Third person pov

Jiraiya had forgotten how cold and concise his student could get when he wanted to be. This sort of chilled rage wasn't something that had ever been directed at him before. Those icy eyes had never pierced him as hard as they were right now. Minato was terrifying, an air of authority and power seeming to leech out of him in the most dangerous of ways. It would help if Jiraiya were able to force himself to look away. After so many years without seeing Minato, the sage simply couldn't bring himself to.

It would be easier if Minato was yelling, Jiraiya thinks. The guilt wouldn't weight on his shoulders so heavily, and maybe he wouldn't be sweating as hard. Minato's oppressive stare dug its way into his very bones, rattling him irreversibly and making it hard for his lungs to expand and contract. He didn't know what to do, or what to say. Minato was alive. A boy he'd watched grow up, that he'd trained, that he'd watched teach, that he'd seen become Hokage, that he'd seen fall in love, and get married-- he was alive. 

It felt odd sitting in this house-- it was like being seated in a tomb, or perhaps a time capsule. At a dining room table he hadn't seen in years now, the entire place free of dust and full of life Jiraiya'd never thought he'd see in here again. It was lived in, just as it always should've been, with random jackets strewn around, unfolded blankets laying about, books settled in odd places, dirty dishes in the sink. To see his student's former home inhabited again by the very young man he never thought he'd see again... well, it was almost too much to process. His throat felt tight and his head was spinning and he just... didn't know what to say.

Minato's fingers tapped against the wood of the table he and Kushina had built together. She'd insisted they make it with their own two hands, even if neither of them had any experience whatsoever crafting furniture. The wood stain had turned his palms chestnut brown for three days and ruined his Hokage robe for good. They'd had to rush to get a new one made before The Third found out and scolded them for it, since he'd already gone through five in his month of being kage. A truly impressive feat according to everyone he asked. To be fair, half of the mishaps were Kushina's fault. Her pranks hadn't ceased even after he took the title of Fourth.

"Where were you?" Minato's voice rang out like tempered steel, striking him hard and tearing through his walls without mercy. A new sort of fear enveloped Jiraiya, opening a sinking pit in his stomach and causing his heartrate to increase exponentially. The pressure felt so heavy he could hardly breathe through it. Was this what the Yellow Flash's enemies felt when they'd faced him on the battlefield? This unimaginable weight and distinct sense of danger? It was no wonder they ran at the sight of him.

"I-I- Minato, I-" Jiraiya sputtered out, voice coming out a croak. Minato's fingers stopped drumming entirely, but his gaze didn't falter for even a second. He levelled his teacher hard and without inflection shown on his face. He wasn't just angry, Jiraiya could tell. He was hurt, and it was all Jiraiya's fault. 

Minato loved his teacher. Or maybe he didn't anymore. It was hard to sort through his storm of emotions, which raged like a typhoon in his chest. Hurt, betrayal, and rage for what his son had been through battled for dominance within him him. Jiraiya had agreed to be his godfather, had known the risks Kushina faced with giving birth and the likelihood of the Kyuubi breaking free. They'd gone into the pregnancy expecting to die but hoping desperately that they wouldn't, and fighting to stay alive as hard as they could. Jiraiya had known all this and had agreed to be a safety net to catch Naruto if something happened to him.

So imagine Minato's surprise when he came back to find his son still falling. To find that he hadn't been caught, he had been thrown. Tossed into the trenches like he was worthless, left to plummet in the dark not knowing why he was so hated, why he didn't have a family, or why he was different. It made him sick to his stomach just to think about it. Trying to process the pain his young child had felt all these years was dizzying, and it made him so angry it was hard to contain himself at times. It made him want to burn Konoha to the ground. It made him want to hug Naruto tight and never let go.

"You were supposed to protect him. You were supposed to raise him. You were supposed to be here." Minato stressed harshly, a tremble in his voice he refused to acknowledge was there. His eyes stung threateningly, but he pushed it all back. Jiraiya looked like he'd just been slapped. The urge to break his jaw was overwhelming. "You said you'd be here for him, and that you'd be here if anything happened to us. So where were you? Why weren't you here?" 

