Chapter Text
Season 2 Chapter 2
The Konoha squad waved farewell to the Suna shinobis as they headed back towards their village. Turning back to look over the outcropping overlooking the next spread of dessert, the five shinobi squad observed Roran.
“Minashi.” Minato called evenly as he fell completely still. Minashi was already halfway there. Violet eyes snapped open followed by Minato’s own Toad sage eyes.
Minato was first to wince and quickly release the Sage mode.
“Minato?” Chouza asked concerned for their Mission Captain.
“This place is covered in Natural Energy. I was losing control of Sage Mode.” The Blonde hissed rubbing his temples. “How are you fairing Minashi?”
The younger blonde’s vulpine slit eyes were focused on the City of towers before them.
“Nii-san is right. It…it’s like this is a natural point for Nature energy to meet, but it’s…strange. I’d need to be closer and really meditate to see what’s different about this Nature energy.”
Nodding, Minato pulled out his ANBU mask, handing two temporary masks over to Chouza and Shibi.
“We’ll go in masked so we can get a better handle on the situation.”
Minashi and Kenji pulled out their own ANBU masks.
Cheetah looked Boar and Insect over before double checking Yosei and Tengu were prepared.
“Yosei, I want you to find a place to meditate without detection. Figure out through your more detailed senses what is going on here. Tengu, you’re her guard. Eyes sharp.”
“Hai!” The two answered to their Captain.
“Boar, Insect, we’re running a sweep. Insect be sure to tag Queen Sara as soon as we have a visual on her. Lastly, be sure to keep the Chakra blades provided by Suna nearby. We are dealing with a puppeteer and it will be the fastest way to cut his strings. Go.”
Disappearing in shunshins, the five shinobi were off. Kenji and Minashi taking a different route as the younger found an opening to exploit.
Violet eyes scanned the tubes of chakra above their heads, seeing through Sage mode how the lines were practically everywhere. Between her Sage Mode and Kenji’s eyes, they evaded most of the security puppets.
Diving down what looked like a pipe to avoid a squad of security puppets, Minashi and Kenji soon found themselves beneath Roran and saw an older village in ruins.
Kenji stood atop the tallest building and scanned the area with his eyes.
“I can’t see anymore of those puppets down here.” He called down to his teammate who was already seated up against a half wall and meditating. The Masked Uchiha jumped and landed in a crouched before Minashi. She hummed in acknowledgement as she sent her senses out.
Kenji tilted his head as he watched his best friend. He firmly kept a lock on his chakra so his errant thoughts on how Sage mode made her even prettier, wouldn’t tip his friend off. “What have you found?”
“The city is covered in Chakra strings. There is a practical blinding pillar of energy in the center of the city. I can sense civilians near it, but just barely. Only because I've found our missing Suna squads who’s chakra i can feel over the pillar because of the difference to it.”
“All alive?”
“From what I can tell. Exhausted, but alive. Queen Sara is in what I can guess is the Castle tower. Our puppeteer is indeed the advisor Anrokuzan. The Chakra strings match his signature.”
“The potential Uzumaki?”
Minashi opened her eyes and met her friend’s steady gaze. “Queen Sara is half Uzumaki. I need a more direct read on her chakra to feel why it’s not resonating like normal.”
“And the Nature energy around here?”
“Old…very old.” Minashi whispered warily. It reminded her scarily what the juubi felt like. Large, encompassing....sentient. Her and Naruto hadn’t been trained in the sage arts yet when they joined the mission the first time. Minashi also knew it was only her skills in sealing and mental organization that had removed the first suppression seal on her memories.
“So now we wait for Taichou to return. He’ll be able to sense you out in all this right?”
“I have one of his Kunai.” Minashi flashed said tri-prong weapon before stabbing said weapon to her right. “Now, he knows where we are.”
Nodding Kenji made a comment about setting a perimeter while Minashi set up camp. The blonde had only just returned to meditating and sensing when they heard a commotion above. On alert, they waited but nothing further happened until suddenly part of the upper level exploded at the other side of the underground city. Tense, the duo prepared for a fight, but watched Chouza and Shibi finish off the puppets even as Minato appeared behind them in camp.
