Naruto: Chaos Theory 7/?
Title: Chaos Theory
Author: Ofphenwa
Summary: Namikaze Minato never expected that he would actually have a son and that his son, Uzumaki Naruto, was already an adult. Neither did he expect that his son would end up bringing so much chaos and trouble into his life like his namesake.
Notes: Wow, it's almost the new year already! I hope that your Christmas was fun, readers. :) Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Master Post 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Chapter 7
Minato finally came home to find Naruto in the kitchen, cooking what looked like a stir-fry. Wearing hair-clips in his hair to keep it out of the way, Naruto was intent on his cooking. Minato half-smiled at the domestic sight before Sarutobi's words and his suspicions rose to his mind, instantly souring his mood. He contained a heavy sigh and was about to go off to the bathroom for a shower when Naruto noticed him with a grin.
"Hey, Minato! Try some of this and tell me what you think of it. It's a local dish from Whirlpool Country but I had to substitute some of the ingredients because they weren't available in Konoha…Geez."
Naruto held out a piece of pan-seared meat in long chopsticks with an expectant look on his face. Intrigued, Minato ate it or rather, attempted to as the food vanished into thin air. Naruto sniggered, dangling the meat tauntingly in front of his face.
"Hahaha, your face looks so hilarious! You shouldn't fall for tricks like that so easily, Mr. James Bond."
"Naruto… don't you know better than not to provoke a secret agent? You never know what he might do next…"
With a mischievous smirk, Minato quickly grabbed his arm and before Naruto knew it, he was pinned to the table with the chopsticks now in Minato's hands. Minato stuck the meat in his mouth and chewed with a thoughtful expression while still pinning Naruto to the table with his weight. Naruto tried to buck Minato off but there wasn't simply any leverage for him to take advantage of. Minato smiled and said, "The food tastes good. What's it called?"
"Get off me! You're super heavy!"
Minato played dumb, "That's a weird name for a dish…"
His cheeks turning red, Naruto slapped the table with his free hand in his agitation, "You know what I mean! Let me go or we aren't having dinner tonight. Seriously."
"Ok, fine, fine."
Minato laughed and released him. He handed the chopsticks back to Naruto and cheerily announced, "I'm going to take a bath first while you finish cooking. I've got some important news to tell you later."
"Okay…"
Naruto gave him a bemused look as Minato stepped out of the kitchen. Did he drink too much coffee today at work? Shrugging, he returned to the pan again and briskly stirred the meat so it didn't burn. Meanwhile, Minato was frowning as he walked to the bathroom, wondering if Naruto really could be Kyuubi - while pinning Naruto down to the table, he had surreptitiously checked Naruto's build, and it was too broad to be Kyuubi's more slender frame even if he tried to disguise himself. But when Naruto had thrown his head back and laughed, he really resembled Kyuubi, much to his consternation. Minato was officially confused. Was Naruto really the Kyuubi or not? He simply couldn't tell at all.
X
Dinner was quick and quiet as the duo were too famished to bother with conversation. While washing the dishes and passing a cleaned plate over to Naruto to dry, Minato took the opportunity to ask him, "Hey, your birthday is coming up soon, isn't it? On the same date as the Fire Festival, 10th October?"
Wiping the plate dry and placing it on the rack, Naruto absently replied, "Yeah. I'll be expecting at least a cake from you then. Make it chocolate."
"Everyone likes chocolate. But no, I'll treat to you something better. How would you like to attend an exclusive ball for the elite members of society? You could get to meet your favourite celebrities there, like Fujikaze Yukie for instance."
Naruto stopped drying the dishes and incredulously looked at him with wide eyes, "No way!"
Minato smiled.
"Yes way. I'll be attending the event myself and to be honest, I would like some company. You're welcome to bring one extra guest along, if you so wish."
"…It's not part of your job, is it? You aren't acting as an undercover bodyguard?"
Minato sighed deeply, "Yes and no. I'm going as myself. Aside from celebrities, there will also be influential government officials attending and I am required to join them, as much as I would rather not have to."
Naruto hummed thoughtfully at the information, mentally noting it and readjusting his heist plans for Minato's presence. He smiled, "Sakura will be happy then."
"Sakura? She's your date?"
Naruto sheepishly corrected him, "More like the other way round… She's a scary woman with freaky strength. Just came up to me today and punched a hole in the wall, demanding me to be her date… I couldn't say no out of fright."
Minato chuckled at Naruto's plight, which reminded him of Kushina's antics years ago.
"…I can understand that."
"What about you?"
"Nope. I'm going stag."
"Why?"
Minato rinsed his hands clean and turned off the tap before answering self-deprecatingly, "Well, after Kushina left me, I wasn't really that interested in the dating scene. It also didn't help that my job kept me quite busy. And now, it's even harder, considering what I do, and unlike you, I'm already in my forties and women aren't interested."
Naruto gave him a long, considering look before grinning, "Ehh, I don't know about that…you did attract the lion's share of the fairer sex's gazes when we were in Nami no Kuni. You should get someone to go with you!"
"Thank you for the compliment. But nope, I'm still going alone. There's simply no time to find a date, considering how busy I've been lately with the terrorists attacks and Nami no Kuni itself…"
"Hmm. Next time then."
On a whim, Naruto flicked soapy water at Minato who yelped in indignant shock, "Hey!"
