Misplaced Princess

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing from the Naruto universe but I do have an imagination of my own.

Thinking

Biju, etc. speaking

Biju, etc. thinking

Emphasis

"...I'll allow you and Tsunade-hime to interrogate, but I'll be observing. I'll let Ibiki-kun know… and ensure he knows not to interfere UNLESS she attacks. I also need to notify Hiruzen. Agreed?"

The Sannin nodded in agreement with Minato, then Jiraiya spoke up. "One more thing, Hokage-sama," Minato stood up straighter in surprise - his sensei rarely ever called him that. "Umm, we... kinda need you to look at a seal; it's uhhh, over here." Minato was surprised to see him pointing at the prisoner… Jiraiya pulled up the unconscious girl's top and began sending chakra to her abdomen. Minato's eyes widened in shock.

"Kami-sama…" He looked at the unknown seal before deciphering its components. He looked up at the Sannin, his Killer Intent inadvertently leaking. "Someone stole my seals."

Kakashi's "babysitter," a fellow ANBU guard, had to leave his charge early in order to take an important new mission. Finally, the young Jonin thought, getting up to open the window of his bedroom at the Namikaze estate - one they had only moved into recently. I really need to get my own apartment, especially if sensei keeps this up… He was looking each way out the window to ensure that none of his other ANBU colleagues were outside when he heard the front door open downstairs.

Grabbing a kunai and stealthily moving toward the intruder, he was thrilled to see Kushina-nee being wheeled into their home by a nurse, cursing her head off at what she called her husband's overprotectiveness and wheelchair to hell and back. She then did the same against her Hokage. Kakashi smiled, genuinely glad to see the hot-headed woman back and in good spirits. "Kushina-nee..."

The silver-haired teenager felt a huge sense of relief at seeing his somewhere between mother and older sister figure still so fired up as she cursed her situation. She seemed the same, although Kushina had obviously been weakened by everything that she'd gone through lately. She was even paler than she'd been previously, and her eyes had dark circles under them, but those eyes showed a fire that he'd always seen in the woman.

For a moment he remembered back when he disliked or even was afraid of the hot-blooded redhead, but that feeling soon enough had turned to admiration and even… strong liking. Kushina-nee had put up with him for years while he was a total rule-loving brat with an ego the size of the Hokage Mountain, after all. It was hard not to love - er, like Kushina-nee very much. He was so incredibly glad she was alive and relatively well. She'll be even better when we find the baby…

"Kakashi-kun! Can you believe this, dattebane? Stupid Minato being so… " she growled like she so often did, shaking her head in anger. While her wild red hair was up in a giant messy bun, it soon began falling out and she cursed at her nurse for making her put her hair up in the first place.

"But Kushina-sama, your hair will drag on the floor while you are wheelchair-bound," the older nurse began to explain.

"You'll see just how 'wheelchair bound' I am, dattebane," Kushina replied, looking ready to grab something - anything - to show the medic just how "helpless" she was. A frying pan would do quite nicely, she thought "Kashi-kun, bring your poor sweet nee-chan into the kitchen, won't you dear?" Her eyes held pain for anyone denying her.

He paused. Why did I have to get caught here? Kakashi knew that the Habanero wanted some kind of kitchen implement to go after the nurse that had been assigned to her. And with him there, he'd be the one to be blamed by his sensei and probably countless others for whatever chaos ensued in Kushina's (weakened) wrath. "Maa, Kushina nee-chan: why don't I make you some tea, ne? You just got back from that horrible hospital after all." He ignored the nurse's scoff at his remark.

Hospitals were the worst, and he knew his sensei and his wife completely agreed with that fact.

Kushina narrowed her eyes at the silver-haired brat. "I SAID I wanted to go into the kitchen myself, dattebane!" Her expression suddenly turned to one of sweet innocence, scaring the hell out of the silver-haired ANBU. "I suppose you could bring me a long-handled pan built for two - or a couple of butcher knives?" Kakashi blanched - now he was on her list of future poundings.

"Maa, maa, nee-chan… What do you say to ramen?" Kakashi wasn't called a genius for no reason. He knew Kushina's weaknesses well!

"Hmm," Kushina pretended to consider it. Oh, she'd get ramen one way or another, especially now that Kakashi mentioned it.

Her eyes lighting up - and Kakashi recognized that look and knew that trouble was brewing immediately - Kushina carried on with whatever evil plans she had in mind. He nearly winced. "That sounds lovely, Kashi-kun! Ichiraku's, ne?"

The nurse immediately began to deny her choice, telling them both that she was supposed to keep an eye on her patient, and that Lady Kushina wasn't to go out in the village for her own safety. Both of the room's occupants rolled their eyes, not even waiting for her to finish.

"But dearie, Kakashi-kun here's an ANBU! He's been my guard - and my husband's for years! You know my husband's the Hokage, ne?" She batted her big violet eyes slowly at the old crone. "Oh well, I guess I'll have to explain this situation to my dear Minato - oh, and my dear cousin, Tsunade-Sama." The nurse immediately paled and looked very, very nervous. Under his mask, Kakashi smirked at his nee-chan's threat: she really got the old goat good! The only problem for him was that he knew Kushina had a plan - no doubt a reckless one - and he would be an accomplice if the old nurse took the bait.

