Danzou glares down at him, but Minato refuses to budge.

"To have the Mokuton user and such a powerful Mangekyo Sharingan in such close quarters with the Kyuubi, if another… incident were to happen, they could be too attached to fight with all their strength," Danzou says, looking at Minato through one half-lidded eye as if he is bored.

If something were to happen with the Kyuubi, Minato knows Shisui would do whatever necessary to stop it. He can see it in his eyes.

Shisui is strong. Minato read the report of what the mission was that ended with Shisui awakening his Mangekyo, and if Shisui, seven-year-old Shisui, who's already faced pain and suffering before can get back up after that and keep smiling, well Minato isn't worried.

Shisui will be an amazing shinobi.

Tenzou is still learning and he still has a way to go, but his determination is admirable and Minato isn't worried that he'll fall through. If anything, Minato can see Anbu in his future but that's all in due time.

Tenzou has the potential to become a fierce shinobi.

And Danzou reduces their hard work to nothing by putting it all down to how much someone feels. Minato has always hated that, how much Danzou emphasises how inconvenient emotions are for a shinobi, how they make them weaker and useless. And to some extent, he may be right. There's always emotional backlash from those missions that even make the Anbu hesitate.

But, without emotions, shinobi are nothing. Minato fights knowing he's protecting the village and his little bizarre family that he loves more than anything. It's something that Minato would die for.

But if could feel nothing, then he would nothing to fight for. Nothing pushing him forward.

"Are you proposing that Shisui Uchiha and Tenzou Uzumaki would not function as efficient shinobi for the village when their duty calls? You are suggesting my judgement is wrong, but I have been with them for months, and I firmly believe that they will be able to benefit the village no matter what."

Danzou lets out a barely audible huff, barely suppressing an impatient eye roll but Minato doesn't miss it.

He understands Danzou's point of view, but Minato corrected the seals on Kushina's stomach after she gave birth to Naruto and there was definitely some outside force waiting for the right moment to strike when the Kyuubi attacked. He and Kushina have discussed it, and have decided against any more children so there won't be another chance to release the Kyuubi.

The actual logical chances of anything happening are low and to remove Shisui and Tenzou from Kushina's company just for that small chance is first of all, so incredibly paranoid Minato can't help but feel concerned. Secondly, it's insulting to Minato that he, as Hokage, would raise shinobi who couldn't step up to their job when needed the most and thirdly, it's insulting to the kids that they also would fail to fulfil their job.

Danzou stares at him, unblinking for a long moment. "Don't you think Kotoamatsukami is too much power in on little body?"

"His name is Shisui," Minato says without pause, keeping his face impassive. "And one could say the same thing about us."

Minato picks up a small pile of paperwork, placing it in front of him and picks up the nearest pen. He raises an eyebrow and tries to shove down unprofessional annoyance.

Danzou lingers longer than he should, obviously annoyed as well.

He disappears out of the room, displaying too much elegance for a man with a walking stick and a limp.

Minato leans back in his chair and stretches out his senses feeling Danzou work his way out of the Hokage building.

Maybe that was the wrong way to go about it. But this wasn't the first time Danzou had expressed his paranoia, and Minato is tired of it.

Danzou's way of speaking about Konoha's shinobi has always angered him. Yes, shinobi die all the time in missions and war and assassinations and lots of them will be forgotten but they're all people. They're more than their abilities. There's more to Tenzou than the Mokuton and more to Shisui than the Mangekyo and calling them by their names is the very least anyone can do.

Kushina is stirring soup with Naruto in her other arm, watching the liquid half asleep and Minto is buttering bread, chatting along about a sealing jutsu when the sense of unease hits.

Minato tenses and stops mid-sentence and Naruto stirs in her arms, looking up at her with big, curious eyes.

Minato stops buttering the bread and Kushina sees the muscles in his arms twitch.

She turns the stove off and moves over to him, one hand on his shoulder.

His face is like it's carved out of the Hokage mountain, impassive and cold.

"Where are the kids?" he asks. His voice is monotone, and it strikes something deep in Kushina's stomach.

