⠀⠀How much did Minato know? Did my life wash over him as a whole, and he could only sparse bits of his future? Does he know more about my own life than what's to come of his? Does he know all of Naruto's story? Does he trust me, knowing my life? How much time did they have to sift through my memories? Should I trust him?

⠀⠀Was he keeping me close, as the old saying goes, 'Keep your friends close and enemies closer?' Could I even be considered a threat? How about an enemy? Would Minato mind all the art I've seen? Would he understand everything, knowing what was once fiction is now my reality? What about other things I know?

⠀⠀Does he care for the other works of fiction I knew about? Would he use them as plans for the future? What plans was he already concocting, if any? Was I to be a pawn in this game of chess? Should I use shoji as an example instead?

⠀⠀I held my breath as hundreds of questions haunted the back of my mind. Each hypothetical answer I told myself circled back to our deal while each chain of possibilities I drummed all ended the same: wait and see. I was glad I had patients.

⠀⠀It took a week, but on the sixteenth of November, while it lightly snowed and only twenty-past nine, Minato returned. He was even more ragged than the days before, held together by the last drops of coffee he sipped at. I could taste the warm brew, denoting the lack of sugar. It was roasted hot and fast, and had an acidic burn that flayed his throat.

⠀⠀He was quiet when he spoke, occasionally yawned, and carried my bag as he signed my release. I followed him into the snow and winced as he dragged his feet through it. He wasn't dressed for winter, uncaring over the chill it caused him. He seemed distant, and it was as concerning as it was aggravating. Minato's chakra, body language, and how he acted all held sparse answers. However, even if he was exhausted, he smiled and was happy. It was the only silver lining.

⠀⠀It only faded when he picked up white flowers and handed them to me. They didn't quite match the white of the snow, but they were still beautiful. I didn't need to be told what they were for. They were white chrysanthemums, after all. Only then, as we stepped into the graveyard, did I finally focus elsewhere.

⠀⠀Freedom's sour note was another reminder of how caged my mind's eye was. Sullied by winter and sullied by the seal, what remained was a quarter of what it was. Instead of drolling at the overwhelming nature of the village, I was 'just' a happy popsicle. Instead of Konohagakure being overwhelming, it was instead just 'pleasant.'

⠀⠀I wanted it to be more. I needed it to be more, to be what it was. To regain that euphoria of flavor, unabated and unabashed. Like an addiction, I needed it, but being as self-aware as I was, I didn't know if that was a good thing.

⠀⠀My greed, justified as I felt it was, was put aside as I laid the funeral floral arrangement down at Yamanaka Ichiro's grave. It was hard to feel sorry for myself, given where I was. When Minato offered a low bow, I quickly mirrored it. The motion helped drive that point in, and a faint part of me wished it was more literal.

⠀⠀What little onlookers were there gave off a silkie texture that was tricky against the tongue. For a few, it was gratitude, but more from respect than thanks. For one, it was a relief. Not quite the weight of the world being lifted from sore shoulders, but happiness ebbed in joy. Past the social norms, the Japanese-inspired culture, and fight or die mentality of Shinobi and Kunoichi, they were still just people.

⠀⠀From the corner of my eye, Ino's father, his name escapes me, looked relieved. His chakra was odd, like a soup of flavor with each ingredient not belonging together. There was a hate for Minato that stood out. It was close to raisins that left lacerations down my throat. Then there was a sadness dipped in ranch that was gritty, like sandpaper. Somehow, both flavors eroded as he watched us, leaving a chicken-like slurry in their wake.

⠀⠀It made my skin crawl, the way he forgave him. Ino's father was just a man dealing with loss, and it — somehow — didn't hold him. Not like it did for Minato, Mama, or even myself. The trauma of suffering was there, and it was the same self-hate I despised. But it was almost unbound. It was nice, but I was grateful when I could stop sensing his chakra. Even when forgiven, the feeling was too much.

⠀⠀Still, I wondered why his father, Ichiro, tried to kill me. Was it fear of the unknown? Was he a plant, there to see who I really was? Did my chakra drive him mad? Did Minato kill him out of mercy when my chakra attacked him? How did my chakra attack him? Was it like the experiments Danzo and Orochimaru conducted with Hashirama's cells?

