Fading Away

Disclaimer: Do I have to say it twice?

A/n: You guys rock! Thanks for the reviews! Although I can't PM each of you, they really really mean a lot to me.

I notice there are some questions though…

1. How does Naruto move faster than the freaking Konoha's Yellow Flash without the aid of our Kyuubi no Youko? (scratch the 'Youko'. Everyone here agree he's no more than overgrown furball and he has to get along with it).

A: It's been years since the Canon – something he learns on the way to the Hokage's hat? I'll explain in future chapter. And don't you think it's quite embarrassing, surpassing the Yondaime with the assistance of… other source? I mean, yes, Kurama was a part of Naruto. But still, it feels like cheating.

2. Is Naruto going to be Hokage again— in the past?

A: Nope. Naruto doesn't stand a chance against our lovely Yondaime Hokage.

3. Pairing?

A: I'm so sorry I disappoint you. Yes, Minato was going to have a little one-sided crush on our main character here. But no way in the hell they're going to act all lovey dovey. In fact there won't be any romance at all. Naruto perceives Minato with admiration, either as a son or as a big fan of Yondaime Hokage. And Minato himself, somehow as dense as Naruto (genetic trait?), doesn't and won't ever ever realize it.

4. Naruto's reunion with Kurama?

A: Soon enough. I'm not going to dismiss him entirely from this story, considering he is a big part of Naruto's life.

5. Character developments?

A: I believe trust and affection are gained through time, patience, and hard work (except motherly love). Complete trust or affection on strangers one barely meet over five minutes is… too idealist? Ridiculous? Unrealistic?

If we asked Naruto to define his greatest satisfaction, the answer would be the invention of ramen. He was satisfied right now, with full belly and going somewhere but the fungus covered cell, if a bit sleep deprived. He had asked for five bowls of ramen before the interrogation sessions, to which they grudgingly complied. Of course they didn't get anything useful from him, besides that he was Uzu Hikaru, refugee from a small country and twenty two years old. He lied, but seriously, what could he say? 'Hey, I'm from the future. Because of my genius tendencies, I traveled back to the past. *insert a nervous chuckle* By the way, I'm your future Rokudaime Hokage, -ttebayo!'

Really believable, Naruto.

And to put a long story into a sentence, he waited for the decision made in his cell. Inspecting the fungus with weird colours didn't interest him anymore. Would they buy his story? Would he be accepted into the Konoha shinobi rank? From what he could recall of his kind-hearted, smiling old man, he probably would. Sandaime Hokage didn't seem like a paranoid figure, unlike a specific blond...

A spark of certain person's chakra snapped him out of reverie. Recognition entered his eyes as he grinned. Naruto had always wanted to know what sort of person his father was… and now the chance surfaced, he'd not let it pass. "Hey, take you too long to come! I'm bored."

Minato mimicked the grin. "Sorry. Have enough with brooding in the corner?" his tone was good natured, but Naruto didn't miss the wary azure eyes on him.

"I'm not!" he retorted back, amused smile on his lips. "I just knew Konoha's Yellow Flash is in habit taunting people he barely knows," he chuckled at his own joke. "Well, when can I come out of this… 'thing'?"

Minato's stature didn't change, but the restrained smile immediately put Naruto on guard. What game is he playing this time? He detested mind games like diseases, preferring straightforward approach. And this time was no different. It was irritating, making him feeling like wanting to go berserk and pull out a Namikaze Massacre again and again.

"Soon, Uzu-san. Hokage-sama decided you're welcome to Konoha shinobi rank. I, as the behalf of Sandaime Hokage congratulate Chuunin Uzu for his entering. May the will of fire illuminates your path. Although you'll be under constant surveillance for a month, you'll be all right if you behave. Behaviors deemed as suspicious won't be tolerated."

Naruto bit back a groan at the formality of the speech. He wouldn't be surprised if it had already been cited to other people thousand times. "Oh, all right. I think you're not supposed to tell me that?"

