Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 13: The Master Meets the Young Master

Flashback

They cut through the air. He was not convinced the horse's feet touched the ground as he gilded in the wind. He could feel her pressed firmly against his back. Her arms were wrapped tightly around his waist. He turned his head. He saw her long, auburn red tresses streaking behind her. He could not keep the smile from his face even if it opened the door for bugs to end up in his mouth. He did not care. He was riding too fast and his heart was too high for him to care about any insignificant details.

He pulled the reins. Kaminari gradually slowed down to a trot. He pulled to the left. The horse came to a stop a yard from the edge of the rock. He heard a gasp behind him. He felt her chin rest against his shoulder. Her face was right next to his.

"It's beautiful." She breathed in earnest awe. "I'm starting to think that you may be right. Konoha is more beautiful than Uzushiogakure." She pressed her cheek against his.

"This might be the first time I ever heard you remotely imply that I was right about anything." His tone was layered with amusement with a touch of disbelief.

Kushina squeezed him tighter around the waist for a few seconds. It was decidedly not the most comfortable thing.

"I can admit when you're right, dattebane." She rolled her eyes. "You're always so dramatic."

Minato exhaled with more force than usual through his nose.

"I used to dream of Konoha," she said with a soft smile on her face. Her voice sounded distant like she was a million miles away. He rested a hand over her clasped hands. "Back when I was in Whirlpool. I missed the trees. I missed the dry air. I missed the food. I even missed you." She turned her head to give his cheek a quick peck. She looked out into the valley that was Konoha. "I can't believe we're married."

"I've never been happier." He leaned his head against hers. Kushina closed her eyes as a breeze of late winter air touched her face.

"I feel like I'm going to explode, dattebane!" She said giddily. "I can't stand how happy I am. It's just coming out of me." She opened her mouth like she was about to vomit. "It's insane!"

Minato chuckled. It originated deep from inside his chest. Just the richness of it sent a thrill down her spine.

"I know what you mean. I feel the same way. It's like I am going to float away and leave the ground behind. I never want to come back down." His cobalt eyes held only contentment.

Kushina lowered her head. She pressed a kiss on the back of his shoulder. Her cheeks were nearly as red as her hair. She brought her chin to rest against the joint once again.

"Do you think it's dangerous? Like, seriously, is it bad for our health to keep going on like this?" Her violet eyes sparkled with unbridled happiness from the fullness of her heart.

"Maybe." His eyes softened. "But I'm willing to take the risk."

Kushina leaned back, her arms uncoiled from around his waist. She crossed her arms. Minato half turned to look her in the eye.

"Well, I'm not! I say we be proactive about this situation and get ahead of it, dattebane!" She glared at him.

He frowned. "What?"

Kushina's face turned even redder. His blond brow furrowed. He searched her eyes. What was contained in them did not match her words or her body language.

"If we both are so happy and in love that we simply cannot contain it anymore - if we're really overflowing with the stuff - we should do something about it." She turned to look away in a huff.

The confusion on his face was slowly replaced by surprise. His cobalt eyes widened as he put two and two together.

"We're ready, Minato." She smiled at him. "It's time."

"Kushina," he said in a daze, out of habit. "I don't know if I can…" he lost his nerve to put into words what he felt, what he thought for fear of the self-fulfilling prophecy.

Her expression softened the second she heard the tone and saw the expression he was donning. She cupped the side of his face at the recognition of something not quite right in the depths of his blue gaze.

"You're not your father. You're not going to be anything like him."

"How do you know?" He asked her in a small voice.

Kushina smiled at him with the full extent of her conviction that she pulled from her bones.

"Because I won't let you." She beamed with confidence radiating from every pore.

Minato felt her words, her demeanor, her love and her belief pierce through the solid block of doubt deep inside of his heart. He let out a breath.

He tilted his head down. He pressed his lips against hers. He placed a slow, chaste kiss. He returned his forehead to hers. His eyes shone with sureness.

"Let's grow our family." He held her against his chest. Kushina was emitting pure unbridled joy.

