Misa was so excited she could hardly keep still. It was finally happening. Daddy was going to take Mama to a safe place and when they came back, she was going to have a little brother. Misa wanted a little brother. Itachi had so much fun with his little brother, so much that she couldn't wait to have one of her own. It was almost time.

"Misa." It was Mama. "Come on, we've got to get going." Misa finished smoothing her fur and ran out of her bedroom with her backpack, straight into Kushina. "Are you ready to go to Itachi's?"Misa nodded. "Good girl. Now let's get going."

Misa skipped down the hallway, slid down the stairs, and giggled as her father Minato caught her. "Come on, girl." He carried her outside and next door, where he handed her off to Fugaku. "Thanks for taking care of her. I know you must be busy with the new baby and all."

He nodded. "It's no trouble, really. Itachi makes a great babysitter. I'll tell him you're here. Itachi!" The little boy came running from one of the rooms, holding something in a blanket.

Misa peaked out from behind her dad and looked. "Is that him?" Itachi nodded. "He's so small." She turned and looked up at her father. "Will my brother be that small too?"

Minato laughed. "Probably. You'll see for yourself in a bit. Goodbye." With that, Misa waved goodbye to her parents and ran off to play with her friend.

When bedtime rolled around, Misa was exhausted from all the fun she'd had that day, so she didn't like it very much when she was woken up by her father. He picked her up with one hand and popped home. Misa was very confused. "Daddy, what are you doing?"

Her father put something on the bed and starting getting out his knives. "There's a problem with the village. I'll go and take care of it, but I need you to watch your brother, okay?"

Misa was getting worried. Where was Mama? But she put on a brave face. "Okay." She sat down and took her brother into her lap.

He popped out of the house. Misa sneaked up to the bed and peaked over the side. There he was! Her baby brother! She hopped onto the bed and sat down next to him, staring at his tiny face. He had the funniest lines on his cheeks, but his skin was like Daddy's and Mama's, not like hers. She touched his face. So smooth! She ran one finger through his blond hair. It was a little wet, which was strange, but it was as yellow as Daddy's. His eyes were closed, but she hoped they were blue. She looked at her own flame red hair and orange fur. "I guess you got Daddy while I got Mama."

Then Minato popped back into the room, carrying Mama. He put her on the bed next to Misa. "Look after her Misa. I'll be back soon." And he popped out of the room.

Misa lied down next to Mama. "What's his name?" the little girl asked.

Kushina answered, "Naruto." Misa smiled at the name and fell asleep.

BOOOOOOOM! Misa startled awake. What was that? She jumped off the bed and ran outside. There was a huge crater in their yard, and Daddy was right in the middle of it with… something.

Footsteps sounded as Mama came up behind her. "That's the fox. I've got to help him!" She half stumbled, half ran towards Minato. Misa ran back inside and grabbed Naruto, then rushed back out in time to see huge chains shooting from her mother and binding the huge orange thing.

Orange? Misa looked at the thing, then at herself. Her orange fur was the same exact color as the fox's. Mama and Daddy were talking, but Misa couldn't hear what they were saying, and she was afraid to get any closer to the fox. As they kept talking, they looked sadder and sadder.

Minato looked up and saw her standing there with Naruto in her arms. "Bring him over here, sweetie." Then he looked back at Mama. "Once I'm done with the reaper death seal, I'll seal your chakra inside Naruto Along with the fox. When he tries to control its power, I want you to help him."

Kushina shook her head. "He's our son. That's why I don't want to put such a burden on him. And you can't use that seal! Why not just seal the other half inside of Misa?"

Minato nodded at Misa. "Because if she has half of the Nine Tails she won't be able to look after Naruto. The village wouldn't let them stay together and risk letting him loose again. I'm sure she'll take good care of him. But only you, as his mother, can tell him things. That's why I'm doing this for both of you."

Misa was so confused. Look after him? She was four! She wanted to shout at them, no! You can't go! But her mouth wouldn't move. She just stood there and watched as Daddy summoned something that looked like a ghost. She screamed when the ghost thing put its arm through her father and grabbed the fox's ghost and pulled it inside of Daddy. Then Daddy bent down and, in a puff of smoke, made a weird altar thing appear on the ground.

He walked over to Misa. "I'll take him now." Her arms went limp as he took her brother and placed him on the altar. Then the fox saw the altar. It was not going to be sealed again, especially not in a child! Misa watched, as if in slow motion, as the beast thrust its claws toward Naruto, and as Mama and Daddy jumped in front of it and were pierced through. But she didn't scream. She had lost her voice in the pain.

Mama and Daddy didn't seem to notice. They just stared at Naruto. Then Mama started talking. "Don't be picky. Eat lots and grow strong. Make sure you bathe every day and stay warm. Also don't stay up late. You need lots of sleep. And make friends. You don't need a lot of friends. Just a few, ones that you can really, really trust. Be sure to make your sister one of them."

"I wasn't very good at it, but keep up with your studies and practice your ninjutsu hard. Remember that everyone has strengths and weaknesses. So don't get too depressed if you can't do something well. Respect your teachers and upperclassmen at the Academy, and especially listen to your big sister." She smiled at Misa.

"Oh, and this is important. It's about the three prohibitions for a shinobi. Be extra careful about lending and borrowing money. Put your mission wages into your savings account. No alcohol until you're twenty. Too much can ruin your health, so drink in moderation. Another prohibition is women. I'm a woman, so I don't know much about this, but… All you need to remember is that this world is made up of men and women. So it's only natural to take an interest in girls. But just don't get hooked on bad women. Find someone just like me or your sister. Speaking of the three prohibitions, be wary of Jiraiya Sensei, you know." Kushina was starting to fade. "Naruto, from now on you're going to face lots of pain and hardship. Be true to yourself. Have a dream and have the confidence to make that dream come true! There's so much…So much more I have to pass on to you.I wish I could stay with you longer. I love you."

Minato smiled through his pain. "I guess my message is the same as your mother's." Then he looked up at Misa, and saw the wet tracks on her cheeks. "That message is for you too, Misa. Look after him, please. I know you'll do a good job." Those words opened the floodgates. Her sobs resonated in the clearing as the seal was finished on Naruto. Once the fox was gone, other ninja streamed in and picked up her parent's bodies. One of the women tried to take Naruto, but Misa wouldn't let go.

That was the last day Misa had as a child. Four years old, and already she was the fiercest protector in the whole of Konoha.