Chapter 59
Kushina paced back and forth in the bedroom she shared with her boyfriend, the door to the bathroom mocking her with it's silence. A trembling hand went through her hair as her eyes darted once more to it and what lied behind it's mocking simplicity.
"Urg!" She moaned in psychological pain. "I can't do this right now!" She whined to herself, grabbed her hip pouch and headed for the one person who could give her an idea of what to do. Leaping from the window, she disappeared in a string of shunshins until she was before the Uchiha compound gates. Giving the guards a cheery wave, one returned it and the other just kept his eyes on the book he was reading.
A few hops and a skip later and the Redhead Uzumaki was knocking rapidly on the door of the main house. She wasn't too surprised to see little Itachi opening the door with slightly bigger Shisui right behind him.
"Aunt Kushina!" Shisui squealed and lept into her arms. Itachi, the quiet little boy just attached himself to her legs.
Kushina chuckled distractedly as she hugged the two uchiha boys back. "Hey squirts, where's Miko?"
"Mama's in the kitchen." Itachi said in his soft voice.
Kushina ruffled his hair and let him and shisui guide her to her best friend.
Mikoto wiped her hands as she heard the feet coming. Smiling softly at her best friend, Mikoto quickly dropped her smile at the sight of anxiety in her best friend's eyes.
"Kushina?" Mikoto asked, rushing to hug the redhead.
The Uzumaki burst into tears as she collapsed into Mikoto's arms.
"Oh Kushi!" Mikoto cooed even as she met her Brother's gaze in the doorway. Kagami quickly ushered the boys away as Mikoto guided her friend to a chair.
"I don't know what to do Miko!" The Uzumaki cried into the Uchiha's shoulder.
"Talk to me Kushi, what's going on?"
"Minato and I have been together for seven years." Kushina started sitting back enough to accept the towel Mikoto handed her to dry her tears. "Living together for four of those years. We've practically raised Minashi together." She choked on fresh tears. "Why- Why haven't we gotten engaged or married yet? And now on top of it all-" The redhead's hands cupped her still flat belly beneath her t-shirt. "I...I couldn't look at the test, but I didn't realize it until we got back, but I've missed at least two periods, Miko…" Watery violet eyes looked up to her best friend.
"Oh sweetie." Mikoto cooed and pulled her into another hug "It's okay, it will be okay."
"How...How did you know with Itachi?" Kushina sniffled.
The Uchiha chuckled and pointed to her slightly distended stomach. "The same way I knew with this little one."
Kushina bolted back and looked down to see that there was a baby bump beneath the Kunoichi's own t-shirt.
"OH! Mikoto! I didn't know, how far along are you?"
"Five months." The uchiha rubbed her growing belly. "You had just left for Suna when we were planning to announce it publicly."
Violet eyes widened as her mouth dropped open. "Really? OH! You know what the gender is by now, right, dattebane?"
Mikoto's eyes went soft. "A little boy. Itachi has been so excited since learning he'll be a big brother. Oh, and Tsume is pregnant as well. She's expecting a boy too a few weeks before me."
Kushina's eyes lit up. "Who else is popping out kids? Seriously is there something in the water?"
Mikoto just burst out laughing, one hand holding her belly. "Well there is Chouza's wife, Tomie, who is due in just two months. Then there is also Shikaku and Inoichi who both just announced that their wives are pregnant and due in september together. I believe Hiashi and his wife are also currently working on their first child so that their heir will be in the same class as the others."
Kushina's jaw dropped.
"So, how far along are you Kushi dear?" Mikoto smirked.
"I...I don't know." The redhead whispered. "I just realized that I missed two periods while away."
"Then, how about we go to the hospital and get you a check up." Mikoto stood and left to inform her brother about her change in plans. Grabbing the dazed Uzumaki, Mikoto escorted her across the village and towards the clinic wing.
Minato stared down at the box in his hand. The velvet cover was just as red as it's receiver's hair.
"You going to stop stalling yet?" Drawled a lazy voice to Minato's right. The blonde sighed and fell back to join his best friend to stare up at the early spring skies.
"What if she says no?" he mumbled to the Nara half asleep beside him.
Shikaku snorted. "Then you royally fucked up somewhere over the past twelve years you've known her. Seriously Minato, everyone knows how much Kushina is in love with you. Just like everyone is wondering why we haven't gotten invited to your wedding yet. Surprisingly for the fastest man alive, you are the slowest to get married."
"I didn't want to put her in danger during the war." Minato confessed. "I already had to worry about Minashi being connected to my name. Kushina had her own enemies, but if her name was changed to mine, or mine to hers, then that target would double down on her."
"I think we aren't talking about the same Uzumaki then." Shikaku grumbled. "Seriously Minato, especially with Kitsune's training, your girl can handle herself. Just like that brat of a sister of yours. What's really eating you?"
The blonde sat back up with a sigh and rolled the ring box around his hands once more. "She'll be my wife….But I don't want her to give up her Clan name."