End of Flashback

He squirmed in his seat. His blue eyes darted to her impassive face. His hands were just itching to muss the hair atop his head. The very hair she had gone to great lengths to make neat and settle flat against his scalp. Tomoha shot the Young Master a sharp look. Naruto pouted but he remained seated. He looked at the food in front of him. He moved his eyes as far left as they would go. He could see another placemat with an assortment of plates and bowls sitting on it. It was nearly identical to his. Only the quantity in each differed.

Naruto scratched his cheek. His clothes were stiff. They were much fancier than what he normally wore.

"Ambe-san -" Naruto began with pleading eyes.

"No," Tomoha cut him off firmly.

Naruto let out a frustrated groan. He pushed his plate away so that he could rest his chin on the table. The look on his face was so forlorn, that one would think he was being denied all comforts in life.

Tomoha's hands twitched from behind her back. "Behave Naruto-sama. You are having breakfast with your Otosama today. It's important that you make a good first impression."

Naruto scowled. Her words had the opposite effect of what she intended. "I don't care." He looked at the caretaker with defiant eyes. "I want to have breakfast with Sakura." He added adamantly.

"Now Naruto-sama," Tomoha scolded him. "You can have breakfast with Sakura any day. Today is special. I fully expect you to be on your best behavior."

Naruto pressed his forehead against the table. He kicked his legs back and forth on the chair.

"You'll be seeing Sakura later anyway for your lesson." Tomoha tried to lift up his dreary mood. "Can you smile for your Otosama, Naruto-sama?"

"No," Naruto said flatly.

Tomoha sighed. She turned her head. She heard the sound of feet walking across the hardwood floors coming from down the hall. She instinctively straightened her posture.

"Naruto-sama -" she turned her head back to the table. The words died in her throat. The table was short one pint-sized blond. Tomoha bit back a deep sigh. She did turn her eyes heavenward. She rolled them back to the ground just as Minato entered the room.

"Namikaze-sama," she bowed her head. "Please have a seat." She gestured to his plate setting.

Minato walked to the table. He looked at Tomoha with mild surprise. "Is Naruto not up yet?" His blue eyes first took in the untouched setting for the boy before he raised them to Tomoha's face.

"The Young Master was still full from dinner. He could not contain all his excitement to meet you that I sent him off to play, to burn off some energy. It's for the best. The two of you can have lunch together later." Tomoha explained with a smile.

'You never could look me in the eye when you lie to me, Ambe-san.'

"I see," Minato smiled easily. He lowered himself into his seat. "Thank you for the food, Ambe-san." He picked up his chopsticks and began to eat in silence. The knot in his stomach grew tighter with each bite.

"Here," Sakura held out a bowl for Naruto. "You're lucky that Miharu-san keeps some food aside for you otherwise you'd have to go hungry until lunch."

Naruto took it with both hands. "Yay!" He said with gusto as he began to tuck in. "Did you already get the eggs from the chickens?" He asked her with his mouth still partially full.

"I did." The corner of her lips pulled into a frown. "Did something happen, Naruto-kun?" She asked the boy.

"No," Naruto brought another spoonful to his mouth.

"Why are you here then, Naruto-kun? Shouldn't you be eating breakfast with your Otosama right about now?" Her jade eyes pinned him in place with an inquisitive look.

Naruto shrugged. "My Otosama left me. Why should I eat with him now?"

Sakura pushed her lips to the side. The words swam in her mind. She opened her mouth. "Your Otosama did not want to leave you, Naruto-kun. There is a war going on. He had to go to protect you. To keep you and everyone else in the Land of Fire safe. It's a big responsibility." She explained gently.

"So?" Naruto put down his finished bowl. He did not meet her graze.

"It was probably a very hard situation for him, Naruto-kun. I know it was hard to send my Otosan to war and I was much bigger than you. I was so scared. I felt so sad. I know my Otosan felt the same way." She crouched down to be at eye level with him. He stubbornly glared at the ground.

"The feelings you are feeling right now?" She carried on gently. She pointed to his chest. "In here," she brought a hand to her own heart. "Maybe your Otosama is feeling them too, Naruto-kun."

