I can explain, I promise that I can! :D Summer swept me off my feet with vacations to the mountain side and my summer course in Germany, which started last week. Things have been quite hectic so my writing speed dropped drastically. But I haven't given up, far from it! I hope I will be able to update quicker next time, but I don't promise anything while this course lasts (finishes in the beginning of August).
Enjoy!
They walked in silence. Hyōjin Uzumaki didn't even spare her a glance, looking ahead through a scowl, and Kushina chose to follow, fuming quietly by his side.
A sense of mortification plagued her. What was her father doing there? Why had he interfered now of all times? Her hands subconsciously balled into fists at two sides, nails digging in her skin as she gritted her teeth in a conscious effort to not snap at him.
As angry as she was with him, she followed him home nevertheless, having been raised to respect her parents' wishes regardless of her age and standing – a teaching that she found very hard to comply with right now, if not for her wish to demand answers as soon as they were somewhere more private.
His chilling attitude towards Minato and his abrupt demand that she follow him home were far off from his usual behaviour and he was going to answer for it. It was a conversation she had never expected to have with her father – he had always respected her choices and she couldn't understand why her choice of friends made a difference. A small voice in her head reminded her quietly exactly how her relationship with Minato had started to alter, possibly seeming quite different than a normal friendship to anyone watching from the side.
She gulped instinctively, feeling the warmth sneak up her cheeks again. Perhaps that standing needed a reevaluation.
"Does he know?"
Her eyes widened at the quiet question and she felt the air rush out of her lungs, the initial anger subdued for once. He had no doubt of what he was asking. Before her stood her father no more – it was Hyōjin Uzumaki the Jinchuuriki Guardian that demanded questions.
"No."
He nodded once and continued walking ahead in silence, leading the way home. His face was unreadable and Kushina couldn't grasp whether the presented information was a relief or disappointment.
His lack of further comments was no surprise, since her father had never been particularly loquacious. Even so, the red-haired girl could feel the upcoming storm as soon as roof was above their heads – he would talk tonight and somehow Kushina knew she wouldn't like it, whatever it is he had to say.
The rest of the way home passed in the same icy silence.
Ryūmi Uzumaki was waiting in the living room, sitting by the table quietly, eyeing her knitted fingers with a distant look, her thoughts far away. She quickly looked up upon their entry and the feeling of unease strengthened within Kushina as her eyes fell on the worried crease between her mother's eyebrows and her stiff shoulders – something was up. Something big.
What was left of her anger evaporated, confusion taking its place. Hyōjin didn't say a word as he strode inside, the very same scowl donned on his face, his lips set in a hard line. His feet carried him to the window where he shut the blinds with a decisive flick before weaving a few quick handseals. The protective Fūin tags around the room glowed with a dull orange light briefly as they activated, isolating the Uzumaki family from anyone within hearing range. Kushina gulped.
"Why were you there?" She had meant to sound angry, but her voice came out quieter, laced with confusion.
Her father refused to look at her once again, choosing to move quietly by the room, inspecting the activated seals for any loopholes.
"You disappeared." he said flatly, as if it was the most logical explanation in the world.
The girl scowled.
"I didn't disappear, I told you I am going to train-"
"You disappeared from the training grounds, Kushina, without a trace."
She was about to counter his statement when realization struck and she stopped half-way through, eyes widening and cheeks warming.
"How would you know that?" she felt the anger returning when her father continued moving around the room without a word, the answer presenting itself in his pointed silence. "Sandaime dispatched ANBU to watch me, didn't he?"
No answer again.
Of course he would, she thought bitterly, he wouldn't want his precious Jinchuuriki harmed. It all made sense all of a sudden – her father's cryptic silence during their walk, his current actions, the sudden appearance in the meadow – of course they would alert her parents if she went missing all of a sudden with no clue to her current whereabouts, for she had no doubt that this is precisely how Minato's technique would seem to anyone watching from the side.
There was no way for them to know that he was simply showing her the Hiraishin. With no prior warning about it, the ANBU sentries had assumed the worst and raised alarm. It had happened once already after all, when she had been kidnapped by Kumogakure.
She scowled, realising for once how worried her parents must have been during her brief visit to the Hokage Monument. This new piece of information called for little understanding, however, her anger flaring instead. The thought of having constant sentries that followed her every move irritated her to no end. She could see why the Hokage would want the extra protection, but she wasn't ten years old anymore, she could take care of herself excellently without the additional vigilance.
A new thought dawned on her and her eyebrows shot up in surprise. Suddenly Hyōjin's cold attitude towards her friend seemed justifiable, despite being heavily misplaced.
"You thought Minato would try to harm me?" she asked, disbelief heavy in her voice. Her father's obvious assumption stung in a new unfamiliar way and the girl felt a new vicious urge to prove him wrong. "You did, didn't you? You knew I was with him and that we disappeared together, ya know. Really, father, Minato of all people, hurting me, ya know?!"
"Kushina, dear, we thought-" Ryūmi began, but the red-haired man silenced her with a long chilling look and Kushina recognised one of their familiar silent exchanges, so very foreign to anyone but her parents, who seemed to have mastered this form of communication to perfection.
Whatever wordless argument they were having right now, her mother seemed to be on the losing side for she finally relented, a tired sigh escaping her lips as she nodded once and closed her eyes in defeat. Finally Hyōjin directed his eyes at Kushina for the first time this evening and she couldn't help but flinch. There was no warmth in his emotionless look, no trace of the fatherly figure that she had grown to respect. It was the guardian that faced her and the guardian that spoke.
"Stay away from that man."
He might have flung a bucket of icy water at her and she would have been less shocked.
"No." she growled lowly, determination layered thick in the monosyllable.
"You do not understand-"
"You are the one that doesn't understand, father, if you believe him capable of ever harming Konoha or me, ya know. I refuse to follow your limited assumptions-"
"Kushina. This is not about Minato's allegiance to the village." he paused, eyeing the surprised red-haired girl through a harsh look. For once she quitted down, her eyes spelling skepticism. Hyōjin sighed. "There are things you do not know, things you do not understand."
