AN: And here we go, next chapter! Forgive the small delay from my newly renewed update speed, I had to travel around the holidays and even though I had hoped to get a chapter out before we had to leave I didn't quite manage to wrap it up. I'm back now, so let's continue :) Also, Happy New Year!
"You've turned into an alcoholic, Jiraya…" she said, aiming for a light tone as she eyed the fourth cup of sake her teammate was pouring for himself.
"Nonsense. It's a celebration, Tsunade, lighten up! It's not everyday we get to meet up like this!"
With that her boisterous teammate reached out an arm and slapped their black-haired friend on the back through a grin. Orochimaru's eyebrow visibly twitched, the look of annoyance being plain on his face.
"Please don't touch me." he rasped out and Jiraya barked out a good-humoured laugh.
"It's been, what? A year now, has it? Since the last time we had a drink together?" he continued unperturbed.
"Probably about so." Tsunade sighed, pouring for herself as well.
Her second cup. She was being conscious of the number as she knew she was somewhat of a lightweight. Orochimaru had barely touched his first, sitting stiff and straight-backed as if unsure whether he should be there at all. She wondered briefly when was the last time he had gone out for a drink.
"Can't be helped, I guess." she continued, "What with you barely being around. Even Orochimaru and I barely see each other."
"For shame!"
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't yell in my ear." the snake sannin said with a sigh.
"You need to spend more time with real people instead of books. You've forgotten what a joyous human voice sounds like. And what better than my own to remind you!"
"Gods save me."
"What are you working on now, Orochimaru? I've been so busy with the medical system changes we've been trying to implement that I've completely lost track of it." Tsunade interjected quickly before her dunderhead teammates got in an argument of old.
"Trying to find the cure to your gloomy moods as ever?" Jiraya quipped, cheeks already flushed in his cups.
The briefest of lopsided smirks graced their friend's lips.
"You could say so."
Tsunade couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the cryptic answer even if she had to admit it was most typical for him. Orochimaru had never been a man of many words. Chances were that whatever it was Sandaime had assigned to him was confidential anyway.
And wasn't that irony in itself? She wanted to catch up with her teammates' lives, but their roles throughout the ongoing war had been shrouded in so much secrecy that they could barely discuss it without bringing up something classified.
Jiraya had probably figured as much, but her teammate was nothing if not infectiously cheery at all times.
"About time. I don't know if I can take another year of your doldrums." he said instead, making Orochimaru roll his eyes in exasperation.
"How about you, Jiraya? Still menacing around hot springs?" she said, voice taking on the sweetest of tones.
The toad Sannin was only too familiar with said sugary tone. He gulped, smile turning suspiciously innocent.
"Of course not! I'd never! I've just been travelling some, you see, visiting here and there…"
She sighed, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms before her.
"I gotta say I sometimes envy you. I miss our missions of old."
The white-haired man chuckled good-naturedly.
"The tales of my heroic exploits have reached you then, ah? Good, good." he said before a tint of seriousness hedged in his words. "I guess we've taken a bit of a backseat in current skirmishes, haven't we?"
"It can't be helped. We have important roles to play. My work at the hospital is actually changing things, you know... And Orochimaru is vital to the Research and Development Division. And you… you have your uses too." Tsunade said, lips quirking up in a smirk.
They didn't talk of Jiraya's assignment. No one ever did.
His answering smile was brief, shrewd eyes glinting as he nodded in acknowledgement and Orochimaru huffed out an amused snort.
"Look at you two getting sentimental over nothing of consequence. This new situation suits me ideally and it should suit you too. Tsunade, we both know your heart was always set in medicine. And Jiraya… is a good fit for all the babysitting he's been doing."
The toad Sannin did a double-take, choking on the fiery sake he had just been sampling.
"Babysitting?!"
"If you take on any more kids as students you might make up an Academy class of your own." Orochimaru deadpanned, smirk holding all the teasing mockery he was so brilliantly capable of.
"Well, listen here now-!"
