Disclaimer: still don't own it, still don't want it.
Jagged Pieces
With the careful use of Senjutsu and thanks to his own stamina, it didn't take much longer for Minato to almost fully recover. He was still a bit rough around the edges, but nothing some training wouldn't curb. Naruto refused to give him back his weapons when he politely asked for them two weeks into his stay, and though he understood – and could, from a professional point of view, appreciate her vigilance – it still didn't sit well with him. It felt weird to be clothed like a civilian again after so many years spent as a ninja, with no weapon pouch at his thigh, but his ANBU garb had apparently been unsalvageable.
Looking at his itchy, moss-green sweater, he sighed. Only silence answered him, and Minato sighed louder and longer, the edges of his lips fluttering as he tried to keep a forlorn expression when he saw Naruto's shoulders tense. Getting on her nerves had fast become one of his favorite games. Who knew boredom could so easily be vanquished?
He took a breath, preparing to sigh again, and choked a bit when the butter knife the kunoichi had been using found itself lodged a hair away from his hand. Nice aim for the sleepy woman, he had to admit.
"God help me if you sigh again," Naruto grumbled ominously. "It's way too early for you to smother me with your unhappiness."
A thing he learnt about the woman is that she could be chirpy as a bird in the morning, or irritable as a bear. There was no consistency in her moods, which kept him on his toes. It was his first time living so long in close quarters with a woman who wasn't a teammate under his command, and Minato couldn't help but wonder if all women were this weird.
However, he believed some of her odd behavior had to do with PTSD – it showed clearly in the way her eyes would sometimes glaze over as she stared into nothingness, looking dead to the world. It was a look many veterans shared, but the lack of blemishes on her skin and her fairly young age kind of went against this theory.
The shinobi picked up the utensil, noticing how deep it went through the wood. "I'm not unhappy. Just bored."
"Then go train or something," she mumbled around a dry toast, too lazy to get a new knife, and too proud to ask Minato to hand back the one she threw at him.
"Well, I would, if only someone would be so kind as to tell me where my weapons are," he reminded her with nonchalance, the butter knife twirling between his deft fingers.
Naruto snorted, blurry eyes narrowing. "Yeah, I don't think so. I didn't forget your threats, buddy."
Minato only smiled, buttering a toast for himself. He made a show of sharpening the dull blade of the knife with his wind chakra, cutting thin slices of ham from the dish sitting on the table. Naruto rolled her eyes, saying something about "smug bastards", and Minato's smile took a chilly edge, fist clenching around the knife's handle. It wouldn't do to throw it at his host, he kept reminding himself. Even though said-host was proving to be quite rude in her choice of insults.
"So," he began after clearing his throat, "what do you do in your spare time around here, Naruto-san?"
She blinked twice, swallowed her mouthful, and coughed a little when it proved to be too big for her esophagi. As she gulped down her glass of water, Naruto took the time to think about the question. From what she knew about her wanderings when Minato was comatose, there was nothing really entertaining in the area, and the village offered not much more than supplies for the daily life.
With a shrug, she settled for a mild truth based on her youth. "To be honest, I don't spend much time around here. I love to travel and see new places."
"Ah, yes. I remember you said you were back from one of your trips when you found me. Still, don't you like the hot springs of the regions?" he inquired, honestly curious. The kunoichi back home were always raving about natural hot springs, never really satisfied by the bathhouse built in Konoha.
Naruto was kind of befuddled. Even in her timeline, she never really wandered around Lightning, too busy saving the world and chasing Sasuke. And her travels with Jiraiya never strayed far from the Land of Fire. So Minato's question threw her off kilter.
Again, she shrugged. "Er, yeah. I don't know. I'm not really a fan of hot springs. How do you know that, anyway?"
Minato, for a second, looked surprised if not a bit confused, but his face quickly became blank. Now, Naruto was curious to know what went through his mind.
"Let's say I'm more familiar than I'd like to be with the Land of Lightning's assets."
Way to be cryptic, Naruto thought. Seeing her lost expression, Minato furthered his explanation with furrowed brows, "That comes with being a ninja of my standing."
As if that made more sense! But Naruto nodded, feigning understanding. "Yeah, of course. Reckon missions, diplomatic shit and the likes... Right?"
Her fellow blonde shinobi quirked an eyebrow, drawling an unconvinced "right" before taking his dirty plates to the sink and washed them before drying them, ignoring Naruto when she tried not so subtly to slip hers into the soapy water. He learnt early on that she had no domestic skills whatsoever. Spending a day puking his guts out after she tried her hand at homemade stew was enough to convince him to take up the house chores as a way to earn his keep.
