Disclaimer: Naruto and every character of the Naruto universe belongs to Kishimoto Masashi and companies I don't know.
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Original upload date: 29, May 2013
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Chance for a Prophecy
Chapter 14. – Children
"Children are our legacy. Our responsibility. They are our destiny and we are theirs."
Dirk Benedict
A kunai flew toward the wooden post, and a brief second later penetrated the hard surface and buried itself deep into the ground behind the pole, followed by a second weapon only meters from it. A furious snort echoed inside the empty clearing and Naruto grabbed another kunai and a shuriken in both of his hands. He let out a long breath, then shot forward with his left hand, releasing the weapon and a millisecond later his right hand mimicked his movement. The shuriken reached the flying kunai in the air and a metallic clink indicated connection, which diffracted the kunai to aim directly into the bull's eye on the log. A wide and satisfied smile appeared on Naruto's face by his success and punched into the air. 'Take that! Special Uchiha technique my ass.'
Naruto let out a weary sigh and ran his hand through his blond locks. He had been training for three hours to finally make this move work, but the first joys of success left him as fast as it came. The feeling was replaced by his memories, his betrayer… The chuunin let out another sigh and shook his head to ease away the memories together with the ache in his heart, and he started to do what he always did when he didn't want to think: Train until he drops to the ground from exhaustion.
A shadow clone had appeared beside him and they almost immediately jumped backward and moved to stance, only to jump into action a second later for an enormous taijutsu battle. Fighting against a shadow clone had its advantages. You share the same experiences, the same knowledge, you fight against the same style; countering yourself was training for fighting against the sharingan. You have to push yourself over the limits and be as unpredictable as you can be to trick yourself, or you will be beaten. These thoughts ran through his mind in the blink of an eye while he made another attempt to kick his clone out of existence.
The clone grabbed a missed kunai from the ground next alongside a thick log and aimed for his head with the next attack. A small tug in Naruto's consciousness caused his head to snap to the side, dropping his defense for a brief second despite his years of experience on the field. The clone's attack was unstoppable, the kunai freely dashed toward his face without anything to stop it. In the last moment, Naruto finally broke out of his temporary stasis to stop it just in time. The blond clone froze, his identical eyes widened when his brain processed the scene; the kunai stabbed through the Boss's palm.
"Boss-" Naruto slowly shook his head, observing the wound with an annoyed grimace on his face. The chuunin grabbed the kunai, and with one fluid motion, pulled the weapon from his flesh and sent it flying toward the edge of the woods, where he had sensed the movement. A rabbit ran out from under a big bush, and disappeared at the other side of the training ground. Naruto frowned in his confusion, only for it to be replaced with the annoyed grimace once more. 'A damn rabbit?' He was just simply too preoccupied. A relieved sigh left his mouth, together with a painful hiss, as the adrenalin started to wear off, giving his body time to register the throbbing pain in his palm.
'Kurama. Could you help me out? If I go back with a hole in my hand Rin would skin me alive.'
His only answer was an irritated grumble, but the gaping hole in the middle of his palm immediately started to shrink as new tissue appeared on the edges of the wound, by the insensible amount of foreign chakra. Ten seconds later only the pinkness of his new skin betrayed what had happened seconds before. Naruto slowly examined his raised hand, clenching then releasing a fist. After a short nod to his clone, the intense spar simply continued like nothing had happened.
This time he concentrated on his clone with all of his nerves and senses, unaware of the curiously shining amber colored eyes behind the bush. Graceful and pale fingers locked around the bloody barrel of the kunai and the shadowy figure disappeared from the training ground with a satisfied and excited grin on his face.
Hours later, Naruto felt a gentle tap on his shoulders while sitting in his favorite spot across Teuchi's counter, only then did the familiar warm chakra signature reached his senses, pulling him out of his previous argument with Kurama. Without turning around he waved a hand in greeting, slurping the last remnants of his ramen and placed his now empty bowl on top of a slowly growing pile. The ruffle of soft fabric reached his ears and after he tapped his stomach and let out a satisfying sigh, he finally turned to the newcomer.
"Hi!" He chimed, receiving a warm smile in response from Minato.
"Hokage-sama. It's been awhile since your last visit." The Yellow Flash of Konoha turned toward Teuchi and grinned to the owner as he answered.
"Yes. I got a busy week Teuchi-san. But I can't live too long without your dishes." A proud smile formed on the owner's face, and Naruto couldn't suppress the urge to roll his eyes at the obviously too sweet and too charming response.
"The usual, Hokage-sama?" Minato nodded in response and turned back to the blond, while the owner moved to the back of the small kitchen to prepare his order.
"Soo, I was just wondering…Are you still interested in politics?" Naruto raised a curious eyebrow and pull his next steaming bowl of ramen in front of him, not bothering to wait for Minato's order to arrive.
"Sure." A wide satisfied grin appeared on the leader's face.
"Then it's a deal. You will come with me." Naruto narrowed his eyes suspiciously. He knew that grin; that cunning expression on his father's face. Hardly different from his usual happy grin, an invisible twinge the only indication that he was hiding something.
"And exactly where are we going?"
"To Suna. I will be meeting with the Kazekage this week."
Naruto's right eye had twitched in his annoyance, however his heart also warmed at the thought of the noble dunes. But the pleasant feeling was washed away to be replaced with pervading sadness when his thoughts wandered to the last Kazekage in his own timeline. He give himself a mental slap on his face, to knock himself back to reality in the hope that his emotional rollercoaster hadn't appeared on his face. Based on Minato's still soft smile he was successful. In the end, he eyed his leader suspiciously.
"And you need me again for distraction while you are chit-chatting with him don't you?" Minato only shrugged casually and reached out to get a pair of chopsticks when Teuchi reappeared behind the counter with a big bowl of steaming ramen and silently stepped back to give his Hokage some space.
"Maybe, maybe not." The blond chunnin rolled his eyes at the answer.
"Fine, but no mask this time."
"I didn't intend to order that. It was effective for the first time, but he already saw your face. It would be useless anyway."
"So, we will march into Suna with a full delegation?"
"No. Just the two of us." Naruto's heart skipped a beat. He had never been out alone with his father before, and there is no way he will skip this opportunity. However, leaving Konoha in the knowledge that Orochimaru, Obito, and Madara were still at large gave him an uneasy feeling.
"Brat. Don't overcomplicate things. Just keep a low profile and don't mess up anything." Naruto rolled his eyes unconsciously and the Hokage raised an eyebrow.
"You don't want to go out with me?" The eyes of the blond chuunin widened and he immediately started to deny, supporting with wide gestures and waving hands.
"Of course I want to, dattebayo! It would be great! Really. I was just wondering who will take care of the things here." Okay, not a total lie, but it was still enough for Minato to raise an eyebrow, before he turned to his dish.
"The third will take care of everything here until I am back. I don't count on being gone more than one and a half weeks. I'm sure he is more than capable to handle it."
