Her Arrival and Their Suspicion

Falling.

Falling.

Wind.

Whistling wind in her ears.

Minashi's eyes snapped open and her eyes widened at the sight before her. She was literally falling from the sky.

"KURAMA!" she screamed.

[I'm working on it brat!] He snarled back. Minashi's body flickered as Kurama molded enough chakra to envelope her in his cloak. [Brace brat. There is no preventing a hard landing.]

Minashi moaned in displeasure at the impending pain she was about to go through. But that was nothing when her body suddenly broke out into convulsions midair.

'Kurama!' she shouted in her mind since her body was no longer responding. She looked to her tenant and was shocked to see he was GROWING!

[Your seal is stronger.] He growled before howling in pain. [I thought I would just get Kushina's Yin half, but both are coming!]

'Will it kill mom?'

Kurama growled deeply. [I am trying to slow it down as much as possible to prevent that, but if you don't expend chakra soon, your new small body will explode from chakra overload. Plus, Kushina is a full blooded Uzumaki. It might knock her down for a bit, but they are known for their vitality.]

Minashi looked up at Kurama then closed her eyes. 'Well shit.'

[My sentiments exactly.] He growled before swatting her away with a tail. [Now expend some chakra!]

Minashi didn't have to be told twice. Snapping her eyes open, she spun around in the air, Golden Chakra cloak coming back twice as fast. Gathering chakra in her chakra tails she made a giant Rasengan and added wind element to it as well. Sending it soaring into the sky above her. Sending four more, she was then able to have enough control to send three giant Bijuudamas into the sky as well. Explosions rocketed the air, forcing her decent faster, but her cloak protected her.

[Enough. The last of our chakra will be needed to heal you, and cushion your landing.]

Minashi panted as the wind dried her sweat. "Wake me when you figure out when we are." She whispered into the air before she felt immense pain and the sound of snapping bones filled her ears. Blackness thankfully pulled her under and her pain vanished with it. Kurama protecting her from it all was probably the real reason. Warmth enveloped her from his chakra as he healed her rapidly. But she ignored it to finally get some sleep.

Everything across the clearing froze at the massive chakra signature. Shivers of fear went down each shinobi's spine. It was heading right for them. Unbeknown to both parties neither knew which nation the chakra signature belonged to as it was an unfamiliar signature.

Sakumo kicked his opponent away long enough to search for the shinobi to see whose side they were on. If it was Suna's they were in trouble. If it was konoha's, the hokage had some explaining to do. Sakumo didn't recognize the signature. The hokage had been hiding a weapon.

"ABOVE" someone finally shouted. All eyes went to the sky to see a golden ball heading right for them.

"GET BACK!" Sakumo ordered his team just as the Suna shinobi captain did the same.

The golden streak landed in the clearing. The crater it created sending a shockwave of dust and remnants of chakra over the area.

As the shinobi neared the massive crater from their respective sides, claws of chakra lashed out towards the Suna shinobi. The konoha shinobi jumped back alarmed but the chakra arms never touched them.

Instead the Suna shinobi were all knocked unconscious.

Sakumo ordered them tied up as he carefully made his way back to the crater to further investigate.

His eyes widened at the sight of a small girl covered only by her long golden hair and lots of blood.

"Kami." He whispered before carefully making his was down to her, pulling a spare blanket from a scroll on the way.

As he neared the small child once again another arm appeared and hovered dangerously between Sakumo and the girl. Sakumo raised his arms in surrender to the chakra, not sure what it exactly was. It seemed to pulse before receding back into the child.

Sakumo took that as acceptance and took the last few steps to the child. Gently he searched for a pulse to make sure she was still alive. A steady beat met his fingers. Carefully he looked her over and found that while she was injured, she was also healing herself. Wrapping the blanket carefully around her, he picked up the small child and brought her to his chest. Climbing back out of the crater he came face to face with his speechless team.

"It's a child." Kane whispered stunned.

"She can't be more than five." Renjiro hummed as he looked at the small face.

"Where did she come from?" Sadao frowned.

Sakumo shrugged. "I haven't a clue." He gazed down at the small body in his arms and made a decision.