"Don't mind him, Jiraya." Tsunade interjected, trying her best to keep the willy edge out of her own grin. "You're an excellent babysitter, you should be proud."
"Gah!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air and Tsunade couldn't hold back her laughter anymore while even Orochimaru seemed to crack a smile.
Gods, she had missed her team.
"You two are hopeless. Tsunade, you're gifted, and I don't just mean your natural assets" Jiraya started with a bawdy grin, hurrying ahead when he noticed the twitch of annoyance flash in her eyes, "You have a lot to offer. And even this snake-loving jerk has got a useful skill or two-"
"-hundred-"
"-Why not take on students?"
"And end up like you? No thank you." the black-haired man said, rolling his eyes yet again.
"I already have an apprentice of sorts, actually. You remember Dan's niece Shizune? She's been most determined, asking me to teach her about medical techniques. Not bad at it too, clever kid. I'm of half a mind to offer her a formal apprenticeship."
"Aha, finally! Good for you, Tsunade! Even if it reeks of favouritism from miles away-"
"Oh don't you start that topic with me, picking Minato over everyone else for your trip, as if that wasn't favouritism at its finest-"
"Minato showed promise-"
"Shizune is showing immense promise-"
"Can we please stop competing about who makes the grandest babysitter." Orochimaru sighed, exasperation clear in his tone.
Jiraya pouted, eyeing his best friend with a dose of annoyance.
"Well what about you then, Orochimaru? You can't hate children that much."
"Oh I don't hate children at all. They are quite… valuable." the black-haired man said and Tsunade could have sworn she glimpsed a menacing tint to his brief smile before it disappeared altogether. "I just haven't found a promising student yet."
She shook her head. The sake was probably getting to her already, darned alcohol.
"Ah, I see." the toad sannin said, wiggling his eyebrows. "You were jealous of my successful apprentice."
"You wish."
Jiraya grinned, levelling his pale friend with a look, a tint of seriousness in his eyes.
"You've been hearing the rumours around him lately, haven't you? The kid's out to get sensei's hat and he's not doing half-bad. If he keeps it up he might even get it before you."
The change was almost imperceptible, certainly unnoticeable for anyone who was not straining to see it. But the slug princess knew both of her teammates well. Orochimaru had stilled, signature smirk never quite leaving his face, but it had acquired a sharp edge now as he slowly lifted the sake cup to his lips.
Somehow the temperature suddenly felt cooler and Tsunade had to suppress a shiver.
"We'll see."
"So, Kemuri Sarutobi, huh? You know, I always figured you for a tall-and-blonde kind of gal." Tsume said through a sardonic grin before she popped a dango in her mouth.
Kushina had groaned before she even finished her sentence.
"Don't even remin- Wait, what's that supposed to mean, ya know?!"
"Oh you know what I mean."
"First Mikoto and now you, why does everyone keep assuming things? We've been friends since childhood."
Tsume rolled her eyes as she chewed the sweet, lowering her sticky fingers by the table to let Kuromaru lick the syrup off of them.
"Oh please. That shit might fly with the Uchiha, but you can't sell it here. I've seen how you look at him, it's a wonder your legs don't part every time he walks pas-"
"Tsume!" she sputtered, slamming her hands on the table as she did so, making the massive dog eye her irately as if highly displeased for the excessive noise.
She could feel the traitorous blush creeping up her face, but at least in this case she could blame it on the Inuzuka's brazen language. Then again, Tsume had always been unapologetically crass.
"What? I don't blame you. He's quite the catch. Handsome, tall, strong, level-headed-"
"I get the picture, ya know." Kushina groaned.
"Do you? 'Cuz you sure ain't acting like it."
"Can we change the topic now, please?"
The silence that met her words was unexpected enough to make the Uzumaki finally look up. Tsume was looking at her with something akin to irritation, grin absent from her face for once.
"Humour me. You fancy him- no, don't even try it-" the dark-haired woman said, lifting a hand to stop her friend as she tried to protest "-and from what I can see he can't seem to take his eyes off you, despite half the female population in Konoha being on his tail. You've been rejecting men left and right for awhile now and good for you since most of them were pathetic anyway, but this guy might be worth your while. Why are you so reluctant to it?"
