Fandom standing on the edge, face up [spacecadet/arbus]

[arbus]

"I guess it doesn't exactly apply anymore, does it? I bet you could show me some useful tricks."

Kakashi chuckles at that, raises his shoulders almost defiantly. "Maa, you will always be my sensei, sensei", he says. The teasing tone is new, at least he has never used it with Minato. Back when Minato had been alive (oh what a twisted world), Kakashi had been turned to stone by grief, had not yet learned how to deflect, how to bullshit, and, most importantly, to soften the blows he had to deal. It astounds him, to realize how different it all feels now; maybe Hiruzen Sarutobi has been right after all, and Kakashi is a changed man.

"You know, you don't have to stop yourself from carrying out any of your duties on my account."

"You are part of my duties now“, Kakashi replies. Hands still in his pockets, he leads Minato through the streets of Konoha. He uses alleyways and side streets, utilizing his intrinsic knowledge of the village and its schedule to select the least-traversed routes. Word about the resurrected Yondaime had gotten out on that very first day, and people stare at them as they pass. Kakashi pretends he does not notice. "Team 7 should be done with their last mission for today", he should probably check in on them, but Kakashi hopes they will just realize that he will not show up on their meeting point on the bridge and eventually call it a night, "and I have bought some groceries. I thought I'd cook for you."

The sun has now vanished behind Hokage mountain and the air gets perceptibly cooler. Kakashi turns a corner and they face a large, nondescript apartment block. From the depths of his flak jacket, he produces a jingling set of keys, a henohenomoheji keychain dangling from it. "I don't usually use the stairs", he explains as they continue to the main entrance and then up many flights of stairs. "It's usually easier to just teleport to the window."

When they finally reach his apartment door, he lets them in. He flicks on the light to reveal a small and tidy space, largely devoid of personal belongings -- apart from his worn Icha Icha series on the shelf and a movie poster of the same franchise over his desk -- and gestures towards a small doorway that leads into the kitchen. "Make yourself comfortable", he says, "you'll be staying with me for the night, if that's alright."

 

[spacecadet]

Minato smiles fondly in response; the simple confession, or was it just stating a fact?, means for him a lot more than it probably should. He reads it as a sort of a warm welcome, the second one after he's been announced to be really himself by the T&I. Things may be still a bit weird and tense, because all of them needed to adjust to a new situation, but it's a relief that he wasn't forgotten in all these years or that he's actions before his death weren't presumed to be completely unneeded and too risky.

It feels weird, but at the same time so right, to just stroll through the village that's so different now. The only thing he might complain about right now is that he won't probably be cleared for duty until much later, when it'll be completely obvious that he's free of any influence from Orochimaru. He understands that, but almost the entirety of his life before his death he spent doing various missions and fighting. He's a shinobi, a warrior, and he knows that laying low would make him restless, fast.

But now, there's a certain weariness hanging above his head, from all of the interwieving and prodding in his brain, so, for now, he pushes the habits from his-- previous?-- life to the far corner of his life, for now content to indulge in accompanying Kakashi in the more mundane part of his life.

"I should really talk to Naruto soon", he says with a sigh at the mention of the Team 7, pinched expression on his face, hands finding their way into the pockets of standard shinobi outfit he'd been given at the T&I. He doesn't elaborate, because carrying out the conversation between him and his son is, as far as he knows, a matter between him and Naruto, but he's worried that he won't believe him, that he won't want a father that wasn't simply there. He plans to deliever the truth, but deeply fears the outcome.

But he guesses that pondering new effects that this conversation could have on their relationship feels useless, before the actual talk taking place, so he drags a hand through his hair, hanging slightly more limply than usual because of the lack of hitai-ate on his forehead and lifts his gaze to look at Kakashi again, grateful for the distraction in the form of metioning dinner. "But only if you let me help", he replies, because he's not going to just sit around and wait, of course not.

"Teleport to the window", He repeats, amused smile back on his face, as he shakes his head at the habits of his former pupil, following him up on the stairwell of the complex. "As always, practical to the bone, Kakashi. I see that not everything about you changed while I was gone."

He doesn't say the I'm glad part, even though it's at the very tip of his tongue. When they get in, he takes the suggestion of getting himself comfortable to his heart, wandering to the bookshelf almost right away. His fingers skim over the worn bookspines, only stopping when he notices the familiar name printed onto them.