"I didn't mean that. I know he is more than capable. He ran this place for decades…" The chuunin mumbled under his breath and folded his arms in front of his chest defensively, forcing Minato to chuckle at the childish behavior.
"Then it's a deal. We will departure the day after tomorrow. I'll pick you up at eight. Be ready." Naruto nodded with a small smile on his face, and the two blonds burrowed themselves into the two steaming bowls of Ramen.
Naruto glanced at the small clock ticking irritatingly next to his bed and noted the late hour. It had been a long struggle to fall asleep, and in the end he left the bed after an aggravated groan. His eyes moved toward the window and toward Konoha. A weary sigh left his soft lips and five minutes later he left the apartment in the hope that a small walk and the fresh air would help him out. He let his feet take the lead, moving unconsciously with a blank mind on the almost empty streets of the Village.
Half an hour later, he found himself slowly walking on a narrow path inside the woods, his feet leading him to his well-known "hiding" place, to the top of the Hokage Monument. A familiar fragrance stroked his nose and his blank mind sharpened when the sweet scent of vanilla become recognizable after a second. His mother's scent. He sniffed once more at the cold, fresh night air and let out an unnoticeable thin layer of chakra to map his surroundings. He found three presences around him. One was that of his guard, and two other familiar ones not far away in a clearing.
Curiosity rose inside his chest and he felt the urge to finally shake off his guard without causing any suspicion. He slowly moved toward a giant tree, utilizing the natural curve of the path to disappear from the sight of his ANBU guard for a moment. The blond chuunin then channeled some of his chakra into the ground, creating a shadow clone under the roots of the tree, and replaced himself with it by way of a fast, unnoticeable Kawarimi while the tree shrouded his movements. His clone had continued on his way toward the Hokage monument, but after a short way it stopped, yawed, and change direction back toward his apartment followed by the fooled ANBU.
Naruto waited for long minutes until he was sure nobody was around and rose from the roots, casually swept some dirt from his clothes and headed toward his destination deeper into the woods. After some hesitant steps, he stopped and pulled out a tiny paper tag from his pocket with a small seal written on the center of it. If he was going to spy on his parents there was no way he'd let himself be found out. A thin layer of unsensible chakra spread across his body, a bit of insurance to mask his presence in addition to his hiding skills.
After ten minutes, he reached the margin of the small clearing, positioned himself on a tree, and checked his hiding place one more time before he forced his aching nerves to calm down. He felt guilty eavesdropping on his parents, but he couldn't suppress the urge to know as much about his family as possible. A warm smile appeared on his face when he glanced out from his hiding space and observed the scene in front of him.
The two fearsome shinobi, the Red-Hot Habanero and the Yellow Flash of Konoha, were lying on their backs in the middle of the clearing, watching the ink black sky and the faintly glowing stars above them together, whispering to each other, chuckling and stealing small kisses. Naruto couldn't get enough of the scene. Sure, he saw them together countless times but not in this discrete situation. His mother's gentle giggle echoed all around the clearing, warming him up from head to toe, but a small amount of shame never left his chest. He felt exactly like Jiraiya peeking on someone else, even when it's not nude women. The blonde slowly closed his eyes and leaned onto the hard surface of the tree, listening only to their voices.
"Are you sure you can't simply send an envoy?" Minato slowly turned to the slide to rest his head in his palm, watching Kushina with warm apologetic eyes.
"Sorry. It has to be me. We are going to hurry. I promise." The redhead let out a disappointed sigh.
"I hate when you are out of town."
"I also deserve to get some air outside the office, which still smells like tobacco, don't you think?"
"I know, but I'm worried."
"Hey! I'm not some pansy. I can take care of myself." Kushina stayed in silence for a long moment before she finally answered.
"I thought the same about Toroku." Naruto's chest squeezed, guilt and curiosity fought in silence but still an enormous battle in his mind. In the end curiosity became victorious, so he just stayed.
"Kushina-"
"I know! I'm just worried, worried about you two. Both of you can be so reckless sometimes."
"You also know that if he wasn't exhausted back then there is no way they could even lay a finger on him."
"But he was! And what if-"
"There will always be an IF." They stayed in silence for a long minute before Kushina finally broke it.
"It's good to see you two get along so well. I'm really glad you took my advice back then." A soft smile appeared on Minato's face.
"Yes, I'm also glad."
"It's hard to be an outsider. Start a new life while you are surrounded with total strangers. I know how he felt back then. At least I think I know. Our situations were very similar."
"Yes, but you two managed to adapt to the new situation. Well…mostly, when you two don't forget about yourselves." A furious, not so ladylike snort, a muffled thump and finally a painful yelp reached Naruto's ears and he had to suppress a chuckle that was ready to burst out.
"That hurts Kushina!"
"You deserved it dattebane!" They stayed in silence for a long minute, but in the end they both started to chuckle and shared a soft kiss.
"Doesn't Toroku remind you of someone Minato?"
"I don't know. Give me a hint."
"His determination, his stubbornness when he fights and never gives up, even when he is just about to drop from fatigue while training. His power to forgive. Just like in Jiraiya's book don't you think?" Naruto flinched and forced his muscles to stay still. Minato stared into the nothingness above Kushina's head for a very long moment before he slowly closed his eyes when he answered.
"You don't know how right you are." Kushina raised a curious eyebrow, but Minato shook his head, a soft smile on his face.
"You know Kushina, if I have a child I hope he or she will grow up to be just like the protagonist: Naruto. Or just like Toroku. But that name is already taken…What about Naruto?" Kushina let out a small chuckle.
"A shinobi just like them. Naruto…It's a beautiful name." A small smile appeared on Minato's face, while the eavesdropper's chest squeezed tighter than he thought was possible.
"And what if the first will be a girl?"
"That just won't happen. He will definitely be a boy."
"You wouldn't know it in advance you silly."
"Then just let's find out. What do you think?"
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about family. Let's have a family Kushina. Let's have a child." Kushina stayed in silence for a long minute, before her soft, but sad voice filled the clearance.
"Minato…I want to. But- You know what could happen. What if-"
"Just trust in me. I can take care of that little problem. Will you believe in me Kushina?" For a long, moment, nothing could be heard, only the leaves' soft ruffle as the warm breeze played with them.
"I believe in you Minato."
A soft, warm smile appeared on Naruto's face, and he simply left the clearing and his parents alone in the silver light of the full Moon as if he'd never been there.
The blond shinobi took a last look inside his small apartment, spread out a thin layer of chakra to map his surroundings and find his ANBU guard at a safe distance. He nodded to himself when he felt Minato disappear from his own apartment and his guard in the corner of the next house and immediately turned on his heels and marched inside his bathroom. At the moment he closed the door, a clone popped into existence.
"Stay hidden and do not threaten our incognito. If something happens, get rid of the barriers and immediately disperse yourself before they see you."
