Not betaed, read at your own risk with knowledge that English isn't my native language and it's far from perfect.

Sharing the Sky

Chapter 3. Loving hearts

Minato felt the arms unwrap from around his neck when the girl shifted. He released his hold on her legs and let her slide down to stand on her own two feet and quickly turned, hands reaching to steady her in case she stumbled.

Good thing Naruto didn't need his help, because he froze halfway towards her at the sight of her face.

Dejection, weariness, and distress mixed into one and created an expression of utter defeat. Minato had seen it once before— years ago on the night Kushina got kidnapped by the Kumo ninjas. His heart shuddered at the memory. Naruto's appearance didn't help at all. The girl just needed a good bath to clean all the grime and blood off of her, to wear clothes of her size, gain some healthy fat on her sunken cheeks, and she would look very much like young Kushina.

The girl walked to the chair farthest from the door, dragged it out, and plopped down on it, shooting a quick glare at the medic-nin closest to her.

"Namikaze-san, Nara-san," the second female medic spoke, standing next to the door with a smile. "Please, leave the room to give us privacy for a full checkup."

Minato heard her, of course he did, yet he didn't move, blue eyes never straying from Naruto.

"Come on, Minato." Shikaku patted his friend on his forearm, drawing his attention to himself, and then motioned towards the exit with his head. "Let's wait outside."

The blond sighed, but followed after the other man out of the room. Once in the hallway, he started pacing back and forth, one hand placed on his hip while the other continuously ran through his hair in agitated restlessness.

Shikaku leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. "She thinks she's a prisoner," he said as an idle observation.

Minato turned, sharp and sudden, brow wrinkled in a deep frown. "Her face looked exactly the same as Kushina's when she got kidnapped by Kumo ninjas…" He rubbed his eyes with his index and thumb. "I can't believe it's me who caused her to make that kind of face."

"So that's what has been bothering you," Shikaku commented. "You get easily invested when it comes to the Uzumaki, aren't you?" When the blond jounin shot him a glare, the Nara allowed himself a smug smirk on being spot-on.

"Naruto's just a kid, Shikaku." Both Minato's arms dropped to his sides, listless, and his troubled expression returned. "She can't be older than my team and their chuunin status doesn't change the fact that they are still kids."

"Hey," the other man held one of his hands in surrender, "I'm not arguing with you." He scratched his stubble. "Naruto seems like she went through a lot, but she's a nice girl."

"Am I correct to assume that this is your official opinion, Shikaku?"

Both ninjas straightened up upon hearing a new voice and turned around to meet their Hokage. The Sandaime approached them, hands cupped behind his back and his robe swishing with his every step.

A young woman was walking next to him in the usual Konoha's jounin attire with her long brown hair pulled into a loose bun. She smiled, her warm hazel eyes flicking between two men, and gave each a nod in greeting and got one in return.

A bit of tension bled out of Minato. If Emi Yamanaka was here with the Hokage, the latter considered Naruto as a guest and not a prisoner. Her specialization was human behavior research and psychological profiles instead of Mind Techniques practiced by the clan she had married into.

"Yes, Hokage-sama," the Nara replied. "Naruto also helped us to catch up with the Kumo infiltration team and recover the stolen intel, however accidentally."

The Hokage nodded, striding forward. "I already heard the report from Kenta and Hizashi." He glanced at Minato as he passed him and the corner of his mouth curled up. "It looks like the whole team is quite taken by this girl."

Despite registering the slight tilt of teasing in his leader's tone, Minato still couldn't help but feel his protective hackles bristle. "Naruto's an honest girl."

"I don't doubt it," Hiruzen agreed, stopping in front of the door. "Uzumaki were known for their certain flare that attracted people without even trying." He knocked on the door.

It swung open immediately, revealing a very frustrated medic-nin.

"—come any closer!" an angry shout resounded from inside the room. "Or I'll have to defend myself, 'ttebane!"

It was the first time Minato heard Naruto using this easily recognizable verbal tic and its significance hit him like a sucker punch in the guts. The girl wasn't just some random Uzumaki, she was closely related to Kushina.

Judging by how Shikaku and the Sandaime's eyes widened, they realized the connection too.