⠀⠀To myself, I said, "I don't know." The overwhelmed concern was evident in my voice.

⠀⠀"You don't know what, Hikigaeru-kun?" Minato asked. My lack of answer made him tilt his head. A moment passed, and I could sense the gears in his head turning. In his tired state, it was like a stress migraine pushing forward like a train. "You don't know why he tried to kill you," he correctly concluded, only to suppress a yawn.

⠀⠀"It doesn't make sense," I rambled.

⠀⠀"It rarely does, Hikigaeru-kun. It rarely does," he offered. "Especially when your comrades are involved. Or having a rare kekkei genkai. Or having an affinity for nature energy. They make things complicated."

⠀⠀"You're telling me..."

⠀⠀"For those who care, like Sensei, Lady Tsunade, and you, the life of a ninja is not easy. Now," yawned openly, "let's get you home."

⠀⠀"Where is home, anyways?" I asked as he rubbed at his eyes.

⠀⠀His answer wasn't immediate as he took his time trying to stay awake. "Lady Tsunade requested an old Senju residence be refurbished for you," he mumbled. "It was a small clan house. A few rooms, a garden, a training ground."

⠀⠀"That's 'what' Minato-san, not where."

⠀⠀"Southwest of the Hokage monument. Under Hashirama's gaze, near the main road to the Uchiha clan grounds."

⠀⠀"Thank you, Minato-san."

⠀⠀"You're welcome," he half snozzed.

⠀⠀"Okay, what are you doing to be so tired?" I finally demanded. "It's like you've been awake for days or something! You better not pass the fuck out on me!"

⠀⠀"Language, Hikigaeru-kun. "You're a big girl. You can stop being so fowl."

⠀⠀I rolled my eyes at the comment. "Sorry, you're just..." I trailed off, trying to think of the right word.

⠀⠀"Tired. My wrist and shoulder hurt. I almost have chakra exhaustion. You feel everything, and it's distracting?" Minato asked in a sly voice.

⠀⠀"No. I'm more concerned than distracted! You're worse than you were when I last saw you. I don't know how you're even walking. What the hell have you been doing?" He didn't answer and only gave a soft shake of his head. "Well?"

⠀⠀"Language."

⠀⠀I slumped my shoulders. "Hell is not a bad word."

⠀⠀"Language," he cooed.

⠀⠀"Hell is not a bad word," I repeated in a faster, sharper tone. He didn't reply, and we walked in silence before I relented. "Fine. I'm sorry, Minato. What are you working on, please?"

⠀⠀"It's a surprise."

⠀⠀"Oh, come on," I groaned, and his smile widened. "A surprise? Really?" I took a deep breath. "Please. Give me a minute."

⠀⠀I stopped mid-step, closed my eyes, and refocused back on Minato. I could feel him pivot himself to look at me, the cold against his toes and the weight of my bag. I could feel how it tilted his wrist, drawing pain from select muscles. Beyond the cold, his hands were numb, and patterns cut his chakra as he waited.

⠀⠀My arm twitched as I imagined how each joint and muscle felt. How every moment Minato had made brought varying degrees of aches. As I raised my arm and tilted my hand back, my palm pointing towards Minato, I deadpanned as a thought clicked. It almost made me laugh at how obvious it was.

⠀⠀"Really, Minato-san?" I began, my head tilted to one side. Then I listed things with a hand, lowing a finger each time. "You're working on a jutsu. Something that takes a lot of chakra since you're so drained. Something to do with your right side. Something with backlash since the pain... Something you should throw."

⠀⠀He relaxed, his smile slipping into a sly grin, then said, "What can I say? Inspiration struck me."

⠀⠀"Inspiration needs a restraining order," I joked, testing the waters of Minato's knowledge.

⠀⠀"Restraining order?" he asked. "Oh," he softly chuckled. "No, no. It's my job to take care of you, Hikigaeru-kun. Why would I want to keep you away?" I considered the question rhetorical and didn't reply. "The jutsu is not coming out how I want it. It's getting there, but not the piercing blade I imagined it to be." Curiosity peaked my interest, but as I opened my mouth to ask, Minato added, "I'm thinking of calling it Rasen Tatsumaki Senpū Bakudan."

