At the market
Minato had just returned from the Hokage's office, where he had given his weekly report on Kakashi's progress. His mood was sour, and he felt tense. Although he had a day off today and wanted to spend it with Kushina, it couldn't lift his spirits.
Since Kakashi's birthday six weeks ago, a lot had happened, and Minato was worried. For several weeks now, he had been increasingly tense and kept a close eye on developments. It seemed that many problems were suddenly coming at him all at once, and doubts arose in Minato about how best to support Kakashi. Because it wasn't an easy time for the boy.
The biggest problem at the moment was Sakumo's situation. Since his return from his last mission, word had spread like wildfire that Sakumo had abandoned it to protect his teammates. Minato himself admired his decision and had great respect for him, but not many shared this opinion.
Tensions within the Fire Country had dramatically escalated, and the war had reached a new peak. The effects were palpable for everyone, and people's frustration grew. A scapegoat was sought, and Sakumo was quickly found. Within a few days, frustration and disappointment turned against him.
The villagers and even shinobi blamed him for their misery. They accused him of breaking the rules and claimed the mission should have been completed. Respect for Sakumo had evaporated, and the villagers did not hold back their dissatisfaction.
Minato didn't even know how Sakumo was doing. He seemed to have practically withdrawn from public life. Since his mission, Minato had only seen him briefly once, when he left the Hokage's office. They hadn't exchanged a word, just exchanged glances. Minato recognized that Sakumo looked tired; at that point, it had been a week since his mission. Later, he learned that during this brief meeting, the Hokage had suspended Sakumo.
But Minato was more worried about Kakashi than Sakumo. A change was unmistakable - the openness Kakashi had shown towards him was gone. He became quieter, hardly spoke to Minato anymore, and seemed withdrawn. Minato felt like all the progress they had made together had suddenly disappeared.
Minato had tried countless times to get Kakashi to talk, but he brushed it off, assuring Minato that he was fine. He also declined invitations to do things together. Minato longed to be able to do something for him, but it seemed like he couldn't reach Kakashi anymore.
But it didn't surprise Minato; Kakashi wasn't stupid. Of course, he also noticed what was happening, and he would hear the villagers' words against his father. It must have been hurtful for the little boy to experience something like that. The only positive thing was that Minato hadn't noticed anyone turning against Kakashi yet. This worry quickly sprouted in Minato.
During the conversation with the Hokage today, another big problem arose. He announced to Minato that the next Chunin exams would take place in the coming weeks. Nominations were to be made as early as next week, and Kakashi was to participate in the exam. His abilities were impressive and should not be left unused. Minato felt uncomfortable at the thought; he didn't want Kakashi to participate in it already. After all, he had just turned six.
In the past weeks, they had participated in two small missions outside the village. It went better than their last mission. In fact, there was even a fight, and Minato let Kakashi participate. He did well, and Minato was proud of him, although it felt strange to see a little boy fight. Now, thinking that Kakashi could soon be a Chunin and thus even more involved in the war, made his stomach knot. It just didn't feel right.
Still, he kept his concerns to himself and didn't share them with the Hokage. He remembered a conversation with Kushina, who had advised him to talk to Sakumo. Minato was torn about whether he should really talk to him under the current circumstances in which Sakumo found himself. On the other hand, he was sure that Sakumo would still be interested in what was happening with his son. So Minato resolved to visit the older Hatake in the next few days.
It would probably be a good idea to check on him and offer him support. He probably isn't getting much encouragement right now. But Minato hoped that it would soon subside, and the villagers would calm down again.
Minato sighed and tried to push his worries aside for now. He wanted to focus on his day off and time with Kushina. He turned at the end of the street and strolled through the market. Kushina had asked him to pick up a few things before joining her. Minato longed to get home as soon as possible. He wasn't in the mood for much company.
So he quickly set about ticking off Kushina's shopping list. Just as he was about to pay for his vegetables, he heard an angry voice nearby. He decided to ignore it. People were probably arguing over prices and couldn't agree. But when he heard a familiar voice, he flinched and turned his attention to the commotion.
