Plot-Bunny: 18 Tails
Title: 18 Tails
Author: Ofphenwa
Rating: PG13
Notes: Another plot bunny of mine involving dimensional/time-travelling hijinks and what-ifs. I swear, I'm addicted to them.
18 Tails
"This is officially the weirdest day of my life ever. That's saying something."
That was all Naruto could say as he stared at the unconscious figure in the hospital bed before him. Now in his early twenties and donning the Hokage hat since the age of eighteen (becoming the youngest Hokage ever in the history of Konoha in the process was an added bonus), Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto had already seen many things in his relatively short but colourful and exciting life. However, all of these paled next to the impossible sight of his young father, irrefutably alive, unconscious in the hospital bed before him.
To top it all off, Naruto could also clearly feel the presence of another Kyuubi within the man before him, his Kyuubi's chakra inside him resonating with the other presence. It was not mere imagination. According to medical reports, this man also bore the same seal on his stomach. Going completely against the laws of reality and history, the formerly deceased Yondaime Hokage and Naruto's father, Namikaze Minato was a jinchuuriki just like him and he was comatose in front of him, recuperating from severe chakra exhaustion and burns. According to DNA testing, Minato was only 22 years old.
"…Holy crap. I'm actually older than my father!" Naruto blurted, earning an eye roll from Sakura beside him. She smacked her forehead, "Even though you're now the Hokage, you make the dumbest comments! You should be looking into why and how your DEAD father's now ALIVE and why he now contains another Kyuubi like you!"
Looking at her, Naruto replied petulantly, "We won't be able to get any answers until he wakes up to answer our questions, Sakura. And seriously, how else would you react if you were in my shoes?"
"…Point." Sakura had the decency to look sheepish. It was just then their guest decided to wake up.
"…Am I dead?"
Minato groaned as he slowly roused awake. He immediately wished that he hadn't woken up as his entire body flared with pain. He felt as though he had been scorched and ripped thoroughly before stitched back together with only the bandages to keep everything in place.
"No, you aren't. But you were supposed to be dead 24 years ago, Yondaime." A vaguely familiar voice answered him. The friendly voice somehow reminded him of Kushina. Groggily looking in the direction of the voice, he barely made out two persons, one with bright yellow hair and another with pink hair. He couldn't see their faces clearly enough with his blurry vision. Minato frowned in confusion, "I should have been dead 24 years ago…? But I wasn't even born yet."
The pink-haired person hit the blond person with a painful thwack before he came closer to check on Minato. Minato realized that the person was actually a woman once he was able to see her clearly.
"Hello, I'm Haruno Sakura and…erm, unfortunately, my idiot friend is right. You, or rather, our Yondaime Hokage died 24 years ago. And, frankly, we are all very confused by your presence and the fact that you are holding Kyuubi inside you. Our Yondaime Hokage never contained Kyuubi." Sakura hesitantly explained; her hands folded in her lap. Minato had to take some time to comprehend what she was saying before eloquently replying, "What…?"
"Goodness, this is so awkward." Sakura muttered to herself. "We've to give him a full crash course into our past before he's going to understand everything…"
Naruto scratched his head and replied reluctantly, "I'll love to do that now but I don't have much time left. I've got to return to paperwork… Ugh, now I understand why Sarutobi-jiji always loved going for ramen with me - it was an excuse to get away from ghastly paperwork!"
Even though he was still very confused about where he was and why he was still alive, Minato found the blond man's comment funny, "It seems universal that paperwork sucks."
The blond man's head snapped in his direction and he looked surprised before a slow smile spread across his face. He looked startlingly familiar. He replied, "My, so the legendary Yondaime also dislikes paperwork…!"
"What's your name? You never introduced yourself." Minato's vision was finally clear now and he could see the blond man's face clearly. He was transfixed by how much the blond man looked like Kushina. Unconsciously, he said, "Kushina…?"
Sakura looked highly amused as Naruto blushed in mixed mortification and indignation, "What no-! I'm not my- I'm not Kushina. I'm…Naruto. Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto. Congratulations, you've a boy, albeit, a 24 year old adult…"
Minato could only stare, his mind completely blown by what Naruto said. Now that he said it, he could clearly see his influence in Naruto's appearance beneath the rather striking resemblance to Kushina.
"You're Kushina's and my son…? But that's…"
"Impossible? I'm guessing you and Kushina didn't get together in your reality yet?" Sakura interjected.
