Chapter Text
Minato looked at his son who was from the future. He looked at his student who was from the future. He looked at their looped arms. Something was simply not adding up here.
"This may be the weirdest thing I've ever seen in my entire life." Inoichi Yamanaka admitted with far too much honesty, gaze flitting between the unusual pair. Minato would drink to that.
Kakashi looked completely casual and content to be there, one hand stuffed leisurely in his pocket and his other arm hooked with Naruto's only remaining one. The blonde young man had been extremely excited by the prospect of getting this whole interrogation thing over with, all but skipping off towards T&I. With his sensei in tow, of course!
Minato still wasn't entirely convinced this wasn't a dream of some kind. This Kakashi simply did not align with the one he knew. This one was foreign in concept and demeanor, a lax contrast to his young, uptight student. How had he come to be this? How had he grown so close to Naruto?
Maybe Minato wasn't meant to understand. It was entirely possible that he never would. The world they came from... he wasn't a part of it, and he hopefully never would be. All they had now was forward. Whatever they'd gone through? Whatever they'd lost? That belonged to them and them alone, and Minato supposed it would be somewhat foolish of him to try and fully wrap his head around it.
"We just need to confirm the validity of their statements. We don't believe they're lying, of course. But... well, it's better safe than sorry." Hiruzen gave a placating smile as he said this. "They've consented to a full interrogation."
Inoichi stared at him in total bewilderment. Didn't believe they were lying? Of course they had to be lying! What the actual fuck?
"I didn't. Never did that. Do you remember me consenting to that? Because I don't remember consenting to that." Kurama noted, furry brows raised. Naruto pointedly ignored him, deciding for sure that he was a stupid fucking idiot that didn't need to be listened to. "What the fuck? Where is this hostility coming from? What have I ever done to you? Wait, don't answer that. Besides, it's pretty obvious I'm not the absolute, utter moron in this situation. At least I managed to keep both my arms, but you couldn't even do that."
Yeah, whatever. At least Naruto could function with one arm. Kurama would probably just flail around stupidly and have to ask for (ie: violently demand) help with everything. Because he's a self-entitled rat who doesn't know how to do anything but insult other people to make himself feel better.
Naruto's been playing this game for years, though. The stuff Kurama threw at him wasn't half as bad as what the villagers used to shout his way back when he was growing up. His skin was hard as steel. He was pretty sure he lacked the ability to be offended by traditional insults anymore, unless he chose to out of petty spite.
"Your existence is the saddest thing I think I've ever seen in my entire life." Kurama said, tone full of fake pity. "And I've lived a lot longer than you."
"So you admit you're old, then." Naruto beamed smugly, satisfaction curling in the pit of his stomach. Inoichi gave him a semi-blank look, brow furrowed with the slightest smudge of confusion. "Ignore that! I'm just talking to the disembodied voice inside my head."
The only one who didn't look at least a little bewildered by his talking to himself was Kakashi, who simply smiled at him and pushed a blonde spike away from his forehead. Naruto grinned back fondly, eyes flickering back to their soon-to-be interrogator. It was so strange to see him this young, echoes of Ino in his face and demeanor starker than ever.
"I have a body." Kurama said, sounding way, way too offended. True, but did he deserve one? Hint: the answer is absolutely not, no, of course he fucking doesn't. "Um. Okay. Thought you respected my autonomy as a living, physical being, but I can see now that such assumptions were wishful thinking. Clearly you're too horrible a person to be an activist for poor, agonized, extremely powerful and good looking, starving, bored, trapped--"
"Not trapped." Naruto coughed. Inoichi's brows furrowed even more. He turned to Hiruzen with a look that screamed something along the lines of: 'Are you sure they're not just batshit insane? Because they seem batshit insane.'
Honestly... valid theory after all they'd gone through, but we're going to ignore that.
Minato cleared his throat a little awkwardly, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. His eyes, which were screaming. Crying out for help, really. He had no idea how to cope with the situation. That was okay. He didn't need to! Naruto was doing enough coping for the whole lot of them, and Kakashi-sensei clearly was too if his calm demeanor was anything to go off of.
