A/N: I am so so so so SO sorry for the delay!
Holidays are a hard time for me, mostly because the only time I can present-shop is over the weekend, which is when I do most of my writing...
But good news! You guys get a double-update!
I finished this chapter, AND the next one! As soon as I finish editing the next chapter, I'll post it, likely tomorrow! And if I'm super super super lucky, I'll finish a third chapter and you guys can get a triple.
...maybe I can take my laptop to work, since it's holiday week this week I'm unlikely to be super busy, I could maybe write and just give chapters up til christmas...?

We'll see if that works out, I don't wanna make promises. But nyush! Two chapters for certain, and 60% odds for a third, I'd say!

Once again, sorry for the delay, and thank you as always for reading! Hope you enjoy!

Hopefully this fixes the formatting issue…

"Do you have any idea how reckless this is?" Inoichi hisses, aghast.

Burning out the seal - from within the mindscape-

The sheer damage it could cause-

"Are you mad?!" He can't help but snap, voice raising, as he looks between Jiraiya and Natsu.

The Uchiha is a tense ball of worry and surprise, clearly not having been briefed on the plan beforehand, Natsu a near-simmering presence beside him.

Jiraiya sighs.

"I wish we had time for a different path. But Orochimaru wasn't in the village just to get his hands on Sasuke - he's got Suna wrapped up in plans for an invasion, a large number of shinobi have been infiltrating our borders, weapons and supplies smuggled in by merchant groups who were later assassinated - including the Ton'ya, which is already going to be a nightmare with the Daimyo by the end of this. We can't afford to have this level of weakness right now, especially when we don't know what level of influence Orochi can exert over his seals. We're going to have to take the risk, Yamanaka-san. And you're going to have to help us."

Inoichi gives in to the urge to scrub at his face.

This is-

Did they even consider-?

...he's going to have to ask.

Biting back a groan, Inoichi drops his hands. "Even if Natsu-kun knows his own mind well enough to burn out the seal from it, what about Sasuke? This is quite a risk to begin with, but it seems even more dangerous for him."

Natsu scowls. "I'm gonna help Sasuke - gonna use that trick you showed me for m- Sakura-chan's parents, and pull Sasuke in. Then me 'n' Sasuke will work in his head, while Sakuni and- and- he'll work in my and Sakura-chan's mindscapes. And you'll keep the shade-thing out of our way and stop it from slipping off and hiding somewhere dangerous. And Jiraiya'll use his seals to stop any of the chakra from slipping off and hiding somewhere too. Since Sasuke 'n' I are both guys Sakuni thought it'd be easier for us t'work together - you'd probably be best in there, but you can't use the fire like me 'n' him can, and I dunno how to stop that shade from sneakin' around, so… it's the best way to do it. Sakuni'll make sure she and Sakura-chan don't get hurt."

He crosses his arms then, and Inoichi stomps down his parental instincts.

Whoever he'll be meeting inside Natsu's own Heart is someone who's caused a lot of distress for the kid, that much is obvious.

He wants to ask, but now isn't the time.

The word invasion echoes in his head. Sure, they'd suspected something with Orochimaru's presence. The man hid himself masterfully, infiltrated the village, attacked Team 7, and then disappeared without a trace. It was unusual, unexpected - the Snake Sannin had never been the sort of person to take large risks for only a single objective, and everyone knew there had to be a secondary goal.

Clan secrets were locked away, dangerous records either sealed or destroyed depending on whether they were truly necessary, children kept careful track of and patrols doubled.

Even the slightest suspicious behavior investigated, people interrogated-

No one believed the Uchiha was all he wanted, but while they'd certainly found a surprisingly large number of spies, none of them knew anything - near-civilians paid to send information to a false ANBU on a number of subjects.

A thorough investigation of ANBU revealed an unnerving number of stolen uniforms that Hokage-sama appeared to have been aware of, and a secondary investigation Inoichi wasn't permitted to be a part of revealed that two were not expected.

At least two stolen ANBU uniforms, and an alarming number of not-quite-stolen uniforms that he wasn't allowed to know the purpose of.

Clearly, Orochimaru's theft blended in among the others.

An invasion, though.

Joint-coordinated with Sunagakure.

They knew it had to be big, but for one of the five Villages to participate…

He wonders, now, if Orochimaru's attack on Team 7 was meant for Konoha to pull in her shinobi from the borders.

In anticipating a second attack within the village proper, they'd pulled the majority of their reinforcements from the western border - trusting, if barely, their alliance with Suna to mean they needed less men stationed there in face of an in-village emergency.

Now, he wonders if they played straight into the Sannin's hands, making it easier for Suna to smuggle an army across their borders.

