Disclaimer: Naruto and every character of the Naruto universe belongs to Kishimoto Masashi and companies I don't know.
I want to thank the hard work of ScarsOfTime ( u/947576/), without him, I am lost.
Original Upload date: 9th of January 2013
Last update: na
Chance for a Prophecy
Chapter 7. – Trust and Doubts
The light of consciousness slowly started to replace the sheer panic, the fear, the darkness, the freezing cold of the dream. The urge to run, flee as far as was just possible from that door. His body flinched at the thought of that thing behind the iron door, the thing desperately trying to break out, to catch him, most likely to tear into his flesh. The sensation finally died down as his dream become foggier and foggier, and it's memory became distant. Only one thing was still clear. The anger and… the red. The brilliant, glowing crimson red he sensed behind the rusty door.
He felt something heavy on his arm. Something very heavy, yet soft, but the numbness was disturbing like hell. As he opened his eyes slowly and turned his head to the side, he saw a ruby-red head resting on her crossed arms, exactly on his arm, pressing his veins. He slowly moved himself, careful not to wake her up, to tenderly slip out his hand. Toroku slowly sat up on the bed, aware not to disturb the girl's sleep, and slowly turned his head over the white room to meet a pair of blue orbs and tenderly smiling face under blond locks.
"What happened?"
"You don't remember?"
"Who are you?" The teen's face mirrored confusion as he looked at his companion.
The small smile immediately melted away from the Minato's face. He suppressed a shocked gasp and his eyes were now filled with worry, his mouth slowly opening in his surprise.
A moment later his face mirrored anger, then annoyance, as Toroku couldn't hold back any longer, clasping his hands over his mouth trying to hold back the sound of his laughter ready the break out from his lungs. He couldn't help the violent trembling of his body caused by the restrained laughter. A small, laudably white pillow punched him hard on the face from Minato's way, but he easily caught it before it could hit Kushina's head and disturb her dreams. After a half minute of almost soundless struggling, he felt something moving slowly down at his side, and when he glanced down, he meet two worry-filled green eyes watching him.
"Hey! How are you feeling?" Kushina watched the still trembling teen with a concerned look on her face, misjudging the tremor.
"Too good," Minato answered instead of Toroku after an irritated snort, and the teen burst out laughing, pointing toward him.
"Now that was just priceless! If you could only see your face!"
"You really are an idiot." Toroku waved his hand apologetically, and his laughter died down to small chuckles.
"That was just hilarious."
"That was a really bad joke, you know…"
"What joke?" Kushina had straightened in her chair, her eyes showing a childish curiosity.
"He faked amnesia…" The redhead had turned toward Toroku with a prideful look, and patted his shoulder approvingly.
"Hey, Minato. Really. What happened after the two from Kumo left? It's a little bit foggy." His two companions shared a worried look, before Minato turned toward the teen to answer his question.
"The hit had severed your artery and you passed out due to blood loss. Kushina was able to heal you, and stabilize your state until we reached Konoha and the hospital. You were passed out for three days. We captured the renegade along with the scroll."
"Three days?!"
Kushina's eyes darkened and she looked away from the surprised teen. It was her fault. Toroku could have easily died because of her small pet. She shook her head as the disturbing pictures flowed back to her head.
She was pressing her hands hard next to the collarbone where one sharp fang tore into Toroku's artery, channeling as much chakra into the wound as she could, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. She almost had it, when she felt like someone grabbed her soul, tearing it away from her body, pulling it toward the teen's insides. The familiar red chakra started bubbling around her, moving independently from her will, wrapping around her skin and limbs, surpassing the green light on her hands, moving toward Toroku's body, wriggling like a snake, before she could stop it or jerk her hands away. She saw in slow motion as the tainted crimson red energy filled him, bubbling in the wound, moving and behaving like lava, melting away the flesh, only to seconds later start to rebuild the tissues from nothing, while Toroku's spine arched in an abnormal curve in his agony, before he passed out.
She sighed as she watched how the two blonds argued about Toroku's release date. But she was grateful for Minato that he didn't reveal the truth. What really happened, her disgusting secret, about her little… tenant.
He shouldn't even be alive, after that tainted chakra got into his system. But the medics said that he was all right, healed completely without any damage to his chakra coils, and the fox's chakra already left his body without any trace that it had even been there. But they couldn't figure out why he wasn't gaining consciousness. After the first set of examinations, they couldn't even point out a date, only that it could be hours, days, or weeks. The whole team had been worrying and someone always stayed next to him, waiting for him to wake up. Even Kakashi.
