Disclaimer: still don't own Naruto, and still don't want it.
Jagged Pieces
Signing his name with a flourish on the last paper presented to him, Minato leant back on his seat and adopted a seemingly relaxed posture as he met the Hokage's weary gaze. The old man was puffing on his pipe, examining each of the paper Minato had signed before handing them back to the Chunin assisting him for the day.
"You can bring them to the Jōnin Commander now, thank you."
And with that, Minato's marriage was rendered official. Relief flooded him, but he was still wary of what Sarutobi would have to say now that they were truly alone. Silence stretched out in the room, the old man gazing steadily at the blond shinobi. He never would've guessed that the ever perfect Minato would one day bring trouble at his doorstep. No. That was usually reserved for the hot-head that was Kujin.
"Mind to explain to me how my best ANBU captain ended up so gravely injured that he went MIA for a week before sending a measly summon to ask, of all things, an extended leave?"
If Minato was surprised by the line of questioning (he was really hoping for Sarutobi to go straight to the point and ask about his choice of wife), he didn't let anything on. Adopting a neutral tone, he recited what was already written in the report he'd sent weeks ago with his toad.
"I'm afraid arrogance blinded my judgment, Hokage-sama. I used more chakra than necessary on my primary mission and thought that the road back home would be clear of enemy. This left me vulnerable and I was already on the verge of chakra exhaustion when a group of missing-nin ambushed me."
"And that's when Naruto-san saved you?"
Minato frowned. He hadn't thought much about it, but what was the actual source of the chakra blast that torched everything around him?
"Not at all… I remember a blast. It was definitely chakra of some sort, but it burnt like nothing I've seen or felt before. It apparently killed the missing-nin. The only reason I'm still alive is because their bodies shielded me from most of it… I lost consciousness, and next thing I know, I'm at the border of the Land of Lightning with Naruto-san watching over me."
"And she's…?" Sarutobi made a twirling hand-gesture, inviting Minato to fill in the blanks.
"We had a betrothal contract from when I was still living in Kumo. We met again a few years ago and kept in contact. She's been living like Jiraiya-sensei these last few years, wandering the lands without any real affiliation, learning from whoever was willing to part with a bit of their knowledge."
"Fascinating," Sarutobi drawled out, stuffing new tobacco into his pipe. Minato couldn't say if the old man was being sarcastic or sincere. "Any reason she was right where she needed to be to lend you a helping hand?"
And this, now, was what Minato had been dreading. Being accused of treason, of being a double-agent for Kumo. He steeled his nerves and tried his best to blush and stammer. Like a love-sick idiot he was absolutely not known to be.
"Ah, well…! Ho-Hokage-sama, er… I may have t-told my wife to meet me there…" He raised a hand to scratch at his nape, his lips stretched in a silly, proud smile. "I got new of her pregnancy just before leaving for my mission… that's also the reason I kind of… er… went all out with my chakra… Sorry."
Kujin would've been so proud of his acting skills. Or horrified. What was sure is that even Sarutobi was surprised by the usually cool, composed shinobi turning into a puddle of mushy feelings at the mention of his pregnant wife. The old man snorted, amused and a bit nostalgic as he was reminded of his own behavior as a new father.
Aaah, to be young and in love…
He could almost forgive the shinobi for pulling this stunt.
He sighed and let his back melt in his plushy chair. Time to stop beating around the bush. "Is your brother going to be a problem, Minato-kun?"
The young man immediately lost all lovey-dovey expression, his fair features twisting in a nasty expression. He looked like he sucked on the sourest lemon ever. Whenever Ay would be mentioned in a conversation, the Namikaze would pull that face – it was quite comical at times, especially when the composed captain was giving an official report in front of the Council. Sarutobi bet it was a pavlovian reflex by now.
"No," Minato gritted out, eyebrows ticking and veins bulging at his temples. He looked two seconds away from having an aneurysm. "Naruto isn't even part of Kumo's shinobi forces, there's no law against citizens marrying outside of the village."
"And is it the same for royalty?"
Now Minato was frothing at the mouth.
"I'm not part of the Raikage's family!"
