Six Years Too Long

Chapter 5

Third person pov

Shikaku Nara did indeed know how to get the word out. All he had to do was drag Inoichi out into the lobby of the Hokage building and talk loudly about how he couldn't believe Minato was back after six years, and how he was so glad the man was somehow still alive. The receptionist soaked the whole thing up like a sponge and immediately started spilling the beans to the next person who came by, who was equally as willing to spread the word. 

The entire tower seemed to know by the time Minato was actually allowed to leave, gasping and whispering, some even cheering for him as he went by. Talk about effective, if not slightly terrifying. There was no rumor mill like the Konoha rumor mill, he guessed.

Minato fiddled with the key to he and Kushina's old home nervously. They hadn't lived together in it very long, only moving out of their shared apartment when they realized Kushina was pregnant. Even still, they'd worked hard to make it as warm and welcoming as they could for their incoming baby.

He could still very clearly envision the pictures hanging on the wall and the new furniture they'd splurged on. The corners they'd babyproofed and the dog door they'd put in for Kakashi's ninken despite the boy's insistence that he wouldn't be imposing enough for it to be necessary. The nursery, colored a soft indigo with images of shuriken and kunai painted on carefully by Kushina herself. The thought of seeing it again, covered in dust and unused by the family he'd loved so much, made his throat feel tight.

Again, he could imagine Kushina yelling at him and whacking him over the head for his distress. Just because he wasn't going to get what he'd expected didn't mean his family was gone. Kakashi and Naruto were still here, and they still needed him! 

She would want him to keep his head held high. If he moped too much she'd definitely beat his ass in the afterlife for 'wasting time'. Minato took a deep breath and told himself he'd allow himself to grieve later. He had to get settled here and make sure Naruto and Kakashi were both okay. They all had a lot of adjusting to do, and he was determined to make sure everything went as smoothly as humanly possible.

He immediately started the hunt for Kakashi and Naruto in the main shopping district of Konoha, darting around like a madman trying to sense for his son or student's chakra. He got more than a few startled looks as he jogged along, head scanning back and forth to make sure he didn't miss them by mistake. He offered polite smiles to anyone who happened to meet his eyes, winking when he saw vaguely familiar faces. 

It was comical to see people stop what they were doing completely and process. Though, he did have to admit to feeling guilty watching a nin who was clearly off-duty drop his groceries into a couple of heaps at the sight of him. Minato was just going to turn the other way and decide that that one wasn't on him.

It didn't take long to track down his student and son. Naruto's immense chakra hit before he even saw the pair. What really slowed Minato down, however, was the sudden change in atmosphere the closer he got. 

Civilians rushed past with ducked heads. Silence edged with whispers ebbed its way into the streets, replacing the usual bustle of sounds you'd usually expect to find on a commercial strip such as this. Minato immediately felt the same anger that had gripped him earlier return in tenfold. His casual stroll turned stiff, and his brows dropped into a tense furrow.

Kakashi was chatting amicably with Naruto, holding the boy's hand while hosting at least eleven bags on the other arm. Naruto looked a little nervous, gripping Kakashi's hand with a scared ferocity and forcing himself to smile. The expression would've been entirely convincing had he not seen it on Kushina's face a million times when they were both younger. 

Kakashi was far more open about how he felt, his cheerful expression breaking every so often so he could shoot venomous glares at anyone who whispered too loudly or stared a little too long. Minato felt a wave of fondness crash through him at the sight of his student's protectiveness. It wasn't much, but it was a small breath of relief to see that Naruto at least didn't have to deal with this alone. Not anymore.