⠀⠀"That's a mouth full."

⠀⠀"Kushina said the same thing," he sighed, only to yawn again.

⠀⠀"Mind showing me later?" He could only nod as his yawn began to drag on for nearly a minute. "Seriously, you just need sleep."

⠀⠀"I plan on it," he relented. "Kushina's helping me move in."

⠀⠀"Congratulations."

⠀⠀"What?" Minato paused, racking tried his brain. "Oh. No, I'm not moving in with Kushina. We're moving in with you."

⠀⠀"Really?" I asked, surprised. "Why?"

⠀⠀"A few reasons." He let out a yawn and motioned for me to follow. "Can you guess them?"

⠀⠀"Probably, or you can just tell me?"

⠀⠀"I could."

⠀⠀"But you're not." He nodded and immediately regretted the motion. With a hand, he steadied himself against a passing wall. "I'm going to ask Kushina-san to knock you out once I see her," I warned, and he just laughed.

⠀⠀"Knowing her, she'll do it before you ask," he cackled. "Come to think of it, we should pick something up to eat before we get there... She's probably almost finished by now."

⠀⠀"Bribing her with food isn't going to save you."

⠀⠀"I'll help," he claimed.

⠀⠀"Ramen?"

⠀⠀"Probably."

⠀⠀"Does she like curry? You mentioned a curry place I've wanted to try since I got here."

⠀⠀"Curry does sound good right now..." he muttered.

⠀⠀"Of course it does, Minato-san. Anything warm sounds good. You're freezing!" I hissed at the idiot. Then, in a slow, deliberate voice, I asked, "So, why are going to live with me?"

⠀⠀Relenting, Minato answered, "Tsunade-sama wants you to live with someone. Jiraiya-Sensei can't always be there. I want to be with Kushina. She wants to get revenge on you." He looked up at the sky and the low overcast. "I can summon toads just in case the seal breaks."

⠀⠀"For my safety, then," I finished for him, evidently worried.

⠀⠀"Correct."

⠀⠀"Are you sure you don't just want me close after what happened in the hospital?" I bluntly asked.

⠀⠀Minato didn't answer, though his chakra began to glow with a warm grace like a faint candle freshly lit. It was reminiscent, almost sentimental, if it wasn't for how delighted he was. For a split second, something I almost missed if I wasn't looking at Minato, he smiled. Neither his sly grin nor the smirk he wore when poking fun at me could rival it. It was from ear to ear, but then it was gone, hidden behind controlled neutrality.

⠀⠀However, it still bubbled in his chakra. Something only I could feel. As peaceful as it was, I used my mind's eye to look around and see if anyone saw. Yet the cold kept the streets sparse. While we were not alone, we were not being watched. No eyes were on us, no chakra felt interested, and no one was following us.

⠀⠀"I have to keep you safe, Hikigaeru-kun," he finally said, his tone constrained. "For your own protection and the villages. For Sensei and for Lady Tsunade. And... for Naruto."

⠀⠀As thoughts of butterflies lingered in the back of my mind, his hope seemed contagious. "Yeah," I agree, not letting those ideas take hold. "So which are we getting, ramen or curry? I'm fine with either."


⠀⠀I knew where home was long before I saw it. Kushina's chakra was a sweet welcoming beacon, but unlike Minato, it was as vibrant as it was active. I restrained my greed and forced myself not to dive into her chakra, to engross myself in its flavor. It was a damning thing, but I knew the fox lurked beyond. I wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.

⠀⠀"That's 'small?'" I gawked when I finally saw home. Minato didn't say anything as he went to unlock the gate.

⠀⠀The 'small' clan home was four regal buildings connected by engawa. The two closest to the Hokage monument were single-story, while the other two were two-story. They had a square layout, with an open field between them.

⠀⠀The shingles that decorated the walls and roof, what little I could see under the snow, were an off-red and weathered by time. The wall and building themselves were painted white which matched the older look. The age of my home continued past the smaller buildings into a courtyard. Half of it was a frozen-over garden, half had aged and damaged target posts, and both were ragged to look at.