"Kumo would beg to differ, Minato-kun. I receive monthly demands from their shinobi and citizens alike to, I quote, 'give back the esteemed Master'. It's fortunate that Ay is too prideful to admit he wants his brother back."
The blond glowered before taking a deep, calming breath.
"Ay won't be a problem, Hokage-sama. I spoke with Bee."
At that, Sarutobi actually made an intriguing sound and almost choke on his smoke.
"This marriage… means a lot, Hokage-sama. Not only for me and Naruto-san, but also for our villages. By marrying a Kumo citizen, I'm showing Ay that I'm willing to build new connections between our villages. It's a welcome bridge, Hokage-sama, one that could be useful when it comes to alliances."
Chewing on his pipe, Sarutobi hummed. It's true that he had thought of it when he'd been made aware that Minato's wife was from the rival hidden village. The Raikage might not be as vocal as his shinobi, but he still wanted the Namikaze to go back to their ranks and share his knowledge on Fuinjutsu. This union could be what both villages needed: Konoha didn't have a lot of Raiton users and wouldn't spit on a helping hand to train the few users they had. The Leaf also needed raw supplies only found in the Land of Lightning, like metals or wool. In exchange, they could offer agricultural help and even some seals.
Sarutobi eventually nodded his head up and down, agreeing with Minato. "You know I can't legally make Naruto-san a Konoha citizen, though. She'll have to apply for residency when she feels better. That said…"
The Hokage finally let a smile stretch his wrinkled mouth. "Congratulations, Minato-kun. I'm glad that you found someone to build a life with. The continuation of the Namikaze clan will truly be appreciated by the village. After all, it wouldn't do for my successor to leave no legacy behind."
At these words, Minato let out a relieved breath.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama."
For one second, he truly believed that his stunt had cost him his dream. Bowing to the old man, he took his leave, ready to go home and cook for his whimsical wife. He looked at the darkening sky and heaved a sigh. He had so many things that needed to be done, and only four days of leave left… First, he still had to review Naruto's medical papers from their trip to the hospital the day before. Then, he also needed to check on his Genin team as well as his ANBU subordinates. And, most of all, he needed to talk with Kujin and make sure the redhead wasn't angry with him. They never kept secrets from each other, and hiding a wife? That was huge. He couldn't begin to imagine what was going on in his friend's mind.
But first, let's go home.
The patient presents signs of dehydration as well as exhaustion. Bed rest is recommended for at least three days until chakra reserves are restored. The patient's baby presents no sign of harm, although its growth looks to be further developed than anticipated (husband estimated 8 months; after examination, estimation is well into the 9th month). Due date: app. two weeks.
Ninth month, huh? With a sigh, Minato rubbed his eyes and softly put the papers down on the floor where he was sitting at the old, crappy chabudai. He really ought to buy new furniture, now that he wasn't alone anymore. He scratched thoughtfully at a scuff in the wood – from that one time Kujin tried to polish one of his kunai when they were still Genin and lost his grip on the slippery handle, he recalled – before heaving a new, longer sigh, already feeling exhausted by the new data collected on his blond wife. Well, Naruto had admitted that she hadn't gone to the doctor in quite some time, he reasoned, trying not to feel angry at the neglectful kunoichi. Having lived in the forest for so many months, it wouldn't be surprising if she actually messed up while counting her trimesters.
Minato frowned, glancing warily at the bedroom's door behind which the woman was sleeping. They had agreed to have separate rooms (well, it was more that the kunoichi had insisted and wouldn't take no for an answer) until the baby was born. His home wasn't that big, and the second bedroom would soon be turned into a nursery. He'd thought that he'd get a whole month to smooth things out between them and start a working, durable relationship – maybe he'd been a bit too optimistic on that front…
If Naruto was in fact past the nine-month mark, as the nurse suspected, then a baby will very soon greet them.
A warm feeling spread from his chest to the rest of his body, leaving him feeling all mushy and flustered. He let his head fall between his folded arms, hiding his red face from the world.
A baby.
A little human that would be looking at him for comfort and love.