"Explain then, for I am curious, father, how those things would affect my friends."
"The liberties that you allow yourself with this friend of yours are the source of the problem at hand."
Her eyes widened in disbelief and her jaw dropped considerably as blood rushed to her cheeks again, eyebrows mashing together in an angry scowl. Did she hear right? Was this really the source of her father's horrid attitude?
This could not be happening.
"I allow myself no liberties, ya know! I don't know what you are talking about!" she snapped louder than usual, one hand slashing the air through the heated denial.
"That is enough, Kushina. I am not planning on arguing about your attachment to Minato Namikaze or his attachment to you, for the situation is clear enough regardless of your denials. Whichever the case, this cannot go on. Not without your full knowledge of the extent of harm you can do."
Kushina could only stare, mouth opening and closing, unable to find the right words. Her lips felt dry and she ran a tongue over them nervously, willing the sudden fear away.
"Harm?"
Her father nodded once and closed his eyes, a sigh escaping his lips.
"Yes, harm. Need I remind you that your position is precarious? The decisions that you take affect not only you, but the entire village as well, in this case more than ever. There is something that you need to know, something that your mother and I didn't tell you earlier, because we didn't think you ready to understand the implications of the information presented."
The girl remained quiet, her eyes flickering between her father's harsh face and her mother's pained one.
"As you know, when Mito-sama reached an age too dangerous for maintaining the Kyuubi, the Konoha council started looking for a new host for the Bijuu, focusing on members of the Uzumaki clan as the primary candidates." her father continued, moving to stand beside Ryūmi, not taking his eyes off Kushina. "Our clan's large chakra reserves along with our longevity made for ideal Jinchuurikis and our additional mastery of Fūinjutsu helped the case further. As the shinobi nations found out throughout the years, the younger the new host was, the higher the chances were for a successful Bijuu transfer. Therefore, Konoha was looking for children within a specific age range.
What you do not know, however, is that they were looking for young boys. Only when no compatible male hosts meeting the criteria were found, and only then, did the council turn to you – the Uzumaki child with the largest chakra reserves, you were the most suitable candidate and the perfect Jinchuuriki, like it or not."
"Male hosts? But why, ya know?" Kushina heard herself ask, for once too surprised to let the worry register.
"Approximately fifty years ago, a few years after Mito-sama married the Shodai Hokage, a new threat endangered Konoha and almost led to the village's destruction – the Kyuubi almost broke out of its seal in a manner most unexpected."
"B-broke out of the seal?" she muttered, one hand flying to her stomach instinctively as she tried to swallow past the lump in her throat. "How?"
"The one weakness of the Jinchuuriki seal unplanned for by the sealer, turned out to be childbirth. Mito-sama had conceived a child and during the approximately ten months pregnancy the Bijuu seal weakened as the energy needed to hold it in place was diverted to the growing baby. Finally, during the birth of her child when the seal was at its weakest, a catastrophe would have occurred, if not for Shodai's fast interference and his expertise in Fūinjutsu following Mito-sama's teachings. Even with Hashirama Senju's vast power at hand the situation was a dire one that almost cost everything to Konoha – a mistake that no one had planned for." he paused, directing a harsh gaze at Kushina, who had frozen in place. "This is why female hosts are unfavourable for Bijuus. This is why the sacrifice that a female Jinchuuriki has to make is greater than that of a male one – it is a choice that no child can understand, which is why your mother and I never told you of this earlier."
"But-" she began, feeling the panic bubbling under the surface. "But Mito-sama told me… she said… she said that I could be happy if I filled myself with love… She had a family, she-"
"Her situation was different than your own. She was the first Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki and as such the difficulties of her situation were unknown. Do you really believe that the council would have let her conceive a child if they knew of the dangers that this would pose to the village? Do you believe they would have taken such a huge risk without any precedent of a successful Jinchuuriki birth, if they had known that it could cause the dectruction of Konoha and the loss of their Jinchuuriki?
Even if they had somehow known, Mito-sama's standing was different than your own. She was the wife of the Shodai Hokage, she would have been allowed liberties that you are not. She was under the direct protection of the leader of the village, a position that few dared counter. You need to understand this, Kushina, this is a risk that the current council will not allow – we have the experience, but we lack the power to suppress such a strong Bijuu if things come to that. Konoha would be, once again, in danger. Can you willingly make this choice? Would you knowingly put the village at stake for one individual's selfish needs?"
The walls seemed to be shaking and Kushina shook her head to clear the annoying feeling of instability. Oh. How idiotic. She was the one trembling. Shackle after shackle, the Bijuu sealed within her kept binding her further and all of a sudden she felt as if there was not enough air in the room, iron clutches tightening around her lungs.
"I never wanted to be the one… I never wanted to make this choice, ya know!" she rasped through a shaky breath, anger seeping in her tone. "I never knew any of this, is it even a matter of choice now, after the Kyuubi has been sealed in me already, ya know?! You knew all of this! How could you let this happen to me, ya know?!"
Her mother flinched and pointedly looked down at her hands again, but Hyōjin kept staring at her with harsh eyes. No emotions reached him in his Guardian Mode.
"We did what we had to do. There was no one else who could have taken your place, it was needed to keep the balance between the Bijuus – the Kyuubi could not be allowed to roam free without a host. It is a great honour, my daughter, to be chosen as the keepers of the strongest Tailed Beast. It only goes to show how strong-willed you are – the strongest Uzumaki within our clan." Finally his eyes softened and Kushina saw a glimpse of the father, hiding behind the expressionless mask. "I know what Mito-sama told you and I am sure that it is the truth, but there are different kinds of love that one can experience and still find happiness. There is the love of family and friends and the love for one's home. There is the love for your teachers and your students and all your comrades. Love, probably not as captivating, but just as rewarding as any. I am sure that this is what Mito-sama meant when she spoke to you, for she of all people would have understood the danger that your proximity to this boy would pose. Your relationship with Minato cannot go on."
