A/N: Hey! So this will just be a short prologue to introduce the story! So enjoy!
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In Konoha's orphanage, there was a small raven-haired boy with black onyx eyes. His name was Minato. Uchiha Minato. He had never met his parents and this made him sad. He often wondered what his life would have been like had he had a family.
He was only five years old but despite his young age, he was already very mature.
The door to his room suddenly opened, making him focus his attention on it. The one who had opened it was the man in charge of the orphanage, that is Kabuto Yakushi. The only person that was close to both a mother and father to the small boy.
"Minato," he started saying softly, "there is someone I'd like you to meet."
The boy was intrigued by these words, immediately wondering who this person was and why they had come to see him in the first place.
Next to Kabuto was now standing a silver-haired man with black eyes similar to his (and this is of course Kakashi).
"Hello Minato," he greeted him softly. "You probably don't remember me, but I'd like to spend some time with you, if you want to, of course," he said grinning at him behind his mask as he said the last part of his sentence.
Minato stared at him intently, examining the man carefully from head to toe. He tilted his head to the side as he was doing so.
"Who are you?" he asked him with his soft voice, puzzled.
"My name is Kakashi. You don't need to know my last name."
"...But...How do you know me?"
Kakashi's expression became one of sorrow. It was breaking his heart to see the little boy here, all alone with no family while he still had his mother. And all the more so as he had been supposed to become the father's child and raise him. And he didn't like the thought of lying to the boy.
"Well...Let's say that I care about children who are orphans because I used to be one myself," he replied, smiling.
Minato's eyes widened slightly.
"Really?"
Kakashi nodded.
"That's right. I've never known my mother and I lost my father when I was your age."
This revelation saddened the small boy. But at the same time this made him somehow happy and relieved to know that he was not the only one to have been an orphan. Yet, at least, and unlike himself, Kakashi had known his father...
"So...What would you like to do while I am here?" Kakashi inquired, still trying to be as natural and smiley as possible.
Minato looked down at the wooden floor. He then seemed to get lost in his thoughts for a while
"Sorry...But...If you don't mind...I'd like to stay alone...." he eventually trailed off, avoiding eye contact with the man.
Minato was the type of lonely and solitary person. He didn't really have any friends. Although he wasn't the only orphan in this orphanage, he had trouble making friends, or make his friendships last whenever someone was willing to become his friend. Mostly because he was highly quiet, and shy. It almost looked like as if he were afraid of other people, all the people he didn't know. As if he was too afraid to open up his heart and express himself.
Kakashi knitted his brows as his heart was clenching in pain. Minato's voice was so broken and held so much pain in it. It was hard for the man to take it.
"It's okay...I understand. I'll try to come back to see you later, when you feel more like having company," the man said to him softly before he stood up.
He had been kneeling down so he would be at the eye level of the boy.
He then turned his attention to Kabuto who hadn't left the boy's room.
"Come, I'm going to see you out," Kabuto said solemnly.
Kakashi nodded and shortly after Minato's door was closed again, leaving the boy alone with his thoughts and his loneliness.
He ended up looking up again, his eyes landing on the window which was in front of his bed.
He stared out of it blankly before he turned his head to stare at his door. Even if he wished to stay alone, he was still intrigued by the man.
So he decided to stand up and to leave his room to go see the two men. He tiptoed his way out of his room to get to the corridor near the main entrance of the orphanage, being the discreet boy he was.
Anyway, he remained hidden behind a wall as he could hear Kabuto speak, leaning against it, being so silent that not even his breathing could be heard.
"You won't be able to hide the truth from him indefinitely. Sooner or later he will have to know it."
"I know that. But I don't think now is the right time."
"I don't think there will ever be a right time to tell him. He needs to know everything. And the sooner the better."
"I will when I deem it necessary."
"I wonder how the Godaime-Sama would react if she knew what was happening behind her back."
"Are you threatening me?"
"This was not meant to be a threat. I just want yo to know that what you are doing is not good."
"Because you think I am proud of my decision? It's just that...The last will of a dead person is sacred...."
"......"
"I just want to protect him...And protect Mai..."
"I know the decision you had to make wasn't an easy one, and that you're doing what you think best for them, but he needs to see the real world. He can't spend his whole life here."
"......"
"And she needs to see him. Can you imagine how she must be feeling?"
"I am well aware of how she has been feeling. And when she learns the truth I'm certain she will never forgive me.... That's why I'd like to wait some more time before doing anything...."
"I see...Still, don't take too long. He needs a real family."
Kakashi nodded before finally leaving the building.
Minato's eyes were wide in shock and confusion. He was frozen in his spot, unable to move. He thought about what the two men had been saying to each other, trying to make sense out of their conversation.
"Minato?"
Said boy started as soon as Kabuto said his name.
He glanced at the man worriedly.
Kabuto looked at him earnestly before he came to kneel down in front of him.
"This man...Who is he? I want to know who he really is!" Minato asked in distress.
"........"
Kabuto let out a small sigh.
"I'm sorry, Minato.... You weren't supposed to hear that conversation..."
"But I did!"
".....It's better if you forget it. Just remember that everything we want is what is good for you."
"But why have you been lying to me?!"
The man was really feeling guilty for doing so, as much as Kakashi, if not more....