The Blonde was gone again in moments, returning with Chouza and Shibi.
The Five Masked nin stared at the….teenager before them. Blonde hair in a spikey mess similar to Minato’s, but shorter, all except for the low ponytail of red hair stretching down the teen’s back.
“Damn it.” The teen hissed rubbing his head before looking to his rescuers. Cerulean eyes widened on the five masked shinobi. “ANBU?” He squinted as he looked at each one of them before shaking his head and rubbing it again. “Who are you? Something is messing with my senses.”
“I am Captain Cheetah. You are interfering with Konoha mission.”
The blonde teen just shot Minato a glare. “Yeah, well My team and I have our own mission. A Suna requested one since it was another one of their Rouge puppeteers that went coo-coo.”
Many brows rose behind their masks, thankfully unseen.
“We too are after a puppeteer. This one we believe is looking to kill Roran’s Queen.”
“Roran?” The teen spluttered. “Roran is in ruins!” he gazed around. “Not like these, but large towers…” The blonde trailed off as he looked at the ANBU masked squad around him once more. “Uhh….Just out of curiosity…what year is it?”
“Eighth Year of the Yondaime Hokage.” Minato answered and they all watched the boy pale even as his jaw dropped.
“W-w-what?” The teen whispered.
Minashi sensed the chakra moving and a large crowd of puppets heading for the Castle Tower.
“Taichou, Anrokuzan is active. The Queen is nearing a practical puppet army.”
“You need to take care of your wound kid.” Kenji tossed a medical wrap at the blonde kid.
“Tengu is right. Wrap that wound, find your team, and then please stay safe and out of the way. This mission is not for a standard squad.” Minato ordered standing up. “Yosei, You and I will be on the Queen’s protection. Tengu, Boar, Insect, locate the missing Suna Squads and see how soon we can get them out.”
“Hai!” the latter trio disappeared to head for the Main tower. Minato turned to the still gawking kid.
“Remember. Tend to your wound, get your team, leave this to us.” Minato held out his hand to Minashi, and in a blink of an eye they were gone.
Landing in an alcove of a tower, the siblings watched a parade gather around the Castle tower. The Queen was still not in view, but she was nearing.
“Nii-san?” Minashi whispered to her silent elder brother.
“I wasn’t seeing things right?” Minato asked in return, pulling his mask off as Minashi copied to see the bewildered look on her elder brother.
“That looked like an older Naruto.”
“But time travel is impossible. Even if it was, it’s a forbidden art.”
“He looked lost.” She hummed trying to help him to the right theory without giving anything away. “Nii-san, this place has practical sentient chakra. Anything could have happened.”
“So, you are thinking that this puppeteer his team is tracking is the same as ours?” Minato side-eyed her.
“He did show up out of nowhere with no background. It’s a plausible theory.”
“Hm. We’d need his side of the story. For now, it isn’t part of our mission priority. She is.” Minato pointed and sure enough a young teen girl stepped out in royal garbs smiling and waving to the army of puppets.
“Why has he kept her alive so long?” Minashi whispered.
“That is the question of the day Imouto.”
Both cursed when suddenly the Queen stumbled forward almost over the railing and the balcony gave way not even a heartbeat later.
“Shit.” Minato threw a kunai, and just as it was reaching proximity to the Queen, a familiar figure shunshined to catch to Queen. Minashi watched from her perch as Minato arrived and then took both teens on a ride via hiraishin to appear beside Minashi.
The young Queen promptly lost her lunch and Naruto was looking between their two masked faces with a sheepish look. “I….Uh…Got distracted?”
Minato resisted the urge to face palm. His sister’s focus was on the reopened wound.
“He’s worsened his wound.” She stated.
“What’s going on here?” Queen Sara demanded huddled away from her bile, but still up against the back of the alcove.
Minato turned to her and gave a formal bow. “Queen Sara, Apologies for the rough treatment. I am Captain Cheetah, this is my teammate Yosei. We are ANBU from Konoha sent here by both the Kazekage and Hokage to protect you as requested by former Queen Seramu.”
