The Wrong Blonde
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I really do appreciate them as I know that this an unconventional pairing to put it mildly. Anyway, I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 2
Three days later and Minato Namikaze knew one thing for certain. Suki Uchiha was likely the most stubborn woman that he had ever met. Perhaps even eclipsing his wife in that category. (Which was certainly saying something because he had married one feisty red head).
"I don't know why you don't just ask them for more pain medication." He glances at her in concern.
Naruto was currently asleep in another hospital room and the real Minato was with him. He had sent a clone to Suki's room though. There was just something hauntingly sad about her eyes.
He supposed that old habits died hard. He might not officially be the Hokage at the moment, but she was a Leaf Villager. One of his villagers was in pain and it was his duty as "Hokage" to try to help her. Well actually, it was more his duty to help her out of a sense of human decency.
Suki glances at him. "I'm out of the original dose and I don't need more." Her voice was level, but her movements were painfully slow. "I've survived worse and we're already low on medical supplies."
Ah. So that was it. This was probably some sort of strange penance and a very indirect way of showing concern for others. Uchihas had always had such a strange way of showing they cared.
He smiles fondly as he remembered Obito. The boisterous, innocent boy who had been transformed into something almost recognizable by the time the war against Madara took place. Though Minato liked to believe that he found redemption in the end. He had seemed like he found peace at the end, anyway.
"I should think that they'd understand." He smiles at her kindly. "You just got an arm transplant. No one is going to object, if you need more medication." Obito had been a kind youth who had been desperate to prove himself. At a minimum, Suki was definitely the latter and most likely the former, under the right circumstances.
She shakes her head. "You're definitely Naruto's father." Minato chuckles at that observation.
Why yes, he was. Who did she think Naruto got his good looks from? Though he had certainly inherited Kushina's spirit.
"Yes, I am, but what makes you say that?" He smiles at her again. "And you're definitely an Uchiha."
Suki raises an eyebrow at Minato in a manner eerie similar to Kakashi. Well he supposed that wasn't to be unexpected. She had been his student. It was likely some of his student's mannerisms would have rubbed of her.
Instantly an image of Guy and Lee flashes through his mind. It certainly wouldn't be the first time that a student had imitated their Sensei. Consciously or subconsciously.
She snorts. "Kind and forgiving to the point of absolute stupidity." Suki pauses. "Well that and the hair and the eyes." Another pause. "Naruto would really benefit from your haircut actually."
Minato blinks. He wasn't really sure whether to feel insulted or complimented. Well he decides to take the more optimistic view and think of them as compliments.
"Forgiveness doesn't make one foolish" He smiles and caresses her cheek affectionately. "It's a sign of strength really. Hopefully, one day you'll learn how to forgive yourself for whatever it is that you believe you've done wrong."
There was another thing about Uchihas that hadn't changed. Any time they expressed an emotion other than fear, anger, or arrogance, it was a most amusing moment. Their faces were just naturally expressive.
The look she gave him was well adorable. Her eyes just widened to the size of bubbles and she blinks slowly. Maybe, the gentle touching might have been pushing things a little too far, but it had felt right.
The raven haired woman shakes her head. "That's going to take a long time." She sighs. "I don't know, if it will ever happen. Earning the forgiveness of others will be easier than burying my past."
Touch was an important thing. It said far more than words could ever say. A respectful handshake after a deal was struck. The reassuring hand on your shoulder from a friend. A mother cuddling their newborn. Two lovers locked in a tight embrace. Those were just some examples of the power of touch over words.
"We all have to start somewhere." He sighs. "My hands aren't entirely clean either. Naruto did suffer enormously because of my actions."
She looks at him sympathetically. "You don't have to feel guilty about the Nine Tails and I'm sure that Naruto will say the same thing." Probably, but that didn't change the fact that he did.
Naruto had spent the first portion of his life as a pariah. For something that wasn't his fault and after that, he had faced so much danger. At least some of it was because he was the vessel for the Nine Tails.
"As you said, we're a lot alike." Minato smiles. "He's endlessly forgiving." It had been a desperate move. He didn't know, if he would have done it again. At the time though, he couldn't see any alternative.
Suki shakes her head. "You should take your own advice about forgiving one's self."
For some reason, Minato couldn't help but laugh at that. "You are a feisty one." He feels the laughter bubble up from deep inside his chest. "I suppose that I did deserve that one."
Suki nods her head rather viciously at that. It was a bit disorientating really. She looked so much like her mother. Minato could almost pretend that he had never died when he looked at her.
That she was really Mikoto Uchiha. That his wife would come bouncing through the hospital doors and that so many people they loved, hadn't died. That was until he heard Suki's voice or saw that haunted look in her eyes and the spell was broken. Just as easily as it had come.