"So, I was thinking," Minato began nonchalantly once the dishes were put away, drying his hands on a nearby rag. "I've been cooped up here for so long now, and despite your charming nature," at that, Naruto snorted, "I'd like to see new faces."
The woman shrugged, feeling quite unconcerned. Counting the week Minato was out, he'd been with her for nearly a month, never straying far from the cottage and the nearby river. It was understandable that he felt the need to move.
She snatched the last apple sitting in the fruit basket and looked at it. It was a bit wrinkled, but she deemed it good enough to eat anyway. Usually, she wouldn't be caught dead eating a fruit, but her stomach kept growling. Munching noisily on it, she ignored Minato's disgusted face and said, "Feel free to go. Last time I checked, I was not your keeper, princess. No need to ask for permission."
"Why, thank you for your generosity," he drawled sarcastically. "But please, do tell me how I'm supposed to find my way to the village if I never saw it before?"
"Now you've got to be kidding," Naruto was quick to retort, still chewing obnoxiously. "Aren't you supposed to be a ninja?"
"Aren't you supposed to be my host?" the shinobi argued right back, batting his eyelids rapidly and faking naivety. "I don't feel like wasting chakra for something like that. I'm still recovering."
The whiny tone he adopted made her cringe. Naruto had to admit he was good at getting on her nerves, and if the devilish smirk he sported right now was to be trusted, Minato quite enjoyed his little game. She was about to flip him off, when he decided to take a more serious tone, face for once devoid of any trickery and brows slightly wrinkled in worry.
"The pantry needs to be replenished, anyway. There's an awful lack of vegetables in this house, and the milk has soured. I have no money on me, and unless you trust me with your savings, I'm afraid you'll have to stick with me."
Okay. It was actually a fair point, and more reasonable than his previous arguments. Resigned, Naruto sighed loudly and unenthusiastically went to fetch a large satchel. When she came back, Minato was already waiting for her at the door, a light smile stretching his lips and crinkling the corners of his eyes. She almost stumbled, swallowing through the lump in her throat and blinking rapidly to chase treacherous tears.
Like that, with the sun shining on his bright blond hair and his light colored clothes, the shinobi looked really like the father she remembered – soft and caring. It was easy to forget when he relished in driving her up the walls, always a snarky jab at the ready.
She almost wanted to slap the grin off his face, to claw at his slightly tanned skin and tear his hair off. He wasn't allowed to look so familiar! How was she supposed to detach herself from her past life if he acted so fond?
Moody, Naruto stomped past the confused man and led the way to the village, refusing to pertain in the small talk Minato was trying to have.
She preferred when he was mean and distrustful – it was easier for her heart to handle.
The trek to the village had mostly been silent despite Minato's best efforts to fill it. As he babbled away, talking about the weather and the worthy touristic sights in Kumo, he kept an eye on the kunoichi's tensed shoulders and the death grip she had on her satchel. Her frustration had obviously got the better of her training as she stomped loudly through the forest, always a few steps ahead the shinobi she shouldn't trust with her back.
She was lucky Minato wasn't interested in killing her, otherwise, the woman would've met her death more than thrice by the time they entered the small village full of life. The sudden clash of sounds oddly comforted the man – it wasn't Konoha, but still, hearing children's laughter and merchants' cries was a welcomed change from the overwhelming silence of the forest.
Quickly, the blond man hid beneath a non-descript henge – medium height, dull chestnut hair, and soft green eyes – receiving an odd look from Naruto who shrugged it off as a quirk.
A tower of smoke was steadily rising from the center of the village, and with a quick burst of chakra channeled through his nose, Minato could smell melted iron and coal. His nose wasn't as good as Kakashi's or an Inuzuka's, but it was enough for him to deduce it had to come from a blacksmith. Without thinking, he let his feet guide him towards the smoke, already thinking about the sort of rare weapons being made in Lightning. However, he came to an abrupt stop when a hand clamped on his elbow, feeling like claws. It was only Minato's perfect control that allowed him to not give way to his instincts and break the hand in half.
"Where do you think you're going, princess? I thought you needed a guide."
He sighed and turned on his heels, waiting for the kunoichi to show the way. "My apologies, Naruto-san. You've been so silent that I actually forgot you were there."
"Yeah, right," the young woman grumbled, already making her way towards the open market. "You're banned from going to the blacksmith anyway. No way you're getting weapons on my watch."
Minato shrugged, not feeling concerned. He may complain every now and then about his weapons being held hostage, but truly, he didn't care much for them now that he was healed and with chakra at his disposal. Though he'd readily admit that he missed his pronged kunai.