Sasuke, half a diversion and half a secondary prize - a prize lost with Natsu-kun's interference, but the diversion perhaps only more impressive for it.

After all, there was no hiding what had happened from the other villages, not with the interloper's impressive fire jutsu.

And of course those villages demanded more security for their own participating shinobi, forcing Konoha to call back a few more than they'd have preferred from their borders in order to prevent being accused of endangering the Exam attendees unduly-

How much of it Orochimaru planned, and how much he only took advantage of, Inoichi can't quite say.

But he doesn't doubt that the invasion, at least, had always been the Sannin's goal. He'll have to speak to Shikaku, as soon as they're done here, if Hokage-sama doesn't brief the Nara first.

Which means…

Grimacing, Inoichi sets himself in the chair. "Draw what seals you need, Jiraiya-sama. Let's get this over with."

"-so then Jiraiya showed me this picture of my mom and she was so cool and Sasuke was all like-"

Natsu digs his fingers into the wood frame of the bed, trying not to move as Jiraiya sketches ink across his back.

He doesn't want to be angry, not really.

Igneel's alive, he's alive, that's what's important, because Natsu always refused to believe he was dead but everyone always said that the dragons had all died and sometimes he couldn't help but doubt but Igneel was too strong to die, and he believed that and-

And he was right.

Igneel's alive.

That's-

That's a good thing.

A happy thing.

He shouldn't be-

He doesn't want to be-

But-

But Igneel won't explain anything, anything at all, no matter how Natsu asked he just said he had reasons, again and again and-

All Natsu wants is to know why, why Igneel disappeared, why he was alone-

He waited! And waited and waited and waited for days for Igneel to show up, and he never did, and Natsu had to leave eventually, had to find food, had to find a place to sleep now that he no longer had a dragon's great wings to shelter him from the rain-

And now-

Now he finds Igneel but Igneel can't even tell him why-

He waited for so long, and searched for so long and Igneel can't even tell him why he had to- to- to stick himself inside Natsu, to disappear without a word-

Natsu doesn't want to be angry at his father now that he's finally found him again but he just can't help it, the pain and fury and betrayal that he shouldn't feel because it's Igneel, his dad, and Igneel wouldn't do something like that without a good reason but-

But Natsu's alone and he doesn't know how to get back home and he's basically stuck working for a yami guild and he just can't-

He just wants to know why-

All Igneel did was talk about stuff like antibodies and keeping Natsu from turning into a dragon but they were in the Heart of Natsu's mindscape and he knows it wasn't the full truth.

Not even half of it.

There was a reason and Igneel won't tell him and-

And if it were really just about the antibody-stuff, Igneel would have told him way back when he first warned Natsu about the dangers of Dragon Slayer magic. If it were really just about helping him not turn into a dragon, Igneel wouldn't have done it without saying anything to Natsu. And he'd have told Natsu how long it would take, and when they could be together again, and-

And he didn't.

He didn't do any of that, never even warned Natsu to begin with-

Maybe all the paranoia of the yami guild is wearing off on him, but Natsu feels like, since it isn't something Igneel ever warned him about before, there probably is another way to get those antibody things.

And Igneel was planning to use that other way.

But then something happened, something Igneel won't tell him about, and everything changed.

Natsu doesn't remember his human family - flashes, glimpses, he had a sibling he's sure he did - but he never needed to, because he had Igneel, and-

And he never really thought Igneel would leave him too.

And now Igneel won't even be honest with him and- and-

What if he leaves again?

Natsu shoves the thought away, vicious and furious, and only barely remembers not to move.

Igneel had a good reason for this, he tells himself, again and again, and he can trust Igneel, that's always been true, they're family and Igneel loves him as much as Natsu loves Igneel.

But somehow it just makes it hurt worse, because-

Because-

Why doesn't he trust me, too…?

"-and there we go! Time for you kiddos to lay down and get situated, let's get this started."

Jiraiya interrupts, and Natsu shoves the thoughts away viciously.

Whatever else is true, Igneel would never hurt him -not intentionally, anyway- and they've got a parasite to burn out.

Once they've got rid of that thing, though-

Well.

Natsu's going to park himself in the mindscape and refuse to leave until his dad actually talks to him, no matter what!

...maybe he could ask Inoichi-san for tips on how to trick people into saying things…? He's not really good at that sort of thing -he doesn't really want to think about how Inoichi-san learned- but he could probably pick up a trick or two-

"Oi, brat, are you listening to me?"

Natsu jerks his head up, to find Jiraiya's face not two inches from his own.

Oops.

The old man straightens, crossing his arms as he looks down on Natsu, and the Dragon Slayer laughs.