An elderly man was pushing Kakashi out of his shop, glaring at him angrily. As the shopkeeper suddenly shoved Kakashi away, he stumbled and fell to the ground ungracefully. Kakashi's gaze immediately returned to the man towering threateningly over him. "I told you a few days ago that you're not welcome here! I don't care how much money you give me. You're to leave, along with your father!" His voice dripped with hatred.
Minato was momentarily frozen and couldn't move. But as he regained his composure, he sprang into action and stood protectively in front of Kakashi. He wouldn't allow anyone to speak to his student like that. His expression turned angry, and he saw the man before him flinch. "Leave Kakashi alone!"
The man snorted contemptuously and crossed his arms. "You don't need to defend such scum! He deserves no less, just like his father!"
Minato felt Kakashi flinch behind him and cast a quick glance at his student. He had turned his gaze away and looked ashamed. Then Minato's attention returned to the man before him. A sigh escaped him, and he decided to defuse the situation, especially when he noticed that more passersby were stopping and casting curious glances at them. "If I catch you treating Kakashi like this again, I'll make sure no one shops with you anymore." Then Minato turned to Kakashi, extending his hand and offering a reassuring smile. "Come on, let's go."
Kakashi slowly lifted his gaze to Minato, but remained silent. A moment of hesitation passed before he stood up, without taking Minato's hand. Minato sighed softly and withdrew his hand, and together they left the market. Kakashi kept his head bowed the whole time, avoiding looking at Minato. Minato began to worry increasingly and was shocked by what he saw. Until this point, he hadn't realized how poorly the villagers were treating Kakashi.
Once they were away from the market, Minato crouched down in front of Kakashi and carefully assessed him. Aside from a bit of dirt on his clothes, Kakashi didn't seem injured. Nevertheless, he persistently avoided looking at Minato. "Please, look at me, Kakashi," Minato began gently, giving Kakashi a moment to collect himself.
Slowly, Kakashi lifted his gaze to Minato, but remained silent. A sigh escaped Minato before he gently asked, "Are you okay?" Kakashi nodded briefly in response. Minato briefly glanced at the ground and bit his lip. Guilt washed over him that he hadn't noticed earlier how the villagers were treating Kakashi. "Has this happened before?"
Kakashi shrugged slightly, but continued to remain silent. Minato directed his gaze back to Kakashi. "Please, talk to me, Kakashi!" he gently urged.
After a moment, Kakashi replied. "Yes," he replied curtly, and it was obvious that he was uncomfortable.
A sharp pang shot through Minato's stomach. "Why didn't you tell me about this earlier? I would have been there for you," he said regretfully.
"And what could you have done?" Minato flinched slightly as Kakashi raised his voice slightly. "You can't change anything about it! It's fine, Minato-sensei. I can handle it on my own," Kakashi said frustratedly, taking a step back.
Minato looked at Kakashi with wide eyes, his behavior alarming him, and his concern growing. "Kakashi!" he called out, worried.
But Kakashi quickly shook his head. "I have to go home now," he said firmly.
Minato felt like he wasn't getting anywhere now and simply nodded. Immediately, Kakashi turned away and quickly walked away. Minato watched Kakashi for a moment before sighing and getting up from his crouch. He felt his tension rising, and carefully he took out the shopping list from his pocket to check what else he needed. Actually, he still had to get some fruit, but Minato decided immediately to go home. He didn't want to go back to the market again.
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Minato let his shopping bag slide onto the kitchen counter before shuffling tiredly into the living room and sinking onto the couch. Behind him, Kushina entered the room and made her way to the bag to inspect the groceries. "Thanks for shopping," she murmured appreciatively, starting to unpack the bag. Minato responded with a soft hum, letting his gaze dreamily wander to the ceiling. A sigh escaped Kushina's lips. "You forgot half of it, even though I left a note," she reproached with a hint of disappointment.
Minato turned his gaze to her and confessed with a touch of frustration, "Sorry, but somehow, I lost the desire." Kushina looked at him for a moment, one of her eyebrows raised curiously.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Kushina approached Minato cautiously and settled down next to him on the couch. "What's wrong?" she inquired, a hint of concern in her voice.
Minato let his gaze wander to the ceiling again as he resignedly noted, "Maybe you should ask what's not wrong. I feel like everything that can go wrong is going wrong." His tone betrayed a hint of frustration.
