Minato's Mentor 2/? (Hermione/Minato - PG13)
Title: Minato's Mentor - 02
Author(s): sarhea
Rating: PG13
Categories: Harry Potter, Naruto, Crossover, xover
Disclaimer: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and co, were created by J.K. Rowling. Namikaze Minato, Naruto and co, were created by Masashi Kishimoto. I don’t own any of the characters, concepts, verses… This story was written for fun, not profit.
Type: Gen, Het, romance, drama, action
Acknowledgments: Kristen my wonderful encouraging beta reader who is the epitome of positive constructive criticism.
Author’s Notes: See the Masterpost for full details. AU after B7 Deathly Hallows; EWE. AU Narutoverse since Hermione meets Minato long before he became Hokage and that Changes Everything. Butterfly wings flapping in Asia.
Last Edited: June 13, 2011
Summary: Minato takes the first steps to becoming a legend and Hermione worries about his safety. As most good intentions go awry, so does their relationship, and they grow apart until a world-shattering event draws them back together.
AN: The concept of paired journals is borrowed from 'Looking for Magic' by Hypnobarb on , a Harry Potter fanfic pairing Hermione and Snape. The plot is intricate and well thought-out; I highly recommended it. Lengthy and a WIP though.
~ooO 02 Blooming Connections and Separate Paths Ooo~
Minato ignored his old jounin sensei and fuuin-jutsu teacher, hovering around his peripherals. The equations and sealing schemata he was working through required every bit of his attention. One mistake could be disastrous. Fatally. Minato knew he was a good shinobi, but the only reason why he lived to be a Grand Seal Master was due to the instruction of a non-civilian woman he met on a solo mission in Tsuchi no Kuni.
"Minato! Are you listening to me?"
Minato ignored the older shinobi and focused on putting the finishing touches of his latest experimental seal design. Jutsus that used hand-seals were generally limited to the physical elements, but using fuuin jutsu, it was very possible to manipulate time and space itself. The most immediate benefit of such a technique was evident to anyone with a brain and strategic sense.
"Sakumo tells me you have been skipping out on your practise spars with him." Jiraiya was honestly confused by his old student. He was more focused on his experiments and research than honing his ninjutsu and taijutsu, skills that would keep him alive on the battlefield. Sky blue eyes looked up, fever-bright with manic enthusiasm. "What's so special about your latest project?"
The vivid features twisted into a smirk. "If I get this to work, it will change everything. It will make the user unstoppable. Konoha will win the Third Shinobi War."
Jiraiya was sceptical. "Minato, many shinobi work to create original jutsus, to create a technique that would make them legendary. The Shodaime's Mokuton jutsus are among the few who can affect a large area and many individuals in one shot, and it's practically a kekkai genkai. What makes you think you can do better?"
Minato leaned back, lacing his fingers behind his head.
"Because I'm not trying to kill."
That was enough to cause the gear-cogs come to a screeching halt in the sannin's head.
"Excuse me?"
But Minato refused to expand on his off-hand comment, and instead turned his attention to his notes and scrolls. Jiraiya watched, hovering over Minato's shoulder, making comments, pointing out weaknesses, occasionally asking questions that Minato answered in absent distracted tones. It wasn't long before his old teacher gave up on trying to get Minato's and left muttering about foolish inconsiderate students.
Minato put his pen down and flipped his notebook to the first few pages. Each page was covered with a small, neat script, sketches and diagrams representing various concepts and theories he had come up with. These ideas and designs were sparked by discussions and lessons with Granger Mia.
This particular seal was a manipulation of space-time to improve transportation. Minato had been inspired by Mia's explanation of the methods of transportation her people used: apparation, portkey, floo, portals. He did not have magic, but he had chakra. Fuuin allowed the user to shape and channel chakra. He had seen her demonstrate her methods, experienced and measured the energies involved; from that, the next natural step was to duplicate her methods using chakra.
Of course, it wasn't as easy to do as it was to theorize about it, but bit by bit, Minato was understanding more and more of the physics and Arithmacy involved. He did not have magic, but he was very good at fuuin-jutsu, and Mia's lessons on the Math of Magic and Reality only improved his skills as a Seal Master.
It was a pity she refused to even consider meeting Jiraiya-sensei and Sandaime-sama; she was an incredible teacher with a wealth and depth of knowledge never before seen in the Elemental Countries. For the nth time, Minato mentally huffed in disgust and scorn against her homeland and leaders for exiling such a powerful and skilled female. She might be unwilling to attack, but she had no qualms in defending herself.
In an odd way, Minato appreciated the restrictions she had demanded of him, the dual binding agreement to keep each others secrets: a magical vow from her and a secrecy seal upon him. Without it, he would have felt obligated to inform his superiors. Sarutobi-sama might have listened, but the Council would have pressured him to order a locate and detain. And given what he now knew of her abilities, it would have resulted in a slaughter of Konoha shinobi if they tried to intimidate her with fear or killing intent.
