Obligatory Disclaimer: The series Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto; I only own the OCs, picture, and this story.
Shelter from the Storm
Minato had heard about Junko from Kushina before he had ever met the child, though not much past how cute and pure her new little goddaughter was. The first time he had seen the child was a couple of years after that, during one of the lull points in the war. He had been going to meet his team for another mission when he heard commotion around a corner, Rin and Obito's voices ringing out to where he stood.
It was easy to identify the source. Minato peeked around the wall that blocked his view and saw the most rambunctious of his students in the midst of squishing the life out of a little girl. Oh boy. However, it wasn't for long as Rin pulled the Uchiha off the child and lifted her up into a sitting position. Minato couldn't hear what words they exchanged but his only female student checked over the child professionally before lifting her to her feet, so he could only assume that she was alright. On the other hand, his silver-haired student who joined them shortly after wasn't as empathetic.
"She looks fine to me. Just leave her and let's go."
A sheepish chuckle slipped from Minato as he heard the boy speak. Training Kakashi had been a journey in of itself; the prodigy had closed himself off emotionally at a young age and didn't connect with others all to easily. Minato had hoped having a full-fledged team would help him get better- and he had certainly seen improvement- but the boy still had some way to go.
Minato watched with amusement as the child threw a glare at the Hatake who returned it and looked away, disinterestedly. Obito's boisterous voice floated to where the blond stood around the corner, letting him know that this was not the first time the Uchiha had run into the child. Soon the bickering of his two male students graced his ears and he saw Rin move to set them straight, leaving the little girl standing by herself.
She stared at his students for a moment before she turned briskly and began to walk away. She froze as she noticed the marbles scattered about the street which must've fallen in her crash with Obito and sighed, leaning down to pick them up. It was only then that Minato moved from his spot, easily swooping down to scoop up the remaining marbles she had missed.
The little girl didn't notice his presence until she ran into his legs, startling her and causing her to look up at him with big pale eyes. A myriad of expressions crossed her face; a flicker of hope, then disappointment before surprise took over her features when she met his eye. Minato wondered briefly if she had been expecting someone else as he leaned down to her level.
"Ah, looking for these Hyūga-san?" he asked, a friendly smile on his face.
Her pupil-less eyes shifted from him to the marbles in his hand with a wary expression. Without a word, she slowly lifted a tiny hand up to his and took them from his hold, dropping them into her little bag.
"Thank you shinobi-san. And I apologize for running into you."
For someone so young, she couldn't have been more than three or four years old, she was well spoken and polite. He chuckled and introduced himself and she responded in kind, affirming her identity to him. Junko Hyūga, the daughter of Kimiko Senju and Daichi Hyūga; Minato could see parts of both his senpai in the little girl's features. However, their conversation was cut short when his team realized his presence and rushed over to where they stood.
Obito shuffled close to the Hyūga child with his head bowed apologetically.
"I'm sorry for running you over….Again."
Junko stared at him silently, her pale eyes staring into his unblinkingly which caused the Uchiha to flinch and look away. The eyes of the Hyūga clan could be intimidating Minato had to admit, even on the face of a child. Obito's gaze returned when the little girl spoke again.
"You are forgiven. But if you run into me for a third time, I'm going to let my oba-san deal with you."
There was little actual threat in her high-pitched voice but Obito paled and nodded his head almost comically in response.
"Of course, never again!"
Kakashi rolled his eyes at the Uchiha and instantly the boy turned to confront him. Junko looked exhausted as she watched the two begin to argue and Minato could empathize, though he had already become accustomed to it; he saw it as their way of team-building. He examined the little girl as her expression shifted into something a bit sadder as she looked at them, but before he could ask her what was wrong, a new voice entered the fray.
"Junko-hime!"
The group turned towards another Hyūga who rushed towards them, making a beeline for the child. Despite the gray that flowed at her temples, she couldn't have been past her mid-thirties. She paid the rest of them little mind as she grabbed Junko by the shoulders and examined her worriedly.
"What happened to you? You're filthy!" She scolded, noticing all the dirt encrusted on the front of her yukata.
Almost immediately, Obito slid behind him and Minato assumed that this was the aunt Junko had threatened him with previously. However, having sparred and fought alongside the Hyūga, the blond knew Obito's hiding would do nothing to stop the older woman. As soon as she sensed the movement, she dragged the Uchiha into view once more by his ear.
"Uchiha! You had something to do with this, didn't you?"
A sheepish grin spread across Minato's face at the squabble. This wasn't the first time another adult figure had had words for the young Uchiha; dozens of d-rank missions had fallen in much the same way. But before he or Rin could save Obito from the woman's rebuke, Junko interrupted.
"Mei-obasan! I just tripped is all."
The older woman narrowed her eyes and the younger Hyūga gave an innocent smile, lifting her little bag up to show the broken strap.
"My marbles spilled all over the place and these shinobi were helping me find them," she continued, looking up at Minato.
He smiled back at her. The jōnin was surprised that she had taken Obito's side, taking the blame to save the boy from her aunt's rage. And technically she was being truthful as he had helped her, even though Obito had been the source of the whole mess. The older woman stared at them, unbelievingly, but released the Uchiha in order to return to Junko's side. She brushed some of the dirt from the little girl's yukata though it did little to help.
"Well, thank you for your assistance," she said briskly. "But we must be going now."
With that abrupt dismissal, the older woman grabbed Junko's hand and promptly pulled her away and down the street.
"It was nice meeting you Junko-chan," Minato called out before she disappeared from his sight.
She turned back with a tiny smile and a nod before her and her aunt turned around a corner, in the direction of the Hyūga compound. They watched her go and Obito spoke up, scratching the back of his head.
"What a strange kid."
"Still, you have to be more careful Obito," Rin replied. "You could've seriously hurt her."
The Uchiha pouted at being scolded by his crush but said nothing.
"You shouldn't let Kushina hear that," Minato said, motioning for them to start moving towards the Hokage's Tower. "That is her goddaughter you're talking about."
His team fell behind him after a pause, their shock passing.
"Really?" Obito gaped.
Minato hummed an affirmative and the Uchiha paled even further than he had earlier. The blond certainly wouldn't want to be in Obito's shoes if she found out.
"Then maybe it's best to just keep this between us," Rin chuckled uneasily and even Kakashi was silent, no insults for the Uchiha coming from him.
That was something they'd all agree to; no one in their right mind wanted to anger the Uzumaki woman if they valued their lives.
...
However, that was not the last time Minato and his team would meet the little Hyūga in less than favorable conditions.
Months passed cluttered with training and missions, and it was one such afternoon while he was training with his students in their allotted training ground that they saw her again. He had pit his team against one another in an assessment of their skills, observing them as they trekked deeper into the forest. Minato had been too focused on the attacks being exchanged between his students and hadn't batted an eye when one of Obito's Grand Fireballs went off course in an attempt to stop Kakashi.
