9

Chapter 9: i guess i'll be sticking with you

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Minato thinks he might be on his way to setting some sort of record for the most nervous breakdowns one can narrowly avoid in the span of five days. 

Kushina, of course, thinks it's all too amusing. 

He might've been inclined to agree with her if something like this was happening to any other person. It's all so unbelievably like something out of a civilian soap opera that it has got to be prime entertainment for everyone that isn't Namikaze Minato. Unfortunately, he is in fact Namikaze Minato, and this is his reality even if his brain still hasn't quite managed to wrap around this fact. 

It started roughly three or four months ago. Someone had been going around making waves in the more underground side of the shinobi scene, collecting bounties on several strong ninja in what had seemed like an insane beginning streak. They displayed impressive proficiency with wind releases but also had been noted to be able to use water, earth and fire releases with varying measures of skill. Some rumours mentioned seals as well, but nobody knew whether to believe those or not. Fuuinjutsu takes years of dedicated study under another master and is a skill always waiting to be snatched up by one of the hidden villages; it's unlikely for a sealmaster to be bounty hunting. 

The reason this someone had immediately pinged on so many people's radars, however, was because of their looks. More specifically, for their resemblance to one Yellow Flash of Konoha. 

Minato hadn't exactly been pleased when at first people had thought that it was him running around the Elemental Nations and causing general mayhem. He has been quite busy in between frontline battles and trying to teach Team 7, thank you very much. He hardly needs more enemies he didn't even make out for his blood.

And then it is revealed that this lookalike troublemaker may or may not be Minato's relative, and Minato really doesn't know what to think about that. 

Two-thirds of the Sannin and Nara Shikaku are certainly convinced that this Raijin person is very likely a first or second generation relation to him. With the vote of confidence from people as accomplished and shrewd as these, Minato is leaning towards believing them, except that his brain keeps butting in with doubts because he knows that if it turns out that he and the Kogane no Arashi just happen to look similar without an ounce of shared blood between them, Minato is going to be crushed under the disappointment of almost having something he hasn't even dared to dream of only to have it ben taken away at the very last second. Minato knows he is strong—among the strongest even—but he doesn't think he could handle something like that. It'd be far too cruel, even for him.

Then as if that isn't enough fuel for mental anguish, Jiraiya sends the Hokage a toad with more news for Minato: Obito is alive. 

Apparently, while Minato has spent the past two weeks mourning with the certainty that it was his failure as a teacher and commander that got the boy killed, Obito has in fact been alive and held hostage somewhere in the Mountains' Graveyard. The only reason he has been saved and is now on his way to Konoha? Minato's maybe-relative. 

According to Jiraiya's brief message, Raijin had approached him with a deal in exchange for Jiraiya's assistance in rescuing a young Konoha shinobi that he'd heard was being held in the abandoned mines of the Mountains' Graveyard. While Raijin had known it was an Uchiha, he had no clue who Uchiha Obito actually is—he'd just wanted to help a kid in need when he was the only one in position to do so. 

The three of them are due to arrive any day now, and Minato has spent the days since Jiraiya's heads up worrying himself sick. He's concerned about Obito's wellbeing—mental and physical. Being held hostage is no easy thing to recover from for jounin even and that's when it doesn't near-death experiences or career ending injuries. He doesn't know what exactly he's going to need to do to help Obito recover from this, but he doesn't care about what it's going to take. Minato refuses to fail his student again. 

He's also worried about Kakashi and Rin. They'd been informed of the situation and all of Team 7 had had to sit for a while to just soak in the news. Minato had then had to physically restrain Kakashi from dropping everything and running out to intercept Obito and escort him back to Konoha himself. It's the liveliest Kakashi has been since Kannabi Bridge, which is understandable, but Minato worries about the codependency this might lead to developing between his students and how it is likely to affect all of them. He isn't quite sure how to deal with something like that either. 