"…No. It's because Kushina's been dead since she was twelve. She died in the Kumo kidnapping." Minato's flat answer made her pale and gasp.
"O…Oh! That rather changes things… Is that why you contain Kyuubi?" Sakura's voice was soft as she glanced back and forth between Naruto and Minato. Naruto looked rather thunderstruck before he forcefully got himself under control, a steely expression on his face. Minato absently noticed that he had the demeanour of a Kage - was his alternate-version's son a Hokage as well? He wasn't sure because Naruto was wearing a Jounin uniform (looked like they'd made some changes to the design.)
"Sort of. After Kushina's death, another Uzumaki, Kaneko, was sent to Konoha when Mito-hime's health started to fail as a substitute. Then… one night, Kaneko was somehow killed and Kyuubi was released… I was forced to seal it into myself as there was no other choice and too little time." Minato slowly explained, vivid memories of the battle replaying in his head.
"…Did you see a cloaked and masked man that night? He might have been wearing an orange mask." Naruto seriously asked. Minato shook his head no. He never saw anyone matching the description and he had been more pre-occupied with sealing Kyuubi away to notice. His pseudo-son (really?) hissed in annoyance.
"Damn. It may or may not have been Madara's doing… But since we can't go back to your reality, we have no way of knowing." Suddenly, Naruto mischievously smiled in exactly the same way Kushina used to.
"Annnnd, there's the question of what we should do with you. I'm quite of the mind to announce that the Yondaime Hokage's alive once more - the Council would totally shit their pants and it's not that inconceivable considering what happened during the Fourth War… It'll be totally hilarious."
"NARUTO, YOU IDIOT! Don't you even DARE." Sakura raised her fist threateningly and Naruto cowered. Minato's mind was occupied by the mention of a Fourth War. He asked, "Wait, there was another Shinobi War?"
"…Long story. But it's over now and we'll see about getting you some books on recent history to get you up to speed. Then, we'll talk." Naruto replied as he watched himself get scolded by Sakura. Minato blinked in surprise; he had not seen Naruto make a Kage Bunshin and switch at all. That was definitely Kage level skill. He asked in wonder, "Are you… a Hokage as well?"
"Yep! Rokudaime Hokage at your service!" Naruto gave a grand bow. Minato found himself smiling, "Neat."
Minato slowly closed the last book and placed it on top of the pile of books that he had been reading all day, now familiar with the events of recent history of this alternate reality. He was reeling from just how much had changed and how much had occurred in this strange new world from his original world. It was saying something that the least surprising information was the fact that the alternate Kushina had survived the kidnapping and married the alternate him to produce a son who was actually older than him by two years.
Aside from their first meeting, Minato hadn't seen much of Naruto. It was to be expected considering that Naruto was the Hokage and had other responsibilities to take care of. It was a bit disappointing but at the same time, Minato was also grateful, as it would have been awkward and uncomfortable for him trying to talk with someone who had so much history with the alternate him. Truthfully, he was a bit intimidated by Naruto who had completely surpassed him in so many aspects, having completed the Rasengan, obtaining Sage mode and so on. He had no doubt that Naruto also made a much better Hokage than him.
Minato also saw the pink-haired lady Sakura quite frequently as she was his assigned doctor. He had been quite impressed to learn that she had been Tsunade's apprentice and apparently just as skilled or possibly even better than the Slug Sennin. As he looked out of the window at the Hokage Monument with six heads, he mused to himself, "Certainly looks like the current generation have things handled…"
He had never expected that the Elemental Countries were actually experiencing true peace instead of the tenuous peace upheld by reluctant truces. It was very inspiring but Minato doubted if he could actually do the same for his own world, that is, if he ever managed to find a way back.
"Yo, Minato, how're you feeling?" Naruto's bright voice cheerfully greeted him. Naruto had come straight from his office still wearing his white Hokage coat over his jounin uniform. Lifting his eyes to meet Naruto's, Minato felt a frisson pass through his chakra as Naruto's chakra met his. It felt too…intimate for his comfort. It also didn't help that Kyuubi's chakra always reacted with the other Kyuubi's presence. But despite his discomfort, he couldn't help but smile in response to the cheerful greeting, "I'm getting better thanks to Haruno-san. I'm quite impressed with what you've achieved, Rokudaime."