"Then don't. Make a joint clan." He grumbled. "Hell it wouldn't be the first time Clans have allied through marriage. Just look at the new alliance between the Uchiha and Senju. Not to mention I believe we even have a connection to the Senju somewhere too. Hell, the Uzumaki were part of the Senju and Hatake Clans at one point. So again, what is really stopping you?"
Minato felt the smile pulling at his lips. "I guess, I'm just scared Shika. She'll be my wife, my family."
"But you've had family. You have had that blonde brat-"
"Minashi was with us only for a short time and even then it was shared with Hokage-sama. I guess….I can't believe that all my dreams are coming true." He whispered into the soft wind.
"Hm?" The Nara intoned curiously.
Minato pushed back his sleeve and showed the Nara clan head, Jounin Commander-in-training.
Shikaku sat up and stared at the Fire Fiveinked on his best friend's inner wrist.
"Huh, so they've already marked you." He chuckled, making the blonde splutter.
"Shikaku, you knew?"
The Nara rolled his eyes. "Really Minato? You know me better than that."
Minato huffed and pushed his sleeve back down.
"Still, stop being a coward, blondie. You keep putting it off and she's insecure enough from her jinchuriki days to think that you don't want her." The Nara eyed his friend and watched that tan skin pale to an unhealthy shade.
"She wouldn't!" he exclaimed.
"Hm…." Shikaku drawled lazily. "You sure about that blondie?"
The next time Shikaku opened his eyes a few seconds later, he found himself to be once more alone on the roof of his home. "Troublesome blonde." He muttered to himself. "How are our kids supposed to be in the same class if you keep delaying it?"
Six Weeks. She was six weeks along. Violet eyes were enraptured by the tiny little bean in the black and white photo in her hand. The Uzumaki couldn't hear anything else from the medic that had been talking to her. All she could see was her tiny baby's picture. Plus, she trusted Miko to repeat whatever she missed.
"I'm gonna be a mamma." She whispered. A familiar hand rubbed up and down her back and Kushina realized why she was so easy to cry now. Hormones.
"And you'll be the Best Mamma." Mikoto whispered as she guided her best friend back to her apartment. "We'll get you ready for anything the little one will need. You'll have to let me know if it's a boy or a girl. Then we can go shopping for outfits, and everything you'll need for a nursery-"
"We live in a two bedroom apartment." Kushina panicked as she snapped her head to her best friend. "We'll have to move Miko!"
"Well," The Uchiha smirked "You and Minato are very monetarily aware. I'm sure you have plenty saved up to purchase a new compound. This will make it another Uzumaki and Namikaze, so not only will you have stronger votes on the council, but Minato can also Claim his Clan status back."
"Build...a compound?" Kushina whimpered. "That will take so much time and money-"
"BUY kushina!" Mikoto corrected her friend. "There are plenty of old compounds left over from died out clans. Purchase one together and have it either fixated up or torn down and redone."
The Uzumaki whined as she leaned heavier against her friend. "But that's so much work! And we have so little time and Minato doesn't even know-"
"Know what?" Said blonde asked, popping out of nowhere.
Kushina straightened up, glad she'd already put the sonogram picture away. "Know how excited I am to help her plan her baby shower for her new baby."
Minato glanced down and sure enough his Uchiha friend was pregnant. He gave her a warm smile. "You are glowing Mikoto."
The Uchiha snorted and shoved her friend forward. "Yeah, no I'm not. I'm losing sight of my feet again and need to pee. So take her home so I can head home myself. Plus, the longer I leave my brother alone with Itachi, the more him and his brats influence him further."
Kushina bit her lip as she watched her friend walk off with as much grace as possible at five months pregnant and having a bladder being kicked on by her unborn child.
"Did I miss something?" Minato mumbled.
"No." Kushina said sharply before letting out a sigh. "No, we were just catching up and it seems that all our friends are bound and determined to have their kids all in the same academy class one day." She stated absently, pulling her blonde back towards their apartment.
"Hm, true." Her blonde mumbled before gripping her around the waist. "Before we go home...I want to take you somewhere."
"Hm?" Kushina looked up to her slightly taller blonde boyfriend. She felt her stomach flip at the look in those Cerulean blue eyes of his. "O-okay." She whispered and kami, that smile he gave her… She didn't even notice when the scenery around them changed.
Kushina wanted to look, she wanted to remember where he took her as she did with all their dates, but this seemed different. There was something different in his gaze, and she couldn't look away from him.
"Kushina." Her wonderful blonde said and the Uzumaki heard rather than saw him swallow nervously. "We really haven't had time to ourselves outside of the Ame Mission, Suna Mission, and ending the Third War." Minato said softly, hands on her hips before one came up and brushed away some of her bangs that had come loose from her hair clips.
"W-well, we are some of Konoha's top Jounins." She whispered trying not to break the growing...something...in the air around them.
"Which has stopped me from doing this sooner. I feared our growing reputations would put us in further danger than we already were." Minato said, blue eyes locked on her violet eyes. "but...Kami Kushina, I've been in love with you since we were kids." He whispered leaning down inches from her lips. "Every day, everything thing you do, it only reaffirms my love for you. You are so full of life, love, and happiness. You are and have always been the light of my life. I wouldn't be half the man I am today if it wasn't for you."