And lastly, he's indescribably nervous about finally getting to meet the Kogane no Arashi. Minato keeps trying to tamp down on the hope that swells like a volcano ready to blow within him, but he's kind of failing on that front. He can practically taste the bitter longing on his tongue already, and feel its anxious buzzing in the tips of his fingertips. 

He doesn't want to risk hyping himself over it too much only to find out that there is really no relation to be had with this strange shinobi who he already owes so much to for saving his student. Or even worse, he doesn't know what he's going to do if it turns out that Raijin is in fact Minato's family but the younger man doesn't want anything to do with him. 

It's possible after all. Minato may have grown up in a shinobi village with a cause to devote himself to and a dream of belonging, but it isn't necessary that Raijin will be the same. From his understanding, the other boy has spent much of his life travelling. If he's anything like Jiraiya in that sense, it would mean that his tie to Minato probably wouldn't be enough for him to stick around in Konoha. Why would he choose to be bogged down in a strange village caught in a war for a strange shinobi when he could live on his own terms and be free to roam the continent as he pleases?

What could Minato possibly give to this young man that would compel him to stay for his sake?

What wouldn't Minato give to have a brother who'd stay just for him?

And then, before he knows it, it's too late to keep wondering about questions he has no answers to. 

The village is abuzz with the arrival of its newest visitors and Minato holds his breath as the whispers start about a young man at Konoha's gates who looks startlingly like the Yellow Flash. 

Raijin has finally made it to Konoha.

Hiruzen takes one step into the hospital building and smiles wryly at the chattering and hushed whispers. It's not as though activity ever ceases here when there are always sick and injured to tend to, but he knows he isn't just imagining the extra…zest in the air today. 

Shinobi can try to act stoic and emotionless all they like, but they're the worst when it comes to gossip. In a village of ninjas where secrets are the norm, the irony is that nothing ever stays hidden for long thanks to their profession and the inherent nosiness that comes with it. 

And, well, given how popular the target of current discussion is, it's no surprise at all. 

In fact, he'd even been counting on it. There's a reason Hiruzen is personally looking forward to potentially recruiting the Kogane no Arashi to their village. Sure, the boy has begun to cultivate an objectively admirable reputation for his age already, but Hiruzen is more concerned with the potential boost to morale and firepower that having another hard-hitting frontliner like Minato would bring to his forces. 

Under normal circumstances, it is unusual for one shinobi to catapult to such status of respect and fascination, especially when considering how young Minato really is. But at twenty-one, the young man is in his prime as a genius powerhouse of a shinobi. He is intelligent, well-spoken, handsome and strong. There is something to be said about someone with such strong charisma showing up just when people need someone to turn to.

Hiruzen can hardly be blamed for trying to capitalise on an opportunity to potentially add another such shinobi to his ranks. Perhaps if the Sannin had still been functioning as a unit, he wouldn't be quite so greedy, but with Tsunade's departure and Jiraiya and Orochimaru barely on speaking terms, it can't be helped. His students are still strong and their presence has its own effect on his other fighters, but Konoha could use another 'hero' to rally behind. Orochimaru isn't approachable enough and Jiraiya spends too much time away from the village for either of them to be such a figure on their own.

From what he has heard of Raijin, however, Hiruzen is tentatively hopeful that this boy could be what he's looking for. Jiraiya says Raijin is smart, adaptable, resourceful and charming in that way lively and ambitious young people tend to be. Hiruzen is always looking to get capable shinobi like that working under him. 

He resists the urge to start humming a song he'd heard Biwako singing in the kitchen early that morning, clasping his hands behind his back as he strolls through hospital corridors to where they are currently keeping Obito while he recovers from his near-death and subsequent kidnapping. 

The thought of that puts a damper on Hiruzen's previous good mood. To think, someone had not only acquired the Shodaime's cells and experimented with them in such a way, they had also gone on to then implant them into a Konoha shinobi for reasons to only be disclosed to him in person at Jiraiya's personal request. The medics have concluded that the cells are the only reason they're even expecting Obito to be able to make a full recovery but it is likely there might be some…unforeseen consequences. 