Naruto and the second medic were at a standstill. The girl held a chair between them as a barrier, lips twisted into a snarl as she glared at the woman.

The latter had her hands up in a placating gesture. "Calm down. I just wanted to check if you had any internal inj—"

"I already told you, I don't!" the redhead interrupted. "You saw my leg! I heal fast!" A growl left her throat when the medic sighed as if she was just a spoiled child throwing tantrums. "Asking questions and inspecting flesh wounds are fine! Poking me with needles or touching me is not!" The chakra blossomed out like a slowly rising sun. Pure and powerful, filling the confines of the room to the point where even an untrained person would have felt the suffocating effect. "I'm in the hospital, so it means even as a prisoner I still have the right to refuse, 'ttebane!"

Naruto's fury was quickly approaching its apex, yet a keen eye could perceive it for what it was—a desperate lashing out of a scared child backed into a corner.

The Hokage stepped inside, his posture relaxed and non-threatening, and said, "You're not a prisoner."

The girl's head whipped around. Her eyes narrowed. She remained silent for a while, studying the new faces. "If I'm not," she started carefully, then finished with an angry hiss, "then I want to leave!" at the medic on the other side of the chair.

Hiruzen smiled, unperturbed by the girl's demand. "Naruto, right?" he asked, not unkindly. "I'm the Sandaime Hokage of the Konohagakure, Hiruzen Sarutobi." The young Uzumaki didn't even blink at the information, so he continued, "How about answering some questions from Emi here," he motioned to the jounin woman and she offered a small wave, "and then you can leave the hospital."

Naruto's gaze flickered to Emi, sizing her up. It moved to Minato next and lingered on him for a few moments. The blond made sure to project as much reassurance as possible. When the girl looked back to the Hokage, he hoped that he succeeded.

"Just answering some questions?" She didn't sound entirely convinced, but even her giving them the benefit of the doubt was already a win.

"That's right."

"That's it?"

"Hokage's word."

Naruto frowned, suspicion written all over her features. "And after?" she asked. Her knuckles on the chair turned white from how hard she clutched it. "What are you planning to do with me?"

"As an old ally of Uzushio, it is Konoha's duty to become a sanctuary to any Uzumaki who might seek refuge within our walls."

Silence. The old Sarutobi was content to remain silent as well. It was important not to push it, let the girl process the offer and make her decision without being pressured.

His patience paid out when Naruto relaxed visibly with a soft, "Okay."

"Can we at least take a blood sample for—"

"No! You force me to do it and I'm gonna fight my way out!" Naruto screamed at the medic-nin again. Her walls went up with double the force. She glared at Minato, stormy blue eyes seemingly boring into his very soul. "You promised that I'll be safe here, 'ttebane!" Bitter words were tainted with the edge of betrayal. "Make them go away!"

It cut like a well-sharpened kunai, Naruto's waning trust in him. Minato did invest easily when it came to the Uzumaki, Shikaku was right. But this was Kushina's family. He could still remember the heartache he felt after news of Uzushio's destruction spread, concern over Kushina's prolonged absence, overwhelming desire to comfort her after seeing her haggard appearance when she finally returned.

All Minato got from his parents was the family name, nothing else. Despite never having one himself, he understood the importance of family. He would do anything in his power to allow the person who was the love of his life a chance at regaining one of her family members.

He also wanted to prove of being worthy of the faith Naruto put in him.

Minato shifted weight from one foot to another, looking at the medics disapprovingly. "I'm pretty sure this can wait till later," he said, sending a pleading glance at the Sandaime. "Much later."

"Yes, it can," the Hokage concurred. "Naruto is our guest. Please, respect her wishes."

With a polite, "Yes, Hokage-sama," two women bowed and left.

Naruto practically collapsed on the chair in relief before slumping over the table with her forehead resting on her arms, dirty and disarrayed red hair tumbling over her small frame like rusty water.

Emi walked to the free chair on the opposite side of the table. "Hey, Naruto," she greeted the girl. Two cautious pools of sky blue peeked at her. She offered a warm smile. "I'm Emi Yamanaka. It's very nice to meet you."

