Naruto: Veil of Frozen Bones

In their small apartment, Ryuu slept soundly, a rare peace settled on his usually tense features. The day had been quite hectic, leaving him no time to relax from the journey. As soon as he returned home he fell asleep, feeling comfort and safety.

Kasumi, however, was awake. She stood by the single windor her gaze fixed on the distant faces of the Hokage Monument. Her hand, almost unconsciously, traced a line on her forearm, a spot that now bore only the faintest discoloration, almost invisible unless one knew precisely where to look. 

This wasn't a result of the cursed seal placed on her in Konoha, but rather a result of her capture during the third shinobi war. She was experimented on, having her power dwindle considerably.

Even now, the effects were evident. Even molding chakra was much harder than before. Although she could still manage to hold her own against seasoned Jonin, she was nowhere near as powerful as she was in her peak.

As for the newly placed cursed seal, she felt nothing from it. After all it was a planned outcome. She still remembered the deal she made with Minato the day she came.

Unlike what Ryuu and what the rest of the village higher ups knew of the situation, things were completely different.

After all, her and Minato were friends.

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[Flashback – Third Shinobi World War – Somewhere near the border of the Land of Hot Water]

The air screamed past Kasumi's ears, each ragged breath a fire in her lungs. Jagged rocks tore at her already shredded uniform, now stained dark with her own blood and that of her pursuers. Her left arm hung useless, the nerves likely severed by a poisoned kunai earlier in the desperate running battle. Each thud of her feet on the unforgiving terrain sent jolts of agony through her exhausted body.

Faster. Have to be faster.

Behind her, the Iwa shinobi, a relentless pursuit squad, their expressions contorted with rage and the promise of brutal retribution, closed the distance.

She risked a glance back. Three of them. Chunin, maybe one low-ranking Jonin. Normally, even injured, they wouldn't be a significant threat. But she wasn't just injured, she was running on fumes, her chakra dangerously low after the initial chaotic engagement and weeks of being hunted since her defection from Kiri. 

The constant drain of maintaining the suppression seals on her early, still-hidden pregnancy didn't help.

The child. He was why she ran, why she fought, why she couldn't let them catch her. He was conceived just before the final bloodline purges in Kiri had reached a fever pitch, forcing her to flee. Her partner, a fierce Kaguya clan warrior she had found a brief, desperate solace with during the chaos of shifting alliances, had fallen protecting her initial escape from Kiri territory. 

They were both experimented on by their own village, used as nothing but tools to further their own advancement.

Now, she was truly alone, a missing-nin with a target on her back from two Great Nations.

A jutting root caught her ankle. Kasumi cried out, a choked gasp, as she sprawled face-first into the unforgiving earth. Pain exploded in her injured arm, in her screaming lungs.

This was it. She couldn't get up.

The three Iwa shinobi emerged from the treeline, their faces grim, victorious. The leader, a scarred Jonin with cold, dead eyes, raised a kunai. "The Mizukage pays well for Kiri defectors with unique bloodlines, Yuki. Especially those carrying… sensitive information."

So, they knew what she was, if not who she was protecting inside her. The intel she'd gathered for factions within Kiri. The things she had went through.

Kasumi gritted her teeth, trying to push herself up, to form even a sliver of ice, but her chakra coils were scraped raw. A wave of blackness threatened to engulf her.

Suddenly, a yellow blur appeared before them.

Faster than her eye could follow, even in her peak, something gold and light intercepted the Iwa leader's descent. A flash of steel, a choked gasp from the Iwa Jonin, and then… silence.

When Kasumi blinked the dizzying spots from her eyes, two of the Iwa shinobi lay dead, throats slit with terrifying precision. The leader was slumped against a tree, a uniquely shaped three-pronged kunai embedded deep in his chest, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Standing over him, wiping a speck of blood from his own kunai, was a young man. Not much older than a boy, perhaps nineteen. He wore the standard Konoha flak jacket, but his hair was a startling, sun-bright blond, and his eyes were the clearest, most intense blue Kasumi had ever seen. He moved with a speed that seemed to defy reality.

