Chapter 2: A New Life

Kagome was stirring the stew as Minato drank the medical tea she gave him. Minato and Kagome had talked for a long time when he woke up. It was quite interesting though. He was glad that Kagome had come across him. Well, she told him that it was her adopted son, Shippo, who had found him first before her. He could still remember the conversation he had with Kagome earlier.

Flashback:

"So where am I?" Minato asked.

"Edo, Japan. The year is 1509." Kagome said.

"Edo? Japan? 1509?" Minato asked, blinking. Did he end up in another world? It would probably be the only explanation.

Minato drank the cup of tea Kagome had made for him. It was a medical herb tea. It seemed to soothed him throughout his body.

"Minato-san, could you tell me how you ended up in the Bone-eater's well?" Kagome asked.

"Well, the last thing I remember is that Kushina, my wife, and I were sealing the nine-tails into Naruto. His claws had pierced through us. I don't even know if the sealing worked or not." Minato said.

"Nine-tails?" Kagome asked.

"It's a giant kitsune with nine-tails. It started attacking my village and no one could stop it. The only thing Kushina and I could do was seal the beast into Naruto, my infant son." Minato said.

"You sealed a beast into your own son?!" Kagome exclaimed.

"I had no other choice! I couldn't let that beast destroy my home! Some many people have lost their loved ones because of him!" Minato exclaimed. Then he looked down in his lap and saw his fists clenching the blankets.

"Wasn't there any other alternatives?" Kagome asked.

"No, it's now my biggest regret that I sealed the beast inside Naruto. Now he'll suffer a lot of pain because of me." Minato said in a low and sad tone. It was true, Naruto would face much hatred from the villagers now. He had hoped that the village would see him as a hero. Instead, he would be seen as an jinchūriki, a human vessel of a tailed beast.

"I had hoped that my son would be seen as a hero." Minato said. He looked up at Kagome with sadness in his blue eyes.

"But that's too much to ask for, right?"

"Probably." Kagome said. Minato sighed. Kagome was right. Jinchūrikis are feared and hated throughout each elemental country in the shinobi world. Then he felt Kagome's hand on his clenched fist.

"But I'm sure he'll survive. Something tells me that he'll inherit a strong spirit and survive from the hatred from others." Kagome said.

"You think so?" Minato asked.

"Hai. He might also develop a mischievous personality as well." Kagome said, smiling.

"Perhaps." Minato said, smiling as well. Then he remembered what he was going to ask.

"Do you believe me, Kagome-chan?" Minato asked.

"Of course I do, Minato-san." Kagome said, "Besides, you're not the only one who mysteriously ended up in the Bone-eater's well."

"Really? Who else has ended up there?" Minato asked. Kagome pointed at herself.

"Me." Kagome said, giving a closed eye smile. Minato blinked a few times. How did she end up in the well?

"What?" Minato asked, confused.

"Truth be told, I'm actually from the future. 500 years from now to be exact." Kagome said.

"How did you end up here?" Minato asked, curious.

"Well, on my 15th birthday, I was looking for my family cat…"

Flashback Ends

She told him her story of ending up in the well. He was surprised that she came from the future of her world. She told him of her friends and adventures she had. The Shikon jewel was an interesting story. He was glad that it's gone forever. If it continued to exist, more trouble would come into the future.

It had been a week since Minato had 'arrived' in the village of Edo. Minato was surprised that Kagome believed him of somehow ending up in the well. He was also surprised how she also ended up in the village as well. He was just glad that someone believed him.

After his week of recovery, he was able to walk around. Kagome was planning on introducing him to her home village. She had a strong feeling that Minato wanted to do something while he stayed here. Besides, she wanted to help him start over in this new era. Right now, she was taking off the bandages on Minato.

"It looks like you can finally move around now, Minato-san." Kagome said.

"Hai. I'm glad that I'm able to." Minato said, "Thank you, Kagome-chan."

"For what?" Kagome asked when she took off the last bandage.

"For taking care of me. If you hadn't found me, I would probably be dead." Minato said.

"You're welcome, Minato-san." Kagome said with a soft smile.

"Kagome-chan, who is this young man?" Kaede asked gazing at the blonde haired stranger. To her point of view, the man had strange features: blonde hair and blue eyes. Strangely enough, the man was human. For a moment she thought he was a demon.

"This is Minato Namikaze. Shippo and I found him at the bottom of the well." Kagome said.

"The Bone-eater's Well?" Kaede asked.

"Hai. He was injured and I've been treating his wounds. He wants to help out the village. Is that alright?" Kagome asked.

"Well it would be nice to have more help around the fields." Kaede said.

"I will work my hardest." Minato said giving a waist bow. Then he spotted a pink balloon with two big eyes and stick like limbs coming towards them.

"Kagome!" The balloon said. The balloon poofed and a young boy around eight or nine dropped down in front of the three adults. The boy had auburn colored hair that was tied back with a blue ribbon and had emerald colored eyes with slits that reminded him of cats. The strangest features he had was that he had a fluffy tail and pointy ears. Were those his paws?

"Shippo! It's so good to see you!" Kagome said as Shippo leaped into her arms.

"I'm sorry I had to leave you for a week, Kagome. The exam was taking place the day after when we pulled that man out of the well." Shippo said.

"It's okay, I understand." Kagome said. Then she noticed that Shippo was gazing at Minato.

"Oh, you two haven't been introduced yet. Shippo, I would like you to meet Minato Namikaze. Minato-san, this is my adoptive son, Shippo." Kagome said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Shippo-kun." Minato said with a closed eye smile while holding his hand up.

"Likewise, Minato-san." Shippo said, smiling.

"And thank you for finding me in the well." Minato said.

"No problem. I couldn't just leave you there bleeding to death." Shippo said.

"Well, I'm still thankful to you, Shippo-kun." Minato said.

"You're welcome, Minato-san." Shippo said.

"Shippo-kun!"

Kagome, Minato, Kaede, and Shippo looked towards where the voices were coming from and saw a small bunch of village children were running towards them. Shippo jumped from Kagome's arms and ran to the children. They crowded around him and started asking him questions about the kitsune school he's attending to.

"Shippo-kun is a popular one, huh?" Minato asked.

"Hai, everyone gets along fine with Shippo. He's a bundle of joy and mischief wrapped all in one." Kagome said.

"I easily tell." Minato said, "By the way, is he the kit that you've been taking care of when you were hunting for jewel shards?"

"Hai. He was an orphan and I couldn't leave him to defend himself with no one to care for him." Kagome said.

"It was a good thing you did. No child should be left alone." Minato said. He already knew that since he was an orphan himself when he was a child. Now, his own son is an orphan thanks to him.

Kagome could tell that Minato was feeling guilty for leaving his son behind with no parents to care for him. Well, she still had her mother when her father had died. So she still had family...in the far off future.

"Well then, let's get you to work, Minato-san." Kaede said, breaking Minato and Kagome out of their thoughts.

"Hai." Minato said, nodded.