"Naruto... please, I want to kill that man with my own hands!"
Sasuke's voice was cold, his eyes burning with an icy determination.
Naruto met his gaze. "Are you sure?"
"He deserves to die," Sasuke said, clenching his fists. "But I think we should first understand the full truth before making a decision. Once we know everything, we can decide how to act."
Naruto nodded slightly.
"That choice isn't just yours to make, Sasuke," he said calmly. "But rest assured, I won't let him walk away unpunished."
The Sharingan in Sasuke's eyes flickered. He didn't respond, but he understood what Naruto meant. If it came down to it, Naruto would see justice done in his own way.
At that moment, the door swung open.
"Am I late?"
A figure stepped into Naruto's home, his presence immediately drawing everyone's attention.
"Everyone's here..." the newcomer observed before his gaze landed on Naruto. "Huh?!"
"Yondaime!?"
Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, stood there with a gentle smile.
Silence fell over the room as everyone turned to Naruto, eyes filled with shock and confusion.
"Naruto... what the hell is going on?!" Kiba blurted out.
Sakura and Sasuke exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of disbelief and curiosity.
Before Naruto could respond, another voice chimed in.
"So this is where you guys usually hang out?"
Kakashi walked in, his single visible eye curving into a smile as he surveyed the gathering.
"Sakura, Sasuke... how long have you been eating so well behind my back?" he teased, making himself comfortable at the table.
Sasuke frowned and turned to Kiba. "Do you know him?"
Kiba shook his head. "No clue. But doesn't he kinda look like... Kakashi-sensei?"
Sakura hesitated before adding, "It is Kakashi-sensei. Just... weirder than usual."
Ignoring the murmurs, Kakashi casually picked up a bowl and chopsticks and started eating, completely unfazed by the situation.
"Who is he?" Shikamaru asked, already piecing things together.
Naruto exhaled. "My father. And—"
"Of course, there's me too~"
A cheerful voice interrupted as Kushina Uzumaki entered, carrying a large pile of gold and silver jewelry.
"Kaa-chan!" Naruto's eyes widened.
Kushina beamed, setting down her treasure trove. "I found all of this in Uzushiogakure! When Kurama heard about it, he dashed off immediately and dug through the ruins all night. I swear, he was calculating profits before he even finished collecting everything."
Kurama grumbled from within Naruto's mind, but didn't deny it.
CLANK!
Jewels and gold spilled onto the floor, shimmering under the light.
"Wow~ Golden Legend~!" Kiba exclaimed, his eyes sparkling.
The room buzzed with excitement. If Kushina had come back, then...
Kushina looked around, her gaze settling on Sasuke.
"Oh? You must be Sasuke, right?"
Sasuke stiffened. "You... know me?"
Naruto barely held back a laugh at the way Sasuke phrased it—it almost sounded like, Have you heard of my legend?
Kushina chuckled. "Of course! Your mother and I were good friends. You look just like her. And with that Uchiha crest on your back, how could I not recognize you?"
Sasuke fell silent, processing her words.
Kushina sighed. "Back when Minato was still Hokage, the Uchiha Clan and Konoha were on good terms..." Her voice trailed off as she turned to another presence in the room.
"Huh?"
Beside her, a girl with sparkling eyes stared at the pile of treasure.
"Can I pick one?" Tenten asked eagerly, looking up at Kushina with expectation.
With a delighted laugh, Kushina scooped her up and planted a kiss on her cheek. "Of course! As cute as ever, just like when you were a baby~"
Tenten blinked. "Wait... we've met before?"
Kushina smiled mysteriously and nodded. "Take as much as you want. And if it's not enough, ask Kurama for more."
Tenten was still confused, but something about Kushina's presence reassured her.
"Ah? I want some too!"
Ino quickly dragged Hinata and Sakura over.
Kushina laughed. "Of course! You're all just like Tenten. Come here!" She pulled them into a warm embrace.
Naruto sweatdropped. "She's definitely playing favorites with Tenten..."
A soft voice suddenly spoke up.
"Kurenai-sensei, Anko-senpai, don't you want anything?"
Hinata's question made Kushina pause. Her expression shifted slightly before she turned toward the two women standing in the corner.
"Huh? Those names sound familiar..."
Her gaze landed on Kurenai Yuhi and Mitarashi Anko.
