Warlock for Hire

Splashed with Memories

Last time:

Yoko raised an eyebrow at his sister's comment ... what did she mean?

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"Ok, I got some wrapping paper ... now where did I put it?" pondered Naruko as she rifled through her closet. "Ah ha! Found it! Dad is probably hiding mine and Yoko's presents for Kaede. Kaede is so sweet." She smiled as she pulled out a box labeled 'Yoko's present' and set it on the bed.

"Who is Kaede?"

Naruko looked up and saw Minato standing outside her bedroom looking almost nervous, "Not someone you know." answered Naruko with a hint of indifference in her voice ... like hell she'd tell him who Kaede is ...

"Oh ... ok ..." Minato looked a little disheartened at being brushed off. "I wanted to ask you ... about yours and Yoko's birthday party ... do you know if y-your brother can come?" It really felt weird to him. He realized that he never asked before about their party, only Naruko's ...

The Fairy Tail member raised an eyebrow, she never heard Minato stutter before, "Oh, he has every intention of stopping by like he does every year. There's no way he'd miss this." said Naruko happily. There was something about how she said it that set the hokage on edge ... he felt like he should be worried.

"O-ok ... do you want to bring a date?" He asked in an attempt to get some information about his daughter.

"If I brought my girlfriend to this village it would be demolished, but Yoko might bring his lovers ... not that that's any safer." She said as she wrapped the present in colorful paper and sealed it away in the storage seal on her body before leaving the room.

Minato followed after her. "Wait Naruko."

"What?" She asked as she stopped and looked at him right in the eyes making him flinch.

"We arrested a large number of civilians ..." The hokage let his sentence drop.

"So what? You want a medal or something? It doesn't change anything that happened-"

"I know, you're right." said the saddened hokage. "There's nothing we can do to change the past, but I intend to punish those who hurt Yoko. Whether it makes helps our relationship or not ... I want to find evidence on the ninjas involved, but I that's not as easy as I thought ..."

For the first time in a while Naruko gave him a genuine smile, "I can't help there ... just ask Yoko when he arrives." She went outside and saw Kushina and Kakashi bringing party supplies into the house.

Kushina smiled, "Naruko, honey, we were just looking for a present for Yoko, could you give us any ideas?"

"Yoko likes a lot of things ... painting, making fireworks, training, weapons." Naruko smirked at the surprise that flashed through the eyes of Kushina, Kakashi and even Minato as he came outside. "Didn't you know? No I guess you wouldn't ... you remember how you made me agree to go to the academy even though I really wasn't thrilled about being a ninja?" Minato twitched. "That's right, you said that Yoko needed protection ... you were wrong. Big brother doesn't need protection. In fact, he is far stronger than me." She said leaving the stunned ninjas in the yard.

Sasori and Deidara saw Naruko walking towards town and ran over to her "Naruko! We wanted to ask about Yoko ... is he coming for this big birthday party?" asked Deidara who looked just as skeptical as the more stoic redhead.

"Not that anyone knows of our connection to Yoko." assured Sasori who seemed quite eager and perhaps ... shy?

"I know and actually yes. He decided to put his two cents in about this village and the idiots in it. You guys ask a lot about Yoko." She smiled as the mercenaries blushed. "You know, we meet in the Forest of Death before my party. Of course, you should know he has three lovers." (Well Jellal loves him, but big brother refuses to do anything with him until his memory returns.) She corrected mentally, "but if that isn't an issue I should tell you he has a daughter too."