12

Notes:

Is that a chapter count?? On MY fic?? It's more likely than you think!

I don't know exactly how many chapters I've got left in me, but I'm guessing it's about 2 or 3. Count may be adjusted as we go, but we're definitely nearing the end.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Kurama had no way to warn his human allies what was coming. He didn't know exactly what Obito had planned, but when he realized that he could no longer contact Isobu, he had a guess. He tried relaying the warning to Naruto, hoping that the boy would babble enough in front of his parents for them to understand. 

"Brat, I need you to repeat what I say," Kurama said carefully. 

Naruto, who had fallen into the mindscape after dozing off in his mother's arms, gurgled happily in response. That was not an encouraging sign. 

"Sanbi. Say 'Sanbi', Naruto." 

The boy clapped his hands and giggled, responding to his own name but not repeating the new word. He stared up at Kurama with a cheerfully unaware expression. 

Kurama sighed. "Repeat after me: Sanbi. San-bi." 

"Sanny!"

The fox grimaced at the attempt. He doubted the gibberish would be coherent enough for the boy's parents to understand. "Not quite," Kurama chastised gently. "San-bi. San-bi." 

Naruto's giggles only increased in volume. "Silly Ku-ra. Sanny! Sanny!" 

"No, brat." He lowered his massive head so one eye could be level with his jinchuuriki. "This is important, you need to get it right. San–" 

Naruto parroted, "San–" 

Kurama was starting to feel hopeful. "--bi." 

"--bi." 

"Yes, that's it. San-bi. Sanbi." 

With a toothy grin, Naruto chirped, "Sanny! Sanny! Sanny!" 

Kurama just sighed in response, staring down at his young jinchuuriki. Naruto grabbed the fur on his muzzle and nuzzled his face into the rust-colored strands. He made a content noise, mumbling an iteration of Kurama's name, followed by a rapid-fire and mostly incoherent stream of consciousness. Despite his frustration, Kurama couldn't help the wave of fondness he felt for the brat in front of him. 

There wasn't anything else the fox could do. As a last ditch effort, he tried forcing the sliver of chakra he'd left Kushina to react. He wasn't really expecting anything, so he wasn't particularly surprised when he failed to feel more than their usual fleeting connection. 

The humans were on their own. Kurama had no other way to warn them of what he suspected was coming. They should just count themselves lucky that their village would only be facing three tails instead of nine this time. 

—------------------------------

Arguably, the worst part of Obito's vague threat was waiting to find out what he'd done. In the immediate aftermath of finding the goggles and the note, they were far more concerned with a potential security breach than deciphering the cryptic words. Their house was never undefended, constantly plastered with an array of security and concealment seals. The fact that Obito had been able to slip past them without even triggering a single one was incredibly concerning. 

As far as they could tell, Obito didn't take anything, and he didn't leave anything else. He did, however, leave subtle traces of his presence elsewhere, as if to just prove that he could. The folded corner of a rug, and a dirty mug in the sink that hadn't been there before. A pillow shifted just out of place, and a smudged fingerprint on the bathroom mirror. The worst, however, was the framed photo of Team Minato, laying in a pile of broken glass. The message couldn't be anymore obvious.

When Kakashi saw the broken frame, he fell to his knees, still clutching the goggles in his hands. "Part of me still wants to believe that we can reach him," Kakashi admitted. 

Kushina placed a hand on the teenager's shoulder. "Me too." Of course she felt the same, even if the possibility seemed to be getting less likely each day. 

She knew Minato had the same hope. None of them wanted to believe that Obito was past saving, particularly since he'd been swayed in the other timeline. Except, it was all too easy to forget what Naruto had to go through to get Obito back on their side. She had to consider the possibility that this Obito, in this reality, might be too far gone. She wanted to believe that it would be easier to change his mind, since he hadn't been scheming for quite as long. She kept hoping that they interrupted his plans quickly enough to get him to switch sides, but if anything it seemed like the opposite was happening. Perhaps Rin's death and his encounter with the real Madara Uchiha were too fresh in his mind. 

Only moments after Kushina's clone popped, and the memories returned to her, Minato appeared in a flurry. He was ready to fight, his distinctive three-pronged kunai raised and his entire body tensed. He only relaxed minutely when he saw his family unharmed and Kushina gave him their signal for "all clear". 

"What happened?" he asked, looking over each of them for signs of injury. 

Silently, Kakashi handed the orange goggles to Minato, avoiding eye contact. Minato took the item with a frown on his face, flipping them over in his hand, then eyeing the note on the table suspiciously. "Did you see him?" 

Kushina shook her head, and Kakashi did the same. It didn't seem like Kakashi wanted to talk, so Kushina answered, "No, he was probably long gone by the time we got back. He just left this lovely little note so we would know he was here. Along with a few other calling cards," she added, gesturing toward the broken frame on the ground. 

Kakashi picked up the photo, which was now bent at one of the corners. He stared at it intently, but Kushina had no idea what was going through his mind. The teen was an expert at closing off any obvious emotions, even if he couldn't completely hide the swirl of hurt and conflict in his visible eye. 

Minato straightened up suddenly, shoving the goggles into a storage scroll to hide them away. "ANBU is almost here," he announced. 

