16 Years Old

All in all, it was fairly a quiet day. As quiet as a village in a war preparation, that is. As time passes and tension rose between Iwa and Konoha, the rumor mills working overtime to deliver gossips about destroyed posts and captured spies; by now, peace was something of a pretty make up.

Which means, it's a calm before the storm. In Jounin Ninja Station, everything and everyone is just a hair-breath away from arming themselves and set in defensive position, so to speak. The only thing keeping them from doing said thing was it is extremely busy. Paperworks flew from one division to another, constructions was ordered and pressed to be finished, weapons and gears was demanded in triples.

As Minato read stacks and stacks of paperworks and organized them for those in need to each their divisions and requests, it was understandable that he didn't realize the noise coming from the front, for a time. What pulled his attention was actually the sound of something crashing other things—probably a blunt object to a building, but the resulting boom and the tremble of the walls indicated something big. Like a paper bomb.

Instantly, Minato armed himself. Has the war started then? Has Iwa become so daring they attacked Konoha?

Pushing himself to shunshin to the road, Minato readied his kunai. He stood on the road, ready, as several other Jounins who came out of the Station with their weapons ready.

As the road settles from dust, what greeted him was not Iwa ninjas. Or an invasion. It was instead, the back of a woman with blond, low twin-tails. The back of a very pissed off Tsunade Senju. From the crater on the road and the missing wall of Jounin Station, it was obvious enough that she was the one who blew the wall off. Probably from one of her clenched fists.

"MINATO-NII!"

Minato's reflex fortunately managed to make himself drop his kunai down before he could harm Obito, who launched himself to Minato's torso and clings like a koala. Minato doesn't even have time to ask why is Obito here or what happened before the Uchiha yelled in obvious panic, "Makoto-nii's going to die!"

".. What." The blond managed, weakly, as Obito's obvious fear made him clung to Minato so tightly it was a bit difficult to breath. Obito merely tightened his grip, whimpering a bit. That's alarming.

His attention was then pulled down, where he felt his trouser was tugged repeatedly, insistently. Minato's blue eyes locked with Kakashi's grey eyes. Any other time he would be alarmed by how pale Kakashi's face is, almost resembling his own hair. Even be more alarmed by Kakashi's almost-murmured, "Stop him."

But this time, Minato followed where Kakashi's fearful gaze turned, ahead, to see.. Makoto.

Makoto who, stood in a distance in front of Tsunade, blood trailed down his forehead, caking his black fringe on his left face. His feet are open in a defensive kata, clutching a white chokuto in reverse grip in his right hand. Wait, that blade—is that White Fang?

Makoto is fighting Tsunade Senju.

Makoto, his civilian twin brother, is fighting Tsunade Senju.

Minato felt blood drains from his face, his fingers involuntarily going cold. Just what the hell is his twin thinking? How did he even manage to piss off the Senju Princess?!

"You gonna pay for that, Baa-chan?"

Everything is quiet. Minato knew every bystanders and Jounins around are sharing his bafflement of whoever is it ninja who fought a very pissed off Sannin. In lieu of answering, Tsunade shot forward, and Minato swore he experienced ten heart attacks in the last five seconds as Makoto weaved around her fists by his steps and actually managed to land a kick on her back, making it a springboard as he jumped to the roof.

In the split second of Makoto airborne, he locked eyes with Minato, and instantly Minato understood his twin by his eyes alone; I don't know what I'm doing, I'm going to die, prepare my funeral, but also, wish me luck, accompanied by a wink on his pale face. Tsunade snarled and jumped, no doubt following his twin.

Quietly, Minato despairs. Reminded, once again, that his twin was absolutely exhausting when he pulled his stunts, just like that time he jumped to another roof for the first time, or that time he dangled from a rope, or—

Kakashi's tugs on his pants grew more insistent, and Obito just hides in his shoulder. Right. He had a brother to safe.

(... against a Sannin! What the fuck, Makoto?)