"You'll notice them," Minato referred to the 'spies', "anyway. If we don't tell you, it may raise distrust from your part. So we better off telling you."

"What are you doing here?"

"Me?" Minato pointed at himself, empathized his word. "You thereby will be my neighbor next door. And as a good living partner, I of course am fetching you." 'say hello to your scrutinizer'

Shit. He didn't know what's worse, living next door with his parents (making him) or being under constant close watch by his own father. Judging from subtle frown marred Minato's face, which he learnt by now equivalent with other screaming for blood, he wasn't happy with the arrangement either. He just nodded dumbly, watching Minato opened the seal-laced door to his prison with cackling sound.

"Any question?"

"…" Naruto shook his head; he bit his lower lips as he was in deep thought. And if you forget, Thinking Naruto was problematic Naruto.

Minato reached into his pocket and withdrew a wallet, deactivating the seal with a flick of his hand before offering several bills. "Buy some clothes and food. That should be enough for a month. You can start doing missions to earn your own money when you get the clearance tomorrow."

"Your mission parameter is… to eliminate Uzu Hikaru."

Minato narrowed his eyes at the still smiling Hiruzen. The pacifist man brought a death sentence upon someone as if he was talking about weather. Iwa might perceive Minato as immoral, but he was absolutely against murdering designate fellow comrade without decent reasons. "But—"

"Don't worry, I'll place the Sannin as your back ups assuming he was beyond our expectation."

"Hokage-sama, what if he really is loyal to Konoha?"

"Minato-kun," Hiruzen began with a faraway look on his face. "You know I know that you know how inconvenient to have him among us, both politically and strategically. Letting him go isn't a choice, either. He may go to one of the five big countries but Konoha as retaliation to us. It's the only logical option we have."

As if he didn't know, Minato wanted to scream at the smiling face. But he kept his emotion under tight check, knowing his outburst wouldn't make Hiruzen suddenly infatuate all over his opinion. Hokage was the strongest person of the village. And if, just if this Hikaru could give a run for the Konoha's Yellow Flash's money, who was almost a match for the Densetsu no Sannin, he no doubt wouldn't give them sunshine-daisy and honey. His status as a stranger wouldn't help any. They needed a protective leader, not a questionable one with questionable loyalty and origin. "We can always determine whether he is trustworthy or not. Put him under two months of surveillance."

"You still have a long way to go, Minato-kun. Best spies are patient; they can wait for years to reach the objectives if the situation demands. They're also charming, talking people into traps and usually, appearing too normal to be suspected. So, do you want to help this old man or not?" they both knew he wasn't asking.

"Then if he was a spy, he was a terrible one," Minato pressed. He knew pushing his luck was like gambling, but right now he didn't care. "See how he piques many interests even before his objective is reached."

"He can always try to pique our interest in hope we think because he is conspicuous, he isn't a spy. I appreciate your thought, Minato. But I'm quite busy lately," don't waste my time.

Minato bowed, "I apologize for my choice of word, Hokage-sama," he said carefully not apologizing for his protest earlier.

Hiruzen ignored the hint of treason Minato gave. "I sent a team of five jounin to protect a group of merchants heading Konoha two days ago," he said slowly, smirked at the confused look on Minato's face. He was certain he could hear the buzzing of the youth's brain overworked, trying to connect dots what Hiruzen tried to tell him. "Only one came back, Minato. I sent them to their death. Regardless, the sole survivor of the ambush reported someone with golden hair and ocean blue eyes, as how she put it, swept an entire Iwa troop with ease. She suspected it was the Konoha's Yellow Flash saving the day again," he came to a dramatic halt. "Yet we know otherwise, well?"

Minato remained silent. The message was clear. 'We can't risk thousands of innocent lives over a gamble. Kill the threat before problems happened.' He knew Iwa's tactic like the back of his hand. The loss of one or two troops of minions was nothing if they could sneak a wolf among the sheep.

It was so naïve of him.