And so, it was only when a young voice cried out in alarm that he noticed the other two chakra signatures in the area and froze, straining his senses for their location.
"Junko-san are you okay!?"
The tone of the child's voice was frightened and breathless and Minato, hearing the familiar name cried out in such a way, instantly sprang into action. Unfortunately, his students were still unaware of their unexpected visitors and continued to spar which he quickly put a stop to. He spared no time to explain and took off, accurately throwing one of his Hiraishin kunai to where he could sense an outpouring of fanatic energy and vanished. As it turned out, that hadn't been the best course of action; once he reappeared at the scene and caught his kunai, the voice that cried out before came again in alarm at his appearance.
And Junko, whom he had teleported in front of, swung a kunai at him.
Her chakra was something he'd never felt before and Minato was alarmed at the amount and strength that fought against his hand as he gripped her wrist to stop her attack. Even with the bulging veins of her byakugan prominent at her temples, she didn't seem to see him as she tried to strike him with her other hand which he grabbed as well. Her chakra was low but the remnants bubbled and popped against the skin of his palms almost painfully before quickly sputtering out, just as her dōjutsu faded. With the absence of her byakugan, she shut her eyes and screamed.
"Junko-chan, calm down!"
The change was instant. Her scream caught in her throat as she reopened her pale eyes and met his straight on. He saw the moment recognition sparked in her gaze and her legs gave out underneath her just as quickly, causing her to hang limp in his grasp.
Minato quickly lowered Junko onto the ground, which thankfully wasn't burning, and knelt beside her. The little Hyūga's breathing came out harshly and he began to rub her back in what he hoped was a comforting manner. Her chakra was worrying low, almost impossibly so. He was surprised that she was still conscious; grown adults would be almost unresponsive at that level and in addition to that her clothes were wet and disheveled, the obi to her yukata missing.
Just what happened?
"Focus on your breathing Junko-chan."
Minato's attention was taken from her as the other child he had heard earlier stepped closer, a wary expression on his face. The boy was distinctively Uchiha from the dark hair and wide collar shirt he wore, but the obvious makeshift sling around his arm and the similar state of his clothes to Junko's only spurred more questions for the blond.
"I'm Namikaze Minato," he introduced calmly. "I see that you and Junko got caught up in my student's jutsu. Please forgive me for not stopping it in time. Are you alright?"
The child looked between him and Junko before nodding.
"Y-yeah," he said, a bit shakily. "Junko-san protected me. I'm Shisui."
Minato looked down at the girl who was still trying to compose herself. What kind of technique did the young girl have to ward off a Grand Fireball? And so quickly too? It might explain why she was so low on chakra.
"Could you tell me what happened?"
Shisui seemed hesitant to talk with his friend in such a state but nodded.
"We were trying to get out of the forest when I think Junko saw the fireball with her byakugan. She pushed me to the ground and covered me," the Uchiha explained, brows cinched. "Before I knew it, the fire was around us but it didn't touch us."
That didn't explain the whole story but the pair seemed to be completely untouched by the flames unlike the rest of the area. Minato wanted to ask more questions but his team arrived shortly after and Rin quickly came over to tend to the young children which was far more important.
As the children were cared for and Junko recomposed herself, he learned from the pair that they had been training on one of the cliffs above the Nakano river when they had fallen over. Shisui had tried to save Junko but the pair had fallen into the river regardless, explaining their current state. At the very least, Minato was glad that it hadn't been something worse, and the pair were lucky enough to have avoided any fatal injuries. Even though Junko's lack of chakra was still giving him pause.
Minato didn't completely believe their story but his questions would have to come another time as the late afternoon breeze sent the two academy students shivering in their damp clothes. Minato had Obito and Rin take Shisui back to the Uchiha compound while he lifted Junko onto his back to head to the Hyūga compound with Kakashi at his side. She was light on his back as he and Kakashi made their way to her home and before he could ask her anything else, she was out, her soft breaths brushing against his ear.
"How troublesome," his silver-haired student muttered under his breath.
Minato simply chuckled, reminded of a certain Nara. He shifted his grip on the little girl and increased his speed within reasonable limits, and the Hatake easily followed his lead. Her clothes were still damp and the setting sun wasn't doing her any favors, so it would be best for them to get her home as soon as possible.
They reached the walled Hyūga compound within minutes, and after a few words with a clansman on duty, the two made their way to Junko's home which sat past the main building and further into the compound. When they found her house, before either could raise a hand to knock on the door, the little Hyūga's aunt threw it open as if waiting for them.
Or more specifically, Junko.
It was with both alarm and relief that her pale eyes saw his passenger and she rushed them inside before he could say a word. Minato set Junko down in the living room as instructed and the woman helped lie the little girl onto the floor near the low table, setting her head on a cushion. Mei ignored them as she checked over the girl with a professional air and barely shaking hands. Over the time it had taken him and Kakashi to get there, which hadn't been long at all, the girl's condition seemed to take a sudden turn for the worse, a flush overtaking the skin of her face.
"What happened?"
Minato began immediately after introducing himself, hearing the slight quiver in her tone.
"My team and I found Junko-chan and her friend Shisui in the forests near the Nakano River. Apparently, they had fallen off one of the cliffs," Minato explained. "But they were able make their way safely to the river below and walked through the forest where they made contact with us."
The woman looked back to Junko after hearing him and gently brushed her thumb across the child's cheek. Minato could only imagine what the woman was feeling in that moment. He only had moments with his students to compare, like the time Obito received a nasty wound from a rouge-nin they had been tailing early on in their time as a team. Of course, having Rin there had been a blessing but Minato could still remember the brief panic he felt at the sight. Even being a seasoned jōnin, having lost several teammates and friends in the past, there was something different when it was children you were in charge of getting injured.
Minato placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry Hyūga-san, my student Rin looked at her and healed any injuries she had."
The woman let out a near silent breath and stood tall, and after shrugging off his hand, bowed to him.
"Thank you for everything you've done."
Minato gave a little smile in response. "It was nothing."
He had obviously left out the incident with Obito's Grand Fireball, but he was sure that the woman didn't need anything more to worry about, or any more reason to dislike the Uchiha. Still, his words seemed to have little effect, the faint perturbed expression on her face not wavering; if anything, it only seemed to make it worse. She bowed to the both of them without another word, quickly ushering them back to the door.
Minato had no hard feelings for the woman as she closed the door behind them with a stilted farewell. Kakashi also stared at the closed door for a moment before they made their way back out of the compound, probably to the relief of the clansmen who watched them as they exited.
