Academy days and Some familiar Chibis

Minashi pouted into spikey blonde locks as she sat atop Minato's shoulders. He'd insisted on giving her a ride, and she'd loved every minute of it. That was until they arrived at their destination.

The Academy.

Minashi REALLY didn't want to have to sit through boring lectures all over again. It wasn't fun the first time when she didn't know how to read well. It was going to be even less fun now that she'd be able to know and understand everything. Tsunade and Sakura and beat the academy lessons, Genin, and Chuunin information into hers and Naruto's head. Mostly Naruto's. But it didn't mean that when she got bored that they didn't hit her too. What was worse was all the practical exams they made them take. Then the Jounin ones. It was just too bad they could never take those exams. The war had broken out and everything went to hell.

Minashi groaned into Minato's hair and he chuckled beneath her. "What's wrong imouto?"

"Kashi says that Academy is boring." she muttered into his hair.

Kushina chuckled with Minato. "A bit, but there is a lot to be learned. You'll be able to get some training in as well."

Minashi slid her gaze to Kushina. Kushina sweat dropped at the bored look.

Minato hopped and Minashi bounced against him. "Cheer up Imouto. You'll be able to make some friends here."

"Hm." Minashi hummed unimpressed. She missed Minato and Kushina sharing worried glances before glancing over to Sakumo, who reflected the same worry.

"Think of this Minashi-chan." Sakumo called to her attention. Blue eyes met kind deep coal. "You and Kakashi will be spending the next few days and the weekend at Kushina-san's home while I'm away. You'll be able to get some more training in for your clan style."

Minashi smiled at him. "Hai." She suddenly jumped over to Sakumo and hugged him tight. "Be safe Saki-chan?"

Sakumo hugged her close. "Of course. I have to come back for Kakashi and you."

Sakumo set her down and knelt to Kakashi. "We already talked this morning about this new arrangement. Be on your best behavior." he glanced over at Minashi before looking back at Kakashi. "Keep an eye on her for me? She might need a hug when she gets sad."

Kakashi nodded. "I'll protect her."

Sakumo stood and ruffled his hair. "That's my boy. Now, I'm heading back to finish packing. I'll see you in a week."

"Hai Tou-san." Kakashi said and watched his father walk away before a small soft hand gripped his. Kakashi looked to the golden doll at his side.

"Saki-chan will be fine. He's strong."

"I know." He said and headed towards the academy, not noticing Minashi pause at the gates once again. She looked back to Kushina and Minato to see their encouraging smiles.

"We'll be here when classes are over." Kushina smiled.

"Have fun." Minato Smiled.

Nodding Minashi headed in and found her class. Something in her relaxed when she didn't recognize anyone. Smiling to herself, she pulled on her 'Uchiha' mask of no emotions. Although she wanted to smile when she was introduced. She loved her last name.

"Everyone, this is the new student. Uzumaki-Namikaze Minashi. Please welcome her later. Now let's get to today's lesson."

Minashi blinked at the instructor. The chuunin looked bored and annoyed. Shrugging it off, she grabbed a seat near the back at the windows. Yawning, she laid her head down and listened as the instructor droned on most of the morning on history and theory.

Instead of listening to things she already knew, she fell into her mindscape and focused on her own sealing theories. She had ideas when talking theory with Tobirama and Reanimated Minato, but they'd never had the spare time to really think about them. So she spent the morning with the only other Sealing Master she knew. Kurama. He'd learned from Mito and Kushina and her own lifetime. While he was more blunt and crass when calling her out on her stupidity, he was always honest with her.

And just because he knew sealing didn't mean he had the power to break through his old seal. Minato had made sure of that with the Reaper Death Seal. Though Kurama would always deny Minato one upping him.

The morning flew by with this. Finally when it was lunch, she grabbed the bento Kushina had made for her and ate it high in a tree. It had taken a lot of focus, but she'd climbed it with only leaving a few indents in the bark. Watching the other five to seven year olds run around the grounds and talking she sighed bored. She knew she'd have trouble in this area. She was a mid twenty year old in a five year old body. They were too childish for her.

Kakashi was the exception because he was already thinking and talking like an adult most of the time. Plus it was Kakashi. But she couldn't see him in the yard.

"Hey!" a voice called up at her. Minashi blinked and looked down. There at the base of the tree was a black haired boy. His deep black eyes and pale skin gave him away as Uchiha. "How'd you get up there?" he called curious.

Minashi blinked and looked at the boy closer. He seemed familiar. Minashi sighed and packed up her lunch to go higher. Letting the chakra go to her feet, she showed rather than tell the boy how.

"Cool!" he called up. "Hey teach me that!"

Minashi frowned down at the rude Uchiha boy. He just smiled up at her excited. Minashi blinked surprised for a moment. A smiling Uchiha?

Curious now she jumped back down a few branches and sat staring at him. The boy seemed to become uncomfortable.

"Do you talk?"

Minashi nodded.

"Can you teach me that?"

Minashi shrugged.

He frowned up at her. "You're weird."

Minashi snorted. She'd forgotten that kids could be brutally honest.

"Is he bothering you?" A voice said beside her. Minashi didn't flinch. She'd felt the new chakra signature near long before he approached. Instead her blue eyes moved to the older boy now standing beside her on the lower branch.

Her eyes widened to see that he was someone she recognized. Instead of a senbon in his mouth though, he had a dango stick. Genma. She thought. A pinch of pain ran through her as his death flash before her mind's eye.

Minashi smiled up at him in thanks, pushing aside her memories, but shook her head.

"Hey Genma-san! Do you know how she did it too?" The Uchiha boy called up.

Genma looked down at him. "No. I just jumped from another tree."

The boy wilted. "Aw man."

"Obito-san you shouldn't bother someone when they want to be alone."

Minashi froze. THAT was Obito?

Obito pouted at Genma. "But she's the new girl. I wanted to see if she wanted to be friends. Then she went and walked up a tree without hands."

Genma sighed and rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He looked back to Minashi. "Are you okay with him being annoying?"

"Oi!" Obito snapped but Minashi just looked at Genma. He was missing his leaf bandana, but his face structure was still the same, minus the scars from war. She smiled up at him kindly. Standing up she reached up and patted the older boy's head before jumping down and doing the same to Obito. Obito flushed bright red. Minashi just giggled and walked away.

Genma jumped down and looked to the slightly younger boy before watching the strange blonde girl walk away.

"New girl you said?" Genma inquired.

"H-hai." Obito muttered and toed at the ground. "She's in my class, but slept the entire time. The teacher didn't even seem to notice."

Genma raised a brow at that. Curious. With a shrug he pushed away his curiosity and headed off towards his other friends.

Obito though was back to looking for the blonde girl. She had been so pretty. His face heated when her smiling face flashed in his mind again. She was prettier than Rin-chan.

Minashi couldn't say how relieved she was when the afternoon classes were outside. It only took her a few moments after the lines up to throw the practice Kunai, that she had missed that she did share class with people she should have known. Obito was in one of the lines. And if her memory of Kakashi's old team picture was right in her mind, the brown haired girl with purple markers on her cheeks was Rin. Minashi mentally sighed and channeled her inner Nara.

Troublesome.

She did not want to be in a class with them. That was just asking for bad karma. She didn't know Rin, and she knew this Obito even less. Kakashi's stories reminded her of Naruto, but they were two different people still.

She also didn't want to think on the decisions that swirled around his current fate. She wasn't strong enough yet. She didn't have enough allies. She didn't have the upper hand on Zetsu and Madara yet.

Minashi absently threw the Kunai and Shuriken as she thought. Not noticing the looks she was getting.

While yes, she had all of the Kyuubi and Kushina had a less chance of dying during Naruto's birth, it didn't mean that someone wouldn't find out she's his container now and would try to take him from her. Minato would still do anything to protect the village if made Hokage.

She rubbed her throbbing head and promised to think on this later as those dates neared.

Blinking she tried to focus back on her current situation only to find herself surrounded by silence. Looking around she saw that everyone had wide eyes on her. Looking to her targets she muttered a curse under her breath and looked to her Chuunin senseis. Their eyes were wide on her. She smiled sheepish and tried to pull off her innocent look.

One sensei suddenly grabbed her arm and ushered her inside while the other went back to teaching the rest of her class.

When they reach the class again, the Chuunin sat her down with a curious look.

"Uzumaki-san, I've noticed that you aren't paying attention to class. I've let it slide because the Hokage informed us you went through a trauma. But I'm thinking that that is not all. Do you find my classes boring?"

Minashi sighed and nodded.

"Is it because you don't understand what I'm teaching?"

She shook her head 'no.'

The chuunin hummed and looked at her curiously. "Hatake-san said you were trained. He didn't mention anything other than physical and chakra training." Minashi just raised a brow at the young man. "Do you find my class boring because you already know what I'm teaching?"

Minashi's eyes widened. How'd he figure that out?

Her sensei chuckled and patted her head. "You aren't the first genius I've had to teach. Hatake's son is the exception. He tested before coming to the academy and was placed into a higher level before even starting. But you are acting like my Nara Students. Bored because they already know and understand what I'm teaching. How about you take some tests for me so I can see which class you should actually be in?"

Minashi smiled up at him and nodded. So she spent the rest of her afternoon sitting at a desk taking exam after exam to see where her knowledge leveled out. She paused on the last test remembering that Sandaime had asked for her to please not take less than a year. Minashi rolled her eyes and allowed herself to be on the level of the this year's graduating class. She did need the time to work up her body to her mind's skill anyways.

