Mending The Past To A Better Future

Chp. 14 Lucky Eleven {Part-1}

+*+*+

Naruto sat across from Minato and Kushina at the barbecue spot that had just opened down in the dining district, some ways away from Ichiraku's. It was a lot cleaner than it was in her own timeline, she couldn't help but think as she looked around in thinly veiled interest. She supposed it was because it was a new spot, but there was something unmistakably off about the place.

As Kushina reached across the table to pick up a sliver of beef with her chopsticks, her father locked in on her. "What's wrong?" he asked, surprising her. She hadn't realized that she had been so transparent.

"Nothing," she said. She couldn't tell them what she didn't know, after all.

Minato gave her a sympathetic smile before kindly breaking apart a pair of chopsticks and handing them to her. She took them and delicately picked up a single tomato that was grilling over the fire. Inspecting it, she made a disgusted expression before popping it in her mouth rather reluctantly. Naruto made another face as it burst in her mouth, the tangy taste making the glands on the side of her mouth shrivel.

Kushina laughed. "Why did you take it if you don't like it?"

"My sensei on the road told me I should always eat vegetables," she said, thinking back to how Kakashi-sensei would've popped in at her house with baskets filled to the brims with fruits and vegetables that she had almost always turned away until she had met Kushina in her mind scape. "If he knew I'd been neglecting my diet he'd be on my ass about it," she groaned, stabbing a sizzling piece of eggplant before forking into her mouth, the flavor making her wince. "But, I think I've met my quota for today."

"But you've only had two pieces of vegetables!" Kushina sputtered. "You have to eat more, dattebane!"

"No I don't, dattebayo!" Naruto argued. "Plus, I have to save my diet for the barbecue."

Quicker than the Yellow Flash could react, Kushina had snagged all the meat off the grill, holding them with extra attentiveness in her chopsticks, away from Naruto. "At least four more pieces before you can have any barbecue."

"But Kushina-nee!" Naruto wheedled, looking at Minato for help, who only held his hands up like a complete freaking traitor.

"Don't look at me," Minato said rather unhelpfully. Naruto was filled with no small amount of satisfaction as Minato reached for a piece of meat with his chopsticks just for Kushina to smack his wrist away.

"None for you either until you eat your vegetables."

"But Kushina!" Minato griped, tugging on her white sleeve, looking at Naruto for help - rather stupidly as well because they were in the same boat as the previous fifteen seconds had just shown.

Begrudgingly, Naruto grumbled and popped another tomato in her mouth, wondering why Sasuke wasn't here to eat them undercover for her. Not that he would have, she conceded silently. He probably would've sounded the signature Uchiha "hn" and then left her in the dust.

"So," Minato started as he too, began spearing a piece of broccoli into his mouth. "Let's talk about you and Kakashi, hm?"

Naruto immediately turned away, chewing harshly. "There's nothing to talk about. You already know what happened. He said some things. I said some things. There's not much more to go on about."

"Naruto," Minato's seriousness making her turn back to him. "This is important. I know you and Kakashi don't always see eye to eye but you're a part of a team. You of all people know how important teams are, even if you're not always on the same page."

"I do," Naruto stated. "I do understand, which is why this conversation is unneeded. It's not like just because Kakashi and I had a little fallout doesn't mean I won't have his back in the field. He's still my friend even if he is a jackass."