Minato had dealt with a lot in his still short time as Hokage—rebuilding a village after the war, angry villagers, rogue ninjas, political disasters—but standing in front of that iron door at T tonight, he couldn't shake the feeling that this could be the beginning of the biggest challenge of his Hokage time. He'd chosen to walk home, hoping the cool night air would help clear his head, but the peaceful glow of Konoha, bathed in starlight, seemed to mock his troubled mind, which kept circling back to the events at T .

When he opened the drawers of that cabinet, he half-expected to find something horrific. Thank Kami, there were no instruments of torture—just syringes, probably where Shiba caught the scent of blood, and some old, fraying strips of clothing sewn with leaves. Hers maybe? The rest of the cabinet contained strange items—monitors, puzzles, cards. Psychological tests, not interrogative tools.

Minato sighed. They weren't trying to interrogate her… they were studying her. But why? What for? He had the girl's files tucked under his arm and planned to review them thoroughly, hoping the answer would be there. I doubt it. However, with the girl now under his roof, even with Kakashi watching over her, he didn't feel comfortable leaving Kushina, especially with the pregnancy. And his trust in ANBU was… let's say on thin ice at the moment.

Minato had known about the shadows in the village—the shinobi that operated in ethically gray areas—but this was something else. The thought of Root infiltrating his ANBU gnawed at him. He was not completely convinced on the necessity of Root, and he'd been planning to root them out for a while now (pun completely intended). But with the infiltration and tonight, the changes needed to come faster and on a much larger scale. Is this Root's doing? Is someone else's hand at play? I do not know what is worse.

His house finally came into view, its dark shape a comforting presence against the night sky. The sight of it eased some of the tension in his shoulders. He was dying to see Kushina.

As he neared the entrance, Hawk materialised in front of him, a shadow slipping out of the night. Minato wasn't startled—ANBU tended to have that effect—but his body tensed automatically.

"Hokage-sama," Hawk said, bowing slightly, "the girl is taking a bath. Kushina-san is helping her. No incidents since we left T ."

"Good," Minato exhaled quietly, letting some of the tension slip away. But one question still nagged at him. "Tell me, Hawk—why did Kakashi ask for you to accompany him and the girl instead of Tiger?"

Hawk hesitated for a fraction of a second before answering, "I cannot speak for Hatake, but I imagine it was because Tiger forcefully knocked her out before bringing her in."

Minato raised an eyebrow, his jaw tightening. "And you? Do you think Kakashi made the right call?"

There was another pause, shorter this time. "Tiger's... methods wouldn't have been suitable in this situation."

Minato's eyes narrowed, but he nodded. "Understood." His voice remained calm, though the underlying tension was unmistakable. "Thank you for your report. I'll need your full file on tonight's events by midday tomorrow."

Hawk bowed slightly and disappeared into the night, leaving Minato standing close to the entrance of his home, staring at the stars again.

When Minato stepped onto the porch, he found Kakashi sitting against the railing, staring out at the night, as still as a statue. The young ANBU didn't move, but Minato knew he was aware of his presence. For a moment, he just stood quietly, watching his former student. Kakashi didn't need prompting to talk, but he also didn't rush to explain things. Typical Kakashi.

Minato eased down beside him. Neither said anything at first, the quiet stretching between them. It wasn't uncomfortable—it rarely was with Kakashi. He leaned back, enjoying the fleeting comfort of the still night. Eventually, though, curiosity got the better of him.

"So..." Minato broke the silence, his tone carrying a hint of teasing, "how exactly did you end up babysitting a girl who can't talk?"

Kakashi didn't react right away, continuing to stare at the yard as if the answers were hidden in the grass. After a quiet sigh, he spoke. "I was on the rooftops, noticed something... odd. Next thing I know, she's purring at me and forcing me into a game of tag." He stopped, realising how ridiculous that sounded. "Thought maybe she was—" he interrupted himself again, realising he was about to sound even more ridiculous. "Never mind."

"A what?" Minato prompted, his curiosity piqued.

"A ninja cat," Kakashi admitted with a deadpan tone, clearly resigned to how absurd the whole situation sounded. "She moves like one. The purring... it's almost like my ninken, but more feline."

Minato blinked, holding back a laugh. Ninja cat? Really? Keep it together, Minato. Better not laugh so early in a conversation with Kakashi. "So, she's like Pakkun, but... with less conversation?" Minato managed to keep his face straight, but only barely.

There it was—a small twitch at the corner of Kakashi's eye. For Kakashi, that was a full-on laugh. Well done Minato. Kushina would be proud.

"What happened after that?" Minato asked, suppressing a grin. "You figured out she couldn't talk right away?"

Kakashi's gaze drifted back to the sky, his expression unreadable. "It wasn't obvious at first. But once I tried a few things, gestures, basic hand signs, we managed to get some basic communication going."

"And then what? Taught her to talk, did you?" Minato couldn't resist.

Kakashi's head tilted slightly, his way of acknowledging the joke without reacting to it. "She learns quickly. Picked up more words on the way here."

Hmm. Is that a compliment Kakashi? Minato leaned forward, intrigued, but he could see Kakashi was not finished.

"She's... smart," Kakashi admitted reluctantly, and it was probably the closest thing Minato would get to actual praise from him. "Tested herself and even began connecting words. Curious too. Every little thing she sees, she wants to know the name for it."

