Time Flows Like Ink
Summary: After a fuinjutsu experiment gone wrong, Minato is yanked into a future where his family is dead, his team fell apart and the Uchiha were slaughtered. With the defective seal burning in his palm, Minato struggles to stay afloat in a Konoha that isn't his.
Chapter 16
Minato was engulfed in a discussion with Shikaku when the seal decided it was time to make the next jump. It gave him less warning than usual, and Minato did not have the chance to relocate or to find Kushina for a goodbye. As such, he landed exactly where he'd disappeared from: Shikaku's living room couch, years in the future.
Or he would have, had Shikaku not felt the apparent need to redecorate.
Minato hit the floor with a grunt and hoped that nobody had witnessed his less than dignified arrival.
No such luck.
"Uh," Minato said, climbing to his feet in front of a boy roughly Naruto's age. He looked startlingly like Shikaku. "Do you... know who I am?"
Shikaku's son (because there was no way he was anyone else) barely raised his head from the couch cushion and yelled, "Dad! Naruto's dad is here!"
With that, he closed his eyes and lowered his head as though Minato wasn't worth any more of his attention.
Minato's heart made a jump at the boy's words. 'Naruto's dad.' He could definitely get used to that.
Shikaku didn't smile when he entered the room, but his expression was relaxed and his gaze fond. There were lines on his face – many more than there used to be – speaking of the time that had passed, worry or both. The years had treated him well, all things considered.
"Minato." He gave a nod of greeting. "I wasn't sure if you'd arrive here."
"The seal lets me travel in time, not in space," Minato explained. His mouth curved in a smile. "It's good to see you."
"And you." Shikaku threw his son a glance. "Shikamaru. If you don't mind?"
Shikamaru heaved a sigh. He pushed himself up from the couch with more effort than could have possibly been needed and let his feet drag on his way through the hallway.
Minato's eyes caught on something orange and he mustered the jacket left behind on the couch. He hadn't spotted it before because Shikamaru had been lying on top of it.
He only knew a single person willing to wear such an adventurous shade of bright orange.
"Is that...?"
Shikaku hummed. "Naruto must have left it here before he went home last night."
A smile played around Minato's lips. "Does he come here often?"
Shikaku paused, catching onto Minato's tone of voice. "Some mistakes aren't worth repeating," he said, "wouldn't you agree?"
Minato let it go, feeling pleased. His friends were good people. Whatever had misled them the last time – whatever had caused them to forget about Naruto's needs upon Minato and Kushina's death – he was gratified to learn that it didn't take more than a nudge to make them do better.
Naruto deserved people making an effort for him. He deserved having people to care for him – even in small, but no less significant ways.
"Who is he living with?" Minato asked, wrapping up multiple questions in one.
Shikaku picked up on them, and his expression faltered. "Kushina isn't here," he admitted, making Minato's heart sink. "But Mikoto is."
It wasn't all bad, then. Kushina's and his decision would have paid off – with Mikoto around, there was no way Naruto would have ever felt like he didn't have a place to call home.
Minato's mood sobered. "What about Danzō? Is he still...?"
"No. He's dead."
Something about Shikaku's voice prevented Minato from feeling relieved. "What else?" he asked, wondering what price they'd paid.
Something weary entered Shikaku's gaze, and he looked straight ahead when he answered. "Danzō started a coup not long after you left. ANBU were killed in their sleep – he'd taken far more of his Root operatives with him than we imagined."
Minato's eyes lingered on a new scar close to Shikaku's left eye. How close had they gotten to losing him, too?
"He kept sending his operatives against us, afterwards. They drained our resources, put pressure on Sarutobi..." Shikaku's mouth twisted in a grim expression. "It went on for… too long. Danzō kept himself too well hidden."
Minato couldn't say he was surprised. Danzō would have created contingency plans for the possibility of being found out. He wouldn't have gone down without a fight, not before exhausting all of his resources in an attempt to seize power over the village.
"Who did we lose?" he asked quietly, less because he felt like he needed to know (he'd change it during his next jump anyway) but because he wanted to.
Shikaku crossed his arms and leaned back. "It's not a happy story," he warned, and he proceeded to catch Minato up on the past few years he'd missed.