They had yet to share the knowledge they had about the masked man's identity. None of them had explicitly said it, but they all seemed to be on the same page about wanting to keep it to themselves. It would probably be impossible to hide forever, but if they somehow managed to subdue Obito without making his identity widely known, it would be easier to deal with him on their own. If the village caught wind of who was really behind the Kyuubi's rampage, they wouldn't rest until they had Obito's head. Too many people had died that night for his involvement to be forgotten. 

Kakashi understood, folding up the photo so it would fit securely in his pocket. ANBU arrived moments later, sweeping the area under the Hokage's command. Minato knew they wouldn't find the perpetrator, but he made a very good show of trying. Kakashi even summoned his ninken, who genuinely didn't seem to be able to find a trail. Kakashi seemed to feel a bit guilty leading them on a wild goose chase, knowing that their opponent had used his pocket dimension to make a quick getaway. The ninken couldn't exactly follow him there, nor could they pick up a proper trail. 

Once ANBU had deemed the area safe, Minato dismissed them from the premises. They planned to check the seals on their home, but it felt like a useless endeavor, given that Obito had already proven that he could come and go without setting them off. Their home seemed to be as secure as possible, at least for now, but Kushina still couldn't shed the sense of foreboding that was plaguing her. 

Even after all three of them confirmed that nothing else was out of place in their home, the restless feeling refused to settle. It was something, a burning in her veins or a thrumming under her skin, that wouldn't subside. Her shinobi instincts told her not to dismiss the sensation, even if her mind wanted to chalk it up to lingering anxiety from the home invasion. 

Naruto was blissfully unaware in her arms, the only shining beacon on this terrible day. Luckily, he'd been quickly lulled to sleep by a few gentle words and rhythmic rocking. He remained dead to the world, silent except for his soft snores and the occasional sleepy mumble. 

"Sanny…" the toddler murmured nonsensically. 

Kushina couldn't hold back a small smile as she wiped a spot of drool off Naruto's chin. He snuggled contently into her grasp, clearly deep in whatever fantastical dream he was in the midst of. If only the rest of them could sleep so soundly, without care in the world. 

Minato was reluctant to leave them, but he was receiving increasingly urgent summons from his office. He remained at his office for the rest of the evening, missing dinner. He sent a note with a toad summon to inform them that he wouldn't make it home until late into the night, but he couldn't safely give details about whatever it was that was keeping him so busy. Kushina didn't think it was about the break-in directly, but she couldn't help but fear that it was still related. It would be too much of a coincidence for it not to be. 

After Naruto's nap and a very subdued dinner, Kushina convinced Kakashi to take Naruto to the park for a few hours while she finished reinforcing their home's seals. He pushed back against leaving her alone, but Kushina needed Naruto not underfoot while she was working with potentially volatile seals. They compromised by having Kushina send a clone with Kakashi, which honestly made both of them feel better. Given how easily Obito had gotten through their seals, Kushina was on edge about letting Naruto out of her sight. She trusted Kakashi, and his skills, but she was too experienced of a shinobi to let her guard down completely. 

Despite feeling like she needed to constantly look over her shoulder, Kushina worked diligently inspecting all the seals she and Minato had placed on their home. Seals to alert them if someone entered the property, to ensure their privacy, to store important items, and potentially help them defend their home if needed. Plus Minato's hiraishin marker, of course. She wasn't sure if she could successfully modify the seals to detect someone who could phase through dimensions, but she had a few ideas. The existing seals detected entry , but she could add or modify them to detect movement or chakra. That still might not work with Obito's intangibility, but it was worth a try. 

Tinkering with seals was soothing and familiar. It allowed her mind to wander, and her heart rate to settle. It also helped her feel like she was doing something . ANBU was still investigating the break in, because it would have been suspicious if Minato didn't want them to look into such a serious security breach. He and Kushina knew their investigation was useless, but they couldn't let on. They both knew that they wouldn't find Obito until he wanted to be found, and they weren't ready to find him until the seal to block his Sharingan was done. All they could do was fortify their defenses and keep working on their original plan, and hope that whatever threat Obito was planning wouldn't find them first. 

Since she was working on the seals, she knew immediately when one of them alerted her to the presence of a visitor, even before the knock on the door. She frowned, not expecting any company. She wasn't a sensor, but like many high-level shinobi, she had a decent awareness of other chakra presences around her. She didn't sense any killing intent, and the chakra was somewhat familiar, but she still felt uneasy. The sense of unease only worsened when she realized why she recognized the presence. Before answering the door she checked all of the seals she'd just maintained, confirming that there were no other hidden shinobi or traps. She would still remain on guard, but as far as she could tell, it was just one very unwanted visitor at her door. 

She opened the door confidently, trying to disguise the wariness she was feeling. She refused to show any weakness in front of this man. "Councilman," Kushina greeted with very obvious false-cheer, "what a pleasant surprise." She didn't bother making the lie sound convincing. Danzo had decided to come calling while Minato was caught up at the office, and Kakashi was out of the house with Naruto. That didn't bode well. 

She'd never gotten along with the man, but now that she knew what he'd done in the other future, it took all her willpower not to ask Kurama to tear him apart. If the old coot wasn't so good at covering his tracks, she'd be content to let Minato deal with him. Unfortunately for all of them, he was good at covering his tracks, so they didn't have any proof of treachery in this current timeline. A few morally ambiguous projects, but they'd been condoned by the Sandaime so Minato couldn't really do anything other than prevent future recurrence.

The Councilman's single, beady eye flickered over her distastefully. "Kushina."