It isn't as though the reappearance of Mokuton would ever be a bad thing, but to have it be this way…that too in an Uchiha of all people. As if Hiruzen didn't have enough on his political plate with fighting a war. Suddenly feeling really very tired and old, Hiruzen sighs as he steps into Obito's ward. 

Immediately, his eyes are drawn to the young man at Jiraiya's side. He blinks. The resemblance is certainly undeniable. 

Jiraiya is giving him a knowing look when Hiruzen turns his attention back to his student. "It's good to see you again, sensei," he says, and it might be the wishful thinking of an old man, but Hiruzen thinks his student's eyes are warmer than they have been in a while. He wonders what had brought this new measure of lightness, however small it may be, to Jiraiya. 

"Indeed it is, Jiraiya-kun," he replies, earnest. Always earnest. He really does miss his team. Even more so now that it seems they have all drifted so apart and Hiruzen doesn't know quite when he let slip the ability to pull them back together. 

Time truly does pass by far too quickly. 

He turns to Obito who immediately jolts to attention under his gaze. "How are you feeling, Obito-kun?"

"Fine!" the boy blurts out. Then, realising that he is in a hospital bed because half of his body is recovering from being crushed, he amends, "I mean, not that fine, obviously. But I'm okay. Mostly. Kind of." Obito stops, mouth clicking shut audibly as he flashes a sheepish smile. "Thank you for asking?"

At least he isn't acting too out of character. 

"I'm glad to hear that, Obito-kun," Hiruzen says kindly. "We are very happy to have you back. Minato must be on his way now to see you as well." He turns back to the only stranger in the room. "And you must be Raijin-kun?"

The blond blinks. An odd, unreadable expression passes over his face and vanishes before Hiruzen can try to decipher it. "Yes." He dips into a shallow bow. Admittedly, it is a little inappropriate given Hiruzen's station, but he's hardly going to be a stickler about formalities on such an occasion. "It's nice to meet you, Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen nods. "The pleasure is all mine, Raijin-kun. Thank you for helping return one of our shinobi to us."

"Not at all." Raijin waves his hands. "I just did what anyone should have."

Rolling his eyes, Jiraiya delivers a harsh smack to Raijin's back. "Look at you getting all humble now, brat," he drawls, grinning when Raijin shoots him a vicious glare for the manhandling. "Doesn't suit you at all." Jiraiya's grin only widens as Raijin's glare becomes more incensed. 

Hiruzen watches in fond amusement. It's nice to see Jiraiya acting carefree again. For all his larger-than-life persona and general friendliness, Jiraiya still prefers to keep people at a distance and play at a mask of joviality rather than allow himself the joy of true bonds. Perhaps it stems from losing so much and then choosing such a solitary lifestyle unless Hiruzen demands his presence for missions and battles, but whatever the case, it is relieving to see that Jiraiya might have found another friend in this boy. At least enough for him to joke around with Raijin as he only does with Minato these days; as he used to do with his team before things went so wrong for them. 

"I could just judge for myself, Jiraiya-kun, if you'd make your report," Hiruzen interrupts smoothly when it looks like Raijin is seriously starting to consider stabbing Jiraiya, first impressions be damned. 

Jiraiya straightens at that, sobering up instantly. "That is a rather…sensitive subject, sensei," he admits, each word coming out too mindful, 

Hiruzen's eyebrows rise. 

Humming, Raijin casts a quick glance around the room. "You might like some privacy before you have that conversation," he says. "We did happen upon a secret of particular relevance to Konoha."

"This is with regards to Obito-kun's captor?" Hiruzen confirms, frowning when he receives nods in answer. "Very well then. Let us table this conversation until Obito-kun has recovered enough to recount the events for himself in the safety of my office."

