TE DESEO LO MEJOR - Bad Bunny
"Have I ever told you how good you are in bed?"
Minato's face scrunched up in confusion as he stared down at his girlfriend. Her red tresses were splayed out behind her, painting the white sheets of their bed. "Uh... No, no I don't think you have."
"Well you are." Kushina stated in a matter of fact tone. "You just hit all... the... right... places..." Her tone became overtly sexual and the way she grinded her hips against his...
Dear Kami Kushina was sin incarnate.
Despite the bountiful amount of time he spent with Kushina and her teasing ways, she still managed to make him blush. She was so... out there. It was hard to put into words but she was like a lion and he was a gazelle.
That was a horrible analogy and he knew it.
Before he could even think to reply to her words, a hiss of pleasure escaped his lips as Kushina's lips wrapped around his-
Minato twitched back to reality, eyes snapping around the room as he took in his surroundings. Well, that had been an interesting daydream and it now left him hungry.
And he wasn't talking about food either.
The teleporting Shinobi sighed heavily as he rubbed his eyes, curbing his sexual desires. Aside from partaking in pleasures of the flesh, Minato had been thinking alot about his inevitable trip to Amegakure.
After making sure little Naruto was safe and secure with Kakashi, along with being guarded by three Shadow Clones and what was basically an impenetrable seal barrier around his home, he had sat on Fukasaku's words for several hours.
The Toad Sage had brought up good points, logical ones. Why should he potentially risk his life, knowing that he had a new-born son without a mother. That should have stopped him dead in his tracks in the first place...
Except it didn't. And Minato was struggling, desperately searching for reasons as to why that was. Why was his rationale being curbed?
He had initially blamed it on Kushina's death, believing it to be the cause for his irrational thoughts and actions. But he knew, deep down, that this wasn't the case.
He was grieving that was for sure but every day, bit by bit, he was returning to normalcy. Atleast, he believed so. His Shinobi believed otherwise and they weren't scared to say so either.
Minato had acquiesced to Fukasaku's words and hadn't immediately traveled to Amegakure. However, he was still going to do so and no one would change his mind. Even if what Jiraiya had found had been nothing but a rumour, he couldn't help but feel like there was more to it.
Speaking of Jiraiya...
The door to his office burst open, startling his secretary. Her body tensed up, papers flying from her hands and shooting into the air. A dozen or so yellow flashes emitted in the room as Minato caught each paper, placing them back on the table and returning to his seat, all in the span of a single second.
Yes, his entire office was covered in Hiraishin Seals. No, he wasn't paranoid. Just... cautious.
"Kid! What the hell are you thinking?!"
Annnnnnnnddddddd it begins.
"Sensei." Minato greets casually, nodding his head a single time and clasping his hands together and placing them on the table. "How are you?"
His Sensei didn't appreciate his nonchalant attitude as evident by his harsh scowl.
Rude.
"Don't you 'How are you, Sensei?' me, you little shit." Jiraiya stated in annoyed manner. "What are you thinking?! Going to Amegakure by yourself?!"
Minato just sat there, hands clasped while staring at his teacher in an aloof manner. He was silent for several seconds before eventually side eying his secretary who hastily fled from the room.
After her departure, Minato finally deigned his teacher a response. "Well, I was thinking about how rude it was of you to barge into my office, scaring my secretary half to death while nearly causing a mess."
Minato took great pleasure in annoying Jiraiya and the fact the man's face was now twitching in anger was somewhat soothing. Perhaps Kushina had rubbed off on him a little too much.
"Don't be a little shit." Jiraiya stated quietly, eyes narrowing.
The Fourth Hokage shrugged his shoulders before spinning his chair around and staring out into the dilapidated Village. Construction was slow and there was still bruises but Konoha would eventually recover. As bad as it sounded and he disliked why the thought had sprang up, but a majority of deaths were civilians and while tragic, the Shinobi populace was far more important.
That was just a fact. Minato felt sympathy for the Village and anyone affected by the Kyuubi, because he himself had even suffered because of it, but the deaths of common civilians were the least of his worries right now.
Getting the Village stabilized and getting his Shinobi to mobilize and provide counter intelligence was of the utmost importance.
