The Child of Prophecy

└ C7 ┐

└ You can't always hold on to the things that are important. By letting them go, we gain something else.   —Kunio Yaobi (Tamako Market) ┐

The day is nearly done, and dusk encroaches. Late rays of light leave the room in a dull glow, outside Konohagakure still prevails with activity. The day is nearly over but the night is just beginning.

Today marks one of the rare days off that Minato had from his hokage duties. Truly, thank Sandaime-sama for letting him be with his family even for just a few moments.

That brings us to his current situation. In the middle of their home's living room, Minato sits in front of a low table, three prong kunai lay before him, and he attaches the seals he's carefully written on fuin paper.

The Hiraishin jutsu is perhaps his greatest jutsu, from scrap paper with musings written on space time jutsu, to actual configurations brought to life, and a jutsu like no other brought to fruition. The Rasengan is still a work in progress, he grimaces. Meanwhile, the hiraishin jutsu is complete, this is his genius in fuinjutsu captured.

What prompted him to complete it is his own family. Minato, even before he was made hokage, was already an A-ranked ninja in the bingo books. If his family is ever attacked by his enemies, he wants to be prepared. And being able to appear wherever there is a threat to them is a great start to that, in his opinion.

After he attaches the seals, he begins to sharpen and polish his blades.

Then, his senses abruptly flare for a quick moment, and suddenly, his daughter appears before him. Naruko approaches his table, with a familiar book under one arm, dressed in the pajamas that Jiraiya-sensei had bought her for last year's christmas.

Minato knows his wife isn't at home, volunteering her services as a fuinjutsu master at the hospital, present while high risk operations take place.

So, that means Naruko must have dressed herself. That would explain the bright orange pajama set with frog patterns that are absolute eyesores.

At the age of almost four years old, Naruko-chan's proven to be quite independent.

Naruko touches one of the kunais' handle, studies the seal briefly for a few seconds and once she lost interest in it, she returned it to its position.

Choosing to climb onto her father's lap instead, and present him with the book she was holding.

Minato then checks the nearby clock that silently made ticking sounds, and he laughs wryly, "Bed time already?"

"Hai," Naruko replies and raises the book even closer to his face, asking for him to take it.

"I completely forgot to check the time, gomen ne," Minato admits sheepishly, taking the book from Naruto.

Its title says "Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi."

Welp, he should've known. She had taken an interest in it, once Jiraiya-sensei had given it to her as a present for her birthday. Seriously, what was it with Jiraiya-sensei and Naruko-chan's interest in his gifts for her?

"It's okay, Tou-chan," Naruko claims before a small yawn escaped her plump lips, "Kaa-chan says it's cause you're flaky, but then again Kaa-chan has anger problems."