A Flicker In Time

Chapter 5 - Sensei Son

Having grown accustomed to the characteristic blinding white light, Minato was quick to squeeze his eyes shut before the rays shone at full force. With one hand on each of his student's shoulders, he felt the reassurance that they were still there.

And safe because he would never forgive himself if he let something happen to either of them.

Minato wasn't even quite sure how he lived with himself knowing for all that he was renowned for, he couldn't even protect two of his students. He supposed it might have something to do with the fact that he didn't get to live for much longer than they had.

A selfish part of him hoped that they would be able to go back to their world. If not, then at least a time where Kakashi was happier. He didn't know how much more idly standing by and watching his student suffer, even though it hadn't happened yet, Minato could take until he broke.

"Sensei?"

Minato blinked, registering that Obito was waving his hand rapidly in front of his face.

"We're here. What were you thinking so hard about anyways? I already called your name like three times."

Minato forced himself to smile. "Ah nothing to worry about. Konoha?"

That had effectively diverted Obito's attention away from him as the younger boy began to point out all of the changes to Konoha's busiest marketplace. As they wandered through the marketplace, Obito took the liberty of shouting out every time he saw a familiar face. Most of them were elderly that Minato presumed Obito met by helping them carry their groceries, if his excuses for being late were to be believed. Some Minato recognized himself, the familiar faces of the shopkeepers of stalls that he frequently visited himself albeit with a few more years on them.

They couldn't have jumped too far into the future, if Minato was right about the shopkeeper's age, but he needed to see future Kakashi to verify that. Speaking of...

"Where's me?" Kakashi deadpanned.

"Gosh, it's not all about you Bakakashi," Obito cried out, flailing his arms out in exaggeration. "For once we don't have to see you."

Kakashi frowned, but didn't respond to Obito's jab.

"Perhaps it is like the first time where we had to seek him out," Minato suggested. "You must be somewhere around here."

"Or there is something else that this scroll wanted us to see," Kakashi proposed, his finger pointing at a five year old boy who peered curiously at every single stall in the market. In the crowd, he was hardly noticeable, but the yellow hair and striking blue eyes stuck out to Team Minato.

Obito's mouth fell open, head jerking back and forth between the boy and his sensei so quickly that Kakashi wondered if he was going to suffer from whiplash.

"Sensei, he's your kid!"

A soft smile graced his lips as Minato watched his son weave expertly around the crowd's legs. Even through the noise from the crowd, he could hear his playful giggle as he made dodging the adults a game.

His smile fell when he realized that he was an orphan. If Kushina was still alive, there was no way that she would let him go to the market unattended.