Sometimes he despised how easy it was for him to turn off his emotions. It allowed him to be the perfect Shinobi in a somewhat twisted sense. When you lack sympathy and empathy, the plight of others does not affect how you yourself maneuver.
Double so for the life of a Shinobi. He had maintained composure even when his son and wife were being held hostage. He hadn't even been affected when Obito had snagged Naruto, covering him in explosive tags and throwing him to the wind while activating them. He'd been stone when Obito had kidnapped Kushina while ripping the Kyuubi out of her. And he even went head to head with the Bijuu and didn't bat a single eye.
Sometimes it was a blessing and sometimes it was a curse. Emotions are what separate man from machine. And while Minato would have loved to spout about how important it was for individuals to feel, he'd be lying.
Being numb had its positives. Numbing the pain from Kushina's death was certainly helping but it only delayed the inevitable breakdown he'd suffer through. And it wasn't like he wasn't mourning for his wife, because he was, but sometimes...
Sometimes you'd just rather not have to deal with life.
"You even listening to me, kid?" Jiraiya questioned in an annoyed tone, leaning against his desk.
"Of course, Sensei." He replied calmly, standing to his feet. His blue eyes flicked around the Village, spotting yellow flashes here and there. "Nothing you say is going to change my mind though. I'm doing this whether you like it or not."
Jiraiya was silent for several seconds before shaking his head. "So what, just gonna leave your kid behind? Haven't you both suffered enough?" The Old Sage knew he had struck a nerve when Minato's shoulders tensed up. "Naruto is already going to grow up without a mother..." He paused, wondering if he should continue but thought better of it. "Don't do this Minato."
The blond haired man just shook his head. "I will be fine."
"And what if you're not?!" Jiraiya finally shouted, patience snapping. "You're not fucking invincible, Minato! You are strong, yes but you are not impervious! What if there's someone who can nullify the Hiraishin?! What if, for whatever reason, you just aren't fast enough?! You're becoming arrogant Minato! Stop and fucking think!"
"I already have!" The Hokage snapped back in kind, turning around to glare at Jiraiya. "You think I don't know my own fucking weaknesses?! You think my over-analytical mind hasn't drawn up hundreds, if not thousands, of scenarios where my Hiraishin is useless or somehow countered?! That my Sage Mode won't be enough to aid me?!" Minato scoffed while throwing his hands up. "I've spent more time thinking about my own shortcomings as a Shinobi than you've spent spying on women! Don't lecture me about what is right or wrong Jiraiya. The last thing I want to hear from you is what I should or shouldn't do. You've never taken Hiruzen's advice before so what gives you the right to try to do so with me?!"
Before Jiraiya could reply with the vitriolic response that sat upon his tongue, the door to the office opened, followed by the busty form of Tsunade.
In her hands were several thick manila folders and documents. Her honey brown eyes were skimming through one of the various documents, quietly murmuring to herself and slightly oblivious to the tense atmosphere.
"Minato..." She started slowly, eyes still roaming along the document. "I'm going to need... some..." Her eyes finally rose to the two men, taking in their frustrated gazes and now finally becoming aware of the incredibly tense atmosphere. "Uhh... Was I interrupting something?"
Minato glanced towards Jiraiya, his glare softening up just a bit before shifting towards the blonde woman. "Jiraiya and I were having..." He paused for a moment before continuing. "A disagreement."
Her brown eyes cut towards her former teammate before shifting back to Minato. She adjusted the stack of papers, documents and folders before speaking. "Doesn't seem like it..."
Before Minato could reply, Jiraiya spat out. "Oh yes, a simple disagreement on how idiotic it is of my student to go prancing around in Amegakure, by himself, due to a supposed rumour about Hanzo the Salamander dying."
Tsunade's eyes widened to saucers as she snapped her gaze to Jiraiya. "What?!"
Minato groaned quietly, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.
"Why would you want to do that, Minato?" Tsunade questioned in confusion, eyebrows furrowing.
Minato just shook his head as he replied. "I need to do this."
"Okay, but why though?" The Slug Sannin reiterated, tone curious and filled with slight concern. "If you're so gung ho about this that you'd nearly get into a fight with Jiraiya about it, then what is so important about Hanzo's potential death that needs your attention?"
