Brilliance in Shadows

Chapter 12: Dinner in House Namikaze (1/2)

Minato waited patiently as Tsukina woke her parents up with careful nudging and loud singing. The Hokage looked around the single room they had stayed in and felt bothered that they had chosen such a small place. The inn for shinobi's or even the civilian inn over in the higher end districts were better than this place. It was more spacious and definitely much cleaner. Although, he certainly had seen worse. There were some inns that didn't even have their own baths and one had to travel to the public bath houses instead.

Minato figured they had agreed to this place due to the minimal shinobi appearance. He was sure Hideaki had that in mind when he brought them here. He heard of Tsukina's chakra sensitivity from Hideaki so Minato was mindful of the natural output of his own chakra on his way over. Every living thing had a bit of chakra within it, it was natural energy found in the smallest blades of grass and even in the air itself. He was told she responds sensitively to shinobi in particular so he had reduced his natural output into that of a civilian but she surprised him. She still opened the door before he knocked, which meant she was sensitive enough to feel civilians as well. Which must have made the world feel awfully crowded, he imagined. Especially if she was detecting everyone passively without meaning to.

"Say, how old are you Tsukina?" Minato asked, watching his friend, Seishin stir in his bed and groggily sit up. He had been in that midway area of sleep and awareness, Minato could tell by his breathing. It was a clear indication of how a shinobi would sleep during missions. While this fact eased Minato slightly, not all of his past seemed forgotten, it also troubled Minato that Seishin didn't feel safe within Konoha to fall asleep completely.

"Me?" The young girl asked. "I'm nine. How old are you?"

Minato smiled. Nine years old. While everyone had mourned Seishin's death, his friend had been alive and even had a family now. Learning of his friends amnesia was painful and a part of him wished he could just let his friend live his life in silence but from what he learned, they were planning on leaving the Land of Fire. Minato couldn't have that. It was too dangerous. Seishin might not remember his past but his enemies definitely do. It would only take one enemy to accidentally stumble upon Seishin and his family for death to come upon them. If Minato had to hold them hostage in Konoha to protect them then that would be what he will do.

"Twenty four."

"Oh?" Tsukina hummed, dumping her weight over her father, who kissed her cheek and dumped her over his shoulder and onto her mother. Kotone let out a soft 'oof' before she groaned and swallowed Tsukina up in her blanket. "Eeek! Mommy! I can't breathe!" 

Seishin stood up and stretched. Muscles popped as he stretched himself out. Minato's eyes located old injuries that he remembered over his friends bare torso, along with many that he didn't know about. And the Hokage flushed at the obvious red nail marks and hickey's his wife littered over him. Many of them trailing down to his... 

Minato cleared his throat.

Seishin gazed at Minato, rather lazily and critically, before tilting his chin to the direction of the door. Minato raised a brow, confused but got up to follow him towards the door which Seishin opened, pushed Minato gently out into the hallway and shut the door on his face.

Minato stood there flabbergasted before chuckling to himself and waited patiently.

—

Within the room Ikuto headed to the bathroom and freshened up as slowly as he dared. This was the Hokage after all. Kicking him out without a word, because he hadn't a clue on how he should address him, was bad enough. Keeping him waiting, wasn't ideal.

Kotone had already dressed up, not having a care in the world with the tangles in her short hair or wiping off the sweat from her skin. They made eye contact as she fixed the bed putting more attention to the room than to herself.