Seals. Seals. Seals, seals, seals, sealssealsseals…
Minato's mind was lost on seals. After so many months, he still hadn't produced the right one. It'd do him no good if he arrived in the blink of an eye if he was drained of chakra by the time he entered the battle. But the seals were off. Something was affecting them, something he couldn't put his finger on. All of the seals were…wrong.
The first he formed were too weak. Some didn't move him at all. The others transported him a few feet or halfway, but never close to the seal. The second group proved too strong. He always overshot the target. Once he landed several kilometers away. That one had swallowed his chakra almost entirely. He spent long hours lying immobile on the swaying grass of Myobokuzan, unable to contact Jiraiya-sensei or any of the toads. He could barely move.
Night fell. He knew Jiraiya would not worry yet. He had been keeping odd hours and there was still some time to go before Jiraiya-sensei sought him out. It was bitterly cold so high on the mountain. Aching, Minato curled into a fetal position. He forced himself to remain calm and thus remain conscious. A light drizzle fell, a thin mist rising from the ground. Drops of water collected on his skin. Minato cursed his decision to wear only pants to train. He pawed absently at his chest, but only encountered the leather cord of Kushina's necklace. He would give his life for a shirt.
He chuckled. If Kushina knew what he was thinking she'd probably start chanting victoriously that she always knew he was a prissy boy.
The stars were bright.
Everything was cold.
Minato couldn't feel his body anymore.
Survival training kicked in and Minato struggled to raise his arms. He needed warmth, needed some manner of friction. His limbs responded sluggishly. By trying to move, he became very aware of a dull pain behind his eyes. His ears rang. His eyes were getting harder to keep open. He was freezing and sweating simultaneously.
That's odd, he mused dazedly. Something else that caught his attention was that he had stopped shivering. The cold, however, remained. Odd.
Even odder was Kushina's presence.
"You're not supposed to be here," he said to the redhead. She shrugged, rolling her eyes. She sat beside him, head cocked neatly to the side.
He was found by a small toad, which promptly hopped away. A short while later, Jiraiya appeared, flanked by two toads. Minato tried to smile, but he had some difficulty. Every muscle hurt.
"Oh, you idiot." Jiraiya dropped beside him, one hand pushing wet bangs away from his student's face. "You stupid, stupid brat."
Minato frowned. There was something different about Jiraiya's tone as he insulted him. The usual unconcern had been replaced by something Minato could not identify.
Kushina seemed to notice something was wrong because she remained silent. Minato made a funny face at her; a quiet Kushina was worrisome. She stuck her tongue out at him. Minato laughed, but his laughter quickly choked, transmuting into violent coughs.
Jiraiya picked him up, slinging him over his back. Minato groaned, his body protesting the sudden movement.
"Ngh." His throat burned. He extended a hand to Kushina. To his surprise, she took it. Her fingers were cool around his. Jiraiya shot him a worried look and began walking. Kushina followed, continuing to make faces at Minato.
The yellow-haired teenager was surprised to find himself back at their camp. "When did we—?"
Jiraiya set him down on his sleeping mat. Some other toads fluttered around him. Kushina dropped to her knees beside him.
"You're not supposed to be here," he repeated. Kushina shrugged one shoulder.
Words filtered through the hazy fog that had enveloped him. Fever. Sick. Delirium. He locked on Jiraiya's voice and turned dazed eyes to the older man.
"…and if you dare train yourself into illness again, I'll master your new jutsu for you and kill you fifty times before you can blink. You hear me, brat?"
Minato chuckled. "So hostile, sensei."
A thick liquid was forced down his throat. Minato gagged. However, the pressure of the cup wasn't removed until he swallowed. Sleep tugged at his eyelids.
"Sensei," he moaned. "Kushina!"
"Kushina isn't here," Jiraiya said gently.
Minato shook his head. "She's right there." He gestured to Kushina and blinked. She had disappeared. Nevertheless, the cool feel of her hand around his fingers lingered.
Before he could further debate her sudden departure, he was dreaming and Kushina was there and a seal was burned into her skin and the seal resonated perfectly with his chakra.