Something Precious

Chapter Fifty Two

Hearing the lock on the bathroom door click, Minato quickly and carefully, placed the book back in it's place. His mind whirring with this new information.

Kakashi certainly did not own anything of that sort - at least he better not - but the writing was undeniably his. And the red, that had to be blood. Minato was sure that it was.

Naruto came out of the bathroom with clean, wet hair. His arms raised with a towel in his hands as he dried it the best he could. Another towel hid his bottom reign from veiw, and a tooth brush hung in his mouth as he crossed the apartment to his room, his steps a little lighter, his eyes a little brighter. Amazing what a simple shower could do.

Minato felt relieved as Naruto picked out a fresh orange shirt from his drawers. He was relieved that what ever this was, it wasn't permanent. Long states of depression was a symptom of PTSD, Minato recalled from the book he had read on the matter. Naruto could have stayed like that for months if Minato hadn't come to push him along, and this by no means, meant that he was all better, but maybe a good day was what he needed.

Happy as he was, Minato was unable to push the book to the back of his mind. So as Naruto emerged from his room, properly dressed and rinsed the toothpaste from his mouth in the bathroom, Minato took a small piece of the bloodied book cover, no bigger than one of those tiny beads that everyone hates. Small enough that it wouldn't be noticed.

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After a lunch spent in peaceful silence, Minato took the the blood sample to the hospital to have it tested. He sat in a plush round chair in front of the doctor and stared her down, daring her to lie to him.

"Are you sure?" Minato asked. She had already said the name twice but maybe of he heard it just once more, he could believe it.

Tsunade sighed impatiently, rolling her eyes at Minato's insisting behavior. She flipped the folder around and pushed it into his hands. "Yes Minato." she said, annoyed. She pointed to the sheet of paper. "The blood sample you gave me was Kakashi's." she said.

Minato narrowed his eyes at the papers. He wasn't as surprised as he thought he probably should've been. He closed the folder and handed it back to the woman. "Thank you Tsunade."

"Minato." she stopped him just as his hand rested on the polished handle of her office door, his back to her.

"Yes?" he said, not turning to her.
She leaned back in her chair and watched the man closely. "Where did you get that blood from? I've been Kakashi's doctor long enough to know how much the boy hates needles."

Minato smiled to himself. Kakashi would sooner let someone stab him than willingly submit to getting his blood drawn.

"I got it from a book." he said honestly. He drew the door open and left before he could be subjected to anymore questions.

It was as if he finally had the last piece of the puzzle he needed. Now he just had to put it together and see what it makes.

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"Naruto!"

"Hey Taro." Naruto greeted as he walked through the door of the orphanage with a belly full of Minato's favorite barbecue.

"You came!" Taro cried. Naruto smiled at the six year old boy as he ran over from the corner of the room where he had been playing by himself.

"Told you I would." Naruto smirked. "And look, I brought you something." he held up a paper bag tauntingly out of the child's reach.