This is part of a multi-chapter post that starts on Chapter 39. Please start there if you want to read everything that I posted today. Thank you.
THE WILL OF FIRE
PART THREE
Chapter 43 - The New Normal
Naruto really hated eating bugs, but somehow he learned to stomach them. Where Ma got such big and disgusting bugs was beyond him. Thanks dad for NOT telling me! He thought over and over again. Truthfully, it was a small price to pay. Soon Naruto would figure out Sage Jutsu, save himself from this curse, and get some awesome jutsu to boot! So, he tolerated the bugs. He didn't want to be rude. He would eat the bugs. They were just so nasty that one could die. Yuck!
What was strange was that up here it seemed easier to control the cursemark. Even without learning much Naruto felt more relaxed and in control. Pa said that it had to do with the area. Calmness and serenity were always part of Mount Myoboku. Naruto didn't get why so many toads seemed angry though. Maybe it's because they left here? He wisely decided not to ask them. They might kick his ass. The toads could be that crazy strong.
Training was really hard. They started with this weird oil stuff that kept nearly turning him into a toad. It felt so disgusting that it was hard not to immediately wash it off. Fortunately, it worked exactly as described. He could sense nature energy. He could feel enter through the oil and then into his body. At first, it only added to his discomfort. Eventually though he was able to relax and let it do it's work. That's usually when the energy went out of control. It started to try and take control. Then Pa would knock it out of him. Which hurt like hell, by the way. Naruto would do almost anything to have the toad not hit him. Which further increased his desire to get it right. He did not want that stick to hit him again. It was too painful.
After a week or two Naruto had the oil stuff down. He could feel the nature energy all around him as well as in his body. He could take in as much as he wanted without turning into a toad. Now, it was actually quite comfortable. Like wearing an old shoe. He had mastered the first step.
Now he was ready to learn how to take in nature energy without the toad oil. Which proved to be even harder to do. Naruto now knew what nature energy felt like, but that didn't mean that taking it in was easy. One had to be utterly still and calm. Which was nearly impossible for him. His thoughts and feelings always got in the way. More than once Naruto had become frustrated and wanted to quit. That would get him nowhere though. He had to gain control of that cursemark or else. He wasn't just here for fun. This was his only shot at a normal life. He had to keep trying.
For hours each day he tried and tried again to take in nature energy. Sometimes he couldn't draw it in. Others he took too much in and started to turn into a toad. Then he the staff would come down upon him. Making the whole thing that much more unpleasant. Slowly he started to get the idea though. It started to become easier and easier to take in nature energy. He was slowly getting the hang of it!
After nearly a month he had the basics down. He could now draw the nature energy into his body with ease. A feat that Pa brag about. Apparently, the last time he had such a talented student was when he taught his father. It really shocked Naruto. It was the first time that he was compared to his father in a good way. Only his mother did that. It felt kinda good to be a genius for once. Naruto knew that he really wasn't one, but it was nice to live in that moment. For he knew that it would never come again. Thanks, Grandpa.
Naruto's training was nowhere near finished. He had managed to reach sage mode, but he could not maintain it. Nor he could not control the snake's curse. He had a lot of work left to do. It was time to take it to the next level. He needed to keep working. It seemed that it would be a while yet before he returned home. It seems that I am going to be here for a while.
Back in the Leaf Village; Kushina struggled with how to tell Minato that she was pregnant again. Sure, she had an idea of what his reaction would be, but that didn't stop her from worrying. She feared rejection almost as much as she feared what would happen when she gave birth. She knew it was stupid because Minato would never push them away. Try and tell that to the butterflies in her stomach though. They wouldn't leave her alone! She knew that she couldn't wait until he got home to tell him. She had to get this over with as soon as possible. If she waited then she might wait for days. Since he could either come home really late or not at all. There was no way to predict that. A Hokage was always busy. So, she decided to go to his office and tell him in person. Then she could deal with whatever happened next.
When she arrived Minato was briefing a team that she didn't recognize. The genin were cute, but still a bit green. They were surprised by her interruption. Newbies. She thought as she crossed the room. This was normal. At least for this family. They should get used to it. Most of all, they shouldn't look like some weirdo entered the room! That was just rude. She was the wife of the Hokage damnit! She could do what she liked!
What was not normal was how she quiet she was. She didn't make a fuss or demand that Minato pay attention. She just burst in then waited for him to finish up. Which worried her husband. Kushina never did that. She was never this polite. She usually burst in with more gusto and demanded something dramatic. She always acted like she owned the place. And in a way, she did. Minato was more than happy to share his life with her. That included things that were uniquely his. While she couldn't be Hokage herself he did allow her some of the perks. Like barging in the office whenever she felt like it. She need not stand on ceremony. Which was why her behavior worried him so. He could tell that something was very wrong.
He quickly shooed the genin away then signaled his guard to leave. Finally, he waited for his wife to tell him what exactly was the matter.
It took her a moment, but she finally told him. "I'm . . . pregnant, Minato."
He did not know what to say or do. Pregnant? Did she really say that? He wondered as he tried to wrap his head around this. He was going to be a father . . . again. He didn't know how he really felt about it. He was overjoyed to welcome a new addition to their family, but also worried about their safety. Having a child now would certainly put the Leaf at a unacceptable level of risk. But what could he do? He couldn't terminate the pregnancy. That was his child inside her. It was his responsibility to protect it. Just as it is with Naruto. He would have to find a way to balance the needs of the baby and the village. It wouldn't be easy and it certainly wasn't planned, but it was possible. They could have this child and keep everyone safe. He would just have to work that much harder, that's all. Make sure that no one gained access to Kushina or the baby. He would have to figure out that Masked Man's jutsu. That way he could find a way to counter it . . .
"Say something. Please!"
Minato's thoughts were interrupted. He looked at Kushina and realized that everything would be okay. They would figure it out together. After all, they were having a baby! He started to grin like a fool. He couldn't help it. He always wanted to give Naruto siblings. The only reason that they hadn't was because of the security risk. He couldn't justify creating another child intentionally with the Masked Man at large. So, he gave up on that dream. He thought that he would never see a new life come into this world. Now it was a reality. He was going to be a dad again!
"That's wonderful, Kushina!"
She shifted uncomfortably. "Do you really think so? I mean, I know that it is a bad time and all. We're about to go to war and . . ."
He cut her off. "I don't care. It's still good news!" His smile grew bigger as he talked. "We're going to be parents again. That's worth a little risk and sacrifice. Don't ya think?"
Kushina smiled as she tried to keep from crying. She was so grateful to him. He was not angry at her after all! "Yeah." She placed her hands over her stomach. "This little one is going to be the best thing ever."
Minato reached over to wife then pulled her to him. He beamed at her. "Absolutely. After all, this is our child. How could it be anything else?" He kissed her before taking a more serious tone. "Now, I know that you're worried about this. I am too. So much can go wrong. There could be complications. The Masked Man might attack again. Or something else entirely, but don't worry. We can handle it. I know some of what we will be facing. I will plan for it. Trust me: I will not allow our child to be harmed in any way."
She wiped away her tears. "Minato, thank you." He kissed her again.
Minato tried to act cool but the truth was that he was terrified. There was almost too much that could go wrong. He could lose both Kushina and the baby. Plus, now he lost one of his key players. He would not allow his wife to fight while in this condition. It was too risky. They would have to stay on the sidelines. He had officially lost the services of the Ninetails today. A crippling blow to his war effort. In truth, he had no one to blame but himself. He was careless. This was the result. Fortunately, fatherhood was a burden that he could easily handle. For he had already done it once before. How much harder could it be the second time?
That's it for this chapter, on to the next!