"Mmm. Yes, you did." Suki nods.
Well he supposed that his son had never been bored on his team. Between Kakashi, this one, and the pink haired girl, he must have been constantly entertained. "In the interest of preserving what is left of my dignity, I think that I shall go see what Kakashi wants to do about our…situation." And with that, he poofed out of the room.
Suki rolls her eyes. "Like father, like son." It seemed the Shadow Clone Fetish might be genetic.
Elsewhere in the hospital, Naruto beams at his father. This was great! His dad was back! Really, really back this time!
"So yeah, Haku made us look like human pincushions. We still won though!" And he was telling him about everything that Minato had "missed."
His father chuckles. "Yes, unfortunately, it's a rare ninja who doesn't get turned into a pincushion at some point in their career." Naruto could only nod in agreement at that.
He was still feeling kinda fuzzy from the operation and all the drugs, he'd been given after it. The blonde knew that was kinda to be expected though. Having an arm transplant was a major operation.
That didn't diminish his joy at having his father back though! This was amazing! It was nothing short of a miracle.
"So how is Suki?" Naruto was aware that his father had sent a clone. "I mean, is she okay?"
He was a bit surprised that his father seemed to be somewhat protective of his former teammate. Naruto pawned it off to exactly that though. Suki Uchiha had been his teammate and was like the sister that he had never had. Minato Namikaze was probably just worried about her for those reasons.
Minato sighs. "She's doing about as well as can be expected." Oh boy. That didn't sound good. "Suki is just going to need some time, Naruto."
She had three years away from the Leaf! How much time did she need?! Well he supposed that it was a miracle that she was actually going to stay this time and he actually believed her when she said that.
There was a certain honesty in her voice now and she had agreed to get an arm transplant. Suki might be stubborn, but it seemed highly unlikely that she would run off before she had time to adjust to her new limb.
"Yeah. I guess so." Naruto smiles. "So what's it like to be back?"
His father pauses for a moment. "Well it's hard to say really. Luckily, Tsunade and Kakashi are doing their best to ensure that I'll have an easier transition."
Naruto nods. It couldn't be easy. Minato had been dead for the better part of two decades. So much had changed.
He was sure that his father would manage though. The younger ninja had absolute faith in that and he would manage it. Believe it!
"I know that there's a lot for you to catch up on, but don't worry." Naruto grins at him. "We'll figure it out."
Minato smiles and nods. This time, Naruto decides things were going to be different. His father was going to get the happy ending he deserved.
It wasn't really Obito's fault what happened, but the man had cost his father his life. Minato shouldn't have died in the first place, but now that he was back…well Naruto was going to make sure things went better for his father this time around!
At that same time, Suki smiles. It seems that Jugo, Karin, and even Suigetsu had come to visit her. The last one surprised her the most.
Jugo was her Shield. Karin had some strange case of hero-worship for her that the Uchiha woman didn't understand, but Sugietsu was Suigetsu. He had only joined up with them because he wanted to find his precious swords.
"So…Ice Princess, you look like Hell." And there had been more than one time where Suki had thought about running him through with one of those swords.
Like now, for instance. She really wasn't in the mood to be called Ice Princess. Normally, she would just ignore it. Though she supposed it was the pain that made her react the way she did.
"Suigetsu, if you don't shut up, I will shove a fireball down your throat." She glares at him.
She knew the power of the Uchiha Death Glare. Not even Suigetsu was dumb enough to continue goading her after that. Well at least that's what she foolishly thought.
His eyes go wide. "Sheesh. You're vicious." For a few minutes, it looked like he had learned his lesson, anyway.
Jugo laughs. "I think that she's teasing you." He looks at her, his exotic eyes full of concern. "How are you feeling, Suki?"
Jugo was a good man. It wasn't his fault that biology had dealt him a cruel hand. Though he was getting much better at controlling his rages.
"Well I don't recommend getting your arm blown off and a transplant to anyone." She sighs. "It's not an enjoyable experience, but I think I'm over the worst of it."
That was something of a lie. Suki knew that it was likely it was going to be awhile before the agony stopped, but she doubt it was going to get worse. She grit her teeth as she considers the Fourth Hokage's advice.
Maybe, she should take some more medicine. Just to get her over the rest of this. She'd always had a high pain tolerance. It wouldn't take much.
"Suki, you sure?" Karin didn't bother to hide how anxious she was. "I saw Naruto's father head into your room but he didn't leave." But he wasn't here. That's what she wanted to say.
Suki sighs and nods. "I'm fine. He just sent a shadow clone to check on me."
