A/N - Alrighty, it's been quite some time since I last updated this story. Since I recently uploaded a new chapter for Heat of Dangerous Proportions, I wanted to update this story next. The chapter is a bit shorter than my normal length, but I think the spot I ended this chapter off at was the perfect place to do so.

Anyways, I need to warn everyone that there IS a lemon near the end of the chapter. Hopefully it's tasteful and you enjoy it. If not, then I apologize for offending you.

Alright, with all of that out of the way, it's time to get on with the show! Enjoy!

Warning! There is a lemon in this chapter! Don't like it? No need to read it. Just skip over it!

Chapter 12 - The New Hokage!

Naruko and Hinata frowned as they glanced around. "It looks like they're all gone...I wonder what could have caused that to happen." Hinata said, sounding a bit unsure.

Before Naruko could reply, they heard a voice from behind them. "That's because their leader is dead. The Suna ninja found out the hard way that their Kazekage was killed and replaced by Orochimaru, so they've decided to surrender. The Oto ninja? Well, Orochimaru is dead, so, like the cowards they are, they fled. Of course, they won't get very far…"

Both girls jumped at the sudden voice and turned around to see Jiraiya standing there, looking at them with a smile. "You both did very well here. Still, there is something else that requires our attention…" he said cryptically.

Before either girl could question what he meant, they heard a rather high-pitched shriek that caused them to cover their ears. Once it had passed, they looked and saw the Ichibi off in the distance. "Oh shit. What the hell is a bijuu doing here?!" Naruko questioned, sounding a bit frightened of what she was seeing.

"It's that Gaara kid. Naruto's fighting him right now, so it should be fine, but I'd like it very much if you could come and help me with Gaara's seal once Naruto's done with him."

Hinata went wide-eyed at this and asked, "Then shouldn't we help him?! It's dangerous to try and fight a bijuu on his own!"

Jiraiya shook his head. "Trust me, if we interfered now, we'd only be getting in the way. I promise that if things look to be getting out of control, I'll step in and do something. However, right now, we should leave this fight to Naruto."

The fourteen year-old Hyuga scowled and shouted, "I don't want my Naru-kun getting hurt because we stood back and did NOTHING! There has to be something we can do to help him!"

Naruko's eyebrow twitched at Hinata's declaration of Naruto being 'hers', but she decided to ignore that for now. "Hinata-chan, I know exactly how you feel. But you're a close-range fighter, and with your style, there's not much you can do to help. As for me? I truly believe that it's better to let Naruto handle this fight than for me to get involved. Sure, my fuinjutsu could probably help, but…"

Jiraiya sighed before he placed a hand on both of their heads. "Relax. Naruto will be just fine. Have a little more faith in the guy. He's a good kid with a good head on his shoulders. He knows what he's doing."

Hinata looked reluctant to just let it be, but after weighing her options, she realized that she really didn't have any way to fight a bijuu at this moment in time. However, she was determined to change that, just in case her future boyfriend had to deal with something like this ever again. "Fine. You're right. I can't do anything. But I swear that I'm going to become strong enough to take on a damn bijuu soon. I refuse to let Naru-kun fight alone against beasts like that ever again."

Jiraiya smiled down at the Hyuga heiress and nodded his head. "Sounds like a plan to me. Now, follow me. We're going to get closer, and once we see our chance, we'll move in and subdue Gaara. We need to fix that shoddy piece of fuinjutsu. Damn Ichibi's driven Gaara to the point of insanity and won't even let the kid sleep."

Naruko grimaced at that and shook her head. "Damn. That would certainly explain a few things. Not being able to sleep would drive anyone to the brink of insanity, but throwing a crazed bijuu into the mix? That's just a recipe for disaster."

"Yep. Which is why, once Naruto's finished beating the shit out of him, we're fixing that seal. Now c'mon!" Jiraiya said before he leapt off, the two young women following him just moments later.

Naruto

Naruto was leaping around from tree to tree, doing his best to avoid every damn tendril Shukaku sent his way in an attempt to ensnare him and potentially kill him. As he leapt around, he slapped a few seal tags down on various branches until he had surrounded the Ichibi on all sides with his traps.

Upon slapping down the final seal tag, Naruto avoided one last tendril and formed a single hand seal. When the seals activated, dozens of chains made of pure chakra shot forth and ensnared the mighty bijuu, restricting its movements. As it thrashed and struggled against the chains, Naruto couldn't help but grin to himself. "Too easy." he said as he slipped around to one of the beasts blind spots.

Looking up at Gaara's unconscious body atop the bijuu's head, Naruto took out another seal tag and wrapped it around a single kunai. Throwing it directly at Gaara's head, he waited until just the right moment before activating the seal, causing a rather loud explosion in Gaara's face that not only hurt him, but snapped him awake as well.

As soon as Gaara came to, the bijuu released a scream before crumbling. As his opponent began to fall, Naruto leapt up and caught him in his arms before hopping down to the ground. Setting Gaara down, Naruto said, "Just sit there and relax. Try anything and I'll take action against you, got it? My friend, Kurama, wants to have a talk with the Ichibi inside of you, Shukaku. So please just sit still."

Gaara slowly nodded and watched as Naruto held out his fist. Looking at it for a moment, he slowly lifted up his right arm and brought his fist against Naruto's. When he felt a connection between the two of them, he closed his eyes and delved into his mindscape.

