Chapter Thirty-Eight: Your son
Minato stared blankly at his son.
He and the Inuzuka boy, Tsume's youngest, were standing in his office covered in what he hopes is mud and grins as wide and sharp as an akuma. He had a bad feeling, and it wasn't just from the piles of paperwork currently surrounding him. Minato was going to miss eating at home for dinner. Again. With a put upon sigh he rubbed his temples before giving the boys a hard stare. "Why?"
Naruto shrugged his shoulders sheepishly. "Why what?"
"You know what Naruto, don't be coy."
The boy crossed his arms. "I didn't do anything!"
Minato closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. "Naruto." The boy pouted, but his father ignored him. "What were you both thinking?"
"It was an accident?" The blond smiled without shame.
"Is that a question?"
"Are you asking a question?"
"Of course it was a question! I asked you a question that you have yet to answer!" Minato stopped and spoke slowly through gritted teeth. "Now, tell me: What. Were. You. Thinking!"
"Honestly?" Naruto tilted his head. "I was thinking about going to Ichiraku's for a few bowls of ramen."
Minato was starting to remember exactly why he had allowed Naruto to leave with the Akatsuki. "How is it that you two managed to corral a herd of cows through the streets?"
Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Well... That was an accident. We kinda scared them and the bull got mad and started chasing us."
"So, me and dog breath were running through the field before we jumped old man Keichiro's fence, but..."
Kiba picked up where he left off. "But they followed us all the way into the village."
"Mmhm. I see." Minato's eyes glinted like steel with his hands steepled in front of his face. "Is that also why you led said herd through a grocery store, a flower shop, three restaurants, and a hot spring?!" The boys flinched.
"...Um." Kiba coughed.
"Ichiraku's wasn't one of the restaurant's we destroyed... was it?"
Minato felt his face twitch speaking through gritted teeth. "Does. It. Matter?!"
"...Yes?" the younger blond squeaked.
"That was rhetorical!" the boys flinched again.
'Naruto is Kushina's son, that's for sure.' Minato rubbed his temples.
"Now, I believe you two have some very angry people to apologize to." The door to the office opened revealing a group of said angry faces. "Once you have properly apologized we will discuss your community service."
Naruto and Kiba slumped over and whined. "Do we have tooooooo?!"
"No whining!"
Akuma: Malevolent fire spirit from Japanese folklore.