Her sensei just looked dumbfounded before he chuckled and smiled at her.

Minashi hid her own foxy smirk. She'd abide by the Sandaime's request. But just barely.

"Alright Uzumaki-san, you'll start tomorrow in Sumiko's Class. I'll submit your advancement exams to confirm this."

"Thank you." Minashi said and the Chuunin jumped. She smirked at him before taking her seat. A few minutes later the rest of the class joined and settled in for the last lecture for the day. She watched as her Chuunin instructors talked in hushed voices for a few moments shooting her glances. They shared nods before the one that had tested her, left with her test results. Smiling to herself she laid her down to catch a real cat nap.

Minashi sat on the swing as she waited for Minato and Kushina arrive. To her surprise, Kakashi had walked up to join her. But being the 'adult'-child that he was, he leaned against the tree to act twice his age. Minashi just ignored him. It was also a way to make him squirm. Her lips twitched as she watched him fidget. She hadn't attacked him with a hug when he walked up to her, and she knew it was getting to him. She could almost see his genius mind wondering what she was really up to. Minashi let him stew.

"Mina-chan! Kakashi-kun!" A bright voice called. Both heads snapped up to the gate to see bright redhead waving at them eagerly.

"Nee-san!" Minashi said and ran for the redhead, all while dragging a stumbling Kakashi with her. He quickly gain his balance back, to join in her jog. Minashi let him go once they were closer, to tackled Kushina with a hug. Of course the Jounin easily caught her with a beaming smile.

"Imouto!" she greeted back happily. "Have a good first day at school?"

Minashi hummed into Kushina's neck even as her Nee-san squatted down to ruffled Kakashi's hair.

"How about you Kakashi-kun? Good day?"

Kakashi sighed. "To be expected." Kushina sweat dropped at the serious boy.

"Alright." Kushina grinned standing back up. "We'll since Minato is still on shift, we agreed to meet back at my apartment for dinner. We have to pick up a few fresh items at the market on the way." Keeping a hand on Kakashi's shoulder, she guided the silver boy down the road as Minashi relaxed at the scent of her Nee-san.

"Uzumaki-san!" a voice called out a few minutes later into their walk. Kushina paused and looked back to see the Chuunin teacher from the academy. He was a bit older than her, but most academy teachers were when chuunin. That and Kushina was a young Jounin.

"Shiranui-san, is something wrong?" She asked confused.

Shiranui? As in Genma's dad? Minashi blinked at him curiously.

Shiranui Kiyoshi sighed as he pulled out a scroll and handed it to her. "You picked up Uzumaki-chan before I could talk with you. She wasn't tested before she joined the academy so she was placed in her age group. After training this afternoon, I noticed that her sleeping in class might not be laziness or exhaustion. I had her take the advancement exams. She passed with flying colors for the first three exams."

Kushina's eyes widened even as she unconsciously tightened her hold on Minashi. "What of the fourth exam?"

Kiyoshi sighed. "She was just below passing."

Kushina relaxed. "So she didn't completely test out of the Academy." A sigh left her at the news.

Kiyoshi smiled. "No. But she'll be moved to the graduating class and spend the rest of the year with them." He looked down to wide coal eyes of Kakashi. "Looks like you won't be the only five year old to possibly graduate Kakashi-kun." He looked back to Kushina. "She'll be in Kakashi-kun's class under Yamanaka Sumiko."

Kushina smiled and nodded. "Thank you Shiranui-san. I'll let Minato and Sakumo-senpai know of the change."

They parted ways and the trio resumed their shopping. A short time later they arrived back to the Jounin housing district near the Hokage tower.

Minashi was carrying a bag of groceries with Kakashi, as Kushina carried the last bag into the modest apartment. It was two bedroom, and had a beautiful kitchen. The kitchen was open to the dining and living room area. Being on the top floor of the apartment complex, her balcony in the living room, opened up to a beautiful view of Konoha. Minashi's eyes kept slipping to the balcony. She wanted to go sit out there and enjoy the view.

"Do you two have any assignments?" Kushina asked even as she began prepping dinner.

"No, Kushina-san."

"None of that Kakashi-kun. You can call me Nee-san too." Kushina beamed.

Kakashi thought it over for a moment before replying. "Kushina nee-san."

Kushina beamed and went back to work.

Minashi took the opportunity to slip out and sit on one of the chairs already out on the balcony. She closed her eyes and just breathed. She felt it when Kurama pulled her into their mindscape.

[How are you doing brat?]

'Better than I expected.' She said softly as she moved to his massive body and climbed up onto it. It seemed like he was finally done growing.

[You're letting a lot more information slip than we had planned.] He pointed out even while his nose helped her up his shoulder and onto his back.