Jiraiya opened and closed his mouth a few times in search of words, still staring at him like he was a ghost. And maybe he was, but what the fuck difference did it make?! His son had been suffering and someone had to answer for it. Hiruzen, who had allowed the abuse in the village to go on and had prevented Kakashi from reaching out to Naruto. The elders, who had decreed it okay for Naruto to live by himself in an apartment despite his age. The teachers at the academy, who hadn't given his son the help he needed. The members of the village as a whole, all of which had turned their backs on him.

He knew it wasn't the civilian's fault. Though treating a child in such a way was wrong and he wanted them to pay for it, ignorance was something they'd been cursed with. All they knew was that Naruto had the demon fox who'd killed so many in him. Nobody had explained to them who Naruto was, or what a Jinchuriki actually was. The Hokage should've informed them. Naruto was a hero! Someone who had sacrificed so much, and nobody... nobody knew about it. 

"Th-There's... There's this... g-group." Jiraiya's voice rasped. Minato stared at him, unimpressed. Jiraiya shifted in his seat nervously. "They're going by the title Akatsuki. Th...They're after the Jinchuriki."

Minato took a deep breath in through his nose, closed his eyes and held it, and then released it again. Okay? Those who jailed tailed beasts were always targeted, since when was this news? It certainly wasn't an excuse if that's what Jiraiya was thinking. Great, someone wanted to collected the tailed beasts for their little collection. That was some startling news! They should get someone on that, but maybe not someone who had previous obligations. Like Jiraiya. Sage or not, he'd agreed to be a godfather above all else. He should've been here regardless of who was out there hunting. What if they'd come to the village to get Naruto and Jiraiya wasn't here? It all would've been moot.

"Great. There's a group out for the Jinchuriki." Minato's voice came out so drenched in sarcasm it made Jiraiya flinch. "What shocking news. Did that cancel out the part where you agreed to raise and protect my child? He was supposed to be in your custody, but I see now that was a foolish decision. I should've written in my will that Kakashi got him. Since he's the only who even tried to stick around, clearly. Despite being only a child himself."

Jiraiya opened his mouth to say something but Minato was already standing, chair screaming as it scratched against the wood floor. Minato glowered down at Jiraiya. The sannin had never felt quite this low. His student looked at him like he were nothing more than a bug on the side of the road. Dirt under his shoe. His heart sunk, leaving his chest feeling empty and hollow as the blonde aggressively pushed his chair back under the table with a bang. He looked even angrier now, and Jiraiya knew undoubtedly that he was the one in the wrong. Minato was right, and Jiraiya had... he had no excuses. 

"M...Minato..." Jiraiya tried, voice coming out weak. He was already heading for the door.

"I don't want to fucking hear it from you." Minato hissed, more venomous than Jiraiya had ever heard him. "I was stupid to think I could rely on you for something as important as this. Naruto and Kakashi were left here alone after Kushina and I died. They had nothing but each other but you couldn't even come make sure they could be together, could you? Because that would've been too hard for you. Well I'm sorry my death fucking ruined you, Sensei."

Jiraiya couldn't find the words. There was nothing to say, and all he could do was let his own tears fall as Minato stormed out of his own home, throwing the door open hard and slamming it with so much force it rattled the walls and windows. Jiraiya was left alone to sit, at a loss for what to do or say. The regret he felt was immense, but it was too late for him to be feeling anything like that. Because while he'd let Minato and Kushina down hard, he'd let Naruto down even harder. And that... well, it simply wasn't forgivable.

Jiraiya sat there and cried for a long time. It didn't help.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Naruto thought about that dog for a really, really long time. Why had he been in such a bad mood? Why did he pee spontaneously when he got mad? So many questions, no answers. He guessed it would be pretty stupid to worry over it now that it was over, though. Besides, there were bigger things to worry about! Like that weird old man who'd been staring at his dad this morning! He'd looked like he was going to cry. Maybe he was a pervert. His dad was a pretty good looking dude, after all. 