The Fourth Hokage was silent as he thought about Tsunade's question. It had been something that even he himself had sat on. Why was this important? He didn't really have an answer other than the fact that something was causing him to seek this out.
"I..." He started, eyebrows furrowing. "I just know something is wrong."
Tsunade ignored Jiraiya's disbelieving scoff. She took a few more steps into the room, placing the papers and documents on Minato's desk.
"Aren't you worried about the potential outcome of you not returning?" She questioned in a gentle tone, completely opposite of Jiraiya's frustrated and angry one. "Minato, you've just lost your wife and now have to raise your son alone... Don't orphan your child when he needs you the most."
Minato hated, hated, how her words affected him. They caused pain. A pain reminiscent to Kushina's death. Why did she have to make sense? It wasn't that Jiraiya wasn't making sense either, because he certainly was, but it was how he was saying it that frustrated Minato.
Tsunade's words lacked the rancor that Jiraiya's possessed. She wasn't judging his decision or believing it to be ludicrous. She was being gentle and understanding, knowing how important this potential information was.
"Besides," The busty woman continued with a shrug. "You can just a send a clone to Amegakure to confirm this information, right? It's not like you yourself have to physically be there anyway."
Silence.
An awkward amount of silence.
"You..." Tsunade started slowly, staring at Minato with confusion. "You did think about sending a clone right? Right...?"
What a loud silence this was.
Tsunade's confusion turned into disbelief as she stared at Minato. "You cannot be serious! Minato fucking Namikaze!" Her shout caused the Fourth Hokage to cringe. "Please tell me that you thought to send a Shadow Clone into Amegakure! Please, oh please, say it isn't so..."
Minato cringed once again, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "It uh..." He sniffed once. "It miiiiiiight have slipped my mind..."
Tsunade just stared directly into the man's eyes, not speaking. Her disbelief and incredulity was evident. Her brown eyes shifted towards Jiraiya before her expression shifted into a vicious glare.
"I blame you." She insisted angrily. "This is all your fault."
Jiraiya squawked loudly, arms gesturing wildly. "How is this my fault?!"
"Because you're his fucking teacher! Teaching him common fucking sense was your damn job! And it's clear you fucking failed! Look at him!" She gestured towards the blond man who was standing awkwardly while rubbing his neck. "He's completely lost! He didn't even think to use Shadow Clones! This is your fault, you stupid pervert!"
As Tsunade and Jiraiya began to bicker with one another, Minato was silent, avoiding the ire of Tsunade. She shared far too many similarities with Kushina and he was certain that if he brought attention to himself, it'd just cause an earful.
He was just going to... silently leave the room.
"Where do you think you're going?!" Tsunade's irritated voice resounded out before he could disappear through the window. "You see what I mean Jiraiya! He can use the fucking Hiraishin but he chose to try to leave through the window! It's your fucking fault! How is he still alive after all these years?!"
"C'mon Sensei... It wasn't that bad, was it?" Kakashi questioned in a light hearted tone, patting his teacher on the back. "I'm sure Tsunade-sama was just..." Words failed to come to Kakashi and so, the teen left it at that.
Minato, who's hands were covering his face while hunched over on his couch, groaned pitifully. "She's like an older Kushina... Except with a drinking problem."
A small smirk formed on Kakashi's face that was hidden by his mask. "Don't let her hear you say that... We know how violent Kushina could get." The masked Hatake paused for a moment before commenting offhandedly. "Must be that Uzumaki blood..."
That... made sense actually. Or perhaps all women were violent at some level.
Yeah... No. It definitely had to be the Uzumaki blood.
Putting it behind him, Minato rubbed his eyes before deciding to address something that involved his wayward student and his former teammate. This conversation was going to be a rough one and he only hoped that Kakashi wouldn't fall into despair because of it.
"Kakashi..." The Hokage started tiredly. "There is something I've been meaning to tell you about the Kyuubi..."
The silver haired teen shifted towards his Sensei, single eye focused entirely on the man he viewed as a father figure. "Is it about Naruto?" He questioned curiously, glancing towards the crib in the corner of the room that held said child.