"I see that Jiraiya-sensei haven't given up on the dream of becoming the most recognizable author of the decade", he hums, trying very hard not to show the relief he that washes over him. A lot could have changed while he was gone and it feels good to know that the people he holds dear to his heart are still around. He doesn't comment on the fact that he'll stay here, because that had been pretty logical, given the fact that Kakashi was appointed to watch over him. He was aware that his flat was, in the best case, given over to Naruto, in the worst-- inhabited by someone else by now, so he didn't even hope to stay here.

His eyes find the poster of the Icha Icha movie adaptation next. "I didn't know you indulged in this kind of content", he comments, keeping his voice neutral, but when he looks back to Kakashi, he smiles warmly. It still amazes him, how different he is now from the extremely young jōnin that had no interest in anything other than tearing through the Konoha's shinobi ranks.

 

[arbus]

Kakashi strips off the flak vest and hangs it on a hook next to the door, rids himself of his gloves and enters the apartment on bare feet. He throws Minato a glance -- the sight of his sensei in his apartment is dizzyingly strange -- and the corners of his eyes crinkle into a genuine smile. "Jiraiya-sama is a genius", he informs him. "I love all his work. I actually collect the posters of every movie adaptation from his Icha Icha novels. Sadly, he has only written three books up until now, but I have read every one of them multiple times."

It shows, by how worn the covers are.

"Also, sensei, I don't know what you mean with this kind of content", he says lightly, continuing on into the kitchen. "It's tasteful romantic literature!"

There is the sound of rushing water as the tap comes on and Kakashi washes his hands. A minute later, he reappears again in the doorway, dangling an apron over one arm. Minato's words are not forgotten ("I should really talk to Naruto soon"), in fact, they hang like something heavy in the back of his mind. Kakashi does not know that his Hokage has informed Minato about Naruto's lack of knowledge, is sure that it is left to him to tell the other man, and Kakashi has no idea how he is going to bring that up, so he doesn't.

If Kakashi can do one thing, it is to be shamelessly elusive.

He raises his arm to dangle the apron -- a plain white thing, no frills, in contrast to the one Genma gave him as a mock-birthday gift and which he has put on now -- in front of Minato. "Still interested in being my kitchen hand, sensei?"

 

[spacecadet]

Minato hums in thought, peering at the titles. These books, at least judging from their names, are vastly different from the one he and Kushina to get inspiration for Naruto's name from. "If I were to judge the books basing on the author himself, they probably are one of a kind", he decides to say, fond tone crystal-clear in his voice, as he recollects his time spent under Jiraiya's wing.

"I meant exactly that", he continues, abandoning the books to look around the rest of the apartment, but, sadly, there's not much else that'd tell him what kind of person his host is nowadays. He guesses he'll just have to find out himself. "The Kakashi I remember from-- before--", would it ever become easy to say died? Probably not. "Would flat out refuse picking up any kind of fiction. It's a surprise, is all. A rather pleasant one."

Maybe he shouldn't bring up this topic, but he has to. It's the least intimate way of saying I'm proud of the person you've become, and he has, truly. It will probably amaze him for a long time, in the weirdest moments, but in the best way, even though, underneath that, he feels guilty that he wasn't there to witness it first-hand. And it goes not only for Kakashi, but for all the people he remembers from that other time, starting with his own son who doesn't even know that he won't have to be alone anymore.

"I promised I would help, didn't I? Can't back up now", he replies, taking the apron from Kakashi and tying it around his waist. "What do you want me to do?"

The setting feels strangely mundane, but, again, in a good way. It's a nice contrast to Minato's last memories after being resurrected, so he won't complain.

 

[arbus]

"The Kakashi I remember from -- before -- would flat out refuse picking up any kind of fiction."

"Before your death, you mean", Kakashi replies with seeming ease, but he has turned to the cabinet to retrieve two cutting boards and knives and does not look at Minato as he says it. Minato's death is so deeply ingrained in his own consciousness that for Kakashi, it is harder to wrap his head around his resurrection. That, despite every proof they acquired over the course of these last three days, a tiny part of himself still suspects that he is talking to ghosts; is either submerged in a particularly nasty genjutsu or a bout of hysteria, even though he has thought these lay long behind him.