With this thought, the warmth was chased away by a clenching in his stomach. What a joke… How could he take care of a child when everyone had abandoned him as one? His father. His brother. And then his mother, who slowly succumbed to sadness and died from a broken heart. Was he able to love after a life of being denied that feeling?
A snort escaped him and he buried his head further in the nest of his arms. 'Stupid', Kujin would be telling him, 'you're a fucking bleeding heart.' It wasn't that far from the truth… He took a woman under his wing, promised to care for her child as his own. He conveniently forgot that it wasn't from the goodness of his heart, but really from a selfish desire to have something – someone – to call completely and utterly his.
This time, he groaned as he thumped his head dully against the bones and hard muscles that made up his pillow. It really wasn't love, despite what he wished to believe one day. It was truly just selfishness and misplaced curiosity.
"I'm such a moron…"
And he was. Frankly, it was a wonder that Sarutobi still wanted him as his successor after the stunt he pulled – marrying without the council's consent, bringing a Kumo citizen inside the city, and forcing their hand in the matter as she was already pregnant with what they assumed to be the Namikaze's next heir…
Giving his report to the Hokage had felt like being relieved from an unseen burden. His shoulders had visibly sagged, and it was as if he could finally breathe again. But shedding the warrior skin only left him lost and insecure with his own decisions. This was the Minato that Kujin always worried about – the Minato who wasn't so good with other humans but still craved warm touches. The Minato who never got over being an unwanted orphan.
Tired, Minato snatched the medical papers from the floor and got up, stretching his tall frame as he walked to Naruto's bedroom. He hovered at the door, fingers brushing lightly against the wood as if trying to feel if the other person behind it was awake.
But nothing happened, and Minato gave the door a last longing look before turning away, heading to his own room. He knew he was getting absurdly attached to a woman he knew nothing of, and he couldn't get it in him to stop. They were stuck together now, for better or for worse, and he was well determined to make the best at this shot at family bliss.
Too bad Kujin never beat optimism out of him.
Being in this timeline was weird, Naruto concluded. She didn't want to think much about the fact that she was now essentially married to her alternate-world-father, nor that her alternate-world-mother was, in fact, a man. This at least meant that she couldn't fuck up her own conception, which was a relief – Naruto had never been known to keep from destroying everything she touched, be it on purpose or not.
She knew that once Minato publicly claimed her as his wife at the hospital, it wouldn't take long before the news travelled around the village, meaning that she'd either have to keep up the pretence or wreak havoc by filing for divorce. She would then be seen as a pariah because who in their right mind would slight the most prized shinobi of Konoha? Hell, maybe she'd even have Kumo riding her ass and trying to get her baby, now that Bee thought Minato had fathered a child…
I'm in so much shit… Where's Kurama when I need him?
Sighing, the weary woman leaned back on her bed, rubbing her achy belly. The baby had been relentlessly kicking since she left the hospital yesterday as if to make its dissatisfaction known to the world. She'd been having contractions too, but Ino had warned her about the Braxton Kicks thingy, so Naruto didn't put too much mind in it. She still had a whole month left to complete the cycle of a Jinchuuriki pregnancy, and truth be told, she was anxious about it. Months ago, she would've told you that she couldn't wait to push the baby out of her womb, but now… now, Naruto was scared. She was alone, in a world she didn't know with familiar people that were not her people. Her situation was really sinking in, and it took a lot of effort to not just curl into a ball and bawl her eyes out, feeling more defeated than ever.
Because despite her simple-mindedness, Naruto wasn't a complete idiot.
She knew that to travel this far back into time and jump dimensions, she pulled on the Bijuu chakra. And now that Kurama was gone… it meant she didn't have the reserves needed to activate a reverse seal and go back to her own world. Hell, she didn't even have the sealing skills required for such a feat… For the foreseeable future, she was well and truly stuck here, and it was a terrifying thought.