All too suddenly the small dango stall they were sitting in felt inexplicably warm as she tried to swallow past the lump in her throat.
She hadn't told Tsume. How could she possibly explain?
"I'm no good for him." she mumbled quietly, fingers stroking Kuromaru's fur absentmindedly as she did so.
She didn't know she had been expecting a passionate outburst from her friend until she registered with surprise that Tsume hadn't reacted so at all.
"That ain't for you to decide though, is it?" she rasped out instead.
Kushina had to admit that her sudden vexation had a lot to do with her own stubbornness as her eyebrows mashed in distaste with her friend's words.
"There are things he doesn't know."
She refused to meet the Inuzuka's look, but she could have sworn the girl had cocked an eyebrow at that.
"Then tell him."
"It's not that simple, Tsume."
A sigh followed her words.
"I'll be frank, since we're friends and all. The way I see it, this is only making things worse. You're skirting about each other like rabbits, and what you're doing is only fanning the flames. And you'll both get burned."
"And what would you have me do?" she had meant to sound sarcastic, but the words came out more honest than she had intended them to.
Tsume shrugged.
"Either tell him whatever it is you think he doesn't know or enjoy each other for a week and then move on before you drive yourselves mad."
Kushina could feel the heat sneaking up her face again as she realised what the bold woman was suggesting.
"You mean-"
"That's exactly what I mean."
The thought was worming its way in her consciousness uninvited, her mind entertaining images that she very much had wanted to keep at bay. She saw him again standing in the forest that night, saw his eyes widen as they jumped to her lips, lingering, saw him swallow past a dry throat, breathing shallowly, shakily as he wavered on the spot.
What if next time he looked at her with unguarded desire in his eyes she reached out?
She could have almost groaned at the pictures her imagination was painting now. His lips trailing down her neck, hand wandering down her waist, pulling her closer as he sighed, her name rolling off his lips…
And then letting it all go after a week or two? How would that make it better? How would they go back to a semblance of normality after that? Impossible.
"I can't." she said and the desperation leaked in her voice without her meaning to.
"Oh boy… You're in it deep, aren't you?"
"Let's just… let's just talk of something else. Anything else. Please."
There was a pause as the Inuzuka regarded her with raised eyebrows before sighing once again and returning to her signature grin.
"Alright. I got a new topic for you. I'm pregnant."
"WHAT?!"
"Oh man." Inoichi groaned as he flopped down on the engawa next to Shikaku. "That was tiring."
He wiped the sheen of sweat gathered on his forehead, bringing a canteen with water up to his lips.
"Yeah. Well fought." Choza said, already opening a bag of crisps beside him.
Their spar had lasted the better part of twenty minutes as they casually skirted about the wide backyard of the Nara compound. Minato and Shikaku had already started their second shogi game by the time the two men stopped for a break.
"Yeah. Gotta work on my taijutsu though." the Yamanaka agreed, finally throwing a look at the shogi board between his two friends. "I'll never know how you don't get bored with this game, Shikaku."
"Oh I do, when playing against you." the Nara deadpanned, lips spread in a teasing grin.
"Oh knock it off, will you. Minato, I hope you kick his ass."
Said man chuckled, enjoying the easy banter between the two.
"I'll do my best."
They lapsed in silence, basking in the pleasant spring breeze and the birdsong about them. Minato was just considering a rather risky move when Inoichi's next words effectively froze him in place.
"Say, Minato, is it true Kushina-san's going to the festival with Kemuri Sarutobi or did she just use the kid to blow me off?"
Shikaku sighed so quietly that Minato had to wonder whether anyone but him noticed it.
"You asked her to go with you, Inoichi?" Choza said in between mouthfuls.
"Oh yeah, I didn't tell you. I saw her today in the market and it just kind of slipped out. She said she already agreed to go with the Sarutobi kid."
"I wish you would just get the hint already…" their black-haired friend said in exasparation.
"Hey, you know what they say, if you don't succeed, try, try again."
