Arashi and Kazama make their way towards the village gates. There is no point to them staying any longer. Both are incredibly saddened by the news that, not only is their son really dead, but that he died a scant six years ago. If they had found him sooner they could have been reunited with their son, instead of a monument, a grave and a fantastic legend.
Iruka runs into the stairwell, barely waiting for the Akimichi he took the Chunin exams with to go back to the waiting area before he starts drawing a seal. A moment later, Joe appears.
"What's up, little mortal?" Joe asks. "You look like someone stole your undies off your washing line."
"No one pinched my undies," says Iruka, hiccuping hysterically. "But Naruto's dad's parents just turned up out of the blue and I don't know what to do!"
"So you called a shinigami?"
"Well, you're a god of death! You know who's dead and who isn't, right?"
"Yes, and Minato Namikaze's parents are not," says Joe, serious now. "But it seems as if they are leaving the Leaf Village. Why would they do that with Naruto here?"
"Because we can't tell anyone who Naruto's parents are," says Iruka desperately. "What should I do?"
Joe grins. "Leave everything to me!" he says cheerfully and flies off.
"WAIT, JOE!" Iruka yells, running after the Shinigami. "Come back!"
Filled with a fiery determination, Joe flies over the heads of screaming and panicking humans to where the little blonde Uzumaki is floating. "Don't worry, mortals," Joe says cheerfully. "I'm not here for your souls. That's what my friend Dave would do."
The mortals don't seem overly comforted by this, so Joe ignores them and heads for Naruto.
"Hi, Joe!" Naruto grins, waving.
Joe takes the leash stopping Naruto from floating away off the little Hyuuga girl and tucks the boy under his arm. "I'll be taking this," he says. "But don't worry, you'll get him back."
"Where are we going?" asks little Naruto.
"Hush," says Joe and flies as fast as he can to Minato's parents. Joe soon finds them, making their miserable way to the village gates. "Hey! Mortals!" Joe yells.
The Namikazes turn to look up at him. They do not even flinch at the sight of the Shinigami. That is not a good sign.
"What do you want?" the man asks. His name is Arashi, Joe recalls.
Joe holds out Naruto and says, "This here is Minato's kid." Holding Naruto under the arms, Joe carefully places the boy in his grandfather's arms.
An Uchiha with a mustache comes running up. "What's going on?" He asks. "I saw you flying by with Naruto and thought I better investigate in case something is wrong."
"You're Fugaku, right?" asks Joe. "The head Uchiha?"
"Yes, I am," the Uchiha confirms. "What's going on here?"
"I was just dropping Naruto off with his grandparents," Joe tells him.
"Naruto's identity is an S rank secret," says Fugaku. "Even the clan heads aren't supposed to know, but we aren't stupid - it's kinda obvious."
"Oh, so that's why the Last Umino was tearing up over what to do," realizes Joe. "The little Uzumaki is an S Rank secret. That makes sense. Well, in that case, it's a good thing I'm the one who told them. I am not bound by your human rules."
"Oh, thank goodness," says Fugaku. "Because the Hokage is going to be pissed."
"Um, what is going on here?" asks Kazama, sounding very, very confused.
"Nobody is allowed to know who my parents are because they have heaps of enemies," explains Naruto. "But Joe is a Shinigami so the Hokage can't tell him off for telling you that I'm your grandson, dattebayo."
"But why is it a secret?" demands Arashi.
"Ah, now that is something I am sure Lord Third will need to explain himself," says Fugaku. "Now, Mr. Shinigami, you had better help me explain things to the Hokage so the Hokage can explain things to this nice couple."
"Do you always look disapproving?" asks Joe.
"Unfortunately," says Fugaku. "Now, if all of you would please accompany me to the Hokage's office - NO! Don't let go of Naruto!" Fugaku grabs ahold of Naruto, who Arashi had, unaware of the danger, tried to set the boy on the ground. "Alright, I think I had better hang on to Naruto until we get into the Hokage tower."
"...and that is why I did not tell you about Naruto," Hiruzen finishes. He is actually glad that the shinigami intervened.
Minato's parents stare at him, then each other. "You mean you couldn't have explained this to us before?" asks Kazama. "Why not? I would rather know I have a grandson I cannot meet, rather than believe that our son just...died." She bangs her fist down on Hiruzen's desk.