A new kick – harder than the previous ones – jolted her out of her thoughts and Naruto huffed. That brat was going to be a taijutsu beast as well as a nagging parasite. She could already feel the narcissism oozing from it. "Yeah, yeah, I know you're here, quit kicking, dammit. You're such your father's kid…"
Kakashi owed her so much. Fucking self-absorbed bum with his fucking self-absorbed genes, she thought nastily before cosying up under the fluffy blankets, ready to call it a night. She'll let the worrying and fretting to future-Naruto, because present-Naruto was just so done and the world could just go and screw itself. See if she cared!
Slumber slowly taking over, the young woman brought a hand to her belly, her last thought being as usual for her unborn child. See you later, baby.
And then she dreamed.
There was a forest. Its trees had grown high and straight, seemingly brushing the sky with their outstretched limbs. The leaves were evergreen, and there were so much of them that looking up was like looking at a green sea, waves rolling with each whisper of the wind.
It was peaceful, Naruto thought.
Looking down at herself, she noticed the outfit she used to wear when she was sixteen and her flat, toned belly. Strange. It feels like it shouldn't be like that… Shrugging, the blond woman looked around her. She wanted to stay on the little path of beaten dirt that slithered through the whole forest and appeared to be the only way in and out of it. She had the acute feeling that, were she to stray from it, she'd be and remained lost. However, something pulled at her and Naruto never was one to not follow her guts. Slowly, she drifted away from the path, stumbling her way through thick shrubs and brambles. The further she went, the more the forest seemed reluctant to let her part a way through the greeneries, trees strangely bending and twigs catching on her clothes and skin. Undeterred, she muscled her way through, following the uncanny pull and whisper.
Come. Come to me, Naruto, come.
And she went, deeper and deeper, until all she could see were massive clouds of dark-green leaves blocking the sunlight. Soon, she was standing in front of a rocky wall that seemed to be the foot of a great mountain. A huge hole – a cave, she realized – was carved in its surface, and feet rooted to the floor, Naruto's body refused to go forward.
Danger, her brain registered. Therein lays danger.
The pull had stopped, and the only sounds coming to her ears were those of the forest – the brushing of leaves, the distant song of birds, and the growling of a beast.
That last one was oddly comforting and struck something familiar in her core. The rumble grew louder, like rocks rolling on each other. She took a step forward, unconsciously. It was coming from the cave. Something was in the cave. Something that was calling to her.
As she was about to fully step into the dark abyss, her stomach suddenly filled out before bursting open, blood splattering onto the dry soil before her legs collapsed, as did her consciousness.
He had checked all the windows twice before being satisfied and ready to go to sleep. It was already nearing midnight, and he had a meeting at eight o'clock with the Sandaime concerning his duties as his successor, and another at ten with the Council to discuss the citizenship of his unborn child. Minato knew that he'd need a good night sleep to face the consequences of his rash decisions. If he didn't play his cards well, all the work he did to be seen as a Leaf shinobi would go into the drain, and he wouldn't be surprised if the Hokage, fed up with the blond exiled, ordered Yamanaka to assess his loyalties by breaking into his mind. With a bit of luck, Bee had managed to talk some sense into his brother and there wouldn't be a blood feud between the two villages…
With a sigh, Minato picked up all the papers lying around and put them in a drawer before stretching his arms, trying to relieve the tense muscles to no avail. Resigned to a fate of crankiness, he flicked the light off and just as he made to step into his room, his senses tingled.
Someone was at his door. Familiar chakra. Kujin.
In a second he was at the door and silently opening it, intercepting the redhead's fist who shot him a smile.
"Ah, good, now I don't have to feel guilty for knocking and waking you up!"
Instead of inviting his friend in, Minato wearily rubbed at his face. He was not ready to talk with the Uzumaki yet. "Kujin, if it's not a matter of life or death, it can wait tomorrow. I'm not in the mood for your idiocy…"
"Dude, ouch," the other man grouched out, bringing a hand to his chest in mock hurt. "I haven't seen you in weeks, then Sandaime-sama tells us you'll be delayed, and then you pop up with a wife and kid on the way!"
The more he talked, the more his eyes darkened. A serious Kujin was a rare sight and was usually enough to get Minato's attention. This time, however, his friend was touching a subject he'd rather have left alone for the time being.
