Mush alert! Enjoy it while it lasts, I am planning on having a few angst-y chapters after this one :p I can't believe I managed to write so much for such a short period of time! But then again, I was really looking forward to writing those scenes, I had it all mapped out for awhile now.
Anyway, on to the story now, with the hope you will enjoy this one too!
"Enter."
The door creaked on dry hinges and the blond chūnin walked in quietly, murmuring a formal greeting. There was no trace of drowsiness on his face despite the early hour; Minato seemed to be a man of early risings who enjoyed sunrises as much as any normal shinobi despised them.
"Ah, Minato, yes, right on time. I see you haven't learned your punctuality manners from Jiraya, good, good." the older man said with a chuckle and a knowing nervous smile spilled on Minato's face as if he meant to apologize for his sensei's absent-mindedness.
"Someone had to compensate."
Hiruzen's quiet laugh filled the premise. He stood up from his chair and rounded his desk to stand before it. His mind was bringing back memories of a similar situation seven years ago when Minato had been still just a boy, standing in this very room before the entire counsel, bearing a confident sharp look unbeknown to many children his age.
He had been impressive then and he was impressive still. A man of steel and warmth, ice and fire. The opposites didn't clash with him, but rather complemented each other, creating the peculiar man that was Minato Namikaze.
"Yes, I suppose you're right." The Hokage said, noting once again the fundamental difference between his student and the blond man before him – where Jiraya was bawdy and shameless, Minato was polite and humble; where the teacher was loud and boisterous, the student was quiet and observant; Jiraya wrote, but Minato read; the Sannin was a hopeless pervert, but the boy was virtuous; Jiraya was always late, but Minato was punctual.
And yet, despite all the differences, they matched each other perfectly, each one learning how to accept and understand the other, working in harmony. Sandaime's smile grew wider.
"Now, you must know already why I called you here." the Hokage begun, knitting his hands behind his back and observing Minato from now-serious eyes. The chūnin nodded. "Your progress has been evaluated during your last mission and I have decided on your rank within the village. Unfortunately, given the circumstances we cannot hold any chūnin or jōnin exams, so I am forced to give out field promotions when needed, as is this case. After discussing your skills with my advisors we have all agreed that the most suitable rank for you for the time being would be that of a jōnin. Do you accept this position?"
If Minato was surprised by the Hokage's question, he did not show it, dropping down on one knee instead and bowing his head.
"I accept and swear my loyalty to the village of Konoha, its Hokage and its people."
Hiruzen nodded with a slight smile on his lips.
"You may rise. I have a few things to clarify about your upcoming missions. Thanks to Sakumo Hatake I learned about your new technique and its effects. Am I to assume that you are the only person who can use the Hiraishin no jutsu at the time being?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
"That, combined with your outstanding combat skills, especially versus larger units, places you in a different position to that of most shinobi of the village. It is my firm belief that it will be a drawback in the war if we send you to any one particular front for an extended period of time. You have an improved method of transportation speed-wise, so you will be able to aid any one squad in need of help within a day.
Therefore the main role you will be playing in the war for now would be that of instantaneous offensive support. You will be stationed in Konoha, since the village is at an even distance from the majority of war fronts and since our communication centre is located precisely here – that way we can save the time that would be needed for a messenger bird to reach you at any other location. That being said, I must note that despite being stationed at home your missions would be harder and more grueling than usual, because they would include intensive travelling and little rest, as well as fighting often versus numbers greater than your own.
This might be sometimes complemented with specific infiltration missions as well, since I assume Jiraya has taught you the specifics of such situations well. I would expect you to be better versed in that area than most other Konoha shinobi." at that Minato nodded and Hiruzen allowed a slight smile to grace his lips. "Jiraya has spoken very highly of you, praising your skills, intelligence and will. According to him you have always been his most promising student and his expectations for you have always been high. He believes that if anyone can end this war it would be you. I have chosen to believe in my student's beliefs. I am giving you a position of great importance to the consequences of the war. I am relying on you. Konoha is relying on you."
His last sentence finally managed to break through the man's composure and Minato's eyes widened in surprise before he rallied his emotions.
"I will not fail you, Hokage-sama." he said in a fervent voice.
His look held liquid fire, burning with the intensity of the man's conviction and for a second it was easy for Hiruzen to understand where Jiraya was coming from – in that brief moment he could imagine it was the child of the prophecy that stood before his eyes.
The Savior of the World.
"Man, you're always late, Shikaku… It would be a miracle if you ever show up on time." Inoichi grumbled through half a grin, as Shikaku finally joined him and Chōza before the Yamanaka flower shop.