Grinning, Minato retaliated by splashing water at his son and soon, the kitchen became the battlefield of an impromptu epic water fight.
X
Weeks zoomed past and before Naruto realised it, it was already 10th October. Dressed in a formal grey suit and pulling at his skinny black tie, Naruto whistled, impressed by the place where the ball was being held. The Konoha City Hall looked so different with the extravagant decorations from the last time he had seen it when scouting the place. It was incredible how an austere building could be perked up with a splash of colour. The heist tonight was going to be his most difficult yet, with all the people (undoubtedly, LEAF agents would be among them incognito as security detail), and especially, Minato himself.
Resplendent in a pale blue dress embroidered with white flowers, Sakura was starry-eyed as she caught sight of her favourite celebrities in the crowd. She gushed to her companion, "Wow, this is amazing! There are so many famous people here that I have to restrain myself from asking them for an autograph. How did you manage to get an invitation?"
"Yeah, how did you get in?"
A familiar voice spoke from behind Naruto and instantly raised his hackles. Oh crud, not that guy again…! Sakura gasped in happy surprise, "Sasuke! I didn't know you were attending as well. I thought you didn't like these kinds of events, even if you are an Uchiha."
Sasuke looked every inch the aristocrat with his fair skin, classical good looks and his tailored suit. He smiled slightly at Sakura and explained, "Well, I had to attend this time since my cousin Obito's too busy tonight to represent the Uchiha Clan. But why's this…" Sasuke paused briefly with a barely veiled disdainful look before continuing, "…person here? He's not your date, is he?"
Before Sakura could reply, Naruto bristled at the insinuated insult and he curtly spoke, "Nice to see you, Sasuke. As for your information, I was invited and yes, I'm Sakura's date for tonight."
"You were invited? Was it a rich old lady who invited you?"
"Why you-!"
"Cut it out, you guys!" Sakura intervened with an annoyed expression on her face. "Sasuke, don't annoy Naruto - you're going to make me angry. Naruto, are you forgetting that this is supposed to be a date?"
"Sorry!"
"…Sorry."
"Hmph. Boys."
Both Sasuke and Naruto had the decency to look sheepish before shooting each other black looks once Sakura wasn't looking. Someone called Sasuke's name and he sneered slightly before walking off to mingle with the crowd. Naruto growled, displeased that Duck-Butt had to ruin his birthday. Then he mentally slapped himself for getting distracted. He had to keep an eye out for the Fire Temple Abbot who was supposed to show up as the guest of honour tonight, and he would soon make his move… Naruto glanced at Sakura before guiltily looking away - she would not be pleased to learn that she had been used as his alibi.
X
Minato restrained the urge to sigh as he half-listened to the inane conversation among the Ruling Council members. He really wished that he could let go and drink himself into a stupor so he could get through this painfully long night; unfortunately, he had to keep up appearances as well as stay on guard for any unwanted guests, so to speak. His sharp eyes scanned the room, sighting his LEAF agents scattered through out the room, disguised as the guests and ready to jump to action at the earliest sign of danger.
His mood lifted when he caught sight of Naruto waving and smiling at him from within the crowd with a pretty girl with unusual pink hair at his side. Minato tipped his head in his direction with a faint smile; at least Naruto was having a good time with his date - he desperately hoped that he wouldn't have to arrest his son at the end of the night, which was also Naruto's twentieth birthday (if Naruto was indeed Kyuubi…) With that in mind, he grasped a small package in his jacket's pocket to reassure himself that it was still there. Minato had wanted to give it to Naruto as a birthday present earlier, but his son had already left the house even before he woke, so he would have to wait until after the party.
Then there was a respectful silence as an elderly man garbed in white and red robes entered the hall. Despite his simple robes, the old man radiated utter serenity and power, the impression further enhanced by the large ruby pendant hung around his neck. The Fire Temple Abbot Tetsuya Hiroki had just arrived. Minato's attention sharpened and he pressed two fingers to the hidden microphone on his throat to activate it, whispering sub-vocally, "Agents, Yellow Alert. Monk has arrived."
Deactivating the microphone, Minato watched his agents quickly move to their assigned positions around the hall and secure all the windows and doors to make sure that no one could enter. The Abbot was now on the dais, shaking hands with the Mayor of Konoha and the Fire Daimyo. Soon, he would walk over to the podium to make his annual speech and blessings for Konoha and Fire Country. In some ways, Tetsuya Hiroki was more powerful and influential than the Fire Daimyo himself, having been around for nearly a century and heading the largest Buddhist sect in all of the Elemental Nations.
Minato tapped his glass of champagne anxiously as he scanned the shadows and the faces in the crowd as Tetsuya spoke. With a quick glance, he confirmed that Naruto was still with his date and wondered if Kyuubi would show up tonight. Suddenly, despite all of LEAF's precautions, the lights went out to the audience's loud exclaims of surprise. Minato narrowed his eyes.
So, you've finally come…Kyuubi.
X
Five tense minutes later, the lights flickered back on again and the people calmed, deprecative laughter punctuating the air. Sakura turned to Naruto with a relieved smile, "Oh my, that was unexpected! It would have been quite a disaster if the blackout hadn't been fixed quickly."
Naruto smiled back and cheekily asked, "Are you afraid of the dark, Sakura-chan?"
Sakura rolled her eyes and retorted, "As if. I'm not a little girl anymore."