There was a long stretch of a very awkward silence as Kushina just stared at the unwanted visitor. Her hand was on the doorknob and it was genuinely taking all of her strength not to just slam the door in the old man's face. Danzo didn't move a muscle, meeting Kushina's hostile stare with his own cold, judgemental gaze. 

As much as Kushina wanted to tell the Councilman to get lost, she knew she couldn't. Not without a good reason. Both manners and politics prevented her from giving into her instincts, and they also forced her to ask, "Would you like to come in?" She grit her teeth through the whole sentence. 

"How could I turn down such a courteous invitation?" Danzo responded dryly. 

Kushina stepped aside to allow her guest to hobble past her. She gestured toward the kitchen table, trying to push down her feelings of contempt as the old man sat down in one of her chairs and leaned his cane against the table. She felt herself bristling as she realized the man had chosen Minato's usual spot. It had to be a coincidence, but it felt like some kind of intentional sleight or message. In her mind, she repeated that he couldn't have known, and that it didn't mean anything…right? 

Danzo was looking at her expectantly, as if waiting for something. Even as it pained her to do so, Kushina offered, "Tea?" 

"Tea would be appreciated," Danzo replied, sounding like he was sucking on a very sour lemon. 

Kushina nodded stiffly and started preparing the kettle and a few mugs. She purposefully picked the ugly, chipped mug that they kept forgetting to get rid of. While she worked, she wanted to ask what the Councilman was doing here, but she didn't want to actually speak with him. 

It was Danzo who was the first to break the silent stalemate. "I was sorry to hear about the intrusion into your home," Danzo told them without the slightest hint of real sympathy. "It must have been quite stressful for all of you."

"Well, it wasn't exactly a welcome surprise," she grumbled sarcastically. 

Danzo didn't show even the smallest sliver of amusement at the comment. And when Kushina handed him his tea, he sniffed at it and couldn't hide how his lip curled distastefully. He nudged the mug to the side without a second glance. 

Kushina shoved down her annoyance, and the desire to chew the man out for his rudeness. Sure, she hadn't picked out their finest tea or teaware, but it wasn't like she'd served him boiled dishwater or something! She also wasn't stupid enough to try to poison a prominent village elder, though she doubted that was Danzo's concern. He was just being a crotchety old fart. 

A sudden rush of memories indicated that her clone had popped. Kakashi was back from the park with Naruto, so her clone had dismissed itself. She couldn't help the small smile that appeared on her face as she sifted through the clone's memories. It looked like they'd all had fun. They chased Naruto around and let him rough-house with a few other kids around his age. Kakashi had been assaulted by a pack of shrieking toddlers, prompting him to summon his ninken to entertain them. It made him very popular with the kids, despite his continued awkwardness around children. Then, once the other kids had gone home, they bought ice cream and watched the sunset. They'd just returned home, ready to give Naruto his nightly bath, followed by a quick story and bedtime. 

The door opened, and there was a cautious announcement of, "We're home." Kakashi knew someone was here, and there was a good chance he already realized who the guest was. Thanks to his naturally heightened sense of smell, Kakashi was rarely surprised by anyone's presence. 

"Kitchen," Kushina called out in response.

Kakashi shuffled into the kitchen moments later, being tugged forward by Naruto's tiny hand gripping his own. Naruto glanced curiously at the visitor in their kitchen, but he was far more interested in greeting his mother. Even if her clone had been with him, and he was too young to understand that it wasn't the real thing, his excitement wasn't dulled. He tried pulling away from Kakashi to run to her, chattering in his usual bubbly, mostly nonsensical manner. Kakashi held tight to Naruto's hand, waiting for Kushina's permission. Waiting to make sure it was safe. 

Kushina smiled and knelt down, opening her arms in invitation. Kakashi didn't relax, but he let go of Naruto's hand to let him rush into his mother's waiting arms. He hadn't been gone particularly long, but Kushina still felt some deeply rooted tension start to unravel once she had her son in her arms again. She wondered if she would ever stop worrying when he was out of her sight. 

"Mama!" Naruto chirped, before launching into a babbled explanation of his trip to the park with Kakashi and her clone. Halfway through the story, Naruto stopped abruptly and blinked a few times. He seemed to finally remember that there was someone new in the room. 

Normally, Naruto was incredibly extroverted. He loved meeting new people and had a lack of fear of strangers that was occasionally concerning. He was quick to bound up to strangers and shout his own name at the top of his lungs in introduction.

This time, however, Naruto was uncharacteristically quiet as he studied the stranger in their home. He tilted his head slightly, making Kushina wonder if Kurama was speaking to him. Then, his little face contorted in displeasure and he stuck his tongue out, blowing raspberries at the venerated Councilman. Kushina had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep herself from laughing at the display. 

Danzo just looked down his nose at the toddler, as if trying to keep a particularly disgusting insect within his sight in preparation for squashing. "I don't believe I ever had the chance to congratulate you on the birth of your son. I'm sure he will grow up to be just as…spirited as his parents."

Kushina tried to smile, but she knew it probably looked more like a grimace. "Thank you, Lord Danzo." She set Naruto down and ushered him back toward Kakashi, then motioned for the teenager to take him out of the room. Kakashi seemed hesitant to leave her alone with Danzo, but he understood that she was more concerned about keeping Naruto out of the way. Not that she was expecting him to do something crazy like abduct Naruto in front of her or anything, but she still would rather keep him away from the old warmongering creep. 

