A/n: So, it's been a year. Ahaha, sorry. I went back to catch up on Naruto to get me motivated for this chapter. Needless to say, it backfired. I was so upset with the direction the manga had taken that I had to abandon this for a while to get some distance and finally give it the feel good ending (as per the tone of this story) it deserves. Also, I admit that some part of me wanted to put off saying goodbye to it, but alas, I can't be so cruel as to withhold the ending from all of you because of sentimental feelings.
Prompt: Minato chose to give Naruto a few minutes with his mother rather than a lifetime with his father. Right or wrong, it happened, but how would the world have looked if the other choice had been made…?
Chapter 11
"Minato I… I love you, remember that." ~Kushina
Minato closed his eyes, letting out a breath as he tilted his head back and felt the breeze. The wind rustled past him, gently caressing his scalp as it lifted his hair as if trying to carry the strands away. It felt absolutely glorious.
It'd been nearly a month since Minato had gotten a body again, and he still could not get used to it. When he had resigned himself to death, or to be a guiding spirit within his son, there had been no secret plan to come back. What Orochimaru had caused was unprecedented and completely unexpected, but not, he thought, wholly unwelcome.
Blue eyes fluttered open as Minato once again lowered his head. He was in a field of graves, and perhaps he should not have felt as calm as he did in that environment, but perhaps he had earned the right. He himself had spent time among the dead after all.
His hand lay on the gravestone that he had come to visit. Gleaming silver in the afternoon sun, the name etched on the grey marble winked up at him, as lively as the woman it represented.
He had been standing in that same position for hours, not really in a hurry to say what he had come for. He had time, now. But the time to meet the Sandaime was approaching, and he thought it better to tell his wife now than after he had confirmed it with the third Hokage.
"Hey Kushina," Minato whispered. "I wanted to say that I was sorry. I know that I promised to join you as soon as I could, and Naruto can certainly take care of himself now, but I want to be here for him. So is it alright if I spend just a little more time here?"
There was no reply. And of course there wouldn't be. But Minato thought that Kushina would have told him that he was stupid and of course she wanted their son to have a father. He smiled at that thought.
He leaned down, pressing his lips to the cool headstone before he straightened again. His eyes were shadowed, but for the first time in a long time, he felt at peace with his decisions. "Goodbye, my love."
He found the Sandaime in the Hokage Tower, looking harried as he struggled to complete his paperwork. Minato couldn't help but smile wanly at that, remembering his own skirmishes with the worst nightmares of any office job.
Minato closed the door and the Sandaime finally looked up. The old man smiled and gestured for Minato to take a seat, which the blond did contently. He also absently noted that there were no ANBU present. The Sandaime must have dismissed them.
They engaged in a few minutes of small talk. Catching up on what was going on with Konoha, with Naruto. But eventually, they had to get to the meat of the issue.
"I'm afraid that we can't hide what has happened any longer, Minato-san. The Uchiha situation is approaching critical levels, especially with the recent injury to the heir. I need you to testify that it was Madara who caused the event eight years ago."
"Of course."
"Good." The Sandaime said, and then he hesitated. "May I ask—how? Not that I am unhappy that you are back, Minato-san, but how exactly are you back? I thought that you sealed your body inside the Shimigami."
Minato's lips quirked into a thin smile, "I can't presume to know how Orochimaru's jutsu works, but I think that the explanation for this lies in the fact that this—" he gestured to himself "—is not truly my body. It belonged to someone else, and my soul with the help of the jutsu imposed my features onto it."
"Will it last?"
Minato shook his head, "Too soon to tell, but since I have this opportunity, I'm not abandoning Naruto. If it doesn't last I'll look into ways to force it to last."
The Sandaime's eyes were as hard as steel, "What I'm asking, Namikaze Minato, is whether I can announce that our Yondaime is back."
Minato hesitated.
The Sandaime sighed, and pulled back, his eyes softening slightly, "I see."
"I haven't given an answer," Minato protested, although he knew he had.
"It is alright. It would be devastating upon Konoha anyhow if you were to resume your mantle only for your body to break down within the year. I will give you time, shall I?"
"Should I hide my identity then?" Minato mused.
The Sandaime shook his head, eyes twinkling, "No, I think you caused too much commotion when you returned for that to work. Too many have seen you. We'll think of another explanation—you have been in a coma for the last eight years and we did not wish to inform anyone in case of assassination attempts. Recently you have just woken up and wanted to get reacquainted with your son."