Minato shook his head as a quiet sigh left him. "No, no this isn't about Naruto." He placed one of his hands unto Kakashi's shoulder, the other digging into a pocket and pulling out a dirty scroll. Minato began to unfurl the scroll before applying a bit of his Chakra to it. A quiet poof emanated from the object, revealing a small jar with liquid inside of it.
Minato held the jar just slightly out of Kakashi's point of view, staring at the object inside of it. Disappointment flooded his body as he stared at the jar.
How... sad.
"Who's eye is in your left socket?" Minato questioned quietly, idly rotating the glass jar full of liquid.
The remaining members of Team 7 tilted his head in confusion before answering. "Obito's... But why is that important Sensei?"
The Fourth Hokage remained silent, eyes still focusing on the item in his hand while his other tightened upon Kakashi's shoulder, not in a painful manner of any sort, but tight enough to draw Kakashi's concerned gaze.
Deciding to rip the band-aid off, Minato shifted towards his protege before holding the item up to his student. Kakashi's single orb snapped to the jar as he stared at the contents within said jar.
And he stared.
Silence reigned for several seconds as Kakashi continued to stare the single matured Sharingan floating inside the glass jar. His shoulders slowly dropped and when he spoke, there was a vulnerable tone to it.
"Is... Is that...?"
Minato gripped the boy's shoulder even tighter before speaking softly. "The person that caused the Kyuubi to rampage, who inadvertently killed Kushina and 8,000 other individuals in Konoha..." He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath and exhaling quietly.
"Was Obito."
"How dreary..." Minato's voice resounded out, muffled by the overbearing rain that saturated the entirety of Amegakure and its borders.
The Shadow Clone tugged upon its hooded cloak, covering his spikey locks. He dug into one of his pockets, procuring a half mask that covered the top portion of his face, obscuring his eyes and nose from view.
The Shadow Clone proceeded to stand still, rain beating down upon its body for several minutes. If passerbys were to come upon him, then they'd believe he was a statue.
Another minute or so passed by before orange pigment, which was covered by the mask upon his face, formed around his eyes. Had his eyes been visible then one would be able to see that the man's pupils were now toad-like in appearance, possessing a thick, horizontal bar.
Upon gaining access to Sage Mode, Minato's Shadow Clone proceeded to stare up into the clouds. A disgusting amount of Chakra was saturating the rain from above. Minato wasn't the best sensor around but he also wasn't a slouch. The fact he hadn't been able to sense this before Sage Mode was worrying.
Whoever was behind this Chakra-infused rain was incredibly dangerous. The sheer reserves required to keep something like this up was unheard of. Only someone with a Bijuu would be able to maintain something like this for long periods of time and the last time Minato checked, no Bijuu belonged to Amegakure.
Minato spun his trademark Kunai in his hand before holding up a single hand sign. A poof of smoke appeared in his hands, revealing that he had cloned the Kunai. Another poof of smoke emanated around the man, revealing 13 new Shadow Clones. Three of his clones nodded their head before disappearing in a yellow flash outside of Ame's borders to garner extra Natural Chakra for Sage Mode. The rest of the Shadow Clones were tossed a Kunai before they disappeared in Shunshins, spreading out into Amegakure.
Minato was positive that this rain was anything but normal. He wouldn't be surprised if the user of said Jutsu was now aware of his existence and location. Or perhaps the Jutsu could be used as an attack, allowing the droplets of rain to transform into needles. The possibilities were endless and Minato's cautious actions were only further proved as he made his way deeper into the cess pit that was called Amegakure.
The clone stuck to the shadows of the dreary city, avoiding the odd Shinobi here and there. He hadn't seen a single sign of there being citizens to the actual city aside from sensing presences inside of dilapidated homes and underground bunkers. Atleast he assumed them to be bunkers, that or sewers.
Minato's eyes were drawn to a skyscraper that was near the southern end of the industrial city, resting in front of the ocean of sea that sat behind it. This building practically towered over everything in the city, looming ominously.
Well, if there was a secret hideout that housed the main enemy, then it'd certainly be in that tower. As Minato made to move towards the tower, he received an influx of information from the clones he had made. Each one of them were popped at the same time in nearly the same exact way, by a needle sized prick to the head, back and or neck.
Minato's eyes glanced towards the rain from the safety of his awning beneath a random building. So his hypothesis about the rain was correct. Not only was it able to to be used as a weapon, it was also able to track multiple targets at the same time.