And although he knew Junko would be alright- her aunt seemed to be medically trained- the little Hyūga would be in his thoughts for days afterwards.
Minato hadn't the heart to tell Kushina what had happened to Junko, and so that became yet another event they kept from her. It would only add onto her guilty conscience of not seeing the girl since her parents had gone to war, though not for lack of trying. She'd tried to visit the little Hyūga over the course of several weeks when she had become aware of her entry into the academy, but the clansmen on duty would always gave the excuse that she was busy training or away, much to the redhead's chagrin.
Still, things continued as they had been; training his team, going out onto the field at points to weaken their enemies.
And time passed.
Minato came home one day after training to find his wife pacing back and forth through their living room, a trail dug into the rug denoting her stress.
"Is everything alright Kushina?" he asked, rubbing an aching shoulder as he entered her war path.
Her violet eyes darted to him and she rushed him, grabbing onto the front of his vest.
"Minato, I don't know what to do!"
The blond's head rolled as he thought about what she could be possibly talking about. It certainly wasn't anything he had done, having been busy with his team.
"Could you elaborate?"
"About Junko-chan dattebane! She's graduating soon!"
"Didn't you already put your name in the roster?" He set his hands on her shoulders. "You don't have anything to worry about. I'm sure Hokage-sama will accept your request."
It wasn't often that a jōnin took on a specific student, though that wasn't to say it never happened; Kakashi had been a similar case as the Sandaime had chosen him to watch over the silver-headed prodigy. Minato looked at her closely, seeing the stress lines between her eyebrows.
"What's there to be worried about?"
She sighed, dropping her head onto his shoulder.
"I haven't interacted with her since she was super small, and didn't once visit after her parents left."
So that was it. Minato could feel Kushina's gloom physically hit him and wrapped his arms around her.
"You didn't have any choice," he said with a shake of his head. "The Cryptanalysis department wouldn't be as strong as it is without you, especially since Kimiko-san is gone. Plus, your seals were vital to the lives of the shinobi going out on the field."
"I know," she said and hid her face in his shoulder, making her voice muffled. "But I haven't been a good godmother to her. She probably doesn't remember me dattebane! And the Hyūga are so restrictive; what if they don't let me be her sensei?"
Minato was silent for a moment. He thought about what he should say and found his words easily as he pulled away to look her in the eye.
"You won't let that stop you. So when you become her sensei," he emphasized with a squeeze of her shoulders, "you'll have to put those feelings aside. She'll be a genin under your care, and you'll have to make sure she's ready for the challenges that exist outside in the world. You won't be able to think of her as just your godchild or Kimiko-san's daughter."
She made a noise of discontent but returned his gaze silently. He offered a smile.
"Didn't you tell me about all the things you wanted to teach her? Like fūinjutsu and other Uzumaki artes?"
"Yeah…"
"Use your bond to Kimiko-san to make a connection; I'm sure everything will be alright."
She seemed to mull over his words before collecting her resolve.
"You're right!" She grinned, pumping her arms. "I don't know why I was even worried. I can do this!"
Minato smiled. "That's the spirit."
Kushina cared deeply and thus worried a lot about those around her, as tough as she liked to act. He knew she was nervous about being a sensei; it was a huge responsibility to shoulder the life of a student under your care, and if they were personally connected to you, it became even heavier. Nevertheless, having several years of experience under his belt, Minato would do his best to help her.
"How about we go to Ichiraku's and go over training plans?"
As if his words had triggered something, her stomach growled and he hid a grin when she glared at him.
"Don't laugh; I've been thinking about this all day dattebane!" She tugged on his arm, pulling him towards the door. "Let's go!"
...
Although he had been a bit worried when Kushina came late for her first meeting with Junko as her sensei, Minato was glad that things had worked out between them. Even if he knew his wife was disheartened that the child didn't remember her. However, having her goddaughter as her student and finally being able to be with her regularly more than made up for that.
Things settled into a routine for him and Kushina. Whenever he would come back from his missions, he'd find Kushina dutifully working on training plans and the like for Junko. They didn't get to spend time with each other as often which was sparse anyways considering how frequently his team went on missions. But with this change they at least saw each other more, however brief, which was a plus.
Everything had seemed to be going well; that is, until he came back from a tense audience with the Hokage. An explosion had erupted in the skies where the internal farmlands were located and their meeting was cut short as the Sandaime had to deal with the unnamed threat.
Minato had dismissed his team, a pit forming in his stomach. He had learned from his years as a ninja, especially as a jōnin, to always trust his gut. Though any ninja or civilian would feel alarmed at the possibility of an attack on the village considering the state of affairs outside Konoha, and so was he to some extent, Minato was worried for a completely different reason.
Kushina had said she was taking Junko on her first d-rank mission sometime this week. And if it happened to fall on today of all days then…
Minato couldn't go to the scene as he was sure both ANBU and the Konoha Police were already there and he didn't want to get in the way. He could've snooped around the jōnin building or simply visited Shikaku, but as there had been no alarms sounded to indicate whether or not it was an attack on the village yet, he decided to head home as his first stop.
Kushina wasn't home.
Minato cleaned out his mission pack, restocked his supplies, and when no alarm sounded after fifteen minutes, he took a shower. The unease he felt did not dissipate, not even when a hawk sounded from the open window in his living room.
Intruders captured. Low alert.
The caws sounded twice more with the same coded message before fading away, and Minato let out a quiet breath; that was one thing he no longer had to worry about. However, it didn't relieve his anxiety about his wife and her student, the little pit in his stomach growing with each minute that passed. The day had shifted into the afternoon when Minato decided he'd had enough of waiting. D-rank missions didn't take that long, even if it was just the two of them. He had been ready to go out to ease his worries himself when the source arrived at his door.
Minato rushed to meet her but froze as soon as he saw her. Kushina leaned against their front door staring at her hands, the front of her flak jacket stained with blood. The need to ask her if she was alright was staggering, but it was obvious that something had gone terribly wrong and so he walked over to her slowly. It was never a smart idea to run up on a clearly disturbed ninja.
Her violet eyes were ringed red and unshed tears shined on her lashes as she looked up at him.
"M-minato-" His name came out as a gasp from her lips and he did not restrain himself as went to her. "I almost killed Junko!"
His mind went to the worst place for a split second. Had she lost control of the Kyūbi? But that was impossible- she would never do something like that; she was too strong for that. His thoughts backtracked until it returned to the explosion that had happened early and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, guiding her deeper into their home.
Minato ushered her to get cleaned up, knowing it would help her mental state. Once she returned in new clothes and downcast eyes, he made sure she drank and ate something, coaxing her gently when she refused at first. He didn't badger her with anything until she sat down on their couch with an empty cup of tea and positioned himself on the table in front of her.