Opening his eyes, Gaara looked around at the blank, white space around him before his eyes rested on the mighty Shukaku. After a moment, he turned and watched as Naruto and the Kyuubi came into view. "W-What's going on?" he questioned uneasily.

Naruto simply held a finger up to his mouth in a shushing motion. Deciding not to question it, Gaara nodded and watched as the Kyuubi smacked Shukaku to the ground with one of its mighty paws. I really don't understand what's going on here.

Kurama snarled at Shukaku and said, "Shukaku! I don't know what the hell is going on with you, but Father would never have wanted you to act this way! I understand your hatred of Humans. I don't like them either. However, you're tormenting your vessel and causing him to live through a Hell I wouldn't wish on anybody. You're not even letting him sleep, are you?! Answer me, Shukaku! Why are you doing this?"

Shukaku stood again and looked into Kurama's eyes. "I can't stand it, Kurama! Humans have done nothing but use us and treat us like monsters for so damn long now, I can barely remember a time when they didn't! They've sealed all of us inside of Humans that do nothing but take and take and never bother to truly get to know us for who we are. I've had ONE good Human friend and he's gone now. Besides that, I just...I don't understand them. Humans MAKE their own kind into jinchuriki and then treat them like they're monsters. Yes, I've made my container's life a living hell, but he fucking deserves it! His father was a damn MONSTER! Forcing me into his unborn son while he was in his mother's womb. She died in childbirth because of his choice! A boy NEEDS to have their parents, but his father sentenced his own wife to death, simply because Gaara was the best choice to 'contain' me. I really don't understand Humans, and I don't think I ever WANT to. They're corrupt, they're evil, and they abuse us and our power!"

Kurama sighed and nodded his head in understanding. "I'll admit that you've got a point, Shukaku. Humans can be rotten and cruel. However, Father would never have wanted this for us. He wanted peace and love between all. And I'll admit to hating a few of my vessels, because after sealing me, they ignored me and started passing me off like a damn family heirloom. Hell, Kushina kept me pinned to a damn meteor with hundreds of chains piercing me. My time inside of her was HORRIBLE! However, despite all of this, I never stopped believing in Father's dream. I refused to let Humans corrupt me and my views on the world. That kid you're sealed inside of now? His father may have been a monster, but you could've helped Gaara be a much better person in comparison. Instead, you've driven him insane and made his life harder than it needed to be. Gaara has done NOTHING to you. I'm sure if you just talked to him and gotten to know him, you could have been best friends. I'll admit that when I was first sealed inside of my current vessel, I didn't hold out high hopes that he'd be any different. However, I've had more freedom than in either of my previous vessels, and we've even become friends, oddly enough. It helps that he doesn't draw on my power unless there's no other choice. On top of that, Naruto reminds me of Father."

The Kyuubi sighed and closed his eyes. "Shukaku, I know you've been through hell. I know you're pissed off, and I know you're hurting inside. But please, give Gaara a chance and prove that you aren't just a monster to be used by people. Whether we like it or not, Humans have abused us and treated us like we're just a bunch of big, dumb monsters. I'll never forgive Hashirama Senju for trading my siblings away and teaching people how to seal us so that they could create jinchuriki of their own. We're living beings with our own feelings, our own thoughts…"

Sighing sadly once more, the Kyuubi opened its eyes and looked into Shukaku's eyes. "Shukaku...you can be better than what they think you are. Don't let the Humans win. I recommend you start by befriending your current vessel. You might be pleasantly surprised at how freeing it is to make friends like that. Shukaku...I love you. You're my beautiful baby sister. I only want the best for you and for the rest of our siblings. I...I really hope we can all be free again one day so we can be together again. But for now, try to be happy with your new vessel."

Naruto and Gaara both blinked in shock at what was just said. Naruto, deciding to voice the question on both their minds, asked, "Wait, sister? Shukaku's a girl? But she has such a masculine voice!"

Shukaku sighed and took a moment to change into her Human form. In place of the mighty bijuu that was once there was now a tall, beautiful young woman that appeared to be in her mid-to-late teens. She has chestnut brown hair that extended past her posterior and her left eye was covered by her bangs. Her visible eye was a golden yellow with a slit pupil. She had an ample bosom, being a D-cup in size. She was wearing a sandy-colored dress that had a slit up the side, revealing a lot of her left leg.

Looking at the beautiful young woman, Gaara and Naruto couldn't help but blush at the sight of her. "Wow." Gaara muttered quietly. However, Shukaku and Kurama had obviously heard as they wore matching smirks.

"See?" Shukaku asked in a lovely, feminine voice. "Our bijuu forms tend to have deeper voices, unfortunately. But as you can see, I am very much a woman."

Kurama chuckled at their dumbstruck faces. "Before you two get any ideas about me, I'm a guy. And besides that, I happen to like this form."

Naruto and Gaara nodded in understanding before looking back at Shukaku. "Shukaku-san? Do you think you could try and get along with Gaara now? He deserves to be able to get some sleep, don't you think?"

Shukaku looked at Gaara stoically for a moment before she released a sigh and reluctantly nodded her head. "I can certainly try to get along with him. However, I must ask something in return."