A second passed before realization hit. "It's really you two! Hong, Anko! Ahhh, you've grown so much!"
Kushina waved them over. "Come, pick something you like!"
Kurenai and Anko exchanged wary glances.
Looking at Kushina's flowing crimson hair, they both took a deep breath.
'It's fine, we're fine!'
'Just play it cool, Kurenai.'
'Yeah, pick something nice and don't draw attention!'
Just as they made a move, Kushina suddenly raised her head again. Her sharp eyes locked onto them.
For a brief moment, her chakra flared, and her blood-red hair lifted as if caught in an invisible wind.
Kurenai and Anko froze, feeling an overwhelming pressure descend upon them.
Then, as suddenly as it came, it disappeared.
Kushina's warm smile returned. "Come on, don't be shy!" she said cheerfully.
The two women hesitated for a second longer before nervously stepping forward to pick their shares.
As the girls bonded with Kushina, Kakashi sat to the side, completely ignored.
Not that he cared.
With a smug grin, he casually pulled down his mask and began eating—just to flex on them all.
Meanwhile, Minato found himself completely surrounded by the younger generation, bombarded with questions and admiration.
For Naruto, this moment felt surreal. His parents had returned, and for the first time, his home was filled with warmth, laughter, and love.
The return of the Fourth Hokage's family had truly shaken Konoha to its core.
"Wow!"
"He really looks like Naruto!"
Bang!
A fist the size of a sandbag slammed down onto Inuzuka Kiba's head.
A moment later, he was unceremoniously kicked out of the chat group.
"I never thought I'd see the Fourth Hokage in my lifetime!"
"The Yellow Flash!"
"You must be incredibly fast, right?"
Minato smiled as he observed the enthusiastic crowd. "Is this… Might Guy's child?"
"No! I'm Mr. Kai's student!"
Rock Lee struck his signature pose, his eyes burning with determination.
Minato's gaze swept over the assembled shinobi. "Hinata, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, Fugaku's children, and the heirs of the Inuzuka and Aburame clans—you're all excellent ninjas."
Naruto had already briefed him before their arrival, so there was no fear of revealing too much too soon. He could tell these children had learned a lot from his son.
As everyone excitedly conversed, Minato found himself overwhelmed by the sheer number of voices demanding his attention.
Kushina, on the other hand, was completely at ease.
The younger kunoichi's eyes sparkled as they listened to her, hanging onto every word.
Kurenai and Anko, however, had different reactions—especially when Kushina suddenly dropped a seemingly casual remark:
"You two are amazing. Your skin is so well-maintained… Do you have boyfriends?"
Both women stiffened in shock before hastily shaking their heads.
Serves you right for eating all that dango! Hmph~_
No one knew whose thoughts these were.
Minato clapped his hands to gather everyone's attention.
"Alright, from now on, I'll be leading your training."
He turned to Kakashi. "You should join in as well. You've been stagnant for too long."
The moment the words left his mouth, the younger shinobi couldn't contain their excitement.
The Fourth Hokage himself—teaching them? It was unimaginable!
"Hmph, if not for Naruto, Kakashi-sensei would've been bedridden for a week after using the Sharingan," Sasuke said flatly, exposing Kakashi's weakness without hesitation.
Meanwhile, far from Konoha…
Tsunade slowly made her way toward the village, accompanied by Shizune and Tonton.
At the same time, several other forces were converging on Konoha.
…
"Gaara! Calm down!"
"Let go!"
"…Fine."
Kankuro and Temari warily took a few steps back, fear evident in their expressions.
Gaara, his breath still heavy from the kill, closed his eyes.
With a cold snort, he stepped over the fresh corpse and continued toward Konoha.
…
"Mom… hold on until I return from Konoha!"
"Karin, never reveal your abilities."
"Mom will be fine…"
"Mom! Please, wait for me!"
…
"Heh… Konoha's Chunin Exams?"
"Another pointless spectacle—just a show of force?"
"Well, let's go see for ourselves… how powerful the so-called Number One Ninja Village truly is."
…
"The plan remains unchanged. Now is not the time for Konoha to take the bait."
"Konan, you'll lead the team this time."
"Understood."
The woman with light blue-purple hair disappeared into the darkness.
A cold voice echoed in the chamber.
"Ajisai, gather the Genin. Prepare to infiltrate Konoha under the guise of participating in the Chunin Exams."
"Yes, Master."