Minato was rewarded with a happy smile that was very reminiscent of Kushina. Yes, this was why he couldn't bring himself to show his discomfort in Naruto's presence when he was so much like her. He couldn't help but feel guilty at the thought of upsetting Naruto and wanted to avoid that as much as possible.
"Jeez, didn't I tell you to just call me Naruto? There's no need for formalities between us, Kage to Kage." Naruto huffed in mock-annoyance as he sat down in the chair beside Minato's bed. He looked over the pile of books and whistled in amazement, "Wow, you finished reading all of them already? That's fast."
"I've always been a fast reader. And well, there's nothing else for me to do while I'm still stuck in bed." Minato self-effaced, feeling self-conscious. Naruto laughed and said, "Still, it's really amazing that you finished all of them in only a week. There's, what, at least ten of them? And each one is big enough to use as a door-stopper! I could never sit still long enough to finish reading one!"
"I take it you're the type to constantly get into trouble?" Minato dryly said.
"Oh yeah. If you've read all about my exploits, you would know. It's not like I want to get into trouble; trouble always finds me! You included." Naruto jabbed his finger at him in mock-accusement. Minato frowned.
"Have I been causing you trouble?"
"Not exactly. It's just…argh, you know, the Council. Everyone's going nuts, trying to figure out what to do with you while we're looking for a way to send you back home. Not to the mention the hoo-ha in the event that you fail to return home. It's an unprecedented event that there are actually two Hokages at the same time." Naruto's arms were swinging wildly in his explanation. Minato thought carefully and said, "I see. But, you don't have to worry about me. I'm no longer the rightful Hokage. You are."
Naruto laughed and shook his head. He shook his finger at Minato like he was a child and said, "Oh, Minato, you really underestimate your importance in Konoha. Thanks to your alternate self's accomplishments, you're revered like a god. Many of the people still want you to be Hokage, some even suggesting that I step down!"
"Oh, er, I'm sorry. I certainly didn't mean to usurp your place…" Minato was too flustered. Naruto snickered and patted his arm, "Nah, as long as it gets me away from paperwork, I would be all for it! But sadly, at the end of the day, I'm still the top honcho and even if you're technically a Konoha citizen, you're still an outsider, no offence. You simply don't know everyone well enough and not to mention the diplomatic ties between Konoha and the other villages. You also don't belong to this reality."
"Yes, you're right…" Minato sighed, knowing that Naruto was correct, "So, what do you have in mind for me then?"
"Well, it would be awesome if I could have you as my advisor like Sarutobi-jiji did for you but that's not feasible as I already have an advisor and you're still considered a security risk. We're going to allow you to continue being an operative and free reign over your activities under a condition." Naruto looked expectantly at Minato, waiting for his reply. When Minato nodded, he continued, "Right, you'll be subjected to a tracking seal that will monitor your activities and your location. It will be removed when you finally return. If you're unable to return, the seal will only be removed if you're deemed to be not a security risk. However, if you refuse the seal, we will have to keep you under house arrest."
Naruto grimaced, not liking the idea of practically treating Minato as a prisoner. Even if he wasn't exactly his father, he was still too similar to make the entire situation incredibly awkward. Minato thought carefully and asked, "If I were to accept, who is going to be my handler? What rank would I hold?"
"I will be your handler. As for your rank, it's up to you really. It would be really amusing if you decided to demote yourself to genin though!"
"Will I still be allowed to take missions outside of Konoha?"
Naruto shook his head, "Sadly no. You're too recognizable and it would raise a lot of questions if you were seen outside of Konoha. Considering what happened during the Fourth Shinobi War, you would be suspected as a zombie and most likely be attacked. However, if you're confident of being able to hide your identity outside of Konoha, we can discuss your options further."
"Understood." Minato nodded. Naruto leaned forward on his elbows on the bed and steepled his hands as he gazed at Minato intently. His voice was suddenly serious as he asked, "What's your decision, Namikaze Minato?"
Minato stared back at Naruto's hard blue eyes that were now so different from his usual friendly look. This was no longer just Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto but the Rokudaime Hokage of Konoha speaking. Instead of feeling intimidated as usual, Minato was surprised to feel a thrill and he answered, "I'll accept the seal."
"Excellent. I look forward to working with you, Minato." The Rokudaime Hokage relaxed and Naruto reached out a hand. Minato gripped his hand and shook it. Naruto leaned in and dropped his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, "So, what do you say to blowing this joint and getting a good meal instead of hospital slop?"
