Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Concessions ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

Concessions

A Naruto Fan fiction

By systaticism

*

Chapter Four

*

Minato leaned against the banister, his weight on his forearms. He breathed in deeply, the crisp early morning air filling his lungs satisfyingly.

 

Kakashi had come home with him that night. Minato had been unwilling to leave the teen alone so soon, especially after delivering news of Kushina's death. His student was irritated with him, he knew. ANBU was glamorous, desirable. They were the best of the best, the elite of all shinobi: powerful, respected, and feared.

 

And there-in laid the problem.

 

It was because Konoha promoted such fierce camaraderie and was so lax on displays of emotion that each potential ANBU trainee received such a shock when they first entered the program. Not many made it past the first few weeks, and if one did survive having their ideals and beliefs shredded to pieces before their very eyes, they went on to commit some of the most grisly acts imaginable.

 

Kakashi wasn't ready for that. Minato wasn't sure if he ever would be.

 

The tall blond dropped his head into his hands, taking measured gulps of air to still his thoughts, savoring the ability to truly think. This was the first bit of quiet time that he had had in months—away from the office, from the demands of being Hokage, away from even Naruto.

He had to admit, it was long overdue.

 

Minato was worried about the council meeting. It was only a day away now, he reflected, as his eyes rose to take in the early morning light. While he wasn't even close to being afraid of the council, he was a private person. That specific trait was something that wasn't always appreciated, even by his supporters, when one was the leader of a village. He could say without hesitation that he'd ruthlessly eliminate anyone that stood in his way, whether it concerned his village or his son.

 

Naruto was important to him, immensely so, and his little boy's well-being came before Konoha's insatiable lust for gossip or bragging rights.

 

He sighed and straightened up, grimacing as the muscles in his back protested the movement after being immobile for so long. The sun was just peeking over the horizon, and the sky was a canvas of pink, orange, and purple. He smiled, enjoying the way the colors reflected off Konoha's buildings and the surrounding forests. It was peaceful.

 

Minato took in that moment of tranquility, stowing away the beauty of those precious seconds of blessed silence, where the sky and the forests and Konoha itself seemed to burn with the Will of Fire.

 

And then, with a flash of yellow light, he was gone.

 

*

 

Naruto stared at the pipe-lined wall before him, his blue eyes a sharp contrast to the prosaic backdrop. It was grooved, much like the bark of the trees that sheltered his beloved home. Only here, it did not fill him with a sense of comfort or security.

 

Here, he was alone, exiled from the outside world.

 

Iruka-sensei had once commented on how children, especially babies, always seemed to grow up so quickly. Naruto was ready to debate that fact.

 

The teen figured that it was because of his body's infancy that he couldn't interact with the world around him. He, at most, caught snatches of words and small bits of conversation. In the face of the conversation between his father and Jiraiya, he was utterly exhausted afterwards, having used all of his meager energy stores to focus on the words being exchanged between the two men. Not to mention the blinding headache that resulted from his efforts.

 

The closest comparison that Naruto could make of his mind was to liken it to a sieve, where his thought processes and instincts were filtered into something more primitive once they had passed through. He couldn't remember half of what went on when he was awake and it aggravated him.

 

Naruto was, by definition, a social person. Long stints of solitude did not sit well with him. The fact that he was, for all intents and purposes, stuck in the seal until his brain was developed enough to contain his consciousness without melting into a steaming pile of gray goo drove him crazy.

 

On more than one occasion, he had raged and sworn at the walls containing him, only to curl up and sob after he finally ran out of steam. The only thing that kept him going, helped him understand that yes, this was all worth it, worth the solitude and the quiet, the isolation and mind-numbing worry, was the knowledge that, in the end, he was here to help the people he loved.

 

Of course, the warm, fuzzy feeling that enveloped him whenever his father was near didn't hurt either.

 

*

 

The captain of the first squad of the ANBU's Alpha division was a simple, direct man. He lived for his work. He'd been an ANBU for eight years, and a captain for four. That kind of track record alone earned him great respect among Konoha's best. His silently fierce demeanor and prowling walk had earned him his nickname, Kurohyou—the panther.

 

He was fiercely loyal to his Hokage. Should the man hand him a flask of poison and ask him to drink it, he would do so without question. He was, without a doubt, the personification of the shinobi profession.

