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Minato has always been dreading this day. It’s a recurring nightmare of sorts, one that feels fully palpable in his dreams but much more distant in reality. That’s why he’s fully unprepared.
They’re walking home from the playground around sunset, one of the rare times Minato has managed to take a day off. Sunset approaches them but the warm hues still trace the sky, melting together like wax candles.
Naruto looks happy, he’s smiling in that quiet, reserved way that Minato knows to stem from a more genuine place in his heart. Minato smiles back at him. Life is good.
And then Naruto looks at him with a curious sort of glint in his eye. “Do I have a mom?”
Minato’s brain short circuits temporarily. His stomach drops all at once and everything feels so much colder. There’s a moment where he’s painfully aware of the sharp breeze against his cheeks, and the low din of crickets.
“Yes,” he finally says.
“Oh,” Big blue eyes stare up at him. “Do I know her?”
What Minato really should say is: Listen son, I’ll tell you all about her. Her favourite colours, the way she liked her ramen, how much you remind me of her everyday. Anything you want to know.
“There are pictures,” Minato says instead, throat tight. “All around the house.”
He sees Naruto’s face scrunch up in concentration, trying to recall all the little portraits dotted around their home.
“Does Grandpa Jiraiya know her?”
“Yes.”
“What about Kakashi-nee?”
Minato frowns, not really seeing where this is going. “I suppose he does, yes.”
“Then…” Naruto frowns. “Does she live with someone else?”
Logically, he knows that Naruto must know about death. He’s eight, but he’s the child of shinobi. Children in this world grow up far too quickly, especially with their classes and missions. Still, if he can spare his son the pain…
“She–” Minato’s mouth feels awfully dry. “She had to leave. She didn’t want to.”
Naruto is silent for a moment and Minato’s heart pounds in his chest. He isn’t ready for this conversation, no matter how many times he and Jiraiya-sensei had run it through. He doesn’t want to hear the questions or see the recognition on Naruto’s face as he pieces the parts together–
“I don’t need a mom,” his son declares. “I have you.”
Oh, if that doesn’t make his heart melt a little bit.
“You’ll always have me,” Minato assures and winces at how robotic the words sound. “I know our family might be a bit different than others, but…”
But what? There’s too much to say and not enough words to say them.
“You are loved.” He finishes lamely.
Expectedly, Naruto flushes. Minato makes a note to express his affection more often.
“Whateverloveyoutoo!” His son yells, his face the shade of a tomato. “Race you back to the house!”
He turns to sprint down the path and Minato does a double take. For a moment he swears he sees…
Kushina Uzumaki was just like the whirlpools of her homeland. He could always feel her emotions so easily, as if they were rolling off her skin like waves. There was a ocean held in her eyes and a storm captured in her heart
Minato sees her everywhere. He hears her rumbling laugh as he walks past tea-shops and ramen stalls.
He sees her in his son everyday - in the smile of his beautiful, innocent Naruto.
Minato loves his son dearly. He adores every single part of him - his cheeky smirk, his clever humour, his bright grin. He knows everyone loves his son too.
He’s seen how Kakashi grumbles at his enthusiasm, but still ends up carrying him home on his back after a long day out. He’s watched, hiding a smile, as his student pinches his son’s cheeks and flicks his forehead with a tenderness that did not match his reputation or bloodstained past.
He’s seen Iruka at the academy when he was spying on Naruto’s first day. The fond reprimands and exasperation on his face when his son made a beeline to fight the youngest Uchiha kid.
Sasuke is fond of him too, that whole “rivalry” that kids that age seem to have. Sasuke’s mother - Kushina’s old friend - and his brother…everyone likes Naruto. (Everyone liked Kushina.)
He tries not to think of those parallels.
(Kushina squawking and batting his arm, Naruto lunging at Sasuke’s smug expression.
Kushina chasing him around with an empty pan, Naruto pouting and begging him for another bowl of ramen before bed.
Kushina laughing through her own tears as she made fun of him for crying. Naruto giggling hysterically, the sun twinkling in his eyes.)
His throat feels dry. Minato visibly shakes himself and runs after his son.
“You’re too anxious,” Jiraiya-sensei huffs as they approach the room. “It’s not a test and it’s certainly not a punishment.”
“It’s a baby. Of course I’m anxious,” Minato huffs. “And without Kush–”
He stops himself, exhaling deeply through his nose. Jiraiya-sensei hovers uncertainly beside him, and Minato realises they have reached the room.
“Ready?” His mentor asks. He knows better than to say ‘are you okay’ – he knows that Minato won’t be okay for a long time.
The door swings open before either of them can say anything else. A young med-nin walks out, hastily straightening up when she sees them.
“Oh, Lord Hokage!” a wide smile slips over her face. “Are you here to see the baby?”
She doesn’t wait for him to answer, instead ushering them both inside.
“He’s a healthy little boy,” she continues, oblivious to Minato’s inner turmoil. “A little ray of sunshine. I think he’s a blonde like you– oh but you can never tell at this stage, you know.”
Minato doesn’t know what to think. What if the baby hates him? He follows the med-nin’s lead towards the little crib. What if he looks at the baby and doesn’t feel anything–
“Oh look, he’s smiling at you!”
Oh, Minato thinks dumbly. And then to his horror and relief, he feels tears spilling out of the corners of his eyes. Because it’s his Naruto - Kushina’s Naruto. The tiny baby he spent tireless hours chatting to from Kushina’s stomach. The ball of sunshine who he had dreamt of caressing - dreamt of knowing.
As Naruto’s baby blue eyes flutter open and he raises a pudgy fist in his direction, all Minato’s doubts vanish.
He wants to teach him how to make packet ramen and to read the small signs on the back of milk boxes. He wants to hear him babble excitedly about the most mundane topics and talk about girls and boys and…life.
He wants to take him birdwatching and stargazing on the roof, and show him the view from the Hokage monument and teach him about his mother.
The tears fall faster and Minato feels hushed mutters behind him as the med-nin leaves to give him some privacy. Only Jiraya-sensei stays by his side, hand gentle but firm on his shoulder. For once, the older man seems at loss for words as he watches the small baby with a similar expression of heartbreak.
Eventually, Minato feels himself stagger forward. His sensei and all the other noise fades into the background as he gently touches Naruto’s face.
He hopes his hands aren’t too cold, because kami, Naruto is so tiny. Minato could hold him in one hand, but he is terrified of hurting him.
Kushina would know what to do - how to gently embrace their son with the tenderness Minato was so scared of failing to imitate. But Kushina isn’t here— and it’s just him—
He feels Jiraiya-sensei’s hand on his back again, and the older man glances down at Naruto,
Naruto giggles as Minato wipes at his eyes. He lets the small baby fumble around until he has Minato’s thumb in reach.
His miniature fingers curl around his own, face lighting up in delight at the victory.
Mintato cannot help but adore him.
“I’ve got it!” Jiraiya-Sensei exclaims, bringing his fist down on the table. “Teuchi’s cousin.”
Minato blinks and looks up slowly from his stack of paperwork. While he always has the utmost belief in the citizens of Konoha, he is struggling to see how Teuchi’s little cousin can solve the evolving fish crisis.
“She’s single,” Sensei elaborates, which explains just about nothing.
Perhaps single women had more time on their hands, or maybe Teuchi was a descendant of a distant water-animal clan he had never heard of.
“Does she…have any experience with fish?” Minato asks slowly.
“What?” Sensei looks just as confused as he does. “No Minato, a date.”
Something about the word makes his gut curl uncomfortably.
“A date,” he echoes.
“Yes!” Jiraiya looks all too pleased with himself. “She’s always hanging around at that Ramen place that Naruto loves to go to. It’s been eight years since you let yourself loose.”
Minato notices he’s subconsciously crushing the scroll in his hand and tries to loosen his grip. “But Naruto–”
“Naruto’s a big boy now. He can handle his old dad going out with some gorgeous, young, sexy lady.”
“What?” Minato says, feeling embarrassingly flustered. “I’m not– that’s absurd!”
Sensei howls at that, actual tears springing to his eyes. Minato crosses his arms and tries not to feel like a pouting teenager all over again. There’s something tight and uncomfortable gnawing in his chest.
“You blush like a little boy!”
“Most little boys don’t have their sensei trying to play matchmaker!”
“Most little boys aren’t the Hokage,” Jiraiya sighs, a little petulantly. “Why do you always wanna make yourself miserable?”
(“Why, Minato?”
Tsunade stands above him, hands gentle but firm around the bandages. Flashes of Kakashi’s red blotchy eyes and Jiriaya’s desperate shouts run through his mind. He’s not here, not really. He should be–
“Where does it hurt?”
Minato shudders as red hair flickers in the corner of his eye. His fingers ghost over his throat.
“Everywhere.”)
Jiraiya-sensei’s first attempt is rather weak.
Minato is minding his own business, walking through the quiet side of the marketplace, when a shorter shadow appears next to him. Instinctively, he turns around, hands flying to his kunai.
“Oops!” The voice laughs – giggles – which really catches him off guard. “I think I dropped my basket. That’s so embarrassing!”
“Ah,” Minato says, for lack of better ideas. “Let me help you.”
The woman giggles. Again.
“I don’t usually drop things.” A mischievous smile spreads over her face. If Minato didn’t know better, he would call it wicked. “But Hokage-sama is just so handsome, I couldn’t control myself.”
Minato feels his eyebrows raise subconsciously. The woman’s hair sparkles a bit too brightly. Her eyes seem unnaturally pale. Every time she moves, there’s a tinge of discomfort in her poise.
He may be sleep deprived, but he’s not stupid.
“What’s your name?” Minato hands her the basket and bites back a smile as her face goes blank.
“Jin,” the woman says after a beat. “Which is appropriate since I can really whip up the perfect gin–”
“Are you a shinobi, Jin?” He leans in. Her eyes widen. Perfect.
Recovering quickly, she flutters her eyelashes. “Yes–no. Ah, well not me but my brother–”
“Then surely your brother has told you how inappropriate it is for teachers to flirt with their students?”
‘Jin’ blinks at him for a moment, expression morphing into pure bewilderment and then there’s a distinct pop and Jiraiya-Sensei is standing in front of him.
“Minato–”
“For your sake, I hope you’re embarrassed.” Minato grumbles.
“Fine, fine, I’m sorry!” Sensei sighs, sounding fully unrepentant. “How did you know?”
Minato scowls. “You’ve been using the same disguise since I was twelve. You just changed the colour palette. And you clearly don’t know anything about being a woman–”
“It would’ve fooled you a few years ago,” Sensei shakes his head. “Kids these days. They get married for a few years and they think they know everything about a girl.”
Minato presses his lips together to hold back his retort. He knows Sensei probably doesn’t mean the statement to hurt him, but it stings anyway.
“The acting was pretty bad,” there’s another pop and Minato turns to see Kakashi looking at them sheepishly from behind the stall. He whirls back around.
“You got more people involved in this?”
“Just Kakashi!” Jiraiya says defensively.
“First the books, now you’re brainwashing my innocent student!”
“He’s not that innocent,” Jiraiya mutters at the same time that Kakashi says: “It was only like, three books.”
Minato has the urge to go back to sleep and redo the whole day.
“Okay dad guy,” He rolls his eyes as Sensei scoffs. “Be boring. Stay home. Don’t go on the actual date I set up for you tonight.”
“You did what.” Minato says. Very slowly. Just to confirm that this is some apocalyptic nightmare he’s about to wake up from.
Kakashi makes a nervous sound. “That was not how we were supposed to tell him.”
“Well it doesn’t matter since he’s not gonna go,” Sensei continues nonchalantly. “I’ll only remind him about what his life could’ve been everyday for the rest of his life.”
And that gets Minato thinking.
One date, two hours of his life, how hard can it be? Clearly the benefits outweigh the costs here, and he’d rather not have to flee the country for murdering one of the legendary sannin. Plus, Naruto would be sad if he became missing-nin.
“Fine,” He sighs. “I’ll go.”
He ignores Kakashi’s wide saucer eyes and feels little satisfaction at the way Sensei’s jaw drops for a moment before the man recollects himself.
“Excellent!” His voice is a little too high pitched to be natural. “Kakashi, follow me. We have work to do.”
“Wait–” They sushin away before he can even finish his sentence. “Who am I going out with?”
Minato groans up at the sky. What has he gotten himself into?
He’s in no better mood when Kakashi brings Naruto home that afternoon.
“Kaka-nee is so cool!” Naruto beams at him, eyes all starry.
“Is he,” Minato deadpans.
“Yeah! He did all these cool tricks, and Sasuke was like ‘Whatever, Itachi could do it better’ but he was totally jealous!”
He grunts noncommittally, still salty by his student’s betrayal.
“Naruto, I’ll be going out tonight.”
His son pauses at that.
“But dad, you never go out. Kaka-nee says it’s cuz you don’t really have friends–”
“Did he,” Minato shoots a dark look over towards Kakashi who hastily shakes his head.
“-but that’s not true because you have me! And I’m sure Sasuke will be your friend, though he’s kinda a meanie before you get to know him–”
“Thank you Naruto,” he ruffles his son’s hair. “But I’m sure you’d rather keep Sasuke to yourself. Why don’t you go and shower?”
Naruto scowls but leaves easily after Kakashi offers to get him Ramen for dinner. Minato watches as the boy runs up the stairs, waiting until he’s out of earshot. Then he turns to Kakashi.
“Who.”
“Exactly who Jiraiya said it would be,” Kakashi hastily replies. “Teuchi’s cousin. I don’t know her name!”
“Okay,” Minato draws back his irritation. Neither of them deserve it, only Jiraiya. “Okay.”
Kakashi eyes him warily as Minato runs a distressed hand through his hair for the fifth time that hour. “You don’t actually have to go on the date.”
Logically, he knows this. That information does nothing to convince him that this is the right decision.
“It will get Jiraiya off my back,” Minato grumbles, fiddling with the hem of his sleeve to distract him from the tight feeling climbing up the back of his throat.
Kakashi watches his motions, down to each and every breath he takes. Minato allows it, a little awkwardly.
“You’ll need a scarf,” He comments. “It’s a bit cold out tonight.”
“Right,” Minato shifts. “Well, I–”
“You’d tell me,” Kakashi says suddenly, desperately. “You’d tell me if you felt…”
(“Sensei? Oh god– can you hear me? Naruto, stay outside! Sensei, please.”)
Minato’s gaze softens. He reaches out slowly, so Kakashi can see his every movement, and squeezes his shoulder.
“Of course.”
He arrives at seven as promised and is pleasantly surprised to be greeted not by Jiraiya but by his date.
“I’m that oaf’s cousin,” she grins, pointing a thumb towards the counter at Teuchi. “But you can just call me Nao. Short for Naoko.”
“Minato,” he returns, and then immediately feels silly. Of course she knows who he is.
Naoko just grins and winks at him.
“So I’ve heard.”
They talk for a bit. A lot, actually, and– it’s nice. Naoko is sweet and witty but not too overbearing. She seems to take an interest in his son, asking all sorts of questions about Naruto’s life.
Minato loves nothing better than talking about his son so he’s happy to answer that yes, his son is turning nine in a few months, he’s enjoying school very much, and no, he isn’t a picky eater but he has his mother’s unconditional love for a bowl of ramen.
Naoko giggles at that and he finds he doesn’t mind it too much. The tightness in his chest slowly fades, and he almost feels like laughing along.
It’s all going far too well until she leans forward, chin resting on his palm and reaches out to hold his hand. It isn’t the gesture itself, but the way her lashes flutter around her dark eyes and the swish of her brown hair as it glints in the sun and almost seems red –
Minato’s vision tunnels in.
He flinches back, hands feeling heavy then he’s frantically clawing at his own throat. The knot in his chest is back and it tightens and tightens and tightens and his eyes widen because something feels horribly wrong.
A stray jutsu? No, Minato hasn’t been out on a mission since…since…
His scarf is stiff around his neck and he doesn’t remember winding it up so tightly. It’s suffocating him - choking him. He gasps at the sudden lightheaded feeling, and tries in vain to blink the stars away.
“Minato? Minato– are you okay?” Naoko sounds concerned but her voice is too far away.
His head swims, vision flickering. Minato’s limbs are tingling and his body trembles all over. He feels like throwing up.
Out of nowhere, a hand presses against his shoulder. Minato flinches away, but it tightens its hold. Another hand sets itself on his back and Minato registers being pulled to his feet and away–away–away–
Fighting instinct kicks in and his arm shoots out in a clumsy punch. It's easily blocked. His seals are in his pocket, if he can just reach them–
He tries to regain his orientation, but the breath he draws feels much too shallow. Minato can feel his knees shaking and then they suddenly buckle. An arm catches him by the waist, and he can make out vague cursing as his trembling body is lowered to the ground.
In front of him, a blurry figure kneels down, cold hands now cupping his face.
“Minato.” The voice is rough and familiar. “Snap out of it kid.”
Jiraiya-sensei’s uncharacteristically grim face morphs into view and Minato gasps despite himself, as his lungs refuse to expand.
He can only picture Kushina’s heartbroken face, streaked with tears and scrunched up with anger. Kushina staring at him in betrayal, Kushina dying in his arms, Kushina watching as he dared to live without her–
“M’srry,” he slurs around the growing numbness in his lips. “M’ so sorry–”
(“Sorry,” he whispers. Everything is heavy. Jiraiya-sensei never cries, why is he crying?)
“Nothing to be sorry for,” Sensei soothes, but he doesn’t understand. He can’t fathom the weight of Minato’s betrayal.
“K’shina,” Minato tries again. He doesn’t mean for it to come out like a sob, but the emotions cluster in his throat. His chest is tight. “Didn’t mean– didn’t want to–”
He collapses further into his sensei’s hold. Jiraiya awkwardly reaches up to cradle his head, rough fingers carding through his hair. It’s unfamiliar to both of them, but Minato leans into the touch.
“Did she say something?” Sensei asks. “You gotta talk to me kid, your heart is going crazy.”
Minato hasn’t been called a kid in ages. He’s Lord Hokage, the one who sealed the nine tails. It makes him feel small.
“I’m not ready,” he whispers into Sensei’s shoulder. “I’m not.”
The admission makes him want to throw up all over again. Minato sucks in a deep breath and holds it in his chest. Sensei’s arms tighten around him.
“Oh,” Jiraiya mutters in belated realisation. “I’m an asshole.”
“Recovery isn’t a linear process,” Kioko Yamanka tells him, two weeks after he is first discharged from hospital. “Neither is grief.”
Minato is listening to her with one ear, still feeling at an odd distance from his own body. He had begun to feel more floaty these days, like nothing was real. Not without Kushina. There was so much to do, so much to be, yet he barely felt anything.
“It’s harder when you tell yourself you’re not allowed to experience these emotions. You deserve to feel angry and hurt and bitter. What happened was not–”
“It was,” Minato insists, and then flushes in embarrassment. It was out of character for him to be so outwardly vulnerable. “And I can’t just get over it. I can’t betray her memory or our son–”
“I’m not asking you to move on. Or to betray her.” Yamanka says calmly. “For the sake of your son and the people of Konoha, I’m asking you to forgive yourself.”
“I can’t do that. It’s not that easy.”
“It won’t be easy,” she agrees. “You might hate yourself for days. Months.”
Minato hesitates. They’re getting a bit too close on feelings territory for his comfort.
“You can leave whenever you want,” Yamanka says, sensing his agitation. “The check-up’s over.”
He stares at her for a moment longer before slowly nodding. It’s been a long day, week, month, and Naruto is probably waiting at home. He rises from the chair. He’ll have to ask Kakashi to run a grocery errand, he’s forgotten his son’s favourite snacks–
“Minato,” she calls as he’s halfway towards the door. “Kushina’s very proud of you.”
“Lord Hokage,” A wry voice muses from behind him. “Still trying to do everything yourself?”
(Jeez,” Kushina swipes at his notebook. “Still an overachiever, Minato? ”)
“Mikoto,” Minato greets, forcing himself not to turn around in surprise. The woman has always had a way of sneaking up on him.
She joins him anyway, sitting down with practised elegance that only the Uchiha can master.
“Sasuke was telling me how much fun he’s having sparring with your son.” She pauses. “Well, in less words than that. ‘He’s alright for a blonde, mom.’”
“I’m a blonde,” Minato raises an eyebrow. Mikoto smiles at him pleasantly.
“Some of the other Uchiha refer to you as my charity case.”
He sighs and slumps forward in his seat. “I’d believe them.”
Minato is glad that Mikoto exists. Glad that she was Kushina’s friend. Glad that her son is Naruto’s best friend. He appreciates her, he really does, he just cannot fathom how to ever reciprocate.
She reaches out as if to touch his arm, but hesitates. “We’re all worried about you, honey. Jiraiya feels awful.”
“It’s not his fault,” Minato has the urge to hug his knees to his chest but stops himself. “He’s right, you know. It’s been eight years. That’s far too long to–”
“Oh stop that,” Mikoto huffs. “You know that’s nonsense. I still freeze up whenever someone mentions my father, and he’s been dead for longer than I’d like to admit.”