Whoever was controlling this Jutsu was a monster. Not only was their Chakra reserves monstrous but their mental fortitude must have been off the charts. The ability to relay multiply avenues of information and having the capability to act independently on said avenues at the same time was incredibly impressive.
That begged the question... Was the caster able to distinguish his clones from the real deal and act accordingly or had the caster just immediately taken action regardless, not bothering to distinguish clone or creator?
So many questions and yet, no answers. It was good that Tsunade had brought up the fact to send a clone instead of the real deal. Information was being relayed real time and it was only a win. Just sucks that he himself hadn't thought to send a clone first.
How... unlike him. Kushina's passing was certainly taking its toll on his mental. Or perhaps he was lacking the assertive guidance of a woman. No one alive could say that Kushina didn't provide results. She was bullheaded and aggressive to anything seen as an obstacle but she was also intelligent. He wouldn't have been the Seal Master he is today without her help after all.
Tsunade was currently filling that void that Kushina's presence provided. Not in a romantic sense or anything of the sort but more as comfort. It was somewhat soothing to be yelled at for his antics and decisions and Tsunade mimicked Kushina's words nearly word for word. It was almost scarily similar.
Minato was just going to chalk that up to the Uzumaki blood.
Pushing those thoughts to the back of his head and storing them away, Minato disappeared in a Shunshin, racing along various rooftops and alley ways with a speed that Jonins would barely be able to follow. Every jump and leap brought him that much closer to the tower at the rear end of the city. And as the distance closed so too did Minato's emotions.
Just as Minato was about to take his last leap to scale the skyscraper he sensed an influx of Chakra to his immediate right. His eyes snapped towards the direction, seeing a wave of burning paper making its way towards his position. He had been caught mid leap and thus, would be hit by the flaming explosive tags.
If he was an average Shinobi.
Minato's right hand faced the direction that the attack was coming from before firing off a compact blast of Futon Chakra. Due to this, his body was sent in the opposite direction while the explosive tags were sent blasting away, quite literally exploding after the wave of wind swept them up.
He landed on the wall of a random building, sticking to it with Chakra and spreading his senses out. While not surprised that he had been attacked, he was confused as to how he hadn't sensed the presence of the individual beforehand.
Minato's eyes glanced up towards the cloudy sky with narrowed eyes. Was the rain capable of masking Chakra presences as well?
The Yondaime Hokage sensed movement from around the building and not a second later did the building he stood against explode in spectacular fashion. The blond haired intruder skipped along various rooftops, dodging and weaving out of the way of Shurikens and Kunais that looked oddly similar to origami creations.
His trademark Kunai flashed into his hand as he somersaulted off the building he was atop of. Not a second later did a dozen or so paper Shurikens follow him. Minato batted them away with ease, shifting his position in mid air and kicking off one of the walls. His trajectory launched him out into one of the various streets of the city.
Minato landed in a crouch with his Kunai in a reverse grip and his eyes snapping to and fro, searching for any sign of the individual attacking him. Knowing that the rain could potentially be used against him, Minato ducked under various awnings provided by the dilapidated buildings.
Another wave of explosive tags came rocketing towards him from the East. Another Hiraishin Kunai flashed into his hand as Minato reared his arm back, channeling Futon Chakra into the weapon. He released the weapon, watching as it practically sliced through the explosive tags, detonating them and continuing to fly towards where they had originally came from.
Minato performed two unique hand seals before biting his thumb and channeling his Chakra. He disappeared in a yellow flash, body appearing upside down and coming face to face with a woman who possessed blueish-purple hair and unique amber eyes.
The unknown woman was incapable of reacting to the instant teleportation and cried out in pain as Minato's right hand crashed into her abdomen. A sealing matrix formed directly where his hand had struck, spreading all throughout her body and causing her nerves to lock up. As the two began to fall, Minato and his captive disappeared in a yellow flash, reappearing under a random awning.
The Yondaime Hokage twirled his Hiraishin Kunai, senses remaining vigilant despite capturing one of the Shinobi attacking him. This woman wasn't the one controlling the Jutsu that provided the rain. While she possessed impressive Chakra Reserves she definitely didn't have enough to supply the city with endless rain.