The nurse bit her lip. Looking at the pair of strong ninjas in front of her, she weighed the consequences of her choices. The Hokage's anger is one thing, but Tsunade-sama? She shivered. "If you make a quick trip to Ichirakus accompanied by a suitable ANBU member…"

Kushina interrupted her, explaining that although a bit young, Kakashi was a Jonin in ANBU and was considered to be one of the best. She had to hold back a giggle as Kakashi blushed under that silly mask of his.

"Fine - but you'll bring Lady Kushina directly back here following your order," she said to the shinobi.  "Ichirakus isn't too far away after all."

"We'll even bring some back to you!" Kushina chirped. Her gray-haired nursemaid turned down her offer politely but asked her to immediately bring back their meals to eat at the house. "Not happening," the First Lady of Konoha replied in a sing-song voice before it darkened completely. "Let's roll, Hatake!"

As soon as Kakashi had rolled her wheelchair out of the house, Kushina stood up. Kakashi would do a lot of things - nearly anything for the woman - but this he would not allow. He told her so, gently pushing her back into the chair as Kushina pouted. "Fine. Just fine! But Kashi-kun - we're not getting ramen…" Kakashi had a horrible feeling about whatever was going to happen. "We're going to T&I!"

She cannot be serious! He continued pushing her through the streets, mind in a bewildered haze. Kushina was smiling up at him and would occasionally give a polite nod or wave at others in greetings. She also repeatedly cursed the fox for the damage they'd pass quite loudly. Approaching the main road in the village, he finally asked her why she wanted to go the Torture and Interrogation Department of all places. She looked up at him and blew his mind, "Because, Kashi-kun, I believe my daughter is there." A genuine smile graced her face, as Kakashi wondered if she'd lost her mind along with the fox.

Unfortunately for Kushina, a yellow flash stopped at the Hokage Tower, and damn it all, he noticed the two of them about a block away.

"YOU are supposed to be at home! Actually, you're BOTH supposed to be homebound!"

Great: the Yondaime was angry, and they were caught.

"Mou, 'Nato-kun - you know I only like to be bound by you!" Kushina batted her eyelashes at her husband who blushed brightly. She laughed and kissed the back of her husband's hand, finally explaining that she needed some air after being in the hospital, and the two of them were headed to Ichirakus. She said something else about eating either ramen or "something more meaty," forcing her embarrassed husband to allow them to go to the ramen stand. He flashed back to the Tower, his face looking very much like the tomatoes Kushina despised.

Kakashi wanted to crawl into a hole. He hated when they talked like… like Jiraiya-sama in front of him! They're secret perverts! Thinking more about it - although he genuinely didn't want to - he wondered why they couldn't keep that secret from him, for his sanity, such as it was.

Following Minato's exit, Kushina demanded to be taken to eat at the ramen stand after all. Kakashi didn't mind, until discovering that Kushina had left her money at home. Just after he emptied his wallet, a yellow flash appeared next to him. His shoulder was grabbed and he was flashed away. "Sensei! We just left Kushina-nee all alone!" Minato bopped him on the head and told him that he'd left the Sandaime with his wife while he needed to speak with him away from her. "You could've come earlier, sensei: I literally just spent all the ryo I had on me." He looked at his mentor with a sour expression on his masked face.

"Maa, Kakashi-kun, where would the fun be in that, ne?"

Kakashi didn't appreciate that joke at all. The world's biggest ramen hogs were always doing this to him and their friends. He supposed it was the only way that they could afford anything else, so he just bore the pain of his make-shift family's obsession. Minato became serious. "I know she's up to something, Kakashi: I'm no fool." Kakashi looked down guiltily. Minato tried to hide his smirk: he'd been right. He couldn't ever be sure what his feisty wife was going to do next, but if Kakashi knew, the kid had a real hard time lying to him. Sure enough, his brat fessed up.

The teen guiltily told him about his wife's plans but did NOT tell his Hokage what Kushina had said about their daughter being at T&I because he'd seen Minato over the past few days. His sensei was almost always gone, but the few hours the blonde would spend at home were spent making plans and notes, pacing, and were nearly entirely sleepless. Minato was so concerned about his baby girl, as was Kakashi, but Minato was not really himself, Kakashi thought. The teen tried to speak with him about his health or nearly anything else during the very little time they were together, but talking to his sensei was like talking to a rock right now. For the time being, he was sent back home to guard Kushina in case she did anything she shouldn't, and he followed what his sensei told him to do, although they really weren't orders...

