SPOILER WARNING!
Spoiler for manga chapter 367!
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- Failure -
Namikaze Minato always knew he couldn't drag his kids out into the battlefield day after day and return with three every time, but the reality is ten times worse than he ever imagined.
He hasn't yet had time to really even think about what he let happen, he can't because Rin and Kakashi need him so desperately right now and he's all they've got.
In all honesty he doesn't even know what really happened. Rin had simply told him that Obito had died and it was her fault and she was sorry, before vaguely saying something about Kakashi and the Sharingan. He hadn't pressed the matter. His efforts to coax Kakashi into saying more once the boy had regained consciousness had been a mean to no end.
He had expected his youngest student to report what had happened in detail as he usually would, but – just like Rin had told him – Kakashi said that Obito had died and it was his fault and he was sorry.
The pair were both blaming themselves, which he could understand, that was only natural. But as far as the sharingan was concerned, Minato was just downright confused. Rin had said Obito had offered Kakashi it, but beyond that she didn't really know what happened. Kakashi had spoken so venomously about himself about the matter that Minato had stopped in shock, pulling the fuming, grieving boy into a hug to silence him.
He had given them a choice before, more than willing to abandon the mission for their sake earlier, but they had wanted to continue and so they had, succeeding in destroying the bridge. It was after that that Minato had placed sleeping jutsu's upon the two, not convinced that now they had no mission to focus on that they'd make it home without breaking down, and two hysterical grieving children in the middle of an Iwa-nin infested area was not a good idea. Besides, it hadn't even been fair that they'd had to finish the mission really; he couldn't find it in his heart to force them to keep it together for the journey home, hence the sleeping jutsu.
He had rushed the two back to the village at top speed then, concerned about Kakashi's eye and a deep slash Rin had since acquired across her stomach.
He thinks Kakashi's worst off at the moment, although he knows Rin's strength is tethered to Kakashi's, and if he crumbles then she most likely will too, because he's the one who pushes her to be her best, the one who keeps her going through it all.
He's cradling the sleeping Rin in his arms and staring absently into space right now. As far as he's concerned, he's failed; as someone they can trust, as someone who can look after them, protect them; as their sensei.
He shouldn't have left them, he tells himself angrily. He always thought they were too young, but they handled everything so well despite their age, and he really should remind himself every now and again that he'd barely been a Genin a year at the age they are now and yet there are…were, two chuunin's and a Jounin. He certainly couldn't have handled such a mission, why should they be expected to?
They'd been forced to grow up so fast Minato doubts they even had a childhood, or were even able to remember a time when they weren't in the academy, Kakashi especially.
He's disturbed from his thoughts by Tsunade, who sticks her head around the door and quietly informs him that the Hokage would like a word.
It's only then that Minato realizes he's not reported the mission to the Sandaime yet, and the Uchiha's won't know of Obito's fate yet either. Cursing quietly under his breath he slips off the bed, Rin still curled in his arms. Stooping he awkwardly pulls the sheets back and lays Rin down, pulling the blankets back over her and tucking her in.
Smiling sadly he rests a hand briefly on his students forehead before walking swiftly from the room.
Instead of making his way straight to the Hokage tower he takes a minute or two to check on Kakashi. He finds him conscious but still mostly out of it from the drugs, and so, after spending a few moments at his bedside, he promises him that he'll be back soon and leaves.
The meeting with the Hokage doesn't go very well as a number of the Uchiha's are there, and Minato can't really offer them much information. They're outraged about Kakashi, and Obito's father, the head of the clan, is furious, demanding that Rin and Kakashi be interrogated immediately.
Between them, Minato and the Sandaime manage to calm the man and the Uchiha's leave with promises to discus the situation further in the morning. Before Minato sets off for the hospital again, where he will no doubt spend the night, he expects, the Hokage tells him to inform Tsunade that the Uchiha's are forbidden from going near Rin and Kakashi until this is all sorted out. Minato hardly needs telling twice, he wouldn't have them let within 10 feet of his students anyway, with or without the Sandaime's permission to stop them, not after what's happened. They have no right to blame it on his two; he's more than positive that they did everything in their power to save Obito. Besides, he's the one at fault, he's the one who's failed, they should be angry with him.
When the Kiroi Senko reaches the hospital, Jiraiya meets him out outside Kakashi and Rin's rooms.
"Ero-sensei…" he acknowledges with a vague smile, relieved for the comfortable familiarity his old sensei provides him.
"Tsunade told me."
Minato sighs, his gaze fixed upon the floor. "Gomen, Jiraiya-sensei…" he's not really sure just why he's sorry, he only knows he feels like he's disappointed the man. In fact it's worse than that, he feels like a child again. Because deep down he feel's far too young to have such responsibility, to have the lives of three, no, two now, children placed in his hands. And Jiraiya…. Jiraiya is Jiraiya. His Sensei. He's the man who taught him everything he knows, the one who dragged him through everything when he was a kid.
In his mind Sensei's are like an extra parent. They're certainly forced to bond and become close to the kids, whether they like it or not. No one could go through the horrors of the Shinobi life and not become attached to the one who was by their side from day one. Sensei's are meant to protect their student's, and Minato has his own to protect, only he's failed, he's failed but Jiraiya's here. He's still his Sensei in Minato's mind, and he'll never stop being so as far as he's concerned, because he's always the one who always been with him every step of the way, got him through it all, protected him…
"Minato."
The Kiroi Senko is made to look up as Jiraiya lifts his chin, forcing eye contact.
"You did everything you could for those kids. They were far, far too young, and you've kept them alive longer than most would have managed."
"I shouldn't have left them, if I hadn't then-"
" 'If' doesn't help now. You took the most logical route, the mission wouldn't have been possible if you'd stayed with them."
Minato lowers his eyes. His former sensei has always been blunt about such things, but truthfully blunt, and it hurts but makes him feel a little better at the same time.
"Minato, not everybody can be saved. Sacrifices must be made for the majority to live sometimes. I'm sure he died bravely."
He nods wearily, because what else can he do? He knows on some level that the man's right, even though his mind is still stubbornly telling him he's a failure. "Rin says he saved Kakashi…" he murmurs absently, shaking his head, staring vacantly at the floor for a few moments, a scowl beginning to crease his brow.
"How do I just carry on?" he asks, frustrated, more to himself than Jiraiya as he lets his head fall tiredly against the man's shoulder. "How can I take those two back out there again in a few weeks? How can they trust me after what I let happen…"
Jiraiya sighs and wraps one arm around the blonde's shoulders. "They won't blame you. You can't do wrong as far as they're concerned. This was no ones fault, just war at work, but I'll bet they're just as worried that they've let you down as you are that you have them. Besides, they're damn proud of you, and so am I." He says gruffly, and Minato's sure he feels a kiss being pressed to the top of his head through his shock of thick blonde hair.
He smiles. "Arigatou, Ero-Sensei…"
A/N: and we're done! Complete!
I thought poor Arashi deserved a kiss too, to keep in theme with the other chapters, andddd, well, Tsunade was the more logical consoling, kiss on the head/forehead type person, but I wanted to try Jiraiya and I hope I didn't mess it up too much!
Tried to emphasise that, even when he's Hokage, Arashi will still probably think of Jiraiya as his Sensei. I think most Shinobi will, well, that's my view on the sensei/student bond, I hope I wrote about it clearly enough! Reviews please?
Edit: updated because we know Yondy's real name! Great huh? I kinda liked Arashi but hey, at least he has a proper name now, and it's starting to grow on me!