Minato Namikaze POV
It was almost evening. I was at home helping Kushina with the cleaning. It was the least I could do, since I only had a little more rest time before leaving for a long mission.
The war was starting to stabilize, but the front lines needed reinforcements to maintain Konoha's territorial control. And I had been summoned to join the main squad.
We would leave in a week and the estimated return was still undefined it could be a few days, weeks, or even months.
The look of worry on Kushina's face when I told her about the mission didn't go unnoticed. She was always like that, worried about others and making it very clear. That was just another reason why I loved her.
And speaking of worry, there was another person who was always worried about everyone. Amaya had that same habit, although she kept her emotions more guarded than Kushina.
Even with this introversion, it was still wonderful to notice all the small changes the girl had gone through. It was like that small, frightened child afraid of the world didn't exist anymore.
Those who don't know her well don't even notice that a part of that still exists deep inside her. She replaced the emotions and fears from everything she went through with good things, making room for the people important to her. That changed her.
The only thing I still worried about regarding the little Uzumaki was about her desires. In the lab where she was raised, her only two goals were to survive and find a way to save herself and the other children. But now, I wondered. What is she seeking? What does she want to do?
I was snapped out of my thoughts when I heard the sound of the front door quickly opening and closing.
– I'm home! – Amaya's serene voice announced her presence.
Kushina was nearby when we turned our attention to the little redhead appearing at the entrance to the room. She had a happy smile on her face. When her eyes fell on us in the room, she dropped her bag on the floor and came running over to me and Kushina, hugging us.
I couldn't say I wasn't surprised by that unexpected behavior. I looked at the redhead beside me and noticed she seemed equally confused. And just as quickly as she hugged us, Amaya pulled away slightly.
– Thank you... – She thanked in a low tone, her voice a bit shaky.
– For what, my dear? – Kushina asked worriedly, making the younger girl bring her eyes back to us.
– For accepting me and for taking care of me – She spoke and smiled radiantly once more – I'm grateful you are such amazing people and for everything you do to help others – Amaya used one of her hands to wipe away the tears starting to fall – And thank you for being my family...
There are feelings that catch you by surprise and are impossible to describe, you can only know what they truly are by feeling them. And what I felt in that moment was undoubtedly one of those feelings.
It was clear that Amaya's words of thanks weren't just for us taking her in. It went much deeper, referring to the second chance she got when she came to the village, to be free and live like any person has the right to.
And there she was, thanking us, precisely, for that.
My eyes were getting misty at that moment. I felt Kushina rest one of her arms on my shoulder and saw she had her face covered with one hand to hide her crying.
I hugged Amaya from the side and turned my eyes back to her, smiling. The little redhead smiled back the same way and I stretched my free arm towards her, inviting her to come to us. She promptly did so and I hugged her against me and Kushina.
– Now and forever you will be part of our family – I said with some difficulty keeping my voice stable, choked by the tears slowly falling down my face.
– And we are the ones who thank you for giving us a daughter like you, dattebane... – Kushina said, already in tears.
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After a long time to recover from all the recent emotions, we stopped to talk better with Amaya.
Me and Kushina had already talked about the fact that we saw the little one as our own daughter, given she was getting more and more involved in our lives – and after her words it was impossible not to tell the younger girl how we felt about her.
We also talked about how the little Uzumaki's day had gone and she handed us the Chunin Exam forms. So Shikaku decided to recommend them after all..., I thought.
That grumpy genius had mentioned the possibility of recommending his team for the next Exam, but he'd been fearful about how they would act alongside Kakashi. Seems things went well..., I pondered.
Amaya also told us about the medical ninja training she attended with Kurenai and Rin. She said she would keep participating in the training, but that she didn't actually want to be a medical ninja. If I became one, I'd be forbidden from acting on the front lines in a fight, the little one explained. I can't tie myself to that if some problematic situation arises.
And in the middle of this conversation, my earlier questions returned. What did Amaya want to do now?
Because she was introverted, it was harder to get to her inner desires. However, listening to her words at that moment, I already had some idea of what it could be. Her behavior always pointed simply in one single direction: Helping and protecting others. Ever since her arrival in the village, everything led her that way.
It started with her choice to spare her brother, opting for the Uzumaki surname. When she took in Kakashi even with his avoidant behavior towards her; making friends with her Academy classmates and at home with me and Kushina.
Choosing to endure torture in place of her teammates when they were kidnapped, and carrying Shisui even when she was exhausted, both mentally and physically.
Changing her attitude towards violence when her brother was at risk; supporting Kakashi after Sakumo's death, even when he told her to stay away...
Her experiences were shaping her again, moving her away from her previous version, from when she lived in the lab and aimed merely for extreme survival. She is finding herself again.
And as if the universe wanted to confirm these questions of mine, another point was added to my list of things that affirmed what Amaya was seeking to do for her future.
The little redhead caught me and Kushina by surprise with a request: She wanted us to train her.
Actually, I think only I was surprised by the request, since Kushina was more excited about it than anything else. And I couldn't help but be amused by the situation.