"Oooh, does that mean that you were afraid of the dark when you were younger? Monsters under the bed and all that?"
Sakura blushed and punched Naruto's arm, "S-shut up! You're supposed to be nice to me as your date!"
Naruto laughed and ruefully rubbed his arm; Sakura sure packed a hard punch despite her petite frame. Any harder than that, it would have been quite…dangerous. Raising his hands in mock surrender, he relented, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have teased you, Sakura-chan. But anyway, can you tell me a bit more about who that old man up there is? I'm a foreigner here."
"Oh? That old man, Tetsuya Hiroki speaking?" Sakura glanced at the old monk and she launched into an educational lecture, "He's the Fire Temple Abbot. He's quite well-known and respected as the head of the largest Buddhist sect in the Elemental Countries. Apparently, he's supposedly as old or older than Konoha itself-"
Oops. I didn't know that Sakura was such a history buff.
X
Minato's entire body was practically vibrating with adrenaline as he swept the hall with his sharp eyes. His instincts were practically screaming that Kyuubi was somewhere near by. But where? He glanced in the direction of his son and was relieved to see that he was still there with his date, Sakura. So, Naruto may not be Kyuubi after all…
Nevertheless, the Fire Temple Abbot was now talking again and he was getting close to the end of his speech. Minato didn't have much time left to locate Kyuubi and stop her before she stole the ruby necklace hanging around the monk's neck. Raising his fingers to the microphone, he ordered, "Captains, report in. Are all your agents still in place? Any sign of Fox yet?"
One by one, his squad captains reported in and it soon turned out that yes, everyone was still conscious and in their stations and no, 'Fox' aka Kyuubi had not been sighted yet. Surely, Kyuubi couldn't have sneaked past them so quickly within that five minute window? No ordinary thief could have done that, not when the entire place was crawling with LEAF agents and under heavy surveillance.
But Kyuubi is no ordinary thief! If anyone can do the impossible, it's her. She would happily do it with a cheeky grin and great pleasure, repeatedly much to my great annoyance.
Minato rubbed his forehead and sighed, feeling the beginnings of a tension headache form. Kyuubi would be the death of him one day.
X
The Fire Temple Abbot finally wrapped up the speech with a blessing, "May the Will of Fire continue to burn brightly."
Kyuubi hadn't appeared at all…
As the audience applauded politely, Hiroki slowly walked away from the podium to join the Konoha Mayor and the Fire Daimyo at the VIP table. As the Director of LEAF, Minato also had the right to sit with them though he rarely used it, finding the political obligations of his position rather tiresome - that was more Sarutobi's forte. But tonight, he was going to stay close to the Abbot to personally make sure that Kyuubi didn't succeed this time. He had even made sure that his seat was beside the Abbot's.
Tetsuya turned to him as soon as he sat down and smiled, "Hello, Namikaze-san. Finally decided to join the old crowd? You don't have to force yourself, you know."
Minato chuckled and replied, "Don't worry about me, sir. It's still a lot better than having to listen to sycophantic conversation and gossip. It gets quite tiresome after a while."
Tetsuya laughed quietly, his wrinkles creasing in his face. He said, "What an honest man you are."
"I try." Minato self-effaced, amazed by how at ease he now felt just by chatting with Tetsuya. Although it was the first time that he had actually conversed with the old man, Tetsuya had a gentle and kind demeanour that was quite remniscent of Sarutobi. It was little wonder that his predecessor and the Abbot were close friends.
X
Half way through dinner, the Abbot stood up and excused himself with a humourous parting, "It's time to pay my respects to nature, ladies and gentlemen."
Knowing that the Abbot would be vulnerable on his own, especially with Kyuubi on the prowl, Minato quickly got up and said, "I'll escort you. You've had quite a bit of drink."
"Oh thank you. You're quite the proper gentleman, aren't you?", The Abbot replied as he placed his hand on Minato's shoulder for support. Minato thinly smiled and escorted him out of the ballroom after sparing a glance at Naruto who was still engrossed with Sakura.
X
The hallway was empty as they slowly walked to the men's toilet, the Abbot's cane tapping muffled by the carpeted floor. In the corner of his eye, the famous Fire Ruby was swinging like a small pendulum from Tetsuya's neck.
"You came with me for another purpose, didn't you?", Tetsuya suddenly said out of the blue. Minato refrained from stiffening in surprise at the Abbot's insightful comment. After a moment of silence, he reluctantly replied, "…Yes. I'm sorry for lying to you but-"
"Is someone trying to kill me? I wouldn't be surprised."
"Huh? Oh no, no one's trying to kill you! I would know if that was the case!" Minato shook his head and explained, "There's a notorious thief Kyuubi who loves to steal big jewels. She's after the Fire Ruby around your neck and I'm trying to stop her."
"…Kyuubi, is it? The one who leaves behind nine-tailed Kitsune statues?" At Minato's nod, Tetsuya stopped walking and let go of his shoulder. He thoughtfully said, "You know, Kitsune are real creatures. They exist."
"…"
At Minato's quizzical look, Tetsuya snorted, "Never mind. You don't have to believe me. But at the very least, do you know what Kitsune are known for?"
"They are fox spirits, which can be either zenko or yako. They are well-known for their shapeshifting and illusions…" Minato replied, not quite sure what the Abbot was getting at. The niggling suspicion that Kyuubi was near by flared to life once more.