The black-haired jōnin yawned widely and directed an annoyed look at the rising sun, as if it was the main source of discomfort in his life.
"That I am here at all is a miracle in itself… Remind me again why I must wake up with the roosters on a Saturday."
"You're supposed to be the genius, figure it out." The blond-haired man said through a grin and slapped a hand at his back.
Chōza chuckled in between snacks, quickly stuffing chips in his mouth while observing his friends.
"Your enthusiasm will kill me some day, Inoichi."
"Don't know about mine, but your lack of enthusiasm for our training might as well end you. We're the only three-man-team stationed in the village right now, our skills are getting rusty, we need to work on our formation." Inoichi said with a gleam in his eyes and Shikaku groaned.
"On a Saturday morning? Do you know how hard the Hokage is working me out ever since he sent my dad to the Suna border? I can barely sleep even without those early practice calls… Being an advisor is much too troublesome…"
"If you trained half as much as you complained we'd be in top shape."
"If you two acted half as much as you talked we'd be halfway through our training." Chōza said through a knowing smile and both men directed a bored look at him.
"Come on, Shikaku, you know Inoichi has to help at the shop later in the day, we have no other time for training. Let's get it over with and you can sleep after that. My dad always says that we should do our work first and then rest on a clear conscience."
The black-haired jōnin rolled his eyes, but started heading down the street towards the training grounds nevertheless, muttering "troublesome" under his breath.
"Your dad's a wise man!" Inoichi said through a grin and started down after his friend, followed by a pleased Chōza.
"You better not be planning anything tomorrow, Inoichi, it's my only day off. Unless something urgent comes up and it usually does, but I do enjoy the concept of a free day in general." Shikaku muttered through another yawn.
"Nothing for early morning, but I have an idea for the evening!"
"Oh here we go… What do you want to practice this time?"
"How does drinking sake and eating pork sound to you?"
"Oooh, my favourite training, I'd say it sounds amazing! We haven't been to Yakinuki in almost a week!" Chōza broke in through a beaming look.
Shikaku gave Inoichi a measured look.
"I thought you said you were sick of pork for a month."
"I was, but there is a special occasion this time."
At this the black-haired man gave him a sharp grin while Chōza looked at both of them with a questioning look.
"So you saw him too?"
"Ah! You knew he was back and you didn't tell me!" Inoichi chided, hands on his hips. Shikaku wondered if the blond man knew how very much he looked like his mother when he did that.
"There was no time, he came back just yesterday after a mission at the Iwa border. I heard he will be officially reintegrated in the village's shinobi system right about now."
"So he's back for good?"
"Who are you talking about?" Chōza asked finally and Inoichi smiled apologetically.
"Ah, sorry, sorry Chōza, I forgot you don't know yet. Minato's back, he passed through the flower shop yesterday."
"Ooh, he is? That's great, he probably has many interesting things to tell!" the plump man said through an excited voice and Shikaku had to smile at his enthusiasm. Chōza had always loved listening to the tales that travelers brought from around the shinobi nations. His friend was naturally kind-hearted and curious of the world.
"I can't wait to see how much he has improved! To train individually with one of the Legendary Sannin… Gotta challenge him to a one-on-one sometime soon!"
"Inoichi, you're getting too perked up. You cannot beat him in a spar. In fact, after going through some of the reports from yesterday for Hokage-sama, I doubt all three of us can take him down."
At this Inoichi stopped in the middle of the street and gave him an incredulous look. Chōza didn't seem any less surprised.
"Wait, you're serious?"
Shikaku could see what had his blond friend shocked. Despite having mainly support-skills and average offense ones, when working together their formation was one of the strongest in the village. The Ino-Shika-Chou formation had been ascertained as the most efficient team strategy and had continued as a tradition within their family lines throughout the ages.
Shikaku, Inoichi and Chōza had formed one of the strongest such teams, elevating their teamwork to legendary levels – they were Konoha's strongest three-man-team. Stating now, that there was a man who could possibly take all three of them down, was quite shocking for his friends.
They hadn't read what Shikaku had, however. They hadn't heard what the Konoha returnees explained.
"Whoa… I knew he'd improve, but that's quite the thing to say." the Yamanaka heir said quietly as he started ahead again, for once his positive mood replaced by a pensive one. For one thing, he never doubted Shikaku's serious face. He trusted in his friend's analytical abilities. "I saw him only briefly yesterday and he seemed quite changed indeed, but who would have thought…"
Chōza shrugged.