The clone made a short salute with two fingers and positioned himself on the floor in the corner of the small bathroom in a meditation stance. Naruto nodded, pulled out two scrolls from his backpack and rolled them open on the floor. He had prepared them in advance the days after he arrived back in Konoha from Kusa just in case, and now he was grateful for his foresight. One barrier seal, to mask the clone's presence and senjutsu chakra, not that anyone besides Jiraiya could sense it, but safety first. Another to hide him from the eyes, especially from the freaky eyes, in case a Hyuuga or one of the Uchiha got the urge to wander around his apartment and in his bathroom. A useful seal, he had developed it in the last months right after Madara… Naruto shook his head to clear his thought of the memories.
The soft, thin hair on his neck started to tingle when the first amount of natural energy flowed toward his clone, the skin around his replica's eyes already started to pick up the familiar orange shade. He channeled a massive amount of chakra into the first one and a golden barrier appeared around the clone, immediately masking the still flowing natural energy and his presence from his senses. Naruto nodded in his satisfaction and placed his hands on the next seal, repeating the hand signs, and the clone disappeared from his eyes together with the glowing barrier. He eyed the now empty corner, waving a hand toward the barrier which replied to the contact with a small wobble on the surface. The blond time traveler grimaced at the reaction. He really hoped nobody would come into his apartment while he was gone and try to walk inside the bathroom, especially not into that empty corner. If that happened…a shiver ran through his spine at the thought.
"I don't think this is a good idea Naruto…"
"We have to risk it and find that bastard as soon as possible before he can influence Obito and put his plan into motion."
"This plan is still just too risky. Minato will come for you in ten minutes, he will find your seals and nothing will save your ass-, our asses if that happen.
"No, he won't. Maybe he is better in everything else, but barriers are my specialty." Kurama let out a doubtful snort and rolled his giant eyeballs.
"Do not underestimate the Yondaime Gaki."
"I would never do that. I just hope he trust me. I didn't give any reason for that. Nor did Toroku."
"You are gambling." Naruto shrugged.
"I'll take every risk that is necessary to protect my precious people."
He turned around once more, closed the bathroom door and placed a tiny seal on the inside on the door handle, no bigger than the nail on his pinkie. A tiny, but useful security seal which would disappear and notify him if someone touched it. He hopped down on the couch and sank two small container scrolls inside his pouch, prepared and stuffed every necessary thing for the trip, including two dozen packs of instant ramen.
Naruto waited impatiently until he felt the familiar chakra signature of his father approaching his front-door, exactly a minute before eight o'clock. He didn't give the opportunity for him to knock as he had opened the door and noted the raised hand of the Hokage, ready to knock and the amused expression on his face. A satisfied and proud smirk appeared on his fine features at the scene.
"Fascinating as always." Naruto grinned from ear to ear, stepping out to close his door then seal away the small key into one of his container scroll and stuffed it back into place when he finished the process.
"So? Can we go?" A smile appeared on Minato's face and he placed his hands on the younger's shoulders, then disappeared with a golden flash, only to reappear in a blink at the village gates next to two stunned chunnin.
"You are an exhibitionist." Naruto pointed toward the big red kanji on the long white coat which slowly moved together with the rhythm of his father's silent and graceful footsteps. Minato looked back over his shoulder to find out what the hell he was talking about, and rolled his eyes when he realized.
"I'm not an exhibitionist. Think what you want, it still looks badass."
Naruto's eyes twitch at the statement, and brought back the memories of his own claret coat with the same black flame patterns on the edges and his orange clothes. He ran his fingers over the standard shinobi clothes he'd been wearing for months. He missed his old appearance, but a sudden change in his style would just raise suspicion on him and nothing more. Damn it.
"You are to. Are there any other Kage dancing around with a meter long title on their back?" Minato only shrugged and didn't respond and Naruto let out a defeated sigh. Actually he also thought it really looks badass…But for him, the best way the channel away some frustration is to poke at someone. And his father, at this moment, was the only target around.
They made their way toward the border of Wind at a leisure speed, their travel reminded him of the wandering he'd done with Jiraiya during the two and a half years while they trained and travelled all around Fire country and sometimes outside the borders. They finally reached a town on the road and Minato immediately aimed for the hotel next to a small hot spring. Hopefully not with the intent to peek...
Naruto sank down in the hot water, which relaxed his muscles more than he thought possible. The knots and the light weariness immediately melted away from his muscles when the water reached his spine. His blue eyes travelled to the other side of the small steaming pond, where his father enjoyed the same sensation, leaning onto the shore with his back, his eyes closed and his face mirrored complete relaxation and something that he couldn't identify.
The memories of the last night appeared in his mind, when his parents actually named him. Pride filled his chest when he thought back to the moment Kushina associated him with the protagonist. He watched his father, his golden hair framing his features in the same spiky way, defying the gravity even when it is heavy with water. The only difference with his own hair would be its length and the longer bangs framing his face on the side.
"Is there something on my face, or what?" Naruto's eyes twitched at being caught staring.
"No. You just look relaxed and…dunno. Maybe satisfied." A small smile appeared on Minato's face.
"I'm satisfied in more ways than you could imagine." Minato's smile grew into a cheeky grin, and he suddenly ducked under the hot water and let out a pleased moan when he reached the surface again. He finally opened his eyes and stretched out his arms behind his head.
"I think this was enough for me. I'm going to look like a wrinkled old man." Naruto snorted.
"You are an old man and-" He had to quickly duck underwater to avoid the incoming palm aimed toward the back of his head. He stayed down for a long moment and when his head finally burst through the calm surface of the pond to finally get some air, Minato was already gone. The young man let out a sigh and followed his father inside the hotel.
An hour later, they sat behind a counter, a third bowl of steaming ramen in front of Naruto, while Minato slowly sipped sake from a small white cup after he finished his own meal. The young village leader enjoyed the peace with closed eyes and the same relaxed and satisfied expression; his cheeks a tone redder than it is normal because of the amount of alcohol he already tucked away in his stomach.
"You know about the three shinobi rules don't you? One of them is to stay away from alcohol." Minato shrugged and took another sip before retorting his brother.
"Blame Jiraiya. You could be happy I'm not a pervert." A snort left Naruto, while Minato's eyes suddenly snapped open by a sudden idea and an odd grin spread across his face.
"So, Toroku, you've been in Konoha for almost four months..." The chuunin raised an eyebrow, not sure where his father was going with this.
"If we are talking about the shinobi rules. I'm just wondering that beside missions, driving your ANBU guard up the wall, peeking in hot springs and the obviously insane amount of training you are doing, is there something… someone else who raised your interest? A girl?" Naruto blinked. Then again. Then in the end he started to chuckle, then snicker, earning a lot of attention to their backs from the other guests. His laughter suddenly stopped, an annoyed grimace appeared on his face as he folded his arms across his chest defensively when something caught his attention.
"Hey! I'm not peeping in hot springs! And what's the sudden interesting in my love life?" Minato refilled his empty cup and immediately emptied it without a word after a quick, casual shrug and a smirk.
"Nothing special. I'm just curious. You are how old? Eighteen? Boys at your age should look for a companion from the other gender."