The Uzumaki frowned as Minato blatantly looked away, as if bored by the conversation. It didn't deter him to try and get to the depth of things. "You were holed up in the hospital the whole day and we didn't have a minute to ourselves. Then you spent today either locked in your house or busy with paperwork at the Tower. Don't you think now is actually a good time to talk?"
Stubborn, the blond man kept his mouth firmly shut, still leaning against the doorframe, clearly blocking the entrance to his apartment. Even the Uzumaki wasn't so bold as to barge in when he knew he wasn't wanted in the home of a fellow seal master.
Whatever tension rising between them was broken by a shrill scream coming from the back of the house.
Straightening up, both shinobi forgot about their argument and bolted into the flat and straight into the master bedroom, weapons at the ready, only to be greeted by the sight of Naruto curled around her belly, her strikingly white face streaked with tears.
Her eyes were wide open but she didn't seem to see them, quiet sobs escaping from her lips as she tried to curl even more around her stomach, hands gripping tightly at her soaked shirt.
While Minato stayed rooted where he stood, kunai slipping from his slack grip, Kujin didn't waste a second and ripped the blanket away from the woman, already forcing her legs up and open, his medical training kicking in. By the feel of the wet sheets, he knew she was already in labor and her water had broken.
As for Naruto, she would reflect later that she was completely out of it. She had woken up to pain like nothing she had ever felt before. Trying to sit up only made her abdomen contract and burn, the pain sending her right back down, her chest heaving with her panicked breath. It was like someone took a hot poker and impaled her on it with the idea to turn her into a nice skewer.
She wasn't dumb. She knew exactly what was happening, but she refused to believe it despite the wet sheets and contractions.
It was too soon. She still had an entire month to go as a Jinchuuriki. Ino had kept nagging her, making her keep count of her trimesters to ensure she wouldn't miss the ten-month mark, and Naruto had followed her directions obsessively, afraid her neglect would harm the only family she had left.
This was this same fear that had driven her into a full-blown panic, her hands clenching on her contracting stomach, muttering "no no no no" as if it would keep her body from trying to push her baby out of the safety of her womb. She distantly noted that her hysteric sobs and screams must have at one point alerted Minato because here he was now, helping her to sit back against the pillows and pushing the sweaty hair out of her face. He was talking but her ears were buzzing with white noise. It was only as she felt something touch her belly that she realized her legs were propped up and Kujin was in between them, fingers prodding at her hard stomach, feeling up the contractions with chakra before moving further down the bed.
For his part, Kujin took the situation in stride, leading a nervous Minato to sit at his wife's side with a cold wet cloth. Because Uzushio had been a small village, everyone was taught medical training from a young age to ensure the survival of all clans, and it had not been such a rare occurrence for youngsters to help during a delivery. Kujin had done it thrice before being sent to Konoha, and even though his knowledge dated from fifteen years ago, he still knew the basics. And what he saw displeased him.
Naruto was clearly rigid, not helping at all in the pushing process, and from what he could monitor, the baby was too weak to struggle its way out.
"Naruto, when I tell you to, you need to push, okay? Your baby needs to get out."
She didn't acknowledge his words, sobbing even harder as she clutched Minato's hand tightly. The blond man pursed his lips, not knowing what to do. Kujin knew that usually, if something displeased Minato, he would just beat the problem with his fists. However, Kujin would very much like to point out that beating the crap out of his wife would be a bit counterproductive at the moment… After repeating his command twice with no answer, Minato seemed to come to a decision. Getting up and flicking a three-pronged kunai in his grip, he reached for the woman's shoulder, fingers curling tightly around the bone and muscles.
"I'm taking her to the hospital. She's clearly catatonic, we'll lose both of them at this rate."
Kujin stopped him, gripping his wrist tightly in his fist. "There's no time for that and they're in no condition to move. The baby is crowning already. Naruto, push!"
When she didn't react, Kujin put his hands on her belly and did something that he'd always been told to never do – he pressed hard in a downward motion, trying to force the baby to move along. He hoped it would jolt the woman into naturally trying to expel the babe but the petrified look on her face and shaking limbs made him all the more aware of her vacant mind. He quickly assessed his options – she was having a mild panic attack, and they had no medicine to help ease her nerves. He couldn't perform an emergency C-section, and he needed her aware enough to not hinder the birth process.
