A lot of people asked or inquired about this chapter from Minato's POV, so I decided to write it.
Minato was sure that he had heard wrong, because the words coming out of the Sandaime's mouth were not making sense. Sakura had left the village, for some rogue mission, and no one knew why.
All they knew was that she had used Obito and Kakashi to get to Rin, before she had knocked them out and gone after his only female student. Minato took several deep breaths, steeled his nerves, and adopted his captain persona. That was who was needed, not the boyfriend.
"I want to go after her." The statement, was blunt, straightforward, and not a question.
"My daughter knows what she's doing. She has to do things that we don't know about, and you have to understand that."
Minato straightened a bit "With all do respect sir, she doesn't have to do it alone. I love your daughter sir, but she's stubborn, hard headed, and used to being a lone wolf. She needs people she can count on, people who come even when she doesn't ask. I fully intend to be one of those people. With or without your permission."
"You're threatening to go rogue?" Minato nodded "For my daughter?" he clarified.
"She's important." Minato explained.
"To the village or to you?"
Minato smiled "Both sir. We certainly don't want her falling into enemy hands. And, recent reports state that both Kumo and Kiri nin have been spotted in that area."
There was a moment of silence before the Sandaime took a long drag from his pipe and said "Three-man team. Pick your men and go quickly."
Minato nodded and a moment later he was gone. Hiruzen chuckled to himself. That conversation had finalized his decision; Minato Namikaze would not only be the next Hokage, but the man would also be his son-in-law. Biwako would be happy with grandchildren around to spoil. The older man couldn't help but grin as he began to create the timeline for his plan.
The first choice for Minato's team was obvious. He felt only slightly guilty pulling Kato away from a night with his wife and daughter. But once everything was explained, Kato was revving to go and Tsume was pushing her husband out the door.
Shikkaku was his next choice, if only because the man knew Sakura's history, and was an amazing strategist.
It took less than an hour to round up the team and be on their way. The journey was made in relative silence. Occasionally Kato would let out a complaint about Sakura's stupidity of going alone.
Minato was simply grateful that Sakura hadn't covered her tracks. The closer he got the weaker Sakura's chakra became. Normally it wouldn't scare him, but the fact she was surrounded by some very powerful chakra signature down right terrified him.
Kato and Shikkaku surged forward breaking through the trees to land in front of Sakura, while Minato landed right beside her. He wrapped an arm protectively around her, and a surge of relief flooded through him, to see that she was largely unscathed. Looking into her eyes he asked, "What have you gotten yourself into?"
His name fell from her lips in relief, it took everything he had to not smile. He listened to her explanation, an abbreviated version. His eyes went to his only female student, and his heart broke. She was simply lying there, her body broken, and his heart clenched.
"You need to take her home. Quickly, Minato. She needs more medical attention than I can give her. My chakra is low and I still have a promise to keep."
He hesitated "Sakura . . ."
"You can get her there in a matter of minutes Minato. Make sure she gets the help she needs, and then you can come back. I'll flare chakra into my necklace the moment I'm done. Shikkaku and Kato can come with me."
"We're at war Sakura."
She met his gaze and said, "And it will never end if we don't start somewhere. Keeping a promise might help with that."
He debated for a moment before he pulled his arm back and moved to pick up Rin "Channel chakra into the necklace as soon as you get there."
Then he turned to Kato and Shikkaku ""Guard her, make sure she doesn't get herself killed." Then he was gone.
It took only a few minutes to appear in Konoha's hospital, and a moment later he was passing Rin off to a medical team.
He waited outside of the OR until her parents arrived. He quickly explained to her tearful mother and hard gazed father everything that had happened. He listened to her father curse Kiri, before he gave his apologies and went to his apartment to wait.
Several hours later Minato felt the pulse of chakra. Ready and raring to go, Minato initiated the justu and was gone. He arrived in a clearing filled with an assortment of Kumo-nin, right as Sakura began to fall. He caught her just before she hit the ground and lifted her into his arms.
Turning he faced the main threat in the clearing. They held each other's gaze for a moment before A gave a warning that made the hair on Minato's arms stand on end. "I'd watch your medic very closely Namikaze. She's a valuable little thing, a lot of villages would put up a fight to get a hold of her."
Minato's eyes narrowed, as Kato and Shikkaku came to stand on either side of him. A hand signal from Shikkaku told him that he was fine to respond "Try it A, and you won't live to see that kage title."
The other man simply grinned, and Minato and his team made their exit. He traveled with the guys for about an hour before they assured him that they were fine, and he should get Sakura home. So, that's what he did. He took Sakura home.