The redhead nodded slowly. "If there's anything I can do to help…"

The beautiful bijuu looked him square in the eye and said, "I want you to let me out on occasion. I'll form a contract with you that will allow me out of your body, out of the seal, for short periods of time. I'll appear in this form so as not to cause a panic. I just want a tiny bit of freedom. But...as a long term goal, I want you to find a way to release me without killing yourself in the process. Do you think you can manage that?"

Gaara frowned in thought for a time before nodding his head slowly. "I can, but in exchange, I want you to allow me to sleep. You've always threatened to take control if I ever went to sleep, and I'm honestly just too tired to continue like this any longer. If you can promise not to torment me like that anymore, I'll gladly cooperate with you."

"It's a deal then." Shukaku said with a sultry smile on her face. Shaking Gaara's hand, she soon looked at Naruto and eyed him for a moment like he was a piece of meat. "As for you, I'm honestly a bit surprised. I never expected Kurama to become so fond of his container. You must be something truly special to have earned his respect. Given the chance, I'd like to get to know you better to see what is so special about you. For now though, we've got people watching us outside, so if we're finished here, let's get the hell out of here."

Naruto smiled at Shukaku and said, "I'd like to get to know you better too, Shukaku-san. I'm sure you've got some interesting stories to tell, and I'd like to think we could be good friends."

Nodding her head in agreement, Shukaku soon waved goodbye and disappeared from sight. Once she was gone, Kurama looked at his vessel and said, "She's right. We should get going. Come on, Kit."

Naruto shot one last look at Gaara before he and Kurama exited the shared mindscape. Once he was alone, Gaara frowned and said, "I sure hope this all works out…" before he, too, vanished from the mindscape.

Outside

Upon coming to, Naruto and Gaara were immediately aware of the presence of both Anbu and Jiraiya's group of three. Gaara prepared to go on the defensive, but Naruto placed a comforting hand on Gaara's shoulder. "Whoa there, easy Gaara. They won't hurt you, I promise."

Gaara looked searchingly into Naruto's eyes before slowly nodding his head. Before he could speak, however, Jiraiya spoke up. "Gaara, would you mind if I had a look at your seal? If I'm correct, it's a shoddy piece of fuinjutsu and I'd very much like to fix it. It might help you in the long run."

Naruto looked up at Jiraiya and said, "Shukaku has agreed to work with Gaara. If you do fix his seal, please leave it open, to a point, so they can sufficiently work together as a duo. They're partners now and I think they deserve to be able to communicate with each other and be friends."

Jiraiya nodded in understanding before he motioned Naruko forward. "Naruko-chan, come and have a look at this seal with me. I'd like to hear your ideas about how to improve it."

Naruko nodded and stepped past Naruto so she could have a look at Gaara's seal. After a while of studying it, she looked to Jiraiya and began to give her opinion on it.

As she and Jiraiya spoke, Naruto turned to Hinata and decided to strike up a conversation with her. "Hinata? Can we speak in private for a bit?"

Hinata nodded and led him off so they could be alone. Once they were, she turned to Naruto with a bright smile on her face. "What's wrong, Naru-kun?"

Naruto sighed and rubbed at the back of his head. "Hinata...your actions earlier during the finals...while I'm flattered, you were...kind of 'pushy'. I'm not upset with you or anything, so please don't misunderstand, but there's something you should know. I love my fiances very much, and I want them to be happy. If you want to be with me, I need to know that you will all get along and learn to share me equally. You intentionally antagonized my fiances with your actions, and I'd like to know why. So can you explain to me why you acted the way you did?"

The lavender-eyed beauty frowned for a moment as she tried to gather her thoughts. After a moment, she sighed and said, "For so long now, I've been this timid, shy mess. I had no confidence in myself and I felt like shit because...because of how things are in my clan. Neji was a frequent abuser of mine, and in the preliminaries...because of how horrible he's been to me and because I just couldn't take the abuse anymore, I ended any chance he had at continuing his career as a ninja. I just...couldn't take it anymore. I had to change myself, and I decided that I would actively go after what I wanted, even if it cost me in the end."

Sighing, she closed her eyes and shook her head. "I...I know my actions were 'wrong', in a sense, but I wanted to show you and your fiances that you're who I want to spend my life with. I love you so much and I have for the longest time. You were the first person to show me any kindness, and the more I got to know you, the more I was certain that you were my destined one. So...despite knowing that my actions would antagonize your fiances...I decided to lay my claim to you out in the open. I'm...sorry if I upset you. I'm sorry if I upset your fiances. I just...I finally feel free to be myself and do what I want...I just...I don't know. Okay?"

As Hinata began to cry, Naruto sighed and walked over to her, wrapping her in a warm embrace. He just let her cry into his chest as he slowly rubbed his hands up and down her back. Once she had finally calmed, he gave her a light kiss atop her head. "Hinata-chan, I understand. I have a suggestion for you, if you're willing to hear me out?"

Hinata looked up into his eyes and asked, "W-What is it?"

Smiling at her, Naruto gently brushed a few locks of hair behind her ear. "You need to get away from your clan. It's a hostile environment for you and I really think you'd be better off if you moved into my home. You'd be away from all the bad influences in your life and you'd probably start feeling a lot better if you were away from them. This will also have the added effect of allowing you to get to know my fiances. Spend time with them and become friends with them. Okay? We can discuss my 'harem' situation later, after you've all had the time to get to know one another better. If they are comfortable with it, then sure, I'll be your boyfriend. But right now, I think you really need to get away from your clan. Okay?"