“I don’t need protection. If you hadn't intervened, then my guards would have!” The Teen redhead snapped before she went silent went her mind finally processed that her mother had hired them. What?
“I doubt that.” Minashi deadpanned as she turned to watch as the puppets moved away now that the fanfare was done. “Taichou-” She pointed to the puppets.
Minato looked over and hummed. “We need to change locations. Boar, Insect, and Tengu should be reporting in soon anyways.” He turned back to Sara. “With your permission Queen Sara, i need to carry you to a safer location.”
The now docile teen just nodded. Minato picked her up into his arms. “Yosei, can you escort our injured guest?”
Minashi groaned but grabbed the blonde boy and led him in a chain of shunshins to their camp underground.
They arrived minutes after Minato. Queen Sara was already sitting on a blanket looking around with wide eyes at the ruins around them yet all the industrial pipping above.
“Where…are we?” She asked finally as Minashi was already working on redoing Naruto’s shoddy job at tending his wound. Partially ignoring Minato and Sara’s conversation as she bickered with kurama. Their blonde idiot still didn’t know how to tend a wound.
“What I can only assume were the original buildings of Roran before our puppeteer Target arrived six years ago. Reports state that after a surge of Chakra these towers just appeared out of nowhere.” Minato stated even as he watched the young Queen.
“Anrokuzan with mother’s permission used the Ryumyaku to make them. Since then my people have thrived.”
Silence met her statement and Sara frowned at them. “What?”
“You and your mother decided to blindly trust a man with no background?”
“He did have one! Anrokuzan is a kind man and helped raise me while mother was busy with state affairs.”
Naruto’s brow rose and Minashi knew it was reflected on her own and Minato’s faces.
“Sorry to break it to you Queeny, but that man is most likely the Missing nin from Sunagakure. The Target my team and I have been chasing after his attempt on the Kazekage’s family.” Naruto informed the redhead bluntly, Minashi having completed bandaging him up.
“No! Anrokuzan-”
“What is the Ryumyaku to you?” Minato diverted her outrage with a calm question. Sara stuttered in result, but physically seemed to calm down.
“The Ryumyaku is also known in other texts as the Dragon’s veins or Ley line. Its Eye of power is opened and closed only by those of Royal Blood.”
“So if Queen Seramu allowed Mukade to use the power of it to raise the towers, she must have had intentions to close the Eye.” Minashi theorized joining her brother, but instead was squating eye level to Sara. “Queen Seramu reached out for shinobi who specialize in working in the shadows and protection. She knew instinctively that something wasn’t right with Anrokuzan. She wanted you safe. He must have killed her after his puppets caught the first Suna guards that tried to enter the city”
“What? No! He wouldn’t!” Sara shook her head desperately. “It was an accident, a piece of the chandelier was weak-”
Minato held out his hand and dripping from his pointer finger was a single chakra string that stretched and stretched until it picked up a pebble from the ground. He twitched his finger and the rock twisted and curled and spun.
“I do not have perfect chakra control for Puppeteering, but being a Fuuinjutsu Master means my control is still near perfect unless I want to lose a hand.”
“ Only because it isn’t natural like it is to us Uzumaki.” Minashi muttered smuggly and got a smack to the back of her head in return for her snark. The younger sister hissed cradling her head.
“Quiet you.” He grumbled knowing reluctantly she was right. It was in an Uzumaki’s blood for chakra control to not matter as much for their seals. But for the rest of the simpletons, they needed the control so their non-uzumaki chakra wouldn’t blow up the seal on principle. Thus, why Seal Masters outside of the Uzumaki Clan were so damn rare.
“Anyways, My point being, it wouldn’t have been hard for a skilled puppeteer to make a falling sharp instrument seem like a freak accident.”
“Don’t believe us?” Minashi asked when the girl remained in stricken silence. “You can always ask Anrokuzan. I’m getting monologuing arrogant villain from him. Like seriously? Do they not realize that just gives us more time to strategize?”
“Yosei~” Minato groaned with a repremaning tone. “Queen Sara needs to be protected, especially since she is the only one that can Close the eye.”
