Chapter 37.5. Questions & Answers

"Asking questions is easy, it's hearing the answers that's the hard part."

|Naruto|

"Your mother practically tackled me to the ground when she found out she was pregnant." Dad said, shattering the silence we'd been sitting in.

This statement had nothing to do with the bits of my life that I had finished sharing with him, so I turned to him with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"I'm going to be a mother, ya know!" He chuckled as he recalled Mom's words, "She kept saying that over and over because she was so happy. I was too, but at that moment I was more surprised than anything."

A smile broke out on my face as I imagined the scene he was describing, and I pressed him for more details, "Were you nervous?"

"Of course." Dad nodded his head, "I was 24 years old and didn't know the first thing about being a father, but when your mom held my hand to her stomach and smiled, all my worries disappeared. We would figure out parenthood together."

Although his words were heartfelt and inspirational, I couldn't help but bitterly point out, "Too bad you guys died a couple of days after I was born."

Dad pursed his lips, "Naruto, we—"

"Didn't mean to, didn't want to, or it was an accident, whatever." I interrupted him with a scoff, "I just find it funny that two people so excited about becoming parents had no qualms about dying, ya know."

"…What about you?" Dad questioned after a pause, "You're here because you died, remember? What are your children going to do without you?"

"Ugh, my situation is different!" I groaned as my jaw tightened, "I helped a troubled kid and the consequences of that caught up with me, but you two ran back into a burning building—"

"To save you." Dad placed a hand on my shoulder, "Our son. Are you telling me we should've left you? Pretended you weren't in that burning house and gone on with our lives?"

I bit back my answer knowing it would only lead to an argument, but Dad didn't need to hear me speak to know what I was thinking.

"Naruto, how could you think that?" Dad questioned, clasping his hand on my shoulder even firmer, and his voice fell in volume, "Do you know how heartbroken your mother would be if she knew you felt this way?"

"Gomen, Tou-chan, but her feelings have nothing to do with me, ya know." I admitted to him quietly, "When I was a kid, aside from you guys coming back to life, I wished that I'd never been born. That way I wouldn't feel so alone 'cause I wouldn't even exist…"

My voice tapered off towards the end and I forced the lump in my throat down as I fought off the urge to cry.

Dad sighed, "Naruto, you can't be—"

"You don't get to tell me what I can and can't be, ya know!" I hissed as a few tears rolled down my cheeks, "You left me alone! Both of you! How could you do that, ya know?!"

"Forgive me." Dad whispered as he hugged me close, "Growing up without us must've…I'm sure it was terrible."

I shut my eyes as I leaned against his shoulder, and the two of us sat in that close embrace as I sniffled and let my tears flow. The sound of footsteps shuffling in the grass behind me was all the warning I had before I felt someone plop down next to me and rest their head on my shoulder. Knowing it was my mother, I didn't resist when she took my hand out of my lap and intertwined it with her own.

"Are you done speaking with your father?" Mom gently questioned as she softly squeezed my hand.

"Mhm." I hummed, not trusting my voice at the moment.

"We're here for you, ya know." Mom reminded me in a gentle voice, "After all, we've been waiting for you."

I lifted my head from Dad's shoulder and looked at her, "…What?"

"This place isn't the afterlife. Well, it is but—it's limbo." She shook her head as she clarified, "Most people who end up here died with regrets that prevent them from moving on, but some choose to stay and wait for others, ya know."

"You mean you two—?" I looked back and forth from my parents with increasing confusion, "But why?"

"To speak to you." Dad stretched his arms as he spoke, "We had hoped that you would appear before us as an old man and tell us about how wonderful and long your life was, but as you can see life doesn't always go according to plan."

"Still," I shook my head, "You two have been waiting for a while, ya know."

Mom shrugged her shoulders, "I don't even feel it, ne Minato?"

Dad nodded, "It's as your mother says. You're thirty-six, right? I can't believe that many years have passed by already."

I wasn't convinced by their attitudes and it must've shown on my face because Mom took my hand in hers again and gave me a small smile.

"Hontōni, we're fine." She assured me with another squeeze, "Besides if we didn't wait, we'd never get the chance to see you again."

That threw me for a loop, "Wait, what? Why not?"

"When someone moves on, they're reborn." Dad answered, and I turned to him, "There is no afterlife in the sense of everyone you've ever known being together again. To pass on means to restart the cycle of life and death."

I held a hand to my head in shock, "So…what, it just doesn't end? We keep being reborn forever and ever?"

"Technically, yes." Dad nodded, "Unless during one of your lives you manage to attain total enlightenment. In that case, when you die you'll be free."

"Nirvana." I stated the Buddhist term as I sucked in a sharp breath, "Shit, how am I supposed to achieve that, ya know? I had a hard time just keeping up in school…"

Mom chuckled, "Gomen, you got that from me. I never was good at studying but your father was the genius of our class, ya know."

"Hontōni?" I turned to Dad for confirmation, "Smarter than Old Man Fugaku even?"