"--beings such as myself. They called you a hero, but you're not, are you? You're jaded, biased, and cruel." Kurama sniffed haughtily, ignoring the interruptions entirely. Naruto's never heard anyone more pompous. "Oh, but I'm not an 'anyone' am I? You see me as nothing more than a rock on the side of the road. You're lucky I have mercy on you, puny mortal. It's not a surprise your pathetic shell can hardly contain my prestige."
"Hardly contain-- my arm didn't just pop off, you overgrown piece of moldy cheese! It got ripped off! Ripped! Cut! Against my will!" Naruto gasped, indignant. Minato cleared his throat again, louder this time. Hizuren looked very concerned. "You had nothing to do with it. And even if you had, that would just be sad. Practically self mutilation, since you're in here too. Besides--"
Naruto was cut off when Kakashi drew his arm away from where it had been looped with his, instead bringing a hand to rest on his shoulder and give it a squeeze. His one visible eye crinkled in a smile.
Naruto's mouth snapped shut, a frown prominent on his face. Kurama began to cackle (annoyingly) in the back of his head. Because he's jealous and knows he'll never have the genuine love and companionship that Naruto shares with Kakashi-sensei, obviously. Fucking loser. Sucks to suck.
Still, Naruto let himself relax a little. Maybe he was a little jittery. And maybe him being a little jittery meant he was much more willing to antagonize Kurama, who happened to be very antagonizable. He just didn't like people rooting around in his head, that was all. Did anyone?
Not that Yamanaka-san was going to find much aside from Kurama's ugly, snarling mug telling him to get the fuck out. Actually, was that going to be a problem? How were they going to verify they were from the future if Kurama ate their interrogators uh... brain. Mind. Consciousness? That sounded right.
"...Right. Kakashi Hatake and Naruto... Uzumaki, you said?" Inoichi forced a smile, but his eyes remained wide and practically blared 'this kid is fucking crazy, I don't want anything to do with him, please let me take the day off early.' No one answered his nonverbal pleas for help. "You said you have... voices in your head?"
"One voice. It's nothing you need to worry about. I assure you that he isn't crazy." Kakashi interjected smoothly before Naruto could. The blonde beamed and gave an enthusiastic nod. "I suggest you start with searching my mind, however. I think you'll have much better luck."
Minato shivered slightly, observing the older version of his student. Truly, this is about as far from Kakashi as you could get, not at all how Minato had assumed the boy would turn out. A sticker for the rules and a loner to boot, he'd always imagined Kakashi with a more Uchiha-like disposition.
Always seeking to improve himself, working himself to the bone in ANBU or another branch of Konoha's military. To find out he'd become a teacher that gave easy smiles and was fiercely protective over Minato's son was... something. Minato wasn't sure what exactly, but it was definitely something.
"I agree." Hiruzen bobbed his head. Inoichi eyed Naruto suspiciously, like he was a bomb about to go off. "Naruto has a special circumstance. We're not sure how it will affect a traditional interrogation, or if it's even safe for you to enter his mind. We'll decide once we gather the validity of Kakashi's memories. Their case is extremely sensitive. I'm sure you understand that this cannot get out under any circumstances, correct? Though I suspect many will theorize due to Kakashi's appearance and Naruto's resemblance to Minato, we'd rather not give out any solid facts."
"It'll be safer for them this way. If word got out that I had some sort of son, from the future or not..." Minato made a pained sort of face at the mere thought. Naruto snorted slightly, swallowing the noise halfway through and averting his gaze from Minato when he narrowed his eyes at him. Kakashi gave a pleasant smile, an amused crinkle in his one visible eye. Not suspicious at all. "...Right. Anyway, subtlety would appreciated. They'll be staying with me following, so long as this all pans out. I trust that you can keep this all to yourself? No hard paper copies?"