"Out with Genma. They should be back in a few hours," Naruto grabs a hand onto her shirt and reaches a hand out to Minato as if being able to sense the tension as well. "Why, what's wrong?"

Minato doesn't answer for a moment, his gaze going somewhere else. "It's probably nothing…" he trails off now and Kushina sighs and tugs him to face her.

"What's wrong?"

He looks at her, a tiny frown forming. "It would be unlikely that Danzou would do something but," he stops talking, the meaning clear enough.

Kushina hasn't been privy to Minato's actual conversations with Danzou, but he'd told her everything he could and Danzou hasn't been presenting himself as the most stable, sound decision-maker.

Something must have spooked him though and it makes Kushina's blood boil to think that Danzou possibly threatened their kids if the way Minato's reaction says anything.

Kushina reaches up, cradling Minato's cheek in her hand. "Minato. Do you think we need to do something?"

His face hardens up again and Kushina can practically see the cogs turning in his head, planning, and weighing up every variable.

"We should," the door slams open, interrupting Minato's words.

Rin barges in, sweaty and covered in dirt, breaths coming out in short bursts. There's an untamed fury in her eyes that would have made Kushina grin were it any other situation.

She looks up at them, a thin scratch diagonally across her forehead and she rights herself, straightening like she isn't standing in front of Minato and Kushina, but she's standing in front of the Hokage and one of Konoha's most formidable shinobi.

"Danzou-sama attacked Shisui and Tenzou. He stole both of Shisui's eyes, Tenzou's arm is broken but we managed to get them both away for now," She's already started walking to the door, saving them the time to tell her to show them the way.

Kushina grips Naruto tighter in her arms, clenches her jaw and clamps down on the ingrained impulse to start punching.

Shisui and Tenzou may be a shinobi but they're also seven and Danzou is in his seventies. Danzou attacked two seven-year-olds.

Danzou decided to attack two Konoha shinobi who are several decades younger than him for the sake of power – why else would he attack Tenzou, Mokuton user, and Shisui, with Kotoamatsukami. Tenzou is one of her kids, and Shisui has worked his way into her heart along the way.

She taps Rin's shoulder getting her to stop and presses Naruto into her arms. She will not let her kids get hurt.

"Take him to Mikoto Uchiha, tell her the situation. She'll look after the Uchiha compound," she doesn't bother checking with Minato, knowing he'll agree anyway.

Minato leans forward, his face is even more unreadable than before, but Kushina can see the thin lines of tension running down his neck, in his biceps and the almost inaudible tension in his voice. "Where are the others?"

Rin nods, and despite her obvious worry for the boys that have wormed their way into a massive part of her life, she hasn't lost her composure, facing the ordeal with the will of a fierce shinobi.

"The forest near the memorial stone. There's a little cave. You need to hurry, Danzou-sama has people out looking," She darts off into the slowly descending darkness.

It takes the both of them less than thirty seconds to gather the weapons they need.

They both know what war is like and what it's like to fight in the most backwashed missions there is to offer, but this is different. This is their kids. And that is a whole other level.

Genma carefully threads chakra from his palm of his hand into Shisui's forehead, slowing down the process as much as he can, minimising the risk of plunging Shisui further into shock. They can't really stay here in this tiny cave, but if they move then it will give away their position immediately. They're going to find them eventually.

Tenzou is tucked under Kakashi's arm, head resting against Kakashi's chest, his clearly broken arm is tucked against his chest and he blinks owlishly into nowhere.

There's really nothing they can do. Genma could hold off Danzou's men when they find them to give Kakashi and Obito more time to get Shisui and Tenzou away, but there's no way Genma can hold a candle to Danzou if he shows up as well.

Obito has Shisui tucked into his lap. There's a look on Obito's face, one of such anger and helplessness it makes Genma's heart ache in sympathy. There is something horrific about losing one's eyes for an Uchiha. Shisui hasn't uttered a word since Danzou literally tore Shisui's eyes out of his head.

