Lessons Part 1

How Minato learned Fūinjutsu

Minato and Kushina are 10.

Three months after Genin graduation, one month after rescuing Kushina who received the Kyuubi the day after she returned.

(MINATO)

Minato skidded to a stop on the training ground where Jiraiya and his Genin team waited.

"Should I ask why you're ten minutes late?" Jiraiya asked, irritated.

Minato shook his head and bent over double, gasping for air.

"Well, I'm going to ask anyways. Where were you?"

Minato shook his head again, unable to answer.

"We aren't starting until you tell me."

"Hokage-san—had a bunch of—questions that—I had to answer—said you—wouldn't get mad."

"The Hatake compound is a quarter mile away, you shouldn't be winded after that short of a run."

"Not—at the compound—had to go to—Hokage tower—then back to the compound—to get training stuff." Minato forced himself to stand up and placed his hands on his head.

"Now that's settled," Jiraiya clapped his hands with an annoyed glance at Minato's loud gasping. "You three are going to be working on using and recognizing explosive tags today."

Jiraiya launched into a long-winded explanation of the basics of commonly used Fūinjutsu. Throughout the explanation, the three Genin listened intently. At noon, they left to take a D-rank mission, a simple job of cleaning up the orphanage's run-down playground, which they finished an hour later. During the mission, Minato barely paid attention and when Jiraiya dismissed them, Minato stayed behind.

"You said that explosive tags are a form of Fūinjutsu, right?"

"You know exactly what I said. What do you want?" Jiraiya demanded, exasperated.

"Is Fūinjutsu just making explosive tags?"

"Of course not, you can use it for almost anything, for example: barriers, security alarms, storage, communication, basically anything if you're good enough." Jiraiya took a step back when he noticed the expression on Minato's face. "I'm not going to take responsibility for teaching it to a Genin only to have you get in trouble using it. All the blame will go to me so don't even ask me to teach you anything more than explosive tags until you're a Chuunin, got it? We don't need anyone else blowing themselves up trying to learn it on their own, so you're not allowed to go to the library and look it up. That's an order."

Minato opened his mouth to protest, but Jiraiya turned his back and left. Sitting down on the newly repaired swing, Minato watched a trail of ants on the ground, contemplating a way to learn more about seals without going against orders, entirely oblivious to his surroundings.

"What'cha doing, Minato-kun?" A girl's voice said in his ear, warm breath tickling the side of his neck, Minato jumped and twisted out of the swing only to find his ankles loosely tied together and crashed to the ground with a startled yelp. The redhead clung to swing's chain cackling.

"What was that for?" Minato growled trying to untangle his feet.

"You looked like you were thinking too hard," Kushina answered once she regained control of herself. She held out a hand to help him to his feet.

"How did you find me?" Minato accepted her hand, slightly suspicious.

"I walk by here every day on my way home."

"Oh," Minato sat back down in the swing, stiffening slightly when Kushina wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"Why're you so quiet?"

"Trying to figure something out,"

"I thought you were super smart, Minato-kun. What's so hard that it's taking you this long to figure out?"

"I'm not super smart, Uzumaki-san."

"I'll convince you someday. What's the problem?"

"Sensei showed us explosive tags today and when I asked him about other types Fūinjutsu, he told me about all this cool stuff it can do and banned me from learning it on my own!" Minato grumbled. "I'm trying to think of someone who knows enough about Fūinjutsu and will teach it to me. The problem is, I don't know anyone except the Hokage and Jiraiya-sensei who knows anything about sealing."

"That's because they're two of the three people in the village who know anything more than the rudiments."

"So who's the third person?"

"She's the really mature and pretty girl with awesome red hair."

"Who?" Minato asked excitedly, completely oblivious.

"It's me!" Kushina cried in frustration, flinging her hair into Minato's face.

"You're a Genin. How do you know about sealing?" He spluttered, trying to clear his face.

"I'm an Uzumaki!"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Come on," Kushina grabbed his hand and dragged him through the swing.

"Hey!" Minato protested as he stumbled, trying to regain his balance as she yanked him along behind her.

The two ran through the alley and leapt over multiple fences before bursting through someone's back door.

