#minato: no but i invented a new technique!!!!

[mixelation]

on writing minato: i decided in an attempt to not just shallowly be like "naruto is a complete kushina clone but with minato's hair," that naruto's childhood attention problems come from minato, not her. so i write minato getting distracted by his own thoughts/ideas and constantly fidgeting or bouncing his leg. i also write minato as sometimes being like "oh boy Namikaze, stop fidgeting, it makes people nervous when the deadliest person in the room fidgets :')"

this just affected minato a lot less than naruto in childhood because he was like "yeah i only looked for two seconds, but i got it!! anyway, have you seen this frog--" but also he did not graduate early despite "genius" status because sometimes..... you just forget there's homework

[tossawary]

Looking up some things has turned into reading the last 100 or so chapters of the "Naruto" manga for fun, because why not. Some random assorted notes so far (as of finishing Chapter 661):

This end fight is so fucking long, there are so many characters, and the pacing is bordering on excruciating. There's some stuff happening here that's delicious, but there's a lot of messy back and forth of the narrative focus that I personally am not fully vibing with. I cannot imagine trying to follow this split story weekly. This is common enough to a lot of big shounen mangas.

I generally like the basic artstyle here (the use of white and black especially), but the quality of page composition, panel composition, and scene clarity generally is obviously suffering heavily from these chapters being pushed out too quickly. I can barely tell some characters apart and some panels are just messes of lines. This is also common enough among mangas, so eh, it's also whatever.

It's kind of funny to me how Hashirama and Tobirama and Minato suddenly become major characters for like a solid 30 chapters or so. Like, yeah, I can see why Founders Era fic is popular. The flashback chapters themselves are pretty short, but Madara is one of the main villains in this fight, and the undead Senju brothers are suddenly here to kick ass on a level apparently far beyond most other characters. The grudges and betrayal here are delicious. These are also the people who founded Konoha itself, the main location of the manga for hundreds of chapters now, honestly not that many generations ago. It also helps that the Founders feel like they have nicely complete tragic arcs and lives to work with, instead of the relatively open-ended narrative mess that the main Naruto characters live in.

Also, Hashirama can definitely act the idiot and I think some of his choices / opinions are stupid as hell, but he's obviously a very clever and observant and ruthless person. Tobirama went on to become Hokage after his brother and will not hesitate to forcefully give his opinions, but it's also clear in some scenes that Hashirama is still the one in charge between them. Tobirama seems to fairly naturally fall into a very useful support role to whoever he's fighting with, including Minato and Naruto.

I like both Minato and Tobirama because I have a weakness for characters who engage with their magic systems to make new things. Minato improved on the Flying Thunder God technique and Orochimaru improved on the Edo Tensai technique, but Tobirama invented BOTH of those things? PLUS Shadow Clones??? All of which are basically carrying a significant part of the battle right now? Like, damn, Hashirama has his Mokuton, and Tobirama was stubbornly like, "Not being left behind. Fuck you."

So, yeah, the "Hashirama versus Madara", "Tobirama versus Madara", "Minato (plus Naruto & Tobirama) versus Obito", and "Kakashi versus Obito" are probably my favorite parts of this. Not knocking on Naruto or Sasuke or the large background mob of characters here, but they just do not have the same personal, ugly, emotional history in this fight, so I don't really care as much.

Ino can forcibly link hundreds of unknown minds together so Shikamaru can broadcast battle plans??? Holy shit??? The vibe I'm getting is that she was using the link apparently created by Naruto's chakra to do this, but still. Both Ino and Sakura have the potential to be incredibly OP badass characters and they are generally just... Not Allowed to take the spotlight here.

Shikamaru had this big dramatic chapter about surviving to become Naruto's future advisor someday, and I had to repress the urge to holler, "Gaaaaay!" at the screen. I do love the inherent homoeroticism of a right-hand man. (Also, *waves a hand vaguely* Gaara's whole everything.)

To be honest, though, I'm not even sure what Sasuke has spent the past fifty chapters doing. He's there! He sure is there! I think he just got stabbed, so now he gets to be emotional motivation for Naruto again. As far as I understand it, not being sure what Sasuke is actually doing sums up basically everything he does in the manga. There are too many characters here.

On that note, the vibe I'm getting from Orochimaru is that he's also mostly just here to spectate. Like, yeah, I know. Characters like Orochimaru and Sakura and Tsunade are keeping everyone alive with their bare fucking hands right now, but also, give Orochimaru some opera glasses and an alcoholic beverage and it wouldn't feel that out of place.

I'll probably have more to add at some point, but these are the (not that serious) notes off the top of my head.