Dad scratched the back of his head, "Listen, intelligence is relative and shouldn't be compared—"

"That's a yes." Mom cut him off, "Your father never was one to brag which is one of the things I love about him, but he's too humble for his own good, ya know."

"Speaking of which," I grinned as I looked at her, "How did you and Tou-chan fall in love with each other?"

I watched with delight as their cheeks turned tomato red, and they exchanged looks before Dad motioned for Mom to go ahead.

"W-Well, I moved to Konoha when I was ten years old and my parents enrolled me in the local elementary school." Mom began the tale, "Konoha wasn't nearly as populated then, so…"

••••

"What? Come on Tou-chan, why didn't you help her out?" I crossed my arms as I turned to my father.

Dad immediately raised his hands in surrender, "By the time I got there, your mother was already pummeling the guy into the ground! What could I help her with?"

Mom waved a hand, "Don't be too hard on your father, Naruto. There's a reason they called me the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero, ya know. Besides, when the time came for your dad to help me, he didn't hesitate."

"And what time was this?" I inquired as I rolled onto my back.

Dad cleared his throat, "Some of our classmates didn't like how unbeatable your mother was, so they conspired to teach her a lesson. I didn't know all the details but I'd overheard them talking about paying her a late-night visit and I decided to do the same. My gut told me to follow the strands of red hair trailing away from her house and into the woods, and that's when I found them."

I watched Dad's hand tighten into a fist, and it didn't escape my notice how Mom shifted uncomfortably.

"They were planning to toss her off the cliff behind the statue of the founders." Dad revealed, his voice hardening as he recalled the ordeal, "I had no intention of letting them go through with it, but when I saw that they'd tied your mother's hands behind her back, I…I couldn't forgive them."

"What? That's crazy!" I looked at Mom in disbelief, "Were they trying to kill you, Ka-chan?"

She nodded her head, "According to them, I was an outsider. Nobody would miss me."

"But that's—!"

"Too much?" Dad finished my thoughts, "Of course it was, which was why I beat all of them till my fists were aching and they were black and blue, and when I'd finally finished pummeling the last offender, I carried your mother back home."

"That was the moment I fell in love with him." Mom sighed, "On the way back, he told me that once he saw my beautiful hair on the ground, he just had to follow it, ya know. Man, your dad was cool."

I laughed as Dad's cheeks turned beet red, "Okay so that's Ka-chan's side, but what about you, Tou-chan? How did you fall in love with Ka-chan?"

"I…I fell in love with her the moment I laid eyes on her." Dad confessed, "She announced her dream to be Fire Chief on her first day, and when the kids in the back called her tomato, she didn't hesitate to kick their butts. Everything about her was perfect."

Mom pressed a kiss to Dad's lips and when Dad fed into it, I whistled teasingly at the display of affection. Blinking, the two quickly separated as they were reminded of my presence, and Mom hurriedly fanned her face.

"E-Enough about us! Why don't you tell us how you fell in love with your wife, Naruto?"

Dad nodded in agreement and I let out a heavy breath, regretting my decision to skip over my current relationship status when I'd recalled my life to him.

"My wife and I…got a divorce a few months before I died." I told them in a low voice, "I loved her but there's a woman named Sakura-chan who I've loved forever so I—"

"Wait." Mom interrupted me as her eyebrows scrunched together, "Are you telling me you cheated on your wife?"

Wincing at her judgmental tone, I nodded, "I didn't do it on purpose. Well, it's not like it was an accident but—"

"He's joking, ne Minato?" Mom turned to Dad, her voice wavering in disbelief, "Our son would never do something so selfish, ya know."

My temper flared at the term, "How is realizing that I'm meant for someone else selfish?"

"Are you hearing yourself?!" Mom roared, "You were married! You made vows, right? You swore to love your wife till death, ya know! And then you went and cheated on her with some woman, and you're asking me to explain how that's selfish?!"

"Sakura-chan isn't just some woman, ya know!" I yelled back, "She's the love of my life! She's always been the love of my life but…!"

Mom's increasing look of confusion made my words trail off and I groaned before standing up, "Forget it. You wouldn't understand, ya know."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mom questioned, standing up with me, the look in her eyes daring me to say something else.

Unable to fully challenge her authority, I grumbled under my breath, "It means there's no point in talking about this."

"What?" Mom's voice was sharp with anger as I turned and walked away, "Uzumaki Naruto, come back here this instant, ya know! Just where do you think you're going?!"

Rather than answer her or obey her command, I shoved my hands into my pockets and continued my stroll downstream. Behind me, I could hear Dad's faint voice as he tried to pacify her, but Mom's volume rose with each of his attempts.

"Don't tell me to calm down, ya know! How could our son turn out to be a…a player?!" She raged, "Was it Jiraiya-sensei? If I'd known he was going to corrupt Naruto like this, I never would've allowed him to be his godfather, ya know!"

Gritting my teeth, I continued further and further away until the rush of the water as the river current picked up was the only thing I was hearing.

