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Stormy Days: Tales of Wind and Thunder	By : twistedsheets Category: Naruto > Het - Male/Female Views: 1047 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
Title: Stormy Days: Tales of Wind and Thunder
Author: twistedsheets10
Pairings: Namikaze Minato (the Yondaime Hokage) x Uzumaki Kushina
Ratings: PG-13 for now
Disclaimer: Naruto is not my property; I merely borrow them so we can
play. :)
Summary: Spoilers for Naruto 367. Collection of drabbles/one-shots
centering on the Yondaime Hokage and his red-headed, tomboyish lady, Uzumaki
Kushina�their past, loves, friends and ultimately, the choices they made and
the legacy they left behind.
Thank you so much to those who�ve read the earlier
stories. Your comments are my inspirations.

4. The only one

�Waitaminute! You�re marrying Minato?�

�No, no!� Uchiha Mikoto giggled, no doubt amused at
Kushina�s open-mouthed astonishment. Some patrons in the restaurant turned to
them, startled by Kushina�s earlier outburst, but she ignored them and focused
at her friend, her former jounin captain. This was certainly not what she expected she bumped into
her in the restaurant while waiting for Yamanaka Inoichi.

�I�m not marrying Minato-kun.� Mikoto�s smile was small
and sweet over the rim of her tea cup, a twinkle in her eyes. �My betrothed is
Uchiha Fugaku.�

Wide-eyed, Kushina continued to stare at Mikoto, her
cheeks warmed by the sudden rush of blood as she flushed in embarrassment. Don�t know why I�m so surprised, she
berated herself, chewing her bottom lip as she silently contemplated on what
her friend just said. They haven�t been
dating for a long time now, and Mikoto-sempai told me before that this Fugaku
guy was courting her�crap, I should have set them up again earlier�

Out of the corner of her eye, Kushina saw Mikoto�s smile
slip into a frown of concern. She promptly snapped out of her thoughts and
flashed the Uchiha a lopsided grin. �Oh. Oh.
Well, uh�congratulations! That�s, um, wonderful!� she managed, her tone not
quite as effusive as it should be, still awkward and unsure with the situation.
Her brain rapidly began to sift through her memories, trying to pinpoint who
Fugaku was again. �Isn�t he the one who has been recently appointed as the head
of the police force? That makes him the Uchiha clan head or something, right?�

�Oh, yes.� Mikoto�s smile was firmly back in her lips.
�Well, he�s not quite the clan head, though.�

�Ah.� Well, that explained a lot. Unlike Minato, Fugaku
was just what Mikoto�s parents would want for a son-in-law: powerful,
influential, prosperous, and most of all, an Uchiha�and their next clan head,
too. �That�s great. You�d be called Lady Uchiha then, wouldn�t you?� She
giggled when Mikoto blushed from her teasing, but inside, Kushina was still
disappointed.

Since she�d set up Minato and Mikoto for a date several
months back�well, actually, last year�she�d been rooting for them to get
married. They were both her friends, and they seemed perfect for each other,
both of them being skilled, bright, kind�heck, even their names rhymed�the list could go on. The only
stumbling block had been Mikoto�s parents, who were mortified that their
precious daughter was involved with someone not an Uchiha no matter how
esteemed he was, all thanks to their myopic view on bloodlines. Their
relationship endured for a while, though, until they mutually ended it several
months ago. Kushina had never been entirely sure why.

Kushina inwardly winced at the memory of the breakup. Both
of their tempers went into a record high at that time. She�d been furious at
Minato, irrationally convinced it was his
fault that things didn�t work out between him and Mikoto. She berated him with
questions: what happened? Was it Mikoto�s parents? Why hadn�t he fought for
her? Finally, Minato had enough.