"Kushina. What happened to Junko? Does this have anything to do with the explosion earlier?"
She looked down into her cup for a long moment before speaking, unable to meet his eyes.
"It was just supposed to be a simple farming mission," she said, speaking mostly to herself. "Everything was going fine. So why…"
Minato didn't speak, letting her collect her thoughts. She swallowed thickly and finally looked up at him.
"We were just weeding Rio-san's farm on the western edge of the village when Junko started to react to something in the ground. At first, I just assumed that she was allergic to something in the soil but then she…she said she had seen something underground, a line of chakra or something."
A line of chakra? Minato had no time to think of what that could possibly mean when Kushina's expression became darker.
"It was like her seeing it triggered everything," she said as her eyes narrowed and fell towards the floor. "There was a scream somewhere nearby and immediately I sent Junko to the farmhouse. I didn't want her anywhere near the danger but-"
Kushina's words caught in her throat, her grip around her cup tightening.
"I thought she would be safe," she gasped. "I thought she would be safe there while I took care of the threat but there was another enemy!"
His eyes widened as she returned her gaze to him, new tears shining in her eyes.
"Junko could've died because of my foolish mistake, dattebane!" Kushina's voice trembled as she spoke. "I should've checked!"
Minato reached for her tense hands and cupped them between his own. There was a moment of silence speckled with her tears, and she took a deep breath before continuing.
"Junko was the one who made the explosion," she said, unable to look at him. "And when I came to the source, the enemy had her tied up, was choking her, was going to stab her until I-"
She cut herself off but Minato could see the event in his head. Saw the little prodigy tied up and no doubt fighting for her life. He could also assumed by Kushina's words that the enemy who attacked Junko was at the very least critically injured, if not dead. However, that fact alone would not erase the trauma the Hyūga heiress had experienced.
"All while I had been fighting and interrogating one enemy, another had crept into the farmhouse and almost killed Junko," Kushina whispered, folding into herself. "And you should've seen her after everything settled. She was completely out of it but she was able to recall everything that happened, answering every question Uchiha-san asked her like a machine."
It was hard for Minato to picture the little Hyūga so void of life, but she was just a child. She must've fallen into shock. No amount of training or practice could prepare the prodigy for something as intense as an enemy attack, and in the village of all places it was unthinkable.
"I left Junko with her aunt to report to Hokage-sama and..." Kushina paused, her gaze wandering as if replaying memory until she shook her head, "and when I returned, it was like she was back to herself again."
A self-deprecating laugh escaped her, rising in the air between them. "She even tried to make sure I was alright…putting on a smile for me even though I failed her."
"Kushina…." There was so much he could say, assurances and promises on his tongue that things would be alright, but everything that came to mind seemed ineffective as she smiled ruefully at him.
"Mei-san was right...Maybe I got ahead of myself, dattebane."
Minato tightened his hold on her hands.
"You can't take all the blame, Kushina," he pleaded. "No one couldn't have predicted what would happened-"
She cut him off, pulling away with another shake of her head.
"Junko was under my care, and I couldn't protect her."
None of his words seemed to reach her as she walked away, the door to their bedroom clicking with finality. Minato turned and sat on the couch with a heavy sigh, looking down into the hallway. It was probably best to leave her alone for the time being. Kushina would need time to sort through her feelings, and then she'd be able to break through the funk she found herself in. He had known her for years and had the highest belief that she would return to her cheerful and determined self.
While there were many great experiences being a sensei, there were very real and serious situations that could and would happen, especially during the times they were in now. With a case like Junko, it was very complicated considering her age, made even more so with her clan and relation to Kushina herself.
Minato could only hope that things would work out.
…
But the coming weeks were tense.
Though he made sure to take missions closer to home, Minato still rarely saw Kushina. Through the ninja grapevine he had learned the attack that had rocked Kushina and Junko had been an inside job of sorts and not an attack from enemies beyond their borders. Categorized as such, his wife was no doubt wrapped up in meetings since she had been the first to come into contact with them.
He knew in some way she was doing it for Junko's sake as well. Since the other enemy had been completely decimated, and Junko had been the only other person to see her face and interact with her, the village leaders would want the knowledge she held. The more Kushina participated in the investigation, the more time Junko would get to recuperate.
But it became more of an act of avoidance after little more than a week passed. Despite his worry for his wife and her pupil, he had been sent on another mission outside the village and when he returned, it seemed as if nothing had changed. If anything, things seemed to become more strained for Kushina. After dismissing his students for the day to rest, he met up with her at Ichiraku Ramen where she was already sat down, several bowels stacked at her side as she looked over some papers. A notable sign of stress-eating.
That couldn't be good.
Kushina gave a distracted hum at his arrival and rubbed her eyes, looking very tired. He got a glimpse of the papers in her hand as he sat down. It was a report on Junko. He skimmed it briefly; under the observations of Yamanaka Shin, Junko was released for activate duty having a stable mind, though he had also noted trauma from the event had left her skittish at sudden movements and sounds, recommending light training to start.
"How has Junko been doing Kushina?" he asked after giving his order to Teuchi.
Her grip on the papers tightened before she let them fall next to her tower of empty bowls. She sighed, resting her head on top off the counter. They had been together long enough that he could read between the lines.
"You haven't seen her yet?" He frowned.
These sorts of things had lasting impressions on young genin. Kakashi was an exception of course, but Rin and Obito had been pretty shaken after their first encounter with enemy ninja, though they had been much older than the little Hyūga. Nevertheless, it was one of those defining moments for a team, between student and teacher.
Kushina cringed at his tone and sat up straight, turning to him.
"I know, I know, dattebane!" She slammed her fist on the counter, causing the treacherous tower of ramen bowls tilt.
Stopping their fall and giving Teuchi an apology, she sighed, collecting the papers that had scattered at her actions.
Before he could open his mouth she continued, knowing what he was going to say.
"I know it's stupid and unprofessional. I know she's alive. But I can't get the sight of her out of my head. Dead. I just can't. It was just like what I had seen in Uzushio..."
Her gaze fell to the counter and his gaze softened. Kushina had experienced a lot before she came to Konoha. Minato knew some of the stories, not all of them, but in those she had shared not even children had been spared when the fighting reached Uzushiogakure's shores. His parents had died when he was young but he had never experienced anything on the scale that Kushina had; her whole life uprooted, home and family taken away.
"Kushina… maybe you should tell Junko that," he said softly. She looked up at him and he smiled. "It may be hard for you to recall those times, but it would at least help her understand your actions. She's a good kid."
As much as many liked to believe that shinobi were infallible, they were still human beings with emotions, no matter how much they had to repress them in order to carry out their missions. You had the sort that reveled in the fighting, but that certainly wasn't the norm.
