Author's Note: I am so sorry! I didn't realize I had gone so long without updating this story. Things got pretty hectic over these last few weeks in my personal life, and I ended up losing track of time. Things have mellowed out, so I'll try and be more consistent with my posts!

Last Time:

"Where are Naruto-kun and Shion-chan?" Kushina asked as she placed a hand on Minato's cheek.

"Elemental Academy," Minato answered. "Lady Kaguya believes it would be best for Shion to remain here in Eden with us, so I went ahead and filled out the necessary forms to get her enrolled into Elemental Academy. She'll finish the term as a reserve student of Alpha Class, but beginning in the second term, she'll be full-time."

"Thank goodness." Kushina let out a sigh of relief.

"And," Minato took hold of Kushina's hands, "I've been named Hiruzen's successor. I'll be sworn in in two weeks."

Kushina was silent. It took her a moment to process the news, but once she did, she simply squeezed Minato's hands, "Minato."

"And they're coming home," Minato told her.

Kushina raised an eyebrow, "Who's coming home?"

Then it hit her. Kushina released Minato's hands and clasped her hands over her mouth. Tears immediately welled up in her eyes, and as Minato nodded, she collapsed and sobbed. Minato carefully sat beside her and pulled Kushina into his lap.

Synchronicity: Chapter 20 – Minato's Request

The next morning, Minato felt… heavy. The weight of his newfound responsibility was beginning to settle in on him, and though a part of him should've been overwhelmed, he wasn't. Much to his own surprise, he was calm. For a moment, he wondered if this is how Hiruzen felt on the morning after Senju Tobirama named him as the next Grand Marshal of Eden.

As he stood up and stretched, he noticed that every ache that had plagued his body for the last four months had suddenly dissipated. His shoulders didn't ache. He wasn't nauseous. His muscles weren't tight. His head didn't hurt. His chest didn't feel tight. He could breathe easily for the first time in what felt like forever. It wasn't that his worries about his sons or Shion had dissipated, but the ever lingering nagging that had nestled itself in the back of his mind when it came to his family's safety and Hiruzen's unclear and unknown intentions was finally gone.

He carried himself to their bathroom, and as he removed his shirt, he heard his Aide ring. He swiped it against his bathroom's mirror and answered the incoming call, to which he saw Jiraiya pop up on the mirror's surface.

"Adachi." Minato was slightly surprised to see Hiruzen's youngest son come up. Unlike Asuma, Adachi took after Hiruzen and was practically a carbon copy of Hiruzen's younger self.

"Good morning, Marshal Namikaze," Adachi greeted him. "I'm sorry to disturb you this early in the morning, but Grand Marshal Sarutobi has informed me that I needed to pass along some information to you."

"I was already up," Minato assured him. "What is it?"

Adachi glanced down at something, "It appears he'll be passing on the responsibility of naming the next Headmaster of Elemental Academy on to you. And with you becoming the next Grand Marshal, you'll need to name your security detail, preferably a three-man cell. No less than two individuals."

"Anything else?" Minato asked.

"He would like to meet with you later this afternoon to begin the transition of power," Adachi explained. "You'll gain access to extremely sensitive information that's for the Grand Marshal's eyes only. It's a lengthy process, so this'll have to take place over several meetings over the next two weeks until your official swearing-in ceremony."

"Of course."

Adachi looked up at Minato, "Other than that, that is all for now. Congratulations, Grand Marshal Namikaze."

"Thank you, Adachi." With that, Minato hung up.

He finished getting undressed, and he climbed into the shower. As he let the water pour over him, he let out a heavy sigh. The pitter-patter of the water reminded him of the sound rainfall used to make against the makeshift tin rooftops of the shacks they called homes in the Outskirts of Eden when he was younger. The rain would be freezing cold and would sting against his skin, and he would have to find crawlspaces to hide in just to get away from it.

Just as he was beginning to hear that distant wailing that signaled the impending doom of a devastating storm, he felt a gentle hand against his back that pulled him back to his hot shower in his apartment in Eden.