The little redhead said she wanted to train for the upcoming Chunin Exam, but that she also wanted to learn more. She didn't need to explain to us what her 'learn more' meant.
Kushina told her about various Uzumaki clan techniques she could teach her and the younger one listened attentively. I couldn't help but smile watching them like that, so calm and content.
I only snapped out of the trance I was in when Kushina asked me what I was thinking of teaching Amaya, stressing that it shouldn't be anything dangerous or too demanding for the little redhead.
And stopping to think, I really didn't know what I could pass on to Amaya.
Basic and entry-level techniques were already mastered by the girl, as were some more advanced and useful ones. And I didn't want to make the Uzumaki train something that would push her body beyond its limit. She was still a child, above all.
But even with this protective mindset, I felt divided.
Since I was the first person, along with Sakumo, to have contact with the girl, I felt very responsible for her and everything that happened to her. And it bothered me that I couldn't act entirely like a father to the redhead, when my conscience and feelings told me otherwise.
Even though I knew that, technically, Amaya was a child, she still wasn't entirely. Her learning capacity, posture, and mindset were at times equivalent to an adult's.
Because of this, I was divided between treating her as a kunoichi or as the daughter I saw in her.
Until I could think better about the decision I would make for what to teach her, I explained to Amaya that most of the techniques I mastered were complex and required a lot of training time for complete control, and that I would only have one week to teach her something before I left for my mission.
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I kept talking about the techniques the little one had mastered so I could find something to teach her, and when we realized it, we noticed that Kushina had fallen asleep beside us.
Me and Amaya had to hold back the urge to laugh at that moment so we wouldn't wake the redhead. I left the younger Uzumaki in the living room and carefully carried Kushina in my arms to our room, settling her in bed.
When I was returning to the living room, I noticed the girl yawning on the sofa. Her expression was different from before, showing her tiredness. My mental duality made me think again about the conflict the little redhead lived with internally.
Even though she didn't show it, I knew Shikaku had been pushing her and her team hard lately, tiring her out. But even so, she clearly wanted to keep talking with me about her techniques and for that, she was trying to fight her body which reminded her of the exhaustion.
– You're exhausted... – I commented as soon as I entered the room and the Uzumaki turned her eyes to me.
– I'm just a little tired – She gave a weak smile.
– You should rest too – I said calmly – We can continue tomorrow.
– No, I'm not... – And before she could finish the sentence, she yawned again, giving away the exhaustion she felt.
– Were you going to say something about not being sleepy? – I asked the girl with a tender smile and she gave a weak laugh.
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I settled her in her bed and covered her well. We were in the middle of October and the weather was colder than normal.
– Try to sleep well – I said to the redhead and rested my hand on her head – You need a full night's rest.
From her slight surprised expression, it seemed she hadn't realized I knew about her lack of rest at night.
– What exactly is keeping you from sleeping? – I decided to question her about it – Is it your memories or... – I left the sentence hanging to give the redhead the freedom to answer.
– It's the... Feeling – She said after a few moments and looked at me.
The feeling... She's not talking about a specific one, but maybe all of them involved in the situations: Guilt, fear, sadness, anger... Everything she keeps inside from what happened. I sighed softly. All the weight she carries.
– Minato... – The little one got my attention with her low tone of voice, making me look at her – Can I ask a question?
– Of course – I agreed and gave a weak smile.
– Why did you train so much to become the shinobi you are today?
Once again she had caught me off guard with her question. It must be a gift of this little girl with predominantly red hair, to ask seemingly simple questions with so much weight to people. I had to give a weak laugh at that thought.
– The why? – I pondered calmly – Well, I think it was to always be able to help those close to me, be they friends or allies of Konoha, because... – I had to stop speaking when I realized what that meant – I don't want to lose any more important people.
As I had thought, Amaya's questions always brought self-reflection to the people they were directed at. In that moment I understood that my reason for always striving to improve was similar to what the little Uzumaki was seeking:
She wanted to be stronger, not necessarily in a physical sense, but so she could be prepared to protect those important to her. What had happened in the lab and with her first team still affected her, even if she didn't show it.
She blames herself for not being able to save the others, I determined, just like I also blamed myself for a long time for not being able to protect my own teammates... I smiled very weakly, noticing Amaya's confused look at me for my sudden silence.
– I think I've already figured out which technique I'm going to teach you – I commented and looked at the little redhead who, although showing sleepiness, had traces of excitement in her eyes.
– Really? – She asked with her eyes half-closed and I gave a weak nod.
– It's not an easy technique and it will take time and a lot of effort on your part, but... – I gave her a weak smile – Just as it was and is for me, it will be useful for you to protect important people in critical moments.
– And what... – She yawned weakly – What technique is it...? – I gave a weak laugh.
– I'll explain it better tomorrow – I said and slowly stroked the girl's hair – Now rest, you'll need it for tomorrow's training – She weakly shook her head, as if trying to nod.
This technique gave me the confidence that I could always arrive at the moment they needed me, I thought. Maybe it can bring her that same feeling of peace... I smiled tenderly and placed a kiss on the top of her head, noticing the redhead had fallen asleep.