Surprise! I finally give you one of the AU I had promised. Better late than never, right?

So, here we go for a Maiko/Minato AU, full of fluff. In this, Maiko is older than previously: she's around 18 at the time of Naruto's birth.

Three weeks had passed since the tenth of October. Days were shorter, and yet my nights hadn't become longer. As the assistant of the Jounin Commander, I had to be in attendance during the same hours as he, and he didn't get much of a break since Obito's attack. The Yondaime had managed to avoid the worst thanks to the information scroll I had dropped on him, but it still had cost a lot: Kushina first and foremost.

It was past seven in the evening, night had fallen an hour ago. I had just come back from fetching take-out for Shikaku to find that he was in a meeting with the Yondaime. I went up to the Hokage's office to find his assistant gone for the evening. Only his bodyguards were present.

"Mh… I have Nara-san's dinner?"

"Do you have the Hokage's too?" Genma asked.

I sighed. Of course, giving food to the Commander and not to the Hokage would be rude. Great, I had to go back. "Is soba alright?" The shop was the closest to the office, it was the most practical.

"Pretty sure you could give him anything and he would barely notice it nowadays."

Good enough. I went back and ordered four portions with the bountiful money a distracted Shikaku had thrown at me. While the food was getting ready, I ate the soba I had ordered the first time: it was getting cold.

I went back in and held out bowls for the bodyguards. Happily surprised, they took it and let me go inside without a word.

Shikaku and the Yondaime were sitting — or slouching in the Nara's case — on couches in a corner of the office used for relaxed meetings. I was surprised to see the Hokage holding a bundle of covers, but it was silly of me: of course he would take care of his son whenever he could.

I bowed when they looked toward me. "Your dinner, Hokage-sama, Shikaku-sama." I put down the bowls on the coffee table in front of them and bowed again to the Hokage. "I hope tsukimi soba is alright, Sir. I wasn't sure…"

"It's perfect, Maiko-san, thank you."

I nodded in acknowledgment and was going to ask Shikaku if I could take my leave when a whine got everyone's attention.

Naruto had woken up when his father moved to get his food, and now he wanted to let the world know how annoying it was to be awake — I couldn't agree more.

"Ah. He must be hungry," Minato murmured, trying to handle his son's fussing. "Maiko-san, would you…? The feeding bottle is already ready but needs to be heated."

I followed the finger pointed toward a bag and looked for the requested milk. Victorious, I came back with my hands cupped around the bottle, using my chakra to heat it.

Shikaku gave me a curious look. "You can chakra heat?"

I cracked a bashful smile. "It has its uses."

"I do it all the time," Minato agreed with a sheepish smile.

"Likewise. Yoshino thinks it's lazy," Shikaku commented.

"I would call it efficient," I said.

He smiled slightly. "I'll tell her you said that. Maybe she'll listen to you."

I tested the milk's temperature with a drop on my hand. Not too hot or cold. Good. I held it to Minato hesitantly. "Do you want me to feed him, Hokage-sama? Your food will get cold."

He hesitated, but the look he sent to his bowl told me he had been reminded of his hunger. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all, Sir. I often did it for my cousin."

"Alright."

I sat down by his side, and he handed over his son gratefully. Adjusting the crying infant in my arms, I coaxed him into accepting the teat and gently poked his nose when he did. "Good boy," I crooned as he eagerly drank. He was a healthy and thirsty baby.

"You're better at this than I am," Minato said with good humor and self-deprecation.

"Same," Shikaku agreed.

"I'm sure it's just a matter of experience," I told them encouragingly. "You'll do great with practice."

They both made dubious faces but focused on their noodles. They didn't get the most peaceful and enjoyable start to their life as new fathers, that was for sure. I could understand their doubts and had little to say which wasn't trite. I stayed quiet.

oOo

"Maiko, did you purposefully send an infiltrator to the Hokage's bodyguards?" Shikaku said as he came back from his meeting with the Yondaime.

I looked up from the report I was processing. "Yes. How much time did he need to blow his cover?"

He leaned on my desk. "He said 'good morning' to Genma."

"Yeah, he did the same to me."

"Genma and Shimura Nori hate each other since Genma made a pass at him. What did Shimura have against you?"

I snorted. "He can't be bothered to be polite to anyone coming from the Genin Corps. It's below him." He only sucked-up to those above him, so someone messed-up their recon before impersonating him.

"So you sent him to mess up in front of the Hokage's platoon."

"Well, yeah. What was I supposed to do? Stop him myself?" I mean, come on, stopping an infiltrator once to get my chuunin promotion was enough for me, no need to make it a habit, especially when the first time had been 10% luck, 20% skill, and 50% pain.

He chuckled and shook his head. "You made their day."

"Bored, are they? I'm always happy to help." I gestured around. "Your next meeting is here, eavesdropping... somewhere."

Shikaku sighed. Being Jounin Commander meant dealing with the most eccentric of shinobi. "Alright. When you're done with this, go see the Hokage, he has something to ask of you."