With the agreement, he could not inform others of her, but it did not stop him from applying what he learned. Callused, scarred fingertips skimmed a particular page of his personal research journal. It was a gift from Mia, enchanted to have ten times the number of pages it appeared to have, spelled to be indestructible, and with the contents appearing to be nonsense to anyone not blood-keyed to it.
The page he was re-reading contained the starting point of his current primary project, a blend of portkey and floo. Mia had told him individuals called 'squibs' with almost no magic could use both methods, and because the enchantment/magic was already set, it was simply 'triggered' by the user by either a word or by burning a special powder. Minato's idea involved setting a temporary network (like the floo-network) anchored by special seals on a token/tag that could be placed anywhere. The tag would be like a portkey when activated, using chakra and blood checks to block infiltrators.
Usually seals were inked on scrolls, but in Mia's world, runes could be carved on many different materials (stone, metal, wood, gems, bone, flesh). Many of Minato's preliminary test seals burned out from chakra overload. Paper was not durable. He wasn't certain if wood or bone would be any better. Perhaps stone or metal? Metal would be best; something easily shaped but not easily damaged. Something easily made and stored. A shuriken? A kunai? But it had to be distinguishable from his regular tools, as well.
Absently, Minato began sketching various designs, discarding each and every one for various reasons until his consideration was on a tri-bladed throwing kunai. This design had the most potential for his purposes. Swiftly, he copied it onto a separate scroll before clearing his work surface, sealing away his notes and tools.
He needed to find a blacksmith to make the tri-blade kunai and run an experiment with his best designs to determine the most effective one. It would be better to go to one of the smaller weapons-smithies, one not affiliated with the large clans. Minato did not want his idea to be stolen before he even got to use it.
All clans had secrets and traditions that were passed down with each generation. Minato was determined to see the name Namikaze become as memorable and remembered as Senju, Uchiha, and Hyuuga.
~ooOoo~ooOoo~ooOoo~
Hermione frowned as she went through the letters she had received in the latest mail drop. Since the Third Shinobi War had started, communication had been sporadic and unreliable, especially from any of the Hidden Villages involved in the war. The last detailed communiqué she had from Minato was a scroll delivered by one of his frog summons, several months ago. Her last contact entirely was an innocuous message in the civilian post five weeks ago.
"Have you heard?" the middle-aged postmistress said breathlessly to the baker's wife. "The war between Konoha and Iwa is going to end soon."
Hermione accepted her letters, scanning the addresses of the sender quickly. Bills, bills, bank, flyers, oh! A letter from the head monk at FireSoul Monastery. It went into a separate pocket in her jacket. The remaining mail went into her bag.
"In whose favour?" the baker's wife asked eagerly, as she was an incurable gossip.
Hermione pulled out her to-buy list and scanned the items. Swiftly she began moving down a different aisle, filling up her basket with non-perishables. Through the corner of her eye she saw the postmistress lean forward and speak in a low, confidential manner.
"Last I heard, Konoha was beating Iwa."
Hermione resisted the urge to snort. Of course Konoha was beating Iwa! The Tsuchikage was determined to stick to familiar methods, completely ignoring the current reality where those methods had been countered and neutralized months ago.
"The Tsuchikage is very stubborn. All Iwa nin are. He won't concede easily."
At least someone was intelligent enough to recognize that! Absently she picked up a new bar of soap, laundry detergent and disinfectant. She needed to replenish her bag of supplies.
"You're right. But Konoha has a new shinobi who is making mincemeat of the Iwa nins. They call him Konoha no Kiroi Senko, Bane of Iwa."
What was it about men and titles substituting as names? It was the same thing in the wizarding world. Defeater of Grindelwald. He Who Should Not Be Named. You Know Who. The Boy Who Lived. The Wizard Who Won.
"Oh? Is he a famous shinobi? I haven't heard of Kiroi Senko. I have heard of the Densetsu no Sannin and Konoha no Shiroi Kiba."
It would be so much easier and clearer if everyone just used the bloody names given by parents. After all their poor mothers went through, carrying, birthing, and raising them, no one had the bloody courtesy to use the names their mothers had chosen.
"He is a young jounin. Young but powerful."
Of course! Why on earth would they give an ordinary nin a too-long title? It wouldn't do for local couriers, bandit chasers, travelling escorts, and caravan guards to have a heroic title.
"Does this jounin have a name?"
Of course he has a name. What do you think people called him Before everyone started calling him Kiroi Senko?
"Namikaze Minato."
Namikaze Minato. Hermione froze. Minato. All fears and doubts left her mind, leaving one clear thought: she had to get to him and make sure he was healthy and whole. He would not have been given the title Kiroi Senko for playing courier.