⠀⠀The only thing visibly refurbished was a sign near the rusty main gate. It was polished, stained, and engraved with letters painted black. It read, 'Senju Clan.' The modernization continued when Minato Minato and I entered the southern two-story. The wood floors were just as polished as the sign, and the tatami past it felt warm to the touch. It was welcomed compared to the chill I still endured.

⠀⠀"Kushina, we're here," Minato somnolently called into the quiet house. "We brought food!"

⠀⠀"Yes!" the redhead yelled from the second floor. "I'm starving! I'll be down in a sec!" With how echoey the house was, it was hard to tell where her voice, and in part, the stairs, were.

⠀⠀As Minato and I stepped into a sparsely furnished living room, I asked, "So, is my room in this building or the other?"

⠀⠀"This one," he answered as he put down the paper bags he carried on a short table, then my backpack. "Your room is there." He jabbed a thumb past me towards the end of the living room. "Actually, the whole first floor is yours. Your room has a bathroom. Your kitchen is there, and Kushina and I have a separate kitchen upstairs. The guest bathroom is that way, past the laundry room."

⠀⠀"Neat. Was this a hotel or something before it was refurbished?"

⠀⠀"It was a guest house for the Fire Daimyō." Minato sat down and began to pull food out of the paper bags. "They never used it since it didn't have electricity." I glanced at the lightbulb that lit the living room, and Minato followed my gaze. "I don't think I would have convinced Kushina to live here if it didn't have working electricity."

⠀⠀"Does it have a heater?" I asked.

⠀⠀"I can get you one later today," he offered. "After a nap."

⠀⠀"You better. I'm freezing," I seethed as I shivered.

⠀⠀"Well, you sound happy," Kushina jabbed as she appeared from around a doorway. She wore the blue, long sleeves and slacks most Chunin and Jonin wore, while her hair was tucked under a beanie. "I hope you're feeling better, Hikigaeru-chan."

⠀⠀"I am, Kushina-san. Just cold, but it's nice to meet you again," I gave a short bow. "I'm sorry for what happened. I didn't get to apologize last time."

⠀⠀"Na, it's fine. Besides, I'll get you back later," she waved.

⠀⠀"I look forward to it," I joked. Kushina snickered before she sat down across from Minato.

⠀⠀"Now, what'd ya buy, Minato? I know I smell Ichiraku!"

⠀⠀"Curry from Kodoma's and Ichiraku for you," Minato yawned.

⠀⠀"Yes! Chicken or pork?"

⠀⠀"One of each."

⠀⠀"Perfect! Looks like hard work's been paying off, ya know!

⠀⠀Kushina's chakra became a fluffy mess of joy as Minato slid two sealed bowls her way. As she ripped open the first lid and offered thanks, her chakra's flavor felt enhanced as she began to slurp her food. It was a heavenly flavor and helped cement my thoughts on living with the two.

⠀⠀"Did Minato trust me?" I thought to myself, reasking each of my questions. I couldn't answer with anything definitive, even as I began to smile, sharing Kushina's joy. Like I had with Chōyuki and Minato when he arrived, my tongue watered against the taste of the ramen Kushina projected.

⠀⠀"So long as I upheld my part of our deal, does that matter?" I then continued thinking. This time diving into Minato and tasted the curry he picked out for himself. It was almost bland compared to the flavors of their pleased chakras.

⠀⠀"I've trusted worse before," I surmised, deciding to let go and relax. I let myself be lured into Kushina's chakra but avoided the abyss of hate that was Kurama.

⠀⠀"It tastes perfect," I consummated, letting that greed I felt before take over.

⠀⠀"You okay there, Hikigaeru-chan?" Kushina asked me.

⠀⠀"She's probably just sensing your chakra," Minato answered for me. "The flavor gets better for her when people are happy."

⠀⠀"Oh! Right, I forgot you mentioned that," Kushina remembered. "What does my chakra taste like again?"

⠀⠀"Cinamon rolls," Minato and I said at the same time.

⠀⠀I then quickly continued, "I'm going to unpack first." I then grabbed my backpack while trying and failing to hide my drool.


Author's Note

⠀⠀I hope you enjoyed the story. Follow and Favorite if you did, and please review. Reviewing will let me know you want more.