Danzou will come to finish off Shisui, and he'll come for Tenzou. Shisui's Mangekyo is powerful but it's Shisui's. No one else's. Danzou took Shisui's eyes. It makes Genma feel sick thinking about it.

Genma breaks the flow of chakra as Shisui's cheeks redden and his breathing isn't so laboured and erratic. Shisui's eyelids flutter and Genma carefully shuts them again and Obito gazes up at him with big, worried eyes.

"It'll be fine," Genma says, although he's not sure who he's trying to convince. Shisui's chakra is low, as is Tenzou's due to Danzou attacking them the moment the two of them were alone. They need a hospital, not a damp, gloomy cave.

Rin went to get Kushina and Minato. Surely, they'll be here soon.

Genma looks over at the other two and cringes at the makeshift splint they'd made on the run. It will do for now, but clearly, Kakashi thinks the same if the disappointed look on his face says anything.

Kakashi's holding Tenzou's arm to his chest, to give it that bit more stability, a part of Kakashi's shirt is wrapped around it as well where the bone stuck out. Their eyes meet for a minute and Genma can see he's thinking. Kakashi is smart. He's also lost an eye before, the extra fabric covering the left side of his face a more than obvious reminder. He understands Shisui's pain more than any of them can.

But they've been sitting here for a while, neither of them have thought of any plan of attack. They're sitting ducks.

There's a far off yell and everyone flinches, twisting heads to face the entrance. Genma and Kakashi don't waste any time, already manhandling Tenzou and Shisui upright.

All the colour drains out of Tenzou face the second he's on his feet and Kakashi's arms around him are the only thing keeping him from meeting the ground again and Genma cringes. The break must be bad.

Shisui and Tenzou need a hospital, not to be running away from a man hellbent on having them to himself.

Genma leads the way, cautiously poking his head out of the cave and stretching out his senses. He and Kakashi are the only sensory type shinobi but they'll make do. He pauses as he feels several signatures. One of them he feels like he recognises, but the signatures are far off and Genma's tired and stressed. He could be wrong.

They could be Danzou's men. They also might not be, but fighting in a war has taught Genma to always assume the worst.

He turns back to the others. Obito has a firm hold on Shisui as does Kakashi with Tenzou. They'll be slow, but waiting here, they're just waiting to die.

Genma gestures in the direction they need to go and they all take off.

They keep to the ground, easier with injured people, but Genma immediately senses the signatures of before starting to move in their direction as well. He curses, falling back so the others are leading.

"Keep going!" he yells in response to their confused glances back. Obito spares a moment to glare at him, worried Genma's going to get hurt doing something stupid.

They run in silence for a few moments, interrupted only by pained gasps and quiet words of comfort.

The signatures continue to gain on them and Genma speeds up a little, pushing the others on.

There's a sudden flare of chakra and Genma whirls around, pulling out a senbon in one hand and kunai in the other, just as two shinobi dart from around a tree.

There's a split second where all Genma can see is enemy but then the shinobi's hands shoot up in surrender and Genma recognises the face – his lieutenant, Shi – and he freezes. "Lieutenant?" he asks, not meaning to come off so doubtful, but Genma's had a long day. The others stop as well, hearing the familiarity in Genma's tone.

Shi and the other shinobi who Genma doesn't recognise walk forward and Shi nods at him. "Good job," he smiles crookedly. "Yondaime-sama and Kushina-sama are handling Danzou at the moment."

There's a collective sigh of relief behind him and the other shinobi walks towards the boys, pulling Shisui into her arms hushing them both when Shisui startles and Obito tightens his grip.

She lets go and crouches down out of their personal space. "My name is Anko," she says, keeping her voice calm and level. "You're Shisui and Obito Uchiha, right?"

Obito slowly nods and forces himself to take a deep breath. Shisui's face is slightly grey where it isn't smudged with dried and fresh blood still dripping out of his empty eye sockets, but he manages a tiny nod.

"I can take you to the hospital. You'll feel better there." Silence greets her and Shisui's grip only tightens on Obito.

Anko glances back at Shi and says, "I'll take them both."