Hermione managed to make it to the register without dropping anything or bumping into anyone. The girl behind the counter gave her an odd look that she ignored. She did not want to waste any time reassuring a complete stranger that she was fine. Because she wasn't.
She kept enough control to make it out of the store and to a narrow side alley before apparating.
~ooOoo~ooOoo~ooOoo~
Minato winced as he went through the latest messenger drop with the troop and supply reports. They would not be getting the reinforcements he asked for. He glanced at the topographic map, illustrating the camp, surrounding area, and enemy held ground. He could not wait for reinforcements. He had to take the enemy out while they had been knocked off their feet.
Mentally, he went over his available resources. He could pull a scouting team and put them on skirmisher duties to draw out the enemy here - his finger traced the river valley fenced in by twenty-foot-high slippery slopes - separate them, and take each small group out in a series of jumps.
"Hello, Minato," a familiar accented voice spoke softly.
He froze for a brief second, stilling and expelling his chakra to break a potential genjutsu as he turned to face her. Her image did not waver. He relaxed. No one knew of Mia; no one was using a jutsu to impersonate her. Then he frowned.
"How did you get in here?"
She shrugged slightly as she sat down on a folding campstool some distance away. "It wasn't hard to determine the general location of the Kiroi Senko. Even the civilians can't mistake your appearance." She smiled teasingly. "Your hair colour and style is very distinctive. It was quite easy to determine which tent was yours to apparate in."
Minato blushed and ran a calloused hand through the aforementioned blonde spiky strands. When he was young, his head looked like a spiny sea-urchin. At least now the weight and length kept the spikes from standing up.
Her expression and tone turned serious. "You have been a key participant in many clashes. I'm assuming your technique is one of the theories you discussed with me."
"Yes. The variant on portkey and floo. I call it Hiraishin no Jutsu."
"Flying Thunder God technique," Hermione translated.
"Yes. I vanish in a yellow flash and reappear at my target zone. Before fighting, I toss the anchors around the battlefield." He pulled out one of his tri-kunai and held it out.
Hermione nodded as she accepted the weapon and studied the seal etched into it. "I'm assuming it is blood sealed and keyed to your chakra signature."
Minato looked offended. "Of course! Any attempt to deconstruct it will activate a fuuin that will slag the metal. I'm not going to risk an enemy duplicating my technique."
"And what of your allies?" Hermione spoke in challenging tones.
"Konoha has always supported the policy of clan law protecting unique jutsus and kekkai genkai. All Konoha nin know they can't be forced to teach something they intend to pass down as a family jutsu."
Hermione nodded. "Good. I don't want to see this Hiraishin as a general-use jutsu. It is too easy to abuse since wards are not used to protect the average household." She studied him intently. "How are you feeling? It must be hard using it in battle. You probably do at least ten steps to defend allies and take out all the enemies."
Minato snorted softly. "More like fifty. I leave the minor skirmishes to the nin under me. I save my strength for when there are too many coming at the same time."
Hermione nodded understandingly. "It is a common duelling technique back home too. Hit-wizards would apparate around the battlefield to evade spells, to get behind targets, to anticipate their target's next appearance by the energy flux, to position themselves to create killing zones."
Minato grinned. "Your stories gave me the idea. I can't move around as freely as they can, but with enough kunai, I can come very close."
"You must pace yourself." She warned him. "Such a technique will drain you tremendously, and if you falter it can be fatal."
"I know. I'm working on expanding my chakra reserves and increasing my control."
She stood up and moved close enough to touch his cheek. "I'm glad you are healthy. I was worried when I didn't receive a real letter for so long."
Minato blushed. "I wanted to send you one, but I haven't had a real chance to post personal letters in a civilian village. Any mail is going by shinobi courier and will most likely be examined for security."
Hermione nodded and pulled out two leather bound books from her fanny pack. It was one of her special nearly-bottomless creations, since the books were much bigger than the pack itself.
Curious, Minato accepted the one she held out and examined it. The binding was plain, chocolate brown leather with a bronze reinforcement. In the center of the cover was a square bronze plate, etched with a spiral whirlpool with nine swirls. He tried to open it and failed.
"Put blood on the spiral while you are channelling chakra, in order to key it to you," Hermione instructed. As he followed her instructions, she did the same, channelling her own unique energy. Soon enough, the book opened, revealing blank pages.
"These two journals are linked to each other using a modification of a spell called the Protean Charm."
"Protean Charm?"
"It is a special spell that links several similar items together. In this case when something is written in one book it is duplicated in the other paired journal."
"Can anyone write in it? And read it? That doesn't seem very secure." Minato was sceptical.
Hermione smiled slightly. "The journals are spelled to be only legible to the person keyed to it. Anyone else will simply see badly-written purple prose. Anything you write in your keyed journal can only be read by you. Of course I will be able to read anything you've written, in My keyed journal."
