Something Precious

Chapter Fifty Four

The rest of the night Naruto talked about his life. At first, he simply focused on the Fourth Shinobi War and the main points leading up to it, but Minato didn't just want to hear about the war, or about it's many tragedies. Minato wanted to hear all of it. He wanted to know every detail of his son's life.

So, with a little prodding, Naruto spoke in great lengths about everything he could remember, like when he was in the academy and his teacher Iruka. And he seemed to get lost in the nostalgia when he told Minato about when he made genin. Minato was somehow not surprised when Naruto told him Kakashi had been his Sensei. He spoke with humor as he described the Kakashi he knew in detail, his lazy nature, how he was always late to everything, and about his perverse novels he would openly read no matter the public setting. 

He spoke a lot about his teammates Sasuke and Sakura. He told Minato how he had been convinced he was in love Sakura for years, up until the war started, and Sasuke whom Minato had always been curious about. It turns out Sasuke was Naruto's best friend, brother more like. He was one of the last Uchiha after someone - Naruto wouldn't say who but assured that they had a somewhat sensible reason - killed the infamous clan in a single night. He told him about Sasuke's betrayal and how Naruto went after him time and time again. But, as Naruto happily explained, he came back to them once the war started and they fought many battles side by side. As he spoke of Sasuke's death, Naruto's eyes shone with unshed tears.
Naruto told Minato about his time he spent training with Jiraiya - Minato couldn't stop laughing when Naruto told him he called Jiraiya 'Pervy Sage' and Jiraiya actually let him. He told him about his weird friend Sai and all his other friends too. He told him about his childhood dream to become Hokage one day and have his face carved beside the other Hokage faces. He told him how Tsunade became the Fifth Hokage and how Kakashi was the sixth. 
Minato laughed with him as Naruto spoke of how he had mistaken a squid for the Eight-Tails and listened intently when Naruto told him about how he had befriended not just the Leaf's demon, but all nine of the tailed beasts.

Naruto did eventually speak of the war though. He never went into detail about any of his friend's death's and Minato never asked him to. He was particularly  vague about Kakashi's death, leading Minato to believe that there was still something Naruto didn't want Minato to know. But he trusted that if it was important Naruto would've told him.

"I'm sorry," Minato said after a long lapse of silence in which only the faint sounds of the owl's gentle calls and the slight rustle of the wind through the leaves, broke the quiet air.

Naruto frowned at him. "For what?" he asked. "You didn't do anything."

Minato let out a small aggravated sigh. "Exactly." he looked up into Naruto's eyes. "I didn't do anything. I wasn't even there. I should have been." he couldn't believe anyone could live through life like that of what Naruto had described, and he had a feeling he downplayed the harsher aspects, and Minato hadn't been there to help his son, to give him the support he needed through those hard times.

Naruto's eyes hardened for a moment before they softened considerably. He plopped down on the grass sitting cross-cross apple-sauce and running a hand over the soft green blades. "What I meant was - you didn't do anything wrong. You gave your life for your village. In order to protect it, you made several sacrifices, including my childhood. I don't blame you for anything, and I don't regret having Kurama sealed in me. He's a piece of work to be sure-"

'Watch it brat!' Kurama growled in his mind making Naruto smile.

"But if I could go back - which I guess I have - I wouldn't change that. The first time I met you, you told me that from the moment you first laid eyes on me, you believed in me. That's already more than can be said of most. You said you believed I could do the impossible, that one day I would be able to control Kurama's power. You wouldn't have done what you did otherwise. You could have taken him with you, but you left half with me instead, because you believed in me." Naruto fully laid back so he could look up at Minato's face. Sincerity colored his features as he said, "Thank you for that."