Shi nods and looks at Genma. "Follow her. Stay close, Genma."

Genma nods, overwhelming relief still making everything feel light. "Thank you," he says and manages a salute before darting after Anko, now with Shisui securely in her arms and Obito close by.

He just hopes Kushina and Minato are alright.

Kakashi watches Genma dart off with the others and feels an irrational sense of dread surge through him. A part of him knows that's just his nerves talking, but that doesn't make it any easier.

The shinobi – Shi – definitely isn't a genjutsu either, Kakashi had checked.

Tenzou's looking at the shinobi strangely. With wide eyes and his mouth slightly open.

Kakashi shuffles Tenzou more secularly against his side and glowers at Shi. He's not sure where Tenzou recognises him from and he's not big on taking any chances.

Shi ignores him mostly, which Kakashi finds himself strangely grateful for, and instead focuses on Tenzou who's still staring.

"My name is Shi," he says calmly, although Kakashi can tell he desperately wants to step closer. "I was with Kushina when we found you."

Realisation blooms across Tenzou's face and he can't manage a smile, but the air feels a little less suffocating at the admission.

"Oh…" Tenzou says, blinking up at him and there's probably more that he wanted to say but they've had a long night. Attacked by someone they thought they could trust, Shisui had both his eyes torn out and Tenzou's arm is broken and bleeding.

"His arm is broken," Kakashi interrupts and almost cringes at the slight panic lacing his words. "We should go."

Shi hums and reaches down carefully pulling Tenzou into his arms. "Think you're able to keep up?" Kakashi wants to hate how he can be so calm in the face of this, but this is clearly hardly the worst mission Shi has been on. This probably doesn't rank high at all considering he's run missions with Kushina before which would definitely be high ranking.

"Yes," Kakashi says.

"Of course," he says, smiling gently in a way that's immediately calming.

Definitely not his first rodeo.

Kushina grins fiercely, all teeth showing and clenches her fists harder and chuckles as her chains tighten, and she hears a bone in Danzou's arm snap.

Minato smiles down at him with that smile that made Kushina fall in love with him. Minato is cute and pretty and adorable. But he's also terrifying.

Almost as scary as her. They make a good couple.

He kneels down by Danzou's side. There are Anbu littered all over the area, bloodied and tired with dead Root operatives littering the area, waiting to strike the second Danzou tries anything.

Minato leans in close to Danzou as he chokes on his own blood and reaches his hand forward slowly. The Nara Anbu tightens his shadows, further inhibiting movement as Danzou squirms.

Minato digs his fingers into Danzou's eye socket. Blood spirts and bubbles around his fingers. The squelching sound of muscle tearing and bloody air pockets bursting is all Kushina can hear. Danzou writhes under the force of everyone's restraints.

Minato slowly pulls the stolen eye free, ignoring Danzou's cries of defeat. An Anbu in tiger mask appears with a jar and Minato carefully places the eye inside, Sharingan still activated. "Take that to the hospital," Minato says. "I think Shisui would like at least one of his eyes back."

Kushina squeezes a little harder than necessary, snapping more bones and finds that she doesn't care in the slightest that she's hurting him.

This fight has brought more skeletons out of the closet than what Kushina thought possible. Root was supposedly disbanded when Sandaime was in power. But clearly Danzou ignored him and Sarutobi turned a blind eye.

Thanks to their intelligence unit, Danzou was also apparently involved in the Mokuton experiments.

Kushina squeezes harder.

Minato doesn't try to stop her.

He gestures towards a few Anbu. "Take him to the T&I building. Make sure Inoichi is there."

Only then does Kushina relinquish her hold, but between her and the Nara, they've done too much damage for him to move much.

Minato stands up and nods to the bodies. "Collect the bodies. Get them to T&I as quickly as you can. Anyone who has injuries go to the hospital immediately."

The Anbu break off busying themselves with their orders.

Minato looks up at Kushina and finally, she can see the stress and worry in his eyes.