Minato let out a reverent breath. He felt his throat close. It had never crossed his mind that he would acknowledge Naruto after the fight with Orochimaru was over, but nevertheless he felt a softness for the Sandaime just then.
"Thank you," he said, bowing his head.
It wasn't even a day since the Hokage announced Minato's return that the first shinobi showed up on his doorsteps.
The Sandaime had been quiet about where Minato had taken residence, but they lived in a village of ninja, and it was not as if Naruto had been notified to loose any tails. Added to that, in hindsight, it was obvious where Minato would be.
After returning to Konoha, Naruto and Minato had moved to the Yondaime's old house, which the Sandaime admitted had not been taken down for entirely sentimental reasons. Nobody in the village it seemed, could bear to part with the last reminder of their former Hokage, not knowing that the Yondaime's true legacy was the very thing they mistreated.
It had been hard seeing the compound that he had Kushina had shared, but Naruto's excitement had been enough to soften the blow. It was rancid and dusty, but it was theirs. He could have hired a genin team—Shirou's coming to mind easily—but it felt like it wasn't something that should have had intruders. Minato and Naruto spent an entire week cleaning it.
To be fair, the shinobi had not truly crowded the doorway, as it were. Minato was in fact in the process of making dinner for himself when he sensed a visiter at the front gates. They were polite enough not to come in uninvited, and in fact did not show any sign of asking his presence, allowing him the power in any meeting.
Minato sighed as he set his cooking aside and undoing the apron he had donned, padded towards the front door. He could not in good conscience leave someone waiting at the gates when it was easy enough to do otherwise.
Exchanging his slippers for some sort of outer footwear, Minato pushed open the door to their house and slowly made his way to the compound's gates. The door, with all its seals in place, swung shut behind him.
It took him but a moment to identify the nin present just beyond the compound's territory, the man's stoic expression briefly lifting as Minato drew close enough for his features to be seen.
Minato stopped just a little before the large iron bars, a small smile flitting across his features, "It's been a while."
"Yondaime-sama," Sakaguchi Kimihiro breathed. "So it's true then. You're really alive."
Sakaguichi had been a chunin when Minato had been the Yondaime. Now he was jounin. While they had been neither classmate or student, as the Yondaime, Minato had made it a point to get to know each of the shinobi under him.
Minato's smile softened. "As are you. I'm glad."
There were so few shinobi from Minato's time who had survived. Many had died in the war. Many more in the Kyuubi attack. For the higher ranked nin and ANBU it was more dangerous still, as death was always a close possibly to them even in times of peace.
"But," Minato added. This was important. He had to establish from the start what he intended. "I am no longer the Yondaime. Please, call me Minato."
The other nin simply bowed his head. "Thank you. And my apologies for the inappropriate address, Namikaze-sama. I was just…"
"Astonished," Minato smiled. The other it seemed could not bring himself to speak Minato's name so familiarly, but at the very least he was no longer using a title. "I understand."
Sakaguich looked up again and gave a small nod. And then he hesitated. "The Sandaime has said that you are not coming back to your position…"
"At my behest," Minato responded with a wry smile.
Sakaguchi drew in a deep breath. Despite being in his thirties now, authority always seemed to make people nervous. "We understand, as far as we can understand. But know that you will forever be the Yondaime, even if you are not the Hokage."
Minato's smile turned just the slightest bit brittle.
He understood what Sakaguchi was saying. He was touched, he did not deny it. He knew that Sakaguchi would not be able to say such a thing with such confidence if not for the fact that some of his friends felt that way too. He did feel honoured to be remembered, and remembered so warmly.
"Thank you," he said softly. "It means a lot to me."
It was not that he did not understand what a privilege this was, but perhaps he did not want to be elevated. He never had. He had taken the mantle of Yondaime to save his people, but all he had ever wanted was to be a regular ninja like any other.
It's not unlike Naruto, he thought bemusedly in a sudden flash of insight. How much I wanted to be accepted, back then.
It stirred his heart that he might never lose the automatic distinction his peers would make due to his previous position. He was touched, and he was just a little bit sad.
But in the end it did not matter. He had chosen this path to save the village and help his son. Both tasks he had more or less completed. The fact that he had received a second chance at life was not a gift he had ever dreamed of. This was more than enough.
"And—" Sakaguchi hesitated. "I believe everyone would like to express these sentiments."