A quiet grunt escaped through the lips of the woman he captured followed by two distinct words. "Yondaime... Hokage?!"
Minato deigned a glance towards the woman, staring at the rather beautiful Kunoichi with narrowed eyes. A sense of familiarity assaulted him as he continued to stare at her blue hair and... amber eyes...
Wait a second...
This woman was-!
An influx of Chakra was his only warning as a shockwave of immense power tore through the streets of Ame, uplifting and destroying various buildings. Minato's eyes widened at the force of the attack before teleporting away from the area.
Reappearing a few meters away from the destructive force of whatever Jutsu had been cast, Minato's eyes spotted a redheaded man standing near the blue haired woman, hovering over her.
The Yondaime narrowed his eyes before flexing his right hand and channeling Chakra. Not a moment later did the blue haired woman teleport away from the man, reappearing in Minato's grasp. The woman released a pained cry as the Yondaime's trademark Kunai rested along her throat, drawing a thin line of blood.
That caused the red haired man to stop in his tracks. The man's violet ringed eyes locked unto him, peering at him emotionlessly. The seconds ticked away silently as Minato slowly maneuvered his way under an awning to prevent himself from being injured by the rain above.
He recognized the man, if only from Jiraiya's stories. This... This was Nagato. The red hair and the Rinnegan... It had to be. And if this was Nagato then the woman in his hold was Konan. The amber eyes and blue hair gave it away, along with the use of her unique paper Jutsu.
Now it was starting to make sense as to how Hanzo had died... Jiraiya spoke of the Rinnegan in high regards, how it provides the user with an unfathomable amount of power and abilities. The man that stood a few meters away from him also carried an incredulous amount of Chakra. No doubt Nagato was the man responsible for the unique rain.
"Let's act rational, Nagato." Minato started quietly, adjusting Konan's position and ignoring her grunt. "Let's talk, shall we?"
Nagato didn't seem bothered by the fact that someone knew his identity. The Uzumaki shifted his body towards Minato before responding.
"Yondaime Hokage..." He spoke blandly, not displaying a hint of worry or concern for Konan. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
The masked blond kept his Kunai on Konan's throat, knowing that Nagato wouldn't endanger the life of his sister orphan. "Your old Sensei caught wind of some interesting rumours spreading throughout Ame... I wanted to personally confirm it."
The Rinnegan wielder was silent for a moment before tilting his head. "And have you confirmed your suspicions?"
"I'd like to think so." Minato responded evenly.
Nagato shrugged his shoulders at the Hokage's answer. "Then what purpose do you have remaining in Amegakure? Do you wish for more intel? Better avenues to abuse for another one of your petty wars and disputes? Is Iwagakure pressuring you once more? I would assume that the infamous Yellow Flash would have continued to reign terror across the Elemental Nations... Instead, you're in my home, terrorizing an already bleeding populace with more nonsense."
A small frown formed on Minato's face at Nagato's words. He wasn't going to bother trying to dispute them. Konoha had used Ame for warring terrain and had abused the populace. The only reason Konoha had been pushed out was due to Hanzo forcing them out. However, that wasn't why he was here and Nagato likely knew that.
"I wished to confirm Hanzo's passing and considering that you're still alive after all this time despite Jiraiya's belief otherwise... I believe I have the information I was seeking." Minato removed his Kunai from Konan's throat before gently pushing her forward, allowing the woman to stand on her own.
Nagato's eyebrows furrowed slightly at the Yondaime's action. "I find it hard to believe that this is all you came here for... I'm sure you're aware of how powerful Hanzo truly was... His death would shake the Shinobi World and knowing there is an individual out there capable of dealing with him, I find it hard to believe that a Major Village like yours would just allow this to happen without reacting."
Minato stares at the man for several seconds before replying slowly. "I have no quarrel with you or Amegakure. My Villages' crimes against you came before my time and while I would hope you wouldn't allow old grudges to sway your beliefs, it would be remiss of me to completely ignore how you feel. You suffered directly at the hands of my Village regardless. There's enough suffering in the world... I don't see a reason to continue adding more to it unless provoked to do so. As the saying goes, 'Talk softly but carry a big stick.' Perhaps one day our Villages could even make amends..."
