Minato Namikaze is a man of many talents. Some might say that his talents are otherworldly, countless and impressive in the way that will leave your jaw hanging and eyes blown wide. But Minato Namikaze is also a shinobi who has seen wars, who has both wiped blood off of his allies and shed blood of his enemies.
So, he has flaws too. Maybe he was born inherently good and with an insane amount of talent for shinobi arts but life has a way of knocking people down who have always soared high.
That fall for Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage of Konoha, was his son's death. It was as if the leader of the village had lost all his shine. His eyes used to be full of happiness, cheer always a part of his relaxed yet alert steps. He used to be a beacon of hope–something that his son had forced into him–and a whole support network for the weary civilians and the scared yet determined shinobi.
This is not to to say that Minato Namikaze has given up on his duties. Far from it actually. He spends most of the time in his office, sitting behind his chair, and signing and preparing documents after documents. He doesn't leave till he's satisfied that no loophole in a treaty can cause a war or some unforeseen detail can cause food shortage in that one small village on the border of the land he rules in tandem with the Daimyo.
His friends say he's escaping the reality, burying himself in work. That he's grieving but hasn't received closure. He always smiles at their worried faces, though it's tight and forced, and he tells them that he's okay, because Naruto would hate seeing him upset. He tells them he's fine and then wonders, at silent nights in his room why he can't cry over his son.
So, it's not surprising that taking care of this adult who refuses to look after himself falls onto the shoulders of his wife, Kushina, who loves him so so much that it hurts to see him go into this metaphorical shell.
It's baffling at times, that Kushina always seems so light and playful and happy despite having lost her beloved son just like Minato did. But her friends, those who know her inside out, can tell that's she hurting. That she's just as affected as her husband.
But she's a walking fountain of optimism. Always has been. So she mourns and tears up over Naruto's memories, over the photos she's safely tucked in albums that she hides under her bed now (too afraid to keep them on display in shelves). But she doesn't let it keep her down, she gets up each day, saddened to see Minato always so stressed and overworked but she makes it her mission to always keep him company, to get him out of his slump.
She's still a mother even though her child isn't around her anymore. She tells herself this everyday.
A gentle knock sounds in his room cramped with piles of mundane paperwork and he looks up, sighing. He knows who has come yet again, and though he may not admit it, he's grateful for it.
"Come in," he says, going back to his outline for the agenda to be discussed in some meeting this week.
Light yet loud footsteps reach his ears and the door shuts with a thud.
"Minato!" The voice of his wife chirps, full of life and enthusiasm, "You've got to try these dumplings I made! They're so good. Remember I told you I got new recipes from Yoshino and Mikoto?" she chatters while sliding into the chair opposite him, already opening up a large bento.
Minato smiles as he writes, it's soft and he hums letting Kushina know that he's listening.
"Yeah, so we three met earlier today and they helped me make these. I sent small portions in our neighborhood too, Hinata and Tenten, they're such darlings, they did the distributions," she picks up two chopsticks and gently carries a stuffed dumpling towards Minato's mouth who rolls his eyes. Seriously, the woman doesn't need to treat him like a child. He opens up his mouth, nonetheless.
"Mmm–" he chews. "This is delicious."
Kushina claps her hands in excitement, "I know right! I mean ofcourse it's amazing, I'm a great chef but they turned out so perfect Minato!"
Minato nods his head and starts eating more of the the soft, tender and tasty dumplings, savoring the momentary delight he feels when he eats them. He knows why Kushina is doing this and knows that had such a thing happened three months ago, Kushina wouldn't have shared her kitchen success with him, but rather their son. He wouldn't be informed about it until he would go home and Naruto would recount the events of the day while Kushina would sit with that bright smile curled up next to him on the sofa.
He shakes his head. He's got to work to do. No time to ponder over the past.
"I'm planning on getting Sasuke and Sakura a genin team to train." Words leave his mouth before he can stop them.
Kushina looks at him oddly, "They're hardly 18 yet. I know they're Jounin, but it's too early for them."
Minato nods, agreeing with her assessment but continues with his points nonetheless, "That's true. But those two don't fit the case of what's usual and normal. They're taking high risk missions, demanding them actually. Always looking for a way to go away from village." He sighs and turns his chair so he's facing the window, "I'm afraid those two might end up burnt out soon if they don't stop. Getting green genins will force them to take a break. Becoming a teacher always brings progress for us ninjas, helps us in ways missions and training can't. Those two will be heavily relied upon by the genins and they need that. They're becoming too reliant on each other, in their small bubble. I'm not separating the two, I know they won't stand for it." He turns again, "Being senseis together is what I'll let them do. So, thoughts?"
