Prologue: The Explosion
"Mom..."
"Dad..."
Minato was in tears. In the span of less then a minute his entire world had come crashing down around him. His parents, two of the only people in the world he loved, were gone. Other than his little sister, he was completely and utterly alone.
"Onii-chan..." His younger sister Minako said in a soothing voice, trying to comfort him. He didn't seem to hear her through the noise in the crowded hallway. They were waiting outside of their parents hospital room, and Minato had to sit on the floor because all of the chairs were taken. She was standing next to him, leaning against the wall.
She placed her hand on the shoulder of her brother, who was sitting on the ground with his legs pressed against his chest, and he was sobbing loudly. Minato glanced up at her. Through his thick curtain of blue hair she could see his eyes full of pain and sadness.
"Why?! He asked between sobs. "Why did mom and dad have to die?"
Minako didn't know how to respond. She had always look Ike's up to her brother as being strong and mature for his age. But here he was, broken down in tears while she was trying to comfort him.
"I've never seen him like this..." She thought to herself, taken aback. She'd never seen her brother cry before. He always acted so strong and calm around her. Was it all a facade? Had Minato been hiding his weakness for all this time?
No. Minako refused to believe that her brother had been hiding his true feelings from her the entire time. Even so, looking down at her crying brother, she knew she had to do something.
"He needs me, now more than ever." She kneeled down and wrapped her arms around her brother. He looked at her, surprised, but a few seconds later he reciprocated the hug. Minako hugged him tightly, and his head came to rest on her shoulder. His breathing was heavy as he cried into her jacket.
"It's going to be okay, onii-chan..." She whispered.