Misplaced Princess

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything from the Naruto universe.

Thinking (+ flashbacks, "Naruto speaking to Kurama in her mindscape," etc.)

Emphasis

Bijuu, etc. speaking

Bijuu, etc. thinking

Uzushio had to be the most beautiful yet saddest place Naruto could ever imagine.

As she followed her sometimes sobbing mother through the village that had clearly once held so many happy families - her family - Naruto often shivered. They were now approaching a playground that had been mostly demolished and the blonde could only try to comfort her mother, who had to sit down to get herself together rather than just to rest this time.

"Why," Kushina cried out, gulping down tears, "Would they have targeted the children when…" She let out a mournful sound that seemed to echo as if they were in a hall instead of outside.

Now that Naruto knew that the last remains of a playground were near, she realized the warped metal that seemed to be fused to an enormous black rock close to the ocean had been a slide: she was almost positive that's what it was. The strange sight had earlier made her wonder what kind of jutsu could fuse earth and metal, but now: knowing what it was, she just wanted to leave.

Her father was comforting her mother as they trudged on and on. Sometimes her mother would speak up and tell a story about something she remembered from when she was a little girl. Occasionally Tsunade baa-chan would add in anecdotes that her grandmother told her, or little stories about when she'd visited Uzushio as a child or teenager. No matter how happy or silly the things they remembered were, their tales would always lead to feelings of bitter loss.

Imagining an entire island full of people with her mother's red hair and pale skin was unfathomable to the young teen. "This doesn't seem safe." The buildings they were approaching looked like they could fall down at any minute.

"Seals will hold them in place, Naru-chan."

Naruto wanted to ask her mother, "HOW?" because the seals sure as hell didn't keep the buildings fully upright or keep her extended family alive. The youngest Uzumaki in the party thought that once upon a time, this street must have been incredibly beautiful and so very different from the Land of Fire. She didn't know much about building materials and the like, but it was obvious that the people of Uzushio - her people - used the sand that was in abundance to build their impressive and colorful structures.

The Uzumaki swirl: and wasn't that something? That swirl on the Konoha military's uniforms was a supposed salute to her clan, a way to remember them (ha, she thought bitterly, remembering how she'd never even heard of her clan when she was in the Academy) was on so many buildings that it was astounding. To think that her family was once a military power all on their own, was once larger than even the Uchiha Clan before the massacre?

"This is what happens when there is a thirst for - or fear of - power," Naruto spoke idly as she gazed toward the sea. She didn't realize that those with her had quieted, listening to the formerly hushed teen. "Greed and hate take what we love away and make us want to seek revenge," she said, scoffing. "Revenge just leads to more greed and hate."

She flushed upon realizing her little traveling party was paying her so much attention. "Sorry! Gloomy thoughts, ne?" Naru scratched the back of her head and had to sit down. She still wasn't feeling well.

"Why don't you stay here, Princess?" Minato asked. He looked toward his student. "Kakashi, do you mind staying with Naru-chan?"

Kakashi shrugged his shoulders and took some more chakra suppression seals before sitting down on something that looked like it might have once been a large fountain next to her. "Are you alright?" he asked Naruto quietly as he watched his sensei carry Kushina on his back into what he guessed was the Kage's building. Genma was arguing with Minato as they went into one of the slanted, shifted buildings about how dangerous this was for the Hokage and to consider his position if nothing else, but Kakashi knew his sensei wouldn't listen.

Plus, Jiraiya and Tsunade had already gone inside.

While here to check on Naruto-hime, they were also to retrieve any scrolls that had been left behind. His sensei had no idea of whether or not the island had been completely looted or not following the Uzushio massacre, and neither did Kushina.

"You're really hot," Kakashi said before putting a seal that Tsunade made on Naruto's forehead.

"Yeah, Kurama's on fire, so," Naru shrugged her shoulders and yawned, "you know." She took another scroll her mother had made and put it on her chest so that she could try to cool off more.

"Maa, not really, no," Kakashi said honestly.

