Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Broken Branches	By : ChaCha92 Category: Naruto AU/AR > Het - Male/Female Views: 8173 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Don't own anything in the Naruto universe. Some dude in Japan does. Make no money on my stories either.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
- 3
The early morning light bathes the landscape in an otherworldly, ethereal glow, enveloping everything in gauzy, rosy hues. Time seemingly pauses in brief, quiet repose as the world slowly awakens from the waning night.
A soft sigh seeps into the stillness of the room. Clear, blue eyes wearily gaze out the window over the deceptively normal looking village. From this high perspective, debris piles of collapsed structures lie just out of view, dormant between intact neighbors, patiently awaiting removal by the refuse teams.
Lids slide shut as a battle worn hand reaches up to gently rub away the remaining vestige of sleep. A moment later it drops away as the other hand raises a steaming cup of tea to grateful lips.
Minato relishes these all too brief moments of peaceful solitude. It has been four long, difficult months since the Kyuubi attack. Despite the exhausting hours it seems as if they barely made a dent in the recovery efforts.
He places his cup back down on the small table next to his chair. Easing back into the recliner Minato supposes he should be more grateful. The village wasn’t obliterated in the attack. The death toll is high, but they still retain a sizable shinobi force. The hospital is still bursting at the seams, but all the injured are recovering and slowly returning to their families.
A soft smile tugs at his lips as he mentally admits his gratitude in knowing his family survived the ordeal. They may not have survived intact, but they survived nonetheless. Thankfully, Kushina no longer convalesces at the hospital. The medics allowed her to return home with strict orders of bed rest.
Obviously, said medics don’t know his wife very well.
Despite having Sarutobi active as a Hokage again and helping him, long hours keep Minato at the office instead of at home with Kushina and Naruto. He has to frequently sneak away in order to see them during daylight.
After noting how ragged Minato was being run by his duties, Kushina insisted on moving into the Hokage Mansion. She and Minato prefer their own cozy home because they have more privacy. More importantly, they were far from the chaos of the tower. Per medical advice, Minato knew Kushina and Naruto needed peace and quiet and wouldn’t get that at the tower. However, Kushina held her ground, insisting she had to if they want to see each other. Sacrificing some of their privacy is a small price to pay for that.
Soft gurgling and cooing noises break into Minato’s musings. A pleased grin spreads across his face as he moves swiftly over to a bassinet in the far corner of the room. Crouching down low, he slowly peers over the edge of the bassinet only to duck down quickly when the baby catches sight of him. He repeats the movement, each time adopting a different, goofy expression. Naruto burbles happily and shakes tiny fists when he finally ends their little game to lift her out.
Simultaneously he catches a whiff of something foul while noting she’s got a full load in her bottom. Arching a brow, he levels a playfully reproving glare at his daughter.
“Someone obviously doesn’t think daddy has enough work to do already,” he admonishes quietly.
A wiggle followed by a soft fart is Naruto’s only reply as she obliviously attempts to stuff her fist into her mouth.
“Don’t worry. Daddy doesn’t mind,” Minato smiles softly before pressing a gentle kiss to her brow. “He’s becoming quite the expert at a quick change. He just has to figure out how to combine the hiraishin and diaper changing and we’re all set!”
Carrying Naruto over to a nearby changing table, Minato strips her free of her onesie. His face scrunches up in disgust when he releases her diaper and gets a good look at the contents. Amused at his expression, she flashes a toothless smile and energetically kicks her feet.
Minato smirks as he carefully rolls up the filthy diaper and sets it aside. “You like to go all out, don’t you, sweetheart?”
Answering with flailing arms she then settles to watch as he cleans her up and changes her into a fresh diaper. Minato knew better than to delay for long or there’d be a puddle on the changing table.
As he changes Naruto into a fresh onesie, Minato muses on how far she has come since the sealing. The initial trauma made her withdrawn for a few weeks. No matter what they tried, she was unresponsive to stimulus and they couldn’t get her to nurse. She was literally starving to death on them. So she had to remain in the ICU and fitted with a feeding tube.
He and Kushina were very worried. They didn’t know how much her development would be delayed in the long run. Fortunately, Naruto proved far more resilient than they could hope for and she bounced back quickly. It wasn’t long until she turned into the lively distraction he gladly sneaks out of work for every chance he gets.
Lifting Naruto onto his shoulder, Minato leaves the room and heads into the kitchen. With one hand he plucks a bottle from the fridge and deftly pops it into the microwave for a few seconds to warm it up. Shifting her into the crook of his arm, he gently sways to distract her. He noticed her brow scrunching up, a sure sign of an impending squall-fest. It is one trait Kushina can’t deny; Naruto gets her powerful lungs from her momma.
Through trial and error, and loads of advice from the Sandaime in particular, they developed a routine that more often than not prevents Naruto from exercising those lungs too frequently. It doesn’t work all the time, but it helps. Their joint goal is to anticipate Naruto’s needs before she remembers she has lungs and knows how to use them.
The ding of the microwave captures Naruto’s attention as she looks around for the source.
“What is that?” Minato gasps in a goofy voice. “Is that something good? I bet I know what that is!”
He continues talking nonsense to the squirmy infant as he screws the nipple onto the bottle. Picking it up, he brings it close to the hand holding Naruto so he can tighten it. Bringing the bottle up and tilting it, he teases her mouth. Latching on, she immediately begins enjoying her first meal of the day.
Minato smiles at the look of concentration on her face as little hands clutch at the bottle. “That’s it, sweetheart. Don’t miss a drop. It’s not as good as your momma’s milk, but you can have that later. Let’s let her sleep a little longer, okay?”
As much as he wants both Kushina and Naruto to recover in peace, far from the stress and noise permeating the tower recently, Minato is glad they spend most of their time there. It eases his mind having them in close proximity while the village is vulnerable.