Definitely a compliment…Coming from Kakashi, she is probably a fellow genius. Minato watched him carefully for a moment, reading between the lines. Kakashi was always good at keeping his feelings hidden, but there were small tells—things that only someone who really knew him could see.

"Smart, and curious?" Minato asked, his tone lighter than the question. But there was seriousness in the words. "You think she's dangerous?"

Kakashi hesitated for just a moment—something Minato noticed immediately. "Not dangerous. Just... unpredictable," Kakashi said. "She picks things up fast, so she could be, but not yet."

Minato nodded slowly. "Unpredictable, huh? That could be difficult to deal with."

Kakashi didn't respond right away, his gaze distant as he stared at the stars. "I'll handle it."

Minato smiled softly. Of course you will. "She's not your responsibility, Kakashi," he said gently.

Kakashi shifted slightly, his shoulders tensing in a subtle, familiar way. Ah, but he's already decided, hasn't he? Minato thought. He'll help her no matter what.

He decided not to push further. Instead, Minato shifted the conversation. "You had Hawk with you instead of Tiger. Why?"

Kakashi's gaze flickered, his tone darkening just a touch. "Tiger... well, when the ANBU found us, she got defensive. I managed to calm her down, but Tiger didn't care. Just grabbed her. Knocked her out."

Minato's jaw clenched, though he stayed quiet.

"Hawk's... easier to work with," Kakashi continued, his tone flat, more factual than emotional. After a slight pause, he added, "and I think she managed to…charm him."

Minato blinked, surprised. "Charm him?"

"Don't ask me how," Kakashi muttered, almost like he didn't want to talk about it. "But she's got him. Soft spot."

Kakashi's tone was telling. Ah, Kakashi, you're charmed too, aren't you? Minato smiled, but quickly hid his smile. "Sounds like he's not the only one."

Kakashi's posture stiffened, but he didn't reply. He didn't deny it either. Minato forward, watching him carefully. He knew Kakashi too well, but Minato wouldn't push him. Not tonight.

"She's... interesting," Kakashi said finally, the closest to an admission he was going to get.

Minato nodded, smiling to himself. "Interesting," he repeated, his tone amused. "I'll take that as high praise."

They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments before Minato spoke again, his tone more serious. "You've done well so far, Kakashi. But remember, you don't have to handle everything on your own."

Kakashi's body language shifted slightly, his usual resistance kicking in. "Sure," he muttered, though the word lacked conviction.

Minato rose to his feet, clapping Kakashi lightly on the shoulder. "Get some rest. It's been a long day."

As Minato turned to head back inside, he paused at the door and glanced over his shoulder. "Oh, and Kakashi?"

Kakashi looked up, a silent question in his gaze.

"Good job."

For a fleeting second, Kakashi's stoic expression softened—a flicker of something more vulnerable breaking through. It was gone almost as soon as it appeared, but Minato caught it.

Kakashi didn't say anything, but Minato didn't need him to. He knows.

With one last glance at the stars, Kakashi settled back against the porch, and Minato finally went inside.

The comforting sight of Kushina bustling around the kitchen greeted him, the scent of freshly brewed tea filling the air. He smiled. Home.

"I'm home."

"Welcome back," Kushina replied with a bright smile, gliding over to greet him with a chaste kiss. Her touch was brief but grounding. "I imagine you have a long night ahead of you. I made you some tea, you know"

Minato felt the tension in his shoulders ease at her words. There was something about Kushina that could make the most complicated of problems seem just a little more manageable. He followed her into the kitchen, the weight of the day beginning to lift ever so slightly.

He pulled out a chair and sat down, watching her move around the room, setting down a plate with some water in front of him. "Thanks," Minato said, lifting the cup to his lips. "I have some reading to do. I just hope it's light," he added with a small sigh, pausing for a moment before his tone became more serious. "What do you think of the girl?"

Kushina's face lit up, "she is a gem! So full of life! I haven't seen anyone enjoy my ramen as much as her!" She placed a hand on her hip, giving him a playful look. "You could learn a thing or two from her! She…" Kushina launched into her recount of the evening, gesturing animatedly as she described the girl's excitement over the food, her curiosity about everything in the house.

Minato couldn't help but smile lovingly at her as she talked. Looks like the girl charmed my wife too. Kushina's enthusiasm was infectious, even when Minato's thoughts remained tangled with the complexities of the situation. He was grateful for the lightness she brought to their home, especially now.

The kettle whistled, and Kushina went to finish his tea. "Oh, and you might want to stock up on Pocky tomorrow. She's obsessed. Got real possessive over the last one."

"Duly noted." Minato chuckled softly, picturing the scene. Pocky—her weakness. Noted. It was strange how normal this moment felt, given everything else. But that was Kushina for you—making even the oddest situations feel like home.

Once Kushina was satisfied Minato had everything he needed, she kissed him goodnight and headed off to bed. He watched her go, a sense of warmth spreading through him. Somehow, even in the midst of all this, she makes everything feel... manageable.

Alone in the quiet of the house, Minato moved to his study, the soft flicker of the lamp lighting the room just enough for him to begin his work. He settled into his chair, flipping open the reports, the cup of tea warming his hands.