Namikazi Minato froze as Naruto paused. He and the rest of the Village had come to know and dread those pauses. All of the civilians in the immediate vicinity promptly made themselves scarce. The Kyuubi incident was still fresh in their minds. When the change started, he hid behind a nearby building waiting in dread.
What would it be this time? Would it be a battered and broken child that would cling to him crying until whatever had caused this phenomenon dragged it back to the hellhole it came from? Would it be an overpowered ANBU? A boy who had never heard of Ninja? An inhuman monster? A creature driven by blood and a desire for revenge? The secret son of Yamanaka Inoichi, Jiraiya-Sensei, that guy Nagato or even god forbid Orochimaru or Uchiha Madara? Would he be a previously unknown descendant of the Shodaime or the Nidaime? Would he be loud, brash, hyperactive, and disguising his genius with a moron act or even really be fucking stupid? Would he be a girl? What would it be?
The small child that had been trailing behind him attempting to attach a Kick Me sign to the back of his cloak for the past hour rapidly shot upward, stopping at a height that was a couple inches shorter than his own. He didn't appear to have any extra bits where they didn't belong be they breasts or fox ears and a tail. The bright orange outfit was replaced by something that incorporated orange, but a more muted shade, and not to such an insane degree.
When the person stopped changing, he found himself looking at a man who was about twenty or so years old and, rather than being a clone of his younger self, seemed to favor Kushina when it came to his bone structure. He still had the trademark Namikaze/Uzumaki spiky blond hair and blue eyes combo.
After a moment of searching, the young man turned and walked over to him.
Oh great. It was already time for the confrontation. What would it be, disbelief, yelling, screaming, crying, horrible accusations, statements of what a horrible father he was or vows of revenge?
The young man smiled, and for one heartbreaking moment he looked incredibly familiar. He looked just like...
"Hi dad, you wouldn't believe the trip I've had." the man said smiling.