…You're quite the proper gentleman, aren't you?...
…You're such a gentleman, Mina-chan!...
The realisation hit him like lightning. With wide eyes, Minato faced the Abbot and whispered, "It's you…?"
The Abbot stood up straight and an uncharacteristic smirk crossed his face. Reaching up to his face, he gripped his skin and ripped it off to reveal a familiar woman's face. As Kyuubi removed the net binding her blonde hair, she cooed, "Surprised?"
X
Minato immediately aimed his tranquiliser gun at Kyuubi, his mind racing furiously as he tried to figure out how the hell she had managed to infiltrate the ball and even going so far to masquerade as the Abbot himself! He mentally kicked himself for not noticing that she had literally been next to him all the while. But wait, if Kyuubi was here, then…
"Where is the real Abbot? What have you done with him?" Minato's voice was icy as he glared fiercely at the imposter. Stealing was one thing but this was going too far. Kyuubi immediately put up her hands and answered, "Whoa, cool down! He's perfectly safe. Do you take me for the kind of person to abuse the elderly?"
"Where. Is. He?"
Kyuubi met his glare unflinchingly for a long moment before she huffed and said, "He's happily sound asleep in his bedroom in the Fire Temple. He was never here - I simply took the liberty of rearranging his schedule while moonlighting there as his secretary. In fact, he would probably be quite happy not to attend this boring-ass event! You happy now?"
Although Kyuubi had plenty of motive to lie to him, Minato somehow knew that she was actually telling the truth. His anger lessened. There was only one thing left to do. He let out a deep breath and then he fired his gun.
X
Kyuubi gracefully dodged the dart with a grin on her face. Backflipping backwards onto the railing as Minato rushed towards her, she immediately pulled her disguise to reveal her leather outfit and threw the robes at him, forcing him to slow down. She laughed, "Wow, that look on your face! You should have seen yourself!"
Minato swatted the robes aside and ruefully said, "I can imagine. I say once again, you're completely mad."
Kyuubi giggled girlishly and winked at him, "But that's also why I'm so good, yes? I'm the number one unpredictable thief, after all!"
Minato then did the unexpected. He put back his gun in his holster and said, "I'm letting you go just this once."
Kyuubi almost fell off the railing in shock. Bending over to peer Minato in the eye and placing her gloved hand on his forehead in concern, she asked, "Are you sick?"
"No. I'm repaying back the favour from Nami no Kuni. You did say that you would return the jewel right?" Minato replied factually. Kyuubi stood up again and tilted her head to give him a reconsidering look. She finally said, "You're also mad yourself. You're actually going to trust me, a thief?"
Minato only gave a slow and suave smile as he readjusted his tie, "And you're going trust me, an agent?"
Kyuubi's expression was hilarious. Her mouth and eyes were wide open in shock at seeing him acting so roguishly. And it felt good like when he teased Naruto. Kyuubi finally regained her composure and left with a parting remark, "I won't return the Fire Ruby, just you wait!"
X
Returning to the ballroom, he covered up the real reason behind the Abbot's absence and the fact that it had been Kyuubi all along by pretending that Tetsuya Hiroki had decided to go home early. Finishing his dinner, he excused himself from the table and went to find his son, wanting to give him his birthday present now that the 'main event' was over. Thanks to Sakura's conspicuous pink hair, he easily found her and Naruto in the crowd near the main doors. Sakura saw him coming and grew wide-eyed as she recognised him.
"Please excuse me, Haruno-san. I need to talk with Naruto for a minute." Minato politely asked. Sakura could only nod, amazed that she was actually meeting one of Konoha's government officials in person. He looked younger than she thought! And really handsome too. Hearing his voice, Naruto turned around to face him and greeted him, "Hey, Minato. What do you want?"
"Let's go somewhere more private." Naruto looked puzzled but he didn't argue. Excusing himself to Sakura, he followed Minato outside of the ballroom to a quiet alcove.
"Happy Birthday, Naruto. I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you the first 19 birthdays but well, here's your first birthday present from me." Minato smiled warmly as he tossed the small box to Naruto. His son easily caught it and examined the black box curiously. Minato encouraged him, "Go on, you can open it."
Naruto obeyed and opened the box to reveal a silver ring with a brilliant green emerald embedded in it. He made a face, "Uuhhh...don't you think it's a bit gay to give me a flashy ring like this?"
Minato snorted and lightly swatted Naruto's head for his cheek, "Hey, now, it's not just any ring. It's a family heirloom. That ring used to belong to my mother and it was her engagement ring. I was going to give it to Kushina but obviously, I didn't get the chance to. So, this is yours now. You can give it to your future wife...or even your future husband."
"...I was going to thank you but you just had to ruin the moment." Naruto scowled at Minato who gave him a false innocent look. Closing the box and keeping it safely in his pocket, Naruto put aside his wounded pride and stepped forward to give Minato a hug, "Thanks...Dad. It was the best birthday ever."
Pleasantly surprised, Minato returned the hug and ruffled his son's hair affectionately, "No need to thank me."
Kushina, I still don't know why you left twenty years ago and why you hid Naruto from me all these years...but, thank you for giving me a son.
X
The next day, an unmarked envelope was on Minato's desk. It contained the Fire Ruby and a simple note that read, "Thank you."