"Pervy Sage has nothing to do with it." I mumbled to myself as I searched for some smooth stones to skip across the water, "Hinata and I would've broken up anyway, ya know."

I knew this to be the case and I'd told myself as much many times over, but with Mom's condemnation running in circles around my head, I was forced to conjure up alternative situations where Hinata and I were still together.

It wasn't as if these imaginings were solely Mom's fault; even though Sakura and I had been together for practically four months, a small part of me still believe that if I hadn't choked Hinata the night of Himawari's twelfth birthday, our family never would've fallen apart.

My sexual desires would be suppressed and I'd never truly enjoy myself in the bedroom, but at least I would've spared my wife the pain of betrayal. If I had just stifled this one part of myself, I never would've moved out, which meant I might never have come across Kawaki, ultimately sparing my life.

I smacked myself in the forehead at those latter thoughts, "Come on, Naruto. You promised to protect the kid and you tried to keep your word, ya know. Don't regret that."

With a sigh, I tossed a few stones across the river, hoping for one of them to skip to the other embankment. My best toss skipped four times before falling into the river just before the other side, and I took that as a sign to return to my parents.

Although I wasn't particularly hot or tired, I splashed some water onto my face to cool off and after drying my face with my shirt, began a slow trek back to them.

They were no longer by their previous location but rather than panic, I analyzed my surroundings and spotted a massive oak tree far-off to the right. My intuition told me to go to it and it turned out my gut was correct because I found my dad sitting up against the trunk with a familiar-looking, small brown book in hand. Mom was lying down beside him, using his left thigh as a makeshift pillow.

When Dad saw me, he lifted a finger to his lips, urging me to keep quiet before motioning for me to come closer, and I carefully sat down beside him. A glance at my mother's sleeping face made me freeze, as I was shocked to see dried tear trails on her cheeks, so I turned to dad for an explanation.

"I talked to your mom about her reaction when you left." He whispered, "It wasn't fair of her to admonish you like that without the full story, and when she realized she'd been too harsh on you, she started crying, fearing you'd never come back."

Dad chuckled at my obvious bewilderment, "Yeah, your noisy mother has a knack for imagining the worst possible outcome in any given situation."

I joined him in quietly laughing but when Mom turned and mumbled in her sleep, we both went silent.

"…Look at me, Naruto." Dad urged, and I turned to him, "I got the feeling you were leaving some things out when you told me about everything you'd been through up until death, but I don't want you keeping any more secrets, okay? Your mother spoke out because she cares about you, but I'll reserve judgment until I hear all the facts, so don't leave anything out."

I sighed heavily, "Well…I guess it all started when I turned sixteen, ya know. I found this adult magazine in Pervy Sage's study and it was pretty average nudity until I got to a spread showing a woman tied up in tight leather. I don't know, something about it just…just clicked, ya know. Pervy Sage didn't approve of it though and those around me thought it was abnormal so I—I tried to get it out of my head, but I couldn't."

I looked at Dad expecting to find a look of disgust or nausea on his face but instead, I found an understanding expression, and he nodded for me to continue.

"I'd known Sakura-chan for a long time," I went on, "And I'd loved her practically all my life, but while I was chasing her, she was busy chasing Sasuke. A bunch of stuff happened but by the end of high school, they were together and I was single. Hinata, my…my ex-wife had confessed her feelings to me in the spring of junior year but she didn't wait for me to respond and never brought it up again, so I kinda just pushed it to the side. But then the summer break before college she…"

I recounted how Hinata and I had started our relationship and updated my father on how Sasuke and Sakura's relationship had solidified with marriage.

"I was happy for them, really." I insisted as I thought of their wedding ceremony, "Sasuke had been through so much, he deserved something good for once. And as for Sakura-chan, I just wanted her to be happy, ya know. I…I may have still loved her at the time, but I pushed those feelings back and made room for Hinata, and for a long time, things were good."

"Hinata was a loving, beautiful, thoughtful woman." I praised her as I recalled our own wedding, "She was softspoken even when upset, which was a nice change of pace considering how noisy I usually was, ya know. She supported me through all my ups and downs, and we had two kids; I—nothing could've been better but, uh, as the years went by I started feeling…feeling stuck."

"How?" Dad took the chance to question and I shifted beside him.

"In the bedroom, we weren't…s-sex wasn't feeling good anymore." I stuttered as I informed him of the change in our relationship, "At least, not for me, ya know. Deep down, I was still itching for BDSM, and Hinata and I had been together for so long, I thought—I thought she wouldn't mind trying it out."

"I see." Dad hummed, "And did you talk to her about this?"

I shook my head as I lowered my gaze to the floor and continued, "I figured I'd just…just try something one night and if she didn't like it then…but I—I fucked up, Tou-chan."

Dad placed a hand on my shoulder to get me to look up but I wouldn't comply.