Minato was the most shattered. She knew that despite his suspicious and sudden appearance, he made a soft spot for his newly discovered relative. A troubled sigh left her soft lips and she turned her green eyes toward the chuunin.
"Why did you jump between me and the attack?"
Toroku cringed his teeth shut and slowly moved his head toward the until now silent Kushina. He knew that this would come, but he also didn't have any answers yet.
"I don't know… I wasn't thinking at the time…"
"I could have deflected that attack."
"I… I don't know what to say." He looked into Minato's blue orbs, waiting for any kind of hint, or emotion, but his face stayed unreadable.
He looked down on his bed and started to play with a wrinkle on the white sheet. Everything happened just too fast, he moved without thought at the moment he saw the attack. Without thinking, without measuring that Kushina could maybe deflect it, or jump out of the way. He knew that was the stupidest thing he could have done, but at that very moment it seemed to be the right thing. And before that… He went against Minato's order…
"Kushina… Could you please leave us alone for a while?"
Minato turned toward the redhead, his face was calm without any emotion to read. Toroku felt his chest squeeze and his heart rate increase as worry took over his mind. Kushina only nodded and left the room, sending a warm, encouraging smile to him. The young chuunin immediately opened his mouth when the door closed behind the redhead, but he didn't have the courage to face his brother.
"I know, I disobeyed a direct order… but the thought of having to leave you there… I… I just couldn't do that. …I take full responsibility for my actions."
Minato didn't answer, only looked at him with calm eyes. He finally let out a small sigh and moved closer to the bed to take Kushina's previous seat, next to Toroku.
"Listen Toroku… I'm not mad at you. But in the future, consider this: If I give an order, it's because there are causes behind them…" Minato let his words settle in, before he continued,
"I told you to retreat because Kushina and I could handle those two. Kakashi wasn't ready for that level of opponents, and because we still don't know your full potential. Neither do you…
"…You were reckless… I understand why you wanted to stay. Really. But you not only threatened the outcome of the mission, you menaced your team mate's life… and your own…
"You told me that you don't want to feel sorrow again... nor do I… The next time I tell you to back off and leave me behind, you will do it!"
Toroku didn't answer straight away, he was still staring at his lap. He slowly closed his eyes, letting his flying emotions settle down before he finally managed to turn toward Minato and look directly into his eyes.
"I can't do that… I won't leave anyone behind. Especially not my family."
Minato placed his hand onto his forehead and slowly started massaging his head, attempting to ease away his impending headache.
"Toroku, you can't…"
"Please… I don't know who I was, or where I came from, but I know one thing for sure from my past: I wasn't the kind of person who would willingly leave anyone behind…"
Minato didn't answer, they let the silence fall upon them. Fortunately a nurse opened the door to help them out of their situation, and after a long fight with the teen she agreed to speak with the medics about his early release.
"You should stay here for one or two more days."
"I hate hospitals… You'll have to reapply the seals on me if you want to force me to stay here more than absolutely necessary."
"That actually isn't a bad idea."
"Very funny…"
"Toroku… we weren't finished with our little talk. But that's enough for today I think."
He only nodded and they didn't share any more words with each other. They left the hospital together in complete silence.
Toroku was now sitting next to one of the three thick poles sticking out from the soil of their dedicated training ground, where he first appeared in Konoha. After he was finally released from the hospital and arrived back at his apartment, after two hours of ceiling staring he decided to take a walk. His legs moved separately from his brain, and in the end he found himself here.
It was starting to become late, the Sun almost reached the horizon, coloring everything a warm orange, but he wasn't concerned with the time. He was leaning against the pole with closed eyes, enjoying the last warm beams of the setting sun and thinking. He could hear his masked shadow's slow heartbeat near him, lurking behind a mayflower bush.
He growled in frustration and started slowly beating the back of his head into the pole's raw surface. Not with force, only to conduct his hopelessness into the innocent rod. He was afraid. Afraid of his own emotions, afraid that he ruined everything when he stated clearly that he wouldn't follow orders if that meant he had to leave someone behind. He was afraid that he lost every bit of trust that he gained during these weeks with one simple sentence. 'He must think I'm unreliable because of that… and he's right.'
His thoughts wandered around Minato and Kushina. About family. About his irresponsible emotions toward them.