Previous
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Author: Ofphenwa
Summary: Namikaze Minato never expected that he would actually have a son and that his son, Uzumaki Naruto, was already an adult. Neither did he expect that his son would end up bringing so much chaos and trouble into his life like his namesake.
Notes: Wow, it's almost the new year already! I hope that your Christmas was fun, readers. :) Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Master Post 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Chapter 7
Minato finally came home to find Naruto in the kitchen, cooking what looked like a stir-fry. Wearing hair-clips in his hair to keep it out of the way, Naruto was intent on his cooking. Minato half-smiled at the domestic sight before Sarutobi's words and his suspicions rose to his mind, instantly souring his mood. He contained a heavy sigh and was about to go off to the bathroom for a shower when Naruto noticed him with a grin.
"Hey, Minato! Try some of this and tell me what you think of it. It's a local dish from Whirlpool Country but I had to substitute some of the ingredients because they weren't available in Konoha…Geez."
Naruto held out a piece of pan-seared meat in long chopsticks with an expectant look on his face. Intrigued, Minato ate it or rather, attempted to as the food vanished into thin air. Naruto sniggered, dangling the meat tauntingly in front of his face.
"Hahaha, your face looks so hilarious! You shouldn't fall for tricks like that so easily, Mr. James Bond."
"Naruto… don't you know better than not to provoke a secret agent? You never know what he might do next…"
With a mischievous smirk, Minato quickly grabbed his arm and before Naruto knew it, he was pinned to the table with the chopsticks now in Minato's hands. Minato stuck the meat in his mouth and chewed with a thoughtful expression while still pinning Naruto to the table with his weight. Naruto tried to buck Minato off but there wasn't simply any leverage for him to take advantage of. Minato smiled and said, "The food tastes good. What's it called?"
"Get off me! You're super heavy!"
Minato played dumb, "That's a weird name for a dish…"
His cheeks turning red, Naruto slapped the table with his free hand in his agitation, "You know what I mean! Let me go or we aren't having dinner tonight. Seriously."
"Ok, fine, fine."
Minato laughed and released him. He handed the chopsticks back to Naruto and cheerily announced, "I'm going to take a bath first while you finish cooking. I've got some important news to tell you later."
"Okay…"
Naruto gave him a bemused look as Minato stepped out of the kitchen. Did he drink too much coffee today at work? Shrugging, he returned to the pan again and briskly stirred the meat so it didn't burn. Meanwhile, Minato was frowning as he walked to the bathroom, wondering if Naruto really could be Kyuubi - while pinning Naruto down to the table, he had surreptitiously checked Naruto's build, and it was too broad to be Kyuubi's more slender frame even if he tried to disguise himself. But when Naruto had thrown his head back and laughed, he really resembled Kyuubi, much to his consternation. Minato was officially confused. Was Naruto really the Kyuubi or not? He simply couldn't tell at all.
X
Dinner was quick and quiet as the duo were too famished to bother with conversation. While washing the dishes and passing a cleaned plate over to Naruto to dry, Minato took the opportunity to ask him, "Hey, your birthday is coming up soon, isn't it? On the same date as the Fire Festival, 10th October?"
Wiping the plate dry and placing it on the rack, Naruto absently replied, "Yeah. I'll be expecting at least a cake from you then. Make it chocolate."
"Everyone likes chocolate. But no, I'll treat to you something better. How would you like to attend an exclusive ball for the elite members of society? You could get to meet your favourite celebrities there, like Fujikaze Yukie for instance."
Naruto stopped drying the dishes and incredulously looked at him with wide eyes, "No way!"
Minato smiled.
"Yes way. I'll be attending the event myself and to be honest, I would like some company. You're welcome to bring one extra guest along, if you so wish."
"…It's not part of your job, is it? You aren't acting as an undercover bodyguard?"
Minato sighed deeply, "Yes and no. I'm going as myself. Aside from celebrities, there will also be influential government officials attending and I am required to join them, as much as I would rather not have to."
Naruto hummed thoughtfully at the information, mentally noting it and readjusting his heist plans for Minato's presence. He smiled, "Sakura will be happy then."
"Sakura? She's your date?"
Naruto sheepishly corrected him, "More like the other way round… She's a scary woman with freaky strength. Just came up to me today and punched a hole in the wall, demanding me to be her date… I couldn't say no out of fright."
Minato chuckled at Naruto's plight, which reminded him of Kushina's antics years ago.
"…I can understand that."
"What about you?"
"Nope. I'm going stag."
"Why?"
Minato rinsed his hands clean and turned off the tap before answering self-deprecatingly, "Well, after Kushina left me, I wasn't really that interested in the dating scene. It also didn't help that my job kept me quite busy. And now, it's even harder, considering what I do, and unlike you, I'm already in my forties and women aren't interested."
Naruto gave him a long, considering look before grinning, "Ehh, I don't know about that…you did attract the lion's share of the fairer sex's gazes when we were in Nami no Kuni. You should get someone to go with you!"
"Thank you for the compliment. But nope, I'm still going alone. There's simply no time to find a date, considering how busy I've been lately with the terrorists attacks and Nami no Kuni itself…"
"Hmm. Next time then."
On a whim, Naruto flicked soapy water at Minato who yelped in indignant shock, "Hey!"