Looking into Naruto's eyes, tears still streaming down her cheeks, Hinata nodded slowly and allowed a true smile onto her face. "T-Thank you, Naru-kun. Do...do you think you and Kushina-sama could help me move out of the Hyuga compound? My father...I don't think he'll be too happy I'm moving out. He doesn't exactly think the best of me, and he's always treating me like I'm just some disappointment to him, but still…"

Naruto kissed her forehead before saying, "We'll help you. If need be, we can talk to the Old Man, er, Hokage-sama, and get him to help us. You deserve better than being trapped in a toxic environment. I can tell you're a good person, Hinata-chan. I'm glad you're trying to change yourself for the better, but don't push yourself into being something you don't want to be, okay? Be the kind of woman, the kind of person, you want to be."

Hinata smiled brightly at this and nodded her head. "Of course. Thank you, Naru-kun!" she exclaimed before she kissed him sweetly on the lips. Afterwards, she rested her head against his chest and quietly said, "I love you."

Naruto held her snug against him and said, "I know."

Later

Yure looked around at the various members of the council. When her eyes landed on Kushina and Mikoto, she nodded her head at them in greeting. Looking at Hiruzen at this point, she asked, "So why am I here? I'm assuming there's a reason the 'esteemed' Council wanted to see me?"

Hiruzen sighed and shook his head. "Forgive the rudeness, Yure-sama. But some of the people here seem…'suspicious' of you and your origins. Especially after you managed to single-handedly kill Orochimaru and essentially ended the invasion before things could escalate out of control." What went unsaid, but what was understood by Hiruzen's subtle gestures, was quite clear to Yure. Danzo's involved.

The Shinigami looked coldly at Danzo and said, "I see. Perhaps the concerned party would care to speak up?"

Danzo narrowed his eye and subtly began to cast his Kotoamatsukami genjutsu. "You are an unknown entity that infiltrated our village and took a peculiar interest in some of our people, namely those connected with one Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze. Then you proceeded to infiltrate the Chunin Exam finals, somehow reserving an entire section of the arena for yourself and your 'friends'. And finally, you managed to get through a barrier even our Anbu couldn't break through and killed Orochimaru, a traitor to our village. If that isn't suspicious, I don't know what is."

Yure quirked a brow and asked, "Are you done?" When Danzo flinched, she smirked cruelly at him before disappearing from her position and reappearing in front of Danzo with her hand holding his hidden Sharingan eye up for all to see. "People, I give you this village's biggest traitor: Danzo Shimura. Attempting to use this Sharingan eye he stole from Shisui Uchiha to cast a rather powerful genjutsu on me. To make matters worse…" Here, she ripped off Danzo's bandages, revealing his grotesque arm with Hashirama's face and littered with Sharingan eyes. "Danzo has worked with Orochimaru both before he fled the village and after. Danzo is responsible for Orochimaru being able to sneak into the village and get as far as he did. On top of that, he is the mastermind behind the Uchiha Massacre, playing both sides so he could get what he wanted: Shisui Uchiha's eyes and as many Sharingan as he could gather."

Putting a single finger against Danzo's forehead, she activated her Death's Touch and watched as he began to slowly wither away. He tried to activate his Sharingan's ability to cheat death, but he soon found out that that ability was inaccessible to him so long as she maintained contact. "Danzo attempted to ally with Hanzo the Salamander in an attempt to seize control of Konoha by force. However, all he succeeded in doing was earning Konoha yet ANOTHER enemy in the form of the Akatsuki's leaders: Nagato and Konan. Danzo claims to be a patriot and claims that everything he's ever done was for Konoha. This is all a LIE! Danzo has only ever looked out for himself and his own interests. And when Hiruzen Sarutobi ordered Root to be disbanded, Danzo kept it going in secret, stealing orphans from orphanages and taking children from each of the clans of Konoha so they could be brainwashed and used in his organization. Danzo is a criminal of the highest order and deserves to rot in the belly of the Shinigami…"

Yure grinned evilly and transformed into her Shinigami form. "Me!" she exclaimed before ripping out Danzo's soul and swallowing it. Once he was dead, Yure turned to the rest of the room and asked, "Does anyone else wish to question me and my actions?"

The majority of people in the room were shivering in fear. The only ones not affected were Hiruzen, Kushina, and Mikoto. "I think they get the picture now, Yure-sama." Hiruzen said, offering her his grandfatherly smile.

The Shinigami nodded and reverted back into her human form. Looking around at everyone, she said, "I show mercy when a situation calls for it. However, very few are deserving of my mercy, and so it is not freely given. My interest in Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze and his family is, quite frankly, none of your concern. I will not be questioned by you worthless peons! I do not answer to you, I am not one of your ninja, I am not your friend. If angered, I will take action. Orochimaru offended me on a deep level and so he suffered the consequences for it. Nobody cheats death, and nobody is allowed to steal the dead from me in the way he attempted to. Now, do you understand me, or do I need to demonstrate my power and my wrath?"

Everyone quickly nodded in understanding, choosing against pissing off the Shinigami anymore than she already was. Seeing that everyone understood not to cross her, Yure turned to Kushina with a smile. "Kushina-chan, we'll talk later. For now, I'm leaving. I need to cool off." And with that, Yure vanished, leaving behind an icy cold mist in her wake.