The boy lifted his head to look her in the eyes. She saw a deep sadness in his cobalt orbs.

"He made me sad by leaving. He never visited. He wasn't here." Naruto's voice grew weaker. She could see the tears start to form.

"It's okay. That was then. He's here now." She held his hands. "Now you have a chance to get to know him. You have a chance to spend time with him. That is really special, Naruto-kun."

"I don't know what to say to him." He grumbled to the ground.

"Maybe your Otosama also feels a little scared, nervous, and confused too." She offered him a small smile. "Maybe his feelings were a little hurt today when you ran away from breakfast."

Naruto rubbed his eye with his hand. She saw some tears spill out. Sakura pulled fabric from her sleeves. She dabbed at his tears.

"Will you eat with your Otosama for your next meal?" She looked him in the eye, searching his face.

Naruto nodded his head.

"That's a good boy." She ruffled his hair, returning it back to its usual state. "We're going to play a really fun game later."

Naruto's face brightened. He jumped up in excitement. Sakura's smile grew in size.

He walked, with his arms hanging loosely at his sides, down the corridors of his family's residence. The barren trees in the garden were so different from the ruby, burnt orange, and yellows of fall that he last remembered seeing. Winter was the most depressing season. It was when the compound most resembled a grave. The whites and grays of the building muted everything around them. Even the air was not pleasant to breathe in. It nearly froze his throat and lungs with its icy chill.

He mostly listened as his companion spoke. It was all pretty standard. The topics of conversation did not vary or stray from what he was accustomed to hearing and discussing for the past five years. He could probably answer all his questions in his sleep.

Minato's light blue haori was wrapped around his person tightly. He moved with slow, deliberate movements. His lack of time commitments and his injury dictated his speed.

"I can show you the books for how the allocated funds have been spent around the compound." Danzo lowered his cane to the ground before dragging his feet to meet it.

"A high-level overview is fine, Shimura-sama," Minato said breezily.

"Very well, Namikaze-sama." Danzo said with a sense of satisfaction. "As I'm sure you're aware, due to the war money does not go as far as it used to. Things are a little tighter around here. Sacrifices are being made at every level of the household."

"I can look into allocating more funds if things are being impacted inversely," Minato said in a clear voice. He studied Danzo from the corner of his eye.

"I appreciate your concern and your generosity, Namikaze-sama. But it is not necessary. Tightening of the belt is needed while we enter some uncertain times. We are making do with what we have. Rest assured that the compound and everyone in it are in good hands."

"Of course, Shimura-sama." Minato's eyes scanned the grounds.

"I must say, the boldness of your last attack is nothing short of genius. The First Master would be so proud. Being able to make calls like that is what will propel you to the role of Shogun just as your father wanted for you." Danzo came to a stop. He half turned to face the man. He lifted his head up to look Minato in the eyes.

Minato's eyes crinkled slightly as he forced a smile he did not feel on his face. The knot in his stomach grew tighter. It added a couple more loops and twists to it. He saw a flash of yellow in his peripherals.

'Is that?'

He slowly turned his head. His heart lurched in his chest. His mouth went dry and his palms began to perspire. He felt his legs go weak. For a split second, he was concerned he would lose balance.

"Shimura-sama," he did not take his eyes off the speck of color against the gray backdrop. "Can we continue this conversation post-lunch? I just remembered there was something I needed to do." He regarded the older man.

Danzo dipped his head into the slightest of nods. "Of course, Namikaze-sama."

"Thank you," Minato was already on the move.

Danzo's hands clenched around the top of his cane as he watched the master of the home's back walk further and further away from him.

Minato watched the boy from afar. He recognized him instantly. Naruto was not too far off from what he looked like at that age. The singular family portrait that hung from the walls of the house was a testament to this fact. His heart was beating in his chest at a faster-than-normal rate. Minato swallowed thickly. He watched the boy - his boy - in his natural state.

The boy was not alone. He was with someone. He was with a woman. From her side profile, Minato could tell she was young.