Kushina's frown faltered but when she went to speak, she froze. Then Minato felt it too; he had come into contact with her chakra enough to sense it as she neared the ramen shop. Junko. He met eyes with Kushina, and the pure panic in her eyes had him reaching for her before she shunshined away, filling the little shop with smoke.
It took him and Teuchi a moment to get the smoke from their lungs, and by then Junko had walked under the curtain. She stared at him with a blank expression, the veins of her byakugan fading.
"That was Kushina-shishou, wasn't it?" she said with a deadpan voice, and he couldn't help but rub the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Yes. I apologize on Kushina's half. She's been…jumpy since that last mission."
Her blank expression remained and Minato knew that she didn't believe him. Junko sighed, her body visibly tense. She was obviously frustrated that her mentor had been awol and she was smart enough to figure out that Kushina was actively avoiding her, which wasn't the best situation for either.
Junko was silent for a moment before bowing in farewell; but he couldn't let her go with Kushina leaving as her last impression. That would do nothing good for their relationship. He had to try and smooth the tension between them, and though he was sure that her aunt had stayed by her side, he wanted make sure the little girl was alright himself.
"Why don't you stay for a bit?" he asked as she turned to leave.
She paused and looked up at him. He could tell by the expression on her face she wanted to do anything but stay. Still, a smile spread on her face anyways and climbed onto the stool beside him.
"So, how are you feeling Junko-chan? Do you want anything?"
Minato saw the effects of the mission on her face. The biggest change was the still fresh scar that ran over and through her right eyebrow. If he concentrated, he could feel the way her chakra flowed away from her, subconsciously taking stock of her surroundings. There was slight discoloration under her eyes, signaling that she was not getting enough sleep.
"I'm alright, Minato-sensei," she answered immediately with a shake of her head and quickly fell into silence, intertwining her fingers together on her lap.
This would be more difficult than he first thought. Junko reminded him of a newly promoted Kakashi in some ways. His young prodigy had been the same age as well, and the blonde had been a freshly minted jōnin. It had been quite the experience for him. Kakashi had been, and still was, a brilliant student at that age. He saw the same in Junko, though she was more empathetic and sociable than the silver-haired boy as he had seen in her partnership with Obito during their spar.
Still, Kakashi had at least been a little older before he had contacted enemy forces, and by then he also had a lot more experience under his belt. No one expected to be attacked during a d-rank mission inside the village.
"Shouldn't you be taking it easy Junko-chan?" he asked. "You can't rush your recovery, especially after what happened."
Her expression instantly shifted, palpable frustration in her tone as she met his eye straight on.
"I am fine. I've already met with Hokage-sama and had my mental evaluation at the hospital."
"All by yourself?"
"Mei-obasan accompanied me to the hospital." Her expression faltered for a second before strengthening. "My report has already been sent to Hokage-sama, and my clan has been notified that I can return to active duty."
Minato blinked. Although one week was the standard resting period for ninja, depending on the severity of the mission and considering her age, he'd think that the little Hyūga would take more time to recover; or at least wait until Kushina contacted her.
Though that choice may have taken longer than necessary.
"Junko-chan, you don't have to return so quickly. You're very young," Minato said seriously. "It's not something you want to jump back into unprepared."
She leveled a blank stare at him, her body tense.
"Forgive me for my rudeness, but that isn't something you or anyone else has the right to decide for me." Minato was wide-eyed as he stared, the aggressiveness of her words surprising him despite her calm tone. "Once I received this hitai-ate, I was told that I was given certain responsibilities and was considered an adult of the village. It is not your job to keep that from me."
His brows furrowed. He knew her words did not come from a place of ignorance; she did not appear to be someone who wanted glory and honor from battle. And her words were no doubt from what her teachers had told her in the academy as he had heard the very same ones when he was a student. She wasn't a prodigy for nothing; she reminded him of Kakashi in that way as well. A bit headstrong and always pushing themselves. Plus, with the expectations placed on her by her clan, Minato assumed that she had no choice.
And he asked her as much.
"While my clan has its own expectations for me, I have my own purpose as well, separate from theirs. I wouldn't have worked so hard if I didn't."
There was such honesty in her answer that Minato straightened and really looked at her. Just what could she be working towards? Especially if it didn't involve her clan? Not only that, but in the silence that stretched after her words, her eyes seem to age before him. There was something lurking there, something dark that had no place existing within a five-year-old. A heaviness, something haunted in the gaze she leveled at the counter in front of her.
"Why are you in such a hurry Junko-chan?"
Minato's tone was soft as he looked down at her, and Junko jerked away from him even as she returned his gaze. Her stare was wide, letting him get a good look at the amber in her pale eyes. His brows wrinkled as her eyes turned glassy, her lips parting to answer, but she shook her head instead and looked away from him again. Her chakra seemed to shrivel up, shrinking inward until he couldn't feel it at all, as though she was trying to keep him from seeing her.
"Junko-chan?"
She blinked quickly and shook her head again, her chakra returning to normal. She jumped from her stool and bowed, hiding her face from him.
"I'm sorry but I need to get going," Junko said taking a step back, the fact that she was trying to get away from him not unnoticed. "You'll probably see Kushina-shishou long before I do, so please let her know that…I'm sorry if I did something wrong, and for whatever Mei-obasan said to her."
Any word he tried to say died on his tongue as she abruptly turned and fled, leaping back onto the rooftops and away from him. Minato sighed, food forgotten. This was getting more and more complicated. Just as Kushina had her hang-ups, Junko was a trove of secrets and stress that no five-year-old should have.
She and Kakashi were more alike the more he thought about it. Not the same of course, but there were similarities. Kakashi had lost both parents when he was very young and Junko's parents had left when she was even younger than she was now, and there was no telling when or if they would come back. The stress of not knowing their well-being must've been hard on the girl. Both had also became genin at a young age and were surely prodigies, though Junko's situation was more complicated as she came from a very renowned clan.
As Minato wondered what he could do for her and Kushina, another familiar prodigy emerged under the curtain, looking around curiously before meeting his eye.
"Ah, looking for Junko-chan?" he asked friendly as Shisui looked up at him, recognizing him after a second.
"Yes, Minato-sensei," the young Uchiha nodded. "She seemed…off the other day when my team and I ran into her. I just wanted to make sure she was alright."
A smile spread across Minato's face. It was nice to hear that someone else cared for her as well. And thus an idea appeared in his head.
"What makes you think something's wrong?" he asked. The boy blinked at the unexpected question, but answered after a moment.
"She almost used her Jūken on our friend Noburu when he startled her," he said and Minato's eyes widened. "And I see Kushina-san in the compound a lot so they aren't training as much, are they?"