It was strange. He wasn't looking at Minato nor Kushina as family earlier. They were just friends, neighbors, some of the few people he knew. He only knew them for a few weeks, but somehow, when Minato ordered them to leave, something broke inside him. With the adrenaline running through his veins he wasn't even thinking at the time, everything just happened. The words rushed from his mouth without considering them. 'Family… How could I tell him that? We barely know each other… I don't even know myself…. What If I'm really just an assassin, waiting only to strike? To kill him? Waiting only for the opportunity to plunge a kunai into his heart or in the Hokage's? ...Will I still be myself if I somehow get my memories back?' Toroku shook his head slowly. 'No, that won't be happening…'
He let out a sigh, when he felt someone slowly approaching him from the woods. Toroku didn't open his eyes nor move an inch as the figure slowly walked next to him to the other pole. He heard the soft voice as the fabric rubbed against the rough pole as the body leaned against it, slipped down on it's rough surface and reached the ground with a dull thud. They stayed like that for several minutes, without moving a finger, or making a noise, enjoying the last warmth of the sun and the warm breeze. An animal hopped out from the woods and ran through the clearing. Maybe a rabbit. The birds still sang their song on the trees, while the warm breeze played with the branches and the leaves like they were strings of a harp. A cicada, a lonely survivor, or maybe a late riser, joined in the cavalcade of nature's sonata.
"So, what brought you here Kakashi?" Toroku asked softly without even opening his eyes.
"I talked to a friend."
They stayed in silence, each other in their own thoughts, listening to the world's most perfectly composed music, when finally Kakashi opened his mouth.
"I wanted to thank you."
"Thank me for what?"
"What you did in Kumo for Kushina. I wasn't fast enough to reach her…"
"I made a complete idiot of myself..."
"Perhaps, but still. I want to thank you." Toroku opened his eyes and moved his head up to watch the first faintly glowing stars appear on the darkening horizon.
"...I have only one memory from my previous life..." Kakashi stiffened, but stayed silent, listening to Toroku who was speaking slowly, weary, leaving long spaces between his thoughts struggling with himself.
"…It's about a blond girl… I watched her die while another girl tried desperately to save her life…
"…I didn't even know her name… But it still hurts… During my first night in Konoha… I was mourning for her…
"…When Minato told us to leave them there… and… when I saw that girl attacking Kushina… I only saw that girl's face." He let out a sigh.
"Minato was right… I'm reckless… Kushina is strong, she could have deflected that attack… and… someone could have died there if the enemy hadn't back off…
"I'm a useless shinobi…" The blond teen softened his voice, almost whispering as the words left his mouth slowly, leaving long spaces of silence between the sentences, unsure of himself.
"…I disobeyed a direct order… How could I gain yours or Minato's trust if I can't even follow a simple order…?" Toroku let out a weary sigh and leaned his head onto his hands, which was resting on his knees at his chest.
"…But still… I feel, that that was the right thing to do dattebayo… I don't even know why I'm I telling you this…"
Kakashi didn't answer right away, just let himself dive into his own thoughts, before he opened his mouth after a long, silent minute.
"Someone told me something not long ago… 'Those who break the rules and regulations are called trash…'"
Toroku turned his head toward the jonin and let out a sigh… 'Now that's it… Here it comes…' Kakashi leaned forward and moved to sit crossed legged, resting his hands in his lap.
"'…But those who don't care about their companions are even worse than trash…'"
The young jonin finally turned toward Toroku and he was sure that if he wasn't wearing a mask, he could see a soft smile on his face. But the emotions still came through his only visible eye as it smiled at him openly, which made the teen's mouth finally turn up. Kakashi's right hand had slowly raised from his lap and stopped in midair, waiting for his own. Toroku grabbed the jonin's hand and let him shake it slowly and tenderly.
"Welcome to the team."
"Thanks." The blond let the smile grow into a grin and let his hand drop down. They stayed in silence for several moments, each shinobi now looking up to the almost ink black sky, watching as the amount of faintly glowing stars increased, spotting the sky with their white shine.
"Who said that?"
"It was Obito..." Kakashi stayed in complete silence for a long minute, weighing his thoughts.
"He told that to me when… when I was about to leave Rin behind in favor of the mission…" Toroku raised an eyebrow and turned toward Kakashi.
"I was an idiot back then… worshiping the rules… placing them before my comrades because…" The jonin slowly shook his head.
"…But after that day… when Obito… Something changed inside me… "
"I'd happily become trash if I could save someone…" They stayed in silence, each one in their own thoughts about what had been revealed.
"You know, if you and Obito would have had a chance to meet, I'm sure you would have gotten along well. He was the same as you…"
"…An incredible person with great talent?"
"No, an irritating, loud mouthed moron…" Kakashi let out a weary sigh.
"Sorry for my behavior before. I was acting like a…" The boy looked up behind his silver locks, looking for the word he wanted.