The air rushed out of her lungs as if someone had punched her forcefully, leaving her chest aching in an uncomfortable manner. The anger had evaporated, leaving the raw sensation of emptiness behind. She felt numb, her tongue suddenly thick in her mouth.
"I… Minato and I are just friends, I…"
"Kushina, you are not thinking rationally. After what I witnessed tonight, I can hardly say your relationship is limited to friendship. In fact I fear we might have been too late with informing you of the specifics of your situation. If you allow his feelings to grow and yours along with them, your situation will only hurt you both when the truth is revealed.
Think on it carefully and tell me truly, do you believe Minato to be a man to give up the chance for a family of his own, an heir to his line, after he grew up all alone without parents or siblings? Even if he does give it all up for you, do you think it fair? Or did you plan on being by his side for awhile before letting him find a more suitable wife? Do you realise how much more painful this would be, for both of you? Not only that, but do you think it fair to let him fall in love with you when he knows nothing of this, letting him learn of the truth only when it is too late to step back? Don't you see how you are guiding him ahead blindly, tricking him into a situation that he is unprepared for? Does he not deserve to know the truth? If you are set on making this choice, at least let him make an informed choice too! Children may not be on your mind now, but when one relationship grows in time, the lack of such can turn into a painful manner that can ruin you. Allowing yourself to feel will ruin you."
Every word felt like a painful stab in her heart, the invisible knife that were his words twisting with each sentence. Her hand instinctively shot up to her chest, gripping the blouse in a tight clutch, trying to ease the ache to no avail.
"That is enough, Hyōjin." Ruymi said sharply, rising from her chair with a grinding noise along the floor. "You are taking this too far. She is just a child."
"No she is not, Ryūmi, she is a woman grown. She needs to know of those things before she can make the wrong choice." with that he walked to the red-haired girl, placing a heavy hand on her shoulder and willing her to look in those cold, determined eyes. Another emotion seemed to be flickering there, hidden deep behind the ice. Suddenly she knew; this was hurting him too. "Steel your heart, daughter. Do not allow yourself to fall in love with this man, or the impossibility of your situation will be a pain far greater than any you can imagine." he said with finality and exited the room without another glance back.
She could only stare after him, numb. A gentle touch on her shoulder informed her that her mother was still in the room, now standing by her side and watching her through saddened, watery eyes.
"I'm sorry." she whispered quietly. "I'm so sorry that we caused you this, my dear, but part of the reason for our decision was our faith in you… that you will be strong enough to bear this pain. As your Guardian I must guide you to the right choice… but as your mother I will support you regardless of it. But you are not the only one that has to choose. Minato is a sweet boy, he deserves to know the truth."
"I can't." she rasped through a whisper, eyes staring blindly ahead. "I can't lose him too. You do not understand, mother… You haven't seen their eyes…Sasshi-sensei, Hizashi and Gorou and even Mikoto… everyone who ever knew the truth never looked at me the same way. For them I turned into the Jinchuuriki, not the friend. I cannot bear to see this look in his eyes, I cannot. I… I can't lose him completely."
A sigh. He tossed his blanket aside and turned around, lying on his back, staring at the ceiling without seeing it. His mind was locked far away, emotions too raw to allow sleep even when his body ached all over and exhaustion weighted on him.
He had dozed off a few times during the night, waking up shortly after, right before plunging into the next confusing dream, each of which seemed more realistic than the previous one. His memories of them were tangled and he could not make sense out of them – a jumble of flames, smiles, laughter and blazing locks mixed wildly in his mindscape, the intoxicating scent of cherry blossoms being a constant presence in the back of his mind.
It wasn't just that, he thought distantly, for cherry blossoms could never hold the same sweet scent that maddened him. No, it was also lilac and lavender and wild strawberries, a bouquet of dulcet perfumes that blended harmonically to create a unique alluring aroma that clung to her hair and skin constantly. It spelled Kushina, defining her, distinguishing her, complimenting her, just as her gentle vivid voice did, the ringing laughter resonating in his mind. He could hear it even now, the lively energetic lilt in it that always made him smile. Had he dreamt of it? Had he dreamt of her?
He already had his answer, despite not remembering - his body reacted strangely at the thought of those dreams, as if it remembered even if his mind did not. His breathing picked up and his palms felt sweaty all of a sudden, excitement boiling in the pit of his stomach, running down his body to the tips of his fingers, burning along his skin as images flashed before his eyes uninvited.
The need in her eyes, her rosy cheeks, her silky hair in his hand, her warm breath, the zinging electricity of her proximity, her full parted lips, looking so soft and sweet… Somehow he had always woken up before he could touch them, Kushina slipping away from him in the last moment, her ringing laughter echoing from far away. It was maddening.
With a groan he pushed up and got out of bed, shaking his head to clear the burning thoughts away and running a hand through his messy hair. His legs carried him to the bathroom without him thinking and Minato filled the basin blindly, trying to slow his breathing down and push the alluring images out of his mind.
The icy water was refreshing as he splashed it over his flushed face and he felt his senses awaking from the semi-daze of his confusing dreams. Sleep was out of the question now – he needed a distraction, something to occupy his attention and keep his mind off Kushina.
There were no missions so far – Sandaime hadn't called him in since his jōnin appointment and Minato was guessing that he wanted to give him a day or two of rest before starting the continuous missions. It was a kind gesture generally, but suddenly Minato found himself wishing to be appointment with something, anything to distract him from his thoughts.
Since missions were out of the question, he quickly decided on training. He would use the few free days for working on his new technique – it was a grueling enough exercise that wouldn't allow any stray thoughts.
He cast a glance out of the window, noting that it was still murky outside, possibly shortly before dawn. Perfect. Training Field Three would be empty. A sudden feeling of excitement filled him at the thought.
Oh who are you fooling, a voice in his head was saying quietly, it is because you would see her. Because she would, possibly, show up later, just as she did yesterday.
