Minato pivoted on his heel and began making his way down the hallway of their modestly sized house. Arriving at the front door, he pulled it open and stepped out of his house as he heard another groan come from within their living room.
The sunlight shone on his face and the smell of fresh blooming peaches hit his nose as a content smile appeared on his face.
Stepping onto the stone pathway leading away from the house, his hands slipped into his pockets as the sunlight shone on his face and the smell of fresh blooming peaches hit his nose a content smile appeared on his face.
Slightly smirking, he listened to Kushina's fading voice as she went on teaching Arashi about more of the advanced basics of seal making. 'She's really putting him through the wringer on his first day. Though, it does seem like his natural affinity for seals is naturally very high, but that tracks considering he is an Uzumaki.'
It was really comforting, in a way. Arashi might not have realized it yet, but this is the way that Kushina showed that she cared. Being full of enthusiasm and forcing you to give your all. Minato had experienced it first hand and he knew that that was exactly what was happening right now.
And from the way Arashi hadn't outright refused her long lessons yet, Minato figured some part of him had realized that and accepted it and perhaps even began to enjoy being in her company.
But as Minato walked, his expression shifted, his thoughts pulling him toward the more immediate problems that came with Arashi's introduction to the village.
Hiruzen had spoken to him a couple of nights previously, pulling him aside after his decision to let Arashi stay had been officially recorded. Minato had expected the talk to be about the usual concerns, you know, Arashi's integration, his training, his unpredictable personality, the fact that he's an outsider.
Instead, this meeting had been about Danzo and the confrontation Hiruzen had with him.
"Danzo believes the boy should be trained under Root instead of under you, Minato. I of course denied the request because of the fact that you were the one vouching for him but you know how Danzo can be sometimes.'"
That had been the gist of it. Nothing more, nothing less but still it made Minato warry. He frowned slightly, his pace slowing as his opinions on the man came to the forefront of his mind.
Danzo Shimura was… a difficult man. He is a man of absolute conviction, unshakable beliefs, and an overbearing presence. He operated in a way, and in a place, that most shinobi couldn't stomach, making decisions in the shadows that others would hesitate to even consider.
But Minato didn't believe he was malicious in his thought processes. 'He only does what he thinks is necessary for Konoha. It's just that his definition of 'necessary' is…' Minato exhaled through his nose. 'Rigid.'
Danzo damn sure wasn't wrong in thinking that Arashi's abilities were valuable. The potential of Wood Style alone was enough to make anyone nervous. Pair that with a possible Uzumaki chakra pool and natural sensory ability, and it wasn't surprising that Danzo wanted him under Root's control.
But Root wasn't the right place for the newly found Uzumaki, maybe they could work something out in the future though. However, even with the way Danzo operates, Minato didn't dislike Danzo right now. He didn't agree with him on mostly anything, but he understood him and his thought process, as dark as they were.
The man simply saw shinobi as weapons first, and people second; just as the way the rest of the villages thought of them as well. The thing is, that's where they differed in their opinions.
Minato didn't like the fact that shinobi were treated with disregard in most circumstances. After all, he had seen one of his most prominent inspirations take his own life after making sure his friends and teammates made it out of a mission alive, only to be ridiculed by the villagers who knew nothing of the shinobi life and the also by the shinobi for hurting the village.
This, in extension, affected his last living student for seemingly the rest of his life up to this point. He wasn't going to let Arashi, Kushina's cousin, be shaped into an unthinking tool just for him to be tossed aside when it's politically expedient.
The boy needed guidance and stability more than control, after all, Arashi had said he'd been on the move since he could remember.
And creating stability meant making sure he had a place in the village with bonds that he could rely on. And as far as Minato was concerned, 'There's only one real way to do it and that is; to get Arashi onto a team.'
Minato turned the thought over in his mind as he walked, considering his options. Arashi was fifteen, around the age when a good portion of younger shinobi were hitting chunin rank, if not reaching higher than that level. He didn't have the foundation of an academy-trained shinobi, but his instincts were sharp, probably the sharpest in his age group.
'More importantly, getting him on a team could make it easier to adjust to life in the village and as a shinobi. The structure that comes with constant training and missions often keeps most shinobi sane after the things that they see day after day.'
Minato thought of Kakashi who had been adrift ever since the Kanabi Bridge mission. Losing Obito had shaken him more than he let on, and while he had tried to return to his usual self, Minato could see the lingering weight of the loss in his eyes.
And then the situation with Rin happened…
Minato clenched his jaw. Rin's death had nearly shattered him and took away any ambition to return to his previous self.
Kakashi had returned from that mission alone, his hands stained red, his eyes dull and lifeless. He had reported everything, and given a full mission debrief, but something had been missing from his words.
The official report said that Kakashi had killed Rin, but Minato had known him since he was a child and now as his sensei. 'There's no way he would have done it willingly, something else must have happened out there that night.'
But Kakashi had never spoken about it, Hiruzen wouldn't disclose any details of the mission, and so Minato hadn't pressed him about it.
Now, though… 'Kakashi doesn't have a team anymore. He needs one again just as much as Arashi does. If for nothing more than someone else to keep him company. It won't solve his deep depression but perhaps it could be the first step in a path of recovery.'
The more Minato thought about it, the more it made sense. 'Kakashi is disciplined, calculated, and precise, a stark contrast to Arashi's wild, instinctive, and unpredictable nature. Maybe, just maybe, they could balance each other out on a team.'
Minato smirked to himself. 'Or they'd kill each other within a week. Either way, it'll be interesting to see how they react to each other.'
As he neared the Hokage Tower, he knew he needed to bring this idea to Hiruzen and get his thoughts on it.
If Danzo was already interested in Arashi, then Minato needed to act first and start the process of integration. He needed to secure Arashi's place in the village before any others tried to make a move on him.
Minato glanced up as he reached the towering structure of the Hokage's office, the sun casting long shadows against the wooden pillars.
He took a deep breath, straightened his posture, and stepped inside.