Naruto stayed in silence, suddenly lost in his thoughts. The annoyance was already gone, her azure blue orbs darkened to royal blue by sadness. Love… The image of his first crush popped inside his mind. The image of the pink haired kunoichi, who slowly become more likely a sister figure to him. And finally Hyuuga Hinata as she was standing above him, closing the distance between him and Pein with her own body. Her confession, his rage when he thought Pein killed her. The warmth of her hand in his own while they were fighting Madara and the juubi. And finally her eyes as she looked at him for the last time with a soft smile on her face. ...He shook his head to ease away his upcoming sorrow and clear his thoughts.
Eighteen years...well one year doesn't count does it? 'Where was I at my seventeenth birthday?' He searched through the memories of Toroku. They felt foreign, but still personal; distant, yet still close. They were just odd, like the memories of his Kage Bunshin's. He was able to read them and feel them, but at the back of his head, he knew he wasn't there they aren't actually his own. 'Oh. I know now. I was with them…' He let out an amused snort in his mind. The tenth of October. The day when Minato had introduced him to the team, and Kushina had chosen a birthday for him. The same date as his real one. 'What a coincidence…or fate? Bullshit. I'm the one who will form my own life.'
"I don't want to disturb your fascinating thoughts, but I think someone is waiting for your answer." Naruto blinked back to reality at Kurama's sarcasm and stared into the patient blue eyes in front of him and he gave an absolutely true answer.
"I don't think about girls. At least not now. Maybe a year or so later." The Hokage raised an eyebrow, but didn't make a comment. They stayed in silence for another long moment.
"When we get back, I'm going to propose to Kushina." Naruto blinked. Then again in his surprise at the sudden confession, then his mouth moved to a warm smile.
"I would love to see a cute boy with blue eyes in the next October. You would be perfect parents." A soft smile appeared on Minato's face.
"You think so?"
"Definitely." They stayed in silence for long minutes while Naruto finished his Ramen, and his father emptied the small bottle of sake and stretched his arms behind his head.
"I've got another bit of important business to finish when we get back to Konoha." The blond chuunin raised an eyebrow and curiously leaned a little bit closer to his companion.
"I will speak with Sarutobi and, despite what he wants, I'm going to cancel the surveillance on you. I made my decision a while ago. You earned our trust." Naruto stared into his fathers determined blue eyes for a long minute, looking for any tricks or second thoughts, but he found nothing. He couldn't force down the urge and he did the first thing that popped into his mind. He stood up and gave the deepest bow he could manage to the Hokage, who looked back at him with wide and shocked eyes.
"I would happily give my life for the village's sake. And for yours. I swear on my life that I will do nothing that could harm the people of Konoha dattebayo."
"Don't do that. Idiot. Just get up." A wide beaming smile appeared on the chuunin's face and he moved back to the counter followed by a dozen curious eyes around him. He could find the irritation in his father's azure blue orbs, but in the background he could also spot the awe, pride, satisfaction and the trust. Guilt filled his chest, then it was replaced by the overwhelming urge to confess everything, followed by the displeased murmuring of Kurama.
"Don't do anything stupid Naruto." A half smile appeared inside his head. 'I know…'
"Also, we are going to move into the Hokage mansion. Sarutobi finally emptied it. If…If it's okay for you, I would like to offer a room for you. But only if you want it." The guilt increased, followed by shame, but he forced his face to stay warm and a smile to appear on his features.
"Can I think about it?" A small smile appeared on Minato's face and nodded. Naruto had to restrain a wince. His father professionally hid his disappointment, but he could still feel it in his eyes. He really wanted it. But if he moved in, he would have much less space to act freely.
"Of course. It's not an order or anything. And I fear your tic will increase if you two spend more time together." Naruto made a confused face. "You've been using your dattebayo more and more since you become closer to Kushina." '...and since you came back from Kusa.' Minato added silently in his thoughts. The blond chuunin sent back a cheeky smile and shrugged. He was proud of his tic. Especially since he knew that his mother would do the same thing when she got excited.
They stayed in silence for a long moment, a big yawn left Minato's mouth and Naruto followed the example unconsciously.
"I think it's time for us to finally get to bed, don't you think Otouto?" Naruto gave an agreeing nod and the two blonds slowly headed toward the stairs, toward their room and their well-deserved dreams.
Naruto watched the horizon with the never-ending dunes. The soft curves of the granular ocean with giant and small waves of the golden sand. He could actually feel the azure blue eyes of his father on his back. He glanced up to the sun, not bothering himself with the stinging sensation when the hot beams reached his iris. At least it forced his memories away from his mind, memories which kept painfully tug at the back of his mind ever since they reached the Land of Rivers. The place where Akatsuki extracted Shukaku from Gaara. Where he died. Where he came back to life. Where he then…
Naruto shook his head violently and finally turned around and the two blond shinobi stepped onto the thin, almost invisible path which lead to the natural walls surrounding Sunagakure no Sato.
They reached the walls in three hours, stepping inside the narrow passage, the entrance to the Village, their movement were immediately followed by suspicious glances of the Suna shinobi around them even after Minato handed over the official invitation from the Fourth Kazekage. Naruto fixed his eyes on the road, not daring to look around, fearing to spot something which could push him over the edge. Too many of his loved ones died here.
They walked silently toward the center of the village, escorted by several jounin from Suna, Naruto's gaze was fixed on the dirt of the road, while Minato's eyes traveled on the seedy buildings, the weary streets and the closed shops, the adjective signs of the villages low economy which made his heart sink into pity.
A small amount of guilt appeared inside his chest; he was also responsible, at least remotely, for this. Konoha needed the funds from the missions, so the prices had been decreased to gain more commissions from the customers. Even the wind Daimyo asked for their help and services on countless occasion instead of the weakened Suna. He slowly shook his head to ease away the guilt which was slowly increasing inside him. He must look after the welfare of his own village. Konoha must be first, everything else must be only a second thought.
A small group of running children pushed him out of his thoughts, playing tag, laughing, unaware of the world around them. His azure blue eyes glanced toward his brother. The blond teen finally turned his head and his eyes locked for a moment before Naruto averted his gaze to linger on a weary shop then on a mendicant in the entrance of a small alley, then he returned his saddened eyes to to the dirt of the road after one last glance toward Minato.
The young leader had to restrain a wince. The memory of his brother's determination to save everyone regardless of where he or she came from forced itself inside the young Hokage's mind, and shame ran across Minato as the guilt raised again in his chest. Only one glance into his brother's sad eyes was enough for that.
Minato gratefully noticed that they had reached their final destination; the tower marked with the enormous Kanji of Wind above the entrance, and he stepped inside with a relieved sigh. They reached the door which lead inside the Kazekage's office, their escorts finally left them alone in the empty passageway in front of the wooden door. The Kage took his time inside the office just like last time, before he finally sent a guard to escort them inside. Minato gave a small nod greeting the leader politely, who returned the gesture just as lightly as Minato. No Kage would bow to another and submit to the other.
Naruto stepped inside the office trailing after Minato, fixing his eyes somewhere out the wide windows of the office, he greeted the Kage with a bow, and with every last bit of his self-control he finally forced his eyes to look into the eyes of the village leader. When their orbs finally met, Naruto forced his body not to flinch, when he noted the familiar features of his late friend. The same short and spiky auburn hair, the same face structure. He shook off the sorrow that was ready to burst out and forced his ripping chakra to calm down, which did not go unnoticed by the two leaders. However, fortunately, both had interpreted his reactions wrong.
The eyes of the Kazekage locked with Naruto's, then flickered to Minato and back to rest them on the blond chuunin. They were filled with suspicion, fixing him with a calculating gaze for a long minute until his stern face moved into a knowing half smile and finally turned his attention to the now irritated and inpatient Minato.
"Hokage-sama. I take you and your relative are weary after the long travel."
"I'm grateful for your worry Kazekage-sama, but this was just a small tour for us."
"You came with a very small delegation. If you had informed me, I would have gratefully sent an elite squad to escort you here."
"The shinobi of Konoha are strong. I came with the best bodyguard. Toroku-kun is one of our strongest."
Naruto watched in awe as the two powerful shinobi continued their veiled, yet obvious bickering. A small battle and power demonstration between two Kage. He listened to how they jabbed each other discretely, how they attack with words and deflect with sentences. How each tensed after a harsh comment of the other and how they relaxed their muscles after a well-spoken retort. This was really a battle of words. Naruto waited patiently in the background until the bloodless fight finally died down and ended in a tie as they eyed each other for a long silent minute until the Kazekage spoke, getting tired of the situation.
"Hokage-sama. Please excuse me, but my schedule is strict. My shinobi will escort you to your accommodation. We can continue our talk tomorrow."
"Kazegake-sama." Minato gave a nod, and the Kazekage returned it, after a short hand sign. A familiar Suna shinobi appeared beside them, the same who kept an eye on him almost continuously during their last visit. And also the same who fought next to Naruto and Gaara in the front line during the battle for Suna. However he couldn't remember his name.
Naruto watched the sleeping village from the balcony of their room. He had been leaning on the sill, his arms crossed while he rested his chin on them. He slowly closed his eyes and his mind gave up the fight to suppress his memories.
Two figures were standing on an identical wide balcony, one in a torn yet still brilliant orange jumpsuit, and the other dressed in red, a giant gourd held to his back by leather strips. They stood there, silently, just enjoying each other's company without a word, watching the peacefully sleeping city under their feet.
"I'm leaving tomorrow. I have to find him before he strike again." The Godaime Kazekage turned toward his companion and answered with a stoic but commanding voice.
"You are staying here." A dubious and annoyed snort left Naruto's nose.
"And what will you do? Ka-ze-ka-ge-sa-ma? You also know that you can't stop me anymore. I'm stronger than you." The stoic and stern expression melted away from Gaara's face as anger flushed through it.
"Have you ever used your brain? What do you think what will happen to you if you march to him? You think this low of their sacrifice? Our sacrifice? My sacrifice? All of them died because of one cause. To protect you and you would just throw out everything because of your selfishness?" Naruto watched his usually stoic friend throw out his calm and almost emotionless shell, shouting out his tension.
"Are you finished?" The words left Naruto's mouth in a low murmur.
"No, I'm not even close to finished. Tsunade would-"
"You are finished dattebayo!" Naruto barked out, his voice was commanding, cutting off Gaara's sentence.
"You still don't understand. You still don't understand a thing do you?" Gaara's voice was low and filled with disbelief, while he shook his head. "And what will you do? Tell me what you will do?!" Gaara barked out again, the once low tone in his voice nowhere to be found.
"You are our last hope to stop him! You are powerful, surpassing everyone, but you also don't have a chance alone! You almost died last time and if Bee hadn't done what he did back then, you wouldn't be standing here! You will just march to your own death and serve our free will to him on a silver plate if Madara gets you! "The balcony suddenly illuminated by brilliant golden glow as pure chakra flames appeared on Naruto's body, once azure blue eyes glowed with a furious crimson red.
"No. It is you, who doesn't understand a thing! I won't hide while everybody else is fighting! While everybody dies around me! I should be the one fighting out there, protecting you and everyone else, not vica versa dattebayo!" The two shinobis stared at each other without a word, without moving for a long tense minute.
"You will stay here. I will force you if I have to." With this last statement, the Godaime Kazekage turned around and left the balcony without a word or looking back. Naruto stared at his friend's back as he walked away, the golden chakra slowly fading away from his form, together with his anger.
Naruto felt a familiar presence behind him, slowly approaching him, kicking him out from his thoughts. He didn't look back, he just stayed still until he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder.
"What's with the long face Otouto?"
"Just thinking."
"About what?" Naruto let out a long and weary sigh. How on earth could he tell him something like this? Instead he straightened himself and stretched out his numb arms, desperately trying to find something in his mind to answer his father.
"Things…" Minato raised an eyebrow.
"You are pathetic Naruto." Kurama snorted and Naruto grumbled back an answer in his mind. 'Not that you gave me any better idea.'
"About what kind of things?" Naruto shrugged casually, still carefully avoiding his father's eyes.
"You know…things. Life, death. Stuff like that." They stayed in silence for a long moment, not knowing what to say to each other in the unusually serious atmosphere.
"If-If you could change things. If you got an opportunity to go back in time and change things in your life, what would you do?"
"You are on thin ice, Naruto." Naruto made a mental shrug.
'Come on. It's just some fun. Furthermore there is no sane human who would seriously link it with me.'
"You are in a really serious mood." Minato folded his arms and closed his eyes, gathering his thoughts. "Well, theoretically if I could go back in time, I would do nothing differently."
Naruto frowned. "You could save your family."
"Every move, every single act affects our lives. Not just ours, but everyone's, whether near or far away from us. Even the bad things. Nothing would be the same if I didn't lose my family. Maybe a lot of people would die because of my actions. Maybe Konoha would lose the war and I wouldn't become Hokage, and maybe I'd never have a relationship with Kushina or meet you. There are so many consequences of just one simple act that it makes my head hurt."
"And what if you could, for example, prevent the Third Shinobi War? If you had the knowledge to stop it before it happens and save thousands of lives?" Minato stayed in silence for a long minute, lost in his thoughts, before he answered.
"I don't think anyone could bear such a burden and stay sane. I'm sure I would start hearing voices in my head pretty soon." A nervous chuckle left Naruto's mouth, earning a raised eyebrow from the Hokage. The chuckle grew into laughter by the irony, even the all mighty nine tailed fox snickered inside his mind.
"What did I say that is so funny?" The chunnin waved a hand, turned around while still chuckling continuously, and left the confused Minato alone. He leaned onto the doorframe and look back over his shoulder after he finally gathered himself.
"Thanks. You really fixed my mood." Minato shook his head, then shrugged and followed the once again chuckling chuunin inside the apartment.