"I picked up reading around Rin's death", he explains. He produces lettuce to be washed, vegetables to be cut, salmon to be prepared in lieu of an answer to Minato's inquiry, handing him one of the knives. "Though back then I was more into adventure tales about some heroic shinobi or other. I came across Jiraiya-sama's first novel that way, and graduated to his brilliant Icha Icha series after that." Kakashi scrubs and guts the fish with practiced hands. It is always soothing to prepare food, nourishment for himself, a task Kakashi has come to enjoy as a way of relaxation.

Minato does not know that, when Hiruzen Sarutobi has charged Kakashi with guarding his former sensei, Inoichi had been present, too.

Don't take your eyes off him, the man had said, a frown marring his features. Look for anything unusual -- anything out of character. We don't know if Orochimaru has planted something in his brain; there was a part of it I could not access. It might be trauma, it might be something else.

Maa, you don't mean mind-control, Inoichi-san?

We cannot rule it out.

Kakashi side-eyes his companion. "Sensei ... do you remember anything from the time you were ... dead?"

 

[spacecadet]

Minato nods, but Kakashi won’t be able to see that, so he clears his throat. “It’s hard for me to say that”, he offers with a laugh that lacks happiness, even though he should be glad that he’s here. He still has this feeling at the back of his head that his resurrection is only temporary, but he doesn’t say that aloud.

After that, he falls silent and listens to Kakashi’s words, rolling the sleeves of his pullover to his elbows, washes his hands and takes a knife from his former pupil.

“Ah, the Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi”, he hums, placing a knife on the cutting board, reaching for the lettuce and vegetables instead, to wash them thoroughly. “I’m sure you can tell that I liked that one.”

His hands fall still, after he hears a question about remembering anything from the time he was dead and the only sound for a while is the running water, before he seemingly comes back to the reality and turns the sink off. Carefully, he transfers the washed vegetables to a cutting board and sighs, wiping his hands on a towel.

“Not really”, he finally says, frowning at the poor vegetables that he’s just about to cut into pieces. “As far as I remember, it was like a extremely long sleep, only that instead of dreaming, I saw my own memories playing on repeat, in no particular order. And then I woke up in Orochimaru’s hideout, with the broken seal”, he supplies, trying to not let any emotion show in his voice, but they show right through his frown.

Because of them, he knows now what he could’ve done differently, what would have a entirely different — better — outcome.

 

[arbus]

"I’m sure you can tell that I liked that one.”

"You named your son after the hero", Kakashi says. "I doubt Naruto has ever heard of the novel, or Jiraiya-sama for that matter." Again, a side-eye to judge Minato's reaction. Kakashi knows he is being a coward. He watches Minato's hands still, watches his frame freeze as if he is transported somewhere else for a moment, and worry flickers over Kakashi's masked face.

"You saw your own memories?", Kakashi repeats.

Kakashi's own frown deepens. He turns his attention back to the salmon under his hands, jabs the knife against its belly with a controlled flick of his wrist, and watches blood pool out on the cutting board, a perfect, undisturbed oval, before the innards slip out as well.

"That sounds like hell."

He places the bloodied knife next to the fish, its dead, milky eye staring into space, and turns to face his sensei.

"Naruto doesn't know you're his father. Nobody in the village does, aside from a handful of ANBU operatives and Shimura Danzo. It was done on the Hokage's orders." But Kakashi had welcomed it, as an excuse to keep as far away from Minato's son as possible. Because he is a coward. He does not kid himself on his own shortcomings, always trying to dodge any form of responsibility, and Minato will soon learn that, even though he seems to trust Kakashi now as he has always done, Kakashi has let him down.

That particular thought evokes white-hot guilt, and it is entirely too close and deep-seated for Kakashi's liking, makes his limbs twitch with the need to get the hell away.

 

[spacecadet]

"I doubt it as well", Minato replies noncommittally, trying, and succeeding, to keep anger at bay, when he remembers that for all these years Naruto probably had almost no one close to him, that he was all alone and wasn't even aware of the reason, because there was a decision to keep it as a secret. Ever since the Hokage told him about that, he tried to come to terms with it, but to no avail, it still seemed equally as unlogical as when he heard about it for the first time.

He falls silent for a while, his eyes turning to the godforsaken vegetables, which, he decides, can serve as a good enough distraction from the topic. He takes a knife and cuts them metodically into perfectly shaped cubes. He may be not very skilled in the art of cooking itself, but he can work the blade, they both can.

"I wasn't aware of that happening. It was like-- dreaming, kind of? I remembered that only when I came back-- when I was resurrected. But they weren't only the bad things", he adds, gaze lifting only when he hears a sound of Kakashi putting the knife down.

