ANBU tattoo Jiraiya put on her years before allowed someone to appear as if by magic to slap a seal on her head if she got out of control.
"Our situation is not ideal in any way, Kyuubi-sama," she said while looking toward the ceiling of the room they shared. "You were not properly sealed, and I wasn't adequately prepared to become a jinchuuriki when I thought I could do it without issue. And you know I wish you didn't need to be sealed in the first place, but you wanted to kill everyone..."
"Absolutely everyone," he laughed. "You filthy humans are despicable and know nothing."
"I," Mito began but then chuckled grimly. "Having lived longer, you probably do know more than we do, and some of us certainly are just as you say. I'm here if you want someone to listen to your thoughts," she said genuinely, then put her hands as if to stop him. "...Not that you need to go on about your hatred for me or humanity: that you've convinced me of."
The fox frowned at her but only closed his eyes and put his head on his hands, making her stand up in order to see his face. More fuuinjutsu traveled across the plane as it lit up purple for a moment. She leaned her head against it: it really did feel like a pliable glass. She also wondered why she kept trying to persuade him with nearly the same words each time. But what was she supposed to say?!
Tired, she spoke from her heart, wondering if it would matter.
"I didn't mean to do this to you, to everyone. ...I can't start from the beginning, but we can start from the last thing that happened and work our way backward," she said, noticing that one of the fox's eyes opened in what she hoped was interest. She crossed her fingers, hiding them behind the solid bottom half of the wall, hoping against hope that he'd come around.
"I know you believe that THAT man released you that terrible night, but I trust my senses and that was OBITO," she declared again; hot fury pulsing through her as she thought of Obito throwing his arm out with all that hate, controlling the fox in order to murder her family. The alarm in her room went off and she dropped into a meditative pose, unwilling to leave her mindscape just yet.
"THAT man," of course, was code for Uchiha Madara, (a name she knew better than to utter by now) and no matter how much the Kyuubi was convinced that Obito was Madara, Mito knew that it wasn't true.
Minutes later she stood again and looked into the cage, not caring how much it made the Kyuubi grumble. "You're right, though, Kyuubi-sama. Obito had to learn that technique from someone, ne?"
The Kyuubi glanced up at her again. He was glaring, but he was also calm, something that Mito seldomly experienced when she was in front of him. "Not to sound like a revenge-obsessed asshole, but - I want to end them both." She bowed low in front of the cage, knowing that he couldn't quite see her, but believing that he knew what she was doing. "Until next time, Kyuubi-sama."
Kurama lowered his head again as he thought about what she said. "Like you'd have a chance against either one of them, brat."
He decided to watch and wait, however: she wasn't without talent. Maybe one day, she would be ready. Then he might make a chakra-bound pact with her, but only if it suited him. More than he wanted to live, he wanted to kill that man if for no other reason than to get his revenge and protect his siblings
Minato cleared his throat, giving Kakashi-kun a look that indicated he needed to back off and stop his growling. He thought of Kakashi as his right-hand man, and although Asuma-kun might have been a little more disrespectful than usual, Kakashi needed to control himself in these office situations.
"The rest of you are excused. Asuma-san, you'll stay," he ordered the team, pulling out a file from his desk. When Minato looked up again, he found Sarutobi's youngest child twirling an unlit cigarette. Capable of being an excellent shinobi and promoted to full Jonin a year after the Kyuubi attack, Asuma was living under the shadow of his oldest brother and still grieving over the death of his family in the demon's attack.
Sarutobi Asuma had also been turning into a snarky young man.
And on the personal side, he needed to stop drinking.
"Let us speak freely. You don't respect me as your Hokage or wish to serve under me." Asuma's eyes bulged before he rapidly blinked.
"No! I mean, yes! I do respect you, Hokage-sama, of course. I just... I apologize if my tone was unprofessional." He knew that his mission report had been quick and to the point, but hadn't realized how rude he was being when he answered his Hokage's questions about it. Namikaze Minato was not as patient, kind, and dare he say, fun as he once was, and was the last person he ever wanted to piss off.
"His problem" was that he'd just seen that Danzo fucker, which reminded him of why he didn't respect some things about his father - and his father was dead, having given his life for the village and should be seen as a hero. The things he'd found in his father's office, the things that implicated his father's "old friend" had been sealed away by his turd of an older brother and Asuma really wanted to inform his Kage. Hideki, his otherwise loyal and ANBU-obsessed brother, was just settling down with a nice half-Uchiha woman, though, and Asuma didn't completely want to ruin his life.
Ruin it a little? Maybe. Declaring that his last-living, blood-related, immediate family member was keeping relevant information from their Kage and potentially getting his brother's head taken off because of it? No.
His only choice was to find what Hideki had done with the files and turn them into the Yondaime. "Forgive me, Hokage-sama."
He was also observant, and it was clear as day to any decent shinobi that Namikaze Minato did not like Shimura Danzo.
