Unexpected Visitor
With a towel draped over his shoulders and damp hair, Minato entered the kitchen. A smile played on his lips as he approached Kushina, wrapping his arms lovingly around her waist and resting his head gently on her shoulder. "That smells incredible," he said sincerely, inhaling the delicious aroma deeply.
Kushina turned her head towards him, giving him a beaming smile. "You flatterer!" she teased with a wink before turning back to the food. "Are you finally going to tell me how the second part of the Chunin Exams went?" she asked, her voice brimming with impatience.
Minato released her, grabbed a piece of cucumber, and leaned casually against the kitchen counter. "As expected, they did well and passed the exam. The third part will take place next year and will consist of individual battles," he explained before taking a bite of the cucumber.
The second part of the exam had ended the day before, and as Minato had expected, Kakashi had performed excellently. The teamwork had also gone smoothly. After the incident during the second team training, Kenji Aburame had held back but still barely acknowledged Kakashi. Minato himself remained tense, eagerly anticipating the conclusion of the Chunin Exam.
Today, they had a day off. Kakashi needed to recover from the grueling exam days, and the boy had told him that his father wanted to make up for the missed picnic—as a reward for getting this far. There had been no opportunity for it before the exam, as Kakashi had been fully focused on his training.
However, Minato was sure that Kakashi was lying to him but decided not to press the matter for now. Pressuring his student wouldn't help, but he planned to talk to him about it after the exam. For now, Kakashi needed to focus on the upcoming part. The individual battles wouldn't be easy; the other participants were older, and some showed great talent. But Minato firmly believed that Kakashi had a chance. His smaller size could even be an advantage, as Minato had shown him in their last training sessions together. During team training, Kakashi had successfully used this technique.
"I expected nothing less from Kakashi!" Kushina's voice broke through his thoughts as she looked up from her work. "Are the first matches already set?" she asked curiously.
Minato nodded, crossing his arms over his chest after swallowing the last bite of cucumber. "Yes, the matches are set. Kakashi's first opponent is a talented Genin from the Hyuuga Clan. Honestly, I was hoping he wouldn't have to face him. It definitely won't be easy," he admitted, glancing out the window.
Kushina put the cooking spoon aside and turned to Minato. "Do you think he will make it?" she asked with a worried look.
Minato shrugged slightly. "Honestly, I don't know. Kakashi is skilled and always stays calm—that could help him. He definitely has a chance, but he can't underestimate his opponent," he explained, then sighed lightly before looking at Kushina again. "Thankfully, I can train him alone again now and prepare him for the fight. I don't care if he wins or not; I just don't want him to get hurt."
"Kakashi won't see it that way," Kushina remarked, resuming her work. "He still wants to impress everyone and become the youngest Chunin."
Minato frowned and lowered his head slightly. He knew it was Kakashi's relentless goal to impress everyone and become the youngest Chunin. "I know, and that's what worries me," he admitted, looking back at Kushina. "I'm afraid he might push himself too hard in this fight and get hurt because of it. Kakashi won't give up until he's truly down.”
Kushina paused for a moment, cracked her neck, and then continued her work. "Who knows when this fight will be over? Maybe they’re enjoying the..."
"Stop!" Minato interrupted firmly. "Even if they have something against him, they still have to follow the rules. Besides, the Hokage will be watching closely – they won’t be that bold."
Before either of them could respond, they were interrupted by a knock at the front door. Their gazes shifted to the hallway, and then Kushina looked at Minato questioningly. "Are you expecting someone?"
Minato shook his head and pushed off the counter. "Not really," he said and hurried to the door.
When he opened the door, he didn’t hesitate long. His eyes widened in surprise. "Mr. Hatake?!" Minato couldn’t hide his astonishment upon seeing Sakumo at his door. It was obvious that Sakumo looked tired, perhaps more so than at their last meeting. Nevertheless, he exuded a certain determination, and his appearance seemed somewhat more polished, with a glint of resolve in his eyes.
"Please excuse me for showing up like this, but I urgently need to discuss something with you. Do you have a moment?" Sakumo asked, looking at Minato expectantly.
Minato needed a moment to gather himself. He hadn’t expected to see the elder Hatake at his door. Not only that, but according to Kakashi, they were supposed to be having the picnic today – confirming that Kakashi had indeed lied to him. Quickly, Minato put on a smile and nodded. "Of course, come in." He stepped aside and let Sakumo into the apartment.
