Warnings: Scenes of a violent and sexual nature, graphic imagery, gender bending.

Pairing: Kakashi/Female!Naruto

Summary: AU. Naruto was born, and thus the Kyuubi attack occurred, a few years earlier than in canon. Minato did not die in the sealing but the council forces his hand and his worst nightmares come to life. Naruto's father might be alive, and she is very obviously the apple of his eye, but her childhood is the furthest thing from easy or happy.

Author's Note: This fic is actually quite fluffy and light-hearted overall. Very little angst here folks. All I really wanted to do was set up a universe that I've been itching to write. If there's interest, I might be persuaded into writing a sequel ;)

Chapter One: You wanna break me down? Go ahead and try

A son is a son till he takes him a wife. A daughter is a daughter all of her life.

Irish Saying

"I refuse!"

In that moment Namikaze Minato looked every inch the man who had defeated the Kyuubi. His gaze was glacial, the killer intent humming just beneath the surface of his skin, held in with an iron-willed restraint that made it all that much scarier. The Village Council almost reconsidered. Almost.

"Our decision stands Hokage-sama. Even you cannot argue it."

"If she goes, I go." Minato replied, "If you insist on this injustice then you can also find yourselves a new Hokage."

"Minato," It was Tsunade who spoke and he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, not relaxing in the slightest. "Think about what you're saying."

"There's NOTHING to think about. What you're asking of me is INSANITY!" Minato roared. Tsunade and Jiraiya stepped closer, speaking to him low volumes so as not to be overheard.

"You need to stay here and do something about these idiots." Jiraiya spoke, "This council needs to be dealt with and only you have the power to do that."

"I will not abandon her!" Minato argued.

"You won't be," Tsunade replied. "Jiraiya and I will go with her. She's strong, she'll be okay."

"She's six years old!" Desperation glistened in Minato's eyes, was clear in his tone. "Please! Think of what you're asking!"

"That is why you need to be here," Jiraiya replied, hating that he had to be the voice of reason when he was wholly and completely on Minato's side. "It's not forever, we'll bring her back. I promise you Minato. We'll bring her back."

"You have other duties, both of you do. You can't be with her all the time." Minato replied. He kept willing himself to wake up. Surely he was dreaming? This was his worst nightmare come to life.

"Minato," Tsunade spoke, her amber gaze bored into his own well aware than they were asking Minato to hand over his life. "You have to trust us."

"Not on this," The Yondaime shook his head, bangs swaying with the motion.

"Minato," Tsunade had to pause for a moment to swallow back her rage and frustration and sorrow, "I would love nothing more than to set Orochimaru loose on every single one of these biased, prejudiced, senile old farts but I can't. None of us can do anything to stop them but you can. You can change this; you can make sure something like this never happens again. You can do that but only if you stay in Konoha, if you keep the power of the Hokage."

Minato's expression didn't change, his fury only intensifying. Jiraiya and Tsunade fell silent having said all that they could. Some of the council members shifted impatiently but were quickly quietened by glares from the Sannin. It seemed like forever but, finally, Minato gave his answer before turning and striding from the chamber, fury still written in every line of his body. His eyes, normally, sparkling with laughter, were void of emotion and fear made most people scramble out of the way of their normally affable Hokage.

"Fine."

Tsunade and Jiraiya exchanged glances as some of the Council were noticeably smug. He had agreed.

~O

Six year old Namikaze Naruto was scared.

A normal six year old might have clung to her father, clutching at his clothes and refusing to let go. As it was, Naruto was a genin and, inexperienced as she was, had enough training to swallow down her fear and not embarrass herself in front of the council representatives.

"Naru," Her father whispered as he knelt down to her level, "You're going to be okay, angel."

"I know," she tried to summon up a smile; "Tsunade Baa-chan and Ero-sennin will be there. I'll be fine Papa."

"Remember, try not to visit any of the hidden villages and stay as far away from Iwa as possible." Minato said, trying his damndest not to cry.

"I know." Naruto actually did manage a smile at this, albeit a small one. Minato returned the smile, eyes glistening with unshed tears as he stroked her hair away from her face.

"I'm going to miss you, angel." He said.

"Don't be sad, Papa" Naruto said, winding thin arms around his neck in a hug. "I'll be back before you know it and I'll be the strongest ninja in Konoha...except for you. But I may even be stronger than you!"

