Please read
Hey team!
A few things before you dive into the new chapter.
First, please note that I'm posting this a lot earlier than I initially planned to. This story is a slow burn, and I was planning to take my time posting the chapters in order to make absolutely sure I'm happy with them. I am completely happy with this one, but please note that future updates will be much slower.
The reason I am posting this early on is because I am in total lockdown here in Belgium, and so I have a lot of time on my hands (like, a lot). So I'm able to work on my writing more than usual. Also, I'm guessing some of you might be sharing my weird situation and thus will be happy to have something to read.
Second, you'll notice that this chapter is long. It is one of the longest so far. The others will be shorter.
Third, as mentioned above, this story is a slow burn. I wanted to explore the dynamics between characters a lot more, and this takes time. If you're looking for an action-packed story, this is not the one. It will not be like 'Glimpse'. Just a heads up. There will be some action, but not for a few more chapters. It is intentional and I will not change that.
Four, I know some of you were confused by the first chapter. This was also intentional. I promise the rest of the story is far from being that confusing.
Fifth, again, I wish to thank White-Witch-Sakura, my awesome beta for this story!
Sixth and last, this chapter starts right at the end of the first one, no time skip.
That's it for the story-related stuff! Enjoy the read!
And thank you so much for your support!
On an unrelated note, please stay home and stay safe. Your country might not be on lockdown, but please self-isolate as much as possible. Social distancing is not sufficient. If you've ever had any struggle with fine glitter, you will understand the risks: it gets everywhere without people noticing, sticks to you after touching something even though you personally haven't been in contact with glitter yet. Please stay away from crowds, for your safety and that of others: you might not know you are a risk (in addition to at risk).
And please don't hesitate take this time to reflect on our way of living and the impact we're heaving on the planet.
Peace!
The Path - Chapter 2
Minato was at his desk, listening to a mission report from one of his jounins, when he felt a tug at the edge of his conscience. He raised his hand to stop the jounin mid-sentence and closed his eyes for a couple of seconds.
"-You're dismissed. Please report to Nara Shikaku for the end of your report."
The jounin bowed and immediately left the room at Minato's serious tone. The Hokage spoke in a commanding voice, seemingly addressing the empty office.
"-We're going to Sector 83. You're coming with me."
Just as he finished his sentence, his four previously hidden ANBU guards appeared and surrounded him in a defensive position. They each closed their eyes and let the Hokage's chakra hold onto them as they disappeared in a flash.
They instantaneously arrived at the very edge of Konoha's immediate territory, a few paces into the outermost sensor barrier surrounding the village. Minato's heart skipped a beat as he immediately felt the chakra of the person standing just within the barrier.
"-Hold," he absentmindedly ordered his men as he slowly walked towards the figure.
The man was standing tall in a neutral position that was deceptively relaxed. Minato knew without a shadow of a doubt that it would only take a fraction of a second for the man to attack or defend if needed.
His heart lurched as he took in his son's appearance. For it was undoubtedly Naruto in front of him. But there was something different about him. His body was battered and he could see hints of repressed shivers running up and down his form. Yet it was his face that was the most noticeable. His guarded eyes, his neutral features.
So this is it.
Minato had always suspected this time might come eventually. He had both hoped it would, and prayed it wouldn't.
Naruto's face was closed off, his jaw clenched in a determined assessing and neutral mask. Minato stopped a few feet from his son.
"-Naruto."
The young man closed his eyes for a second, face flashing a mix of emotions before morphing back into the blank mask it was before. When he opened his eyes again, they were still guarded.
"-Father. Minato."
The voice was deep and held a trace of questioning intonation. Minato closed his eyes and inhaled slowly. He exhaled just as softly and reopened his eyes. This man was the answer to all his questions.
"-You're here.
-I am. You made it possible." There was a brief silence as both men studied each other. "Do you have your answers?"
If Minato had had any doubt regarding the man in front of him, this question blew them away.
"-It is you.
-It is me.
-I still have a few questions.
-I would have been surprised if you didn't."
