One year

Minato stood in his office, gazing outside. The rain had started, leaving the streets silent and deserted. His furrowed brow betrayed his thoughts, and he sighed softly before taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. It had been a week since he resumed his role as Hokage, and he had already taken initial steps towards realizing his vision to protect the children.

Minato had also pushed through the age restriction for ANBU, which would take effect next month. This meant Kakashi would no longer be part of the ANBU. Minato had already sent him on vacation; he didn't want his former student to remain in service to him any longer. It should be the other way around: Minato wanted to protect both him and Naruto.

Over the past week, Minato had sensed something troubling Kakashi, but every time he tried to talk to him, Kakashi avoided it. Moreover, the silver-haired ninja seemed currently upset with Minato for demoting him back to Jonin status. However, Minato cared little for that; his only concern was that Kakashi no longer had to remain in the ANBU. It simply wasn't the right place for him to heal his emotional wounds.

In recent days, Minato had often thought about Kushina and wondered how she would react to all these changes. He was convinced she would be happy about them. Kushina had never agreed to Kakashi becoming a shinobi so early, nor to Rin and Obito going to war alongside Kakashi and him at such a young age. Every mission they undertook as a team, Kushina had worried greatly and wished she could bear the burden of those three young shinobi.

But Kushina could no longer experience any of this, which deeply saddened Minato. He missed her deeply and longed for her to be with him. When he came home in the evenings, he missed her lively spirit, her support, and even her cheeky way of calling him out when he made mistakes.

Time with Naruto helped Minato tremendously. He spent every free moment with his son and deeply enjoyed seeing him laugh and be happy. Naruto gave him renewed strength and helped him somewhat forget the grief over Kushina, although he saw so much of her in Naruto. Despite being reunited for only a few weeks, he loved his little son just as much as he did when he first saw him, and was incredibly proud of him.

Suddenly, an ANBU appeared behind him and knelt down. "Fugaku Uchiha has arrived," he announced.

Minato turned around with a warm smile. "Let him in. You can withdraw for now, but remain on alert. I would like to speak with him alone."

"Understood, Lord Fourth!" With those words, the ANBU vanished in a puff of smoke.

Minato moved behind his desk and sat down in his chair. Hardly had he settled in when there was a knock on the door. "Enter!" Minato called out with a serious tone.

The door swung open and Fugaku entered, closing it gently behind him and turning to face Minato. For a moment, their gazes simply traversed the room before Minato smiled slightly. "Thank you for coming."

Fugaku's expression remained impassive as he replied. "Of course, I wanted to see for myself that you are truly back," he remarked coolly. "What can I do for you? You didn't summon me here without reason, I assume."

"I apologize for only now finding the time to meet with you. There has been an endless amount to do," Minato explained with an apologetic smile. "You're right, I want to discuss something important with you." With those words, he activated a seal to ensure their conversation could not be overheard.

Fugaku raised an eyebrow and scrutinized Minato suspiciously. "It must be something significant," he noted.

Minato leaned forward in his chair, his smile fading as he nodded gravely. "Indeed, what I wish to discuss with you is of great importance," he began, narrowing his eyes slightly. "The relationship between the Uchiha and the village has always been tense. However, after the Kyuubi attack, this situation has escalated significantly. I want to address this issue. Of course, not everything will change overnight, but I hope we can find a way forward together."

The Uchiha regarded him suspiciously, furrowing his brow. "That won't be an easy task," he said skeptically. "My clan is deeply distrustful of the village, and I must admit, I find it hard to trust as well. Too much has happened in the past."

"I am well aware of that, and I know that trust won't simply appear overnight. It will take time, but I am willing to reach out to you and your clan," Minato stated seriously. "I will tell you the truth about the Kyuubi attack."

Fugaku crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze intent on Minato. "What truth is there to tell?" he asked, his eyes flashing with curiosity and skepticism.

