Blonding

Chapter 7 : The Two Blonds

The confused look on Minato's face didn't recede for the entirety of his walk home that evening, nor did it falter when he was glomped by his wife upon walking through the door.

"Welcome home! What's your problem?"

Minato broke out of his thoughts to look down at the confused and worried ball of red hair that was staring back at him. 'Kushina was always quite good at reading me,' he thought in mild exasperation.

This finally broke him out of his spell, and he gave an apprehensive smile in return, rubbing the back of his neck, as he always did.

She just stared expectantly.

"Umm, well... it's a long story," he said with a sheepish grin, finally returning the hug that Kushina had been forcing for those several awkward moments of disconnect.

"I'll say," came a third voice from the kitchen. Then, a moment later, an infamous mop of white hair poked its way around the corner into the hallway. "It has to be, considering you're late to your own dinner... party..."

Jiraiya's eyes glossed over as he took in the sight before him - Kushina clinging to Minato, and Minato simply giving her a small hug in return, a slightly embarrassed cringe gracing his face when he saw his sensei ogling over them from the doorway.

"You had better not be peeping," Kushina suddenly said with a deafening calmness, voice still muffled by Minato's clothes. Other than that, she didn't move a muscle.

The toad sage's eyes lit up like firecrackers, and he immediately backed away in a frenzied fervor. "N-No! No way! Well, not this time, at least!"

"Not... this time?" Minato muttered, raising an eyebrow.

Kushina looked up at him with a sinister grin. "Don't worry, honey; I took care of it."

A series of sounds could be heard from the kitchen table that sounded suspiciously like whimpers.

"Kushina," Minato chided in amusement, "Don't beat up Jiraiya-sensei."

"Beat up?! Why, no one can simply beat up the legendary Lady-Wooing, Jutsu-Throwing Toad Sage Jiraiya!"

"Sure, sure!" Kushina shouted back across the house with an eyeroll, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Now, now, let's all get along here," the Fourth said with his trademark smile, moving to take his shoes off and properly enter the home.

"Oh! Yes!" Kushina clapped her hands together in excitement, jumping back to the kitchen, a bit more enthusiasm in her step than normal.

'Right, ramen,' Minato internalized with a chuckle. It was a... somewhat special occasion; so, naturally, Kushina had decided to embellish in the moment as much as possible and make her favorite food.

Not that Minato could complain. He was starving.

And after the day he'd had, it had only just recently hit him how hungry he actually was.

When his midsection butted in with a well-timed gurgle, he figured enough was enough, and padded into the kitchen, slowly taking off his coat and hanging it on his chair at the kitchen table, just as he always did. This time, however, was slightly different - considering the fact that the massive frame of his sensei was propped up in the seat to his left, leaning over the back of the chair nonchalantly, shooting a disarming grin at anyone who would care to take it. Kushina was slaving away in front of the stovetop, several decently sized pots bubbling away.