'She does not look familiar.'

And he was not one to forget a face. Judging from her worn, brown kimono she was a servant. He concluded that she must be new, relatively speaking. She had joined the compound at some point in the past five years and two months.

He could not take his eyes off Naruto. His son held his gaze and attention captive. He was so much bigger than he thought he would be. Seeing him now just hammered home just how much Minato had missed. It was a testament to the amount of time that had passed. His son was not a newborn. He was not a toddler either. He was a child. A child that could walk, speak, and think for himself. He was growing into his own person.

Minato subconsciously brought a hand to his heavy heart. His blue eyes focused on what the boy was doing. Naruto was listening intently to what the woman was saying to him. Minato watched as she counted out three groups of ten marbles. Her mouth moved. She was looking at Naruto expectantly. He saw Naruto's mouth move in response. The woman nodded her head. A smile appeared on her face.

Minato looked around. There was no one else around. The pair seemed so engrossed in what they were doing that they had not noticed him. He moved closer to get within earshot.

"Thirty!" Naruto said again with much enthusiasm. He felt his mind go blank as he heard his son's voice for the first time. It left him breathless.

"That's right, Naruto-kun. Three piles of ten makeup thirty!" The woman said warmly. "So what happens when I take one of the piles of ten away?" She covered the cluster with her hand.

Naruto tapped his chin. He furrowed his brow.

"Take your time, Naruto-kun." The woman encouraged him gently.

Naruto scratched his head. He scowled. "I don't know! It's too hard." He puffed out his cheeks and blew a loud raspberry.

Minato's eyes began to water, unbeknownst to him. He saw another round six-year-old face with red hair and purple eyes doing the same in his mind's eye.

"Keep trying, Naruto-kun. You told me you don't give up. Was that just you talking big?" The woman asked him airily.

"No!" Naruto shook his head emphatically. "I don't ever give up, dattebayo!"

'I'm not a quitter, dattebane!'

A tear broke from the corner of his eye. He stood there rooted as he watched his son.

"Okay, let's backtrack a little. How much is in each pile?" She asked him.

Naruto looked at the marbles. He counted. His lips moved as he did so. "Ten!" He exclaimed with confidence.

"Right. If one pile is ten and three piles is thirty. How many are in two piles?" She asked him.

"Ten with ten more?" He looked down at his fingers. He began to count. He looked up at her. "Twenty?" He asked her, not entirely sure.

"Twenty," the woman was practically beaming at him. "See? I knew you could do it!"

"I did it!" Naruto exclaimed. His whole face lit up.

The smile on his face reminded Minato so much of Kushina that his heart pulsed in his chest. He took a couple of steps back. He walked as many steps back as he had come. His mind raced and his heart ached.

He moved through the room. It was smaller in size than the room he once shared with his wife. But it was bigger than the room he currently slept in. It was kept clean. The bed was made. There was no visible dust. Clothes and shoes were not stern about. Everything seemed to be put in its place. Everything seemed to have a place. Aside from the bed and two nightstands, the room contained a desk with a chair, a full-length mirror, a wardrobe, and a basket that contained toys. The room had all the material needs for a five-year-old boy but something was missing.

Minato's fingers moved along the groves of the desk. The room did not speak to who his son was. The cleanliness was thanks to Tomoha. He knew how much the woman valued it. His own room growing up maintained a similar level of pristineness.

It was empty. It lacked life. It was a place to sleep and nothing more. It was not a welcoming space. He was not looking at the room through his eyes. He was looking at the room through his wife's eyes. She would have added color and vibrancy everywhere. She had told him as such during the first trimester that they were together. She has such plans for the nursery and ultimately Naruto's room. She had a vision.

The room he was in was sterile, just like the rest of the home. It came as no surprise to him that Naruto did not want to spend a second more here than he had to. The boy was a ball of energy. He knew that before he stepped foot into the compound. He knew that before he even laid eyes on him or heard his voice. His uncle and Kakashi had warned him of such. Today he has just gotten glimpses of that firsthand.