It would earn him a well-deserved thrashing afterwards, but only one thing came to his mind.
"Minato. Slap her," he calmly said, waiting for the next contraction.
His blond counterpart shot him an incredulous glare. "You're out of your min—"
The redhead didn't let him finish and quick as a snake, leaned forward and promptly slapped Naruto. The shock of the hit seemed efficient enough as she sucked in a breath, her head swivelling back to look at him in surprise.
"What—" she stopped and groaned as she reflexively pushed – finally! – with the new contraction. "The hell!" she finished in a screech.
"Good, you're back with us. Listen, your next contraction is coming, your baby's head is crowning and it looks like it's going to be a quick birth. I need you to push when I tell you to, okay?"
Naruto shook her head. "It's too early, it shouldn't be happening!"
"Too early or not, this kid's ready to come out now. Here it comes, push!"
And she did, hissing through gritted teeth. It felt like an eternity passed before the head was out and Kujin was asking her to push again, swearing that after this one, it would go easier.
"I can't," she said as the burning feeling only seemed to intensify. "I can't!"
"Shit," Kujin muttered with a frown, "the shoulders are stuck."
With a wry smile, he spared a glance towards Minato's pale face and said, "Sorry buddy, looks like I'm about to stick my fingers in your girl."
In spite of herself, Naruto snorted, torn between hilarity (it sounded like a line straight from Kakashi's dirty books) and disgust (did her mom-dad really say that to her dad-husband?). She settled on a pained "you fucking pig" as she tried to push with the next contraction whereas Minato shot a deadly glare at his fellow shinobi. "This really isn't the time for your jokes."
Kujin begged to differ. It was always time for a good laugh. Deftly, he slid his fingers along the baby's head and into the blond woman, helping the baby to move. It was slippery and he was afraid of gripping too hard or tearing the woman with his large fingers, though he was sure that at this point, Naruto had to be completely numb down there. Or at least he hoped so for her sake. He had never been gladder to be a man.
"Hot damn, this is the first time I've got my fingers into someone and feel grossed out instead of horny," he muttered distractedly to himself, ignoring Naruto's left foot feebly kicking his ribs and Minato's silent promise of death-by-rasengan.
If it was what it took to get these two out of their distress, Kujin would gladly take their ire on, he had a pseudo-nephew to greet after all.
With a few more pushes and careful manoeuvring, the shoulders were out and the rest of the tiny body followed easily. Minato didn't waste a second in conjuring a shadow clone to help Kujin cut the umbilical cord, his right hand tightly clutched in Naruto's and refusing to leave her side. She was shaking and panting heavily, eyes squeezed shut. The baby didn't cry out, whimpering and snuffling in Kujin's broad hands. Once he was satisfied by his examination and after a quick wash, the redhead finally turned towards Minato and handed him the tiny bundle of blankets, tufts of pale blond hair sticking out from the mount it was buried under.
"Meet your son, Minato," he said with a smile as the Namikaze stared at the newborn with reverence.
Naruto had tiredly opened her eyes, following the exchange. She wanted to protest and hold her son first, but as Minato reached for the baby and carefully brought him to his chest, glassy blue eyes never straying from the tiny being, she relented and with a pang of jealousy, wondered if her father had looked at her the same way when she was born – eyes brimming with unconditional love and unsaid promises.
She didn't have time to feel sorry for herself though, as Kujin coached her into pushing out the afterbirth, helping by putting chakra infused hands on her belly and gently pressing down. When she was done, she weakly raised her arms and made grabby hands.
"Gimme my kid, princess. You had him long enough."
Minato didn't even look angry at the name-calling, too enthralled by the baby that he carefully laid down on her chest. Naruto could feel her eyes burning and she sniffled, not even fighting the tears. She kissed her son's brow, sending a silent prayer to Kakashi. It was a small piece of her world that she brought with her, and the start of the family she had craved for years. This was her – no, their new beginning, and they'll make the most of it until they could go back to their people. This, she swore.