Hiruzen's eyes softened."Pick Hikaru Uzu up from his cells. From now on until the day of his elimination, he'll live next door to you. I trust no one was more suitable than you to do this, Minato. If he's as dangerous as what you reported, even ANBU won't do," again, that faraway look smeared across the not-so-wrinkle-free face. "Be careful. You're dismissed," 'don't get attached'

"Sir," and Minato vanished into the thin air, leaving behind the Sandaime Hokage in deep thought. For the first time that day, a genuine smile touched his lips. Minato Namikaze… such an interesting young man. He could see the qualities of a leader within him; he was charming, the man of his words, and most importantly, never followed others' command too willingly. They didn't need a robotic leader; they needed a leader who could think on his or her own.

So… Namikaze or Orochimaru? His eyes flew to the piles of paper works and he inwardly groaned. Ah, retirement sounded very appealing.

Minato walked along the stone corridor half-heartily, ignoring the awe-struck guards and mock salutes given his way. Since the first time he saw this Uzu Hikaru, he knew 'it' or now 'he' would be one hell of headache. Interesting, yet nothing but trouble. Even from faraway, he could sense the huge amount of unsuppressed chakra, warm and soothing in some sort of strange sense. He doubted the 'it' had a single thread of malice within, but trouble meant trouble, however you pronounce it. The reactions this Uzu gave him was nothing he was used to; that look, a weird mix of hatred and… something else. Calling him a dead man, his dad, yondaime. He would do a double take had someone asked him acknowledging the sanity of Hikaru.

Don't misjudge Minato. Albeit his going against the Sandaime about his rather atrocious way to deal with this young man, it didn't necessarily mean he liked Hikaru on personal level. Hikaru was a weirdo, a dangerous one it was. Now Sandaime asked him to live next door with him; he couldn't imagine taking this Hikaru closer than 5 meters to his girlfriend.

He approached the crouching Hikaru from behind the cell quietly, and if a ninja said 'quietly' he or she meant 'real quietly'. He wasn't very surprised when Hikaru noticed his presence and looked up. A goofy grin plastered on the whiskered face. A very goofy grin that normal people would cringe at. 'What is he planning this time? Trying to make me drop my guard through underestimation?'

"Hey, take you too long to come! I'm bored," Hikaru called out sulkily.

He wore his best grin in return. "Sorry. Have enough with brooding in the corner?" he teased. Fine, if he wants to play this game, he'll go along.

"I'm not! I just knew Konoha's Yellow Flash is in habit taunting people he barely knows," Hikaru giggled at his own joke. "Well, when can I come out of this… 'thing'?"

A small twitch formed under Hikaru's eyes, who watched him back in equal wariness. Minato wondered briefly if he had read through Minato. He never knew he was that readable.

"Soon, Uzu-san. Hokage-sama decided you're welcome to Konoha shinobi rank. I, as the behalf of Sandaime Hokage congratulate Chuunin Uzu for his entering. May the will of fire illuminates your path. Although you'll be under constant surveillance for a month, you'll be all right if you behave," he lied through his teeth. "Behaviors deemed suspicious won't be tolerated."

He took a note of Hikaru's blank face when he recited the words.

"Oh, all right. I think you're not supposed to tell me that?" Hikaru asked. For a moment, panic dulled Minato's sense. 'Does he read through his lie?' But he quickly brushed off the thought. Hikaru tone wasn't one of accusatory, just one tinted with childlike curiosity and wonder.

Come to think of it, this young man somehow maintained puppy eyes 24/7. Wasn't it what Sandaime said 'charming'?

"You'll notice them, anyway. If we don't tell you, it may raise distrust from your part. So we better off telling you."

Hikaru hummed an agreement. "What are you doing here?"

"Me? You thereby will be my neighbour next door," he said idly. He knew Sandaime meant no harm to him, but still, the idea of Kushina and his team meeting with this enigma was on the top of the list of 'worst ideas ever'. "And as a good living partner, I of course am fetching you."