Minato nodded thoughtfully. "Is there some sort of alarm to let me know if you've written anything?"
"Oh yes. If I've written something in my journal since you last opened yours, the spiral on your book will change, so the swirl is contained within a complete circle. The moment you open your book, it will be reset back to the original design." Brown eyes met blue. "This is a much more secure means of communication than letters or your frog summons. I might not respond immediately but I will eventually."
Minato bit his lip. "I don't understand why you can't just move to Konoha. I really want you to meet Jiraiya-sensei and Sarutobi-sama."
Hermione shook her head. "I don't want to be a shinobi, Minato. You are a shinobi, a rather famous one… How would you explain our relationship? How we met? Why we keep on meeting? My powers? Why you kept quiet?"
Understanding dawned. Few shinobis maintained close non-familial or non-business relationships with civilians. Mainly because few civilians could handle the stress and fluctuating nature of a shinobi's lifestyle. If his fellow Konoha nins saw him spending a lot of time with a civilian he would eventually have to explain why. If not to them then to his Hokage.
"You can't," she continued. "Not without exposing truths best kept quiet. Please understand, Minato, you are my friend, part of my life I am unwilling to give up. I want to stay in touch with you. If you ever need any advice, anything, you can reach me through the paired journal. And don't worry about using up all the pages. It's enchanted to be much bigger than it appears to be."
Minato nodded and forced himself to grin cheerfully. "This is a wonderful gift. Are you sure I can't change your mind?"
Hermione snorted softly. "Positive. It will take something world-shaking to do that, so don't bother trying." She stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. "Just stay safe and keep in touch with me."
A small ache bloomed into a deeper hurt, but Minato forced himself to ignore it. He had heard her arguments and reasoning before, and he could clearly understand her point of view. People took risks and made sacrifices, but only if they wanted to protect something they loved and cherished. To Hermione, their friendship was not enough to risk losing her independence.
"I will, Mia-chan."
Hermione glanced at the timepiece on her wrist. "I have to leave now." Her eyes lingered on him with a slight tinge of fear and concern. "Look after yourself, Minato." She hesitated, biting her low lip, clearly torn between conflicting urges. "No one wins if you burn yourself out. Let other people take on some of the burden."
"I'll do my best. Look out for yourself as well. With the war travelling, it can be dangerous."
She nodded and moved as though to embrace him before restraining herself. "I will. And Minato…" He blinked inquiringly, but she only smiled. "Until we meet again, stay safe.
And then she vanished soundlessly.
Minato sank back onto his campstool, staring blankly at the spot where she had vanished from.
It was a while before he could focus on the battle strategies for the next clash.
~ooOoo~ooOoo~ooOoo~
Hermione roughly towelled her hair dry before using a series of hair-drying and styling charms. Once her skin was dry and slathered in lotion, she pulled on a sleeping yukata and sat down on the narrow bed. The furnishings of the provincial inn were sparse: a bed against one wall, a mirrored set of dresser-drawers next to it, and hooks on one wall to hang clothes. The outside window and door into the inn's hallway were set at angles, limiting the line of sight to the bed, just as she wanted it.
Carefully, she opened her travel case made of hardened leather. It was of a design she had created, commissioned, and enchanted to be nearly weightless and greatly expanded. She used it to carry the belongings she had accumulated on her travels in the Elemental Countries.
She pulled out her paired journal and was pleasantly surprised to see it was glowing. She hoped Minato had good news to share with her.
The past few weeks had been very stressful. The war might be drawing to a close, but there were still skirmishes and clashes. His shinobi mindset limited the amount of information he could share with her, and his duties as a jounin-commander meant his days were filled with activities and events he could not tell her about. Hermione dearly missed the days when they could correspond with each other on whimsical and serious theories, on the physics of designing self-evolving matrices for energy manipulation.
She absently brushed the base of her thumb against her eyeteeth, drawing blood and smearing it on the whirlpool in a circle. The design morphed and shifted so the 'tails' shortened, leaving it looking like a whirlpool only. Strong, slim hands opened the book and flipped the pages to the newest entry.
~o~
Hello Mia,
I hope this message finds you in good health and pleasant surroundings. My latest command is not very pleasant, too close to the borders with Iwa. Konoha has started negotiations with the Tsuchikage's Advisors. My primary duty is to maintain a strong presence at the Talks, to keep hot-heads - on both sides - from running wild. A thankless task, given my own personal feelings towards Iwa.
They killed my student, Mia. Obito was so young, he never had the chance to really live and experience life. Kakashi shows no sign of healing. I fear one day his mind will crack and shatter. Once we are safely in Konoha, I must insist he be examined and counselled by a Yamanaka mind-healer.