Once Kakashi had successfully wrangled Naruto and distracted him in the other room, Kushina turned back to her unwanted guest. "Now, was that all you came to say? Or was there another reason for your unexpected visit?" She was starting to lose her already limited patience with this game. 

Danzo's eye narrowed and the corner of his lips twitched with irritation. "I see that motherhood has made you no less impatient. So be it, then. Let us not waste our breath with meaningless small talk." The man continued to regard her coldly. "I've come to offer you a courtesy warning." 

Kushina crossed her arms, radiating irritation and distrust. "Oh?" 

"You may think yourself subtle, but nothing happens in this village without me knowing about it. You may wish to consider what kind of appearance your secret dalliances may present," Danzo scoffed. 

" Dalliances ?" Kushina repeated, disbelieving. Of course the Councilman couldn't just speak plainly. "How I spend my free time is none of your business." She tried to deflect from the implication that Danzo knew about their group's meetings. Hopefully he was still just sour about them having the Uchiha clan heads over for dinner, and how much time she spent around the Uchiha in general. 

Danzo folded his hands in front of him, unconcerned. "It is, if it may threaten village security. You may be the Hokage's wife, but that does not grant you any leniency should your foolish choices bring danger to our doorstep." 

Kushina just snorted in response. "Look, if the idea of a dinner party is that threatening–" 

"We both know that's not what I'm referring to," the old man interjected. 

"I think you're going to have to spell it out for me," Kushina goaded. Go ahead , she thought, imply that the Hokage's wife is doing something treasonous. She smiled sharply, all teeth and full-bodied threats. 

The old man's scowl didn't ease for even a moment. "You would do well to remember," he scoffed, "that boy in the other room is not only your son, but also the village's jinchuuriki." 

"And you would do well to remember, Councilman," she countered harshly, " that boy is not only the village's jinchuuriki, but also my son."

"One would think," Danzo sneered, "both of those facts would make you more particular about the type of company you keep."

Kushina lost her patience for continuing their back and forth barbs. "I am particular!" she yelled, uncaring about the excessive volume. "Which is why I'm going to throw your ass out! You don't get to come into my house and start making baseless accusations and threats!" 

In the face of her famously explosive temper, the Councilman remained obnoxiously put together. He barely reacted to the outburst, even though Kushina knew her anger was intense enough to make Kakashi shuffle around uncomfortably in the adjacent room. 

"Your defensiveness would imply that the accusations are not baseless," Danzo countered with an irritating calmness. 

"Why you–"

Danzo waved a hand dismissively. "Enough of your temper tantrum." He nudged his mug of tea again, as if considering taking a sip before thinking better of it. "I know about your secret meetings with the Uchiha clan heads. I wonder what the other clan heads would think about the Hokage showing one singular clan so much favor." 

With a sneer, Danzo flicked away a crumb he'd noticed on the table. He was reacting like Kushina had left a mess of spoiled food, and not a singular, miniscule crumb. "Or, how about what the rest of the council would think about the jinchuuriki spending so much time in close proximity to individuals that possess the ability to control the beast within him." He folded his hands in front of him, radiating coldness. "I would hate for anyone to question your ability to keep the jinchuuriki safe from harm." 

Kushina slammed both hands on the table, glaring ferociously at the "revered" village elder. "Is that a threat?" 

Infuriatingly, Danzo continued to act unaffected by her ire. "I am merely voicing my concerns for our village's most important resource. Is that not well within my right?" 

Kushina found herself wondering if there was truly a crisis at the Hokage's office, or if Danzo had fabricated something to get Minato out of the house. She wouldn't put it past him. "Speaking as both a former jinchuuriki and the mother of the current one," she snarled, "you better watch your phrasing. Naruto is not a weapon or a tool for you to manipulate. He is my son, and I won't let anything threaten his well-being. Or anyone ," she added with a vicious scowl. 

Danzo scoffed, "As you say." He glanced past Kushina, his face twisting into a deep frown and his eyes narrowing. 

Kushina followed his gaze with her own eyes, forcing herself not to react when she realized what had caught his attention. He was looking at one of Naruto's drawings, taped up on the fridge. It seemed harmless enough, at first glance, just a crude drawing of their little family. Two splotches of bright yellow, obviously meant to be Naruto and his father. A dash of red for Kushina, and a gray blob representing Kakashi, surrounded by a couple of indistinct multi-colored shapes that were probably supposed to be his ninken. The only oddity was the scribble of orange Naruto had drawn next to him. They'd debated putting it up, fearing that someone would recognize the toddler's attempt at sketching the Kyuubi, but it was so indistinct that they'd largely dismissed the concern. If anything, it looked like another attempt at one of Kakashi's ninken. If they hadn't known about Naruto's friendship with the demon fox, they would have assumed as much themselves. 

Of course, they wouldn't have accounted for having the old warhawk's sharp eye scrutinizing the drawing. Whether or not Danzo recognized the Kyuubi in the drawing, he didn't say. He wouldn't show his hand so easily. It would be easy to brush off his sour expression as a general distaste for the childish drawing, which was also on par for the surly Councilman. 

Without taking his eyes off the drawing, Danzo told her, "In the wake of the Kyuubi's rampage, I urged our esteemed Hokage ," he practically spat both words, "to reconsider the village's approach to sheltering and training our jinchuuriki." His sharp gaze snapped back to Kushina. "Instead of considering what was best for the village, he chose to keep the jinchuuriki in the spotlight. Vulnerable." 