"Any question?"

Hikaru shook his head and zoned out.

Minato reached into his pocket and withdrew a wallet, deactivating the seal with a flick of his hand before offering several bills. "Buy some clothes and food. That should be enough for a month. You can start doing missions to earn your own money when you get the clearance tomorrow."

He eyed the gleeful enigma, strangely feeling like murdering something, preferably whiskered things. 'Now what? Is he plotting to exploit his living next door with Konoha's Yellow Flash? Make a move, I dare you…'

He later marveled if Hikaru did receive his telepathic message.

"Yeah! Let's replace my dearest, poor tattered jacket! Let's go!" Minato wondered if he was talking about that abominable orange colored… 'thing'. When he had become Hokage, he would ban the wearing of the color, no matter what Kushina said. What kind of parents in the world allowed their children wearing these? He'd personally strangle them and demand them not to procreate anymore.

Being a ninja came along with the skyrocketing paranoia level. Kushina spoke from her own experience. But as far as she concern, her current boyfriend was too paranoid for his own good. Though he never told her, she knew that he created the Hiraishin no jutsu because of that. He hated having someone behind him, thank you very much. He once said that the mere thought of it made his skin crawls. So, when one day Minato popped in their apartment with a doppelganger tagging along, she noted how not amused he was. That idiot.

The said doppelganger, in her humble opinion, could be Minato's long lost sibling or something along the line. Cept the whisker-like birthmark and jaw line, they were perfectly undistinguishable. Heck, they even had the same smile and quirks. She would be surprised if Minato didn't claim he, with the help of Orochimaru did clone himself. They were so cute together; she could not fathom why Minato glanced his way as if he would grow a second head or something.

"Kushina, this is Uzu Hikaru," he gesture the whiskered blond. Hikaru gave a sheepish smile her way, rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Uzu-san, this is Kushina Uzumaki."

Minato casted a glare Hikaru's way as if daring him to do something. She sighed inwardly, noted she needed to lecture him about hospitality. "Hi, Hikaru-kun. I've heard of you from Minato. Look, you two are soooo similar! So, join our dinner, would you?"

Minato gave a disapproving look, but kept smiling. "Please feel at home, Uzu-san. Consider this our welcoming party for you."

Without waiting for an answer, she pushed the younger blond into the house. This would be fun! Her grin widened, it had been a long time since the last time someone new visited their home. Making acquaintances was her specialty, and this mysterious doppelganger was no different. Perhaps she could coax him into playing pranks with her. Or planning rebellion on Minato Namikaze. She was just that awesome.

The whole team 7 greeted them in the dining room. They were sitting around the wooden table; Obito with sauce bespattered mouth, smirking at laughing Rin, Kakashi, with the face of someone who had being dragged all across the Konoha—he probably really had, stoic as ever chewing on his yakiniku, somehow with the mask attached all along. Honestly, only two people alive could claim ever seen through the mask, Sandaime Hokage and Minato. Sandaime because he was just that great, and Minato because he was the White Fang's close friend since ever.

Minato raised an eyebrow. "A big feast? What occasion I happen to forget it is?"

"You told me about Hikaru-kun last night. And, and! We just got the best idea ever: inviting him to a dinner -ttebane!" Kushina gave a peck on his cheek. "Come on, Mina-kun, just enjoy it!"

Minato shut his mouth afterwards.

Noticing the presence of Hikaru, Obito looked up. "Hey, that's him!" he grinned, amusement glinting in his eyes. "Told you, 'Kashi, he is just a shrimp!"

Kakashi just hummed indifferently, though keeping curious eyes on the newcomer when he thought they weren't looking.

Hikaru's body stiffened Kushina momentarily wondered what he was going to do. Her heart almost leapt to her throat when Hikaru, in a blink of eyes crossed the room and stood before Obito. She just froze, while Minato looked like ready to jump on Hikaru anytime. Damn, one thing into the similarity list: inhuman speed. Kakashi turned from his food, Rin stopped laughing, while Obito just sat, challenging him to do something.

"Take that back, brat. Pipsqueak like you has no right to comment my coolness," he demanded. "I'm going to be the kage, -ttebayo!"

A mark tick appeared on Obito's forehead. He wiped his mouth in the 'cool' way, before said, "Not before I become the Lord Uchiha Hokage-sama, shrimp."

Hikaru tucked his arms in front of his chest, eyes narrowed at the raven. "A finger," he said, quoting Tsunade-baachan. "I just need a finger to beat you. Hell, even with both hands tied at my back, I can beat crap out your ass."

Meeting his mother, the one who was real was emotionally exhausting experience. Not that mother he met back then in his mindscape was any less real. But this one was breathing, touchable, lingering. She wouldn't vanish into the thin air. He could savor every moment with her; every smile, every laughter, everything as much as he wanted. The roller coaster of feeling these days began to be uncontrollable. He wondered how come he manages not to run into her embrace, clutching to her legs and sobbing. 'This is Naruto, Mom! Your son!'

But this reunion with Obito Uchiha was the last straw. From the time he saw him, something acidic burned in his stomach. Something hot, like a thin thread of fury stretched and snapped in his chest. Flash of memories, all unpleasant and ugly, replayed in his mind, through and through. Those empty eyes, stared straight through his soul. Accusing. As if telling him it should have been him decomposing there. 'Your fault! YoUr FaUlT! YOUR FAULT!' The voice of the death, full of agony echoed in his ear. If only we had handed you over to the Uchiha, instead of protecting you from him, we should be alive. 'You should be dead, dead, DEAD. Monster. Die.' He had to keep his killing intent under control, knowing Minato wouldn't be happy about it. Murdering one's student wasn't an advisable way to impress him anyway. He sped to the Uchiha. It wasn't the cheeky remark; it wasn't the peculiar traits shared among Uchiha. It wasn't the onyx eyes gazed through him that ticked him off. He was this near to his parents' murderer, the robber of his happy, normal life. Just a movement and that neck snapped. Or with his wind affinity tearing through that chest, squashed that thumping heart to pulp of red. The bastard who indirectly was the cause of Jiraiya's death, Neji, Asuma, Itachi, Sasuke… he was this close, this vulnerable. This fragile.

His fist clenched and unclenched, drawing a tickle of blood. But he didn't give a second thought about it. All was hatred, revenge, kill, kill, kill, KILL! Just dispose of this wretch. World be damned, he didn't care anymore. He just got his alive mom and dad back; there was no way in the hell he'd lose them, again. Even if he had to vanish, even if those azure eyes had to burn with rage and disgust at him. Nothing matter anymore if getting his mother back is a choice. Hell, his 'present' didn't sound as precious as his most beloved. In all of this chaos, he absently thought if this was – would be what Itachi felt back then, when he was given the choices; the village or the clan or the one, only one who looked up at him with adoration and unconditional love. Even when that love replaced with hatred, when the laughter and the smile became growl and curses, the love was still there, growing.

A swish of wind behind his head jerked him out his reverie, he tensed, but instantly relaxed. It was just Kushina. He let her slapped his head along with Obito's. "Guys, if you want to pick a fight, get out of my kitchen!"

He groaned, rubbing the painful part of his head. He began to regret his decision letting her assault his dear head. The redhead really lived up to her moniker, to his pride and misery. "Don't be mean, Kushina-san!" he whined, but threw her a grateful smile for inviting him to the table.

Hikaru was seated between Rin and Minato. Before Kushina, who seemed eager to befriend him could take the empty seat beside Hikaru, Minato flashed there and sat down, claiming that he wished to know about Hikaru more. That paranoid bastard. Kushina gagged Minato with an ear-murdering lecture, but grudgingly let her chance to socialize waste away. The redhead introduced him to the cute little genin and chuunin before they dug into their food.

From his peripheral view, he watched Obito's goggle cackling opened, and the raven rubbed his eyes furiously. He was shedding tears, Hikaru realized.

For the first time, he didn't see a parents' murderer. A bitter man wallowing in self-pity who killed people in cold blood. He saw a kid, barely a teenager struggling through war-torn childhood. A child who couldn't even kill a fly without reasons.

Shame.

It was stupid of him, expecting someone to come out of his mother's womb with the knack for massacring people. Hell, Obito had yet done anything stupid. What he had done to Obito kid was, he noticed uncomfortably, the same thing with that of the villagers, seeing someone for who he wasn't. He was so stupid that he would let Obito drown him in a river. Not that he would tell that Uchiha.

The question was, did he bother changing the kid? He wasn't God. He was no more than the spectacle of replaying history. Didn't he himself think that it was reckless of him, changing things? Even as an adult, Hikaru had the difficulty not to save everyone by himself. Itachi once commented it. But…

His musing was interrupted by the sound of someone slurping Kushina's favorite food, ramen. If anyone ask, her definition of special dinner was ramen, ramen, and ramen. He turned to meet Obito's eyes behind the lenses, metaphorical flame burnt bright in them.

He by now literally inhaled his food, somehow managing never stain the table sheet with even a tint of soup. Obito took this as a challenge, followed his action. Kakashi just stared with a mixture of awe and disgust as bowl to bowl of ramen disappeared into the bottomless stomachs. Hikaru noticed the hypnotized onyx eye on him, dragging the stoic boy into this little competition. Rin couldn't believe when the taunts 'coward pretty boy' and 'scared of risking exposing your girly face' immediately set the game on. Hey, who say that teenager-like Kakashi wasn't cool, too?

"Hey, Obito-kun," Hikaru called, mouth full of food Rin cringed at. Not Kushina, because she to ramen always do the same. Not Minato, because he needed to use to the manner if he didn't want to starve to die.

The said raven fixed him a glare. "What?"

"You see… I'm a Ninjutsu master," Kakashi stopped chewing, silently eavesdropping the exchange. He had always wanted to be one like Hikaru claimed to be, away from his father's shadow. If the White Fang was well-known for his kenjutsu, then he would be renowned for ninjutsu mastery. He even had the basic concept of his first original jutsu. Just a little bit changes here and there, he thought, and the assassination jutsu would be complete. Perhaps Hikaru could help him. His sense of fashion and manners was quite debatable. But weren't the strongest nin the most eccentric among all? Jiraiya of the sannin, the author of Make Out Series was the living epitome of that. "Uchiha usually has fire affinity, right? How about me teaching you a very cool fire element jutsu?"

Obito's eyes twinkled like the star and the moon, all previous grudges were forgotten. But he had the decency to throw questioning eyes to his sensei, asking for approval.

"That's very nice of you, Uzu-san," Minato put his spoon down. The sight was very domestic Hikaru wanted to burst into tears. His dad and mom were in the same room with him! "May I know the name of the jutsu?" 'no, thank you. I would do fine without your interference.'

A small frown reached his features. Hikaru didn't know what he had done wrong (except thinking of ending the life of Minato's student. It didn't count, he hadn't applied it real world yet), his father seemed to treat him like a ticking time bomb. He had to change it somehow."Don't worry, it's my original defensive B-ranked ninjutsu. Challenging and useful to learn!"

"Really? Really? What does it do? Fry a whole forest? Burn an entire squadron of nin to ash? Come on!" Obito swallowed his remained food like cows did their grass, eager to start their training.

"I think Uzu-san said it is a defensive jutsu," Kakashi piped in.

"I know!"

"No, you don't. As a shinobi, you should be ashamed of your inattentiveness. You might as well cause injury to death of your comrades by it."

