Steve: And here we are with the final chapter of this update.

Hinata: It's looking good...

Yui: I like what happens between Kushina and Kyuubi in the story. A gives a good insight into Kushina's personality.

Steve: Yup. And we'll also find out a bit more about Whirlpool in this chapter as well as introducing someone into the story.

Pen-pen: Wark waar wa waa waark warrk wa wark. (Can't wait to see how you'll screw up then.)

Steve: Shut it Pen-pen. Anyways, please enjoy!

Pen-Pen: (Wark Wa WAAK arrk waark)

Hinata: Translation is "The author doesn't own Harry Potter or Naruto". He just owns this story, the plot and his insane plot-bunnies.

Why me?Shinigami/Demon/Inner-Sakura

'Who?' Thoughts

-YO!- Animal speech

'=Hey!=' Sign language

00000000000000 Chapter begins 0000000000000000

Swimming through the water, the group looks around at all the wildlife around them. As they continue, they communicate using sign language to do so. Looking to the side, Naruto raises an eyebrow as does Harry as they watch their mothers move through the water with the grace of seals. Finally notices Naruto signalling to her, Kushina swims over. "=What is it Sochi?=" Naruto just takes a breath before blowing out a stream of bubbles.

"=Kaa-san... do you have any idea as to what we'll find when we get there? In the Vault I mean?=" Becoming thoughtful, Kushina shrugs.

"=Don't rightly know Sochi. I know that there's more Arashiton. And seals...=" Seeing the look of surprise on Naruto's face, she chuckles creating a cloud of bubbles. "=Surprised? Don't be.=" She then raises a finger. "=You see Naru-chan, when an Uzumaki got injured to the point that they were unable to continue living a productive life, then they would feel useless. A few centuries ago it was decided by the clan that instead of being depressed that they were no longer useful to the clan that they would learn Fuinjutsu. And you'd be amazed at some of the things that they came up with over the years.=" Shaking her head, Kushina dodges around a rock. "=Remember Naru-chan, some of these guys might have been studying Fuinjutsu for upwards of forty years! Needless to say, we as a clan amassed a large amount of knowledge on the subject...=" She then becomes thoughtful. "=In fact... I managed to recover a scroll on seals and I gave it to your Otou-san. And one of the seals would be very familiar to you...=" Seeing his questioning look, she points at her stomach and Naruto's eyes widen before he shakes his head.

"=Wow... I can't wait to find it.=" He then feels a tap on his shoulder and turns to see Harry there.

"=We're coming up onto the whirlpools now nii-san... they're just over that ridge there according to Kaa-san.=" Nodding to show that he understood, they all swim up the ridge and once they get there they all gasp. Even Kushina, despite having seen them from above the water line hundreds of times, can't help but have her jaw drop as she observes them from below. From the surface to the rocky bottom stretches a number of funnels twisting and dancing around each other. Watching as the bottoms of them sweep along the bottom, Kushina takes a deep breath of the water, her gills flaring out.

"=Okay... This is certainly a shock.=" She then becomes thoughtful. "=They are a beautiful sight though. Dangerous, but beautiful nonetheless.=" She then turns to the others. "=Okay guys, listen up. This is likely the most dangerous part of the trip to Whirlpool. Those whirlpools are unpredictable... Like a true Uzumaki should be!=" Noticing the annoyed looks, she looks away. "=Right then. Anyways, I want everyone to link their arms as we make our way through the whirlpools. Everyone keep a lookout for any whirlpools coming our way and-=" Kushina gets cut off by Kyuubi now as she taps her on the shoulder before signing.

"=Don't worry about that. I may not be full power yet, but I can control them enough that we won't have to worry about one hitting us.=" Kushina just nods at that before the group interlocks hands and begins to make their way through the funnels at high speeds using their chakra/magic to speed along. Getting past them, they swim between two underwater cliffs that have several strong currents sweeping through them, some of them are so strong that they have to climb along the cliff sides so as to not be swept away. It's Harry that puts it together first.