"I hurt her, Tou-chan." I whispered as I recalled the night of Himawari's twelfth birthday, "I put my hand on her neck and held her for so long, ya know. She…She was barely breathing when I let go and when I realized what I'd done, I tried to help her but she looked at me like I was some sort of monster. I couldn't blame her; I was a monster. What kind of animal tries to strangle his wife to death, ya know?"

"…This wasn't on purpose, was it?" Dad asked, wanting to make sure of my intentions.

Immediately, I snapped my head up, "No! I mean, yes I wanted to choke her but not to—it was breath play, Tou-chan. It…It was supposed to feel good, ya know."

"But it didn't." He concluded and I nodded weakly, "Did you apologize?"

"Over and over." I lifted a hand to my mouth, "She accepted it and we went to bed, but the next morning when I accidentally touched her neck, she…she freaked out, ya know. She never got over…never moved past what I'd done."

Dad rubbed his chin, "And therapy didn't help?"

"We never tried." I informed him with a shake of my head, "Hinata thought it would be best if we never spoke about it and I tried to…to suppress my urges, ya know."

"That's not good, Naruto." Dad clicked his tongue disapprovingly, "It sounds like Hinata was traumatized by this incident. If she had gone to a therapist, she might've been able to work through the experience and free herself from the perpetual fear she felt."

I sat there feeling more and more disheartened as I considered his words, 'Of course therapy would've worked. Sakura-chan did it for a few months and look how far she got, ya know. If Hinata and I would've—'

"But there's nothing you can do about it now." Dad interrupted my thoughts with a gentled nudge in the side, "I'm assuming this is what ended your marriage?"

"Yes and no." I cracked my neck, "Hinata and I grew distant because of it but we were still trying to make things work, at least for the kids, but one night it got too much for me and I went out for some drinks. I found Sakura-chan tossing back shots at one of the nearby bars and…well, one thing led to another, and then we ended up at this motel."

Dad's face went blank and I suddenly felt very ashamed to be sharing this with him.

Clearing my throat, I skipped over the raunchy parts, "It was a genuine mistake, ya know. We were both drunk and not thinking straight, and when we woke up the next morning, we regretted it. I regretted it, ya know. She didn't speak to me for more than a week after and I—I was so afraid that I'd lost my connection with her."

"You didn't tell your wife." Dad noted.

"How could I?" I turned to him, sniffling as my anxiety from that week came over me, "It had been a one-time thing then and it wasn't like I had meant for it to happen, ya know. If Hinata had found out then, she would've…"

I sucked in a sharp breath, "Anyway, we…we did it again later on but it still wasn't—wasn't straight up cheating. I mean, yeah, we were betraying our spouses but…we were lonely; we needed comfort at that time and we were the only ones who could give it to each other, ya know. It was the third time, after our movie date that we essentially started the affair and maybe this is bad to say, Tou-chan, but I didn't…I don't regret it. I'm glad Sakura-chan and I got together."

Crossing his arms, Dad shut his eyes, "And why do you say that?"

"Because life with her was like a breath of fresh air after holding your breath at the bottom of the pool." I explained, "I didn't realize my head was underwater until Sakura-chan pulled me to the surface, ya know. I love her, hontōni."

Dad clapped his hands together softly and exhaled, "…Do you know why our limbo realm looks like this?"

I looked around the forest-like setting and tried to see if it rang any bells, but when it didn't I shook my head and turned back to my father.

"This is an area in Senju Park, although I imagine it's changed quite a bit since we passed." Dad chuckled, "Anyway, the reason why this place is so dear to your mother and I's hearts is that it was where we confessed our love to each other."

"Hm…" I nodded my head slowly and gave Dad a light smile, "So who said what first?"

"I was the first one to say I love you, but the circumstances surrounding my confession are what really make this memory special." Dad ruffled my hair, "We had long since left elementary school and were now halfway through high school. Having outgrown their childish whims to tease those they found attractive, some of our classmates were beginning to openly take note of Kushina's beauty, something I was not a fan of."

"One day, I learned from a friend of mine that Kushina had been called out to Senju Park by a senior and although I knew it was none of my business, I just had to follow them." Dad confessed, "Sure enough, the senior had called Kushina out to confess his love for her, and as I listened to him list everything he liked about her, from her hair to her cute tic to her determination, my stomach tossed and turned. After hearing all that, all I could think was 'What if she chooses him?'"

"Thankfully, your mother politely rejected him by saying there was someone she liked, and the senior left. Once he was gone, I stepped out from the tree I had been hiding behind and told your mother I'd loved her for a very long time, and the rest is history." Dad waved a hand, "The reason why I told you this is because, well, I get it. True love isn't something you can suppress or ignore. Sooner or later, your heart will yearn to be free, and whatever pace you're currently in won't feel fulfilling anymore."

"I think, deep down, your mother understands that and when she wakes up from her nap, I'll tell her everything you told me. You'll just need to give her time to accept it."

"Fine by me." I shut my eyes as I leaned against Dad's shoulder, "We have all the time in the world…"

••••

"Ka-chan, you said that people who end up here are either waiting for someone or died with regrets, right?" I questioned as Dad handed her a roasted fish.

Mom nodded her head but didn't say anything, and I tried not to let her silence hurt my feelings.

"Well, I know I'm not waiting for anyone and I have a pretty good idea about what I regret, ya know." I turned to Dad as I went on, "So how does someone like me move on?"

Dad pinched his chin and thought for a moment, "Well, most regrets are attached to people so when they die, they'll probably pass through here and you can talk to them to try and find some relief. What's the first regret you can think of?"

A distressed Boruto and Kawaki standing in the doorway of my apartment flashed in my mind and I sighed, "The kids. Boruto and Himawari were already semi-independent but I know my death will hit them hard. Then there's Kawaki…poor kid who has never felt a gentle touch all his life. Looking at him was like looking at an alternate version of myself, ya know. If Mikoto-san had never adopted me, I might've been just like him at his age."

Mom wiped under her eyes and turned away, and I continued with a stuttered, "T-Then there's Hinata who I never go to properly apologize to. I said sorry a bunch of times, but there's no way that was enough to bring her closure, ya know. And now I never will."

Dad patted my back before the depressing thought could fully take root, and I shared a nod with him before running a hand through my hair.

"Konohamaru was the younger brother I never had, ya know." I couldn't help but smile as I recalled his goofy grin, "He's expecting a child soon and he wanted me to be their godfather. Some godparent I am, I didn't even get a chance to do anything for the kid. Hopefully he has a good replacement."

"As for Shikamaru and Sasuke…" I huffed and tightened my fists at my sides, "Shikamaru's my best friend and all I ever did was cause trouble for him. I can only imagine how stressed he's feeling, being burdened with the knowledge of my affair after my death. And then Sasuke…Sasuke is my brother. Itachi-nii said that Mikoto-san breastfed both of us, sometimes at the same time, and I betrayed that bond by having an affair with his wife. I love Sakura-chan but I wish I could've told him to his face instead of sneaking around."

Mom's ears twitched but she remained facing away.

"And finally, there's Sakura-chan herself, ya know." I shut my eyes tightly, "She's so hurt inside but she was working on getting better…when she finds out I'm dead, she might lose all her progress. I told her I loved her every chance I got but I'd rather be alive to keep telling her, ya know."

"I really, really wish I hadn't died." I admitted with a whisper as I hung my head, "When I was younger, I thought I wouldn't mind dying if it meant I'd never feel anything again, but if I'd known I would feel so much, I would've tried harder to survive, ya know."

"What do you…?" Mom's voice was hoarse as she spoke, "What do you mean you didn't mind dying when you were younger, ya know? Naruto, don't tell me you…?"

I sucked in a sharp breath as I thought back to the spring of junior year and how depressed I'd felt. Old Man Fugaku still showed no interest in me, Sakura was heartbroken over Sasuke and couldn't be bothered to notice anyone else around her, my grades were worse than ever, all these things rarely bothered me on their own but together…before I knew it, I found myself on the school rooftop. And then when I blinked, I was standing on the ledge, and after another blink, I was falling down, down, down…

"I'm fine now. Haven't felt that way since I was a teen." I cleared my throat, although my voice didn't sound all that convincing, "I just…uh, shit, what was I saying?"

"Naruto." Mom called my name, and that was all the warning I got before she wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into a tight hug, "Oh, my baby, I'm so sorry…! I should've been there for you! We should've been there for you!"

Feeling her tremble as she cried spurred my own tears to come forth and I shook my head as I clutched her, "Please don't cry, Ka-chan. It's not your fault. I…I'm glad you're my mom, ya know. And Tou-chan too. I'm glad you're my dad. I know I complained a lot before but I wouldn't want things any other way."

Dad joined the hug by placing his arms on both of our backs and resting his head against ours, and the three of us remained in that embrace for a long time.

••••

"Ka-chan, it's not Pervy Sage's fault that I…that my marriage ended the way it did." I told her as she played with my hair, "I might've learned some stuff a bit earlier than I should have, but he did his best to guide me, ya know. He was a…a good godfather."

Mom hummed, "Based on how you're talking about him, I guess he passed away?"

"Yeah." I blinked back tears as I recalled the funeral that had been held for him, "He died when I was sixteen."

Mom placed a hand on my chin and urged me to look up at her before apologizing, "Gomennasai, I know that loss must've been painful."

Nodding, I held my arms over my chest and bit my lip to keep from crying. When the feeling eventually passed, I looked over at my dad whose eyes were shut as if he were deep in thought.

"N-Now that you guys have met me, why don't you move on?" I questioned, causing his eyes to fly open, "Don't tell me you guys actually do have regrets?"

Dad shook his head, "We're not leaving you here by yourself. Like we said before, time works much differently in this place. What feels like minutes here might be days or years in the realm of the living. We don't mind sticking around with you until you're free from your regrets."

"Arigato." I said, shutting my eyes and relaxing into my mother's lap, "Hontōni, arigato."