You see, Naruto had felt odd all morning. He wasn't sure if it was the dream or something else, but entire body felt like it was hot and tingly. But like, on the inside. Like his blood vessels were on fire or something. It wasn't super uncomfortable and didn't really hurt, but he couldn't help but feel like it had something to do with the peeing dog. The feeling was sort of getting stronger, but he had only really felt it when he saw that old dude for some reason. Was it a coincidence? He felt mad and didn't know why. Ignoring that feeling was probably best. Getting upset would only make people dislike him all the more.

"I heard your dad choked someone out the other day." Sasuke had decided to sit next to him during class today, and Naruto refused to admit out loud how warm and fuzzy that made his heart feel. Even if he was an idiot and sort of mean, Naruto liked to think maybe they were... maybe they were friends. Almost. Nearly. The thought of 'friends' was nice-- something he'd never really gotten to have before. Even if the (maybe) friend was a stuck-up Uchiha, at least Sasuke didn't look at him like he was scared of him, or call him a monster. "That's sick."

He'd gone over to eat at Sasuke's house and they'd gotten to play together, and Sasuke hadn't even been forced to do it! They threw kunai together and Sasuke showed him all his favorite stuffed animals, and told him their names. That had to mean they were friends, right? Should he ask? Or was this something you just knew instinctively? He'd never really had a friend aside from Kashi-san and the doggies before, but they were family and that was a little different. 

"Believe it!" Naruto crowed out, hugging Pakkun closer to him. The dog look super smug, but why was Iruka-sensei looking over at them like he was about to pee his pants? He was so weird these days. "He wasn't there, and then suddenly he was! And he was like 'BAM!' and slammed the guy into the dirt! It was totally awesome!" 

Sasuke looked excited to hear the brutal news, eyes eager and drinking up the details. Naruto preened, prideful of his dad. His dad was the coolest dude in the whole wide world, and Naruto wanted everyone to know it. His dad was so smart that it was even beginning to infect Naruto! Anytime his dad showed him something, he got it super fast! It was like, really crazy! He couldn't hardly throw a kunai straight before, but now he could practically get a bullseye. Maybe Iruka-sensei should retire and give his job to Naruto's dad. Then Naruto would get to spend even more time with him!

"I wish my dad would choke people to death in the middle of the road." Sasuke sounded a bit sour about it, his voice coming out a grumble as he petulantly crossed his arms over his chest. Naruto would normally laugh at him and brag, but friends are supposed to be sort of nice to each other according to Kashi. So instead he reaches over and pats Sasuke's arm in an act of comfort and solidarity, nodding solemnly. If he's too mean Sasuke may never talk to him again! Not that he cares or anything, of course. It would just uh... uh... be inconvenient? Or something? He really doesn't care that much! Honest! Sort of! Maybe!

"The guy my dad got tried to punch me. Maybe if someone almost punches you, your dad will do the same thing!" Naruto offered encouragingly. Sasuke nodded, a considering expression on his face. Pakkun looked mildly concerned, looking between the two kids in a considering sort of way. "Oh, man! I totally forgot to tell you! I had a super crazy dream last night! It was about this super big dog who peed a lot when he got mad!"

Naruto felt the burning in his veins get a little stronger, and his head ached a little, but he ignored it in favor of telling his tale instead. Sasuke listened to his dream fervently, and Naruto decided that yeah. They were probably friends. Though, Naruto wished he knew why he felt so angry all of a sudden. How weird. Maybe it was those hormone things Iruka-sensei said everyone had. Naruto just grinned and shoved it down, just like he always did when he was mad. Because oddly enough, this anger... well, it didn't really feel like it was his anyway, so why bother indulging it?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Minato did cry, for the record. He cried, broke a window, and flipped his desk so hard it flew and broke the door to his office. He then proceeded to run fourteen laps around Konoha, uproot an entire tree, and then chuck said tree about a quarter of a mile west and demolish some poor woman's vegetable garden. He then quietly went back to his office and put in for a genin team to go fix the garden he ruined for free. After that he cried some more and punched a hole in the wall, and then spent half an hour staring at a photo of Kushina and two of the drawings Naruto had done for him. 