Minato leaned back in his chair, keeping his gaze steady on Fugaku. "The Third Hokage believed that knowledge of the attack must not fall into the wrong hands. I share that view, but I believe you have a right to know the truth," he explained solemnly. After a brief pause, he continued, "A year ago, when Kushina was giving birth to our son, a masked man breached the barrier and disabled the ANBU guards. He separated me from Kushina and seized the Kyuubi from her."

For a brief moment, the Uchiha's eyes widened before his expression turned serious again. "How did that happen? And who was responsible? The security measures must have been very high."

Minato took a deep breath before responding. "The security measures were high, but this man was no ordinary attacker. He effortlessly bypassed the barrier; his abilities were extraordinary. He wore a mask and called himself 'Madara Uchiha'. His motives and methods remain a mystery. When he controlled the Kyuubi, he unleashed it on the village. I briefly fought against him myself and can confirm he is an extremely powerful shinobi."

Fugaku furrowed his brow as he processed this information. "Madara Uchiha..." he murmured thoughtfully. "That's impossible. He was supposed to have died in battle against the First Hokage. How can he be responsible for this attack?"

Minato briefly closed his eyes and shrugged. "I thought the same. I have no idea how it could be possible," he admitted, opening his eyes again. "The only thing I can say for certain is that it was definitely an Uchiha I fought against. He possessed the Sharingan and used it to control the Kyuubi."

"If it was an Uchiha, he could have posed as Madara, especially wearing a mask. How can you be so sure that we had nothing to do with the attack?" Fugaku asked suspiciously, his eyebrows furrowed.

A relaxed smile crossed Minato's lips as he leaned back in his chair. "You seem to forget that I have sensory abilities. I haven't sensed his chakra in the village since my return," Minato explained calmly.

Fugaku raised an eyebrow and studied Minato for a moment before his gaze turned thoughtful, looking out the window. "Suppose it was indeed Madara behind this attack. What do you intend to do now?"

Minato's expression turned concerned as he looked at his desk. "Honestly, I haven't delved deeply into that yet. He hasn't reappeared since that incident, which is a good sign. But we can't rely on that. That's why I need your help and your clan's. The Uchiha are the only ones capable of matching the Sharingan. Furthermore, I want to work more closely with you in the future to find a common path to lay the past to rest and restore trust."

"I understand your concerns, Lord Fourth," Fugaku said, turning his gaze back to Minato. "I will discuss with my clan how our future relationship can look – assuming you remain the Hokage. Thank you for trusting me and for entrusting me with this information. For now, I will not share it with my clan. Such information must be handled carefully."

Minato smiled at Fugaku and stood up. "Take your time to sort things out. I will inform the council that we will work more closely together in the future. I know I can rely on you." He then walked around his desk and extended his hand to the Uchiha.

For a moment, Fugaku looked at the outstretched hand before taking it and meeting Minato's gaze. "I wish you success with the council, Lord Fourth." They shook hands, nodded to each other, and Fugaku left the office.

Minato watched Fugaku thoughtfully for a moment before returning to his desk and sinking into his chair. He briefly closed his eyes and leaned his head back. A deep breath filled him before he straightened up again and turned to his work. There was much to be done.

Minato was determined to come home early tonight to have dinner with his sons.

**********

Minato had just set his sandals aside when he heard small footsteps behind him. Immediately, he turned around, and a bright smile lit up his face. Naruto came running towards him with unsteady steps and a wide grin, his little arms outstretched.

Minato crouched down and reached out for his son. Naruto's steps quickened until Minato finally caught him and pulled him into his arms. Naruto giggled happily and nestled against his father. Carefully, Minato rose with his son in his arms and placed a tender kiss on his forehead. Naruto leaned happily into the embrace, clapping his hands cheerfully and babbling.

"You seem to be in a really good mood! You must have had a great day," Minato said, rocking Naruto in his arms. The little one looked at him curiously. "Did Kakashi pick you up today?" he asked as he began to walk slowly.

Naruto blinked for a moment, then giggled and clapped his hands again. "Ashi, ashi!"

Minato paused for a moment, looking at Naruto in surprise before his smile widened even more. "Exactly, Kakashi!" Minato gently stroked his son's head. "He's your big brother, even if he might not see it that way yet," he whispered to him before heading into the living room.