As it is, Kushina and bed rest are two very incompatible things. Almost daily he scolds her for being on her feet, doing something like cleaning. Each time he is swiftly reminded that inactivity has not affected his wife’s aim, regardless of the object at hand.
Minato pulls the bottle from Naruto’s mouth, much to her displeasure. Setting it down, he reaches for one of the many spit cloths he and Kushina like to keep all over the mansion because they’re handy for all baby related excretions and accidents. Draping it over a shoulder, he shifts Naruto up to it and begins thumping a light beat on her back, while swaying to a gentle rhythm.
Having his wife and daughter so close to the office also makes life more interesting. Within the past two weeks Kushina has been randomly appearing in his office, under the lame pretense of bringing Naruto out to visit her daddy. The first time they stopped by, Minato helpfully pointed out that it was a good thing she has never gone into Infiltrations. She makes a terrible liar.
That statement proved Kushina’s legs were as strong as ever.
Demonstrating great multi-tasking skills, she kicked out his chair from under him while holding Naruto, causing his chin to slam on the edge of his desk. His jaw still throbs every time he thinks of that incident.
A loud belch cuts through the air. Chuckling he shifts Naruto back into the crook of his arm and replaces the bottle into her mouth so she can finish her meal.
Amusement colors Minato’s voice as he comments, “There will be shinobi who will be jealous of your ability to belch like that, sweetheart. Even your momma is impressed and, trust me, it’s hard to impress that lady.”
Naruto doesn’t reply. She’s too focused on breakfast to care.
Minato looks forward to Kushina and Naruto’s daily visits. Kushina never says when she’s coming, though. He’s certain she must have a spy or two among his office staff because she always stops by when he isn’t in a closed-door meeting. Because of the frequency and length of their visits he had a bassinet brought in and set up in the corner of his office.
Sarutobi loves when they visit and shamelessly ignores all paperwork, regardless of importance, to play with Naruto. Minato certainly understands the older man’s eagerness to engage in any distraction from the endless stream of paperwork and meetings.
At least when Kushina is visiting, Minato knows she’s not doing something she’s not supposed to. Long ago he realized Kushina didn’t know the meaning of ‘medical leave’. The chair incident reminded him not to point such things out, so he definitely keeps that to himself. Kushina helps as much as she can, mostly with paperwork, since there isn’t much she can do physically to help with the recovery efforts. However, he notices it eases some of her tension. It also gives them both a lot of time to spend with each other and Naruto.
Glancing down, Minato notices Naruto has nearly finished her bottle. Pulling it away, he sets it aside and lifts her back into place against his shoulder. Resuming his light thumping on her back it isn’t long until a longer belch rings in his ear.
Grinning, he shifts Naruto back into his arm so he can wipe the formula from her mouth with the spit cloth.
“I’m still trying to figure out where you manage to fit those belches in that little body, Naruto. Might turn into a possible jutsu. Instead of an elemental attack, you could knock your opponents down with a belch!”
Naruto doesn’t seem interested in the idea. Small hands stretch out, trying to grab at his hair. Still smiling, Minato tosses the spit cloth aside and angles her higher so she can snag her prize.
“What do you say we go and see if momma is awake now?”
Naruto merely tugs on his hair as he starts walking back toward the bedroom.
Minato is the first to admit that living in the Hokage Mansion has its pluses. It can be described as a large, luxury apartment. There is plenty of room for the Hokage’s family and guests. Security certainly isn’t an issue. The entire tower complex is the most secure location in the entire village. However, it just doesn’t feel like home to him.
He hates how merely stepping out the front door means he’s automatically the Hokage. Whenever he left the home he shares with Kushina for work, he could still be himself. There was time during the leisurely walk to the tower to become Minato the Yondaime Hokage. He doesn’t get that transition time living in the mansion. He knows there are shinobi already waiting for orders or to address some pressing issue just outside the front door. He’s on the clock immediately and hates it.
Reaching the bedroom door, he slowly opens it and peers inside. He grins as he spies Kushina with her arms raised above her head, arching her back in a sensuous stretch. Well, she wouldn’t describe it as sensuous, but the perverted part of his mind does. Especially when he sees how her nightshirt stretches over her boobs.
She drops her arms and relaxes into a grin when he pushes the door open wider and steps inside.
“Look who’s awake, Naruto,” he tells his daughter as he walks over to his first favorite redhead.
Kushina reaches out as Minato gently eases the baby into her arms.
“There’s my girl,” Kushina coos at the burbling infant. When he settles next to her on the bed and wraps his arms around her, she turns to eagerly meet his lips in a deep, slow kiss.
Naruto completely ignores her parents as her fingers capture her interest again and she shoves them into her mouth.
When they finally separate, Minato huskily whispers, “Good morning.”
“Good morning, blondie,” Kushina whispers back.
Leaning forward, she closes her eyes as her forehead meets his and they savor the moment until Naruto’s burbling recaptures their attention. Breaking apart both smile down at their daughter as she flashes a toothless grin.
“How’d you sleep?” Minato asks, resting his chin on his wife’s shoulder to watch Naruto grab her mother’s finger and start gumming it.
“Good,” she replies, not tearing her gaze from her daughter. “I’m up for annoying the medics again and asking when I can start training to get back into shape. This baby weight isn’t going to magically disappear, y’know.”
Minato chuckles knowingly. Her comment only shows her eagerness to get back to doing what she loves. However, Kushina also knows the medics won’t give her the go ahead anytime soon.
“While you’re annoying the medics, I’ll summon sensei into the office to get him started on searching for Tsunade.”
Startled, Kushina twists around to gape at Minato, forcing him to straighten up. “I thought Tsunade has been avoiding anything to do with the village and Hiruzen has no clue where she is.”