"Oh Naru," Minato sighed, "One day, you're going to be much stronger than I am." He sighed and let his hand fall to her shoulder, "Just, be very careful. Don't linger on the roads and trust your instincts. Listen to Jiraiya and Tsunade and...And just be very, very careful."

"I will, Papa," Naruto said, her small arms tightening around his neck. Minato wrapped his arms around his daughter and hugged her to him, closing his eyes and trying to forget that this might be the last time he saw her, to restrain himself from turning around and swiping the heads off of every single one of those smug, vile bastards on the council. Taking a deep breath Minato reminded himself that what he had planned for them was much, much more satisfying than just killing them. His grip on his daughter tightened and, for a moment, he wished he could just go to sleep and wake up ten years from now.

It was only when Naruto was walking away from Konoha, alone and so very, very small (only Minato knew Jiraiya and Tsunade were shadowing her because this was supposed to be an exile) that he realised the front of his vest was damp.

Naruto had cried.

~O

Eight year old Naruto was terrified.

Tsunade and Jiraiya were chasing down a lead on Orochimaru and Naruto had been left in a nearby village. It was a civilian village far from any of the Hidden Villages and Naruto's skills had improved from genin to mid-chūnin over the past two years and so nobody had felt uncomfortable leaving her alone for a couple of days.

That was then, before she had run into him.

He was Naruto's age and her height. He wasn't wearing a hitai-ate but the way the sand was swirling around him suggested he was exceptionally skilled at using chakra. A large gourd was strapped to his back and his eyes were rimmed by dark circles and glossy with more than a hint of insanity. And to think, an hour ago he was merely scary but as their fight progressed the psychosis had developed and now Naruto feared she was facing a true madman.

Her chest heaved as she struggled to draw in oxygen. Her arms and legs were covered with cuts and as the boy ranted on and on about his mother and proving his existence Naruto found that she was sick and tired of being scared. It seemed like she'd spent the past two years in fear and she was sick of it. She was an eight year old, chūnin level kunoichi. She was the jailer of the nine tailed fox, the most powerful of the tailed beasts. She was the daughter of the Yondaime Hokage, the most powerful ninja EVER. She was Namikaze Naruto and she was sick and tired of being scared and nervous and bullied by maniacal boys with freaky talents.

Naruto closed her eyes and took a deep breath. From the way this boy was talking she was certain that he was a jinchuuriki. He'd called himself a monster, well, the monster was about to be introduced to the bigger monster.

She opened her eyes and the normally cerulean orbs were tinged with red. It was time someone taught this boy a lesson.

~O

The sunset was lost on Minato. He stood on the balcony outside his office, gaze unseeing as his thoughts wandered. His paperwork was done, he had heard back from all returning teams and, in truth, there was nothing keeping him at the office. Still, his home felt too large and too empty these days and not even Ichiraku's could tempt him. Teuchi's knowing and sympathetic gaze would only weigh on his shoulders so Minato vaulted easily over the balcony, landing on the street below with barely a sound before he took to the rooftops once again. The training grounds it was. Only physical exertion could help him forget (if temporarily) the gaping hole in his heart that would only truly be filled when his daughter was returned to him safe and sound.

~O

Ten year old Namikaze Naruto was frustrated.

Her brow furrowed, tongue peeking out between her lips as she glared at the misshapen ball of chakra that was threatening to explode in her hands. Beads of perspiration ran from her hairline, down the side of her face, following the line of her jaw before continuing the path down her neck and into the thin woollen top she was wearing.

The blindingly blue ball of chakra swirled violently in her hand. She had been practicing the rasengan for three, almost four weeks now and had mastered the first two steps easily enough. The third and final step, however, was proving more difficult. She gritted her teeth in an effort to control the pulsing energy as she felt it fight for release. Her chest heaved with the exertion even as she felt her control slipping. In vain she tried to wrestle back control, her determination so strong that, had she thrown the ball away from her a moment later, it would've been a moment too late. The incomplete rasengan exploded mid air creating a small gust of wind that blew Naruto's bangs away from her face but did nothing to dislodge her scowl.

"Damnit all to hell!" the girl cursed, stamping her foot in frustration. Why the hell couldn't she get this!