He didn't pay much attention as the kunoichi made her way through the stalls, lost in his thoughts on how to maybe increase the speed rate in his praised Hiraishin, until they came to the meat stand and he heard Naruto loudly asking for at least twelve pounds of beef.
He watched with round eyes as the shocked – though overjoyed – butcher was already reaching for a bag, and Minato looked at the kunoichi's empty satchel.
"Wait!" he said to the merchant before turning to the blond woman who was drooling at all the displayed meat, "Where are the vegetables?"
"What vegetables?" she groaned as she made grabby hands at the beef the butcher had yet to wrap away.
Minato batted the hands away before grabbing the satchel to wave it in front of Naruto's face, distracting her from the meat. "We've been walking through the fruit and vegetables stands for at least twenty minutes before coming here, and you didn't get anything at all?"
Naruto shrugged. "I don't like vegies, so what? You gonna sue me?"
His eyes immediately raked over her frame, and she subconsciously crossed her arms over her stomach, feeling oddly naked. She knew she was a bit on the underweight side, her muscles leaner than before and her bone structure a bit too apparent – eating properly hadn't been one of her top priorities while she worked on the revival of the Hiraishin, and it's true that by dealing with the stress of her time travel situation and Minato himself, her appetite had been lost. Still, it wasn't a reason for the man to judge her so conspicuously.
Not looking away from the kunoichi, Minato asked the butcher for just three pounds of meat, ranging from chicken to beef to pork, defying the woman with a silent glare to argue. Chewing on her cheek, Naruto eventually huffed and paid for the purchase, ready to go to the next stand – the sweets looked good, and her mouth watered at the idea of orange-stuffed chocolates. However, Minato had a completely different idea as he grabbed her by the back of her collar and without straining a muscle, dragged her towards the vegetables.
"Would you look at that!" he grinned evilly. "So many artichokes and kales awaiting you!"
She gagged at the names and started to fight his hold with no success. The middle-aged lady behind the stall looked at them, bemused, before politely asking what she could get them.
"The greener, the better," Minato smiled. "Oh, you even have spinach! How wonderful, right Naruto-san? We'll take half a crate of everything, please."
"Over my dead body, blondie!" the kunoichi snarled, cursing her lack of nails as she tried to sink her fingers in the man's battle-hardened skin. "You do that and I'll shave you bald! You hear me?!"
The grip turned into a chokehold as the shinobi suddenly pressed her against his side, digging his pointy chin hard on the top of her skull while chuckling. Naruto gagged again when she saw an old couple passing them and cooing at the 'affectionate' gesture. The bastard was good at acting, she'd give him that.
"Actually, make it a whole crate!"
This whole shopping trip had turned into an awful experience for the young time traveler. She was sure there was a hole in her skull now, and her feet were killing her. Her satchel was filled to the brim with carrots and other nasty vegetables she never asked for, and she shuddered as she remembered that Minato had sealed away many other vegetables and fruits.
"Aaah, it was a productive day!" Minato rejoiced as he stretched his arms, finally dropping his henge once the village was out of sight.
He was not even mad when the kunoichi cast the satchel at his unprotected head, snatching it in the air and hoisting it on his shoulder. He was already making his way back to the cottage, not waiting for Naruto who kicked in every pebble she found, grumbling all the way home.
"I can't believe you used my own money to feed me these atrocities," Naruto later said as they were sitting at the table, a large dish of kale and tomato salad in the center.
Minato had served her at least half the dish, a smirk never leaving his face as he watched her forcing down the half-chewed food in an effort to not taste it. She was promised a huge steak if she finished her plate, and it was the only thing keeping her going.
"Well, it's your fault for being so stubborn about my ninja wear. If only I had a kunai," he sighed heavily, "then I would've been able to hunt something down and not bother you with your eating habits. And if only I had my protective garb, I could scavenge in the forest without fear of hurting myself."
He blinked huge blue eyes at her, a pout on his lips, and the fork in her hand bent in two.
"You're… so full of shit," Naruto spat. "I already told you, I'm not that stupid as to give a fellow ninja a way to better assault me."
"That's a bit hypocritical from you," Minato noted, neutral. "You've been carrying weapons under your belt since day one. Yet, you don't see me accusing you of planning my murder."
Automatically, Naruto brought a hand under her shirt, feeling for the kunai stashed there and gripping its handle. She frowned. It has been well concealed under her large clothing, and even though he'd been scrutinizing her for days, Minato shouldn't have been able to notice it.