Minato let the deep voice wash over him. It was the same as Naruto's always had been but there was something else in it. Something more than usual. Naruto was a ray of sunshine, a smile always there, ready to break out. He could be serious when needed of course, but this Naruto was the man he had seen so long ago. The commanding, unbelievably strong shinobi who had made him, Minato, obey his orders. Minato was not too sure what to think about his son becoming this person.
"-There is a border patrol outpost nearby.
-I know.
-Right. Should we head there? I'm assuming you do not wish to go to Konoha straight away."
Naruto thought about the proposition. He hadn't expected it. To be fair, he hadn't expected anything.
Minato, his father, appearing before him a few seconds after going through the barrier had been a shock. A welcomed one, to be sure, but a shock nonetheless. In the few instants since he had understood which path he was on, he hadn't let himself hope too much. He had no idea what to expect as he refused to look into this path's Naruto's memories. Seeing his father alive and well, if older, was a dream come true.
The wave of love he felt rising in his heart had been as surprising as it was normal. Clearly his soul recognized the Hokage and loved him deeply, whichever path he had been walking before this moment. Naruto let the warm feeling seep into his body, making the pain and despair recede slightly.
He looked at his father and saw the tension in his posture, in his eyes. The older blonde was wary of him, clearly unsure how to behave. Naruto smiled, shoulders relaxing, embracing the soul deep feeling of home.
"-Sure, Dad. As long as you've got something to drink there!"
Minato looked into his eyes. The Hokage smiled at his son, relieved to hear the voice he was used to. Whoever this man had become, he was still his son too. He stepped forward and brought the younger blonde into a hug, holding onto him dearly.
"-Welcome home."
Naruto stiffened for half a second before melting into the hug and returning it with fervor, physical agony be damned. In that hug, Minato could feel the love, the longing, the relief and the warmth emanating from Naruto.
Naruto's heart was about to burst. He had never felt so much love in his life. He was hugging his father! He allowed himself a few more minutes before pulling away and arranging his face into a blank mask again.
He was not as guarded as before, but the chakra he could feel from the four men standing at attention a few meters away held a world of pain for him. He could not afford to be distracted. He had to hold on just a little bit longer. Until he could find a place where he would feel safe enough to let go, to feel the pain throbbing through his body. He needed to hold on a little bit longer, just until he knew more about this reality.
Minato saw the change operate in Naruto as he pulled away from the hug and turned his attention towards his guards. He saw a brief flicker of pain in the clear blue eyes before determination took over, a familiar sight, yet so much more intense than usual. The guards maintained their positions until both blond men reached them. Minato could feel their curiosity towards Naruto even as they saluted him.
"-Namikaze-sama.
-Don't 'sama' me."
The blonde's voice held just a pinch of annoyance. Minato couldn't help but chuckle at the familiar interaction between his guards and his son. Even though they all knew each other well, his ANBU made a point to respect protocol to a 'T' when outside the village. Minato briefly wondered how much of Naruto's tone came from the habit he would regularly witness between his men and his son, and how much was coming from the 'other' Naruto's own past.
"-I don't want to run into anyone before we debrief properly. We're going to Hiraishin to the outpost."
Naruto slightly flinched at Minato's sentence.
"-It might be better if you guys Hiraishin me in. My chakra is a bit wanky at the moment."
Minato studied Naruto more closely. His eyes widened in surprise as he noticed how little he could actually read the younger man's chakra. It had at first appeared completely normal. But now that he was looking for it, he could feel the underlying storm hiding behind a layer of restrained and intentionally calm energy.
"-Will it be all right?
-Yeah, I'm sure I'll be fine. I just don't wanna risk being shredded in-between."
Minato nodded despite his unease at his son's casual tone with the mention of his own potential death should the technique backfire on him. His guards naturally came to surround Naruto, joining their fingers around him into the seals for teleporting someone else. They all disappeared in a flash.
The instant he felt the technique take hold, a world of agony exploded within Naruto. The transfer was instantaneous. One moment they were in the forest, the next they appeared in the outpost. None of that registered in his mind as he doubled over, body spasming, arching into the dry heaving tearing away at his throat.
"-Arrgh! Scatter!"