[roppongi-division]

"Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again." - Nelson Mandela

Introduction

Kai Quinlan is the leader of the Roppongi Division rap battle team, Private Party. He is known far and wide by his nickname, Veenyle. A former opera singer trained by his talented, yet overbearing mother, this awe-inspiring DJ gave up opera music the day he received his first sampler. Now, known far and wide all across Japan, he makes a living by entertaining the masses with his radio show during the day, and his stellar turntablism at night.

A man of Japanese and African American descent, Kai is a light brownish man with long grayish-black dreadlocks that go down past his neck to his upper back. He has a full-grown beard and moustache along with sideburns, all of which are the same color as his hair. He has light brown eyes which are often hid behind his black circular-shaped sunglasses. He stands at 6'2" and weighs 195 lb. approximately.

When he isn't DJing, he tends to dress casually. He wears a white tank shirt showing off his muscles and a pair of long black faded jeans with black and blue sneakers. Around his neck are two gold chains. He also has two earrings in his right ear, a gold ball earring in his earlobe, and a gold loop one at the top. Lastly, he sometimes wears a black ball cap on his head.

When he is DJing, he often adopts his 'Wolf of Shadows' persona. As such, he often dresses like a wolf with black wolf ears and a tail attached to his black jeans. On his face is a black Oni mask, which obscures his facial features. He also has a black bandana over his eyes, which, surprisingly, doesn't blind him. He also wears a pair of black headphones with a skull and bones motif on both cups. He also wears a black and red jacket with a black t-shirt underneath. Lastly, he has another gold chain around his neck.

Name Meaning

Kai - A name of various origins. In Japanese, it has a number of meanings, including "ocean" (海), "shell" (貝), "open" (開), "restoration" and "recovery".

Quinlan - A name of Irish and Gaelic origin. It means "descendant of Caoinlean, slender" or "fit, shapely, strong." It is also a form of the name "Quinn".

Aliases:

"Wolf of Shadows" - His stage name

DJ Veenyle - His radio/MC name

"The Multi-Armed DJ"

Pops/Dad - Zakari

Husband/Mi amor - Mireya

Biographical Info

Gender - Male

Age - 34

Birthday - April 16th

Ethnicity - African American

Hair Color - Grayish-Black

Eye Color - Light Brown

Height - 188 cm (6'2")

Weight - 88 kg (195 lb.)

Star Sign - Aries

Piercings - A gold ball earring in his right earlobe, and a gold loop earring at the top of the same ear.

Markings -

A microphone and headphones tattoo on his right arm.

A wolf tattoo covering the majority of his back.

A moon and stars tattoo behind his left ear.

Family -

Mother

Father (Deceased)

Sister

Wife

Adopted Son

Voiced By - Pase Rock (Rapping)

Fun Facts

MC Name - Veenyle

Occupation - Radio Personality/Club DJ

Position - 1st Member/Leader

Favorite Food - New York–style pizza

Least Favorite Food - Pastrami on rye

Likes - DJing, his family, Japan, inventing new music techniques, sunsets, musicians, Japan's nightlife, Roppongi, casinos, wolves, his radio show, Minato City, new music equipment, rap battles, and early mornings.

Dislikes - Lacking inspiration, waking up late, crows, trolls, people who call his show and wastes his time, senseless noise, prima donnas, his son's suicidal tendencies, sweating, and thinking about his past.

Hypnosis Microphone

Kai's Microphone takes the form of a pair of black and gold Bluetooth headphones with LED lights that light up at various intervals.

His Speaker takes the form of a large gold Buddha-esque statue with six arms and a gold vinyl disc on its head, which acts as a halo or a crown. Directly behind the statue is a dharma wheel, which acts as the speaker.

His rap ability, Trance, has his speaker delivering a hypnotic tune that puts one, or all, of his opponent(s) in a sort of trance, making them wander aimlessly and forget what they were doing, effectively making them skip their turn. He can use this continuously, but the downside is that Kai loses a lot of stamina each time.

Kai's rap themes aren't centered solely on one topic. His themes change periodically depending on his mood or situation. Often times, however, he'll often rap about the direction that music is taking, and how it is constantly shifting and changing. He raps about how music has lost its true "spirit" and that we need to "give life back to music". He'll also sometimes rap about his past, the love for his family and the direction that Japan and the world are headed.

Personality

Kai, for the most part, is a rather laid-back individual who tries not to let the stress of life bother him. Despite his intimidating presence and appearance, he tends to be rather level-headed and calm. He tends to be very private, however, especially when it comes to his personal life or his past. Besides those in his inner circle (i.e. his family), he tends to keep most people, even his closest friends, at arm's length to avoid them becoming too close.

Despite that, Kai is not one to shy from something even if it is challenging or uncomfortable, especially conflict. He always tells what he is thinking and doesn't care if what he says is hurtful or rude. The only thing that matters to him is the truth. He'd rather have someone hurt his feelings than lie to him, because at least then, he knows where he and the other individual stands.