Suigetsu grins. Damn it. She probably shouldn't have said that. Her teammate likely was never going to let her live this down.
Apparently, that was not the case. "So he's babysitting you, huh?" His sharp teeth were on full display as he positively delighted over his most recent discovery. "Or do you just like older guys?"
Suki tries her best not to gape at her friend. The last Uchiha doubted that she was successful in that endeavor though. She grabs a pillow with her good arm and chucks it at the sword lover in retaliation.
"You've spent way too much time around Orochimaru." Damn pervert. "He's just being kind because I'm friends with his son!"
Jugo tilts his head in confusion. "Suki's likely right." He smiles. "The Fourth Hokage was known as being an empathetic individual."
Good. At least Jugo could see reason! Minato may have been attractive and he may have given her the encouragement that she needed to stay in the Leaf, but he was still Naruto's father.
"Right. Well I was just teasing Ice Princess anyway." Suigetsu grins. "She'd probably freeze the dick off any guy dumb enough to try."
Suki twitches. There were times when Suigetsu was amusing and then, there were times like these. It wasn't unusual for her to have to remind herself that for all his vulgarities, the other ninja did have his uses.
She mentally counts to ten and rolls her eyes. "You're such an idiot." She was still in too much pain to seriously have a go at him.
Though for some reason, a pair of beautiful sapphire blue eyes flashed in her mind. The image calmed her. There was just one problem. Those eyes didn't belong to Naruto.
A few minutes later, Kakashi walks into Naruto's room. He smiles and wasn't surprised to see Minato was there. That is exactly what he had been hoping for, after all.
"Kakashi." Minato smiles at him.
The silver haired man returns the gesture and walks over to Minato, embracing him lightly. "It's good to see you again. I saw that you told Suki you were going to speak with me about the position of Hokage and well, I didn't want to make a liar out of you." He winks. "So here I am."
Naruto blinks. "You watched dad talk to Suki?" That obviously didn't sit right with his student. "That's kinda an invasion of privacy, don't you think?"
Kakashi sighs. He should have expected that. The blonde had always been very protective of his female teammates.
"A bit, but considering Suki's unique situation…I felt that certain precautions were necessary." He might as well be honest. "The Council doesn't trust her not to try to burn this village to the ground and there are many others in the Leaf who share that view."
That fact upset him greatly, but it was the reality of the situation. Eventually, he was sure that they would come to see the truth. His lost student had finally come home and she was making a sincere effort to turn over a new leaf. (Pun intended).
Naruto grumbles, but doesn't actively protest after that. "As you were saying, Kakashi?" Minato looks at him warily.
"I think we're going to have to announce your return and I'm going to abdicate. If you hadn't died, you'd likely still be Hokage. So it's yours by right." And he had never wanted to be Hokage, anyway.
It was too much responsibility. He'd rather be competing against Guy in silly contests and reading Jiraiya's books anyway. That a much more enjoyable way to spend the day than dealing with a mountain of paperwork in his view.
Minato looks at him with surprised eyes. Kakashi could understand why. It wasn't everyday that someone was willing to give up their Kageship, especially so easily.
"You sure about this Kakashi Sensei, it is a lot to give up." Naruto looks at him.
Most likely, he was trying to see if this was what Kakashi really wanted. To his most boisterous student, this must have seen insane. Naruto had spent his entire life trying to become Hokage and he was just giving it away.
That was alright though. As fond as Kakashi was of his student, he wasn't him. He was his own person. His hopes and dreams were simply different than the other Leaf Ninja's.
He nods. "I'm sure about this." Kakashi smiles at Minato. "Oh and there is one more thing. I'm going to talk to Suki about this, but I would like for you to live in the Uchiha District."
Minato blinks and looks at Kakashi as if he had grown another head. Of all the things that he had expected the other man to say, that had been at the bottom of his list.
Apparently, Naruto was having similar thoughts. "You want dad to live with Suki?!" Because he said exactly what Minato was thinking.
"She has a large house. The Uchiha District will need to be rebuilt eventually." Kakashi sighs. "Along with much of the village, but there are plenty of rooms in the one building left standing. It would also be good…" He pauses. "For the villagers to know that you're staying with her Minato."
The eldest blonde's eyes darken at that. He knew exactly what Kakashi was tactfully implying. The villagers might be less scared of Suki, if they knew she was living with a Kage. One of the few people on Earth who might be able to stop her, if she succumbed to darkness again.
"I don't get why they would care." Naruto frowns.
Minato sighs. He had no wish to lie to his son. "Kakashi believes the other villagers would feel less threatened by Suki, if I lived with her. If I was…making sure that she was sincerely an ally of the Leaf Village again." So he was just going to have to be blunt.
