Bab 13: Chapter 12 - Birthday Bash
Chapter 12 - Birthday Bash
Time passed quickly. Before Minato knew it Naruto was a year old. He had grown so much in that time it was amazing. He wasn't talking yet but Minato hoped that he would soon. He spent as much time as he could with his family. He wanted to be there as his son grew up. He wanted to be there for them.
He needed to protect them. The Masked Man hadn't been caught. He was still out there, somewhere. Deep down Minato feared that he would take them away. It was why he had a 24hr watch on them for so long. He wanted to make sure that they were protected. Minato knew that the safeguards he put in place wouldn't provably be enough but he had to do something.
There were no signs of the Masked Man. He had not made any appearances in the village since that day. Nor had the ANBU or the Military Police been able to find him. That didn't sit well with Minato, but for now he had to accept it. He was Hokage and he had too many responsibilities to pursue the man on his own.
It was possible that he could have found him if he had personally hunted him down, but he had to take care of the village first. He couldn't pursue a personal agenda - even one such as this. So, he let others search for him. The man never left his mind though. He wouldn't give up until he stopped him. That way his family could be safe, but that would take time.
For now, he had to turn his attention to other things. His son was turning one years old today. Lord Third had volunteered to take up any routine activities required of the Hokage and their were no major issues at the moment. Leaving Minato free to spend the day with his family. It meant that Hiruzen couldn't attend his son's birthday party, but his gift meant that Minato could stay with Naruto. For that he was grateful.
The only matter he personally addressed today was security. He made sure that the extra guards he had put in place were ready. They were some of his most trusted ANBU. Each were highly skilled jonin that obeyed only Lord Third or himself. Each were willing to lay down their lives for him and his family. Each were honored shinobi in their own right. He trusted each one of them with his life. He believed that they would protect what mattered most to him, his family.
One addition to the guard that he made last minute was Kakashi. He had intended for Kakashi to attend the affair but the boy insisted on guard duty instead. Minato had hoped to convince the boy to relax and enjoy the day with his family but that failed. Kakashi wanted to guard them. He was not interested in attending. He wouldn't say why, but Minato couldn't convince him otherwise. He would not budge.
So, Minato reluctantly granted the boy his request. He was certain the boy would do it anyway. At least this way he could be of use. Kakashi would feel included. Perhaps, he would be willing to tell Minato later what exactly was going on if he let him. But that was if he could get through that boy's thick skull.
Minato had thinking of making that boy give him his mask. It wasn't helping the boy. It was only making it worse. The boy kept beating himself up for past mistakes and it was worrying Minato. He was going to have to do something else with the boy . . . soon. He just didn't know what. He thought of Kakashi as family. It hurt Minato to see him like this. It hurt him even more to be unable to help.
He planned to speak with Lord Third on this matter shortly. He wanted his advice on how best to help Kakashi. Perhaps he had an idea that Minato didn't. Something that could help. He wanted Kakashi to start opening up. He wanted him to let new comrades in. When was that going to happen?
Minato pushed that thought from his mind. Today was about Naruto, not his troublesome student. Today, he would celebrate his son's birth. He thanked the gods that he still had them. He got so close to losing them that day. Yet they were still here. They were safe and healthy. Something Minato was eternally grateful for. Something worth celebrating.
Kushina had taken care of all the plans for the party itself. She invited all the clan heads. Who brought their children along. Luckily, Kushina knew how to throw a party. She knew who to invite and what to do. It was quite amazing actually. Minato was in awe of her powers. She had planned the perfect kids party with plenty for the adults to do. It was going to be a fun affair. Even if he had to share it with tons of people. She was good at party planning. Something Minato didn't know she could do.
The house was decorated with all the fanciest child's decorations. There were tons of cute, little stuffed animals everywhere. They were arranged in scenes that meant something. Minato wasn't sure what they meant exactly. He wasn't going to ask her about it though. That would be painful.
Kushina had covered the entire living, dining, kitchen and backyard with baby themed stuff. There were way too many signs and cutesy things on the wall. It was actually a tad much. Not that Minato was brave enough to tell his wife. She really had put a lot of effort into the party. She wouldn't take the criticism too well.
It was true that Minato would have preferred to celebrate his son's birthday alone. However, it was his son's first birthday and it was expected to throw a big bash. He thanked the gods that Kushina had kept the list somewhat small and that their house could hold them all.
It was a lot bigger affair than Minato wanted, but as Hokage he had little choice but to make a big celebration. It was expected. A lot of people would be offended if they were not invited. That would get messy quick. It was something they had to avoid at all costs.
Minato was impressed of how well she anticipated the children's needs. She had plenty of age-appropriate games for the young children to play. Along with plenty of food and drink to wash the experience down. It was the adults' lifeline in this entire affair.
The party lasted for several hours. Everyone was having fun. Naruto was practically dancing. He was his normal rambunctious self. It seemed like yesterday when he almost lost him. He would not lose him again. Each moment with Naruto was precious. That was certainly worth celebrating.
The night was going well until a fight broke out. The Hyuga and Uchiha clans were never known to get along very well. They were jealous of each other. Often they fought constantly. They had a mutual distrust of each other that often spilled into other affairs. They fought over almost anything. Which often meant that the Hokage got stuck in the middle. Especially, if they start a fight in the hokage's house.