Once the mist faded, Hiruzen turned to his old teammates, Koharu and Homura, and smirked. "So, you two got lucky. You've been going behind my back and working with Danzo for quite some time. Now that he's gone, that leaves you two to face the consequences of his actions. Anbu, take these two to T&I. Tell Ibiki and his men that I want to know everything."

Everyone watched as the Anbu appeared and took the two elders into custody before vanishing with them. As soon as they were gone, Hiruzen looked around at the various members of the council with his usual, grandfatherly smile. "Now that all of that is out of the way, I have an announcement I'd like to make." Looking around again, he soon settled his eyes on Kushina. "I am stepping down as Hokage. I've served as Hokage for a long time now, and I think it's high time that I retired. I should never have had to retake the mantle of Hokage to begin with, as my successor, Minato Namikaze, should have lived a long, full life. However, circumstances were against us and Minato met an untimely end."

Sighing softly, Hiruzen closed his eyes for a moment and said, "This wasn't an easy decision to make, as I know that people will be looking to the Hokage for guidance in this time. However, I feel it's time to pass the hat onto a new person, someone who is more than worthy of the mantle of Hokage. It is my hope that the new Hokage will not be afraid to do what needs to be done. After suffering through an invasion and such a major betrayal on Danzo's part, we need someone strong in spirit and in body to come through for us."

Looking into Kushina's eyes, Hiruzen said, "With that in mind, I have chosen Kushina Uzumaki as my successor. She will be your Fifth Hokage, and I have full confidence that she can perform this job far better than I ever could. I plan to announce my retirement in a couple of days so I can officially hand the hat and robes to Kushina."

Kushina blinked in shock and was finding it hard to formulate a proper response to this sudden declaration. "W-What? Me?"

Hiruzen smiled at her and nodded his head. "Yes, Kushina. You. Will you accept the position and do me proud?"

The Uzumaki clan head slowly looked around the room to see everyone looking at her expectantly. Turning her attention back to the Third Hokage, she sighed and nodded her head. "Sure, old timer. I'll become the Fifth Hokage. Wish you would've talked to me about this beforehand though."

The Third chuckled a bit and shook his head. "I would have, but then I wouldn't have been able to see the look of shock on your face when you were announced as my successor." he said with a devilish smirk on his face. "Surprise."

Kushina narrowed her eyes on him and said, "If you want to start a prank war, I assure you that you'll regret it, Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen couldn't help but bellow out a laugh. "I'm not looking to start anything, Kushina-chan. This was a one-time thing, and I figured that I'd go out with a small prank. I only wanted to have a bit of fun before I retired for good this time."

The redhead sighed, but nodded her head in understanding. "Of course, Hokage-sama. Now, is there anything else we need to go over, or can we head on home and get some rest now?"

The aged Hokage shook his head and said, "Nothing tonight. However, I want everyone to meet here tomorrow morning at 6:00 sharp so we can discuss a few matters. It's late, so I want everyone to go home and get some sleep."

After leaving the room, Kushina started walking aside Mikoto, who couldn't stop smirking at her. Sighing to herself, Kushina looked at Mikoto and said, "Stop it."

Mikoto giggled to herself and said, "So, the Fifth Hokage, huh? How's it feel Miss Superstar?"

Sighing again, the beautiful redhead said, "I'm not sure. Part of me is incredibly happy that I finally get to be the Hokage. Another part is bothered by it. I don't know how to explain it, but I guess part of me feels like I'm not the right person for the job?" she asked with a shrug.

The ravenette looked at her friend with a frown and reached up, gently grasping her arm. When Kushina turned to face her, Mikoto reached up with her other finger and flicked Kushina in the nose. "You're the perfect person for the job and you know it, Kushina. I don't want to hear this defeatist talk coming from you ever again. You're going to be a great Hokage. Believe it."

Kushina quirked her brow at Mikoto before she began to giggle. "Really? Believe it? Oh, you're too much sometimes, Miko-chan."

"Hey! I'm being serious here!" Mikoto exclaimed before pouting at her friend. "Not nice to tease me, Kushina-chan." Kushina and Mikoto couldn't help but giggle after that as they made their way to their shared home.

Upon entering their home, they were a little surprised to see Naruto and Naruko awake and chatting with each other in the kitchen. It seemed they were preparing a little late night snack for themselves. "Shouldn't you two be sleeping?" Kushina asked.

Naruto and Naruko looked at their mother and shook their heads. "Maybe, but we can't sleep. Today's been hectic and I know I've got too much going on up in my head to get any decent amount of sleep." Naruto said.

Naruko shrugged her shoulders and said, "I'm kind of in the same boat. It doesn't help that Hinata's here and I don't trust her not to sneak into Naru-kun's room while he's asleep."

Kushina and Mikoto both blinked at that. "Hinata's here? What's she doing here?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head before he took a seat at the table, setting his cup of tea down on the table before him. "I invited her to live here with us from now on. Just being with her clan is an awful situation for her. Her father's been an asshole to her most of her life. Always putting her down and making her feel unloved. Her cousin, Neji, was always treating her like shit and making her feel even more worthless than her father did. Personally, I'm glad she finally snapped and ended his career as a shinobi. But in all seriousness, her clan is a volatile concoction that's going to push her to the point she finally just breaks. Hinata-chan needs an escape and I said that you would be willing to help her out of such a hostile environment."