Suddenly there was a new urgency to his moves, hurrying along with his clothes and breakfast as only Minato Namikaze could – he wasn't called the fastest Konoha shinobi for no reason. Even so, by the time he exited his home and took to the roofs, leaping from one building to another, the sun had already started rising, bathing the awakening village in a soft golden light.
The early birds' songs could be heard easily through the stillness of the still sleeping Konoha and a smile sprung to his lips as he took in the fresh morning air, filled with the soft scent of summer flowers. If he had to pick a favourite part of the day it would be precisely dawn. There was something revitalizing and warming about the breaking of the new day, a feeling of energy and life that always refreshed his senses. He was truly a morning person – a fact that usually irritated his sensei to no end.
A chuckle sprung to his lips as he thought of Jiraya's unintelligible grumbles and growls whenever Minato tried to wake him up earlier than noon. He gave up his attempts entirely after the Toad Sannin had taken to throwing heavy objects in his direction at the lightest noise.
"I never knew I took a rooster as an apprentice." he would say through large yawns, glaring daggers at the blond boy.
"Someone has to wake you up, sensei."
"If I wanted to be woken up I would get an alarm clock, brat."
"If not for me you'd sleep through the whole day, sensei. I would get you an alarm clock if you didn't spend all of my money on women."
"It's quality research, brat, not that I would expect an uneducated pragmatic person like yourself to understand the ways of a true-"
"-pervert-"
"-artist, such as myself. Besides, if you get me an alarm clock I would smash it upon its first ring. A fate which I am highly tempted to bestow upon you, if you continue the same way…"
Minato smiled at the pleasant memories, wondering for once where his sensei was currently and what he was up to. Knowing him, he was willing to bet on a number of bath houses that the perverted old man had shown a particular preference for. A hopeless case, that's what Jiraya was when it came to women.
Just as I am, he thought grudgingly, although in a different way.
When it came to women he might have been the slowest, most unresponsive student that Jiraya could have ever stumbled upon. Not once throughout the past three years and a half had he made advances on any of the girls Jiraya so fervently chased, calling for quite a few far-fetched suggestions by Jiraya, referring to his sexual orientation; and while that didn't bother him particularly as he was not in the least interested, he suddenly wished that he had at least paid attention to Jiraya's mistakes and attempted to learn from them.
Not once had he bothered to ask his sensei for any form of advice in what he referred to as "those delicate matters". And although the Toad Sannin seemed to be quite the failure in that particular field (contrary to his own claims), he, and anyone else for that matter, surely had more experience than Minato did.
There were many things in which Minato excelled, many areas in which his skills were above average, if not amongst the best, but, to his imminent displeasure, women was definitely not one of them. Suddenly he found himself at a loss when it came to courting a girl that he admired – he had no clue how to go about that, acting entirely on instinct.
Is that what I want to do, win Kushina over? Something inside him stirred pleasantly at the thought and he had to acknowledge before himself that he had started attempting to do just that without having planned to. Minato was praised as the genius of his year, but it didn't take a genius mind to reach to the obvious conclusion – he was falling for his friend.
As the verb suggested, it was just like falling down – easy, effortless. It had happened after only a week or so of contact, a few merry days spent in her warming presence. Did it happen within a week really?, a voice in his head questioned quietly. No… no, it did not. Minato had always cared about her in an irrational manner, much more than a simple friend would. What his childish intellect could only acknowledge as an innocent attachment and devotion, his now-mature mind saw for what it really was: affection, attraction, ardour.
As inexperienced as he was, he was starting to hope that Kushina might feel the same. After all, she hadn't seemed reluctant yesterday when he…
He swallowed thickly and shook his head to clear the thoughts away. How had he ended up dwelling on that matter again? Pondering over it did him no good. He would will the memory away for now.
He sighed and sped up, the wind beating pleasantly at his face and playing in his hair, the trees becoming a blur all around. The feeling of speed was exhilarating and his smile grew wider as he enjoyed the short trip to the outskirts of Konoha. Traning Upon finally reading Training Field Three he threw himself back to his training with renewed energy, ignoring the stinging ache in his already burned palm, picking up from where he left yesterday, working on retaining the shape of the stormy sphere.
The exercise proved to be quite effective in the one area he needed it to be – it preoccupied his thoughts like nothing else had earlier, and he was quickly lost in between calculations and diagrams, working without rest for a good part of the morning with no sense of time passing. When his right hand failed him due to the unbearable chakra burns, he switched to his left, and although his chakra control was not as fine with it, he quickly progressed, mending some aspects and stabilizing others. It was a good exercise for even chakra dispersion, toning up his ambidextrous skills.
The sun was already high in the horizon when he finally stopped, feeling exhaustion creeping in once again. Overexerting himself like he did yesterday was imprudent, since he didn't know when Sandaime would call him in for the next mission, so he decided to take a break before completely wearing himself down.
With a heavy sigh he sat down under the large cherry tree by the river side, crossing his legs in a lotus position, hands resting on his knees. Habit kicked in uninvited and he found himself straightening his back and closing his eyes, diving into the trance-like state of meditation that relaxed his senses entirely. To dream while you are awake, Pa had called it, and indeed it worked just as sleep might, lifting the tension from his muscles and clearing his mind.
He felt the presence before the person had even entered the Training Field, the sound of the light footsteps resembling that of a loud drum for his currently heightened senses. The chakra signature was remotely familiar, as if he had felt it once, a long time ago.
Whoever the person was, they didn't make any efforts in hiding their approach as he (or she) finally rounded the pathway and stopped before the meadow. A distant sound of small, shallow breaths, indicating lungs too small to accommodate large gulps of air. Light footsteps of a short, skinny person. A child.
Suddenly Minato had a very good idea who the newcomer was, even without having opened his eyes just yet. His hand slipped to the ground beside him in instinct, wanting to confirm his conclusion, but the transmitted feeling surprised him, eyes flashing open and fixing on the young boy standing a dozen feet away from him.