He opened the first drawer of the desk. There were some notebooks and a couple of toys. He saw a wooden yoyo at the bottom. Nothing really stood out. Minato grabbed the first notebook. He leafed through it. Something fell to the ground. He moved gingerly to pick it up. An involuntary grunt let his lip as he straightened back to his full height.

He held the object in between his index finger and his thumb. He turned it in his hand. It was a flower. Or rather, it was a flower. Now it was just dead. It had been pressed into the pages of the notebook. Minato opened the notebook and let the dried flower rest against two blank pages. He closed the notebook and put it back in the drawer.

He padded over to the bed. He sat at the edge of it. He looked at the pillows. He tried to picture Naruto lying there. He could not. Minato dipped his head. His fingertips touched and felt around as his mind entered into a fortress constructed with his own thoughts and regret.

That was how Tomoha found him. Sitting on the edge of his son's bed, head slightly bowed and his eyes glossed over. She cleared her throat before entering the room. He looked over his shoulder at her briefly before he resumed staring out the window. His eyes were not taking in the winter foliage of the garden.

"Are you alright, Minato-kun?" The woman asked him in a soothing tone.

"I'm alright, Tomoha-san." He rubbed his palms together, slowly still deep in thought.

"How are you feeling?" She moved closer. She leaned against the bed frame. She too looked out the window.

Minato pressed his lips together. He leaned forward, he rested his forearms on his thighs.

"What happened to the tutor? Chinen-san?"

Tomoha shuffled on her feet. "Naruto-kun was not responding to his methods. He was getting frustrated and agitated. They were not making any progress. I decided it might be beneficial to try something different with him. He seems to be responding much better. He is excited about his lessons in math and reading now."

"Which sensei is teaching him? Is it a tutor for one of the other clan kids?" He asked in a level voice. His eyes narrowed slightly as he waited for her answer.

"No," Tomoha's dark eyes focused on the Japanese maple that Minato's mother had planted shortly after being married to Naoto. "It is a servant girl. She is tasked with ensuring Naruto-kun learns to read and write."

Minato turned his body. He regarded Tomoha's impassive face. "What qualifies this 'servant girl' to teach him over a proven tutor with decades of experience?"

"Naruto-kun," Tomoha answered without so much as blinking. "He wants to learn when she teaches. He does not want to learn when Chinen-san teaches. She is bright. She has a good head on her shoulders."

"How can you trust her? How could you let Naruto get attached to someone that is transitory?" He felt emotion start to bleed into his words.

"No one is permanent in this world, Minato-kun. You know that better than most." She did not overlook the edge in his eyes. "From what I can tell, the girl has no plans of leaving. Naruto-kun has taken to her. Her intentions seem genuine. I thought it was best for everyone instead of trying to keep them apart and cause Naruto-kun distress, that a compromise be reached. She agreed to teach him. I think she is doing a fine enough job."

"Tomoha-san," Minato raked a hand through his hair. He sighed deeply. "A good education is vital to Naruto's growth. A good, stable, tested, and verified education. I'm not convinced she can provide that."

Tomoha's lips pressed together as she measured her words. "Perhaps before making a decision about the arrangement and causing any potential disruption, you first meet Naruto-kun."

Her words hit him like a slap to the face.

Minato turned back to the window. "We will continue this conversation after I meet with Naruto."

"Very wise of you, Namikaze-sama." She bowed. "Lunch will be served shortly."

He heard her receding footsteps as loud as if they were right there in his head.

The sounds of chewing along with chopsticks hitting ceramic bowls resounded in his ears. It was nearly deafening. Minato looked up from his empty soup bowl. He saw Naruto picking at his food. The boy's face was pulled into an exaggerated pout. He looked like he was very much not having a good time as well.

Minato cleared his throat. He felt Naruto's eyes on him. The mini-me stared at him with a level of aggressiveness that only children could get away with. He took a sip of water. He returned the glass to the table.

"So, Naruto," he looked at the boy. "What do you like?"

Kakashi rolled his eyes at the rather uninspired question. He ducked his head and looked down at the bowl of rice in front of him.