Maybe it was a little dramatic of him, but Jiraiya had been like a father to him. Someone he could count on no matter what and who had always been there. This betrayal hurt more than anything else. He'd trusted Jiraiya with everything and the man had done nothing but run away. He'd thought his sensei was braver than that. He'd looked up to him so much, but Minato should've known. Just because someone is a great ninja doesn't mean they're a great person, and that was all too true in this case.

He knew deep down that Jiraiya wasn't the devil incarnate or anything. He wasn't a horrible man, he just... had folded under the pressure, Minato guessed. It just hurt. It hurt so goddamn bad. This was hard for Minato. He'd opened his eyes right after a tragedy to find that the world had moved on without him. Six years had passed and his son was bigger now and hurt, and Kakashi was hurt, and the village was in fucking shambles, and Jiraiya hadn't been here to help Minato get his footing. Hadn't been here to protect his son, or the village, or anything! He'd just dipped out! 

"Sensei?" Kakashi asked hesitantly, peering down at him with a bit of reluctance. Minato was sitting in the corner of his office in the shadows like a vampire afraid of the sun. It was the first time he'd had a major breakdown since he'd come back and it was oddly cathartic. He'd really needed this, honestly. Who would've thought destroying things would be so therapuedic. "Are you... okay?"

"Absolutely not." Minato said readily, voice steadier than it probably should've been. The blonde man sighed. This was stupid. He shouldn't be crying and letting this ruin his day. Jiraiya didn't deserve his tears anyway. Besides, he had to be in tip-top shape for when Naruto got home from school! They were going to hug, and spend time together, and do father-son things. So exciting. He was going to cry all over again from joy just thinking of it. "How's the Uchiha reconstruction doing? Almost done?"

"That's why I'm here, actually." Kakashi admitted. Minato perked up a little, his expression smoothing over into something more serious. "Someone uh... blew it up. Part of it, anyway. We're not sure who, but the reconstruction is on hold."

Minato stared at him. Kakashi stared back. They stared at one another, silence ringing out in the office so intensely you'd be able to hear a pin drop. Great. This was just--- so fun, wasn't it? What a good day Minato was having! Wow! Was it really too much to ask for some time to himself to sit here in peace and stare at his beautiful wife and Naruto's artistic masterpieces? That's all he wanted. Just some time to cry it out like a man and cope.

"How pleasant." Minato said, pushing himself up to his feet. He felt like he'd just been run over by a steam train. How great. This was just-- truly, an optimal day. At least Naruto wasn't here to see him lose his mind and spiral into complete and total madness. That was the pro in this giant con of a situation. "Please, elaborate. How bad is the damage?"

"Well... there's been no evidence as to who did it so far and no one was hurt, but uh... some of the houses were..." Kakashi waved a hand, looking way too flippant given the situation. "Nuked?"

"Nuked." Minato repeated, voice flat. Kakashi visibly winced. Good, this was a wince-worthy situation. Nuked? Nuked was an incredibly strong word, there was no way--

"Turned into craters?" Kakashi tried. Minato pressed his lips together. Ah. Yeah, that sounded a lot like nuked to him. Of course the one day Minato doesn't go to check on things down there something like this happens. He'd put money on Danzo being behind it too. He's too old for this. Or is he too young for it? A little bit of both? He's a single father you know. And a widower. Still hasn't processed that last part, by the way. It's only a matter of time now.

"Great. So we have a case of what is most likely domestic terrorism on our hands." Minato sighed heavily, slouching. "Alright. Someone get me my hat. I need to go be intimidating and the red around my eyes isn't going to cut it."

Kakashi wordlessly went to do as he said. Minato just sighed harder.