"Jerk? Idiot?" Kakashi rolled his eye at the offered words, then he just shrugged in the end.
"Yeah…"
The two boys stayed in silence before the both of them burst out laughing loudly on the clearing. Toroku knew that this was the start of something really good. He felt a great burden fall from his shoulders and his frustration flushed away. However, it wouldn't last long.
After he came home from the hospital, he didn't have a chance to speak with Minato. However, he was the one who stated that the conversation wasn't over yet, but it was already the second day and Minato was nowhere to be seen. He was definitely avoiding him, masking his chakra. A sigh left his mouth as he moved his hand to knock on his neighbor's door as his last attempt for today to catch the blond. He wasn't surprised when he saw the green eyed Kushina in the doorway instead of his own reflection.
"Sorry. He isn't home yet."
"I see." He let out another disappointed sigh and started to turn to leave.
"Hey. Despite him not being here, you can come in. I just finished making dinner, and I really don't want to eat alone." Toroku looked back at her with an unsteady glance, but before he could speak a word he felt a soft hand on his wrist.
"Come on. I won't bite your head off."
He slowly nodded and followed Kushina into the apartment and sat down at the small dining table. Blue orbs followed her movement as she grabbed the plates and the big bowl of roasted beef and put it down on the table, before she finally settled down at the other side of the table in front of him. They ate in complete silence in an absolutely unusual way. When they were together they were the loudest duo. Picking on each other, laughing, and then picking on somebody else to laugh at him or her together. Toroku squirmed in his seat, uneasy at the awkward silence, trying to finish his meal as fast as he could to run away from this surreal situation.
"What do you want to talk about with Minato?" Toroku blinked in his surprise. He wasn't expecting anything this direct. He carefully thought over what he wanted to unfold to Kushina before he answered.
"I want to settle things with him. I have a lot on my mind since our last mission, about… our relationship and this whole brother thing..., and about my actions at that time… I want to speak with him truthfully."
"You know… he's frightened… He was never afraid of anything, but now he is, because he's tip-toeing in the dark. He's unsure and he's worried because he doesn't know what he should do…" Toroku frowned.
"I don't really get what you mean by that."
"He was frightened back at Kumo when you… when you passed out. He was worrying himself sick when you were in the hospital, unconscious. Until our mission, he was trying to stay professional in your… sensitive case, trying to deny his own feelings, but this incident opened his eyes. He's avoiding you because he doesn't want to face his own fear.
"Do you know why he told you two to back off?" Toroku shook his head.
"He ordered you to back off to protect you. You and Kakashi. He was unsure of himself, of his own leadership, unsure of your abilities. After Obito's death, he pledged that he wouldn't lose another person. Someone precious. Someone from the family."
"Family?" Toroku flinched and glanced back with wide eyes at the softly smiling Kushina.
"Yes. You know, sometimes he calls you brother unconsciously when he talks about you…" She let out a soft chuckle. "Minato would kill me if he realized that I told you this."
"It's okay, I won't tell him, and I'm grateful about this, because at least I know that he has the same feelings as I do…" Kushina stayed silent, not daring to cut off Toroku, who buried his face into his hands.
"I'm afraid, Kushina… I'm frightened of losing everything again. I don't know how I should handle him. At first I tried to speak and behave as if he was just a friend… but… I… It just changed…" He let out a weary sigh and leaned back in the chair, moving his eyes to the table.
"When he told me back then to back off and leave you behind… I don't know. Something broke inside me… And now I'm confused… I don't know what to do…
"…I spoke with Kakashi two days ago… about Obito… I made the decision of what I thought was right… but…
"…I disobeyed the order, and I also told him that I will always disobey in the same situation… I fear that I lost the last tiny bit of trust I managed to gain from him… from you… and…" He let out another sigh and ran his hand through his blond locks.
"I don't want to seem unreliable, but I just made that a self-fulfilling prophecy…" He let out a low chuckle, his eyes now fixed on his empty plate in front of him.
"It's funny. "
"What?"
"It wasn't even two weeks ago that I lectured a small kid about irresponsible ninjas. That they are reckless and they will end up dying early… Hehe. I lectured a small child about how to behave, but I can't even listen to my own advice…"
They stayed in silence for a long moment before Toroku continued,
"But you know what? If that's the cost… It's worth it... If I have to die early to save someone, I'll pay that price. I'm glad that you're unharmed… and I'll do it again and again if I have to."