"...until you get another rib broken."
Somehow Minato suddenly wished that Kushina had used Kemuri as an excuse to avoid Inoichi. Would she have said yes if the young boy hadn't asked her first?
An image of Inoichi's arm draped over her slender shoulders flashed before his eyes, her sides reddening in the way that he so loved while the Yamanaka leaned close to whisper in her ear, brushing a strand of fiery hair back as he did so.
He almost grunted with how his stomach knotted near painfully, chest constricting with the sudden blinding flare of jealousy, and he tried to gulp past the discomfort.
"She really is going with Kemuri Sarutobi. She promised the boy a date if he kept himself safe in the war." he heard himself say calmly, despite it being somewhat of an effort.
The other blonde flashed a dashing smile.
"I figured it might be something along those lines. So I still have my chances-"
"-I doubt it." the Nara heir quipped and Inoichi all but ignored him.
"-but in any case, are you going with someone, Minato?"
Shikaku looked up at him knowingly, lips quirked up in an amused smile and Minato had to suppress the urge to roll his eyes at him.
"Not really."
"Want to meet up then? Since Shikaku is going with Yoshino-san, we need a new dashing partner for our trio." Inoichi said with a grin.
Choza was nodding next to him and Minato found himself smiling through his friends' antics.
"Sure."
A smirk was playing on Shikaku's lips when Minato glanced at him again and this time he did groan when he looked down, seeing how the Nara had taken advantage of his distraction, securing yet another shogi win.
"Excellent. Come on Choza, let's go for one more before we call it a day."
The Nara heir quietly followed them with a look, shaking his head as he did so.
"I know what you'll say." Minato ventured when he saw his friend about to speak up.
"Good. Saves me the trouble."
The blond man chuckled, leaning back on a wooden beam and resting an arm over one knee.
"Hey, Shikaku? Thank you." he breathed and his friend simply smiled, not needing any clarification as to what he was being thanked for. He seemed to be well aware how much Kushina's appearance at the Iwa border had meant for Minato.
Instead he inclined his head politely before laying out the shogi board again.
It was five minutes to twelve when he arrived at the red bridges, smoothening the haori over his yukata nervously. He thought his cheeks might actually start hurting from all the ginnining he seemed to be doing this day, but he just. couldn't. help himself.
It was finally happening, out on a date with the woman of his dreams, his future wife. His hand opened and closed around the stems of the thick bouquet of flowers he had picked up from the Yamanaka shop and his mood had been so spectacularly uplifted that not even the quips about "a small man going on a big date" from the blond guy tending the flower shop could bring him down (what did he know anyway).
She came at exactly four minutes past the hour, walking, nay, gliding down the path, a sight of beauty as Kemuri had never seen her before. She was wearing a kimono, blending the colours of the season in pinks and whites and somehow looking more feminine than he had ever thought she could. Even so there was defiance in her hair, not brought up as more traditional kimono styles went, but instead braided to one side, adorned with a flowery kanzashi.
She was a vision. She would be the most beautiful wife. Everyone would envy him. He could already picture her kissing his cheek in front of a crowd made of his friends as they cheered. She would smile coyly, shyly, and say through the sweetest of girly voices-
"Well would you look at you, shrimp, looking so grown-up in your yukata, ya know!"
The boisterous voice shattered his daydream as Kushina grinned down at him.
His smile was suave as he puffed his chest out, closing his eyes and bringing out the deepest voice he was capable of.
"Of course. I am a man now."
She huffed out in amusement, but her eyes were soft as she regarded him. She was falling in love with him already, two minutes in. The yukata his mom had chosen for him seemed to have been an excellent choice and he swore he'd thank her properly for the womanly tips when he went back home.
"These are for you, Kushina-ne- Kushina-chan." he said and shoved the flowers in her hands.
Her eyebrow twitched upon hearing the change of honorifics, but she didn't comment on it, hands wrapping around the flowers instinctively.
"My, my, how did you know, I was dying to carry around a giant bouquet of flowers whole day."