It was a strange way of putting it. But Minato had already suspected that Sakaguchi came for some ulterior motive, even if he had hoped otherwise.
"So it's not just a congenial visit after all." Minato smiled with his eyes, since there was a hardness he couldn't quite rid himself of on his lips.
Sakaguchi seemed to immediately catch upon Minato's thought process, because he hastily shook his head. "No, no it's nothing like that. We just wanted to invite you out tonight, to the Flouncing Frog."
The reply made Minato blink in surprise. The Flouncing Frog. It was an establishment run by former shinobi for shinobi. He had visited the bar a few times before with his friends.
It took him only an instant to see the connection though.
"A neutral territory," Minato mused, enlightened. "You're the frontrunner."
Sakaguchi laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "We all wanted to see you, but I thought it was a bad idea for all of us to show up. I thought you'd appreciate it more if it was just one delivering the message."
"Thank you for the consideration," Minato smiled. "You weren't wrong. Normally I would not mind, but ah, Naruto."
He hesitated, unsure of how much exactly the Sandaime had divulged. Minato did not really mind the villagers learning of Naruto's heritage now.
Sakaguchi only nodded. "Yes, Sarutobi—Asuma that is—gave enough hints to those not in the know." The jounin smiled sheepishly. "I admit I didn't realize it for a while. But now he's the image of you."
Minato couldn't help the beam that split his face. "We tried to keep it hidden. Besides, not many knew what I truly looked like." But they would now. It was another reason to not deny Naruto's parentage any longer. He laughed. "That sculpture on the Hokage Monument makes me look so severe."
Sakaguchi only smiled uncertainly, likely still uncomfortable with the idea of joking with his former superior. Instead, he moved on. "So will you come, Namikaze-sama?"
It was on the tip of his tongue to say yes. It was on the tip of his tongue to say no. Socializing with Sakaguchi had not been horrible, and Minato was sure that if he saw everyone again, he would enjoy himself. However.
"Are you a father, Sakaguchi-kun?"
Sakaguchi looked surprised by the question, but he still answered without reluctance, bless him. "Yes, I am."
A brief smile flitted across Minato's lips. He was genuinely pleased for his past subordinate. "Congratulations. How old is your child?"
"Thank you, Namikaze-sama. And he is three."
"Do you enjoy spending time with him?"
"Very much so." A tender expression crossed Sakaguchi's face. "I could watch him all day."
"I feel the same way towards my son," Minato smiled sadly. "I have already missed the first eight years of his life. While I appreciate your offer, currently I just want some time with him."
He had spent all of Naruto's life with the child, but never like this. Never where he could just reach out and ruffle Naruto's hair and feel the coarse blonde strands beneath. Never where he could hoist Naruto up to his shoulders and carry him down the street. Never where he could assign chores to Naruto like a normal boy rather than the child being forced to do everything himself.
Sakaguchi's face lit in comprehension, and for the moment Minato thought he would finally leave, but the brown haired nin surprisingly began to shake his head.
"Namikaze-sama," the younger shinobi said quietly, "I highly value what you saying. Please do not misunderstand me on this point. As you have pointed out, I am also a father, and the very first thing I wish to see nowadays after coming back from a mission is his face. But… everyone really would like to see you. It would just be this one night, I promise. Nobody will demand your presence on a frequent basis."
"Will it really stay one night?" Minato asked in an equally soft tone of voice. "It begins this way, and then branches out to small favours, and then large ones. All of it would be time consuming."
The reports of his return had been unsure, but that would no longer be the case. When the story fabricated between himself and the Sandaime ran in earnest, the villagers would no longer have any hesitancies in seeking him out.
He had a feeling he would be pulled in eventually. His own moral code would not allow him to deny it for long after they knew for certain whether Minato's condition was permanent or not. But he would put it off for as long as possible.
Sakaguchi's eyes cleared in a hint of something resembling understanding, and then his expression turned pained.
"Alright then," Minato sighed. "Allow me to retrieve my coat."
The other nin's visage twisted in confusion, "Namikaze-sama?"
"It wouldn't do to ignore my well wishers forever," Minato responded lightly. "That wouldn't be fair for either them or myself."
He had been on the fence about the entire venture. The concerns he voiced to Sakaguchi were not false. In the end however, seeing his former subordinate's disappointment, Minato found that he could not give the final no.
He sent a summon to Naruto to inform the child of the change in plans. Considering Naruto was currently spending time at Kabuto's apartment, Minato did not think he would mind.