I blinked in surprise, but he had already turned toward his office. "Uh, ok."

Half an hour later, I reported to the Hokage's office and was greeted by a cheerful bodyguard.

"Kamizuki-san, right?" Genma asked me with a snap of his fingers. I had been a year above him at the Academy, but I wasn't worth his attention at the time, I supposed.

"Yes?"

"Thanks for spicing up our morning, Kamizuki-san. Very nice use of the codeword."

The spy had been fishing for an excuse to be able to go into the Hokage's office, so I had helpfully provided him one, and when he used it, it got him a one-way ticket for T&I. I bowed. "I aim to please, but you'd have guessed when he greeted you anyway, right?"

He shrugged. "I was actually thinking about a prank from some friends…"

I made a face. "You have some strange friends."

"Don't I know it. Anyway. Yondaime-sama called for you, right? Go ahead."

I wasn't sure what to expect from this impromptu summon. I stepped in and bowed to the waist in front of the Hokage's desk.

"Ah, Maiko-san. Thank you for coming." He straightened and crossed his fingers in front of him. "I have a favor to ask… but you would be properly compensated. I'm sorry, I know you have been kept busy by your work, but hm…" He looked unusually hesitant and flustered.

"I 'd be happy to help in any way I can, Hokage-sama," I said before my brain could catch up and remind me how foolish it was to commit to anything without knowing the details. Damn, my crush was worse than I thought.

"I need a babysitter," he blurted out. "No, actually… No. I have too many of those, between Rin, Kakashi, Mikoto... To be truthful, I need more than that. I need a nanny. And I know that when you volunteered that day at the ramen shop you were talking about being my secretary and not Naruto's nanny, but—"

"Ok."

Stopped mid-sentence, Minato stared at me in surprise.

To be honest, I was surprising myself too, again. Being Naruto's nanny had never been my goal. To be relegated to the nurturing role instead of the managing one I was hoping for would have actually angered me if someone had suggested it beforehand. This was a gut reaction. I supposed it proved that I couldn't say no to Minato. If I dug a little deeper though, I knew it was more than that. I wanted to take care of them. Minato and Naruto. Deep down, I wanted to do more than dropping tips here and there and watching their lives go on from the sidelines. I just thought I would never get the chance.

"However, I can't leave my work as Nara-sama's assistant right now," I added quickly, unwilling to neglect my duties. "I can do it part-time when your babysitters can't. If you tell me when they're available, I can organize a schedule."

"I— Yes," he breathed. "I would need you to move in at our home, for security and practicality."

"Ah, of course." I nodded. "Well, that would take some time, but…"

"I can get ANBU to help you with your belongings."

"Oh. That would be helpful."

"Good, good… I will... get a room ready for your arrival."

"Alright."

He nodded, trying to compose himself after his slight loss of words.

We looked at each other surreptitiously, flustered by this turn of event, until I took his silence for dismissal and bowed.

"I'll start to pack tonight then, Yondaime-sama."

"Yes, and hm… I'll get you those schedules."

I left the office with the feeling I had missed some subtext here. Minato had seemed less composed than usual. I dismissed the question to ponder what I should do with my stuff: did this mean I should leave my flat entirely? or keep it just in case? If I left, surely I couldn't take all my belongings to the Yondaime's home. What would I do with my dishes? I'm sure he didn't need extra ones!

Ah, I hated unplanned changes to my habits!

oOo

Two hours later, the afternoon was well underway when I received the schedules Minato had promised me. I spread them on my desk, got some paper and puzzled out the way to organize Naruto's care for the next two weeks.

"Maiko," Shikaku called while I was in the middle of this, "I need Asuma and Kurenai's report."

I pushed my chair toward the filing cabinet without looking away from Rin's schedule at the hospital, opened the third drawer from the top, groped for the tidiest scroll around (Kurenai was neat), raised it to my nose, sniffed for the smoke scent Asuma always left behind and, failing to find it, looked for the next one. When this one proved to be smelly, I threw it toward the open door, making it connect at the perfect angle for it to rebound in Shikaku's arm range.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome," I muttered distractedly, sliding back at my desk and checking the note on Mikoto's schedule (a simple "no more than three hours a day, five days a week, never on Sunday").

"That… was some paper-pusher jutsu, right there."

"Good afternoon to you too, Sarutobi-san. Nara-sama is ready to see you. You can go in," I said while raising a palm in the direction of Asuma's voice.

The scroll he slipped in my hand felt like the right size and weight for the requisition form he was due. I opened it with a flick of my wrist, checked it from the corner of my eyes, confirmed it was filled in full, stamped it at the bottom, closed it by throwing it in the air with the right twirl, and went back to my spreadsheet as the scroll landed in the hands of the courier genin which had just appeared at the end of the hallway.

"For Logistics, Aoi-kun."

"Yes, ma'am. Is that all?"