It may be due to the fact that he's not stranger to violence, but one of Kai's most well-known traits is that he looks at everything as a competition. And when that happens, he tends to throw everything he has towards winning. Though he won't resort to cheating or deceitfulness, he refuses to hold back to spare the other person's feelings. This often causes others to shy away from Kai, but his family and friends know that is just how he is.

Another aspect of Kai is that he is not content to just be another nameless face in a crowd. He loves to stand out and show just who he is. This may be why he created his alternate persona known as, 'Wolf of Shadows', as it is something that no one has ever done before. He is not an attention hog, but he won't shy away from being recognized when he feels he has earned it.

As stated, Kai is known for being a private person outside of DJing. It is only when he is making music or on the turntables that he reveals himself to others. He loves everything about music, because he feels that he can express himself with his music than he ever can normally. This is something he often expresses in his raps, as he often thinks about the direction that music is heading.

Background

*Coming soon*

Trivia

His MC name, Veenyle, is a homograph of the word, 'vinyl', like 'vinyl records'.

He owns and operates his own Internet radio station, which he calls 'Real Music Radio'. He cites his fanbase as part of his tribe, calling them 'The Wolfpac'.

Besides being a DJ, he is also widely known as an expert music producer. He has worked and produced music with the likes of 86, Vox, Yorii Sakuma, ArgoξOrchestra, and many more.

He also helped to produce most of the songs from HypMic's Collab albums.

Though he'll sometimes travel to different cities and divisions to DJ at clubs or events, he usually sticks to his city of Roppongi.

He is called "The Multi-Armed DJ" not only due to his speaker, but because he seems to "sprout" up to ten arms when he is DJing (Truthfully, he just moves his arms really fast, creating afterimages).

He is a man of many roots, being born Japanese, African American, Native American, and Jamaican (The last three are on his mother's side).

His favorite brand of cigarettes is KOOL Menthol 100s.

It's believed his reason for being forced into joining the D.R.B. by the Party of Words is due to his rap ability, which the Government believes to be a sort of brainwashing, which they hope to utilize for their own benefit.

[narhinafan]

I still can't believe Sasuke taught Boruto everything in two months

Pretty sure Boruto has other techniques than Uzuhiko

Techniques that even Sasuke, Naruto, and even Minato cannot do except him

No he taught Boruto everything in a year not two months. Yeah Boruto as stated is a genius he likely reinvented or invented new jutsu based on what he was taught and learned over the years he was away. Especially with his Jougan we still don't know what it can do properly, but its going to be OP.

[theshinobiway]

I Fix Team Gai’s Endings:

CAN I GET SOME LITERARY PAYOFF PLEASE?

Might Gai

How it Ended:

Gai fails to defeat Madara despite having the ‘best chance’ as a Taijutsu master. 

Gai narrowly escapes death and his leg is shattered, disabling him for life.

One of his precious students is dead. 

He’s forced to retire from the career he’s spent his whole life attempting to build. 

Well, be does get to spend his time with Kakashi (who is also in retirement), so he does have some silver lining.

What SHOULD have happened:

Gai defeats Madara, cementing his reputation as the legendary Taijutsu Master and gaining respect for Taijutsu users worldwide OR

Gai narrowly fails to defeat Madara, but Rock Lee avenges Gai by surpassing him (Possibly inventing a new level of Taijutsu that surpasses the 8 Gates).

Even if Gai is disabled, he gets the fame he deserves by being the most renowned Sensei in history. He becomes the model for all future Jounin instructors, and his training methods and philosophies (and by extension, Duy’s) become ingrained in Konoha’s teachings.

Might Duy receives the honor he deserves post-mortem because of Might Gai’s heroism.

People from all over come to battle Might Guy in his dojo, who still manages to defeat all of his challengers despite the lack of mobility in his leg. He accepts students who show particular grit, and it’s considered a badge of honor to receive tutelage from Gai.

Gai still spends retirement with Kakashi, going on trips and leaving his dojo to Lee and Tenten when he’s gone.

Rock Lee

How it Ended:

Rock Lee is an Average Dad

Despite being a romantic, his wife is nowhere in sight. He was never shown with a happy marriage with someone who loves him for who he is.

He has no particular fame or renown for his part in the war, and he has no major fights in the final war arc.

Lee doesn’t get a rematch with Neji OR Naruto.

We find out in the final war arc that Lee has a…CLAN? And then it’s never mentioned again.

What SHOULD have happened:

Lee needed way more screentime during the war. This would cement him as someone important and give us a chance to finally see Taijutsu at it's most advanced‐and I don't mean just the gates. I'm talking sheer technique and will of the human body that simply decimates.