He managed to yell out before his chakra lashed out angrily, burning its way out of his body. The skin of his hands in contact with the hard floor sizzled up as the life energy rushed towards the earth, fast and hot as lightning. He felt a cry of pure agony rip his already damaged vocal chords as he squeezed his eyes shut. He could barely hear his father's voice calling his name, panic evident in his words. Naruto focussed on the voice, gritting his teeth and trying to bring his breathing under control.
He felt his fingers dig through the cold floor of the outpost. Another wave of chakra pulsed through him before violently retracting, slamming back into his reeling coils. Heat and frost battled through his tenketsu, lighting up every nerve ending, leaving Naruto shaking on his knees and hands on the floor. His breathing was fast and ragged.
When he regained some semblance of consciousness, he slowed down his breathing and focussed very hard on staying perfectly still. He could feel the others reaching out for him.
"-Don't touch me."
Minato's heart clenched at how broken and low Naruto's voice was. He had no idea what was happening.
The moment they had landed in the cabin, Naruto had doubled over and pure energy had lashed out around the room, searing the walls.
As Naruto tried to calm down, the Hokage focused on his men. Thankfully, their bodies had reacted instinctually to the command to scatter. Barely on time but managing to avoid the worst of the chakra burns.
"-Panther, you're hurt.
-I'm ok, Hokage-sama. Just minor burns, nothing damaging."
Minato brought his focus back onto Naruto, who seemed to be recovering enough to attempt standing up, eyes still closed.
"-Well," his rough voice rose, "I guess we'll be walking home, then." He kept silent a few seconds, swallowing a few times. "How badly did I hurt you, Panther?"
"-Not much, gaki, don't worry about it.
-I'm sorry, I didn't think this would happen. Sparrow, can you please look at it?" Naruto asked the medic on the team. Panther took a step back as Sparrow got closer.
"-I'm fine, honestly, it's just a small burn."
Naruto turned around, straightening up to stand tall, once more slipping into the commanding role that had become second nature to him through the years. He leveled Panther with a severe look. He had not been asking.
"-You will get yourself checked. I will not tolerate any health issue just because you don't want to be looked after."
All shinobis in the room straightened as his tone.
Minato was reminded of that day, over twenty years ago, when he'd been on the receiving end of that tone. It was no surprise to him that his men now reacted the way they did, snapping to attention, despite the underlying tension of confusion. Naruto had never spoken to them that way before.
"-Yes, sir."
Panther's voice was subdued, and he angled his body to show his arm to Sparrow, keeping Naruto in his line of sight.
"-Is there any chakra lingering in the burns, Sparrow?" The younger blonde's voice was softer but hadn't lost its authoritative edge.
"-No, sir, the burns are clean."
Minato vaguely noted that it was the first time one of his guards was addressing Naruto as 'sir'.
"-Good. Panther, please make sure you have it looked after over the next few days. My chakra is somehow corrosive at the moment, I don't want you to get poisoned.
-Hai."
Minato, seeing his men were unwilling to move, decided to break the building tension.
"-Go check the perimeter."
The four guards nodded and stiffly turned to leave the room. Just before they passed the door, Naruto's strong voice cut through the awkward silence.
"-Dog, stay."
The designated guard fell back, waiting for the others to leave the room with Spider closing the door behind him as he went last. The moment the three guards were gone, Naruto's rigid posture loosened slightly but not completely. Minato and Dog could now see the small tremors shaking his hands, and a few muscles still spasming.
"-Dog, please remove your mask."
Dog slowly reached for his mask, giving Minato the time to interrupt his movement if he felt the need for it. He didn't.
Naruto held his breath as a well-known face revealed itself. Wild silver hair, mismatched eyes, black mask covering the lower half. His heart lurched at the sight of his sensei's face.
Kakashi very carefully did not move, unsure how to act in front of this Naruto who was clearly not completely his brother. He could clearly see the soul scarring pain in his friend's blue eyes, the tears rising up but not falling.
Was this what Minato-sensei had mentioned to him a few times? That one day Naruto could be different? Kakashi hadn't understood what his sensei had meant when he warned him that something might happen. But something was definitely different about Naruto now.