"You were drifting again," Kushina said softly as she wrapped her arms around Minato's waist and pressed her cheek against his spine.

Minato let out a heavy sigh and placed his hands over Kushina's, "Yeah." He gently squeezed Kushina's wrists, and after she released Minato, he turned around to face her. He chuckled at her sleepy expression and gently caressed her cheek, "You should've stayed in bed."

"I didn't want to," Kushina whined. "You know I can't sleep if you're not there."

Minato smiled a bit at Kushina's words. He had noticed shortly after he and Kushina started sharing a bed, that it didn't matter what time it was, if Minato got out of bed for any reason, Kushina would get out of bed shortly after he did. There would be a rare occasion where Minato would have trouble sleeping, and he would wander into the living room to avoid disturbing Kushina, but she would come out soon after and curl up on the couch beside him and fall asleep.

"Kiss?" Kushina asked sweetly.

Minato obliged with Kushina's request. He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers in a sweet kiss, but as he felt her soft hands gently graze against his arms, a welcomed chill went through his body. He hadn't realized it until just then, but through all the exhaustion and stress, Minato and Kushina hadn't touched each other in almost five months.

Their sweet kiss slowly delved into something deeper as Kushina's tongue brushed against Minato's lip. He complied with her silent request, and as he opened his mouth and allowed her tongue to find his tongue, he backed Kushina into the wall.

Kushina's body shuddered as the cool shower wall covered her back while Minato's stiffening erection pressed against her stomach. Though she hadn't said anything to Minato, her body ached for him these last four months, but she could see just how badly their situation weighed on him. But today, she could see that he was slowly starting to become his old self again.

When Kushina wrapped her arms around Minato's neck, Minato lifted her off the ground with ease like he'd done a million before, and it stills caused the same tingling sensation it always did to pass through Kushina. While still drowning in their kiss, Kushina began to instinctively grind her hips against Minato's, and it didn't take long before Kushina was drenched and Minato's erection ached.

As Minato broke the kiss, he made sure to focus on Kushina's face as he lifted her up before lowering her onto his erection. He bit his lip as he could feel her already pulsating around him, but he enjoyed the twisted, pleasure-filled expression on her face.

"Hurry," Kushina pleaded as she laced her fingers through Minato's hair. "I can't wait any longer. I need you, Minato-kun."

With that, Minato complied with Kushina's requests. He began to thrust into her, and as he did, Kushina dug her nails into his back. He didn't hold anything back and made sure he drowned Kushina in pleasure. He remembered what spots to hit inside of her that would make her cling to him, and he knew where on her neck to kiss to rile her up.

"Minato-kun," Kushina's voice dribbled out as she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist and put her forehead against his.

Minato thrust into her a few more times and watched as she buried her face in his next and let out a muffled cry. Her body quaked as she clung to him as tightly as she possibly could, and she pulsated violently around him. He groaned in the back of his throat as he bit his lip and did his best to hold himself back. He wanted to savor this moment for as long as he could. He had time to make up for, and he was going to be sure to repay Kushina for every last minute he neglected her these last four months.

As Kushina came down from her climax, Minato shut off the shower and carried her out. He walked them over to their bathroom counter, and as he slipped out of her, he heard a gentle whine slip from Kushina's lips, and he couldn't help but chuckle lightly in response. He gently kissed her forehead and cheek before playfully flicking his tongue against her ear.

"Don't worry," he whispered, "I'm nowhere near done with you yet. Turn around."

She happily complied as she turned around for Minato. She bit her lip as his hands brushed against her body as though they were trying to refamiliarize themselves with her skin. He took his time as he traced some faint scars she had obtained from her years as a Huntress, and some scars she'd gotten from Minato. His hands moved up her torso, and he grabbed onto her breast with a firm grasp that caused Kushina to gasp.