"Minato...You have to understand that grown-ups don't always do what they want. Things are not always easy, and sometimes they have to make difficult decisions which they don't like, but which are necessary to be made. But you are too young to understand all of this for now."
Minato stared down at the floor thoughtfully. He pondered over the man's words.
"I promise you will know everything you have to know when the right time has come. But for now, there's something I'd like to show you."
Minato slowly looked up to make eye contact with the man.
"What is it?" he asked curiously.
Kabuto gave him a warm smile.
"Come with me. You will discover it in a few moments," he said, extending his hand so Minato would take it.
And the boy did. Kabuto led the boy to a small room and they approached what looked like a table.
Minato noticed that there was a small blue bird lying on it.
"Why is this bird here?" he inquired.
"I found it this morning on the ground. It is injured and has a broken wing."
Minato gave the bird a sad look.
"Is there anything we can do to help?"
"Yes, actually, that's what I want to show you."
Minato looked at the man with earnest interest.
"You have never heard of it before, but you can heal injured animals or people thanks to what is called medical ninjutsu."
"Medical ninjutsu...?" Minato repeated somehow surprised by this revelation.
"That's right. Look, this is pretty simple to use it."
Kabuto put his hands just above the bird's wing and shortly after green chakra was coating it.
Minato looked at it in wonder, definitely impressed by the man's ability.
"That's amazing...."
Kabuto side glanced at him before giving him a smile.
"How is that even possible to do this?" Minato asked, curious.
"Well, to make it simple, most human beings in this world possess what we call chakra. For example, you and I both possess chakra. And so does the man you saw not so long ago, Kakashi. This is some vital energy which is necessary to the functioning of our bodies. And if you were to have all of your chakra extracted from your body you would be very likely to die."
Minato nodded slowly, taking in all the information.
"And thanks to chakra you can do many things. One of them is healing, which is definitely the best and most useful one."
Kabuto suddenly stopped healing the bird.
"But not everyone possesses the same quantity of chakra. Some people will have very low quantities of chakra, and others will have average chakra reserves while some other people will have huge chakra reserves."
"How come? What determines the quantity of chakra of a person?"
"Well, generally it is due to your social origin. For example, if you belong to a strong and powerful clan, you will possess a huge quantity of chakra. While if you are from a low background, you are very likely to possess tiny chakra reserves. That's how it works."
Minato nodded again.
"I see..."
Kabuto stared at him.
"So...What about me...? Do I possess an important quantity of chakra?" Minato then asked the man.
"Yes, you do. Because your father was part of a strong and powerful clan."
"Was he?"
Kabuto nodded.
"And your mother is a descendant from another strong and powerful clan."
Minato looked down again. It was the first thing he had been learning about his parents. Well, that was better than nothing....
"Come on, now it's your turn to try. Don't worry, it's not that complicated to learn and master medical ninjutsu. It just requires a lot of practice."
Minato looked up again, and looked at Kabuto uncertainly.
"Go ahead. Don't be afraid," the man with glasses said encouragingly. "You can't say you will fail as long as you have not tried."
Minato kept staring at him before he finally looked away and hesitantly put his hands just above the bird's wing.
"How am I supposed to do it now?" Minato asked him, still unsure.
"Just relax and concentrate your chakra within the palms of your hands. You have to be extremely focused in order to succeed."
"But how am I supposed to concentrate my chakra?"
"First of all you have to trust yourself, and then you have to focus on your goal. If you really want to heal this bird, then believe in yourself and it will all come naturally."
Minato glanced at him before he took his advice. He focused on his task, and waited for green chakra to appear.
And soon after, it eventually appeared, which made Kabuto smile softly. Minato smiled as well, happy that he could do it.
"I've done it!"
"Of course you have. I knew you would."
Kabuto watched him heal the bird proudly, like a mother would be proud of his child. He did consider Minato as his own child, even though he knew he could never replace his true parents.
"I first learned medical ninjutsu from my own adoptive mother," he said to the boy softly at some point.
Minato glanced at him.
"Really?"
Kabuto nodded.
Minato then smiled softly.
"I'm glad we're able to share this together," the boy said after a few moments of silence.
But Kabuto was again somehow feeling guilty inside. That's something he should have learnt from his mother to share it with her. Yet, at the same time, he couldn't help feeling happy about sharing this with the Uchiha boy.
"So am I," he replied softly.
Once Minato had finished healing the bird, he focused his attention on Kabuto.
"Do you promise you will never let me down?" Minato asked with a hint of sadness in his voice
The man seemed to be taken aback by his question, and hearing the sadness in Minato's voice made him feel sad as well, but he regained his composure pretty quickly.
"Of course. I'll always be there when you need me. Never forget that."
Minato smiled warmly at him.
"Thank you."
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Hello to everyone who is reading this!! 👋 😀 So I am back again!!
And I really hope you liked this first chapter :) When I said it would be a short prologue, I meant it would be less than 3000 words, you know.
I will focus on Kei in the next chapter, and probably not only in the next one but in the next few chapters.
Honestly, I'm glad I could find a more original title for this second book ^^
Please, don't hesitate to let me know your thoughts about it, and even to vote if you really liked it! :)
Thanks folks!! 😘💕