"I'm not that surprised really." he said quietly and both Inoichi and Shikaku turned towards him with a quizzical expression. "I always liked Minato." he explained, suddenly self-conscious for having pinned the attention of both his teammates so fully. "But I wasn't the only one. Everyone liked Minato and he was nice to everyone, even to Kushina when the others shunned her. He was the class prodigy, but he was never arrogant, he was kind. I always thought he'd be strong one day. You know, not physically-wise, though if Shikaku says so then he must be that too. What I mean is that people respect him. My dad always says strength comes from your friends."
The Nara heir smiled a wide smile at his friend.
"Your father is a wide man indeed."
"So it's decided then? Barbeque at Yakinuki tomorrow evening?" Inoichi asked through a knowing smile of his own.
"Tsch. So troublesome. But I'll make it work…"
In truth he really looked forward to seeing Minato again in a less formal setting. He missed his friend. He had always been one of the smartest shinobi he knew – his wits and his natural intelligence were almost on par with his own – their talks were always entertaining and their shogi games even more so.
A wide grin spilled across his face. Yes, Minato had to join him for a shogi game sometime soon.
He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, trying to will his ragged breathing steady. He could feel the stinging sensation in his right arm where the chakra concentration had burned his flesh. Minato ignored it. The pain was irrelevant – it was a part of the whole process – unavoidable. The exhaustion that weighed on him was the most pressing matter, but he still had enough chakra for a last attempt.
Exhaling a shaky breath, he reached for his chakra stream with his mind, willing it to pick up, directing it at his extended arm and hissing through grit teeth when it dashed uncontrollably. His chakra control was amongst the finest according to his sensei, but this technique was still putting it to a test.
His chakra rushed forward, a powerful torrent that spiraled in a chaotic vortex in his palm. The blue chakra orb in his hand was rough, varying in size as it spun out of control. He tried guiding his senses further into shaping the concentrated chakra jumble into a compressed perfect sphere.
It flared on all sides before bending to his will, compressing in mass and size, but its shape was elongated and far from perfection, resembling a raging round chakra storm, rather than the smooth-surfaced orb that he was trying to imitate. Feeling the fine control slipping through his fingers, Minato let the technique go, chakra evaporating through his fingers.
The blond man groaned and sagged back groggily, too weakened to trust his legs for the time-being. His breathing was coming out in huffs and sweat was trickling down his face and neck, chilling him with every slight breeze – the sensation was pleasant, helping to calm the fire coursing through his arm. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, trying to catch his breath, ignoring the trembling in his right arm and the dull ache coming from the contact of his skin with the grass beneath.
He was starting to get the proportions right in terms of applied power, but he still had to work on the form manipulation – if completed, this technique had the potential of forming a crater the size of the entire Training Field. As soon as he recovered some of his chakra he would try again.
Minato hissed quietly as the stinging in his right palm slowly became unbearable and he straightened his back, bringing said palm up for inspection. His whole hand was shaking through involuntary spasms and the skin was an angry blazing red, starting to swallow around the centre of his palm where the chakra release had been the strongest.
He scowled, flexing his fingers through a wince and gingerly resting his arm on one knee. His breathing had finally normalised and he could feel his chakra flow steadying. Resting had restored some of his stocks – a minimal part, but it was enough for a few more attempts, burning pain be damned.
He placed a hand on the ground to push himself up and froze in place, head whipping to the side, having felt involuntarily the familiar pulsating chakra signature some feet behind him. Another presence tugged just beyond the edge of his senses and Minato recognised two ANBU guards in the distance, wondering why they had appeared all of a sudden. He decided to push the thought away for now, focusing on the girl before him.
As numbed as his senses were, he might have gone on without even sensing her presence. She was leaning on a thick tree by the entrance of the Training Grounds, her eyebrows mashing in a frown as her eyes quickly directed at his hand 'groping' the Earth and he could almost hear her curiosity piquing.
A tired smile sprung to his lips involuntarily as he took in her features, his stomach clenching in the now familiar way that he could associate only with her presence. His eyes moved down on their own accord for the briefest of seconds, but it was enough to register again what their first encounter had hidden – she had been covered in blankets then so he couldn't have noticed it, but Kushina's form had become pointedly more feminine in a way that could make any grown man stare.
In the past few days Minato had found it hard not to blush whenever he passed by the walking party during his sentry shifts and his eyes fell on Kushina on their own accord. Her walk, which had resembled a flat trudge before, was now light and strangely graceful – straight back and slightly swaying hips pinned his look for longer than acceptable and Minato had almost hit his head in a stray branch more than once. The tight shinobi clothing that all kunoichi wore was only complimenting her looks and Minato found himself willing his eyes forcefully to stay fixed on her face.