The only bright spot is that Iwa knows they cannot win against the Hiraishin. I look forward to the day we receive orders to pack-up and return to Konoha. When that happens, I can review my library to verify some of the theories I have come up with over the past few months. Border Patrol was a lot of watching and waiting after Iwa became fully aware of the near instantaneous capabilities of Hiraishin.
Once I have downtime, I would like to make plans to meet up with you in Tetsu or Cha.
Until then,
Minato
~o~
Hermione smiled as she re-read the entry. A small flutter in her tummy made her breath catch. She ignored the telling action and removed her ever-sharp glass-nib pen and spill-proof ink pot. The entry was three days old. Minato would be waiting for a reply.
She hadn't had a chance to open the journal yet, as she had been travelling with a merchant caravan and sleeping with the crew around an open campfire. The nights had been too pleasant to set up tents, and Hermione hadn't wanted to draw attention to herself by doing so for herself.
Now that the war was nearly over, she hoped he would share more of his private life, not just the academic aspects. Minato was genuine and interested and loyal. Now that the war was over perhaps…
No. Hermione pushed away the idea. Minato was a shinobi, his loyalty would always be to his war-leader, his Kage, his comrades, his village, his people.
But of course, with the acknowledgment of the possibility, it was nearly impossible to deny the seed of hope blooming within her heart.
Unfortunately, it was a sprout that would be mangled in the weeks and months to come.
~ooOoo~ooOoo~ooOoo~
Dear Mia,
You'll never guess what happened…Sarutobi-sama called me in for a private meeting yesterday evening and informed me I'm on his short-list of candidates to be the next Hokage! He asked me if I still wanted the position and I said I needed to think about it. Being Hokage is a big step… I know I've dreamt of being the Hokage since I was a kid, but things have changed. I've changed.
Jiraiya-sensei thinks I'm crazy for asking for time to think about the offer, but Sarutobi-sama smiled and told me it was a good sign of my suitability. I'm taking the time to consider all the factors and possibilities before making a decision and acting. Just like any leader, any Kage, must. With an entire village depending on me and my wise choices, I cannot act rashly or impulsively.
Write me your thoughts as soon as you can. I'd like another perspective.
Minato
~o~
Hermione uncapped the ink pot and set out her pen. Absently, she dipped the tip into the pot and blotted off the excess while she organized her thoughts.
She was tempted to persuade him to turn down the offer. If he became Kage, the possibility of them dwindled. She would always have second doubts, about his invitations and offers. He would be a fool to not consider the benefits of having her allied or even joined to his cause.
But in the end, she could not be so selfish. So she ignored her personal preferences and set out to write an even analysis and recommendation in the paired journal.
In their rare personal discussions, he had shared his childhood dream and reasons, reasons that were still very valid today: Minato wanted to protect others.
~ooOoo~ooOoo~ooOoo~
Hello Mia,
Wish you could have been here for the ceremony. Sarutobi turned over the title, power, and duties of Hokage to me five days ago. Luckily I insisted on a less elaborate ceremony and only two days of celebration. According to Jiraiya, when Sarutobi became Hokage, there was a two-week-long celebration instead.
I had my first lesson in knife-edge politics as well. Orochimaru was not happy Sarutobi chose me over him, and he was drunk enough to be incautious in his manner and words. It is enough to make me uneasy. If I were a simple jounin, I would dismiss it as sour grapes. Before I met you, I would have simply ignored the possibility, told myself that he was a loyal and highly respected Konoha shinobi, that it was just a drunken ramble. Now that I am Hokage, I cannot ignore the possibility that he is breaking or even skirting Konoha law. I will be ordering a quiet investigation into the Hebi-Sannin at the first opportunity.
I strongly hope it turns out to be a false alarm, but my gut says otherwise. Sarutobi and Jiraiya are going to be devastated if my suspicions about Orochimaru turn out to be true.
I hope this message finds you in good health. Write soon.
Minato
~o~
Hermione smiled wistfully. Minato did not know it, but she had been there for the ceremony. It had not been too difficult to get in, with all the foreigners travelling for the purpose of seeing Konoha no Kiroi Senko take on the mantle and power of the Yondaime Hokage.
She had been so tempted to join the line of civilians paying their respects to the new Hokage, but she had resisted. He would have recognized her energy signature at such a close range.
She considered this message and was pleased Minato was acknowledging the possibility of being backstabbed by a trusted comrade, a fellow nin. Konoha strongly emphasized teamwork and honoured the Densetsu no Sannin. It would be hard for anyone to recognize the possibility that such a highly respected comrade could turn traitor. James Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin had never considered Peter Pettigrew to turn traitor either.
Carefully, she dipped her pen in the ink pot and began writing her advice to Minato.
Follow the money.
~ooOoo~ooOoo~ooOoo~
Hello Mia,
I'm writing this before I start my day and leave home. Once I step out the door, there is always someone who wants to talk to me about 'something very important.' Of course, their idea of important is very different from mine.