"Welcome home, Hajime," she whispered lovingly.
Kujin snorted. "Hajime, really? That poor kid is gonna be so confused during sparring lessons! Huh, I can already see how it'll go – 'Hajime! No, not you Hajime-kun.'" He snickered at his poor joke, but only received a glare from the new mother. What a killjoy.
"You're not one to talk," Naruto drawled out, all her attention still on her son who happened to yawn, scrunching his little face before nosing at her chest. "What kind of name is Kujin anyway? Pff! So dumb."
Their banter went on quietly, neither willing to wake up the little boy who had yet to make a fuss, not even to fill his empty stomach.
Meanwhile, Minato had sat down on the bed next to an oblivious Naruto, a finger gently tracing the outline of Hajime's fist. The baby grabbed on his thumb, fingers wrapping tightly around it as if trying to find an anchor in this new noisy world. He looked at the milky skin, much like his own, and the pale blond hair reminiscent of his brother's and father's. Hajime. A beginning. Maybe Naruto wasn't wrong to name their child (because in Minato's heart, they were both his and he was theirs) this way. Maybe this would be the bridge he needed to reconnect with his estranged brothers. Maybe this was what Minato had been waiting for all this time.
Maybe this was truly what love felt like.
TBC…
Helloooo… It's meeeee… I was wonde—Ok, stupid joke aside: chances are there's still A LOT of mistakes and even incoherencies in this chapter. It's normal. I didn't proofread. I'll go back to it when I have time and/or motivation!
Anyway, I totally hate this chapter: it had been in the making for A WHOLE YEAR and I just got fed up with it and decided to post it anyway because I could still work on it for eight years and not be satisfied. THE STORY OF MY LIIIIIIIIFE!
BTW: I don't know how it feels like to give birth or help give birth, soooo... really unsafe and unrealistic procedure here, don't try the shit I wrote at home, kids. Like, no slapping women in labor (well, no slapping people period) and things like that. Yep.
COMPANION FIC: I almost forgot! A companion fic has been added to JP! You can find it on AO3. It's basically snippets that I usually keep on my tumblr about Minato and co. It's lighthearted, fun, and usually, they come to life due to readers asking me crazy things on tumblr! Go check it out if you're interested, but you don't need it to have the whole JP experience :)
Thanks a lot to all of you who sent me messages wondering about my health and that of my family's: that was really awesome of you guys! I'm very well, and I'm sorry for making you worry. It's just that my studies took most of my time… First with my master's thesis (which went excessively well!), then with my national exams (which went excessively bad!), and then with my first year as a teacher and realizing that daaammmnnn I really hate that job, and I studied all these years for nothing, and my diplomas aren't worth anything outside of the teaching domain, and now I need to go back to studying to have a job that I actually like. So, that's the summary of what happened in the last two years and why I was unable to post anything: I just didn't have time to worry about fanfictions. Who else is having an existential crisis and needs to cry in a safe corner with me? Please, raise your hand. I can lend you blankets and make you hot chocolate as well as letting you borrow my sister's cat who's fluffy as hell but slobbers a lot when petted.
ALSO: I replied to very few reviews on the last chapter due to a real lack of time. Please, accept my deepest apologies and know that I read each and every review and was in no way ignoring you: it's all these reviews that kept pushing me into finishing this chapter, so thanks a lot for the constant support :)
Questions? Thoughts? Praises? Feel free to drop a word, be it here or on tumblr!
PLEASE, DO NOT ASK when I'll UPDATE. I'M AS CLUELESS AS YOU!
A THOUSAND THANKS for keeping on reviewing this crap fest, I love you all, you're awesome, and I love reading your guesses and reactions!
I'll see you around :D
PS : MES POTES FRANÇAIS, JE VOUS KIFFE ! Vous avez été beaucoup à vous manifester après la dernière dédicace, ça fait vraiment plaisir de retrouver des compatriotes ! (ptdr on dirait je fais ma campagne présidentielle, non mais « compatriotes », sérieusement, j'suis grave…)