Hikaru eyed little Kakashi strangely, finding it hard to connect this rule-freak, aloof preteen with that nonchalant sensei with devil-may-care attitude he was accustomed to. One trait they mutually shared though, was their tendencies to speak of sensitive topics as if talking about dinner over a cup of sake. Oh, and the mask, too. It was then the realisation hit him: Kakashi was envious of Obito. Kakashi Hatake, the nin of thousands jutsu was jealous of his teammate due to a childish want to learn a jutsu! The childishness level was too high he never thought of the possibility before. Childishness and Kakashi just didn't sound right in the same sentence. When he got back, Kakashi would never hear the end of it.

Ah, the luxury of blackmailing.

"Kakashi, if you really want to learn a jutsu too, you just need to ask, you know," he said, with great effort to manage a blank face.

The Cyclops blushed beet red, "I—" he was cut by Hikaru ruffling his hair, making his blush a shade deeper. But he didn't slap the hand off. He never noticed Rin snickered in the background while Obito looked perplexed. It needed talent to tear through that annoying façade of the Hatake. And Hikaru just did it with ease!

"All right, brats!" Obito pouted, "Tomorrow we're gonna receive the training of the hell!"

Minato sipped from his cup. "I think you need to delay your training of the hell, as how you put it," he said, placidly killed the joy of two preteens.

"Eehh…? Why? I need to get stronger soon!" Obito hopped onto his feet. "Like this! Or this!" he punched imaginary Iwa nin, empathized his point. Weirdly, all the imaginary enemies were Kakashi's way. While Kakashi just sat, frown marred his visible features. It wasn't everyday a ninjutsu master popped and declared he or she was going to teach them original jutsu.

"Sorry, Kakashi, Obito. Uzu-san here –" Hikaru protested how Minato made him sound old, "Hikaru-san is going to have a psychology check to get a clearance for active duty. How about another five days?"

A loud bang saved Minato from explaining a page worth of lecture about why Hikaru Uzu, the self-proclaimed ninjutsu master couldn't beat their asses to ground by the morrow. Obito yelped, fell onto the floor, while the other just looked mildly curious. Whatever it was, it broke a pandemonium on the dining table, that undoubtly had seen better days. Plates, spoon, chopsticks fell onto the ground with a clanking, to Kushina's wrath. Hikaru and Minato glanced at Kushina, who looked ready to kill someone, preferably on a dining table.

"Ouch," it groaned, stroking its disarrayed raven hair. Never noticing the growing killing intent from Kushina, it clumsily landed on the floor. "Minato-sama! I finally graduated from the academy. What do you say? Shunshin no jutsu is cool!"

Obito looked hysteric, pointing at the intruder. "Shisui! What are you doing here?"

"Obito-san," Shisui acknowledged mildly, shifting from mad boy mode to 'all-prodigy-style' in a blink of eye. The Uchiha prodigy and Obito weren't a close friend, after all. "My presence here is to inform your sensei," he spat the word 'your sensei' as if just swallowed a whole lemon, "about my academy graduation this morning."

"No, I mean…"

A creepy smiled Kushina approached the Uchiha prodigy slowly, who suddenly feeling like a cornered mouse. That moment, a shriek echoed in the entire village, babies cried, and men shivered. A few pummeling and broken walls later, the dining table was no more than pieces of woods, while Shisui nursed a broken nose and moaned what suspiciously sounded like 'violent girlfriend' and 'miserable life'. Kushina hummed cheerfully, picking up the plates and spoons and wasted food to the kitchen.

The flowing water down the sinking was heard not long after, to everyone's relief. Shisui glanced at Minato sheepishly, gave him an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Minato-sama. I didn't know I'll land on your dining table. My Shunshin no jutsu is still faulty. What can I do for you to pay your broken table?"

"Don't worry about it, Shisui-kun. It's no one's fault," Minato assured the boy, who didn't look assured at all. "That's a very impressive display of Shunshi no jutsu, by the way," Shisui blushed at the compliment, thanking Minato over and over. Hikaru wondered what kind of relationship they had, and what had Minato done to get Shisui no Shunshin's boyish idolization. He often heard the name from Itachi, but seeing the real one was different. He just knew that famed Uchiha was literally a slave to Minato. He dared to bet the Shodai's necklace, if Minato asked the boy to strip down to his birthday suit, running through Konoha's main street singing 'Aloha Oe', Shisui would more than happy to obey.

