(A/N) To be fair, who couldn't see Kushina with two moms.
Minato was the first person to see the bird, as he was the first one it decided to harry, fluttering around his head and making him very anxious that this was something he was supposed to know about but didn't.
Kamiko came to his rescue, swinging down from the sails and neatly catching the bird midair before landing in front of him. "Didn't know how to catch one of our swifts? It's got a message for us, see?"
She released the bird and it fluttered to her shoulder, turning its back on Minato and showing off a tiny harness with a little scroll package thing attached to that. Kamiko popped the top of the canister open and slid out a small piece of paper, unsealing an envelope from that, then putting the small paper back into the bird's harness. "Looks like we got a letter for Mitoko! HEY CAPTAIN!"
Minato winced away from the shout, and she looked briefly apologetic at him before she spotted Mitoko and ran off towards the captain.
Minato followed out of sheer curiosity and thus was there while Mitoko read through the letter.
"Ah, Semari's ship will be meeting us at this next island," Mitoko said, looking up with a grin on her face. "That's my wife's ship. Kushina's other mother."
Minato blinked, took a half-second to process that, then decided it made sense. He could definitely see Kushina with two moms.
"Is there any particular reason we're meeting up with Semari's ship?" Kamiko asked, the bells in her hair chiming quietly in the wind.
"She missed me?" Mitoko offered, shrugging. "It doesn't particularly matter."
"Yeah makes sense," Kamiko agreed, nodding. "That's neat! Does she want you to return, or should I put the swift somewhere else."
"I'll respond, you can leave the swift with me," Mitoko said, holding an arm out. The swift fluttered to her arm, sitting there for a moment before walking up to her shoulder. "I'd get back to your usual duties Kamiko."
"Yes captain."
"Minato, come here and I'll explain how to send and receive letters and sometimes packages from Uzushio swifts."
Minato approached the captain cautiously, curious but slightly irrationally anxious.
"Uzushio swifts look delicate, but they really aren't," Mitoko instructed, gesturing with a hand. The swift hopped down with a few flaps to land on her hand. "They're sturdy little things that will fly for weeks on end without stopping."
Minato was very impressed. Konoha's hawks and falcons needed to stop, rest, and hunt before they could continue flying. "Do they sleep?"
"They sleep in the air," Mitoko said, stroking the small bird's head. "They're very impressive birds. They can carry packages larger than they are because we use seals in this tiny harness." She slid out the tiny paper Minato had seen earlier, laying it on the table. "It's an adjusted storage seal. Just in case. It opens at two ends. The bird's copy, and the big one in the aviary back on Uzushio. It's to make sure things don't get lost should something happen to the bird or its harness."
"A good system," Minato offered, actually rather impressed by it. Shinobi had to carry packages usually, or civilians, if they wanted them transported. The Uzushio birds had it easy, just carrying the one paper with everything inside. And it kept messages from getting lost.
"It's worked so far," Mitoko agreed, nodding. "We haven't lost a package yet. Why don't you go tell Kushina we're meeting up with Semari's ship?"
Minato dipped his head quickly, and scurried off to do just that.
Semari's ship was basically identical to Mitoko's, if maybe a bit more scarred along the sides. They could see the ship for a while before they docked properly, and Kushina had him and Tadaaki up on the deck with her the entire time.
Of course, once the ship had docked, Kushina dragged them off the ship and over to where Semari was hopping off the ship.
"Mom!" Kushina shouted cheerfully, thankfully releasing Tadaaki and Minato before she flung herself at Semari, colliding with her. Semari caught her, spinning her around.
"Kushina! Nice to see you! I'm glad you managed to stow away with Mitoko," Semari said, finally setting her daughter down. "I see you also picked up some boys, why don't you introduce me?"
"Oh yeah! Mom, this is Minato, and that one's Tadaaki. He's anxious and stutters a lot and doesn't like talking much."
Minato and Tadaaki waved, Tadaaki inching behind Minato.
As such, Minato was first in the path to be almost squeezed to death by Semari. The air escaped from his lungs under the onslaught and he wheezed for breath.
He could vaguely see Tadaaki fretting out of the corner of his eye, then he was released, and finally able to breathe in a full breath.
"So, who stowed away with you mom?" Kushina asked, hopping right up onto her mom's back and clinging there like a monkey.
"Haya's twins at the moment," Semari replied, not even moving as Kushina clambered up to sit on her shoulders. "Although I suspect we have a stowaway or two extra since Yoi and Ruiko are being somewhat uncharacteristically careful."
Minato worked over the sentence in his head a few times to figure out what that meant.
"Oh that's awesome!" Kushina cheered, apparently getting it before Minato figured it out. Being uncharacteristically careful? What did it mean?
"Probably p-pregnant," Tadaaki whispered to Minato, pausing in the middle before continuing.
Ooooh, that made sense.
"Any notes on who the dads are?" Kushina asked, kicking her feet once before Semari grabbed her feet and pinned them under her arms.
"Yoi would be Eizan, she doesn't do it with anyone else," Semari said dryly.
Minato didn't quite understand. How would they not know who the dad was?
"Ruiko's best bet based on timing is Kura," Semari added. "But she isn't sure, and doesn't particularly care."
"Mom, might want to explain your ship crew's situation," Kushina said, grinning. "Minato's like, really confused, and as funny as it is, explain maybe."
"Yes please," Minato agreed, thankful for answers. "What's going on?"
"Honey, I love you, but you cannot explain worth your life," Mitoko said fondly, shunshining into view beside Semari. "Semari's ship is one of a few where the majority of the ship is romantically or sexually involved with each other, be it all collectively or in a complicated web."
"Semari's is more of a web," Kushina added somewhat helpfully.
Minato attempted to process that. People could have more than one partner? Or even more than that? Sounded weird but okay.
"Miu and Kama are Haya's twin daughters. As Haya is romantically involved with Orino, Kukiko, Suko, and Teijo, the biggest option was Orino or maybe Teijo. Haya doesn't particularly care, so no one knows their actual other parent." Semari shrugged. "It doesn't matter. The twins are just fine with their parenting situation."
Tadaaki looked slightly less confused than Minato did, although not by much.
"Whatever the situation, everyone involved is happy with it, and that's the important bit," Mitoko said firmly. "Other people's preferences will be accepted and not discriminated against."
"Of course!" Minato squeaked out, surprised and a bit terrified at the mildly threatening look.
(A/N) For the record I have not in fact drawn out the complex web, but it's written down. It's about as close as we're going to get.