Lee would either team up with Gai in the final fight (or attack) against Madara. If Gai gets defeated, it's Lee who steps up to the plate, delivering this badass monologue: "You all thought Taijutsu had its limits. You all thought I had my limits. Well, let me say this now: I, Rock Lee, have finally pushed Taijutsu beyond what you thought impossible. And how did I do it? Simple. You decide your limits from the beginning... and I reach them."

Lee, to the witness of the entire world, defeats Madara. No one is sure what to make of it at first, but it's clear: he's unlike any other Shinobi in history. He's created something they've never seen before and it's strong. And now, they believe in him like never before.

In the post-war, Naruto is approached with an offer about about a path to becoming Hokage. At the same time, he learns that the village is banishing Sasuke for the time being until they can sort out what to do. Naruto realizes political corruption exists so our precious war hero chooses going/being with Sasuke/his team. It's unintendedly a major political statement that has the elders clutching pearls and clamoring to pardon Sasuke. In his sendoff amid the uproar about him leaving, Naruto loudly nominates Lee in front of all the other Kage and drops the mic.

When finally confirmed after much drama, Lee makes for a FAR better Hokage. His arc goes from disadvantaged, talentless youth to the most impressive Ninja in existence by sheer hard work, the guiding theme of the series. No one worked as hard or stayed as humble as Lee, and Naruto recognized that.

Naruto can be his ‘War-Hero’ right hand when he returns. The "Hand of the Hokage." He still gets the “heroic” validation he REALLY wanted without the responsibility of governing.

Shikamaru is nervous about working with Lee since he's the opposite style in terms of, ahem, "actually working," but after a few early riffs and some honest communication, the two actually learn to balance each other out: Lee teaches Shikamaru be more diligent, Shikamaru teaches Lee to pace himself.

This also frees Naruto and Sakura up to actually accompany Sasuke on his redemption journey, be more present in the series, have relationships develop naturally, and explore the political repercussions of the war and everything that led up to it. It's a point of humility for Naruto to admit he wanted love and confidence over the real responsibility of governing, and let's just say the most effective ruler is always the one who never asked for the job. Naruto is better suited having his own squad as a jounin.

Shikamaru gets exasperated by the shenanigans Lee sometimes pulls in the office to train while doing paperwork. Lee often overworks himself too much and Shikamaru feels bad on his behalf, eventually encouraging him to delegate work. He has a much easier time guilting Lee into going home, though, because Lee would never choose to miss time with his family when it comes down to it.

Lee Clan? Don’t know her.

Lee surpasses Might Gai to become the most renowned taijutsu user in existence, paves the way for taijutsu specialists in shinobi culture.

Lee happily lives with his wife and Metal, who were definitely introduced either in a stand-alone novel or earlier in the series. They are the quirkiest, but most loving family in Konoha.

Their love story is meant to be cute and has the theme of “loving someone for exactly who they are.” I would love it if his wife was also disabled but excelled in her own field and Lee admired her for it. 

Lee invents a new style of Taijutsu techniques that he uses to defeat Madara. These techniques are on-par with some of the most legendary jutsu in existence.

Lee finally defeats Neji in a match, completing the arc we started in season 1. It’s a legendary fight that's still talked about to this day.

Lee’s condition is finally explained as being from a sickness he had as an infant that almost took his life. Gai had the same illness, but not as bad. 

He spends his adulthood looking for information on this sickness. He doesn’t want a cure for himself, but he has research done so it can save the lives of other children.

Lee does a training routine every morning. Academy students who idolize their Hokage eventually join in and try to keep up. It’s also endearing to the village that their Hokage makes time for the kids. 

Even if they can’t finish the routine (and none of them can) Lee congratulates them every morning on doing their personal best. 

Often, Lee teaches valuable life lessons at the end of his morning training sessions–just like Gai.

Tenten

How it Ended:

Tenten sets out to become a Legendary Kunoichi, but only manages to be legendary because she wields/owns all the Sage Weapons.

Tenten is never given a thorough backstory.

Tenten ISN’T the head of Konoha weapons research.

Tenten finally accepts that she isn’t like other girls and doesn’t want to have relationships or get married, her friends support her.

Tenten embraces her goofy side, becomes more like Gai and Lee and is heavily involved in their lives.

What SHOULD have happened:

Tenten originally sets out to be like Tsunade–the woman who could heal an entire army. She isn’t great at medical jutsu, but later discovers that her abilities mirror the Fourth Hokage.

Tenten vows to be legendary like the Fifth, powerful like the Fourth.

Tenten rediscovers and revives the Uzumaki’s sealing jutsu. This, coupled with her mastery of Minato’s jutsu, make her untouchable.

Tenten acquires all Sage weapons, gains fame for using them in battle to turn the tide of the war. Minato meets her and recognizes her as his successor. He gives her his blessing to revive the Uzumaki techniques as her own.

Tenten instead becomes the “Legendary One-Woman Army” In the war arc, she can teleport entire platoons of shinobi in an instant. She rains destruction down on the Zetsu army. 

Tsunade comments that her “strength of a hundred″ seal would have been wasted on Tenten; Tenten has the strength “of a thousand.”

Tenten’s mastery of seals lets her identify and rig the reincarnation seal; All deceased Shinobi that were forced to fight have their free will restored. Tenten has your army now.

Post-War, Tenten, at Hinata’s command, finds the way to remove the Caged Bird seal from the Hyuga clan.

Instead, a new seal is given to EVERY member (starting with Hinata) that functions to protect the Byakugan after death but has no other effect. It effectively halts all attempts by outside forces to steal the Byakugan.

Tenten keeps her weapons shop only because it suits her and her down-to-earth personality. She also likes the freedom to travel as she pleases, exploring the world and discovering more about the Uzumaki.

Tenten is famous for being Konoha’s #1 desirable single, but she will never settle down. It’s not what she wants.

Tenten deflects suitors with sharp objects as a gag. Everyone, though they may not understand, supports Tenten being exactly who she is, and they protect that. It remains a quietly apparent choice her character has made, and doesn't act as a challenge for the plot to fix.

She eventually becomes the sensei of Metal (and Neji’s child too, if he has one.) She pulls pranks on her team to both train them and remind them of who's in charge.

She still is involved in the lives of Gai, Lee, and Neji.

Neji Hyuga

How it Ended:

Sigh.

He begins his arc by cursing the fact that he’s going to die for the main branch and then…dies for the main branch. (And Naruto, I guess.)

Neji does not see his clan unified.

Hiashi’s throwaway comment during the war meant nothing. Neji and other branch members still had their seals. The Hyuga clan still went into the war with “head” and “branch” families. 

Neji does not get a rematch with Lee.

Neji doesn't speak to his father during the war.

What SHOULD have happened:

Hiashi dies for Neji, proving beyond a reasonable doubt that familial love comes before the hierarchy and reversing the old narrative.

Hiashi declares Hinata the new leader of the Hyuga with his dying breath, and tells her she knows what to do. He cryptically hints that Neji will lead the Hyuga to a brighter future. Hiashi knows the elders wouldn't accept Neji as head right off the bat, but he knows his daughter will stop at nothing to fight for her family.

This is also Hiashi’s redemption, finally repaying his brother’s sacrifice.

Neji gets to speak to his father during the war. It’s one of the most heart-wrenching scenes in the whole anime.

Post-War, Hinata stands before the elders and abolishes the status of head and branch families. She also has Tenten abolish the seal, as well as create an entirely new seal that goes on every member to completely protect the Byakugan from thieves but serves no other purpose.

Neji is the first to have his seal removed, Hinata is the first to have the new seal. 

Hinata then declares Neji the new head of the Hyuga while she finally gets the quiet, peaceful life she’s always wanted. If the opportunity did present itself, however, she may have her own squad with a similarly shy kunoichi. She comes to Neji often for advice on how to best train them.

Neji leads the Hyuga through major reform, abolishing harmful training methods and teaching the younger generation about the importance of family.

Neji is rightfully respected and hailed as the greatest Hyuga as he single-handedly creates new techniques that we see used in the next generation.

The Hyuga clan now selects their future leader from the most capable in the family. Hanabi is fine with this because she ‘knows she’ll be the best anyway.’ Neji teases her by saying he ‘isn’t so sure’, which pushes Hanabi to work harder.

The Hyuga are one of the most fiercely loyal and loving clans. Any affront against a single member will bring the wrath of the others. It's like one giant, close-knit family. Make fun of a Hyuga kid and now you’re getting drop-kicked by their third cousin.

Neji loses to Lee in a rematch, but warmly acknowledges his growth from when they were children. Neji is the first to officially support Lee becoming Hokage and is the one who gives him "the talk" that convinces him to accept Naruto's nomination of him to the council. Neji becomes Lee’s confidant and closest advisor.

Neji is an amazing uncle who is sometimes out of his element when it comes to dealing with his energetic niece and nephew. It’s all fluff.

When no one is looking, Himawari will stare intently (threateningly) at her uncle, who will slowly grimace and hand her a piece of candy from inside his sleeve, glancing around to make sure no one sees him complete the exchange. No one knows where Himawari gets her spontaneous candy and stash from. It's a mystery as to what he seems to be paying her off for, but it'd probably be a delicious secret to find out..

Neji’s relationship with his niece is heartwarming. He constantly threatens Naruto to be a good husband and father to his niece and nephew OR ELSE.

Neji trains Boruto and Himawari. He’s strict, but as kind as he is firm.

Neji teaches Boruto to have a closer relationship with Himawari, mirroring the relationship he had with Hinata. If he has children, they're the "cool older cousins" to the siblings and have their dad's clout for sure.