Kakashi controlled his body to convey peacefulness and acceptance. Minato had insisted it was imperative to let his son come to them should this day ever happen. Kakashi still didn't understand any of it, but he would wait for Naruto to reveal himself.
Suddenly Naruto let out all the air in his lungs, relief bursting out of him in a brittle laugh.
"-You're alive!"
The words were spoken softly despite the rawness caused by the bile earlier. Without warning Naruto took the two strides separating him from Kakashi and engulfed him in a brief bone breaking hug.
"-Maa, of course I'm alive, Naru!
-Yeah, I know, I know."
Naruto stood back, sobering up quickly. Minato suddenly remembered words exchanged long ago during a fight he understood nothing about.
"-You lost him, didn't you? Your Kakashi."
Kakashi flinched. Naruto's face closed off, once more a blank mask. His voice, when he answered, was flat and devoid of emotions.
"-Kakashi died twelve days ago, protecting a field med tent."
Minato's eyes widened in shock and surprise.
"-The fight! You just finished it.
-The fight ended twelve days ago. I uh… I was out of it for a while.
-But you were fine when you left.
-Of course I was! You were about to rip into me, I wasn't going to let you see me keel over! Hurt like a right motherfucker though."
A part of Minato reeled in horror at the idea of what he had almost done. No matter the fact that he had felt completely unable and unwilling to hurt Naruto. Twenty five years ago, Naruto had been a threat to the village. An unknown. Someone Minato would have had to fight had he not disappeared.
"-Was that what this was?
-That? No, that was just a mild aftershock." Naruto snorted. "Trust me, it was not pretty."
Minato's eyes narrowed at the callous tone. How much pain had Naruto had to endure, if this was only an aftershock? How much pain was he in when he had last stood in front of him after defeating Tobi?
Naruto sighed and looked at Kakashi again, deciding to ignore the questions he could see on his father's face.
"-Ok, Kashi," the nickname from this life coming naturally to him, "what do you know?
-Not much, really. Only that Sensei told me one day you might be different, but still yourself. I wasn't sure what that meant but I think I do now. You've changed, Naru.
-I guess I have.
-Ah well, you're still this annoying little brother pestering me for jutsus, no?"
Naruto couldn't help but answer Kakashi's eye smile with a smile of his own. He gladly let the joy and amusement bubble up in his chest. Truly, it felt amazing to have Kakashi standing there, alive and breathing. And so different from his Kakashi. This Kakashi, he knew, was not a broken man.
"-Hold that thought, mutt, I might teach you a thing or two now.
-Eh, I'll believe it when I see it.
-I'll be looking forward to it."
Kakashi smiled, happy to see some of his Naru in this strange yet familiar man. Yes, he was different. But he was also the same. For now, it would do. As much as he wanted to discover this new person, he knew Minato would want some time alone with his son.
"-Maa, I guess I should go help them make sure no one is stupid enough to attack us on our home turf. Holler when you're done."
The tall man waved lazily as he turned to the door, putting his mask back into place and becoming ANBU Dog again before leaving Minato and Naruto alone.
The smile remained on Naruto's face.
"-He's different.
-Not really.
-I guess you're right. It's good to see him. And to know he's… Well, he's Kakashi. But a happier version of himself.
-Your Kakashi was different.
-Kakashi-sensei was many things. I think in the end he was happy with us, despite everything. In his own way. I don't think he really knew how to be happy anymore. He was a broken man for a very long time. Too much had happened to him. I'm glad this Kakashi, Kashi, didn't have to endure as much.
-It was hard work. You helped a lot.
-I know."
And he did. He could feel it, even though he didn't want to search in his new memories yet. He could feel it in the fondness he had for the older ninja. He could feel it in the bubbles of happiness of the childhood memories brushing against his consciousness. He remembers hugs and his smalls hands on tear-streaked cheeks that were so rarely without the mask covering them. He remembers brittle smiles and lanky arms tightening around him, shaking as quiet sobs didn't quite dare make it past his brother's lips. He remembers the slow progress of a soul healing.
Naruto could see it all in his mind, understanding things that his childhood memories could only feel without comprehending. Kakashi had broken a little. But not entirely. And though the man had his moments of sadness, he only needed to seek the young blonde out to remember there was also joy in his life.
