Chapter 12: Mother's Special Touch

"Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering you own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them - every day begin the task anew." ~ Saint Francis de Sales

[I am a line… Ignore me…]

A week after Nuriko's suspension, Minato had brought Nuriko with him to work to keep an eye on her. She was to stay within his view and remain quiet. She could read a book or learn a jutsu if she wanted but that was all up to her.

During the day, Kushina would spend her time with Naruto, asking questions about what else he enjoyed doing, didn't like to eat, and about his Sealing skills. She had shared that the Art of Sealing had always been an Uzumaki tradition and she had told Naruto how proud she was that it showed so strong on him.

Naruto, in all honesty, had not expected to feel that giving the Namikaze couple a chance would bear fruit. Well, at least with the wife that is. Namikaze Kushina had been patient and very absorbent whenever he answered her inquiries. She was very soft spoken and did her best to accommodate her daily chores and give time for Naruto without burning out.

"The only worse thing about sealing is that one wrong mistake when it came to storage type sealings is when too much chakra is used and reverse sealing happenings." Kushina said and Naruto agreed.

He remembered a time last year when he had thought Sasuke and Shino how to create their own storage scrolls. Both had gotten sucked into their scrolls and Neji, Shikamaru, and Naruto had laughed about for days.

Kushina began to teach Naruto a few seals only the Uzumaki lone knew off. That decision alone paved way for her own relationship with her son to further move forward from where it was.

Another week had passed and Naruto was cleared by his Healers and given permission to move about. He still wasn't allowed to do strenuous activities or use large amounts of KI and chakra but Naruto was just glad that he could move about now.

During the day, Naruto and Kushina continued their sealing lessons until lunch where Minato and Nuriko return home to eat with them.

One day as Naruto was on his way down for lunch, he ran into Nuriko and smirked.

"Honorable daughter, did you know that after a bit of research, you're the only shinobi in history to be suspended whilst still a genin. Most shinobis who garner suspension are high chuunins to ANBU operatives, never a genin. Congratulations, you're the first in the History of Konoha, and probably the Five Countries to be so." He taunted her as he passed by, which made her so angry but knew better than to yell and harm Naruto.

Lunch had been stiffening as it was still awkward for all of them to pretend that everything was alright. Well, Minato wished he could pretend while Kushina was trying her best to make it all work out. Naruto didn't really care but he remained quiet while Nuriko released all her frustration in silence.

After lunch, Naruto and Kushina would return to their lessons until three in the afternoon. Naruto would then excuse himself and head over to the small tea shop Nanami-san and the other old ladies liked to stay and have tea every afternoon.

The old ladies were glad to see Naruto well and walking about again, even if he was not to work and continue his ninja duties. They would listen to him share about the places he had seen and in return, they would tell him stories about their younger days and the places that they had been to as well.

After an hour later, Naruto would stop by the Academy and help Iruka with the children who had welcomed him back happily as they had missed their Naruto-sensei. By five o'clock, Naruto would head to the local bar where most of the chuunins and jounins stay to relax and chat with the others who greeted him and welcomed him back to the land of the living and the walking.

Most of the jounins had teased Naruto about being trapped in bed and tell him how Kakashi and Asuma had wished they could have gotten the same kind of paid vacation as he did and just stay in bed.

Asuma didn't know Naruto very well but both had gotten along after a few rounds of shogi where Naruto had won three games out of five against the Sarutobi jounin.

By six, either Kakashi, Yugao, Iruka, Ibiki, or Anko would escort Naruto home for the evening and arrive just in time for dinner where the pretending would begin once more.

Kushina had gotten more and more accustomed to what Naruto didn't like and what he did. Most of what Naruto like, Kushina had come to realize, were the very things Nuriko disliked. Kushina had begun to compromise every time she cooked. Half of it was dishes Nuriko like and the other half were dishes Naruto liked. She also had to make sure that the dishes that she made were the ones that both Naruto and Minato had to avoid eating. As much as she and Nuriko enjoyed seafood, she had to be careful as not to send her husband and son to the hospital due to food allergies.

During the evening, Minato and Naruto would spend a few hours in Minato's study while Kushina tried to question her daughter of her hatred against Naruto. In truth, Kushina couldn't see why Nuriko hated Naruto to begin with.

She knocked and entered her daughter's room that one evening. Nuriko was reading something on her bed and she sighed.

"Nuriko, I think we need to have a talk. We just want to know what it is about your brother that you hate so much." Kushina said as she closed the door behind her.

Nuriko sighed as she sat up and looked out the window.

"Ever since you guys started to pay him attention, you've been crying then. Daddy's different as well. He never gets mad at me and never punished me before. But since Naruto came into the picture, both of you don't even have time for me anymore. It's boring in daddy's office and to think that he suspended me from being a ninja!" Nuriko cried out with so much frustration.

Kushina sighed; she ought to have seen this coming.

"Nuriko, you have to understand. Your daddy and I love you very much. But Naruto is also our son. We have come to realize that what we have been doing all this time is wrong and as parents, we are trying to correct our mistakes. Naruto is your brother and as far as I know, he hasn't done anything to you." Kushina told Nuriko who huffed.

"Nothing when you and daddy are around! Of course he'd behave when you're both there. His trying to make me look bad!" Nuriko defended herself.

"Just like how you tried to make Naruto look bad by saying all those mean things about him and how he was a drop out when he actually had graduated?" Kushina inquired and Nuriko instantly closed her mouth.

Nuriko knew that her words back then could come back to bite her butt but she didn't know it would be this soon. She huffed and crossed her arms.

"How was I supposed to know he graduated? He never was around and always locked himself up in his room. Not even you and daddy knew if he was around or not. You both always forgot about him!" she pointed out which started to annoy Kushina.

"That is why we are trying to correct our mistakes, Nuriko. We have indeed neglected you brother and it has come to pass that Minato and I are to sow the fruit of our actions. But Naruto had been gracious enough to give us one more chance. One chance to be a big family… like how we were supposed to be." Kushina explained as best as she could but it was clear on her daughter's face that Nuriko would never see Naruto as her brother.

The gap between them was like worlds apart and nothing could ever bring them together.

The warning Orochimaru had given them from the Snake Elders came back to Kushina's mind and worry began to eat her once more. If Naruto was indeed the child of the damn prophecy Minato and Jiraiya had been told by the Toad Elders, then the world of the Great Five Countries would soon hang in a balance.