"I didn't know that I had a clan, or used to have one, ya know," Naruto said, chewing the inside of her cheek as she looked around. As much as she wanted to know about her family and stuff, this ghost town was freaking her out. And making her angry.

Kakashi found the idea of not knowing anything about the Uzumaki clan a little disgusting and wondered why that was. He had heard many interesting things about Naruto's past (the future) but he had huge knowledge gaps. He never liked that; he always needed to be prepared for whatever could come.

"Jiji said that I was the last Uzumaki," she said after several minutes went by. "I thought he meant that my parents had left me behind: that they were just a normal couple."

They could hear Kushina yelling at Minato inside the building, which made both teenagers sigh.

"I'm the last Hatake."

"I'm sorry," Naruto said genuinely. At least she wasn't alone now, and neither was he. "You're not alone now, ya know. From what I've seen, you're an honorary Uzumaki!"

Kakashi smiled, warmed by the sentiment, but he was Hatake through and through.  He was raised to be a pack Alpha.

"Do you have all of your family's... stuff?" Naruto asked, gesturing toward the unstable-looking building her parents were in that might hold clan secrets.

"I, umm..." And wasn't this embarrassing for him? "I avoid going there. To the old Hatake compound, I mean."

"Ah," Naruto said, understanding if only a little. When Kakashi had his little breakdown on one of her first nights in the house he had mentioned his father's suicide while talking fast about his team. "Well, if you ever want to go in and get your family's stuff, I'll go with you. That way you don't have to be alone."

"Thank you, Naruto-hime," Kakashi said softly.  Looking at the pretty girl, he noticed that her eyes kept darting around. "Do you sense anyone?"

"No, we're the only ones here on the whole island. Did you see the weird sand earlier?"

Kakashi's eyebrows rose. "Good eye," he said approvingly. He'd noticed traces of darker sand around certain buildings. "It's fresh. Suna has been here, probably looking for secrets and treasure."

Naruto hummed. She was sure they weren't the only ones. "It kinda pisses me off that Konoha waited this long after the attack happened to show up here. Who knows what other countries or villages stole!"

Kakashi felt like he should defend his home and Kage but somewhat agreed, at least in theory. The combined attack on Uzushio had happened during the Second Ninja War, a third had begun shortly after, and Minato had been appointed Hokage for only a short time following that.  Minato-sensei hadn't had time to go back to Uzushio before this.

From the way Kushina kept hollering excitedly inside the building, he guessed that she was finding what they were looking for. Really, a mission could've been issued by Minato or Lord Third to get these scrolls much earlier. Surely there were a lot of valuables that had been left behind, including some things that were dangerous. That brought the young Hatake to wonder just how much his father had left behind, and whether or not someone else could steal what should rightfully be his.

"Whoa," he said as he caught Naruto's shoulders. She had nearly fallen forward and onto the ground. "Are you okay? Do I need to get sensei?"

"Just tired," she said, yawning. She scooted closer to Kakashi and took advantage of his hands on her shoulders, cuddling up beside him. "Sorry if I'm too hot."

And with that, she was asleep again.

"Shit," Kakashi whispered to himself. He wasn't sure how Minato-sensei was going to react to him having his arm around his daughter, but Naruto didn't seem to want to move. He wasn't going to let her rest on this broken stone anyway. Seeing Genma smirk as he walked out of the leaning tower made him even more uncomfortable.

"Is she okay, loverboy?" Genma asked cheekily. He sat down on the other side of the Hokage's daughter.

"Shut up," Kakashi snapped, pulling Naruto a little closer to him. For some reason, he didn't like her next to that senbon-sucking pretty boy. "She said she's just tired. Report," he ordered, using his Jonin rank to shut the idiot up.

"Such a brat," Genma breathed to himself. Although Kakashi (just barely) outranked him, Genma was the Platoon leader of the Hokage Guard and that, in some ways, made Genma Kakashi's superior. Maybe he really should have taken the Jonin exam so he didn't have to put up with Kakashi's shit? "Kushina-sama was able to access a blood-sealed safe. Scrolls from the safe and Tower are being compiled for passage home," he reported succinctly before breathing out a big sigh. "Kushina-sama is curious about the scrolls: each and every one of them."