No wonder Shisui was that loyal to Konoha.

"It's nothing. My sensei was so lazy that he taught us the jutsu, in hope, he wouldn't need to walk us home," Shisui mouthed 'Nara', to Hikaru's amusement.

"Typical Nara," Hikaru commented. At the 'well-well-well' look on Minato's face, he blinked. "What? Nara's laziness is quite infamous out there, you know."

The pummeled boy faced him for the first time; eyes analytically assessed Hikaru as if he was a bacterium under a microscope. "Hey, are you Minato-sama's sibling? Twin? Clone? Kagebunshin? Coincidence? It's cool! No, no. Who are you?"

The curious onyx eyes never left him he had to fight the urge to look away. There was a kind of intensity in them, burning. If Shisui had activated his Sharingan, he'd have interpreted the knowing look as 'ALERT, YOU'RE CAUGHT RED HANDED.' "It's Hikaru Uzu. And no, I have no blood relation with Minato."

Shisui tilted his head in a manner sooo similar with Sasuke's. "Really? That's cool! Natural blond hair is rare, you know? At least in Konoha," his face crunched into one full of confusion. "But you're lying."

Lying about what? His name? His blood relation?

Minato, who had been eavesdropping, said. "What do you mean—"

"Pudding time, everyone!" Kushina's cheerful announcement interrupted whatever Minato was about to say. "Put your silly asses on the chairs now else I'll make you! You too, Shisui!"

Kushina and Obito's laughter chorused as the night drew nearer. Rin giggled to herself while Kakashi's lips twitched from behind his mask, which was equivalent to a mad laughter to normal people. And Shisui just silently ate his chocolate pudding, observing the way they interacted. Hikaru blithely chastised his exaggerated story of his first time meeting Minato in the wood, while Minato occasionally adding some missing points here and there.

"So," Kushina managed to say between her laughter, clutching her hurting stomach as if her life was clinging on it, "You thought Minato was your father because of the eerie resemblances? That's hilarious!" and she broke into a braid of laughter once more. "Minato, daddy! That's unheard of. I like you already, Hikaru-kun!"

"Minato-sensei, that's very coward of you! Taking advantage of Hikaru when he reminisce his late-father! Sorry, Hikaru, no offense."

"Wasn't that Hikaru-san's fault? Letting emotion getting in the way was dangerous. Not obeying the rule was a fallacy, I told you."

"Kakashi! Didn't you have compassion at all?"

"Quit it boys! Talking about Hikaru-san's past in front of him is rude. You need to apologize."

"Sorry, Hikaru! I didn't mean to! Here, ice cream?"

Hikaru just grinned, a warm feeling spread through his chest. His mother was so beautiful, with the waist long red hair and contagious smile, albeit a bit tomboyish. He stared at her, trying to memorize every single feature on the face. He could stay right there forever if possible. Even Minato looked quite relaxed, if we 'forget' the wary glances he occasionally casted Hikaru's way.

'We'll talk about THAT later', the azure eyes said.

When they went respective homes, all he remembered were his mother's smile and his promise to the brats.

Perhaps things weren't that bad, after all.

Now… what should he say to Minato?

A/n: Uh, I'm sorry if Kushina has a rather bitchy reaction over the wasted food. Remember, she is a refugee from a broken country. Unlike the clan brats, she of course knew the devastation called 'famishing'.

Ps: Before you ask, Minato who felt that Hikaru 'doesn't have malicious intent' and Minato who thought Hikaru 'is dangerous wild card' ARE different. As a logic person, Minato tends to follow his brain rather than his heart. Proof is, he sealed a demon into his own son. Did he like it? Proud of his achievement? Nope.

Well, or so I think.

All right, a nice afternoon all!

Ja ne!