The Yondaime had been furious as he flashed away from T&I to both Ibiki and the Sandaime. Not only had Obito-kun betrayed them all, but now there was another traitor in their midst: he or she had somehow gotten their hands on his Eight Trigrams Seal that he had designed to re-imprison the Kyuubi in case Kushina lost control of the beast and he escaped his cell. It was a two-part seal, both parts were Four Symbols seals that could each seal a demon or any large enemy into a target. By placing the seals adjacent to one another, he believed the spirit's chakra would merge with and assist the person the demon would be sealed in. My baby… It was a design of absolute last resort, but it had to be prepared in advance for a worst-case scenario.

But what other seal had been put on top of his design? He had no idea, but it was huge and powerful. What the hell is it doing on that unknown girl?

It was well-known by seal masters and others that a jinchuuriki like Kushina risked her seal being breached in childbirth. Having a child was a huge risk, but Kushina's seal was strong, and they desperately wanted a big family, both being orphans. Even though it made Minato sick to research and design the seal, he did it along with his wife months ago. They both wanted the village, their future child, and loved ones lived in to remain safe. They could have simply placed one Four Symbols seal on the infant, in case their ultimate nightmare took place, but Minato knew his child would be strong, both as an Uzumaki and as the child of a Kage. Plus simply being the child of the Yellow Flash and the Red-Hot Habanero would put the little one in additional danger. Should, Kami-forbid, he have a child that became a jinchuuriki, he or she would be in additional danger. He knew that Kushina had been through a lot, and he'd heard some jinchuuriki like her had it even worse. The one thing of which Minato reminded himself - really to make himself feel better about this plan - was that he was a rather popular figure in Konoha. His child would most likely be heralded as a hero should the worst happen, as he or she should be. Kushina was beloved in the village, too. How could she not be?!

Now that the worst had happened, it would take his daughter years for her to access that additional chakra. As long as Minato found her - and I WILL find her and slowly kill whoever has taken her before bringing her home - he'd forever keep her safe and teach her everything he knew. Kushina would too.

For now, the Village Hidden in the Leaves had an additional jinchuuriki, one laid out unconscious in a bunker.

Flashing to the T&I building, he verified with Ibiki what they had agreed upon earlier - unless the girl: the unknown jinchuuriki threat, attacked, he was to leave the questioning to the Sannin. Ibiki didn't like it at all but would obey his Hokage. The Yondaime himself would be in the observation room and provide backup.

"I should have known… I should have known, 'ttebane!" Kushina shook her head at her brat as he looked down ashamedly, pushing her away from her favorite-ever ramen stand. "You always turn into such a wimp around Minato-kun, Kakashi! What am I going to do with you? Just wait 'til I have my daughter back, dattebane! We're going to prank the hell out of you!"

Kakashi groaned but continued to push Kushina's wheelchair along.

"And now what am I supposed to do?" Kushina went on, sulking more as she continued berating and complaining to the young Jonin. "That old hag waiting at the house is probably going to tell on me if I leave!" She slapped Kakashi's vest when he started to speak. Pouting, she continued, "I wouldn't doubt if she's secretly a guard or something: Minato is such a butt!"

Kakashi snorted at that. Kushina was much more her normal self than her husband was, that's for sure. He stopped as more of her hair came out of her bun. He picked the red hair up, trying to figure out what to do with it - something which he'd been doing repeatedly as they walked through the village. Finally, he'd had enough with it and separated her hair into two sections and tied them in a knot. He frowned, noticing it hadn't helped much as Kushina continued saying various negative things about her new caretaker and husband. Scowling, Kakashi tied her hair in two directions around her head, making a big circle before tying her long red mane into repeated knots. When they passed a mirror in a shop, she began screaming at him.

Approaching the house, she decided to forgive her husband's genius yet idiotic student. "Kashi, wait." She looked around in suspicion before giving the brat a pitiful gaze. "You want to help us, right?" Kakashi nodded his head, still ashamed of the catastrophe he'd created with her hair. "You really can, dattebane… But only you can do it, Kakashi-kun." She shook her head mournfully. "I need a favor from you. Can you please, please do it for me? For your nee-chan, for our family?" She could see Kakashi wavering, and he finally nodded his head in agreement. 

Hook, line, and sinker, she thought wickedly.

"I need you to check out what's going on at T&I." She watched as Kakashi's biological eye widened, and could feel his apprehension: even masked, the kid was just so obvious, at least to her. "Now don't worry, 'ttebane: all you have to do is check on the girl they found at the scene of the attack. But you have to stay and get as much information as you can on her! You want to know about her and everything that's going on, too, ne?"

Kakashi did want to know. Was this another enemy that caused the last of his remaining precious people and village so much despair and destruction? He'd been absolutely convinced of it earlier but had to admit that his anger had tempered over the last days as he sat alone in their home. It's not that he thought the girl they found was innocent, but he realized now that there were other factors at play than just her. She could even have been used by one of the other villages to cause harm. The idea that she was their daughter was... ridiculous - but maybe Kushina thought that someone in the village was keeping her newborn daughter there?  Another traitor in their midst? Gods, he hoped not.

Finally, he agreed. He'd see what was happening at T&I, maybe summon his dogs to track the baby again and figure it out as he went along. He had to do it for Kushina - and Minato, as well. He owed them so much. And he'd do it for their daughter, too.