Before anything else can be said to that, the door to the ward is being slid open once again, revealing a slightly out-of-breath Minato standing in the doorway. Hiruzen lifts a brow at the blond's dishevelled appearance. It's clear that Minato ran all the way over, perhaps as soon as he received word of his student's whereabouts. 

"Oh." Minato blinks, straightening as he registers all the other people in the room. His eyes widen ever so slightly, lingering where they have landed on Raijin. The younger boy stares back, his shoulders tensing and posture becoming deliberately still. Quietly, Minato repeats, "Oh."

"Indeed," Hiruzen says, breaking the fragile air in the room and grounding them once again. He can venture a guess to what Minato must be feeling now, but it'd do no good to have this conversation with the door open for the world to see. "Come on in, Minato-kun."

Minato straightens and does as instructed. "Right. Of course, Hokage-sama. My apologies." The door clicks shut behind him. The shock having dispersed for now, Minato immediately turns his attention to Obito, making a beeline for the boy. "Oh, Obito-kun."

"Hi, Minato-sensei," Obito greets, his eye suspiciously bright. "Boy am I happy to see you again."

A wet chuckle makes its way out of Minato's throat as the blond reaches to carefully take his student into his arms. "I'm so glad you're alive. So, so glad." Obito's fingers are curled tightly in the fabric of his teacher's flak jacket, both of them trembling. "I'm sorry I didn't get to you in time, Obito. I'm sorry I failed you as your sensei. I'm so sorry."

Hiruzen looks away at that. "Perhaps we ought to give them some privacy," he suggests softly, tilting his head towards the door. Jiraiya and Raijin are practically falling out the door before he has even finished. 

They take the seats in the waiting area outside the ward, Hiruzen and Jiraiya sitting across from Raijin. The boy's shoulders are relaxed again but his eyes are still bright and alert where they regard Hiruzen with an open sort of curious consideration. 

"I suppose that was the guy Obito mistook me for," Raijin says, breaking the silence before Hiruzen can. 

Jiraiya snorts. "Can you blame him?" he poses rhetorically. "I'd already heard from Tsunade that you looked like him and even then I was surprised."

Crossing his arms, Raijin rolls his eyes. It's such petulant teenager behaviour, Hiruzen can't help his mouth twitching up in amusement. 

"We don't look that alike," Raijin grumbles. "Kind of, I guess, but not so much that it should be this surprising to you people."

Hiruzen coughs. "Well, your colouring is rather unusual by Land of Fire standards, you see. It is rather striking to most people from here."

"And it's more than just the hair and eyes," Jiraiya chimes in. "I really do think you could be related, Menace."

Raijin says nothing to that, but his hands curl into fists in his lap. There is something rather sad on his face as he lowers his gaze to his hands and furrows his brows. 

Eyeing the younger shinobi carefully, Hiruzen leans forward tentatively and softly suggests, "I do not think there is any harm in conducting a DNA test if you are not opposed to it, Raijin-kun." 

The fluorescent lighting of the hospital gleams off electric blue eyes uncannily when Raijin's gaze snaps to Hiruzen's. "And what next?" he asks. "What will you do with the results?"

"I'd offer you a place in this village as one of my shinobi."

"Even if it turns out I'm not related to this guy?" Raijin challenged, leaning back in his seat. 

"Yes," Hiruzen responds evenly. "You are proficient at ninjutsu and taijutsu, and I will always welcome another sealing master to the village. Moreover, you have helped rescue one of our shinobi without asking for anything in return even when we'd assumed him dead."

The intensity of Raijin's gaze does not fade. "And if I don't want to stay?"

"I'd insist on you accepting a reward and being labelled a friend of Konoha so our shinobi know not to fear you. I'd also ask you to refrain from attacking them unwarranted in the future."

For a moment, Raijin is quiet, lips pressed in a thin line as he visibly considers Hiruzen's claims. Finally, he asks, "And what if we are related? What then?"