"Shouldn't you knock before bursting into someone's house?" Minato asked as Kushina pulled him deeper into the giant house.

"Nah, it's fine, Jiji doesn't mind. He says I'm supposed to use his sealing room in case something goes wrong because Jiji thinks my explosions are on accident and doesn't realize I'm doing it on purpose. Oh, hi, Jiji!" Kushina dodged around someone stepping out of the room. "I'm gonna use your sealing room-Oomph!"

Minato failed to dodge the man as Kushina dragged him off-balance. Her momentum ripped their hands apart and the two fell to the ground. Before landing, Minato's head struck the wall with a sickening crack.

"Kushina-chan, it's not nice to drag other people around," the man said and lifted Minato to his feet, pressing his hand firmly over Minato's head to stop the stream of blood quickly soaking his hair. "Come on, Minato-kun; let's get you to Biwako before you get blood all over yourself."

Minato squeezed his eyes shut as the man's face in front of him remained blurry and unrecognizable.

"Hiruzen, what is all this racket about?" A woman's voice cried. "Kushina-chan, who is this?"

The woman lifted Minato by the arms to sit him on a small table in the hallway. She gently peeled the man's hand off of Minato's head and replaced it with her own, covered with healing chakra.

"Is he alright?" Kushina asked, worried and clinging to Minato's arm. "I'm sorry Minato-kun, I didn't want to throw you into the wall! I promise! Biwako-sensei, is he going to be alright?"

"Be quiet, child." After a minute of healing, Biwako addressed Minato. "Open your eyes for me, Minato-san."

It took Minato a moment to process the order but he opened his eyes obediently, struggling to focus on Biwako's face.

"Blink once if you can see clearly, twice if you can't."

Minato blinked twice.

Biwako took the hand Kushina was not clinging to and checked his pulse. "Touch your finger to your nose, Minato-san."

He did as she asked, struggling slightly.

"Is he alright?" Kushina asked, tugging persistently on Biwako's clothes.

"He will be fine in the morning. Go get him a glass of water, Kushina-chan."

Kushina rushed off as Biwako stepped away and the man lifted Minato into his arms and carried him into a room down the hall. "You're sleeping here for the night," Biwako said as the man laid him on a large bed. "Hiruzen will tell Sakumo where you are so he doesn't worry. I can't believe you, child. You survive fights with barely a scratch, but get a concussion from running inside."

"Biwako," the man warned in a low voice.

"Fine, don't let him get up, Hiruzen; I'm going to make sure Kushina isn't making a mess."

As soon as she left, Minato tried to sit up, holding his head.

The man put a hand on his chest and pushed him back down. "You should lie down before we both get in trouble."

A minute later, Minato recognized the man's voice. "You're the Hokage!"

"Correct."

"Uzumaki-san calls you 'Jiji'," Minato deadpanned.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I haven't the faintest idea."

Minato sat up again and the Hokage did not protest.

"That's it!" Biwako announced as she returned. "Young lady, you're going to go to the Hatake compound and tell Sakumo what happened and then you're going to go find yourself something to do that is out of my hair. Hiruzen, I'm sure you have plenty of paperwork to do and shinobi to scold, now go and don't come back until dinnertime. I'm sick of ANBU walking through this house looking for you. Young man, this is your last warning, you are going to lie down and rest before I make you."

Ten seconds later, the Hokage and Kushina took their orders, but Minato remained upright.

"Lie down, Minato-kun," Biwako ordered, stepping forward to grab his arm. Minato flinched away and stood up, slightly unsteady.

"I'll be fine Biwako-sama. I won't bother you anymore." Minato stumbled towards the door, staggering as if someone forced an entire bottle of sake down his throat.

Biwako grabbed his arm and pulled him back to the bed. "Listen kid, I can tell you don't like being taken care of, but you can't even walk straight so lie down. I promise you can leave in the morning after breakfast."

Minato started to protest but Biwako ignored him as she used a damp cloth to wash the blood out of Minato's hair. When he refused to stop trying to pull away, she pressed her thumb against Minato's forehead, forcing his mind into unconsciousness and laying him underneath the blankets after taking off his shoes.