Inoichi dipped his head in affirmation. Kakashi watched him with a cool gaze, arm snaking around Naruto's shoulder's as they were led back. The T&I Building was old and impersonal. Kakashi had never been much of a fan. Naruto didn't seem big on it either, his eyes darting about and cataloguing everything despite the continued grin on his face.
He was smarter than anyone gave him credit for. Kakashi hadn't realized at first, but now it was impossible not to see how he analyzed everything around him. Kakashi wondered idly if he'd always been this way, observant and with eyes sharp enough to cut, or if it was something born out of necessity in the midst of the war. There was no telling.
The masked nin ignored the searing stare of his former sensei on his back as Inoichi let them into one of the interrogation rooms. Naruto bounced over to the chair that was bolted to the ground, taking station behind it with a blinding smile. Kakashi gave a grin of his own, slipping down into it with a slouch.
Naruto immediately slung an arm over his shoulder, chin coming to rest in his hair. Kakashi let his chakra quell, ease falling over him. This would be unpleasant, but not impossible.
Inoichi glanced between the two of them with raised brows and a certain glint in his eyes. Kakashi crossed his arms over his chest, watching the blonde man wander over to the one-way glass so he could mutter something to those listening on the other side. His ears prickled to pick the words up but he couldn't quite make them out.
Naruto didn't appear to catch them either, his head tilting left slightly. Question. Kakashi shrugged lightly in response, unconcerned. If they needed to get out of here... well, they would. Easy as that.
"This is a nice bonding experience, isn't it, Sensei?" Naruto asked, sounding too cheerful for the drab surroundings. Kakashi gave a huff of a laugh. "When was the last thing we did anything adventurous together?"
"You getting your arm cut off was pretty out there, I thought. I think my body almost killed me with an adrenaline overdose." Kakashi noted mildly. Inoichi spun around to give them an astonished look. "And of course there's still the time travel."
"Right, there is that." Naruto agreed. Inoichi looked like he didn't want to approach them, paling slightly as Naruto grinned at him. "I mean, is this really any weirder than Madara coming back from the dead, though?"
There's a moment of silence, and then--
"Who?"
~~~~
The first thing Inoichi does upon exiting Kakashi's mind is turn to the side and throw up.
Naruto's face immediately scrunches up, and he leans back slightly as the sick splatters on the ground. Kakashi blinks back into awareness with that pleasant, unwavering smile of his, eye crinkling with some sort of dry amusement as Inoichi stumbled back with heaving breaths. His limbs were quaking violently, his face ashen and pupils shrunk down to pinpricks.
Minato burst into the room with Hiruzen at his side, the both of them clearly panicked by this visceral reaction. Kakashi held his hands up in lazy surrender, making no moves to rise from the chair he was seated in. Naruto remained hovering behind his sensei, chin still propped in his hair.
"Maa, sorry about that." Kakashi hummed, not sounding apologetic in the slightest. Naruto swatted him slightly. Kakashi batted at his hand absentmindedly. "I wanted to be convincing."
Naruto made a face, one scarily similar to the one Minato was making right now. Hiruzen gently patted Inoichi on the back as the man gagged, wiping at the cold sweat that had begun to bead his brow. The Yamanaka looked up, frazzled.
The tension in the air was so thick it was nearly a tangible, physical thing. Hiruzen grimaced grimly, and Minato frowned, turning to look at the older version of his student with searching eyes. Naruto's fingers tapped idly.
"...That was so gross." Kurama whispered in the silence, audible to only Naruto. The blonde scrunched his nose in agreement.
"Holy shit." Inoichi choked out, shaking his head. He steadied himself half on the wall and half using Hiruzen's shoulder, something he normally wouldn't dare do to their kage, and certainly not in a setting meant to be professional such as this. "H-Holy shit, they're from the future. And Madara comes back to life. Madara Uchiha!"
He sounded hysterical as he said it, which was probably justified. It was a pretty hysterical thing when you thought about it. Dead people coming to life was already sort of fucked, but Madara himself? Yeah, Naruto had been there, done that, lost the arm. It had sucked actual monkey balls.
"That wasn't a joke?" Minato asked, distinctly flabbergasted. Naruto made a noise of discontent.