He had a good time. Everyone greeted him with enthusiasm, just as Sakaguchi predicted, but they were not overwhelming. Knowing the profession as they did, they seemed to understand when a retired shinobi needed space. It didn't stop some of the stares, but Minato was long used to those, and he did not truly mind it. He chatted easily with the younger nin, offering smiles and advice readily. The older shinobi were more polite and reverent, but they offered more stimulating conversation topics as well.
Drinks passed around easily, and toasts were given frequently. It took a considerable amount of effort even on Minato's part not to consume too much. As it was, he allowed himself to be pleasantly buzzed, incapable of refusing the drinks to his honour completely.
The day soon descended into early evening, and Minato was trading secrets about the Forbidden Forest with Anko when the door to the Flouncing Frog opened for the sixth time that night. Minato glanced over for a cursory view, the movement automatic despite his state of relaxation.
His silver hair highlighted by the stark light of the rising moon, a masked boy stood frozen at the entrance of the Flouncing Frog.
Minato nearly dropped his mug. He made a half motion to get up—
—and Kakashi turned, rushing out of the bar in a swirl of dust and leaves.
"I need to go," Minato croaked, setting his drink down as he stared at the area that his student had just vacated. He rose to his feet, the movement graceful despite how off balance he felt.
"Yeah uh," Anko blinked. She looked slightly confused, but didn't let that bother her as a wide grin spread across his face, "Okay, your kid right?"
Minato barely held back a laugh. His kid? Yes, in a sense, it was.
Turning back to his conversation companion, he gave a light bow of his head. A few more people looked their way and Minato responded with a nod of acknowledgement, "Thank you for this. All of you." And then, before anyone could respond, he was out in a flash.
He sought out Kakashi as soon as he stepped foot outside of the door.
To be completely honest, in a sense he had forgotten about Kakashi. Kakashi was a permanent fixture in Naruto's life, and as such, Minato was able to watch the silver haired boy grow up. To Minato, he'd seen the teen just the other month.
But to Kakashi, it'd been nearly eight years, hadn't it?
He found the child in his apartment, curled up on the couch and head hidden between his knees. The jounin's chin shot up as soon as he felt the intruder enter, entire body going tense as an automatic response, only to spot the interloper and—
"So it's true then." Kakashi's eye was wide and chocolate brown. For once, he looked his age. "Minato-sensei, you're—you're—"
The words ceased completely as Kakashi's throat seemed to stutter closed. The silver haired nin appeared to be unable to say more.
So Minato took that obligation away from him.
"Kakashi," the blond said, his smile sad and gentle. He moved forward, and enveloped the younger boy in a hug. "Yes, I'm alive. Sorry for not being here for you."
He felt Kakashi stiffen in his arms. But surprisingly, the silver haired boy didn't pull away as he would have once upon a time. Instead, Kakashi's arms came up, albeit tentatively. Hesitantly, he wrapped them around Minato's shoulders, his whole body shaking as he clung on to the blond.
As if he were afraid. Afraid to lose Minato again.
Minato closed his eyes. That was what the years had done to his student. What Minato had done to him.
He'd had been so completely, utterly stupid. When Kushina died, all he'd thought about was his wish to join her. While he'd never purposefully seek his death, he hadn't tried all that hard to find a way to live either.
But Kushina wasn't the only one in the world who needed him. There was Naruto, and Kakashi. And he should have seen that then.
"I'm really," Minato whispered into his student's hair, "really sorry."
"No I—" Kakashi took a breath, and took a step back, disentangling himself from the hug. His face was smoothing out, and his voice did not waver the next time he spoke. "There is nothing to apologize for. In fact, I give my apologies for failing to welcome you, sensei. I—"
"Oh shut it." Minato grinned. "There's no need to be so formal. I still remember your pubescent days after all. Everyone thought you were just being stricter than usual by staying silent all the time, but I at least heard how your voice kept changing when you gave me your reports."
The silver haired boy's face went as red as the Sharingan implanted in his left eye. "That—that—Minato-sensei!"
Minato let out a laugh. "No need to be so ashamed. It happens to everyone, trust me."
"Even you?" Kakashi grumbled.
"Well," Minato smirked, "perhaps not me."
They shared a small smile.
"I couldn't believe it when I heard the villagers talking about the Yondaime being back," Kakashi said. "I asked some of my friends about it and they told me some story about you being in a coma this whole time and just waking up. I still couldn't believe it. But seeing you here, talking to you like this…"
"I know," Minato whispered, voice incredibly pained. "I know."