“True,” he concedes, sticking his finger within reach so Naruto can grab it and start gumming it since Kushina had pulled hers away in surprise. “But if anyone can track down Tsunade, it’s sensei.”
Frowning, Kushina straightens up to refocus her attention on their daughter. “Is Jiraiya even around? Or are you going to have to wait for him to take his sweet ass time returning to Konoha again?”
“I have it on good authority he got back in Konoha yesterday. I’m already getting complaints of a white-haired peeping Tom skulking about the onsens. Besides,” Kushina can hear the smirk in Minato’s voice as he settles his chin back onto her shoulder, “he’s not willing to test whether I’ll follow through on my threat to shut down the onsens indefinitely due to potential environmental health concerns lingering from the Kyuubi attack. So he knows not to blow off one of my summons again.”
Kushina sniggers before growling out a thought that occurs to her. “If that old pervert dares to ever peek on Naruto, all that will be left of him for Hiruzen to eulogize at his memorial service is his balls. Afterward, I’ll have them turned into Baoding balls.”
Glancing over her shoulder, she notes Minato’s arched brow and adds in a reasoning tone, “The medics do want me to relax more. What better way than with customized meditation balls?”
“You realize sensei will have something perverted to say about that, right?”
“Sure!” she chirps. “He’ll get his chance to make some crack about me playing with his balls. Then I’ll rip out his tongue and make him watch as I remove said balls before disposing of the rest of his remains.”
“I don’t think you’ll get the chance, Kushina,” Minato snorts. “I don’t plan on allowing Naruto to ever set foot in an onsen to give sensei the chance to peep on her.”
“Poor baby!” Kushina soothes to Naruto. “Daddy already declared you won’t get to date until you’re at least thirty. At this rate you’ll be lucky to ever set foot out of the house!”
Both laugh when Naruto’s only response is to blow a raspberry before resuming the gumming of her mother’s finger.
“I guess there’s the gauntlet, Min,” Kushina quips over her shoulder.
“She wouldn’t be our daughter if she did as she was told,” Minato smiles down at the infant while tenderly stroking a chubby cheek with a finger. “She got stuck with the most stubborn, determined and obstinate parents in all of Konoha. She was doomed to be defiant from the start.”
“You’re not even old enough to walk and you’re doing your momma proud!” Kushina coos at Naruto. “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she adds softly.
“Neither would I,” Minato agrees before sighing heavily. “I guess I better start getting ready for work.”
“If Kakashi is on duty, assign him to our guard detail today,” Kushina suggests with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “I want to see him squirm when I make him watch Naruto while I pretend to get busy with something.”
“Pretend my ass,” Minato laughs, ignoring his wife’s scowl. “I’ll do it anyway since I still haven’t forgiven him for sneaking behind my back and convincing Hiruzen to sign off and allow him to test for ANBU. Not after I repeatedly told him ‘no’, he was too young for it. So make sure to give him a hard time for me.”
“Sure will,” Kushina laughs, causing Naruto to flash another toothless smile. “My favorite is to have him give her a bath because I’m feeling a little too tired to do it myself. I love seeing the look on his face when I ask.”
“I’ve got to pull that on him sometime just to see it for myself,” Minato grins.
He kisses Kushina on the cheek then leans down to kiss Naruto before sliding off the bed to get ready for work.
Coming to the Hokage Tower for any reason is not among the things Jiraiya willingly does at any given time. Coming to the Tower always means more responsibilities dumped on him, something he likes to avoid as much as possible. Plus, those responsibilities inevitably cut into his precious research time.
It also means running into people he doesn’t want to see. Like Homura and Koharu. The two old bats constantly harp on him to stick around more and contribute to the day-to-day workings of the village. Once they went so far to suggest he take over as head of the academic division, which includes running the Academy. He remembers sensei nearly herniated himself laughing when he heard that.
However, Jiraiya doesn’t want to test if Minato is bluffing with his threats to shut down the onsens. So he decides to brave the Tower to see what the gaki wants. That doesn’t mean he has to be obvious about it as he hides in the shadows, making his way to his former student’s office.
As he approaches, he’s not surprised to see Shimura Danzo emerge in all his pompous, stick up the ass, glory. Jiraiya inwardly groans as he watches the old coot slowly make his way up the hallway. His visit means Minato is going to be in a fine mood and likely very irritable and cranky.
Not that Jiraiya can blame the gaki. As if they didn’t have enough to deal with, he and sensei have their hands full dealing with Danzo blabbing the truth about the Kyuubi to the rest of the village. No one knows how Danzo found out, but he did and wasted no time in sharing.
Most villagers greatly respect Minato and trust his judgment. Some who remain leery of the Kyuubi being sealed in an infant wisely keep their mouths shut. They’re smart enough to realize Minato saved their asses and isn’t likely to kill his own daughter to guarantee the Kyuubi never escapes.
Then there are those who really are too stupid to live, much less be allowed to breed, in Jiraiya’s opinion, who keep demanding Naruto’s death. The poster child and standard bearer for these idiots is Uchiha Fugaku.
Fugaku keeps calling for Naruto’s immediate execution. Although Jiraiya feels Minato was shortchanging himself going for the whole ball and chain in getting married and having a kid, even he knows the fastest way to the top of the kid’s hit list is to threaten his family.
With sensei’s help Minato immediately enacted laws leveling a gag order over the village. No one is allowed to discuss anything regarding how the Kyuubi was sealed beyond saying the demon was defeated. They also made it an act of treason for anyone to threaten or endanger Naruto in any way.
Jiraiya knows Minato really wants to gut Danzo. They all know he spilled the beans in retaliation for Minato refusing to turn Naruto over to him for training into a weapon. Minato can’t punish Danzo under the new laws since they went into effect after he blabbed. However, it doesn’t mean the gaki is forgetting what he has done anytime soon.