Scooping Kakashi in his hands and shifting Obito's position on his torso, Minato didn't even bother to say hold tight to his brats as he jumped, following the trail of destroyed shops and craters on roads.

They arrived at Training Ground 7.

By the time Minato sets Kakashi and Obito down, there's already an audience. At least five shinobis present, in which, Jiraiya-sensei and Sakumo-san stood, watching. Minato didn't register anything more than that, focusing himself to the battle at hand.

In what Minato assumed was White Fang, the blade almost shone as Makoto weaved on offensive and Tsunade easily evaded his blows. Squinting, however, Minato could see there's a crackle of faint electricity on said blade. Makoto is in a bad place, though. His breath was labored and he began grazing Tsunade's hits rather than split-second, clean evasion he performed earlier. On the other hand Tsunade looked no worse from wear than small cuts along her face, feet, and her hands. Her frown never creased even once.

They are talking there, but Minato can hardly heard it from his distance. Jiraiya-sensei and Sakumo seems like they heard it though, by Sakumo-san's shocked look and Jiraiya-sensei's contemplative frown.

("Teach me then! If you're so determined to leave, make me your protégé first—" duck from a kick, "—teach me for five years and you can leave to God knows where—" land a graze, hand down, twist from a fist, an annoyed snarl, "—betraying how many other promises!"

"You think an arrogant brat like you deserve my tutelage?!"

"You think Nawaki deserves a coward sister like you?"

"What the fuck do you know about him?!"

A flick of his blade. "Enough to know that Nawaki will be disappointed of you."

Dislocated ribs, but at least he could evade that fist, and the ground broke to pieces behind him.)

Makoto grazed Tsunade's fist as he ducked to her left and landed a long yet superficial cut along on her hand, as she jumped away. Setting her foot down, Tsunade spun and shot with another foot. Makoto jumped over it but it clearly still grazed him, and his summersault bas backhanded by her fist.

It was hit head on, and even by covering his body with his hands, Makoto still flew away and crashed after breaking a tree.

Obito hugged Minato's foot and hides his sobs pants, Kakashi merely looked more sickly than before.

Minato refused to look at his downed twin and instead looked at Tsunade. She looks more pissed, yes, and her hand injury was dripping blood, as is her other injuries. But from said long cut, ink mark appeared, forming words and symbols. On her skin, a seal spreads to cover the entirety of her hands and reaching her shoulders, crackling with blue electricity. A lighting based-seal, Minato realized with faint astonishment. Makoto's goal was never to defeat the Sannin, it was always a race to put that seal, to give him a chance. A seal which, transferred from his blade, able to make the victim paralyzed for a time, judging from Tsunade's trembles and twitches. The sannin looks enraged because she couldn't move.

Minato looked at Sakumo-san, to see a smile on the Hatake's face. Beside him, Jiraiya-sensei actually whistled. Continuing to look at the same path, Minato's heart stuttered as he saw his twin stood and wobbled forward, blood flowing from his bloodied head to his chin, dropping to the ground. He would make an excellent 'ghost' who jumped out of a Ghost House, a part of Minato thinks, accompanied with dread.

Makoto is wincing in pain, his left hand was bloodied and limp on his side, but his right hand stubbornly clutching his blade, faintly pressing his chest. He's struggling to breath, Minato realized. Visibly stuttering, even from this distance. Maybe trying to keep his ribs from further injury.

The clearing was silent as Makoto's wobbling steps grew to a fluid walk; Minato could see the minute Makoto swallowed all his pain as he straighten his back, gritting his teeth. His slow walk gained surety until it became a run, and Makoto tackled the Sannin to the ground, stabbing his chokuto down—not in a death blow but to graze her hand and intensify the seal—and left it standing on the ground.

He pulled his right fist back with a bloodied scowl on his face and punched down.

A small crater formed around Makoto's fist, spreading out on the ground in spider-web cracks, right beside Tsunade's head. The battle has ended.

"Three years."