I changed my secretary five times before I found one who would listen to me. Tanaka Reiko sets aside one hour in the afternoons for just Me Time. I think it's fair, since my work day rarely ends until well into the evening. Each day, I try to catch up with an old friend or colleague.
Yesterday I met up with an old classmate. Her name is Uzumaki Kushina. She came to Konoha as a refugee from Uzushiogakure when it was destroyed by Iwa. We went through the Academy and kept in touch while we were genin and chunin, but our interests led us into different paths. I followed Jiraiya on a Sealing Mastery apprenticeship while she went into ANBU and became a Swords Mistress. We ran in different circles so we didn't really meet until I became a jounin-commander, mainly backing up ANBU teams in the field. We don't have a lot in common, but I really like her. She makes me laugh. Frankly, with all the stress of being Hokage, I could use a lot of laughter in my life right now.
Some days I wish I didn't accept the responsibility. I wish I could concentrate on my own research. I manage to stay on top of the paperwork using Kage bunshin, but it gives me headaches. I've ordered my ANBU guard to spar with me, to keep my reflexes, but they are too respectful to go all out. I really need to bribe Sarutobi into sparring with me. He's one of the few Konoha nins on my skill level who are not burdened with responsibilities taking up almost every hour of their day.
I really wish I could take a week off and travel outside Hi no Kuni to meet you.
Missing you,
Minato
~o~
Hermiones breath caught as she re-read the message. It was perfectly understandable. It would take a strong personality to ignore titles and power, to treat a Kage as a mortal man prone to frailties just as any other. That was why Harry had cherished their friendship…because she saw Harry, not the Boy Who Lived or the Prophesied One or the Dark Lord Slayer. It was why Minato stayed in touch with her…because she never hesitated in cutting him and his overly elaborate schemes down to size if she felt it necessary. And he recognized the value in being humble, in listening, and acknowledging her experiences.
Kushina could fill that role for him. She had never treated Minato as anything special, even when many called him a young genius during their younger years.
Minato needed all the supportive friends he could get.
~ooOoo~ooOoo~ooOoo~
Mia,
You won't believe it! Kushina finally agreed to go out on a date with me. She insisted on it being a secret date, because she doesn't want the whole village to gossip about us, but she is going out with me! Any suggestions on what would be a good date? I really want to make a good impression. I think she could be the One.
Minato
~o~
Her breath caught, and she was very aware of the stinging in her eyes. She blinked rapidly, dislodging two trails of tears.
This had been a long time coming. For the past weeks, all Minato could talk about was Kushina-this and Kushina-that. How pretty she was. How strong she was. How skilled she was. How graceful she was.
Hermione was not a petty teenage girl anymore, a girl who'd break down and cry when the boy she liked went out with a much prettier girl. She was a mature capable woman who held her destiny in her own two hands. At this moment, she had two choices.
One, she could remain and find what joy she could in friendship, ignoring her own feelings and desire. Two, she could leave, break ties, and walk free.
There was no reason she had to fall into the same trap she had as a student, best friend, and advisor, but never the girlfriend or lover. Minato preferred another, and she was better suited to his lifestyle than Hermione. She did not have to stay and watch and hurt.
It would be best to detach with love. To cut ties for a time, give herself time to heal and accept the new reality, so their relationship would not be poisoned by her feelings for him.
~ooOoo~ooOoo~ooOoo~
Hello Minato,
This will be the last message from me for a while. I have decided to go on a journey of self-enlightenment, to process certain knowledge and determine my options for the future. Unfortunately, to get the maximum benefit, I must limit contact with my past and people I have ties to.
I feel I have been stuck in a rut for a while, but I'm not certain of what to do next. Sometimes strangers see things we don't due to familiarity, and talking to someone who doesn't know you can be oddly therapeutic. A certain religion in my homelands had something called Confession, where a priest would assign penance based on the degree and number of sins committed, usually a mantra or prayer chanted a specific number of times.
I'm not particularly religious myself, but I acknowledge the existence of the Higher Powers. They do their thing, I go my way. Now I find the urge to examine my atrophied spiritual well-being. Perhaps this journey will help me.
I will be storing my journal in a safety deposit box. You may continue to write, but do not expect any responses for at least six months, perhaps longer.
May your path be clear and trouble-free,
Mia
~o~
"Minato?"
Namikaze Minato looked up at his girlfriend. "What is it, Kushina?"
"Is something wrong? You look like someone smacked you in the head with a staff."
Minato shook his head. "It's nothing." He smiled encouragingly. "Why don't you go on and get ready? Shikaku and Yoshino will be waiting for us."
Kushina nodded and picked up her bundle of clothes, hurrying to the bathroom to shower and change.