This fact alone was enough to vex him thoroughly – Jiraya-sensei's horrible ideology was getting to him.
"How long have you been standing there?" he asked lightly and made to stand up, wincing at the sudden ache running through his muscles.
Kushina rolled her eyes and strode forward quickly, two firm hands pushing him back down. Minato was so surprised that he didn't even try to protest, flopping back on the grass and staring silently at his red-haired friend, who sat before him with crossed-legs.
"Long enough to see that you are a reckless hypocrite, ya know." she murmured and gently pulled his right hand in her lap, taking an ointment and some bandages out of her pouch.
All Minato's earlier efforts to steady his breathing were wasted as his heart picked up again, drumming unevenly in his ears. He had to hold back a pleasant shiver as her fingers gently probed his palm through a scowl. His eyes fixed on her face without him knowing, taking in her features anew, reveling in the proximity and in the overwhelming scent that always clung to her.
A chuckle sprung to his lips upon hearing her reproachful tone.
"How am I a hypocrite?" he asked politely, despite knowing full well what she was going to throw at him.
She did not disappoint.
"You know full well how. Scolding me for overexerting myself beyond reasonable and then doing this to yourself, ya know."
For some reason she seemed to be avoiding his eyes. In fact, her eyes were very stubbornly fixed on his palm as she carefully applied the cooling ointment, as if fearing distractions.
"There's a difference between overexerting oneself to lethal outcomes and suffering a minor chakra burn."
"If a fight were to break out right now, this chakra burn will cause a lethal outcome, ya know."
She appeared to be saying 'ya know' more often than usual and the blond man directed a quizzical look at her face that went unnoticed. Why was she excited now?
"And that is precisely why I didn't train as much while out of the village. I trust no battles will break out any time soon in the middle of Konoha."
"What if something comes up and you have to rush out again? Do you think you would have managed to save Kemuri and- and everyone else if your palm had been like this?"
Kemuri and me, she had meant to say, he was certain.
Minato sighed. Having arguments with Kushina had always been a dire matter. In fact, he couldn't remember ever winning one. She was as stubborn as she was irritable when it came to such situations and her flaring temper and annoyed expressions were enough to make Minato smile inwardly, despite the argument – somehow he found her 'angry' state to be exceptionally endearing. Therefore, more often than not, he relented and let her have her way, just to enjoy the victorious gleam in her eyes.
This time, however, he scowled, a hard edge entering his eyes.
"Yes, I would have. Nothing, especially not a mild graze, would have stopped me then." Because you were in danger. Because it was your life that was at stake.
Finally Kushina looked up at him and paused, her face softening.
"I know." she said finally and returned her attention to his palm, bandaging it in silence.
Do you? Do you understand how much you mean to me? he might have said, but the words were stuck in his throat. He was starting to think he didn't understand either. His feelings raged in an unfamiliar, confusing, uncomfortable way.
"There, as long as you don't chakra-barbeque your own hand anytime soon again it should heal just fine."
"I will try not to." he murmured through a chuckle and pulled his hand back, flexing his fingers. The pain was still there, but it was less prominent, already pushed to the back of his mind. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it, ya know."
With that she leaned back and peered at him with a wry smile.
"Soo…" she began and he lifted an eyebrow, a sudden feeling of nervousness overcoming him.
"Yes?"
"You promised you would tell me more."
Her hand sneaked inside her kunai pouch and she took out his three pronged kunai, the same one he had given her two days ago in the tent. He suspected it had become an object of scrutiny for her in her free time, picking on her curiosity all the while.
She had been impatient to ask. Impatient to know.
The smile came easy to him now as he took the kunai from her hands and threw in a random direction in the clearing. Before it had the chance to hit anything he had already reached out for it with his mind and stepped forward through a Hiraishin.
The quick constriction ended and he found himself some twenty feet down the meadow, his fingers closing around the hilt of the kunai and breaking its flight. Without pausing his momentum he turned around and flicked the blade back towards the tree under which they had been sitting.
The whole thing happened in a second. One moment he had been in the middle of the meadow and in the next he had returned back next to her, sitting down casually before a wide-eyed Kushina who had followed the whole thing.
Minato spun the kunai around one finger before catching it and handing it back to her, hilt first. He couldn't stop the grin from springing across his face, seeing the amazement in her eyes.
"What would you like to know?"
Alright, maybe he was showing off. Just a little.
"Everything." She breathed, reaching out for the weapon and leaning closer, as if a child about to learn a secret.
His breath caught in his throat. He gulped, trying very hard not to look at her lips. She was driving him mad.
"For example, what's your range of teleport?"