A small smile graced his lips as he leant back in his chair, slightly tilting his head back, consciously making himself completely vulnerable. "It wasn't hard to guess. Every time you're startled, you shift into a subtle battle position and your hand goes straight there before you relax. Besides, you would be truly insane to shelter a renowned shinobi under your roof with no means to defend yourself."
That wasn't good. Naruto had always been appreciative of people with a keen sense of observation. It was after all a praised tool in the ninja world. Kakashi, in his last days, had often bemoaned the fact that Naruto didn't think enough compared to her formidable father. She used to agree with a laugh, puffing out her chest with pride.
Now, she just wanted to lament her fate and Minato's goddamned skills. Couldn't he have been a self-absorbed dumbass? Was it too much to ask?
She felt a tug in her guts and gulped. Now was not the time for her nerves to play out.
Resolutely, she shoved the rest of the salad in her mouth, picked up her dishes and dumped them in the sink before trying to scurry back to her room. Of course, trying to out speed Minato was a stupid idea.
It was even stupider to give him her full, unprotected back.
He proved it by appearing in a flash behind her – and damn, the dude was fast even without the Hiraishin – two fingers stopping inches away from her bare throat as he leant towards her ear, his chest almost touching her back. No issue possible, her mind calculated as she felt the wind chakra pouring out of the fingers, forming a sharp blade ready to slice through her artery.
"Though for the record, disarming me will only bring you the illusion of safety," he whispered, playfulness gone from his tone.
There was a tensed silence during which Naruto tried to think up a strategy. She was trapped and felt like prey. Normally, Kurama would be in a corner of her mind, ready to grumble and help her out, and she wouldn't be so scared of possibly bleeding to death by making a rash move. Now that she was left to her own devices, Naruto was just realizing that she may have relied too much on her furry beast and his accelerated healing factor in the past years.
The fact that shoving a Rasengan down the throat of her foes was her go to answer in this kind of situation wasn't helping either. First, because killing Minato was not her goal – she would very much like to be born later, thank you – and secondly, showing him his own technique was a sure way to be sent to the IT unity back in Konoha – and that was if Minato didn't kill her on the spot.
What to do, what to do… She should've listened to Sakura when she tried to teach her more about using her brain.
"What are you playing at, Namikaze?" she grunted when he made no indication of pulling away.
She flinched, surprised, when his other hand came to rest on her hip. The hold was light, easily breakable, but sent an obvious warning – do not move. The hand slipped slowly towards her stomach, and if it wasn't for the chakra blade held at her throat, she would've trashed in the man's grip.
All she could do was grit her teeth and tense her muscles as Minato softly pressed down, feeling the tiny bulge underneath the large tunic, before humming thoughtfully.
"I knew it couldn't have only been about hiding a weapon. Nature chakra can be really useful," he muttered, finally backing away.
Of course. Naruto wanted to slap herself. She knew that Senjutsu made it perfectly easy to spot signs of life, and yet she forgot all about it.
She turned around briskly, slamming Minato into the nearest wall, her formerly hidden kunai now pressed against his jugular. The shinobi didn't try to defend himself, letting her press harder as a fine trickle of blood went down his neck.
With stormy eyes, she snarled, "What the fuck is wrong with you?"
"I could ask you the same thing," he calmly said, eyes hard as steel.
Slowly, he wrapped a hand around her thin wrist, but didn't force her to pull away. The hand was just there to make sure she wouldn't actually slash open his trachea.
When she didn't answer, only narrowing her eyes at him, he huffed, "What is a pregnant kunoichi doing so far out in the woods?"
"So what? I like my peace and space, is that a crime?"
He laughed, but there was no humor in it. "You show clear signs of PTSD. This cottage is clearly not that lived in, and despite your claims of being a wanderer, I haven't seen much of your travelling supplies. I'm not in the Bingo Book for my good looks, you know."
Silence.
Seeing that he wasn't going to get a reaction, the shinobi continued, "There aren't that much possibilities. Are you running away from your village? I heard rumors about some hidden villages becoming more and more hostile to their clans with bloodlines… Are you wanted because of your abnormal amount of chakra?" he fired the questions with a firm tone, entering his ANBU Captain mindset.
The woman scoffed and leant back, nicking Minato's skin with her kunai as she released him. He didn't make a move to touch his neck, even when blood reached his wide collar, making it stick to his clavicles.
"You're being quite nosy here, buddy. You weren't so caring a few weeks ago when you were considering killing me."