That had been one of the very rare times she saw
Minato absolutely livid. Knuckles white, face grim and his usually quiet voice
taut with anger, he replied to Kushina, �Stop it. There is nothing to fight
for,� and then walked out of the room. After that, it took them two months and
a life-threatening mission before they went back to the way they were
before�well, that and a sparring session that ended with both of them getting
confined at the hospital for two days.

Kushina slid her gaze to her food on the table as she
struggled on what to say next. �Fugaku-san must be very...remarkable,� she
remarked as casually as she could. �But isn�t he like, five years older than
you? And he has these weird lines on his face.�

Oh damn, why did I
say that? Kushina
bit her lip, trying to curb her words. Whatever her true feelings were, Mikoto
would not take it kindly that Kushina was insulting her betrothed.
Unfortunately, Kushina couldn�t just accept this without making sure about
Mikoto�s feelings on this matter. �I thought you�d like someone a bit�younger.�
Oh, someone bury me now. �Like, you know,� she paused for a
moment, as if searching for a name, before adding as nonchalantly as she could,
�Minato.�

�Actually, I prefer someone a bit older than me.� To
Kushina�s relief, Mikoto�s smile didn�t lose its radiance. Instead, Mikoto took
Kushina�s hand in the warmth of her grasp, and squeezed it. �I know you�re very
concerned, Kushina-chan, about my happiness, but there�s no need. Fugaku-san�s
wonderful to me.�

�He better be,� Kushina retorted, temper flaring at the
thought of anyone being less than wonderful and perfect to her friend. Other
than being a talented and skilled jounin, Mikoto was reliable, smart, pretty,
patient�just about the perfect kunoichi in Kushina�s opinion. �He�s going to
take to wife the best woman in
Konoha. He should be honored.� She gripped Mikoto�s hand, concern in her voice
as she said, �But what about you? Are you okay with this? Are you happy?�

�Very much so.� Mikoto�s dark eyes softened,
aglow with something Kushina couldn�t put a finger on. Contentment? Happiness? �I�m�very fond of him. I would have never
agreed to this if I wasn�t; I�m not quite that
spineless, you know.�

Kushina studied her friend for a moment, trying to gauge
if Mikoto was telling the truth. She does look happy, and true friends
should be pleased when their friends are happy, right? She sighed and as
quick as that, let go. �Then that�s all I need to know.� Her smile was not as
wide as before, but it was twice as genuine. �I�m glad. I�ve always liked to
see you happy.�

Mikoto�s answering smile was dazzling, so filled with
happiness it was. �Thank you. You don�t know how much this means to me.� Kushina
knitted her brows at Mikoto�s words when she added, �I know you wanted me and
Minato-kun to be together, I don�t think things would have ever worked out
between him and me. I do like him, but we are too�similar. Besides,� Mikoto�s
eyes sparked with mischief, �he�s interested in someone else.�

For the second time that day, Kushina�s mouth dropped open
in shock. �Really?� she squeaked. �I haven�t heard about that at all!� She sat
back, feeling as if someone had punched her in the stomach. The thought of
Minato liking someone who she might not be familiar with and not telling her about it made her angry
and hurt�and just a little afraid. What
if she takes�ah, no, must not think about that. They were best friends,
weren�t they? �Why that bastard! He hasn�t told me any of this. When did he
tell you?� Minato, you are so dead.

�He hasn�t told me, actually. I�m sorry if I gave you that
impression.� Mikoto patted her hand soothingly, accurately discerning Kushina�s
murderous mood. �It�s just a guess of mine. You know how Minato is at these
things. So please don�t kill him, okay?�

Before Kushina could reply, Minato appeared, purposefully
crossing the restaurant floor towards them with quick, long-legged strides.
�Kushina. There you are. I�ve been looking�� Minato swiftly caught sight of
Mikoto and stopped just a few feet away from them. His mouth snapped shut, and
then he grinned, slow and easy, and gave a brief wave. �Oh, hello, Mikoto-san.
I didn�t realize she was talking to you. I�� he paused, finding himself
confronted by heavy stares from Kushina and Mikoto, and then took a step back,
a confused look on his face. �I�ll�come back later. I, uh, hope I wasn�t
interrupting anything, uh, private.�

Kushina and Mikoto glanced at each other, a silent
understanding passing between them, and then back at Minato. �Oh, no. I was
just talking to Kushina about my marriage.�

�You�re getting married?� His blue eyes went wide,
astonishment written all over his face. He sat beside Kushina, ignoring the
annoyed sound she made as she scooted over to the other side to make room for
him. �It�s Fugaku-san, isn�t it?� When Mikoto nodded, he smiled, so wide and
bright it seemed to cover half his face. �That�s wonderful! Congratulations! I
wish you much happiness and prosperity.�

�Thank you.� Mikoto didn�t touch him on the shoulder, as
she would have done in the past. She merely inclined her head. �But what about
you, Minato-kun? Aren�t you dating anyone?� she teased, leaning forward with a
wicked gleam in her eyes. �Don�t tell me you�re having problems getting dates?�

He flashed her an embarrassed grin and then ducked his
head to avoid her gaze. �Aha, well, you see��

�His social skills still a need a lot of work,� Kushina
said in a deadpan voice. �He can be really charming, but for some odd reason,
it doesn�t seem to attract girls.� She winked at Mikoto, ignoring Minato�s
muttered objections: no, his social
skills did not need work; they were
great, thank you very much. And girls
just like him fine.

�Rin, Obito and I despair
of ever getting him a date. It seems like you�re the only one who can put up
with him.� With a heavy sigh, Kushina clasped Mikoto�s hand, a pathetic
expression on her face. Gesturing with one hand at Minato, she said in a
beseeching voice, �Maybe you know someone who�d be charitable enough to ask
this social boor to a date. I know it can be difficult, but I�m sure his good
looks would be enough to make up for his lack of social skills. He�s a good
cook, too, picks up and washes his own dishes, and he�s clean and doesn�t smell
sweaty most of the time. That counts for something, right?�

�Oh. Well, I�ll , aha, look into that.� Mikoto�s shoulders
shook, pressing one hand against her mouth as she tried to contain her
amusement.

With an annoyed grunt, Minato folded his arms across his
chest. �Mikoto-san, you shouldn�t laugh. It only encourages her.�

�I�m not laughing.� Minato scowled at her, the expression
seemingly out of place in his usual sunny disposition, which only made Mikoto�s
shoulder shake harder. �Not. At. All. �

�Right.� Mikoto sighed, glaring at Kushina, who assumed
the pose of a complete innocent, hand over her heart, eyes wide with fake hurt.
�That doesn�t really fool anyone, Kushina.�

�But Minato, I�m only concern�� Kushina swiveled sharply
when she caught sight of a familiar figure entering the restaurant. �Finally!
Yo, Inoichi!� she called out, her voice loud and clear even over the combined
din of human and culinary sounds. Inoichi turned to her, and gave a hesitant
wave. Kushina glanced back at Mikoto and Minato. �I have to leave you two alone
for a bit, I need to ask Inoichi some stuff for my garden.�

Kushina slid out of her seat and stood up, but not
before she leaning down and wagging her finger in front of Minato�s face. �Now
don�t try anything perverted with Mikoto-sempai while I�m gone, okay? She�s an
engaged woman now, and her betrothed would be very mad if you started molesting
her.�

�Kushina, you��

Laughing, she touched Minato�s shoulder briefly, then
stepped back and grinned at Mikoto before taking her leave of them. �Wait for
me, hey? I�ll be done in a few minutes.�

When Kushina was a few feet away, safely out of earshot,
Mikoto asked Minato, �So, when are you going to ask her out?�

�As soon as I�m sure she wouldn�t dismember me with a
garden trowel if I did.� Minato glanced over his shoulder, his eyes following
Kushina. Her red hair bobbed and swung as she all but skipped on her way to
Inoichi, pausing briefly to wave and chat with some of her students in the
restaurant who had hailed her as she passed them by. When she finally reached
Inoichi (unharmed and still in one piece), Minato turned back to Mikoto, a
small smile on his face. �Is it obvious?�

�That you�re so very madly in love with her? Very.� His
surprise must have shown in his face; Mikoto�s lips lifted into a wry smiled.
�It�s in your eyes, you see�the way they light up when she�s around. You look
at her as if she was the most precious thing in the world.� She tilted her head
to one side. �I�ve never seen you like that with anyone. Not even with me.�

The hint of sadness in her voice felt like lead in his
heart. Their separation had been mutual and amicable, coming after weeks of
uncertainties and confusion from both sides. Minato had tried his best to make
sure it would be as painless as possible for both of them�especially for Mikoto. �Mikoto-san, I��

�I know you weren�t using me to get to her or anything
like that.� A wistful look flickered across her face. �I don�t think any of us
were aware of how things stand back then.�

�I certainly
wasn�t,� he muttered, suddenly morose at the memory.

Mikoto let out a small, kindly laugh. �It�s strange,
isn�t it? We were all so young then, weren�t we? If only we knew what we know
now about love.� Her expression turned pensive as she spoke, and then she
smiled. �Poor Minato-kun. You must have been terribly confused the whole time.
It�s even worse now, isn�t it?� She glanced over to Kushina, who had a look of
intense concentration on her face as she and Inoichi talked, oblivious to anything
else around her. Mikoto shifted her gaze back to Minato, raising one brow.
�She�s not making things easy, is she?�

It was Minato�s turn to laugh. He let out an exasperated
huff of air, and then shook his head. �You have no idea. Easy isn�t part of her vocabulary, I think. Thankfully,
giving up is not in my vocabulary.�

��Ah.� Mikoto
looked pleased, and her smile widened. �Good for both of you.�

------

�I can�t help feeling a little sad, see? He�s not quite
that old from her, which is good. There wouldn�t be much of a generation gap
between them.� Kushina paused, took a deep breath, and then went on. �It�s an
arranged marriage, I think. There must have been a prior agreement between
their parents, but Fugaku must have waited to propose until he got the
promotion. Very wise of him.�

Lying on the cool, damp grass that covered the top of
the Hokage Mountain, Minato listened as Kushina continued to ramble about
Mikoto�s upcoming marriage, not interrupting her flow of words. Aside from
knowing that he didn�t really need to make comments or reply, and that Kushina
didn�t expect or want him to, he found her voice soothing�which was ridiculous,
because Kushina tend to get a little sharp when she�s rambling, but that�s the
way he felt.

Two hours earlier in the restaurant, a few minutes after
Kushina finished talking with Inoichi, Minato, and Kushina and Mikoto parted
ways. Mikoto went back to her house to take care of some details for the
wedding, which Kushina was more than welcome to attend. Unfortunately, due to
his history with the bride, Minato was not invited (unless they want Mikoto�s
wedding to be a really red wedding
from all the bloodshed), which he didn�t mind at all. Promising to attend and
bring �magnificent� gifts, Kushina gave Mikoto a quick hug before the Uchiha
left.

As always, Kushina and Minato ended up together. Much to
Minato�s surprise, rather than going home, Kushina proposed they go stargazing
at the Hokage Mountain, where they often set off to relax or talk.

�As you wish.� he said playfully. He reached out for her
arm so he could flash them there�they went to the place so often he�d put a
seal on the trunk of the tree near the spot they always hung out.

She stepped back from him and shook her head. �No
Hiraishin,� she said firmly.

He raised his brows. While not fond of his infamous
technique (�What if I�m not put back together properly?�), Kushina hated the
climb more. �Well, you�re in an odd mood today,� he remarked.

�Yeah, yeah. Just indulge me just this once, okay,
Minato? No freakin� Hiraishin.�

�Okay. Fine. No Hiraishin.� She must be really bothered by Mikoto�s marriage.

And he was right. Kushina had been talking about them
since they got there. Now, she sat beside him, knees drawn up to her chest.
�But that doesn�t matter, does it? She seems to adore him and from what she
says, he seems to like her, too, and I guess that�s a very good foundation for
a good marriage, arranged or no.�

Kushina looked at him, lips quirking into a sardonic
smile. �I�ve always liked the two of you together, you know. You seem�perfect
for each other. And you had that romantic �forbidden love thing� going on, with
Mikoto�s parents objecting to the whole thing.�

�I thought we agreed not to discuss that ever
again,� he reminded her. He really didn�t want to get into that again. The whole thing had been both frustrating and
enlightening. Minato couldn�t find it in himself to tell Kushina that while he
enjoyed being with and liked Mikoto, he felt that something was lacking�there
was no fire, no passion or any sort of intense feelings. On the whole, it felt
like Mikoto was his sister than any sort of romantic interest. He couldn�t
understand why he felt that way; he often found himself craving for something,
and Mikoto wasn�t it.

It wasn�t until he and Kushina began avoiding each other
after their quarrel about the break up that he realized that the one he wanted
was Kushina�the warmth of her smiles and laughter and company, her fierce
determination, and her loyalty to the people she cared about. It wasn�t that
Mikoto didn�t have these traits; it was just that with Mikoto, it sparked
little response from him, but when it was Kushina, chances were he�d end up so
deep he�d be utterly consumed. The two months he spent without her company was
utter torture.

He hadn�t planned this. It didn�t make sense. It wasn�t
rational. And he didn�t care. Which just goes go to show how just how screwed
he was. And the sad, stupid thing is, she
doesn�t even know it and I have no guts to tell her, because I know how she�ll
react. Very violently, I think.

�Minato, are you okay? You have a really weird
expression on your face.�

He smiled at her. It always irritated her when she noted
he wasn�t listening to her. �It�s nothing. I just remembered something, that�s
all.�

�Is that so? Ah, that reminds me.� Suddenly, she loomed
over him, her face over his, just several inches apart. An aura of annoyance
and impatience radiated from her when she demanded, �So, who is this new girl
you�re interested in?�

Her question and her sudden nearness almost made his
heart stop. Oh, shit. �What makes you
say that?� he asked, forcing himself to sound cool and calm, not showing any
hint of nervousness, looking at her straight in the eye. �Did someone tell you
I like someone?� Mikoto couldn�t have
told Kushina�could she? Was that what they were talking about before I came in?

Kushina tossed her hair back, a smug smile on her face.
�I have my sources. So, who is she? Do I know her? Is she nice?�

Based on his considerable experience in dealing with
her, Minato knew it was safer to play along with her rather than try to deflect
her attention. Hell had no fury like a Kushina who knew she was being
distracted. �Why do you want to know?�

To his relief, she went back to her previous position. �Curiosity.�
She wrapped her arms around her legs. �And besides, if I�m going to lose you to
someone, it better be someone worthy of you. You�re not a bad catch, you know.�

Lose me? He
sat up abruptly and stared at her, speechless for a few moments. What the��Where did you get that idea?�
he finally burst out. �Even if I ended up with, well, someone, you�re not going
to lose me, Kushina.� Not if I had
anything to say about that.