Kushina couldn't breathe let alone do more than followed those enrapturing Cerulean blues as they lowered to a knee before her. A whine left her throat as a bright red box was in her Blonde's hand and opened to reveal a beautiful gold band with a diamond set in the center, amethysts gems set in a circle around the diamond.
"Uzumaki Kushina, will you marry me?" Minato asked with a clear voice, only his eyes showing off how nervous he really was.
Kushina couldn't breathe, blink, or move.
"Kushi?" Minato asked as those golden brows of his pinched with worry. Wetness streaked down Kushina's cheeks, but she was too stunned to move.
"Kushina!" Minato yelped and jumped back to his feet to wipe at her cheeks. "Kushi, why are you crying-"
"I'm pregnant." She finally blurted nervously looking into Minato's own now widening eyes.
Minato felt his brain grind to a halt. Pregnant…
Pregnant...Kushina's pregnant.
"Six Weeks." Those lovely pink lips of hers mouthed as the world was already white noise to his ears.
Blonde lashes suddenly blinked rapidly as the Namikaze brain came back online. Minato pulled his Uzumaki into a fierce kiss saying everything he couldn't with just that. All of his love, joy, happiness, and so much more for the amazing woman before him.
He felt her holding him just as tightly back, not willing to break apart until they both needed air. When Minato finally let his beautiful Uzumaki up for air, she had kiss swollen lips, pink dusting her cheeks, and love glazing her eyes.
"Marry Me Kushi." he whispered against her lips. "Let's be a family officially. You, me, Minashi, and-" he placed a hand on her still flat belly "Our unborn child." He swallowed through his own tight throat, clogged with held back tears of joy.
"Yes." Kushina sobbed softly and wrapped her arms around Minato's shoulders, fingers digging into his golden spikes.
Leaning against a spike of the Niidaime's hair, Kushina between his legs leaning back against his chest; Minato looked at the sonogram photo of their first unborn child. His other hand holding Kushina's left and rubbing the ring on her finger. He couldn't help but marvel at how he was getting all his dreams. The girl of his dreams, a sister, a child on the way, and in a few years, he'd be Hokage. Leaning his face down, he buried it into Kushina's neck as she napped against him. Kissing her soft skin there, he swore to protect this. This happiness, this family of his that he's finally got. He couldn't wait to watch Kushina grow with their child. He couldn't wait to make a home with her.
Kushina woke to familiar softness and warmth. Only the soft scritching of pencil against paper spoke that she was the only one still laying in bed.
A familiar hand ran through her hair, tucking it behind her ear.
"Have a nice nap?" Minato whispered.
The Uzumaki grunted and snuggled back into the thigh she was apparently clutching. "When we'd get home?" She mumbled into the fabric of his pants, fingers curling their comforter closer.
"Well, I had taken you to the Hokage Mountain to watch the sunset after my proposal, but you fell asleep. I couldn't wake you, so I just used the Hiraishin to get us home. You've been asleep for two hours."
"Been tired." Kushina yawned slowly sitting up to instead lean against his collarbone. His arm came up around to hold her close. Sleepy violet eyes opened and found her boy-..no, Fiance, writing in a notebook.
"What you doin'?" She mumbled even as he pet her head soothingly.
"Counting and balancing out our bank accounts."
"Hm." Kushina hummed still thinking about going back to sleep or not.
"We're going to need a bigger place before the baby comes." Minato mused aloud. "but...I don't know what will work best for us."
"Miko recommended a Compound."
Minato paused and tilted his head down at the numbers before him. "We...should be able to swing it." He barely paused as his mind went a mile a minute. "As long as we can do most of the updates and repairs to the Compound, we should be able to save money there instead of contracting out. Then there is setting up the Political aspect of it all." He groaned towards the end. "Not to mention we'll need to factor in how many future kids we'll want. Not to mention Minashi. She's an Uzumaki-Namikaze, so she'll eventually want a home and part of the compound for herself-" Minato stopped his thoughts right there. "Wait, no she's not allowed to grow up. It's bad enough she's apparently ANBU." He grumbled and continued to mutter under his breath about checking in with his past teammates to see if they could keep an eye on her for him.
Minato only paused when he heard a soft snore come from his Fiance. Looking down, he smiled at how beautiful Kushina was even in sleep. Kissing her temple, he put aside his notebook and turned out the lights. His last thoughts besides about the Uzumaki and unborn child within his arms, was his little sister and hoping she'd get a day off soon so they could tell her the good news.
Minashi felt cool fingers on her overheated forehead. Opening her eyes was like trying to lift Kurama's dead weight.
"How is she?" The blonde heard whispered as she dazedly tried to see past the blurs of colors her eyes were seeing.
"Recovering." The familiar timber of Tsunade's voice coincided with the warmth of her chakra easing the throbbing of Minashi's migraine. "Her fever is still high. I had to hook her up to Saline two days ago just to keep her hydrated."