Sighing in resignation, Jiraiya shores up his courage and slips into the office.
He barely shuts the door when Minato asks, “Do you need a new watch, sensei? Because I don’t recall it taking hours to get from anyplace in the village to here after receiving a summons.”
The sannin cringes at the underlying bite in Minato’s tone. Yep, the gaki is in a really fine mood.
“C’mon, kid. You know me and old farts don’t mix,” Jiraiya reasons, approaching the document littered desk. “And this Tower is crawling with them. I know, I saw one just leave this office. They tend to cut into my research time.”
Not looking up from the report he was reading, Minato adds, “And they cut into your travel time too as you should’ve been out of the village at least two hours ago.”
“What are you talking about?” Jiraiya asks, his face scrunching up in confusion.
“I’m talking about you hitting the road to find Tsunade and drag her back to Konoha. Tied up, kicking and screaming if you have to,” Minato explains, finally setting down the report to look at Jiraiya.
Blinking in shock, it takes a moment for the words to sink in before Jiraiya shouts, “What the hell are you thinking sending me on a suicide mission?! I barely survived the last time sensei sent me to try bringing Tsunade back!”
“Which is why I think you’ll succeed this time as you learned from your past mistakes, sensei,” Minato grins. Becoming serious, he continues, “Kushina needs Tsunade’s medical expertise to repair her chakra network. No one besides you, the Third and I know Kushina was the jinchuriki before Madara ripped the Kyuubi out of her and set it loose. Even if I tell the medics, having a demon ripped out of a patient is well outside their area of expertise. Tsunade is the only one skilled enough to treat her.”
Crossing his arms across his chest, Jiraiya huffs, “Is Kushina that impatient to hit the field again?”
“Yes,” Minato smirks. “But that’s not the only reason. I need her back in top shape to help protect Naruto. Danzo has the balls to keep trying to convince me to let him take Naruto and start training her. You just saw him leave after his latest attempt.”
Blue eyes turn flinty.
“I wouldn’t put it past the bastard to stop asking and try doing what he damn well pleases. Even with Hiruzen’s help, I’m still too busy with recovery. Despite having guards on Kushina and the baby, all Danzo has to do is wait for the right opportunity.”
“You’re right,” Jiraiya muses, rubbing his chin in thought. “It’s not inconceivable for Danzo to make Naruto disappear within Konoha. She wouldn’t resurface until she became an unrecognizable killing machine.”
Minato growls, “That’s why you’re going to leave immediately and find Tsunade. It kills two birds with one stone. Kushina is happy to get back into top form quickly and I’m happy because she’ll be better able to protect Naruto.” A wicked grin spreads across his face, causing a shiver to run down Jiraiya’s spine. “Otherwise, I’ll have to keep you village bound as the baby’s personal bodyguard. That means no time for research and plenty of time for diaper duty.”
“You wouldn’t,” Jiraiya breathes in horror. Seeing the look in his student’s eyes, he sighs resignedly, “You would. All right, I’ll get Tsunade back here one way or another. Even if I have to lie and say you finally allowed old man Han to build a casino in the village.”
“Knew I could count on you, sensei,” Minato quips. “Have a safe trip.”
Jiraiya scowls at his student before leaving.
Nearly a month later Minato and Sarutobi are both working in the office when a toad appears with a scroll. Taking the scroll and dismissing the toad, Minato opens it to read and busts out laughing.
Looking up, he notices Sarutobi watching him. “I just got a scroll from sensei. He found Tsunade.”
“Oh this should be good,” Sarutobi quips as he picks up a pipe from the ashtray on his desk. Because of the amount of work they jointly have to do, Minato had another desk brought into his office for the older Hokage.
“It is. He found Tsunade in record time. Within three weeks of sending him off on the search.” The older man arches a brow, prompting Minato to reply, “Exactly. Guess he can find her awfully quick with the right motivation.”
“Apparently,” Sarutobi replies, refilling his pipe with tobacco and lighting it. “I’ll have to remember to use some variation of the onsen threat or permanent guard duty for Naruto should the need arise again.”
Minato grins as he continues. “In his note, sensei complains of getting the shit beat out of him. Not surprising since Tsunade is probably still pissed at him for trying to snap pictures of her in the onsen the last time he found her.” Glancing down to read the scroll, he adds, “He says he had to play dirty and asked Tsunade if she’d abandon her own family to suffer at the hands of incompetent medics.”
Sarutobi blinks in surprise. “Does Jiraiya know that Tsunade’s grandmother, Mito-sama, is a cousin of Kushina’s?”
Minato nods. “Kushina told sensei about it during one of their long conversations. He wasn’t too surprised and told me later, in private, it makes sense those two psychotic, violent kunoichi are related.”
“Of course, he says that privately,” Sarutobi chuckles around his pipe.
“Of course. And, of course, Tsunade proceeded to give him another good beating. She then went and got plastered with a couple bottles of cheap sake.” Minato holds up a finger to emphasize the elder Hokage needed to pay closer attention to the next part. “What neither counted on was Shizune getting into the act. She apparently was lingering nearby when Jiraiya played the ‘cousins’ card with Tsunade. So once Shizune dragged Tsunade back to the inn they were staying at she tore into her. Apparently, Shizune takes family ties very seriously.”
Sarutobi chuckles knowingly. “That she does since her uncle was engaged to Tsunade before he died. And I recall she wasn’t that much younger than her aunt, Dan’s younger sister, who died during the second war. I understand the aunt was her babysitter.”
“I think you’re right and Shizune verbally beat Tsunade into submission. Tsunade griped to sensei the impossible must’ve happened and her mother got reincarnated into her teenage apprentice.”
“Indeed, since Tsunade’s mother didn’t die until after Shizune was born,” Sarutobi chuckles again. “Does this mean she is coming?”