Kushina gently placed a hand on Minato's shoulder, looking at him with concern. "Did something happen at the Hokage's?" Her voice was gentle, and Minato felt her giving him time to respond. He felt genuinely grateful that she wasn't being intrusive.
Minato took a moment to gather his thoughts. His head felt like a whirlwind of worries. Eventually, he straightened up and leaned forward slightly. "The Hokage informed me that the Chunin exams are coming up soon, and he insists that Kakashi participate. Nominations are next week," Minato explained with a subdued tone.
Kushina withdrew her hand gently and regarded Minato for a moment. "You knew it was coming, no matter how much you've tried to ignore it in the past few weeks," she said slightly accusingly.
Minato was aware that she was right. He had indeed been ignoring it in the past few weeks. He just didn't want to think about it and distracted himself with intense training. A soft sigh escaped him. "I know, Kushina," he replied softly, his voice muted.
"Do you think you'll talk to Sakumo?" Kushina asked.
Minato shrugged slightly. "I think so, I have to discuss something else with him anyway," he explained, smiling faintly. "I really don't know what I find worse."
Kushina straightened up slightly and looked at Minato with concern. "What's wrong, Minato?"
His gaze shifted to her. "But please, promise me you'll stay calm," he begged her. He was sure Kushina would get angry once she heard what had happened. In the past few weeks, Kakashi had become very dear to her, and she had developed a protective instinct for him, just like Minato.
She nodded in response, so Minato continued. "When I was just at the market, I saw Kakashi being thrown out of a shop by a shopkeeper, and he shoved him onto the street. Then he referred to Kakashi and Sakumo as scum," he recounted calmly, although he was seething with anger inside.
Kushina looked at him shocked for a moment, while Minato felt her chakra flicker with anger. Carefully, he reached for her hand and weakly smiled at her. Kushina slumped back into the soft couch. For a moment, silence lay between them before she found her words again. "I knew it was bad, but I had no idea the villagers were also so hostile towards Kakashi. Did you know?"
Minato averted his gaze and stared at the floor in front of him. He shook his head and sighed in frustration. "I had no idea either. Kakashi obviously didn't say anything about it. Even when the man attacked him, Kakashi didn't say anything and just let it happen," he reported, shaking his head. Minato snorted and buried his face in his hands. "Who knows how many times something like this has happened already," he muttered softly through his fingers.
Then he lifted his face from his hands. "The man refused to sell Kakashi anything at all."
Kushina remained silent beside him, and Minato felt she was trying to compose herself. Then she sighed once. "You should definitely talk to Sakumo about it. I can imagine he doesn't know anything about it," she said thoughtfully. She paused briefly before continuing. "Maybe he sends Kakashi shopping because he's also rejected everywhere. Perhaps he thinks Kakashi gets everything he needs."
Minato had already considered it, and he nodded in agreement. "Yes, I think so too," he confirmed before leaning back into the couch. "I'm just at a loss for how I can help Kakashi at the moment. Everything seemed to be going so well, we had a nice birthday with him. He seemed so happy," he added with a touch of sadness in his voice.
It hurt him deeply. He had really believed that Kakashi was happy and that they had found a way together. But overnight, everything had changed, and the situation was worse than ever. Minato felt helpless, unable to make the villagers' anger simply disappear. Just as he felt himself sinking into thoughts and despair, Kushina gently wrapped an arm around his shoulders and leaned her head against his.
"Stop thinking so negatively! Everything will somehow turn out for the best. Please don't lose your optimism," she whispered to him. Minato smiled gently, wrapped his arm around her, and pulled her closer. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the quiet presence of Kushina. She had completely relaxed next to him, and Minato tried to focus only on her. It helped him feel her closeness, especially in stressful moments when his thoughts were swirling wildly. Although she was the louder of the two, she managed to be his anchor of calmness.
"You're right, somehow everything will be fine," he said softly, taking a deep breath and adding lovingly, "I love you, Kushina."
Kushina nodded beside him and leaned into his touch. "I love you too, Minato!"
Minato savored the moment and held Kushina close to him. He used this moment to sort out his thoughts and plan the next steps. First, he would try again to talk to Kakashi tomorrow when they met again. After that, he firmly resolved to talk to Sakumo as well. That way, he would gradually address each problem. Somehow, there would be a solution for everything.