Minato Namikaze. Even in her desperate state, fleeing Kiri, operating in the shadows, she had heard of the "Yellow Flash", a flee on sight shinobi.

He turned, his blue eyes assessing her with startling speed – her injuries, her exhaustion, the distinct, albeit suppressed, chill of her unique chakra. He didn't approach with aggression, but with a cautious curiosity, like a scholar observing a rare phenomenon.

"Yuki-san, I presume?" His voice was calm, youthful, yet held an undeniable authority. "You're a long way from the Land of Water. And clearly in a spot of trouble with Iwagakure."

Kasumi struggled to speak, her throat raw. "Who…?"

She already had a suspicion as to who he was, but she needed to confirm.

"Minato Namikaze, Konoha," he offered, his gaze still sharp. He gestured to the dead Iwa-nin. "They won't be bothering you further. My team and I were on a long-range patrol, tracking this Iwa unit. They crossed into neutral territory aggressively. Seemed like they were hunting something… valuable." His eyes met hers again, a silent question.

Kasumi knew she was at a crossroads. This Konoha prodigy had saved her life, but she was still a missing-nin, hunted by her own village. He could just as easily turn her over to his own village.

But there was something in his eyes, an openness, an intellectual curiosity rather than naked opportunism, that made her gamble.

"I am… Kasumi Yuki," she managed, the name a rasp. "I have… information. Information about Kiri. Their deployments. Their… bloodline purges. Information Konoha might find… useful. In exchange for safe passage... or at least a chance to recover…"

Minato's eyebrows rose slightly. "Kasumi Yuki? I think I've heard that name before…" pondering with his eyes half open as if trying to recall something. Suddenly he remembered, hitting his fist on his palm with realization.

"Hyōjin? The reports of an ice-wielder operating under that codename in the northern Water territories… that was you?" He sounded intrigued, not accusatory. He knelt, carefully, assessing her injured arm without touching. "You're badly hurt. And running from more than just Iwa, I take it."

Kasumi nodded, tears of pain and exhaustion finally threatening to spill. "Kiri… wants me dead. My clan… they're being hunted. The Mizukage... he sees bloodlines as either tools or threats. There is no middle ground anymore."

"I see," Minato said quietly, his expression turning grim. The undercurrent of brutality in Kiri's internal politics was something Konoha's intelligence had been picking up, but firsthand confirmation from a Yuki was invaluable. 

The Third War had unleashed a particular viciousness, and bloodline purges were a horrific, if not entirely uncommon, consequence. "Konoha officially doesn't condone the persecution of bloodlines, Yuki-san. And your survival, especially as a Yuki with demonstrable skill, makes you… uniquely valuable. Information of the kind you hint at would be paramount, especially if Kiri is making aggressive moves towards Fire Country's interests."

He made a quick series of hand signals to unseen figures in the trees – likely his ANBU team, Kasumi guessed, given his rank and the nature of this patrol. She tensed slightly, but his demeanor remained open.

"You need immediate medical attention," Minato stated, his tone shifting to one of professional concern. He produced a small, high-quality field medical kit from his pouch – Konoha standard issue for its Jonin, far superior to the rags she'd been using. 

"That arm… and you're clearly running on reserves you don't have. We have a secure extraction point not far from here. My team will provide cover. We can get you cleaned up, patched up, and then we can talk more formally. But know this," his blue eyes held a flicker of the fierce protectiveness he was known for when it came to Konoha, "if your information is genuine, if you are willing to cooperate fully with Konoha, you will have our protection. For now, trust that I intend to get you out of here alive. Your knowledge could save many Konoha lives."

It was a clear, transactional offer, typical of the shinobi world, but beneath it, Kasumi sensed something else in Minato's demeanor. Not pity, but a pragmatic empathy. He saw her as a person in dire straits, not just an intel source to be squeezed dry. Perhaps it was his youth, or perhaps it was just his nature.