"You say that now," says Fugaku quietly. "But would have understood before? I don't think so."
"As much as I hate to admit it," sighs Arashi. "You are right. We would have been angry beyond reason. But isn't there a way we can raise our grandson without jeopardizing his safety?" he asks earnestly.
"Not that I can think of," sighs Hiruzen. "I suppose you could live in the Leaf and be close to him."
"Actually…" Fugaku says, tentatively. "There might be a way."
All three of the other people in the room turn to stare at him.
"What?" asks Hiruzen, hoping that Fugaku really did come up with a solution to the problem.
"Well, the word on the street it that the Fourth Hokage's long lost parents turned up out of the blue," begins Fugaku. "Would it really surprise anyone if they, say, took in the jinchuuriki that the Fourth created to save the village in honour of his memory? And would it seem odd if the Fourth's parents also took in the jinchuuriki's self-proclaimed older brother?"
"Go on," says Hiruzen.
"So in this hypothetical situation," continues Fugaku. "Would it surprise anyone at all if the Third Hokage were to gift the Fourth's old home to his long lost parents? Of course, people would be curious as to how Minato's parents didn't know where he was for so long, so why not tell them the truth? They isolated themselves from the world because they thought he was dead. But now they've found out he was not, except, oh no! He is dead. But he left behind the jinchuuriki he created to save the village he loved. So why not continue where the Fourth left off and watch over the jinchuuriki?"
"Oh, you are a genius," says Arashi. "And so long as Lord Third is willing that situation will not stay hypothetical. But's what's this about a self-proclaimed older brother?"
"You will meet him soon enough," says Fugaku. "Afterall, I did send Naruto and the Shinigami to fetch him."
"Yeah, about that shinigami…"
"Don't ask. Trust me: just roll with it."
"Wassap, mortals!" the shinigami flies in the window with Iruka under one arm and Naruto under the other. "I'm back!"
"Joe, put me down before I dismiss you!" snaps Iruka.
"His name is Joe?" Kazama sound very confused.
"Damn straight," grins the shinigami. "I'm Joe." He lets Naruto go and the boy floats up to the ceiling. Then he dumps Iruka on Hiruzen's desk.
"Iruka, that jacket does not belong to you," says Hiruzen.
"I know," Iruka grins. "Technically it belongs to Naruto."
"Yeah, and brothers share clothes all the time!" adds Naruto, from his position on the ceiling. A phoenix the size of a cat flies in the window and perches on Iruka's head. "Hi Sparky!" Naruto calls down to the bird. Then he adds, for the benefit of his grandparents, "Sparky is my pet phoenix. He can't fly as fast as Joe."
"I am the fastest shinigami," boasts Joe.
"Really?" says Hiruzen patronizingly. "Well Mr. Fastest Shinigami, you nearly caused an international incident."
"I'm a god of death," shrugs Joe. "I cause international incidents for fun sometimes. Like that time I stopped Dave from killing-" he claps his hands over his mouth. "Oopsie, that's so secret even I would never reveal it!"
"What?" asks Iruka. "What secret? Who did you save?"
"Not telling!" says Joe and vanishes.
"Huh, he dismissed himself," says Iruka. "They never dismiss themselves."
"Wait, they can dismiss themselves?" asks Naruto. "You mean I freaked out for no reason?"
"On the contrary," says Iruka. "Shinigami almost never dismiss themselves. They will stay until you force them to leave usually. I wonder who he saved?"
"That is not important right now," says Hiruzen, shooing Iruka off his desk. "What is important is that you, Iruka, and you, Naruto are going to live with Minato's parents from now on." He explains the plan to them, making sure to leave out any mention that Naruto is a jinchuuriki. Even so, he is sure that Iruka reads the subtext. That boy is too sharp for his own good.
"Yay!" Naruto yells, sending himself spinning in circles.
Arashi grabs the leash hanging off Naruto's harness and pulls him down. "So how did you start floating?" he asks, giving Naruto a big hug.
"Yes, I'd like to know that as well," says Kazama, pinching Naruto off her husband and smothering him in kisses.
"I'm teaching Naruto fuuinjutsu," explains Iruka. "He accidentally switched off his personal gravity."
Looking at the newly formed little family, Hiruzen is so happy he could burst.