"Yes, thank you. Oh, and if you see Hatake-san, could you send him my way, please?" I grabbed a chocolate from my stash and threw it in his direction to pay for the small favor.

"Sure thing, ma'am!" Shinji said before disappearing.

Asuma, which had been staring at me with a mix of amusement and admiration, stepped in Shikaku's office, closing the door behind him.

I had the first draft of a schedule organized by the time Kakashi appeared a few minutes before the —theoretical— end of my day.

He materialized suddenly and silently by my side. Long ago desensitized to this annoying ANBU habit, I stood up, stretched my arms and gestured for my desk.

"Is this good enough for you?" I asked. His schedule was the only one that could suddenly change and had been marked as needing approval before validation by Minato.

Observing my cluttered desk with an analytical eye, he stepped forward, leaned on the desk with both hands and stared at the draft like it was a battle plan — it might as well be.

"I thought you didn't give up on your assistant job?" he asked after a moment.

"I don't."

"Your time guarding Naruto includes desk hours."

"It does," I agreed as I picked the last report a jounin had delivered. At his questioning look, I shrugged. "I deal with babies constantly." I waved the open scroll toward him. The writing was barely legible. "A real one won't change much."

oOo

"I hope this is to your tastes."

Minato was showing me my new bedroom. Empty, covered with traditional tatami, it was relatively large, with sliding doors opening on the patio surrounding a lovely courtyard garden. It was next to Naruto's room, just a few doors away from Minato's, Kakashi's and Rin's.

"It's perfect, Yondaime-sama," I replied as I put down the two bags I had brought. The rest of my stuff would come later.

"There's a futon in the cupboard, here. The bathroom is the opposite door. Feel free to use the common rooms and the garden as you wish."

"And Minato's bedroom!"

I spun around to see Jiraiya leaning on Minato's shoulder while his student looked exasperated. Ah. That was probably the source of Minato's strange fluster the last time we spoke. That man and his innuendos… it was like he forgot that his student was grieving for his wife… or was he doing it on purpose to distract Minato? Hard to say.

"Jiraiya-sama," I greeted politely as I bowed. He was an impressive shinobi and war hero regardless of his flaws. Nonetheless, I asked Minato: "Is he staying here?"

"In the furthest room from you," he replied in reassurance.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Maiko-san is my guest and Naruto's nanny, Jiraiya-sensei. Behave."

"I always do!"

"Right," Minato sighed and pushed his sensei out of the door. "We'll leave you to settle. Just come to the kitchen for dinner whenever you're ready."

"Alright."

Once alone, I sat down on a tatami and looked around. The sliding doors were open and my eyes naturally drifted toward the colorful garden. Birds were singing from the branches of a large cherry tree. It would be lovely when it bloomed.

I breathed in the fresh air and stretched my arms. This was better than my apartment. I could be happy here, once I stopped feeling like a guest intruding on the privacy of the Hokage. It would take a few months, no doubt… but I could see myself staying.

I smiled and opened my bag.

When I went for dinner, I found a note informing me that Minato had been called back to the office and that I should make myself at home. I had the feeling this would happen often and that I wouldn't see as much of him as expected.

oOo

"Are you sure about this?" Shikaku asked uneasily three days later.

"Of course, Nara-sama. This won't reduce my effectiveness, don't worry."

"That's not what I'm worried about. You're already doing overtime. Now you're handling two jobs at once?"

"Multitasking is one of my superpowers."

"I know. It's uncanny. Still... warn me before you burn out."

"Sure," I agreed easily, touched by his concern.

Leaning his hip against my desk, Shikaku glanced at the bundle snuggled against my chest in a baby carry my aunt sewed in a rush (my family was proud to say I was caring for the Hokage's son). Naruto was happily sleeping. Being barely a month old, that was all he was interested in, which was why I felt confident I could handle him at work. That wouldn't work for much longer, not when he would want to move and need constant supervision, but I still had a few weeks before me.

"I have started looking into a replacement."

Shikaku groaned. "Damn it, Minato."

"There is a great cousin of the Akimichi I know from the genin corps. She's very responsible and organized."

"What would it take to keep you?"

"A nanny that the Yondaime could trust," I replied with a hand gesture that conveyed an "obviously".

"If I volunteer Yoshino, she'd kill me."

"She would," I agreed while stamping yet another form.

Sighing, Shikaku scratched his stubble and stared out of the window.

Used to his contemplative moods, I let him ponder the meaning of the universe while I sorted the daily paperwork. I enjoyed the companionable silence.

It didn't last long, unfortunately. Five minutes later, a jounin passed by, took a glance at me and said in a poor attempt to be funny:

"I didn't know it was 'take your brat to work' day."

Shikaku and I gave him similar unimpressed looks, but it was the commander who answered:

"That brat is the Yondaime's. Want to take a dip into the Naka river, courtesy of ANBU, Inuzuka?"

White as a sheet, he shook his head. "No, Sir. Sorry, Sir."

Shikaku shook his head. "Watch your damn tongue." He gestured for his subordinate to step in his office, and the door closed behind them.