It started innocent enough. Fugaku and Hiashi were talking about their children. Fugaku boasted about Itachi's abilities while Hiashi belittled them. He informed him that any Hyuga child was better than the Uchiha's offspring. That's how it started. The conversation lead to a argument and a argument lead to a fight. Before anyone knew it they were squaring up in the backyard.
The other guests looked on with horror. This was supposed to be a child's birthday party, not a street brawl! It was so wildly inappropriate that it was crazy. Even though most of the children present were under five they could still sense their killing intent. It scared them. They started to cry. Suddenly, the house was full of crying babies.
It was a disaster! It had to be stopped. This was his son's birthday party, not a grudge match. Minato wouldn't tolerate ANY violence at this occasion. There were children nearby. They hadn't really hurt anyone else yet. Minato wanted it to stay that way. There were children within range! If they wouldn't stop on their own then Minato would take care of it. The men showed no signs of backing down. Parents collected their children and brought them inside. They had to get them out of harm's way. Minato was going to put this down right this second!
Kushina stepped in before Minato could though. A giant, red octopus roared behind the brawlers. It was so scary that it stopped the men in their tracks. They feared for their lives. She didn't hesitate. She didn't wait. This was her party and her baby was within range. Kushina was angry and that was never good for anyone - Especially, her husband. Kushina's temper was legendary. They were dead meat.
Hiashi was smart enough to know that you should never anger Kushina. Especially, if her child is nearby. He cried out, "Kushina!" Her anger boiled like lava. They were so dead. "Forgive us . . ."
He was cut off by Kushina, "This is a child's birthday party, not a battlefield! I don't know what the two of you where thinking and I don't care! There are CHILDREN HERE! They could get hurt. Do you honestly want that?" The two men wisely shook their heads. If they weren't scared before, they were definitely terrified now.
"And talk about a poor example for your children. Do you honestly want to them to emulate this behavior? You're acting like spoiled brats! You're grown men - act like it."
The children were still crying, but now it was because of her. As soon as she realized this, she quieted down. She didn't want them to be scared of her. Off in the distance, the men's families watched in horror. It was going to be a bad night for both of them. Their childish behavior put a lot of kids at risk and ruined a good party. They were not going to get off easy for bring such shame to their families.
Not that Minato cared. It was true that Kushina was prone to rage. It was also true she was physically stronger than her husband. But what was also true was that you should, never, ever anger the Hokage! It took a lot to make him angry but when he was it was scary. He was not one to yell. He was not one to make a scene, but he could hold a grudge. He would make sure that you suffer for this.
Minato stayed quiet through his wife's entire rant. He was far too angry to speak. This stupid and irresponsible stunt had put a lot of lives at risk - including his son's life! He was not going to be generous. There would be punishment for these men. But that was for another day. He would take care of the matter privately later. For now, he wanted them out of his house!
In a low and menacing voice he ordered, "Leave." He didn't look at them. He did not speak again. He made himself clear and the consequences would be dire if they disobeyed. They gathered up their family and raced out the door as quickly as dignity would allow.
No one spoke as they left the house. Everyone was too shocked to speak. No one moved, no one said a word. Even the children were quiet. They sensed their parents' tension, but didn't know how to ease it. So, they remained quiet.
Finally, after several long minutes, Kushina broke the silence. She asked, "Who wants cake?"
The party went on far longer than Minato wanted it to. After the "incident," as people started calling it, happened things took a more sober mood. Overtime the guests started to recover their jovial mood, but it never truly came back.
It never came back for Minato. He was still steamed about it. He tried to cover it up with his trademark smile, but his wife knew the truth. He was angry. He was so very angry. He said nothing more about it. He joked and played with his son. He did everything he could to make sure his son was having fun. Despite his current mood.
Kushina was wise enough to wrap the party early. No one really wanted to party after the fight. It was far too shocking and unbelievable to go back. Besides, she knew that her husband could only maintain his mask for so long. He needed to be alone. So, they had to leave as soon as possible.
The party only went on for about half hour after the fight. It was at least a full two hours less than it was originally planned for. But the family needed to be alone. Minato needed to calm down. It was essential that she got them out the door as quickly as possible. So, Kushina moved the festivities along.
Once the last guest left Kushina sat down beside her husband on the couch. She knew better than to say anything right now. Instead, she leaned against him. Slowly, he put his arm around her shoulders then pulled her in. For a long time they sat there watching their son play. The night had gone so wrong. Yet, there he was - their son. He was alive and well. They were still a family. That was something to be grateful for.
Minato knew all of this. Yet he couldn't shake his rage. He couldn't shake his fear. Tonight he was reminded of how close he got to losing his family. It might have been a year ago but that didn't matter. It was still fresh in his mind. He knew that this fight had nothing to do with the Masked Man. He knew that, yet . . .
"I was scared too." Her words pulled him out of his thoughts. He looked at his wife in surprise. Kushina sat up. She hesitated a moment then said, "I was there too, y'know."
She looked down at the baby playing at their feet. Minato's eyes followed her. His son was happily chewing on a plush froggy someone had bought him. "It was the day our beautiful child was born." She looked back to Minato, "But, it was the worst day of my life." Words became difficult for her to say, "I almost . . . lost . . . you . . . both." Kushina took a moment to collect herself, "I don't ever want him to experience that kind of pain. I don't want to lose either of you."
Minato kissed her on her head. He promised, "I won't let that happen." He looked down at his son again. "I won't ever let that happen."
That's it for this week. What will happen next? I think I'll let you wait and see.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone