Kushina and Minato – A Love Story
Chapter 2
News
Author's note: Forgive me, Readers for making you wait so long for an update. I got engrossed in a new project, writing a movie script. It is a completely different exercise which took much longer than anticipated. About the time I decided to let it rest before attempting a new draft, I ran into a small health problem, but now I'm back and hoping to spend some time with Kushina. I look forward to your comments.
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July 16 – Konoha. The comforting familiar view of the Hokage statues. Stepping through the village gates after an absence is always exciting, every bit as much as the first time four years ago. Nii-san... reader, no... child I may have some day in the future... Aiji, I want you to know how much in love I am at this moment and how good it feels. The longing, the desire almost so strong as to be painful. Our idyllic week alone together came to an end with a kiss in front of my apartment. The feeling of separation is devastating. I won't see Flash again until we report to the Hokage, in one hour.
"Tsume, who could that big girl sitting next to you be?" The kunoichi hugged and the dog girl received a kiss from Minato.
"Hana just turned 15 months. She insists on feeding herself." The baby stuck a pudgy fist into the bowl and tried to stuff it and a glop of squished ramen noodles into her mouth.
Minato knelt down to examine the child. "Tsume-chan, you certainly do make beautiful babies. You better get her two dogs, no, better make it three, to chase all the boys away. Speaking of dogs, where is...?" A gray streak zipped around the corner of the ramen shop as the huge wolf pounced on the jonin's back, flattening him to the ground.
"I Win."
Hana squealed and clapped her sticky hands. "Ay-y, Gu-ma-go winned."
"There's my brave hero. Give Auntie Otemba a kiss." Kushina knelt down and threw her arms around the furry neck.
"O-tem-pa good."
"Otemba loves brave Kuromaru, yes she does."
Minato griped, "Would you two make out someplace other than on top of my back?"
"Sor-ry Mi-na-to. I win." Everybody laughed as the girls helped him up. When Kushina sat down at the counter she noticed a second infant was present.
"Teuchi, who is your new sous-chef?"
"Welcome customers. Might I introduce my baby daughter Ayame."
"How sweet. Can I hold her?"
"Way to go, Teuchi-san."
Kushina stroked the full head of whispy brown hair as she murmured, "You are so precious and as pretty as Hana-chan. Do you always bring her to the shop? Is your wife at work?"
The cook looked embarrassed. "Well her Mom can't sleep and gets cranky when she has the baby and since Master Ichirou doesn't mind, it is easier for me to watch Ayame."
The infant mewled and nuzzled Kushina. "I think she's hungry. I'm sorry Little One. I don't have anything for you. Ask Tsume."
"Nope, all dried up since I went on that assignment."
Teuchi set out two bowls, "One miso with pork. One extra-large beef ramen. If it is not an imposition Otemba-san, it will only take me a minute to warm up a bottle from the cooler."
"Take your time. I haven't fed an infant this small since a D-rank babysitting assignment."
Minato looked uncertainly at the child grasping his pinkie. "Input is the easy part. Jiraiya-sensei always stuck me with diaper duty."
Tsume laughed at them. "Such a pretty picture. As I suspected, you two need a baby of your own."
"Tsume!"
July 18 – There is nothing like the splendor of a royal palace on the evening of a fancy dress ball. I know, I know, I claim to be a classic ninja, beyond desires for luxury and jewels, but ballgowns are my one guilty pleasure. Even when I was in my tomboy phase and hated dressing up and wearing any clothing in which I was not allowed to run and fight, I still enjoyed gazing at the pretty ladies emerging from their carriages all ruffles and sparkles. I well remember sitting on a balcony with my legs dangling through the balustrade, watching the colorful explosion of twirling dresses being guided around the dance floor by elegant gallants in waistcoats, dress uniforms or silk robes. Aiji, if I ever have a girl I pray that at least once you and Hana and Ayame get to know how it feels to be a princess.