I stopped my work for a moment, parted the blanket around Naruto and watched the tuft of blond hair thoughtfully. The whiskers on his cheeks were faint but visible. Apart from that, he was a baby like any other, chubby and delicate, sleeping peacefully, ignorant of the mess his birth had provoked and of the beast sealed inside him. At least now he could grow with a father… and a caring nanny.

Smiling to myself, I went back to work.

oOo

Two weeks later, I was preparing a meeting in a conference room when a blur stopped by my side. Really, the shinobi using Body Flicker could at least respect some increased private space.

After putting down the last paper on the last chair, I found myself with a handful of fussing baby.

"I have an urgent mission," Kakashi explained.

"Okay," I grumbled, trying to adjust Naruto in my arms before he started crying. "Where is the bag?"

Ready to leave just like he came, Kakashi froze. He was empty-handed.

I glared. "You know the rules. If you drop him on me, you have to give me the supply bag too!"

"I don't have time to get it."

"Well, send someone else! Like… the last underling to piss you off. I don't care."

He raised an eyebrow. "Good idea," he said before disappearing.

"Geez," I sighed while gently rocking Naruto and making faces at him to distract him from the fact his cuddly toys where nowhere to be seen. "Men, you have to tell them everything. Yes, you have. And you won't be much better, will you? But that's ok, I'll help, Naruto-kun, don't worry."

Five minutes later, I was sitting on the dais, singing a lullaby while jounin were trickling in the room for the meeting, staring at me as if they had never seen a woman taking care of a baby before.

An ANBU finally dropped by with the supply bag. I gestured for him to open it, which seemed to be a foreign concept for him since he needed a moment to do it. Still singing, I pointed at the orange frog which poked out. He took it between a thumb and his forefinger, keeping it far away from him like it was smelly (which it was most certainly not! I washed it as regularly as I could get it out of Naruto's tight grip). I snatched it as soon as it was in range and threw the ANBU a scathing glance while offering the comforter to Naruto.

Now that the baby was entirely focused on his favorite thing in the world, I stopped the lullaby to comment at the room of elite shinobi staring at me while pretending not to: "You're all being ridiculous."

The ANBU left without further ado. I checked on Naruto, but he seemed content to cuddle against my collarbone with his frog.

"Babies are supposed to be kept at home. Just step down and stay at home already."

I straightened and looked for the man who had spoken up, but I didn't know the voice well enough to identify him. The group of twenty jounin looked even more uneasy than previously, but none of them spoke up in my defense. They all stared at anything but me.

"Is that so?" I murmured, a feeling of detachment washing over me. I wasn't surprised. This society's expectations about women and their status in the workplace once they had kids were extremely outdated. I felt like I should be angry. I would certainly be if I had given birth to Naruto myself because this would be a slap in my face after doing twice the work to keep up with men who weren't expected to make much effort into raising their kids. As it was, I just felt disgusted. I was staring at part of the elite of Konoha, and all I got was disdain and cowardice.

"A fascinating opinion, Mister too-cowardly-to-say-that-to-my-face."

Assholes. You could always pick at their pride to get them to do what you wanted.

The culprit stood up and crossed his arms in defiance. A Hyuuga. Why wasn't I surprised? "I mean it."

"I don't doubt it."

Shikaku walked in as I pondered how to set this misogynist straight. The Commander looked up from the scroll he was reading, took in the uneasy mood, and questioned me with a raised eyebrow.

I shook my head, rose from the desk and stared the Hyuuga in the eye. "You should be the one staying at home, Hyuuga-san." I grabbed the bag and went to leave. "Apparently, you haven't learned how to hold back your shit yet."

There were a few surprised bursts of laughter, a shout from the culprit, and a call to order from Shikaku. I ignored them all, leaving the room.

Naruto had started crying.

"Yes, honey. I smelled you. Diaper change coming right away."

oOo

While I could juggle Naruto and my secretary work without too much trouble, the hardest part of this double work —and what would probably drive me mad soon— was to be woken up in the middle of the night. The lack of sleep would be my downfall, I didn't doubt that. Now I had more sympathy for Shikaku and his sacred naps.

I rolled out of my futon at the first sound of wailing. Dawdling would just delay the return of peace.

I stumbled in the hallway barefoot with half-closed eyes and stepped in Naruto's bedroom with a murmured: "Hey, buddy. Hungry, are we?" I got him out of his crib and pressed against my bare shoulder. His cries for food decreased a bit, but since he was near my ear it wasn't much better. "Yeah, yeah. I get ya. Hot bottle, here we come."

Walking to the kitchen with the help of the moonlight, I gave him my pinkie to suck on so he would quiet down a bit. I didn't know if Minato was in the house. He hadn't been when I had gone to sleep. Hopefully, if he was in his bed, he would go back to sleep knowing I was taking care of the disturbance. The Hokage probably needed even more sleep than I did. I rarely saw him. Whenever he was at home, he was with Kakashi, Jiraiya or Rin, and I didn't intrude on that. Otherwise, he was at work.