"Dude, who the hell would joke about something like that?" Naruto asked rhetorically before he was making yet another (obnoxious, in Kurama's opinion) sound, reaching up to tug at his sensei's ear. "Sensei, sensei! Did you show him the moon lady? And Zetsu?"
Inoichi made another burbling gagging sound, clutching his stomach and turning away, other hand releasing its death-grip on the Hokage's shoulder to fly up to his mouth. Naruto was going to take that as a resounding yes. The Zetsu were pretty gross. All of it sort of was. Especially all the dismemberment.
Was it bad that he was desensitized to it at this point? Maybe. Or maybe it was good, because that at least meant it wasn't going to bother him nearly as much. Sure, he had his fair share of nightmares here and again, but that's what Kakashi-sensei was for!
"Of course I did." Kakashi reached up blindly to pat at Naruto's cheek, hand lingering long enough for the blonde to nuzzle in. The warmth of skin sang of life, and he felt the itch under his skin calm. "And the ten tails."
Minato mouthed the words ten tails to himself in muted horror. Hiruzen was beginning to look a little green himself but was holding it together relatively well, even if they could all see the way his mind was racing. Kakashi leaned back into the heat of Naruto at his back, finding that he didn't care about much else.
"Ten tails was a poser." Kurama butts in. "Total poser. Not one of us. Complete loser. I'm way cooler than--"
"It was sort of cool." Naruto argued just for the sake of it. Kakashi snorted. "Like, I wasn't personally a fan, but it was kinda awesome. From an outside perspective. Prejudices aside."
Kurama's moment of silence was deafening. Naruto braced for the explosion after. Minato's head whipped between his future son and Inoichi, who was still hunched over trying to collect himself as Hiruzen rubbed his back, clearly having no idea what the hell was going on or what to do about it. Did any of them?
They weren't lying. But Minato didn't know how to feel about that, if he should feel anything at all. The crushing realization that this is all real, that this is truly happening, crashes into him full force. It's not that he hadn't believed them before, it's just that--
That this confirms it. All of it. And with his future son missing an arm, with them saying everyone is dead... how is he supposed to feel about that?
"Prejudices asi-- it had one eye, you little runt!" Kurama shrieked in absolute outrage, sounding wronged and slighted in every sense of the words. "One! And its mouth was fucked too. Did you see that thing's teeth? Of course you fucking did, it fucking ate us once! You're a fucking moron, you moronic, puny, pathetic--"
Naruto tuned him out. He leaned into Kakashi instead, whose hair still smelt of hospital and ash. He wondered how long the smell of smoke would cling to their skin. He wondered if, in some twisted way, he'd miss it when it was gone. It had become an almost integral part of them in a way.
They've fallen out of one war and into another, but Naruto thinks this one is kinder somehow. He hadn't thought wars could be kind at all before everything started to fall. Perhaps they can't be, and some are just crueler than others. Naruto still knows that he prefers what's to come rather than what they left behind, not for the ease of the fight but for the ease of the life they will now get to lead.
Naruto had sort of... well. He'd resigned himself to never being able to settle. With Kakashi he made a home, one that was constantly on the run, yes, but one that was at least alive. He found peace in a place none should have existed, and he would forever hold onto that. But now... now they could rest. Or at least, he hoped they could rest.
If anyone deserved to rest, it was Kakashi-sensei. Naruto wanted that for him so bad. He wanted to see the tension truly seep from the man's shoulders, wanted him to be able to sleep in one place for more than a week, wanted him to just... have anything and everything he needed. Everything he wanted.
"Do you need to enter Naruto's mind, then?" Kakashi drawls, head cocking.
Inoichi's eyes, clenched shut against his nausea, fly open. He meets Kakashi's lone eye with his own pale ones. There's panic there, grief and horror at what Kakashi had deemed to show him. Kakashi's lips curled behind his mask, daring him to say yes. Daring him to attempt entering Naruto's mindscape.