Kushina sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose in frustration. "I wish you wouldn't make promises like that, Naruto-kun. But you're right, I won't let her suffer there any longer if it's really that bad. You're lucky that your mom is the new Hokage. Gives me a little more leverage to work with here."

Naruto and Naruko picked up on what she said and stared at her with wide eyes. "Wait, you're the new Hokage?! Awesome, dattebayo/dattebana!"

Kushina giggled a bit and nodded her head. "Yep, the old man surprised me with it at the council meeting. So, yay me!" Receiving a chorus of giggles, she soon sat down beside Naruto and took his hand in hers. "Before we deal with the Hinata issue, there's something I really need to talk with you and your sister about, Naruto-kun."

Mikoto, realizing what this was about, took a seat and smiled supportively at her friend. When Naruko sat down on Naruto's other side, she motioned for the young redhead to remain silent.

Kushina, seeing that she had their attention, said, "Naruto-kun, I've come to a decision regarding something that involves you and your fiances. Mikoto-chan asked me a question over the previous month that I found myself struggling with for some time. It was only today, during the final matches of the Chunin Exam, that I finally realized the truth. It was hard to accept at first, but Yure-chan helped me come to my answer."

Sighing softly, Kushina placed a gentle hand on Naruto's cheek and made him look her in the eyes. "Naruto-kun...they helped me realize how I feel about you. I...loved your dad, truly I did. But...I'm truly in love with you. I decided that I want to be with you in a romantic light, Naruto-kun. So, will you accept me as one of your potential fiances?"

Naruto and Naruko looked at her in shock. "Mom!? You...you love Naru-kun too?!"

Kushina looked at her daughter and nodded once in affirmation. "Yes, Naruko-chan. I love him very, very much."

Naruto was blushing up a storm and he was finding it very hard to formulate even a few words, let alone an entire sentence! Looking into his mother's eyes for a moment, he continued to try and figure out what the hell he should say. Then, his eyes began to wander a bit and he took in the shape of her body, the size of her breasts, her hips, her legs, her lips, and finally settling on her eyes. "Mom...I really think you're beautiful. I honestly think any man would be lucky to have you. And...I'll admit that sometimes I've, erm…"

Kushina easily picked up on what was left unsaid and smirked at him. "Oooh, so my son has fantasized about his hot mom? I wonder, just what was in these fantasies of yours, Naru-kun?" she teased.

When Naruto looked into his mother's eyes and prepared to speak, he was caught off guard when she smashed her lips against his, kissing him hungrily. Slowly, he reached up a hand and cupped her cheek, gently brushing her cheek with his thumb. As their kiss intensified, he could feel a certain part of his anatomy trying to say hello, but he did his best to keep it from being noticed.

When she finally ended the kiss, Kushina licked her lips and smiled sultrily at him. "Mmm, very nice, Na-ru-to-kun." Leaning in close, she whispered to him, "I bet you want to do far more with your naughty mommy, don't you my sweet, sexy, little man?"

Naruto blushed deeply and clenched his mouth shut tight. It didn't help though, as his mom groped his crotch and giggled to herself. "You're so hard for me, Naru-kun. You really are attracted to me, aren't you?"

Naruko was blushing, but she shouted out, "M-Mom! What the hell, dattebana?!"

Kushina grinned at Naruko as she started to massage Naruto's crotch through his pants. "What's wrong, Naruko-chan? Upset because I thought of it first?"

Before Naruko could reply, Naruto let out a pitiful whimper and said, "M-Mom...s-s-stop…"

Mikoto chose this moment to start laughing uproariously. After she calmed down, she looked between Naruko and Kushina and asked, "Why don't you two just double team him already? You know you waaaant tooooo."

Naruko blushed badly at this and covered her face with her hands. Shaking her head repeatedly, she continued to mumble something into her hands.

Kushina, meanwhile, leaned in close and began nibbling on Naruto's ear. "What do you think about that? Doesn't the thought just turn you on?"

Naruto chose this moment to do as what most might do in his position: he fainted. Seeing this, Kushina couldn't help but giggle hysterically to herself. "Too easy."

"M-Mom! Really?! Just...what the hell?! You were fondling his...his…"

Kushina smirked at her daughter and nodded her head. "Why yes, I was fondling Naruto-kun's privates. Maybe not directly, but I was, indeed, fondling his privates. Come here, you can play with them now if you want. Here, I'll even remove his pants for you…"

Naruko blushed deeply and went to say something, but after a moment's thought, she fainted too.

Mikoto couldn't help herself as she began laughing. "Kushina, I think you've teased them enough. The poor dears fainted."

Kushina took a while to get her laughter under control before she looked at Mikoto and said, "Tell me you haven't been tempted to do the exact same thing. It was just too easy! Though, I have to admit, what I felt was certainly bigger than I expected. Definitely makes me curious…"

The Uchiha clan head blinked a couple of times before she walked around the table, joining Kushina as she stared at Naruto's crotch. "Damn. Look at how hard he is! You really know how to get a reaction out of a guy, don't you Kushi-chan?"

"Like you don't? Admit it Miko-chan, you're an even better seductress than I am." Kushina said, smirking at her friend.

Mikoto blushed a bit, but didn't deny it. Instead, she lifted Naruto into her arms and said, "I'll take him to bed. You should probably get Naruko to bed too."

Kushina smirked at her friend and asked, "You sure you aren't just looking to have a little 'fun time' with him?"

Mikoto blushed deeper and, without saying a word, hurried off with Naruto towards his room. Once she was gone, Kushina giggled to herself some more before she took Naruko into her arms and carried her to her room. Miko-chan's planning to pop Naruto-kun's cherry. Sneaky bitch.

Lemon Start (Don't like, don't read)

After a short while, Naruto started regaining consciousness, only to let out a groan as he felt something incredibly pleasurable stimulating his penis. Slowly opening his eyes, he realized that he was naked and in his bed. The second thing he realized is that someone's mouth was around his erect cock. The final thing he noticed was the familiar black hair belonging to one Mikoto Uchiha. "Oh…" he said quietly as he realized what the sensation was.

Mikoto obviously heard him as she parted her bangs and looked up into his eyes. Slowly removing her lips from his cock with a 'pop!' sound echoing in the room as a result, she smirked at him and said, "Wakey wakey, Naru-kun. Miko-chan wants to play."

Naruto blushed a deep shade of red as Mikoto swung herself around so her glistening honey pot was over his face. It was at this point that he realized that just like him, Mikoto was in the nude as well. "Oh my." he said before he brought his face to her pussy and took a sniff. Before she could say anything more, he slipped his tongue inside of his beautiful fiance's vagina, probing around inside of her and causing her to moan in delight.

Mikoto, in response to Naruto's ministrations, increased her efforts to make her lover cum. Grabbing her large breasts, she enveloped his cock with them and began massaging his cock between her generous bosom. At the same time, she swirled her tongue around the tip of his cock for a time before she began sucking on the tip hungrily.

After a while of this, Naruto grunted and said, "M-Miko-chan, I'm g-gonna cum…"

Mikoto smirked at her fiance and said, "S-So am I, honey. You're making me feel so good."

After a few more moments of pleasuring each other, they both came into each other's waiting mouths. After swallowing his cum, Mikoto steadied herself for a moment before she twisted herself around again until she was hovering over his still erect cock. "Oh Naru-kun, Auntie Mikoto is going to be taking your virginity. How do you feel about that?"

Naruto glided his hands up and down Mikoto's body before eventually settling them on her hips. "M-Miko-chan, I love you. If...if that's what you want, then I'll gladly give it to you. I want to be one with you, Miko-chan."

"Good answer, Naruto-kun." she said before slowly descending on his rock hard cock, taking inch by inch inside of her until she had accepted all of his cock inside of her. "Mmm, that feels sooo good, Naru-kun. Tell me how it feels inside of your adorable Miko-chan." she said as she began lifting herself up and then dropping back down on his cock in a slow, repeating motion.

Naruto let out a long, pleasurable groan and began to gently run his fingers over his fiance's breasts, occasionally giving them a light squeeze. "You feel amazing, Miko-chan. You're squeezing me so tightly and I can barely hold myself back…"

Grinning down at him, she lowered herself so her breasts were dangling in his face and giggled happily. "Why hold yourself back, Naru-kun? Fuck your Miko-chan into a stupor. You know you waaaaant to." she teased.

Naruto grinned back at her and flipped them both over so he was on top. Without warning, he picked up the pace until the bed was rocking back and forth against the wall. As she began to scream out from the pleasure, he leaned down and took one of her nipples into his mouth, licking and sucking on it while he fondled the other breast gently, rubbing circles around her nipple with his thumb.

"Ohhh yes! Fuck your naughty Miko-chan! Fuck me good!" she screamed as she threw her arms around her lover and dug her fingernails into his back. "Oh Kami, yesssss!" she cried out as she could feel her release coming.

Naruto grunted as he continued to thrust rapidly into his fiance's tightening snatch. "K-Kami...you're getting tighter! Miko-chan...I'm going to cum. W-Where do you want it?"

"Inside, Naru-kun! Don't you even think about pulling out. I want all of your cum inside! Every last drop of it!"

"W-What if you get p-pregnant?" he asked worriedly. He could feel his release coming fast, and he wanted to be absolutely sure this is what she wanted.

Mikoto pressed her face against his and kissed him passionately before saying, "I. Don't. Care. I planned to have children with you someday, so if I get pregnant now, then all the better. Now do your job right and fuck me!"

Naruto blushed badly at this, but nodded his head and kissed her fiercely as they came together, his cum flooding her womb. When they finally parted, he gave her another quick peck on the lips before saying, "I hope you're not done. I can still go a while."

Mikoto grinned and began thrusting her hips against his, impaling herself again and again on his cock. "Oh Kami yes! More Naru-kun! Do me more!"

Naruto pulled Mikoto up so she was sitting in his lap and proceeded to thrust up into her, matching the pace she had set. Wrapping his arms tightly around her, he began to nibble and suck on her neck, leaving a couple of good hickeys on the left side of her neck. As she moaned loudly, he grinned and moved his hands down to her ass, gripping it tight as he continued to pound up into her tight pussy.

Moving his mouth to her ear, he whispered, "Miko-chan, you are such a naughty girl. Seducing a younger man like this and begging for his cum. What would the others think, hm?"