"Looks like I'll be informing Kushina and Minato that she's sick and not just holed up in ANBU HQ recovering from her last mission." The sound of Sakumo's worried sigh was followed by his hand brushing through her hair.
"Don't beat yourself up too much Sakumo. She has done so well living two lives."
"She shouldn't have to by now." He growled. If Minashi's ears were working right it also sounded like he'd moved away to pace.
"Well it's not like Kitsune can just disappear." Tsunade huffed. "She's too well known now. She's also untouchable by anyone but the Hokage. Kitsune is a persona that is currently keeping people like Danzo from rising up and will be so until Kitsune passes on the title, or until Minashi dies."
"No one will have the same selfless characteristics as Minashi." Sakumo sighed defeated.
"Then Minashi will just have to keep pushing through the hard times like this and live two lives." Tsunade murmured.
There was a few beats of silence before Sakumo's voice broke it once more.
"I got a request from Kazou for Kitsune's hand in marriage." The Yondaime huffed amused.
"Oh?"
"Yep, while you all were away, he presented me with three of his clan members. One in his forties, another in his early thirties, and a young man just barely twenty."
"How did you reject them?"
"By reminding them that by tying Kitsune down, not only would her position become obsolete, but what they saw was a disguise. Kitsune is like her name, a master of shapeshifting. She can look like anyone she so desires. This protects her anonymity. I also told them all that she already is living a perfectly happy life outside of her Kitsune persona and was not available."
"How did those sticks in the mud take it?" Tsunade snorted amused.
"Kazou just shrugged it off, already half expecting my answer. The two elder candidates weren't too offended. The youngest actually pouted in disappointment. Kitsune teases Kakashi and I about fangirls, but she doesn't even realize that both Kitsune and Minashi have their own growing fanboy collection. Minashi's are just too terrified of the Yellow Flash to get near her."
"Not to mention your brat and Kagami's brat hovering around her." Tsunade snickered.
Sakumo grunted. "Don't remind me. He's already asking me where Minashi is, but I told him that she had classified duties to attend to. He got the hint that it had to do with her jinchuriki duties and backed off."
Minashi felt herself falling back into a doze. The blonde lost track of time and was gently shaken awake somewhat by Tsunade's hand on her shoulder.
"Minashi? Minashi, I need you to wake up."
The blonde tried to make a displeasured noise through her throat, but it came out scratchy instead. Something wet and cool was pressed to her lips and the ice hit like rocks down her dry throat. A few cubes soon turned into a straw as the blonde teen slowly worked to drink down the cool water offered.
It was followed by a cool soft rag on her face and eyes, wiping away what felt like cement over her lids.
"Open up for me Minashi, I'm not dealing with getting a feeding tube down your throat. Your stats are also better than yesterday when I know you must have had periods of awareness."
The blonde fluttered her lashes and finally, she was able to make out Tsunade's face in the dim lights of her bedside lamp.
"Tsuna-de." Minashi slurred.
"Good girl." The Senju called gently. "Let's see about sitting you up to get some more water into you."
With experienced hands, Tsunade brought the teen to her chest and supported her head until she could arrange the pillows behind to support the girl's back. Gently setting Minashi back, the two blondes locked gazes. One trying to force the grogginess from her mind, the other watching her patient's reactions.
"H-how long?" Minashi mumbled through a tongue that felt glued to the roof of her mouth.
"You've been in a sensory overload coma for a week and a half."
Minashi let out a long groan of annoyance. "Damn…."
"How are you feeling?" Tsunade asked glowing hand wrapped around Minashi's wrist to track her updating vitals.
"Like Pein kicked my ass all over again." She mumbled. "And then had the sadistic pleasure to pass me to the Niibi to play with like a yarn ball."
Tsunade stared at the younger blonde. She couldn't help her snickers as she wrote down the vitals.
"So like shit." Tsunade summed up chuckling.
"Worse." Minashi groaned.
"Well, that sounds about right according to what Sakumo said you would have gone through with your Blood Clone memories. Between what your actual body went through and what your clone went through, you've got double if not triple the fatigue, torn muscles, chakra exhaustion, sleep deprivation, and a good amount of bones that had been healed from fractures. I'm half tempted to knock you back out, but it is in my professional opinion that you actually need to get moving again to remind your body that it's not dead." The Senju replied sarcastically.
Minashi just groaned. "Please don't say it."
"Sakumo has already taken you off the roster for ANBU for the next week at least."
"Fuck." Minashi hissed.
"Your Captain has already been informed of your Jinchuriki status. We're going with the excuse that you did unsupervised training with Kurama's chakra during your break and it backfired making you sick and Chakra exhausted. Kushina and Minato have also been made aware of this."
"Because it's technically true." The Uzumaki teen moaned. "I used half of Kurama's chakra to reseal the Ichibi. It takes a lot of concentration and control to purposely split them now. Plus Kurama's chakra is Heavy."
"That does answer some questions about the imbalance in your coils then." Tsunade hummed. "Well, at least the lie is close enough to the truth for whatever scolding your in for to be earned."