Unfolding her legs, she lay down her side, head propped
up by one arm. Then she smiled at him, a strange melancholy in her eyes.
�That�s a nice thing to say, but wait until you find the girl for you. I�m sure
you wouldn�t completely forget me, but trust me; you�d be completely consumed
with this girl. She�s going to be the center of your world, Minato.�

He blinked. �How do you know that?�

�Because that�s how I think you are. When you fall,
you�re going to fall hard. And I�ve seen you around your mother�the way you
treat her�well, don�t they�ll always say the way a man treats his mother is the
most likely way he�ll treat his wife?�

Kushina glanced at the glory of the night sky, sparkling
with the light of countless stars. �If you ever get together with a girl, it�s
very likely we�ll rarely have time to do the stuff we do now. If it had been
Mikoto, I�d probably be comfortable hanging out with you guys, but if it were
another,� she lifted one shoulder in a careless shrug, �I�m not sure.�

Realization dawned on him like blow to the head, and
made him feel faint for a moment. So
that�s why. �Don�t be stupid,� Minato snapped, the note of fondness in his
voice softening his words. �I�m not just going to leave you alone.� He glowered
at her, letting out a annoyed huff. �I�m hurt you actually though of me that
way. And I doubt you�re going to
leave me alone. You�d probably torment me until the end of my days, and I�d be
disappointed if you didn�t.�

�Ha! Nice to know you�re aware of that.� At that,
Kushina�s melancholic mood seemed to lift and the atmosphere about them
returned to its normal light-hearted one. �So, you do have some girl in mind,
hmm?�

�Well,� he reached out and caught a lock of her hair in
his finger, and twirled it around before looking at her straight in the eye,
smiling, �there isn�t any woman in my life other than you, Kushina.�

Kushina stared hard at him, mouth open. Then she punched
him in the arm. �That�s not an answer.
That�s an evasion and a lie.� She sniffed. �And there are other women in
your life than me.� She began to tick the names out with her fingers. �Your
late mother. Rin. Aunt Tsunade. Mikoto-sempai.
Yoshino. Oh, and that girl over at the book shop, the one you always sweet-talk
into giving you discounts for your porn.�

Minato sighed. He fell spread-eagled on the grass,
feeling exhausted. She completely missed his point again. This going to be a
long, arduous road.

He gave her a sideway glance. �By the way, they�re not
porn, and they weren�t for me.� Note
to self: never, never buy porn for
Jiraiya-sensei again; the experience is too humiliating to bear.

�If you say so,� she said, yawning. She flopped onto her
back, so close to him her head touched the underside of his upper arm. �You�re
still not off the hook, you know. I�m going to find out who that girl is
eventually.�

His lips lifted into a half-smile, wondering what she�d
look like when she found out the truth. �I�ll be looking forward to that.� He
waited for a heartbeat for her to reply, and when she didn�t, glanced down.

Kushina was already fast asleep, her face pressed against
the side of his chest, her body curled artlessly against his.

Author�s notes, part
2: Mikoto is
older than Yondaime and Kushina in this fic. Fugaku is about five years older
than his wife, I think. If you caught it, Kushina is a chuunin. I�ll get around
to explaining why soon (most likely in Runaway).
:)

This is�humongous. One of my longest one-shots ever. There
seems to be a lot of smiling going on in here, and for that, I apologize.

FANART!: My good slav�er, friend, oinkwarrior, drew a Minato x
Kushina fanart. Link to it can be found in my profile.

Kenshin and Yondaime
similarities: Am
I the only one who gets Himura Kenshin
(of Rurouni Kenshin) flashbacks when
Yondaime/Minato is concerned? They seem to be so alike: both seem to have
cheerful, sunny personalities, but are extremely skilled and feared by their
enemies. They are also very dedicated in protecting the people they consider
precious to them. Of course, Minato doesn�t seem to have Kenshin�s dark
Battousai persona, but that doesn�t make him any less deadly or feared.

Suggestions: Is there anything you�d like to
suggest for me to write? Currently, I�m planning on a little background on
Minato, same as I did for Kushina that would involve farming and Hatake Sakumo,
and his mother dying of cancer. There�s also another in the works with Kushina,
Minato and his horde of fangirls and their chocolate (the obligatory
Valentine!fic) and there�s another on how they first met.

Thank you for reading, and comments and crits are very
welcome.
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Stormy Days: Tales of Wind and Thunder