"The codename 'Hyōjin'," Minato continued, as one of his ANBU, materializing silently, began to apply a field dressing to Kasumi's arm with practiced efficiency. "It's how you'll be logged until we reach a secure debriefing location. For your safety and ours. Any objections?"

Kasumi shook her head weakly. "No… Hyōjin is… acceptable." 

The secure Konoha outpost was a well-concealed series of reinforced bunkers, with the shinobi inside moving around in an orderly manner. Kasumi, now cleaned, her arm expertly bandaged by a Konoha medical-nin, and having eaten a hot meal – her first in what felt like weeks – sat across a simple wooden table from Minato. The ANBU who had initially treated her were present, shadows in the periphery, their presence a constant reminder of her precarious situation, yet Minato's calm demeanor put her somewhat at ease.

"Your initial intelligence, Kasumi-san," Minato began, referring to a set of freshly transcribed scrolls before him, "has already been relayed to Konoha High Command. The details on Kiri's naval deployments and their attempts to destabilize trade routes in the Eastern Seas… it corroborates some of our suspicions and provides critical missing pieces. The specifics on the 7 swordsmen are extremely important." His expression was grim.

Kasumi nodded, still weary, but her mind was clearer now. "Kiri is desperate. The Sandaime Mizukage's regime is becoming increasingly paranoid. The bloodline purges aren't just about fear, they're about consolidating power, eliminating any internal threats or independent sources of strength."

"And these… 'enhancement' experiments you alluded to?" Minato prompted gently, his blue eyes sharp, missing nothing.

This was the harder part. The curse mark on her arm, still faintly aching, was a testament to Kiri's barbarity. She detailed the forced experiments, the attempts to artificially amplify Kekkei Genkai, often with horrific side effects or leading to the subject's agonizing death. She spoke of the secret research facilities, the grotesque failures, the stolen clan techniques Kiri was trying to weaponize. She gave him names of lead researchers, locations, even some of the distorted sealing formulas they had used on her and… on her partner.

Minato listened without interruption, his expression hardening with each revelation. This wasn't just warfare; it was depravity. "The depth of Kiri's desperation is… concerning. Such research rarely stays contained."

Over the next few days of debriefing, a strange camaraderie formed. Minato, despite being a renowned war hero and a strategic genius, treated Kasumi with a respect that transcended her status as a defector. He asked for her analysis, her opinions on Kiri's potential strategies. He spoke of his own village, his belief in the Will of Fire, his desire to see an end to the endless cycle of hatred, even as he waged war to protect Konoha. 

Kasumi, in turn, found herself speaking more freely than she had in years, her natural intelligence and insight, honed by a life of survival in Kiri's treacherous political landscape, proving invaluable.

One evening Minato offered her a cup of tea and sat across her, clearly having come with some results.

"You've risked much providing this information, Kasumi-san," he said, his voice softer. "More than just your life. Suna's intel on you simply stated 'Yuki defector.' Kiri's bounty describes 'Hyōjin, traitor, possessor of clan secrets and forbidden experimental data.' They want you silenced permanently."

Kasumi stared into her tea. "There is… more than just my life at stake, Minato-san."

Minato caught the slip, a faint smile touching his lips. "Oh?"

She took a deep breath. She had shared so much of Kiri's darkness. Perhaps it was time to share a piece of her own, fragile light. "I… I intend to leave the shinobi world, once I've repaid my debt to Konoha for this sanctuary. I wish to find a remote village, perhaps even in the smaller islands of the Land of Water, far from the Great Nations, somewhere quiet… and raise my child."

Minato stilled, his blue eyes widening almost imperceptibly. "Child?"

Kasumi placed a hand over her abdomen, where beneath the layers of clothing, a new life quietly grew. "Yes. I am… pregnant. It was conceived during my capture… before I had to run for good." She didn't mention his Kaguya father directly, the implications for the child were too dangerous. "This is why I truly ran so desperately. Why I'm willing to say so much. It is my only bargaining chip for their future, for their safety."