And, the thing is, he should be angry at Kakashi, too, that he agreed with the Hokage's decision to keep Naruto in the dark, but he can't bring himself to. Maybe he should be, but his anger is directed mainly towards the Sandaime, who confessed to being the inventor of this idea.

"I know, Sandaime told me about that earlier today", he responds exeptionally calmly, given the circuimstances, but his emotions are apparent in the way he puts the knife down and clenches his fists to the point in which his knuckles turn almost ghostly white. "I tried to understand that, I really did, but I can't find a logical reason", he pauses, unclenches one of his hands only to rake it through his hair, though it does little to calm his nerves. "And now that I'm back, I keep thinking that Naruto won't believe me or, even worse, hate me that I wasn't there for him."

He falls silent again, eyes pinned to their sad excuse of a dinner, the gutted fish and the vegetables and sighs again. He seems to be doing that a lot since being resurrected, but, hell, can you blame him, with all that bullshit he has to deal with?

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't burden you with my problems like that", he says with a wry smile, looking up at the man beside him. "You're already troubled enough, given you have to keep an eye on me for indefinite amount of time."

 

[arbus]

Kakashi has learend to read his sensei's moods a long time ago, subtle as they may be. Has seen it as a necessity, and Rin had been good at it too, and suddenly Kakashi wonders if he is an open book for his own genin, too, if they see more of him than he suspects. Now, he recognizes the new tension between the other's shoulder blades, a frown like a microexpression flitting across the other's face.

"I know, Sandaime told me about that earlier today."

Kakashi winces. So Minato had known about it all along, while Kakashi was babbling about novels, to fill the void of unspoken things between them with everything but silence, with as much vanities as he possibly could. He curses the Hokage for administrating this task to him, of all people. Minato's knuckles turn white, and Kakashi watches him fidget, an increasing feeling of helplessness bubbling up inside him.

"He won't hate you", he manages, even though Minato's apology makes everything so much worse. The window above the sink becomes a more alluring escape route with each moment. Kakashi's eye flits towards it. Maybe he could go for milk? Maybe, if he finds Tenzo, he could saddle him with guard duty -- it would be far from the first time. "Naruto will be delighted to find out about you. Trust me."

Kakashi's eye crinkles into a smile he entirely does not feel, and he turns around to recommence the dinner preparations. It does not take long to fry the fish and steam the vegetables, and soon the food is ready, a respectable array of dishes that he serves on the tiny kitchen table. There is green tea with the food, and its a solid dinner, one that would have been just perfect if not for the loud knock on the door.

"Kakashi-sensei!! Kakashi-sensei!!"

"Kami", Kakashi mumbles, eye flicking to Minato at once. The knocking continues, and it rattles the door in its frame.

"Let's pretend that nobody is home", he suggests, just as Naruto's voice screeches: "I saw the light in your window on our way here, sensei! I know you're home! Open the door!"

Kakashi's shoulders slump.

"Kakashi-sensei", that is Sakura's voice, "please, it's urgent."

Kakashi gets to his feet, albeit reluctantly, but he supposes it could not be helped, because Naruto sounds about ready to break down the door.

"Hide in the bedroom, if you want", he tells Minato, and then he is gone from the kitchen. A moment later, the door hinges creak. "Maa, Naruto-kun, Sakura-chan. How can I help you?"

"Sensei, I heard that dude in the forest was the Yondaime after all and that he is alive and somewhere in the village!"

"Is that so?"

"I mean, we got to find him, right? The idiot told me it wasn't the Yondaime, but he was wrong, and I am right, and I want to ask him stuff. Can we go meet him?"

"Is it true, sensei?", Sakura asks, her timid voice in stark contrast to Naruto's bellowing excitement.

"Hmmm, yes. I suppose the Hokage will announce it tomorrow."

"Wow", Naruto says, flabberghasted.

"How about the two of you go home for now", Kakashi suggests, "maybe you'll meet him on your way there?"

 

[spacecadet]

The silence stretches after that and, even though it's definitly tense, Minato can't bring himself to break it, focused on the thoughts and dilemmas he'd been haunted by ever since he got back. In the end, he decides to beliefe Kakashi; after all, he might've changed, comparing to him to the straightforward teenager that cared little about other people's emotions, but the lies that he uses nowadays, Minato noticed, usually regarded his own life or feelings.