Kakashi's gaze sharpened suddenly, "Have you seen Naruto?"
"My son?" The sudden change in topic was strange, although if Minato thought about it, perhaps it wasn't. Naruto had a way of worming into everyone's hearts and thoughts. "Of course I have."
The silver haired jounin's shoulders sagged, "Good. That's—good. He doesn't deserve—I'm glad you're back, sensei."
For a moment Minato hesitated. Naruto did deserve a better life than he had gotten, but circumstances were not as Kakashi painted them as.
If anyone deserved to know the truth, it was Kakashi. But at the same time, the young shinobi had only just found out that Minato was back, and to dump the seal thing on him right this instant seemed unfair.
Minato knew how Kakashi's mind worked. There was no way that Kakashi would accept the fact that Minato had been there the whole time and chose not to reveal himself to Kakashi without explanation.
Well, no, that wasn't true. Kakashi would accept it, and he wouldn't even verbally question it. Minato was the one who wouldn't accept it.
Because Minato knew what Kakashi would think. The silver haired boy would assume that Minato either didn't care enough to let Kakashi know, or didn't trust him enough.
Neither of course, were true. And Minato would have to explain everything in order to set Kakashi straight.
And that meant explaining the fact that Minato did not reveal himself to anyone but the Sandaime was because he hadn't been planning to stay. That he didn't tell Kakashi he was there because he didn't want to make the silver haired boy lose him again. That ultimately, he'd been planning on dying again.
Minato acknowledged that those thoughts didn't sound good no matter how one were to phrase it. And at this point in time, Kakashi didn't need to be worrying about that.
He'd tell Kakashi the truth at a later period in time then, when Kakashi knew for a fact that Minato was planning to stay.
"I'm glad I'm here too," Minato whispered instead. He raised a hand, smoothing over the top of the younger nin's head. He did not know how long this would last, but he was thankful for this chance. "I just hope I can make it up to all of you."
Naruto had been avoiding him.
Minato was not sure why he had not caught on sooner, but now, four months after his resurrection, he was sure of it.
It had not been obvious at first, or rather, Minato came to the conclusion that Naruto had not started his habit of evading his father until three months into Minato's new life.
It had started small, with more requests to seek friends or staying late at the Academy. Originally it had been incredibly innocuous. Minato had simply thought that with Naruto settling in to the idea of Minato being around physically, the child no longer felt the need to cling and Minato was simply feeling the difference.
But by the fourth month Minato realized it was something more than that. During every conversation Naruto acted as if he couldn't wait to finish speaking to Minato. Usually Minato could pinpoint the source of his son's discomfort with ease and soothe the worries immediately, but this time he was stumped.
There was also a part of him that was hurt. Naruto could hardly be found in the house nowadays save for at meal times, and it felt more as if it were due to Minato's very presence rather than something he had done. If that were the case, it could not be fixed.
Worse, Naruto seemed to run away every time Minato tried to transition into a 'serious' talk, whether pleading exhaustion or wanting time with his friends. Minato did not have the heart to command his son to stay.
He was good at reading body language and extrapolating from the barest of information. But the mind of a child was hard to comprehend, and once an adult had grown out of such phases, it was impossible to force oneself into the mindset again.
As a non physical being, Minato had been able to follow Naruto around and basically see the every day events of his life. It was different now. Some of it was the same, but there was enough of it that was new.
Minato did not know what to do. Naruto had not truly had the option of avoiding him before, as he had been the only one who could even see Minato.
"Has he told you what it is at all?" Minato mused to Jiraiya during one of his weekly visits to his former sensei.
Jiraiya snorted into his teacup. He looked up, giving Minato an incredulous look, "Why would Naruto tell me but not his old man who couldn't do any wrong? Kid, I don't think you realize how highly he regards you."
They were currently at Jiraiya's apartment, seated across from each other at the toad sage's dining table. An antique teapot sat observer to the side, sending wafts of hot steam from its nose as the two men talked.
One might have been surprised to find an aged tea set with the most boisterous of the Sannin, but Jiraiya was a collector of fine things. His first book had been of bittersweet journey and poetic prose. His initial reason for travelling was his love for culture and the arts of the differing countries. He was not obvious about it nor did he shine much attention on such inclinations, but in his heart, Jiraiya was a lover of the classics.
