I've decided to try a Naruto story again so tell me what you all think, these are my three favourite characters in the whole series so I quite enjoyed writing this I have checked the wiki's for information on Minato and Kushina but it had plot holes so I just did it, but tell me if anything else you can see may be wrong. Ps I don't own any Naruto stuff
Chapter One – Departure
"How long has it been since we were here last?" Asks Yahiko.
"Yahiko, we have only been gone a week! The leaf village was only a few kilometres away any way, really we didn't even leave!" Replies Konan.
"Still, long enough for you to get a new haircut!" Konan's usual bun had turned into a pony tail but still accompanied by a paper flower "It doesn't matter any way, what I really meant was back when Jiraiya bought us here to study in the academy, it seems so long ago."
Konan takes Yahiko's hand; she can tell that something is on his mind, he doesn't have to say anything but his expression reveals his emotions "Hey… this is just another chapter; the three of us have come so far… And were not going to stop now, Nagato! Yahiko! Don't wuss out on me now!" Nagato tunes in when he hears his name, but his mind is on other things like Jiraiya who has been missing for over a year.
"Nagato!" He snaps out of his thoughts "What?" He asks.
"Is it bothering you again?" Recently Nagato had been suffering from nightmares and chronic headaches going all the way back to when his parents died "No" he replies "don't worry about me, I'm fine, have you heard much about the chunin exams this year?" he changes the subject to avoid the attention.
"I heard that they are making them completely different this year, three tasks and only one team can make it to chunin status, and that team is us!"
"One team?! That can't be right, are you sure Yahiko?"
"I can only be sure of one thing…" Yahiko jumps into a pose like his sensei used to "That I, Yahiko of the Rain Village, will summon the strength of a thousand to overwhelm and destroy my enemies!" A fire burns in his eyes. "Idiot!" Konan grabs him and shakes him back to reality "You're starting to sound just like sensei!" The three pause for a moment and end up in laughter, the memories of their time with their sensei always left them with smiles.
"Come on, it's time to see those losers we call friends." Yahiko leads the way to the accommodation for the next two weeks of the chunin exams, its late so the town virtually dead as they make there way.
The three make it to their beds but before they can even start to settle their jumped by Kushina "Where the hell have you been!" She yells at Nagato.
"Wel-"
"That's not good enough! As you're technically a family member you have to tell me everything! You can't just go of because you feel like it!"
"Bu-"
"Oh well its okay!" Kushina grabs Nagato and squeezes him hard "I've missed you cousin! I'm glad you're back" her voice is so genuine and sincere, a smile creeps across his face "I've missed you too."
"Hey, what about us?" Asks Yahiko, him and Konan are met by Kushina's wrath going pretty much the same as it was with Nagato ending in hugs.
Minato creeps up behind the three and wraps his arms round them all squeezing them all together "You losers!" he shouts "Did you think you could walk out on us?" They all burst out laughing and begin to exchange stories of their recent missions, nothing too exciting, Yahiko tells the story of how he got his sword, Eaito, the truth of the story is that he tried to steal but a failed and is now held in a lifetime of debt by a very angry dealer. They are up into the late ours of the night, catching up enjoying their moments at soon they will be pitted against each other. They eventually call it a night and settle down.
"Nagato wake up…" He is shocked to life, Minato hovering over him, he jumps and head but's him "What!?"
"That really hurt you know!" Nagato death stares him "Okay, okay I need to show you something, you need to trust me and come with me and don't make peep!"
"Bu-"
"Nagato… Please just follow me." Minato's voice turns cold, and Nagato realises this and goes with him, they head out to the training fields and past into the vast forest that encases the leaf.
"Minato where the hell are we going?!"
"Listen, since you have been gone, I thought it would be in everyone's best interest to find out about the chunin exams."
"I don't like where this is going…"
"I'm almost positive that it's going to be three tasks, each more challenging than the latter, Hiruizen is going to announce it tomorrow, and I have feeling the first task is going to involve each team taking on some kind of beast."
"How can you be sure…?" The realisation of the exams is beginning to set in to Nagato.
"It will be easier if I show you." They head deeper in until they reach a Clearing filled with leaf Shinobi, they climb up a tree out of sight and what Nagato sees shocks him.
"Holy hell…" Nagato whispers, trying not to attract attention.
"They have been rounding these guys up for weeks now, one for each team, at least a dozen beasts in there, I've heard that Orochimaru has had some part in cooking them up, its sick."
"They expect us to go against them? That's ridiculous!"
"I've bought you here" The seriousness of Minato's voice is chilling "to show you what they're planning, this is real Nagato. This time there isn't going to be any safety nets. Were alone."
"Minato don't talk like that…"
Minato turn to face him "Nagato people are going to die, I'm telling you this because you're my friend, and you have to be careful out there we can't help each other. I have to look out for Kushina, Inuzoa has already dropped out we are down to two now, I'm surprised the Hokage is even letting us in…" Minato is visibly concerned for Kushina even more than himself, Nagato has to say something that hill help him but words are failing him.
"Come on now, that's not the Minato I know, the Minato I know would jump at the challenge." Nagato's voice is shaking like Minato, his words didn't really work, Nagato has never been good with emotions and here it really shows.
"We better head back, before someone notices were gone." The pair head back in a solemn silence, both over thinking the exams, tonight is going to be a restless night for the both of them as they wait for the official rulings from the Hokage tomorrow.