After a few beats of scrutiny, a quiet, "Hi," reached their ears.

"We'll be leaving you to it, Emi," the Sandaime said as he moved towards the exit. Two jounins turned as well to accompany him.

Naruto's head shot up. "Minato?" she uttered the name as if it carried the weight of everything she held dear. A question tumbled out next, "Will you come back..?" and nervously trailed across the room.

The way she stared at him, eyes wide and face pale, like he was an only oasis in the unforgiving desert, looking so vulnerable and lonely, clearly hopeful yet fearful of rejection—such a defeated look made Minato's heart swell with fondness. "Certainly," he assured, firm and solid and as another promise.

Naruto's face lit up like a bonfire—Minato briefly wondered how the faint whisker-like scarring came to be—before she ducked down, sporting a light red hue across her cheeks as if embarrassed of being happy about his answer.

Minato exited the room and closed the door behind him. The Sandaime waited for him, but Shikaku was already farther down the hallway. The blond barely made out the muttered, "Troublesome," as the lazy Nara dragged his feet for a checkup no doubt.

"You'll make a great father one day."

A single remark and Minato probably looked exactly like Naruto just did. It didn't help that he could easily imagine his and Kushina's child now after meeting red-haired, blue-eyed Uzumaki. "Thank you," he finally managed. "I hope so."

The Hokage chuckled. He started walking and the blond jounin fell in step with him. "I believe you and Kushina will want to take her in?"

"Of course." Minato didn't even entertain a thought that Kushina wouldn't want to take the girl in. He glanced around. They were moving in the direction of the more secluded wing, reserved for special cases. "Where are we going?"

"To visit Kushina."

Minato's blood ran cold. "Why is she in the hospital? What happened? Is she alright?" he asked in one breath.

The Hokage's brow furrowed. "The Kyuubi went berserk yesterday. Luckily, she was in one of the more isolated training grounds when it happened." He could feel the piercing gaze drilling into the side of his head, demanding answers. "She managed to subdue it before any more serious damage could be done. To her or the surroundings."

Minato let out a slow breath, letting his fear fade away with the air rushing out of his lungs. "She's okay?" he questioned again. He needed to know.

"Kushina is perfectly fine. I ordered her to stay in the hospital for a day just in case."

The hallway in this wing was completely deserted: no medical personnel rushing back and forth, no patients stretching their legs, no constant sounds of doors opening and closing. Various wards and seals lined up the walls, fully powered but inactive until they were needed.

"I already checked her seal," Hiruzen said as he stopped in front of one of the doors lined up along the hallway. "I'd like you to check it too."

Before Minato could voice his affirmative, a loud noise stole their attention. As if someone was pushing furniture around while arguing. The Hokage pulled the door open and they both looked inside.

"—any closer!" Kushina yelled from one side of the bed, red hair whipping around her head like a disturbed snake nest. "You try poking that thing into me," she pointed angrily at the syringe in the medic-nin's hand on the other side of the bed, "and I'll defend myself, 'ttebane!"

Minato felt his jaw drop at such an incredibly similar scene. "Wow," was all he could say. The Sandaime shared his sentiment over the vivid sense of déjà vu.

"Uzumaki-san, please, calm down," the poor medic tried to pacify the enraged Jinchuuriki. "This is just some vitamins."

"I'm not going to calm dow—" Kushina cut herself off upon noticing the two newcomers. Her face instantly brightened up and her joyful, "Minato!" echoed throughout the small room like a whoop of victory. In a blink of an eye, she flung towards him, sliding across the floor when she braked. She latched onto Minato's flak jacket just in time not to face plant into the wall and shoved him in front of her to hold him like a human shield.

The blond allowed her to manhandle him with the resigned patience of someone who had long learned to yield to a demanding woman. He was just happy to see her as lively as ever.

"Back off!" Kushina shouted, glaring from behind her boyfriend. "I have Konoha's Yellow Flash and am not afraid to use him, 'ttebane!"

The medic didn't look impressed or pleased with his patient's antics. At all. Minato cracked a sheepish smile.

"It's alright, Yasuhiro," Hiruzen dismissed the medic with a wave of his hand. "You can leave."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," the man bowed. As he walked across the room, Kushina pushed Minato around too to keep him between them at all times. Yasuhiro shook his head when his unruly patient stuck her tongue at him.