The silver hair marked him for who Minato was certain he would be – six year old Kakashi Hatake, Sakumo-sensei's son. The chakra signature that he possessed, however, was nowhere near the expected one for a child of his age. It was acutely developed, resembling that of an adult. Minato could only stare, bewilderment written in his look.
Kakashi was looking curiously at Minato, studying the sitting blond man in silence. Seconds turned into minutes, but the boy would not budge and neither did Minato, who suddenly felt a wave of curiosity, wondering what this peculiar kid would do next.
Freezing in place was not what he had accounted for. Perhaps he disliked having company while he trained? A small smile appeared on his lips as he closed his eyes again, steadying his breathing and diving into the same meditation state. The displayed lack of attention seemed to be working, for soon after, Kakashi finally indicated signs of life, untangling locked muscles and moving hesitantly towards Minato, light footsteps threading quietly down the dusty field before coming to an abrupt stop a few feet from the jōnin.
"What are you doing?"
Minato's eyes flashed open again only to find a pair of curious dark ones staring intently at him, studying his posture. The smile returned uninvited.
"I'm training."
The child's scowl deepened.
"But you're just sitting down."
"Meditating is a form of training for the mind."
"My father says that you train your mind when you spar with people. He says it develops observational skills and strategic thinking."
Well, Sakumo-san was never one for standing still too long. "That is another way to do so, yes. Your father is a smart man."
"The smartest." the child said with conviction and crossed his arms with all the seriousness that a six year-old could muster. "And the strongest too. He is the best shinobi in the leaf village."
Minato smiled.
"We can expect the same of you I'm sure, since you are the White Fang's son."
The boy's eyes widened for a second, eyes taking in the blond man's features anew. Apparently Kakashi had decided that Minato was a stranger, but the mentioning of his father's moniker triggered recognition of some sort. He doubted that the boy remembered him from years past, as amazing as his intellect seemed to be, and he groaned inwardly, realizing that the hype about his new technique must have reached Konoha within the one day he had spent there.
"You are Minato Namikaze." Kakashi said finally, stating the fact with such conviction that anyone addressed would have briefly believed themselves to be said person. "You are Jiraya-sama's apprentice."
"I am, yes. It is a pleasure to see you again, Kakashi-kun, although you probably wouldn't remember our first meeting." Thankfully so, he thought, remembering the terrible influence he had somehow had over the baby. "You have grown into quite the talented young man. Sakumo-san praised you restlessly."
Apparently this time Minato was somehow making a positive impression unlike before, for Kakashi's eyes widened again, a new light playing on his face.
"He did? He really did?" he asked, excitement visible in the childish voice.
The jōnin resisted the urge to scowled. Didn't Sakumo praise him? Didn't he show the boy how proud he was?
"Anyone would in his place, you have excelled so much for your age. Even if he doesn't show it often, he is very proud."
Kakashi blinked a few times, elatation lasting briefly before his face fell again.
"But I still can't hit all six targets." He explained quietly, throwing a glance at the wooden posts. Minato raised an eyebrow, the question written on his face. "I am training throwing accuracy and chakra control. I climb up the wooden post and shoot at six different targets at the same time, but I always miss the sixth. Father can't be proud of me if I miss the sixth."
Most boys your age do not even know what chakra control is. "That sounds complicated. Can I see?"
Kakashi threw another measured glance at the wooden posts, apparently debating inwardly whether it was alright to demonstrate his progress (and faults) before a man whom he had just met.
Finally he nodded curtly, a flash of determination in his eyes, as his hands dipped in the two kunai holsters, coming out with three weapons in each, sported between knuckles. Suddenly the young boy was a child no more. He bent forward, eyes narrowing and body instinctively taking an offensive pose, muscles tensing for the upcoming jump. There was something lethal about his look, heavily misplaced for the face of a child and Minato had to suppress a shudder.
The palm resting at the ground informed him of the spike in Kakashi's chakra system as the boy gathered enough chakra at his feet for the run, mind already calculating the best way to go about his attack. With a final glance at the drawn marks around the wooden posts he was off, dashing ahead with a surprising speed, footsteps barely making any noise. Within seconds he was by the posts, one foot latching up the wood as he continued his movement upwards, level with the ground.
His eyes snapped amongst his targets as he reached the top and pushed himself backwards in the air, and his hands flashed forward, sending all six kunai flying in different directions with a flick. A quick backflip in mid-air assured him a steady landing in the soft grass along with the quiet thudding sound of kunai hitting their marks.
Minato slowly stood up, a small smile playing on his lips as he recognised the move that Kushina had used to take him off guard during their first spar. It seemed to be a specialty of Sakumo-sensei, now having passed it down to his son, not only his hot-headed student.
The silver-haired boy eagerly dashed around the marks in the dirt to check his success-rate. It was pointless, Minato knew already, he had seen the altered trajectory of the last kunai. It had missed, just as Kakashi said that it would, and it was easy to spot why. The disappointment written on the boy's face upon reaching said weapon still felt disheartening, however, and Minato felt a sudden urge to explain as best he could to him, that it was an easily fixable mistake.
"Come here, Kakashi-kun." he said gently as he waved him over. The boy approached with a sullen look on his face, pocketing his kunai in silence. Minato smiled, tucking his hands in his pockets as Kakashi stopped before him, looking down. "That was very good, you're almost there. Your chakra control is great, I'd say you have already mastered that part of the exercise."
"But I still missed." he mumbled, refusing to look up.
"Because you didn't see the targets."
Finally the boy looked up, an angry scowl on his face.
"Yes I did, I was looking at them as I jumped, didn't you-"
"Looking isn't seeing." he explained quietly. "You have to learn to see things with all of your senses, not your eyes alone, for they might betray you one day. The six targets are dispersed in a 360 degree radius around you, there is no way to look at all of them at the same time as you throw. You need to have a clear picture of the area around you in your mindscape, to know exactly where each target is without looking. When you can do it in here-" he explained, tapping a hand to his temple. "-you would be able to do it anywhere."