As such, I was surprised to find him sitting at the kitchen table, in the dark, facing an empty cup of tea with a frame in his hands. Although I couldn't see it, I knew the picture it held was one of him and Kushina while she was pregnant. I realized I was interrupting a moment of mourning, but Naruto would hardly let me leave without his milk.

Minato looked up as I walked in and blinked at the sight of his son. "Oh. Is he hungry? I'll prepare his bottle." He stood up, pressing the framed picture down.

"I can do it," I offered softly.

"No, no. Let me. Sit down." He looked agitated and fidgety as if he needed to do something with his hands.

I sat down quietly, watching the line of his tense shoulders and the movements of his long fingers. He was in his pyjamas: an old tank top and soft pants. The moonlight reflected strangely on his blond spiky hair, giving him an ethereal quality contradicting the casualness of the moment.

When he held out the hot bottle to me, I focused on feeding Naruto. I felt uneasy as he watched us, although I knew he wasn't judging me but simply admiring his son.

"He's the only thing I have left," Minato murmured.

Worried that he was getting depressed, I felt the need to remind him of Kakashi, Rin and all his friends, but the picture he was staring at came back to my mind before I could speak. He probably meant that Naruto was the only thing he had left of Kushina, and I couldn't deny that. Words failed me.

"Please take care of him," he added in a murmur after a moment.

"Of course, Hokage-sama."

With a nod, he stepped forward to gently stroke Naruto's head as he drank. He left afterwards with a "Good night".

Naruto was guzzling down his meal, unaware of his father's gloominess.

I glanced out of the window. For a brief moment, I caught sight of a shadow backlit by the moon on the opposite roof, their white mask shining when they tilted their head just so. They disappeared soon for the rest of their patrol.

"It's alright, darling," I whispered to the oblivious baby. "This time, the village will have your back."

oOo A year later oOo

Rin and I had become close friends. She spent most of her free time at her sensei's house, and I had become a stay-at-home nanny eleven months ago.

It had happened naturally as we talked. We had a lot in common, like our love for sciences. She had taught me more first aid than I got from the Academy, including first aid on infants so I could deal with basically anything which could come up until help got here. I loved learning medical jutsu. I felt more confident with that knowledge.

It was ten in the evening, and Naruto was sleeping in his room. We were curled up under the kotatsu, watching a TV show about a famous court doctor. Rin was correcting mistakes every few minutes while I commented on history.

Minato was out of town for a Chuunin Exam in Suna. It was the first time he had left Konoha since the birth of Naruto. He had been nervous, but it had been two weeks now and things were just as usual. Well… mostly. Naruto was getting fussier, and he asked for his "tou" with increasing frequency. Minato would be glad to hear he had been missed, I was sure. It would make for a good reunion.

"Look at this guy," I said while squirming to find a comfier position. "Doesn't he remind you of someone?"

Rin giggled as she nodded. "Danzou."

"And he's the bad guy. Who's surprised? Not me! That man is a cliché."

"I'm so glad Minato-sensei chased him from the Council."

"Agreed." I rested my chin in my palm while Rin finished her tea. We enjoyed the rest of the episode in companionable silence.

At least, we would have, if noise from outside hadn't alerted us. Blade clashing against metal and tiles.

In a second, we were on our feet, scrambling out of the blanket and toward Naruto's bedroom. Rin was faster. She pushed open the sliding door before rushing toward the windows. Shadows were dancing on the ground, showing men fighting on the opposite roof.

I grabbed Naruto, safely tucked with his favorite plushy and still sleeping deeply. I pressed him against my chest, cradling his small head in the palm of my hand.

Without a word to Rin, I applied protocol and went for the safe room. It was the only place in the house which didn't have any windows. I stepped in and closed the door behind me before activating the seal drawn on the back of it. It spread to cover the ground, ceiling, and walls with curls of black ink which made every surface impenetrable.

I kneeled on the tatami and rummaged through a trunk that contained every necessity I could need, from water and powdered milk to weapons. I sat in seiza beside it with a war fan in my free hand, just in case.

It was the first time I needed to use this room, and it was nerve-racking. In addition to the fact that I was in a closed space with no way out (it was a good thing I wasn't claustrophobic), and the only light available was chakra radiating from the seal (for security reasons, although I had a flashlight in the trunk), I had no idea what was going on outside.

"Evening completely ruined," I muttered to myself while checking on Naruto. He hadn't stirred. At least there was that. I focused on his adorable face to distract myself from the worry. I was safe here. Nothing short of a nuclear bomb would go through Minato's seal.

I hoped that Rin was just as safe. She could protect herself, she was a tokubetsu jounin after all, but anyone with the nerve to attack the Hokage's mansion would be good enough to justify that audacity. Still, I had faith in the ANBU team protecting the house. They had delayed the intruders to allow me to reach safety, and reinforcements would arrive soon enough.