Neji might get married or have children. If he does, it’ll be the subject of a Gaiden novel. Perhaps also a quick throwaway scene in the epilogue post-war where he meets someone that catches his eye. His child(ren) will be on the same team as Metal, where they will also be rivals.

He might have twin boys if we really want to go hard with literary parallels, but it’s not necessary. He'd name his kids after his father first.

There, I fixed it.

[raendown]

Pairing: MinatoMadara Word count: 3062 Soulmate au: The one where it is impossible for a person to physically injure their soulmate

Follow the link or read it under the cut!

Chapter 116: MinatoMadara

Having studied the Uzumaki sealing techniques extensively, Minato was absolutely sure that he should have been trapped within the belly of the Shinigami at this very moment rather than waking up in an sunny room with the window wide open and a pleasant breeze drifting across his face. Sitting up slowly revealed no gaping hole through his midsection where he was positive the Kyuubi had impaled him. Curious, suspicious, and incredibly wary, he peeled back the covers and slipped out of the hospital bed he had been tucked in to.

Whoever had put him here had dressed him in a sleep yukata of an incredibly outdated cut, something his own grandfather might have considered fashionable way back in his youth. It was thick and warm, however, even if he felt a little exposed without his uniform and weapons. A quick search of the room revealed his personal effects were not present, which was disappointing. Nevertheless, he had expected as much. It looked as though he would be exploring in the outfit he was wearing.

Peeking his head out the door revealed no one in the hallway so Minato crept out and made his way through the quiet hospital, which he now realized wasn’t quite as familiar as he’d first thought it to be. The walls were wooden with no plaster or paint. Beneath his feet the floors were not covered in vinyl or linoleum but were also crafted from wood so smooth it might have grown in that shape. Minato stepped lighter, more and more unsure of his location by the minute.

Several of the rooms he peeked in to were occupied yet he saw none of the traditional hospital equipment one would expect to find, no heart monitors or the new beds which had been installed recently with automatic controls to lift and lower the mattresses. Instead all he found were simple frames, most of them with archaic leather restraints still attached as though he had somehow stepped backwards through time. Overall the effect was creepy and he couldn’t wait to figure out where the hell this was so he could get back to Konoha.

Minato’s steps paused and his head thudded painfully in his chest. He leaned against the closest wall as he fought for air that seemed to disappear between one second and the next. Konoha. Until yesterday the thought of home had evoked thoughts of his loving wife and unborn child. Now all he could think of was how warm Kushina’s blood had been against his skin, how pale her skin had looked as she made her final goodbyes, how very small their child had been. If all had gone as planned then Naruto now had the demon fox sealed away within his belly and Kushina, spirits rest her soul, would have gone to her final rest.

He himself should have been sealed away as well and yet here he was having a panic attack in what appeared to be unfamiliar territory. Tightening the muscles in his jaw, Minato forced himself to get a grip. Breakdowns could come later. Right now he needed to concentrate on finding his bearings as well as locating both clothes and weapons.

Keeping his breathing tightly controlled, he pushed away from the wall and continued on down the hallway. When he reached the end and descended the stairway he found there it took him to a much more populated floor where he was forced to employ all the subtle skills of a good shinobi. He blended in to the shadows and disappeared, avoiding all human contact, making his way out of the building entirely undetected.

As soon as he stepped outside he found that the buildings tugged at his memory as well. It was almost as though he knew this place but it had been distorted somehow and he couldn’t quite put his finger on what the difference was or why he should recognize it. Blending in with the shadows still, he observed the citizens passing by and tried to identify his location using any clues they could provide; local fashion, skin tone, dialect, anything at all. What he discovered was that this village must have been frozen in time to still have some of these things so common amongst themselves and still be using such outdated modes of speech – but their accents were indisputably Fire Nation. Wherever he was, they should be his allies.

Minato was only just starting to calm down when he scaled the side of the hospital building he had escaped from and used the roof as a higher vantage point to observe from. What he saw from there made his heart freeze inside his chest.

The last time he’d checked, there had been three faces carved in to the side of that mountain.  

-

Looking back on the day he had arrived in the era of his forefathers, Minato was eventually able to laugh at himself for his old wild reaction to discovering that he had somehow fallen through time, although there were still times when he had to stop and sit down, almost unable to wrap his head around it all. Losing his family and everyone he knew in one fell swoop was a blow that took time to recover from. Amazingly, he did so with the help of the three founders of Konoha themselves.

Hashirama was the easiest to get along with, a boisterous enthusiastic man who on a good day was a welcome reminder of Kushina’s personality. While he didn’t quite have her fire or her penchant for getting in to trouble, he did have the same charmingly child-like wonder in his eyes when he looked out at the world around him.

