"Naruto?"
Minato's voice sounded oddly nervous as he called out his sons' name. When there wasn't an immediate answer he closed the front door with a small tap. He turned towards the only other room in the apartment; the bathroom. The door was closed.
Minato strode forward and knocked on the door. "Naruto? You in there?"
There were several seconds of stretched silence, before Naruto's voice called out "Just a minute."
"Are-" Minato hesitated for a split second, wondering how he would tell Naruto he knew he was tormented by the villagers, "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine!" Naruto's reply came all too quickly for Minato's liking, and Minato felt a mixture of worry and fear settle in his stomach.
"Naruto, open the door," Minato said, trying to keep the urgency out of his voice.
No answer.
"Naruto, open the door now!"
Panic gripped Minato's chest in an iron hold as he once again received no answer.
"Naruto," Minato was about to kick the door down when it suddenly opened in his face, revealing a very disgruntled looking Naruto. When Naruto didn't immediately speak, Minato said "Are you alright Naruto?"
"I already told you, I'm fine," Naruto pushed passed Minato and headed towards the kitchen area. He opened a cupboard with a slam, grabbed a glass and filled it with water, before gulping it down. Minato winced at the noise of the cupboard door connecting with the wall. Naruto was obviously upset about something, and had no trouble expressing his emotions by abusing his furniture.
"Naruto, you're upset, you need to calm down," Minato said in a soothing voice, taking a hesitant step toward his son as he spoke.
"No," Naruto reacted instantly as he whirled round to face Minato. "You need to leave!" he yelled, his left hand crushing the glass he'd been holding.
"W-what?" Minato stuttered, taken aback.
"You heard me; I've had enough! Go back to wherever you normally live and leave me alone!" Naruto made towards the bathroom again, but Minato was suddenly beside him and holding his arm, keeping him in place.
"Why are you upset Naruto?" he asked. When Naruto turned to face him, Minato was shocked to see specs of red in Naruto's usually sky-blue eyes.
"Do you think I'm stupid?" Naruto hissed, "I know you've been following me all day Minato. I could sense your chakra. Do you know how long I've been wearing my mask, how long I've been hiding? You're the only person I've ever trusted with myself, the real me, and you...you!" Naruto had no idea how to put into words how he felt, so he tore his arm from Minato's grasp and stormed towards the bed, laying down and burying his head in the pillow.
Minato eyed Naruto with uncertainty. What was he supposed to do? Naruto wanted him to leave, but he had to keep an eye on Naruto in case Rokai attacked, plus he couldn't just leave Naruto upset like this.
He reached his decision when he heard the sound of a muffle sob. Preying his usually helpful fatherly instincts would kick in, he sat next to Naruto on the bed and patted his son gently between the shoulder blades. The sobs stopped immediately and just when Minato was going to remove his hand, worried that Naruto would yell at him to leave again, there was an orange blur and the young blonde teen was holding onto him like the world was about to end.
Minato stroked the boys head. "It's alright Naruto."
He could see Naruto visibly trembling in his arms as raw emotion poured from him in the form of tears. Gently stroking the boys back in what he hoped was a reassuring manner (he'd never been good at comforting people) he repeated his question from earlier. "Why are you so upset Naruto?"
Naruto froze in place in his arms and pulled back from the embrace, staring up at Minato with a tear-filled gaze, his azure eyes glistening as water continued to trickle from the corners.
"You're going to leave me," he mumbled, changing the direction of his gaze to the floor.
Minato frowned with confusion. Didn't Naruto just tell him to leave?
"Why would I leave Naruto?" Minato questioned his bemusement evident in the tone of his voice.
"When you find out what I am..." Naruto's voice faltered as more tears poured from his eyes and his frame began to shake, "...w-what I have inside me, you'll leave me." Naruto slammed his eyes shut as he spoke the last three words, willing with all his might that he could just disappear, go to a place where the thought of losing his only true friend didn't pierce him like a thousand daggers.
Minato's eyes widened with comprehension as he realised that Naruto was talking about the Kyuubi. Obviously Naruto did know about the demons existence within him, despite the Third's law that no one was permitted to discuss it. Judging by what Naruto had said earlier, Naruto was aware that Minato had been trailing him all day therefore he knew that Minato had heard the villagers insults and seen the way they mistreated him, and believed that Minato would ask about the reason behind it and Naruto would have to tell him about the Kyuubi. Naruto clearly thought that Minato, like so many others, would hate him for being the container of the demon and leave him to wallow in his misery and loneliness.
"Naruto..." Naruto slowly raised his head so his eyes met Minato's. Minato felt a sharp pang in his chest as he saw the fear in his sons gaze, fear of rejection. "Naruto, I know about the Kyuubi."
Whatever Naruto had been expecting it had clearly not been that. Naruto's eyes widened to such a degree it was almost comical, while the rest of his face did a remarkably good impression of a gaping fish.
Finally, after what seemed like hours of gawking, Naruto managed to stutter "H-how long have you known?"
"Since you told me your name," Minato said. Naruto's eyes widened even further at that. He'd first met Minato when he was seven, more than six years ago. Minato had known about the kyuubi all that time? It seemed impossible. If Minato knew about the kyuubi, why wasn't he acting like everyone else did, why wasn't he calling him demon and monster?
"How did you know?" Naruto said, pleased that his voice had steadied.
"I have several friends in high places. I heard rumours that there was a boy with the Kyuubi sealed within him, but I forgot his name. When I met you all those years ago and you told me your name, I remembered the rumours immediately," the lie slipped from Minato's mouth like silk, though it left a bitter taste of guilt behind.
"Why did you visit me then, if you knew about Kyuubi?"
Minato sighed, then said "Because no matter what anyone says or thinks about you Naruto, you are not a demon. You are a young boy, well a young teenager now, who needs friends and companionship just like any other person. Plus, I enjoy hanging out with you."
Naruto smiled at the latter part of Minato's speech. "I like hanging out with you too Minato. So you don't mind about the furball?"
Minato nearly choked on his tongue hearing Naruto call the fierce nine-tailed fox demon 'furball'. Seeing Minato's disbelieving expression Naruto laughed loudly, his miserable mood completely forgotten at the look on Minato's face. Minato scowled when he realised Naruto was laughing at him, then smirked evilly as an ingenious idea presented itself to him. Naruto, seeing the tell-tale sign that Minato was plotting something, stopped laughing immediately.
However, seconds later he was laughing again, only this time much louder and harder as Minato tickled him. "No fair!" Naruto managed to gasp out. It felt like his sides were going to split he was laughing that hard.
Naruto, deciding he'd had enough of being tickled senseless, brought his leg up in a kick to Minato's stomach, careful to make sure it was only gentle since he didn't want to hurt the man, before rolling off the bed and landing in a crouching position of the floor. Standing, he brushed invisible dirt off his chest and had to resist the urge to laugh at the stunned expression on Minato's face.
"I'll get you back for that," Minato challenged, though his tone of voice was full of laughter.
"Minato, you're looking at the number one prankster in all of Konoha. Trust me, whatever you do is nothing compared to what I can dish out," Naruto accepted the challenge with vigour, already wondering where he could get enough worms to fill the bottom of Minato's sleeping bag.
Minato just smiled, then his expression turned serious. "Naruto."
"Yes?" Naruto replied, the same look of seriousness mirrored on his face.
"I don't care about the Kyuubi. You're Uzumaki Naruto, a great shinobi who will one day be Hokage, no matter what anyone else thinks or says," Minato said confidently.
"Thanks Minato," Naruto said with a large smile on his face.
Minato grinned, but this soon turned into a frown when Naruto said "You can teach me the Key Summons jutsu now, can't you?"
"I can...but only if you do something for me first."
Naruto stopped jumping up and down with excitement and glanced at Minato, suspicion in his eyes. Just what was Minato up to now?
"I want you to drop your mask."
"WHAT?"