Toroku finally looked up from the table to meet Kushina's green eyes and the soft smile on her face. The smile, filled with love and care, which immediately warmed up his whole chest, and in the end his whole body from his head to his toes, just like in the foggy memory when they first met.
"You're a special young man, Toroku…"
"A special but still idiotic shinobi…" a new voice said.
Toroku jumped out of his seat and almost fall flat on the floor when he flung around to face with the newcomer, pushing over his seat in the process with a loud thud. He recognized that voice anywhere. The blond source was leaning against the door-frame, his hands crossed in front of his chest with a soft smile on his face.
"How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough."
Minato moved closer to set the seat back to its original place, next to the still shocked teen with wide eyes, full of alert, and fear. Kushina gave a small smile and left room without a word, heading toward the small balcony to give some space to the blonds.
"But you aren't the only one… I would like to apologize… for… you know… being an idiot." Toroku didn't dare to move, he just stared down at the blond who was now sitting at Kushina's previous place.
"I'm sorry… I was a fool… I should be grateful to you, because you protected Kushina …and instead of thanking you, I lectured you. And it was undeserved…" Minato glanced up at Toroku, waiting for any kind of reaction, but seeing the lack of it, he just continued, averting his glance from the teen.
"I came from seeing Kakashi… He yelled at me like a maniac. I never thought he could do something like that. That reserved child. But it was necessary to realize that I was wrong, that you aren't children. You are shinobi of the Leaf, and I should trust in your abilities.
"I was wrong and selfish to order you to leave us behind. I thought only about myself and my own feelings, not even considering you two. I also abandoned my own advice, that the most important thing is teamwork.
"You will never be forced to disobey… because I'll never force you to abandon your comrades again. So once more, I'm sorry."
Toroku slowly opened his mouth hesitantly to say something. Anything. But his mind stayed blank and he shut his mouth, while Minato slowly turned his head to meet his eyes. His frustration immediately melted away again when Minato's azure blue orbs pierced his own, leaving nothing more than another warm sensation in his chest. A small smile ran across his face and he sat down in the seat again, leaning onto the table.
"I don't think you are unreliable, because I know now that I could safely trust anyone's life in your hands. But…You're still reckless about your own well-being."
"I won't deny I am, and I will always be if it's about a life I could save." Minato didn't answer, only smiled at him. Toroku let out a relieved sigh. They stayed in total silence for a few minutes, sitting together without a word until it started becoming oppressive.
"So… What will we do about this brother thing?"
"Only what we want to become of it… Oto."
"That was weird you know… Aniki."
"That was also weird."
They smiled at each other softly, then the smiles slowly grew to a grin, then a chuckle, and at the end the two blond shinobi were laughing uncontrollably next to the small table. A red tuft peeked into the room to stare at the scene in disbelief.
"That was a fast reunion, you know…" Minato chuckled and waved to Kushina to come closer, who immediately obeyed and hopped into the blond's lap because of the lack of the seats.
"So, l see the peace settled again. You hungry, idiot number two?" The redhead turned to Minato cheekily, who just nodded in response, earning a big bowl of roosted beef for himself as they moved toward the living room where they could settle down much more cozily. Before they could start their conversation, a dull knock could be heard from the door and Kushina returned with a confused Kakashi at her side, eying the two blonds sitting next to each other, chatting and joking like nothing had happened before.
"You know, sensei, I came to deliver another kick to your ass, but it seemed you were faster…" Minato just chuckled and pointed toward an empty chair.
"So, now that we're gathered like this, let's see. Toroku, you told me that you would show me that small barrier tag of yours." Toroku blinked and turned toward Kushina.
"I did?"
"Sure. Why? Is it some kind of a secret?" He shook his head and smiled at her.
"No, of course not. I'll go get one for you."
"It's okay, leave it to me. Where are they?"
"In my pouch next to the door…"
Toroku turned to his side to get his keys, but when he turned back holding his keys into the air, the blond next to him disappeared… He could feel the a vein in his forehead starting to throb violently, waiting, only for his brother to reappeared in the next second in the middle of the room, holding the open pouch in his left hand, while the right was already digging into it searching for the tag.
"Minato…" a sullen grunt left Toroku's mouth, his eyes narrowing to a thin line.
"Hm?"
"You put a mark inside my apartment? Without my permission?" Minato stepped back and nervously eyed the angry teen, letting an embarrassed smile run across his face.
"Ehm… sorry?"
Toroku shut his eyes until he was now grimacing and ran his hand through his hair, ready to tear it out in his frustration, but only a loud, animalistic growl left him. He dropped his hand into his lap and snapped his head toward Idiot Number Two.
"Have you ever heard of privacy? Never mind. I don't even need an answer." Minato chuckled and sent an apologetic smile to Toroku, handing over his pouch, who in the end just shook his head slowly and rolled his eyes. He immediately found the small paper tag from the right pocket and handed it to Kushina.
"Wow. Now that is a very unique design. I never thought to use the guardians of the beams like that."
"The problem is, that you can see, that it could safely counter only one attack. And only up to a medium B level at this size. But if I made it bigger it wouldn't be so easily controlled in a real fight."
"But that is still a very useful tag."
Kakashi thoughtfully eyed the small paper in the hope to understand what they were talking about, but in the end he just shrugged and turned to Minato.
"Sensei. When you used your Hiraishin for the first time under the paralysis seal, you used Toroku's clones as a destination, didn't you?"
"Yep. As they were perfect clones, they also copied my seal."
"When will that thing come off of me anyway? It's not that it's a very bad thing in a mission, but how will I kick your ass in our next spar if you receive instant access to my clones…?" Toroku crossed his arms in front of his chest and the last part of his sentence turned into a muffle, countered by Minato's chuckle.
"Can I count it as a challenge for a spar?" Toroku only answered with a wide grin.
"I've learned a lot since our first match, you know."
"I also want a rematch…" Kakashi folded his arms and gave a cocky glare toward the blond with his only visible eye. Minato gave a warm smile to the blond teen and started to chuckle.
"You've become quite the popular sparring partner."
"Because I'm just that amazing." Minato rolled his eyes in response, but he took notice of Kakashi's wondering eye on Toroku.
"Why did you collapsed to the ground at that time?" Toroku blinked in his surprise to hear that question from Kakashi.
"Another flashback?" Minato asked from the blond curiously, who just shook his head.
"Actually no. Just a headache. But quite a vicious one. I thought my brain was going to explode." Minato nodded.
"How did you find their captive inside that barrier?" Minato now turned his curious eyes to the blond in wonder.
"I went after the smell. I mean my clone, underground. That barrier seal was really quite something, but it wasn't as secure from its underside and his smell leaked into the ground. My nose is pretty good, you know. After you knocked out the guard it was still hard to deactivate that seal." The Yellow Flash of Konoha nodded in acknowledgment. Toroku let out a sigh and was now looking at Kushina.
"I really hoped that I would see you in action, Kushina. I'm eager to see you fight."
"I'm too special to display my skills." The redhead gave her answer with a cocky wink and earned rolling eyes from Minato.
"I don't want to seem rude, but I've had a long day and I'm about to collapse. So if you don't mind, could we continue this little chit-chat tomorrow?" Minato let an apologetic smile run across his features.
"Oh, sorry. Of course."
Toroku instantly got up from the chair and the two boys left the apartment, leaving the couple alone. Minato let out a weary sigh and he moved toward the bedroom, collapsing onto the bed face down in his clothes. The redhead followed him and sat down onto the bed next to his head.
"You should at least take off your clothes…" Minato turned his head toward Kushina and answered with a cocky smile.
"That task is waiting for you, my love…"
Kushina rolled her eyes at the statement and pelted his head with a pillow she was about to fluff up. Minato chuckled and moved to sit on the bed to remove his clothes. The woman eyed his back in silence for a minute, watching him as he started to get rid of his garments.
"Why did you lie to Toroku?" The blond froze in his movement to take off his shirt, and after a long moment, he slowly continued.
"About what?"
"You told him that you would trust anyone's life in his hands."
"Have you ever heard that eavesdropping is impolite?" Kushina didn't answer, and Minato let out a weary sigh, turning toward the woman on the bed.
"I don't know… Maybe because I want to believe it."
"Minato… You give him false hope."
"What are you expecting from me, Kushina? Tell me, what? To tell him the truth? The truth that I don't know how to feel about him? That maybe one day I'll be the one who slices his throat open?"
"I know you don't trust in him... But he tried to save my life… and you can't deny it. He's working really hard to gain your trust and acknowledgment. Consider your own words, that he's now a teenager, as confused about your whole situation as you. Don't make it worse. I'm aware that you're already attached to him, it doesn't matter how mad you are trying to deny it."
"Yes, I'm attached and this is the problem. I know my responsibilities. Believe me, I know very well that maybe one day I have to kill him…. Kushina… You know very well that he was suspicious enough from the start. Then this whole relative thing… You know very well what it could mean, don't you?"
"Then why are you acting like a caring big brother dattebane?"
"Because I want to believe that I'm really his brother!" Minato snapped with a raised voice, his face turning into an irritated frown.
