Disclaimer: Not mine and will never be mine...the anime that is. This fanfic is all mine! Also I've been murdering Iruka's name. Sorry
Minato looked at the man before him and sighed.
"Why are you here Iruka? To my understanding you are suppose to be making sure Naruko is prepared to go to the Uchiha nation on her own"
Iruka frowned at how easily he called his son a female.
"Will you be seeing...her off tomorrow?", He choked on word.
"No"
His frown deepened. This family was getting more and more exhausting to deal with.
"If I may be bold. Why not? What if you never see him again? What if he never gets the chance to see you?"
' What if he dies...'
Iruka felt his knuckles start to turn white as he began to feel frustrated and...saddened.
A sigh...Minato sighed.
"Let me ask you this Iruka." He stood stretching his arms and massaging his neck."What good would that do for us?"
"Excuse me? I'm not understanding your question"
"What would be the benefit of that now?"
Minato stared at Iruka who stood in the middle of the room. The smaller male looked at the floor for a moment, relaxing his shoulders and hands before looking up to met the state.
"He...She would know you care...you..do care..right?"
A question. A concern. An understandable one...
'But I have a responsibility..'
"Iruka. It will do him no good seeing me now." He reclaimed his position behind the desk, looking at various files that he was attending too before the smaller male had entered the room. "Ive been selfish these years. I can not deny that. I've been riddled with regret and sorrow that I thought I'd only have to feel once. I've made irrational decisions and causes my children to suffer in the process. It will make no difference now. Am I sorry for that? Yes I am. But i can't do anything to change that now. I've failed Kushina. And I've failed my daughter...and my son. I could not save them but the most I can do with what I've already done is try to save them. The people of this village. The last resting place of all that I love I will protect. We aim for victory...no..We will be victorious and burn that expansionist nation to the ground...He will taste victory and fight for his people. His job is simply to keep up the idea that we are at peace and that we are brother nations. He is...in his own way protecting at that his mother and sister loved. We. Will. Have. Victory."
A strong speech yet he didn't wear a happy nor victorious look on his face. He knew it too. He must have heard it too. He must have tasted the bitterness of his words. There is no way..that he didn't hear nor feel the need to gag on that bullshit excuse.
"But you and I know...he may not live to see it." Ikura wanted to cry. For Naruto, for Kushina, for Naruko...for the nation. This was a sad world to have to go through alone. He bit his lip and chose to just listen to the sorry words of the old man before him.
"We've been able to form alliances with the Inuzuka clan and the Hyuga clan. People like us that also which to see the demise of the Uchiha nation. Naruko plays a crucial role in our plan. You know that. Because she isn't a real woman the most she can do is stall for time. In that time we plan on getting onto position to attack. You and me both know how long this plan took to perfect and now it's soon time to put it into action."
"Minato..."
"I've already made up my mind Iruka. We will see victory" Minato turned away, backing Ikura. There was no changing his mind."You may leave now. Make sure Naruko is ready for the trip...and.. hire a gardener to take over the rose garden in his absence."
Iruka bowed and walked out of the room. This was a sad world to be so alone in. As he walked to the large wooden doors further into the mansion...He felt a bit of joy that unlike Naruto, he wasn't so alone in the world. Someone cared.
"My little dolphin~"
Warm, firm...loving.
'I hope he finds thay someone for himself...before what's left of his world burns'
"Is everything in order my dear brother in law?" A new set of foot steps.
"I believe so. I've already had everything arranged"
"I hope you understand Minato. Your son will not live to see this victory. The question is are you prepared to deal with that?" The new arrival to the room stopped before the desk.
"I've been ready for 12 years. My question is...are you ready? If Kushina could shot you down, she would you know."
"Well...who do you think would take the first lightening bolt? Me or you?"
"As long as it goes according to plan, Kurama, I couldn't careless. Just do your job and watch the Uchihas... like the shadow you were raised to be."
"So mean to me ~"
The second male's presence in the room disappeared, leaving Minato alone...maybe like he deserved to be.