The shinobi shrugged and decided to go for a truthful approach. "Well, you're a fascinating case to study, killing you would be a regrettable waste. Your chakra is really interesting, and you're far from weak," he said as he recalled how her KI actually disturbed him. She could make a worthy partner, and his blood boiled at the challenge she would be in a Ninjutsu only fight. "Plus, you've been tickling my curiosity with your seal work…"
Naruto frowned. She only showed him her arms' seals – they were not that complicated to create for a connoisseur like Minato, and Jiraiya would've done much better.
Seeing her confusion, Minato bit on the inside of his cheek, debating with himself, before heaving a sigh. He looked contrite as he uttered, "You're a heavy sleeper, you know? Not really good for a ninja, though I suppose your pregnancy has a role to play in that…" He rubbed his nape and admitted, "I snooped around and found your scrolls. Really interesting sketches. You should hide your stuff better, by the way, anyone could steal your ideas if you're so careless."
"Yeah, because I obviously let strangers into my house that often," the kunoichi sneered, more annoyed than angry.
She didn't mind him looking at her work, as long as he didn't stumble on her time travel seal.
"Well, you've let me in."
That's not the same, Naruto wanted to argue, and opened her mouth to do just so before thinking better of it.
Yes, it was.
She didn't know this Minato. It wasn't her father. This Minato was too young, too frank with his opinions, and not yet the poised leader everybody loved. He was perhaps too brash, cynical, and sometimes too serious when it came to his job as a shinobi.
So Naruto stayed silent, not looking at the man who already proved to be too perspective for his own good. Minato didn't seem to mind her silence as he went on, "I estimate I still have three weeks, give or take, before the Hokage has a team ready to retrieve me. So I'll be straightforward…"
This caught her attention as she looked up, an eyebrow cocked, waiting suspiciously for the rest of his sentence.
He had been watching her since the first day they met. He had seen the controlled movements, the repressed energy. He had sensed the easy flow of chakra – like giant waves licking the shores of her body. This kunoichi was truly good, with a potential that just asked to be unleased. If he was honest, Minato had been envious at first of her obvious strength. If he had it… He sure wouldn't be sabotaging himself by keeping away from the world, hiding in a desolated cottage lost in the woods.
But what had really caught his attention hadn't been so much the strength but the loneliness hidden behind her eyes. It was a feeling he was familiar with, seeing it in the eyes of some friends and teammates. Seeing it in his own eyes more often than he'd be willing to admit. Discovering by chance that this lonely woman – who was somehow traumatized by her kunoichi life – was pregnant had been what really drove the man to see the human behind the lethal weapon. And what he saw… He actually learnt to like.
They were similar, him and her.
His gaze never wavered as dark blue eyes met baby blue ones.
"Come with me. Come to the Leaf."
To be continued…
A/N: HELLO, MY DEARS. Hope you're all faring well! First of all, thanks for your patience, it was really appreciated!
However, I've been spammed quite a lot on my inbox, so I'll say it once and for all on this chapter (because I actually don't like writing long-ass notes, and I don't like vomiting rants on my stories) So here it is, since it unfortunately needs to be said for some peeps: Lads, I'm really glad you're enthusiastic about Jagged Pieces and can't wait to read the next instalment, but seriously – no need to PM me just to remind me which month we are. I'm aware of my own notes, and as long as there's no message from me on my profile saying I'm dropping the story, then it isn't dropped. I'm not going to answer those PMs and justify why I'm not updating – don't take it personally, but I really don't think I owe you an explanation on why the chapter is late, nor do I need to update you on my life. And all I'd have to say would be something along the lines of "Life is being a bitch and called its best buddy Work to gangbang me, I guess I'm sorry for the hardcore non-con fisting I got?" There. You're warned. Don't lose time on writing PMs or reviews just to berate me on my updating habits. Obviously, it's not working.
What I will apologize for, though, is the fact that it took me so long to answer to some of you! I promised last time that I'd try and reply straight away, and while I was able to do so for the first batch of reviews, it became a bit difficult afterwards as my priorities laid elsewhere. So, to all of you who had to wait two/three months just to get a reply: my sincerest and deepest apologies!
To all of you who wished me luck on my exams: you're amazing. I love you. Here, have my kisses with extra slobber! (I'm irresistible, I know.) And I'm glad to say I graduated! YAAAAY! To all the students out there, cheers if you've graduated, you're champs! If it's not the case… Don't worry, take your time to get there and just relax: everything is going to work out in the end, stay positive :)
And thanks for all the reviews! You rock, guys. They gave me the strength to finish this chapter!
I'll see ya around for the next chappie – hopefully before December! (Chill, I'm joking. Or am I?)
Bye, hugs and ass-squeezes to all, and enjoy your summer, rascals!