"Then choose." The blond's anger melted away, confusion replacing his frown.
"Between what?"
"Choose one option. Be his brother, or be one of his superiors and judge, but don't play this two sided game anymore with him, because it's disgusting. I'm ashamed of the way you're acting dattebane. I thought you were a direct person who never wore a mask."
Oppressive silence fell onto the room as Minato let the words sink into his own thoughts and calmed his intense nerves, burying his head into his hands and letting out another sigh.
Kushina didn't interfere. She wanted Minato to finally open up to her. To open up and express his doubts, his thoughts, because they didn't speak about this properly ever since the Sandaime revealed their blood relation and she saw that Minato was struggling between his own emotions since then. He really liked the boy in the first few weeks, they become fast friends and he had a really good effect on Minato after Obito had died. That was the only thing that left the spirit burning in him. Their meetings, his visits, and the boy's small jokes. The blond had spoken a lot about him, and she also became very curious about him. And when they finally met… She felt like she found something long lost in herself. Something warm inside her, and for a long moment she finally felt whole. Even that damn fox disappeared from her mind until their last mission.
Kushina watched Minato with worried eyes. She knew Minato's trust disappeared within a blink of an eye, when his relation to Toroku was revealed, and Kushina also knew what this could mean. However, she couldn't think about this possibility. She didn't want to think about it. That that sweet boy was only an assassin who was after Minato's life.
During the years of war, Minato gained a lot of enemies, especially from Iwa. Toroku was perhaps a part of a very well prepared plan. Somehow they found a relative, his long lost brother, and perhaps they trained him for that very moment.
Kushina let out a sigh and leaned toward Minato to gently stroke his hand. The blond didn't move from his frozen state as he was lost in his own small word, in his thoughts about Toroku.
"Minato…"
"I'm thinking, Kushina…"
"Then tell me… What are you thinking about?"
"I don't know… It's just too complicated… Everything was so perfect until two month ago. I wasn't worried about death, about my own possible assassination…"
He finally lifted his head from his hands, looking at Kushina with weary eyes. He looked a decade older.
"Help me… what should I do?"
"Enjoy your time with your new brother. He's a special and valuable shinobi. If the time comes, you will know what you have to do and I know you will do it. But until that time, don't struggle with your feelings. Accept them."
Minato stayed silent for several minutes. He slowly grabbed a towel and headed out to the bathroom, leaving her behind without a word. The woman slowly shook her head and let out a sigh.
"Stubborn blonds… hovering around each other…"
The news spread across the Village Hidden in the Leaves like a virus in a human body. The news that Sarutobi Hiruzen, the third Hokage of Konoha, started negotiations about cease-fire with the other elemental countries. The missions onto the battlefields were delayed, the guard posts at the borders were fastened, leaving more waiting shinobi at the village than it could handle because of the lack of assignments. Everything was full. The bars, the restaurants, and the biggest annoyance for the trio of two blonds and a young silver haired jonin: every available training ground was occupied.
"Well, any other suggestion to kill some time?" Toroku turned toward his companions after he let out a disappointed sigh at the most far out training ground of Konoha.
Before any of them could speak, an eagle appeared in the distance, approaching the small group. The majestic bird floated on the winds without movement, slowly hovering around Minato high in the sky. Minato carefully watched the predator and sighed.
"Well, our wish is granted it seems. We're heading to the Hokage tower." Toroku looked at Kakashi in confusion with a raised eyebrow and the jonin pointed upwards to the eagle.
"That is a summoning sign for jonins from the Hokage, and as it is concentrated on Minato, he wants to see him."
"I see."
"Come, we are going together, then you can go wherever you want." Minato grabbed the shoulder of his two companions and disappeared from the small path with a flash of gold and silver.
The trio reappeared in front of the Hokage's desk with a second delay. Toroku rolled his shoulder to ease the aftereffect of the technique, and moved his head to the side to see a tall man with straight, waist length black hair on his left looking at Minato with narrowed eyes and folded arms. Moments later his sight moved to Toroku without moving his head, and he couldn't help the expression on his face as he frowned when his blue orbs connected with his amber colored ones.
Toroku couldn't avert his gaze from the split pupils as he suppressed a shiver when he felt a drop of cold sweat slowly running down his back under his clothes. His brain emptied, and black dots appeared in his eyesight, masking the purple marking on the unnaturally pale skin. At the back of his head, he felt as his hands begun shaking, and he immediately squeezed his hands into fists with his last resort of self-control. He distantly felt as his nails painfully plunged into the soft flesh of his palms as anger started to rise inside his veins. Dizziness floated into his brain, his sight was filled with the amber eyes with the split pupils. Something started boiling inside him, bubbling deep in his veins. Toroku felt as the world started to split out under his foot, the surroundings became only a distant feeling and the black dots slowly started to overwhelm his eyesight as his fury increased, leaving nothing but the two yellow orbs.