Minato was silent for a long moment, processing this new, immense revelation. The stakes for her were astronomically high. His respect for her resilience, her sheer will to survive and protect, deepened considerably.

"That changes… much," he said finally, his voice filled with a new understanding. "And makes your actions, your willingness to share this intel with Konoha, even more… significant. You truly are betting everything on this." His gaze was no longer just that of a military commander assessing an asset, but of a man seeing the fierce determination of a mother.

"The information I've given you," Kasumi said, her voice steady now, "the experimental data, the sealing techniques Kiri stole or twisted… I've memorized it all. Some of it could be used to counter Kiri's newer weapons, perhaps even undo some of the damage their cursed seals inflict, if Konoha's fuinjutsu masters are skilled enough."

And the information did change things. Over the following weeks, intel meticulously cross-referenced and analyzed from Kasumi's testimony led to Konoha intercepting several key Kiri operations, preempting attacks, and exploiting weaknesses in Kiri's lines that had previously been unknown.

When it was clear the war was slowly turning, due in no small part to the intel "Hyōjin" had provided, and Kasumi was as recovered as she could be, Minato honored his initial promise. He arranged for a quiet, untraceable departure for her. "I cannot offer you a public place in Konoha, not now, Hyōjin-san," he'd told her regretfully. "It's too dangerous, for you and the village. Kiri's spies are everywhere. But," he pressed a sealed scroll into her hand, "this contains routes, contacts, resources. Enough for you to disappear, to find that quiet place. And," his gaze was unwavering, "if the day ever comes when you need true sanctuary, when this peace we fight for is real… Konoha, I, will remember our debt."

Kasumi had taken the scroll, tears in her eyes. "Thank you, Minato-san." That was the last time she saw him before appearing at Konoha's gates four and a half years later with Ryuu.

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[Flashback – Konoha – Hokage's Office - The Day Ryuu and Kasumi Arrived at Konoha. ]

Just as the Chunin escorted the two towards their new quarters, the real Kasumi slipped away, leaving a perfect, solid clone to walk with her son, its presence and chakra signature indistinguishable to the unsuspecting Chunin escort.

Inside the office, Minato's formal Hokage posture slumped slightly. He let out a long, weary sigh and ran a hand through his bright blond hair, the weight of the hat and the office momentarily lifted. He turned from the window, a genuine, warm smile replacing the calculated, political one he had worn moments before.

"It seems your acting has become very good, Kasumi-san," he said, his voice losing its authoritative edge and gaining a familiar, friendly tone. "I'm glad to see you again. Truly."

The door opened silently and Kasumi stepped inside, her own rigid posture softening with relief. The weary tension that had clung to her like a shroud for years seemed to ease, if only for a moment.

"Minato-san," she replied, the honorifics dropping in the privacy of the room. "You weren't so bad yourself. For a moment, even I thought I was in serious trouble."

A light chuckle escaped him. "The walls have ears, especially these walls. We had to make it look convincing." He gestured to the chair opposite his desk, the one usually reserved for village elders or high-ranking commanders. "Please, sit. It's been a long time. Four and a half years. I was beginning to think I'd never see you again."

Kasumi sank into the chair, the exhaustion of the journey finally catching up to her. "The world has few quiet islands left, Minato. Kiri's hunter-nin have grown more... persistent. Bolder. The 'peace' is fragile. It was no longer safe."

Minato's smile faded, replaced by a deep understanding. He leaned forward, his elbows on the desk, all pretense gone. "Tell me everything. What made you come here?"

"Ryuu," Kasumi said quietly, her gaze distant. "He's growing. His chakra coils... they're developing. Stronger than mine ever were at his age. His bloodline is active, often acting out, even in his sleep. I could suppress it, hide it, but for how long? We were living on borrowed time. Sooner or later, someone would have noticed. I needed a place with the strength and resources to protect him, to help him control it. Konoha… you… were the only option I trusted."

She took a deep breath, making a decision. She had gambled on coming here, gambled on their old alliance. Now was the time to lay the final, most dangerous card on the table.