Naruto silently let himself enjoy the feelings seeing Kakashi alive had brought him.
Silence stretched for a little while. Naruto was savoring the memories of his childhood with Kakashi, letting them reveal themselves. Kakashi was such a different person than the one who had died in the war. This one had suffered too, but he hadn't been completely broken by life. He'd kept afloat and had moved on from his losses. He still cherished the past, but wasn't swallowed by it.
Naruto could remember visiting the Memorial with him, paying his respects to Obito – and wasn't that a weird feeling now! This path's Kakashi was still struggling with his father's death. His Kakashi had come to terms with it at his first death during Pein's attack years ago. But even if Sakumo remained a touchy topic with the older adult, Naruto had grown up with tales of the White Fang.
Minato studied his son as he was lost in thoughts. He could remember the pain in Naruto's voice during the fight when he shouted at Tobi about a Kakashi Minato hadn't known. The rawness of an order to stop talking about him.
You have no right. You have no fucking right! Don't you dare speak his name, you bastard!
He hadn't realize how fresh the loss had been for the young man at the time. This man in front of him had lost his teacher just moments before fighting one of the strongest opponents Minato had ever seen. The man who had most probably killed his teacher. How had Naruto not broken down? Or gone ballistic? Because the Naruto from Minato's memory had been nothing if not deadly focused.
Naruto, his Naruto, was an amazing ninja. Strong and loyal and so protective of his friends and family. The pain roughening the voice screaming at the masked man was proof that this Naruto, a stranger who had pulled him into his own Hiraishin, was the same. But that Naruto had fought despite his pain, as crippling as it must have been. Minato wasn't sure his son would have been able to do the same.
"-You're really him, aren't you?
-Yes, Dad. It's really me. But you knew that already.
-I knew you were my son. That's why I named you Naruto.
-Oh? I thought it was because of Ero-sennin's book?
-Ero-sennin? I guess that fits! Well, we did tell you you were named after his character. It is a good book. But no. We were actually going to call you Obito. But the moment I saw you, the moment I held you in my arms for the first time, I knew. I understood. You told me I would see you at least one more time. I knew this was it. I knew it was you. But I wasn't sure I would ever see you again.
-I wasn't sure either. I had no idea what was going to happen."
Naruto sighed and walked to the small table in the corner. He pulled out one of the chairs and sat down on it.
"-I guess this is as good a time for a quick debrief as any. What else do you know?
-I've put a few things together over the years. When you were born I understood that you were somehow from the future but I have no idea how that is possible. I did consider it before you were born, but short of being the Rikudo Sennin, it is just not possible.
-Well, I'm glad you're mentioning it. You might want to sit down, Dad, it's gonna be a long one."
Minato looked at his son for a second then left the room. He came back a minute later with two cups and a bottle of sake. Naruto chuckled. Minato sat down at the table and poured them the sake.
"-So, explain to your Seal Master of a father how time travel is possible, would you? Because I have looked into it, thoroughly, and the only thing I could get was a headache."
Naruto chuckled again, remembering the many times he had caught his father staring at him as if he was the biggest mystery of the world. He had figured, as he grew up, that Minato had just winged being a father as he went, still amazed that Naruto existed at all. His suspicions hadn't been that far off. Now he understood what was going on in his father's head.
He gulped his sake down, refilled both their cups, and explained his meeting with the Sage of the Six Paths to his father while sipping the alcohol more slowly. When he was done, silence stretched into the room. After a while – remarkably short all things considered – Minato spoke.
"-I see. So you are Naruto? I mean this Naruto.
-I am. I haven't replaced him or anything. My path on this plain brought me to a point where becoming one with me as Path Naruto, as Ashura, was possible. I am still your son. I have all my memories and I've lived everything we've lived together. I also have another lifetime's worth of… life. I've lived another life as well. A different one.
-You were in a war.
-I… Yes, I was. I… I will not speak about it now. I can't. Not yet. Not in details at least.
-It's okay, son. Whenever you're ready, I'll be there."
Minato's eyes were soft, his heart tightening for this man, his son who had lived through the horrors of a war Minato knew nothing about. His war. His son had lost a teacher. Probably many friends as well. He had lost his innocence.