“Yes,” Minato nods again and holds up the scroll. “According to this, they’re already on their way and should be back in Konoha within a few days.”
“Amazing,” Sarutobi breathes, while shaking his head. “I never thought I’d live to see Tsunade back in Konoha or that it’d be Shizune who convinced her.”
“Agreed. I don’t care as long as she’s on her way.”
Sarutobi nods as he takes another drag on his pipe before they get back to work.
It was another week for a surly Tsunade to show up in Minato’s office with Shizune and a still battered Jiraiya.
“Nice to see you and Shizune back in Konoha, Tsunade,” Sarutobi greets them pleasantly.
“Hi, sensei,” Tsunade replies dourly, causing Shizune to scowl at her rude tone.
“Thank you, Hokage-sama. It’s nice to be back,” Shizune politely greets the aged man.
“She feels so good to be back, Hiruzen, she’s practically bursting at the seams with excitement,” Minato quips, causing Tsunade to glare at the younger blond and Jiraiya to wince in dismay. His former student is just asking for trouble.
“I don’t plan on staying long, gaki,” Tsunade snaps. “I came to see what I could do for Kushina and that’s it.”
Minato eyes the sannin before replying. “No. That’s obvious, so I guess I should fill you in so you can do what you need to and get back on the road far away from this mess so it doesn’t inconvenience you further.”
He ignores Tsunade’s glare to walk over to his desk. Grabbing a folder he walks back and hands it to her. Opening it, she realizes it’s Kushina’s medical file.
Releasing a long whistle as she scans the report, Tsunade mutters, “Kushina’s entire chakra network is trashed.” Looking up she asks, “How the hell did that happen?”
Minato flashes through a couple signs for the office privacy seals before speaking.
“What I’m about to tell you is highly classified and is part of the reason the medics here can’t treat Kushina.” When Tsunade nods in understanding he continues. “For years Kushina was the jinchuriki for the Kyuubi no Yoko.”
“Wait a minute,” Tsunade interrupts. “I thought the demon died with my grandmother.”
Minato frowns in confusion. "Didn't sensei tell you that it was the Kyuubi that attacked Konoha?"
Tsunade glares at him, but is cut off from retorting when Shizune quietly states, "Tsunade-shisou refused to listen to any of the details of the attack."
“Demons made of chakra cannot be killed, Tsunade,” Sarutobi explains from his seat behind his desk before anyone else can comment. “The Kyuubi would’ve revived and been free without a host. Before Mito-sama passed, Kushina was selected to be the next jinchuriki. Her being a member of the Uzumaki clan like Mito-sama and her special chakra made her the perfect successor.”
Minato continues explaining to a stunned Tsunade and Shizune. “However, the seal containing the demon weakened during Kushina’s pregnancy. It would be at its weakest during childbirth. As a precaution we arranged it so she could give birth outside of Konoha. What we hadn’t counted on was Uchiha Madara being alive and well and fully eager to get his hands on the Kyuubi no matter who he had to kill.”
“No way,” Tsunade breathes. “You’ve got to be shitting me, gaki. How in the hell does,” she breaks off, sputtering for the words. “H-he fought my grandfather, for crying out loud! He’s got to be dead!”
“He was looking pretty lively for a dead guy,” Minato quips before becoming serious again. “To try shortening a very long story, he ripped the Kyuubi out of Kushina after she gave birth and set it loose on Konoha. That’s why her chakra network and Konoha is in shambles.”
“That certainly explains how her chakra network ended up like that,” Tsunade muses. “That is not the result of overuse during battle.”
“Excuse me, Minato-sama,” Shizune interrupts hesitantly.
“Yes, Shizune?”
“If chakra demons can’t be killed, was the Kyuubi resealed back into Kushina-san?”
“No,” Minato sighs heavily. “I had to seal the demon into our daughter, Naruto. Kushina was in no condition to take back the Kyuubi. At the time we were both sure she was dying. That would’ve meant the Kyuubi would revive to run loose later.”
“Yet now you’ve made Naruto a target for Madara later,” Tsunade comments, eyeing Minato shrewdly.
“If Madara were still around to target her,” Minato mutters darkly before explaining to the two stunned women exactly what happened and how they all survived.
“Holy shit,” Tsunade mutters when he finishes. “You sure lucked out big to survive that.”
“We all did,” Minato sighs again, rubbing a hand across his forehead. “Since I can’t tell the medics the truth, they can’t really devise a good treatment without knowing the cause. Additionally, Kushina’s condition isn’t life threatening and not a priority for them right now. However, her anxiousness to return to the field aside, I need her back in top form to help protect Naruto.”
Tsunade arches a brow as Minato explains the events since the Kyuubi attack.
“Damn, you really landed into a mess, didn’t you, gaki?” Tsunade grumbles when he finishes.
Minato merely shrugs as she sighs and switches to doctor mode.
“As nice as it’s been chatting, where’s my patient? I need to examine her and the bratling you two spawned before heading into the hospital to whip it back into shape. I’m sure Bunko-san has been doing a good job running things, but she has a tendency to be too light handed with the medics.”
Shizune and Jiraiya roll their eyes as Minato and Sarutobi grin at Tsunade.
“We temporarily moved into the Hokage mansion,” Minato explains. “Unless she’s wandering around the Tower with Naruto, you’ll find her there.”
“Jiraiya will settle our things in an inn while Shizune and I examine Kushina,” Tsunade declares.
“Hey! I’m not your personal valet! My mission was to get your ass back here. Mission accomplished!” Jiraiya vehemently protests.
He recoils when Tsunade turns and levels a particularly venomous glare at him.
“Fine,” he huffs, crossing his arms.
Minato and Sarutobi merely chuckle at the sannin’s plight, while Tsunade smiles smugly at him.