Minato glanced at the journal and re-read the entry. It was silly to feel slighted. Mia was a friend, there was no rule that said she could not do what she had just done. Hadn't Minato done it himself when he accompanied Jiraiya on the training trip to study and prepare for his Sealing Mastery? Hermione was not a shinobi, but her unique skills made her as accomplished as any nin and Fuuin jutsu master.
She had put aside her studies to focus on providing him with advice and support when Konoha was at war, during his candidacy, and his first months as Hokage. It made perfect sense that she would take some time for herself, now that Minato was somewhat settled.
Minato sighed softly. Hermione had been hinting at her desire for a change. Minato had hoped she was considering moving to Konoha. He wanted the two women who were important to him to meet each other.
"Seriously, what's wrong, Minato?"
The blonde kage looked up and smiled slightly. "Nothing. I got a message from an old friend today. She said she was going on a six-month training trip."
Kushina frowned fiercely. "Six months? I haven't heard of any kunoichi going on a training trip." Red brows drew down into a furrowed V. "Who is she?"
Minato laughed softly. "She isn't a kunoichi. She is a civilian Fuuin jutsu mistress who taught me a few tricks even Jiraiya's never heard of. I met her on a mission outside Hi no Kuni and we started corresponding. No one in Konoha knows of her, and she prefers it that way because she's not interested in serving any Hidden Village."
Kushina frowned. "Is this wise, Minato?"
The kage snorted. "She is good enough to neutralize anyone who tries to force her. Including me. Besides, it was her lessons that inspired me to create the Hiraishin."
The red-haired kunoichi's jaw dropped. "And she's not a shinobi?"
Minato shook his head. "Definitely not. But she has a kekkai genkai that gives her the upper hand over almost any nin. It's not something that can be forced from her. Any Hidden Village who kidnaps her child gains no benefit and earns her immediate wrath."
"How so?"
Minato frowned slightly before explaining. "Her kekkai genkai must be exercised and developed or the abilities atrophy. It's like chakra-vessels in a child; there is a certain age range when they can be developed and expanded. After a certain age, the talent atrophies into dormancy if the wielder has not reached a certain level. But it is dangerous for children to exercise the talent without an experienced adult around. It is very common to experience irreparable damage during practice sessions, or to even be killed." A lie, but necessary in case the Council found out and questioned Kushina.
Kushina blinked. "How odd. I haven't heard of any such kekkai genkai."
Minato smiled mirthlessly. "You wouldn't. She is the only one in the Elemental Countries." He hesitated before settling on a lie. "Her arrival was an accident."
Kushina's eyes widened. "The Hiraishin?"
"Not exactly, but an experimental transportation technique. She has not been able to duplicate it, since it wasn't her experiment." That wasn't a lie, not completely.
Kushina softened. "Poor soul. She must have been very shocked and alone." Then she became more curious. "How do you stay in touch if she is travelling?"
Minato shrugged. "We won't. But it's only six months. With any luck, she will decide to move to Konoha then. I really want you to meet her."
~ooOoo~ooOoo~ooOoo~
Hermione sat down before the plain pinewood desk. Her thumb drew blood on the glass-nib pen before brushing across the seal of the journal she had just retrieved from her safety deposit box at Hi no Kuni's National Bank, Hasu Midori branch.
Hesitantly, her fingers flipped through the pages. It had been eight months since her last message to Minato. She was a little nervous about reading his entries, to find out how he reacted, how he felt about her now.
Vacillating did not benefit anyone.
Slim fingers turned the page to the oldest unread entry and she began reading. She read slowly at first, and then more quickly. Her fingers darted over the familiar scrawl, lingering on some lines and skimming over others.
~o~
I don't understand why you have to take such an extended trip. Can't you take a break every two months? I miss hearing from you.
~o~
Kushina insisted I keep on writing even though you won't be reading. She says it is a kind of therapy, like keeping a diary, but I know you will be reading these sooner or later.
~o~
You won't believe what happened today. She got into a fight with Hyuuga Hiashi. At a Village Council social event. I know what Sarutobi is going to say tomorrow, but I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to give up Kushina for some proper clan daughter who resembles a wind-up doll who behaves perfectly in public. I don't care what they think. Kushina is cheerful, optimistic, hot-headed… Real. She makes me smile and forget about the weight of duty. She makes me feel like a normal human being.
~o~
My ANBU have not found any concrete evidence against Orochimaru, but they have uncovered other unsavoury aspects. I've given Inochi orders to track and identify members of Danzo's Ne. All Konoha orphanages have orders to do random drop-in follow-up appointments on all older child adoptions for six months on a bi-weekly basis. If they even suspect the child is being indoctrinated, they have orders to pull him/her out and arrest the 'parents.'
~o~
I wish you were here. Kushina told me we are going to become parents. It wasn't exactly planned, but accidents happen. She caught a certain fever in Ame that neutralized the more common forms of contraceptives used by kunoichi. The medic who treated her was too inexperienced to recognize the side-effects of the fever and warn her to use alternative methods.
