Minato massaged his aching wrists. Ibiki had removed the shackles from around his ankles and wrists and had directed him to another room. It was smaller than the previous one but more comfortable overall. Calling it a tiny office fitted it more than calling it an interrogation room. Maybe it indeed was an office. Who would put bookshelves and armchairs in an interrogation room?

"Hokage-sama," Ino stepped into the room after knocking.

"Please call me Minato. I'm not the Hokage now," he turned to her and waved his hands uncomfortably in front of his chest.

"Alright," Ino nodded courtly and gestured Minato to sit down. She waited until he complied before she spoke up again. "I'm not a medical ninja, but I can perform basic medical ninjutsu. I can heal your wounds if you let me."

Minato glanced at his bandaged little finger. It could use some healing for sure as it was hurting when he had to move it. He took a moment to think about it, but the continuous scorching sensation in his injured lips sealed the deal.

"Thank you," he uttered gratefully.

Ino moved closer and took his hand in hers, taking off the thin bandage carefully. A bright green light appeared around her hands as she applied medical ninjutsu on the fresh cut. Minato felt warmth circling around his fingers and he let the pleasant feeling completely engulf him. His strained nerves were slowly loosening up as the pulsating ache disappeared from his pinkie.

"I'm so sorry."

Minato's gaze flickered at the woman kneeling in front of him. "It doesn't hurt," he reassured her, misunderstanding the reason behind her apology.

"No, I mean, I'm sorry for the… harsh interrogation," she stammered as she pushed herself to her feet and placed her hands close to Minato's lips to heal his wound there, too.

"Oh, don't worry about it," he replied but had to wait for the healing to be done before he could continue. "Everybody did their job well. I would've done the same in your situation. Who would think about time travel first, right?" His mouth spread into a heartening smile.

"I just can't believe we tortured the Fourth Hokage," Ino muttered under her breath.

Minato opted not to answer. He didn't hold a grudge against any of them, he wasn't that type. Besides, all their actions were rather understandable. If someone from the past had suddenly popped up in his village, Minato would've done the exact same thing.

"I verified your identity through your memories, but we would like to run an additional DNA test if you let us." The tone of Ino's voice was cordial, but Minato knew she wasn't asking but rather stating what the next step would be.

"Of course," he agreed. Proving his identity was also in his best interest after all.

Ino opened the small bag that she had brought with her and pulled out a thick needle with an ampoule attached to it at the end. Minato removed the bands tied around the left sleeve of his blue uniform and tucked it up for Ino to be able to insert the needle. She quickly searched for a vein. When she found one, she practically impaled it as she shoved the tool into Minato's skin.

Minato drew in a sharp breath from the unexpected amount of pain and Ino shot an apologetic look at him. "Sorry, I told you I'm not a medical ninja or anything like that. I figured I can get this done anyway, but I should've called for a nurse I guess."

"No problem," he forced a faint grin onto his face. "I've had much worse than this today."

Ino flinched at the humorless statement but didn't comment. Minato wished to suck back his remark as he watched the woman's face turning guilt-ridden. He felt bad, but it just slipped out of his mouth.

"So, could you tell me something about the Seventh?" Minato inquired to ease the tension caused by the slip of his tongue.

"It's not my place to say anything about him," she replied without tearing her gaze away from the needle even for a second. A vague hum escaped Minato's lips but he let go of the topic.

Despite the rough beginning, Ino managed to take the necessary amount of blood. She pulled the needle out of Minato's arm and detached the ampoule. Soon enough, the ampoule filled with Minato's blood disappeared in the pocket of her skirt. She then wrapped the needle in a thick bandage and placed it back in her bag.

"I will return soon with the results," she bowed respectfully and left Minato alone.

He stood up from his seat with a sigh and circled the room nervously. He finally halted in front of the bookshelves, crossing his arms in front of his chest, and ran his gaze through the titles. He secretly wished to stumble upon a book on history to read about what had happened in these 30 years he had accidentally skipped, but to his dismay, the bookshelf was only loaded with books about the mind.

Minato wondered who the Hokages coming after him were. If he had to make a guess, he would say the Fifth was Orochimaru. It would be logical since he had always been a strong candidate, but the last time the council decided to inaugurate Minato instead of the Sannin. However, Minato had no idea who the Sixth and Seventh could be. His master, Jiraiya? No, he had never embraced such ideologies. Maybe an Uchiha? If anyone, then Fugaku for sure. Or they might be people Minato didn't even know.

The corners of his mouth curled up in a small smile. He had messed up the seal for sure but being in the future was rather exciting.

The door of the room slammed open and Minato snapped his head to the side to take a good look at the newcomer. He spotted the mysterious blond man from before standing in the doorframe. His eyes were wide and the blueness in them was sparkling in an odd way that Minato couldn't explain. His gaze settled on the cloak of the man. So, he was the Seventh Hokage, Minato should have guessed.

He turned to face his successor and bowed respectfully. "Hokage-sama, it will sound nonsensical, but please hear me out," he started with a stilted voice as he straightened up. "I'm Namikaze Minato and –"

He couldn't finish his sentence because the Nanadaime rushed to him and almost pushed him off his feet when his body crashed into his own in a tight hug. Minato stood still, not daring to even breathe while he let the man sob his heart out on his shoulders.

Minato couldn't help but stiffen his muscles in the smothering embrace of the stranger. He didn't know what exactly he had expected from the current Hokage, but definitely not this. Shifting his eyes to the side, he caught a glimpse of the Seventh's blond hair. The hopeful idea of them being related by blood made an appearance in Minato's mind again.

The man finally removed his arms from around Minato's shoulders and stepped back, wiping his tears away.

"I'm sorry, you probably have no idea who I am and I just invaded your space," he mumbled with a sheepish laugh, clearly embarrassed by how he got carried away with his own feelings. "Nice to meet you. My name is Uzumaki Naruto."

"Uzumaki?" Minato's eyes bulged in surprise. "But… your hair…" he pointed at Naruto's blond hair. An Uzumaki without the signature Uzumaki red hair sounded improbable, unless…

All of a sudden, it clicked in Minato's mind. The striking resemblance, the familiar structure of his face, the name, Ino's secrecy.

"Are you…" he tried to ask, but he couldn't voice this inconceivable thought, even though deep down he was already convinced about his relation to the Seventh Hokage.

"I'm your son, you know!" Naruto announced proudly with a wide grin on his face.

Minato's lips quirked up in a gentle smile upon hearing the all too familiar verbal tic of his wife.

"Sorry for, uh, you know, knocking you out and handing you over to the T&I, but I honestly thought you would be a threat. I didn't understand why someone would use you as a transformation, but I figured it was meant to be a personal attack on me or something. I never would've guessed it's actually you from the past, but… so, time travel, huh? It sounds impossible, but who could pull off a feat like that if not my father, right?" Naruto rambled while he was rubbing the nape of his neck.

Minato's prying eyes were pinned on the grown man in front of him. Wrapping his mind around the fact that he just met his own son from the future gave him a hard time, although he had no doubts about the identity of Naruto.

Their blood-relation would become undeniable the moment when one stared into Naruto's ocean blue eyes, the exact shade of Minato's own. He had never seen anyone else besides his own reflection in the mirror with such a unique eye color. And on top of that, their spiky blond hair made them look like two peas in a pod, even though Naruto clearly inherited the structure of Kushina's face.

"Could you say something?" Naruto asked unsurely, averting his gaze from Minato. "It's a bit awkward that you're just staring at me, you know."

Minato blinked twice as though he had just become aware of not being alone in the room. He raised his hand to rub the back of his neck. "I'm sorry, I'm just trying to process that I have a son who is older than me."

They laughed together, both at the absurdness of the situation and the mutual unconscious movement of scratching their necks. That simple movement helped them cope with uncomfortable circumstances.

"Yeah, I'm 32 now," Naruto stated.

"I'm nearing 24," Minato replied with a smile.

The corners of Naruto's mouth twitched and a shadow ran through his face, but he quickly hid it behind another bright smile. He motioned for Minato to sit down and he complied. Naruto himself walked to the desk in the middle of the room and leaned against it.

"Won't you sit down?" Minato stared at the empty chair behind the desk.

"I can't, I'm too excited to sit still," Naruto answered, the ear-to-ear grin was carved in his face. "It has been such a long time since I last saw you. I've missed you."

Minato shifted uncomfortably in his seat, not knowing how to respond. This man – Naruto, he reminded himself that he had a name – was clearly familiar with him, but it was the first time Minato had ever met him. He opened his mouth to respond but closed it back right away without uttering even the faintest sound.

"Sorry, we haven't met each other yet in your time, I forgot," Naruto grinned at him upon noticing Minato's uneasiness. "Wait," his eyes grew larger, "I shouldn't have told you about me. I shouldn't tell you anything, right? If I do, you may try to change things you don't like about your future."

"Don't worry, I will erase my memories when I go back. I don't want to ruin the future," Minato assured him.

Despite saying that, a dark thought burst into Minato's mind. He didn't miss the fact that Naruto believed he would try to change something, meaning something awful had yet to happen in his own timeline. Unconsciously, he tightened his grip around the armrests of the armchair he was sitting in.

"What are you doing here in the first place?" Naruto tilted his head to the side with a questioning stare.

"This time period wasn't my destination," Minato cut eye contact with Naruto and looked to the side with a faint blush blooming on his face. Messing up a seal was a bit embarrassing for a seal master. "I intended to travel back in time, not forward. We didn't even think it was possible," his voice tapered off.

"We?" Naruto cocked an eyebrow.

"Kushina and I," Minato answered, locking his own cerulean blue eyes again with Naruto's.

Naruto's face split into a soft smile. "My mother," he enunciated in a dreamy voice.

Minato observed his expression. The tone of his voice and the mix of grief and happiness on the Hokage's face signaled he wasn't as familiar with Kushina as he was with Minato. The revelation sent a stinging ache through Minato's heart. He already was aware that Kushina wasn't alive anymore at this time, but it very much looked like she had died even before Minato.

Minato's smile turned into a sorrowful grimace. He wanted to know how Kushina had passed away, but at the same time, he wished to be kept in the dark about it.

"Why did you want to go back in time? It doesn't make much sense to me." Naruto's question saved Minato from further weaving his gloomy theories.

"I wished to talk to the Nidaime about the Hiraishin. Me and Kushina… we wanted to find a way to fight the Kyuubi."

Naruto's eyes widened and he parted his lips in bemusement. "What?" he breathed out as if Minato had stabbed him in the chest with a sword.

Minato stared at the visibly shocked man, not understanding the reaction, but he answered without asking questions. "Kushina and I, we talked about having children," he glanced at the living proof in front of him, "but giving birth is extremely risky for a Jinchuuriki. The beast can break out of the weakened seal, killing its host in the process and possibly destroying everything around itself. As husband and Hokage, I can't let either of that happen. I'm sure you understand."

"And so, the plan was what exactly?" Naruto squinted his eyes at Minato, seemingly trying to understand the reason behind his actions.

Minato sighed, knowing precisely how reckless their plan would sound to Naruto. "We wanted to know if it's possible to enter the seal using the Hiraishin and mark a Bijuu with it. It would make teleporting myself into the seal easier while Kushina gives birth."

A brief silence settled between them before Naruto shook his head. "I still don't get it."

"We meant it to be a contingency plan. In case we fail with the precautions, I would teleport myself into Kushina's seal to hold back the Nine-Tails myself."

Naruto blinked at him as though he was trying to decide if Minato was pulling a prank on him. Minato steeled his expression and glared back at him. They stared at each other for long minutes and Minato started feeling uptight under the piercing gaze of the Seventh.

"That sounds like a terrible idea," Naruto finally broke the silence.

"Anything for the village and Kushina," Minato shrugged.

"Yeah, I know." Naruto's face scrunched up in sadness as he turned his head away.

Minato tried to tear his gaze away from the man in front of him, but he couldn't. He studied his face, linking every one of his features to either himself or Kushina. Looking at the strange whisker-like birthmarks on his cheeks, he pondered on the Kyuubi. Where was it in this time period? Since Kushina wasn't alive anymore, someone else must contain the beast.

"Is it you?" he asked Naruto who snapped his head back to fix his eyes on Minato. "The Jinchuuriki."

"It is me," Naruto bobbed his head.

"Since when?" Minato asked, folding his arms in front of his chest. He didn't notice it, but he was subconsciously clenching the fabric of the sleeves of his shirt as he waited for Naruto to answer.

Naruto pursed his lips tightly together and tilted his head back, mulling over his response. After a few seconds, he lowered his gaze to peer at Minato. "Since the very first hour of my life."

Minato gaped at him, blood running out of his face. He understood the true meaning behind Naruto's words. Naruto becoming the host for the Nine-Tailed Fox not long after his birth could mean only one thing: Kushina had died in childbirth, just as they feared.

A question was burning Minato's tongue, but there was no need to articulate it. He knew the answer anyway. He must've sealed the Kyuubi inside his own son.

Minato attempted to swallow the lump in his throat, but he couldn't make it go away. The tightness in his throat wasn't loosening, instead, the suffocating sensation bolted through his whole body. His heart sank into his stomach and he had to force himself to pry his fingers off his arm as he was squeezing himself so hard his knuckles turned white.

Erasing his memories about the trip to the future didn't seem to be a good idea anymore.

"I know what you're thinking," Naruto's voice cut into his thoughts, "and believe me, it's hard for me to say this, but forget it. You shouldn't do anything to change what has already happened. You have no right to do that. It would be too drastic of a change for everyone. Everything that now sounds terrible helped us in one way or another."

Naruto's eyes immensely bore into Minato's. The only traitorous sign of his real feelings was a deep crinkle forming around the corner of his eyes.

Minato's gaze wandered toward the ceiling as he leaned back in his seat, dwelling on his possibilities. The first thought that manifested in his mind was to never have children, but he hushed that one away immediately. Even without much knowledge on the future, not letting the Seventh Hokage be born equaled disaster. Naruto must have been elected as Hokage for a solid reason.

Should Minato just let Kushina die for the sake of the future? Should he just let the love of his life lose her own life when he could prevent it? He furrowed his eyebrows and grit his teeth upon recognizing how powerless he truly was.

Minato wished he had never created that cursed seal.

A firm knocking on the door interrupted Minato's self-loathing.

"Come in," Naruto yelled out and the door opened, revealing Ino behind it.

"Naruto, the DNA test came back with the results," she said as she ambled up to him and handed him over a file.

Naruto flipped it open casually and read through the document. Minato waited for the results eagerly even though he knew exactly what his identity was. He shifted in his seat, unconsciously yearning for the verification of Naruto truly being his son.

A grin broke out over Naruto's face before he turned the document around for Minato to see. "50% match, either brothers or father and son, but I think we all know which one is the truth in our case."

Minato focused his gaze at the document presented to him. He waded through the result of the test written on the paper, wrapping his head around the fact that he indeed had a son. His mind was reeling from the news, but his heart was filled with joy and pride as his eyes gravitated to the Seventh Hokage.

"Now that we've verified it's really you, we have an important thing to do." Naruto clasped his hands together and his face lit up even brighter.

An excited expression painted over his face as he formed the words, "I want you to meet my family, Dad."

Author's Note: Thank you everyone for the reviews, you all keep me motivated to write! I hope you all liked the reunion between Minato and Naruto, I wrote a few drafts, but I stuck with this one in the end.