"But," Mom sighed, "We weren't exactly truthful about why we're here, ya know. At least, why I'm here."

Dad cleared his throat, "I have no regrets about how I lived or died, but your mother on the other hand…"

Mom pinched my cheeks, prompting me to open my eyes, "I wanted to watch you grow up, ya know. I wanted to be there for your first entrance ceremony, your first graduation, your first detention…my biggest regret was leaving you all alone. Gomennasai, Naruto…"

Droplets of her tears fell on my face as she cried and I reached up to lightly tap her chin.

"It was…rough growing up without you guys, for sure." I agreed with a trembling voice, "But knowing that you and Tou-chan gave up your lives for me was enough to keep me going some days. As the son of the Konoha's Yellow Flash and the Red Hot-Blood Habanero, I made sure to succeed, ya know. I became the Orange Fire Chief! So don't…don't cry anymore, Ka-chan."

She choked back a sob as I sat up and hugged her.

"There are some words I always dreamed of saying to you guys." I told her as I hugged her tight, "I'm home."

|3rd Person|

"Come here you stupid fish!" Naruto growled as he grabbed at the water, "When I catch you, I'm gonna—!"

Minato and Kushina chuckled as they watched their son fall into the river, but when their laughter eventually died out, Kushina turned to her husband with a worried expression.

"Are you sure we made the right call by not telling him the truth about the fire?" Kushina questioned in a hushed voice.

Minato nodded his head, "The boy's got enough worries to have him here for a lifetime, I'm not going to add the past to his plate. Besides, there's nothing any of us can do from here."

"Still, we told him the truth about my regrets, ya know. I think he'd—"

"Tou-chan! Ka-chan!" Naruto yelled for his parents' attention, and the two turned to find him holding a giant salmon in his arms, "Look what I got, ya know!"

"That's amazing!" Minato called back, cupping his hands to his mouth, "We'll be right there!"

When Minato looked back at Kushina, he clapped his hands together and bowed his head slightly as he pled with her, "Please keep it between us for now. After we talk to him a bit more, we can figure out whether he'll be able to handle it or not."

Kushina frowned, "If you say so…"

Grinning, Minato turned forward and proceeded over to Naruto, and Kushina followed with a sigh.

••••

"Naruto, what exactly did people say about our deaths?" Kushina questioned Naruto while Minato dozed off a few meters away from them.

"It was always the same thing." Naruto shrugged before lifting his hands behind his head, "They were so young! What a tragedy! Life is cruel, of course a fire would kill two firefighters…stuff like that, ya know."

Kushina nodded, "I see. And nobody ever said anything that, I don't know, struck you a little odd?"

"No?" Naruto replied questioningly, "Your deaths were pretty cut and dry. Besides, Grandpa Sarutobi was the one who discovered you guys and he didn't like talking about it, ya know."

"What? Sandaime didn't…?" Kushina let her words trail off as she recalled her final moments.

"Sandaime…" Kushina called as a fellow firefighter helped her sit up, "Please l-look after…our son, Naruto. We n-named him…from Jiraiya-sensei's…book."

"His name is Naruto, correct?" Hiruzen hurriedly nodded his head, "I got it so don't say anymore. Maybe we can—"

"No." Kushina shook her head, "It's…too late for me. Please, you h-have to…protect Naruto. Danzo told Minato…the fire was…!"

Kushina choked on her next breath, and Sandaime and the other firefighters watched helplessly as blood trailed down her chin.

"Protect him…!" Kushina pled with her last breath and Hiruzen shut his eyes.

"I will." He solemnly swore, gently adjusting the infant boy in his arms, "I will."

"Ka-chan?" Naruto's voice pulled Kushina out of her thoughts and she looked up to find his eyebrows slightly furrowed together, "What'd you ask that stuff for? Is there something you wanna tell me?"

Kushina glanced over at Minato's sleeping form and offered him a silent apology before motioning for Naruto to come closer.

"Your father became the city's fourth fire chief thanks to Sandaime's recommendation, but not everyone was happy about it, ya know. In fact, a man by the name of Shimura Danzō was openly against your dad." Kushina began in a low voice, "As you know, Konoha has a council instead of a mayor to make key decisions regarding the city, but back then two of the five seats were reserved for the fire chief and the police chief. Hiruzen and Danzō had never been on the same page, ya know, so when your father took over, Danzō saw it as a continuation of Hiruzen's beliefs and rejected him."

"Thankfully, Fugaku-san and the other two agreed with your father's nomination and so he became the fourth fire chief with little issue. A few weeks later though, things started happening around us. Graffiti outside of our station, outside of our house, our neighbors noticed some strangers in our yard, it was weird, ya know." Kushina crossed her arms, "When we found out I was pregnant with you, we kind of forgot about those things, but a week before my due date Minato and I were leaving the firehouse when Danzō stopped us."