"She's opening them," Kakashi surmised.

"Faster than Minato-sama can do the same or seal them away."

Both boys held back a chuckle.

Genma continued conversationally, "Jiraiya-sama finally made a rather... creative storage scroll; he and Tsunade-hime were also placing scrolls on their person and ours." He held out his flack jacket to show Kakashi that scrolls had literally been stuffed in every pocket and into his pants, shaking his head. The Fourth Hokage was so enamored with seals, he was slow to move away from the gold mine they'd found, too. He frowned at Naruto when she sounded like she was having a nightmare and put his hand on her forehead. Kakashi snarled at him - literally! - and pulled her away, making the Tokubetsu chuckle, although even he realized the sound of it was severe.

"Must be rough: guarding a sweet, beautiful girl."

Kakashi just glared at him as Genma stood up.

"Heads up: all's fair in love and war, Hatake," he continued, smirking, as he swaggered back into the Uzushiokage's office building.

"Asshole," Kakashi said as he tried to wake the fitfully-sleeping blonde. "Naruto, you're okay. I'm here," he said, feeling his entire face and ears heat up. Kami, he was bad at this stuff. "Umm..."

"Kakashi?" Minato asked, appearing out of nowhere. Kakashi jumped and nearly let the man's daughter fall. "I thought you were used to me teleporting in by now," he said, ruffling his probably cute masked student's hair. Kakashi was in less of a position to escape his affection for once, which Minato thought was great. The blonde put his head against his daughter's forehead. "She's still burning up," Minato said grimly. "Until she stabilizes, she'll be staying here with Jiraiya-sensei."

"I can guard them for you," Kakashi said, swearing internally to get Genma back for having obviously sicked his sensei on him. He should've expected it, considering Genma's warning. Sad for him that sensei likes me better than him, he thought before blushing again. He wasn't sure what was wrong with him, so blamed his discomfort on Jiraiya's perverted "lectures."

Which made his feelings seem all the more wrong. He wasn't going to do that to Naruto!

Minato ruffled his student's hair again. It was so soft and such a mess, he thought fondly (and hypocritically: his hair was a mess, too.) "I think Jiraiya will be sufficient, Kakashi-kun." Really, it was funny that Kakashi thought he could guard Jiraiya. If Jiraiya had heard the boy's offer, Minato bet that his sensei would harass Kakashi endlessly. That made him decide to tell Jiraiya as soon as he teleported back in to the Uzushio Kage Tower. "We should be finished in the next fifteen minutes or so. Gotta flash," he said, disappearing again.

"Ugh! He's gotta stop saying that," Naruto groaned, seemingly in her sleep as she nuzzled closer into Kakashi's masked neck. "Bet you're cute under this mask 'ttebayo."

Kakashi shifted uncomfortably, having absolutely no idea of what to do.

Many weeks later, Naruto was standing on the Uzushio shore, desperately wanting to leave. She also appeared to be on fire: a golden glow appearing along with a black seal all over her body. "I don't know why you're so worried."

Jiraiya groaned. His goddaughter had already filled nine (Kurama's idea) Strength of a Hundred Seals Tsunade had placed in various spots on her body, but she was still constantly glowing like a Christmas tree. "I know you told me that bijuu bombs were the way to go," Jiraiya began worriedly. He didn't like the idea of letting the fox out to play, and horrifyingly enough, Naruto had come up with an idea to free the beast from at least one of its seals! He needed to get back, however, and Minato wanted his daughter home.

"Tch," she jeered, picking up on a trait from Tsunade, "stop being such a scaredy-cat!"

"What's the matter... scaredy-cat?" - The random embarrassing memory caused Naruto to flinch and cross her arms over her chest as she turned away from her godfather. She and Kurama agreed that these memories were NOT something she needed to dwell on. "Stupid sarcastic Sasuke: get out of my head," she mumbled under her breath. "Do you wanna talk to Kurama or something?" she asked Jiraiya.

"Yes?" he asked more than said. "Yes!"

"Okay," Naruto sighed.