"I…" he started before clearing his throat, "Maybe I can show you."
She hesitated briefly before nodding. His answering smile was brilliant as he quickly embedded the three-pronged kunai in the ground beside him – a marker to return to.
"Give me your hand."
Sitting this close to her, observing her every move, it was easy to see the blush spreading on her face as she reached out and placed her palm in his. It was enough to make him giddy.
"Hold on tight." He murmured through a smile and closed his eyes, diving into the network of seal markers around him, reaching for the furthest one, created a few days ago on a whim. He let his senses guide him as he rushed through the familiar constricting darkness of space alteration, stepping on the other side within less than a second.
A strong gust of wind picked his clothes up, flapping them around him and he opened his eyes to find himself standing on top of the Hokage Monument, Kushina frozen beside him, still gripping his hand tightly.
"The Hokage Monument… You…" she begun, slipping her fingers out of his and taking a few steps sideways to the edge of Sandaime's giant stony lock of hair.
Before them Konoha bathed in the last rays of the sun, windows reflecting the light like a thousand little flames. The sunset was a rare cloudy one, painting the sky in multiple colours, blending across the horizon as if marred with a brush.
Bloody red was mixing with angry orange and subtle pink before darkening to a sharp violet, followed by the inky darkness of the upcoming night. All of that was interspersed by golden thin clouds, stretching across the sky like yellow rivulets, clashing sharply with the darker background, giving it a peculiar rich look.
"I've never seen anything more beautiful." she whispered.
Minato saw none of it. Before him stood Kushina, blazing locks spilled in every direction behind her, dancing with the wind like living fire. Before him stood she, a peaceful smile lodged on her face, graceful features eased in a relaxed posture, fervent eyes locked on the sunset far ahead. It all faded next to her. Its light was dull when hers was blazing.
"I couldn't agree more." he murmured through a dazed look, not taking his eyes off her.
She caught his line of sight from the corner of her eyes and turned to him, surprise written over her face anew before her sides grew redder – such a lovely sight – and she looked away again, this time purposefully, avoiding his gaze.
This shy, uncertain Kushina was something new that he was not used to and yet it was a charming trait that reminded him much of his own stance – uncertainty, confusion and instinct ruled his relationship with her more often than not in the past few days.
"Have you ever wondered what it's like? To fly, ya know." she asked suddenly, eyes locked far away once again. "You could soar high above everything and go wherever you will."
"It's not as impossible as you may think."
"Oh?"
"There are some techniques that imitate or allow flight entirely."
"I'm not talking about a chakra-infused high jump." Her eyes held a sceptical look.
"Neither am I." he said, the smile never leaving his face, as he sneaked a hand in his pouch, retrieving a small notebook.
Minato sat down slowly, bringing his legs in a loose lotus position by habit, and flipped the notebook open, pages flapping in the wind quickly under his careful touch. The pages were all written out in elegant kanji, interspersed with sketches, diagrams and calculations. He quickly found what he was looking for, straightening the yellow parchment with his bandaged hand and tracing a few lines with his finger.
The girl sat down beside him carefully, peaking over his hands.
"Apart from the obvious method, which is of course signing a summoning contract with winged creatures, there is also this. A flight technique, most likely an alternative of Doton: Chōkeijūgan no Jutsu, used by the current Tsuchikage and his predecessors. It requires a very fine Doton mastery, I doubt the majority of shinobi can perform it, but it can be used on others, not only on oneself. Its effect is precisely that – it makes ones body light enough to allow flight." he explained calmly, tracing his notes with one finger and pointing at his quick sketch of a flying figure in the lower corner of the page. Kushina was looking at it with wide eyes.
"Impossible, ya know…"
"I thought so as well, until I witnessed it for myself and I assure you, it's quite real." with that he quickly flipped a few pages ahead, stopping at the title Jiton: Satetsu Fuyū and tapping a finger at a quick illustration. "There are other, more inferior techniques that allow flight, such as the Kazekage's fine control of iron sand through his Magnet Release, which lets him elevate himself above the ground on iron sand tuffs, although it is at an abnormal cost for his chakra stores." He had already flipped to another page, tracing a passage that he had scribbled down in haste.
"Doroki of the Iwagakure Explosion corps can form exploding creatures out of mud, usually shaping them in the likes of animals. He can form birds too, although his control over them seems to be imperfect from my observations, and they can't rise too high above the ground." Finally his eyes lifted from the swirling kanji and directed at her violet ones, a smile spreading over his lips. "When there's a will, there's a way."
Kushina blinked a few times before finally smiling back, her look spelling curiosity.