Minato left Shikaku's house in the knowledge that by midday the entire village would know of his return. Shinobi were gossipers by nature.
Only a couple minutes after leaving his house a familiar figure strode down the street in his direction, sporting too much intent to be coincidental. Warmth spread out in Minato's chest, sending out a tingling giddiness that stood in contrast to almost every other experience he'd made during his trips to the future.
Mikoto's steps were too swift to be entirely neutral, and the joy twinkling in her eyes exposed her unperturbed exterior. She allowed Minato to pull her into a hug as soon as she was close enough.
"You're alright," Minato breathed, closing his eyes at the relief of seeing one of the people closest to him alive. Even counting the mishaps, they were making progress. One step – one person – at a time.
"It's good to see you," Mikoto said, and if she hadn't tightened her arms around him blatantly, she might not have drawn attention to the years she'd lived without Minato.
They began walking through the village at a moderate pace – both to stay in motion and to allow Minato to take in the changes that had taken place – as well as keep an eye out for familiar faces.
Danzō's actions had left scars in his wake. Few people were out in the streets; the few that were kept to themselves in low, subdued conversations that cut off as soon as Minato and Mikoto came too close.
There were no children running around – the only girl Minato saw was all but dragged along by her hyper-vigilant parent.
It made Minato think of wartime, rather than the peace Konoha was supposed to have kept for years.
Mikoto herself hadn't changed much. She'd collected a new scar at one point – thick and ragged and reaching over her neck almost all the way down to her throat – but apart from that and a slightly looser attitude and expression, she was the same person Minato had left behind.
"Kushina isn't here," Mikoto admitted quietly.
"I know. Shikaku told me."
"Did he tell you how it happened?"
Minato pressed his lips together. Shikaku hadn't, and Minato hadn't asked. Perhaps he didn't want to know – he'd much rather ask questions about Naruto. Or about Mikoto's life.
"Was it the Nine-Tails?" he asked, remembering the detail from one of his very first jumps. "Or whoever attacked Kushina during Naruto's birth?"
Mikoto nodded. "Was it the same in the other jumps?"
"At least in some of them." Minato furrowed his brows. "Did you see the person who killed her?"
Mikoto's eyes clouded over with the memories. "I came in time to watch them flee the village. Not quick enough to be of any use."
Minato reached out to rub Mikoto's arm in what he hoped was a soothing gesture. "You did what you could," he said quietly. "And you're here. That's better than any of the other versions I've been to thus far."
"I wish I'd been in time," Mikoto muttered.
"If they managed to kill Kushina, there's a high chance they would have taken you down right with her." Mikoto looked ahead blankly, so Minato added, "What do you think was best for Sasuke and Itachi?"
He didn't actually know how the two had fared in this new, yet unpredictable version of the future. But with Mikoto around, Minato had no doubt that the two had grown up as well – and happily – as the circumstances of this world allowed.
Mikoto's features softened and proved him right.
They reached the market place and drew a sharp turn to walk around it. A couple of ANBU flickered by, making the people in the streets tense and some of them retreat in the shadows.
"How are they doing?" he asked, wishing to talk about something more pleasant. "Are Sasuke and Naruto friends?"
"They wouldn't call themselves that," Mikoto said dryly, allowing the change in subject, "but they are. Naruto lived with us up until he graduated from the academy."
Affection bloomed in Minato's chest. He'd known Kushina and he had made the right choice, but it was a relief to be proven right regardless. "Thank you."
"Not for that." A smile played around Mikoto's lips, soft but genuine. "He was no trouble."
"I'm glad," Minato said, returning the smile. "How come he doesn't live with you anymore?"
Mikoto sent him a wry look. "Naruto told us after his graduation that he was practically an adult now and needed his independence."
"Sounds like him." Minato shook his head. "And?"
Mikoto's lips twitched. "He comes over for dinner almost every evening. He only uses his apartment when he's with Sasuke or Sakura."
"Sounds like they've gotten a head start building up their team dynamic," Minato said, savoring the thought that at least something in the future seemed to have gone down perfectly.
"What else did Shikaku tell you?" Mikoto asked, and Minato's mood sobered.
"The basics." Minato pressed his lips together. "I'll figure it out," he promised, trying to convey the determination he felt. He wouldn't accept a different outcome, no matter how many attempts it took.