Tobirama, though intimidating at first with his immovable stone face, became a greater friend than Minato could ever have imagined. He was incredibly knowledgeable about seals and jutsu theory – unsurprising considering he had invented many of the staple jutsu which would later be taught in the academy – and they whiled away many an afternoon in theoretical discussion so deep it sometimes baffled even Mito, an Uzumaki who had studied seals her entire life. Minato did tend to make himself scarce when Tobirama got that experimenting look on his face, though. He was smart enough not to get involved in any of that.

Although it baffled him as to why, it was Madara to whom Minato found himself most drawn of the three. The man had hardly been welcoming when they first met and it took quite some time before they warmed up to each other. Being friends with Madara was rather like herding a cat without trying to startle it or let it know what you were up to. Pinning him down to spend time with you was difficult enough and the moment he caught wind of the slightest sign of affection he was gone again as though he’d never been there. How Hashirama managed to catch him for so many hugs was a mystery when both Minato and Tobirama could move faster and neither of them managed to lay so much as a hand on him even just for a pat on the back.

But an aversion to touch wasn’t such an unusual habit for a shinobi in Minato’s own time, let alone now when they were only a few years past a generation’s long war, decades upon decades of trusting no one but your own family. So Minato didn’t think much of it until it had been three years to the day since he had arrived here and suddenly it was Madara seeking him out for once.

“Spar with me.” Long used to Madara’s abrupt ways, Minato hardly took offense to what might have sounded like a demand if he hadn’t know better. That right there was as good as a ‘please’.

 “Has little Kagami been bothering you to train with Tobirama again?” he asked. Madara snorted and brushed by him, allowing their sleeves to touch for the barest of seconds.

“I thought a distraction was in order.” And that, in Madara’s taciturn way of communicating, meant that he knew what day it was today and was trying to help the only way he knew how; he was trying to take Minato’s mind off of things by occupying his mind with a fight. Something deep in Minato’s chest fluttered with affection for this socially challenged human disaster.

Were he being truthful Minato could have admitted that he was actually doing just fine today. Getting over the loss of his wife and child had been hard, that was true, but knowing that Naruto was safe from harm and that Kushina had gone on to a better place meant that he had slowly been able to make his peace with where he was now. But he certainly wasn’t about to say any of that to Madara right now. To do so would ruin this rare opportunity of Madara seeking someone else out for a bit of human interaction and that was a chance too good to give up.

Together the two of them made their way towards the nearest training grounds with purposeful steps. Madara went everywhere with purposeful steps, never a fan of lackadaisical wandering. Upon reaching the field he immediately began to stretch, as all shinobi should before a training session, and Minato couldn’t help but admire the sight. He couldn’t remember ever seeing Madara spar with anyone other than Hashirama in the three years since he had arrived here, the Shodaime Hokage being the only person who Madara saw as a worthy challenge. Being allowed to watch was a great honor all on its own. Madara taking the initiate to ask him to partake was nearly beyond comprehension.

“Rules?” the Uchiha grunted. Minato blinked. It seemed he was being offered many honors today.  

“One point per connecting blow? First to ten points or to force their opponent to yield.”

“Acceptable.” Madara tilted his head to one side. “You are faster than Tobirama,” he noted.

Minato hesitated, not wishing to downplay his friend’s abilities but also incredibly proud of his adjustments to the hiraishin which had fascinated even their inventor himself. Eventually he admitted, “Some might say that.”

“I wish to test my skills against yours. Let us see which triumphs: your speed or my strength.”

Smiling at the formal speech cadences which still amused him on occasion, Minato agreed with a simple nod of his head. After finishing their stretches they stepped in to position and fell in to ready stances. Barely a single heartbeat had passed before Madara murmured for them to begin, bulling forward straight away for a frontal attack. Minato wouldn’t have made it to Hokage if he hadn’t been able to hold his own in taijutsu, however, and their clash ended in nothing more than several blocks and a couple of near misses.

They sprang apart again as it became clear that neither would gain the upper hand so easily. Strangely, Minato found himself reluctant to use his specially marked kunai so early in the game. He could have danced around the field faster than the blinking of an eye but he wanted to see how this would play out without such things first. Hopefully Madara would be up for round two afterwards so he could truly make an effort to impress.

He got the feeling rather quickly that Madara was feeling him out, ramping up the pace only gradually to test his abilities bit by bit, and the idea rankled. All three of the founding trio knew the truth of his story, they all knew that he been named the fourth Hokage of Konohagakure. There was no need to treat him like a child in training. A little insulted, it was him that threw the first jutsu. Madara dodged his now completed version of the rasengan, though only barely, and responded with a thin stream of fire that heated the air around them both. For a moment Minato thought he’d been hit but he felt no burns and spun back with a triumphant smirk.