That was more than worrying. Junko wasn't doing as well as she'd like others to think she was. Nevertheless, the young Uchiha prodigy was accurate in his observations and Minato nodded.
"They seemed to have come to a misunderstanding," Minato explained. "Though Junko is having a hard time finding Kushina to work things out."
The jōnin could see the cogs turning in the Uchiha's head at the new information.
"I see," Shisui nodded with a slight smile. "Thanks!"
The boy ran off soon afterwards, and a smile spread across Minato's face as he turned to his cooling ramen, knowing that something good would come of this.
And in just the next day, he found the little Hyūga and his wife sitting at the table talking over training plans. The young Hyūga had shot him apologetic looks from across their dinner that night and he just sent her a smile in understanding, no harm done. He did not ask what happened, enjoying the peace that had returned to the pair. It would be a private thing for them to have, a precious moment between student and mentor.
And for the moment, it looked as though everything would turn out fine.
...
Still, over time Minato would keep a close eye on Junko, unable to get that haunted look out of his mind even as she laughed and smiled with his wife, and trained with him and his team. He had caught several glimpses of it, the darkness that she hid behind her smiles and polite gestures.
Minato knows it wasn't a trick of the light when he witnesses it fully in the argument between her and her mother, something that he had thought would be impossible considering the length of their separation. The shock and hurt in Junko's eyes before she rushes out the door with Riku sticks with him, even after the front door shuts behind them.
Minato looked between the two women remaining.
"May I ask what that was about?"
Neither seemed to hear him. Kimiko was the closest to him, silently staring down at the spot where Junko had been standing just a few moments prior before her escape. Minato looked to Kushina who was staring at Kimiko's back in resignation. Her lips were pressed tightly together, brows furrowed, the beginning of an argument on her tongue. He was familiar with the look.
"You won't be able to hide it from her forever, Kimi." Her voice was quiet, almost pleading. "Junko-chan has gone through a lot. She can handle this."
"But she shouldn't have to," Kimiko responded, just as quietly. "I've already tampered with her life enough by agreeing to what the Hyūga elders wanted. Any more would just be cruel."
Kushina stepped forward. "You did what you thought was best. I mean… you and Daichi-san almost didn't come back."
Kimiko's eyes darkened as she finally lifted her eyes and turned towards the Uzumaki. Kushina stared back, a fierce look on her face.
"Besides, I promised that I'd be there for the both of you! Just let me help dattebane!"
Thinking on it, though she had been his senior when he had been in the academy, Minato did not know much about the Senju woman. He was sure that Kushina had a deeper understanding of the woman and her reservations about her only child. However, he felt as if he had a good understanding of Junko, and if this was about her, he had a few things he wanted to say.
"I may be an outsider to this situation," Minato spoke up, causing both women to breaking their staring contest and turn to him. "But having trained and interacted with Junko personally, she's exceptionally smart and inquisitive, much more than a regular child. I'm certain that she's thinking about what happened and is trying to come up with a solution as we speak. Even if she doesn't know what's going on."
Kushina smiled at his observation, a fond expression on her face. "She has a habit of involving herself in other people's business, especially those she cares about."
Minato nodded, turning back to Kimiko who stared at him with a questioning gaze.
"What I'm getting at is whether you want to keep it from her or not won't stop Junko from thinking and worrying about it. She's very persistent."
Kimiko sighed and moved back the kitchen table and sat down heavily in a chair.
"That girl…" she muttered under her breath. "She's changed so much, grown so fast…I can barely recognize her sometimes, though I guess that's to be expected."
Kushina stepped forward slowly. "See what I'm saying? Junko-chan might figure out sooner or later, so why not tell her? Besides, you haven't heard anything from them yet right? Nothing may come from this."
But Kimiko shook her head.
"Still…I can't do that to her. Dealing with the Hyūga is enough; I don't want to add any more problems on top of that."
"That's a part of her family, you can't just ignore it," Kushina said, frustration in her tone. "Like I said, I won't let anything happen to her. And Minato will help too."
Minato didn't know what he was being dragged into but nodded all the same. He also cared for the little prodigy, seeing her as another one of his students. Thinking on all that had transpired, he assumed things were happening with her Senju heritage. There were not many with the Senju name left, especially not in the village, but their influence was strongly prevalent in Konoha and the Land of Fire as a whole, upheld by the clans that had split from it. Not being a part of a clan himself, he could only feel pity for Junko who was stuck between two. He wondered what they could possibly want from the little girl when Kimiko spoke again.
"I appreciate the sentiment but… I stand by my decision."
The other woman continued even when Kushina opened her mouth to refute, a sad smile on her face.
"If there is the slimmest chance I can prevent her from having the childhood that I had, I'll take it. You have to understand that, Shina."
Her words made Kushina freeze, causing Minato to turn to her worriedly. She crossed her arms over her chest, almost holding herself as she looked at Kimiko through lowered lashes.
"But is letting the Hyūga train her into the ground really any better?" Her voice was low and unsure, unlike herself.
But Kimiko was calm and resolute as she responded. "A hundred-fold."
Silence stretched after her words. The secret the two women kept was even deeper than Minato had initially believed, yet he had no time to dissect them when Kimiko abruptly clapped her hands, as if dispelling the negative vibes in the air.
"Enough of that talk," she said, an easy-going smile now on her face, like nothing had happened. "I see that there are still no Namikaze-Uzumaki babies running around yet; what's with that?"
Minato felt heat rise onto his cheeks and Kushina's face glowed as red as her hair.
"You can't just change the subject like that, dattebane!"
Kimiko grinned. "I just did. So…?"
If anything, the woman was very good at diverting attention. Kushina was gaping like a fish and so Minato, after cleaning his throat a couple of times, replied.
"W-well, with the war and training our teams, there really isn't time for that, Kimiko-san."
She rose from her seat and walked over to him, throwing an arm around his shoulders.
"That's a shame. Still, if you were to have a kid, have you thought of any names yet?"
"Don't start with that again Kimi!"
After her parents returned, Junko's work load increased. Minato saw her less often and he was sure those two things were no mere coincidence. He had certainly heard enough from Kushina to know that the little Hyūga was swamped with work, too much for a genin and certainly too much for a child. There had been a significant shift in their training, her regimen altered so that Kushina was forced to bend to the will of the Hyūga clan leaders.
Kushina could get away with taking Junko out on missions which would take precedence as she was her mentor after all. However, everyone who knew her realized that the Hyūga prodigy's prowess was being wasted on simply doing d-rank missions, though the pair were rarely given anything else. Her ability to learn new techniques and take things from theory to practice effectively was something the clan elders seemed to be taking advantage of for as long as they could, even if it meant keeping her off the frontlines to further develop her skills. Perhaps due to her status or bloodline, but that was just one of his assumptions.