Beside that, as much as he hated to admit it even in his own headspace, he definitely knows Naruto better, having been more or less around for the less twelve years.

As he follows Kakashi to the table, ge decides that he shouldn't wait any longer than neccessary; a bit like with band-aid, it hurts less if you do it quickly, or something, even, despite Kakashi's words, he's still almost terrified to talk to Naruto about it. It's almost funny, that he gave his life for his village without an ounce of hesitation and now he's scared to talk to his own son.

Maybe it's Fate's doing, that as soon as he makes that decision, there's a loud, urgent knocking at Kakashi's door and he knows that it's not Naruto, from the way the seal on his midriff almost plls, to the way to the immensity of his chakra making the small hairs on the back of his arms and neck stan up.

When Kakashi disappears, he sits by the small kitchen table, frozen still, the ringing in his ears so loud he barely hears any words exchanged between the other three. The words "Hide in the bedroom, if you want circle in his head for what feels like an eternity, before he gets up and goes to the front door.

"It's fine, Kakashi", he says, placing a hand on the other's shoulder, smiling now. It's a small, strained thing, but a true one, not one of those fakes he offered definitely too many times today. The odds weren't exactly in his favour, given that his son wasn't aware of their family ties, but it'd be unfair to him if he decided to keep him in the dark any longer, now that he's here.

It's almost unbelieveable, how Naruto can look so much and act almost exactly like Kushina, when she was his age, but with Minato's coloring and his heart clenches, as he remembers that he's the only one out of the two of them that'll be able to notice that simple fact.

"I apologize for the way I acted when we met for the first time, in the forest. It's nice to meet you both, properly this time", he continues and he's so glad that they're young enough that they don't remember him from before, so they lack the stunned expression that Minato would probably get used to in the future. The girl-- Sakura-- still gasps, but he has a feeling that she's doing it often enough, in different circuimstances. "I actually have "stuff" to tell you, now that you're here, Naruto."

 

[arbus]

At the sudden touch on his shoulder, Kakashi heaves a deep sigh. Naruto's and Sakura's eyes grow as big as wheels as they take in the blonde-haired man that has popped up behind their sensei.

"You lied to us!", Naruto complains, but he barely takes the time to scowl at Kakashi, because his eyes are glinting with excitement. "I can't believe it! Are you really the dead Yondaime?"

"Naruto", Kakashi admonishes, but its inconsequential, drowned out by Naruto's exuberant and Sakura's more moderate excitement. She bows, and Kakashi most definitely sees how her foot stomps down on Naruto's toes, who suppresses a yelp at the sight of her furious gaze, bowing as well in a hurry to prevent any further damage.

"So nice to meet you, Yondaime-sama", Sakura says, perfectly sweet.

Sometimes Kakashi wonders where all that energy of hers goes when they are doing their training exercises.

He makes for the living room, because he can hardly hold off the orange bundle of energy that is bouncing up and down on his doorstep any longer, and gestures them to take seats. Kakashi throws Minato a glance, wondering if he really intents to do this here, to do this now, when Minato himself has hardly seemed to have grasped what has happened to him.

"Eh? What do you have to tell me?", Naruto asks, scratching the back of his head, confused. While Sakura takes a look around more clandestinely, Naruto waltzes into Kakashi's private space with all the sensitivity of a particularly hyperactive monkey, peeking at shelves and into half-closed doors so obviously that Kakashi wonders if instead of having him write sentences, he should explain the whole concept of being a ninja to him, ground up.

"I'll make tea", he says, and in his glance is a question as he looks at Minato. Are you sure you want to do this?

 

[spacecadet]

Minato has never been the one to ponder about deities and afterlife; he's always thought that he'd learn if they exist when his time came. But when it did, his questions were never answered, so now, when he looks at Naruto, he silently prays to any God that might be out there to let Kushina see their son, wherever her soul might be. He also thinks that this feeling of a invisible hand holding his heart hostage might not go away for a while.

"There's really no need to do that, please", he says to Sakura with a smile, because while he was used to being treated with high regard, the bowing part he never got used to. "You can call me by my name", he adds, when Kakashi urges both of the genin into the apartment and he sits on the chair by the table, the dinner completely forgotten.

He notices the silent question in the jōnin's gaze and he simply inclines his head in answer, because he might not be ready to talk about it, yet, likely could never be, but it's not fair to keep Naruto in the dark any longer.

