(A/N) We are at an end. A little earlier than I thought it would be, but this is good. It's time the older fandoms gave way for my current one anyway and I have too many Haikyuu ideas and fics to count.

Minato couldn't tell you how relieved he was to be back on solid ground. He'd have to get back on a boat to get off of Uzushio, but then land permanently. Until he had a mission on a boat or something. But it would be fine! This was fine.

"Too bad I have to go back with you," Kushina pouted, presumably to Minato, since she wouldn't be pouting about going with her mother back out to sea.

"Uzushio will be keeping in close touch with Konoha, so you'll see me again," Mitoko assured her daughter. "Ah, here's your escort."

It was, somewhat predictably, Sakumo again.

"Maybe don't run off this time?" He suggested dryly. "I don't think the Hokage would be too happy if I lost you again. Tadaaki, your teacher is here too."

"I-I'll see you some other t-time then," Tadaaki offered to them, waving timidly.

"Come and visit for sure!" Kushina said cheerily, pulling him in for a brief hug that had Tadaaki standing frozen for a few seconds after she'd stepped back. "We'll wait for news so send a bird or something!"

"I'll t-try," he said, bobbing his head.

Sakumo pointed him in the right direction, and Tadaaki left, walking somewhat quickly. Minato did hope they could keep in touch, it was nice to have someone else with a stuttering problem. It was a rarer thing among shinobi mostly, but also rare with civilians.

"Well, I can walk you two to the docks, but I need to get back to my ship so we can set out again so I can't accompany you back to Konoha." Mitoko said, smiling apologetically. "But I'll escort you to the docks and see you off."

"Come on you two, we need to get back to Konoha," Sakumo said, turning to walk towards the side of the island nearest the mainland. "As safe as Uzushio is, the Hokage would prefer you two in Konoha."

"We're coming," Kushina sighed.

Jiraiya met them at the dock. Minato focused his energy on not groaning at his sensei.

"Hello there Mitoko," Jiraiya greeted, passing Minato and Kushina up for the pretty lady as usual.

"I think you and I both know what Semari's inclined to do to you should your next statement be anything but okay for children," Mitoko replied evenly, eyes narrowed slightly.

Jiraiya didn't say anything after that, and Minato was grateful. He didn't need to listen to his mentor where he couldn't drown him out by tuning into the sound around them instead. It was slightly too quiet here at the civilian docks. Not many people were here, just someone tending to a boat, and another person calmly cleaning the dock of the salt encrusting it.

"So," Sakumo said while they were trying to settle the boat despite its attempts to rock wildly for whatever reason. "How much of a heart attack are you going to give the Hokage when he asks about your adventure?"

"I'll be going now," Mitoko whispered to Kushina, and Minato pretended not to hear.

His plan was foiled when Mitoko gently dragged him to the side while Kushina regaled Sakumo with the tales that were most likely to give the Hokage a heart attack.

Mitoko drew a tiny package from one of her pockets and handed it to him, followed by a second packet, and one small napkin wrapped cheeping package. "Don't tell Kushina I gave this to you, she's been begging for once for years, but here."

He had to cram the two packages into a pocket to gently accept the tiny cheeping package.

"Unwrap it carefully, and it'll imprint on you," Mitoko instructed, smiling softly.

Minato shifted the apparently tiny bird into one hand, carefully unwrapping it. The tiny baby bird inside made eye contact with him, tilted its head, then cheeped loudly again.

Minato almost started crying it was so cute.

"The blue marked package has a seal with a cage for the little guy, and the red is one he is already trained to activate if he wants food. Keep him close to your body to keep him warm for the trip back."

Minato elected to put him in one of the pockets sewn into the inside of his jacket to keep the small bird warm. It cheeped while he tried to maneuver it into the pocket, bumping its head into his hand.

"It wants some food. Offer it the red marked seal."

Minato got it into the pocket, and instead it climbed out of the pocket to sit in his collar against his neck. He almost started crying again. It was just so cute?

"It's pretty hidden there, and warm," Mitoko said, sounding like she approved. "The red seal is just folded."

He unwrapped it, then unfolded it, and held up the seal near his neck, sort of knowing where the chick was but also not entirely sure.

It stopped cheeping, and when its small weight settled back against his neck, burrowing down into his shirt and resting more where his collar bone met his neck, he refolded the seal and put it back in his pocket. "Thank you, I shall treasure it."

"Give it two weeks to grow and get its flight feathers, then you can start sending messages anywhere." Mitoko patted the shoulder without the small bird. "And only let Kushina know you have it when you're out to sea please, or she will hunt me down. If she complains, tell her she can have one when she comes back for her birthday."

Minato gave a thumbs up because he was slightly choked up from the trust this utterly adorable baby bird put in him as it sat next to his throat and didn't seem to think it could fall. It was so cute.

Kushina did in fact find out, but only halfway through the boat ride back to solid land. Minato managed to not be a victim of Kushina's wrath, probably because the tiny bird had done nothing wrong and it liked him.

Konoha was almost unchanged when they did get back, still going on as usual, although the Hokage looked more stressed than usual and Minato silently apologized for that. He was also giving looks at a drawer in his desk Minato was pretty sure held at least one bottle of heavy sake. Which, fair. At least he didn't have a heart attack, and they still had a Hokage.

It was fine, life was fine, and now Minato had a small pet bird. Life was good.

(A/N) We reach an end. I hope this was an alright ending. Also I literally just finished reading Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan and lemme tell you, I read it in under 3 hours and every minute was worth it and some of it was just spent screaming on discord. Read The Book.