MInashi groaned and rubbed a heavy hand down her face. "Can I go back to sleep now?"
"No." Tsunade deadpanned. "You need to eat. You've been living off liquid nutrition long enough. You need physical food and fresh nutrients." The younger sighed. "Thankfully, you are awake enough and out of the danger zone. So, I'll be calling your brother to come pick you up now."
Minashi hissed in annoyance at the fact that the Mother-hen of all her precious people would be the one to see her like this. "Why him?" She whined.
"Because he'll make sure my orders are followed." Tsunade smirked as the following moan of pained/fond annoyance was music to her ears.
Cerulean locked on sleepy Cerulean thirty minutes later.
"Please, save it." Minashi softly begged of her elder blonde.
Minato hummed before bending down and scooping up her robed form. The Uzumaki didn't even want to know who, when, or why she had to be changed.
Minato carried Minashi princess style out of her guest room of the Senju compound. He met Tsunade at the front door.
The Blonde Senju placed a scroll on Minashi's lap. "Care instructions are in there along with her clothes." Tsunade made sure to catch the half asleep gaze of the youngest blonde. "With your healing rate, I want to see you again in three days brat."
Minashi just grunted and buried her nose into her brother's neck. Tsunade's snort was heard but ignored by her.
"Thank you for taking care of her Tsunade." Minato bowed his head enough to not disturb his package.
Minashi didn't pay attention to the rest of the farewells as she focused on the mixed scent that was home. The scent of Minato and Kushina was so interwoven together that it put the blonde teen right to sleep.
Minato paused in his walk to look down at his Imouto. Her body had gone completely dead weight in his arms. A fond exasperated smile lifted his lips.
"What am I going to do with you imouto?" He mused not too upset with her. He couldn't really call her out for over exerting herself when both him and Kushina had been known to do the same thing. Not to mention this was almost normal for her. Pushing and pushing until she collapsed.
Minato sighed, but took the roofs the last few blocks to land on the balcony window of their home. Kushina was already there nervously waiting for their return.
"Is she okay?" Kushina whispered as she fluttered around him in his walk to the teen's bedroom.
"Just exhausted. Tsunade said the worst is over. She just needs to start moving, eating, and drinking like normal. She is banned from Chakra usage for at least a week."
Kushina winced. "She's not going to like that."
"What shinobi does?" Minato smirked back at her even as Kushina pulled the covers back. Kneeling, Minato placed his little sister down like he'd done many times before as she grew up. Even when he'd visited her burrow during her training years.
Together Minato and Kushina activated the privacy seals on Minashi's room so that her senses could rest easy.
Kushina pulled him to the couch and opened the care instructions Tsunade had left. Her shoulders relaxing with every line read.
"She just has to eat and sleep." Kushina summarized.
"And stretch." Minato nodded, pulling his fiance into his side.
Kushina's head naturally leaned onto his shoulder with a relieved sigh. "She's home and safe. That's all that should really matter. I'm just...out of sorts."
Minato chuckled and kissed her temple. "Who wouldn't be? We've had a lot going on this week."
"Yeah, finding out I'm pregnant,"
"Me finally getting the courage to propose," he smirked into her hair.
"And all the meetings we've had with real estate Workers." Kushina groaned.
"Not to mention finding out that Mina-chan had thrown herself into a chakra coma working with the kyuubi." Minato grunted still a little upset at that fact. Both Namikaze and Uzumaki let out long sighs as they relaxed back into the couch.
"At least with the war over, there will be less dangerous missions and more tedious missions." Kushina mumbled.
Minato looked down at her. "Speaking of...when, will you be putting in your maternity leave?"
Violet eyes looked over her shoulder to meet Minato's wary ones. "You gave up trying to find ways to ask me that without pissing me off, huh?"
Minato chuckled nervously, terrified of her reaction.
Kushins rolled her eyes but faced forward. "I already turned it in. I've also talked with Sensei about when I am back on the roster, to tone things down to just C-ranks here and there."
Minato hummed as he ran the numbers in his head. "Well, with Kakashi in ANBU he's practically taken care of. Rin will earn her Tokubetsu Jounin status in a year or two working full time at the hospital. Obito is the only student I have that is a Chuunin. Sakumo-senpai has him restricted though so he's been working with the Konoha Police Force. So in reality, I could return to regular Jounin Missions. That would be able to keep us comfortable for a while even with buying and refurbishing a Compound. ANBU did pay well, especially as a Captain."
Kushina hummed absently. "Don't forget we also have to plan a wedding too."
The blonde did wince then. "Can...we do something small? Just friends?"
He had expected Kushina to want a big wedding, so it was completely a surprise when he heard her next words.
"That sounds lovely, Dattebane." She smiled up at him. Not resisting the urge as he'd never been one to do so, he leaned down and kissed her.
"When?" He murmured against her lips.
"Before I start showing?" She smiled at him innocently.
Cerulean eyes twitched just the slightest. "Even… as we are also going to be building a Clan Compound together?"
"Hai~" She replied cheekily. The blonde just rolled his eyes fondly at his fiance.