He grinned, pleased with himself. This was going splendidly.
"A man knows these things."
"Indeed" she said through an exasperated smile and he thought he might have seen her roll her eyes as she deftly took out a brush from behind the hair ornaments decorating her braid, which he had to admit was rather bizarre.
He had heard of kunoichi keeping senbon in their hairdos, ready to fight at any time, but a brush was a first. Then again the girl of his dreams had never been especially conventional.
With another sigh she rolled up her kimono sleeve and he glimpsed a leather band clasped with a buckle around her forearm, lined with small pockets with tiny vials. Deft fingers quickly unclasped one of them and Kemuri realised it was full of ink when he watched her dip the brush in it and scribble a seal on her own skin just below it.
"Kushina-chan! Your kimono-"
"It's a quick dry." she said wryly, finishing the last stroke and tapping the seal with two fingers to activate it.
Within seconds the flowers had disappeared from sight.
"W-what?"
"A storage seal. Don't worry, Kemuri-kun, your gift is safe with me, ya know." she said with a grin as she lowered her sleeve, flicking the excess ink off the brush and adjusting it in her hair again as if nothing had just occurred.
"That's so cool, Kushina-chan!" he beamed, not having expected anything less from his chosen one.
Even when she was the very vision of beauty she remained a powerful shinobi, as should be expected of the future Hokage's wife!
"You're so clever! Now your hands are free so we can walk arm in arm!" he said and proudly extended his elbow.
At this the red-haired woman actually groaned, a most unlady-like sound, but he loved her despite it.
"Come on, let's go." she said, slipping her hand through the crook of his elbow with only slight discomfort (he was growing taller after all!).
The rest of the day passed almost exactly as he had planned, even if Kushina allowed him to treat her at only one food stall despite him having money for at least three, but he had always known her to be a strong-willed woman, kind of like his own mom, so he relented in the end.
The only disappointment came when they ran into her in the market, his feet rooting to the spot as he regarded the girl of his nightmares.
Brattish, annoying, stuck-up and endlessly full of witty teases, Mei-san was his least favourite classmate from back in the academy days and the last person he wanted to cross paths with on this special day. She seemed to be out with her possy of annoying friends, enjoying the food stalls, none of them having bothered with traditional wear.
One of said friends promptly spotted him and elbowed Mei in the ribs, giggling as she did so.
The dark-haired girl turned, somewhat startled, before her lips pulled in a willy smile and Kemuri instantly knew it was too late to withdraw.
"Oy, Kemuri-kun! Nice kimono!" she called out and her friends descended in giggles all about her.
"I-it's a yukata!" he sputtered, feeling the tip of his ears burning all of a sudden.
The little beast smirked.
"Really? Could have sworn it was girlswear."
"Oh yeah? Well- well it's not! It's plenty manly!"
He was suddenly all too aware of Kushina standing next to him, smiling fondly at the exchange as if the monstrous girl before them had just greeted them politely. This was getting out of hand.
"As if you would know! Never seen you look girly in your life!" he fired back and was only too pleased to see the red spots blossoming on Mei's face.
"That wasn't very nice, ya know." Kushina murmured by his side, but he disregarded it as he seemed to have won this time, Mei turning around indignantly at his words.
Her ridiculously long blue scarf whipped about her, trailing her moves and dragging in the dust as she stalked away, followed by her bratty friends.
"She deserves it. Annoying girl." he said, cheeks still flaming as he also turned and trudged ahead angrily, remembering only halfway through to check if Kushina was following.
To his relief she was, an amused smile playing on her lips. Thankfully she didn't comment further and he found it easy to forget the incident as the day progressed.
Having demonstrated his gallantry before Mei had so rudely interrupted them, he was quite keen to show off his humour as well later on while they walked down by the river, enjoying their mochi and admiring the fluttering petals about them. He quickly took the chance to regale her with tales from his escort missions and she did laugh quite a bit.
He knew women loved to hear tales of their man's heroic exploits so he was certain he was doing everything right. She was probably head over heels for him by now.