I checked my watch. Two minutes. I hummed to myself and swayed back and forth.

Twenty minutes later, I had grabbed a book to pass the time. It was difficult to focus.

After an hour, I was dozing on an unrolled futon. If anything really bad should have happened, it would have by now. It was most likely that they weren't sure they had gotten every enemy, and that they didn't want to let me out until every threat had been eliminated.

I had lost track of time when the seal flashed two times then one then three. It was the agreed signal, and only six chakra signatures were attuned to the seal. Relieved, I stood up and went to deactivate the seal.

Fear only left me when I recognized Rin's smiling face. She looked well enough, although her casual clothes were dirty.

"It's over," she said. "It's safe. How is Naruto?"

"Oh, he slept like a log." Naruto was a heavy sleeper, which was the only moment of calm you could hope for: otherwise, he was always full of energy.

I stepped out of the room and looked around to find the house unchanged. It was a relief that a tornado hadn't razed the mansion. I had gotten fond of it.

"Did ANBU get every attacker?" I asked.

Rin winced. "Ah, well… Yes… with a little help."

"Uh?"

She led me to the courtyard.

The Yondaime was standing there with his hands on his hips, radiating displeasure. Dozens of ANBU were kneeling at his feet, eyes to the ground.

"The safe room's seal warns him as soon as it's activated," Rin told me. "He was there fifteen minutes after you left."

"I thought Konoha's delegation had barely left Suna?"

She nodded solemnly. "He left them all behind."

The Yondaime's speech finally reached my ears: "They should never have been able to put a foot inside Konoha. I expect—"

I took a step down the stairs from the patio. "Hokage-sama."

Minato turned around at the sound of my voice, his eyes drifting immediately to the little angel I was carrying. His shoulders loosened visibly.

"It's good to see you home, Hokage-sama," I said before handing his son over. "Here, take him. Naruto missed you."

"Did he, really?" Minato asked with hopeful eyes. He cradled his son, beaming at him, before he pulled himself together. "Is he alright? Are you?"

"We're both perfectly fine, Hokage-sama." I stopped by his side in front of the ANBU and bowed to the waist. "Thank you, everyone, for keeping us safe. We're grateful for your protection and your hard work. I'll make sure to tell Naruto-kun how Konoha protected him in the absence of his father, once he's old enough to remember it." I rose and noticed that more than a few pairs of eyes were turned toward me in surprise. I turned around and smiled at the Hokage's disconcerted expression. "Would you tuck Naruto back to bed, Hokage-sama? or should I do it for you?"

"I— Uh… I'll do it." He hesitated, but then added for the ANBU: "Tie up loose ends. We'll discuss this tomorrow. Dismissed."

"Yes, Hokage-sama!" They shouted in unison before disappearing.

I led the way back toward the house, but Minato was at my level in a few strides.

"I know what you just did," he said.

I raised an eyebrow. "Mh?"

We reached Rin. She was hiding a smile behind her fist.

Minato cleared his throat and grumbled: "Alright, I might have been too hard on them."

"Hokage-sama knows best," I replied with a tilt of my head.

We stepped inside the hallway. Before he went for Naruto's bedroom, Minato faced me. "You're right… That's why I hired you." At my surprise, he smiled, his eyes shining with satisfaction that he could get even.

I stared at his retreating back, feeling strangely flustered, until I realized that Rin was laughing at me now. I elbowed her with a falsely upset expression. It just made her laugh harder, although she rubbed the skin I had hit.

"Are you alright?" I asked, worried that I had missed an injury.

"Yes, don't worry, I just got a few bruises. I mostly helped with the injured."

"What do you say we sleep-over in Naruto's room?"

"You think Minato-sensei would approve? He probably will stay too."

"I know, that's why it's a sleepover," I replied.

We went to grab all our futon and drag them in Naruto's bedroom.

Minato did a double-take as he saw us enter with our hands full, but when I rolled out his futon next to Naruto's crib, he smiled. "You read my mind."

"We'll all regret this at six in the morning, when his screams for food will be right next to our ears, but at least we might be able to fall asleep, right?" I said as I settled into my futon and grabbed Rin's hand.

Her skin was cold, but she held on tight and didn't allow me to let go, smiling happily. "This reminds me of when we camped in missions when we were genin!"

"That's true," Minato agreed as he settled in his futon. "Thanks, both of you, for taking care of Naruto tonight."

"That's why you hired me," I quipped back, to Rin's loud amusement.

Minato smiled fondly.

oOo Six months later oOo

"Mai-chan!"

"In the kitchen, Naruto-kun."

The pitter-patter of his tiny clumsy feet became louder as Naruto left his playroom.

"Mai-chan. I'm bored!"

Oh, dear. Those words were becoming the bane of my life. I shared a look with the maid who helped with cooking and chores. Nana was a retired genin corps member who didn't like to talk much, but we didn't need to most of the time. Her pitying look meant a thousand words.