Naruto huffed, crossing her arms and glaring at the spot where the wannabe rasengan had exploded into thin air. She'd never had such difficulty with a jutsu before. Yes, rasengan was her father's creation and yes, he was the most brilliant ninja to have ever lived but still. She was a quick learner and she had picked up the first two steps in record time. What the hell was up with the third?

"Wow, it looks like an entire war took place here," Jiraiya whistled as he sauntered into the clearing. "Still haven't mastered it, brat?" he grinned.

"Shut up, Ero-sennin" Naruto grouched, crossing her arms across her chest and huffing loudly as she sat down on a nearby rock.

"Not so cocky now, huh?" Jiraiya smirked. "I told you it was a powerful jutsu."

"You also told me you'd treat me to ramen," Naruto snorted. "I'm still waiting Ero-sennin."

"Tell you what," Jiraiya grinned. "Master the rasengan and I'll make good on our deal."

"Yeah right, that's what you said when we started learning water jutsus…three months ago!" Naruto grumbled but she picked herself off of the ground, nonetheless and continued training with little more than a roll of her eyes.

~O

She twisted easily in the air; one leg swinging out to deliver what would have been a devastating kick to the crook of his neck. Zabuza vaulted easily out of the way and Naruto landed on both feet, blue eyes narrowing in a glare. Her heart was thumping loudly in her chest. Momochi Zabuza, formerly one of the seven swordsmen of the Mist was way out of her league and Naruto was certain that she was about to get her ass handed to her but there was no way she was just walking away from this fight. The bastard had called Haku a tool, and treated him like a slave. It was unforgivable!

With a snarl, Naruto raced forward once more, someone needed to give teach this overgrown freak how to treat his subordinates properly.

~O

She was on fire, her entire body burned and her mouth opened in a scream that echoed through the woods, scaring the local birds into flight. Naruto's back arched, her hair escaping the confines of its band and splaying wildly in the wind generated by the chakra backlash. Her eyes were tinted red, the slitted pupils dilating and her scars thickening as the Kyuubi protested with all its might. Chakra flamed around her, a malicious red cloak, searing hot and clearly visible from miles around. Thankfully Tsunade and Jiraiya were the only people in the forest, specifically chosen for its isolation.

They watched with grim faces as Naruto's body convulsed, her screams growing steadily hoarser before eventually dying out simply because her vocal chords were too abused to produce sound, and still the Kyuubi's chakra pulsed and rolled around her, her fingers lengthening into claws before retracting, her eyes fading from red to blue and back again, her own chakra a blinding blue cloak held tight against her body as she fought off the Kyuubi's influence.

Naruto's skin burned, her muscles tearing her tears' evaporating even as they formed and all Tsunade and Jiraiya could do was watch and pray and thank God that Minato did not have to watch his daughter go through this.

~O

"Another one, Kakashi?" Minato sighed. "That's the fourth year in a row."

"Maa, Sensei," Kakashi replied, his brain working overtime to think up a decent explanation and failing. "Those brats are not ready to become ninja. They're undertrained and lazy and have no concept of teamwork."

"And to think," Minato's voice was mild, "there was a time you kids were genin level almost before you could walk. Itachi, yourself…" Minato's voice drifted off and his gaze drifted to the view from his window as he sighed once more in lieu of finishing the thought.

Kakashi's gaze softened and he bit down on his lip. The past eight years had been hard on Minato, he was thinner and more sombre, prone to gazing off into the distance and, in those moments, the entire village knew who was on his mind. Naruto.

"Ne, Sensei," Kakashi eventually said, "She'll be back soon."

"I know, Kakashi," Minato sighed, "I know. I just…I can't shake the feeling that something is not quite right…that Naru is in trouble."

"Tsunade and Jiraiya are with her, ne?" Kakashi only half asked, "And you know, from their reports, just how much Naruto-chan has grown. Between the three of them, there is little to be truly wary of."

"I know that, too," Minato nodded but the tension in his shoulders did not ease, nor did the frown between his eyes and Kakashi took the cue to silently make his exit.

He couldn't pretend to understand a father's concern but, for the sake of his Sensei, Kakashi sincerely hope it was just natural paternal worry. He feared the consequences should Naruto fail to return to the village safe and healthy.