"He didn't have any real reason to; he was just trying to get under our skin and we managed to keep our cool for a while until Danzō poked my belly, ya know." A vein tightened in Kushina's forehead as she recalled the incident, "Your dad was on him before I even got a chance to explode. He pinned Danzō against the wall and told him that if he ever laid hands on me again, he'd make sure Danzō would regret it, ya know. But Danzō just…just laughed in his face."

"Relax boy," Danzō chuckled as he removed Minato's hand from his collar, "You have a fiery spirit. Wouldn't want it to burn out too quickly, ne?"

"It was a threat, we knew that much but we didn't think…" Kushina shook her head, "Minato and I decided to keep the exchange to ourselves, ya know. Even if we didn't like Danzō, he was still a member of the council, and spreading things like that would only worsen our standing with him. We wanted…we wanted to resolve things peacefully."

"Timeout." Naruto held his hands together in the famous T-pose position, "Ka-chan, are you saying…are you saying the fire that killed you, this Danzō guy started it?"

Kushina sighed, "I can't say for sure. It's not like I saw him actively pouring gasoline throughout our house, ya know. But I will say this, there was nothing Minato and I had in that house which could've caused or explained how the fire started and grew so quickly. Kami, Minato and I hadn't even left through the same exits when we first noticed, and by the time we came together and realized you were still inside, the second floor was—!"

Kushina cut herself off as Minato placed a hand on her shoulder, his face was dark and upset but nevertheless, he took a seat beside her before turning to Naruto.

"Even though I told your mother that we should keep this to ourselves for a little while longer, it seems that she just couldn't help herself." Minato reprimanded Kushina with a pointed look before sighing, "So, what do you think? Do you believe Danzō killed us?"

Naruto pinched his chin, "I mean, it's hard to say, ya know. Grandpa Sarutobi told me that the cause of the fire was unknown and I don't think I've ever seen this Danzō guy, although his name does sound kinda familiar…"

"Oh thank goodness." Kushina laid a hand on her chest, "If you've never seen him that means he didn't take an interest in you, ya know. I was so worried that he'd finish the job but I guess Sandaime kept his promise."

"Tou-chan, what about you?" Naruto questioned his father, "You don't think Danzō had anything to do with it?"

Minato shook his head, "No, it's more than likely Danzō did it, although I doubt he was on the scene himself. I just didn't want your mother to tell you because I thought it would add to your list of worries."

"How?" Naruto wondered in confusion, "We're dead, right? Not like I'm gonna be able to set things right from the other side, ya know."

"Oh." Minato shifted in surprise, "Wow, you've adjusted quickly."

Naruto shrugged, "What choice do I have? I do get kinda depressed thinking about everyone and everything down there, but what's done is done. Now I have all the time in the world with my parents, ya know. What more could a guy ask for?"

Kushina touched Naruto's cheek, "I love you."

Naruto beamed before falling back in the grass, "You were right in a way, Tou-chan. I'm not worried about this story but this Danzō guy is bothering me. Where have I heard that name before?"

Minato and Kushina exchanged looks as Naruto shut his eyes and tried to think.

"Oh!" Naruto snapped his fingers and jumped straight up, "Danzō was head of the ANBU, ya know! He got exposed for being corrupt and got kicked out though, about eleven years ago. My friend Sai's leading them now, although I don't know how long he's been doing it since he only told me a couple months ago, ya know."

"Yes, that's him." Kushina squeezed Minato's knee, "You're sure you never saw him? He never spoke to you or anything?"

"Uh, not really." Naruto looked up in the sky as he tried to rack his brain for anything, "Well, I mean there was this one time when he came to the Uchiha compound, ya know. Old Man Fugaku kicked Sasuke and I out of the house, but when their meeting ended, Danzō came out. He looked at me for like two seconds before leaving but other than that, I never saw him again."

Kushina let out the breath she'd been holding in and Minato lowered his head, "That's good, that's perfect even."

"Was he really that bad?" Naruto wondered aloud, "I mean, I know he poked you Ka-chan and I would beat him up for that if I could, but he didn't seem all that scary, ya know."

"Listen to me, Naruto." Kushina commanded his attention with a firm voice, "Even though Jiraiya-sensei is the last person I wanted you to emulate, I'd rather you be a carbon copy of him than be anything like Danzō, ya know."

"Your mother's right." Minato agreed with a nod, "We aren't Danzō's first victims and I'm highly certain we weren't the last. He grew up in Konoha's early stages and as a result, he believed that you could always make things go your way through money or violence. I'm glad to hear that the city eventually got rid of him."

"That's not enough." Kushina clenched her fist, "Naruto, did you ever hear about his death?"

Naruto shook his head, "Nothing like that. But he has to be gone by now, ya know. Grandpa Sarutobi's dead, Jiraiya-sensei too…what are the odds that he'd still be alive at—what almost a hundred years old?"

Kushina bit her lip, "It wouldn't shock me, ya know. That's the messed up thing about life, the good people die young and the bad people live long."

