Tsuchigumo

Revealing Naruto

Minato sat Kushina down one evening after their children went to bed. He sealed the room to sound proof it and looked at his wife. Kushina looked confused before her expression turned defeated, "If this is about the twins again, Minato, I really don't know what to do anymore. I just..."

Minato held her hand, his heart hurting from the pain in her eyes, "Kushina..."

Kushina sobbed, "Wouldn't it be better to divorce me? Find someone more energetic...?"

Minato scowled, "Don't say that! I love you," He repeated, "I love you. I love you, Kushina. Don't give on me. I will never give up on you,"

She cried, "But I'm a terrible mother, dattebane!"

Minato shook his head, "You try, Kushina! You didn't give up! You still wake up in the morning, you still make us breakfast, and you still laugh with us! You're here! You're not gone! Don't give up on yourself like that, please..." His tear slipped down his face and Minato breathed to calm himself. This was a lot harder than he thought. Kushina had become more fragile because of the twins desperation for emotional presence.

He had heard women around him wondering why he still keep Kushina when she was just a shadow of herself. The vibrant woman had slowly fade away through the years. But Minato held on because sometimes that vibrant woman returned and the house will come alive. He knew that she's still there, just fading little by little but still fighting and kicking and screaming to make a comeback. But at times he wondered if her sporadic return only hurt Haruka and Yukito even more with the random bout of hope that it could get better only to be dashed when she fade away for days on end.

Kushina's hand brushed his cold cheeks and he felt her lips caressing his brows, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Minato. I didn't mean to make you cry, dattebane,"

Minato sobbed, "Sorry. I should be stronger than this,"

Kushina's lips trembled, "You are. You are very strong for us, all of us, Minato,"

Why, when he's breaking, she will always show her fading strength as if it was only there for him? Minato could never give her up for this little moments. He breathed in deep, closing his eyes as he gathered his mental strength. Kushina will need him to be stronger for this. He opened his eyes, blue gaze steely and causing his wife confusion and wariness. He soften his expression with a smile and he unsealed the medical report that Orochimaru had drawn with Inoichi's help to soften the blow to Kushina's fragile psychology.

Kushina frowned as she looked at the file he's handing to her, "Minato...what...?"

Minato smiled, "Please...read this. You can be mad at me later but...please..."

Kushina warily took the file and opened to the first page. Minato watched as she began to read faster and faster, the pages turning with more and more violence...

By the time she reached the last page, her face had turned pale but Minato can finally see the fire in her lit once more. Where before it's like a cold, dying furnace, he can see the gray embers lighting up, catching fire and growing. Steadily, steadily, growing stronger. She's still not quite there yet, but he can see furnace growing warmer. He gulped as her violet gaze found his, waiting for her judgment for keeping this big of a news from him.

Kushina clenched her jaw. She wanted to be angry. In fact, she is angry. She's angry that Minato kept her baby from her. But then...as she calmed down staring into his resigned face, she thought back on her mental state. Kushina closed her eyes, tears dripping down her cold cheeks. Minato was right to keep this from her. She couldn't even be mentally present for her precious twins. She had not been a very good mother for a while. She was too often exhausted and slowly grew disinterested in the world around her. The first years after having the twin, she barely made a comeback. She was too paranoid of the outside world, afraid that they will be stolen too.