"What do you mean see without my eyes, that is impossible." the boy said stubbornly.
Minato raised an eyebrow, his hands moving to the back of his head as he untied his hitai-ate only to slip it lower and tie it firmly over his eyes. His hands quickly took out six three-pronged kunai out of his holsters in a similar manner to the silver-haired boy and he dashed at the wooden posts without a word.
Wind whistled past him as he gathered speed, reaching the posts within a second, already running up as Kakashi whipped around to stare at him with an incredulous expression at his face.
Minato saw none of it. The world was dark all around and filled with light at the same time as his senses drew the picture of his surroundings with a sharp clarity, scents, sounds and tastes showing him what his eyes could not. Before he knew it he was at the top, pushing himself back and throwing his kunai with a sharp flick, twisting in the air much as Kakashi had and landing in the soft grass without a sound.
One, two, three, four, five, six. All kunai hit the ground with a dull thud and a small smile spread his lips as he felt already that they had pinpointed their targets with deadpan accuracy. The sound of light footsteps reached his ears as he was standing up and he quickly untied his hitai-ate, moving it in place, eyes following Kakashi as the boy ran through the targets to verify what his eyes had already seen.
Finally he stopped, staring at Minato with wide eyes, jaw hanging open.
"You hit all of them. Blind-folded." he said flatly.
The blond haired man nodded, suppressing a chuckle.
"How?" the boy asked finally, surprised look still latched on his face
"Remember the three Cs. Concentration, Calculation, Coordination. You need a clear head, no distractions. Calm your breathing, feel your chakra stream within you, reign it in control, pour it in your senses, sharpen them. Push all stray thoughts to the back of your mind, it is only you and the target. That being said, do not isolate the world around you. You need to be aware of your surroundings at all time.
This is where calculation comes in. Calculate how to use your surroundings to your advantage, making your attack more effective. Assess all external factors that might influence your offense, such as the wind direction and its speed, the target's mobility, the time needed for impact, the gravity. When doing so, eyesight goes only so far and then come the rest of your senses – or to put it otherwise, coordination. Even with your eyes closed the world around you keeps spelling itself, you just need to know how to read it.
Smell. The world consists of smells; even seemingly odourless objects such as stones and dirt have a faint scent that you would be able to feel if you get accustomed to it. Use the wind to your advantage, it will bring the scents to you when standing downwind or help you hide your own scent when windward. An enemy might be able to hide from sight, but never from your nose if your sense of smell is acute enough. The targets that you are aiming at have been dug in the dirt with a kunai, possibly retraced a day or two ago to make the lines sharp again. The dirt smells differently where the blade has bitten, the scent is faint, but richer and more moist." he explained calmly, kneeling by the nearest mark and tracing it with one finger as he spoke.
"Feel. Different objects have different temperature, humans most of all. If you picture it in colours, the river would be an icy blue, while a person is a rich warm red. Same goes for animals and plants. Take the sun's position into account, or that of any present heat source, and estimate what the usual temperature of the objects around you should be. This will tip you off if there are any inconsistencies, which could be possible traps.
Taste. Much like scents, although less developed, your sense of taste can help orientate you during a chase.
Listen. Every shift of the wind brushes through the grass and the trees, it hits in stones and buildings and the sound trails them, it makes the water whisper with the air. Every movement of the wildlife, every step of the people around you resonates within the ground, producing a thrumming sound of different magnitude. The sages of Mount Myoboku say that in silence you can hear a humming bird's heart beat, if you have developed your hearing acutely enough. Silence is not what you will have in battle, but you should listen all the same. It might be exactly the enemy's frantic heartbeat that will betray their location when they most need to remain hidden.
Most importantly, use all of your senses together, along with your eyesight, to paint a detailed picture of your surroundings in your mind. Next time when you aim, don't just keep the targets in sight, feel them. In doing so, you will be able to really see the world around you clearly." he finished and smiled, winking playfully at the child. "It can be quite eye-opening once you get it right."
He didn't know why he was explaining something so complicated to a six year-old, or why he had the inexplicable feeling that said kid understood him perfectly, despite his tender age. There was an air of intelligence and perception about the young boy that were surprising, but unmistakable.
Kakashi stood rooted to the spot, gazing at him with a new emotion in his eyes, jaw still hanging open as he soaked up every word eagerly.
"How do you do that? How do you develop your senses so good? Why can't I hear or smell the wind?"
Minato's smile grew even wider.
"You meditate. Concentrate, Calculate, Coordinate. Sit down and straighten your back, steady your breathing, feel your chakra stream, disperse it evenly. Still yourself and open your senses to the world. Immerse yourself in it, be here and everywhere at the same time. See."
The boy nodded once, not taking his eyes off the jōnin.
"And then I will be able to hit all the targets?"
"With time, patience and practice, yes, I am sure you would be, and much faster than I did too. But don't neglect your training in favour of developing your senses alone. Balance it out. For example, you will find meditation to be a very suitable way to relax when you overexert yourself physically. Know this, your father is also right – in training your body, you train your mind too and your senses along with it. Find your own way to progress, the one that matches your style best." with that he smiled again and turned to the nearby trees. "Speaking of your father, when are you planning on stepping out, Sakumo-sensei?"
He had felt his approach somewhere around the end of his long monologue, but the man had chosen to remain out of sight instead of interrupt, allowing Kakashi to concentrate on what was being said.
The boy turned in his general direction as Minato called the white-haired jōnin's name and he smiled widely, striding forward to meet his father half-way through as Sakumo rounded the trees and finally made to join them. Minato nodded in greeting through a quiet smile just as Sakumo did the same before directing his eyes to the young boy and ruffling his hair.
"Father, father, you should hear what Minato-sensei says about meditation, I'll be able to hit all targets if I practice it as well!"