"Ka-chan, Ka-chan, Ka-chan," Naruto hugged his mother close before rocking her back and forth, "Now you sound like you just died, ya know. Even if by some miracle Danzō's still kicking, you guys haven't mentioned anything about being about to turn into a ghost, which means we can't do anything. With all my regrets, you guys are gonna be sitting here with me for a while, so we can at least try and be happy, ya know."

"Well said, Naruto." Minato chuckled as he watched the mother and son duo sway together, "Well said."

|Naruto|

The smell of smoke permeated penetrated my lungs, making breathing an impossible task, but no matter where I looked, there was no exit in sight. With no choice but to go forward, I pulled my shirt over my nose and narrowed my eyes before making my way into some sort of room.

It was the shattered coffee table a few feet ahead of me that helped me realize I was back in my old living room. Trying to get a feel for the wall, once I reached it, I began to make my way toward the front door when a groan stomped me.

"Boruto?" I called hesitantly, unsure if it was him I'd heard.

The groan came again but towards the end it was cut off with a sharp whine, as if he was in pain and I immediately turned toward where I'd heard it last.

"Boruto! Are you in here?" I yelled as I tried to wave some smoke out of my face, "I'm here!"

As if a window had been opened somewhere, all the smoke was sucked backward and I blinked away the last few bits as the air cleared. On the floor lay a bloodied Boruto, one of the coffee table's legs running through his chest and pinning him to the ground. Above him stood a sinister-looking Jigen, and he placed his left foot on Boruto's stomach before seemingly pushing him further down.

"Stop…!" I croaked, and the inflection of my voice caused me to look down at myself.

My hands were burnt beyond recognition much like the rest of my body, and I realized I was in a state similar to that of the one I was in just before my death.

"Tou-chan…" Boruto whimpered as he reached out for me in vain, "Help…me…"

Despite my best tries, my body refused to move and I watched in horror as Jigen lifted his foot over Boruto's hand and glanced back at me.

"I told you you'd suffer the consequences." Jigen smirked before bringing his leg down.

I sat straight up, the last few moments of the nightmare clinging to my brain. A hand on my shoulder made me jump but when I realized it belonged to my mother, I remained where I was.

"Daijōbu." She assured me as she patted my back, "You're okay."

My heart thundered like never before but I took in a few gulps of air in order to prevent the hysteria that had been rushing through me from growing any worse. When I was finally able to speak, I turned to Mom in hopes of being comforted, and thankfully she wasted no time.

"Was it a nightmare?" She questioned as she swiped under my eyes, wiping away traces of tears I hadn't even noticed had fallen.

I nodded slowly and she hummed, "About?"

"My son being…murdered by the same man who had me killed." I said after a breath, "The house was on fire and he called for me to help him but I—I couldn't, ya know. I had to watch him die."

Mom was silent for a moment but continued to rub my cheek, and when she finally spoke, it was in a wavering voice.

"When I first went to sleep in this place, I had a nightmare about you, ya know. Just like the night when we died, the house was on fire and we were going to get you, but when we got to your room, the door was locked." Mom sucked in a sharp breath, "We tried everything to kick it down but it wouldn't budge. The fire finally reached us but it was your screams that…Minato had to shake me out of my sleep because I was crying so loudly, ya know."

Mom pulled my head to her chest and rubbed my arm, "When you first got here, Boruto was the first one you mentioned. You really care about him, right?"

"Of course." I cleared my throat, "He's my son."

"That's why your nightmare was about him." Mom explained, "It's one of the bad things about limbo. You're not allowed to work towards self-acceptance or forget why you can't move on, ya know. It's cruel but that's the way it is. This isn't the proper afterlife after all."

"What a terrible system." I grumbled with a sniffle, "It's basically purgatory."

"At least we're not being whipped or tortured by demons." Mom joked and I couldn't help but laugh as I imagined red devils with pitchforks.

"You'd fit right in, Ka-chan. They wouldn't even realize you're not of them." I laughed and she tugged on my ear.

"How dare you call your mother a demon, ya know? You're not too old to be spanked!"

"Actually, he is." Dad joined in on the conversation, returning from the river with two trout, "Naruto outlived us, remember?"

"So what?" Mom jokingly raised her fist, "I'd like to see him take one of my signature head knocks since he's so grown!"

I slipped out of her grasp before taunting her, "They'd probably feel like tickles, ya know."

"Hoh?" Mom stood up and cracked her knuckles, "Let's find out, shall we?"

Quickly, I ran to Dad and hid behind him, "Tou-chan, tell her that won't be necessary."

Dad shook his head as he set the fish over the fire, "You should've quit while you were ahead, Naruto. Just do your best."

"Do my best?" I repeated as Mom approached, "W-Wait, Ka-chan! Let's talk about this, ya know!"

I narrowly dodged Mom's tackle and as she got herself up off the ground, she brushed her hair back.

"The longer this takes, the worse it'll get for you, ya know." She warned with a menacing grin.

Thoroughly frightened by her expression, I turned on my heel and ran down the river, "I-I was just kidding!"