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know."

"Naruto," Kakashi looked at the boy. "Why don't you tell the story you were telling me earlier?"

Naruto looked between their faces. "I don't remember." He said unconvincingly. He put food in his mouth. He chewed.

Kakashi shot Minato with an apologetic look. The older blond regarded his son.

"How are your studies going?" Minato asked the boy.

Kakashi bit back a groan. He regretted taking up Minato's invention to have lunch with him and Naruto. This was painful.

"Okay," Naruto said in a noncommittal way. He drank the last of his soup. He licked his bottom lip. "Otosama?"

"Yes, Naruto." Minato's ears burned at being addressed in such a manner.

"I finished. Can I go now?" He looked down at his folded hands. "Sorry. May I please go now?"

Minato's eyes darted to Kakashi's. The Hatake gave him a subtle shrug. "Yes, Naruto. You may go."

"Thank you," Naruto bowed. He walked out of the dining room.

"I'm going to go see Sakura now, Ambe-san!" The boy's loud voice was clearly audible in the dining room as he ran down the corridor.

Moments later Tomoha entered the room. She began to gather Naruto's plates and bowls.

"Well that went really well," Kakashi deadpanned. He ignored the withering look from Tomoha along with the blank stare Minato was giving him. "Did you seriously have to ask him about his studies?"

"What else was I supposed to do?" Minato placed his chopsticks across the rim of his bowl.

"It's like you don't even remember being a kid," Kakashi said with a sigh. "This whole thing was nearly as bad as trying to get through a meal with your father."

Minato's eyes narrowed. "What would you have me do? Force answers out of him?"

"Give it some time, Minato-kun," Tomoha assured him gently. "Kakashi-kun, stop instigating."

"I'm not instigating anything Tomoha-san. That meal was just sad." He placed his own utensils over his bowl. "It was brutal."

"When are you leaving?" Minato asked him darkly.

"Tomorrow morning. At the break of dawn." Kakashi rested his hands on the top of his head. He begrudgingly brought them back down when Tomoha smacked his arms.

"Be safe." Minato's face was the picture of seriousness.

"Thanks. After what I just witnessed, I don't know who has the taller task between us." Kakashi yawned. "I think I'm going to take a nap. Might as well take advantage of having a bed while I can. Thank you for the food, Tomoha-san. I'll see you both again at dinner. Thank Kami, Naruto takes his earlier." Kakashi got up to his feet, leaving a brooding Minato and weary Tomoha behind.

"He's right, you know." She said slowly as she gathered the bowls onto the tray.

"About which part?" Minato pressed his fingers to his temple.

"It will take time, Minato-kun." Tomoha stopped her movements. She looked at the almost defeated frame of the Master. "Come with me."

Minato looked at her with confusion in his blue eyes.

"We don't have all day, Minato-kun. Come, come." She ushered him to follow her.

Minato pushed onto his feet. He moved to comply. They were back in Naruto's room. He watched as the woman picked up a small step stool and moved it to the front of the wardrobe. She stepped onto it. She reached all the way to the back. When her two feet were flat against the ground she was holding onto a stack of letters held together by twine.

"Here," she handed them to Minato.

He looked down at them. His brows bunched together as he saw the characters on the first one in the pile.

"To Okaasan from Naruto?" He read. He looked up at her even more confused.

"They are letters that Naruto had the girl write for him. They are for Kushina-chan." Tomoha sighed deeply at the pain making its way to the forefront of Minato's blue eyes.

His face hardened into a stony expression.

"Now I can't read. So I could not verify what was in them. I could not have anyone else read them either. What is in them is not my business anyway. But it is yours. You decide what to do with them. You decide if you want the girl to keep teaching him. You are still his father. That means something." She rested her liver spot covered hand over Minato's. She squeezed gently. "But maybe there might be something in there that will help you understand Naruto-kun a little more."

She was gone without much else. The letters in his hand crinkled as his thumb pressed into them with a little more force than strictly necessary.

