Chapter three
The Shinigami does not like his Master crying. His Master is special and deserving. It's not going too far to say the Shinigami is fond of his Master, it's not a big emotion, it's a tiny spark. For beings that don't regularly feel anything that is precious.
" Namikaze Minato, your seal was created with the basis of a spell created by the Master of Death himself. You use its power without understanding its meaning. You have called for a meeting with an agent of Death, and you have got it. The sealing of this bijuu is another matter entirely, it demands a contract with a price for the gift asked.
My Master is distressed and cannot make a decision at the moment, to accept your plea or nay, or for what price. Until such a time is seen, the subject of the sealing will be held by the power of death and shall not bother you. For that favor you are held to a favor exchange. Do you accept it?"
Minato thinks that the Shinigami is way too vague, not to mention his annoying monotone, but his legs are numb, he's all numb actually, from blood loss. But still hurting, exactly how does that work? And so he asks for clarification. " What would you ask as a favor?"
The Shinigami is amused at the human, no matter what he asks the leader will give it to him, because he is the only thing between the bijuu and the man's precious village, and they both know it.
He wonders what limits this person would and would not cross. Minato wanders the same.
"My Master is distressed." Indeed, his master is sniffling and leaking at his shoulder for a minute now and that sits wrong with him. "It would be wise to fix h-"
Tsuyoshi makes a distressed noise followed by a surprised "oh."
The child remembers more now, it's like things he never even thought about are suddenly real, it doesn't make a lot of sense, this little snipets of memories, but he feels like he lost something, and found something else in return. The new thing fits, even though it makes his head hurt and his heart heavy. He feels like crying a little more, because he is so alone, and where is?! He wasn't supposed to be alone anymore.
Anyways, he puts his head up, unknowingly showing his one tomoe sharingan to the Hokages.
There is a little corner of his mind telling him to take action, to get some safety out of this (today is important!), it's the same corner that processes the memories. He has to find a way to-! go out winning? He could let the Shinigami deal with it but something tells him not to. He is starting to hate his own brain, not himself , mind, just this annoying itch inside his head.
So he turns his head to the Hokages and takes a deep breath, like Otou-san always says, he keeps calm and then he speaks."Hokages-sama, the kitsune will be good for us, so let's go inside now ok?" His voice doesn't waver much and he doesn't blanch from them, dealing with his fucked up vision or stress, he is pretty proud.
He didn't really plan the words but they seem alright.
The Hokages look at him weirdly, but he doesn't really mind, he has been trough worse looks. Wait, no he hasn't. What?
Minato nods." This way Shinigami-sama, Tsuyoshi-kun." He smiles his charming fake smile number 2 and leads the way to the Hokage tower. Hiruzen at his side, both showing their backs to a fucking Shinigami, both tense and at attention.
Discretely Minato gives the hand signs for caution, follow and hidden. He knows Shikaku will devise a way to guard the kyubii so he doesn't even mention it.
Naruto is a heavy weight in his arms but he can't give him to his shinobi and call attention to them.
Tsuyoshi is calm on the way to the tower, he observes the forest and when the double motions gets too much he hides his head and closes his eyes. His eyes are as itchy and achy as his head. Unknowingly he closed his eyes to the destruction and bodies present even this far off the epicenter.
they continue walking for a little while.
At last he peeks out. They are already inside, going up a loooots of steps. They end up in a medium sized room with a round table and some chairs around it.
Despite the chairs nobody sits.
Tsuyoshi likes that he isn't as cold, he never really liked the cold. "Ano, Hokages-sama?"
Minato and Hiruzen, previously looking at him but pretending to only be looking at Shini-san, look at him and start smiling softly. Somehow he knows it's a little fake but he still gets more at ease, maybe it's the same way he knows what he wants next, but doesn't know why he wants it.
"Nani, Tsuyoshi-kun?"
Tsuyoshi is still a little hidden in the Shinigami's shoulder, but managing to keep looking at them, he continues. He is a brave boy. " You need to call the clan leader people, ok?"
Minato gets tenser. "And why is that Tsuyoshi-kun?"
The four year old fist his hands on the clothing but forges on. "I don't really really know, but I really want to talk to them." It's the truth, he just knows the clans have to be involved in some way.
Seeing that the Shinigami somehow defers to the child, and is looking at them seemingly patiently, the Hokages look at each other and seem to come to a conclusion. But before they reveal it Minato speaks up again. "Will you promise to not hurt them Tsuyoshi-Kun? They are really nice and important people, they weren't even the ones to have used the seal, they only risked their lives to keep the village safe."
The child's immediate response is "huh?"
The Shinigami saves his master by proceeding. "We do not mean harm to your humans Namikaze, but it will depend on their actions during this discussion. My master does not harm without reason." That is normally the truth, it's one of the reason the Shinigami and Death lo- likes the Master so much.
He knows his Master is not at full potential and cautiously adds. "Make sure to summon only the clan heads, Hokage."
And so Minato calls up his anbu, making sure to signal careful and appear in that order and very clearly, there will be no more deaths tonight. With the anbu, Jiraya also shows up, with an anbu mask on. And Minato knows that Shibi is with them temporarily so there has been a clan head with good observation skills carefully analyzing this since they entered the room, at least. He feels a little better.
He passes Naruto to Jiraya with a heavy look and speaks to his anbu. "Get me every clan head here as quickly and discretely as possible. If need be, tell them it is an urgent matter and help relieve them of their posts. " He does not give them permission to move yet.
He looks at little Uchiha. " If any of them are too injured to come, dead or lost, what would you like to do Tsuyoshi-kun?"
First of all, he wants to see if the Shinigami will speak over the child, he doubts it with what he's seen so far but it's a good thing to check his findings. Secondly he genuinely wants to know what the child will do. And thirdly he wanted to see how the child reacts to knowledge of real people hurt, dead or missing.
The child rubs his head on the Shinigami's shoulder at the situations de scripted, he let's his body act and, before he can think, starts speaking. " If they are dead call the next in line, if they are really hurt leave them at the hospital, if they are missing look for them..?" He sounds a little Shinigami is as unruffled as ever.
Minato nods and gives the anbu the go ahead.