Mikoto's lips curved in an expression that looked jaded rather than happy.
"What's wrong?" Minato wondered whether Mikoto's trust in him had faded over the years he'd been gone.
Mikoto shook her head. "This is the first time I've gotten to see what it's like to stay behind."
Minato frowned. "What do you mean?" He'd never taken Mikoto along for his jumps like he had Kushina.
"It's the years," she said, keeping up their stroll through the village. She took her time in between sentences, considering each word carefully. "Every year begins to feel like an eternity. You're gone – for years, you're practically dead. Eventually, you begin to wonder if you're coming back at all."
Minato considered it. For him, the jumps through time took all but the wink of an eye. Everybody else was forced to take the long way around – and although each version of reality was overwritten by the last, the time spent in each was real for as long as it took Minato to travel back.
What did it feel like living through the years that were doomed to be redone minute by minute, again and again? What did it feel like watching Minato go, unknowing when he would be back? Did they fear that the seal might malfunction, and Minato might not return at all?
"I'm sorry you have to go through that," Minato said quietly. 'Have', not 'had'. There was no telling how many more times Mikoto would have to live through a future that would be erased as soon as Minato leaped back.
Mikoto's steps slowed, and she met Minato's gaze. "Make sure that it will be worth it."
Minato had no desire to have it end any other way.
"Tell me about your children," he said, hoping that the change in topic was a pleasant one.
He didn't think that any of what they'd done could have caused a step backwards for Itachi's involvement in the massacre, but he never knew. If he'd learned anything so far, it was that time travel was too messy and unpredictable to foresee the chain reaction each little change could cause.
"Sasuke is doing well," Mikoto told him. "Team 7 is taking his mind off other things. His teammates are good for him."
"And Itachi?"
Mikoto hesitated. "Better than you told me," she settled on. "They're not as close as they used to be, but Sasuke doesn't hate Itachi." 'I made sure of it', she didn't say, but implied it with the sharp gleam in her eyes.
"They're lucky to have you here." Minato sent Mikoto a smile. "I'm glad you are."
"So am I." Mikoto didn't return the smile, but her expression softened.
They passed a building with deep marks on its facade – it looked like it might collapse at any second. Minato wondered how much of the village had needed to be rebuilt if after years, they still hadn't finished it all.
"What about Kakashi and Rin?" Minato asked next. "Are they," alive? "doing alright?"
"They're in charge of Team 7." Mikoto waited for his nod to confirm that it wasn't a new development. "Being a teacher suits them. Surprisingly so."
"Nobody said anything about their team having two teachers?"
"Several people tried making them decide. They... refused."
Pride welled up in Minato's chest, as well as amusement as he imagined some poor, clueless shinobi trying to reason with his students after they'd set their mind to something.
"It's kind of ironic," he said. "Neither of them thought they'd be the teaching type."
"They grew into it."
Minato imagined Naruto and his friends as a slightly older, alternate version of his own Team 7 and smiled. "I'd love to see it," he admitted, trying to picture his old students leading a training session.
Mikoto hummed. "You might be lucky," she said, steering them into a different direction. "They might have met up for training by now."
Just short of reaching the training grounds, Minato and Mikoto were almost barreled over by Naruto. Minato may not have known his son for long – a fact that Minato was both enthusiastic and determined to remedy – but he wasn't surprised. He clearly took after Kushina in a few too many ways.
Naruto's face lit up as soon as he recognized his almost-crash-victim. "Dad! You're back!" This time, Naruto barreled into him properly – and intentionally – in the form of a hug. "The old man told me you'd be coming around."
"Hello, Naruto." Minato returned the hug, basking in the rush of warmth it sent through his body. "The old man?"
"You know. The toad guy. Jiraiya."
Minato nodded along. He'd known that word of his arrival would travel quickly – evidently, it had already made the round. "Wait, didn't he want to come with you?"
Naruto shrugged, letting go of Minato at last. "He said he needed to fetch something. Told me to go ahead." Naruto threw a glance to the side and beamed at Mikoto. "Oh hey, Aunt Mikoto!"
He craned his neck, trying to look at something past Minato. "Is Mom here, too? Did you bring her? Is she coming later?"