"She protected us. We'll take her back to Konoha and get our answers there." He jerked a chin at the Suna shinobi. "Get them ready for travel."

"Hai taicho." The group chorused.

Sakumo and his team raced back to Konoha with the bound, sealed, and unconscious Suna nins on their shoulders while Sakumo carried the still unconscious form of the blonde child. His finger solely traced the strange whisker like scars on her face. He wondered why they hadn't healed yet.

The group stopped once during the night to rest. Sakumo still hadn't let go of the blonde child as she rested against his chest. Kane approached the duo with a brush in hand. Sakumo gave her a grateful look and helped sit the child up enough to brush out the long locks. When detangled, Kane swiftly braided it back and tied it off. Her smaller hands ran through the bangs that rested against the child's jaw.

"She looks familiar." Kane frowned as she spun some of the golden strands between her fingers.

"Namikaze Minato." Renjiro hummed from his place near the fire. Keeping it low from detection, but hot enough to keep the chill from the night at bay.

Sadako raised a brow at his teammate. "He's not the only blonde in Konoha you know?"

"Hm, no. There are the Yamanaka Clan, but they are a pale blonde." He pointed the kunai he'd been sharpening to the blonde child in question. "That is not Yamanaka Blonde. That is Namikaze Blonde. Remember that brat graduated with my class. I'd know that shade anywhere."

The remaining teammates shared meaningful looks before Sakumo cleared his throat.

"Whether the girl is a long lost relative of Namikaze-San or not, she will be taken to Konoha, questioned, and hopefully will join our ranks. She is already so powerful at this age."

"Who says she isnt a spy?" Sadao grunted.

Sakumo sighed at his paranoid teammate.

"I'm not saying she isn't. I'd be more suspicious if she hadn't just fallen out of the sky. If she had just walked up to us conscious with a half assed story I'd hand her right over to T&I. But she did come from the sky. Explain that to me. Then I'll be less suspicious of her not being a spy."

Sadao grunted. Kane hid a smile in her hand. Renjiro rolled his eyes at their captain.

"If you two are done, we need to set up for night watch." Renjiro huffed and walked off with Kane.

Sakumo got out his own bedroll as gently as he could to not disturb the child resting against his chest before lying down and holding her close to keep the chill off.

Morning camp quickly as the team continued back to Konoha with their cargo. Sakumo kept his glance mostly ahead and his senses on high alert. Due to this, he was able to feel the twitch of the fingers resting against his arm. His eyes shot down and daze Cerulean blue eyes looked up at him. He smiled down at her gently.

"Good afternoon sweetie. Do not worry, you're safe."

Cerulean blues looked up at him confused before glancing up to his hitai-ate. Recognition flashed briefly, before she let out a sigh and those bright orbs closed once again.

Mina could feel the wind against her skin. It was soothing when her skin still felt so sensitive. As her senses continued to return to her, she realized that the melody that has been keeping her calm was the beat of a heart. A strong one. Her sense of smell returned next, and Mina almost swore it was Kakashi holding her. But no, it was similar but different. Kakashi always smelled like ozone, paper and like his ninken. What she smelled now was still ozone, but lacked the paper smell. Instead it was more a wild smell of nature. She smelled canine, but it wasn't normal, more wild.

The slight up and down feeling in her stomach told her that they were tree hopping. The man carrying her was followed by three stronger signatures, and six weaker signatures.

Slowly she opened her eyes and was glad for the canopy above them. The sun was high. She resisted letting out a groan at the stabbing pain from the light in her eyes. But when it faded she looked up when she heard a deep voice.

"Good Afternoon sweetie. Do not worry, you're safe."

Mina looked up at the face above her as it slowly came into view. She frowned at it. Was she really in the past? Why was Kakashi carrying her?

Her vision cleared a bit more and as she saw the covered face, she noticed the lack of scar and sharingan. That and as her eyes drifted further up, silver locks were spikey, but long and pulled back into a low tail. She relaxed at the sight of the Konoha Hitai-ate. The clues slowly came together in her muddled mind.

Ah. It's Kakashi's dad. Hatake Sakumo.