“If this Anrokuzan or Mukade didn’t need her anymore after her mother opened the eye, why is she still alive to begin with?” Naruto asked pulling out his hair tie and redoing his redtail. “Seems kind of pointless to me.” He shrugged.
“As I told my teammate, that is the question.”
“Rebels.” Sara whispered so softly it almost wasn’t heard. “Anrokuzan said that my position as queen kept the rebels from rising up against the new industrial era.” But her eyes were looking around all the ruins.
Minashi perked up. “The Civilians i sensed near the Suna Squads. They must be the actual citizens instead of the puppet parade. There must be pockets of them that Anrokuzan hasn’t captured.”
“Correct.” a monotone voice hummed as Shibi and Chouza appeared.
“We located a massive factory beneath the a power source tower. There are puppets protecting a literal assembly line of other puppets. The civilians are slaves keeping the energy moving.” Chouza supplied.
“Tengu?” Minashi asked noticing their last teammate’s missing status.
“Setting up a back-up plan.” Chouza chuckled. “He was pretty gleeful to put some of the new sealing lessons you gave him to use.”
Minato’s head snapped to his imouto who hummed as she tried to remember which ones he’d-
“Oh….Oh dear.” She whispered blinking rapidly in partial stunned horror even if she wanted to cackle. “I taught a typical pyromatic Uchiha a level 4 explosive tag.” A few snickers slipped out. She didn’t dodge Minato’s head smack, but took it and burst out cackling. “Oh, come on Nii-san, Tengu’s been Dying to try out some Uzumaki grade explosives. He complained enough over the past months that the standard ones never packed the right punch. He’s the explosive specialist on my team for a reason.”
Minato just glared at her. “You…will sit down for another Safety meeting with Hokage-sama and Orochimaru-san, about the safe seal practices and when NOT to teach them to your pyromatic teammates.”
Minashi shrugged. “Worth it.”
Minato sighed and reached under his mask to pinch the bridge of his nose. He loved his sister, he loved his sister, he loved his sister. Letting out a calming breath, he ignored the amused buzz of Shibi’s bugs and Chouza’s shaking shoulders.
“Back on task. Is there anything stopping us from getting the Suna shinobi out?”
“Other than their exhaustion? Not necessarily.” Chouza grunted. “Their manacles seem to glow purple like the rest of the power source. We’ll need yours or Yosei’s assistance.”
“Sara still needs a guard as she finds the Eye and closes it.”
“I can Guard her.” Naruto said standing up.
“Alright. Yosei, you and Naruto protect the queen. We’ll work on getting our secondary targets out and getting the civilians out of harms way. No doubt as soon as Mukade feels his powersource cut off he’ll be a little more than angry an attack. So be on guard.”
“Hai~” The Shinobi agreed and then were off. Naruto took Sara in his arms this time as they headed topside again.
Sara told the two how because she was Royal she could practically sense the Ryumyaku’s eye, she’d lead us. It was as they were nearing one of the sources (knowing there was more than one eye to close would have been nice to know earlier!) that Naruto suddenly stopped and snapped his head to Minashi’s masked face. She ignored the twitch in her eye that developed as she realized this Naruto was taller than her.
“Wait…I never told you all my name. How did he know-” Naruto whispered surprised.
“Your chakra is distinctive.” Minashi answered softly. “We also recognized you by your hair the first moment we saw you. Plus, Uzumaki Chakra resonates.” Her eyes slid to the curious Sara. “It’s how I know Queen Sara here is also half Uzumaki.”
“I’m what now?” She raised a red brow at the masked Kunoichi.
“Uzumaki, Founding Clan of Uzushiogakure.” Minashi pointed to Sara’s Slightly darker Red hair and violet eyes. “These two things are the signs of an uzumaki.” She quickly turned Naruto around and yanked on his tail. “See? This is his proof of also being half. However Sara, your eyes tell me that you might be a main family descendant on top of being Uzumaki. We’ll discuss this further. We have a bad guy wanting to set the world into war by his puppets.”
Back on task they slipped through air ducts until they came across the factory that Chouza and Shibi must have found earlier. Sara’s almost gasp was covered when Minashi quickly placed her hand over the Queen’s mouth. Tears brimmed the girl’s eyes as she watched her citizens treated like slaves.
“You can fix this.” Minashi whispered in her ears. “ Mukade will be defeated and you can cut his strings from controlling you.” Naruto watched as the Masked kunoichi then handed the Redheaded Queen a Chakra blade, one similar to the one he held as well.
“You are the only one that controls your destiny.” The taller boy told his newfound cousin. “Now prove it.”
Determination swirled in violet eyes like a raging storm. Sara nodded and together the three half Uzumakis got to the eye surrounded by four stone guardians. Naruto stayed as a visible guard, while Minashi stayed back in the upper shadows.
Like she remembered, Mukade did show himself. Naruto had so much variety in his skillset, and Minashi was so very proud.
She wasn’t worried when he was captured, already sensing him dipping into Kurama’s chakra, despite the other half of him being unresponsive. She could only theorize that Kurama wouldn’t be able to heal him until they were back to their own time.
The problem arrived when Mukade monologued and Sara fell to her knees at the truth spewed from his lips.
Minashi appeared in a shunshin, deflecting the knife.
“I think it’s about time you dropped dead.” She said coldly. Calling chakra up to her palm, a Rasengan started swirling within it even as Naruto broke out of his prison. “Naruto! Get Sara to the other Eye!”
“HAI!” He picked the Queen up and rushed away. Minashi grinned at Mukade and rushed him.
Naruto worried about the civilians Sara had stopped to check on and apologize to once they broke the surface again. His eyes kept shooting from where’d they’d come. He could sense the chakra output of the battle still raging, the ground shaking as a result.
“The Chamber!” Sara suddenly gasped. “Near the main eye, there is a safe place that the Ryumyaku can’t touch! We can put the civilians and injured there until Mukade is handled.”
The civilians brightened as their Queen’s back straightened. “Follow me, I swear on my blood I will protect you right this time.”
Naruto waved to Boar and Insect (who he had high suspicions were Choji and Shino’s dad’s by their skills alone) as they prepared to hold off Mukade if he came above ground again. Their captain Cheetah had already disappeared down the vent to help his apparent sister. Naruto still wasn’t sure who they were, their chakra was too hidden and their abilities too generic. Yet…Cheetah seemed familiar. He couldn’t pinpoint it.
His mind focused back on the task at hand when they reached another tower, this one making the hair stand up on end even as they rushed the civilians down the inner staircase. Naruto stumbled with Sara as the ground opened up and a massive centipede roared sara’s name. Boar expanded and wrestled with the gigantic puppet, but Naruto knew his mission. He picked Sara up again and rushed down the stairs, finding her people at the bottom. Sara rushed to a pair of shut doors.
The Ceiling upper walls were cracked open as mukade made his way down. Despite fighting off the hails of kunai from Cheetah and Yosei.
Naruto continued to help Sara get herself and her people to safety until he heard it. Snapping his head around when he heard his name called.
“Naruto!” There, flying in and avoiding the swinging tail of the monstrous puppet was Saitoru on one of his flying ink birds and his other teammate.
“Sakura!” He shouted back. “We need a hand!”
The Rosette leapt off and rushed to help press the lock in. Moments later the doors opened and people and injured shinobi limped in.
“There are people hurt sakura, can you heal them?” The blonde teen asked.
“I can, what about the monster-”
“SUMMONING JUTSU!”
The four teens whipped around to see the summoning cloud and clinging to the walls via chakra was a Pure white Fox with seven long tails. It let out a roar of rage, and atop the fox’s head was the Yosei masked kunoichi.
“Okay, nevermind.” Sakura huffed a little shell shocked. “Let’s go-” Sakura turned and found Sara shutting the door on her and her teammate.
“What? Queen Sara!” Some of the citizens cried out.
“You’ll be safe here.” The redhead promised smiling. Naruto and Sakura just shared a look.
“Don’t die Namikaze.” Saitoru warned.
“Never.” Naruto smirked just as the door sealed shut. “Where to Queeny?” He asked even as Cheetah and Yosei seemed to keep the centipede distracted.