They arrived at the tower a little bit early, so they had enough time to observe the going and coming villagers and shinobi. Minato leaned against the wall of the tower, and folded his arms in front of his chest, his blue eyes fixed on the people of Suna. He received suspicious gazes, and some of the younger shinobi literally fled the vicinity as soon as they realized who they'd just passed. Naruto stood next to their ever present escort, the man with red markings on the right side of his face, while the left was covered by the sheet of his turban like headdress with Suna's symbol. Naruto watched him from the corner of his eye curiously, his arms folded behind his neck casually. The shinobi stood calm, with closed eyes but time to time glanced toward Naruto with irritation. 'Well, curiosity killed the cat, but I can't stand it anymore.' But before he could act, the opportunity was out of his hands.
"Don't stare at me like that."
"I'm just thinking. You will be our personal escort for the rest of our stay? Just like before?" The shinobi nodded, but the irritation never left his eyes.
"Can you tell us your name? It wouldn't be nice if I just call you shinobi-san would it."
"My name is Baki. You can use that." Naruto grinned in his satisfaction and stepped to his father, who fixed his azure eyes on a group of fresh genin. The Hokage stretched his limbs and turned to their escort.
"I think it's almost time. We should go inside Baki-san." The shinobi made a small bow and they approached the gates.
Ten minutes later, the office door of the Kazekage finally opened, and they stepped inside where Minato immediately greeted the Kage with a slight nod, while Naruto gave a formal bow and soon moved to the background, silently listening to their conversation about the details of the alliance between Suna and Konoha. The fourth Kazekage was really a hard nut to crack. He was a bull-headed person, who would do anything for the welfare of his Village. The biggest point during their conversation was the assignments from the Wind Daimyo, and they had avoided a real loud argument only by an inch. Naruto watched the conversation in awe, forcing his brain to understand as much from the small indications as he could, for future use. However his determination slowly started to wear off when the negotiations calmed down, not to mention boring political subjects had taken over. He soon lost track of the time, his breathing slowed down and his mind drifted into a dreamless sleep.
Minato's eyes wandered to the twitching dark eyes of the Kazekage and noted that his gaze was pinned behind him, the exact same spot where his younger brother intended to stay still in the background, the same person who swore to everything that morning that he wouldn't cause any trouble during the negotiations if he could attend. The Hokage let out a weary sigh and closed his eye for a moment, before he turned around to spot the lightly snoring blond chuunin in the chair, slightly leaning his head against the wall. He turned back to the Kazekage, made a small excusing nod and stood up with the intent to channel some of his frustration onto his newly found relative.
Before he could reach him, the door softly opened and a small, blond girl stepped inside the office, without a word, staring at Minato with wide eyes. Then in the next second for his biggest surprise, the child stepped in front of him, and tugged his white cloak.
"Hi! Did you bring me chocolate again?" The confused Minato glanced to the Kazekage, whose stern look started to crack, as he let out a long sigh and shook his head. Minato turned back to the child, who narrowed her eyes as she examined his face, then stepped backward hesitantly.
"You aren't Kitsune-san." Minato's eye twitched. How on earth? Finally the Kazekage raised his voice and the small child immediately stiffened when she realized she did something wrong.
"Temari. Go back home! And where is Yashamaru?" A sleepy yawn could be heard from the corner, where the blond chuunin finally started to wake up from his nap by the raised voice. After a few blinks, Naruto noted the scene with his sheepish mind. Temari, still gripping Minato's cloak, the irritation in the Kazekage's eyes, the confused and surprised look on his father's face. A panting young man maybe in his twenties joined them in the office, with wide fearful eyes.
"Kazekage-sama. I'm sorry, I just turned around for a minute and then…I told her she couldn't come in." Minato started to chuckle at the irrational scene and he crouched down to the small child in front of him. He could feel the eyes of the Kage, and the hidden bodyguards' at his back.
"I'm sorry. I haven't got any chocolate. Maybe you should ask my brother over there. I'm sure he is the one you are looking for. Look after him for me will you?" The expression on Minato's face was soft and warm toward the girl, while Naruto stepped toward the child, followed by the stern eyes of the Kazekage. He glanced toward the Suna leader, remembering their last conversation to stay away from her and after receiving a small agreeing nod, he also crouched down next to Minato.
"Temari-chan, It's time for both of us to leave I think." The small girl nodded hesitantly, grabbed his hand, and after a bow toward the leaders they approach the door together with the troubled man.
"Toroku…" The blond teen stopped at the door and turned back to his father.
"We will meet back in the accommodation." The Hokage's smile was soft and warm, however the blue eyes glanced toward the blond teen with a dangerous spark. A spark which demanded a thorough explanation once they were together again about him revealing his identity to a child. Naruto gulped and nodded in understanding, and the only expression he could push on his face was a miserable smile. When the door finally closed the Kazekage let out a weary sigh, while Minato occupied his previous place in the chair.
The two leaders shared a knowing glance for a second before they continued like nothing had interrupted their previous talk. However…the mood was visibly lighter between the two young leaders.
Naruto was literally dragged through the village by the small child, until they finally reached their destination and the blond boy could finally straighten from the crouch position he was forced in by Temari. They were standing in front of a large house, not far from the city center, together with the obviously nervous young man, with sandy-brown hair and big blue eyes.
"Temari-chan. I have to get back to my place."
"Father told me to go home." The small child tugged his hand one more time, pulling him toward the wooden entrance.
"Temari-chan, I can't go in. Your father is going to kill me. So will Minato if he doesn't find me in our accommodation when they finish." A shudder ran through Naruto's spine when he thought back the demanding eyes of the Hokage. He hesitantly turned toward the other man with pleading eyes, asking for help, when the door slowly opened and a very similar person glanced down at the scene, at her small child dragging a blond young man toward their door, followed by her troubled brother.
"Temari! What are you doing?"
"I visited father."
"And why are you dragging that boy?"
"Because the other he told me he got my chocolate and to look after him and father told me to go home." The woman raised a confused eyebrow, and Naruto finally freed himself from the small hands and bowed to the woman.
"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I have to go."
"Kitsune-san! The other you told me, that you got chocolate. I trained. Really hard. And I can smell the chocolate on you!" The woman narrowed her eyes at her child's behavior.
"I'm sorry shinobi-san. I apologize for her behavior."
"It's Toroku. Odoroki Toroku." Naruto gave a low bow and a small smile toward the woman. The seal will be placed soon. Maybe it was already placed…He couldn't restrained himself anymore, his blue orbs moved toward her big round tummy, with Gaara, while the woman's eyes moved toward the Hitai-ate on his forehead with the proud insignia of Konoha.
"You were the one with the fox mask two months ago." The blond teen nodded, and his azure eyes looked with the curious look at the young woman. "Temari-chan talked a lot about you. My name is Karura, Toroku-kun. It's a pleasure to meet you." Temari's mother gave a polite nod. "Why don't you come in? I'm sure Temari would be happy." Naruto made a surprised face and looked down into the pleading and sparkling eyes of Temari. The blond teen made a small bow and an apologetic look.
"I'm sorry. But I don't think your husband would appreciate that. Nor would my Hokage." The woman sent him back a warm smile.
"Let me handle that." Naruto glanced around, looking for help, but in the end he just hesitantly nodded and they stepped inside the house, together with the nervous sandy-brown haired man.
"I don't think it's a good idea sister." The woman let out a sigh.
"It's fine Yashamaru. Furthermore it is a good opportunity to strengthen the alliance if the families of the two Kage know each other a little bit more. Don't you think Toroku-kun?" Naruto frowned. He hadn't said anything about his relationship with Minato.
"I- How did you know?" The woman smiled, as they finally settled down in the living room, on two big couches.
"It's quite obvious." Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"Well, yes. We do look quite alike." Temari moved closer to Naruto, and after a long hesitant moment, she poked him on the arm.
"Kitsune-san, where is your mask?" A soft smile appeared on Naruto's face at the childish curiosity on Temari's face. On the face, which in the past mostly looked back at him with the same stern expression as her father's.
"I had to give it back, when we arrived home."
"Why?"
"Because I don't need it anymore."
"Why?" Naruto looked toward Karura for help, but before he could answer, Temari suddenly changed the topic.
"You look better. So, it worked? You don't have those bad dreams anymore?" A warm smile appeared on Naruto's face and he ruffled the blond locks of the small child, to her annoyance.
"Yes, it worked. Thanks to you."
"Then can I get my chocolate?" A soft chuckle forced itself out and Naruto dug both hands into his pockets. When he pulled his hands out they were clenched into fists, concealing their content from the curious girl's eyes.
"You can have it, if you pick the right hand. So which one?" Temari made a wondering look, leaned her head to the side, and sniffed into the air lightly. After a long minute, she slowly poked toward his left hand. Naruto opened it with a chuckle and handed over the small sweet to the girl, who reached out without hesitation.
"I'll go and find Kankuro. You have to meet him too!" Temari rushed out from the room immediately, leaving a stunned Naruto and her softly smiling mother.
"You know, Toroku-kun, you've made a big impact on her. She frequently mentions you."
"I didn't do anything." A soft smile appeared on her face in response.
"Maybe. Being the Kage's child or relative is a hard task. Especially for a child. Her father and the village put high expectations on her." Naruto nodded in his understanding. At the thought of how his life would have been different if his father and mother had been alive. He wouldn't have be the dead-last back then. He let out a weary sigh.
"I don't know. But I could imagine. I haven't been aware about my relation with Minato until recently." Not a total lie. He didn't know about his heritage until the battle with Pein. Karura didn't push the subject, seeing his uneasy attitude around it, but he noted the suspicious glances from Yashamaru.
"Minato is a good man and the best brother I could ask for. And he is a good leader. I know the alliance will be fruitful for both of our nations." The woman nodded with a soft smile, but she suddenly flinched and the two men turned to her with worried look, but she only waved a hand and chuckled.
"It's okay. It's just the baby kicked. Ohh. Once more." Naruto curiously leaned closer, spreading out his senses, and he finally spotted another fast heartbeat. A soft warm smile spread across his face, but soon the warm sensation was replaced with worry for his not yet born friend.
"It's okay really." Karura seemed to misread his expression, she confidently stood up and sat down next to the blond teen and grabbed his hand.
"Here." She gently placed his shaking hand onto her round tummy, followed by the worried and suspicious glance from her brother. They stayed in complete silence, and Naruto felt himself more and more awkward, not sure what was going to happen, his hand on the Kazekage's wife's round stomach. 'Oh boy. I hope they are still talking. It would be a pain in the ass to explain what I am doing here like this.' At that moment, he felt a small poke on his palm. Then another one. A wide smile spread across his face, and he slowly closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of the small life under his palm. He could sense the vibration as Gaara's small body moved, he could hear the fast heartbeats. Suddenly an uneasy feeling struggled itself into his brain.
"I could feel you! I know you are out there! I'm going to kill you Kyuubi!" So it's already done… Naruto let out a weary mental sigh.
"Not that you could Shukaku…"
"You bastard! Sooner or later I'll get rid of my pathetic vessel and then…Ku ku ku. I'll show you how strong I am." Naruto closed out the loud argument inside his mind, at least he tried with less success. He could still hear the two bijuu, hissing curses at each other at the back of his head. He didn't know that the seal was this weak. That it allowed Shukaku's thoughts to break through this easily. And the consequences will be fatal for Gaara's mental progress. Naruto could finally understand Gaara's early behavior, amazed of his strength to live together with Shukaku, with his bloodlust and with his insane thoughts.
'Would you two stop dattebayo?'
"Don't intermeddle!" The two tailed beast barked out together, agreeing for a short moment, before they continued insulting each other like nothing had interrupted them. Naruto let out a mental sigh and immediately started to look for the invisibly seal and when he found it and examined the design Naruto flinched almost unnoticeable and unconsciously started to frown. 'That is worse than I first thought.'
"Toroku-kun. Are you alright?" Naruto was finally slapped back to reality and looked around himself, noted the confused eyes around him and he immediately released the tummy of Karura.
"I'm sorry. I kind of spaced out a little." A half smile appeared on the woman's face, and she nodded, but his brother looked at him with cold, suspicious eyes.
"I'm afraid I really have to leave. It was a pleasure to meet you." He stood up almost immediately and bowed.
"I understand. It was our pleasure Toroku-kun. Yashamaru, could you please escort him to the door?" The young man nodded, stood up and the two men walked to the exit. Naruto stepped out, but before he left the stairs, he felt a hard hand on his shoulder and he immediately tensed, before turning around.
"If you, or your Hokage, ever try to harm my sister or her children, I will kill you. Remember that." The blond boy raised an eyebrow at the brazen threat toward him and Minato, but in the end he nodded.
"I understand. But you don't have to worry. I want only the best for them." Yashamaru narrowed his eyes, and never took his eyes off Naruto's back while he left without any further word.
Naruto walked back to their accommodation silently, lost in his thoughts, wondering about Gaara, the seal, and how the hell he could help his future friend.
Minato stepped inside the large living room, ready to chew his younger brother out. When he spotted him on the large couch he made a satisfied mental smirk and stepped closer to demand an explanation how on earth could the Kazekage's four years old daughter know his face. He stepped in front of the teen, whose head flung freely between his shoulders, staring at the floor, his blue eyes, which almost continuously shone with vim and sauciness were now puzzled and worried. The blond boy in front of him was obviously locked inside his own head, inside his thoughts, not aware of his presence.
The urge to scold him immediately melted away as he sat down next to him, and slowly shook his shoulder. The teen flinched and looked around with wide and surprised eyes, when he finally spotted his curious and concerned blue eyes.
"I don't think you are worried because I was about to scold you. What's the matter Toroku?"
Naruto looked back for a long minute, lost in the identical azure blue ponds. 'I can't do this alone.'
"Naruto! Don't blow your cover and concentrate on finding Madara. Don't risk this now. You can take care of it later, when we get rid of that damn Uchiha."
'I-I can't. '
"Then do it alone!"