Minato gently closed the door behind him and turned to Sakumo, who remained standing in the entryway without making any move to enter further. "Shall we sit in the living room?" Minato asked politely.
"That's really not necessary. I don’t want to take up much of your time," Sakumo replied, shaking his head and giving Minato a sad smile. "I just want to ask if I can train Kakashi before the final part of the exam."
Raising an eyebrow in surprise, Minato didn’t need long to think before nodding. "Of course, there's nothing against that," he agreed, adding quietly, "Kakashi will surely be happy to spend some time with you."
Sakumo’s expression briefly turned sad before his smile reappeared, though the sadness remained in his eyes. "Thank you, Minato," he said sincerely, pausing for a moment as if considering his next words. Finally, he continued, "I’m relying on you to continue looking after Kakashi after the Chunin Exam."
For a moment, they looked at each other in silence before Minato nodded. "Of course, I’ll always be there for Kakashi," he assured him calmly.
Satisfied, Sakumo smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Minato. I must be going. After the exam, Kakashi will be all yours again!" he explained, moving towards the door.
Minato stepped aside to let the elder Hatake open the front door. "Don't worry, Kakashi will surely enjoy the time with you," he said confidently.
Sakumo paused just as he was about to walk through the door. "Thank you, Minato!" He turned to face him and gave him a sincere smile. "Take care!" With those words, he made his way out of the apartment.
For a moment, Minato froze before breaking out of his stupor and taking a step after Sakumo. "Is everything alright with you?" He wasn't entirely sure why he asked, but something inside him prompted the question.
Sakumo stopped again and turned back to Minato, his genuine smile still on his lips. "Everything is fine, thank you for asking. But I really must be going now," he explained, then continued on his way.
"Until next time," Minato bid farewell to the elder Hatake, watching him for a moment longer before returning to the apartment. The door closed behind him, and he headed back to the kitchen where Kushina was waiting expectantly.
"Was that Sakumo?" she asked cautiously.
Minato nodded thoughtfully and took a seat at the kitchen table. A strange feeling washed over him, the same one he had felt during his last visit with Sakumo. What was this feeling?
Before he could ponder further, Kushina interrupted. "I thought Kakashi and Sakumo were going to spend the day together?" she asked, sitting down across from him.
Minato smiled sadly and looked at Kushina. "I thought so too. I suspected that Kakashi lied. Now I have confirmation," he explained with a heavy heart.
"Why do you think he lied?" Kushina asked, leaning back in her chair.
Minato shrugged. "I have no idea, something must have happened. After the Chunin Exam, I'll talk to him about it. For now, he should focus on the exam." He knew the time would soon come to talk to Kakashi and find out what had transpired.
Kushina nodded in agreement. "That's probably for the best. But tell me, what did Sakumo want? It's unusual for him to leave the house. It must have been important."
"He wants to train Kakashi before the final exam," Minato said, nervously chewing on his lip. Doubt gnawed at him. Sakumo was a capable shinobi and more than able to prepare Kakashi properly. But could he, in his current state, take good enough care of Kakashi and ensure no accidents happened? Minato quickly pushed the thought aside. It wasn't fair to think that way.
But Kushina seemed to share the same concerns as she quietly added, "Do you think he's up to it right now? I don't mean to criticize him; he's an excellent shinobi, but at the moment, it might not be a good idea.”
Minato smiled reassuringly, even though he shared the same worries. "Sakumo would never put his son in danger by not paying proper attention during training. He will take good care of him," he assured Kushina.
They were silent for a moment before Kushina resolutely stood up and clapped her hands. "I'll finish up the meal. And let's look at the bright side: you'll have more time in the coming weeks. We can finally do something together again," she announced with a broad grin, turning to continue her work in the kitchen.
Minato smiled after her. "That's true, some time together would do us good," he confirmed, letting his gaze drift out the window. Perhaps a little break would be beneficial. The past few weeks had been exhausting, and Minato longed for some peace.
He leaned back in his chair, relaxing for a moment in the quiet of the kitchen. The thought of upcoming activities with Kushina made him smile. They had hardly spent any time together lately, wrapped up in their duties as shinobi and sensei. A break, even for a short while, would be good for both of them.
As Minato was lost in thought, he heard the soft clattering of cooking utensils, a rhythmic sound that was familiar to him. Kushina was in her element when she was in the kitchen, and he could almost feel the anticipation for the meal.