For those of whom are interested: This is my second attempt at a Naruto based fiction work. For those who have read my other, "Hanyou Tails" I am sorry to say that I do not know what will become of it's fate.
I intend to keep writing this and updating weekly on a Friday afternoon, barring any interference.
The idea for this piece was derived from PudgyPudge's Broken Hearts, Shattered Dreams, which I greatly enjoyed. It got me thinking about the father/son relations in stories and after a bit of mulling my pen generated this. Kudos to PudgyPudge!
I will very well do what I please with this piece, I intend to deviate a fair amount from the anime but I do intend to keep some of my more preferred parts and adapt them, while some will become fixed points, ie; Team Seven and Kakashi.
Please do enjoy!
EDIT as of 3/10/2014 : Fixed issue with name of Tsume's partner.
What if I told you that everything your eyes told you was not real? What if when you were a child whimpering about the monster under your bed, that he had just crawled out the window…
There's far more to the world than meets your eyes…
Minato Namikaze led out a heavy sigh. Then a sniff. Drip.
He couldn't hold it. He couldn't have even stopped it if he tried. He wept as he held on tighter.
"Minato.."
"Kushina.." He barely could speak. Just choked it out..
"He would've been just like his father." Blood splattered out her mouth as a wheeze escape, "So.. Handsome…"
It came like a torrent. Every pent up emotion. Every sorrow and regret for things unsaid to her.
Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime Hokage of Honohakagure no Sato, fell to his knees, barely even hearing the voices of those around him.
"Name: Kushina Uzumaki."
"Time of Death: 12:08, October 10th."
"Age: 25, Female.."
"Minato-kun…" Tsume looked at her childhood friend. He always wore that smile of his, even as the Hokage he always just seemed like that goofball child that they grew up with in the Academy and served with in the war.
Even when it hurt him after such a long time, he kept it up. But Tsume knew better.
He looked up with his bloodshot eyes. It had been nearly eight years ago. Sometimes he used to blame the gods, and others he blamed his son, and then himself.
"Minato!" She clicked her fingers by his face, "Minato. You're going to want to see this."
"Kurama? Is this it, the place I was born?" It asked excitedly. "It" of course belonging to the more humanoid of the companions. The youngest addition to the already small group. And the strangest.
The boy bounced up and down, much to the amusement of the others. Mainly due to the fact that as he bounced with far too much energy, his small collection of tails wiggled and wagged, although, whether they truly wiggled due to his bouncing and wagged because of his excitement not many could say.
"Yes boy, this is where you where born." All those eight years ago the red fox thought to himself. All those years ago.. "Kuromaru, did Tsume-san say when he would arrive?"
The third member of their party just looked towards the sky and settled on his haunches as the child began rummaging around the entrance of the house.
"Nervous much?"
In truth Kurama was nervous, and that was even more unnerving. But a deal was a deal.
"Noon."
"Hokage-sama, this way. They'll be around here." Naruto's little ears flicked at the sound of a new voice entering the clearing.
With a glance towards Kurama, Naruto decided they had to be staying here to meet them again.
Inuzuka Tsume and one other entered the clearing, although they didn't get very far before being tackled by a very excited blonde blur. The blonde child let out a laugh as he was picked up and spun about by the familiar Tsume.
"It's good to see you again, Naruto-chan!" She said as she put the boy down on the ground.
"I'm not that young anymore!" He pointed his finger at her and stomped his foot on the ground. "Huh?" He squinted at the blonde man just inside the clearing, blue jacket and pants covered in a white robe with a fire trim. "Who's the dude?"
Tsume gave him a gentle wallop on the head, "That "dude" is the leader of Konohagure no Sato. And he's here to see you."
"Eh?"
"You."
Seeing the blank look on his face she looked over towards Minato who took it as his cue to introduce himself. Bending his knees to see the boy face-to-face. "Konichiwa, Naruto-kun. My name is Namikaze Minato."
A moment of silence. And then Naruto's face beamed happiness.
Naruto launched himself forwards with all the strength in his legs. "Tou-chan! Tou-chan!" He chanted happily gripping onto the larger man's chest.
Minato gave Tsume a leveled look earning him a firm grin of amusement. "Tou-chan?" He mouthed to her, his eyes comically large.
She nodded in affirmation and gave a small wolf whistle.
"Ne, Naruto…" Minato question the boy as he attempted to sit up with the wriggling mass on his lap, but no avail, instead he settled for propping himself up on his elbows.
"I'm sorry Namikaze-san."
Naruto and Minato looked up at the fox slinking out from the bushes, both of them had equally dumb looks sketched onto their faces.
"Kurama..?"
"Kurama-san here raised Naruto for many years now. Until Kuromaru and I stumbled upon them earlier today."
"So he's..?"
"I am. Yes." He lowered his head, he had to do what was right, he was deeply attached to the boy but he had to be reunited with his real father.
Minato broke out into a grin, "Thank you, Kurama." He shakily placed a hand around his newly rediscovered son, "Thank you for letting me having my son back."