Ah. Hiruzen had forgotten that this is just a nineteen-year-old orphan being told he might have a family of his own after all. A boy who might get an older brother who wants to know and grow to love him after having no one to rely on except for himself. Someone being offered protection and unconditional belonging. It must be terrifying. 

Gently, Hiruzen says, "I'm afraid you and Minato-kun will have to figure that one out for yourselves, Raijin-kun. All I can say on the matter is that Konoha will be happy to gain a shinobi of your skills and I will ensure your immigration goes through smoothly."

Raijin is quiet for several tense heartbeats. Beside Hiruzen, Jiraiya holds himself still as if he is afraid to disturb the moment. At last, the boy sighs and nods his head once. "Fine. Let's do the test."

Hiruzen tries not to look too outwardly pleased.

Raijin tries not to look too outwardly concerned. 

On the inside, he's totally freaking out about what he's going to do if the DNA test proclaims him as Minato's son. Or even worse, as Minato and Kushina's son even though they absolutely shouldn't be comparing his bloodwork to anyone else's for no reason. 

It's not like it'd even make sense to anyone except for him. No sane person is logically going to make the leap to time travel. They're likely to come up with the most plausible theory on their own and, if things get bad, all he'd have to do is act just enough to confirm those suspicions. But that's too complicated for Raijin who prefers taking as direct a path as possible. He's likely to screw it all up if he has to remember another stack of lies and backstory just to fit in.

At that point, his best bet would be to somehow escape Konoha and secretly infiltrate later just to kill Danzou. 

With that old bastard gone, Konoha should be good to avoid most major tragedies that marked the weakening of their village. Minato can handle the rest on his own when he becomes Hokage.

Raijin makes a face at that. His dad isn't even Yondaime Hokage yet. He looked so young. The purpose of the seal was to locate a point in time when Raijin would be the same age as his closest blood relatives, so he shouldn't be surprised. If anything, had space-time not been so difficult to manoeuvre, he would have probably been plopped into the timeline right when his parents were both his age instead of being two years older as they are now. 

It works out better for him this way since just siblings is more plausible than straight up being twins separated at birth, but it's just so strange to see his father at twenty-one. 

Minato hadn't looked much like the Yondaime Hokage he's still growing up to be. There hadn't been as much certainty and pride in the way he held himself, and he hadn't been quite so unreadable either. Raijin remembers his father to have been a clever man who knew how to hide behind his easy smiles and friendly persona because he was used to always being watched carefully for weakness. 

This Minato had worn his heart on his sleeve from the moment he laid eyes on Raijin in that hospital room. There had been such unconcealed wonder written all over his face, a tentative hope in his cautious smile, coupled with the hesitance of fear in the way he had frozen, as if any movement would result in Raijin disappearing from his sight. 

To be fair, hardly anyone can be expected to keep their emotions in check when being posed with the potential member of a family they've never been able to have. Not to mention that Minato's student was literally lying in the room after the man had mourned his death. Minato deserves some slack there. 

But Raijin can't shake the memory of having those expressions and feelings directed at him. It's not like he has ever had a blood family either even if he has been lucky enough to have gotten to at least meet his parents once. He even got to fight alongside the Edo Tensei zombified version of his dad briefly. He still can't help feeling caught off-guard though. To see Minato there in the flesh—it had been nothing Raijin could have prepared himself for. 

And he doesn't think he's ready to face any of the people he has lost, but he doesn't exactly have a choice. Not when he can hear Minato's arrival outside the door of the hotel room Raijin has been put up in for now by the Hokage. 

The test results must be out then. Raijin inhales deeply and tells himself he is not going to throw up in front of Minato during their first proper meeting. 

Before Minato can knock, he has already unlocked and opened the door. 

"Oh." Minato blinks. He offers Raijin an uncertain sort of smile that veers on the border of being dangerously hopeful enough that it makes Raijin's heart ache. "Hi."

