The third began kneading his temples to ward off the oncoming headache. He hadn't had to deal with the accursed things since passing the title of Hokage to Minato. He had been awake for the last thirty hours doing paperwork, another thing he hadn't done since retirement. He was the substitute Hokage until the council could meet and decide the new Hokage. The problem was that half the counsel was in a coma, so for the past 8 hours the clans had to go through the ceremonies to instate the co-head as the new head of the clan.

The co-heads were always the heads spouse and were allowed to go to and listen at the council meetings but not speak. The heads of clans that didn't have spouses the co-head position would go to their brother or sister.

Konoha had lost over twelve-hundred citizens, about five-hundred civilians and a little under eight-hundred shinobi. It was going to take years to have the population back to where it was.

He began to sip his seventh cup of coffee, when someone knocked on his door.

"Come in," he answered idly.

"Hokage-sama the council has been called to order and requested your presence" his secretary informed him.

"Thank you, Kimiko" he answered with a long sigh heaving himself out of his chair, glad to give his hand a rest.

~~~~~~~~~~Inside the council room~~~~~~~~~

"Hokage-sama, may I introduce the new clan heads Shina Aburama, Izumi Yakamana, Kayzuga Inuzuka, Hara Akimichi, Hina Hyuuga, Shimaru Nara, Mikoto Uchiha and Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze.

"The council may be seated." The scribe called out officially beginning the meeting.

"Our first priority is to decide upon the new Hokage" the third called out.

"I would like to nominate myself to be the next Hokage. I have shown great leadership with my portion of ANBU and would like to provide my leadership abilities to the whole village." Danzo said beginning to sit down, a smirk crossing his face.

"Your ability to handle the ANBU division has been greatly improved, which is exactly why you need to stay there. The ANBU have never been as successful as they have been under your rule." Hiruzen spoke, cuing Danzo down to size knowing the power craving person he was would not be good for the village in its current condition.

"We all know what Minato said whenever the topic of the next Hokage approached; he advised that the only people with the capabilities and strength required of the job were Kushina-san, Hiruzen-sama and Jiraya-san. Since Jiraya is absent and his location is unknown, I nominate Kushina-san and Hirzen-sama be they willing to take this nomination." Hina Hyuga said in a formal, no nonsense fashion before returning to her seat.

"Do you, Sarutobi Hiruzen, accept this nomination?" the scribe questioned.

"I shall accept if Kushina-chan does not wish for the title," he answered.

"Do you, Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze, accept this nomination?" the scribe asked again.

"I shall accept the Nomination if the council is willing to allow me to raise my son, he shall need my care and protection the next few years being the vessel of a tailed beast. I shall take the title once he is in the academy and learning how to protect himself from the idiots of this village."

"I would like to nominate the idea of Hiruzen become Hokage for five years and then passing the title to Kushina, allowing her to protect and care for her newborn." Shimaru Nara called out lazily.

"All in favor of the nomination Head Nara has provided raise your hand." The scribe commanded, he watched as almost everyone raised their hand, save Danzo and a few of the smaller clans that supported Danzo.

"Are there any other orders of business the council needs to attend to?" The scribe asked watching as both the head of Inuzuka and Haruno stood.

"I would like to inform the council that the Inuzuka clan has decide to release Kiba, the three tailed demon, from Inuzuka protection."

"The same is true for Sakura, demon of the seven tails, our clan is at half power and I have lost my sister to a coma due to the beast she is released from Haruno protection" Kagamaru announced, a disgusted look on his face.

"Kayzuga Inuzuka and Kagamaru Haruno, you should be ashamed of yourself and your clans, those children are your nephew and niece, your sister's children. These last month's you were proud of them and caring to them. How can you say they are demons? They are containers, there's a huge difference!" Kushina raged, fire burning in her eyes; she had lived through the hatred these two people showed.

"IF YOU WISH TO BE RID OF HEM I WILL GLADLY TAKE THEM AND RAISE THEM AS MY OWN, YOU COLD HEARTED BASTARDS!" Kushina yelled, out her temper getting the best of her, glaring down the two clan heads.

"Take the demons" Both clan heads replied with upturned noses. The council watched as Kushina left the council room not caring if the meeting was over or not, killing intent rushing in waves around her.

"Kushina, pardon me a moment," Hina called out, rushing out of the council room as well.

"If you ever need help with the children you can ask me. I would take one of them but I had to give an arm and a leg to keep them from doing the same with Hinata-chan."

"Those men are idiots. Their own sisters gave birth to the children and are in a coma, the least they could do is keep them yet they see them as demons. Why is everyone in this village so thick headed? We are containers, jailors, not the demons we hold, it makes my blood boil that people can't see that and would do that to children not even a year old." Kushina said violently.

"I know it angers me as well, but we can't do anything about clan protection orders. Go find the children, they're probably in the streets somewhere crying for a mommy to save them." Hina encouraged watching as Kushina raced out of the building to search for the kids.