"…Yes, please."
Fin.
Author: Ofphenwa
Rating: PG13
Notes: Another plot bunny of mine involving dimensional/time-travelling hijinks and what-ifs. I swear, I'm addicted to them.
18 Tails
"This is officially the weirdest day of my life ever. That's saying something."
That was all Naruto could say as he stared at the unconscious figure in the hospital bed before him. Now in his early twenties and donning the Hokage hat since the age of eighteen (becoming the youngest Hokage ever in the history of Konoha in the process was an added bonus), Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto had already seen many things in his relatively short but colourful and exciting life. However, all of these paled next to the impossible sight of his young father, irrefutably alive, unconscious in the hospital bed before him.
To top it all off, Naruto could also clearly feel the presence of another Kyuubi within the man before him, his Kyuubi's chakra inside him resonating with the other presence. It was not mere imagination. According to medical reports, this man also bore the same seal on his stomach. Going completely against the laws of reality and history, the formerly deceased Yondaime Hokage and Naruto's father, Namikaze Minato was a jinchuuriki just like him and he was comatose in front of him, recuperating from severe chakra exhaustion and burns. According to DNA testing, Minato was only 22 years old.
"…Holy crap. I'm actually older than my father!" Naruto blurted, earning an eye roll from Sakura beside him. She smacked her forehead, "Even though you're now the Hokage, you make the dumbest comments! You should be looking into why and how your DEAD father's now ALIVE and why he now contains another Kyuubi like you!"
Looking at her, Naruto replied petulantly, "We won't be able to get any answers until he wakes up to answer our questions, Sakura. And seriously, how else would you react if you were in my shoes?"
"…Point." Sakura had the decency to look sheepish. It was just then their guest decided to wake up.
"…Am I dead?"
Minato groaned as he slowly roused awake. He immediately wished that he hadn't woken up as his entire body flared with pain. He felt as though he had been scorched and ripped thoroughly before stitched back together with only the bandages to keep everything in place.
"No, you aren't. But you were supposed to be dead 24 years ago, Yondaime." A vaguely familiar voice answered him. The friendly voice somehow reminded him of Kushina. Groggily looking in the direction of the voice, he barely made out two persons, one with bright yellow hair and another with pink hair. He couldn't see their faces clearly enough with his blurry vision. Minato frowned in confusion, "I should have been dead 24 years ago…? But I wasn't even born yet."
The pink-haired person hit the blond person with a painful thwack before he came closer to check on Minato. Minato realized that the person was actually a woman once he was able to see her clearly.
"Hello, I'm Haruno Sakura and…erm, unfortunately, my idiot friend is right. You, or rather, our Yondaime Hokage died 24 years ago. And, frankly, we are all very confused by your presence and the fact that you are holding Kyuubi inside you. Our Yondaime Hokage never contained Kyuubi." Sakura hesitantly explained; her hands folded in her lap. Minato had to take some time to comprehend what she was saying before eloquently replying, "What…?"
"Goodness, this is so awkward." Sakura muttered to herself. "We've to give him a full crash course into our past before he's going to understand everything…"
Naruto scratched his head and replied reluctantly, "I'll love to do that now but I don't have much time left. I've got to return to paperwork… Ugh, now I understand why Sarutobi-jiji always loved going for ramen with me - it was an excuse to get away from ghastly paperwork!"
Even though he was still very confused about where he was and why he was still alive, Minato found the blond man's comment funny, "It seems universal that paperwork sucks."
The blond man's head snapped in his direction and he looked surprised before a slow smile spread across his face. He looked startlingly familiar. He replied, "My, so the legendary Yondaime also dislikes paperwork…!"
"What's your name? You never introduced yourself." Minato's vision was finally clear now and he could see the blond man's face clearly. He was transfixed by how much the blond man looked like Kushina. Unconsciously, he said, "Kushina…?"
Sakura looked highly amused as Naruto blushed in mixed mortification and indignation, "What no-! I'm not my- I'm not Kushina. I'm…Naruto. Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto. Congratulations, you've a boy, albeit, a 24 year old adult…"
Minato could only stare, his mind completely blown by what Naruto said. Now that he said it, he could clearly see his influence in Naruto's appearance beneath the rather striking resemblance to Kushina.
"You're Kushina's and my son…? But that's…"
"Impossible? I'm guessing you and Kushina didn't get together in your reality yet?" Sakura interjected.
"…No. It's because Kushina's been dead since she was twelve. She died in the Kumo kidnapping." Minato's flat answer made her pale and gasp.
"O…Oh! That rather changes things… Is that why you contain Kyuubi?" Sakura's voice was soft as she glanced back and forth between Naruto and Minato. Naruto looked rather thunderstruck before he forcefully got himself under control, a steely expression on his face. Minato absently noticed that he had the demeanour of a Kage - was his alternate-version's son a Hokage as well? He wasn't sure because Naruto was wearing a Jounin uniform (looked like they'd made some changes to the design.)
"Sort of. After Kushina's death, another Uzumaki, Kaneko, was sent to Konoha when Mito-hime's health started to fail as a substitute. Then… one night, Kaneko was somehow killed and Kyuubi was released… I was forced to seal it into myself as there was no other choice and too little time." Minato slowly explained, vivid memories of the battle replaying in his head.
"…Did you see a cloaked and masked man that night? He might have been wearing an orange mask." Naruto seriously asked. Minato shook his head no. He never saw anyone matching the description and he had been more pre-occupied with sealing Kyuubi away to notice. His pseudo-son (really?) hissed in annoyance.
"Damn. It may or may not have been Madara's doing… But since we can't go back to your reality, we have no way of knowing." Suddenly, Naruto mischievously smiled in exactly the same way Kushina used to.
"Annnnd, there's the question of what we should do with you. I'm quite of the mind to announce that the Yondaime Hokage's alive once more - the Council would totally shit their pants and it's not that inconceivable considering what happened during the Fourth War… It'll be totally hilarious."
"NARUTO, YOU IDIOT! Don't you even DARE." Sakura raised her fist threateningly and Naruto cowered. Minato's mind was occupied by the mention of a Fourth War. He asked, "Wait, there was another Shinobi War?"
"…Long story. But it's over now and we'll see about getting you some books on recent history to get you up to speed. Then, we'll talk." Naruto replied as he watched himself get scolded by Sakura. Minato blinked in surprise; he had not seen Naruto make a Kage Bunshin and switch at all. That was definitely Kage level skill. He asked in wonder, "Are you… a Hokage as well?"
"Yep! Rokudaime Hokage at your service!" Naruto gave a grand bow. Minato found himself smiling, "Neat."
Minato slowly closed the last book and placed it on top of the pile of books that he had been reading all day, now familiar with the events of recent history of this alternate reality. He was reeling from just how much had changed and how much had occurred in this strange new world from his original world. It was saying something that the least surprising information was the fact that the alternate Kushina had survived the kidnapping and married the alternate him to produce a son who was actually older than him by two years.
Aside from their first meeting, Minato hadn't seen much of Naruto. It was to be expected considering that Naruto was the Hokage and had other responsibilities to take care of. It was a bit disappointing but at the same time, Minato was also grateful, as it would have been awkward and uncomfortable for him trying to talk with someone who had so much history with the alternate him. Truthfully, he was a bit intimidated by Naruto who had completely surpassed him in so many aspects, having completed the Rasengan, obtaining Sage mode and so on. He had no doubt that Naruto also made a much better Hokage than him.
Minato also saw the pink-haired lady Sakura quite frequently as she was his assigned doctor. He had been quite impressed to learn that she had been Tsunade's apprentice and apparently just as skilled or possibly even better than the Slug Sennin. As he looked out of the window at the Hokage Monument with six heads, he mused to himself, "Certainly looks like the current generation have things handled…"
He had never expected that the Elemental Countries were actually experiencing true peace instead of the tenuous peace upheld by reluctant truces. It was very inspiring but Minato doubted if he could actually do the same for his own world, that is, if he ever managed to find a way back.
"Yo, Minato, how're you feeling?" Naruto's bright voice cheerfully greeted him. Naruto had come straight from his office still wearing his white Hokage coat over his jounin uniform. Lifting his eyes to meet Naruto's, Minato felt a frisson pass through his chakra as Naruto's chakra met his. It felt too…intimate for his comfort. It also didn't help that Kyuubi's chakra always reacted with the other Kyuubi's presence. But despite his discomfort, he couldn't help but smile in response to the cheerful greeting, "I'm getting better thanks to Haruno-san. I'm quite impressed with what you've achieved, Rokudaime."