 

And so, Kurohyou of squad A1 could honestly say that being a missing-nin had never looked like a more attractive choice.

 

"Sir, please take Naruto-sama for a minute." Kurohyou grimaced as his medic, Hato, handed the squalling baby to him. He received the child awkwardly, his large, calloused hands dwarfing the tiny frame they held.

 

When Minato-sama had called his squad into his office, Kurohyou had not expected his team's first official assignment after the Kyuubi attack to be babysitting, of all things.

 

The tall man sighed and brought the naked child closer to his chest as he dutifully followed Hato into the kitchen, where she had previously set up a baby bath, already filled with warm water.

 

Hato, being the kind and gentle soul she was, had immediately taken to Minato-sama's child, and they got along famously. Sadly, that couldn't be said for the rest of the team.

 

Taka, his vice-captain, was unnecessarily nervous around the vibrant baby. Kurohyou was a bit confused as to the reasons why—he'd never encountered anything that could make the normally unflappable man flinch and stutter like little Naruto could, other than the man's mother, of course. He kept his amusement to himself, as he had the feeling that the willowy, white-haired man would not appreciate being laughed at.

 

Not that Kurohyou laughed. Ever.

 

Ookami, the last member of their little family and the most boisterous, avoided Naruto like the plague. Something about not wanting to be a bad influence on Minato-sama's child because he wanted 'to keep my head on my shoulders, thank you very much!'

 

All in all, this was the most lively he'd ever seen his team act before, and it was all due to the child who was currently splashing away joyfully under Hato's watchful eye.

 

His lips twitched into a ghost of a smile. Perhaps this mission wasn't so bad after all.

 

*

 

When Minato finally set foot into the council room the day of the scheduled meeting, it was dead silent. His feet whispered across the floor, each step light and controlled. His face was impassive and his eyes hard. In his arms lay Naruto, asleep and oblivious to the world around him. He'd let Hato and Kakashi dress the child that morning. The two had picked out a simple ensemble of soft, dark green pants and a long sleeved red shirt with matching booties for warmth. Minato had also wrapped the baby in a plain beige blanket. He, himself, had donned his Kage robes for the first time in a while. He'd always hated the thing.

 

Once he'd taken his seat, the doors were sealed and security seals were engaged. Two guards took up their posts on either side of the reinforced double doors, with additional masked nin spaced evenly around the circular room.

 

The Hokage's seat was on the highest raised dais, in easy view of the rest of the council. Minato didn't so much as flinch as they eyed him like ravenous vultures. Once he was sure that every eye was on him—an unnecessary precaution since he'd been the center of attention from the moment he'd entered—he spoke. "Ladies and gentlemen," he greeted. His voice was smooth and even, and it echoed around the chamber.

 

"There is little question as to why we've gathered today. It is in response to the request I received two days ago."

 

Several heads nodded at the mention. Minato refrained from rolling his eyes. "In light of recent events," he continued, "and due to the increasing amount of rumors circulating Konoha, I've decided to answer the question that you've all been dying to know."

 

Minato couldn't help the little bit of sarcasm that seeped into his voice. He watched, amused, as some members—namely those from the civilian sector—shifted uncomfortably.

 

Minato turned Naruto in his arms, gently maneuvering the baby so that his sleeping face was visible to everyone in the room. Several of the women cooed quietly at the adorable child. "This," he said, with no small amount of pride in his voice, "is my son and heir, Namikaze Naruto."

Chaos erupted.

 

*

 

Minato ran a tired hand through his hair and sighed. He gripped the back of his neck, head falling forward limply, and massaged the tense muscles at the base of his skull. The council meeting had gone as uneventfully as he had hoped. After the many well-wishers and their prideful exclamations, the room had settled down, though an undercurrent of excitement still lingered. He had no doubt that he would get several invitations for "play dates" with Naruto in the future.

 

He'd put an abrupt end to any mention of arranged marriages the second he'd caught wind of them. He smirked, remembering the flinches of several people at his sharp snap. There was no way that he'd let another person decide his son's future—that privilege was reserved for Naruto alone.