I haven't really thought about the future, children and a family, but I am happy. I'm going to be a father, I'm going to have my own family! You know I was orphaned when I was seven. The chuunins who tracked the bandits responsible brought me to Konoha. I was too old, too hardened to be adopted, so I considered the whole village as my own kin until I was old enough to have my own family.
~o~
Kushina refused my proposal. She said what Sarutobi and the council said still applies. The Hokage's wife must be able to navigate cut-throat politics and diplomatic negotiations. Her personality is too direct to handle such restrictions. She'd go crazy within a month of living in the public eye. She cares, but not enough to bear the duties and restrictions that come with being my wife.
I know what you're going to say. I'm calling the baby "him" for convenience. I don't have much preference about having a son or a daughter. I just want the baby to be born healthy and stay healthy.
I'm lucky that she is willing to stay as friends and let me be part of his life. She wants him to have her clan name - Uzumaki - as a protection against my enemies. I don't know how it is going to work when the baby is older. He/she is going to know why daddy isn't living with them. I have to talk to Biwako, Sarutobi's wife. Perhaps she might have some good advice since you aren't here.
~o~
I need to de-fang and neutralize Sarutobi's old advisors. They have not taken kindly to being sidelined since I became Hokage. They are trying to seize power by creating power vacuums. Unfortunately, they seem to have targeted the Uchiha. The clan is powerful and skilled, but their attitude and old adversarial relationship with the Senju clan has not helped. Koharu has been spreading rumours about the bad blood between Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama, comparing the situation to today with me and Fugaku playing the lead roles. It is too easy to canonize the dead and find flaws in the living.
~o~
We found out the baby is a boy. I talked to Kushina, and she's agreed to name him Naruto, after the character in Jiraiya's first book. I sent you a copy when it was first published.
~o~
My ANBU have reported odd activities on the border. I have sent several scouting teams to verify the source and numbers.
~o~
This is just fucking great. There is just one being behind all the disturbances. A fucking bijuu. To be more precise, the Kyuubi no Kitsune. I have to figure out a way to stop it, or at least redirect it away from Konoha.
Wish you were here.
~o~
I've managed to find studies of the seals that contained the Ichibu in a teapot. I'm working on modifying it to constrain the Kyuubi. Too bad I don't have enough time to test it. Wish you were here to re-check my calculations.
~o~
I've checked and rechecked. The seals will not contain the Kyuubi. It will break free within seventy minutes, unless the container is living and the matrix adaptable. I need to research this.
~o~
An animal or plant is not going to work. Now I understand why the Ancients called bijuu containers jinchuuriki, human sacrifice. It is the only open path I can see. Please tell me I am wrong. I need your perspective, Mia.
~o~
Jiraiya has re-checked my design and calculations. I've worked every precaution and safeguard possible into it. Someone might have to be sacrificed to save Konoha, but he/she is going to get the best chance possible of surviving the burden.
~o~
There is no other way. In order to make the seal perfectly balanced, I have to interlace it with an experimental seal I found in the Forbidden Scroll. It is called Shiki Fuuin, Death God Seal. The user literally summons the Death God to execute and amplify the seal. As payment, the user's soul will be sealed in the Death God's belly. I don't know how much is real and how much is metaphoric. It's not like one has much chance of experimenting and recording one's observations after executing the seal.
~o~
I can't fucking believe it! The seal will not work on an adult. The chakra pathways are too rigid to accept the necessary changes to become a growing, living matrix.
~o~
I don't have much choice now. The scouts have reported Kyuubi will be here within two hours. I will execute the seal. I know the intricacies and structure to make any necessary field adjustments. The only question is whose child is going to be sacrificed to save Konoha.
~o~
Kushina is dead. She went into labour but insisted that I not be informed. She said it would distract me from my work. She was right. Rin was with her throughout the labour and delivery. She died two hours later of an embolism any competent medic-nin could have treated, if they were skilled enough to detect it.
The standards in Konoha General Hospital have fallen badly since Tsunade left. I hope my successor, whoever he is, brings her back.
~o~
This will be my last entry. As I write it, I'm holding my son Naruto. I cannot ask another parent to give up their child, to sacrifice what I am not.
Naruto will be jinchuuriki to the Kyuubi no Kitsune. I have given instructions to Sarutobi and Jiraiya to look after my son, but my newfound cynicism pushes me to ask you one last favour - as your student, your colleague, your friend - please look after Naruto.
~o~
Hermione did not realize she was moving until she was in front of her dresser, pulling out her just-unpacked clothes and tossing them into the open duffel bag on the bed. She had to get to Konoha as quickly as possible.
Minato needed her. And if he was dead, then his son would.
~ooOoo~ooOoo~ooOoo~
TBC…
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