"Yes dear." he murmured and pecked her lips once more. "Best pick out what Compounds you want to visit then. We'll have a lot of work to do."
"Only if you contact Mai Yamanaka. Tsunade's wedding was beautiful and Mai did a wonderful job. She'll be able to do most of the work for us. We'll just have to show up." The Uzumaki snickered.
Minato chuckled with her and promised to visit the Yamanakas after Minashi was taken care of in the morning.
"No Chakra." Minashi repeated after her Nee-san.
"No Chakra." Kushina smirked. "Tsunade even gave us permission to place a suppression seal on you to make sure you wouldn't use your chakra until she said so."
"A week with no Chakra." was the dead response.
"Yep. If you are good until your next appointment with her in three days, she'll reconsider limited chakra usage."
"But ANBU-" Minashi pouted but was interrupted.
"You already know you've been put on medical leave." Kushina smirked. "Now, finish eating. Tsunade left instructions for stretches you'll also need to complete in the mornings and before bed. You are also supposed to go on walks twice a day for twenty to thirty minutes and drink plenty of water."
The blonde Uzumaki groaned but finished her breakfast. After taking a long hot shower, that did wonders for the knots in her back and shoulders, she returned to the kitchen where Kushina had already cleaned up.
"Can you do my hair?" Minashi inquired, already knowing the answer.
"Of course!" Kushina beamed and after brushing out the damp strands, braided her imouto's hair back into two long french braids.
"Where did Nii-san run off to this morning?" Minashi asked after stumbling her way to the couch to lay back on. Refusing to climb into bed if she was going to have to get up to go for a walk later anyways. She was already dressed for the early spring weather even as she watched Kushina mosey about the apartment straightening up. She would also not admit how just getting cleaned and changed herself was tiring.
"Well, Now that the War is over, or mostly over," she mumbled the last part "We were thinking about the future."
"Hm?" Minashi perked up even as she pulled one of her brother's notebooks left on the end table to her lap.
"Well, the thing is Imouto…."
"Nii-san finally got the balls to ask you to marry him." Minashi finished absently as she looked over the financial notes. She thought the notebook had been one of his sealing idea books.
Kushina stumbled as she was cleaning up some of their sealing supplies. "Mina-chan h-h-how?"
Minashi glanced up with a smirk. "I've seen him looking at the ring box for about a year now. I was the one that suggested amethyst to match your eyes. Additionally, I saw the ring when you were eating baka-nee-san."
Kushina flushed to her roots. "Ah...ah…" She chuckled, rubbing her head sheepishly. "Surprise?"
Minashi rolled her eyes and hid a yawn behind a hand, her body still wanting to go back to bed.
"So…."The blonde reminded her sister. "The future?"
"Yes, well… Minato and I were talking about moving to a place where we all had more room to grow. I mean we both want kids, and personally I want at least four, maybe six." She smiled a little lost in thought and missed the look on MInashi's face.
The younger Uzumaki smiled wistfully as her mother's counterpart rambled about wanting even boys and girls. Going on about hoping that there would be replicas of Minato, but also of her, yet she wanted to see a mix of them both too.
Minashi continued to listen as Kushina rambled for the next hour about the compounds that her and Minato had narrowed the list down to. It was just meeting with the realtors and seeing the places next and if they could afford them. Then planning all the interior and planning the flower and vegetable gardens.
The Blonde Uzumaki just made notes down beside her Nii-san's own in the notebook of things Kushina specifically was interested in and even her own ideas for the compound and ways to cut costs but still get a quality home.
She made sure to even suggest a good security system in their barriers and seals that could help with keeping the home clean to save time.
Before she knew it, Minashi was being dressed in a light jacket and escorted out by Kushina's arm. Together they walked to the market and got groceries for the following days. Their pace was slow to keep Minashi from stumbling from her still twitching and aching muscles. But as the thirty minutes were up, the duo of Uzumakis returned home where the topics switched from the house to wedding ideas.
Minashi made new notes in her Nii-san's notebook on Kushina's desires and guest list. The Blonde Uzumaki hated to break it to her siblings, but there wasn't going to be anything 'Small' about the Red Habanero and Yellow Flash getting married. Everyone had been waiting for this to happen. This didn't include all the political clan ties both bride and groom had. Not to mention Minato's secret status as Godaime-to-be. That meant the Daimyo would have to be there too unless they wanted to insult him. Not to mention their close ties with the Kazekage and his own wife.
She'd let her siblings enjoy their blissful unawareness for a little bit longer. It seemed that they already had plenty on their minds.
Minashi did make a mental note in her brother's financial section that she would be assisting with the finances whether he wanted her to help or not. It would be her home too. It's not like she'd spent as much as Minashi or Kitsune the past seven almost eight years anyways.
Minashi found herself walking with Kushina once more that afternoon. This time, she realized they had a destination of the Uchiha compound and just held onto her Nee-san's arm as her limbs began to tremble from the strain five minutes away from the forty minute walk.
"They live too far away." Minashi grumbled grumpily as her body told her to go to sleep and recoup.