"May I?" she asked, reaching a hand out tentatively for the thick notebook.
He passed it over through a smile, and Kushina quickly set it on one knee, flipping through the pages with incredulous eyes, eyebrows rising higher and higher with every new technique she read about.
"Did you compile this?"
Minato's smile grew to a nervous one as he lifted a hand to rub the back of his head absent-mindedly.
"One of many. I keep the rest of them sealed." He said and tapped his wrist where a storage seal had nestled. "Travelling had its good sides; I got to see many new things, including techniques which I had thought impossible before. At one point, however, it became overwhelming, so I began writing it down. Some of those I fought against, others I simply observed, so some of the techniques I listed are better explained than others. Jiraya-sensei never let us linger at any one place for too long, so I often didn't have enough time to study them thoroughly. The notebook turned quite invaluable later though. Studying foreign techniques gave me a good base of ideas and calculations for creating my own techniques later on… and besides, it's always useful to know more about your potential enemies' powers."
"It is amazing, ya know!" she exclaimed, the pages now flying under her fingers and a quiet laughter broke through her lips. "You've seen so many things, they-"
She paused, eyes widening in distress and hands freezing over the page, twitching into a fist involuntarily.
Minato raised an eyebrow at the sudden reaction, quickly directing a curious look at the technique that had startled her so. His stomach clenched.
'Bijū Dama'
His eyebrows furrowed and the smile dropped from his face, replaced by a subconscious chilling look. The slight tremble in her hands told him enough on the matter and his suspicions flared anew.
"You fought against a Bijū?" she asked through a barely-audible whisper.
He shook his head slowly, not taking his eyes off of her, just as hers were stubbornly fixed on the page through a shocked, saddened look.
"I doubt I would be standing here now if I did. No, I simply observed for a few days, when Jiraya-sensei and I infiltrated Kumogakure to learn more about their current Hachibi host."
She turned to him in an alarmed expression.
"Jinchuurikis can't use Bijū Dama." she said flatly and his eyes narrowed instinctively. She must have sensed her slip up, for she quickly bit her lip and looked away. "At least that is what Sakumo-sensei said." she added hastily.
Minato was not buying it, but he knew well that it was pointless to push matters when the topic was distressing for her.
He paused for a second, wondering if he could answer her unvoiced question, seeing as the brief information had horrified her so. The information was classifying, but if there was a person he trusted with his life it was precisely Kushina Uzumaki.
"Sakumo-san was right. Jinchuurikis cannot use it, but a transformed one, in full control of their Bijū Mode, can. That is what the current host of the Hachibi was trying to master when we managed to get close enough to observe."
"That's insane." the girl beside him exclaimed, anger slipping through her voice along with some other emotion that Minato could not place. "He'll kill everyone, Bijūs can't be tamed."
"As to that, I cannot say, we were forced to leave before we could see the results of the training. For one you are right, however, people did die. The Bijū was uncontrollable in its transformed form, causing destruction everywhere. The Kumo corps had a difficulty bringing it down after every unsuccessful attempt of the host to control it. That is where I witnessed the Bijū Dama.
He, or rather it, used it repetitively. It is a very powerful technique and its creation is unique. Here, see?" he said tapping a finger at the page over her hands, pointing at the long calculations and scribbled conclusions, most of which scratched out only to be replaced by new, more accurate ones. "It is an ingenious use of chakra manipulation and compression, creating the ultimate attack. The technique that you saw me practice earlier…" he said quietly, flexing his bandaged hand instinctively. "I've based it precisely on the Bijū Dama."
With that he flipped to the last pages of the notebook to reveal his many scribbles and sketches for his own technique, along with new pages of calculations and additional notes regarding the light and dark matter that chakra comprised of.
"I haven't completed it yet, but I've been working on it for the past two years and a half, I know I'm almost there."
The girl besides him gulped.
"Leave it to you to come up with something as reckless, ya know." she said quietly, but there was no mirth in her voice and her eyes still held a saddened look, all the previous excitement drained from her face.
It was quite unacceptable, Minato thought, wishing more than anything that he had left the notebook back in his pouch where it belonged. Hearing her laughter had him giddy and brought a smile of his own every time. Seeing her downcast face now had the opposite effect and knowing that he had caused it made him feel even worse.
Those full lips were meant for smiles; that ringing voice for laughter; those blazing eyes for mirth and mischief.
He slowly took the notebook out of her hands, with little protest on her side, and quicky tucked it back in his pouch, springing lightly up to his feet and walking to the edge of the rock, throwing a measuring glance down.
The girl behind him got to her feet too, looking at him in confusion.