Letting out a relieved sigh, Mina let sleep pull her back under. Her body was still sore from shrinking to a helpless child. That and the impact with the earth.

The next time Minashi woke it was to the feeling of chakra signatures. Not just one, but many. Oh, so many. Don't cry. She reminded herself. But they still came. Tears slid past her closed lids and a calloused finger gently wiped them away. There are so many of them.

[Welcome home kit.]

A low voice whispered in her mind. Tired and chakra exhausted. She felt the fuzzball stop his fight with unconsciousness, needing to watch over her when she couldn't do it herself.

'Sleep friend. I'm aware enough to watch my back.' A hum was all she got back in return.

Opening her eyes she looked up into Sakumo's deep coal eyes that shone with kindness.

"Hello Sweetie." He greeted with a small smile.

Mina chose not to speak. A plan already been discussed before her travel back. She had to play quite genius with amnesia. So instead of replying she glanced to her right where the trees were thinning and the gates were coming into view. She let her eyes widen at the sight of the massive red doors. Sakumo and his team landed and walked up to the gate guards.

"Hatake-san!" a Chuunin she didn't recognize greeted with a grin. "Good to see you all back!"

"Ah. Hiroki-san, Isao-san. It's good to be home."

Sakumo glanced at his team and they disappeared by shunshin to deliver their cargo to T&I.

"Who do you got there Hatake-san?" Isao asked as he came around his partner to look at the almost doll like girl in the older man's arm. She was so tiny!

Sakumo glanced down to the finally awake child in his arms. She couldn't be anymore than four years old. Another reason for his belief that she wasn't a spy. Kami his son was four and just entered the academy. But only because he's always been a prodigy.

"This for now is Chise-chan. She's just recently woken up. I'd love to help enable your gossiping ways, but I must go to the hokage to see if we can find out her actual name."

The two Chuunin shared glances before smirking at Sakumo. Sakumo grunted and shunshined away before they could inquire more.

Minashi held back the roll of her eyes at the guards. Were gate guards all the same? Gossiping little brats? Well actually, she was the brat now wasn't she?

Minashi closed her eyes again and rested against Sakumo's chest as she let the feelings of all the Chakra signatures wash over her. Many she didn't recognize at all. But two stood out the most. One she had only had a brief moment to feel and recognize. The other more familiar after spending a few years fighting side by side with him. Her parents. Their signatures weren't as strong as she remembers, but still powerful all the same. Kushina's she realized was distorted a bit though. She must already be working to live without the kyuubi.

The other she recognized was the old man himself. Bright, clear, and powerful as a pillar. She smiled to herself at the feel of it.

She let her eyes open as the wind brushed against her cheeks. Her eyes took in what of Konoha she could as Sakumo jumped from roof to roof. With an easy stride he landed before the Hokage tower and made his way in. She felt the stares of curious eyes but dismissed them.

A brief flash of yellow caught her gaze and her eyes moved to look at it. There just as Sakumo passed him, a young Yellow Flash stood with wide Cerulean eyes. He looked barely 15 or 16. Minashi let her eyes shut to fake exhaustion and to hide her emotions. She'd already seen the many flash through young Minato's. Surprise, shock, curiosity, and –kami- Hope. There had been such a large look of hope on his face before it had been blocked by her own shut eyes.

Soon. Soon papa. No, It's nii-san now. Soon nii-san. Give me time to get stronger and I'll find a way to your side.

So lost in her thoughts, she suddenly found herself much closer to the Sandaime's signature. Her eyes snapped open as her eyes shot to him. Her eyes widened at him surprised. He looked so young. No massive wrinkles-only little ones, no liver spots. But he still had that pipe of his. She held back her fond feelings as the scent of his filled her nose. Smoke, paper, ink, and-she wrinkled her nose. Monkey. It was much stronger now. It had always been faint. Must be because he must still find time to train with his loyal summons.

Letting out a sneeze, Minashi wiped at her nose with the blanket and frowned at the pipe.

Sarutobi chuckled but didn't put it away. "Sensitive nose there little one?" he called.

Minashi kept quiet but let her displeasure at the scent show on her face even if it was a little okay to her. But she had a role to play and being melancholy was not a good way to get a start.