Why would he? Why would anyone? Why did his father allow the man to get away with so much?!
"I shall, Asuma-san, and I have a mission that might be right up your alley," Minato said as he thumbed through a file on his desk. "It's long-term. The Daimyo has decided that he feels safer with ninja from Konoha in his guard; feels that someone from our ranks could share techniques and beef up his security, that kind of thing." The blonde let out a sigh and rubbed his eyes. "I'll be honest here: I also need eyes there. I've assigned an upper-level Chunin, but because she's a young lady, I'm afraid she won't get the respect she deserves."
"I see. Thank you for the opportunity, Hokage-sama," Asuma said genuinely. "How long will I be gone?"
"Five years minimum, and for you, a maximum of seven."
Asuma's breath caught. That was a long time to be away, but shinobi missions could certainly last longer. Thanks to his father (from the time his Pops was the ruling Hokage,) he had some experience at the capital and even with the Daimyo's guard, which was why, he figured, he was chosen for this. He also wanted to prove his loyalty and worth. What Hideki had done had really shaken his faith in himself as a loyal shinobi. It had also made him question his family, and that made him feel awful. He knew Hideki was trying to protect his father's legacy but didn't he see that his actions were also protecting Danzo?
And Danzo was fucking dangerous!
"I know it's a lot to think about, Asuma," the Hokage said, gaining Asuma's full attention again. "It could be a great opportunity for your career, and you could bring back some of the monk's techniques."
"And intelligence on the Fire Court," Asuma said, smirking.
"Ah, I knew you were a smart young man," Minato exclaimed, tapping the file on his desk. "I also need you to be on your best behavior if you'll take this mission, Asuma-san. I'll be honest: I need friends at the Capital."
"Are you my friend?" Minato then asked.
Hokage-sama's blue eyes were like ice that pierced straight into his soul. "Indeed I am, sir," Asuma said, almost embarrassed that he'd been so eager in front of the remaining ANBU, Hatake. Of course, that guy had his snout so buried in the Hokage's ass he was sure he wore his constant under-mask to hide his brown nose.
And Hatake really needed to hide his damn hair! Anyone with a brain that saw Inu knew that he was Hatake Kakashi, for Kami's sake.
"Good! Now: what do you think about my daughter?"
Asuma wanted to faceplant. How many times had this idi- er, ingenious, generous, kind, Killing-a-thousand-Iwa-ninja-in-a-single-night (yikes) Kage asked him that question? He rubbed his eyes and unintentionally sighed out loud.
"Brave beyond reason," Asuma finally answered, thinking of how Mito ran in the direction of the fox that horrible night, against orders. The Hokage had said Mito was fine, and he had to believe him: her picture had not been there during the mass funeral, at least. "And as I've told you before, Hokage-sama: I have no romantic interest in Mito-chan, who by the way, was a little girl the last time I saw her. And even though she's older now, we were too close growing up. And you told me she was okay..."
The Hokage flushed, embarrassed now that he'd been so overbearing when the two were young (beginning when they were 2 and 6, from what he could recall - and he may have even tried to scare the boy when Mito was a newborn.)
And that wasn't what he meant! "Yes she is, but no, Asuma-san: that's not what I meant. I want to know if you're loyal to Mito-hime."
"Sure," Asuma shrugged easily, then glared at Kakashi who seemed a little too interested in the way this conversation was swerving around. "How could I not be?"
Minato gave him a sad look before rolling back to the wall in his chair, closing his eyes as he relaxed into it.
Asuma felt bad for the man. He'd really liked Yondaime-sama's wife, too. The Yondaime looked like he'd aged 15 years in the last 4-5. Plus his kid was a brat. Both of them were, actually...
"Mito's at the Fire Temple," Minato almost whispered to the shock of both his student and Asuma. "Relevant information is included in the file. I'll have toads message information to her to pass on to you when necessary. You can forward intelligence to me with your monkeys?"
Asuma pulled a face, regretting what he was about to say. "I actually haven't signed the contract."
"Ah. Well, it's time that you do! Hideki-san's in the village, so this timing is perfect. I know that your father was proud of you, Asuma-kun. He'd be glad that you shared in the summons of the great monkey tribe."
"Thank you, sir," Asuma said, taking the file from his superior. "When do I leave?"
"One week. I don't know what Monkey King Enma will have in store for you, Asuma, but good luck with him!"
"Yeah. Thanks."
"One more thing. This is a copy. Burn all of Mito's information immediately after reading it."
"Of course, sir."
Asuma left and the Hokage turned to his remaining loyal student. "Follow him and stay out of sight. I want to know he reacts when he learns some of Mito's information. I need you to tell me everything, Kakashi. But. Don't. Read. That. File."
"Hai!"
"Hideki, we need to talk," Asuma said after entering his brother's apartment. "I need to sign the contract after all, and when I get back from the summoning realm, we need to talk about your loyalty to Konoha and not just to Pops!"