"I cannot fly, but…" and with that he brought his hands up, quickly forming seals. "Fūton: Kūki Shōgai no Jutsu"
The wind picked up from below violently, throwing a gust of air vertically to the ground and sending the stray bangs of his hair dancing upwards. He turned back with a smile and extended a hand at Kushina, waiting patiently for her to take it. A couple of emotions crossed her face as she took a step forward, glancing quizzically at the upturned air current behind him and then at his face.
"Trust me."
Two simple words, and yet he could almost hear something click within her as her eyes widened before her look softened and a smile broke across her lips. Without a word she closed the distance between them, slipping her hand in his.
"Always." she echoed his words from years past as Minato was stepping forward confidently, pulling the red-haired girl with him.
He turned an amused look at her, to which she replied with a knowing smile, just as nothingness engulfed them for a second and they started falling.
This fall was different than any other headlong plunge to the ground – the air barrier that he had created was causing a powerful air current to surge upward and slow their decent, fighting gravity, reducing it. It was a technique created exactly for such purposes – to soften free-falls from dangerous heights. Minato had no need for it ever since he created Hiraishin, but it was a useful thing to know nevertheless, and he was grateful in this situation that he had practiced it.
Kushina was staring down through wide eyes, her mouth once again spread in surprise as she found herself gliding down slowly, almost gracefully, quite differently from the expected deadly drop. For a second Minato wondered how absurd they might look to the rest of the village – two lone figures sailing slowly through the air below the Hokage Monument.
Right now he couldn't care less, for he had eyes for Kushina alone – her lips broke in an amused smile after a few seconds and a quiet laughter escaped her as she spread her arms around her, one hand still holding his, enjoying the swirling wind at her face. Her hair whipped around her and in every direction with the vertical air currents, dancing around Minato too more often than not, and he found himself surrounded by fiery locks in weightlessness.
The same brilliant smile lighted his face and he surrendered to the bubbling feeling of bliss in that perfect moment of time. If he could remember her somehow, it would be like this – fervent eyes shining with excitement, lips spread in a triumphant smile, hair dancing with the wind. This was Kushina – a bubble of laughter, energy and fiery will – a natural phenomenon that took his breath away, stopping his heart in one moment and making it drum in his ears in the next.
All too soon the ground came rushing forward, still at a dangerous speed despite their slowed decent and Kushina threw him a quizzical look. He only smiled wider. His grip on her hand tightened and he pulled her closer in a swift move, placing an arm below her knees and at her back.
Her hair whipped around his face again and he laughed, closing his eyes and reaching instinctively for the Hiraishin kunai he had left behind in their Training Field. With a zap they disappeared just before his feet crashed into the ground, stepping through space and time again and landing in the soft grass, with Minato on one knee and Kushina awkwardly propped in his arms. The girl blinked a few times in confusion before awareness hit and she quickly rolled out of his hands, sitting on the ground with an "oof" and a still incredulous look on her face.
"We made it." she said through wide eyes and Minato chuckled, sitting down beside her.
"You seem surprised."
"Allow me a moment of doubt when I see the ground travelling towards my face at a dangerous speed, ya know."
"I told you before, didn't I? I would never let you fall."
She turned to stare at him with an intent look on her face before her lips spread in a smile, the experience from before finally sinking in. Suddenly she was elated, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"That was amazing, ya know! Let's do it again!"
"Ah, I would love to, but I'm afraid I have reached my limit for one day. I doubt I can make even one Bunshin with my current chakra level." he murmured through an apologetic smile and a chuckle escaped him upon seeing the slight disappointment crossing her face.
"What?"
His chuckle grew into quiet laughter.
"What are you laughing at, ya know?"
"Your face…" he managed through chuckles.
Her expression distorted in a mortified look as her hands quickly shot up in an attempt to untangle her wind-swept hair.
"No, no, that's not what I meant." he corrected quickly, reigning in his mirth. "I could never mean that." with that he reached a hand out absent-mindedly, taking a long fiery lock and twisting it between his fingers, smiling at its silky texture. "As if I could ever dislike it."
It was beautiful, tangled and messy as it was right now – untameable, much like the woman who bore it. She was about to say something, but the words died out in her throat as she threw a quick glance at his hand before looking up again, cheeks reddening through a blazing look. A new light was playing there, a subtle urgency in her eyes.
Suddenly his heart was racing again, his breath coming out unevenly despite the stillness of the meadow. He felt like the very blood in his veins was boiling, the heat threatening to overwhelm him.
She was sitting right beside him, turned to face him, looking at him through wide eyes. A ragged, shaky breath escaped her and she visibly shuddered.