"I'm movin' I'm movin'," he flops down onto the… bed of dubious usability, and he's pretty sure the Council's prisons have more comfortable slabs of rock for criminals to use, but if he complains Inoichi-san will probably tell him something he really doesn't want to know so he bites back the urge to say anything.

It's… easier to forget Konoha's a yami guild when people like Kakashi-sensei and Jiraiya seem so-

So normal-

Which is why he's going to take them all back home with him.

If they're that normal despite being in a yami guild, then it means they don't really want to be in a yami guild, they just don't have a choice! So if Natsu takes them all with him, it won't be an issue!

...hopefully.

Not the time, he chides himself, and drags his focus over to Sasuke.

They probably should have warned his teammate before they got there, but… Natsu sort of forgot between Kakashi and Igneel and everything else-

At the very least they should have warned Sasuke that Natsu was about to get in his head, but it's too late now, and they really do need to get rid of the seal.

Keeping that parasite away from Sasuke's gates and cutting off a lot of his bigger tendril-things helped get rid of that distance issue, but Natsu knows there's a lot of smaller tendrils they missed, and they can't risk leaving even one around.

Which means there's no choice.

Inoichi-san's fingers ghost against his temple, pulling him down, and Natsu extends his own chakra-laced fingers towards Sasuke, tries to make sure he'll land in the right place-

And then in a disorienting swirl, Natsu and Sasuke both land in a barren street, Inoichi nowhere to be seen.

"This must be your Field…" Natsu muses, looking around. "It's… well there's nothing really here…"

Sasuke scowls. "Are you just going to stand there or are we going to do something-?"

"Right, right," Natsu chuckles, glancing around. "Where're the gates? That's where everything connects to Sakura-chan and me, so that's probably where that snake guy's influence is strongest…"

"You couldn't have dropped us there in the first place?" Sasuke asks incredulously.

Natsu protests. "Hey, I can't control where I land! Heads are weird places, and the Bridge is super weird, okay? It's easier to just show up in the middle of the Field!"

Sasuke scoffs, but it feels a little amused to Natsu, so he throws his hands behind his head and meanders after his teammate as the Uchiha leads the way.

Igneel will take care of things on the other side.

This will work.

Natsu doesn't need to worry.

"-and Natsu said-"

"Natsu?"

"Yeah, he- uh- th- I- um… I… didn't say anything? Ehehehehehe..."

Igneel's form is massive, dwarfing them utterly, and if Sakuni weren't so exhausted she'd be amused at seeing Ino's dad so speechless in the Dragon King's presence.

Igneel, for his part, seems mostly annoyed and distracted. Perhaps a bit aloof.

She's argued with him enough regarding what he should tell Natsu to know the dragon just doesn't want to admit she was right.

And then Inoichi mouths a word that looks like jinchurikki, and Sakuni would correct him, she really would, but they've wasted enough time with his shock and they need to get started, so she shakes him out of it.

"A-ah, Yamanaka-san, we need to get started now… Igneel's the one who taught Natsu his fire, so you can leave the threads to us - you just need to pin down the shade… Do you-?"

Inoichi physically shakes himself, still looking a bit stunned, then turns toward her. "I should be able to handle it well enough - the two of you will be fine?"

There's a concern there that Sakuni appreciates, really, she does, but they don't have time for it.

"We're fine. Natsu and I tried to trap the shade over there, it should still be pinned. If not though, there should still be traces…"

Inoichi's brow furrows, but then he nods, and Sakuni sighs as he strides toward the tangled mess of vines and fire Natsu and Sakuni had thrown together to try and pin the shade.

"Guess it's just you and me, big guy. Let's get started."

Igneel chuffs, scolding, but fire twists obediently through the Bridge regardless.

They get to work, then, Sakuni fighting not to tremble.

Her exhaustion can wait.

Until her Outer is safe.

Until Sasuke and Natsu are safe.

Just a little bit longer…

She can hold on.

She can.

Igneel's warmth at her back isn't as reassuring as Natsu's.

She wonders what the difference is.

Just a little more…

"It can be hard, sometimes, to watch a teammate grow into something new and unfamiliar. But, Naruto, male or female they're still your teammate. You don't need to worry so much about these changes as you think- your friend isn't broken, they're just learning and growing into themselves, and, really, puberty is exactly the sort of time I'd expect for things like these to start…"

"Ahahahahahaha, I-I guess you're right, Natsu's Natsu and Sakura-chan's Sakura-chan after all… y-yeah, that's it, I'm just being silly-"

"Ah. Naruto, are you by chance saying that Natsu and Sakura are different people?"

"...oh shit wait no that's not what I said you were totally right before it's just a little weird right I'm just not used to the-the name change or- or something- um-"

It's almost beautiful, Jiraiya thinks, watching the seals across the kids glow in fiery shades and then disappear.