Even though it was still over an hour before dusk, the torches lining the drive to the Fire Daimyo's palace had already been lit to greet the guests. The Daimyo's carriage pulled up at the palace entrance and debarked the guests of honor. Kakashi jumped out first and immediately began tugging at his itchy shirt collar. Kishun Haruno stepped gingerly down the steps, then turned to offer his hand to Hanami.
She paused uncertainly. "Tell me again why I have to be here?"
Kishun laughed, "Because I have to be here and Rin insisted I needed a nurse to hold my hand and she was not going to do it."
Minato squeezed past her on the step. "I thought you went to balls in the Water Country."
"That was undercover and I didn't have to go as me. I always let Little Sister handle the tough parts and she won't even tell me about the worst of it if she doesn't want to."
Kishun lifted her off the step and set her on the golden carpet. He tapped her pink hair with his index finger. "Tonight you keep Little Sister locked tight inside here. Hanami is the beauty I love and want to show off to all the fancy-dancy rich folks in here."
Hanami still looked uncertain until Kushina inquired, "I wonder which personality goes to bed with you?"
Minato choked but Kishun deadpanned, "Oh both. One moment she is shy little bashful Hanami and the next a raging tiger of passion."
Minato guffawed, "Otemba has that split personality too. I think most girls do." That earned him a painful punch in the shoulder. As he rubbed it the redhead linked arms with the pink-haired girl.
"Let's go inside where we can at least be insulted by a better class of people."
"OK, but weren't you the one who started the trash talk?"
"It got you to stop worrying about all the overdressed women inside, didn't it. Take it from someone who comes from a place where saunas are fashionable. Most of those people don't look nearly so good without their clothes."
The grinning men hurried up the stairs after their dates while Kakashi stood looking perplexed. He had gathered new data concerning this boy/girl thing, but it didn't seem to correlate with the narratives in the books he had hidden in his apartment. He shrugged and hurried after his older friends. Maybe tonight wasn't going to be such a boor after all.
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"Min-Min-kun, you bad boy. Why haven't you come to see me in such a long time." Despite the best efforts of her makeup, it was obvious that the lady was closer to entering her fourth decade than she was to her teens. A profusion of bows and jewelry gave the impression that she was overdressed despite a gown who's neckline plunged dangerously below her navel. Minato was nearly successful in hiding his embarrassment.
"Countess, may I introduce tonight's guests of honor. Friends, the Countess of Kaigan no Oni. Milady, where might your honored husband the Count be tonight?"
"Silly Boy, never you mind him. The depraved reprobate is off somewhere feeling up the staff. He won't be sober enough to notice I'm missing."
Minato's fingers surreptitiously begged for aid from his wingman before this reminiscence of a bygone dalliance got him murdered by his red-headed girlfriend. "Captain, sorry to interrupt, but I see the Daimyo's chamberlain and would like to introduce you."
The woman's face showed a brief flash of anger, until she got a good look at Kishun. "My, but aren't you one luscious hunk of manliness? Do you know why God gave women two breasts? It is so she can suckle two naughty blond boys at the same time."
This was too much for Kushina. Minato needed to be reminded of the consequences of his youthful transgressions, but Kishun had done nothing to deserve being stalked. She moved next to Minato, neither behind him seeking protection, nor in front claiming ownership, but shoulder to shoulder as a comrade. "Countess, you forget yourself and your station. A great and powerful man once taught me that the only excuse for having a nobility is that it provides an example to the commoners of a better way to live. If nobles do not act in an upright manner they just become the barbarians with the biggest weapons."
"How dare you, you foreign whelp? You have no sponsor in the court. Don't you know with one word in the right ear I can break you. Otemba is obviously a nom de guerre. Who are you to suddenly appear shortly after the Whirlpool Invasion and yet the Hokage...? Red hair? Could you be...?"
"My Dear Countess Kaigan no Oni."
Everybody stopped and bowed mumbling, "Your Highness Princess Shijimi."
"Dearest Countess, please remember that we are in wars and near wars on several fronts. Gossip about the identities or possible aliases of our warriors becomes a matter of national security. Never you mind though. You have the love of his Majesty so the Grand Inquisitor need never be told." She took Minato's arm, "Captain Namikazi, could you inquire of the Hokage about lending us someone from the Morino Clan? The Inquisitor's methods are distastefully brutal."
The Princess waited until the hallway door was firmly shut before she broke out laughing and threw her arms around Kushina. "Shina-chan, you were wonderful. I've waited for ages for someone to help me put that harpy in her place."
"Shi-chan, you look radiant. Marriage agrees with you. Except... you seem a little substantial around the waist."
The princess giggled. "That was awfully rude. I have done my princessly duty and around the end of the year will deliver an heir." There were cheers and bowing and congratulatory hugs all around.
The two strolled the corridors with elbows linked while the others followed. Kushina whispered, "Shijimi-chan, those courtiers seem to have given up even a veneer of respectable conduct. My Mother and my Aunt never would have allowed such debauchery back in... home."
"It wasn't like this when I first got here, but the Queen is sick and the Daimyo devotes his time to his rose collection. For all intents and purposes my husband is running the country."
"In that case he needs to be pushed to place you in charge of his court."
Minato laughed out loud, "You should know that she is not shy about making plans for anyone, be they local farmers or Kages and Daimyos."
He knocked quietly on a nondescript door and turned the handle. Inside a very skinny, rather homely man sat with his boots up on the table reading reports. His shirt was wrinkled and his tie askew. An ornate snow-colored jacket was tossed carelessly across a cluttered desk. He shoved a silver tray towards his visitors. "Captain Namikazi, you brought your team. Everybody grab a glass and pull up a chair. I only have an hour and I want to hear first hand how you ended up fighting Hanzou of the Rain and all managed to survive." He kissed Shijimi fondly.
"Hai Your Highness, the Crown Prince."
July 22 – Death is a friend to a ninja. No not in the way of waiting for his sweet embrace, but in the face of a rival who you have battled so often that if he wasn't around you would miss him. Ninjas can't have the illusion that they are immortal. The evidence to the contrary is too stark. Those who do strive for it mostly go whackadoodle. There are legends of those who have lived beyond their natural years, but in the end invariably their own actions have called death to their doorstep.
While acceptance of mortality is necessary for a well balanced shinobi, so is the desire to protect and defend friends, teammates and loved ones. Without that impulse, the fighter becomes cold, a brutal killing machine with no care for consequences or morality. Sanity dwells somewhere between indifference and reality, between love and the realization that no matter how precious, no man can preserve the lives of all his friends.
Minato dodged the wind sharpened water shuriken, dove over the water spikes lying prone with his hands behind his head as if napping on the couch, pirouetted like a ballerina and ducked beneath a windmill shuriken with his chin resting on his fist like the statue of the Thinker. "Stop That Right Now!"
"Hunh?" He looked around just as a waterball splatted him in the face, followed by a whole barrage of small wet projectiles.
Kushina came stalking up cursing like she normally only used to intimidate disobedient genin. "Black bog take you. You may be Kami's gift to ninja-hood, but don't ever let me catch you goofing off like that during training. It may mean nothing to you but I need as much practice on a second element as possible so I can make full jonin."
"Hai Senpai, as you command."
"Don't call me Senpai you, you old man. Flash, I'm serious. If I don't know you are paying attention I can't go all out. You fight like you train and if you aren't serious someday you will inadvertently pull a punch on someone who needs to be seriously dead. I don't want you hurt. I don't have any spare boyfriends."
"You are right Red." He hugged her to his chest. "From now on, when we fight, we fight. We train when we train and play hard only when we play. But this war is wearing down so I don't think we have to worry too much about anybody else dieing."