Kushina stays silent as she watches Minato eat again. She can tell he's worried for the two he sees as his own children now. She feels the same way about young jounins. And Minato's worries aren't unfounded, she's seen how Sakura and Sasuke act nowadays. It troubles her too so she huffs a laugh,
"Leave it to you to find solutions to a problem most don't even notice." Why don't you do the same for yourself huh? The question goes unasked.
Minato smirks, it's lazy and only half-assed but he replies, "I'm not the Hokage for nothing."
Kushina rolls her eyes at him but her lips curl upwards regardless. She'd just too fond of this stupid blond, love is just that way.
Suddenly, there's a commotion outside and they hear heated voices, of Sakura and Sasuke and another person who sounds younger, more agitated and the door flies open revealing the aforementioned jounins and a kid with bright blond hair and whisker marks. He's looking at Minato in awe and disbelief. But Kushina doesn't see any of that, instead only one thought runs in her mind:
Did Minato cheat on me?
Sasuke smirks and looks at the kid, "So what was that about the Hokage having a goatee and grey hair that you were just telling us about?"
The kid sputters, "But–but he's the fourth Hokage- he's um." That's all the blond manages to get out before he gets tense and glares at Minato.
"You!" He points accusingly at the taller blond, who looks just as bewildered as Kushina, "You are a fake! Genjustu huh?" He makes a handsign, "Kai!" He opens his eyes and looks a little unsettled when he sees Minato still seated there, blond hair, blue eyes still intact.
The kid laughs nervously. "Okay okay. So it's the transformation technique," he murmurs but Sakura catches it anyway.
"No, you idiot! He is Minato Namikaze, in flesh and there's no balding old man smoking a pipe in this office."
Minato chokes on a dumpling a bit because that description sounded suspiciously like his predecessor.
The boy looks utterly lost and confused and idly walks upto Kushina, taking a seat beside her. He looks up then, his blue eyes meeting Minato's own similar ones and he whispers, "You should be dead."
Minato laughs, "Sure kid, seems like you don't like me much–" he leans forward unaware of why he feels at ease with this strange teenager whom he's never met before. "Did you send those assasins last weekend? Poor bunch. Ended up having a session with Ibiki." Kushina winces in sympathy forgetting the fact that those men had tried murdering her husband.
The kid goes stiff and his eyes shine with a frantic fear, "No! I've never–I didn't even know you were alive. You–I've been to your grave okay. This is confusing."
Kushina frowns and places a gentle hand on the kid's shoulder, "Relax alright. We're not accusing you of anything." She looks pointedly at Minato who nods in return.
Minato waves at Sasuke and Sakura who shut the door and drag two chairs upto his desk.
Once seated, Kushina asks, "What happened?"
And so Sasuke retells the happenings of the last hour, of the kid who says his name is Naruto, falling from nowhere, of his separation from his team, and his claim that Sasuke and Sakura are his teammates, only younger. Once he's done Minato immediately speaks up,
"There is no one beside my late son going by the name Naruto who is registered as a shinobi of Konoha."
Sakura glances at Naruto, ready to seize him if he's an enemy who thinks his cover is blown but the kid makes no move to run.
"That's not possible! I'm a genin of Konoha, have been for over a year. Hell, if it wasn't for those bastards from Akatsuki I would be in Suna, giving my chunin exams!"
Kushina squeezes his shoulder, "Listen, kid–Naruto, there are no chunin exams going on right now. Not here, not in Suna, not in any village."
Naruto frowns and bites his lip. Minato, though, is concerned about another matter entirely. "Naruto, how do you know about the Akatsuki?"
Naruto looks up, happy that he has atleast this answer, "Oh that. Well they've been targeting me for months now. After the chunin exams in Konoha last year, old man was injured right? So remember the old hag- uhhh- Tsunade-sama had shown up out of nowhere? Well, I had been the one to drag her here. With that pervert, Jiraiya. I met the Akatsuki on the trip to search for her." He looks at them then, deciding whether he should carry on. Sakura and Kushina give him gentle smiles and the two men nod at him, even though they all can't bring themselves to believe Naruto, who seems to be spewing tales made out of his own delusion.
Naruto sighs, "This is all confidential. But well, you are- you were the Hokage at one point, and y'all seem old enough to know this already so anyway. I am the nine-tails jinchuuriki and these Akatsuki people are collecting the bijuus power. Naturally, I'm one of their targets." He doesn't get to complete his rambling because Minato is standing now, perplexed by Naruto's statement. He would dismiss this unknown kid so like his own son, tell him he's dreaming but this Naruto seems sincere and sure of what he says. Like he's recollecting parts of his own life, there seems no hint of hesitation or lies.