She knew Ryuu had subtly tried to coax her to come here. She wasn't someone who could be fooled so easily, but it only made her more confused. Why did her son want them to come here? It was impossible for him to know her connection with Minato.

"There's more, Minato. Something I couldn't tell you back then. It's the real reason I'm so afraid, and the reason his potential is so… volatile." She met his sharp, blue eyes. "I told you he was conceived during my captivity. I didn't tell you his father was also a Kiri experiment. A Kaguya clan member."

The name hung in the air, heavy with implications of savage power and a bone-manipulating Kekkei Genkai feared throughout the nations. Minato's eyes widened, the full weight of her confession settling on him. A Yuki and a Kaguya. Two of the most formidable and feared bloodlines, merged in one small, unsuspecting boy.

"Shikotsumyaku..." Minato breathed, his strategic mind immediately calculating the terrifying possibilities. "Gods, Kasumi. The potential... but the instability... No wonder you ran. No wonder you're so terrified." He looked at her with a new level of respect and concern. "Does he show any signs?"

"No, thank the heavens. Not yet. But if it ever awakens… he'll need more than just a place to hide. He'll need a village that won't see him as a monster to be dissected or destroyed. He'll need a leader who understands."

This was her ultimate proof of trust. Sharing a secret that could get her son either killed or locked away for life.

Minato was silent for a long moment, processing. Then he nodded, his expression firm with resolve. "Then our plan must be even more meticulous. You were right to come here. Hiding him away is no longer a solution. it's a liability. We integrate him. Slowly. Carefully."

"How?" Kasumi asked, a flicker of hope in her voice. "He's already so different."

"We use that," Minato explained, his mind already piecing together the strategy. "He'll attend the Academy normally and once he becomes a Genin I'll assign one of my guards to become his jonin sensei and make him show his Kekkei Genkai by 'accident'."

He leaned back, a grim look on his face. "There will be a 'discovery'. A semi-public demonstration. And when that happens, the village elders, the Jonin... and Danzo... will have questions. They will see a powerful, unknown asset from a rival village, trained in secret by his mother. They will see you as a threat, a spy who concealed a weapon."

Kasumi's blood ran cold. "They would take him from me."

"They would try," Minato corrected her. "Which is why we must control the narrative from the very beginning. When that day comes, I will have to act. Publicly. I will express my 'disappointment' and 'anger' at your 'deception'."

He paused, his gaze apologetic but firm. "And to secure your position, to prove your loyalty beyond any doubt and shield you from factions like Root, we will need a final, undeniable measure. A security precaution."

Kasumi stared at him, understanding dawning. "...A seal."

"A cursed seal," Minato confirmed, his voice low and laced with regret. "A performance. A leash that everyone sees, that places you and Ryuu unequivocally under my authority, and no one else's. It will be a cage, but one that keeps the true wolves at bay. It will brand you as a controlled Konoha asset, making you untouchable to Danzo. It's a bitter pill, but it guarantees your safety and Ryuu's place here."

The plan was audacious, cold, and brilliant. A long con, sacrificing her reputation and freedom in the short term for her son's ultimate security. It was a shinobi's solution to a mother's problem.

Tears welled in Kasumi's eyes, not of fear this time, but of a profound, painful relief. He wasn't just offering sanctuary, he was offering a future, however costly.

"A cage to keep the predators out," she whispered, echoing her own thoughts. "I understand. It is a price I will pay for his future."

She had a few years before the seal would be placed on her, but still…

"I'm sorry it has to be this way," Minato said softly. "But in this world, for people like us, peace and safety must be built, sometimes with painful tools." His gaze then softened further.

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[Return to Present]

A faint, bitter smile touched Kasumi's lips as she looked at the dark mark on her arm. At this point, this mark was just symbol. 

She could remove it at any moment without any issue, especially now that Danzo was gone, but she had to keep up the act for the time being.

Minato's plan had worked and Ryuu was growing safely. The past was already behind her.

She had finally acquired the peace she was longing for.