Once the three were the only ones left, Kushina scowled at the Hokage. "Can I leave?"

"As soon as Minato checks your seal."

The woman huffed, but restrained from throwing a fit. She lifted her shirt just enough to reveal her stomach and give her fellow Seal Master access to the seal.

Minato put a hand on it, eyebrows drawing together in concentration. "Doesn't look like there is any issue," he muttered after a minute. Confusion was evident on his face when he spoke again, "The Kyuubi feels… like it's dormant."

"Yep," Kushina popped a 'p'. "I'm not sure what's up with the Furball. It's been like this from the moment I wrestled the control back."

"What happened yesterday?" Minato asked as he leaned in to inspect the seal up-close.

The redhead's features contorted into a look of unease. "I don't know, Minato," she said honestly. "One moment everything was okay and the next it felt like a bunch of explosion tags just went off inside me. The Kyuubi got so angry so suddenly. Its chakra filled me up and overflowed without any warning…"

Feeling a tug on his sleeve, Minato glanced up. Kushina had her hand fisted into the fabric, fingers gripping around a handful of it. Kushina was scared, he realized, probably didn't even notice doing it, always trying to be strong and not showing any weakness.

"Furball never got so angry before. Not even during the transfer and it was absolutely furious back then."

There was no point in looking at the seal when there was nothing wrong with it. Minato pulled Kushina's shirt down and straightened up. Then he pried his girlfriend's fingers from his sleeve and took her hand into his own instead.

"And I think I heard it say something," Kushina continued. "I can't be sure, but I think it said 'it's impossible' and 'I won't cease to exist' or something like that."

"Won't cease to exist? What does it mean?"

"How am I supposed to know, 'ttebane!" The redhead glowered at him with annoyance. "The Kyuubi went completely crazy and now it just keeps snoozing, the lazy ass!"

"Alright, alright, calm down." Minato patted her head, a soft lilt curling both corners of his mouth, loving, warming, and soothing. "We'll figure it out eventually."

Kushina puffed her cheeks, pouting for being treated like a child. However, she couldn't escape the near-miraculous effect of Minato's gentle touch, alleviating even her deepest worries.

The pair almost jumped at the sound of the Hokage clearing his throat. As if they forgot that he was here too. Minato stepped away from his girlfriend, but kept their hands linked.

"Kushina, keep monitoring the Kyuubi and inform us about even the slightest changes of its behavior," the Sandaime ordered. After receiving a determined nod from the Jinchuuriki, he turned to Minato. "Do you want to tell her the news, Minato, or should I say it?"

Kushina blinked before her curious gaze slid onto the blond. An obvious sign of preferring to hear it from him.

"I just came back from the mission where we came across a girl around the age of my team and brought her back with us," Minato said, trying to ease her into the news rather than just dropping a bomb straight away. "Her name's Naruto and she's an Uzumaki." The moment the last word left his mouth, he winced when Kushina's grip on his hand increased so much, it bordered on being painful.

Kushina gawked at him, her violet eyes as wide as humanly possible and mouth open in shock. A tiny, "You sure?" that finally slipped out sounded breathless and brittle and tasted like hope.

"She has red hair like yours, used chakra chains to defend herself, and while she seemed scared to tell us her family name, she never denied it when the Hokage mentioned it." The man paused. "She also has the same verbal tic as you, Kushina."

"What!" Kushina cried out. "How is it possible?! How does she—"

Minato recognized this particular expression. She adopted it only when she figured something out. "What is it?" he urged her.

"My aunt had the same verbal tic. She disappeared when I was little. Her body was never recovered and no one knew what happened to her. If she survived somewhere, somehow, and had a child…" A few more seconds ticked by in silence with Kushina staring at Minato in disbelief. Then, her focus snapped to the Sandaime and she demanded, "Where is she?"

"She's currently speaking with Emi," Hiruzen replied. "You can meet her once they are done."

"Emi?" Kushina echoed. "Emi Yamanaka?" Her eyes narrowed when the Hokage nodded. "They're just talking? Nothing else, 'ttebane?"