'Wait a second... these steep sided cliffs and strong currents...'His eyes widen as he looks around. 'We're in drowned river valleys!' It's not long after this that the Gillyweed wears off and the group surfaces. Climbing up onto a ledge, Kushina, Lily, and Kyuubi reach back and squeeze the water from their hair as Hikari shakes the water from herself. Once that's done, Naruto and Harry come out of the water themselves and look around them as they see that they're in a fiord. Harry then chuckles. "No wonder there are so many whirlpools in the area. The amount of water being channelled through these must be enormous." He then blinks as he hears a dull roar. "Where is that coming from?" The three former residents all share a smile before gesturing with their thumbs as Lily smiles as she grasps Harry's shoulder while pointing up to the top of the cliff.

"Fellow me Harry."She vanishes with a pop and the two boys blink as they watch Kushina and Hikari run up the cliff. They then look at Kyuubi and she shrugs with a smile before following them. Its a few minutes later when they reach the top. Once they get up, each of the former Whirlpool residents places a hand on a new comer and turns them. Harry, Naruto, and Kyuubi all gasp as they look out on the whirlpool fields as Kushina explains.

"That is why I told you that we had to get here as it reached the lowest point of the tide or the highest." She points out to the whirlpools, which are slowly being devoured into one huge maelstrom about a kilometer wide. "Whirlpool Country is made up of a mass of small to medium sized islands with steep sides." She then chuckles as Lily then smiles while she gestures at the maelstrom.

"Whirlpool is also where a large number of powerful ocean currents meet. A great deal of these make their way through the channels between the islands. This actually strengthens them a great deal and where they meet, like they do before us, they form the country's famous whirlpool fields. This just happens to be the largest and most powerful... Yajuu (The Beast/Monster). It's called that because between the tides the tidal currents collide with the ocean ones increasing the size and strength of the normal whirlpools. Because of this, they all merge into the monster before you and creating the roar that gave it, it's name." Lily then leans over and uses a stage whisper. "According to legend, it's the final resting place of a great demon. And the maelstrom was formed when it sank beneath the waves for the last time." Kushina snorts at that and shakes her head with a bit of amusement.

"Yeah... as if." She then turns and walks away with the others, but Kyuubi stands there for a moment as something tickles her mind before she shrugs it off and follows. After a short distance, they reach the spot that they're looking for, a small cave hidden in a jutting rock formation. Once they're there. Kyuubi looks around and nods before looking at the others.

"I'm just going to go and hunt, that okay with you guys?" They nod and Kushina sorts a bunch of jobs for them. Hunting goes to Kyuubi and Hikari while Lily and Harry are stuck with getting some water nearby. When asked what her and Naruto are going to do, Kushina cheekily replies: "Why, what else? We're going to supervise the campsite." Thus earning her a lot of glares as the others leave for their duties. Sitting down, Kushina leans against a rock with a smile. Naruto just shakes his head at his mother.

"You really are lazy, aren't you?" Kushina just smiles and nods.

"Yup! And proud of it." A few minutes later, Kushina is frowning as her sixth sense is tingling. She then tenses her body and notices Naruto doing the same thing, and seeing this causes a pang of sadness to hit her heart. 'What was your life like Naru-chan for you to react like that? I only learned how to sense danger during the war while my life was threatened...' She doesn't get any more time to think as she's hit with a bolt of lightning that dissipates to show a scorched log. Green eyes widen behind a bush until they vanish as a water dragon the hiding spot. Landing on a stump, Kushina raises an eyebrow as she finally sees her attacker. She's a blond haired kunoichi with slanted green eyes and slitted pupils giving her a feline look. Her hair is done up in a ponytail that goes down her back to her waist and bandages on her lower arms. But what gets Naruto and Kushina's attention (besides the Kumo Hitai-ate) is that there's a familiar chakra flowing from her. Naruto's eyes then narrow.

'So... I finally get to meet the Nibi jinchuuriki of Kumo... Nii Yugito.' Yugito for her part is watching the two before her, her senses on high alert.