"Orochimaru-san. " Toroku suddenly snapped out from his temporary stasis as the familiar voice echoed inside the office.
"Minato-san," the man greeted him without moving his eyes from the young teen, who couldn't suppress a shiver when the cold voice of the man reached him. The man finally moved his eyes from Toroku to meet another identical pair of azure blue orbs.
"I heard you had a very… interesting new companion… and indeed he is a fascinating young boy."
The pale shinobi's face moved to an animalistic half smile and he slowly opened his mouth to lick his upper lips with his tongue. Another drop of cold sweat ran down on his spine and he couldn't restrain his movement as he stepped back from the pale man, almost bumping into Minato.
"I also heard you took apprenticeship over a young girl, Orochimaru-san," Minato replied with a chilled voice, not bothering to mask the icy cold tone of it.
"Yes, the rumors are true. Anko-chan is a very… promising young kunoichi."
"Your conversation is fascinating as always… But we have serious business here, so please…"
Finally, every eye turned toward the table where Sarutobi rested his chin on his joined fingers, leaning on the desk. The three newcomers bowed and greeted the leader of the village politely, and Minato dismissed his team immediately. Toroku looked over his shoulder from the doorway and he connected his blue orbs again with a narrow pair of amber colored ones. He quickly averted his gaze and almost fled from the office. Toroku glanced down at his hands to note that they were soaked in sweat and still trembling a little. He quickly shoved them into the pockets of his slacks to hide them from sight and jogged after Kakashi, who almost reached the stairs leading outside. The two young shinobi slowly walked down the passage leading out from the tower. When they finally reached the open air, Toroku lifted his head toward the warm Sun. He felt like he was frozen deep inside his body to his bones, and he gratefully drank in every warm beam of the afternoon sun. He finally looked down at Kakashi to meet his eyes.
"Don't be too hard on yourself. I also freaked out when I first met him." The jonin averted his gaze and his shoulders trembled as a shiver ran across them.
"I hate that snake… I always felt chills running up and down my back when he looked at me with his creepy eyes." Toroku watched his companion with curious eyes and opened his mouth.
"Who is he?"
"He is one of the three legendary sannin, the students of Hokage-sama. A very powerful shinobi."
Toroku only nodded in understanding, and he glanced up for a last look to the Hokage tower, then followed the already leaving Kakashi without a word. He couldn't avert his thoughts from Orochimaru, and he felt another cold tremble building inside his spine.
When the two young shinobi left the room, Sarutobi was finally left alone with the two men in the office. A quick motion with his arms and Minato felt as four imperceptible chakra signatures disappeared from the room as the Hokage's personal ANBU guard dismissed from the office. 'Well, this is going to be a serious talk.'
Sarutobi slowly reached for his pipe, knocking out the remaining ashes without scattering any of it onto the desk to replace it with fresh tobacco with his experienced hands. He snapped his fingers and blue chakra flames appeared on the tip of them to light his pipe. After three small puffs of the smoke, the old Hokage leaned back into his chair, eying the two shinobi carefully, then motioned toward two chairs in front of his desk. After a minute of complete silence, he closed his eyes to gather his thoughts and slowly lowered his hand with the pipe onto the desk.
"As you know, I sent out delegations to the elemental countries to negotiate a peace treaty." The two shinobi only nodded and Sarutobi raised his pipe for another puff.
"The end of this war is near, and with that there are other important matters that must be taken care of."
Author's Note:
Gaining trust is a long and hard way, not just a few chapters. ;)
And who could forget about our favorite antagonist?
I know and I'm absolutely sorry. Leaving your there for this long with that cliffhanger…I'm sorry one more time. I wanted to upload this chapter together with the next one, to conciliate you, but my beta disappeared in thin air. :( I would be really glad if someone could help me in this issue, I don't want to upload unchecked chapters. So yes, I'm looking for a new Beta reader, who can help me with the grammar and with everything else regarding the story. If you got the courage to help me with my insane grammar and tense usage, don't hesitate to send a pm.
I know what will I receive in the reviews after this chapter…but before what you are waiting eagerly to happen actually happens, there are some things which have to be done, some bonds which have to be formed. Be patient we are almost there.