As the thought came to him, Minato realized this was probably one of the most notable differences with his son the last time he had seen him: Naruto had lost his innocence.
Minato swallowed to get rid of the tightness in his throat.
"-I know. I might not know much about this path yet, but I know that. Right now, I only know who I am now. I haven't taken the time to go through my memories from this path yet. It's just… It's a lot to take in, even for me. I'm not in my best form right now and I don't think now is the time for a literally soul deep introspection.
-Do you need medical attention?
-No. There is nothing to be done about my condition. You remember the fight, right?
-Every second of it. It might have been twenty five years ago for me but you left a strong impression.
-You flatter me, old man!"
And despite his bout of humor, Naruto couldn't help but notice how much older his father indeed was. The few times he had met him in the past, in orphan Naruto's past, his father had been in his prime: in the seal during Pein's invasion and the Edo Tensei version of him, both forever stuck at the age of his death, at the height of his power, and during his fight against Tobi in the past, when he was a young Hokage, even younger than he'd been the other times Naruto had seen him before then.
Now, laughing lines stretched at the corner of his eyes, which were just as sharp but maybe a little bit more tired. His hands, strong and calloused, were covered in small scars. The corner of his mouth was just a little bit more stern, if just as quick to pull into a smile.
Naruto realized with a pang of sadness that his father was in his late forties. Actually, Naruto himself was getting around the age his parents had died at on his orphan path.
He vowed to himself to take the time to go through his memories of this life and savor every moment he had shared with his father. He wanted to cherish those years he had missed.
"-When I killed Tobi, I absorbed his chakra. That's actually how I killed him. Problem is that the son of a bitch is a pain in the ass even when he's dead. His chakra is basically corrupting mine. Kurama is doing whatever he can, but it'll take a little while. It doesn't help that we have to adjust to this path's Kurama at the same time. I think that might have been why the Hiraishin backfired earlier.
-Kurama?
-Oh, yeah, you wouldn't know. That's the Kyuubi's name. Kyuubi is just his title."
Minato's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
"-You're on a first name basis with Kyuu~ I mean with a Tailed Beast?
-Yeah, all of them, actually. It's a long story for another time."
Minato would have spat out his sake if he'd been drinking. He had so many questions about this little piece of information. Now was not the time for this though.
"-I see. How long until you're recovered?
-Hm, Kurama says a few weeks. Apparently the worst part stuck to its original paths. That version of me is going to be in a world of pain for a while. I'm not looking forward to getting those memories back. What I'm dealing with here is more like an echo of it. It should be out of my system pretty soon. It'll just be a drag until then. I probably shouldn't use chakra until it's all gone.
-Okay. That answers some of my questions.
-What are the other ones?
-On your path, I died, didn't I?"
Minato could hear how pained and shaking his own voice was. That had been something that had eaten at him since realizing who Naruto was. In his memory of meeting Naruto for the first time, Minato clearly saw the fraction of a second it had taken Naruto to recognize him. The look of utter surprise on his face.
"-You didn't know me." He offered as a way of explanation for Naruto's silent question.
Naruto's eyes flashed with long held pain.
"-You did. You and Mom both died when I was born. I didn't lie to you. You both died while sealing Kurama in me."
Minato tried to swallow past the lump in his throat while listening to his son's answer. He had obviously suspected as much, considering what Naruto had told him twenty five years ago. But suspecting your son had grown up an orphan and having it confirmed were two very different things.
Seeing the pain on his father's face and in his eyes, Naruto continued in a voice that was emotional but softened by the years he had had to accept his growing up alone.
"- I did know you. I met you for the first time when I was sixteen. I triggered a failsafe you had put in the seal. It held some of your chakra. That's when I discovered you were my father. I was in the middle of a fight so I didn't really have time to process it."
The lump in Minato's throat grew larger. His orphaned son hadn't know he was his father. He wanted to ask why, but part of him knew the answer. The part of him that was in charge of a village and that had to think about the best course of action for his people. If he and Kushina had died, Naruto's parentage could not have been revealed. Even more since he was a jinchuuriki. Minato had too many enemies for that knowledge to be spread. Short of being hidden away in ANBU, Naruto's safety would have had to be guaranteed through anonymity. Minato just hoped Naruto had been well taken care of despite not knowing who his family was.