His breathing was stuttering short and painful. It sounds wet, his voice hoarse. His airway was obviously obstructed, maybe punctured lung, and his ribs was obviously cracked if not broken. His left hand was a gore sight, mushed, red and starting to swell, bones broken on several parts. Tsunade pushed away those ingrained analysis from her head to scowl harder, trying to move her fists. The seal is fading, and once she regained her strength she swore she will kill this brat to splatter.

"Three years." The brat repeated, replying her glare with his own glare head on, blood dripping from his chin to her cloth, "don't even admit me as a protégé. Just teach me how to heal. Teach me to save lives. Like you, I have my precious people. I have a little brother. Like you, he is my entire world. Unlike you," he spat, blood coloring his teeth, and she snarled in rage as he said, "I am not a coward who would betray a promise to my precious people."

He pulled away to cough out, wet and painful. The next time he took a breath, a faint whistle sounded from his chest. By all means, this brat would've collapsed or dead now, and yet here he is, glaring at Tsunade blood flowing down his lips. Defiant, as he wiped his mouth with his trembling, functional hand.

Tsunade can't help it; she grinned.

It was not a nice grin at all.

Because she knew that determined look. Recognized it as her own look the day her grandfather died, the day she vowed to be able to heal and save as many as she could. The pure protectiveness in his eyes, the defiant way he glared at her. She gave everything she could for this village; her talents, her skills, her life, her precious people. Her love (Dan..) gave his life, as is her brother. Twice, her heart was broken to pieces, no one to mend it or help her but her own. Twice, she put her faith to this rotten village who would never listen to her.

And this time, she isn't sure she could mend it again for the third time.

This damned village took everything from her grasp. And it never, not even once, gave something back to her. This village is cursed and no amount of effort, skill, or miracle could cure it.

And this brat—this brat will suffer.

This brat will throw himself down to make a difference, to become strong, to hone his skills; Tsunade will give it to him, she will watch him struggle half death, and she would watch as he broke in front of her. She would watch as he wailed over his precious people, just like she had. She would prove to this brat that Konoha offers nothing but curses, death and despair; he would succumb to one just as she had, and she would enjoy herself as he fell to despair. When he finally decide to leave this accursed village, she would laugh at his face. This she swore in her mind.

Pushing her sneer and smile down she returned her scowl, "Konoha Hospital. Monday. Seven hour sharp."

As the brat's surprised look turned to a smirk, Tsunade closed her eyes.

Nawaki... she thinks. Is this what you want? He's… She took a sharp breath, trying to shoo away the tears pooling in her eyes, ignoring a comparation of Nawaki and the civilian brat in his mind (his look of determination, his drive drive, the way his eyes flits around to look for an opening), focusing on how the brat has moved away from her body, Are you preventing me from leaving?

This is last chance. She clenched her fists, digging them to her skin painfully, I'm sorry to break our promise, but I can't put Shizune to risk. I'm sure you would understand, her throat was tight, bile rise up in her stomach but she crushed her sadness and anxiety down, ..wouldn't you?

…I will give a shot to this last chance. Her emerald eyes opened, observed how the seal on her hand was broken as he picked his chokuto with deathly pale trembling hands. Last chance, and I will leave after this.

Makoto stood up, but didn't manage to move a step before he wobbled and fell. Minato is there, trying to calm his own breathing down as he hugged his twin and prepared himself to run to hospital. Ignoring Obito's cry and Kakashi's faint whimper, Minato tightening his hold to his dying brother and leapt, as fast as his feet and chakra can bring him, to general direction of Konoha Hospital.

Makoto is not going to die. He isn't. He will be alive. He is alive. He had to be alive.

"Let me bring his clothes!"

"Idiot, you're too small to take that bag."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY, BAKASHI?!"

"I said you are weak and short. Leave it, useless."

Minato came in time to catch the collar of Obito, who jumped to punch Kakashi. Obito yelped and trashed, but Minato offered a bag of bento to the kid and chided, "Don't let it fall, Obito. Focus. The Doctors said Makoto will probably wake up today and he would need food."