With that closing comment, the Shadow Clone proceeded to poof out of existence and the Jutsu keeping Konan paralyzed disappeared directly afterwards. The blue haired woman dropped to the ground with a quiet grunt, holding her abdomen and hissing quietly.
Nagato was by her side nearly a second later, eyebrows creasing in concern as he checked her over for injuries. Gone was the emotionless facade he possessed when speaking to the Yondaime.
"Are you okay, Konan?"
The blue haired woman hissed once more before nodding her head, grunting quietly. "I'll be... I'll be fine. Whatever he did to me is wearing off..."
Nagato was silent for a few moments before his unique orbs drifted to where Minato had disappeared from. A small frown painted his face as he spoke quietly.
"I believe 'Madara' failed his endeavor..."
Konan scoffed quietly as she slowly rose to her feet. "That's because he was nothing more than a farce... An imposter using the man's namesake... Yahiko was right the entire time."
Nagato nodded his head, helping Konan to her feet and wrapping an arm around her waist, allowing her to lean on him. "I never doubted Yahiko but there was always a chance... A slim one but a chance nonetheless. Atleast that's one obstacle taken care of... I guess I'll have to thank the Yondaime the next time I see him."
Konan's gaze shifted towards her brother, surprise evident upon her features. "Are you saying...?"
Nagato only nodded his head. "Yahiko will want to speak to Jiraiya... I don't believe Minato is as monstrous as the Elemental Nations make him out to be. I would not mind an alliance... Amegakure is still bleeding and we can only do so much, Konan."
The paper wielder looked like she disagreed but she decided to keep her words to herself. She offered a single nod, making small steps back towards the tower with Nagato's aid.
The Yondaime Hokage found himself in a predicament of sorts. Now, normally he'd have sent Kakashi or some Genin to accomplish the task he was currently doing however, someone (Tsunade) had all but forced him to do this alone. Stating that it would 'Help you in the long run.'
So here he was. Standing in the baby isle of a random store, scouring the shelves for baby... item... things...
The Hokage resisted the urge to rub his eyes in frustration. He had far more important things to worry about than the type of diapers his child used, or the type of baby wipes required to accomplish the task of cleaning his poo-covered child.
It was times like this that made Kushina's death sting even more. Not so much in a sad way but in an annoying sort of way. Minato wasn't good at this whole 'father' business considering he had grew up as an orphan and used the Shinobi Academy to get through his early years.
Shopping for a child's necessities was somehow demeaning and Minato disliked every single second of it. Just looking at all the labels on the various foods and whatnot was going to drive him mad.
What in the hell was 'pea purée' and why the fuck did it sound like a war crime?!
The Yondaime was seconds away from tearing out his blond locks before a familiar feminine voice resounded out in the relatively empty aisle.
"Minato?!" The gruff but feminine voice spoke. "Is that you?!"
Said man turned his head towards the voice, spying a casually dressed Tsume Inuzuka. The woman was out of her standard Jonin Uniform and was dressed in a pair of black tights with a black crop top that hung lazily over her shoulder, nearly exposing one of her breasts.
It was fitting if Minato was being honest. The woman was brash, loud and aggressive. There wasn't really anything more that was needed to say about her. That's not to say that Minato disliked her though. The Inuzuka Matriarch, or rather soon to be Matriarch, was friendly enough, in a rough and gruff sort of way.
"Tsume-san." Minato greeted with a polite nod of the head, thankful for a distraction. "What brings you here?"
The animalistic woman tugged her large cart of groceries and various other items over as she spoke. "-San? Fuck are you being so formal for?" She swerved her cart right next to his nearly causing them to collide. "You're out of the office and I'm not in uniform. Just call me Tsume, Blondie."
Her casual and laid back words caused the inklings of a smile to frame the man's face. Minato sighed quietly as he shook his head. "Hai hai... Tsume..." He corrected, bemused when the woman nodded her head in satisfaction. "What brings you here?"
The woman's eyes none too subtly trailed towards his own cart, roaming along the various items, spotting several things that were clearly for his son.
"Ahh ya know..." She started lackadaisically, slitted pupils glancing towards the blond. "Getting some shit for the kiddos and doing a bit of grocery shopping. What's brings you here?" She asked with a smirk, already knowing.
