Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto but I do own a mixed breed puppy named Kakashi. Please don't sue me.

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Chapter 4:Down to Business

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"You want to kill Namikaze Minato?" repeated Hyyuga Hizashi with stunned look upon his face.

He glanced up at the young vibrant redhead who he adored with all his all his heart. In all of the years he had known her, he had never seen her so serious. Sure, he understood that he wasn't around much but she couldn't have changed that much? Had she? Ever since he had joined ANBU a while back, he had little time to spend with her or be inside the village but since he had just came back from a mission two days ago, he was enjoying what little time he did have with her.

"Yes" said Kushina who was pretty much oblivious to the fact that Hizashi was now staring at the woman with wide eyes and a open mouth.

"But why?" he asked finally regaining his composure.

Everyone knew Minato. He was a friendly, outgoing, almost perfect Jounin who had the reputation of being able to kill anything within a two mile radius. Most people feared him even though he was a happy always smiling blond.

"Because he is an arrogant prick and he..."

Hizashi's ear's perked up at this. Kushina was not the type of woman to pause within a sentence. She was the type of woman who was in your face if she had something to say to you. She was a beautiful woman but a tomboy at heart. So, for Kushina to have paused in her sentence it meant something happened. Something big.

Silence ensured the room. Now Hizashi was really curious. Kushina Uzumaki was never silent. Silence wasn't her thing. She was the one who had pretty much established the quote: "Those who don't speak up are asking for others to walk over them."

"Why do you want to kill him?" he asked again thoughtfully as if it was some kind of afterthought. He knew Kushina played secrets close to the chest so for her to declare that she wanted to kill this man without giving up any type of details made him automatically suspicious. After all, he was the smarter Hyyuga out of he and his brother.

"I-" she began but paused.

She continued walking back and forth but this time it was in thought instead of anger. How was she going to explain to her best guy friend that she had slept with "The Yellow Flash" by accident on her way home last night? Hell, she didn't even know how it happened...Well, OK maybe she did know the mechanics of what happened but she couldn't get it through her head just HOW it happened.

"Kushina? Kushina?" Hizashi murmured.

She blinked in surprise. She had paced the carpet so much that there was a trail forming where she walked continuously back and forth.

'Oops.'

She knew that if her landlord had found out about that rug he would flip out. He already didn't want her there because he thought she was an outsider.

When she was brought here after her country's destruction,she was treated like an outsider throughout the village. She was laughed at. She was pointed at, all throughout her years at the academy. It wasn't her fault she had bright red hair and a tomato shaped face. She didn't see that as a reason why people shouldn't befriend her but that was the reason she always got when she tried to befriend someone. It wasn't until she became friends with the shy Hyyuga at the edge of the playground where she finally became complete. She was no longer alone anymore.

Hizashi had been her first friend, her only friend until she reached adolescence.

It wasn't until she blew up at a classmate, that she had gained the reputation of being short tempered, loud, and downright obnoxious. But, in time she had proved them wrong. They had told her she would never make it out of the academy. She did, even though she was dead last. They told her she would never make it to Chuunin but she did. She had beat one of the strongest people in the Chunnin Exams. They told her she wouldn't make Jounin but she did..a couple of days ago. Those words from the people who didn't believe in her just motivated her to do better, to be stronger than the rest. Maybe when she became Konoha's first woman Hokage then maybe people would acknowledge her. Maybe just maybe, she would finally be accepted.

"Kushina" Hizashi remarked coolly staring back at his best friend who still seemed like she was in another world.

"Huh, yeah?"

"Someone is at your door" Hizashi commented pointed to the door.

"You saw that I was thinking about something, Hizashi. Why didn't you answer the door?"

Hizashi smirked his pale eyes crinkling with mirth.

"Because this isn't my house." he answered calmly.

The redhead glared at the Hyyuga with a pseudo-outraged looked on her face. She threw her arms up in frustration and stalked towards the door.

"Argg, some people at like they are too good to answer the -" she remarked opening the door.

There standing on the doorway was the last person she had expected to see. She closed her disbelieving mouth and clenched her fist in anger.

"What in the hell are you doing here?"

M

Hizashi stood up and walked towards the kitchen calmly. When he had heard the footsteps in the hallway he had turned his Byakugan on and surveyed his surroundings. Of course, that person would be the one out in the hallway, but what were they doing here? He didn't understand since Kushina refused to give up details but he was going to find out one way or the other. He pulled a Kushina's favorite bag of chips out of the cabinet. It wasn't popcorn but it would do. Maybe the redhead had forgotten that he was here but either way he was going to sit back and enjoy the show.