 

The most surprising person had been Danzou. The man had merely given Minato a small nod of congratulation, which was followed by an expression of his great anticipation in seeing the ninja Naruto would grow into. From Minato's experience with the man, he was an intensely devoted, if misguided, patriot. He was thankful that Danzou hadn't seen the need to maneuver himself close to Naruto, not that he'd let the man anyway.

 

Their home was getting messy. Kushina had been the one to keep it clean, and though Minato was meticulous towards anything concerning his work, he was no housekeeper. He may be cold-hearted and virtually undefeatable on the battle-field, but the grime that was starting to pile up on the kitchen counter-tops won every time.

 

He sighed again and leaned back into his chair. Hiring ANBU to babysit his son was one thing, but making them clean his house, too? Even he drew the line there. And supervisor or not, he didn't want a batch of star-struck Academy students cleaning his home as a D-rank mission. No, he'd have to think of something else.

 

It was Kakashi who'd eventually come up with a solution during lunch that day. "Hire a housekeeper," he said over his plate of sashimi. He'd seen the teen eyeing the dishes in the sink as if they were about to attack him. Minato drew a little bit of comfort from the fact that he wasn't the only hopeless one at chores.

 

Minato chewed slowly, the cogs in his brain beginning to turn. Kakashi's idea had some merit. He'd have to do a background check of course, and an interview, but it was certainly a viable answer to the growing mass of dust bunnies; Minato could swear that they were breeding.

 

Soon after, when Minato was sorting through numerous job applications in search of the perfect housekeeper, a flustered chuunin burst through the double doors of his office. The brown-haired man was doubled over, heaving for breath.

 

"H-Hokage-sama," he gasped, "an urgent message from Intelligence."

 

The Yondaime took the folder smoothly, dismissing the messenger immediately afterward for privacy. He opened it to the first page. A picture with a name scribbled underneath it glared up at him.

 

His narrowed eyes bore into the unassuming visage with frightening intensity. He clenched his free hand tightly in his anger, snapping the biro it held in half, ink exploding over his fist.

 

"So that's how you want to play, hmm?"

 

 

*

 

Later that day, a brown-eyed brunette was escorted into his office. The girl couldn't be more than nineteen. She looked incredibly nervous as she squirmed under Minato's gaze. He took in the way that her eyes darted around the room curiously, pausing for a moment on the crib that housed his son, who was absently fiddling with one of his toys. Instantly, as if sensing someone watching him, Naruto's eyes locked onto the newcomer's with a frightening intensity.

 

The blond man repressed a smirk at the flinch the unblinking gaze evoked. Five months old and already staring people down—humorous, truly.

 

He smiled a tad to calm her nerves and broke the thick silence gently, "You applied for a housekeeping position two days ago."

 

Her eyes widened a bit and she nodded, "Yes, Hokage-sama." Her words were soft and unassuming like the rest of her. At least he knew her voice wouldn't annoy him to death.

 

"What are your skills?" he asked, folding his arms over his chest. He leaned back into his chair comfortably. The teen opposite him didn't look a fraction as relaxed as he did.

 

She wrung her hands together. "Well," she said, "I can cook and clean, watch children, shop, and tutor in mathematics, language, and history—the basics. I grew up on a farm with my father, older brother, and two younger siblings." He watched as her eyes started to tear up. The reference must have brought up bad memories. "Our home was destroyed and I'm the only one left, so I came to Konoha to look for work and lodgings."

 

Minato nodded slightly, shuffling a few papers on his desk before handing a stack to her. A black ballpoint pen rested on top. "Sign these," he said. "You start tomorrow."

 

She looked up, surprised, before grabbing the proffered pile from his grasp. Her hands brushed against his as she took the papers. She didn't see his eyes narrow at the action. By the time she looked up, finished with filling out and signing the forms in wide, excited motions, his face was occupied by a warm smile. She returned it shakily, obviously glad to have found work so early into her stay, but alarmed that it was the Hokage himself who was her employer.

 

"Your duties will include cooking the meals, keeping the house presentable, serving refreshments to guests, and buying any needed supplies. You will only be charged with watching Naruto, my son," he nodded to the child in the crib, "when Jiraiya, Sarutobi, Kakashi, or I are absent or unavailable."