The two half uzumakis ran even deeper down until they came to a chamber with a river of chakra glowing purple. Naruto shivered once more at the power in the room. Sara was already rushing across the bridge, even as the roof and walls shook.
“ SAAAARRRRAAAAA!” Mukade’s disembodied voice howled and crashed through the walls. Naruto didn’t know what happened to the massive fox, but his priority was Sara. Calling up his chakra, a ball formed in his hand and he rushed across the bridge to hold the enemy back until the sealing was complete.
He was joined by Cheetah and Yosei moments later. Cheetah showed him where a weak spot was, and Yosei surprised him by lending chakra and creating a much larger and unstable Rasengan. Even Cheetah dropped down to add chakra Too. Naruto’s jaw dropped.
“How-” He whispered before the pieces started to click for the taller man when he pulled out a tri-prong kunai that he’d always thought was only a decoration in their home.
“I’ll make the opening again. The rest is up to you, Naruto.” Cheetah…no….his Dad said before throwing his kunai, appearing midair and bombarding Mukade’s puppet chest with a hail of Kagebushin shuriken.
“Now naruto!” Yosei shouted and Naruto took off, the twisting Rasengan practically carrying him forward, two similar but different wind natured chakras powering up the A-rank Technique to a very deadly S-rank one.
With a mighty leap Naruto prepared to land the final blow.
On the Eye, Sara’s own glowed with her mother’s bloodline as she commanded the Ryumyaku to close. It did a split second before Naruto’s blow landed. Cutting Mukade off from his infinite regeneration, sending him and his body into the chakra river. A fate that would soon mean death from chakra overload.
Landing, Naruto quickly headed towards Sara who was too near to the edge for his liking. Just as he feared, Mukade’s massive tail whipped out from the river in a final attack, destroying the bridge.
Naruto and Sara fell, naruto just getting a hand on his cousin, before Golden Chains wrapped around them. Their fall stopped abruptly and Naruto looked to see Wood growing from the entrance where Cheetah’s team stood with his own and the gathering Roran citizens, to the center alter. Placed safely on the new bridge, Naruto release Sara who collapsed to her knees in relief.
“Guys!” Naruto beamed even as his team Captain rushed for him. Naruto hurried took steps back, but tripped and then took a fist to the head.
“ITAI!!!” He yowled rolling around in true pain.
“You deserved that.” Sakura huffed, standing with Saitoru.
“You did Namikaze.” Saitoru smirked.
“Shut it asshole.” Naruto snapped back childishly. “Wait…where have all of you been?”
“Looking for you.” His temporary Captain glared.
“Except this one.” the ANBU with the Tengu mask jerked a thumb to their last teammate. “Found him stumbling around in the underground.”
“I was not stumbling, i was scoping out my location.” The white haired young man said tersely.
“Uh, huh.” Tengu snorted and moved to his own team. Boar and Insect hanging back as Cheetah watched them.
Naruto noticed Yosei looking at the slowly reddening Chakra pool.
“Nii-san, you need to seal the Ryumyaku before it becomes further unstable.”
“True. Yosei, do you still have one of my spares?”
The kunoichi huffed. A flicked of an underhand throw and Minato snatched one of his Kunai from her. “Thanks.”
“Wait!” Naruto exclaimed...needing to confirm his suspicions. “You’re…You’re my dad right?”
Minato paused on the steps to look back. Minashi was also looking at Naruto, although her eyes had been drawn to the same man that had sprouted chains and had been staring at her this entire time.
“Ma, What gave it away?”
“The Rasengan is a Namikaze jutsu.” Naruto said smiling before frowning and looking at Minashi. “So who are you?”
Minashi rose a brow. “Taichou? You’re gonna suppress everyone’s memories anyways right?”
“Yes.” and with that, the ANBU team removed their masks, Minashi last hesitated when the white haired man pointed at Kenji.
“AH! Kenji-Sensei!”
“Sen-sei?” The uchiha stated before frowning and really looking at the wood user. “Wait! Are you sensei’s brat?”
The young man grinned, golden eyes sparking with mirth. “Sure am. Kawarama!”