Minato was rewarded with a happy smile that was very reminiscent of Kushina. Yes, this was why he couldn't bring himself to show his discomfort in Naruto's presence when he was so much like her. He couldn't help but feel guilty at the thought of upsetting Naruto and wanted to avoid that as much as possible.
"Jeez, didn't I tell you to just call me Naruto? There's no need for formalities between us, Kage to Kage." Naruto huffed in mock-annoyance as he sat down in the chair beside Minato's bed. He looked over the pile of books and whistled in amazement, "Wow, you finished reading all of them already? That's fast."
"I've always been a fast reader. And well, there's nothing else for me to do while I'm still stuck in bed." Minato self-effaced, feeling self-conscious. Naruto laughed and said, "Still, it's really amazing that you finished all of them in only a week. There's, what, at least ten of them? And each one is big enough to use as a door-stopper! I could never sit still long enough to finish reading one!"
"I take it you're the type to constantly get into trouble?" Minato dryly said.
"Oh yeah. If you've read all about my exploits, you would know. It's not like I want to get into trouble; trouble always finds me! You included." Naruto jabbed his finger at him in mock-accusement. Minato frowned.
"Have I been causing you trouble?"
"Not exactly. It's just…argh, you know, the Council. Everyone's going nuts, trying to figure out what to do with you while we're looking for a way to send you back home. Not to the mention the hoo-ha in the event that you fail to return home. It's an unprecedented event that there are actually two Hokages at the same time." Naruto's arms were swinging wildly in his explanation. Minato thought carefully and said, "I see. But, you don't have to worry about me. I'm no longer the rightful Hokage. You are."
Naruto laughed and shook his head. He shook his finger at Minato like he was a child and said, "Oh, Minato, you really underestimate your importance in Konoha. Thanks to your alternate self's accomplishments, you're revered like a god. Many of the people still want you to be Hokage, some even suggesting that I step down!"
"Oh, er, I'm sorry. I certainly didn't mean to usurp your place…" Minato was too flustered. Naruto snickered and patted his arm, "Nah, as long as it gets me away from paperwork, I would be all for it! But sadly, at the end of the day, I'm still the top honcho and even if you're technically a Konoha citizen, you're still an outsider, no offence. You simply don't know everyone well enough and not to mention the diplomatic ties between Konoha and the other villages. You also don't belong to this reality."
"Yes, you're right…" Minato sighed, knowing that Naruto was correct, "So, what do you have in mind for me then?"
"Well, it would be awesome if I could have you as my advisor like Sarutobi-jiji did for you but that's not feasible as I already have an advisor and you're still considered a security risk. We're going to allow you to continue being an operative and free reign over your activities under a condition." Naruto looked expectantly at Minato, waiting for his reply. When Minato nodded, he continued, "Right, you'll be subjected to a tracking seal that will monitor your activities and your location. It will be removed when you finally return. If you're unable to return, the seal will only be removed if you're deemed to be not a security risk. However, if you refuse the seal, we will have to keep you under house arrest."
Naruto grimaced, not liking the idea of practically treating Minato as a prisoner. Even if he wasn't exactly his father, he was still too similar to make the entire situation incredibly awkward. Minato thought carefully and asked, "If I were to accept, who is going to be my handler? What rank would I hold?"
"I will be your handler. As for your rank, it's up to you really. It would be really amusing if you decided to demote yourself to genin though!"
"Will I still be allowed to take missions outside of Konoha?"
Naruto shook his head, "Sadly no. You're too recognizable and it would raise a lot of questions if you were seen outside of Konoha. Considering what happened during the Fourth Shinobi War, you would be suspected as a zombie and most likely be attacked. However, if you're confident of being able to hide your identity outside of Konoha, we can discuss your options further."
"Understood." Minato nodded. Naruto leaned forward on his elbows on the bed and steepled his hands as he gazed at Minato intently. His voice was suddenly serious as he asked, "What's your decision, Namikaze Minato?"
Minato stared back at Naruto's hard blue eyes that were now so different from his usual friendly look. This was no longer just Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto but the Rokudaime Hokage of Konoha speaking. Instead of feeling intimidated as usual, Minato was surprised to feel a thrill and he answered, "I'll accept the seal."
"Excellent. I look forward to working with you, Minato." The Rokudaime Hokage relaxed and Naruto reached out a hand. Minato gripped his hand and shook it. Naruto leaned in and dropped his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, "So, what do you say to blowing this joint and getting a good meal instead of hospital slop?"
"…Yes, please."
Fin.