"No, you are just tired." Kushina hummed with a worried frown. "I can carry you the rest of the way imouto."
Minashi grumbled a negative even as the gates finally came into view. "I can walk. If I can't use my chakra, I will at least walk."
"If you're sure-"
"Mina-chan!" A bright voice greeted before landing before them with a wide smile. It dropped as soon as he really looked at her. "Minashi?" Kenji frowned as he activated his sharingan to really check her over. "Kami, I know Sensei said you were really sick...but this is-"
"I can still kick your ass Kenji." Minashi warned, her panting for air, took any heat from her threat.
"Uh huh." He remarked dryly. "Just because we are given vacation time doesn't mean you can hurt yourself during training." He snipped back before suddenly she was in his arms.
Minashi yelped as her cheeks heated in embarrassment, all forms of exhaustion leaving at the adrenaline filling her veins.
"Kenji! Put me down! I can walk!"
"Your chakra is cut off." He huffed. "That means you are seriously hurt enough that Tsunade-sama thinks you're stubborn enough to go against her orders. I can also see you trembling to just keep upright."
The blonde groaned and buried her face into her hands. "This isn't fair." She bemoaned even as the sixteen year old chuckled and just tightened his hold on the blonde Kunoichi. He wouldn't put it past her even exhausted to try to get back at him for treating her like a civilian instead.
"Tough shit." He snorted and then smiled at Kushina. "Hello Kushina-oba."
"Hello Kenji-kun." The redhead smirked and walked beside him as he escorted them both into the compound. "How have you been?"
"Good!" He chirped. "Shisui has been ecstatic to have me home to help train him. He's been complaining that Itachi is already ahead of him in chakra control training."
"Hm, well until Minashi is healed up, he'll get to have some extra days with you." Minashi grumbled to herself at her Nee-san's retort and just put up with the stares they were getting on their walk to the Main family house.
Minashi wasn't too surprised that as soon as they entered Mikoto only smirked at her before dragging Kushina away to the kitchen to gossip.
The blonde's eye twitched in annoyance even as her adrenaline high dropped and exhaustion took over.
"So…"Kenji dragged out as he moved to the main room. "What brings you here?"
"I'm supposed to go on walks twice daily, and increase it until my muscles heal. Between that I'm supposed to eat, drink, and rest. Because of my companion, there isn't much else Tsunade can do at this point. It's up to my healing rate now."
"So is that sitting inside and sleeping on the couch or am I moving you to the engawa instead to watch the squirts practice their first katas?" Minashi could feel the smirk on her friend's face.
"Engawa." The blonde grumbled grumpy once more.
"Hai hai~" he cheered and soon Minashi found herself half asleep against a support post as Kenji tucked a blanket around her.
"Hungry?" He asked softly, the blonde uzumaki already fading fast toward sleep.
Minashi wasn't sure what her response was as she instead fell deeply asleep, cushioned by familiar red fur of her lifelong companion.
Kenji gently caught Minashi's head before she would have toppled forward. Slowly and gently he brought her down to the pillow he'd brought out. Making sure she was comfortable, he took up guard near her head, one of the silencing seals the Uzumaki had taught him, pulsing to life beside her pillow.
"Nii-san!" Shisui ran up to him with a smile splitting his face. "Look look!" the chibi uchiha cheered and placed the leaf back to his forehead. Kenji's own smile matched his otouto's when the leaf stuck there for a full thirty seconds.
"Well done Otouto! Now, you just need to practice adding more leaves elsewhere. How about you make it a challenge with Itachi?"
"Yeah!" The boy cheered and raced off shouting for his younger cousin.
Kenji was content to watch his younger brother and cousin practice their chakra control even thirty minutes later. It was the approach of a familiar signature and a ruffle to his curly mess of a bun that brought him from his thoughts. Not that he'd been doing too hard of thinking, just training schedules for the kids and worrying for his blonde teammate.
"Dad." Kenji greeted softly, head tilted back to look at his father.
"Hey son," Kagami raised a brow at the blonde teen that was asleep beside his eldest. "I see we have guests again."
"Yep. You done your shift at the Police station?"
"Correct." Kagami sighed and grabbed a seat beside the teenager. "So, is everything okay with her?"
"Training accident." He shrugged off. "Bad enough that she could barely make a thirty minute walk from her home to the compound without chakra."
Kagami whistled softly. "Chakra restriction? She must be a stubborn one then to have Tsunade do that to her."
"Very." Kenji found himself chuckling.
"Hmmmm~" Kagami smirked at his son who didn't even see how he was looking at the blonde. "Why is she sleeping here instead of at home then?"
"Kushina-oba said that she's not allowed to be alone or else she'd find a way to take the seal off." the teen shrugged and absently moved a stray lock of hair from the Blonde's face.
"How old is she now?" Kagami asked curiously.
"Thirteen. Fourteen in the fall."
"Ah, So your mother and I don't have to worry about wedding planning for at least three years then." The elder teased, expecting his son to flail and be all embarrassed over his crush. The silence was not expected.