M

She stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips glaring at the very, very unwanted visitor or rather visitors.

The infuriating blond and his perverted sensei stood in the doorway of her apartment occupying it as if they had a right to be there.

"I wanted to see man about a horse" the white haired super-pervert, Jiraiya commented bumping his elbow against the blond who was smiling uncomfortably.

It was obvious that he didn't want to be here so for in the name of everything holy why in the hell was he here.

"And you?" she commented glaring hatefully at the blond who was occupying her doorway.

"Sensei, wanted me to come along" Minato remarked as he smiled brightly at the redhead in the doorway.

"And why in the hell should I let you two into my house?" Kushina smirked snidely.

"Because you wouldn't deny Konoha's number one ladies -"

"Shut it pervert" Kushina said effectively cutting the very loud, perverted man off before he started with his infamous "ladies man" speech. She wasn't in the mood to listen to it considering the fact that she had heard it a million times since she arriving in Konoha.

She grabbed the author's hand and dragged him inside before effectively slamming the door in the blond's face before he could take a step inside.

"There! I feel all better now" she remarked out-loud.

"I knew you would do that." a voice commented followed by the sound a loud pop.

She turned around, her smile disappearing along with her new-found good mood.

Minato sat in the kitchen next to Hizashi eating some of her favorite chips that she hid in the cabinet.

He smirked back at the woman who was now gaping at him in mild surprise.

"Now, that you have finally stopped acting like a child; we can finally get down to business."

M

"So the old man wanted us to take on a team so we could prepare them for battle? What is he crazy?" Kushina remarked with a frown.

"No, he is not crazy. He's being realistic." the blond commented while nursing an ice pack against his cheek.

After he had regretfully reprimanded Kushina for acting like a child, she had punched him so hard that he was still seeing stars.

'Who knew girls could hit that hard?'

"So, we train them and then what?" she asked pacing the floor once again.

"Since they are being trained for battle, then I would assume they would do what they are supposed to...go into battle" Minato remarked.

Kushina stopped pacing the floor and glanced back at the two men who occupied the kitchen counter. Her jaw was set in a firm line and her eyes held this intensity never seen before by the blond. Now he was intrigued.

'My, my she's just full of surprises' he thought ironically.

Hizashi, on the other hand, smirked. He knew Kushina well enough to know when she was going to either complain or protest something. At the rate she was going, he wasn't surprised that she hadn't punched a hole through the young blond...yet.

"I refuse."

Minato dropped the chip he had been holding. What did she mean "she refused?" What exactly was she refusing again?

"What and why exactly are you refusing?" Minato asked with a semi confused look on his face.

He had an inkling of what exactly she was refusing but he wanted to hear it from her so he didn't make an incorrect assumption just like he did this morning.

Speaking of this morning...

"Did you ever get that throw up off your floor this morning?" Minato commented nonchalantly.

To the left of him, Minato saw the young, lavender eyed and now flustered Hyyuga spit out the drink he had been sipping.

Kushina glowed a dark red.

Minato looked up, his blue eyes twinkling with innocence.

"What? Did I say something wrong?"

M

Once again she was on the verge of murder, but this time it was going to be completely justified.

As she picked up a dishtowel to wipe up the soda Hizashi had spit across her counter, Kushina world went from a semi calm state to one of complete and utter mortification. She had been playing that secret close to her chest and the blond had to go out and ruin it. Damn him.

She looked back at the blond and unconsciously ran a hand over her stomach in an attempt to calm down. If the blond kept going at the rate he was going now then he was going to see more than just a few stars..He was going to see...well that wasn't important right now.

She wasn't let the blond make her lose control.

That was the last thing she needed.

And that was the last thing Konoha needed.

She had to stay in control and if that meant just strangling the blond then she was fine with that because the last thing Konoha needed was to see her angry.

She would avoid that...at all costs... starting now.

"Get out."

-End Chapter-

A/N: Sorry about this chapter being extremely late. A pesky thing called life got in the way so I had to take care of that first. On the other hand, I have good news. I am finally graduating from college! I will be graduating with a degree in Biology and Psychology(yes, that's two degrees). So hopefully you could understand why I haven't been updating. In other news, If you are a fan of "Shift in Time" or have been reading the story there is a poll on my profile if you guys want me to continue that particular story. So please vote so I will know when to update. Thank you so much for sticking with the story if you still are and um...if you are no longer interested let me know and I will stop it here. Thanks again!