The time was coming, he realised, looking at the setting sun. They had spent some two hours talking and had come full circle, returning to the red bridges where they had met. The petals were thick all about here, dancing merrily before dropping in the river, forming a fluid carpet of pink. The atmosphere was perfectly romantic as the blond hedgehog had promised.
"Kushina-chan you are more beautiful than all the cherry blossoms here combined!" he said, feeling their time coming to a close and she smiled ever so fondly, looking at him with kind eyes.
"Thank you, shrimp, you sure don't mince it."
This was it, the perfect moment. His first kiss, it would happen now.
His ears were aflame again. He gulped, feeling his confidence evaporate. What if he was a terrible kisser? He had once heard Mei and her friends giggle over a boy from their class who had kissed one of the girls and she had said that he had slobbered all over her. He had spent the whole afternoon after that practise-kissing his own hand.
He quickly swallowed three times, just in case, and closed his eyes, stepping forward and pouting his lips out. And waiting.
An amused chuckle reached his ears, followed by a huff, the rustle of fabric and Kushina-chan was standing before him. Soft lips pecked his cheek and his eyes opened in shock as she withdrew with a smile.
His face was burning, cheek tingling pleasantly as he lifted a hand up to where she had kissed him and he registered that he was both disappointed and relieved at the same time.
"Thank you, Kemuri-kun. I actually had a really fun day. You'll grow up to be a great man, ya know!" she said and reached out to ruffle his hair fondly.
Something was telling him that this amazingly romantic moment hadn't gone as it was supposed to have gone, but he couldn't help grinning widely at her affection despite that.
"You bet!"
The main street had somehow become even more crowded with the coming of night, people having gathered to enjoy the Yozakura in the pleasant spring weather. They had lit up the paper lanterns sometime after sunset and the flickering lights were now lining the streets and adorning the cherry trees around the river, bathing the blossoms in warm colours in the night.
With Mikoto being out of the village and Tsume enjoying the festival with her partner - she still couldn't quite wrap her mind around the fact that her friend was pregnant - Kushina had debated going home after parting ways with Kemuri, but had ended up lingering on the riverside, delighting in the views and the pleasant atmosphere.
The air was thick with the scent of the cherry blossoms, petals whirling around her, winking in the lanterns' glow while someone was playing a koto not far off, pleasant sound mixing with the laughter all about and she found herself relaxing in the solitude.
The walkways around the river were less lively than the main street, but there were still plenty people appreciating the views and she followed them absently with a look. A part of her, much more insistent than she would have liked, was pointedly looking around for sunshine hair amongst the throngs of people, wondering idly what he was doing in that moment of time.
She wanted to see him and dreaded it at the same time. Had he come with someone? Was he sitting somewhere under a cherry tree, smiling his captivating sun-filled smile at a coppery-haired girl?
Her eyes wandered around aimlessly, lingering fractionally on the couples that went by, either arm in arm or touching casually, walking in demure proximity, revelling in their budding affections.
Cherry blossoms are romantic at sunset, he had said, but she thought they were in fact most captivating at night - a vision of beauty in the dusk, embraced by the soft darkness that hid secrets in its folds. An unseen touch, a lingering look, inviting smiles in the dark.
She sighed. The Yozakura was somewhat melancholic after all.
With a final glance about her she stood, smoothening the folds in her kimono with a hand, heading home.
She was just passing by the main street when she spotted a familiar tuft of spiky black hair not too far away and she paused without thinking, stopping by a clamour-filled bar.
Shikaku Nara was standing near a stall, a distantly-familiar girl by his side and she recognised Yoshino Mebuki as the girl she had heard he was together with. She was just about to move forward when Shikaku shifted and she glimpsed Inoichi and Choza coming out of said stall to greet him, followed by Minato.
Her heart skipped a beat, as it so often did when she saw him without expecting to. Some tightly wound coil in her eased as she realised he had come with friends and she sighed quietly.
He hadn't seen her yet, merrily chatting with his Nara friend and she allowed herself a few stolen seconds of observing him, before turning her back on the main street in resignation and making to go.