"You are not often wrong, sensei," Minato said slowly, his fingers curling around the handle of his floral patterned cup, "but I think you overestimate the influence I wield over my son. He has always been a headstrong child, but kind, so I often do not need to correct him."
"Oh save it," Jiraiya said, eyes twinkling in amusement. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were fishing for compliments, since how Naruto turned out was likely mostly due to how you raised him. But unfortunately I do know better."
"So you really have no clue then?" Minato sighed.
"Now, now, I didn't say that."
Minato briefly closed his eyes at the reply, "After all these years, you're still as aggravating as ever, sensei."
Jiraiya barked out a laugh, "That should be my line! Minato, throughout your entire account you've explained to me all your observations, but have you ever asked Naruto outright what was wrong?"
Minato shook his head, "That wouldn't work—"
"And why not? Naruto's a straightforward sort of kid."
"Yes, and straightforward questions work best for his friends. But I am his father. I do not wish to take away any choice or move towards independence. I am only a guide for him."
Jiraiya stared at him.
"I forgot," Jiraiya said slowly, "about how you could be. Minato, you should be more open with your feelings."
The blonde blinked, stunned. "Ha?"
Jiraiya let out a laugh at the response, leaning back and smiling up at the ceiling. "You were resentful of the fact that I wasn't around for my godson, weren't you?"
Minato sucked in a startled breath. Even after all these years, after all his achievements, the old man could still stump him with a single sentence.
The smile playing on Jiraiya's lips as he glanced at the former Hokage was decidedly mischievous, "I certainly couldn't gauge your expressions back when only Naruto could see you, but now it's different. I practically raised you, kid. Of course I can tell what you're thinking."
Minato shook his head, still amazed. "I… I was resentful, yes, but now it's different. You've already done so much for us. And the very fact that you called Naruto your godson rather than my child already proves you're more than committed."
"And more than a little late," Jiraiya sighed. He raised his hand to forestal any protests from Minato. "I have my regrets. But anyway Minato, you should have confronted me if you were angry about it. I'm not too old to realize when I've made a mistake."
A faint tinge of red dusted Minato's cheeks as the nin turned away, "It would have been inconvenient for Naruto. I didn't want him to be a part of that."
"True," Jiraiya mused. "Or it could just be that you're as passive-aggressive as ever." He sighed then. "Look Minato, I don't seek to change your personality or whatever, but you're living with Naruto now, for real. I think you'll be a great father. Heck, you were a great father even when you didn't have a body! But, you also need to consider yourself."
"What?" Minato asked, turning back in curiosity.
"You spent your whole ghostly life taking care of Naruto," Jiraiya said, waving a had, "but now you've gotten a second chance. Not just for him, but for you, too. I know Kushina isn't here anymore—" Stab. Stab. "—but you can still be yourself. Naruto doesn't need the perfect father. Heck he'll resent that when he hits his tweens, 'cause of feelings of inadequacy or whatnot. So it's alright to be open about your feelings."
"I am open about my feelings. I always discuss how I feel about certain events or actions." Calmly and rationally. Because nobody needed a shinobi of his calibre losing control.
"Really?" The look Jiraiya gave him was full of bemusement. "I think we might be remembering two different shinobi here."
Minato couldn't help his flush as he turned away, feeling embarrassed. He did not think that his sensei had any right to invoke this kind of emotion from him. Even if he felt strongly towards something, what good was it? It could not change what would be ultimately required of him.
Given that, what good was feeling bitter and upset about it? It was better to discard those kind of emotions. It ran the same for his anger at the village's treatment of his son. It ran the same for his anguish for Kushina. He could not change the events, so there was no point in dwelling on it. He did not understand what Jiraiya wanted him to do.
"Sensei," Minato said, voice deathly soft, "are you only focusing on this now because there is nothing else to occupy your time?"
Jiraiya's tone was gentle, "That was cruel, Minato."
The loss of his former sensei's arm had been too great, and he'd been taken off all active duty much to his displeasure. Jiraiya had railed against the decision, but the Sandaime was adamant about the forced retirement and even the Jiraiya of the Sannin could not stand against the God of Shinobi.
Privately Minato agreed with the Sandaime's judgement, though he dared not be so forward aloud. He also did not want to see his sensei die senselessly.
The life of a ninja was in their hands, with the ability to create signs which called forth jutsu or the ability to manage multiple attacks in a fight of martial arts. With no special training in one handed spells or a bloodline limit to substitute for him, and with one arm, Jiraiya's abilities lessened by more than half. His experience and his skill still surpassed most nin, but there were now too many holes in his defence.
