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Minato’s POV (starts just after Kasumi has left following the masked man, mistaking him for her father)

I hurried towards the Academy, I was two hours late. Kasumi is probably tired of waiting. I sighed and broke into a run. I’d had a lot to do today; I had to be present at the Academy to pass the youngsters as Gennin if they passed, then I had to attend meetings with the elders of the village. I chuckled to myself as I thought of Naruto. I’d watched him take part in the graduation exams today, his third try. I know he didn’t know that but both Kushina and I had watched over him ever since the Kyuubi attacked Konoha. Only, Kasumi didn’t know about Naruto. It was wrong of us to keep this from her but we don’t want to lose her. I slowed down as the Academy appeared two steps away from me. I walked in and looked around for Kasumi.

‘Kasumi?!’ I called out. It was deserted and silent. No one seemed to be here. I looked around, maybe she was hiding? I noticed a glimpse of red on the ground, my eyes widened. I darted over to it and knelt down. I picked it up in my hand and gasped. This was Kasumi’s hair. She’d gone already. I relaxed a little. She’d probably be back home with Kushina now. I sighed and headed home. Kasumi would be in a lot of trouble for wandering off on her own, it was dangerous and the last thing Kushina and I wanted was to lose another child.

I came in the door and Kushina called out to me.

‘Minato! Kasumi! How were your days?’ I flinched. She thought Kasumi was with me, and I thought Kasumi was with her. Kasumi really was gone, she was missing. Kushina came to meet me at the door and gave me a hug and a kiss.

‘Where’s Kasumi? Has she gone up to her room already?’ Kushina asked putting her hands on her hips. I froze. Kushina noticed my worry and then she realised something was wrong.

‘Minato...where is Kasumi?’ she asked. I shook my head.

‘She wasn’t at the Academy, I thought she was here with you!’ I gasped. Kushina’s eyes widened and she clutched her chest.

‘What if she’s hurt? Or worse!?’ Kushina cried running towards the door. I grabbed her hand, just as she opened the door.

‘I’ll go find her, stay here, I’ll get ANBU to help us too,’ I said. She squeezed my hand and nodded sadly. I pulled on my Hokage cloak and raced out the door. I went straight to my office and ordered all available ANBU ninja to report to my office. I ordered them to search for Kasumi. I too went off searching. I went off alone into the woods, searching.

‘Kasumi!?’ I yelled. I heard a scream and immediately noticed it as Kasumi. I headed towards the direction of the scream. I ran as fast as I could, at lightning speed. Soon I arrived to find an opening in the forest. I noticed that the ground was all cracked. Someone had performed a sealing jutsu here. I heard someone behind me and was about to draw my kunai.

‘Minato!’ I turned around to see Kushina running towards me, she too was wearing her Shinobi uniform.

‘Kushina! What are you doing here?’ I asked, standing up and running to meet her. Kushina crossed her arms angrily.

‘She’s my daughter too! I was so worried and I wanted to help find her, I am her mother after all,’ she pouted. I sighed.

‘Honey, it’s too dangerous,’ I said, trying to reason with her.

‘I’m a Shinobi too, not a kid,’ she said pushing past me. She bent down and touched the ground.

‘What happened here?’ she asked running her fingers across the dry, cracked ground. I crouched beside her.

‘I don’t really know but it looks like some sort of sealing jutsu to me,’ I said scratching my head. Kushina’s eyes widened and she tensed beside me.

‘Kushina?’ I asked glancing at her face. She was frozen.

‘M-M-Minato...’ she stammered. I wrapped my arm around her.

‘What’s wrong?’ I asked. She started shaking. I gasped and took off my cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders. She continued to shake.

‘I-I know this seal,’ she whispered. My eyes widened and I recognised it too. This seal had had something to do with Kasumi’s disappearance. I knew where she’d gone. But we couldn’t do anything about it. We had to hunt down Tobi of the Akatsuki, and make him undo the seal, by force...

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sorry its so short, will update soon! thanks! ^^