'Hm... They sensed me before I even got within distance to do so with them... And there's something... familiar... about the boy... And the woman as well...' She then winces as she feels Nibi howl in her mind. 'Nibi... What's the matter?' Nibi just howls again as she slams into the seal binding her in fury.

'I KNOW THAT CHAKRA! IT'S HER! IT'S THAT FUCKING BITCH OF A BETRAYER!' Naruto watches as Yugito falls to her knees as she clutches her head. A moment later Yugito lets out a loud screech as she's enveloped in a cloak of purplish black chakra that soon resolves into a massive two tailed cat that looks right at Naruto and yowls in pure, unadultured hatred. He narrowly dodges a claw that would have taken off his head before bringing his hand up into a familiar handsign.

"Kage Bushin no jutsu!" As the clones attack, they're joined by Kushina who leaps all over the place while slashing at the transformed Jinchuuriki. One of the clones stays back though and starts to help Naruto form a beach ball sized Rasengan. The two then leap into the air and smash it into the Nibi's side. "Odama Rasengan!" The blast is enough that it knocks the Nibi off it's feet and into the ground. Landing, Naruto scratches the back of his head as Kushina watches on in amazement. "Told you that I would manage to do it Kaa-san." Shaking her head, she chuckles.

"I never doubted you for a moment Naru-chan. Not for a moment." She then turns and glares as the Nibi slowly gets to it's feet, slightly dazed by the attack. "But it's going to take a bit more then this to make this pussy-cat go back to it's catnap." Naruto just sweatdrops as he shakes his head at her lame excuse for humour. Kushina ignores this as she watches the Bijuu growl at them. 'But... what could have set it off enough for it to take over it's host like it did? It's acting with bloodlust...' She then looks at Naruto. 'Could it feel that Kyuu-chan is sealed in Naru-chan and is trying to free her? With how Kyuu-chan described their relationship, it wouldn't surprise me any to learn that, that is the reason for it's actions. Or is it... me...?' She's dragged from her thoughts as the Nibi launches a blast of fire at them before she performs the first jutsu that comes to her mind. "Suiton! Suijinheki no jutsu(Water Encampment Wall technique)!" The area is obscured in a cloud of steam for a moment and when it clears, Nibi finds herself surrounded with several copies of Kushina, who launch their attack. "Uzumaki Kenjutsu Hidan! Kono no Mai! (Uzumaki Secret Sword technique! Dance of the Leaves!)" The copies seem to weaver as the Nibi screeches out in pain from the mass of cuts that appear. Naruto just watches with a dropped jaw as the clones seem to be in one place and then swirl around any attacks, like leaves caught in a breeze do when they meet an obstacle before striking.

'Whoa... Kaa-san is so awesome...' Shaking himself free, Naruto launches an attack of his own. Going through fifty handsigns, Naruto unleashes an attack he got from the Uzumaki clan scroll. "Suiton! Mizu Ryuukami no jutsu! (Water release! Water Dragon God technique!)" A nearby spring explodes as what at first looks like a Suiryuudan explodes from it... that is until you notice that the dragon is large enough that it's comparable in size to Manda or Sal in her true size. Nibi's eyes grow in size moments before it slams into her and knocks her back about a hundred feet. Nibi isn't the only one surprised as Kushina had never even thought that he would know that jutsu. She soon shakes this off as a roar echoes throughout the clearing as Nibi gets up, her eyes a glow as flames spring up around her.

"YOU ARE DEAD! BOTH OF YOU SHALL BE FED TO THE SHINIGAMI!" Both Kushina and Naruto gulp as they prepare to defend themselves when Kyuubi enters the clearing breathless.

"Nibi-chan...?" Her face then lights up in happiness. "NIBI-CHAN!" Her happy look is soon wiped away as she nearly has her head taken off by one of Nibi's claws. Falling back on her ass, she looks up in no small amount of shock and surprise. "Ni... Nibi-chan...? Why... why did you just attack me...?"The response she gets is for Nibi to spit in her direction as she tries to hit Kyuubi with her claws, only for the kitsune to automatically react and dodge them.