Minato didn't have much time to think about it when things with his own team took priority, as much as he wanted to be there for his wife and Junko. Besides, despite the clash with her mother, the girl was full of smiles and inquisitive questions the next time he saw her, as if nothing ever happened- very much like her mother. Still, it's not something he forgets so easily, but if there was one quality Minato was most impressed by the Hyūga heiress, it was the way she bounced back from bad situations.
But he also couldn't overlook the times where her rare mischievous side appeared, at which the other child prodigy in their little ragtag group often suffered the consequences.
Today was one of those days.
Minato stood on the sidelines alongside Rin as they watched the scene before them unfold, Kushina gone to collect the lunches she had left at home. Obito was almost glowing with excitement as he stood beside Junko, who stared at Kakashi with a patient smile on her face. The Hatake on the other hand was less than pleased with the results of their spar, the visible features on his face tensed in reluctance.
"Ninja should stick to their word, isn't that right Kakashi-senpai?" she said, her tone innocent and her smile becoming less so.
"Right, Kakashi-senpai?" Obito tutted after her, causing the Hatake to glare heatedly at him.
This had come about after their final spar of the morning. Just before then, the Uchiha had made the bold claim that this was the day that he was going to win his match against Kakashi. Obito had also backed up his claim with a dare; that if he won their match, the Hatake would have to do anything he wanted. Whether it was because of his own confidence or hubris, Kakashi had agreed; after all, Obito had always made that claim, and in all of the time they had been on a team together, he had never proven it.
That was until today.
They were both dirty, their match having been one of their rougher spars. There were several cuts in both boys' clothing and a blooming bruise was starting to form on Obito's face, but that did nothing to stop the wide grin on his face. As his mentor, Minato was both proud and amazed at the amount of work and thought the Uchiha had put into this spar. Instead of using all his energy to get the best of Kakashi, he had slowed down, taking his time to evaluate the other and responded in kind. He was like a new kind of person.
Kakashi had still gotten the best of him for a duration of the fight until the Uchiha had the chance to retaliate, going against every expectation that both Minato and Kakashi had for him. Obito was able to get the other boy to the ground and held him there with a kunai to the throat. The silver-haired boy had no room to move or perform a substitution as the Uchiha pressed the blade close to his neck, causing a tear in the fabric of his mask and drawing a thin line of blood.
There had been stunned silence, the Uchiha unmoving until Minato called the match in his favor.
At Minato's call, Obito had jumped back with a grin and a whoop, beaming down at Junko who smiled back. Kakashi rose, and reluctantly formed the reconciliation seal with Obito's outstretched hand. Minato could tell that the Hatake was surprised at this turn of events as he looked at his teammate, though the boy's expression flattened as he caught sight of the exchange between the Uchiha and the Hyūga.
After the surprise wore off, Minato remembered that Junko had pulled Obito to the side before the match began and they had spoke in hushed tones that he couldn't hear. Though he had seen the reactions of the young Uchiha after listening to whatever Junko had said. First a grimace, then a pout. The look on Junko's face had been almost reprimanding as she said something else and his face had fallen before coming back more determined, giving her a nod. Just what had she told him?
Whatever it was, Kakashi was now suffering the consequences of Obito's grand plan. The Hatake sighed, staring blankly at the dastardly duo in front of him before sighing.
"Fine. What do you want me to do?"
It would be on that day that Kakashi forever regretted agreeing to anything spawned from the minds of Junko Hyūga and Obito Uchiha, as for the next day the Hatake had been forced to wear a bright green jumpsuit, reminiscent of a certain eternal rival who sometimes crashed in on his team's training sessions.
At the end of that week, Minato asked Junko what she had told the Uchiha as she helped him prepare dinner.
"Obito-senpai tends to run into me often on my days off, so I make him train with me." She paused to cast a look at the doorway where Kushina had gone to run one last errand at the jōnin building. "Don't tell shishou."
Minato blinked before chuckling. That sounded much like the Uchiha, but he hadn't known the pair trained together without the rest of them; no wonder they were so close.
"It'll be a secret between the two of us," he winked and she grinned at him. "So what did you tell him before the spar?"
"I reminded him of some tips and gave him some motivation." Her pale eyes glimmered playfully. "I also threatened to tell shishou who really ruined the herbs in her garden if he messed up."
Minato laughed sheepishly; she was certainly his wife's student.
…
Months passed; they still trained together but not as often, and yet between the laughs and smiles she shared with him and his team, he still caught glimpses of the shadows in her eyes.
Minato was sitting at home, a hot summer day in which he had given his students and himself the day off to recuperate after a mission outside Konoha. He was relaxing on the couch rereading one of his favorite books when he felt the seals on his front door shift to allow entry.
The seals were a cautionary mechanism in case anyone with ill intentions tried to break in. Only those he trusted knew the about them and therefore were allowed entry, while those not recognized by the seal could only enter if with a trusted person. Kushina thought it was a bit much, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
Junko shuffled into the living room along with a guest, Uchiha by the dark hair and wide collar shirt he wore. He was smaller than the already small Hyūga and followed in her shadow closely.
"Good afternoon, Minato-sensei," the genin said tiredly as she plopped down unceremoniously near the coffee table in the room, her friend remaining standing.
"Same to you," he responded, chuckling faintly as the usually poised prodigy dropped her head onto the table. "I thought you were training with Kushina today?"
"This is a part of training," she mumbled. She sighed, shaking her head before sitting properly, gesturing for the little boy in her shadow to sit beside her.
"This is Itachi, Mikoto-san's son," she introduced, and the Uchiha child gave a quick bow before sitting down next to her.
"Thank you for having me," he said, softly but clearly, and the blonde jōnin nodded.
Kushina had told him of Junko's friendship with the Uchiha heir, but to see it in person was interesting considering the clash that sometimes came between the two clans. It made sense considering her friendship with Shisui and weird camaraderie with Obito; Junko did not exactly follow expectation. Minato had also heard from his wife that the two heirs got along well and the young Uchiha even looked up to the girl as a mentor.
It showed in the way the boy's attention drifted between the blonde and the genin, paying close attention to the Hyūga more often than not.
"Kushina made me 'liberate' Itachi-kun from his training," Junko explained.
"Liberate?"
"Apparently it was to check my stealth, and how well I could 'retrieve a teammate' without being caught."
Kushina's teaching method was a bit bizarre but fitting, and since Junko's clan training had ramped up, she'd had to get creative. Junko was still a young child despite her skill; Kushina wouldn't go too rough, though Minato had a feeling that the little Hyūga could meet those expectations as well, or at least try to.
"I'm assuming it went well?" He noted the grimace of her face with a sympathetic smile.
