Meeting Yondaime

Chapter 37

"Nnnnnrgghh."

Naruto held his hands out, one moving around, the other stretched out, chakra forming in his hand. Glaring at his hand, he took in deep breaths, furrowing his brows. Slowly, it began to form a shape. 

"You're doing great! It took me three years to complete that justu, and you've just about finished learning it in three weeks!" 

"Ugh! You're distracting you lying jerk!" Naruto turned around, just about temporarily giving up and pointed at Minato. "Leave me alone and let me practice. Actually, and can Jiraiya teach me instead, please?" 

Minato sighed. "He could if he wasn't busy peeking on women."

Naruto scowled, and marched up to Minato and glared at him. "While I'm glad you helped save my life father, I haven't forgiven you."

Minato put his hand on his chin and caressed it. "Not even if I buy you say... Fifty bowls of Ramen?"

Naruto's face lit up instantly, before darkening once more and turned away. "I will not fall for your bribery." 

Minato pouted, a depression cloud forming over his head, raining heavily. "Okay... Well, I mainly came here to let you know that the Finals for the chunin exams will be starting tomorrow." 

Naruto scoffed. "You think I didn't know? Just shut up and go already Minato."

"Sure, I'll leave you alone." Minato hiraishined away to his apartment and lay down on his bed. He missed sharing an apartment with his son, there was so much father-son bonding time. How he missed it. The games, jokes, competitions... Although; he completely understood why Naruto neglected and despised him. At least, for now.

"I wonder how long he'll keep up this mask..." Kurama's voice rang in his head. 

Minato cocked his head slightly as he stared up at his white ceiling, maps nailed into it in some places. "Mask? Does he have another?" 

He heard the fuzzball laugh hysterically in his mindscape. "You can't be serious."

"Kurama, I really have no Idea."

Kurama pulled Minato into his mind, a place with mountains and rivers, trees, and sun. This was a result of Minato being a friend with Kurama rather than a jailer. "Naruto put up another mask, and I'm not telling you what it is. As a father, you're going to have to do this on your own."

Minato sighed, and stared up at the fox-beast towering over him. "Yep..."

^.^ 

Minato walked to the graveyard wearily. He always hated coming here. He knew that the dead couldn't hear, so there was really no point in coming to talk, but it brought comfort. Rows of graves decorated the area. He continued to walk to the end; where the Hokage and their family(wife and children) were buried. Walking up to it, he saw his own grave; where many people assumed he was buried. Next to it lay the body of his wife Kushina Uzumaki Namikaze in her own, dark, and desperate grave. 

A tear rolled down Minato's cheek. He kneeled down in front of her grave and placed a bouquet of flowers in front of the stone. Stroking the stone, he imagined that he was stroking her cheek or her hair that danced in the wind. "I miss you so much..." He silently choked back sobs. 

 The full moon and stars gave plenty of light. He could see his shadow as clear as day, but through his river of tears, he swore he saw the shadow of Kushina. Her hair was blowing in the silent breeze. "I failed as a father... I don't know how to do this... I need you..." 

He heard someone playing an instrument of some sort in the distance. A whisper was in the song, it sounded so much like Kushina. He strained to hear what was being said, but the voice of the notes was too faint.

He sighed, still crying. He saw a piece of glass on the cement. He picked it up carefully, caressing the smooth edges. Rolling up his sleeves, he pierced it into his skin and blood began to drool out. He always found pain to be a temporary relief from depressing emotions.

Naruto

Naruto stared at Minato. He'd followed him here. He wasn't sure why. He couldn't exactly see what he was doing through the bushes, but he did hear the words he had said. He sighed, hoping one day he'd be able to tell him.

Rushing to his apartment, he lay down and drifted off into sleep.

A/N: Thanks for all who have voted on my story so often, commented, and added it to reading lists or libraries! 

Also, no one cut. No one. Don't do it; it doesn't help trust me.

Chunin exams are back next chapter!