I sighed, left Nana to finish dinner on her own, and cleaned my hands at the sink. "What do you want to do, Naruto-kun?"

"Out!"

"Alright. Let's go out. Do you need a diaper change before that?"

"No."

"Are your hands clean?"

"..."

I grabbed Naruto before he could retreat and lifted him so he could hold his hands under the tap. He did so with a pout, secretly pleased he could play with the water.

"No splashing. Rub, rub, rub," I instructed. "Good."

I sat him down on the countertop and dried his hands next, using the opportunity to check that everything was in order, from his clothes to his skin.

"Alright then. Good to go. Let me grab your bag, then shoes."

I didn't bother with a stroller anymore. Konoha's roads weren't practical for them, and Naruto liked to walk, move and run so much that it was just pointless. Eventually, if he was tired enough, I would carry him. The weight-lifting kept me in shape.

"Office!"

"No, Naruto-kun, we aren't going to bother your father during work. Let's go to the park."

His bottom lip started to quiver. I squinted at him threateningly.

"Are you going to throw a temper tantrum, Naruto-kun? You know what happens when you do." It was an immediate return to home-base. I refused to indulge temper tantrums, toddler or not.

He pressed his hands to his chubby face to calm himself and tapped his mouth (to hold the screaming back, I suspected, it was super cute). "No! But… daddy?"

"If you're good at the park, I'll check if he has time for a snack with you, alright?"

"Yes! Thanks, Mai-chan!"

The park was in a good district, visited by several clans and upscale families. Naruto was overjoyed to see Sasuke running after his older brother around a tree, so he went after his friend without a look back to me. I made my way toward Uchiha Mikoto, bowed and sat on the next bench once she had greeted me back. She used this quiet time to read, and we weren't intimate enough to share anything more than small talk.

Crossing my legs, I settled in the sun. With an elbow on the back of the bench, I rested my head in my palm and stared at the kids playing with half-closed eyes, letting my mind wander.

It was nice to see those kids so friendly. Naruto never had any difficulty to find someone to play with, even when the Uchiha weren't there. He was the Yondaime's son. Everyone went to him eagerly. Sometimes too eagerly, that was more often the issue.

From time to time, this eagerness to get close to the Yondaime also applied to me, somehow.

A sixteen years old boy with dark blond hair walked to me. I could see his little sister, of academy age, doing acrobatics on the monkey bars. Their eyes were pupilless. Yamanaka.

"May I sit?" he asked.

"Your sister is trying to impress you."

Taken aback, he glanced at the kid but quickly focused back on me. "She always does that."

I met his eyes and raised an eyebrow.

"I'm a chuunin, I don't have time for that," he replied importantly with the air of a kid who had just gotten his promotion and wanted to let it know.

"But you have time for a stranger?" I challenged. "If you're a chuunin, you should know to prioritize. Family comes first. Go, and tell her she's doing well before she hurts herself trying to do more than she can," I ordered with a tilt of my chin.

"A shinobi isn't afraid of injury."

"A good leader ensures that no unnecessary injury befalls his subalterns," I replied smartly, this time with an imperious wave of my hand.

He hesitated, looked over his shoulder, realized that his sister was, in fact, getting dangerously reckless, and ran to intercept her before she could crash to the ground. To his credit, it was a very elegant dive and a perfect catch, which got him an armful of grateful sibling squeezing him tightly.

"Nicely done," Mikoto commented without looking up from her treatise on genjutsu.

"Thank you," I replied.

Once the Uchiha had left, Naruto came back to me and commented: "I'm good."

I chuckled. "Yes, you're. Come on, let's check on daddy."

He squealed in delight, and I lifted him to go quicker. In the Hokage tower, Naruto waved at everyone and everyone greeted him back, sometimes greeting me too in passing.

I stopped in front of the assistant's desk. "Good afternoon, Haruka-san. Does the Hokage have a moment?"

"He's in a meeting right now, but he'll be free after."

"Wonderful. Let's wait for a bit then, Naruto-kun."

I sat down on a chair but let Naruto wander in the room. He went for the guards at the door, attracted by their uniform and cool look. It was Raidou and Genma. The later greeted the kid, smiling. Naruto reached for his thigh holster. Genma covered it.

The kid hesitated and then asked: "What's there?"

"Sharp stuff."

"Oh. I can't have sharp."

"Yep, that's what I thought."

Naruto pouted and looked at Raidou next. I took pity of him and his poor skills with kids.

"Naruto-kun, are you bothering the shinobi?"

He spun around. "Am not!"

"Uhuh. Who has to be a good boy to see daddy at work?"

"Me." He scampered to me. "I'm good."

I lifted him on my lap, kissed his forehead, and offered him a game. "Just a bit more, sweetie."

I was relieved that only a few minutes more were truly needed. Patience wasn't Naruto's forte. I let him rush inside, following more sedately with the bag of supplies I always carried around.

"Good afternoon, Minato-sama," I greeted him once the door was closed behind me. He had managed to convince me to call him by his name, but only in private.