 

After she nodded in acceptance, he continued, going on to explain that she would be given a bedroom with an en-suite bathroom and bi-weekly pay for her services. "A weekly stipend for household provisions will be provided," he said. "Your own meals and hygienic necessities will be supplied out of that allowance, which leaves you free to spend your own earnings in any way you wish. Do not exceed the limit of the allowance; any unused funds will need to be placed back into the envelope they come in.

 

"You're expected to be up at five-thirty every morning, with a meal ready by six. I'd appreciate it if you took the time to pack a lunch for me as well; it doesn't need to be fancy, just a balanced meal. I'm usually home for dinner at eight at the latest. If I have a late night, I will send you word of it and you are not expected to have a meal prepared for me. You will be welcome to eat with the family unless serious business is taking place, in which case our meal will be taken in my study.

 

"There will be times when I return to the office after dinner is done. During these times, a guest will be in the house watching Naruto. If one of the three men I mentioned before do show up, do not be alarmed. They are welcome and have free run of the house." He paused briefly.

 

"You are not, under any circumstances, to enter my study." Minato was sure that she could figure out that he had sensitive documents in there. Should she try to get in… well, he was a seal master. He'd leave her imagination to come up with a suitable punishment. "I will know. Other than that—and my advice to stay away from items that do not belong to you—you will be able to enter every room. You will be released from your duties each night at nine."

 

He glanced at her. "I hope I'm not overloading you too quickly," he said.

 

She shook her head, "No, Hokage-sama. I'm confident I can complete all the tasks I've been charged with."

 

Minato nodded, satisfied. "Okay. On a more serious note, I expect that you will not let anyone I have not specifically approved of inside the house. There are guards watching the property twenty-four hours a day, every day of the week. Little, if anything, escapes them. And I'll tell you now that you won't be able to find them if you go looking.

 

"In the event that an intruder does slip past the guards, you will be required to initiate a pre-set password, which will change every week. I'll practice with you for a bit so you get the hang of it. Should they answer incorrectly, you will, without hesitation, activate the seal on this wristband by tearing it in half or dropping blood on it. The fabric is very fragile, so tearing it won't be a problem. I will then be notified and will take care of the problem myself." He held his hand out. Trapped between his fingers was a simple ribbon of thin black silk. Whatever seal was on it wasn't visible to the naked eye. She took it nimbly and slipped it around her right wrist.

 

Minato purposely left out the information that the wristband also acted as a homing device and had a seal for his Hirashin technique built into it, which meant that he could teleport directly to her location. He had one on Naruto at all times as they were inscribed onto his clothing.

 

The blond leaned forward, practically oozing power as he stared straight into her eyes. The sudden change in atmosphere left her breathless. "I do not play around with my son's safety, miss. I am the Hokage of the Leaf. I have many enemies, and I also have a very defenseless son, who will be targeted before I am simply for the fact that he's unable to fight back. I expect you to stall or protect Naruto with your life. I understand the courage it takes to do so, and I will happily return the favor, but my son's safety comes before all else. I do not fool around when threats are made against him."

 

"I understand, Hokage-sama, and I'll do my best," she whispered. Her eyes were wide and frightened.

 

Minato stared at her a bit longer, his assessing gaze taking in every aspect of his new employee. He hummed and leaned back, having deemed her suitably intimidated. He could only hope that his words meant something.

 

"Good," he said. "Then there's nothing to worry about."

 

His eyes flicked to the papers briefly before returning to her. "Kizumi Naiko?" he asked. She nodded and a smile appeared on his face. He rose gracefully, and escorted her to the door, holding it open for her exit and returning her deep bow with a nod of his head. "Welcome to Konoha, Naiko-san."

 

Once the door snapped shut, his face settled into an emotionless mask. His hand twitched slightly and Kurohyou appeared from his position in the corner, unseen in the shadows beside Naruto's crib.

 

The tall man kneeled beside his commander submissively, waiting for his orders.

 

"Watch her," the blond man said. "If any harm comes to Naruto when she's around, it will be your head on the line."

 

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

 

*

 

Naiko, when she arrived the next day, was nice enough not to comment on the initial state of the house. From the ANBU reports he'd received, Minato understood that the woman was a veritable whirlwind—a cleaning machine. He came home from work to a sparkling living room and kitchen, with dinner on the table. After a long day at the office, Minato couldn't be more grateful for Naiko's hard work, though he still waited for a signal from his guards that the food hadn't been tampered with. Luckily, it hadn't been. It'd be a pity if he had to kill her.

