#i'm tired of being bogged down with dozens of unfinished projects

[padmerrie]

Muscle Memory (Bookends AU) [1.2K; AO3]

Summary: Minato takes a break from the campaign grind with a sleeping Naruto in tow and stumbles upon his three former students.

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“One.  Two.  Three!” 

Obito, Kakashi, and Rin dropped their sticks into the water and raced to the other side of the bridge.  They braced themselves against the railing, eyes fixed on the river below, their collective breath held in anticipation, waiting.  Watching.

Three sticks appeared, one stick slightly ahead of the other two.

Obito glared at Kakashi.

“You keep dropping yours early,” he snapped.  On his other side, Rin laughed.  

“He’s not dropping it early, Obito.  It’s just luck.”

“Call it whatever you want,” Obito grumbled.  He hopped off the bottom railing and jabbed a thumb to his chest.  “I’m picking the sticks this time.”   

Kakashi made a noncommittal sound, still watching their sticks being swept downstream.  “Rin picked them out last time.”

Obito waved him off with a disgruntled noise, not looking back as he jogged off to retrieve three new sticks from the river’s shore.  

“My, what have I stumbled upon?  An after school physics lesson?”

Rin and Kakashi turned to find their favorite teacher strolling towards them pushing a baby carriage. 

“Minato-sensei!” Rin exclaimed happily.  Her eyes lit up as they landed on the carriage, but Minato pressed a finger to his lips before she could open her mouth again.

“He’s sleeping.  It’s new,” he added with a tired but not unhappy chuckle.  He beckoned them over with a wave of his hand.  Rin was by Minato’s side in an instant.  She gave a delighted gasp, then looked up and waved to Kakashi.  

“Get over here!” she hissed in a whisper. 

Kakashi sighed and dropped off the railing, slipping his hands in his pockets and walking over to them with all the urgency of a tortoise crossing a road.  He hovered by Rin’s shoulder and peered into the bassinet.  It was a sight indeed - mostly because this was possibly the first time Kakashi had ever seen Naruto asleep.

“I’m surprised to see you out, sensei,” Rin said, keeping her voice soft.  “The only time we see you these days is on campaign signs.”  

“Oh those,” Minato chuckled, looking away embarrassed.  “It’s a little much.  Even Kushina said she’s tired of seeing my face everywhere.”

“I saw you on TV yesterday,” Rin continued.  Her lips quirked to the side.  “The camera loves you, sensei.”

Minato’s cheeks flushed.  “I’m glad you think so, but I’ll admit, the feeling is pretty one-sided.  I’ll be glad when this campaign is over next month.  Win or lose.”

“We miss you at school.”

“I miss you all too.  And I miss teaching.  But I truly believe I can do more as governor.  Not just for my students, but for all of Konoha.”  

“What will you do if you lose, sensei?” Rin asked.  Kakashi tch-ed in disapproval, but Minato only smiled. 

“Exactly what I said I’d do when I announced my candidacy.”  Minato looked between Rin and Kakashi.  “No one is handed a road map to achieving their dreams, so one must conclude that there is no one right way to get there.  I don’t have to be governor to make Konoha a better place.” 

Kakashi, still studying Naruto from a distance, said, “You’re going to win, sensei.” 

Minato’s expression softened much in the way it had when he looked in the carriage.  He laid a hand on Kakashi’s shoulder.  “I hope you’re right.”

There was a clattering of noise and all three turned to see Obito standing at the end of the bridge, a pile of sticks lying forgotten at his feet.  

“Minato-sensei!” 

A squalling howl cracked through the air, no build-up, no warning.  Everyone’s eyes snapped to the baby carriage.  

“Nice job,” Kakashi said, frowning peevishly at Obito.  “You woke Naruto up.”  

“It’s ok, Kakashi,” Minato said unperturbed.  “It was going to happen sooner or later.  A butterfly could wake him up.”  He reached into the carriage and lifted Naruto into the air and cradled him to his chest, bouncing him gently and cooing sweet nothings until his cries faded to a more tolerable squabbling. 

“We were just talking about the election,” Rin told Obito as he joined them.  His face lit up.

“I saw you on TV yesterday!”

“Not you too,” Minato lamented, color returning to his cheeks. 

“I sure did!  You kicked those old geezers’ asses in the debate!”

From over Naruto’s head, Minato hit his former student with a stern look.  “Those old geezers have names, Obito.”

“My Gramps can’t stand Danzo,” Obito went on like he hadn’t heard him.  “And he says the only thing Hiruzen Sarutobi should have authority over this late in his life is his burial plot.” 

“Oh!”  Minato’s expression froze in a state of shock.  “Well, that’s, uh,” he stammered, struggling to find an appropriate response.  “I-I appreciate their vote.” 

Kakashi caught Rin’s eye and murmured, “Spoken like a true politician.”  She smiled at him as Obito shook his head emphatically.

“Oh, they’re not voting for you.  Madara says if Danzo’s egomania doesn’t run this province into the ground, then your idealism will.  I guess that leaves Sarutobi…” Obito trailed off thoughtfully.  “I bet Gramps is counting on him dying during his tenure.”

Minato stared.  

“Hashirama says if this doesn’t work out, you should consider recording audiobooks.  He said he could listen to your voice all day.  Just not your politics.”

“Oh my.  That’s…”  Minato looked around at the three of them, flustered for words before abruptly saying, “Would anyone like to hold Naruto?” 

There was a resounding YES from at least two of his former students. 

Kakashi watched as his friends fought for custody of Naruto, neither one content with simply holding Naruto for a minute and letting go.  Naruto didn’t seem bothered in the slightest being the object of their power struggle.  He babbled senselessly, regardless, his earlier tears long since dried.  There was only one thing that would call for a ceasefire. 

“No,” Kakashi said narrowly.  This was directed at Rin who, despite Kakashi’s clear refusal, only took an undeterred step into his orbit.

“Just for a minute,” she insisted.  “Trust me.”

Kakashi’s hands might as well have been sewn into his pant’s pockets.  He stared defiantly down his nose at the squirming baby in Rin’s arms, all squishy and pink and foreign.  Even though he’d had numerous encounters with him, every interaction felt like the first, which was to say that the experience never ceased to make him uncomfortable.     

Kakashi’s eyes flicked back up to Rin, still watching him.  The shroud of carefully constructed aloofness that he wore like a second skin slipped a little.  He sighed, and held out his arms. 

And then Kakashi couldn’t feel them. 

The only thing he felt was the unfathomable weight of a very small, very real human life cradled to his chest.  Being a baby, Naruto possessed the misfortune of being both easily breakable and highly unpredictable.  While Kakashi didn’t hold this against him - he was a baby - these were two qualities that Kakashi did not care for.  He would have very much liked to hand him back to Rin, but a steadying hand on his shoulder held the urge back.  

Kakashi looked up over his shoulder and watched Minato watching Naruto.  His expression was so familiar that it nudged a memory out of place.  He turned away.  Feeling hadn’t returned to his arms, but he held Naruto a little tighter all the same.