()
With Shizune in tow, Tsunade knocks on the front door to the Hokage’s personal suite and waits somewhat patiently for someone to answer. Within moments a pleasantly surprised redhead answers the door.
“Tsunade! Shizune!” Kushina cries before grabbing each in a hug.
“Good to see you, gaki,” Tsunade replies in genuine warmth as she returns the hug.
Taking her turn, Shizune adds, “You’re looking really well despite everything, Kushina-sama.”
Rolling her eyes, Kushina replies, “Knock it off with the ‘sama’ or any kind of honorific, Shizune. You know I’m not into all that decorum crap.”
“Sorry, Kushina-sa…” Shizune breaks off at Kushina’s glare and corrects herself. “Kushina,” she finishes with a blush.
“Better,” the redhead nods definitively, causing Tsunade to chuckle.
“Still the same brassy, ballsy brat as always, Kushina,” she quips.
“Don’t ya know it,” Kushina grins before waving them inside. “Well, get your asses in here so we can catch up before you fix me.”
“You know it’s not going to be as simple as placing a bandage on a boo boo,” Tsunade comments as she and Shizune follow the redhead into the sitting room.
“I know,” Kushina replies seriously. “If it were that simple, Min wouldn’t have badgered you to come back. Sorry he had to do that, but with that bastard Danzo constantly sniffing around Naruto, I have to get back in shape.”
“Danzo is nothing but patient and stubborn. What makes him a threat is his own selfish agenda,” Tsunade replies before changing the subject. “Let’s not talk about that old crank because I want to see this new bratling you and Minato spawned.”
Kushina laughs before calling out, “Hey, Kakashi! Can you please bring Naruto so the old bat and Shizune can see her?”
The older blonde glares and twitches at being called an old bat. Shizune tries to appear more interested in the décor than in laughing while Kushina grins at Tsunade.
Within moments Tsunade’s ire is forgotten as an irritable Kakashi appears with a squirmy Naruto.
“What’s that look for?” Tsunade demands.
“It’s Kakashi’s ‘I just finished changing the baby’s full diaper’ look,” Kushina explains with a snigger, earning her a glare from the teenage jounin.
He walks over to Tsunade and unceremoniously passes off the baby before starting to head out the room.
“Kakashi?” Kushina stops him in his tracks. “Would you please make us some tea?” she asks innocently.
“You and sensei are cruel,” he mutters before stalking out.
Baffled, Shizune asks, “Why is Kakashi-kun so surly?”
“Minato’s been punishing him for sneaking around his back and getting Hiruzen to let him test for ANBU,” Kushina smirks. “Getting constantly saddled with guard duty for us is keeping him from going on missions. Plus, I make him stay out of his ANBU uniform so he won’t scare the baby.”
Looking up from her cooing at Naruto, Tsunade eyes Kushina shrewdly. “I seriously doubt any kid of yours would be scared by an ANBU uniform.”
“You’re right. Naruto isn’t scared by his mask and laughs every time she sees him in it,” the redhead admits, her grin widening. “I only do it to annoy him for Minato. Plus, he looks so cute taking care of her.”
Tsunade laughs as Shizune blushes. The brunette teen silently agrees that Kakashi did look cute when he brought in Naruto.
Focusing back on the baby, Tsunade coos, “Well, hello, beautiful! Are you all set to unleash unholy terror on Konoha while looking impossibly cute and adorable?”
Tsunade is rewarded by a toothless smile. The light glinting off her necklace draws Naruto’s attention as small hands reach out for the pale blue stone.
“You certainly have expensive tastes, kiddo,” she smiles, lifting Naruto to let her grab onto the stone. Looking up from the baby gently tugging on her necklace, Tsunade comments, “Minato said Naruto failed to thrive the first couple of months and almost didn’t make it.”
“By nature, just sealing a demon into a person is a traumatic event,” Kushina sighs heavily as she watches Naruto tugging determinately on the blue stone. “I remember being absolutely terrified when the Kyuubi was sealed in me. I was still a kid. But I can’t imagine how it must be for an infant so new to the world.”
Leaning back into the recliner, while resting an ankle on her knee and draping an arm across the back, Kushina continues.
“Naruto was so traumatized we couldn’t get her to nurse. To keep her from starving the medics decided to insert a feeding tube. That wasn’t so bad, but it was where they wanted to insert the tube that was the problem.”
“What do you mean?” Tsunade asks, scowling over at Shizune who was insistently nudging her elbow before gesturing at Naruto. Rolling her eyes, she grudgingly passes the baby over.
“They wanted to perform surgery and insert the tube through Naruto’s stomach. That’s where the fox is sealed and it could’ve damaged the seal,” Kushina explains. “Minato got into a heated discussion with them and refused to explain the purpose of the seal. But the medics didn’t want to insert the tube orally or nasally, saying that could cause other complications. In the end they went with a nasal feeding tube.”
Tsunade nods knowingly. “Inserting the tube abdominally does result in the least complications and minimizes the scarring. However, most infants don’t have a demon sealed in their abdomen.”
“And we sure as hell weren’t going to clue the medics in on that detail either,” Kushina smirks. “Anyway, while the tube saved Naruto from starving, there were problems when the medics took it out. She ended up with what they called a disorganized sucking pattern and a swallowing disorder.”
“I’m not surprised,” Tsunade muses. “Nasal feeding tubes interferes with the infant’s sucking pattern. Naruto would’ve had trouble suckling correctly to get enough beneficial nutrition. She also would’ve had trouble coordinating between the pauses she needed to breathe. That’s how she developed the swallowing disorder. She had difficulty coordinating her tongue and lips to move the food to the back of her throat in order to swallow it.”
Kushina nods. “Throw in her inability to coordinate her breathing while eating and she inhaled some of her formula. Right after eating she’d literally be exhaling formula through her nose.”
