"You are very welcome, Aimi-chan." She says, ruffling my hair. "Let's get you something to eat."
"Ok..." I say. Still not hungry, but too tired protest.
She ends up boiling water and making several bowls of instant ramen. The four of us end up sitting around the table, happily eating the noodles. Obito tells us a story about him being all brave and heroic. Us girls are laughing, and Kakashi just rolls his eyes.
I hear a familiar sound outside the door and smile. I jump up, and run to the door.
"Wait!" I hear Kakashi say, but I ignore him. My brother is home.
Chapter 22: Aftermath
Namikaze Minato
I look at my watch. It is already eleven... I should head back to the apartment. But I find myself slowly walking the streets of Konoha, heading no where. Lost in thought, I don't notice my surroundings.
I could have lost my little sister and wife today. If the Hokage hadn't shown up, I probably would have taken the deal. After I had sent her off with Jiraiya, I had personally apprehended the attackers. Using extreme prejudice, I had transported them to T & I and overseen much of their questioning. A part of me was worried. Had I enjoyed watching them be in pain? What kind of person am I?
A decent night's rest had avoided me ever since the Kannabi Bridge Mission. I had killed a thousand men, and when I was done, I wasn't even tired.
I could remember all of their faces though. Every night, they flashed through my mind. Hundreds of people dead, and I didn't know the names of the vast majority of them. I had only looked at the Iwa forehead protectors, and acted. What is wrong with me?
At that thought, I snap out of my daze. I was the kind of person that fought for those precious to me. And now, after the fighting was done, I was avoiding seeing one of them. I had sent my students to look after her instead.
I turned on the spot, and activated the Hiraishin. I flew to the seal located outside the door of the apartment, and rifled through my pockets for my keys. Before I get the chance to use them, I hear the door unlock.
"Minato-sensei." Kakashi says politely. Behind him, Aimisouma is pushing her way around him to get to me.
"Kakashi-kun. Thank you for watching Aimisouma-chan."
I bend down to be at the excited girl's level. "Minato-niisan!" She jumps, landing with her arms around me.
I can't believe I was avoiding THIS. The warmth of my sister's hug envelopes me. I straighten up, pulling Aimisouma up with me. I support her weight with one of my arms.
"Well, we better get going." Rin says from the dinner table. She is has a stack of instant ramen cups gathered.
"Yeah. Hey Rin-chan, I was wondering if you wanted me to walk you home." Obito says, a hopeful and optimistic tone in his voice.
"I think I'll be okay. I know the way from here really well." She rejects the offer, oblivious to Obito's crush on her.
"Well...okay..." Obito says suddenly depressed. I can't help but smile at my teams antics. There really were no people out there quite like them.
"Goodbye, Sensei!" My students each say as they leave.
Once they are gone, I stand in the middle of the room, Aimisouma still hugging me.
I move over, and sit on the couch, Aimi cradled on my lap. Moments ago, the girl was wide away, now see seems seconds from falling asleep.
"Minato-niisan... are you okay?" I feel rather odd at being asked, instead of asking.
"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?" I say, attempting to change the topic.
"I don't know. But are you?"
"I am now." I say, hugging my little sister close to me. She giggle at my response. "What about you, Aimi-chan?"
"I am now." She responds, before letting out a yawn.
"Isn't it past your bedtime?"
"I don't have a bedtime." She says, crossing her arms over her chest. She sticks out her lower lip, pouting.
"That is because you aways want to go to bed at about eight-thirty."
"I just wanted to see you before I went to sleep." She said, rubbing one of her eyes.
"Why don't you go get into your pajamas, then I will be there in a few minutes to tuck you in?"
"Ooookay." She agrees rather reluctantly, before wandering groggily off.
I look around the apartment. It is mostly put back together, but the books are all in weird places. The glass on my genin photo is gone. Sensei said that they spent over two hours putting this place back together.
She's safe. I force myself to remember.
Namikaze Aimisouma
Tears flow down my cheeks as I silently cry. I hold the letter from my dad in my hands, reading his last words to me.
I believe that if you start at the academy now, they will try to use you against him. I believe that the leaders of Kusagakure and Iwagakure would do anything to weaken him. Even hurting you.
Kushina and Minato could've gotten hurt because of me! The waterworks increase drastically after that.
"Aimisouma-chan, are you ready for-" Minato knocks on my door, and slides it open. "Aimisouma?" His voice switching from relaxed to concerned.
He crouches down beside where I am sitting on the floor. "I- I- I'm so- sorry!" I cry.
He wraps his arms around me, pulling me close. "Aimi-chan, you have nothing to be sorry for."
"B-but they w-wanted-d t-to use m-me to hurt-t y-you!" I wail.
"That's their fault, not yours."
"But... if I wasn't-t here, t-then t-they wouldn't-t have come aft-ter you..."
"Oh, they probably would have. I just wouldn't have had my brave little sister stand up to them."
"But-t I'm not brave! I was so scared!"
"Aimi-chan," My brother says as he ruffles my hair. "Bravery is not the absence of fear. It is being able to act when fear is present."
We sit like that for a long time. Minato consoling me, while I cry on his chest.
Shïringu Alvani
"So, you are telling me, that your 'top two' operatives were unable to aprenend a five year old?"
"Y-yes, s-sir." The shaking man stuttered.
"Not to mention the fact that MY son went with them, without your knowledge?"
"Yes."
"And now, all three have been captured?"
"Yes..." The shinobi cowered before the me. My killer intent driving him to his knees.
"Your incompetence is legendary."
"What should we do?"
"We- nothing. You are going to get out of my sight. I am going to fix this mess." The shinobi flees like a mutt with his tail between his legs.
But how? They know now that we are after her, the sword, and the yellow flash. Patience is the only answer I could find.
I am in this for the long haul. Acting rashly will not do me any favors.
They have my son. Not that the boy is anything special. He can only generate one type of barrier, and has no skill for the scroll sealing technique. If only his older brother was still around. That boy had skill, ambition, and an unmatched ferocity. If only those blasted Sannin hadn't killed him in the Second war.
"Father?" A little voice carried from by the door. I don't even care to identify which on of the twins it is.
"What?"
"Katzu woke up, and step-mother is not here. Kari-chan can not get him to fall asleep. He won't stop crying..." I sigh rises from my lips. So, it's Yuki speaking to me.
This is beneath me. I force that thought away, as I go to check on the infant.
He stood over the crying child, who was swaddled and rocked by his seven year old daughter. The tufts of blond hair looked pathetic, his cerulean eyes were wet with tears, and his mouth wailing around a pacifier.
"I'm sorry father. I think he wants his mother." Kari says shyly from the rocking chair.
I take the distraught child from the girl, and dismiss her. As soon as the grown man leaned over the cribs edge, the baby stopped crying.
"Troublesome. Just like your mother." I mutter down at the child. "Maybe you'll be strong enough to get me what I desire."