In the corner of his mind, he wonders why he's not on edge, not thinking why this Naruto isn't some of his most dedicated enemy's latest scheme. Would be perfect, sending a small clone of his son, to reopen the wound that Minato had sown shut himself.
"Hold him!" He barks out instead and the three are already onto Naruto, pinning his arms and legs before he can even move a muscle.
"Hey! This isn't fair! I've done nothing wrong!"
Minato's face softens somewhat, he hadn't meant to startle the genin. He just had to check something.
"Relax. I'm just going to do something and see if you're telling the truth or not. Alright?"
Naruto remains tense but he nods, not knowing how else to get out of this situation.
Minato walks around his desk to Naruto's chair where he's being held tightly and slowly bends down. He starts lifting Naruto's orange jacket but the boy starts moving uncontrollably, "You–you pervert! What are you doing?!"
Despite the severity of the situation, Sasuke snorts and Minato's ears go red at the implications of what Naruto thinks he's doing.
"I'm not! I'm not doing anything. I'm just checking for the seal dammit!" He says, less composed that Sakura and Sasuke have ever seen him before.
"Oh." Naruto says, smile sheepish now as he stops his struggling. "Look then, that stupid fox is in me. Whether you like it or not."
Minato nods and turns serious again, lifting the jacket. "Channel chakra to your stomach." He asks and Naruto does so instantly. A complicated seal full of commas, swirls and dots forming arrays shows itself on his tan skin. A language only understood by masters of the art, someone Minato admittedly is.
Kushina peeks and stills because hailing from the clan of seal masters, she knows that piece of art all too well. She's had the same on herself once and then on her son and seeing it on this genin now shocks her.
Minato let's go of his jacket and slowly walks upto his seat. Kushina leaves her grip on Naruto's hand, the other two follow suit throwing looks of concern at each other.
Finally, Minato says, "He's a jinchuuriki. He's not lying about that."
Sakura takes in a sharp breath, realising the power this Naruto holds. Same as her friend did.
Sasuke looks thoughtful, "It shoudn't be possible. The kyuubi has years before it reforms. This all doesn't add up."
Minato continues, "Yes. This Naruto is too alike our Naruto. Doesn't make sense. Considering the fact that he actually has the nine tails, the option of this being an enemy's spy goes out the window. They would never hand us the power of a bijuu so openly."
Sakura folds her arms, "That's true. He doesn't even seem to have any tact or training in information gathering. So far, he's been saying stuff that's never happened which makes his backstory unbelievable, something a spy or infiltrator would never do."
Kushina looks at Minato, "Not to mention, he has the Konoha hitaite, and I checked, it's an original. He also has the seal, our seal Minato, only we know how to make it. There's no chance in hell that some seal master from Kumo or Iwa could've recreated it."
Naruto looks between the four as they converse about his situation and grits his teeth in frustration, "Oi! Don't talk about me like I'm not I'm the room!" Sasuke gives him a blank stare, "Shut up will you? We're one step away from throwing you in an interrogation cell. You're clear for one truth, the rest are still lies."
Naruto gets up, the force sending his chair tumbling down, "I'm not lying! I never do–" and maybe in another story, he would've stopped there and the other four in the room would've overlooked his outburst but in this story, two words make a difference. Two words make Naruto more reliable, make him something the four can't ignore.
So Naruto clenches his hands in tight fists, looks into their eyes and says, "Believe it!"
All of them go still as they stare in the familiar blue eyes, entranced by the words they've heard innumerable times by someone they'd care so deeply for. Naruto is shaking, silent fury oozing off of him but his gaze is determined and full of honesty and Kushina doesn't question her sanity when she thinks this boy before him is her son, that this Naruto is her Naruto.
Minato feels the same way but he's the Hokage and he can't just take the kid's words for truth no matter how much Minato wants to think that this is his son, some miracle bringing him back from the dead.
Sakura calls out, voice uncertain and full of fearful hope, "Naruto?" and everyone knows there's something different when she says that name. Something familiar in the tone, that was not there before.
Naruto looks at her, "Yes. I am Naruto, tall Sakura-san." He sits down again, seemingly done with his declarations for now.
Kushina chews on the inside of her cheek and then places her hand on his shoulder again, more gentle, more grounding, more reassuring than last time.
"We'll listen." She says, "Tell us your story."