Minato's features became a bit squeamish as he stared at the jars of baby formula in his hands. He grimaced before placing the items back onto the shelf. "Just... ya know. Shopping."
Smooth, Minato. Real smooth.
Tsume's smirk only deepened, exposing one of her large canines. "You ain't got a single clue as to what you're doing, do ya?"
Minato deflated with a heavy sigh, shaking his head negatively as he did so.
The feral woman cackled loudly as she left her own cart, making her way towards her blond Kage. "C'mon Yellow Flash, let me help you."
Minato grimaced once more as he replied. "Uhh... You don't have to Tsume. Really... I wouldn't want to be a bother..."
The Inuzuka snorted loudly, saddling up beside the blond man and eyeing the rows of baby food. "Listen Spikey..." She playfully insulted/teased. "It's clear ya ain't cut out for the single parent life. Trust me. I'm doing it myself. You're out of your element. Now, take my help or I'll cut ya." Following her playful threat was an exaggerated motion with her claws, extending nearly double their length.
Minato released a quiet sigh, knowing a losing battle when he saw one. "Hai hai..."
Tsume cackled once more as she guided the blond man along the various shelves. "Good boy." She teased playfully, speaking to Minato as if he was a dog. "Now, ya gotta couple of options when it comes to baby food and shit. Ya can go with the organic stuff, which makes their shits practically lethal, or you can go with the processed shit, which is pretty unhealthy to begin with. Both are equal parts shitty and have their positives. It's all up to you really." She informed in her usual brash and loud manner.
Minato followed along, if only barely, before replying. "So... What should I go with then?"
Tsume glanced towards the man before shifting towards the various foods on the shelf. "Well..." She started quietly, clawed fingers scraping along the shelves. "Considering your boy's heritage and..." She gestured in a vague motion that was somehow supposed to relay the fact that Naruto was a Jinchuuriki. "I don't think it'll really matter. He's not gonna be a normal kid and if he's even a tenth of the child you and Kushi were, I'd be more worried about his toddler years. He's gonna be a pain in the fucking ass."
Minato released his 75th sigh of the day at Tsume's words. Yes, 75. He had counted them all.
"Got any advice?" He asked pitifully.
Tsume glanced towards the man before shrugging her shoulders lazily, nearly exposing her breasts. "Get a girlfriend."
Minato sighed heavily once more. And there went 76.
The feral woman cackled once more before placing a clawed hand on the man's shoulder. "Hey, it only gets shittier from here on out. Might as well get used to it, Blondie."
"You... really aren't helping." Minato replied in slight annoyance.
Tsume patted the man's shoulder with a loud chuckle. "Who said I was helping?" She cackled at his aggravated visage before growing slightly serious. "Hey, if you ever wanna talk or some shit... Just let me know. I know what you're going through... Shit sucks and it's gonna keep sucking for awhile. But you're strong Minato. I know you can pull through this." She proceeded to squeeze his shoulder before patting it once more and returning to her cart.
Minato's lips parted at the woman's rather sincere tone, eyes following her as she returned to her own cart.
Tsume did know what he was going through didn't she? She had lost her husband only recently, just before having her son. Sesshomaru had been on an excursion to Iwa's borders before being ambushed. Despite killing all those that had attacked him, he had fallen to his injuries shortly after. Tsume had given birth shortly after his death and was now being thrust into the role of Inuzuka Clan Head.
"Hey, Tsume?" Minato called out before the woman could begin to leave.
"Ya?" She questioned with a raised eyebrow, turning back towards the man.
"Thank you." He expressed gratefully, a soft smile licking at his features.
Tsume stared at the man for several seconds before offering a small smirk. She waved over her shoulder as she replied, hips swaying back and forth in an exaggerated motion.
"Don't mention it, Spikey." As she continued to saunter down the isle, she spoke again. "Don't go staring at my ass either!"
Minato hadn't.
But he certainly was now.
Kami dammit!
The woman's loud cackling was heard as she exited the isle, already knowing that her words had caused the man to do what she said not to do.
Minato just shook his head with another sigh.
77.
Ding ding ding!
We have a winner.
AN: Sup. I updated the story. (: