Chapter 10: Thinking About How It All Came To Be

"More people would learn from their mistakes if they weren't so busy denying them." ~ Harold J. Smith

As his daughter left his office with tears in her eyes, Minato had never thought such a day would ever come to be when he would reprimand his daughter for her actions. The mere fact that she had attempted to destroy Naruto's things just because she disliked her own brother was just too much.

Despite being young, Naruto had never caused his sister trouble and had been the very quiet one. Minato leaned back on his chair and sighed deeply.

Now that he had time, he ran back through all the memories that could have positively given him clues to what his son was doing… like the time his son graduated from the Academy but he didn't notice. Not really. He remembered reading through the file that one time and got distracted.

Then it dawned on to him.

Kushina had barged into his office just as he was about to go over the list of graduates. Then the Sandaime had come in and Minato had asked him if he could create the team cells while he and Kushina ran to the hospital when she had told him that Nuriko had fallen down after a training exercise that was done at the Academy.

Minato literally slapped himself for even thinking of blaming the fact that he didn't know about it on someone else. He proceeded to think about what happened six months later and how Naruto managed to become Chuunin. Minato remembered that he had called the Sandaime to his office because they had to discuss the Fire Lord's request for the Sandaime to visit him and who were to escort the old man to the palace.

He recalled that he had called in the lone Chuunin who had passed along with a few others but he had been far too distracted with the fact that Nuriko had painted the Hokage Mountain that very moment. He had not been looking at who he was giving the jacket with total concentration then and just congratulated him and tossed him the jacket before jumping out the window to chase his wayward daughter.

Minato sighed deeply once more and stopped himself from thinking about the how Naruto got to Jounin. He didn't even want to imagine how he would appear to the Fire Lord if it got out that, as Hokage, Minato had failed in his duties and had been irresponsible both as a leader and a father, having placed a prophecy before the betterment of the village and his family.

Before he could dive into deeper despair, he heard a knock on the door and Kushina came in.

"Nuriko's still crying in her room as I finished helping Naruto for bed." She said and Minato couldn't do anything else but sigh.

"It cannot be helped, Kushina. The fact that she attempted to destroy her own brother's things just because she wasn't pleased isn't right. I know that we haven't disciplined her strictly but I did not think she would have done such a thing. Despite how distant they are, they are still siblings. Surely that would have meant something right?" Minato tried to come up with an answer but he knew that even his wife knew that he was just denying what was in front of him.

How could he not do so? After so many years of training her, it seemed that it wasn't enough. All the things that they had taught Nuriko, why was it that it didn't seem to appear at all? She seemed to have understood what they were teaching her and her taijutsu had a little bit better than most of her classmates, she was still average at best. It had pained Minato to have known that her daughter was the 'dead last' of her batch. Again, Naruto's words came back to haunt him.

"…and all those times, you and your wife were doting on your daughter who would never amount to anything because she knows nothing and passing the Academy was a mere fluke. She's the dead last of her batch while I topped mine." Naruto's voice reminded him which made Minato wince.

It pained Minato that his son saw him no more than just his Hokage. By the gods, Naruto was his son yet they were like strangers and shinobi-Hokage at best.

"You dare stoop so low as to use your position to stop me? Well, I shouldn't be surprise since that's the only thing you are to me. You are my Hokage and nothing more." Naruto's taunt came back clearer and more painful that how it had been given that night Minato had to order his own son to stay and not leave them.

Memories of when Kushina had asked if Naruto would choose the others over his family, the answer had nearly killed Minato and he knew it had stabbed Kushina as well.

"Family? We are no such thing. And he is my Hokage. I would not dare disobey his order." That very moment, Minato hated his clear memory of how things had gone from bad to the absolute worse.

"Minato… we have one chance. It pains me so that we had to beg our son for it but I also know that had the others not been there, he would have outright refused and no one could blame him." Kushina spoke with a cracking tone that hinted Minato that she was about to cry once more.

"Had you been there… you would have seen how he looked at me, Minato… like I was a disease that should never be left to exist. Had Shizune not been there in the room with me, I highly doubt Naruto would have even spoke to me in a civil manner. I can imagine if he would never have spoken to me at all." Kushina continued but tears were running down her face now.

"We've done him so much wrong that I am amazed that he had not seek vengeance against us for neglecting him all these years. If I had been in his place… I would have done such. But he didn't. He strived to achieve everything he has now and its slapping me in the face every waking day that he had done so much and yet I know nothing of them until recently. I'm his mother yet I had been unfair to my son! My baby boy! I don't deserve to be called a mother and now I fully understand the looks I get when I head to the marketplace." She said as she looked up at Minato who looked confused.

"I didn't think about it at all. They all had been respectful but I knew and sense how they looked at me behind my back! Whenever I was out and with Nuriko… how they watched with disgust and pity at me… it was all because of my inability of being a mother to my son! How could I have forgotten that I gave birth to two children?!" she cried out and Minato looked just as guilty as his wife.

In some sense, it was his fault as well. Had he not singled out his daughter, none of this would have happened. He wouldn't have lost his son and the probably the right 'gifted child'. There was no denying it. Naruto was skilled, intelligent, and his achievements alone gave so much proof against Minato's claim that Nuriko was the child of the prophecy.

"But as this is already here… we cannot also just leave Nuriko and focus our attention on Naruto. He gave us one chance and there are so much that could go wrong. Should we lose that chance, we might lose our daughter as well. Kushina, we have to thread carefully. This isn't about the prophesy anymore… not really. This should be about gaining back our son and having our family together." Minato told her.

Kushina had to slowly swallow what she had just been told. Of course many things could go wrong before their con could really forgive them, Kushina doubted that Naruto could really forgive them but she still hoped. Minato was also right that they could not ignore Nuriko while making it up to Naruto. If all their trying failed, not only would they lose their son but Nuriko as well. Kushina sighed.

"I don't care of that damn prophecy anymore, Minato. It is the very reason why our family got broken in the first place. Child foretold or not, Naruto is our son with or without your Summon's Elders words of warning." Kushina said as she hardened her tone and stood up.

"He is home… for now. I do not want to imagine what the future would be if we failed. I will not let it happen and you shouldn't either. You have much more to work for than I since you are two things to him, his father and his Hokage. I am not blaming you Minato but should you fail and drag me along, I will walk out of this house and your life. And you will never see me or Nuriko ever again." Kushina warned Minato before she left his office.

Minato sat there, a chill running up and down his spine as soon his wife finished threatening him. He knew she was right and that he had more to make up for than her. And that being said, Minato had to think of a plan of how to even approach his son.

Like Kushina said, prophecy or no, Naruto was his son. And he'd do just about everything to bring his family whole.