Kushina knew she wasn't as good at hiding her reactions as Minato or Kakashi. She was a very emotive person, and hiding her true feelings went against her nature. So she couldn't help the flash of surprise that appeared on her face. Minato had never told her about that. She could easily understand why, given how she occasionally had a tendency to act on instinct and emotion. Just occasionally. 

With how stressed she'd been after the debacle with the time-traveling fox, she wouldn't have taken Danzo's "suggestion" very well. In fact, it was easy to picture herself kicking down his door and punching him in the face. She was very tempted to do so right now, actually. Fortunately, rationality was winning out over base instinct, though just barely. She could feel herself practically cracking the table with how hard she was digging her fingers into it and her jaw hurt from keeping it clenched. She wanted to be angry at Minato for not telling her, but she knew it would make her a hypocrite. Instead, she chose to direct all her anger at the man in front of her. 

With both hands still on the table, Kushina leaned forward even more into the Councilman's space. "You mean, Minato didn't choose to give you free rein over the village's jinchuuriki, who also happens to be his own son?" She rolled her eyes. "Shocking, truly." 

She could read between the lines to understand that Danzo had wanted the village's jinchuuriki raised and trained by his standards. Kushina didn't even want to think about what those standards would be. As much as she resented the Sandaime's neglect of her son in the other timeline, at least he'd never been foolish enough to let Danzo get his grimy mitts on Naruto. The fact that even he hadn't been willing to allow his oldest friend access to Naruto spoke volumes about what kind of methods the man would likely use. 

"Now," Kushina growled, "I think this discussion has gone on long enough. Too long, actually." She finally leaned back from the Councilman's personal space, but only so she could point toward the door. "You can see yourself out." 

Danzo looked at her like she was a misbehaving child. He got to his feet, slowly and deliberately, playing up his "helpless old man" facade. "Very well. I've said what I came to say. When you find yourself in trouble, don't say I didn't warn you." Despite not touching the mug, the old man added, "Thank you for the tea." 

He grabbed his cane and hobbled toward the door. Kushina followed a few paces behind, so she could ensure that he truly left her house. Normally, she would hold the door open for a guest, but this particular guest was unwanted so she just leaned against the far wall and glared at the man until he pulled the door open himself and stepped outside. Then, she slammed it hard enough to rattle the frame. 

"Stupid old man," she snarled at the closed door. "Old bastard thinks he can come into my house and make vague threats? He's lucky I didn't break his nose. Or his teeth." 

A throat cleared behind her. She turned, finding Kakashi hovering and eyeing her with concern. "You ok? That sounded less than pleasant." 

"Yeah," she assured him. "Just irritated."

"Did he really come over here just to threaten you?" 

She shrugged. "I have no idea what goes on in that old man's head, if I'm being honest. Mind games aren't really my forte," she admitted. "He has some kind of agenda, obviously. I'm sure he'll make some kind of threat or demand soon enough." She should also make sure that he didn't invite himself in to plant some kind of bug. Whether or not Danzo had something that could potentially invade their privacy or mess with their security, she didn't know, but she wouldn't put it past him to try. 

Kushina swept the whole kitchen multiple times, along with the rest of the house and the perimeter. It felt a bit excessive after all the work she'd done on their seals, but she needed to make sure that Danzo hadn't tried anything. Kakashi did the same, sweeping the house from the opposite direction. When Minato got home she'd tell him about the Councilman's impromptu visit, and he would probably do his own assessment too. Between the three of them, it was extremely unlikely that they'd miss anything. 

By the time she finished her last assessment, the sun had fully set and the moon was high in the sky. It was full tonight, providing increased visibility and bathing the village in a soft glow. Minato still wasn't back, and she was too anxious to sleep. 

Naruto, on the other hand, was starting to get fussy, indicating that it was time for bed. She bathed him and put his pajamas on, then tucked him into bed like usual. Her stomach was in knots, but that was understandable after the day's events. It was hard to believe how much had happened in one day. Kakashi looked exhausted from all the training he'd been doing with Fugaku, plus the emotional strain of the break in and Obito's threatening note. Kushina doubted she looked much better. 

She envied her son's carefree attitude, unaware of all the drama that had taken place. He was snuggled comfortably in his bed, trying to listen intently to the story Kushina was reading, but his eyelids kept drooping with exhaustion. It had been a long day for him too, even if he was lucky enough to get a nap in. Kushina couldn't help but regret all the wasted naps from her childhood, when she'd been too young and foolish to understand what a great gift naptime was. 

In the middle of the story, Kushina stopped as a shudder went down her spine. She looked around for the source of her discomfort, her hand automatically hovering over her weapons pouch. As much as she wanted to chalk the feeling up to more of the day's stress, she refused to ignore her shinobi instincts screaming that something was about to happen.

Without any real warning, it felt like the entire village took a deep breath. There was a sudden silence, but not a peaceful one. It was like the calm before a storm. All the birds stopped singing, and even the wind seemed to have stilled. On instinct, Kushina scooped up Naruto, who made a questioning noise at the sudden contact. 

Before Kushina could contemplate why the feeling was familiar, there was a sudden explosion of energy and noise. The earth trembled, and an ear-splitting sound pierced the unnatural quiet. It was so sudden, that Kushina would have lost her balance if she was any less of an accomplished shinobi. 