~~~~~~~~2 hours later around 10:00 pm~~~~~~~~

"Welcome home Kina, Naru fell asleep a few hours ago, and Shizune fell asleep on the couch about an hour ago" Tsunade said hearing the door opening from the kitchen, walking into the lithe doorway her jaw dropped.

"Who are those brats?" She asked, worry evident in her eyes.

"Shhhhhhhhhhhh!" Kushina answered carrying the sleeping children to Naruto's room, laying them down in his crib with him. As she walked out of the nursery she was again faced with a questioning Tsunade.

"Who are those brats" she whispered harshly.

"They are; Sakura Haruno Uzumaki and Kiba Inuzuka Uzumaki!" she answered with a grin.

"Wait…what?" Tsunade screeched again getting hushed by Kushina as she pulled her former mentor into the kitchen away from the sleeping children.

"The bastards from Haruno and Inuzuka released them from clan protection and left them to die in the streets. I found Sakura chan a few blocks from the Haruno compound being held by her nurse, who had been running all over the city hoping to find someone to take her. I found Kiba in the park asleep surrounded by Hana's three little white pups. I tied a scroll to one of the pups to tell Hana where Kiba-chan was. I guess not all of those clans have rotted." She told Tsunade as she finished making a pot of ramen and coffee for dinner.

"How on earth are you going to take care of three children who are under a year old?" Tsunade asked as Kushina handed her a hot cup of coffee.

"I was hoping to get help from their godmother" she answered craftily.

"Who do you trust enough to make their godmother?

"Well she's kind of a drunk and has a gambling problem, but she's the only one I would trust to help me raise the kids." She answered mischievously waiting for the realization to hit her friend.

"Heck no! I am not staying in this blasted village any longer than I have to. I am not raising those brats! I already have my own brat to deal with and she is enough."

"Come on Tsu~, I need help. If you stay, I'll pay off all your gambling debt, every time you visit you always complain about the lack of medical-nin, you could fix that and raise a generation with a medic-nin each time like you've always wanted?" Kushina begged squeezing her hands across the table, opening her dark blue eyes wide giving Tsunade the irresistible puppy eyes.

"Kushina, you know I swore never to stay in this village after Dan died." She said looking down at her coffee.

"Do you think this is the life Dan wanted for you and Shizune? The life of constantly being on the run from your debt? If you won't do it for me, do it for Naruto, Kiba, Sakura and Shizune, they need you. I don' know if I will be able to protect and raise these kids all on my own without Minato." Kushina said, expressing the real reason behind her begging tears clinging to her long eyelashes.

"Kushina, don't look at me like that!" Tsunade answered running her hand down her face, losing the will to fight against her friend.

"Fine you persuasive witch, I'll stay. Only until Minato wakes up or the kids are gennin, whichever comes first" she growled drinking the rest of her coffee.

"Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!" Kushina gushed running around the table and pulling her friend into a bone cracking hug.

"Don't worry, you will have plenty of time to thank me, from now on drinks are on you," she answered mercilessly.

"Good ole Tsunade, sake always on the brain" she teased, clearing the empty coffee cups and ramen bowl.

"Go to bed Tsu, it's almost midnight, we have a big day ahead of us watching those three," she said yawning before leaving the kitchen.

"Good night to you too," Tsunade said as she stretched from her chair before following Kushina down the hall and going into the guest bedroom. Kushina went towards her room, stopping at the nursery on her way.

Walking in she stood beside the crib watching the three babies snuggle together. Sakura, sucking her thumb, was snuggled between the pacifier sucking Naruto and Kiba. They were all so adorable she though as she cupped Naruto's cheek in her hand before leaning down and kissing each child's forehead. Standing up she headed to her own bed to rest up for the next day ahead of her.

AN: I hope you like the newest addition to rookie beasts! It has been forever since I have updated but I am slowly trying to adjust to writing again, hope everyone enjoyed this chapter.

Lots of love- Anabel