Loss Part 1
Minato is almost 9. This takes place about two years after the events of 'Burned' and Minato has partially regained his sight, but rarely needs his vision for anything.
(-)
"Can I come with you, To-san?" Minato asked, tugging on his father's arm.
"Not today, Mina-chan, I'm sorry."
"Please? I can help too!"
"Eat your breakfast."
"But To-san!"
"Sorry, Mina-chan. If you want something to do, you can go to the Academy."
"But I want to help you! Not listen to the stupid sensei!"
"Your sensei is not stupid; he has to make sure the other children understand too."
"But he acts like I'm stupid too!"
"I don't want to argue with you, Mina-chan."
"Can I please come with you, To-san? I'll help!"
"Only if you go to the Academy tomorrow."
Minato grinned and nodded in excitement.
"Eat your breakfast," Masao ordered and pushed his son into his seat, placing the boy's hand on his chopsticks.
"I'm not hungry."
"I'm not bargaining, eat or I'll seal off your chakra for the day."
"To-san!"
"You could always go to the Academy for the day."
Reluctantly, Minato wolfed down the food in front of him.
"See, you're hungry."
Minato leapt out of his seat as if it burned him and stumbled over to his father, tugging on the man's arm. "Come on, To-san! Let's go!"
"I'm coming, Mina-chan, be patient."
"I wanna go!" Minato whined.
"No whining," the father rebuked gently, tying a white cloth over the boy's scarred eyes and swinging him onto his back. "Ready?"
"Yes!"
Seconds later, they arrived in front of the hospital.
"Where have you been?" A woman's voice demanded loudly, stomping towards them.
"Good morning, Tsunade-chan."
"It's a damn awful morning you annoying Namikaze! A squad just came back from Kiri and I need help. That boy knows enough to cover the civilian ward with the nurses, now hurry up!" She threw the white, uniform haori and dashed into the hospital.
"He can help me, I'm working in the civilian ward all day today," a young Genin piped up from where she knelt bandaging the knee of an Academy student.
"Thank you, Nanami-chan," Masao acknowledged, slipping his arms into the elbow-length sleeves of the haori and straightening the collar around his chin. A bright green kanji for doctor filled the back of the haori. Masao led Minato over to the girl and placed the boy's hand on her shoulder. "I guess it's a good thing you came today, son. You can work with Nanami-chan."
Minato nodded once.
"Namikaze!" Tsunade's voice filled the hospital and the man vanished in a blur of yellow.
"That's all, kiddo, no more jumping between rooftops until you're a ninja, okay?"
The child nodded and ran out the door.
Nanami turned to Minato. "You're the blind kid, right? I'm Akimichi Nanami." She grasped his hand in a firm handshake. "Even though you look like a kid, I'm guessing you know your stuff, otherwise Tsunade-sama would have booted you out faster than you can say 'dango.' Now, let's see how good you really are, I'm the only ninja in the civilian ward today."
"I'm a ninja too!" Minato protested as he followed Nanami through the ward.
"Not yet you aren't. Can you use Chakra to heal?"
"I know lots of healing!"
"Well, let's see what you can do. There's a man with a broken arm and another who's sick. Which do you want first?"
"Broken arm." Minato turned on his heel and marched towards the correct room.
"Wait a second, put this on, it's the uniform." She handed him a small, white haori. Minato slipped it on, fumbling slightly, and turned to the door.
"This isn't your room, kid," the man said as the boy pushed open the door.
"I'm treating your arm," Minato responded patiently.
"You're just a kid and blind to boot," the man scoffed.
"So?"
"I want a real doctor."
"The hospital only has two fully-trained and capable shinobi doctors on staff and only four civilian doctors. You can go home with a cast and months of recovery or I can heal you and you can leave and go about your business as if you never broke anything."
"How can a blind kid do anything?"
"I'm a ninja."
"Almost," Nanami corrected.
Minato scowled.
"Fine! Don't screw me up, gaki."
Chakra coated Minato's hands and the bone was healed a few minutes later.
"Good job, Minato-kun!" Nanami praised as she checked his work.
"Thanks, gaki," the man grunted out.
The boy nodded once and marched out of the room.
Minato and Nanami alternated patients for the rest of the morning until Masao returned, shedding his haori.
"To-san!" Minato cried and leapt in the man's direction.
"Hey, Mina-chan, is everything quiet here? Nice haori."
"I'm doing awesome job!"
"Speak properly, Mina-chan. Let's go home for lunch, alright?"
"Can we go to the ramen shop instead?"
"We can have ramen at home."
"No!"
Masao pulled his son into a deserted hallway. "Why don't you want to go home?"
"The bad family are there, like they were at the Academy this morning."
The father's face turned white. He picked up the boy and disappeared, reappearing in the Hokage's office, the ANBU nearly stabbing him for his trouble.
"The Takigakure Namikaze are inside the village. They're after the children, recall Hatake immediately."
The Sandaime shot to his feet and motioned at the ANBU. One appeared and Masao knelt in front of Minato.
"To-san! What's—"
"I have to tell the bad people to leave, Minato."
"But then you'll get hurt—"
"I'll come back, Minato, I promise."
"Promise, promise?"
"Promise, promise."
Masao kissed the boy on the forehead and vanished.