The message was clear. Kakashi did not want anyone getting near Naruto if they did not have to. He did not want anyone invading him, anyone making him uncomfortable, even if he was kind enough to comply and agree. If they wanted truth, then fine. But they could get it from him, could make him relive it.
But not Naruto. No, never Naruto. If Kakashi had any say in it, Naruto would never have to relive those moments again, and certainly not willingly.
Inoichi turned and threw up again. It was answer enough.
~~~
If there was any question about Naruto's relation to Kushina, it's gone now.
The after of the 'interrogation' is awkward. A few more questions, a promise to revisit future events at a later date when they've settled in, and suddenly Minato is strolling out of T&I with two new responsibilities he has no idea how to deal with. His son, who had almost died and is now missing an arm, impaired for life, and the future version of a student he can't even begin to understand.
He'd thought his own Kakashi was complicated. This one is impossible to read. Polite, strangely lax, but with a rocky outer layer full of sharp edges that threatened to slice if Minato tried to get too close. He hovered at Naruto's back like a protective specter, daring anyone to try... well, what, Minato wasn't sure.
After confirming the Kyuubi (Kurama! His name is Kurama, and I swear he's chill! Promise! I swear on my Gama-chan wallet!) wasn't a threat for the time being, they'd been released. There was still so much they didn't know about these two new visitors. All they had to go off of was good faith and Kakashi's identity, and the idea that Minato's son surely wouldn't do anything to harm the village.
Minato wants to open his mouth and say something. Take them to his apartment so they could set up there, maybe sleep it off. Minato doesn't get the chance to formulate much of anything before Kakashi is linking arms with Naruto again and steering them into the streets, leaving Minato to scurry to keep up with them.
"Where are we going?" Minato had asked. Kakashi had spared him a glance, which is more than he'd expected from the guarded man whose focus seemed to lie singularly on Naruto.
Kakashi had turned back to Minato's son then and his gaze had done the same thing it did anytime he looked at the young man: it had melted. Warmth had flooded in, bringing something human to Kakashi's carefully constructed front. Naruto was a crack in his shell, one he could not control.
"Now," Kakashi hummed, eye curving with a smile, "we go get ramen."
And get ramen they did.
If he thought Kushina could eat? Naruto was a beast. He'd immediately burst into tears upon the first bowl being set in front of him, and said bowl had promptly emptied in record time. Kakashi had barely touched his own, propping his chin on his hand instead to watch Naruto go to time instead, seeming content enough to see him enjoying it.
Naruto had hugged him after his first few bites. Had dropped his chopsticks and nearly tackled Kakashi off his stool, babbling incoherently about broth and noodles and how good it was. Minato had felt himself soften at the sight, a dull ache thrumming in his chest. It really put things into perspective. How much did Minato take for granted?
Losing a limb hadn't seemed to slow the young man down in the slightest. He was a ball of energy, talking a mile a minute between bowls and bites, eyes alight with vigor and shine. Minato could see himself in them, could see Kushina in the curving of his lips and the shape of his face. It was so strange to witness himself and his fiancée so vividly in another person, one he didn't know.
"Is he always like this?" Minato asked, a little awed in all honesty. Kakashi let out a fond puff of air, head tilting, gaze never straying.
"Yes." Kakashi hummed airily, distant. "It's a little disgusting, honestly."
Naruto turned to him with wide eyes, noodles hanging out of his mouth, betrayal painted in his expression. Kakashi laughed and leaned away from the foot lashed out in his direction.
Their easy companionship made Minato smile. Strange as them being here was, and odd as their dynamic seemed, he was glad they had one another. Naruto had been so devastated when he arrived, and Kakashi had torn through layers upon layers of Konoha ninja despite his injuries and lack of chakra.
Kakashi seemed unwilling to talk. Unless they were talking about Naruto, that is. Other than that, Minato just got faint hums that could really mean anything depending on how you interpreted them. It was a vast change from the curt, polite, precise replies he got from his student.
Maybe he needed to separate the two in his mind. This was Kakashi, but not the one he knew. His Kakashi would never get the chance to turn into this. Maybe to some degree, but this version of the man, completely and totally? It wasn't feasible.