If nothing, his dad's awkwardness manages to somewhat make him feel better. Since he hasn't been knocked out and dragged to T&I yet, they probably haven't figured out how exactly Raijin is related to Minato. He can work with this. 

He pulls up a tentative smile of his own. "Hey," he returns, shifting his weight. "You're Namikaze Minato." Immediately he cringes. 'Nice going, dumbass. You sound like a fawning civilian.'

But Minato's smile is edging into something surer, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "Yeah. And you're Raijin." He lifts his hand, showing the packet of papers he's holding. "The test results are out."

Wordlessly, Raijin steps aside and gestures for the other man to come in. "Have you—" He pauses. "Have you, uh, taken a look yet?"

Minato glances at him carefully, like he's trying to discover all of Raijin's secrets just by looking. "I have," he admits cautiously, slowly sliding the packet across the room's little dining table for Raijin to take a look. "They've come back pretty conclusively."

Raijin hums, leafing through the papers full of medical jargon he is completely unfamiliar with. Not like he needs to know what they're saying to know the truth. "First generation relatives," he reads out. 

Fingers tapping on the table, Minato nods. He doesn't once take his eyes off Raijin. "They couldn't figure out if we were full-blooded siblings or just half. Ideally, they'd have the DNA of a parent to test both of ours against, which is obviously not possible for you and I. Genetics just hasn't come that far yet, especially in shinobi villages, because of war and–"

"So we're brothers," Raijin cuts in, feeling completely detached from his own reality. He is just overwhelmingly relieved to not be getting carted off for torture and interrogation. 

Minato's mouth clicks shut. He looks dumbfounded in the aftermath of having the words spoken out loud to him, that too by the 'brother' in question. "Yeah," he manages, blinking rapidly. "Yeah, we are." His shoulders hunch forward ever so slightly. "Is—Are you okay with that?"

Is he? It's certainly strange to be declared a brother to the man who is actually his father. But then again, this Minato isn't his dad. Not really. He's just a bit too young and unsure and careful. And it would feel kind of wrong to look for his father in this person. Raijin is an orphan—there isn't any changing that, and he doesn't want to replace his parents for anything, even if it's with another version of them. His mum and dad sacrificed everything just to give him a shot at living. He's never going to forget that. But that doesn't mean he can ignore the visceral want to be allowed this either.

"Yes," he decides eventually. "Brothers is—it's good. I'm more than okay with that. You?"

"Yes," Minato says immediately, a quiet sort of awe in his eyes as he looks at Raijin. "Hokage-sama said he offered for you to join Konoha?"

Raijin nods. "He did," he confirms. "I'm probably going to take him up on it too."

At this, Minato brightens. "You are?" he asks, and it's like looking at the sun with the way he's beaming at Raijin. "You're thinking about staying here?"

Raijin swallows. It's a lot to be looked at like that—like a miracle of some sort. "I am," he says slowly. "I'm probably never going to get a better reason to stay anywhere."

Minato bites his lip. "Raijin, I—" he starts. Stops. Starts again. "I've never been anyone else's family before. I've been told there's no right or wrong way to go about it but I'm not quite sure about how it all works," he admits. Visibly, he steels himself, straightening up when he looks at Raijin. "I may not know how to be an older brother yet, and we have a lot to get to know about each other, but I want you to know that I'm going to do my best."

For a moment, Raijin can only sit and stare at the man across from him in dumbfounded silence. Finally, he remembers he should probably say or do something, so he nods quickly. "Right," he says. "Yes. Yeah." He shakes his head, and he can't do anything to stop the smile that breaks out on his face or the tears that well in his eyes. When he looks up at Minato, he doesn't try to hide either of them. "Me too. Let's do our best, Minato-san."

Minato grins back and it feels a lot like everything is going to turn out alright.

Notes:

I want Minato and Naruto to actually build more of a relationship before I have them addressing each other as brothers. It has to A Moment.