Smiling fondly over at Shizune making goofy faces at Naruto, Kushina continues. “Luckily, all those problems went away and she caught up to where she’s supposed to be.”
“Naruto does seem to be up to par developmentally despite all that,” Tsunade agrees, joining Kushina in watching Shizune and the baby. “You’re lucky the lingering trauma from the sealing didn’t affect her more than it did or hinder her from recovering from the side effects of the feeding tube.”
“Yeah,” Kushina agrees fondly before scowling. “Which meant that once that bastard Danzo caught wind of her doing better, he started his campaign to oversee her training.”
Arching a skeptical brow, Tsunade goads, “Don’t give me that bullshit. That’s not the only reason you need me to try fixing you up. I read your medical file and saw the strict orders of bed rest. I know damn well you’re not following those orders. You’re chomping at the bit to get back into training.”
Kushina’s gaze hardens. “You saw all the damage to the village and we lost a lot of shinobi to the Kyuubi,” she growls. “Like hell I can sit back and take it easy. Recovery costs money and reduced forces make us prone to attack. Protecting Naruto from Danzo means nothing if I can’t help protect her from outside enemies.”
Crossing her arms, Tsunade sighs heavily.
“And knowing you, even if I didn’t fix you up, you’d stubbornly try getting back into shape anyway and probably kill yourself in the process.” Ignoring the redhead’s glare, she continues, “Enough chit chatting. Let’s go into your bedroom so you can lie down and I can examine you.” Turning to Shizune she orders, “Bring the baby so I can examine her too.”
The three women rise to their feet as Kakashi reenters the room bearing a tea tray.
“We’ve got to go into the bedroom so Tsunade can examine me, Kakashi,” Kushina explains at his baffled look. “Would you please keep the tea hot until we’re done?”
Kushina grins at the teens glare. Turning to leave the room, she hears him mutter, “You and sensei are cruel.”
“You are mean,” Tsunade quips when he disappears from sight.
“I know,” Kushina grins before leading them into the bedroom.
Nearly an hour later the three ladies return to the sitting room. Naruto had fallen asleep on them, so Kushina had Kakashi settle her into her crib before he brings out their tea again. Deciding to cut him a little slack, she allows him to go into Naruto’s room and read his Icha Icha as part of his “guard duty” with the promise not to tell Minato.
Once they’re all settled, Tsunade speaks first.
“Not that you didn’t know it already, but your bratling is in good shape and it doesn’t look like she’ll be suffering any long-term effects from the sealing. Now for your problem, brat, I’m pretty sure I can repair your network. It’s bad, but there’s a good chance I can make it better.”
The blonde cuts Kushina off when she smiles and opens her mouth to comment.
“But it’s not something that is easy to fix and I’m not sure how long it’s going to take for you to get back into shape. It’s going to take more than one treatment. Your chakra network is as intricate as your circulatory system. It’s going to take time to go through every line and branch all the way to your pressure points.”
Giving the solemn redhead a moment to absorb her words, she settles back more comfortably into the sofa and sips her tea.
“Even once we’re done, it’s still going to take time to recondition them into handling the amount of chakra you’re capable of pushing through them,” the blonde continues explaining. “Too much and you’ll just blow your network again. Or part of it, which could be irreparable. Our networks aren’t designed to take that much abuse. That would be particularly bad if that occurs during battle. You could become vulnerable to an enemy attack and get killed.”
Tsunade pauses to sip her tea.
“What Shizune and I will do will speed things up for you, but it won’t be a quick fix. You’re still going to be out of commission for a year, at least, whether you like it or not. Otherwise, it would’ve taken you years to recover and you would’ve likely had to retire as a shinobi.”
The silence stretches out as Tsunade and Shizune continue sipping their tea. Neither fails to notice that Kushina hasn’t touched hers since they sat back down in the sitting room. Her voice is low when she finally speaks.
“Nothing is worse than knowing you can normally take on an entire squad of enemy shinobi and being totally incapable of doing it. Not even to protect your baby.” Raising her determined gaze to meet Tsunade’s eyes, she continues. “I know it’ll take time, but I’ll push as much as I can get away with. I don’t want to die and leave Naruto to grow up without her momma.” A smirk spreads across her face. “I want to be there when she beats up her first little boy.”
Shizune merely rolls her eyes as Tsunade returns her smirk.
“I just can’t risk the time to recover normally. We’ve got to do this,” Kushina finishes seriously.
“All right, gaki,” Tsunade replies. “ As long as you understand you can only push yourself so much.” After Kushina nods in understanding, she continues. “Give Shizune and I a chance to get back into the swing of things around here and terrorize the hospital staff, then we’ll get your procedure scheduled.”
Kushina grins, elated at the prospect of getting back into shape sooner than expected.
It didn’t take long for Tsunade to completely browbeat the entire hospital back into submission. She’s impressed at how the efficiently its been running since she left, but that doesn’t mean things are up to her strict standards.
She assigns Shizune to intensively research the chakra network and Kushina’s medical history. Tsunade even has her read through her grandmother’s medical files for anything that might help.
Within a month they begin Kushina’s treatment. The three sessions are long and grueling, leaving Kushina exhausted and bedridden for at least a week each time. Originally Tsunade and Kushina heatedly argued over how close the treatments should be. Naturally, the redhead wanted them one right after the other. The older blonde wanted to space them out longer. The two women eventually compromise on one session a month. Still too close together for Tsunade’s liking, but reasonable enough for her to allow it.
When the last session is finished, Tsunade stops by the mansion one more time and examines Kushina. After the exam, both women settle into the sitting room to enjoy some tea.
“Well, gaki, looks like all went well with the treatments,” Tsunade states, prompting Kushina to grin. Scowling, she sternly adds, “Don’t take that as a free pass to do whatever the hell you want. I’m not joking on pushing yourself too hard. You want to get back into top form faster? Then listen to what I’m saying.”