“I’m still sorry,” Minato insists. He can feel his resolve crumbling, and all the feelings flooding out. They always did around her. “I really did enjoy myself, it was such a lovely date.”
“Then what happened?”
“I saw her,” he hastily shakes his head at her alarmed expression. “It wasn’t like before. But I–”
Freaked out. Realised how much the date meant.
“I’m sorry,” he says again. There’s nothing else to say.
She gives him a look. “You don’t need to be sorry, honey. Jiraiya feels bad and Kakashi is concerned because we all care about you. And we never want to see you…like that again.”
(“Minato? Oh honey, don’t cry. It’s not your fault. I’m no one was there, I’m sorry no one noticed.”)
“I don’t want to mess this up for Naruto.” He chews on his lip. “I mean, he deserves…a motherly figure. He deserves a functional father.”
“You’re a good dad, Minato.”
He shakes his head. “I make him worry. He’s growing up too fast, I don’t know how to be…good for him.”
“Just like you have all this time,” Mikoto smiles at him, but it’s sorrowful around the edges. “There’s no perfect way to be a father.”
“I know, but–” He exhales. “I don’t know.”
“You’re not alone.” She glances at him but doesn’t elaborate. She doesn’t need to.
“I know.”
They fall into silence for a moment. Minato thinks of all the nights they’ve spent in each other’s company. He thinks of all the times he’s been afraid to say things, the times he’s promised to speak his mind.
“Sometimes, I think everyone blames me.” It feels like nails scraping against sandpaper, but at the same time, the knot in his chest unravels a little. “For Kushina. For…”
Mikoto clasps his hand and squeezes it, warmth seeping into his skin. She looks sad. Her lips droop down and her eyes are faintly shiny. But he’s done it, he’s said it and there’s no take backs now.
“Minato,” she says firmly. “The only person who blames you is yourself.”
“Dad!” Naruto’s small body barrels into him. Minato uses the momentum to hoist his son up in the air, giving him a little spin in the air.
“Hey there buddy,”
“I missed you,” Naruto pouts, and then glances over his shoulder. “Sasuke! Itachi! Come say hi.”
The taller of Mikoto’s boys dips his head respectfully, a shy smile on his face.
“Lord Hokage.”
“Minato is fine,” he smiles. Itachi and Kakashi have been getting on well since he moved their units around. “Mikoto tells me you’re considering joining the med department.”
“Perhaps,” Itachi replies evenly. He’s like his father in that sense, always calculated. “It would allow me to spend more time in the village with my family.”
Sasuke perks up at that, but when Minato shifts his gaze over to the younger boy, he scowls. He doesn’t have his Sharingan yet, but it would surely be whirling if he did. Sasuke looks him up and down, as if he’s sizing Minato up and Itachi laughs on his brother’s behalf.
“Sasuke here is deciding whether it’s worth fighting you for Naruto’s attention.”
“What?” Sasuke splutters. “I don’t care about his stupid attention-”
“Aww!” Naruto coos. “That’s so sweet. See, you can be nice!”
“It’s not sweet!” Sasuke snaps.
“It’s kind of sweet,” Itachi adds.
Minato laughs. “I’m glad that Naruto has such great friends.”
Both boys turn red. Minato makes eye contact with Itachi and holds back a grin at his son’s expense.
“Ice cream?” Itachi saves, before either of them can explode. He pulls out two popsicles from– Minato’s not really sure where they’re from. “We can split them.”
“Good thinking,” Minato grins, and whips out a kunai. With a single flick of his wrist, the popsicles split and the kunai flies back to his finger like a boomerang.
Itachi blinks, Sasuke’s jaw drops and Naruto cackles at both of them, eyes crinkling up in the corners.
“You should see your faces!”
Minato turns around to hide his own laugh, and takes a few steps away. He’ll have to send a message to Mikoto if Itachi hasn’t already, because his son is definitely going to beg him to have the boys over for dinner.
“Naruto,” Sasuke mutters begrudgingly, when he thinks Minato is out of earshot. “Your dad is pretty cool.”
(Kushina beams, eyes soft as he caresses his stomach. “You’ll be a great dad, y’know.”)
Naruto laughs again, and it feels like being bathed in the sun. “He is, isn’t he?”