There was an edge to her voice, sharp and almost threatening, and thinly disguised hostility in her features. Not just because Uzumaki were fiercely protective over those they claimed as their family. After Uzushio's destruction, a broad rift had been carved in between Kushina and the Sandaime. Even after all these years, she had never regained full trust in him.

Minato wondered if offering sanctuary for Naruto without much hesitation was Sarutobi's attempt to appease Kushina, to mend their relationship. Maybe it was meant as atonement for what he most likely considered his greatest failure. Because Uzumaki or not, kid or not, Naruto was a stranger brought into Konoha during wartime. Lucky encounters were rarely a thing in the lives of the ninja.

"Naruto is our guest. She is treated appropriately," the Hokage ensured. "According to what the team reported, she has people after her and we need to know more about her situation to be prepared. Emi is our best negotiator, she can ease the other person into the conversation without triggering them." He pinned the woman with a stern gaze. "We require information if we want to protect her."

Kushina couldn't argue with fair reasoning. She blew the air out of her lungs, letting go of the itch to fight with the last drop. "So, where is she?" she repeated the question, this time in a more courteous manner.

"Naruto is actually here, in the hospital," Minato replied.

Worried violet eyes were instantly on him. "Is she injured?"

"Nothing serious, but she suffered from severe chakra exhaustion." The blond paused, the pitiful appearance of the little Uzumaki emerging to the forefront of his mind. "I think she still does, despite sleeping all the way back to Konoha."

"Then we should hurry up and bring her out of this hellhole," Kushina declared, already striding to grab her things from the bed. "You don't mind her staying with us?" she asked, sending Minato a sidelong glance at the same time as she threw her flak jacket on.

"Of course, not. I… already promised Naruto to come back for her." The man rubbed the back of his head, smiling. "Ah, right. I wanted to ask. Do you like sunflowers?"

Confusion on Kushina's face over his random inquiry was quickly replaced by a wicked smirk. "I like you. What do you think?"

Minato's heart did a couple of somersaults inside his chest. The redhead laughed at his somewhat bashful reaction.

Not wasting any more time, all three of them moved out of the room and back into the main hospital's building.

"Naruto is quite a unique name," Kushina noted fondly, walking with Minato behind the Sandaime. "Being named after the narutomaki, she should like ramen, right?" The thought brought forward a dazzling grin, eyes crinkling at the corners. "Did anyone feed her? Even if they did, that nasty slop they offer here can barely pass as food for humans, 'ttebane! We'll have to go to Ichiraku today! I wonder what she likes to eat? I'll have to ask Mikoto for some recipes if she likes something I can't make. Regardless, I'll have to ask her, her dishes are delicious! And—"

Kushina continued to blabber on non-stop, a radiant ball of excitement and eagerness, glowing in pure happiness from within. All Minato could think was that she would make an excellent mother one day with the heart containing enough love to share with everyone, a protective streak a mile wide, and promises to keep one safe written in her eyes.

"—raised the prices for clothes so much these days! …Are you even listening, Minato?"

"I love you."

Kushina tripped over her own feet when her mind stumbled over those unexpected words. It wasn't like they had never expressed their love to each other before, not often but still. This time it was so random and so out of the blue, it caught her by surprise.

"And about clothes for Naruto," Minato breezed right past the briefest moment of awkwardness his unexpected admission of love created as if he had never uttered it in the first place. "Your old kimono from genin days should fit her nicely for the time being. I could flash home to bring it here."

Pushing Minato's momentary weirdness out of her head, Kushina hummed. "Great idea!" she cheered with a grin before grabbing Minato by his hand. "Come on now, let's hurry up. I don't think this hospital can handle two hungry Uzumaki for any longer!"

Just like always, with a peal of quiet laughter, Minato allowed her to drag him whenever she desired.

A/N

It's a transition chapter, so not much happening, and it's even on the shorter side, but still important for setting up a stage for further development. Besides, I'm still warming up to these characters. Like, it's my first time writing Kushina or Minato in this setup or MinaKushi interactions… Either way, if anyone wants to complain about the characterization, you're welcome to do so.

Leave some feedback, feed the author's soul!