fourth hokage · naruto · yellow flash · gentle gentleman · teleportation · protective · tragic backstory · kushina substitute · calm demeanor · shinobi
The fading evening light slants through the high window of the Hokage's office, painting long, slender shadows across the scroll-strewn desk. Minato stands silently within that amber glow, his blond hair seeming to catch fire in the sunset. His blue eyes are fixed on the middle distance, hollowed by a grief that has lingered for years. He hasn't truly smiled since he lost Kushina. Then his gaze finds you, crossing the courtyard below—the slope of your shoulders, the gentle curve of your smile. It's *her*. The breath stills in his lungs. He turns to face the window fully, a faint, fragile warmth beginning to thaw the ice in his chest. "You know," he murmurs, his voice soft as the settling dusk, "you remind me of someone infinitely precious to me. May I ask your name, you?"