Thank Sage for oblivious Obito as he quickly grabs the small bag and stared at it seriously, he didn't notice Kakashi's smirk. Minato gave Kakashi a look, which indicated he knew exactly what the kid is doing, and Kakashi huffed and looked away. They normally get along and click well where it really counts, like when they both apparently run together to get Minato the other day. But most of the time they fought on every little things, simply because Obito is loud and mildly annoying while Kakashi is quiet and too blunt. It doesn't help that Obito is amusing to piss off, too.

Picking up the bag of clothes, he offered each of his hands to his (Makoto's) brats, and Kakashi settled on his right side while Obito on his left.

Once they reached Makoto's hospital room, Minato offered a book on sealing to Kakashi and a paper with a pen to Obito. A trick Makoto and Minato have learned to break out Obito and Kakashi's fight, is to simply assign them on something different and don't make them look at each other. Kakashi was content on reading book about sealing and asking what he doesn't know, and Obito was content on learning seal characters and practice on drawing them to remember them, before he moved to brush. And vice versa. Like this, they can learn and have their own time to ask what they don't understand to Minato or Makoto.

Kakashi sat in the chair on Makoto's left beside his IV, across Minato. Obito was beside Minato, using Makoto's heavily bandaged hand as a hard surface for his paper to draw. Approaching lunch time, he ushered Obito and Makoto outside to eat with Sakumo-san. They were reluctant to leave Makoto's side, not wanting to miss Makoto waking up, but they grudgingly agree as Sakumo-san promised barbeque.

Minato himself was finished on noting several theories about his space-time seal from scrolls he borrowed from Jiraiya-sensei, and he was about to leave. He puts his note and scroll away and about to check if Makoto is—

—he's awake.

The twins stared at each other, a crappy mirror image; other than their blue eyes, one is pristine while one is sickly pale with bandages covering his head, neck, shoulders, and down to his hands and feet. Makoto is a plain mummy. But now at least he's an awake mummy.

"The risk I took was calculated," Makoto began, his voice scratchy and he frowned as he held back pain. Registering his words, Minato stare turned flat to his twin. Calculated, really? Full body surgery to fix all of his ribs, his mushed left hand, and his feet; not to mention to fix his lungs from debris and bone fragments is what he calls calculated? Dying and in sleep-coma for three days is calculated? Seriously?

His twin doesn't seem to notice Minato's stare or thoughts however, he continued, "But man, was I bad at math."

There's silence.

Makoto began to giggle then. His giggle devolved to chuckles, and then he's huffing his laughs, expression filtering to wincing in pain to grin to frown and Minato doesn't even know if he's laughing or just in pain right now. He's not stopping though. He's still wheezing. Of his own shitty joke. Like it's supposed to be very funny or something. Like dying is a perfect time to crack shitty joke.

Minato poked his twin's bandaged neck and Makoto screeched.

OMAKE

"I would kill your enemies for you," Makoto was saying this with tears in his eyes. Minato smelled blood, coming from his twin's stab wound, and Minato is getting desperate, "I would destroy the world and sail the whole universe just for you, thus this is merely a flesh wound; do not cry, beloved, there is nothing I would regret if I do it for you."

"I don't need you to kill my enemies or sail the universe." Minato whispered, wiping his brother's fringe out of his pale face, "I only need you to live for me. Live, brother, live."

"You…" Makoto felt warm settle in his belly, Minato is very close to him, his golden locks fell beside his cheek, their blue eyes locked, as blue as the ocean, as bright as his love. His bloodied hand, trembled, lifted to caress his twin's face, gentle and loving. Minato leaned to the touch, closing his eyes and holding Makoto's hand in his just as gently. "… you're impossible." Makoto huffed out a pained laugh.

Minato's blue eyes opened to look down at his twin lovingly. "Only for you." He whispered.