Unaware of his father's thoughts, or unwilling to dwell on them, Naruto fluidly continued his story.
"-I met Mom a few months later. You'd put some of her chakra in the seal as well. I got to talk with her a little bit longer. She helped me gaining control over Kurama's chakra." Naruto smiled. "Dad, she was so beautiful! I never would have thought she could be so amazing, you know!"
Minato's heart tightened at the sheer happiness radiating from Naruto as he recounted his first, and quite possibly only, meeting with a chakra imprint of his mother. Despite knowing that Naruto had lived a happy childhood with them, it was heartbreaking to know that another version of his son had been alone, that he'd taken so much pleasure in discovering he had had parents who loved him.
Minato had always suffered from his own loneliness. He'd been orphaned very young. But he had known his parents. He'd been loved. He had cherished that knowledge, had carried it through his life. Naruto hadn't had that. Hopefully form adoptive parents or caretakers, but it wasn't the same.
"-The next time I saw you was during the war. Tobi, he could revive the dead and make them fight for him. He revived you, and the other Hokages: Sandaime-jiji, Nidaime and Hashirama. After a while we managed to destroy you. Orochimaru revived you to fight on our side. We fought for weeks together. It was nice to get to know you, although it wasn't really you you." Naruto frowned. "It was hum… It was disturbing. You were a corpse. And we didn't really have much time to talk. You trained me as much as you could. You were destroyed when Orochimaru was killed a few months later. And then I saw you a couple years later, on that day."
Minato finished his cup of sake. This was a lot to take in.
A part of his mind marveled at the familiarity with which Naruto spoke of people he logically should have never known. The first three Hokage had died before or, in the case of the Third, when Naruto was born. Minato felt gratitude surge in him at the fondness he could hear when his son mentioned the Sandaime, his jiji. The fact that he called the Shodaime by his first name was slightly baffling but he guessed that would make sense: they were somewhat related on a soul level, as weird as that sounded.
Naruto's explanations hinted at a grim reality Minato wasn't sure he really wanted to know more about. The casual way his son mentioned fighting corpses was disturbing. How awful could this war have been that this was a side-note? It was no wonder the Naruto who had appeared out of nowhere twenty five years ago had barely been fazed by the teams of ANBU surrounding him, or even himself, a young Hokage.
Minato couldn't even begin to imagine the horrors his son must have witnessed. He had been right in his assumptions: Naruto had not been forged by the Third War. It had been much worse.
He thought back on the calm but certain authority that had emanated from the younger blonde (who hadn't been that much younger than him, he realized). The absolute no-nonsense attitude, and the confidence in his tone and posture. How casually Naruto had dismissed his ANBU and him, confidently stating that he could and would fight them, that that would be an annoyance. An annoyance. Fighting several teams of ANBU and the Yellow Flash, an annoyance!
"-You were a commander.
-I was, among other things. I was also the Rokudaime. A field Hokage."
Field Hokage. A Hokage who was named on and who reigned from the front lines, unable to get back to the village he or she was protecting. How long had his son been at war for? How long since he had last been in Konoha?
"-Who was the Godaime?
-Tsunade-baachan. I took over when she…" Naruto's voice wavered slightly, his throat closing around pain. He powered through, falling back on old habits. "I took over. The second youngest Kage in history. I was nineteen. At the end, A and I were the only Kage left. The others, Iwa, Kiri, Suna, their people stepped up, but they were no Kage. They did the best they could. Some of my people helped them too. Konohans helping out Sunans, and Kumoren working with Iwaris mostly. Mei, the Mizukage, she made it through most of the war. We only lost her a few months ago. We took care of the Kiri nin too after that."
Minato was calculating that by the time Naruto had appeared in Konoha when he himself was a young Hokage, his son already had had a few years of experience as a war-time Kage and commander. He flinched, remembering the younger blonde's tone of absolute authority, the way he had carried himself. Oh yes, Naruto was a commander, there was no doubt about that.