Some smoother than others.

He's learning so much about the curse seal, just by studying which parts of the seal fight the hardest against the glow that signifies Natsu's kekkei genkai.

He takes careful notes, sharp eyes dissecting every inch of the seal, occasionally modifying his own seal as necessary.

By the end of this, he'd like to be able to remove Anko-chan's as well.

Heat radiates from the children, not quite enough to smear and melt his own seal lines, though it's certainly done a fine job of chasing away the chill of T&I.

Sasuke's skin flushes pink.

Jiraiya makes a note to have him checked out for burns, after, and adds another line to his seal.

He's never been fond of live-modification, but, well.

Needs must, and all.

A new section of curse seal begins to glow, and Jiraiya times it in his head as he finishes his own alterations.

Didn't fight much, he muses, as the section fades away.

He casts an eye over the kids, looking for the next patch to time as he puts the finishing strokes into his alteration.

And then a warning chimes through the chakra filling the room, as something attacks a piece of his seal.

Ah, there it is.

This bastard, always chasing after my art! But I'm the master here, and these kids are counting on me-!

Jiraiya moves around the table, already plotting out the next alteration to his seal to keep that parasite from pulling any tricks.

He's got a job to do, and he doesn't intend to fail.

The air shimmers around Natsu like a heat-haze, something indescribable lingering like an aura.

Sasuke knew what Natsu looked like, he's hardly forgotten that henge, but it's an entirely different matter to see his teammate moving, animated and himself in a way he's just never been in Sakura's skin.

He looks more comfortable in his own form in a way he never is outside the mindscape, and Sasuke can't even say what it is about him that's changed, really, except for his appearance.

It's also so easy to forget he's an adult, out in the world, when he wears Sakura's skin and Sakura's clothes and speaks in Sakura's voice-

But he is.

He walks with all the confidence Sasuke's ever seen in older shinobi, like nothing can go wrong because he knows he's stronger than his opponent-

It's not reassuring.

It isn't.

It's the bare minimum Sasuke would expect from anyone trapezing around his mind, so he appreciates the proof.

That's all.

Sasuke doesn't say any of that out loud.

It has nothing to do with the fact that people can't lie in a mindscape.

"...how does your fire work?" Sasuke asks after a long minute, as Natsu gets his fingers on some disgusting… tentacle… thing that was lurking between the cobblestones that line his district.

He resolutely does not think about it.

"Huh?" is his teammate's intelligent reply, suddenly reminding Sasuke that his entire team is full of morons-

"Whaddaya mean? I just wanna light stuff on fire, so I do."

Sasuke scowls. "I've seen your fire with my Sharingan. I tried to copy it once, but all it did was hurt, and I got maybe a bare lick of flame. It didn't even feel like yours. So there's gotta be a trick to it, right?"

Natsu snaps his head up, glancing at him before hastily turning back to the weird tentacles when they try to slide away from him.

"Whaddaya mean you- nevermind of course you- when though-? Y'seriously tried to copy me-?" his teammate rambles, before letting out a triumphant HA! as he finally burns out the tentacle and moves on to the next one, "Look, I dunno how to explain it. My stuff pretty much just uses Spiritual Chakra, right? None of that physical stuff to weigh it down. Kakashi-sensei says that sort of thing is really hard to do, and I learned as a really young kid so I can't really say if he's right or not. And even then, the kind of fire I use is pretty special compared to others, even if you wanted to use magic it'd be pretty dangerous to use my magic… 's considered a Lost Art for a reason, y'know? Guess if you figured out how t'split up your chakra I could try to teach you some stuff, but I dunno if it'll even work, an' I'm definitely not teachin' mine so-"

Natsu cuts off with a hiss as a large tentacle lurches from between the stones and tries to strangle him- Sasuke could almost swear the thing has glimmering white scales, but he doesn't see any eyes or head so that doesn't make sense-

Natsu gets his hands around the not-quite-a-snake and burns, fire engulfing them both in an inferno nearly too bright to look at.

When it fades, ash slips through Natsu's fingers, coating the ground in a fine layer.

"Shit, this thing's seriously aggressive. Is Inoichi-san really doing his job right…?"

More white-scaled… things… burst from the earth, and Sasuke steps closer to his teammate.

"This is my mind," he grunts, taking a stance, "So shouldn't I just be able to tell it to go away-?"

"With all the claws he's got in you? Don't think it'll do ya any good. But y'could change what this place looks like, maybe make it somewhere a little harder for him to hide…?"

Sasuke nearly snaps to ask how, but then the not-tentacles reach for them, and his idiot teammate laughs as the fire rages higher.

When this is done, Sasuke promises, I'm going to strangle him.