An outburst of roaring laughter thundered beside her in the same moment, coming from the entrance to the bar next to her as three men made their way in the street blindly, swaying on their feet, blocking her way. The pervasive stench of alcohol attacked her senses, thick about the group, and she wrinkled her nose in displeasure, making to sidestep them.
Unfortunately her attempt to avoid them only made the men notice her despite their drunken haze and she found herself faced with the larger of the three who clumsily staggered sideways to cut her off.
"Oho. What 'ave we here? Waitin' on us?" he said and winked, which was a feat in itself in his state.
His cheeks were flushed with the significant number of drinks he seemed to have had, lips spread in a cocky leer that she was sure was mostly alcohol-fueled.
Kushina only rolled her eyes.
"Certainly not." she said just as his friend looked at her through dimmed eyes.
"'S that Uzumaki girl, Shiro." he said slowly, deliberately and the first man, Shiro, grinned even further, displaying a lovely set of yellowing teeth as he stepped uncomfortably closer.
Her senses had sharpened with adrenaline and she was clearly aware of their third friend who had circled her and was now standing behind, waiting for her retreat. She didn't give him the pleasure.
"'S that so? What do you say, Uzumaki girl, I hear your clan's in need o' revival and all that? I got some excellent assets to offer" he said and in an instant he was reaching out a massive hand, coarse fingers wrapping roughly around her kimono sleeve.
Kushina's eyes narrowed, nostrils flaring as her hand balled in a fist instinctively.
"We were thinking of heading down the river side when we chanced upon you." Yoshino was saying, her warm hand a steady anchor on his arm and Shikaku smiled.
"It was a pleasure seeing you, don't let us keep you-" Minato was saying before a crash from somewhere behind Shikaku broke off the blonde's words.
The Nara sighed inwardly, mentally cursing the drunkards who seemed to be doing their best to make this evening troublesome, and turned around to inspect the sound of the commotion.
The people around them seemed to have stopped, peering at the scene with curious looks, but the advantage of height allowed him to make out two men supporting a third, trying to get him up to his unsteady feet from where he seemed to have crashed in a pile of empty crates. A trickle of blood was coming down his split lip, his whole face purple, twisted in drunken rage.
And before them, kimono and all, was Kushina Uzumaki, strands of hair escaping her thick braid as she stood with a hand raised threateningly in a fist. Even from the distance he could see the fury in her eyes and he had to wonder what they had done to provoke her, even if he had one or two uncomfortable guesses.
He felt Minato freeze by his side and Shikaku just wanted to sigh.
So very troublesome.
"If you so much as touch me again I'll make sure those assets never see the light of day, ya know." her voice rang in the sudden hush, trembling with indignation and Shikaku was suddenly very certain he never wanted to find himself on the receiving end of her wrath.
The girl was downright scary. Those three had made a serious mistake.
"Let go of me, you dipshit!" the staggering man in the middle yelled, shoving his companion away and wiping the trickle of blood off his face, turning to face Kushina with bloodshot eyes.
Inoichi tensed by his side, making to step forward and Shikaku shot a hand out to steady his teammate in his tipsy outrage - this scene didn't need to turn ugly - just as the man pointed a finger at the readhead and yelled "You fucking Uzumaki bitch! You'll die alone, all dried up and shriveled, 'm telling ya!"
And Kushina Uzumaki hesitated.
From where he was standing he could see the sharp intake of breath, her eyes widening with his words and Shikaku could only stare, momentarily taken aback - the fiery girl he knew would have punched the living spirit out of that man. Had he hit a nerve?
His surprise lasted but a fraction of a second and then Choza gasped as Yoshino positively growled next to him, stepping forward along with Inoichi who was shouting "Hey now-!" as he practically shoved Shikaku's barring arm away and Minato-
Before either of them had so much as made a step Minato was gone, his inhumane speed carrying him across the distance in a heartbeat, faster than the Nara had thought possible - one moment the blonde had been next to them and then he was by Kushina's side, blue eyes narrowed in a steely look so full of danger that it made the staggering man freeze even in his drunken anger. The barest trickle of killing intent reached him and Shikaku found himself transfixed.