"They still don't trust her." Naruto growls. "Even after he helped me defeat Madara!"
No. They didn't. Suki knew that and now, Naruto did as well. As much as Minato loved his village, their opinions had always been easily swayed.
Once upon a time, they had viewed Naruto was a pariah. A beast with a beast inside him. Now, his son was their hero. And from what he gathered the reverse was true in the last female Uchiha's case. Time would heal most of the wounds, but the deepest ones would remain.
"It will just take some time. Naruto, why don't you go talk to Suki about this?" He smiles at his son reassuringly.
Naruto blinks. "Um alright." Minato chuckles. His son looked absolutely terrified.
Though considering the two of them had literally torn into each other, maybe that wasn't without reason. Honestly, he was going to have to teach them how to communicate without their fists or Jutsus flying at some point!
"I can get you a wheelchair and take you there, if you like." It might be a bit too soon for Naruto to be out wandering around.
Naruto shakes his head. "Nah. I've got Kyuubi. I heal a lot faster than most people." He grins. I think that I can handle a short walk through the hospital."
Two weeks later and Suki had been released from the hospital. She still had a lot of physical therapy to do, but she no longer wanted to scream in agony anymore. That and she was just happy to be home.
When opened the door of her house though, she was immediately assaulted by the scent of something burning. Immediately, her eyes widen and she Flickers to the kitchen.
What she found there was well, rather comical. "Minato?" It seemed that Naruto's father had been trying to cook well something. And it hadn't worked out the way, he planned.
He was currently putting out the last of the flames. Though it was still a struggle not to choke on the scent of smoke which still lingered in her mother's kitchen.
"My apologies." He smiles at her. "I wanted to surprise you. It was kind of you to share your home with a stranger." The blonde sighs. "So I thought that the least I could do was prepare you a meal, but it seems that I'm a little rusty."
She smiles. That was just well sweet. "It's the thought that counts." Suki walks over and helps him put out the rest of the flame. "And you didn't burn the tomatoes. So that's something."
Minato nods and looks at the food in a rather disapproving way. For some reason, the image struck Suki as being a rather comical one.
The Hokage was glaring at the remains of a burned dinner. It just seemed so normal and silly. She had to bite back a laugh.
That would have been mean. "Maybe, I can just make us some tomato soup." She rubs the back of her head sheepishly with her good arm. "Do you like that?"
"That's fine with me." He smiles at her reassuringly. "I've had worse and Naruto told me how much you enjoy them. Tomatoes, I mean."
Suki blinks. He'd asked Naruto about her favorite food or the other blonde was babbling to the older blonde about her. Either way, that made her feel more than a little nervous.
What did they talk about when she wasn't around? "He's right. I do like them." She pauses. "Try not to take most of the stuff he says too seriously though." God only knows, what Naruto had said to Minato.
She wasn't really sure whey she cared what Minato thought. Maybe, it was just the principle of the thing. Minato was a man who had died protecting his village and family. He was a good person.
If a good person like that, liked her…maybe, she was redeemable. Well at least that's what she was trying to tell herself anyway. The justification felt disturbingly hollow though.
"Are you afraid that he's going to tell me that you're favorite color is pink?" He smiles at her teasingly.
She blinks. That was disgusting. Vile! She hated that color. Honestly, she didn't know why Sakura didn't dye her hair. There was no way that she could camouflage herself like that. Oh wait. She was getting distracted here.
"My favorite color isn't pink." She scoffs.
He chuckles. "I figured as much. Uchihas have never been that fond of bright colors."
She raises an eyebrow. What would Minato know about her family? She was almost afraid to ask, but she would anyway.
"What do you know about my family?" She was likely going to regret asking.
He pours himself a glass of water and sips it, before answering. "Obito was on my team. He was an Uchiha and my wife was good friends with your mother." Minato pauses. "I knew your father a bit as well. It wasn't unusual for the Hokage and Chief of the Military Police Force to interact from time to time."
She blinks. Oh right. She had known that Obito was on Kakashi's team and that Minato was his Sensei, but for some reason it just hadn't clicked that the blonde had taught Obito was well. "Alright. Well I guess you know at least a little about my family." Suki concedes.
"Which is a good thing. I'm going to need to use that knowledge to keep you and Naruto from blowing each other up again." He teases her and Suki could only roll her eyes in response.
Though she supposed she was lucky. Minato could easily hate her for what she had done to his sons. He SHOULD hate her, but instead he had tried to cook her dinner. Honestly, Naruto and Minato's capacity to forgive people was astounding. She didn't think that she'd ever understand how anyone could forgive people that easily, but one day she would like to.