Minashi shrugged at his statement and instead wormed her way into his fur. It was warm, fluffy, and so soft. She hummed in contentment. She didn't notice that her subconscious form had taken that of her current body. Kurama did though. He knew it would probably switch between the two depending on her mindset. Now she was a child that needed comfort.

[When are you going to start showing your sealing knowledge?]

'Soon.' She mumbled.

[Brat.] He growled but sighed when he felt her mind quiet. She was already asleep. Pulling up one of his tails, he let it rest over her body. He knew she needed to talk to someone that actually knew of her past. The Yamanaka couldn't come soon enough. He'd seen her dreams. He knew they were only the beginning. Now that their chakra had settled somewhat with her control returning, he knew the human mind could be cruel to itself. He prayed that she wouldn't let that beat her down. He had to make sure she remembered she wasn't alone.

Letting out a sigh, he rested with his kit and slowly let his own chakra merge with hers. If she was going to be working for the hokage in secret like they had planned, she needed to be stronger. Needed to be able to handle his chakra. Closing his own red eyes, he focused on moving his chakra through her coils. Not to mention balancing his own chakra to even levels of Yin and Yang.

Kushina looked up from her cooking to check on her Imouto and Kakashi-kun.

She wasn't surprised to find Kakashi looking over one of the chakra theory scrolls Minato had left out. The boy was a genius like his father and her Minato. She just hoped that it wouldn't destroy him. When her search didn't find her Imouto, she sensed for her chakra with her healing reserves and realized she was on the balcony. Smiling she let dinner cook and went to check on the small child.

Sliding the door open, she was surprised to find Minashi sitting in a meditative pose. Looking closer, she realized that Minashi had once again fallen asleep. Kushina worried for her Imouto, but knew that if something was really wrong, she'd hopefully be able to tell. Instead, she picked her up into her arms and took her sleeping Imouto back inside. Gently she laid her to rest on the once guest bedroom. It had been changed yesterday to a room for Minashi. Dressers full of clothes. Weapons stored away safely. A soft Orange painted on one of the walls. A task Kushina and Minato had made for both of their apartments after noticing the girl's love for the color.

Smiling pleased, Kushina went back to the main room to see Minato arriving and greeting Kakashi. He ruffled the boy's hair and finally looked up to her. His smile softened and her heart fluttered. Kami, she loved this man.

He greeted her with a chastise kiss on the lips, conscious of the child present.

"Good day on patrol?" She asked as the moved to the kitchen. Minato groaned and leaned against the counter.

"Shikaku needs to get out of the hospital. I'm tired of waiting for his lazy ass to get out of bed. Our team can't go on any missions because he's down."

Kushina rolled her eyes. "He's a Nara. What do you expect?"

Minato pouted. "But he's a shinobi. It's like an unspoken rule that we don't laze around in hospitals. We're supposed to hate them."

Kushina snickered and stirred dinner while she continued idle chatter with Minato.

Turning back to check on her fish, she startled when Minato yelped.

Alert and ready she whipped out a kunai and held it ready. She froze at the sight on Minashi blinking up at Minato innocently as the elder blonde gripped his chest.

"Kami Mina-chan, you startled me." Minato breathed.

Kushina just blinked at her boyfriend. He was one of Konoha's best sensors besides her. Kushina looked at her Imouto and saw a twinkle in the girl's eyes as she yawned and looked up at Minato. Focusing closer, she realized that her little Imouto was a trickster and a very skilled one.

The jealous she once held of the Namikaze overruling the Uzumaki was washed away in that one instant. She may look nothing like an Uzumaki, but she was still half. There would just be no warning to it like Kushina's own features were. She smirked at the ingeniousness of it all.

Her grin grew as she squatted down to Minashi's level. Tired cerulean blues looked to her innocently. They couldn't fool Kushina though. The twinkle of Uzumaki prankster Mirth was still flitting around.

"Ne, Mina-chan, how much training did your Tou-san give you in stealth?"

Mina smiled at her innocently once more. The twitch of her lips was the only change. Kushina had her answer. She snickered and stood back up to see the contemplative look on Minato's face.

"She got you good." She teased. Minato pouted. Kushina rolled her eyes and pointed to the rice cooker. "Help me serve dinner." She glanced down at the smaller blonde. "Mina-chan, can you help set the table?"

Minashi nodded and took the plates and bowls Kushina handed her and walked off.

Kushina lost her smile and Minato paused to look at her. "She completely suppressed her chakra signature." Minato said softly. "Even with her companion."

Kushina hummed sadly. "I don't like imagining why she had to learn to do that."

Minato kissed her cheek. "We'll protect her so she can relax." he promised.

Kushina smiled and nodded. Grabbing the rest of the food, they headed out for their first family dinner.