As she rushed to the front door and yanked it open, she felt deep in her gut that she knew what she would see even before she got there. There was a huge puff of smoke and dust originating from the center of the village. From within the black cloud, a pair of glowing, red beacons cut through the darkness. 

The smoke started to clear, revealing a hulking, monstrous form. An armored shell, three lashing tails, and chakra so corrosive that it burned every intake of breath. For a few moments, the bijuu appeared stunned, standing stock still. Then, it wailed as if struck with a bolt of electricity, suddenly flailing and rearing up onto its hind legs. When it crashed down, the ground splintered beneath it. 

The very foundations of their home shook with the force of the bijuu's roars and stomps. Kushina had the worst type of deja vu from the day Naruto was born. The suffocating chakra in the air, the sounds of screams in the distance, and the unshakable sense of dread that had a stranglehold on the entire village. The chakra was different from Kurama's, but it was still undeniably inhuman and powerful. Without thinking about it, Kushina found herself clutching Naruto protectively against her chest. 

The toddler in her arms whimpered, but he seemed far less affected by the bijuu's chakra than expected. Most likely, he was used to Kurama's similar, even heavier presence. Still, there was no shielding him from the nearly palpable fear hanging in the air, and the unsettling rumbling under their feet. 

Kakashi was by her side in an instant, crouched in a battle ready pose. "Is that…?" 

Kushina swallowed hard. Three tails. Giant turtle. There was only one answer she could give. "The Sanbi." 

Besides Kurama, the Sanbi was the only other bijuu that Kushina ever had any thoughts or opinions on. Sure, she'd thought about the others in passing, particularly if foreign jinchuuriki were near each other on the front lines, but she'd been more concerned about the jinchuuriki than the bijuu within. Guiltily, she could admit that she'd never really thought about the other bijuu much at all, except as an extension of their jinchuuriki. As a weapon. Of course she knew better now, but at the time the bijuu were nothing more than mindless beasts to her. 

She'd hated Kurama, obviously, but she'd also hated the Sanbi. After Rin died, she'd been desperate to place the blame on someone, particularly someone that wasn't Kakashi. Kushina and Minato never blamed him, but they heard the vicious whispers in the aftermath of Rin's suicide. "Friend-killer", they called him, as if he hadn't been used as a fatal instrument without his consent. Kushina loved Rin, and would always love her, but part of her would always be angry at how her choice affected Kakashi. Not that she would ever tell Kakashi that; it would wreck him. 

So yes, blaming Kakashi had never crossed her mind. The shinobi that had sealed the bijuu in Rin were dead, so they weren't around to blame either. But the Sanbi couldn't be killed, so he was an easy target for her hate. If the bijuu hadn't been sealed inside her, Rin wouldn't have jumped in front of Kakashi's attack. At the time, she thought that the bijuu would have wanted to rampage and cause death and destruction. She never thought about how he was as much of an unwilling participant as Rin. 

It was hard to let go of that bitterness, but not as hard as it had been to let go of her anger toward Kurama. She and Kurama didn't talk much about the other bijuu, and Kurama refused to tell her their names. He claimed that it was up to them to decide which humans were worthy of knowing, so she didn't push. She did, however, have a basic understanding of most of their personalities. Kurama mostly told stories to Naruto, but sometimes she caught bits and pieces. He was definitely also telling Naruto their names without a second thought, but that honestly didn't surprise or bother her. By now she'd come to accept that the bond between her son and the Kyuubi was well beyond what she could hope to understand. 

To her surprise, the Sanbi seemed to be one of the most gentle, non-violent of the bijuu. Kurama said he mostly wanted to be left alone, but was usually one of the first of them to willingly work with their jinchuuriki. He was still a powerful chakra being capable of immense destructive power, of course, but true to his turtle-like form, he was more likely to hide away than lash out. 

Kushina tried not to think too much about "what ifs", because she knew it would make her crazy, but she couldn't help but wonder if there had been another solution for Rin. Now that she knew that the bijuu were individual, intelligent creatures, it was hard not to wonder if they could have just…talked to the Sanbi. He didn't want to be in that situation any more than the rest of them. The thought would have never crossed any of their minds at the time, nor would they have trusted any promises from the bijuu so it was probably a moot point, but the thought was thoroughly planted in her mind now. 

The more she thought and learned about the bijuu, the more she understood why they hated humans. It also made her even more impressed with the other Naruto's ability to connect with them and so thoroughly change the Kyuubi's heart. Her son was amazing. 

Her admiration would have to wait for another time, when a giant chakra beast wasn't moments away from crushing them. 

Like her, Kakashi seemed to be having a strong emotional response to seeing the Sanbi. It was impossible for the beast to not remind them of what they'd lost. "Do you think Obito…?" 

Despite asking the question, Kakashi already seemed to know the answer. It was too much of a coincidence. Obito's threat, followed by a bijuu rampaging in the village, it had to be him. 

"Yeah," she responded bitterly. 

Kakashi practically folded in on himself. "I can't believe he would bring the Sanbi here. After Rin–" he flinched and shrunk into himself even more. "It just feels like it spits in the face of her sacrifice. Even with all his anger and insane plans, somehow this feels like it's going too far."

Kushina squeezed his shoulder comfortingly. "I know." 