"I've only got one guest room, but I'm assuming you'd want to share anyway. At least at first." Minato's not sure why he feels self-conscious showing them his apartment. It's not much but it's home, and technically speaking, he supposes Kakashi's already seen it. "I'll pull out the spare futon until we can get another bed."
Naruto looks around in seeming awe of everything. Minato feels a pang in the face of his wonder. If he died when Naruto was younger, this may be the most he's ever gotten of Minato. Though, Kakashi did seem lax enough to tell stories now, to share memories.
"Why do we need another bed?" Naruto asks distractedly. Minato paused, eyes dropping to where his son's fingers were laced with Kakashi's. He'd been swinging their clasped hands the whole way home.
"I, uh..." Minato squinted, trying to figure out what he could and couldn't say without misstepping. His eyes darted between them. "Well, isn't it--"
"We'll share." Kakashi cuts in smoothly. Minato turns and finds that single, dark eye trained on him with eerie focus. With warning. Kakashi's grip on Naruto's hand visibly tightens. "It's not an issue, sensei."
The way sensei rolls of his tongue sounds wrong. Less like a title of respect and more like a warning. Minato takes it for what it is and steps back with a smile.
"Of course." He says, like it's normal, the most natural thing in the world. Naruto beams, unaware of the tension building in the air. Minato is beginning to think maybe agreeing to house them was a bad idea. Naruto alone, sure, but Kakashi too? "My fiancée-- she's not home right now, but I can introduce you to her later once you've rested. Though, I'm pretty sure you already know her... I'm sure you're both exhausted."
Kakashi feels dangerous. Like a sleeping dragon, one Minato keeps tripping over the tail of. Do it enough times, and that dragon is going to wake up and roast him alive.
Kakashi's sharp look fades, attention drawn by something else. Minato can see the way he straightens from his perpetual slouch, focus back on Naruto. The one armed blonde yawns tellingly, giving a sheepish grin.
"Kurama's already snoring." He admits, and if that isn't a strange concept, Minato's not sure what is. Naruto's eyes flick to him, a mirror of blue. He gives Kushina's grin, the softer one, one that is genuine and kind. "Thank you for letting us stay here, dad. It-- It really means a lot. I promise we'll do our best not to cause trouble, believe it!"
Kakashi nods his agreement, though Minato gets the sense that it's more because he would do anything Naruto told him to and not for any reason else. At least that's reassuring. If Kakashi goes off the rails and tries to kill Minato for any reason, Naruto would probably stop him... probably.
The title 'dad' zings down his spine, offsetting his unease effective. It rattles around in his ribcage, and sunshine blooms without Minato meaning it to. He grins back, unable to help himself. There are a lot of strange things in the world, but this is his son. A version of what will be, one he gets the privilege of meeting and knowing. How many parents get that?
"Of course, Naruto." He says with sincerity, forcing himself to settle. It will all work out. These-- these are not bad people, aren't enemies. This is Kakashi Hatake and Naruto Uzumaki. This is just new, that's all. "You guys sleep well. Come find me if you need anything, and don't go running off, alright? I have a to keep an eye on you."
He says it jokingly, but he means every word. Naruto beams back anyway, lightly tugging Kakashi into the room. Minato watches the blonde release his teacher's hand so he can belly flop onto the bed, limbs spread like a starfish, face buried in the sheets. He whoops when he lands, bouncing slightly before he's rolling over to one side with all the joy in the world in his expression.
It's saddening to Minato that a mattress is all it takes. That such a simple thing is such a large joy, a clear novelty.
He meets Kakashi's gaze again. The man is staring at him contemplatively, one hand already on the doorknob as Naruto burrows under the covers. He cocks his head not unlike a dogs, open in a way Minato's Kakashi isn't and closed in more ways than he ever has been.
"Thank you." Kakashi says after a beat, voice a little quieter and rounder at the edges. "For letting us stay here. And for protecting him until I could get here."
Minato can tell he means it, and it feels something like a start.