Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Bandages
It happens on the day Kushina has a day off from work.
Now, when Kushina has a day off from work, she usually lazes around the house, goes for a run, goes to the gym or she goes to visit one of her friends. Today though? It's different.
Because any other day, Kakashi doesn't end up on her doorstep, with his bangs plastered to his face. He doesn't usually look like he hasn't slept in a month or not showered in a week. Hell, Kakashi doesn't come to her doorstep without Minato in tow periodso she knows something's up.
She puts her hands on her hips and stares down at him with her eyebrows furrowed with a fierce scowl on. She's going to intimidate the little shit until he opens up, because she isn't going to let him inside without at leasta solid reason for him to be here.
He visibly deflates and flicks his bangs out of his eyes. "Don't look at me like that, Kushina-nee. It makes me feel like I've done something wrong."
"You looklike you've done something wrong," she retorts, moving her arms to fold under her breasts. "Why're you here?"
"I uh-" he winces, one hand going up to rub the back to give her a sheepish grin-one Kushina knowsis Minato's influence all over. It just screams Minato. Kakashi isn't one to physically emote, as it were-that's all Minato. Hell, Kushina isn't even sure if Kakashi's attempting to give her a sheepish grin because she can't exactly see it, considering he's wearing a surgical mask. "-I kind of need help and Minato-sensei's busy..."
"So you came to me?" Kushina asks suspiciously. Now, Kushina doesn't mind being used for her skills in pranks and busting druggies-she's good at those-but doing a job she knows nothing about? She minds that. A lot.
"Minato-sensei said that if I ever needed help, I could come to him or you."
Kushina rolls her eyes. Oh boy. "When Minato gets home, I'm going to give him a piece of my mind. I didn't sign up for babysitting duty."
"Neither did I," Kakashi remarks dryly and Kushina pauses to squint at him. What? Is that the actual job? Or is Kakashi trying to say something among hist ridiculous subtext? Because Kushina is the first person to tell you that she is not a person that looks into 'subtext'.
"I hope you're not trying to say something, Kakashi," she threatens, glaring at him. He raises his hands in defense, which placates her just a bit. She eyes him, looking him up and down, before looking at his face. His weary, sleep-deprived, probably unwashed, face. "What did you need help with?"
So, Kushina doesn't expect Minato at Kakashi's house, babysitting Kakashi's seven (maybe nine? Ten? Kushina hasn't counted-they all run too fast for her to) dogs, when they get there. Minato looks up from scratching one of the bigger dogs behind the ears and gives her the most dopiest grin yet.
Kushina just flatly stares at him, because she did notvolunteer to become a chew toy. Just about now, she realises she's been duped. She turns her head to give Kakashi one of her best glares, but apparently, is unsuccessful. She rolls her eyes heavenward, turns towards Minato, crosses her arms, and pouts.
"So why am I really here?" she asks.
Minato shrugs at her. "I don't know. Kakashi told me to come here and look after his dogs while he looked for a helper," he looks her over, raising a sceptical eyebrow. "Except, I didn't think it'd be you. I don't even know what Kakashi needs help with."
They both turn expectantly towards the younger man, who exudes the aura of superiority.
"You," he says with a smirk in his voice, "are going to help me bathe them."
At those words (as if the dogs new just what that word meant), the room descends into chaos.
This is a Bad Idea, and Kushina is inwardly bemoaning about the state of affairs. She could've been at home, under her covers, asleep, or she could've been on the couch, watching a movie. Or, she could've been visiting Mikoto.
But no, she had to be dragged into helping Minato's student (Minato's! Not hers!) giving his dogs a bath. How the younger man does it on his own is a complete mystery to Kushina, because it's complete pandemonium. All the dogs are trying to escape Minato's, Kakashi's and her clutches.
Some have taken to biting and clawing their way out. She has red, bloody welts on her arms, legs and torso to attest to this. Some have taken to running away and fleeing every time someone goes towards them. It's insane.In Kushina's humble opinion, Kakashi has too many dogs.
She wrestles a stubborn border collie into the dirty water with a grunt, one hand holding him down while the other washes his fur with dog shampoo. He snaps and snarls at her and she snarls right back-as soon as she's done with this dog, she's going to leave.
She's spent all damn day washing these dogs, and she's going to go back home where she can relax the rest of her free day off.
"This is all your fault, you know," Kushina snaps while her arm is being bandaged. How is she going to explain these wounds to her colleagues tomorrow? She's going to be the embarrassment of the security force! Being bested by dogs! Imagine that! She grumbles lightly under her breath, lightly glaring at her cringing, blonde haired husband.
Serves him right, the asshole. He should've known Kakashi would rope them into dog-bath-day.
"I know," Minato mutters. He bends down and takes out a bandaid, opens it and places it on Kushina's cheek. He grins at her cheekily.
She scowls. "I didn't have a wound there."
"I know," he says cheerfully.
Ugh, Minato is such an idiot. Being all cheerful even though today was so horrible... sigh, maybe that's why Kushina loves him.
She's not going to make it any easier on him, putting those bandages on her, though. He can suffer.