"You should sit down, first", he offers, his eyes following the lively silhouette of the blonde, and waits for the both of the teenagers to do so, before he continues. Well, actually, he takes a longer while, trying to carefully pick words. It isn't easy at all, so he decides that he'll start from the very beginning.

"I need to ask you to listen first, I'll answer each and every question you might have, but you have to let me finish", he finally says, looking Naruto straight in the eyes. "Maybe you're aware of the way I died, maybe you aren't, but--" He stops, closes his eyes for a moment and takes a deep breath. "It was during the attack of a Nine-tailed Kitsune. The same one that's sealed inside your body, or, actually, half of it. Previously, your mother was its jinchūriki, but the seal was weakened during the labour, when you were born. We, me and your mother, decided to seal the Nine-tails inside you, because we were sure that, one day, you'll learn to use its power. We both died, protecting you. Me and my wife, your mother. And now--" He really wants to pause, but he sees the abundance of questions, all written on Naruto's face, so he forces himself to continue, because he knows that once he stops, it'll be much more difficult to continue. Somewhere in the middle of his story, Sakura quietly got up and slipped to the kitchen, likely to give them more privacy. "I was brought back, likely with the intention of gaining control over the other half of the Nine-tails that I sealed into myself, but I was made aware of the fact that no one has ever told you about your mother or myself. And I'm-- I'm really, sincerely sorry that we weren't there for you."

When he finishes, he falls silent, waiting for any reaction. He's pretty sure there isn't one that would surprise him, since ever since learning that Naruto had no idea about their family ties, he was brooding over every outcome this conversation could have.

*

Being a smart girls, Sakura knew right away that the conversation between the Yondaime and Naruto wasn't supposed to include her. So, when Naruto's attention turned entirely towards the man sitting in front of him, she quietly slipped into the kitchen.

The apartment ismall enough that she still can hear every word, but it's okay. After all, everything that concerns Naruto is never exactly quiet.

"Do you need any help, Kakashi-sensei?" She asks, standing by his side, glancing at what he's currently doing. But then, after a short while, like she can't stop the question from leaving her mouth, she asks: "Why did noone knew about that?"

 

[arbus]

When the Yondaime asks him to take a seat, Naruto does, but the confusion is written so plainly on his face it's almost funny. Almost. Kakashi is wise enough to leave the room; he simply cannot be present for this, because the guilt is a tightly coiled spring in his stomach now, and he does not want it to snap.

Naruto fidgets in his seat, still looking around the apartment, never one to sit still. He shoots Sakura a glance, too, but she seems as clueless as he feels. When the Yondaime finally speaks -- maybe being dead and then resurrected has done something to him, after all, because he takes a hell of a lot of time to get going -- Naruto's eyes drift to his face. He scratches the back of his head, because he has no idea what the kyuubi incident has to do with anything. He is not particularly comfortable talking about that at all. Naruto's hand unconsciously drifts towards his stomach, and he holds it there, right over his navel were the strange spiral seal holds the kyuubi inside of him. The nine-tailed beast that has destroyed the village and killed Iruka-sensei's parents thirteen years ago.

And now the Yondaime is talking about it being only half of the beast? And what about all this stuff about Naruto's mother?

Naruto fidges in his seat. His discomfort turns into something more pressing, something urgent.

We both died, protecting you.

"I don't get it", he says. His voice is loud enough to drown out his thoughts, which fly every which way. "My mom died because of me?" Nobody ever talked about his parents with him; the Sandaime, on his rare visits, would drop the odd remark, of how proud his mother would be of Naruto, of how much his parent's loved him, but those words were like drops in the ocean that is Naruto's need to get closer to the memory of his parents, to get to know them.

"And why have you been there, eh?" He is positively shouting now. He is on his feet and does not know how he got there. His fists are clenched knuckle-white.

Me and my wife, your mother.

Does that mean ... ? But why is the Yondaime not just saying it!?

His chakra flares helplessly. The kyuubi sniffs out emotional turmoil like Akamaru sniffs out food, and it rears its head now, Naruto's confusion and sudden pangs of grief watering its chaps.

In the kitchen, Kakashi's hand finds Sakura's shoulder and squeezes lightly. "Stay here", he says, ignoring her question. There is something earnest in his tone, something that allows no back talk as he slips past her and back into the living room, where Naruto stands before Minato, breathing heavily, his body enshrined in an eery orange hue that is all power and malice.