They stood holding each other until they heard the rustle of the grass and sensed chakra quickly approaching. Minato prepared for a surprise attack. Instead Kuromaru stopped and stood at attention. "Mi-na-to, go Ho-kage meet." Kushina scanned the skies and noted flocks of hawks and pigeons radiating out from Konoha, as well as squads of genin moving at a rush.
"Message received. Well done ninja." The dog took off toward the next training field. "Let's go Otemba." She jumped up in his arms and held her breath. The world twisted and the next instant he stepped into a room facing a large framed sutra. As Kushina watched the runes faded out leaving behind a portrait of Minato's parents. She followed him as he raced upstairs.
As Minato tore through his bedroom, tossing his training outfit on the floor and grabbing his combat vest, scroll pouch, weapon's pouch and ANBU mask. She looked around avidly. She had never been to his cottage before, let alone seen his bedroom. He usually picked her up at her apartment after practice and sometimes... stayed overnight. Right now he was too preoccupied to notice that his bachelor housekeeping was being graded and found wanting. Changes were being planned behind his back.
They took off through the Village at a run. "I'm going on ahead. Meet me there." He was gone before she could answer. Kushina paused at the exterior stairs of the Hokage's palace and straightened her uniform. It was normal for people to hurry to report to Sarutobi, but quite another thing to be seen rushing in a panic. Such actions were bad for morale. She quickly mounted the stairway and around the long curving hallway. She glanced at the anonymous ANBU guarding the door, but when he made no move to stop her from reaching for the handle she decided that she was invited to the meeting after all.
The office was filled with every high ranking clan leader, ANBU and jonin not already out on assignment. She could feel the tension in the crowd as the Hokage's aide Daikoku Fueno reiterated the latest battlefield reports. Some rumor must have leaked out. She worked her way behind the gathering until she had a clear view of Minato in the front ranks. His fists were clenched in anger.
Daikoku paused as everyone's attention was drawn to a shape emerging from a wall. A giant python slithered across the floor and up onto the desk looking Sarutobi straight in the eye. "S-S-Sensei." The snake wriggled out of it's skin and left the way it had entered while the shed skin split open and rolled itself neatly into a scroll. Sarutobi unrolled it.
HOKAGE'S EYES ONLY
July 21, To: Third Hokage. From: Oroichimaru, Commanding General, Grass Expeditionary Force.
Shimura Danzou, General in charge of the east flank, acting on his own volition, advanced into the Rain Country with a battalion of ANBU, reportedly at the request of Leader Hanzou. Once inside the Rain they proceeded to set up an ambush for the leadership of a group of Rain rebels labeled as terrorists by the government. One unknown female was captured and used as a hostage. Two males were surrounded, but refused to surrender. Conflicting reports are that they retaliated either with a destructive summons or with some unknown doujutsu.
Casualty report: Rebels, one dead, two escaped. Rain KIA, estimated in the hundreds. Leaf, 100% casualties, Injured Shimura Danzou, condition critical. KIA/MIA list to follow.
The office erupted in shouts of anger and disbelief. Highly disciplined soldiers were reduced to yelling questions for which they knew there were no answers forthcoming. Kushina took one step towards Minato. There was blood dripping from the palms of his hands where his own fingernails had gouged out wounds inside his balled fists. The fierceness of his voice silenced the commotion. "NO! This is wrong. Those are my men. I trained them. I led them. They are my responsibility. No one can waste them as if they are useless disposable tools to be expended and cast aside. Someone will pay."
No ninja is as fast as Minato Namikazi. Whether it be a race or quickness or reflexes or handsigns, few opponents survive their first encounter with the Yellow Flash. Kushina knew him. She viscerally understood how he would react to such devastating news. So it was that her flash step anticipated his signs by five milliseconds and she grabbed his elbow as they fell into that pit of cold emptiness which seemed to stretch for an eternity. The shinobi stared at the empty floor where two jonin had just disappeared in a flash of golden light.
Next: Chapter 3
Aftermath
Aiji – Beloved child
Kaigan no Oni – Demon Coast