When she didn't speak, Sarutobi raised a brow and slid his gaze up to Sakumo. "Sakumo." He greeted.

"Hokage-sama." He bowed his head respectfully. "I am here to report in for my team, but I'd also like to report our finding of this little girl. She hasn't spoken once since waking earlier this afternoon."

"Oh?" Sarutobi hummed as his eyes moved back to familiar Cerulean eyes that looked at him curiously. "What is your name child?"

Minashi blinked and tilted her head confused.

"Do you remember your name?" Sakumo asked instead and Sarutobi looked sharply at his best Jounin.

"Remember?" Sarutobi asked for more with just the one question.

"Hai." He opened his mouth but hesitated. "Her arrival was very unorthodox. We feared she was actually dead, or whatever was in the crater was a weapon sent from Suna. Instead, we found her unconscious and covered in her own blood as her wounds healed before our eyes." He paused and felt his face warm. "Actually, she hasn't left the blanket because we had nothing that would have fit her. She arrived stark naked."

Sarutobi blinked surprised before flicking his wrist. An ANBU dropped down.

"Fetch some temporary clothes for the girl. Make it quick."

"Hai. Hokage-sama." The ANBU disappeared.

Sarutobi put his pipe back between his lips as he looked at the blue eyed child before him.

"How did she arrive?"

Sakumo twitched. "A golden ball of light crashed into the clearing. The Chakra signature was massive. I thought it was back up from Suna, but they fell back as well and looked just as shocked. I then thought you had someone powerful hidden and sent them. But then after she landed massive chakra constructs appeared and knocked out all the Suna-nin. At my approach another one appeared. It looked like an arm of some sort before it disappeared. I took that as approval and then wrapped her up from there. She woke briefly this afternoon before waking again this evening as we arrived at the gates."

Sarutobi just blinked at him. "She arrived in a ball of light?"

Sakumo sighed and shrugged. "More like a meteor."

Sarutobi looked at the innocent eyes before him. "And she lived?"

"Some sort of Kekkei Genkai?" Sakumo guessed before a small flare of chakra was the warning before the ANBU arrive back with a small scroll. They handed it to the Hokage who opened it to reveal a simple white dress, black leggings, and black sandals.

Once handed over the girl eagerly took them and shimmied into them beneath the blanket. As she straightened back up, a flash of color caught Sarutobi's eyes and he stiffened as he saw what it was. That was impossible. His Chakra flared and the girl's eyes shot to his. He saw it then. A flash of knowing.

"Sakumo, leave her here. I will send for you when everything is straightened out."

Sakumo stiffened. "Hokage-"

"Leave." Sarutobi ordered sternly. Sakumo looked to the girl and cerulean blues just blinked at him innocently.

"Hai." He grit his teeth.

As soon as the door shut behind him, a flare of chakra was the only warning Minashi had as the privacy seals went up and two ANBU dropped down at her sides at the Hokage's silent order.

"Who are you and how did you get that necklace?" he growled as Killer Intent filled the room.

Minashi just blinked and tilted her head at him, easily brushing off his KI. She'd felt the KI of the Jyuubi. The Sandaime's had nothing on that beast.

Slowly Minashi raised her hand and pointed to her head. Sarutobi narrowed his eyes at her.

"Get me Yamanaka Inojiro. NOW." He ordered.

A third ANBU signature disappeared from the room and Minashi just held the Hokage's gaze for the ten minutes it took for the ANBU to find and return with the Yamanaka clan head. The Confused but curious clan head looked around the office until his pale green eyes landed on bright Cerulean blues. He frowned and looked to his leader.

"Hokage-sama?"

"Mind scan her. Now." He ordered sharply as he stood to join in the jutsu.

Inojiro blanked his face to not show his displeasure. "Hokage-sama, children are harder to read and it put them at great risk-"

"She is the one that requested it." He said firmly even as his sharp eyes hadn't left the girl.

Inojiro blinked startled and looked back at the child to see her bow her head at him and take a seat. He sighed and pulled a chair before her own. With a quick mold of his chakra, and a flash of signs he placed a hand on her head and one on the Hokage. Gently he guided himself and the Hokage into her mind.