With his son firmly camped on his lap, he greeted me with a grin and his usual good humor.

I went to arrange a small tea party on the coffee table while Naruto related his adventure in the park to his father.

This was cosy and familiar. I had gotten used to it.

Minato came to sit on the couch. When his hand briefly rested on my back as he went around me, I reminded myself firmly: "Just a nanny."

oOo Four years later oOo

I had waited patiently for the right time. It was early evening. Naruto was watching TV with Rin in the living-room. The Yondaime was working in his study. When he worked at home, it was always light stuff that could be interrupted. So, I knocked at the door and waited to be called inside.

"Maiko," he greeted me with a soft smile. The honorifics had disappeared some time ago. "What is it?"

I bowed, walked to his desk and put down an envelope on its surface before bowing again and taking a step back.

"I'd like to hand in my resignation, Minato-sama."

Surprise flashed through his eyes. He didn't reach for the letter. "Why?"

"I believe it's time. Naruto has joined the Academy last month and has now gotten used to it. With the help of Rin, Kakashi and your staff, you don't need a nanny anymore."

After a moment of silence, he put down his pen. "I suppose you're right… You must be impatient to go back to your previous job."

"I heard an assistant position would open soon in Logistics. I plan to apply."

"Logistics…" He nodded slowly.

Contrary to the assistant of the Jounin Commander, an assistant in Logistics would have no reason to interact with the Hokage. We wouldn't see each other again.

"I see." After a moment, he looked up and smiled at me. "If that's what you want, I wish you the best, Maiko-chan, but we should celebrate this as it deserves. Let's have a party!"

"Oh, I don't—"

"I insist!"

And so… there was a party, three days after.

What the Hokage wanted, the Hokage got.

I spent the first third of it reassuring Naruto that we would see each other again. The second third was spent giggling (and holding back tears) as Rin showed off pictures of the last six years. The last third started by dodging the advances of a drunk Jiraiya.

I fled the house for the garden, hoping for some quiet and the absence of leering. I sat down on the stairs next to a small koi pond and watched the reflection of the moon over the water. A sound made me turn around. Minato froze as he caught sight of me.

"Ah… I see we got the same idea," he commented sheepishly.

I scooted over to leave some space. He accepted the invitation and sat down by my side.

"You'll be missed," he said after a moment of silence.

I smiled and swallowed back my emotions. "I'll miss you all as well… but we'll see each other again!"

"Of course." He nodded, smiled and turned to watch the starry sky. All traces of the smile had disappeared. He looked… sad?

Loud noise above us startled me. Before I could react, I was scooped up, and the wind rushed past me. In a blink, I realized I was in Minato's arms at the other end of the garden. We looked back to the stairs to find that a balloon had exploded and left confetti where we used to be.

"Naruto!" Minato called, admonishing, as he let me down.

Giggles faded away.

"Well… I'm glad he's feeling mischievous again," I commented.

"I have an inkling why," Minato murmured to himself. He seemed to take a decision. He faced me and asked: "Stay."

Baffled, I hesitated on how to respond.

"Stay here. Not as Naruto's nanny, but…" He winced, rubbed the back of his head and then blurted out: "Go out with me."

I took a step back in surprise. Although, I had wished… I never expected him to ask. Minato had been grieving for Kushina for years. I had presumed he wished to stay faithful to her memory.

"Please," he said. "I want to see you every day, to hear you play with Naruto while I work, to find you reading on the patio while he naps on your lap, to be interrupted at work by your smile… I want all of that," he admitted, meeting my eyes. "And I really want to kiss you."

Feeling numb and rooted to the spot, I breathed a small: "Oh." After a moment, I realized this was real and needed a more decisive answer. I could only reply truthfully: "I want that too."

His lips stretched into a wide smile. "Really?"

I couldn't help but start to laugh. "If you didn't realize I was madly in love with you, I'm sorry to say you're the last one to know."

"Oh, I realized," he admitted, blushing and rubbing the back of his neck. "I just thought I had missed my chance."

I shrugged. "Madly in love, remember?"

He grinned foolishly and reached for me. "May I kiss you?"

"Please, do."

He cupped my cheeks and leaned toward me. Our lips hadn't even touched when we heard Naruto shooting in glee:

"It worked! Jiji, it worked! Mai-chan! I want a baby brother! A brother!"

We pulled apart and turned toward the living-room with exasperation. All the family and friends gathered had been watching not so discreetly and disappeared more or less promptly. Naruto was pulled away under Jiraiya's arm who was the most eager to flee (we all knew who had put ideas of baby brothers in Naruto's head).

We shared a look and then started to laugh together.

Our first kiss wasn't perfect nor passionate, but it was joyful, affectionate, and above all wonderful.

Like the rest of our lives.

So... Thoughts? :) Very fluffy and not much action for 8000 words, I know. I have another AU in my drafts, where Maiko is a jounin, but it's still not ready yet. No promises on when it will be posted (hopefully, not in 20 months again...)!