A surprised choke escaped Minato's lips as his eyebrows shot up, not having expected the title Kakashi bestowed on him. Sakumo's reaction was similar, directing a quizzical look at the blond man, curious to see his reaction.
"San would be enough, Kakashi-kun." he hurried to correct. "I am not a sensei at all, I haven't been appointed with a genin team… yet." he added hesitantly, as if unsure if he was ever getting a team at all. With everything happening recently he hadn't even stopped to consider the possibility. He was a jōnin now, so he could take up his own students if he so wished and if the Hokage deemed it appropriate. Did he want that?
"I apologise, Minato-san. I assumed you've taught before, you explained everything very well." the boy said politely, slipping into a more formal countenance in his father's presence.
"There's nothing to apologize for, the fault is mine, I should have made my standing clear."
"My son is correct, however. You do have a way with teaching from what I heard. You explained things very well to Kakashi. I would have thought this matter too complicated for him, but the way you spoke of it made it easy to understand. Have you considered taking up a genin team?"
"Thank you Sakumo-san, but you praise me overly so, I am much too inexperienced to teach others."
"Nonsense. I was your age when I began teaching my first three and I was twice as green as you are now. Consider it, Minato, it might suit you."
Minato's smile grew nervous as his hand shot up to rub the back of his neck in habit.
"Thank you for the advice, Sakumo-san, I will keep it in mind."
"You're welcome, boy. It's the least I could do after you wasted your morning in baby-sitting my kid. He was supposed to train here while I did some work and met him later to assess his progress, but apparently he spent his time otherwise. Kakashi, what have I told you of disturbing other people's training?"
The silver-haired boy scowled through a pout.
"I didn't disturb, Minato-sens- san asked to see me throw kunai!"
"That is true, Sakumo-sensei, don't be angry with him, he was most polite. You could say I intruded on his training and I hope he doesn't mind. It was my pleasure to spend some time with him. Your son is truly talented."
"That he is, but talent alone is nothing without hard-work. He has more to train before he can call himself strong, right, Kakashi?"
"Yes, father."
"Let us continue with your training now that I am here. If we progress quick enough we'll go out for dinner tonight, how about that?" Sakumo asked and Kakashi looked up, excitement now shining in his eyes.
"Can we invite Kushina-san too, I still haven't seen her." he asked merrily, barely able to hold in one place.
Minato couldn't stop the way his body reacted upon hearing that name, the way his breath caught in his throat and his heart inexplicably quickened. He directed a look at Sakumo without knowing, curious to hear the answer. Somehow it seemed of vital importance.
"No, we cannot. Kushina is… otherwise engaged." The white-haired man said through a scowl, his eyes meeting Minato's and holding his look "In any case, it is not polite to suggest inviting a person absent without inviting the one present." Sakumo said and waved a hand in Minato's direction.
Cheeks reddening, the boy quickly turned towards the blond jōnin, about to shoot out an apology and a hasty invitation, when Sakumo's hand came to rest on his shoulder, silencing him.
"-however, I heard that Minato might be busy as well." Upon meeting Minato's quizzical look he added "Shikaku mentioned he wants to speak to you when I dropped by Headquarters earlier today. He was grumbling something about additional work on Sundays and how he had plans for tonight and needed to talk to you. I suppose one involves the other."
An involuntary smile lit up Minato's face as he remembered Inoichi's promise of a fun evening at Yakinuki. He longed to talk to his friends again and learn more about their lives throughout the last three years and a half.
"I suppose I should go find him and see what he wants." he said quietly, said smile never leaving his face and Sakumo nodded with a smile of his own.
"Have fun, kid."
"Likewise, Sakumo-san, Kakashi-kun. It was a pleasure. I look forward to the day when I see you hit all six targets." he murmured, inclining his head respectfully and the boy mirrored the movement quickly, mumbling a goodbye, intent eyes never leaving his face, much to Minato's quiet amusement.
Yes, Kakashi Hatake was truly an impressive child.
The wind picked up, throwing her hair around messily as she walked down the empty grassy path between the numerous gravestones. She quickly brushed it out of her face with one hand, the other tightening around the bouquet of white chrysanthemums, pulling it closer to her lest that the wind ruins it.
It had been awhile since she last visited and a feeling of guilt settled with the realization, making her quicken her pace. It was a bright sunny Sunday afternoon, weather not usually associated with mourning.
A million questions surged through her mind, each of which seemed more important than the other and Kushina found herself lost amongst them. Somehow, she felt like visiting that grave would help her sort things out, at least temporarily. The woman had always been a sort of spiritual guide for the red-haired girl when she was alive, and Kushina had taken to the habit of visiting her grave whenever she found herself lost.
She stopped in her tracks as her eyes fell on the lone figure kneeling in front of that particular grave, long blond hair dancing gently with the wind, hands tracing the engraved name with a thoughtful expression on her face. Mito Senju, it read, but somehow the few people who knew her, seemed to remember her as Mito Uzumaki, the fiery daughter of the Eddies. The Shodai's wife. The first Kyuubi Jinchuuriki. The mother. The Grandmother.
A saddened look crossed Kushina's eyes as she joined Tsunade quietly, kneeling by her side and placing her own bouquet next to the one already resting before the stone. They both missed the elderly woman, she knew, but there was a difference in their motives to visit whenever time allowed it.
Tsunade simply missed her grandmother, the last remaining relative that she had had after Nawaki's death. She had loved her as any granddaughter would, cherishing the connection, commemorating it by bringing flowers every other week and praying in Mito-sama's memory.
Kushina saw things otherwise. Yes, Mito had been a distant relative, much as Tsunade now was, but it was not because of their shared blood that she visited, but because of her gratitude for what the woman did for her in a time when she was most in need. She visited for guidance. She visited for remembrance. For really, if she didn't remember her predecessor when no one else did, how could she hope that someone would remember her when she one day went?
People seemed to pass by this place, their eyes sweeping over the smooth stone without seeing it, Mito-sama's sacrifice all but forgotten. Is this what was going to happen to Kushina? Would she be forgotten too? One nameless vessel to a dangerous monster, one girl who had once smiled, hoped, laughed, loved – all of it meaningless, thrown in the wind.
With a pang she realized that unlike Mito-sama, she would never have a loving grandchild who would commemorate her memory. There will be no Tsunade to shed tears at her funeral, no Nawaki to leave flowers at her tomb. Another forgotten stone. Maybe her poor successor would visit her occasionally, feeling pity for her meaningless life.
"Kushina?"
The quiet voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she directed a guarded look at the older woman beside her, who seemed to have noticed her gloomy mood. A worried look was latched on Tsunade's face as she studied the girl's hollow expression, the crease between her eyebrows deepening with every passing second.
"What is the matter with you?"
She swallowed thickly and forced a smile on her lips. Misplaced. Unnatural. Pained.
"Nothing, ya know. I was simply thinking of Mito-sama."
Tsunade hesitated before nodding, obviously not buying it, but deciding to let her be for the time being. After all, she wasn't one to press for information against someone's will. If Kushina refused to talk of it, then Tsunade would comply.
"I will leave you to your thoughts then." she said quietly and rose to her feet, turning to go.
Suddenly Kushina wished that she had asked further, feeling a certain feeling of emptiness settle in with the retreating figure of the Sannin. She was confused, enraged, crushed. She might have been a private person, but she needed to talk to someone, someone who understood her position and didn't shy away from her.
Someone who held no position of guardian, no obligation to overlook her personal needs for the greater good. Someone who didn't look at her as if she might lose it the next moment. Someone who cared.
"What would you do, if you knew you were hurting Dan by being by his side, even if he didn't mind the pain?" she heard herself ask without thinking, eyes still locked on the tombstone before her.
The retreating footsteps stopped and silence followed, broken only by the snapping wind.
"Why do you ask?"
She shrugged non-chalantly. "Just curious, ya know."
Silence again.
"It is a very hard question that you pose and it is even harder to answer it right away, out of context as it is. But I suppose, when you put it like that, the right answer is obvious. It would be selfish to place my own needs above his, and selfishness has no place with love." she said quietly and paused. "Sometimes, if you truly love someone you need to let them go."
Love… is this what love was? Did she love Minato? Did she love him enough to let him go?
Quietly Tsunade turned and left, leaving the girl to stare ahead, gaze locked on the dancing grass of the distant hill. She saw none of it. Before her eyes was Minato's smiling face, warmth emanating from his calm look as he stood at the edge of the Hokage Monument, arm outstretched at her, the setting sun playing colours with his golden hair as the wind tossed it around. Waiting for her to join him, by his side, as she had always wished without even realising it. He was captivating. He was the sun, he was warmth and comfort, security, laughter, light, love. He was all that she couldn't have. For him, for the village, for everyone, she had to step back.
Another picture appeared in her mind uninvited and she felt tears rise to her eyes. It was an image she had never thought about, an image she was too young to consider, an image that now latched itself deep within like a parasite, its very presence thrumming like a dull ache.
There stood Minato, smiling peacefully as ever, gazing with a loving look at a golden-haired boy before him, running in the grass. It stopped and looked at her, familiar light blue eyes holding her look with all the innocence that only a child could muster, before it turned around and ran up to its kneeling father, wrapping two thin arms around his neck.
Minato murmured something quietly through a smile and picked the boy up, turning around and wordlessly walking away. It seemed so right, so natural, so real that it took her breath away and Kushina heard the muffled sob escape her lips without her knowing it. Hyōjin Uzumaki's words rang clear in her head, etched deeply within her memory, resonating with their truth. Do you think it fair?
The image was fading in her mindscape, obscured by the red blaze of a giant fox. Her heart clenched at the thought, her chest feeling raw. One by one her dreams of him shattered before even being formed.
The impossibility of your situation will be a pain far greater than any you can imagine.
The air seemed to be thin in oxygen for she suddenly found it hard to breathe and her hand shot up to her chest, clutching the blouse in an attempt to ease the pain. Is this the pain of love? Is this what it meant to lose what you held dearest? She already had her answer and with it, she had her choice.
If you truly love someone, you need to let them go.
Tsunade's words echoed through her mind and with them came a feeling of certainty and resignation. Yes, she wouldn't lose him entirely. She would be his friend. She would discourage his feelings and if he ever looked at her with those burning eyes again, if she ever saw that urgent need in his look, she would look away. For him and for everyone else. For the golden-haired boy that she believed would one day come to be. She wouldn't allow herself to feel. She would steel her heart.
She would let him go.
A shout out for ManlyMonk and Grimjowx for guessing correctly what Hyōjin's main issue was :p
Notes on the text:
1. So I thought we need a bit of Minato and Kakashi interaction finally, because they are so adorable =] For now, Kakashi's character is out of canon, because his father is alive (for now), which means he is not a stick-up, self-centered, rule-loving brat. He is just a happy kid that loves his dad. He will become more like the Kakashi in the manga after the unpleasant developments in future chapters (I am sure you know what I am talking about :p )
2. So I came up with the random advice Minato gives Kakashi, I hope it sounds plausible (that three Cs part is really far-fetched, but it sounded rhythmical somehow, so I thought meh, why not).
3. It is not stated anywhere that the council was looking for boys when choosing a Bijuu host, I made that up. However, in a way, it does make sense doesn't? It would certainly make things easier. Also, it is not stated anywhere that the council would be against Kushina's eventual pregnancy, but once again I believe it makes sense in a way since it is dangerous – even if she gave birth outside of the village and the Kyuubi broke through the seal away from Konoha citizens, it would still be an unfavourable situation in the council's eyes because then they would have lost control over the Kyuubi, their greatest weapon. All and all, I assume they wouldn't like to risk it so I have based my story on that assumption.
That's it for now, I hope you guys enjoyed it! Please do comment if you find the time, sharing your opinions and ideas. Till next time!
Ja ne~