Grinning, Minato retaliated by splashing water at his son and soon, the kitchen became the battlefield of an impromptu epic water fight.
X
Weeks zoomed past and before Naruto realised it, it was already 10th October. Dressed in a formal grey suit and pulling at his skinny black tie, Naruto whistled, impressed by the place where the ball was being held. The Konoha City Hall looked so different with the extravagant decorations from the last time he had seen it when scouting the place. It was incredible how an austere building could be perked up with a splash of colour. The heist tonight was going to be his most difficult yet, with all the people (undoubtedly, LEAF agents would be among them incognito as security detail), and especially, Minato himself.
Resplendent in a pale blue dress embroidered with white flowers, Sakura was starry-eyed as she caught sight of her favourite celebrities in the crowd. She gushed to her companion, "Wow, this is amazing! There are so many famous people here that I have to restrain myself from asking them for an autograph. How did you manage to get an invitation?"
"Yeah, how did you get in?"
A familiar voice spoke from behind Naruto and instantly raised his hackles. Oh crud, not that guy again…! Sakura gasped in happy surprise, "Sasuke! I didn't know you were attending as well. I thought you didn't like these kinds of events, even if you are an Uchiha."
Sasuke looked every inch the aristocrat with his fair skin, classical good looks and his tailored suit. He smiled slightly at Sakura and explained, "Well, I had to attend this time since my cousin Obito's too busy tonight to represent the Uchiha Clan. But why's this…" Sasuke paused briefly with a barely veiled disdainful look before continuing, "…person here? He's not your date, is he?"
Before Sakura could reply, Naruto bristled at the insinuated insult and he curtly spoke, "Nice to see you, Sasuke. As for your information, I was invited and yes, I'm Sakura's date for tonight."
"You were invited? Was it a rich old lady who invited you?"
"Why you-!"
"Cut it out, you guys!" Sakura intervened with an annoyed expression on her face. "Sasuke, don't annoy Naruto - you're going to make me angry. Naruto, are you forgetting that this is supposed to be a date?"
"Sorry!"
"…Sorry."
"Hmph. Boys."
Both Sasuke and Naruto had the decency to look sheepish before shooting each other black looks once Sakura wasn't looking. Someone called Sasuke's name and he sneered slightly before walking off to mingle with the crowd. Naruto growled, displeased that Duck-Butt had to ruin his birthday. Then he mentally slapped himself for getting distracted. He had to keep an eye out for the Fire Temple Abbot who was supposed to show up as the guest of honour tonight, and he would soon make his move… Naruto glanced at Sakura before guiltily looking away - she would not be pleased to learn that she had been used as his alibi.
X
Minato restrained the urge to sigh as he half-listened to the inane conversation among the Ruling Council members. He really wished that he could let go and drink himself into a stupor so he could get through this painfully long night; unfortunately, he had to keep up appearances as well as stay on guard for any unwanted guests, so to speak. His sharp eyes scanned the room, sighting his LEAF agents scattered through out the room, disguised as the guests and ready to jump to action at the earliest sign of danger.
His mood lifted when he caught sight of Naruto waving and smiling at him from within the crowd with a pretty girl with unusual pink hair at his side. Minato tipped his head in his direction with a faint smile; at least Naruto was having a good time with his date - he desperately hoped that he wouldn't have to arrest his son at the end of the night, which was also Naruto's twentieth birthday (if Naruto was indeed Kyuubi…) With that in mind, he grasped a small package in his jacket's pocket to reassure himself that it was still there. Minato had wanted to give it to Naruto as a birthday present earlier, but his son had already left the house even before he woke, so he would have to wait until after the party.
Then there was a respectful silence as an elderly man garbed in white and red robes entered the hall. Despite his simple robes, the old man radiated utter serenity and power, the impression further enhanced by the large ruby pendant hung around his neck. The Fire Temple Abbot Tetsuya Hiroki had just arrived. Minato's attention sharpened and he pressed two fingers to the hidden microphone on his throat to activate it, whispering sub-vocally, "Agents, Yellow Alert. Monk has arrived."
Deactivating the microphone, Minato watched his agents quickly move to their assigned positions around the hall and secure all the windows and doors to make sure that no one could enter. The Abbot was now on the dais, shaking hands with the Mayor of Konoha and the Fire Daimyo. Soon, he would walk over to the podium to make his annual speech and blessings for Konoha and Fire Country. In some ways, Tetsuya Hiroki was more powerful and influential than the Fire Daimyo himself, having been around for nearly a century and heading the largest Buddhist sect in all of the Elemental Nations.
Minato tapped his glass of champagne anxiously as he scanned the shadows and the faces in the crowd as Tetsuya spoke. With a quick glance, he confirmed that Naruto was still with his date and wondered if Kyuubi would show up tonight. Suddenly, despite all of LEAF's precautions, the lights went out to the audience's loud exclaims of surprise. Minato narrowed his eyes.
So, you've finally come…Kyuubi.
X
Five tense minutes later, the lights flickered back on again and the people calmed, deprecative laughter punctuating the air. Sakura turned to Naruto with a relieved smile, "Oh my, that was unexpected! It would have been quite a disaster if the blackout hadn't been fixed quickly."
Naruto smiled back and cheekily asked, "Are you afraid of the dark, Sakura-chan?"
Sakura rolled her eyes and retorted, "As if. I'm not a little girl anymore."
"Oooh, does that mean that you were afraid of the dark when you were younger? Monsters under the bed and all that?"
Sakura blushed and punched Naruto's arm, "S-shut up! You're supposed to be nice to me as your date!"
Naruto laughed and ruefully rubbed his arm; Sakura sure packed a hard punch despite her petite frame. Any harder than that, it would have been quite…dangerous. Raising his hands in mock surrender, he relented, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have teased you, Sakura-chan. But anyway, can you tell me a bit more about who that old man up there is? I'm a foreigner here."
"Oh? That old man, Tetsuya Hiroki speaking?" Sakura glanced at the old monk and she launched into an educational lecture, "He's the Fire Temple Abbot. He's quite well-known and respected as the head of the largest Buddhist sect in the Elemental Countries. Apparently, he's supposedly as old or older than Konoha itself-"
Oops. I didn't know that Sakura was such a history buff.
X
Minato's entire body was practically vibrating with adrenaline as he swept the hall with his sharp eyes. His instincts were practically screaming that Kyuubi was somewhere near by. But where? He glanced in the direction of his son and was relieved to see that he was still there with his date, Sakura. So, Naruto may not be Kyuubi after all…
Nevertheless, the Fire Temple Abbot was now talking again and he was getting close to the end of his speech. Minato didn't have much time left to locate Kyuubi and stop her before she stole the ruby necklace hanging around the monk's neck. Raising his fingers to the microphone, he ordered, "Captains, report in. Are all your agents still in place? Any sign of Fox yet?"
One by one, his squad captains reported in and it soon turned out that yes, everyone was still conscious and in their stations and no, 'Fox' aka Kyuubi had not been sighted yet. Surely, Kyuubi couldn't have sneaked past them so quickly within that five minute window? No ordinary thief could have done that, not when the entire place was crawling with LEAF agents and under heavy surveillance.
But Kyuubi is no ordinary thief! If anyone can do the impossible, it's her. She would happily do it with a cheeky grin and great pleasure, repeatedly much to my great annoyance.
Minato rubbed his forehead and sighed, feeling the beginnings of a tension headache form. Kyuubi would be the death of him one day.
X
The Fire Temple Abbot finally wrapped up the speech with a blessing, "May the Will of Fire continue to burn brightly."
Kyuubi hadn't appeared at all…
As the audience applauded politely, Hiroki slowly walked away from the podium to join the Konoha Mayor and the Fire Daimyo at the VIP table. As the Director of LEAF, Minato also had the right to sit with them though he rarely used it, finding the political obligations of his position rather tiresome - that was more Sarutobi's forte. But tonight, he was going to stay close to the Abbot to personally make sure that Kyuubi didn't succeed this time. He had even made sure that his seat was beside the Abbot's.
Tetsuya turned to him as soon as he sat down and smiled, "Hello, Namikaze-san. Finally decided to join the old crowd? You don't have to force yourself, you know."
Minato chuckled and replied, "Don't worry about me, sir. It's still a lot better than having to listen to sycophantic conversation and gossip. It gets quite tiresome after a while."
Tetsuya laughed quietly, his wrinkles creasing in his face. He said, "What an honest man you are."
"I try." Minato self-effaced, amazed by how at ease he now felt just by chatting with Tetsuya. Although it was the first time that he had actually conversed with the old man, Tetsuya had a gentle and kind demeanour that was quite remniscent of Sarutobi. It was little wonder that his predecessor and the Abbot were close friends.
X
Half way through dinner, the Abbot stood up and excused himself with a humourous parting, "It's time to pay my respects to nature, ladies and gentlemen."
Knowing that the Abbot would be vulnerable on his own, especially with Kyuubi on the prowl, Minato quickly got up and said, "I'll escort you. You've had quite a bit of drink."
"Oh thank you. You're quite the proper gentleman, aren't you?", The Abbot replied as he placed his hand on Minato's shoulder for support. Minato thinly smiled and escorted him out of the ballroom after sparing a glance at Naruto who was still engrossed with Sakura.
X
The hallway was empty as they slowly walked to the men's toilet, the Abbot's cane tapping muffled by the carpeted floor. In the corner of his eye, the famous Fire Ruby was swinging like a small pendulum from Tetsuya's neck.
"You came with me for another purpose, didn't you?", Tetsuya suddenly said out of the blue. Minato refrained from stiffening in surprise at the Abbot's insightful comment. After a moment of silence, he reluctantly replied, "…Yes. I'm sorry for lying to you but-"
"Is someone trying to kill me? I wouldn't be surprised."
"Huh? Oh no, no one's trying to kill you! I would know if that was the case!" Minato shook his head and explained, "There's a notorious thief Kyuubi who loves to steal big jewels. She's after the Fire Ruby around your neck and I'm trying to stop her."
"…Kyuubi, is it? The one who leaves behind nine-tailed Kitsune statues?" At Minato's nod, Tetsuya stopped walking and let go of his shoulder. He thoughtfully said, "You know, Kitsune are real creatures. They exist."
"…"
At Minato's quizzical look, Tetsuya snorted, "Never mind. You don't have to believe me. But at the very least, do you know what Kitsune are known for?"
"They are fox spirits, which can be either zenko or yako. They are well-known for their shapeshifting and illusions…" Minato replied, not quite sure what the Abbot was getting at. The niggling suspicion that Kyuubi was near by flared to life once more.