Minashi stared before disappearing in a shunshin and appearing above the Senju brat, landing a punishing punch to his head.
Naruto winced in sympathy and understanding as his co-captain cried out in pain.
“ITAIIIII!!! What was that for!?”
Minashi just stood there still masked and glared hotly through her mask holes, KI flickering.
“I may be on missions a lot, but even as little brats, i KNOW i helped Tsunade-ba train you and kawarama better than that Itama! STOP switching with your brother!”
Itama winced before pausing as his eyes snapped to her and suddenly confusion was in his gaze. “Wait…no one is able to distinguish us but ka-san, oba-san, and…” Golden eyes suddenly filled with tears. “Mina-nee-san?”
Minashi sighed and pulled off her mask, “Yeah brat-” the blonde was shocked when the life was almost hugged out of her. “Uhhh……” She looked to Minato and saw him freezing as he was about to seal the Ryumayku. She saw the questioning worry in her brother’s gaze, but both knew it would be better to end things now. Minashi nodded and Minato’s kunai slid into place, complicated sealing spreading out with will, chakra, and mastery alone.
The five time displaced shinobi started to glow white. Itama jerked back startled.
“Wait! No, please, let us have more time-” Itama stopped at the serious look in Minashi’s eyes before she gently pried him off and walked to her brother. Naruto’s eyes were wide with yearning. Sakura’s jaw was dropped. Even the adult redheaded man looked at her with longing and sadness.
“Take care of yourself Minashi-chan.” He said gently.
Minashi stared at him confused. “Who are you?”
He stared before huffing with a smirk. “You’ll know soon enough. Just…take care and know I love you.”
“ Oi. ” Minato snarled stepping in front of his baby sister protectively. “You look thrice her age. No one touches my imouto.”
The Obvious uzumaki just raised a brow before looking right at Kenji who paled. “Keep telling yourself that Minato. And Uchiha….don’t give up quite yet.”
“Huh?” Kenji tilted his head playing the fool.
“Alright, that’s enough.” Minato kneeled. “I’m ready for this clusterfuck of a mission to be over.”
“Holy shit the Hokage cursed!” Saitoru shouted gleefully.
“Shut up Saitoru!” Sakura and Naruto barked.
Minashi couldn’t help chuckling as their glow got brighter. It seemed…some things didn’t change.
“ Suppress” Minato called as chakra covered their group including Sara and their observers from across the bridge. Minashi felt the seal in her mind protecting it from further suppression, activate. Something she’d installed after the first time she found those sealed memories.
Minashi blinked the blinding light away to see they were surrounded by a now cool soft green Chakra river.
The next hours were spent tending to their Suna allies and helping Civilians gather supplies. Sara had decided that her people would start anew and be wanderers, but staying close enough to sense the Ryumyaku if needed.
It was later that night that Sara joined Minashi and Minato at their camp. Shibi and Chouza on watch as their Suna allies slept and recovered.
“You said we’d talk later.” Sara whispered, mindful of their sleeping friends.
“Hm?” Minato intoned curiously.
“Remember the possible uzumaki nii-san?” Minashi jerked her thumb to Sara. “She’s it.”
“Ah, i noticed that. She does have similar colorings to Kushina, but her chakra is different.”
“My theories too. I think it is her mother’s bloodline. The one that helps them command the Ryumyaku. It over powered the uzumaki.”
“So…We are family?” She asked “but you-”
“I’m only half Uzumaki. Nii-san and I share a mom. It’s rare, but some clan traits over power the Uzumaki. Yours only overpowered your bloodline.”
“Out of curiosity, Do you know who your father was?” Minato inquired knowing his sister and wife would want to know. Especially after Mariko was rescued, his Uzumakis were determined to find more. Nagato had been the spark, Mariko the gasoline.
“Hai. Mother missed him dearly, but she told me that he said it wouldn’t be safe for him to stay in one place. Mother also said he never had any desires to run a kingdom. Not after failing his own home village….I never understood what she meant.”
“Uzushio and her people were destroyed by Kumo, Kiri, and Iwa.” Minato reported sadly. “Very few escaped. Very few were lucky to already on the mainland. They went into hiding because then it was very dangerous to be an Uzumaki. They were and still are dangerously powerful Clan. Their fuuinjutsu alone could level nations if they had the drive to do as such. Otherwise, they normally kept to their own.”
Sara nodded sadly. “Mother didn’t tell him about me before he left. I guess, she didn’t want to force him to stay. She always described him as a very kind, strong, caring, and loving man. Ezume. His name is Ezume. I have no clue if he is still alive today.”
Sara looked up and saw the two blondes sharing looks.
“No.” Minato whispered.
Minashi nodded. “Hai. Mito’s second son’s second born. Tsunade-ba-chan’s first cousin.”
Minato sighed before turning to look at Sara thoughtfully. She squirmed a bit but held still.
“Mina, do you have access to the pack that Nagisa trained?”
“Yes.”
“Can they track Ezume down from just smelling Sara here?”
Minashi hummed. “Maybe?” She bit her thumb and in a mold of chakra later, a skulk of ten foxes appeared.
The largest with four tails waved the smoke away and barked upon seeing Minashi. “Minashi-sama!”
“Haku-kun, Do you mind taking the pack on a hunt?”
Yips filled the air before Minashi hushed them frantically. A few glares from the lighter sleepers, but Minashi saw the wilted ears of ‘nagisa’s’ pack.
“We’d love too. Who or what are we hunting?”
Minashi gestured to Sara. “This is Queen Sara of Roran. She is half Uzumaki. We are looking for her father, Ezume Uzumaki Cousin to Tsunade Senju.”
“Ah, Another Senju Princess.” Yuta, a deep gray reynard hummed looking the teen girl over.
“Uzumaki Princess technically.” Minato corrected.
“I am Queen of Roran. My duty is to my people here.” She stated slightly worried they’d try to separate her now that they knew her heritage.
“You Officially advocate your duties as Uzumaki Heir?” Minato asked seriously.
“Hai.”
“You Officially advocate your duties as Senju Princess?”
“Hai!” Sara stated even more determined.
Minato softened. “So it has been noted and accepted by the Godaime Hokage-to-be of Konoha.”
Sara stared before flushing. “H-hokage?”
“Not for a few years yet. Senpai isn’t ready to release his seat.” The elder blonde smirked teasingly. Sara huffed and Minashi rolled her eyes.
“Now that my summons have your scent, we’ll keep in touch.” Minashi smiled. “We’re still family. If you are ever in trouble, head to Sunagakure. They are our allies and will get in contact with us in konoha.”
“Also know that if you and your people change your minds, you all are welcomed to Konoha.” Minato placed a hand on her shoulder. “You are family, we look after our own.”
“Thank you Minato-san. We will keep that in mind.” She bowed to him and Minashi. “I’ll head to bed now. We have a long journey ahead. The Suna Captain has offered to show us to the nearest trading town so we can purchase caravans, and really decide on what we will do now.”
“Sweet dreams cousin.” Minashi waved to the retreating teen.
“I guess we can’t convince them all.” Minashi whispered to her brother. Minato just smiled lovingly at her and pulled her into his side for a hug.
“She wasn’t born on Uzu. The attachment to her ancestral lands was never formed. Between that and her mother’s bloodline, I think the longing for the sea that even Kushi still has to this day, has been blocked.”
The younger blonde hummed as her eyes automatically turned towards the east. She found out from Miku-oba years too late what her and Naruto always looking east as they grew up meant. It had been shoved away as they desperately trained, but during the quiet moments after Naruto’s death, it had returned. Miku-oba had explained it to her when she caught Minashi zoned out once.
“Yes, that exact look, Imouto.”
“Can…Can we go one day?”
“We’ll see.” Minato sighed. “Let’s get some sleep before our shift.” The siblings moved to their own bedrolls and fell asleep quickly like any well trained shinobi.
When morning came, the Roran people were led with the mostly healed Suna shinobi as guards. With finally farewells the Konoha squad turned to make tracks for home. Missions in Suna were always the worst on a konoha shinobi’s mentality.
Sand….everywhere.