Mikoto giggled and kissed her younger lover as passionately as she could. "My response to them would be: "You snooze, you lose." They had the chance to show you a good time, but I beat them to it. You're mine, Naru-kun. My beloved sex god." she said, continuing to ride him harder and harder until they were both grunting in exertion. "Now cum for me big boy. Fill me with your seed."

Naruto nodded and kissed her lips tenderly before he moaned out, "I'm...I'm cumming, sweetheart."

The ravenette kissed him again and continued to ride him until they both came together again, her juices splashing on his lap and his seed filling her womb even more.

When they came down from their highs, Naruto turned Mikoto around and gently pushed her down so she was laying facedown against the mattress. Much to her delight, Naruto started slamming his hips against hers, fucking her deeper than before and causing her to cry out in from a mixture of pain and pleasure. "Yeeeessss! Oh Kami, don't stop! Fuck your naughty Miko-chan! Ohhh fuck, just keep it up!"

The quicker he went, the tighter she seemed to become, despite how wet she was and how slick it was inside of her. It was an interesting effect, but he certainly wasn't complaining. "I. Love. You. Mi-ko-chan." he grunted out as he continued to pound into her at a rapid pace.

When they finally came together again moments later, Naruto waited until he had finished filling her up before pulling out and flopping onto the bed beside her on his back, staring at the ceiling as he tried to catch his breath.

Lemon Ends (Safe to read again!)

Mikoto was breathing hard as well as she turned so she was lying on her side, staring into her lover's face. "That. Was. AMAZING. I've never felt so good before, Naru-kun. You…" Mikoto could feel tears streaming down her face right now and decided to hug onto Naruto tight. "You make me feel loved. You make me feel special. You make me feel right. Fugaku never made me feel this way before. Not even a little bit. I really think you were the one I was meant to be with, Naru-kun. I love you. I love you so, so much."

Naruto hugged Mikoto close and kissed her lips sweetly before he wiped away her tears. "Don't cry sweetheart. Fugaku? He...he never truly loved you. I'm sure that was evident in the bedroom too. If he did, he would have been gentler with you and kinder to you. But you're with me now and Fugaku's dead. He can't hurt you anymore, and I promise I'll always be here for you to make you feel loved. To make you feel special. I'm sorry if I was a little rough with you by the way. Kind of, y'know, got lost in the moment."

Mikoto kissed him lovingly and nestled her head into his neck. "It's fine, Naru-kun. I actually really enjoyed it with you. Like I told you, I've never felt so good. If I wasn't comfortable with what you were doing, I would have said or done something to stop you. I...I really enjoyed making love with you. And...I do hope I'm pregnant. I want to be the first to give birth to your children." she said before she kissed him again. "I love you more than anything, Naru-kun."

"I'm glad you do, sweetheart. I love you very, very much." Naruto said, holding her close. "I'm...exhausted. What do you say we get some sleep now, hm?"

Mikoto nodded and kissed him one last time before simply resting her head on his chest. "That sounds like a plan to me. I love you Naru-kun. Good night."

"Good night sweetheart."

The Next Morning

As Mikoto and Kushina entered the council chambers, it was quite evident that Mikoto had had a very good night, as she was currently walking with a bit of a limp. Seeing the attention she was getting from the other council members, she blushed deeply and grumbled a bit to herself as she handed Kushina a decent bit of money. "Okay, you were right, they noticed." she griped.

Kushina giggled to herself as she made a show of counting the money that had been given to her. "Kinda hard not to notice, Miko-chan. Besides that, you and Naru-kun forgot to activate the silencing seals, and you were very loud last night." she teased.

"Wait...what?! Crap! I knew I was forgetting something last night! Damn it!" Mikoto exclaimed, freezing in place. When she heard giggling, she looked to see the other clan heads trying to hide their chuckles. "Perverts." she grumbled out as she went and took her seat.

Soon afterwards, the aged Third Hokage walked into the chambers and took his seat at the head of the table. "Alright, I'm sure some of you might be wondering why I asked you to come here again so early in the morning. Well, before I pass on the hat to Kushina-chan, there's one last thing I need to do in my role as the Hokage. While I trust Kushina-chan to do my job properly, this last act is something I'd very much like to perform for a few precious individuals to me." Seeing he had everyone's attention, Hiruzen nodded and said, "We need to discuss the Chunin candidates and determine who, if anyone, should be promoted to the rank of Chunin. Let's begin with…"

A/N - And that's the chapter! As you can see, a lot happened. Shukaku was revealed to be a woman, Gaara's seal got fixed, Naruto invited Hinata to come live with him, etc.

Anyways, I am still undecided on whether to add Hinata to the harem or not. I know it looks like she's definitely in, but I'm honestly still unsure about whether she's in or not. So I'll leave the poll up on my profile and you can vote whether you'd like to see her in the harem or not. Because yeah, I have no idea at this point.

Also, as you can see, the first lemon was with Mikoto rather than someone like Naruko or Ino. As I was writing this chapter, it just kind of happened and I decided to roll with it. I wasn't going to complain, I just said, "Well, this went in an interesting direction." and continued down that path. I don't like to plan too much out in advance because I like to see what'll happen as I'm writing. Sometimes what I write surprises me quite a bit and I look back on the chapter and I'm like: "Damn. Did I really write that? Cool!" or something similar. So yeah, I just like to write and let whatever happens, happen. Seems to work out pretty well that way.

Anywho, no idea what I'll work on next. Hopefully you enjoy whatever it is!