Black eyes met their duplicates as Kenji looked to his father. "Sorry to disappoint, but you two will have to wait a little longer than that. Minashi's heart already belongs to another. It has ever since we were kids."
Kagami raised a brow. "So you are just giving up on her?" He was a little concerned when his son just shrugged a shoulder.
"I'm not going to force her to choose if she does have anything beside friendship feelings for me, dad. I care too much for her to see her split like that."
Kagami sighed and ruffled his son's hair. "You're young son. There are plenty of other kunoichi out there."
"Yeah…."Kenji trailed off. "Just none like her." he murmured, eyes back on the almost doll-like figure sleeping inches away from him. Kagami could only pat his son's back in some form of comfort.
"Oi, Bakashi! Wait up!" Kakashi paused in his step and turned to the loudmouth Uchiha.
"Obito." Kakashi greeted with a sigh.
"Where ya headed?" The Uchiha grinned as he caught up to his genin teammate and friend.
Kakashi shrugged. "Nowhere. A teammate of mine is down after a training accident, so we're off missions."
"Bummer." Obito shrugged. "Want to come over and train?"
"Have you improved any?" Kakashi snarked back.
Obito bristled like the Hatake knew he would, Kakashi was thankful for his smile hidden behind his mask.
"Oi! Bakashi, I'll have you know that Shizune-nee-san has been training me in the Senju taijutsu since my confinement." The Uchiha bristled. "Just because I haven't gone outside the village for missions, doesn't mean I've been slacking off ya teme!"
Kakashi snorted and waved his friend off with a chuckle. "Ma, ma, I was just teasing you Obito. Kenji has told me that his dad has been helping you with your training between your joint village patrol shifts."
"Well...yeah." Obito huffed, cooling off. "Kagami-sensei is pretty awesome. He's been helping me fight with and without the Sharingan. I've also gotten pretty good at a lot of the Katon jutsu he's been showing me."
"Hmm… We'll just have to see about that." Kakashi mused. "Are you also still slow as before?" He questioned before disappearing in a shunshin.
"OI!" Obito hollered outraged before chasing after his friend towards the Compound. "Get back here Bakashi and start off fair!"
Kakashi just threw him the bird between his flips over roofs, earning another squawk from the Uchiha teen.
Their race finally landed on the Compound walls before they were sprinting across the rooftops towards the training grounds at the back of the grounds. Except when they landed on one of the wings of the Main Family home, Kakashi stopped suddenly head whipping around.
"Kaka-" Obito's mouth was suddenly covered by Kakashi's hand. Confused by his friend's sudden actions, the Uchiha followed his gaze to see his older cousin Kenji on the engawa. He ripped the hand away and glared at Kakashi. "What did you do that for?" Obito hissed quietly.
It wasn't until Obito looked again at his friend's silence that he activated his sharingan and saw what his friend could probably smell.
Kenji, while yes was leaning against a pole reading some sort of theory book, was not as alone as Obito had originally thought.
"Oh...Hey isn't that Minashi?" Obito questioned his friend.
"Hai." Kakashi finally mumbled back. "I thought she was still at Sensei's place recovering."
Their question was answered when a familiar redhead came out with Mikoto.
"She's asleep?" They heard Kushina ask Kenji. He looked up with a smile.
"Been asleep since I brought her out here." Kenji answered, putting his book away.
"Kushina-" Mikoto called firmly. "I know you need to get home, but you cannot carry her."
Kushina sighed but gave Kenji a pleading look. "Can you do your favorite Oba-san a favor?"
Mikoto tried to swat at Kushina's arm for that remark, but the Uzumaki dodged with a sly grin.
"It's no problem Kushina-oba. She's my friend. Mikoto-oba, do you have Shisui and Itachi?"
"Of course, I'll keep an eye on the boys till you get back." She huffed.
Kenji then scooped Minashi up, blanket and all into his arms before following Kushina out toward the front entrance.
Obito turned sharingan eyes towards his friend and without them he would have missed the frown his friend was wearing.
"Kakashi?" Obito asked softly.
Kakashi kept silent and just turned and took off towards the training ground. He didn't understand the feeling in his chest and stomach. He didn't like how they felt….ugly almost. Minashi has never inspired such things in him. She's always brought warmth to his chest and stomach. He didn't understand.
The Hatake pup was glad that Obito had sought him out. Yet he also cursed his friend for taking the path to the Uchiha training grounds and inadvertently witnessing one of his friends carry his best friend like that. At least the positive in all of it was that Kakashi was able to take his frustrations out on Obito.
The pup did note that Obito had improved. Improved to the point where Kakashi had to uncover his own red eye to keep up with the Uchiha's quicker movements. Too bad his friend hadn't learned how to not hold a conversation while fighting. The Uchiha was talking about how Kakashi wouldn't be the only Jounin of their age group for long. Obito was apparently planning to apply for them when he was fourteen and then aiming for a Patrol Captain in a few more years.
Kakashi was glad for the distraction even if he couldn't retort that he already had the Uchiha beat with his position as ANBU. Instead he focused on beating his friend into the ground and hoping it would shut him up.