 

He'd have to go to Kakashi for advice more often. The squirt had good ideas.

 

He introduced Naiko to Naruto that night, and watched as she cooed and fussed over him. After giving another order to the ANBU to watch the woman—especially when she was with his son—he retired to his room, Naruto in hand.

 

Pity that neither he nor the ANBU caught sight of the devious smirk that erupted over Naiko's features once he departed.

 

*

 

Naiko had proved to be a blessing in disguise. In return for her moderate pay and housing, she cleaned, cooked, shopped, and looked after Naruto when absolutely necessary.

 

It was Naiko who had planned Naruto's first birthday—a private affair that took place after the remembrance ceremony dedicated to those lives that were lost in the Kyuubi attack. Minato had shot down the idea of having a festival—doing so often prompted people to forget the sacrifices made on those dates. Though Konoha's ability to dig itself out of its rut was admirable, Minato absolutely refused to condone drunken foolery on the day that many of his comrades had perished—on the day his son was made a jinchuuriki.

 

Jiraiya and Sarutobi had shown up, the latter having brought his family, excluding Asuma, who had left to the capital of Hi no Kuni to join the Daimyo's guard. Minato shook his head at the reminder of the high-strung youth. He'd later found out that after he had given Asuma his permission to leave Konoha, the teen had bolted without so much as a by your leave to his father or older sister.

 

He sincerely hoped that Asuma found what he was looking for on his journey—and grew out of his peach fuzz while he was at it.

 

Kakashi, who had also joined in on the festivities and since gotten over the fact that Minato had forbid him from entering the ANBU, was predictably somber as this was also the anniversary of Kushina's death. He had, in a rare display of his age, demanded that his present be opened first, even though the candle on the cake had yet to be lighted.

 

Naruto had been perfectly delighted at the blunted kunai and shuriken set and immediately began chewing on them.

 

Sarutobi had gotten Naruto a pipe that could be filled with soap to create bubbles when it was blown on, some clothing, and a joint gift with his daughter of an outdoor tunnel set that Naruto had a blast crawling, and later hiding in.

 

Jiraiya, as was his custom, had gotten Naruto several new stuffed animals to be added to the already enormous mountain of soft toys in his room, one of which was a giant toad, affectionately named Gamakyo or Kyo-chan. The Sannin member and his student had grinned madly at Naruto's delighted laugh while Sarutobi sniffed importantly, muttering about giant toads and 'their need to compensate' and the superiority of apes. Needless to say, an argument over the summons was sparked and only ended after Naiko emerged from the kitchen bearing a large chocolate cake.

 

Naruto had gotten exceeding fond of Naiko in the past few months and smiled brightly at her when she presented to him her gift of a collection of story and picture books. As Naruto grabbed at her long hair, forgetting the books in favour of playing with Naiko and babbling nonsense at her all the while, Minato didn't miss the fond smile that stretched across her mouth. He also didn't miss the way her hands shook or the way she wouldn't meet the eyes of anyone else in the room.

 

After successfully coaching Naruto to blow out the candle (though Naruto ended up staring at Minato as if he was insane more than trying to blow out the candle), the cake was cut, served, and promptly devoured. Minato, who had already used more than three rolls of film, finally settled down enough to relax for a quiet evening.

 

It was only after the others had left and Kakashi and Naiko were asleep that he gave his own present to Naruto. He unearthed a leather-bound photo album from his study and settled down on the living room couch, cocooned around his son protectively with the album in his lap. He opened it to the first page, ignoring the breath that caught in his chest and the trail of tears falling from his eyes. He caressed the first picture tenderly, before bringing it up to Naruto's eye level.

 

"See this, Naruto?" he whispered reverently. "This is your mommy. Isn't she pretty?"

 

*

 

The next few months proceeded in much the same way. Naruto got bigger every day, and soon he had said his first word. Minato had gone a bit camera happy after hearing Naruto's utterance of "Da, up!" while reaching for him. He'd forbid the shinobi he'd been in a meeting with from uttering a single word about The Incident.