He knew Minato would never hurt anyone in Konoha, but the threat was clear: he could if he needed to and there was nothing they could do. For the first time the Nara heir beheld before him not Minato his friend, but Konoha's Yellow Flash.
Had the drunken idiot recognised the man standing before him? In either case, he most prudently took a step back, eyeing Minato with something akin to fear.
And then the Konoha Police were there, three Uchiha surrounding the scene.
"What's going on here?" a dark-haired woman said calmly, narrowed eyes inspecting all parties while her arm calmly rested on her sheathed wakizashi.
If the men had intended to say something their words seemed to have evaporated under Minato's glare who hadn't taken his eyes off them.
"N-nothing." Kushina said in a somewhat steady voice, stealing surprised glances at the blond man by her side. "A misunderstanding. The gentlemen were just about to leave."
Her pointed voice was further punctuated with a meaningful glare in their direction. He had to hand it to the one who seemed to have started the whole thing, the idiot had a dangerous sense of misplaced bravery as he pulled himself upright, as much as the alcohol would allow him, before spitting disdainfully on the ground and turning to leave, followed by his friends.
Minato's mouth twisted in a sour look and Shikaku wondered whether his friend would have stepped forward, but then the police force were ushering the onlookers away and Kushina's fingers had imperceptibly wrapped around the sleeve of Minato's haori and she had rooted him in her presence, a calming force.
Finally his eyes peeled from the withdrawing men and he turned to face her, all harshness melting away from his look, replaced with burning concern and he gulped, inspecting her with a look; and his lips were moving in hushed words, asking if she was okay, if they had hurt her, hands hovering uncertainly, as if unsure whether his touch was welcome; and Kushina was shaking her head, fingers still holding onto his sleeve, eyes fixed on him as if he was the only thing that would ever matter in this world.
"Oh." Inoichi said quietly by his side, realisation finally dawning on him as he beheld them. "Oh. I see."
Because really, it was the simplest, most obvious thing in the world.
Shikaku smiled.
AN: Alright, pressing on. Much as I love Minato and Kushina, I'm happy to give room to other beloved Naruto characters who were around in that period and explore what they might have been up to, I hope you guys don't mind! And I hope I've managed to do them justice somewhat, although I have to say Orochimaru is a pain to write pre-villainous period, because his character is so hard to pinpoint. I had to remember that at some point they were, after all, not just a team, but friends. In any case, I ended up rewriting that part at least twice.
Also enter Hana Inuzuka, kind of, in some eight or so months anyway.
And let's see who can guess who Mei is (or rather will be)? :P
Finally, thank you again for all of your continuous support! Your reviews give me ideas and an insight in what you guys and enjoy and they mean so much! You guys are the best! :)
Glossary:
engawa: the covered version of a Japanese porch, usually made out of bamboo and supported by wooden pillars, usually running around the house in traditional Japanese houses.
yukata: a casual kimono that can be worn by both men and women
haori: a traditional Japanese hip- or thigh-length kimono-style jacket that can be worn over a yukata
(Hana) Kanzashi: hair ornaments used in traditional Japanese hairstyles. The flowery ones with hanging streamers are called hana kanzashi
Yozakura: The cherry blossom viewing that takes place at night (basically Hanami at night)
koto: a string musical instrument, also known as the Japanese zither - it is Japan's national instrument
wakizashi: a shorter katana
Kemuri switching honorifics from -neechan to -chan: while -neechan is often used for "older sister" in Japanese, -chan can be used in a romantic sense as an endearment between lovers. Hence Kemuri's attempt at romance and Kushina's eyeroll-of-a-reaction :D
About Kushina's kimono: HeartShiningXX had mentioned imagining Kushina in a kimono. I did check out images, thank you for the idea! There were some lovely ones, but in the end after doing some research on kimono colours I decided to go with what was described as seasonal colours - apparently different kimono colours were to be worn in different months in Japan, Springtime colours being pink and white. Hence the choice.