His eyes flickered to her parted lips on their own accord and he felt desire course through him like never before, erasing every rational thought. He swallowed hard and looked up again, the uncertainty gone from his look, replaced by a burning need. She had seen the longing in that glance, the same new hunger mirrored in her eyes, and he felt his self-composure crumbling entirely.
Without knowing he found himself leaning forward, one hand still clutching her fiery lock gingerly, the rest of the world all but forgotten. All that mattered was Kushina and those full lips meant for smiles… meant for kisses… His nose brushed against hers as he leaned ever closer, immersed in her scent and the melody of her flying heart.
"Kushina."
The steely voice broke through his reverie like an arrow might pop a bubble and Minato froze in place, mind rushing to catch up to his tangled senses and blazing emotions.
The warmth of her face disappeared all too suddenly when the girl jumped back and sprung to her feet as if stung, wide eyes staring unbelievably at the rude intruder behind him. Her sudden disappearance left his senses raw after the sweet indulgence that had been her proximity and he felt like groaning at the emptiness. A whiff of clean air filled his lungs, her tempting scent not ruling his attention for once, and his mind cleared with a sharp intake of breath, finally recognising the person behind.
"F-Father." She mumbled and Minato slowly rose to his feet as well and turned around, inclining his head respectfully at the red-haired man before him. He must have been quite out of it if he hadn't felt his approach at all.
"Hyōjin-sama." he greeted, trying to keep the chilling note out of his voice.
The truth was that he was thoroughly vexed at the man for the untimely interruption.
"Minato-kun. I'm glad to see you have returned safely."
Somehow, his tone made Minato doubt the sincerity of his words entirely.
"Thank you, sir."
"Excuse my daughter, but she is done for the evening. You can resume your… training… some other time."
Minato's eyes narrowed instinctively as the man turned around to go without another word, obviously expecting Kushina to join him for the way back. She threw a nervous apologetic look in his direction, her face still redder than usual, and a warm embarrassed smile spread on his lips without him intending it to.
"I'll see you tomorrow." he murmured and the girl nodded through a brief smile of her own, quickly following after her father.
Minato's eyes trailed her retreating form with a subconscious wistful look on his face. The night felt chilly after the comforting warmth of her presence and he felt himself shiver.
What on Earth had come over him? His mind presented only one answer: Kushina Uzumaki.
She had reappeared in his life like a blazing fire, burning away his self-composure and rationality, confusing his feelings and tangling his perceptions like never before. In her presence everything else faded and he found himself engulfed by her, unable to control himself, acting irrationally, without thinking. There was only seeing, feeling, hearing, smelling, immersing himself in the rich picture that his senses were painting, making him want more and more and more.
He gulped and ran a shaky hand through his hair, exhaling a pent up breath. Yes, he had definitely 'lost it entirely', just as his sensei had predicted that he would.
*dodges flying daggers* So hey guys, how's it going? I know I'll probably get hate here, but I'm doing this for a reason really!
Notes on the text:
1. So I completely came up with the wind technique Minato uses at the top of the Hokage Monument, but it makes sense that such a technique would exist, ne?
2. Enter other characters, because despite the focus being on Minato and Kushina, there will be more about Shikaku, Chōza, Inoichi, Shibi, Hiashi and Hizashi, Tsume, Kizashi and the rest of the Naruto-parents generation along with the upcoming appearances of Kakashi's generation.
To jj: Regarding Dan's death – what I read about him before introducing his character stated that he died during the "shinobi war era" with no specific details about the time – as you say yourself Kishi's timeline is a bit confusing. I admit that it makes sense that he would die earlier, but his death would mean Tsunade leaving the village when Minato was, what, 3 years old? She seemed to know him personally when she spoke of him before Jiraya and Naruto (and Kushina too later on, as revealing in her private talk with Jiraya before his death) so I assumed Dan died later and thus she left later on as well. Again, for the sake of plot, I decided to postpone his death for the Third Shinobi World War. I don't know about him being a medic, he seemed to know what Tsunade is talking about during the shinobi meeting so once again I assumed.
Once again I want to thank all of you guys for the lovely comments and the support! Your feedback is much appreciated and it always makes me smile!
Till next time! Ja ne~
Glossary:
Doton: Chōkeijūgan no Jutsu - Earth Release: Ultralight-Weight Rock Technique
Jiton: Satetsu Fuyū – Magnet Release: Iron Sand Suspension Technique
Bijū - Tailed Beast
Bijū Dama – Tailed Beast Bomb
Fūton: Kūki Shōgai no Jutsu – Wind Release: Air Barrier Technique