The only change Jiraiya noted when Naruto was already a flaming hot golden chakra figure was the fully red, slitted eyes and her posture. For lack of a better way to put it, the way Naruto slouched when the fox took over as one of her eyebrows lifted, (and she idly began picking her nails,) looked like she "didn't give a single fuck." Naruto normally gave a lot of fucks. She was an attentive teenager, much like her father had been.

"Pervert," Kurama greeted The Pervert. "What's your problem?"

Jiraiya's fingers twitched and he nearly took a step back. "How do I know you won't escape?" he almost shouted. This whole thing was so unnerving! Is this what being a godfather and teaching the Child of Prophecy meant? He should've opted out!

"I am unfamiliar with my father's seal," Kurama said using Naruto's mouth as he brushed the unseen sand off her hands and looked out toward the ocean. He took a deep breath through her nose, nostrils flaring when he smelled the old blood and decay still lingering here. Ignoring it, he took off one of Naruto's sandals so that he could feel the sand, then immediately regretted it. He didn't know how Isobu could stand let alone enjoy those tiny grains that could get into every crevice. Yuck.

"Her original seal is linked to the Shinigami. If she dies, I die, and she is the key to my siblings' freedom."

"And you care that much about their wellbeing? You care that much about anything?!"

The fox shrugged Naruto's shoulders. "I do not care what you think of me, perverted human. I have seen much in my time with the kit, and I am the eldest of nine," he answered, staring down the fleshy who was definitely the world's biggest pervert. It was lucky for him that the kit loved him so much, or he would've done the world a favor and smote him long ago. Or now, come to think about it. The kit would have a fit, though. "As the oldest and most powerful of my siblings, I have responsibilities. Naruto is my partner. Wrap your greedy and pathetic mind around this if you're so unsure: if I were to escape, I have little doubt that Madara and Zetsu will find me. I will NOT rejoin the Juubi."

Jiraiya had seen Inoichi's report and knew that this Juubi monster was horrifying. He nodded his head, knowing that he had chakra suppression seals in his haori if things got dicey. "I meant no disrespect." The Kyuubi - through Naruto - only snorted. "Naruto said that you ate your other half."

"Yet that is not the whole story," the Kyuubi said in irritation. "I used a genjutsu to fool my FULL self, allowing 'him' to believe that I was diminishing as Naruto used my chakra and absorbed his. I made myself appear weak, and when the moment was right, I attacked. THEN I ate him." Naruto's tongue licked her lips in a really creepy way, Jiraiya thought, at the fox's memory.

"Ah-ha!" Jiraiya said, almost pouncing as he purposely expelled a significant amount of chakra. When nothing happened, he felt silly. "How do I know you're not using a genjutsu right now to fool me, then you'll take over Naruto and..."

"Shut up, Ero-sennin," Naruto cried out in her own voice. The sclera of her eyes was white again. "I'm doing this whether you like it or not. It's not like I can walk around like this, ya know," she ranted, gesturing toward her golden, glowing form. "Kurama says that my head's too thick or whatever to get a genjutsu through, so even if he's helping I can't do one," she admitted with a pinched look. She hadn't meant to say that! "Let's go, Kurama."

Jiraiya stepped back and back (and back) as the fox's form grew to mountainous proportions. His heart was pounding so hard, he feared he'd die on the beach. "What are you going to do, Naruto?" he yelled up to the girl that was inside of the fox's chakra: it was as if she was floating inside the fox's head! He'd never seen anything like it before. He'd heard that most jinchuuriki's forms simply turned into the tailed beast when they were fully transformed. But he could still see Naruto - and now her will and thinking seemed to be separate from the fox as she ignored him and chatted with the Kyuubi. "NARUTO!"

"Stop being a butt, Ero-sennin," she yelled toward him as the fox cocked its head, looking around in the other direction.

Jiraiya had to sunshin backward again and whimpered as he prayed that this would all work out. Only a moment later, the bijuu bombs started flying. "Oh fuck! I hope there's not another continent over there." It was too late now. Already a third massive ball of chakra had gone flying from the fox's mouth.