So Jiraiya was stuck in Konoha for the foreseeable future, until he found a suitable replacement for his spy network. In other words, whatever previous duties that had taken up his time no longer existed for Jiraiya of the Sannin.
Minato closed his eyes, "Sorry."
A sigh sounded from the other end of the table, and there was a small clacking noise as Jiraiya set down his ceramic vessel. "I am too, for hitting you with all of that at this timing. Just… think about it, alright Minato?"
Minato nodded, not opening his eyes. Slowly he raised his teacup to his lips, taking a blistering sip. They drank in silence.
Minato went to search for Naruto afterwards.
His son had mumbled something about meeting Kabuto in the morning and it was relatively easy to track down where they had gone after a few questions to Genrei. Naruto and his friend had decided to dedicate the day to training, even bringing along a packed lunch so that they would not have to hazard the village proper.
Minato headed to Training Area 17, a zone meant for genin level ninja and a favourite of his son's. He found the grounds scorched and upheaved, a grey haired shinobi standing at the centre of it.
Yakushi Kabuto bowed as Minato approached, "Yondaime-sama."
Minato chuckled, stopping quite a few paces from the younger boy. "I'm hardly the Yondaime right now, Kabuto-kun. I've asked the Sandaime to wait before reinstating me. I want some time with my child first."
Kabuto's eyes softened, just the slightest bit. "Then, Namikaze-san."
"Speaking of my son," Minato mused, "I wonder where he might be?"
Kabuto sighed. His eyes stayed to the line of trees on the right, before falling back to the former leader of the village.
"Thank you," Minato said sincerely. It was his first time meeting the other face to face, but he had come to know the child in the years through Naruto, and he trusted the young chunin.
"It isn't often that Naruto acts so incredibly childish," Kabuto murmured in bemusement. He inclined his body again, dipping his head low in a gesture of subservience. "I hope you two resolve this."
And without another word, the boy left. He had not been concerned about Minato's status save for verifying who he was. Truly, a rare friend.
Blue eyes turned towards the tree line, and Minato raised a brow, "Naruto, must I come get you?"
There was a muttered curse from behind the branches, and Naruto stomped out, face twisted in dissatisfaction. He crossed his arms, looking down to his feet with a wrinkle between his eyebrows that meant he was frowning. His body radiated tension.
"Yeah?" He asked rather rudely. "What's so important that it can't wait until dinner?"
Naruto was rarely impolite. Minato had taught him better than that. But it wasn't a time for admonishments.
"You are very important to me," Minato said softy. "I've just realized that perhaps my methods for dealing with whatever has come between us isn't as good as it could be."
Naruto froze.
His head snapped up, blue eyes wide as he stared at the former Hokage. He looked ready to bolt.
"Nothing's happened," he said uncomfortably.
Minato closed his eyes. It was an outright lie, but if he wished to fix the relationship between himself and his son, he could hardly call Naruto out on it.
"I see," he whispered, pained. He had thought that he might have been mistaken as a parent in not pushing at all. But it appeared it didn't matter. Naruto did not trust him.
There was a heartbeat of silence, and then—
"It's not anything bad that's happened! It's just me being stupid!"
Minato's eyes snapped open, a look of confusion rising from within, "Naru-chan?"
"It's not… it's not you," Naruto said awkwardly, shuffling his feet. "So please don't sound like that."
"Naru-chan," Minato said wryly, "you don't have to cover for me. I have noticed that you've been avoiding me for the past month. I'm new at this father thing, so if I've done some things wrong, please don't hide it from me."
"That's not it at all," Naruto said, sounding miserable. "I just… it's just that I have the smartest dad in the world! Of course he'll see through everything if I don't act tough."
Minato startled in surprise, honestly not having suspected that as a reason. And then he felt his heart warm at the praise. He truly had the best child.
A small, encouraging smile spread across his features as he finally closed the distance between them, stopping just short of the smaller blond, "I'm not sure about smartest, but it's a father's job to find out what's bothering their children."
Naruto peered up at him, wide eyed. And then he flushed and ducked his head, as if embarrassed by the proximity.
"But as you can see," Minato said gently, crouching down to be eye level with his son, "even I'm having problems. So please help me out a little."
Mutely, the child shook his head. And then he let out a breath.
"It's just… I know it's stupid but…" Naruto fidgeted. "It really is a stupid thing. I think I can probably get over it on my own."