"Well, yes, but I almost had a heart attack when Fugaku-san came back as I was retreating with Itachi from their backyard," she shuddered, reaching up to pull her hitai-ate from around her head.
"Shishou said she would handle the aftermath, but I think she was just wanted to hang out with Mikoto-san."
Minato chuckled, seeing what his wife had done. The little Hyūga looked tired. As a responsible mentor, Kushina was adamant about giving recovery days, but he knew that with her new clan duties Junko still worked during those times, even if not physically. It wasn't in her body language, she had regained her poised demeanor, but he could see the fatigue in her eyes, the little darkness underneath her eyelids. Not just physical fatigue but mental.
And he wasn't the only one who saw it either.
"Is there anything you want to do Itachi-kun?" she asked as she turned to the silent boy.
The Uchiha heir looked down, thinking silently for a moment, and then returned his gaze.
"I'm fine with just reading something," he said quietly. Junko blinked.
"Are you sure? I know I just took you away from training. I could show you some things if you want."
Minato saw the desire in Itachi's dark eyes, curiosity shining in them, but the Uchiha heir shook his head instead.
"I've been training a lot with Shisui when he's around and with Otou-sama. But it's important to rest when you can, right Koko-chan?"
The blond hid a smile at the nickname as he watched their interaction. Junko's eyes widened then softened and she lifted a hand to pat his head.
"You are very correct Itachi-kun."
Junko crossed her arms in thought before snapping her fingers. She pulled a storage scroll from her pouch and laid it out on the table and Minato leaned forward to catch a glimpse. It appeared she'd gotten the multi-scroll down, several sealing matrices evenly spaced on the fabric. These scrolls were meant to hold many things of the same type, and in this one it looked as though she had sealed many books. Her tiny neat script covered much of the extra space with details of what each individual seal contained, far enough to not interfere.
"The last time I came over to your house I made some notes as I watched you train," she said, unsealing a nice sized notebook.
The first thing Minato noticed was the small drawing of the Uchiha heir on the cover. The boy in question was wide eyed as he took it from her hand and instantly flipped it open. From his position on the couch, Minato could see some of what she had written, and there were diagrams. Many, many diagrams. She had even taken the time to define terms that the young boy might not be familiar with in great detail.
Junko definitely didn't do anything by half-measures.
"I wrote about your chakra production levels and what progress I can see, and areas that you may want to improve on," she explained and lightly tapped under his chin so he would look at her. "Don't go overboard though. They're just preliminary notes and will change as you grow and train more. You shouldn't take them as gospel as what you should do. I also used Shisui and Obito-senpai as a reference for notes on fire jutsu, so I'm not sure if it'll help you specifically. You'll definitely want to do that with either Mikoto-san or your father."
Itachi blinked up at her, eyes still wide. For a few seconds, he seemed at a loss for words.
"Ah…thank you so much, Koko-chan!"
"It's no problem. The greatest weakness and strength a ninja has is themselves," Junko said as she rolled up her scroll with a grin on her face, looking more lively than she had been.
By this point, Minato had put his book down and leaned forward as she spoke.
"While having great intellect, strength, and powerful jutsu makes a shinobi strong, if one isn't in tune with themselves, all that stuff crumbles and becomes meaningless, and you'll just end up destroying yourself. So be careful, alright?"
At Itachi's nod, Minato spoke up.
"Very true, Junko-chan," Minato said, and Junko glowed at the praise, if only a little. "You'd do well to listen to her, Itachi-kun."
The Uchiha heir looked at the both of them and nodded, a resolute expression on his face.
"I understand, Koko-chan, Minato-sensei."
Minato offered the pair of prodigies a seat on the couch and lunch, listening to their chatter from the kitchen as he prepared simple sandwiches and lemonade for them. With every day that passed, Junko fascinated him; she continually went beyond for others, despite her own responsibilities with her clan and to her well-being. The more he saw this, the more he came to the conclusion that it had something to do with the unspoken burdens she held. Minato didn't have the whole picture- and he wasn't haughty enough to believe he did just because of her youth- but the more he watched her, pieces slowly fell into place.
Her relationships, the people she seemed to focus on the most, all pointed to something.
However, he wouldn't worry about that today.
Minato returned to the living room where they all sat and relaxed, comforted by the summer afternoon winds that blew in from the open window. The blond had returned to his book after they finished their meal and enjoyed the peaceful silence, but it wasn't long until he felt a weight press lightly against his side. When he looked down, Junko was leaning against him, her empty glass clasped between her hands. Her eyes were closed and her breath came out evenly, face relaxed in sleep.
He met eyes with Itachi who had looked from the notebook at the same time and they came to a consensus simultaneously. Minato carefully removed the glass from her hands, pausing when Junko moved in her sleep before settling, curling fully against his side. The Uchiha reached out and took it from his hand, setting it on the table in front of them so the blond wouldn't jostle her anymore. Minato smiled at the heir who smiled back, albeit a bit timidly, as they sent fond looks at the little Hyūga between them and returned to their reading.
The trouble-prone Junko had become yet another one of his precious people, and as Minato had found, she was precious to many. And whatever may be lurking out there to harm her would have a very difficult time doing so; he would make sure of that.
Author's Notes
Posted/Edited: September 15th, 2017
Sorry for the wait! This interlude gave me some trouble; it doesn't have as much new content as I wanted but since Minato was in the background for a lot of scenes I wanted to explore his psyche on those. I hope you guys liked it anyways.
More importantly, For a Chance at Happiness is a year old now! Excuse my language but HOLY SHIT; I never imagined it to receive so much attention when I first started, let alone hundred and thousands of people paying attention to it.
And so, as always, a sincere thanks to everyone who has followed, favorited, and/or reviewed this story so far, both new and old. And also to all the lurkers; I appreciate you too!
-Since this chapter has been plenty long already, I'm just going to address one thing before ending this chapter which is how some people were annoyed at how Junko didn't show any resentment towards her mother for her actions.
Despite her foreknowledge and adult mentality, a part of Junko is still a child. She spent so long missing them and although being left in the dark sucks, she just wants to be at peace with them. That doesn't mean there won't be tension between Junko and Kimiko, but for now, our little main character wants her parents to be happy. Besides, she won't be able to bear all these 'responsibilities' she's placed on herself forever, and it will all come to a head in time.
***Furthermore, since this is a new year of For a Chance at Happiness, I'm going to (try to) make these A/Ns more concise (and less spoiler-ly). If you really want a question answered, please add it to the end of your review if you can so I can see them more specifically and reply back in a PM. However, if it is from someone I cannot reply to directly, or many people asked the same question, I will still add it to the end.
That being said, goodbye for now.
Next time on For a Chance at Happiness:
Chapter 27: Of Changing Times