"Why...? WHY?" Roaring, Nibi charges her. "HOW DARE YOU ASK THAT QUESTION AS IF YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW YOU BITCH! YOU TRIED TO KILL ME! AND YOU ALSO DESTROYED SO MANY VILLAGES AROUND AND NEARLY KILLED AMI IF SHE HADN'T ESCAPED WHEN SHE DID!" Kyuubi stills at this.

"No... NO!" Kyuubi's eyes widen as she grips her head and begins to shake it before looking at Nibi with pleading eyes, only to see no pity... just hatred and anger. "I... couldn't have..." Nibi just snorts.

"Don't think that I'm going for your little act! I know that you're faking it!" Kyuubi reels at this as if physically struck. Nibi ignores this as she sneers. "I still remember... Having seen you, I tried to talk to you... but you ATTACKED me and nearly KILLED me!" She then bares her teeth at the shuddering kitsune. "I can still feel the pain as you tore into me! I can see your snarling face... how you were practically foaming at the mouth as you attacked me! Screaming obscenities all the while!" Kyuubi's face goes white as her eyes widen in horror. "SO JUST DIE!" Seeing the claw heading towards her, Kyuubi just closes her eyes as she waits for the feeling of them tearing into her flesh... Only to hear a grunt and a cracking sound instead. Opening her eyes, she gasps as she sees who stopped the attack.

"Kushina-san..." Standing before her and holding back the claws using her sword is Kushina, the earth around her feet having shattered under the force of the blow. Seeing that Kyuubi is unable, or not bothering, to move, Kushina just grits her teeth as she feels a surge of anger. At Kyuubi for not reacting. At Nibi for attacking. But, most of all, at herself. And the anger towards herself is accompanied by disgust and self-loathing as she knows that at one point, she wouldn't have had any problems tearing into Kyuubi like Nibi. And the thought of that causes her to unleash a massive amount of rage. All of which is directed at the cat demon before her. Poor Nibi.

"You bitch... Not only did you attack her, you also tore her down and for that... I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!" A moment later Nibi is shocked as Kushina uses a surge of strength and knocks the Bijuu's paw away. Nibi's shock is soon replaced with pain as Kushina slams a fist into her jaw, actually causing her to fly into the air. After she lands, Nibi manages to shake it off and get back up, snarling and spitting.

"Why are you defending her! Do you have any idea as to what she's done!" Kushina stops and then looks down. She then glances over at Kyuubi and finds her face becoming stony as she glares at the neko.

"Yeah. I do." She then snarls. "But that was a different Kyuubi. One that I hate. But this one... this Kyuubi is my Musume." Kyuubi's head snaps up at this. "And while the old one caused my husband's death..." Kushina then gets into a stance. "I will defend my Musume with my LIFE!" Kushina once more vanishes and reappears with her leg hitting Nibi in the side of her head, causing it to snap to the side as the rest of the body follows it. Kushina doesn't even give Nibi the chance to get back up as she runs through a series of handsigns before calling out her jutsu. "Uzumaki Hijutsu! Taga Kusari no Ten (Uzumaki secret technique! Binding Chains of Heaven)!" A pulse of white chakra shoots from Kushina and into the ground. A moment later the ground trembles before white, massive chains burst from it, the ends having kunai attached. The Nibi's eyes widen as she sees this.

"WHAT! WHAT IS THIS?" Her question is answered a moment later as the chains wrap around her and she begins to feel weaker. "How... how are you... doing this..." She barely manages to get out as the chains tighten their hold and she finds herself losing more and more power.

"Because... I'm an Uzumaki." Kushina's eyes then harden. "And you made a BIG mistake by attacking one of my precious people... especially since you don't know why she went crazy And what type of hell she went through." Her eyes softening, Kushina shakes her head. "When she was first sealed she... she was rendered powerless. And then she had to experience every woman's worst nightmare over and over. It's really no wonder she was the way she was... So I don't blame her for what she did!" Nibi just looks over to see the still trembling Kyuubi. Unknown to her, her body develops holes in it showing her host. Something that becomes apparent when two senbon shoot out from nowhere and strike Yugito. Nibi's eyes widen as she yowls to the heavens, feeling her Youki vanish before she disappears entirely leaving behind Yugito suspended above the ground in chains that soon dissolve into nothingness. Gasping, Kushina turns to see a grim Harry standing on a nearby tree branch. "What the hell was that?" Harry glances at her before sighing.