…You're quite the proper gentleman, aren't you?...
…You're such a gentleman, Mina-chan!...
The realisation hit him like lightning. With wide eyes, Minato faced the Abbot and whispered, "It's you…?"
The Abbot stood up straight and an uncharacteristic smirk crossed his face. Reaching up to his face, he gripped his skin and ripped it off to reveal a familiar woman's face. As Kyuubi removed the net binding her blonde hair, she cooed, "Surprised?"
X
Minato immediately aimed his tranquiliser gun at Kyuubi, his mind racing furiously as he tried to figure out how the hell she had managed to infiltrate the ball and even going so far to masquerade as the Abbot himself! He mentally kicked himself for not noticing that she had literally been next to him all the while. But wait, if Kyuubi was here, then…
"Where is the real Abbot? What have you done with him?" Minato's voice was icy as he glared fiercely at the imposter. Stealing was one thing but this was going too far. Kyuubi immediately put up her hands and answered, "Whoa, cool down! He's perfectly safe. Do you take me for the kind of person to abuse the elderly?"
"Where. Is. He?"
Kyuubi met his glare unflinchingly for a long moment before she huffed and said, "He's happily sound asleep in his bedroom in the Fire Temple. He was never here - I simply took the liberty of rearranging his schedule while moonlighting there as his secretary. In fact, he would probably be quite happy not to attend this boring-ass event! You happy now?"
Although Kyuubi had plenty of motive to lie to him, Minato somehow knew that she was actually telling the truth. His anger lessened. There was only one thing left to do. He let out a deep breath and then he fired his gun.
X
Kyuubi gracefully dodged the dart with a grin on her face. Backflipping backwards onto the railing as Minato rushed towards her, she immediately pulled her disguise to reveal her leather outfit and threw the robes at him, forcing him to slow down. She laughed, "Wow, that look on your face! You should have seen yourself!"
Minato swatted the robes aside and ruefully said, "I can imagine. I say once again, you're completely mad."
Kyuubi giggled girlishly and winked at him, "But that's also why I'm so good, yes? I'm the number one unpredictable thief, after all!"
Minato then did the unexpected. He put back his gun in his holster and said, "I'm letting you go just this once."
Kyuubi almost fell off the railing in shock. Bending over to peer Minato in the eye and placing her gloved hand on his forehead in concern, she asked, "Are you sick?"
"No. I'm repaying back the favour from Nami no Kuni. You did say that you would return the jewel right?" Minato replied factually. Kyuubi stood up again and tilted her head to give him a reconsidering look. She finally said, "You're also mad yourself. You're actually going to trust me, a thief?"
Minato only gave a slow and suave smile as he readjusted his tie, "And you're going trust me, an agent?"
Kyuubi's expression was hilarious. Her mouth and eyes were wide open in shock at seeing him acting so roguishly. And it felt good like when he teased Naruto. Kyuubi finally regained her composure and left with a parting remark, "I won't return the Fire Ruby, just you wait!"
X
Returning to the ballroom, he covered up the real reason behind the Abbot's absence and the fact that it had been Kyuubi all along by pretending that Tetsuya Hiroki had decided to go home early. Finishing his dinner, he excused himself from the table and went to find his son, wanting to give him his birthday present now that the 'main event' was over. Thanks to Sakura's conspicuous pink hair, he easily found her and Naruto in the crowd near the main doors. Sakura saw him coming and grew wide-eyed as she recognised him.
"Please excuse me, Haruno-san. I need to talk with Naruto for a minute." Minato politely asked. Sakura could only nod, amazed that she was actually meeting one of Konoha's government officials in person. He looked younger than she thought! And really handsome too. Hearing his voice, Naruto turned around to face him and greeted him, "Hey, Minato. What do you want?"
"Let's go somewhere more private." Naruto looked puzzled but he didn't argue. Excusing himself to Sakura, he followed Minato outside of the ballroom to a quiet alcove.
"Happy Birthday, Naruto. I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you the first 19 birthdays but well, here's your first birthday present from me." Minato smiled warmly as he tossed the small box to Naruto. His son easily caught it and examined the black box curiously. Minato encouraged him, "Go on, you can open it."
Naruto obeyed and opened the box to reveal a silver ring with a brilliant green emerald embedded in it. He made a face, "Uuhhh...don't you think it's a bit gay to give me a flashy ring like this?"
Minato snorted and lightly swatted Naruto's head for his cheek, "Hey, now, it's not just any ring. It's a family heirloom. That ring used to belong to my mother and it was her engagement ring. I was going to give it to Kushina but obviously, I didn't get the chance to. So, this is yours now. You can give it to your future wife...or even your future husband."
"...I was going to thank you but you just had to ruin the moment." Naruto scowled at Minato who gave him a false innocent look. Closing the box and keeping it safely in his pocket, Naruto put aside his wounded pride and stepped forward to give Minato a hug, "Thanks...Dad. It was the best birthday ever."
Pleasantly surprised, Minato returned the hug and ruffled his son's hair affectionately, "No need to thank me."
Kushina, I still don't know why you left twenty years ago and why you hid Naruto from me all these years...but, thank you for giving me a son.
X
The next day, an unmarked envelope was on Minato's desk. It contained the Fire Ruby and a simple note that read, "Thank you."
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