 

The image of a manically grinning and dancing Minato would die with them, lest they choose to visit Yamanaka Inoichi and his rather sadistic apprentice Morino Ibiki down in Torture and Interrogation.

 

Naruto continued to surprise him. His language skills were far above any child his age, and several at least two years his senior. Minato also saw a glint of unnatural intelligence enter the child's eyes sometimes. It worried him.

 

It was for this reason that he was currently speaking to Hato. "If you're able to, try to get a reading on his brain development. I want to know how or why he's advancing so quickly."

 

Hato was quick to agree. Minato could tell that her team was relieved to return to their duty as Naruto's guards after three months of active duty to keep their skills sharp. He had been surprised at how well the four of them had taken to babysitting duty, and had sulked internally for a while, lamenting that he wouldn't get to see them squirm. Even Taka had lightened up around Naruto after Minato had given the man an ultimatum: grow some balls or get removed from squad A1.

 

And so it was, seven months after Naruto's first birthday, that Minato asked one of his most trusted to examine his son.

 

They were in Naruto's bedroom because the procedure was easier to perform if the subject, in this case an energetic almost-toddler, was asleep.

 

Minato hid in the shadows, watching Hato handle Naruto unblinkingly. The green glow of her right hand reflected off of Naruto's hair oddly, casting an ominous glow over her masked visage. The Yondaime tensed at Hato's hitched breath of surprise, and didn't relax even after she released the chakra powering her technique. She turned towards him and shifted nervously.

 

"The results," he ordered. Her body language set him on edge.

 

"His brain tissue is far more developed than normal," she said. Minato motioned for her to follow him to his study and they left Naruto's room with near silent footsteps. He closed the door after him, shutting off the remaining light in the room, leaving Naruto, who was snuggled up against Kyo-chan, in darkness. It was only after Minato had activated the security seals in his office that he asked her to elaborate.

 

"I've never seen anything like it," she admitted slowly, carefully. "When children are born, their brains, and therefore mentalities, are not fully developed; the human brain continues to grow until we are well into our twenties. One can usually pinpoint the age of an otherwise healthy subject by analyzing their brain tissue."

 

Minato nodded slowly. At least she was simplifying the medical mumbo-jumbo for him. "From the readings I got from Naruto, his brain is as developed as that of a five-year-old's. And from what I see of his interactions, his mentality is just as, if not more, advanced. He just lacks the fine motor skills to properly express it. I recommend starting writing lessons soon, as it will give him the muscle control needed for more strenuous activities."

 

Hato watched worriedly, face hidden by her white mask. Her leader's face was astonishingly pale as he sunk into the chair behind his desk. The man looked as if the world had dropped all of its problems on his shoulders.

 

"Thank you, Hato," he said. "You're dismissed."

 

She hesitated for but a second before snapping a salute and disappearing.

 

Minato's head dropped into his hands, a sob erupting from his throat. Please… please don't let it be Kyuubi, he prayed.

 

God knows what he'd do if he lost his only child to that monster.

 

*

 

Notes:

1.Kurohyou - Panther

2. Hato - Dove

3. Taka - Hawk

4. Ookami - Wolf

5. Sashimi is a Japanese food. Sliced raw fish, basically. It's different than sushi, which usually comes over a ball of sticky rice or in a roll surrounded with seaweed.

5. Kizumi - Kizu•mi - Basically means faulted sword or faulted body, I think. My Japanese is pitiful, so work with me.

6. Naiko - Nai•ko - I think it means inner lake. Jeez, that sounds like I'm channeling the Native American culture (no offense). "Faulted sword, inner lake. Follow your spirit animal!" Gah.

7. A1 stands for Alpha Squadron One, not the steak sauce, though that yummy concoction is certainly deserving of mention. Mm.

8. The Kyo in Gamakyo means either great/large, pride, or squatting with your legs outstretched, which is pretty much how a toad sits. They all fit. Gama, you all should know, simply means toad.

9. Hi no Kuni means "Land of Fire," which should have been obvious. But hey, I'm not the one that spells Konoha as Kohana—which, by the way, annoys me in the most acute way possible and prompts me to close the window on the story. It's called proof-reading. You don't need a beta to do that.

 

*

 

Reviews are very appreciated.

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Major brownie points to skepsis66 for all of her wonderful hard work on this chapter.

This story is also at FFN