"That was a drug I created after what happened with Gaara during the Sand/Oto invasion. It's designed to prevent a Jinchuuriki from using it's tenant's youki as well as messing up their chakra control for a day or two. I made it in case we ever encountered any other rampaging Jinchuuriki. And, before you even ask like I know you will, Naru-nii already knows about it and even helped me develop it." Kushina just sighs as she looks around.

"Well... if no one had any idea of us being in the area... they do now." Lily just hops into the clearing with Hikari, a scowl on her face.

"Well... Looks like we never even had to unpack..."

0000000000000 A few hours later 0000000000000000000

Groaning a little, Yugito slowly wakes up. She lays there for a moment completely still as she tries to figure out where she is. After a few seconds, she goes to crack an eye open when a voice interrupts her. "It's okay you know... no one is going to hurt you." Knowing that there's no reason to keep faking, she opens her eyes to see Kyuubi standing over her with sadness visible in her eyes. Noticing how she's licking her lips, Kyuubi reaches behind her and takes out a water bottle and unscrews the cap. She then holds it out, only to sigh as Yugito squeezes her lips even more close making her roll her eyes. "It's not poisoned you know. And also, if I truly wanted to kill you, do you really think that I wouldn't have done it when you were unconscious?" Yugito still gives her a suspicious look.

"You could have just wanted me to be awake so that you could have the pleasure of seeing the life fade from my eyes." Kyuubi just closes her eyes as if she was in great pain.

"I wish that I could honestly say that I would have never done that, but I know that I can't." Sighing, she shakes her head. "I really do. But I hope that I will never do such a thing ever again." She then shakes her head again as she sees a shocked look cross Yugito's face. "And before you ask, the reason that you can't summon up Nibi-chan's chakra or control your own enough to use a jutsu is that there's a drug in your system right now preventing it." Yugito just scowls at this.

'Damn it! She and her group has us at their mercy... Got any ideas Nibi?' All she gets back is a sigh from the giant nekomata.

'I got nothing Koneko. She can kill us whenever she wants and there's absolutely nothing that we can do.' Yugito just gives her a dirty look.

'And this is all your fault Nibi. If you had never possessed me without permission and attacked those two ninja then we would have never been in this position...' Nibi gives a sigh and hangs her head inside her cage, knowing that it's true. It's then that Yugito comes back to reality as she feels herself being lifted into a sitting position. She then notices that it's the Kyuubi doing it and narrows her eyes, but before she can say anything Kyuubi does.

"Have a good chat with Nibi-chan?" Seeing the surprise, she softly smiles as she reaches for the water bottle. "Naruto-kun often looked the same way whenever me and him had a conversation through the seal." Yugito stiffens at this.

"So... he's your Jinchuuriki then?" Kyuubi slowly nods as she cracks her neck and then opens the bottle.

"That's right." She then shrugs a little. "He's my Jinchuuriki and a lot more besides that too." Yugito just looks confused for a moment.

"So the woman is your Jinchuuriki's keeper as well? Not too surprising since I now know where I remembered her chakra from. And a much better choice than using a seal." Kyuubi blinks at this as a expression of confusion crosses her face.

'What the hell is she talking about? How could Kushina...-san be Naruto-kun's keeper? And what does she mean by that?' Thinking it over, Kyuubi internally frowns. 'Though... come to think of it, her chakra does feel awfully familiar... almost as if I met it before I met Naruto-kun...' Mentally shaking her head, she turns back to Yugito. 'Enough of that... think on that later and ask her then.' She then sighs as she sees Yugito give her a suspicious look as she holds the open water bottle towards her. "I swear on my tails and rank as the strongest of the Bijuu that I am not going to kill you." Still slightly suspicious, Yugito leans forwards and takes some sips in order to wet her dry throat. Clearing it, she nods.

"Thank you." She then takes another look around and frowns before turning back to Kyuubi. "I have something to ask... woman to woman."Kyuubi just raises an eyebrow before gesturing her to go on. "I happen to remember everything that occurs whenever Nibi possesses me and that red haired woman said something that caught my interest..." Kyuubi stiffens as she starts to suspect where this is going. "She said something about that when you were first sealed that you were powerless and went through every woman's worst nightmare... did she mean what I think that she did?" Kyuubi shudders a little as she seems to fold inwards before sucking in a deep breath.

"Ye... yeah. It's exactly as you think..." She then takes another shuddering breath. "Is... is Nibi-chan listening?" Yugito just nods. "When... when I was first sealed, it was within a... monster in human skin by the name of Madara..."Yugito's eyes widen at this piece of information.

"Madara... Uchiha Madara of the Warring Clan Era fame?" Kyuubi simply nods. "And... you were sealed within him...?" Once more, Kyuubi nods and then she sighs before telling the story. As Kyuubi tells her story, Yugito just shudders as horror begins to eat at her guts and Nibi becomes restless in her cage. After she finishes, Yugito swallows. 'Kami-sama... that woman was right... it's no wonder that she reacted the way she did after she escaped.' Uncomfortable in her cage, Nibi just looks away.

'She... she could be lying you know. Kitsune can bend the truth when they want...' Nibi flinches however at the mental glare that Yugito is sending her.

'That's bull and you know it Nibi.' Yugito then mentally sighs. 'Besides... I can see that she did suffer through that simply by looking her in the eye. I saw that expression too many times...' She then shakes her head. 'Back when the Sandaime Raikage was alive, he took me down into the dungeons to show me what would happen to me if I ever betrayed him... It was the place where he kept his "Toys". They were women that he proudly told me that he broke. He even told me that he was only sorry that he never got the Hyuuga for his "Collection". I still remember how they all had dead looks in their eyes.' She then hangs her head. 'When he finally died, the Yondaime ordered them to be rehabilitated but... most committed suicide, unable to live with what happened. Others were simply making the motions of living. Some... just went insane.' Yugito then closes her eyes and shudders. 'And that was only after a few years of that fucking teme's attentions. What would have happened if they went through what the Kyuubi did for a few hundred? And since she didn't have the choice of killing herself...' Nibi makes no comment to what she said. However, Kyuubi chooses that moment to sigh and shake her head.

"I know that even telling you that though will not convince you or Nibi-chan. Especially if what Nibi-chan said is even partially true." Kyuubi then looks Yugito in the eyes showing the sadness in them. "And I am not going to try and force you to believe me." She then becomes thoughtful and then grabs hold of Yugito and starts dragging her towards the tent's flap. Yugito struggles of course only to stop as Kyuubi scowls. "I'm not going to kill you, I swear." Kyuubi then looks out the flap and sees no one there and sighs. 'They're going to be so fucking pissed at me but...' She then looks back at a glaring Yugito. She then walks out and soon vanishes in a swirl of flame. It's a few seconds later that the flames die down to show them on top of the cliff that Kyuubi and the others had originally climbed up. Kyuubi then looks down with a stern face. "It's time..." She then raises a hand and her claws lengthen. Yugito just closes her eyes as Nibi screams out that she knew that Kyuubi couldn't be trusted.

'Damn it! I don't want to die! Not like this!' A moment later, she feels a breeze as Kyuubi's claw comes down. She stays like that until she feels her bindings loosen. She then opens her eyes and notices that they've been cut. Confused, she looks up at the kitsune Bijuu and blinks. "Why...?" Kyuubi just giggles and shrugs.

"Sorry, couldn't resist." She then smirks and shakes her head before happily sighing. "The look on your face... priceless." Yugito just scowls as she can feel Nibi's annoyance as well as her own at being pranked.

"Not that!" She then narrows her eyes at Kyuubi. "Why did you free me? Us? We tried to kill you... And aren't your comrades be angry with you?" Kyuubi glances off into the distance as the breeze plays with her hair. She's silent as she sorts her thoughts before turning back to the Kumo Kunoichi.

"Because... and I won't lie, I am doing this to show you that I can be trusted. I am not THAT Kyuubi no Kitsune..." Kyuubi sighs and hangs her head as she looks away. "I can never make up for attacking Nibi-chan. Even though I can't remember doing it, I know that I did, deep down inside and that hurts. It hurts alot. And, maybe I do deserve to die. Even having gone insane is no excuse and I will be using the rest of whatever life I have to try and make amends... though that is impossible." She then softly smiles. "And as to my comrades? They'll be pissed... but I can live with that. What I can't live with is Nibi suffering any more then what she has." Kyuubi then turns back to Yugito. "The drug in your system will last another day or two. Just... don't attack us for a bit." Yugito just shakes her head, partially in disbelief and partially in sadness.

"I'm sorry... But I can't promise that. I have my orders and I have to obey them." Kyuubi just nods at that and turns to leave when Yugito calls her name and she turns to see what she wants. "Kyuubi-san... If you want to make amends... I think that you're making a good start." Kyuubi just shakes her head.

"Thank you for that... but no matter what I do, it will NEVER be enough." She then vanishes leaving Yugito there with a thoughtful expression as Nibi is silently warring with herself. Kyuubi, meanwhile, arrives back at the campsite to find the rest of the group standing there with knowing looks. Kyuubi just closes her eyes and hangs her head. "I'm sorry for what I did you guys but... I just couldn't stand Nibi chan being held captive like she was..." Kushina just walks up and gives her a hug.

"We're not mad at you Kyuu-chan. In fact... we expected you to do this." Kyuubi's eyes snap open at this and she looks up in shock. Kushina just smiles and shakes her head. "Besides... none of us felt comfortable treating a member of your family like a prisoner." Kushina then backs out of the hug and jerks her head back and Kyuubi notices that the tent is being packed up. "We're going to be moving out in a few minutes. We're only about fifty kilometers from the remains of the Uzumaki Clan Compound." Kyuubi's eyes widen as she nods and soon after, the group is running through the trees. As they do so, Naruto frowns and looks at his mother.

"Kaa-san... why are we rushing? I thought that you wanted to journey at night? So why are we rushing now?" Kushina sighs before turning.

"Because Kumo is onto us and I don't want to take the chance that they have one of their Jinchuuriki Keepers." Sighing, Kushina shakes her head before explaining. "Unlike other Hidden Villages, Kumo had... Minders, for their Jinchuuriki. These minder would have knowledge of the activation for a seal that Kumo has on their Jinchuuriki. With a single handsign, the seal will activate crippling the Jinchuuriki with pain. And, if need be, even kill them by turning their tenets chakra against them. It's similar to the Hyuuga Caged Bird Seal in effect and reason. And a Jinchuuriki's Keeper are ALWAYS among the most vicious in temperament and often don't see the Jinchuuriki as anything BUT a weapon." Kushina then scowls. "But if Ero-Sennin's information is correct, then the current Raikage's Otouto had his Keeper Seal removed on his order. But Yugito's..." Harry just scowls.

"In other words, he had his Otouto's removed, but won't do the same for Yugito's. Teme." There's nods of agreement from everyone. Falling silent, the group disappears into the darkening trees...

00000000000 End Chapter 000000000000

Steve: And there we go.

Hinata: I never thought that I would see the day...

Yui: What? When Kyuubi would risk angering Naruto?

Hinata: No... the day when I would feel sorry for a Kumo-nin.

Pen-pen: War! A waark warrk wark waarrkk aark a warrk waa wark war waarrk! (Wow! I never would have thought that I would see that day either!)

Steve/Yui: Agreed.

Hinata: (Blushes) It's just that it seems too much like what Neji-nii-san has to go through... what with the seal and everything.

Steve: True.

Yui: Where did that come from by the way? As well as the idea for the Jinchuuriki minder?

Steve: That came from the idea as to how Kumo is seen in the Shinobi world. Remember, Kumo is said to be the most militaristic of the Five Great Nations. So does them placing a seal on their "Weapons" really seem that out of place? And as to Bee not having the seal... we saw in the manga that E' doesn't seem to really care that Akatsuki is abducting and killing Jinchuuriki until it's Bee in danger. Think about it, until Bee was "Captured", E' apparently did nothing, not even when it was Yugito who was captured. To me, this pretty much says that he never really cared for her. And the Minders? That was something that popped into my head as a way for Kumo to keep control. What they basically are, are people whose chakra signature is placed into the seal in order to control a Jinchuuriki. If they (the Jinchuuriki) ever go out of bounds, then they can activate the seal and cause massive amounts of pain in order to "Teach" the Jinchuuriki. They can even kill a Jinchuuriki if they so wished as long as they had a reasonable... reason.

Pen-pen: Waark, war warrk warkk. (Nasty, but makes sense.)

Steve: Thanks. Anyways... I got an ATE here for all my readers. Enjoy. Oh! And there's a hint to something in here.

ATE: Tears of a Sage

Standing in an clearing, Jiraiya sighs as he looks down towards something when he suddenly smiles. "I know that you're there hime. No need to try and hide from me." A moment later, Tsunade steps out from where she was hiding and walks towards him before shaking her head.

"Sorry Jiraiya... I was trying not to bother you since I know what today means to you." A slightly sad smile appears on the Toad Sage's face at this.

"And is that why you didn't have me report as soon as I returned today?" Tsunade just nods slowly. "Thanks hime." Tsunade is slightly surprised at the amount of emotion in his voice, but shrugs it off. "You were always understanding of today." Tsunade sympathically smiles as she grasps his shoulder and nods.

"Yeah... But unlike you I never kept up my visits for them... I wanted to bury all thought of them deep down." She watches as Jiraiya unseals several daffodils. "Those were always her favourite." Jiraiya nods as he sets them down in front a small grave.

"Yeah... Ami-chan always told me how they were so bright as well as how they inspired her since they would come forth from the cold ground and welcome the spring." Standing back up, he slowly shakes his head. "Who would have thought it? Me... falling in love with an Uchiha..." His expression falls. "And... it never gets easier either..." Closing her eyes in sympathy, Tsunade sighs.

"Yeah..." Tsunade then opens her eyes and smiles. "She took after her civilian Okaa-san though... Both in the fact that she was blond and the fact that she had such a sunny disposition. She was well liked... shame though that she never awakened her Sharingan though." Jiraiya nods at this.

"But maybe." He then chuckles as he looks up into the sky. "If she had then maybe we would have never met." He then shakes his head. "She was so different from all the other Uchiha. Even her Otou-san. And she laughed at my perverseness, said it gave her all kinds of ideas." He then smirks. "And what ideas they were." His face then falls. "I was going to ask her to marry me you know. I even gave her a locket as a promise showing the sea during a storm... She loved that kind of thing." He then scowls. "But then Sensei sent me out on that year long mission... and when I had returned..." Tsunade nods with a scowl of her own.

"You had found out that she had been sent out on a mission that she had died on." Jiriaya doesn't say anything for several minutes before nodding.

"You know... I always found that slightly suspicious you know. She had just recovered from an almost year long illness when she was sent out on that mission. And her partner, her cousin, survived when she didn't." He then crosses his arms as Tsunade pats him on the shoulder. His next words catch her off guard. "Hime... Could you... just leave?" Feeling her stiffen beside him, he sighs as a look of longing comes over his face. "I... just want to be alone with her right now. Not with..." Tsunade finishes what he was going to say in her head.

'Not with the only other woman I have given my heart to.' She just nods and turns. "Sure pervert... and I'll be sharing some drinks with you later." Jiraiya doesn't answer, just simply nods. She starts to walk away, her own thoughts in turmoil. 'I'm sorry Jiraiya... There's simply too much between us. Too much heartbreak. I don't want to be hurt again...' Soon after it's only Jiraiya in the clearing as tears softly flow from his eyes as he stands there, oblivious to the world around him like on every other year on this date...

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