'And how on earth are you thinking I can to do this alone? How? What do you think I should do? Sneak inside while they are sleeping and try to fix the seal alone? I can't do it without Minato. I need him. I need his knowledge. I can't fix that damn seal alone.'
"You are walking on thin ice again. How will you explain away your knowledge about Shukaku?"
'I need him. I just need him.' Naruto heard the defeated sigh of Kurama, and the angry mumble about him and idiotism, but he ignored it all. He needed to concentrate on the problem at hand. Leaving his mindscape, the blond boy took out a small paper tag from the pouch secured to his leg, placed it on the table and activated the privacy seal in total silence, before turning to the Hokage to meet narrowed eyes.
"I gathered some…sensitive information today. Suna got the one tailed beast." Minato let out a sigh and rubbed his bridge.
"We already know about that. Don't bother yourself about it. How do you even find out about it?" He licked his dry lips, gathering his thoughts before he finally replied to his father.
"I met with his jinchuuriki." A cold shiver ran through his spine as his own words reached his ears. 'Jinchuuriki' He hated that word. It's meaning, human sacrifice… Even how it sounds. Minato looked back at him for a long, silent minute, his face was expressionless, but Naruto was sure the thoughts raced inside his head with insane speed.
"Are you sure in this?" Naruto nodded.
"I'm absolutely sure dattebayo." Minato let out a weary sigh and leaned back on his couch.
"We know about it, but we didn't know they already sealed it away into a human." Minato slowly shook his head. "This could be a serious problem in the future." Naruto nodded, waiting patiently for him to continue, examining his reactions. But when it didn't happen he opened his mouth.
"It will be a long time, until the child could use Shukaku's power. But…" The blond teen closed his eyes, gathering his every thought.
"Minato…The seal is weak. I felt it. It could break anytime. We can do something about it." The Hokage narrowed his eyes, and leaned forward, resting his chin on his folded fingers, for a long silent minute.
"You are suggesting for me to convince the Kazekage to let me fix the seal, and hand over to him a future asset and a possible threat toward Konoha." Naruto felt his eyes twitch, and anger rose inside his chest, but he finally forced his nerves to calm down.
"I am talking about a child's life! An innocent child's future! It's going to break, or drive the child into insanity in the end!" Minato stiffened on the couch by the tone and what had just been spoken, while Naruto let out a sigh.
"I understand your anxiety for Konoha. Think in a different way. Sand will owe Konoha, and you would also show your intentions to build a strong alliance. You could save the Kazekage's child from dying, or going insane." Minato raised an eyebrow.
"The Kage's child? The blond girl?" Toroku slowly shook his head.
"No. Temari is an absolutely normal child. A little arrogant, but still cute child. I met the Kazekage's wife today. The child in her womb. That child is the jinchuuriki of Shukaku." The Hokage's eyes widened with shock. 'An unborn child…Oh Kami…'
"How did you notice it?"
"I heard him…I heard Shukaku when I touched Karura." Minato raised a doubtful eyebrow.
"That's impossible. You can't hear a bijuu, just by a mere touch. Even you can't do that with your sensing skills."
"I know what I heard dattebayo!"
"This is just speculation. There is no way you could have heard it by a mere touch."
"Brat, don't do what I think you are going to do!"
'Just let me handle it Kurama.' Naruto let out a sigh.
"I know about her...I know about the Kyuubi inside Kushina." Minato froze, his muscles tensed and he distantly felt his hands start to squeeze his knees and his joints became white by the force. Naruto watched the Hokage, his muscle relaxed, his voice and his core calm, to show Minato there is nothing to be afraid of. The blond teen let out a weary sigh and rubbed his temple.
"Look Minato. You know firsthand how hard the life of a jinchuuriki is, no matter where he or she grows up. They are hated, feared and shunned when their identity is public. Kushina is fortunate because of you, because of the Sandaime who granted incognito for her status. What do you think, how will this child grow up, hearing the continuous mumbling of a tailed beast inside his head? How would they hide his identity if he lost control on Shukaku's bloodlust and go berserk in the center of the village?" Minato's tensed muscles started to relax, as his frozen mind finally start working again, chewing and weighing every word of his brother.
"We talked about my goals, the waves in the ocean. Hereby I try to convince you to help me bring peace, be the second drop of water and save the future of a child." The Hokage let out a weary sigh and buried his face inside his palms for long silent minutes. Nothing could be heard inside the still glowing barrier. Even if it were not present, the village around them would be in complete silence, as if the world around them also knew how important the decision about to be made is.
"Toroku…The Kazekage would never agree with that. He will never reveal the jinchuuriki officially and especially won't allow me or you to have even a glance at the seal."
"Let me talk to him. I can convince him." Naruto let out a weary sigh, while his father started to massage his forehead, to ease away his starting headache.
"I will attend. You won't do it alone and I will immediately step in if I think it necessary."
"Thank you." Naruto gave a small bow with his head, while Minato let out a weary sigh.
"You are really taking this save the world thing seriously, aren't you?" A foxy grin appeared on the whiskered face.
"I never go back on my word dattebayo." With this last statement, Naruto left the room without any further explanation. His movement was followed by the azure blue eyes of his father, filled with pride and awe and with the hope that maybe his child really will grow up in a better world.
Author's Note:
As always feel free to point out any missed mistakes, so I can correct them.
It's time for some significant changes and it's time for you to know a little bit more from the "future" Naruto came from. And also you can find a significant hint about who Naruto will face in the future.
The time has come. I have been trying to adapt to the new happenings in the manga until now and change or rewrite the already finished upcoming chapters, but I'm going to ignore what happened from chapter 629. It would mess up my whole plot about Naruto's past/future. Please deal with it.
By the way. What are you thinking about Rin's death and the very yellow yellow flash? Because I really don't like those two twists.
Some timeline info to clear up some confusion: in this story as you can see, Naruto turned seventeen some months ago. I assume that he is about sixteen and a half in the current manga chapters. If it's not true, deal with it please. I use Narutopedia for any data check. If you know a better and more punctual source also let me know. :)
Story recommendations:
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Naruto's transported away from the Fourth Great Ninja War back to the time of the Kyuubi attack. With his knowledge of the nearing future, will he be able to have his younger self repeat the trials while he changes his future for the better? Or will things only go wrong the second time around? (Another time travel fic. :) They just keep to appear and I'm addicted to them. :) A little similar to some existing one also.)
On Chance by Sylandria
When Rokudaime Hokage Naruto has a feeling he needs to search for something in Hokage Vault, he goes after it. Never in his, nor his reunited team's, wildest dreams would he find a Command of Time seal that would take him back to two years before his birth. Here he, with a little help from said team, would get the chance of a lifetime. (Team seven in the past.)
Oh, yeah, and I'm still looking for the fic I had mentioned earlier. In which Minato travels to the future when he sealed away Kurama, to a Konoha lead by the Uchiha. He found himself in the middle of a rescue mission to free Naruto, who is a prisoner. I tried every community and every way in google to find it, but...