They spent a time staring at each other, but eventually Minato gave in to his desire and love. He kissed his older brother on his lips gently. He is insatiable however, by his anxiety. What if this is their last kiss, what if Makoto would be no more? He doesn't want to lose his brother, he wanted to feel every inch of his brother's being right now.

Makoto, noticing Minato's look, said, "WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?"

Angrily, the older twin threw the manuscript on the floor, glaring at it like it's a particularly foul pest that needed to be eradicated from earth. By fire, if need be. Minato who sat on the sofa, Makoto noted, is trying to practice breathing exercise to calm himself down, his own manuscript is on the table.

Good. Minato can be calm for both of them.

Makoto whirled to face the pervy Sage who is smiling smugly on one man sofa in Namikaze's residence living room, "You wrote gay fanfiction of us?!"

Jiraiya frowned a bit, like he doesn't know what fanfiction or what gay is, but in Makoto's rage he doesn't give that line of thought another look. But then the Sannin smiled, leaned back on his sofa in obvious smugness and so much pride that Makoto is having a hard time holding himself not to strangle the man.

"It's not about you," the Sannin waved his hand airily, "the characters are fictional, of course. I'm just using you both's situation as a model. Everything else is my creation!" He harrumphed. "And it's great, isn't it? Even without cover photo it's so popular among the women you know! Two handsome twins, fated to love each other in a forbidden romance! On death bed, they threw all rules and moral to love, completely giving in to their love and lu—" Not wanting to hear the continuation of that, Makoto picks up Minato's copy of manuscript and threw it with enough force to Jiraiya's head that the man tilted backwards in his sofa with a yelp. He also threw the glass vase to the man for good measure. Yet, the very loud thunk and pained yelp barely satisfy Makoto's anger.

Busy glowering to the Sannin who actually fell backwards and probably strained his neck, he missed the way Minato simply dissociates from reality. Because his sensei is writing about him and his brother. And it's popular. Well. His sensei's writing is pretty good but? This is? Horrifying? Minato wants to get a new teacher. Particularly who didn't sell his own student with his fantasies. Particularly who doesn't write porn about his (imaginary) student. Please.

A soft gasp is what made Makoto turn to face Kushina, sitting beside Minato, who looks very invested. Her violet eyes focused on the manuscript, still, but they are wide, surprised. And her other hand is covering her mouth, a picture of a very shocked woman when watching plot twist in a soap opera.

Makoto tore the manuscript away from her hand and Kushina wailed, "NO!" He slapped a basic bonfire seal on it for good measure, burning it to ash.

"I haven't finished, Bro-com!" Kushina said, her pissed off voice returning.

Makoto doesn't care about that though, he has a Sannin to threaten. Menacingly. So he would stop publishing these garbage and have at least an ounce of shame to not actually ask for a fucking cover photo to him or Minato. Makoto would beat that shame on that shiny porcupine head. With a feral grin, Makoto looked at the sofa.

Unfortunately, Jiraiya was nowhere to be found from where he tipped backwards on the floor. Fucking ninjas. Fucking white haired pervert bitch of a ninja.

Makoto jumped to the window in rage, his White Fang in hand, hollering, "COME BACK HERE YOU PERVY SAGE! FUCKING COWARD! COME BACK HERE AND GET YOUR FUCKING PHOTO!"

From a distance, Jiraiya shudders as if he felt Makoto's bodily harm threats, and prays for safety.

A/N: I don't ship Makoto and Minato, I swear.

I said on previous chapter that Makoto is not suited for medical works. He isn't, really, but Makoto do what he wants and what he thinks is right. If it feels like Makoto winning against Tsunade is weird is, well, he's really just pushing adrenaline and luck. His chakra core is now high-level genin, beginner chuunin though, so he can pull out more things.

For this update, I want something light. Something fun. And I hope you guys enjoy this no matter how short it is. Thank you for commenting, fav, follow, and read this!

How the Battle started:

Tsunade, about to leave Konoha:
No one:
Not anyone:
Absolutely nobody:
Makoto: So, you're just going to betray Nawaki? Aren't you a fantastic sister?