The Sanbi roared again, though it was more of a pained shriek. Kushina did feel bad for the giant turtle, and she genuinely didn't want to hurt him, but she also couldn't let him destroy their home. Maybe once they'd subdued the beast, she could try to do something to help the bijuu rather than just handing him back over to Kiri to be sealed away again against his will. Although, that would probably cause some kind of inter-village incident. Ugh, she was not cut out for diplomacy. She preferred just punching her problems away. 

In the distance, it was clear that their forces had started to engage the Sanbi. She could see flashes of ninjutsu, and the bijuu was so large that its lumbering frame could be seen stumbling around and swiping at human-sized enemies in the distance. However, it was impossible to say who had the advantage in the battle from this far away.

Realistically, Kushina felt like they would be able to subdue the bijuu with relative ease, at least compared to Kurama. Even with only three tails, the beast was still a bijuu. He was still incredibly powerful, and currently being controlled by someone who had no regard for who he hurt or killed. 

Along with their regular forces, and Minato, they also had two Sannin in the village this time. They could stop the Sanbi's rampage, but could they stop him from causing more death and destruction? The village had been repaired since the Kyuubi was set loose, but the terror and death from that night were still very fresh in everyone's mind. 

The Sanbi wasn't here to raze the village to the ground, but that was somehow worse. It was worse, because destruction was at least predictable. An enemy wrought destruction, but a madman wrought chaos. And the scene unfolding in front of her was undeniably chaotic. 

The bijuu roared again and stumbled backwards as one of Jiraiya's massive toad summons appeared in a puff of smoke. Their forces seemed to be forcing the Sanbi out of the village, but it was difficult to see what was going on from so far away. 

Kakashi looked to be having similar thoughts. "We need to get over there." 

Kushina reached out and grabbed the teenager's arm, holding him back. "Wait. I need you somewhere else." 

He was halfway through revealing his Sharingan, his hand gripping his forehead protector. Kakashi stopped abruptly, his gaze shifting incredulously over to Kushina. "What are you talking about? I need to be there, I need to fight. Last time–" he cut himself off, desperately trying to rein in the emotions he hated showing. 

Even with the sentence unfinished, Kushina understood. Kakashi wasn't there when Kurama almost killed her and Minato–when he would have killed her and Minato, had the timeline proceeded as it was supposed to. To this day, Kakashi still fought against deep-seated and very unnecessary guilt over the ordeal. 

"Kakashi, listen–"

Kakashi shook his head wildly. "No, no you can't put me on the sidelines. I can't–" his voice caught. "I can't lose anyone else." 

She reached out and grasped one of Kakashi's shoulders. "That's not what I'm doing. I know it feels like it, but I swear." Kushina swallowed hard against the lump in her throat. "I need you to protect Naruto. I need you to keep him somewhere far away from the fighting and from danger." Her grip tightened. "Please. There's no one else I trust for this. Please, Kakashi." 

For a few beats, Kushina feared Kakashi was going to argue, or even just take off without another word. He had a panicked, nearly feral glint in his eye, and he continued to hold onto his forehead protector. His hand shook with how tightly he was gripping it, still halfway to pulling it off his Sharingan. Then, his hand fell away, dropping limply to his side. 

"Ok. If that's where you need me…" He still didn't sound convinced. 

"It is," she insisted. Of course she wouldn't pretend that keeping Kakashi out of danger wasn't an appealing idea, but it wasn't her main intention. Out of all of them, she was probably the best equipped to deal with a bijuu, so she needed to be there. But she couldn't leave Naruto unprotected. They had to prepare for the possibility that this attack was meant to be a distraction to get to the young jinchuuriki. 

Kakashi seemed to be having similar thoughts. "If Obito comes for Naruto, I don't know if I can beat him." He shook his head. "Even now, knowing what he's done and what he becomes, it still feels weird to say that. I just can't stop picturing him as that goofy, clumsy kid."

"You'll have a whole squad of ANBU with you," she reminded him. They'd already made their presence known, closing in around her to protect the Hokage's wife and son, and of course the village's jinchuuriki. She tried not to think about how easily Obito had slipped past their guards on the day of Naruto's birth. It wouldn't be like that this time. They knew his tricks, and they knew to expect an attack. "And you know Minato can be there in an instant if you call for him." 

Despite the lingering uncertainty, Kakashi trusted her judgment, so he silently held his arms out to take Naruto from her. Kushina smiled as reassuringly as she could manage, before handing over her precious son. She kissed him on the cheek once, then again when she couldn't find the will to pull away yet. Then, for good measure, she kissed Kakashi on the cheek as well. He made an indignant grunting noise, and rubbed at the spot with his hand. He couldn't hide the embarrassed flush on his cheeks, but she could tell that he didn't actually hate the affection, he just didn't know how to deal with it. 

"Please be safe," she pleaded, "both of you." This was half of her family that she was sending out of her sight. It was tempting to send a clone, but she couldn't spare the chakra. If she was going to fight a bijuu, and possibly Obito, she needed to be in top form. 

Kakashi was terrible at expressing his emotions and comforting people, so he didn't offer any kind of reassuring words or promises. He did, however, finally finish uncovering his Sharingan. In the familiar crimson of his eye, there was a glint that made all the promises he ever needed. He would protect Naruto just as fiercely as Kushina or Minato. That was why she trusted him more than any jounin, ANBU, or Kage (save for her own husband, of course) to keep her son safe. Because Naruto wasn't just the village's jinchuuriki, he was family, and she knew Kakashi would do anything to protect his family. 

Eventually, Kakashi settled for a whispered response of, "You too." He adjusted Naruto in his arms, tucking the toddler close to his chest. 

Naruto gripped at Kakashi's jounin vest, snuggling into the familiar hold. "Kashi? Scary." He buried his face in the crook of the teenager's neck, feeling secure in the hold of the person that was a brother to him in all but blood. 

"Chin up, kid." Kakashi nudged the toddler with his shoulder, making Naruto giggle quietly. "We're going to play a game of hide and seek, alright? You remember how to play that, don't you?" 

Naruto perked up. "Yes! Hide seek! Ku-ra play?" 

They were long past being surprised by Naruto's casual discussion of the Kyuubi, so Kakashi didn't hesitate to ruffle Naruto's hair affectionately and reply, "Sure. Ku-ra can play too." 

The topic gave Kushina an idea. A probably very terrible idea, but an idea nonetheless. "Hold on, there's one more thing." Minato might be angry if he found out, but she liked to think that, given the circumstances, he'd understand. 

They disagreed on the matter of Kurama's seal, and how much freedom they wanted to allow the fox to have. In fact, since Naruto's birth, it was one of the few things that they couldn't seem to come together on. Kushina no longer had any doubts about Kurama's intentions or Naruto's safety around the bijuu, but Minato was still cautious. She understood, she really did, even if she didn't agree. 

Given that they were about to be facing another bijuu, and that Naruto was a likely target during the chaos, Kushina hoped her husband could forgive her rash decision making. If all else failed, Kurama would protect Naruto. They just needed to give him the best possible chance to do so. One tail may have been enough to stop the still unidentified assailants that tried to take him before, but it wouldn't be enough for another bijuu. It wouldn't be enough for Obito either. 

She had the key to Naruto's seal hidden well away in a sealing scroll that was attuned only to her and Minato's chakra. Even if someone could get their hands on the scroll, which had its own powerful protections and safeguards, they wouldn't be able to open it. 

Kakashi recognized the scroll as she unlocked it. His eyes widened. "Are you sure?" 

"I trust Kurama," she replied without a hint of doubt. It was still strange to put her faith in the creature that once plagued her nightmares, but she really did trust him. At least, she trusted him to protect Naruto, and by extension, those that the boy held dear. That didn't mean he wouldn't wreak havoc on the village if given the chance, but frankly, Kushina would sacrifice a few buildings in exchange for her son's safety. Kurama was smart enough to understand the distrust that still lingered around Naruto's jinchuuriki status, which meant that he also wouldn't do anything that would potentially bring the village's ire down upon him. So even though Kurama may still hate the village, and the majority of its occupants, he wouldn't risk Naruto's well-being by seeking revenge. Their village had nothing to fear from the Kyuubi, unless they threatened Naruto's safety. In which case, Kushina had no problem with the fox doing some damage. Or a lot of damage, if the situation called for it. 

Kushina retrieved the key and held it out to Kakashi. "I didn't exactly have the chance to ask Minato if he's ok with this, so only use it if you have no other choice. I don't want to do this behind his back," she promised, feeling guilty about making decisions without her husband's input again. "I just want to make sure we have Naruto as protected as possible. Plus, if anything were to happen to me or Minato–" 

"Don't finish that sentence," Kakashi interjected sharply. 

She pinched his arm for interrupting her. "Shut up. Neither of us are immortal. I'm not saying something is going to happen, I just want to make sure that you understand how much you mean to both Minato and I, and to Naruto." 

Given how tense and uncertain the current situation was, Kushina did not tease Kakashi about how his eyes started to water. "I–I know." 

Kushina placed one hand on Kakashi's shoulder, and the other on Naruto's head. "Do you?" The hand on Kakashi's shoulder squeezed gently. "I know you're a genius and all, but you can be so oblivious about this sort of thing." 

"Hilarious," he deadpanned.

"All joking aside," Kushina said warmly, "you know Naruto considers you like a brother, right? And Minato and I consider you family. If , and I'm saying this as a very distant possibility, ok?" she grumbled before Kakashi could interrupt again. "If anything were to happen to us, please continue to look after Naruto." 

Kakashi tightened his grip on the toddler in question. "I will. But nothing is going to happen to you or Sensei." 

"Of course not. We're too badass," she grinned. 

There was no more time for goodbyes or promises. In fact, they'd already used up more than they had. Based on how anxiously the surrounding ANBU were shifting around them, they seemed to agree. One of them, wearing a boar mask, cautiously approached and nodded at her respectfully before turning to Kakashi. 

"Captain," Boar greeted, "we're here to help escort the jinchuuriki to safety." 

She didn't know if Kakashi knew the masked shinobi from his own rotations through the ANBU roster, but he seemed comforted by the familiar protocol. He tipped his head in a brief greeting of his own, sparing Kushina a final glance before setting off with a group of ANBU flanking him on all sides. Kushina's heart felt heavy as she watched them leave, but she didn't have time to sit there and stare at their retreating figures. She had a bijuu to wrangle.

Notes:

Lots of stuff this chapter! Danzo being sketchy, Kakashi having feelings, and poor Isobu making his appearance. Things are moving pretty quick here now so I apologize if things felt rushed, but imagine how the characters must feel haha. Next chapter will have some fight scenes so be ready for some action!

ps if you like my writing style, I've got a couple of WIPs that I'll start posting once my dumb anxiety dies down a bit. So probably some new stuff this week from me :)