“All right, all right, I won’t over do it,” Kushina replies sounding harassed. She grins at Tsunade’s deepening frown. “Really. Don’t worry,” she reassures. “I’m going to push myself and you know why I have to. But I’ll rein it in, promise.”
Tsunade sighs wearily, muttering, “Uzumaki’s aren’t known for their restraint.”
“Damn straight,” Kushina quips, ignoring the blonde’s glare as she sips her tea.
“You’re just lucky that you’ve got a far better healing ability than most people, but even you have limits.” Her glare bores into Kushina’s eyes. “I read your medical history and it’s obvious the Kyuubi helped your healing along when it was sealed in you. It’s not sealed in you anymore. Don’t train like you still have that ace up your sleeve.”
“I won’t,” Kushina seriously promises. “And thank you. I know it wasn’t easy for you to come back, but Minato and I am really glad you did.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Tsunade waves off airily. “He probably wouldn’t have pushed for me to come back if he hasn’t been so busy. Otherwise, I’m sure he would’ve been glued to your side.”
Kushina sighs heavily. “It bothers Minato not to have the time to take care of me and Naruto or be around more to protect her.”
“It’s not like you didn’t have help. You still have Kakashi around to abuse as your de facto babysitter.”
“With shameless glee,” Kushina laughs. Becoming serious, she adds, “But it’s not about punishing him anymore for joining ANBU. He’s been great about it because I really had to rely heavily on him these past few months. So much that he moved in with us.”
“Doesn’t hurt that because he’s ANBU now, he can effectively protect Naruto from Danzo and the other bastards demanding her blood,” Tsunade points out.
“Nope it doesn’t,” Kushina nods as Kakashi enters the room carrying Naruto.
“And speak of the devil and he shall appear,” Tsunade quips, holding out her arms for the baby.
“Aren’t you supposed to be passed out drunk in a gambling house somewhere, you old hag?” Kakashi mutters as he eases Naruto into her arms.
“Just leave the baby and go away, brat,” Tsunade growls before looking down at a still sleepy eyed Naruto and smiling.
“Naruto just woke up?” Kushina asks as a distraction.
Throwing another glare at Tsunade, the silver haired teen answers, “Yeah. She’ll probably want to eat when she fully wakes up. Do you want me to prep a bottle or are you going to breast feed her?”
“Bottle, please.”
With a nod, Kakashi leaves the room.
Kushina looks over at Tsunade when she hears the older woman chuckling. “Who would’ve thought a Hatake would make such a good nanny?”
Shushing her through her giggles, Kushina admonishes, “Don’t let him hear you say that! I finally got him doing things without muttering sarcastically under his breath.”
Tsunade grins before looking down at Naruto. “Well, beautiful, I’ve got to get going. I better start hearing rumors soon about a redheaded midget terrorizing Konoha. You’ve got your mother’s reputation to uphold.”
Naruto merely yawns, causing Tsunade to laugh. Rising to her feet with Kushina, she hands over the baby before heading to the door. Kushina walks her out.
Turning back, Tsunade tells Kushina, “I don’t know if I’ll be back, much less when, but it better not be because you ignored my orders. Don’t overdo it.”
“You better come back. I’m not much into letter writing,” Kushina smiles fondly before giving Tsunade a one-armed hug.
Offering a grim smile, Tsunade doesn’t answer and steps out the door.
Minutes later she barges into Minato’s office. The younger blonde is alone and looks up from the document he’s reading to grin.
“Tsunade! Long time no see!” he greets cheerfully.
“You’re such a smartass,” she grouses as she stops before his desk and crosses her arms across her chest.
“Considering who my sensei is, that’s a declaration of the obvious, don’t you think?” he asks, setting the document down.
Ignoring the question, she glances over at the other empty desk. “Where’s sensei? I thought he’d be in here slaving away with you.”
“Accepting an invite to the Uchiha district to listen to Fugaku rail at him for not convincing me to order the execution of my own daughter,” Minato replies airily.
Tsunade shivers inwardly at the murderous glint in those deep blue eyes.
“Well, I can’t hang around much longer until he gets back. Shizune and I have to hit the road. Kushina is all patched up and now it’s up to her to follow my orders.” Pausing to roll her eyes, she grouses, “Not that she won’t do everything possible to distort and mutilate those orders to get away with doing what she damn well pleases.”
“Kushina always claimed she was allergic to doctors,” Minato smiles fondly. “But I’ll do what I can to keep her from going overboard.”
“Kinda hard to do when you’re eyeballs deep in recovery work, brat,” she points out.
“No kidding. At least we’re making progress. A few months ago it didn’t look like we’d ever recover from Madara’s schemes,” he sighs wearily.
“The hospital is in good shape. Shizune and I lent a hand where we could.”
Remaining silent, Minato muses that ‘where we could’ meant avoiding treating bloody injuries for Tsunade.
Instead of raising her hackles, he says, “Thanks for treating Kushina and helping out at the hospital, Tsunade. I really don’t want to let you go since our ranks were thinned by the attack, but I understand why you have to go. Hiruzen filled me in on the details.”
Tsunade’s surprised gaze snaps to his.
He nods in understanding. “You have my permission to leave, but I’ve got one condition.” At her arched brow he adds, “You’ve got to keep in better contact and update me on your whereabouts. It shouldn’t be so difficult to find you if we really need you. It’s the least you can do in return for the freedom to wander unhindered.”
The older blonde considers it before accepting. “All right. I’ll have Shizune send regular updates on us. She’s better about that than I am.”
“Fair enough,” Minato smiles as he watches her turn and walk out the door without another word.
A/N: Baoding Balls-Chinese meditation balls. You use them to improve dexterity in your hands and most have a subtle chime when you rotate them to induce relaxation.
- 1
- 2
- 3
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Broken Branches