Minato's expression faltered. "I didn't bring her," he said, his chest twinging as Naruto's face fell. "I'm sorry."
Next to him, Mikoto nudged his shoulder in a gesture of support.
"Why didn't you?" Naruto tried not to let the distress show on his face but didn't succeed.
"Something went wrong in the past," Minato explained. "Something big. We were afraid it would make the future too risky to visit."
Naruto frowned. "But you're here."
"Well," Minato's lips pulled into a wry smile, "I don't really have a choice in the matter." He stepped forward and pulled Naruto into another, less-crushing hug than before. "Besides, it means I get to see you again."
Naruto's smile was genuine, but less beaming than before. "I'm glad. Tell Mom hi from me, okay?"
"I will." Minato mirrored Naruto's smile with a hopefully-not-too-strained-looking one of his own.
They were saved from falling into awkward silence (or rather, considering it was the two of them, awkward rambling) by Mikoto. "Are you meeting your team?" she asked, her voice gentle and relaxed in a way Minato only seldom got to hear.
The question made Naruto cringe. "I'm kind of supposed to be there already." He threw a glance towards the training grounds. "Rin-sensei's gonna make me do twice as many chakra exercises again."
Minato's lip twitched. "Let's go together. You can blame it on me if you want."
Naruto broke out into a grin. "Awesome."
Both Sasuke and Sakura were already waiting – as were Rin and Kakashi. Minato raised an eyebrow at Kakashi's get-up. He wore only half his uniform, mismatched socks and a mask that looked several sizes too small.
"Interesting choices," he said in lieu of a greeting. "Is this normal? Because if so, I'm not taking responsibility." Nothing he'd changed in the past could have possibly caused such disastrous fashion choices.
Kakashi sent him a look, deep with exasperation and regret. "Of course you'd show up today," he muttered. "That's just typical."
"Rin-sensei dragged him out of his apartment." Sakura tried to hide a grin and failed. "I think he was still sleeping."
Minato looked at the sun's position. It was the middle of the day.
"I'm sure he had a good reason," Mikoto said dryly, clearly knowing that he hadn't.
"He was going to make us wait again," Sasuke grumbled.
Kakashi gave a shameless shrug. "It builds character."
"So does actual training." Rin rolled her eyes, and she turned to Minato. "Welcome back, sensei."
"Hello, Namikaze-san." Sakura gave him a polite – if somewhat shy – smile.
She seemed to have lost the hero-worship she'd sported before, and Minato wondered what had made the difference. Being closer to Naruto? He supposed knowing him as Naruto's dad instead of Konoha's Yellow Flash would have done the trick.
"Are you here to give us a lesson?" she asked next. Her eyes were wide with enthusiasm while Naruto began bouncing up and down in excitement. Even Sasuke perked up – although he tried disguising it as merely shifting his weight.
Minato tried to let them down gently. He did appreciate the flattery. "Not now," he said, giving the team an apologetic look. "I was actually hoping I could watch."
Friendship – while certainly no downside – didn't guarantee flawless teamwork. Team 7's dynamic had the rough and unpolished feeling of a team still in the early stages of getting used to each other.
Their potential alone was enough to capture Minato's attention and make him follow the exercise gleefully.
For the most part, in any case.
"Woah!" Naruto let out an awed whistle. "Sasuke! Did you see what that gust of wind did with your fire?"
"I noticed," Sasuke grumbled, patting out the last embers on his sleeve.
"What do you think happens if we combine it with a wind technique?"
"You won't know unless you try it," Kakashi offered helpfully, implying things about his teaching style Minato could have gone without knowing.
"Let's not," Rin said dryly.
At least one of them had some amount of common sense. Minato supposed that as long as Rin was there to reign them in, Kakashi's more reckless traits were balanced out before they could rub off on the kids.
"Why experiment by yourself when your dad has an affinity for wind and is right here?" Rin added.
Nevermind. Minato's students were horrible and nobody in their right mind should have trusted them to take care of a genin team.
At his side, Mikoto simply smiled. Perhaps as far as happy endings went, they were no longer as far off as they once were.
A/N: My betas are Igornerd, To Mockingbird and PyrothTenka! Go check them out, they're all wonderful writers!
Please take the time to leave a review!
~Gwen