He gently kissed Kushina's neck as he began to knead Kushina's breasts and enjoy their softness, He tugged and teased her nipples, and he enjoyed the way Kushina squirmed against him. She poked her bottom out so that it bumped against his erection, but that just excited her even more. As he peaked up at Kushina's reflection in the bathroom mirror, he could see her face was completely flushed.

"Stop teasing," Kushina pleaded.

Minato chuckled as he ran his tongue against the sweet spot on her neck, "Fine." He watched as Kushina bent over in front of him and reached behind her and spread herself for him. He enjoyed the sight of a submissive Kushina, mainly because this was a side specifically for him and no one else.

He caught himself enjoying the view for a moment too long as Kushina reached out and grabbed ahold of his erection. She pulled him to her, and the tip of his erection began to slide in. He held onto Kushina's waist as he slid the rest of himself inside of her, and once he was all the way in, he felt Kushina's body shudder beneath him.

"Are you okay?" Minato cooed as he ran his hands up her back and pulled her hair to the side to fully expose her back.

Kushina nodded as she bit her lip.

Minato smiled, "That's my girl."

Neither Minato nor Kushina were sure how much time passed between that morning and when they were both finally completely satisfied. They laid tangled up in their sheets and in one another in a daze, and Kushina barely kept her eyes open as Minato gently grazed his fingers against her back. That paired with the steady beating of Minato's heart, Kushina was truly comfortable for the first time in a while.

"Kushina," Minato spoke softly. "I have a request."

Kushina looked up at her husband. She was the conflicted expression on his face, and she knew then that it was something she wouldn't be in total agreeance with. She sat up and watched as Minato sat up as well. He grabbed some of her hair and began to fiddle with it and look at it with a distant look in his eyes.

"What is it?" Kushina asked.

Minato sighed, "I need you to become the next Head Mistress at Elemental Academy."

"Huh? Minato, there's no way that they'll allow that without a fight," Kushina argued.

"I know it'll be hard for many people to accept, but it's necessary," Minato countered. "With the Uzumaki returning, there's going to be a lot of kids eligible to enroll at Elemental Academy, and for generations, before they were excommunicated, the Uzumaki made up at least thirty percent of every graduating class and fifteen percent of Alpha Class. I can't afford civil unrest amongst the trainees at the ground level, especially with the instructors fueling it amongst them."

"Minato." Kushina sighed. She wanted to argue, but she knew she couldn't.

Minato held Kushina's hand, "And it's not only the Uzumaki. With Shion there and Menma without Kurama and Naruto with all of Kurama, it would be best if one of us is there with them. I know it's not ideal, but it's necessary."

Kushina pursed her lips together, but she nodded. "And what about Kakashi?"

"I would like to name him to my security detail and keep him close, but he may decline my offer," Minato admitted. "And both Rin and Obito just applied to become instructors at Elemental Academy for this upcoming quarter, so I'm not sure if it'd be ideal for me to name them as my security detail."

"Not that you need a security detail," Kushina muttered.

Minato chuckled, "I have to follow the rules. I'm the next Grand Marshal, after all."

Kushina smiled a bit, "I suppose so."

At the sight of Kushina's smile, Minato felt lighter. And in that moment of bliss, Minato thought of something. Kushina noticed the sudden glint in his eye and arched an eyebrow as he climbed out of bed and quickly got dressed.

"Minato-kun?" Kushina watched as Minato dressed in casual clothes consisting of jeans, a t-shirt, and a hoodie. He didn't look anything like a Grand Marshal, but she was sure that he wouldn't be allowed to dress like this too much longer. But then again, knowing Minato, he would still do much of what he wanted anyway.

"I need to make some phone calls," Minato told her as he hurried to her side of the bed and planted several kisses on her cheek. "I love you. I love you. I love you."

Kushina giggled, "Minato-kun."

"I'll see you for dinner," Minato said before he left their apartment.

Kushina huffed, but she couldn't help but smile. Seeing Minato be energetic and have a slight glow to him made her happy. And then she thought about seeing her family again for the first time in eighteen years.

She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, "Oh, Minato-kun."

To Be Continued…