In the living room, Kakashi was setting the table. He looked up as the two entered. "Hello, Minato-sensei!" he greeted and then disappeared into the adjacent kitchen. "Dinner's ready!" he called out from the kitchen.

Minato approached Kakashi and smiled gratefully at him. "Thank you, Kakashi! For cooking and for picking up Naruto. That's really a big help. Once I have everything sorted out, I'll have more time to handle all of this," he explained, adjusting Naruto a bit higher.

Kakashi waved casually and grabbed the pot to place it on the table. "No problem, happy to help," he said with a crooked smile. His eyes scanned the set table before finally sitting down on a chair.

Minato followed suit and sat across from Kakashi, taking Naruto on his lap. The little boy started to get restless, squirming in Minato's arms. Kakashi, who was busy filling the plates with food, noticed, "Naruto ate half an hour ago. He probably wants to play now."

"I understand," Minato said, gently letting Naruto down. The boy immediately ran to his play mat and began playing with his toys. With a satisfied smile, Minato turned back to Kakashi, who had just placed a full plate in front of him. "Thank you! How was your day?"

Kakashi absentmindedly stirred his food with chopsticks and shrugged. "It was pretty boring. I'd rather be back at work," he sighed.

"You should enjoy your vacation," Minato encouraged with a reassuring smile as he took a bite of his food.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm enjoying my vacation," Kakashi replied, leaning back in his chair. "And how was your day? Did you have a lot to deal with?"

Minato swallowed his food and nodded. "Yes, there's a lot to organize, but I hope to have most of it sorted out soon," he replied optimistically, taking another bite.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Is it about the plan for protecting the children? How far along are you with that?" he asked curiously.

"The planning is complete, and the concept is set. Tomorrow there's a council meeting where I'll present everything I've worked on in the past few days. It should be very interesting," Minato said, trying to hide his tension. He felt uneasy about officially announcing the dissolution of Danzo's ANBU unit.

Kakashi leaned forward eagerly. "Is that all? Is there more?" he asked curiously, fixing Minato with a penetrating gaze.

Minato chuckled softly and set his chopsticks aside. "You've become quite curious. You never used to be interested in my affairs before," he remarked with a smile, leaning back. "I have a few more changes planned. Among other things, I want to work more closely with the Uchiha in the future." He paused for a moment and lowered his gaze. "Do you think Obito would have liked that?"

Kakashi's eye widened briefly before a sorrowful expression crossed his visible eye. "He would have been very pleased about that," Kakashi murmured softly, looking down at his plate. His hand reached up to his left eye and rested on his Hitai-ate.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to burden you with that," Minato said empathetically to Kakashi, looking at him with compassion.

Kakashi's hand slowly slid downward as he shook his head and looked back at Minato. "It's okay," he said calmly. He swallowed heavily before continuing, "The council, and especially Danzo, won't approve of this."

Minato raised an eyebrow. "You've been mentioning Danzo more often lately," he observed. Kakashi had expressed concerns several times in the past week, often bringing Danzo into the conversation. Suddenly, a thought crossed Minato's mind, but before he could say anything, he was interrupted by Naruto, who complained unhappily. Minato turned to his son, who looked at him and grumbled.

"He seems tired. Should I take him to bed?" Kakashi asked cautiously.

Minato shook his head and stood up. "No, let me take care of him." He went to Naruto, lifted him into his arms, and the little one immediately calmed down, nestling against his father with tired eyes. With Naruto in his arms, Minato left the room. Before reaching the hallway, he glanced back at Kakashi. Minato frowned worriedly, noticing his former student's tense posture and agitated chakra.

Minato left the room, holding Naruto tightly in his arms, pondering Kakashi's strange behavior. There was definitely something going on, but Minato couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. An uneasy feeling stirred within him. Could it be related to Danzo? Had Danzo somehow influenced Kakashi? Minato shook his head. He could hardly imagine that; Kakashi would confide in him if that were the case. Still, something was amiss, and Minato needed to find out what it was.