"Naruto", Kakashi begins mildly, but Naruto does not even seem to hear him.

There are tears in his eyes when he demands: "Who are you??"

 

[spacecadet]

It's definitely how Minato pictured this conversation, but he knows that waiting any longer would be simply unfair to Naruto. He deserves to know. He should've know that all along, but it's not like he can do something about that now, except voicing his dissatisfaction to Sandaime. With matter he's as emotionally close as in this case, it's difficult for him to keep his serene facade on; his fingers itch with a need to reach for his son, but he stops himself, because, as much as the truth hurts, Naruto doesn't know who he is.

"No", he cuts in, shaking his head. "Nobody died because of you. We died, doing what was neccessary to keep this village, our home and its inhabitants from being destroyed by its attacker. It happened during the night you were born, but the reason we were attacked had nothing to do with you. It wasn't your fault." He makes sure to stress the last sentence, his eyes finding Naruto's fiery gaze, and, God, could he be more similar to Kushina, personality-wise?

As the first tendrils of orange chakra seep out of Naruto's small body, Minato hears the other half of Kyuubi sealed inside of him rumble with contenment, but ignores it for a time being. What he does is stand up slowly, like he's dealing with a startled animal. "I'm your dad, Naruto. And this time, I'm not going anywhere", he says gently, eyes flicking for the split second to where Kakashi's hovering in the doorway.

"I'll tell you everything, but you need to control him", he says, daring to take a small step forward, looking into red eyes without an ounce of fear. "I know you can do it."

*

Sakura really shouldknow better, but she's curious about what's going on back there. When Kakashi-sensei disappears, she doesn't dwell too much, her feet carrying her over to the doorway, looking into the other room from behind her sensei's silhouette. Even anewly-minted genin like herself can feel the change of Naruto's chakra; she has to grab the doorjamb, because her knees buckle, but her eyes stay glued to the scene in front of her.

 

[arbus]

Kakashi is neither particularly surprised nor pleased when he finds that Sakura disobeyed him, her small frame stepping up behind him. But he cannot blame her, either, to be curious or worried or both for her teammate. She does not seem to like Naruto very much most of the time, always seems irked by his big mouth and endless shenanigans, but even so, Kakashi cannot help but feel a bit of relief to catch a glimpse of worry on her face. Maybe all hope is not yet lost for them to become a unit, to become what he thinks he saw all those months ago on training ground seven when Naruto was tied to the pole and they shared their lunch with him regardless.

Kakashi's eye drifts to Naruto, who is now completely engulfed in the orange hue that wavers about him like molasses. It radiates power, unbridled and hot against the exposed skin of his face and arms. He is starkly aware of Sakura's presence behind him, her own chakra a mere blip in this ever-increasing, unrelenting pressure.

"Naruto", he begins again, knowing his voice remains unheard as father and son face each other. Minato's posture appears rigid, unmoving, and Kakashi has to commend his sensei's calm. He doesn't know what he must feel at the sight of his son's helpless, grief-fueled rage, and Minato's back is to him, so he cannot read the expression on his face. Naruto's face, on the other hand, is scrunched up, teeth gritted and jaw locked tight. His fists are half-raised and trembling, and he seems torn between an all-too-familiar freeze or flee moment. If it were Kakashi in his situation, he would have bolted by now, but Naruto looks like he wants to engage, wants to fight.

It's brief, a flash of red in his eyes that Kakashi belatedly realizes is not Naruto at all but the Kyuubi, and the fine hair on his arms and neck stand up in goosebumps.

It wasn't your fault.

For a seemingly endless moment, Minato's words do not seem to register. The marks on Naruto's cheeks grow noticeably thicker, yet another warning sign of how the Kyuubi is starting to get a hold of Naruto's psyche.

"Sakura, I want you to get out", Kakashi says into the chakra-heavy atmosphere. It is getting strangely hard to breathe. "Use the kitchen window." His eye finds the kunoichi, and his words are unusually sharp, leave no more room for insubordination. "Now."

I'm your dad, Naruto.

Kakashi doesn't know if the words make it better or worse, but Naruto's eyes narrow. His whole frame is trembling now, and the knuckles of his wrist are bone-white with strain.

"Do not", a rough, deep voice demands, and though it came out of Naruto's mouth, he is not the one speaking, "come closer, Yondaime."