She let out a small sigh. Her fingers tugged at the knot of her off-white head covering ensuring that it was still very much in place. She moved to set the terracotta pot at her hip down by the well. She saw a familiar face come into her view.

"Rin-chan," Sakura smiled warmly. "Perfect timing. There is no one in the baths right now." Rin was still not comfortable with the idea of bathing in the presence of a bunch of women. "Do you need help heating up the water? I have some time."

Rin shook her head. "No thank you, Oneechan." She readjusted the brown towel on her shoulder. She shuffled her feet.

"Everything alright Rin-chan?" Sakura asked her casually.

"Um," Rin began to wring her hands. She bit her lip. She closed her mouth firmly.

Sakura stood there, patiently waiting as the warmth of the bath completely left her person. Another couple of minutes and she would be as cold as the night wind.

The girl looked up at Sakura with such a determined expression it caught Sakura off guard. "Are you really teaching the Young Master to read?"

Sakura blinked a couple of times in rapid succession. She was still trying to process the firmness and volume with which Rin had just spoken to her.

"I am," Sakura said with a nod. She tilted her head to the side. "Why do you ask?"

Rin's hands balled into loose fists. "I was wondering if you'd teach me how to read and write."

Sakura's lips parted. Her brow came together. Surprise danced in her eyes. She stood there unmoving, essentially gawking at the girl. Her brain was empty.

Rin's face fell. She tucked her short hair behind her ears. "Forget I said anything, Oneechan. It was stupid to ask. I don't even have anyone to write to. I should let you get back to whatever it was you were going to do. I'm just going to go. Bye!" Rin turned on her heel.

Sakura's hand wrapping around her wrist halted the brunette's movements. Rin made a sound that sounded suspiciously like 'eek'.

"I would love to, Rin-chan." Sakura smiled at her openly. Rin looked at her in surprise. "Come over to my room after dinner tomorrow and we can get started."

"Really?" Rin looked at her with eyes as big as saucers.

"Really. It's not stupid at all. More girls should know how to read and write. More girls should be given opportunities just like the boys are. Girls of both noble and non-noble blood." Sakura let go of her wrist. "And Rin-chan," her eyes became bright with determination. "You can write to me when you move on to better and brighter things."

The warmth Rin felt blossoming inside her chest colored her cheeks a deep rosy red. Her lips pulled into a large smile full of both gratitude and excitement.

Sakura rubbed her eyes. She put down the brush she was using. She looked at the pages she had filled. She was careful not to touch them as they dried.

"I'll bind these tomorrow before Rin-chan gets here." She stretched her arms over her head. Her still-damp locks curled slightly against the back of her kimono. She rose from the chair by the desk.

Sakura grabbed the heavy leather book before she slipped into the covers of her futon mattress. She opened it to the place marked by a folded-up sheet of paper. She yawned loudly right before she began to study the diagrams in the anatomy book.

He stared up at the ceiling. His stitches felt tight. He could not toss and turn with ease thanks in large part to the injury. He had grown accustomed to a thin cot mattress. The bed he was in now was too thick, too soft, and way too hot. Minato pulled the blanket from his body. It felt like he was burning.

A thin layer of sweat clung to him. He swung his legs to the edge of the bed. He padded over to the window. He opened it. He stuck his head out and closed his eyes. He relished the cold night air caressing his face. He balanced his weight on his forearms. The letters given to him by Tomoha, the ones written by the woman - the virtual stranger - were taunting him. They were tucked away into the drawer of the nightstand. He could feel their presence. They were driving him crazy.

"Who does she think she is?" He muttered darkly under his breath. His hands came together as he peered into the darkness.

This woman - this stranger - had inserted herself into his home and his son's life. This woman had more of a relationship than he did with his own flesh and blood. It did not matter that Tomoha for whatever reason trusted this woman. He did not. He did not know her. He could not allow his son to get used to her presence. He could not stand for his son to grow closer to her.

"I need to find out what kind of person she is and what her intentions are." His hands clenched together.

Minato dipped his head. He let the sensation of the near frigid breeze chill the burning anger inside of him.