His Naruto had always been charismatic, always attracting others and having them follow him without much effort. But this was something else entirely. The way Naruto had so completely blanketed the area with his presence so many years ago, the way he had reacted to Genma's brushing off medical attention just now, the aura around him even now while he was somehow relaxed, sipping sake in a secure place. This was like seeing the blazing sun compared to a distant light shimmering through a thick fog.
Minato put his cup down and slowly stood up. He came to stand in front of Naruto and bowed low, hands firmly against his thighs. His voice was unwavering and solemn.
"-Thank you for your fire and your protection, Hokage-sama."
Naruto jumped in surprise. This was an old consecrated greeting for highly respected leaders coming back from the front. Tobirama had mentioned it to him once when they were talking about the warring clans era. It referred to the time when sharing a fire meant extending one's protection. Fire battling the darkness.
"-Dad!"
Minato didn't move. He stayed with the upper half of his body in a low and respectful bow, eyes closed. Naruto closed his eyes too and took a minute to let the greeting wash over him.
He was coming home. The war was over.
Naruto stood up. He bowed in the traditional way of addressing such a greeting. He poured all his gratitude for his father's gesture into the consecrated words of his answer.
"-The Fire warms us all and will light the dark."
He then stood back up and rose his right hand to rest it on his father's shoulder, squeezing lightly. Minato stood up too, putting his own hand on top of Naruto's and squeezing it back.
"-I'm sorry you had to go through all of this, son.
-Me too. But I'm here now, so I guess we can call that a silver lining, right?
-Right."
Naruto squeezed his father's shoulder one last time before removing his hand and shrugging.
"-How are the others? They're probably dying of curiosity.
-Most definitely! Do you know who they all are, then?
-Please, I'm me! I'm not even gonna mention Kashi. I would definitely recognize Genma anywhere. Sparrow is that Yamanaka I can never remember the name of. Spider… I actually don't know him, do I?
-No, he was added to the team a few weeks ago. You had already left for your mission. But you do know him. Can you not recognize his chakra?
-No. My chakra is too messed up for me to sense anything right now. I could recognize Genma because we fought together a lot so I got very familiar with him. I don't need to be actually feeling his chakra to know it's him. I know the way he moves and smells."
Minato couldn't help the wave of gratitude he felt for his guard. The man had fought alongside his son. Or a version of him had. He might discreetly treat him to something nice to thank him for it even though he wouldn't know why. Well, Minato was the Hokage. It would be easy enough to find a mission near some hot springs or something to send him on.
"-Want me to tell you?
-Sure! It's not like I won't know them anyways, with how often they're around when we have family dinner, right?
-It desolates me how little value secrecy has when you're involved.
-Dad, it's been a long time since your ANBU guards had any level of anonymity with me! That's what you get for passing on your sensor genes. We've been over this. Plus, technically, I do have the clearance for it, in a way, I guess?
-Child, let your old man cling to his beliefs, will you?!
-Sure. So who's Spider?
-Brat! I guess you guys are not that close now that I think about it actually. Neji Hyuuga."
Naruto's breath hitched as if punched in the gut. That would explain why he couldn't recognize him! Of course, Tobi's chakra in him was messing with his ability to really sense other chakra, but it wasn't only that. Neji had fallen at the beginning of the war, with the very first wave of Edo Tensei. Before they learnt how horrible it all would become. Naruto hadn't been able to identify what little he could feel of his chakra because he hadn't felt Neji's chakra in years. And even then, the older teen's energy had been much different from what he could feel from Spider.
Naruto reigned in his pain and let a small smile pull at his lips. Neji was alive, here.
"-Neji! I guess I'll have to invite him for sake then, he'll have to be broken in."
Minato could see in Naruto's bitter sweet smile that Neji had not survived long enough to become an ANBU in his other life. He knew that Naruto's traditional hazing of any new member of his personal guard (not that they were many) would be perfectly thorough this time around. An endeavor sure to be fully supported by Kakashi and Genma, always happy to assist Naruto in causing havoc. But he could also see that Naruto would savor every moment he would get to spend with a friend he had lost long ago.
