The Future In Our Hands

Chapter 3: Namikaze Minato: The Yellow Flash of Konoha

A/N: Before going through the chapter, I would like to thank my beta's

Gheloured

Kurupira

MiloOfTheKey

GG Anime

Akaichi-rin

Hakon2feb

Regalithy

EDITED: October 18, 2020

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The Future in Our Hands

Chapter 3: Namikaze Minato: The Yellow Flash of Konoha

The refreshing blue color of the sky was replaced by gloomy ashen grey, the sun refused to provide its usual shine, with only a rough, woolen blanket of mottled grey covering the land. The usual virescent hues of the trees and mountains were muted to the point of dullness; the air was heavy with the dampness of a coming storm, and even the animals knew to seek shelter.

The weather itself seemed to sympathize with the tragic event that transpired a few hours ago that changed the whole life perspective of a 13-year-old Jounin and traumatized a Chunin medic. The sky started to cry, soaking the three bodies who were tree hopping at a moderate pace towards the Village Hidden in the Leaf.

Namikaze Minato briefly chanced a glance at his remaining student, noting the tears that continued to roll down the face of his female student and the hunted look in the eyes of the last Hatake. He grimaced and felt his chest constricted in pain as his stomach dropped further down. The lump in his throat seemed to get bigger as they neared the village's gate, he clenched his fist to the point of drawing blood and bit the inside of his cheek to prevent the tears that were threatening to spill from within his tear ducts.

When Obito died, Minato had only shown a brief expression of pain before he quickly hid it with a well-practiced poker face.

'It's not yet time to mourn.' He told himself repeatedly while they traveled back to Konoha in solemn silence. He still had his two students to take care of, and he would make sure that they would make it back home alive.

He had already failed them as their sensei, he didn't want to fail them more.

So Minato endured the pain, holding it in like a dark cloud, heavy with impending rainfall. Eventually, it would be too big of a burden to carry, and everything would crash.

He put on a brave face in front of his students until the three of them arrived and walked back through the gates of their village, finished their report to the Hokage; and sent his two students back home after Kakashi went to the hospital. And when he was finally in front of the apartment he shared with Kushina, he just stood there – not knowing what to do.

The feeling of failure, pain, and loss had suffocated him. Even the need to breathe seemed to escape him. Staring unseeing at the door in front of him.

He couldn't do this anymore. He couldn't keep this facade, this... this false image of bravado, acting as if he was okay and he wasn't feeling the loss and failure of losing one of his students. As a Jounin Sensei, he was supposed to take care of his students. He was supposed to guide them – to make sure of their survival, but he failed.