After the short encounter with Kakashi, Minato had made his way home. Opening the red door to his home, the 4th Hokage was greeted with an uncomfortable silence. Pausing a few moments to check the atmosphere of the house, Minato took a silent step into the hallway, closing the door behind him with the slightest of squeaks. With the lack of any sound, Minato assumed Kushina had put Naruto to bed, and was probably still up with him in his room. On light feet, note: still wearing his sandals, Minato walked down the hall and into the main living area.
Looking into the room from around the doorway, Minato saw his wife holding a scroll, open, in front of her as if reading it. Smiling and calming at his wife's presence, Minato entered as he normally would: with sound.
"Kushina? I'm home~" He chirped, smiling as the red head turned to face him. She wore a surprised expression and subtly pulled the scroll towards herself. However, recognising her husband, she smiled welcomingly.
"Minato. You're early, you know!" Flushing at her verbal tick*, she pouted at Minato, who wore an amused smile on his face.
"Yeah, Kakashi caught me wandering around the village, and told me to go home. So, here I am!"
"Silly. Staring at the sky again?" Minato responded with a sad smile, though he quickly shifted his expression to a happier one. Walking over and hugging his wife, Minato pulled back to look at her.
"So, has Naruto been keeping you busy today?"
"Urg, always. He's your son, you know"
"Oh? And what does that mean?"
"It means he thrives on attention"
"Ah, yes. Both Naruto and myself love Mummy's attention~" Minato smirked, causing Kushina to blush further. Snuggling his face into her hair, Minato grinned at his wife's flustered babbling. Eventually Kushina found her voice.
"G-Get off me! You silly twit, you know!" At that moment, Minato could help but bark out a laugh, with soon dissolved into mere chuckles under his wife's pouting expression. With his laughing bout finished, he turned his head upwards slightly, looking at the ceiling.
"So, how about you get some rest, and I'll go watch Naruto?"
"Um, sure. I-I'll go rest then" Minato raised an eyebrow at Kushina's odd facial expression, which appeared a mixture of guilt and sadness. Not wanting to leave his wife in such an odd state, Minato decided to ask quietly:
"Kushina? Are you okay?"
"Oh, yes. I'm fine. Great, really. REALLY" Kushina said loudly as he saw her husband giving her a disbelieving expression. A few seconds, multiple expression's cross Kushina's face. Sadness, Guilt, Happiness, Excitement, Confusion.
Seeing the blonde becoming more suspicious of her by the second, Kushina sighed in defeat. She couldn't stand against Minato, especially when we wore such a gentle expression.
"Minato, I- My parents need me to come home" The end on her sentence disappeared into nothingness, as she saw Minato's face darken slightly. A few moments of silence later, Minato spoke up:
"Really?"
"Huh?" Kushina replied, not quite understanding.
"Really? Konoha was just attacked, and the buildings that fell are still in the process of being re-built. We've just gotten a steady schedule with our own son! Why now, of all times, would your parent's need you?"
"My mother! She- Well, she's fallen ill. There's a high chance she won't last much longer. My cousins are worried. Worried she will die soon, and no heir will be selected, you know? So, they want me to come home, to see Mother in her final days. They also want to organise the heir, and properly put them in their role. And you know, I am Mother's only child. It might be me…" Minato looked at his wife, disbelieving. After a few moments, Minato looks his wife in the eye.
"Must you? As in, return now? I- I don't-"
"Minato. Please, it's urgent. I'd be gone a month, at most! Please…" Kushina cried out, a few silent tears running down her face.
It was clear to Minato now, Kushina didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay. Konoha was her home just as much as Uzushio. However, the Uzumaki clan was a traditional clan, and Kushina had only been allowed to live in Konoha because it was safer, with jinchuriki hunters in every place of land between the great villages. At the time it was safer to house her in an allied nation, but now, with the head of the clan dying, it was time to pick a new head. If Minato was lucky, Kushina would at least be able to suggest someone else for the position, instead of herself. It's only logical. Being the daughter of the clan head's usually made the child the next heir. However, the Uzumaki's often followed the ruling of 'strongest-warrior-becomes-leader'. Maybe when Kushina revealed she no longer held the Nine-tails, the clan would lose interest. Just maybe.
Minato walked over to his wife, and gave her a tight hug again. Kushina let out a few whimpers, before clinging to Minato in return, note: the scroll she had been holding held tightly closed in one hand.
After standing in the moment for a few minutes, Kushina finally nudged Minato to get more space. Loosening his arms, Minato looked down at his wife and smiled sadly. Placing his forehead against hers, Minato finally said:
"I can get you as much time as you need. This is your family, and I know you love them dearly. Go to your Mother. Support your family. I can give you as much time as you want. I might not have met your relatives, but I know they love and trust you. If you become the head of the clan, tell me. I'll see if I can persuade them to move here to Konoha. Just, keep in contact"
The end of Minato's little speech came out as a whispered pray. Kushina gave the tiniest of smiles, before raising her arms to run her hands comfortingly in her husband's blonde, spiky hair. Seeing Minato grow sadder at the motion, Kushina forced out a laugh, before ruffling his hair, hoping to lighten his mood, if just slightly. Warming at the effect, Minato bent down to give his wife a light kiss, before deepening it and holding her tightly.
An indefinite time passes, as to two hold each other tightly, tears rolling down their faces, whilst their lips smile against one another's. Finally, they separate and Kushina, having packed during the day, gets ready to leave. Just about the open the door, and leave her happy, nearly carefree life, Minato shouts for Kushina to wait, and turning around, she sees her husband in front of her, holding their awake, quietly observing child in his arms. A short talk later, and Kushina leaves, Minato and Naruto following.
The stars twinkled sadly as Kushina, in front of Konoha's main gates, kissed her son on the forehead, and, giving one last chaste kiss to Minato, she took her first steps out of the village. Minato waved in silence, fully aware of the Chunin gate-watchers only a few meters away. When Kushina completely disappeared from sight, Minato turned to the two young Chunin and gave them a sad smile.
"Good morning boys. I'd appreciate if you didn't tell anyone you just saw your Hokage crying, okay?"
Not even waiting for an answer, Minato left with his son in arms, fully intending to curl up with his for the night and find comfort in his small, delicate presence.
-ooooooooooooo-
Author's Note:
Welcome to the follower crew, Tablo23, Blood Moon Mist, Leolion101! Hope everyone enjoys the story as it progresses! Also, thanks for the review Lion! Happy you like it so far!
Just to say, Kushina will return in the story, so you don't have to worry!
Gaara and a lot of the other characters will be brought in later, so you'll just have to be patient. For now though, I can guaranty snuggly moments with Naruto and Minato, as well as some silly, fun moments with Kakashi. Also Sasuke and Sakura are going to be in the story, as one would expect, but they will be introduced at different times than the canon, and ultimately, the drama regarding Team 7 will be different from the canon as well.
I also want to add that some elements of the story have been inspired by other fan-fics, or comics produced on deviantART. So if something seems familiar to you guys, feel free to say so. I don't want to end up being too close to an original idea, so yeah.
Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope your all having fun!