Once they had both crossed in to that territory it was free reign, anything goes. Jutsu exploded at every turn yet never seemed to connect. Frequent bouts of taijutsu left them both frustrated as neither of them seemed able to land a blow. When Minato finally did feel something against his cheek he marveled that a titan such as Uchiha Madara could hit with so little force.

It seemed that Madara himself was also startled by how ineffectual his punch had been and the surprise of it was enough of a distraction that he left himself wide open. Minato took that opening on pure instinct, rearing back and putting the full force of his weight behind a blow straight to the center of Madara’s face.

Nothing happened. Both of them stood there blinking at each other, completely still, their fight having been paused by the harmless tap of Minato’s fist against Madara’s nose. What should have been a blow that sent him rolling across the field and shattered his nasal cavity had instead done nothing but squish the tip of his nose in to his face a bit. Minato frowned. He hadn’t held back at all, knew he’d felt the muscles in his body extend to make impact, and yet nothing had happened.

“Fascinating,” Madara rumbled under his breath.

“But I hit you,” Minato said, a little lost. His opponent titled his head to one side.

“It did not hurt.”

“Oh sweet kami.” Eyes widening, Minato dropped his arm at last and stumbled back. “But that would – you – you’re my soulmate.”

Madara reached up to rub his nose, somehow managing to make even that simple gesture appear regal. “Yes I rather thought that might be the case.” His words left Minato stiff with shock.

“You what!? You knew? How could you possible know?” He expected neither the extremely serious look that appeared in Madara’s eyes nor the way it would cause his knees to weaken. Considering how much effort it took just to become friends with the man, Minato had never allowed himself the chance to admire Madara as anything more. Suddenly it was all he could think of.

“I feel…myself around you. Had you not come in to our lives I think I should not have been as content in my days as I am now. One genial word from you brings to me a calm I had not felt since my brother’s death and I know that without your influence I could never have borne Tobirama’s presence in the village, could never have come to terms his actions.” Rather than look at all embarrassed by his words, Madara’s expression only intensified as he stepped forward. “You have effects on my person which I could only attest to one possibility; I knew you must be my soulmate.”

Somewhere deep in the back of his mind, like an echo of a past he was still working to leave behind, Minato thought he could almost hear Kushina’ voice whispering in his ear. Ridiculously, he was hearing her say ‘He’s so hot for you’. Which, admittedly, did sound like something she would say.

But he could also hear her whispering that it was time to move on and take a chance. Reaching for the future didn’t necessarily have to mean letting go of the past. He had loved his wife and he would always love the son for whom he had been willing to give his life but that didn’t mean he couldn’t let anyone else in to his heart – especially if that someone new happened to be his soulmate.

A surprisingly romantic soulmate, it would seem.

Forcing himself to take a deep, calming breath, Minato allowed his eyes to fall down and drag his gaze back up the length of Madara’s body, inch by inch, taking everything in while his thoughts rushed forward nearly as fast as his famed jutsu. His soulmate stood a mere foot away without any indication of closing the remaining gap, politely allowing him that choice.

“If I were to be honest,” he said slowly, “I never got the impression that you thought me more than tolerable.” Which, to be fair, was still quite an achievement when it came to the man in question. Madara lifted one eyebrow.

“Then I shall work to be more obvious about my affections in the future. I had thought myself to be perfectly clear.”

“You disappeared halfway through our conversation just three days ago without telling me what I had done wrong,” Minato pointed out. He received a quiet huff in response.

“When you spoke of your admiration for certain Kiri-wrought weaponry I left to bring you a piece from my own collection. Upon my return I discovered you were no longer present and I am not in the habit of chasing those who are so impatient as to not wait more than half a minute.”

Minato couldn’t help it; he smiled. “One of these days I’m going to help Hashirama trap you for a nice long conversation about polite social interactions.”

“No.” His tone was dark enough to scare small children but Minato had sharp eyes, he could see the minute twitch at the corner of Madara’s lips. He’d made the man smile! Well, his version of it, anyway.

“You don’t think I could do it?” He asked, sidling ever so slightly closer.

“Correct. Nothing could make me suffer through such ridiculousness.”

“Hmm. What if I let you hold my hand the whole time?”

As he spoke Minato reached out and slipped his fingers in to Madara’s palm, thrilled to see dark eyes widen in surprise. For someone as touch-starved as Madara, to hold hands probably seemed like an incredibly intimate action. And just as Minato suspected it rendered him completely immobile.

With both of their pasts taken in to account it was pretty much a given that the two of them would need to take baby steps as a couple exploring their new relationship. Looking at the hint of color rising up on Madara’s cheeks, however, Minato thought to himself that he was rather looking forward to it all. However he had ended up in the past didn’t truly matter. What did matter was the chance for happiness quite literally dangling at his fingertips.

He intended to take that chance.