"Go to the kids," he says. "I'll have to talk with the council." He looks tired and unwilling to go even at the thought of it and Kushina almost tells him to deal with that later, but this is Danzou and treason and so, so much more. Minato is Hokage, and the village needs him.

"I'll be with you as soon as I can," she says as he disappears in a blur.

Kushina helps a limping Anbu to his feet, smiles at his embarrassed apologies and runs them both over to the hospital.

They arrive within no time and Kushina drops the shinobi off to the nearest nurse, unwilling to leave him to hobble around on his own. She finds where the kids are and wastes no time running through the halls.

She narrowly avoids knocking over two elderly civilians and one nurse before she spots Kakashi's ridiculous spiky head of hair, accompanied by Rin, Obito, Genma and Shi and Anko.

Shi nods at her. He doesn't look phased, his calm demeanour ever present, and she immediately relaxes.

She met Shi long before she and Minato were ever romantically together and is the only one who can spend more than half the night with her drinking without completely wiping himself out. Being a Jinchuuriki makes it easier for her, but Shi's the only person she knows who can tolerate alcohol that well.

Shi would be chasing her halfway across the continent if one of her kids wasn't going to make it.

"They're fine, Kushina-sama," he says and Kushina nods to show she's listening, already moving over to the kids wrapping her arms around them. "The break in Tenzou's arm is bad, but the doctors are sure with physical therapy he'll be back to active duty soon enough. Shisui has just gone into surgery now, you could only find one eye?"

Kushina sighs, detangles herself from the mass of limbs and crouches in front of Kakashi, with one hand on his knee. "The other one was destroyed in the fight."

Shi nods and Anko leans on him, patting Shi on the head. "Shisui seems like a tough kid," she starts, looking at the kids. "Shisui was able to keep it together even when something like this happened. I've seen fully grown shinobi handle less a lot worse."

Kakashi looks incredulous, but he's sandwiched between Rin and Obito and the cuteness ruins the effect.

Kushina stands up and smiles at Anko and Shi.

"Thank you for this. I owe you a drink," she says and laughs when Shi grins at her.

Anko waves them goodbye and disappears down the hall. Shi looks over at Kushina and shrugs. "I've got nowhere else to be. I can stay if you want."

Kushina almost says no, having already called him to help out on his one day off duty but it's Shi. "I'm sure Tenzou will like to see you again anyway."

Shi sits next to Genma and Kushina next to Rin. Naruto will be okay in Mikoto's company a little while longer.

Now, all they can do is wait.

Minato's chopping onions, blinking away tears dramatically as Naruto laughs from the kitchen table, held by Rin who's grinning from ear to ear.

Shisui and Tenzou are sandwiched together on the couch in the living room, sleeping soundly. Tenzou's arm is in a cast and Shisui's missing eye bandaged up, but they're peaceful enough. Kakashi and Obito are sitting on the ground in front of the couch, engaged in some heated discussion about self-care.

Shi is on one of the lounge room chairs, Genma perched on the side. Kushina isn't sure what they're discussing, but her heart warms at the sight.

She looks around again, absorbing the scene and thinks back to when it was just her, Minato and Naruto. A lot has changed in the last few months. People have cried and laughed. Lived and died. People have lost and gained.

But, as she looks over at Rin and Naruto giggling at Minato's dramatics, the boys sleeping, Obito and Kakashi forging their own friendship that will only keep getting stronger, her best friend talking to Genma, she wouldn't change it for the world.

(Sorry for any errors! I was worried the ending was a little rushed but I don't think it's too bad! )
so... It's done!

This story took off in a way I never expected. When I wrote chapter 1 I thought it would be 3 to 4 chapters maximum!
Thank you to everyone who has commented or even just lurked around. 127 people subscribed to this, more than I ever expected! So thank you once again!

I want to apologise to the person who asked for Anko in this story, I didn't forget about you! I tried to write a few chapters with her but nothing really stuck with me in the end.
Also, the person who asked for more Shi (the OC from chapter 1) I managed to include him! Yay!

Also a big thank you to 2nduzukage for supplying me with endless plot bunnies, listening to my rants and just being really awesome! XD