Hello peoples! Happy New Year! And a very happy birthday to my big sister.

So, I'm back to where I go to school (the city, the dorms don't open for a few more days, I'm staying with my grandma) and my airline lost my luggage. Well, not so much lost it, didn't get on my flight with me. I had a wonderful six hours of wondering what happened to it. Ended up on a different airline. But the important part is that I got it back! I have clothes and the key to my dorm room! Yay!

This chapter is also the longest one yet, clocking in at just over 1k words. There are a few things that happened between this chapter and the last and those are the two conversations with Tsunade and Hiruzen about the night Naruto was born. I didn't have scenes in mind for these conversations so they aren't here. If I do think of stuff, I'll make a side story of one-shots. The opening scene was inspired by one from canon.

Anyway, enjoy the chapter and have a wonderful New Year! Stay safe in any celebrating you do!

I own nothing but my OCs

Chapter 3: Reunion

September

Naruto sat on the counter of his apartment. His jiji, Sandaime Hokage, was there dropping off the monthly allowance.

"Now don't waste it all this time."

Naruto continued to look at the floor in a pout. Hiruzen made his way to the door. A small voice stopped him before he could leave.

"Why don't I have parents?"

Hiruzen sighed. Naruto was questioning things again.

"I already told you. Your par-"

"I know that. But who were they? Why did they die?"

Hiruzen sighed again. Then he started thinking. Minato and Kushina were awake and slowly recovering. They were wheelchair-bound but staying awake all day at least. Their skin started regaining color and they weren't as skinny as before. It was risky, but Naruto needed this.

"Come here, Naruto." The boy walked over as Hiruzen slowly lowered himself into a crouch.

"Don't tell anyone in the village about who I'm taking you to see. You'll be in the biggest trouble imaginable if you do."

Naruto blinked with wide eyes before nodding.

"You promise?"

"Promise!"

Hiruzen smiled before standing up. He took Naruto's hand and led him in the direction of the hospital. He gave a small signal to his ANBU to inform the staff and his successor of their arrival.

Naruto was confused. He assumed that jiji was taking him to the graveyard to tell him his parents' names. But they weren't in the graveyard, they were in the hospital. If my parents are dead, why did jiji take me here? His four-year-old brain couldn't understand why dead people would be kept in a hospital.

Hiruzen lead Naruto through the main hospital to a high-security section. ANBU were at the doors to the small ward. They didn't stop Hiruzen or Naruto but did wonder why the jinchuuriki was being led there. The Hokage led the boy to a door near the end of the hall. The room was dark, as the lights were off, but the features were clear. There were two hospital beds right next to each other with room for a third if need be along the left wall. The back wall had a large window to the outside and a door to its left. The right wall had a door all the way to the right and one all the way to the left with cupboards and a counter between them. Sandiame-sama tugged Naruto through the door to the left on the right wall. He knocked before entering at a soft "come in" from the other side.

This room's lights were on, making it bright, and it was smaller than the other room. The right wall also had a large window but no door. There was some exercise and physical therapy equipment in the left half of the room, while the right half had a small rectangular table with some chairs, a few lounge chairs, and a TV. Two people, one blond and one redhead, sat next to each other in wheelchairs at the table with nurses directly across from them. They all seemed to be playing a game but looked up when Hiruzen and Naruto walked in. The nurses got up and pushed their patients over to the Sandiame, who walked further into the room, Naruto trailing cautiously behind.

"Sandaime-sama," the nurses said simultaneously while giving respectful bows.

"Yasashii, Haru," He responded while nodding to each.

Naruto eyes wandered before settling on Hiruzen. He was even more confused and a little scared now.

"Is that…" The redhead, a woman, trailed off.

Naruto, whose attention shifted to the patients, saw they were both incredibly skinny. Their cheeks were sunken and their clothes swamped them. Their skin had a slight yellow tint to it and their limbs looked a little knobby without the normal fat and muscle.

"Yes, he is." Hiruzen confirmed. Smiles broke out on both patients faces as Hiruzen turned to Naruto, "Naruto, these two are your parents, Minato and Kushina."

Now Naruto's confusion was off the charts. My parents? But you told me…

"But jiji, you told me…"

"It was to keep you safe, Naruto," Minato interjected. Naruto looked over at his supposed father.

"That's right," Hiruzen confirmed, "That is why you need to keep this a secret. The other villagers can't know who your parents are."

"But-"

"Naruto, come here," Kushina requested.

Naruto hid behind Hiruzen a little more. The old man gave a small smile then turned to the child. He took the child's hand and led him to Kushina. Hiruzen looked at her to confirm that it would be alright before lifting Naruto onto the woman's lap.

Naruto froze at the sudden closeness. Then he got a closer look at her face. He moved to kneel on the wheel chair with his knees on either side of Kushina's legs. He looked at her face in wonder, gently setting his hands on her cheeks. "Mommy?" He whispered.

Kushina's smile turned gentle as she looked into her son's eyes. "Yes, sweetheart."

Naruto's eyes widened while he gasped. Then tears welled up in his eyes. Before anyone could do anything, Naruto buried his face in Kushina's shoulder and cried his heart out, clinging to her hospital clothes.

Kushina's arms immediately came up to surround her son's small body. She rubbed his back and whispered sweet nothings to him. Minato's hand joined hers as the man leaned to look at his son's face. Naruto jumped slightly at the touch, pulling his face from his mother's shoulder to look at his father.

That's when he took a close look at Minato, specifically his eyes. Naruto found his own eyes staring back at him. A new wave of grief washed over the boy, "Daddy…" More tears welled in his eyes. Tears built in Minato's as well, "Oh, Naruto."

Naruto's head fell back to Kushina's shoulder while still looking at his father. Kushina continued to rub his back while Minato placed his hand on the joint between the boy's head and neck, running his thumb over the tiny cheek. Sadness and love filled their faces. They stayed like that for about half an hour.

Hiruzen and the nurses left at some point during the reunion, seeing that this was something private and intimate. Minato called them back about half an hour after they left. Naruto was sleeping on his mother's shoulder when the trio came back in. Haru was about to take Naruto and set him on one of the beds but Kushina refused to part from him. Hiruzen, Yasashii, and Minato smiled. No bond is more special than the one between mother and child. Minato quietly asked that they be pushed back to the table to continue their game. Hiruzen had some things to do at the tower so he bid them farewell.

Naruto spent every day with his parents from that day forward, visiting hours permitting.

Review Time!

Princess Hinashi-Naruto was four in the last chapter and this chapter.

DxGRAYxMAN-Oh yes. I may not show it here in the story, but an explosive argument between Kushina, Minato, and Hiruzen happened when Naruto told his parents about his treatment at the hands of the village. Accusations of negligence flew right and left.