"But you don't have to get over it on your own," Minato coaxed. "Come on Naru-chan, I promise I won't find your problem odd or weird. You know that."
"I know," Naruto sighed. "I just feel like a jerk for feeling this way."
Minato stayed silent, knowing that Naruto needed some time.
Finally, the smaller blond spoke. His voice was quiet, almost ashamed, "I just… only I used to be able to see you, but now everyone can! I really really like the fact that we can play games and things like all the other kids do with their parents, but you're not other parents. You're the Yondaime Hokage, I know that. Everybody loves you."
"Oh Naruto," Minato said with sudden, sad understanding, "are you afraid I'll abandon you?"
Naruto gave a wobbly smile, his eyes still downcast as if he couldn't bear to meet Minato's gaze. "I know that sharing is good, but right now I really don't want to share."
Minato exhaled, leaned forward, and wrapped his arms around his son in the tightest hug possible.
"Oh Naru-chan," he whispered.
Naruto stiffened.
"You don't have to be ashamed of that," Minato breathed into his son's hair. "I feel the same way. And I will never abandon you."
"Re—really?"
"No matter what happens," Minato said firmly, "there will be one role I have which will not change. I have always and will always be your dad, Naru-chan."
Naruto relaxed in his arms, his head drooping lower onto Minato's shoulder. There was a soft sniffle that Minato was sure he wasn't supposed to have heard, and then Naruto was wrapping his arms around Minato's waist to complete the hug.
They stayed like that for a while, as Naruto struggled to regain control of himself. Despite the fact that Naruto was only eight, he still had much pride.
Finally Naruto pulled away, his cheeks dusted with red, "Don't call me that anymore. It's embarrassing."
"Well you'll just have to deal with it," Minato teased, copying the child's movements as he allowed his son to take the lead. "Because I'm your father and I'm allowed to call you anything I want, and you'll always be Naru-chan to me."
"I should call you something lame too, then," Naruto practically pouted.
Minato let out a laugh, "You could certainly try. I warn you that I don't embarrass easily, though."
A wide grin bloomed across Naruto's face, "And I've managed to embarrass Jiraiya-jiji."
"Now that is an accomplishment," Minato said thoughtfully. Gracefully, he rose to his full height. "Now, are we good?"
Blushing, Naruto nodded, "Yeah, we're good. Sorry."
"Don't be," Minato said with a shake of his head. "You didn't do anything wrong."
"I caused a lot of… I caused a lot of misunderstanding."
"And I didn't look hard enough," Minato replied with a self-deprecating smile. Jiraiya was right after all. Minato hadn't pushed and it wasn't a good point for him.
Coming to a decision, Minato held out a hand.
"Relationships are rarely perfect," Minato said softly. "There are usually a lot of problems and a lot of mistakes even if there's a lot of love. But I want to make our relationship the best it can be. Are you willing to help me?"
Naruto looked like he was about to argue for a moment before a thoughtful expression crossed his face. And then he gave a determined nod. He took Minato's hand, smiling brightly, "Yeah."
Minato beamed.
The world wasn't perfect, but in that instant, it felt much more than he could have asked for.
He reached out and ruffled Naruto's hair. Naruto ducked his head and scowled up at the taller man, but there was a gleam in his eyes that told Minato the smaller blond didn't actually mind at all.
It was strange, Minato thought, that once upon a time he had planned to die when he felt he was no longer needed in his son's life. Now it wasn't about need. It was about want. Naruto, he believed, would do fine without him. His son was resilient and intelligent, and had a number of precious people who would be there for him even if Minato wasn't. Naruto had once made many declarations that he would become the Hokage of this village and Minato now had no doubt that his son would be the best that Konoha ever had.
And Minato wanted to see that day.
Minato wanted to see every day.
Naruto hadn't spoken about becoming Hokage for a long time, but that was alright. Even if Naruto were to choose the life of a civilian, Minato would be proud of him. Naruto was his little ray of sunshine and Minato wouldn't trade this for anything in the world.
~Owari~
A/n: I honestly do not know what to say. It's been a tough journey, but we've made it. Your reviews and PMs, which I read but am hilariously bad at replying to, have been the best encouragement. When I first started this fic it was meant as a break from my other stuff and it was supposed to be complete fluff. I wasn't planning on continuing it but then you guys came in and now here it is, finished. So this story is written as much by you guys as it was by me.
